Category: English

The moment I was reborn, I signed the divorce papers my wife threw at me. The man my wife, Isabella, had been keeping on the side was exposed. To save him from the infamy of being a homewrecker, she came to me, divorce agreement in hand, begging. “Dina died saving my life. Jerry is her only brother. I can’t just abandon him. Can’t you be the bigger person here?” Years ago, Isabella was targeted by a business rival. Her car was tampered with, and as it spun out of control, her best friend, Dina, lunged for the steering wheel, turning it just enough to save Isabella’s life. Isabella walked away without a scratch. Dina died from her injuries, but not before making Isabella promise to look after her younger brother, Jerry. In my past life, when I learned she was willing to sacrifice me for Jerry, I broke. I tore the divorce papers to shreds. But it didn’t matter. I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. I was ready to let her go, to let myself go. But then Jerry whispered one poisonous sentence in her ear: “Do you think Adrian is just doing this to torment you, Isabella?” That was all it took. She became convinced I was faking my illness, that it was all a manipulative ploy to win her back. To escape the media pressure, she framed me for cheating, accused me of sexually assaulting an intern, and sued for divorce. Hopeless, I ended my own life ahead of schedule. 1 “Adrian, we’ll tell the public that we planned to divorce a year ago. It was just… postponed for various reasons.” I was staring into a glass of water in a quiet restaurant when Isabella’s voice cut through my thoughts. Just a day earlier, the tabloids had exploded with evidence suggesting Jerry was Isabella’s kept man. The word “mistress”—or in his case, the male equivalent—unleashed a torrent of public outrage against him. Isabella Thorne, the formidable CEO of Thorne Industries, was branded an adulterer. Her reputation for a chaotic private life sent the company’s stock into a nosedive overnight. In my last life, I’d laughed when the news first broke, scoffing at how easily the public could be misled by a few out-of-context photos. That laughter died on my lips the moment Isabella presented me with the divorce papers. The irony was a bitter pill to swallow. I had screamed at her, demanding to know the truth about her and Jerry. If they were just rumors, there were a million ways to handle it. But she chose the one that threw me to the wolves. She claimed I had cheated first, that my incompetence had driven her to seek comfort elsewhere. “Adrian.” Isabella’s voice pulled me back to the present. “Trust me, this is just temporary. Once this all blows over, we’ll get remarried.” I slowly lifted my head, my gaze falling on the document sitting on the table between us. “Adrian, when this is over, I’ll make it up to you, I promise. How about that new sports car you wanted? I’ll buy it for you.” She moved closer, wrapping her arms around me in a practiced, wheedling gesture. Her eyes were wide with supplication, her voice a low, coaxing murmur. I remained silent. Standing just beside her, Jerry’s face was deathly pale. “Adrian, please, will you help me?” he pleaded. “I’m an orphan. My sister is gone. I have no one else. I don’t know who else to turn to. Please, Adrian.” With that, he made a show of bending his knees, preparing to kneel. Isabella moved like lightning, catching him, pulling him into a protective embrace. “What are you doing? A man does not kneel so easily!” she hissed at him, but her eyes, flashing with impatience, were on me. “I’ve already made my decision. I expect your full cooperation at the press conference tomorrow. Otherwise—” “I’ll sign.” I cut her off, tired of their disingenuous theatrics. And of course, I knew what her “otherwise” entailed. In my last life, not long after I tore up the papers, I was framed for assaulting an intern. “Proof” of my infidelity was leaked. Overnight, I went from the victim to a reviled pariah. And they, the ones truly at fault, walked away clean. 2 Isabella froze, clearly not expecting me to agree so quickly. “I’ll sign,” I repeated. “But I need you to promise me one thing.” I looked up at her, my expression as placid as still water. A complex emotion flickered across her face before she gave a curt nod. “You can ask for anything else, too. I’ll do my best to give you whatever you want.” I didn’t say another word. I picked up the pen, flipped to the last page of the agreement, and signed Adrian Vance with a clean, decisive stroke. “Aren’t you going to read it?” Isabella’s brow furrowed in confusion, her gaze fixed on me. I offered a faint smile. “No need. It’s pointless.” I capped the pen and pushed the document across the table to her. “Is there anything else?” My tone was as casual as if we were discussing the weather. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning to go to the courthouse.” I gave a slight nod but said nothing. Isabella’s eyes held a storm of emotions I couldn’t decipher, but in the end, she just sighed and turned to leave. Jerry trailed behind her. As he pulled the door open, he paused and glanced back at me over his shoulder. A mocking smirk twisted his lips. Then, with deliberate slowness, he mouthed three silent words. I. Won. Again. Then he was gone. In my last life, he was right. He won, and I lost everything. But this time, I had no intention of losing. Not a single thing. A while later, my phone lit up with a text from our mutual friend, Leo. “Dude, Isabella told me what’s happening. I know she’s in the wrong here.” “But you know how long it took her to get over Dina’s death. She’s channeling all her guilt into taking care of Jerry.” “She told me that once the dust settles, she wants to throw another huge wedding for you two. Just trust her, okay?” I let out a hollow laugh, a tear stinging the corner of my eye. It was just like last time. Isabella, desperate for me to sign, had roped her friends into her scheme. But she’d forgotten one crucial detail: her friends were also my friends. Leo couldn’t stand to see a love like ours crumble. He was stuck in the middle, trying to play peacemaker. He’d plead with Isabella not to throw her marriage away for Jerry, then turn around and tell me what a loyal, caring person she was, begging me to trust her. “If Dina hadn’t shielded her with her own body, Isabella wouldn’t be alive today,” he’d said. Back then, I had argued stubbornly. “She puts Jerry first in everything, and I get it. I know she feels guilty, so I’ve tried to be understanding. But there are a million ways to handle this, and she chose to sacrifice me—to sacrifice twelve years of our life together.” Leo had no answer for that. He’d once asked Isabella the same thing. Her reply was devastating. “Someone has to be the one to get hurt. It has to be Adrian. He loves me. He’ll understand why I have no other choice.” Because I loved her, I was the one who had to be sacrificed? What kind of logic was that? Thank God, this time, I still had a chance to change the outcome. 3 When it came to Jerry, Isabella was ruthlessly efficient. She got the signed agreement from me one day and scheduled a press conference for the very next morning. I was sitting in the garden when our housekeeper, Mrs. Gable, led Isabella’s assistant to me. “Mr. Vance,” she said, her tone professionally crisp, “Ms. Thorne sent me to escort you to the press conference for Thorne Industries.” Before I could answer, she must have assumed I was going to refuse, because she recited Isabella’s own words verbatim. “Mr. Vance, even if not for Ms. Thorne’s sake, you should attend for the sake of your own reputation.” I paused, then let out a soft, humorless chuckle. She was threatening me again. Afraid I’d back out at the last minute, resorting to the same tactics she used in my last life. She would ruin my name to protect Jerry, leaving me with no choice but to bend to her will. I had never been able to figure it out. In Isabella’s heart, was I her husband, or her enemy? Well, she wanted to publicly clarify our relationship. So did I. The car moved smoothly toward New York’s most luxurious hotel. The entrance was already a chaotic sea of reporters and flashing cameras. The assistant guided me through the throng into the grand lobby. “Excuse me, could you please make way?” Isabella’s voice rang out from behind us. She appeared at the entrance, arm-in-arm with Jerry, who was dressed in a perfectly tailored suit. They looked like a storybook couple. I turned, and my eyes met hers. For a fraction of a second, our gazes locked before she coolly looked away. She held onto Jerry, their demeanor intimate, as if the rest of the world—including me—didn’t exist. A self-deprecating laugh escaped my lips. “Mr. Vance, are you and Ms. Thorne really divorced?” The question came from a young reporter, likely an intern, her voice trembling slightly. “Yes.” I curved my lips into a smile, my voice even, and nodded. She seemed determined to find a crack in my composure. “But you and Ms. Thorne met in college. You dated for five years, married for seven…” “Last month, she spent a fortune on a luxury yacht for you. The fireworks display for your birthday was the talk of the city…” I kept smiling, but my eyes were distant. “She owed me.” She had missed my birthday because Jerry had called her, whining, “I miss you, big sis. Can you spend the day with me?” The yacht and the fireworks were her apology gifts. In my last life, I had been so proud of those grand gestures, never once suspecting the real reason behind her “compensation.” I later learned the whole thing was Leo’s idea. Isabella hadn’t been involved at all. She didn’t even know where the fireworks had been set off. “You say she owed you,” the intern pressed on, her nervousness palpable as the surrounding chatter died down. “But what about your feelings for Ms. Thorne?” Isabella’s head snapped toward me, her brow furrowed. I smiled, but it didn’t reach my eyes. My gaze turned to ice. “I don’t love her anymore.” 4 The intern started to ask another question, but a senior reporter beside her pulled her back. I didn’t stay for the rest of the conference. Once I had clarified my relationship with Isabella, I turned and walked away, ignoring the swarm of reporters still calling my name. Overnight, the narrative shifted dramatically. My interview dominated the headlines for days. Isabella’s statement was played on a loop: “Mr. Jerry Thorne is not the reason for the end of our marriage. His sister was a dear friend who saved my life, and it is my responsibility to care for him as her only living relative. Please, I ask you all to look at this situation rationally. Adrian and I planned for an amicable divorce over a year ago; we were simply waiting for the right time to announce it. We wanted to end our marriage in a way that would cause the least amount of harm to everyone involved. We are making this public now to clear up any misunderstandings about Mr. Thorne.” Instantly, Jerry was absolved. He went from “homewrecker” to the biggest “victim” in the entire scandal. And I became the villain. The heartless man who had initiated the divorce. Worse, guided by carefully placed leaks, people began to speculate on the “real” reason for our split. Rumors spread that I was impotent, that I had twisted, depraved tastes in the bedroom. That I had projected my own filthy thoughts onto their pure, sibling-like bond. That I had abandoned Isabella for a bigger piece of her fortune… I was at the center of a storm, battered by accusations from all sides. “Don’t take what they’re saying online to heart. In time, everyone will forget,” Isabella said as we stepped out of the courthouse, the divorce finalized. I shot her a look dripping with sarcasm. When Jerry was being attacked online, it was a crisis that required sacrificing our marriage. But when it was me, it was just something “time will heal.” “Adrian, the holidays are only three months away.” “You’ve always loved the spring. When spring comes, we’ll have another wedding, a better one. What do you say?” Her voice was soft, laced with a cautious tenderness. She reached for my hand, but I shifted away, my eyes fixed on the reporters being held back by bodyguards a short distance away. Sensing the rejection, Isabella took a step back, creating a space between us. “Isabella, I’m moving back to Westchester.” “That’s good. You should spend some time with your parents. I’ll come get you for the holidays and we’ll come back—” “I won’t be coming back,” I cut her off. She froze, the faint smile on her face stiffening. “Adrian, don’t say things you don’t mean. Just wait for me in Westchester, and I’ll—” “Isabella, when I signed those papers, you made me a promise. It’s time to make good on it.” She stared at me, her expression blank. When I was first reborn, I wondered if things could be different this time. But the moment she handed me that divorce agreement again, all I felt was a sense of release. “Isabella, I want you to disappear from my life. Forever.”

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After being reborn, I gave up on the fiancé I had loved deeply since childhood. Instead, I married his sworn enemy. In my previous life, on the day I was to marry Tyler, his “white moonlight”—the girl he never got over—threatened to jump off a building in despair. Because of this, he hated me to the bone. He locked me in our home and humiliated me in every way possible. It wasn’t until I accidentally drowned, my soul adrift and helpless, that I learned the truth: it was all a manipulative game played by his “true love.” Meanwhile, his rival, the stoic heir to a business empire, turned gray overnight after my death. Reborn, I decided to let them have each other and run towards my own happiness. But the man who always claimed he never loved me went mad when he saw me marry someone else, kneeling and begging me to come back. 1 Julian Sterling, the heir to the Sterling empire, is a man of action. When he heard I was willing to marry him, he was stunned for exactly three seconds before finalizing everything within half an hour. When he handed me the marriage certificate, his expression was calm, but the tips of his ears were burning red. “I’ll handle the wedding preparations. Don’t worry about a thing. Just wait for me to come get you.” After saying this, he practically fled the scene, using work as an excuse, terrified I might change my mind. I smiled, taking the certificate home, ready to share the news with my family. But the moment I stepped through the door, a bucket of cold water splashed over me. Tyler’s friends threw cake all over my face. My carefully done makeup and hair were ruined, turning me into a drowned rat. I stood there, frozen, while the group roared with laughter. Some even pulled out their phones to record my humiliation. “Today is your engagement party with Ty! We’re just helping you celebrate!” “Everyone in our circle knows you threw away your dignity to marry Tyler. Can’t take a little joke? You better get used to it; there’s plenty more where that came from.” I shivered in the cold wind, soaked to the bone. Tyler looked at me with a smug smirk. “Elena, don’t be a buzzkill.” “Just because our families pressured me into this doesn’t mean I can’t do anything. Being Mrs. Vance isn’t going to be easy!” Even though I was reborn, seeing the man I had loved for nearly twenty years still made my heart ache involuntarily. Tyler and I grew up together. For years, I loved him desperately. Ten years of companionship, giving everything I had. And in return, all I got was his cold ridicule. If that’s the case, there’s no need to waste my life on someone who doesn’t love me. I wiped the cream from my face and spoke calmly. “I don’t plan on being Mrs. Vance.” Tyler froze. His friends laughed even harder. “Ty, you’re lucky! She’s playing hard to get before she’s even in the door. This little wife of yours is something else! You’re in for a ride.” “What are you scared of? Everyone knows Elena is just a dog following Tyler around. Since when does a dog have a say in its master’s affairs?” Hearing this, the disdain in Tyler’s eyes deepened. “Stop playing games. No matter what you do, I won’t love you. You can keep my body, but you’ll never have my heart.” “After we marry, I’m moving Bella in. You can delude yourself into thinking you’re Mrs. Vance, but remember, in that house, you’re less than a maid!” “Also, I’ve had my lawyers draft a prenup. Even if you scheme your way into this marriage, you won’t get a cent of my money!” Hearing Tyler’s words, I was stunned. In my previous life, after Bella jumped, he blamed me for her death and tortured me. But before she died, he had always treated me decently. When we were kids and my parents were busy with work, he would keep me company through the long nights, telling stories to help me sleep. When I was bullied at school, he stood up for me, taking me on motorcycle rides to cheer me up. Twenty years of friendship. Even if he never loved me romantically, he always treated me like a little sister. Looking at his abnormal attitude now, I couldn’t help but wonder. Is there something I don’t know about? Seeing my silence, Tyler thought I was heartbroken. He seemed to feel he had gone a bit too far and cleared his throat. “Fine. Bella has suffered more than you. You need to make concessions to balance things out for her.” “As long as you behave and don’t make trouble for Bella, I won’t mistreat you publicly!” Just as he finished speaking, Bella started sobbing. “Tyler, are you going soft on Elena? If it weren’t for her jealousy and meddling, we love each other so much, why would we be forced apart?” “Forget it. I know Miss Elena has always looked down on someone of my status. I just didn’t expect you to dislike me too, Tyler. I won’t be an eyesore anymore. I… I’ll just go die!” Seeing Bella run off, Tyler’s face filled with panic. He shoved me aside and chased after her frantically. My back slammed into the door handle, pain bringing tears to my eyes. The others, having seen enough of the show, left me there amidst the mess. I watched their retreating figures and laughed bitterly. In my past life, shortly after our wedding, the Vance family business faced a crisis. None of their so-called friends lifted a finger to help. To win back Tyler’s heart, I secretly used my entire dowry to fill the financial hole. Billions in assets, yet it didn’t buy a shred of his softness. In this life, without my help, I wonder if his precious Bella can turn the tide for him. 2 I took a shower and changed into clean clothes. When I came out, I saw Tyler cuddling Bella on the sofa. He was comforting her softly, his eyes filled with a gentleness I had never seen directed at me. Seeing me, his face instantly cooled. “Today’s events were all your fault. Apologize to Bella immediately.” “Also, clean this place up. And clear out your room for Bella. It’s dark out; it’s not safe for a girl to go home alone.” In the half-hour I was showering, they couldn’t even restrain themselves. Tyler’s shirt had several lipstick stains. Bella’s lipstick was smeared, her dress rumpled. I had no interest in their sordid affair and simply reminded them: “This is my house.” After the engagement was settled, both families prepared a house for us. Tyler hated noise, so our gatherings were usually held at my place. I used to willingly act like their maid because I loved Tyler. Now, I would never demean myself like that again. Tyler thought I was just being jealous and throwing a tantrum like before. He dismissed it, “Hmph, if it weren’t for Bella, do you think I’d want to stay here? If you still want to marry me, do as I say.” “Even though you’ll be my wife in name, Bella is the true mistress of the Vance household! You have no right to put on airs in front of her.” Bella lowered her head and smiled, leaning provocatively into Tyler’s embrace. I didn’t want to argue with them, nor did I want to stay in this messy house a second longer. I grabbed my bag and prepared to leave. Seeing me leave, Tyler stood up and blocked my path. “Where are you going this late?” “Home!” Tyler’s gaze lingered on my face for a few seconds. “Going home to tattle? What a princess. Don’t think I’ll be scared of you just because of that…” I didn’t want to hear his hurtful words and pushed him aside. He looked incredulous, stunned for a moment. Suddenly, he grabbed my hand, his attitude softening slightly. “Alright, stop making a scene.” “You’ve been spoiled and willful since you were a kid, never giving anyone peace… If you really want to go back, I’ll drive you.” He took my bag and reached for his car keys. Bella looked up, gazing at him with wide, teary eyes. “Tyler, are you going to leave me here alone?” “I’m scared being here by myself. What if Elena gets jealous and hires someone to hurt me again?” Tyler’s hand froze in mid-air. Then, his face darkened instantly. “Elena, I really underestimated you. I didn’t know you were this manipulative.” “Acting all high and mighty just to get me out of here so you can hurt Bella!” He threw the bag back at me with a look of disgust. The platinum buckle slammed into my forehead, and a trickle of blood ran down. My head spun, and I almost lost my balance. As I was about to fall, Tyler caught me. A flicker of guilt and an emotion I couldn’t read flashed in his eyes. However, before I could speak, Bella hugged him from behind. The buttons on her chest were undone, revealing quite a bit of skin. “Tyler, don’t go…” Tyler’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He let go of my hand. I looked at the two of them, ready to pounce on each other, and felt a wave of nausea. I picked up my bag and left without looking back. Just as I got into the car, a message from Bella popped up impatiently. 3 A one-minute video. For 59 seconds, they were glued together. “Elena, so what if you’re a rich miss? You lost to me in your last life, and you’re destined to lose to me in this one too!” Looking at her message and recalling Tyler’s strange behavior today, I finally realized: Bella was reborn too. I don’t know what happened after I died in my previous life to make her change her “hard-to-get” strategy and become so aggressive. I couldn’t be bothered to think about it. I blocked Bella immediately. In this new life, I just want to live well for myself. When I got home, I told my parents I wanted to break off the engagement with Tyler. They were shocked. Their eyes fell on the wound on my forehead. Dad’s eyes turned red with pain. “The Vance family has taken so many resources from us because of you all these years, and yet they bully my precious daughter like this! Since he doesn’t cherish you, we don’t need to humble ourselves! Wait here, Daddy will get justice for you!” I quickly stopped my dad from storming out. My own tears fell uncontrollably. In my past life, my parents worried themselves sick over me. When they learned of my suffering in the Vance household, they spent their entire fortune trying to save me. But Tyler declared that even if both families were destroyed, he wouldn’t let me go. After my parents died, he hung Bella’s photo above our bed. Whenever he missed his “white moonlight,” he would choke me, forcing my head up roughly. “You forced Bella to die for the title of Mrs. Vance. Now I’ll make you wear that title and live in agony for the rest of your life to atone for her!” He shattered my dignity and my love for him, bit by bit. In the end, death was my only escape. Thinking of my parents’ heart-wrenching cries after my death, my heart still ached in this new life. Suppressing the immense sorrow, I pulled out the marriage certificate with Julian. “Mom, Dad, I’ve been unfilial. I’ll handle the Vance family myself. I won’t let you worry about me ever again.” They were shocked at first, then overjoyed as they started preparing for the wedding. Partly because they were afraid I’d change my mind, and partly because Julian was simply exceptional. A prestigious family like the Sterlings was far superior to both the Yan and Vance families. Proud as Tyler was, he couldn’t stand the fact that Julian was superior to him in every way, nor could he accept that the Vance family relied on the Sterlings to survive. He had always seen Julian as his mortal enemy. Back in my own home, I slept soundly for the first time in a long while. I woke up early the next morning, planning to pack my things and sell the apartment. But after trying the passcode several times, the door wouldn’t open. Sensing something was wrong, I used the backup key to open it. The apartment was a mess. Used condoms were scattered in the living room. Faint moans were coming from my bedroom. Walking closer, I saw Bella wearing my pajamas, entangled with Tyler. “Sister Elena…” Seeing me, Bella pushed Tyler away, feigning fear. Tyler was flustered for a second, but after composing himself, he immediately shielded Bella behind him. Ignoring the hickeys covering Bella’s body, I looked around. Even though I was mentally prepared, I was still shocked by the sight. My personal belongings were piled up in a chaotic heap. My haute couture gowns were shredded, my Hermès bags covered in graffiti. Even the “lovers’ lock” my grandmother had prayed for on her deathbed for Tyler and me was crushed underfoot. “Tyler said you upset me yesterday, so you needed to be taught a lesson.” “How about this: kneel and apologize to me, and I’ll ask him not to cancel your wedding!” I couldn’t hear anything she was saying. I carefully picked up the broken lock. My mind flashed back to my grandmother on her deathbed, holding mine and Tyler’s hands, refusing to close her eyes until the very end. “I saw the wedding design drafts in the safe. They’re not bad. Bella’s birthday is coming up, so refine the plans and throw her a birthday party first.” “As for our wedding… we’ll talk about it when you learn to behave.” In the past, a single word from Tyler would have made me trample my own dignity to please him. But after experiencing everything in my previous life, I would never wrong myself for him again. I tucked the broken lock into my pocket. Then I picked up the scattered wedding design drafts one by one. “No need. With or without you, my wedding will go on as planned.” The person I loved was trash. But my love wasn’t. I had been preparing these designs since I was eighteen, pouring all my love and effort into them. I wouldn’t allow anyone to defile them. Tyler looked displeased and tried to snatch the drafts from my hand. But when he saw my tear-streaked face, he froze. 4 These tears were different from my usual tantrums. They were the weeping of a heart that had completely given up, ashes after the fire. Tyler didn’t dare meet my gaze. Guiltily looking away, he pulled out a card and placed it in my hand. “Stop crying. It’s just a few clothes; go buy new ones.” “Bella didn’t mean it. You don’t lack these things anyway, can’t you just let her be?” Hearing this, Bella happily kissed Tyler on the cheek. I threw the card back in his face and turned to leave. Tyler was surprised to see my expression return to calm. “Elena, you’re not angry or jealous?” I didn’t answer. I messaged Julian to come pick up the wedding designs. Just after the message went out, Bella suddenly screamed. “Tyler! Why is our video all over the internet… Elena, why did you do this? Are you only happy if you drive me to death?” She cried and threatened to jump off the balcony. Tyler hurriedly stopped her. Seeing the viral video online, his face went pale. “Great, Elena. You are even more vicious than I imagined!” “You really will do anything to marry me. This time, I won’t let you off!” He raised his hand and slapped me hard across the face. The sharp pain brought a ringing to my ears. Before I could react, he grabbed my neck and dragged me toward the bed. “You like recording videos and posting them online, right? Fine! I’ll satisfy you. Let you be the star for once!” Tyler tore at my clothes violently. Bella, taking the cue, turned on her phone camera. The fear of two lifetimes crashed into my mind. As my jacket was ripped off, I trembled, screaming in near collapse. “Tyler Vance! I didn’t do anything! You can’t do this to me!” Tyler was just like in his past life. He didn’t believe a word I said, ignoring my pain and pleas. He only used violence to vent his dissatisfaction. Fear and anger made me lose my reason. I bit my lip and fumbled for the scissors on the nightstand. Just as I was preparing to take Tyler down with me, the door was kicked open with a bang.

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My husband and I spent five years trying to conceive. In the end, we chose IVF. A year of hormone injections and failed attempts didn’t just fail to give us a baby; it turned me into a haggard, exhausted shadow of my former self. Then came the day my husband’s personal assistant showed up at our house to pick up his dry cleaning. She looked at me with pure disdain and ordered me around like I was the help. “Can you move a little faster? For a maid, you really have zero awareness. While you’re at it, polish the shoes I’m wearing. If you don’t, I’ll have your boss dock your pay!” I froze, suppressing my rage as I asked her what the hell she meant. Instead of answering, she dialed my husband, Ethan, tears instantly welling up in her eyes. She sobbed into the phone, claiming some “crazy old woman” was bullying her. Ethan rushed home in a fury. He didn’t ask for my side of the story; he just started screaming. “Sarah, she was obviously joking! Do you have to be so sensitive?” “Besides, is she wrong? Look at you. You look no different than a homeless woman begging on the street corner.” With that, he grabbed his assistant’s hand and stormed out, leaving me standing there. Moments later, a notification popped up on my phone. He had posted a photo of me—looking my absolute worst, swollen from medication and crying—to his Instagram Story. The caption read: “Official Statement: This ugly woman is no longer my wife! She can’t even give me a child. As a woman, she’s a total failure. It’s embarrassing. She’s on a three-day timeout. If she doesn’t apologize to Chloe by then, I’m filing for divorce!” Chloe, the assistant, was the first to like the post. I let out a self-deprecating laugh. Ethan was absolutely certain I would come crawling back, begging for forgiveness. But he was wrong. This time, I didn’t want the baby. And I definitely didn’t want this dirty man anymore. 1 I was about to like that Instagram story out of spite, but Ethan deleted it seconds later. I didn’t care. I picked up the phone and called the fertility clinic. I told the doctor I was terminating the IVF process. The doctor was shocked. “Mrs. Miller, are you sure? We’re at the final stage. The embryo implantation is the last step. Last time you were here, Mr. Miller seemed very eager to have a child…” I rubbed my temples, exhaustion seeping into my bones. “He’s cheating on me. I don’t want the child anymore.” There was a pause. “I… I’m so sorry to hear that. However, termination requires signatures from both parties to be effective.” “No problem,” I said. “Send me the forms. I’ll make him sign.” Just as the email with the PDF landed in my inbox, the front door banged open. Ethan walked in, looking a bit awkward, holding a large shopping bag. “I thought about it, and maybe I was a little harsh earlier. Don’t take it to heart. Just apologize to Chloe, and we’ll let this whole thing go.” I gave him a cold look, ignored the bag, and turned to head to the bedroom to pack. Ethan’s temper flared. He rushed forward and blocked my path. “What is this attitude? I apologized for my tone! It was clearly your fault, why can’t you just lower your head and admit it? With a temper like yours, I worry our kid is going to inherit it!” I smiled bitterly. So, he deleted the post because he remembered I still had “breeding value.” I thought back to when we graduated college. We started his business from nothing. One winter, to secure a crucial client who lived in a lakeside villa cut off by a blizzard, I swam across that freezing lake because the roads were blocked. I watched the despair in Ethan’s eyes turn to hope as I jumped in. Ice shards cut my stomach. I secured the deal, but I passed out and woke up in the hospital with permanent uterine damage. Back then, Ethan covered my ears, eyes red with tears, and promised me: “It’s okay, Sarah. If we can’t have kids, we won’t. You suffered so much. Your health is all that matters to me.” But I knew how much he wanted a family. Every time we went shopping, he’d linger in the baby aisle, touching the tiny shoes, dreaming of a family of three. That’s why I volunteered for IVF. Even though it was agonizing. Even though the hormones made my hair fall out in clumps and aged me ten years. I endured it all gladly. And his repayment? Letting another woman mock me, scold me, and then demanding I apologize. I snapped back to reality and glared at him through gritted teeth. “Absolutely not.” Ethan’s face turned dark instantly. “I’m warning you, Sarah! Don’t push your luck!” He took the shopping bag and smashed it into my face. The sharp corner of the packaging cut my forehead. I crouched down in pain, watching the contents spill out. It was chocolate. I picked up the receipt that fell out. It was dated yesterday. I shook my head, looking at the pile of candy I didn’t even like. He was just giving me the leftovers someone else didn’t want. Ethan’s eyes flashed with a moment of guilt. He bent down to help me up, but then Chloe waltzed in, hips swaying, voice dripping with fake sweetness. “Oh my god, what happened here?” She covered her mouth in mock surprise. “Ethan, isn’t that the chocolate you bought with me yesterday? I told you to save me two bars! I know I’m on a diet, but I was craving a little bite!” She turned to me, smiling. “Sarah, aren’t you worried about getting fat eating all that?” Then she playfully slapped her own mouth. “Oops! Silly me. Sarah is already upset about being… well, ugly. I shouldn’t have brought it up. I deserve to die!” Ethan’s heart melted immediately. He grabbed her hands. “Little dummy, don’t hurt yourself. You didn’t say anything wrong. Why should we cater to her fragile ego?” He kissed her hands, blowing on them as if they were hurt. A wave of nausea hit me. I remembered my last egg retrieval. The pain was so bad I couldn’t walk. Ethan had stood there, arms crossed, sneering. “You’re a grown woman, stop acting. It’s just a needle. How much can it hurt?” He hadn’t cared about my pale face then. He just drove off, leaving me at the clinic because he “didn’t have the patience for my drama.” Now, he scooped Chloe up into his arms and walked out without a backward glance at his bleeding wife. “I’m taking Chloe to the doctor to check her hands. You stay home and reflect on your behavior!” 2 I sighed, cleaned up the scattered chocolates, and texted a lawyer about divorce proceedings. I printed two copies of the agreement. Knowing Ethan’s stubbornness, I wasn’t sure how to get him to sign. I packed up and went to sleep in the guest room. The next morning, I was woken up by Ethan’s phone call. “Get ready. I’m coming to pick you up.” I was confused. “Go where?” “Where do you think? I remembered today is the final IVF appointment! Do you want this kid or not?” I opened my mouth to tell him I definitely didn’t, but he hung up. “Garage. Five minutes. Hurry up.” I sighed. I didn’t even change out of my pajamas. Maybe it was better to do this at the hospital. I got in the car. Ethan frowned at my appearance. “You’re going to the hospital dressed like that? People will think you’re the cleaning lady, not the patient!” His naked disgust shattered whatever self-esteem I had left. I quit my job to focus on this pregnancy. I took hormones that wrecked my body. I managed his entire life. I didn’t have the energy to dress up. Instead of gratitude, I got shame. He tossed a Chanel jacket from the backseat at me. “Put this on.” It obviously wasn’t my size, nor my style. It smelled like Chloe—that overpowering rose perfume. Nauseous, I put it on. As I did, a sheer lace thong fell out of the pocket. It was damp. Ethan glanced at it, panicked, and snatched it away. “Stop rummaging! Chloe changed in my car after the water park last week and forgot her things.” I opened my mouth but said nothing. His acting was pathetic. He never allowed me to leave anything in his precious car. He detailed it daily. Without his permission, Chloe wouldn’t dare leave something so intimate behind. We arrived at the clinic. The doctor looked relieved to see us. “Great, you’re both here. Just sign the papers and we can proceed.” Ethan looked confused. “Proceed? I thought we already agreed on the implantation?” The doctor paused and looked at me. I looked down, trying to find the words. Ethan looked suspicious and grabbed the clipboard. My heart hammered in my chest. Just as he was reading the header—Termination of Treatment—his phone rang with a special, cutesy ringtone. He threw the clipboard down and answered immediately. “What’s wrong, princess?” The doctor took the opportunity to whisper to me, “Mrs. Miller, since you’re terminating, there’s a test result you need to see…” But before she could finish, Ethan grabbed my arm, his grip bruising. “This is all your fault! If anything happens to Chloe, I’m holding you responsible!” 3 I was dragged out of the hospital before I could process what was happening. He drove like a maniac back to our house. As soon as we pulled up, I smelled thick, acrid smoke. Ethan was sweating, panic written all over his face. He threw his shoulder against the front door. “Chloe! Don’t be scared! I’m here!” I had a severe phobia of fire from a traumatic incident in my past. My legs turned to jelly. But it was an emergency, so I tried to help him with the door. Ethan shoved me away. “Get the hell out of my way! If she hadn’t been trying to make soup for you to help your health, this fire wouldn’t have happened! You jinx!” I laughed in disbelief. She burned my kitchen down, and it was my fault? Ethan kicked the door open and charged into the smoke. The house was ruined. In the kitchen, he found Chloe coughing on the floor. He scooped her up like she was made of glass. “Boohoo, Ethan, I really didn’t mean to! Sarah won’t be mad at me, will she?” Chloe whimpered, playing the victim perfectly. “Of course not,” Ethan soothed her. “It was an accident. I’m here. No one will touch you.” The flames were spreading fast. I wanted to tell him we needed to leave now. But Ethan turned to me, eyes red with rage. He grabbed my hair. “Look at what you made her do! Apologize to her! Now!” I choked on the smoke, struggling. “Let… let go! We need to get out!” He didn’t listen. “Stop making excuses! You jealous, vicious woman. You deserve to be punished!” I was dizzy from the fumes. Suddenly, a heavy wall cabinet, weakened by the fire, crashed down from above. “Chloe, watch out!” Ethan dove, shielding Chloe with his body. The burning cabinet crashed onto me. A red-hot metal rod pierced my thigh. I screamed in agony. “Ethan! Help me! I’m pinned!” Ethan looked back. His eyes were cold. He picked up Chloe and turned toward the door. “You deserve this,” he spat. “Even God can’t stand your jealousy.” I watched his back disappear into the smoke. My hope died with him. The fire roared around me. I closed my eyes, accepting my fate. If there is a next life, I thought, I never want to meet Ethan Miller again. Just as consciousness slipped away, I heard a voice. Rough, urgent. “Hey! Stay with me! I’m going to get you out!” When I opened my eyes again, I was in a white hospital room. A nurse was adjusting my IV, and a tall man with soot-stained clothes was frowning by the window. “You’re finally awake!” the nurse said. “Where is your family? No one has come.” My throat felt like sandpaper. “I… I don’t know.” The tall man stepped forward. “When I went in to get you, your husband was running out with another woman. Did you know that?” I let out a dry laugh. “You saved me? Thank you.” “As for him… he only saves the people he cares about. My life means nothing to him.” I learned the man was Will, a retired firefighter who lived nearby and saw the smoke. “Take care of yourself,” Will said, his expression unreadable, pouring me a glass of water. My heart warmed. A stranger would risk his life for me, but my husband left me to burn. It was time to let go completely. Just as I was asking Will how I could repay him, the door slammed open. Ethan stormed in, face thunderous. “Sarah! Are you playing games with me?” “I went back to save you and you were gone! Do you know how long I looked? And here you are, flirting with some strange man?” I sighed. Before I could speak, he grabbed my wrist, yanking me up. The IV needle ripped out of my hand. I cried out in pain. Will stepped between us, shoving Ethan back. “She’s a patient! Be careful! Are you even a man?” 4 Ethan’s face turned purple. He swung at Will. “Who the hell are you? This is my wife! Mind your own business!” I saw Will ready to fight back and quickly signaled him to stop. I didn’t want him getting hurt or in legal trouble for me. Will backed off, reluctantly. “I’ll deal with you later,” Ethan sneered at him. He dragged me down the hall to another VIP room. Chloe was there, lying in bed. As soon as she saw me, she shrank into Ethan’s arms, trembling. “Ethan, I’m scared! Sarah is going to yell at me! She’s going to ask why I didn’t die in the fire!” I was baffled. I was the one with a hole in my leg. Why was she acting like the victim? Ethan threw a report in my face. It was the fire investigation. The cause: an old, faulty gas valve. “You refused to get it fixed! You tried to kill Chloe!” I laughed. It was a hollow, broken sound. When we got married, Ethan promised he’d do all the cooking. Six months in, he got “busy” and dumped it all on me. Because of the IVF side effects, my back pain was severe. I couldn’t stand long enough to cook, so I mostly ordered takeout. I rarely used the kitchen. I had no idea about the valve. But in his mind, everything was my fault. “Ethan,” I looked him dead in the eye. “Are you really a man? Blaming your wife for your own negligence?” “It’s your job to manage the house!” he shouted. How pathetic. Before marriage, I was his princess. Now, I was his scapegoat. I was done. “You want an apology?” I asked. I pulled a stack of papers from my hospital gown pocket—the divorce papers I had prepared. “Sign this, and I’ll apologize.” Ethan glanced at the top page, saw ‘Consent Form’ (it was the IVF termination he hadn’t read properly earlier, stapled to the divorce papers underneath), and signed it without looking, thinking it was hospital paperwork. He smirked. “You really commit to the drama, don’t you? Stop playing the victim.” “Kneel and apologize to Chloe! If you do, we move on. If you give her a hard time again, we’re getting a divorce!” Hearing the word “divorce,” Chloe hid a smirk behind Ethan’s shoulder. I gritted my teeth. I bent my knees. The wound on my thigh tore open. Blood soaked through the bandages instantly. I nearly fainted from the pain. Ethan saw the blood and flinched, reaching out instinctively. “Sarah… you’re hurt?” I slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch me.” I finished the “apology,” stood up, and limped out. Ethan tried to follow, but Chloe grabbed his arm, wailing, “Ouch! My chest hurts! Ethan, help!” He hesitated for a second, then turned back to her. Back in my room, Will called a nurse to re-dress my wound. After that, Ethan disappeared. I saw on Instagram that he took Chloe to Paris and Iceland. Places he promised to take me for our honeymoon but never did. I moved out. Will helped me pack. I looked at the house where I wasted five years of my life. It felt like a tomb. I sent a photo of the signed divorce papers and the medical report to Ethan. Seconds later, my phone exploded. “Sarah! What is this? When did we get divorced?” “And… what does this medical report mean? I have… low sperm motility? I’m the one who can’t have kids? Why didn’t you tell me?!”

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After prison, The scars on my wrist were a permanent reminder that Mason Holt and I could never go back to what we were. 1 My short hair was giving the makeup artist a headache. Half an hour later, Mason pushed the door open. “Is she ready?” “Mr. Holt, is this acceptable?” Mason’s gaze fell on me, his eyes deepening with an unreadable intensity. “Elara. Look at yourself. Do you like it?” My eyes flickered for only a moment. Beside me, the makeup artist anxiously twisted her hands. In the past, my standards were impossibly high. I had to be the most dazzling woman in the room. But that was before. The woman I was now had just spent three years in prison. The long, proud hair I once cherished was gone, shorn away. “It’s fine.” 2 I took Mason’s arm, and we descended the grand spiral staircase, walking into the full glare of the party. “Look, it’s Elara Vance.” “She’s really out.” I kept my head held high the entire time. A ghost of my former pride forbade me to bow. “Are you alright?” Before the person next to me could say more, guests were already approaching us. “Mason, congratulations. Heard you landed the ten-figure Triton contract for Holt Industries.” Mason nodded in acknowledgment, clinking his glass with the man’s. “I’m going to walk around for a bit. You handle things.” I detached myself from his side and drifted toward the edge of the ballroom. In a quiet corner, I finally let out a long breath. “I heard she just got out yesterday.” “Did Mason Holt really pick her up himself?” “Unlikely. Everyone knows the one he loves is Seraphina Curtis. His marriage to Elara is just for show.” “True. Three years ago, she could have avoided a conviction, but the Holt family didn’t lift a finger to help.” The two women walked past, their faces paling when they saw me standing there. They scattered like startled birds. I narrowed my eyes, a chill seeping into my heart. 3 A stir went through the ballroom. “What’s happening?” A waiter murmured, “The Curtis family just arrived. They presented a gilded sculpture by a renowned artist.” I pressed my lips together. “The Curtiss really know how to make an entrance. A piece like that is practically priceless.” “Heh, isn’t that just a gift from the left hand to the right?” “You’ll see. Seraphina Curtis will be marrying into the Holt family sooner or later.” “Don’t spread rumors.” “Please. Mason only married Elara because her grandfather basically blackmailed him with the Vance family fortune. I heard there was a five-year contract involved.” I turned my head, looking toward the source of the chatter, then walked away. 4 I returned to Mason’s side. “Where did you go? Your hand is freezing.” He turned and briefly clasped my hand in his. “Nowhere.” Standing beside him, I was once again the center of attention. My gaze drifted to Seraphina, who stood quietly by her father’s side. Our eyes met. There was no trace of provocation in her expression. She simply looked away, turning to greet an old friend. She was so gentle, yet it was as if a spotlight followed her, drawing the admiration of countless young heirs. But everyone knew she had been waiting for Mason for years. This married man, the most powerful figure in the city. Some said she was waiting in vain. But I knew the truth. It was a mutual longing. The whispers were all true. In all our years of marriage, Mason had never once touched me. 5 The party concluded after the 40th-anniversary appreciation ceremony. The guests departed, leaving the ballroom vast and empty. “Ma’am, how should we begin the cleanup?” The venue was one of the Holt family’s estates. Before prison, I had always been the one to plan these events. I shook my head. “Just do as you see fit.” Just then, Mason returned from seeing off the last guest. “Let’s go back to Shorelight.” 6 The car ride home was silent. He’d been drinking and sat with his eyes closed, resting. When we arrived, he went upstairs without a word. I sat in the living room, feeling adrift. “Ma’am, shall I help you with your makeup?” the housekeeper asked. “No, thank you. I’ll do it myself later.” I just looked up, watching the tall shadow of his back disappear down the upstairs corridor. “Ma’am seems like a different person since she’s been back.” “Well, it was prison. I hear it’s a dark place. Who knows what she suffered in there.” “I feel sorry for her, really. A husband who doesn’t love her, and she was born a princess, only to end up in jail.” “Remember that time a year ago when they took her out for medical treatment? I heard she tried to kill herself inside.” I didn’t go to the kitchen. I just picked up a carton of milk from the coffee table and quietly went upstairs. 7 In the bedroom, Mason came out of the bathroom to find me on the moonlit balcony, sipping from the carton of milk. “Why are you squatting there? There’s a chair right next to you.” I froze for a second, my mind catching up. My subconscious was still trapped in the habits of my cell. “Are you done showering?” I looked up, about to stand. But a wave of dizziness from my low blood sugar almost sent me tumbling. His strong arm shot out and steadied me. “Careful. Is it your hypoglycemia? I’ll have the doctor come tomorrow and prescribe some medicine to help regulate it.” I didn’t respond. I just moved to the chair and sat, watching him with a puzzled expression. He was about to say something else when my phone, resting on the railing, lit up. It was a message from Leo. “Do you want a kitten? I’ll give you one. It’s adorable, you’ll love it.” Leo. I stared at the name, momentarily stunned. He’d requested to visit me during my three years in prison, but I had refused. I didn’t want to see anyone. I picked up the phone, about to reply. “Get washed up and rest. I have an email to send from the study.” Mason shrugged on a robe, his broad back turning as he walked out. I stared at the doorway, lit by a single wall sconce. It was just like three years ago. Every night, just before bed, he would always have “work to finish.” And he would be gone for the entire night. The next morning, he would invariably tell me he’d worked too late and had just slept in the study. 8 Leo gave me an incredibly cute kitten. But I couldn’t take it back to Shorelight. Mason disliked all small animals. “I’ll look after him for now,” Leo said. I cuddled the soft, warm ball of fur. “Elara,” Leo said with a sudden smile, “has anyone ever told you that you’re more like a cat now?” “You’ve actually always had a cat-like spirit.” I didn’t understand what he meant. He had already turned to get some cat food. In the end, the kitten stayed with Leo for the time being. 9 Since my release, I had barely gone out. The only time was to visit the kitten at Leo’s. As for Mason, he was always busy. He left early and came back late; the evenings were the only time I saw him. But the story of my imprisonment never made it to the media. Mason had suppressed it—not to protect me, I suspected, but to protect the Holt family’s name. “Come down for dinner.” I turned. Mason was home. “Mrs. Gable said you’ve been in your room for hours. Are you not feeling well?” He took off his jacket and came over, raising a hand to touch my forehead. I flinched away. “I’m fine. Let’s eat.” His hand fell, empty. A few steps later, he caught up, and we went downstairs together. At the landing, I stopped abruptly. I clutched my bare wrist and turned back. “What’s wrong?” “I forgot something. You go ahead.” I hurried back upstairs, found the cool jade bangle on my vanity, and slipped it onto my wrist, hiding the tangled web of scars beneath. When I came back down, I was surprised to see Mason still waiting there. As I approached, his gaze fixed on my wrist, now covered by the bangle. “Elara. Let’s go eat. I’m starving.” 10 We ate in silence. “What’s this?” After dinner, I went upstairs and found two dark blue cards on the round table in the sitting area. “An art exhibition. Do you want to go?” Mason asked, walking over. I saw the theme was “Starry Night.” Among my few hobbies, cats were my favorite animal, and art galleries were my favorite pastime. “Are you going?” The question slipped out before I could stop it. He nodded. “The new project is wrapped up. I can take some time off. I’ll go with you.” I stared at him. “What is it? You don’t want me to come?” I shook my head. “Then what’s wrong?” The balcony doors were open, and a breeze drifted in. He reached out and gently tucked a stray strand of my hair behind my ear. The warmth of his palm lingered on my skin. The air between us suddenly felt charged. I looked at him seriously. “Are you sure you can go? You’re not busy?” “I’m sure. I’m going to make more time for you from now on. I’ve neglected you for too long.” In the evening wind, he nodded, his expression firm, and slowly pulled me into his arms. “Give me a chance to make it up to you, okay?” Held in his warm embrace, I stared out into the night, stunned. With a soft rustle, the calendar on the wall flipped to a new day. 11 But if I had known what was to come, I would have avoided that exhibition at all costs. Mason did come, but he was too late. For many years after, I would wonder if the panic in his eyes that day was because the blood on the floor was mine. Or was it for some other reason? Not long after that day, we ceased to have any connection at all. 12 When I arrived at the gallery, Mason wasn’t there yet. It was an invitation-only event, so it wasn’t crowded. But even with so few people, when Bianca strode towards me, I still narrowed my eyes. “Elara?” I started to walk away, to another section. But she grabbed my wrist. “That scared of me?” I scoffed at her provocative smirk. “You should never overfeed a dog. It starts to think it’s the master.” “You—” She’d studied martial arts, and her grip was fueled by anger. I fought the urge to slap her. “This is an art gallery. I suggest you don’t embarrass your family here.” A security guard glanced our way, and she finally let go. We’d been enemies since school. I heard she’d even set off firecrackers to celebrate my three-year sentence. Since my grandfather passed away, her father had monopolized the industry our family once dominated. Her arrogance had grown with her fortune. “Did your husband tell you he had something important come up and couldn’t make it?” she called out as I walked away. I paused, then kept walking. “Aren’t you curious about the real reason he couldn’t come?” she taunted, raising her voice to make sure I heard. “So concerned about my husband. Are you delusional?” I retorted, quickening my pace. But she ignored the quiet sanctity of the gallery and shouted, “Because he’s with Seraphina! She called, and he ran! Heh. You’ll always be the pathetic little stray he never wanted.” My steps were fast, but my heart felt like it was suspended in mid-air, being squeezed, shattered, and ground into dust. 13 In another wing of the gallery, I stood silently before a painting. “You like Vernal Abode too?” I turned. It was Leo. “You’re here too?” He smiled. “It’s Master Callen’s first overseas exhibition. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” His smile was always as warm as the sun. He glanced over at Bianca, who was glaring at us from a distance. “Did she give you trouble just now?” I shook my head. “I’ve seen everything on this floor. I’m going to check out the second.” “Elara. Snowball misses you. Come visit when you have time.” “Okay.” I went upstairs, and he continued in the other direction. 14 After leaving the gallery, my taxi hadn’t arrived yet, so I went to the adjacent public restroom to wash my hands. I never expected it. A sudden force slammed me against the wall. Before I could even get up, a foot pressed down hard on my stomach. “Elara, you bitch. What’s there to be so proud of?” “Don’t… touch… me.” The pressure of her foot increased. I tried to push it away, but her friends grabbed my hands, pulling them back. Bianca ground her heel into me, bit by bit. I choked back the pain, forcing out broken words. “Assault…? You’ll all go to prison for this.” Finally, one of them got scared. “Bianca, that’s enough. Let’s go.” “What are you afraid of? Her grandfather is dead. Her family is nothing now. If she hadn’t been hiding in prison for three years, I would have taught her this lesson a long time ago.” “But… she’s still Mason Holt’s wife. No one dares to cross him.” “Mason Holt? Everyone knows he doesn’t want her. If he actually cared, would he have just stood by and done nothing three years ago?” I could barely breathe. “I am… still Mrs. Holt. The Holt family… won’t let an outsider bully me. You can try.” “Let’s go, Bianca.” “Go where? Do you know who Mason Holt is with right now? My friend, Seraphina. He’s never coming to save her.” She didn’t let up until something inside me tore. A searing, visceral rip. Bianca finally removed her foot. Clutching my agonized stomach, I fumbled in my bag for my phone to call for an ambulance. But Bianca, who had been about to leave, came back. She grabbed my arm. “You two, come back here.” I knew what she wanted. I desperately tried to hide my wrist, but she ordered her friends to pull my arm free. The jade bangle was pushed aside, revealing the ugly, tangled scars beneath. “Heh, I heard you tried to slit your wrists in there. I didn’t realize you cut so deep,” she sneered. “Tsk, tsk. Something this beautiful needs to be shared with our circle.” She took out her phone to record a video. I twisted and turned, but I couldn’t escape the lens. “Haha, look everyone! This is the former first lady of the city! Look at her left wrist! So ugly, right? She did this in prison…” “Get away… get away from me…” My struggles were useless. When she finished recording, they stood up, dusting off their hands. She pulled open the door, one foot already outside. The heavy glass ashtray connected with the back of her head. A dark splash of crimson. Leaning against the doorframe, I smiled. At the same time, my body felt like a dam had burst. Blood surged up from my throat, and I crumpled to the floor. Through a darkening haze, I saw Mason turn, his face a mask of horror. Maybe it was a trick of the light, my senses fading one by one, but I thought I saw a pair of feet running towards me from a great distance. 15 I had a long dream. It was a world of endless white. I walked and walked, one foot sinking into a deep pit, the next plunging into a glacier that cut my skin. I traveled for miles but saw no one. Frozen and broken, I lay down in the snow. As the white flakes began to cover me, I whispered goodbye to the blue sky. But when the snow kissed my eyelids, a stubborn refusal took hold. I wasn’t done. I crawled to my feet and kept moving forward. I would not die here. I would get out. I would not give up. 16 “She’s awake! The patient in Room 1 is awake! Someone get in here!” I had barely opened my eyes when a cacophony of noise erupted around me. “Elara.” A blurred figure rushed forward, blocking my view. “You’re finally awake. Thank God.” A large hand gripped mine tightly. I couldn’t tell if it was my hand that was shaking, or his. My vision slowly cleared. My mind churned, and I recognized the man before me as Mason. I looked up into his eyes, saw the deep red of broken blood vessels that stained the whites. 17 A month later. Mason hadn’t left the hospital. His assistant brought all his work to him here. He seemed like a different person. “Careful.” He took a napkin and gently wiped a speck of soup from the corner of my mouth. I studied his eyes. The redness had faded slightly over the past few days. “Why are you looking at me like that? Is it the beard? Do I look terrible?” I shook my head and leaned back against the pillows. He closed the thermos, wiped down the small bedside table, and put it away. Growing up in the Holt family, he had likely never done such things before. “Aren’t you going to the office?” He gestured to a stack of files. “They bring everything here. I can work from the hospital.” “What about meetings? Your company has so many.” “It’s the slow season. Fewer meetings. My priority right now is taking care of you.” I pressed my lips together and said nothing, turning over to sleep. Holt Industries was notoriously demanding. I had interned there once; the meetings were endless. For Mason, the CEO, it was even worse. I knew he had just moved his meetings to the evenings. On nights when I couldn’t sleep, I could hear him in the adjacent room, leading a conference call through a screen. 18 Today, two police officers came to the hospital. I thought of the ashtray I had smashed against Bianca’s head with all my might. My palm grew damp. “Mr. Holt, we’re here to take a statement from Mrs. Holt regarding the incident at the East Tower restroom.” The officer shook Mason’s hand. Mason nodded, then gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t be nervous. Just tell them exactly what happened.” I recounted the events truthfully. “Is that all?” “Mrs. Holt, is there anything you’d like to add?” “No.” After I signed the statement, the officers left. I looked at Mason. “Is Bianca’s injury healed?” “She’s… not all there anymore. The doctors say her mental capacity is that of a child.” I was shocked, my heart pounding. “I was so angry, I just wanted to fight back. Will I go to jail?” “Silly girl. You were defending yourself. Why would you go to jail? Don’t worry, the police won’t be pressing any charges.” “Really?” He placed his hands on my shoulders. “Really.” As he said, the police never came back. I never received a summons. Only then did I finally relax. 19 “Ma’am, what are you looking at?” Mrs. Gable, our housekeeper, came in and followed my gaze out the window. She opened a thermos and set out the food. “Please eat, Ma’am. You need to get your strength back.” I nodded. But when your body is at its weakest, high-protein foods are the last thing you want. I had no appetite. “Where’s Mason?” “Are you missing the master? I’ll call him for you.” Mrs. Gable reached for her phone. I stopped her. “No, don’t. But if you see him, could you please ask him to come by? I have something to say to him.” A week ago, Mason had taken a phone call and hadn’t been back to the hospital since. Mrs. Gable nodded. “Of course. Don’t you worry, Ma’am. The master has just been working overtime at the company.” I said nothing, just quietly spooned some broth. 20 I pushed myself up and stood before the full-length mirror. Mason came in. “Careful.” He rushed to my side. “Why are you out of bed? The doctor said you still need to rest.” “I’m much better.” I pulled my arm from his grasp and stood as straight as I could before the mirror, holding the pose for a full minute. When I was done, I returned to the bed. “When you’re fully recovered, we’ll go to a private island for a month, get away from it all…” He was looking at me, waiting for my response. But I just stared out the window, unmoving. “Elara?” “Let’s get a divorce.”

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After graduating from the Academy for High-Society Pets, I only needed three moves to snag a billionaire owner: The Wiggle, The Cling, and The Squeak. But my life of luxury didn’t last long. Disaster struck. The sugar mama I hooked turned out to be a fake heiress! “What are we going to do, Dumpling? We’re getting kicked out…” The fake heiress was crying her eyes out. What was a cat supposed to do? Swallow my pride and find a few more sugar daddies to support her, of course! 01 I never thought I, a distinguished graduate of the Elite Pet Etiquette School, would end up in the boonies. After my owner’s identity as a “fake heiress” was exposed, she was swept out the door like yesterday’s trash. And I was collateral damage. On the day of the eviction, I clawed onto my gold-rimmed, velvet-lined cat bed, meowing my heart out, refusing to leave. My owner, Serena, couldn’t bear it. She tried to bargain with her adoptive parents: “Can’t we at least let Dumpling stay…” Dumpling is my name. Hearing this, I let out a long, thin, pathetic “Mewww—” I was pinching my throat so hard I nearly choked. But the real daughter shattered my dreams of staying in the lap of luxury with just four words. She said: “I’m allergic to cats.” Game over. My rich-cat dreams? Crumbled. Serena and I were packed up and shipped off to the middle of nowhere. Looking at the rotting farmhouse, the shattered windows, the dead fields, and my now-bankrupt “sugar mama,” I made a decision immediately— Run! I’m running away tonight! 02 Actually, it’s not like I haven’t suffered before. A year ago, I was a nameless stray. My next meal was entirely up to fate. That was until one day, I passed by a ground-floor classroom window. Inside, there was a flock of women. Sharp chins, big eyes, legs for days. In the center stood an instructor, looking confident: “I guarantee, if you take my class, you will snag a Golden Meal Ticket within two months!” My ears perked up instantly. Meal ticket? And it’s golden? Did that mean I’d never be hungry again? From then on, I squatted outside that window every day, absorbing knowledge. Two months later, I had mastered the curriculum. I began scouting for a target. Serena was the mark I chose. The day I met her, she was stepping out of a car with a winged “B” logo. I remembered the teacher saying that was a Bentley. Only rich people drove those. Then I saw the bag in the passenger seat—Hermès. The logo on her shirt—subtle, understated, but definitely on the “Expensive Stuff” list the teacher mentioned. Certified Old Money. I took initiative and jumped straight into the car. Serena was startled. “Where did this cat come from?” She scooped me up and put me outside. I didn’t hesitate for a second. I jumped right back in. Those who achieve greatness do not care about trifles. A gold-digging cat needs no shame. I copied the method the teacher taught: I gave her a wink. Then, combining it with my natural talents, I lifted my head and did The Wiggle. Serena face-palmed. “Stop wiggling. I don’t even like cats. It’s not going to work.” Ha. Just playing hard to get. If she really didn’t like me, that door would have been slammed shut already. The teacher said rich people care about appearances. No problem. I can satisfy her vanity, as long as she spends that cash on me. I refused to leave, rubbing my fluffy head against her hand. Seeing she wasn’t kicking me out again, I moved to step two— I jumped onto her shoulder, “accidentally” slipped, and dug my claws into the leather, leaving several deep scratches on the upholstery. This technique is called “Creating Sunk Cost.” “Oh my god, you cat! You ruined my leather seats!” She complained, but there was no real anger in her voice. Her hand even cupped my butt to keep me from falling. Perfect! Rich, loaded, and emotionally stable. At that moment, I decided— I am entering this mansion today! “Meow-meow didn’t mean to ruin your leather. I’m just a clumsy little baby…” I blinked my big, watery eyes, broadcasting the “innocent debutante” look I’d practiced. Then came the kneading and nuzzling, showing off my affectionate side. Serena’s expression softened, her eyes glimmering. “Have you decided? You really want to come with me?” I let out a long “Mewww—” and dove straight into her arms. This move is called “Sealing the Deal.” From then on, I lived the carefree life of a wealthy pet. Serena named me “Dumpling.” She said it was because I was too skinny, and she hoped I’d grow round and happy by her side. My food was Michelin-star grade wet food. My bed was encrusted with jewels. I even had a masseuse come over for weekly kitty spas. Heh. Humans and their tough talk. She started with “I~ don’t~ like~ cats~.” Her actions said otherwise. However, the good life lasted less than a year. Disaster struck. Serena’s parents discovered that their biological daughter had been switched at birth by a nurse. Serena… was the fake heiress! The real daughter grew up in the countryside. Her adoptive parents had passed away, and she had lived a hard life. Worried the real daughter would feel slighted, the parents decided to put everyone back where they belonged. “Serena, you’ve enjoyed a good life for years. It’s time you went back to the life you were meant to have.” And so, Serena was shipped off to the boonies. And me, the aristocratic cat, became a barn cat. 03 Originally, I planned to bolt tonight. But the situation got a little tricky. Staring at the empty, giant iron pot on the wood-burning stove, the human and the cat were equally dumbfounded. “Dumpling… how do we cook with this?” You’re asking a cat? Cat is helpless. Cat shakes head. But Cat is hungry. We hadn’t eaten all day due to the travel. When we left the mansion, Serena didn’t take anything. Because the real heiress said everything Serena owned technically belonged to her. Serena left empty-handed, taking only me. The family driver, pitying her, had slipped her a red envelope with $150 in it and stopped at a market to buy some raw meat and vegetables. He told her to cook them when she got to her new home. But the driver forgot one thing— Serena, the former princess, didn’t know how to cook. Especially not on a primitive wood stove. “Maybe… we ask the neighbor for a light?” Serena carried me and knocked on the neighbor’s door. The door was opened by an Alt Girl. Purple straight hair, ripped jeans, full sleeve tattoos, a cigarette dangling from her lips. Her face screamed impatient. “Who are you? What do you want?” Serena jumped. She expected a simple farm wife, not a punk rocker. She’d never seen anyone dressed like this and froze up. Time for the Cat to step up. I pawed at the girl’s pant leg, meowing softly. The girl cracked a smile instantly, lowering her cigarette. “Yo, kitty wants a drag?” Cat covers mouth. Cat shakes head. No smoking for kitty. Serena finally found the courage to speak. “Could we… borrow a lighter?” “Just say so. Why the hesitation?” The girl tossed a lighter over, teased me for a second, then waved us off. There were some dry branches in the yard. Serena gathered them for kindling. But the wood was damp. It wouldn’t catch. Thick black smoke billowed out. “Why won’t it light…” Serena held me, poking at the stove with a stick. My curious cat head leaned in to look. BOOM. Suddenly, the stove caught. Flames shot out of the opening, the blast knocking us both backward. Simultaneously, the sparks ignited a pile of dry straw on the floor. The already dilapidated mud house was instantly engulfed in thick black soot. Serena and I, faces now covered in black ash, sat on the floor in shock. “Mew…” Since entering high society, I hadn’t been this dirty. My stomach growled. My white paws were now gray paws. The urge to run away intensified. But before I could meow, a drop of water landed on my head. I looked up. Serena’s eyes were red and brimming with tears. Big, heavy drops rolled down her cheeks, cutting two clear tracks through the soot on her face. I had never seen Serena cry. Even when she was kicked out of the mansion, she just bowed her head in silence. But now, her tears were like a broken necklace, scattering everywhere. I panicked. I tapped her leg gently with my paw. Are you okay? I wanted to ask, but only a tiny squeak came out. Serena couldn’t hold it back anymore. She wailed. Overwhelming grief seemed to drown her. She clutched her chest like it physically hurt, her voice hoarse. “Mom, Dad… did you really not want me anymore? “Did you really have the heart to leave me here all alone…” A kitten doesn’t understand complex human emotions. But I felt a sour, aching feeling in my chest that I couldn’t block out. I frantically tried to wipe her tears with my paw, but my sooty paws just made her face dirtier. She looked like a little painted cat herself. This wouldn’t do. Serena loved being pretty. If she saw I made her dirty, she’d be even sadder. I scrambled to dig into her pocket where she kept tissues. Stupid claws, grab it! Can’t you see she’s flooding the place? Serena finally noticed my struggle. Through the smoke, she saw me frantically trying to fish out a packet of tissues. She broke down even harder. “Dumpling… Dumpling, I only have you left.” She scooped me into her arms, burying her face in my fur so hard I couldn’t breathe. “Meow—” Okay, okay. I’m not leaving. Mom and Dad don’t want you, but Cat wants you. Don’t cry anymore, okay? Seeming to understand me, Serena’s sobs quieted down. Suddenly, the door creaked open behind us. “Holy sh*t!” The neighbor girl stood there, eyes wide. She looked at the wrecked room, then at our two soot-blackened faces, and asked the ultimate question: “Did you guys borrow a lighter to bomb the place?” 04 The neighbor girl—let’s call her Roxy—was actually really nice. Seeing our house was uninhabitable for the night, she let us shower at her place. She skillfully cooked a meal using the meat and veggies Serena brought. I even got a small bowl. So tasty! It wasn’t fancy pâté, but it had soul. Full and warm, I started to get sleepy. Before I drifted off, I heard Roxy asking Serena about her plans. “I can only keep you for one night. Tomorrow, you gotta figure it out.” Serena nodded grimly. I didn’t hear the rest. Too sleepy. I stuck my butt in the air and sank into dreamland. … When I woke up, I found myself on a bumpy truck. My cat brain snapped awake. I looked around. Serena was holding me. Good. Serena stroked my fur. “Dumpling, don’t be scared. This truck is taking fruit to the city. We caught a ride.” She looked unwell. Probably because she’d never ridden in such a rough vehicle. Her brow was furrowed tight. To distract her, I exposed my belly for rubs. Usually, this made Serena squeal with joy and bury her face in my fluff. But this time, her eyes held an indescribable sadness. Like she was saying goodbye. Once in the city, the driver dropped us off. Serena held me and waited for a long time until the person she contacted arrived— Preston. Preston was Serena’s ex-fiancé. They were a perfect match and had been in love for years. But after the fake heiress scandal, he immediately became the fiancé of the real daughter, Bella. “Serena.” Preston rushed over. “Sorry, I was just finishing the engagement ceremony with Bella. I’m late.” Serena froze. That engagement ceremony was supposed to be hers. She didn’t expect Preston to accept the swap so quickly. He had even completed the ceremony smoothly. Serena held back her tears, steadied herself, and spoke: “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t bother you, but—” She lifted me up, reluctantly rubbing my head. “Dumpling is used to the good life. I can’t bear to make her live in the country with me. Can you… please take care of her?” What? My eyes widened. My gold-digger DNA told me Preston was rich, meaning luxury awaited. But the thought of leaving Serena made my chest hurt. And… I promised her yesterday I wouldn’t leave. “Meow!” I growled in protest. But the two humans didn’t understand. Preston crossed his arms, scanning Serena from head to toe with a sleazy smile. “I can.” Serena sighed in relief. Then Preston continued: “I can keep the cat. I can keep you, too.” Serena’s expression changed. “I don’t need that. You’re engaged…” “That’s just a business marriage.” Preston waved his hand dismissively. “Serena, we have years of history. How could I just let that go? The one I love is still you.” “You mean…” Preston smirked. “Be my mistress. I can guarantee you a high-quality life. What do you say?” What do I say?! I say catch these paws! I was furious. I couldn’t take it anymore. I launched myself from Serena’s arms! I executed the Secret Art of the Cat: The Nutcracker. Aiming straight for Preston’s… sensitive area. “ARGH!” Preston let out a howl of agony, clutching his crotch, glaring at me with pure hatred. “Damn cat! I’ll kill you!” His eyes were murderous as he stumbled toward me. Serena grabbed me and ran. Luckily, Preston was in too much pain to chase us far. He gritted his teeth and shouted after us: “Serena Hale! You just wait! One day you’ll be kneeling, begging me to take you back!”

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My mother blinded my father, then killed my grandmother, all to possess him completely. On the day of my college entrance exam, she tried to sell me off. My father dragged her down with him to their deaths to save me. Ten years later, I traveled back in time to the year my father turned eighteen. 1 Today is the day of my dad’s college entrance exam. 7:00 AM. I’m standing by the side of the road my dad takes every morning, gripping a dog leash tightly in my hand. A bright red motorcycle roars towards me. The woman sitting on the back is my mother. She’s wearing a helmet, but I recognize the black wolf head tattoo on her tan arm. I see her unscrewing a bottle cap. The liquid inside is acid. She plans to use it to blind my father. In the original timeline, my grandmother died in a car accident rushing him to the hospital. My mother used my grandmother’s body as leverage to force my dad into marriage, making him live as a submissive son-in-law in her family’s home. She abused him for five years and ruined his entire life. The motorcycle is getting closer. I toss a meaty pork bone onto the road and let go of the leash. The big black dog, hungry from fasting all night, bolts into the street. The rider swerves in panic. The bike crashes into the flowerbed, throwing my mother off. She doesn’t have time to react. The liquid in the bottle splashes onto her face, some of it getting into her eyes. She screams. “I can’t see out of my left eye! I’m blind!” At the same time, the patrol officer I contacted earlier arrives on the scene. The rider panics at the sight of the uniform. He immediately points at my mother, confessing that she forced him to drive the bike so she could blind my dad. My mother breaks free from the officer’s grip and charges at me across the road. The officer reacts quickly, twisting her arm behind her back and pinning her to the ground. I haven’t been reborn. I’ve time-traveled to this era in my own body. I look very much like my dad, so she assumes I’m his sister. “You little bitch! Your brother is mine! He can’t escape! I’m going to make you watch while I ruin him!” A primal fear of her washes over me. My vision goes black, and I fall backward. I fall into a warm embrace that smells like sunshine. “Hey, are you okay?” The boy speaking is handsome, with sparkling peach-blossom eyes full of gentleness. He looks like a character straight out of a manga. It’s my dad. My eighteen-year-old dad. I hug him tightly. “Dad, I missed you so much!” 2 I started remembering things when I was about three. I didn’t have a mom, only a dad. He was a blind man of few words. Whenever I cried for my mom, he would “look” at me coldly, his eyes hiding sharp blades. I thought he hated me. That made me want a mom even more. A soft, beautiful, gentle mom. Then, the night before my college entrance exam, she appeared. Fresh out of prison, she was like a wild hyena, chewing up my fantasies of motherly love. She was tall and strong. She punched me in the stomach. Dragging me by my hair, she ran her hands over me. “Great body. Pretty face, just like your dad. You’ll sell for a good price. “Hehe, I distracted your dad on purpose. I chose today to ruin you. Just like I ruined him years ago. “I’ll record you serving clients. With that video, your dad will be a dog at my feet. If I tell him to lick, he’ll lick. “You think you two can escape me? Maybe in your next life!” Despair swallowed me whole. Just as she was dragging me out the door, I screamed, “Dad!” He came back. He threw away his cane and tackled my mom. When she was forced to let go of me, he said his last words: “Live well. Don’t look down.” He hugged my mom tightly and crashed through the floor-to-ceiling window. We were on the fifteenth floor. 3 My dad loved me. I only realized it the moment he died. He was blind, yet he took care of everything for me. He could easily solve any difficult problem I had, helping me become a top student loved by teachers and classmates alike. His love was silent like a river under the moon, cool to the touch, enriching my otherwise dry life. I wanted to love him back, but I never got the chance. Until I arrived in his eighteenth year. The year all the tragedies were about to begin. 4 I woke up crying and saw my grandma. My mom hadn’t blinded my dad, and she hadn’t orchestrated the car accident that killed my grandma. After I fainted, grandma brought me to their home. My dad returned home after his exam. He thanked me first. If not for me, he would have been blinded by my mom and missed the exam. Then, he asked, “How did you know Chloe was going to hurt me?” “And,” his ears turned slightly red, making the mist in his eyes even hazier, “why did you call me Dad?” I stared at him, unwilling to blink. I compared this bright, lively boy with the silent, stagnant father in my memory. I loved both of them. But I couldn’t be his daughter anymore. Since I wouldn’t appear in his future, I shouldn’t give him hope. So, I made up a reasonable excuse: “My dad looked a lot like you. He died in the Nier coal mine. Chloe’s father killed him. I didn’t want Chloe to hurt you. “I miss my dad a lot. Can I keep calling you that?” A deep blush spread from his ears to his neck. Inexperienced and kind-hearted, he agreed to my request. “Chloe and her dad have ruined so many lives.” Disgust appeared on his face at the mention of her name. My mom, Chloe Nier, was a coal tycoon’s daughter. Her family had money and power. This made her arrogant and domineering. Whatever she wanted, she had to have. In her senior year, she transferred to my dad’s school and fell in love with him at first sight. She kidnapped him to her house that very day. My dad was an excellent student, a top prospect for Ivy League schools. The principal rescued him overnight. This only fueled my mom’s desire to conquer him. She publicly declared she would have him. My dad knew that to escape her, he had to get into a top university far away. When he told me he did well on today’s exam, I warned him: “Dad, there’s another exam tomorrow. Chloe won’t let you take it. She’ll definitely make a move tonight.” 5 As expected, at midnight. Chloe climbed over the wall into my dad’s courtyard. Under the pale moonlight, her left eye was bandaged. She looked like a ghost standing at the door. She tore open her school uniform and screamed, “Help! Help! James raped me!” My dad lived in an urban village, densely populated. Lights turned on in all the neighboring houses. Mrs. Lee next door rushed out first. She saw my mom half-naked, blood trickling down her leg. My mom cried, kneeling before Mrs. Lee: “Auntie, during the day, James’s sister blinded me and framed me. James threatened me, saying if I didn’t want to go to jail, I had to come to his house. “As soon as I got here, he raped me. It hurts, everything hurts!” She pretended to faint in Mrs. Lee’s arms. Mrs. Lee’s husband was the patrol officer. She had a strong sense of justice. She held my mom and shouted to Mr. Lee, “Old Lee, catch that little beast James and take him to the station!” Other neighbors arrived and heard my mom’s story. Like Mrs. Lee, they were furious. “James is a beast in human skin! Lock him up!” “If he rapes one girl today, he’ll rape another tomorrow!” “Old Lee, beat him up before taking him in!” Rape is a felony. I stood behind the door, looking through the crack. I saw the smug smile on my mom’s face as she lay in Mrs. Lee’s arms. I opened the door and shouted, “Only my grandma and I are home. We two women don’t have the tools to rape Chloe. “Chloe stripped herself naked to frame my dad.” Chloe couldn’t pretend to be unconscious anymore. She clutched her chest and cried, “I’m not lying! James raped me! “After he finished, he ran away. “His sister and mom held me down while James did it. “My family is rich, and I’m beautiful. James wanted to date me, but I refused, so he took revenge. “I’m dirty now! I don’t want to live!” She pushed Mrs. Lee away and ran to bash her head against the wall.

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The school bully paid me $10,000 a month not to rank first in our class. “Chloe has a fragile ego,” he said. “She can’t handle not being number one. You’re smart anyway; first place doesn’t matter to you.” I took the money and happily sat in second place for three years. Right before the SATs, he found me again. Concise as ever: “One hundred thousand dollars. Don’t take the SATs. Chloe needs to be the city’s top scorer.” He paused, then added, “I know it’s unfair to you. I’ll repeat a year with you next year.” I agreed with a smile. Then I took my full-ride offer to Harvard and flew straight to Boston. Money and a degree? I’ll take both. 1 My homeroom teacher told me to sign up for the Physics Olympiad preliminaries. I walked back into the classroom holding the form and heard Jax Thorne and his lackeys talking about me. “Ten grand? Is Sarah really worth that much?” Jax leaned back in his chair, feet on the desk, looking every bit the unruly rich kid. “What is she worth? Nothing. I’m doing this for Chloe. She was devastated when she got second place last time.” “I hate seeing girls cry. Consider the ten grand the price of her smile.” Jax’s father was a top-ten entrepreneur in the state. Jax was the golden boy, his allowance bigger than most people’s life savings. His lackeys chimed in. “You’re so good to Chloe, Jax. But Sarah is your biggest simp. Aren’t you afraid of hurting her feelings?” Jax scoffed. “Her? She smells like poverty. I heard her sister sells street food to pay for her tuition. It would take her a year to earn ten grand. She should be thanking me!” The classroom erupted in laughter, loud and jarring. I pushed the door open, and the laughter died instantly. Jax took his feet down, rubbing his nose awkwardly. I walked over and dropped a notebook on his desk. “Done. This week’s homework.” He smiled so wide his eyes disappeared. “You like me that much, huh? Little simp.” I held out my hand, face blank. “Fifty bucks.” Jax froze, remembering our deal. I do his homework; he pays me fifty. Who doesn’t like money? Jax’s face darkened as he pulled out a fifty-dollar bill. I reached for it, but he smirked. He threw the bill at me. “Sarah, that’s all you’ll ever be worth.” 2 I squatted down and picked up the bill. The class roared with laughter. “Look, she actually picked it up!” “So embarrassing! For fifty bucks!” Embarrassing? Try being a waitress and having a brat dump soda on you while you smile and apologize. Try carrying heavy packages up six flights of stairs in the heat, only for the customer to reject the delivery. There is only one disease in the world: poverty. When I was born, I already had two older sisters. Two years later, another sister. New lives kept arriving, but none were the boy my parents wanted. Even my name was chosen as a placeholder for a son. When I was eight, the brother finally arrived. The already meager resources tilted entirely to him. My younger sister and I were told to drop out of school. My older sisters united and threatened to stop sending money home if we quit. My parents relented. I learned the power of money then. It makes the stubborn yield. It turns chasms into bridges. For money, I did everything. Waitress, mover. I worked for $8 an hour. But that pittance wasn’t enough to buy my ticket out. Until one day, I saw a post on a forum. [My crush didn’t get first place and is crying. How do I help her?] The user was: AdoringChloe. I stared at it, then typed: [Throw money at the problem.] [If 10k isn’t enough, try 100k. Poverty kills ambition.] 3 School started on Monday, and Jax found me. “Ten thousand a month. Don’t rank first.” I wasn’t surprised. I knew from the start AdoringChloe was Jax. He hated my poverty but valued my brain. Early in the semester, he threw a stack of cash on my desk. Handsome, arrogant face, cold eyes. “Fifty bucks per assignment.” Faster money than waiting tables. To secure this cash cow, I deliberately got close to him, learning his likes and dislikes. Bringing him lunch, running errands. Everyone laughed at me for being a simp. Only I knew how generous he really was. But this time, I refused. “Being first is my dream.” Translation: You gotta pay more. Jax scoffed. “What dreams do poor people have? Focus on eating first.” I bit my lip, looked down, and put on a hurt expression, tears welling up. Jax scratched his hair, annoyed. “Fine! A hundred thousand a month!” I hesitated on how to accept without looking too eager. Suddenly, a glass of water hit me. I was soaked instantly. “What’s so great about good grades? Does being smart give you the right to insult people?” Chloe stood there gripping a cup, apricot eyes full of tears, looking pitiful. Crash— She smashed the glass at my feet. A shard grazed my arm. Blood mixed with water. Passersby stopped to watch. She looked so wronged, pointing at me: “You can fix bad grades, but you can’t fix bad character!” “Instead of studying, you scheme with these dirty tricks. Can you stay first forever?” Her vague words made it sound like I cheated. I looked at her coldly. “Why not?” So, every exam after that, I scored ten points higher than Chloe. Ten points isn’t much; it feels reachable with a little effort. If she scored high, I scored higher. No matter how hard she tried, she was always behind me. Like a carrot on a stick. She ran and ran, but never caught it. After ranking second again, Chloe finally broke down and ran out crying. Jax, heartbroken, blocked my path. “A hundred thousand a month! Do not rank first!” 4 I vacated the throne, and Chloe took the “Millennium Number Two” spot I left behind. My homeroom teacher talked to me, worried I was losing focus. Olympiad quotas required good grades; slacking might get me cut. I decided to tell him the truth. The teacher was stunned. He couldn’t afford to offend the Thorne family, and I was even more powerless. What’s wrong with being a paid second place? He understood and didn’t push. He handed me a form: “City Math Competition. Remember to go.” He sipped his tea. “The State Physics Olympiad is in two days. Good luck. I believe in you!” Capitalist exploiter, treating me like a mule! The city competition wasn’t a big deal, just a few schools. Getting top three was easy. My focus was Nationals. But I didn’t expect Chloe to go too. Jax’s lackeys surrounded her. “Chloe, you’re amazing! City competition? That’s next level!” “I heard geniuses from Prep School #2 are going. It’s hard!” Someone asked, “Did the teacher beg you to go?” Chloe acted shy. “It’s not begging. Glory for the school is my duty.” She stuck out her tongue playfully. She didn’t deny it, so she confirmed it. The class exploded. “Chloe, you’re so cool!” “With your skills, first place is guaranteed!” Chloe lightly hit the boy calling her “Sister-in-law.” “I told you not to call me that! Annoying!” I stood at the door until the hype peaked, then walked in slowly. I sat down, “accidentally” revealing a corner of my registration form. A classmate saw it. “Huh? Sarah, you’re going too?” Dead silence. Then, laughter. “She only got first a few times, then fell off. Now she thinks she can do City?” “With Chloe there, she’s destined for second.” Some defended me. “Like you guys are qualified to go.” “We’ll see who wins.” … I didn’t care. Money-wise, I’m poor. Academic-wise? They were walking into a slaughter. Chloe and I locked eyes. She bit her lip, pale. We both knew. With me there, she couldn’t win. 5 Jax blocked me. “Drop out of the City competition.” Not a request. “Why?” He chewed his lollipop, leaning against the wall, disgust in his eyes. “I hate self-righteous people like you. Arrogant much? Grades are the only thing you have.” I smiled. “You hate me, but you’re still begging me.” Jax bit through the candy. “Two hundred thousand. Drop out.” I checked my balance. This year, running errands and doing homework for Jax, I saved over a million dollars. I tore up the form in front of him. “Relax. I won’t stop your princess from winning.” I turned around and went to the State Physics Olympiad instead. Results came out the same day as the City Math scores. The class was buzzing about the City competition. “Chloe, you got 12th in the city!” “Amazing!” Chloe smiled shyly, tucking hair behind her ear. “Stop it, I’m shy! 12th isn’t that great!” Self-aware. I thought without me she’d get first. “Too humble! Those are the best students in the city. 12th is incredible.” When I walked in, the atmosphere shifted. “Didn’t Sarah sign up? What did she get?” “Heard she didn’t go.” “She acts so tough, then skips the test?” “Scared!” Jax’s lackey spoke up. “City tests aren’t like school tests where you can get lucky. Some people just have two tricks and are afraid to be exposed!” “Going would just shame the school.” Laughter erupted. Jax, who usually mocked me, was silent. “Sarah, we get it. You were afraid Chloe would beat you. But skipping is cowardly.” Chloe hid behind the crowd, smiling silently. I quietly put away my First Prize certificate for the State Physics Olympiad. I smiled at them. “I understand you too.” “Einstein was born before you because the stupid bird flies first.” They froze, faces turning red. I clapped my hands. “Why were there only Three Stooges? Because the rest are here!” Dead silence. Until a laugh broke it. In the corner, Jax covered his mouth, eyes crinkling with laughter. Chloe bit her lip, shoved a desk, and ran out. The girl flew; her tears chased her.

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When the main villain was thrown in jail, I, blinded by lust, took advantage of the chaos and kidnapped his eight-pack-abs son. Every day was filled with kissing, touching, and all sorts of “training.” The young man, stripped of his powerful backing, had no choice but to endure the humiliation unwillingly. Until one day, rumors spread that the villain was about to be released and was searching the world for his son. Panicked, I rushed back to my rental apartment to pack my bags and flee the country. Instead, I walked in on the boy, who was supposed to be tied to the bed, radiating a terrifying aura. A cigarette dangled from his lips as he tossed an evidence bag to his subordinate. “Let him rot in there for another ten years.” Me: ???! 1 The first time I saw Song Qingli was at the H University basketball court. The boy lifted his shirt to wipe off sweat, inadvertently revealing a perfect set of eight-pack abs and a tantalizingly tapered waist. The drawstring of his gray sweatpants hung naturally over the bulge. It immediately caught my eye. I stood there observing for a long time, feeling a heat rise through my body. Conclusion: It’s really big. Um… I mean the sun. Our eyes met. When Song Qingli saw me, a look of indescribable panic flashed through his eyes. He stopped playing and turned to walk in the opposite direction. I sprinted over to block him, intending to hand him the water I’d prepared, but only got a cold “Stay away from me.” Oh my, a flower on a high peak, and a prickly one at that. Even better, hehe— My friend who invited me to H University was blunt: “Yaoyao, Song Qingli seems to hate you a bit.” I nodded. “Normal.” Ever since I hit my head at my coming-of-age party, I realized I was living in a novel. My parents are the main characters, and Song Qingli’s dad is the world-destroying villain. Our families are mortal enemies, so naturally, Song Qingli wouldn’t have a good attitude toward me. But as the saying goes, no matter how hard a man’s mouth is, his lips are soft when you kiss them… After that day, I lowered my standards and pursued Song Qingli aggressively. He remained unmoved, avoiding me like the plague. The third time I wore a tube top, spaghetti straps, and a mini skirt, pretending to sprain my ankle in front of him and begging for help, I got caught. Song Qingli’s villainous father pointed at my nose and threatened viciously: “As long as I live, you will never touch a single hair on my son’s head.” “Then may I ask, when would it be convenient for you to die?” Before I could finish, my parents burst in and dragged me home. My mom, who usually only cared about being lovey-dovey with my dad and ignored me, was furious for the first time: “Yaoyao, we are in a life-or-death struggle with the Song family. Song Qingli hates you, you won’t be happy with him.” I retorted silently in my heart: No, you don’t understand, I will definitely be sexually happy! My dad spoke calmly to comfort her: “Honey, you’re overthinking it. With Song Huairen around, our daughter won’t get her hands on Song Qingli anyway.” 2 But they didn’t know that the villain Song Huairen was about to hit the plot point where he gets thrown in jail. That day, I stood in the most conspicuous spot: “Well, well, well, Mr. Not-a-Single-Hair, your son belongs to me now.” Under the villain’s murderous gaze, I led people into the villa and forcibly kidnapped Song Qingli. In the cramped rental apartment, for a full day and night, the boy refused to eat or drink, refusing to communicate. I understood that his family had suddenly met with disaster, the proud son of heaven had fallen from the clouds, and he couldn’t bear the blow for a while. I specifically changed into a silk nightgown to feed him water and food. But Song Qingli kept his eyes shut tight, lips pressed together, motionless, stiff as a board, looking like he’d rather die than submit. No matter how I acted cute or seduced him, he remained unmoved. Finally, my patience ran out. I forced his mouth open mouth-to-mouth and roughly poured in the red date and goji berry water I had boiled. Song Qingli’s eyes flew open, coughing uncontrollably. The water spilling from the corner of his mouth wet his shirt, sticking to his body and outlining his beautiful muscles: “What—what are you doing?” “Kissing.” Looking at Song Qingli’s expression of shock mixed with terror. Thinking back to the days when I humbly pursued love but was coldly rejected by him and humiliated by the villain. I felt a secret thrill. My thumb brushed over his rosy lips, and I chuckled: “A good boy like you, is this your first time kissing a girl? No wonder you’re so inexperienced… why don’t I teach you?” “Don’t, don’t touch me, dirty…” Song Qingli frowned, seemingly unable to bear hearing this, blushing furiously and deliberately turning his head away. My mood, which had been relatively pleasant, flared up again because of the word “dirty.” The more reluctant he was, the more disgusted he acted, the more I deliberately bit his ear and said: “Song Qingli, your dad has done all sorts of evil things over the years. Those creditors outside are waiting to eat you alive.” “Now, I’m the only one willing to protect you. In return, be my lover.” Song Qingli seemed shocked by my bandit logic, a strange light flashing in his eyes as he forced out word by word: “Me, be your, lover?” “Yeah.” “I can’t,” Song Qingli replied with trepidation. I laughed in anger: “Baby, do you think I’m negotiating with you?” “Since you don’t want to be a lover, then be my dog.” The boy said nothing, his thick eyelashes lowered, his fluffy head drooping, wet all over. He really looked like an unwanted puppy in the rain on the street. Although a top-tier handsome guy looking dejected is particularly pitiable. But I risked everything to save Song Qingli, not to watch him give me attitude. Smack— The handle of the whip slapped the boy’s pale face, leaving a faint red mark. Not heavy, but extremely humiliating. Song Qingli raised his head a beat later, the corner of his mouth hooking up almost imperceptibly, fleetingly, so fast I thought it was an illusion. I lifted my leg, the tip of my high heel grinding and pressing circles on Song Qingli’s eight-pack abs: “Don’t ignore me, or I’ll throw you to the creditors. In this rental, you only need to serve me. If you fall into their hands, being used as a rag would be a mercy.” Song Qingli trembled all over, intense emotions surging in his eyes: “Chen Xueyao…” I increased the pressure under my foot, looking down at him: “Dogs are not qualified to call their master by name.” “Serve me or be tortured to death by creditors, choose.” The boy hissed in pain, arching his back, almost crawling on the ground. Even in such a humiliating posture, Song Qingli still didn’t yield: “Just kill me—” “……” Burning with rage, I slammed the door and left, not noticing the boy staring at the whip in my hand with an obsessed look. 3 “See, you forced him to answer, and when he did, you weren’t happy. But it’s interesting, the villain’s son is so upright it’s almost evil, while the glorious protagonist’s daughter has a bit of old man Song’s style.” In the bar, my best friend Lu Ke teased with a smile. I irritably downed a shot of strong liquor. “Yaoyao, haven’t you always been about physical pleasure over emotional attachment?” Lu Ke paused deliberately, flashing a wicked grin: “Now that you have him, if I were you, I’d enjoy myself first. I don’t believe he’d really dare to bite off his tongue and kill himself.” I pondered this, hesitating. Lu Ke continued to fan the flames: “To tame a high-altitude flower like him, being soft-hearted is a big taboo. You have to know, the essence of forced love is—do it until you love it!” This woman has been divorced eight times and has a rich romantic history. She must be right. By the time Lu Ke finished sharing her experience, it was late at night. I returned to the rental apartment. The bedroom and living room were pitch black; Song Qingli was nowhere to be seen. Only the storage room in the corner had a light on. I pushed the door open and locked eyes with the boy whose pants were halfway down. Next to him was his discarded shirt and a makeshift bed made of cardboard and some junk. Song Qingli froze for two seconds, his hands trembling so much he couldn’t pull the zipper up. I stared at the exposed chest and commented: “Pink. I like it.” The boy couldn’t cover both top and bottom. His hands flew up to cover his chest in a panic, and the pants he had just pulled up fell down again. Song Qingli’s face alternated between red and white, his lower lip almost bitten through: “Chen… Yaoyao, I thought you weren’t coming back.” Song Qingli probably wanted to call me by my full name at first but changed it at the last second. Seems Lu Ke was right, the training is working. I raised an eyebrow and approached step by step until Song Qingli had nowhere to retreat and fell onto the tattered little bed. “I rented this place. I come back when I want.” Song Qingli was practically exposed to me, yet he still struggled to cover himself with the sheet, his tone almost pleading: “Yaoyao, can you please go out first?” “I made sweet and sour pork ribs. They’re in the fridge, just heat them up.” The alcohol was getting to my head, and I blinked slowly. I didn’t expect a pampered young master like Song Qingli to know how to cook my favorite dish, let alone save some for me. I yanked the sheet off Song Qingli: “I don’t want to eat right now, and I don’t want to go out.” Forced to be exposed to the air again, the boy’s eyes reddened with shame, and his voice rose involuntarily with agitation: “What do you want to do?” “You.” My gaze drifted downward involuntarily, and I couldn’t help but sigh. Song Qingli, truly extraordinary. Getting drunker, I couldn’t stand steady in my heels and swayed, falling onto Song Qingli. I simply sat on him in that position and immediately felt the boy’s reaction. “So your mouth isn’t the hardest part of you after all…” 4 Song Qingli couldn’t stand dirty talk. The veins on his tense arms bulged, as if he had reached his limit: “Chen Xueyao, get off.” I deliberately moved my waist back and forth: “Beg me.” Song Qingli groaned, fell silent for a while, and finally lowered his proud head: “I beg you…” I hooked my arm around his neck, nuzzling his neck and acting coquettish: “Fine, I’ll let you off today. Carry me to the bedroom.” Song Qingli hesitated for a few seconds, then picked me up princess-style and placed me on the soft bed. However, when he tried to get up and leave, I clamped my legs around his waist, hooked him hard, and pinned him under me. Song Qingli’s eyes widened instantly, his expression one of deceived humiliation. His whole body screamed resistance, but I forcefully blocked his lips. In between breaths, I panted softly in his ear: “Song Qingli, give it to me.” The ceiling light swayed more and more violently. Tears slid from the corner of his eyes, mixing with sweat, inseparable: “Chen Xueyao, you will regret this, you will definitely regret this.” Heh, threatening me? I bit hard on Song Qingli’s collarbone, teasing him: “If you’re so unwilling, then get out.” The boy had probably never heard such crude words in his life. He was so ashamed his tongue tied in knots, unable to say a word, so he simply covered my mouth with his hand. Half-asleep, I vaguely heard someone whispering “I’m sorry,” “I made you dirty,” and other things over and over again. The voice sounded like Song Qingli’s, but it definitely wasn’t him. Forced by someone he hates, he must hate me to death. … After that night, I gradually understood the joy of training that Lu Ke talked about. Whips, toys, handcuffs, white coats, candles… new tricks every day. Song Qingli was ashamed and angry at first, even shedding tears. After his dignity was shattered time and again, the boy seemed to reluctantly accept the humiliating reality, washing the soiled sheets with a cold face. After I washed up, I casually threw my changed underwear onto Song Qingli’s bare shoulder and ordered: “Wash this too.” The boy carefully pinched the lace edge, lost in thought. I expertly picked up the whip and cracked it on his back, making a crisp sound: “Daydreaming? Not listening to your master anymore?” Song Qingli made no move to dodge, taking the hit squarely. A strange light flashed in his eyes again, and he lowered his head to say okay. Lu Ke taught me that training can’t just be pressure; you have to give a sweet date after a slap. I patted the boy’s fluffy head and softened my tone: “Did you forget something?” I wanted to remind him to use special detergent, but before I could speak, the boy leaned down, gently cupped the back of my head, kissed my cheek, then the corner of my lips, moving down bit by bit, planting lingering, dense kisses. “Is this… enough?” Song Qingli half-knelt on the ground, looked up, his voice dry, traces of suspicious liquid still at the corner of his mouth. I was caught off guard and flirted back, my heart pounding wildly. After tying him to the bedhead, I used the excuse of being late for work to rush out the door.

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In my last life, Orion Perry’s first love died because of me. Shattered by grief, he feigned a marriage alliance only to systematically destroy my family, driving us into bankruptcy. He tormented me until I was a hollow shell, diagnosed with severe depression. In my despair, I jumped from the roof of our building. In my final moments, Orion stood over me, his expression cold, and gently covered my eyes. “Hazel,” he’d murmured, “next life, if you ever run into me and Ava again, make sure you stay far away.” When I opened my eyes, I was back. Seven years in the past, on the school path I walked every day. In the distance, Orion and Ava were walking toward me. Ava spotted me first, her face lighting up as she waved. “Hazel! Over here!” The sight of them jolted me out of my trance. A primal fear seized me. I reacted on pure instinct, flinging my heavy bookbag at them like a weapon before turning and running for my life. 1 “Hazel Jiang! Class is about to start! Where are you going?” I ignored my classmate’s shout, pushing against the tide of uniformed students. The wind, laced with sunlight, felt like it was passing right through my chest, clean and sharp. It felt so good. It felt so good to be alive. The heavy fog that had clouded my mind and body, the suffocating darkness that had tormented me until I could no longer breathe… it was gone. I was seventeen-year-old Hazel Jiang. Healthy. Alive. Bright. The Jiang and Perry families were old friends, our ties going back generations. Orion, a year older than me, had always doted on me. From a piece of candy when we were children, to a princess dress when I was a girl, to a sapphire necklace for my sixteenth birthday—his kindness had been a constant for a third of my life. Plenty of girls crushed on him, but I was the only one ever by his side. He was like a brother, and at some point, he became the person I quietly, secretly loved. That all changed at the freshman track meet, the day I fainted and Ava was the one who took me to the nurse’s office. From then on, it was no longer just Orion and me. It was the three of us. They shared the same hobbies, excelled in the same classes. When they were together, they had endless things to talk about. I slowly became their shadow. … In my past life, a rumor that Ava had been abused by her stepfather spread like wildfire through the school. The day she jumped, her hair was a mess, her eyes wild as they fixed on me. “Hazel Jiang,” she’d spat, “remember this. You’re the one who killed me!” Then she was gone, a final, decisive leap that gave no one time to grab her, no time to stop her. She gave me no chance to explain. When Orion found the note she’d left, he went mad. He grabbed my shoulders, his fingers digging in like talons. A visceral hatred that chilled me to the bone blazed in his bloodshot eyes. “Hazel! Why? Why would you do this?” “You were the only one who knew!” “I…” My throat was raw, but I forced the words past the searing pain in my shoulders. “I didn’t.” “It wasn’t me.” But no one believed me. Ava’s public accusation had already branded me a murderer. Any defense I offered was just a whisper against the roar of a victim’s final words. And so, I was subjected to a level of bullying and isolation I had never imagined possible. Everyone looked at me like I was a killer. Every classmate’s gaze was a knife. Especially Orion’s. Four years later, the Perry family proposed a marriage alliance with mine. He agreed. It was as if he’d forgotten Ava completely. He went back to being the kind, doting Orion I had always known. I thought he finally believed me. He ruffled my hair, just like he used to, his eyes soft. “Hazel,” he’d said, his voice gentle. “Let’s get married.” The Orion of my memories had always been this warm, this affectionate. I thought he had finally come back to me. I was wrong. Soon after, my family’s corporate secrets found their way into his hands. He used ruthless tactics to crush our business, my parents were driven out of the city, and I was made a prisoner in our home. The hatred, the cold indifference—it filled every moment of my existence. The mask was off. His eyes when he looked at me were ice. “The suffering Ava went through, Hazel? You deserve to feel every last bit of it.” “Hazel, why don’t you just die? If you died, maybe then… maybe then I could finally forgive you.” As Orion wished, seven years later, Hazel Jiang jumped from a rooftop, just as desperately as Ava had. … I stood frozen on the street, the school bell echoing in my ears. The feeling of my skull fracturing, of my soul being torn from my body, and Orion’s cold, final words—it all began to fade. “Next life, if you ever run into me and Ava again, make sure you stay far away.” I let out a long, shuddering breath. This time, Orion, I will. I’ll stay far, far away from you and Ava. I turned and ran, not back to school, but toward home. 2 “Hazel? Shouldn’t you be in class right now?” My mom was sitting in the backyard, sipping coffee. She looked up in surprise as I burst through the door. Tears welled in my eyes as I threw my arms around her, holding on tight. In my last life, my parents’ life’s work was destroyed. They were forced out of the city by the very boy they’d watched grow up. I never even got to see them one last time before I died. “Such a big girl and still clinging to your mother,” she teased, her voice gentle. “What are you going to do when you get married?” The word “married” sent an involuntary shiver down my spine. I hugged her tighter. “I’m not getting married. I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here, with you and Dad, and I’ll take over the family business and be a deadbeat rich kid who lives off you forever.” My mom feigned a sigh, but her smile only widened. “Is that so? Well, I suppose we’ll just have to let our little parasite feast on us for the rest of her life.” … It took me all night to pull myself together. The next day, I went back to school. The driver dropped me off at the gate. As I got out, I caught a glimpse of Orion and Ava, standing at our usual meeting spot down the road, laughing and talking. They were waiting for me. Terrified of being seen, I ducked my head, clutched my bag, and hurried inside. That path to school. The three of us. My eyes on Orion, Orion’s eyes on Ava. This unrequited love should have ended long ago. But the younger me had been foolish, secretly happy for every extra moment I got to look at him on that path. … After school, I dragged my feet, but there was no avoiding them. Orion and Ava were waiting by the main gate. I had no choice but to walk toward them. Ava didn’t mention how I’d run from them the day before. She just looped her arm through mine as if nothing had happened. “Hazel! We waited for you at the corner for ages today. Where were you?” I fought the urge to pull away, but I couldn’t stop myself. I gently slipped my arm from her grasp. Ava’s smile faltered for a fraction of a second before she recovered. “It’s my birthday today, Hazel. You’re not going to celebrate with me?” My heart stuttered. In my past life, it was on her birthday that she’d gotten drunk, and with tears in her eyes, had confessed her deepest secrets to me. That was the night she told me about her stepfather. This time, I couldn’t be the one she confided in. I wouldn’t. I kept my head down, avoiding Orion’s gaze. “I… I have something to do at home. I can’t make it. But happy birthday.” I didn’t wait to see the hurt that I knew would fill her eyes. I turned and walked away quickly. A set of urgent footsteps followed me. “Hazel.” It was Orion. My heart leaped into my throat. I lowered my head and walked faster. He caught up in three long strides, blocking my path. His shadow fell over me. “What are you running from?” I finally looked up at him, at the eighteen-year-old Orion. He wore the familiar school uniform, his features sharp and defined. But the deep, indifferent darkness in his eyes didn’t belong to a teenager. It belonged to the Orion from my past life. A sudden, cold panic seized me. I stumbled back, nearly losing my balance. But the Orion before me stepped forward, closing the distance, his feet eclipsing my shadow on the pavement. “Hazel,” he said, his voice low and unsettling. “You seem… afraid of me.” 3 In the next second, his expression softened. He reached out and ruffled my hair, just like he always used to. “Hazel, what’s wrong? Why are you avoiding me and Ava?” “It’s Ava’s birthday today. She’ll be really upset if you don’t come. Let’s go celebrate with her, okay?” He was smiling, but I could feel him probing, testing me. It made sense. My behavior since yesterday had been a complete reversal of my old self. I was avoiding them, and I was no longer fawning over him. If… if this wasn’t the eighteen-year-old Orion, he would surely suspect that I wasn’t the seventeen-year-old Hazel. After three years of his particular brand of marriage, any love I’d had for him had been tortured out of existence. Now, all I felt was a mixture of hatred and fear. “I… I…” I tried to force a smile, but he had already turned to our family driver, who was waiting by the curb. “Mr. Henderson, it’s a friend’s birthday today. I’ll take Hazel to the party and make sure she gets home safe.” Mr. Henderson, knowing the close relationship between our families, just smiled and nodded before driving off. I had no choice but to trail behind them. Before, when the three of us walked together, I would watch Orion and Ava, their easy chemistry and endless conversations filling my heart with a quiet ache. Now, I watched them with a detached calm, my mind completely blank. I was already plotting my escape. … The night before I jumped, it was the anniversary of Ava’s death. Orion, who was always out, came home for once. He smiled at me, a gentle, soul-crushing smile. “Hazel, remember that time in your senior year when you were cornered in the back alley? I happened to be visiting the school that day. I stood at the end of the alley and watched you for a long time.” The reflection in the window showed my face, instantly drained of all color. I could never forget that day. A group of students had cornered me behind the school. They called me a murderer. They took turns slapping me. They tore my books to shreds and scattered the pages all over the ground. Finally, they made me kneel and repeat, one hundred times, “Ava, I was wrong.” I did it, my body numb, because I knew it was the only way to make it stop. On graduation day, I thought it was finally over. I buried those humiliating memories, sealed away everything related to Ava. I thought I could start again. But seven years later, Orion told me he was there. He had been there the whole time. The boy who had held my hand, who had been like a brother to me as I grew up, had stood somewhere nearby, watching impassively as I was humiliated, beaten, and forced to my knees. He leaned in, his voice a soft whisper in my ear. “Oh, by the way, Hazel. Your mother is sick, but she has no money for treatment. And your father, at his age, has to work on construction sites. He hurt his back, you know. Every day is a struggle for them.” “This is all your fault. They could have lived a comfortable life, but now they have to pay for your mistakes.” I saw my own reflection, my eyes growing dim and lifeless with his every word. I finally understood. As long as I, the “sinner,” was alive, as long as Orion was in my life, it would never end. My only escape was through death. 4 On the way, Orion called the manager of his family’s private club and had them clear out an exclusive VIP room. Listening to his calm, authoritative tone, I was suddenly reminded of the man he became after we were married, the man who had taken over his family’s empire. The man he was now was not the boy he should have been. He… he was reborn too? The thought sent a jolt of panic through me. No matter what, I couldn’t let him know I was different. If he was also reliving the past, and if events repeated themselves, I would once again be the “only killer” in his eyes. After all… I was the only one who knew Ava’s secret. In the private room, Ava shyly selected a love song and asked Orion to sing with her. The other students cheered them on. In their eyes, the refined, handsome Orion and the beautiful, resilient Ava were a perfect match, a couple just waiting to happen. I watched it all calmly, the whole affair feeling tedious and dull. Suddenly, the door opened, and a woman dressed in a designer suit stood there. “Orion?” It was his mother. Her presence was powerful, and the noisy room fell silent. Her eyes scanned the room, and when she saw Ava sitting so close to Orion, her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. Then her gaze found me in the corner, and her face broke into a warm smile. “Hazel, dear. I was wondering why my Orion went to so much trouble to book this room today. It was for you.” I awkwardly stood up. “Auntie, actually, it’s…” “It’s fine,” she said, smiling at me, her eyes full of affection. “I was supposed to be meeting a client here, but this naughty boy of mine took my room. I was worried it was for some riffraff.” Her eyes flicked pointedly toward Ava. “But if it’s for you, Hazel, any room in this club, no matter how exclusive, is always yours.” The atmosphere in the room turned instantly awkward. Orion looked displeased. Ava’s face fell for a moment before she forced a smile. I tried to say something, but Orion’s mother cut me off. “Oh, Hazel, remember to come over with your parents on the weekend. I’ve hired a new chef who makes your favorite dishes.” “I…” The words caught in my throat. I couldn’t think of a polite way to refuse. “Thank you, Auntie,” I mumbled. She left, satisfied, but I was on edge. Fortunately, the others quickly moved on, and the party became noisy again. Ava, however, was clearly subdued. After a few drinks, she came and sat next to me, linking her arm with mine. “Hazel,” she complained, “Orion gave me a custom necklace today. It’s too expensive, and I tried to refuse, but he insisted it was just a casual gift.” She looked at me expectantly. “Is he always this… casual… with your birthday gifts?” I paused. With seven more years of life experience, I finally understood what she was really asking. She was testing the waters, trying to see how he treated her versus how he treated me. I smiled faintly. “No.” “Really?” A flicker of joy, mixed with suspicion, appeared in her eyes. “Hazel, you seem a little down today. Is it because… Orion only gave me a necklace?” I froze. I suddenly realized that the feelings I thought I had hidden so well in my past life had probably been obvious to her all along. “No, it’s not that,” I said quickly, taking her hand. My words were sincere. “Ava, I’m happy that Orion is good to you. I hope… I hope you’ll both be very happy together.” Across the noisy room, Orion’s head snapped in our direction. Ava was clearly ready for a heart-to-heart, but all I wanted was to get away from both of them. I feigned a sudden stomachache and practically fled from the club. … Free from their presence, a wave of relief washed over me, and my steps felt lighter. I was waiting for a cab by the side of the road when a figure materialized out of the shadows behind me. “Hazel,” Orion’s voice was low and cold. “I thought you weren’t feeling well.” My whole body went rigid. I stammered, “I… I felt a little better after I came outside.” He loomed over me, his tall frame oppressive, his eyes dark and searching. “But Hazel, I remember… you only started calling her ‘Ava, the upperclassman’… after she died.”

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I was a zookeeper specializing in Siberian tigers. While transporting three rejected cubs to a new sanctuary, a mudslide swept us off the mountain. I clawed my way out of the mud, digging the three cubs out with my bare hands. But when I looked up, I realized I hadn’t just survived a crash; I had traveled to a “Beast World.” Here, the Tiger Clan is the supreme race. Now, I’m living in a mansion with my cubs, fending off countless powerful beast-men who are desperate to become their stepdads. 1 I worked as a keeper for Siberian tigers. Recently, three cubs were born in the park, but the stronger adults bullied them relentlessly. I decided to transfer them to a satellite facility where they could be hand-reared in peace. I was driving the transport van myself. These little guys had been rejected by their mother at birth, so I’d bottle-fed them. They were practically my kids. The cubs were restless in the back, clawing at their crates. Even though they were small, their growls were already developing that deep, chest-rumbing bass. I glanced back at them. “Keep it down, guys. Mama’s going to get you somewhere safe soon. I’ll stay right there with you, okay?” As soon as the words left my mouth, the world shook. A roar louder than any tiger drowned out everything as a mudslide tore down the mountain, swallowing the van whole. I was out cold for I don’t know how long. When I woke up, I was gasping for air. I kicked open the van’s sunroof and scrambled out into the open air. Hearing the cubs wailing inside, I went into a frenzy, prying the crates open and dragging the three muddy, terrified furballs out. “It’s okay, don’t be scared,” I soothed them, wiping mud from their faces. “Mama’s got you. We’re going to be safe.” I grabbed the crates to haul them away from the wreck, but then I froze. Standing a short distance away was a crowd of people. But they weren’t just people. They were all over six-foot-four, ripped, and… furry. They had animal ears, tails, and claws. I didn’t think for a second this was a cosplay convention. My gut told me I wasn’t in Kansas anymore. I instinctively shielded the cubs with my body. Even if I died, these endangered species had to survive. They were the jewels of our zoo. Suddenly, a man with bear ears roared, “Holy crap! Look at that! It’s an Apex Mother and her cubs! They must be in trouble—why else would they be in the Wastelands?” They started to approach. Terrified, I shouted, “Back off! What do you want? These are protected animals! You want to go to jail?” 2 “No, no! Tiger Mom, please!” the Bear-man stammered. “We just want to help. Apex Beasts are incredibly rare, especially a litter of three. We just want to take you to the Sanctuary. You’ll be safe there.” I didn’t trust these hybrid freaks, but I didn’t sense malice. Plus, I couldn’t sit on a mudslide with three tigers forever. After a tense standoff, I agreed to let them help carry the crates. Don’t ask why I didn’t carry them myself—even as cubs, these guys weighed forty pounds each. I’m five-foot-four on a good day; I wasn’t lifting that. We arrived at a place that looked like a high-end, post-apocalyptic fortress. It was a walled city, surprisingly luxurious inside. When we got to a secure room, they tried to open the crates. I threw myself in front of them. “No! What if they run off?” They frowned. “Even as their mother, you shouldn’t cage royalty.” I realized these people worshipped the cubs. They handled the crates like they held holy relics. But they were my cubs. “I can’t handle three loose tigers alone,” I insisted. “I’m protecting them.” Just then, a chubby man with yellow and white patches walked in. He looked human but had fluffy orange ears. “Don’t pressure the Tiger Mom,” he said softly. “She’s just a worried mother.” He bowed to me. “Greetings. I am Jasper, of the Cat Clan. Thank you for birthing such precious Apex cubs into this world. They will grow to be our mightiest warriors. But for now, I suggest you move into the Tiger Pavilion. We can offer better care there.” It felt absurd, but survival came first. “Will there be medical care for them? Food and water?” “Of course. Right this way.” Jasper was polite, and he seemed to be a tiger subspecies, so I signaled the porters to follow. The Tiger Pavilion was a massive estate with houses and courtyards, indistinguishable from human architecture, except for the twenty-foot walls. I was settled in and given food. The cubs were released and immediately fought over slabs of raw meat. I checked it—no additives, high quality. While they ate, I asked Jasper, “Are you a tiger too?” Jasper bowed. “I am an Orange Tabby, not of the royal bloodline. May I ask… which city’s King is your mate?” Me: ??? He meant the father. He thought I gave birth to these three. If I denied it, would they eat me? If I admitted it, where would I find a tiger husband? Panicking, I blurted out, “He’s dead.” I feigned deep sorrow. Jasper didn’t pry. Instead, his eyes lit up with excitement. I didn’t like that look, so I stepped back, shielding the cubs. He saw my guard go up and left, locking the gate behind him. 3 Great. We were prisoners. I spent some time worrying about whether I’d ever get home, then turned to the cubs. They were exploring the yard. “Careful, guys! Leo, don’t run off! We don’t know what’s in that grass!” Tigers are naturally naughty. Usually, I’d have to grab them by the scruff to get them to listen. But I was exhausted. I lay in the grass, watching them play. Suddenly, a voice drifted over the wall. “Dearest Tiger Mom. The Apex Kings of the North, the East, and the Great Plains have all arrived. They want to adopt the cubs. They swore to raise them as their own and provide resources. As for you… they want to make you their Queen and provide for you in your old age.” I was stunned. These beast-men weren’t ugly, but I was human. And asking a shifter to raise actual wild animals as sons? That was a recipe for disaster. “No thanks,” I shouted. “I can raise them myself. Tell them to leave.” “That… King of the Plains, please calm down! You can’t just barge in!” A massive tiger-man, bigger than Jasper, burst into the courtyard. He had the character for ‘King’ naturally marked on his forehead. He was handsome but terrifyingly fierce. “Tiger Mom! Give me the cubs! I will make them the strongest Kings!” I froze, adrenaline spiking. But then, my three cubs stopped playing. They stood in front of me, tiny bodies tense, roaring their high-pitched baby roars at the intruder. I rushed to shield them. To my shock, the giant tiger-man dropped to his knees with a loud thud. 4 The mountain of muscle was prostrating himself before me. The cubs, misinterpreting this as an attack stance, charged. They started biting his arms and legs. And let me tell you, tiger cub milk-teeth are sharp. They can puncture a tire. “No! Stop biting!” I grabbed one of the cubs. “Leo, let go!” I grabbed Leo by the scruff of his neck. Instantly, his legs went limp, his tail tucked, and he hung there motionless, looking confused. It’s the universal off-switch for cats. The tiger-man didn’t fight back. He just giggled. “Are you brain damaged?” I asked. “You’re bleeding.” He shook his head, grinning like an idiot. “My clan hasn’t seen cubs in a century. Look at them! So fierce! This is all your credit, Tiger Mom. Please, accept my worship.” He kowtowed. “Stop, stop! Get up!” I waved frantically. “Please, let me raise them. I especially want the little female you’re holding.” Oh, I see. He wasn’t after me. He was grooming my daughter. “You pervert! She’s an infant! Stay away from her!” The Wild Tiger scratched his head. “I just want to raise them! If you come to the Great Plains…” Two more tiger-men burst in, kneeling instantly and begging to adopt the cubs. I realized they genuinely wanted to help raise the “Royal Blood.” But I couldn’t trust them with my actual tigers. I had an idea. “I will let you raise them,” I announced. “But only via ‘Cloud Parenting.’ The cubs stay with me until they are adults.” “Cloud… Parenting?” Their fuzzy ears twitched in confusion. “Leo, Jax, Luna, sit!” I commanded. The cubs were smart. They sat in a row. One licked a paw, one scratched an ear, one loafed. Their tails swished against my legs. I cleared my throat. “Cloud Parenting means you send food, supplies, and gems here. I raise them. I will tell them who their ‘Godfather’ is. When they grow up, if they want to go with you, I won’t stop them.” The tiger-men looked at each other. Finally, one bowed. “I accept. But can we visit?” “Yes.” This place was safe enough, and I wasn’t about to be separated from my babies.

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