Category: English

My childhood friend dragged me to the circus, only for me to witness a shocking scene: a bear riding a female acrobat, to thunderous applause… Jake called me, buzzing about this amazing new spot he’d found. Super exclusive, members only, he said. Curiosity got the better of me, so I went along. What I saw there left me speechless. I never imagined the animals from our local town circus had this kind of purpose! I’m a psychologist, but I had to quit my city job and move back to our small town to take care of my sick grandmother. I opened a private practice here, hoping for the best. Business was slow, bordering on non-existent. Thankfully, the town offered some grants, which kept my office barely afloat. Then, one day, I got a bizarre house call. It was from the town circus. I figured one of the circus performers was overwhelmed with stress and needed therapy. Turns out, they wanted me to counsel their animals. I was beyond annoyed. I’m a psychologist, not a vet… But with my business struggling, even a request this insane was something I had to accept, albeit with a heavy sigh. I barely stepped through the entrance when Eleanor Vance, the circus director, practically yanked me inside. “Dr. Miller, right? You have to see our lion! He hasn’t been able to perform lately, completely lethargic, and we don’t know why.” Eleanor was a stunning woman in her early thirties, her fiery red curls swaying with every move. Her face, with its delicate dimples, was innocent yet captivating, a perfect blend of purity and allure. And beneath that sweet face was a figure that defied her delicate features – a perfect 36D. Many men in town, both openly and secretly, had pursued her. But she always said she was married, her husband working out of town, and she’d refuse all advances. What was strange was that no one in town had ever actually seen her husband. Everyone said she was a good woman, fiercely loyal to her absent spouse. She’d been running this circus since I was in high school. She was even the subject of my first wet dream. “Eleanor,” I asked, puzzled, “why haven’t you called a vet?” She lowered her gaze, fidgeting slightly. “We did. They all said there’s nothing wrong…” I followed her into the big top. Inside, dim fairy lights cast eerie shadows, making the atmosphere unsettling. “Dr. Miller, this way…” Eleanor led me to the very back. All the animals were kept in the back enclosures. I immediately spotted the listless lion. As I got closer, a strong, pungent, musky odor hit me, mixed with a sickly sweet, fishy scent that couldn’t be masked. On the wall behind the cage, I saw several whips and electric prods hanging. Everything about this place made me feel deeply uncomfortable. “Eleanor, do you have visitors this early?” I looked up. A woman in a skimpy bikini, barely covered by a sheer wrap, was leaning against the doorway. “Don’t be silly,” Eleanor frowned, “this is Dr. Miller. He’s here to see Little Wild.” She immediately turned to me, a forced smile on her face. “Sorry, Dr. Miller, Little Wild is the lion.” The woman scoffed. “Dr. Miller, you simply have to fix Little Wild. I just adore Little Wild’s…” I glanced at Eleanor from the corner of my eye. She was frantically motioning at the woman to shut up. The woman smirked, licking her lips. “I mean, I love Little Wild’s back… it’s so easy to step on…” Eleanor let out a relieved breath. “Daisy, why don’t you go back inside? It’s rude to see guests dressed like that.” I waved a hand, indicating it was fine. Daisy defiantly puffed out her chest. “Whatever. Boring.” With a provocative sway of her slender hips, she walked away. I gave an awkward laugh. “Eleanor, let me take a look at him first.” Eleanor’s cheeks flushed. She nodded. “Of course, Dr. Miller. Thank you for coming.” I knelt down for a closer inspection. The lion lay listlessly in the corner, panting heavily, as if it had been severely overworked. “Eleanor,” I asked casually, “what does this lion do in the circus? Why does it seem so exhausted?” Eleanor froze for a moment, her already flushed cheeks turning a deeper crimson. “Uh… nothing special. Just normal performances…” With that, Eleanor also knelt beside me. The subtle scent of jasmine, likely from her, instantly filled my nostrils. But to my surprise, the moment Eleanor knelt, the lion suddenly let out a low growl, as if it strongly resented her presence. Or perhaps, it resented anyone from the circus. Because I, an outsider, had been standing there for quite some time, and it hadn’t shown any defensive behavior towards me. My sharp eyes caught sight of a small, locked door on the right side of the cage. I pointed to it. “Eleanor, what’s that small door for?” Eleanor replied, “That’s for feeding the lion.” “…” I knew Eleanor wasn’t telling the truth. There was already an opening at the top of the cage. If it were just for feeding, there wouldn’t be a need for two separate openings. I cleared my throat. “Well, Eleanor, it seems like prolonged activity might have led to depressive tendencies in the lion. I suggest you give him a break for a while and see if he improves. Also, try to keep people away from him, as he might become aggressive.” Eleanor gasped in surprise. “Depressive tendencies?…” It took her a moment to recover. “Alright, then. I’ll instruct everyone to remove Little Wild from the schedule for now.” I nodded. Turning back to the lion, I instantly felt my eyes widen. The lion had stood up, giving me a clear view of its lower abdomen. Its reproductive organ was a deep purplish-red, with barbs unnaturally erect, a truly sickening sight. “Eleanor, um… there’s another possibility. Lions need to mate regularly…” I struggled for a moment before saying, “Could it be that he hasn’t been able to release himself for a long time, so…” Eleanor immediately cut me off. “No! He always has…” She instantly realized her tone was too sharp. “I mean, Little Wild has a steady partner. He’s just been loaned out recently, so it shouldn’t be that reason.” I nodded, not making a big deal out of it. I just prescribed some animal-safe medication for the lion. Before leaving, I repeatedly stressed that it absolutely shouldn’t be overworked anymore. Its condition was already critical. Eleanor walked me to the gate and then went back inside. As soon as I stepped out, my foot landed in a puddle of liquid. I cursed under my breath, looking down. It was a used condom – extra thick and enlarged. “Dammit, what rotten luck…” I wiped my shoe on the grass nearby, not giving it much thought.

A week after I got home, my childhood friend, Jake, called. “Bro, are you free this Friday? The town circus is putting on a show, and I got us two ‘special’ tickets!” I thought back to my strange house call last week. “I already checked it out for you,” I retorted. “It’s just a bunch of old, sick, and weak animals. Nothing to see.” Jake chuckled into the phone. “Nah, who said anything about watching animals? We’re going for the beautiful performers, man!” I suddenly remembered the woman who’d come out in just a bikini top and sheer wrap last week. Daisy, was it? Well… she certainly had a lot going on. “Fine. Come by my office on Friday.” Being a small business owner meant I was chained to the store, barely making ends meet, with no money to hire help. Jake laughed. “That’s the spirit! Your little shop’s practically empty anyway, nothing to look at there.” “Gotta go, a client just walked in.” “You’re lying…” I hung up. I wasn’t lying to Jake. A client really had walked in. It was Eleanor Vance. Today, she wore a stunning strapless green gown, her fiery red hair loosely swept up with a clip, two delicate strands framing her face, a look both seductive and sweet. Eleanor held up a small box, smiling. “Dr. Miller, I specially came to thank you. That lion you saw last time has started eating again. If I didn’t think you’d blush, I’d practically nominate you for an award.” I managed a faint smile. “Don’t mention it. I’m just glad he’s doing better.” Eleanor ran a hand through her hair. “Well, I won’t keep you from your work. Come see a show sometime. We’re open every day except this Friday.” My mind went blank for a second. I nodded mechanically, watching Eleanor sway her hips as she walked out the door, my thoughts miles away. I just couldn’t snap out of it. I remembered Jake had invited me for this Friday. Why did Eleanor say they wouldn’t be open to guests that day? I pulled out my phone. Jake had sent me a picture of the tickets. Right there, it clearly read: “This Friday, July 28th, ‘Charm Circus’ welcomes you.” My heart pounded with anticipation. I grew increasingly curious about what kind of “special show” Jake’s tickets were for!

After two days of agonizing anticipation, Friday finally arrived. And wouldn’t you know it, that jerk Jake was late. I was tapping my foot incessantly at the coffee shop across from the circus. The moment he picked up, I ripped into him. “Are you serious, man? The show’s already started! Any later and we’ll be watching the finale!” “Hold on, hold on, I’m here! Come out now!” I looked up and sure enough, there was that idiot, Jake, looking around frantically at the entrance. “You—” Jake grabbed my arm. “No time to argue, let’s go!” We handed over our tickets. As we walked in, we could already hear the announcement: [Ladies and gentlemen, next up: The Chest Crush!] We found our seats. I glanced around and noticed the audience was entirely male. And most of them looked to be around forty years old. Their faces were flushed, their eyes glued to the stage. “Whoa!” I exclaimed. The woman on stage was Daisy, the one I’d seen that day. She was dressed even more provocatively than when I first met her. While no vital parts were exposed, there wasn’t much left to the imagination either. She still wore the sheer wrap from that day. Her curves, while not as generous as Eleanor’s, were pert and perfectly sculpted. Daisy gave a coy bow, left and right, then dramatically ripped off her sheer wrap. Her chest, a symphony of movement, bounced and swayed with every sensual twist of her body. The entire audience erupted in an astonished “Woah!” Then she brazenly lay down, spreading her legs. Two other girls, dressed in bunny outfits, brought a stone slab onto the stage. It was then I realized that this circus was no longer the one I used to watch years ago. But what truly made my pupils tremble was the next part of the act. The two bunny-clad girls led a small bear forward. Then, one of the girls placed a step stool next to Daisy’s platform. The bear stepped onto the stool, one paw after another, and climbed onto the stone. Thud! The stone slab shattered. Daisy let out a seductive gasp. Jake leaned into my ear, whispering, “Holy shit, she’s wild. I’m telling you, she’s the hottest one here!” Then Jake’s eyes widened, fixated. “Unbelievable!” “Unbelievable wha—” My gaze followed his to the stage. Daisy was cupping the bear’s face, gently licking its nose. The bear’s paw brushed against Daisy’s breast.

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My fiancée’s male assistant, Trevor, threw a half-eaten eggplant into her bowl right in front of everyone at the company dinner. Chloe didn’t even hesitate. She just picked it up and ate it. That same day, as soon as we got home, I told her I wanted to call off our arranged marriage. She bristled, “Just because I ate the eggplant he gave me?” “He ate a bite, didn’t like it, and then gave it to you,” I corrected her. “Honestly, saying you’re jealous is an understatement. You always blow things out of proportion.” “Fine,” I shot back, “You want to break up? No problem. Just don’t come crawling back, begging me to get back together.” She was so sure I loved her too much to ever leave. But what she didn’t know was that even the deepest love can erode, chip away, until nothing’s left but dust, especially with constant hurt. This time, I was truly done. That same day, I told my parents I wanted a different fiancée for the arranged marriage. They were a bit surprised, but they respected my decision. After that, Chloe went into her usual cold war mode. My phone number, all my social media, even our shared game accounts – deleted, blocked, the whole package. That was her routine whenever we argued. She was confident I couldn’t bear to lose her, certain I’d swallow my pride and win her back. But this time, I stared at the red “friend request” button and, for once, didn’t press it. A week later, a notification popped up in the company’s SnapChat group: “It’s Chloe’s birthday today! Chloe’s treating everyone, mandatory attendance, no excuses!” I didn’t want to make things awkward for everyone else, so I went. As I stepped into the private dining room, I saw Chloe at the head of the table, and Trevor sitting so close to her, practically glued to her side. Trevor’s lips were pressed against Chloe’s ear, as if sharing some secret. They seemed to exist within their own bubble, impenetrable to outsiders. A moment later, they both burst out laughing, their faces so close they were almost kissing. I couldn’t stand to watch anymore. I found a corner and sat down. Everyone started giving Chloe gifts, but I ignored it all. I poured myself a drink, sipping it slowly, when suddenly, a shadow fell over me. I looked up to see Chloe’s perfectly sculpted face, her expression still etched with that familiar impatience. “Liam, why didn’t you get me a gift?” Normally, on an important day like Chloe’s birthday, I’d have started planning months in advance. One year, I even spent over six months hand-making a life-size replica of the flying house from her favorite movie, Up. When the balloons lifted off, she told me we’d grow old together, just like the characters in the film. I believed her then, never imagining her promise wouldn’t even last three years. Faced with her persistent questioning, I simply replied, “I forgot.” My attitude clearly infuriated Chloe. She completely lost her patience. “Liam, are you done being dramatic? Is such a trivial thing worth an entire week of this nonsense?” I looked at the faint trace of Trevor’s lip balm on her lips, a sickening feeling churning in my stomach. “I’m not being dramatic. And I’m serious about calling off the engagement.” Chloe’s expression froze for a second, but then Trevor squeezed her hand, and she regained her composure. “Liam, please don’t misunderstand,” Trevor said, his voice deliberately soft. “I only gave Chloe my food because I didn’t want to waste it. If you dislike me so much, then next time we have a company dinner, I’ll just skip the table. I’ll wait to eat everyone’s leftovers.” Trevor’s words immediately melted Chloe’s heart. “Trevor, don’t say that! You deserve the best things in the world. Liam’s the one who shouldn’t be here. Who does he think he is? Does everyone have to cater to his whims?” “Chloe, don’t say that about Liam. He might be a little sensitive, but he’s still your fiancé. You should still try to smooth things over. I really don’t want you two fighting because of me.” “Smooth things over with him? Who does he think he is? If my parents hadn’t begged me to go through with this arranged marriage, I wouldn’t be with him. He gets mad over every little thing; it’s so annoying.” Trevor walked over to me, patting my back. His voice was laced with a patronizing tone. “Liam, honestly, from one guy to another, you really are being a bit much this time. Chloe hasn’t been able to sleep for days because of you. Even though I think you two aren’t a good match, you’re still engaged. You should both try to compromise.” I slapped his hand away, a cold laugh escaping me. “Trevor, you know what I admire most about you? It’s how you pretend to be noble while doing the fakest things—and how you can steal someone’s girlfriend with your sugary words, yet still look completely innocent.” Trevor’s smug expression instantly vanished. Chloe exploded. “Liam, who gave you permission to slander Trevor like that?” “Slander? Then tell me, why does he have one of everything you buy me, and then flaunts it in front of me at the office? Why does he always twist our arguments and spread them around the breakroom? And why does he know your—” “Enough!” SMACK! Chloe slapped me across the face in front of everyone. The world around me instantly blurred and became muffled, but my eyes clearly saw the pity, scorn, or disgust on the faces of everyone in the room.

When my hearing finally cleared, I heard Chloe’s loud declaration: “From today on, everyone’s welcome to like my photos with Trevor! If we hit a thousand likes, I’ll drop Liam and go register our marriage with Trevor!” With that, she grabbed Trevor’s hand and walked out without a backward glance. Before leaving the private room, Trevor shot me a triumphant, taunting look. After they left, people in the room started filing out. Some gloated, “Doesn’t even know his place and starts acting up. Now he’s gone too far, bet he regrets it.” Others offered well-meaning advice, “Pride is temporary. Just swallow it, apologize quickly, or Chloe really will go marry Trevor.” I knew perfectly well this was Chloe’s way of forcing me to beg her. But this time, I refused to bend. Not even if it killed me. The once lively room quickly emptied, leaving just me. I grabbed the remaining strong liquor and chugged it. The burning alcohol scorched my throat, then my stomach, bringing tears to my eyes. Decades of a relationship, just over. And yet, it felt almost… anticlimactic. Maybe if I went to an arranged marriage thousands of miles away, to a city down South, she wouldn’t bother me anymore. But for some reason, my face was wet with tears again. I went home and immediately started packing, preparing to leave. Chloe and I had grown up together. More than half of our short lives had been spent side-by-side. The depth of our bond meant I had so much to sort through. This little gold star sticker was the first award Chloe ever received in kindergarten. She’d toddled over to me on her tiny legs and given it to me. I vaguely remembered her saying, “I’m going to give Liam all the best things.” This photo was one she secretly took of me grimacing in pain after I severely sprained my ankle during my first basketball game. Back then, I thought I’d be paralyzed and sadly told her we might not be able to play together anymore. She didn’t say a word, just helped me up and walked me straight to the infirmary. Later, we became a couple. But different colleges forced us into a long-distance relationship. Our memories became a stack of train tickets. For four entire years, 193,700 kilometers was the distance we traveled to be with each other. Back then, she only had eyes for me, and she never once complained about being tired, no matter how long the journey. My fingers brushed against a small, hard box containing the matching rings we had made together. For her, I moved back to this city up North right after college graduation. The day I returned, she dragged me to get these rings made. I still remember her slipping the ring onto my finger and saying, “Liam, with this ring, you’re stuck with me for life. You’ll never get to leave me.” Neither of us knew then that in the end, it wouldn’t be me who let go, but her.

The day Trevor interviewed at the company, he performed terribly. Chloe openly disliked him. I also didn’t give a second thought to an applicant with such poor qualifications and ability. But for some reason, he was eventually hired against all odds, and slowly, from being a barely noticed background character, he became Chloe’s executive assistant. I truly started to notice something was off when I saw our matching ring—the one meant only for Chloe and me—on Trevor’s hand. At first, when I questioned her, Chloe would patiently explain things and try to smooth things over. But gradually, her patience wore thin, replaced only by impatience. My repeated reluctance to let go, my tolerance, my attempts to please her, only made her favoritism for Trevor more blatant. Company dinners would only feature dishes Trevor liked. Trevor worked only half-days a week; the rest of the time, he spent with Chloe, going out, eating, and having fun, while Chloe pushed all his assistant duties onto me. Chloe’s mentions of him became more frequent in front of me. At first, it was unconscious praise and admiration, but later, she started comparing me to him, complaining that I wasn’t as thoughtful or considerate as he was. Until one afternoon during a company tea break, Chloe said the coffee she ordered was delicious, and Trevor said he wanted to try it. Without a word, Chloe handed her coffee to him. He didn’t even bother to change the straw, just took a big sip from the one Chloe had used. Chloe even took the coffee back and continued drinking from the same spot Trevor’s lips had touched. In that moment, my heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, a mixture of bitterness and searing pain. From then on, Trevor, her “good buddy,” crossed more and more lines. Fearing Chloe would get a sunburn, he directly applied sunscreen all over her body. I, her fiancé, made her lunch, but he made her lunch too. He’d always eat the lunch I made for Chloe, claiming my cooking was “too good to waste,” then make her eat his own instead. Chloe even canceled my birthday celebration because Trevor had a cold. But every time I expressed my unhappiness about these things, Chloe would impatiently snap, “Liam, you really have a twisted mind. You see dirt everywhere. Trevor and I have the purest friendship. Don’t project your filthy thoughts onto him.” Yet, the more she said it, the less conviction she had in her voice. The most infuriating thing was a major industry event organized by our professional association. The organizers required attendees to bring their partners, but Chloe never told me. She just took Trevor. I only found out later when people kept asking me if Chloe and I had broken up. When I confronted her, Chloe got even angrier than I was. “I only took Trevor to network and cultivate talent for the company. Why are you so petty?” That time, we gave each other the cold shoulder for a long time, so long that I actually thought we’d finally split up. Until she sent me a message late one night: “Hubby, my stomach hurts so bad.” All my feigned indifference crumbled in an instant. And so, the terrible cycle of me questioning, her getting angry, me trying to smooth things over, and her forgiving me, began all over again. I closed the ring box and tossed it into the trash can. Deep in the drawer, I found a note Chloe wrote when she was 18, an apology for accidentally missing one of my messages. She really cared about me back then. But now, she only cared about Trevor. I took out the apology letter, tore it into pieces, and threw it in the trash. After thoroughly clearing out decades of emotional baggage, the house felt much emptier. My heart, it seemed, had been emptied along with it. The company’s SnapChat group was still flooded with photos of Trevor celebrating Chloe’s birthday and making her laugh. Knowing Chloe’s favoritism toward Trevor, colleagues eagerly provided them with emotional support. “OMG, Chloe and Trevor are such a perfect match!” “You should definitely find a boyfriend like Trevor, not some petty, sulking guy like Liam.” “Liam only got where he is because of his family. Trevor, on the other hand, made it all on his own. There’s no comparison between them.” I couldn’t stand to look anymore. I called my lawyer directly and instructed him to withdraw all my investments from Smith Corp.

The next day, I went to the company to pack my things, only to find Trevor in my private office lounge, wearing a tank top and with his feet propped up on my desk. His belongings were scattered everywhere, and all of mine had been unceremoniously dumped outside the door. This was my private office lounge, a space Chloe had specifically designed for me. Everyone in the company knew it, and no one dared to enter. Trevor’s actions were a blatant display of disrespect, practically spitting in my face. I couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. I just called the police. In the mediation room, Trevor panicked. “I was just helping Chloe get some documents. Did you really have to call the police?” “That’s my private space. Did I give you permission to just walk in?” I said coldly. “Taking something without asking? That’s stealing, plain and simple.” Trevor didn’t retort, but his expression suddenly shifted to one of profound victimhood. I immediately sensed something was off. And sure enough, when I turned around, who else would be standing there with a stormy face but Chloe? “Chloe!” The moment he saw her, Trevor immediately embraced her, his voice full of feigned injury. “I really just wanted to help you get those documents, but Liam seems to dislike me so much. He keeps insisting I stole something. You’ve given me so many things, my sixty-square-meter villa can’t even fit them all. Why would I need his pathetic belongings?” This small room was a gift from Chloe to me, a return gift for the little wooden cabin I built for her. We shared so many sweet memories in this room. I always thought at least this sanctuary would remain untainted, like the last vestige of dignity in our love. But Chloe, it seemed, still wanted to personally shred my last shred of hope. Chloe consoled Trevor while explaining to the officers, “It’s all a misunderstanding. We all know each other. Sorry to bother you.” Then she turned to me, her voice filled with disgust. “Liam, what has gotten into you? Why are you so jealous all the time? Does it give you great satisfaction to use your power to hurt innocent subordinates like Trevor? You really disappoint me.” Her reproaches rained down on me, and before I could even object, Trevor started his drama again. “Chloe, don’t blame Liam. It’s my fault for being careless. At most, I’ll spend a few days in jail, and people can laugh at me. It’s fine. Just don’t let this cause trouble between you and Liam.” Chloe grabbed Trevor’s hand, her face full of concern. “Trevor, you’re just too soft, that’s why people always pick on you.” Then she turned to me, her tone firm. “Liam, let me tell you, this isn’t just going to blow over. You need to apologize to Trevor immediately.” “Chloe, he entered my private space without my permission. And you want me to apologize to him? You still think he’s the victim?” The moment I spoke, Trevor started looking tearful again. Chloe scoffed. “Your private space? That lounge belongs to Smith Corp, don’t forget. The entire Smith Corp is under my name; you only have temporary usage rights. If you keep this attitude, I won’t hesitate to have you charged with false accusation.” With that, she dragged Trevor away to settle things. Her words were like a sharp spike, piercing deeply into my heart. My heart, which I thought had long gone numb, began to ache all over again. For so many years, I had poured my heart and soul into supporting Smith Corp, believing I was fighting for our shared future. Only to be told, in the end, “you only have temporary usage rights.” Before Chloe and Trevor left the mediation room, she gave me a warning. “Just a friendly heads-up: the likes have already reached 990. If you keep this attitude, I’m really going to go register my marriage with Trevor.” I looked at Trevor’s sneering eyes behind her and suddenly realized my own pathetic situation. Trevor’s tactics had always been clumsy; the intelligent Chloe couldn’t possibly have been blind to them. She simply chose to ignore them. The scales of love in her heart had long since tipped. All of this was just her way of getting rid of me, her stage-five clinger. And I, like an idiot, kept trying to make peace again and again. Once I fully grasped this, the last bit of love I had for Chloe died completely. During the days leading up to my departure for the city down South, some gloating colleagues would privately message me, giving me updates on the “like” count. “The likes are at 994! If you don’t grovel now, someone else will steal your fiancée!” “Tsk, tsk, tsk, 997 likes already. Looks like you’re destined to be single for life.” “Oh, sticking it out for a long time this time, huh? Did you pee your pants and run away because you think you can’t compare to Trevor, hahaha?” I blocked and deleted all of them, ignoring their taunts. When the likes reached 999, and I still hadn’t shown up to beg, the tension around Chloe was suffocating. No one in the company dared to press that final “like” button. Just as Chloe was wondering how to deliver another warning, someone suddenly burst into her office, shouting, “Chloe, the 1000th like has been achieved!”

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The villainous mother and her two daughters in this story were tearing each other apart over the male lead. It was my intervention that changed their fate. The older daughter later inherited the family business, and the younger one got into a top-tier university. But at the company’s annual gala, the sisters jointly pleaded with their mom, asking her to bring back Ryan, the man who had lost his wife. “Mom and Ryan have already missed out on a decade together, Dad. You need to be reasonable and generous.” On the day of Katherine’s wedding to Ryan, I didn’t cry or make a scene. Instead, I summoned the God of Destiny who had sent me here. “I need to leave this messed-up place.” I stood in the pouring rain until the music in my earbuds stopped. I swayed, letting myself topple into the freezing, biting river. I wasn’t from this world. I’d been sent here on a mission to save a family of antagonists from a story. The God of Destiny had tasked me with preventing their tragic fate of tearing each other apart over the male lead. The condition was the healing of my own critically ill body. But tragically, the moment the original love interest was out of the picture, my wife and daughters couldn’t wait to welcome the widowed Ryan into our home. The God of Destiny’s voice echoed: 【Mission failed. If your body in this alternate world perishes, your body in your real world will awaken. However, your time there is also running out. Are you certain you want to leave here?】 I nodded slightly. With the precious little time I had left, I only wished to spend it with my own family and friends. But the expected sensation of drowning never came. A powerful grip seized my arm from behind, yanking me upwards. “What do you think you’re doing? It’s Ryan’s big day, and you just had to pull this stunt?” I turned to see my stepdaughter, Alex. She was gasping for air, her bright eyes burning with fury. She was one of the targets of my mission in this world, and in the later parts of the book, the most fanatical antagonist. She would become so obsessed with Ryan that she’d turn crazy, fall out with her family, and eventually become an outcast everyone avoided. When I became Katherine’s husband, Alex was only six years old. Her birth father had died young, and her mother was constantly busy with work. The young Alex roamed the streets getting into trouble, desperate for attention, but often just messing things up and getting bullied by other kids. I brought her home, cleaned her up, and planned for her future. Alex wasn’t interested in academics, so I encouraged her to pursue business instead. Little Alex had a dream for the first time. Her eyes red-rimmed, she asked me, “Can I call you Dad? Everyone laughs at me for not having a dad, for being unwanted…” After I agreed, she gently hugged me. “Dad, when I grow up and make a lot of money, the first thing I’ll do is buy you a huge house and make sure you’re set for life.” But when she actually achieved her dream, her first demand was for Ryan to become her new father. She stopped calling me Dad. She even hated my guts because of a single comment from Ryan – that I had intentionally let him be abducted by thugs, preventing him from coming back to see her in time. The young woman before me overlapped with the memory of that child who called me Dad, but her eyes now held only a chilling coldness. “No need to keep up the act. You just want to get our attention, right? If you really wanted to die, why pick a spot on my way home from work, timing it perfectly?” I was speechless. I just wanted to find a not-too-ugly way to die, choosing a picturesque spot, and completely hadn’t expected to run into Alex. Seeing I didn’t respond, Alex scoffed, “If you really want to die, go somewhere far away. Ryan loves this river. He walks here when the weather’s nice, don’t you dare…” Her words abruptly cut off. I quickly dashed to the other end of the broken bridge and leapt off. Ryan likes this river, huh? Then I hope he never comes here again. Every time he does, it just fills me with disgust.

My body grew heavier and heavier. In a daze, I heard the beeping of hospital equipment. Mom, Dad, wait for me! Your son is coming home soon! Just as I thought I had succeeded, a powerful force dragged me back to the shore. Alex was drenched, her eyes misted over with water, making it impossible to tell if she’d been crying or if water had just gotten in them. Seeing Alex like that, I joked, mocking her, “You don’t want me to die?” Alex’s face twisted in an awkward expression. “You’re overthinking it. Your death has nothing to do with me. Even if you really wanted to die, I wouldn’t stop you, but not today! I don’t want Ryan to be upset thinking about you every year on his wedding anniversary!” It was for Ryan, of course. Seeing that I was uncharacteristically quiet, Alex grabbed me and started walking towards the house. “Just go home for now. Anyway, you can’t die today. If you really want to die, find somewhere far away, at least somewhere I won’t see you!” Alex was strong; I couldn’t break free. As we reached Katherine’s front door, we ran into Sophia, my daughter in this world. She was dressed in a crisp suit, looking incredibly sharp. She had just rushed over from school. Seeing Alex and me soaking wet, she glanced past me, barely giving me a look, and simply called out, “Alex.” Alex nodded. Sophia then instructed, “Why are your clothes all wet? Be careful not to catch a cold, Alex. Go change quickly. Ryan and Mom’s wedding is about to start.” Throughout the entire exchange, she didn’t spare me a single glance, as if I weren’t her father but a stranger on the street. The book said Sophia was lost at birth and grew up in foster care, developing an extremely gloomy personality. Ryan was supposed to be the only light in her life. But I came. I found her and brought her home. I had such high hopes for this child. In my mind, she was connected to me by blood, not just a character from a book. She wouldn’t need me to meticulously “complete a mission”; she would naturally be on my side. I cherished Sophia like a precious jewel, terrified she would get lost again like in the book. I was hands-on with everything, ensuring Sophia grew up safe and sound. And Sophia indeed grew into an outstanding young woman, completely different from the troubled girl in the book. She was humble, polite, had a sense of family responsibility, cared for her sisters, and even became a star student at school. I never doubted myself. My own daughter, how could I not manage? But the moment Ryan appeared, the usually attentive Sophia changed completely. She started doing all sorts of things I forbade, using them to express her dissatisfaction and rebellion against me. “Why does Dad always have a problem with Ryan? It’s clearly Dad who’s wrong!” I never expected that all the lessons I’d taught Sophia, all those books we’d read together, would turn into weapons against me. “Dad is just jealous of Ryan, which is why he cruelly let Ryan be kidnapped and tortured. He has no kindness in his heart. How can someone like you be my dad?” At that moment, I was standing dumbfounded, holding the breakfast I had woken up early to prepare specifically for her. I felt like I didn’t recognize the daughter I had personally raised. She then slapped the tray out of my hands, declaring she’d never eat anything I made again. The pain in my heart was inexpressible. I sternly reprimanded her, and she looked at me as if I were her enemy. From that day on, my daughter and I never exchanged another word. Hearing Sophia’s question, Alex’s expression was mortified. “Just now… he really jumped into the river.” Sophia frowned slightly, her cold tone utterly devoid of emotion. “Alex, don’t let him trick you. With you there, how could he possibly die? He’s just seeing Ryan come home and throwing a tantrum, resorting to these little tricks. Do you really think he’d give up all the comfort and luxury of this home…” Sophia hadn’t finished her sentence when I slammed my head into the doorframe. I kept sighing inwardly. Ugh, I wanted to die with a bit of dignity, but these two girls are just too noisy. Hot blood streamed down my face, and the world before me plunged into darkness. Just before my consciousness completely faded, I thought I heard someone scream “Dad” in anguish.

When I opened my eyes again, my forehead throbbed faintly. The lavish, modern chandelier above me came into view, and I knew: I hadn’t managed to leave this world again. Every night, I hovered at the edge of death, meaning my time with my family in my original world was shrinking. Time was precious to me. I stared at the chandelier, wondering if I could use it to end everything. The moment I stirred, a hand gripped mine tightly. “Liam, please, stop this nonsense, okay? It’s a good thing you’re weak; you didn’t hit your head too hard. Otherwise, you would have terrified the girls.” It was Katherine, my wife in this world and the company CEO, who spoke. Her brows were tightly furrowed, her gaze fixed on the bandage wrapped around my forehead. Her eyes were deep, making it impossible to guess what she was thinking. In the original story, Katherine was Ryan’s most passionate admirer. Unable to have him, she eventually turned dark, even committing extreme acts of betraying the company and harming others, all to get closer to Ryan. My first act upon arriving in this world was to drug Katherine, making her fall unconscious and unable to pursue Ryan, thereby cutting off the source of all her future wrongdoings. When Katherine woke up, she wanted to end me immediately. But I knew the story inside out and was well aware that Ryan wouldn’t be harmed. It wasn’t until she witnessed Ryan and his love interest living a happy, loving life together that Katherine gradually let go of her prejudice against me. She tried to understand me, to care for me. During that difficult period, she mistakenly thought I was being bullied and personally stood up for me. In that challenging moment, two hearts quietly drew closer. Later, I reined in my temper, managed the household, and supported my wife and daughters. Katherine, too, became like any ordinary wife who cherished her husband. We relied on each other, promising to be together in the next life. Her fate was slowly changing; my mission was nearing completion. At that point, my terminal illness in my original world would be cured, and I could even choose to pause time in my original world to first spend this happy lifetime with Katherine’s family. However, the change came without warning. One stormy night, Ryan returned alone. He cried, throwing himself into Katherine’s arms, pouring out the inhumane suffering he had endured all these years. The usually composed Katherine actually shed tears of heartache. When she learned that I had maliciously hindered Katherine and pushed Ryan into his predicament, Katherine’s entire family – mother and daughters – erupted in fury. They kept Ryan at home, caring for him meticulously, while completely ignoring me. On Sophia’s birthday, I prepared a table full of steak and salad, all their favorites. But I waited until deep into the night, and no one returned. It turned out the three of them were out dining with the dejected Ryan, simply to cheer him up. The day I found Sophia and brought her home was one of the happiest days of my life. Katherine had promised then that she would bring the children to celebrate with me every year because I had given Sophia a home. But now, they had all broken their promises. When Katherine’s family returned, they simply glanced at the table of cold food and blandly said, “Ryan doesn’t like your cooking. You don’t need to make it anymore.” Recalling these past events, I coldly pulled my hand free from Katherine’s tight grip and calmly said, “I’m not being difficult. I just… don’t want to live anymore.” Katherine suddenly seemed annoyed. She leaned over and helped me up; I couldn’t break free. A moment later, she finally spoke, her tone tinged with helplessness. “Liam, don’t say such angry things, and don’t threaten me and the girls with death anymore. Our feelings for each other won’t change. I’ll make sure to discipline the girls well. You will always be the man of this house.” Katherine’s words sounded sweet, as if she still loved me as before. But then, she cautiously observed my expression and mentioned Ryan. “I’ve already assured you, Ryan won’t take your place. You wronged him before, and now he just needs a place to stay… So, where did you hide him? Tell me, and I can pretend nothing happened. We can continue our peaceful life as a family, wouldn’t that be better?” I scoffed inwardly. Ryan’s gone missing again? And Katherine still thinks it’s my doing? Seeing me smile, Katherine couldn’t maintain her detached façade any longer, her tone growing urgent. “Liam, you don’t need to act anymore. I’ve searched. Ryan’s watch was clearly hidden in your closet. You both disappeared simultaneously this morning… Tell me, where did you hide Ryan?” It seemed Ryan was impatient to expel me, even willing to use his own wedding as a scheme. After all, as the male lead, he craved universal adoration; how could he share a woman with another man? What he wanted was to be the only one in the hearts of Katherine and her daughters. I suddenly burst out laughing, “Ha, yes, I did it. Ryan’s dead! I was jealous of him, so I killed him. Do you want to avenge him? Then kill me! Unless… you can’t bear to?” Katherine would stop at nothing for Ryan. If she laid a hand on me to kill me, I could finally go home. Katherine was visibly enraged. Losing all reason, she directly wrapped her hands around my throat. “Liam! How did you become like this…? Ryan has suffered enough; why do you keep harassing him!” Actually, it wasn’t me who changed, but the three women of her family. I didn’t resist, letting my breath gradually weaken. Good. Finally, everything will end. The door was abruptly shoved open, and Alex and Sophia walked in, supporting Ryan.

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My childhood friend, Dean, always thought he could just take my things. This time, he took my custom-designed wedding gown, worth $200,000, without my permission. I called him a dozen times, but he ignored every single one. I had no choice but to head straight to his place. Pushing open the door, I saw his girlfriend, Chloe, live-streaming in my gown, her smile annoyingly. “Look, everyone,” she cooed, “only I can make this cheap piece look high-end. If anyone else wore it, it would be a total disaster.” I sharply ordered her to take it off. She just raised an eyebrow, a sneer twisting her lips. “Hah, it’s your honor that I’m wearing this cheap dress! Dean, pay her rent!” Dean chuckled and handed me twenty dollars. “Just take it, Skylar. Don’t be so petty about everything. Women age faster when they get angry, you know.” 1 I was so furious I actually laughed. “This is a custom-designed gown worth $200,000! I told you that, didn’t I?” Dean just grinned, acting like it was all a big joke. “Just head home, Skylar. It’s just a wedding dress. Is our friendship really not worth more than a gown?” The words were barely out of his mouth when Chloe suddenly slammed a glass to the floor, shattering it, and started yelling at me. “Some women are just trash! About to get married, and still trying to seduce other people’s boyfriends!” That ignited my fuse. My face went cold as I shot back: “Watch your mouth, Chloe. Don’t spread lies, or I’m calling the cops. I have a fiancé, and he’s a hundred times better than your boyfriend in terms of capability, character, and looks.” She was instantly speechless, her face draining of color, utterly at a loss for a comeback. But then, Dean suddenly grinned and winked at me. “Skylar, I was the one who bought you tampons the first time you got your period. How can you belittle me like that?” He turned, putting his arm around Chloe’s waist, and started spinning a ridiculous story. “I’ll tell you a secret. Skylar heard I got such a beautiful girlfriend, and in a fit of pique, she just randomly picked someone and announced she was getting married.” His tone and expression were filled with a smug certainty, instantly trying to tie me to him in a messy, complicated way. It was my first time experiencing his utter shamelessness, and I clenched my fists in fury. “Dean, stop spouting nonsense—” But before I could finish, Chloe’s shrill scream cut me off. “Oh, you manipulative Skylar! So you were after my boyfriend and just came here looking for trouble!” Hands on her hips, she glared at me, her eyes laced with venom. “Don’t think I’m an easy target. You’re really pushing your luck.” “I have tens of thousands of online followers backing me up. They won’t stand by and watch a ‘third party’ bully someone!” Dean’s eyes gleamed with triumph. He then looked directly into the camera and promised solemnly: “My love for Chloe is as clear as day and night. I would never give any attention to just anyone.” “Rest assured, my followers, Chloe’s position is unshakable.” He was clearly building himself up by tearing me down, painting himself as the loyal man. It was disgusting. A surge of anger went straight to my head. I took a deep breath, forcing it down, and spoke in a chilling voice: “Chloe, that gown you’re wearing is my custom design, worth $200,000. Take it off, now.” “I’ll leave immediately and never show my face again. You two can just be stuck with each other forever, for all I care.” If it weren’t for Mr. Hayes’s poor health, I would absolutely not let these two rotten rumor-mongers off the hook today. But Chloe didn’t see it that way. Her face was full of contempt and scorn. “‘$200,000 custom-designed’? You’re shameless!” “Look at how old-fashioned you are. A bridal shop custom-designing for you would be ruining their own reputation.” At that moment, Dean stared into the camera, fanning the flames. “Exactly! How could she compare to even one of Chloe’s toenails?” “She grew up trailing after me. I know exactly what kind of person she is. She couldn’t get me, so she messed around with at least ten guys in three years.” My eyes widened in disbelief. He was stooping to spreading disgusting, slanderous rumors about me just to get more views on his live stream. He had no bottom line. 2 “Dean, has your conscience been eaten by dogs?” I roared, my voice thick with fury. “Mr. Hayes has been hospitalized for years due to poor health. You lived and ate at my house throughout your childhood until you graduated high school and went to work. This very house was bought with money Mr. Hayes borrowed from my parents! How can you possibly think I’d be interested in someone like you, with no education, no integrity, and no money?” But Dean acted as if he hadn’t heard a word, only yelling excitedly: “The live stream numbers are skyrocketing! One hundred thousand viewers! This is amazing!” Chloe’s eyes instantly lit up. “Wow, really! This is the most brilliant moment since I started streaming!” “New viewers, please hit follow and join us in taking down this ‘third party’!” Her voice was high-pitched and frantic, as if she were truly on the side of justice. I couldn’t take it anymore. I lunged forward, grabbing at the gown Chloe was wearing. “Thief, take off my dress!” There was no point in wasting words with such shameless people. When it’s time to act, you act. There’s nothing wrong with reclaiming what’s yours. But Dean stood there, looking completely righteous. “Skylar, I gave you $20 for the rental fee, didn’t I? Why are you still making such a fuss?” Chloe shoved me hard, her face filled with hostility. “Don’t think I don’t know your evil intentions!” “You want to strip me naked on live stream, humiliate me publicly, ruin my reputation, so you can step over me. You’re rotten to the core!” Her twisted lies were like poisoned needles, making my teeth chatter with anger. I couldn’t tolerate such slander. Rage boiled in my chest. I pulled out my phone, ready to call the police. But Dean snatched it from my hand and slammed it to the ground. The screen shattered, rendering it useless. He scoffed, pushing me towards the door. “There are over a hundred thousand people in this live stream. If you keep acting so unreasonable, you’ll become public enemy number one.” “Then the negative impact will be huge, your fiancé will break off the engagement, and you’ll end up a lonely old woman. How pathetic!” Faced with his disgusting face, I was burning with rage. I spun around and slapped him across the face with a loud smack! “Then I’ll let you experience what it’s like to be public enemy number one!” “Smack!” Dean clutched his face, his eyes wide with shock. “You—you dare hit me?” Chloe immediately rushed over, pointing her phone at me. “Viewers, look! This ‘third party’ couldn’t steal a man, so she’s flying into a rage and attacking him!” The next second, she deliberately ripped her skirt. “With the quality of this cheap dress, she still wants to extort $200,000 from me. She must be dreaming!” “Followers, she dares to try and extort a fortune from me, so I won’t back down. I’ll expose her for the menace she is!” In an instant, The live stream chat was flooded with insults and curses directed at me. My chest heaved with anger, my voice trembling slightly. “Whether this custom-designed gown is worth $200,000 or not, we’ll know once we check with the bridal agency.” I honestly had never encountered anyone so unreasonable and was struggling to cope. “It’s best to call the police. Having them here will make it more convincing.” As soon as the words left my mouth, Dean looked down, clearly flustered. “No, no need to make such a big deal out of it.” Chloe instantly flared up. “Skylar is the one who’s in the wrong! What are we afraid of?” Just then, The door burst open, and Mr. Hayes stumbled in, yelling: “Don’t call the police!” With that, he collapsed to the ground, his whole body convulsing. “Dad!” Dean frantically rushed over, only able to sob without tears, doing nothing else. Chloe was instantly dumbfounded, her voice stuttering. “It’s not my fault! It’s that Skylar who wants to call the police!” “Call an ambulance!” In a life-or-death moment, I had no time to argue with her. I snatched Dean’s phone and dialed 91

After all, Mr. Hayes had always been kind to me; I couldn’t just stand by and let him die. 3 “Skylar, I’m so sorry. It’s my fault for not teaching Dean properly.” The first words Mr. Hayes spoke upon waking in the hospital room were an apology. “Is the wedding dress very expensive? I’ll sell my old house to pay you back for him. Dean’s career has just started, he hasn’t earned any money yet.” I’ve always been soft-hearted, especially when faced with an elderly man who’s constantly ill. I couldn’t bring myself to put more pressure on him. “Let’s forget about the money for now. Just consider it a warning, and make sure it doesn’t happen again. Your health is the most important thing.” My parents always taught me to be kind to others, but not overly kind. They had left for the countryside two days ago to pick up my grandparents for my wedding. Otherwise, Dean’s stunt today would have truly infuriated them. “However…” My voice paused, turning icy. “He *must* apologize for spreading those rumors about me.” Mr. Hayes’s old face instantly flushed red. He picked up his phone and severely reprimanded Dean. Less than half an hour later, Dean appeared, head bowed, and returned the gown. Only after Mr. Hayes’s scolding and threats did he grudgingly apologize: “I’m sorry, Skylar. I was wrong. Please, for the sake of our childhood friendship, forgive me.” I reluctantly accepted his apology on the surface, but deep down, I resolved never to have anything to do with such a person again. Walking out of the hospital, I realized it was already dark. The whole day had been wasted by those two rotten people, and I’d accomplished nothing. The next day, I took the wedding gown to the custom design agency for repairs. The consultant who greeted me seemed evasive, not as warm as before, and stammered for a long time without saying anything coherent. I instantly grew anxious. “Just tell me what the problem is. How much will it cost? Just give me a price.” It was as if she’d finally made a decision. She pulled out her phone, found a live stream replay and played it. “Ms. Skylar, please watch this first.” The video showed Chloe walking to the supermarket last night when a masked man dragged her into an alley, apparently intending to assault her. He was yelling: “You dare bully my woman? You won’t get away with it!” She screamed, “Who’s your woman?!” The man retorted, “Don’t play dumb! You just argued with my woman about a wedding dress today. Did you forget that fast?” Luckily, a passerby intervened and helped her, saving Chloe from harm. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable. After watching, My blood ran cold. My entire body felt icy. Clearly, this was a setup by Chloe, a scheme to frame me and use the public outcry to utterly ruin my reputation. “Ms. Skylar, the internet is now flooded with insults and curses directed at you.” The consultant looked troubled. “If it gets out that you had your gown made here, it would severely damage our reputation. So…” Though she didn’t finish her sentence, I understood her concerns. Businesses prioritize profit and avoid trouble; it was only human nature, and I couldn’t fault her. I swallowed my anger and turned to leave. Just as I stepped out of the shop, a bucket of cold water was suddenly thrown over me. I was instantly drenched and disheveled. “It’s this bitch! She incited her boyfriend to ruin Miss Chloe! She’s got a venomous heart, truly evil!”

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On my first day at the new job, my supervisor, Baron, hinted that new hires usually treated everyone. So I ordered a coffee for each person in the department. To my surprise, Baron’s face instantly darkened. He tossed his coffee into the trash. “The company pays you a good salary, and all you offer is a fifteen-dollar coffee? I’ll give you a chance to make it up: treat the entire company to dinner!” He finished speaking, then flung a restaurant flyer onto my desk. I glanced at the prices—it was a Michelin-starred restaurant, $1000 per person. I smiled, didn’t refuse, and immediately set up my phone, opening the camera to record a video. At that moment, I heard colleagues whispering. “Is she serious? Filming a video just to eat dinner?!” They probably just thought I was some wannabe influencer, trying to pretend I’m high-class. But they had no idea I was a blogger with a million followers, specializing in career reviews. My phone hadn’t been set up for long when Brenda, a colleague, suddenly knocked it out of my hand. “Hey! New girl, what are you filming?” Could it be… Had she found out? My breath hitched, and I quickly snatched my phone. I was about to explain: “Brenda, that…” She impatiently tossed her hair, her tone slightly smug. “Who knows who you’d send that to, you idiot… I’m so good-looking, it’d be a huge problem if some clueless creep saw me!” I immediately relaxed, putting my phone back up. “Brenda, I’m just filming a VLOG to document my life!” “I promise I won’t get anyone’s face in it!” She seemed even more upset that I wasn’t filming her. She stretched out her arm, ready to snatch my phone. “Let me see it, then I’ll know if you filmed me or not!” But the next second, Baron cut her off. “Alright, enough with the bickering at the dinner table! Can we eat in peace?” “She’s treating today, so just let it go!” I was instantly speechless, feeling utterly sick to my stomach. Before I could argue, I heard other colleagues comforting Brenda. “Don’t bother with her, girl. She’s just some small-town idiot!” Mark, another colleague, changed the subject, turning his gaze to me. “But Jade, you’re really selling this ‘fake socialite’ act!” “Where did you get your knock-offs? They’re surprisingly well-made!” Another colleague immediately chimed in. “Designer replicas with such good craftsmanship? Could she even afford them? Probably rented fakes!” “Hahahaha!” Suddenly, the private room filled with laughter. Everyone was staring at me, grinning, as if I were a clown performing to relieve their work stress. “But it’s true, if you don’t have the budget, don’t bother renting luxury items to show off…” “Renting these cheap pieces of trash, aren’t you embarrassed?!” I looked down at my brand new bag, which had a few scratches. Just because I hadn’t babied it, they called it trash? I pursed my lips and retorted: “I earned this myself, with my own hard work, and paid for it in full.” The moment I finished speaking, the guys at the table exchanged knowing glances and smirked. “Oh~ ‘Your own hard work,’ huh~ Well, you certainly have ‘talent’ then!” Their scrutinizing glances made me deeply uncomfortable. They might as well have just called me a prostitute. It was bad enough that the men twisted my words. Even the women had to adopt a condescending attitude to judge me. “Girls these days are just so vain!” “To get their hands on these material things, they’re willing to sell their own bodies!” Looking at Brenda, who was meticulously groomed, I couldn’t help but frown. As a fellow woman, she should understand me better. Instead of defending me, she chose to use the very insults that had probably been thrown at her, to stab me. I secretly clenched my fists, wanting to lash out right then and there. But seeing the continuous recording on my phone, I swallowed my anger and slowly lowered my raised hand. Then I leaned closer to my phone, ensuring my feigned distress would be perfectly captured. “Brenda, Mark, I’m just a new hire…” “Why are you all speculating about me with such malice?” I thought my reminder would make them rein it in. But they showed no shame at all. They even tried to pin the blame on me. Brenda poured me a drink, feigning generosity: “Oh, you silly girl!” “We were just kidding, and you took it so seriously!” “If you can’t take a joke, you’ll have a tough time getting by in this company!” She put an arm around my shoulder. Before I could shrug her off, I heard her ask: “By the way, Jade, where did you work before this?” “Why haven’t I heard your name in the industry?”

Meeting their curious stares, I calmly took a sip of water. “Apex Corporation.” Before becoming a blogger, I did work in a related field. At Apex, the industry leader. So I wasn’t intimidated in the slightest. Hearing my answer, Brenda’s smile froze for a second. But she quickly recovered. “No wonder you’ve got such a temper, girl!” “So you came from a big company!” She deliberately emphasized the word “big,” drawing everyone’s attention back to me. “Looks like HR is pretty impressive, managing to recruit someone from Apex for our little company~” Someone couldn’t help but scoff. “Pfft, so what if she came from Apex Corporation? She still got let go!” “Otherwise, with Apex’s great benefits, who would ever want to leave?” Their words, one after another, were all meant to maliciously speculate about me. It was as if the worse off I, the new hire, was, the happier they’d be. Even though I despised them internally, for the sake of the camera, I patiently explained. “Apex is known for being incredibly selective in hiring, but once you’re in, you’re usually set. They rarely let people go.” Mark scoffed: “Then she must have pissed off her coworkers.” “I bet you’re just too much of an idiot to fit in with the other cliques, and they forced you out.” They could slander me all they wanted, but I didn’t want to drag innocent people into this. My voice couldn’t help but rise a few octaves: “Apex has an excellent work environment; there’s absolutely no clique bullying like you’re describing!” “I left simply because the career path didn’t align with my future ambitions!” Back then, the job market was getting tougher. I watched job seekers my age on social media, barely managing to find a job they were somewhat satisfied with. But after joining, they’d discover the conditions were completely different from what they were initially told, having been scammed by unscrupulous companies. That’s why I wanted to start a social media account, to help others navigate and avoid potential traps. They all wore “I told you so” expressions. Brenda even muttered: “Pfft, nine out of ten people who get fired say that exact same thing.” “You!” I was shaking with anger, about to stop recording and go head-to-head with her… But then Baron, who had been silent for a while, stepped in as a peacemaker. The commotion finally died down. With Baron’s intervention, they suddenly lost interest and started talking about their families. Paul, the team leader, started the conversation: “My son, Tim, only got into Mississippi University this year because he wasn’t feeling well during exams!” Mississippi University is an excellent school, and anyone listening knew she was bragging about her child. Everyone was praising her son, but Brenda remained silent. I turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow. “By the way, Brenda, your daughter is also starting college this year, right?” “How did her exams go?” Yesterday, during introductions, I heard them mention that Paul and Brenda’s kids were the same age. Seeing Brenda’s face instantly darken, I knew I had guessed correctly. As soon as I mentioned Brenda, a colleague couldn’t help but speak up for her. “Brenda went to Mississippi, so her daughter’s bound to be brilliant!” She grew more excited as she spoke, completely missing Brenda’s thunderous expression. “What’s so great about local schools? I’m preparing her applications to study abroad!” Everyone exchanged glances. They probably understood what she meant but chose not to call her out. They just gave awkward smiles: “Y-yes, you’re right!” “Brenda is so wealthy, she must have paved the way for her daughter long ago!” Although I’m professionally trained, at that moment, I couldn’t help but laugh. A bunch of bullies, only brave when they’re picking on someone weaker! I began to wonder, when my video goes online, would they still be as arrogant and condescending as they are now? In a blink, Mark pointed the finger at me. “Jade, you’re laughing so happily, your academic background must be very impressive, right?” “What school did you graduate from?” Everyone looked at me with mocking smiles. “Come on, tell us, it’s not embarrassing to come from a regular school!” “Maybe she’s from a community college, hahahahaha!” “You know, with how diligently she runs errands, she might not have even gone to college!”

“I’m from a vocational school.” Their laughter grew even louder. “Hahahaha, I knew it!” “Thought she was so impressive, turns out she’s just some vocational school graduate!” “And *she* got into Apex? Must have pulled some strings!” “Of course! Look at her, she doesn’t seem like someone who works hard…” “She was probably having an affair with a boss, got caught by his wife, and Apex fired her to cover it up!” I hadn’t said a word, and they had already concocted a complete storyline. After their uproarious laughter died down, they had the nerve to act like moral paragons, lecturing me. “Jade, try to be a decent person!” “Hahahaha… Mark, you’re too funny, trying to reform a prostitute!” **截断点** I thought if I didn’t respond, they would get bored and change the subject. But I didn’t expect them to get worse after drinking. Mark, heavily intoxicated, wrapped his arm around me, his hand not-so-innocently wandering down to my waist. “Jade, how much for one night?” “How about I give you three hundred?” I pushed him hard, but there was a significant disparity in strength between men and women. The harder I struggled, the tighter he held me. I could only yell: “Mark, you’re drunk!” “Brenda, Paul, help me!” They all covered their mouths, laughing at me, but no one came to my rescue. “Oh, little sister, you’re pretty smart, playing hard to get!” Someone even whistled at Mark. “Mark, make sure you wrap it up!” “Wouldn’t want to catch anything later…” “Hahahahaha!” Their laughter grew louder. Mark seemed encouraged by their laughter, becoming even bolder, and started kissing my ear. His warm tongue, reeking of alcohol, wriggled like a worm on my earlobe. It made me feel nauseous, wanting to vomit! I bit hard into his arm, and after breaking free, I quickly ran towards the private room door, shouting as I ran: “Help, help me—!” But I hadn’t gotten far when Mark yanked me back. He slapped my face, twisting my head to the side. “You little bitch, you actually tried to run?” “What, my money isn’t enough for you?” “I’m already doing you a favor by not caring you’re used-up trash!” “The HR manager is my cousin, so if you annoy me, hehe, you know what will happen!” “I advise you to behave and not think about running away!” He leaned in, trying to kiss me again. Looking at the laughing faces of my colleagues around me, I struggled, tears of humiliation streaming down my face. “If you touch me, I’ll make sure you regret it!” But he just laughed more smugly. “Oh? How will you make me regret it?” “Will I die in your arms?” But before he could get closer, Baron punched him, knocking him sober. “Mark, that’s enough.” Baron took off his jacket and draped it over me. It was the first time I felt a flicker of human kindness in this team. I was disoriented and shaken, still reeling, only able to stammer: “Thank you.” “Alright, it’s getting late. Everyone should head home.” As if struck by a pang of conscience, Baron, who initially made me treat everyone to dinner, actually paid the bill for me. They had managed to turn a $1000-per-person restaurant into a $3000-per-person tab! With the 15% service charge, the entire meal came out to a shocking seventy thousand dollars. I felt a bit uncomfortable about it. So I snapped a picture of the bill. Just as I was about to post it in the company SnapChat group and ask them to pay, Baron stopped me. “Actually, asking you to treat was just a pretense today.” “I knew you were a bit introverted, so I wanted to use this to help you get closer to the other colleagues.”

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I’m an outdoor enthusiast. My wife, though, she’s a total social phobia and never wants to leave the house. Then there was this “How Lazy Are You, Really?” challenge trending on TikTok. I snapped a picture of my wife, Chloe, sprawled on the couch, and uploaded it, starting the challenge. The comments were all like: “Yep, that’s genuine laziness, not an act.” But one comment made me freeze. 【Isn’t that Chloe , the swimming sensation from back in the day?】 【She and Jake even won awards for their synchronized swimming routines. Too bad they broke up after college.】 A week later, Chloe, uncharacteristically, grabbed her swimsuit and was heading out. She said she was going swimming with a friend. But I stared at her. “That ‘friend’ wouldn’t happen to be Jake, would it?” I’d known for a while that her first love was back. Chloe’s face instantly went pale. Her hand tightened around the swimsuit. “Alex, what are you implying?” “Are you stalking me?” I looked at her, feeling a strange sense of unfamiliarity. “Do I need to stalk you? Jake’s back in the country, right?” Chloe’s eyes darted away. She threw the swimsuit onto the sofa. “Yes, Jake is back. I only found out after a class reunion. Nothing happened between us!” I picked up the swimsuit. It was incredibly sexy, barely there. Nothing like any swimsuit I’d ever bought her. “If you’re so innocent, why dress like that?” “Alex!” Chloe’s voice rose. “How can you be so disgusting!” “We were just going for a swim, having a chat!” “What right do you have to go through my things, to read my messages!” “That’s my privacy!” I tossed my phone onto the coffee table in front of her. The screen displayed the comment section of that short video. 【Swimming Sensation Chloe】 【Chloe and Jake, the Golden Pair】 Those words were like a punch to the gut. “Privacy?” “Chloe, three years married, and I didn’t even know you used to be a competitive swimmer.” “I always thought you genuinely hated working out.” “But what’s the truth? You just hated working out *with me*.” Chloe stared at the phone screen, her body starting to tremble. “Who told you to post my picture online? Why would you expose my privacy?” “I’m your husband. Don’t I even have the right to post a picture of you…?” She picked up the swimsuit from the couch. “Believe what you want.” With that, she opened the door and left without a backward glance. I stood alone in the living room. A while later, my phone rang. It was my friend, Ryan. “Alex, did your wife go to ‘The Beast’ gym? I saw her with a guy… they looked really close.”

I hung up and drove to The Riviera Club. At the entrance, I saw Chloe’s car. I didn’t go in. I just sat in my car, staring at the club’s main door. At ten o’clock that night, Chloe walked out, side by side with a man. The man was tall, broad-shouldered, wearing a simple T-shirt that showed off his strong arms. It was Jake. Chloe was smiling beside him, a joy I hadn’t seen in the three years of our marriage. She tilted her head slightly, looking up at him, her eyes sparkling. Jake said something, then reached out and ruffled Chloe’s hair. In that moment, *they* looked like a couple. And I? I felt like a pathetic fool, hiding in the shadows, watching. I started my car and quietly drove away. Back home, I deleted that short video. And I deleted my account too. I sat in the dark, waiting for her to return. At midnight, the door opened. Chloe came in, smelling of alcohol. She saw me sitting on the couch and jumped. “Why are you sitting in the dark? You want to scare someone to death?” She complained as she switched on the living room light. “Have fun?” I asked. Her expression stiffened. “It was… just okay. A class reunion, what do you expect? Dinner, drinks.” She spoke, but her eyes kept avoiding mine. “Really?” I stood up and walked closer to her. “I thought you went swimming.” “No swimming.” She was still lying. “Chloe, Jake touched your hair.” She snapped her head up to look at me, her pupils constricting. “You… you really did follow me! Alex, you’re terrifying!” I pulled out my phone and played a video. In the video, Jake was ruffling her hair, and she was on her tiptoes, straightening his collar. “My friend sent me this video. If you’re brave enough to do it, why can’t you own up to it?” Chloe’s face instantly drained of all color. She stared at the video, her lips trembling, unable to utter a single word. Finally, she lost control. “I was drunk! He was just helping me, what’s wrong with that!” I smiled. “Then that bracelet he bought you, did you accept it?” Chloe subconsciously touched her wrist. “How… how do you know about the bracelet?”

“Guess.” I didn’t tell her I’d seen an empty jewelry box in the storage compartment of her car. She’d deliberately hidden the bracelet before going to see him. Just so I wouldn’t see it. Chloe’s face grew even paler. “So what? It’s just a regular bracelet, a gift from an old classmate. Do you have to be like this?” I took a step closer to her. “Chloe, you wore clothes I bought you, drove the car I bought you, to go see your ex-lover.” “He buys you a bracelet, and you happily accept it. What about me? Do you even remember my birthday last month?” I stared hard at her, my mind replaying the day I’d excitedly booked a restaurant and returned home with the necklace you’d had your eye on for so long. I called you, and you said you weren’t feeling well, you’d been lying in bed all day. “I believed you then. I canceled all my plans and came home to take care of you.” “But when I got home from work, there was a takeout receipt in the trash.” I spoke slowly, each word deliberate, my voice trembling. “Chloe, you weren’t unwell. You were just too lazy to celebrate my birthday.” Chloe’s eyes welled up. “Alex, I didn’t forget…” “Yes, you did.” I cut her off. “Because you don’t love me at all. You just married me to find a safe place to heal your heart after Jake broke it. I was just some kind of landlord, providing you with a roof over your head and food on the table.” The living room was terrifyingly silent. Chloe’s tears started to fall. “No… Alex, it’s not what you think…” She tried to reach for my hand. I pulled away. “Don’t touch me.” She froze. It was the first time I’d spoken to her so harshly. She started crying even harder. “Jake and I really have nothing going on, we’re just friends from the past…” “The past?” I scoffed. “The moment he came back, you threw everything else out the window.” Chloe’s phone suddenly rang. She fumbled in her bag, pulling it out. The screen lit up with the name “Jake.” She didn’t dare answer, nor did she dare hang up. I looked at her. “Go on, answer it. Why aren’t you answering? Your old friend must be worried about you.” Chloe bit her lip until it was white. Finally, she pressed the answer button and put it on speakerphone. Jake’s voice, laced with laughter, came through the phone. “Chloe, are you home? If your husband dares to bully you, just tell me. I’m not someone to be trifled with.”

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**Chapter 1** **POV: Elara** Inside the Rolls-Royce. Alexander leaned in, kissing me deeply. “Elara, you look stunning tonight,” his voice a rough whisper. I was breathless, my eyes hazy, a soft moan escaping my lips. Suddenly, Alexander’s phone rang, jarringly loud. He glanced at the caller ID, his brow furrowing instinctively. He held up a hand, signaling me to wait, then answered. The voice on the other end spoke flawless Norwegian. My eyelashes fluttered. Alexander replied in Norwegian, “Yes, she’s right here. Don’t worry, she doesn’t understand.” A faint, bitter smile touched my lips. Every single word, I understood. Years ago, for a major Nordic cooperation project, I’d spent countless nights learning Norwegian. My proficiency was nearly native, though I’d never told anyone. I hadn’t seen the need; learning a new language was never difficult for me. But at this moment, I wished I had never understood a single word of Norwegian. The person on the phone asked curiously, “Heard you found a budget version of Violet?” Because Alexander continued in Norwegian, “She does bear a resemblance, but she’s far more obedient, easier to control, like a kitten.” The other person then said, “You know Violet’s coming back tomorrow, right?” Alexander froze. “She’s returning?” “Would I joke about something like this? Since she’s coming back, does that mean your little obedient kitten needs to make way?” Alexander’s voice was cold. “I’ll just get her some treats. There isn’t a single kitten in the world that can’t be appeased with a few snacks.” He then hung up, turned, and tried to resume our intimacy. I went through the motions mechanically, my mind already drifting. We had been together for three years, from my sophomore year of college to my first year of grad school. In those three years, he’d showered me with an unimaginable kind of affection. He once booked out an entire Michelin-starred restaurant just because I mentioned I liked their risotto. When I had cramps, he’d clumsily make me chamomile tea and heat up a hot water bottle. I always thought I was the girl favored by destiny. My heart began to grow cold, bit by bit. Violet, a rising Hollywood star, the goddess Alexander secretly adored but could never truly reach. I remembered our first meeting three years ago in the university library. I had accidentally bumped a book from his hands, and as I stammered apologies, he stared at my face for a long time. His gaze was so intense it made my heart race. I thought it was love at first sight. Now, looking back, he wasn’t seeing me, Elara, at all. He was looking *through* my face, at the shadow of another woman. Three years, over a thousand days and nights. For him, I gave up the opportunity my family arranged for me to study abroad at the University of Oslo. I hid the fact that I was a Sterling heiress, becoming, in his eyes, just a simple, obedient college girl from an ordinary background. I learned to cook all his favorite dishes. I molded myself into his ideal woman. In the end, it only earned me the title of an “obedient cat.” Alexander leaned in to kiss me, but I subtly turned my head away. His movements paused, a flicker of displeasure in his eyes. “What’s wrong?” I looked up. In the dim light, my eyes shimmered. I spoke softly, “I’m a little tired. I want to go home.” My voice was perfectly calm, betraying no hint of emotion. Alexander simply chuckled. He probably just thought I was being moody and didn’t give it another thought. After all, in his eyes, I had always been docile. “Alright, I’ll take you back.” He restarted the car. The vehicle smoothly drove toward the villa in the suburbs. All the way there, I didn’t say another word. I leaned against the window, watching the streetlights rush past, my mind eerily clear. I am no cat. A Sterling daughter is never a pet to be manipulated. I pulled out my phone. The screen’s glow illuminated my bloodless face. I found an encrypted contact, labeled ‘Dad.’ I tapped open the chat, my fingertips flying across the screen, then sent the message. Just a few words. [I agree to the arranged marriage. I’m moving to France.] **Chapter 2** **POV: Elara** The car stopped in front of the villa. Alexander unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over, as usual, to give me a goodnight kiss. “Get some rest. I have some business at the office, so I won’t be staying tonight.” My gaze fell on his face, and then, I simply asked, “Alexander, do you love me?” He paused, then chuckled softly, squeezing my cheek. His tone was falsely affectionate and dismissive. “Silly girl, why ask such a thing? Go on in.” He didn’t answer. I understood. I opened the car door and walked into the luxuriously decorated villa without looking back. The living room was dark, utterly silent. I stood in the entryway until the Rolls-Royce finally disappeared into the rainy night, then slowly raised my hand and covered my face. No tears. My heart was utterly dead; there was no greater sorrow. My father’s message came back then: [Finally made up your mind? All the paperwork can be handled in a month.] I put away my phone, smiling silently, then switched on the living room lights and began to clear out my belongings. I dragged several suitcases from the walk-in closet. The designer bags, haute couture dresses, the jewelry he’d given me—I didn’t even glance at them, just tossed them aside. I only packed my own things: a few simple outfits I’d bought with my own money. I cleared out the study, packing up my research papers and textbooks. A photo frame still sat on the bookshelf. It held the first picture Alexander and I had ever taken together. In it, I was smiling brightly, and he had his arm around my shoulder, his eyes soft. I picked up the frame, stared at it for a few seconds, then, expressionless, pulled out the photo and threw it, along with the frame, into the trash can. The TV was playing an entertainment news flash. “…International superstar Violet has reportedly arrived in the city today, officially kicking off her domestic concert tour. Fans swarmed the airport; the scene was pure chaos…” On the screen, Violet, in a Chanel suit and oversized sunglasses, emerged surrounded by bodyguards. I looked at her face, a cold laugh bubbling in my chest. Not just a strong resemblance, they were practically identical. I opened Alexander’s laptop in the study. Trusting my intuition, I typed in the password—my birthday. He had once said he had no secrets from me. But I had never logged in before, out of respect for his privacy. Now, I easily logged in. His account was open, and the pinned chat was with Violet. The latest messages were from just half an hour ago. Violet: [I’m here. When are you coming over?] Alexander: [With her right now. Leaving soon.] Violet: [That replacement, you haven’t gotten rid of her yet?] Alexander: [Almost. She’s just an obedient pet, nothing to worry about.] My fingertips dug hard into my palms. My muddled mind was growing terrifyingly clear. I closed the laptop, then dragged all the packed suitcases to the front door. At 3 AM, the villa’s doorbell rang. I saw Alexander on the monitor. He seemed to have been drinking, his handsome face showing a mix of fatigue and impatience. I didn’t open the door. He started calling, his phone vibrating frantically on the living room coffee table. I ignored it. It wasn’t until the outside grew quiet that I returned to the living room, sat on the sofa, and waited for dawn. At daybreak, Alexander must have found a spare key. He opened the door. When he saw the neatly arranged suitcases in the living room and me sitting on the sofa, his face instantly darkened. “Elara, please, what are you doing now?” **Chapter 3** **POV: Elara** He walked over, pulled a velvet box from his pocket, and tossed it onto the coffee table. “Forgot to give you this yesterday. A new Cartier bracelet. Come on, don’t be silly.” His tone was like he was trying to soothe a disobedient pet. I slowly raised my head, my gaze falling on the exquisite box. I asked softly, “Is this for me, or for her?” Alexander’s face went completely cold. “What are you implying?” Just then, his phone rang again. The caller ID showed Violet. He glanced at me, his eyes full of warning, then turned and walked up to the second floor, lowering his voice as he answered the call. I heard his footsteps fade. His voice was so tender as he spoke—I only now realized that tenderness was never meant for me. Then, hurried footsteps approached. “Something came up with Violet; I need to go.” He passed me without stopping, dropping only that curt explanation. The front door opened again, then closed. This time, I knew he wouldn’t be coming back. I stood up, walked to the coffee table, and picked up the velvet box. I opened it. Inside lay a diamond bracelet of exorbitant value, glinting with a cold, expensive brilliance in the morning light. I picked it up, walked to the door, and pulled open the villa’s heavy front door. The cool morning breeze stirred my long hair. I raised my hand and tossed the brand-new diamond bracelet into the trash can by the road. Alexander left, and for five days, there was nothing. Not a single message. Yet I was unusually busy. I contacted my university, citing family circumstances, and formally submitted my request for a leave of absence. Simultaneously, I engaged Mr. Harrison’s law firm, which belonged to my father, to process my immigration to France. My properties and funds were systematically being liquidated and transferred. I was systematically erasing the past three years of my life, piece by painful piece. During this time, Violet’s presence was unavoidable. The first thing this international superstar did upon returning to the country was heavily promote herself on social media. One day, she posted a picture from a private art gallery; the next, a video of her dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant. The most infuriating post was a seemingly casual selfie. In the picture, Violet wore an oversized men’s white shirt, revealing her collarbone. She held a coffee mug, and that mug, I knew all too well—it was one of the matching couple’s mugs I’d personally crafted for Alexander last Christmas. The background of the photo was Alexander’s private apartment study. Every detail was a blatant provocation. The comment section had already devolved into a cesspool. [OMG! That’s Alexander’s shirt, right? I’ve seen him use that mug!] [Just get together already! First love is true love!] [Is that college girl still dreaming? You’ve occupied her nest long enough, time to give it back?] I impassively scrolled past those vicious comments and turned off my phone. I felt no pain, no anger, because a dead heart can no longer feel anything. I just felt that this game, it was time to end it.

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“Tell Eleanor, my engagement tomorrow depends entirely on her presence.” It was an ultimatum. A concession, in Adam’s mind. A few minutes later, the assistant stammered.”Sir, She said… to go to hell.” Eleanor’s POV Three hours ago, Adam Hayes called. It was the first time he’d reached out in three months. His voice was as cool and detached as ever, brief and to the point “Eleanor, come to my villa. I need to talk to you.” Then the line went dead. No room for questions. Just an order, like calling a dog he owned. I admit, for a split second, that stagnant pool in my heart, long since silent, rippled with a pathetic hint of hope. After all, I’d been that pet for seven years. I even stood in front of the mirror, carefully covering the shadows under my eyes with my most expensive concealer. I spritzed on the woody scent he liked and slipped into the white dress he’d once said looked nice on me. Seven years of feeling, of bending and yielding, had carved this sad reflex into me. He crooked a finger, and I’d run to him like a trained thing, eager for approval. Even though I knew another carefully orchestrated humiliation probably awaited me. The car smoothly pulled up to Adam’s villa. Mr. Henderson, the butler, saw me and a complicated look flashed in his eyes. He seemed about to speak, then stopped. My heart sank, but I managed a small smile and nodded at him, walking straight inside. In the foyer, a pair of unfamiliar pink high heels lay crookedly on the floor, scattered next to a man’s suit jacket and tie. I stopped. No tears, no outbursts. My expression didn’t even flicker. I just quietly changed into slippers and walked up the stairs, one step at a time. Every corner of this villa was painfully familiar to me. I could walk to his study with my eyes closed. The study door was ajar. From inside came muffled, intimate sounds and a girl’s petulant whine. “Adam, stop…you’re crushing my dress…” I pushed the door open. Inside, Adam held a young woman against him. Her face was buried in his chest, only the pale curve of her neck visible. Three buttons of his shirt were undone, his usually immaculate hair was messy, and a smile I’d never seen before, tinged with desire and indulgence, played on his lips. He glanced up at the sound. When his eyes met mine, that smile died, replaced by a flash of impatience and distaste. “Eleanor, don’t you know how to knock?” The girl in his arms startled like a deer, lifting her head timidly. A face of pure innocence, with wide, round eyes now brimming with tears, stared pathetically up at me. I recognized her-Selena Blake, a film academy sophomore who’d recently gotten some attention from a web drama. My own social media still had traces of posts I’d written defending her from trolls. had called her a “promising talent” and asked me to take care of her.” So this was how he took care of her. “Adam, who is this?” She whispered, her voice sweet and cotton-soft, perfectly timid. Adam didn’t answer her. He slowly straightened his collar, then turned his gaze back to me. “Now that you’ve seen, I won’t bother hiding it..” He pulled a velvet box from the desk drawer and tossed it onto the coffee table between us. “This, it’s yours.” I looked down. Inside the box lay a pair of diamond rings, the ones Adam’s grandmother had given us when we got engaged. Adam’s indifferent voice sounded above me. “I want to marry Selena. So, let’s call off our engagement.” No hint of guilt, no trace of hesitation. I didn’t look at the rings. My gaze fell on my left wrist. It was a silver bracelet, the one Adam had given me for my eighteenth birthday. He’d said I should wear it forever, just as he’d be with me forever. For seven years, I had never taken it off. It had long become a part of me, more familiar than my own skin. I raised my eyes, calmly meeting his gaze. “Understood.” My calm seemed to throw him. Then he said mockingly. “What, no performance this time? I expected tears. Screaming. The usual threats. Eleanor, that act is getting stale.” I didn’t answer. Instead, I lifted my left hand and began working the bracelet loose. I’d worn it for so long the clasp had stiffened. It caught against my knuckle, grinding the skin red and raw. The harder I tugged, the more it seemed to cling. Selena covered her mouth in a show of concern. “Eleanor, please don’t. Adam didn’t mean it like that. You’ll only upset him if you hurt yourself.” Her words sounded like an act, and a challenge. Adam crossed the room and seized my wrist. “Eleanor, what’s the game now? Trying to play hard to get?” I gasped, wincing in pain, but then I laughed. “Adam,” I said. “You ended the engagement. This bracelet is yours. Why wouldn’t I give it back?” He stared intently at me, as if trying to find even the slightest trace of pretense on my face. But he failed. On my face, there was nothing but the tears brought on by the pain. It seemed a broken heart really made no sound. He finally released my hand, his gaze unreadable. With all my strength, enduring the sharp pain, I finally tugged the slender silver bracelet off my wrist. A raw, red mark was seared onto my skin, a stark sight. I gently placed the bracelet on the coffee table, next to the diamond rings. “Adam, I wish you and Selena a happy marriage.” Then I turned and walked out of the study. I didn’t look back. Driving away from the villa, I finally couldn’t hold back anymore. My tears poured down, a torrent. Seven years. It turned out to be as short as a single slap. Loud. And agonizing.

Eleanor’s POV It was past eleven when I got home. The living room lights were blazing. My ‘dear’ father, Robert Vance, and my stepmother, Brenda, sat stiffly on the sofa, clearly waiting up for me. The moment I stepped inside, Brenda spoke in that familiar, needling tone. “Oh, look who finally decided to come home. We thought you’d be spending the night at Adam’s again-forgetting where you belong.” I was too exhausted to lift my head. I walked past her without a word and headed for the stairs. “Stop!” Robert roared, slamming a tablet hard at my feet. “Look at this yourself!” On the screen was a statement just released by Hayes Group’s PR department, announcing the happy news of Mr. Adam Hayes’ upcoming engagement to Ms. Selena Blake. The accompanying picture was an intimate shot of Adam and Selena. He had his arm around her waist, smiling broadly. How fast he was, Adam. Less than three hours after we broke up, he was desperate to announce it to the world, to cut ties with me, afraid that I, his clingy little pet, might tarnish his reputation even slightly. “Eleanor! What did you do?” Robert’s face was livid. “Why has Adam called off the engagement? ” He never asked how I was. Only whether his ladder to the Hayes family had snapped. I was too drained to speak. All I wanted was my room, my bed, and silence. Brenda saw her opening. “Robert, why bother asking? Have you seen what’s being said online? They’re calling her a barren hen, saying she trapped Adam with every dirty trick in the book. Her name is mud now. And the Hayes family-what would they want with a daughter-in-law like that?” When had those rumors even started? It was probably three years ago, when I drank myself into alcohol poisoning, damaging my body, trying to cover for Adam at a crucial business dinner. The doctor said it would be very difficult for me to conceive in the future. I had only told Adam about it. I looked at the two snarling faces in front of me and suddenly found it all very laughable. “I was the one who ended the engagement,” I said, flatly. Robert looked as if he’d heard the funniest joke. “You? What right do you have? Eleanor, I’m telling you, your brother and sister’s tuition and living expenses for studying abroad this month haven’t been sent yet! If you can’t sort things out with Adam, they can just pack their bags and come home!” It was the same old trick. Threatening me with the family members I cared about most. For the past seven years, this was why I’d lived like a dog in front of my own parents and Adam. But now, it was different. I looked up, meeting his gaze calmly. “So? What do you want?” My reaction stunned both Robert and Brenda. They were used to my meek compliance and hadn’t expected such a calm retort. Brenda’s eyes flickered, then she pasted on a sweet, false smile and took my hand. “Eleanor, don’t be upset with your father. He just wants what’s best for you. Since Adam is no longer an option, we can’t let you go to waste. Do you remember the Sterlings of Virginia? Their eldest son is seeking an arranged match. We were going to send your sister Lily, but she’s still so young and silly…” The Sterlings of Virginia. The top tier, the unimaginably wealthy family rumored to have a disabled heir. Alexander Sterling, who had turned volatile and cruel after an accident in his youth. No attendant lasted more than three months. No woman dared enter that fire. So this golden opportunity fell to me. The one Adam had thrown away. The scandalous one. The one who might never bear children. It sounded like a bargain. They were selling me, wringing out every last drop of value. “If you agree, the Sterlings will give us three hundred million. They’ll also cover your brother and sister’s Ivy League tuition-everything,” Brenda’s voice was laced with temptation. Three hundred million. My high school siblings. My life. In Robert’s eyes, that was my total worth. I looked at his greedy face, my heart turning to ice. Out of the fire, straight into the furnace. But at least, Virginia was far away from here, so far that I would never have to see Adam again, never have to live in the shadow of the past seven years. At least, this time, it was my choice. My marriage for my siblings’ future and my own freedom. It was a worthwhile trade. I pulled my hand from Brenda’s grasp, looked at Robert, and clearly uttered two words. “I agree.” Robert and Brenda’s faces instantly lit up with the wild joy of immense relief. Adam Hayes. This city, this relationship, these awful people and things. I was done with them.

Eleanor’s POV Three days after agreeing to marry into the Sterling family in Virginia, I met my best friend, Chloe Miller, at a Western restaurant downtown. It was a farewell, and a change of scenery. Chloe was the only genuine friend I had in our circle. As soon as she sat down, she grabbed my hand, her eyes red. “Eleanor, I know everything. Adam, that jerk, how could he do this to you? And Selena, that little bitch, if you hadn’t spoken up for her back then, she would’ve been drowned by her haters’ comments!” I smiled, handing her a tissue. “Why are you crying? I’m not the one who should be crying. I asked you out today to tell you I’m getting married.” Chloe’s crying stopped abruptly. “Married? To whom? Did Adam change his mind? No way, if he came back, I’d break his legs first!” “Not him.” I stirred the lemon water in my glass, my voice calm as if talking about someone else’s business. “It’s Alexander Sterling from the Sterling family in Virginia.” Chloe gasped, her face instantly looking worse than mine. “Alexander Sterling? The one rumored to be crippled and have a terrible temper?” I nodded. “Yes, him.” “Eleanor, are you insane?!” She shot up, drawing stares from nearby tables. “You’re going from the frying pan into the fire! What kind of pressure did the Vance family bloodsuckers put on you? If you need money, I have it. Don’t do anything stupid!” I pulled her back down, a wave of warmth washing over me. I knew she truly cared. “Chloe, listen to me,” I looked into her eyes, earnestly. “This is my own choice. You know what my family is like. If I don’t leave, my parents will control me forever. Marrying into Virginia, far away from this city, at least I’ll be free. And… the Sterling family offered me an offer I couldn’t refuse.” I told her about the Sterling family’s promise to cover all my siblings’ educational expenses. Chloe fell silent. After a long pause, she sighed. “You’re always like this, carrying everything alone. But what about you, Eleanor? When was the last time you thought about yourself??” Myself? It had been so long since I’d asked that question. For seven years, my life had orbited Adam. I learned what he liked, shed what he didn’t. I’d nearly forgotten who Eleanor was. Maybe marrying a stranger-a disabled man-was the first real choice I’d made for myself in years. We were still talking when a familiar figure paused beside our table. It was Selena. She wore a crisp new Chanel suit, her makeup flawless, a limited-edition Hermès bag over her arm. She looked nothing like the wide-eyed girl from the villa three days before. Adam wasn’t with her. “Eleanor, what a coincidence.” She spoke with a beaming smile, but her eyes were like poisoned needles, stabbing directly at me. Chloe was about to erupt, but I held her back. I shook my head at Chloe, then looked up at Selena, forcing a small smile. “Not a coincidence. I specifically chose this restaurant, one you couldn’t afford, to avoid people like you.” Selena’s smile froze for a moment, then she recovered it. “You’re so funny. Oh, by the way, Adam and I are getting engaged next week. You absolutely have to come, you know? It just wouldn’t feel right without a blessing from the ex.” As she spoke, she deliberately tossed her hair, revealing a dazzling diamond necklace around her neck. I recognized that necklace. Adam had bought it at an auction. It was his twenty-fifth birthday gift to me. So, the things he gave me could be worn by another woman in an instant. My heart, though numb, still felt that dull ache. “Ms. Blake,” I put down my fork and knife, leaning back in my chair, looking at her languidly. “Does wearing someone else’s discarded belongings give you a sense of accomplishment?” “You!” Selena’s facade finally cracked. “What are you talking about? Adam gave this to me! He said he’d never given anyone such an expensive gift!” “Is that so?” I laughed softly. “Then do you know the name of the necklace you’re wearing? It’s called ‘Eternity.’ When he gave it to me, he said it stood for forever. It seems Adam’s forever has a rather short expiration date” Selena snapped. “What do you have to be so proud of?” she burst out. “You’re just a woman Adam grew bored with! Do you think I don’t know? You can’t even have children-a useless hen! What could you possibly have over me?” She lowered her voice on that last sentence, but it struck my most painful spot. All the blood in my body rushed to my head in that instant. She continued, her voice filled with malicious glee. “Oh, right, I forgot to tell you. Adam bought the rooftop where your mother jumped off. He said the view was nice, and he’s going to turn it into a sunroom. We can have afternoon tea there, plant flowers. Your mother’s anniversary is coming up, isn’t it? Do you want to come up and join us then?” Smack! A sharp slap echoed through the entire restaurant. I stood there, my palm stinging. Selena clutched her face, staring at me in shock. Her eyes welled up instantly. “You…you hit me?” I could stand her flaunting Adam’s affection. I could endure her taking what was mine. But using my late mother to taunt me? That was a line she never should have crossed! “That slap,” I looked at her, my voice cold, “was for my mom.”

Eleanor’s POV The commotion in the restaurant attracted the manager, and then, Adam. He arrived so quickly,  like a dog guarding its bowl. Without a glance at me, he pulled a weeping Selena behind him and turned a look of cold disdain in my direction-a look I’d never seen on his face before. “Eleanor, what is wrong with you?” Selena, still tucked against him, pointed a trembling finger at me. “Adam, I only asked her to our engagement party… and she hit me.” His expression darkened further. He stared at me as if I were some deranged stranger. “Apologize to her,” he commanded. I looked at him, and a chilling thought settled in my chest: the man before me was a stranger.. Seven years. He had never once asked why. No matter the fight, no matter the reason, he would always make me back down, make me apologize. Because in his world, I, Eleanor Vance, was meant to be the sensible, accommodating, utterly trouble-free accessory. “I won’t repeat myself. Apologize.” When I didn’t move, he warned. Chloe, trembling with rage beside me, couldn’t help but speak up. “Adam, are you blind? She was the one who provoked Eleanor with her mom’s death! She’s the one who should apologize!” Adam’s gaze swept over Chloe, and he said coldly, “This doesn’t concern you.” Then, his eyes landed on me again, filled only with impatience and disappointment. “Eleanor, don’t make me completely lose the last bit of consideration I have for you.” The last bit of consideration? So, seven years of our relationship, to him, had dwindled to this. I laughed, but tears streamed down my face. I looked at Selena, protected in his arms, at his blaming face, and asked him, word by word, “Adam, what if today, I say no?” His brows furrowed tightly. He seemed surprised by my defiance. “Eleanor, don’t push me.” Push him? What had I pushed him to do? Had I pushed him to fall in love with someone else? Had I pushed him to break off our engagement? Had I pushed him to trample on my dignity? Smack! Another sharp slap. But this time, it landed on my face. The entire world fell silent. My cheek burned, a searing pain that soon turned numb. My ears rang, making me unable to hear the gasps and whispers around me. I only saw Adam with his hand raised, a flicker of shock on his face, as if he hadn’t expected himself to actually hit me. And behind him, Selena’s lips curved into a fleeting, triumphant smile. So, this was the end. This slap, more than the broken engagement in the villa, more than seeing my necklace on another woman, finally sobered me up. I raised my hand, wiped away my tears, then looked at him and said, incredibly calmly: “Fine, I apologize.” Adam seemed to relax, believing I’d finally given in. I turned toward Selena, met her expectant gaze, and spoke slowly. “I’m sorry.” Then, under the stunned eyes of everyone, I looked straight at Adam and went on. “Adam, I’m sorry for loving you these past seven years.” “I’m sorry I gave up myself and my dignity for you.” “I’m sorry I was blind enough to mistake a stone for a jewel.” Adam’s expression turned terrifying. “Eleanor! You-” “Adam,” I cut him off, forcing a smile. “You were the one who let go first.” “I promise you. From today on, I will never appear before you again.” “Never again. Just as you wish.” With that, I picked up my bag and, leaning on a worried Chloe, walked out of the restaurant without a backward glance. Behind me, Adam’s furious shout echoed through the dining room. But I didn’t care anymore. The wind outside was bitingly cold. But that was good. At least it could freeze a person clear.

Eleanor’s POV The day after returning from the restaurant, I started packing. ‘Luggage’ wasn’t really the right word. I disdained to take anything from the Vance house, and just looking at the things Adam had given me was painful. I cleared out all the designer bags, high-end fashion, and jewelry from my walk-in closet, piling them in the center of the room. Finally, I took out a heavy red velvet keepsake box from the safe. Adam had given it to me for my twentieth birthday. He’d said that every year, he would put a piece of jewelry he thought best suited me inside. When the box was full, he would marry me. Seven years later, the box was already overflowing. Inside were the tiny diamond earrings he bought me with his bonus after he landed his first project. There was the antique brooch we found at a flea market during our first trip abroad to Paris. And his mother’s sapphire ring, meant for his future wife… Each item had once been treasured. But now, they were just a pile of cold stones. I closed the lid of the box and, along with the blank wish card he’d signed when he was younger, promising to grant my every wish, placed it into the cardboard box meant for return. That wish card was my last resort. Back when Adam’s grandfather was still alive, to reassure me, Adam had signed this card in front of both our families. He’d said that as long as I held this card, no matter when or where, I could make a request, and he would never refuse. I once believed this card would be the most romantic fulfillment of a vow when I married him. Later, I thought it would be my final card to play to win him back. But now, I just wanted to return it to him. I didn’t want to owe him anything anymore. I called Adam’s assistant, Mark, gave him the address, and told him to come pick up the items. Mark’s voice was his usual business-like tone. “Ms. Vance, Mr. Hayes is very busy these days, preparing for his engagement party with Ms. Blake. I’m afraid he doesn’t have time for these irrelevant matters.” “Irrelevant matters?” I controlled my emotions. “There are his personal belongings in the box, very important ones.” Mark’s tone grew impatient. “Ms. Vance, I know you’re upset, but Mr. Hayes is truly starting a new life. Why cling on in this way? It would be better for everyone to maintain some decency, wouldn’t it?” He thought I was playing games, trying to cling to Adam. I took a deep breath and said as calmly as possible, “The box contains Mr. Hayes’s personal insignia and important tokens. You must come and collect them before five this afternoon. Otherwise, if anything goes missing, you’ll be responsible.” There was a few seconds of silence on the other end, then he reluctantly agreed. “Understood, I’ll be there this afternoon.” At four-thirty that afternoon, Mark arrived as promised. He didn’t even step inside, just stood at the doorway. I pushed the few large cardboard boxes I’d packed towards him. “Ms. Vance,” he said pointedly, while instructing his driver to move the boxes, “you need to look forward. Mr. Hayes and Ms. Blake are a perfect match, everyone knows that. You’re only making yourself look worse.” I didn’t explain, nor did I argue. Arguing with someone living in their own delusion was the most foolish thing in the world. I just looked at him and said blandly, “Check the items thoroughly. Take them back to him. From now on, we’re even.” After they loaded everything into the car, I closed the front door.

Eleanor’s POV Three days later, a black stretch limousine pulled up to my house. I wore a simple white dress, carrying a small suitcase. Under the complex gazes of Robert and Brenda, I got into the car, bound for Virginia. After a flight of over ten hours, the plane smoothly landed on a private airstrip at Virginia Airport. A middle-aged man in a black suit came forward, bowing respectfully to me. “Ms. Vance, I presume? I am Mr. Alexander Sterling’s butler, Mr. Davies. Mr. Sterling is waiting for you at the hillside villa.” “Hello, yes, thank you.” I responded with a smile. Mr. Davies seemed surprised by my polite demeanor. He paused, then offered a kind smile. “Ms. Vance, please get in the car.” The black Rolls-Royce drove smoothly along the mountain road. The scenery was entirely different from the city I had left behind. The car finally stopped in front of a white villa nestled among green trees. The villa’s design was minimalist and modern, exuding luxury in a subtle way. The butler opened the car door for me and led me into the living room. In the center of the living room, a man in a wheelchair sat with his back to me. He wore a simple white shirt, his figure slender and tall. Even seated, his excellent proportions were evident. Hearing my footsteps, he maneuvered his wheelchair, slowly turning to face me. In that instant, my breath caught. The man before me bore no resemblance to the gloomy, violent image I’d conjured of someone disabled. His features were strikingly handsome, almost perfect, and his deep eyes seemed to see right through me. He was Alexander Sterling. I instinctively clutched the hem of my dress, breaking the silence first. “Mr. Sterling, hello. I’ve arrived.” He lifted the corner of his lips slightly, and his cool demeanor softened somewhat. “I know. I’ve been waiting for you.” His gaze slowly moved from my face down to my tightly gripped suitcase handle. “Mr. Davies, show her to her room. It’s been a long flight; she must be tired,” he ordered softly, his eyes never leaving me. “Yes, sir.” Mr. Davies stepped forward, ready to take my suitcase. “No, thank you, I can manage.” I quickly refused, not wanting to seem delicate right after arriving. I pulled my suitcase, ready to follow the butler upstairs, but just as I turned to pass his wheelchair, the suitcase wheel unfortunately caught on the edge of the rug. The entire case suddenly tipped to one side. “Careful!” Mr. Davies exclaimed. I instinctively reached out to steady it, my body also losing balance. I tumbled forward unexpectedly- I didn’t fall to the carpet. My hands landed on something warm and firm. Through a thin layer of shirt fabric, I could clearly feel the smooth, powerful lines of muscle beneath my palms. My cheek was only a few centimeters from his neck. I could even smell his clean, fresh scent. I… I had practically fallen into Alexander Sterling’s arms. My hands were pressed against his chest. My mind went blank, my cheeks flushed crimson, feeling as though they could start bleeding. In all my life, aside from Adam, I had never had such intimate contact with any man. I fumbled to get up, clumsily pushing against his chest, but the more I rushed, the more my strength failed me. All the while, Alexander Sterling sat steadily in his wheelchair, without even a tremor. He didn’t push me away, nor did he help me. He just sat there quietly, letting me struggle clumsily in his arms like a startled rabbit. I could feel his steady, powerful heartbeat, tapping against my palm, a rhythmic thud, then another. My heart, however, felt like it was about to pound out of my throat. Finally, with a burst of effort, I pushed against his chest and straightened up, retreating a few steps in disarray, my head bowed so low it almost touched my chest. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to!” I stammered, my face so hot it felt like it could fry an egg. He still didn’t say anything. I secretly lifted my eyes, quickly glancing at him. He maintained his calm expression, as if I hadn’t just thrown myself into his arms. He slowly reached up and smoothed the wrinkles on his chest that I had caused. Then, his thin lips parted, his voice a few shades deeper and huskier than before. “Eleanor,” he said, “we’ve just met. Are you that eager?”

Adam’s POV My bachelor party took over the penthouse suite of the city’s most exclusive club. The place was packed-friends, hangers-on, top-shelf liquor, beautiful faces. The air hummed with decadence. Yet I, the guest of honor, couldn’t focus. I sat slouched on the sofa, a cigar smoldering between my fingers. My gaze drifted through the haze, seeing nothing. My friend Garrett North leaned in, offering a glass of whiskey. “Adam. You’re getting engaged tomorrow. Why are you so upset?” I ignored the drink, tugging at my tie. “Nothing.” Garrett followed my absent stare toward Selena, who was holding court across the room, laughter too loud. He snorted. “Still hung up on Eleanor? Honestly, Adam. Why trade a woman like her for someone so common? Look at her. You can practically see her head inflating.” Eleanor again. My expression hardened. “Eleanor and I are done.” “Done?” Garrett scoffed again. “Come on. It’s been seven years of this dance. When has she ever been the one to walk away for good? Give it three days. She’ll come crawling back, tears and all. That stunt at the restaurant? Just her playing hard to get. Again.” My friends were quick to agree. “Exactly. Eleanor’s crazy about you. She won’t just walk away.” “She’s jealous, that’s all. You know how women are. Just smooth things over a little.” “You’re getting engaged tomorrow, Adam. I’d bet anything Eleanor shows up to make a scene!” I took another drink. My irritation had little to do with them. It was Eleanor’s silence these past few days that grated on me. Ever since the restaurant disaster, she’d disappeared. Vanished. No calls, no texts, not a single social media post. It wasn’t what I’d expected. The script called for her to be blowing up my phone by now, pleading for another chance. But she wasn’t. And that loss of control-it churned in my gut, a blend of pure annoyance and the first cold trace of panic. I picked up my glass and downed the burning liquor. It did nothing for the tightness in my chest. I pulled out my phone and tapped Eleanor’s chat window on instinct. It was blank. “Damn woman!” I cursed under my breath and threw the phone onto the table. Garrett watched me, eyes glinting with a mischievous idea. “If you’re that worried, Adam, just call her. Make up an excuse-tell her to bring you something. If she comes, she still cares. If not…” “She’ll come,” I sneered, utterly confident. I waved my assistant Mark over. “Call Eleanor,” I ordered, sinking back into the sofa. “Tell her I’ve drunk too much. I need hangover soup. She has thirty minutes.” It was an old trick. No matter the hour or what she was doing, one call from me and Eleanor would drop everything, make the soup, and drive across the city to deliver it. Because Eleanor adored me. “Tell her,” I paused, adding, “my engagement tomorrow depends entirely on her presence.” It was an ultimatum. A concession. This was the greatest concession I’d ever grant. Mark nodded and stepped away to make the call. He returned a few minutes later, his expression strained. “Mr. Hayes,” he said, leaning in close. “Ms. Vance answered.” My brow lifted. A cold, knowing smile touched my lips. Just as I’d predicted. Eleanor couldn’t stay away. “What did she say? Is she crying? Ask her where she is now.” Mark stammered. “She… wasn’t crying, Sir. She said… to go to hell.” My smile froze.

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My husband’s first love came back to life and reincarnated as our family cat. She tore my dresses. Knocked over my perfume. Scratched and bit me whenever she could. I complained to my husband. He only scolded me. “Why are you jealous of a cat? Elara is gone. Mimi is all I have left of her. Can’t you even tolerate that?” The cat shot me a smug, triumphant look, then curled into Jared’s arms. He stroked her fur, his voice thick with affection. “My poor Elara. If I could do it all over, I’d have given you a child. You must have been so lonely… that’s why you sent Mimi to me.” Oh, the loneliness? I can fix that right now. So, I took her to the park, where all the stray cats were waiting. They were all males. Jared went downstairs to get a package. The moment the door closed, Mimi jumped from her cat tree. She streaked toward me, back arched, teeth bared, a low growl rumbling in her throat. I ignored her and turned toward my room. She lunged. Claws sliced across my arm, leaving three raised red lines that quickly beaded with blood. I hissed in pain, bent down, and grabbed a slipper by my feet. Just as I raised it, the door opened. Instantly, Mimi retracted her claws, tucked her tail, and scurried to Jared’s feet. She looked up at him with watery eyes and let out a pitiful meow, darting glances at me as if she were the most aggrieved creature alive. Jared picked her up, his fingertips gently stroking her fur, his voice soft and tender. “What’s wrong, my Mimi? Who upset you?” I pointed to the bleeding marks on my arm, my voice tight. “Jared, she scratched me. It’s bleeding.” Jared didn’t even glance at my bleeding arm. He kept murmuring to the cat in his arms. “Impossible. My Mimi is the sweetest thing. She’d never scratch anyone. You must have scared her. She was just defending herself. Honestly, Chloe, you’re an adult. Why are you picking on a cat?” Mimi nuzzled into him, then tilted her head to blink at me. The triumph in her eyes was unmistakable. My grip on the slipper tightened until my knuckles turned white. I said nothing. A couple of days later, Jared went to the grocery store and asked me to feed Mimi. I mixed her expensive imported food and set the bowl down. Mimi sniffed it, then lifted a paw and tipped the bowl over. Kibble scattered across the floor, some hitting my pants. I knelt to clean it up, but she started aggressively pawing at my hair and stepping all over my clothes. Cat litter even rubbed off onto my collar. My patience finally snapped. I stood up to get a broom and shoo her away. Just as I reached the doorway, I heard keys in the lock. Mimi shot to the door, meowing piteously at Jared. Then she deliberately threw her full weight against my leg before collapsing to the floor with a dramatic thud. She rolled onto her back, belly exposed, looking utterly broken, as if clinging to her last breath after a beating. Jared rushed over, scooping her up. He’s panic. “My Mimi! How did you fall? Did she push you? Are you hurt, my darling?” I suppressed my rising fury and explained. “She deliberately ran into me! And she kicked over her food, getting cat litter all over me!” Jared snapped, his voice turning cold. “Chloe, enough. Don’t accuse Mimi. She’s gentle. She’d never do that. You probably didn’t want to feed her, so you made a mess, then tried to chase her off. Of course she panicked and ran into you.” “How many times do I have to say it? Be kind to her. Treat her like family. Why can’t you listen?” He lowered his head, cooing at the cat in his arms, his voice softening once more. “It’s all right, Mimi. Daddy’s here. No one can hurt you. Stay away from her from now on, don’t let her scare you.” Mimi nestled against him, eyes half-closed. Something like a smirk touched her mouth. She rubbed her head deliberately along his chin, a display of spoiled triumph that made my hands shake with fury. Jared always believed that cat. He always thought it was my fault. Even with the proof right in front of him, he’d look away and spin the story until the blame landed squarely back on me.

Jared’s indulgence of that cat had no bottom line. A while back, we had mice, so he bought rat poison and put it in the lowest corner of a cabinet, covered by a box. That morning, I was making oatmeal in the kitchen, while Jared was in the living room, watching TV with Mimi. The moment I turned my back to get the groceries, I heard the sound of a box tumbling in the living room. When I rushed out, I saw Mimi pawing at a bag of rat poison. The bag was torn open, white powder scattered across the floor, clinging suspiciously to its paws. I gasped, rushing forward to try and gather the bag, but Mimi was gone. I cautiously followed her into the kitchen. I watched as she lifted her paw, scraping the rat poison powder directly into the oatmeal I had just finished cooking. “What are you doing!” I shrieked, reaching out to shoo her away. Jared followed me in, saw the rat poison on the floor and the powder in the oatmeal, and just chuckled, bending down to pick up the cat. “Mimi, you little troublemaker. Always up to something.” He tapped the cat’s head, his voice dripping with fondness. Not a trace of reproach. I was in shock. “She put rat poison in the oatmeal! This could have killed someone!” Jared glanced at the oatmeal. He shrugged. “So? Just dump it out. Mimi doesn’t understand. It was just playing. It’s not like she meant to hurt anyone.” Mimi rubbed against him in his arms, her eyes fixed on me with a defiant look. Watching Jared’s casual demeanor, a wave of fury washed over me. “Doesn’t understand? How did she know the rat poison was under the cabinet? How did she know to tear open the box? And how did it just happen to fall into my oatmeal?” Jared’s face hardened, his tone turning accusatory. “What are you implying? That Mimi deliberately tried to harm you? She’s just a cat, what kind of evil intentions could she have?” I looked at the cat in his arms. It was squinting, almost as if smiling. How had she found it so precisely? How had she scattered it right into my oatmeal? Jared set the cat down and turned to me. “Stop staring. Dump it and make a new batch. And from now on, keep things like this where Mimi can’t get to them.” With that, he picked up Mimi and returned to the living room, continuing to watch TV. I stood in the kitchen, staring at the tainted bowl. I was growing certain. Something was deeply wrong with this cat. She wasn’t just clueless. She was doing it on purpose. She wanted to hurt me.

This silver tabby was Elara Stone’s cat, Jared’s first love. After Elara’s unexpected death, Jared brought Mimi straight home. He bought her premium imported cat food, designer collars, and regularly took her for grooming appointments. He even brought the cat when we visited my parents. My mom’s dog, who usually roamed free, approached Mimi and sniffed her. Mimi let out a yelp. Jared clutched the cat tighter, yelling at me. “Control your dog! What if it scares Mimi?” My mother quickly pulled the dog back. “He was only saying hello. He didn’t mean any harm.” Jared wouldn’t let it go. “What if it bit Mimi? She’s all I have left of Elara. If anything happens to her, could you even afford to make it right?” All my relatives stared at me. I stood rooted to the spot, speechless. All the money at home, Jared spent on the cat. I contributed my salary to household expenses, and those high-end cat supplies were all bought with my money. Mimi would bite and scratch me whenever she saw me. One time, Mimi broke the skin on my arm. I went for a rabies shot. Afterward, a rash spread across my body. The doctor called it an allergic reaction. I called Jared. I told him about the allergy and that I needed to go to the hospital. On the phone, Jared only said, “Got it.  I’m taking Mimi to her grooming appointment. We’ll talk later.” He hung up. No other questions. I went to the hospital alone, got some medication, and came back. Jared was already home, feeding Mimi treats. I told him, “The allergy is really uncomfortable.” Jared mumbled an ‘hmm’ without looking up. Mimi meowed at me, even swiping a paw. Jared quickly pressed down on her paw. “Stay still, sweetheart. Don’t get near her.” I asked, “Aren’t you going to ask how bad it is? How bad the allergy was?” Jared finally looked up. He blamed. “What’s the issue? It’s just an allergy. You took the medicine, right? You always make a scene and ruin my time with Mimi.” Mimi rubbed against him, her eyes fixed on me, almost as if smiling. I thought of the looks from my relatives, the scratches on my arm, the rash all over my body during the allergy attack, the rat poison in the oatmeal, and a heavy knot formed in my chest. Jared continued. “Mimi’s had it hard. With Elara gone, if I don’t spoil her, who will? You’re the lady of the house. Can’t you show a little grace? What kind of person picks fights with a cat?”

Ever since the rat poison incident, the certainty had been growing in me-something was wrong. This cat was too clever. Almost unnervingly human. The way she looked at me was exactly like Elara used to look at me before she died. I even wondered if Elara’s soul had somehow possessed it. Every time Jared and I tried to be intimate, she’d interfere. She’d either suddenly jump over and scratch me, or she’d meow incessantly at us, making it impossible for us to continue. Jared never blamed her. He’d just coo, “Is Mimi jealous? It’s okay, Daddy loves you.” Then he’d turn to me and complain, “Can’t you wait until Mimi’s asleep? She’s still young and needs constant attention.” I didn’t argue, but my suspicions grew heavier. The true moment of clarity hit me this time. Jared said Mimi needed a check-up, and asked me to drive her to the vet. I put Mimi in her carrier and placed it on the passenger seat. Just as I got onto the main road, she suddenly began to thrash violently in the carrier, her claws scratching against the bars, and meowing aggressively at my face. Distracted, I glanced at her, and the steering wheel swerved sharply. The car veered directly towards the roadside barrier. I slammed on the brakes, the car skidding to a halt, scraping the barrier. My heart pounded furiously. I turned to look at her. She had quieted down, her eyes filled with disappointment. In that moment, I knew. It was Elara. She wanted me to crash the car. She wanted to usurp my place, to push me out of Jared’s life and claim it for herself. A chilling dread washed over me, but I didn’t dare speak out. I just grit my teeth, drove her to the vet, and brought her home after the check-up. Jared noticed a few scrapes on her body and, heartbroken, asked what had happened. When he heard about the near-accident, that grown man actually broke down into sobs!

He held Mimi tightly, burying his face in her fur. “My poor girl, don’t leave me, please? Daddy was terrified. I swear I’ll never leave your side again.” He stroked her back, his gaze distant and sorrowful. “Elara…you left too soon. My beautiful Elara, it still breaks me. All you left me was this cat. If anything happened to her, I couldn’t face you..” Mimi nuzzled into him, purring softly. But her eyes stayed on me, accusing. I watched them coolly, then spoke, my voice level. “There’s a simple solution. Take her to a breeder. With her pedigree, you could charge a thousand per mating. There’d be a waiting list. Once she has kittens, your attachment could live on.” Jared went still. He looked up, his expression hardening into something savage. “No! Absolutely not!” “Mimi is pure. She would never be bred with some filthy stray. What kind of suggestion is that?” Mimi seemed startled by his shout. She immediately shrank, tucked her tail between her legs, her eyes watery, trembling all over. But she subtly glanced up, staring at me with fury. I watched her performance and smiled coldly inside. Keep acting. Jared lowered his head to comfort her. “It’s okay, it’s okay, I wasn’t talking about you, I was talking about her. Who would dare make you breed? I’d be the first to object.” He turned a sharp glare on me, his voice thick with accusation. “Enough. That’s Elara’s legacy. I would never subject her to that humiliation. What exactly are you plotting?” I lmet his eyes, a slight, cool smile touching my lips. “Plotting? What could I possibly be plotting?” “You’re afraid she’ll die, aren’t you? If she has kittens, problem solved.” “Not like that!” Jared snapped. “What kind of cats are in those places? They could be diseased. They could hurt her. No. Never!” Mimi rubbed against him, a smug glint in her eyes. I dropped the argument and just stared at the cat. Since you look down on those pampered purebreds at the shelter, you get what you get. The park is crawling with scruffy, filthy toms. When they’re in heat, they don’t ask for a pedigree. Then, your precious Elara can get a real taste of “love.”

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I spent three years undercover by Julian Thorne’s side, the son of a notorious crime boss, only to personally send him to prison. At the arrest scene, his eyes were bloodshot, fixed on my swollen belly. “What a brilliant strategy. Using our child to trap me.” “Since you love justice so much, then this child, tainted by a criminal’s blood, shouldn’t exist either.” He snatched a gun and, in front of every SWAT officer, shot me through the abdomen. That single shot severed every tie between us. After the false news of my death in the line of duty spread, Julian went completely insane in prison. When we met again, he was a condemned man awaiting execution, and I was the agent assigned to interrogate him. He stared at me, whole and unharmed, his laugh a broken, twisted sound, far more agonizing than a cry. “Serena, you made me suffer hell with your lies.” Three months after Julian’s arrest, the police interrogation hit a dead end. As the notorious kingpin of a massive crime syndicate that had wreaked havoc across the continent, he held the decryption key to a dark web trading chain worth billions. As long as he remained silent, that dirty money and the powerful figures protecting him would never be uncovered. The task fell to me. Because I was Julian’s only weakness, and the very person who pushed him into this hell. When I stood outside the interrogation room’s one-way glass, clutching a file, the sight within stole my breath. The once untouchable Julian, the powerful scion of a ruthless empire, who used to command the city with a whisper, always impeccably dressed in custom suits, now wore a rough prison uniform, his hands and feet bound by heavy shackles. He was skeletal, a ghost of his former self. His cheekbones jutted sharply, eyes sunken deep, and his jaw was covered in dark stubble. He slumped lifelessly in the metal chair, his hollow gaze fixed on a stain on the ceiling, like a walking corpse utterly devoid of soul. The guard told me that when Julian first arrived, he’d gone completely wild. He refused to eat, refused to sleep. Every night, he’d ram the walls like a wild animal, roaring a single name. “Serena.” That was my undercover name, Serena Reed. And he, the man who hated me most in this world, also loved me more than anyone. Later, the guard lied, telling him Serena was dead, her body cremated. Only then did Julian quiet down. From that day on, he became a mute, like a dead man. No matter how much they interrogated him, he gave no reaction. “Officer Reed, he’s completely unyielding. Are you sure about this?” Officer Mike asked, his voice laced with worry. I instinctively touched my flat stomach, where a grotesque bullet wound scar snaked across. Though long healed, it still ached faintly on rainy days. A chilling reminder of how utterly ruthless he was when he pulled that trigger. “Open it.” I adjusted the collar of my police uniform and pushed the door open. The heavy clang of the iron door didn’t get Julian’s attention. Not until I pulled out the chair opposite him and slammed a stainless-steel cup onto the table. The sharp clang echoed in the claustrophobic room. Julian finally stirred. Like a rusted machine, he slowly turned his neck, his gaze inching up from the floor. It landed on my police boots, then my trousers, finally settling on my bare, makeup-free face. In that instant. I heard the violent clatter of chains. The man, previously so lifeless, shot up from the chair like a corpse suddenly reanimated, slamming against the interrogation table’s barrier, ignoring the restraints of his handcuffs. “A ghost…” His hoarse, broken voice was laced with extreme terror and trembling. “Serena?” He stared at me, his eyes wide and bloodshot, seeming ready to burst from their sockets, a chaotic mix of emotions swirling within: Shock, wild joy, disbelief, and… an ocean of hatred. I sat down expressionlessly, opened my interrogation notebook, and spoke in a cold, professional tone: “Julian, I am Officer Serena Reed, assigned to your case.” “Now, let’s talk about that decryption key.” Julian froze as if struck by lightning, my voice calm to the point of being chilling. He reached out a trembling hand, wanting to touch my face, but the iron bars between us cruelly blocked him. “Not dead…” He mumbled to himself, then let out a choked, guttural cackle, as if he’d heard the funniest joke. The laughter grew louder, more frantic, eerily piercing in the confined room. Tears streamed from his dry eyes, carving paths down his stubbled cheeks. “Not dead… You’re actually not dead!” “Serena! You’re actually alive!” He violently head-butted the iron bars, a loud bang resounding. Blood immediately welled from his forehead. “You lied to me! All of you lied to me!” “I thought I was suffering in hell, paying for my sins, all for you! And you? You were just watching me, laughing from the sidelines!” I watched him lose control. Three years ago, when I first went undercover, if I merely scalded my finger with hot water, his eyes would well up with genuine pain. Now, here he was, head gushing blood right in front of me, and all I wanted was for him to confess. “Julian, calm down.” I looked at him coldly. “My being alive… does that disappoint you?” Julian’s laughter instantly ceased. He fixed me with a dark, menacing stare, a cruel smirk twisting his lips. “Disappointed? No, Serena, why would I be disappointed?” “I was just thinking, since you’re not dead…” His gaze slowly dropped, falling to my flat stomach, and his eyes instantly filled with a bloodthirsty frenzy. “What about that abomination?” “That child, tainted by my criminal blood… is it dead?”

The air in the interrogation room seemed to freeze. My fingers tightened around the pen, knuckles white. That child. The one he’d personally snuffed out before it even had a chance to breathe, amidst a storm of bullets. I took a deep breath, meeting his challenging gaze, and forced a sarcastic smile. “Mr. Thorne, have you forgotten? You were the one who pulled the trigger.” “At the warehouse, in plain sight.” “Do you truly believe an unborn child could survive a Desert Eagle at point-blank range?” Julian’s pupils constricted violently. His facial muscles began to twitch uncontrollably. The veins on his hands, gripping the bars, bulged ominously, and blood seeped from beneath his fingernails from the sheer force. “Dead… Good, good riddance!” He gritted his teeth, as if chewing on someone’s bones. “Good riddance! That… thing never should have existed!” “Serena, you’re really something.” “To trap me, you even used your pregnancy as leverage.” “Watching me suffer hell over that bastard’s death, watching me grovel like a dog in this cell, repenting for you – did that give you some kind of sick satisfaction?” He spoke the most venomous words, yet he was trembling. I knew him too well. He was lying. He was using this extreme tactic to mask his inner collapse. Back in his empire, he’d genuinely looked forward to that child’s arrival. He would whisper stories to my belly late at night, pore over dictionaries for names, and even decorated the nursery himself. But now, he could only call the life he once cherished above all else an “abomination.” Because only then could he clutch onto his last shred of pitiful dignity in the face of this brutal truth. “Julian, enough with the reminiscing.” I didn’t want to dwell on the past with him. I tapped the table. “Where is the key?” The frenzy on Julian’s face gradually faded, replaced by a chilling stillness. He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, adopting a posture of refusal to communicate. “You want the key? Fine.” He spoke nonchalantly. “Beg me.” I frowned. “Do you really think you’re in a position to bargain right now?” “I’m about to die. What position do I have to lose?” Julian sneered, opening his eyes, his gaze lightly scanning my body. “Serena, you know me. I respond to kindness, not force.” “Back when you were chasing intel, you weren’t afraid to go all out, were you?” “Why put on that uniform and suddenly become so high and mighty?” He leaned forward, lowering his voice, his tone intimate and crude. “Just like before, call me ‘Jules,’ sweet-talk me until I’m happy, and maybe I’ll tell you.” I fought the urge to throw the file in his face. I knew he was doing it on purpose. He was trying to provoke me, to humiliate me, to reclaim the control he’d lost. “Julian, you’re disgusting.” I spat the words out coldly. Julian’s smile faltered, then he laughed even harder. “Yeah, I’m a worm in the mud. You’re the one who decided to get involved.” “Officer Reed, if you find me so disgusting, then get out.” “Don’t expect to pry a single word from me.” With that, he clamped his mouth shut. No matter how much I pressed, it was like shouting into the void. The first interrogation ended fruitlessly. By the time I walked out of the interrogation room, my back was soaked with sweat. Though I’d appeared calm and composed in there, I knew facing Julian was never easy. Three years, living side-by-side, caught in that tangled web of genuine and fabricated emotions… it was like a festering wound. Even after I cut it out, the scars remained, deep and undeniable. Back in my office, Captain Miller walked over, handing me a mug of hot water. “Didn’t get anything?” I nodded. “His psychological defenses are impenetrable, and he’s completely given up on life. He’s a dead end.” Captain Miller sighed. “He’s a tough nut to crack. Command gave us a deadline: we need that key within two weeks, or the dark web data will reset, and all our leads will vanish.” “I know. I’ll find a way.” I rubbed my throbbing temples. Over the next few days, I interrogated Julian daily. But he seemed determined to outlast me, offering only sarcastic remarks or silently meditating. Until the fifth day. I changed my strategy. Since force wouldn’t work, I decided to hit him where it hurt: his heart. I specifically wore an off-white dress – the same one I’d worn the first time we met. When I entered the interrogation room, Julian’s gaze flickered noticeably. But he quickly masked it, scoffing, “Are you trying to play dress-up, Officer Reed? Too bad. Wearing that dress now just makes you look even more hypocritical.” I ignored his taunts and took a thermos from my bag, placing it on the table. Opening the lid, the rich aroma of hearty chicken and rice soup filled the air. Julian’s Adam’s apple bobbed instinctively. It was his favorite. Back then, whenever he’d overdo it at his lavish business dinners and upset his stomach, I’d make this soup for him. “The cafeteria food not to your liking?” I ladled a bowl and pushed it towards the bars. “Have some.” Julian stared at the bowl for a long time, his eyes unreadable. Just when I thought he’d refuse, he suddenly reached out, grabbed the bowl, and tipped it back, draining it in one go. Finished, he slammed the bowl onto the floor. Fragments scattered. “Serena, you think a bowl of soup will buy me?” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes vicious. “Have you forgotten who put that hole in your stomach?” “Aren’t you afraid I might have poisoned the soup?” I asked calmly. “Poison?” Julian suddenly laughed, tears streaming down his face. “Serena, you underestimate me.” “Dying by your hand… that’s a better end than those cold, brutal interrogations.” With that, he suddenly reached through the bars and grabbed my wrist. His grip was astonishingly strong, and the iron shackles clanged harshly against the bars. “Julian! Let go!” The nearby guard immediately rushed forward to intervene. But Julian clung to me fiercely, his eyes bloodshot, his voice a hoarse whisper, dripping with raw emotion. “Serena, I just have one question.” “These three years… did you feel anything for me, even for a second?” “Even one second, was it real?” His nails dug agonizingly into my flesh, as if a single ‘yes’ from me would give him permission to die right then and there. I looked at his desperate, pleading eyes, and a sharp, icy pang shot through my heart. But I knew I was a police officer, and he was a criminal. Any wavering would be a desecration of the badge. “No.” I met his gaze, speaking each word distinctly. “From the very beginning, I approached you only to catch you.” “Every single minute, every second, was an act.” “Julian, I never loved you. Not once.” The light in his eyes, a flicker that had momentarily returned, was snuffed out completely. He seemed to lose his very spine, slumping back, his grip loosening. “Good… Good, ‘not once’ you say.” He lowered his head, his shoulders trembling violently, letting out a series of choked, mournful sounds. “Serena, you are truly cruel.” “In that case, don’t blame me for what comes next.” He suddenly lifted his head, a twisted smile appearing on his face. “You want the key, do you?” “Unless… you let me see that scar.” “I want to see with my own eyes what that bullet, fired by me, truly did to you.”

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