Category: English

He was a special forces captain, my husband. A mission left him in a vegetative state, and a few days later, he was declared brain-dead. In my first life, I never gave up on him. I kept him alive on machines, only for him to push me down a flight of stairs, killing me instantly. In my second life, I saw the truth. I requested a transfer, but on my way out of town, he crashed his car into mine. As I lay dying, I asked him why. His face was a mask of disgust. “Your father is a general. He’s the reason Celeste and I were torn apart. That is your crime.” “Only when you’re dead can Celeste be with me. And I’ll still be the general’s son-in-law.” I finally understood. He never wanted me to live. This time, when I received the notice of Alex’s brain death, I looked over at the attending physician, Dr. Celeste Schnapp, standing not far away. Without a moment’s hesitation, I made my decision. “In that case, let’s get a death certificate issued immediately.” “Given Alex’s situation, applying for a Medal of Valor shouldn’t be a problem. We should invite the top brass to the funeral. It needs to be a grand affair.” If he wanted to play dead, I would make sure he was truly dead. 1 The moment the words left my mouth, Celeste’s expression changed. She rushed forward, positioning herself between me and the hospital bed. “Ma’am, please, you need to calm down.” “The patient may be brain-dead, but we can still maintain his vitals with life support.” “As doctors, we will never give up as long as there is a sliver of hope.” I looked at her sanctimonious act and laughed coldly to myself. What a convincing performance. In my first life, I fell for her nonsense. I chose to keep my husband, Alex, on life support. And what happened? Alex wasn’t dying at all. He and his first love, Celeste, had worked together. He’d taken a drug to simulate death, orchestrating an elaborate escape. The first thing he did after “waking up” was shove me down the stairs. My neck snapped on impact. I died instantly. And the murderer? A man in a vegetative state? Who would believe it? Not only did he get away with it, but he also used his “grief” to win the sympathy of my father, a high-ranking general, and climbed the ranks with ease. The memory of my father, a white-haired man mourning his only child, was a knife to my heart. Hatred boiled within me. This time, I wouldn’t give them a single chance. My voice was firm. “That won’t be necessary. My husband, Captain Alex Hayes, died in the line of duty. The evidence is conclusive.” “I need you to issue a death certificate so I can apply for his posthumous honors.” Celeste stood frozen, forcing a look of pity and disapproval onto her face. “I understand your grief, but isn’t it too rash to just give up on treatment?” “He’s still young. A miracle could happen.” “You’re his wife. Are you telling me you won’t even give him that last bit of hope?” She intentionally emphasized the word “wife,” as if to accuse me of being cold-hearted. A sarcastic smile touched my lips. “It seems this hospital needs to brush up on its basic medical knowledge.” My words made her flinch. Before she could recover, I continued, “Brain death is the irreversible cessation of all brain function, including the brainstem. It is, by legal definition, death.” “There are no medical miracles for this condition.” “As a doctor, for you to give a family false hope when a patient is clinically deceased… what is your motive?” I didn’t spare another glance for Celeste’s pale face. My voice was unwavering. “Please shut down all the equipment immediately.” “My husband was a soldier who died with honor. He deserves to leave with dignity, not be kept as a specimen in a hospital bed.” Faced with my unyielding stance and irrefutable medical facts, the hospital administration finally agreed. Celeste stood rooted to the spot, her eyes filled with panic as she watched the nurses begin to power down the machines. 2 I was quietly folding Alex’s dress uniform when the hospital room door opened softly. The General, followed by the Colonel, the Major, and several other high-ranking officers, entered with somber expressions. The General’s voice was heavy with sorrow. “Mrs. Hayes, our deepest condolences. You must take care of yourself.” “Alex was a fine soldier. The military will handle his arrangements with the utmost respect and ensure you are taken care of.” I looked up, my face tearless, my expression resolute. “Sir, as Alex’s wife, I would like to request that he be awarded the Medal of Valor. And I ask the military to organize a funeral befitting a hero.” The room fell silent. The officers exchanged surprised glances. They hadn’t expected me to be so composed, to be thinking of my husband’s honors while suppressing my own pain. Celeste immediately stepped out from the corner, her voice urgent. “Ma’am, I know you’re grieving, but determining military honors is a matter for the review board!” I knew what she was worried about. Once the “hero” status was officially declared, Alex’s death would be a matter of national record. Her and Alex’s entire plan would fall apart. I ignored her completely, my gaze meeting the officers’ with clear-eyed determination as I methodically listed Alex’s achievements that qualified him for the highest honor. The officers’ expressions shifted from surprise to gravity, and then to deep respect. “Mrs. Hayes, you are right! We were not thinking clearly!” the Colonel said, his voice firm. “This medal must be applied for!” The General nodded emphatically, his eyes filled with admiration as he looked at me. “To be this composed, to fight for your husband’s rightful honor at a time like this… Alex was a lucky man to have you.” The other officers murmured in agreement, their gazes filled with reverence. Celeste was left standing on the sidelines, utterly defeated, unable to utter another word of protest. She could only watch as the officers made the decision on the spot, setting in motion the application for the Medal of Valor and the plans for the funeral. With that settled, I turned to the General with one final request. “Sir, according to regulations, the family can take possession of a fallen soldier’s body. Now that he has been declared brain-dead, please allow me to take Alex home today.” The General agreed immediately and assigned soldiers to assist me. I took one last look at the handsome face on the hospital bed, my own expression unreadable. You want to fake your death? Then I’ll give you a state funeral. I’ll nail you and your conspiracy to a hero’s tombstone. The show was just beginning. As I expected, Alex’s parents, tipped off by Celeste, were waiting at home, ready to cause a scene. My mother-in-law was wailing, slapping her thighs. “My son! My poor, ill-fated son! Open your eyes and look!” “This heartless woman, your wife, she doesn’t want you to live! She’s trying to kill you!” My father-in-law pointed a trembling finger at me. “What have we done to deserve a cold-blooded monster like you in our family?” “The doctors said they could maintain him, and you insisted on pulling the plug!” “This is murder! You’re the one who killed my son!” In my past life, such baseless accusations would have broken my heart. But now, I felt nothing but a calm emptiness. I pulled out the official death certificate. “Mom, Dad, this is from the hospital. It’s in black and white, perfectly clear.” “You call me cold-blooded, heartless!” “Well, let me ask you this: is keeping Alex tethered to machines like an object, lying there as a shell of a man, is that what you call love?!” I pointed to the uniformed portrait of Alex on the wall. “Your son was a soldier, a hero who stood tall! He shouldn’t be lying in a hospital like a zombie, causing you pain and becoming a burden to the military.” “What you’re doing now is tainting his sacrifice. It’s an insult to his honor as a soldier!” My words struck a chord, hitting them with the full force of morality and patriotism. They were instantly silenced. My mother-in-law’s lips trembled, but all she could manage to choke out was, “Fine! Even if you’re right! We can’t just cremate him!” “I’m taking my son home! We’ll preserve him in a refrigerated casket!” “What if there’s a miracle? Maybe medical science will advance and they’ll be able to save him one day!” My father-in-law immediately chimed in. “That’s right! We’ll preserve him! We can’t just give up on our son!” I almost laughed out loud. Preserve the body? It was just another stalling tactic concocted by Celeste and Alex. In my second life, I had requested a transfer to escape Alex’s plot. But he’d still managed to hunt me down and run me off the road. As I lay dying, Alex had gloated, revealing every detail of his plan. His parents weren’t just bystanders; they were accessories. Their hysterics now were just a performance to buy Alex more time to “wake up.” Once he did, a third, carefully planned “accident” would be waiting for me. There was no more time to waste. I took a deep breath, my voice calm. “Dad, Mom, there’s no need to argue.” “Alex must be cremated immediately.” The room fell silent. His parents’ expressions soured, and they looked ready to start screaming again. I slowly pulled a handwritten letter from my bag. It was the suicide note Alex had penned during a moment of “brief consciousness” at the hospital, a calculated move to cement his image as a devoted husband. I put on a pained expression and began to read aloud. “…If my life becomes a burden, I would rather it end with dignity than become a weight upon those I love.” “…Please let me go quietly, with honor.” I folded the letter, my eyes sweeping over his parents’ instantly ashen faces. “This was Alex’s final wish.” “To cremate him immediately, to let him depart with dignity, that is true love.” “Your bickering now… are you trying to satisfy your own selfishness, or do you simply not care about what Alex wanted?” This counter-attack left them speechless. What could they say? Could they deny their own son’s last will and testament? I watched the panic in their eyes, a cold smile forming in my heart. Alex, every word you wrote to build your facade has now become a nail in your own coffin. There’s no escaping the fire this time. 3 Powerless to stop me, my in-laws agreed to the funeral. My mother-in-law, her eyes red, insisted on holding a traditional three-day wake, a clear attempt to stall for more time. I knew her game, but I agreed. Late that night, the memorial hall was quiet, the candlelight flickering. My in-laws were feigning a vigil with me. My mother-in-law took my hand, dabbing at fake tears. “My dear, you’re still so young. After Alex’s affairs are settled… you should find a good man and remarry. Your father-in-law and I will support you.” I looked at her deceitful, teary eyes and felt a wave of nausea. In my first life, after I was pushed down the stairs, they were the first to cry to the investigators that I had been so overcome with grief, I’d lost my footing and fallen by accident. And now she was encouraging me to remarry? This family was rotten to the core. “I’m not feeling well. I’m going to go rest for a bit.” I pulled my hand away, unwilling to play along with this viper any longer. I turned and left the hall, but I didn’t go far. I hid just outside the doorway. Sure enough, as soon as I was gone, my mother-in-law crept over to the casket. She whispered, “Alex, my boy, you have to wake up soon! Once you’re awake, we’ll find a way to get rid of that woman. Her inheritance, her father’s connections… it will all be ours!” “That’s right! Wake up, son, we can’t delay any longer!” my father-in-law added anxiously. In the darkness, my nails dug deep into my palms. The pain kept me sharp. Any last shred of hesitation I felt about sending my husband to the crematorium vanished. You want me dead? You want my family’s fortune? Fine. I’ll send your precious son on his way right now. Exhausted from the past few days, my in-laws finally went to bed, leaving me alone in the hall. I walked to the casket and stared at Alex’s “peaceful” face, my eyes like ice. I quickly took out the vial of the death-simulating drug I had swapped from Celeste’s office. Under the pretense of adjusting his shroud, I administered a doubled dose, injecting it precisely into the side of his neck. It would delay his revival. As dawn broke, the funeral began on schedule. Military leaders and Alex’s comrades arrived. Dressed in black, my face was a mask of grief, but my composure earned everyone’s admiration. “Stay strong, Mrs. Hayes. You’re a remarkable woman,” the General said, his own eyes red as he offered his condolences. I nodded slightly, my gaze sweeping over the ashen faces of my in-laws and Celeste at the back of the crowd. “The procession may begin.” I personally draped the flag over the casket, watching as it was lifted steadily. The hearse started, and with a solemn military salute, it began its slow journey to the crematorium. 4 Sitting in the car, I couldn’t help but glance at my watch. Time was running out. I had to see Alex pushed into that furnace with my own eyes before the drug wore off. Otherwise, the gruesome deaths of my past two lives would be my fate once more. Just as the convoy was picking up speed, my in-laws darted out from the side of the road. They threw their arms out, blocking the hearse. “Stop! Stop the car!” My mother-in-law threw herself onto the hood, pounding on the windshield, tears and snot streaming down her face. “You can’t cremate him! You can’t burn my son! You venomous woman! You won’t even let us see him off on his final journey? You have no conscience!” My father-in-law, also weeping, clung to the car door. “Alex! My poor boy!” Funeral staff rushed to intervene, and the scene descended into chaos. Suddenly, I remembered the moment of my death in the second life. I was mortally wounded, slumped over the steering wheel after Alex had rammed my car. My in-laws had gotten out of his car and looked at me with nothing but the triumphant glee of a plan gone right. My mother-in-law had even said to Alex, “Hurry up. Dump this jinx’s body in the mountains for the wolves. Clean and untraceable.” The memory snapped me back to the present. I took a deep breath, pushed open the car door, and walked out, my face a mask of sorrow. “Dad, Mom, we can’t bring him back. We’re doing this grand procession out of respect for Alex, to send him off with honor.” “Behaving like this will only disturb his peace.” I took a step forward, as if to help my mother-in-law up. “Mom, we can’t delay any longer. For Alex’s dignity, and for your own health, we have to keep moving.” “Dignity?! My son is gone, what good is dignity now!” my mother-in-law shrieked, batting my hand away. Her bloodshot eyes stared daggers at me. Realizing she couldn’t stall any longer, she finally screamed, “You can’t burn him! My son isn’t dead!” “This is murder! You’re murdering your own husband!”

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I time-traveled. The moment I opened my eyes, a man who looked like he’d been beaten with the ugly stick was sneering down at me. “Sarah, go kiss the ugliest guy in the room, and I’ll unblock you on WhatsApp.” Me: ??? Aren’t you the ugliest guy in the room? Then I followed his finger. In the corner sat a man in a crisp white shirt, looking aloof and stunningly handsome. Later, I found out this is a world where beauty standards are reversed. 1 “Sarah, hurry up! Go kiss him!” When I arrived in this body, the jeering around me was reaching a fever pitch. Kiss who? I blinked, confused. The mocking voices continued. “Chad really knows how to play. Making Sarah kiss the ugliest guy.” “Hahaha, the ugliest guy is obviously…” “This is brilliant. It humiliates him and pranks Sarah at the same time.” Someone winked and gestured in a direction. I instinctively followed their gaze. Holy crap! My eyes! My poor eyes! A man so ugly he could be a meme was sitting in the center, surrounded by people. Seeing me look, he hugged the girl next to him tighter and raised an eyebrow. “Sarah, we had a deal. I said the universally recognized ugliest guy. No cheating. Just one kiss, and I’ll add you back.” insert confused math lady meme Bro, look in a mirror. Is there anyone uglier than you here? Also, did you mix up your words? You’ll add me back? Talk about delusional confidence. The Ugly Man—Chad—saw me hesitate and thought I couldn’t find the target. He pointed again. I followed his finger. Guess what? My eyes, previously assaulted by ugliness, were instantly healed! In the opposite booth sat another group. But in their center sat a man with cold, refined features—a devastatingly handsome guy. Seeing him was like seeing the sun break through storm clouds in this dim bar. Forget arguing with Chad. I pressed my lips together, my voice trembling slightly. “You want me to… kiss him?” “I want you to kiss the ugliest guy here.” Chad grinned maliciously, staring straight at the handsome guy. I nodded, feeling a bit sorry for him. Not only was he ugly and mean, but he also needed an optometrist. 2 Listening to the raucous cheers, I didn’t hesitate. This wasn’t a humiliation; this was a reward. Most importantly, I fell in love with the handsome guy at first sight. The people around the handsome guy clearly heard the commotion and glared at me, telling me to get lost. I ignored them and sat directly next to him. I saw a flicker of humiliation in his eyes. I didn’t get it. I’m not bad looking. Even if he didn’t want a kiss, “humiliation” seemed a bit strong. Without thinking too much, I opened my mouth to confess. But the handsome guy glanced at Chad’s group and spoke with a hint of self-mockery. “I, Liam, may be ugly, but I only kiss my girlfriend.” Me: Excuse me? Handsome, do you hear yourself? You’re ugly? YOU’RE UGLY?! You could be a K-pop idol right now. But that wasn’t the point. My heart raced. I grabbed his hand. “Do you have a girlfriend?” Liam paused. “No…” I didn’t let him finish. “Well, you do now.” Liam: … “You’re not speaking, so I’ll take that as a yes.” “Since I’m your girlfriend, can I kiss you now?” Liam looked at me, let out a self-deprecating laugh, and leaned back against the sofa. “You’re really going all out for Chad.” That languid posture made me lose my mind. Knowing he misunderstood, I straightened up and leaned over him. Eye to eye, I whispered a compliment about his eyes, then kissed him. Liam looked shocked. His lips were soft, and I lingered. The crowd gasped. The next second, Chad’s angry voice rang out. “Sarah! What are you doing?!” I wanted to continue my exchange with Liam. But Chad was too loud. I turned around impatiently. “Are you blind? I’m kissing my boyfriend.” Liam instinctively put a hand on my waist. The scene descended into chaos. Chad tried to grab me, Liam protected me, and the two groups started fighting. I later learned they were arch-enemies. Chad just wanted to use me to humiliate Liam. 3 On the way back to the dorms in Liam’s car, I looked at the Rolls-Royce’s starlight headliner, then at him. Yep, he was definitely the better view. “Why are you staring at me?” “Because you’re good-looking.” As soon as the words left my mouth, Liam’s expression turned strange. “Sarah, for the sake of us being classmates, I helped you out today. Don’t push your luck.” What? Was he regretting it? I panicked. “I’m not joking! I really want you to be my boyfriend. Please, date me! I’m willing to ride in luxury cars and live in mansions if it means being with you!” Liam laughed in exasperation. After a moment, he asked, “You really think I’m good-looking?” I nodded furiously. Anyone with eyes could see that! If I wasn’t afraid of scaring him off, I wouldn’t even be going back to the dorms tonight. He smiled almost imperceptibly. “Since you’re my girlfriend, you can’t be involved with Chad anymore.” I agreed instantly. I can’t believe such good luck fell into my lap. When we arrived at my dorm, I lingered in the car. “Is there something else?” Liam asked. I twiddled my fingers, glanced shyly at the driver, and whispered, “Shouldn’t couples do something before parting?” He raised an eyebrow. The driver tactfully exited the vehicle. A few minutes later, I walked into the dorm building with swollen lips. In the car, Liam watched my retreating figure. “Sarah… you better not be lying to me.” 4 As soon as I entered the room, a sarcastic voice greeted me. “Well, look who’s back. The campus simp. Why are you back so early? Don’t need to run errands for Chad?” That was Zoe, my roommate who never liked me. I ignored her, washed up, and climbed into bed. I had swapped bodies with the original Sarah. We briefly exchanged memories, but I barely knew these roommates. No point explaining. I happily picked up my phone to text Liam. But when I opened WhatsApp, I saw a friend request. From Chad. His message was condescending, saying that since I obeyed him, he would graciously add me back. I rolled my eyes. The original Sarah only said she liked a guy named Chad. She didn’t mention he was ugly and trash. I accepted the request, watched the “typing…” indicator appear, and immediately blocked him. The next morning, my roommates were surprised to see me still there. “Aren’t you bringing Chad breakfast today?” I looked up from my chat with Liam. “Don’t mention Chad anymore. I have a boyfriend.” “What? Really? Who?” Before I could answer, Zoe scoffed. “Yeah right. Boyfriend. Everyone knows you’re Chad’s simp. You’re just playing hard to get to get his attention.” Me: … Their tone when talking about Chad was weird. Like he was some god. Before I could ask, someone knocked on the door. “Sarah, someone’s downstairs for you.” Must be Liam. He should have just texted. I skipped downstairs. I saw a tall figure in a white shirt waiting with his back to me. I pounced and hugged him from behind. “Haven’t seen you all night, I missed you!” The next second, Chad’s smug voice sounded above my head. “Sarah, I knew you were playing hard to get.” I froze and straightened up immediately. Crap, wrong person! Worse, Liam had arrived unnoticed and was standing nearby, witnessing the whole thing.

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My father dotes on his illegitimate son. My mother favors her adopted daughter. They compete with each other, and no one wants me. On the eve of my college entrance exams, they suddenly agreed to meet me together. I thought they finally remembered their parental duties and wanted to wish me luck. But when I arrived, each of them pulled out a document: a “Voluntary Renunciation of Inheritance” agreement. They wanted me to sign. It turns out they remembered I was about to turn eighteen. But their only fear was that I would fight their precious children for the family fortune. I sat on the sofa, looking at my parents’ cold expressions. Finally, I just whispered: “Then, can you give me some money?” 1 I needed money. A lot of it. Both my parents had stopped supporting me long ago, each assuming the other was paying my living expenses. Since my junior year of high school, my savings had run dry. I had gone hungry many times, filling my stomach with plain water. When hunger made my vision blur, the desire for money outweighed love. I wanted enough money to finish college, to have a place to live, and to eat. My parents were surprised by this request. Especially my mother. She raised an eyebrow, seemingly disgusted by my mercenary attitude. Sitting next to her was her beloved adopted daughter, Bella. My mother had pampered her for years, grooming her into the perfect debutante. As I spoke, Bella glanced at me. Her posture was elegant and reserved. Without saying a word, her gaze conveyed her disdain and contempt. Thankfully, my mother didn’t dwell on me. Her focus was still on my father. She sneered at him: “So, wasn’t Chloe your ‘only little princess’? And now you let her live in poverty? Fifty thousand dollars? You wouldn’t even tip that little.” She clicked her tongue and sighed. “Chloe, a real heiress, yet her vision is narrower than my Bella’s. This is all due to your responsible parenting.” My mother patted Bella’s hand, proudly displaying her masterpiece to my father. She didn’t care if her biological daughter felt awkward hearing this. My father’s face darkened. Next to him sat Liam, my illegitimate half-brother. For the past two years, Bella had crushed Liam in every aspect—manners, grades, everything. Every time my mother flaunted Bella’s excellence, it was a slap in the face to my father and Liam. My father understood the mockery. Furious, he sneered back: “You’re the mother who abandoned the child from her own womb. Why should I care if you don’t?” “Chloe is rotten from the root; I can’t save her.” My mother smirked, her glare piercing my father. “With a cheating father, her bloodline is tainted. She’s destined to be flawed.” “Samantha, you think you’re any better?” “Look closely, William. I raised Bella to be exceptional, while you raised Liam into a degenerate. The problem isn’t me. It’s your genes. You were always inferior to Robert.” Eventually, they couldn’t contain their anger. Right in front of me, they started arguing again. I trembled, wanting to bury my head like I used to. But I couldn’t. I knew once they vented, they would leave. They would leave me in the mess they created, uncaring. I didn’t want to go hungry anymore. So I screamed, stopping the war. “Save your arguments for after you give me the money!” I slowly extended my hand, palm sweating. “I need to go to college. Give me fifty thousand each.” My whole body shook as I spoke. I didn’t know if it was nerves or excitement. This was the first time I stood up to them. I knew if I didn’t fight now, I would never have another chance. 2 My father had always favored his illegitimate son, the product of an affair with his first love. Liam was only six months younger than me. Before his existence was revealed, we were the perfect family in everyone’s eyes. Successful father, gentle mother, adorable daughter. Everything changed when I was fifteen. Father brought Liam home. That was when my mother learned that for years, my father had essentially built a second family. He often used business trips as an excuse to visit them in a neighboring city, living a sweet life with his mistress and son. But as Liam grew older, his mother wasn’t satisfied with him being just a secret. She wanted to move to our city to be closer to my father, but he refused. Undeterred, she secretly followed him with Liam. But they got into a car accident on the way. That woman used her life to knock open the door of my home for Liam. At first, when my father brought him back, he didn’t dare look my mother in the eye. Deep down, he didn’t think his mistake was that grave; he thought showing weakness would earn forgiveness. But my usually gentle and understanding mother went crazy on the spot. She cursed my father, cursed Liam, and cursed the woman who nearly broke them up years ago. Initially, my father humbly coaxed her, saying, “Liam’s mother is dead; she can’t hurt you anymore.” But my mother wouldn’t let it go, and eventually, he got angry too. He shoved her to the ground, pointing at her nose. “Why are you being so unreasonable!” That was the first time I saw my parents fight. It lasted for a year. No consensus was reached. Over that year, the more my mother raged, the more guilt my father felt toward his mistress and Liam. In the end, his last shred of guilt for us was worn away. Standing before my hysterical mother, he calmly said: “Let’s divorce.” 3 The divorce never happened. Over the years, our families’ business interests had become deeply intertwined. Divorce would mean mutual destruction. But my mother refused to swallow her pride. So soon, she brought home a child too. The daughter of her childhood sweetheart. That man was also my mother’s first love. In her youth, she thought she would marry him. Then my father appeared, viewing Robert as his biggest threat. Even after my parents got together, my father was often jealous of him. Later, Robert married too, but divorced shortly after. His ex-wife left him with a child. Then, Robert had to go abroad for a few years, but his daughter, Bella, needed to stay for school. My mother stepped in, adopted Bella as her goddaughter, and brought her home. I had seen photos. Bella looked just like Robert—tall, fair, striking features. Seeing a face so similar to Robert’s, my father couldn’t look happy. My mother knew this upset him, and the more upset he was, the happier she became. Another year of grinding conflict. Living under the same roof, they competed to spoil their respective “chosen” children. They tried their hardest to prove their child was superior. But Liam was a disappointment. Knowing his biological father was a wealthy CEO, he stopped being considerate. He demanded the best of everything. He bullied others at home and acted like a prince at school. He was unpopular and had terrible grades, constantly embarrassing his father. My mother reveled in this. She said cheating men carried inferior genes. She cursed Liam, calling him the son of a cheater and a homewrecker, destined to be trash. My father fought back. They knew each other best and knew exactly where to hurt. He mocked her, saying Bella’s biological mother was still alive, yet she rushed to play mom. If Robert reconciled with his ex, my mother would be left with nothing. Provoked, they started another round of fighting. But the problem actually had a solution. My grades were better than Liam’s and even Bella’s. I was kind, friendly, and loved by everyone at school. I loved my mother too. Once, I wanted to be the one to protect her until the end. But faced with me, who carried half of each of their bloodlines, they tacitly chose to ignore me. Once, I was the crystallization of their love, the princess they both cherished. Now, they refused to be good to me because it felt like bowing to the other. Ignoring me was the best solution. So for six months, though I lived in my own home, I couldn’t eat or sleep well. Those two intruders claimed everything I had. My bedroom was turned into Bella’s piano room. Liam complained that I had lived better than him before, so the gifts my father once gave me were transferred to him one by one. Later, when I was starving and wanted to sell some jewelry for food, I had nothing left. I had nothing. No love, no money. Now, for their precious darlings, they wanted me to sign away my inheritance. Before coming here, I secretly harbored hope. I thought they finally noticed me, noticed my excellent grades, and my heart that naturally loved them. With exams approaching, maybe they called me to give me a surprise, to cheer me on. I hid my secret joy, cleaned myself up, and walked to them. Only to be met with two cold agreements. “Sign it.” Their voices were icy commands. I froze, feeling cold all over. In that moment, I remembered a lot. I remembered how they used to love me. I remembered crying alone in the corner during countless unknown nights. Tears soaking my homework, biting my pen to stifle my sobs, swallowing my grievances before continuing my studies. In this instant, I finally accepted it. The parents who used to call me “baby” and wanted to give me the world were gone. I could only love myself. I had to move forward alone, go to college, go far away. They didn’t want me. They wanted Liam and Bella. Then, I didn’t want them either. 4 Faced with my firm demand for money, my mother’s expression cracked first. She scrutinized me, trying to read me. I looked back openly. No coquetry from the past, no begging, no acting out for attention. I just simply wanted money. Besides money, I wanted nothing from them. “Are you resenting us?” As if just realizing my existence, my mother pursed her lips, subconsciously turning away to avoid my gaze. Rarely, she acknowledged I had emotions and deigned to explain. “This is indeed a bit harsh on you,” she said. “Blame your father. He brought in this bastard and wants to leave everything to him, giving you nothing. I have no choice. You are his daughter. If I leave my assets to you, he’ll trick you out of them. Chloe, you have to understand Mom.” Hearing this, my father slammed the table and roared: “Don’t slander me in front of my daughter! At least I’m leaving my assets to my own blood. Liam is Chloe’s biological brother! And you, Samantha, you’re using our family’s money to subsidize an outsider’s daughter! You’ve lost your mind!” “What? You can take care of your first love’s son, but I can’t take care of my first love’s daughter?” My mother sneered back. “You spend a fortune on that tramp’s son, so I’ll spend just as much on Robert’s daughter. If you hadn’t interfered back then, Bella would have been my daughter…” She stopped abruptly, glancing at me guiltily. Seeing my expressionless face, she secretly sighed in relief. “I don’t want to hear your meaningless arguments. Fight later.” I spoke numbly. “Give me the money first. Then you can argue about bastards and wild seeds all you want.” “Money, money, money! All you care about is money! How did I raise such a shameless thing?” Triggered by my disdain, my father turned his fire on me, pointing a trembling finger at my nose. I didn’t get angry, just kept my hand extended. “Give me the money, then pretend you never had me.” Laughter came from behind. It was my mother, laughing hysterically, clapping her hands. “William, you’re not human! Even your own daughter disowns you! This is your karma!” She laughed exaggeratedly, tears in her eyes. Bella quickly went to support her, wiping her eyes with a tissue, softly calling: “Godmother?” Then, she turned to glare at my father. “Don’t bully her.” This seemed to wake my mother up. She calmed down, looking at Bella with infinite tenderness. My gaze fell on their joined hands. My mother gently patted the back of Bella’s hand. She used to comfort me like that. Now, she used the same gesture to be someone else’s mother.

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I think my girlfriend has been reborn. It’s like she’s suddenly realized I’m the bad guy, that I’ve been playing with her heart. And she’s started being incredibly kind to my sweet, innocent younger brother. The other day, I saw them together, tucked away in a quiet corner. Her eyes were red as she said: “I was so stupid. So blind.” “It was you. You’re the one I was always meant to find.” “I missed you in my last life.” “In this one, let me make it up to you with everything I have. Please?” 1 This was the fifth time Elara had bailed on dinner. Before, that would have been unthinkable. I sat by the window, staring out at the relentless rain. Then, I ran out into the storm. 2 Elara Hollingworth and Aiden were sitting in a café. They looked completely absorbed in each other. I shoved the door open and stormed inside. A little bell chimed, slicing through the quiet atmosphere. My brother’s face went pale with shock. Elara pulled her hand back and looked up at me. “What are you doing here?” I managed a weak, fragile smile. I’d checked my reflection in the glass door on my way in. I looked pathetic enough to inspire pity. So, when I slid into the booth beside Elara, she didn’t push me away. “You said you’d have dinner with me. Did you forget again?” I leaned in close, our noses almost touching. I’ve always been confident in my looks, especially when I put on this wounded, pleading act. As expected, the woman hesitated, then apologized. “I’m sorry.” “Aiden had some homework he needed help with, and I lost track of time…” “We didn’t eat together.” “…” I smiled, playing the part of the magnanimous boyfriend. “It’s okay.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my dear brother. His fists were clenched tightly under the table. He was struggling to hide the pain on his face. 3 Back in middle school, when those bullies were shoving my head into a toilet, I made a vow. I would do whatever it took to get the life I wanted. I would never let anyone see me broken again. So no, I’m not a good person. I never have been. I studied relentlessly, perfected my posture, and learned how to present the best version of myself to everyone, constantly expanding my social circle. I was ruthless in my pursuit of excellence, becoming so outstanding that whenever people mentioned my name, they’d say: “Sam Thorne? How can a guy that perfect even exist?” I finally earned the approval of my stoic, demanding father. My teachers adored me. My friends supported me. I thought I could maintain this delicate balance forever. Until Aiden showed up. 4 He was my father’s illegitimate son. Aiden found his way to us on his own. The moment he appeared, the balance of our family shattered. I demanded to know why my father had cheated, but he only met my questions with silence. And Aiden just stood in the corner of the room, shrinking away as if none of it was his fault. Worse, there was a kind of magic about him. It was an innate, effortless vulnerability, completely different from my carefully constructed facade. It was as if everyone around him was compelled to protect him. Soon, my own father was defending him. My friends all told me to be nicer to him, that it wasn’t his fault, that I shouldn’t become some evil step-brother from a TV drama. That old sense of crisis washed over me again. I realized he was slowly, quietly stealing everyone from my life. I had to defend my territory. 5 So I took Elara from him. Although, it was less “taking” and more that Aiden handed her to me on a silver platter. Aiden, ever the selfless hero, had volunteered for a disaster relief team after an earthquake. He’d rescued Elara Hollingworth, a debutante who had been hiking in the mountains. Unfortunately for him, Elara’s vision was blurred, her consciousness fading in and out. She never got a clear look at her savior. So I stepped in and took his place. Elara had been desperately searching for the man who saved her. But for some reason, Aiden refused to admit it was him. So I said, “Brother, if you really don’t want her to know, why don’t you introduce her to me?” At the time, he agreed. But I imagine, by now, he’s regretting it. 6 Elara. Elara was a good person, full of warmth and a fierce sense of justice. When she was good to me, she was all in. She’d do anything for me. She’d peel my grapes for me, for God’s sake. But then, overnight… She changed. Her warmth turned to ice. She started ignoring my calls. On Saturday morning, I went to her studio. She’s an oil painter, a graduate of a top international art academy. The studio smelled of sunlight and turpentine. I walked into the wide, open space and saw her, slumped over her easel, asleep. She must have pulled an all-nighter. Her breathing was slow and even. I crept closer to look at her canvas. The man in the portrait looked about thirty, maybe forty percent like me. He was smiling at the artist. The colors hadn’t been filled in yet. It took me a moment to realize. It wasn’t me. It was Aiden. 7 I must have been staring at the painting too intently, because I didn’t even notice her wake up behind me. I was crouching. When I turned, she was watching me silently. “What’s this? Painting my brother now?” “How about you paint me next time?” She sighed and wrapped her arms around me from behind. “No time.” The gesture was gentle, but the words were pure ice. I think the phrase “each with their own ulterior motives” described our current state of mind perfectly. But I’ve always been good at wearing a mask. I blinked and turned back to face her. “Elara, listen. If I ever do something you don’t like, you have to tell me, okay?” “Don’t keep it bottled up, you dummy.” I reached out and gently pinched her nose. It wasn’t just about playing the part of the gentle, sensitive boyfriend. It was an attempt to find a way back to what we had. Sometimes, silence is the deadliest poison in a relationship. And right now, I still needed Elara. Her brown eyes stared at me for a long moment. She looked so serious, so intense, that I had the distinct feeling I was digging my own grave. Then, I heard her ask: “That day… was it really you who saved me?” 8 “…” That was a difficult question to answer. Elara was an elite graduate, and her family’s business empire spanned half the city. She was the ideal, perfect partner for the perfect life I was building. At first, I had pursued her with marriage in mind. But after we got together, I discovered that when it came to love, I was just as clueless as any other guy. To put it simply, I had fallen for her. And that made lying to her… complicated. But she didn’t wait for my answer. For the first time, I saw genuine disappointment in her eyes. “Don’t answer.” “…” She was right. My silence was an answer in itself. A hollow feeling opened up in my chest. It was like the fortress I had spent my whole life building… Had just been effortlessly torn down by a single question. 9 “So? Did you and Elara break up?” On the school rooftop, I was sharing a coffee with another girl. Her name was Maya. She was a year below me. But she was one of the few people I considered a true friend. We’d known each other since middle school. She had seen me when I was bullied. She’d even helped me get revenge on those guys. I rubbed my thumb over the rim of the can. The way things were, even if Elara hadn’t officially ended it, we were close. “Oh, by the way, your brother has been coming to see me a lot lately.” Maya stretched lazily and grinned at me. … Looking back now. I should have paid more attention to what she said that day. “Oh, by the way, your brother has been coming to see me a lot lately.” Because slowly, gradually… Aiden’s name started popping up more and more in my conversations with Maya. After Elara started ghosting me, Maya was the main person I talked to. My life was still a frantic rush. I had countless competitions to win. It wasn’t just about relationships. I had to be perfect in every single area to maintain my image. It was exhausting. But it was the only way I knew how to live. I never complained. Until one day, before a public speaking competition. Something happened backstage that made my entire life feel like a joke. 10 I was the last speaker of the night. The headliner. So, I was the only one left in the dressing room. The door was thrown open with a bang. I was just tightening my tie. The person who stormed in was my girlfriend, Elara, who I hadn’t seen in ages. Oh, and she was holding someone’s hand. My brother, Aiden. She was furious. Aiden looked like he was on the verge of tears. She dragged the boy in front of me and shoved his sleeve up for me to see. “You did this, didn’t you?” The boy’s pale arm was covered in angry red welts. They looked like they were made by a whip. I raised an eyebrow. That small movement seemed to enrage her even more. “What’s that look on your face?” “Hah. Sam, you couldn’t even leave your own brother alone, could you?” My dear brother was still playing the victim, tugging on Elara’s sleeve. “Please, Elara, don’t,” he whimpered. “It wasn’t… it wasn’t Sam’s fault…” Elara. So familiar. I looked down at the marks on his arm. I had no idea how he got them. But it was clear Elara had already decided I was the villain. I was about to explain. But then someone else walked in. Maya, her hands shoved in her pockets. I felt a wave of relief. I tried to smile, to look composed. “Elara, think about it. Why would I do something like this to my own brother?” “Maya, you’re just in time. You know my history. You know I was bullied. Why would I…” My words died in my throat. Because I saw the look on Maya’s face. I had never seen her look at me with such disgust. My mind reeled, uncontrollably replaying the last few weeks. Maya, constantly bringing up Aiden. “Your brother is so shy.” “Your brother is seriously terrible at calculus.” “I ran into your brother in the cafeteria today.” “Your brother…” In the silent dressing room, her voice finally cut through the air. I heard her say, word by word. “Sam, I was so wrong about you.” “Just because you were bullied, does that give you the right to bully someone else?” 11 The scene felt sickeningly familiar. I watched Aiden pathetically clutching Elara’s sleeve. I watched Maya instinctively step in front of him, shielding him. I smiled at them, even as my eyelashes trembled. “Is that so? If you think I’m a bully, then call the police.” “Let them handle it. How about that?” I moved to walk past them. Elara grabbed my wrist, her grip like iron. I heard her hiss, “Apologize to your brother.” Maya blocked my path. “Sam, don’t become this person. Don’t be so cruel.” I haven’t done anything wrong, so why is everyone attacking me? I glanced over at Aiden. His eyes were red-rimmed. He knew. He had to know I wasn’t the one who hurt him. But he said nothing. I wrenched my arm free, shoving both of them aside. “Excuse me, ladies. I’m a very busy man.” “I have a speech to give. And I intend to win. I don’t have time for this.” “At a time like this, you’re still thinking about your stupid speech?” Maya’s voice followed me, but I didn’t care. I didn’t look back. I walked onto the stage. Even with nothing but emptiness behind me, I would keep moving forward. 12 The speech went off without a hitch. The applause at the end was thunderous. I smiled and bowed. But my mind was elsewhere. I looked out at the audience. I saw Aiden, in his crisp white shirt, being led away by Elara. Maya trailed behind them, her fingers playfully flicking the ends of his hair. But why? The spotlight was on me. I hadn’t lost. I hadn’t let them humiliate me. So why… Why was my heart being swallowed by this overwhelming, crushing wave of despair? … A few days later, Elara contacted me out of the blue. Honestly, I didn’t have time for relationship drama. If Elara was gone, another woman could take her place. But as I stared at her name on my phone screen… I realized it wasn’t that easy to let her go. It was true. She was the only girl I’d ever been with. It started as a strategic move for my future, but somewhere along the way, I had actually started to like her. I held onto a tiny sliver of hope. Hope that she’d come back to me. Or that she’d realize I could never have bullied my own brother. But she summoned me to a deserted gymnasium. And then she was gripping my wrist, her voice dripping with venom. “Sam, can you just leave your brother alone?” “Why are you spreading rumors that he’s the one who broke us up?” “We’re over. Have some damn dignity, Sam.” I blinked, almost laughing from the sheer absurdity of it. That tiny bit of lingering affection I had for her vanished in an instant. “Wait, Elara, who told you I was spreading rumors?” She scoffed. “Who else could it be?” “Your brother is a saint. He’s always telling me how great you are.” “Can you stop projecting your own pathetic jealousy onto him?” “???” I was about to explode. “You two are together 24/7! Anyone with eyes can see what’s going on! Why is this my fault?” She sneered at me. “There it is. Your true colors. Let me tell you something, Sam. Your brother is a thousand times purer and kinder than you’ll ever be.” “I won’t let you hurt him.” “Not in this lifetime. Never again.” ??? I wanted to scream at her, but my only reply was the sound of a heavy door slamming shut. When I tried the handle, it wouldn’t budge. ??? She locked me in here? For the first time, my composure was about to completely shatter. I rattled the door violently, the noise echoing in the empty gym. “Hey! Elara! Get back here!” “What gives you the right to say that to me?!!” “You…!” “Are you an idiot???” No one was around. I let it all out. I kicked the locked door until my leg ached and my nose stung with the threat of tears. I’d been playing a part for so long, this was a perfect release. Just as I was exhausted, spent, and miserable… A soft laugh came from nearby. “Sam Thorne?” “So this is the real you.” 13 I slowly turned my head. A girl I didn’t recognize at all was sitting on a stack of old gym mats. She was swinging her legs, watching me. She must have been sleeping there, which is why neither Elara nor I had noticed her. My first thought when I saw her was, how many holes does this person have in her face? An eyebrow stud, a lip ring, a constellation of earrings. I despised anything that challenged my traditional sensibilities. But she was beautiful, in a wild, untamed way. I froze for a second, my usual mask taking too long to slip back on. “Hm? Do I know you?” She smiled, a pure, innocent kind of smile. “Quite the quick-change artist, aren’t you? Weren’t you just kicking the door down a second ago?” “How did you turn back into the perfect student so fast?” I ignored her teasing. I smiled my polished smile. “Excuse me, do you know if there’s another way out of here?” She shook her head. “Just that one. And your lovely girlfriend locked it.” “…” I nodded and pulled out my phone to call a friend for help. She hopped off the mats, hands in her pockets, and sauntered over to me. She leaned in and whispered with a laugh. “Sam, you really don’t remember me?” I turned to look at her. Hmm. She had the kind of face that suggested a long list of ex-boyfriends. I would never get involved with a girl like this. She didn’t fit any of my criteria for a future partner. “No.” She raised an eyebrow. “We have each other’s contact info.” “Impossible.” Refusing to believe it, I held out my phone for her to type her number. She leaned over, entered her digits, and sure enough, a contact popped up. The nickname I had saved for her was: “Rich Girl – No Reply” “…” She was silent for a moment, then let out a sly laugh right next to my ear. I suddenly remembered. Back when I was searching for a suitable girlfriend, I had… categorized… the girls in my contact list. “Sam, don’t you even remember the fish you try to catch?” She had to twist the knife, didn’t she? … I took another look at her. My memory is excellent. I hadn’t forgotten her. Her name was Vesper Liang. But the girl in my memory was completely different from the one standing in front of me now. I had met her at a gala my father dragged me to. If Elara’s family’s empire covered half the city, Vesper’s family was one of those colossal dynasties woven into the very fabric of the metropolis. Even my father had to grovel before them. The reason I didn’t recognize her… Was because I remembered her clearly from that night. She was wearing a black evening gown, an untouchable ice queen. And on social media, she ignored me. Completely cold. I had asked her out several times, only to be rejected every single time. 14 After that encounter in the gym, Vesper started showing up everywhere. Consequently, the nickname in my phone for her changed from: “Rich Girl – No Reply” To: “Rich Girl – Certified Psycho” I would never tell her that, of course. Her family was powerful, which meant connections. If she was interested in me, it suited my purposes perfectly. As for romance… I had learned a valuable lesson: Women were nothing but trouble. Elara and I were officially over. Though it didn’t seem like she was with Aiden, either. Sometimes I’d see her waiting for him outside his classroom. So, she was still chasing him? I didn’t have time for any of it. My father had started handing over company responsibilities to me, and I was busier than ever. I knew he had originally planned to train Aiden, but Aiden was… not very bright. I thought I had finally beaten him. I thought I had proven myself, that I could finally have my father back. But one afternoon, my father sat me down in his study and poured me a cup of tea. He spoke slowly, each word deliberate. “Sam.” “Study hard.” “In the future, you will need to support your brother.” 15 I had worked so hard. I studied from dawn until dusk. I had no time for fun, no time for myself. I fought tooth and nail for everyone’s approval. And for what? My father wanted me to learn all this… Just to pave the way for my love-sick, useless brother? That afternoon, I had a massive fight with my father. He smashed his inkstone on the floor, pointing a trembling finger at me, too furious to speak. “Don’t you know, the truth is, you’re…” In that moment, I felt like he was about to reveal the secret he’d been hiding from me for years. But a shadow burst into the room. “Enough! Dad, don’t say any more.” Aiden stood between us. His eyes were red. “Sam, please don’t be mad at Dad, okay?” “It’s… it’s all my fault…” “If it weren’t for me, none of this would have happened.” “I’m just a curse…” He started playing the victim again. I didn’t understand. I wasn’t the one crying, so what right did he have to? I laughed, leaned in close to him, and said, word for word: “You’re right. You are a curse.” He flinched, like a startled rabbit. My father had already grabbed a dictionary from his desk and hurled it at me. This time, I didn’t dodge. The sharp pain in my forehead was blinding, but I refused to cry. I wanted to laugh, but I couldn’t. I turned and walked out of the room, my father’s roars echoing behind me. He told me to get out and never set foot in this house again. 16 When did it all start? Everyone leaving me, one by one. No matter how hard I tried, it was useless. They all ended up standing behind someone else. My brother, Aiden. It was strange, wasn’t it? As if an invisible hand was orchestrating everything. I stopped winning competitions. First place went to my brother. Not because he was more skilled, but because the judges saw his “effort” and were “moved” by it. My brother would always add my friends on social media, under the pretext of wanting to be closer to me. And after a while, for reasons I never understood, those friends would drift away. Lately, the rumors at school had started again. That I was a bully. That I was a vicious, two-faced hypocrite. That I had been bullied myself, and now I was taking it out on my own brother. Some of the old photos from when I was bullied were leaked. They were like a knife, slicing open old wounds. Only Maya had those photos… I confronted her, demanding to know why she would do it. Spreading rumors was one thing, but posting pictures of my deepest humiliation on the school forum? She said. “You deserve it.” “This is what you get for hurting your brother.” 17 “What’s the point of hanging upside down like that?” Vesper stood in front of me, her head tilted. I was, in fact, hanging upside down from the parallel bars in the abandoned gym. It was the only way to keep the tears from falling. I’d forgotten that Vesper also used this place as her private napping spot. We had gotten to know each other over the past few weeks. I learned that beneath her cold exterior, she was a complete weirdo. I learned that she was lonely, too, which was why she always sought me out. No one else hung out with her. They all said she was bad luck. “Vesper, I was reading a novel recently.” “It’s about a fake young master living the high life, and then the real young master returns.” “I think… I think I’m the fake young master.” “I’m the villain who stole someone’s place, the evil side character, the one who ends up abandoned by everyone and gets his face slapped in the end.” She looked at me, then smiled. “Really? I’ve never seen such a cute side character.” She laughed and helped me down from the bars. “Come on, you’re going to get a brain hemorrhage. Are you a bat?” Outside, the rain continued its endless drumming. I suddenly asked her, “Do you think I’m a bully too?” She blinked, looked down, and pulled out the necklace she always wore. It was a tarnished, brass-colored, six-pointed star. A girl like her had no business wearing something so cheap. “This… a boy gave this to me back when I was in the orphanage.” The star glowed dully in the light of the setting sun. “That little boy… he was my reason for living back then.” “He told me that it’s the cracks in life that let the light in.” “Sam.” “You can be the kind, good person. You can be the determined protagonist. You can be the one who gets a happy ending.” “It’s your path to choose, isn’t it?” … Yes. So what if fate was playing games with me? So what if the whole world was against me? Even if I had to die, I was going to die beautifully. 18 That’s how I survived. Even if my bones were broken, I would get back up. Even if I wasn’t happy, I would act happy for the world to see. I thought if I was stubborn enough, if I refused to lose, fate would eventually have to side with me. I was wrong. … After spending so much time together, Vesper had heard a lot about Aiden. They had never met, and Aiden didn’t know I knew her, so he hadn’t tried to add her. “You know, I’m kind of curious what your little white-rabbit brother is actually like,” Vesper said one day, chewing on her straw. “White Rabbit” was her nickname for him. I could tell from her tone she didn’t like him. But I still frowned instinctively. “Don’t go near him.” “There’s something… wrong about him. Something dangerous…” I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I didn’t actually believe Vesper would be swayed by Aiden. She wasn’t like the others. For one thing, she was a psycho, and the thoughts of a psycho are hard to predict. But I still felt a deep unease. “What? Are you afraid I’ll get stolen away by him, hmm?” Vesper was enjoying this, teasing me. …Yes. That’s exactly what I was afraid of. Vesper was the only person left on my side, even if she was crazy. “Seriously? Like I would ever leave you.” Vesper laughed it off. At the same moment, a gentle voice sounded behind me. “Oh? Sam, what are you doing here?” It was too late. I watched as the woman across from me, the one who had just been laughing, froze solid when she saw Aiden. For the first time, I felt like I was in the grip of a giant, cosmic hand. Vesper had a necklace given to her by a little boy in an orphanage, a necklace she still wore to this day. Who was that little boy? My brother’s expression was one of pure surprise. He smiled at Vesper. “Vesper! What are you doing here?” “Sunny Meadows Orphanage… do you remember me?” …Remember him? She had said. He was her reason for living.

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My boyfriend, Liam, died on William Zio’s private yacht. The official story was that he argued with someone, slipped, and fell into the sea. But I knew the truth—he was beaten to death. It was all because Seraphina Vance, the unforgettable flame of William’s life, had idly flirted with Liam, complimenting his voice. William’s jealousy had erupted like a volcano. He’d ordered his men to beat Liam to a pulp and toss his broken body into the freezing, midnight water. “Seraphina said you have a lovely voice?” William had sneered. “I suppose I’ll have to hear it for myself.” When the news of Liam’s death reached me, I didn’t cry. I simply tore up the acceptance letter from the top-tier university I was about to attend. I flew back home and became the most docile canary in William Zio’s gilded cage. He would often tip my chin up with his fingers, murmuring to me as if I were a cherished pet, “Aria, my dear, I can give you anything you desire. Anything but my love.” I’d look up at him, my voice a soft whisper. “Anything?” But inside, my heart was a frozen, silent wasteland. What good is your love to me? It’s your life I want. 1. Everyone in New York’s elite circle knew that I, Aria Thorne, was Seraphina Vance’s stand-in. Three years ago, after a spectacular fight with William, Seraphina had stormed off to America in a fit of pique, cutting off all contact. That was when I made my move, leveraging a side profile that was a five-point match to hers to become the perfect shadow by William’s side. I learned to be pliant, obedient. If William pointed east, I would never dare to look west. Slowly, I became the woman who stayed by his side the longest, second only to Seraphina herself. Sometimes, he would gaze at me, lost in thought, his fingertips tracing the line of my jaw. “Your eyes are the most like hers,” he’d murmur, “but she would never look at me the way you do…” I knew he was looking through me, seeing someone else. Then, recently, whispers started circulating that Seraphina was coming back. The day her flight landed, William had the entire airport terminal carpeted with ten thousand roses, a display of extravagant welcome. And I, naturally, became the subject of gossip once more. “The real thing is back. The understudy should know her place.” “If Seraphina hadn’t left, trash like her wouldn’t even be fit to polish Mr. Zio’s shoes.” “That whole doe-eyed act of hers makes me sick.” In the back of the town car, I scrolled through my phone, my eyes welling with tears, a single drop trembling on my lashes. “Upset?” William pulled me into his arms, his tone unreadable. I rested my head on his shoulder, my voice soft and sticky like honey. “William, I know how important Ms. Vance is to you… I won’t compete with her.” “The fact that you chose to bring me home first today… that’s more than enough for me,” I whispered, then tilted my head up to press a soft kiss against his cheek. He was clearly pleased, scratching me under the chin as if I were a kitten. I snuggled closer, remaining in his embrace until the car glided to a stop in front of his private villa. As we got out, I clung to his arm, my reluctance palpable. “Be good,” he said, his gaze dropping to my chest with undisguised intent. “Mrs. Gable made you that restorative broth. Drink it and get some rest.” A sly smile touched my lips. I leaned in close to his ear, my breath a warm caress. “Tonight… I have a new toy for us to play with.” A faint blush crept up his neck, and he wrapped an arm tightly around my waist. “You little temptress.” His kiss was bruising, almost violent, as if he wanted to meld me into himself. My hand slipped down from his waist, but he caught it firmly. “None of that now,” he murmured against my earlobe, tapping the tip of my nose. “Wait for me.” I relaxed in his arms, letting out a soft, breathy sigh. “William, I won’t fight for you… I only want you.” Then, with a catch in my voice, I added, “It’s just… sometimes I feel so insecure.” A tear escaped and traced a path down my cheek. At the sight of it, his expression softened. His warm palm stroked my shoulder. “Aria, I won’t cast you aside.” After another moment of tender reassurance, I wiped my eyes and turned to go. “Aria,” he called out suddenly. I turned back, my heart feigning a hopeful leap. “Your purse.” He held out the new Chanel bag he’d bought me. The light in my eyes dimmed instantly. I took it obediently and watched his car disappear down the long drive. It’s starting, Seraphina. Are you ready? Inside the villa, the housekeeper, Mrs. Gable, greeted me warmly with a bowl of the broth. I took it, my makeup smudged from my performance, and hurried upstairs, locking the bedroom door behind me. The moment the lock clicked, all the strength drained from my body. I slid down the door, slumping to the floor like a deflated balloon. I stumbled into the bathroom and turned the shower on, letting the hot water cascade over my face. I scrubbed at my skin, at every inch of my body, as if trying to wash away some indelible stain. The stinging in my eyes from the scalding water finally shocked me back to reality. I stared at my reflection in the fogged mirror. The woman looking back was a stranger—pale, her eyes a hollow void hiding a universe of madness. My right hand began to tremble uncontrollably. I gripped my wrist, my nails digging into my own flesh. It was happening again. This body, and the soul trapped within it, were rejecting the role I had been forced to play for three long years. 2. There was a time when I was the princess in my parents’ world, cherished and adored. Then a car crash shattered everything. Overnight, I lost them both, plunging into a severe depression that left me a sullen, silent shadow of my former self. It was in the darkest days at that private clinic for troubled youths that I met Liam. Everyone at the clinic was afraid of him. Like me, he wore the label of “problem.” But he wasn’t withered and silent like I was. He was a caged beast, snarling at any doctor or nurse who dared approach, his words sharp as broken glass. He was a creature of thorns and solitude, fiercely independent. But with me, he was different. He knew I was terrified of thunder, so on stormy nights, he would sit vigil in the hallway outside my room, a silent stone guardian, not leaving until the last rumble faded and he had to drag his numb legs away. When I once mentioned offhandedly that I missed the salty air of the ocean, he scaled the clinic walls and disappeared for three days. He returned with a bottle of murky, briny water and a fresh set of bruises he refused to explain. He found a pop-top tab from a soda can and spent a whole month grinding it against the concrete pavement until it was a misshapen, makeshift ring. When the other kids taunted me, calling me an unwanted orphan, he forced it onto my finger. … “Aria,” he’d said, “with me, you can still be a princess.” So you see, William? The person you destroyed wasn’t just some nobody. You destroyed the one who, with all his fierce, untamed tenderness, pulled me back from the abyss. You destroyed my entire world. “Liam, you broke your promise.” I curled into a ball in the darkness, my voice barely a whisper, clutching the small, worn good-luck charm he’d given me. He had pressed it into my hand at the airport when he saw me off to study abroad. His eyes were red, but he tried to act cool and detached. He’d fidgeted for what felt like an eternity before pulling a crumpled, red fabric charm from his pocket and shoving it at me. “Just picked this up on the way,” he’d mumbled, his neck stiff, his ears burning crimson. “Figured you might get bullied out there alone. So, you know… take it. It’s from me… and I’ve never given a girl anything before.” His voice grew quieter with each word, his face redder. I’d smiled and, right there in front of him, solemnly hung it around my neck. He’d darted his eyes away, so flustered he nearly tripped over his own feet. As the plane took off, I watched his figure shrink on the tarmac and made a silent vow: Liam, wait for me. I’m coming back. During my first year away, his messages arrived like clockwork, bridging the time difference. A “Good morning” at 8 AM, a “Good night” at 10 PM. He shared every trivial detail of his life with infectious excitement: “Aria, old Mr. Henderson’s dog had puppies. They’re ugly as little rats.” “Why are you taking so long to reply? Is your homework more important than me?” “I’m looking at an apartment with a yard. When you come back, we’ll have our own home.” … His very last message was sent under a sky full of fireworks. “Rich people are something else. Even their fireworks are blue. When you get back, I’ll set some off for you too. A whole night’s worth.” But after that night of blue fireworks, his messages stopped. I never heard from him again. Then the news came: Liam had fallen from a private yacht and was lost at sea, his body never recovered. I didn’t believe it. I flew back in a frenzy, broke through the police tape, and screamed his name at the vast, merciless ocean that had swallowed him whole. The only answer was the crash of the cold, indifferent waves. And the owner of that yacht? At that very moment, William Zio was at a rooftop restaurant, his arm around his one true love, Seraphina Vance, as they enjoyed afternoon tea. “William, darling, it was just one person. Why is it causing such a commotion?” Seraphina, draped in a pristine white gown, spoke words laced with poison. William handed her a glass of juice, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather. “He was a nobody, darling. Not worth ruining your day over. With me here, no one will dare to make a fuss.” Two weeks later, the case was closed. “Accidental drowning.” The real killer never even had to show his face. It took me months to find out that the yacht belonged to the prince of New York’s elite—William Zio. 3. I never expected to meet Seraphina so soon. William was personally giving her a tour of the greenhouse, a “hobby” he’d built on a whim but had rarely ever set foot in. Dressed in the latest Chanel suit, Seraphina tilted her chin up, surveying the space like a queen inspecting her domain. In reality, for the past three years, it was I who had tended to every plant, every blossom within these glass walls. “Ms. Thorne,” she paused, her manicured fingertips brushing against a cluster of gladioli I had painstakingly nurtured. Her voice dripped with mock surprise. “You look so fragile, yet you seem quite skilled at tending to flowers.” Before the words had fully left her mouth, she casually snapped the stem of a perfectly bloomed gladiolus. The movement was slow, deliberate, her eyes flashing with unconcealed provocation. I immediately lowered my gaze, my voice soft and submissive. “It’s just a simple skill. I’m not worthy of Ms. Vance’s praise.” William stood nearby, saying nothing to stop her. In fact, he seemed to find my deference rather pleasing; the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. “However,” Seraphina said, dropping the broken flower and grinding it under the heel of her shoe. Her gaze flickered meaningfully towards William before settling back on me. “These flowers are too… cold. They don’t suit William. He only likes roses—intense, vibrant.” I looked up, my expression a carefully crafted mix of admiration and timidity. “You have excellent taste, Ms. Vance. William often says you’re just like his favorite rose—brilliantly beautiful, the one and only in his heart.” My “relayed” compliment pleased her, and William as well. A flicker of triumph crossed her face. She linked her arm through William’s, resting her head on his shoulder, but her eyes, now sharp with a condescending command, returned to me. “Well then, I’ll have to trouble you, Ms. Thorne. Those rose bushes over there look a bit messy. Since you’re so skilled, why don’t you tidy them up?” William remained silent, which was his form of consent. Mrs. Gable, the housekeeper, saw what was happening and quietly offered me a pair of gardening gloves. But Seraphina let out a light laugh, stopping her. “Oh, no. All the top florists I knew back in the States say you must work with your bare hands to feel the true life of the flowers. Gloves? So unprofessional.” It was a blatant lie, and everyone present knew it. William adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, his gaze falling on me with a weight that was both probing and permissive. “Do as Seraphina says.” He was using this to placate Seraphina’s bruised ego, and to reassert my complete and utter obedience. I bowed my head without argument, knelt, and began to gather the thorny, withered rose clippings scattered on the ground. “Heh,” Seraphina’s mocking laugh came from above. “William, look at her, kneeling there. Doesn’t she look just like a…” She didn’t finish, but I felt the thick, suffocating malice in her unspoken words. I looked up at her and managed a pale, humble smile. A sheen of cold sweat broke out on my forehead as a thorn bit deeply into my finger, the pain making my performance of delicate suffering all the more convincing. “As long as it makes Ms. Vance happy.” My reaction seemed to bore her. She huffed and settled into a nearby wicker chair to sip her tea. I continued my work, focused, as if the world around me had faded away. Until Mrs. Gable cried out in alarm, “Ms. Thorne! Your hand! My goodness, you’re as white as a sheet!” Her words were my cue. My body went limp, darkness swam before my eyes, and I collapsed sideways. In the last moment of fading consciousness, I felt a strong arm snake around me, catching me before I hit the ground. It was William. I leaned against his chest, my breath shallow, and whispered an apology laced with guilt. “I’m sorry, William… I still… couldn’t do it right…” The hospital room smelled of antiseptic. I woke with a soft groan, a pained frown on my face as I felt the sting in my arm from the IV drip. William was instantly at my side with a glass of warm water, his own brow deeply furrowed. “The doctor said you’re suffering from exhaustion and low blood sugar. What’s going on?” I lowered my head, my long, dark hair falling forward, making my face seem even paler. Under his increasingly impatient gaze, I finally seemed to gather my courage and spoke in a small voice. “I… I remembered you mentioning how difficult it was to cultivate the new ‘Roman Holiday’ roses… I thought that if, for your and Ms. Vance’s engagement party, the venue could be decorated with flowers I grew myself… it would be the last thing… I could do for you.” My voice choked with unshed tears. I turned my head away defiantly, my shoulders trembling. The atmosphere in the room instantly dropped several degrees. He had just proposed to Seraphina, driven more by a fear of losing control and being abandoned by her again than by love. And I, upon hearing the news, hadn’t thrown a tantrum. Instead, I had silently set about preparing a “final gift” for him. The stark contrast was a thorn digging into his conscience. “The last thing?” He grabbed my chin, his grip tight, forcing me to face him. His eyes burned with a mixture of anger and a flicker of panic he himself didn’t recognize. “Aria, who gave you permission to decide you’re leaving?” I looked at him through a blur of tears, my expression one of heartbroken disbelief. “I know I’m just a substitute. Ms. Vance is back… I can’t be so shameless as to overstay my welcome.” “Who told you you were a substitute?!” he snarled, as if I’d struck a nerve. He released me abruptly, but his fingertips still felt the phantom heat of my tears. “Besides, when did your coming and going become your decision to make?” 4. That night, in a break from all precedent, William stayed with me until I fell asleep before leaving to see Seraphina. In my dreams, I saw Liam again. He was wearing that same faded white shirt, standing in front of the little house with the yard we had always dreamed of. The morning sun cast a golden halo around him. “Aria,” he said, smiling and waving me over, his eyes as clear and unpolluted as the day I first met him. “What took you so long? I’ve been waiting for you.” I smiled back, but as I did, tears began to stream down my face. “Liam,” I whispered, “I miss you so much… Wait for me, okay? I’ll come find you soon.” A few days later, I returned to the villa from the hospital, only to find that Seraphina had moved in. She sat in the garden, playing with a fluffy white Pomeranian at her feet. She didn’t even bother to look up. “Ms. Thorne, you’re so delicate. Shouldn’t you have rested a few more days?” I offered a polite smile. “Thank you for your concern, Ms. Vance. I’m much better now.” She ignored me, scratching the dog under its chin, her words dripping with double meaning. “Chai is such a good boy. It’s a shame, though. At the end of the day, he’s just an animal. He can’t change anything.” She let out a sharp, piercing laugh. I stood my ground, my face a placid mask. As expected, the little dog, as if agitated by something, suddenly perked up. It broke free from Seraphina and charged straight at me. Amid the gasps of the staff, it sank its teeth into my calf. A sharp, searing pain shot up my leg. I cried out. Mrs. Gable rushed forward and forcefully shoved the dog away. It yelped and scurried off, leaving my leg bleeding freely.

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The system tasked me with saving the destitute male lead, but I’m a spoiled, high-maintenance heiress. Walking into that damp, run-down apartment, the system urged excitedly: “Hurry, warm his heart, heal him!” Instead, I covered my nose and pointed arrogantly at the gloomy man. “You, come here and change my shoes.” 1 I’m precious. I only drink water that’s exactly 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. I only eat food fed to me. My parents raised me like a princess, yet the system wants me to save a poor male lead. I refuse to accept this. 2 Stepping into that dark, damp apartment building in my lambskin heels, my frown was deep enough to trap a mosquito. The system chattered in my ear. “The male lead lives on the sixth floor. He’s so pitiful, you must save him!” Pitiful? I looked up at the endless stairs, clutching my small pink purse, thinking I’m the pitiful one. “Go in quickly! He didn’t lock the door; he’s lost the will to live!” I pushed the door open grumpily. My gaze fell upon a room even shabbier and darker than the hallway. In the corner slumped a handsome man. His eyes were dull and lifeless, black hair falling over his brows, lips pale, and body bruised. Light from the hallway spilled in. He looked over, his breathing weak. “So beautiful.” “So angels look like princesses in fairy tales…” What is he mumbling about? My feet were sore from climbing all those stairs. I walked in. Heels clicking on the concrete floor, clack clack clack. The room was so damp. I sat on the sofa, covering my nose, my diamond-encrusted manicure sparkling. The system was excited. “Quick, redeem him, apply medicine to his wounds!” Instead, I pointed a finger at the gloomy male lead, arrogant and commanding. “You, come here and change my shoes.” The man froze, motionless. I glanced at him. “Hey, are you deaf?” He seemed to snap out of it, slowly pushing himself up, hesitating before walking toward me. I hadn’t realized while he was sitting, but standing up, he was incredibly tall. Nearly 6’3″, yet incredibly thin. Like a bamboo pole. He stopped in front of me. Dark eyes stared straight at me. I didn’t like being scrutinized like that. I ordered coldly. “Squat down.” He hesitated for less than three seconds before kneeling on one knee. “What’s your name?” “Caleb.” He looked up at me, voice hoarse. That’s right, I deserve to be looked up to. I nodded in satisfaction. “Listen well, my name is Vivienne. From now on, you are my servant.” The system slowly typed a question mark. “Shouldn’t you be warming his heart, saving him? Why are you making him your servant?!” Ignoring the system, I pulled a card from my wallet. “Take this. There’s ten thousand dollars on it. In the days to come, you must take meticulous care of me.” Caleb held the card, a flicker of light in his eyes. “Why…” “Why help me?” I just crossed my legs, swinging the tip of my shoe in front of his eyes. “What are you waiting for? Change my shoes.” Caleb’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He lowered his eyes and grasped my ankle. His hands were cold. He leaned down, silently undoing the buckles. My sore feet finally relaxed. There were no slippers, so I simply rested my feet on Caleb’s knee. His hands were nice enough—distinct knuckles, pale and slender. When he exerted force, veins popped on the back of his hand. Perfect for… Giving me a foot massage. The system looked skeptical. “The male lead hasn’t eaten in days, and instead of taking him to eat, you’re making him massage your feet!” “Besides, having not eaten, where would he get the strength!” I just hummed lightly and kicked Caleb’s shoulder. “Gently! You’re hurting me!” Caleb’s hand paused. He lowered his eyes and apologized softly. “I’m sorry.” System: ? Looks like he has plenty of strength to me. 3 While Caleb massaged my feet, I asked the system about the plot. “Caleb is a destitute and pitiful male lead. His parents died in a car accident due to brake failure. Without money, he had to drop out of college. He worked odd jobs but got stiffed on wages and was beaten up. When you found him, he hadn’t eaten for almost three days.” “I detected he had lost the will to live, so I found you to save him.” I asked the system why me. The system said it didn’t know; the program just indicated it so. “Maybe this is destiny.” Seeing my lack of interest, the system quickly added. “Caleb is the male lead. Being by his side will keep you beautiful, rich, healthy, and long-lived.” I looked at Caleb, who was meekly massaging me, and my mood improved slightly. “Fine.” After a while, my feet finally felt better. I ordered Caleb to put my shoes back on. Then told him to come home with me. Before leaving, I took a candy from my bag and handed it to Caleb. And told him to eat it. The system was very gratified. “You’ve finally started the redemption arc.” But fell silent the next second. Because I ordered Caleb to carry me down the stairs. “So you gave him candy because you were afraid he wouldn’t have the strength.” Leaning on Caleb’s back, I retorted to the system. “Yeah, if he drops me, it’ll hurt.” Caleb carried me down six flights of stairs. When he put me down, he was panting, face flushed. Like he was exhausted. The system popped up. “The male lead looks so pitiful, praise him.” I looked disdainful. “Panting just from going downstairs, how can you be so useless?” Caleb lowered his head in shame. 4 The driver took Caleb and me back to my villa. Getting out, the driver opened the door for me. Caleb stared, deep in thought. I walked ahead, ignoring him completely. Because I was hungry. I sat at the dining table, Caleb standing silently aside. “This doesn’t taste good, you eat it.” I took one bite and put down the cutlery. Caleb didn’t hesitate, devouring everything like a wolf. His face looked less pale. I directed the butler in formal attire. Told him to teach Caleb how to be a servant and treat his wounds while he was at it. After giving instructions, I went for my beauty sleep. Caleb stared at my retreating back. It was a long time before he looked away. The next day, when I saw Caleb, he was wearing a suit. He looked much better than yesterday. He pulled out the chair for me. “Miss, breakfast is ready.” The food today was much better than yesterday’s. I ate a few more bites and saw Caleb’s brow relax. So Caleb made this meal. He had worked in a restaurant before. “You’re somewhat useful.” Caleb pursed his lips. “I’m glad Miss likes it.” After eating, I took Caleb to afternoon tea. 5 In the socialite circle, I have a nemesis. We compete over everything. If I bring ten bodyguards, she brings eleven. If she buys a new Hermès, I give that model to my maid. And so on. This afternoon tea was bound to be another battle. Sure enough, when I arrived, Tiffany was showing off her new boy toy. “Isn’t he handsome? Look at that nose, those eyes.” “Just average. Worse than my new servant.” I pulled Caleb forward. Tiffany stared at Caleb’s face and sneered. “So what if he’s good-looking? Probably not clean! My new guy is a virgin.” I looked at Caleb. Caleb lowered his eyes and spoke, ears turning red. “Miss, I am also a virgin.” I became arrogant again. “Hear that? He’s a virgin too.” Tiffany pulled her boy toy closer. “Not only is he a virgin, but he’s also a student at C University. What about his education?” Caleb pursed his lips. “Miss, I’m sorry…” Tiffany smiled triumphantly. “Vivienne, your servant is just so-so.” The boy toy wanted to join in the mockery. Tiffany glanced at him. “Since when is it your turn to speak between us?” Despite that, my face darkened. I stomped away in my high heels with Caleb in tow. As soon as we were out the door, I pointed at Caleb’s face. “You made me lose today.” Caleb spoke cautiously. “Miss, I used to study at A University, but I dropped out.” A University is better than C University. My anger suddenly vanished. I immediately arranged for Caleb to go back to school. Preparing to slap Tiffany in the face next time. The system popped up. “If Caleb goes back to school, he’ll meet the female lead. What if he falls in love with her?” I examined my manicure, unconcerned. “What’s it to me? I’m saving him, not dating him!”

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When the wealthy couple came to the orphanage to choose a child, they hesitated between me and Emily. A barrage of floating comments scrolled before my eyes: [The side character is going to act pitiful again just to get adopted.] [Even if she gets adopted, she’ll just be abandoned later.] [Destined to be unloved and unwanted forever, a typical pick-me girl.] I lowered my head silently. Because the “side character” they were talking about was me. Suddenly, two shadows loomed over me. A couple never mentioned in the plot looked down at me, their faces full of delight. “Oh my gosh, this girl is adorable!” “Sweetheart, we’re having pot roast for dinner tonight. It’s delicious! Want to come home with us?” 1 A beat-up sedan. A brand-new Maybach. Both stopped in front of Emily and me. The wealthy couple seemed torn. Emily and I were the most suitable candidates. But we both had flaws. One wasn’t pretty enough; the other wasn’t kind enough. After much deliberation, they finally walked toward me. The comments scrolled again: [Are they blind? Picking the malicious one over our precious Emily just because she’s prettier?] [Doesn’t matter. She’ll be returned anyway.] [It’s all just setting the stage to highlight Emily’s kindness later. Don’t worry.] The next second. A couple with a distinct Southern drawl appeared in front of me. Their eyes were full of joy. “Oh wow, this girl is precious.” “Looks like she’s meant to be ours.” “Sweetheart, wanna come with us?” “We’re having pot roast tonight. It’s real good!” I looked at the comments, blinked. Before the wealthy couple could reach me. I turned. And threw myself into the arms of the woman in the cotton dress. 2 I’ve been able to see these comments since I was very young. Resources in the orphanage were scarce, and we often had to fight for them. Emily and I fought growing up. Every time I managed to grab a new notebook or a piece of clothing, these comments would pop up and curse me. They said you can see a person’s future at seven. Being so unscrupulous now, no wonder everyone hates her when she grows up. I didn’t understand back then. What was wrong with wanting a better life? As I grew older, I realized I was just a foil for Emily. My selfishness and greed were destined to highlight her resilience and kindness. As the villainess, I would only become twisted and evil after repeated failures. But this time. I really didn’t want to be the one being compared anymore. When I got into the sedan, Emily visibly relaxed. The comments gloated: [Haha, so stupid. Giving up the rich heiress life for a bowl of pot roast.] [This is her life now. She and our Emily will be in different social classes forever.] [Her character is designed to be annoying. No matter who adopts her, she’ll end up abandoned. Can’t wait to see her downfall.] Will I be abandoned? I carefully looked up at the man driving. He glanced in the rearview mirror and met my eyes. He immediately grinned: “Shy, huh? Go ahead and look, we’re family now.” “I’m Jim, and this is Mary. I’m a cop, she’s a teacher. Decent jobs, don’t worry.” “Make yourself at home with us, okay?” Mary laughed heartily: “Your uncle’s right. Don’t be stiff.” “By the way, when we did the paperwork, your name was just ‘Five’. What’s your real name, honey?” I looked down, picking at the skin on my fingers. The comments said I was destined to be abandoned anyway. So a name didn’t matter. “I don’t have a real name. Just Five.” 3 Uncle Jim’s pot roast really smelled amazing. I could smell it as soon as I walked in. I sat at the table, reserved. Remembering the director’s instructions before I left: “Be polite in someone else’s home. Don’t eat too much.” I was starving, but I only dared to take small bites. But Jim and Mary kept piling food into my bowl. The bowl, bigger than my face, was heaped like a mountain. “This is good, these mushrooms are from a friend upstate, super fresh.” “Eat more meat, you’re too skinny.” “This roast, I’m telling you, it’s the best. Southern style.” “What’s wrong, honey? Not eating? Not to your taste?” “Jim! I told you to make something local, you insisted on Southern food. She’s not used to it! Now what!” “My bad, my bad. What do you like? Uncle will make it for you.” The orphanage meal budget was a dollar fifty a day. The tiny bits of meat in the green bean stir-fry were the best thing in my memory. I was happy whenever I got a little extra. But it turned out, besides the best, there could be a favorite. I didn’t want them to misunderstand, so I immediately buried my face in the bowl and shoveled food. “I like it! I like it very much!” Southern food is delicious. I wanted to stay in this home a little longer. I was surprised I could be so greedy. 4 They were good people. After dinner, they took me shopping at the mall. Everything from daily necessities to the clothes on my back was replaced with new ones. It was late when we got home. I put on my new pajamas and curled up in the corner of the bed. In the orphanage, several people often shared a bed. If you took up too much space, others would be cramped. Curling up became my sleeping habit. As I drifted off… It seemed someone walked into my room and squatted gently by my bed. “Jim, do you think those comments we saw today were hallucinations?” “One person seeing it might be a hallucination, but not two.” “What they said was too much. How bad can a child be?” “As long as we treat her well, this child won’t go astray.” “But honestly, I love this girl from the bottom of my heart. Once she’s here, she’s our own daughter. No one will bully her ever again.” I was half-asleep, unable to open my eyes. But I could feel them gently moving me to the center of the bed. It was soft and spacious here. No one would crowd me on purpose, and I wouldn’t wake up aching all over. This was the most peaceful sleep I had ever had. 5 They say loving someone is like raising a flower. Jim and Mary loved me like raising a piglet. Southern portions were huge, and every dish went well with rice. From forcing myself to eat only half a bowl at first. To eating two big bowls a meal now. The director said eating too much at someone’s house would make them unhappy. The comments also popped up often, saying: [What’s so good about this? Eating like she’s never seen food before. Is she a pig reincarnated?] [Glad our Emily went with the rich couple. Michelin meals every day, my dream life.] [Sigh, maybe she was starved in the orphanage. Revenge eating, like a starving ghost. I think this couple will get sick of her soon.] Before, whenever the comments compared me to Emily, I would be jealous. Jealous that she got better things, jealous that she got a good life effortlessly. I wanted to snatch everything she had. But this time, my heart was calm. Uncle Jim’s cooking was delicious. Every time he watched me finish my food, he smiled so happily. Completely opposite to the comments saying they would despise me for eating too much. Aunt Mary was great too. She had never cooked before but tried for me. Once she fried some sausages. We ended up chugging a gallon of water. Uncle Jim came back from duty and whipped up three dishes and a soup in no time. He ordered Aunt Mary never to cook on a whim again. Auntie chuckled and promised never to touch the kitchen. Later, when Uncle Jim was too busy to cook, Aunt Mary took me out to eat. I didn’t know food came in so many cuisines. Dazzling, filling my eyes before my stomach. Every time, Aunt Mary would order a table full of food. Even though the two of us couldn’t finish it, she insisted. She said: “What other kids have eaten, our kid must try too.” I buried my head eating. But I could taste my own tears. It turns out love is every meal eaten together.

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Three months into my pregnancy, I was sued by my husband’s mistress. At the same time, she demanded I get an abortion. “As one woman to another,” she said, her voice dripping with condescension, “I’m giving you one last chance. Write a letter promising to cut off all contact with my husband, get rid of the baby, and I’ll drop the lawsuit. You won’t have to pay back a cent.” It took me a moment to process. She thought I was the other woman. A chill shot through me, but I forced my expression to remain calm as I looked at her. She mistook my silence for guilt, and her composure swelled with the confidence of a wronged wife. “You’re an educated woman. You don’t want me to blow this up and ruin your reputation, do you?” A cold, faint smile touched my lips. She had dug up everything about me, it seemed, except for one small, crucial detail: my marriage certificate. Just then, a text from Manny buzzed on my phone. “She has a very strong moral compass. If she finds out she’s the one on the side, she won’t be able to handle it.” “I’ll make it up to you. For now, you need to play along.” Those two short lines shattered what was left of my heart. My hands were steady as I pulled my marriage certificate from my purse and slid it across the table toward her. “Ma’am,” I said, my voice even. “It seems you missed something in your investigation.” 1 She flinched. Her face paled, and though her eyes were wide with disbelief, she snatched the document and flipped it open. As she read the registered information, her expression curdled. The hand holding the certificate began to tremble. I watched her in silence, but the storm raging inside me was just as violent as hers. This was the first time I’d ever had to deal with Manny’s infidelity. And, I decided in that moment, it would be the last. She slapped the certificate back down on the table, then, trying to regain her composure, opened her own purse. She pulled out an identical document and pushed it toward me. “Miss Collins,” she said, her voice strained. “Did you really think I’d come here without being absolutely sure of my position?” I picked it up. My own hands began to shake when I saw the date of registration. May 20th, 2021. The exact same day as mine. My heart shattered, the pain a suffocating weight in my chest. It was hard to breathe. “Are you trying to cover your tracks with a fake document?” Daisy, the mistress, still wore her mask of superiority. I met her gaze, refusing to back down. “Fake or not, why don’t you go home and ask your husband? Or maybe the three of us should have a little chat?” Daisy was clearly displeased with my tone. She saw it as a challenge. “Manny is a very busy man. I won’t let him waste his time on trivial matters like this,” she sniffed. “And I won’t let you manipulate me into distrusting him.” She seemed to be talking more to herself now, a strange mantra of self-assurance. “He’s a man, after all. Men of his status, wealthy and powerful… they all have a taste for trash on the side.” She spat the word ‘trash’ with deliberate venom. “The fact that I’m even here, talking to you, is a courtesy I’m extending to you as the other woman. But if you continue to shamelessly entangle yourself with my husband, then you’ll have only yourself to blame for what comes next.” Her final warning was delivered with eyes like shards of glass, waiting for me to break, to apologize, to surrender. I let out a soft, humorless laugh. “Miss Monroe, has it ever occurred to you that you might be the ‘trash’ on the side?” “I think we’re both victims here,” I continued, my voice firm. “We shouldn’t be fighting each other. Manny is the one who created this mess. He’s the one who owes us an explanation, not the other way around.” She sneered, looking at me as if I were a cornered animal, all empty bravado. “Still think you’re the real wife? Heh. Fine. I’ll show you something that will make you shut your mouth for good.” She took out her phone and played a video. 2 On the screen, my mother-in-law, my husband, and my brother-in-law were celebrating with Daisy. A cake with five candles sat on the table. It was their fifth wedding anniversary. There was a little boy, maybe three years old, whom I didn’t recognize. But then the boy’s voice piped up, clear as a bell. He called Manny “Daddy.” He called Daisy “Mommy.” My mother-in-law clasped a diamond necklace, worth millions, around Daisy’s neck and called her “daughter” with a warm smile. My brother-in-law grinned and called her “sis.” I felt like I’d been plunged into an ice bath. The blood in my veins turned to slush, and a deep, searing pain spread through my entire body. Everyone knew. They all knew and supported Manny’s double life, and I was the only one playing the fool. Even now, with his secret exposed, Manny wasn’t worried or ashamed. He was afraid that I would hurt her. I never imagined that the husband who had always doted on me, who catered to my every whim, could do this to me. It felt like falling from a great height with nothing to break my fall, only the jagged, tearing pain of impact. Daisy stopped the video, her eyes fixed on me, triumphant. “Still want to keep fighting?” I blinked back the hot sting of tears, a bitter, self-mocking laugh escaping my lips. “No. I’m done.” “But,” I added, my voice hardening, “there’s something you need to see.” I showed her the text message Manny had just sent me. “She has a very strong moral compass. If she finds out she’s the one on the side, she won’t be able to handle it.” “I’ll make it up to you. For now, you need to play along.” The color drained from Daisy’s face. Her eyes flashed with rage, and a single, furious tear rolled down her cheek. She stabbed at her phone, dialing Manny’s number. “You tell me right now who the other woman is! Manny, you bastard! You get your ass over here right now and clean up your own damn mess!” She hung up before he could even speak. Her imperious tone told me everything I needed to know. This was a woman Manny spoiled rotten. Manny and I had been childhood sweethearts. We’d been together for ten years before we married, and in five years of marriage, I had never, ever spoken to him like that, no matter how angry I was. “I’m sorry,” she said, dabbing at her eyes with a silk scarf. Her voice was suddenly soft, contrite. “I didn’t know he was lying to you. My behavior earlier was… out of line.” My blood ran cold. I stared at the scarf in her hand. It was the last piece my mother had ever designed before she died. Someone had once offered me five million for the design rights, and I had refused. I kept it in a special box in my closet, a treasured heirloom. It was my last connection to her. Whenever I missed her, I would take it out, hold it, and try to remember her scent. My hand shaking with fury, I snatched the scarf from her. “This was my mother’s,” I hissed, my eyes burning. “What are you doing with it?” She looked completely bewildered, startled by my outburst. “Manny bought it for me. He paid two million for it.” Suddenly, her eyes darted to something behind me. Her face hardened again, all contrition gone. “Manny! You’d better explain yourself, right now!” The air in the private room grew thick with tension. Manny’s gaze flickered over the two marriage certificates on the table, then dismissed me completely. He rushed to Daisy’s side, wrapping a protective arm around her. “I’m sorry, honey,” he murmured, his voice laced with panic. “It was a moment of weakness. I was out of my mind.” I felt like a joke, a tragedy skewered by a thousand swords, watching the man who whispered loving words in my ear every night call another woman his wife. “She’s your wife?” I asked, my voice trembling between a laugh and a sob. “Then who am I? What am I?” I scrubbed furiously at the tears streaming down my face. Just as Daisy pushed Manny away in disgust, I summoned every ounce of strength I had and slapped him hard across the face. His eyes pleaded with me, begging me to give him an out, to let him save face. “Lina,” he said, his voice low and strained. “I’m sorry. I lied to you. You’re the other woman.” A bitter laugh escaped me. I pulled out my phone and dialed. “911? I’d like to report a forgery—” Manny snatched the phone from my hand and ended the call. His brow furrowed in annoyance. “Stop making a scene! I’ll compensate you!” Daisy’s expression softened. She clearly didn’t want this to damage Manny’s reputation. “Miss Collins,” she said, her voice conciliatory. “My husband was in the wrong. We are willing to compensate you.” 3 Compensate me? A heavy stone settled in my chest. “With what?” Daisy thought for a full five minutes before answering. “The family will give you thirty million dollars and arrange for your immigration. With that money, you can live any life you want. You just can’t ever come back here. For a relationship, thirty million… it’s a good deal.” I stared into Manny’s eyes, searching for something, anything. He remained silent. He just stood there and let his mistress treat me like one. I took a slow, deep breath, forcing myself to be calm. “Manny, I’m giving you one last chance,” I said, my voice dangerously low. “You tell me, right now, who the other woman is. Whose marriage certificate is fake?” “If you don’t admit it, the three of us will be on the evening news tonight.” “You can stop loving me. You can fall for someone else and ask for a divorce. But you will not treat me like an idiot.” My voice cracked. “I guess this is my punishment for loving you since we were kids.” Manny’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of resentment in them. He was angry that I was forcing his hand. But under my gaze, the cold, hard stare of a woman with nothing left to lose, he finally broke. “I’m sorry, Daisy,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “The certificate I gave you… it’s a fake. I’m so sorry.” Slap! Daisy, trembling with a fury that seemed to shake the very foundations of her world, struck him across the face. “So that’s why you rushed off right after we registered our marriage,” I said, the pieces clicking into place with sickening clarity. “You went to her.” “And our wedding night… did you spend the first half with me, then invent some company emergency so you could spend the second half with her?” It was too much for Daisy. With a choked sob, she turned and ran from the room. Manny didn’t even glance at me. He just ran after her. He didn’t come home that night. I was used to it. My work was in nighttime scientific research; I often worked late shifts. That, I now realized, was a major reason I’d never discovered his affair. I used Manny’s laptop to draft a divorce agreement. Just as I finished, a new message popped up on his screen. “Mr. Hayes, should we continue to schedule your wife for night shifts? Her latest health checkup results weren’t very good.” My heart seized. The message was from my direct supervisor. I clicked on the chat history. There weren’t many messages, but every single one was an instruction from Manny, telling my boss to keep me on the night shift. Even three years ago, right after my miscarriage, when my body was weak and frail, he had insisted I be assigned the night shift, year-round, to analyze experimental data. I sat there, numb, staring at the screen, reading the messages over and over until the words blurred. Eventually, Manny returned, his face etched with exhaustion and worry. He checked a few rooms before our housekeeper, Maria, told him I was in the study. The moment he opened the door and saw me, the laptop, my lifeless expression, panic flashed in his eyes. He rushed to my side and knelt on one knee, taking my cold hands in his. His eyes were bloodshot. He’d clearly been up all night consoling Daisy. “Maria said you haven’t eaten since yesterday. Let’s get you something to eat, okay?” he coaxed, his tone as gentle as it had always been, as if nothing had happened. But now, it only made my stomach turn. I yanked my hands away from his. “Let’s get a divorce,” I said, my voice as cold and flat as a frozen lake. “I can see how much you love her. You even have a son.” “I love you,” he interrupted, his voice suddenly sharp. “Stop this nonsense. I’m not divorcing you.” I couldn’t read him anymore. I looked at the man before me, and all I felt was contempt. “You’re a coward, Manny.” “A pathetic, spineless coward. I will never respect you.” He suddenly laughed, a strange, defiant sound. That afternoon, his mother came to talk me down. It was the same old story. All men cheat. It’s just a bit of fun. She even had the audacity to suggest that our marriage was unstable because I hadn’t given him a child. I had always respected her. But today, I threw my cup of coffee in her face. “You’re insane!” she shrieked. Yes, I thought. I think I’m about to be. 4 Daisy was in the hospital. She couldn’t handle the truth of being the other woman, so she’d swallowed a bottle of sleeping pills. Fortunately, they got to her in time, and she survived. Manny was terrified and heartbroken. He dragged me to her hospital room and forced me to my knees by her bedside. “Apologize to Daisy!” he snarled. “If it weren’t for you, she wouldn’t have tried to kill herself!” “Did you know she’s two months pregnant?” “You almost killed her!” His grip on my shoulders was like iron, a sharp, searing pain shooting through me. My knees pressed against the cold, sterile floor. I listened to his voice, tight with rage and trembling with fear for her. I tried to shrug him off, my body rigid with defiance, but his grip was too strong. “I said, apologize! Did you hear me?” my silence only fueled his fury, and he roared at me. The noise woke Daisy. She began to weep, her voice weak and hoarse. “Don’t put on this pathetic show for me. The pain I’ve endured, the child I’ve lost… a simple ‘sorry’ from you two won’t fix any of it.” I laughed, a sharp, incredulous sound. “Why should I apologize? You’re the ones who should be apologizing to me!” Daisy’s voice grew stronger with anger. “You couldn’t keep your husband on a leash! You let him come out and lie to me! Whose fault is that if not yours?” Manny rushed to her side, his voice full of anguish. “It’s my fault. It’s our fault. Daisy, please, calm down. Don’t get worked up.” He held her, coddling her like a princess, his every movement radiating love and concern. He used to hold me that way. Every sweet memory was now a shard of glass, piercing my heart until it was a bloody, shredded mess.

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I transmigrated into the role of a background character who sells flatbreads, and stumbled upon the child version of the story’s main villain, looking like he was on death’s door. Just as I hesitated whether to save him, a barrage of comments suddenly floated across my vision: [He will kill everyone who watches coldly today, bathing River Street in blood!] My hands shook with fright. I picked up a piece of savory flatbread, pounced over, and stuffed it into his mouth: “Eat up, you brat!” The boy choked, coughed a few times, and finally opened his eyes. Later, my humble stall became a renowned restaurant. Delicacies filled the tables, and customers flocked like clouds. But that powerful minister who always sat alone in the private room on rainy nights… His favorite was still that piping hot, savory flatbread. 1 Others transmigrate into the heroine. At worst, they become the vicious female supporting character. Only I transmigrated into an insignificant background character. Selling flatbreads on the bustling River Street! On the first day, I was confused. Business was dismal; I ate two of the three breads myself and choked. On the second day, because they tasted so bad, I improved the recipe and switched to selling savory scallion pancakes. Golden, fragrant, and crispy, the pancakes were an instant hit. I even had a small rush of customers. But due to lack of experience, I didn’t make enough dough and closed up early. On the third day, just as I had stocked up and was ready to conquer River Street… I met Julian Payne. The stone-paved street was muddy after a rainy night. I had just pushed open the wooden window and moved the steaming pancakes onto the counter. I saw what looked like a person lying in front of my stall. A small, thin boy, lying dying in the mud. Soaked black by the muddy water, his pale face covered in bruises. He looked like he was about to croak… I started to go check on him, but was stopped by Mrs. Spring, who sold tofu next door: “In the capital, us common folk should remember one thing above all: less trouble is better.” “Yeah, we’ve seen dozens if not hundreds of these types. Miss Jiang, better be careful, don’t get scammed!” Butcher Zhang slammed his knife onto the cutting board and turned back into his shop. But at that moment, comments suddenly appeared before my eyes: [Hearing these cold lines from NPCs is actually quite hateful!] [Forget it, forget it, they’re just triggering the main plot.] [Without their cold indifference today, how could the villain rise to power later?] [Wait until the second male lead is saved by the young miss; he will remember everyone who stood by today and massacre the entire River Street!] [The villain is so handsome, I feel bad that he ends up pierced by ten thousand arrows!] According to the comments, the second male lead was harmed by villains in his childhood, with no one to help. It was the heroine who extended a hand and saved him. From then on, he grew up, his power becoming entrenched. After gaining power, he killed everyone who had wronged him step by step. And bathed this River Street, his place of humiliation, in blood! Holy crap! I’ve encountered the big villain of the book, Julian Payne! As one of the many merchant NPCs on River Street, I had just started preparing for a carefree life as a cook. Who knew I’d be hit by such bad news! If he massacres River Street, aren’t we all doomed? I looked at the boy lying on the ground. My heart went cold. How can such a good-looking kid have such a cruel heart? His eyelashes trembled weakly. His nose seemed to be twitching. Looks like the kid is still breathing! If I establish a good karma with him before the heroine saves him, leaving myself a way out… It shouldn’t affect the main plot, right? Just as I was thinking, a carriage suddenly appeared from the other end of the street. The wheels rolled slowly, heading right this way. The comments flew: [Main plot starting!] [Here comes the famous scene, the beautiful encounter. The gloomy villain meets the only light of his life!] [The heroine saves him, handing him a pastry when he’s cold and starving. From this moment, the heroine’s harem +1] Huh? The heroine is here already? Isn’t the plot a bit too rushed! No way! I haven’t farmed favorability with the villain yet! I immediately shook with fear. I picked up a steaming piece of savory pancake, stumbled over, and stuffed it into Julian’s mouth: “Eat up, you brat!” The boy choked out a few puffs of steam, his eyelashes fluttering like dying butterfly wings. But, he came back to life! He struggled a bit, chewed the pancake in his mouth, and his brows relaxed. Finally, after coughing a few times, he leaned against me and slowly opened his eyes: “Cough… Thank… you…” I acted nonchalant: “No problem~ You can have as much of my savory pancake as you want!” I said this with selfish motives. He’ll be saved by the heroine in a moment, but he can’t forget who sent him charcoal in the snow and woke him up! The savory pancake is the memory anchor. Must remember me! The boss of the fragrant, crispy, crunchy savory pancakes! It’s me! It’s me! I thought to myself. The grace of a meal is established. In the future, he probably won’t massacre my… entire family, right? I was about to get up and leave, hiding my merit and fame. Not disturbing his perfect encounter with the heroine. Who knew that carriage had no intention of stopping. With a whoosh, it accelerated past Julian and me. I froze halfway up. The comments were dumbfounded too. [Why didn’t she… save him? Not following the script?] [Passed… right by?] [What is this situation?] [???? Where did this pancake shop owner come from?] [Not gonna lie, that pancake looks kinda tasty.] I looked down speechlessly. Looking at the child who was startled by the carriage and hugging my leg. Face full of black lines. “Huh? You’re really sticking to me?” The boy looked at me with pleading eyes. Too cute! Seduced by his beauty, I inexplicably took him inside. I fed him a bowl of water and pushed the pancakes on the table towards him. “Eat slowly, don’t choke!” This poor kid, who knows how long he’s been starving. He wolfed it down, face turning red from choking, but those eyes were shining. How can this little villain be so cute even when eating pancakes! 2 While the kid ate, a long line had formed outside the shop, all here for the savory pancakes. My shop was originally set to sell plain, dry flatbreads! I wasn’t happy the day I took over! This NPC life is too bitter. No, must improve. Otherwise, this boss will choke to death on her own food one day. I quickly did my market research. River Street is located in the south of the capital. One end intersects with the main road, the other connects to the pier. I classified it as a commercial area full of life and smoke. Literary types visit, dock workers feast here, and many commoners come to buy daily necessities. So, I changed the main product from plain flatbread to savory scallion pancakes. Unlike the dry bread that chokes you with crumbs… Savory pancakes are golden and fragrant, crispy outside and tender inside. Brushed with my secret sauce, cut into small pieces and wrapped in oil paper, they’re convenient to carry. A cheap and delicious product suitable for all ages. Opening the gate, there was already a long line outside. “Miss Jiang, you won’t let us wait in vain today, right?” At the back of the line, a few dock workers laughed heartily. I recognized them; they had waited a long time yesterday but didn’t get any pancakes. I smiled: “Plenty of pancakes today, one by one, please!” Treading on the morning dew, before the sun rose, there was a faint red glow where the water met the sky in the distance. The street gradually became lively. I heard the curtain behind me being lifted. I turned around, and a cleaned-up Julian stood there. A ten-year-old child, although dressed in rags, couldn’t hide the nobility in his brows. He rubbed his hands nervously: “I have nothing to repay you with, let me help you out.” My stall was mostly visited by commoners buying household items, dock workers, and a few scholars. Julian must have watched me sell pancakes for a while. He very perceptively helped me bring out the sauce that was running low. Refilled the missing oil paper. Finally, he trotted outside to help hawk: “Line up, don’t push.” That milky child’s voice, my heart was melting. You know, this little child laborer is quite useful. I observed him while my hands never stopped working. “Miss Jiang, this sauce really leaves a lingering fragrance. My wife praised it endlessly yesterday and urged me to line up again today!” This was a scholar from the nearby Mingde Academy. I packed pancakes into oil paper while smiling: “Then I’ll give you extra today, thank you for your business!” Suddenly, a pair of hands reached out from behind him and pushed the scholar away. “What’s the hold-up? I’m in a rush to get to work!” The scholar was pushed to the ground. Looking back, a tall, muscular man stood before him. I rubbed my hands in excitement. Finally, a troublemaker! 3 When I first transmigrated into this book, I knew I was bound to a unlucky system. Its only function was to make others unlucky. Say, what can this useless system achieve? Can it help me reach the pinnacle of life? No! I’ve thought about it for days. It can only be used to prank people! After carefully selecting for two days, I finally waited for someone to hit my muzzle. I was rubbing my hands, thinking about how to play with him. I saw Julian on the side hesitate for only a moment, then whoosh, he rushed over, spreading his arms to block in front of me. He wasn’t even half the height of the muscular man, but he firmly shielded me behind him, eyes clear. Is this really the future cold-blooded, decisive villain? The muscular man lifted Julian with his right hand and raised his left fist to punch him. Julian didn’t resist, instead letting his hand drop into his sleeve. Just as the man was about to strike his face, I raised a trembling hand to stop him: “Customer! Let’s talk!!! The child is ignorant, don’t blame him!” I grabbed Julian’s shoulder, pulled him down from the man’s grasp, and pushed him into the house: “Eating my pancakes and not working? Did you chop the wood? Fetch the water? Knead the dough? And you’re making trouble here?” Switching to a smile, I handed the freshly wrapped oil paper package to the man: “Big brother, don’t be angry, here’s your pancake!” The man was stunned by my series of actions, unable to vent his anger. By now, my stall was surrounded by onlookers. Chattering and commenting. The man peeked into the house, snorted, took the pancake and left without paying a penny. I wasn’t angry either. I happily helped the scholar up, dusting him off. And packed him another portion. The scholar bowed repeatedly: “Sorry to trouble you, Miss.” Before leaving, he insisted on paying for two portions, but I refused. This was the good show I had been waiting for! They didn’t know that before the muscular man left River Street, he suddenly cried “Ouch!” while lifting his leg. He fell flat on the stone road, eating dirt. Broken leg. Should be quiet for a while. 4 After a busy day, I finally had time. I looked at Julian standing nervously in the backyard: “Where is your home? Shall I take you back?” He lowered his head the moment I spoke, tears filling his eyes, murmuring: “Mom died, I have no home…” “Miss Jiang, can I stay? I can do anything, I won’t eat for free…” The comments, silent all day, instantly became active. [Wow, the second male lead is so pitiful.] [But he’s acting too pitiful, this Miss Jiang will probably be deceived until nothing is left!] They’re right. I was manipulated! That face, that expression, who can resist! Want to protect him badly! I actually knew he was lying. After watching the comments all day, I knew most of Julian’s background. He was the legitimate son of a Marquis, but his stepmother slandered him for “cursing his birth mother to death.” Before his father led troops out of the capital, to protect the family reputation, he tacitly agreed to send him to a farm. Unexpectedly, he was hijacked halfway by people arranged by his stepmother and sold to human traffickers. Starving for days, he just escaped from the traffickers after a fierce fight, jumping into the water. Now back in the capital, he naturally planned to lie low and wait for an opportunity to take revenge. Who knew his small body, starved for days, hungry and sleepy, would collapse on River Street covered in wounds. According to the plot, he should have been picked up by the heroine, Sophie. Sophie’s father, Prime Minister Su, found out his background and raised him in the Su family as a death warrior. Years later, he arranged for him to kill his own father and take the credit. Since then, he became even colder. Only the heroine remained the sole light in his life. But later the heroine met the male lead, and Julian felt abandoned by the world. Completely blackened into the biggest villain, causing trouble until he was pierced by ten thousand arrows by the male lead. Tsk tsk tsk, too miserable. I looked at Julian’s chubby little face. Although I knew keeping him here was also using him. I still softened. According to the plot, his father wouldn’t return to the capital for a while. Sending him away rashly now, if he still meets the people from the original plot and his character goes bad, we “bottom-rung people” will be the ones suffering. After all, our River Street was “massacred”! Might as well tire myself out, polish him, and raise him to be a bit more upright. After all, he’s good-looking. Pleasing to the eye just sitting at home. I nodded at Julian: “Alright, sister accepts you as a little brother.” “But, I don’t raise idlers.” So I kept him in the shop as a helper, claiming he was a distant cousin. Although he was reticent, he worked extremely seriously and learned quickly. Soon, he could help me keep accounts with a pen. Only, one day a month later. I found he copied something else while keeping accounts. While he was asleep, I sneaked a look. It was a list, with the names of all the merchants on River Street listed! My heart skipped a beat, remembering the “massacre of River Street” mentioned in the comments. My heart went cold. This kid really holds a grudge! The next day, I didn’t open for business, deciding to straighten the child out. I put the booklet in front of him: “Little Ju, what is written here?” Seeing my serious expression, he panicked a bit. After all, he was only a ten-year-old child; how could he hide his thoughts? He quickly closed the booklet, gritted his teeth and whispered: “Accounts.” I sat down smiling, holding a ruler in my hand: “Then today, sister will teach you how to calculate the real ‘accounts’.”

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At my grandmother’s funeral, the ascetic monk was drugged and forced himself on my stepmother. I locked the door for them and called my gangster father. In my past life, worried my father would take revenge on him, I gritted my teeth and offered myself instead. Afterward, under public pressure, Julian renounced his vows and married me. I thought we would live happily ever after, but in seven years of marriage, I suffered the agony of trying to conceive. Ten pregnancies, ten miscarriages. Everyone mocked me, the gangster’s daughter, for my “chaotic” private life. They said it was karma for my family’s sins. Worried I would suffer, my father groomed Julian as his successor early on. He even passed on the token that commanded the underworld to him. Yet, while I was at a prenatal checkup, Julian commanded underworld mercenaries and joined forces with my stepmother to kill my father and blow up our family home. He trapped me in the delivery room, cut open my stomach, and let me bleed to death. “Your father forced himself on Penny back then, and you schemed to make me break my vows and marry you.” “Your family kept Penny and me apart for ten years! This is your karma!” Finally, in front of me, he killed the daughter I had desperately birthed with a single slash. I died with my eyes wide open in rage. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of my grandmother’s funeral. In this life, I will make sure you two lovebirds get exactly what you deserve! 1 “Julian… we can’t… not here…” My stepmother’s voice was coquettish and full of lust, drifting to my ears on the wind, turning my hands and feet ice cold. Through the window of the wing room, I saw Julian completely naked. His eyes were red as he pressed my stepmother, Penny, under him, tearing open her white mourning clothes. “Minna, today is your grandmother’s funeral. We can’t let them carry on here.” “Let’s go in and pull them apart!” My best friend, Jade, pale with shock, kept pushing me to go in. I stood rooted to the spot. Watching the two already entangled in the room, then looking at Jade beside me, whose face unconsciously revealed an expression of envy and jealousy. I pushed her hand away, my eyes full of excitement. Save these two animals? I haven’t forgotten what these beasts did. In my past life, one drugged me for years, causing ten miscarriages and leaving me bedridden with illness; the other, worse than a dog, killed my newborn daughter with his own hands. “Minna, Julian is a respected monk. Today, Uncle Gu is holding a grand funeral for his mother. If he finds out Julian slept with his woman, he won’t spare him!” “You’re Uncle Gu’s daughter; only you can save him!” “Besides, Julian once said if Uncle Gu kills again, it will shorten his life!” “If he finds out the monk was drugged and slept with his woman at the funeral, he will definitely go on a killing spree!” Jade spoke faster and faster, more anxious than me, the person involved. She had long liked Julian, waiting for him to return to secular life to marry him. In my past life, when I was trapped in the delivery room by Julian, struggling to make a distress call… It was she who cut off my right hand. She used a scalpel to carve into me, venting her anger: “If you hadn’t schemed, I would have married Julian long ago! You really have a tough life; even with all those drugs, you still won’t die…” I suppressed the hatred in my heart and instructed Jade: “I’ll go in to stop them. You go find a few nuns. Don’t alert the VIP guests who came to pay their respects.” “I’ll go right away.” Jade couldn’t suppress the smile at the corner of her mouth. She turned and ran, even losing her high heels. I watched her retreating figure coldly, rushing as if to reincarnate. In my past life, I clearly told her to call only a few people to quietly suppress the matter. But she brought the wealthy wives and daughters who came to offer condolences. As a result, everyone saw me naked, pressed under Julian on the floor. My aunt, who treated me like her own daughter, fainted on the spot from the shock. And my reputation was completely ruined for sleeping with a man at my grandmother’s funeral. I was called a shameless slut, and my father was secretly ridiculed! My cousin, already suffering from depression, committed suicide that night after being insulted over this matter. Since Jade harbors malicious intentions… Then in this life, I will use her hands to blow this matter up completely! And completely cut off my “good husband’s” road to riches from my past life! 2 I stood at the door of the wing room, the breeze blowing over my whole body. I felt the vitality in my body and looked down at my hands. The backs of my hands were not covered with bruises from countless injections. My fair skin was intact, without the permanent urticaria left by pregnancy. My lower abdomen was flat and firm, without the pain of egg retrieval and multiple miscarriages, and the skin hadn’t become inelastic and dead. The cool breeze made my mind clearer, reminding me that I had really been reborn, not hallucinating. When I saw figures looming in the distance, I found a sharp stone and cut several bloody wounds on my arms, then slapped myself hard. Touching the wounds, I smiled self-deprecatingly. I used to be most afraid of pain, but after the torture of my past life, my perception of pain had become numb! “Minna, why aren’t you inside?” Jade led several nuns and wealthy ladies over. Seeing me standing at the door intact, panic flashed in her eyes. Looking at the crowd, I rushed out of the small courtyard and slammed the door shut. As I approached, the conspicuous wounds and blood on my body shocked everyone! Who didn’t know I was the only daughter of the underworld boss, Gu Changlin, held in the palm of his hand like a precious jewel? Usually, no one dared to touch a finger of mine, but now I was hurt and bleeding! The abbess standing at the front frowned. Originally, this funeral was held in their temple. If something happened to the guests who came to offer condolences, their reputation would be ruined, and no one would dare to come for rituals in the future. Seeing the abbess wanting to step forward to open the door, I blocked her directly and said calmly: “Jade passed the wrong message. Nothing happened inside. Abbess, you all should leave.” Hearing my words, the already stern abbess’s face turned slightly cold. “Although Miss Gu has a noble status, this is a sacred Buddhist place, not your home to run wild!” Two strong nuns immediately walked over to pull me away. I blocked the door and shouted sternly: “Get back! No one is allowed to approach!” Seeing my fierce expression masking inner weakness, the abbess’s face grew colder, convinced there was something fishy inside and I was an accomplice. “Break the door open!” I was immediately roughly pulled away by the two nuns and fell hard on the ground. My arm hit a protruding stone, cutting a wound more than ten centimeters long. My aunt pulled me up with heartache: “You silly girl, usually it’s fine, but today is your grandmother’s funeral. Is this a day for you to mess around?” Looking at my aunt’s rosy face, not white-haired overnight from my ruined reputation and my cousin’s suicide, tears streamed down my face instantly. “Auntie, don’t let them in!” Saying this, I tried to break free from her hand and rush out. I threw myself on the ground, hugging the abbess’s legs, crying: “Abbess, you really can’t go in. I beg you! Please leave quickly!” The wealthy wives and daughters who were called over looked shocked at me lowering myself like this, whispering among themselves: “Could something big really have happened inside that would affect the funeral? Otherwise, why would the eldest Miss of the Gu family block people regardless of her image?” Looking at my miserable appearance, the abbess was so angry her chest heaved: “My sacred Buddhist ground has become your Gu family’s territory. Do we need your permission to enter a courtyard?” “Miss Gu, I indeed dare not do anything to you! Then go invite Mr. Gu and the abbot!” 3 I forcibly suppressed the corners of my mouth turning up. My injuries were not in vain; this time the commotion is bigger than in my past life! Today is my grandmother’s funeral, and almost all the rich people in the city are here! I must make Julian and his childhood sweetheart famous in the capital to avenge my past life! In less than half an hour, the abbot walked over with my father and other guests. My father glared at me and slapped me: “Minna, I spoiled you too much usually, that’s why you are so presumptuous!” “Today is the funeral of your grandmother who loved you most. How can you be so ignorant and make trouble here?” Other rich wives also looked at me with disdain, pointing and whispering. Donating to charity for years, I had a good reputation in the capital. But making a scene at my grandmother’s funeral today was a huge filial impiety! The reputation accumulated over many years was completely destroyed today! My father glanced at me and said coldly: “Abbot, break the door open. I want to see who dares to make trouble at my mother’s funeral!” The abbot nodded slightly, and the monks behind him stepped forward quickly. My aunt hurriedly pulled me up from the ground to make way. It was already summer, and I was only wearing thin mourning clothes. The front of the courtyard was muddy. My clothes were not only torn but also covered in mud mixed with blood. I looked as wretched as a defeated soldier just off the battlefield! But I felt no pain. Looking at the people breaking into the courtyard, I was shaking with excitement and hurriedly followed. The abbot and his people stopped just as they stepped into the courtyard. Everyone clearly heard the ambiguous sounds coming from the wing room. A woman’s moans and a man’s low roars mixed together, making people blush upon hearing. Instantly, everyone knew what was happening inside. The blushing crowd looked at each other with weird expressions. Wondering whose children were fooling around here! Fearing their lives were at stake. “How dare someone do such dirty things at a funeral! Is this showing no respect for the Gu family?” Someone whispered such a sentence. Everyone secretly looked at my father’s face. He was red with anger, eyes bloodshot. I quickly grabbed my father’s arm: “Dad, forget it! What if it’s some family’s daughter inside? Her reputation will be ruined…” But my father was furious. He gritted his teeth and said fiercely: “Doing such beastly things at my mother’s funeral, and afraid of being caught?” “I want to see today! Who is so audacious!” “All get out of the way!” With that, he walked to the door full of murderous intent and kicked the door open! 4 The dilapidated wooden door shattered directly. The sunlight from outside shone into the room, and everyone clearly saw the clothes thrown on the floor. A breeze blew, and the smell of sex rushed to everyone’s nose. Immediately, many rich wives and daughters covered their noses in disgust, and some even retched. “This is simply unsightly…” Anger rushed straight to my father’s head. He snatched the stick from the monk beside him and directly flipped the quilt on the bed! Under the quilt, a woman was kneeling on the bed, face buried in the bedding, her fair skin covered with signs of lovemaking. And Julian was kneeling behind the woman, face full of lust. Instantly, the room was silent, even the sound of wind could be heard clearly. “Mr… Gu…” Julian was so scared his voice cracked. He panicked, grabbing the clothes on the bed to put on, not forgetting to give one to the kneeling woman to cover her head! My father looked at him, anger deepening in his eyes! Julian was a monk. My father admired his profound knowledge of Buddhism, often listened to his sermons, and treated him as an honored guest! He even designated him to chant sutras for my grandmother’s salvation. Yet he engaged in sexual acts at my father’s mother’s funeral. To my father, this was undoubtedly betrayal! “Beast worse than a pig or dog!” My father turned red with rage and swung the stick. Julian hugged the woman and dodged around. Two white bodies appeared brazenly in front of everyone. All the ladies present turned their heads away, looking disgusted. The abbot trembled with anger. Such obscene things happening in Jin’an Temple were a devastating blow to the temple’s reputation! He said coldly: “Someone! Pull that woman with her face covered over here. I want to see who has such guts!” “Seducing men in the temple!” Julian’s expression was pale. He hugged the woman in his arms tightly, covering her face: “Abbot, please let me off this time for my sake…” However, as a monk of the temple, he publicly broke his vows and ruined Jin’an Temple’s reputation. The abbot wanted to kill him; how could he let him go? The abbess’s eyes spewed fire, scolding angrily: “Monk, Jin’an Temple treated you well. Is this how you repay us? Still protecting this vixen now!” “I want to see what kind of beauty bewitched you like this!” Several nuns stepped forward together. The woman covering her head with clothes was easily dragged to the floor. Her white body was exposed to everyone, covered with purple kiss marks. She struggled desperately on the floor but was easily subdued by the nuns. One nun reached out to pull the clothes off her face, tearing the fabric with a rip. Then she grabbed her hair, forcing her to look up, exposing her face to everyone. “Slut! Daring to have an affair, now you know shame?” The nun pulled her hair hard in hatred, tearing out a handful of black hair! “Ah, let go of me!” With a painful scream, a face as beautiful as peach blossoms appeared before everyone. Instantly, everyone gasped, no one daring to speak! My stepmother, Penny Wang, was exposed to everyone just like that.

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