Category: English

I died on the day Adrian proposed to Melissa. As the lead detective, he stepped over my body at the crime scene, his only concern covering Melissa’s eyes. He whispered, “Don’t look. It’s disgusting.” He said I was disgusting. My heart had been carved out. My blood drained dry. I was nothing but a discarded rag doll. Later, I became a ghost. I watched him burn every trace of me to win Melissa’s favor. Watched him move into the house I bought. Watched him sleep with my killer in that very room. I hated him so much that I wanted to kill him. Until the wedding day. The day he pulled the knife from Melissa’s chest and drove it into his own heart. In a pool of blood, he reached toward an empty corner. Tenderly. “Natalie, am I worthy to see you now?” Natalie’s POV Seven days after my death, Adrian brought a woman home. I floated in midair, looking at my own portrait, then at Adrian’s garish wine-red shirt. Melissa clung to his arm. She was the heir to Lincoln Medical Group, the woman he’d shielded at the crime scene, afraid she’d see something disgusting. I didn’t have much family left. My uncle stood off to the side, his hands trembling with rage. “Adrian, today is Natalie’s funeral. You dress like this and bring a stranger here. Do you want to break her heart?” Adrian laughed. He casually adjusted his cuffs without even glancing at my portrait. “She’s dead. How can she be heartbroken? Superstitious nonsense.” Melissa leaned coquettishly on his shoulder, covering her nose and looking at my casket with disgust. “Adrian, the smell is too strong. It’s making me dizzy.” Adrian immediately wrapped his arm around her waist, his hand caressing places he’d never touched on me. “Then let’s not stay. I didn’t want to come anyway. Just going through the motions.” My uncle grabbed the flowers from the table and hurled them at him. Adrian tilted his head. The flowers smashed against the doorframe, turning into a pile of mush. His eyes instantly went cold. I knew that look well. It was the one he used on criminals, the look that could devour a person. But now he was turning that viciousness on one of the few family I had left. “You son of a bitch. You looking for death?” Adrian lunged forward. My uncle stumbled back, terrified. I desperately wanted to rush down and stop him, reaching out to push against Adrian’s chest, but my hand passed straight through his body. No sensation whatsoever. I’d forgotten. I was already dead. Of course Adrian didn’t hit my uncle. He simply grabbed my black-and-white portrait. “Adrian! What are you doing!” my uncle shouted. “This photo looks unlucky.” Adrian flicked his wrist. Crash! The frame hit the floor, glass shattering everywhere. The photo I’d chosen so carefully, where I smiled my brightest, was torn to shreds by the sharp glass. Melissa clapped and laughed beside him. “Adrian, use this one instead. This one’s prettier.” She pulled out a photo she’d prepared in advance. It was her photo. She wore white lace, smiling radiantly. Adrian took it and casually placed it where my portrait had been. I almost laughed from sheer fury. At my funeral, displaying his mistress’s photo? Adrian, you really are capable of anything. “Done. Spot’s taken.” Adrian dusted off his hands and turned to Melissa with a gentle smile. “Let’s go home. It’s cold in here. Don’t want you getting sick.” My uncle trembled with rage, pointing at Adrian’s retreating back and cursing him as a bastard. Adrian didn’t even pause. I floated behind him, staring hard at his back. Adrian, how can you be so heartless? We were married for three years. You once ran all over the city to buy me a discontinued toy. You once had tears in your eyes just because I cut my finger. You said you’d protect me for a lifetime. Turns out that lifetime was this short. They walked out and got in the car. Melissa sat in the passenger seat, touching up her lipstick in the mirror. “Adrian, you were so fierce back there. You scared me.” Adrian started the engine, steering with one hand, his tone casual. “If I’m not fierce, those poor relatives will think they can extort money from me. Natalie’s dead. All she left behind worth anything is that house. Can’t let them get their hands on it.” “Then just sell the house.” “Sell it? That location’s prime real estate. Keep it for appreciation.” I sat in the back seat, listening to them calculate my inheritance. That house was left to me by my parents, and I’d used my savings from journalism to barely pay off the mortgage. Now it belonged to him and his mistress. Melissa seemed satisfied with this answer and leaned over to kiss his cheek. “You’re so practical. Oh, and that dead woman’s stuff isn’t all cleared out yet, right? I don’t care. It all has to go tonight, or I’m not going in.” “Whatever you want.” Adrian agreed too quickly, without a second’s hesitation. The car drove into the night. Streetlights flickered across his face as they passed. I looked at this profile I’d once loved so deeply and felt only strangeness. When they reached the apartment, Melissa got out first. Adrian was locking the car when his movements slowed. I saw his hand on the car door trembling. He looked down at his right hand. His index and middle fingernails were broken, flesh exposed, blood dripping from his fingertips. I froze. When had that happened? Then I remembered. At the funeral home, when he turned to leave, his fingers had dug into the doorframe. He’d had his back to everyone then. No one saw his expression, no one saw how hard he’d gripped. He stared at the wound for a moment, expressionless, then wiped the blood on his pants, cleaning it off. Then he put on a smile and headed upstairs. “Coming, babe.” He called out in the stairwell. I floated in place, looking at those few drops of blood on the ground. Adrian, are you in pain? Does your fingernail hurt, or is it something else? No. I quickly dismissed that ridiculous thought. A man like him couldn’t have a heart. If he had a heart, he wouldn’t be bringing his mistress home just days after my death.

Natalie’s POV Back at the apartment, Melissa truly began to make good on her promise. Spring cleaning. “What is this? So ugly.” Melissa yanked my trench coat from the closet-the birthday gift Adrian had given me last year. Back then he’d held me and said, “You look most elegant in this.” Now he leaned against the doorframe, cigarette in hand, glancing at the coat. “Throw it out.” “What about this? This bag’s all worn. Aren’t you embarrassed?” That was my interview bag for reporting. I’d used it for four years, carrying it to countless crime scenes. “Throw it out.” “These books are all yellowed, and this pile of notebooks…” Those were my interview notes, containing leads on every case I’d investigated, including the dirt on Lincoln Medical Group that led to my death. I rushed over in a panic. “You can’t throw those away! Adrian! Those are evidence! Evidence I was going to give to the police!” I tried to grab the notebooks. But Melissa’s hand passed right through me as she stuffed all the notebooks into a black trash bag. Adrian walked over and bent down to lift the heavy bag. “Just waste paper taking up space.” He carried my life’s work, my entire life, and turned to leave. “Adrian! Look at them! Just open one and look!” I followed him, screaming. If he’d just open one page, he’d see what I’d found out. He’d know how I died. But he didn’t. He walked to the hallway and dumped the trash bag straight into the garbage bin. He even dusted off his hands as if they were dirty. When he came back, Melissa was shrieking in the bathroom. “Adrian! Look at this!” I floated over. Melissa pointed at a small box on the sink. Inside lay a simple ring. Our wedding ring. When we got married, Adrian had nothing. I used three years of savings to buy those rings. I didn’t care that he was poor. I said we’d build a life together. Back then, he slid that ring onto my finger, crying like a child. He’d said, “Natalie, from now on, everything I have, I’ll give to you.” Now Melissa held it between her fingers, disgusted. “This is your wedding ring? Not even worth much. Why leave it here to bother people?” Adrian leaned in the bathroom doorway, his gaze falling on the ring. Just a moment’s pause. “It is pretty bothersome.” He walked over and took the ring from Melissa’s hand. I thought he’d put it away. Even if just for show. But he didn’t. He walked to the toilet and opened his fingers. “Clink.” The sound of the ring hitting the water was piercingly clear. Then came the sound of the flush being pressed. The rushing water swept the ring away, and with it, my last shred of hope. I stood in the cramped bathroom, watching the whirlpool disappear, watching the calm water surface. My heart felt completely emptied by that flush. “Out with the old, in with the new.” Adrian pulled Melissa close and kissed her cheek. “Tomorrow I’ll take you to pick out a big one. With diamonds.” Melissa smiled happily. “That’s more like it. That cheap ring wasn’t worth anything anyway.” “Yeah, worthless.” Adrian agreed. They walked out of the bathroom laughing, turning off the light. Darkness swallowed me instantly. I crouched by the toilet, staring at that pitch-black drain. Adrian. That was three years of savings. That was money we’d saved eating dry bread in our rental apartment for so long. That was what you knelt down and put on my finger when you proposed. You said it was worthless. Yes. If the person wasn’t worth anything, what was a ring? That night, Adrian slept on the couch. Melissa refused to sleep in the master bedroom because I’d used the mattress. She insisted on replacing it tomorrow before she’d sleep there. Tonight she took the guest room. Adrian didn’t object. Late at night, the house was quiet. I floated in the living room, watching Adrian on the couch. He wasn’t sleeping. He held his phone. The screen lit up his face. He was looking at stocks. Or some other financial news. Definitely not at photos of me. Suddenly, he pressed his phone against his chest and let out a long breath. That sigh was deep and heavy. Like exhaustion suppressed for too long. He sat up and pulled out a pack of cigarettes from under the coffee table. He lit one. The red ember glowed in the darkness. He didn’t smoke it, just held it between his fingers, watching the smoke curl upward. The ash burned down to his hand, but he didn’t move. I watched him. I’d watched him smoke countless times in the middle of the night before. Back then he worried about cases. I’d walk over, take away his cigarette, pour him a warm glass of milk. He’d pull me close by the waist, burying his face in my embrace like a child. Now I couldn’t even touch him. “Natalie.” He suddenly spoke. His voice hoarse, especially clear in the silent night. I jolted. “You stupid woman.” He laughed and stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray. “Won’t give me peace even after death.” For that instant, I thought he regretted it. I thought he was thinking of me. But the next second, he picked up his phone and made a call. “Hello, Mr. Lincoln. She’s asleep…Don’t worry, I cleared out all her stuff. Yeah, I’ll handle the transfer tomorrow. Right, I want the house under Melissa’s name as soon as possible..” I floated in midair, listening to him calmly settle my affairs. So that sigh was him calculating how to please his new masters faster. Stupid woman. Yes, I was really stupid. Dead and still being cursed in his mind. Adrian. If ghosts could really kill people. I’d strangle you right now.

Natalie’s POV Early the next morning, an uninvited guest arrived. Kyle. My brother. After our parents died, Kyle was my only concern. He was in college, normally living on campus. He must have heard about my death and rushed back like crazy. The door was kicked open. Kyle gripped a fruit knife, his eyes bloodshot, like a wounded beast out of control. “Adrian! I’m going to kill you!” He charged into the living room and lunged at Adrian, who was eating breakfast. Melissa shrieked, spilling milk everywhere. Adrian didn’t even change his sitting position. The instant before the blade touched his chest, he shot to his feet and kicked Kyle’s wrist. The fruit knife clattered to the floor. Then with a grappling move, Kyle was slammed onto the coffee table, face pressed against the cold glass, unable to move. “Let go of me! Adrian, you bastard! You killed Natalie! It was you!” Kyle struggled desperately, screaming. I floated beside them, frantic. “Kyle! Run! You can’t beat him!” But he couldn’t hear me. Adrian held Kyle’s neck down with one hand while leisurely pulling out a tissue with the other to wipe the milk that had splashed on his hand. “Natalie died of heart failure. The medical examiner’s report is already out.” “Bullshit! She was perfectly healthy, how could she have heart failure! It was definitely you! You and this bitch killed her!” Kyle spat toward Melissa. Melissa shrieked and dodged, pointing at Kyle and cursing. “Adrian! He tried to murder someone! Call the police! Or… cripple him!” Melissa’s eyes were vicious. The two bodyguards behind her were already reaching for their waists. I knew. Those were guns. The Lincoln family did shady business. Their bodyguards carried guns at all times. If Kyle kept making trouble, he’d really die. “Adrian! Please! Let him go!” I knelt before Adrian, though I knew he couldn’t see me. Adrian’s eyes shifted. He glanced at the two bodyguards, then at Kyle still struggling beneath him. “Cripple him?” Adrian laughed softly and picked up the fruit knife from the floor. He spun it in his hand, the blade flashing cold light. “For something this small, I’ll handle it.” Before the words finished, the knife in his hand plunged down hard. The sound of blade entering flesh. “Ahh-!!!” Kyle’s agonized scream filled the room. That stab went straight through Kyle’s thigh. Blood gushed out instantly, staining the carpet red. I collapsed to the floor, watching my brother’s face contort in pain, watching that blood pour out continuously. “Kyle…” I tried to cover the wound, but my hand passed through the warm liquid. Adrian pulled out the knife, bringing with it a spray of blood drops. He stood up, looking down at Kyle curled in pain. “This stab is to teach you a lesson. Learn to be smarter. Don’t stand up for Natalie again. Her life was short-you want to follow her?” Kyle was drenched in cold sweat from the pain but still stared at Adrian. “Adrian… even as a ghost… I won’t let you go…” “Fine, I’ll wait.” Adrian threw the bloody knife on the table and pulled out a wet wipe to clean his hands. “Call 911. Drag him out.” He told the bodyguards. The bodyguards glanced at Melissa. She seemed pleased by the bloody scene and nodded. Kyle was dragged out like a dead dog. A long trail of blood remained on the floor. I chased after them, following until the ambulance arrived. Watching Kyle being loaded in, the paramedic said no artery was hit, just flesh wounds that would heal in a few months. I slumped by the roadside. No artery hit? Adrian had stabbed so viciously, straight through the thigh, yet just happened to miss the artery? Was it coincidence? I floated back to the apartment. Bodyguards were cleaning the blood from the carpet. Melissa nestled in Adrian’s arms, her finger tracing circles on his chest. “Adrian, you were so handsome just now. That stab was so clean.” Adrian looked down at her, a smile on his lips but no warmth in his eyes. “As long as you’re happy.” Melissa pulled a document from her bag and handed it to him. “This is a gift from my father. He says from now on, the Deputy Director position at Lincoln Group’s Security Department is yours.” Adrian took the document and flipped through it. “Thank Mr. Lincoln for me.” He closed the document, his gaze sweeping over where Kyle had bled. His eyes were as deep as stagnant water. In that moment, I suddenly felt I couldn’t read him. To curry favor with the Lincoln family, to climb the ladder, he could even be ruthless to Kyle. But that stab… why did it specifically avoid vital areas? If it was the old Adrian, that sharpshooter detective captain, he knew human anatomy inside and out. He did it on purpose. Deliberately stabbed where the flesh was thick-looked scary but wouldn’t kill. Why? Was it to avoid suspicion? Or to spare Kyle’s life? Those two bodyguards had their hands on their guns. If Kyle hadn’t gone down, would that bullet have blown his head off? I shook my head. Natalie, have you lost your mind? He stabbed your brother like that, and you’re still making excuses for him? He’s a bastard. A complete and utter scumbag.

Natalie’s POV On the fourth day, Adrian accompanied Melissa for a checkup. The location was a high-end private hospital inside Lincoln Group’s headquarters. I knew this place well. When I was alive, I’d disguised myself and snuck in several times to investigate the Lincoln family’s dirty secrets. Security here was tighter than the police station, with cameras and patrol guards everywhere. Adrian dressed very formally today, following behind Melissa like a dutiful kept man. He bossed around the doctors and nurses. “Be gentle, didn’t you see Miss Lincoln frowning?” “This water’s too cold. Get hot water.” The doctors were submissive, their eyes showing contempt-they probably all knew he was a gold digger who’d sold out his wife to move up. Adrian didn’t care at all. He even seemed to enjoy this borrowed authority. Melissa went in for a “maintenance” treatment. This was a very mysterious procedure, only for VIP clients, conducted in a special ward on the top floor. I floated in after them. The room contained only one bed, surrounded by precision instruments. Melissa lay on the bed. Several doctors in sterile suits wheeled in a small cart. On the cart sat several vials of red liquid. Was that blood? The color was brighter than normal blood, with an eerie, vivid redness. The doctors skillfully injected Melissa. As the liquid entered her veins, Melissa let out a satisfied sigh. The skin on her face seemed to instantly become more radiant, her whole body relaxing. I drifted closer. A strange smell entered my nose. Not the smell of disinfectant. It was a… sweet, cloying smell mixed with a faint metallic scent. This smell was so familiar. I remembered. I’d smelled it at the funeral home. It was that high-grade embalming fluid smell-used for corpse beautification to prevent decay and preserve the appearance of the living. Why would a living person smell like this? And it was coming from that red liquid. I felt a chill run through me. What exactly was this stuff? Just then, Adrian walked in. “Done yet?” he asked. The doctor quickly blocked the empty syringes. “Almost, Mr. Bennett. This is a sterile area, you…” “I’m her fiancé. What can’t I see?” Adrian strode over, casually pulling out a pack of gum from his pocket, tossing two pieces in his mouth. “Melissa, how do you feel?” Melissa opened her eyes, her gaze hazy. “Wonderful. Adrian, this is good stuff. You should get these injections too.” “Sure, as long as it keeps me young, I’ll pay any price.” Adrian smiled, his hand resting on the cabinet by the bed. No one noticed that in the instant he turned, he stuck his chewed gum under a hidden spot beneath the cabinet. Inside that gum was a black chip no bigger than a fingernail. A listening device. My eyes widened. That was the newest micro-surveillance device, rare even in police departments. Adrian… what was he doing? Hadn’t he been suspended? Hadn’t he married into the Lincoln family for money? Why would he plant a bug where Melissa was getting her treatment? When the doctors wheeled the cart out, they nearly bumped the cabinet. “Be careful.” Adrian steadied the cabinet. “Sorry, Mr. Bennett.” The doctor hurried away in panic. Only Adrian and Melissa, who hadn’t yet recovered, remained in the room. Adrian looked at Melissa’s glowing face, and something like disgust seemed to flash in his eyes-almost imperceptible. “Smells nice.” He leaned close to Melissa and sniffed. “Really?” Melissa laughed coquettishly. “That’s the smell of money.” Adrian smiled. “Yeah, smells like… embalming fluid.” He said it very softly. Even I had to strain to hear it. Melissa didn’t catch it. “What did you say?” “I said, it’s an intoxicating smell.” Adrian straightened and walked to the window, hands in his pockets. I floated beside him, looking at his reflection in the glass. His eyes were cold as ice. In that moment, my hatred wavered slightly. What exactly was he trying to do? If he’d really sold himself to the Lincoln family, why plant a listening device? Could it be… No. I couldn’t trust him so easily. Maybe he was just digging up dirt on them to get a bigger cut later. After all, he was greedy now. Lustful. He even stabbed my brother. Who knew what kind of game he was playing.

Natalie’s POV That evening, Melissa brought Adrian to a private dinner party. Everyone present was a “business partner” of the Lincoln family. Partners-really just a pack of wolves in human skin. That smuggler Mr. Wallace, and that underground casino owner Mr. Reed, both had been on wanted lists. Adrian fit right in among them. He lit cigarettes for this one, poured drinks for that one, calling everyone “bro” with such warmth. Who would have thought that half a month ago, he’d been the detective captain who wanted nothing more than to throw all these people in jail. After several rounds of drinks, the conversation turned to women. Melissa was drunk, leaning on Adrian, pointing at his nose and bragging to everyone. “You all said he used to be a hard case, that’s just because no one knew the right approach. Look at him now-doesn’t he obediently play my dog?” Everyone laughed. Mr. Wallace teased, “Adrian, I heard your ex-wife just died a few days ago. You got together with Miss Lincoln this quickly?” Adrian held his wine glass, a standard fake smile on his face. “You’re joking, Mr. Wallace. People climb up, water flows down. Besides, how can a dead woman compare to a living one?” “Well said!” Melissa seemed excited. She sat up straight, looking at Adrian through drunken eyes. “Tell them about the night that bitch died.” I floated in midair, my body going rigid. That night. It was the nightmare I could never forget in this life… no, even as a ghost. “That night…” Adrian swirled his wine glass, his tone as casual as discussing the weather. “That night she had a heart attack, right there in the bedroom. I was in the living room.” “She pounded on the door, begging for help. Even through the door, you could hear it crystal clear.” Melissa laughed viciously. “So why didn’t you go in and save her?” Adrian took a sip of wine. “I was busy picking out a gift for you then. How could I be bothered with her?” Roaring laughter filled the room. “Damn, Adrian! Your wife was dying in there and you were out here picking gifts for Melissa!” Melissa laughed until tears came, slapping Adrian’s face. “Adrian, I love this ruthless streak in you.” I stared hard at Adrian’s face. I wanted to find a trace of guilt on his face, a hint of reluctance. Even a flash of pain would do. But there was nothing. He laughed with those people, laughed until crow’s feet appeared at the corners of his eyes. “Her life, how could it compare to Melissa’s smile?” he said. I felt a chill rise from my feet straight to the top of my head. Even as a ghost, I felt that heart-wrenching pain. That night, I desperately pounded on the door inside, my fingernails breaking. I’d called out, “Adrian, save me… the medicine… the medicine’s outside…” I heard his footsteps outside the door. He stood right there. I could even see his slippers through the crack under the door. I thought he’d rush in. But he didn’t. He just stood there. Stood there for a full ten minutes. Until I had no strength left. Until my heart stopped beating. He stood just one door away, listening to me die bit by bit. So that’s what he was doing then-picking out gifts for Melissa. “Adrian! I’m going to kill you!” I screamed and lunged at him, hands wrapping around his throat. I wanted to strangle this heartless man, this murderer. But my hands passed through his neck. He felt nothing, still laughing, still clinking glasses with the person next to him. Suddenly, Adrian’s expression changed. He set down his glass and covered his mouth. “Sorry, had too much to drink. I need to use the restroom.” He stood up and walked away quickly, his steps somewhat unsteady. I followed. As soon as he entered the bathroom, he rushed into a stall and vomited into the toilet. Vomited violently, almost bringing up bile. He buried his head in the toilet, his body shaking violently. I stood beside him, watching coldly. Serves you right. Getting your karma, aren’t you? After a long time, he finally stopped.He pressed the flush button and slumped to the floor, leaning against the partition and gasping for breath. He closed his eyes. A tear slid down from the corner. I froze. A tear? He was crying? Just then, the scene before my eyes suddenly flickered. Like a memory playback. I saw the night I died again. But this time the perspective wasn’t from inside the bedroom-it was from the living room. I saw Adrian standing at the bedroom door, his hand gripping the doorknob. His whole body was trembling, veins bulging on the back of his hand, almost crushing the doorknob. In his other hand he clutched his phone tightly. The phone screen was lit, showing a call interface. No sound, but I saw a picture message on his phone. It was Kyle. Kyle was tied to a chair, mouth gagged with cloth, a gun pressed to his temple. And from the bedroom came my weak cries for help. Adrian’s face was twisted in agony. He tried to open the door. His hand moved slightly, then something seemed to come through the phone. His whole body went rigid. He stood there in that extreme torment, turning himself into a statue. One second, two seconds… ten minutes. Until there was no more sound from the bedroom. He slowly slid down to sit on the floor, burying his head in his knees, letting out a suppressed whimper. Like a severely wounded beast that didn’t dare cry out. The vision disappeared. I returned to reality. In the bathroom, Adrian wiped the tears from his eyes and stood up, walking to the sink to rinse his mouth. He looked at himself in the mirror, forcing out a smile uglier than crying. “Adrian, you’re doing great.” He said to himself in the mirror. “Just hold on a little longer.” I floated behind him, looking at that pale, bloodless face in the mirror. What I just saw… was it real? Kyle had been kidnapped that night? Kyle’s life traded for mine? If he’d saved me, Kyle would have died? My mind was in chaos. If that was true, then what he’d said at dinner just now… “Her life, how could it compare to your smile?” Was it to make Melissa believe him? Was it for the mission? I wasn’t sure. Maybe I was just making excuses for him. But that tear…it burned hot enough to make my soul tremble.

Natalie’s POV On the sixth day, Adrian ransacked the house. Melissa sat on the couch doing her nails. “Haven’t found it yet? That bitch definitely left insurance. My dad said she dug up a lot of dirt. If it gets out, we’re all finished.” “Still looking.” Adrian was drenched in sweat. Finally, his gaze locked on the safe in the bedroom. That was my private safe, where I usually kept important documents and my journalism earnings bank cards. “Open it.” Melissa ordered. Adrian walked over and entered the password. “Incorrect.” He’d entered our wedding anniversary. I sneered from the side. “Changed it long ago.” Ever since I’d noticed something wrong with him, I’d changed the password. “What? Can’t open it?” Melissa walked over impatiently. “She changed the password.” Adrian frowned. “Try my birthday.” Melissa said casually. I looked at her like she was an idiot. My safe, using her birthday? Dream on. Adrian hesitated, then pressed several numbers on the keypad. Beep. Green light. The door popped open. I was completely stunned. How was that possible? I clearly remembered changing it to… to my parents’ death anniversary! When had it become Melissa’s birthday? Unless… I looked at Adrian. Unless he’d secretly changed it when I wasn’t paying attention. Melissa burst out laughing and threw her arms around Adrian’s neck. “Adrian, you fell for me that early? You even changed her safe password to my birthday?” Adrian laughed dryly. “Wanted to surprise you.” Melissa couldn’t wait to dump everything out of the safe. Several bank cards, property deed, and some jewelry. “That’s it?” Melissa rummaged through them. “Where’s that notebook? Or a USB drive?” “Nothing.” Adrian shrugged. “Impossible! That bitch must have hidden it here!” Melissa turned the safe inside out, even reaching in to feel the interior walls. “There really isn’t anything, Melissa. Maybe she didn’t actually find any solid evidence. We were worrying for nothing.” Adrian tried to persuade her. Melissa reluctantly kicked the safe. “Fine. Since there’s nothing, let’s go. There’s a party tonight.” Melissa turned to change clothes. But Adrian didn’t move. He crouched in front of the safe, his back to the doorway. I saw his hand quickly reach into a tiny crevice deep inside the safe. That was a maintenance access left by the manufacturer. Most people wouldn’t know about it. But he knew. Because he’d gone with me to buy this safe. He’d read me the instruction manual. From that crevice, he extracted a black SD card. Only as big as a fingernail. That was my backup. I knew paper notes weren’t safe, so I’d deliberately stored the core evidence here. He knew after all. He got the SD card but didn’t hide it in his pocket. He was afraid of being searched. The next second, I witnessed something that shook my soul. He put the SD card in his mouth. No water. He just dry-swallowed it. The pain of the hard plastic card scraping down his esophagus made his whole face turn red, veins bulging in his neck. He clutched his throat, dry-heaving twice, then forcibly covered his mouth and swallowed it down. Tears streamed from the corners of his eyes. “Adrian? You done yet?” Melissa called from outside. Adrian took a deep breath, wiped away the tears, and stood up. “Coming.” When he turned around, he’d restored that carefree smile. “See, even the password is your birthday. I fell for you long ago.” He walked out and put his arm around Melissa’s waist. I floated in place, staring at the empty safe. So he’d changed the password. All so he could open the safe right under Melissa’s nose and take the evidence. He’d swallowed it. That was his only way to survive and also his only path to death. If it didn’t pass. If the card got stuck. If it perforated his stomach… Adrian. What exactly are you planning?

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Every wedding anniversary, Liam Hayes would bring a different woman home, under the pretense of having me ‘train’ them. On our tenth anniversary dinner, Liam brought back a bar server in a bunny costume. “She doesn’t have an evening gown. Give her your wedding gown, and that jewelry set I got you. As for shoes, the ones on your feet look good enough.” “Oh, and she’s young, so you need to patiently teach her, especially how to please me in bed.” I gritted my teeth and told Liam I wanted a divorce. Liam burst out laughing, mocking, “Ashley Vance, how many times have you asked for a divorce? I’m sick of hearing it, it’s more tiresome than your screams in bed! If you really want a divorce, I’ll give you ten million!” The whole room erupted in laughter again. But what they didn’t know was that this was the 100th time I had mentioned divorce, and the only time I truly meant it. Everyone’s eyes in the room fell on me, even the newly arrived bar server covered her mouth and snickered. “Come on, place your bets! I bet she’ll regret it before she even leaves this house.” “I bet they won’t divorce, one million!” “I’ll put down thirty million!” The bets on whether I would divorce or not were an old, tiresome tradition, brought up every wedding anniversary. Many who lost money resented me, and those who won still didn’t treat me any better. I chuckled softly, shaking my head, inwardly cursing myself for being so spineless; it had taken me ten years to finally decide to leave Liam today. “I bet she divorces!” A deep voice came from the crowd. Others were trying to dissuade him, asking, “Are you out of your mind?” but I looked in that direction and couldn’t make out who it was. “Liam, I’ll send the divorce papers to your company. Remember to sign them then.” I had mentioned divorce hundreds of times, but this was the first time I’d brought up divorce papers. Liam straightened up, ash from the cigarette in his hand fluttered to the floor. I pretended not to see it, squatted down, took off my heels, and placed the shoes beside the young woman’s feet. Her name was Chloe Jenkins, just over twenty, and very pretty. “These shoes might pinch a bit, but you’ll get used to them if you wear them more often.” “The gown and jewelry Liam mentioned, I’ll have Doris bring them to you.” “Before you, Liam brought back 9 other women. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them. They live on the third floor; your room is the last one on the right on the third floor.” In ten years of marriage, Liam had brought back enough women to start his own private harem. There was every type imaginable. I patted away invisible dust from the back of my shoes, stood up, and walked barefoot toward the main door. But before I could even exit the front door, a strong hand yanked me back from behind: “Ashley, if you’re leaving, leave with nothing! What on your body wasn’t bought with my money, Liam’s money?” My bare feet at that moment felt like they were treading on sharp ice, and even my breath trembled slightly. “You want me to take off my clothes?” Liam raised an eyebrow, his gaze light and dismissive, as if he could see right through me. “When your family went bankrupt all those years ago, didn’t your mother strip you naked and put you in my bed? You came to me naked, so leave naked! Or are you regretting it? Fine. Kneel down and put her shoes on, and I’ll forgive you.” The group behind Liam roared with laughter, doubling over.

Not long after Liam and I got together, Vance Enterprises went bankrupt. My father jumped from a building, becoming a vegetable. My mother, fearing the Hayes family wouldn’t help, drugged Liam and me, then did everything she could to blow the incident out of proportion, forcing the Hayes family to take responsibility. That night marked the beginning of all my humiliation. It also completely ended the young love Liam and I had shared. Liam was forced to marry me. On our wedding night, he brought a woman home to humiliate me. He did everything imaginable in front of me; I even had to tear open the condom wrappers and hand them to him. And I was the one who knelt on the floor, cleaning up the entire mess afterward. I had lived this servile, humiliating life for ten years. Now, I couldn’t bear it anymore. “I’ll take them off.” Before anyone could react, I unclasped my shawl. It was deep winter, and the heating in the hall was on full blast. But I was standing by the door, and the icy wind howled, gusting under my dress. The exposed skin on my arms and shoulders broke out in goosebumps. I reached back and unfastened the clasp of my gown; the delicate neckline slid down. My shoulders and the curve of my chest were largely exposed. “Oh my God!” A few timid people in the crowd covered their eyes, unable to watch. But the men watched with keen interest. Only Liam’s eyes were dark as ink, his thin lips pressed tightly together. Only the slight tremble of the fingers holding his cigarette revealed a hint of something unusual. The gown slid to the floor, leaving me almost naked before everyone. The cigarette in Liam’s hand burned his fingertips. He instantly tossed it, then ripped off his suit jacket and threw it over me. “Ashley, you really have a death wish!” “Everyone, close your eyes! If a single word of what you saw today gets out, I’ll make sure you never see tomorrow’s sun! Now get out, all of you!” Liam didn’t often lose his temper, especially not in such a setting. Everyone present was an old acquaintance and wisely made their exit. Even the nine young women Liam had brought home before gradually went upstairs. Only Chloe remained. “Liam, are you satisfied? Can you let me go now?” I looked up, stubbornly meeting Liam’s gaze. Even though tears welled in my eyes, I wouldn’t let them fall. I had cried for Liam too many times; now, I no longer wanted to. “Ashley, don’t try those cheap mind games on me. I find them disgusting.” Liam still didn’t believe me, warning me not to embarrass the Hayes family. I took a deep breath and spoke again: “Liam, this time, I truly want a divorce.” Liam reacted as if he’d heard the funniest joke, grabbing the back of my neck and pushing me down, bending my waist. “You dare to divorce me? Can you afford your father’s daily hospital bills? Can you pay for your mother’s daily shopping and expenses?” “Ashley, your mother would be the first to kneel before me, begging me not to divorce you!” Liam’s disgust for my mother and me had reached a point where it couldn’t be hidden. He hated my mother for drugging him, and he hated me for my inaction. “Even if your mother hadn’t drugged us back then, I would have married you, I would have helped you. But you just had to use the methods I despise the most! Ashley, you personally destroyed what we had!” No matter how many times I explained, Liam would never believe it. Seeing my silence, Liam’s brow furrowed deeper. He dragged me, forcing me to my knees in front of that young woman, pressing on my neck to make me put her shoes on. “Put her shoes on. You’ve been doing this for ten years; you should be an expert by now!” For ten years, I hadn’t just taken care of Liam; I’d also had to serve those nine other women.

Things I should and shouldn’t have done, coerced or seemingly voluntary – I had done too many things that made me despise myself. But now, all I wanted was to end it all quickly. So, once again, I obediently put the young woman’s shoes on. Perhaps my obedience had deprived Liam of his fun. Enraged, he dragged me into his room and, in front of me, stripped Chloe of her clothes. I had witnessed this scene many times; sometimes, Liam even demanded I personally ‘instruct’ them. As before, I tore open a condom wrapper and handed it to him. But this time, Liam roughly pushed it away. “Not needed this time.” My hand trembled, and I withdrew it. Liam’s actions didn’t stop, but for the first time, he looked up at me. I didn’t look at him; I was too tired to even bother. Liam got angry again. He locked me in the bathroom. That night, the snowstorm outside was fierce, and the noises from outside were loud. I sat there, listening all night. In a daze, I was jolted awake by a frantic phone call. “Miss Vance? Your mother has been in a car accident and is currently in critical condition. Please come to City General Hospital immediately.” My heart immediately sank. “Liam!” I started banging repeatedly on the door, trying to drown out the sounds from outside. Liam, wrapped in a bathrobe, opened the door. His loose collar revealed hickeys, and the woman in his arms clung to him, not letting go for a second. “What’s wrong?” “My mother was in a car accident. Can you please take me to the hospital?” I knelt on the floor, begging him, tears streaming down my face. I was terrified he wouldn’t take me if he was annoyed. Chloe scoffed, pointing to the dark, snow-filled sky outside. “It’s three in the morning, and it’s snowing heavily. Normal people are all staying indoors. Did the car crash into your mother’s house?” Liam chuckled along, not even bothering to look up. “Ashley, you’re resorting to even this kind of lie? What, are you tired of hearing us?” Liam locked the door again. The more I yelled, the louder the sounds from outside became. Completely out of options, I grabbed a nearby stool, smashed the window, and climbed out. Sharp glass shards sliced my leg, and it instantly bled profusely. It was too late, and with the snow, I couldn’t find a taxi. I could only run forward like a zombie, leaving vivid crimson blood trails in the snow. “Beep-beep,” a black Porsche Cayenne pulled up beside me. “Get in.” Inside the dimly lit, cramped car, the man remained in the driver’s seat, never once turning to look at me. I kept thanking him profusely, but he didn’t say another word. Just as I was about to get out, I heard him say: “Ashley, you have other options besides Liam. If you’ve thought it through, remember to find me.” A gold-embossed business card was handed to me. I took it with both hands, thanking him repeatedly. But at that moment, my mind was entirely consumed with my mother, and I put it in my pocket without a closer look. I stumbled into the emergency room. Before I could even ask, I saw nurses pushing a gurney with a body covered by a white sheet out of the operating room. “Hasn’t Eleanor Vance’s family arrived yet?” “The person’s already dead, and her daughter still isn’t here. What an eye-opener.” The two nurses continued chatting, their words effortlessly piercing my heart. I rushed over and pulled back the white sheet. Her once delicate face was now covered in scars; her body and legs were riddled with wounds, big and small. Regarding Liam, for ten years, every minute, I had resented her. I had even wickedly wished for my whole family to die. But now, with her truly gone before me, all I felt was heartbreak.

Since I no longer had any relatives, there was no need for a funeral. I stayed by my father’s bedside for a while, telling him about my mother, and about myself. I spoke intermittently until dawn. Before leaving, I looked at my father, Arthur Vance, who had been motionless for ten years, and said with a choked voice: “Dad, I’m tired.” Early the next morning, my mother’s body was cremated. I put her urn into a box and took it home. Along with it, I brought the divorce papers I’d had someone draft. The moment I stepped inside, I ran into Liam and his ten other women sitting at the dining table, laughing and chatting. “Sign them.” I said coldly, slamming the divorce papers onto the dining table. “So you ran out in the middle of the night just for these divorce papers? Ashley, you’ve really lost your mind!” Clutching the urn in my arms, I lowered my head: “Liam, let’s just let each other go.” “I don’t love you anymore.” Before, I would still argue with Liam, and sometimes, when tempers flared, we’d even come to blows. I would point my finger at him and accuse him, telling him his declarations of love all those years ago were just a joke. Most of the time, I still held onto a sliver of hope, hoping he’d forgive me, hoping we could make the marriage work. So when he said he liked ‘wild’ women, I’d learn to please him in bed. When he liked ‘innocent’ women, I’d wear his favorite outfits to make him happy. But then, one woman after another moved in, and my heart slowly turned numb. Those tricks I used to please him became my shame, and his outlet for humiliating me. “What’s this that fell out… Sebastian Thorne?” Chloe picked up the business card that had fallen and read the name aloud. So, it was Sebastian. Liam’s lifelong arch-rival, the one he’d never even met, who lived across the ocean. The next second, Liam, his face dark, slapped me. “You say you don’t love me because you found someone else?! Do you even know who Sebastian is?!” My ears rang, and I couldn’t even stand steady. The urn in my hands crashed to the floor, shattering. Watching the dust scatter, I stood there, frozen. Instinctively, I knelt, trying to gather the ashes. But no matter how I tried to scoop them, it was useless. Chloe then grabbed a carton of milk and poured it onto the floor, and the other women followed suit. The powdery ashes instantly became a sticky mess. “Ah!” In that moment, something in me snapped. I grabbed a chair and, like a madwoman, swung it at Chloe. Liam had no time to react; Chloe was already on the floor, clutching her head. “Liam… I’m so hurt.” Someone called an ambulance. Liam dragged me by the hand, forcing me to watch her at the hospital. “If anything happens to her, you’ll pay for it with your life!” That day, I was forced to give Chloe blood, repeatedly, until even the doctors said I couldn’t give any more. Only then did Liam let me go. He said it was my own damn fault. For those few days, I hid in my father’s hospital room and didn’t leave. “Well, well, if it isn’t Ashley, hiding here! Thanks to your little attack, Liam’s been so good to me now.” “Is this your father, Ashley? Why isn’t he moving?” Chloe, now favored, walked and spoke with a haughty air. She repeatedly fiddled with my father’s oxygen tube, curiously asking me what it was. “Don’t touch that!” I shoved her away, and she stumbled back a few steps, clutching her head. The next second, she charged forward, ripped out my father’s oxygen tube, and playfully held it in her hand, smiling.

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After getting laid off, I returned home to my hometown in defeat. Suddenly, I heard a strange voice in my mind. “Poor human. He was the first to rush into the fire and saved so many people, but he died the most horrible death. It’s been seven years now, and his body is still buried under this pile of rubble.” I looked up in shock to see an old crow perched on the ruins next to a building, shaking its little head back and forth. “That’s right, that’s right!” A calico cat was pawing through the rubble looking for mice. “Because they never found his body, people thought he got scared and ran away from the fire. They’ve been cursing him as a coward, even throwing feces at his family’s house. Good people really don’t get good endings.” My whole body froze. I quickly dialed 91″Hello, police? I need to bring a hero home!” 1. The officer responded quickly: “Are you reporting a missing elderly person?” “No, not a missing person—a firefighting hero!” I said urgently. “Seven years ago, during the South District explosion and fire, a firefighter died while rescuing people, but his remains are still buried under the rubble right now.” The officer’s tone became serious: “You discovered his remains?” “No, but I have eyewitnesses. The crow and the cat are animals that frequent the ruins, and they say the hero is still trapped underneath.” After a moment of silence, I could almost imagine his expression. “Ma’am, how long has it been since you were released from the psychiatric hospital?” “You have to believe me, I’m not sick!” I frantically explained with both hands and feet. “I’m a survivor of the South District fire. After surviving, I gained the ability to understand what animals are thinking. It’s just that my house burned down and I’ve been away at school all these years. I only came home today.” “The crow and the cat told me that the hero who died has been cursed all along, and people even threw feces at his family’s house. I strongly suspect he might be Captain Lee, the ‘deserter’ who shocked the whole nation back then.” “It’s highly possible that he didn’t flee in cowardice but actually died on the front lines, which is why he was misunderstood. Please send someone to investigate, clear the hero’s name, and bring him home.” The officer probably thought I was mentally unstable and hung up directly. I didn’t know if he would take me seriously. The fire that year was very serious, with 231 casualties, including 36 firefighters. Most of the deaths were supposedly caused by Captain Lee fleeing in cowardice. The whole country knew that Captain Lee was the only firefighter who became a deserter. Everyone despised and hated him, considering him a disgrace! I used to think the same way. After all, the bodies of all the firefighters who died were found—only his body was never recovered. He must have run away. But now, I clenched my fists, grabbed my grandfather’s hoe, and returned to the ruins. In the moonlight, the old crow watched me: “Is this human going to dig through the ruins? What does she want to do?” “I want to bring the hero home,” I raised the hoe and began digging. “Help me!” Surprisingly, it actually understood my intention. It called its friends, and soon a group of small animals gathered. The calico cat used its paws to move broken bricks aside. “The human wants to help the poor human go home! Everyone come help!” A stray dog dug with its front legs: “Woof woof! For the hero! Dig dig dig!” Several sparrows carried away small stones: “Be gentle! Don’t wake the hero from his sleep~” Even the usually aloof crow joined in, using its beak to peck at loose rubble. At three in the morning, the shovel clanged against something hard. I knelt down, shining my flashlight into the shallow pit—inside was a charred leg bone. “We found it!” The crow flapped its wings. “It’s the hero’s bones!” I immediately called the police again. Soon, the ruins were completely sealed off with police tape. When the complete charred skeleton was carefully extracted, everyone was shocked— The adult skeleton was curled up, and tightly protected in its embrace was the skeleton of an infant. “An adult male, and the little girl in his arms—both died of asphyxiation.” A cold female voice suddenly spoke, filled with regret and admiration. “The deceased must have tried to use his own body to protect the child, hoping to give her a chance to survive. He just didn’t expect… the child might have died even before him.” A female forensic examiner in a white coat was crouching by the pit taking notes, her eyes frighteningly calm. Just then, I heard the voice of the calico cat at my feet. “Oh, how pitiful. Her own husband is right in front of her, but this human can’t even recognize him.” My heart skipped a beat, and I blurted out. “This adult man is your husband!”

Dr. Hannah Sullivan, the forensic examiner, jerked her head up, her gaze cutting through me like a knife: “What did you say?” “These remains belong to Captain Lee,” I repeated with difficulty. “You and Captain Lee are married, right?” Hannah pulled down her mask, revealing a pale face, her lips twisting into a sarcastic arc. “Are you mocking me? The whole city knows my ex-husband was Liam Reed, but he was a deserter.” “Ma’am, he wasn’t a deserter—he was a hero!” I urgently pointed at the animals around us. “They all saw it. If you just compare Captain Lee’s DNA, you’ll definitely be able to—” Before I could finish, Hannah cut me off sharply. “Enough! Liam left his post without authorization before the second explosion, causing the water pressure to fail and triggering a bigger fire that killed 36 firefighters!” “That’s 36 lives, 36 broken families. He was too cowardly to take responsibility and fled abroad. How could such a coward possibly save people!” Her eyes were full of disappointment and sarcasm. “Most importantly, there was an eyewitness to the fire who saw him run away with their own eyes.” “If Liam dares to show his face, he won’t die by my hand, but someone will definitely tear him apart!” Hearing this, I stood frozen in place like I’d been struck by lightning. There was actually an eyewitness to the fire who saw Captain Lee flee. Could the information the animals conveyed have been wrong? The body was taken back to the police station, and I had no authority to inquire further. But I was worried that the deceased really was Captain Lee. For several days, I visited old residents near the ruins and animal witnesses. The old residents hated Captain Lee to the bone, so I didn’t dare to push them. But from the animal witnesses, I pieced together a rough version of the truth. This made me even more sad and distressed. That afternoon, I found the hero’s daughter, Lily Reed, at the gate of East Elementary School. I wanted to bring the child to do a DNA match with the deceased. Lily was holding hands with a man wearing glasses, smiling sweetly. The guard dog at the school gate complained in a low voice. “Glasses Man is the worst! Last time I was sleeping and he kicked me hard! All our friends around here have been bullied by him!” “Liam was so good. He’d pat our heads and give us food and water. We all liked him. Too bad we’ll never see him again.” I frowned and walked forward, looking at the young girl. “You’re Lily, right? I’m your father’s friend.” The girl looked at me timidly, and Kevin Harrison immediately pulled her protectively behind him. “I know all of Liam’s friends. Who are you?” I stared into his eyes. “Someone I met on the day of the fire seven years ago. A few days ago, we dug up unidentified remains from under the fire ruins. Do you know about this?” “He’s a deserter, so you must be the same kind of trash if you met him that day! Get away from us!” Kevin’s face suddenly darkened, and he pulled Lily away quickly. I didn’t chase them. Instead, the next day, with the help of the guard dog, I snuck into the school. By the playground, Lily sat alone on a swing. She hung her head. “My dad is a deserter. That’s what all my classmates say. They all hate me and won’t play with me.” I crouched down, looking directly into her eyes. “Lily, do you believe I can understand what small animals say?” “The swallows under the eaves remember that your dad left water for them on the windowsill every spring. The stray cats on the street corner remember that he always kept cat food in his pockets. Even the guard dog next to the fire station says Captain Lee was the bravest person it ever met.” The little girl’s eyes slowly brightened. “All the animals say your dad wasn’t a deserter, but a real hero. To rescue the children in the nursery, he rushed into the terrible fire without hesitation. It’s just that… he didn’t make it out in the end.” “I knew Daddy wasn’t bad!” The little girl looked up with teary eyes and grabbed my sleeve. “When Daddy came home before, he’d always pat my head and say, ‘Don’t worry, Daddy’s a fire captain. The fire will go around me.’” “He saved so many, so many people. He never ran away. He couldn’t be a deserter. But nobody believes me…”

Those words were like a key, suddenly unlocking my sealed memories. Seven years ago, I was trapped at home. The fire was too fierce to escape. When I thought I was going to die, an orange figure broke through the wall of flames, and powerful arms lifted me up. “Don’t be scared, little girl!” A steady voice came from behind the face mask. When he handed my dying body to the team members waiting outside, I desperately clutched his sleeve, which was blistered from the fire. “Sir, it’s too dangerous inside. Please don’t go back in.” He patted my head. “Don’t worry. I’m the fire captain. The fire will go around me.” So the person who saved me was Captain Lee. I crouched down, trembling all over, and hugged this child who had lost her father seven years ago, choking up. “I promise you, I’ll make sure your dad comes home with dignity, and let everyone know—he was a real hero!” Just then, sparrows perched on the swing frame chirped away. “I remember now! Captain Lee was already safe that day, but he rushed back in when he heard crying from the nursery!” The old crow on the wall flapped its wings. “That’s right! Before the second explosion, Captain Lee even pushed Glasses Man out the window!” I jerked my head up: “The man with glasses?” The calico cat emerged from the bushes, gracefully swishing its tail. “That’s the uncle who picked her up from school yesterday. He looked so pathetic then—his pants were torn by an iron hook. The hero even tied his own safety rope to him and rescued him.” In other words, he owed his life to Captain Lee, and clearly knew Captain Lee was still rescuing people before he died, yet he called Captain Lee a deserter. I was so angry my teeth itched. I got a hair sample from the little girl and was about to take it to the hospital myself for DNA comparison when the officer who took my first call found me instead. He hadn’t believed there were remains under the ruins before, but now that they’d been dug up, he looked at me with new respect. “Although the claim about understanding animal voices is too absurd to believe, it’s possible the remains belong to Captain Lee. I’ll apply with the captain in charge of the skeletal case to match the DNA. At the earliest, we should have results tomorrow.” The next day, before the results came in, news arrived that Kevin was proposing to the forensic examiner. Sparrows hopped around on the windowsill. “The hero is so pitiful. He’s been dead for so many years, and no one believed he was good. Now his wife is being deceived by a bad man. She’s getting all dressed up to meet him…” Kevin was proposing to the hero’s wife on the very day of the hero’s death anniversary? How shameless! My expression changed, and I immediately logged into a livestream platform and created a room. After thinking for a moment about the stream title, I solemnly typed: “【Finding the Lost Truth】—The Fire Captain Who Disappeared Seven Years Ago Was Not a Deserter, But a Hero!” I pointed the camera at myself with the familiar ruins in the background. Taking a deep breath, I began my story. “Everyone, friends, seven years ago there was a fire captain named Liam who was labeled a ‘deserter’ who caused many deaths. Everyone wanted him punished.” “But recently, guided by animals, his remains were found in the ruins in a protective posture over a child.” “The facts prove he wasn’t a deserter, but a hero who died seven years ago!” “Today, I’m going to show you the truth that’s been buried for seven years!” The stream had just started with few viewers, and occasional mocking comments floated by: “Nice script, streamer,” “Guided by animals? Escaped from a mental hospital?” I ignored them and said to the camera: “Now, my guide is here.”

As soon as I spoke, the old crow landed precisely in frame and flew off in a certain direction. “Humans, look over here! Follow me, I’ll take you to expose the villain’s true face!” 【Wow! This crow is possessed?】 【It’s staged, right?】 【But it really seems to be leading the way!】 People in the stream began discussing. I followed the crow to the hotel where he was proposing. Along the way, I kept relaying the “testimony” I heard from various animals in the livestream. The swallows under the eaves chirped away. “The smoke was so thick that day! The hero pushed Glasses Man out the window, but he couldn’t get out himself!” A stray dog barked to add: “After the hero left, the bad Glasses Man wasn’t grateful. He kept saying the hero ran away. He’s so bad, we should punish him~” Through my narration, the livestream quickly gained popularity, and comments began discussing details from seven years ago. Some began to doubt, others expressed shock. Just then, my phone suddenly rang. I answered, and a male voice threatened in a low tone. “Shut down the livestream immediately and stop your foolish behavior! Otherwise, watch out for you and your family!” I put it on speakerphone directly, exposing his voice, and responded calmly. “I’m just an unemployed person trying to bring a hero home. You’re threatening me—are you going to take away my unemployment benefits or smash my used smartphone?” “A real hero has been buried in ruins for seven years, bearing false accusations. If I’m afraid of your threats, how can I face Captain Lee who rescued me?” 【The streamer’s got guts!】 【I feel like the streamer is telling the truth! Support the streamer investigating to the end!】 This defiant attitude actually won more support. However, within a few minutes, my livestream signal began fluctuating violently, the screen froze, and then went completely black—the signal was forcibly cut. My account was even banned. “The bad guy is doing bad things!” the crow called out anxiously. My heart sank. “Human, take this!” Suddenly a little mouse dropped something and pushed it with its tiny paws. “We found this in the little hole at the very bottom of the ruins. It’s hard and not tasty, but it has the tall human’s scent!” It was a burned, warped wallet fragment with curled edges, almost carbonized. I carefully opened it. Inside the plastic layers stuck together was a severely damaged ID card with blurred text! Although the photo and most of the information were burned, Liam’s name and the faintly visible ID number at the end were like a spark in the darkness, instantly igniting my hope! “It’s the hero’s identification!” My voice trembled with excitement as I carefully stored this crucial evidence. “Let’s go to the venue!” At the banquet hall entrance, security tried to stop me. The crow suddenly let out a loud call, and several stray dogs cooperatively barked “woof woof.” A group of animals cleared the way for me. While the security was shocked, I pushed open the ajar door and burst in. At that moment, Kevin was holding a diamond ring, kneeling on one knee before Hannah Sullivan, looking deeply affectionate. “Hannah, let me take care of you and Lily…” “Dr. Sullivan! You can’t accept him!” I held up the damaged wallet, interrupting his proposal. “This was found by mice in the deepest part of the ruins, near Captain Lee’s remains! It’s a fragment of his ID!” “Your husband was never a deserter! He was a hero! Kevin, who said he was a deserter, has been lying all along!” As my words fell, the whole venue was shocked, everyone looking at me in disbelief. Hannah looked at what I was holding, her face turning deathly pale. “What?” Kevin stood up abruptly, forcing himself to stay calm. “Nonsense! You dare slander me with some trash you found somewhere. Liam was a deserter—that’s established fact!” I stared directly at him. “Captain Lee’s remains have been found in the ruins, and animals saw him rescue you and give you his safety rope!” “Animal testimony? Are you insane?” Kevin was beside himself with anger. “That skeleton is just an unidentified body right now. Why should we believe it’s Liam just because you say so? Besides, I saw him run away with my own eyes. He’s a deserter!” As the scene became extremely chaotic, several uniformed police officers strode in. Leading them was the captain in charge of the skeletal case. He looked serious, holding a document, and walked straight to Hannah Sullivan. “Dr. Sullivan, we just received the latest identification report. We did a paternity test using your daughter’s hair and the deceased from the ruins.” He announced clearly, word by word: “The comparison results show a parent-child relationship. The skeleton in the ruins is Captain Liam himself!”

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My fiancée’s childhood friend, Derek Hayes, loved playing pranks. The first time, he dyed my custom-tailored suit fluorescent green. He blinked innocently. “I just thought white was boring. Wanted to add some color for you.” The second time, he tampered with my wedding invitations, changing the venue from a five-star hotel to a cemetery in the suburbs. When I caught him, he said: “This is way more interesting! You should thank me for planning such a unique wedding!” The third time, he put industrial-strength hair removal cream in my facial cleanser. A week before the wedding, I lost almost all my hair and eyebrows. Every time, my fiancée Summer Whitmore would tell me: “Derek just likes joking around. He doesn’t mean any harm.” Because I loved her, I endured it all. Until our wedding night, when Derek’s gift was a blood-stained bedsheet. The moment I saw Summer shielding Derek, I knew it was time to end this relationship. The blood on the sheet was still fresh. I had just tossed it aside when Summer came through the door in her wrinkled wedding dress, surrounded by a crowd of people. The one with his arm around her was Derek. I stepped forward quickly, about to take Summer from him, but she instinctively pulled away. Summer realized her rejection was too obvious and awkwardly explained. “You reek of alcohol. Just let Derek take care of me.” Hearing this, I laughed in disbelief. After the wedding reception, I’d been forced to drink by Derek’s group of friends. As my wife, she hadn’t even been there, and now she had the nerve to complain about me? I lowered my gaze and noticed Summer’s weak legs, her body limp, her eyes unfocused. Combined with that still-damp blood-stained sheet, I suddenly understood where Summer had disappeared to for those hours—she had slept with Derek right before the wedding! “Where were you just now?” I asked, suppressing my rage, wanting to give Summer one more chance. She pressed her lips together, about to speak, when Derek cut in. “We just got married and you’re already this controlling with Summer?” Summer had always hated being interrupted. Once when I went to her office without knocking, she lectured me for a full thirty minutes. She even gave me the cold shoulder for half a month after that. But after Derek spoke, not only did she not get angry, she affectionately pinched his nose. “You’re always defending me. Be careful, or Logan might hold a grudge against you.” After hearing this, Derek shot me a provocative look. “You two are just a business marriage. Even if you’re married, she can only love me!” As he spoke, he pulled a lace thong from his pocket: “Summer, don’t forget your stuff. Otherwise he’ll just use it to start drama with you again.” Summer blushed and threw the underwear onto the bed, pouting coyly: “Derek, if you keep saying things like that, I’m going to get mad.” Her light fist landed on his chest. This wasn’t punishment. It was flirting. Derek grabbed her hand and planted a playful kiss on her fingertips. “Summer, you’re the best. You felt sorry that I’d never had a girlfriend, so tonight you finally showed me what a woman feels like.” Summer didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with fooling around with another man on her wedding night. She looked up at me. “Stop with the cold face. It’s supposed to be a happy day. I don’t want to fight with you.” “Fight?” I stared at the hickeys on her neck, my eyes turning red with fury. “Am I the one who wants to fight? Today is our wedding day, and you ran off to another man’s bed. Have you ever treated me like your husband?”

Summer didn’t take my anger seriously. She frowned impatiently. “What century is this? Is virginity really that important to you? If you care so much, I can just go to the hospital and get it fixed.” Seeing her indifferent attitude, I was completely disappointed. She was the one who’d told me her family was traditional and wouldn’t allow her to have sex before marriage. So for three years of dating, I’d held back and never actually slept with her. “By that logic, this wedding isn’t that important either. Since you don’t care, then find someone else to marry!” At this, Derek immediately put on an innocent expression. “Don’t fight because of me. I’ll just leave now.” He started walking toward the door. As he left, he didn’t forget to deliberately bump his shoulder into me. With a bang, the door closed, and Summer slapped me across the face. “Are you done? Do you have to drive Derek away before you’re satisfied?” “Do you have any idea how heartbroken Derek is that I’m marrying you?” “He’s already stepping aside for us. Can’t you be a little more gracious?” My throat tightened, my face stinging hot. At that moment, I couldn’t understand how the pure girl I’d fallen for had become this unreasonable. Summer grabbed her phone, preparing to leave. Before going, she didn’t forget to threaten me. “Let me tell you—if you want me to stay married to you, stop going after Derek!” After Summer left, the festive bridal suite fell into silence. Her parents somehow got word and rushed over. Seeing only me there, Summer’s father’s face showed frustration. “Logan, I failed to raise my daughter properly. I’ll go discipline her right now.” I looked up. “No need. The alliance between the Whitmore and Carter families is cancelled.” Summer’s father nearly collapsed to the floor. I had pursued Summer for three whole years. Global first-release designer bags always went to her first; When she wanted to hold an art exhibition, I bought the most luxurious gallery in the museum; When she wanted to act in movies, I bought an entertainment company just to serve her alone. To be with her, I moved my company’s headquarters to Riverside City. I even did business with her family at a loss just to please her parents. With my support, her father’s small company became a top 100 national enterprise. I thought I’d done everything I could for Summer, but there was always a Derek by her side. I remember the first time I met Summer’s parents, Derek walked out of Summer’s room wearing shorts. He sat on the couch and casually asked Summer. “Summer, how long are you planning to string this one along?” His attitude showed he didn’t consider me worth noticing at all. When Summer said I was her future fiancé, the look Derek gave me turned particularly cold. From then on, Derek targeted me relentlessly. On dates with Summer, he would secretly order food I was allergic to. Watching my entire face swell up, he’d laugh in my face. Every time he pulled a prank, Summer would say Derek was just joking. I kept thinking that after we got married, maybe she’d finally keep her distance from Derek. But Summer took my tolerance as permission and completely crossed the line. I called my secretary. “Cancel all cooperation with Whitmore Group. Withdraw all our investments in their company. From now on, whatever projects Whitmore Group wants, acquire them at any cost.”

“Also, the Hayes family’s company—I want to hear news of their bankruptcy within three days.” After the call, I took a photo of the blood-stained sheet. Then I posted it on Instagram. **[Thanks to my ex-fiancée’s boyfriend for the wedding gift.]** The next second, my phone exploded. Summer’s calls came in the most. “What’s that post supposed to mean? Don’t you know Derek is applying to Ivy League schools? What you posted could ruin his chances!” I didn’t respond, hung up decisively, and blocked her number. At 3 AM, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. I opened my phone and saw Derek had updated his Instagram. He posted a bar photo—Summer leaning against Derek’s shoulder, her cheeks flushed. Caption: **What’s a husband compared to a friend? May our friendship last forever!** The comments were full of likes. One friend, unhappy with their behavior, commented: “Summer’s about to get married. You two should keep your distance!” Summer replied directly in the comments: “It’s just having drinks with a friend. If Logan can’t even handle that, we just won’t get married.” Expressionless, I liked the post. After taking a few sleeping pills, I finally felt drowsy. That’s when my phone rang—a friend calling. “Logan, this is bad. Summer’s causing a scene at the bar. Come help!” My head was fuzzy. It took me a moment to process what he’d said. “I’m not going. Why would you call me? Just call the cops.” “If you don’t come, Summer’s going to get hurt!” my friend urged. Summer’s screams came through the phone. Even though I’d decided to cut ties with her, we had dated after all. I couldn’t just let her get hurt. I dragged myself out of bed and headed to the bar. The moment I pushed open the bar door, a bucket of red wine poured down from above. Seeing me drenched and pathetic, Derek doubled over laughing. “Logan Carter, you’re such an idiot. All it took was a made-up excuse to get you here.” Summer sat on the couch, confidently raising an eyebrow. “See, Derek? I told you Logan is just a lovesick puppy who won’t leave. No matter what I do, he can’t bear to walk away from me.” Derek sat back down next to Summer. “I lost the bet. How are you going to punish me?” The crowd egged them on. “How else? Kiss her!” Summer blushed. “My fiancé is right here. You guys are too much.” Her mouth said no, but her body leaned honestly against Derek. I walked up, grabbed an open champagne bottle nearby, and poured it directly over their heads. Summer shrieked at me. “Logan Carter, have you lost your mind?!” Derek’s curly hair was plastered wetly to his forehead, making him look like a drowned rat. Summer immediately grabbed tissues to wipe him off, full of concern. She glared up at me. “Logan, Derek just likes pranks! He doesn’t mean any harm! Why are you being so petty!” I scoffed. “So sleeping together was just a prank too?” Summer’s face turned crimson. Finally, she stood up and shoved me hard. The champagne tower scattered across the floor. I fell onto broken glass, pain shooting through my back.

“That’s enough! Interrogating me like a lunatic—what’s the point?” I braced myself against the wall, watching Derek lean intimately against Summer’s shoulder, and suddenly felt completely drained. But I refused to back down. “What? You had the nerve to make me a cuckold, but not the guts to let me call you out?” Derek tugged at Summer’s sleeve, looking pitiful. “Summer, forget it. It’s just getting a drink poured on me. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have pranked him.” When I got drenched in red wine, Summer laughed and called it a prank. But when Derek got his hair a little wet, Summer couldn’t wait to defend him. Summer looked at me with disappointment. “Derek is younger than you and more forgiving! Can’t you learn something from him?” I sneered. “Learn what? Learn to sleep with someone else’s fiancée?” Before I could finish, Summer punched me in the face. “Apologize to Derek!” I swallowed the blood in my throat. “In your dreams!” Derek pretended to be frightened and stepped back. “Logan looks so scary. What if he ends up abusing you later?” He tested the waters: “Summer, since my friends are all here, maybe I should teach Logan how to be a considerate husband?” Summer heard this and gave an almost imperceptible nod. The next second, fists rained down on me. Derek stepped on my face, bent down, and whispered in my ear. “Logan Carter, so what if you married Summer? The most important person in her heart will always be me.” I struggled to get up in fury. Derek picked up my car keys from the ground and said to Summer: “Summer, I haven’t had a car lately. I’ll just take this Maybach.” Summer nodded, not giving me a second glance. All these years, whenever Derek asked, even my most prized possessions had to be handed over. I pushed myself up against the wall, trying to get my things back. But Summer thought I was going to hit Derek, so she had her friends surround me. A kick sent me back to the ground. My head slammed against the table corner, and suddenly everything went red. Seeing this, Summer rushed toward me in panic. “Logan! I—” Derek dramatically blocked her path. “Logan! You’re so manipulative! You poured wine on your own head just to trick Summer!” “Summer, don’t fall for it. He’s faking. How could anyone bleed this much?” Summer actually believed him and stopped in her tracks. “Logan Carter, think about what you’ve done!” With that, she led everyone out of the private room. I lay in a pool of blood, my vision swimming. I picked up my phone and numbly dialed a number: “The video I recorded earlier… you can release it now.”

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I had been secretly in love with Anderson for five years when he finally saved up enough money to propose ending our arrangement. “Let’s end this. I don’t want to live like this anymore. Besides, I’ve found someone I like.” His spine was ramrod straight, his eyes filled with determination as he looked at me. In my past life, I was stung by his coldness. In a fit of rage, I tore up his money. I trampled him underfoot and toyed with him even more recklessly. So much so that later, after lying low for years, the first thing he did after achieving success was to destroy my family’s business. He kept me captive in a basement, torturing me in every way imaginable. In the end, unable to bear it any longer, I fled in panic when he came to bring me food. I ran headlong into traffic and died right in front of him. So in this second life, I smoothly took his money. Lifting my chin, I said, “Have a good trip. I won’t see you out.” Anderson froze, his eyes full of wariness. As if to say, “What are you up to now?” I simply pulled out his suitcase. Almost urgently, I stuffed his clothes inside. A flash of embarrassment crossed his face as he snatched the coat from my hands. Coldly, he said, “I’ll do it myself.” I let go, crossing my arms and letting him handle it. Anderson had been a famous genius in New York since childhood. Handsome and from a well-off family, the girls who wrote him love letters could fill the busiest street in town. And I was one of the most unremarkable among them. Anderson had never paid me any attention. So when his family fell on hard times and he went from a wealthy young master to an impoverished student, I instinctively rushed to “lend a helping hand.” After all, no one could resist the chance to possess a star. “Babe, are you bored with him already?” My friend suddenly linked arms with me affectionately, excitement flashing in her eyes. “If you’re done playing, can you give him to me?” Instantly, the room fell deathly silent. Anderson’s body tensed, his handsome profile cold as a sculpture. I was silent for two seconds, then shrugged. “If he’s willing, sure.” This was what he had said to me in my past life. After keeping me locked up for nearly a year, he once whispered drunkenly while choking my neck: “Why won’t you speak? I’m bored with you anyway. How about I give you to someone else?” I trembled all over, kneeling and begging him through my tears. “Please, don’t give me to someone else. I’ll do whatever you say.” He was very satisfied then, pulling me into his arms with a low laugh. But a few days later one evening, a man broke in. His naked gaze fixed on me in my thin clothing. In the end, I resisted with all my might. I held on until Anderson burst in. That day, the man was dragged out covered in blood. But I hated Anderson desperately, slapping him repeatedly like a madwoman. He didn’t fight back, just silently scrubbed me until I was nearly raw. Only when I begged hoarsely for mercy did he let me go. Pulling my thoughts back, Anderson suddenly turned around, his ears and neck flushing red. As if both ashamed and hurt. Without finishing his packing, he grabbed his nearly empty suitcase and stormed out. In the night, a female voice spoke eagerly at the door. “Anderson, I’m here to pick you up.” Milia stood waiting at the door in a faded dress, her eyes bright. She was Anderson’s current neighbor, sometimes helping to look after Anderson’s mentally unstable mother. In my past life, after Anderson rose to power, she naturally became Mrs. Anderson. When I was running a food stall, she would constantly bring friends to harass me. In the moonlight, Anderson’s retreating figure was resolute. But as he got in the car, he suddenly paused, turning back with turbulent darkness in his eyes. “Linda, every second with you makes me utterly disgusted.” With that, he drove off without waiting for my response. I leaned against the doorframe, my indifferent face showing weary fatigue. The word “disgusted” – he had said it many times before. When we went out together. When he was forced to get a tattoo of my name. Even when we were in bed. No matter how closely our bodies pressed together, we were like two coiled snakes that never trusted each other.

After sending Anderson away, I returned to my carefree life. I attended classes as usual during the day, and in my free time played sports and drank coffee with friends. But one day after a shopping trip to Paris, I suddenly realized the birthday necklace my mom gave me was missing. After thinking hard, I guessed it most likely fell into Anderson’s suitcase that day. After much hesitation, I still made the trip to his place. Because the location was remote and narrow, I had to park my car at the entrance and walk into the alley. When Milia saw me, she immediately rushed over, blocking my way with a wary expression. “What are you doing here! You’re not welcome here, leave now!” She pushed me forcefully. As we struggled, an O-shaped chain with blue crystals at her neckline flashed by. That was my missing necklace. My mind buzzed as I reached out to grab it. Suddenly, Anderson’s mother ran out. Milia excitedly said to her: “This is the bad woman who bullies Anderson!” Anderson’s mother was already mentally unstable. Incited by her words, she immediately started hitting me frantically. “Bad woman, you’re the one who made Anderson stop talking! Made him cry! I’ll beat you to death!” She had tremendous strength. My face instantly turned red. But as I struggled to grab her hand, we both fell to the ground. “Mom!” Standing at the alley entrance, Anderson’s eyes widened as he ran over with long strides. Anderson’s mother instantly became like a wronged child, throwing herself into his arms. Milia cried, her expression frightened: “Linda came here for no reason to cause trouble for us, and even hit your mother.” The fall had caused my ankle to swell up badly, now throbbing like needles. But hearing her complete lies, I grabbed her collar and pulled out the necklace. Suppressing my anger, I said: “This is mine! You’re a thief, and I didn’t hit anyone!” Milia’s face flushed red as she bit her lip pitifully: “I found this. If you had just said so, I would have returned it. Why did you have to hit people?” “I didn’t hit—” “Enough!” Anderson coldly interrupted me, scooping up his mother. Looking down at me: “Linda, stop making excuses.” With that, as if even looking at me was disgusting, he turned and left. Milia smugly lifted her chin at me, following Anderson inside. A heavy door slam was like a slap across my face. I pretended not to care, but my eyes still burned. After sniffling, I slowly got up and shuffled out, supporting myself against the wall. The sky darkened. This area was a mixed bag, and passing men looked at me with ill intent. Finally, seeing I was helpless, a man reeking of alcohol approached me. “Hey beautiful chic, need some help?” His large hand reached toward my face. I backed away, my fingers trembling as I reached for my phone. But just as I was about to call the police, The man suddenly screamed and fell to the ground. I looked up sharply to see Anderson, who had just thrown a punch. Full of hostility, he approached me. I nervously swallowed. “What are you going to—ah!” Before I could finish, my body was lifted into the air. He silently carried me on his back, walking out quickly and steadily. My body stiffened, my eyes suddenly wet, my mind uncontrollably flashing to scenes from before. A year ago, after fighting with him, I fell and got injured while hiking in the mountains. I held tightly to Anderson’s back and gave in: “Please don’t leave me behind. I won’t fight with you anymore.” “There are bugs and mosquitoes and snakes here! I’m so scared…” Perhaps my submissive appearance was too funny. Laughter kept escaping from his throat, his body trembling slightly with it. He carried me on his back for an hour on that path. When we got down, he was soaked through. But he never put me down for a single second. Anderson walked very fast. When we got to the car, he roughly shoved me inside. His tone seemed angry yet lecturing. “Are you out of your mind? Wearing a dress and running to a place like this! Do you know what kind of people are here? I—” He rambled on for a while before realizing he’d said too much. Abruptly stopping, he irritably ran his hand through his hair. As he turned away, his eyes darkened: “Linda, don’t come here again.” “This isn’t a place for you.” The last sentence was both light and heavy, quickly merging with the night. I didn’t want to listen anymore, pathetically starting the car in a hurry, afraid that if I stayed any longer, I’d expose my reddened eyes. After returning, I came down with a high fever. Mom kept me at the family home, and I lay sick for three whole days.

By the fourth morning, I couldn’t take it anymore, so I made dinner plans with a friend. William drove over in a flashy sports car and took me to our usual restaurant. “Linda, you’re really not cool. Why is it so hard to get you out?” William pulled out my chair while teasing me. I rolled my eyes at him and leisurely ordered. “Pan-seared sole, French terrine…” As my words fell, a familiar voice responded. “Right away, please wait.” I froze, looking up to see Anderson’s cold face. As if he didn’t recognize me, he served dutifully and professionally. My fingers twitched involuntarily, vaguely recalling scenes from my past life when I fought with him because I couldn’t bear him working part-time. “I’m giving you money, why do you still need to work? Just focus on school, and spend the rest of your time with me!” But he just looked coldly at me losing it, then stubbornly said: “Linda, I’m not your pet canary.” I was hurt by his expression and spoke without thinking: “Haven’t you spent my money? Even the clothes on your back are what I bought you!” Without a word, Anderson started stripping off his clothes in the street. “I’ll give it all back to you. What else do you want? Tell me!” Scared, I threw myself at him, immediately compromising and soothing him. “Never mind, calm down.” In the three years we were together, although he seemed controlled by me on the surface, he was always the one with the upper hand emotionally. A snap of fingers suddenly sounded in front of my eyes. William’s handsome face, full of spirit, enlarged before me. His tone melancholic: “He’s already gone, what are you daydreaming about?” My face suddenly flushed as I pushed my hand against his face. William yelped and fell back with the force. “Babe, give up. Your parents will never approve.” Thinking of something, he leaned forward slightly, his eyes showing a hint of seriousness. “If you really want to get married, what do you think of me?” My movement of drinking paused, my eyes shifting slightly. As my gaze fell on William’s striking features, my heart suddenly pounded. Even though I’d seen this face for over twenty years, it was undeniably handsome. But… “Your order.” A cold, mechanical male voice suddenly interrupted my thoughts. Exposed to Anderson’s gaze, I awkwardly raised my glass to drink. William didn’t care, raising an eyebrow casually. Fortunately, Anderson left after serving the dishes. But William wasn’t going to let me off, continuing his earlier proposal. “Our families are well-matched in status, we have an emotional foundation, and as for looks, well, you’re getting the better deal…” I burst out laughing at his joke. The server bringing soup seemed startled and spilled it all over my hand. “Ah!” William’s expression changed instantly. He pushed that person away and checked my hand. Milia fell to the ground, her crying immediately drawing a crowd, including Anderson. My hand started blistering. The restaurant manager immediately took me to run it under cold water. William couldn’t swallow this insult, pointing at the still-crying Milia: “Not even an apology. Fire this server.” Anderson’s face turned iron-gray as he stood in front of her. Looking at me, he said word by word: “I’m sorry. I’ll apologize for her, is that enough?” His impatient tone made it seem like I was the instigator. William sneered, openly sizing him up for a few seconds. “Doesn’t she have a mouth?” The atmosphere became tense instantly. Though William usually joked around with me, he’d been pampered since childhood and couldn’t tolerate being challenged. I took a deep breath and blocked William. “Go buy some medicine for me. I can handle this myself.” He glanced at me, reluctantly pulling at the corner of his mouth, but still dutifully headed out. After William left, I calmly said to Milia: “You should apologize to me.” Milia’s eyes were very red, her voice weak: “I didn’t mean to, it’s because you laughed so loud—” I interrupted her: “Whether it was intentional or not, you burned me. You should apologize, shouldn’t you?” Milia cried again. The manager was also getting impatient. “If you don’t apologize, don’t bother coming in tomorrow!” Milia’s face went pale. She looked at me tremblingly, like a little white flower swaying in the wind. Anderson couldn’t watch anymore and grabbed my wrist. His voice low: “Enough, Linda!” “She’s from a poor family. She relies on this salary to make ends meet. Why are you being so aggressive?” So asking for an apology had become me being aggressive. Anderson was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled. Lifting his eyelids to look at me. “It’s all because of me that you’re making trouble for Milia, isn’t it?” I shook my head: “You’re overthinking it.” Anderson suddenly stepped closer, his eyes shooting cold light. “Still denying it? Going to my house, coming to my workplace – don’t you know what you’re up to!” “You just want to force me back, don’t you? Linda, you—” “You’re really overthinking it.” I decisively cut him off. Dying miserably in the street in my past life was warning enough. I wasn’t shameless enough to insist on him. Seeing Anderson’s obvious disbelief, A flash of William’s proposal crossed my mind. So I looked at him calmly and said: “Anderson, you can rest assured, because I’m getting engaged.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “361498”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #魔幻Magic #惊悚Thriller #重生Reborn

On my wedding day, my wife brought her lover to crash the ceremony. She secretly showed me their intimate videos, and her lover mocked me, saying I wasn’t as good as him in bed. In my rage, I hit her lover. But she joined forces with my family and had me committed to a psychiatric hospital. Even my own parents, wanting to give my company to my brother, testified to the police that I was mentally unstable, even producing plenty of evidence. On the wedding day, almost everyone with a name in New York showed up. I arrived early at the venue, warmly welcoming friends and family. But Lena was two whole hours late. When she arrived, her face was flushed, with hickeys on her neck. Her wedding dress looked like it had been torn, her long hair was disheveled, and when she lifted her skirt, even her white stockings were ripped. The moment I saw her, everyone—including me—was shocked, and then their gazes gradually turned knowing. She didn’t come alone. She brought Tony with her. This Tony was her childhood friend, supposedly they almost got together once. It was only because Tony went abroad that they didn’t end up together. Recently Tony had returned, and they’d been meeting up frequently. I’d questioned her about it, but she said she and Tony didn’t have that kind of relationship. Honestly, I didn’t really believe her, but my company was too entangled with her family. This marriage had to continue. So I endured it. After Lena got on stage, she didn’t even glance at me. Instead, she snatched the microphone from the officiant and said, “Everyone, the wedding will proceed as planned, but I want to change the groom.” Her words caused an uproar throughout the venue. I saw Tony smirking at me maliciously. Lena walked up to me, held out her phone in front of my face, and said, “See for yourself.” On the screen, she was wearing her wedding dress, engaged in vigorous combat with Tony. She’d deliberately left the sound on, so even though others couldn’t see the screen, they could hear the audio and naturally knew what the video contained. I took a deep breath and asked as calmly as possible, “You know how important this marriage is. Do you really need to make a scene like this?” Lena smiled faintly. “If Tony hadn’t come back, I could have reluctantly married you and then flown overseas to sleep with Tony. But now that Tony’s back and agreed to marry me, why would I marry you?” I nodded. “So when you kept saying you were going abroad for business, you were actually going to see Tony?” Lena smiled and nodded. “That’s right. I saved videos every time. Want to watch them?” I shook my head and smiled. “I’ll pass on that. It’s just that sort of thing anyway—not like I haven’t seen it before. But I’ll give you some advice: let’s continue the wedding and deal with the aftermath after we’re married.” Tony scoffed and said loudly, “Torres, stop dreaming about marrying Lena. You’re too weak. I’m way better than you. Lena finds being with you disgusting. Don’t you get it? Compared to me, you don’t even count as a man!” “Why do this?” I shook my head with a bitter smile. “Why make such a scene? How are we supposed to resolve this?” As I spoke, I threw a punch. Tony immediately fell backward, his mouth full of blood, spitting out several teeth. I stepped forward again, raised my foot, and stomped down hard on Tony’s vital area. He screamed—the sound almost feminine. Lena rushed at me and pushed me. “How dare you hit Tony?” I glanced at the guests below and smiled faintly. “I had to. Otherwise, the whole city will know I’m weak, and I won’t be able to do business anymore.” Lena swung her hand to slap me, but I caught her wrist directly. I shook my head and smiled. “I never hit women, but I have one flaw—sometimes I can’t tell men and women apart.” I struck her across the face, sending Lena flying.

At that moment, Lena’s sister Mira rushed onto the stage with people and had me restrained by a group. My parents and my brother also immediately rushed over. My dad shouted, “Someone come quick! My son’s having another mental breakdown! Take him to the psychiatric hospital!” My mom cried out, “My life is so hard! How did my perfectly good son become mentally ill? I don’t even want to live anymore!” My brother Alex hugged my waist and shouted, “Torres, please snap out of it! Today is your wedding day—you can’t have an episode!” Mental illness? Fine. On my wedding day, betrayed by everyone close to me, is that it? I let out a sinister laugh, lowered my center of gravity, unified my stance, and suddenly raised my knee, slamming it hard into Alex’s groin. “Ahhhh!” Alex screamed and instantly collapsed to his knees before me. But no matter how good a fighter I was, I couldn’t take on dozens of people. Before long, they had me captured. Then I was sent to a psychiatric hospital. They used many straps to bind me to a chair. Only my family remained in the room, along with the sisters Lena and Mira. As for Tony, he seemed too severely injured and was in the hospital. Oh right, Alex had also gone to the hospital. I looked at them almost maniacally and said, “Why are you doing this to me?” No one spoke. I continued shouting, “After all these years, haven’t I been good to you?” “You only have your current success because Alex gave up his studies so you could go to college!” My mom shouted. I laughed. “He failed every single subject since childhood. In the end, he got expelled for getting into a gang fight. Is it my fault he couldn’t go to college? And I went to college on student loans and scholarships from the school and government. Did I spend a single cent of yours?” My dad roared, “If you’d given that money to Alex to invest in cryptocurrency, he’d be a multimillionaire by now!” Just as I expected, no matter what, they always favored Alex. Lena covered her swollen face and sneered, “Torres, I’ll be honest with you. Today’s scene was all planned by us. Mira was the mastermind. The goal was to get you committed to a psychiatric hospital so Alex could take over your company. And the marriage alliance with my family will now be between Alex and Mira.” I glared at Mira. “I really underestimated you. You look so small and sweet, but you have the most vicious heart of all!” Mira gave me a sweet smile. “It’s all about money. You can’t blame me for that.” Then she took out her phone and showed me many videos. These videos all showed me losing my temper and smashing things. Each time I lost my temper, it was because my parents deliberately provoked me, or because Alex had lost money gambling in Las Vegas. But now, these would become evidence that I was mentally ill. Lena closed her phone. “Oh, by the way, I’ll have the doctor inject you with a certain drug. Even if you’re not mentally ill, you’ll be diagnosed as such.”

They left, and I really did become mentally ill. At first, Lena and my parents would occasionally come to see me. Of course, they weren’t visiting—they were checking to see if I’d completely lost my mind. Each time they came, they would beat me, because Tony and Alex were now crippled. I’d hit their vital areas too hard, and it would take a long time for them to recover. As a result, even Alex and Mira’s wedding had to be postponed. But Lena still proudly boasted that my company was now under Mira’s control. Apparently, they’d worked things out with the board of directors and pushed Mira into the CEO position. Each time I cursed them out, but the more I cursed, the more excited they seemed. Later, they became too lazy to visit, but Mira came every day. She would provoke me daily, making me extremely depressed and agitated, then record videos and share them in their group chat. Eventually I started breaking down, begging them to let me go. My breakdown excited them even more. They’d come frequently to humiliate me and enjoy my suffering. Tony, who’d been discharged from the hospital, hadn’t fully recovered but could move freely. He sat across from me, his arm around Lena, and said, “Torres, beg me. If you beg nicely enough, maybe I’ll let you go.” As he spoke, he tried to kiss Lena. But Lena dodged, and he missed. Tony looked embarrassed, then threw things at me to vent his frustration. Alex also tried to kiss Mira, but she slapped him across the face. Mira looked as cute as a Lolita, but her eyes were ice-cold. “You pathetic waste. Even though we’ve announced our engagement, it’s just a business marriage. Do you really think a loser like you can touch me?” I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Alex, oh Alex. A loser is a loser. No one will ever respect you.” Alex rushed at me like a mad dog and threw a punch. But I headbutted him. Though my hands and feet were bound, I bit down on his neck. “Ahhhhhhh!” Alex screamed, but didn’t dare struggle. Because I was biting hard. The more violently he struggled, the more it would hurt. I shook my neck like a wild animal, tearing off a chunk of flesh and skin, then spat it out. Alex covered his bleeding neck, already crying from fear. He’d even wet himself. Lena said coldly, “Torres, you’re already like this and you’re still acting tough?” I smiled at her. “Lena, you all want my company. You think making me mentally ill is enough? Do you know how complex my company’s equity structure is? Even if I died, the company wouldn’t fall into your hands.” Lena looked at Mira in surprise. Mira sighed and nodded. “The company’s equity structure is extremely complex, one layer nested within another. There are even some funds involved. In short, it’s very complicated. I don’t have a particularly good solution yet.” “Useless!” Lena cursed angrily. “Mira, have you forgotten who you are? If it weren’t for my parents, you’d be an orphan. Now I’m asking you to do something and you can’t even manage it. Why don’t you just die?” Mira hung her head, not daring to speak. I laughed heartily. “Good, good, good! Dogs turning on each other!” “Shut up!” Tony shouted, then said to Mira, “Mira, is there really no way at all?”

“There is a way, but it requires capital injection.” Mira sighed. “No matter how complex his equity structure is, it doesn’t really matter. As long as we change the legal representative, then inject capital to dilute the shares, we can get the major stake. But being the legal representative carries great risk too.” “Mira, don’t say another word!” I shouted. Seeing my agitation, Lena quickly said, “First figure out how to change the legal representative!” Mira nodded. “It’s not difficult. After all, Torres is already mentally ill. Changing it to Alex should be no problem.” But Alex shook his head vigorously. “I don’t want to be the legal representative. I just want money!” He was afraid of being the legal representative because the risk was too great—he’d be the one taking the fall. Lena looked at me, then at Mira, and suddenly smiled. “How about this—I’ll arrange for you and Torres to get a marriage certificate. Then you can be the legal representative.” Mira’s eyes widened. “Lena, you’re setting me up!” Lena sneered, “If you want to know who your biological parents are, then listen to me. Otherwise, you’ll never know in this lifetime!” Tony also threatened, “We know where your biological parents are buried. If you don’t agree, we’ll dig up their graves!” Mira collapsed to the floor, hugging her knees and crying, but she nodded. She could only nod. This psychiatric hospital was funded by Mira, and everyone inside listened to her. So changing my medical records was very easy. They first altered my records, had Mira and me get our marriage certificate, then changed the records again. This way, Mira and I were legally married. Then Mira used my mental illness as grounds to change the legal representative. Next, Lena’s family and Tony’s family basically bet everything they had, obtained cash flow, and injected capital to dilute the equity. In just half a year, Mira already held forty-five percent of the shares. Another half year passed, and they’d also recovered much of the equity from the board shareholders. In one year’s time, Mira already held sixty-five percent of the shares. And on this day, they actually let me out and brought me to the company’s main conference room. They even dressed me in a suit, making me look presentable. Lena sat like a queen in the chairman’s seat, with Tony beside her, while Mira could only stand behind her. Besides them, my parents, Lena’s parents, Tony’s parents, and the shareholders who still had stakes were all there. Especially those shareholders—when they saw me, they couldn’t help but sigh. Darren, who’d started the business with me, sighed. “Torres, back then it took us just three years—only three years to build this company. Who could have imagined it would come to this?” I smiled bitterly, saying nothing. Lena laughed coldly. “Torres, you don’t even know that when I first pursued you, it was all to drain you dry. I never expected you’d be so shrewd in business, yet so impulsive that you’d let this waste Mira scheme you into mental illness, and even lose your company to us.” I smiled bitterly. “So you never loved me, did you?” Lena laughed loudly. “I never imagined that even at this point, you’re still thinking about romance. You’re such a pathetic waste.” I sighed and continued, “If I’m not mistaken, since all the shareholders are here, they’re already on your side, right? Since that’s the case, at least let me die knowing the truth. I want to know exactly how you planned all this.” Lena smiled faintly, looking very smug. “Since you want to know, I’ll tell you everything!”

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We met at five. I “married” him at twenty-five. Adrian Chase guarded me for twenty full years. I said I wanted the stars, and the next day he bought the naming rights to an asteroid. Everyone said I was the love of his life. Until the lawyer slid a document across the table. “Miss Winters, legally speaking, you are not married.” In the spouse column, a different name was printed clearly: Luna Sterling. My housekeeper’s daughter. Date of registration: the day after our wedding that shook the entire city. So for five years, I’d been sleeping in someone else’s marriage. Loving someone else’s husband. Worse still, while I lay on an operating table clutching my belly, miscarrying, he was on his knees before another woman, sliding the ring that should have been mine onto her finger. He accused me of framing Luna. “Iris Winters, when did you become so vicious?” I smiled. He asked why I didn’t explain. Why I didn’t fight. Why I didn’t beg. Explain what? That those twins in my belly were killed by his own hands? Or that Luna, the fragile woman trembling at his side, didn’t even share his blood type? But I said none of it. I disappeared from his world just like that, as cleanly as if he’d never loved me at all. So tell me, Adrian, now that I’m gone, why are you tearing the world apart looking for me?

Iris POV Everyone thought I was the woman Adrian treasured above all else. He’d guarded me for twenty-five years, from a confused girl to the billionaire who ruled an empire. If I so much as frowned, he could turn half the city upside down. Yet this same man had lied to me for five years. Completely upended my life. …… In the law office, the cold leather sofa pressed into my spine. I’d come to handle the inheritance of my grandfather’s estate. Instead, the lawyer told me something utterly absurd. “Miss Winters, legally speaking, you are single.” I thought I’d misheard. I forced a strained smile. “Adrian and I have been married for five years. The whole city knows.” That wedding five years ago had shaken the entire city. Adrian had deployed three hundred drones to spell out my name in the night sky. He’d also covered an entire island with nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine roses flown in from Holland. That day, I was the happiest bride in the city. How could I be unmarried? The lawyer slid a document across the table. Black and white. His expression was sympathetic. “Mr. Adrian’s legal spouse is someone else. A woman named Luna.” My fingertips went ice-cold. My mind buzzed. The housekeeper’s daughter. That girl who always kept her head down, spoke in soft whispers, looked gentle and pitiful. My breath caught. My heart ached until my vision blurred. I forced myself to read the critical information in that document. Spouse: Luna Sterling. Date of registration: Five years ago. The day after our wedding of the century. With a deafening crash, everything I’d believed for twenty-five years came tumbling down. From the day we met at five, to the day I “married” him at twenty-five, Adrian had been my faith. I loved him to the bone, trusted him more than I trusted myself. I never checked his phone, never questioned his schedule, because the security he gave me once made me feel nothing could destroy us. But reality slapped me hard across the face. I don’t know how I walked out of that law office. I started my car, merged into the city traffic, driving aimlessly. Harsh sunlight flooded the interior, but couldn’t dispel the chill in my heart. My phone screen lit up. Adrian had sent a text, his tone commanding: “Bought that blue diamond you like at the auction overseas. Take a shower and wait for me in bed tonight.” A flawless blue diamond had appeared at a London auction recently. Adrian had said that shade of blue resembled my eyes, that only I was worthy of it. I looked at the text, finding it ironic. Just then, my car stopped at the entrance to a private dock. Through the iron gate, I saw that familiar yacht. It was the twentieth birthday gift Adrian had given me. Adrian was standing on the yacht’s deck, embracing another woman. That woman wore a white dress, her hair flowing to her waist. It was Luna. The next second, Adrian gripped the back of her neck and kissed her. The guests’ cheering around them was carried away by the sea breeze, blurred and unclear. Those tender memories flashed through my mind, scene by scene. At eighteen, I received an acceptance letter from a top foreign design institute. He stood downstairs through a blizzard all night, begging me not to go. The next day, he burned with fever and fell unconscious, still calling my name in his delirium. I softened, tore up the acceptance letter, and stayed. At twenty, a star player from the school football team gave me roses. Adrian beat him in front of the whole school until his bones broke, then buried my car with thousands of roses, possessively declaring, “Iris is mine. Anyone who touches her dies.” At twenty-two, to attend the same university as me, he gave up the Ivy League school his family had arranged, condescending to come to my school, spending four years with me. Once, these were all proof he loved me to the bone. But now, these soul-deep vows had all become lies. I laughed until tears streamed down, laughed until my whole body trembled. Twenty-five years. I’d used my entire life only to move myself. If that’s the case, then this man who’d occupied my entire existence should be completely excised. I wiped away my tears. I didn’t go home. I returned to the law office instead. “Mr. Louis.” I sat back on the sofa, my voice calm and emotionless. “I want to liquidate and sell all the Winters family assets in this city. Don’t leave a single property.” The lawyer froze. “Miss Winters, you…” I picked up the contract on the table, swiftly signing my name. “In half a day, half the Winters assets have already changed hands. Move faster.” The lawyer looked at my resolute expression and finally nodded. “Processing all assets will take ten days at most.” Ten days. I repeated that number silently.

Iris POV When I returned to the villa, Adrian was already waiting. He sat on the sofa, his gaze pinning me like an ice pick. “Gone all afternoon. Where were you?” He couldn’t reach me. These few hours had exhausted his patience. I looked at him, my mind filled with images of him kissing Luna on the yacht. “Why aren’t you speaking?” Seeing my silence, Adrian stood and approached step by step. His long arm reached out, gripping my waist. “Want me to punish you again?” My body stiffened. I remembered when I was twenty. We’d argued. I’d run to the beach to surf in defiance. Adrian went crazy, deploying helicopters to search the whole city. After finding me, he locked me in a beach villa for two whole months. Only after I cried and swore never to disappear again did he release me, eyes red. I feared him, feared that crazed need for control. Right now, I couldn’t let him see through me, couldn’t expose that I was planning to leave. “I…” I clenched my fingers, forcing myself to calm down, my voice trembling. “I went to the hospital.” I couldn’t tell him I was pregnant. Already three months along. Adrian’s expression changed immediately, his hand on my waist loosening slightly. He thought I’d gone behind his back again to try those painful fertility tests. He immediately switched to a distressed expression, bending to kiss my forehead, his voice low and husky. “Didn’t I tell you not to go anymore? I’ve said it before-you’re enough for me. I don’t want to see you suffer like that.” If this were yesterday, I might still have been moved by this performance. But now, I only found it ironic. Adrian’s phone rang. He took a call, gave brief instructions, then turned and left. Half an hour after he left, my phone received a file from an unknown number. It was an audio recording. I clicked it. Adrian’s familiar voice came through, mixed with the clink of glasses. “Luna’s four months pregnant. I need to give her a title.” A friend asked, surprised. “What about your wife? I thought you were crazy about her?” “Iris can’t have children.” Adrian’s voice was tired. “The board is breathing down my neck. The Chase family needs an heir.” My face slowly drained of color. In the recording, the friend let out a sigh. “Can’t blame the old man, I guess. If he hadn’t made you give Iris that infertility drug back then, and forbidden you from marrying her, you wouldn’t be in this mess now.” Infertility drug… I was struck by lightning. My blood turned to ice. I remembered the wedding night five years ago. Adrian had personally fed me a cup of warm liquid, gently coaxing, “Good girl, these are vitamin supplements the doctor prescribed. They’re good for your health. We’ll have a baby soon.” So from the very beginning, he never intended to let me bear his child. That marriage certificate he claimed was lost and never replaced-it had been forged all along. At the end of the recording was Adrian’s low murmur. “I love Iris. That will never change. But when I’m with Luna, my heart is peaceful-the kind of peace Iris can’t give me.” The friend snorted, cutting straight to the point. “You’re just greedy. You want a passionate lover and an obedient wife both.” The recording ended there. Gripping my phone, I could no longer hold myself up and slid to the floor. Love me? Love me through bigamy and deception?

Iris POV Tears slid down my cheeks. I raised my hand to roughly wipe them away. Crying was the most useless thing. But just then, a sharp, plunging pain suddenly tore through my lower abdomen, as if someone were viciously twisting a knife inside. That pain didn’t ease. Instead, it grew more intense. Cold sweat instantly soaked my back. Trembling, I dialed Rowan’s number. Rowan was my best friend and the only doctor who knew I was pregnant. “Rowan, my stomach hurts so much…” My voice shook with fear. “Save the baby. Please help me save the baby.” An anxious voice immediately came through. “Don’t be scared. Get to the hospital now. I’ll arrange tests right away!” Half an hour later, I arrived alone at the private hospital. Because of the pain, my face was deathly pale. I wore an oversized coat with sunglasses and a hat, barely supporting myself against the wall as I walked. However, at the corner of the VIP corridor in obstetrics, taking a shortcut to find Rowan, I unexpectedly ran into the person I least wanted to see. Adrian. He was carefully protecting Luna, one arm circling her waist, the other shielding her from passersby. That cherishing look was identical to how he used to protect me. The overwhelming irony made my abdominal pain intensify instantly. I froze in place, clutching my belly desperately, watching helplessly as they walked past not far away. “The specialist here is so hard to book. I shouldn’t have made you wait so long.” Adrian frowned in complaint, his tone full of concern. Luna leaned against him, speaking softly, her humble posture perfectly calibrated. “Adrian, it’s okay. I’m just the housekeeper’s daughter. I don’t want to waste your money. Being able to carry your child, I’m already very satisfied.” Hearing this, Adrian’s eyes filled with even deeper tenderness. He lowered his head to kiss the top of her hair. “You’re just too considerate.” He paused, then shifted tone with a trace of indulgence. “Not like Iris, always demanding this and that from me. If only she were half as considerate as you.” Yes, I wasn’t considerate. In that moment, my blood surged violently. I felt a warm liquid flowing uncontrollably from my body. I heard him say again, “That blue diamond from the auction-once I get it, I’ll have it made into a wedding ring for you. Consider it my makeup gift to you.” That diamond he once said reminded him of my eyes was meant for another woman. “By the way,” Luna added casually, “that brooch you gave Iris last time, did she like it? I spent so long picking it out. I really hope she’ll be kind to me, since I’m carrying this child for her.” Carrying the child for her? I heard Adrian’s low chuckle. “Silly girl, of course she’ll like it. I told her that once you give birth, we’ll give the baby straight to her. That’s the only way our child can become the rightful heir. Don’t worry, she’ll treat you like the baby’s real mother.” So, on the assumption that I was infertile, he’d already mapped out my entire future. Having me raise his illegitimate child with another woman. Enormous rage and desolation crashed against my heart. The plunging pain in my abdomen reached its peak. My legs gave way, and I could barely stand. I couldn’t listen anymore. I turned, wanting to escape to the emergency room to find Rowan. After just a few steps, my phone rang. It was Adrian. “Where are you? I had breakfast and roses prepared for you. Why aren’t you home?” His tone was like coaxing a difficult child. I leaned against the cold wall, the warm sensation below making me desperate, my heart like dead ash. “Are you overthinking again?” He soothed gently. “Don’t worry. If you really want a child that much, we’ll adopt one in a while. Let you be a mother, okay?” Adopt one? When my child was losing its life, he was talking to me about adoption? “No need…” I spoke softly, my voice so weak it seemed to come from another world. “The child… is already gone.” After speaking, the phone slipped from my fingers and crashed heavily to the ground. Before darkness claimed me, I saw a shocking red spreading across the floor tiles. Adrian, you personally killed this child.

Iris POV When I woke, the surgery was already over. Rowan stood by the bed holding medical records, his expression sorrowful. “Iris, I’m sorry… You were already hemorrhaging badly when you arrived. It was an extreme emotional shock that caused threatened miscarriage. We did our best, but we still couldn’t save them.” He paused, his voice dropping even lower. “And this miscarriage caused severe damage to your uterus. In the future… you may have great difficulty conceiving again.” I lay in the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling. Tears slid silently from the corners of my eyes into my hair. No hysteria, only a hollow deadness from being emptied out. “Rowan, this isn’t your fault.” My voice was hoarse. “This child-he killed it with his own hands from the very start.” He killed not only our past but also our future. That blood connection in my body was completely severed. Between Adrian and me, it was finally clean. Though my body was extremely weak, I couldn’t lie still. My phone on the nightstand vibrated once. It was a photo from an unknown number. One photo, one location. The photo showed the wedding dress I’d designed with my own hands-my heart’s blood. The location was New York’s most luxurious bridal boutique. That shop’s owner was me. I pulled out the IV from the back of my hand. Ignoring Rowan’s attempts to stop me, I dragged my body-fresh from a D&C procedure-changed clothes, and took a cab there. The car stopped across the street from the bridal shop. I sat in the car, my whole body freezing from blood loss. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, I immediately spotted Adrian and Luna standing at the shop entrance. He embraced her, eyes full of adoration, voice tender enough to drip water. “Even though I can’t give you a public wedding, I still want you to wear the most beautiful wedding dress in the world once.” Just then, several luxury sports cars pulled up one after another at the shop entrance. Doors opened. The faces that emerged were all painfully familiar. Grayson. And so many others. Our mutual friends. The people who had witnessed twenty-five years of us. Inside the car, I rolled the window down just enough to hear their chatter. “Is Adrian preparing a surprise for Luna? Isn’t he afraid Iris will find out?” “Afraid of what? Iris and I are just fake-married anyway. Besides, the one pregnant now is carrying gold. Keeping her happy is more important than anything.” So everyone knew. Only I, like a fool, had been kept in the dark by the entire world. I’d just lost my child, yet they were here celebrating another child’s impending birth. My hands and feet were terrifyingly cold. Only hatred kept me from collapsing. Using my identity as owner, I quietly entered the bridal shop through the back door and went alone to the VIP room. I stood in a dark corner, looking down from above, coldly watching that absurd ceremony prepared for someone else. Adrian wore an impeccably tailored bespoke suit. Luna wore that wedding dress. That dress-I’d stayed up countless nights designing it to commemorate Adrian’s and my first kiss at dawn in Santorini. Now it dressed another woman, receiving blessings from all my friends. “Exchange rings!” Friends egged them on. Grayson whistled. Adrian produced a deep blue velvet ring box and knelt on one knee. From my high vantage point, I saw everything clearly. Inside the box was a pair of custom Cartier wedding bands, identical to the ones we’d exchanged years ago. So even sacred things like rings weren’t one of a kind. Just as Adrian was about to slide the ring onto Luna’s finger, I pulled the main breaker. The bridal shop went dark in an instant. Then I pressed the remote. A powerful spotlight blazed down from above, landing squarely on me, swaying precariously on the third floor.

Iris POV People awkwardly set down their glasses. Luna’s smile froze at the corners of her mouth. “I… Iris?” Adrian’s face went white as a sheet. He seemed startled, then instinctively dropped Luna and charged up to the third floor like a madman, pulling me into his arms. “Let me explain!” He spoke incoherently, his voice shaking. “This is just shooting an ad! I wanted to surprise you for our anniversary!” As he spoke, he pulled that ring from his pocket, trying to force it onto my hand. The ring was the wrong size, jamming tightly at my knuckle. “Luna!” Still holding me, Adrian shouted downstairs without turning back. “You explain this clearly to Mrs. Chase yourself!” Luna’s eyes reddened, her voice humble. “Mrs. Chase, this really is a surprise Mr. Chase prepared for you. I’m just the model cooperating with the shoot.” Adrian grabbed this lifeline like a drowning man, holding me tighter, declaring over and over in my ear. “Iris is my one true love for life. How could I possibly betray you…” How hypocritical. Luna said through tears, her voice clear enough for everyone to hear, “I wish Mr. Chase and Mrs. Chase eternal happiness and a child of your own soon.” A child of our own. I trembled with pain throughout my body. After Luna finished speaking, she couldn’t keep acting. She covered her face and ran from the bridal shop. “Luna!” Adrian roared, shoving me aside and chasing after her recklessly. He hit my shoulder. The force was great, making me stumble several steps and crash hard against the railing. The pain darkened my vision. My friends and I. He just left us all standing there. Luna ran out of the shop and dashed toward the private sightseeing cable car on the nearby slope. Adrian caught up and squeezed into the same cabin with her. The cable car rose slowly. Mid-air, the steel cable snapped with a piercing screech. The whole cabin lurched, then plummeted. In the split second before impact, I saw Luna wrap her arms around Adrian and spin sharply, using her own body to shield him from the worst of it. CRASH. After the thunderous noise, the scene was chaos. Adrian knelt beside the cable car wreckage, holding Luna as she coughed up blood. She gasped weakly, “Save our child…” He looked back in anguish. Those eyes that once brimmed with love now held only hatred. He looked at me standing unharmed on the third floor and used all his strength to roar, “Iris! I said it was just an ad! Why didn’t you believe me! Why did you have to kill her and the child!” Hearing this accusation, I was struck as if by lightning. Friends downstairs also gathered around, pointing and whispering about me. Grayson was first to speak. “Don’t you all know how much Adrian loves Iris? For her, he even exiled Luna, who’d loved him for years, to a deserted island for five years! This video today? He just found a stand-in so Iris wouldn’t have to tire herself out.” Another friend chimed in. “Exactly. Iris, how can you be so petty? Luna’s so kind. She just loves Adrian. Why do you want her dead so badly?” The accusations piled on, twisting black into white. I looked at their faces, all so righteous, so angry for justice, and suddenly laughed.

Iris POV Friends reversed truth and lies, accusing me. I found it absurd. They’d once raised glasses, blessing Adrian and me with eternal happiness. Now these same people stood on moral high ground. In their mouths, Adrian’s five-year affair was understandable. My feelings should make way for the mistress. If I refused, I was vicious, unreasonable. Luna was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. The baby wasn’t saved. Her uterus was also removed. Adrian kept vigil outside the operating room, like he’d lost his soul. He collapsed beside Luna’s hospital bed, confessing to her unconscious form over and over. “I’m sorry, Luna. I’m sorry. I loved the wrong person.” “I always thought the one who silently sacrificed for me and saved my life was Iris. It was always you.” Those four words “loved the wrong person” cut my heart over and over. I hid in the corridor shadows, remembering Adrian had a rare blood disease. Since childhood, I’d been his on-call mobile blood bank. Each transfusion made me seriously ill. My health grew worse and worse. I also remembered-originally it wasn’t Adrian who stood in the snow for three days and nights that made me stay. It was me threatening suicide. Only then did my parents give up sending me abroad. I also began to regret. Had I known this love would become unrecognizable, I never would have started it. I decided to leave. I took one last look at that man heartbroken over another woman in the hospital room, then turned and walked toward the elevator step by step. Behind me, Adrian’s body swayed and he collapsed straight to the floor. THUD. A dull thudding sound came from behind. My steps paused. But this time, I didn’t turn back. Adrian, you taught me what it feels like to be abandoned. I’ve learned. When I returned to the villa, it was already late at night. I opened my phone. Social media was flooded with posts from that group of friends. They were all sharing the video of Adrian slipping the ring onto Luna’s finger. Same caption on every post: “Wishing Mr. and Mrs. Chase a happy fifth anniversary! May your happiness last forever!” In the photo, he looked devoted. She beamed. The whole city was celebrating “Mrs. Chase.” How ironic. My phone suddenly rang. It was Adrian’s grandfather. “Get to the hospital! Give Adrian a blood transfusion!” His voice was pure command. I stared out at the night sky, my voice flat. “Mr. Chase, Adrian and I are neither family nor related by law. I have no obligation to save him. And thank you for what you gave me five years ago. I don’t even need a divorce now.” I hung up and blocked every last one of them. From now on, a clean break. That night, I didn’t sleep. I pulled out suitcases and, alone, sorted through everything that had to do with Adrian. Item by item. Severing the past. Completely.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “361490”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #魔幻Magic #惊悚Thriller #重生Reborn

On our wedding day, Tristan’s first love got into a car accident. He ripped the wedding dress right off my body to cover her with it. In front of all the guests, I stood on the stage in nothing but my underwear. I grabbed a tablecloth to cover myself. When I reached for him, he slapped me to the floor. “Vivian cares about her image. She can’t lose her dignity! Don’t you have any shame?” He carried his first love away, his eyes full of devotion. I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and smiled. He probably forgot what was in the prenuptial agreement. If the wedding was canceled, his entire family would be saddled with a billion dollars in debt. Tristan’s mother was the first to rush onto the stage. She jabbed a finger at my face, her spit nearly hitting me. “Can’t even keep your own man!” His father followed behind, putting on a show of composure for the guests below. I said nothing. I pulled the tablecloth tight around myself. Then I turned to the crowd and bowed. “I apologize for this scene.” I straightened up and took the microphone. My voice carried through the entire hall. “Today’s wedding is postponed. The groom, Mr. Foster, has suffered a sudden medical emergency.” “The situation is urgent. He needs immediate medical attention.” I gave the Foster family and him one last shred of dignity. Back in the dressing room, I looked at myself in the mirror. Disheveled. The blood at the corner of my mouth had dried. I took off my underwear and threw it in the trash. Then I changed into my own clothes. I slipped off the wedding ring and dropped it in too. My phone buzzed. A text from Tristan. “I’m at Central Hospital. Bring a change of clothes for Vivian.” No apology. No explanation. Just an order. I looked at the photo of us on my phone. The man who once ran across half the city to buy me cold medicine was gone. He died in that slap just now. I replied with one word. “Okay.” My assistant called, her voice urgent. “Miss Sterling, I’ve sent the draft divorce agreement to your email.” I opened the email and skimmed through it. “Article Nine. The breach of contract debt, triple the penalty clause.” “Yes, Miss Sterling. I’ll revise it right away.” I started my car and drove toward the hospital. In the hospital corridor, Vivian lay on a hospital bed with my wedding dress covering her. Tristan was gently helping her drink water. I pushed the door open. He immediately stood up and blocked Vivian, his eyes full of wariness. “What took you so long? Are you trying to freeze Vivian to death?” He forgot that just dozens of minutes ago, it was me standing on stage without clothes. I ignored him and tossed the clothes onto the bed beside them. “Where is Miss Shaw hurt?” Tristan thought I was jealous. His expression softened as he reached for me. “Seraphina, don’t make a scene. I was just helping someone.” I stepped aside. His arm froze midair. A flicker of displeasure crossed his face. He pulled a black card from his pocket and pressed it into my hand. “Take this. Go buy yourself a bag. You’ve had a long day.” Vivian spoke up from the hospital bed, her voice very weak. “Seraphina, what about the wedding dress now that it’s dirty? Tristan specially prepared it for you.” Tristan nodded. “Yeah, take it back and wash it clean. After all, it’s your wedding dress.” I watched them sing in harmony and smiled. Right in front of Tristan, I snapped that black card in half. “Sorry, my hands hurt. I can’t wash it.” With that, I turned and left without looking back. I returned to the house Tristan and I were supposed to share as newlyweds. Every corner here was decorated by my own hands. Now it just seemed ironic. I pulled out the suitcase I had prepared and packed my things. There wasn’t much-one suitcase was enough. Late at night, Tristan came home. He reeked of alcohol. When he saw the suitcase by my feet, he frowned. “Seraphina, what are you throwing a tantrum about now?” He hugged me from behind, burying his head in the crook of my neck. His voice sounded exhausted. “Stop making a fuss. I have a pile of work at the company, and Vivian got hurt. I’m tired.” “Only when I’m by your side can I feel at ease.” His breath on my neck made me feel nothing but disgust. My body stiffened as I pushed him away. “Go take a shower.” My tone was cold. Tristan finally lost it. “You’ve got some nerve. Seraphina, don’t think I won’t do something about you!” He slammed the door and stormed off to the study. He thought that, like before, if he ignored her for a few days, she’d come crawling back. Too bad. Not this time.

The next day, he kicked open my bedroom door and threw a dress onto my bed. “Get up. Put this on. You’re coming with me to a party tonight.” “I’m not going.” “I’m not asking for your opinion!” He grabbed my chin hard. “Seraphina, our wedding became the laughingstock of the entire city. Tonight you will pretend to be a loving wife with me and restore the Foster family’s reputation!” The party was packed. Sure enough, the moment Tristan and I walked in, we became the center of attention. Whispers buzzed all around us. “Look, that’s the bride who got left at the altar. How pathetic.” “Pathetic? She just couldn’t hold onto her man. That’s all.” A rich playboy strolled over, wine glass in hand, a smirk on his face. “Mr. Foster, I heard you played hero at your own wedding and ditched the bride? That true?” Tristan’s face darkened. He stepped forward. “Watch your mouth. My wife is not for you people to gossip about.” For a moment, watching him protect me, I felt a bit dazed. I seemed to see the Tristan from three years ago who would stand against the whole world for me. But the next second, Vivian appeared. She wore a dress in the same color scheme as mine and stood not far away. Then she twisted her ankle and fell toward Tristan. Tristan instinctively pushed me away and rushed over to catch Vivian. In my high heels, I stumbled from his push and nearly fell. Once again, all eyes in the room focused on me. Tristan supported Vivian, soothing her gently. “How can you be so careless? Are you hurt?” Vivian shook her head, her eyes reddening. “Tristan, I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to see you.” Tristan took off his jacket and draped it over Vivian’s shoulders. That jacket had been on my shoulders just moments ago. Vivian wrapped the jacket tightly around herself and looked at me provocatively. I held my wine glass and watched them coldly. To comfort the frightened Vivian, Tristan decided to leave early. He left me alone at the party. My business rival, Mr. Lewis, walked over with a wine glass. “Miss Sterling, newlyweds and all-why are you alone? Where’s Mr. Foster?” I put down my wine glass and looked at him. “Mr. Lewis, instead of concerning yourself with my personal affairs, why don’t you think about how you’re going to explain that hole-riddled new energy proposal to your board of directors?” His expression changed. I took a taxi home alone, watching the neon lights through the car window. My phone lit up. It was a message from my lawyer. “Miss Sterling, everything is ready.” Tristan didn’t come home for three days straight. When his call came, I was reviewing the final version of the agreement the lawyer had revised. His voice sounded gentle, even carrying a hint of flattery. “Seraphina, do you remember the restaurant where we had our first date?” I flipped through the documents and hummed in acknowledgment. “They make that lemon fish you love so much.” “I remember you said it was the best you’d ever had.” I quietly pressed the record button. “Really? I forgot.” Tristan’s breathing hitched, as if he hadn’t expected this reaction from me. He quickly adjusted his tone. “Seraphina, don’t be angry. What happened at the wedding was my fault.” “But Vivian’s situation was urgent. I couldn’t just let her die.” “You’ve always been kind and understanding, haven’t you? Won’t you forgive me this time?” Listening to his hypocritical excuses over the phone, I found it laughable. I had achieved my purpose with the recording. I didn’t want to hear his nonsense anymore. “Is there something you need?” “Vivian’s body is still very weak. The doctor said she needs proper nourishment.” “She heard that the soup you make is delicious and has been asking to try your cooking.” I hung up directly.

A few seconds later, his message popped up. “Seraphina, I’m begging you. Do it for me.” I looked at those words and smiled. I replied with one word. “Fine.” Then I went into the kitchen and made a pot of his favorite black chicken soup. I used to make it for him often when his stomach was bad. He always said my soup tasted like home. I opened the salt container and poured the entire thing into the pot. This was the taste he hated most. He had mild nephritis. The doctor had instructed him to follow a low-salt diet. I carried the thermos to the hospital. When I pushed open the door to the hospital room, Tristan had his back to me, bending over. Vivian was leaning against the headboard wearing a necklace around her neck. That necklace was the one I had my eye on at an auction last week. At the time, Tristan said that kind of flashy thing wasn’t suitable for me. Now it was around Vivian’s neck. Hearing the door open, Tristan turned around. When he saw me, there was guilt in his eyes. He instinctively tried to hide the necklace on Vivian’s neck. “Seraphina, why are you here?” He walked over to take the thermos from my hands. “Vivian isn’t feeling well. She’s just borrowing it. I’ll return it to you in a few days.” Vivian spoke up sweetly. “Seraphina, don’t misunderstand. Tristan said this is a meeting gift for me.” I said nothing and just placed the thermos on the table. Tristan quickly opened it, poured a bowl of soup, and handed it to Vivian. “Try it. Seraphina made this especially for you.” Vivian took the soup bowl and looked at me provocatively, then deliberately let her hand slip. “Ah!” The scalding soup spilled all over the back of my hand. My skin turned red instantly, burning with pain. But Tristan rushed to Vivian first. “Vivian! Are you frightened? Did it burn you?” He nervously examined Vivian’s hands, afraid she had suffered even the slightest injury. Vivian shrank into his arms and shook her head pitifully. “Seraphina, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. My hand slipped.” Only then did Tristan turn back to look at me, his brow furrowed. “Seraphina, why are you so clumsy? You almost scalded the patient!” I looked at my rapidly swelling hand. It would soon blister. This was the last time I would cook for him. I didn’t argue. I just looked at Tristan quietly, my gaze like I was looking at a dead man. He felt uneasy under my stare and only then noticed my red hand. He frowned and tried to grab my hand to examine the injury. “What happened? How careless!” I shook off his hand and spoke to him in an extremely unfamiliar tone for the first time. “Don’t touch me.” Tristan’s expression darkened immediately, anger surging up. “Seraphina, have you had enough!” He snatched the car keys from my pocket. “You stay here and reflect! When you figure out how to be a sensible wife, I’ll come pick you up!” He slammed the door and left, leaving me alone with the gloating Vivian. Today was my birthday and also the third anniversary of when Tristan and I got our marriage license. A month ago, he had promised to book the most spectacular fireworks show in the entire city for my birthday. I had reserved his favorite restaurant and waited from evening until late night. The dishes on the table had gone cold. He didn’t come. The restaurant TV was playing local news. “A serious car accident occurred on the city’s mountain road. A black Bentley collided with a truck. The scene is critical…” I knew that license plate on the mangled Bentley all too well. My heart sank as I grabbed my coat and rushed out.

I rushed to the accident scene like a madwoman. The area had already been cordoned off. The flashing police lights hurt my eyes. Tristan’s car was parked nearby, completely intact. Amid the deafening roar of helicopter rotors, several medical staff carefully carried a stretcher down from the mountain. I rushed over, only to see a trembling pet dog. Tristan stood nearby looking anxious. Vivian was crying her eyes out in his arms. “Tristan, this is all my fault. I shouldn’t have taken Coco out for a walk.” “It’s okay. I’ve already had the best veterinarian waiting at the hospital. Coco will be fine.” So the so-called serious accident was just Vivian’s dog rolling down a hillside. And Tristan had deployed his private helicopter to rescue a dog. Rain poured down. I stood there soaking wet. I took out my phone and called him. The phone rang for a long time before being ruthlessly disconnected. Unwilling to give up, I called again. This time the call was answered, but it was Vivian’s voice. “Seraphina, looking for Tristan? He’s busy right now.” In the background, I could faintly hear Tristan’s impatient voice. “Ignore that crazy woman. Such a buzzkill.” Those words stabbed into my heart like a knife. Soon Tristan grabbed the phone and yelled at me. “Seraphina! I told you to stay home! What are you doing running around outside like a lunatic!” “Get your ass back home right now! Stop embarrassing me out here!” I said nothing, just looked up at the sky. Brilliant fireworks suddenly exploded overhead, one after another. Those were supposed to be my birthday gift. Now they illuminated Tristan’s figure in the distance, holding Vivian tightly to comfort her. The last trace of love in my heart burned out with those fireworks and turned to ash. The clock struck midnight. I called my lawyer. “We can proceed.” I opened the message I’d prepared long ago, attached the scan of the breach clause from the prenuptial agreement, and hit send. “I, Seraphina Sterling, hereby formally announce the dissolution of my engagement to Mr. Tristan Foster.” In an instant, Tristan’s phone exploded with calls. But he was busy cutting cake with Vivian and her dog, celebrating their narrow escape. He ignored every single one. I sent one final message to the entire Foster family. “Everyone, the wedding is officially canceled. According to the prenuptial agreement, the Foster family must return Sterling Group’s one billion dollar investment within three days, plus three years of interest, totaling 1.3 billion.” Tristan finally saw it. He smirked and replied. “Seraphina, stop playing these childish games.” The next second, a notification from the bank popped up. “Dear Mr. Tristan Foster, due to legal proceedings, your bank account has been frozen.”

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On the day of Isabelle Jensen’s coming-of-age ceremony, the Jensen family went bankrupt and was acquired. Both her parents took their own lives. Her childhood sweetheart called off the engagement. When she threw herself into the sea in despair, I was the one who saved her. I gave up my chance to study abroad and stayed by her side as she fought her way through the business world. We spent eight years together. We built a publicly traded company from nothing. But at our child’s birthday celebration, her childhood sweetheart burst into the banquet hall, a vicious smile twisting his face. “You swore to me back then that your first child would be mine.” “As the child’s father, I should be allowed at my own son’s celebration, don’t you think?” His words hit me like a thunderbolt. I turned to Isabelle, waiting for an explanation. She just looked back at me, expressionless. No denial. Nothing. In that moment, the heart that had loved her for twenty years died completely. “Do you really have nothing to explain to me?” My voice trembled as I asked Isabelle. Zachary Mitchell’s arrogant voice still hung in the air. Every guest at the banquet looked at me with eyes full of mockery, trampling whatever was left of my pride. Isabelle’s expression was calm. She tilted her head, almost confused. “Explain? Didn’t you promise me that you’d love any child of mine?” She looked at my pale face and spoke flatly. “I already told you. You’re the father. Having a child for him was just keeping a promise I made a long time ago.” She took my hand. Fake reassurance. “I’ll make him leave right now.” “It’s a happy day. Don’t make that face. Everyone’s watching.” Her voice was gentle, but to my ears it sounded as cold as a viper’s hiss. I stared at her, furious. My heart felt hollow. So she knew exactly how many people were here today? And still she let them trample my dignity. In public. In front of everyone. The security guards rushed over and tried to pull Zachary away. He shook them off and walked up to me, a malicious smile on his face. “I’m not here to fight you for the child. I’ve got nothing now anyway. The kid will get the best education staying with you.” “And then inherit all your assets.” “Today I’m just here to give you a birthday present.” He pulled a bright green hat from a black bag and placed it on my head, laughing wildly. “I picked it out myself. It suits you perfectly.” He leaned close to me with the arrogant posture of a victor, speaking mockingly. “Take good care of my child for me, you pathetic cuckold!” Humiliation and rage flooded my chest. I couldn’t hold back anymore. I grabbed a plate from the table and smashed it hard into his disgusting face. Zachary’s head was covered in blood from my strike, but his eyes flashed with triumph. The next second, Isabelle’s indifferent expression turned anxious as she rushed to Zachary’s side, carefully supporting him while shoving me away with her other hand. I hadn’t guarded against her. I stumbled and fell to the ground. My palms were pierced by glass shards, blood flowing freely. I gasped in pain, but Isabelle didn’t notice at all. All her attention was on Zachary. I stared at her fixedly. In the eight years we’d been together, she had never shown me such concerned, anxious expressions. Now she was worried about her enemy. Bitterness spread from my heart through my entire body. Eight years ago, I saved Isabelle from drowning herself in the sea. She cried uncontrollably in my arms, begging me to help her make the Mitchell family pay. I gave up my own dreams, tore up that acceptance letter from a foreign university, and fought alongside her in the business world, slowly rebuilding the Jensen Corporation. I still remember that to secure a contract worth hundreds of millions, I drank with the client for three days straight before finalizing the deal. That same day I was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. When I woke up, what I received wasn’t Isabelle’s concern, but her cold complaint: Why couldn’t I have held on one more day before going to the hospital? The client almost canceled the cooperation when they saw me collapse. Back then, I told myself she was too focused on revenge to notice the people around her. Now, watching her worry over Zachary, I finally understood. She never cared about me. Not once. But that’s fine. I know how to love. And I know how to let go. Isabelle Jensen, since you’ve betrayed me, I don’t want you anymore.

“I’ll send you… I’ll have someone take you to the hospital.” Isabelle looked at the guests. Halfway through her sentence, she changed her words. She walked toward me somewhat guiltily, frowning at my wound. “How did you get hurt so badly? I’ll take you to the hospital.” I watched Zachary leave with a triumphant expression all over his face, and coldly withdrew my hand. “No need. You should go accompany your little lover instead!” Isabelle frowned. “Do you have to speak so nastily?” I looked at her sarcastically. “I’m not pathetic enough to stay with you after being cheated on. Let’s get a divorce.” “Wait. I almost forgot. You and I never actually got married.” I smiled bitterly, laughing at myself from eight years ago who gave away his whole heart. Eight years ago when I proposed to her, she agreed but told me she no longer believed in marriage. She could be with me, but wouldn’t register the marriage. I pitied her for having her heart broken by her childhood sweetheart. For these years I stayed by her side without title or status. Friends advised me that I was working for free. If she ever changed her mind, my years of youth would be wasted and I’d get nothing. Back then I didn’t believe them. Now their words had come true. I had become a complete fool. Hearing me talk about separating, Isabelle’s expression changed. She looked at me in disbelief. “I just kept a promise. That’s all. Zachary and I are done after this child.” “We can still have a good life together. Why are you so hung up on one thing?” “You keep saying you love me. Is this how shallow your love is?” I stared at Isabelle. She was still as beautiful as the day we met. But her heart had changed. She was no longer that kind girl. Now she was petty. Hypocritical. Selfish. I closed my eyes, hiding the tears in them, and spoke coldly. “Yes, I’m not that magnanimous.” “Don’t talk to me about love anymore. You’re not worthy of my true heart!” After saying this, I left resolutely, leaving Isabelle alone in the banquet hall. I drove straight to the hospital. When the doctor cleaned my wound without anesthesia, I didn’t feel any pain. The ache in my heart had already filled my brain’s nerves. My mind wandered. The first time I met Isabelle was in a village. I came from a single-parent family and lived in poverty from childhood. The Jensen Corporation came to the village to do charity work. Young Isabelle handed me a set of books, encouraging me to study hard. Her innocent, kind smile left a mark on my heart. I had always admired Isabelle from a worshipful position, which is why when the Jensen family went bankrupt, I gave up my dreams without hesitation to help her. I thought I had finally picked the rose, but it was just an illusion. After my wound was bandaged, I suppressed all my emotions and stood up. Forget it. We’ll part amicably. Consider it repaying the Jensen family’s kindness to me. After leaving the hospital, I first went to the company to resign and pack up my personal belongings, then drove to the villa to pick up Shadow. Shadow was the only thing my mother left me. I could give up everything else. But him, I had to take with me. However, when I opened the villa door, I saw a scene that tore my heart apart. Shadow lay dying in a pool of blood. Zachary held an axe, smiling cruelly, while Isabelle stood nearby, smiling indulgently. “What are you doing?” I rushed over like a madman, my hands trembling as I held Shadow.

Shadow stretched out his tongue to lick my palm, his gentle eyes full of reluctance. “Shadow, hang on. I’ll take you to find a doctor right now.” Tears streamed down my face. I frantically tried to run out with Shadow in my arms, but was pinned down by security guards. Zachary stepped on my shoulder, looking down at me from above. “Pure black dog blood is the most nourishing. I lost so much blood.” “Killing this beast to replenish my body is only right, isn’t it, Isabelle?” I glared at Isabelle with reddening eyes and roared. “Isabelle Jensen, you know perfectly well that Shadow is the only thing my mother left me. He even saved your life!” “Do you have any conscience? For this enemy, you’d even kill Shadow!” Isabelle slightly avoided my gaze and argued unreasonably. “If you hadn’t impulsively injured Zachary, he wouldn’t have had to die.” “He was just an old beast about to die anyway. Dying while contributing to people, accumulating some merit-maybe he’ll be reborn into a good life.” Zachary laughed loudly. As I watched with splitting eyes, he chopped off Shadow’s head with one axe blow. He laughed triumphantly. “Adrian Stone, so what if you’ve licked her boots for eight years?” “In her heart, you’ll never compare to me!” He looked at Isabelle, his tone frivolous. “You’ve already completed two of the three promises. For the last one, I want you to register our marriage with me.” I didn’t hear his words. I just stared blankly at Shadow’s corpse. Endless hatred grew in my heart. To hell with parting amicably. I looked at Isabelle with bloodshot eyes, cursing her word by word. “Isabelle , you bitch! If your parents’ spirits in heaven saw you bearing a child for their enemy, they’d probably regret ever giving birth to you!” “Five years ago, Shadow shouldn’t have risked his life to save you from those criminals. He should have let you be violated to death.” “Isabelle Jensen, you’re not worthy of anyone’s love!” Isabelle’s expression changed drastically, as if my words had struck a painful spot. She spoke impatiently. “You keep talking about gratitude. If we’re talking about that, the Jensen family’s kindness to you is greater!” “My parents supported you growing up. Helping me was your obligation from the start. Don’t try to guilt-trip me!” I laughed loudly at Isabelle. Through my blurred vision, I seemed to see again the woman who once cried and promised to love me forever. In another blink, what I saw was her hypocritical, selfish face. Overcome with anger and grief, I passed out directly. When I woke up, I found myself in a hospital bed. I struggled to leave but was stopped by security guards. Isabelle had imprisoned me in the hospital. She didn’t arrive until evening, handing me an urn. She said softly. “Shadow’s ashes.” I took the box and held it tightly in my arms, speaking sarcastically. “Should I thank you for collecting his remains?” Isabelle looked at my cold eyes, feeling a slight stabbing pain in her heart. I had always been gentle and considerate toward her. She was very uncomfortable with this coldness. She comforted herself that I was just angry. Once she completed the three promises, she would properly soothe me. With this thought, her heart settled. She held my hand and spoke gently. “Adrian, my heart isn’t made of stone. After eight years together, I’ve long since fallen in love with you.” “Once I fulfill my last promise to Zachary, I’ll live a good life with you.” “I’ll give you a grand wedding, even grander than the one with Zachary.” I looked at her mockingly. “What gives you the illusion that I’d still be with you?” A flash of anger appeared in Isabelle’s eyes. She raised her voice. “You’re a penniless househusband now. If you don’t stay with me, where can you go?” I thought I wouldn’t be hurt by her anymore, but these words still stabbed my heart. Back then, I willingly returned to domestic life for the sake of the child, wanting to create a warm and happy family of three. All those beautiful visions had now turned into arrows, piercing my heart until it bled. “Get out! I don’t want to see you anymore!” I roared, chasing her away. Isabelle wasn’t angry. She gently patted my hand. “I’ll give you time to accept reality. No matter what, I won’t abandon you.” “Just be good. While Zachary and I are preparing for the wedding, don’t appear. It’ll save us from uglier rumors spreading.” After saying this, she turned to leave. Before going, she didn’t forget to tell the security guards to take good care of me. Hearing her hypocritical concern, I felt physically sick. After she left, I tore off the necklace I’d been wearing. The built-in alarm was triggered. Half an hour later, all the security guards Isabelle had left were subdued. I looked at the butler, Mr. Morrison, standing respectfully before me and said coldly. “I agree to return and inherit the family assets. But first, investigate all of Zachary’s and Isabelle’s interactions over these years!”

I patiently waited for Mr. Morrison’s investigation results. I understood Zachary very well. He was selfish and mean by nature. Isabelle bankrupted the Mitchell family. He wasn’t some lovesick fool-how could he still love her? There must be a conspiracy here! Mr. Morrison moved quickly. Half an hour later, he handed me a thick stack of documents. After reading through them, I laughed loudly, tears forming at the corners of my eyes. Just as I thought, this was all a scam. Zachary approached her only for revenge. He just told one lie-that his betrayal of her back then was forced-and Isabelle stupidly believed it. She even went to have his child through IVF under his coaxing. But in reality, that child wasn’t hers at all. It was Zachary’s and his true lover’s. All of this was just Zachary’s revenge on Isabelle! And Isabelle, the woman I once cherished-with just one simple sentence from Zachary, she suspected I had ulterior motives staying by her side. She wanted to break my self-respect and train me into her most convenient tool. In the darkness, the rage and hatred in my eyes were particularly evident. These two people toyed with my true feelings and destroyed Shadow, whom I cared about most. Did they really think I was a powerless orphan? Zachary Mitchell, Isabelle Jensen! I silently chewed on these two names, my teeth grinding loudly. You joined forces to trample my dignity. This generous treatment-on your wedding day, I will definitely prepare a generous gift in return! Seven days later, the wedding proceeded as scheduled. Isabelle wore a white wedding dress. Looking at Zachary walking toward her, she unconsciously revealed a happy smile. The two completed the ceremony under the pastor’s blessing. Just as they were about to toast, several drones flew in, scattering DNA test reports into every guest’s hands. In the chaos, I walked onto the stage. Dressed in mourning clothes. Laughing. “Today’s my ex’s wedding. How could I, the ex-boyfriend, not show up to toast the happy couple?” “First glass. To you two scumbags. Locked together forever. May you never part.” “Second glass. On behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Jensen. Their own daughter married the man who drove them to their graves. They must be spinning in theirs.” “Third glass. To you, Isabelle Jensen. The fool who got played from start to finish. Carrying another man’s child for him. Congratulations, new mother.” My voice echoed through the speakers, filling the entire hall. Isabelle’s face went pale. Her body swayed. Then she shrieked. “Security! Throw this lunatic out! Don’t let him say another word!” Two burly guards rushed over, pinned me to the floor, and covered my mouth as they dragged me away. The next second, dozens of black-suited bodyguards burst through the doors. A voice boomed like thunder. “Who dares lay a hand on Raymond Parker’s son?!”

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On the day of my wedding to Declan, he ran away with his childhood sweetheart, Sylvie, and left the country. Before he left, he made a point to explain: “Sylvie wants a baby. I don’t trust any other man to do it, so her child can only be mine. But don’t worry, we’re doing IVF. Once Sylvie gets pregnant, I’ll marry you. Don’t be upset, okay?” Three years later, Declan finally returned from abroad with Sylvie. He found me, his tone matter-of-fact: “The baby in Sylvie’s belly is mine, after all. From now on, you two will share me as your husband. She’s already gotten a marriage certificate with me, so to be fair, you’ll get a wedding ceremony with me. That way neither of you loses out.” Sylvie immediately linked her arm through Declan’s, her expression full of envy: “Summer, Declan is so good to you. He specifically wants to hold a wedding for you, so you can be Mrs. Walsh in front of everyone and be recognized by all. What a blessing!” Looking at how the two of them played off each other, I let out a cold laugh. “You can keep that blessing for yourself.” After all, three years ago, I had already married Declan’s older brother, Hudson.

Declan’s expression darkened. He immediately decided I was throwing a tantrum. “Why can’t you be as smart as Sylvie?” “I’m giving you a wedding to let everyone know you’re Declan Walsh’s woman. What an honor that is!” “Sylvie only got a marriage certificate with me, not even a proper ceremony. She’s endured so much in silence, and yet you’re still not satisfied?” As soon as he finished speaking, Sylvie lowered her head and tugged at Declan’s sleeve: “Declan, don’t talk to Summer like that. She probably just needs time to process this.” “I’m fine with it. Being wronged a little doesn’t matter, as long as you’re with me and the baby. Don’t fight with Summer because of me.” I stared at the two of them in front of me, completely stunned. Had these two lost their minds? I looked up, my tone laced with sarcasm: “Declan, what makes you think that after you spent three years abroad with Sylvie, I’d still be waiting for you?” Declan froze for a moment, then laughed as if he’d heard the funniest joke: “Everyone in Silverton knows you, Summer, are head over heels for me, Declan Walsh. That you’d never marry anyone but me in this lifetime!” He reached out and pulled Sylvie closer, looking as if he was certain I’d spend my whole life revolving around him. He thought I was just throwing a little fit now, that with a few sweet words and some coaxing, I’d obediently give in. “Besides, if you really didn’t want to marry me, you would’ve broken things off three years ago.” That statement instantly brought back memories from three years ago. That day was Sylvie’s birthday. Declan canceled our anniversary dinner, eagerly running off to her party, saying he was just celebrating her birthday and telling me not to be unreasonable. By midnight, Declan still hadn’t come home. Worried, I brought some hangover soup to the hotel where they were having the party. But the moment I pushed open the door, I froze. Declan and Sylvie lay naked in each other’s arms on the hotel bed. My hands began trembling uncontrollably. The soup bowl crashed to the floor, the shattering sound waking them up. There wasn’t a trace of guilt on Declan’s face—only righteous indignation. “Summer, don’t read too much into this. We just drank too much and fell asleep together. Nothing happened.”

“After all, Sylvie and I have been like two peas in a pod since childhood. If something was really going to happen between us, would it be your turn?” How laughable! How absurd! Naked in each other’s arms, and nothing happened? But back then, for the sake of my mother’s dying wish, I ultimately chose to forgive. And that one act of leniency gave Declan and Sylvie the nerve to push even further. They’d wear matching outfits, check into the same hotel room constantly… It wasn’t until later, when Declan took Sylvie abroad saying he’d help her get pregnant, that I finally announced our breakup. Did Declan think I was just saying that in anger? Whatever. What he thought didn’t matter at all anymore. Looking again at this shameless pair of cheaters in front of me, I felt disgusted even looking at them for another second. I turned to leave. Seeing this, Declan’s furious shout rang out behind me: “Summer, are you done throwing your tantrum? Let me tell you, don’t be ungrateful! Think it over yourself. When you’ve figured it out, come find me like a good girl. Don’t wait until I’m really angry! You’ll regret it then.” I rolled my eyes and walked straight toward the parking lot. Today was supposed to be the day for my prenatal checkup, but I hadn’t expected to run into these two unlucky people. After parking, I’d just walked into the hospital lobby when my phone vibrated. It was a message from Hudson: “Honey, don’t be nervous going to your first prenatal checkup alone. You’re the bravest baby! Once I finish my work, I’ll come home to be with you and the baby. Be good.” Looking at this message, my mood finally improved a little. But my mind grew even more confused—how could two sons from the same Walsh family be so different? Declan was selfish, hypocritical, and unfaithful, trampling my genuine feelings underfoot. But Hudson had always been gentle and considerate. In the three years since our marriage, he’d spoiled me like a child. He remembered all my little preferences. When I needed him, even if he wasn’t by my side, he’d find every way to help me solve my problems. The prenatal checkup went smoothly. The doctor said the baby was developing well. After sending a photo of the checkup report to Hudson, I drove home. But the moment I pushed open the front door, I saw Declan and Sylvie sitting on the sofa. That’s when I suddenly remembered—Hudson and I’s new house was still being renovated. Right now, we were still living at his parents’ house. This was originally Declan’s home too. Running into them somehow instantly filled me with disgust. Hearing the noise, Declan looked up at me and immediately sneered: “I thought you had such a backbone, Summer? It’s only been a few hours, and here you are crawling back to find me?” “So? Have you thought it through?” Before I could speak, Sylvie immediately chimed in: “Summer, I’m glad you’ve thought it through.” Then she continued: “Oh, by the way, Summer, when Declan and I went to the hospital for a prenatal checkup earlier, we saw someone whose back looked a lot like you. Did you go to the hospital too? Are you feeling unwell?” As soon as she finished speaking, Declan sneered again: “What else would she be doing at the hospital? She was obviously following me, afraid I’d really ignore her, so she went to the hospital to put on a show, hoping to soften my heart.” Sylvie feigned surprise, blinking as she tilted her head to look at me: “That doesn’t make sense though, does it, Declan? I remember Summer seemed to go to the hospital before we did. And I specifically noticed—Summer went to the obstetrics department.” At this point, she covered her mouth with a soft laugh: “Could it be, Summer… that you have fertility issues?”

As soon as she said that, Declan immediately frowned, thinking for a moment before speaking: “That’s fine too. After all, Sylvie is already carrying my baby, and it’ll be a Walsh heir.” “As long as you behave and treat Sylvie and the child well, when the baby is born, I’ll let him call you ‘Mom’ too.” Hearing this, I wasn’t angry at all. Instead, I couldn’t help laughing twice. Did Declan think way too highly of himself? When I’d laughed enough, I finally looked up at them, saying each word clearly: “I went to the hospital for a prenatal checkup.” As soon as I said that, Declan’s expression froze instantly. But within a second, he burst out laughing: “Summer, when you’re making up lies, could you at least put some effort into it? Do you think I don’t know who’s in your heart? In this lifetime, besides me, how could you possibly be pregnant with anyone else’s child?” Sylvie nodded too, looking at me with contempt in her eyes: “Summer, I know what happened between Declan and me makes you angry, but you can’t deliberately say things like this to upset Declan and make him jealous. That’s way too childish.” I wiped the smile off my face. Since that’s how it was, I might as well say everything clearly at once. Given Hudson’s jealous nature, if he found out what was happening right now, who knows what kind of scene he’d make. After a pause, I spoke: “Declan, the day you took Sylvie abroad, we already broke up.” “And now, I’m already married. My husband is very jealous, so stop bothering me.” “Also, didn’t you already get a marriage certificate with Sylvie? Then I wish you both a lifetime of happiness together. Don’t say these things to me anymore. It’s pointless.” With that, I didn’t give them another glance and headed upstairs. But just then, my wrist was suddenly grabbed. Anger crept onto Declan’s face: “Summer, so this is how you want to play it?” “Sylvie and I have been trying to appease you ever since we got back from abroad, giving you every way out! But you just keep pushing your luck!” “Fine, fine, fine. If that’s how it is, then get out. Get out of my house.” Sylvie quickly followed, pretending to pull at Declan’s arm, though her eyes couldn’t hide her smugness, her voice soft and gentle: “Declan, don’t be angry. Summer is just confused for a moment. Don’t make her leave. It’s so late now, and Summer is an orphan with no one to rely on. Besides here, where else can she go? Please forgive her one more time, okay?” Her words completely ignited Declan’s fury. Not only did Declan not let go, he gripped even tighter: “So what if she’s an orphan? She’s the one who doesn’t know what’s good for her, who’s ungrateful. Then she can get out and fend for herself!” With that, he yanked hard, trying to drag me downstairs. I frantically raised my hand to cover my lower abdomen, shouting at him: “Declan, let go of me! Let go!” But Declan acted as if he hadn’t heard, still gripping my wrist tightly, forcefully pulling me down: “Weren’t you so capable just now? Why are you clinging to my house now?” Just then, the kitchen door was pushed open. The housekeeper, Mrs. Moore, came out carrying dishes. She immediately saw what was happening. Her face changed drastically. She set the plate down on a nearby cabinet with a clang and rushed over, running and shouting: “Let go of Summer right now! Summer is pregnant—she can’t handle this kind of treatment! Let go, don’t hurt Summer and the baby!”

Mrs. Moore shielded me firmly, afraid that Declan would hurt me further. Declan’s grip on me loosened. The ferocity on his face froze. He turned to look at Mrs. Moore, his eyes full of disbelief: “What did you say? She’s pregnant?” Before Mrs. Moore could speak, Sylvie immediately stepped forward, her tone accusatory: “Oh my, Mrs. Moore, why are you making things worse?” “Declan is already angry enough. How can you help Summer lie to Declan? At the end of the day, Declan is the Walsh family child, one of the owners of this house. How can you help an outsider deceive your own employer? If word gets out, which family would dare employ you?” After hearing this, the wavering in Declan’s eyes vanished without a trace. He slowly turned to look at me, a cold smile forming at the corner of his mouth: “I have to hand it to you, Summer. After three years, you’ve really developed some skills.” “You can even get our family’s old servant to lie with you to deceive me. You’re really getting better and better at this.” As he spoke, his grip unconsciously tightened again: “Let me tell you, don’t think you can fool me with this. I, Declan Walsh, am not that stupid! If you keep up this act, don’t blame me for being rude to you!” Mrs. Moore’s face paled with anxiety. She quickly blocked my way, saying urgently: “Declan, I’m not lying to you. Summer really is pregnant.” At this point, Mrs. Moore slapped her forehead: “That’s right, I still have Summer’s previous prenatal checkup reports. I’ll get them for you right now!” With that, Mrs. Moore hurried toward her room. Declan still gripped my arm tightly, mockery floating in his eyes: “I’d like to see what fake evidence you two can come up with to deceive me!” My wrist hurt from his grip, and the dragging pain in my lower abdomen was becoming more and more obvious. Before long, Mrs. Moore came running back out of breath, handing the prenatal reports to Declan: “Declan, see for yourself. These are all Summer’s prenatal checkup reports, with the doctor’s signature and the hospital’s stamp. How could they be fake?” Declan unconsciously released my wrist, snatching the reports and staring fixedly at the writing and stamps. The next second, he violently threw the papers on the ground, his whole body trembling: “Summer, you actually dare to cuckold me!” “Tell me, whose bastard is in your belly!” Hearing Declan’s words, my eyes instantly reddened. Before, for Hudson’s sake, considering Declan was Hudson’s brother, I could endure it all, I could let it all go. But now, he dared to insult my baby like this—this was a line I absolutely could not tolerate! I raised my hand and used all my strength to slap him hard across the face. The sharp “smack” echoed through the living room, and everything fell deathly silent. Seeing this, Mrs. Moore anxiously spoke: “Declan, don’t be angry. The baby in Summer’s belly is—” Before she could finish, Declan roared at Mrs. Moore: “Shut up! This isn’t your place to speak. Get out!” Mrs. Moore trembled from his shouting. She wanted to say something more but was scared back two steps by Declan’s murderous glare. Seeing this, Sylvie put on an expression of concern for him: “Declan, don’t be angry. What if you make yourself sick?” “Now that this has happened, the most important thing is to solve the problem.” She paused, sneaking a glance at me, a flash of malice in her eyes, then continued: “Either you cut ties with Summer completely, and from now on we’ll live our lives peacefully, not caring about the bastard in her belly.” “But I know… you have feelings for Summer in your heart, so you definitely won’t agree to that.” Sylvie sighed, then said: “Then there’s only one solution left. Take Summer and abort that bastard in her belly. Then everything can go back to how it was before. We’ll be just like we used to be, okay?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “361493”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #魔幻Magic #惊悚Thriller #重生Reborn