Category: English

My husband gave another woman my birthday gift. Rachel Quinn posted the robot he and my son built for her, smiling like it belonged to her life. When I liked the post, he exploded, accusing me of starting drama. That was the moment the truth slammed into me: he defended her more fiercely than he ever defended me. Now the betrayal is undeniable—and so is the ending of our marriage. On my birthday, my husband’s childhood friend, Rachel Quinn, posted pictures on social media of the brand-new robot my husband and son had built for her. I casually gave it a thumbs-up. Not long after, my husband called to scold me: “We gave you one too, didn’t we? And Max even made you a cake himself. What else could you possibly want?” But Rachel’s robot was obviously the latest model. Even the cake my son made for her was bigger than mine. When my husband and son got home, the clock had just struck midnight. The untouched cake still sat on the table. The card read: “Happy Birthday, Mom!” “Why didn’t you eat the cake? Were you waiting for us to come home and celebrate?” My husband forced a smile as he and Max lit the candles and sang me a birthday song. But instead of feeling touched, I felt suffocated. I waved them off. “I’m not hungry. You two eat.” My husband’s expression immediately darkened. “I know you’re upset about Rachel. But can’t you understand her situation? She doesn’t have any family here. She had a tough day at work today, so Max and I just went to cheer her up. That’s all. Stop overthinking it.” Max chimed in, “Yeah, Mom. Rachel’s all alone. Can’t you be a little more understanding?” Looking at the father and son tag-teaming me, my heart felt colder than an ice cavern. It was my birthday, yet they left me to comfort someone else. Every time I got angry about how they prioritized Rachel over me, they’d trot out this same excuse. It always made me feel like I was the unreasonable one, like I was the villain. And every time, I’d end up crying alone late at night. But the next day, all it took was a kind word, or a small gift, and I’d forgive them. I’d go right back to being the mom and wife they took for granted. This time, though, I was tired of playing along. “You’re right,” I said calmly. “You should go spend time with her. I’ll celebrate with my friends instead.” I grabbed my purse and headed for the door. The two of them were stunned, frozen in place, clearly not expecting this response. When my husband finally realized I was serious, he quickly rushed over to grab my arm. “You’re forty years old. Can you stop acting like a child? I’m busy with work, and Max is swamped with school. We still made time to celebrate with you, but it’s never enough, is it? We’re exhausted, you know?” Exhausted? I stared at them coldly. They weren’t too tired to build Rachel a cutting-edge robot. They weren’t too tired to bake her a cake the size of a serving platter. But for me? They handed me an outdated model and a cake made from scraps, and that was somehow too much effort. “You’re overthinking it,” I said, voice icy. “I’m not upset. I just want to spend my birthday with my friends for a change. I haven’t done that in years.” “Mom! Enough with the drama!” Max suddenly snapped, slamming his hand down on the table. The cake tipped over, and the candles nearly set the tablecloth on fire. Lately, Max had been under a lot of pressure at school, and his temper was always on edge. Every time he lashed out, I’d patiently comfort him, no matter how much it hurt. But this time, I stayed silent. Seeing my lack of reaction, his anger flared even more. He started punching the furniture, kicking over chairs. “What do you want from us? Why can’t you just leave me and Dad alone? You’ve been emotionally manipulating us for years. Is it not enough? Do you want to drive us insane before you’re satisfied?” Watching him scream and destroy the living room, I felt nothing but a deep, hollow sadness. All these years, I’d poured my heart into this family. And now, on my fortieth birthday, just because I wanted a little bit of extra attention, I was branded a control freak. What a failure I’d become. I laughed bitterly, tears stinging my eyes, as my husband rushed to comfort Max. He turned to me with a grim look, his voice cold. “Look at what you’ve done to him. Do you even deserve to be a mother? If you’re so unhappy, why don’t we just get a divorce?” Every time I argued with him, he’d throw that line at me. And every time, I’d back down out of fear. But this time, I didn’t care anymore. “Fine,” I said. Their shocked faces were the last thing I saw before walking out the door.

Even though it was late, my friends agreed to meet me. We gathered at a food truck, drinking beer and eating greasy snacks. They teased me for disappearing after getting married, saying I’d practically forgotten they existed. The alcohol dulled my brain, and for a moment, it felt like we were back in college, laughing in our dorm room. Looking back, I’d sacrificed so much for my husband and son. And for what? After saying goodbye to my friends, I checked my phone. There were dozens of missed calls and messages, most from my husband. I was about to ignore them when one from Rachel caught my eye: “I’m so sorry, Lauren. There’s nothing going on between me and Tom, I swear. I just had a bad day and needed someone to talk to. I completely forgot it was your birthday. Please forgive me!” The alcohol churned in my stomach. I leaned against a streetlamp and vomited until my throat burned. Finally, I replied: “Don’t worry about it. I don’t care.” She started typing a response, but I didn’t bother waiting for it. When I got home, the house was a disaster zone—worse than when I’d left. I ignored it and headed for the bathroom to wash up. My husband emerged from the bedroom, his face scrunched in irritation. “You’re finally back? And drunk, no less. Clean this place up before you go to bed.” “Whoever made the mess can clean it up.” I flopped onto the couch, exhausted. Something hard jabbed into my hip. It was my husband’s phone, unlocked. On the screen was a chat with Rachel. “Tom, I shouldn’t have made Lauren upset. It’s my fault. Let’s not meet up so often anymore.” “Don’t blame yourself. She’s just petty and jealous. It’s just a birthday—it’s not like we can’t celebrate later. She’s so dramatic, acting like a spoiled brat.” “Don’t say that. She has every right to be upset. You should go make up with her.” “Thanks, Rachel. If only Lauren were half as understanding as you.” My husband snatched the phone from my hand, his face red with anger. “Why do you always have to invade my privacy? There’s nothing going on with us!” “Whatever,” I said, too tired to fight. “I’m going to sleep.” He was taken aback by my indifference but quickly recovered. “Oh, by the way,” he said, as if trying to change the subject. “I’ll show you how to use that robot we got you. It’ll make things easier for you.” I opened my eyes and looked at him coldly. “Tom, did you forget? I helped design that model.” He froze, glancing at the robot. Then he let out a sheepish laugh. “Oh, right. Well, never mind then.” Before we got married, we’d both worked as engineers at the same tech company. But after Max was born, I quit my job to stay home and raise him. Now, all I felt was regret for everything I’d given up. The room was silent, except for the faint hum of the robot vacuuming the floor. “I’m sleeping on the couch tonight,” I said. “You can go to bed.” “Fine,” he muttered. “Oh, and I’m working late tomorrow. Don’t wait up.” “Got it.” And with that, I closed my eyes.

My husband lingered in the hallway for a moment before retreating to the bedroom. I hadn’t been asleep long when I felt someone shaking me awake. Groggily, I opened my eyes to find Max standing over me, already dressed in his school uniform, looking thoroughly annoyed. “Why didn’t you wake me up? I’m going to be late! And where’s breakfast? You didn’t make anything?” Every morning, without fail, I’d sacrifice my own rest to wake him up on time and prepare a full, warm breakfast. The price of this routine was dark circles under my eyes and skin that had lost its luster. At forty, I looked closer to fifty. But not today. “You can set your own alarm from now on. As for breakfast, grab something on the way. Got money? I’ll send you some if you don’t.” Max stared at me, stunned, as if he couldn’t believe this was coming from me—the mom who used to do everything for him without complaint. “I don’t need your money,” he muttered, his voice heavy with disdain. Then, under his breath, he added, “Rachel would never be this lazy…” Though he mumbled it quietly, I heard every word. But strangely, it didn’t hurt. Max stormed out, slamming the door so hard the shoe rack rattled, and a small object tumbled to the floor. Curious, I walked over and picked it up. It was a toy car—one I’d modified years ago. With the push of a button, it could transform into a robot and even play theme songs from cartoons. When Max was little, he was often sick. Those days, he rarely smiled—until I showed him this car. The way his face lit up, the pure joy in his laughter, had inspired me to submit a proposal at work: a line of toys designed to bring emotional comfort to children. But Tom, my husband, had dismissed the idea outright. He argued that robots should be practical, useful tools—not frivolous “toys” that just transformed and played music. In the end, the proposal was shelved, and Max grew up, leaving behind the little car he once adored. I stared at the toy for a long moment before pressing its button. It still worked. An idea struck me, so I grabbed the car and went to find my neighbor’s child, Danny. Danny was just five, a lonely boy whose parents had divorced and left him in the care of his grandmother. He spent most of his days playing alone in the dirt outside our building. When I handed him the toy, his eyes lit up, and he clutched it tightly, turning it over and over in his small hands. “Wow!” he exclaimed, a grin spreading across his face as he began playing with it. Seeing his joy, I couldn’t help but think of Max as a little boy—and of the proposal I’d given up on all those years ago. Before I realized it, I had my phone in hand and was dialing my old manager’s number. Halfway through the call, I panicked and almost hung up, but it was too late. “Lauren? Wow, it’s been forever! What’s up?” “Oh, um…” I hesitated, nervously rubbing my nose. “I was just wondering… Are you hiring?” It felt absurd. After nearly a decade as a stay-at-home mom, I was trying to reenter a high-tech industry that had undoubtedly moved on without me. But to my surprise, my former manager sounded thrilled. “Are you serious? We’d love to have you back! Honestly, someone with your skills is exactly what my new company needs. That said… you’ve been out of the game for a while. You’d have to start from the ground up.” “I don’t mind!” I said quickly. “I’ll prove myself.” After hanging up, I was so excited I nearly jumped for joy. I ended up spending the rest of the day playing with Danny and his new toy. “You’re the best, Miss Lauren,” Danny said, looking up at me with wide, hopeful eyes. “I wish you were my mom.” I froze, unsure how to respond. All I could do was gently pat his head. Chaos Unfolds Just then, I heard the front door slam open. A man staggered in, reeking of alcohol, his face twisted with anger. “Who the hell are you? Where’s my mom?” he demanded, his voice slurred. Before I could respond, Danny’s grandmother hurried out of the kitchen, panic etched on her face. “What are you doing here?” she shouted, her voice trembling. “I’m not giving you another penny!” “You’re my mother! Your money is my money!” he snapped. “And if you don’t hand it over, I swear I’ll—” His eyes darted to Danny. “I’ll take that little brat with me. Maybe sell him off somewhere!” He pulled out a knife, waving it wildly as he stumbled toward Danny. Time seemed to slow as I threw myself between them, shielding Danny with my body. The blade sliced into me, and pain exploded in my side. Warm blood seeped through my clothes, pooling on the floor beneath me. Danny’s terrified cries echoed in my ears as everything around me faded to black.

The man was subdued by the neighbors and handed over to the police. Meanwhile, I was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. The knife had cut deep into my shoulder, leaving a gaping wound. The pain was excruciating, and cold sweat soaked my back. Everything had happened so fast that I was still trembling, my body locked in fear. At that moment, I desperately needed comfort—just a little would have been enough. So, I called my husband. “Tom, I’m at the hospital. You need to come right away.” “What’s going on? I’m working overtime right now.” His tone carried an edge of impatience, and the noise in the background didn’t sound like an office; it sounded more like a busy restaurant. “I was attacked. Someone stabbed me. There’s blood everywhere, and it hurts so much. Please, just come.” The moment I heard my own voice, my tears spilled over, cascading down my cheeks and carrying with them all the fear and frustration I’d been holding inside. But his next words threw me into a bottomless abyss. “Lauren, can you stop joking around? You’re at home all day—who would just show up and stab you? You’re forty years old. Can you stop being so childish?” “I’m not joking!” I shouted, my voice cracking with desperation. “I’m in the hospital right now. This is real!” But to him, my panic only sounded like another one of my so-called “tantrums.” “Look, I get it. You’re still mad about your birthday and how we didn’t celebrate with you. But making up a story like this is too much. I’m tired, Lauren. If you keep this up, I don’t think our marriage is going to last.” “Fine,” I whispered, my voice hollow. “Forget it. Pretend I didn’t call. You can go back to work.” And with that, he hung up. I stood there, frozen in place, before shakily dialing my son’s number. “Max, sweetie, it’s Mom. I’m in the hospital. Can you—” Before I could finish, he cut me off, his voice dripping with irritation. “Dad told me you made up some crazy story about getting stabbed. I didn’t believe him, but wow, you really went there. Mom, can you just stop? Please? Just leave us alone!” “What? Wait. You’re with Dad? Isn’t he supposed to be working overtime?” But before I could get an answer, Max hung up. At that moment, I felt like a lone leaf adrift in a vast, merciless ocean. Then, a thought struck me. My hands trembled as I opened Rachel’s social media profile. Sure enough, there it was—a new video. She was all dolled up, pouting playfully at the camera. Behind her was the unmistakable decor of an upscale restaurant. The caption read: “Grateful to have you by my side in this unfamiliar city.” I recognized the restaurant immediately. It was where Tom and I had gone on our first date. I’d wanted to revisit it several times after we got married, but Tom always said it was too expensive. The video only showed Rachel, but I caught a fleeting sound in the background—a voice I knew better than my own. “Mom,” it said. Tears blurred my vision as I set my phone down. There was no mistaking it. That voice belonged to Max. The tears came harder now, falling in heavy drops onto my lap. The husband I had stood by through thick and thin. The son I had raised with endless love and sacrifice. Both of them had turned away from me, only to offer their care and attention to someone else. I wanted to convince myself it didn’t matter, but the ache in my chest was unbearable. Even breathing felt like a monumental effort. “Lauren? Isn’t Tom and Max coming to see you?” Danny’s small, hesitant voice pulled me out of my spiraling thoughts. He had been sitting quietly by my bedside, worry etched across his tiny face. “No,” I said softly. “But it’s okay. Will you stay with me for a while?” He nodded quickly, his little head bobbing like a woodpecker. “Of course! I’ll stay as long as you need me. But…” His voice faltered, and he looked down. “Aren’t you mad? You know, because… it was my dad who hurt you.” Seeing his guilt-stricken expression, my heart ached. I reached out and gently ruffled his hair. “No, Danny. It’s not your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong. Neither did I.” I pulled him into a hug, both of us clinging to each other in search of comfort. For years, I had poured my entire heart and soul into loving my husband and son. That love had become the foundation of my world. But now, I realized that love couldn’t sustain me anymore. It was time to let go. There were other people—other things—more deserving of my time and affection. Starting today, I would rebuild my life, one piece at a time.

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I let my boyfriend drain my blood to save his dream girl. For seven years, I completed every humiliating request he made, and he still treated me like I was nothing. But I wasn’t here for love. I was here to save my dying husband in another world. Now that I’ve finished the final task, they’re about to learn the price of taking me for granted. When my wealthy boyfriend wanted to drain my blood to save his dream girl’s life, everyone thought I would break up with him. Instead, I voluntarily inserted the needle into my vein and agreed to the full blood transfusion surgery. Those who had been waiting to see me humiliated now looked at me with shock and confusion in their eyes. But after just a brief moment of silence, a burst of laughter erupted in the room. “Evelyn, you’re such a loyal dog! Seven years, and you’re still so obedient to our Adrian.” “Adrian, how do you train her? Teach me too, I want to keep one for fun!” “Nonsense, she’s just a poor girl, what else does she have besides her looks? If she doesn’t lower herself and cling to him, how else could she get close to a rich young master like Adrian?” Suddenly, countless sharp and sarcastic words stabbed at me like blades without mercy. But I endured it all with a blank expression. After all, I had been in this world for exactly seven years and had long since grown accustomed to these rumors and gossip. These people were all Adrian’s fair-weather friends. To please Adrian, they never missed an opportunity to humiliate me over the past seven years, highlighting their pathetic sense of existence. But I didn’t care. My purpose for coming to this world had always been only one thing. That was to cure my husband’s cancer. Back then, he inhaled a large amount of toxic smoke while rescuing me from a fire. In less than a year, his condition deteriorated from diagnosis to late-stage lung cancer. In my despair, it was the system that appeared and told me. As long as I willingly went to another world and fulfilled a thousand of Adrian’s requests, the system could cure my husband’s lung cancer, and I could return to the real world. Seven years had passed, and this was Adrian’s last request. Let alone taking my blood, even if he wanted my life, so what? After all, once the task was completed, this body would disappear anyway. Thinking of this, I looked up at Adrian, expecting him to eagerly take me to the hospital as usual. After all, in his eyes, I had been worth less than a strand of his dream girl Camilla’s hair for all these years. Previously, when Camilla failed to get a job, he demanded that I give up the interview opportunity I had worked hard to get, insisting I give up my spot for her. When Camilla fell ill with a fever, he ordered me to go out and buy medicine at three in the morning during a typhoon. When Camilla got drunk and had a car accident, he didn’t hesitate to cross the line and make me take the blame for Camilla. Each time, I completed his requests without complaint, but in return, I only received his increasingly cold gaze. But this time, Adrian’s pupils trembled slightly, his eyes filled with hesitation. “Evelyn, I’m asking you one last time…” “Are you serious?” Among the crowd, Camilla noticed this and a flash of displeasure crossed her eyes. But she quickly put on a sympathetic expression, pretending to walk forward and hold my hand, her tone full of guilt. “Sister Evelyn, my leukemia has worsened. The doctor said I need a full blood transfusion to survive.” “Now in the whole city, you’re the only one with the matching rare blood type.” “If you really replace all my blood alone, you might be drained dry, and you might even die…” Camilla said halfway through but suddenly raised her head, looking as if she was about to cry. “Ah, it’s bad enough that I’m suffering alone, how could I drag you into this…” As I watched her poor performance, I couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. Seven years, and she’s still the same. Playing the victim, seeking sympathy, pushing all responsibility onto others. But anyway, my task was about to be completed, so it didn’t matter what she did. Thinking of this, I just smiled faintly. “Don’t worry, Miss Camilla. I’m volunteering.” “Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda, and moreover…” “I’ve said it countless times over these seven years, I’ll fulfill whatever Adrian asks.” “This 600cc is enough for you to get through this period, so please accept it with peace of mind.” With that, I handed the blood bag to Adrian with blood on the corner of my mouth. After all, I would soon be able to see my husband again, just thinking about it made me happy. And curing Camilla’s illness meant they could be together properly, it was a win-win situation, no one lost out. But Adrian, who had been so arrogant moments ago, was now stunned for some reason. He stared at me for a long time, as if seeing me for the first time. After a while, he finally took the blood bag, though his voice was suddenly a bit hoarse for some reason. “The surgery is tentatively scheduled for next week…” “Take this money, don’t collapse by then and prevent Camilla from having the surgery.” I looked at the check Adrian handed me, somewhat surprised. In seven years, this was the first time Adrian had offered to compensate me. However, I was about to return to my own world, so this money was completely useless to me. I shook my head, refusing his kindness. “I’m simply fulfilling your wish, I don’t need money.” “Being able to help you is enough for me.” Hearing this, Adrian looked at me in surprise, his eyes full of confusion. I didn’t bother to explain anything, just smiled at him and turned to leave. But perhaps because I had just donated 600cc of blood, I felt a bit dizzy. After walking a few steps, my high-heeled boots slipped on the smooth ice, and my already thin down jacket was torn by pebbles, letting the cold wind constantly blow in. “Pfft—” Seeing my sprained ankle, a burst of laughter immediately erupted around me. “It was just 600cc, look how weak she is, she can’t even walk. It’s hilarious!” “Alright, stop pretending to be fragile in front of our Adrian. You’re just a poor girl who throws herself at him, do you really think you can climb the social ladder with such childish tricks?” “That’s right, she’s just an outsider. Why should Adrian care about her? Adrian, let’s go, I’ve called quite a few beauties for the next party, they’re all waiting to meet you!” Among the crowd, Camilla also secretly gave me a challenging smile, then hooked her arm through Adrian’s and sat in his passenger seat. I didn’t say anything, just silently gritted my teeth and slowly stood up, leaning against the wall. Such humiliation had become commonplace for me over the past seven years. Just as I thought Adrian would leave with Camilla without looking back as he had done before, he suddenly stopped and walked over to me. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke in a low voice. “Never mind, get in the car.” “I’ll have the driver take you back.”

When I heard Adrian tell me to get in the car, I was stunned. In seven years, this was the first time. Before, he was always very harsh with me, looking as if he despised me to the bone. Not only did he never let me touch his car, but he also said that a woman of my class getting into his car would be an embarrassment to him. I remember once when I accidentally steadied myself by touching his car door, he immediately pushed me down, and the next day he even sold the new car he had bought less than three months ago. But now, he was actively telling me to get in the car. For a moment, I really couldn’t react. The people around us were also stunned, including Camilla. Everyone’s eyes were focused on Adrian, their gazes full of surprise. It wasn’t until this moment that Adrian seemed to belatedly realize his own slip, a flash of panic unlike his usual self crossing his eyes, but he quickly returned to his usual indifferent demeanor. “She’s the only one in the city with the rare blood type. I just thought that if it gets dark and the roads are slippery, it would be a waste of all that rare blood if she froze to death outside.” “For Camilla’s safety, I have to ensure this blood bag doesn’t have any accidents.” This reason, I had already guessed in my heart earlier. Hearing him say this, I didn’t feel much turmoil in my heart. After all, Adrian being madly in love with Camilla was something everyone knew. Once when Camilla made a mistake at work and was just scolded by her supervisor, Adrian directly brought down that company. He even used his family connections to blacklist that supervisor, completely ruining his career. Now, for Camilla’s safety, he reluctantly let me get in the car once, which was normal. However, I get carsick anyway, so I still declined his kindness. “No need, I’ll just walk back.” Adrian’s face immediately turned cold. “Suit yourself.” With that, he got in the car and left without looking back. Immediately, a burst of mocking laughter erupted around me. “Adrian just took pity on you for a moment, and you’re getting cocky? Did you really think anyone could get in Adrian’s car?” “With such poor judgment, no wonder Adrian hasn’t even bothered to look at you properly in seven years.” Camilla even gave me a smug smile from the car. But I just wrapped my coat tighter and turned to walk towards my home in this world. The night sky in this world was different from my hometown’s. Looking at the unfamiliar starry sky, I couldn’t help but think of my husband. Although the system had temporarily saved his life. But after not seeing each other for seven years, he must be very worried about me now. But fortunately, all this was about to end. Thinking of this, I couldn’t help but smile slightly. But just then, someone suddenly pushed me hard from behind. Caught off guard, I fell directly into the cold lake water. I had just donated 600cc of blood and was already weak, now I felt like my whole body was turning into an ice cube, unable to move. Struggling in the freezing cold water, I saw Camilla standing on the shore, looking at me with a cold smile. “Well, well, if it isn’t our little wife Evelyn? Still alive, are you?” She walked to my hospital bed, looking down at me with contempt in her voice. “I’m surprised you actually signed the surgery consent form. I thought you’d refuse to save my life for the sake of your pathetic self-respect.” “Looks like you do have some self-awareness after all.” “You know that the only use for your worthless life is to save mine.” She paused, her tone becoming even more cutting. “But don’t even think about marrying Adrian.” “Forget about me not agreeing, Adrian’s family would never allow it.” “How could they possibly let someone like you, with such an unclear background, marry into their wealthy family?” With that, Camilla took a bank card out of her pocket and threw it onto my hospital bed. “Take this money after the surgery and get as far away as possible.” “If you ever show up in front of Adrian and me again, you’ll face the consequences.” But I looked at the bank card and just shook my head. I was about to leave this world anyway, what use did I have for money? “I don’t need your money.” Camilla’s face immediately darkened. “You’re asking for trouble!” “Since you care so much about your image in Adrian’s eyes, I’ll make sure you give up completely.” The next moment, she grabbed the bowl of hot medicine Adrian had left on the table and suddenly splashed it on her own face. Then, she covered her face and started screaming loudly, pretending to be in pain. “Ah! It’s so hot!” She moaned in pain while secretly glancing at me from the corner of her eye, her lips curling into a sinister cold smile, but her voice still pretending to be sincere: “Miss Evelyn, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I didn’t realize the medicine was so hot.” “But if doing this makes you feel better, I won’t tell Adrian you splashed me.” I saw through Camilla’s poor acting at a glance. It was the same old trick. She had used this method to frame me more than once or twice. Every time, Adrian would punish me without considering the consequences. Sure enough, the next moment Adrian pushed open the door and walked in. He saw this scene, and his face immediately turned ugly. He then quickly walked up to me and raised his hand, about to hit me. But the next moment, his hand suddenly stopped in mid-air, followed by a sigh. “Evelyn, don’t let this happen again.”

Seeing that Adrian didn’t actually hit me, not only was I surprised, but Camilla also looked at Adrian as if she had seen a ghost, her face full of astonishment. “Adrian, she splashed me, why aren’t you doing anything about it?” “Don’t tell me… you’ve actually fallen for this bootlicker?” Adrian sighed helplessly, then held Camilla’s hand tightly. “Camilla, you can act up however you want usually, it doesn’t matter.” “But Evelyn’s safety is very important right now. Without her, your life might not be saved.” “Let’s focus on the big picture, okay?” Hearing this, I was suddenly shocked. So, for these seven years, Adrian had always known that Camilla was doing it on purpose. He just loved her too much, so he knew but didn’t say anything. For a moment, Camilla knew she was in the wrong, her face alternating between shades of green and white. “Evelyn, don’t get cocky. Don’t forget what I said earlier, Adrian will absolutely never marry you!” She glared at me fiercely before storming out, slamming the door behind her. Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Adrian took the initiative to offer to take me back. I nodded, after all, my body was still quite weak. On the way, we passed by a shopping mall. In the window display, a pair of platinum rings shimmered under the lights. The style was exactly the same as the one my husband gave me when he proposed. I couldn’t help but stop, my gaze fixed on that ring. “You like it?” Adrian followed my gaze, his tone indifferent. “Let me make this clear in advance. Although I agreed to marry you, it’s only for Camilla’s surgery.” “Don’t even think about wedding rings and such.” “I only have Camilla in my heart. You’re just a wife in name, don’t fantasize about anything.” But I just smiled faintly. “It’s okay, I don’t mind.” “As long as I can help you fulfill your wish, I’m satisfied.” Hearing this, the smile on Adrian’s face suddenly froze. For the rest of the journey, he didn’t say another word. Until a car at the intersection couldn’t brake in time and suddenly lost control, rushing towards us. Adrian was still looking down, seemingly lost in thought, completely unaware of the approaching danger. My heart suddenly tightened. If he died, what about my task? What about my husband’s illness? Almost instinctively, I suddenly pushed Adrian away. “Evelyn! Are you crazy?” Adrian stumbled from my push, frowning as he looked at me. But the next second, he saw me being hit by the car and lying on the ground covered in blood. His pupils suddenly contracted, his face filled with disbelief. “Evelyn!” He stumbled towards me, his voice trembling. “Why… why did you still save me?” I was in so much pain I could barely speak, but I still managed to force out a smile. “I just… didn’t want to see you die…” Hearing this, the usually cold and arrogant Adrian’s eyes reddened. “Fool, you really are a fool.” “How can there be someone like you in this world?” I looked at him, but just managed a weak smile. He had grown up in a world of intrigue and deception among the wealthy elite, how could he have ever seen pure kindness? In the end, he was also a pitiful person. Just as Adrian was about to call an ambulance, his phone suddenly rang. It was Adrian’s secretary. “Young Master Adrian, it’s terrible! Miss Camilla’s condition has suddenly worsened, she might not make it!” “We need to operate immediately! Please bring Evelyn over for the blood transfusion right away!” Adrian was stunned, looking at me, then at his phone. “But… Evelyn is injured too, she needs treatment now…” On the other end of the phone, the secretary was shocked: “Young Master Adrian, what are you saying?” “Who is Evelyn compared to Miss Camilla’s life?” I looked at Adrian, somewhat surprised. In seven years, this was the first time he had hesitated between me and Camilla. Probably because I had just saved him, and he felt guilty. But I didn’t care. I was happy to have the surgery early and complete the task. I struggled to get up from the ground, a wave of intense pain spreading through my body. “Let’s go.” “Let’s go perform the surgery for Camilla now.” Adrian’s eyes immediately widened. “But… but you’re injured now! If you have surgery recklessly, you could die!” I waved my hand dismissively. “It doesn’t matter.” “Saving someone is the most important thing, isn’t it?” Adrian stared at me blankly, his eyes complex. He probably never imagined that in this situation, I would still be thinking about saving Camilla. He was silent for a moment, and finally said nothing, turning to walk towards the car. On the way, neither of us spoke. It wasn’t until just before entering the operating room that Adrian spoke again. “Evelyn…” “Why… why are you doing this?” But I just smiled. “Of course it’s because you’re very important to me.” Adrian was immediately stunned, a barely noticeable flicker of emotion passing through his eyes. I turned and walked into the operating room. Just before the door closed, Adrian suddenly said softly. “Evelyn.” “You’re not allowed to die…” His voice was very quiet. Although I heard it, I didn’t respond. After all, once this surgery was completed, I would leave this world. Such a promise meant nothing to me. In the operating room, under the cold light. I lay on the operating table, watching my blood slowly flow into Camilla’s body. Camilla’s face gradually regained its rosy color, and her breathing became steady. The doctors all breathed a sigh of relief. I also breathed a sigh of relief, forcing out a weak smile. It’s over. These seven years of strategy were finally over. “Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the task. Your husband’s cancer has been successfully cured, and you will return to the real world soon.” … Meanwhile. Upon learning that the surgery went smoothly, Adrian took a deep breath and walked into my hospital room with an exquisite ring box, clearing his throat: “You worked hard today.” “I don’t like owing people favors. You’ve been eyeing that ring, right? I saw it wasn’t expensive so I bought it on a whim. Try it on.” But there was no response from me on the hospital bed. Adrian called out in confusion. “Evelyn?” “Did you hear what I said…”

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I’ve always had a terrible sense of direction, constantly getting lost since I was little. The worst time was when I was eight; I almost got kidnapped by traffickers. So, Leo, my brother, gave me a GPS watch and taught me how to use it again and again. “Just follow the GPS, and you’ll find your way home, got it?” I nodded hard, and from then on, the watch never left my wrist. But soon after, Mom’s biological daughter was found, and my family changed completely towards me. Even if I didn’t come home for a whole night, they wouldn’t worry anymore. It was New Year’s again, and Leo, completely out of character, took me on a trip. He spent over ten days playing with me. The last stop was a remote village. He asked for my watch and tinkered with it for ages. The next day, I couldn’t reach him at all. Looking at the strange location on my watch, I suddenly understood everything. When I was leaving, a villager wondered, “You’re leaving too? Where are you going?” I just smiled at him. “Home.”

I died on New Year’s Day. My soul floated out of my body and drifted back home. Finally, I understood why Leo had suddenly wanted to take me on that trip. It turned out the “real” daughter, Chloe, wanted to celebrate New Year’s without me. The dinner table was filled with laughter and warmth; Chloe was the happiest. “With her gone, the food tastes so much better!” Mom and Dad looked embarrassed, and Leo frowned slightly. “Why don’t you like Stella? She never bothered you, and she’s always been so considerate.” Chloe’s eyes flashed with annoyance, and she raised an eyebrow, retorting: “Why do I need a reason? Do I have to be bullied to dislike someone?” Leo fell silent. Ever since Chloe was found, she’d been diagnosed with depression. At home, she was the princess, her word was law. The slightest inconvenience, and she’d threaten to kill herself. No one dared cross her. When I was alive, I even walked around her. “What, you all miss her, huh?” Seeing no one speak, Chloe threw down her forks. “I just don’t get it. I’m your real daughter! What’s so great about that fake anyway?” The atmosphere at home instantly grew heavy. Mom quickly grabbed Chloe’s hand, gently soothing her: “Chloe, don’t be upset. We don’t like her. It’s just… we’re a little unaccustomed.” “If you even mention her again, I’m running away!” Chloe’s face completely darkened. She yanked her hand away from Mom. “If you miss her so much, then just bring her back!” “We’re not…” “I just wanted to celebrate New Year’s without her! What’s so wrong with that?!” Mom’s comforting words were cut short as Chloe’s emotions flared. “I’m the victim here! She grew up in this family, enjoying everything that should have been mine. I just hate her!” “I’m begging you, just leave her alone! I’m seriously going to break!” Saying this, she covered her face, tears instantly flowing. Mom and Dad’s faces went pale with worry, trying desperately to comfort her. Only Leo frowned. “For you, I changed Stella’s GPS watch location.” “If she gets lost and something happens, we’re all responsible.” Mom shot Leo an angry glare, signaling him to stop talking. Chloe took her hands from her face, her chin jutted out, demanding: “What could possibly happen to a grown person? Is she going to die or something?” Her emotions were clearly spiraling out of control. Leo stared at her, his face grim, for a long moment, then finally sighed. “Let’s just leave it for now. After New Year’s, I’ll go pick her up myself.” Chloe immediately broke into a satisfied smile. And I, floating in the air, let out a bitter laugh. Chloe’s words were prophetic. I really was dead.

Leo forgot that I was twenty-two now, not an eight-year-old child anymore. I could read electronic devices, use navigation. So even without the watch, my soul could find its way home accurately. The reason I didn’t come back, why I stupidly followed the modified location, was because I understood: I was superfluous in this family. Leo was a terrible actor. When I got lost as a child and was finally found, he would scold me with a stern face, but his voice was full of worry and concern. It was the same now. Two days ago, I asked him what was so fun about the small mountain village, and why we weren’t going home since New Year’s was approaching. He smiled at me, but his eyes were full of guilt. “No rush to go home. I finally have time to spend with you, let’s enjoy a few more days.” I sensed something was off then, but I didn’t say anything. Until he asked for my watch, saying he wanted to take a picture so he could buy one for Chloe too. I took off the watch and handed it to him. His fingers trembled as he tinkered with it. Even after he put the watch back on my wrist, his grim expression didn’t improve one bit. I smiled and asked, “Leo, this watch is so old-school. You should just get Chloe a new one, or she’ll be upset.” Leo couldn’t even look me in the eye. “It’s fine, we’ll just get this one.” I became even more certain he was hiding something. That night, I took off the watch and inspected it carefully. Sure enough, I found the location had been changed. Though on the surface, the address still looked like our home in the city, if you clicked on it and did a quick hack, you’d find the GPS was set to a forest outside Oakwood Village. Leo probably just picked a random spot, not realizing it was a forest. My heart plummeted to hell in that instant. But I didn’t go to him, and I didn’t ask. Because I knew he was in a difficult position too. Chloe always found me unbearable, and with her ‘depression,’ she’d threaten to kill herself at the drop of a hat. He’d been torn between me and his biological sister for nearly ten years; it hadn’t been easy for him either. The next morning, Leo didn’t come to knock on my door as usual. I knew he had probably gone home. So I went out too, following the location on my watch. On the way, a villager recognized me: “Aren’t you from the city, here on vacation? Your brother left early this morning. Are you leaving too? Where are you headed?” I swallowed the bitter pill in my heart, forcing a smile. “Home.” The villager frowned. “The road to town isn’t this way. Don’t go any further, there are wolves, snakes, and traps in that forest.” I smiled and said, “It’s okay, I’ll be careful.” Even if it was hell, if Leo wanted me to go, I would. The villager gave up and went home. I had planned to leave the watch at the designated spot so Leo wouldn’t worry, and then leave the forest to find somewhere else to live. Who knew I hadn’t walked more than a few steps before I fell into a trap. There was no cell signal, and I couldn’t call for help. I fell into despair, completely helpless. Even worse, there was a poisonous snake in the pit. That night, I was bitten and died. … “Stella’s watch signal is gone!” Leo’s frantic voice snapped me out of my thoughts. He was staring at his phone, face grim, then he got up to get dressed. “Stella won’t be in trouble, will she? No, I have to go find her!”

“Maybe she just turned off the watch herself, why are you so anxious?” Chloe grabbed Leo, “You can’t leave! It’s New Year’s, and you promised to spend it with me!” Leo helplessly patted her head. “Chloe, behave. I’ll just go check on her. If she’s not in any danger, I’ll be right back.” “I’ll send someone to look.” Chloe insisted, “You have to stay home with me today!” Leo furrowed his brow, about to say something else. Chloe suddenly grabbed a fruit knife from the table and held it to her throat. “If you dare walk out that door today, I swear I’ll kill myself right here!” Mom and Dad screamed, and Leo gasped in horror, quickly raising his hands to placate her. “Okay, okay, I won’t go! Just put the knife down!” A flicker of triumph crossed Chloe’s eyes. She tossed the knife aside. “It’s just finding someone, right? It doesn’t have to be you. Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.” Leo bent down, shaken, picked up the knife, and returned it to the kitchen. “Don’t grab knives like that all the time. What if you get hurt?” Watching his worried expression, a dull ache spread through my chest. When I was little, if I didn’t come home for more than two hours, he would panic. Back then, he was the same way, scolding me verbally, but his face was full of worry. “Do you know how long I looked for you? Who told you to run off? What if something happened?” But ever since Chloe came back, I became invisible. Even if I deliberately didn’t come home for a whole night, no one cared. When I was a teenager, I couldn’t understand and once asked Leo, my eyes red, why he didn’t look for me. He shook his head, amused. “Stella, didn’t you have your GPS watch?” “I told you, that was the way home. You could find your way back yourself.” Years later, that sentence still echoed in my mind. What I couldn’t understand before, I understood perfectly now. The way home? From the moment Chloe returned, I had no home anymore. The next day at noon, Chloe showed Leo a video. The video showed my back, happily picking mushrooms. Chloe’s assistant asked, “Stella, do you want to come home?” I didn’t even turn around, impatiently saying, “Tell Mom and Dad I’m doing great here, and I’m never coming back.” The assistant asked again, “Where’s your watch?” My tone was flat, “It’s off.” The video was clearly doctored, but Leo didn’t notice. He didn’t care what I said; instead, he sighed in relief, smiling. “It’s good that Stella’s okay. Looks like she’s quite used to living there.” “I’ll go pick her up after New Year’s.” Chloe was furious. “Didn’t you hear her say she doesn’t want to come back?” Leo didn’t care. “It’s just a phase. Nowhere’s better than home. She’ll get tired of it after New Year’s.” Saying this, he didn’t forget to add, “Tell your assistant to leave Stella some extra cash, so she doesn’t run out.” He said this and then left for work, completely missing the fierce jealousy in Chloe’s eyes. The door clicked shut, and Chloe immediately called her assistant. “Bury Stella’s body somewhere, anywhere. Even dead, she’s still got Leo wrapped around her finger. What a bitch!” The assistant, who had never done anything like this, his voice trembling, “What if they find out…?” “What are you scared of? You didn’t kill her. Burying her is practically doing a good deed!” Saying this, she remembered something else, and a strange, chilling smile played on her lips. “Oh, and get her phone back for me.” “Leo will definitely text her. If no one replies, he’ll get suspicious.”

Just like that, after New Year’s, Chloe didn’t act up for several days. Mom and Dad were happy. When they occasionally talked about me, the topic was often: “If we’d known Chloe would be normal once Stella left, we should have sent her away sooner.” In the whole family, only Leo still thought of me. He often sent me messages on SnapChat, asking if I’d eaten, slept, or if I was having a good time. But “I” replied very coolly, usually no more than three words. Leo thought I was just having too much fun and didn’t think much of it. Until the week before New Year’s Eve, Chloe threw out all my belongings and turned my room into a dog’s room. Leo came home from work and saw workers dismantling my bed and nailing dog toys to the walls. His face instantly darkened, his voice icy. “Who told you to do this?!” The workers jumped in fright. Chloe spoke from behind him. “I did. Stella isn’t coming back anyway, so there’s no point in keeping this room.” When Leo turned around, his eyes flashed with strong displeasure. “I said I was going to pick Stella up after New Year’s. How could you just take matters into your own hands and turn her room into a…” “Took matters into my own hands?” Chloe’s voice rose several octaves. “What? Isn’t this my house? Just because I’m redecorating, I’m ‘taking matters into my own hands’?” Leo was barely restraining his fury. “At least tell me! There are no empty rooms left. Where do you expect Stella to stay?” “Stella, Stella! Is Stella the only one you care about?!” Chloe’s chest heaved with rage, her emotions instantly collapsing. “I’m your real sister! Do I even exist to you?!” “What’s all this commotion?” Mom and Dad, hearing the commotion, rushed out. Seeing the tension between Chloe and Leo, they started sweating with anxiety. Chloe grabbed her hair, screaming wildly. “I told you I don’t like her! Why do you keep bringing her up in front of me?!” “Do you want to drive me to my death to be happy? Huh? You’d be thrilled if I died right now, wouldn’t you?!” Mom’s face went white with fear. She quickly grabbed Chloe’s hand and snapped at Leo. “What did you say now?!” Leo was exhausted and helpless, his voice hoarse. “She turned Stella’s room into a dog’s room, and I just said…” “Can’t you just make things easy for me?!” Before Leo could finish, Mom roared. “Stella has sent you so many messages saying she’s not coming back, can’t you understand?! For a room, you’re upsetting Chloe like this. What kind of brother are you?!” Leo froze, slowly pressed his lips together, and remained silent. And Chloe, as if she’d caught a trigger word, shook off Mom’s hand and lunged towards the wall. “I don’t want to live! Let me die! He’ll be happy if I die, won’t he?!” Mom was thrown to the ground. Luckily, Dad reacted quickly and grabbed Chloe. The house was in chaos. The workers didn’t know whether to continue or stop, standing awkwardly with their tools. Chloe was crying hysterically, constantly shouting that she wanted to die, to be free. Mom suddenly stood up from the floor, rushed to Leo, and slapped him twice! Leo’s head snapped to the side, his fair face rapidly swelling and turning red. I gasped, covering my mouth, unable to believe Mom, who was always so gentle, now glared at him with red eyes and screamed: “I’m warning you, Leo! If you dare mention Stella in this house again, I’ll disown you!” “We weren’t bad to Stella all these years. She said she wasn’t coming home, we didn’t abandon her!” “If anything happens to Chloe because of you and Stella, I’ll haunt both of you even after I’m dead!” Those words were too harsh. Leo’s eyelashes trembled slightly, his eyes slowly turning red. His jawline tightened, and after a long moment, he spoke with a hint of sarcasm. “Fine, I’ll never mention Stella’s name in this house again.” Saying this, he turned and walked into his bedroom, slamming his door shut. Dad and Mom were busy comforting Chloe, completely missing that Leo’s mood was off too. I floated into his bedroom, just in time to see him pull out his phone and text me. “Stella, I’ll come pick you up tomorrow.” His eyes were bloodshot, as if about to bleed. Growing up, I’d never seen him look so utterly broken. But the reply was ruthless: [No need. I’m not coming back. I have a new brother now.] Leo’s pupils constricted, and he completely panicked. [What about the watch I gave you? You promised you’d always wear it!] If the watch was on, he could find me by its location. But my reply made him clutch his phone in an instant. [Threw it away. What’s the point of keeping something useless?]

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I deliberately smashed the mall’s glass entrance and surrendered myself to the police. My husband, Ryan, rushed over, furious, demanding, “It was something we could have settled with money, so why on earth did you turn yourself in?” Because in my previous life, after his ex-girlfriend, Chloe, failed her business venture, she came crawling back to him. Chloe drove, staged a car accident, killed someone, and framed me for it—all to seize our millions. Later, the victim’s family and reporters furiously descended on me, absolutely convinced I was the culprit. I tried desperately to prove my innocence, but every video evidence they found showed my face. Ryan, my husband, was the first to insist I’d done it out of spite, an act of revenge against society. I was stabbed to death on the spot by the victim’s family. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the very day Chloe staged the accident. “Maya, why send yourself to jail for something we could just pay our way out of? Are you out of your mind?” My husband, Ryan, rushed over, his voice sharp with anger as he yelled at me. I simply raised my hands. The officer beside me already clicked the handcuffs onto my wrists. “Ryan, when you do something wrong, you have to own it. I made a mistake, and I scared people.” “I think it’s important for me to go to the station and seriously reflect on what I’ve done.” Ryan immediately pulled out a thick wad of cash. “We have money, plenty of it! Don’t arrest my wife!” The officer shot Ryan an annoyed look. “Sir, a mistake needs to be addressed!” “Take her in!” Ryan trembled with rage. No matter how much he pleaded, I insisted I needed to reflect. Thanks to my cooperative attitude, I was sentenced to just a week at the police station for reflection. Even though for those seven days, my freedom was restricted to the station, I felt an unprecedented sense of peace. This time, I couldn’t possibly get tangled in those same old troubles, right? In my previous life, my husband had an ex-girlfriend, Chloe. After she arrived in the city, it was like she’d completely stolen Ryan’s heart. He barely spent a night at home. “If you go looking for Chloe again, we’re getting a divorce!” After a massive fight, Ryan stormed out, slamming the door behind him. He didn’t come back all night. I knew he had gone to see his ex, Chloe, again. The next day, Chloe, my husband’s ex-girlfriend, caused a hit-and-run, resulting in a death. The circumstances were horrific. She had struck and killed a pregnant woman, eight months along! I urged Chloe to surrender quickly and offer generous compensation, to meet any demands the victim’s family might have. But Chloe just sneered, “Who said I hit her? Didn’t you hit her?” I wanted to prove my innocence, but whether it was the dashcam footage or street surveillance, it was my face. I had no defense. Ryan even claimed I’d had a vengeful breakdown due to our rocky marriage and lashed out at society. Reporters, swarming the scene, twisted the narrative, painting me as a ruthless killer. I tried desperately to explain, but when the victim’s family found me, they rushed forward and stabbed me. I collapsed in a pool of blood, utterly bewildered. Why was Chloe’s deed being pinned on me? Confused but determined not to repeat my past life’s tragic end, I deliberately got myself locked up at the police station.

A week later, I was released from the station. I stepped out into the bright morning sun, taking a deep, cleansing breath. This time, I’d spent the entire week locked up. There was no way the events of my past life could have happened, right? But just as I walked out, someone grabbed my arm, their eyes bloodshot, and started screaming. “This monster! She deliberately ran over my pregnant daughter!” A swarm of reporters was already waiting outside the station. They shoved microphones into my face, one after another. “Maya, you murderer! Are you here at the station to turn yourself in?” The photographers accompanying them aimed their cameras at me, the flashing lights making it hard to keep my eyes open. Passersby, drawn by the commotion, stopped. When they recognized me, they started pointing and whispering. “Look, isn’t that Maya, the woman who ran over a pregnant woman and then fled?” “She’s a menace to society! Two lives lost! She should be put down!” I looked at the aggressive crowd, my brow furrowed. What was going on? I’d been inside the station for the past seven days! “You’re wrong! How could I possibly drive a car and hit a pregnant woman?” The victim’s relative, still gripping my arm, became even more agitated. If I hadn’t been stronger, his fist would have landed on my face. One reporter shoved his phone right in front of me. I stared at the video on the screen, my eyes wide with horror. The dashcam footage showed me behind the wheel, a twisted smile plastered on my face, aiming straight for the pregnant woman on the sidewalk, and slamming the accelerator. It was my face in the video, laughing hysterically as I hit the pregnant woman! A sickeningly cheerful voice, unmistakably mine, echoed, “Oops, my bad!” “Who told you to be so unlucky?” Then, my husband, Ryan, appeared. He yanked me out of the driver’s seat. “Maya, what in God’s name are you doing? How could you do something so stupid and hateful?” In the video, I violently pushed Ryan away, then drove off, and the dashcam footage ended there. My face turned ashen. This was exactly how it happened in my previous life! But I’d spent seven days locked up in the police station. How could this still be happening? “Still trying to explain? Isn’t this explanation enough?!” The victim’s relative, his veins throbbing on his forehead, was regaining strength. My arm began to tremble. The eyes of the surrounding onlookers burned with fury. “It’s confirmed! It’s this monster! There’s no mistake!” “Hitting an eight-month pregnant woman with a car? Is she even human?” “I saw it! She hit her once, then drove over her multiple times!” “Oh my God, that poor woman might have survived even after a miscarriage, but this monster ran her over so many times she died on the spot! She deserves to die!” Sweat beaded on my forehead. I rushed to explain, “I’ve been in the police station for seven days! How could I have done something like this?” The victim’s relative lunged, almost head-butting me. “The person in this video is you! If it’s not you, then who is it?” My forehead ached. I quickly continued, “Chloe did it! She’s my husband’s ex-girlfriend! She’s the one who killed the pregnant woman…” “Maya, that’s enough! Do you think hiding in the police station makes you innocent?” My husband, Ryan, had reached me and was shouting fiercely. My eyes widened, and a sudden sharp pain shot through my waist! It was Chloe, Ryan’s ex-girlfriend, who had just kicked me. “Maya, how long are you going to keep denying it?”

“It wasn’t me! Why should I confess?” I yelled, gritting my teeth against the pain. Ryan, my own husband, slapped me across the face. “Maya, what has gotten into you?” “When you do something wrong, you admit it! Do you think you’re still some childish brat?” I suppressed my rage and continued to explain, “I told you it wasn’t me! You’re trying so hard to frame me, you two must have something to hide, don’t you?” Chloe feigned another kick, aiming viciously at my waist. “Maya, with all the evidence against you, you’re still trying to argue!” “People like you don’t deserve the protection of the law. You should be executed on the spot!” The other reporters immediately turned most of their cameras towards Chloe. Chloe’s words clearly resonated with them. Someone like me, who would seek revenge on society and kill a pregnant woman, shouldn’t be subject to legal proceedings; I should be executed immediately! The crowd around us grew increasingly incensed. “I say we execute this menace right here, right now!” “If she’s just sentenced, it’ll probably be life in prison! That’s two lives! How can she get off so lightly?” Just then, another man with bloodshot eyes approached from a distance, clutching a small knife. The surrounding citizens and reporters flinched when they saw the knife, quickly backing away from the man. “Maya, you deserve to die! Give me back my wife! Give me back my child!” With that, he raised the knife, aiming for my chest. This man was David, the pregnant woman’s husband. His long-awaited baby was about to be born, and now both his child and his beloved wife were dead because of me. He had only one thought: a life for a life. He absolutely would not let me live. I was pinned to the spot, cold sweat beading on my temples. Reborn, was I still unable to change my tragic fate? I strained with all my might, almost giving up. Just then, a police baton whipped out swiftly, and a young officer knocked the knife from David’s hand. “What do you think you’re doing? Back away!” My husband, Ryan, and his ex, Chloe, both took a step back. But the victim’s family members instantly lunged and tackled me to the ground. “Officer, help me!” Ryan sighed dramatically. “Maya, the police are here now. Just confess.” Chloe shouted from behind, “The police are here to arrest you! Are you still going to deny it?” The officer frowned. “What’s going on, Maya? You just got out a little while ago. Are you causing trouble again?” “It’s her! She’s the murderer who hit and killed my wife yesterday! Two lives gone! Please, give me justice!” At that moment, David, the pregnant woman’s husband, suddenly screamed hysterically. “That’s right! She’s monstrous! We demand she be shot!” Others chimed in, but the police looked confused. “Yesterday? Maya has been in our station for the past seven days, hasn’t she?” “What? How could she be at the station?!” Chloe sensed something was wrong. She quickly ducked into the crowd, her voice shrill. “Officer, are you trying to protect this murderer?” Ryan also reacted. “Exactly! I’m her husband, and I can testify that Maya did this!” With everyone chiming in, all the cameras and microphones were shoved in front of the officer who had just intervened. The duty officer, seeing the commotion, couldn’t help but frown and take a step back. My husband, Ryan, continued to shriek, “Officer, you haven’t been bribed by Maya, have you?” “Maya always throws her money around to get what she wants! Are you going to ignore the law’s justice too?!” His outburst further inflamed the crowd’s emotions. The two victim’s family members pressed down on me even harder, as if they wanted to tear me limb from limb. The officer’s face darkened. “Don’t talk nonsense! We uphold the law fairly! If you don’t believe me, you can check the station’s records!” He moved to have someone retrieve the records. Seeing the crowd’s agitation waver, Ryan and Chloe exchanged a glance. Ryan suddenly shouted, “We have more evidence!” My heart sank. Ryan glared at me viciously. “Maya, do you think bribing the police means we’re helpless against you? Take a good look. Who is this?” Ryan stepped aside, and an old man, trembling, walked out from behind him. He came before me and, with a look of righteous indignation, pointed at me. “It was her! She was the monstrous one who killed them!” My gaze sharpened. I stared at the man in disbelief! “Dad?”

I stared at my father in utter disbelief, my whole body trembling slightly, my breathing growing shallow. How could this be? Why would my dad point the finger at me? Did he really see it? But I’d been at the police station, doing nothing! No, absolutely not! What in the world was going on?! At that moment, the crowd erupted again. “Is that Maya’s father?” “Even her own father is pointing her out! It must be her! You monster, what else do you have to say for yourself?” Many passersby also joined the furious chorus. “Maya, stop pretending! You’re cold-hearted, manipulative, and fake! How long are you going to keep up this act?” Ryan yelled. I shouted back, fighting for breath, “It wasn’t me! Why should I confess to something I didn’t do?” A thought suddenly struck me. “Right! I’ve been at the police station these past few days! I demand they check the surveillance footage to prove my innocence!” I looked at the officer behind me; he seemed stunned. It was true I’d been locked up for days, but these people were so absolutely convinced it was me. Not only did they have video evidence, but now my own father was testifying against me. Seeing the crowd swell, the officer quickly made a call. “I’ve sent a colleague to retrieve the video! Everyone, calm down!” The officer pacified the crowd, and soon a duty officer brought up the surveillance footage from the duty room. If the previous video could be faked, the police station’s cameras could not. I glanced at Ryan and Chloe. I’d intentionally kept myself locked up for days, waiting for this very moment. I wanted to see what other excuses they could possibly have. At this, a flicker of guilt crossed Ryan’s eyes. Chloe, who had been loudly screaming just moments ago, also frowned deeply. The duty officer inserted the video and began to fast-forward. In the video, I was indeed calmly sitting in the police station. “Ryan, what do you have to say now?!” I demanded loudly. Ryan couldn’t retort. However, Chloe, staring at the video, suddenly yelled, “Wait a minute!” She pointed at a specific segment of the video. “Look! Isn’t that Maya walking out of the police station?” The blurry video only showed a figure in a yellow coat passing by. I had been wearing that same coat when I entered the station. I froze! Seeing this, Ryan’s expression turned triumphant, and he quickly spoke up. “Maya, you dare to say that’s not you?! Ah, you! You bribed the police, didn’t you?! You snuck out, committed the crime, and then came back!” At his words, the crowd immediately started questioning the duty officer. “What’s going on? You said you weren’t protecting Maya! Then who is that person?” The duty officer also looked stunned. They all remembered me wearing a yellow trench coat when I came in. I had specifically chosen that coat to make myself memorable. I stared at the video footage, my scalp prickling, a wave of icy dread washing over me from my feet to the top of my head. “That’s definitely not me! I’ve been inside the police station for the entire seven days!” Ryan, my husband, secretly breathed a sigh of relief and continued to fan the flames. “Maya, you’re a menace to society! You shouldn’t even exist! You committed such a heinous crime, and you’re still so arrogant.” Chloe, my husband’s ex-girlfriend, continued to shriek. Spurred on by the commotion, one of the victim’s family members quietly picked up the knife that had fallen to the ground. His bloodshot eyes were fixed on me. The moment the officers showed any slack, he would charge forward and stab me to death. “Oh my god, it really is this damn monster! What’s this villain even arguing about?” “Maya must have bribed an officer, who quietly let her out for half a day, and then she returned to the station.” The two victim’s family members were thoroughly enraged. “You monster! Give me back my wife’s life!” They pushed past the officers protecting me, rushing forward, intent on making me pay for blood with blood. My heart pounded in panic. There was nowhere to hide! Just then, a voice finally rang out from behind me. “Everyone stop! I can prove Maya is innocent!” Hearing those words, I finally let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. I knew it. The person I was waiting for had arrived!

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My Judge Husband Favored His First Love, Only to Learn the Shocking Truth After My Death After my husband lost his memory, he fell for another woman. He saw me as nothing but a nuisance. As a judge, he even sentenced me to death with his own lips when his mistress framed me. “Avery Shaw, don’t blame me for being heartless. You refused to divorce me, insisted on clinging to me, and stood in the way of me and Serena being together.” Then, I really died. But my husband, his memory restored, went insane. I died in a cold prison cell, brutally tortured to death by the other inmates. My body was a wreck of broken bones and fractures, covered in so many bruises and bloodstains that there wasn’t an inch of unmarked skin left. Someone was trying to reach my husband, Gaylen Hayes, to inform him to collect my body. Over the phone, I heard his voice – mocking, filled with disgust: “Avery Shaw probably put you up to this, trying to trick me. That woman never changes, always scheming, even in prison.” “I sentenced her to death, yes, but it was suspended for two years. As long as she behaves well in prison, there’s still hope for a reduced sentence, maybe even life imprisonment, or getting out!” “I already gave her a chance, what more does she want from me?” “Tell Avery Shaw to stop bothering me!” Gaylen impatiently hung up. A bitter, humorless laugh escaped me. Why, even after I’d died, after I’d become a mere soul, did I still have to hear such cruel, heartless words? Gaylen himself had put me in here. Did he truly believe I’d ever see the light of day again? Didn’t he know I was specifically placed in a cell with a group of hardened, vicious inmates? It was as if they were acting on someone’s orders, subjecting me to unspeakable abuse every single day. For me, death wasn’t a punishment; it was a release. I found Gaylen in a high-end French restaurant. I had just died, yet he was enjoying a candlelit dinner with a charming, graceful woman. Lost in a haze of sweet affection, they were sharing intimate sips of red wine, their eyes locked in adoration. “This restaurant is excellent. You truly have good taste,” Gaylen praised softly, his face alight with tenderness. That scene made me recall the last time I took Gaylen out. He would always complain that my chosen restaurants weren’t elegant or stylish enough. Even when I meticulously picked places that perfectly matched his aesthetic and preferences, he’d still nitpick and find fault. “Avery Shaw, what kind of dump is this? The food is awful, and the service is terrible!” “Just like you – terrible!” Our meals always ended in arguments and resentment. Now, thinking back, it probably wasn’t the restaurant’s fault at all. The real issue was *who* he was dining with. The woman sitting opposite him was Serena Thorne, Gaylen’s new mistress. Serena thoughtfully cut Gaylen’s steak for him and even raised a silver fork to his lips. Gaylen happily opened his mouth and ate. “Gaylen,” Serena glanced at the watch on her wrist, then looked up, her gaze full of suggestive meaning, “Want to come over to my place tonight?” “Oh, I don’t think that’s appropriate.” Serena cajoled, “It doesn’t matter, she’s already… gone.” Gaylen’s face immediately darkened, and he scowled in disgust. “Don’t mention that nauseating name.” “You wouldn’t believe it, she even bribed the prison staff to lie and tell me to collect her body. All she wants is an excuse to see me.” “Hmph, don’t I know her? I have no idea where she gets the nerve to keep pestering me. She’s like a persistent leech, absolutely sickening.” Hearing that, my chest ached with a bitter pang, yet I still tried to console myself. *It’s okay.* Gaylen was just suffering from amnesia. He once loved me dearly.

When Gaylen first mentioned the prison, a flicker of unease, a hint of guilt, danced in Serena’s eyes. Gaylen didn’t notice. That very night, he brought Serena back to the home *we* once shared. As they entered, Gaylen opened the shoe cabinet and glanced at my pink slippers. Those were the matching slippers Gaylen and I bought together at the supermarket years ago. Mine were pink, his gray. The designs, when put together, formed a heart. Gaylen pulled out my slippers, and I expected him to offer them to Serena. But to my shock, he tossed them outside, an unconcealed look of disgust on his face. “Belongings of a criminal. They’re tainted.” I had thought that after death, I wouldn’t feel pain anymore. Yet, in that moment, a thousand tiny needles pricked my chest. He took his own gray slippers and handed them to Serena. “Let’s go to the supermarket tomorrow. We can buy two new pairs of slippers, and some other essentials. Everything in this house needs replacing.” I understood Gaylen’s implication. It wasn’t just the things in the house that needed replacing; the mistress of the house had already been replaced. Gaylen went to shower first, while Serena wandered through the house. Her warm smile had vanished, replaced by a cold, sneering expression. A contemptuous smirk played on her lips as she looked at the row of gold trophies displayed in the glass cabinet. I was a professional race car driver, a global champion. Each of those trophies was earned by risking my life, trading heartbeat for victory, racing on the edge of death. But Serena, without a blink, smiled and pushed the cabinet. With a sickening crash! The cabinet toppled, glass shattered everywhere, and the trophies broke in half. No—!! My phantom self screamed and lunged, wanting to stop her, but it was utterly futile. Hearing the commotion, Gaylen, wrapped in a towel after his shower, rushed out. He stared at the wreckage, momentarily stunned, then quickly walked over, his expression tense. A sliver of hope flickered within me. Gaylen knew how much those trophies meant to me. He had even been present at a few of my races, witnessing firsthand the danger and thrill of the sport, knowing how incredibly hard I fought to win those awards. More importantly, the first thing I did after winning a championship was to hold the trophy and propose to him! He had laughed so happily back then. Those were *our* most precious, shared memories. Would Gaylen show any displeasure? Even a simple word? Gaylen walked past me, his eyes seemingly only seeing Serena. “Oh my god, are you okay? What happened? Are you hurt?” He took Serena’s hand, examining her carefully, and still not satisfied, asked, “Should I take you to the hospital right now for a check-up?” My spirit sank, heavy with sorrow. Right. Gaylen had forgotten everything about me. He only remembered Serena. He would never remember me again. “I’m fine,” Serena said, feigning guilt. “I was just curious about these trophies and wanted to pick one up, but I accidentally knocked the cabinet over. I’m so sorry, Gaylen.” Gaylen shook his head. “You don’t need to apologize to me. They’re not my things anyway, they’re unimportant.” “Oh, I see.” How could Serena not know they were mine? My name was still engraved on the base of each trophy! But she acted innocent, and Gaylen didn’t suspect a thing. Serena continued to pretend remorse. “So they were hers. It’s all my fault for breaking her things.” “What if she’s unhappy when she gets out of prison?” Gaylen wouldn’t dream of blaming her. “Don’t worry about that scumbag, Avery Shaw.” “She was so jealous of our relationship, she drove and killed your patient and even tried to frame you. I must have been blind to ever be with her.” Serena was a therapist. Her patient, the so-called victim, had severe mental health issues and depressive tendencies. He was a vulnerable young patient abandoned by his parents, which was why Serena represented him in court.

She was also the sole eyewitness at the scene of the accident. This was why Gaylen, blatantly disregarding the law, was completely biased in her favor. Yet, everyone else thought Gaylen was upholding justice. It was bitterly ironic. I knew that after his amnesia, Gaylen utterly detested me, believing I had deceived him years ago. He had tried every possible means to force me to divorce him, wanting me to let him be with Serena. I never agreed to sign the divorce papers because I still held onto a sliver of hope. Maybe one day, he would regain his memory. But I never imagined Gaylen would go to such extremes for Serena! When I was accused of the crime, I explained countless times to Gaylen that I was innocent, that Serena was the real killer. All the evidence pointing to me was fabricated by Serena herself. Of course, Gaylen didn’t believe me. He threw a pre-drafted divorce agreement at me, sneering, “Avery Shaw, I warned you to let go, but you wouldn’t listen. You just had to stand in the way of me and Serena.” “Now look what you’ve done, committing such a disgusting act.” “Don’t worry, I won’t show you an ounce of mercy.” He was true to his word. In court, the moment Gaylen brought down the gavel, my heart turned to ash. The last words I left for him in this world were— “I accept the verdict.” I watched, helpless, as Gaylen deliberately stepped on my trophies, crushing them further. “Cars, cars, cars. All day, she obsessed over her worthless cars. It wasn’t enough that she ruined my life back then, now she’s even involved in a hit-and-run.” “Have Mrs. Davis clean up these broken pieces tomorrow.” He looked around, his eyes filled with profound disgust. “This house really needs a deep clean.” “Being married to a person like her is the greatest stain on my life, my eternal shame.” The next day, Mrs. Davis arrived with her team. Gaylen coldly instructed, “Throw away all the contaminated junk Avery Shaw left behind!” My clothes, my shoes, my used cups and towels… Everything I owned, he treated as trash. Until he found an old, yellowed journal in the study. Because it was with my things, he initially intended to throw it away too. His eyes inadvertently fell upon the name written on it – his own. Gaylen paused, picked up the journal, and hesitantly opened the first page. From outside the study, Serena’s voice called out, “Gaylen, aren’t you done yet?” “…I’ll be right there!” Hearing Serena’s impatient call, Gaylen didn’t bother to read further, casually tossing the journal back into the drawer. He had only taken a fleeting glance, not clearly seeing the content. After having all my belongings packed up and discarded, Gaylen and Serena went to the supermarket together. Like a newlywed couple, they began to furnish their home. Serena pushed the cart ahead. Gaylen walked beside her, his arm linked through hers. As they walked, he suddenly frowned. Perhaps, this scene felt strangely familiar to him. We used to be like this, walking hand-in-hand through the supermarket. I would always fill our cart with all his favorite foods. Then, Gaylen would lean in close, kiss me, and sweetly tease, “You’re so good to me, my love.” This supermarket was the closest to our neighborhood. Whenever we passed by after work, if we had time, we would always stop in. But after that accident, Gaylen no longer wanted to go grocery shopping with me. Serena turned around and saw Gaylen clutching his forehead, his face showing a hint of pain. She quickly asked, “Gaylen, what’s wrong?” “Nothing, I just suddenly thought of… that person.” Gaylen pursed his lips. “I wonder if she’s learned her lesson in prison.” “Never mind. Since she wants me to visit her so badly.” “If I ever have time, I might begrudgingly go for a conjugal visit. I’m not that heartless, you know.” The tone Gaylen used when he said that… It was as if he was granting me a great favor, his eyes and brow radiating self-satisfaction. I wondered if he’d still be smiling when that day came.

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My boyfriend was absolutely crazy about his cars, practically calling them his ‘wifey’. I respected his passion and rarely interfered. Until one day, I overheard him and his friends playing a twisted game of ‘sharing their prized possessions.’ On the huge screen in front of them, my most private videos were playing, a rotating loop of every angle, posture, and expression imaginable. His friend scoffed, “Ryan, Celeste’s shy little act was novel for a bit, but honestly, it’s getting stale.” Ryan just shrugged it off, a dismissive smirk on his face, clearly unbothered. “Just a girl, right? Nowhere near as thrilling as a sports car. Whatever.” But the moment Jake suggested he record some private footage of Tiffany, Ryan instantly snapped, throwing a punch. The private room was filled with my moans, and outside the door, my face went ghost-white. Ryan’s friend picked at his teeth with a toothpick, bored. “Dude, Celeste is so boring. It’s the same few positions over and over, like a plank of wood.” “Honestly, this ‘holier-than-thou’ act gets old fast. Even I couldn’t get it up watching this, which is saying something.” A chorus of derisive laughter filled the room, their contempt blatant. Ryan didn’t argue. He just grinned, utterly unbothered, not refuting a word they said. “Alright, alright, at least you got something to watch. Don’t say I’m not good to you guys. If it weren’t for this game, I wouldn’t even touch her. She’s just a plain-looking, ordinary girl, not even as exciting as my car.” His friend raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile playing on his lips. “You haven’t been ‘active’ in ages, yet you’ve got this hot bombshell always around. Aren’t you tempted? If you ask me, you and Tiffany should give it a shot. You could even record some videos and share some ‘perks’ with us guys, spice things up a bit!” Ryan, who had been so nonchalant moments before, suddenly stiffened when he heard Tiffany’s name. His face darkened like a storm cloud. He didn’t even think, just lunged forward and landed a punch square on his friend’s face. The force was so great that a tooth went flying. “Don’t you dare come up with anything twisted for our own friends! If I catch any of you with those disgusting thoughts again, don’t blame me when I lose it!” The other friends were startled and quickly tried to smooth things over. “Hey, calm down. They’re just girls, right? You weren’t even this mad when you shared your *own* girlfriend’s videos. He just mentioned it, no need to ruin our friendship.” Ryan shook his hand out, his voice laced with menace. “Are good friends and girlfriends the same thing? If you can’t even stick up for your own, what kind of friends are you? I’m warning you, when it comes to me, Tiffany ranks above all of you!” His friends immediately sobered up, nodding frantically and promising to behave. Ryan then reverted to his usual rogueish demeanor. “My girlfriend’s coming to pick me up soon. Shut those videos off, and don’t say anything stupid! She’s super innocent, she wouldn’t understand this kind of game.” I gasped for air, like I was drowning, tears streaming uncontrollably down my face. Even digging my nails into my palms until they bled couldn’t alleviate an ounce of the searing pain in my heart. I could only clutch my rapidly constricting chest, leaning on the wall as I stumbled away. Veins popped out on my neck, barely visible beneath my skin. The distinctive red mole at the corner of my eye, a symbol of my family, pulsed a deeper crimson. Ryan didn’t know I wasn’t some ordinary girl. I was born into a notorious family of troublemakers. Everyone in my family was drop-dead gorgeous, naturally born with a touch of darkness—cold, ruthless, and utterly insane. I was the only anomaly in the family, born sweet and gentle, with a delicate, understated beauty. My bloodline would only awaken under extreme stress or shock. My family, hoping I’d eventually embrace their nature, sent me out into the world from a young age to toughen me up. Ryan was the one I chose. He was famous for loving cars more than women. So, in a way, I deliberately put myself through this challenge. But after spending so much time with him, I genuinely fell in love. I even thought, maybe I wouldn’t go home. I could stay like this, with my current looks and identity, and be with him forever. But in the end, he broke my heart. I found that old, dusty phone number, my fingers trembling. “Julian, I’m coming home. Give me three days.”

Turning around, I saw Tiffany running towards Ryan, kicking his car. “Dork, you always have your get-togethers here and never invite me! I’m gonna find out what kind of trouble you’re brewing!” Ryan’s face changed. I thought he’d lash out at Tiffany for touching his car. But he just sighed. “Don’t take it out on my car, doesn’t your foot hurt?” “I didn’t deliberately exclude you. These are guy-only gatherings, stinky and not really your scene.” “Hmph.” Tiffany snorted. “I’m nothing like your little girlfriend!” “I have to punish this idiot!” Tiffany swung her bag, and its chain instantly scraped a line across Ryan’s car. She then planted her foot on his car, leaving two dirty black footprints, but that wasn’t enough. “What are you standing around for? Help your queen up! Today I’m going to stomp a bunch of footprints all over your car and post them as trophies on Ins!” Ryan, who would usually throw a fit if anyone so much as brushed against his car, only offered a helpless smile when faced with Tiffany’s unreasonable demands. He indulgently wrapped his hands around Tiffany’s waist, lifting her onto the hood of the car. He let Tiffany stomp countless footprints all over his car, then took photos with these “trophies” and posted them on Ins. In the comments, all their mutual friends were marveling. “Seriously, you’re probably the only person in the world who can touch his car!” “Totally! Anyone else would get their wrist broken! You’re clearly different, mighty queen!” Ryan jokingly called Tiffany “Childish!” Then he commented below: “It’s just a car; of course, she’s more important.” It was a stark contrast to his earlier “Just a girl, right? Nowhere near as thrilling as a sports car.” Tiffany gloated inwardly, but feigned annoyance. “Hey, idiot. Don’t you think my feet are too small? Not cool at all. What if people see these footprints and think they belong to some other girl?” To tease her, Ryan nodded. “They are a little small.” Tiffany slapped him on the forehead. “You moron, looking down on your queen, are you?!” A mischievous idea sparked in her mind. She pulled out her phone and started recording Ryan. “Repeat after me! My queen Tiffany’s size 6 feet are the cutest! My girlfriend Celeste’s size 8 feet are giant clown shoes!” Seeing Ryan hesitate, Tiffany got impatient. “What’s that look for? You don’t want to do a simple little punishment, huh? You idiot, you get a girlfriend and forget your queen!” Ryan, who was initially reluctant, immediately gave in. “Alright, alright, I’ll say it! I’d rather offend my incredibly understanding girlfriend than you, my little terror.” I watched them with cold eyes, waiting until they were done messing around before I finally appeared.

Seeing me, Ryan told Tiffany to get in the car first, and she just plopped herself into the passenger seat. I didn’t say anything, automatically reaching for the back door handle. My fingertips had barely touched the car door when Ryan, reacting instinctively, grabbed my arm and violently shoved me away. Caught off guard, I slammed into a utility pole, and a nail sticking out from it sliced a gash across my forehead, leaving a bloody trail. I remembered the first time we met. I had accidentally brushed against his car. He’d kicked me away, snapping, “Your hands are filthy! Never seen a car before? Don’t touch what’s not yours!” Later, when he pursued me, he sent me a month’s worth of flowers in a convoy of luxury cars to win me over. He even promised to change his habit of reacting aggressively whenever anyone touched his car and to always put me first. But a year had passed, and he hadn’t changed. I thought he treated everyone the same. Turns out, Tiffany was the special one, the exception. And I? I was nothing. Still just an outsider who couldn’t even get close to his car. I pressed my hand against my bleeding forehead, bowing to him in apology. Ryan froze for a second, then realized he’d gone too far and looked flustered. “I’m sorry, I overreacted. You know I’m a car freak, I can’t control myself. Please don’t be mad at me.” “I’ll take you to the hospital first. You’ve been scratched by a nail, you need a tetanus shot.” I nodded, assuming that out of guilt, he’d finally let me ride in his car. But to my surprise, as I took a step forward, he stopped me. He led me to the trunk, where a pink scooter was conspicuously parked. “You know my car is for racing, not for passengers. So I bought you a scooter. Look, all the decorations are things you like, and I personally stuck on all the little ribbons.” “From now on, you can ride your scooter behind my car, and I’ll clear the way for you on your commute to work.” A blissful smile, imagining our future, spread across Ryan’s face. My heart, however, was colder than ice. So, he still thought we had a future. But I didn’t want one anymore. I glanced at Tiffany in the passenger seat, who was watching the show, and a bitter taste filled my mouth. Ryan noticed my expression and actually started to explain himself. “Don’t misunderstand. Tiffany is different from you; she’s been clumsy since she was little, can’t even navigate a straight line. I don’t trust her to go home alone, so I can only inconvenience myself and take her.” Normally, I would have swallowed my hurt and just complied. But today, a surge of uncontrollable fury suddenly ignited within me. I struggled to suppress the impulse to smash his car, speaking mechanically. “No, thanks. My wound hurts, I don’t have the strength to ride. You take her home, I’ll take the subway.” To my surprise, Ryan actually nodded, perfectly at ease. “Alright, I’d actually feel better if you took the subway. It’s too late for Tiffany to go home alone, so I’ll drop her off first.” I watched him drive off with a roar, my heart still aching. He was worried about Tiffany going home late, but perfectly fine with me taking the subway alone late at night? I gave a self-deprecating laugh, collapsing weakly to the ground. A luxury car pulled up beside me, and a cold, unfeeling voice came from inside. “Get in.” I sat in the passenger seat, a little flustered. “Julian, why are you here? I said three days.” My family, though outwardly cold, was fiercely loyal to its own. As long as I was one of them, they would protect me unconditionally. “Mom and Dad are very pleased you’re coming home. You said your bloodline was awakening, yet you’re crying by the roadside because of some nobody?” I rubbed the distinctive red mole beneath my eye. “Almost. I feel like my temper’s starting to fray. Next time, I might just smash his car to pieces. Our family can afford to replace it anyway.” Julian rarely showed emotion, but a slight curve touched his lips. “Good. And,” he added after a moment, “I’ll fund your car-smashing spree. Take as many as you want.”

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Seven years after I vanished, my brother found me. Not through some private investigator, but on the organ donor registry. “Where is this person?” He asked the nurse. “On the 12th floor, in the palliative care ward. She’s scheduled for surgery tomorrow.” His face a thundercloud, he stormed upstairs and burst into my room. “Aurora!” I looked up at him and smiled calmly. “You must have the wrong person, Adrian. My name is Serena, not Aurora.” He walked closer to the bed, his voice stiff. “Come home with me. Apologize to Willow, and I’ll get you the best doctors money can buy…” “No need. I haven’t done anything wrong, and I don’t need to apologize to anyone.” I didn’t even lift my head, signing the last letter on the donation agreement. After a long, chilling silence, he sneered, “Quite the act. Seven years, and you’re still playing the innocent victim.” “You’re sick? What’s wrong? Why are you having surgery?” I chuckled. “Late-stage glioblastoma. Not long now.” “Might as well give my organs away. Better use for them than just decaying underground, right? At least I can save a few people.” Adrian’s face flickered, but quickly reverted to cold indifference. “Cut the crap. You think I’m going to fall for your pathetic act?” He swept his gaze across the sparsely furnished room, his tone mocking. “Things not going so well for you out here all these years? If you hadn’t pulled those stunts back then, you wouldn’t be in this mess.” I looked down at my emaciated hands, saying nothing. “Aurora…” He suddenly called my name, a flicker of struggle in his voice. “Are you really… that sick?” I looked up at him, my eyes terrifyingly calm. “Does it concern you, Adrian?” “I’m your brother!” “Your sister… she died seven years ago.” His face turned ashen, staring intently at me. “You hate me that much? What happened back then, Aurora, wasn’t it your own fault—” “Enough,” I cut him off. “Adrian, you’re not here just to taunt me, are you? If there’s something you need, just say it.” He opened his mouth, but found himself speechless. “Let me guess,” I said slowly. “Does she… need *another* liver?” Adrian didn’t answer. But his evasive gaze said it all. I leaned against the headboard and let out a light laugh. “So that’s it.” “Seven years, and she finally remembers she has a sister.” “So you’re here today, on her behalf, to demand my liver?” “Not ‘demand,’” he corrected. “It’s your duty. You volunteered your liver back then. Now Willow needs another, and you’re still her sister. It’s your responsibility.” I leaned against the headboard, finding it all utterly absurd. “Adrian, seven years ago, when you threw me out of the house, why didn’t you mention I was her sister then?” “You deserved it!” His voice suddenly rose. “If you hadn’t done all those malicious things back then, if you hadn’t framed Willow, why would I have kicked you out? You’re still lying. Still playing the innocent victim.” I closed my eyes, my heart turned to ash. He never doubted her, it seemed. He always believed I was in the wrong. “Just leave,” I said wearily. “I need to rest.” “Aurora!” He roughly grabbed my shoulder. “You listen to me! Willow needs your liver!” I opened my eyes and looked at him calmly. “Then let her wait for a donor,” I said, my voice flat. “Because my organs? They’re already pledged to strangers.” “You—” He was trembling with rage. “You’re truly that heartless?! Willow saved my life back then! Without her, the Sutton name wouldn’t be where it is today! And you, you ungrateful wretch!” I said nothing, simply turning my head to look out the window. “Aurora, I’m making myself clear today,” he released me, his voice icy. “If you don’t save Willow, I swear I won’t let you die so easily.” “I will use every resource the Sutton family has to treat you, to keep you alive. Living a life worse than death itself.” I listened to his threats, my heart utterly calm. “Whatever.” He gave me a deep look, then turned and left. The door slammed shut behind him. I lay on the hospital bed, tears silently streaming down my face.

My mind drifted back fourteen years. I was thirteen then, Adrian twenty-one. Our parents died in a car accident, leaving behind our sprawling estate and a horde of relatives hungry for the family fortune. Back then, Adrian was like a wolf protecting its cub. He kept me safe behind him, shouldering everything by himself. At the funeral, a drunk relative pointed at me and cursed. “You little menace! If it wasn’t for you, your parents wouldn’t be dead!” Adrian punched him, sending blood spurting across his face. “Anyone who dares lay a finger on my sister, I’ll make them wish they were never born.” That night, he held me as I sobbed, repeating over and over. “Don’t be scared, I’m here.” “I’ll protect you my whole life, Aurora.” I believed him. I thought we would always be like that, dependent on each other. But everything changed when my half-sister, Willow, came into our lives. She wasn’t well, so Adrian gave her *my* room, claiming it had the best sunlight. She didn’t like the food our housekeeper made, so Adrian took her out to eat every single day. She was scared to sleep alone, so Adrian would stay in her room until she drifted off. A month before I was supposed to start college, Willow was diagnosed with a rare liver disease, her life hanging by a thread. Adrian went frantic. He took her to the best hospitals across the country, sought out every specialist. Finally, the doctors gave them two options. Wait for a donor liver, or a living donor transplant. Waiting for a donor could take one or two years, time she didn’t have. A living donor transplant required a blood-type-matched direct relative. And in the entire Sutton family, only she and I had compatible blood types. Adrian came to talk to me when I was doing my final revisions for my college entrance exams. “Aurora,” his voice was gentler than it had been in years. “You know about Willow, right?” I didn’t respond. “The doctors say your liver has the highest chance of a match.” I turned a page in my textbook. “Aurora, she’s going to die.” His voice trembled slightly. “Please, I’m begging you, save her.” I finally looked up at him. “Adrian, do you remember what you were doing the last time *I* was sick?” He froze. “I had a fever of one hundred and four degrees Fahrenheit, lay alone in my room for two days, and no one checked on me.” “And you? You were out shopping with Willow. Because she said she was in a bad mood.” He opened his mouth. “Aurora, I was wrong that time…” “And,” I cut him off. “Do you remember that time I was pushed down the stairs?” “I told you Willow did it, and what did you say? You said I wasn’t watching where I was going, trying to pin the blame on poor Willow.” His face went pale. “Aurora…” “Adrian, you want me to save her?” I stood up, facing him. “Fine.” “But after this, we’re done. Our slate is clean. I’m no longer a Sutton, and you’re no longer my brother!”

He flinched. “What did you say?” “I said, I’m willing to donate my liver to her.” “But after the surgery, I’m leaving the Sutton estate.” “You can all pretend I’m dead.” He was silent for a long time. Finally, he nodded. On the day of the surgery, I was wheeled into the operating room. Before I went in, I saw Adrian standing at the doorway. His lips trembled, as if he wanted to say something. But ultimately, he said nothing. The surgery was a success. Willow lived. I, however, lost a third of my liver and never returned to the Sutton estate. That afternoon, Adrian came again. This time, Willow was with him. Seven years had passed, and she had grown even more beautiful, her dark eyes still sparkling. Adrian sat by the bed. “Aurora, Willow came to see you.” “Sister,” Willow walked closer, her eyes red. “I heard you were sick, I was so worried…” “Cut the act,” I interrupted. “It’s just the three of us. Who are you performing for?” Willow’s face went white, tears spilling from her eyes. “Sister, why do you hate me so much? What happened back then wasn’t my fault…” “Not your fault?” I scoffed. “Willow, you hacked into my SnapChat account to trash-talk yourself in the class group, wasn’t that you? You peeked at my test papers, wasn’t that you? You pushed me down the stairs, wasn’t that you?” “Enough!” Adrian suddenly stood up. “Aurora, it’s been seven years, and you’re still spreading those lies!” “All the evidence back then proved it was *your* doing! How long are you going to keep slandering Willow?!” “Just because you were jealous that Willow was better than you, just because you couldn’t stand her, that’s why you concocted all these lies!” Every word was like a knife twisting in my heart. “Adrian, are you truly so certain that I’m the one lying?” “And aren’t you?” he said coldly. “Everyone at school, teachers and students, saw what you did back then. You were always bullying Willow, always jealous of her!” I closed my eyes, not wanting to argue anymore. It was useless. He never believed me. “Sister,” Willow walked over and took my hand. “I know you hate me. But Adrian said you’re sick, and I’m truly upset about it…” “If you need money for treatment, I can give you all my savings…” I yanked my hand away from her. “Willow, cut out your games!” I looked at Adrian. “Alright, I know what you both want. But no. I won’t donate my liver to her.” “I’d rather give it to a stranger than save her again.” Adrian’s face turned livid. “Aurora, you’re really that heartless?!” “Yes, I am that heartless,” I looked at him. “Seven years ago I gave her a third of my liver, and what did I get in return? You kicked me out of our home!” “And now you come back for me, on what grounds?!” “You deserved it!” “Fine, good,” I nodded. “Then my not saving her now, she deserves it too.” “After all, I’m a cruel woman.” Adrian was shaking with fury. He suddenly grabbed my collar. “Aurora, don’t push me!” “What do you want to do?” I met his gaze. “Hit me? Or kill me?” “I’m dying anyway, so feel free.” His hand trembled. After a moment, he released me, taking a deep breath. “Aurora, I’m asking you one last time. Are you going to save Willow?” “No.” “Fine, good,” he sneered. “Then don’t blame me for what happens next.” He took out his phone and dialed a number. “Execute it. Just like I told you.”

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My CEO husband, worth billions, only gave my daughter and me a $200 allowance each month. But the day his childhood friend returned, he showered her with a multi-million dollar luxury car and a mansion without a second thought. Later, when our daughter had a sudden heart attack and needed $100,000 for surgery to save her life, he accused me of finally showing my true colors. He had his bodyguards throw me out of his company. I watched helplessly as my daughter died on the operating table. Meanwhile, he boarded an international flight to travel the world with his childhood friend. It wasn’t until after I’d buried our daughter that my husband, Julian, returned from his trip. He found me, completely nonchalant. “Alright, you and Lily always wanted to go to an amusement park, right? I’ll take you both next week.” But he didn’t know that from the moment Lily died on that cold operating table, I was done with him. Our marriage was over. I was sorting through Lily’s belongings when my husband, Julian, finally strolled back home, freshly returned from his global escapade. “Claire, could you give me a shoulder rub? This trip absolutely exhausted me.” Hearing his voice, I, who used to adore him, said nothing. I just kept my head down, packing. Seeing I didn’t respond, Julian frowned, then a thought seemed to strike him, and he chuckled. “No way, my beautiful Claire, you’re not still jealous about me going on that trip with Cassidy, are you?” Cassidy was his childhood friend, someone he’d grown up with. To travel the world with her, Julian had abandoned our seriously ill daughter, leaving her to die tragically on a cold operating table. The memory of Lily’s eyes, slowly losing their warmth, felt like a spike piercing my chest. A sharp, unbearable pain. Before I could speak, Cassidy sauntered in, a look of false sympathy on her face. “Oh, Claire! It’s all my fault. I just had to drag Julian along for a relaxing trip.” “But don’t worry, we just traveled together. There’s really nothing going on.” She said it so casually, yet they were wearing matching outfits and matching rings, looking like a real couple as they strolled down the street. My own wedding ring? Julian had long since discarded it, God knows where. When I still didn’t say anything, Julian sighed, looking exasperated. “Alright, stop being mad. I’ll transfer an extra five hundred dollars for your allowance this month. Get Lily some good food.” “You know I’m good to you both, no need for thanks.” But as I stared at the transfer record on my phone, all I felt was bitter irony. He’d spent millions traveling with Cassidy, buying her designer brands without batting an eye. A single handbag could cost tens of thousands. And now, he was giving me five hundred dollars, acting as if it were the greatest gift. Cassidy stood by, barely suppressing a smile, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Claire, five hundred dollars is a lot! Why don’t you thank Julian?” “I always say, kids should learn to live frugally from a young age. That way, they won’t grow up to be materialistic!” Yet, Julian wholeheartedly believed this absurd logic. To prevent our daughter from becoming greedy, he strictly controlled my and Lily’s expenses, giving us only two hundred dollars a month. I used to argue with him constantly, fighting for a better life for Lily. But now Lily was gone. Any words felt meaningless. Thinking this, I transferred the money right back. My voice was flat. “No need. I don’t want it.” Julian’s smile instantly froze. Then, he looked frustrated. “Claire, I’ve already apologized. What more do you want?” Before I could answer, Cassidy’s sneering voice cut in. “I bet she just thinks five hundred dollars is too little, doesn’t she?” “Honestly, Claire, with how petty you are, how can you be a good role model for Lily?” She lectured me from her high horse. Julian, too, looked at me with profound disappointment. “Claire, we’ve only been married a few years, and you’ve become so insatiable? “In a few more years, will you be asking for my family’s shares and assets too?” Hearing Julian’s accusations, I let out a self-deprecating laugh. So, after all this time, that’s what he thought of me. But my silence, in his eyes, became guilt. The next moment, Julian snapped, annoyed. “It seems Cassidy was right. You’re not a fit mother at all.” “Everything I do is to instill resilience in our daughter.” “If you keep this up, if Lily becomes as greedy as you, how will this family survive?” I looked at his self-righteous face and found it utterly ridiculous. His so-called resilience meant that if I asked for an extra twenty dollars for groceries, he’d lecture me for hours about coveting his family’s wealth. Even when Lily got good grades and wanted a small cupcake, he’d point a finger at her and scold: “Such strong desires at a young age! You’ll grow up to be a greedy woman!” “Your mother will spoil you rotten one day!” Thinking of this, I was about to tell him about Lily’s condition. “Julian, Lily, she’s already…” But before I could finish, Cassidy at the door suddenly let out a yelp. Julian immediately rushed to her side, completely forgetting about lecturing me. “Cassidy, what’s wrong?” Cassidy waved her hand dismissively. “Julian, I’m fine. Maybe just too much flying, my old back pain is acting up again.” “Don’t let me disrupt your family time.” Julian shook his head. “Your health is more important. I’ll take you to the hospital right now.” Just before leaving, Julian seemed to remember something. He turned back to me, sighing heavily. “Claire, let’s both cool down for a bit.” “When I get back, we can talk properly about taking Lily out next week.” But he didn’t know Lily was no longer alive, and I wasn’t waiting for him anymore.

Composing myself, I took the resignation letter I’d already drafted and headed straight to the company to handle my exit. All the way, colleagues whispered and pointed. “Isn’t that Claire? How does she still have the nerve to show her face here?” “Seriously. Who does she think she is? Last month, she dared to ask Julian for ten thousand dollars and he had security kick her out.” “With her salary, how many years would it take to earn ten thousand for Julian?” “Ha, ignore that clown. Let’s go…” Hearing those whispers, I gave a self-deprecating smile. Married for years, Julian had never announced our relationship. In fact, to avoid suspicion, he’d always kept me as a regular low-level employee. For years, I’d worked diligently, even pushing myself to the point of hospitalization after a particularly brutal negotiation, just to secure major deals for the company. I wanted to become exceptional, to make him acknowledge Lily and me. But every promotion application I submitted was rejected, again and again. Confused, I confronted him, seeking an explanation. He’d just smile, cling to my arm, and sweet-talk me: “Claire, this is all part of my plan to mold you. It’ll make you an even better wife and mother!” “Besides, isn’t it enough that I’m the only one earning? Do you think I can’t provide for you and Lily, or are you trying to climb the corporate ladder and take over my power?” I was speechless, believing he had his own reasons. But the day Cassidy returned, he mobilized dozens of luxury cars to greet her at the airport, the celebratory fireworks deafening. That very evening, Cassidy was parachuted into the company, straight into a VP position. Only then did I truly understand: the difference between love and indifference was stark. Given that, there was no point in continuing this ridiculous marriage. I submitted my resignation. Stepping out of the company, I expected to feel heavy-hearted. Instead, there was only lightness. For years, I’d been like a bird with clipped wings, trapped in a cage, experiencing nothing but oppression. Now, freedom stretched before me. I went to Lily’s grave. Before her small headstone, I carefully placed all her favorite toys. I stayed with her until deep into the night, then dragged my exhausted body home. To my surprise, when I opened the door, Julian, uncharacteristically, was waiting for me. “Do you even know what time it is? I thought you’d decided to stay out all night.” On the sofa, Julian sat with furrowed brows, arms crossed, looking thoroughly displeased. That expression was his signal for me to appease him. But I just found it strange. In the past, if Cassidy so much as got a tiny scratch on her finger, he’d be by her side, staying up all night. Yet today, Cassidy had landed in the hospital, and he wasn’t with her? It wasn’t my concern, and I couldn’t care less. I asked flatly: “Is there something you want?” My cold tone made Julian’s face stiffen. Before, no matter what happened, I always greeted him with a smile. But since he returned from his trip, I seemed to have transformed. I didn’t argue or fuss with him anymore. Even the warmth in my eyes when I looked at him was gone. This sparked a flicker of unease in him. He quickly said: “You’re still mad about me going out with Cassidy, aren’t you? I told you, it was just to clear my head.” “Didn’t Lily always say she wanted to go to the beach? Fine, once I’m less busy, I’ll take you and Lily. Is that good enough?” His attempt at reconciliation sounded more like a handout to me now. Lily and I were like two pets to him—amused when he was in a good mood, kicked aside when he wasn’t. Julian suddenly remembered something and looked at me, puzzled. “Hmm? Where’s Lily? I haven’t seen her since I got back.” “Did you send her to your mom’s house?” I stared at him in disbelief. He’d been back for two days, and he was just now asking about our daughter? He didn’t care about Lily at all. He didn’t care about this family. Before I could speak, Cassidy walked out of the bathroom, wearing my bathrobe.

Seeing me, Cassidy showed no embarrassment. Instead, she acted like the lady of the house, enthusiastically inviting me. “Claire’s here! Come in, sit down, don’t be a stranger.” My breath hitched. The words I was about to say caught in my throat. I looked at Julian on the sofa, confused. “What is she doing here?” Julian saw the change in my expression and looked a little guilty. “Cassidy hasn’t been feeling well lately, so I just moved her in to make it easier to take care of her. Don’t overthink it.” It dawned on me. No wonder Julian was home tonight – it was all for Cassidy. Julian even wore a relieved expression. “Good thing you sent Lily to your mom’s house already. Otherwise, with so many people here, it would be a bit inconvenient.” All I felt was sarcasm. He hadn’t noticed anything wrong with Lily’s absence. His only concern was Cassidy. Cassidy feigned remorse. “It’s all my fault, I’m disturbing your marital life. Claire, I’m just staying for a few days, you’re not mad, are you?” But her eyes were filled with triumph and provocation. Fearing I might make a scene, Julian quickly explained. “Claire, don’t worry, Cassidy and I already talked. She’ll just sleep on the couch. We promise not to disturb you.” But the next second, I saw profound tenderness in his eyes. How could he bear to let Cassidy sleep on a cold couch? If I hadn’t unexpectedly returned, he would surely be holding Cassidy tightly in his arms. Thinking this, I spoke. “If her back is bad, how can she sleep on the couch? She should sleep in the master bedroom.” Cassidy’s face instantly lit up. “Really? Claire, you’re so generous!” Julian also breathed a sigh of relief. “Claire, I’m so relieved you’re thinking this way. I was afraid you’d be jealous of Cassidy and make a huge scene again.” He thought I was finally being reasonable, that I wouldn’t argue over such a small matter. But I was leaving anyway. What did it matter where she stayed? As Julian gleefully pulled Cassidy, ready to move into the master bedroom, I quietly finished packing my luggage, preparing to go to a hotel. But just as I reached the door, Julian, who had suddenly come out of the master bedroom, saw me. He rushed over to stop me. “Claire, it’s so late. Where are you going?” I smiled faintly. “To make space for you and Cassidy, of course.” Hearing this, Julian’s face instantly turned ashen. He gritted his teeth. “Claire, what are you talking about?” “I already explained it clearly. Cassidy has back pain, so I brought her home for a few days. And you yourself agreed to let her stay in the master bedroom. What kind of stunt are you pulling now?” “Do you have no sympathy at all?” He lectured me endlessly, but I only found it laughable. I used to argue with him constantly over Cassidy, and he’d call me immature, unreasonable, and irrational. Now I was being reasonable and not arguing, and he was upset again. Cassidy then dabbed at her eyes with fake tears. “I knew Claire was still mad at me. It’s all my fault. I’ll just go, let me just die in the street.” Her acting was terrible, but Julian believed her. He pulled Cassidy behind him. “Cassidy, you’re staying right here tonight! Let’s see who dares to kick you out!” Then, crossing his arms, he coldly told me: “You’ve gotten bold, haven’t you? Go on, leave if you dare!” He was certain I loved him and wouldn’t really go. But from the moment Lily died, my love for him had completely vanished. I would never forgive him, not in this lifetime. I gave a cold laugh, picked up my suitcase, and walked straight out. Julian stood there, staring blankly at my retreating back, unable to snap out of it for a long time. It wasn’t until I was in the elevator that I heard Julian’s shout from behind me. “Go then! If you leave, don’t you dare come back!” But he didn’t know I truly wouldn’t turn back. He had lost me forever. At the hotel, I slept soundly all night. The next morning, I checked my phone to find dozens of missed calls, all from Julian. The last call was half an hour ago. I found it odd. Had he been awake all night? He always told me to be more understanding and argue less with Cassidy. But when had he become so petty? When I opened the door, Julian sat on a chair, his face drawn and haggard. The moment he saw me, his emotions flared. “Is this about me letting Cassidy stay at the house? Are you running away and quitting your job because of that?”

I didn’t answer directly. Instead, I frowned and asked: “How did you know I was here?” Julian’s voice was hoarse. “I checked your bank card transaction history.” It suddenly hit me. Not long after we got married, Julian had taken sole control of our finances, strictly managing my and Lily’s expenses. All the bank cards were in his name. Looks like I couldn’t use this bank card anymore either. But what puzzled me was why he was here. Shouldn’t he be at home taking care of Cassidy? Julian, uncharacteristically, gently took my hand. His voice was soft. “I know you’re still angry about last night.” “So this morning, as soon as Cassidy felt a little better, I sent her home immediately. Don’t worry, I made her sleep on the couch.” I looked at him, astonished. He never used to explain these things to me. Whenever I argued with him about them, he’d call me petty, saying a malicious person sees malice everywhere. But now that I wasn’t asking, he was babbling on and on. I found it irritating. I pushed him away, expressionless. “Are you done? Because if you are, I have a job interview to get to.” I’d sent out several resumes recently, and a few big companies had already extended offers. But as I was about to leave, Julian grabbed my arm, tears welling in his eyes. His voice trembled. “Claire, do you have to be so cruel?” “Cassidy and I grew up together. I just wanted her to have a good life. Am I wrong for that?” “Besides, haven’t I been good to you and Lily?” “All these years, every bit of your food, clothes, and expenses—didn’t I pay for it all?” “How can you do this to me after all my efforts?” Seeing his self-righteousness, I felt utterly disgusted. Because he only gave Lily and me two hundred dollars a month. It wasn’t even enough for food, let alone school or transportation… To ensure Lily had enough to eat, I worked three part-time jobs after my main job. That’s why, in the end, I couldn’t even scrape together the $100,000 for her surgery. I could only watch helplessly as she died on the operating table. Julian spoke softly now. “Claire, stop this. Just take Lily and come home with me. Let’s be a happy family of three, okay?” He looked at me with a pathetic, pleading gaze, but all I felt was scorn. Why should I have to be like a dog, doing whatever he wanted? Seeing my grim face, my silence, he grudgingly relented. “Okay… I’ll increase your and Lily’s allowance to five hundred dollars a month!” “Didn’t Lily say she wanted to go to the beach? We can leave today. Is that good enough?” “Look, I even bought her the swimsuit she’s been dreaming of.” He finished, looking at me expectantly. He believed the offer he’d made was enticing enough that I’d have no reason to refuse. But I gave a cold laugh. “You want to take Lily to the beach, do you?” “Then come with me.” Julian had no idea what was about to happen. He thought I’d forgiven him. Even after I drove him to the car, he was still grinning. “We’re not exactly newlyweds, and you’re still planning surprises for me?” “Alright, I’ll humor you. I’ll reluctantly come with you to see.” But when I pulled the car up next to Lily’s grave, Julian looked utterly confused. “Claire, weren’t you taking me to see Lily at your mom’s house?” “What are we doing in a place like this?” But the next second, when Julian saw our daughter’s photo on the gravestone in front of him, the swimsuit he’d bought for her immediately slipped from his hands and fell to the ground.

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After our parents’ tragic death, Elara and I were both put up for adoption. In my previous life, a timid Elara chose to stay with Grandma Sarah in our secluded community. But Grandma worked her to the bone every day, leaving her utterly exhausted. Meanwhile, I was adopted by the wealthy Sterling family, transforming into an elegant socialite. Elara cried, begging Grandma to let her leave, but Grandma slapped her and locked her in the barn. When I snuck in to visit her, she set the barn on fire. We perished in the flames, only to awaken, reborn, back on the day we were to be adopted. This time, Elara was the first to take Mrs. Sterling’s hand. I smiled, turning to tightly clutch Grandma Sarah’s sleeve. I was sick of being a pawn in other people’s games, constantly passed around. After Mom and Dad died tragically in the fire, the question of where my twin sister, Elara, and I would go became the most pressing issue in our isolated community. As everyone worried, Grandma Sarah and Mrs. Sterling, a wealthy socialite visiting our community, both offered to adopt us. Seeing Elara rush to grasp Mrs. Sterling’s hand, I knew she had been reborn with me. In our past life, fear of the outside world had made her choose Grandma first. “Maya, I’m scared. You promised Mom and Dad you’d take good care of me. Please, go with them, okay? You’re so smart; the Sterlings will love you.” With so many eyes on me, I knew I had no other choice. Grandma Sarah was old and couldn’t possibly afford to raise two sisters. So, even though I was just as terrified, I followed the Sterling couple out of the secluded community where I had grown up. Our last meeting in that life was at Grandma Sarah’s 61st birthday celebration. I stepped out of a luxury car, wearing a beautiful designer gown, with a nanny and bodyguards trailing behind me. The people in the community, the aunts and uncles who’d known me forever, greeted me warmly, their faces beaming as they asked about my life in the outside world. “I can’t believe that little country bumpkin has turned into such a beautiful young lady!” A middle-aged woman grabbed my hand, unwilling to let go. Elara, dressed in a faded, worn-out dress, sat beside me, her eyes filled with resentment and envy. After the gathering, Elara went to Grandma Sarah again, proposing her desire to leave the community. But Grandma slapped her and locked her in the barn. I secretly snuck in to visit her, but she locked the door from the inside and suddenly set the barn ablaze. Her face twisted with a maniacal grin as she stared at me: “Maya, why do you get to leave and live a good life while I’m stuck here, suffering in these mountains? If I can’t leave, then you’re staying here to keep me company.” She held me in a death grip, and we both died in that fire when we were eighteen. When I opened my eyes again, we were back to that fateful day when we were eight years old, the day our destinies diverged. This time, Elara was the first to take the Sterling couple’s hand.

“Mrs. Sterling, please take me with you. I promise I’ll be a good girl.” “Maya, you’ll let me, right?” Mrs. Sterling didn’t seem to care which one of us sisters chose to go with her. Since Elara had chosen her first, she simply reciprocated, clasping Elara’s hand and pulling her closer. Elara clutched Mrs. Sterling’s hand, her eyes gleaming with triumph. With the matter of our adoption settled, everyone started to disperse, leaving only the Sterling couple and Grandma Sarah waiting outside our door. As Elara and I went back to our room to pack, I watched her cheerful retreating figure and couldn’t help but try to dissuade her: “Are you really going with the Sterlings? The outside world isn’t as good as you imagine.” I was genuinely trying to warn her, out of a sense of kinship, but Elara instantly bristled, like an angry cat, and hissed at me: “Maya, don’t even *think* about trying to steal my new mom. You already had your turn in the last life, this time it’s mine. You can just stay in this community with that old hag and live your miserable life.” Seeing how utterly deluded she was, I didn’t try to persuade her any further. Instead, I quietly went to my side of the room and started packing my own clothes. If she wanted to steal my life, she could have it. I just hoped she wouldn’t regret it later. Outside, Mrs. Sterling was growing impatient. “Elara, are you ready yet? What’s the point of packing those old rags? Once you’re out of this place with us, you can have all the clothes you want.” Hearing Mrs. Sterling’s words, Elara immediately dumped her clothes out, grabbed an empty bag, and headed for the door. Before leaving, she looked at me with a triumphant smirk: “Did you hear Mrs. Sterling? She said she’ll buy me countless beautiful dresses. You can keep these old rags.” Elara walked out without a backward glance. Watching her carefree departure, the corners of my mouth couldn’t help but curl upwards. Good. This life, I wouldn’t have to navigate the Sterling family’s wolf’s den, wouldn’t have to be passed around like a mere toy.

I followed Grandma Sarah back to her house. Only then did I realize her home was in a very unique location. From the attic, you could see the entire community, but from anywhere else in the community, you couldn’t see Grandma Sarah’s house. When Mom and Dad were alive, Grandma was quite reclusive, rarely interacting with us. So, looking at my only remaining relative, I felt like I was with a complete stranger. Grandma Sarah was far stricter than I’d imagined. The day after I arrived, she presented me with a detailed schedule. It specified when I had to wake up, when to study, when to go out to the fields with her to work, and even how many times I could use the bathroom each day—all meticulously laid out. I held the schedule, lost in thought. Grandma Sarah watched me, her expression stern: “The conditions here are tough, and my expectations are high. If you can’t handle it, go find Chief Miller right away and see if he can arrange for you to leave too.” Chief Miller was the unofficial title of the community leader, but Grandma calling him “that guy” (“那小子” in Chinese implies a certain informal seniority from Grandma’s side). This immediately told me her standing in the community was anything but low. I carefully taped the schedule onto the desk Grandma Sarah had prepared for me, then looked at her with determination and said: “Grandma, I won’t regret this. That wealthy couple might not be as kind as they seem. I’d rather stay here with you in these mountains. It has beautiful scenery, and a Grandma who truly cares about me.” As I spoke, I reached out and gently took her arm, a gesture of goodwill. Grandma Sarah’s eyes fixated on me, as if trying to see through my facade: “You’d better mean what you say. I don’t welcome deserters here.” I offered her a sweet, compliant smile: “I won’t be, Grandma. I’ll stay here, with you, always.”

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At 10 PM, a notification lit up my phone. My next-door neighbor had tagged me in the apartment’s Facebook Group. “@Vivian, you disgusting bitch. Get your shit together. Your bed’s been squeaking all night. Are you trying to keep the whole building awake?” “My baby has a heart condition. Wake him up again, and I swear I’ll kill you and your whole family!” I quickly replied that I lived alone. She refused to believe it. I tried explaining, patiently, a few more times. Then I gave up. I never imagined that two weeks later, she’d kick in my door with a kitchen knife and stab me eighteen times. I collapsed in a pool of blood, but she kept swinging the knife like a maniac, screaming. “It’s all your fault! My baby died last night! You’re going to pay with your life!” My vision blurred. As I lost consciousness, one thought lingered: How could I have hurt a baby I never even saw? Then I opened my eyes. I was back on the day when she started to curse me in the group. This time, I didn’t back down. I typed my reply, my fingers steady and cold. “Stop being crazy! Your baby died three years ago!!”

The moment my message landed in the group, the lively chatter died. An absolute, loaded silence fell. A few minutes later, my next-door neighbor erupted. “What the FUCK are you talking about, you crazy bitch? My baby is turning one next month! How DARE you say that?” “You all saw that, right? This barren witch in Unit 705 can’t have her own, so she’s putting a curse on mine!” The other neighbors, witnessing the firestorm, quickly rallied around Jaclyn. “@Vivian, that was completely out of line. You never bring a child into it.” Someone else tried to calm Jaclyn. “Jaclyn, sweetie, take a breath. We all have to live here. Let’s just talk this through calmly.” Jaclyn didn’t like that one bit. “Talk nicely? My ass! What is there to talk about with a piece of trash like her? She just can’t stand seeing me happy, seeing my baby alive!” “My baby has a heart condition! He barely made it to one year old, and the doctors said we have to be extra careful with him!” “If anything happens to my baby because of her, I’ll put her in the ground myself!” The virtual mob in the group chat quickly fell in line, their words turning into weapons aimed at me. “Jaclyn has a point. You should really control yourselves late at night.” “It’s past ten. Have some decency.” Reading their messages, I just felt it was absolutely absurd. I’ve lived alone in Unit 705 since the day I moved in. Not a single man has ever set foot in my apartment. As for Jaclyn next door, her baby passed away shortly after birth. How could I possibly, with a non-existent man, wake up a dead child? I was about to explain when Jaclyn started cursing me in the group again. “You bitch, are you starting again? Will you die if you don’t go at it all night?” “Are you doing this on purpose? You don’t want my baby to be well, do you? He’s finally grown this big, and you just have to kill him, huh?” “If his heart condition acts up and something happens, can you even take responsibility?” Several other neighbors also sent messages, their words dripping with impatience. “Vivian, her child is sick, he has a heart condition. Do you really have to be so mean to a child?” “Yeah, Jaclyn is a single mom, it’s not easy for her. If you can’t be considerate, fine, but don’t curse her child to die!” In my previous life, I repeatedly explained that I lived alone, but they completely ignored me. Instead, Jaclyn started harassing me even more aggressively. I called building management and even the police, but they were useless against her. In a rage, I just packed up and stayed at my best friend’s for a few days. I never imagined that when I returned to Unit 705, Jaclyn would directly break into my apartment with a knife and stab me to death. Even now, whenever I close my eyes, I remember Jaclyn’s deranged expression. I couldn’t hold back my anger anymore and just sent a voice note to the group, screaming. “Can you stop bothering me?! Your child died a long time ago!”

The group chat went silent for several seconds. I thought she’d finally shut up, but then an urgent banging erupted at my door. Through the peephole, I saw Jaclyn, her eyes wide, roaring at my door. “You bitch, you’re dead! How dare you say my baby is dead!” “My baby finally just fell back asleep, are you saying that to deliberately harm my baby?!” “If anything happens to my baby, I’ll kill you!” Other neighbors came out of their apartments after hearing the commotion, angrily scolding me. “Vivian, you’re crossing the line! Jaclyn’s child is barely almost one year old. Can’t you show some decency?” “Exactly! You’ll have children too someday. Would you stand by and let someone curse your own child with such vicious words?” “Picking on a child who’s not even one, aren’t you afraid of what karma will do to you?!” Jaclyn was still pounding on the door, her eyes bulging with pure hatred, as if she wanted to rip me to shreds. “You damn bitch! You whore! How dare you curse my child!” “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill your entire family!” Her shrill cries, piercing my eardrums, made the early morning hours particularly chilling. Just thinking about being unfairly accused in my previous life and then stabbed eight times by this psycho made my body tremble uncontrollably. Hearing her threaten to kill my whole family, I couldn’t take it anymore. I quickly yanked the door open and slapped her hard across the face. “Who the hell are you yelling at?! Where’s your baby? Why don’t I hear him crying?!” “Just bring your baby out for me to see, and I’ll happily be your free babysitter!” The slap stunned her. After a few seconds, she suddenly lunged at me, all claws and fury. I quickly dodged back into my apartment, sticking out my foot to trip her. Recalling being stabbed to death in my past life, I was blinded by rage. I plopped down on Jaclyn’s back, grabbing her hair and pulling it in both directions. “Scream now, bitch! Smash my door again, I dare you! Let’s see how tough you are now!” Jaclyn, pinned beneath me, could only shriek hysterically. “Vivian, you’re an animal! This is insane! I’m calling the cops!” Her piercing screams drew the neighbors out. They scrambled to pull us apart and called building management. I glared at Jaclyn, still seething. By my calculations, I’d only been reborn for about an hour. That meant just an hour ago, I had been killed by this lunatic right in front of me! How was I supposed to stay calm? But after pulling me away, everyone started blaming me. “Vivian, you were in the wrong to begin with, and now you’re getting physical? You think it’s okay to pick on a single mother?” “I never realized we had such a cruel neighbor on this floor!” “I’ve already called building management! If you keep this attitude, we’ll call the police and let them handle it!”

Without my weight pinning her down, Jaclyn got arrogant again. She drove two stinging slaps across my face, the sound echoing in the hallway and lighting up the motion-sensor lights on the entire floor. “You miserable bitch! You dare wake my baby, then lay a hand on me? This is what you get” I tried to struggle and hit back, but the neighbors held me in a vice grip. “Just stop struggling! Can’t you see you’re only making it worse?” Jaclyn gloated and spouted even nastier insults at me. The other neighbors also chimed in, accusing me of lacking common decency. A mom with a child, Brenda, soothed her baby with one arm while glaring at me with the other. “You’re a grown woman, don’t you have any shame? You’ve woken up every kid on this floor, what about our sleep?” “Jaclyn is a single mother, and her child has a heart condition. How can anyone put up with you causing such a ruckus?” I struggled to break free from their grasp, arguing back. “How many times have I explained? I live alone! What bed am I shaking? With a ghost?!” “Besides, she says I woke her baby up. Has anyone here even seen her child?” My words made a few of them pause, and a flicker of doubt crossed their eyes. But Jaclyn immediately retorted. “My baby just finished feeding and is sleeping soundly inside!” I scoffed. “You just said I was shaking the bed and keeping your baby awake. Now you’re out here making so much noise, and your baby can sleep through it?” Everyone was taken aback. Brenda, the mom with the baby, murmured to herself. “My baby is already a pretty sound sleeper. If her child is so sensitive to noise, how come he didn’t cry with all that commotion just now?” Just then, Mr. Davis, the building manager, hurried over. Hearing our argument, he quickly spoke up. “Ms. Jaclyn, the sounds you’re hearing might be from an aging wooden structure in your apartment.” “If it’s convenient now, we can check it out for you, to avoid disturbing your baby’s rest.” Jaclyn, who had been so arrogant, suddenly fell silent. After a long pause, she reluctantly said, “Come back tomorrow! My baby is already asleep, and all that banging and clatter will wake him up!” No way I was letting her off that easy. “I think you’re just scared, aren’t you? I’ve lived here this long, and I’ve never once seen your child!” Jaclyn immediately grabbed my arm. “You keep cursing my baby to be dead. I ask you, if my child is sleeping soundly in his room, what will you say then?” I declared right away. “If your child is truly sleeping in there, I’ll move out of this apartment complex immediately, and I guarantee you won’t hear a single peep from me!” Then, Jaclyn addressed everyone. “Everyone heard that, right? She said it herself!” With that, she yanked me into her apartment. “Fine, I’ll let you see with your own eyes!” The neighbors and I followed her inside. As soon as we entered, a strong scent of baby formula hit us. Uncleaned formula and unfinished baby bottles sat on the living room table. Baby clothes were drying on the balcony. Inside the bedroom, a crib, wind chimes, a soft play mat, and corner protectors were all perfectly in place. All these things made me start to doubt myself. Did Jaclyn really have a baby? She dragged me by the arm to the crib. “Look closely! Is my baby in there or not?!” I peered into the crib and couldn’t say another word. Jaclyn was still gloating, “Everyone heard her promise. Vivian will have to get out of this apartment complex!” After she finished, she too glanced into the crib. But then, in an instant, she collapsed to the ground. Because that crib-it was completely empty.

Jaclyn quickly got back up and frantically searched the room for her child, mumbling, “Where’s my child? Baby, where did you go?” But she searched every corner of the room and found no trace of her child. Brenda, the mom, comforted her with a pained expression. “Jaclyn, think carefully. Did you perhaps carry the baby somewhere else?” “A child less than one year old can’t get out of a crib by themselves!” At this, Jaclyn’s eyes suddenly lit up as if she’d remembered something. “Yes, someone must have carried him away just now!” With that, she violently grabbed my shoulders. “Aha! I knew it! I wondered why I didn’t see the guy you’re seeing earlier. He must have snuck off with my baby in the commotion!” “Vivian, if you dare harm my child, I’ll take your life!” She demanded the building management lock down the complex immediately. The security guards and informed neighbors helped with the search. Thirty or forty people searched the complex for over half an hour, but found no suspicious figures. Mr. Davis comforted Jaclyn. “Don’t worry, as long as the child is still in the complex, we’ll find him. If not, we’ll call the police!” Jaclyn shook her head violently. “No! We can’t call the police! It’ll scare the baby! My baby has a congenital heart condition!” Mr. Davis frowned, then continued. “But this is a big deal, you should at least tell your family, like your husband?” Unexpectedly, Jaclyn reacted even more strongly. “No! Not yet! The baby isn’t even one year old yet! I want to give him a surprise!” Her words confused everyone, but I sensed something was off. I frowned and spoke up. “Her baby isn’t in the complex anymore. You can turn this place upside down, and you still won’t find him.” Mr. Davis was furious. “Did you really take her child? Do you know kidnapping a child is a felony?!” Mark, a male neighbor, angrily slapped me across the face. “You animal! It must be because Jaclyn interrupted you and your lover messing around that you retaliated by taking her child!” Hearing this, Jaclyn rushed at me, pinning my arms down tightly. “You bitch! My baby is so small, and he has a heart condition! How could you be so cruel!” “Tell me now, where is my baby?!” I gritted my teeth and said, “I told you, your baby died a long time ago!” Everyone gasped, thinking I had killed the child. They all cursed me, as if I were some evil, cold-blooded monster, completely disregarding my explanations. Until Mr. Davis said, “We should call the police first.” Soon, the police arrived. Rose, Jaclyn’s next-door neighbor, provided surveillance footage from her front door. The footage showed that from the moment Jaclyn left her apartment to bang on my door until her child disappeared, no one entered or left her room. Building management checked the main gate cameras next. No child was seen leaving the complex. Not then, not ever. After a full investigation, the police concluded there was no evidence of an abduction. In fact, the records showed that for the past month, only Jaclyn had been seen coming and going from Unit 706. Not once was a child with her. All eyes once again fell on me. Because from the very beginning, I was the only one saying her child was already dead.

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