Category: English

I knew from a young age that our family didn’t have money. Getting sick cost money, so I wasn’t even allowed to get sick. When I was four, I ran a high fever. Mom grabbed me and stuffed me into the freezer. When she pulled me out, I was still conscious, blinking up at her. My face was freezing. My tears had frozen solid. Mom glanced at me and said irritably, “You’re just faking it to skip school. See? You didn’t die.” After that day, I kept every discomfort to myself. I thought Mom was right—I must have been faking it. Otherwise, why did every ache and pain go away without medicine or shots? Life went on like this, until the school-organized medical checkup in middle school. I ran home with the cancer diagnosis in my hand, excited. “Mom! I have cancer!” This time, with proof from a doctor, Mom wouldn’t think I was lying. Mom, I’m not lying this time. I ran home holding the diagnosis, my emotions a mix of excitement and anxiety. The doctor said I had three months left at most. I didn’t want to die yet. But I couldn’t help hoping that during those three months, Mom and Dad might finally care for me. Whenever my brother got sick, the whole family would crowd around him. I wasn’t greedy. I’d be satisfied if someone would just take me to the hospital. I pushed the door open, holding the white paper high, afraid they’d miss it. “Mom! Dad! I have cancer!” The room went silent for two seconds. Then hurried footsteps approached, along with Mom’s signature lavender perfume. I lowered the paper and opened my arms, ready for her embrace. Rip. Mom snatched the diagnosis from me and tore it to shreds. Before I could process what was happening, a sharp sting spread across my cheek. I didn’t get her embrace. I got her slap. “Your brother is sleeping! Don’t you know that? And you make up some ridiculous lie!” Dad put down his newspaper and walked over. “Chloe, you’re old enough to be sensible. Everyone knows you’re healthy.” “You’ve never even had a cold. If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable.” I covered my face and pointed at the shredded diagnosis in the trash. “But the doctor said—” Mom and Dad had already turned away, discussing my brother’s meal plan. “Felix has lost weight again. That seven-hundred-dollar monthly meal plan clearly isn’t nutritious enough.” Dad looked worried too. “But the next tier costs fifteen hundred. We really can’t afford that.” Mom suddenly turned to me. “The hospital is recruiting volunteers for a new drug trial. They specifically need healthy subjects. It pays fifty thousand per person.” “I was going to volunteer myself, but we’re both too busy with work…” I understood what Mom was implying. Hope flickered in my chest. If they needed to verify the volunteer’s health, then Mom and Dad would finally find out I wasn’t lying. “Mom, let me be the volunteer.” Dad immediately chimed in. “You’re so considerate of your brother. You know Felix has always been frail. As his older sister, you need to be understanding.” Mom gave a cold laugh. “Trying to earn points after admitting you lied? Fine, I’ll give you this chance.” She pulled a red, round pill from her pocket and gestured for me to swallow it. “Lucky I work at the hospital. Saves us all that annoying paperwork.” I didn’t take it. I looked closely at the pill. “Mom… don’t I need a checkup first?” Mom frowned. “What checkup? You’re always thinking about spending money. If you’re not healthy, nobody is.” Dad glanced at my brother—a sturdy boy—coughed once, took the pill from Mom, and grabbed the water glass from the table. Ignoring my resistance, he shoved it into my mouth. “Why waste words on a kid? Felix just coughed. Go check if he’s catching a cold.” I choked, unable to speak. Mom pulled me into my room and locked the door. “I already disinfected your room. Just stay put.” “The observation period is three days. After that, you’ll come to the hospital with me. If you behave, I’ll get you takeout.” My head was throbbing. I wanted to tell Mom I didn’t feel well, but the words wouldn’t come out.

I pounded on the door, forcing out a faint sound through gritted teeth. “Mom, Dad, please help me…” But then came a loud bang as someone kicked the door from the other side. Dad’s last bit of patience was gone. “You drained all the nutrients from your mother in the womb—that’s why your brother’s health is so bad now.” “And you dare complain? You clearly don’t see what you’ve done wrong!” Mom gasped. I thought they’d finally found the diagnosis in the trash. “Honey! Felix’s temperature is ninety-nine point five. Any higher and he’ll have a fever.” “Take him to the hospital, quick!” Dad ignored my muffled cries from behind the door. Keys jingled. I heard the front door slam shut. I touched my face—two streaks of blood were running from my eyes. Mom, Dad, it hurts so much. I slowly lost consciousness. The piercing pain gradually faded. When I woke, I was floating in midair. I passed through the door easily. Good—Mom and Dad finally let me out. I sat properly at the dining table. I’d apologize and explain later. I didn’t know how long had passed before Mom and Dad came in carrying a large cream cake. It smelled so good. I couldn’t help swallowing. Usually I only got a bite of cake on my brother’s birthday. I didn’t expect to get a whole cake just for having cancer. Mom looked impatiently toward the door. “Chloe! Come out and have cake.” “Lucky your brother didn’t get sick from your scare, or you’d be getting the belt.” I stared at them in shock. “Mom, Dad, I’m right in front of you. I’m sitting right here at the table.” I stood and walked toward them to hug them, but I passed right through. They kept staring at the bedroom door. After ten seconds, Mom pounded on it hard. “Now you’re ignoring us? Your brother ended up in the hospital because of you, and I didn’t even blame you—how dare you throw a tantrum!” I was confused. I walked back and forth through them. I shouted right in their ears. “Mom! Dad! I’m right here! I’m not throwing a tantrum!” But no one responded. Dad threw my slice of cake straight into the trash. “This is what happens when you spoil her. Let’s teach her a lesson. Three days without food won’t kill her.” I realized what had happened and passed through the bedroom door. A crumpled figure lay curled by the door. Scratch marks from my fingertips still marked the wood. So ugly… no wonder Mom and Dad never liked me. I was already dead. I didn’t know how to feel. Was I sad? It didn’t seem like deep sadness. Just regret that the three months of care I’d hoped for hadn’t even lasted one day. But it was okay. At least now I could stay by Mom and Dad’s side without worry. Mom noticed the diagnosis paper smeared with cake. She frowned and picked it up with her fingers. “Honey, this diagnosis looks real…” Dad glanced at it and scoffed. “Babe, you’re a nurse—how can you not tell? AI is so advanced now, it can forge documents that look this authentic. If you don’t believe me, I’ll ask Chloe.” He walked to my bedroom door and kicked it a few times. “You forged this, didn’t you? Tell the truth and you’ll get food tomorrow.” I shook my head over and over in midair, fighting the burning in my eyes. Dad, I didn’t forge it. That’s a real diagnosis from the doctor. Only my brother’s mocking laughter answered him. “See? She’s not saying anything—that means she’s admitting it.” “Never thought the little brat learned to lie so young. If only she were half as well-behaved as me.” I’m not afraid to speak—I can’t. I rushed into the room and hugged my stiff corpse tightly. So cold. Maybe because I’d never ignored Mom and Dad before, after checking on my brother for a while, they came back to my door. “Chloe, we need to record your physical condition now. Don’t you dare play dead with me!” I’m not playing dead, Mom. I really am dead. Dad took a deep breath. “I think you need a beating.” I watched him walk toward the cat bed in the hall, a sense of dread rising in my chest. “Dad, no…” The tall man grabbed Whiskers from the cat bed I’d built and carried him to my door. “If you don’t speak up, I’ll make your cat pay!” I lunged forward trying to grab my cat. He was the only one in the house who ever listened to me. But I couldn’t catch him. Dad! I am speaking! Please put the cat down! I don’t have cancer! I lied about everything!

Mom was getting impatient. She pinched the cat’s neck hard. The normally gentle cat’s fur stood on end instantly. It began shrieking in pain. My mouth hung open. My soul couldn’t shed tears, only tremble. I screamed until my voice gave out. “No!” But it was too late. The cat struggled so violently that Dad threw it. He’d forgotten that right outside my door was the apartment balcony. My mind went blank. A thud. Blood sprayed everywhere. Mom tried to stop him but it was too late. Seeing people gathering below, she clicked her tongue. “Someone’s definitely going to ask how the cat died. We can’t let this ruin our reputation.” “We’ll say Chloe accidentally dropped it. Make her come out and apologize.” As soon as she finished speaking, Dad snapped out of his panic and grabbed my door handle. “This is all because you insisted on sulking! The cat dying is your own fault!” I stared at the cat’s body below, too numb to speak. But heaven seemed to take pity on me. The cat’s soul floated up beside me. Only then did I avoid collapsing completely. The soft, furry sensation was just like when it was alive. I brought it back into the room with me. Were Mom and Dad finally going to discover me? What would their reaction be? Ring, ring, ring! Dad’s phone suddenly rang. A police officer’s voice came from the other end. “We caught Dylan. Do you want to come to the station to press charges?” Hearing that name, my grief was instantly replaced by terror. That man lurking in the alley, asking me for directions. He’d taken advantage of my distraction to drag me into the alley and grope every part of my body. He’d rubbed his disgusting thing back and forth in front of me. When I got home, I scrubbed my body frantically. After Mom found out, she went straight to the police station that night to file a report. From that day on, she drove me to and from school. But the predator was hard to catch—until today. Dad and Mom exchanged glances, then Dad put on a show of resolve. “You know what? That bastard’s father came to me. Said he’d give me two hundred thousand to drop the whole thing.” Mom glanced at the closed bedroom door. “That would cover Felix’s meal plan for next year. After all, what happened to Chloe can’t be undone. As long as that pervert learns his lesson…” “And look at Chloe now with her weird attitude and sulking. She needs to learn a lesson too.” I sat in the back seat with my cat as my parents drove to the police station. The face from my nightmares sat there smugly with his legs crossed. He looked at my parents with contempt. His father was even more disdainful as he shook my dad’s outstretched hand. “Good man, let’s talk privately.” I heard Dad accept the two hundred thousand hush money with fawning agreement. It sounded like my heart breaking. The pervert swaggered out of the police station. I wanted to pounce on him, eat his flesh, drink his blood. But my parents had already sold me out. I could never get revenge. On the drive home, Mom and Dad were silent. What were they thinking? “Honey, I still don’t think we should take this money…” Dad gripped the steering wheel tighter and tighter, as if afraid he might change his mind. “I know you’re worried about Chloe being upset. We just won’t tell her, right?” “Chloe has always been so healthy. Felix is sickly and it breaks my heart watching him suffer. Think of this as the last thing Chloe does for her brother.” “When we get home, we’ll let her out and take her somewhere fun to relax. She won’t have to do that trial either.” I sat in the back seat, my heart dead as ash. Dad, don’t bother. I’m already dead. I can’t go anywhere. Mom’s phone rang. It was my teacher calling. “Hello, what is it? We’ve been excusing Chloe’s absences these past few days, so she hasn’t been at school.” “I understand this is a difficult time for you as parents, but you absolutely cannot show it in front of the child…” Mom interrupted her. “What are you talking about? What difficult time?” “Huh? Chloe didn’t show you the cancer diagnosis? Haven’t you been taking Chloe for checkups these past few days?”

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My parents told me and my boyfriend to go register our marriage before the New Year. On the drive to the courthouse, my boyfriend suddenly squinted at me. “Are you sure you want to marry me?” “What if I told you I slept with another woman—what would you do?” I slammed on the brakes and turned to stare at him in shock. “Don’t joke around like that.” “I’m not joking, babe.” His smile was twisted as he leaned over to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “Last night I had two women in my bed.” “So, do you still want to get married? I’ll go along with whatever you decide.” I felt like I’d been struck by lightning. My whole body went cold. My hands trembled uncontrollably on the steering wheel. “We’ve been childhood sweethearts. My feelings for you haven’t changed, and I’m willing to marry you, but I don’t want you to be the only woman in my life.” Adrian grabbed my shaking hands, his movements gentle. But his words were colder than the snow falling outside the window. “I’ve been incredibly happy lately. Can’t you tell?” I looked at him in confusion. He smiled as he spoke. “Because it’s thrilling!” “You know that time I suddenly called you to come to the lab? Someone was under my desk right then, giving me a blowjob…” He laughed. “It felt amazing. Her mouth was so tight. I came right in her mouth.” I stared at him in disbelief. That night, Adrian had called in a panic saying something had gone wrong with his experiment and I needed to come help immediately. When I arrived, he didn’t look panicked at all. He was sitting calmly at his computer. Though his face seemed to be restraining something. Now, seeing his twisted smile, I instantly understood what had been happening at that moment. A chill swept through my entire body. My childhood sweetheart, the man who promised to marry me as soon as we graduated from our master’s program. Had been fooling around with other women all along as graduation approached! My voice trembled when I spoke. “Do you know that on my way back alone that night, I was almost assaulted by some creep in the grove?” Adrian frowned and pulled me into his arms with a pained expression, patting my back. “I know, babe.” “Thank God the security guard saved you, or I would’ve felt guilty forever.” “So, do you still want to marry me?”

My chest tightened as I instinctively pulled away from his embrace. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. The handsome face before me should have been so familiar, yet now it felt completely foreign. “Why?” I forced myself through the suffocating pain to ask. “Why are you suddenly confessing this to me? On our way to the courthouse to get married?” He reached out with practiced ease to wipe my tears away, as gentle as he’d been countless times before when comforting me. “Winnie, you’re too innocent. I’m afraid of hurting you.” “Even after we get married, I won’t go back to having only you like before.” “Can you accept that?” I broke down sobbing, unable to answer his question. Adrian’s eyes reddened too. “Winnie, from age five to twenty-five, I only had you. But I’m twenty-five now. I don’t want to waste the best years of my life anymore!” “I want to truly experience what this world has to offer.” “Besides, we’re about to leave the ivory tower of university. I need to go back and take over the family business.” “You grew up in high society too. In our circle, what man doesn’t play around on the side?” My whole body shook uncontrollably, my face a mess of tears and snot. What he said was true, but I’d always thought he was different. Maybe every man in the world would betray their partner, but not my Adrian. When he was five, in front of both our parents, he said he would marry me one day and love only me for his entire life! Everyone had laughed at his innocent but sincere words. But now my world was crumbling. I sobbed so hard I couldn’t breathe. That’s when my parents’ video call came through. I hastily wiped my face before answering. “Winnie,” they asked with expectant faces. “How did it go? Are you married?” The next second, Adrian’s parents crowded into frame too, looking at me with affection. “Winnie, welcome to officially becoming part of the family.” My heart clenched painfully as I instinctively looked at Adrian. Adrian lazily raised an eyebrow and mouthed at me. “Say whatever you want.” I turned back to face the four smiling faces. I opened my mouth, wanting to say we couldn’t get the license, that Adrian and I were done. But my throat felt stuffed with water-soaked cotton. I couldn’t make a sound. I could only take a breath and try to keep my voice steady. “We already registered the marriage.” At that, Adrian chuckled quietly and leaned closer to the camera, his expression perfectly composed. “I’m taking Winnie to pick out wedding gifts now!” The four parents’ faces immediately lit up with relief, the sight piercing my chest with pain. I turned my face away, unable to look at them anymore. That’s when I noticed a pair of torn stockings in the corner of the back seat. With dried stains of unknown fluids on them. In an instant, my scalp prickled and I burst into tears.

“Winnie, why are you crying?” My mother’s voice was anxious. “Did that brat Adrian bully you? Tell me and your father will set him straight!” Adrian’s father also immediately took my side like he always did whenever Adrian and I had a conflict. I raised my hand to roughly wipe away my tears and forced out a smile. “No, I’m just so happy. They’re tears of joy.” The four parents all laughed. “I remember when you two graduated high school and Adrian proposed to you—you cried like that too.” “The cherry blossom rain falling everywhere that day was so romantic. This kid takes after me—he knows how to make his wife happy.” “When you come home for New Year’s, we’ll throw a proper celebration!” “Alright, alright, we won’t interrupt you newlyweds anymore. Go pick out your gifts.” Adrian smiled as he ended the call. I couldn’t hold back anymore. I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face, demanding through my tears. “You did it in my car too?” He casually worked his jaw and nodded. “Yeah, last night.” “But it wasn’t the same girl from the lab that day.” “Winnie, they’re not the first, and they won’t be the last.” Every word that left his mouth battered my nerves. It hurt so much—like my internal organs were about to explode. “Get out! Get out of my car!” I kicked him out of the car like a madwoman. The car door hung open, and the wind and snow quickly poured inside. Adrian ignored the snowflakes on his shoulders and leaned back in to adjust my scarf. His tone was as caring as it had always been. “Winnie, don’t catch cold.” “I’ll go. Take some time alone to calm down and think it over.” His fingers gently traced my face, now numb from crying. “Actually, I’m hoping you can accept who I am now and still marry me.” “After all these years together, how could I bear to be apart from you?”

I curled up in pain and ignored him. He sighed and closed the car door before leaving. I drove aimlessly, memories playing through my mind like a silent film. Five-year-old Adrian showing his little fangs when we first met, saying I was the prettiest little girl he’d ever seen. Eight-year-old Adrian promising to turn the whole city into an amusement park for me because I wanted to go every day. Eighteen-year-old Adrian hiring people to create a rain of cherry blossoms, kneeling on one knee to propose. Twenty-two-year-old Adrian giving up studying abroad to stay with me for graduate school, promising we’d never be apart. Twenty-five-year-old Adrian watching me break down in tears, yet still insisting he couldn’t have only one woman for the rest of his life. My heart felt like it had been torn in half, bloody and raw. I don’t know how I made it home. I sat on the couch all night. Adrian never came back. Perhaps after confessing to me, he felt completely unburdened. From that day on, he fully became a playboy. He frequented nightclubs, got tangled up with models and various minor celebrities. I couldn’t accept it. Every day I frantically went to different clubs to confront him, arguing, demanding answers, screaming. I tore to shreds all the dignity I’d built up over twenty-some years. But he deliberately showed me the scratch marks on his back, raising his eyebrows provocatively. “Winnie, this is punishment for being so possessive. If you can’t accept me as I am now, then we can’t spend our lives together!” My chest ached with tremors. I knew we could never go back. I knew how pathetic I looked, unable to let him go. But I couldn’t let go. Twenty years of connection—he and I had grown together, flesh and blood intertwined. Separating would mean scraping bone and carving flesh. It would be agonizing. Meanwhile, our parents sent me photos every day, full of joy. They’d bought us a newlywed villa. They put photos of Adrian and me from over the years in every room. They even started decorating children’s rooms—one pink, one blue. These were all the futures Adrian and I had once dreamed of together. Mom said, “Winnie, I’m so happy you’re marrying your first love. We’ve seen how good Adrian has been to you all these years. I hope you two will be happy together forever.” In that moment, my reason completely shattered. All I could think about was keeping Adrian. Even though he kept seeing other women.

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In the eighth year of our marriage, Blake finally bought me roses from the flower shop again after such a long time. He hugged me with a smile. “Tori, I got these flowers especially for you.” I pretended not to know that those roses were from a buy-one-get-one-free promotion at the florist, and that the bouquet he actually paid for had been sent to his villa in the suburbs. Where a girl as vibrant as roses herself lived. I carefully arranged the roses in a vase, and the next day placed the signed divorce papers right beside them. From that moment on, I stopped longing for someone else’s roses, because my own flowers would bloom by themselves. The room was a complete mess, with cake thrown everywhere. I sat there in embarrassment. Dawn had already broken. Last night was my birthday. Blake had called me saying he ordered a cake for me and promised he’d definitely come home later. I held that cake, waiting from ten at night until midnight, then until two in the morning, and finally until daybreak. I never saw Blake, but I did receive a message. The girl held flowers, wore a golden crown on her head, and was surrounded by people as she blew out candles. And among them, Blake had his arm around the girl’s waist. The two of them looked so intimate. So intimate that you’d think they were a couple. Then what about me? What did that make me? That girl’s name was Rosie. She was a college student—young, energetic, beautiful, and full of youth all wrapped into one. No wonder Blake liked her so much. Rosie sent me another message. [Did you see? Blake still likes me best. He even said that villa on South Street is really nice and wants to buy it for me.] [You’ve lost your youth. You’re old and ugly, and you have no sense of romance. What do you have to compete with me? You should just let go now!] Her tone carried that cocky confidence of youth. Why do people have such boldness? It’s because those who are favored always think they have someone backing them up. I just never expected that despite believing Blake and I loved each other deeply, we couldn’t withstand the test of time. I learned about this girl a year ago. That was the first time she contacted me. The first message Rosie sent me read: [Hello Mrs. Porter, my name is Rosie. I’m Blake’s new girlfriend. I know you must be shocked, but this is the truth. I’m beautiful and young, and I provide emotional value to Blake. If you truly love him, you should learn to let go and let him be with me.] I thought it was just a young girl with a crush and didn’t take it seriously. After all, Blake and I had been together since college. Back then he was just a poor guy, a scholarship student who couldn’t even afford tuition. The first time I learned about his situation, I had my father sponsor Blake. After Blake found out I had helped him, he started trying to repay me, always wanting to do things for me. Later, we naturally got together. After we got together, he cherished me so much that even if I wanted the moon from the sky, he’d be willing to pluck it down for me. I remember one time when I had a fever at night during winter, and I suddenly wanted cherries. He braved the freezing wind and snow, running to three fruit stores before finding one that was still open. When he came back holding those cherries like flowers, I couldn’t help but cry. I was certain he was the only man I could marry in this lifetime. Perhaps I was too easily moved back then, or maybe the cold air radiating from his body made his heart seem especially warm, beating especially intensely. After that, he pampered me even more like a little princess. He never let me step foot in the kitchen or do any dirty or tiring work. I’m rather particular about cleanliness and don’t like using the washing machine for my clothes. Blake, worried I wouldn’t be satisfied, hand-washed all my clothes himself until I was pleased. Blake always handled matters concerning me personally and wouldn’t let the housekeepers touch anything. I knew he treated me well, so I also gave him my all. After graduation, my father gave him a high-level position at the company, and after we got married, he even handed over the company’s internal and external affairs to Blake to manage. In these years of our marriage, he held me in the palm of his hand like a little princess. So how could I believe all of this was fake?

I wasn’t surprised when Rosie first messaged me, because many socialites had also messaged me asking me to voluntarily give up Blake. He was handsome and talented. Even without my father’s support, Blake’s abilities would have allowed him to make a name for himself in New York. A man like that, married young—how many socialites in the circle felt it was such a shame. So many people liked Blake, but I never took any of them seriously, because his eyes were full of only me. I’ve been frail since childhood, always looking sickly. That time I went to the hospital with a fever, the doctor said my constitution was too weak, and if I got married, I couldn’t have children for at least five years. I looked at Blake fearfully. Back then so many girls were chasing him, and now that he had the ability, there was no need for him to tie himself to me. I gave him an out. “You can choose divorce. I won’t blame you.” “What nonsense are you talking about? It’s okay, I’ll help you slowly nurse your health back. Not having children is fine too. At worst we can adopt a child.” He said it so sincerely, and he did everything he promised. From the beginning of our marriage, he prepared some kind of surprise for me every month, and all these years he never seemed to tire of it. So with him treating me so well, how could I not think those women were just jealous and threatening me? Until Rosie appeared. She showed me the necklaces Blake gave her, evening gowns, and later luxury goods and a car. Blake was really thoughtful—everything he could give, he gave to Rosie. We had agreed after marriage that no matter how late it was, we’d always come home for dinner. But starting last year, Blake rarely ate at home, and eventually he’d come home very late. Yesterday was my birthday, and he didn’t even come home. Only because yesterday also happened to be Rosie’s birthday. When I saw her message, I finally couldn’t control my temper and smashed the cake he bought me. Blake—he said he’d love me forever. If Rosie hadn’t sent me an audio recording, I might still be unwilling to believe that Blake was no longer the person he used to be. “Blake, today is your wife’s birthday. Aren’t you going home to be with her? Won’t she be angry?” Blake laughed lightly, his tone full of disdain. “Tori? I do love her, but she’s just so boring. She seems well-mannered and polite, but she’s actually old-fashioned and rigid, lacking so much interest. Not like you, Rosie—lively and adorable.” That was Blake’s voice. I couldn’t be mistaken. Rosie acted coy in the man’s arms, saying “how awful,” but her face showed no sign of actually finding it awful. This was all sent to me by Rosie. I knew she wanted to upset me, but Blake was the one who gave her the ammunition to hurt me. Looking at the mess in the room, for a moment I felt relieved. Blake—did I really have to have him? The love from before was real, and the betrayal now was equally real. I dialed a number. “Liam, are you busy?” Liam was pleasantly surprised to receive my call. “Tori, it’s been so long since you contacted me. I thought you’d forgotten all about me.” I smiled apologetically. Blake had no sense of security. Although he never said it, I still cut off contact with all my male friends. Looking back now, I was really foolish.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen? You haven’t contacted any of us since you got married.” I lowered my head somewhat ashamed. “Liam, I wanted to ask if your project training still has openings. I can pay double the price to join.” “Talking about money hurts our friendship. As long as you’re willing to come back, our doors are always open. You’re welcome to return anytime.” Before graduation, Liam was researching a new energy project. He invited me to participate, and I agreed. But after graduation I had to prepare for my wedding with Blake, so I had no choice but to withdraw from the project research. Later, Blake told me he didn’t like me being too close with Liam—it made him feel insecure. When Liam asked me to come back, I politely declined. Contacting Liam again, I felt really embarrassed. My face turned completely red. But I had to fight for myself somehow. Blake couldn’t bear to let me do anything, so at home I was pampered into a spoiled little princess. Every day all I did was shop and play. Blake never said a word against it. As a result, now I couldn’t do anything. With just a bit of my previous knowledge, I thought the only chance I had to learn was to rebuild my foundation with Liam. Liam agreed, but this project required going abroad for training for a period of time. Perfect. During this cooling-off period, going abroad would be good. I wouldn’t have to face Blake. After hanging up the phone, I returned to the bedroom. I’d been tossing and turning all night and was exhausted. I needed to get some good sleep before planning my next steps. I had barely fallen asleep when I felt warmth on my cheek. Blake had come home and kissed my cheek lightly. Unlike before, now I only found his kiss disgusting. “Tori, you’re awake. I brought you a birthday cake.” He was as considerate and thoughtful as always. Completely different from last night’s disdainful tone. I looked at the birthday cake through sleepy eyes and laughed coldly. Did I still need it? He looked at me apologetically. “I’m sorry, Tori. The company had something urgent come up last night. By the time I finished it was already dawn. I was afraid of disturbing your sleep if I came home, so I didn’t. But I’m making it up to you today, aren’t I?” Making it up to me? This late? Did I still need it? “I don’t want to eat it. It looks disgusting. Just throw it away.” My expression was weary. I planned to go back to sleep. But Blake panicked. “Honey, I’m sorry. Last night was an accident. I promise it won’t happen again. From now on, no matter how late I work, I’ll come home, okay?” I imperceptibly dodged away from him. I said softly, “I’m a bit tired and want to sleep. You go do what you need to do.” I didn’t need his fake concern. It was all an act. Blake said quietly, “Then rest well. I won’t go out today. I’ll stay home and keep you company.” I ignored him. Only after the door closed did I open my eyes. A friend sent me a photo. [Tori, that bastard Blake even buys flowers on a buy-one-get-one-free deal. Who is he sending that other bouquet to?] I knew who it was for. For that girl who was taunting me through messages. I slept until noon. When I came out, I saw Blake arranging flowers. “Tori, you’re awake.” I looked at that bouquet, remembering the photo my friend sent me—clearly one large and one small, buy one get one free. So I was the freebie. This was the eighth year of our marriage, and Blake had finally bought me a bouquet of roses after such a long time—and it was the free one.

He hugged me with a smile. “Tori, I got these especially for you!” But looking at the bright red roses, I only found them glaring. The image of those two bouquets of roses, one large and one small, was still vivid in my mind. Did Blake even have a heart? He once told me: “Honey, no matter what happens in the future, I will only love you. So don’t listen to what others say. You just need to believe in me.” I believed him. That’s why I didn’t care when so many people provoked me. But Blake, you asked me to believe what you said. When you said I was boring, did you ever think I might hear it? I pretended not to know that those roses were from a buy-one-get-one-free promotion, and that the bouquet he actually bought had already been sent to the villa in the suburbs. Rosie—that girl as passionate as roses. Perhaps the two of them were more compatible. Perhaps I really should exit Blake’s world. I took the flowers and placed them in a vase. “If you like them, I’ll buy them for you every day from now on.” I looked at his affectionate eyes. What great acting. But had he fooled himself? Buy me flowers every day—wouldn’t that just be taking advantage of the daily buy-one-get-one-free promotion? “No need. I don’t like roses at all, especially red roses. The red is too glaring.” Only he and Rosie liked roses. Blake didn’t catch my underlying meaning. He thought I was simply still angry. He hugged me from behind. “Honey, I know you’re still mad about last night, but don’t be angry anymore, okay? How about this—I’ll take you to the jewelry store. You really liked that necklace, didn’t you? Let’s go buy it, okay?” The necklace? I thought of the necklace worth five hundred thousand dollars that I mentioned to him half a month ago. It wasn’t necessary to buy, but Blake was paying, so why not take it? I went with him to the luxury store. The sales associate was introducing their accessories. Actually, I wasn’t very interested, especially being out with Blake made me even less enthusiastic. But my gaze fell on a ring gathering dust in the corner. The diamond wasn’t large, and it was the simplest style. Placed there, you could barely notice its existence. But I remembered—this was the same style as the first diamond ring Blake gave me. Back then he didn’t have money. He spent all his first year’s internship salary on that ring and knelt down to propose to me. He said, “Tori, I’ll treat you well for the rest of my life. Although I can’t afford to buy you the best right now, one day I’ll make you the most dazzling princess!” I believed him. “Miss, this style is an eight-year-old design. It doesn’t suit your temperament at all. How about you look at this ‘Bathing in Love’ style instead?” The sales associate brought out a ring with a large, brilliant diamond, and the heart shape in the center was especially eye-catching. “I think this one looks nice. Wrap it up for me.” A girl’s voice came from behind. The moment I met her eyes, I instinctively looked at Blake’s expression. Because this girl was none other than Rosie. I had to pretend I didn’t know anything and see how he’d perform. Rosie walked over, her eyes carrying a hint of provocation, but surprisingly she didn’t acknowledge Blake. “Wrap this ring up for me. I like it.” The sales associate looked troubled. “This lady saw the style first. We can only let you try it on if she confirms she’s not buying it. I’m sorry, Miss Zhou. This is our store’s limited edition. There’s only one!” Hearing it was limited edition, Rosie became even more persistent. And Blake beside me was obviously getting flustered.

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My wife produced a lot of breast milk. Her close friend showed up at our door with her son, asking my wife to breastfeed him. The two of them would often stay in the bedroom all day, occasionally letting out soft laughter and heavy breathing. Until six months later, I saw my wife with flushed cheeks and glazed eyes after nursing her friend’s son. That wasn’t how someone should look after breastfeeding at all! With a dark expression, I demanded a divorce! My wife stared blankly for a moment before saying in shock, “You want to divorce me just because I’m helping my friend feed her baby?” I nodded. “Yes.” After my wife gave birth to our daughter, she had plenty of milk, so she nursed her friend’s child. I often saw her friend Peach’s son nestled against her exposed chest. Every time my wife finished nursing, her face would flush. I couldn’t take it anymore. Today, I asked Winter for a divorce. Seeing me about to leave, Peach grabbed my arm. “Tyler, have you lost your mind? Winter is just helping me feed my baby. She hasn’t done anything wrong. Are you jealous just because she’s nursing a boy?” I pushed her away coldly. “You both know exactly why!” Peach’s partner showed up. After learning what happened, he laughed and patted my shoulder. “Man, your wife is a good woman. She feeds the baby privately. Don’t make a big deal out of nothing and ask for a divorce.” “Don’t touch me.” I shook off his hand. My usually sharp-tongued mother-in-law seemed to realize something and pointed at me in shock. “My God, how can you be so twisted?” “Do you know how painful breast engorgement is for a new mother? Instead of feeling sorry for her, you want a divorce. Are you even human?” My mother-in-law’s words attracted neighbors and family. After understanding the situation, they all glared at me. “This kind of man only thinks about one thing. He doesn’t care at all that his wife is suffering.” “If she doesn’t have postpartum depression, you should count yourself lucky!” “I heard Winter even gave him money to help him. Now he wants a divorce—isn’t that ungrateful?” Peach said coldly, “If we’d known you were this kind of man, we never would have agreed to let Winter marry you!” Hearing this, Winter’s tears fell. “Before giving birth, I worried about your company, brought you clients.” “After having the baby, you didn’t care about me. You just came home and played video games. When the baby cried at night, you never got up. You never even changed a diaper!” “Do you have any idea how painful this is? You can look it up!” “Peach is my close friend. She doesn’t produce enough milk, so I’m helping her. What’s wrong with that?” Everyone else got angry after hearing this. “Tyler, you’re failing as a husband.” “Thank God my partner is loving. When I had my baby, he took care of me.” I laughed coldly. “You’re all blind. You don’t understand what’s really going on, yet you’re all judging me?” “Winter, we’re going to file for divorce tomorrow. I’ll be waiting.” With that, I headed for the door. But Peach grabbed me. “You jerk! You want a divorce over this? Go to hell!” She threw a punch. Caught off guard, my nose started bleeding. Peach’s partner Danny also stepped forward, ready to hit me. “Don’t!” Winter rushed over, pushing them away and wiping my face. “Honey, look—our daughter is only a few months old. Can you really leave us?” The baby in her arms saw me and giggled. I sighed. “Let’s get divorced.” “You must have someone else. Danny, don’t hold me back—I’m going to kill him!” These people still didn’t understand who had actually been unfaithful!

Peach tried to rush at me, but Danny held her back. Danny said, “Tyler, if you’re upset because Winter fed my son, I’ll have Peach take him home. We were already considering formula anyway.” “You and Winter can work things out, okay?” The people around nodded. “Now that’s reasonable!” “If she uses formula, then Winter will have plenty left. Don’t get divorced.” “She helped you when your company was struggling. Where will you find such a good wife?” Everyone tried to mediate. But I looked at Winter darkly. “No. I want a divorce.” Hearing this, everyone got angry. Winter wiped away tears. “He said she won’t feed his son anymore. Can’t you forgive me?” She walked up and whispered, “To make it up to you, I’ll express all my extra milk for you from now on, okay?” I felt disgusted and pushed her away. “Can you stop pretending?” Winter knelt down with our daughter. “Honey, helping my friend isn’t a crime. I’ll change. Can’t you forgive me just this once?” “No!” Winter sobbed. “Please forgive me!” “Winter, this man is petty and doesn’t care about you. Don’t waste your time on him!” Seeing I wouldn’t budge, the crowd was furious. At that moment, my father pushed through and looked at me. “Tyler, Winter has sacrificed so much for this family. When your company was struggling, when your mother was in the hospital, it was Winter who helped.” “She’s been so good to us. If you dare divorce her, I won’t acknowledge you as my son!” “Dad, stay out of this.” I smiled at him, then looked at Winter. “I’ll give you a chance. Tell me the real reason.” Panic flashed in Winter’s eyes but disappeared quickly. “I already told you—because I have extra milk. If you don’t like it, I won’t do it anymore.” My father glared. “Winter is understanding. Where will you find such a good wife?” I shook my head. “Dad, I’m getting divorced no matter what.” “You bastard!” My father slapped me across the face. Half my face swelled up red. “Beat him!” “That kind of jerk deserves it!” The crowd cheered. “Tyler, are you okay?” Winter tenderly brought over medicine. “Such a good wife, yet he doesn’t know how to treasure her,” someone sighed. I pushed Winter away. “Stop pretending!” Winter looked aggrieved. “Please, I really don’t want a divorce. Our daughter needs a father.” “Begging won’t help.” I walked toward the door. “You really want a divorce? Then I don’t have a son like you!” my father called out grimly. My heart ached. At my age, I was still making him worry! But this was my marriage—I had to handle it myself! “Winter, I’ll have someone deliver the divorce papers to you.” I didn’t stop walking. Behind me came Winter’s heart-wrenching sobs.

I returned to my company, organized documents, then called my lawyer friend to handle the divorce. “Honey, what did I do wrong? Have you calmed down yet? The baby and I need you. We’re waiting for you to come home.” Soon after, I checked into a hotel and received messages from Winter. I blocked all her contacts. The next day, Winter received the papers but tore them up. In her anger, Peach posted the story online. People were outraged, and I was trending. “Damn, such a good wife who helped him, yet this man doesn’t treasure her?” “His wife has milk but didn’t feed him, so he wants a divorce?” “I think he has someone else, so he made up an excuse.” “I’m a mother. Breast engorgement is painful. When my friend didn’t have milk, I fed her baby too. My partner was understanding.” “Marrying this kind of man is the worst luck!” Instantly, I was attacked online! My information was leaked. My parents’ place was vandalized, forcing them to hide. People boycotted my company. My assistant walked in, worried. “Mr. Tyler, due to this, our products are being boycotted. Stock prices are plummeting. Clients are canceling orders. The warehouse is full. The factory may shut down. If we don’t act, the company…” I painfully clutched my hair. “I’ll find a way.” I called lawyer Violet to come over. “Tyler, the divorce hearing is scheduled for next Monday.” Violet then handed me a document and sent me several videos. I thanked her. “Thank you so much.” “What are you saying? If you hadn’t saved me that time, I’d be gone.” Violet winked and left. I looked at the documents and videos, and my expression darkened. Just as I suspected—Winter was that kind of person! When the truth comes out, everyone will be shocked.

During the days before the hearing, I was attacked online. My phone was bombarded. The company’s stock kept dropping. Products piled up. The bank demanded payment and froze my assets. If I didn’t win, the company would collapse. I would fall completely. Finally, the court date arrived. Many people came to observe, including media. Many watched the live stream, waiting to see me humiliated. The judge announced the session. After both lawyers spoke, Winter said, “I’m not at fault. Plus, I just gave birth. I don’t want a divorce.” The judge nodded. “Based on the law, without solid evidence, the divorce cannot be granted.” Hearing this, Winter looked smug. “Honey, stop this. Let’s not get divorced, okay? Look how adorable our daughter is. Can you really let her grow up without a father?” The baby slept peacefully. “No!” I refused. “My wife Winter was unfaithful. I demand an immediate divorce and that she leaves with nothing.” Winter looked at me in disbelief and cried. “I just work and go home. I only go out with Peach and a few others. Yet you accuse me of cheating? Are you even human?” Hearing this, the observers erupted. “She looks like a devoted wife. How could she cheat?” “I think this jerk has another woman.” Online, viewers cursed me. Even my father stood on Winter’s side. “If you turn back now, I can still acknowledge you as my son.” My mother said with concern, “Tyler, maybe… let it go?” “Everyone, I have evidence. Once you’ve seen it, you’ll understand.” I looked at the judge and played a video. In it, Winter held our daughter, Peach held her son, and they were at a mall, with Danny following carrying bags. Danny stared at Winter, then looked at Peach. Soon, both babies got hungry and cried. After trying to soothe them, Peach suggested the mall’s nursing room. But it was full. They went to a nearby hotel room to feed the babies. Danny followed but soon walked out toward the parking lot. “What’s wrong with this video?” “Yeah, this is normal.” “This man is sick! He has no idea how troublesome it is with a baby!” The scene erupted. Soon, people looked at Violet next to me. “Is this guy having an affair with this lawyer?” Hearing this, Violet’s face blushed slightly. She refuted, “Don’t talk nonsense. Mr. Tyler and I only have a professional relationship.” The judge called for order. “Can you imagine what they were doing in that room?” Thoughtful expressions appeared. I sneered. Next, there would be more explosive videos.

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It wasn’t until my girlfriend received her HIV diagnosis that I finally understood what her childhood sweetheart meant by”together in life and death.” In my previous life, when my girlfriend collapsed from anemia, her childhood sweetheart insisted on donating blood to her. I fought desperately to stop him, telling her that Nolan Preston had HIV. If he donated blood, she would be infected too. But she refused to believe me. Nolan cried, claiming he’d never even had a girlfriend. He climbed onto the rooftop, pretending he’d jump to prove his innocence. Then he slipped and fell to his death. To avenge him, my girlfriend conspired with our classmates to kidnap me. She strangled me with her own hands. Her furious roar echoed in my ears: “Your slander killed Nolan! Now you’ll pay with your life!” When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of the blood transfusion. Watching my girlfriend receive blood from her childhood sweetheart, I smiled faintly. It’s just HIV. No big deal.

“Adrian, I know you don’t like me, but this is a matter of life and death. Please stop preventing me from donating blood to Clarissa.” The moment I heard these words from my girlfriend’s childhood sweetheart Nolan Preston, I realized—I’d been reborn. I looked up to meet my girlfriend Clarissa Hayes’s displeased gaze. Her face was deathly pale from anemia. “Adrian Chen, fine, you’re too selfish to donate your own blood. But now you’re stopping Nolan from saving me? How was I so blind to fall for a scumbag like you?” Her insults sent a chill through my heart. In my previous life, Clarissa had suffered sudden anemia during the national competition. The emergency blood supply from the blood bank would take hours to arrive. To avoid missing her event, Nolan had proposed donating his own blood to Clarissa. I’d fought desperately to prevent Nolan from transfusing blood to Clarissa. Because I’d overheard a conversation between Nolan and some street thugs in an alley. “I’m HIV positive. As long as I can transmit it to Clarissa Hayes, she’ll stay with me forever!” I’d immediately stopped Nolan’s blood donation and told Clarissa that his blood carried HIV. But Clarissa not only refused to believe me—she accused me of deliberate slander. Nolan had burst into tears on the spot, claiming I was falsely accusing him. He’d gone to jump off a building to prove his innocence, but while pretending to jump, he’d slipped and actually fell from the eighteenth floor. Later, the autopsy report confirmed that his blood indeed contained high levels of the virus. I’d thought that would be the end of it. But at my birthday party, Clarissa had conspired with our classmates to kidnap me. I still remember what she said as she strangled me: “Your slander killed Nolan! Now you’ll pay with your life!” Snapping back to the present, the insults from my classmates continued around me. “Adrian Chen, how can someone as disgusting as you exist? Clarissa’s anemia is so severe, and you won’t donate blood. Fine. But you’re also stopping Nolan from donating?” “Exactly. Nolan is handsome and kind. What do you have that could possibly compare to him?” “Adrian is just jealous. Jealous that everyone likes Nolan. That’s why he’s deliberately obstructing.” This time, I took a deep breath, calmed my agitated emotions, then stepped aside from the transfusion area. I smiled and said: “Go ahead and donate. If 400cc isn’t enough, draw 600cc. We absolutely can’t delay Clarissa’s transfusion.” You reap what you sow. She needs to taste the bitter fruit she’s planted herself.

Nolan grabbed the needle and inserted it into his vein with a furrowed brow. Our classmates praised his kindness and selflessness. Clarissa’s eyes were filled with nothing but sympathy for him. Only I noticed the tiny, scabbed-over needle marks on his pale skin. Those were traces left by long-term improper injections—ironclad evidence that he carried the virus. After drawing half a blood bag, Nolan began feeling dizzy and unsteady on his feet. Clarissa immediately pulled the needle from his arm and held him carefully in her arms. Nolan insisted on standing up, declaring righteously: “Don’t anyone stop me. I must finish drawing the blood.” Then his body swayed again. Watching his terrible acting, I could guess what he was trying to do. Sure enough, the next second, a male student spoke up: “We can’t let Nolan draw so much blood alone! Clarissa needs more. Let’s all donate—a little from each person adds up!” His words immediately drew agreement: “Right! We’ll use this same needle to draw from everyone! We’re not selfish like some people. Everyone takes turns. Quick!” “Exactly. If Nolan isn’t afraid, why should we be? This little bit of blood is nothing compared to our united friendship!” Hearing everyone’s passionate declarations, I wanted to laugh. What good classmates indeed—willing to share a needle used by an HIV patient. Even sharing the virus together. In this lifetime, they could finally achieve their wish to “live and die together.” When the team doctor entered and saw students about to jab a used needle into their own veins, she rushed to stop them: “Are you all crazy? Stop it! So many people using the same needle—what if there’s cross-infection?” Far from being scared, the students frowned and said: “What kind of team doctor are you? Who are you cursing? We’re all clean. How could we get infected?” “I advise you to mind your own business. If we delay Clarissa’s transfusion and she misses her event, can you take responsibility?” “I bet you’re working with Adrian Chen, trying to sabotage Clarissa and make her miss the competition!” The students’ mockery turned the team doctor’s face red and white with anger. She stamped her foot and ran out of the room with tears in her eyes. After the team doctor left, the students continued drawing blood. One, two, three… I stood outside the crowd, watching that deadly needle pierce different people’s skin again and again amid “friendly” cheers. Each blood draw was a fatal cross-infection. The blood bag was quickly filled. But just then, Nolan suddenly held the needle out to me. “Adrian, your turn.”

Looking at the needle stained with different people’s blood, nausea rose in my chest. I coldly refused: “I’m not doing it.” “Adrian, I know you don’t like me, but Clarissa is your girlfriend after all. At a time like this, if you don’t donate some blood, it doesn’t look good, does it?” Nolan’s statement instantly ignited the students’ anger: “Right! Everyone else donated. Why shouldn’t you? A selfish man like you doesn’t deserve to be Clarissa Hayes’s boyfriend!” “Adrian Chen, will you draw it yourself, or should we do it for you?” The students approached me with the needle step by step. Clarissa’s gaze toward me was full of warning: “Adrian Chen, you’ve already disappointed me enough today. If you donate blood to me, I’ll give you one chance to not break up. But if you continue being this selfish, you don’t deserve my love!” Hearing her speak like some domineering CEO, I nearly laughed from anger. Had Clarissa Hayes forgotten? She was just a scholarship student funded by my family! If I hadn’t paid for her education, she’d still be scavenging trash to eat! She’d been so touched, saying she’d protect me forever. Until Nolan appeared. Then she became cold toward me while fawning over him. She’d wronged me repeatedly for his sake, forcing me to submit. She’d even strangled me to death with her own hands—all for him! I really don’t know how I was so blind to fall for such a two-faced woman. She wants to break up? Fine. Perfect. I looked at her coldly: “Clarissa Hayes, we’re done.” Hearing my breakup declaration, Clarissa’s face instantly went white. She’d never imagined that I, who’d loved her so much, would initiate the breakup. After speaking, I turned and opened the hospital room door. Just as I was about to leave, she grabbed my wrist tightly and glared at me viciously: “Don’t think I don’t know—you’re deliberately playing hard to get with me. Everyone else donated blood. You’re donating today whether you like it or not!” As soon as she finished speaking, the students all rushed forward, pinning me down firmly, forcing that needle used by countless people toward my vein. Clarissa stood to the side, her expression cold: “If you keep being this disobedient, I’ll never forgive you.” Watching the needle get closer and closer, I struggled frantically, resisting with all my might. Was I sweating bullets? In this second life, would I still be unable to escape a tragic death? In desperation, I kicked the emergency alarm button. Finally, just as the needle was about to penetrate my vein, security guards burst in. In front of everyone, the students couldn’t continue forcing me. They could only glare at me with disgust in their eyes. My heart finally relaxed. That was close! I almost got killed by these idiots! Disappointment flashed in Nolan’s eyes. Then he picked up the blood bag and handed it to Clarissa. Clarissa’s eyes were full of emotion. The two of them exchanged glances so sickeningly sweet it was nauseating. After transfusing this virus-laced blood into her body, Clarissa excitedly embraced Nolan and kissed his forehead. The watching students all cheered: “Clarissa and Nolan are a match made in heaven.” “Exactly. Nolan is so much better than that selfish Adrian Chen!” “Thank goodness you dumped that scumbag, Clarissa. Now you have Nolan. You really lucked out!” Surrounded in the middle, Nolan smiled sweetly. Clarissa also spoke up smugly: “Good thing I dumped that ungrateful idiot Adrian Chen. Otherwise how would I have such a wonderful boyfriend like Nolan?” “I’m going to win today’s championship for Nolan!” Watching everyone’s harmonious scene, I smirked coldly and looked away. Laugh now! The more excited they are now, the more tragic it will be later.

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In my seventh year with Tristan, I still hadn’t married into the Foster family. He said I had to be able to wear the ancestral ring to become Mrs. Foster. Over those seven years, I’d gone from having a perfect figure to becoming a walking skeleton. Before each ring fitting, I’d only dare sustain myself on water for days. But ninety-nine fittings, ninety-nine failures. The night before the hundredth attempt, Tristan gently circled my ring finger and sighed softly: “When will I finally be able to marry you?” My eyes welled up with tears, and I secretly scheduled a bone reduction surgery. But just before going under the surgery, I overheard: “Mara’s lost more weight. Switch to an even smaller ring.” “Mr. Foster, to fit into that ring, Miss Smith has already become… like that. Do you… truly have the heart for this?” Tristan fell silent for a long moment before finally saying: “She can’t be allowed to fit into it.” “Selene’s delusional disorder hasn’t been cured yet. In her mind, I’m her lover.” “If I marry Mara now, Selene will completely break down.” He didn’t know that my father had only given me seven years. If I couldn’t marry into the Foster family within seven years, the arranged marriage between our families would be null and void.

My fingertips seemed to still hold traces of Tristan’s gentle touch from last night. His heartbroken sigh still echoed in my ears: “How did you lose even more weight?” So it wasn’t heartbreak—it was fear. Fear that I might actually fit into that ring. Fear that I might actually marry into the Foster family. I turned my head. A nurse handed me a surgical consent form. Bone reduction surgery carried extremely high risks. Post-operative infection, nerve damage, even amputation after failure—all were common enough. I shook my head and pushed away the pen the nurse offered me. “I’m not going through with this surgery.” Relief bloomed across the nurse’s face. “Miss Smith, I’m so glad you’ve come to your senses. You’re already very thin—there’s no need to undergo such a dangerous procedure.” After saying goodbye to the nurse, I ran into Tristan at the hospital entrance… with Selene White. Tristan’s tone carried a hint of sternness, but more than that, heartache and indulgence. “I told you to eat properly. Your checkup shows vitamin C deficiency. What if you become malnourished?” Seeing me, he stopped talking. And subtly removed the hand that had been resting on Selene’s waist. Selene’s delusional disorder first manifested in my first year with Tristan. That day, right in the middle of dinner, she grabbed a glass of red wine without warning and poured the entire thing on me. She screamed and called me a homewrecker. After two days at the police station and three days at the hospital, the result was: She had delusional disorder, imagining Tristan was her lover. It had reached the point where she’d attempt suicide over it. Tristan said: “Selene and I grew up together. She may have misunderstood certain feelings…” “Selene’s father died saving me. I can’t just stand by and do nothing.” So we each compromised. I accepted him placing Selene in the hospital, occasionally visiting to play the role of her lover. He promised that aside from comfort, there would be no intimate actions. The hand he’d just wrapped around Selene’s waist had viciously pierced my eyes. The two of them brushed past me. Selene didn’t see my face clearly. She just covered her mouth in shock and said: “How can someone be that thin?” She burrowed further into Tristan’s embrace. “Honey, are you worried I’ll get that skinny, is that why you were scolding me? I’ll listen to you from now on. I’ll eat properly.” Hearing that intimate term of endearment, my stomach, which hadn’t eaten in three days, suddenly cramped with pain. Selene continued excitedly: “Then I want strawberry cake later, and French cuisine…” “Baby, why are you spacing out?” Tristan withdrew the concerned gaze he’d fixed on me and said to her: “Yeah, whatever you want to eat, I’ll go buy it right away.” Less than a minute later, Tristan’s assistant rushed over in a panic to support me. “Miss Smith, Mr. Foster really can’t get away…” “I know. I’m fine.” I said this often. He’d skipped our anniversary to feed Selene her medication. I said: “I know. I’m fine.” He’d left home in the middle of the night to comfort Selene after she woke from a nightmare. I said: “I know. I’m fine.” He’d abandoned me with a high fever to help Selene fix her toilet. I said: “I know. I’m fine.” Over the past seven years, it was because of love that I was understanding, that I accommodated him. But today, I truly was fine. And from now on, none of this would be my concern anymore. I called my father. “Dad, you were right.” “A ring that won’t fit shouldn’t get a second chance.”

With just one sentence, my father could hear the grievance in my voice. He sighed and said with heartache: “I’m glad you’ve come to your senses. Now that you have, come home. There are plenty of people here who want to put a ring on your finger.” My father never wanted me to marry Tristan in the first place. After all, the Smith family was rooted in New York, while the Fosters were in Las Vegas. The two places were far apart. If I hadn’t been so determined to stay in Las Vegas seven years ago, he never would have been willing to let his only daughter marry so far away. After hanging up, the car driven by Tristan’s assistant pulled up steadily in front of me. “Ma’am, it’s time to try on the ancestral ring.” Outside the car window, familiar streets slipped by bit by bit. My thoughts drifted back to Victoria Harbor when I was eighteen. The wind was strong that night. My hat nearly flew into the sea, but a hand caught it firmly. I turned around. Tristan’s eyes held a smile in the darkness: “Careful there, babe.” In that moment, the sea breeze, the neon lights, and the warmth of his fingertips sent my heartbeat into complete chaos. Regarding this marriage arrangement, my father was extremely opposed. First, he couldn’t bear to let me marry far away. Second, he had no good impression of the Foster family. At that time, I’d just been doused with red wine by Selene and called a homewrecker. And I’d failed to fit the ring for the first time. “What kind of ancestral rule is this? Can’t marry if the ring doesn’t fit? Absolutely ridiculous.” “And that woman who made a public scene—locked up for two days and then released? What’s that supposed to mean?” After ranting for a while, my father finally asked me with great heartache: “So if you can never wear that ring, are you planning to waste your whole life there?” I smiled, unconcerned: “How could I never wear it? If I can’t wear it after seven years, I’ll come home, okay?” This seven-year time limit was actually just something I said casually. Because back then, I thought seven days would be enough. Later, year after year, it became almost an obsession. My heart grew anxious and uncertain. My body grew thinner day by day. The young woman once cherished endlessly by her father stubbornly persisted in this dead end of love. In the end, I discovered I’d fallen into a romantic fraud. My thoughts returned to the present. The car had also stopped in front of the Foster family estate. In the Foster family shrine, Tristan was there too. Through the black curtain, my hand was once again fitted with that ring. I used to think it was so mysterious, having to wear a ring through a black curtain. Now I knew—it was all to keep me in the dark. Without suspense, the ring slid to the second knuckle of my ring finger and stuck. I quickly withdrew my hand. I no longer tried like before, having people force the ring onto my finger over and over until it broke the skin and bled. Tristan froze, then leaned his shoulder toward me. He thought I’d break down and cry like before because the ring wouldn’t fit. But this time, I just shook my head and said flatly: “Take it away. It won’t fit.” This time, Tristan’s daze lasted even longer. He couldn’t help but say: “Mara, today you… feel like a different person.”

I didn’t answer. Not until the doorbell rang did he snap out of it. It was the takeout I’d ordered. All high-sugar, high-calorie little cakes, cookies, and pizza. Things I’d never dared touch before while dieting. Tristan said in surprise: “Why did you suddenly order all this food for me?” He never imagined it was all for me to eat. After all, in the past, when I couldn’t fit the ring, at my most extreme, I’d gone three days without eating. “How could I eat all this by myself?” “I never said it was for you.” Opening the cake packaging, I dipped my finger in some frosting and gently placed it in my mouth. So sweet… Before I could savor this sweetness I’d lost for seven years, the cake in my hand was violently pushed away by Tristan. “Mara, have you lost your mind?” “Do you know how many calories are in one bite of cake?” I looked at him calmly: “I know. Very high calories. So what?” A flash of bewilderment crossed Tristan’s eyes. Tonight’s version of me was too abnormal. Like I didn’t care about anything anymore. He spoke slowly: “Aren’t you…” “Aren’t I dieting? Trying to fit into your family’s ancestral ring, trying to legitimately marry you.” Torturing myself into this state for a lie. Selene’s vitamin C was just slightly low, and Tristan was beside himself with worry. Yet he forgot that to fit into the ring, I’d been extreme dieting, requiring regular nutrient IV drips just to maintain my vital signs. After a moment of silence, I suddenly said out of nowhere: “You’ve really taken such good care of Selene.” Fair skin, rosy cheeks. In contrast, I was skin and bones, pale as death. Seeing Selene today, my first reaction was: not worth it, so not worth it! New York winters were cold. My father had raised me plump and healthy, yet I’d done this to myself for a man. Hearing this, understanding flashed in Tristan’s eyes. He grabbed my hand and coaxed gently: “So that’s why you’re acting so strange today—you’re jealous.” “Baby, the doctor says Selene’s delusional disorder will be cured soon. You’ll be able to marry me very soon.” In a moment of carelessness, he’d let it slip. I gave him a cold glance: “Didn’t you say I could only marry you once I could wear the ring? How did it become having to wait until Selene recovers?” “I’m also really curious—why can I never fit into it?” “Don’t tell me the ring shrinks every year?” Tristan’s heart jumped fearfully, his tone unusually flustered: “Mara, what are you talking about?” He pulled me into his embrace, explaining anxiously: “No one wants to marry you more than I do, but there’s no helping it—that’s the rule passed down in our family. My mom also wore this ring before marrying my dad.” “That you can’t fit the ring… I’m in a difficult position too.” He gently stroked my emaciated spine, comforting me: “But it’s okay. A wedding is just a formality. In my heart, you’ve long been Mrs. Foster.” Before I could respond, a dark voice sounded from behind. “Honey… what are you doing?” Before I could react, I was shoved aside by a forceful push. It was Selene. The nurse caring for her said she’d been vomiting after taking her medicine tonight, making such a fuss that they had no choice but to bring her over. She’d walked right into the scene of us embracing. Before Tristan could react, Selene’s fists rained down on me, one blow after another. A woman’s strength wasn’t particularly great, but for someone like me who’d been extreme dieting for years, these few blows already had me breaking out in cold sweat. Tristan pulled the frantic Selene away. He didn’t check on my deathly pale face, but instead held Selene tightly. “Selene, don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. I’m your husband. You saw wrong just now.” My stomach cramped painfully. I found it utterly absurd. In this scene, I—the legitimate girlfriend—had ended up playing the role of the other woman. Selene’s face was red from crying as Tristan lifted her by the waist. “Ugh!” The instant they rose, Selene borrowed the momentum to kick me viciously, right in the abdomen. My lower abdomen immediately filled with pain. Cold sweat streamed down continuously. I called out weakly: “Tristan…” But he only gave me a glance before the person thrashing in his arms captured all his attention. Before I lost consciousness, the last sound I heard was Tristan’s indulgent comfort to Selene.

When I woke again, I was in the hospital. Before I even opened my eyes, I heard the doctor say: “The patient was injured in the abdomen. Threatened miscarriage. The baby can’t be saved. We’ll need to perform a D&C shortly.” My hand instinctively moved to my lower abdomen. I looked up to hear Tristan say: “Mara, I’m sorry.” “I didn’t know you were pregnant. This baby came at a bad time. The miscarriage is actually for the best.” “Besides, you’re so thin—your body couldn’t handle a pregnancy anyway.” My heart ached. The corners of my mouth pulled into a forced smile. “So many excuses. Are you really worried my body can’t handle it, or are you worried Selene can’t handle finding out?” Tristan shot to his feet. “Mara, will you ever give it a rest?” “I already told you—Selene’s father died saving me. I can’t just ignore her condition. It’s all pretend.” “What are you trying to say now? Making it sound like I cheated?” I looked at him calmly. He was incoherent, his face flushed red. The more defensive and ashamed he became, the more it proved I was right. I laughed softly, and the hand resting on my abdomen slowly relaxed. My stomach hurt terribly. That little life I’d only just learned about was slowly slipping away. “Doctor, take me for the surgery.” As I spoke, I started to get down from the hospital bed to head to the OB-GYN department. “Mara!” Tristan rushed to support my swaying body. “You…” His brow furrowed, his mouth opening and closing, complex emotions churning in his eyes. He hadn’t expected me to move on so quickly. “How are you suddenly so…” Tristan couldn’t find the words to describe the current me. So casual, so easy, so indifferent… “How are you suddenly so cold? This is our child.” I looked at him with some amusement: “Oh, so you know it’s our child? Selene kicked my stomach and caused my miscarriage—why don’t you blame her?” His words caught in his throat, a flash of guilt in his eyes. “Mara, don’t be like this. We can have another child… it’s just that right now, this one really came at a bad time.” A sense of relief washed over my heart. He was right. I was about to leave. This child truly had come at a bad time. He started to say something else, but I cut him off: “Arrange the surgery quickly. I have things to do.” Things like cutting ties. Things like leaving. Tristan’s frown deepened. He looked agitated and uneasy. But I simply pried his hand away and walked determinedly toward the operating room. The D&C took less than ten minutes, but I was utterly exhausted afterward. When I came out supporting my waist, Tristan was nowhere to be seen. On the hospital lawn, he and Selene were locked in a tight embrace. His assistant said as usual: “Miss Smith, Mr. Foster really can’t get away…” I ignored him and turned to go downstairs. “Miss Smith!” The assistant frantically blocked my path, thinking I was going to make a hysterical scene in front of them. “You should be resting properly right now. You can’t go downstairs…” Before he could finish, a pair of strong hands pushed him aside. “What are you doing, shoving Miss Smith around?” My back pressed against a solid chest. I looked back. It was someone my father had sent to pick me up. I’d gone downstairs not because of Tristan, but because my father had sent someone for me. The assistant panicked, but he couldn’t get through to Tristan no matter how many times he called. This was Tristan’s dedicated time with Selene—no interruptions allowed. Before the car door closed, I said to the assistant: “I should have understood long ago. A ring that shrinks every year—of course I could never fit into it.” At the end, I smiled with relief. “But it doesn’t matter anymore. I don’t want it.” The car door closed. The vehicle drove toward the airport. … The assistant rushed to Tristan’s side regardless of everything, startling Selene into another unstable emotional state. Tristan frowned in irritation. He’d wanted to quickly calm Selene down, then devote himself wholeheartedly to me. For some reason, his heart felt panicked and uneasy. Not until the assistant spoke: “Miss Smith knows everything about the ring!”

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In the sixth month after I died, my husband Liam brought his lover to a class reunion. A classmate asked, “Liam, why haven’t we seen you with Shannon lately? Who is this?” Liam sneered, “She’s being dramatic and took off. Don’t mind her, she’ll come crawling back in a few days.” A classmate sitting in the corner, however, frowned in confusion. “Didn’t Shannon die in that air crash half a year ago? I saw the list with my own eyes.” The wine glass slipped from Liam’s hand, shattering on the marble floor. He shot to his feet, his face turning ashen under the lights, his eyes locked on the speaker. “What are you talking about?!” The classmate, startled, spoke with certainty. “I’m not lying. My cousin worked on the case. I saw the final list. Shannon’s name was on it. Liam, you… didn’t you know?” “Impossible! That’s a lie!” Liam roared, shoving away Stella who tried to steady him. “She’s just hiding! Even her parents haven’t said anything! How dare you say that?!” Stella stumbled, bumping into a table. Everyone fell silent. The classmate, annoyed now, broke free. “Have you lost your mind? She’s been dead for half a year, and you’re putting on this act? Didn’t you bring your new girlfriend here?” All eyes turned to Liam and the mortified Stella beside him. Shock and whispered judgment filled the room. Liam staggered back, muttering, “No… she wouldn’t… she’s just mad at me…” Trembling, he pulled out his phone, dialing the number again and again, listening to the endless tone. The classmate scoffed, grabbed his coat, and left. The party was over. Liam seemed to jolt awake. Without a glance at the tearful Stella, he pushed through the crowd and ran out. I floated above, watching the scene. My heart was a still, frozen lake. Liam, my husband. Over half a year after my death, telling everyone I was just “being dramatic.” His breakdown—how much was shock, how much fear, and how much was that belated guilt he never dared face? A perfect satire.

“Why is your attachment unresolved?” a voice asked. I turned. It was the guide. I asked him when I could leave. “That depends on you,” he said, granting me the ability to leave Liam’s side for a while each day. “Perhaps the truth will set you free.” Since that night, Liam seemed normal on the surface. He worked, came home, ate dinner. But I knew he was mad. He slept in our bed, tucking in the empty space beside him. “Goodnight, Shannon.” Leaving the house: “Shannon, I’m heading out.” Returning home: “Shannon, I’m back.” At meals, he set two places, piling food onto the empty plate. “Shannon, eat more, you love this.” But Shannon was dead. And I didn’t love that food anymore. He came home late today, with Stella following him. She had ambushed him at work, desperate to talk. He finally brought her home. “What do you want?” he asked, his eyes empty. “Liam, don’t you love me anymore? Were your promises lies?” Liam was moved. His hollow eyes flickered. I sneered. I knew his so-called devotion was just self-delusion. In the end, he held her as he cried, and she comforted him. “I’m sorry,” he said, kissing her forehead. “I’m in a bad place. Can you wait?” “Is it because of her?” He nodded. “I can’t believe she’s gone. We were together seven years. I just… need time.” “I understand. I’ll wait. We’ve waited so long already.” She smiled through tears. Her understanding seemed to pain him. They held each other for a long time before he sent her home. “Shannon… you won’t blame me, will you?” he said to the air afterward, full of remorse. Disgusting. Hypocritical and nauseating.

Watching him, the buried memories surged back. I never wanted to marry. When the family business was crippled, I agreed to a marriage of convenience. I expected a distant partnership, but Liam spoiled me utterly. Just when I fell for him, his first love returned. I didn’t know about Stella, only heard her mentioned by his friends. They said she was brilliant, studied abroad. Once, they wondered if she was married now. Liam sharply cut them off. The topic changed instantly. That was my first clue. He had been angry. Now I knew why. He couldn’t stand the thought of Stella belonging to someone else. Two months after Stella’s return, Liam started coming home less. First late nights, then days without a word. He hadn’t been back in a week. My calls went unanswered. I went to his office. He wasn’t there. His assistant finally gave me the name of a romantic restaurant. My heart sank. I found them in a hotel lobby, intimate, fingers intertwined. I walked over, then stopped cold, staring at a face that resembled mine by eighty percent. I ignored the panic on Liam’s face. [After a moment, Stella smiled and walked toward me. She extended her hand. “You must be Shannon. Thank you for taking care of Liam for me all these years.”]

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The first thing I did after I was reborn was dump Chloe, my devoted girlfriend, and immediately turn around to accept the obsessive Serena’s advances. Only because in my past life, my so-called best friend, Ryan, had bound an App that could transfer all of Chloe’s love for me straight to him. I remembered asking her, eyes burning red, why she’d changed. But she had just looked at me with chilling disgust. “We broke up ages ago. Stop harassing my boyfriend!” On my birthday, Ryan went live on Instagram, showing off the private island Chloe had booked for him. Meanwhile, I was locked away by them in a psychiatric hospital. They called me a delusional stalker, a crazy person. I died in despair amidst endless, so-called treatments and drug injections. Then, I opened my eyes again. I was back. This time, I wouldn’t give Chloe an ounce of my true feelings. Instead, I’d pretend to reciprocate Serena’s. When Ryan opened that App again, ready to siphon off Serena’s overwhelming, pathological love, I just smiled. I wanted to see if he could actually handle it.

“Alex, I love you!” The resounding, unwavering confession, accompanied by the drone swarm’s hum and the crowd’s excited screams, snapped my consciousness back. Chloe stood in the center of a star-filled pattern crafted from roses and lights, microphone in hand, her eyes shining as she gazed at me. The cheers were deafening. “Say yes! Say yes!” It took a moment for me to realize I had been reborn. I was back to the annual campus celebration, the very day Chloe planned to publicly declare her love for me with a drone light show. In my past life, I’d stood right here, heart pounding like a drum, waiting for her to walk toward me. But just as she was about to utter her final vows, her gaze had drifted past me, landing on Ryan, my friend, who was standing behind me. I’d never forgotten that moment. Later, I learned Ryan had an App on his phone, one that could steal love. It was him, like a thief, who had stolen Chloe’s love for me. And now, history seemed poised to repeat itself. I could almost feel Ryan, behind me, subtly tightening his grip on his phone, ready to pull the same stunt again. The shouts from the crowd grew louder, and Chloe’s smile became even more radiant and sweet. Before she could utter the crucial words, I stepped forward, took the spare microphone offered by someone nearby, and spoke in a chillingly calm voice: “Chloe, we’re over.” “I don’t like you anymore. I just don’t feel anything.” Those words landed like a bombshell, exploding in the stunned crowd. “Is Alex crazy? Chloe’s been chasing him forever, put on such a huge show, and he’s publicly blowing her off?” “How could the most popular girl on campus not be good enough for him? He actually broke up with her?” “This guy’s brutal, didn’t hold back at all!” Chloe’s face instantly went white. “Why? Alex, tell me why? Is there something I did wrong? I can change!” In my past life, I had pleaded with her just like that, only to be met with her cold disdain. Now, it was her turn to bear that pain. “Alex!” A hand clamped hard on my arm. It was Ryan, his face etched with fake concern. “Don’t be impulsive, man. You and Chloe have such a great relationship, everyone’s jealous. How can you just break up like that? Apologize to her, stop messing around.” I looked at his face, plastered with hypocritical concern, and smirked inwardly. He was definitely panicking. Suddenly, I completely understood: his App probably only worked on his current partner’s love. Once Chloe and I broke up, he couldn’t steal anything from her. That’s why he was so desperate to get us back together. I violently pulled my arm away, my former dejected self gone, my eyes sharp as daggers as I stared at him. “My business is none of yours.” With that, I pushed through the crowd without looking back, leaving behind a wave of stunned murmurs and Chloe’s muffled sobs.

The news of me publicly dumping Chloe spread like wildfire across the entire campus. I became the campus jerk in everyone’s eyes—ungrateful, cold, and ruthless. Everywhere I went, I felt eyes on my back, heard hushed whispers. “That’s him, the one who dumped Chloe, his perfect girlfriend.” “I heard he’d wanted to break up for a while, just waited for today to totally humiliate her.” I couldn’t have cared less. These rumors and whispers felt like a gentle breeze compared to the ‘treatments’ and torment I endured in that psychiatric hospital in my past life. Ryan had been clinging to me like glue these past two days, trying to tirelessly convince me to get back with Chloe. His words constantly hinted at how much pain Chloe was in, how she was drowning in tears. “Alex, Chloe hasn’t eaten or drunk anything in two days. She’s completely wasted away. Can you really be so heartless?” He hooked his arm over my shoulder, saying with feigned sincerity, “You two were everyone’s favorite couple, the benchmark for love. Don’t give up because of a misunderstanding.” I brushed his arm off, looking at his shifty eyes, finding him utterly ridiculous. “If you’re so concerned about her, why don’t you go comfort her yourself?” I said flatly. Ryan’s face stiffened for a second, then he forced a smile again. “I’m doing this for your own good! You’re my best friend, I can’t just stand by and watch you make a mistake!” “Really?” I laughed. “Well, I guess I should really thank you for your friendship, then.” I ignored him, walking directly toward the school garden. Under the arbor, a figure stood out. Her skin was a morbid, almost translucent white, her eyes as black as ink. A tear-drop mole beneath her eye gave her an unnerving charm. She wasn’t admiring the flowers; she was just lazily leaning on a swing, the silence around her broken only by the wind. This was Serena, from a powerful family, but with a volatile, unpredictable personality—a true control freak. In my past life, I’d heard stories about her: a guy she dated for a short time eventually had a mental breakdown and dropped out of school. I took a deep breath, walked down the winding path, and stopped in front of Serena. She seemed to sense someone approaching, and lazily lifted her eyelids, her inky black eyes landing on me with an appraising gaze, laced with a flicker of dangerous curiosity. “Something wrong?” I met her eyes, speaking slowly and deliberately. “Chloe and I broke up. Now, I accept your offer to be your boyfriend.” Her words hung in the air. Serena froze. She slowly rose from the swing, a playful, almost childlike smile curving her lips. “When I pursued you before, didn’t you say Chloe was the only one in your heart?” “What, now you’re finally willing to break up?” Serena’s words made me briefly remember the warm times I’d spent with Chloe in my past life. Back then, we were deeply in love, but that was before Ryan stole her affection. I forced my voice to remain steady. “Not interested? Fine, then.” I started to turn away, but she suddenly chuckled softly. “Oh, I’m interested.” With that, a kiss landed on my lips.

The news of Serena and me getting together spread even faster and wider than my breakup with Chloe. The entire campus was buzzing. “Oh my god, did Alex lose his mind? Dumping Chloe just to mess with Serena?” “Does he think Serena is some sweet-tempered girl like Chloe? Just wait, he’ll be driven to a mental breakdown in less than three days.” “I bet a week, he’ll come crawling back to Chloe, looking completely defeated.” I became the talk of the campus, everyone waiting to see the spectacle of my downfall. And Chloe, whom I had so cruelly dumped, finally broke down after hearing the news. She rushed into my classroom, her eyes red and swollen, and confronted me in front of everyone. “Alex! What exactly do you think you’re doing?!” She pointed at me, her voice filled with the pain and fury of betrayal. “You broke up with me just to be with her? Don’t you know what kind of person Serena is? Why are you degrading yourself like this?!” Before I could reply, Ryan immediately stepped forward, looking deeply distressed. “Chloe, don’t get so worked up.” He stood in front of Chloe, but turned to me with fake concern. “Alex, how could you be so foolish!” “You’re throwing away a perfectly good Chloe for some Serena. That kind of woman, what makes her worth it?!” “As your friend, even if you think I’m meddling, I have to knock some sense into you!” He stood on his moral high horse, lecturing me righteously, as if he genuinely cared. The surrounding students also started to whisper. “Ryan’s right, Alex, wake up!” “Chloe was so good to you, don’t be an idiot.” I watched the ridiculous drama unfolding before me, finding it laughable. “Chloe, you’re old news. Why can’t I start a new life?” Then I turned to Ryan, my eyes filled with scorn. “And you, Ryan, aren’t you being a bit too nosy?” Ryan’s face went completely pale. He probably hadn’t expected me to publicly disrespect him like that. Chloe was trembling with anger, tears welling in her eyes, biting her lip, unable to utter a single word. Suddenly, a female voice cut through the tension. “Since when did you all get to lecture my boyfriend?” Serena leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, a knowing, almost taunting smirk playing on her lips as she looked at everyone. She slowly walked over to me, casually linked her arm through mine, her fingertips squeezing slightly. Her gaze landed on Chloe, and her words were a sweetly venomous taunt. “Chloe, there’s no shame in losing to me.” “After all, whether it’s family background, looks, or…” She paused, her eyes sweeping over me. “Your taste in men, you’re far behind. Maybe you should go look in a mirror and ask yourself why you got dumped.” Chloe’s face turned ashen with humiliation. She shot me a furious glare, then turned and ran out. At that moment, I noticed Ryan’s gaze glued to Serena. The greed and burning desire in his eyes were even more blatant than when he used to look at Chloe. A cold smile touched my lips. The fish had taken the bait. From that day on, he stopped trying to get Chloe and me back together. Instead, he started actively trying to push Serena and me together. He practically leaked all my preferences, habits, and even my weaknesses to Serena. The unbelievable thing was, Serena actually listened to Ryan and pretended to be the perfect girlfriend. Until one night at a friend’s dinner, Ryan deliberately led a drunk Serena and me to the same lounge, and then “accidentally” locked the door. As he closed the door, he turned back to me, flashing a meaningful, encouraging smirk. He believed that after tonight, Serena’s love for me would reach its peak. Then he could sit back and reap the rewards, stealing all that intense, dangerous love for himself. He wasn’t wrong. He just didn’t know that I was also waiting for this exact moment.

In the lounge, it was just Serena and me. She was indeed very drunk, her eyes glazed over, an unhealthy flush on her morbidly pale face. She took a step closer to me, her icy fingers tracing my jawline, whispering my name. “Alex, you’re mine. Always mine…” The mix of her perfume and alcohol enveloped me. She wanted to forcefully possess me. At that moment, I was chillingly calm. Just as her lips were about to meet mine again, and her arms wrapped around me, I didn’t struggle. Instead, I naturally wrapped my arm around her waist, my other hand silently rising and delivering a swift chop to the back of her neck. Serena’s body went limp in my arms, completely losing consciousness. I carefully laid her on the sofa, looking at her unconscious form. No ripple of emotion stirred within me. The night was long. I sat in a nearby armchair, quietly watching the sleeping Serena. During this time, I had felt her bone-chilling love, a hundred times more possessive, a thousand times more suffocating than Chloe’s. It felt like countless invisible chains binding and choking me. In my past life, I had died in despair in that psychiatric hospital, feeling Chloe’s chilling transformation of love into hate. This time, I would make Ryan experience for himself what it felt like to be devoured by such pathological, twisted love. Time ticked by, second by second. Finally, as dawn approached, I felt the heavy, suffocating hold on me suddenly and violently ripped away! What followed was a lightness I hadn’t felt since my rebirth. I smiled. Ryan, you finally made your move. Almost simultaneously, a soft click echoed from the lounge door. The door opened. Ryan stood in the doorway, seeing me sitting neatly dressed and alone. He clearly froze for a moment. “Alex! Are you okay? I… I drank too much last night, accidentally lost the key card. I looked for it all morning before I found a staff member to open the door.” “How are things… with you and Serena?” He spoke, his eyes urgently darting into the room, searching for Serena’s figure. I played along with his act, putting on an exhausted and utterly defeated expression, rubbing my temples. “We… it’s probably over.” I said hoarsely, “When she woke up, she was like a different person. Said she was bored of me, told me to get lost.” Ryan’s eyes instantly flared with unconcealed triumph and ruthless ambition. He barely managed to suppress the smirk that almost split his face, walking over with fake concern to pat my shoulder. “Alex, don’t be sad! Good riddance to that kind of woman! She wasn’t good enough for you! I’ll introduce you to someone better, man!” “Yeah…” I lowered my gaze, and in the shadow of his sight, a sly smile touched my lips. “I’m heading back to campus now. I need some time alone.” I pushed past him, walking out with feigned heavy steps. Ryan almost eagerly stepped aside to let me pass. I didn’t actually go far. Instead, I hid in the shadows, watching coldly. Sure enough, the moment I left, he straightened his clothes, a victor’s smirk on his face, and pushed open the lounge door. The door didn’t close completely, leaving a small gap. Soon, I heard Serena’s voice, just waking up, followed by Ryan’s coaxing, overtly solicitous words. “Serena, you’re awake?” “…Who are you?”

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My brother Jason married Veronica Chase, the powerful heir to a business empire. But rumors swirled about Veronica’s dark, sadistic tendencies-ones that pushed him to the brink of madness. I ended up with Hannah Porter, Veronica’s assistant. She didn’t have wealth or influence, but she showed me a kindness I’d never known. Later, she even replaced Veronica and gave me a life of wealth and luxury. Consumed by envy, Jason stabbed me, leaving me to bleed out on the floor. When I came to – back in that fateful moment-Jason was already choosing Hannah, without a second thought. A smug grin spread across his face as he whispered, “This time, dear brother, you’re the one who’ll suffer for life. My happy ending is guaranteed. ” How could he be so naive? Did he honestly believe Hannah was a good person? The moment I opened my eyes, I saw Veronica Chase sitting at the head of the dining table. Standing beside her was her assistant, Hannah Porter. In a startling move, Jason lunged forward and seized Hannah’s hand, and said excitedly to Veronica, “Veronica, I like your assistant. Let her marry me.” At his words, my father immediately stood up from his seat, his face darkening with fury. “Jason, what are you doing? Stop this nonsense!” “I’m not being ridiculous. I really like Hannah.” Jason spoke defiantly, shooting me a smug look. That’s when it hit me-he was a reborn soul, just like me. He remembered everything. In my past life, my father brought Jason and me here so Veronica could choose a future husband. It would also propel our family business to unprecedented success. But my father always favored Jason. There was no way he’d let me marry the powerful Veronica and live comfortably. So he’d laid down the law in advance: “If Veronica chooses you, reject her immediately and choose Hannah instead. Otherwise, I’ll make sure you never see your birth mother again.” Jason and I were half-brothers. My brother was in a nursing home, recovering from a long illness. The woman at home now was Jason’s biological mother—my stepmother. To keep my mother alive, I had no choice but to agree. In my past life, Veronica actually chose me. I had to reject her and choose her assistant instead. Then Jason stepped in, declaring his sudden admiration for Veronica. Back then, Veronica’s expression was unreadable, her eyes like dark pools. She’d simply said coolly, “Fine. Then you’ll be my husband.” But after the marriage, Jason’s life wasn’t happy at all. Because Veronica supposedly had twisted habits—she enjoyed tormenting people. She would lock Jason in the basement day after day, using every method imaginable to torture him. Meanwhile, I married her assistant Hannah. Though she had no money or influence, she was incredibly gentle with me. She brought me to work every day,under the guise of taking care of me. Eventually, she even killed Veronica, took her place, became the new heir, and gave me a life of wealth and luxury. Jealousy ate away at Jason until he snapped. He escaped from the basement and stabbed me to death. That’s why he was so eager to choose Hannah in this new life. But Jason was a fool. Just like before, you never look beneath the surface. Someone capable of killing an heir—how good could she really be? “I choose Hannah!” Jason spoke again, his tone firm. My father was furious, but could only explain to Veronica, “Jason doesn’t know any better, but rest assured, if you favor him, I will ensure he honors the arrangement.” “No.” Veronica spoke softly. “I’m not interested in him. But Hannah happens to be single. I think they’re well-matched.” At her words, my father’s expression darkened. After all, he’d originally planned for Jason to climb the social ladder. But with Veronica saying this, he couldn’t refuse. Now only I remained. Veronica’s beautiful eyes fixed on me intently. “Marcus, will you marry me?” Though in my past life Jason was tortured to death by her. Because Hannah brought me to work every day, I spent a lot of time with her and learned that Veronica didn’t actually have twisted habits. Jason must have done something to displease her, which made her treat him so cruelly. “Marcus, Veronica asked you a question. Don’t you want to marry her?” Jason suddenly spoke up, watching me like this was all a show. I smiled. “Absolutely.” At my words, not only did Jason smile smugly, but Veronica’s lips curved up slightly too. I didn’t know what she was smiling about, and I didn’t want to know. I only knew that this time, I would make every single one of them pay. One by one, I’d drag them down.

Our wedding date was set in short order. As Jason walked past me with Hannah, he whispered, “This time, you’ll suffer for the rest of your life, while I’ll live happily ever after.” I raised an eyebrow slightly. “Really? Who suffers remains to be seen.” Jason was so angry his teeth clenched. “Just wait. Your time is coming!” The moment he finished speaking, Veronica walked over. His face went pale with fright, and he and Hannah scurried away. Veronica looked at me. “From now on, you’re my husband. If you have any conditions, Name your price.” Feel free to ask? Was fate finally on my side? In my past life at this time, Veronica had an important project that she assigned to Hannah. Hannah secretly embezzled a lot of money from it, which later became the foundation for killing Veronica. After all, with money, she could hire people. This time, I wouldn’t let her succeed. Not only to prevent Veronica’s death, but also to get revenge on Jason. I knew Hannah too well. She was the one with real problems. If she lost the project, her temper would become even more volatile. Jason was in for some truly “wonderful” days ahead. I looked at Veronica. “The suburban project—I want you to give it to me, not Hannah.” I thought she’d ask me why. But she didn’t. She agreed immediately. She even offered to show me our future home. Veronica took me to a luxury villa district where every inch of land was worth a fortune. Only the wealthy and powerful lived here. Veronica was truly rich—I’d known that in my past life. I figured that in this life, her wealth alone could secure my comfort, provided I didn’t cross her. As for love, I wouldn’t hope for that. So I took her hand, laying on the charm. “Veronica, I really like it here.” She smiled and handed me a check for fifty million dollars. “Go spend it.” My eyes lit up. I desperately needed money. Heaven was truly helping me. Then she took me to see the new house. How strange—the interior design was all in styles I liked. I didn’t understand how she knew me so well. Just as I was about to ask, she suddenly kissed me, blocking all the questions I wanted to ask. This was happening so fast. When the kiss ended, I suddenly noticed Jason standing outside, his eyes glaring at us viciously. He must be furious that I wasn’t being tortured.

In my past life, Hannah brought me to the company to work together every day. She presented it as care, but in truth, I was her servant. When she was tired, I had to massage her back. When she was unhappy, she’d take her frustrations out on me. Once, she slapped me so hard my nose bled. When I went to the bathroom to clean up, I ran into Veronica. She frowned. “What happened? Who hit you?” I didn’t dare tell her, because Hannah would beat me for it. So I lied. “No one. I just have a medical condition that causes frequent nosebleeds.” After learning this, she gave me a check for one million dollars and told me to get treatment. Then she left. That moment confirmed for me that she definitely didn’t have twisted habits. After all, someone with those problems wouldn’t be kind enough to help a stranger. Hannah was the one with real problems. Jason thought he’d escaped the fire. Little did he know, he’d just jumped from the frying pan into the fire. Actually, he’d just jumped from one fire pit into another that burned even fiercer. After Veronica dropped me home, Jason pulled me into his room, glaring at me viciously. “Did you drug Veronica? Is that why she kissed you?” “Just wait. Soon enough you’ll be locked up, bitten by dogs, and living with snakes and rats!” As he spoke, unable to contain his anger, he tried to hit me. I grabbed his hand and slammed him hard against the wall. My voice was very soft. “Jason, instead of wasting time arguing with me, you should think about your own future.” Hannah would grind him down to nothing. But I didn’t want to tell him what kind of person Hannah really was. Whether in my past life or this one, he never wanted me to have it easy. I wasn’t kind enough to let someone who’d killed me have it easy either. His teeth were chattering with rage. “The show’s just beginning. When you’re broken beyond recognition, let’s see if you’ll still be so smug!” With that, he shoved me hard and left the room. Looking at his short sleeves revealing his muscular arms, I couldn’t help but smile. Yes, the show was just beginning. Jason, soon your healthy body would be covered in scars.

The next day, Hannah arrived with gifts to finalize the wedding arrangements. She gently held Jason’s hand and said to my father and stepmother, “Uncle, Aunt, don’t worry. I’ll treat Jason well from now on.” Her idea of “good treatment” involved tying up her husband and whipping him with a barbed whip. She’d also inject various chemicals into her husband’s body, making him suffer unbearably. I wondered if Jason could handle this so-called “good treatment.” Right now Jason knew nothing, still grinning broadly. When I went to the bathroom, he couldn’t resist finding me to gloat. “See that? Hannah loves me. My happy life is just around the corner.” Then he actually pulled out a syringe, laughing coldly. “In a few seconds, your handsome face will be gone. You won’t be able to attract Veronica anymore. She’ll find you disgusting!” He lunged at me with the injection. I dodged to the side and was about to grab his hand when someone beat me to it. It was Veronica. She snatched the syringe and jabbed it hard into Jason’s arm. Immediately, he let out an agonizing scream. “Ah!” Jason collapsed to the floor, clutching his arm and writhing. Hannah and my father rushed over. “Jason, what happened?” Jason cried and screamed, “It was Marcus! Marcus did this to me! Hannah, quick, punish him for me!” I’d never touched him. Hannah didn’t listen to him. She quickly apologized to Veronica first. “Veronica, I’m sorry. I didn’t discipline my husband properly.” Veronica took my hand, her voice cold. “If anyone dares touch my husband again, I won’t let them off.” The room fell deathly silent. No one dared speak. Jason clutched his arm corroded by the chemicals, trembling with fear. I glanced at my father. He looked at Jason with seeming concern. But only I knew he wasn’t truly concerned about Jason. In my past life, he knew exactly what kind of person Hannah was, which is why he made me marry her. In this life, when Jason chose Hannah, my father not only didn’t stop it for his own interests, he didn’t even tell Jason what Hannah was really like. Not one of these people was decent. I wouldn’t spare any of them. After Jason’s arm injury, his wedding with Hannah was postponed, but the two went to the marriage registry office early. Veronica’s status in Harbor City was unmatched. Though Jason was hurt by her, he didn’t dare say anything. He had no choice but to choke down his rage. Meanwhile, Hannah stayed at the hospital taking care of him every day, playing the role of the good woman. Only I knew Hannah was just keeping up appearances. She actually hated Jason and was definitely tormenting him at the hospital every day. I knew Hannah all too well-she was viciously competitive. Jason made her lose face in front of Veronica, so she’d definitely punish him thoroughly. On my end, my plan was also progressing. The project I’d asked Veronica for, she gave to me as promised. I deliberately had people spread false information. Making outsiders believe that because Hannah was too busy caring for her husband, Veronica gave me the project instead. When word got back to Hannah, she’d probably vent all her anger on Jason. To confirm this, I secretly went to the hospital to check on Jason. I saw Hannah choking his neck, viciously slapping his face. “I worked on that project for months, and because of you, all my plans are ruined!” “You should just die!” She even used needles to pierce his arms and legs. Hannah was a complete psychopath. I quietly recorded this scene with my phone. Jason, you thought swapping lives with me would make you happy. So now, do you regret it?

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My girlfriend Rachel was sick and hospitalized. When I arrived with the soup I’d made, I overheard her conversation with her friends: “Connor’s back. Time to dump that substitute you’ve been keeping around for three years, don’t you think?” Vivian’s voice was teasing. “After you two break up, let me have a shot at him. I’ve never dated that type of guy before,” Madison said with a laugh. Rachel’s cold voice drifted out from the hospital room: “Do whatever you want. He’s easy to get anyway.” I stood outside the door, clutching the thermos, my fingers tightening bit by bit. That night, I discovered her secret Instagram account, filled with years of pining for her first love. No arguments, no confrontations. I calmly booked a flight to Paris. On our three-year anniversary, Rachel fell down the stairs at her office and sprained her ankle. When she called, I rushed to the hospital. She explained she’d been hurrying to the restaurant, worried about keeping me waiting, and accidentally missed a step. I took several days off work to stay by her bedside and take care of her. On the day of her discharge, her friends came to visit, so I felt comfortable heading home to make soup. The thermos in my arms held freshly made chicken soup. I planned my return to the hospital so that I would arrive at just the right time. The hospital room door was slightly ajar. As I approached, I heard voices inside. Rachel’s friend Vivian was patting her shoulder, barely suppressing a grin. “You don’t need to be that happy that Conno’rs back, do you? Rushing to pick him up from the airport and falling down the stairs.” Hearing the name Connor made my heart skip a beat. He was part of her close circle of friends from college—two girls and one guy, all very close. Connor Hayes had been Rachel’s first love. They’d dated for two years in college before he went abroad. Even after their breakup, they were still considered the perfect couple by their circle. I’d occasionally hear the two girls tease Rachel about him. To them, if Connor hadn’t left, I would never have had a chance with Rachel. She used to argue against it every time. But this time, perhaps because I wasn’t there, Rachel remained silent. Madison was still joking around: “Your unforgettable guy is back. When are you dumping the substitute boyfriend?” “After you break up, can I go after him? I’ve never dated a guy like that before.” Rachel finally looked up, frowning slightly as she swatted at her. “Connor hasn’t made his intentions clear yet. Why the rush?” “Besides, I’m not fully recovered yet. I still need him to take care of me when I get home.” My ears were ringing, as if something was muffling my hearing. After the shock came a numb sense of disorientation. Madison seemed unbothered. She casually peeled one of the oranges I’d bought. “He looks pretty clean-cut, but you’re always telling me how proactive he is in intimate situations.” “I’m really curious about that contrast.” I stood there holding the warm thermos in the heated hallway, but my whole body felt like it had fallen into an ice cave. I’d never imagined that my girlfriend of three years would talk about me like this behind my back. Rachel’s voice came through the door, so cold it had no warmth at all: “Go ahead and pursue him if you want. He’ starved for affection anyway—easy to get.” “I just sweet-talked him a bit back then, and we ended up sleeping together.” I caught my breath. The pain in my chest was excruciating. I heard the two women in the hospital room laugh quietly, and I instantly felt sick enough to vomit. I covered my mouth and rushed to the bathroom, dry heaving. So my girlfriend of three years had only seen me as a substitute for her first love. I’d thought she just didn’t love me as much as I loved her. I never imagined she actually despised me. Not only did she not love me—she didn’t even see me as a person. To her, I was apparently no different from trash on the street. The illusion shattered. I could barely fathom that the person I’d wanted to spend my life with was so deeply vile. Looking back now, I realized that Rachel’s friends could openly joke about her and other men right in front of me because they had no respect for me at all. When they came over to our place, they always ordered me around like a servant. And the fact that my girlfriend’s friends didn’t respect me fundamentally came from her permission and encouragement. The gentleness she showed me was just an act. I threw the chicken soup I’d spent two hours making into the trash. The thought of breaking up had never been clearer than in this moment. When I walked into the hospital room, I’d mostly stabilized my emotions. Seeing me return empty-handed, Rachel’s expression immediately changed, her face full of displeasure: “Didn’t you say you were going home to make me soup? Why did you come back empty-handed?” Madison chimed in from the side. “Yeah, Adrian, Rachel was just telling me how thoughtful you are.” Madison’s expression was like she was watching a show, and she added meaningfully: “Adrian, you might not even get the chance to make soup for Rachel anymore.” I instinctively looked at Rachel, only to find she had no intention of stopping Madison. Probably because Connor was back and she wanted to dump me immediately, Rachel wasn’t even pretending anymore. Or maybe she wanted to give my “rebellion” a little “punishment.”

I remained silent, my eyes fixed on Rachel. This was the woman I’d loved for three years. I used to think that even if Rachel didn’t love me enough, my love for her would be sufficient. Or maybe one day she’d be moved by me? But everything was mocking me for being too naive. “It didn’t turn out well today. I drank it all myself.” I smiled and picked up the lightest bag, quickly heading out of the hospital room. “Let’s pack up and go home.” I didn’t want to carry all the luggage like a servant anymore, as I always had. The atmosphere was cold the whole way home. Rachel was still mad at me. But I had no intention of coaxing her. I also needed time to process my own emotions. As soon as we got home, Rachel’s other friend Madison came over too. She was holding a cat in her arms, bursting through the door with a grin. I’ve been allergic to cat fur since childhood. I backed away in alarm, covering my nose. “Rachel, didn’t you tell them I’m allergic to cats?!” I frowned, staring intently at the Ragdoll cat in Madison’s arms, not daring to let my guard down for a moment. When I was little, I accidentally held a neighbor’s cat and ended up in the hospital for a whole week. Before Rachel could speak, Madison rolled her eyes at me. “This is Connor’s Ragdoll. He bought it abroad—super expensive. I begged him forever before he let me bring it over to play with for a few days.” “Adrian, don’t be so difficult.” Rachel had long been dissatisfied with my attitude, feeling I’d made her lose face in front of her friends. Now she finally found an opportunity to vent. Her expression was icy. “It’s just a cat. Is it going to kill you?” She stopped hiding her disgust for me, even taking the cat from Madison’s hands and pushing it toward me. “I’m going to fix this allergy of yours. What’s the big deal about one cat?” Rachel knew exactly how severe my allergic reactions were, but at this moment, she still didn’t take me seriously. I dodged while Rachel closed in. The Ragdoll was being squeezed painfully by the neck and shrieked, lunging at me out of control. Even though I reacted immediately, the cat’s claws still left a mark on my neck, and I got a mouthful of cat fur. Half a minute later, I started having difficulty breathing. My heart raced and cold sweat poured from my body. “Quick… call an ambulance.” Rachel sneered: “Adrian, stop pretending.” It was Madison who noticed my face getting paler and paler and spoke up: “Rachel, Adrian doesn’t look like he’s faking. We should call for help!” In the moment of hesitation, I collapsed heavily to the floor. Before losing consciousness, I saw Rachel’s panicked expression as she and Madison and Vivian fought over who would call the ambulance. When I woke up, I was alone in the hospital room. The room was pitch dark. Because of their so-called “fun,” I’d nearly gone into shock and been sent to the hospital. And now not one of them was by my side. A nurse came in and turned on the light, helping me change the IV drip. “Your allergic reaction to cat fur is extremely severe. You absolutely cannot come into contact with cats again.” I smiled bitterly and asked: “Nurse, when did the people who brought me in leave?” “Those three girls?” The nurse frowned. “They left after seeing you weren’t in danger.” Her expression was somewhat incredulous: “Weren’t they just passersby?” I forced a smile: “One of them is my girlfriend.” “Well, not for much longer.” I opened my phone to find a message from Rachel on social media. [We went to dinner. If you’re okay, just head home yourself.] Madison had posted something twenty minutes ago. [Old friends reunited—so happy!] The photo showed the four of them, with Rachel looking at the man beside her with tender eyes. She and Connor seemed deeply in love, their gazes filled with barely concealed affection. Looking at that photo, I finally couldn’t hold back my tears. The pain in my heart was suffocating. At this point, I had no reason to keep deceiving myself. Rachel’s true feelings were for Connor. To her, if Connor was willing to come back to her side, I would lose all value.

I suddenly remembered that Rachel often typed on social media pages, but I’d never seen her post anything. A possibility formed in my mind, and I searched for clues in her social media accounts. Rachel’s main account was completely blank, but in her following list, I found an account called “Missing Connor.” My hands trembled as I clicked on it. The IP address matched too. This account had been continuously updated for six years, with thousands upon thousands of posts. It was like accidentally opening Pandora’s box. The contents shocked me speechless. Everything was about Connor—every word filled with suppressed love and obsession. The account started as a record of their relationship, and later became Rachel’s endless longing for Connor. [November 9, 2021: I’m with someone else now. I won’t wait for you.] That was the day—I’d lost count of how many times I’d confessed to her—when Rachel finally relented and agreed to be with me. Turns out I hadn’t moved her at all. That was just the day Connor left the country. [March 10, 2022: I slept with someone else. That’s what you get for dating someone else.] I still remembered Rachel being drunk that night, clinging to me and not letting me leave, finally using sweet words to coax me into sleeping with her. [May 16, 2023: Are you really not planning to come back? I hate you. I’ll never forgive you!] That year, Rachel held me tightly and pulled a ring from her pocket to put on my finger. She looked at me with such tender affection and promised: “Adrian, I’m going to marry you.” I took a deep breath, lacking the courage to continue reading. I scrolled directly to the most recent update, posted not long ago: [I still lost to you. After all these years, I still can’t let go. I’ll only ever love you.] The photo showed the two of them together. They were holding hands tightly, their faces glowing with joy. Tears fell uncontrollably, dropping onto the phone screen and blurring my vision. I was pierced with wounds from the deception and betrayal, my sincere heart bleeding. So throughout our entire three-year relationship, Rachel’s love had never belonged to me for even a moment. Youthful passion burns hot and true, lasting for years. Rachel was willing to overcome every obstacle just to have Connor again. Even though he’d been gone for so many years, abandoning her, she still gave her heart to him willingly. But what about me? I trembled all over as understanding dawned on me. No wonder Rachel never argued with me—she simply didn’t care. No wonder Rachel never cared about my condition—I just wasn’t important to her. No wonder she’d gotten so excited she fell down the stairs—it wasn’t because she was rushing to see me, but because Connor’s sudden return had disturbed her emotions. I barely steadied my thoughts and took screenshots of everything, preserving the evidence. This was for the best. At least I wouldn’t have second thoughts now. If I hadn’t accidentally overheard what she said about me that day, if I hadn’t found her secret social media account, I might have been kept in the dark my entire life, mistakenly believing she’d really given up on her first love. I’d finally seen through Rachel’s dirty heart beneath her gentle exterior, realizing that all those tender moments of intimacy had been fake. Now there was no reason left to continue this farce of a relationship. At that moment, my supervisor called. I took a deep breath, trying not to let anything show. “Adrian, headquarters has an opportunity to work at the Paris branch. I wanted to ask if you’re interested.” “You’d go in directly as a director. It’s quite a rare opportunity.” Mr. Liu was earnest in his persuasion. Actually, this wasn’t the first time a promotion opportunity had come my way. Last time, because I wanted to settle down in this city with Rachel, I’d firmly declined the chance to go to France, even though it had once been a dream I loved. But now, there was no longer any reason worth abandoning my dreams for. “Thank you for this opportunity. I’m willing to work in Paris.” The determination to break up had never been this strong. My survival instincts were screaming at me. Even if my heart was being cut like a knife, I was willing to endure this pain. After hanging up, I decisively booked a flight to Paris for a few days later. After being discharged, I immediately went home and packed all my belongings. During this time, I didn’t run into Rachel. She was probably still busy keeping Connor company. The next day, sitting in the taxi to the airport, I saw an update on Rachel’s secret account from last night: [Seeing each other again, couldn’t help ourselves.] The photo showed her holding hands with Connor, fingers intertwined. I calmly scrolled past, though my heart still ached faintly. Rachel suddenly sent me a text—she must have seen the changes at home. [Did you get discharged yesterday? Where are you?] I didn’t respond. She called countless times, and I hung up on every one. Until one minute before boarding, an unknown number called. I answered. Rachel’s anxious, agitated voice filled my ear: “Adrian, where did you go? When did you get home?” I smiled silently and responded calmly. “Rachel, I know Connor’s back.” “He’s your true love, isn’t he?” I gave a self-mocking smile and ruthlessly exposed her scheme. “Now that the person you couldn’t forget is back, naturally the substitute should exit the stage.” The boarding announcement sounded at just the right moment. I heard Rachel grit her teeth and demand: “Adrian, where the hell are you?”

I didn’t respond and hung up directly. A few hours later, I arrived in Paris, France, half a world away. As soon as I landed, I immediately changed my phone number and went to the company to complete the entry formality. The workload was heavy. I was not only responsible for liaising with French companies but also had a large volume of domestic business. When I first arrived abroad, between the jet lag and the heartbreak, I suffered from insomnia night after night. Even after taking sleep medication and finally falling asleep, I’d dream about when Rachel and I first got together. Eventually I just stopped trying to sleep, letting work fill my life so I wouldn’t dwell alone on those past beautiful moments. After some time, I’d put Rachel behind me. The wounds from the relationship were healed by time. But I still couldn’t avoid hearing news about her. I learned that after I left, Rachel and Connor immediately made their relationship official. When I saw them announce this to friends, I quickly deleted Rachel’s and her friends’ contact information. But not long after, a mutual friend gossiped to me: [Rachel and Connor are about to break up.] I was a bit confused: [Weren’t they doing great together?] [Give me a break. Connor’s been driving Rachel crazy lately. She’s in the rising phase of her career. You used to handle everything in her life perfectly, but Connor just uses her card to eat, drink, and have fun. They fight every two or three days.] [And apparently! Connor was divorced abroad! He wanted to keep it hidden from Rachel, but she found the divorce certificate. Rachel wants to break up but can’t let go. They’re basically torturing each other.] I really hadn’t expected this plot development. After all, they’d seemed to truly love each other deeply. Though it was dramatic, none of it had anything to do with me anymore. My next intersection with Rachel came after I was sent back to the country for my first independent project. I’d anticipated this since our work overlapped. Opening the project file, it was Rachel’s company—Muller Corp. Not only that, but she was in charge of this project. Muller Corp was urgently seeking new investment for a project and was competing with other companies in a bidding war. The situation was intense. Fortunately, everything was communicated online, and I tried to avoid any chance of meeting her in person. I assigned all the offline negotiations to team members. The project concluded perfectly, and everything seemed to be developing in the best direction. Then my assistant Andrew suddenly burst into the office: “Adrian! Muller Corp’s financing failed!”

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