Category: English

Eighteen years after I was kidnapped from the countryside, my entire family—along with the fake heiress who took my place—finally found me. They all thought that after living a hard life for eighteen years, I would be overwhelmingly grateful to them. But they didn’t know that I was actually a renowned metaphysical master. So, when my dad pushed open the dilapidated wooden door of my shack, he was dumbfounded. The very tycoons and elites from the capital, whom even he had to curry favor with, were treating me with the utmost respect. They were frantically bidding fortunes, begging for just one reading from me. But I said, “Next up is that family that just walked in!” Instantly, everyone’s gaze turned to them, filled with undisguised envy and jealousy. My parents looked complicated, while the fake heiress and my brother were too shocked to say a word. 1 “This is the third reading this month. Where did this family come from? Why do they get it so cheap?” “Yeah, Master, I’ll pay double! Read for me!” The capital’s elite were throwing money around, but I ignored them all, focusing only on the family of four. “Your family’s fortune has shifted.” “You’ve been on a downhill slope for eighteen years, and you’re about to hit the bottom.” After I said these two sentences, the expressions on the faces of those four people could only be described as spectacular. “What nonsense are you spouting? We are your biological parents. Our family’s fortune is your fortune. How dare you speak such gibberish?” The woman dressed like a wealthy socialite stepped forward, her chin tilted so high she was practically looking at the ceiling, her face full of disdain. The man beside her, however, glanced at the surrounding crowd before taking a few steps toward me. “Sarah, it’s Dad. Don’t you recognize me?” The onlookers were clearly confused about the situation, but I wasn’t surprised in the least. “Three readings for this month are done. If there’s nothing else, please leave.” As soon as I said this, the unwilling elites had no choice but to leave the shabby shack one by one. Soon, only I and the family of four remained. I continued where I left off: “You’re finished. Someone is going to jail, someone is going bankrupt. You’d better start doing good deeds from now on.” I offered kind advice, but this family clearly didn’t appreciate it. “Mom, I told you Sarah was an ungrateful wretch. Wandering outside for eighteen years, she’s become a charlatan, deceiving even her own parents. Why did you bother finding her?” This must be my cheap brother, Ryan. My gaze shifted to the girl hiding behind him. She was beautiful, dressed exquisitely, blinking her large eyes like a doll. She was hiding behind Ryan, seemingly afraid of me for some reason, but her face clearly showed a smug expression. “Enough!” “Sarah, you were lost in the countryside eighteen years ago. Mom and Dad never gave up looking for you, and now we finally found you!” The man clenched his fist over his chest, acting as if he were truly emotional. But watching his clumsy performance, I just wanted to vomit. I had actually known for a long time that they were my biological parents and brother. Before my master went wandering, he said my “opportunity” would come knocking during this time. I figured it must be them. 2 “Sarah, I didn’t expect you to have suffered so much all these years. Since Mom and Dad are here, hurry up and come back with us.” The drama finally nearing its end, my dad revealed the true purpose of their visit. Before I could speak, my mom couldn’t hold back: “Stop acting reserved. Our family is well off. After you come back with us, behave yourself. Don’t do these scams anymore. The people here aren’t to be trifled with. If you offend any of them, our family won’t even know how we died!” My mom’s words were filled with disdain, showing no joy at recovering a lost daughter. I nodded, my expression indifferent: “I can go back with you, but who is this girl?” My gaze fell on the doll-like girl. Before I could say anything else, Ryan immediately shielded her with a look of concern. My dad looked a bit awkward. “This is Bella, your sister. After you were lost, your mom was so heartbroken she couldn’t eat, so we adopted Bella.” Ryan added from the side: “Bella is also a daughter of our family, she’s my sister!” I looked at Ryan’s long, thin eyebrows and overly broad forehead—classic signs of a “peach blossom doom” (romantic disaster). I nodded and gave him a piece of advice: “You’d better treat her as a sister, and everything will be fine.” “You—” “Sister, I’m sorry.” The room was noisy, but it fell silent after Bella spoke. I raised an eyebrow and sat still. It seemed Bella held quite a high position in the Su family. She stepped out from behind Ryan, lowering her eyes slightly, her voice thin and weak. “I’m sorry, sister. I’ve taken your place all these years. Mom and Dad really missed you. If you can come home, I’m willing to leave and make room for you!” After saying this, Bella sniffled and turned as if to run away. Ryan grabbed her and turned to glare at me angrily: “Are you satisfied now? Bella is so sensible, yet you can’t tolerate her. All these years, it was my sister who was filial to Mom and Dad in your place!” Look at these words, every sentence condemning me, as if I, the daughter who hadn’t been home for eighteen years, had hurt their whole family from afar. I had no intention of indulging them. I looked straight at Bella. “First of all, you took my place, so you should be grateful to me. Also, if you really want to leave next time, just pack your bags and go in the middle of the night. Your legs are on your body; there’s no need to make a big fuss and trouble others to stop you.” My words made Bella’s face turn green and then white. Of course she couldn’t bear to leave. The Su family provided her with a life of luxury. Without that protection, she would be nothing more than a manipulated beggar on the street. I stared at her steadily. Bella had stopped crying and avoided my gaze. “Also, I kindly advise you: what goes around comes around. Some things aren’t yours, and if you force them, you will face retribution.” I smiled at Bella, thinking my attitude was gentle enough, but she burst into tears again. Ryan seemed to lose all patience, blocking Bella and looking at me like an enemy. “That’s enough!” “Alright, alright, Sarah, just come back with us quickly. The Su family will feed you from now on, so you don’t need to do these scams anymore.” My dad smoothed things over, eyeing my shabby house. I stood up, picking up only a small cloth bag from the side. “Let’s go.” I walked out of the house first, hearing the family whispering behind me. “The person I saw just now looked like CEO Liu. Does Sarah really have some skills?” “Impossible. A famous master named Supreme Clarity came from this mountain before. I think Sarah is just using his name to swindle people. How could she know how to read fortunes at such a young age?” 3 Back at the Su family villa, the three of them sat on the sofa in unison. No one invited me to sit. In my linen clothes, I looked completely out of place in this home. “Sarah, now that you’re back, just rest well at home. I’ll have the maid cook you some good food to supplement your nutrition. Don’t go out casually for a while.” I digested the meaning of my dad’s words and raised an eyebrow. Are they planning to put me under house arrest? Before I could speak, my mom suddenly burst into tears beside me. “My daughter, you’ve suffered all these years. Sarah, Mom has actually always missed you. Fortunately, Bella was by my side to comfort me…” I stood quietly. As she cried, perhaps because she didn’t get a response, a look of embarrassment appeared on her face, and she stopped. She coughed unnaturally, then took a jade pendant from her pocket and handed it to me. “This is our family heirloom. Mom has been keeping it for you. Now that you’re back, I’ll give it to you.” I didn’t take it immediately. First, I glanced at Bella nearby. Seeing Mom take out the jade pendant, Bella clutched her skirt, frowning slightly, her eyes showing a mix of unwillingness and… anticipation? My gaze returned to the jade pendant. It was an old style, crescent-shaped with intricate patterns. The pendant wasn’t lustrous creamy white or emerald green, but a pale yellow. I saw at a glance that this pendant was originally a pair, and more importantly… I picked up the pendant, not noticing that the family of three quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Looking closely, I finally remembered. Isn’t this my master’s thing? Years ago, when I was still studying with my master, a family’s son had an accident and became a vegetable. They came to beg my master. At that time, my master took out this pair of jade pendants and gave them to the family, saying that the opportunity to wake their son lay with a destined person, and this jade pendant was the key to finding that person. I just didn’t expect that this half of the jade pendant would end up in my hands after all these twists and turns. 4 Seeing me accept the jade pendant, Mom seemed very happy and immediately took my hand, saying, “You just came back, and your room isn’t ready yet. Why don’t you share a room with Bella tonight? That way, you sisters can bond.” Before I could speak, Bella nodded beside me, enthusiastically taking my other hand. “Yes, sister, I can also tell you about what happened at home these years. Not seeing each other for eighteen years, you must be unfamiliar with Mom, Dad, and brother, right?” I indifferently pulled my hand back and shook my head to refuse. “No need, I’m used to sleeping alone.” This family clearly had hidden agendas. Lost for eighteen years and suddenly remembering to find me now—there must be something fishy. I needed to figure out what they were up to and, by the way, find the opportunity my master spoke of. Thinking of this, I clenched the jade pendant in my hand and felt a warm sensation in my palm. After being rejected by me, Bella started crying again. “I know, sister is still blaming me, right?” Bella’s face was smaller than my palm, with delicate features. When she cried, her shoulders trembled slightly, her nose turned red, looking like she had suffered a great grievance. “Sarah, you just came back and you’re bullying your sister repeatedly. Is this interesting?” Ryan immediately accused me. I clearly didn’t say anything, just wanted my own room, but in their mouths, it was as if I had committed a heinous crime. In such a big villa, they wouldn’t even give me a room, yet they claimed they wanted to compensate me. I wanted to see what medicine they were selling in their gourd. “Fine, I’ll sleep with you.” Bella’s face instantly turned from cloudy to sunny, and Ryan beside her carefully wiped the tears from her face with a tissue, looking distressed. I turned my head and glanced at my parents. Their expressions seemed accustomed to it, not feeling that such intimacy between Ryan and Bella, who were already so old, was inappropriate at all. I didn’t sleep well that night. I woke up the moment the door made a slight noise. But I didn’t open my eyes. Instead, I heard two pairs of tiptoeing footsteps sneak into the room and stop by my bed. Then my parents’ surprised voices rang out. “This jade pendant really has a reaction!” My dad’s excited voice could barely be suppressed: “I told you! Master Supreme Clarity told the He family the direction was here at our house. I just didn’t expect Bella didn’t have such a good fate.” Then came Bella’s slightly dissatisfied voice. “Dad, Mom, what kind of fate is this? If the jade pendant reacts, I have to marry into the He family. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life guarding a vegetable.” “Silly child, what do you know? That’s the He family. Ethan He is the only son, and all the family property will be his in the future. A vegetable is easy to manipulate. As long as you marry in, the entire He family will be yours in the future!” My mom explained from the side, and then my dad spoke again: “Exactly. A vegetable. Once that old woman dies, won’t Ethan He be at your disposal?” “So that’s how it is. Mom, Dad, don’t worry. After I marry over, I will definitely find a way to help our Su family.” Hearing Bella’s obedient voice, my parents sighed with relief. “Bella is still the sensible one. She should be the one born with a rich fate, the lucky star of our family!” “Bella, don’t worry. Now that the jade pendant has reacted, Mom will send it to the He family tomorrow. When the old lady sees it, she will definitely let you marry her grandson!” There was unconcealed excitement in Bella’s voice, but she still had some concerns. “That’s great! But… what if sister finds out?” My dad sneered. “She’s just a charlatan. What could she know? Our plan is unknown to ghosts and gods. As long as the jade pendant is sent away tomorrow, and we insist it has always been on you, she won’t have any way to prove otherwise.”

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My boss chewed me out today. I worked late and dragged my exhausted body back to the home I share with Ethan. As soon as I opened the door, Ethan, sitting perfectly upright at his desk, didn’t even flinch. “Change your slippers. Take a shower.” I took a deep breath. Maybe it was the residual anger from my boss, maybe it was exhaustion, but I just snapped. Tears welled up, and instead of changing my slippers, I threw my bag on the floor and sprawled out on the sofa, shoes and all. “Ethan, let’s break up.” He didn’t even look up. “Looks like I’m throwing away the sofa cover tomorrow. And mopping the floor.” I gritted my teeth and enunciated every syllable. “Ethan. Let’s. Break. Up.” This was the sixth time in six months I’d brought it up. I admit I liked Ethan, and I didn’t want to leave him, but I was at my limit. It wasn’t just that he was a neat freak. It was that he was a neat freak about me. We’d been together for a year. Hand-holding happened exactly once. Kissing, hugging—all the normal couple stuff—non-existent. Why? Because Ethan is obsessed with cleanliness. Shaking hands with a friend means scrubbing his hands three times when he gets home. Even worse, we’ve lived together for two months, sleeping in separate rooms. I’m banned from his bedroom. The first thing I have to do when I get home is change slippers and shower. Even using the toilet requires a pre-wash with disinfectant and a post-wash scrub down. One time I got lazy and just flushed. Ethan replaced the entire toilet the next day. What a tragic life. What a tragic me. I knew with crystal clarity: Ethan didn’t love me. I wasn’t special to him, and I never would be. Ethan finally looked up. His eyes, usually so captivating, just glanced at me. I couldn’t read his emotions, only an eerie calm. “You sure?” My heart stuttered. He asked the same thing last time. Back then, I caved like a spineless jellyfish. How could you just let go of someone you like? But this time, no more compromises. If you don’t love me, why accept my confession? If you don’t want to touch me, why agree to live together? I didn’t want to live another second of this life. Being with Ethan felt like living with a stranger, walking on eggshells for a whole year. I wanted to come home and do nothing, just lie on the sofa and scroll through TikTok, not change slippers, shower, and constantly worry about contaminating his sanctuary. I wiped my tears and sat up. “I’m sure.” “I’ll pack my things and move out.” Ethan frowned, giving me a deep look, but ultimately didn’t ask me to stay. “Okay. Do you need me to call you an Uber?” I clutched my chest, taking a deep breath, chanting internally, Don’t get mad, don’t argue with idiots… I stormed into my room, packed my bags, and was ready to leave in a huff. But at the door, the more I thought about it, the more unreconciled I felt. Why was I the only one suffering while he remained unmoved? No way. He needs to suffer too. I can’t be the only one in pain. I dropped my suitcase and marched aggressively toward Ethan at his desk. He looked genuinely confused for once. “Sarah, what are you doing?” I didn’t explain. I just went for it. I grabbed his collar and kissed him. Then, out of spite, I bit his lip. Hard. And just to really drive the point home, I ran my hands all over his chest. Before he could react, I grabbed my suitcase and bolted. Behind me, I heard Ethan roar, “Sarah! Have you lost your mind?!” That was our first kiss. And our last. 1 News of my breakup with Ethan spread fast. After moving out, I met with a manager who had tried to poach me before. It was a multinational corporation. We negotiated salary and benefits, and I booked a flight out of this heartbreaking city without hesitation. Within a week at the new job, my past performance record earned me a spot in an overseas training program. I admit, I was running away. I didn’t want to see Ethan because I was afraid I’d cave again. Sitting on the plane, looking at the few non-intimate photos I had with Ethan, tears streamed down my face again. I deleted them all. Ethan, I’ll make you regret not cherishing me! Crying, I worried about ruining my expensive makeup, so I pulled out a mirror and dabbed at my tears… Six months later, I returned to the company, working hard for the boss. Gradually… the ache for Ethan faded. Time heals, or whatever. I was making coffee, bored, when footsteps approached. I didn’t turn around, but a man’s voice said, “Sarah, still working late?” I turned to see Liam, a new colleague in our department. He worked just as hard as I did. When he first started, I teased him, “Did you get dumped too?” He replied, “Yeah.” Shared misery builds bonds fast. We became closer than bros. I sipped my coffee. “Isn’t it obvious?” Liam laughed. “Careful you don’t go bald from stress.” I rolled my eyes. “Shut up.” Liam paused, then said, “Do me a favor tomorrow night?” “Nope.” Ding. Venmo notification: Liam sent you $800. I accepted it immediately and looked up. “I take it back. What’s the favor? Mountain of knives, sea of fire, consider it done.” Liam smirked. “Be my fake girlfriend.” I shamelessly countered, “Add another hundred.” Liam twitched his lips. “Deal.” The next night, I wore a killer red dress with a cinched waist and followed Liam into the party venue. I might not be a supermodel, but I’m definitely above average. Liam wouldn’t lose face. Liam greeted his friends enthusiastically, introducing me. Adhering to professional ethics, I held his arm, acting intimate. As the crowd thinned, my peripheral vision caught something, and my smile froze. Not because of anything else, but because I saw a figure I’d recognize even if he turned to ash. A figure I’d spent two years running from but never forgot. My eyes followed the man as he walked over, step by step. Ethan. Liam perked up when he saw Ethan. “Dr. Sterling! You finally made it. We’ve been waiting for you.” “This is my girlfriend, Sarah.” I twitched a smile awkwardly. Ethan’s gaze stayed fixed on me. Then I heard his deep voice. “Sa-rah? Your girlfriend?” The air temperature seemed to drop ten degrees. Probably just me. I swallowed. Sarah! What are you afraid of? You broke up! You have nothing to do with him! After a mental pep talk, I adjusted my posture, smiled, and extended my hand. “Hello, Dr. Sterling.” Ethan held his wine glass, making no move to shake my hand. I knew he wouldn’t. The severe germaphobe who washes his hands three times after a handshake wouldn’t touch his detestable ex. I still remember the shock on his face after I forced myself on him two years ago. His pristine white shirt rumpled, a bead of blood on his lip. Like a defiled saint. Thinking about it still gave me a thrill. Seeing Ethan stare at me without moving, Liam tried to pull my hand back to save the awkwardness. But the next second, Ethan reached out and grasped my hand. “Hello, Sarah.” I almost expected him to say, Long time no see, you awful ex. More shocking was that he actually shook my hand! Did he reform in the last two years? I laughed nervously and quickly pulled my hand back, grabbing Liam’s arm again. Liam laughed. “Didn’t expect the germaphobe Dr. Sterling to initiate a handshake. Big changes in a year. You almost look like a normal person…” Realizing that might have been rude, Liam quickly added, “No, no, I didn’t mean it like that, haha.” Ethan didn’t seem to care, didn’t even look at him. He stared at me and said, “It’s fine. You’re right.” Me: “Hehe… heh…” I don’t believe you. Ethan walked away after a few words. My curiosity was piqued. When we were alone, I whispered to Liam, “How do you know this Dr. Sterling? You never mentioned him.” Liam said, “Oh, a year ago I got into a car accident near his hospital. Ended up in the ER. He was disgusted by me because my wound had grease, my clothes had sand, and I was sweaty. I’m telling you, I could have woken up from a coma just from sheer anger.” “Later I found out he’s a severe germaphobe. Thought it was interesting, so I worked hard to befriend him.” I almost laughed out loud. “Then why did he come all this way for your party? Isn’t he busy?” Liam looked at me intently. “How do you know he’s busy?” I stumbled, then recovered. “Aren’t doctors always like that? Emergencies anytime.” Speaking of which, I remembered the bitterness. After confessing to Ethan and getting together, he was always busy. So busy we barely spoke some days. Most of the time, I just curled up on the sofa watching TV alone. A boyfriend in name only. And I stuck with it for a year. I admire my past self. Liam didn’t seem suspicious. “True. But he’s here on business for a few days. Heard it’s about a transfer. The provincial hospital invited him several times, but I guess he won’t come.” My heart skipped a beat. Transfer? Here? This would kill me. I ran away just to escape the city that held memories of him. Now he might move here? But if he refused several times, maybe it’s unlikely. Relieved, I listened as Liam leaned in mysteriously. “Why? You interested?” I rolled my eyes. “Would you be interested in a crazy person?” Liam thought about it. “Yeah. Probably only someone with similar issues would like Ethan.” Me: “?” I feel attacked. Liam got pulled away to drink, and I didn’t fit in. I drank too much and needed the restroom. Just outside the hall, I saw a back leaning against the railing. Suit and tie, but in my eyes, I saw him in a white coat, saving lives while complaining about patients being dirty. I couldn’t help but chuckle. Then I tried to sneak away. I didn’t know how to face him. But two steps later, a familiar voice called out, “Sarah, where are you running to this time?” Of course. When it rains, it pours. I took a deep breath and turned around calmly. “Oh, Dr. Sterling. We’re not that close, are we? Where I go is none of your business.” Ethan squinted and walked towards me aggressively. I felt the pressure. “Not close? Can’t I care about my ex-girlfriend?” Care. A word I never thought I’d hear from Ethan. I thought he never cared about anyone. I forced an awkward smile. “Dr. Sterling, you seem to forget, we broke up.” Ethan is tall, a head and a half taller than me. Looking straight ahead, I stared at his chest. Seeing his chest reminded me of that night two years ago. Same suit, white shirt, perfectly tied tie. Ascetic vibes. My inner voice screamed: Sarah! I knew you weren’t crazy, you just lusted after his body! “You’re Liam’s girlfriend?” I was stunned. He asked such a dumb question after introductions? “Yes.” “Break up with him. Don’t see him again.” I looked up in surprise. Those peach blossom eyes weren’t calm anymore. They held anger, maybe even jealousy. I got mad. “Are you sick? Get treatment if you are.” I turned to leave, not wanting to engage. The next second, Ethan grabbed my wrist and yanked me into his arms. His low voice rang in my ear. “Sarah, two years later, you’ve really got some nerve.” Then, he kissed my earlobe and bit it lightly. My brain exploded. Ethan is definitely sick today. Hugging me? Kissing me? “Ethan! Let go! What does this mean? I’ll sue you for harassment!” 2 My forehead vein throbbed. I coughed. “I told you I have a boyfriend.” Ethan laughed suddenly. “Boyfriend? Liam already confessed. Said you scammed him out of a thousand dollars.” Me: “…” Another familiar voice called out, “Sarah…” Liam walked out, closing the door behind him. “You know each other, don’t you?” Can’t hide it now. Have to admit it. “Yeah, he’s my… uh, somewhat abnormal ex-boyfriend.” I thought Liam would ask for gossip, but he looked at Ethan with hostility. “He was harassing you?” I nodded vigorously. Ethan squinted, looking pissed. Liam pulled me over and said to Ethan, “I consider you a friend, Ethan, but since you didn’t keep Sarah two years ago, why harass her now?” Very logical. But when I looked up and saw the loss flash in Ethan’s eyes, my heart clenched involuntarily. Then, Liam dragged me away right in front of Ethan. We didn’t go back to the party; he took me straight to his car. I was spaced out the whole way until Liam called my name. “Sarah, do you still like Ethan?” IneXplicably, I heard caution in his voice. I paused, staying silent. I couldn’t answer. The car was quiet. Finally, I heard a bitter laugh from Liam. He feigned lightness. “I get it. By the way, thanks for playing my girlfriend today. Can’t scam me anymore though. I’ll take you home.” I’m not a naive girl; I know what Liam’s subtle feelings meant. So I said, “I’m sorry.” “Don’t trouble yourself. I’ll take an Uber.” My tone was polite and distant. Liam watched me get out of the passenger seat but didn’t stop me. The car sat there for a minute before driving away. I Ubered home and sat on the sofa in a daze. Two years. I thought I had moved on. But seeing Ethan again, the walls I built crumbled instantly. Fragile beyond imagination. The more I thought, the sadder I got. I turned grief into appetite and ordered BBQ and fried chicken. I only drank at the party, so I was starving. Result? I ate myself into the hospital in the middle of the night. Gastritis. I realized that living alone for two years was comfortable. Coming home to do nothing, lying on the sofa, eating takeout, drinking soda. It took a toll on my stomach. Dazed, I remembered the year with Ethan. Even though he demanded perfection from me, he also knocked on my door every day to wake me up for food. Meals he cooked himself. Even if he critiqued me every time—Dropped rice, use serving spoons, don’t spill soup. His cleanliness was always the sharpest trait, overshadowing everything else. Just my luck, I ended up in the provincial hospital. Just my luck, I saw Ethan’s familiar face. It was the first time I saw him look panicked. A group of doctors followed him. Then he wheeled me away. I became his patient. I endured the stomach pain and asked, “You’re not a doctor here, why do you care?” Ethan said calmly, “I will be.” My heart died. I didn’t speak again. Ethan wiped my mouth with his gloved hand. I felt dread. Sure enough, he raised an eyebrow. “Fried chicken? Or BBQ?” “Shut up.” A nurse comforted me. “Don’t worry. Might need a gastroscopy. Tube down the throat or general anesthesia? Anesthesia requires a family member’s signature.” I panicked. I fear nothing but needles and surgeries. The thought of a tube down my throat terrified me. “Anesthesia. I want anesthesia.” The nurse nodded. “Okay, where’s your family?” I suddenly remembered. I’m an orphan. My parents died in a car crash my senior year of high school. Where would I find family? Ethan looked at me, then told the nurse, “Get the consent form. I’m her family. I’ll sign.” I looked at Ethan weirdly, but the pain made speaking impossible. One shot and I was out. When I woke up, I was in a ward with a nurse checking my IV. I swallowed dryly. “Nurse, where’s Dr. Sterling?” It was the same nurse. She looked down at me. “Dr. Sterling went back to his hospital. He starts here in two days.” I was dizzy. “He agreed to transfer?” The nurse tried not to laugh. “Yeah. His family is here, of course he transferred.” I twitched my lips. “I’m not his family.” The nurse looked skeptical. “But last night…” Me: “Can you expect a crazy person to say normal things?” Nurse: “…” Once the anesthesia wore off, I realized I had work. I fumbled for my phone. 10:30 AM. I collapsed back, unlocking my phone to explain to my manager. Ding, ding, ding. Messages flooded in. From my manager, sent at 9 AM: “Old Sarah, when did you get married?” “Hid it well.” “Since you’re sick, take the week off. Report back next week on time or say goodbye to your bonus.” I scrolled up. Last night, someone used my phone to make dozens of calls. The last one connected for two minutes. I could guess who did it with my toes. And I could guess what Ethan said. That afternoon, I grabbed my meds and snuck home, vowing to eat healthy. I planned it all out, then immediately failed, curling up on the sofa with takeout porridge and dramas. Bored, I scrolled through my phone. Someone left the work group chat. It was Liam. Then a text from him: I’m leaving, Sarah. Hope you and Dr. Sterling find happiness. 3 I sighed. Lost a good friend. But thinking about it, I really felt nothing for Liam. Even holding hands, it was calm. Compared to Ethan… I angrily thought about moving again. Move abroad. Never see Ethan again. I sent Liam a “Good luck,” but it failed to send. Red exclamation mark. One year of friendship, gone in an instant. I wondered if I could be like Liam, leaving without looking back. A notification sound brought me back. A familiar avatar—white coat, syringe in hand—sent a message. “Open the door.” I remembered blocking Ethan on everything two years ago. How did he pop up again? Must have unblocked himself last night. Angry, I sent a question mark. Ethan replied: “Open the door, Sarah.” Just four words, and I couldn’t even type a refusal. Before, Ethan either didn’t use my name or used my full name. First time calling me just “Sarah.” I remembered him holding me last night, whispering angrily, “Sarah, two years later, you’ve really got some nerve.” More messages. “I brought a lot of stuff.” “I saved your life last night.” “You wouldn’t be so heartless, right?” Guilt trip! Absolute guilt trip! Being grateful, I opened the door. He was holding a bag of groceries and a black plastic bag. That was it. I crossed my arms. “This is ‘a lot of stuff’?” Ethan didn’t speak, just stared behind me. I looked back and blushed. My apartment was a disaster zone. A pigsty compared to Ethan’s place. I suppressed my shame and glared. “What are you looking at? Oh, I forgot, Dr. Sterling is a neat freak. You probably don’t want to come in. Bye.” I tried to close the door, but Ethan’s nice hand blocked it. His tone was surprisingly soft. “It’s fine. Acceptable.” Sounded forced. Ethan pulled a pair of men’s slippers from the black bag, put them on, and walked in, closing the door himself. I muttered, “Ethan, did you actually become normal in two years?” Ethan ignored me, found the kitchen, and washed his hands three times. I realized I asked a pointless question. “Sarah, I thought you’d be living well after leaving me. Doesn’t look like it.” I sat on the sofa. “You came here to insult me?” Ethan dried his hands and walked over. “No. You forgot what I said yesterday. I said, let’s get back together.” Thinking of our year together, I felt bitter. “Ethan, do you know what you’re saying?” “Do you think I’m still the girl who loved you enough to tolerate being treated like a stranger for a year?” Silence. Then Ethan suddenly said, “But, you molested me when you ran away. You have to take responsibility.” The heavy atmosphere shattered. I found it childishly funny. Just a bite and a grope? Seriously? Still holding a grudge? I turned my head away. Ethan walked over, forced my face back to look at him. “Sarah, I’m sorry.” He said it seriously, reverently. “You were my first girlfriend. When you confessed, I didn’t refuse because I didn’t dislike you. I hadn’t been close to anyone growing up. I didn’t touch you because… partly, I didn’t know what to do. I never initiated closeness.” “The other part… we weren’t married.” Damn. Hand-holding, hugging, kissing required marriage? Ethan looked into my eyes and smiled. “Sarah, remember the first time you held my hand?” Memories flooded back. I remember. I’ll remember until I die. A year after graduating, I met Ethan, chased him for ages, and finally confessed with flowers, terrified of rejection. He said yes. I was so happy, I carefully reached for his hand. Before I could even warm it, he pulled away and asked, “Did… did you wash your hands?” I wanted to die. Maybe my passion was pricked by his avoidance. I felt rejected, head down. Now that I think about it, he stuttered. “Actually, if you looked up, you’d see I was blushing. I wasn’t disgusted, I was panicked. I used habitual phrases to hide it.” “Later I thought, if you initiated one more time, maybe I really couldn’t refuse.” I was stunned, blushing slightly. “Why tell me this now? It’s ancient history.” Ethan let go of my face, casually saying, “If you don’t want to hear it, fine. But I was wrong before. Now it’s my turn to initiate.” I sat frozen on the sofa, savoring his words. It felt like bitter turning to sweet. I never expected to hear this from Ethan. So I asked, “Why the sudden change?” Ethan stared at me with dark eyes. “After you molested me.” Me: “…” Proof that a leopard can’t change its spots: I watched Ethan, brow furrowed, put on gloves and clean my house until it sparkled. Then he cooked, just like when we lived together. I always knew Ethan was diligent. Maybe his neat freak nature wouldn’t allow a mess. He was frighteningly disciplined. I was the messy, undisciplined one. I cried internally, then walked over to the table full of delicious food. Just as I picked up my chopsticks, a glass of warm water and four pills appeared by my hand. Ethan frowned. “Take your medicine before eating.” My heart thumped. I took the pills. I watched his face while eating, afraid he’d say Dropped rice, use serving spoons… But he didn’t. Just ate silently. I believed Ethan had really changed. At least toward me. Halfway through, Ethan said, “Stop eating takeout. Bad for your stomach.” I hummed a long note, holding back a smile. “But I can’t cook.”

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1 On Christmas Eve, my husband and his forty-ninth canary went public. “My forever love, @Sylvie.” “My forever love, @SimonBeaumont.” He turned to me a moment later, his voice a placating murmur. “It was just a silly girl who lost a game of truth or dare. Don’t worry about it.” Everyone laughed at me, but I didn’t make a scene. I never did. They didn’t know about the deal I’d made with the System. For every time Simon cheated, one year of his life was transferred to me. By my count, after forty-nine affairs, Simon’s eighty-year lifespan had been whittled down to its final year. All I had to do was survive until the New Year, and he would die of natural causes. And I, along with our three children, would inherit the Beaumont family’s trillion-dollar fortune. … Twitter was melting down. The trending topic of Simon and Sylvie’s announcement was followed by a blazing red “VIRAL” tag. In less than ten minutes, the post had over a hundred thousand comments. “Simon is so romantic! This is what true love looks like! #CoupleGoals” “Did Sylvie save a small country in a past life or something?” “@IngridBeaumont, come get your man, he’s at it again!” I set my phone down, my heart a placid lake, and took a sip of the Earl Grey tea on the table. The doorbell chimed, and Simon’s parents swept in, cloaked in a storm of fury. His father’s face was ashen with rage. He let out a heavy sigh. “Ingrid, Simon is being a damned fool. Dad will have the yacht prepped for you. If you need to get away, just go clear your head.” His mother placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Ingrid, don’t you worry. You are the only daughter-in-law of the Beaumont family. Those… trollops will never set foot in this house!” I lowered my head to pour them some tea, my expression a perfect mask of understanding. “Thank you, Mom, Dad. I know.” Why would I cause a scene? After all, this was Simon’s forty-ninth canary. Wonderful. Only seven days left. Everything was about to end. The next day, the head of Beaumont Corporation’s PR department arrived at the house personally. “Mrs. Beaumont, here is the draft of the statement. If you could please take a look…” I scanned the document. It was the same old recipe. “It was just a game… I’m not bothered… Our relationship is very strong… We apologize for wasting public resources…” I’d issued countless statements like this over the last decade. But this time felt different, more significant. It was, after all, the first time Simon had made such a grand, public declaration. I’d seen pictures of the girl. She was different from the others. She seemed sharper, more intelligent, and she bore a striking resemblance to Simon’s first love, the one who had passed away. After the statement was released, my phone exploded again. In the group chat with the other society wives, someone tagged me directly. “Ingrid, you are the soul of grace! If my husband tried that, I’d have broken both his legs by now!” “That’s why Ingrid is the true matriarch. We could all learn a thing or two.” I was so tired of their backhanded compliments. I muted the chat and retreated to the study. In the bottom drawer of the desk, tucked away beneath old files, was a small, leather-bound notebook. The first page was dated ten years ago. “Carla, 23, a ballerina from the conservatory. Three months. Gifted a condo downtown.” The second page. “Veronica, 25, a streamer and influencer. Four months. Bankrolled her own fashion boutique.” … The forty-eighth page. “Sophie, 22, a student at the music academy. Two months. Gifted a sports car.” I turned to the forty-ninth page and began to write. “Sylvie, 24, a graduate of the drama academy.” What her final prize would be, I didn’t yet know. But I had a nagging feeling that her ambitions were far from simple. I closed the notebook. Outside the window, a light snow had begun to fall. The Christmas tree in the garden twinkled with colored lights, and the sound of my three children’s laughter as they built a snowman drifted faintly through the glass. The day I was transmigrated into this body, its original owner, the real Ingrid, had just swallowed her last breath. Empty bottles of sleeping pills were scattered on the bedside table. Her phone was still lit up, displaying a photo of Simon in bed with Carla. Her dying wish had echoed in the empty room, a desperate, lingering obsession. “Simon isn’t a bad man, it’s that woman’s fault… Please, take care of him for me…” The moment I heard it, I wanted to refuse. Was this not the classic case of a woman hopelessly blinded by love? Driven to her death by a mistress, yet still making excuses for the cheating scoundrel. But the System had intervened. “You can’t go back anyway. Complete the mission, and I can grant you one wish.” I considered it, then nodded. “Fine.” “Ingrid believed Simon wasn’t a monster? Then let’s make a deal based on that belief.” “For every time Simon cheats, one year of his life is transferred to me.” “If the day comes when Simon has squandered away his entire lifespan, my mission will be complete.” The System was silent for three seconds. “Deal accepted.” Forty-nine affairs equated to forty-nine years of his life, gone. Simon was supposed to live to be eighty. Now, he had only one year left. No, to be precise, once the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve, his time would be up. The thought filled me with a profound sense of liberation. My phone buzzed. It was a message from Simon. “Won’t be home for dinner tonight.” “About the stuff online, you know how it is… Just a silly girl who lost a game of truth or dare. Don’t worry about it.” I didn’t reply. He didn’t press the issue. This was the silent understanding we had built over many years. “Ingrid, you’re the most understanding woman I know. It’s just for fun, a way to blow off steam.” “Don’t worry, you’re the only Mrs. Beaumont there will ever be.” I let out a cold, humorless laugh and called the children inside for dinner. The faint sound of Christmas bells drifted on the wind. Seven more days. Seven days until New Year’s Eve, when fireworks would paint the entire sky. And the final page of my ledger would finally be written. 2 The next day, Simon didn’t come home alone. His hand was intertwined with Sylvie’s. “Ingrid, we need to talk.” I looked up at him, a flicker of unease stirring within me. He never brought his women home. He certainly never brought them before me. “Sylvie’s grandfather is gravely ill. His only wish is to see her married.” My brow furrowed slightly. “And?” Simon hesitated, then finally dropped the bomb. “So… we need to get a divorce.” The air in the room instantly turned to ice. A divorce? After ten years of quiet suffering, just as my victory was within reach, he was going to kick me to the curb? Seeing my prolonged silence, a hint of pity flashed in Simon’s eyes. “Just for a month. As soon as her grandfather passes peacefully, we’ll remarry immediately.” On cue, Sylvie’s eyes welled with tears. “Ingrid, please, I’m begging you.” She walked towards me, her knees buckled, and she actually looked like she was about to kneel. “My grandfather… the doctors said he only has a few days left…” I didn’t move, but my mind was racing. If I wasn’t Mrs. Beaumont when Simon died, how much of the inheritance would I lose? The thought of Sylvie and my three children fighting over the assets made my stomach churn. No. I couldn’t let that happen. For the original Ingrid, for my children, and for myself, I had to protect my title as Mrs. Beaumont. I looked Simon straight in the eye. “New Year’s is just around the corner. The whole family will be gathering. Let’s not make a laughingstock of ourselves. Wait until after the holidays. Then you two can play whatever games you want.” “No!” Sylvie cried out, the tears now streaming down her face. “I’m afraid my grandfather can’t wait that long!” She collapsed to her knees, her fingers clutching the hem of my pants, her eyes pleading and wet. “Please, Ingrid, he’s the only family I have left…” “If he doesn’t see me get married, he’ll never be able to rest in peace, and I… I won’t be able to live with myself…” Simon’s eyes filled with pain for her. He turned to me, his voice laced with irritation. “Ingrid, just do me this one favor. Her request isn’t unreasonable.” A bitter laugh escaped my lips. “Simon, I have been ‘doing you a favor’ for ten years.” “You’ve had forty-nine canaries, and I have never raised my voice to you or spoken a single ill word about you to anyone.” “This home, your parents, our three children—I have taken care of everything perfectly.” “And now, you’re asking me to give up my place as your wife…” Simon cut in, his voice urgent. “It’s just for one month!” “No!” I stood up, my tone more forceful than it had ever been. “You made me a promise, Simon. You have to keep your word!” Recalling his long-standing promise, Simon looked torn. Sylvie covered her face and began to sob. “Forget it, just forget it… I’ll just go with my grandfather…” She tried to stand, then crumpled back to the floor with a delicate, theatrical shudder. Simon’s heart broke for her. He rushed to her side, gathering her into his arms. He looked back at me, his eyes turning to ice. “Ingrid, I’m not asking you.” “You’ve always done what I said. This time will be no different.” I scoffed, a plan already forming in my mind. If I refused to sign, it would take him at least two months to force a divorce through the courts. By New Year’s Eve, six days from now, it would all be over. As I turned to leave, Simon grabbed my wrist. “Where are you going?” I shot him a cold glance. “I don’t want to look at either of you. I’m leaving.” Simon sneered, his eyes glinting with a look that said he saw right through me. “Think you can run away from this? Planning to run to Mom and Dad and tattle?” He started dragging me towards the door. “We’re going to City Hall right now. We are getting this done today.” 3 On the way to City Hall, Simon held my hand in a vise grip, as if he expected me to leap from the moving car. “Ingrid, just one month. I promise.” I said nothing, merely trying to pull my hand free. He clamped down again, his voice insistent. “Sylvie and I won’t make it public. No wedding, no ceremony. No one on the outside will know. You’ll still be Mrs. Beaumont to everyone.” I was silently calculating my next move. How could I blow this up? If I created a big enough scene, could he really force me? I slipped my hand into my coat pocket and discreetly sent a text. The contact was saved as “Jennings – Reporter.” Three years ago, he’d broken a scandal about Simon and was nearly ruined by the Beaumont family’s retaliation. I had been the one to call off the dogs. He despised Simon, and he owed me a favor. We finally arrived at the steps of City Hall. Just as we were about to get out of the car, a swarm of reporters materialized around us. “Mr. Beaumont, are you here to file for divorce? You and Miss Sylvie just made your relationship official yesterday. Are you planning to make an honest woman of her?” “Mrs. Beaumont, do you have any comment on your husband’s infidelity? After tolerating it for so long, why has it come to this?” Simon froze, clearly ambushed and completely unprepared. For a moment, he was at a loss for words. I linked my arm through his, forcing a graceful smile. “You’ve all misunderstood. We’re not here for a divorce.” “Today is our tenth wedding anniversary. We’re just here to revisit where it all began…” Simon’s arm went rigid beneath my touch. After a few seconds, he recovered, his own lips curving into a strained, placid smile. “That’s right.” The reporters were stunned but pressed on. “Then what about Miss Sylvie…” “Sylvie is a new actress my husband’s company just signed,” I interjected, my smile feeling brittle. “The announcement… it was all just publicity for her new series. Isn’t that right, dear?” Simon ground his teeth, but nodded. “Yes.” I seized the opportunity, pulling him back towards the car, ready to make our escape. But just then, a piercing scream cut through the air. “Look! Someone’s going to jump!” Across the street, on the rooftop of an office building, a lone figure in white stood against the sky. The wind was strong, whipping at her clothes and making her sway precariously on the ledge. It was Sylvie. My heart sank. This was bad. This was very, very bad. As expected, Simon lost his composure, shouting her name in a panic. “Sylvie! Don’t do anything stupid!” Sylvie looked down at him, tears streaming down her face, her voice choked with sobs. “Simon, I can’t live without you…” Simon ran his hands through his hair in desperation. “Get down from there! I’ll divorce her! I’ll do it right now!” He spun back to me, his eyes wild. “Ingrid, get inside. We’re getting a divorce!” The reporters’ cameras swiveled in unison, focusing on my deathly pale face. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. 4 “Is this divorce voluntary?” The clerk behind the counter looked up, her gaze sharp and suspicious. I opened my mouth to say “No.” But Simon’s fingers dug into the soft flesh between my thumb and forefinger, a jolt of pain silencing me. The clerk asked the question again. Simon’s other hand pressed down on the back of my neck, forcing my head down in a nod. Once. Twice. The clerk stood up, her voice tinged with anger. “Sir, this is coercion!” Simon let out a cold laugh. “Fine. Ask her yourself if it’s voluntary.” He leaned in, his lips brushing my ear. “Think about your three children, Ingrid. If you don’t sign, they won’t be Beaumonts tomorrow.” My entire body went rigid. I looked up at him, my eyes wide with disbelief. “Simon, they are your children!” “So what?” His eyes were like chips of ice. “The Beaumonts are never short on heirs. I can have more whenever I want. But you, Ingrid… can you afford that gamble?” I couldn’t. Ten years of forbearance, forty-nine betrayals. I had bled my heart dry, waiting not just for Simon’s death, but for the day my children could inherit everything that was rightfully theirs. To protect them, I had no choice. A bitter taste filled my mouth as I spoke. “I am here voluntarily.” The clerk stared at me for a few more seconds before finally sitting down and pushing the forms across the counter. As I signed the last stroke, my hand was trembling. Not from sadness, but from the searing bitterness of defeat.

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My family is at the very bottom of the high society ladder. I am notoriously cowardly in our circle, daring not to offend anyone. When Adrian Sterling, the heir to the Sterling empire, confessed his love to me. Seeing the murderous looks from the top socialites. I cowardly chose to flee the scene by pretending to go to the bathroom. After returning, I immediately packed my bags and ran off to a remote mountain to raise pigs. I only dared to return after hearing that Adrian had a new love interest. Who knew that as soon as I stepped out of the train station, I was pulled into someone’s arms. A mocking chuckle sounded in my ear. “Baby, I caught you.” 1 Thanks to my grandfather’s brilliant business acumen. When I was ten, our family successfully squeezed into the high society circle. But no matter how you look at it, we were just at the tail end. To keep this barely-there status. We were warned from a young age to be cautious in our words and deeds, and never to offend anyone. Reciting “rise together, fall together” eight hundred times a day. So my cousin and I began a multifaceted spy career spanning over twenty years. We dared not offend any young master or miss. To ensure we didn’t stand on the wrong side. If we encountered a conflict, we would part ways on the spot, each standing in a different camp. Balancing everything perfectly 360 degrees. Ensuring we weren’t affected by the disasters of top-tier figures, defending this hard-earned status. Thinking that after enduring until college graduation, I would have the chance to marry the grandson of my grandfather’s comrade-in-arms. From then on, move far away, away from disputes. Who knew that just as I was about to step out of the school gate, my path was blocked. At that time, I was arguing heatedly with my cousin Chloe about the ownership of the arranged marriage. “I’m the older sister, I should marry first, so he’s mine.” “You’re smarter than me, you should go work in the company and contribute to the family.” I retorted matter-of-factly. “For the scale of our assets, your brain is enough,” Chloe didn’t yield at all. “Besides, last time when we broke ties, I played the bad guy. This time it’s your turn to sacrifice, right?” ?! “How can these two things be compared? This is a lifelong event!” Unexpectedly, Chloe looked calm, “Doesn’t taking sides count? Taking the wrong side is also a lifelong event, a very serious one.” Damn, her brain really works well, how can she talk so well. I thought for a long time before squeezing out a sentence, “What if Grandpa’s comrade’s grandson is ugly? Don’t you like handsome guys the most?” “I’d marry him even if he were a toad,” Chloe didn’t hesitate at all, “It’s better than living in fear here every day.” This woman! Why is she so stubborn! I sprinted towards the school gate, preparing to ignore martial ethics. What sisterly love, whoever grabs the husband first gets him. Chloe chased me from behind, spewing fragrant words. Just at the moment of rushing towards freedom, my path was blocked by a crowd gathered at the school gate. With no mood to watch the fun, I lifted my foot to go around. Unexpectedly, someone in the crowd shouted “Lily is here,” and the crowd automatically made a path. I looked confused, following the flow of people. At the end of the crowd was a magnificent sea of flowers. Adrian Sterling, the renowned heir in the circle, was standing in front of the flowers holding a large bouquet of roses. The well-fitted suit perfectly accentuated his superior proportions of broad shoulders and narrow waist. Completely different from his usual lazy and loose image. I froze for a moment, watching Adrian’s approaching steps and thinking about the sentence “Lily is here.” My brain spun fast. Could it be? Maybe? Save me, save me! You have to know that Grandpa warned Chloe and me repeatedly not to date young masters from wealthy families. He said he didn’t need us juniors to marry for alliances or anything, or contribute much to the family. He only begged us not to provoke these immortals, lest a breakup lead to retaliation that would crush our fragile assets. Seeing Adrian about to walk right up to me, I silently lowered my head and took a step back. But found the road blocked. Moved left, Adrian took a step with me. Moved right, he followed again. After a few times, I lowered my head and swallowed nervously. Adrian chuckled low, his voice carrying a bit of indulgence, “Little Lily, look up.” Help, dare not look up. Dare not refuse, also dare not agree. Refusing offends the heir, agreeing means that top socialite lady will tear me apart. See, the older generation didn’t work hard enough, and the younger generation doesn’t even have freedom in love. Sure enough, as soon as I looked up, a sinister gaze shot over from the crowd. Feeling like needles on my back, I weakly found a universal excuse. “Um, really sorry, can I go to the bathroom first?” 2 “Chloe!!!” Squatting in the bathroom stall, I started crying for help frantically. Before I could send the second sentence, Chloe’s message came back. “Report, I’m outside the bathroom, Adrian hasn’t left yet.” I was so anxious I wanted to kowtow to my grandma who passed away years ago. Can someone guide this child on how to solve this with high EQ? I’m about to crumble. Just now, after hearing my weak request to go to the bathroom. Adrian froze for a second, cleared his throat, his tone still carrying a bit of suppressed laughter. “Okay.” Then he dismissed the people, handed the flowers to a brother beside him, and followed me to the bathroom. “Go ahead.” Before I went in, he raised his hand to rub my head, smiling lazily, but his tone was full of threat. “But Lily, if you dare play tricks again…” My legs went soft from fear, and I tremblingly hid in the bathroom. This wasn’t the first time Adrian confessed to me. Last time was two years ago, he cornered me in the library and said he liked me. I waved my hands in fear, my brain smoking before coming up with the very reasonable and inoffensive excuse that “family doesn’t allow dating while studying.” Adrian didn’t say anything then, plus I hid whenever I saw him in the past two years, flashing away when I heard he was coming. Didn’t see him many times in total. I thought after so long, the heir had long forgotten me like a fart, who knew he would come again. “Just give the arranged marriage to me, okay?” I typed frantically on my phone, “I’ll tell Adrian I have a husband when I go out later.” “?” Even across the screen, I could see Chloe’s disdainful expression looking at an idiot. “Is he a fool?” “What can’t a young master with hands and eyes reaching the sky find out?” “If Adrian knows you married someone else just to reject him, let alone tearing down our family, he could tear down Grandpa’s comrade’s family too, believe it?” I sighed, thinking through everything I did in this life that could attract Adrian’s attention, but still couldn’t understand why he fancied me. “Then what should I do?” “I’ve been in the bathroom for an hour, time to go out right?” No movement from Chloe’s side. I looked at the top right corner, there is signal, not just 5G, 5GA even. Did something uncontrollable happen outside? Just when I thought of eight hundred possibilities, Chloe finally sent a message. “I thought about it carefully.” “The best way now is to stall.” I looked confused, what? “Stall? How to stall?” “Yes, later you just tell Adrian you’ll consider it carefully.” “When you go home, tell Grandpa you want to go to the mountains to experience grassroots life.” “When Adrian comes looking, say you were punished to raise pigs in the mountains because you didn’t want to work or strive after graduation.” “I’ll find a beauty to seduce him, and you come back when he doesn’t like you anymore.” “Maybe I don’t even need to find one, that socialite lady will definitely try hard too.” … Although unreliable, why does it seem so reliable? When I went out, Adrian was leaning against the corridor wall, looking down at his phone. Seeing me come out, he stood up straight, the corner of his mouth curving up, “Willing to come out?” I went through the script I had recited dozens of times in my heart again, gathering courage. “Um… Young Master Sterling, I…” Before I could finish, I was ruthlessly interrupted. Adrian leaned down, warm air wrapping words drilling into my ears, making my face hot. “It’s not the old society, why call me Young Master?” “Call me by name.” Damn this hateful playboy, made me forget the script I memorized so hard. “Lily?” Seeing I didn’t speak, Adrian asked in a low voice very patiently. I quietly took a breath, steadied my mind, brain reconnected. “Adrian, um, can you give me some time?” After speaking, I lowered my head and closed my eyes tightly, daring not look at the expression opposite. If I can’t see it, it means nothing happened. I can’t see, I can’t see. No response for a long time, so long that I couldn’t help opening my eyes and looking up. But bumped into Adrian’s meaningful gaze. He continued to stare at me for a long time before sighing deeply, seemingly compromising helplessly. “Okay, I’ll give you time.” 3 When we got home, Chloe and I immediately found Grandpa. After much persuasion, he agreed to let me go to the countryside to raise pigs. “Once you go deep into the mountains, throw your phone away and pretend there’s no signal.” “Adrian won’t be able to find you!” While helping me pack, Chloe was proud of her strategy. “Will it work? Everything is scientifically scaled now, will he believe there’s no signal in our factory?” “He’s never been to the countryside, how would he know.” Chloe rolled her eyes at me. Alright… After packing two huge suitcases, Chloe continued to talk to me about the next battle plan. “I’ll go seek refuge with that socialite lady, say I hate you so I sent you to the mountains, creating opportunities for her.” “The rest depends on her!” I looked at her and asked a soul-searching question. “Didn’t you say you’d find a woman to seduce Adrian?” Chloe cursed, “Isn’t there a ready-made one? Why do you use your brain when arguing with me?” … Sleep, suddenly so sleepy. After kicking Chloe out of the room, I lay on the bed feeling hopeless. May I ask why our family insists on joining the wealthy? Isn’t it good to be a rich person deep in the mountains? I could be very arrogant. Unlike now, where everyone can be arrogant to me. Turns out having money isn’t always a good thing. Just when I finally realized these truths, Adrian’s video call suddenly popped up. Can’t see, I’m asleep… “Lily, if you don’t answer, I’ll go to your house to find you.” Seeming to anticipate what I was thinking, Adrian messaged directly. So when the video call rang again, I resignedly picked up. “Sorry, didn’t see it just now.” Please don’t be angry, Young Master. Adrian looked like he just showered, face a bit red, hair still damp. “Mm.” He stared at me, seeming not to care about this clumsy excuse. “Lily, call me.” Adrian’s voice was extremely hoarse. I looked at him doubtfully. Which move of the playboy manual is this? Hooking my heart a bit itchy. “Be good, call me.” His voice was so hoarse it was almost unrecognizable. I bit the bullet and called out “Adrian”. Thinking he must be a fox spirit reincarnated in his past life, how come he only knows these seductive tricks. No movement on the other side, just his eyes in the screen were a bit unfocused, face more flushed. Then he let out a few fragmented sighs. ? ! ? ! ! How could he??? Scared, I immediately turned off the screen, heart pounding. At the same time wishing I could delete Adrian’s WeChat and throw the phone into a recycling app. How could he do this? Is this still that lazy, unruly, arrogant heir? I think he doesn’t look like a young master at all, but very much like a male model. After a long time, Adrian messaged back. “Scared?” “Just couldn’t hold back because I was too close to you today, won’t happen next time, okay?” I turned the phone face down, really sleeping this time, can’t see. When counting the 7698th star, Adrian added another sentence. “Lily, don’t be afraid of me.” I silently turned off the phone, got out of bed, and took two sleeping pills from Grandpa’s study. Don’t be afraid? Strange if I’m not afraid? Really looking forward to waking up tomorrow and saying bye-bye to all troubles~ 4 Watching the mountains get deeper and deeper, I confirmed the driver again and again. Yes, it’s our dear Driver Wang who has worked with us for many years. Should probably maybe be reliable. Finally, when I was getting more and more suspicious, the car stopped. Looking at the endless green around, I couldn’t help complaining. Must we be such honest merchants? Saying pure natural means this pure natural. Before I could stand firm, Chloe called. “Mom, is Adrian sick?” Me: Huh? “He called me eight hundred times this morning!!!” Chloe’s voice carried rare breakdown, “Said if he can’t contact you, he’ll make me look good.” “Make me look good how? Make my life look good?” Chloe cursed loudly, “Where did he learn these CEO quotes.” “Said you were sent by family to raise pigs, what business is it of his!!!” “Um…” I weakly interrupted her accusation, “What’s the situation now? What should I do?” Chloe put away her emotions, narrowed her eyes, and sneered, “Don’t turn on your original phone.” “I’ll go find that socialite lady this afternoon, let her use her childhood sweetheart advantage.” “Just wait, Adrian. Dare not provoke me openly, can’t I use dirty tricks?” Very good… Chloe’s competitive spirit is up. I silently sympathized with Adrian in my heart. Don’t look at Chloe being as cowardly as me on the surface, the bad water in her stomach is deeper than the Pacific Ocean. However, when I turned on the old phone and saw Adrian’s 99+ messages, sympathy for him disappeared completely. Until I turned off the phone, pulled the SIM card and stuffed it under the bed, my heart was still pounding. In Adrian’s 99+ messages just now, besides crazy video and voice calls. The last few sentences made my eyelids twitch. He said, “Lily, playing me again, right?” “Baby, don’t let me catch you.” “Otherwise, if you can escape one meter, I’ll admit defeat.” Clearly separated by mountains, my legs still went soft unconsciously. Too scary. Will he lock me in the basement and hang me up to beat me? I see rich people on TV always have some weird plays. Chloe, please do your best, hold on. In the following days, Chloe, afraid of being caught by Adrian, didn’t contact me at all. Every day besides learning how to raise pigs with advanced scientific assembly lines with the factory director, I could only pass time by appreciating the green mountains and rivers. After all, I really couldn’t understand the intense gossip at the village entrance; this dialect is too hard to learn. Occasionally put on airs of a rich lady, warning the cafeteria auntie that if she gave me so little meat again, I’d tell their leader. Days without psychological burden are too beautiful. But there were times of regret. Like when shoveling manure in the pigsty wearing protective suits and rain boots. Actually, I think being cautious in the city is also fine, at least living in luxury and eating well. Ever since Grandpa called asking me to endure hardship at the grassroots level, I became the person with the most resentment in this mountain. Up before dawn, serving pigs during the day, learning breeding knowledge, and studying politics with the factory director at night. “Chloe, I really can’t take it anymore.” I started urging Chloe every day. After enduring half a year of painful physical labor. Chloe finally told me Adrian had a new little white flower, and I could go back. “Damn scumbag, changing affections so fast.” I blurted out subconsciously, then realized it was wrong. Isn’t this what I hoped for? Without waiting for Driver Wang to pick me up, I simply packed up and fled the mountain. If I don’t leave now, I have to work two more days. I won’t!!! “How long until arrival?” Chloe suddenly messaged, making me doubtful. Why does this person care about me so much today, asking how long until arrival all the time. Didn’t I send her the train information? To get home faster, I didn’t hesitate to sacrifice my old waist and took a 9-hour high-speed train. After exiting the station and breathing the cordial and not-fresh-at-all city air, I couldn’t help opening my arms and stretching. “Still, the life of luxury without working is good.” Unexpectedly, before I could retract my hands, a burning heat pressed against my back, and my waist was tightly hooped by someone. Adrian’s familiar mocking voice sounded in my ear, “Baby, caught you.” “Won’t let you go this time.”

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After my rebirth, I voluntarily placed the divorce agreement in front of Mark Foster. He didn’t even glance at it, tossing the document aside: “I won’t give you custody of our son.” “I don’t want custody.” Mark raised his eyes: “You’ve thought it through?” “I’ve thought it through.” In my past life, because I couldn’t bear to leave my son, I entangled myself with Mark for half a lifetime, until my son grew up. But on his wedding day, he said in front of everyone: “I hope my mom can fulfill my dad and Auntie Linda’s wishes. Auntie Linda has been with my dad for so many years, it hasn’t been easy.” 1 “I’d rather die than do homework! It’s useless for you to force me!” Eight-year-old Lucas Foster was rolling on the floor, throwing a tantrum, looking as if there was nothing I could do about him. This kind of thing happened every day. I demanded he finish his homework before playing. I didn’t let him watch TV for more than half an hour. I only allowed him to eat fried chicken and burgers once a week. I set many rules for him, hoping he could develop good study habits. But these habits became a complete joke the day Linda Young appeared. He accused me: “Auntie Linda never forces me to do homework; she only plays with me. “Auntie Linda never stops me from eating chicken legs. She says boys need to eat more to grow tall. “I don’t like you at all. I wish Auntie Linda could be my mom.” In my past life, even though I was heartbroken hearing these words, I chose to forgive. I thought he was just too young and ignorant, that when he grew up, he would understand my good intentions. I continued to force him to study hard, exercise, and eat a balanced diet. After growing up, he graduated from a prestigious university, founded his own company, and married a wife of equal status. On his wedding day, the host asked him to thank his parents. In front of all the guests, he said to me: “I hope you can fulfill my dad and Auntie Linda’s wishes. Auntie Linda has been with my dad for so many years, it hasn’t been easy.” Linda Young cried like a fountain off-stage. As if all the bitterness she endured for so many years was worth it at this moment. And I, standing on the stage, looked superfluous and ridiculous. “Mom, you forced me to do things I didn’t want to do since I was little. If Auntie Linda hadn’t silently given me warmth and encouragement, I would have been ruined long ago. “You and Dad lost your feelings for each other long ago. Why do you still occupy that position and make everyone unhappy?” I didn’t know how I walked out of Lucas’s wedding in a daze. I only knew that after walking out of the hotel, I was hit by a car for running a red light and unexpectedly reborn. Looking at my naughty son right now, I nodded: “Okay, no homework.” Lucas, lying on the ground, was a bit surprised. He looked up at me: “Are you serious?” “Of course,” I said calmly. “Then can I continue watching TV now?” “Not only can you watch TV, but you can also play on the iPad.” “Then can I eat chips while playing?” Lucas pushed his luck. “Whatever you want.” “Why are you suddenly so good to me?” Lucas asked me in amazement. I smiled without speaking. An ungrateful wretch doesn’t deserve my sincere treatment. “Are you afraid that I’ll only like Auntie Linda and not you in the future?” Lucas said smugly. “In the future, whatever you want, I’ll let you have it,” I said word by word. Including your favorite Auntie Linda. 2 After satisfying all of Lucas’s unreasonable demands, he became more and more lawless. The first thing he did after school was play on the iPad. He played while eating. He even slept holding the iPad. If he played too late at night and couldn’t get up, I didn’t wake him, letting him sleep until he woke up naturally. After waking up, if he wanted to go to school, he went; if not, I didn’t force him. I bought all the snacks he loved. Even the maids couldn’t stand it and kindly advised me: “Madam, spoiling the young master like this will ruin him.” “How could that be?” I said sarcastically, “Forcing him to do things he doesn’t like is what ruins him.” But not long after such days, Lucas’s abnormal performance made the school dissatisfied. His homeroom teacher called me, saying Lucas contradicted the teacher in class and said without restraint: “My parents don’t care about me, what right do you have to care?!” “Sorry, I indeed can’t control him. If there’s anything, please contact my husband.” I gave the number to the teacher. Then I hung up and continued my facial. When I finished my facial and returned home, I saw Mark Foster, who rarely came home, in the living room. His face was extremely ugly, his voice sarcastic: “Sarah, your methods are getting more and more brilliant. To make me come back, you even started using our son!” I did want Mark to come back. After all, calling him was useless. I don’t remember when Mark and I became enemies like this. We clearly fell in love freely, married voluntarily, shared joys and sorrows, and started a business together. After the company stabilized, I retreated to the second line and chose to stay home and teach our son. I spent too much energy on my son. When I realized something was wrong with Mark, he had already emotionally cheated. The object was the company’s new intern, Linda Young, twenty years old. Youthful, energetic, delicate. I accidentally saw Mark’s chat messages with her. Mark said: [You remind me of my wife when she was young. She was also delicate and cute like you back then.] [What about now?] Linda asked, sending a curious and cute emoji. [Now she’s nagging. Sometimes when I’m intimate with her, I feel a bit bored.] I didn’t expect to be such an existence in Mark’s mind. I made a big fuss that time. Feeling my self-esteem insulted like never before, I insisted on divorcing Mark. Mark didn’t agree. He explained he was just teasing the little girl and told me not to overreact. Both parents came to persuade me, saying the child was only two years old, asking me to consider the child and not haggle with Mark this time. Mark also swore he would never interact with Linda again and fired her immediately to show his loyalty to me. Besides, Mark at that time indeed didn’t have any substantial relationship with Linda. So in the end, I chose to forgive. I even started reflecting on whether I was indeed solely focused on the child, thus ignoring Mark and ignoring myself. When I tried to change myself, Mark physically cheated. 3 When I received the photo Linda sent of her and Mark in bed, I was taking care of Lucas, who had a high fever, in the hospital. Lucas suddenly had a febrile convulsion. After rushing him to the hospital, I called Mark. He was full of impatience: “Enough, Sarah. I’m just socializing for business outside. Don’t always find excuses to force me back!” I guarded Lucas alone in the hospital and received the photo Linda sent in the middle of the night. Very explicit. She said: [Mark says you’re ugly even after losing weight, not as delicate and cute as me.] Only then did I know that when a man cheats, he cheats. There is no difference between emotional and physical. I proposed divorce to him again. Mark didn’t refuse, but Lucas must belong to him. At that time, for me, Lucas was my whole life. I poured all my love into him. He was only three years old. His heart and eyes were full of me. Without me by his side, he wouldn’t sleep until dawn. I couldn’t leave him. I also thought about fighting for custody in court, but I hadn’t worked these years and couldn’t win against Mark. Our marriage just entangled like this. He never gave up custody. I insisted on custody. Later, when Lucas grew up, I seemed to get used to this tattered marriage. Sometimes, habit is a really scary thing. I hated Mark’s cheating to death, but in the end, I spent half a lifetime with him. Fortunately, God gave me a chance to be reborn. I opened the drawer and calmly handed the divorce agreement to Mark. The moment he saw the agreement, he laughed especially sarcastically: “Sarah, I thought you figured it out! Didn’t make a fuss for so long, starting again now?! What exactly do you want? Is the money given to you every month not enough?!” “Not enough.” I answered. “How much do you want?” Mark said generously. “Half of the company’s assets.” “What are you thinking, Sarah? Are you mentally deranged?!” Mark was furious. “We founded the company together. It belongs to the joint property after marriage. I asked a lawyer, and half of it rightfully belongs to me.” “And then?” Mark said impatiently, “Unless divorced, this is all marital property!” “So aren’t I divorcing now?” I signaled him to look at the divorce agreement. Mark sneered and threw the agreement aside carelessly: “I won’t give you custody of our son.” “I don’t want it.” Mark raised his eyes: “Thought it through?” “Thought it through.” Mark impatiently picked up the divorce agreement again and read it seriously. Except for the property I deserved, I didn’t ask for a penny more. At the same time, I voluntarily gave Lucas’s custody to Mark. Mark frowned tightly. He put down the agreement: “Sarah, don’t regret it. Giving up custody voluntarily means you can’t see your son without my permission.” “I know.” “Once divorced, I can’t remarry you, even for the sake of our son.” Mark threatened. “Sign it.” I didn’t want to waste words with Mark. If I hadn’t been unable to see him, the first thing I would have done after rebirth was divorce him. Mark saw my resolute attitude. He signed his name with a flourish: “Sarah, you brought this on yourself. If you hadn’t forced me like this, for the sake of our son and our years of friendship, I could have let you be Mrs. Foster for a lifetime. You didn’t know how to cherish it yourself.” 4 “Who cares.” I said indifferently. Maintaining the marriage with Mark in my past life was never for the position of Mrs. Foster. Purely for the bond of blood. “Pack your things and get out of my house!” Mark threw the signed divorce agreement at me. I had already packed my luggage. Just waiting to divorce Mark. I turned to go downstairs. Lucas also came back from school with Mark. It was said the teacher asked him to reflect at home for two days before going back to school. He had been hiding in the corner eavesdropping on my conversation with Mark. Seeing me leave, he quickly followed. “Are you really going to divorce Dad?” Lucas asked me. “Happy?” I said lightly while carrying my luggage, “No one will care about you anymore in the future. You can do whatever you want.” “Aren’t you afraid that after you divorce Dad, no one will want you anymore?” “Who told you no one wants me?” I looked at him amusingly. “Grandma and Dad both said so.” Lucas said frankly, “They said you’re not good enough for Dad, and no one will want you after you divorce Dad. You don’t dare divorce Dad at all.” I laughed. I saw through what kind of person Mark was long ago. I didn’t expect his mom to be like this too. Pretending to be a good person usually, saying her son was wrong here and there in front of me, saying I worked hard raising the child. Turns out behind my back, she just treated me as a free nanny for her grandson. Of course, it doesn’t matter anymore. They are all irrelevant people in the future. “If you really stop caring about me in the future, and stop caring about Dad and Auntie Linda, I’ll help you plead with Dad not to divorce you.” Lucas negotiated with me. “No need.” I touched his head and said gently to him, “Take care of yourself in the future.” Because in the future, his growth has nothing to do with me anymore. I dragged two large suitcases and left. Didn’t look back. I moved into a furnished apartment I found in advance. Near A University. I’m preparing for the postgraduate entrance exam to improve myself. Mark and I were university classmates. To accompany him in starting a business, I gave up the qualification for postgraduate recommendation. Later, after the business succeeded and we had a son, I put my focus on the family. I always had a regret in my heart that I couldn’t get a master’s or a doctorate. Reborn, I deeply realized that one must live for oneself. No one will empathize with you. The day after moving out of the Foster villa, I saw Linda post on Moments. She added me on her own initiative. At the company’s anniversary, I attended with Mark. Linda said my earrings were beautiful, so she added me on WeChat and asked for the link. Later, Linda really had the exact same earrings as me, only she didn’t buy them; Mark gave them to her. And the content of her Moments today: [Poverty limited my imagination. Is such a big backyard used for playing soccer?] Attached was a photo of the Foster villa’s backyard. The purpose was naturally to announce to the world that she was openly with Mark. No longer a mistress who couldn’t be seen. I liked their post. A bitch and a dog, together forever.

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I was the most emasculated husband in the Command Quarters. My wife, Veronica Shaw—a high-ranking Colonel on the General’s Staff—came with an entourage: her sister’s widower, Mitch Thompson, and his daughter. I was the supporting character in my own life. The scene was always the same: Mitch would stumble out of our bright, spacious master bedroom, flustered, with obvious red marks on his neck. Veronica would start to explain, to stammer out an apology, but I would always cut her off, throwing her a lifeline, and severing my own in the process. “I know you had one of your episodes again, V,” I’d say, my voice steady, even reassuring. “You mistook Mitch for me. It’s okay. I don’t mind.” Then came the field trip. A school outing to the mountains. A sudden mudslide. Veronica only had time to grab her niece, Kinsley, and rush away, leaving our own daughter, Juliette, behind. Juliette, or Jules, was later rescued by one of the junior medics, covered in blood, burning up with a fever. Even then, barely conscious, she shook her head and whispered the lines she’d learned from her father. “It’s fine. I know Mom just had one of her episodes. She mistook my cousin for me.” Everyone praised me for being such an understanding man—a rock for a powerful woman—and my daughter for being so mature. But deep down, Veronica was fracturing. She would sometimes rage at us, pleading for us to be the family we used to be. She was losing the war against her own lies. 1 I burst into the hospital room. All I could see was Jules’s little face, bright red from the fever, her tiny body seemingly swallowed by the white hospital bed. “Daddy’s late,” I choked out. I reached a trembling hand toward her cheek, but my tears splattered onto the crisp sheet first. Jules’s eyes fluttered open. She forced a weak, brave smile, her voice muffled and hoarse. “Don’t cry, Daddy. Jules is fine. It’s just a fever. It’s better than the last time…” I clapped my hand over her mouth instantly, shaking my head violently. “Shh, Jules, sweetheart, it’s over. It’s all in the past. This time, I won’t let anything happen to you.” A chill ran through me, a profound, bone-deep coldness that defied the scorching peak of summer outside. It felt like the icy grip of the last life, the agonizing final moments when the pain had swept through my frozen limbs. In that previous life, Veronica’s anxiety and guilt over losing her sister, Lydia, combined with the stress of her promotion, had sent her spiraling. She constantly mixed up Mitch and his daughter with Jules and me. I swallowed the sharp, internal pain, telling myself we were family. I tolerated it all—until her delusion cost our daughter everything. She made the mistake again, giving the one available dose of the life-saving specialized medication to her niece, Kinsley. Jules died. Broken and desperate, I went after Mitch and Kinsley. Mitch just laughed, a cruel, open-mouthed sound. “Stress? Anxiety? You actually bought that pathetic excuse? Veronica is tougher than anyone! It was just a necessary sacrifice to protect her reputation! Now go die quietly, Calvin. I’ll take care of Veronica.” They stripped me of my clothes and threw me out of the house in the dead of winter. I froze to death on the street. I was not letting that tragedy replay. In the past, Jules was trapped in the mudslide, overjoyed when she saw Veronica arrive. She ran toward her mother, only to be bypassed. Veronica went straight to Kinsley, swept her up, and left without a backward glance. It wasn’t until a full day later that Veronica finally remembered Jules hadn’t come home. Finding her in the hospital, still alive, she hadn’t offered comfort, only harsh questions: Why didn’t you shout? Did you expect to risk your life just to get my attention? I’d fought with her then. She’d stormed out, taking Kinsley with her to the Command Quarters’ barracks, refusing to see Jules. It was then, using the flimsy excuse of being “unfamiliar” with Jules due to her “episode,” that she diverted the life-saving medication. This time, I’d planned to keep Jules home. But while I was out talking to the doctor about her initial fever, Veronica had gone behind my back and forcefully sent Jules on the trip. A high-ranking official’s daughter, she’d declared, must be a role model for collectivism. The next time I saw Jules, she was on a stretcher. Staring at the grim diagnosis on the chart, I made a decision. I told the nurse to watch Jules closely, then borrowed the doctor’s desk phone and dialed a number I hadn’t touched in years. The reply I got made me exhale a shuddering sigh of relief. But securing the specialized medication through my connection would take time. I couldn’t risk it. If Jules’s condition worsened suddenly, Veronica’s readily available supply was still the best, fastest option. Reborn, I no longer craved Veronica’s love. I would be silent, compliant, allowing her and Mitch to continue their disgusting charade of “stress” and “mental fatigue.” I simply needed her to perform the most basic duty of a mother—to care for her child when it mattered most—for the sake of our history, and for Jules. I needed her to get the drug without another mistake. The following afternoon, Veronica arrived, Mitch and Kinsley trailing behind her. The security guard was hauling massive bags of shopping. Mitch’s new Omega Seamaster—a watch that screamed status and expense—flashed an arrogant gleam on his wrist, twisting a fresh knife in my gut. I knew how many favors and how much of our savings Veronica had burned for him. Veronica cleared her throat, a nervous, unnatural sound. “The rain was so heavy yesterday, Calvin. I was highly reactive, I’ll admit it. I… I mixed up Kinsley and Jules. That’s why I left her in the cave.” “Kinsley was also traumatized, so I took her to the mall—to the city’s designer shops—to soothe her nerves. As soon as she felt better, we rushed here to see Jules…” She paused, catching my flat stare, and added, awkwardly, “Calvin, you know how close Lydia and I were. Losing her has been incredibly hard on my mental state…” “She abandoned Mitch and Kinsley when she ran off and then died of cancer. They’ve had nothing. You…” Once, Veronica loathed Mitch, convinced he’d stolen her sister and led her to an early grave. After Lydia died, Veronica had spiraled into a deep depression. To give her an anchor, and because I genuinely felt for Kinsley, I’d persuaded Veronica to let them move in. I never imagined that “moving in” would extend to her bed. I looked at Mitch, resplendent in his crisp, silk-blend shirt. I said nothing. Mitch, sensing the advantage, smirked, patting Kinsley’s head. “Oh, right, Kinsley, sharing is caring. We shopped all day and picked up something for Jules. Hand over that dress…” “It’s a designer silk-georgette! It was so hard to find…” But Kinsley clutched the bag tightly, and a few dramatic tears welled up. “No! You said every dress here was mine! If she wants one, she can go pick out her own!” Mitch feigned sternness, lightly scolding Kinsley, then forced a chuckle. “Apologies, Calvin. The child’s been spoiled.” The subtext was clear: We are the real unit here. I instinctively looked at Jules. In the last life, this was the moment she’d compete, trying to win Veronica’s attention. Now, even through the haze of her fever, she managed a painful, distorted smile. “It’s okay. She can keep it if she likes it.” My eyes stung. My seven-year-old daughter was learning appeasement in front of her own mother. Veronica’s brow furrowed at Jules’s sad resignation. A flash of guilt crossed her face, and she reached out to embrace Jules. Jules subtly turned away. “Please don’t come too close, Mom. I have a fever. I don’t want to give it to you.” The utter emotional distance in Jules’s eyes made Veronica stumble backward. Unable to rage at the frail child, she turned the heat on me. “What kind of father are you, Calvin?! Letting her get this sick! And then letting her use her illness to spite us!?” I sighed, not engaging the accusation. I simply handed her the medical chart. 2 “Advanced Lymphoma. She needs the specialized medication immediately. Without it, she will die. She’ll be admitted to the hospital. Room 30.” I deliberately stressed the room number. No matter how bad her “episodes” were, she could only confuse people, not suffer hearing damage. This time, she would not make the mistake. Veronica’s hands shook as she read the file. She took several deep, shuddering breaths to compose herself. “Okay, Calvin. Don’t worry. I’ll make the call. I’ll make sure the medication is routed to our daughter.” I felt a small release of tension. At least she still cared. To try and appease Jules, Veronica promised she could re-enroll in the Conservatory Prep School for singing, which she loved. Veronica had pulled her out of that school only because Kinsley also liked to sing, and she didn’t want the girls competing. Mitch’s face went white. He viciously pinched Kinsley’s arm. Kinsley instantly fell to the floor, gasping and wailing. “I… I don’t want her to take my spot!” Mitch pretended to scold her sternly. “Kinsley Thompson! Be sensible! Can’t you let your cousin have this one thing?!” Normally, Veronica caved instantly to Mitch and Kinsley’s demands. Today, she held her ground, her expression chilling. I intervened with a smile. “It’s fine. It doesn’t matter. If Kinsley doesn’t like it, we’ll drop it.” Before Mitch and Kinsley arrived, Jules had been the apple of Veronica’s eye, the pearl of the Command Quarters. If Jules wanted the moon, Veronica would try to reach it. We were the envy of the base. Veronica always carried a photo of the three of us in her briefcase and spoke of us constantly. Then, Jules’s needs became secondary. Kinsley got the first pick of everything. Veronica claimed Kinsley was motherless and that she had to fulfill that duty, telling Jules she needed to be the “bigger person.” She forgot Jules was only seven. Veronica’s face darkened, a flicker of genuine anger igniting in her eyes. “I am Jules’s mother! And my daughter is sick! What is wrong with her wanting to sing? Do I need your permission, Mitch?” Mitch’s feigned smile froze. He picked up Kinsley awkwardly, moving toward the door. “I understand. Lydia’s elopement disgraced the family. We’re outsiders. We’ll just leave, so we’re not in anyone’s way.” Since Veronica’s feelings for him began, she was constantly trying to measure up to her dead sister, Lydia. Hearing her sister’s name, Veronica immediately snapped, her voice laced with panic. “Don’t be ridiculous! Where are you going in the middle of the night?!” She looked at me, struggling for words, finally spitting them out. “Calvin, let’s put the singing on hold. Jules isn’t in a rush. I need to take them back first, then I’ll return. We can talk about the hospital admission details tonight.” I nodded, watching them go with a blank smile. I knew she wouldn’t come back. That manipulation was second nature to her. In the last life, my hope for her love made Mitch’s digs excruciating. This time, I’d already extinguished all the soft, tender parts of my heart. The next morning, Veronica arrived, dark circles ringing her eyes, with Mitch in tow. Mitch made sure to expose the hickey on his neck, his tone laced with a possessive, smug complaint. “Veronica, you really need to get your stress under control… You were clinging all night… But she’s so dedicated to you, Calvin. She barely slept but rushed straight here. I’ll need to get her some supplements…” He didn’t finish the sentence, a flush of artificial modesty rising on his cheeks. Veronica flinched, shooting him a glare, then turning to me to start her explanation. I kept peeling the orange for Jules, my hands steady. “Since you’re here, talk to the hospital. Jules’s injuries will heal, but the lymphoma is the priority.” She acknowledged this with a simple “Mhm.” She was all business, handling the logistics with her usual ruthless efficiency. I glanced at her. She was wearing her pressed uniform, but embroidered, almost inappropriately, on the cuff, were a few tiny, delicate flowers. I froze. I remembered finding a stain on her uniform once, offering to clean it. She’d flared up in a rare fury, snatching it from me. “This is sacred. Don’t you dare touch it!” Her past declaration now sounded like a clown’s pathetic act. Veronica followed my gaze, her body tensing, ready to explain. I cut her off, bringing up Jules’s condition instead. Suddenly, Mitch slapped his forehead. “Shoot! Veronica, I just remembered! Kinsley was throwing a fit when we left. Since you didn’t take her to school, I bet she’s sulking at home. But she’s the lead in the big performance today!” Veronica’s face hardened. Mitch played the distressed parent. “You know how much Kinsley practices. If she misses this performance, she’ll be heartbroken. She’ll cry for weeks.” I exchanged a glance with Jules. Even pale and weak, she offered Veronica a soft, gentle smile. “It’s okay, Mom. Go with Kinsley. She can’t miss her performance.” Veronica mumbled, “She’s seven years old. She needs to learn some discipline!” But she was already halfway out the door. I knew it was coming, yet the pain was still a fresh, deep wound. I wiped a silent tear and turned to Jules, telling her a silly joke, trying to distract her from the inevitable disappointment. A moment later, my early-generation cell phone—the clunky “brick” model—rang. It was Veronica. My heart lifted briefly. Had she secured the medication? Her apologetic tone froze me. “Calvin. The medication is on hold. We’ll have to wait. Also, I have a necessary business trip to Seattle. There’s a plus-one slot for family, and Mitch and Kinsley have never been.” “I promised Kinsley I’d take her if the performance went well.” 3 My heart dropped, crashing into a dark, empty pit. The same excuse. They’ve never been. Was I, Calvin Rhodes, somehow indebted to them? Veronica tried to compensate. “Don’t worry. The next batch will be secured. I promise. We’ll bring you back a gift from Seattle. Didn’t you always want an Omega Seamaster? I’ll look for one for you…” For the first time since my rebirth, I let the fire out. “You’re lying! You have the drug right now! You’d rather see our daughter suffer than disappoint Mitch!” My memory of the past life confirmed it: the specialized drug was available. Veronica was choosing Kinsley’s vacation over Jules’s survival. I thought of the time she was nearly crippled by shrapnel, and I had pulled every string to get her the best care, massaging and rehabilitating her until she walked again. When she was pregnant with Jules and overwhelmed by her career, I put my own academic future on hold, taking an unpaid leave to be a full-time father. She’d wept then, promising me everything. “Calvin, marrying you was the luckiest thing I ever did. Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you.” She’d forgotten that promise. All I wanted was our daughter’s health. My words pierced her carefully constructed facade. Veronica, enraged at being called out, snapped. “Enough! I’m the one managing the logistics! Do you think you know more than I do? I am Jules’s mother, why would I hurt her?!” “Besides, there are top specialists in Seattle who might be able to help with my episodes. You hate me mistaking Mitch for you. If I get better, it stops! This helps us all!” She didn’t give me a chance to argue, hanging up with a definitive click. My knuckles were white. After all my silent sacrifice, she didn’t have an ounce of pity left. The Command Quarters hospital was small. The gossip quickly found its way to me. “Can you believe Calvin? The Chief of Staff is touring Seattle with Mitch and his girl, looking like a family of three!” “Mitch is constantly flaunting those hickeys. No shame.” “Specialized drugs? Only she has the clout to get them. She’s stalling for some pathetic reason.” Jules, catching the whispers, was scared I was upset. She threw her little body into my arms, comforting me. “It’s okay, Daddy. I can wait… We only have six months left to wait. I made it through the last time, I can make it through this one…” Later, while cleaning out the study, I found a faded, yellowed journal hidden in a drawer. On a morbid impulse, I opened it. The truth hit me, fact after fact, like a cluster of depth charges shattering my inner world. Mitch and Veronica had been involved for years. And Kinsley? Kinsley was their daughter. My hands clenched the pages. No wonder the brutal favoritism! But Jules was also her daughter! How could her heart be so ruthlessly biased? Her so-called grief over her sister’s death wasn’t grief at all. It was a calculated performance, a strategy to make me pity her and agree to take Mitch and Kinsley in. My genuine affection was a tool in her campaign. I rushed out, borrowed a camera, and, with shaking hands, photographed every single page of that journal. I looked at Jules, fragile, tormented by the disease, a gust of wind away from breaking. I was done being the silent victim. I developed the photos and walked straight into Veronica’s superior officer’s office. I presented the evidence and filed for divorce. Faced with the undeniable facts, the General’s superior grew serious. “Poor personal conduct. I never thought Veronica had grown so arrogant. Mr. Rhodes, the issues you’ve raised are severe. I approve the divorce immediately. The process will just take a little time.” The immense stone that had been lodged in my chest finally rolled away. Veronica was gone for two weeks. I stopped checking in, stopped calling. She returned to the hospital looking exhausted, immediately rushing to my side, her voice filled with feigned hurt. “Calvin. Why didn’t you check on me? Everyone else’s spouse called. Look, I got the Omega Seamaster you wanted. Try it on.” She paused, a thread of suspicion entering her tone. “I’m just watching out for Lydia’s family, that’s all. I also made a lot of breakthroughs on the research into my episodes in Seattle. Next time, I’ll take you. I swear I’ll fix myself.” “And I secured the specialized medication for Jules.” 4 I was indifferent to Veronica. The Omega Seamaster was meaningless. But the words “specialized medication” snapped my head up. “Good. Give it to her immediately.” This time, Jules’s disease had been more aggressive, more violent than the last. The antidote from my connection was still days away. Before Veronica could answer, Mitch appeared at the door, his face a mask of manufactured anxiety. He called her away. I saw the flash of poisonous resentment in Mitch’s eyes as he looked at me. I hurried to the nurse’s station to arrange the injection, but the doctor stammered. The medication, he said, had been given to Room 26. By Veronica’s request. “Room 26? I specifically told her Jules was in Room 30. Who did she mistake for Jules this time?!” The doctor avoided my gaze, forcing a calm professionalism as he checked the chart. “No mistake, sir. Room 26. The patient is Kinsley Thompson. She apparently developed a sudden illness while traveling in Seattle…” Jules lay on the bed, weak and fading. My heart clenched into a tight, hard fist. Was the previous life’s dark finale truly unavoidable? My rational mind burned away. I flung myself toward Room 26. Inside, the same doctor was present. Mitch had Veronica wrapped in his arms, sighing with practiced difficulty. “You know how sensitive Kinsley is. This illness is aggressive. If we don’t treat her immediately, she’ll lose her ability to sing. You know she’d rather die…” Veronica’s voice was ragged with tears. “But Jules… I can’t bear it. It’s both my hands, Mitch! I can’t choose. I’m so afraid Calvin will hate me.” I distinctly saw a flicker of triumph and malice in Mitch’s eyes as he glanced at the doctor. The doctor cleared his throat, sounding reassuring. “Colonel Shaw, your daughter’s condition is stable. A slight delay in the medication won’t hurt her. But Room 26 cannot wait.” My nails dug deeply into my palms. Just as I suspected. Mitch had already bought the doctor off. Mitch smiled, his usual polished veneer intact. “Exactly. If you don’t trust me, trust the doctor. Besides, Calvin hasn’t contacted you once in two weeks. That proves Jules is fine, right?” “And Calvin loves you too much. You can simply win him back later.” A wave of bitter nausea rose in my throat. Just as I was about to burst through the door, Veronica’s next words stopped me, a heavy lead binding my feet to the floor. “I owe Lydia, and I owe you both. This is my atonement.” “Since Jules can wait, Kinsley gets the first dose. I’ll just claim I had an episode, that I mixed up the two girls again…” My entire body shook with fury. Twice, in two lifetimes, with the exact same excuse, Veronica had willingly chosen to sacrifice Jules. In that critical moment, a hand slammed down on my shoulder.

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1 After my family fell, my uncle was “diagnosed” with ALS. I left the military, borrowed from loan sharks, and carried his burden alone. For five years, I endured it all—broken ribs without painkillers, exhaustion without rest—every cent went to his care. One night, while waitressing at the Astoria Grand, I saw him. The man I thought was wheelchair-bound stood tall in uniform, laughing with comrades. “General,” one said, “you’ve faked ALS for five years. Sarah’s nearly worked herself to death. Isn’t it enough?” Uncle Marcus scoffed. “Almost. If she hadn’t rejected Elsie and driven her into depression, I wouldn’t have needed to teach her this lesson.” He continued, “Elsie’s doing better now. Soon, I’ll ‘recover’ miraculously. Sarah will have suffered enough to behave.” “But will she believe an ALS recovery?” his comrade asked. Marcus laughed. “That foolish girl? She’s believed me since childhood. This is for her own good. I’ll make it up to her later.” I lowered my head, tears falling silently. But Uncle, there is no “later” for us. Your illness is a lie. But mine is real. … A cold wind whipped around the building, chilling me to the bone. I stood frozen, a puppet on a string, as the faith I had clung to for five years was systematically dismantled, a death by a thousand cuts. Each one carved away a piece of my soul. His friend, Captain Grant, sighed. “I have to say, Marcus, that’s cold. This is the girl you raised. The youngest ace sniper in the Command. She threw away her career for you, without a second thought. She’s barely in her twenties and she looks like she’s aged a decade. The other day, she was eight hundred dollars short for your imported medicine. She came to me, begging for a loan.” Marcus’s face hardened. “And you gave it to her?” Grant shook his head, his expression pained. “You gave a direct order. What could I do? The kid stood outside my barracks all afternoon until she passed out from low blood sugar. I didn’t even dare help her up. She came to on her own and used the wall to pull herself to her feet.” What Grant didn’t say was that on that day, I had pressed my service pistol to my temple. Captain, I’d said, there’s one round left in the chamber. If you don’t lend me the money, I’m pulling the trigger. Uncle had been off his medication for seven days, and he was coughing up blood. But Grant had just stared at me with red-rimmed eyes, disarmed me with grim resolve, and shoved me out of his room like I was carrying the plague. Now I understood. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to help. He wasn’t allowed to. Marcus’s voice was like ice. “Let me be clear to all of you. Until Elsie returns from her retreat in the Capital, no one helps Sarah. Not if she kneels, not if she begs. If she drops dead in front of you, you don’t even look.” “Elsie is a fragile soul, and her depression is just starting to lift. This five-year ‘punishment’ for Sarah is not to be cut short by a single day. If any of you upsets Elsie, don’t blame me for what happens next.” The room fell silent. Someone finally broke the tension. “General, aren’t you afraid that if Sarah finds out the truth, it’ll break her heart?” Marcus let out a short, harsh laugh. “Break her heart? I raised her. I gave her a life. What’s a little hardship? Elsie is different. She has no one. She’s suffered so much. It’s my duty to take care of her.” His gaze swept across the room. “What was said here tonight stays here. If a single word of it reaches Sarah’s ears, our history will mean nothing.” I leaned against the cold wall, my limbs numb. So that was it. The five years I had risked my life for, my entire future, was nothing more than a carefully orchestrated punishment. My career, my honor… all of it could be sacrificed at the slightest hint of Elsie’s displeasure, dismissed by my uncle as a necessary evil. I wanted to laugh, but the taste of rust filled my throat. A phone rang inside the room, and footsteps approached the door. I had no time to hide. I spun around frantically and collided with the manager carrying a bottle of wine. The bottle, a special reserve for the military elite, shattered on the floor. The manager’s face contorted with rage, and he slapped me hard across the face. The door to the private room swung open. Marcus strode out, his eyes passing right over me as he opened his arms to catch Elsie, who had just arrived. “What are you doing here by yourself?” he cooed. “I told you I’d come pick you up.” Elsie’s laughter was bright and clear. “I missed you, Uncle! I wanted to surprise you!” I was on my knees on the cold marble floor, less than a yard away, a mask covering my face. The brilliant diamonds on Elsie’s watch seared my tear-filled eyes. A single one of those gems could have paid for three months of my uncle’s ‘medicine.’ The manager scurried over, bowing apologetically. “General Redmond, my deepest apologies… This idiot broke your bottle.” A pair of black military boots stopped right in front of me. Marcus frowned, annoyed. “Enough.” He pointed a finger at me. “You broke it. You’ll clean it up with your bare hands. If Elsie steps on a single shard, you’ll swallow every last piece.” I knelt, my palms pressing into the carpet, searching for the glass. The shards bit into my skin, leaving a trail of tiny, bleeding cuts. Elsie let out a delicate gasp, clinging to Marcus’s arm. “Uncle, my feet are tired.” “You’re so spoiled. Let me carry you out of here. It’s filthy.” His black military boot pressed down on the back of my hand and moved on, without a moment’s pause. I remained on my knees, staring at my bloody palms, and a low laugh escaped my lips. Tears mixed with the warm fluid trickling from my nose, dripping onto the floor. The manager jumped back. “What’s wrong with you? You’re bleeding everywhere!” I staggered to my feet, wiping my face with my sleeve. It came away stained crimson. “Maybe… I’m finally dying.” Ignoring his stunned expression, I turned and walked away, leaving a broken trail of red drops behind me. When I pushed open the door to our apartment, the sound of breaking porcelain came from the kitchen. Marcus was struggling to push himself up with his arms, trying to get out of his overturned wheelchair. When he saw me, he froze, then dropped his head, his eyes quickly turning red. “Sarah… I just wanted to warm up some milk for you… I’m so useless… just a worthless cripple…” His speech was slurred, drool trickling from the corner of his mouth. Combined with his trembling hands and despairing eyes, he was the perfect picture of an ALS patient ravaged by years of illness. I suddenly remembered that before his “diagnosis,” Marcus had been a notorious neat freak. This was a man who polished his sidearm three times a day, who couldn’t tolerate a single wrinkle in his uniform. Yet for Elsie, he had kept up this pathetic, painful charade for five full years. In that moment, I wanted to cut open his chest and see if his heart was made of stone. Seeing my silence, his shoulders slumped. “Sarah… are you disgusted by me? Just go… leave me here…” I walked over without a word, righted his wheelchair, and helped him into it. Then I got a bowl of warm water and began to clean his face. He suddenly grabbed my wrist, his eyes falling on my torn and bloody palm. “What happened? Who did this to you?” I stared into the fake concern in his eyes. “Someone who looked a lot like you.” His jaw tightened. “At the Astoria Grand.” I smiled again. “But I know it wasn’t you. My uncle would never lie to me. Right?” His gaze flickered away. “Of course not. Sarah, you’re the most important person in the world to me. I would never lie to you.” I fought back the burning sensation in my eyes and wheeled him out of the kitchen. After I made dinner and brought it to the table, the living room was empty. The bedroom door was slightly ajar, and I could hear his hushed voice on the phone. “Be good, Elsie. Uncle has a big surprise for you tomorrow. We’ll celebrate your birthday properly.” On the other end, Elsie’s voice was sweet. “But tomorrow… it’s Sarah’s birthday too. If you’re not with her, won’t she be sad?” “Silly girl. You’re my most precious treasure. Sarah stopped celebrating her birthday years ago. She’s used to it.” Elsie cheered. “I knew you loved me best!” I stood at the door for a long time. Finally, I untied my apron in silence and left. When Marcus wheeled himself out, the apartment was empty. On the table sat a bowl of noodle soup and a single, foil-wrapped imported pill. He was used to me being gone by this time, working my night shift. But an image of my deathly pale face, my mangled hand, and my impossibly thin frame flashed through his mind. A sudden, inexplicable panic seized his heart. He grabbed his phone and quickly dialed a number. The next day, we were at the military hospital for a check-up. My uncle’s doctor was ecstatic. “Ms. Jenkins! A research institute in the Capital has a new experimental drug with incredible results for ALS! I managed to get General Redmond a spot in the trial!” Compared to his excitement, my voice was flat. “What are the chances of a full recovery?” “Over eighty percent!” Marcus played his part perfectly, his eyes welling with tears. “Sarah… I can get better… I can stay with you…” I forced a faint smile. “If only one of us could live, Uncle, no matter what, I would always want it to be you.” He froze, his brow furrowed. “What are you talking about? We’re both going to be fine. When I recover and return to the service, you’ll go back to being the Command’s proudest sniper—” But that pride… I didn’t want it anymore. And I didn’t want him anymore, either. The doctor asked me to leave the office, claiming the “examination process was complex.” I knew it was just an excuse to get me out of the room. I stood around the corner of the hallway and watched as my uncle quickly changed out of his patient gown and walked, steady and strong, into the elevator. Down below, the familiar black military sedan was already waiting. I quietly looked away and walked into another clinic at the end of the hall. “Sarah, the tumor in your brain has already pressed against major nerves. It’s inoperable now.” The doctor’s sigh was heavy. “If you had come in two weeks ago… there might have been a chance. You have… maybe a couple of days. Go say your goodbyes to your family.” I sat there in silence for a long time before slowly nodding. “After I die, please have me cremated. The ashes… please deliver them to the Westwood military base housing, to General Marcus Redmond.” I left what little money I had and walked out of the hospital. My phone lit up with a new text message. 「You should come see the house on base.」 The sender was Elsie. I hailed a cab and went to Westwood. The single-family house on the base, which I thought had been sold off years ago, was now ablaze with light, decorated like a fairytale castle. It was filled with guests, a glittering party in full swing. Elsie, wearing a diamond tiara and a white designer gown, clung tightly to my uncle’s arm. They stood surrounded by well-wishers in front of a six-tiered cake. She clasped her hands together, her voice saccharine. “My wish is to be the only little princess in my uncle’s heart, forever and ever.” Marcus smiled and pulled a small, dark blue velvet box from his uniform pocket. The moment he opened it, all the blood in my body turned to ice. It was a sapphire locket. It was a Redmond family heirloom, passed down through generations, only to the women who married into the family. On my eighteenth birthday, my uncle had placed it in my palm. Sarah, whether you accept me as more than your guardian or not, you will always be my most precious princess. I once valued it more than my own life. Even in our darkest times, I protected it fiercely. Now, that same sapphire locket, its chain shortened and its back engraved with a new name, Elsie, was being fastened around her delicate neck. As the crowd applauded, Marcus’s voice was full of warmth. “My little princess, congratulations. Your wish came true.” I don’t know how I managed to walk away from that blindingly bright scene. My phone buzzed relentlessly in my pocket. 「I recognized you at the hotel, you know, sis.」 「See? The locket is mine, and so is Uncle.」 「You’re like… a stray dog nobody wants. So pathetic.」 「Your life is such a failure. Why don’t you just die? ;)」 「Oh, by the way, I had Uncle prepare a special ‘birthday present’ for you. I hope you… enjoy it.」 I wandered the cold streets like a ghost for the rest of the day. As night fell, I returned to the old, crumbling apartment building we lived in. And then I understood what Elsie’s “present” was. The door was wide open. The inside of the apartment looked like it had been hit by a tornado. Marcus was on the floor, his hands tied behind his back, his new uniform covered in dust. He struggled against his captors, the veins in his neck bulging. “Well, well, long time no see, kid,” the leader said, a toothpick dangling from his lips. “Time to pay up for the month, isn’t it?” My face went white. “But I already paid off all the debts.” “Paid off?” The man sneered, grinding his boot into my uncle’s back. “I say you haven’t, so you haven’t. What, you don’t want to pay? Then let’s see how many whacks with a pipe your precious uncle can take.” “Sarah… don’t worry about me! Run! Just run! Let them kill me… I’m just a worthless cripple anyway…” The exact same words. I had heard them countless times over the past five years. I closed my eyes, a wave of exhaustion washing over me. They had staged this “debt collection” so many times, yet they had never truly harmed my uncle. But I, in my desperation to protect this liar, had suffered broken ribs, a crippled leg, and had given almost everything I had. The taste of rust filled my throat again. My voice was a hoarse whisper. “What… what do you want?” The man looked me up and down, his eyes filled with contempt. “You’re going to crawl through each of our legs. For each one, you bark like a dog three times. We’ll call today’s payment our entertainment fee.” “No! Sarah! You can’t!” my uncle roared, his eyes red as he struggled to get up, only to be shoved back down. I gave a numb, empty smile. The last tiny flicker of hope inside me sputtered and died. “Fine,” I heard myself say, my voice terrifyingly calm. “If this is what you want, then we’re even.” The words were meant for the thugs, but my uncle’s head snapped up, a flash of genuine panic in his eyes. But then he remembered his promise to Elsie. This was the last “lesson.” As soon as Sarah got through this, he would take her home and spend the rest of his life making it up to her. He had a lifetime to fix this. So he looked away. And as he “struggled,” he secretly activated the micro-camera hidden in his cuff, recording the image of me kneeling before those men. He sent the video. The men left. I lay on the floor for a long time before I found the strength to stand. Marcus crawled over, his eyes red. He opened his mouth to deliver another pitiful line, but when he saw the dead, empty look in my eyes, the words died in his throat. The next day, a medical team arrived to take my uncle to the Capital for his “miracle drug” treatment. Before he got in the car, he clutched my hand tightly, looking back every few steps. “Sarah, wait for me to come back. I promise, I’ll get you your sniper rifle back. You’ll be the pride of the Command again. I’ll never let anyone… bully you again.” I smiled but didn’t answer. I just watched quietly as the car disappeared down the street. Then, I doubled over, clamping a hand over my mouth as blood poured through my fingers. The doctor had said that when the tumor ruptured, it would be the end. It was strange. In that final moment, as I fell, I felt no fear. My mind was flooded with scattered, warm memories from a lifetime ago. Uncle Marcus, taking me home from the cold military cemetery, clumsily trying to braid my hair. Me, missing my first shot on the rifle range, and him scolding me with a stern face, only to secretly slip a piece of candy into my pocket later. Me, delirious with a high fever, and him sitting by my bedside all night, holding my hand and whispering over and over, “Don’t be scared, Sarah. Uncle’s here.” He had said, “My Sarah deserves the very best the world has to offer.” A warm liquid slid down my cheek. With a trembling, blood-stained finger, I opened my phone. Using the last of my strength, I typed out a message, one word at a time. 「Uncle, I’m not waiting anymore.」 「This life… I’m giving it back. To repay the Redmond family for raising me, and to pay for Elsie’s ‘pain.’ Please… bury me next to my parents.」 The message sent. I closed my eyes, my strength gone. And on the floor beside me, the phone began to vibrate, a frantic, desperate buzz against the cold linoleum.

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When the “Crown Prince” of the city’s elite circle pursued me, he gave me BMWs and luxury villas. My best friend said relying on a man is worse than relying on yourself. I believed her words, decisively rejected the Crown Prince, and returned all those gifts. Heartbroken, the Crown Prince went abroad and died in a conflict zone. As a result, I lived my whole life as an ordinary white-collar worker, working myself to death for a monthly salary of a few thousand dollars. It wasn’t until I fell seriously ill from overwork that my best friend said to me: “You were destined to soar, but who told you to be stupid enough to believe whatever I said? Seeing you living worse than me makes me feel balanced.” As I spat blood in anger, she took the opportunity to pull my oxygen tube, letting me die in the hospital bed. Turns out, her words were never for my own good. After rebirth, looking at the Crown Prince who was about to buy me a luxury villa, I smiled sweetly: “Let’s date!” Refusing money, I was indeed a fool in my past life. As for my best friend, I want her to be insanely jealous but unable to do anything to me. 1 “Gardenia (Zhizhi), do you like this house?” Julian King reached out to open the car door for me, pointing at the European-style villa in front of us, asking with a smile, his eyes full of joy expecting praise. “You want to give it to me?” I raised my head blankly, looking at the vivid Julian in front of me and my own fair and tender hands, realizing with hindsight that I had actually been reborn. Reborn to the time when I hadn’t rejected Julian yet, and he hadn’t gone abroad heartbroken and died in a conflict zone. At this moment, his smile was warm and gentle, like a ray of warm sun. The thing I regretted most in my past life wasn’t rejecting the immense wealth, but regretting letting such a deeply affectionate person die abroad because of my rejection. It could be said he died because of me. I thought more than once, if I hadn’t chosen to reject him back then, he wouldn’t have died young abroad. “Yes, this way you don’t have to worry about being kicked out by the landlord every day. It’s not a loan, I’ll choose to pay in full so you have no worries, okay?” Julian asked me cautiously, afraid I would be angry with him and ignore him. Actually, he didn’t need to be so careful with me. He never owed me anything. Instead, I accepted his kindness again and again but refused to agree to be with him for a long time. Just because my best friend, Chloe Xu, would brainwash me under the banner of being for my own good every time Julian showed kindness to me. “A rich young master like Julian can’t be sincere to you.” “Relying on a man is worse than relying on yourself. Reject him! We want to be independent women.” 2 But in fact, I wasn’t cut out to be an independent “big woman” at all. My knowledge and vision were too ordinary. In my past life, after rejecting him, I worked hard and down-to-earth for my career for twenty years. For this, I even chose not to marry, thinking that heaven rewards diligence, and my hard work would definitely pay off. But in the end, before I died, my salary was only five thousand a month, and I worked myself into a body full of ailments. Because there are too many ordinary corporate workers like me, a dime a dozen. I could be replaced at any time. I wasn’t cut out to be a heroine. But it’s different with Julian. He thinks I’m special, he likes me. This villa he casually gave me is worth eight figures. It’s an existence where I couldn’t even afford a toilet inside even if I worked hard all my life. In my last life, I rejected his proposal and turned away, wasting his good intentions. So in my last life, three days later, I was kicked out of my rental because the landlord raised the price temporarily. I simply deserved it. But now, I accepted it generously: “I accept, thank you for your gift, I like it very much. I can finally say goodbye to the landlord’s face that raises prices at any time.” Seeing me accept his gift for the first time, Julian happily called the agent waiting aside: “Come here, bring the contract for her to sign. My secretary will transfer the money to your account in an hour.” So a luxury house worth tens of millions was added to my name, and Julian didn’t feel the pinch at all. During the meal, he told me: “I’m very happy you could accept my kindness. “You know what? The location of this house is particularly good, and your neighbors are all very kind people. This villa really suits you perfectly. Living here in the future, I can work with more peace of mind, not worrying about you being troubled by the landlord at any time. “And you don’t need to have any psychological burden. Its existence is just a kind gift from me. Not a bargaining chip for me to force you to be with me. You don’t need to have any psychological burden.” This villa was actually carefully selected by him. Such a good man, only giving, not asking for return! I must have been blind and blind-hearted in my past life to listen to Chloe’s words and push him away. I only thought Chloe was doing it for my own good at the time, never thinking that Chloe was jealous of me. Her own life was a mess, and she didn’t want me to live a good life either. Actually, if she had good intentions back then, after I got together with Julian and lived a good life, I would definitely have helped her as a best friend. Originally we could have gone up a level together, but she wanted to drag me into the mud with her. At this moment, my hatred for her reached its peak. I can’t wait to see her breakdown. 3 When Julian drove me downstairs to my rental apartment, he looked nervous: “Can I go up and sit for a while? Just drink some water and leave.” Heard that before meeting me, Julian was not good with words and had a bad childhood experience. Maybe because when he was an intern at the grassroots level of our company, I thought he was an ordinary employee and helped him when he was made difficult by other employees, he was very willing to contact me and very active. He is different from those men with many tricks. He said going up to drink water meant just drinking water and leaving. He didn’t have those crooked intestines (bad intentions). He was satisfied just looking at me a few more times. This time I didn’t reject him: “Sure! Just right for you to know the door. If possible, come help me move tomorrow morning! I want to move into the new home you gave me quickly.” Julian didn’t expect me, who was always polite but wary and distant towards him, to make exceptions for him again and again today. The raised corners of his mouth never came down. He followed me upstairs excitedly, chattering: “You agree to let me help you move? What time tomorrow? Is 6 am too early? How about 8 am? Need a moving company? I’ll contact one!” In the past, I would have disliked him being too attentive, but now I find his love-brained look strangely cute. I thought about it and responded to him: “8:30! By then, I should have packed up.” Julian quickly nodded and noted it down. Then he really followed me back to the rental room, drank a cup of warm water and left. I put a little osmanthus honey in that water, hoping he would have a sweet dream tonight. What made me feel very comfortable was that he didn’t show a disgusted expression because my rental room was small throughout the whole process. He said, a girl coming out to strive on her own, being able to have such a small nest shows that I have worked very hard. Quite good at comforting people. 4 After he left, I pretended to call Chloe inadvertently: “Julian said he wanted to give me a villa today, do you think I should accept it?” Chloe, who was still working overtime on Saturday over there, was extremely resentful: “Of course don’t accept it, others will treat you as a gold digger if you do. Reject him! You must reject him fiercely.” I pretended to be ignorant and nodded: “Okay! I originally thought, if you like this villa, I could pass it on to you. Since you think this is more like gold digging, I’d better reject it! A house worth more than ten million.” Chloe, who originally wanted to persuade me to continue rejecting, seemed to be drinking water, and then she choked on the water. After coughing several times, she quickly asked me: “How much did you say? A house worth more than ten million? Could it be a trap? Did he ask you to take a loan? Does decoration still need a large sum of money? That’s a means to manipulate you; he wants to control you with money.” I shook my head: “I went to see the house, in Cloud District, fully furnished. He said he paid in full. If you don’t want it, forget it.” I said, pretending to hang up the phone. Even Chloe, who was bent on persuading me to stay away from Julian, was severely moved when she heard about the villa worth ten million. She shouted loudly to stop me: “Don’t hang up yet! Who said I don’t want it? You are going to be self-improving in the future. Let me do this kind of gold-digging thing! You accept his kindness first, then immediately transfer the house to me. This way you can also maintain your persona of not bowing for money.” But when did I ever want to set up some broken persona of not bowing for money? What is the meaning of living if not to make money? Didn’t she always shout at me not to accept any gifts from Julian before? Why doesn’t she shout at me not to rely on men but rely on myself at this time? Turns out she has always been a double-standard dog. That set of rhetoric before was just to fool me. Just because I was simple and easy to cheat, she wanted to destroy my bright and brilliant future? Really too vicious. How could I be so stupid back then to think she was thinking for me? I was simply stupid to death in my past life. 5 “Gardenia, why aren’t you talking? Are you moved by my act of self-sacrifice? “You don’t need to thank me too much. In the future, whenever Julian says he wants to give you anything, just throw it to me without burden. I’ll bear it for you. Also don’t reject too hard, keep him hooked first.” In front of money, Chloe opened her mind instantly. Originally wanting to persuade me to stay away from Julian, now she hopes I can get more, get for her. Really shameless enough. “But, didn’t you always say to let me reject him before? Let me think about it carefully! I don’t know for a moment whether to listen to what you say now or what you said before.” After finishing, I hung up the phone directly at her most expectant moment. I think without my accurate answer, Chloe should be tossing and turning tonight, unable to sleep no matter what. You know that’s ten million! Ten million that she would find hard to earn in a lifetime no matter how she struggled. If she didn’t get it in the end because of my hesitation, I think she would regret it for life. Sure enough, five minutes later, Chloe took the initiative to call me: “Gardenia, I thought carefully. My previous thoughts were not mature enough. You can actually treat him…” Without waiting for her to finish, I smiled and took the conversation: “You want to say neither riches nor honors can corrupt, neither poverty nor humble condition can swerve, neither threats nor force can subdue? I’ve heard you say this many times. I will consider it seriously. Going to sleep first.” After speaking, I hung up her phone directly, then turned it off, and went to get my beauty sleep. Actually, about half an hour later, Chloe came downstairs to my rental apartment. She shouted downstairs, wanting to see me, wanting to persuade me to accept that villa and give it to her. But I pretended not to hear directly, rolled over and continued sleeping. Anyway, there is access control downstairs, she can only shout downstairs. Without the access password, she can’t come up. And because this building is full of working people, being woken up when falling asleep caused great resentment. Without me stopping her, the middle-aged aunt upstairs was already cursing at Chloe downstairs: “Middle of the night, shouting what? If you don’t leave, I’ll splash water.” The young man downstairs also raised a wine bottle aimed at Chloe downstairs: “If you disturb my gaming again, I’ll smash you.” Scaring Chloe into fleeing with her head in her hands, leaving unwillingly…

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1 My daughter joined a summer swim club, only to have her head held underwater by a classmate, pressed firmly against the powerful drainage vent. When I saw the water turning pink, I dove in, frantic, and pulled her out. But the immense suction had disfigured her face beyond recognition. She coughed up a mouthful of bloody water, and then… she was gone. The girl who led the attack, Tiffany, just sneered, boasting that the law couldn’t touch her. “So what? I couldn’t stand her anyway. Now that she’s dead, no one can compete with me for first place.” Her mother tossed a credit card at my feet with contempt. “There’s fifty thousand dollars on that. That should be enough for your daughter’s worthless life, right?” Consumed by grief and rage, I demanded justice, but my own husband stopped me. “She’s just a child, Lydia. Your daughter is gone, but does that mean another girl has to lose her freedom?” I fought until I was exhausted, but I couldn’t get them punished. In the end, my spirit broken, I stood before my daughter’s grave and swallowed a bottle of sleeping pills. When I opened my eyes again, I was back. Back on the day I was supposed to drive my daughter to the pool. I turned the car around and took her straight home. But this time, a girl still died at that pool. … In my rush to leave earlier, I had left my daughter’s bag in the locker room. I told her to wait in the car while I ran back in to grab it and warn the pool staff about the dangerous drain. The moment I stepped into the natatorium, I was met with the sound of cruel laughter. “Look at her, she’s like a dead fish! Move! Why aren’t you moving? Hahahaha…” The sound of three girls’ laughter was piercing. The tallest of them, Tiffany, had her foot planted on a splash of blue underwater. The sight of the blue swimsuit—the same color as my daughter’s—and the water faintly tinged with red made my heart seize. If I wasn’t absolutely certain my Sophie was safe in the car, I wouldn’t have been able to bear it. In my past life, Tiffany had targeted my daughter because Sophie had beaten her in academics. She was determined to crush her in extracurriculars, too. But who was this girl? Why was this happening? I pushed the thoughts aside. Saving her was all that mattered. “Stop it! What do you think you’re doing?!” I screamed. Tiffany saw me, raised an eyebrow, and slowly took a step back. “Well, well, look what we have here. The mother hen has come to protect her little chick. Fun’s over, girls.” The other two girls scattered like startled rabbits, avoiding my eyes. Even after they moved, the girl in the water was still held fast by the powerful suction, her face glued to the vent, her limbs drifting limply. This was exactly how it happened to my Sophie. I had jumped in, but the force of the drain was too strong. I couldn’t pull her free. By the time the staff finally shut off the circulation pump, it was too late. My daughter died in my arms. The blue swimsuit, the ponytail, the small frame… I kept telling myself, This isn’t my Sophie. She’s safe in the car. But my hands were shaking uncontrollably. Learning from last time, I yelled at the lifeguard. “What are you standing there for? Can’t you see someone is trapped? Get someone to shut off the pump, now!” The teenager finally snapped out of his stupor and fumbled for his radio. A few minutes later, I lifted the girl’s limp body from the water. Her face was swollen and distorted, her features unrecognizable. She wasn’t breathing. There was no pulse. Tiffany stood off to the side, arms crossed, a faint smirk playing on her lips. “Lady, she said she could hold her breath for three minutes. We were just helping her.” “Helping her?” My eyes were bloodshot. I slapped her hard across the face. “You call holding her head against a drainage vent ‘helping’?” Tiffany clutched her cheek, glaring at me. “We were just playing! How was I supposed to know she couldn’t take a joke?” “You hit me! Do you have any idea who my father is? I’ll make sure your whole family regrets this!” Oh, I knew exactly who he was. And that knowledge made me want to tear that indifferent look right off her face. “Playing? You call this playing? This is murder, do you understand?!” One of the other girls, a chubby one, finally seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation, her voice trembling. “Tiffany, maybe we should…” “Should what?” Tiffany cut her off. “You were pushing down on her just as hard as I was!” The third girl was already sobbing. “I… I want to go home…” I had no time for them. I laid the girl on the deck and started CPR, shouting at the staff to call for an ambulance. “Call 911! We might still be able to save her!” As I tilted her chin back to give her a breath, I noticed a small, plum-blossom-shaped birthmark behind her ear. Something flickered in my memory. Just then, the swim coach and Tiffany’s mother, Victoria, sauntered in from a side door, the coach exhaling a final puff of smoke. They saw the scene by the pool and their faces paled. “What… What happened here?!” Tiffany immediately adopted an innocent expression and ran to her mother. “Mommy, we were just having a breath-holding contest! She said she could do three minutes, but I guess she couldn’t…” “You foolish girl!” the coach stammered, his face ashen. “I’ve told you a hundred times, no one in the water without my supervision!” “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again. But that doesn’t give this lady the right to hit me, does it?” Tiffany pouted, but over her mother’s shoulder, she shot me a triumphant smirk. Victoria saw the red handprint on her daughter’s face and pointed a finger at me. “How dare you lay a hand on my child?” She glanced dismissively at me and the girl on the ground. “This girl clearly wasn’t following the rules, and her parents weren’t watching her. A tragedy, yes, but you can’t blame others for it, can you?” In my last life, the security footage showed Tiffany pushing my daughter into the pool from behind, then the three of them dragging her to the drain and holding her down. I imagined this girl’s fate was no different from my Sophie’s. I knew the agony of losing a child. No matter who this girl was, she was an innocent victim. Saving her was the priority. I refused to waste my breath arguing. My hands never stopped their rhythm as I glanced at the coach. “Coach Miller, you bear some responsibility for this. You need to notify her parents immediately.” The coach fumbled for his phone, his hands shaking. “Right, right… I’ll… I’ll call them right now…” After a few seconds, he looked at the girl’s swollen face. “Her… her face is so… I don’t know which student this is.” I looked up, exasperated. “Check your roster! See who was scheduled for today, who called in sick, and who’s still here. The one left over is…” “No need to check,” Tiffany interrupted. “I know who it is.” She crouched down beside me, staring at the girl’s face. Her voice was quiet, but her words were like needles in my ears. “Isn’t that your Sophie? Ma’am, don’t you even recognize your own daughter?” “You were so frantic before, I thought you knew. Or maybe… you just couldn’t accept the truth?” My eyes widened. So, she thought this was my Sophie. That’s why she did it. Tiffany seemed pleased with my shocked expression. Seeing that I hadn’t stopped compressions, she continued. “You can stop trying. Haven’t you noticed she hasn’t responded after twenty minutes of this?” “From the time she went under to the time you pulled her out, more than ten minutes had passed. The golden window for rescue closed long ago.” Her words hit me like a physical blow. All the strength drained from my body, and I collapsed onto the tiles, trembling. Was I too late again? In my past life, I couldn’t save my own daughter. Now, I had failed to save this girl, too. I fixed my gaze on Tiffany. “Why would you do this? Aren’t you afraid of the consequences?!” “Ooh, I’m so scared,” she said, mockingly patting her chest. “What consequences? The law?” “I’m only eleven. And anyone under fourteen can’t be held criminally responsible, you know.” She was so close I could smell the strawberry shampoo in her hair. That sentence, that scent, had haunted my nightmares in my previous life. Looking at her face, a grotesque mixture of childish innocence and pure malice, I could no longer contain the rage that had been building for two lifetimes. I grabbed her by the hair and started dragging her toward the pool. “You vicious little monster, today I’m going to let you taste—” Victoria slammed her purse into the side of my head. The metal charm on it sliced a long, bloody gash across my forehead. As I let go, she pulled Tiffany behind her. “Are you insane?!” “What’s done is done! Why are you taking it out on a child? My daughter is just a little girl, what does she know about consequences? It was an accident!” “An accident?” I felt the blood rush to my head. “Go check the security footage yourself! Three girls holding a child’s head against a drain, and you call that an accident?!” Victoria glanced at her guilty-looking daughter, then calmly pulled a card from her wallet. “What do you want, then? Justice? Let me tell you something. In this world, justice depends on who you are and what you can pay.” She stepped forward, the card almost touching my nose. “Do you know who my daughter is? She’s the heiress to the Wagner Corporation!” “And your daughter? The child of a working-class family. She’s dead. So what? You expect the Wagner heiress to pay with her life?” She flicked the card at my face. “There’s fifty thousand on here. Pin is six eights. Take the money, shut your mouth, and give your daughter a nice funeral.” “But if you say one word of this to anyone, if you dare call the police… I guarantee you and your husband won’t even find work sweeping streets in this city.” Tiffany peeked out from behind her mother and made a face at me. There was no fear in her expression, only smug satisfaction. The coach, not wanting any more trouble, tried to mediate. “Mrs. Miller, look, this was clearly an accident. Since they’re offering to settle, maybe everyone can just compromise?” Compromise? I looked down at the bank card on the floor, then at the cold, lifeless body of the girl. It was laughable. They were treating a human life like a business transaction, and speaking of it so casually. My eyes fell on the girl’s birthmark again, and I suddenly remembered who she was. If the life of my ordinary daughter wasn’t worth Tiffany’s freedom, let’s see how many lives they would need to pay for this girl’s. Tiffany was still chattering. “Come on, lady, lighten up. Money is what’s real. Your daughter is dead, just have another one…” I slowly raised my head, my gaze settling on her ignorant, arrogant face. “I have a feeling your mother’s money won’t be much good this time.” She jutted her chin out. “Say whatever you want. It doesn’t matter. Nothing will happen to me. My mom told me, the juvenile protection laws are my get-out-of-jail-free card!” I gently wiped the blood from the dead girl’s face, my fingers tracing the plum blossom birthmark. I took off my jacket and covered her, a final gesture of dignity. “A get-out-of-jail-free card?” A bitter smile touched my lips. “Then you’d better pray that everyone in this world believes in the law.” Victoria frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I ignored her, took out my phone, and sent a single text message. Then I leaned down and whispered in the dead girl’s ear. “Don’t be afraid. Your father will be here soon.” Then, I dialed 911. “What do you think you’re doing?!” Victoria shrieked, sensing something was wrong. “I’m telling you, this ends here, today! If you dare…”

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My husband’s friend from college has a “sports system,” and I’m the one it’s bound to. As long as I lie still, she can keep moving indefinitely, and all her fatigue gets transferred to me. So my husband ties me to the bed while she runs a marathon and wins. He slips sleeping pills into my milk so she can swim three thousand meters without getting tired. My body is deteriorating, but she’s racking up prize money and awards. My husband constantly belittles me. “Look at Lily, so young and full of energy. Then look at you, lying there until your limbs atrophy!” I rest, she moves? As long as I remain still, she can keep moving? Perfect. On New Year’s Eve, they made plans to “ring in the new year” together. I went straight to a medical research center, signed an agreement, and had myself cryogenically frozen for one year. I’m going to make sure your New Year’s celebration lasts the entire year. You can go break a world record. 1 William came toward me again, holding a wide strip of cloth. He always did this before one of Lily’s competitions. He would tie me up. Whenever I tried to struggle, he would whisper gently, “Honey, don’t talk. Just cooperate for a few hours. I’ll lie here with you.” I stared at him, bewildered. “William, what on earth are you doing?” He didn’t answer. He just held me down. I was pinned to the bed, unable to move. The TV was broadcasting a live marathon. Lily, my husband’s college friend, was running. I watched with a frown. Not ten minutes later, a sharp, aching soreness shot up from my calves, as if I had just run five miles myself. The pain was so intense I let out a groan. I tried to get up, but William held me down firmly. He cradled my head and smiled. “Just bear with it, honey. I’ll give you a massage.” He kneaded my aching muscles while his eyes, gleaming with excitement, were glued to the TV. On the screen, Lily ran with a steady, swift pace, not a drop of sweat on her face. She was a stark contrast to the panting, struggling runners beside her. She ran faster and faster, while the pain in my body intensified. With every step she took, the soreness grew, as if I were the one running. No, it was worse than if I had run it myself. Every time I felt like I couldn’t take it anymore, William would press down on me, refusing to let me get up. After what felt like an eternity, the announcer’s excited voice shouted “Champion!” as Lily crossed the finish line and was immediately swarmed by a crowd. William let out a sigh of relief and untied me. Lily accepted the trophy and yelled into the camera, “William, did you see that? I won! I really have you to thank. Day or night, having you by my side gives me peace of mind.” I looked up at William. He stood by the bed, his face a mixture of pride, relief, and excitement. I trembled with a rage that consumed my entire body. 2 I lay on the bed, too exhausted to even lift a finger. “William,” I asked, my voice weak, “why did you tie me up?” He was in the middle of changing his shoes. He paused, and when he turned around, the excitement was gone, replaced by sheer annoyance. “I told you to cooperate. Why do you ask so many questions?” I managed a weak smile. The soreness hadn’t faded, and every word was an effort. “Cooperate? You tie me up like a mummy and make me lie here in agony, and you call that cooperating? And what about you? ‘Day and night’ with your little friend. What exactly are you doing with her?” William’s brow furrowed, his expression cold. “What are you thinking? Lily is just a friend. She’s under a lot of pressure preparing for her competitions. What’s wrong with me looking after her? She’s fit, she wins awards, she brings honor to our country. And you? All you do is lie in bed and let your imagination run wild.” I repeated the words “looking after,” my heart clenching. “Looking after her? You go look after her, and you tie me up? Am I just part of your game?” “Don’t be ridiculous,” he snapped, his tone hardening. “I told you not to overthink it. She’s like a sister to me. Lily winning the championship is a huge honor. If you’re not going to be happy for me, at least don’t be so jealous. It’s pathetic.” I opened my mouth to say more, but my throat tightened, and no words came out. It was always like this. Whenever Lily had a competition, he always had some excuse to make me stay in bed. He’d say I was tired and needed rest, or he’d come up with some bizarre reason to keep me from moving. I used to think I was just being paranoid. But this time, the pain of being tied down, the bone-deep exhaustion, and the sight of Lily running so effortlessly on TV—it was all like a series of needles, forcing me to wake up. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. My body was getting weaker and weaker. The slightest movement left me breathless. But Lily was becoming more and more energetic, winning award after award. There had to be a connection I wasn’t seeing. A knock on the door broke the silence. William’s face lit up as he rushed to open it, his voice filled with a warmth I hadn’t heard directed at me in a long time. “Lily! You’re here! Come in, you were amazing. I almost cried when you won.” Lily bounced into the room, her eyes landing on me. A mocking smile played on her lips. “Still in bed, are we? Why don’t you get up and move around a bit? It’s not healthy to lie around all day. Look at me, you have to exercise to have energy.” She waved the trophy in her hand, its gleam stabbing at my eyes. William looked at her with doting affection, then turned to me, his voice cold. “What are you waiting for? Get up and make Lily something to eat. If you keep lying there, your limbs are going to atrophy!” 3 Of course I wasn’t going to cook. William ended up making instant noodles for dinner. As I drifted in and out of sleep, I overheard them whispering. They must have thought I was completely out, because even though their voices were low, the words drifted into the bedroom. “William,” Lily said with a giggle, “I’m definitely going to win the three-thousand-meter swim tomorrow. After I get the prize, can we celebrate New Year’s Eve together tomorrow night? You know you’re my New Year’s wish!” William sounded a bit shy. “Lily, your stamina is incredible. You just ran a marathon, and tomorrow you can swim three thousand meters. But… about celebrating together… I’m not sure I can keep up with you.” Lily laughed softly. “Oh, William, I don’t mind. I just want to make you happy. Let’s spend the whole night together, okay?” After a brief silence, William’s voice was hesitant. “But… I still feel guilty. Maybe I should just divorce her. It feels wrong to do this to her.” Lily paused. “William, you can’t divorce her now. My sports system is bound to her. I can only compete without a care in the world if she’s lying perfectly still. All the fatigue gets transferred to her, and that’s how I win all these championships.” I froze. Lily has a system? And it’s bound to me? I held my breath, pressing myself against the headboard, and fumbled for my phone to start recording. Lily’s voice softened, coaxing him. “William, if you divorce her, how will you control her? If she runs off and stops cooperating, my system will be useless.” “Just wait a little longer, William. After I compete in a few more major events next year, the prize money and endorsements will be enough for us to live comfortably for the rest of our lives.” “By then, she’ll be completely broken down anyway. A cripple who can’t even walk. No one will suspect anything if she dies. And when she’s gone, we can finally be together, officially. I’ll marry you, okay?” William hesitated for a moment, then chuckled. “Okay, I’ll listen to you. You focus on your race tomorrow. I’ll make sure she behaves. And tomorrow night, we’ll celebrate New Year’s Eve together. I’ll even take something if I have to, just to keep up with you.” Lily giggled. “You’re the best, William. But you have to time it right. You have to let her get up after my race is over, otherwise I won’t be able to stop either.” “Don’t worry,” William replied softly. “I know what I’m doing. I won’t let her stay still for too long, otherwise you’ll keep moving. I get it.” I lay in the darkness, my body ice-cold, my blood frozen in my veins. So that was it. That’s why I was getting weaker, why Lily was always a bundle of endless energy, why William was always finding ways to make me lie down. I wasn’t paranoid. I wasn’t being ridiculous. I was a pawn in their game. A stepping stone for Lily’s success. A tool to be discarded when I was no longer useful. 4 The next morning, the TV in the living room was blasting. The sports channel was broadcasting the pre-race preparations for the three-thousand-meter swim. I was propped up against the headboard, the soreness from the day before still clinging to my muscles. William walked in, holding the same strip of cloth from yesterday, his face blank. “Honey, lie down. Time to cooperate.” I frowned, my voice hoarse. “No, William. I’m not doing it.” He stopped, his brow instantly furrowing. “What’s your problem? It’s just for a few hours. Just bear with it.” He reached for my arm, but I yanked it away. He stared at me for a few seconds, then, as if an idea had struck him, he turned and left the bedroom. He returned a moment later with a glass of milk, his voice softer, coaxing. “Alright, alright, no ropes. Just drink this milk, it’s good for you. You didn’t sleep well last night.” He held the glass out to me. A faint, chemical smell mingled with the scent of milk. My heart turned to ice. Sleeping pills. That was his game. I turned my head away. “I’m not drinking it.” William’s patience finally snapped. His face twisted into a snarl. “Honey, are you determined to fight me on this?” The commentator’s excited voice boomed from the TV, announcing that the swimmers were in position and the race was about to begin. William grew even more agitated. His eyes were locked on me. Suddenly, he pointed out the window. I instinctively turned to look. A sharp, searing pain exploded at the back of my head. I whipped my head back around and saw him holding an ashtray, its edge stained with my blood. I gasped. “William, you’re insane!” Then, everything went black. I don’t know how much time passed before he shook me awake. The back of my head still throbbed, and a wave of dizziness made it hard to open my eyes. “Wake up! Stop playing dead!” It was William’s voice, sounding cheerful. I struggled to open my eyes. Through my blurred vision, I saw the awards ceremony on the TV. Lily was holding up another trophy, a triumphant smile on her face. William stood by the bed, his own face beaming with pride. “Lily won again! See? I told you she could do it.” I tried to move, to push myself up, but I felt something sticky on my cheek. I reached up and my hand came away covered in blood. William’s eyes were still glued to Lily on the screen. He didn’t even turn around. “You’re bleeding. Should you go to the hospital?” I gritted my teeth and summoned every last bit of my strength to crawl out of bed. Every movement sent a fresh wave of pain through my skull, and my vision kept blacking out. I stumbled to the doorway and looked back at William. He was still standing there, transfixed by the television, without the slightest intention of even helping me to the door. “I’m celebrating New Year’s Eve with Lily tonight. I won’t be back,” he said, still not looking at me, his voice filled with anticipation. I leaned against the doorframe, a chilling cold seeping deep into my bones. You’re celebrating New Year’s Eve together? I rest, she moves? She can keep moving… indefinitely? Perfect. I will give you a New Year’s celebration you will never forget. 5 Before I left the house, I slipped a small recording device into William’s bag. Then I went to the hospital to get my head wound treated. After I was bandaged up, I walked straight to the hospital’s research wing. I had once seen an ad on my phone for volunteers for a long-term cryogenic freezing experiment. It was for one year, and during that time, no one had the authority to terminate the experiment. I’d thought it was just a strange piece of news back then. I never imagined it would come in handy. The head researcher’s office was simple, her desk piled high with files. When I walked in, she was organizing some documents. She looked up at me. “Here to inquire about the cryo-freeze experiment?” I nodded and asked if it could start tonight. She pushed up her glasses and handed me a contract. “Yes, that’s possible. The rules are, once the experiment begins, you will be frozen for one year. There will be no contact and no early termination. Are you sure about this?” I took the pen and signed my name without a moment’s hesitation. Just before midnight, my phone buzzed. It was a video call from Lily. I stared at the screen for a second before answering. The screen showed the balcony of a high-end hotel room. In the distance, the colorful lights of an amusement park glowed, the Ferris wheel a glittering circle in the night sky. Lily was wearing a bathrobe, her hair damp, a pill in her hand. She leaned into the camera, a sickly-sweet smile on her face. “Sorry about tonight, sis.” She panned the camera around to show a large bed behind her. “William’s in the shower,” she chirped. “And he’s agreed to be my New Year’s gift. Tonight is going to be unforgettable. I won’t live-stream the rest for you, though. Wouldn’t want you to overthink things, hehe.” Just then, William’s voice called from the bathroom. “Lily, can you grab me a towel?” Lily bit her lip and whispered to me, “William’s calling me. Got to go.” The phone screen shook as she laughed. “I’m coming, William!” The call ended. At that moment, the head researcher informed me that everything was ready. I stood up and walked to the cryogenic pod. Then, I took the recording device from William’s bag and activated its live-streaming function. I’d read that this model had low power consumption and could last for a month on a full charge. If only it could last a whole year. That would be even better. I lay down inside the pod and gave the doctor a thumbs-up. She nodded and pressed the start button. A cold mist began to fill the chamber. I closed my eyes, waiting for my consciousness to freeze, with only one thought in my mind: Have a happy New Year, Lily. And you too, William. Enjoy every single second of it.

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