Category: English

My parents lived by a single, brutal principle: they would end our fights, but they would never judge them. No matter how badly my sister and I fought, they refused to step in. “We can’t be the judges for you two,” my mother would say. “One of you will always think it’s unfair.” “So if you want something, you fight for it. If you’re not strong enough, you learn to live without it.” “And don’t come crying to us. The tattletale is the one who gets punished.” But I could never win against my ferocious younger sister, Zoe. Snacks, toys, new dresses—they never even made it into my hands before she’d snatched them away, usually after giving me a good shove for my trouble. To avoid the bruises, I stopped fighting. I stopped arguing. Until my kitten, Ginger, got sick. I ran for my piggy bank, my heart pounding with the need to save him. It was empty. Zoe just laughed. “I spent all that money ages ago,” she sneered. “Guess that little furball will just have to die.” A rage I’d never felt before boiled up inside me. I lunged at her, but she just threw me to the ground and beat me. Again. Something in me snapped. I ran sobbing to my mother, breaking the one sacred rule. But Mom’s words were the same cold, hard wall they’d always been: “This is between you and your sister, Chelsea. I’m not getting involved.” 1 I clung to her shirt, my words choked with tears. “But Ginger has a fever. He’s so hot, he won’t even open his eyes.” She pushed me away, her patience wearing thin. “Chelsea, you know the rules. No tattling. If you want your money back, you get it back yourself.” My sobs grew louder, more desperate. “But I can’t beat her! I’ve never won a single fight. I can’t get it back, Mom. Please, I’m begging you.” No matter how much I cried, she wouldn’t budge. Our battles were our own. She wouldn’t pay for the vet, either. Instead, she turned the blame on me. “If something happens to Ginger, it’s your fault. Why didn’t you protect him better? I told you not to get a cat in the first place. You promised you’d take care of him, so what are you doing now, just crying about it?” Zoe stood behind her, sticking her tongue out. “Tattletale, tattletale, shame on you.” My mother, fed up with my wailing, finally shoved me aside and walked away. I clutched my side where Zoe’s nails had scratched me, the skin still stinging. I looked over at Ginger, curled into a tiny, shivering ball in the corner, his eyes barely slits. I had no choice. Swallowing my pride, I sniffled and went to Zoe. “Give me the money back,” I pleaded, “and I’ll do your homework for you. For the rest of the year.” I added, “And I’ll do all the chores from now on. You’ll never have to lift a finger again.” I had nothing to bargain with. I had nothing in this house that was truly mine. She’d once pried a cookie out of my mouth just because she decided she wanted it. All my allowance, all my birthday money—she stole it all. The cash in the piggy bank was a special reward from my uncle for babysitting my cousin all summer. I’d hidden it so carefully, tucked away behind the circuit breaker box in the hallway. And still, she had found it. And taken it. Zoe just flexed her little bicep. “Nope. I’m keeping the money. And you’ll still do everything for me anyway. Because you’re a weak, useless loser who can’t fight back.” The rage surged again, hot and blinding. “If you don’t give me the money, I’ll die before I ever help you again!” At that, she flew at me. She pinned me to the floor, her weight crushing me. She was so much stronger. One of her hands clamped down on both of my wrists, and I couldn’t break free. I was trapped, helpless, as she slapped my face over and over. I screamed, a wild, hysterical sound. My dad walked in from work, saw the scene on the floor, and just sighed, walking right past us into the kitchen. Zoe grinned, her face inches from mine. “You don’t help me,” she hissed, “and I’ll beat you like this. Every. Single. Day.” 2 I couldn’t lose Ginger. But I couldn’t win against Zoe. I was sobbing so hard I could barely breathe. Cradling Ginger in my arms, I stumbled out of the house. And ran right into the old lady from next door. She had a strangely kind smile. “Zoe been giving you trouble again?” she asked, her voice a raspy whisper. “You’re too gentle, dear. If you can’t beat her head-on, why not try something a little more… clever? A little something in her drink. Some sleeping pills. Nothing that’ll kill her, of course. Just enough to take the fight out of her.” My mother always said the old lady next door was a bad influence. That I should never listen to her. But she had a point. I hugged Ginger tighter, and he let out a weak, trusting meow. In that moment, my heart turned to stone. I searched the house, pulling open drawers and rummaging through medicine cabinets. Finally, I found them: Mom’s sleeping pills. I pocketed the bottle. Then I went to my room and staged a fake phone call, speaking loudly enough for Zoe to overhear. “That new beauty supplement you gave me is amazing! My skin is already glowing!” I knew Zoe was jealous of me. Jealous that I was fair-skinned and pretty, that all the kids at school liked me. She took after our grandfather—dark and brawny. She’d secretly tried Mom’s diet pills and slathered her face with Mom’s expensive creams. I knew she wouldn’t be able to resist the “secret beauty pills.” Sure enough, she stomped into my room a few minutes later, demanding them. I refused. If I gave them up too easily, she might get suspicious. Predictably, she started hitting me. She grabbed a textbook from my desk and slammed it against the side of my head. A dull, throbbing pain spread across my face. Finally, I “confessed” where the pills were hidden. She scrambled to find them. The moment she had the bottle, she twisted it open and poured the entire contents into her mouth, swallowing them dry. My breath caught in my throat. I just held Ginger, unable to watch. Soon, she was sprawled on her bed, fast asleep. I tiptoed over and whispered her name. No response. I shook her shoulder. Nothing. I frantically searched for her money stash, my hands shaking. After what felt like an eternity, I found it. I didn’t waste a second. I grabbed the cash, scooped up Ginger, and slipped out of the house. I didn’t know where the nearest animal hospital was, so I went to my grandma’s house and got my older cousin, Mark, to drive us. It was a long night, but finally, Ginger was safe at the clinic, an IV drip in his tiny paw. The vet said he’d be fine in a couple of days. But the money I had was only enough to cover the first day. Without a second’s hesitation, I told the receptionist, “That’s fine. I have more.” It was the first time I had ever successfully taken something back from Zoe. And I knew it wouldn’t be the last. My heart was racing. I had found her weakness. I had found a way to win. She could beat me with her fists, but I had my brain. I was always at the top of my class, after all. On the way home, I used the last fifty cents I had to buy an ice cream bar. It was the first time I’d ever eaten a treat without the fear of it being ripped from my hands. A deep, unfamiliar sense of satisfaction bloomed in my chest. I was already planning my next move. One pill a day, and she’d never have the strength to hit me again. But when I walked through the front door, the first thing I saw was my parents, their faces pale with panic, carrying a limp, vomiting Zoe towards the door. I froze. They saw me and immediately grabbed my arm, yanking me along with them. “We have to take Chelsea too,” my dad said, his voice tight with fear. “If it’s food poisoning, she could be next.”

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At the college reunion, my husband, Liam, led me by the hand to a table of his old friends. “This is Clara,” he announced, a fond smile on his face. “My best ‘buddy’ from back in the day. You can just call her ‘Her Majesty,’ like I do.” So this was her. The infamous “one that got away,” the name that made all his old classmates exchange knowing glances. She was dressed simply, in a white button-down and jeans, looking almost as young as she must have in college. But her smile held a complicated edge. “Liam,” she said softly, her voice a low murmur. “It’s been a while. Brought another girlfriend for me to approve?” I met her gaze and smiled back, my own smile bright and unwavering. “I’m sorry,” I said, my voice clear and pleasant. “I’m Liam’s wife.” 1 The air in the private dining room went still. Clara shot Liam a look, her tone laced with amusement. “You got married?” “Yeah…” Liam mumbled, glancing at me before quickly looking away. He sat down and, without a word, pulled her half-eaten bowl of appetizers toward him and started finishing them off. The table erupted in laughter. “Haha, classic Liam! Only ever this whipped for Clara!” Clara’s gaze flickered to me, a silent, challenging smile playing on her lips. I sipped my champagne, feigning indifference, but a fire was already starting to burn in my gut. As the night wore on and the drinks flowed, someone shouted for them to do a cross-armed toast, a tradition usually reserved for newlyweds. “Come on, Liam,” Clara said, holding up her wine glass, her voice casual but carrying. “We do this at every reunion. Your wife won’t mind, will she?” “Her Majesty’s word is law,” Liam declared, already reaching for his glass. “She wouldn’t dare have an opinion.” His eagerness made Clara laugh, a bright, tinkling sound that grated on my nerves. The moment their arms began to intertwine, something inside me snapped. I shot to my feet. Under the stunned gazes of the entire table, I snatched the glass from Liam’s hand, clinked it against Clara’s, and downed the contents in one go. “I don’t care who you were to him in the past,” I said, my voice steady as I surveyed the room. “But he is my husband now. And that is not a toast you make with another woman.” I let my gaze linger on each of them. “Men and women both should have some sense of shame, some boundaries. If you have neither, then you’re just shameless.” The mood soured instantly. Clara’s smile froze on her face. Liam panicked, pulling me back down into my seat. “Why are you being so serious? It’s just a drinking game. They’re my old friends, they’re just joking around.” He lowered his voice. “Just be cool for a minute, okay? Don’t actually piss her off. She’s impossible when she’s mad.” Clara just blinked, a mocking little smile playing on her lips. I was about to explode. “Isn’t that a toast for a husband and wife? You call that a joke? Do you people not understand the concept of respect, or is the point of this reunion to see how many marriages you can break up?” I turned my glare on her. “And what kind of ‘majesty’ insists on doing that with a married man?” Clara’s composure finally cracked. She stared at me, the challenge in her eyes hardening into open hostility. “Wow, Liam. Your new wife is quite the firecracker. She’s got me shaking in my boots.” She paused, her voice dripping with condescension. “But honestly, she’s a bit of a prude, isn’t she? Doesn’t even understand party etiquette. So boring.” With that, she grabbed her purse and stood up. She gave Liam a look that clearly said, Fix this, and walked out. “Your Majesty, wait!” Liam scrambled after her, pure panic on his face. He shot me a furious glare before chasing her out of the room, leaving me alone with the silent, staring table. They all looked at me with a kind of pitying amusement, as if I were a clown who’d just flubbed her act. My hands clenched into fists. I grabbed a plate of leftover bones from the table and walked out, intending to feed the small dog I had tied up just outside the door. Liam had caught up with Clara in the hallway. The fawning, desperate man I saw was a world away from the calm, collected husband I knew. “Don’t be mad, please,” he was begging. “She’s just small-minded, she doesn’t know any better. Don’t stoop to her level, okay?” “Don’t go. How about… how about I make her serve you tea and apologize?” Clara’s expression softened. A small, triumphant smile broke through. Seeing me approach, a cunning glint appeared in her eyes. “You said it, not me,” she purred. “Fine. I’ll give you one more chance.” “Great! I’ll get her to apologize right now.” Liam breathed a sigh of relief and turned around. When he saw me, he rushed over and pulled me in front of Clara, his voice almost pleading. “Can you just stop it? Say something nice to her. I’m going to get some wine, and then you’re going to apologize properly.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. As he went back into the room, a wave of laughter followed him. Clara looked me up and down, then spoke in a low, conspiratorial tone. “Back in college, Liam would do anything I said. He confessed his love to me several times, but I never said yes.” “Every girlfriend he’s ever had looked a little like me. He had to bring them all to me for my approval. He wouldn’t continue dating them unless I gave him the nod.” My head snapped up. And for the first time, I saw it—the startling resemblance in the shape of our eyes, the curve of our mouths. Her voice dropped even lower, a venomous whisper in my ear. “This time, he married you without my permission. And I’m not very happy about it.” “Do you want to bet? All I have to do is frown, and he’ll divorce you in a heartbeat.” Before I could process her words, she lifted her foot and brought it down, hard, on my little dog. Rage, white-hot and blinding, consumed me. “Clara, what are you doing? Get off him!” She pressed down with all her weight. I couldn’t budge her. The dog yelped in pain, a series of high-pitched, desperate cries, but no one from the party came out. Then, provoked beyond endurance, the dog twisted and bit her on the ankle. It wasn’t deep, just enough to break the skin. “Ow! Ah, that hurts!” she shrieked, snatching her foot back. Her cry was the signal. The door flew open and everyone poured out into the hallway. Liam was the first one out. He saw the tiny teeth marks on Clara’s ankle, and a look of such violence crossed his face it made my blood run cold. He disappeared back into the room and emerged a second later with a fruit knife. “You bit her? I’ll kill you, you stupid animal!” he roared, lunging at the dog. The dog was chained and couldn’t escape. Liam stabbed it again and again. It collapsed, trembling, its whimpers echoing down the corridor. I lost my mind. I threw myself at him, shoving him away. I gathered the bleeding, dying animal into my arms, my voice a raw, shredded scream. “Liam, what gives you the right? That dog was the last thing my father ever gave me!” “It was Clara! She started it! It wasn’t his fault, check the security cameras if you don’t believe me…” Suddenly, Clara stumbled and fell into Liam’s arms, her voice a terrified cry. “Liam, thank god you’re here! I was so scared!” Seeing her distress, Liam’s panic returned. He dropped the knife and wrapped his arms around her, holding her so tightly it looked like he was trying to merge their bodies into one. “It’s okay, Your Majesty. I’m here. I’ve got you.” The classmates gathered around, their expressions unsurprised. One of them shot me a contemptuous look. “Everyone knows Clara is terrified of dogs. Why would she ever go near yours?” “You’ve got some nerve, lady,” another one chimed in. “Messing with the one person Liam actually cares about.” He swept Clara up into his arms, his face a dark, thunderous mask as he pushed past me. “Anna,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous. “You’ve gone too far.” I froze. It was the first time he had ever looked at me with anything but affection. 2 The dog twitched in my arms, a small, pained spasm that jolted me back to reality. I scrambled to my feet and followed them. While Liam went to get the car, Clara dropped her frightened act. She looked me over, her expression smug. “See? Now you believe me. Even married to you, I’m still the one he can’t live without.” “Do you know why he listens to everything I say?” I didn’t answer. My breathing had become slow and shallow. Clara let out a small, derisive laugh, her gaze drifting toward the parking garage. “We were neighbors, back in the day. He had an abusive, alcoholic father and a mother who was a doormat. My mom and I were the only ones who ever looked out for him.” “One time in college, he had a raging fever. All his roommates had gone home for the weekend. I snuck into his dorm to take care of him. The dorm mother was doing rounds, so I had to hide on his balcony for half the night.” “It was the middle of winter, Anna. It was freezing. When it was safe, Liam pulled me inside and just held me, his eyes all red. He swore he would listen to me forever, that he’d worship me like a queen.” “He told me he loved me. I turned him down. Later, when he found out I was dating someone else, he tried to kill himself. I guess you were the one who picked up the pieces.” Liam’s car pulled up to the curb. Her voice remained light, but every word was a poisoned dart. “We have a shared history, a shared pain. We’re on the same wavelength. That one night is worth more than a lifetime of your efforts.” “Tell me,” she finished, her voice dripping with scorn, “what do you possibly have that can compete with that?” I stood there, stunned, my mind reeling. I met Liam at the hospital. My father had flown back to the country for surgery, and I was there every day. Liam was in the next bed. He’d been admitted for depression after a suicide attempt. He wouldn’t talk to anyone, except me. I was drawn to his intelligence, his quiet charisma. I thought I was special. I gave up my studies abroad to stay by his side. My father, seeing how much I cared for him, not only approved of our marriage but sponsored his continued education, sending him to the best medical programs in the world. He even served as a test subject for a new drug Liam was developing, helping him secure his reputation. That drug eventually killed him. The accumulated toxins in his system were too much. He passed away six months ago. Liam, grateful for my father’s patronage, had never once raised his voice to me. Until today. Whenever I missed my father, no matter how busy he was, he would drive me to the cemetery. The screech of tires pulled me back to the present. I met Clara’s triumphant gaze and let out a cold laugh. “Why are you telling me all this? Are you trying to show off? Or does stringing him along just give you a thrill?” “Anna!” Liam’s voice was sharp, a clear rebuke. I didn’t bother explaining. I just got into the car, holding my dog. Clara, however, stood by the door, her eyes welling with tears. “Liam, where did you find this woman? I was only telling her our history so she wouldn’t feel insecure. And she just attacks me, as if I’ve done something terrible to her.” She sniffled. “It’s okay, you should take her dog to the vet first. I don’t dare get in the car with her. I can’t handle her.” The sight of her tears made Liam’s face harden. He turned to me, his eyes like ice. “Anna, where the hell are your manners?” “What did you say to her? I wouldn’t even dream of speaking to her like that. What gives you the right to make her cry?” “Get out. I’m taking her to the hospital first.” I had reached my limit. I jammed the key into the ignition. “Liam, get a grip. I am your wife. And this is my car.” “My dog is dying! I’m going to the vet!” Liam ran a hand through his hair in frustration, then yanked me out of the driver’s seat. “You’re being completely irrational! A dog bite can be serious, people can die!” “It’s just a dog! Take it to any vet you can find. If it dies, I’ll buy you a new one. Now stop making a scene!” With that, he jumped in the car and sped off. As they drove away, Clara stuck her head out the window, a cold smile on her face, and gave me a victorious thumbs-up. A chill, deep and absolute, settled in my bones. On his deathbed, my father had made Liam promise to take care of me for the rest of his life. And now, for this woman, he had turned on me, abandoned me. My phone rang. An urgent call from the hospital. I rushed over. We had come back to the country because Liam’s mother was gravely ill. I had dropped a multi-billion dollar deal to be here with him. Now, she was in critical condition, and the doctors couldn’t reach him. “Mrs. Vance,” the doctor said, his face grim, “your mother-in-law’s condition is dire. She could have a fatal brain hemorrhage at any moment. She needs surgery immediately, but she’s refusing treatment.” Liam’s mother, once a timid woman, had become difficult and cantankerous in her old age. I had been caring for her since we arrived, cleaning up after her, enduring her constant complaints. Even if she didn’t appreciate it, I had put in the time. But she was always finding fault, always muttering under her breath. Sometimes she would deliberately soil her bed and then complain. I ran into her room. The mess was overwhelming. “Mom, your condition has worsened. I’m scheduling your surgery now. Please, just cooperate with the nurses and take your medicine.” She suddenly grabbed her soiled diaper and threw it in my face. “Don’t you yell at me! You’re not as good as Clara.” She always said that when she was in a mood. I had always assumed it was the illness talking. But now, I heard the name clearly. And I understood. Both mother and son were infected with the same poison: Clara. But she was his mother. I had to do something. As I was about to contact my medical team, my assistant called. “Ma’am, you need to come to the resort. Right now. There’s a problem.”

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I was transmigrated into a book with a mission: win the heart of Julian Vance, the cold-blooded ascetic. He was cruel, numb, heartless, and untouchable. He killed me exactly nine times. The first time, he skinned me alive and stitched the pieces into his own patchwork robe. The second time, he cut me open to take our unborn child, fashioning the tiny skull into a ceremonial bowl for his altar. The third time, he carved out my flesh to make ritual artifacts, ground my 206 bones into dust, and scattered them on the prairie for the eagles to peck. … 1 Every time I died, the world reset, and my progress bar dropped back to zero. I knelt until my knees were raw, praying for him. I endured seventy miscarriages in a single year. When he called me “dirty,” I ate mud for three years, just because he said it would purify me. But he still killed me. By the ninth attempt, I was riddled with holes, body and soul. Julian Vance had no heart. I begged the System to end the mission, but it was offline for upgrades. In a twist of fate, the reset was delayed. Floating as a spirit, I watched him gently caress the funeral portrait of his arranged fiancée, Emily Thorne. His eyes held a tenderness I had never seen directed at me. “Just wait a little longer, my love. Once I kill that bitch again, we’ll go back to before you took your own life.” “If she hadn’t drugged me, you never would have walked in on us. That was supposed to be my wedding, not your funeral.” He wasn’t affected by the reset. He remembered everything. He wasn’t a stone I couldn’t warm. He had hated me to his core ever since Emily died. The mission was doomed from the start. My spirit followed Julian as he drifted toward a door covered in scriptures. What lay behind it shocked me. The room was filled with silicone molds of Emily’s lower body, arranged in neat rows. Julian Vance, the cold ascetic who had rejected me for nine lifetimes, picked one up and kissed it fervently. He looked more devout in that moment than he ever had while praying. 2 When the kiss ended, he stripped off his clothes and used the mold with a terrifying madness. I watched, suffocating in shock. In all nine lifetimes, except for the first where I drugged him, he had refused to touch a woman. In the fourth life, when I lost control and kissed him, he felt so defiled that he poured boiling oil over himself, scrubbing his skin raw. That was the only time the world reset because he died. Since then, I never dared to touch him. But now? He was rolling his eyes back, groaning, sweating like rain in front of a piece of silicone. I looked at his ecstasy, then at my own hands, pale and wrinkled from wearing rubber gloves to clean his home. The irony was crushing. It wasn’t piety. He just thought I was dirty. Suddenly, the System came back online. “Host death detected. Initiating reset.” In a trance, I was back at the wedding altar. Julian was putting the ring on my finger. The reset point was earlier this time. Emily rushed onto the stage, tears streaming down her face, holding a knife. “Julian, are you really going to marry her?” Julian’s eyes darkened. He reacted instantly, shoving me hard. I crashed into the champagne tower. Glass shards embedded in my flesh. Alcohol seeped into the wounds. Even breathing hurt. 3 Julian didn’t even look at me. He rushed to Emily, tears in his eyes as he wrestled the knife away. “Baby, don’t do this!” He… cried? For nine lifetimes, every reset wiped the slate clean. I was used to him being affectionate one second and cruel the next. I endured the humiliation and torture to heal him, to win him. If the System hadn’t lagged, I wouldn’t have known he remembered everything. He had tears. Just not for me. “The wedding is off,” he announced coldly, holding Emily. I staggered to my feet. “What?” His face twisted in disgust. “Chloe, did you think drugging me and crawling into my bed like a whore would force me to marry you?” The guests gasped. “Oh my god, she looks so innocent, but she’s just loose!” Emily sobbed in his arms. “Julian, when I heard you two… I couldn’t take it…” He gently wiped her tears, then turned a look of pure loathing on me. “Your cheap tricks make me sick.” He grabbed my wrist and dragged me over the broken glass. “You think I don’t know? Every time you…” He stopped abruptly. My pupils contracted. I challenged him. “Every time what?” Say it. Tell them everything you remember. But he just let go, letting me tumble down the stairs. My forehead hit the floor, blood instantly masking my face. He stood above me like a high priest looking down on a sinner. “Stop trying to seduce me. I will always despise a slut like you.” 4 It hurt. Memories of nine deaths flashed before my eyes. The searing pain of being skinned alive in the first life. The gut-wrenching agony of being cut open in the second. The salty sting of having my bones crushed in the third. … The System glitched. All the pain from nine lifetimes hit me at once. He kissed Emily tenderly, not sparing me a glance. Guests surrounded me, spitting. “Slut! You deserve it!” Suddenly, hotel security rushed out. At his command, they tore at my clothes. I heard his low instruction: “When you’re done, smash a champagne bottle inside her. Make sure she can never carry a bastard child.” Lying in the wreckage, I laughed. “Julian Vance, you’re a great actor.” He turned back, eyes cold. “What did you say?” I wiped the blood from my mouth. “I said, I hope you live happily ever after.” In my heart, I called out to the System. “I forfeit the mission.” The cold mechanical voice responded: “Host has confirmed mission abandonment. Extraction in fifteen days.” That stormy night, after the guards were finished with me, they threw me out the back door.

Ten years ago, I followed Kaelan to the lawless state of Veridia to become a soldier of fortune. Together, we faced desert sun and gunfire, learning to fight and survive. For a decade, I trusted him with my life—he’d never betray me, but he’d also never share my bed. Not even once. Even under the influence of a strong aphrodisiac, he chose to cut himself rather than touch me. I believed he simply felt no desire. I had accepted that. But on the eve of my last mission, he came to me, drunk, and pulled me into a breathless, heated night. My uniform, the sheets—everything ended up tangled and torn. Lost in the haze, he whispered, “Luna, come back alive. At the victory feast, I’ll marry you.” I fought harder than ever in that battle. When I returned, wounded and dirty, just in time for the celebration, he wasn’t there. Instead, I overheard a drunken teammate: “No more wild nights for the Commander now that Luna’s back. Him and that apprentice wrecked eighteen beds in half a month. I wonder if Luna will cry when she hears.” I gave him one last chance to show up. He never came. And I knew—I was done. 1 Grit and icy wind scraped against my face. With every breath, the wound in my side screamed in protest, a tearing, white-hot agony. From the mess tent, a roar of laughter erupted again, punctuated by the clinking of bottles. “Who does Commander Kaelan really love? Is that even a question? It’s Ava, obviously!” My feet froze to the spot. I’d wanted to dismiss it as drunken nonsense. After ten years of shared battlefields, my faith in Kaelan had been absolute. But the name Ava sent a chill through my entire body, a cold that had nothing to do with the wind. He had broken so many of his own rules for her. “He nearly got himself killed saving that clumsy girl! That was the first time I ever saw the Commander lose his cool!” “He kept it under wraps while Luna was around. But the second she left? Man, the hot springs, his bed… they never stopped!” “They only took a break yesterday. Heard it was because Ava’s back was too sore, couldn’t even get out of bed. Kaelan spent the whole day rubbing it for her.” “And when the urgent dispatch came in saying Luna’s unit needed backup, you know what he said?” The voice mimicked Kaelan’s usual cold, detached tone perfectly. “What’s the rush? Luna can handle herself.” The words that followed were a meaningless buzz in my ears. A violent spasm shot through the wound in my side, and I stumbled, catching myself against the rough concrete wall of a bunker. The gut-wrenching pain confirmed it. This was no nightmare. The laughter continued, the men now guessing “how the eighteenth bed finally collapsed.” Slowly, I straightened up, my hand finding the spare magazine he’d given me. “In a pinch,” he’d said, “trust this less than you trust me.” I placed the magazine gently on an empty oil drum. The sharp clang echoed, and the tent fell instantly silent. One by one, faces flushed with booze turned bone-white. “L-Luna? Commander?” a soldier nicknamed Monkey stammered. “They’re just talking shit! Kaelan would never…” “Go get Kaelan,” I cut him off, my voice dangerously calm. Monkey scrambled out of the tent as if fleeing a fire. I added, just loud enough for him to hear, “Tell him I’m wounded.” Blood was seeping from my injury, a warm, sticky dampness spreading against my skin. It hurt, but it was nothing compared to the shards of ice grinding away inside my chest. I waited in the dead silence for two hours. My answer came not from Kaelan, but from the light, innocent giggle of Ava over his phone. “Luna? Oh, hi. My mentor… he’s exhausted. He’s already asleep.” “If you’re hurt, you should see a medic, or patch yourself up! Why call him? He has his own life, you know. He can’t just revolve around you all the time.” I gripped the edge of a table to stand, my vision swimming with black spots from the pain. Then, I raised my pistol to the tent’s ceiling and pulled the trigger. Three shots. My final word on our ten years. And my final chance for him. For us. Even with the evidence laid bare, the whispers echoing in my ears, the cold cruelty of that phone call… a tiny, pathetic flicker of hope still sputtered in the deepest part of my heart. I needed an answer. From his own lips. I knew he would understand the signal. Just like the countless times over the past decade we’d used specific shots, whistles, even glances to pass messages only we could decipher. He was Kaelan. The man who could identify an engine type from two miles away in his sleep. This time, I didn’t have to wait long. He appeared moments later, cloaked in a chilling aura. He was in his casual uniform, but the top button of his collar was misplaced. His sharp eyes scanned the tent, sweeping over the terrified men, confirming there was no immediate threat before finally landing on me. His brow furrowed in a deep scowl. “Luna!” His voice was laced with its usual hardness and an undeniable reprimand. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? You’re a ranking officer. You don’t discharge your weapon inside the compound! Even for a victory celebration, there are no such rules!” “All of you, out! Get back to your bunks! Anyone breathes a word of what happened here tonight, you’ll answer to me under military code!” He barked the order, and the men, who looked like they’d rather be anywhere else on Earth, scrambled out of the tent. In an instant, it was just the two of us. I felt a bitter smile twist my lips. “Kaelan,” I said, my voice hollow. “Don’t you have anything to say to me?” His scowl deepened, but his expression remained a mask of calm, as if nothing had happened. He took a step forward, as if to check my injuries, but then stopped. “You’re wounded,” he stated, his tone cold and instructional. “You should have gone to the medical tent immediately. Firing your weapon in here… what kind of example is that?” “Stop being childish. Get your wound treated. We’ll talk tomorrow.” 2 A laugh, brittle and broken, escaped my lips. The pain was making my vision blur. I pulled at the corner of my mouth, the taste of blood filling it. “Kaelan. You slept with Ava. Didn’t you?” He was still frowning. He gave a single, sharp nod. He didn’t say a word. No denial. No explanation. Not even a flicker of guilt. Cough! A hot, metallic rush surged up my throat, and a spray of blood splattered on the dusty floor. I swayed, my knuckles turning white as I gripped the table for support. Through the haze of pain, I saw a flash of alarm in his eyes. “Luna!” He rushed forward, and for the first time, I saw a hint of panic, of genuine worry, on his famously stoic face. “How bad is it?” But just as he reached for me, a soft sob came from behind him. “Mentor…” Kaelan’s head snapped around. When he saw Ava standing there in the sand, barefoot in nothing but a thin nightgown, tears streaming down her face, the look of raw, protective tenderness that filled his eyes ripped my heart to shreds all over again. “Ava? Why did you run out here barefoot? Don’t be silly. What are you crying for?” He immediately spun away from me, all thought of my injury erased from his mind. His voice, though sharp with concern, was laced with a gentleness I had never heard. It made my chest ache with a suffocating sourness. “I… I woke up and you were gone… I heard gunshots, and I was so scared…” Ava choked out, her crying escalating into a theatrical, heart-wrenching display. She threw herself into his arms, clinging to him. “Mentor, please stay with me… I can’t sleep alone, I don’t feel safe…” For the first time, I truly understood the saying about the squeaky wheel getting the grease. Kaelan, the man I’d always seen as immune to feminine wiles, instantly scooped her up into his arms. He, who loathed physical contact, simply accepted her dependent embrace, his arms closing around her protectively. “Mentor, can we go back? It’s cold out here…” Ava murmured. Then, she peeked over his shoulder, giving me a look of pure, triumphant ownership before pressing a kiss to his cheek, her voice thick with a coy nasality. “Okay,” Kaelan replied without a second of hesitation. “We’ll go back.” He held her and strode toward the tent flap, his figure about to be swallowed by the night. “Kaelan.” I used the last of my strength to rasp out his name. He paused for a fraction of a second. But he never looked back. As he walked away, his silhouette shrinking into the distance, my world went dark with him. Three days later, I walked out of the command office, my signed discharge papers in hand. The first thing I saw was Kaelan, in the distance, patiently teaching Ava how to handle a firearm, his hands covering hers. He’d been very busy these past three days. Busy coaxing Ava out of her room, telling her not to be ashamed to face the others. Busy escorting her to the infirmary to get time off and a prescription. Busy appearing in her social media feed, his calloused, warrior’s hands gently massaging her “sore” ones. Busy personally applying ointment to the places where their passion had left her torn. Most ironically, for the first time in the fifteen years I’d known him, I saw him in a kitchen, brewing some special restorative broth. But he hadn’t found a single minute to ask about my mission. Or my injuries. It was as if I were a complete stranger. Fifteen years I’d known him. I’d seen him face down a hail of bullets without flinching. Now, for someone else, he wore a tenderness I’d never seen. The wound in my side still throbbed, but I forced myself to walk away, stride firm. Even so, tears blurred my vision. Perhaps his heart had belonged to someone else for a long time. I had just been too blind to see it. He hated complications, couldn’t stand it when women cried. But Ava’s tears always seemed to make his brow furrow with frustration before he gave in with a sigh of helpless surrender. Everyone in our unit knew about Kaelan and me. But this girl, the one he’d “saved out of kindness,” had her eyes glued to him from the very beginning. Offering him water, a towel, shyly confessing her admiration. At first, Kaelan was just as cold and dismissive to her as he was to any other nuisance. When did it change? Was it that rainy day, when Ava stood at his door, clutching a deliberately soaked blanket with red-rimmed eyes, and he broke his own rule by letting her in? Or was it during that field exercise, when she twisted her ankle? There was a medic with the team, but Kaelan carried her himself for three miles over rugged terrain, his entire back soaked with sweat. He had never carried me. Even when I was shot and collapsing, he would only prop me up, his voice grim. “Luna, on your feet. Keep moving.” Looking back, the signs were everywhere. A hundred small betrayals I had refused to see. I turned my back, trying to shove the image away along with ten years of foolishness. “Mentor! Catch me!” Ava’s playful shriek came from behind me. I instinctively moved to step aside, but she crashed into me from behind, hitting my wounded side with pinpoint accuracy. An explosion of pain detonated in my torso. My vision went black, and I crumpled to the ground. Gravel bit into my skin, and the coppery tang of blood filled my mouth, trickling from the corner of my lips. “Ava!” Kaelan was there in a flash, pulling her into his arms, his voice frantic as he checked her over. “Where did you get hit? Are you hurt?” Ava burrowed into his chest, looking at me with wide, innocent eyes. “Oh, Luna, I’m so sorry… Did I scare you? I barely touched you, how did you fall?” 3 Only then did Kaelan look at me. His eyes fell on the blood at my lips and my ghost-white face. He scowled, his voice thick with irritation. “Luna, get up. Don’t lie there looking like a damsel in distress. It’s not you, and it’s pathetic to watch.” Every word was a razor blade dragging across my heart. I didn’t have the strength to argue. I pushed myself up, reaching for the papers scattered on the ground. He got to them first. His eyes scanned the words “Discharge Application.” His face changed instantly. He crushed the paper in his fist, his knuckles turning white. “What is this? You’re leaving?” For a moment, his voice was tight with an unfamiliar tension, a flicker of panic that sounded utterly ironic to my ears. I took advantage of his shock, snatching the papers back. “None of your business,” I sneered. “You…” He started to press, but was cut off by Ava’s innocent-sounding question. “Sister Luna… did you pretend to fall just so my mentor would see these papers?” She tilted her head, her expression one of pure, harmless confusion. “But your acting is really terrible, Sister Luna! Everyone in this entire sector knows how you are. You love a good fight. You’re strong. You’ve climbed over mountains of bodies to get to where you are. Why would you ever be willing to leave? Isn’t this place… everything you care about?” Her words were like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing that small spark of panic in Kaelan’s eyes. His gaze turned cold, filled with nothing but disappointment and contempt. “Luna,” he said, his voice dripping with scorn, “since when did you stoop to these kinds of tricks?” A suffocating mix of absurdity and despair choked me. I pushed through the searing pain, staggered to my feet, and turned away, clutching the papers. “Stop! Explain yourself!” he roared, his footsteps closing in behind me. “Mentor…” Ava tugged on his sleeve at just the right moment, her voice trembling. “I’m hungry, and my feet are cold. Can we go back now?” He froze. “Okay,” his voice softened immediately. “We’ll go back.” Without another glance at me, he turned, wrapping his arm securely around her. Their footsteps faded into the distance. The wind whipped sand against my face. It stung, but I didn’t look back. I just kept walking in the opposite direction. Overnight, the news of my resignation spread like wildfire through the base. That evening, Kaelan kicked my door open, his face a thundercloud. “Luna, are you serious about this? This isn’t like you!” I laughed coldly. “Running away with you ten years ago and throwing my family away wasn’t like me either.” “But that was me being crazy for love. This is me paying the price for being blind.” “Enough!” he snapped. “I see what this is. You’re jealous! You can’t mix personal feelings with your career. What happened with Ava that day… she was drugged. There were circumstances. I couldn’t just leave a young girl like that to fend for herself!” “How many times do I have to tell you? I only see her as a little sister!” “A sister?” My lips twisted into a smirk, the wound in my side pulsing with a dull ache. “Is that what you call sleeping together now?” “And what about me, Kaelan? What am I to you?” “Remember when I was drugged? You threw me into a frozen pond. I’ve had health problems from the cold ever since. But when it’s Ava, it’s ‘I couldn’t just leave her alone,’ so you played hero in her bed?” “Shut up!” A vein throbbed in his temple. He waved a hand dismissively, his patience gone. “Stop digging up the past! Just tell me. What will it take for you to stop this nonsense?” I stood up, my spine ramrod straight, and my voice dripped with sarcasm. “In this compound, it’s either her, or me.” Without a single moment of hesitation, he exploded. “Luna, you’re being completely irrational.” Kaelan stared at me, his expression shifting from shock to profound disappointment and ridicule. Then he slammed the door and was gone. I slowly sat back down. I picked up the bullet-casing pendant he’d once made for me, looked at it for two seconds, and then let it drop from my fingers. It clattered into the trash can. Some parts of the past are better off thrown away. 4 The day I left, the sky was a blanket of gray. I took one last look at the place I had called home for a decade, then turned toward the jeep waiting for me outside the gates. “Leaving so soon, Luna?” Ava’s voice, sickly sweet as always, called out from behind me. I didn’t break my stride. She hurried to block my path, her cheeks flushed an unnatural red, her breathing shallow. “Are you trying to play hard to get? Threatening to leave so the Commander will finally realize how much he needs you?” she taunted, a cruel, cold light in her eyes. “Well, let the best woman win. We’ll see if he cares more about you, or if he’d rather ‘love’ me.” “Oh, and by the way,” she added with a smirk. “The Commander told me he likes his women sweet and gentle. You stopped being his type a long time ago.” “This time, you’re going to lose.” I frowned, noticing something was off about her. Her state was unnatural. But before I could react, she pulled a small vial from her pocket and downed the contents in one go. “What are you…” A piercing scream cut me off. “Commander! Help me! Luna drugged me! She’s trying to ruin me!” She violently tore the collar of her own shirt, exposing a wide swath of skin, and shoved the empty vial into my hand. The sound of pounding boots grew closer. Kaelan charged in with his men, only to find Ava, clothes in disarray, sobbing hysterically as she threw herself into his arms. “Commander! Save me! Luna hates me, she… she was going to throw me to those filthy scavengers outside the walls! She said I seduced you and she was going to make me wish I was dead!” Ava trembled, clinging to Kaelan for dear life. “I was wrong, I’ll never go near you again, I’ll leave, I’ll go far away… just make her let me go!” Kaelan’s head snapped up. His eyes, blazing crimson, locked onto me. The look in them could have flayed me alive. “Luna! How dare you…” “I didn’t. You can check the surveil—” “She’s lying!” Ava shrieked, pointing a trembling finger at the vial I was now holding by reflex. “That’s a filthy aphrodisiac! She wanted me to be passed around by a dozen men! Commander, she wants to destroy me, she’s trying to drive me to my death!” “I didn’t drug her! She drank it herself! It was a setup! Someone, check the security footage!” I yelled, a wave of fury and panic rising in my chest. The wound in my side tore open again, and the taste of blood flooded my mouth. Kaelan laughed, a sound devoid of any humor. He advanced on me, step by deliberate step. “Enough, Luna. The evidence is in your hand, and look at the state Ava is in! Are you still going to deny it? I never knew you were this venomous!” “I told you, it wasn’t me!” I screamed, despair washing over me like a tidal wave. “Enough!” he roared, cutting me off. The last trace of our shared history vanished from his eyes, replaced by pure, unadulterated loathing and rage. “Restrain her!” Four large soldiers instantly seized me, binding my arms and legs. I struggled wildly. “Kaelan! Watch the footage! It was her—” “It seems you won’t give up until you’re completely broken,” he said, his eyes dark and menacing. He personally took another, unopened vial from Ava’s pocket, wrenched my jaw open, and forced the liquid down my throat. The fluid burned like acid. “You love playing games, don’t you? You wanted to leave so badly?” he sneered, letting go of me and wiping his fingers with a handkerchief as if he’d touched something foul. “Fine. I’ll help you.” The drug hit my system like a firestorm. A wave of heat and debilitating weakness swept through my limbs. “Throw her,” he commanded, his voice flat and cold, “into the eastern combat zone. She’s such a great fighter, isn’t she? She wanted to walk away? Let’s see how far she can ‘walk’ now.” “Luna, this is just you getting a taste of your own medicine. You brought this on yourself.” I was hauled up and thrown into the back of a vehicle like a sack of garbage. As my vision blurred, the last thing I saw was Ava, nestled in his arms, being carried away. The sight consumed the last of my hope. It took Kaelan four hours to help Ava work the drug out of her system. When it was over, the first thing he did was ask his most trusted subordinate. “Luna? Is she back yet?” The man hesitated. “Commander… she… she was drugged and her hands and feet were bound. According to our scouts… they think… she was taken by an enemy patrol…”

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Eight years with Leo, and we still had nothing. One hand held my cancer diagnosis; the other, a $300 bank balance. “I can’t live like this anymore,” I said. “One last concert, then we’re done.” Leo quietly moved the only egg from his soup into my bowl. “Okay.” That night, as I packed, he sat chain-smoking, the scent of his sadness seeping through our thin walls. At the concert, the spotlight found us in the crowd. Everyone cheered for a kiss, but Leo hid his face and wouldn’t get up. I thought it was over—he didn’t even want to be seen with me. Days later, craving to see him, I went to his office. The receptionist stopped me: “You’ll need an appointment to see our CEO.” I stood frozen, clutching my painkillers. Since when did I need permission to see him? 01 Leo and I were dirt poor. We barely had two cents to rub together. How could he possibly be a CEO? I didn’t believe it. Not until I looked through the glass wall of a conference room and saw him. He was dressed in a tailored suit, and beside him, a young woman in a yellow sundress was playfully shaking his arm. “I don’t care! You promised you’d take me to the movies,” she pouted. “If you’re backing out now, you have to make it up to me!” Leo just smiled, a look of helpless indulgence on his face. “Alright, alright. What was that bag you were looking at the other day? The forty-thousand-dollar one?” The girl instantly beamed, jumping up to hug him and planting a light kiss by his ear. Leo pulled out a credit card and patted her head affectionately. “You’re such a handful,” he laughed. I watched them, feeling like I was trapped in a dream. Forty thousand dollars. That would have paid for a whole year of the cheap takeout noodles we survived on in that tiny apartment. All these years, I never talked to him about money, afraid of putting more pressure on him. The only time I did was the night I got my diagnosis. I clutched the paper and tried to sound lighthearted. “The cheapest prescription is forty-three hundred a bottle. It’s insane. But there’s a guy selling generics downstairs from the hospital for eighteen hundred. I could save more than half!” I forced a laugh. “What do you think? I could deliver food during the day and drive for Uber at night. Maybe I’d even last long enough for you to marry me, ha ha.” We were face to face, but the silence was absolute. I couldn’t even hear him breathe. My nails dug into my palm, the diagnostic report growing damp with my sweat. I wanted to say it with a smile, but a sob was caught in my throat. Just before the tears could fall, his phone rang. I quickly pushed him away, my eyes red. Just let it go. I was dying. The last thing I should do is drag him down with me. Today, I’d worked up the courage to see him just to say a proper goodbye. That would have been enough. But now, watching him drop a fortune on another girl without a second thought, a red-hot wire twisted in my stomach, the pain so sharp it made me gag. Forty thousand dollars. That was enough for so many bottles of medicine. Enough for so many more years with him. The glass reflected my own face back at me—pale, my lips chapped and colorless. Inside, the girl was vibrant and glowing, her eyes sparkling. People are drawn to beautiful things. So, in that moment of silence a few nights ago, was he thinking about how I was about to die? Or was he thinking about how he was going to charm this girl when he got back to the office? I didn’t know. And I didn’t want to know anymore. The conference room door slid open, and the girl walked out, her eyes crinkling with a smile. She paused when she saw me, her expression curious but still friendly. “Hi,” she said. “I’m Mia, Mr. Sterling’s assistant. Can I help you with something?” My eyes were fixed on the red cord bracelet on her wrist. It was identical to the one Leo wore. 02 My stomach problems had started three months ago. One night, the pain was particularly bad. As I fumbled in the dark for some water, my hand brushed against two red cord bracelets on the nightstand. A small wooden charm was attached to each, carved with intricate symbols. A coworker had told me about these. You had to hike thousands of steps up a mountain to a remote shrine to get them. They were meant to protect the wearer’s health and bring peace. One was five hundred dollars. Two of them were a thousand. That was enough to cover our instant noodle budget for three months. I was both angry and touched. Angry that he’d spent money we didn’t have, but as my fingers traced the wooden charm, a sweet warmth spread through my chest, and even the pain in my stomach seemed to fade. I slipped one of the bracelets onto my wrist, already planning how I’d playfully scold him in the morning. “You can’t just throw money away like that,” I’d say. But the next morning, I woke up to find him standing over the bed, his face a thunderous mask. “That’s not for you,” he said, his voice cold. “Give it back.” “Hannah, don’t be so greedy. You can’t have everything.” So, that’s who it was for. The girl standing in front of me now. I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth and forced a smile. “Your boss… Mr. Sterling… he seems to take good care of his employees, doesn’t he?” Mia nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, yes. Even though he comes from a wealthy family, he’s very down-to-earth. He’s been incredibly kind to me.” Her voice was soft and sweet as she pulled out her phone and started swiping through photos. There they were at a fancy restaurant, at Disneyland, at all the places I could never afford to go, their smiles wide and genuine. “He gives me a huge bonus every Christmas, and when he found out I’d studied abroad, he started giving me one for the Lunar New Year too. He gave me this bracelet,” she said, touching the red cord. “I was getting sick all the time.” “Once, another company tried to poach me. Can you believe it? He showed me the company’s financials, and even his personal bank statements, just to convince me to stay!” Mia covered her mouth, giggling. “I told him, ‘You’re only supposed to show your bank account to your girlfriend! Why are you showing me?’ He just stared at me for the longest time and said, ‘I just want you to know…’” She blushed, then looked up at me. “You seem to know him well. Has he ever been this thoughtful with any other girl? What do you think he means by all this?” The pain in my stomach sharpened, like a knife twisting. I pressed a hand against my abdomen, struggling to swallow the metallic taste rising in my throat. I didn’t know about his bank account. I didn’t know about his wealthy family. In his mind, I wasn’t even his girlfriend. What right did I have to be jealous? I opened my mouth to speak, but suddenly, seeing Leo didn’t seem so important anymore. I straightened up, my voice barely a whisper. “Could you please tell Mr. Sterling for me… that I need the watch back.” “And tell him that we’re done.” Before the words had fully left my mouth, a familiar voice, sharp with anger, cut through the air from behind me. “What do you mean, ‘we’re done’? Hannah, are you playing games with me?” 03 I turned to see Leo standing a few feet away, his brow furrowed, his eyes filled with impatience. I didn’t understand. I was the one who had been deceived. How had he twisted it to make it sound like I was the one playing games? I ignored him. Mia was still here, and I didn’t want to fight in front of her. Mia’s face suddenly went pale. She grabbed my arm. “Wait… what is your relationship with Mr. Sterling?” “The receptionist said you didn’t have an appointment. I thought you were a business partner, but now…” I was speechless. I didn’t know what to say. Mia didn’t know that the receptionist had blocked me, that Leo hadn’t answered my calls. The only “proof” I had was a screenshot of a text message from three years ago: Wait until I’m rich, Hannah. I’ll marry you. I promise. I’d saved that screenshot for three years, protecting it like a precious jewel. But the look the receptionist gave me was the kind you give a fool. And she was right. Who holds on to a casual promise for so long? But it was all I had. He and Mia had so many photos together—at Disneyland, at restaurants—looking so happy, so close. He and I didn’t have a single decent picture together. Seeing our silence, Mia’s eyes filled with tears. She turned and started lightly pounding her fists against Leo’s chest. “Leo, if you have a girlfriend, why would you treat me like this? I just need a straight answer! What am I to you?” She was so brave, so earnest. Even asking such a naive question, she seemed adorable. Leo just stood there, letting her hit him, his face a mask of pain. Watching the drama unfold, I suddenly thought of my old self. I used to always want to ask him, “When are we getting married?” But every time the words reached my lips, I’d swallow them, afraid of pressuring him. Instead, I’d just ask, “Do you want fried rice for dinner?” After a long silence, Leo turned to look at me, his eyes holding a familiar, pleading expression. I laughed at myself, a bitter, hollow sound, and finished his unspoken sentence for him. “I’m not his girlfriend.” So this is what it looked like when Leo loved someone. Money, time, a title—whatever Mia wanted, he gave it to her, right then and there. No hiding, no empty promises of “someday.” Unlike me. I waited eight years, only to be told, “Don’t be so greedy.” Even when I was sick, all I could do was joke about “not having long to live,” and then be left helpless by his silence. My stomach churned again, and tears started to fall, hot and unstoppable. So that was it. They had an understanding all along. Of course. When you love someone, you can’t help it. You can’t help but want to give them the best of everything, to possess them completely. You can’t stand to be apart for a single second longer than you have to. He had never given any of that to me. I suddenly felt like laughing. Laughing because my mother, who had been telling me to leave him for eight years, had been right all along. Laughing at my own stupidity. I used to naively believe that Leo was just focused on his career. Now I knew the truth. It wasn’t that he didn’t know how to love. It was just that the person he loved wasn’t me. 04 Swallowing a sob, I held out my hand to him. “Let’s just end it here. I don’t even want to ask why you lied to me.” “Just give me back the watch. And after this, let’s not see each other again.” A crowd of onlookers had gathered by the door. Someone scoffed loudly. “I’ve never seen someone ask for a gift back. How trashy.” “She’s probably just a gold-digger trying to shake him down!” Leo’s jaw clenched. He’d obviously heard them too. “Don’t you all have work to do?” he roared at the doorway. The crowd scattered. He then turned to Mia, gently stroking her hair. “Go on ahead. I’ll explain everything in a minute.” Now it was just the two of us, the silence so profound I could hear my own heart hammering against my ribs. I never wanted it to be like this, so humiliating, so pathetic. But that watch was the only thing I had left of my father. It was the gift my mother gave him when they first fell in love. On his deathbed, he had pressed it into my hand. “Hannah, take good care of this watch. Don’t let anything happen to it.” I had to get it back. I was afraid that when I saw him again on the other side, he would blame me. I held my hand out stubbornly. “Give it to me.” Leo let out a bitter laugh. “You’re really something else, Hannah. You’ve been after my money from the start, haven’t you? First you pretend you didn’t know, now you’re trying to break up with me. Playing hard to get? Let’s see how long you can keep up this act!” My nails dug into my palms. I looked him straight in the eye and said, each word precise and cold, “Leo, make yourself clear. You were the one pretending to be poor. When have I ever asked you for money?” He shot me a dismissive glance and pulled a cigarette from his pocket. He didn’t light it, just rolled it between his fingers, agitated. His voice was laced with contempt, each word a shard of ice in my heart. “Three years ago. You told me you wanted a penthouse in Midtown. That’s when you started planning all this, wasn’t it?” I stared at him, my mind reeling before the memory surfaced. Three years ago, when we had just moved to New York. The summers were humid, and moisture would seep into our tiny apartment, leaving dark patches of mold on the walls. He’d painstakingly cover them with fresh paint, then turn to me in the cramped space, barely wide enough for one person to pass, and kiss me. “Just a little longer,” he’d murmured. “Once I finish this project, we’ll move to a bigger place in Queens, somewhere with more light.” I’d dodged his kiss, laughing. “No way. I want to live in Midtown. I want a huge penthouse with a view of the river!” The paintbrush had slipped from his hand and clattered to the floor. He’d straightened up and just stared at me for a long time. And like a fool, I thought he was seriously considering our future. But he wasn’t. He was planning his revenge. I let out a long, shuddering breath as tears streamed down my face. So that was it. Our eight years together, in his eyes, were nothing more than a long con, a scheme for my financial gain. And for him, it was just ammunition. A weapon to hurt me with. 05 “You have no idea how stupid you sounded that day,” Leo said suddenly, his voice laced with a strange, venomous anger. But his eyes were red. “Who smiles when they’re telling someone they’re dying? I hate you for it. Why couldn’t you even be a better liar?” “But I hate myself more,” he choked out. “Your acting was terrible, and I still couldn’t bring myself to tell you to get lost. I was already going to give you the money, but you couldn’t even wait, could you? You had to come here and force my hand!” Every word he spoke chipped away another piece of my heart. For eight years, I paid the rent. I paid the utilities. When he said his business was struggling, I not only gave him my savings but also went to networking events and drank with strangers to build connections for him. And today, I find out he comes from a wealthy family, that he’s been successful for years. He was hiding a secret relationship with a younger woman while accusing me of being a gold-digger. Looking at his handsome face, he seemed like a complete stranger. I didn’t want to be in the same room with him for another second. I lunged forward and tried to undo the clasp on his watch. My fingers were trembling too much. I fumbled with it, unable to get it open. Tears fell onto the sleeve of his expensive suit, spreading into a dark, wet stain. Leo lost his temper. He grabbed my hands, his voice booming. “Is this stupid thing all you care about?” He ripped the watch off his wrist and slammed it onto the floor. “Who the hell wants it anyway!” The watch face hit the marble and shattered into a spiderweb of cracks. Shards of glass scattered around my feet like a thousand tiny tears. A roar filled my head. My father’s face flashed before my eyes, the memory of him coughing up blood in his final moments. He was trembling in pain, but he was still smiling as he pressed the watch into my hand. “Daddy’s not going to make it, but this can stay with my little Hannah, okay? This way, our time will always overlap.” Now, the hands were frozen amidst a field of broken glass. Time had truly stopped. Ignoring the sharp edges, I dropped to my knees and frantically tried to gather the pieces. Droplets of blood beaded on my fingertips, stark red against my pale skin. Leo suddenly knocked my hands away. “Are you crazy?” he yelled. “Look at your hands!” The watch fell from my grasp again, splintering even further. I looked at the wreckage and let out a laugh filled with despair. Why couldn’t I just die right here, in this moment? His one promise of marriage had been a carrot on a stick, and I was the stupid donkey chasing it for years. I kept telling my mother I was happy, that Leo was good to me, but he had been lying to me all along. Now I had cancer, and the one precious thing my father had left me was destroyed. Staring at the ruined watch, all the strength drained out of my body. I think I really am going to die, I thought. Glass embedded itself in my palms. My hands were covered in blood, and tears streamed down my face. I looked up at Leo, my voice shaking uncontrollably. “Leo, I’ve let my mother down, but I have never done you wrong. When you had an interview, I rented you the most expensive suit I could find. When you needed to impress a client, I gave you the only thing my father ever left me. When you wanted to start your business, I sold the jewelry my mother gave me and poured every penny I had into your dream.” “You said you would marry me, and I waited eight years. The only mistake I ever made was trusting you with my whole heart for eight years! Now I’m dying. I’m begging you, can you please just let me have one single day of peace?” Leo grabbed my hands, his skin burning against mine. “What are you talking about?” he demanded. “What’s this ‘dying’ nonsense? You’re still acting, aren’t you? What is this, the pity card? It’s not going to work, I’m telling you…” I didn’t hear the rest of his words. A violent wave of nausea churned in my stomach. The pain was so intense I couldn’t stand. A mouthful of blood surged up my throat. I didn’t have an ounce of strength left. I collapsed.

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I’m a gold digger, through and through. My Instagram is filled with photos of high-end afternoon teas I split the cost for, each shot carefully angled to look perfect in a grid. Hanging on my arm are high-quality replica designer bags, a different one every week. I wrapped myself in the sweet candy of vanity, earning envious glances from everyone around. Until the third month of my flaunting wealth. Suddenly, countless comments started scrolling across the sky: 【The plot is starting. The male lead is about to confess to the gold-digging supporting female character.】 【Laughing to death. The supporting female really thinks the male lead likes her. Actually, he’s only approaching her to expose her vain, gold-digging true colors.】 【The supporting female’s mom sells crepes on the street, yet she pretends to be a wealthy heiress all day.】 【The male lead will always belong to our female lead baby. Childhood sweethearts, no one can tear them apart.】 The comments just finished flashing. A large, well-defined hand suddenly extended in front of me, holding an exquisite jewelry box. Inside was a Louis Vuitton bracelet shimmering with fine light. Lucas Thorne leaned in with his handsome face, confessing to me affectionately: “Willow, can I be your boyfriend?” 1 The comments started scrolling crazily again. 【Game start~ The supporting female must think the male lead has fallen for her, smug that another simp has taken the bait. Little does she know, she is the prey in the male lead’s hands.】 【Gold diggers only deserve to meet male leads who slap them in the face hard.】 【Haha, this bracelet is fake. The supporting female doesn’t know quality and is happily accepting it.】 【The male and female leads have been childhood sweethearts for over ten years. The male lead has perfect morals and will never fall in love with any other girl.】 I lowered my eyes and glanced at the bracelet hooked on my finger. The workmanship was fine. At a rough glance, it looked no different from the authentic product at the counter. But holding it in hand, one could spot the subtle differences in the diamond setting. High-quality replica. Worth a few hundred bucks at most. In the company, Mia Stone, who had always been against me, hid behind her computer, covering her mouth and snickering. Her eyes glanced at me from time to time. She was the female lead mentioned in the comments. And also Lucas Thorne’s childhood sweetheart. The comments said this confession was an exposure game they planned privately. Just to completely lift the veil of me, the gold digger. To make me a laughingstock in everyone’s eyes. Seeing no reaction from me, Lucas suppressed the impatience on his face and spoke again with love: “Willow Ginger, I noticed you from the first day you joined.” “You are bright, sunny, full of endless vitality and passion.” “So, will you be my girlfriend?” 2 Before Lucas confessed, he had frequently appeared in my world, “accidentally” encountering me for a long time. On the very first day I came to this big company as an intern. Countless people were gossiping: “Heard that the only daughter of our company’s CEO also hid her identity and came to the grassroots level for internship.” “Don’t know which one is the wealthy heiress, actually coming to do the hardest and most tiring work.” “The CEO’s surname is Ginger. Could it be… Willow Ginger in our office?” After these words were spoken, all probing eyes fell on me. I was covered in luxury brands. Youthful, beautiful. Out of place compared to the plainly dressed girls in the same office. I lifted my eyelids lazily, completely ignoring everyone’s gaze. Instead, I took out a compact mirror, carefully touching up my lipstick while saying vigilantly: “I promised my dad not to tell anyone about my family situation.” This sentence was ambiguous. But more likely to arouse speculation from others. Everyone assumed by default that I was the heiress of the Ginger family. Only Mia sneered, saying indifferently: “Fake can’t be real.” “Some people, be careful not to overact.” Everyone thought this was jealousy; no one cared. But from that day on. I started frequently bumping into her childhood sweetheart. Lucas Thorne. 3 When entering the company, I would meet him waiting by the elevator, enthusiastically inviting me to go up together. In the company gym, every time I passed by, I could see him shirtless, revealing hard eight-pack abs, steadily lifting equipment over his head. Then, meeting my appreciative gaze, pretending to be unbearably hot, unscrewing a bottle of mineral water and pouring it over his head. Jawline clearly visible. Transparent water meandering down the lines of his abs. The sunset glow through the window wrapped around the hormones about to explode from him. With beauty in front, I just glanced sideways, unsurprised, and walked away gracefully in my stilettos. Leaving behind a disappointed look until it disappeared. Wealthy heiresses are knowledgeable and have seen countless people. How could they stop for a crooked neck tree? The encounters lasted for two months. Lucas finally couldn’t bear the relationship without any progress and chose to burn his boats, actively confessing to me. Amid the male lead’s increasingly anxious expression, I revealed a meaningful smile: “Being someone’s boyfriend, is it just giving a fake bracelet?” 4 【Wait, how does the supporting female know the bracelet is fake?】 【She’s a gold digger; getting a fake bracelet is already good enough. Does she want a real one?】 【Disgusted. Begging the male and female leads to expose the gold digger’s true face quickly.】 Lucas’s face changed abruptly. Embarrassment climbed onto his face, but he still tried to save face: “Willow, how could I give you a fake?” I held up the shiny bracelet: “The authentic one has a four-prong setting for the rhinestones; yours only has three.” After speaking, I blinked and gave him an out: “Were you cheated by a purchasing agent when you bought the bracelet?” Lucas nodded hurriedly: “Yes, yes, I can’t tell the difference. The agent must have fooled me with a fake.” “But Willow, my heart for you is true. Just accept me as your boyfriend, okay?” He had a pair of beautiful peach blossom eyes. It was exceptionally easy to fake deep affection. I tossed the bracelet back into the jewelry box, smiling sweetly: “As long as you replace the bracelet with a real one, I’ll accept your confession.”

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On my way to the airport, a Porsche tried to cut me off. I didn’t let him in. As a result, after he overtook me, he kept brake-checking me. Because I was in a rush, I didn’t want to get into it with a road rager, so I chose to tolerate it. Unexpectedly, my patience only encouraged him to escalate. In less than a hundred yards, he brake-checked me five times. I reached my limit and decided to call the police. While I was reading his license plate number to the dispatcher, blood rushed to my head, and I slammed on the gas, ramming right into him. Because, while reading his plate, I realized this Porsche was the birthday gift my wife had asked me for just last week. …… 1 Bang! My Volkswagen Phaeton slammed directly into the rear of the Porsche. A man in sunglasses with a cigarette dangling from his mouth got out of the Porsche. He stormed arrogantly up to my car and kicked my door: “You broke ass, did you see the badge? PORSCHE!” “A crappy VW dares to hit a Porsche? Did you eat a leopard’s heart for courage?” When I saw a man get out of the car, my heart sank. Things were exactly as bad as I thought. I rolled down the window and sized him up coldly, trying to glean a clue from his words and actions. “Three million! Not a penny less, or I’ll make sure you can’t handle the consequences!” He held up three fingers and shouted at me through the window. I suppressed the urge to get out and slap him, deciding to wait and see what his relationship with my wife was. 2 A collision between luxury cars in a busy downtown area quickly gathered a crowd of onlookers. “This is gonna be good. That Porsche looks like it costs millions. This VW owner is going to pay through the nose.” “This is the price of being willful. Enduring a moment brings peace; why try to show off? Now look, he’s going to lose everything.” Encouraged by the crowd, the sunglass-wearing man became even more arrogant. He kicked my door again, his eyes fierce. “Driving a crappy VW, you didn’t yield to a Porsche? Look at you acting tough!” “Now you’re scared, hiding in the car like a turtle? Too late!” “This is the new car my wife bought me, a whole three million dollars! Pay up now, or I’ll send you to jail!” Wife? Sure enough, there’s something fishy. That damned bitch, let’s see how you end this today! After thinking it over, I slowly pushed open the car door, looked coldly at that arrogant and slightly immature face, and said indifferently: “If anyone is paying, it’s you paying me. I was going straight; you changed lanes to overtake. You are fully responsible!” “Also, speaking of jail, those two kicks to my door just now count as intentional damage to property. Those two kicks alone are enough to send you to jail.” “I don’t know the law, don’t talk law to me! I only know I drive a Porsche, so you have to make way!” “Jail? The jail that can hold me, Chris Hall, hasn’t been built yet!” 3 Seeing his reckless face, I couldn’t help but sneer. Some onlookers, seeing the sunglass man driving a luxury car and speaking dominantly, assumed he was some young master from a wealthy family. Wanting to curry favor, they started chiming in for him. “This VW driver talks big. Hit someone else’s car and wants them to pay? Someone gets mad and kicks his door once, and he wants to send them to jail? He thinks just because the other guy is young, he’s easy to fool!” “Young man, don’t be afraid. Add my number; uncle can testify for you if needed!” “Yeah, bro, I studied some law too. Damage to property only becomes criminal over five thousand. That kick just now scratched a little paint at most. How could a little paint on his crappy VW be worth five thousand?” The already arrogant Chris Hall got even more pumped up listening to the crowd’s instigation. He slapped the hood of my car hard and yelled at me: “Today, not only will you pay for my car, but you also have to kneel and apologize to me, or don’t think about leaving!” I sneered and pointed at the approaching traffic police: “Ask the officer who should pay! As for kneeling, you better find a spot for yourself in advance!” 4 “I’ll slap…” Enraged, Chris rushed over trying to get physical, but I kicked him to the ground. He got up wanting to continue the tussle, but was stopped by the arriving traffic police. “Stop, or you’re all coming to the station!” “Officer, this pauper hit my car and beat me up. Arrest him quickly.” Chris held his waist, pointing at me and complaining to the officer. The officer ignored his wild accusations and instead asked us to provide dashcam footage. I pulled up the dashcam video on my phone for the officer to see. After watching my footage, the officer looked coldly at the arrogant Chris: “It’s clearly entirely your fault. How do you have the nerve to shout for others to pay?” “You’d better settle the compensation with the rear car as soon as possible, or we can only take you back to the station for dangerous driving.” “Do you cops know how to judge? Look clearly, I’m driving a Porsche, and my wife is a big shot. You can’t afford to offend her…” “I don’t care what car you drive or whose husband you are. We are only responsible for enforcing the law impartially. I warn you, if you refuse to accept the penalty again, we will take you back to the station.” Chris complained indignantly at first, but seeing the officer’s stern expression, he dared not act rashly and chose to call for help. I glanced at the number; sure enough, he was calling my wife, Sophia Reed. 5 Although I couldn’t hear the content of their call, from the playful smile on Chris’s face and his intimate tone, I knew they were flirting while solving the problem. After the call, Chris regained his swagger, pointing at his car and saying arrogantly: “Pay up then, big deal!” “My Porsche has three million in insurance coverage. It’s more than enough to pay for your crappy VW. I won’t short you a penny, you pauper!” I sneered internally. With your measly insurance, you want to pay for my limited edition Phaeton? Besides, act recklessly like that, and you’re not even covered by insurance. I’m going to force you two adulterers to show your true colors today. Soon, the insurance company rep arrived. The claims adjuster seemed to know cars. One look at my car and his face went pale. When he finished reading the accident report in the sunglass man’s hand, he let out a long breath. “Sir, this accident was caused by your malicious brake-checking. It is not within the scope of our company’s coverage. Please negotiate compensation with the other party yourself, thank you!” Hearing he had to pay himself, Chris’s face changed instantly. He pointed at the adjuster and cursed: “What kind of broken insurance company are you? Accidents aren’t covered? Isn’t this cheating us of our money?” The adjuster didn’t want to tangle with him, waved his hand, and walked away. “So, pay up or go to jail?”

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The moment my husband, Ryan, put on those smart glasses, he became a stranger. He’d always been a skeptic, scoffing at horoscopes and superstition. But now, he meticulously followed the glasses’ “Luck-Enhancing Outfit” advice every day. Soon, he started trying to control me. “The intelligent analysis says wearing high heels today will benefit my career.” I reminded him it was pouring rain outside. He immediately scowled. “I have a massive contract signing today. Even if you sprained your ankle, you can’t sabotage my luck!” I didn’t want to argue. I changed into the heels. That very day, I landed in the ER with a Grade 3 sprain. The second day I was recovering, he said, “Climbing a mountain today is crucial for me to get a promotion from the VP.” I was furious. “My foot is broken! You want me to climb a mountain?” “You can just go slowly. Once I’m promoted, you’ll enjoy a life of luxury with me forever.” I refused vehemently, but he physically forced me to the summit. With no strength in my legs, I accidentally lost my footing and tumbled over the cliff. After I died, I was certain Ryan had cheated and was using those glasses as a twisted excuse to torment me to death. But then, I heard a conversation between Ryan and the smart glasses. Ryan was sobbing, clutching my body. “This is because I listened to you! You killed my wife!” “Without her, what’s the point of living?” “Your wife died because her hair was too straight,” a cold, synthetic voice responded. “If she had gotten a loose wave perm, this tragedy would have been avoided.” I opened my eyes and found myself back on the day Ryan bought the smart glasses. I was about to stop him from putting them on. But Ryan spoke first. “Honey, I think you would look incredible with curly hair.” I froze in place. This time, I had to understand why he trusted a pair of high-tech lenses with such blind, deadly faith. 1 Seeing my lack of response, Ryan rushed to reassure me, as if afraid I was mad. “I’m just giving a suggestion. You’ve had your signature straight, dark hair for so many years. Aren’t you tired of the style?” I played along. “I’ve thought about it, but I’m worried it won’t suit me.” “What are you worried about? You have to be brave and try new things!” “And how could my wife ever not look beautiful?” “I know a fantastic stylist. I’ll book you right now.” He then started using the smart glasses—the AuraLens, as the brand called it—to schedule the appointment. Ryan’s AuraLens connected directly to his phone. In my previous life, ever since he got those glasses, he’d spend hours on the sofa, just staring into space and giggling. Whenever I asked what he was doing, he’d just say he was streaming videos. I thought he’d merely transferred his phone addiction to the glasses, and I didn’t think much of it. When he started believing its insane luck advice, I thought it was just a passing obsession. But then I realized: every single “luck-enhancing” tip the AuraLens gave him was a precise, targeted attack on me. It resulted in injury after injury. I finally couldn’t take it anymore and asked him why he put such absolute faith in a gadget. Ryan just mumbled vague excuses. What truly chilled me was the total lack of genuine concern when I was injured. That was when I started to suspect he was cheating. But after I died, he not only collapsed, weeping hysterically over my body, but he was also despairing enough to talk about following me. My curiosity deepened. What secret did those glasses hold that was more important than both our lives? While Ryan was busy booking the stylist, I secretly contacted the official store where he bought the AuraLens, asking about its features. After I sent them the product serial number, the representative told me that Ryan’s glasses were a special edition prototype. Some of its hidden, proprietary features couldn’t be accessed by them. Furthermore, the designer and creator of this custom pair was completely untraceable. A cold knot formed in my chest. If the official channels couldn’t tell me, there was only one way left. I had to put on Ryan’s glasses and see for myself. But how could I ever get my hands on them? “Honey, the stylist has an opening right now. Let’s head out.” I snapped back to reality. Ryan was already packed and waiting. He adjusted the glasses on his nose and gave me a faint smile—one that made him look utterly foreign. As I stood up, I smiled back, keeping my tone light. “You love those glasses so much you won’t even take them off to sleep.” His hand paused on the doorknob. He offered a quick, casual explanation. “All my phone messages and notifications pop up right here. It’s normal to rely on it.” I didn’t press him. While I was getting my hair done, Ryan worked on the contract he was supposed to sign the next day. He finished his work just as I was done with my new hair. “Wow, you are a stunning bombshell now, honey!” Ryan nodded in satisfaction. “And a pair of stiletto heels would just complete that powerful look!” “Wear high heels tomorrow. I want to see a fierce, polished professional!” Just like in the previous life, I reminded him. “It’s supposed to rain tomorrow. Heels will be a hassle.” But he insisted. “The AuraLens just told me that high heels tomorrow will significantly boost my business luck.” “Honey, if I close this deal, the bonus is thirty thousand dollars.” “You wouldn’t refuse me, would you?” I laughed. “You’ve signed six deals like this already this year. With your talent, you could wear flip-flops tomorrow and still close it.” I didn’t believe for a second that my high heels were the reason he succeeded the first time. But he was persistent. Until I uncovered the truth, I wanted to avoid unnecessary conflict. I nodded and agreed. The next day, however, once I arrived at the office, I deliberately changed into flats. I was going to see if his contract would fail simply because I didn’t wear heels. 2 What I hadn’t anticipated was Ryan coming home that evening with a face like thunder. “The deal fell through.” The moment he said it, my body went rigid. The project had been discussed and agreed upon long ago. Ryan’s contract was airtight; otherwise, he wouldn’t have closed it in the past. Could it truly have been because I didn’t wear the heels? “Honey, did you… not wear the high heels?” Hearing the accusation, I quickly flashed my injured ankle. “You saw me put them on when I left. And look, I sprained my foot, remember?” To prevent him from discovering I’d switched shoes and to make the failed contract seem plausible, I’d gone ahead and painfully twisted my ankle that morning. Looking at him now, the pain hadn’t been for nothing. Ryan looked even more confused. “You followed the luck advice perfectly. Why did my contract still fail?” “It’s just an AI fortune-teller, Ryan. You don’t need to believe in it so much.” He instantly snapped. “How can you say that?” “My AuraLens is different from every other AI!” “How is it different?” I pressed, leaning into his frantic mood. He didn’t answer. Instead, his expression became deadly serious as he warned me, “The failure today is because you weren’t devout enough.” “From now on, you must obey every single thing I say, or you will ruin my career!” “Tomorrow is the day my department finalizes promotions. Going on a hike tomorrow will boost my career luck.” “You must stand on the highest peak and pray with sincerity.” I sneered, pointing to my sprained foot. “How am I supposed to hike with this?” “It’s a sprain, not open-heart surgery. Why can’t you hike?” “I’ll push you up there. That’s why.” He roared at me. I stood there, stunned by the sight of the unhinged man who was supposed to be Ryan. He seemed to realize his emotional outburst was a problem and softened his tone immediately. “Honey, I’m sorry. The contract failed, and I just lost control.” “The tech sector is bleeding, the pressure is immense. Please, just see this as me searching for a psychological anchor. Help me out, okay?” I looked at him, feeling helpless. “If you need spiritual guidance, I’ll go with you to a psychic or a temple. But why are you placing all your faith in some AI’s ‘good luck’ suggestions?” “Is this science or a cult? Tell me the truth. Is there something you’re hiding?” Ryan panicked. “What could I possibly be hiding?” “We’re a team. I work this hard because I want to lower your stress!” “I’m so anxious I’ve started believing this stuff, and you still suspect me?” “I think you just don’t want me to succeed! Are you afraid I’ll surpass you professionally?” “Other wives willingly support their husbands’ careers from home. I respect your career, I’m happy to play second fiddle, and this is the suspicion and doubt I get in return?” He abruptly slammed his coffee mug onto the floor, scattering shards of ceramic everywhere. I didn’t argue. I simply narrowed my eyes and watched him. In the silence, our eyes met. He suddenly asked me, “Eliza, how can you be so calm?” “Did you… come back?” My back went rigid. Had I given myself away? Frowning, I kept up the pretense. “Come back from what? What are you talking about?” “You don’t want to explain the glasses, so you’re changing the subject?” Ryan crouched down in front of me, his expression deadly earnest. “Honey, the truth is, I came back.” 3 “In the last timeline, I used these smart glasses to climb all the way to a senior executive position at the company. It completely transformed our lives.” “That’s why I trust these glasses so absolutely.” “But as for why they’re so powerful, I can only tell you after I secure that executive role. Otherwise, the effect will vanish.” He gripped my hands tightly, his eyes pleading. “Please, just trust me this one time.” Ryan had concocted a lie about a past life. This only cemented my certainty: the glasses’ secret was far more sinister than he was letting on. Asking wouldn’t work. I would have to risk my life and find out myself. “You’re right. We’re a team. I will always, always trust you.” “I’ll take a sick day from work. I’ll go hiking with you tomorrow.” Ryan was so thrilled he pulled me into a tight hug and kissed me. Then he retreated to his study to work. He often worked himself to the bone for his job. That was why, in the previous life, when I realized his obsession with the smart glasses was tied to his ambition, my tolerance for his eccentric behavior had been so high. But I didn’t believe it was just about work anymore. I prepared his usual glass of warm milk. Ryan drank it without suspicion. He didn’t know that this time, I’d added something extra. Half an hour later, Ryan was slumped over his desk, fast asleep. I called his name. No response. I pushed his shoulder. Nothing. Once I was sure he was deeply unconscious, I reached out to take the glasses. But the instant my fingers brushed the frame, a hand shot up and clamped onto my wrist! The supposedly unconscious Ryan was suddenly wide awake. His eyes were savage, his voice icy. “What are you doing?” “Eliza, you were trying to steal my glasses while I slept!” “I already promised I’d tell you everything once I made it to the executive level, but you still don’t trust me!” “I think you just want to ruin me!” “Are you insane?!” I yanked my hand free. “I thought you were asleep, and I wanted to take the glasses off so you could rest better.” “My good intentions are wasted on you! Keep your stupid glasses. Marry your damn glasses for all I care!” I feigned outrage and stormed out, slamming the study door shut. But just as I stepped out, I received a text from the private investigator. The PI had managed to track down the designer/creator of Ryan’s custom AuraLens prototype. The moment I saw the name, a cold dread completely paralyzed me. I knew. Tomorrow’s hike was almost a death sentence. But I had to go. I immediately spent the night frantically contacting local search and rescue teams. I spent a full ten thousand dollars, begging them to set up a hidden, emergency response near the precise spot where I had fallen before. Every team was hesitant, fearing liability when they heard my request. “Ma’am, if you know you might die, why are you going anyway?” I didn’t have the time or the words to explain that my husband had fallen in love with a smart gadget. I had to repeatedly sign written waivers, absolving them of all responsibility should the rescue fail. Finally, one team agreed to the contract. By the time I finished everything, the sun was rising. The end was near. The game between Ryan and me was about to conclude. 4 Ryan finally emerged from the study, where he’d spent the entire night. The dark circles under his eyes showed he hadn’t slept well either. But he acted perfectly normal, greeting me. “Honey, get ready. Let’s go for our hike.” He smiled at me, but the heavy bruising under his eyes made him look like a desperate, restless ghost. I pretended not to notice and got in the car with him. When we reached the bottom of the mountain, Ryan dropped me off first and went to find parking. In that brief moment, I received another bizarre text message. “You’ll die if you go up with him. You came back and you’re still this stupid?!” Who was this? How did they know I had come back? I texted back a question mark. They didn’t reply. I immediately called the number, but it was disconnected—an empty line! The person on the other end clearly knew Ryan’s secret. Who were they? My heart hammered in my chest. Ryan, who had gone to park, was already back. He jogged over, taking a firm grip on both sides of my wheelchair, controlling my every direction. Before we started up the path, he suddenly said, “I thought about it. I want to respect your feelings.” “If you truly don’t want to climb, we can forget it.” I knew better. Even if I didn’t go up today, he’d find another opportunity and method to kill me later. It was better to get it over with and find out the truth today. “If this truly helps your state of mind, I’ll climb.” Thanks to the lessons of my first life, I was hyper-aware of my surroundings as we ascended. When we reached the exact spot where I’d fallen before—the loose patch of ground—my heart trembled uncontrollably, even knowing the rescue team was waiting below. “Honey, that spot ahead is very narrow. Be careful.” He patted my shoulder. “I’m here. You think you’d fall doing something as simple as a hike?” I closed my eyes in tension. But this time, we passed the spot safely. Only when we truly reached the summit did I feel a brief rush of surviving a near-death experience. Ryan spread his arms wide and took a deep breath. “The mountain air is beautiful, Eliza.” “It would be quite a peaceful way to go, if you had to die here.” His words struck a tightly wound cord in my mind. Clenching my fists, I admonished him. “Don’t talk about dying. It’s bad luck.” Ryan slowly turned to face me. The instant our eyes met, his held a chilling, undisguised intent to kill. “Stop pretending, Eliza.” “I can’t believe, even after coming back to life, you still love me this much.” “I texted you a warning, but you still chose to climb up here with me.” “Since you’re so willing, I’ll grant your wish and let you die right here.” I was stunned. That was you? He smiled, and a deep chill settled in my bones. Ryan started walking toward me. I quickly spun the wheelchair back, but he grabbed me and pinned me in place. He leaned down, whispering in my ear. “You thought you noticed my strange behavior, but you didn’t think I’d notice yours, did you?” “Your biggest weakness, Eliza, is that you loved me too much.” “I owe you an apology in this life, but after you’re gone, I’ll make sure you have the finest grave.” “Ryan, what are you talking about?!” I yelled, hysterical now. “You know I love you! Why are you doing this?!” He didn’t answer. Instead, he kicked the wheelchair. “Ah!” Seeing the chair begin to roll toward the cliff edge, I instinctively threw myself out, landing hard on the ground. The wheelchair plunged into the abyss. I desperately clung to a jagged rock at the edge of the cliff, shaking uncontrollably. Tears streamed down my face. “We’ve been married for years! I swear I’ve never wronged you!” “Why do you hate me this much?!” “You’re a good woman. That’s why, down below, I actually regretted it for a second.” “I almost gave you a chance to escape.” Fear and grief made me tremble, but with my last ounce of strength, I pleaded, my voice raw. “Let me go.” “Whatever trouble you’re in, tell me! We can face it together, can’t we?” Ryan shook his head. “Of course not.” “The AuraLens told me this is the only way for my life to be successful.” “Honey, I’ll make it up to you in the next life.” “The smart glasses again!” I screamed, my voice hoarse. “Why do you believe that thing so blindly?!” “Our years of marriage, the two children I lost for you—do none of those matter more than a piece of AI-guided plastic?!” Hearing me mention the children we’d lost, Ryan finally flinched. My eyes were blurry with tears, my voice trembling. “Fine. I know I won’t survive today.” “But let me die with an answer.” “Tell me. Why do you have such absolute, blind faith in that AuraLens?” Ryan finally nodded. He took the glasses off and handed them to me. This time, I finally put on my husband’s glasses.

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Julian Lu, the young master of the Beijing elite, is a DINK (Dual Income, No Kids). But I’m pregnant. He hates women scheming against him the most. After a popular starlet announced her pregnancy, he hurriedly went abroad to find her. Turns out he just wants the person he likes to have his cub. I proposed breaking up and went back to my hometown to schedule an abortion. Later, he handcuffed me to the head of the bed and bit me hard. “Don’t shake, even if you cry I won’t stop. “You killed our baby, so you have to compensate me with another one.” 1 Only one bedside lamp was lit in the room. The tassels on the lamp swayed incessantly. Julian Lu was particularly fierce today. Even into the early morning, he refused to let me go. When I was about to fall asleep, he bit my neck. “Little darling, look at me, it’s not over yet.” “How about we continue tomorrow? I’m really sleepy.” I begged for mercy in a soft voice. He pinched my chin, displeasure hidden in his eyes. “Who was the boy who handed you a note today?” “……” So it was because of this. Julian Lu is usually busy with work, but today he rarely went to school to pick me up. I happened to be buying desserts at a milk tea shop. The clerk was a junior student, he recognized me. When paying, he stuffed a note into my hand. I turned around and saw an eye-catching blue sports car parked by the roadside. The window was open, Julian Lu looked at me faintly. He didn’t explode then. Endured all night. Now he wants to settle the score? Julian Lu used force with his fingers, my chin hurt a bit. “Speak!” Meeting his deep eyes. I softened my voice. “I don’t know him, he’s just a junior student, I’ve already thrown away the note.” “Ideally.” He lowered his head to kiss me, deeply and heavily. When my head was dizzy. He gasped and instructed me: “I’m going on a business trip tomorrow, be good at home. If I find out you did something you shouldn’t, you know the consequences.” Cold tone, movements fierce like a wolf. I nodded obediently. Of course I wouldn’t think Julian Lu was jealous. He likes girls who are physically and mentally clean. If I dare to get close to other boys, he will dump me immediately. 2 Julian Lu left for a month. I finally had time to do what I like. Recently, don’t know if I ate something bad, I always feel nauseous and want to vomit. After listening to my description, the doctor prescribed a pregnancy test stick for me. I was stunned. Half an hour later. I walked out of the gynecology department, staring blankly at the pregnancy test report in my hand. Everyone in the Beijing circle knows Julian Lu is a DINK. He also hates marriage very much. Every time Julian Lu comes to find me, he takes sufficient preventive measures. But still… hard to guard against. The doctor said all contraceptive measures are not 100% effective. I touched my flat stomach, a strong uneasiness rose in my heart. Julian Lu hates girls scheming. Before at a banquet, a singer who wanted to climb into his bed secretly drilled into his room, wanting to rely on the child for status. He threw the girl wrapped in a bath towel out directly. Later, there was no news of her in the entertainment circle. I bit my lip, my hand holding the pregnancy test report trembling. Finished. If Julian Lu suspects me of playing tricks. Who knows if the next one to be fixed is me. 3 I tossed and turned unable to sleep. Late at night, just preparing to send a message to test Julian Lu. The phone pushed the latest hot gossip. Julian Lu was photographed entering and leaving a foreign hospital with the popular starlet Mia Wen. Two people at the entrance of the gynecology department. Even though the girl was wrapped tightly, her beautiful figure and appearance could still be vaguely seen. Pure little white flower. Is the type Julian Lu likes. Paparazzi are spreading rumors about Mia Wen’s pregnancy, the child is likely Julian Lu’s. After all, they were photographed in a hotel before. For a time, the matter of the Lu family having a mistress was spread widely. I looked at those photos quietly. Immediately deleted the wording prepared in the chat box. Julian Lu indeed treats Mia Wen very differently. Last time at the banquet, I accompanied him. A man teased Mia Wen, saying she had resources despite bad acting, must be supported by a sugar daddy, and he also wanted to try this little star. Julian Lu splashed the wine in his hand over immediately. Grabbed the other’s collar, wanted to hit him. The Lu family’s upbringing is strict, he rarely gets angry in public. If I hadn’t pulled him back then. I’m afraid he would have broken that man’s leg. Perhaps, Julian Lu is not a completely firm DINK. He just wants the person he likes to be pregnant. …… I touched my stomach. Forcibly suppressed the sourness in my heart. Anyway, I was with Julian Lu because I was poor. My mother was sick. Just happened to meet Julian Lu chasing me. He gave money generously, helped my mother get rare special medicine. I had no reason to refuse. After all, compared to human life, what is self-esteem? Who Julian Lu likes, who he is willing to be with is his business. As long as he is willing to give money. 4 Next day. Julian Lu sent me flight information. As an obedient girlfriend, I naturally had to pick him up. Late autumn, I wore the little dress he liked most, with a windbreaker outside. Waited for two hours in the cold wind. At first it was flight delay. Until dark. I received his message. [Sorry, things here haven’t been dealt with yet, have to delay return.] My frozen stiff hands typed a line. [Then you pay attention to rest well, miss you oh~] Julian Lu likes my delicate appearance most. Soon, the bank card received a transfer of five million. I was stunned. Even if he sent holiday red envelopes before, he wouldn’t give so much at once. [Me: Transferred wrong?] [Him: Didn’t you say you wanted to go on a graduation trip, go out and have fun.] [Me: So generous, how about I go to London to find you?] I used a joking tone. The other party refused quickly. [Him: Go wherever you love to go yourself, don’t come to find me.] [Me: Then when will you come back?] He didn’t reply to me again. Until late at night. Paparazzi exposed Mia Wen went to Julian Lu’s private villa abroad. I stared at those intimate photos. After a long time, I realized. That money during the day was severance pay. Those Beijing elite young masters like Julian Lu are all like this. Give a sum of money, break up decently. Those girls also tactfully stopped pestering.

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Transmigrated as a fake heiress who is as calm as a chrysanthemum, the real heiress bound me to a mind-reading system to expose my true colors. The real heiress wanted to compete with me. I looked at the skinny CEO, regretting in my heart: 【Too thin won’t work. Men need to be strong, dumplings need to be eaten hot. 【Dumplings! Want to eat, but I must be as calm as a chrysanthemum. I’ll secretly order two portions later.】 The CEO stood up for the real heiress, threatening to make me go back home. Me: 【Yay, if I go home now, I can catch the One Piece update.】 CEO: ? Later someone said I was pretending to be lofty. The real heiress sighed: “…Not really, she just equally doesn’t care about anyone.” 1 【A cool and aloof heiress can’t eat garlic in public. Wait until tonight when they’re asleep, I’ll sneak out to eat.】 Mia White, who had just snatched that priceless pearl necklace, froze. Earlier, the “Calm as a Chrysanthemum” system found me and said I just needed to maintain a calm demeanor, showing decency and aloofness. I couldn’t think of a reason to refute, so I faintly said “Mm” and accepted the task. System: Good lord, getting into character so quickly! After living calmly for a while, Mom suddenly told me she found her biological daughter, Mia White. The system told me that Mia White is the real heiress, and I am the fake heiress, Chloe White. Originally, my character would gradually expose her malice in the struggle with the real heiress, be expelled from the family, and finally court death continuously, ending badly. But my system bound me to the “Calm as a Chrysanthemum” system, so I could save this villain character’s tragic fate by not fighting or snatching. I was instantly moved, but had to act calmly, so I said to the system: “Oh.” System: … Today Mom took us to choose birthday gifts. We were switched at birth, so our birthdays are the same. Mom intended to buy me something more expensive. I said indifferently: “Anything is fine.” But Mia White snatched that priceless pearl set first: “Since sister says anything is fine, I want this set.” Mom frowned, disgust written on her face: “Why snatch? No look of a lady at all!” Mia White looked triumphant, not hurt at all, staring at me as if watching a good show. I lowered my lashes and said faintly: “As long as sister likes it.” But inside, waves were surging: 【Pearls (Zhen Zhu), steamed pig (Zheng Zhu)! Mmh, dipping in soy sauce with some garlic is super fragrant. 【But I am a cool and aloof heiress, I can’t eat garlic in public. Wait until tonight when they’re asleep, I’ll sneak out to eat. 【White cut pork, remember, you are the eternal god.】 Mom lost her temper and helplessly patted Mia White: “Fine, take whatever you want. Your sister won’t fight with you.” 2 Officially past eighteen, my parents told me I have a fiancé arranged since birth. But I was switched, so actually, the engagement partner isn’t me. Me: “Uh, okay.” But the next second, Dad told me the other party wanted both of us sisters to meet him. 【What the hell, thinks he’s the emperor? Picking and choosing, puke puke puke.】 Dad scolded angrily: “What do you know! The Gu family is a connection everyone in the elite circle wants to climb. “We have two daughters, meaning one more chance for cooperation.” On the surface: “Mm, for the White family, I will go see him.” Inside: 【Oh, sure enough men understand men best. Could it be Dad also wants to hold a beauty selection?】 Dad, who was inexplicably slapped by Mom: ? So, we two sisters were led to the Gu Corporation CEO’s office. Before seeing Lucas Gu, Mia White whispered in my ear: “Just wait, everyone will watch your show.” I didn’t understand, but the appearance of CEO Lucas Gu made my heart fluctuate. 【CEO is here! This is Lucas Gu, my fiancé.】 Seeing me staring at Lucas Gu in a daze, Mia White looked triumphant, waiting to watch a good show. Lucas Gu’s gaze swept over, disregarding the White parents, and said to me unpolitely: “You are the imposter who stole Mia’s eighteen years of life? “I advise you to give up the engagement voluntarily, don’t be ungrateful.” I couldn’t be happier, but had to act calmly. Nodded indifferently: “Okay.” 【This man is too thin! First time seeing such a skinny dog CEO, eye-opening. 【As everyone knows, men need to be strong, dumplings need to be eaten hot. 【Dumplings! Pan-fried and steamed dumplings are both delicious, but I must maintain decency, can’t eat dumplings anywhere. 【I’ll secretly order two portions later, one fried and one steamed. 【Hehe, so witty, worthy of me.】 Mia White froze on the spot, body stiff, as if acupoints were pressed. Lucas Gu suddenly ordered his assistant: “One hour, find me the best fitness coach in the city!” I quietly stopped that assistant: “Your President Gu also said to order a portion of pan-fried dumplings and a portion of steamed dumplings, put them in the meeting room next door.” 3 Sitting in the CEO’s office, I looked at the door anxiously. The dumpling takeout had arrived; it’s only delicious when hot. However, I must remain cool and aloof. How can I show that I’m scratching my ears and cheeks wanting dumplings? Lucas Gu negotiated with my parents arrogantly: “So, I will only fulfill the engagement with the true daughter of the White family.” 【Fragrant dumplings! I want to eat, find an excuse to slip out.】 The CEO frowned, “…This thief who stole Mia’s eighteen years of life, you must also kick out of the house.” 【Good! Just say I have a stomachache and want to poop. No, a cool woman can’t say such things.】 Mom stood up excitedly: “Chloe is also our daughter. Even without blood relations, there is the affection of raising her. “President Gu, what benefit does proposing such a condition bring you?” Lucas Gu smiled wickedly: “No benefit, just like seeing thieves get what they deserve.” I slapped the table and stood up, saying faintly to everyone in the room: “Have something important to do outside.” Everyone in the room: …Important thing? Eating dumplings or pooping? But I didn’t know my inner voice was heard, walking towards the meeting room with a serious face. Dumplings! Fragrant dumplings! Delicious! Worthy of the CEO’s special assistant, you know how to order takeout! 4 I returned to the CEO’s office looking cool and aloof, hearing Lucas Gu using that piece of land in the western suburbs as a condition to make my parents kick me out. Looks like my dad is very tempted. After all, he has coveted that land for a long time but couldn’t get it. Looking at Mom, she is also powerless, after all, she has no real power. I spoke indifferently: “It’s no problem for me to leave the White family.” Everyone looked at me, silence for a few seconds. Lucas Gu frowned and spoke: “Where does this garlic smell come from?” 【Damn. What to do? A cool and aloof heiress smelling of garlic is too undignified. Find a scapegoat.】 “That, your special assistant insisted on treating me to dumplings. Hard to refuse such kindness.” 【The dumplings were ordered by him anyway. Indeed the assistant’s problem, hmph hmph.】 Since you’re so good at ordering dumplings, I’ll award you a black pot (blame). The CEO’s assistant looked panicked, wanting to explain to Lucas Gu. But Lucas Gu held his forehead, looking like he understood everything, waving his hand to let him go out.

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