Category: English

In my past life, I desperately tried to stop my boyfriend, Ryan, and his childhood friend, Chloe, from attempting a perilous extreme cave dive. But Chloe wouldn’t listen. She dove down, touched the bottom, and got stuck in the silt. To save her, Ryan pushed me into the mud with his own hands, so Chloe could use me as a stepping stone to escape. “Christiana, don’t be so selfish. Chloe is scared; save her first. You’re a professional diving instructor, I know you’ll be fine.” He took Chloe’s hand and swam to the surface without looking back. And I died in that murky silt. When I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn. As Chloe prepared to dive further, I didn’t stop them. Instead, I slowly gave them a thumbs-up. Chloe looked at me triumphantly. But they didn’t know that this signal meant “danger, abort dive.” “Christiana, are you chicken?” Chloe’s provocative voice reached my ears through the bone conduction headset. “I told Ryan that if we succeeded in this challenge, our live stream viewership would hit top 1. What’s your problem with that?” The cold water enveloped me, but it was nothing compared to the chill in my heart. Before me, Ryan impatiently fiddled with his full-face mask, his eyes full of disgust. “Christiana, don’t bring your professional paranoia here. Chloe wants to see the sights down there, so I’m taking her. If you’re scared, go back to the surface.” This scene was all too familiar. In my past life, it was at this very depth, at this deadly dive site called “Skull Cave.” I earnestly tried to dissuade them, explaining that the area ahead was an unexplored silt zone, highly prone to “silt out,” which would lead to dangerously low visibility. And what happened? Ryan forced the dive, and Chloe, due to her poor technique, touched the bottom and was sucked into the silt. In her struggle, she kicked up a massive cloud of mud, obscuring our vision. In a panic, she clung to my leg. And Ryan, my boyfriend of many years whom I deeply loved, brutally kicked my regulator to help Chloe push off and escape. He pressed my shoulders, forcing me beneath, letting Chloe step on me to get out of the mud. I sank deep into the silt, my lungs filling with mud, dying a suffocating, agonizing death. Until my very last breath, I saw them kissing through their masks. Ryan’s voice came through the bone conduction headset: “After that crisis, I realized Chloe is the most important person in my life.” “Thank you for your sacrifice to save Chloe. We’ll make sure to teach our child about you.” In this moment of rebirth, the phantom pain of suffocation still lingered in my lungs and throat. I was underwater, and I quickly regulated my breathing to avoid any signs of carbon dioxide poisoning. I watched Ryan give the dive signal again. It was Chloe’s invitation to challenge the hundred-meter abyss. This time, I didn’t act like a maniac, trying to yank open their tank valves. I adjusted my buoyancy in the water, steadying myself. Then, facing the live stream camera, I slowly raised my right hand. And gave them a clear thumbs-up. In diving, a thumbs-up means ‘end the dive, ascend.’

Unfortunately, they hadn’t been listening when I repeatedly emphasized dive signals before we went into the water. Chloe thought I was showing off, and she rolled her eyes at me. She impatiently cut me off: “Alright, alright, how many times have you said it? Do you really think we’ve never dived before? We know all about it, you don’t need to lecture us.” Ryan gently stroked Chloe’s head, completely ignoring my awkward situation. Now, seeing my signal, Ryan paused, then a flicker of triumph crossed his eyes. They thought I was agreeing, even praising them for being ‘awesome.’ He probably thought I had finally learned to be submissive. Chloe, even through her mask, rolled her eyes at me again, then linked arms with Ryan. Like two reckless lovers, they plunged headfirst into the darkness that had devoured my life in my past existence. I watched their figures gradually blur. Without hesitation, I turned, checked my pressure gauge, and initiated the standard ascent procedure. You can’t save people who are determined to self-destruct. Since you’re so adventurous. Then I wish you an eternal embrace in that silt. I surfaced alone, the sunlight so bright it made my eyes squint. The safety officer on the boat looked at me in shock: “Christiana, why are you alone? Where are Ryan and Chloe?” I removed my mask, slowly unhooking my BCD. A timely look of helplessness and bitterness crossed my face. “They said I was getting in the way, too controlling. They insisted on challenging the hundred-meter crevice.” “I couldn’t stop them, so I came up first to avoid any arguments escalating into an accident down there.” The crew members exchanged glances, and the live stream comments started scrolling furiously. 【This instructor is so irresponsible, just left them down there?】 【Shut up, Ryan brought this on himself. Christiana is an instructor, not a babysitter.】 【Exactly, they signed a waiver. Adults are responsible for their own actions.】 I ignored the commotion and found a corner to sit in. My GoPro was clutched tightly in my hand. It held the most dramatic scene of our farewell. Time ticked by, minute by minute. The surfacing time had already passed by ten minutes. The atmosphere on the boat began to grow heavy. The safety officer kept checking his watch, anxiously calling into the walkie-talkie, only to hear the dead static of silence. Another five minutes passed, and suddenly, many bubbles appeared on the calm sea surface. The water churned. Two figures burst out of the water, looking disheveled and frantic. They weren’t performing a normal ‘decompression ascent,’ but an uncontrolled emergency ascent – extremely dangerous. Ryan dragged a semi-conscious Chloe, his face contorted in agony, blood gushing from his nose and mouth. These were classic symptoms of lung overexpansion injury and decompression sickness. “Help! Quick, save her!” Ryan’s voice was hoarse, filled with extreme fear and trembling. The crew members scrambled to pull both of them onto the deck. Chloe’s face was ashen, and her legs were twisted in a grotesque way. As soon as Ryan was on board, he didn’t even bother to wipe the blood from his face. His bloodshot eyes fixated on me, like he wanted to devour me. The next second, he charged at me like a madman. “Christiana! You venomous witch!” “You turned off our spare air valves! You tried to kill Chloe!” His shout drew everyone’s attention to me. Divers from nearby boats also gathered around. The person filming, thinking they had stumbled upon great material, shoved the live stream camera right into my face. Ryan lunged at me, raising his hand to strike. I was prepared, sidestepping quickly. Due to severe decompression sickness, his balance was terrible, and he face-planted onto the deck, falling flat on his face. “Agh!!!” He screamed in pain but didn’t forget to point at me and roar. “Everyone saw it! It was her! She was jealous of Chloe and deliberately messed with our gear underwater!” “Christiana, I’ll make sure you go to jail! I’ll make you pay for this with your life!”

Only three of us were diving, and I was the first to surface. Ryan’s sudden accusation made it hard not to suspect if I had done something underwater. In this era where sympathy often sways towards the injured party, his blood-soaked body and the unconscious Chloe instantly tilted the scales of public opinion. The onlookers, unaware of the truth, started pointing fingers at me. “That’s so cruel, killing someone over jealousy?” “You never know what’s in a person’s heart. She looks professional, but she’s so wicked.” Faced with the accusations, I didn’t immediately retort hysterically. I looked at him calmly. “Ryan, you need proof for what you say.” “You claim I turned off your valves? How exactly did I do that?” I bent down, lifted my tank—which was still almost full—and showed it to everyone. “Less than five minutes after going down, I initiated the ascent procedure.” “My dive computer clearly shows that I maintained a distance of over ten meters from you two at all times.” “Do I have magic, then? Can I wirelessly shut off your oxygen valves?” Ryan was stunned. He hadn’t expected me to be so calm, nor for me to immediately present evidence. But he quickly recovered and changed his argument. “Then you stood by and watched us die! You’re a professional diving instructor, you had a duty to protect us!” “You knew it was dangerous down there, why didn’t you forcibly pull us back?” “You just wanted us to die!” This absurd reasoning almost made me laugh out loud. In my past life, I tried to pull you back, and you killed me. This life, I respect other people’s choices, and now I’m being accused of abandoning them. “Ryan, are you a child?” I looked down at him, sprawled on the deck. “Before we even got in the water, I warned you three times that this season wasn’t suitable for diving. But you still insisted on going down, even signing a liability waiver.” “Underwater, you gave me the finger and told me to get lost.” “Now that something’s happened, you’re blaming me for not stopping you from going to your deaths?” “I’m an instructor, not your mother!”

The roar of the emergency helicopter grew louder, coming from afar. Medical personnel rushed down with stretchers. As Chloe was being carried away, I clearly saw her eyelashes flutter. Was she awake? Still faking it? Yes, waking up now to face public scrutiny would be less advantageous than playing the role of a delicate victim. Before Ryan was loaded onto the stretcher, he clutched the doctor’s hand tightly, shouting at the camera: “I’m going to sue her! I will definitely sue her!” “Viewers, bear witness for me, Christiana is the one who harmed us!” The live stream comment section exploded instantly. The hashtag #Vicious Coach Murder my BF# rocketed to the top of trending topics at lightning speed. I watched the distant helicopter, a cold smirk playing on my lips. Make a scene. The bigger, the better. This current spotlight would be the fuel to burn them later. At the hospital, Ryan’s parents and Chloe’s parents appeared as if on cue, blocking the entrance to the emergency room. Seeing me, Chloe’s mother lunged forward, trying to grab my hair. “You murderer! Give me back my daughter!” The police, who had been standing by, promptly stopped her. “What are you doing! This is a hospital! State your business calmly!” I adjusted my collar, which had been ruffled, and calmly looked at the aggressively confronting me. “Officer, I’m here to cooperate with the investigation and submit evidence.” In the hospital room, Ryan was lying in bed, holding his phone, weeping live on stream. Chloe, though awake, was paralyzed from the waist down due to severe decompression sickness. She was now crying despairingly, clutching Ryan. Seeing me enter, Ryan’s eyes turned red. “Christiana! You have the nerve to show your face!” “I’ll make sure you rot in jail! I’ll make you lose everything you own!” Millions of viewers were watching online. The comments were all cursing me to hell. The officer frowned, signaling Ryan to put down his phone. “Ryan, Christiana says she has video evidence. We need to verify it.” Ryan sneered, his face full of disdain. “Video? What video? Perfect, let everyone see how you stood by and watched us die!” He thought the video I had only recorded the moment I left them underwater. He believed that by insisting I had “abandoned my students,” he could morally crush me and extort a huge sum in compensation. I said nothing, merely connecting my GoPro to the hospital room’s TV. The screen lit up. In clear 4K quality, the deep blue of the ocean was breathtaking. The video began with Ryan and Chloe giving me the middle finger, then decisively diving deeper. Next, it showed me giving a thumbs-up and turning to leave. Up to this point, Ryan was still shouting: “See! Everyone saw it! She just left! She abandoned us!” However, his words had barely faded. The next second, the entire room fell silent.

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The company party turned into a game of Truth or Dare. The loser had to reveal a secret. Sarah’s assistant, Brooks, lost. He raised his glass, a smirk on his face. “Sarah and I share a secret. After she had her baby, she came back to work, and she was really uncomfortable in the office. I was the one who helped her with it.” Soon, people started egging him on. “Sarah has such a great figure! You got lucky!” “Just helped her? Nothing else happen?” Brooks licked his lips, savoring the moment. “Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m her assistant, helping her is just part of my job!” Sarah laughed, covering Brooks’s mouth. “Say one more word, and I’m docking your bonus this month.” My fists clenched in anger. Soon, it was my turn to lose. Facing everyone’s stares, I calmly said, “I’ll share a secret too. I’m planning to divorce Sarah.” A ripple of shock went through the employees. “Will used to be so forgiving! He didn’t even say anything when he saw Sarah and Brooks holding hands at the mall. What changed?” “Will, Brooks was just helping Sarah out! Don’t get mad!” Sarah stared at me. “Will, it was just a joke. Are you really going to be this sensitive?” I held back my fury. “It has nothing to do with sensitivity. I genuinely want to divorce you.” Brooks’s eyes instantly reddened. “Will, I didn’t mean it. I was just making a joke to liven things up. I didn’t know you were so sensitive…” I looked at him mockingly. “Then let me make a joke too. If I’m not mistaken, your sister has a red mole on her left thigh, and she also has a good figure…” “You…” Brooks’s face flushed crimson. He looked tearfully at Sarah. Slap! Sarah raised her hand and slapped me across the face. “Will, are you going to keep this up?” I clutched my stinging face, staring at her in shock. She hit me, for an assistant? “Will, you actually spied on Brooks’s sister? Get down on your knees and apologize to him right now!” I laughed, tears streaming down my face. “He jokes about me, and you want me to be understanding. I joke about him, and you want me to kneel and apologize?” I turned to leave. Sarah yelled after me, “If you walk out that door, if you don’t kneel and apologize, I’ll fire you from everything!” “Fine, Sarah! I’ll wait for you to fire me! And the divorce papers will be on your desk.” I walked out. The door slammed shut behind me. “Sarah, Will is such a jerk, isn’t he? And he even insulted my sister!” Brooks whined, looking hurt. “By his logic, if he knew we kissed in the office before, or that I helped you change when you were too drunk to yourself… he’d probably drop dead from anger!” “But it’s my duty as your assistant! Will is so narrow-minded; he sees everything as dirty.” Sarah patted him, comforting him. “He’s just jealous. Don’t take it to heart.” To comfort Brooks, she actually kissed him in front of everyone. “I think Sarah and Brooks are actually a couple.” “Yeah, Brooks has brought in so many clients for the company!” “Will hasn’t signed any contracts lately. He’s just a dead weight, can’t do anything right.” A chorus of flattering voices filled the private room. Brooks took the opportunity to pat Sarah’s backside a few times! Watching that scene, I froze just outside the door, unwelcome tears blurring my vision. I went home to pack my things. Just as I finished, my phone rang. It was a SnapChat video from Brooks. Sarah lay on a big hotel bed, her eyes hazy, two buttons of her top undone. Then, Brooks’s voice came through. “Will, Sarah’s had too much to drink. I brought her to the hotel to rest. I’ll leave after I help her get cleaned up. Don’t be jealous, okay?”

My forehead throbbed, veins bulging! This was an open provocation! I didn’t answer. I just switched off my phone. When I went into the bathroom to shower, I suddenly spotted a pregnancy test in the trash can. Two red lines. I froze. I’d been away on a business trip for a month. Sarah and I hadn’t been intimate in three months. But she was pregnant. Whose child was it? I stared intensely at the pregnancy test. Then, I burst into laughter! Followed by a torrent of tears! She and I had no future left. It was my own fault for investing too deeply, for loving the wrong person. After my shower, I saw our wedding photo on the wall, us smiling so brightly and happily, arms around each other. But now, everything had changed. I tore my half of the photo down and tossed it into the trash. I called my lawyer friend, and soon a divorce agreement was delivered. I signed it and arranged for it to be sent to the company. Sarah would see it first thing in the morning. After doing all this, I felt an abnormal sense of relief. But what about our four-year-old son, Leo? That night, Sarah didn’t come home again. The next day, I went to my parents’ house, intending to take Leo to preschool. Unexpectedly, Sarah was already there. She’d shown the divorce papers to my parents, Robert and Susan. My dad, Robert, stood up and shouted at me, “Will, how long are you going to keep this up?” “Sarah is such a good woman; you want to divorce her?” My mom, Susan, tried to reason with me. “Will, Leo is already in preschool. Don’t be foolish now.” Sarah’s eyes teared up. “Will, I’m the CEO of the company. Sometimes I need to bond with my employees. Why are you so jealous? Do you really have to divorce me?” After a long moment, I stared into her eyes. “Sarah, the baby you’re carrying… it’s Brooks’s, isn’t it?” Silence instantly fell over the room. Sarah’s body trembled. “H-how did you know?” “You don’t need to know how I know.” “Let’s divorce.” Sarah cried heartbreakingly. “Will, I made a mistake. I don’t want a divorce.” “Divorce.” Slap! It wasn’t Sarah who hit me. It was my dad! “So what if the baby isn’t yours? You’re really going to divorce her over this?” My mom also said, “Sarah has helped our family so much. She paid for your dad’s hospital surgery, remember?” “And Dylan’s four years of college, and his house down payment… all came from her.” Sarah grabbed my arm. “Will, let’s not divorce, okay?” She pulled me aside, her voice apologetic. “About the baby… I was just so lonely that night… it was just one time. I didn’t expect to get pregnant…” But on her face, I saw a look of pure happiness. “If you have to blame anyone, blame me, okay? Don’t blame Brooks, he’s just a young man…” I laughed, tears welling up. “A twenty-six-year-old ‘young man’?” I turned to leave. But my brother, Dylan, blocked my way. “Sarah just made a mistake in a moment of weakness.” “You should forgive her.” “When the baby is born, we’ll just raise it like Leo’s little brother or sister.” At that moment, four-year-old Leo walked up and hugged my leg, crying, “Daddy, don’t leave Mommy! And don’t be mad at Uncle Brooks, he’s so nice to me…” This was my child! He was even siding with Brooks! I felt profoundly alone, my heart pierced as if by a knife. They were all using their own self-interest to force me to stay with Sarah!

Had they forgotten my contributions to this family? Sarah and I were college sweethearts. One afternoon, during a heavy downpour, I slipped on my way back to the dorm. My ankle swelled up horribly, and the pain was excruciating. Then, Sarah, a classmate, came over with an umbrella and helped me up. Only when we got to the hospital did I realize half her body was drenched. “Sarah, thank you so much.” “We’re classmates; we should help each other.” She smiled at me, that innocent, radiant smile forever etched in my mind. After that, I pursued her. Soon, we were together. As graduation approached, her family’s company ran into financial trouble. She cried, clinging to me, saying that to save her family, she had to obey her parents’ orders and marry a man decades older than her, likely to be one of his many wives, just to save her family’s business. She was utterly helpless, the light gone from her eyes. I felt a pang of pity and promised to help her however I could. So, I resolutely sold my shares in the startup I’d built with friends – a company that was finally taking off after just a year – and loaned her family millions to keep it afloat. She hugged me, moved to tears. “I will be so, so good to you for the rest of my life.” Money wasn’t enough, though. So, I joined her company. Through sheer grit, my professional expertise, and countless nights making crucial deals – often involving far too much socializing – I pulled her family’s company back from the brink, and it even started thriving. After that, we got married, and soon our son was born. I thought we would live happily ever after. But then, while she was pregnant with Leo, Brooks, fresh out of college, became her assistant. From that moment, I noticed she changed. The office door was often closed. Sometimes she didn’t come home all night. She constantly found excuses to go on business trips. When she was home, she’d hide in the bathroom, talking on the phone in hushed, laughing tones. One time, when I couldn’t open her office door, I used my key. I found her sitting on the sofa, holding her young assistant. She hastily explained, “Will, Brooks just lost his balance and fell on me. Don’t get the wrong idea.” And I actually believed her ridiculous story. Later, I even saw them holding hands while shopping at the mall. Sarah explained that she’d seen a stalker following her, so she and Brooks pretended to be a couple to scare the pervert away. I believed everything she said! Because I trusted her one hundred percent, it never crossed my mind that she would betray me. But the person I loved most hurt me the deepest. “If you want a divorce, I’ll fire you immediately, and the company won’t give you any dividends.” Sarah threatened, “Without me, you won’t be able to make it in this industry. You’ll be a complete failure, maybe even end up sweeping streets!” She forgot that I was the one who saved her family from the brink of bankruptcy. It was my help that kept her from marrying a man decades older. Hearing her words, my parents and Dylan looked terrified. Dylan said, “Don’t be foolish, Will… Sarah just made a small mistake; you should forgive her.” Leo, in his sweet child’s voice, said, “Daddy, I want you and Mommy to be together!” Under my family’s pressure. I paused, then looked at Sarah. “I won’t divorce you, but you have to agree to three things: Terminate this pregnancy.” “Fire Brooks and never see him again.” “And give me the 50% shares that are rightfully mine.” At the time, when I invested millions into her family’s company, she promised to convert it into half the company shares.

But because we were together and I was already getting dividends from the company, I never pressed her for them. “Will, are you really going to be this cruel to me?” “Everything you just asked for is incredibly cruel to me.” “Even if it’s Brooks’s child, you could still raise it as your own!” “And no, I can’t fire Brooks. He’s brought in so many contracts lately. You’re nowhere near as good as him!” I’m not as good as him? I laughed, tears streaming down my face. “Then what more is there to say?” I turned and walked away. Behind me, I heard my son’s cries and my family’s accusations of me being unfilial. I returned home, grabbed my luggage, and headed out. I went to a hotel to check in. After I registered, the receptionist said, “Sir, your card payment failed.” I tried other payment methods, but none worked. Then I received a message from Sarah. “Will, are you having trouble paying?” “As long as you don’t divorce me and don’t force me to fire Brooks, you can buy anything you want.” Before, she’d asked me to give her my salary card. Then she’d give me an allowance each month. At the time, I didn’t think much of it, believing it would strengthen our relationship. I never imagined it was a way to control me. Unable to pay, I had no choice but to leave the hotel. The streets were bustling with people, but I had nowhere to go. I took my luggage and went to a park. “Will, Sarah sent me to pick you up and bring you home.” I hadn’t been sitting long when Brooks, driving Sarah’s brand new Rolls-Royce convertible, pulled up to the park entrance and walked over to me. I gave him a cold glance but said nothing. Brooks, seeing no one else around, smirked triumphantly. “Know why she’s pregnant?” “That day, she and I were meeting a client. On the way, I tried to kiss her.” “She was actually going to let me.” “But then, your call came in at just the wrong time.” “She talked to you and pushed me away.” “I was annoyed, so that night, I deliberately invited colleagues to get her drunk. Then, as usual, I took her to a hotel.” “In bed, I held her, and she thought it was you. She kept calling your name.” “I answered, saying, ‘How about I take good care of you?’” “I took the chance to undo her clothes, and then we made love.” Brooks bent over laughing. “You probably don’t know this, but while she was enjoying herself, she kept calling your name.” “It’s pretty funny, having an affair with another man, but calling out her husband’s name inside.” “But for me, it was incredibly satisfying.” I lunged and punched him! Brooks’s lip was bleeding as he fell to the ground. “Will, he was trying to bring you home, and you hit him?” “Daddy, Brooks bought me a toy car, why did you hit him?” Sarah walked over with Leo. Leo, clutching his toy car, shielded Brooks, calling me a bad dad. I suddenly understood. Brooks had done this on purpose. What chilled me to the bone wasn’t Sarah, but my son’s attitude. Sarah looked at me. “After you left this morning, Leo cried and refused to go to school. So Brooks took him to the children’s park all morning and even bought him a toy car.” “Later, he was worried something might happen to you, so he said he’d come pick you up.” “He had good intentions, and you beat him up like this?” Hearing this, Brooks said weakly, “Sarah, my face really hurts.” Sarah tenderly stroked his face, then helped him up. “Apologize to him right now!”

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Before the dance competition, I drank the water my adopted sister, Lily, handed me. During the performance, I fell in the center of the stage, my ankle permanently damaged, ending my dance career completely. My parents sighed, “Lily has more talent. We’ll focus on nurturing her from now on.” My fiancé turned and took her hand, “Lily has more vitality than you. You’re too fragile.” I became a choreography assistant, watching helplessly as she took everything from me. Until I discovered she was bound to a Life Replacement System, and using it, she had stolen my life. I ran to confront her, and in our argument, I fell from the top floor. When I opened my eyes again, I was back before the dance competition. My adopted sister was bringing over that cup of water. I took the cup, and as she activated the Life Replacement System, I whispered, “Actually, I inherited a family illness. I’m destined not to live past thirty.” Her face went pale, and she loudly told the system to stop the replacement. But the system’s voice had already sounded: [Program irreversible, executing now] I looked at her trembling form, a smile gracing my lips. “Congratulations, you’ve inherited the curse passed down through generations of our family.”

“Clara, it’s almost time for your performance. Have some water to soothe your throat.” Lily held out a cup of warm water, smiling innocently, her eyes dewy like a fawn’s, making anyone who saw them feel a pang of tenderness. I looked at her, and at the water in her hand. A familiar scene. In my previous life, it was this spiked water that caused muscle spasms during the final of the most important dance competition, making me fall from a high pointe, shattering my ankle and my entire ballet career. Then, my adopted sister, Lily, climbed over me, metaphorically speaking, to seize everything I held dear. Now, she was back. I took the cup, looking at the clear liquid inside. Under her expectant and nervous gaze, I drank it all. “Clara, you’re so good to me.” A flicker of wild joy passed through Lily’s eyes, fleeting but noticeable. She eagerly leaned in, her hands intimately wrapping around my arm, as if we were the best of sisters in the world. “Clara, I truly envy you. Your dance talent is a gift kissed by the gods.” Her warm breath brushed my ear, carrying a strange, cloying stickiness. I could feel something being peeled away from my body, a peculiar sensation, like a part of my soul being drawn out. And Lily’s body was visibly becoming lighter, more coordinated, even the rhythm of her breathing now carried a dancer’s grace. I heard a cold, mechanical voice from Lily. “Life Replacement System initiated.” “Target replacement: Clara.” “Replacing talent: Top-tier ballet talent.” The greed in Lily’s eyes was almost overflowing. She thought I didn’t know her secret. This parasite, living by plundering others’ talents, had set her sights on me. She was probably already envisioning how she would mesmerize everyone in the audience with my talent on stage, becoming the true proud daughter of the family. And I, once again, would be the crippled waste, abandoned by all. What a pity. I subtly tilted my head, my lips close to her ear, and slowly spoke in a voice only we two could hear. “You want my life?” I felt her body stiffen instantly. I smiled, my voice gentle. “I forgot to tell you, I inherited a family illness.” “I won’t live past thirty.” The smile on Lily’s face froze. The grip on my arm tightened sharply, her nails almost digging into my flesh. “Clara… what are you talking about?” Her voice trembled, and for the first time, those fawn-like eyes showed genuine terror. “Talking nonsense?” I turned my face to meet her gaze, speaking each word, clear as a bell. “It’s a hereditary disease from my mom’s side. My grandma, my great-aunts—none of them lived past thirty. If you don’t believe me, you can check the family tree.” “Why do you think Mom and Dad adopted you?” “Because they needed a healthy child to inherit the family’s legacy.” “Lily. My talent isn’t easy to take. You’ll have to bear the cost it brings.” Lily’s pupils constricted, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably. She tried to let go of me, tried to flee, but it was too late. [Talent replacement successful. Program irreversible.] The color drained from Lily’s face in an instant. She looked at me in horror, her lips quivering, unable to utter a single word. And I, facing her, offered the first genuine smile since my rebirth.

Lily snapped back to reality, shaking off my hand as if burned, stumbling back two steps. Her face was ashen, and the look in her eyes was no longer feigned affection, but fear, as if I were the grim reaper come for her soul. “Next up, contestant number 32, Lily. Please prepare to go on stage.” Lily’s body wouldn’t stop shaking. I watched her with composure, even helping to smooth a non-existent wrinkle on her dance dress. “Go on, Lily.” “Use my talent to win your championship.” I bit off those words lightly, yet they landed like heavy hammers on her heart. She stared with wide, terrified eyes, her lips moving, but not a sound came out. The staff urged her on. She was half-pushed, half-coaxed onto the stage. The moment the spotlight hit her, I sat in the shadows of the side curtain, clearly seeing the cold sweat on her face. The music began, “The Dying Swan.” In my previous life, I won the gold medal with this dance, rising to fame overnight. Lily’s body moved. My talent was showcased perfectly through her. Every pirouette, every leap, was textbook precise. The technique was impeccable. The judges and audience gasped in admiration. My parents, Robert and Eleanor, and Julian Smith sat in the front row, their faces alight with undisguised surprise and pride. But I saw it clearly. Her eyes were hollow, her movements stiff, filled with a terrifying lack of control over her own body. She wasn’t a white swan, but a puppet manipulated by invisible strings. With the final pirouette, she stopped steadily, her posture perfect. Applause thundered through the hall. But she looked utterly drained, almost collapsing to her knees. Soon, it was my turn. I switched to music for another dance, light-hearted and full of vitality. After I broke my leg in my previous life, I choreographed countless dances from my wheelchair. This was one of my proudest creations. I danced with abandon, pouring all my emotions into every step. Until the final, challenging series of turns. In my previous life, it was here that the drug took effect, and my life came crashing down. This time, I counted the beats. Three, two, one. I deliberately twisted my ankle, letting my body fall forward. But I used a clever move, rolling once on the floor to absorb most of the impact. A gasp. The music abruptly stopped. The entire hall fell silent. I pushed myself up, trying to stand, a sharp stab of pain in my ankle. Hmm, a sprain. Not serious, a month’s rest would fix it. My parents and Julian rushed over immediately, surrounding me. “Clara! What happened to you?!” My mom, Eleanor, cried, her voice tinged with sharp reprimand. “How could you be so careless!” My dad, Robert, frowned, telling the assistant directly, “Call an ambulance, get her to the hospital for a check-up.” Julian held my arm, his voice sounding very anxious. “Clara, are you okay? Don’t be afraid, I’m here.” Worry was etched on their faces. But when I looked up, I saw all three of their gazes involuntarily drift past my shoulder, to behind me. There, Lily stood in the center of the stage, clutching the newly awarded champion’s trophy. She was the only star tonight. Julian supported me, his grip steady, his voice as gentle as ever. “Don’t be sad, it’s just a competition.” He said, but his gaze was glued to Lily, the admiration in his eyes almost overflowing. Yet, I keenly caught a flash of appraisal deep within his look. That wasn’t the way a man looked at his beloved. It was the way a businessman sized up a commodity. A cold laugh echoed in my mind. See, Julian. He never loved Clara, nor Lily. He loved, always, the item that could stand in the spotlight, adding luster to him. As I was thinking, Julian suddenly leaned closer, lowering his voice. “Clara, Lily’s talent… it seems even better than yours.” His voice carried a hint of barely perceptible excitement. I lowered my eyes, concealing the mockery within them. “Yes.” “She’s dancing for her life, after all.”

At the celebration party, everyone wore polite smiles. Lily, in a white cocktail dress, was surrounded by the crowd, like a true princess. And I, with my ankle bandaged, sat in a corner sofa, like an outsider. The air was thick with expensive perfume and the aroma of food, which made me feel a little nauseous. My dad, Robert, walked over with a glass of wine, looking down at me. “Clara, what did the doctor say?” “Minor issue, rest for a month,” I replied indifferently. He nodded, his face expressionless, a true businessman. “That’s good then.” He paused, his tone brooking no argument. “From now on, you should stop dancing. Stay behind the scenes, help your sister.” Those words were exactly the same as in my previous life. Back then, I felt like I was plunged into an ice bath, almost collapsing. Now, I simply looked up calmly. “Dad, do you mean for me to be Lily’s backdrop?” Robert frowned, seemingly displeased by my directness. “What backdrop? Shouldn’t sisters help each other? You’ve seen Lily’s talent, she has a brighter future than you.” My mom, Eleanor, also walked over, linking her arm through his, her face full of self-righteousness. “Clara, your dad is right. I also retired due to injury when I was young; it’s fate. Now Lily can fulfill Mom’s dream, you should be happy for her.” “That’s right, Clara,” Julian interjected smoothly, crouching before me and taking my hand. “You’re not well right now, so don’t push yourself. I’ll take care of you, and you can just be my wife and support Lily’s career. Isn’t that better?” The three of them spoke in perfect, choreographed unison. Lightly arranging my life, clear as day. In my previous life, I cried, asking why they were doing this to me. Julian just coldly shook off my hand. “Clara, can’t you be more mature? What I need is a partner who can stand beside me in business, not a burden I need to take care of.” That sentence, like a knife, cut into my heart, aching day and night. This time, I looked into his seemingly earnest eyes and suddenly smiled. “Alright.” I answered too quickly, too readily. All three of them were stunned. I gently pulled my hand from Julian’s grasp and slowly picked up a glass of juice from the nearby table. “I agree.” “From now on, I’ll be my sister’s assistant, her practice partner, the stepping stone on her path to success.” My smile grew even brighter, my gaze sweeping past them to Lily, who was surrounded by the crowd. She seemed to sense my stare and looked over. Our eyes met, and a flicker of triumph and satisfaction crossed her eyes. I raised my glass to her, then tipped my head back, draining the juice in one gulp. My parents and Julian visibly relaxed, their faces showing satisfaction. In their eyes, my ‘sensible’ decision saved them a lot of trouble. I pushed myself up from the sofa, limping towards Lily. The crowd automatically parted to create a path for me. Everyone’s gaze was fixed on me, carrying sympathy, pity, and a hint of schadenfreude, as if watching a good show. Lily watched me approach, her smile stiffening, and she instinctively took half a step back. She was afraid of me. Good. I stopped in front of her. The surroundings instantly grew quiet. I reached out, intimately brushing a stray lock of hair from her temple, my actions as gentle as the most loving older sister. “Congratulations, Lily.” “How does it feel to take my talent?” Lily’s body instantly tensed, her pupils contracting sharply. I kept smiling, leaning in closer, and whispered in her ear, in a voice only we two could hear: “But, Lily, my things aren’t that easy to take.” “You’ll have to… really bear the consequences it brings.” I drew out the word “consequences” softly and slowly, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue. Lily’s face, in an instant, drained of all color. I straightened up, pleased with her reaction, then raised my voice so those around could hear. “Lily, from now on, I’ll support you wholeheartedly. You absolutely must not disappoint everyone.” With that, I patted her shoulder, turned, and walked step by step out of this opulent cage, under the complex gazes of the onlookers. Behind me, Lily stood frozen in place. In the reflection of the banquet hall’s glass, I clearly saw. The hand holding her champagne glass was trembling uncontrollably, golden liquid spilling out, dampening her pure white dress. I knew. The nightmare had only just begun.

Lily started having nightmares night after night. The lights in her room were always on until morning. When I occasionally got up in the night, I could hear her suppressed sobs and neurotic murmurs. “It’s fake… it’s all fake…” She started losing handfuls of hair, her eyes had heavy dark circles, and her once sparkling eyes were now bloodshot, looking at everyone with terror and suspicion. My mom took her to a psychologist, but it was no use. I knew what she was afraid of. The time was almost right. I used an unregistered burner phone to send Julian a text message. “Want to know why Lily’s been acting strange lately? 3 PM, City Central Hospital, Genetic Screening Department.” Then, I deleted the record and flushed the SIM card down the toilet. At 2:55 PM, I stood at the end of the hospital’s genetics department corridor, wearing a mask and a baseball cap. The smell of disinfectant was somewhat pungent. I leaned against the wall, watching Lily rush out of the doctor’s office, clutching a report. She was trembling all over, the report crumpled in her grasp. The doctor followed her out, his voice soothing. “Miss Lily, please don’t get agitated. This is just based on the sample you provided, showing a risk of a certain genetic defect. It doesn’t mean it will definitely manifest…” Lily spun around sharply, her voice shrill. “Risk? You don’t understand anything! This is a curse! I’m going to die! I won’t live past thirty!” The doctor was startled by her hysterical behavior and took a step back, frowning. Just then, a figure emerged from the shadows of the corridor. It was Julian. His face was ashen. He strode forward, staring intensely at Lily. “What are you talking about? What genetic disease?”

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When our son was critically ill, my husband, Liam, stole all my savings for his lover. “Sarah, you’re a doctor. You know this child won’t live past three. Why waste money on treatment? Better to invest in Jasmine.” Three years later, he and Jasmine showed up in front of me in a beat-up old car. When he saw our son not only alive but having won an international programming contest, Liam burst into arrogant laughter. “Sarah, I can’t believe the kid’s still alive! For his sake, I’ve decided to give you a complete family. You can be our housekeeper from now on, take care of the child and Jasmine.” I smiled. He didn’t know I had been reborn. This time, I wouldn’t let them bully me. I immediately called my current husband. “There’s a crazy man trying to take our son!” My husband’s voice was tense. “Send me your location. I want to see who’s audacious enough to try that.” “Sarah, don’t push your luck!” Liam’s face was a mask of oily impatience as he yanked open my car door, blocking me from closing it. Beside him stood Jasmine, wearing a faded knock-off Chanel suit, yet holding herself stiffly, gazing at me with an expression of feigned pity. “Sarah, Liam really had a hard time abroad these past three years. Don’t make a scene. We’re just trying to give Noah a complete family.” The company parking lot was busy. Many colleagues craned their necks, whispering and pointing at me. Reborn, facing this scene again, my heart still throbbed with a familiar ache. In my previous life, this was where they pushed me to my breaking point. I’d cried hysterically, clutching my son, becoming the laughingstock of the entire company. Liam had publicly slapped me, calling me an ungrateful wretch who only held him back. But this time, I wouldn’t. Noah, nestled in my arms, looked up. His tiny brows were furrowed tightly. He wasn’t like most three-year-olds. His eyes held a calm beyond his years. “Mommy, who are these people? They look so weird.” That innocent remark instantly drained the color from Liam and Jasmine’s faces. Liam glared at Noah, the greed in his eyes almost spilling over. “I’m your dad! Look at you, so sharp, just like I was when I was little!” He reached out to pinch Noah’s cheek, but I quickly pulled him away. I stared at him coldly, like a pathetic clown. “Liam, have you forgotten what kind of child you abandoned three years ago?” My voice wasn’t loud, but it cut clearly into his ears. “He was hooked up to tubes, doctors said he wouldn’t live past three months, he even needed a machine to breathe.” “Now look at my son-healthy, lively, intelligent. When you abandoned him, did you ever think you deserved to be his father?” Liam’s expression froze. He clearly hadn’t expected me to so calmly expose his past. The chatter among my colleagues grew louder. “Oh my god, Liam has a son? I thought he broke up with Sarah years ago to go abroad with Jasmine for further studies.” “That kid looks so smart, not at all like he was ever sick.” “Sarah is so strong, raising a child alone for three years. It must have been incredibly difficult.”

Jasmine’s face turned from pale to green. She dug her nails into her palm, forcing out a wronged smile. “Sarah, I know you resent us, but back then, I had no choice…” “If Liam hadn’t left, his future would have been ruined. I was just trying to help him.” As she spoke, her eyes welled up, and she gazed tearfully at Liam. Liam’s heart immediately went out to her. He pulled Jasmine into a hug, then turned, glaring at me fiercely. “Sarah, stop being so sarcastic! If it weren’t for me, you’d still be a faded, frumpy housewife with nothing!” “I’m willing to acknowledge Noah, that shows I’m being generous! Don’t be ungrateful!” He grew more agitated, spittle nearly flying into my face. “The car you’re driving? Did your poor husband buy it? Could he afford it? You’re still spending my money!” “I’m telling you, I’m taking this kid with me today! And you, you’re coming back with me too!” “My money?” I felt like I’d heard the funniest joke, and I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Liam, three years ago, you took the two million dollars my parents gave me for a house, plus all my savings from five years of work. Shouldn’t we settle that score?” At the mention of money, Liam’s face instantly twisted into a foul expression. He squeezed my wrist with such force that I heard a crisp crack. “You dare bring up money? That was for my startup! For our future!” “What does a woman like you need so much money for? Isn’t it all just going into that car now, to make your toy boy look good?” I gasped in pain, cold sweat beading on my forehead. Seeing me bullied, Noah’s dark eyes instantly turned cold. He struggled free from my arms and, like an angry little beast, bit Liam’s hand. “Bad man! Don’t bully my mommy!” Liam yelped, violently shaking his hand. Noah stumbled from the force, almost falling. My heart clenched. I quickly caught my son, shielding him behind me. Liam stared at the deep teeth marks on the back of his hand, his eyes red with fury. He raised his hand, ready to strike Noah. “You little punk! Just like your mother, an ungrateful little monster!” His palm never landed. A sudden force grabbed his arm. Mr. Miller, the company’s security chief, arrived with two other guards, sternly holding Liam back. “Sir, please show some respect! This is company property, not a place for you to cause a scene!” Liam struggled, cursing loudly. “Who do you think you are?! Trying to interfere with my family matters? I’m her husband!” Jasmine shrieked, pointing her finger at my face. “Sarah, you vicious woman! You actually called security to hit the child’s biological father! Is your heart made of stone?!” She cried dramatically, like a damsel in distress, as if I were the villain. I couldn’t be bothered to waste any more breath on them. I pulled out my phone and aimed the camera at their ugly faces. “I’ve already called the police. Keep making a scene, and you’ll be arrested.” Seeing my phone camera, Liam and Jasmine’s arrogance instantly deflated. Liam shot me a hateful glare, lowering his voice in a threat. “Sarah, just you wait! I’m telling you, I’ve done my research. Your husband, Julian, is just a regular college professor!” “I’m putting it out there right now. Tomorrow, I’ll go to his university. Let’s see what a poor professor like him can do against me!”

“And my son can’t be living out there, calling some other man ‘Dad’!” He spat out his threats, then dragged a still-sobbing Jasmine and slunk away into their beat-up used car. Watching them disappear, the coldness in my eyes turned to ice. In my previous life, he did exactly this. He went to Julian’s university, caused a scene, spread rumors that Julian was a home-wrecker, which led to Julian being suspended for investigation. That period was the darkest time for Julian and me. This time, I would never let history repeat itself. I put away my phone and looked down at my son. “Noah, are you scared?” Noah shook his head, his small hand gripping my clothes tightly, his gaze firm. “I’m not scared. Dad will protect us.” I stroked his head, a warmth spreading through my heart. Yes, this time, I had Julian. Liam’s harassment came sooner than I expected. That afternoon, I received a call from Professor Davies at the university. His voice was filled with difficulty. “Sarah, your ex-husband, Liam, is here at the university. He’s specifically asking to see Professor Julian, saying he wants to… ‘settle things’.” “A lot of students are gathering around. It doesn’t look good, so…” My fingers tightened around the phone. Sure enough, he was following the exact same path as in my previous life. Self-righteous, and utterly foolish. “Professor, don’t mind him. He’s just a lunatic. I’ve already called the police.” After hanging up, I immediately sent Julian a text. “Ignore him. I’m on my way.” Julian quickly replied with a single word. “Okay.” I drove straight to Northwestern University. The car sped down the road, and the helplessness and regret from my past life resurfaced. Three years ago, I caught him cheating with Jasmine. In my despair, I had a drunken night with Julian, who was also going through a tough time. I had intended to cut off contact, but then I found out I was pregnant. When I told Liam, he thought the baby was his and was ecstatic. But Noah was born with a rare genetic disease. The enormous medical bills instantly made him change his tune. He colluded with Jasmine, stole all my money, and abandoned Noah and me like trash. When I had nowhere else to turn, I reconnected with Julian. He concealed his true identity from me, only saying he was a regular teacher, but he quietly created a safe haven for Noah. I would never forget that kindness. Liam’s current arrogance was built on his laughable ignorance. Halfway there, my phone suddenly vibrated wildly. Notifications from various social media apps chimed nonstop. I tapped it open. A post titled “Exposed: My Gold-Digger Ex-Wife Married a Poor Professor but Drives a Luxury Car” was trending across all major forums. The poster was Jasmine. In the post, she painted herself as a long-suffering good woman, and Liam as a self-sacrificing good man who went abroad to build a future. And I, on the other hand, was a materialistic, promiscuous villain, using her ex-husband’s money to support her toy boy, and refusing to let Noah’s real father see his child. Attached to the post were photos taken that morning in the parking lot, my luxury car, and a side profile shot of Julian lecturing, somehow acquired from somewhere. In the photo, Julian wore a simple white shirt and classic wire-rimmed glasses, looking gentle and scholarly. The comment section had exploded. “OMG, this woman is shameless! Drives a luxury car, but her husband is a university professor? Can that professor’s monthly salary even cover gas?”

“This professor looks all prim and proper. Is he just some rich woman’s boy toy?” “My heart goes out to the original poster and her boyfriend. They struggled for three years abroad, only to come back and find their home stolen, and the child brainwashed by a stepdad.” “Dox her! Women like this deserve to be cyberbullied to death!” Although my photo was pixelated, anyone who knew me would recognize me instantly. In my company’s chat group, people were already subtly discussing the matter. A tidal wave of malice surged towards me. In my previous life, I was driven to resign by this very public backlash, even falling into depression. But now, looking at the hateful words, my heart felt strangely calm. Because I knew these people would soon learn just how dangerous a person they had provoked. The car stopped at the gate of Northwestern University. I immediately spotted Liam, surrounded by a crowd. He was ranting, tears streaming, telling the surrounding students how he’d been cuckolded and his son taken from him. Jasmine stood by, crying dramatically, fueling the righteous indignation of many unsuspecting students. “Julian! You coward! Get out here!” Liam yelled at the top of his lungs. “Stealing my wife, taking my son, what kind of man are you?! If you have the guts, come out and face me!” Just then, the teaching building doors opened. Julian walked out slowly. He was still wearing that white shirt, his expression composed. Seeing him, Liam seemed pumped full of adrenaline, rushing forward instantly. “You’re Julian? You home-wrecker! Give me back my wife and child!” “Mr. Miller, please watch your language.” Julian adjusted his glasses, his voice quiet but carrying undeniable authority. “Sarah is currently my legal wife, and Noah is my son.” His calmness stood in stark contrast to Liam’s frenzy. Liam was momentarily speechless, then grew even more enraged. “Proof of identity means nothing! Blood ties can’t be changed! What right does a poor teacher like you have to raise my son?!” He pointed at my luxury car not far away, his face full of scorn. “Can you even afford that car? You’re just spending my woman’s money! Everything you eat, everything you wear, isn’t it all from me?” “I’m telling you, today you either give me back my child, or you pay me a million dollars in emotional damages! Otherwise, I’m not done with you!” The surrounding students burst into an uproar, pointing and whispering about Julian. Julian’s expression finally darkened. He looked at Liam as if he were already dead. “You want a million dollars?” “Yes! A million, not a penny less!” Liam, thinking Julian was scared, grew even more arrogant. “Alright.” Julian nodded, pulled out his phone, and made a call. “Come to Northwestern University. I need you to clean up some trash,” he said, his tone flat. Liam and Jasmine were stunned. The surrounding students exchanged confused glances, unsure what was happening. Less than ten minutes later, several black Audi A6s pulled up on campus. Several middle-aged men in suits got out. Leading them was none other than President Thompson of Northwestern University. Mr. Thompson hurried forward, followed by several department heads. They bypassed Liam and walked straight to Julian, their posture extremely deferential, almost subservient. “Mr. Cooper! You didn’t have to come all this way. You could have just sent word!” “Is this the ignorant person causing trouble on your campus?” The entire scene fell silent.

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I became Luke’s girlfriend when his company was on the brink of collapse. For five years, I secretly poured a lot of money into his business. On the eve of his company’s IPO, he finally proposed, promising to make me the happiest woman in the world. But then, I accidentally came across his messages with a friend on his computer. “I’m marrying Chloe just to piss Seraphina off.” “The company’s about to go public. I’ll be a billionaire soon. I’m sure Seraphina won’t just watch me marry that woman.” “As soon as Seraphina agrees to come back from abroad for me, I’ll break up with Chloe and marry her instead.” Turns out, Luke only proposed to me to make his first love jealous. I scoffed. Then I immediately called my dad to pull all the investments. “Dad, withdraw the shares from Luke’s company in a few days.” With the company’s IPO imminent, my dad pulling out would be catastrophic for Luke. “Did that kid hurt you? I’ll deal with him!” My dad has always doted on me. He didn’t even ask why, and was immediately ready to confront Luke. I managed a bitter smile. “Dad, this is something I want to handle myself.” My voice caught in my throat. To keep my dad from worrying, I quickly hung up. My eyes stayed fixed on the alarming chat logs on the computer screen in front of me. Luke and I attended the same university. During our freshman year, when some guys were harassing me, Luke stepped in without hesitation. He fought them off and ended up with a bloody head. But it was seeing him like that which made me fall deeply in love with him. Growing up, besides my dad, he was the first man who had ever thrown himself into danger for me like that. So in college, I pursued him for a long time. He never said yes. Looking back, I was really pathetic. His indifference only made me want him more, making me believe such a man was truly captivating. It wasn’t until after graduation, when his company went bankrupt and he was millions in debt, that he finally started to come around, with me by his side through his darkest days. That’s when he finally agreed to be my boyfriend. I then pleaded with my dad to use our family’s resources to secretly help him from behind the scenes, getting his company back on track. Five long years, and his company was finally on the verge of going public. He even proposed to me the day his IPO application was approved. I thought we were finally going to get our happy ending. Who knew it was all just a ploy to make his first love jealous? And I was nothing but a pawn in his game. On our wedding day, I would probably be the laughingstock of everyone. Luke was out entertaining clients today. He must have left in a hurry, forgetting to log out of SnapChat on his computer. Even though those chat logs made my heart ache so much I could barely breathe, I seized the chance to open his Ins feed. I’d never seen his Ins before. He seemed to never post, not even sweet photos of us when we traveled. But opening his Ins now, I discovered he did post. He had just always blocked me. Soon, I found a picture of a girl on his feed. Only her fair wrist was visible, but the stunning emerald bracelet on it was particularly dazzling. I’d seen it in his suit pocket not long ago. I thought he was finally getting romantic, planning to put it on my wrist at our wedding. Instead, it was a gift for another woman. Turns out, he wasn’t unromantic. He just wasn’t romantic with me. Just then, my phone rang. “Chloe, hurry over! Luke’s in a fight!” I could faintly hear Luke’s angry shouts over the phone. “You bastards, you need to apologize to my girlfriend!” My heart gave a violent lurch. I wasn’t even there; the girlfriend he was talking about definitely wasn’t me. I wanted to know what happened tonight, so I grabbed my jacket. As I went to the shoe rack, I saw the scarf I’d made him lying on the floor. Looking closely, there were clear footprints on it. I’d spent over ten days knitting it, pricking my fingers countless times, and then given it to him myself. But he didn’t value it at all. I bent down, picked up the scarf, and expressionlessly tossed it into the trash can. Then I hailed a cab and headed to the bar where Luke was fighting. I saw Luke with his arm around a woman, tears streaming down her face. On her fair wrist, she wore that same gorgeous green emerald bracelet.

“Those guys accidentally spilled a drink on Luke’s friend, so Luke started fighting them.” “Luke’s had a lot to drink tonight. I’m worried he’ll cause trouble.” Luke’s friend quickly explained, rushing over to me.. When I heard the reason, I couldn’t help but smile bitterly. I remembered once accompanying him to a client dinner. When the business deal fell through, the client deliberately spilled wine on my face. He didn’t get angry then. Instead, he blamed me for being naive, saying I ruined the cooperation. Seeing Luke about to charge at the other group again, his friend quickly rushed over to stop them. “Luke! That’s enough! You’re getting married soon, don’t make a scene!” Unexpectedly, Luke roughly shook off his friend. “Who the hell is getting married?!” “This jerk spilled a drink on my girlfriend! You think this is just going to slide?!” “No apology? Nobody’s leaving, damn it!” Luke’s eyes were hazy with drink, and he swayed as he walked. His words caused an awkward silence among some of his friends who knew me. Their gazes turned to me. I gave a cold laugh, then stepped forward and slapped the man confronting Luke squarely across the face. My slap silenced the entire room. “You damn hag! How dare you hit me?!” After a moment of stunned silence, the man exploded in fury, lunging at me. I just wanted to see Luke’s reaction. Would he still protect me as he did back then, fighting for me without a second thought? However, Luke actually shoved me by the shoulder, roaring: “What are you doing here messing things up?! Haven’t I had enough trouble today?!” “You’re useless and only make things worse!” Luke’s words completely chilled my heart. He even looked at the other man indignantly and said, “We’re even now! Get lost!” The other man was somewhat rational and didn’t continue the confrontation, eventually cursing under his breath and leaving. After they left, Luke collapsed heavily onto the sofa. Luke’s friend awkwardly explained to me, “Chloe, don’t overthink it. Luke was just drunk and running his mouth. This is Seraphina, she was Luke’s high school classmate and just got back from abroad today.” I cast a cool glance at Seraphina. Tears still clung to her lashes. She looked as if she’d suffered some immense grievance. “Seraphina, this is Luke’s fiancée-” But before his friend could finish the introduction, Luke suddenly sat up from the sofa. “Colleague! What fiancée?!” This sudden stab made my whole body tremble. The atmosphere in the room instantly became incredibly awkward. After a long moment of silence, Luke’s friend quickly tried to smooth things over, offering me a glass of wine: “Today’s a day worth celebrating! Come on, let’s raise a toast!” Unexpectedly, Luke, who had just slumped back, sat up again, glaring furiously at his friend. “Don’t you know she’s allergic to alcohol?!” He was indeed aware of my alcohol intolerance. But what surprised me was Seraphina’s reaction next. “Luke, you’re drunk. Mike is toasting Chloe, not me.” Luke then looked relieved. “Oh, well, she can drink! She can drink a lot! Make her have a few more glasses.” Hearing that, I felt something in my chest shatter with a painful crack. I remember years ago at a dinner, I told him before we went that I was allergic to alcohol. But once we arrived, he immediately told me to toast each client one by one. That day, I ended up in the hospital, and he even blamed me for being dramatic, for collapsing after so little alcohol. Yet, despite such a harsh lesson, he still hadn’t remembered my alcohol allergy. It could only mean that he truly never cared about me. I came here tonight still holding onto a last shred of hope. But now, it was completely pulverized. At this point, Seraphina stood up and said to me: “Since you’re here, you should take Luke home. I just got back to the country, so I can’t take care of him tonight.” “Oh, and tomorrow when he wakes up, remember to make him a ginger-honey tea. He loves it. If he doesn’t have it, he’ll have a headache all day.” “Don’t forget to cover him with a blanket at night, either. He always kicks off the covers when he drinks too much.” Every word from Seraphina told me that she seemed to know Luke better than I did. Today, she was merely dumping this mess on me. I stared at Seraphina’s innocent eyes for a long time, truly wanting to slap her. But in the end, I held back. I wanted to see how long they would keep up this act.

On the way home, I couldn’t help but cry. Five years of dating, and if you count the four years I chased him. I had loved this man for a full nine years. But this was the result. It also brought back the chat logs I had seen earlier. As long as Seraphina was willing to come back from abroad for him, he would dump me and marry her. Today, his goal was achieved. No wonder he had rushed out in such a hurry this afternoon; he must have gone to the airport to pick her up. Just then, Luke’s phone vibrated. I opened it and saw a message from Seraphina. But my gaze immediately zeroed in on Seraphina’s profile picture. They had matching profile pictures! Probably changed during that gathering just now. I remembered last year, I found a famous cartoonist to draw a beautiful avatar for Luke and me. I excitedly asked Luke to change to the new avatar. But he just tore into me, calling me childish and telling me to focus on my work. Yet now, he had a much more childish one with Seraphina. Then, I felt a small box in Luke’s suit pocket. I carefully took it out. Inside was indeed a dazzling pink diamond ring. Engraved on the back was Seraphina’s name. I had asked him countless times for a pink diamond engagement ring. But he always said money needed to be spent on the company. However, he had just been waiting for Seraphina all along, to engrave her name on this most important ring. I tried to wipe away the tears that were spilling from my eyes again. Then, while Luke was sound asleep, I used his fingerprint to unlock his phone and opened Seraphina’s message. “My darling, don’t forget to help me choose a wedding dress tomorrow.” Boom! Seeing that message, my head buzzed. I’d brought up wedding dresses many times, and he always told me to pick one out myself, refusing to accompany me with the excuse that the IPO was imminent. The truth was, he didn’t care what I bought at all. Because, to him, I was never going to wear that wedding dress. At that moment, I truly wanted to cry my heart out. But seeing the driver still in front, I could only dig my nails into my thigh, trying desperately to hold back my tears. My nails were already deeply embedded in my flesh. I could only let the physical pain replace the pain in my heart. And desperately try to let go of this love I had clung to for nine years. The next morning, I still followed Seraphina’s instructions and made him ginger-honey tea. However, he took one sip and spat it out. “What the hell is this? Why did you add ginger?!” “Don’t you know I hate the smell of ginger the most?!” But I distinctly remembered Seraphina saying he loved the taste of ginger-honey tea the most. Soon, I understood. He didn’t like the taste of ginger-honey tea; he liked Seraphina’s taste. He liked his first love’s taste. I hadn’t slept a wink last night, but I’d come to understand a lot about this relationship. Seeing him like this now, for once, I wasn’t angry. I poured the entire bowl of ginger-honey tea into the trash. Luke put on his shoes and said coldly, “The company’s about to go public. I’m busy. Don’t cause any more trouble for me.” He turned and slammed the door behind him. I knew he was going to accompany Seraphina to pick out a wedding dress.

I quickly had someone find out which bridal shop Seraphina had chosen. Actually, I didn’t even need to investigate. Without any surprise, Luke had chosen the most expensive and exclusive bridal shop in the city. It was the same shop I had visited four or five times already. Three days ago, I had ordered the most expensive wedding dress in the country there. Today was supposed to be the day the dress arrived. However, when I arrived at the entrance of the bridal shop, I happened to see Seraphina wearing that very dress, twirling in front of Luke. Luke was discussing something with the store manager. “Luke, I really love this wedding dress; I want this one!” Seraphina sweetly clung to Luke’s arm, pouting playfully. Luke, meanwhile, was earnestly negotiating with the manager. “Call that lady and tell her I’m willing to pay an extra fifty thousand and compensate her with another fifty thousand, as long as she agrees to let me have this dress.” Hearing that, I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. Turns out, for his first love, he could be so generous. The manager was naturally swayed by Luke’s offer and turned to go into the back, saying she would call me. I slowly walked up behind Luke. Seraphina saw me first; her face immediately turned pale. She poked Luke’s arm and looked at him with a pitiable expression. Luke then turned around, saw me, and his brow furrowed instinctively. “With so much going on at the company, why aren’t you there? What are you doing here?!” However, he showed not a hint of embarrassment. Instead, he immediately launched into an indignant interrogation. I looked at him quietly, not wanting to argue. Last night, I had cried all my tears for him. It wasn’t worth being sad for him anymore. Seeing my silence, Luke pinched the bridge of his nose and finally spoke again. “Chloe, as you can see, the person I truly love is Seraphina.” “Don’t make a scene. I’ll give you some money, and I hope you can leave gracefully.” My gaze remained fixed on his eyes. I had come here today to ask him one last question. “Luke, I just want to know, all these years, did you ever truly love me?” Luke listened, and a hint of disdainful smile appeared on his lips. “Chloe, I know you love me to death.” “But today, in front of Seraphina, I have to tell you honestly, I have never loved you.” “I only agreed to be with you because I felt sorry for you, chasing me for so many years.” Although it was the answer I expected, Luke’s words were even more heartless than I had imagined. Well. Good. If he could be so ruthless. Why couldn’t I? Just then, the manager came out from the back. “Mr. Luke, I’m sorry…” Before she could finish, she saw me and looked startled. “Oh, Miss Dawson, you’re here. This gentleman, he…” Before she could finish, I cut her off. “It’s fine. Give the wedding dress to this lady.” “I hope they find happiness.” With that, I turned and left the bridal shop. I called my dad. “Dad. On Luke’s wedding day, tell him about withdrawing the investment.”

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Mom gave us two choices. Go with her to the Sterling household. I could attend the same elite private high school as Miss Jade Sterling, but college funding would be limited. Stay home for school. After graduating high school, I could apply to overseas universities. My brother Mason jumped in first: “Mom, I want to go with you to the Sterlings’.” Mom smiled with relief and turned to look at me. “Older siblings should let the younger ones have their way. I’ll fund your overseas education later—that’s me doing my duty as a mother.” Looking at my brother clutching Mom’s arm with that expectant expression, I knew—he had been reborn too. Too bad Jade Sterling would never fall for him. “Cameron, the employer’s family is busy. Mason and I have to leave today. Take care of yourself at home.” After Mom finished packing, she left with Mason. Nothing like the previous life when she stayed a full ten days trying to persuade Mason to go with her to the Sterlings’. In my past life, after Mom presented those two choices, Mason had also jumped to choose first—except he’d chosen to study abroad. After my parents divorced, I was awarded to Dad. For ten whole years, Mom never came to see me once, yet I thought about her every single day. It wasn’t until Dad died and social services contacted her that I finally had a “mom” again. When Mason chose overseas study, I was thrilled. I could finally spend day and night with Mom. But Mom wanted to take Mason instead. She stayed home for ten days, constantly trying to persuade Mason to go with her. Mason stubbornly believed there were more opportunities abroad. Even when the employer’s family urged Mom to return, he never changed his mind. And so I went with Mom to the Sterling household, where I met Jade. She had an aloof temperament and exceptional intelligence. She was the object of admiration for many boys at school. I couldn’t help being drawn to her too. But I knew we were from two different worlds. I could only keep those feelings hidden. Until the night of the graduation dance, when Jade came back from the party slightly drunk and pulled me to a corner of the terrace. “Cameron, come with me to the East Coast for college, okay?” I forced myself to look away. “I can’t afford it.” Jade laughed, and the whole night seemed to brighten. “I can help you.” In that moment, I finally knew—the person I’d quietly loved for three years felt the same way about me. Overwhelming happiness crashed over me. I excitedly told Mom that Miss Sterling was willing to sponsor my education abroad. What I got in return was a hard slap across the face. “Absolutely not! When you chose to come with me to the Sterlings’, you already gave up that path. The money I’ve saved is for Mason.” I covered my face and tried to explain. “Miss Sterling said I don’t need to pay tuition. She’ll help me.” Mom let out a contemptuous laugh and looked me up and down with disdain. “You really don’t know your place, do you? Trying to latch onto someone for money and opportunity? Think about who you are and who she is. People like her—it’s just a passing fancy. When she gets bored, I’ll be the one cleaning up the mess. Don’t even think about going abroad. And if you dare disobey me, stop calling me Mom. Also, stay away from Miss Sterling. Don’t affect my job.” Maybe because I’d lacked maternal love since childhood, what I feared most was being abandoned by Mom again. I was devastated when I turned Jade down. But Jade solemnly told me: “Distance isn’t a problem. I’ll come back to see you often.” After she started college, we began a long-distance relationship. She flew back to see me several times every month. The sweetness of love filled me with hope for the future. When Mom found out we were actually together, she went behind my back and asked Jade to look after Mason while she was overseas, since he was there too. Jade didn’t understand my family’s complicated situation. Out of kindness, she agreed to be friends with him. Then in senior year, I received a message from Mason, along with a photo. In the photo, Mason was shirtless with his arm around an obviously drunk Jade. The background was a hotel room. [Bro, I’m the one Jade needs. Stop clinging to her.] After three years with Jade, I knew her character well. My first thought was that she might have been set up. Furious, I called Mason to demand an explanation. But I didn’t notice the delivery truck rushing at me from the side. After my soul left my body, I heard the conversation between Mom and Mason. “Your brother’s death came at just the right time. Seize the opportunity and win Jade’s heart. You won’t have to worry about anything after that.” Mason laughed smugly. “You had the foresight, Mom, getting Jade to agree to ‘look after’ me. That’s how I got the chance to take that photo when she got drunk at her celebration dinner. I only meant to make Cameron back off on his own. I didn’t expect him to actually have an accident—heaven really helped me out. After Jade’s emotions settle down in a while, I’ll comfort her more. There’ll be opportunities.” I’d always thought that even if Mom was biased, she at least had some maternal feelings for me. I never imagined she wouldn’t even grieve my death. My heart turned to ash as I drifted to find Jade. But I discovered that Jade had killed herself in her apartment, clutching my photo. Only then did I realize—Jade’s feelings for me ran deep enough to transcend life and death. Hatred consumed me. I used my last bit of strength to trip Mason as he went downstairs. Watching him tumble down the stairs to his death, my soul finally dispersed completely. I never expected to return to that day when we chose our fates. Except this time, Mason chose to go to the Sterlings’. He thought that by going to the Sterlings’, he’d have the advantage of proximity. Too bad he was wrong. Jade would never fall for him. And I would make them pay for what they did in my past life.

As soon as Mom and Mason left, my aunt hinted that I should move to campus early, using the excuse that they needed to renovate the room. Before, when Mom worked as a live-in housekeeper at the Sterlings’, she had us temporarily stay at my uncle’s house. She gave my aunt money for expenses every month. In my past life, after Mom and I went to the Sterlings’, she added more money and asked them to take good care of Mason. Mason lived at my uncle’s house like half an owner. Now it seemed Mom had stopped the payments to my aunt. I didn’t argue. I packed my few belongings and left. Before school started, I had one important thing to do. After leaving my uncle’s house, I went to the bank. Before Dad died, he’d set up a small trust fund for me every birthday. Only I knew about it. I withdrew the money and took an intercity bus to a quiet cemetery on the city outskirts. The wind and rain were fierce that day. I hid behind an old oak tree in my raincoat, waiting. Near dusk, sixteen-year-old Jade ran in through the rain. Several security guards with troubled expressions followed behind her. Jade was soaked through, her eyes stubborn. She walked straight to a gravestone and began pulling aside the grass next to it with her hands. “Miss, the rain’s too heavy. It might have washed away. Let’s come back when the weather’s better.” Jade acted as if she hadn’t heard. Not until she was exhausted, her eyes dimming, did I step out from behind the tree. “Excuse me, are you looking for this?” I pulled out a necklace from inside my coat. Jade’s eyes lit up. She quickly walked over. Seeing how soaked she was, I raised my umbrella higher to shield her from the rain too. Jade carefully took the necklace, her tense expression finally relaxing. “How did you get this?” In my past life, after Jade and I got together, she once said her biggest regret from her youth was losing this necklace she’d made with her mother the summer she turned sixteen. So I came here to help her make up for that regret and create an opportunity for us to meet. I shrank my shoulders and said softly: “The rain washed it to the roadside just now. I picked it up. I saw you’d been searching for a long time and guessed it might be something important to you.” “Thank you. It’s very important to me. What do you want as a reward?” Though Jade thanked me, her tone still carried distance. My voice trembled slightly: “Then… treat me to a bowl of hot soup, will you? I’m cold and hungry.” Jade paused, then couldn’t help but laugh softly. “Okay.” Half an hour later, at my insistence, Jade and I ate her first-ever cup of instant noodles together at a gas station convenience store. “I didn’t expect hot soup could taste this good.” When we were together before, she always said this kind of simple food was the most relaxing. After eating, Jade wanted to get my contact information to thank me properly. I smiled and shook my head. “If we’re meant to, we’ll meet again.” The moment I turned away, I bit my lip hard to keep the tears from falling. How I wanted to rush over and hug her tight, to tell her everything from our past life, to tell her how much I’d missed her. But doing that would probably just make her think I was crazy. I didn’t leave my contact information because I knew her trajectory for the next few years. We were destined to “run into each other.” Jade would think it was all fate’s arrangement, not my calculated plan.

Finally, school started. High school coursework was ridiculously easy for me. I began planning my second “chance encounter” with Jade. During the long weekend in October, I found temporary work doing facility maintenance at an ice hockey rink. On the third morning, Jade came to practice. I watched silently from the sidelines. When she finished a round of practice and was resting, I walked by with a mop and said casually, as if to myself: “If you could curl your wrist inward just a bit more when passing, the trajectory would be trickier.” Jade whipped around. Though I couldn’t see her eyes clearly behind her visor, I could feel her surprise. “It’s you? You know hockey?” I didn’t really know anything about it—she’d told me herself in our past life. I looked confused: “A little bit, I guess… Have we met before?” Jade took off her helmet, surprise lighting up her eyes. I showed appropriate realization: “Oh! You’re the person from the cemetery!” At noon, we ate together in the break area. “You look pretty young. Why are you working here?” “Shh, don’t let the manager hear. I put down an older age on my ID.” “Do you need money badly?” “After my dad died, Mom took the insurance payout and left with my brother. I have to earn my own living expenses.” Jade was silent for a moment. “This afternoon during practice, would you be willing to be my temporary training partner?” I looked hesitant: “But I still need to clean the locker rooms…” “I’ll pay you a thousand dollars an hour.” “No problem, boss!” Jade burst out laughing and nearly choked. After afternoon practice ended, Jade wanted to invite me to dinner. Just as I was about to accept, I glimpsed Mason peeking around outside the rink’s glass doors. “Next time! I need to get back to work.” When settling payment, we naturally exchanged contact information. Back at my temporary residence, a message from Jade popped up. [Did you get home safe?] I couldn’t help but smile, but only replied with one word: [Yeah.]

After the holiday ended, I began preparing to register for the interscholastic debate competition. In my past life, though Jade and I both lived at the Sterling household, we stayed on different floors. At school, she was in the gifted program while I was in regular classes. We were two parallel lines that should never have met. It was a debate competition that made Jade notice me. This time, I wanted to stand on that stage even earlier. However, when I had all my materials ready, I discovered that my small-town high school had no plans to register for the competition at all. I didn’t give up. I brought a sleeping bag and camped out in the hallway outside the principal’s office. Unable to withstand my persistence, the principal finally agreed to let the school enter a team, though we’d have to cover travel expenses ourselves. Fortunately, there were plenty of interested students at school. We formed a team, prepared, held practice debates—we were swamped. Jade occasionally sent me messages. I always stopped what I was doing and read them several times before finally restraining my emotions and replying briefly with just a few words. Before the end of first semester, I led our team into the finals. At the venue before the competition, Jade spotted me immediately. “Are you working part-time here again?” I tapped the school name badge on my chest. “I’m here to compete in the finals.” Jade glanced at the badge, her pupils contracting slightly. “You’re ‘that’ debater from Oak Ridge High?” “‘That’?” Jade’s expression turned serious, her gaze intent. “With your school’s resources and history, making the finals is nothing short of miraculous.” “Many spectators today came specifically to see your team’s legendary captain. Could you introduce me later?” Just then, my teammate ran over. “Captain, our seats are over there. We should go get ready!” Jade froze, and the way she looked at me clearly changed. I pumped my fist with a confident smile. “See you on the debate floor, Jade.” Four teams had made the finals. We faced off against another school first. Having lived through this once before, I not only remembered the debate topics but knew the opponents’ weaknesses. Without question, we won with a clear advantage. Throughout the entire process, I could feel that familiar gaze following me, growing more and more focused. When it was Jade’s team’s turn to compete, I sat in the audience directly across from them. Just like in my past life, she was calm and composed, methodically dismantling each of the opposing team’s attacks with clear logic. After her victory, I saw her gaze searching through the crowd, so I immediately pulled my teammates out through the side door. When it comes to feelings, the more elusive you are, the more unforgettable you become. When Jade sent me messages, I only replied with [Busy].

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The Sullivan family was one of the elite dynasties, and I was the designated heir—Damien Sullivan. But my two sisters brought home a boy named Marcus from outside, saying we’d be brothers from now on, and they even let him impersonate my identity as heir. Before the family inheritance ceremony, my two sisters walked onto the spotlight stage arm-in-arm with him. Everyone’s attention was drawn to them, all believing he was the family’s designated heir. Marcus saw me step onto the stage as well and looked down at me arrogantly: “Damien Sullivan, is the heir’s stage somewhere you’re allowed to stand? Get the hell off and go stand aside as an observer.” “If it weren’t for my sisters being kind enough to take you in and make you an adopted son of the Sullivan family, someone like you wouldn’t be able to set foot through the Sullivan family’s doors in your entire lifetime.” I knew he was acting arrogant and domineering because he relied on my two sisters’ favor, and he wanted to steal my position as heir. But he didn’t know I had been reborn. In my previous life, I yielded at every turn, only to be thrown into the private underground fighting ring my father used to “handle problems,” where I eventually died from severe injuries. This time, I kicked him flying off the stage: “Who the hell do you think you are? How dare you act wild in front of me and try to take what’s mine—are you tired of living?”

I kicked Marcus flying off the stage with one foot, and everyone looked on in disbelief. “Damien Sullivan, how dare you be so reckless and do such a thing to Marcus!” My eldest sister Victoria Sullivan, still on stage, was furious, and my second sister Isabelle Sullivan rushed over and slapped me across the face. “An adopted son dares to bully Marcus like this—how audacious! I think you’re looking for punishment!” They were trembling with rage, never expecting that the usually timid me would actually strike back at this moment. In their impression, at most I would run to Dad’s grave to cry and complain, and then just accept my fate. “I’d like to ask you—when did this child you brought home from outside go through legal adoption procedures? How can he replace my identity?” Looking at Victoria and Isabelle twisting the truth, my eyes were full of coldness. I was truly stupid before, wanting to please them so badly that I yielded everywhere and let Marcus impersonate my identity. Hearing my cold words, Victoria’s face darkened as she scolded angrily: “Damien Sullivan, what are you talking about? We brought him home to care for him and let him stay with the Sullivan family, yet you publicly assault the Sullivan family’s only heir!” Isabelle could barely contain her anger: “It’s all my fault. I thought I’d let you see the world, but I didn’t expect your delusions to be this severe—imagining yourself as the Sullivan family heir and making a scene in public like this.” With Victoria’s support, Marcus had already returned to the stage. He looked at me with feigned grievance: “Damien, I never thought that my constant accommodation of you would make you mistakenly believe you were the Sullivan family heir.” “It’s all my fault—I’ve been too compliant with you in daily life. But Damien, you absolutely shouldn’t cause trouble on such an important occasion!” The three of them twisting the truth made all the guests at the banquet whisper among themselves: “A child brought home by the Sullivan family—instead of keeping a low profile and behaving well in the Sullivan house, he dares to hit the real heir. This is outrageous!” “Does he want to be sent to the dog kennels to feed the dogs?” Hearing the guests’ comments below, Victoria secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Then she waved her hand, commanding the security guards around: “Since he can’t recognize reality, I now announce that as long as we’re here, you’ll never be allowed to step through the Sullivan family’s doors again!” “Someone, throw him out!” The security guards all approached the stage menacingly. Looking at these approaching guards, my eyes became even colder: “Victoria, who gave you the courage to target the Sullivan family’s true heir in public?” “Don’t forget, before Father died, he made a will witnessed by lawyers—I am the sole heir to the entire family trust and estate.” Hearing my firm tone, Victoria and Isabelle’s eyes flashed with panic. But then Victoria frowned and quickly snorted coldly: “Damien Sullivan, what are you pretending? How could someone like you, who only joined the Sullivan family later, be the heir?” The security guards had already surrounded me menacingly. Isabelle also recovered, speaking with superiority: “Damien, you really have the nerve to speak! Don’t forget that everything you’re wearing right now was given by us!” “What are you standing around for? Hurry up and throw him out of here!” Seeing the security guards getting closer, I angrily grabbed a wine bottle from behind me and smashed it. “Listen carefully—I am the Sullivan family’s only heir. I’d like to see who dares to touch me!”

The sound of the bottle shattering combined with my roar made the entire banquet hall fall silent. All the security guards were intimidated by my presence. Then I looked at Victoria and Isabelle with cold eyes: “Victoria, Isabelle, you’re still twisting the truth here! This person you brought home relies on your backing and acts without restraint!” “Not only does he live in the Sullivan house now, but he even wants to impersonate my identity and inherit the Sullivan family! You really are lawless in the Sullivan house!” Victoria’s face grew darker, her voice ice-cold: “Damien Sullivan, I think you’re the lawless one—not only did you publicly hit Marcus, but you’ve also ruined the banquet we carefully prepared!” “Do you think you can muddy the waters and get the Sullivan family inheritance this way?” Many guests whispered among themselves: “Damien is so ungrateful! He’s already entered the Sullivan family, yet he still plays these tricks trying to steal the inheritance!” “But I keep feeling like this Damien has a noble air about him—he seems more like the Sullivan family heir. Who’s telling the truth and who’s lying?” Hearing the guests’ voices below, Isabelle’s eyes blazed with anger: “Damien, your delusions are getting worse and worse. There’s only one heir here, and that’s Marcus!” “What are you still standing around for? Throw him out now!” After a pause, Victoria spoke with an extremely grim expression: “Since he’s bullying Marcus like this, let’s just give him some severe punishment to teach him a lesson, so others don’t think the Sullivan family has no rules.” When they mentioned that “place for handling trouble,” the rage in my heart instantly filled my entire chest. In my previous life, they always sided with Marcus, whom they’d brought home. Whenever Marcus wasn’t satisfied, they would target me. To please them, I could only endure again and again, even giving up my position as heir. But in the end, Marcus said he wanted to watch a “thrilling performance.” They threw me directly into the underground fighting ring my father had used to deal with adversaries during his lifetime, where I died from severe injuries in the lawless combat. Before I died, I couldn’t understand—I was the one with blood ties to the Sullivan family, so why did they favor someone brought in from outside so much? In this life, after careful investigation, I finally understood the reason. Thinking of this, my gaze at them grew even colder: “You want to throw me into the fighting ring? What gives you the authority to treat me like this? Aren’t you afraid Grandmother will find out?” Isabelle’s face paled instantly. She leaned close to Victoria’s ear and whispered: “Victoria, if the Sullivan family grandmother finds out we wanted to throw Damien into that kind of place, it’ll be terrible. Let’s just throw him out instead.” Watching Isabelle’s frightened appearance, I couldn’t help but laugh mockingly. The entire Sullivan family was established single-handedly by Grandmother. She only had my father as a child. After my father died, Grandmother personally named me the heir to the entire Sullivan family estate according to my father’s will and official legal documents, while she retired to Europe. Victoria and Isabelle weren’t actually my real sisters—they were my mother’s brother’s daughters. It was only because their parents died young and my mother begged my father for half a month that he finally allowed them to enter our Sullivan household, and they took the Sullivan surname. Although Victoria trembled when she heard about the Sullivan family grandmother, she still spoke firmly: “What’s there to fear? Once Marcus inherits the Sullivan family, what can Grandmother say even if she’s unhappy?” I just laughed mockingly: “I’m standing here today—who can steal my identity as the Sullivan family heir?” Hearing my words, Victoria pointed at me with towering rage: “Someone like you still dares to speak such nonsense here? You really think you’re the Sullivan family heir!” “You’re all still hesitating? I’ll put it this way—ten thousand per punch to anyone who hits him. Cash paid immediately!” As soon as she finished speaking, one of the security guards rushed over and punched me hard. “Someone brought into the Sullivan family dares to cause such trouble here? Don’t you know your place!” Touching my aching nose, I was laughing from anger. A security guard I’d never even seen dared to rush over and punch me—it seemed Victoria and Isabelle really thought they could cover the sky with one hand in the Sullivan family. My expression grew colder as I kicked him hard in the left kneecap. In pain, the security guard immediately knelt before me. “Victoria, Isabelle, you two really have great power! Spending ten thousand just to have someone punch me! Who gave you the authority to dispose of the Sullivan family’s assets so freely?” Seeing me still resisting, Victoria spoke even more angrily: “What are you all still standing there for? Hurry up and drag him away and lock him up! Whoever locks him up gets a million-dollar reward!” Isabelle’s voice was equally ice-cold: “Anyone who doesn’t move, pack up and get out!” Under their threats and inducements, numerous security guards pressed toward me. At that moment, an angry shout came from outside the hall: “What’s going on here? The banquet started so long ago—why is it still so noisy!”

Everyone looked toward the door. The newcomer was my mother, Hannah Evans. After entering, she saw bloodstains on the front of Marcus’s shirt and rushed to his side, speaking with towering rage: “Marcus, what happened? How did you get injured? Tell me, who did this!” Marcus looked down at me, tears welling in his eyes. Victoria pointed at me furiously: “Who else could it be but Damien Sullivan?” Isabelle was trembling with anger. “Auntie, look how arrogant he is—he kicked Marcus off the stage right in front of us, and he’s still bleeding.” Hannah rushed over and slapped me hard across the face: “Damien Sullivan, who gave you the courage to bully Marcus? Have you eaten a bear’s heart and leopard’s gall?” “You’ve made today’s banquet a complete mess. Are you trying to lose all the Sullivan family’s face before you’re satisfied?” “I’ll teach you a lesson today. Hurry up and apologize to Marcus!” Watching my mother’s actions, the guests in the hall frowned and discussed among themselves: “That’s Hannah Evans from the Sullivan family, right? Looking at her behavior, Marcus is the child she cares about!” “This Damien has too much nerve—publicly claiming he’s the Sullivan family heir. I almost believed him.” Hearing the guests’ discussions below, my expression darkened as I pushed Hannah away forcefully. “Teach me a lesson? You lost the right to be my mother long ago!” In my previous life, not only did they unconditionally favor Marcus, but even Hannah doted on him extremely. Especially once, when I accidentally broke one of Marcus’s models, Hannah locked me outside for an entire night before forgiving me. From then on, I constantly followed Marcus around, humbly trying to please him, hoping to regain their affection and Hannah’s love. In this life, I finally figured it out. Marcus wasn’t a child brought home from outside at all—he was Hannah’s son with her own brother. To protect my inheritance rights, my father specifically made a will asking Grandmother to declare that I was the Sullivan family’s only heir. But my father never would have expected that Hannah not only wanted to take away my inheritance, but wanted to eliminate me completely. Victoria and Isabelle had known about this all along and tried every means to help their real brother. I was truly stupid before, not noticing these things at all. Hannah’s face was full of rage as she looked at me with fury: “You still dare to talk back? You’re getting more and more lawless!” I met Hannah’s furious gaze directly, speaking coldly: “Hannah Evans, don’t forget that I am the Sullivan family’s legal heir. It’s not your place to point fingers here.” “As long as I’m here, your son Marcus will never be able to take over the Sullivan family!” Hearing my words, Hannah was completely enraged. Marcus was the first to rush over, followed by Victoria and Isabelle pouncing on me viciously. Hannah grabbed my collar and angrily slapped me again. “Say that again? I’ve been managing the Sullivan family’s affairs all these years. Your grandmother hasn’t been involved for so many years—why shouldn’t I be able to make decisions?” I was held down tightly and couldn’t move. I licked the fresh blood flowing from the corner of my mouth, still staring fearlessly at Hannah before me. I had already notified Grandmother to come back earlier. Calculating the time, she should be arriving soon. Seeing my smile, Hannah became even more agitated. Marcus kicked me hard in the abdomen. “You still dare to hit and scold me—who gave you the courage? Remember, you’re the one who joined the Sullivan family later!” Victoria and Isabelle weren’t to be outdone either, each slapping my face again. “Damien Sullivan, who do you think you are? Stop daydreaming—the entire Sullivan family should belong to Marcus!” Just then, an aged but strong and authoritative voice rang out from the doorway. “Who gave you the courage to bully my grandson, the Sullivan family’s only heir, like this? Do you all have a death wish?”

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My mother gave Georgina, my wife, an heirloom jade bracelet. She wore it once, then gave it to her assistant’s dog. The assistant posted a photo bragging: “My little buddy has his master’s mark now. He’ll be loyal forever.” My secretary, Sarah, sent me a screenshot. The photo showed the assistant and his dog. The jade bracelet was shattered into two pieces. One piece was on the dog. The other piece was made into a necklace and worn by the assistant. I messaged my wife, demanding an explanation, but she didn’t reply. Ten minutes later, I posted something on Ins: “Turns out haute couture fabric is amazing. Even animals look a little more human in it.” The photo showed all of Georgina’s designer clothes from her closet, cut up and draped over a pig. After posting, I silenced my phone and put it in my pocket. Then I grabbed my keys, got in my car, and drove to her fashion studio. This morning, Georgina told me she was going out of town for a business trip. Now I knew her “business trip” was actually a date with her assistant. I called a locksmith to break the door open, then I walked straight to the display cabinets on the second floor with a pair of scissors. All the clothes inside were her life’s work for the past decade. Next Saturday, she was supposed to take these designs to the fashion design finals. If everything went as planned, she’d win the championship and finally achieve her dream, one she’d worked ten years for. I smirked, then punched the glass display case without hesitation. It shattered instantly. In less than ten minutes, all the clothes inside were shredded beyond recognition. Looking at the empty studio, I finally sat down, satisfied, and pulled out my phone. My phone was flooded with missed calls. In our five years of marriage, this had never happened before. As soon as I clicked on a voicemail, Georgina’s call came in again. The moment I answered, Georgina launched into a furious rant: “Bradley, have you lost your mind?! Do you have any idea how much money I spent on those clothes?!” I slowly settled into my seat, a slight curve on my lips: “What? You’re mad over a few pieces of clothing?” “Why were you so generous when you gave the bracelet my parents gave me to your assistant?” “That heirloom jade bracelet from my parents was worth millions. Is it worth less than your clothes?” Georgina was speechless. After a few seconds of silence, she finally spoke softly: “That wasn’t the one your parents gave me. I bought a new one as a reward for his hard work.” “Bradley, I’m still wearing your parents’ bracelet. It’s perfectly fine. I didn’t give it to anyone.” Then she sent me a photo of herself wearing a bracelet. But I knew, no matter how similar it looked, it wasn’t the one my parents gave me. That one was custom-made, with our initials engraved. McCaw had scratched off my name and put that piece around the dog’s neck. The piece with Georgina’s name was around his own neck. It was almost impressive how much effort she put into lying to me. I smirked: “Is that so? Well, I’m sorry to say your clothes really were worn by a pig.” “I’m at your studio now. Get the bracelet back here in thirty minutes.” “Otherwise, I can’t guarantee what will happen to the rest of the things in your display cases.” Hearing my threat, Georgina’s voice was filled with boundless fury: “Bradley!! Don’t you dare!! If you destroy my designs, I swear I’ll never forgive you!” I calmly replied: “I’ll be waiting. Just a friendly reminder, it’ll take you at least three hours to get back here. It’ll take me less than five minutes to destroy everything.” Hearing my harsh words, Georgina hung up. Two minutes later, Georgina sent me two photos. One was the shattered pieces of the jade bracelet, the other was a shipping tracking number. “Satisfied? I got it back! It’s a pile of junk now. If you still want it, I’ll send it to you!” I casually flipped my phone over, took a picture of the messy floor, and sent it to her. “Satisfied, very satisfied. But unfortunately, your clothes are also ruined. Looks like you won’t be making it to next week’s fashion show.” The moment the message sent, a hysterical roar came through: “Bradley! Have you lost your mind?! That was my dream! I spent ten years preparing, ten years!” I slowly fiddled with a design sketch in my hand, a smirk playing on my lips: “How much is your dream worth? Making me unhappy is the price you pay!” With that, I hung up the phone, no longer bothering with her impotent rage. Georgina and I had an arranged marriage. Our parents were business partners. On our engagement day, my mother gave Georgina my family’s ancestral daughter-in-law’s bracelet. Our names were engraved inside the jade, a wish for us to be united in heart and support each other always. After we got married, our feelings grew over time, and we spent a few sweet, happy years together. Later, the initial passion faded, but we still treated each other with mutual respect. I thought we could continue to support each other forever. But I never imagined that in just five years, my partner would develop other intentions. I understood that love doesn’t come with a ‘best before’ date, and eternal devotion is a tall order. But I would never allow my spouse to betray me so openly within our marriage. And I certainly wouldn’t allow my parents’ keepsakes to be trampled on like that.

The next day, Georgina took the earliest flight back. She stormed into my company, ignoring Sarah’s attempts to stop her. She kicked my office door open and threw a pile of shredded papers onto my desk. “Bradley, ruining my clothes wasn’t enough? Why did you have to destroy my design sketches? Do you know how much work went into those? I worked overtime for two months, drawing every single one!” Her arrival didn’t surprise me at all. I looked up, glancing at Sarah, who understood immediately and left, closing the door behind her. “You’re so generous, so talented, are you really going to fuss over these two sketches?” “Bradley! Are you insane? You’re retaliating against me like this, all for a bracelet!” she roared. Watching her unravel hysterically, I smiled: “Georgina, you’re married, do I need to remind you? Are you really that fond of dogs? Should I buy your assistant a leash so you can walk him around all the time?” Georgina was speechless for a long moment, then fumed: “Bradley! You… you’re crazy! A pervert! I told you, there’s nothing going on between us!” “McCaw is a diligent worker. I was rewarding an employee, what’s wrong with giving a gift? Your unreasonable outburst ruined two months of preparation.” Listening to her accusations, I let out a humorless laugh: “My unreasonable outburst?” “Fine, assume I’m being unreasonable! Don’t forget, your design team and studio were all arranged by me. I can give you the chance to pursue your dreams. And I can also crush your dreams in an instant!” This was the first time I’d ever lost my temper so badly since we got married. She froze for a moment, her eyes filled with disappointment: “Bradley, I never knew you were this kind of person before? Someone who casually abuses power. I don’t want your studio anymore! And from now on, you stay out of my business.” With that, she turned and slammed the door shut. I walked out of my office and saw her assistant standing by the door. When he saw Georgina come out, he eagerly went to her side to support her as they left. Before leaving, he glanced at me, a flicker of triumph in his eyes.

From that day on, we entered a cold war. Georgina never came back. I was busy with work and didn’t contact her either. But a week later, Sarah sent me a screenshot. It was McCaw’s SnapChat post: “Even though we missed the championship, we still got a great ranking. Georgina is truly excellent~” “Thanks to Georgina for taking me to the auction to experience it! She said she’s going to bid on the most expensive collector’s item for me today!” The post included two photos. One was of them both on the awards stage, holding a design award. The other was Georgina and McCaw sitting at an auction. Both were smiling brightly, their body language subtly suggestive. I had thought that after the last lesson and warning, Georgina would be more discreet. I didn’t expect her to be pushing her luck like this. I’d like to see how she’s going to buy the most expensive collector’s item with me around! I immediately asked Sarah for the auction’s address and drove over. As soon as I entered, the auction house manager’s eyes lit up when he saw me. “Mr. Bradley, what brings you here?” He enthusiastically walked over to greet me. I exchanged a few pleasantries, then scanned the audience. I instantly spotted Georgina and McCaw next to her. Georgina was happily chatting with McCaw. Seeing me, the smile on her face froze instantly. She looked up at me, confused: “Why are you here? What do you want?” A flicker of guilt crossed her face, but she still tried to maintain her composure. The assistant, being observant, greeted me: “Mr. Bradley, hello.” I raised an eyebrow, glanced at him, and ignored him. My gaze quickly returned to Georgina. “Then what are *you* doing here?” Georgina’s tone was impatient: “Last time, you ruined McCaw’s things.” “He didn’t complain one bit, and he even helped me turn things around for this fashion design competition.” “Even though we didn’t win the championship, we still placed.” “Can’t I buy him a gift as a thank you?” As if afraid I’d stop her again, she deliberately emphasized: “Bradley, I didn’t use a single penny of your money. This is from my competition prize money.” “So, you can’t control me this time.” I calmly swept my gaze over her, a fake smile on my face: “Is that so? Well, it seems Georgina is very good to her assistant.” “Like Georgina, I also want to buy some gifts for my employees.” “Georgina, you don’t mind, do you?” Our confrontation in the grand hall was witnessed by everyone. Georgina’s face was extremely mortified. But this was an auction, a place where industry bigwigs gathered, so she had to maintain a polite smile. McCaw spoke up, trying to smooth things over: “Mr. Bradley, if there’s any gift you want, just have Georgina buy it for you. Why bother coming all this way?” I looked at him, sneering: “What? Did losing your leash make you yapping so loudly?” “Who do you think you are? Do I need *your* guidance on what to do?” McCaw was publicly humiliated, his face turning instantly ashen. Georgina stood in front of him, displeased, and warned me: “Bradley, watch your mouth!”

The commotion finally subsided with the intervention of the organizers. After the brief argument, the auction officially began. The first item was a famous French watch, with a starting bid of two hundred thousand dollars. McCaw’s eyes lit up, and he tugged on Georgina’s sleeve. Georgina immediately understood. When the bidding reached three hundred thousand, she decisively raised her number paddle. “One million dollars.” At that, nearly half the audience gave up. Just as the item was about to be hammered down, I raised my paddle and countered: “Plus one dollar.” The price was raised to one million and one dollars. Georgina frowned, showing her displeasure, but continued to bid: “One million five hundred thousand.” “One million five hundred thousand and one.” Whenever Georgina raised the price, I always added one dollar more. After several rounds, Georgina, her face dark, asked me what I was trying to do. I slowly said: “Nothing, just normal bidding. Is there a problem, Georgina?” The guests present held their breath, watching our tense standoff. Our family was the wealthiest in Phoenix City, with businesses across various industries, so no one dared to easily offend us. And Georgina, as my wife, was naturally someone they also wouldn’t dare to offend. So, whenever Georgina placed a high bid, they would involuntarily put down their paddles. Then they watched us, husband and wife, bidding against each other. Ultimately, McCaw stepped in to mediate: “Georgina, Mr. Bradley likes this watch, just let him have it.” “I wasn’t really that keen on it anyway.” With the actual person speaking up, Georgina had no choice but to give up bidding against me. The watch was yielded to me. Georgina shot me a dark look. It seemed to tell me she was furious and that I should know better and stop. But when the second collection item came out. As Georgina was about to pick up her paddle to bid, I continued to bid in the same manner. Georgina finally exploded: “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you? Are you sick?” Seeing her publicly defy me and get angry for another man. I didn’t want to waste any more time playing cat and mouse with her. A slight curve on my lips: “Well, if that’s the case, I won’t pretend anymore.” I raised my hand, looking at the host: “Any collection item Georgina bids on. I will add one dollar to her price, with no upper limit.” At these words, Georgina was furious, looking at me with rage: “Bradley, what exactly do you want?” I slowly, unhurriedly, replied: “I said, I came to buy some gifts for my employees. Georgina, your taste is always excellent, you don’t mind if I buy the same style, do you?” Georgina’s face turned beet red. People around us were whispering and gossiping. Feeling the strange looks thrown her way. Georgina’s reputation was in tatters. In the end, she could only drag McCaw away in a huff.

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For five years into our marriage, Kevin and I still kept our finances strictly separate. We split the mortgage down the middle, meticulously divided utility bills down to the last cent, and even took turns buying condoms. Our friends used to joke we were more like roommates than a married couple. I always defended him: “Economic independence keeps our feelings pure.” On New Year’s Eve, Kevin’s old phone, left at home, suddenly chimed. Curious, I checked it. It was a notification for his company’s million-dollar annual bonus. I was about to call him with the good news when his call came in first: “Suzanne, the company’s performance wasn’t great this year, so no annual bonus. Could you cover the utility bills this month?” A cold dread settled in my chest. After hanging up, I quickly rushed to the bank to check his transaction history. In those five years, he had been sporadically transferring a total of a million dollars to my best friend, Vivian. I opened Vivian’s Ins. She had just updated her feed: The caption read: “My husband’s annual bonus just landed! Time to start a growth fund for our baby!”

The comments section was flooded with likes and remarks from our mutual friends. “Wow! A million-dollar bonus! When did you find such an amazing husband?” Vivian immediately replied: “We’re just dating for now, not married yet. I won’t say yes to his proposal that easily.” “He got promoted to director this year, and the company gave him the top bonus.” I remembered Kevin being promoted to director last month. The comments were full of envy, with two from our mutual friends tagging me. “Look at her husband! How much did yours get this year?” Vivian replied under that comment: “Suzanne’s household has that separate finances thing, they handle their own money, it’s different.” Another friend said: “Suzanne, you’re just too independent.” Vivian replied with a laughing emoji: “That’s right, Suzanne likes it that way, she thinks it’s fair.” Someone else asked Vivian: “When’s the baby due? So excited!” Vivian replied uniformly: “Thank you all! Once the baby arrives, I’ll definitely treat everyone to dinner!” My hands trembling, I scrolled through photos of Vivian’s ex-boyfriends on Ins. One back shot bore a striking resemblance to Kevin. Another photo showed her pregnant belly, and a hand with a scar was visible. Kevin had a scar in the same spot on his hand; it was from a lab accident during an experiment. I’d traced that scar countless times; there was no mistaking it. The caption beneath that photo read: *The baby’s father was overjoyed, holding her close and refusing to let go.* My phone slipped from my grasp, falling to the floor. The screen showed a photo of the three of us, and for the first time, it felt like a cruel mockery. Just a month ago, Vivian had told me she was pregnant. She said the father was her jerk ex-boyfriend, that they had broken up long ago, and she was planning to be a single mom. I had even heartbrokenly accompanied her to the hospital for check-ups, and covered her three thousand dollars in medical bills. “Suzanne, you’re the only one who’s ever been so good to me,” she had said, her eyes red-rimmed. Now, I realized those three thousand dollars were probably just a small part of me funding someone else’s child. I turned off my phone and closed my eyes, but countless images flashed before me. Last year, for Kevin’s birthday, I gave him a two-hundred-dollar fountain pen. He immediately reciprocated with an equally priced scarf. Vivian, standing nearby, had said enviously, “It’s so nice how you two are; you don’t even have to worry about the cost when giving gifts.” Now, I guessed she was laughing at my stupidity inside. The year before, my mother was hospitalized, and we were eighty thousand dollars short for her surgery. I was strapped for cash and asked Kevin if he could lend it to me. He replied: “Our principle is strictly separate finances. This will be a loan from me to you, with bank interest rates, to be repaid within three months.” I gritted my teeth and agreed. In the end, Vivian lent me fifty thousand dollars, interest-free. I was so grateful, I treated her to three expensive Japanese meals, each costing five hundred dollars per person. But now, I suspected that fifty thousand was just a fraction of the money Kevin had transferred to her. I dragged myself home, prepared a lavish dinner, and waited for him to come back so I could confront him. In our five years of marriage, Kevin and I had always been ‘respectful and formal,’ a couple admired by outsiders. I held a sliver of hope, wishing he’d tell me it was a coincidence, hoping he could give me an explanation. At midnight, Kevin’s call came in. “Suzanne, I have to work overtime tonight. I won’t be back for dinner.”

In the background, I could faintly hear fireworks exploding. “It might end late, so I’ll just stay at a hotel near the office. I have an early meeting tomorrow.” I gripped my phone, my fingers tightening. “The company is so heartless, making you work overtime on New Year’s Eve. Which hotel are you at? Maybe I can bring you some late-night snacks.” Kevin’s panic was palpable. “No!” Realizing he sounded too harsh, his tone instantly softened. “No need, it’s too cold out. I couldn’t bear to let you go out in the cold.” “Alright then. Don’t drink too much.” The moment he hung up, my heart completely froze over. Outside, scattered fireworks burst, and the elaborate dinner on the table had grown cold. I scrolled aimlessly through Ins. Kevin’s mother, Martha, had posted a photo: a huge, delicious spread, all my favorite dishes. The caption read: “Dinner for my daughter-in-law.” Someone commented in the comments section. My heart warmed. No matter what Kevin was doing, Martha was always on my side. I remembered when Kevin and I first got married, Martha held my hand, her eyes red, saying: “Suzanne, Kevin was a sickly child growing up, and I spoiled him, making him stubborn and difficult. If he does anything wrong, you tell me, and I’ll scold him.” The next morning, I drove to Kevin’s parents’ house. My in-laws lived in an older suburban neighborhood. Kevin had bought the house two years ago, putting it in his parents’ names. He said it was for his mother’s retirement, and I even split half the down payment with him. Before leaving, I took out my treasured health supplements and bought my father-in-law, David, his favorite whiskey. For the past five years, my in-laws had treated me better than their own son. The first New Year after we got married, Martha secretly slipped me an envelope with cash: “Kevin, that boy, is so hung up on appearances, insisting on splitting everything. Don’t mind him. In life, you can’t always just talk about fairness.” One time Kevin and I argued, and in a fit of pique, I didn’t go to his parents’ place for the holidays. David called, not asking for the reason, just saying: “Suzanne, I sent you some dessert, from that shop you love.” I cried when I received the package that day. I carried the gifts upstairs, about to knock on the door. From inside, I heard a familiar voice, “Mom, don’t fuss so much. She’s not picky.” My hand, holding the gifts, paused. Didn’t he say he was working overtime yesterday? But I still smiled faintly, a little relieved, thinking, *As long as he’s not with Vivian, it’s fine.* Just as I was about to push the door open, the next sentence froze me to the spot. “These cherries are so sweet,” Vivian’s voice was cloyingly sweet. “Eat more if they’re sweet. You’re pregnant, you need to nourish yourself properly.” Martha’s face was full of loving kindness. I peered through the crack in the door. Vivian was sprawled on the couch, legs crossed. Martha sat beside her, gently feeding her cherries with a toothpick. David was kneeling by the coffee table, tidying up baby clothes scattered everywhere, grinning from ear to ear. My stomach lurched. The gifts in my hand clattered to the floor, and everyone in the living room turned at once. Vivian saw me, immediately stood up, then cried out in pain, clutching her stomach and sitting back down. Kevin smoothly put down his teacup and went to steady her. Vivian wrapped her arms around me, feigning intimacy: “Suzanne, I fell on the way here today. Kevin just happened to be passing by and gave me a ride. Otherwise, I don’t know what I would have done.” I pulled away from Vivian, my eyes fixed on Kevin: “Kevin, weren’t you supposed to be working overtime? How did you end up visiting your parents?” He paused, then looked away. “It was canceled at the last minute.” Martha quickly jumped in to smooth things over: “Yes, Kevin just arrived too. Vivian just had a little fall on the road, and Kevin happened to see her, so he brought her here to rest…”

I looked at Vivian. She was wearing plush wool slippers, and there wasn’t a speck of dust on her legs. I struggled to control my emotions. “Mom, Dad, I just remembered I have something else to do, so I’ll be leaving now.” No one followed me out. I slid down the wall, tears streaming down my face. “She’s so clueless, she’d never figure out what I’ve been doing. Her dad might have been impressive back then, but she’s completely useless, didn’t inherit an ounce of his intelligence.” There was a hint of smugness in Kevin’s voice. I leaned against the cold wall, my heart pounding faster and faster. “Speaking of which, her dad really was good to you back then,” Martha suddenly said. “If it weren’t for her dad, could you have gotten into such a good company? Would you be where you are today?” Kevin’s voice turned sharply cold. “Even without her dad, with my own capabilities, I would have still made a name for myself.” “Because of her dad’s connections, people whispered that I was just a kept man, both openly and behind my back.” “Enough,” Vivian said softly. “The man’s dead, why bring all that up now?” “Kevin’s doing just as well as her dad, if not better. By the way, you mentioned our old family house last time…” Martha’s voice dropped. “I had someone look into it. There are buyers for that area, offering over two million dollars. We need to transfer that money quickly so she can’t get a single cent.” “Then transfer it into Vivian’s name,” Kevin said. David, after a long silence, murmured, “Suzanne isn’t a bad kid, really. It’s just… she can’t have children.” Martha sighed. “Exactly! Five years of marriage and not a single child. Kevin is our only son, we can’t let our family line end with him.” My heart sank to rock bottom. All these years, I’d undergone countless tests, taken so many medications, yet I couldn’t conceive a child. Martha, always so ‘understanding,’ used to console me, “Children are a gift from above, it’s all predetermined, just let nature take its course.” Martha patted Vivian’s hand. “You’re the one who really came through, getting pregnant with a boy right away. All my life, I’ve just wanted a grandson.” Kevin said, “Mom, once the baby is born, you can move in with us. The preschool is right across the street, making it easy to care for Vivian and the child.” “What about her?” Martha asked. Kevin paused. “We’ll tell her everything once Vivian’s baby is born. Besides, after five years of marriage with no kids, making her leave with nothing wouldn’t be unreasonable. And with her personality, so obsessed with appearances, she’d never air our dirty laundry.” “I’m just afraid she’ll get desperate and cause a scene,” David chimed in. “If she wants to make a scene, then we’ll divorce. I’ve already transferred all the money anyway,” Kevin interrupted him. “All these years of separate finances, she chose it herself, I never forced her. She thinks she’s so noble, but she’s just a fool.” That night, after returning from Martha’s house, I developed a high fever. In a hazy daze, I drifted into a dream. My father was still alive, sitting in the wicker chair in our old house, peeling an orange for me. He said, “Suzanne, the biggest regret of my life is that I taught you too well. So well that you’d rather be wronged than hurt anyone.” I woke to find my pillow soaked. Outside, the sky hadn’t brightened yet. Kevin hadn’t returned all night. I opened my phone. Vivian posted on Ins at three in the morning. The photo showed two hands clasped together, with the caption: “Thank you for waiting for the sunrise with me.”

I turned off my phone, rose, and went to the study. In our five years of marriage, all of Kevin’s personal belongings had stayed here, in this room. I had never looked through them before. I opened the drawer, and my eyes fell upon a collection of utterly indecent photos. Vivian, stark naked, straddling Kevin’s abs. Vivian, scantily clad, lounging in our marital bed. My hands trembled as I took pictures. At the very bottom of the drawer, I found an old, faded manila envelope. The brown paper was already yellowed. I opened it. Inside was a traffic accident report. The date was the day before my father’s funeral. My father’s accident happened while I was away on a business trip. Kevin had told me that my father ran a red light, crashed into a guardrail, and died instantly. By the time I rushed back, my father had already been buried. Martha held my hand, weeping as she told me to “restrain my sorrow.” I fainted several times from crying, and Kevin handled all the funeral arrangements. At the time, I was so grateful for his help. But now, a vague unease settled in my heart. Scrolling down, under the “At-Fault Party” section of the report, Vivian’s name appeared. Vivian had killed my father! I continued flipping through. At the very bottom of the envelope was another paper. It was a Letter of Leniency. Kevin, acting as my father’s son-in-law, had signed it on behalf of the at-fault party. The reason stated: “The party at fault is a young girl with a promising future; it shouldn’t be ruined.” I immediately went to the traffic police department. There was only a young officer at the night shift window. I handed him the photocopy. “I need to check the original case file for the Evergreen Avenue accident from three years ago.” He glanced at it, frowning. “It’s a closed case.” As a family member, I pleaded relentlessly. From the traffic officer’s words, I slowly pieced together the truth of the last five years. My father wasn’t even driving that day. He was crossing the street at a green light when Vivian, drunk driving, hit him and sent him flying seventeen meters. Not only did Kevin keep it from me, but he personally signed the Letter of Leniency in my name, as my father’s child. He forgave my father’s killer for me. While I was mourning over my father’s coffin, he was texting Vivian, comforting her, “Don’t be afraid.” By the time I received the call and rushed to the hospital, my father had already been cremated. There was no time for an autopsy. The traffic officer sighed. “The car broke three of his ribs, ruptured his spleen, and caused intracranial bleeding. He was gone before the ambulance even arrived! I can’t understand how your family could have signed that Letter of Leniency. It’s incredibly unfilial!” The traffic officer continued to babble, but my heart had already sunk to rock bottom. I stumbled out of the traffic police department, utterly devastated, and ran straight into Vivian. She looked at me, her face filled with terror. “Kevin, I told you she’d definitely find out. Why else would she come to the traffic department?” Kevin stared at me, his face wary. Now, he wasn’t even bothering to pretend. “Suzanne, you found out?” I didn’t answer, just swept my gaze coldly over both of them. “Kevin, my dad was so good to you, and you helped his killer…” “Vivian, I treated you like my best friend. My father even paid for your tuition back then. Is this how you repay me?” Vivian froze for a moment, then a grin spread across her face. “Repay? Suzanne, you have no idea how much I hated your holier-than-thou act, always expecting gratitude, always pretending to be so good to me.” “I wanted to destroy everything you had! Let me tell you, Kevin and I have been together since college. All these years, every time I saw you foolishly kept in the dark, I almost burst out laughing!” I was trembling with rage, raising my hand to slap Vivian. Before my hand could fall, a sharp pain shot through my abdomen. I was kicked three meters backward. Kevin protectively pulled Vivian behind him. “Since you found out, then you might as well not live.” Vivian lunged at me, pushing me into the ocean. A second before my mouth and nose were submerged by the seawater, I heard Kevin’s comforting voice to Vivian: “Vivian, don’t worry. I’ll cooperate with the police to make it look like a legitimate death for her.” The next day, Kevin called the police. He knelt at the entrance of the police station, desperately pleading with the officers: “Officer, please help me. My wife, Suzanne, went missing yesterday.” “She suffers from severe depression and delusional disorder; her mental state is very unstable. I’m really worried about her, please, help me.” Vivian stood by, live-streaming, her face streaked with tears. “It’s all our fault for not taking better care of her, which is why she left alone. If any kind stranger sees her, please contact us immediately.” The comments section of the live stream was filled with messages of comfort for both of them. The next second, a police officer appeared, looking at Kevin with a puzzled expression. “Your wife was giving a statement at the police station yesterday. Didn’t she tell you?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “363894”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #玄幻Fantasy #重生Reborn #狼人Werewolf

I was abandoned five days after I was born. But for some reason, my biological mother left me on the doorstep of a local criminal organization in Ravenwood City. To survive, even while still in my swaddling clothes, I instinctively cried “Dad” when a group of hardened criminals glared down at me. The rough men instantly frowned. “Maybe… maybe we should keep this kid?” From then on, I gained 108 dads. But our home was truly a den of outlaws—every single one of them was on the most wanted list. So, to avoid causing trouble for my dads, I lived a low-key life for over a decade. That was until high school, when I encountered school bullying. Tiffany, the queen bee, and her cronies cornered me in the restroom, splashing me with cold water, tearing my clothes, and even filming me with her phone. “Why are you staring, you scholarship student? How dare you glare at me?!” But they hit me so hard that I grabbed her and we fell from the third floor. When I woke up, the teacher in the nurse’s office was scolding me. “She hit you, so you tried to kill her? Is that it? You’re absolutely vicious! Call your parents immediately! I want to see how your parents raised you!” My hair stood on end. I meekly asked, “Ms. Davison, are you sure you want to call my parents?” 1 As soon as the words left my mouth, a sharp slap echoed. Mr. Albright, Tiffany’s father, struck me across the face, his eyes burning with menacing fury. “You brat! You will call your parents to apologize to me!” I was instantly knocked to the ground, half my face throbbing with pain. Ms. Davison, however, acted as if she hadn’t seen a thing. She immediately fawned over Mr. Albright, nodding and bowing. “Mr. Albright, please rest assured, the school will handle this very seriously and show no leniency!” She turned to me, yelling directly into my face. “Stella! Look what you’ve done to Tiffany! Call your parents right away to pay for her medical expenses!” I hung my head, my nails digging deep into my palms. A metallic taste of blood spread in my mouth. “No, it was Tiffany. She was the one who first cornered me in the restroom, splashed me with cold water, and tore my clothes. I just…” But I couldn’t finish my sentence. Tiffany started to cry weakly from her hospital bed. “Dad! She’s lying! I was just passing by, and Stella suddenly went crazy and pushed me down the stairs… She’s just a scholarship student, jealous that our family has money. She’s always hated me!” “It was clearly you…” I immediately retorted. But Ms. Davison didn’t give me a chance to speak. “Shut up, Stella! The facts are clear—you deliberately hurt her!” She grabbed me and dragged me out of the medical room. Roughly pulling out my phone, Ms. Davison slapped it against my face. “I don’t want to hear your nonsense! Now, immediately! Call your parents! Tell them to get over here and pay up!” Suddenly, the gaze of various teachers and students in the hallway focused on me, a mix of curiosity and schadenfreude. But I clutched the cold phone, staring at the bustling contact list, yet I couldn’t bring myself to make the call. I had 108 dads. But Dad 1 was a syndicate boss, Dad 3 smuggled weapons, Dad 15 lent out high-interest loans, and Dad 78 ran an illegal casino… Though they always loved to give me black cards and then pat my head, saying: “Stella, don’t stir up trouble out there, but if anything happens, always come to us. If anyone lays a finger on you, Dad 1 will make their whole family disappear from the face of the earth.” “Right, anyone who dares to make you suffer, Dad 3 will come for them with a pair of knives!” But they were all Ravenwood City’s most wanted criminals. A shiver ran through me. I remembered them always leaving early and coming home late, their bodies covered in knife scars and the smell of blood, grumbling about running into the cops again that day. I remembered the news channels constantly featuring their wanted posters. I couldn’t risk putting them in danger. Looking up again, I tried one last struggle. “Ms. Davison, my dads… they’re all working out of town, very far away, they can’t come.” “Could we… I’ll write an apology, I’ll apologize publicly, I’ll accept a disciplinary record, anything. Just please don’t call them, okay?” Ms. Davison let out a sneer. “Working out of town? No wonder you turned out to be such a shameless child! And they can’t come?” “Tiffany’s medical exams, her emotional distress compensation—that’s a lot of money. Can a kid like you pay for it? Call them quickly, don’t waste my time!” She looked at me with utter contempt. “How much money? I can…” I was about to say I could pay for it myself, as my dads had given me black cards I hadn’t even touched. But Mr. Albright emerged and immediately handed Ms. Davison a bank card. “Ms. Davison, here’s fifty thousand. It’s a donation for the school.” “My demand is simple: get her parents here to compensate us and admit guilt.” “Otherwise, I’ll just call the police! I’ll charge her with aggravated assault! Once she has a criminal record, she can forget about ever going to college!” Upon seeing the bank card, Ms. Davison’s eyes instantly lit up. She turned to me, her tone becoming incredibly stern. “Stella, did you hear that? This is your last chance!” “Either call your working-class parents now to pay and apologize!” “Or get a criminal record and forget about ever going to college for the rest of your life!” Criminal record… Those two words felt like needles piercing my mind. I couldn’t have a criminal record. I still wanted to go to college, to earn money and support my dads in their old age. Looking at that bank card, looking at Ms. Davison’s snobbish, ugly face. Tears instantly welled up in my eyes. My trembling fingers finally lit up my phone screen. “Ms. Davison, please don’t! Don’t call the police. I’ll call my parents.” 2 My hand trembled as I tapped “Dad 1” at the top of my contacts. Although he was a syndicate boss, he was still the most “normal” among all my dads. I hoped, I hoped he could pretend to be an ordinary person and get through this. “Beep beep…” The call was answered the moment it went through. Dad 1’s warm, smiling voice came from the receiver: “Stella?” “Dad 1,” I said, pressing my lips together. “The teacher wants me to ask you to come to school. I…” “Go to school?” He instantly sounded excited. “Oh, is my daughter winning another award? This is the first time you’ve asked me to come get a certificate! Wait up, I’m coming now!” “No…” A pang of sadness hit me. I was about to say no. But then, a clear gunshot suddenly rang out from the other end of the line. Followed by a strange man’s scream and a series of dull thuds. I froze instantly. I faintly heard a very soft “clean it up.” Childhood memories flooded back. Dad 1 always came home with blood on him, but he would lie and say it was ketchup. His breathing seemed a little unsteady, but when he spoke to me again, his voice was still gentle. “No… what, sweetie?” Thinking about whether he was doing something dangerous, whether he was hurt, my heart pounded. The words on the tip of my tongue hardened into: “N-nothing… it’s fine. I can get the award myself. You’re busy, I’m hanging up.” “Hey! You didn’t even say anything, why are you hanging up!” Hearing this, Ms. Davison shouted and reached for my phone. I instinctively dodged, quickly ending the call. But the next second: “Slap!” Another harsh slap landed on my face. Ms. Davison’s face was distorted with rage. “You’ve caused such big trouble and you’re still trying to hide it from your parents!” Mr. Albright slammed his hand against the wall, pointing at my nose and yelling: “Don’t think you’re getting away with this by hiding it from adults! I’m telling you, in this part of Ravenwood City, I’m the local big shot! I have connections at the police department! If you dare touch my daughter, I’ll make your whole family of working-class nobodies disappear in a minute!” Tiffany limped out, mocking me: “You’re so pathetic you don’t even dare call your parents. I bet your family is too poor to put food on the table, right? So where did you get the guts to push me? So ridiculous!” I lowered my head, my voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum: “My dads really can’t come… I’m sorry, Tiffany. It was my fault, I shouldn’t have pushed you.” “I can bow down and apologize to you in front of the whole school, be your errand girl for a year, or you can hit me back. Just please don’t call the police, okay? I don’t want to get expelled…” Tiffany scoffed contemptuously, but Mr. Albright roared and reached for my phone. “You’re trying to negotiate now?” “Give me your parents’ number—I’ll talk to them myself!” Ms. Davison immediately chimed in: “Stella, give Mr. Albright your phone to call! Don’t resist, you need to show an attitude of wanting to solve the problem!” The man lunged forward to snatch it, but I clung to my phone, backing away repeatedly. Finally, I stumbled and fell awkwardly to my knees. My knees hit the cold tile floor, making tears stream down my face from the pain. But I kept bowing, begging: “…Please, please don’t involve my dads. Tiffany, please, I’ll do all the apologizing and making amends I just mentioned, you can hit me back, just please don’t call my parents, okay?!” Dull thuds echoed on the floor as I bowed repeatedly until blood smeared my forehead. Only then did a look of triumphant pleasure appear on Tiffany’s face. Stopping her dad, she raised her voice: “Alright then, just apologizing in public isn’t enough. Tomorrow, you’ll have to bow one hundred times, touching your forehead to the ground, until I’m satisfied! Only then will I not call the police.” “Okay.” Clenching my fists, I agreed to all her conditions. My heart bled with humiliation, but I felt it was worth it, as long as my dads weren’t implicated. But that evening, when I returned to the small apartment Dad 2 rented for me, wearing a baseball cap and feeling exhausted. I saw three men bustling around in the kitchen, cooking. It was Dad 66, Dad 79, and Dad 93. Seeing me return, they immediately gathered around me happily. “Stella’s home!” At the dining table, Dad 66 smiled and pinched my cheek. “Stella, I heard you’re getting an award at school? Why didn’t you let one of us go get it for you? By my calculations, it should be my turn, right?” Dad 79 skillfully massaged my shoulders, refuting him: “Nonsense, it’s my turn!” Dad 93 pushed a bowl of soup in front of me: “Drink up, it’s good for your brain. You’ll get into a great college.” My nose stung, and I almost cried. But I forced a smile and explained: “It’s just a small award, no need to trouble yourselves. I’ll call you for the big awards next time.” “Alright, we won’t argue. You eat first, sweetie.” They excitedly served me food. As I was eating, Dad 66 suddenly looked serious and answered a phone call. I faintly heard a few words. “That shipment… being watched again… jumped into the river… damn, this money is really hard to earn…” Instantly, my heart tightened again. Fearing they would be arrested, I took a deep breath and put down my fork. “Dads, could you… in the future… stop doing that kind of work? I’m grown up now—I’ll get into a good college and support you.” “So, could you get some stable jobs?” The three big men froze simultaneously, then, overcome with emotion, they hugged each other and cried, promising they would. Two hours later, the three of them gave me a few more instructions, left me three black cards, and then left in a hurry. I stood at the door, watching them disappear down the hallway, my eyes stinging. “Remember to change jobs!” “We know!” But the moment the door closed, Dad 66 looked at his brothers beside him, puzzled. “Strange, our daughter doesn’t like my nuclear submarine development…?” The other two also looked bewildered. And as I closed the door, I looked at the “My Family (108)” group chat on my phone. The messages were already 999+. My dads were all asking: “Is Stella tired from studying today?” “Do you have enough money? Don’t skimp—I have plenty of money!” My eyes welled up again. I sniffed and finally typed a line in the chat box. “I’m fine, everyone. Don’t worry. Dads, you’re busy with work, please also pay attention to safety.” Send. The next second, staring at the constantly popping up messages of concern on the screen, I made up my mind. I would never cause my dads any more trouble. Stella, you must hold on. Everything will be fine after the SAT. 3 At the school assembly on Monday, a sea of students filled the field below. I knelt on the ground, mechanically confessing. “It was because I harbored resentment that I pushed Tiffany down the stairs… I was jealous of her, I am a wicked person…” My voice echoed across the sports field, but every word felt like a knife slicing my throat. Tiffany sat in a wheelchair, pushed to the very front by several classmates, watching me triumphantly. Her eyes were filled with excitement as I knelt, bowing repeatedly and apologizing. Below, the murmurs converged into a buzzing noise. “I heard her family is really poor, she’s here on a scholarship.” “Such a wicked mind, jealous of rich people, I guess.” “Look at her pathetic, poor self, she deserves it.” “A kid with a mother who didn’t raise her, no upbringing at all.” All the malicious words felt like needles pricking my flesh, a bone-chilling pain. But I was already numb. After finishing, I slowly bent at the waist. “Thud.” The first bow, my forehead hitting the cold podium. … Fifty bows, one hundred bows, I bowed again and again, my forehead going from numb to agonizing pain, then to a warm stickiness. Blood streamed down my brow, blurring my vision, plunging everything into darkness. The ground was covered in crimson blood. The confession finished, I walked off the stage, my face covered in blood. The crowd parted for me as if I were carrying a plague. Tiffany, surrounded by her cronies, deliberately walked past me. She spoke in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft: “Ugh, some people are just born pathetic. Just an apology won’t cut it, will it? From now on, when you see me, call me ‘Grandma,’ got it?” Clenching my fists, my nails dug deep into my flesh. I said nothing. I just silently returned to my seat, took out a wet wipe, and tried hard to wipe the red words off my desk. But the paint had already seeped into the wood grain, making it more smudged with every wipe, like ugly scars. The entire day, I was surrounded by malice. Until the dismissal bell rang, I couldn’t hold it in anymore and rushed out of the classroom. Afraid to use the main entrance, I took a detour through the secluded alley behind the school. But after only a few steps, Tiffany and her three cronies were blocking the alley entrance. She stood up from her wheelchair, stretched her limbs, and walked toward me step by step. “Didn’t you say you’d be my errand girl? The boss hasn’t left yet, and you’re running off so fast. Are you playing games with me, Stella?” “Sorry, you didn’t call me…” “Whether I call you or not, you’re supposed to be my dog!” Tiffany took out her phone, aiming the camera at my disheveled face. “Come on, apologize again. Say, ‘I, Stella, am a worthless piece of trash, I shouldn’t have forgotten to be Tiffany Albright’s dog.’” I bit my lip, motionless. Tiffany became more energized, directly starting a new round of torment. Cold mineral water poured over my head, my soaked school uniform was torn, and lipstick was smeared haphazardly across my face. Tiffany held up her phone, laughing wildly. “Come on, smile. Say ‘Thank you, Tiffany, for the lesson,’ otherwise I’ll call the police and let your disgraceful dads have a good chat at the police station, hmm?” My mind buzzed. I stared at her, disbelieving. Did Tiffany know about their situation? But I couldn’t risk it. I could only endure my constant trembling, repeating her words in a hoarse voice. “Thank you, Tiffany, for the lesson.” It wasn’t until I had said it dozens of times that Tiffany finally smiled, satisfied, kicked me, and left. “Wouldn’t it have been easier if you were this obedient earlier? From now on, come here every day after school and wait for me, got it? Whatever I want you to do, you have to do it!” “Okay.” She left with her cronies. Instantly, I was alone in the alley. I don’t know how long passed, but I slowly crouched down. On the ground, a soaked math test, with a bright red “100” score, was particularly glaring. Desperately fighting back the welling tears, I reached out to pick up my mud-stained books and test papers. However, just as I looked up. At the alley entrance, four or five men had appeared. Leading them was Dad

And behind him followed four or five other dads. At this moment, their faces were dark and grim, all staring intently at me without saying a word. The air in the alley seemed to solidify. 4 After a long silence, Dad 1 crouched down, his rough fingers wiping away the bloodstains on my face. “Who did this?” I turned my face away, not daring to meet the anger in his eyes, and whispered, “No… I just fell.” “Fell?” Dad 5 snatched the mud-stained math textbook from the ground, pointing at the dirty shoe prints on it, and roared: “This is ‘fell’? This is being stomped to death!” Dad 3 adjusted his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses as sharp as a knife. “Stella, speak. Just tell us to blow up Ravenwood City and kill those people, and it’s done?” But I bit my lip hard. I couldn’t say anything. Mr. Albright was rich and powerful—Tiffany even said the Ravenwood City police listened to her family. My dads were all wanted criminals. I couldn’t risk putting them in jail. I stubbornly shook my head, but tears welled up in my eyes against my will. Time ticked by. Finally, Dad 1 sighed, gently holding my cold hand with an undeniable strength. “Stella, do you remember that year when you were five, the chubby kid from the next street stole your candy, and you cried all night when you came home?” “The next day, that chubby kid’s whole family moved out of Ravenwood City.” “We dads aren’t good people, but our family rule is: whoever touches you, dies!” The wind in the alley instantly stilled. Seeing my dads silently surrounding me, their eyes filled with suppressed rage and heartache. All the grievances, fear, and humiliation of these past days instantly broke through my taut nerves. “Dad—” I flung myself into Dad 1’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably, stammering out everything that had happened: “It was Tiffany… her dad is Mr. Albright, he owns mines… she said Ravenwood City was all her family’s territory… she bullies me every day… today she even took a video…” Dad 5’s brand new phone was crushed in his hand with a “snap,” the screen shattering! “A mine owner, how dare he!” “Damn that Mr. Albright! When I helped him get started back in the day, he was licking my boots!” “He’s lost his mind! How dare he touch our Stella!” My dads’ angry curses rose and fell, but I listened, stunned. Dad 1 simply patted my back gently, then pulled out his phone and dialed a number, his voice cold as ice. “Send out the word. All brothers, drop what you’re doing.” “One hour. Everyone to Ravenwood City.” “Our daughter was bullied!” The next morning, Dad 1 told me to go to school as usual. I nodded, and went alone. Sure enough, at the school gate, Tiffany was waiting beside that flashy luxury car. Seeing me, she deliberately raised her voice, her face full of sarcasm: “Oh, isn’t this the one who was on her knees bowing to me yesterday…” But before she finished, I walked straight past her, my eyes calm, as if she were just thin air. Tiffany froze instantly. “Stella!” She rushed forward in a fit of rage, grabbing my backpack tightly. “Did I tell you to leave? Didn’t learn your lesson yesterday, did you? You worthless piece of trash!” She raised her hand, ready to slap me. “I gave you a chance—” But remembering Dad 1’s words, I felt an unprecedented confidence inside me. The next second, her wrist was caught firmly in mid-air by my hand. Looking into her astonished eyes, I said each word coldly: “I said, let go.” “You little brat! You’ve lost your mind!” But Mr. Albright angrily got out of his car and shoved me hard! Staggering back a few steps, my back hit the school wall with a painful thud. “You pathetic pauper! Still refusing to learn, are you?” Mr. Albright grabbed my collar, spitting saliva on my face: “If I don’t finish you off today, I’ll take your damn name—” However, the next second. “Rumble rumble—” A tremendous roar filled the sky. One, two, dozens of helicopters instantly darkened the sky, circling above the school. Following that, came the heavy, dull thud of tracks grinding on asphalt. One, two, three olive-green tanks, their cannons aimed squarely at the school entrance. And countless media reporters, carrying long and short lenses, swarmed in, their camera flashes lighting up the scene. Mr. Albright was frozen in place. Then, countless armored vehicles appeared, and figures descended from the helicopters. One, two, ten, fifty… Exactly one hundred and eight men emerged from various corners, forming an impenetrable human wall that completely surrounded him. Then, in Mr. Albright’s terrified eyes, one hundred and eight voices, like thunder, boomed across Ravenwood City: “Dare to touch our daughter again—just try it!!!”

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