Category: English

The world plunged into a Great Freeze, but I had drawn three passes to a secure bunker. Orphaned and alone, I decided to give the passes to my girlfriend and my best friend. Yet, my girlfriend, Ronnie, wasn’t just ungrateful. While I slept, she stole my passes and sold them to a rich man. She teamed up with my friend, Liam, to abduct me, and the two of them started a relationship right in front of me. “You’re an orphan, but you’ve always had it easy, plus you’re an athlete – you might even survive out there!” “Liam is always sick, always getting picked on, and he couldn’t even get a single pass! It’s not fair! Just this once, let him have it!” I screamed and cried, begging Ronnie to at least untie me. But they pretended not to see, leaving me to suffer hypothermia, freezing to death in the desolate suburbs. Later, she leveraged Sterling’s gratitude – the rich man she’d ensnared. Not only did she survive the Great Freeze, but she became an influential figure in the new world, living a life of absolute luxury. Reborn into this life, I returned to the day I drew the passes. Seeing my girlfriend and friend’s eager eyes, tears instantly welled in mine. “I only drew one pass. What are we going to do?”

Heavy snow blocked the roads, and everyone shivered from the cold. Ronnie and Liam’s faces instantly turned pale when they saw the pass in my hand. “O-one? Honey, are you sure you’re not mistaken?” “How is one enough for us? We need at least two…” Ronnie started to speak, then hesitated, her eyes quickly darting to mine. Seeing my somber expression, a sigh of relief escaped her. Liam, on the other hand, burst into tears, leaning his head straight onto Ronnie’s shoulder. “What are we going to do? There’s only one, are we going to die?” He didn’t even try to hide it anymore, openly embracing Ronnie right in front of me. I lifted my gaze to my girlfriend’s flustered face, feigning ignorance. “Liam, you can’t be acting like this, no matter how upset you are. Ronnie is my girlfriend!” A flicker of impatience crossed Liam’s eyes. He was about to speak, but Ronnie quickly pushed him away. As long as I held a pass, she wouldn’t dare argue with me; she’d have to walk on eggshells and treat me like gold. Sure enough, Ronnie sighed, a helpless expression on her face. “You know Liam is timid and sensitive. He’s probably just scared.” “You’re always so disorganized. Just let me hold onto the pass for now, and we’ll figure things out properly when we get back.” I raised an eyebrow, tightening my grip on the pass. “Don’t worry, I’ve always listened to you, and I give you whatever you want.” “We’ve been together for so long, you’re the person I care about most. I’m definitely willing to give you the pass!” Ronnie beamed, nodding eagerly, gesturing for me to hand it over. But I turned my head to Liam, pretending not to see her. “We’re like brothers, and you’ve suffered so much since you were a kid. If it comes to dying, I’ll go with you.” “At least we’ll have each other for company, even in heaven.” Liam’s face instantly darkened. He shoved me away. “What are you talking about, dying?! I’m not dying!” “Ronnie, would you really use this pass yourself and just watch me die?!” “Didn’t you say…” He started to speak, then hesitated, his hand instinctively going to his stomach, his eyes wide with desperate expectation as he looked at Ronnie. Ronnie trembled with fear. She quickly forced a smile and said they’d talk about it when they got back. I feigned annoyance. “The bunker closes in three days. Stop wasting time, decide now!”

The cramped apartment was cluttered with junk. Ronnie, uncharacteristically, suggested she and Liam go take out the trash. In my previous life, I might not have seen through her intentions. She was clearly using the excuse of taking out the trash to quickly appease Liam. I sneered. Now with only one pass left, I was waiting for them to become enemies! I pulled out my phone and quickly added Sterling’s contact information. In my past life, I was too kind, always letting my guard down around them. Ronnie had just been laid off, and Liam hadn’t found a job after graduation. I was barely supporting all three of us on my meager salary. They weren’t grateful at all; they were so audacious that when the emergency supply advisory was issued, they immediately used all our savings to hoard supplies. When I lugged back over a dozen bags of supplies, breathless and exhausted, they wouldn’t even help. They just kept blaming me for wasting money. “We have three mouths to feed; how can you spend money so irrationally! You wasted all our money; how are we supposed to get through this month?!” “I haven’t even bought my suit yet! If this delays my interview, you’ll regret it!” Liam grumbled, not bothering to consider that he was spending *my* money. Ronnie rolled her eyes. “That’s what happens when you’ve always had it easy, never thinking about the consequences.” “I told him I wanted to buy a gaming keyboard this month; it was only a few thousand, and he wouldn’t buy it! Instead, he wasted money on this useless junk!” I was deeply hurt. For the first time, I lost my temper and argued with them. To salvage her ego, Ronnie pulled out Sterling’s contact info and flaunted it right in front of me. “If it weren’t for you, why would I compromise myself like this?” “Now that I’ve finally buttered him up, maybe Sterling will give me a leg up, and I’ll strike it rich soon!” “If even you look down on me and think I can’t do it, then I’ll jump off a building right now!” Ronnie looked so wronged that my heart broke. I apologized profusely, once again letting her manipulate me. But because of that, I remembered Sterling’s contact information. Seeing the “friend request accepted” notification, I felt a slight relief. When they returned, Liam had completely changed his slouchy demeanor. He took my hand and looked at Ronnie. “There’s only one pass left. I thought about it, and I think we should give it to Ronnie.” “You’re right, we’ll have each other for company, and we won’t be too lonely in the end.” I was a little surprised, not expecting Liam to be so generous. But I just smiled, not handing over the pass. “I need to think about it more. After all, I’m the one who drew it, so I have to be responsible for this ticket, and for both of you.” Ronnie immediately grew anxious. Just as I saw her about to snatch it, I looked at Liam. “I’m used to being so careless. Liam is more detail-oriented, so maybe he should keep it safe.” Now, both of them were stunned. Liam glanced at Ronnie, then cautiously took the pass. As night fell, the temperature plummeted. Ronnie had already bundled herself up. I stopped Liam, who was about to go find something to stay warm. “Liam, you deserve this pass more than Ronnie.”

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From childhood, I was fiercely protective of my sister. No one was allowed to hurt her. My uncle used to mock my sister, calling her ‘simple-minded,’ and even encouraged other kids to treat her like a dog, riding on her back. Without a second thought, I squeezed his son’s mouth open and force-fed him pesticide. “You love watching ‘idiots,’ huh? Well, now you’ll have one of your own to watch.” The old bachelor, taking advantage of the twilight quiet, tried to lure my sister into his room with hard candies. I grabbed the cleaver and, with one swift chop, severed his ‘sinful flesh.’ “That pathetic little thing, and he dared to eye my sister? It’s not even enough to get stuck in a dog’s teeth!” The villagers would scatter whenever they saw me, whispering behind my mother’s back that she’d birthed two daughters: one an idiot, the other a lunatic. My parents, terrified I’d cause another death, had no choice but to painfully commit me to an asylum. I was locked away for ten years. When I was finally released, Mom called me, sobbing. “Chloe, please, come to the hospital first. Your sister… she’s barely hanging on.” “Your brother-in-law, just to amuse his mistress, tied her in a dog kennel for three days and three nights. Her body was so mangled, there wasn’t a single unbitten patch of skin.” I said nothing. I hung up the phone, gripped a heavy iron bar, and rushed to the Sterling estate. When Derek Sterling and his mistress returned, I was stirring the meat in the pot, and I flashed them a smile. “Hungry? Dinner’s ready.”

“Oh, how impressive, the idiot can actually cook! I thought you only knew how to beg for scraps in the doghouse.” Vanessa Thorne pinched her nose and circled around me. Seeing no sign of suspicion on her face, a subtle smile played on my lips. It seemed ten years hadn’t changed how much my sister and I resembled each other. That saved me a lot of trouble. I pretended not to hear the sarcasm in Vanessa’s voice, smiling faintly. “After being bitten by the dogs and hospitalized, I feel like my brain’s gotten much sharper. I really have you to thank for that.” She looked at my docile demeanor and immediately let out a piercing laugh. “Derek, did you hear that? She’s actually thanking us for letting the dogs bite her. You married quite a wife, she’s absolutely hilarious!” Derek Sterling, hearing the taunt, struggled to maintain his expression. He eyed me with disgust. “She’s no Mrs. Sterling. Grandma was just sickly back then, and Lily was nothing but a prop to cheer her up, a temporary comfort.” “Vanessa, you know you’re the only one for me.” Derek clasped Vanessa’s hand tightly, his eyes filled with tender affection. Vanessa shot me a glance, her triumph practically overflowing. She purred, “Alright, I know, let’s try Lily’s cooking.” She inhaled the strange aroma and instinctively swallowed. Eagerly, she picked up her fork and speared a large piece of meat. Derek took a bite too, his eyes lighting up. He mumbled, “Can’t believe it, you fool, your cooking’s actually pretty good.” Watching them devour the meal, the smile on my lips widened. Before long, the entire pot of meat was completely empty. Vanessa rubbed her belly, satisfied. She scooped the remaining scraps into a bowl and handed it to me. “Here, take this good stuff to Lucky and Treasure.” Lucky and Treasure were Vanessa and Derek’s dogs, pampered like children for seven years. As I took the bowl, she suddenly snatched it back, pinching her nose in disgust. “You didn’t pee yourself again, did you? You reek.” “Forget it, I’ll feed them myself.” I looked down at the stains on my apron and clicked my tongue. Those two brutes were a handful. Took all my strength to get them settled, and now look, I’m covered in their mess. I wondered if this outfit would ever come clean. Lost in thought, a sudden shriek erupted from the backyard. Vanessa stumbled back inside, her eyes wide with terror. She clutched Derek’s sleeve, her face ashen. “Derek, the backyard’s covered in blood! Lucky and Treasure are gone!” Her voice was on the verge of tears. Derek frowned deeply, then turned to glare at me. “You’ve been home all this time, where are the dogs?” I touched my nose, a childish grin on my face. “Weren’t they what you just ate? You said it was delicious.” 2. At my words, Derek’s mind went blank, and then his stomach churned. Vanessa frantically gagged, practically retching bile. Her eyes bloodshot, she lunged at me. “You bitch, I’ll make you pay for this!” I stood my ground, unmoving, and silently counted to three. Soon, Vanessa and Derek collapsed to the floor, unconscious. I raised an eyebrow in satisfaction. The sedatives from the asylum worked like a charm. When they awoke again, they were bound tightly to chairs. I picked up a pair of scissors and walked straight to Vanessa. Her face contorted in fear as she shrieked, “Lily! What are you doing?!” I ignored her screams, and with a snip, I chopped off her proudly long hair, leaving it uneven and ugly. Vanessa struggled desperately, but in the end, she could only watch her hair fall, tears streaming down her face. I was simply giving her a taste of her own medicine, returning the favor for what she’d done to my sister. After her haircut, I grabbed a bucket of gasoline and poured a circle around them both. Derek’s eyes widened. “You fool, murder is a crime!” I paid him no mind, simply doused them both in the remaining gasoline. They instantly looked like drowned rats. Then, I smiled, a terrifying grin. “You two love playing games, don’t you? Well, today, I’ll play along.” The lighter clicked, igniting. Seeing that I wasn’t joking, Derek’s pupils constricted. He stammered, “Lily, let’s talk this through, don’t do anything rash.” I raised an eyebrow, a light laugh escaping my lips. “Alright, as long as you agree to two conditions.” “First, transfer five million into my account.” “Second, a divorce.” Lily’s body was a mess, she needed skin graft surgery, and the medical bills would be astronomical. The Sterling household was a living hell, a den of vipers. I had to get Lily out of there. Derek readily agreed to the first, but balked at divorce. “That’s impossible. My mother would never agree. She felt like she was dying back then, and marrying you was supposed to save her life.” “Without her blessing, I can’t divorce you.” I clicked my tongue in annoyance. These Sterlings were no good, and full of ridiculous rules. Derek, terrified I’d change my mind, immediately transferred five million into my account. As promised, I untied them. He slumped in the chair, letting out a relieved sigh. Suddenly, he sniffed himself, and his face instantly changed. “This is water.” I looked at him with a knowing smile. “What else would it be? You said it yourself, murder is a crime.” In my years at the asylum, I’d learned not to act impulsively. I wasn’t about to waste my life on scum like them. Derek’s forehead pulsed with anger, and his fists clenched, knuckles cracking. “You bitch.” I waved my phone, displaying their naked photos. “I advise you not to lose your temper. Sterling Enterprises is in its growth phase right now.” “If these photos get out, it won’t just be me who’s embarrassed.” Derek’s face flushed with fury, but he was helpless. Vanessa, just recovering from the shock of her hair being cut, saw the photos on my phone and completely broke down. “Bitch!” She grabbed the scissors from the table, looking ready to fight me to the death. But as soon as she took a step, a searing pain ripped through her stomach. The next second, Vanessa collapsed to the floor, screaming in agony. Watching her suffer, I feigned surprise and slapped my forehead. “Oops, I forgot to tell you.” “Besides sedatives, I also added abortifacients to that pot of dog meat stew.”

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After giving birth to her son, my sister eloped with my rich boyfriend, Julian Vance. Furious, and relying on our identical faces, I knocked on David Miller’s bedroom door. I swore to torment her husband and son in her place. Ten years later, my sister returned. She saw her son, Leo, healthy and thriving, thanks to me. And David Miller’s booming business. She sneered, “I’m giving your boyfriend back to you. It’s time you returned the family you stole from me.” By then, my rich ex-boyfriend Julian Vance had long gone bankrupt. “Refuse, and I’ll tell everyone about your dirty secret of seducing your brother-in-law!” I gritted my teeth and accepted it. That night, I booked a flight, and a taxi sped through the streets. But David Miller, in the back seat, pulled me onto his lap: “I’m way more capable than that rich boy. Care to find out?” When my sister eloped with my rich boyfriend, Julian Vance, she even sent me an intimate photo of them: [Goodbye, little sister. You couldn’t win against me when we were kids, and you can only admit defeat now that we’re grown up.] I was so angry. I looked at my reflection in the mirror, my identical face to my twin sister. That very night, I knocked on David Miller’s door. If she dared to leave her husband and son in *my* city, then don’t blame me for making their lives hell! David Miller was a bit awkward with his wife’s sudden change in demeanor. But at that time, his business was struggling. He probably thought his wife disliked him for not making enough money, so she had a right to be mad. He became even more humble towards me. Every time I reprimanded or even hit him, he would just silently lower his head, promising to give me a good life soon. I knew my brother-in-law was honest. But I never expected him to be so damn spineless. So I turned my attention to bullying her kid. The child was with me until he was three, truly seeing me as his mother. But this mother was very strict. I didn’t give him food or drink, and sometimes I cursed at him. Every time, he would purse his lips, little hands clutching his shirt, looking at me with teary eyes. He’d timidly say, “Mommy, please don’t be angry… Leo will just go to his room by himself. Mommy, please don’t get sick from anger.” …This father and son were exactly alike in their honesty and spinelessness. Until I went to pick him up from kindergarten and saw a group of kids surrounding him, punching and kicking. I completely lost my composure. Only *I* can bully *my* son! And I haven’t even hit him like that myself! I immediately stormed into the principal’s office. The ringleader was the only son of a powerful local CEO. The principal told me to tolerate it, not to make a fuss. I walked right up and slapped that CEO across the face. David Miller apologized to the CEO for a long time; his humble demeanor made my blood boil. I forced the CEO to pay for Leo’s medical expenses, then grabbed the father and son and turned to leave. On the way back, David Miller seemed about to say something, then didn’t. I gave him an annoyed sideways glance: “What? Think I was too impulsive?” “Cough…” He awkwardly cleared his throat: “N-not exactly…” “Then shut up!” I snapped: “Either you make something of yourself so your son never gets bullied again. “Or *I’ll* step in. That’s better than our whole family being spineless!” I never expected David Miller to actually do it. Now, that CEO needs to send many gifts through intermediaries just to get an audience with David Miller. The Miller family truly made a name for themselves in New York. No one dared to bully little Leo anymore. After I stood up for him at the kindergarten that time, I looked at his frail body. I bit my lip, and even though David Miller was still in debt, I personally used my money to buy a lot of nutritional supplements: “Look how skinny you are! You deserve to be bullied! If you don’t eat up and get stronger, don’t call me Mom!” Under the supervision of me, his ‘stepmother,’ little Leo not only gained weight. His body fat percentage was also excellent. At ten years old, the child subtly developed muscles. Whether in terms of physical strength or social standing, no peer dared to lay a hand on him. Everything was perfect. Little Leo treated me as his mother. He’d boast to everyone about my heroic deeds of confronting the CEO in front of the principal. David Miller also treated me as his wife. After achieving success and fame, luxury goods were thrown into my hands without a care. Luxury cars and mansions were showered upon me without restraint. I, a woman who had never seen much money growing up, actually began to harbor the idea of “living like this for the rest of my life.” Until my sister returned. And pulled me out of my beautiful dream with my ‘husband.’

“Honestly, this decade of happiness? You stole every bit of it.” My sister sat opposite me, blowing a smoke ring into the air: “Even though I eloped with your boyfriend back then, my husband and son are still *my* husband and son. That doesn’t give you the right to turn around and take over my family.” She tapped off the cigarette ash: “I won’t pursue the matter of you stealing my things. Now, I’m giving Julian Vance back to you. “You give me back my husband and son.” I clenched my fists— Julian Vance had gone bankrupt a while ago. His financial situation was even tighter than David Miller’s back then. “Sister, you really know how to pick your moments. Stealing your sister’s boyfriend when your husband’s down and out, then coming back to be the rich wife after you’ve had your fill?” *CRASH!* The ashtray slammed to the floor by my feet. My sister lifted her chin: “Is that how you talk to your older sister? “And, Maya Summers, while I might have had a little something with your boyfriend, *you* seduced your brother-in-law and took over my son! “That’s *my* son, whom I just gave birth to! Don’t you think you’re utterly despicable and shameless? “Think about it, which is more disgusting and dirty!” My breath caught. She stood up, came over to me, and looked down on me: “If you dare refuse, I’ll spill all your dirty secrets. Then we’ll see who gets more hate, you or me.” I didn’t really care about getting criticized. Growing up, simply having enough to eat and drink was my only desire. Back when I was dating Julian Vance, didn’t everyone accuse me of only caring about money? I just thought of Leo. The sweet way that kid called me Mom. If this came out, what would he think? What would David Miller think? Taking a deep breath, I spoke: “Give me three days.” My sister frowned. “What for? Don’t I need to pack my bags? “Shouldn’t I clean up the traces I’ve left behind for you? “Don’t I need to write you a briefing about the changes these two have gone through in the last ten years?” My sister’s expression finally softened a bit. She let out a cold sneer: “If you dare to trick me, I promise you’ll regret it!”

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Late at night, my boyfriend texted me, “My dad isn’t happy with you. Let’s break up.” Drunk, I went to beg for him back, making a scene all night. But when I woke up, his dad was lying next to me. The man opened his eyes, grinning at me. “Are you satisfied with me now?” I snapped, annoyed. I was woken up in the morning by a phone call. “Daisy Miller, are you out of your mind? You called me 108 times last night!” His familiar voice came through the receiver. My voice was already choked with tears. “Ryan King, you finally called me back.” “Daisy Miller, we’ve already broken up. My dad doesn’t like you. It’s better a clean break than prolonged pain. I’m not coming back.” “What’s wrong with me? I can change, okay? I’ll change until your dad is satisfied. You know I can’t live without you.” “Uh, but I just don’t have feelings for you anymore.” No feelings anymore. How do you get feelings back? I couldn’t help but cover my face and cry, but my hand landed on rock-hard abs. A deep voice rumbled from beneath me. “If you want to get back with him, you might be more convincing if you got off me first, don’t you think?” That’s when I realized I was sprawled on top of a handsome man. My brain totally froze. I still hadn’t figured out who this man was. Then Ryan King’s voice came from the other end of the phone. “Dad?”

Dad? The man beneath me was his dad? My drunken haze cleared instantly. I hung up the phone in a flash. “Not getting off yet?” The man’s eyes narrowed at me. “Right. Mr. King.” It was, after all, my first time meeting my boyfriend’s dad. I wanted to appear as well-behaved as possible. But then I remembered I wasn’t wearing any clothes, and my resolve deflated. He never mentioned having such a young and handsome dad! “Mr. King? So now you’re well-behaved?” “You weren’t so quiet when you were biting me last night.” Ah! I froze in utter shock. I scrambled off him immediately and frantically started getting dressed. He watched me the entire time. And waited with immense patience until I was fully dressed. Then he asked, “Are you Ryan King’s girlfriend?” “Ex… ex-girlfriend.” I corrected him. “Do you remember anything from last night?” “I forgot.” I stood rigidly by the bed, like a guilty child caught by a strict teacher. “Hm, how do you plan to handle this?” I don’t know. My world just crashed down. Yesterday, I heard Ryan King’s dad was sick, so I planned to show some initiative and visit him, hoping he’d persuade his son not to break up with me. I just had a few drinks. How did I end up causing such a huge disaster? “Uh, Mr. King, please get well soon. I’ll visit you another time.” He glanced at me, then summed it up with one sentence. “Got it. You don’t want to take responsibility.” “No! I mean…” I hung my head. “I was wrong.” He stood up and slowly, methodically dressed. Even though his back was to me, the lines of his back still made my face flush. “I’ll have the driver take you back. My flight is in an hour, so I’m a bit short on time…” “No need!” I quickly averted my gaze. Just as I was about to leave, my eyes caught sight of the torn condom wrappers in the trash can, which were pretty jarring. To destroy the evidence, I swiftly grabbed the trash bag, intending to make a quick escape. The moment I pulled the door open, I bumped right into Ryan King. “Daisy Miller? What are you doing in my dad’s room?”

When he stormed in, my face was bright red, and his dad had just pulled up his pants. My hands and feet instantly turned cold, and my back broke out in a sweat. So this is what it feels like to be caught red-handed. My mind raced. “I heard your dad was sick, so I came to visit.” Ryan King turned to look at his dad. “Dad, is she really here to see you? Or just to annoy you?” “Hm, she visited… and annoyed me.” His dad was smiling. Ryan King looked really angry. “Daisy Miller, I know you’ve been having a hard time lately, but causing a scene at someone else’s house after we broke up is just really off-putting.” “I know!” “If there’s nothing else, I’ll get going.” All I wanted to do now was escape. Just as I was about to leave, he called out to me again. “Wait, what’s that you’re holding?” “A trash bag.” I quickly hid the trash bag a little behind me. Ryan King looked exasperated again. “Daisy Miller, you don’t need to keep visiting my dad and taking out his trash and trying to curry favor. It’s all pointless.” “Honestly, I don’t want to hurt you, but I’m sorry. If only you were a little prettier.” Me? We’d dated for three years, and he’d always been so gentle with me, saying I was cute. Now he was complaining I wasn’t pretty enough? My anger flared instantly. I lifted the trash bag in my hand and dumped it over his head. “This trash bag is less full of garbage than you are!” “I came here to break up with you, and the reason is you can’t perform.” Ryan King was instantly triggered. “Who can’t perform? Explain yourself!” “Whatever!” Who cared what he said? I turned and walked away. “Wait, why are there condoms in this trash, and three of them?!” I was already at the door, but my heart still lurched. Had the truth finally been exposed? “Dad, did you bring a woman home, and use the condoms I bought?!”

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At eighteen, I was dragged into an alley by our rivals and defiled. Sterling Thorne, armed with nothing but a machete, stormed their stronghold alone. He butchered every single person who dared lay a hand on me. He lost three fingers and an eye, but he still smiled at me. “I told you I’d protect you, Scarlett. I never break my promises.” Later, to make me untouchable, he boarded a ship on the open sea. For five long years, he carved his way to become the king of the underworld, controlling everything with a snap of his fingers. He married me against all his brothers’ objections. He made sure everyone bowed their heads and called me Boss Lady. Then I found her, the college girl he’d stashed away all along. She wore a flowing white dress, cradling a visibly pregnant belly. Her eyes gleamed with undisguised triumph. “Sterling said as soon as I give him a child, he’ll divorce you.” “You’re just a damaged, used-up whore who was raped. You don’t deserve to be his wife.” I was silent for a long time, then lowered my head and let out a cold laugh. The next second. With a sudden, violent lurch, I slammed my knee into her abdomen. I casually instructed my subordinate. “Get a clear shot. Send it to Sterling. Tell him I just taught his barking dog a lesson. He’s welcome.” …..

When Sterling arrived, reeking of fury, Willow Evans was already half-dead, crumpled on the ground. The spreading pool of blood beneath her told its own gruesome story. He’d just come from the casino, dealing with some troublemakers, and the thick scent of blood still clung to him. “Scarlett Hayes, haven’t you gone too far?” I met his gaze. “She’s just a cheap slut trying to use a baby to get ahead. Is she really worth arguing with me over?” His face remained impassive, betraying no emotion. Until Willow painstakingly crawled to his feet, her bloody hand grasping his coat hem. “Sterling… it was our little star…” “The baby that was kicking inside me just yesterday…” Her cries were piercing, and her tears seemed to pierce straight through Sterling’s heart. He closed his eyes, then violently pulled out his gun. The dark, gaping muzzle, chillingly cold, pressed against my forehead. “You can’t give me a child. What right do you have to stop anyone else?” “There’s a limit to how selfish you can be.” I stared into his furious eyes, suddenly feeling like I was looking at a stranger. This was the man who once, with reddened eyes, swore I was his everything, his whole world, that I was enough for him. Now he was pointing a gun at me. For another woman. My throat tightened, and I fought back the sting in my nose. Instead of retreating, I stepped forward, into the muzzle of his gun. My eyes burned crimson, my words biting and harsh. “So what if it is?” “Sterling, let me tell you this: every single one of your bastards outside of me, I will kill them all!” “If you want revenge for her, you’d better shoot me dead right now!” “Otherwise, you’ll never have a child in your life!” The air froze. We stood there, locked in a standoff, a tension we’d never shared before. His hand, clutching the gun, trembled slightly. Ultimately, he couldn’t pull the trigger. My heart eased a fraction. After all these years, he always had a soft spot for me. The next second. His eyes flared with cold rage. He swung the gun, fired a single shot, and blew the head off Felix, my most loyal subordinate for three years. Bang! Warm blood instantly gushed out, splattering my face. My pupils contracted, my eyelashes trembling. He coldly holstered his gun, then bent down and carefully picked up Willow, covering her eyes as if afraid the gruesome sight would traumatize her. His voice was frigid. “Scarlett, there won’t be a next time. If you hurt her again, don’t blame me for abandoning our past.” With that, he didn’t spare me another glance. He strode away, carrying Willow in his arms. Leaving me frozen amidst the blood-stained floor. I raised a hand to wipe the blood from my face. A chill spread through my heart. Sterling had been an orphan my father picked up from the slums. He grew up with me. Years ago, when my father’s power waned, our rivals kidnapped and brutalized me for a day and a night. When Sterling found me, one look was all it took for him to lose it. His eyes blazing red, he pulled me into a tight embrace, his voice trembling. “Don’t be scared, Scarlett, don’t be scared, I’m here… I swear I’ll kill those bastards for you, I’ll get your revenge.” “I, Sterling, swear to God, I will never let you suffer any harm again in this life.” He made good on his promise. He stormed the rivals’ stronghold alone, armed with a machete. At the cost of three fingers and one eye, he personally carved up the scum who touched me. Then he risked his life for five years, placing power and influence right into my hands. No one dared to whisper about me again. Love to the extreme. Unfortunately, the vows of yesterday hadn’t even cooled before human hearts turned to ice. I glanced at Felix, my dead subordinate on the floor, and gently closed his wide, unseeing eyes. When I stood again, all emotion had drained from me. “Send out the order. Spare no expense, spare no effort. I want that bitch dead.”

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It was the third year of my marriage to Daniel Thorne when I finally learned the truth. The woman he truly loved had always been his sister-in-law, Amelia Blake. When his brother died on a bungee jump fueled by Amelia’s recklessness, Daniel didn’t hesitate. He didn’t even look my way before stepping in to take the slap meant for her. Everything became painfully clear. Of course he made sure we were at the family home every time they visited. And of course, anything Amelia admired, from my favorite painting to my necklace to a mere pastry, was immediately given to her. My role was always to give it up. He calmly faced Mrs. Thorne, who was seething with rage, his protectiveness for Amelia undeniable, “Marcus is gone. Blaming Amelia won’t change anything.” “Besides, she’s pregnant. Mom, do you really want Marcus’s line to end?” After everyone left, I asked in a choked voice, “Is Amelia really pregnant?” Daniel didn’t answer. My hands and feet turned instantly cold, and I could barely stand. So, to protect her, he would give her a child? I looked at him, exhaustion settling deep in my bones. This marriage had no love left. I was done. ……

After the slap echoed, the entire hall fell silent. Everyone from the Thorne family stared at me, their gazes filled with lingering shock and then, pity. A husband, openly defending another woman – his sister-in-law, no less – right in front of his wife. I stood rooted to the spot, my fingertips trembling uncontrollably, yet my eyes were drawn, in a masochistic way, to the scene before me. I watched Daniel shield Amelia Blake, holding her securely behind him, listening to his firm, defiant words. “Marcus is gone. Blaming her won’t change anything.” “But Amelia caused your brother’s death! If I don’t seek justice, how can I ever move past this?” Mrs. Thorne, usually so composed, had tear-swollen eyes and looked at Amelia as if she wanted to kill her. “You protect this woman so fiercely. Where does that leave Marcus? And where does that leave Sarah?” It was only then that Daniel seemed to remember I was there. His gaze flickered towards me, but his protective stance over Amelia remained unchanged. I clenched my fingers, my nails digging into my palms, almost piercing the skin. Yet, that physical pain was nothing compared to the agony of watching my husband of three years openly champion another woman. It was at that exact moment I finally understood who Daniel’s never-forgotten love interest truly was. I’d guessed many people, but I had never, not once, considered it would be his sister-in-law. Daniel continued to speak for Amelia. “Marcus is dead, but Amelia is pregnant. Do you want to force her to her death, and let Marcus’s line end?” At his words, Mrs. Thorne stared at Amelia’s flat stomach in disbelief. Standing across from Amelia, I clearly saw a flicker of surprise cross her face too, but it quickly vanished, replaced by tears welling in her eyes. “Mom, Marcus is gone. I wish I could go with him, but our child is still so small. How can I bear for them to die before even being born?” This sudden turn of events was beyond anyone’s expectations. Even if Mrs. Thorne was furious, she had no choice but to temporarily back down. As people dispersed, the memorial hall was soon left with just Daniel, Amelia, and me. He leaned down and whispered something to Amelia, his posture intimate, like a loving couple. I felt like the awkward clown disrupting their moment. “Daniel,” I said, my voice hoarse. “You should rest. I’ll come see you later.” Daniel spoke to Amelia first, and only after she had walked out of the memorial hall did he turn to me. “Sarah, I was desperate. If I hadn’t protected Amelia just now, Mom’s slap might have injured her.” Marcus, Daniel’s older brother, had suffered from a weak heart since childhood, which was why Daniel, despite being the younger son, took over the family business. Years of navigating the corporate world had made him mature, steady, and unyielding. When had he ever explained his actions or words to me before? I looked at him, forcing my voice to sound normal. “Daniel Thorne, is Amelia really pregnant?” My palm was pierced by my nails, but Daniel didn’t notice my distress. However, my words clearly annoyed him. “What are you implying?” “Before, anything Amelia wanted, you’d give to her. Even things that belonged to me, as long as she liked them, you’d send them her way.” I looked at him, my throat feeling like a hand was squeezing it. My voice trembled. “All these years, I could pretend your kindness to Amelia was because you’re family. But now you’ve told this lie. How will you make that lie believable?” “Are you planning to give her a child?”

“Sarah!” Daniel’s gaze turned ice-cold. “Do you know what you’re saying? I never realized you were so petty. They were just a few material things, and you’ve held onto it all this time!” His scathing words felt like a physical slap across my face, and my heart plummeted. “Material things?” My favorite oil painting, a necklace, my car… even a pastry. If Amelia liked them, I had to give them up. And now, merely mentioning it made me petty? I suddenly felt incredibly tired. I didn’t want to keep fighting for this marriage. I looked at Daniel, a self-deprecating smile on my face. “So, Amelia Blake is the woman you never forgot, the one you always carried a torch for, right?” “Otherwise, why did you never call her ‘sister-in-law’ even after she’d been married to Marcus for years?” Daniel’s eyes became completely frigid, his tightly furrowed brows signaling his suppressed rage. “When you orchestrated that night to get me, you should have known I’d never fall in love with you!” His words stunned me, and I instinctively blurted out, “I didn’t! It was Mrs. Thorne who…” “Don’t bother with excuses. Do you think I’ll believe you?” Daniel stared at me with cold detachment. “Isn’t the ‘Daniel’s wife’ supposed to be compliant? What are you making a fuss about now?” “Sarah, I can overlook this for now, but if it happens again…” I looked at his sharp, severe features, my heart aching. I cut him off. “There won’t be a next time. We should…” Divorce. But before I could finish, I was interrupted by Maria, the housekeeper, rushing in. “Mr. Thorne, Mrs. Thorne is trying to force Mrs. Blake to the hospital for a check-up. Things have gotten quite chaotic.” At that, Daniel stood up and strode out, not even sparing me a glance as he passed. He truly cared for Amelia. I remembered when I was so sick I ended up in the ICU, and he didn’t show an ounce of concern. I stood in the memorial hall for a long time, hearing the chaotic arguments and the sound of breaking objects from a nearby room. Finally, I saw Daniel carrying Amelia away, and only then did I stiffly go to find Mrs. Thorne. She sat on the sofa, her face streaked with tears. “Mom, three years have passed. Daniel hasn’t fallen in love with me, so I’m leaving.” The Thorne family was incredibly prestigious. Three years ago, I’d wondered why Mrs. Thorne chose me. Now, I understood everything. She feared a scandal of a forbidden affair between her younger son and his brother’s wife within the Thorne family. A true socialite, if she knew their relationship, would never silently accept such an insult. But I was an orphan. Aside from having no one to support me, there was another reason. my features bore a subtle resemblance to Amelia’s. Everyone in the Thorne family knew these things, but I had been kept in the dark all along. Mrs. Thorne looked at me, her tears flowing even more fiercely, but fortunately, she was true to her word. “Sign this divorce agreement, and you’ll get your divorce certificate in a month. Then you can go.” I looked at her, hesitated for a moment, then reached out and hugged her. In my twenty-six years of life, she was the only one who had ever truly been kind to me. Even if her kindness had an underlying reason, I was still incredibly grateful. That’s why I didn’t tell her I was pregnant. As soon as I left the Thorne mansion, I scheduled an abortion. I never expected to run into Daniel at the hospital during my check-up. He was standing in the corridor’s corner, talking to his friend. “Daniel, if you wanted to protect Amelia, any excuse would have worked. Why did you have to say she was pregnant? Marcus is dead, where’s she supposed to get a child from?” Daniel’s gaze deepened, but he said nothing. His friend’s expression shifted. “You’re not actually thinking of… stepping in yourself, are you? Are you crazy? Sarah loves you so much. Even if you don’t love her, you can’t treat her like this!”

I hid behind a pillar, not making a sound. Even though I was prepared to leave, hearing those words still sent a chill through me. I bit my lip hard, holding back my tears. Daniel’s chest tightened with irritation. After a long moment, he finally spoke. “Amelia has no child, and my mother won’t let her off the hook. I don’t necessarily have to… touch her. IVF is an option.” “Once this is over, I’ll compensate Sarah. We’ll have children and live a normal married life…” I sneered, then turned and walked away. Back home, I fell into a daze and slept fitfully. The noisy sounds from the living room downstairs roused me, and I forced myself to get up and check. Maria, the housekeeper, was coming in with large bags of things, followed by Amelia. Daniel was carefully supporting Amelia beside her, treating her like a precious treasure. Amelia noticed me first, but she pretended not to, pulling Daniel’s hand and asking, “Daniel, this is your and Sarah’s marital home, after all. Is it really appropriate for me to stay here?” “Amelia, you’re safe with me here. Just settle in,” Daniel said softly, comforting her. “I told you, my home is your home.” This was Daniel’s home, and now it was Amelia’s home too. What about me? I looked at their affectionate gazes, but I didn’t feel the sadness or pain I expected. Instead, it was more like ridiculousness and despair. Daniel only noticed me after a long while, his tone somewhat commanding. “Amelia will be staying here until her prenatal check-up results are out. She’s pregnant, so don’t make any trouble. Take good care of her.” He wanted his wife to care for his sister-in-law, who was about to carry his child? A mocking smile touched my lips, but my voice remained calm. “Okay, I’ll take good care of her.” Perhaps he hadn’t expected me to agree so readily. Daniel was visibly stunned, but a strange unease stirred in his heart. After settling Amelia, he came into our room to find me. “Sarah, just be good. Once…” His words grated on my nerves, and I couldn’t help but interrupt. “Daniel Thorne, haven’t I been good enough?” He frowned at me, said nothing, and turned to leave. He didn’t come back to our room that night. I didn’t know what else he could be dissatisfied with. The next morning, as I stepped out of my room, I ran into Amelia. She’d shed her usual gentle demeanor and sneered, “Sarah, you really can endure a lot, can’t you?” “But what good is being obedient? In Daniel’s heart, you’re still not worth even my little finger!” As her words hung in the air, a sense of dread washed over me. Before I could react, the world spun around me, and I tumbled down the stairs. My bones felt like they were shattering, and I instinctively covered my abdomen. But I still felt a warm gush of fluid between my legs. Amelia stared at me, her eyes glinting. “Sarah, don’t blame me for being heartless. If you don’t know your place, I have to take matters into my own hands.” “Marcus is dead. Daniel must become my support.” My stomach cramped with waves of pain, and I could barely hear what she was saying. The unborn child, still unformed, was slowly slipping away from me. “Daniel, help me…” Amelia cried out in pain. Daniel, who had just entered, didn’t even glance at me, who was just a few feet away. He rushed to Amelia. “Where are you hurt? Don’t be afraid, I’m taking you to the hospital right away.” His eyes overflowed with concern. It took me a while to catch my breath. “Daniel, call 911! I’m having a miscarriage…”

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Three years after my death, I was an absent guest at my own wedding. My fiancé, Damon Blackwood—the heir to a massive, influential empire—declared passionately before all the media: “Three years ago, Anya saved me in my darkest hour.” “If only she would appear, I promise to eternally fund all expenses for the Anya’s Home orphanage and sponsor the children’s education through Ivy League schools.” My Mom called me dozens of times, getting no answer, and angrily cursed me as an ingrate. My siblings, Leo and Chloe, also messaged, scolding: “Mom only has one biological child, you! Are you really going to hold a grudge against her even now?” Suddenly, I was the cold-blooded monster everyone scorned. It wasn’t until after the wedding that the police found a chest freezer at the demolition site of the old Anya’s Home orphanage. My Mom, the orphanage’s former director, finally discovered the truth. The scattered remains of a woman inside were mine. The body parts strewn across the ground made many guests throw up. Seeing the streaks of gray at Mom’s temples,my eyes welled up. Three years ago, Mom’s orphanage was in financial straits. Coincidentally, Damon Blackwood, the heir to a massive empire, proposed to me, promising a billion dollars in funding. Mom accepted on my behalf. That year, I had just started as a reporter, investigating a major case. Following the trail, we found the Blackwood Corporation. Before I could even share the good news with Mom, I was kidnapped and taken to Damon’s secluded estate. He tortured me for three months, cruelly dismembered my body, and stuffed me into a suitcase. When Mom finally remembered to look for me, he claimed that I had left in a huff because of the arranged marriage and was traveling abroad. Damon himself placed my body in the orphanage’s chest freezer. It remained hidden for three long years. During those three years, the orphanage was rapidly demolished and abandoned. A new orphanage was built in a better location. The day the old orphanage was torn down, Damon mentioned he wanted to see me. Mom sent me dozens of SnapChat messages, but there was no reply. From then on, she grew to hate me. She forbade anyone from speaking my name, searching for me, and even burned all my clothes and books. She wanted to force me to admit my mistake and come home. But my soul is trapped at the place where I was buried, cold and lonely, unable to be reincarnated. Until now, the chest freezer was opened by Mom herself, finally seeing the light of day. I could, at last, look at her one more time. Like I did as a child, trying to touch Mom’s hand, hoping she would recognize me. But she frantically flipped through the names of all the orphans in the registry, comparing each one. “Not Lily… not Rose… and not…” “Phew… this person isn’t one of our orphanage children.” “Director Hayes, think carefully, is there anyone you missed?” Mom paused, her eyes serious. “What exactly happened?” “This is the worst incident our city has seen in ten years! The victim was brutally tortured to death!” Everyone present exchanged uneasy glances, fear and sympathy etched on their faces. Mom sighed and shook her head. Perhaps my spiritual call was too strong, because before leaving, she looked at my body several times. But in the end, she didn’t recognize me. A bitter ache filled my heart, and I started to leave. Then I saw Damon approach. Mom quickly put on a smiling face, gazing at him adoringly. “Damon, dear, Mom is so sorry. The day of great joy has been turned into such an inauspicious mess. Anya is so childish, but luckily you’re so magnanimous. Mom truly needs to thank you!” My siblings, Leo and Chloe, also gathered around Damon, chattering and laughing. “Brother-in-law!” “This case happened at the old orphanage, it won’t affect our new one, will it?” “Don’t worry! My brother-in-law has vast magic powers. he can fix anything!” Mom patted his hand affectionately. “Don’t listen to these little rascals!” “Damon, you must be tired. Come home, Mom will make your favorite ribs!” “Mom is favoring Brother-in-law! I want some too!” “Brother-in-law is so much better! Unlike that heartless Anya, who didn’t even show up for her own wedding.” At the mention of my name, Mom suddenly froze. “That body just now… it looked about Anya’s age…” She didn’t finish before Damon, frowning, interrupted. “Mom, you’re overthinking it!” “Anya and I are still in contact. She’s living it up abroad; she’s just not ready to come home yet.” “Yeah, Sister is living the high life! Who cares about us, right?” My siblings sneered, their words dripping with disgust. Each word was a sharp knife piercing my heart. In the past, I would have been heartbroken for a long time. But now, my mind was a blank. My gaze locked onto the emerald jade pendant hanging from Damon’s neck. Inside it, I knew, lay the truth of my death!

I floated to Mom, wanting to scream and tell her. I hadn’t left in a fit of pique, nor had I abandoned my siblings or the orphanage. To tell her, Damon killed me. To tell her, the jade pendant around Damon’s neck was the evidence of my death! It was the family heirloom Mom had given me! But a veil lay between Mom and me, the living and the dead. She couldn’t hear my injustice, nor could she see my tears. She just clutched her anxious chest, taking Damon home to cook. Three years had passed, and the photo wall at home had changed. My section in the group photo had been removed. The picture of Mom and me, once proudly displayed in the center, was replaced by a snapshot of Damon, laughing, with his arm around Mom. Mom, usually so busy, now busied herself in the kitchen, chopping and dicing, preparing a pot of ribs for Damon. Just like the day I died, Damon arrived with the suitcase containing my remains, tiredly claiming I had stormed off abroad in anger, and he just needed someone to talk to. Mom offered to make him my favorite ribs, apologizing profusely, saying that “my Anya has a difficult temper.” Damon, acting dutifully, helped Mom wash vegetables, a tolerant smile on his face. Just as he had always done with me. I turned my back, unable to watch. Yet, the memory of meeting Damon for the first time flashed in my mind. He was the illegitimate son of the city’s wealthiest magnate, bullied relentlessly at Northwood University. I let him out of the locked bathroom, gave him a blanket. And encouraged him, word by word: “Your birth isn’t something you can control, but you can create everything you desire with your own hands.” I never expected that he would resort to any means necessary, even to the point of getting involved in the underground Industry. I repeatedly urged him to turn from his destructive path, promising I’d stick by him no matter what. But I never expected to be imprisoned in that mansion by his deranged cruelty. Even now, thinking about everything I endured during those three months, my soul still felt phantom pain. At first, he merely inserted needles into my fingertips; seeing I wouldn’t yield, he personally pulled out all my teeth. To conceal my identity, he burned off my skin, whipped me until there wasn’t an inch of unblemished skin. Finally, in a fit of rage, he put me on an industrial cutting table. Three months later, Mom received my letter of severing family ties. But if she had looked closely, she would have seen the handwriting was blurry and shaky. My fingertips were riddled with needles then; I couldn’t even hold a pen. But Mom just tore the letter to shreds in resentment, cursing me as a heartless beast. At this moment, I finally understood that the most painful thing wasn’t death. It was the oblivion and abandonment of those closest to you. I was truly unwilling. Unwilling to sleep in darkness, forever denied justice. Unwilling that my tormentor still walked free, and my loved ones were lost to me. Knowing it was impossible, I still hoped Mom could see me, speak for my injustice, and see justice served. But Mom’s next words, plunged me into an abyss of despair.

Damon lowered his eyes, apologizing softly:”Mom, it’s all my fault.” “If I hadn’t let Anya go abroad then, you wouldn’t be so sad.” Mom lovingly placed the largest rib onto his plate. “This has nothing to do with you.” “Even if Anya hadn’t left, I would have cut ties with her anyway!” Her eyes blazed with a fire that scorched my very soul. As they shared their cozy meal, I gradually understood. This wedding was Mom’s idea, all to secure funding from the Blackwood Corporation, so the orphanage children could afford to study abroad. Mom even admitted herself, she couldn’t bear to part with the children, but felt only annoyance towards me. “I was already too far along when I was pregnant with her, and I couldn’t abandon her, but I absolutely wouldn’t let the children suffer.” “I was an orphan myself, I know how hard it is. Everything she had, I’ll give to the children, doubled!” When Damon proposed to me, Mom not only didn’t worry about my well-being, but urged me to accept. In her eyes, marriage was a win-win: she could get rid of me and secure funding. After hearing their words, my soul felt like it was being ripped in two. My eyes burned with unshed tears, tears of blood. I couldn’t help but remember a thousand nights of my childhood. Remembering Mom, whom I sometimes didn’t see for a month. The day I got into a prestigious high school, Mom bought me a cake to celebrate. But Sam, one of the younger orphans, just stared at it, drooling, and Mom took the cake back to the orphanage. I didn’t get a single bite, bursting into tears, demanding to know why. But she always said:”Anya, what are you getting angry about?” “They’re your younger siblings, can’t they even have a bite?” Mom grabbed my arm and locked me in the chest freezer, telling me to calm down. I stayed there until my homeroom teacher found me the next day and rushed me to the hospital. Outside the emergency room, my guidance counselor called her dozens of times, but Mom never came. It turned out, Mom truly didn’t love me. I finally understood why she didn’t care about my life or death. Why she didn’t even recognize my corpse. It was because she didn’t care! She didn’t remember! I clutched my chest, almost suffocating. Just then, the police called again. Mom’s face paled drastically after she answered.

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Declan Reid was allergic to saliva. To scrape together enough money to marry me, he forced himself to take on kissing scenes. He’d even gone into anaphylactic shock once and ended up in the emergency room. Seeing that my family still wouldn’t budge, I secretly eloped with him to another state to get married. I even spent half my assets to pave his way in the entertainment industry. The day he won the Breakthrough Actor Award, he knelt before the cameras, looking straight at me. “From now on, no matter how famous I become, I swear I will never take another kissing scene. It’s only for my beloved wife.” That night, I received a video. In it, he was passionately kissing Willow Thorne, his face flushed with health. Willow pushed him away, breathless, a teasing glint in her eyes. “Mr. A-Lister, no more allergic reactions to my saliva?” Declan smirked, lifting her hips slightly. “You can try again, see what else I’m not allergic to…” Listening to their breathless sounds in the video, I didn’t even blink. With a flick of my wrist, I uploaded it for the whole internet to see. I posted: “A medical miracle! For all your bodily fluid allergy needs, consult Willow Thorne.”

That video instantly went viral. Declan didn’t come to argue with me until midnight like he used to. Instead, he immediately stepped forward, shouldering all the blame himself. “This is our job. Willow’s a newcomer in the entertainment industry; if you have a problem, direct it at me.” The director quickly clarified. “This was just a screen test we filmed. It was accidentally leaked. They’re completely innocent.” Every time Willow appeared in public, her eyes were teary-red. Netizens, heartbroken, insisted they’d misunderstood the two. Before I knew it, the blame was being squarely placed on me. “It’s all Skylar Harper’s fault, throwing a jealous fit, completely disregarding Declan’s livelihood.” “A public figure spreading rumors? So a celebrity’s wife gets to slander people, huh?” They flooded my social media, attacked my endorsement brands. All my partnerships were canceled. My negotiations for a supporting role were scrapped, and I was downgraded to an extra. Declan immediately released another statement that very night, hiring lawyers to sue those harassing me. “My darling wife can be a little spoiled and willful; it’s not her fault.” “Let’s put this behind us; I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” The topic instantly trended again. My Nana Eleanor, who lived in Miami for retirement, heard the news. She had a severe asthma attack and was rushed to the emergency room. “Declan, Nana’s in the hospital!” I cried, banging on his apartment door. The one who opened it was Willow, wrapped in just a towel, practically half-naked. “What’s with all the noise? If someone dies, just ship ’em off to the mortuary…” Water droplets from her freshly washed hair splashed onto my arm, and a bone-chilling cold instantly spread through me. “What are you talking about?!” Declan roughly pulled her aside. “Wife, we were just discussing the script…” He looked strangely flustered, then stepped aside, letting me see the director and screenwriter inside. “Don’t cry. I’ll go with you.” He wiped away my tears, pulled on his coat, and was about to head out. I was too frantic to speak, just nodding wildly. But the director inside called out to him. “Declan, Willow just threw up blood!” Declan immediately froze. “If you hadn’t picked a fight with her this afternoon, she wouldn’t have been so upset she skipped dinner.” The director grumbled, then scooped Willow up and rushed out of the room. As they passed us, Willow looked over, her eyes glistening. “Declan, it hurts so much…” Declan didn’t move. I was so enraged I lost all composure. “Declan Reid, Nana’s in the emergency room!” “If she hadn’t covered the ninety-million-dollar shortfall for your company, you’d be behind bars right now!” Declan gritted his teeth, then suddenly dropped to his knees, bowing his head in a profound gesture of pleading towards the distance. “Wife, Nana Eleanor still has your parents by her side.” “But Willow came to this city alone to make a name for herself; I’m the only one she can rely on.” Declan started out as a struggling extra; he said no one understood that kind of pain better than him. But he’d forgotten that I, too, had only him to rely on in this city. I couldn’t hail a cab, couldn’t book a flight, and stood crying desperately by the roadside. My parents called at five AM, tearing into me with a torrent of accusations. “You ungrateful wretch, your grandma raised you for nothing!” “You sacrificed seeing her one last time for a man? From this moment forward, you’re no longer a part of the Hayes family!” I choked back a sob, trying to explain, but the line was already dead. Just then, the jumbo screen on the building across the street flashed the morning’s entertainment news. Declan was slumped by Willow’s hospital bed, his hand tightly clasped around hers as he slept. I stared at the screen, calling Declan. It rang once, then he picked up. “Wife, did you make it to Miami?” “How’s Nana?” His voice on the other end sounded tired and weary. I wiped away my tears, my voice flat. “Meet me at the courthouse.”

Declan arrived fifteen minutes later. “Wife, I messed up.” He reached for my hand. I moved aside, pointing at Willow, pale-faced behind him. “We’re getting a divorce, and you brought her along to celebrate, huh?” Declan froze. “Divorce? What are you talking about? I came to take you home…” He realized, turning around. “You idiot, what are you doing following me here?” “It’s freezing out there!” He grumbled as he helped her into his own coat. He didn’t notice I was only wearing a shirt from last night, shivering uncontrollably. Willow whimpered, just crying. “I just wanted to be with you…” Before she could finish, I slapped her hard. Willow clutched her face, stumbled back a few steps, and fell to the ground. “Wife, are you out of your mind?!” Declan couldn’t help but scold me. He followed my gaze to the ground, then fell silent. “This is the sapphire pendant Nana Eleanor gave me.” I picked up that custom-cut sapphire ring. “Declan, didn’t you say the cleaning service lost it?” “So why is it on her hand?” Declan pressed his lips together. “Wife, a bracelet like this is nothing for you.” “So you just steal it to give to other women?!” Declan’s face turned cold. “Steal? Come on. I’ll just compensate you for it.” “Give it back.” He held out his hand. “That was my birthday gift to Willow.” Too fed up to argue, I pointed at the courthouse. “Go inside and get a divorce, and I’ll give it back.” Declan chuckled without humor. “This isn’t New York City, Skylar. And you’re not the untouchable socialite in front of me anymore.” He walked in without hesitation. Willow’s faint voice came from behind him. “I’m not short on expensive jewelry, Skylar.” “But you just love taking what’s not yours, don’t you?” I turned back, a smirk on my face. “You’ll soon find out if what you’ve snatched is a treasure or just worthless trash.” Three months after our divorce, Declan announced his engagement to Willow Thorne. He went to film sets with her every day, staying in the same hotel after work. The internet buzzed, saying Declan had found true love only after his divorce. Maya, my assistant, whispered in my ear. “He’s just after Willow’s family’s real estate empire, isn’t he?” I snapped, “Shut up, Maya. Don’t say another word!” But it was too late. Willow, in her high heels, strode up and slapped Maya, making her nose bleed. “What low-level nobody thinks they can talk to me like that?” The Thorne family did wield considerable power in Hollywood, and I was just a mid-tier actress who’d gotten in thanks to my family’s connections back east. I couldn’t fight her now; I could only swallow my pride and apologize. Willow raised an eyebrow, tossing an invitation from her purse. “Declan and my engagement party, Skylar. You simply must come.” Her entourage was large, and fans gathered outside the hotel. I suppressed my emotions, smiling as I took the invitation. “Of course.” The Thorne family’s engagement party was lavish, attended by dignitaries from all walks of life. I never expected the designer dress I’d just borrowed to be stained the moment I walked in. Willow, somehow, found a few goons to corner me right at the entrance of the Thorne estate. “Beg me, dollface, and I’ll let you pass.” The blond thug, a cigarette dangling from his lips, sauntered closer. The next second, Declan, who had just arrived, landed a punch square on his face. “Who the hell do you think you are, laying your filthy hands on her?!”

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At two in the morning, my mom suddenly called. “Chloe, your sister just had dinner with a friend, and her husband is insisting on a divorce. You *have* to help her.” I managed to lift my heavy eyelids, already knowing what this was about. “Mom, did Samantha have ‘dinner in bed’ with that friend? This is her ninth divorce, and she cheats every single time. What man would put up with being cheated on? I can’t help her.” Less than five minutes after hanging up, my mom called again. “Your sister agreed to the divorce, but she’s so hurt by all of this. As her sister, you need to transfer ten thousand dollars to help her with the emotional trauma.” My sleep-addled brain barely registered what she was saying. I mumbled an agreement and hung up. But in less than half an hour, the phone rang again. “Chloe, your sister wants your husband. You’re divorcing him tomorrow; she’s going to marry Liam.” That woke me up completely. I burst out laughing, furious. “Mom, you’re out of your mind! Liam has been my husband for three years, we’re happily married, and I just got pregnant! Divorce? You can forget about it!” I thought that would be the end of it. But the next morning, as soon as I turned my phone on, over a hundred missed calls popped up.

Seeing over a hundred missed calls, all from my mom, my heart sank. I bolted upright in bed. I thought something terrible had happened. I hurriedly called her back. “Mom, what in the world—” My mom cut me off with a cold laugh. “Well, well, still alive, are we?” “Didn’t die and couldn’t answer the phone? Are you trying to kill me with stress?” Hearing her booming voice, I let out a breath of relief and rubbed my temples. “Mom, I had an early shift today, my phone was off last night. What’s so urgent?” “Your sister is devastated by her divorce, and you had the nerve to turn off your phone and sleep? Have you no heart?” “Raising an ungrateful brat like you, I’d rather have raised a dog! You didn’t answer over a hundred calls. Do you think you’re hot stuff and can just ignore me now?” I sighed, exasperated. “Mom, I didn’t mean that. Samantha’s divorce is her own fault because she cheated. What does that have to do with me?” That sentence seemed to hit a nerve with my mom. Her voice suddenly rose, piercing my eardrums. “What do you mean, ‘it has nothing to do with you’? It’s *your* fault, you little bitch! You didn’t show your sister enough sympathy, and that’s why you’ve ruined her marriage!” I froze for two seconds. A familiar weariness slowly consumed me, and I felt a prickling pain all over my body. It was my fault again. Everything was my fault. Every single time Samantha was unhappy, it was all my fault. When she dropped out of high school to become a mistress and got humiliated and attacked by the wife, it was my fault. When she hung out with the wrong crowd, drank and street-raced, and had eight abortions, it was my fault. When she grew up and manipulated her way into nine marriages, the shortest lasting less than a week. Every time she was caught cheating, it was still my fault. It felt like my very existence, even my breathing, was wrong. After twenty-eight years of being treated like a doormat, I finally snapped. “Mom, if you think I’m such a bitch, then don’t call me again. Just pretend Samantha is your only daughter.” My mom’s voice instantly became shrill. “No! I gave birth to you, why wouldn’t I bother you? You have to give me money, you have to send me on trips, you have to buy me gold and silver! And when I’m old, you’ll be wiping my butt and waiting on me hand and foot 24/7! These are all things a piece of trash like you *should* do! This is your chance to atone!” I laughed, exasperated. “You gave birth to me, but wasn’t Samantha born to you too?” My mom stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world: “Can your sister be compared to you? She was born to live a life of luxury, you were born to serve.” My throat tightened, a painful lump forming. The favoritism, it’s always been there since childhood. I was never chosen, not once. I should have been used to it by now, but my chest still ached and swelled with that familiar bitter sadness. I fought back tears, about to hang up. My mom suddenly ordered, “Grab your ID and marriage certificate and get over here now!” My eyelids jumped. “What are you planning?” “Are you brain-dead? Didn’t I tell you yesterday? You’re divorcing Liam today. Your sister is going to marry him.” I was incredulous, my vision swimming. “Mom, are you insane?! Liam is my husband! Just because Samantha wants him, I have to hand over my own marriage too?” “What are you howling about?” She said impatiently, “Samantha is beautiful and successful. It’s an honor she even looked at your husband! She’s not even bothered that Liam’s ‘used goods’ after three years with you. What right do you have to complain? You’re a useless nobody, always have been, always will be, unlike your sister.” My ears buzzed, and I screamed, furious. “I’d die before I divorce him, and so would Liam!” “Oh really?” My mom chuckled, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I already told Liam you were caught sleeping with five men in a hotel last night! He’s rushing back to divorce you right now, so he and Samantha can get married immediately.” I couldn’t believe my ears, tears streaming down my face in sheer anger. “Mom, how could you accuse me of something like that?!” She scoffed dismissively. “If you don’t divorce him, I’ll go to your company and spread rumors. I’ll expose you online, tell everyone you abused and beat me. I’ll drag your name through the mud, make sure no company ever hires you again. Yes, just like those online mobs on Ins and TikTok! You’ll be begging on the streets.”

Without giving me a chance to speak, the phone hung up. I quickly wiped away my tears, requested time off from my boss, and immediately took a taxi to the registry office. On the way, I called Liam. We work at the same company, but in different departments. He’d been busy with a major project recently, often pulling all-nighters, so he’d been sleeping in his office to avoid disturbing my rest. Hearing my choked voice, he immediately comforted me. “I’m already on my way to the registry office. Don’t panic, we’ll talk when I get there.” Liam and I, we’ve been together since high school, from school uniforms to our wedding outfits. Our love story felt so natural. Four years of dating, three years of marriage – we supported and tolerated each other through everything. Hearing his steady voice was like a calming balm. Not long after hanging up, I arrived at the registry office. From a distance, I could already hear my mom relentlessly harassing the staff. “Aren’t you here to solve marriage problems? I’ve already told you, my daughter is a cheater, a shameless hussy who sleeps around with a bunch of men! With proof like that, why aren’t you fast-tracking her divorce?” “What’s taking so long? Is it that hard to just click a few buttons on your computer? Just divorce her! My eldest daughter is waiting to marry her new husband!” This outrageous conversation stunned all the staff members. A young staff member said awkwardly, “Ma’am, we are a public service institution. Everything must be handled according to regulations. We cannot process a divorce without both parties present.” “Why not? If your husband was sleeping around with a bunch of women, would *you* put up with it and not divorce him? I bet you’re just like my daughter, probably begging to sleep with a bunch of men yourself!” The young woman’s face flushed crimson with anger. “Lady, what are you even saying?” “Am I wrong? Unless you understand exactly how she feels, why would you be dragging your feet on this divorce?” “I’m ordering you right now: divorce my youngest daughter and her husband, Liam, immediately! Then issue a marriage certificate for my eldest daughter and Liam! I’m giving you five minutes!” The staff’s faces went rigid. “Ma’am, marriage is a serious matter, you can’t just dictate it with a few words! If you keep causing trouble, we’ll have to call security!” Hearing this, my mom immediately slapped her thigh and theatrically slid to the floor, ready to cause a scene. “I don’t care! If you don’t listen to me today, I’ll cause such a commotion that your registry office will never be quiet! If anyone dares to touch me, I’ll break my arm and leg, and you’ll all be bankrupt from compensation!” I stood at the doorway, my knuckles white from clenching. Watching my mom make such a scene, all to force my divorce, a chill ran through me from head to toe. I walked forward, feeling utterly helpless. “Mom, that’s enough. Stop making a fuss.” Seeing me, my mom immediately sprang up and yanked me toward her. “Perfect timing! Hurry up and tell them you’re a slut who sleeps around with a bunch of guys, and you want an immediate divorce!” I forcefully pulled my hand away, unable to take it anymore. “I didn’t cheat! I am *not* getting divorced!” Hearing this, my mom lunged forward and slapped me across the face. “So you played the slut, and now you don’t want a divorce? How pathetic are you? How did I ever give birth to such a worthless piece of trash? Liam belongs to your sister! You’re getting divorced today, whether you like it or not!” Samantha suddenly appeared from somewhere, yelling, “Sister, I always told you to cherish your marriage! Look at you, you’ve had eight abortions before marriage, and you’re still acting like a slut even after! What man could put up with that? Just hand Liam over! Only a good woman like me deserves him!” Staring at their disgusting faces, listening to the whispers of passersby, I laughed, a bitter, furious sound. When Liam and I got married, my mom and Samantha used to call him a pauper, chase him with brooms, throw cold water on him! They stood at our door, screaming he’d be a beggar his whole life. Because we had no money, we didn’t have a wedding or a banquet. My mom didn’t give me a single dime for a dowry. Now that he’s successful at work and has been promoted to company Vice President, they’re shamelessly trying to snatch my husband. Seeing my silence, my mom tried to hit me again, but her hand was caught mid-swing.

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Everyone in our circle knew I was Dean Davies’s untouchable. I was the delicate flower he cherished, held close in his palm. When I was twenty, kidnappers snatched me away. My parents thought I was dead. The police said my chances were slim. But Dean? For three days, he didn’t eat or sleep. Then he just stormed into the wilderness alone and found me. At that moment, I was convinced. No one would ever love me more. Later, our engagement date was set. But right before the ceremony, another girl show up. …. Arlene Hayes POV Everyone in our circle knew I was Dean Davies’s untouchable. I was the delicate flower he cherished, held close in his palm. When I was twenty, kidnappers snatched me away. My parents thought I was dead. The police said my chances were slim. But Dean? For three days, he didn’t eat or sleep. Then he just stormed into the wilderness alone and found me. At that moment, I was convinced. No one would ever love me more. Later, our engagement date was set. But right before the ceremony, another girl appeared by his side. I remember it all. The first day she showed up, Dean fought half-dead in an underground boxing ring just to win a necklace to make her smile. The seventh day she appeared, I couldn’t reach Dean at all. So I called the police, reporting him missing. They found him in a hotel room, and there she was, lying in his arms. The twenty days after she appeared, he brought her into our home – the very home where he had vowed to “spend his life with me.” No one could believe that Dean, who’d once treasured me as his life, would actually bring another woman home. He was quite the playboy back then, I knew that. In the first few years we were together, women often tried to tempt him. But those women vanished like thin air the next day. From then on, I truly believed his heart was only for me. But I was wrong. Today, I came home early from work. The moment I opened the door, I froze. In the living room, he was pressing a woman down on the sofa. She was completely naked, her moans piercing my ears. My breath hitched. I looked around, spotting the coffee pot on the coffee table. I walked over, said nothing, grabbed the pot, and splashed it directly over them. “Ahh!” A scream tore through the air, mingling with the sound of scalding liquid. I saw Dean throw himself in front of her, his body taking the full force of the hot coffee. My heart gave a sickening, visceral wrench. He would go that far for her. “Scarlett, are you okay?” His voice was so gentle it almost made me gag. And the woman, Scarlett Vance, trembled, clutching his arm, softly saying, “I’m fine, but you… does it hurt?” I sneered, “Cut the act. Get out.” Scarlett’s face went pale. But Dean stood in front of her, looking down at me, his voice cold as ice. “Apologize.” The Dean I’d known for seven years had never shown me such a cruel expression before. I clenched the pot in my hand, my knuckles turning white. “Dream on.” I gritted my teeth, squeezing out each word, then turned and walked upstairs. The moment the door closed, tears completely broke free. I never thought he could be so gentle with someone else. He betrayed me, yet he wanted me to apologize. And I caught him, of all days, right here in our home. I pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from my pocket. It read. “I was just over a month pregnant.” That was the report I’d gotten today. I knew he’d been spending a lot of time with that woman lately. But she was just a waitress. I thought he was just messing around. Even if he wasn’t serious, seeing this report, he should understand what truly mattered. But I was horribly wrong. I collapsed onto the bed, clutching the report, tears splattering onto the pillow. I don’t know how long passed. Suddenly, I was roughly pulled up and thrown to the floor. Looking up, Dean’s icy face loomed over me. “What are you doing?” I asked hoarsely. He didn’t answer, just grabbed my shoulders. “The coffee scalded her today. She might have a scar.” I froze, then laughed aloud. “So? Are you going to douse me now?” He was silent for a long time, then sighed, “Arlene, why are you targeting her? I promise you, I’ll still marry you in a month. But for what happened today, you have to apologize to her.” “Dean…” Before I could finish, a sharp pain shot through my shoulder. He actually poured hot water on me! I gasped, almost laughing through the pain.”You want me to apologize? Never!” His face completely darkened. He grabbed my chin, “Think about your family’s company, think about your parents. Now answer me – are you apologizing or not?” His words hit me like a lightning bolt, tears blurring my vision. “You know exactly what means the most to me, and you’d use my parents against me?” A complex emotion flickered in his eyes, and his tone softened. “Arlene, Scarlett is different from you. She hasn’t had an easy life. Everything you have, she doesn’t. Why do you have to be so petty with her?” “So, I should even give my own man to her?” He paused. “No matter what I do this month, my fiancée will still be you. My wife’s place, your place, will always be yours.” I closed my eyes, my gaze utterly lifeless. “Fine, I’ll apologize.” He dragged me in front of Scarlett, who was still wearing my pajamas. I lunged forward, trying to rip the pajamas off her. “Those are my pajamas!” Dean just said, “It’s just pajamas. I’ll buy you new ones. Hurry up and apologize!” Dean gripped the back of my neck until I apologized. Only then did he release me, satisfied. Watching the smirk on his face, my heart shredded into a million pieces. I thought this whole ordeal was finally over. But the next day, his people escorted me to the hospital. He didn’t even look at me, just said, “Go in.” A cold operating table, blinding lights, an expressionless doctor, a needle glinting coldly. Before I could even understand what was happening, I heard him say from outside – “Scarlett is very upset about the scar on her shoulder. Give her a skin graft.” Before I could even react, my consciousness faded into darkness. When I woke up, the white ceiling swam, making me dizzy. Dean’s friend Evan quickly helped me sit up. “Arlene, you’re awake. I’ll go get the doctor.” Evan hurried off to find a doctor, leaving his phone on the stool. I saw Dean and his friends’ Snapchat group chat pop up on Evan’s phone. “Dean, what’s going on with you and Scarlett? Are you really dumping Arlene? The engagement’s in a month!” “Didn’t say I’m dumping her. But Scarlett’s a type I’ve never seen before. She’s so sweet, so innocent. I just melt whenever I see her.” “What about Arlene, then? She doesn’t tolerate any nonsense.” “Don’t worry. Her family’s company still needs our family’s investment. She won’t leave me.” I clenched the phone, my knuckles white. In that moment, I finally understood. In his eyes, I was just a pawn to be used. I smiled, pulling out my own phone and making a call. “Mrs. Davies, I don’t want to marry Dean anymore.” Dean’s mother on the other end seemed to ask something urgently. I answered softly, my voice strangely calm. “No, it’s not that I don’t want to marry into the Davies family.” “I just… want a different person.” “I want to marry Dean’s older brother, Ryan Davies.”

Arlene Hayes POV I knew my family’s company was on the verge of collapse. If the capital chain broke, my parents’ life’s work would be ruined in my hands. The Davies family’s investment was the only solution. But the Davies family didn’t just have one son. As long as I married into the Davies family, no matter who it was, Hayes Holdings would survive. On the other end of the phone, Mrs. Davies’s voice held surprise and hesitation. “Arlene, are you… sure about this? I know what Dean has done recently has hurt you, but Ryan hasn’t woken up yet. Marriage is for a lifetime; I hope you think it over carefully.” I closed my eyes, my voice calm. “Mrs. Davies, you know me. I’ve never been a generous person. Since Dean likes that woman so much, I might as well make them happy.” A sigh came from the other end. “Since your mind is made up, I can’t persuade you further.” After hanging up, I looked at the sterile white ceiling of the hospital room, a hollow ache in my chest. The door pushed open, and Evan hurried in. “Arlene…” He looked awkward, “I’m really sorry, but there’s no dermatologist on duty right now.” I frowned. “You’re telling me a major hospital like this doesn’t even have a dermatologist?” He scratched his head, avoiding my gaze, mumbling incoherently. Just then, two nurses pushed a medical cart in to change my dressing. They chatted casually as they worked. “Hey, that woman in the next room is so lucky. Just a tiny scar, and Dean Davies actually got every doctor in the hospital to go over.” “Yeah, what a fuss. I thought she was seriously injured, but it was just a little scratch on her shoulder.” I sat on the bed, listening to those airy whispers, and actually laughed. A year ago, I fell hiking and scraped my knee. It was just a little scratch too. Back then, Dean was the same way. He found every dermatologist in the hospital for me, looking anxious, wishing he could feel the pain for me. Then, I found it funny and sweet. But now, he gave that same tenderness to another woman. After the nurses left, Evan seemed to want to say something else. I raised my hand to stop him. “Don’t bother. You can go. My injury isn’t serious, I don’t need care.” He hesitated, then nodded, softly saying, “Then get some rest.” Once I was alone in the room, I propped myself up on the edge of the bed and slowly stood. The anesthesia hadn’t worn off completely; my steps felt light. I’d just reached the bathroom door when I heard Evan’s voice from the hallway. “Dean, why don’t you come see Arlene? She’s all alone, it’s quite pitiful…” “What’s pitiful about her?” Dean’s voice was full of irritation, “Scarlett’s the victim. Arlene’s the aggressor, she deserves this.” I froze, a suffocating tightness in my chest. The next second, I pushed open the bathroom door and locked it. I didn’t want to hear another word from him. I suddenly remembered the night I first met Dean. I was at an upscale lounge to meet a potential investor for my company. The middle-aged man shamelessly slid his hand up my thigh. Furious, I splashed his drink right in his face. Just as he grabbed my hair, ready to hit me, Dean appeared. Without a word, he slammed the man to the ground, punching him repeatedly. The brutality scared me, but it also captivated me. From that day on, I accepted Dean’s help and secured his investment. And I secretly decided in my heart that I would give everything for this man. I knew he liked “innocent, fragile girls.” So I changed my style of dress, my makeup, my way of speaking. I became the “gentle angel” everyone admired, the way he liked me. Finally, I became his girlfriend, just as I wished. But when I saw Scarlett, I finally understood. He didn’t love me. He loved that kind of “vulnerability” that stirred his pity. No matter how much I imitated it, it was just an act. She, on the other hand, was naturally like that. Thinking of this, I laughed. Laughed at myself for knowingly stepping into a trap, yet plunging headfirst into it. Since that was the case, letting go was probably for the best. At least, this time, I was the one who said goodbye first.

Arlene Hayes POV On my seventh day in the hospital, he finally called. “How long are you going to keep this up? It was just a little scratch, are you planning to live in the hospital forever? Scarlett’s already home; aren’t you coming back?” I leaned against the bed, staring at the ceiling and sneering. “Home? Dean, that’s not my home anymore.” There was a moment of silence on the other end, then his tone seemed to soften slightly. “Arlene, stop being difficult, okay? That’s your home, and it’s our future home.” I wasn’t interested in hearing his pretentious lies, so I simply hung up. But the next second, my screen lit up again. “Arlene Hayes, did you just hang up on me?!” His anger was practically seeping through the phone. “Are you done? I’m going to sleep.” I couldn’t be bothered. “If you dare hang up, I’ll pull all the funding.” He gritted out the words, and the smile on my face vanished instantly. “Dean,” I said coldly, “You’re addicted to threatening me, aren’t you?” He was silent for a few seconds. “It’s because you won’t talk to me properly.” I took a deep breath, suppressing the surge of anger. “What exactly do you want?” “There’s an auction the day after tomorrow. I’ll send you an invitation.” He said, “You have to come. Consider it… my compensation to you.” The word “compensation” from his mouth was so ironic. But I knew it wasn’t time to openly break ties. My family’s company was teetering; if he pulled the funding, everything would be over. So I replied. “Got it. Can I hang up now?” He seemed about to say more, but then Scarlett’s sweet voice came from his end. He quickly hung up. I watched the screen darken, a self-mocking smile on my lips, then turned off my phone. Two days later, Dean sent a dress to the hospital. The moment I opened the box, I froze. It was a white gauze dress, gentle, pure, and dignified. Exactly the “look” Dean liked. I picked up a pair of scissors and, without hesitation, shredded it into pieces, tossing it into the trash. Then I called someone to send over a red strapless gown. Confident, flamboyant, sexy – that was the real me. After applying heavy makeup, I smiled at my reflection. In the years I was with Dean, my clothes were always plain, my makeup barely there. But I never liked plain colors, nor did I like pretending to be docile. Since I’d already decided to leave him, I didn’t need to pretend anymore. The auction house was brightly lit. The moment I walked in, I felt countless eyes on me. That attention gave me a long-lost sense of exhilaration. After all, no one had ever seen me like this. “Isn’t that Arlene Hayes? Why is she dressed like that?” I heard astonished whispers. The moment Dean turned his head, I saw him clearly freeze. My lips curved into a smirk, and I raised my champagne glass, toasting him from afar. His face darkened several shades. Someone nearby joked, “Didn’t you two break up? Does that mean I can pursue her now?” Dean sneered, “We haven’t broken up. She’s probably jealous that I’ve been too close to Scarlett lately, so she’s deliberately dressed like this to win me back.” Win him back? I laughed softly, a laugh more bitter than the wine. He continued to socialize, while I stood with my glass, drinking one after another. Until someone approached me, a hand reeking of alcohol attempting to rest on my shoulder. I frowned in disgust, warning coldly, “Keep your distance.” But the man smirked lewdly, still trying to touch me. I grabbed a wine bottle from the table and smashed it against his shoulder. The shattering glass made ears ring, and he cried out, collapsing to the floor. I looked down at him, my voice cold as ice. “That’s a warning. Try to touch me again, and next time it won’t just be a wine bottle.” Security rushed over and dragged him away. I picked up another glass of wine and continued to socialize. Glass after glass went down, and my awareness began to blur. I stumbled towards the restroom, but the moment I entered, I heard intimate gasps. That sound – I recognized it instantly. It’s Dean. I froze, my fingertips growing cold. He called me here, supposedly to “compensate” me, but then turned around to embrace another woman. How ridiculous. I calmly washed my hands. The heavily made-up face in the mirror was cold and unfamiliar. The place in my heart that used to ache was now just numb. As the auction was about to end, I finally understood his true intention in calling me here. On the table was a thick stack of contracts, all the collaboration projects I wanted. At least tonight, I got what I came for. “Wait for me in the parking lot,” I told my driver. I walked into the elevator and pressed for the basement. The moment the elevator doors opened, I took a step and felt my vision go black – I lost consciousness.

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