Category: English

My brother came back from studying abroad for the holidays, and with him came a future sister-in-law. She was apparently set on making sure I knew my place, this little sister-in-law she’d never met before. In front of people, she was gentle and generous. Behind closed doors, she targeted me at every turn. When I tolerated her, she’d gloat, “I’m going to be the lady of this house, the future mistress of the Thompson family.” “You’d better be nice to me, or I’ll have your brother kick you out!” But I just smiled. No one told her my brother was adopted. I was the only heir to the Thompson family. Even my brother answered to me. It was the holiday season, and the airport was packed. But I still spotted my brother, who was there to pick me up, in the crowd. When my brother brought me home from the airport, Mom and Dad were waiting anxiously, their heads held high, watching for me. It had been ages since I’d been home, studying abroad, so everyone was thrilled. After I chatted with my family, telling them how much I’d missed them, my brother pulled a stranger over to me. He introduced her to me, a little shyly, “This is my girlfriend, your future sister-in-law, Vanessa.” Then he tilted his head slightly towards her, “Vanessa, this is Cassidy, my sister I’ve told you so much about. Just call her Cass.” “Nice to meet you.” She offered me both hands with a polite smile. I was still caught up in the excitement of being home. I greeted her quickly, then turned back to babble on with my parents. That night, Mom and I cuddled up, and she told me Vanessa was an intern my brother met at a branch company he managed. She was apparently innocent and gentle, and my brother was absolutely smitten. So, not long after they started dating, he brought her home and declared he wanted to marry her. I was excited. “And? Is Ryan really getting married?” “Your dad and I, of course, hoped he’d find someone from a similar background, but if he insists, we can’t say much. If he truly loves her, we’ll let him.” Mom was always open-minded, so I wasn’t worried about my brother. But I didn’t expect that when I saw Vanessa the next day, I realized I had seriously underestimated her. Because of the jet lag, I didn’t wake up until late afternoon. I went downstairs to find something to eat. As I sat at the dining table, eating breakfast, a voice drifted over from behind me, slow and deliberate, “Oh, little sister is just waking up now? Your brother has already been at work for half the day.” *Are you okay?* A flurry of question marks floated above my head. I turned around. It was Vanessa. “Huh. Were you talking to me?” I was a little incredulous. She rolled her eyes so hard, I thought they might pop out. She walked down the stairs slowly, arms crossed. Seriously, she was already strutting around like she owned the place. Yesterday, in front of Mom and Dad, she was perfectly normal. Now, behind their backs, she couldn’t wait to give me attitude. “Who else would I be talking to? Is there a third person in this room right now?” Her tone held unmistakable hostility. Guess I hadn’t misunderstood her. After the initial shock, I found it amusing. “I thought you were talking to someone else. After all, we’re not exactly close. And please don’t call me ‘little sister.’ I don’t have any ‘sisters’ in this house.” I snapped back at her, then turned to continue my breakfast. This piece of work… my brother must have been completely blind to fall for her. She continued walking towards me, looking furious and about to speak, when we heard the front door open. Vanessa immediately switched faces, her expression soft and vulnerable. Her tone, a moment ago so sarcastic, completely reversed. “Don’t be mad, little sister. If you don’t like me calling you that, I won’t anymore.” I couldn’t believe such a classic manipulative snake actually existed in real life. Didn’t she think it was too fake? Just then, Mom and Ryan walked in. Seeing Vanessa’s sad, wronged expression, Mom looked confused and hurried over to ask, “What’s wrong? What happened?” Vanessa saw Ryan was back and upped her game. She even managed to squeeze out two tears, which welled up in her eyes, making her look truly pathetic. “It’s nothing. Cass, ah, I mean, Cassidy just doesn’t like me calling her ‘little sister.’ I won’t do it anymore. I just thought it would make us closer, I didn’t mean to upset her. I’m so sorry.” I was stunned by her performance. Living over twenty years, I’d never encountered such a master manipulator. What an eye-opener! Mom tried to mediate. “Oh, come on, it’s such a small thing. No need to get upset.” Ryan also chimed in, “Cassidy is probably just grumpy from waking up. She might still be adjusting to the time difference since she just got back. Don’t take it personally.” He gave me a subtle look, then put his arm around the pathetic-looking Vanessa and led her back to his room to comfort her. I didn’t need to eat anymore; I was full of anger. Mom looked at me, asking what happened. I just said, “Nothing.” I wanted to see what other crap this woman would pull.

Freshly back in the country, I was like a wild animal, starved for ages. I went out every day, meeting old friends and feasting, vowing to make up for all the food I’d missed over the years. During this time, I didn’t have time to deal with Vanessa. But then, a friend brought her up. “How’s your future sister-in-law treating you? She’s not just anyone, is she?” It was my childhood friend, Jake. His expression and demeanor screamed, *I know everything, but I won’t tell you until you ask.* He’d been like that since we were kids. I shot him a glance and, as he wished, said, “Spit it out already!” He grinned, even more slyly. “That girl is an intern at your family’s company. She barely started, and she’s already got your big dummy brother wrapped around her finger.” I scoffed. “That’s it? You needed to tell me *that*? Everyone knows that. Tell me something I *don’t* know.” Jake didn’t get annoyed. He continued, “But did you know, this girl only had one goal from the moment she joined the company: to snag your brother. Now she’s going around, calling herself the future mistress of the Thompson family, flaunting that status everywhere.” I finally turned to look at him. Jake smugly pulled out his phone and showed me a few screenshots. It was a SnapChat conversation between Vanessa and her girlfriends. 【Ryan is mine. What rich heir? He’s practically groveling at my feet, Vanessa’s feet!】 【Ryan brought me home to meet his parents. The Thompson house is so big! And they have a housekeeper! I *have* to hold onto this.】 【Ryan’s sister is coming home soon. Daughters in these families are always a threat. Once she’s here, I’m going to give her a good lesson.】 *How stupid.* To brag about something like that, she clearly couldn’t keep her mouth shut. I grumbled to myself, then turned back to Jake. “What’s your connection to the person in the screenshots?” Jake gave a cheeky smile. I looked at him disdainfully, but he was quite brazen. “What’s the big deal? It’s a mutual thing, we both got what we wanted. Not like your brother.” But I couldn’t help but keep an eye on Vanessa. From what I observed, though her name meant “butterfly,” her ambition was anything but delicate. She presented herself as a gentle, kind, innocent flower, not fighting for anything, not wanting anything. But in reality, she made sure she wanted for nothing. She manipulated my brother into getting her a permanent position, a promotion, and a cushy department job. From occasionally staying over, she practically moved into our house completely. She was great at playing the victim and charming people. In this house, apart from me and Maria the housekeeper, she had a smile for everyone. She buttered up my parents, her future in-laws, and reeled in my brother, eager to marry him and become the *real* Mrs. Thompson. I was the only one, his sister, she didn’t even bother to pretend for. Maria brought me a late-night snack, and when Vanessa saw it, she demanded some too. But it was already very late; the soup had been simmering for hours. There was no time to make more now, and Maria was about to go to sleep. The moment she heard Maria was reluctant, Vanessa put her hands on her hips and pulled out her “future madam” act again. “What, I can’t even get a bowl of soup made for me? Are you the Thompson family’s housekeeper, or are you here to enjoy yourself? Am I not allowed to tell you what to do?” Maria had no choice but to go make it for her. She was truly this domineering, yet in front of my parents, she constantly yielded to me. I, on the other hand, was too lazy to play along with her childish games and never gave her a pleasant look. This contrast made me seem like the ill-mannered one. I even tried to ask my brother, hesitantly, if he was really going to marry Vanessa. Did he truly know her? Ryan just thought I was acting like a child, saying he would marry her and hoped I’d get along with her. My parents also grew increasingly fond of Vanessa. Vanessa would go shopping with Mom, buying bags. No matter what Mom liked, she’d praise her taste. She made Mom laugh constantly. Of course, she often received gifts from her future mother-in-law. Emotional value exchanged for material value—both were quite satisfied. Ryan, naturally, was happy to see their mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship so harmonious. I was the only one in the family who didn’t like her. This disparity became more and more apparent. I actually started to look like the villainous sister. Because of this, Vanessa became even more confident with me. In places my parents couldn’t see, she treated me even worse.

“Little sister’s room is so big. Can I move into this room after your brother and I get married? You’ll be marrying out anyway eventually. I think the light and space here are the best. It would be such a waste if it just sat empty.” It sounded like a question, but her tone was a declaration. She’d had her eye on my room from the start. I glanced at my brother, who was standing nearby. He didn’t say a word. My anger turned into a mocking laugh. “Really? You’re not even married in yet, and you’re already planning to snatch my room? Besides, you’ve already snagged my brother, so why doesn’t he buy you your own marital home? Why do you need to squat in my house?” “Cassidy! Don’t talk nonsense.” Mom heard what I said and walked over. “Vanessa, don’t mind her.” Mom actually turned to comfort Vanessa, then told me, “Is that how you should talk? Apologize to your brother and Vanessa right now.” No way. Even though I realized I shouldn’t have said that, I refused to apologize in front of Vanessa. Vanessa saw Mom siding with her and looked at me with even more triumph. “It’s okay, Auntie. Cassidy is just being moody. We won’t move out; Ryan and I want to stay with you both. I even want to take care of you in your old age.” After giving me a provocative look, she spouted flattering words to Mom. Ryan also played peacemaker, “It’s not Cassidy’s fault. Vanessa was teasing her about switching rooms, and Cassidy took it seriously.” He then turned to me, as if coaxing an unruly younger sister. “Your sister-in-law was just playing with you, don’t be angry, okay?” Mom also kept saying how sensible Vanessa was, and how I’d become so petty. She scolded me for being unforgiving over a simple joke. Seeing that they were actually starting to plan the wedding, I began to panic. I couldn’t let her actually marry into my family. I couldn’t possibly live with this master manipulator. One day, when Vanessa wasn’t at our house, I called a family meeting with Mom, Dad, and my brother. “I disagree with Vanessa marrying into our family.” The moment I said that, Mom, Dad, and Ryan all looked at me. Mom said, “Cassidy, don’t be silly.” Ryan looked unsurprised. “Just as your sister-in-law predicted, you really don’t agree.” *Seriously, she actually anticipated this.* Ryan looked a bit helpless. “Why are you so unhappy with Vanessa? You seem to find fault with her everywhere. When she told me, I didn’t believe it, but I can’t believe you’re making things difficult for her now.” Ryan even looked a little wronged on her behalf. “Cassidy, please, for my sake, stop targeting Vanessa, okay? If you really dislike her, after we get married, I’ll move out so you two don’t have to live together.” It seemed Vanessa had pre-emptively warned Ryan. Any words I said next, he would just dismiss as reasons stemming from my dislike of Vanessa. She was truly cunning. Knowing that anything more I said would be useless, I directly pulled out those SnapChat chat logs between Vanessa and her girlfriends. *Seeing is believing,* I thought. *They have to believe me now, right?* I showed them the screenshots one by one, but Ryan remained unmoved. He barely glanced at them before answering resolutely, “This can’t be something Vanessa said.” I knew he’d say that. I pulled out a full screen recording, showing the account, the real-name verification—everything was recorded. Ryan’s expression finally lost its complete trust in her. He watched carefully, including the voice messages. “You’ll be my bridesmaid on my wedding day.” It was Vanessa’s bragging tone. “I’m about to become the mistress of the Thompson family. Soon I’ll be living the easy life there.” Her so-called best friend replied, “Is this good news on the horizon? Congrats, but being the daughter-in-law of a wealthy family isn’t easy. It’s hard to say if it’ll be a life of luxury or suffering. Good luck to you.” It seemed these “sisters” weren’t truly genuine; one was boasting, the other consumed by jealousy. “Hmph, his parents are easy to fool. They’re getting old too. Once I’m in, they’ll have to listen to me anyway. Only his sister, she always gets in my way. I’ll find a way to kick her out then, so she doesn’t get in my way in our family home. She’s just a girl; she won’t inherit anything substantial anyway. Everything belonging to the Thompson family would be my husband’s! He even told me he’s going to take over the company soon.”

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Scrolling through my feed, I stumbled upon a post: [My boyfriend sent me a picture, saying he’s on a business trip alone. But do you really think someone staying alone would mess up the bedsheets like this? He’s not picking up my calls either. Girls, help me analyze this.] The accompanying photo showed a hotel bed and sofa. It looked eerily familiar. Most of the top comments were filled with graphic emojis and crude illustrations, all hinting at suggestive positions. Others were trying to play detective, analyzing the wrinkles on the sheets and the number of food wrappers. One comment, however, instantly caught my eye: [OP, does your boyfriend have a habit of coiling the end of his charging cable into a small loop?] I didn’t know if OP’s boyfriend had that habit, but *I* certainly did. OP replied, [My boyfriend never does that.] [OP, break up with him immediately. He’s definitely cheating.] My finger flew to the screen, zooming in on the charging cable. A faint reflection shimmered on the charging brick. I stared at the sticker on the charging brick by the bedside, my mind racing. Blake and I had been together for ten glorious years. For our tenth anniversary, he’d given me the most beautiful bouquet. Hidden within those flowers was the engagement ring he used to propose. Tears streamed down my face, tears of pure joy. I couldn’t wait to marry him, to make it official. Immediately, I sketched the flowers and the ring, turning them into little stickers. Blake had a habit of sticking these little decals on my things, saying it was his way of always being by my side. I just couldn’t believe such a coincidence could exist. I sent the photo to Harper, my best friend, asking her to take a look. [Isn’t that the hotel you and Blake stayed at during your last trip?] Harper’s words hit me like a splash of cold water. [I knew it! The room layout looked so familiar at first glance.] Harper jokingly suggested it might be some other woman trying to provoke me. [Don’t mistresses usually try to be discreet? I’ve never seen one this arrogant.] I laughed it off, not taking her seriously, and responded in an equally casual tone. But her words lingered, leaving a trace in my mind. I clicked on the poster’s profile, and my heart seized. The IP address matched my exact location. I scrolled through her daily posts. Most of them were pictures of different clouds in the sky. That actually matched her username, “DifferentClouds.” There were a few photos of the poster herself – she looked very young and beautiful. Coincidentally, Blake also loved posting pictures of various clouds on his SnapChat. All sorts of clouds. I scrolled through Blake’s SnapChat, comparing his photos one by one. And there it was: their cloud photos were eerily similar. [Could it be that they just browse the same parts of the internet and save the same photos?] I brushed it off, even joking with Harper. [Go get Blake’s phone and check if he has any other photos.] Harper suggested. Doubt, once planted, festers like a poison. [Honey, I want to post some cloud pictures on my SnapChat too. Do you have any other cloud photos I can choose from?] I snuggled up next to Blake. [I’ve posted a lot of pictures already. Just go look through my SnapChat.] [No way! We have so many mutual friends. If you’ve already posted them, they won’t be fresh anymore.] I pouted, clinging to his arm, trying to be cute. [Ugh, fine, fine, honey. I’ll send you the photos.] That was his subtle way of refusing to let me see his phone. He saw my frown and realized I was getting annoyed. [Oh, come on, honey, don’t be mad. I’ve got a gift for you.] I feigned curiosity. Perhaps eager to appease me, he hurried into the bedroom to get the gift. His phone lay face down on the table. I took a deep breath, quickly unlocked it, and opened his SnapChat. My stomach dropped. He had a few posts marked as ‘hidden from me’—all of them cloud photos. I tried to find “DifferentClouds” in his friend list, but there was no trace of her. I heard him coming out of the room, so I quickly locked the phone, put it back in its original spot, and put on an expectant expression. [Ta-da!] He presented me with a gift box. As I saw the bag in its entirety, my mood plummeted instantly, as if I’d been thrown into an ice cave. He always bought me popular, well-known brands. But this one was a niche international brand. And, coincidentally, it just so happened to be Celeste’s absolute favorite. If I hadn’t looked at her profile, I wouldn’t have even recognized it. Could “coincidence” really explain all of this? Who exactly was “DifferentClouds”? Was I the other woman, or was she?

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A week before my birthday, my family had taken him in when we were kids, practically raising him to be my future husband. But Ryan suddenly swapped the luxurious hotel we’d booked for a cheap inn. My friends laughed at him. “Just because Ashley likes B&Bs, you changed Chloe’s birthday venue? They’ve been rivals since childhood! Aren’t you worried Chloe will be heartbroken and break up with you if you don’t tell her?” “Besides,” another friend added, “you’ve been together for so many years. If she wants a hotel, just give her what she wants. Why stir up trouble?” Ryan scoffed. “It’s fine. She’d break her own legs for me, that’s how much she loves me. She’ll listen to me.” “If she broke up with me, wouldn’t her legs have been broken for nothing? She’d never leave me.” I watched the surveillance footage, silent for a long moment, then my trembling hand switched off the recording. On the day of my birthday, Ryan couldn’t find me at the inn. He desperately FaceTimed me. “Chloe, where are you? I can’t find you anywhere!” Wearing a custom-made gown, I stood by the bar, watching guests mingle, and smiled as I replied, “I’ve been here for half an hour.” **01** This year was a milestone birthday for me, coinciding with our ten-year anniversary with Ryan. So, I’d planned a grand celebration. I’d booked the city’s most luxurious resort for the event weeks in advance. But I never imagined Ryan would go behind my back to change the venue, all because my arch-rival, Ashley, wanted to spend a few days at a B&B. Tears streamed down my face, and I held my breath, staring intently at the surveillance video. Ryan’s friends couldn’t understand him. “Chloe’s so good to you, this will break her heart.” “And besides, it’s *her* birthday. She should decide.” Ryan impatiently shot back, “Who cares what she wants? She’ll end up doing what I say anyway. Ashley was orphaned as a child and constantly bullied by Chloe. She’s suffered so much over the years; I don’t want to disappoint her.” “What reason do I have to soften for a cripple? She only lost her legs. Was Ashley any less pathetic when she was so traumatized by Chloe she couldn’t speak?” Ryan’s assistant, a smirk playing on his lips, chimed in, “Don’t you worry, sir. You adore Miss Ashley, so a little sacrifice is only right.” “As for Miss Hayes, your marriage is a done deal, nothing she can do to change it. There won’t be any problems.” “Besides, with her crippled legs, who else would be willing to take Miss Hayes in if you left her?” Hearing this, Ryan frowned and snapped, “Shut up. Some things are better kept to ourselves. If Chloe finds out, she’ll go on a hunger strike, and can any of you afford the consequences?” His friend watched him helplessly. “Alright, alright, just make sure you know what you’re doing. If you knew it would come to this, why did you ever turn down Ashley’s confession in the first place?” Suddenly, a sweet ringtone chimed. Ryan pulled out his phone. Everyone recognized it as Ashley’s personalized ringtone, and they smirked, teasing Ryan. The assistant quickly jumped in to flatter him, “Sir, your future wife just FaceTimed me asking what you were up to.” Ryan’s face lit up at the title, and he nodded in satisfaction before answering the call softly. Ashley’s sugary voice, dripping with fake sweetness, carried through the speaker. “Ryan, I don’t really like the décor at the B&B. Can we change the wallpaper to light blue?” “Oh, and I want to add a private screening room! We can watch movies together in there!” Her tone was ambiguous and嬌氣, and for the first time, I saw a shy expression on Ryan’s face. Ryan nodded. “Consider it done, just as you like.” Ashley hesitated. “But… won’t your girlfriend be upset? She never really liked me.” “I’m not trying to make her unhappy, I just want her to have a wonderful birthday!” Ryan gently coaxed her, “What’s the big deal? If she gets mad, she’s just being petty! Go ahead and decorate however you want. Don’t worry about the money; just deduct it from Chloe Hayes’s wedding budget.” “Oh, Ryan, you’re so good to me! I’m going to pick out a pretty dress right now. I’ll look absolutely gorgeous for our anniversary!” Ryan hung up, and his assistant, after observing his expression, immediately launched into a string of compliments. “Sir is so good to Miss Ashley; she’ll be even more grateful to you.” His friend looked uneasy. “It’s your anniversary with Chloe, and it’s also her birthday. Is it really appropriate to let Ashley handle everything?” Ryan smiled dismissively. “Chloe and I have been together for so many years; she’ll understand me. Her legs are broken, she can’t run, and she can’t wear pretty dresses. Ashley is different; she’s healthy and has a bright future.” “Besides, even if it comes out of Chloe’s wedding budget, I’m still the one paying for it.” I stared at the monitor, feeling utterly powerless. So this is what it felt like to be treated differently. All these years, no matter what I wanted to do, Ryan always used my disability as an excuse to reject my requests. For so long, I hadn’t even owned a single decent dress. The only one I ever had was a miniskirt he’d bought for Ashley, which she found ugly. But Ryan never thought about it: what business did a cripple like me have wearing a miniskirt? **02** Sitting in my wheelchair, I clutched the tablet tightly, biting my lip, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably. The people in the surveillance video were long gone, but what had just happened was devastatingly real. Ryan and I had been together for seven years, from high school sweethearts to now. Seven entire years, I had poured my entire life into him. Including my legs. I naively believed that as long as I kept giving everything to him, he would always love me. When he first suggested throwing a birthday party for me, I was so touched I almost cried in his arms. I always comforted myself, telling myself that he loved me. That he was trying to make me happy. Was he perhaps remembering how I looked dancing in a blue gown when we first met at that hotel? Too bad he wouldn’t remember. I cried, looking at my progressively atrophying legs, sadly thinking, maybe he never loved me at all. My legs started to ache. I wheeled myself to the bedroom in a flurry, found my anti-inflammatory medication, and swallowed a handful. Ever since I broke both my legs protecting Ryan from robbers, I’d had to take a dozen bitter, huge pills every day. The medicine in my throat was so bitter I wanted to cry, but I forced myself to swallow it down. I felt nauseous and threw up all my breakfast into the trash can. I instinctively wiped my mouth; this had become my daily routine. But Ryan had never once shown concern for me. A SnapChat message from Ryan popped up. I picked up my phone to read it: “Babe, I have to go on a business trip tonight. Be a good girl at home alone, and remember to take your medicine.” My hands trembled uncontrollably. Finally, I managed to compose myself and slowly typed out: “Okay.” Ryan had supposedly been on a business trip for a week, but I’d just seen him on surveillance footage at another mansion in Northwood. My gut told me he was hiding something. I lay awake all night, tossing and turning, until I finally saw him in a picture my best friend sent me. “Chloe, why is your boyfriend on Ashley’s Ins? It looks pretty cozy.” I clicked on the screenshot. Ashley had posted a photo of Ryan’s back, captioned: “True friends always prioritize their buddies over their crushes! ~” In the picture, Ryan, wearing an apron, was cooking with his back to Ashley, who was pouting playfully at the camera—definitely a girlfriend’s POV shot. Beneath it, a flood of comments: “Couple goals!” “Seriously, they’re soulmates, look at them!” “Wow Ashley, your mystery guy has an amazing body!” Ashley replied below, “Don’t guess randomly, everyone! Ryan and I aren’t quite there yet!” I quietly saved the screenshot. He was always like this, pushing my boundaries again and again. I touched my disabled legs, already planning what to do next. Once upon a time, I would have just endured it, just like he said: I’d broken my legs for him, so I’d be reluctant to break up. But now, I refused to endure any longer. I dialed the number I’d memorized long ago. **03** “A meeting?” As I organized the leverage I’d collected against Ryan over the years, I called Julian, Ashley’s stepbrother. He scoffed. “Mrs. Miller calling me bright and early, before I’m even out of bed? A bit bold, wouldn’t you say?” Ignoring his mockery, I suppressed my anger and calmly stated, “Don’t you want to get your conniving stepsister out of the Lin family for good?” “Mr. Lin should know what’s more important: mocking me, or getting her out of your house.” Julian stopped his taunts, falling silent for a moment before saying, “Meet me at the Downtown Bean coffee shop.” My objective achieved, I gathered the evidence, ready to discuss our partnership. Suddenly, a loud kick against the door echoed from outside. Ryan stumbled in, clearly drunk, vivid red hickeys on his neck standing out like a sore thumb. “Chloe Hayes, get over here and change my clothes!” His eyes half-closed, he pointed at me and yelled. Martha, our housekeeper, rushed forward to help him instead, but he harshly pushed her to the ground. “What are *you*? How dare you touch me? Where’s Chloe Hayes? Where did she run off to?” “Only the woman I love can take off my clothes!” I smirked. Ryan was such a good actor; even drunk he was pretending to love me. If I hadn’t seen those videos and Ins posts, following my usual pattern, I would have been incredibly touched and loved him to the point of irrationality, no matter his drunken rants. Martha’s eyes pleaded with me. I walked forward expressionlessly, my voice cold. “You’re a grown man, undress yourself.” Ryan froze, looking at me with a wronged expression. When he saw I remained unmoved, he angrily shoved me aside. The mirror shattered when I hit it, sending shards everywhere, some piercing my skin, making me break out in a cold sweat from the pain. Blood welled from the cuts, and my eyelid was sliced. Helpless, I could only blink one eye, the other squeezed shut. Seeing this, Ryan scrambled, trying to help me in a disorganized panic, but his phone rang, interrupting him. Ashley’s sugary voice, dripping with fake sweetness, came through the phone. “Ryan, my, my hand got scratched by some grass! It’s bleeding, and I’m so scared!” I watched Ryan in silence, the evidence in my hand clenched tight. If he chose me today, I would forgive him. But Ryan didn’t hesitate; he turned and rushed out of the mansion. Before I closed my eyes, I only heard him frantically FaceTiming his assistant. “Mike, get the car to the mansion ASAP and pick me up! Ashley’s hurt, I need to take care of her!” “If you’re late, you’re fired!” I heard Martha sobbing beside me, cradling me. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I closed my eyes, my heart filled with years of unrequited love, pain, and the agony of having my boyfriend stolen by my rival. “Why her? Why?!” I cried out, devastated, in Martha’s arms. When I next awoke, I was in the hospital, hooked up to an IV. Julian, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, sat quietly beside me. Seeing me stir, a faint smile played on his lips, tinged with sarcasm. “Mrs. Miller certainly keeps people on their toes. A phone call in the morning, and in the hospital by the afternoon.” “Does Mr. Hayes even know what a living hell his daughter is enduring?” I remained silent, then turned and handed him the files on my phone. Julian raised an eyebrow, scanning the documents carefully, his eyes widening in surprise. “So much evidence! Chloe Hayes, you’ve actually gotten smarter over the years!” I smiled. “Don’t mistake me for someone easily bullied. As the Hayes family made him, we can also unmake him.” “Since he betrayed me, he shouldn’t blame me for being ruthless.” **04** Alone in the hospital, I bit my lip hard, but tears still welled up uncontrollably. To say I wasn’t heartbroken would be a lie. Ryan and I had been together for over a decade. For more than ten years, I had so naively believed he loved me. I remembered my father holding his hand, smiling as he looked at me: “My dear daughter, this is Ryan Miller. You two will grow up together.” Ryan’s father had passed away then, and his mother had remarried. My father, pitying his difficult circumstances, took him into our home. When he was eighteen, he was kidnapped while trying to save Ashley. To rescue him, I had both my legs brutally broken. At that time, Ryan, his eyes red-rimmed, swore to me: “Chloe, I’ll protect you for the rest of my life!” But his “lifetime” apparently only lasted a few years. Only I remembered him holding me, covered in blood, crying in such utter despair. It was as if he were a completely different person now. I clearly felt it: the Ryan I loved no longer loved me. Julian hired the best orthopedic doctor for me. As I watched the doctor repeatedly press my calf muscles, sighing constantly, tears silently streamed down my face. Julian, seeing this, patted my shoulder. “Chloe Hayes, it will get better. Don’t overthink things.” Remembering the doctor’s instructions, I desperately fought back my sorrowful thoughts, tilting my head back, trying to force the tears back into my eyes. Ryan’s phone call came through. The background on his end was noisy. Ryan impatiently asked, “Chloe, where are you? Why aren’t you answering my messages?” I felt a pang of disorientation. He hadn’t really changed, had he? Always delivering words of concern with the most impatient tone. But in the past, I never noticed these details. I just thought he was good to me, that I had a husband who cared about me anytime, anywhere. Ryan continued, “Don’t be mad about this morning, Chloe. I was drunk and couldn’t control myself. Plus, Ashley’s hand got scratched by some grass and bled a lot, so I had to go help her first.” I gave a self-deprecating laugh, glancing at Julian, who was silently observing the drama unfold, then said, “Ryan, I bled no less than Ashley did.” Ryan froze. “Chloe, are you okay? I was too frantic this morning, I didn’t think about you.” “Ashley’s still young and a bit delicate. I hope you can understand. I’m like a brother to her; I have an obligation to take care of her.” I scoffed. “A brother? What kind of brother are you? Isn’t Ashley’s brother Julian? He hasn’t even made a move, and you’re already overstepping your boundaries to handle someone else’s business?” “Ryan, she may be young, but I’m a year younger than she is.” “You have the time to take care of someone else’s sister, but you weren’t even remotely moved when your own girlfriend was lying on the ground, covered in wounds?”

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On my eighteenth birthday, my parents gifted me an estate. My paternal grandparents transferred all the shares under their name to me. My maternal grandparents also prepared a cool hundred million dollars as a present. But my sister’s fiancé anxiously blurted out, “Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, I know you’re incredibly well-off, but you can’t just let Lily spend so recklessly.” “Besides, Chloe and I are getting married soon. Shouldn’t we get a share too? Otherwise, it’s just not fair.” Before I could even speak, my sister kicked him right out of the house. “Who the hell do you think you are, coveting my sister’s fortune?!” My parents had always spoiled me rotten. For my eighteenth birthday, they threw a lavish party. Spotlights converged on the stage as I slowly walked to the center, listening to everyone’s heartfelt wishes. My parents joined me on stage, a property deed in my mother’s hand. “Sweetheart, when you were sixteen, you said you wanted to live in an estate that looked like a castle. Now, this estate is complete just in time for your birthday.” “And now, it’s yours.” I gazed at the photos in my mother’s hand, utterly stunned. The entire estate was designed exactly to my liking. I was so touched. I couldn’t believe that a casual comment from me, a passing wish, could become a reality for my parents. A lump formed in my throat, and I hugged them tight. “Thank you, Dad, thank you, Mom. I absolutely adore it.” Grandpa and Grandma Hayes also stepped onto the stage, their faces beaming with affection as they pulled out a contract. “Darling, guess what this is?” Curious, I took it. But when I opened it, I was shocked. “Shares!” Grandpa chuckled. “That’s right! Now our family business is yours to inherit. You’ll have to study hard from now on. Don’t you dare let the company go bust, or your old grandparents will be broke!” I was incredibly surprised by this, but I confidently promised. “Don’t worry, Grandpa and Grandma, I’ll work hard and manage the company well.” Just then, my maternal grandfather, who’d just arrived, gave a theatrical huff. He walked up to me and slipped a bank card right into my hand. “Running the company? That sounds like it’ll make my dear Lily too busy and too tired.” Grandma Davies chimed in, “This card has a hundred million dollars on it, sweetheart. Keep it safe, and if you ever run out, you know who to call!” I’d always known our family was wealthy, but today, this endless showering of money was making my head spin. I playfully whined, leaning against Grandma, “It’s too much, too much! How will I ever spend it all?!” Grandma pinched my nose, about to speak, but she was cut off by my sister’s boyfriend, who hadn’t said a word until now. “Honestly, Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, giving all this money to Lily, who’s just turned eighteen, seems a bit… inappropriate, doesn’t it?” At his words, everyone in the room turned to look at him. Leo Carter, my sister Chloe’s boyfriend, was her college classmate. He’d pursued my sister for three years before she finally agreed to be with him. They’d just gotten engaged last month. My parents and other relatives had always disapproved of him, feeling Chloe should marry someone from a family with similar wealth and standing. But because Chloe loved him, they hadn’t forced them apart. Dad was already fuming at Leo’s comment. He instinctively pulled me behind him, glaring sternly at Leo. “How much we want to give our daughter, do you really think it needs your approval?” “What’s more, today is our daughter’s eighteenth birthday. Of course, we’ll give her something precious on such an important day.” Leo felt Dad’s fury, but jealousy had clearly hijacked his reason. He stubbornly pressed on, ignoring the hostile atmosphere. “If that’s the case, then why didn’t Chloe and I receive anything from you on our engagement, which was also a very important day?”

Dad’s face completely darkened. He eyed Leo with cold disdain. “Every single thing used for your engagement with Chloe, wasn’t it bought with our family’s money? And now you dare to be jealous of my daughter!” “If Chloe hadn’t loved you, do you honestly think you’d even have the right to stand here and speak to us?” Leo struggled to counter Dad’s words. His face flushed a sickly green, and I even caught a flash of something cold and ruthless in his eyes. “I know your family has never approved of me, but Chloe and I genuinely love each other. You can’t break us up!” He paused, then his attitude softened slightly. “I’m not jealous of Lily. I’m just trying to stand up for Chloe. After all, Chloe is also your daughter. It’s not fair that the two daughters are treated so differently.” “And Chloe has sacrificed so much for this family, practically running the company, yet she gets less than this kid who does absolutely nothing.” I pressed my lips together. I used to respect him, after all, Leo was going to marry my sister and become part of our family. But now, how could he speak such hateful words? I looked at him, utterly bewildered. “Mom and Dad have always been fair to both Chloe and me. And Chloe has never held these things against me.” Leo was on a roll now. He swept his gaze over me, up and down. “Really? Do you honestly think your sister doesn’t care about any of this?” “What if she cares a lot? She often tells me how tired she is. She even complains that you constantly rely on the family and refuse to grow up.” The disdain on Leo’s face grew. He completely ignored me and looked at Grandpa Hayes. “Grandpa, if you ask me, the shares in your hands should go to Chloe. Only she can make the company better and stronger.” “Handing the family fortune over to this pampered, incapable young lady? I’m afraid our entire family will suffer.” I finally couldn’t contain my anger and pointed at him. “Don’t you dare go too far!” “Grandpa!” My mother’s shocked cry echoed behind me before I could finish my sentence. Grandpa Hayes’ face had turned ashen with rage. He clutched his chest and collapsed backward. Thankfully, Dad was quick and caught him. The family doctor directed everyone to carry Grandpa back into the house. After clearing everyone out, he began to examine Grandpa. Leo knew he had gone too far. He hid in a corner, not daring to utter a sound. But I simply couldn’t stand for it. Grandpa doted on me the most, and now he had fainted because of this man, because of me. I walked straight up to Leo, glaring at him furiously. Leo jutted out his chin, still defiant, clearly annoyed it was just me. “What? Are you going to hit me now?” Without hesitation, I slapped him hard across the face. “You bet I am!” Leo hadn’t expected me to actually hit him. He widened his eyes, clutching his face, and began to wail. “You actually hit me!! I’m going to tell your sister! I’ll tell Chloe you disrespected me, your future brother-in-law, and she’ll teach you a lesson!” My voice trembled with rage, my eyes burning red. “Leo Carter, you better pray Grandpa is okay. Otherwise, even if Chloe disowns me, I won’t let you get away with this!” Just then, Chloe, who had received the news of Grandpa’s collapse, rushed back home. Before she could even ask what happened, Leo lunged at her. He whined like a little kid, pointing at his reddened cheek. “Chloe, I just said a few honest words, and your sister actually laid her hands on me!”

Chloe Hayes’s brows immediately furrowed. “What happened?” Chloe looked at me, her gaze full of quiet scrutiny. Before I could open my mouth, Leo cut me off again. He pointed at me, as if I had subjected him to countless injustices, exaggerating the truth several times over. “Chloe, I know your family looks down on me, but they really bullied me today.” “Since you and I are engaged, I’m her brother-in-law. How could she lay a hand on me?!” I was so angry I couldn’t speak, my chest heaved with fury as I pointed at him. How could someone be so good at twisting the facts?! I never would have guessed Leo was like this before. If I had known this would happen, I would have been the first one to object to his marriage with Chloe! Leo smirked at me triumphantly, then put on a pitiful act as he spoke to Chloe. “Chloe, you wouldn’t believe how awful they were today.” “Your parents gave your sister a huge estate, your grandparents gave her all the company shares, and your maternal grandparents gave her a staggering hundred million dollars.” “Chloe, you’ve worked so hard managing all the company’s affairs, yet you’re valued less than this kid who knows nothing. I feel it’s so unfair to you.” Chloe’s furrowed brow finally smoothed out. She glanced at me, then looked at Leo. “Is that so?” “And what exactly did *you* do?” Leo thought Chloe wanted to hear how he had defended her. He suddenly perked up, his head held high with excitement. “Chloe, of course I spoke up for you!” “These people, I don’t think they even see you as family. They completely spoil your sister.” “She just turned eighteen and gets all these things, while you and I got nothing for our engagement!” Chloe’s eyes narrowed slightly. She stared at Leo, her gaze turning cold. “So, you’re the one who angered Grandpa to the point of collapse?” Leo felt a flicker of danger but still tried to explain himself. “How could that be, Chloe? I would never scold Grandpa. I just said a few things about your sister.” “Said she was childish, didn’t know how to help you, and only knew how to spend money.” “Maybe Grandpa thought I was right, and that’s why he fainted!” “You’re lying!” I finally couldn’t help but shout, my anger completely overriding my reason. I stepped forward, reaching out to hit him! “You’re a complete liar! You disrespected Grandpa, and that’s what caused his blood pressure to spike and him to faint!” “I’ll tear your mouth off!” But Chloe stopped me with a firm hand. She looked at me, her face grave. “Stop it!” A prickle of tears burned my nose. I looked at my sister, feeling utterly wronged. “Chloe, you’re stopping me for *him*?!” Chloe ignored me and turned back to Leo. “So, you said bad things about Lily, which made Grandpa angry and caused him to faint, right?!” Seeing Chloe protect him, Leo mistakenly thought Chloe felt the same way he did—that our family’s kindness to me was favoritism. He became even bolder. “Chloe, I was just speaking the truth.” “Lily just turned eighteen, what right does she have to own so many things?” “These gifts are more than ten times what we received for our engagement!” “I think your family doesn’t see you as true kin! *I’m* the one who loves you most in this world!”

Leo was supremely confident. Since he started dating Chloe, he’d heard her complain countless times about how exhausting work was, and how annoying all the social obligations were. Meanwhile, I could just relax at home and have everything, and she was green with envy. That’s when the seeds of jealousy first sprouted in Leo’s heart. And today, the gifts from my family were a stark contrast to what he and Chloe received for their engagement. This fueled his envy even more. Why should two daughters of the same family have such vastly different treatment? And why should he, as Chloe’s future husband, miss out on so much? He had to stop this. He had to get his share! Chloe remained silent, so he continued to exaggerate the facts, adding some fabricated details. “Chloe, only I know how much pain you’ve been through these past few years.” “Did your family ever truly care about you? Only I was by your side, helping you through difficult times!” “Even if I spoke a bit harshly today, every word was true. It’s just that your family is unfair to you!” I didn’t know what words to use to describe this man’s shamelessness. But Chloe kept holding me back, preventing me from rushing forward to tear his mouth off. The doctor emerged from the resting room. Seeing Chloe and me, he walked over. I gritted my teeth, ignoring Leo for a moment. “Doctor, how is Grandpa?” “Miss Hayes, Miss Lily, your grandfather isn’t in critical danger, but fainting from anger isn’t good for anyone…” He glanced at Leo, who was standing to the side, then spoke, almost as a warning, “Your grandfather’s health was good before, but a shock like this could significantly weaken him.” “We absolutely must not let the person who caused your grandfather to faint get away with it.” I clenched my fists. Ignoring my sister’s restraints, I walked up to Leo. Without a word, I waved my hand, and the household security guards immediately grabbed Leo. He was pinned to the spot, unable to move. “Lily, what are you doing?!” “Your sister’s right here! Are you still going to hit me? I’m your brother-in-law!” I glared at him through gritted teeth. “Brother-in-law? Who the hell do you think you are?!” “You only have a place in this family because of my sister, and today you angered Grandpa to the point of collapse! I’m going to beat you to death!” I raised my hand, my palm just about to connect with Leo’s face, when Chloe stopped me again. I looked at her, bewildered. “Chloe!” “Why do you keep stopping me, again and again?! What are you doing?!” “He’s the one who made Grandpa like this! Are you really going to keep protecting this culprit?!” “We’re family! Do you trust this man so much that you’d hurt your own family?!” Leo, however, glared at me defiantly. As he struggled against the security guards, he shouted loudly. “Chloe, don’t listen to her nonsense!” “Everything I did was for you! I was trying to help you get what you deserved!” “Without me, they wouldn’t even see your contributions. They don’t see how much you’ve sacrificed. *I’m* the one who loves you most!” “Slap!” Chloe raised her hand and slapped Leo hard across the face. “Who the hell do you think you are?!” That slap not only felt incredibly satisfying to me, but it also left Leo completely stunned. His eyes filled with confusion and a pitiful sense of betrayal. “Chloe, how could you hit me?! Everything I did was for you!” But Chloe felt no sympathy for Leo. She raised an eyebrow and spoke in a cold voice. “Leo Carter, do you take me for a fool?” “Can’t you hear that everything you say is just thinly veiled jealousy of Lily, a desperate attempt to get your hands on the gifts she received?!” “What kind of creep are you, daring to covet my sister’s things?” A prickle of tears burned my nose, and I finally let a flicker of my hurt show. I knew it! How could Chloe ever believe Leo’s lies?! But Leo couldn’t believe it. “How can you say that? I did all of this for you!” “Chloe, why don’t you believe me?!” “You even stopped Lily from hitting me for *my* sake! How can you not believe me?!” Chloe let out a scoff. “I stopped my sister not because I was protecting you, but because I didn’t want her hand to touch your face. It’s dirty!” She grabbed Leo’s face. “You just think Mom and Dad are unfair to me, don’t you? You believe they don’t want to leave their fortune to you.” “You weren’t speaking for my sake at all. You’re just a selfish jerk who pushed all his excuses onto me.” Leo’s true intentions were laid bare, but he still refused to admit it. “That’s not true! Chloe, I love you so much! Do even *you* think I’m that kind of person?!” Chloe gave a cold laugh. “Love me? If you loved me, you wouldn’t have badmouthed my sister in front of everyone.” “And you wouldn’t have angered my grandfather to the point he collapsed.” “Since you’re so obsessed with money, I’ll make sure you get absolutely nothing.” As Chloe spoke, she pulled out her phone and called her lawyer. “Mr. Miller, I need you to transfer all assets currently under my name to Lily’s. Immediately.”

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I was the only one in my family cursed—or blessed—with the ability to reset my life upon death. Even before I could properly talk, my mother would cover the grimy walls with lottery numbers written in charcoal, forcing me to memorize them. If I mispronounced or misremembered a number, my mother would take a needle and meticulously stitch the incorrect digits onto my arm, each jab a painful reminder, meant to “deepen my memory.” By the time I turned six, I had memorized every lottery number from every drawing since my birth. For the first time in my life, my father actually took me to town. He even bought me an ice cream, fulfilling a long-held wish. But it was also that day my father, beaming with an eerie excitement, led me to the edge of a desolate cliff. “Maya, you’ve enjoyed such a privileged life. Now it’s time to pay us back.” The next second, my father shoved me off the steep precipice. When I opened my eyes again, I had reset to my three-year-old self. My parents stood over me, their faces alight with eager anticipation. “Maya, what are today’s winning lottery numbers?”

Every ten generations, someone in our family inherits the ability to reset their life. I happened to be the tenth generation. So, my parents quit their jobs and stopped farming, focusing solely on having children. They had seven kids in total. Only when I was born did the ancient family heirloom, a book passed down for centuries, finally react, its pages shifting in color. That’s why, even when I was still babbling, my mother would use burnt-black charcoal to cover the mud walls with lottery numbers, teaching me to read and memorize them. But as a young child, I constantly struggled to remember. I’d mix up the numbers or get the dates wrong. At first, Mom didn’t hit me. But once I turned two, my mother, desperate for a better life, finally lost her patience and decided to punish me. Initially, she only used thin switches to whip my calves. The switch was thin and flexible, but when it cracked against my calves, it stung with an agonizing burn. However, as more and more lottery numbers accumulated, so did my mistakes. Mom assumed I wasn’t trying hard enough. She started hitting me with a stick as thick as her thumb and burning me with red-hot iron tongs. Back then, I didn’t understand. All I knew was to beg for mercy in my childish voice. “Mommy, I’m sorry, please don’t hit me anymore.” But this usually just infuriated her further. Her eyes, filled with a monstrous rage, burned holes through me. “I told you to memorize lottery numbers! Why are you spouting nonsense? Don’t you know talking ruins your focus? You’re so dumb, when will I ever get to live a good life?” That’s when she’d pull out her embroidery needle, stitching the incorrect numbers onto my arm as if I were a piece of cloth to be mended. Each pierce of the needle sent searing pain through me, but I didn’t dare cry or make a fuss. It wasn’t until Dad came home at night that I would finally burst into sobs. Then, Dad would pull me onto his lap. “Maya, don’t blame your mother. It’s because you’re so disobedient. If you just listened to your mother and memorized the lottery numbers, why would she use an embroidery needle on your arm? She’s doing it for your own good, to help you remember.” “You see how poor we are. The faster you memorize all the numbers, the sooner we can all live a good life.” Listening to the frantic beating of his heart, I, a young child, couldn’t understand why memorizing lottery numbers would make our whole family’s life better.

Besides hitting me and forcing me to memorize lottery numbers, Mom was actually quite kind to me in other ways. Since my parents never worked, our family usually only had potatoes to fill our stomachs. But I was the only one in our house who got to eat an egg every day. Because Mom said if I ate well, my memory would improve, and I’d memorize the lottery numbers faster. What’s more, even my three older brothers had chores, but I was exempt from everything. So, even though Mom hit me, I still thought she was the best mother in the world. Until one day, Grandma Martha came to visit. After Grandma Martha left, Mom pulled Dad into the bedroom. She said Grandma Martha had apparently told them I needed a “brain swap”—that only by changing my brain could I become smart. At the time, I had just had numbers stitched onto my arm by Mom, and it was still painful and itchy. I didn’t quite catch how one was supposed to “swap brains.” But I was willing to do it. I felt guilty for not being able to memorize the lottery numbers and preventing my parents from living a good life. So, that evening, when Dad said he was taking me to a special place, I eagerly followed him. On the way, to make Dad happy, I even excitedly recited lottery numbers. But I never expected Dad to take me to a graveyard. Before I could even figure out what was happening, Dad led me to an open coffin. Standing beside it was a dirty, disheveled old man. My dad pulled five hundred dollars from his pocket and handed it over. “This ‘brain swap’ you talked about, does it really work?” The old man, Silas, leered at me with a disgusting, knowing smirk, shaking his head and laughing. “Of course! The guy in that coffin? He was a genius, a top scholar in his day. If his family wasn’t out of town, who would dare dig up his grave in the middle of the night?” “Alright, have your daughter lie in there. Just three days with this genius scholar, and I guarantee you’ll have a smart daughter back.” Though I was young, I still understood the old man’s words. I turned to run, but Dad grabbed the back of my neck, holding me in a death grip. “Maya, what are you running from?” I stared in horror at my favorite dad. After a two-second stunned silence, I began to struggle violently. Because I had seen the face of the person lying in the coffin. To call him a “person” felt wrong. He was nothing but a collection of putrid, reeking bones. But Dad paid no attention to my cries and pleas. He roughly grabbed me and flung me into the coffin. I cried out, trying to scramble back out. Dad pressed my head down hard, and my body slammed back into the coffin. Finally, he coldly pushed the coffin lid shut, blocking out the last sliver of moonlight from the sky.

I stayed in that coffin for three days. For three days, I breathed in the stench of the decaying corpse, alternating between crying and throwing tantrums. But each time I cried and screamed, a bitter ache would settle in my chest. Because I realized that my parents didn’t seem to love me that much after all. This made me remember the rumors circulating in our village. People in the village said our family had seven children. But I only had three brothers. I had never met my three older sisters. The villagers whispered that my three sisters had been turned into “flowerpot girls” by Dad and sold off. I didn’t understand what a “flowerpot girl” was. How could a person turn into a flower? But I knew it couldn’t be anything good. And I also realized, with a terrifying jolt, that if I hadn’t inherited the family’s reset ability, would I also have been turned into a “flowerpot girl” and sold by Dad? Though I still didn’t really understand what the reset ability truly was. But thankfully, Dad finally let me out. The moment I saw the moonlight again, my whole body trembled. Silas, the old man, leered at me with a disgusting gaze. “Maya, will you be able to remember numbers well after this?” I looked at the terrifying, sinister smile on the old man’s face and nodded frantically. “I… I can.” Silas walked away toward Dad, looking satisfied. “This girl has a stubborn fate; she might need the ritual done again. Take her back and observe her. If it doesn’t work, come back to me.” My body trembled violently again, utterly terrified. I glanced in horror at the bones lying in the coffin. I swore I would never, ever come back here again.

When I got home, I developed a high fever. In my feverish sleep, I had many dreams. I dreamt of my three sisters, whom I had never met. They smiled and invited me to come play with them. I hesitated for a moment, then refused. Even though my parents were so cruel to me, I still didn’t want to leave them. I lay in bed for three days. When I finally opened my eyes again, Mom was lying beside me, looking utterly exhausted. Seeing me awake, she reached out and touched my forehead. The warmth of her palm seeped through my skin, reaching deep into my chest. At that moment, I thought, my mother must still love me. She just wanted a good life so badly that she hit me. Dad also reverted to his usual self. He would buy me chocolates, the kind only city kids could afford. Although I didn’t like them; they were too bitter. Still, I happily threw myself into Dad’s arms. It was from that moment on that I decided I had to properly memorize the lottery numbers. I didn’t want Dad and Mom to turn into those other versions of themselves again. And of course, I didn’t want to be sent back to that old man for another ritual. I don’t know how it happened, but ever since I made up my mind to memorize the lottery numbers well, my brain seemed to improve. From barely memorizing one set of numbers a day, I could now memorize three sets daily. Every time I exceeded my quota, Dad would gently stroke my head and praise me for being so good. Mom never hit me again. The tongs, the embroidery needle, and all those other things were put away. I was truly happy then. Time flew by, and I slowly grew older. I had firmly ingrained all the lottery numbers up to my sixth birthday in my mind. The day before I turned six, Dad gently ruffled my hair. “Maya, tomorrow is your birthday. What kind of present do you want?” My eyes lit up as I looked at him. “Ice cream, Dad! I want ice cream.” Dad chuckled, a simple, good-natured laugh, and nodded. “Alright.”

Early the next morning, Dad took me to town. It had an amusement park and all sorts of snack shops. This new world utterly amazed me. Dad even took me to a diner, ordering me sweet soy milk and delicious meat buns. I ate, my mouth smeared with oil. After breakfast, just as Dad was about to take me to leave, a man walked into the diner. He wore a coffee-colored jacket, his face grim, made even more intimidating by a long, jagged scar that seemed to pull at the corner of his eye, giving him a truly fearsome look. I instinctively shrank behind Dad, terrified. Once we were out of the diner, I fearfully asked Dad, “Dad, that man who just came in, he was really scary.” Dad replied with some impatience, “He’s a killer. If you dare make trouble again, I’ll let him chop you up and turn you into dinner.” My body trembled violently again, and I didn’t dare say another word. But a child’s world, no matter how terrifying the emotions, can be completely dispelled by something delicious. I was no exception. When Dad handed me the cheapest ice cream from the ice cream shop, I instantly forgot all about the killer. I never imagined the ice cream I’d fantasized about would taste so incredibly delicious. But what I didn’t know was that the ice cream in my hand would be the last sweet taste I would ever savor in this life. After I finished the ice cream, Dad prepared to take me home. That’s when I saw the “killer” from the morning again. He was sitting by the door next to the ice cream shop, smiling as he fed buns to a stray cat. I frowned, confused, looking at the smile on the man’s face. Dad said that man was a killer, didn’t he? But why was the killer so gentle when he was feeding a cat? My dad, whenever he saw a stray cat on the street, would always kick it away. Before I could figure it out, Dad’s impatient voice called from not far away. “Maya, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and get over here!” My body trembled violently, and I quickly ran after Dad. On the way home, I kept wanting to ask about the killer. But my father completely ignored me, rushing along hurriedly. Until Dad led me to the edge of a steep cliff. Looking down at the seemingly bottomless abyss, my body instinctively clutched the hem of Dad’s shirt. “Dad, why aren’t we going?” Dad knelt down in front of me. “Maya, have I been good to you?” Although I didn’t know why Dad was asking this, I nodded earnestly. “Dad has been very good to me.” A wide smile spread across Dad’s face. “Then are you willing to repay Dad?” “Yes, Dad.” The moment I finished speaking, my body suddenly hung suspended in the air. Dad had lifted me up. But before I could even scream, Dad threw me off the cliff. Along with the plummeting sensation came unstoppable tears. I never imagined my own father would kill me. Until my back slammed hard against a rock. I grunted, crying out loud. The intense pain radiating through my body made me instinctively grasp desperately at the wild grass growing nearby. I don’t know where I found such strength. But I knew I didn’t want to die. I wanted to live. I wanted to ask my father. Why he would do this to me. Just as I was about to scramble back to the cliff edge, Dad, who I thought had left, suddenly reappeared. He was smiling, a truly twisted and vicious grin. “You little brat, you’re tougher than I thought!” Before I could react, Dad powerfully kicked me in the head.

When I opened my eyes again, I was in a strange, yet familiar, room. The ceiling beam, just like in my previous life, was half broken. But the room was filled with many more appliances, even a television. For a few seconds, I couldn’t quite grasp what was happening. Until my parents, several years younger, excitedly spoke up. “Maya, you’re the Maya who reset, aren’t you?” I looked at their familiar, yet strangely unfamiliar, faces. The emotions I had suppressed for so long finally erupted. I wanted to confront Dad. Why had he been so cruel to me in my last life? I wanted to ask Mom. Had she known all along that Dad would throw me off the cliff? But I had barely cried for a moment before my sobs caught in my throat. Because my *new* dad was looking at me with frantic excitement. “She has to be the reset Maya! The original Maya was so dull, she wouldn’t even cry.” My new mom echoed his excitement, “I think so too! Wait here, I’ll go check that old book our ancestors left behind.” A moment later, my new mom ran back in. “There are words! The ancient book has words now! It says lottery!” My new dad instantly jumped up, ecstatic. “So, in the last life, I made Maya memorize lottery numbers? It must be true! If it were me, I’d definitely make Maya memorize lottery numbers.” I watched the two of them chat excitedly, my heart feeling like snowflakes fluttering in winter, a dense, sharp pain spreading through me. Their conversation was eerily similar to that day in my previous life when my parents discussed taking me to the graveyard. Perhaps my expression was too sad, because my new mom noticed my distress. She slapped my new dad, then bent down and wiped the tears from my cheeks. “Maya, don’t overthink it. Mommy and Daddy are just too happy.” My new dad also snapped back to reality. “Right, right, Maya! Dad just didn’t expect what the ancestors said to be true.” Through my watery eyes, I carefully scrutinized their expressions. But whether it was my imagination or not, I felt like their smiles were forced. Still, I timidly shook my head. “It’s okay.” Perhaps my obedient timidity lowered my new parents’ guard. My new dad looked at me, excited. “Maya, hurry up and tell us the lottery numbers now! Today’s the drawing! I’ll go to town before dark, and I can even wait there for the results. If Daddy wins, I’ll buy you delicious chocolates when I get back.” Hearing my new dad’s words, my heart tightened again. This dad, trying to coax me, sounded so much like my dad from the previous life. I finally told my new parents the lottery numbers. That very day, they took my brothers and left for town. I was tied by the neck with a rope to the bed at home.

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My husband and his mistress went hiking deep in the mountains one night, only to tragically fall off a cliff. By the time I rushed to the hospital, he was unconscious, being wheeled into surgery. The doctor asked me about the resuscitation plan, and I sobbed, screaming, “I’ll spend every last dime! He *has* to live!” Jasmine arrived at the hospital, holding a child and clutching a will, ready to dispute the inheritance with me. “The law states that illegitimate children have inheritance rights. And I have Liam’s will right here. It says 90% of his assets go to my son! Besides the will, you’ll also have to pay me child support every month!” I pointed at my husband, lying paralyzed and speechless from a stroke on the bed. “You said it yourself, it’s a will. Come back when my husband is actually dead.” I got the call about Liam being rushed to the hospital. I was busy investigating and liquidating Liam’s assets, calculating how much I’d get if he cheated and we divorced. Liam was a senior executive at a top tech firm, worth hundreds of millions. When I heard he was cheating, I was ecstatic. When the hospital called, I was over the moon. All his assets would finally be mine. But I never expected Jasmine to block me at the emergency room door, holding a child and a will. “Your husband left a will, and he left all his money to my son.” I glanced at the child in Jasmine’s arms, who looked exactly like Liam. Then I sprinted to the operating room entrance and burst into tears. “Liam, I’m here! You have to pull through!” The doctor rushed up to me, urgently asking for my decision. “You’re the family, right? The patient has severe brain damage. Even if he survives, he might be bedridden for life. The rescue costs and subsequent nursing fees will be incredibly high. Please consider it. We respect the family’s wishes.” I snatched the pen and papers from the doctor’s hand without hesitation: “Please! You *must* save my husband’s life! I’ll lose everything, I don’t care!” The doctor started to say something else, but I boldly signed my name with a flourish. I declared, my voice firm: “Spend whatever it takes! I’ll take care of him for the rest of my life!” The doctor nodded, clearly moved, and quickly turned back into the operating room. Jasmine, holding her child beside me, sneered: “I never realized you were so deeply in love with Liam! What a pity, he loved *me*.” I shot her a glare, my gaze fixed on the closed operating room door. Thankfully, Liam was eventually saved. Thank goodness. He was paralyzed in bed, unable to move anything but his eyeballs. He’d need lifelong care. Seeing Liam in such a state, Jasmine could only negotiate with me. “Liam and I were true love. We even had a child. How about this: you give me twenty million dollars, and I’ll disappear. We’ll consider the will void.” I chuckled, looking at Jasmine: “What Liam and you being ‘true love’ has to do with me? I’m his wife of ten years. Who are you to demand anything? Twenty million? Go look in a mirror. You’re not even worth two bucks!” Jasmine tossed the will onto Liam’s bed, speaking imperiously. “Liam’s will is right here. It says he’s leaving ninety percent of his money to our son. I’m only asking for twenty million now, and you won’t even give that? Don’t wait until Liam dies to regret it.” I rolled my eyes at Jasmine, who was still spouting about “true love.” “If it’s true love, why are you so eager for him to die? You said it yourself, it’s a will. Come back when it can actually be enforced.” 0

The next day, I approached the attending physician, my eyes brimming with tears. “I’m planning to take Liam home. Mainly, the rescue operation cost us a fortune. I simply can’t afford the rehabilitation expenses anymore, so I’ll just do his rehabilitation at home.” “Ms. Hayes, please don’t give up. Our hospital has a fund for low-income families. Seeing how much you love your husband, if you fill out a few application forms, I’d be willing to help you apply.” I quickly hugged the doctor, sobbing uncontrollably. “Even if we get the fund, my family still has to pay a portion. We’ve already incurred so much debt to save him. My mother-in-law is currently picking up discarded items on the streets to earn money. I just can’t bring myself to accept it.” “Let’s leave the fund for those who need it more. Doctor, please believe me, I’ll do a good job with Liam’s rehabilitation at home.” Seeing my determination, the doctor didn’t press further. As she left, she secretly slipped me a sandwich. When I discharged my husband, I submitted a 10,000-word thank-you letter, explicitly naming and praising this doctor’s department. I also, as an anonymous benefactor, donated one hundred thousand dollars to the hospital’s fund. After leaving the hospital, I took Liam to a small rehabilitation center. This was a place I’d scouted through many options before settling on. The specialty here? No one ever actually *dies*. I employed the same tactic, bursting into tears and clinging to the doctor. “We don’t have money, but I want the best possible treatment for my husband. Can you just try to keep him alive for now? I’ll go earn money. Once I’ve saved enough, I promise to get him the most expensive treatment.” The doctor pushed me away with a look of distaste. “We’ll do our best.” With that, she instructed a nurse to arrange a triple room for Liam. I peered through the window at the room’s conditions. Perfect. Dilapidated and dirty, with loud nurses. Exactly what Liam would *love*. After settling Liam, my next step was to quickly get my share of the assets.

I had already investigated his assets when he cheated before. I knew all his liquid and fixed assets like the back of my hand, and I’d secretly memorized all his passwords. So, the first thing I did when I got home was open his phone, log into his stock account, and transfer thirty to forty million dollars in batches to his card. Then, I took his card and flew all over the world, swiping it to buy limited-edition designer bags. I happily bought dozens of bags, each worth hundreds of thousands. I was swiping his card for the very last bag in Dubai when my mother-in-law, Mrs. Hayes, called. Liam usually had a distant relationship with her and was always busy, so she hadn’t suspected anything when she couldn’t reach him, only finding out about his accident two weeks later. Mrs. Hayes arrived at the perfect time. The liquid assets were handled; now it was time for the properties. Thinking this, I quickly flew back home, removed my makeup, and waited for her to arrive. Sure enough, she cried endlessly on my shoulder, tears and snot streaming down her face. To be honest, Liam was a decent person, but he inherited many terrible genes from his parents. Like selfishness, like infidelity. I always thought it was genetic. His mother, who was once a victim herself, an independent woman who decisively divorced her cheating husband, when it came to her son, she’d spout nonsense like, ‘Men need multiple wives to spread their lineage,’ and ‘His cheating just proves how charming my son is.’ She even instructed her son to hit me if I didn’t comply. I suppressed my disgust and handed Mrs. Hayes a tissue: “I didn’t tell you before because I didn’t want you to worry. I’ve already found Liam the best rehab center; he’ll definitely get better.” Mrs. Hayes immediately stopped crying: “Where’s my son? Where is my son?” I quickly forced a smile and said, “Didn’t I tell you he’s at the rehab center? Why don’t you go home for now, and I’ll take you to see him when I have a chance.” “No! I want to see my son today! My son!” she cried, grabbing at me and beating her chest. I rolled my eyes in exasperation and took her to see Liam. Walking into the triple room, Mrs. Hayes’s anger was practically overflowing. She started hitting me: “This is what you call the best rehab center? The conditions are terrible, and it’s a shared room! Quickly, spend money and get him a better place.” I pretended to be wronged, speaking softly: “I don’t even know anything about his money; he probably gave it all to his mistress. The hundreds of thousands for this rescue were borrowed from everywhere.” “Besides, his accident happened because he was playing in the mountains with his mistress and lost his footing.” Mrs. Hayes’s eyes widened, her face changing color several times. “That’s because you’re too difficult! If you hadn’t neglected him, would he have run off to the mountains? It’s all your fault! Give me back my son!” “I want the best, most expensive room! I don’t care; you need to change my son’s room right now!” I rolled my eyes, speechless. The nurse heard the commotion and came in to check. “What’s all the shouting about? If you want to shout, take it outside!” Mrs. Hayes grabbed the nurse’s hand. “When will my son get better? Please, help him. Get him the best room, and get the money from this woman!” The nurse looked at me, bewildered. I shook my head and pointed to my temple, and she instantly understood, pushing Mrs. Hayes away and leaving the room. “Mrs. Hayes, the doctor said the best care comes from family. How about you take Liam home and look after him yourself?” Mrs. Hayes froze for a moment, then immediately put her hands on her hips and pouted at me. “You want me to take care of him at my age?! Do you have any conscience?!” “Since the doctor said he needs family care, you should take Liam home immediately. Don’t think about being lazy and just leaving him here. You’re his wife; you *must* take care of him.” “Fine!” Mrs. Hayes didn’t expect me to agree so quickly and looked somewhat incredulous. In front of her, I called the property manager of our upscale apartment complex, asking them to send a car and staff to bring Liam home. Mrs. Hayes thought I was up to some trick and watched me the entire time. But she didn’t realize I was acting gentle and meticulous throughout. The property manager saw everything and was deeply moved by me. “I never knew you and Mr. Hayes had such deep feelings. To still be willing to care for him after he’s paralyzed, I truly admire you.” I lowered my head and smiled gently: “We’re husband and wife; we always vowed to go through thick and thin together. Now that he’s in trouble, I have to support him.” The young property manager looked at me with even more reverence after hearing my words. Mrs. Hayes, seeing that I had genuinely brought Liam home, put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes at me. “Take good care of my son. If even a single strand of his hair falls out, I’ll call the police and accuse you of murder.” I ignored her warning, instead tucking my husband’s blanket in. “Mrs. Hayes, I need to care for Liam. Could you help with dinner?” Hearing this, Mrs. Hayes grabbed her bag and scurried away without a backward glance, clearly afraid of doing any work. I looked at Liam, eyes closed, and couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle. *That’s your mother. Your selfish mother.* But thanks to her selfishness, everything fell into place for me.

A week later, I went to the property manager’s office with a red envelope. She greeted me with a wide smile and pulled out a chair for me. I looked slightly troubled, discreetly slipped the red envelope into her bag, and spoke in a hoarse, weary voice. “You know what happened to Liam. The doctors said if he rehabilitates well, there’s still a chance. So, I plan to take him abroad.” “I want to sell the house, but you know Liam is the owner. I’d have to go through court to sell it. Could you help me get a certificate?” The young woman didn’t hesitate to issue the certificate for me, stamping it. She even helped me get a certificate from the community office. I held Liam’s medical records and hospital certificate in one hand, and the primary caregiver certificate in the other. The court ruling came quickly. The real estate agent was even faster. Within a month, all procedures were completed. The downtown penthouse and the suburban villa were all sold. Seventy to eighty million dollars were transferred to my account. But before I could even celebrate, Mrs. Hayes came knocking. Mrs. Hayes, along with Derek, my brother-in-law, and a group of burly men, blocked my door, preventing me from moving. “You actually dared to sell the house! It’s in his name! How did you even sell it?!” Thankfully, Liam didn’t trust anyone. Besides this house, he hadn’t told anyone about his other properties, not even his mother. I quickly shed two tears, sobbing aggrievedly. “I sold this house to pay for Liam’s medical treatment. I was hoping to take him abroad to try and find a solution. How else would I get the money without selling the house?” Mrs. Hayes, hands on her hips, angrily cursed, disbelievingly. “I don’t believe a word you say! You’d love for him to die, with all the mistresses he kept! And you want to save his life?!” Mrs. Hayes had inadvertently hit on my true feelings. Derek snorted: “He’s my brother; he doesn’t need *your* help. Hand over the money from the house sale, and we’ll save him ourselves.” I rolled my eyes to the heavens: “Where were you when he needed care and money? Now that there’s money, you suddenly show up. If I give you the money, who knows if you’ll just abandon his treatment?” Mrs. Hayes trembled with rage and rushed at me: “He’s my son! What are you trying to do by monopolizing him? Give me the money!” I quickly stepped back, as if suddenly remembering something: “I know Liam has another house!” “I’ve already paid the money from this sale to an overseas hospital; here’s the receipt. Why don’t you go get that other house? You can sell it, and I won’t take a single cent.” Derek snatched the papers I held out, looking them over. They were all in English; I knew they wouldn’t understand. I quickly changed the subject and continued. “Your brother bought a villa, probably worth five or six million. Jasmine is living in it now.” “He bought it with marital assets, so Jasmine has no right to live there. Just go reclaim it.” Derek’s eyes clearly lit up at this: “Are you serious?” “Your mother has met Jasmine. Just go to that address, and you’ll know if it’s true.” “I’m not leaving. You can send anyone to watch this place; if I’m lying, you can do whatever you want with me.” Derek heard this, stroked his chin, and eyed me up and down. Mrs. Hayes slapped Derek’s back: “Your brother isn’t dead yet!” “What’s the difference between him and dead? He might as well be dead!” “…” With a family like this, Liam truly had no hope of survival.

Derek was efficient. He blocked Jasmine at the villa that very day. “You’re Jasmine? Pack your bags. This is my brother’s house; we’re taking it back.” Jasmine had only heard that Liam’s younger brother was a scoundrel but never expected him to be such an animal, actually trying to seize the house. Jasmine gave him an impolite glare. “Who are you to say? Liam bought this for me. What does it have to do with you?!” “You good-for-nothing thug, get lost! You’re disgusting me!” Derek got angry hearing this, grabbed Jasmine’s hair, and slapped her twice across the face. “You b*tch! How dare you curse at me? Who do you think you are? My sister-in-law is sitting pretty at home!” Jasmine bit Derek’s shoulder. “You won’t get the house, and you won’t get the money! Your brother already made a will. Once he dies, the house and money all go to my son!” Derek visibly froze: “A will? A son? What do you mean?” “What do I mean? It means your brother never planned to leave you a single cent. He wrote a will leaving all his assets to my son.” “Your sister-in-law is a barren woman; I helped your family carry on the lineage, you should be thanking me!” Derek, usually arrogant, was speechless for the first time. In one swift move, he grabbed Jasmine’s hair and dragged her onto the main street. “You cheap mistress, acting so self-righteous? Everyone, come on, take pictures, look! Look at this mistress’s wretched face!” The onlookers, drawn to the drama, started filming with their phones. Jasmine covered her face and tried to run. Derek yanked her back, tearing her white dress. Exposing half of her butt. “Why are you running? Are you afraid people will know you’re a mistress, Jasmine?” Jasmine’s name was out in the open. She couldn’t care less about anything else. She lunged forward and bit Derek’s arm, holding on for dear life. Derek screamed in pain, pushing her to the ground and slapping her. Their battle intensified. The crowd, watching the spectacle, filmed with their phones and whispered. “I heard this woman raised her child alone every day; I used to feel sorry for her, but she’s a mistress?” “She looks decent, but it turns out she’s nothing but trash!” I watched the video sent by my close friend from the front lines on my phone, laughing uncontrollably at home. Jasmine didn’t return for a long time. Her nanny, fearing something had happened, came out with the child to check. The child looked so much like Liam that Derek recognized him at a glance. He snatched the child and held him high above his head. “You said my brother left all his money to your son? What if he dies?” Jasmine, seeing this, lunged at Derek like a madwoman, frantic and helpless. “Please, please give me the child!” Derek sneered, holding the child even higher. The child’s cries attracted more people. Mrs. Hayes, watching from the crowd, quickly tugged at Derek’s sleeve. “Quick, put the child down! He’s your brother’s child after all!” “Besides, so many people are watching! Hurry up! Hurry up!” Derek impatiently shoved Mrs. Hayes away and pointed at Jasmine. “Three days! If you don’t move out, I’ll kill your son! Let’s see what you’ll inherit from my brother’s estate if your son is dead!” With that, he tossed the child high into the air towards Jasmine. Jasmine visibly froze at Derek’s words. At the moment the child fell, she actually missed him. The child accidentally rolled onto the ground, crying even more heartbreakingly. Seeing this, Derek quickly waved his hand. “You missed catching him! It has nothing to do with me.” With that, he quickly ran into the crowd and disappeared. I hung up the video call, lay on the sofa, rubbed my eyes, and mumbled to myself. “Dog eat dog. What a show.” 0

I heard Jasmine’s child hit his head and needed surgery. Mrs. Hayes had no time for me now, only for her grandchild. I used this opportunity to quickly establish a transnational trading company and found a specialized financial agent. Just as I thought everything was going smoothly, I received a call from Liam’s company. They asked me to return the money. The 800,000 dollars in humanitarian compensation the company had given when Liam had his accident. I rushed to Liam’s company, bewildered. There I saw Mrs. Hayes, Jasmine, and the child protesting with signs in front of the company building, demanding compensation. The security guards dared not touch the old woman, the child, or the woman, so they could only try their best to hold them back. Liam, as a senior executive at a large company, already had a certain reputation. This protest made it common knowledge that he had cheated and had a son. When I arrived, Jasmine was wailing and crying. “My husband dedicated himself to this company for over a decade, and now his son is sick and needs money. Are you capitalists really so cold-blooded?” Mrs. Hayes chimed in beside her. “My son collapsed because he worked himself to death for you, and now he’s lying at home in a vegetative state! We demand compensation! Compensation!” The company’s PR manager was constantly trying to placate them, offering them water, and inviting them inside. They completely ignored him, continuing to wail and cry, pouring out their grievances to the cameras of passersby. They were leveraging the company’s fear of negative publicity affecting its stock price, framing themselves as the vulnerable party against a powerful corporation to gain public sympathy. Seeing this, I smiled, pulled out a megaphone, and yelled at Jasmine, who was still wailing. “Which shrew is out here impersonating me and cursing on the street?” “I am Liam’s legal wife. May I ask who you are?” Jasmine’s eyes, full of hatred, were clear for all to see when she saw me. I gave Jasmine two quick slaps, catching her off guard. “It’s not shameful to extort money for your child, but don’t use my name. The company has been more than fair to Liam. He went messing around with his mistress and had an accident, and the company still paid out humanitarian aid.”

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At our engagement party, my fiancé, Blake, completely changed the menu, swapping out the Wagyu Beef and Caviar for burgers and hot dogs. I was furious, beyond words. Right then and there, I broke up with him and called off the engagement. He looked utterly bewildered. “Zara, you’re breaking up with me over a *table of food*?” I shot him a cold smirk. “You’ll find out the real reason soon enough.” I pulled out my phone and played a video from the security camera. In it, a total stranger, a girl I’d never seen before, was twirling around in *my* custom-made wedding dress. Blake’s face instantly went white. Blake grabbed my hand, about to explain, but I shoved my palm over his mouth. “Don’t say a word. I swear, I’ll punch you right here if you do!” His face was a mask of dismay. He just followed me silently to his apartment. And there it was. *My* wedding dress, hanging in his bedroom. I barely glanced at it before grabbing a pair of scissors and savagely cutting it to shreds. Blake didn’t dare stop me. He just stood there, watching. A few moments later, I dropped the scissors. The floor was covered in a pile of white fabric confetti. I turned to him. “We’re over.” “No, wait, listen to me, Zara, please! I just met her once! I have no idea why she’d wear *that* dress!” “Really? Then tell me, why was she in *our* marital home?” “Isn’t she just an intern from your company?” “You let her wear *my* custom-made wedding dress, twirl around for you, even kiss you. Do you seriously think I’m an idiot, Blake? You’re disgusting.” My words made his face drain of all color. “No, it’s not like that! She was harassing me! She said she was just passing by and wanted to come up for a minute. I only went out to take out the trash, and she just helped herself to the dress!” “Seriously, Zara, check the security footage! I swear I yelled at her!” Blake was the one who installed the security cameras in our marital home and shared access with me right away. Honestly, I never planned to actually watch them. But I was on a business trip that day and just wanted to check in on him. I never expected to see something that would rip my heart out and ignite such a furious rage. “You did yell at her, I saw that. But she was confessing her love to you in my dress, and then she kissed you. You didn’t exactly pull away, did you?” Blake’s face went utterly pale. I didn’t hesitate; I just walked away. He yelled after me, his voice filled with fury. “Zara! She was just an accident!” “You’ve always looked down on me, haven’t you? You’re just using this as an excuse to break up with me, aren’t you?!” “Both today’s engagement party and Chloe’s appearance were just accidents! I was just afraid you’d be angry, that’s why I didn’t tell you!” “Why can’t you ever think about *me*? Do you know how much I sacrificed just to marry you?” At his words, I turned to face his furious expression, unable to help but let out a cynical laugh. “Sacrificed what, exactly?” Perhaps my gaze was too direct, or maybe my sarcasm was too much for his ego, but he couldn’t utter another word. I just gave a bitter smile, then turned and left. Back home, I told my parents everything. I packed up every single gift he’d ever given me, arranged for a courier service, and sent them all back. The engagement was off. Blake’s parents were incredibly displeased with me, but I didn’t say a word. I just forwarded them the video, then exited their family SnapChat group. I wanted to put an end to all of it, but Blake wouldn’t let it go. The next day, he showed up at my door, even bringing that intern, Chloe. The girl looked at me, her eyes reddening as she started to cry. I didn’t speak, just stood there, staring them down. The office was silent. Chloe probably felt incredibly awkward. She choked back her sobs, glancing around, then at me, finally managing to stop her tears. “Zara, I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have… I shouldn’t have tried on your wedding dress!” “Please, I’m begging you, don’t break up with him.” “Oh, really? So, you’re willing to compensate me for my losses?” She froze. I continued, “That wedding dress was custom-made. I waited a whole year for it, and it cost $200,000. Trying it on, even once, depreciated its value. So, you can just pay me $30,000.” Before she could speak, Blake blurted out, “No way! That’s too expensive!” “Chloe is just an intern. And seriously, $200,000 for a wedding dress? You obviously got ripped off. I can take you to a bridal street where you can rent one for $400!”

I stared at Blake, utterly astonished. My family isn’t super rich, but my parents have been in business for years. I’m their only child, their pride and joy, and everything they have will eventually be mine. My future wedding wouldn’t just be for family and friends; there would be many business partners there too. If they found out I was wearing some bargain-bin dress, they’d laugh me out of the room! Seeing my silence, Blake realized what he’d just said. He stammered, “I just… I just said that offhand. Of course, if my wife likes it, not just $200,000, but $2,000,000, I’d buy it!” I took a deep breath. “So? Are you going to pay or not?” Chloe immediately burst into tears again, refusing to say a word. I had zero patience for her crying performance. “Either I call the police, or you pay up. Your choice!” Blake immediately got angry. “Zara, when did you become so petty?” “Blake, when did you become so blind? Your fiancée is being bullied by your intern, and you’re siding with her. Who exactly is the love of your life?” “If I let another man wear your custom-made groom’s suit, would *you* be okay with that?” His face darkened. “Zara, if you’re really going to talk like this, then there’s nothing I can do.” “Then you can get lost!” I pointed toward the door. “We’re breaking up. Don’t ever come back. And she *will* pay for that wedding dress!” With that, I called the police. Don’t let anyone think I have a good temper and then walk all over me. Seeing that I was serious, he suddenly slapped my phone out of my hand. I immediately slapped him back! “Looks like you didn’t learn your lesson last time!” My family is well-off, and it’s perfectly reasonable for me to have a bit of a temper. Blake knew this from the first day we dated. At the sight of me striking him, Chloe shrieked, “How could you hit someone?!” I patted my hand. “You treat scum like scum. I don’t mind giving you a couple of slaps, as long as you can take it!” Blake’s face was livid from my slap. “Zara, you’re nothing but a shrew!” “*This* is a shrew? You probably don’t even know what I’m capable of yet. I can get even shrewder! Wanna bet?” He instinctively backed up two steps. He knew I meant what I said. “You, you’ll regret this!” “I won’t regret a thing. But if you don’t pay, I’ll post everything online! Then I’ll make sure everyone knows what happens when you mess with me!” “Go ahead, try it! Let’s see if public opinion will tear *you* apart!” That’s when Chloe finally showed fear, quickly pleading, “I, I’ll pay. I’ll pay, okay?!” I called my lawyer and had him witness Chloe compensating me for the damages. This wasn’t blackmail; seeing me go through with all this, Blake’s face grew even darker. “Do you really have to go this far? Why are you so guarded?” “I’m guarded against petty people, not gentlemen. Don’t worry, this is standard procedure. If you have any objections, feel free to call the police. We can resolve this with them as witnesses.” “No need!” Chloe quickly tugged at his hand. “No need, I’ll just pay.” “Please don’t argue with her because of me. Don’t let me ruin your relationship.” Her fake sincerity was practically radiating off her. “Chloe, from now on, when you see me, stay far away!” Once the money was transferred, I simply told them to leave. As he left, Blake glared at me, his eyes full of resentment. “I know you’re angry right now. I won’t hold it against you. I’ll come see you again in a couple of days!”

Before I could even respond, he dragged Chloe out the door. I shook my head. Blake probably still didn’t understand me. When I get mad, not even wild horses could drag me back. His promise to “come see me again” meant absolutely nothing to me. After all, I had no intention of ever being involved with him again. All his gifts were returned, the ruined wedding dress was cut up, the wedding canceled. I immediately declared myself single on Ins. “Single Ladies’ Night Out! Looking for company for late-night snacks!” The comments section exploded. “Broken up? So suddenly!” “Good riddance! Out with the old, in with the new!” “Party at the club tonight!” My girlfriends and I decided to hit a bar that night. When we got there, they were shocked to hear the reason for my breakup. “Blake is such a piece of trash. He should look at himself, trying to cheat with an intern!” “Eating from one bowl and looking at another! He had a beauty like you and still thought about an intern! What was he thinking?!” “Blake’s parents must be fuming. You’re a rich, beautiful woman, and now he’s lost everything he could’ve gained from you!” I shrugged. “I don’t know about all that. All I know is, he and I are done. He can forget about trying to mess with me again!” Just as I finished speaking, a shadow fell over our table. I looked up and saw my arch-nemesis, Damon. He sat down across from me. “Tsk, tsk. I always said your taste was terrible!” “And what makes *you* so great, Damon?” “Right, I’m not great either. Just hoping you’ll open your eyes next time, old lady. All my wedding contribution money went to waste!” I rolled my eyes, annoyed. “How much? I’ll pay you back!” He just chuckled, not saying anything. I finally took a proper look at him. He was wearing a red shirt today, unbuttoned enough to reveal his chest. It made my mouth go dry. This guy, with his dangerously handsome face. I tried to look away, but he pulled his collar open further. “Come on, get a good look!” My heart involuntarily sped up. I slapped the back of his hand. “Stop it, who’s looking at you?!” “You’re practically drooling, but still deny it. Way better looking than that pathetic excuse for a man you were with.” That was actually true. Damon saw me smile and boldly put his arm around my shoulders. “You said you broke off your engagement. Aren’t you thinking about finding someone new?” I gave him a sidelong glance. “What do you mean?” “My old man’s pushing me to find someone, says he wants to recoup all the wedding contributions he sent out.” “I don’t have anyone, and you know how much I hate trouble. How about we team up? I’ll give you 30% of the contribution money!” He was being so generous. I was a bit tipsy, and my brain wasn’t quite catching up. “You…” “Zara, let’s get married. Spite that pathetic excuse for a man, and make some serious cash while we’re at it!” Hearing that, my girlfriends chimed in. “Zara, I think it’s a great idea!” “Damon, how much bridal price would you offer?” “My entire fortune, for her!” He looked at me, the light in his eyes reflecting on my face, making me blush. Just then, an angry voice cut through the air. “Zara!” “You broke up with me for *him*? You had your next rebound lined up already!” I looked up to see Blake’s furious face. His eyes held an unfriendly glare. I laughed, struggling to my feet, and shouted, “You were messing around with your intern in our marital home! What, was I supposed to stay with you for Christmas?!” “Blake, you’re so messed up in the head, everything you see is dirty! I broke up with you, so what if I find someone new?!” “Let me tell you, I’m going to find a man who’s better than you in every single way!” “And I! Am going to marry him!” With that, I grabbed Damon and planted a big kiss on his cheek! Blake’s face turned scarlet with rage. The crowd around us cheered and whistled. He pointed at me. “You’ve got guts!” “We’ll see about this!” Watching him storm off, I grinned at Damon. The next second, I swayed and collapsed into his arms, completely passing out.

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I’ve had four boyfriends in total. My first boyfriend was a rich playboy. I chased him for two years, and we dated for three months. When we broke up, he looked down at me, aloof and condescending: “Willow, you were nothing more than a passing amusement.” My second boyfriend was a university professor. I pursued him first too, and we dated for a year. When we broke up, he smiled gently: “Willow, I don’t have the time to wait for you to grow up.” My third boyfriend was a huge celebrity. I didn’t chase him; he chased me. When we broke up, he sneered, “An illegitimate child really is a disgusting thing, isn’t it? Just a little attention, and you came practically throwing yourself at me.” Later, Landon and I announced our marriage, and then, one by one, they all came knocking on my door. [Long roads of life, long journeys with you.] I posted a marriage announcement on my Ins story, with a picture of Landon and me holding our marriage certificate. Friends who knew me well flooded the comments with blessings. Among the many well wishes, I spotted a jarring remark. [Are you serious?] I checked the sender. It was Liam. Liam, my first boyfriend, technically my first love, I guess. But our breakup was so humiliating that he didn’t leave any ‘first love’ glow surrounding him for me. Given Liam’s arrogant nature, he should have unfriended me ages ago. Why did he keep my contact information all this time? Maybe he just thought it was irrelevant and didn’t bother deleting it. I replied to each blessing, casually skipping over Liam’s ambiguous comment. I sent Landon a voice message: [Could you pick up a blueberry cupcake for me on your way home?] Just as I sent it, I saw a message from Gavin. It caught me off guard. Why was Gavin messaging me? [Are you getting married?] My heart felt heavy. With Gavin, I’d imagined our future together more than once. I met Gavin when I was in college; he was a Ph.D. senior and six years older than me. He was gentle, considerate, and always polite. Even when we broke up, he remained calm. Even though I cried and begged him not to leave, he still gently wiped away my tears and, with a soft smile, said, “Willow, you’re too immature. I don’t have the time to wait for you to grow up.” That was Gavin. He was always so self-controlled, so by the book. When I was hysterical during our breakup, he remained calm and composed. He’d point out my flaws as if he were giving a scholarly presentation, which then plunged me into a period of relentless self-doubt and emotional exhaustion for quite some time. But those painful days were behind me. I glanced at the marriage certificate on my table. I’d found my true home. [Yes, we’ve already tied the knot.] The “typing…” indicator stayed on for a long time before a message finally came through: [Congratulations.] [Thank you, Gavin.] It turned out that even such intense love and hatred for Gavin could fade with time. I scrolled through TikTok for a bit and saw that the top trending news was Jaxon, the A-list actor, visibly losing his cool during a live stream. The comments below were all variations of: [What news did our oppa see? His face changed in an instant!] I raised an eyebrow. That kid, even after all these years, he still couldn’t hide his emotions. But given his status and background, he didn’t really need to. Jaxon, my third boyfriend. Though his words during our breakup were incredibly harsh, they didn’t really affect me. From the first day we started dating, I knew we wouldn’t last. I knew he had ulterior motives, but I was so lonely then. I just wanted someone to be with me, so when he chased me, I agreed. I was a little curious about what Jaxon had seen to react that way. Just then, the doorbell rang. Landon walked in, holding a small cake. Looking at the tall, imposing man before me, it was hard to imagine us together.

Landon and I meeting was a complete accident. I had just broken up with Jaxon not long before. Although I’d known this day would come, I’m a very emotional person, and I was still feeling low. So, I went traveling to Wyoming, and that’s where I ran into Landon. Landon was a lawyer. I had actually met him once before. When the man I knew as my father passed away, everyone was called back to divide the estate. Even though I was an illegitimate daughter, the law still protected my rights as a legitimate heir. Landon was the lawyer handling the case then. I ended up with three million and an apartment. For a family as wealthy as the Carmichaels, it was barely a drop in the ocean. I knew without a doubt that my half-brother and half-sister had deliberately ‘taken care’ of me; the other illegitimate children of the Carmichael family received more. I also knew why they hated me so much, but it didn’t matter. That money was enough for me to live a simple life. Back then, Landon, in his professional manner, asked if I needed him to provide legal assistance. I said no. After that, we never saw each other again. I never expected that we would meet again in picturesque Wyoming. Landon said his wallet and ID had been stolen, and I was the only person he knew there. He asked if I’d let him tag along. I figured I was already out enjoying myself, and besides, as a lone woman, it wasn’t really safe. So, I agreed. Landon usually seemed like a cold, reserved person, but he was surprisingly good at taking care of others. He knew a lot about everything; no matter what I talked about, he could always chime in. Traveling with him was genuinely delightful. He taught me how to ride a horse. On the vast prairies of Wyoming, he took me galloping, with the world seemingly at our feet. In that moment, I truly felt I could let go of the misfortune and pain of my past twenty-something years. I’m a graphic novelist. I turned my experiences in Wyoming into a graphic novel, and overnight, it became a massive hit online. My career success helped me forget my romantic setbacks. After returning to New York City, Landon and I grew closer. We’d talk about everything under the sun, from local gossip to global affairs. Sometimes I’d marvel at how much Landon and I resonated intellectually; we had a connection as if we’d known each other for ages. Landon and I would often plan trips together. One evening in New Orleans, after we’d had a few drinks, the moon hung bright in the sky. I smiled and asked Landon, “Do you… like me?” Landon smiled faintly too. “Did you notice?” “I wasn’t entirely sure, but I had a feeling you did.” “No need to be unsure. I like you. I’ve liked you for a very long time.” Landon’s eyes shone brightly, like stars. After he said that, he just kept looking at me. Landon later told me he was so nervous then, afraid I would reject him. I suddenly burst out laughing. “I like you too.” Landon and I got together so naturally, it felt like we were destined. After we started dating, Landon took me to do many things I’d never dared to try before. He took me to Antarctica to see penguins, to Australia to witness a volcanic eruption. On a stormy cruise ship, we kissed passionately, lost in the moment. “Willow, life is meant to be lived intensely. I hope you always shine brightly.” Meeting Landon filled so much of my emptiness and loneliness. So when he proposed, I didn’t hesitate for a second to say yes.

It was Mr. Carmichael’s 90th birthday, and all us younger relatives were summoned to celebrate. I absolutely dreaded going, but Mr. Carmichael loved his reputation more than anything. If I dared to disrespect him publicly, he’d probably banish me from New York City. Besides, he was the one who stopped my half-siblings when they tried to make my life hell. So, even though I knew the feast would turn my stomach, I had to go. Thankfully, Landon would be with me. My half-siblings still looked at me as if I were garbage, their disgust impossible to hide. There were four illegitimate children in the Carmichael family, but my half-siblings hated me the most. My mother, you see, was very shrewd, and she almost managed to marry their father, becoming his official wife. I was brought into the Carmichael household at age twelve. They gave me a privileged life, but it was also the place I detested most. Genevieve never liked me. She constantly bullied me behind the scenes—locking me in the yard during rainstorms, cutting off the power to my room and sealing the windows shut in the summer, inciting my classmates to bully me at school. Of everyone in the Carmichael family, I hated Genevieve the most. When I discovered Genevieve had a crush on Liam, a method of revenge suddenly clicked in my mind. I would hook Liam, and let that stuck-up princess Genevieve experience the taste of loss. I spent two years carefully cultivating an innocent, unassuming persona around Liam. Others whispered that I was as low-class as my mother, learning to ensnare men at such a young age. I didn’t care because back then, I hated Genevieve to my core. In the end, I successfully got together with Liam. I still remember Genevieve’s eyes, practically spitting fire, when I walked in front of her, holding Liam’s hand. “Willow, you’re like a persistent ghost,” Genevieve hissed darkly. The more miserable she was, the happier I became. I smiled brightly. “Thanks to you all, I’m doing perfectly fine in New York City.” Genevieve glanced at Landon beside me and scoffed, “Who’s this stray you picked up now?” “Ms. Carmichael, long time no see. I’m Landon, Willow’s husband,” Landon said calmly. Genevieve’s disdain immediately vanished when she heard Landon’s words. Landon’s family had been prominent in law for generations; his grandfather had even participated in drafting important legislation. “Ms. Carmichael, your words just now not only offended Willow but also insulted me. I kindly request an apology,” Landon said softly, yet his presence was overwhelmingly authoritative. Genevieve’s face flushed with anger, her neck stiff, refusing to apologize. I noticed more and more eyes gathering on us. Harrison said gravely, “Genevieve, apologize to them.” Genevieve was furious, but she still begrudgingly apologized. *Sigh.* Honestly, adult Genevieve is far more of a pushover than her younger self. Just as I was reflecting, I felt someone staring at me. I searched for the source of the gaze and found it was Liam. Of course. Given the relationship between the Carmichael and Knight families, Liam was definitely expected to be here. After years apart, Liam seemed much more composed, exuding that classic, overbearing CEO vibe. I plastered a fake smile on my face, purely to annoy him. To my surprise, his expression changed drastically. The clinking of glasses and chatter of the banquet made me feel suffocated. I slipped away to the Carmichael family’s back garden for some fresh air. Just as I was about to head back to find Landon, Liam suddenly appeared. “What was that smile for just now?” I was actually quite irritated by Liam. He was always so high-handed, with that classic spoiled rich kid attitude. Back then, to ensnare him, I’d put in so much effort. Even though my initial intentions weren’t pure, people develop feelings. Liam had helped me a few times, and for someone as isolated as I was then, it was a lifeline. So, later, I genuinely fell for him. But we only dated for three months. When we broke up, he trampled on my dignity, making me feel utterly worthless. I casually brushed him off: “Nothing, really. Just saying hello after all these years.” He was silent for a moment. When he spoke again, whether it was my imagination or not, his voice sounded a bit strained: “Are you really married?” “What else would it be? A fake marriage?” My tone was laced with sarcasm, because when we broke up, he’d said, “I was just pretending to mess around with you, and you actually believed it.” “The Davies family has been in politics for generations; they would never approve of someone like you, an illegitimate child. Willow, don’t delude yourself. Break up with him soon.” He said this in a tone that suggested he was looking out for me, but his words dripped with contempt for my background. A voice came from behind us: “Does Mr. Knight enjoy meddling in other people’s relationships so much? My relationship with Willow is none of your concern, Mr. Knight. Our families adore Willow. One cannot choose their birth, and that should never be a chain binding Willow.” Landon walked up to me and quietly asked, “Where did you go? I’ve been looking for you.” Little did I know that our intimate moment, whispering close together, made Liam’s eyes burn red with fury. He sneered a few times, “Willow, do you really think Landon is such a good guy?” I gave him a strange look. How did Liam become so good at making baseless accusations after a few years abroad? “If he isn’t, then you are?” Liam’s chest heaved with anger. I didn’t see the triumphant smirk Landon flashed at Liam. After the banquet, Liam sent me a SnapChat message. [Willow, what I said that day wasn’t meant to mock you. I just wanted to warn you.]

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Working late into the night on a project, my phone’s smart home assistant suddenly popped up with an alert. [Master Bathroom Light On.] [Master Bath Scented Soak Mode Activated. Your luxurious bath awaits, Your Highness.] Neither Leo nor I were home. Maria, our housekeeper, was on vacation these past few days. So, who had turned on those appliances? After quickly checking the app again, I called Leo: “Leo, why didn’t you tell me you were coming home?” He sounded utterly confused: “Missing me already? But, babe, this project is super important. I won’t be able to make it home until tomorrow night at the earliest.” I rubbed my forehead, sighing: “Sorry, I must be swamped and got the dates mixed up. See you tomorrow night, Leo.” After hanging up, I stared at the smart home remote control app, only to see the master bedroom curtains suddenly close. I quickly sent a message to Maria and sped home. Thinking of those thrillers where the housekeeper turns out to be a thief, I tapped Maria’s contact again. The moment I accidentally pressed the dial button, I immediately hung up. Maria had been with us for over a decade, practically family, always looking out for me. She’d never do something like this. Arriving at the community gate, I rolled down my car window and spoke to Officer Miller, the security guard: “A friend of mine said they were coming to visit me earlier. Did you let them in?” He shook his head, looking puzzled: “Ms. Chloe, no visitors registered today. Are you sure you’re not mistaken?” I nodded slightly, forcing a smile: “Maybe they decided it was too far to come. Thanks for your hard work.” Just then, Maria FaceTimed me. She was at home with her elders and children. “Maria, I’ll send you an extra bonus this time, and please take a few more days off. Enjoy your time with your family.” After hanging up, my smile instantly vanished. Maria confirmed she wasn’t home. Could it really be an intruder? But why would a burglar use the bathtub? My car soon reached the villa entrance. Seeing the lights on in the master bedroom, my heart sank. Someone was definitely home. But who? I quietly opened the front door. Before I even turned on the lights, I noticed Leo’s slippers, clearly moved, in the moonlight. I distinctly remembered Leo leaving for his business trip a day before me. When I left, I had carefully placed our shoes side-by-side. Could this be one of those squatters you hear about in the news, sneaking into someone’s house because they can’t afford rent? Afraid they might get desperate and turn violent, I bit my lip and grabbed the stun gun hidden behind the door. However, just as I was trying to sneak upstairs to check, Leo, wrapped in a towel, stood at the second-floor hallway entrance and flipped on the downstairs lights. “Chloe, what are you doing back?” He wiped his hair, then saw the stun gun in my hand and clicked his tongue: “Still carrying that thing?” I let out a sigh of relief: “Just finished work and came home. Saw your shoes were moved, and I thought we had an intruder.” “Leo, you didn’t say you were coming home. You scared me half to death.” As I spoke, I suddenly realized something and looked at Leo’s face: “Wait, didn’t you say you wouldn’t be back until tomorrow night at the earliest?” Leo rushed down and pulled me into a hug: “I was, but you called, and I figured you missed me, so I hurried back.” “I even wanted to surprise you.” His surprised expression when he saw me was flawless, and his words were sweet. But as I inhaled his fresh scent, my heart grew even colder. The bathroom light had clearly been on for a while, Yet he said he had just gotten back. He was lying to me. The scented soak mode leaves a distinct fragrance, but he only smelled of his usual shower gel. Leo was lying to me, covering for someone who had just used my bathtub. He was cheating. I opened my phone and checked the bathtub’s usage end time. I was already at the front door by then. And we only had one entrance to our house, so the person who used my bathtub was still inside! I smiled, pushed Leo away, and headed upstairs. “Thanks, Leo. I’m tired. I’ll go freshen up first.” Leo opened the master bedroom door for me, looking for praise: “I heard you come in, and I knew it was you. See, I even drew a bath for you.” I walked into the bathroom and glanced at the electronic display nearby—Soak Mode. He never used the scented soak mode, but there was a lingering perfume scent in the bathroom. Just then, I heard something drop. I walked back into the bedroom and frowned, looking at the closet. Behind me, Leo quietly sighed in relief as he saw the collectible figurine on the nightstand. I paid him no mind, my gaze fixed on the closet in front of me. That row of large wardrobes was custom-made; a person could easily hide inside. But just as my hand touched the closet door, Leo suddenly grabbed my arm: “Wait.”

“Chloe, I brought you a gift. It’s right there.” He pointed to the collectible figurine on the table. My eyes lit up: “Is it that limited-edition figurine I’ve been waiting years for and never got?!” With the closet still on my mind, I distractedly fiddled with the figurine for a moment, then, when Leo wasn’t looking, I immediately walked over and opened the closet. I checked every inch of the closet from left to right, confirming no living thing was hidden inside. Seeing the fully open closet, Leo casually tidied the clothes inside, his voice completely natural: “What pajamas do you want to wear, Chloe?” This was the only place in the master bedroom someone could hide. It seemed I was overthinking things; there was no one else here. I pointed to my favorite set of pajamas, finally relaxing. It must have been a glitch in this remote control system, causing the program to activate automatically. For our home’s security, I had not only added a facial recognition system to the outdoor monitoring but also installed a discreet camera facing inward from a hidden spot opposite the door. Anyone other than Leo or me appearing at our door would trigger an alert on my phone. And the other hidden camera could show what was happening in the living room when the door opened. The next day, just after lunch at the office, the smart home assistant suddenly popped up again. [Master Bathroom Light On.] [Master Bath Scented Soak Mode Activated. Your luxurious bath awaits, Your Highness.] I opened the monitoring app, which hadn’t alerted me, And watched the footage at ten times speed from when I left home, confirming no one had entered. I breathed a sigh of relief. It must be a bug in this newly connected smart home system. I mentioned the issue to my assistant, asking him to upgrade the system when he had time. Then I just dismissed the smart assistant’s message. In the evening, I had dinner with Bella, a best friend I hadn’t seen in ages. As we chatted about our childhood dreams at the restaurant, I smiled and pulled out a photo I’d taken yesterday: “Look, Leo brought me this collectible from his business trip!” Bella examined it closely, then regretfully said: “This is a limited edition, truly! What a shame, it’s got lipstick on it. It’s not so perfect anymore.” Her words made me freeze. How could Leo have put lipstick on it? And it hadn’t come in a gift box. Or did he buy a knockoff to begin with? Filled with doubt, I FaceTimed Leo. After I explained, Leo quickly apologized: “Sorry, Chloe. I thought the lip color was a bit pale, so I touched it up with some lipstick from your vanity.” “I don’t know anything about these things. I’m so sorry, I’ll get you another one.” This figurine was released years ago in a very limited quantity, making it extremely rare to obtain. The fact that he went to such lengths, pulling strings everywhere to get me one, had already touched me deeply. Thinking of this, I smiled, ending the conversation. Suddenly, my phone again alerted me that the bathtub at home had activated the scented soak mode, and it finished use over an hour later. I shook my head. Leo never took long to wash up. This smart home system really seemed to be broken. A week later, I was about to board a train for a business trip to another city, When Officer Miller from our community security suddenly called: “Ms. Chloe, your friend seems to have arrived. She just registered your address and went in.” Last time, I’d been trying to fish for information about whether anyone unauthorized had entered my home. I never expected that after all this time, the security guard would actually provide me with useful information. I exited the ticket gate and opened my surveillance app. Three minutes later, Leo arrived at our front door, with no one else beside him. But he knocked before opening the door, then stood for a few seconds before going inside. With a sense of foreboding, I clicked on the footage from the camera opposite the door. Sure enough, when I fast-forwarded to the time he entered, In the video, a graceful woman stood inside the doorway, opening her arms to greet him.

I quickly exited the train station, hailed a cab, and paid extra for him to drive as fast as possible back home. As I watched the driver accelerate to the speed limit, my wildly beating heart suddenly throbbed. What if I went back and walked in on them? Would our relationship be shattered, ending in divorce? But we’d been together for ten years, from high school sweethearts to marriage after college graduation. Aside from his desire to build his career before settling down and having kids later, our relationship had always been harmonious. He even took the lead in handling all the pressure from both our families about having kids, saying he wanted me to enjoy my youth longer. But now, I felt terrified. Did he not want children, or did he already have children with someone else? Traffic jammed just two miles from home. I anxiously stared at the sea of cars ahead. Just then, my phone again alerted me: [Master Bath Scented Soak Mode Activated. Your luxurious bath awaits, Your Highness.] I was too furious to speak. I got out of the taxi immediately, my hands trembling as I grabbed a shared bike by the roadside and pedaled desperately back. But when I arrived at the community gate and parked the bike, I felt a bit helpless looking at our front door not far away. My mind was a mess. I opened the door and walked straight upstairs, Slowing my pace as I ascended the stairs, biting my lower lip until it felt raw. Were they intimate in my bed right now? What if he denied it? If he admitted it, would I divorce him? How would I tell our parents? My hand hesitated on the doorknob for two seconds. I started video recording on my phone camera, then suddenly pushed the door open: “Leo, what are you doing?!” Leo put down his phone and sat up on the bed, looking at me: “I just lay down and was about to call you. Chloe, aren’t you on a business trip in another city?” Seeing the lumpy duvet on the bed, I gritted my teeth: “The project was canceled last minute. I’m a bit tired.” Leo chuckled softly, then dotingly pulled back the covers: “Well, my dear wife, why don’t you come up and get some sleep? I’ve missed you all day.” The bed was completely empty; it seemed the person had already hidden. I hugged Leo and sniffed him. The scent was very faint. Then I immediately went to the master bathroom. A strong fragrance instantly flooded my nostrils. Someone else had definitely showered here just now! I pursed my lips, crouched down to check under the bed, and then opened the closet. But after searching every corner by the bed, there was no one. I could only look at Leo: “Where is that woman?” He stood up, put his arms around me, and rubbed my neck, his voice puzzled: “What woman? Besides you, only Maria is ever here, and she’s on vacation.” I pushed him away and walked out of the bedroom, checking every other room, confirming no one was hidden. Until I had angrily checked the entire house, I was utterly exhausted. Leo frowned, pulled me over, and sat me down on the living room sofa. “You suspect me.” Then, his voice softened, and he pulled me into his arms: “I’m sorry, I haven’t given you enough security. How about I take you back to Mom and Dad’s for a few days to relax?” His face showed undisguised concern. I pretended to sigh in relief, rubbing my temples: “I must be going crazy with all this stress, maybe I’m just getting old and sensitive.” Leo shook his head, lifted my face to meet his gaze: “No way, Chloe.” “You’re the most beautiful, youngest girl in the world. Don’t be anxious. Go wash up and get some sleep. I’ll hold you tonight, and I promise you’ll feel completely safe.” I didn’t believe a word he said, but just smiled and nodded, “Okay.” Then, I used the opportunity to check the number of condoms in the nightstand drawer. Sure enough, there were fewer. To check the surveillance footage, I grabbed a bathrobe and went into the bathroom. After rinsing the bathtub three times, I finally suppressed my disgust and lay down to open the app. No one had exited through the front door, nor through the side window. But when I scrolled back a few days before the first alert message, I discovered that, Although there was no footage of them entering together, Leo had once exited the front door with that girl. Which meant— Besides the main entrance, she had another way to get into my house.

After showering with a heavy heart, I put on my bathrobe and prepared to leave the bathroom, Only to notice a smear of bright, vivid lipstick on the collar in the mirror. Practicing the expression I’d wear when I stepped out, I resisted the urge to throw away the bathrobe. She comes to my house, sleeps with my man, and wears my clothes. To use my things so skillfully, it seemed Leo’s affair hadn’t started just a day or two ago. It was only after connecting the smart home app for remote control that I, foolishly, began to notice. The moment I walked out, Leo thoughtfully offered me hot milk: “Drink this, you’ll sleep more soundly. You’ve worked hard, Chloe.” I managed a tired smile and hugged him: “I’m sorry, Leo. I’m just so exhausted, I’m even imagining things and doubting you.” “I’m not feeling well, and I’m afraid I’ll wake up several times tonight. I’ll sleep in the guest room.” Leo considerately helped me lie down on the bed, then went to the guest room without further questions. But I left the bedside lamp on, staring at the ceiling, sleepless all night. It wasn’t until I went to the bathroom to wash up in the morning, looking at the bright lights in the mirror, that an idea sparked… I went out and searched everywhere for a shop, finally buying some harmless fluorescent dye and pouring it into my shower gel and scented bath products. No matter what mode she used to shower next time, she would inevitably get covered in the fluorescent agent. This fluorescent agent couldn’t be washed off without a special solution. I wanted to see where she’d hide then! To avoid giving anything away, I planned to go home at eight, as usual. After the system notified me that the bath mode was activated, I immediately called Leo, saying I wanted to eat his home-cooked meal. Leo instinctively glanced at the bathroom, his smile strained. “How about you eat when you get off work? If I cook now and bring it over, it’ll get cold by the time you’re home.” I sighed, about to try to stall him further, When suddenly, a woman’s scream came from his end: “Ah, it hurts! Leo, help me!” I paused, feigning confusion: “Sounds like a woman’s voice. Leo, are you watching TV?” Leo quickly nodded, then his eyes darted around a few times before he spoke: “Ah, the company has an online meeting. I have to hang up.” Seeing him flustered, I sneered. This time, I was bringing both our parents to catch him in the act. Let’s see how he’ll talk his way out of this! Leading a whole crowd of us, I pushed open the bedroom door with a fierce demeanor. In the brightly lit bathroom, music was still playing from a phone. Mr. and Mrs. Harrison grabbed me: “Chloe!” “Don’t open the door yet. Just call them out. Give us a little face. When Leo comes out, whatever punishment you want, we’ll support it.” I hesitated, but looking at Mr. and Mrs. Harrison’s kind faces, I nodded. But to my surprise, after calling out several times, there was still no answer from the bathroom. Finally, Mr. Harrison steeled himself and pulled open the bathroom door. But the moment the bathroom opened, I froze. Mr. and Mrs. Harrison and my own Mom and Dad gasped, looking at me. Despite the lights being on, there was no one inside— Only a pink phone playing music. Mr. and Mrs. Harrison exchanged a glance, then quietly tried to reassure me: “Chloe, are you sure you heard a woman’s voice?” “But there’s no one home.”

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My sister, the eternal favorite, not only announced at my wedding that she’d already eloped with my fiancé and was pregnant with his child, but she also pressured me to have a hysterectomy. Her demand? That I promise to take care of her child for the rest of my life. My dream wedding, a love story that started in high school and was supposed to end at the altar, turned into a living nightmare in front of over two hundred guests, all thanks to my sister. She stood there in a pristine white wedding gown, clinging to Brandon, the man who should have been standing beside me, and walked straight up to me. “Stella, I’m pregnant with Brandon’s child.” “We’re already legally married. He’s your brother-in-law now.” Amber’s words hit me like a bomb, exploding in my ears. Casually, she projected their wedding certificate onto the big screen behind us, then handed me the physical copy, as if worried I wouldn’t see it clearly enough. Underneath the crimson banner, their smiles were radiant, like a picture-perfect couple deeply in love. The date on the certificate? Just yesterday. “Why?!” I choked out to Brandon, the simple question catching in my throat multiple times. Brandon furrowed his brow, a flicker of guilt in his eyes, quickly replaced by a sigh. His voice dripped with feigned sympathy, “Stella, Amber only has a year left.” “This is her last wish—to marry the man she loves and have a child before she dies…” “Stella, Amber is your sister. You’d understand, right?” But who would understand *me*? I looked at his hypocritical face and suddenly found it utterly laughable. Utterly heartbreaking. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I screamed in anguish, “I’m supposed to understand her by letting my boyfriend sleep with her and giving up my own wedding?” Growing up, my sister had always monopolized our parents’ favoritism. And what she loved most was snatching away everything that was mine. My clothes; my toys; my friends… Until I met Brandon. I thought I’d finally found a love that was solely mine. But of course, she had to take even that! “Amber, please, just get out of my wedding! Get out of my life, okay?!” “Enough! Don’t talk like that!” Brandon snapped, his eyes flashing angrily. “If it weren’t for Amber, how do you think I would’ve ended up with you?” “What do you mean?” I stared at him, stunned and disbelieving. “Stella, I’m sorry. Please, don’t fight because of me anymore.” Suddenly, Amber burst into tears. “I just worried Mom and Dad would be devastated with no hope after I’m gone, so I wanted to leave them something to hold onto. Marrying Brandon was a last resort; I didn’t want the child to be born without a mom, or a dad.” “If you can’t accept this, then I’ll just go die right now!” With that, Amber suddenly charged forward, head first towards the wall!

A collective gasp echoed through the wedding venue! Just as Amber was about to hit the wall, the host rushed forward and pulled her back. Everyone let out a sigh of relief. Brandon shot me a blaming glare, then hurried to comfort her. My parents, too, rushed over, their faces full of heartache as they hugged and soothed her. Amber sobbed, “Don’t save me! Just let me die! I won’t live much longer anyway!” “It’d be better to grant Stella’s wish! If she can live happily, then dying like this would be a worthy end for me, her sister.” Her words instantly threw me back into the eye of the storm. Sure enough, Mom, after hearing that, stood up furiously and walked over, slapping me hard across the face. “I don’t have a daughter with such a wicked heart!” I clutched my stinging cheek, my eyes welling with tears. I stared silently at my mom. From the day I was born until now, she’d been like an invisible presence, lurking in the shadows. She never cared if I was sad, or if I was humiliated. But the moment Amber was involved, she’d appear without hesitation. It had always been like this, ever since I was a child. Brandon looked at me with disappointment. “Amber is your own sister, and you’re trying to force her to her death. Your heart is too cruel.” “Apologize to Amber right now, or our wedding is off, forever!” *Slap!* I swung my hand hard, slapping Brandon. “You’re disgusting!” The wedding I had dreamed of since I was a teenager finally ended in utter humiliation. After storming out, I went straight back to our apartment. When Brandon returned, I had just finished packing my belongings and was heading for the door with my suitcase. He grabbed my hand, rubbed his temples, and said impatiently, “Is this really worth all this drama, for such a small thing?” “It’s only for a year, then I’ll be back with you. Can you just stop making a scene?” I yanked my hand free. “A scene?” “Brandon, we’ve been together for so long. Did you ever truly love me? If you had just said you fell for someone else, I would have stepped aside immediately.” “But what did you do? You secretly got together with my sister, and then you humiliated me at our wedding in front of so many people!” The memory still sent shivers down my spine. “What did you take me for?” Brandon paused, then said, “Stella, I’m sorry you were wronged.” One simple “sorry you were wronged” to gloss over the deep wounds he inflicted. How pathetic. I lowered my gaze, no longer feeling any shred of love for him. “Brandon, we’re over,” I said. The moment he chose to hurt me, we were done. “Get out!” With that, I shoved him and his suitcase out the door, then quickly slammed it shut. This apartment was mine; *he* was the one who had to leave. Ignoring his knocking on the door, I went back to the living room and sank onto the couch, feeling utterly defeated. Brandon and I had been together for seven years. During my senior year of high school, he joined my class as a transfer student, a year older than me. Because he was an orphan, he was aloof and quiet, but he treated me differently. After graduation, we naturally started dating. We had our sweet moments, and our arguments too. He told me his biggest dream in life was to marry me and give me a home. When he made that promise as a young man, his face was sincere, his eyes filled with love. I genuinely believed we’d go from school sweethearts to husband and wife, but I never even knew when he and Amber started their affair! I buried my face in my hands, trying not to cry. But the sobs wracked my body. I stayed in the apartment in a daze for three days until my best friend, Chloe, rushed back from out of town. The moment she walked in, she hugged me, her eyes red with tears. She was my childhood friend, and she’d been away on a business trip, unable to make it to my wedding. “I shouldn’t have been away on that trip. I should have been with you, it’s all my fault…” she cried inconsolably. After a long while, she finally stopped, sniffling. “Stella, they humiliated you like this. We absolutely cannot let them get away with it!” “And with your sister’s manipulative nature, she definitely has more tricks up her sleeve!”

I nodded. Amber and I might be blood sisters, but she never liked me, not since we were kids. Plus, she had a terminal illness; doctors predicted she wouldn’t live past twenty-eight. Our parents felt guilty and spoiled her rotten. As a result, I’d been taken advantage of by her countless times. She wanted to plot against me even in her final moments, making me live in her shadow for the rest of my life? Dream on! And I refused to be played for a fool by her and Brandon! I wiped my tears and told Chloe my plan. She helped me find witnesses to prove my long-standing relationship with Brandon. Meanwhile, I began gathering evidence of our seven years together. I didn’t know what Amber and Brandon would do next, but I wasn’t going to sit around and wait! But I never expected Amber to be so utterly shameless!

After a few days of rest, I returned to work. Having been out for several days, my workload was enormous, leaving me swamped and unable to even grab a proper meal. When I got home that day, I saw Mom and Dad sitting on my living room couch with Amber and Brandon. That’s when I remembered Brandon still had a spare key. Seeing him, and remembering everything we shared in that apartment, made me sick to my stomach. I took a deep breath. It seemed I needed to speed up the process of selling this place. “What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice stiff. Mom pretended not to notice my sour expression. “Stella, you and Amber are sisters; there’s nothing you can’t get past.” “Amber has also promised that after she’s gone, we’ll hold another grand wedding for you and Brandon to make up for it.” “This time, Mom and Dad didn’t think things through.” It was rare for Mom to lower herself like this, but a chill ran through me. “So, you and Dad knew all about it that day?” Mom and Dad’s eyes flickered, looking a little guilty. I scoffed. So that’s how it was! Mom pursed her lips before saying, “Your sister and the baby needed a legitimate status. That was the best occasion.” Because Amber needed it, they chose to sacrifice me without hesitation. I closed my eyes, laughing self-deprecatingly. I always knew I wasn’t as important as Amber in their hearts. But I never imagined how utterly insignificant I was. Amber interjected at just the right moment. “Stella, don’t blame Mom and Dad. They did it all for me.” “I know you’re hurt, but I didn’t want to miss Brandon again in my lifetime. We’ve already missed our chance once.” As Amber spoke, she looked at Brandon with tender affection, and his eyes were filled with sympathy. My heart skipped a beat. I suddenly remembered Brandon had a first love before his senior year. I’d been curious and asked him about it once, but he’d always changed the subject. I never imagined his first love was my sister! No wonder he treated me uniquely. It turned out I’d been a stand-in all these years! I clenched my fists tightly. Amber, Brandon! You’ve gone too far! Perhaps my face was too pale, Brandon didn’t dare to look at me, but Amber continued, “Stella, I know you love Brandon very much.” “But I love him too, and I don’t want to share him with another woman. But what can I do, since you’re my own sister?” She then started crying, looking utterly pitiful. “If you agree to have a hysterectomy, I’m willing to let Brandon marry you after I’m gone.” Amber cried so pathetically that Brandon pulled her into his arms, like a pair of star-crossed lovers. Mom and Dad were shedding tears. “That’s right, Stella, your sister doesn’t have much time left. Just give in to her one more time. Mom knows Dad and I neglected you in the past, which made you so stubborn.” “How about this, you come home and live with Mom and Dad. Let us make it up to you properly. As for this new apartment, you can let Amber and Brandon have it for now.” “You can move back in after a year…” I looked at Amber. When no one was watching, she smugly raised an eyebrow at me. Like a victor. *Slap!* I couldn’t take it anymore. I lunged forward and slapped Amber hard across the face. Amber shrieked. Mom, Dad, and Brandon froze.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “299164”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic