Category: English

An accident stole three years of my memory. When it finally rushed back, everything I knew was gone. He, who should have been a stranger, had become my husband. And I, who should have been his wife, had been relegated to a live-in maid, catering to ‘them’ for three years. I was a trophy wife, My sole purpose: to be his devoted doormat. But I, was no longer *me*. I stood on the bustling street, watching the endless stream of people pass by. For the first time, I felt utterly lost. Just ten minutes ago, an out-of-control motorcycle, clearly speeding, had swerved directly towards me. The moment it was about to hit, I was yanked away. In that instant, everything came flooding back. I had lost my memory, three years ago, after an accident. Following my parents’ advice, I’d married Ryan, my childhood friend. After the wedding, I obediently quit my high-powered career to focus on serving my mother-in-law, Barbara, becoming a full-time housewife. Thinking of those three years, I looked down at the groceries in my hand and my faded, worn-out clothes. The sheer absurdity of it all made my stomach churn. I had married a stranger, given up a lucrative six-figure job, and become a ‘dutiful wife and mother.’ I was even forced to buy the cheapest, off-brand feminine hygiene products. All because Barbara said we needed to save money for kids. Thankfully, Ryan had a low sperm count. Even though we never used protection these past three years, I hadn’t gotten pregnant. My eyes darkened at the thought. A year into our marriage, I still hadn’t conceived. Barbara constantly called me a barren hen, accusing me of being some cheap tramp who’d had too many abortions to get pregnant. But when I married Ryan, I was a naive girl who’d never even dated. On our wedding night, Barbara even burst into our room to place a white sheet on our bed, a blatant test of my virginity. Only after seeing a stain the next morning did she treat me with any decency. Later, she forced me to get checked at the hospital. The doctor said I was perfectly healthy and fertile, suggesting Ryan get tested. That’s how we discovered Ryan had a low sperm count.

Back home, the moment I stepped through the door, Barbara’s voice screeched. “Look what time it is! Where were you, on some man’s bed after buying groceries?” “Don’t just stand there, go cook! Are you trying to starve us all?” Barbara sat on the couch, glaring at me with disgust. “Mom, don’t get angry. She’s not worth your breath.” Ryan’s ‘sister’, Ashley, was nestled sweetly beside Barbara, playing the dutiful step-daughter. “Still standing there? Go cook, now! Are you waiting to die?” Seeing I hadn’t moved, Barbara made to strike me. I dropped the grocery bags, crossed my arms, and looked at the ‘loving’ mother and daughter with disdain. “Old hag, watch your mouth.” Barbara’s face turned scarlet. She lunged at me. I wasn’t backing down. I fought back, grabbing handfuls of hair, slapping them both with it. Ashley rushed to help, but I just yanked them both around, pulling Barbara’s hair down hard. They clearly hadn’t expected me to fight back. I tossed them both onto the floor like helpless little chicks. I dusted off my hands and walked away. Entering the room Ryan and I shared, I began searching for my ID, property deeds, marriage certificate – anything I might need later. I had to get my hands on them now, before they could use them against me. Thinking of Ryan, based on our three years together, the man was cold, selfish, insidious, and utterly disgusting.

When I came out, the old hag and Ashley were still wailing on the floor, waiting for their precious son to come home so they could tattle. I glanced at them with pure contempt. Disgusting. After leaving, I went to my small apartment. Thank god I’d somehow bought this place quietly before losing my memory and forgotten about it. It had saved me from using it to subsidize their household. Sitting on the floor of the apartment, I still couldn’t quite process the situation. I had been on the verge of a promotion, about to move abroad, finally escaping my toxic family. My bright future had been right there, in front of me. How had it all turned into this? I curled up, burying my face in my knees, and sobbed. My hands, once soft, were now calloused and rough from three years of endless chores. I’d been so stupid that I even scoured obscure websites for expired feminine hygiene products, just to save a few bucks. And I did everyone’s laundry every single day. Waking up at six AM to prepare breakfast and packed lunches for Ryan and Ashley, then mopping and cleaning, waiting until Barbara left the house before I even thought about myself. My phone rang, a grating sound. It was Ryan. I answered. “Where are you? I don’t care who you’re screwing around with, get back here right now, you hear me? *Now!*” Listening to his furious voice, all I felt was a bizarre sense of absurdity. This was my husband? I hung up. There was nothing to say to this stranger. I lay on the apartment couch all night, afraid to sleep. Afraid that I’d wake up the next day, forget everything again, and become their live-in maid once more.

I was going to get a divorce. But not before they paid for every ounce of pain I’d endured. I returned to the house. Ryan hadn’t gone to work; he was home, tending to Barbara and Ashley. The moment she saw me, Barbara started screaming again, telling me to drop dead. Ryan looked like he hadn’t slept all night, dark circles under his eyes. “Where were you yesterday?” he demanded. “None of your damn business.” I calmly sat on the couch, watching them all lose their minds. My gaze met Ryan’s. Looking at this man, whose eyes were as cold and predatory as a snake’s, I found it hard to believe I’d been so madly in love with him when I had lost my memory. Memories flooded my mind. I stood at the bedroom door, watching my new husband, Ryan, and Ashley cuddling intimately on our wedding bed. Ashley looked up at me. “Chloe, Ryan and I have always loved lying on the same bed since we were kids. You don’t mind, do you?” Ryan frowned, feigning calmness. “Ashley gets scared at night. I just let her come over to talk. Don’t be unreasonable.” At first, I actually believed their lies, and treated Ashley like my own sister. Whatever she wanted, whatever she wished to buy, I would fulfill it. “Chloe, book a restaurant for me. Tonight is Ryan and my 15th anniversary. We’re having a candlelight dinner.” “Chloe, write this proposal for me. It’s due tomorrow. If you don’t get it done, you’re dead.” “Chloe, you can’t even do laundry right. What *can* you do?” “Chloe, I’m sleeping with Ryan tonight. You can stay in the study.” … Later, they grew bolder, no longer bothering to hide their sordid affair. They even had sex right under my nose, then expected me to clean up their mess. “Chloe! Is this how you fulfill your duties as a wife? My mom just said one thing to you, and you have to hurt her like this?” Ryan pointed at Barbara, roaring. I looked at him calmly. “Ryan, let’s get a divorce.” Suddenly, the house fell silent. Barbara and Ashley stopped their dramatics. “What did you say?! I don’t agree! If you divorce, who’ll take care of my mom?” “And besides, we paid a bride price when we got married. Your family basically sold you to us!”

That day ended in a furious deadlock. Ryan’s family feared losing me, their ever-willing workhorse, and I never expected them to agree easily. I cleaned the apartment. Three years of neglect had left a thick layer of dust. I picked up an envelope addressed to ‘Chloe.’ I opened it. “Hello, I am Chloe.” “I am the Chloe who lost her memory. Strictly speaking, my codename is 036.” The first sentence left me stunned. A massive shock washed over me. “First, I want to apologize to you. I received a mission to enter this world, inhabiting your body. To complete my task, I did many incomprehensible things over the past three years.” “Ryan was my target. I had to be his doormat, selfless and utterly devoted, my persona only caring about his happiness.” “When I stumbled upon this small apartment, I hesitated, wondering if I should give it to Ryan as a gift to please him. But after I arrived, I saw your hopes, all the love you poured into this apartment, and I couldn’t bring myself to do it.” “By the time you read this letter, I will have left, but my mission is not yet complete.” “My original task was to complete the mission after four years of marriage, but I could only stay in this world for three years.” “So, I must ask you, can you endure this last year? In return, I’ve collected evidence of Ryan’s crimes.” “After one year, this evidence will automatically be submitted. By then, Ryan will face justice. And you will be free.” “At the very least, please, for the sake of me leaving you this apartment, don’t let my mission fail.” “Otherwise, my consciousness will be erased. Please.” Reading the letter carefully, a huge weight lifted from my heart. “So, I didn’t betray myself after all.” I squatted down, hugging my knees, and wept. Tears streamed down my face and into my mouth, but I didn’t notice. It was so long that the streetlights had already turned off. I lifted my head, fiercely wiping away the tears from my eyes. “One last year, huh? If I complete your mission, I can go back to a normal life.” It sounded like a kind offer.

“Failure to complete the mission means being erased?” I murmured, staring at the envelope. And she wants me to be grateful she left me *my own* apartment? “If you hadn’t suddenly taken over my body, how would I have ended up in this mess?!” This ‘strategist’ 036 only left me the apartment because she realized she still needed my help to complete the final step, a way to manipulate me. “Since you want to complete your mission so badly, why would I grant your wish?” Looking at the new scars on my body from these past few years, my hatred seethed. I would make Ryan’s family pay the price they deserved. And 036, your mission will never be completed. Ashley’s birthday was in two days. Every year, she threw a lavish party to show off how much she was ‘loved.’ I sneered. A story about being ‘loved’ by your brother, even in bed, would certainly grab attention. That day, Ryan called me. “I don’t care what you’re thinking right now, but it’s Ashley’s birthday, and you *must* be there.” His commanding voice came through the phone. Ryan was a highly sophisticated egoist. He wouldn’t tolerate any stains on his reputation. Highly educated, good-looking, polite and generous in public, doting on his wife, never adding female contacts on SnapChat. That was his public persona. “I’ll be there.” I’m going there to expose the true faces of you two despicable scumbags. When I arrived, the party had already started.

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I became mute saving Chloe, my childhood sweetheart. When I discovered I could speak again, a surge of pure joy hit me. I suppressed my excitement, planning to surprise her on our wedding day. But on the eve of our wedding, she was going wild with some college guy in our marital home. Through the crack in the door, I saw her, flushed and breathless, sprawled across his toned abs. When she spoke of me, her voice dripped with utter contempt. “He’s just a mute. All he does is gesture with his hands all day. What right does he have to marry me?” She promised him, “I’m only doing this to keep up appearances for our families. You’re the one I love. I’d never leave you.” Yet later, at the wedding, Chloe frantically demanded they find me, insisting she had to marry me. But this time, I was truly going to leave her. I slammed the door shut, blocking out the sickening sight of their passionate encounter. After realizing I could speak, I’d practiced for days. I wanted to recite my wedding vows, to give Chloe the surprise of a lifetime. Now, it seemed I was the real clown. Chloe had said she wanted the most unique wedding in the world, so I’d worked day and night at the venue, overseeing every single detail, leaving nothing to chance. Returning to the chaotic wedding hall, I smashed everything I’d personally prepared. Then I went home and collapsed into a deep sleep. I woke up rested, my phone buzzing with a flood of messages and missed calls from Chloe. [Liam, the hotel told me you trashed the wedding venue. What the hell are you doing?!] [Why aren’t you answering my calls? What kind of tantrum are you throwing?!] [Do you even want to get married or not? If not, then forget it!] … [Liam, are you still mad at me? I really didn’t mean to stand you up…] Perhaps this was Chloe’s true face. First, she’d hit you hard, leaving you reeling, then when she felt like it, she’d offer a sweet little treat to lull you back. Keeping you firmly in the palm of her hand. Yesterday, she’d asked me to dinner, but I waited until the restaurant closed, and she never showed. No calls, no texts. Worried something had happened, I searched everywhere she might be. I never expected to find her in our marital home, listening to that wild, intimate act. She was used to having me wrapped around her little finger, always doing her bidding. But I got tired too. I glanced at the messages but didn’t reply. The front door burst open, and Chloe rushed in, her heels clicking urgently. Seeing me, she glared. “You were home! Why didn’t you reply to my messages? You made me look like an idiot, sending so many!” Watching her face flush with anger, I almost laughed. Was she finally experiencing the frustration of sending a pile of messages with no reply? I’d lived through that for eight years. Lived through her disappearing. I signed coldly, [I was asleep. Didn’t hear anything.] Chloe stepped forward, swatting my hands away, her anger flaring. “I told you to stop with the gesturing! I can’t understand you!” In the eight years I’d been mute, my parents and friends had learned to understand at least some simple sign language. But Chloe, the one I saved, never bothered. Whenever I tried to communicate with her through signs, she’d get annoyed and give me dirty looks. To this day, she couldn’t even understand the simplest sign for “thank you.” I wasn’t in the mood to sign, nor did I want to tell her I could speak again. Chloe slammed her bag onto the table and crossed her arms. “We’re getting married in a week. Why did you ruin the wedding venue?” Simple. I just didn’t want to marry her anymore. I was tired. Exhausted. Fed up. I typed a message on my phone, [Just wasn’t happy with how I decorated it.] Seeing my reply, Chloe’s tense expression softened. She linked her arm through mine, leaning gently on my shoulder. “You must be tired. Let’s just hand the wedding over to a planning company.” Her phone suddenly rang. She instantly pulled away from me, discreetly taking the call in another room. Through the thin door, her words were crystal clear. “I know you miss me, baby. I’ll still stay with you tonight.” “Him? Just thinking about sleeping with him after we get married makes me sick. He can’t even say a word. How could he compare to you?” “That dish you liked last time? I’ll get him to make it for you again.” The call ended with Chloe blowing a kiss into the air. She walked out of the room. I couldn’t help but recall Chloe’s behavior these past few days. She’d been coming home late for ages, and I’d only hear her heavy footsteps and the loud slam of the door late at night after I’d fallen asleep. I was mute, but I wasn’t deaf. Each time I was woken up, I found it hard to fall back asleep. I’d asked Chloe what kept her so busy, coming home so late every day. She’d always answer impatiently, “Work, obviously! Meeting clients, writing proposals, what else?” When I’d make her a hangover soup, she’d grumble behind my back. “He can’t even hold down a job himself, but he’s all up in my business.” Most of the time, I pretended not to hear. Turns out, her recent strange behavior was because she had another man, someone she was deeply invested in. Leaving me to be with someone else. “Make some food, I need to take it with me.” Then she added, “That same dish you brought to the office last time. Make it extra spicy.” So, the nourishing, carefully prepared meals I made for her had all gone into another man’s mouth. She had a sensitive stomach, and even though I used to love spicy food, I’d willingly switched to a bland diet for her. Now, she was catering to someone else’s taste, using *my* cooking to please *him*. It was laughable. I didn’t cook for Chloe. Instead, I went back to my parents’ house.

“Mom, Dad, I don’t want to marry Chloe anymore.” When they heard me speak, their eyes instantly welled up. My mother hugged me, sobbing, asking again and again if I’d truly recovered completely. My parents had never wanted me to follow Chloe around, let alone marry her, so they readily agreed to my request. Though I’d practiced for a long time, my voice was still hoarse and strained. My parents immediately contacted doctors abroad. I nodded. “Once I’ve handled everything here, I’ll go abroad for treatment in a week.” Back then, to save her, the enraged kidnappers had nearly choked me to death in a dilapidated warehouse. When I woke up, I couldn’t make a sound. Chloe was sobbing beside me, tears streaming down onto the hospital bed, soaking the sheets. After years of fruitless treatment, Chloe became disheartened. Unwilling to see her stressed and exhausted from all the traveling, I simply gave up. Chloe had said, “Liam, don’t be afraid. I won’t ever look down on you.” When I got home, Chloe was nowhere to be found. It seemed she’d wasted no time leaving the moment I did. My friend, Dylan, sent me a message with a video attached. [Liam, is this Chloe?] [Why is she hugging and kissing some guy at a bar? Aren’t you two getting married soon?] [That guy looks familiar. I think he’s Tyler, the new intern at the company.] In the dazzling, hazy lights of the bar, it was the same young college guy from last night. Chloe was grinding against him on the dance floor, passionately kissing him. Her slender arms were wrapped around his shoulders, intimately draped around his neck. Before, she wouldn’t even deign to give me a kiss. At our engagement party, I only had the right to kiss the back of her hand. She told me she liked to take things slow, that we should wait until after the wedding to kiss. But they’d only known each other a short time, and they were already hugging, kissing, and sleeping together. I was such a complete and utter fool. Chloe never liked me, not for a single moment. Back in school, she was the adored princess, completely oblivious to my feelings for her. It was only after I got hurt saving her that she even gave me a glance. Just as she’d said, she was willing to marry me only to keep up appearances. She just didn’t want to be known for being ungrateful. I contacted Dylan, setting up a meeting with the stock transfer agreement. He looked at me, bewildered. “Liam, isn’t this what you were planning to give Chloe as a wedding gift?” The three of us had started the company. Dylan and I each owned 33% of the shares, while Chloe held 34%. I’d always intended to transfer my 33% of the shares to Chloe for free when we got married, as a token of my sincerity. But now, I didn’t need to. After a moment of thought, I spoke, “She doesn’t need it anymore. I’ll transfer these shares to you at the lowest price. From now on, you’ll have veto power and won’t be controlled by her.” Dylan stared at my moving mouth, frozen in shock. It took him a long moment to process it. His voice was choked with emotion, tears of joy welling up. “Y-you’re… you’re better? Liam, you can speak!” I nodded, signing my name on the stock transfer agreement. Dylan was my best friend. I felt completely at ease leaving the company in his hands. Before, because I loved Chloe, I always overlooked her unreasonable business decisions and ignored Dylan’s concerns and complaints. Never again. The company would definitely thrive under Dylan’s leadership.

The next day, Chloe came home and angrily threw her expensive bag at my face. “Why did you fire Tyler?” My cheek stung, but I didn’t move as I rubbed it. Yesterday, I’d told Dylan to fire that college guy. He certainly worked fast. Chloe panicked. “He’s just an intern, he doesn’t earn much. How’s he going to survive if you fire him?” Every word, every phrase, she made no effort to hide her obvious favoritism and affection for Tyler. [Do you care about him that much?] Seeing my words, Chloe paused for a moment before speaking again, “No, I just… I just pity him. His family is struggling.” I said nothing more. Seeing my grim expression, Chloe patiently tried to appease me. “There are only a few days left until the wedding. Can we please not fight? You always listen to me, don’t you?” Fight? I hadn’t even said a harsh word. This wasn’t a fight, it was her unilateral outburst. I did listen to her. I listened until I ended up wearing a cuckold’s crown. [I checked his resume. His major doesn’t match, he’s not suitable for our company.] Chloe completely snapped, her sharp voice echoing through the room. “I have 34% of the company’s shares! I have absolute authority! What right do *you*, a mute, have to judge him?!” *You, a mute.* Her words brutally pierced my heart. Did I *want* to be mute? Did I *choose* to be mute? For all these years, I’d endured countless slights and disdain, yet I always acted as if I didn’t notice. Chloe’s words had always been this sharp and venomous. Why was it only now that I truly saw her? She called HR, demanding they keep Tyler’s job, but was regretfully informed that it was ordered by President Dylan. I took out the stock transfer agreement I’d signed with Dylan and showed it to her. One look, and she understood everything. “Why did you transfer the shares to him?! I’ve been talking about the shares for so long, and you never agreed to give them to me!” Her voice was tinged with tears. I just watched her, unmoved. [Chloe, if you despise me for being mute, we don’t have to get married. I’m not forcing you.] Chloe saw the words I’d typed, snatched the phone, and threw it to the floor. “How am I supposed to explain it if we don’t get married?! Liam, you don’t really love me!” I loved her, but did she love me? She was so utterly disregardful of my feelings and dignity, brazenly saying “explain” to humiliate me. Chloe was still crying when she received a call from Tyler. Over the phone, I heard Tyler’s pitiful voice, “Sister, my stomach hurts so much.” Tyler sounded like he’d been drinking with clients at a bar and was forced to down several bottles. Chloe’s heart ached for him. She completely ignored me, panicked, and rushed out the door. It made me feel even more like a clown. I used to always put Chloe first, everything revolved around her. In school, when she was bullied, I stepped in for her and ended up with a broken shin. But the very next day, she was laughing and talking with the boy who had bullied her. I tried to warn her to stay away from bad guys like him. She stubbornly refused, blaming me for messing up the face of the guy she had a crush on during the fight. I’ll never forget Chloe’s cold face, her watery eyes glaring at me, calling me a busybody. Thinking about my past foolish self, I just felt utterly ridiculous. How could I have endured so much, clinging to her despite her endless humiliations? Had I lost my damn mind back then? Shaking off those memories, I calmly entrusted the expensive wedding house to a real estate agent to sell at a low price. I never wanted to step foot in that house again. It was supposed to be my dream wedding home, chosen in the best location, with every detail of the renovation personally supervised. Every piece of furniture, every pot and pan, even every flower was something I’d carefully picked out and brought in myself. But now, it no longer mattered. I wanted to sell it, and along with it, cast out all the dirty memories it held from my life. Three days before the wedding, Chloe came to see me. “I won’t argue with you about the shares. You can ask Dylan to give them back after we get married.” Before I could say anything, she linked her arm through mine intimately, blinking her eyes. “The wedding venue is all set up! Want to go see it?” I was curious to see how the wedding venue I’d trashed could be restored so quickly. Stepping into the familiar wedding hall again, everything felt… unfamiliar. Chloe, however, seemed very pleased. She’d brought a man with her. “Liam, Tyler personally decorated our wedding venue. Look at his hands!” I lowered my gaze, seeing his bloodied fingers. “He got his hands completely pricked by thorns, all for this flower sea.” Tyler ruffled his hair, smiling brightly, like a dog trying to please. “As long as Sister Chloe and Brother Liam are happy, I don’t care what happens to me.” Chloe looked at Tyler’s hands, her heart aching, and couldn’t help but gently take them. I thought of my own hands. During the wedding preparations, Chloe had never once visited, so she naturally hadn’t seen my battered hands, scarred from wood splinters, pricked by thorns, healing and then getting injured again, a mess. Yet, when I’d taken Chloe’s hand, she’d recoiled in disgust. She’d scornfully looked at my scarred hands, complaining they felt rough against her delicate skin. Tyler was young, sunny, and knew how to charm. Seeing Chloe’s sympathy, he pouted and whined, sweetly calling her “Sister.” Chloe told me to rest while she went to discuss the wedding flow with the planner. She probably figured, since I was mute anyway, there was no need for me to go. Watching Tyler and Chloe walk into the same hotel floor, one after the other, I let out a cold laugh. In the hallway, urgent gasps echoed. Before they even entered the room, their lips were already passionately entangled. Chloe was pinned against the wall by Tyler, her eyes hazy from his kisses. I heard Tyler say, “Sister, it really breaks my heart that you’re marrying him.” “Decorating your wedding venue nearly killed me, Sister. Do you want to kill me?” Chloe wrapped her arms around his neck and chuckled, “I’ll only kill you in bed.” They entered the room, and intimate sounds poured out. Going downstairs, I called the police and reported prostitution at the hotel. The police arrived. Chloe claimed they were boyfriend and girlfriend. After some proof, the police left. Seeing Chloe’s flushed face, I walked over. She panicked. “Liam… how did you get up here?”

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Asher needed a corneal transplant after a terrible accident that damaged his eyes. I worked around the clock, doing makeup for the deceased, just to scrape enough money together for the surgery. But then, the donor resources were snatched away, just like that. Seeing Asher utterly broken and losing all hope, I suddenly made a decision. I gave him my cornea. Yet, the moment he regained his sight, he went straight to Celeste, his ex-girlfriend who’d dumped him years ago. It wasn’t long before I learned that his injury itself had been because of her. I pulled out my phone and called my dad, someone I hadn’t spoken to in years. “Dad, I lost! I want to come home.” I listened, disbelief creeping into my mind, to Asher’s voice from the hospital bed next to mine. He was on the phone. “Celeste, my surgery was a success! I can see again! I’m coming to you right now!” It was the fifth day after his operation, the day Asher was supposed to get his stitches out. I thought the first thing he’d do when he woke up was look for me. I didn’t want him to wait, so I specifically asked the nurse to put me in the same room as him. Only a thin curtain separated our beds. A long moment passed before I finally reacted, my hand fumbling helplessly on the bed. “Asher? Asher?~ Ah!” My hand missed, and I crashed hard onto the floor. The sharp pain brought tears to my eyes. “Ms. Sterling, how did you fall… and Mr. Asher, where is he?” The nurse on rounds rushed in and helped me up. I thanked her, offering a bitter smile and shaking my head. I knew exactly where Asher had gone. He’d gone to find his ex. Asher and I started dating just before we graduated college. It’s been five years now. A few months ago, he was in a car accident and injured his eyes. After I finally managed to raise the money for his surgery, the doctor told me that the cornea allocated for Asher had been taken by someone else. I couldn’t bring myself to tell Asher. I knew he wouldn’t be able to handle it. So, I decided to donate my own cornea to him. He still doesn’t know. Before we started dating, Asher was the campus heartthrob, naturally adored by many girls. When I first knew him, he had a girlfriend named Celeste. She was the campus queen of our department, and they were the most famous couple on campus. But a month before Asher and I got together, she went abroad for advanced studies, unilaterally breaking up with him. The day Asher was drowning his sorrows at a bar, I confessed my feelings to him. I never expected him to say yes. I just felt that if I didn’t say it before graduation, it would be a lifelong regret. He just stared at me, dazed, for a few minutes before leaning in and kissing me. Things just happened between us that night. The next day, he suggested we start dating. I was overjoyed, so much so that I didn’t notice the faint indifference in his eyes. I don’t know when they reconnected. Out of trust, I never checked Asher’s phone. The nurse helped me find my phone and placed it in my hand. I hesitated for a moment but decided to call Asher anyway. “Alexa, call Asher.” “Hello, Chloe?” “Asher, where are you?” His voice on the other end was hesitant, and then I caught the faint whisper of a woman’s voice. “Asher, it’s a left turn here.” “Chloe, I’ve had my stitches out, the surgery was successful. I’ll be home soon, don’t worry.” Before I could say anything, he hung up… I gripped the phone tightly, my vision dark, feeling large tears splattering onto the back of my hand. Moments later, I picked up my cane, and the nurse helped me out of the hospital. I could feel her pitying gaze, piercing me like needles.

During my days in the hospital, I’d learned how to use a cane, though I wasn’t very skilled yet. Finally, I made it home and let out a sigh of relief, sitting on the couch and carefully pulling up my pant leg. I’d fallen twice on the way back. The first fall was pretty hard; I touched the injured spot with my hand, and it felt sticky and warm. It must have been bleeding. This was actually a relatively few falls. On the first day after surgery, I fell a full ten times. Finally, the nurse couldn’t stand it anymore and helped me, slowly teaching me how to use the cane, which made things a bit better. Asher didn’t come home until evening. I had lied to him about having urgent cases at the crematorium as an excuse not to be at the hospital during his surgery days. “Chloe, your eyes?” When he saw me, he instantly understood how the cornea for his eyes had been sourced. His voice was filled with disbelief. “Are you crazy? The resource was taken, but I could have waited. You—” “It’s fine, I can wait for another cornea, too.” That’s what I said, but who knew how long that wait would be? I reached out, my hand finding his. “It’s just that you’ll have to work a bit harder these days. I probably can’t go to work for a while.” Asher pulled me into a tight hug. “Don’t be silly. It’s my job to take care of you.” I knew I was avoiding the issue. I didn’t ask him why he only got home in the evening when his stitches were removed in the morning, nor did I ask about the woman’s voice on the phone. Asher wasn’t from this city; he came from a small town. His family wasn’t well-off, and he studied computer science. After graduation, he struggled for a long time to find his current job. During that anxious period, I swore I’d take care of him, no matter what, thumping my chest like a defiant child. I didn’t pursue a job related to my major, because back then, we were so broke we could barely afford rent. I heard that working as a mortuary cosmetologist paid well and quickly, so I didn’t hesitate. I found a master at a crematorium and started learning. Since I was a girl and already knew how to do makeup, I picked it up fast. In the beginning, seeing the deceased kept me awake all night. But Asher was endlessly patient, holding me, gently soothing me from dusk till dawn. So, when I decided to give my cornea to Asher, I had no regrets. I believed he wouldn’t let me down. That night, Asher held me, comforting me to sleep as he always did. If my eyes hadn’t started aching in the middle of the night, waking me up, I wouldn’t have realized he’d left my side. I felt the bedding next to me; it was still warm, meaning he hadn’t been gone long. “Alexa, what time is it?” “Master, it’s 2:25 AM.” I slowly sat up, wrapping my arms around my knees, a knot of unease tightening in my stomach. Where had Asher gone? And when did he leave?

I sat there, waiting, for what felt like an eternity. Then I heard the door open, followed by his familiar footsteps. “Chloe, why are you up?” “Asher, where did you go?” “Oh, I was afraid you might be hungry, so I went out and bought you your favorite wontons. Here, let me feed you.” I numbly chewed the wontons in my mouth, the acidity at the back of my nose slowly building. The wontons had seaweed in them. But Asher knew I hated seaweed in my wontons; he never added it before… This meant these wontons weren’t bought for me at all… And that faint, unfamiliar perfume scent clinging to him… Everything pointed to him having left me alone in the middle of the night to meet someone else. Tears fell without my permission, and I choked, coughing violently. “What’s wrong?” I wiped the wetness from my eyes, forcing a laugh. “Nothing, these wontons are just too delicious.” “Silly, if you like them so much, I’ll buy them for you every day from now on.” That night, even with Asher holding me, I didn’t sleep again. The darkness before my eyes didn’t scare me, but that lingering scent on him that wasn’t mine kept me awake… The next morning, before Asher left for work, he was still fussing, worried about leaving me alone at home. “Chloe, remember to call me immediately if anything happens, and I’ll rush right back.” “Alright, I know!” As the door closed, the entire space became eerily quiet. I wondered if I should get a dog. It could keep me company and be a guide dog. After making up my mind, I contacted a local professional agency. They said they could bring a dog over tomorrow. The silence was unsettling. I turned on the TV, just for some background noise. I lay on the sofa and drifted off to sleep, waking up to find traces of dried tears on my face. When Asher and I first started dating, I told my parents. In my memory, they had always been very open-minded, but that time, Mom and Dad were surprisingly against it. We had the biggest fight of our lives. My dad, for the first time, said harsh words to me. “If you insist on being with him, then don’t ever call us your parents again.” “Fine, then I won’t.” From then on, my parents cut off my bank card and stopped contacting me. I couldn’t understand why they were so opposed. In my eyes, Asher was so wonderful. The years that followed proved my judgment wasn’t wrong. He was very good to me. When Asher came home that night, I told him about the dog. He paused for a moment but didn’t say anything. The next morning, the agency delivered a Golden Retriever. Its name was Buddy. After I gave it a few simple commands, Buddy performed them perfectly, so I kept him. Buddy was very well-behaved. With him, things became much easier for me, and I could go to many places by myself. That day, I heard the rain outside was heavy. I suddenly remembered Asher hadn’t taken an umbrella when he left that morning. After a moment’s hesitation, I took Buddy and an umbrella and left the house.

I finally made it to Asher’s company building just before he got off work. I pulled out my phone from my pocket, ready to call him, when I suddenly heard two people standing next to me speak up. “Did you see? Asher, the one with the eye injury, is back at work again.” “I know, right? Didn’t he come back a few days ago? Lucky guy, and quite the ladies’ man too…” “How so?” “That gorgeous woman sitting over there, see her? This is her third visit. They always look so close…” My hand tightened on Buddy’s leash. I spoke softly, “Excuse me, how many Ashers work at your company?” “Just one.” I bit hard on my lip. I couldn’t see if the woman waiting for Asher was his former campus queen ex-girlfriend. Just as I dialed Asher’s number, I heard the voice from that phone call a few days ago, not far away. Maybe it was because I couldn’t see, but I was especially sensitive to sounds now. “Asher, over here!” The call connected. I heard Asher’s low, familiar voice. “Chloe, I’m working late. I might be home a bit late. Order some takeout for yourself, okay? Bye.” “But…” My words were cut off as he hung up. I stood there for a long time, until my legs felt stiff. Buddy sensed my distress and whined, circling my feet, nudging my leg. I knelt down and stroked his head. “Buddy, let’s go home.” Back home, I changed my wet clothes, then fumbled around to dry Buddy’s fur. By ten o’clock that night, Asher still hadn’t returned. Instead, I received a call from an unfamiliar number. “Ms. Sterling, I’m Celeste. You probably know who I am. Thank you for taking care of Asher all these years.” “I know you gave your cornea to Asher, but you can’t use that to tie him down, can you? That’s just emotional blackmail. All you’re doing is making him miserable.” “I advise you to have some self-awareness. Asher has always loved me. Even his eye injury this time was to protect me. And he’s with me right now…” The phone slipped from my grasp, hitting my foot. I couldn’t hear anything else, collapsing weakly to the floor… Was this the real reason Asher had never told me about his injury? In that instant, it felt like someone had choked me, I couldn’t make a sound, my mind completely blank… Buddy anxiously circled my feet, licking my face, trying to comfort me. I hugged Buddy and burst into uncontrollable sobs. When Asher came home, I heard the rustle of him taking off his clothes. A moment later, he slowly put his arms around me from behind. “Asher, will you marry me?” I felt his body stiffen for a second, and his hands slowly loosen from my waist. “Chloe, why aren’t you asleep yet?” “Will you marry me?” I gripped his hand, my empty eyes looking at him. “Why are you asking this all of a sudden…?” A moment later, I let go of his hand, closing my unfocused eyes. The moment he hesitated, I already knew his answer. I forced a smile. “It’s nothing. Go to sleep.” That night, Asher and I slept back-to-back for the first time… I thought perhaps it was time for me to leave… to save myself some dignity, instead of waiting to be forced out. But I never imagined that the day I truly left, I would lose Buddy forever. A few days later, the door opened. Asher was home from work, but he wasn’t alone. “Chloe, I have to go out of town for a few days. I don’t feel comfortable leaving you alone, so I asked a friend to help take care of you.” “Hi, Chloe, I’m Celeste. You can call me Cel. Asher talks about you so much…”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “298478”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

I’d loved Victoria Hayes for five years, and she became my fiancée. But when my Grandpa was on his deathbed, Victoria didn’t lift a finger to help. All because Julian Sterling, the adopted son of the Sterling family, suggested to her that this was an opportunity to break me down, hoping it would make me stronger. Grandpa died helpless. And just as she wanted, I lost my rough edges, became tougher, and stopped clinging to her. Of course, I stopped loving her too. When I limped back into the city, I was the laughingstock of the elite circles. They all said the Sterling family’s long-lost heir, who’d been living away from the family since he was a kid, wasn’t capable but had a massive temper. He dared to openly argue with Julian, who was already working at the company, even threatened his parents, and ended up running away from home completely broke, needing to borrow even a few thousand dollars. Those entitled jerks who’d humiliated me before somehow got wind of my location. They swaggered into the city with a whole posse, openly pulling out their phones to snap pictures of me. I didn’t even bother raising my hand to shield my face or protect my dignity. After all, every last shred of my dignity had been chipped away by those loan sharks, little by little. Ever since they forced me to my knees and made me slap myself, my heart no longer stirred for such a thing as “face.” The old Leo Sterling, prickly and quick to anger, who used his sharp edges to hide his deep insecurity, was gone. The Sterling family and Victoria Hayes, they had suffocated him with their own hands. Suddenly, a few black luxury SUVs drove up, completely ignoring everyone else. When the spoiled rich kids saw the license plates, they immediately scattered. The lead car was understated and sleek, but I knew exactly who was inside. Victoria Hayes, the head of the Hayes family, and my fiancée. I watched the car, instinctively stopping. I was about to turn and find another route. The car door opened, and a woman in a suit stepped out. She walked up to me, and when she saw my face and my pitiful state, a flicker of surprise crossed her features. I knew I looked a mess. I was still wearing the crumpled white shirt from Grandpa’s funeral, with several distinct shoe prints on it. My face was swollen and red from being slapped the day before, my fingernails were packed with black dirt, and my fingers still trembled slightly. One foot wore a shoe I’d found in a trash can; the other was bare, frozen a raw red. Victoria’s secretary lowered her gaze, hiding the astonishment in her eyes. She made a polite gesture. “Mr. Sterling, Ms. Hayes would like to see you.” I lowered my head and stepped back, my voice hoarse and raw. Every word made my throat ache. “No, thanks. I need to get back to the Sterling residence.” With that, I tried to walk around her and leave. The secretary looked stunned. Victoria had been my salvation, my reason for everything. I’d followed her around for five years, and even when she always gave me the cold shoulder, I’d rack my brain for excuses to get closer to her. But now, I saw her as something terrifying, like a monster. My sudden avoidance clearly surprised the secretary, who was used to my relentless pursuit. “Leo Sterling!” Her cool, clear voice made me instinctively stop. The secretary saw my tightly pressed lips, hesitated for a moment, then repeated her inviting gesture. I tried to straighten my back, ignoring the discomfort in my left leg and the secretary’s hesitant glance, and slowly got into the car. Victoria was sitting inside. She looked up from her documents, saw my disheveled state, and instead of showing any concern, her brows furrowed tightly. Her tone was deeply displeased. “Are you cosplaying a beggar? You’re a mess. Aren’t you embarrassed?” My heart didn’t sting at her harsh words, not like it used to. Nor did I feel disappointed that she didn’t notice my injuries. I just lowered my head and mumbled a reply. “My apologies.” But I didn’t want any of this. I didn’t want to be tricked into taking out high-interest loans because I couldn’t afford a funeral. I didn’t want to be thrown to the ground and beaten by those loan sharks. I didn’t want to be forced to slap myself. I didn’t want to be chained to a wall like a dog, or forced to lick food off the floor. But most of all, I didn’t want Grandpa’s coffin to be dug up from his grave, robbing him of peace even in death. Her hand paused mid-action. She glanced at me, and her voice actually held a hint of approval. “Julian was right. A bit of hardship, a little suffering, and you’ve finally changed your ways. You’ve learned to be strong.” Before I was brought back to the Sterling family, Julian had been living there in my place. And I, the Sterling family’s true son, had been living with Julian’s biological grandfather. My mind was sluggish; I didn’t think about why Victoria mentioned Julian. Perhaps Victoria thought I had met her expectations. As a reward, she condescendingly waved me closer. “Sit closer.” I was sitting in the farthest seat from Victoria, staring at the floor mat ever since I got in. I hadn’t looked at her once. Hearing that contemptuous tone, like she was barking orders at a pet, my eyes were filled with resistance. I didn’t move.

Victoria saw my hesitation and raised her voice. “I told you to come over here.” I didn’t respond, my spine stiff and straight, as if trying to salvage what little fragile dignity I had left. Even though my dignity had vanished the moment I was beaten by the loan sharks until I begged for mercy. Without my reply, the car fell silent. Perhaps Victoria wasn’t used to this atmosphere, or maybe she was just impatient. She reached out toward me. As her hand neared my arm, my back tensed. But I was pressed against the car window, nowhere to escape. The moment she touched me, I caught a faint scent of perfume. It was her usual perfume, the one Julian had given her. It was that very bottle of perfume that had triggered a conflict between me and Julian, making me feel provoked. After my parents cut off my bank cards, I took the little cash I had and went back to my old home. Grandpa’s kidneys had already failed then. We couldn’t afford a hospital, so he hadn’t gone. I took Grandpa to the hospital, but I didn’t have money for the surgery. I tried calling my parents, but no one answered. Later, those spoiled rich kids I always clashed with showed up in T City, grinning at me. “Heard Mr. Sterling is really short on cash, huh?” “How about this, bro? We’re not unreasonable. Just crawl under our legs, and we’ll give you the money. What do you say?” Without hesitation, I knelt down, bowed my back, and on my knees, step by step, I crawled under each of them. Grandpa had raised me since childhood. If there was even the slightest chance to save him, I wouldn’t miss it. The private room was silent, so quiet I could hear my clothes rubbing against the floor. They held up their phones, filming my humiliation, then threw three red bills on the ground with a laugh and walked out, arms slung over each other’s shoulders. “Leo Sterling, look at yourself, you pathetic dog. You think you’re good enough for Ms. Hayes?” “Your true feelings for Victoria were only worth this much.” That’s why, desperate and cornered, I was tricked by those people into taking out high-interest loans. But Grandpa died because his treatment was delayed. After I finished Grandpa’s funeral and it was time to repay the debt, I called Victoria to borrow money. She impatiently told me to go back and apologize, then hung up. These memories made my breath catch. The arm Victoria touched broke out in goosebumps, thick and numerous, as if a snake was coiling around it. A wave of coldness washed over me. My head swam. Nausea swelled, and I felt like throwing up. I yanked Victoria’s hand away, hunched over, grabbing the front seat with one hand and covering my mouth with the other, dry-heaving violently in the car. I hadn’t eaten much these past few days, so nothing came up. A faint sour smell filled the car. Victoria covered her nose with a tissue and called my name, her voice full of disgust. “Leo Sterling!” I couldn’t hear anything in my ears, just kept dry-heaving until the urge to vomit passed. Victoria didn’t speak, just stared at me coldly. I knew her well; she was on the verge of exploding. I didn’t play dumb or try to brush it off like I used to. Because I knew I had no leverage to cause a scene. My body was shaky from weakness. My head hung low, and the hand gripping the front seat’s backrest tightened. “My apologies… I’ll help you wash the car when we get to the Sterling residence.” “I can get out and walk. I’m really sorry for messing up your car seats.” Victoria paused, giving me a suspicious look. After a moment of stalemate, she suddenly reached out, intending to feel my forehead. Watching her hand get closer, my entire body tensed. I knew I shouldn’t flinch. After all, what I used to crave most was Victoria reciprocating my love. But she was always so dominant and looked down on me. If I ever made her uncomfortable, she’d tear me down completely, leaving me humiliated and heartbroken. I remained stiff in my seat, constantly telling myself not to dodge, not to anger her. But the moment her cool fingers brushed my skin, that sickening feeling of being coiled by a snake returned. I couldn’t help but turn my head, avoiding her touch. Victoria’s hand hung in mid-air, unmoving. When her eyes met mine, I felt her anger and impatience. The dizzy spell returned to my head. I shook my head, and Victoria’s face vanished from my sight, replaced by Grandpa lying in his hospital bed. Because of them, I’d lost the only person who was ever truly good to me. I blinked, and a single tear rolled down my cheek.

Victoria’s words, poised to scold me, suddenly caught in her throat. She looked at my tear-streaked face and, in the end, said nothing. She just coldly urged the driver to speed up. I roughly wiped my tears with my sleeve, shrinking quietly into my corner, trying to make myself invisible. The scenery outside was a blur. I stared blankly at the changing landscape, suddenly wondering. If Victoria had extended a helping hand back then, would Grandpa have been saved? And I wouldn’t have borrowed from loan sharks, nor would any of this have happened. But in life, there are no ‘ifs.’ When the car stopped, due to inertia, my forehead bumped against the seatback. Victoria, surprisingly, asked me a question. “Are you okay?” I covered my forehead, shook my head, and didn’t speak. She didn’t press, got straight out of the car, ignored me, and walked into the Sterling residence. Once upstairs, I quickly took a shower. I pulled off my dirty suit pants, revealing my injured left leg. There were several gaping wounds on my left knee, the blood coagulated and black, looking horrifying. They had done this. They ignored my pain, driving nails into my knee. As they watched me writhe on the ground in agony, they laughed hysterically. Then, they demanded I pull out those nails myself before they’d give me a few scraps of food. It was a nightmare! After changing into clean clothes and cleaning my wounds, I finally went downstairs. It was dinnertime. Mom spotted me right away. She seemed a little disbelieving, waved me over, and her voice held a hint of complaint. “You finally decided to come back, huh? You’ve been gone so long, couldn’t even make a phone call.” Suddenly, I felt a surge of injustice, wanting to vent. But just as I opened my mouth to utter a sound, I was interrupted. “Mom, Mrs. Chen from the Chen family made a tea reservation with you this afternoon. Don’t be late again.” Julian Sterling, dressed in a crisp suit, walked in from the entrance, his tone casual. Mom’s attention was drawn to him, and her gaze shifted away from me. “Oh, right, I almost forgot. Good thing Julian reminded me.” Julian sat on the sofa and smirked at me. “Leo, what made you finally decide to come back? Stop being mad at Mom and Dad. You should learn to be mature and independent.” Everyone’s attention followed his words and landed on me. My heart pounded fiercely as I met Julian’s mocking eyes, but I didn’t lose my temper like I used to. Mom didn’t refute Julian. She just gave him a quick glance, then immediately said with concern. “Julian, have you not been eating well these past few days? Look at you, you’ve lost so much weight.” “No matter what, your health is more important than work. Besides, your Dad is still at the company.” Hearing her words, I quietly put my exposed hands behind my back. I was so close to Mom, yet she didn’t notice my bruised hands or my awkward limp. But when it came to Julian, she meticulously noticed whether he’d eaten well. Julian smiled. “Leo already gives Mom and Dad enough to worry about. I need to be more sensible.” Mom looked at me, caught between words, and sighed. At the dinner table, Mom kept actively putting food on my plate. I changed my previous behavior, politely lowering my gaze and thanking her. Instead of being relieved, she sighed worriedly. She didn’t lecture me again, but instead placed the bank card she had taken from me into my hand. “Leo, you running away really worried Mom and Dad.” “From now on, we won’t restrict you. This card is yours again, and your dad put some more money in it.” I tightened my grip on the card, then loosened it. Too late. This card came too late. Julian’s knuckles, holding his forks, turned white. He kept watching me until I met his gaze. Only then did he put his smile back on and say to Victoria, who was sitting beside him. “Victoria, you’re getting more amazing every day. I couldn’t even compete with you at the auction.” Victoria took out a gift box, her tone softening. “This is for your birthday. I was at a conference abroad a few days ago and didn’t have time.” Julian teased her. “I thought you, the busy Ms. Hayes, had forgotten about me.” He opened the gift box. Inside, a dark green watch lay quietly. My hand, holding my fork, paused. I had seen that watch in the auction catalog. I’d fallen for it at first sight, but I didn’t have an invitation to the auction. Victoria had noticed my gaze lingering on it and had coolly said that as long as I didn’t cause trouble, she’d buy it for my birthday. But now, she was giving it to Julian. Victoria didn’t offer any explanation, but I knew it was meant as punishment for me. After I finished eating, I excused myself and left. On the second-floor landing, I ran into Victoria. She stood there in high heels, looking dominant yet alluring. If it were the old me, I would have rushed over immediately. But now, I no longer felt that familiar flutter in my heart. She didn’t notice my change. “Leo, you’ve changed.” Victoria took a step forward, her high heels clicking loudly. I lowered my gaze, not looking at her. I only heard her speak, her tone almost like a condescending offering. “I know you really liked that watch, but you caused too much trouble these past two weeks.” “So, as punishment, you won’t get a birthday gift.” “However, you were very well-behaved today, and I’m pleased. I can grant you one wish, as long as it’s not too much.”

I looked up at her face, trying to find a trace of the memories I held of her. The first time I met Victoria was at a banquet. The spoiled rich kids there had been lectured by their families to be nice to me, the awkward, unpolished me. Because of my clothes, they ridiculed me at the banquet. Back then, I was incredibly insecure and didn’t know how to argue back. I couldn’t even speak loudly. It was Victoria who came to my rescue. She slapped one of them across the face and, looking down at them imperiously, cursed them for being useless. Those kids slunk away. She had frowned at me then and said, “You’re the Sterling family’s heir. You don’t need to be timid. They’re the ones who should be trying to please you. Show some backbone.” “I… I’m afraid they’ll dislike me.” “Dislike? Remember this: As long as your last name is Sterling, even if you slap them across the face, they can only praise you for doing it well. Understand?” I remembered that advice for over five years. But later, it was Victoria who publicly scolded me, calling me crazy, saying I’d explode at the slightest provocation. But they were the ones who provoked me first. Victoria’s face no longer held the protectiveness she once showed me. She urged me impatiently. “Have you thought about it? Don’t be greedy.” “I’m in a hurry.” I leaned against the wall, a dull ache in my left leg keeping my mind sharp. Because of her, I endured such abuse. When I begged for mercy, I had given my name and Victoria’s phone number, a string of digits I knew by heart. What a blow that was to me. She grew increasingly impatient. “What kind of trick are you pulling now?” “You spend all your time with those trust-fund brats. I don’t see any ambition in you.” “The Sterling family doesn’t need a good-for-nothing like you.” Her scolding brought back memories. Before, she had scolded those loan sharks too, enraging them. They took out their anger on me, forcing me to slap myself until my cheeks were so swollen my gums ached. Only then did they stop. Because my face was swollen, eating was difficult. The steamed buns were too hard for me to chew, so they’d use their feet to stomp them into a dirty, black pulp and shove them into my mouth. Thinking of this, my stomach began to churn with nausea again. I fought back the urge to vomit. “Sorry, I don’t want anything.” Victoria frowned, eyeing me suspiciously, her face full of warning. “I gave you a chance. You didn’t take it. Don’t come crying to me later.” “I don’t have that kind of patience.” I softly “hmm-ed,” just wanting her to leave quickly. “I won’t.” Victoria didn’t force me to ask for anything. Perhaps she never really wanted to give me a gift anyway. “That’s good to hear.” After a few steps, she stopped, her back to me. “Don’t bother Julian anymore. There’s nothing going on between him and me.” Before I could reply, she left.

I waited until midnight for Dad to finally come home from the office. I dragged my suitcase to find him. The suitcase held only a few rough, outdated clothes—the ones Grandpa had packed for me the day before the Sterling family found me. I wiped my tears, zipped it up, and left the suitcase by the door before going to Dad’s study. After getting Dad’s permission, I twisted the doorknob and entered. “Dad.” I stood meekly to the side. Dad looked me up and down for a moment. Seeing the scars covering my exposed skin, his lips trembled. “Leo, Dad knows everything.” “It’s Mom and Dad’s fault. If only we hadn’t taken your card back then, you wouldn’t have…” I didn’t want to hear about those nightmarish experiences again. For the first time, I interrupted Dad, losing my composure. “Dad, I want to move out.” Dad slumped back in his chair, defeated. “Leo, you’re still mad at us.” “But you have every right to be. It’s all our fault for not protecting you.” “It’s just that your Mom will miss you terribly.” I lowered my eyes, my voice filled with self-mockery. “Julian’s still here at home.” “What about Victoria, then? Don’t you like her the most? Can you really bear to leave her?” I fell silent for a moment. It was true, everyone knew about my feelings for Victoria. After she rescued me that one time, I couldn’t help but follow in her footsteps. Everyone in our circles joked that I was Victoria’s devoted simp, her loyal follower. But they wouldn’t know that when I stubbornly tried to emulate Julian, only to accidentally lose the company tens of millions, Victoria was the only one who stood firmly and gently by my side, telling me that in business, you win some and lose some. When someone mocked me, and I lashed out, Victoria was the only one by my side, contentedly saying I did well. We would go out to eat together. She would accept the flowers I gave her. She would remember my birthday. But ever since Julian came back from abroad, she changed. It was she who told me that a rose’s thorns were for self-protection. She said that people needed to be sharp to avoid being bullied, and as the Sterling family’s heir, I had the right to be sharp. Later, however, she was also the one who found my thorns too sharp and wanted to pluck them all out, to tame me. “My engagement to Victoria Hayes ends here.” I looked up at Dad, telling him, and telling myself. “I won’t bother Ms. Hayes anymore.” Dad sighed deeply, understanding my meaning. He slipped a bank card into my hand. “Come back and see us often.” I unconsciously gripped the card, bowing to him. “Thank you.” “Dad will transfer money to you regularly from now on. If you don’t want to live at home, then so be it.” “You’ll always be Mom and Dad’s child. Come back whenever you want.” I didn’t respond to his belated concern, turning resolutely. “Want me to drive you?” I shook my head. I knew clearly that as long as I stayed in the Sterling household, as long as I was near Victoria, my psychological wounds would never heal. I needed to forget the past to start anew. And Dad knew that after this incident, a rift had formed between me and them. To prevent me from hating them, he could only let me go. As for Victoria’s reaction, that was no longer something I cared about. I rented a house in the suburbs, far from the city’s hustle and bustle, allowing me to find peace and clear my head. I ordered takeout and asked the delivery person to leave it at the door. Listening to their footsteps fade away, I let out a long breath and stepped out to retrieve my food.

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At the party, I suddenly had an asthma attack. I frantically fumbled through my bag for my emergency inhaler. But the bag was empty. My girlfriend, Chloe, explained: “Noah’s throat was a bit rough, so I let him use your inhaler. Just rest, you’ll feel better.” But I was already struggling to breathe. “He could just drink water for a dry throat! I’m going to have a serious problem without my inhaler!” She frowned, clearly annoyed. “Can you stop acting so delicate? Like you’re some pampered rich kid?” “Noah’s right, you’re just being dramatic.” But I really was the sole heir to a powerful corporation. I texted my mom: “You were right. I’m letting her go.” Chloe Green saw me like that and just scoffed. “Are you seriously tattling? Are you a first grader?” She snatched my phone before I could react, holding it behind her back. I pushed myself up, trying to get it back. But the moment I stood, my vision went black, and I stumbled back down. “I’m having an asthma attack, quick, give me the inhaler!” I gasped, trying to explain. Just then, Noah Miller walked over. He even made sure to wave the inhaler he held. “Oh, Liam, my handsome man, are you really feeling bad? Or are you just faking it?” “Ugh, I told you, guys shouldn’t be at a girls’ night. Men are so calculative, always trying to one-up each other.” I gulped for air, my eyes fixed on Noah. He was Chloe’s male best friend. He usually hung out with girls, calling them his “sisters.” Chloe always talked about Noah. She said he was the ultimate ladies’ man. At first, I didn’t think much of Noah. I just thought he had some unique preferences. After our relationship became stable, Chloe brought me to meet her friends. That’s when I met Noah. He seemed very enthusiastic when he faced me. “Oh my god, Chloe, you have such great taste! Where did you find this handsome man?” “Liam, with your looks, you must have women falling all over you. Why did you pick our Chloe?” His words felt off to me. But everyone else seemed used to it. I, however, always vaguely felt Noah’s gaze on me, carrying an undeniable malice. Noah’s methods were clever. He acted like he welcomed me, but his actions deliberately ignored me. For example, he loved to bring up their old inside jokes during parties. I couldn’t get a word in, just sat there, forcing a smile. Then, he’d crack a joke with me. “What’s wrong, handsome? Are you upset because I’m talking to Chloe?” When we got back, I told Chloe that their behavior made me uncomfortable. But Chloe said I was overthinking, that I was too sensitive. “Noah just wants to liven things up. You’re too petty.” My memories snapped back to the present. Noah’s malice was no longer hidden. “Mr. Handsome is just different, huh? Upset we’re not all revolving around him, so he’s faking sick?” A few women around us snickered at his words. “I’m really having an asthma attack! Give me the inhaler!” I yelled, my voice hoarse. I was fuming. I lunged, aiming a punch at Noah’s face. But I was too weak. My fist was like cotton, easily dodged by him. Seeing me like this, the room went quiet for a second. Then, even louder taunts erupted. Noah wrapped an arm around Chloe’s shoulder, laughing so hard he doubled over. “Not bad, you’re really committed to the act. Chloe, you’re not going to feel sorry for him, are you?” The other women joined in, egging Chloe on. “Yeah, Chloe, you can’t embarrass us, your girls!” “You need to keep your boyfriend in line, or he’ll walk all over you.” Chloe couldn’t stand being challenged like that. She immediately puffed out her neck and retorted. “What are you guys talking about? Why would I go soft? If he doesn’t listen to me, he deserves a lesson.” I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t want to die! I desperately tried to call for help, but only a rasping “h-h-h” sound came from my throat. “Help me…” Seeing my torment, Chloe hesitated. But Noah spoke up again. “Alright, alright, Liam. Everyone here is too straightforward; nobody’s falling for your manipulative act.” Knowing it was useless to talk to them, I pushed myself up, wanting to leave the room. But just as I got up, Noah shoved me back down. “The party just started, and you’re leaving? That’s just disrespecting me!” Noah’s grip was strong. With his forceful pull, the back of my head hit the wall. *Thud!* My head spun even more. I just hissed in pain. Noah, however, dramatically cried out.

He pursed his lips and spoke in disbelief. “Wow? You’re so good at competing for attention! I barely touched you, and you went and hit your head on the wall just to frame me?” Hearing that, Chloe looked at me with even more impatience. “Liam, you’re going too far.” I dug my nails into my palms, trying to stay conscious. “I… I have severe asthma. If you don’t want to cause a fatality, stop this now.” My throat burned. Every breath felt like broken glass scraping against it. Noah suddenly laughed. He dangled the inhaler in front of me, flaunting it. Then, he took an exaggerated, deep puff from it. “You know what? Expensive stuff really is good. This works wonders! My throat isn’t dry anymore.” I lifted my hand, trying to snatch it. He laughed and neatly evaded me. “Can’t give it to you, I’m not done using it yet.” I was so enraged my condition worsened, and I nearly blacked out. Chloe stood there, hands on her hips, watching. “See how petty you are? Noah’s just using it for a bit. Why are you so particular?” “Noah saw your medical report; you don’t have asthma, you’re just a little weak.” I forced myself to calm down. “Chloe, what reason would I have to lie to you?” Chloe had clearly seen me having an asthma attack before. Noah seized the moment to interject. “Tsk, tsk, in this day and age, there are always some idiots who fake illnesses for attention.” “Liam, are you like those idiots online who claim they have depression too?” At his words, the room erupted in laughter. They were all making snide remarks. “Chloe, your boyfriend is hilarious, but he’s got nothing on Noah.” “Yeah, if you ever marry him, you’ll be in for it.” My face was turning purple from lack of air, but I strained with all my might to reach for the inhaler in Noah’s hand. Just as my fingers brushed it, he dodged backward. I lost my balance and fell forward. “Oh, wow, so dedicated to the fake illness act!” Noah exclaimed. Then he crouched down, lowering his voice to whisper in my ear: “Go die. If you die, Chloe and I can be together openly.” Then, Noah stood up, putting an arm around Chloe. “Alright, get up, we’re still waiting for you and Chloe to do a couple’s toast.” Chloe seemed to sense something was wrong. She stepped forward and helped me up. “What’s going on? Do you really have asthma?” “Help me…” I managed to force out two words, a broken gasp escaping my throat. “Give me… the in-inhaler…” Chloe’s brows were tightly knitted, and her eyes showed a flicker of panic and struggle. She tentatively spoke. “Maybe we should give him the inhaler.” Noah’s face instantly dropped. “Chloe, don’t let him fool you! He’s clearly faking it; you can’t let him manipulate you!” “See? These manipulative guys always pretend, and Chloe almost fell for it.” The others immediately chimed in. “Yeah, Noah’s been our friend for so long, he wouldn’t hurt you, would he?” “These manipulative guys, they just love to stir up trouble. You can’t indulge him.” Sure enough, Chloe’s expression changed. Her hand, which had been supporting me, loosened slightly. She was hesitating. “But… his face really does look a bit…”

Chloe’s gaze fell on my pale face. Noah suddenly clapped his hand to his head, looking troubled. “Oh, I remember! His medical report said he had low blood sugar.” He then put on a show of caring about me. “If you have low blood sugar, just say so! Why pretend it’s an asthma attack? You’re just needlessly worrying Chloe!” Hearing that explanation, Chloe visibly relaxed. Her gaze held even more blame as she looked at me. “Don’t ever joke like that again. You scared me to death just now.” I didn’t even have the strength to argue anymore. Noah, when no one was looking, gave me a provocative smirk. Then he pulled a mint candy from his pocket. “Here, have some candy! You’re not feeling well, right? Pop one in!” He shoved the mint candy into my mouth without a word. The mint flavor assaulted my nasal passages, making the stinging in my throat even more intense. I desperately tried to spit it out. Noah clamped down hard on my jaw. “Swallow it! What are you doing? This is for your own good! You really are just faking sick for sympathy.” Only when I gagged uncontrollably did Noah release me. He turned to Chloe: “See? He refuses to eat it. He’s clearly just faking illness.” Chloe looked at me, then at the mint candy I’d just vomited onto the floor. Her eyes were full of irritation. “Alright, that’s enough. Don’t do this again.” “I…” I wanted to object, but only raspy “h-h-h” sounds came from my throat. Noah put his arm around Chloe’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s go drink. Drama queens like him get over it when no one pays attention.” Chloe nodded. As she left, she glanced at me. Her eyes held only disappointment and impatience, not a hint of worry. “Behave yourself. Don’t cause trouble again.” The group around them dispersed, heading off to drink. I collapsed onto the sofa, watching the crowd cheer for Chloe and Noah. “Couple’s toast! Couple’s toast!” “Don’t be a spoilsport, hurry up and do the couple’s toast!” “It’s just a game, your girlfriend wouldn’t be that petty, right?” Through my blurring vision, I saw Chloe look back once, then stand on tiptoe and kiss Noah… My consciousness grew increasingly hazy. In my periphery, I saw my phone carelessly tossed onto the floor. But I couldn’t even crawl to it. In despair, I suddenly remembered I might have an asthma pill in my jacket pocket. I’d taken off my jacket earlier. Using my last ounce of strength, I fumbled backward, reaching. My heart leaped when my fingertips brushed the jacket. I desperately pulled it towards me. The pocket zipper was open. I flipped it. A pill rolled out and dropped onto the carpet. This was it—the emergency extended-release pill. I was practically crying. Though not as fast-acting as the inhaler, the pill could give me some relief. But as I stretched out my hand, just as my fingers were about to touch the pill—a leather shoe stomped on it.

My eyes were bloodshot. My life-saving medication was being crushed under a leather shoe, repeatedly. It was Noah. He curled his lips into a malicious smile. His foot kept grinding the pill. “Want to eat it, huh? In your dreams.” All the blood rushed to my head. “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!” Despair surged through me. After shouting that, I slumped back onto the sofa, like a dying trapped animal. Noah, however, laughed even more hysterically. “Seeing you so angry makes me so happy.” “Don’t act innocent either; you were the one trying to steal what’s mine. Remember, Chloe is mine. Even if I don’t want her, she’ll never be yours.” With that, he violently grabbed my hair and slammed my head against the ground. “You can just die.” My head hit the floor, and the pain felt numb. I wanted to fight back. But I didn’t even have the strength to lift my arm. “I am… the Hayes heir—” Through my blurred vision, Noah’s face was distorted and menacing. He cut me off. “Tell me, if you died, would Chloe be sad?” I wanted to bite a chunk out of him, but he easily dodged. He stood up, pulled me to my feet, and threw me onto the sofa. Then he yelled towards Chloe, “Chloe, come quick! Your little boyfriend is throwing a fit again!” Chloe walked over, called by his voice. She looked at me, lying helplessly on the sofa, her brows furrowed even tighter. “What are you doing now? It’s just low blood sugar, I gave you candy, what are you still making a fuss about?” “I… I really have…” my voice was faint, “have asthma…” Noah shrugged, feigning helplessness. Chloe fixed her gaze on me, her eyes full of disappointment. “Liam, I’m really fed up with you. If you keep causing trouble, let’s just break up.” With that, she turned and stormed away. Noah subtly gave me a ‘V’ sign with his fingers, then turned and followed Chloe. I felt like my lungs were a leaky, broken bellows, each breath tearing at me. My eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Over there, a group of people were cheering excitedly around Chloe and Noah. In my periphery, Noah, pretending to be drunk, was embracing Chloe intimately. Chloe didn’t push him away; instead, she wrapped her arms tighter around his waist. “Chloe…” my voice was very, very faint. Chloe, as if by some strange impulse, looked back at me. Noah leaned in and whispered something into her ear at that moment. I don’t know what he said, but Chloe laughed happily. In that instant, my last flicker of hope died. I weakly closed my eyes. I had so many regrets. Chloe came from an ordinary family. And I was the sole heir of the Hayes Group. To bridge the gap between us and prevent Chloe from feeling inferior, I had never told her any of this. Yet, I never imagined my consideration would become the very reason she looked down on me. Noah somehow walked back. He gritted his teeth, his voice barely a whisper. “I heard your dad died a long time ago, and your mom raised you. Tsk, tsk, if you died, your mom would cry herself to death, wouldn’t she?” “But it’s okay, Chloe will be there to take care of your mom as your future daughter-in-law, and your family’s fortune will belong to Chloe and me…” Noah was truly dreaming. But just then, the private room door suddenly burst open. “Liam!” It was my mom’s voice.

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At the party, my asthma flared up. I fumbled for my emergency inhaler. But the canister was empty. My boyfriend, Derek, explained, “Chloe said her throat was dry, so I gave her your inhaler. You can just have some throat lozenges, that should help.” But my breathing was already getting harder and harder. “If her throat was dry, couldn’t she just drink some water? You guys are trying to kill me!” He frowned, annoyed. “Can you stop being so dramatic? Always acting like you’re made of glass, like you’re some delicate little princess.” “Chloe’s right, you’re just being overly dramatic.” I didn’t argue anymore. I sent a SnapChat message to my mom: “My asthma’s flared up, but Derek gave my inhaler to Chloe.” Derek saw the message and brushed it off. “Are you doing this again? Always running to your mom, are you in elementary school?” He snatched my phone, held it high, and looked down at me. I tried to get my phone back. The moment I stood up, my vision went black, and I fell back down. “My asthma’s acting up, please help me,” I quickly explained. Just then, Chloe walked over, making sure to show off the inhaler in her hand. “Oh my, Aria, little princess, are you *really* that uncomfortable? You’re not just trying to get attention, are you?” “Ugh, I told you guys, we shouldn’t have women at our hangouts. They’re always so whiny, just looking for drama.” I gasped for air, staring intently at Chloe. She was Derek’s childhood friend. She always got along great with guys, often acting like ‘one of the guys.’ Derek had mentioned Chloe to me more than once. He said she was a real tomboy. At first, I actually had a good impression of Chloe, the no-nonsense friend Derek talked about. After our relationship stabilized, Derek introduced me to his friend group. Chloe always made a point of acting like a big supporter of women. “Wow, Derek, you’ve got great taste! Where did you find this goddess?” “Swoon! Girl power, let’s ditch these smelly guys.” But I could always subtly feel Chloe’s eyes on me, filled with a hint of malice. Her methods were clever. She talked a big game about girl power, but her actions clearly showed she was trying to cut me out. For instance, she’d always bring up their childhood memories at parties. I couldn’t join in the conversation and just sat quietly on the side. Then, she’d casually joke with me. “What’s wrong, little princess? Are you upset because I’m talking to Derek?” I had mentioned my discomfort to Derek. But Derek would just say I was petty. He’d say Chloe was just trying to liven things up, and I was too sensitive. But now, Chloe wasn’t even bothering to hide her malice. “Our little princess is just being a princess, isn’t she? Are you upset because we’re not all focused on you, so you’re faking this?” The guys around us burst into mocking laughter. “I’m really not feeling well, give me the inhaler!” I raised my voice. Seeing me like this, the room went silent for a moment. Then, even louder mockery erupted. Chloe put her hand on Derek’s shoulder. She watched me gasp for breath, laughing so hard she almost fell over. “Oh wow, she’s really good at faking it, Derek, aren’t you going to feel bad for her?” The others started egging Derek on too. “Yeah, Derek, you’re not gonna be whipped after you get married, are you?” “Don’t you dare embarrass us! A man’s the head of the house; if your woman acts up, you gotta teach her a lesson.” Derek couldn’t take that kind of jab. He puffed out his chest, avoiding my gaze. “Who’s worried about her? She needs to be put in her place, always making a big deal out of nothing.” I couldn’t breathe. I desperately tugged at Derek’s sleeve, guttural “gasping” sounds escaping my throat. “Help… me…” Seeing me like that, Derek hesitated. But Chloe spoke up again. “Alright, alright, Aria, we’re all just regular guys here. Nobody’s falling for your damsel-in-distress act.” Knowing it was useless to talk to him, I tried to leave the room. But just as I managed to get myself up, Chloe pushed me back down. “The party’s not over yet, how can you leave? That’s rude!” Her grip was surprisingly strong. Before I knew it, the back of my head hit the wall. *Thump!* My head spun even more. I didn’t even have time to react. Chloe screamed first.

She covered her mouth, speaking in an exaggerated tone. “Oh? You’re so manipulative!” “I barely touched you, and you went and hit your head on the wall just to frame me!” Hearing that, Derek’s gaze turned even more impatient. “Aria, you’re going too far.” I bit my lip, trying to stay lucid. “I have severe asthma. If you don’t want someone to die, then stop this right now.” My throat burned, every breath felt like inhaling broken glass. Chloe, however, ostentatiously dangled the inhaler in front of my eyes, then took a big, exaggerated puff from it. “Can’t give it to you, my throat’s dry.” “And I gotta say, you get what you pay for. This thing feels amazing.” I struggled to lift my hand to grab it. She laughed, raising her hand high to avoid me. “Nope, not giving it to you, nope.” I was so furious, my vision swam black again. Derek watched from the side, arms crossed. “Look at you, acting like you’re begging. Chloe’s just using it for a bit, don’t be so petty.” “Chloe even saw your medical report; you don’t have asthma, you just get a little short of breath sometimes.” I forced myself to calm down. “Derek, haven’t you seen me have an attack before? What reason would I have to lie to you?” Before Derek could answer, Chloe cut in. “Of course, it’s for attention. These days, there’s always some attention-seeker faking an illness.” “Hehe, Aria, are you like those ‘little princesses’ online who also claim to have depression?” Hearing that, Derek’s bros around us roared with even louder laughter. Some of them whistled. “Derek, your girlfriend is so petty, not even half as cool as Chloe.” “Yeah, you’ll have your hands full after you get married.” I gasped for air, using my last ounce of strength to reach for the inhaler in Chloe’s hand. But just as my fingertips were about to touch it, she deftly dodged backward. I lost my balance and fell forward onto the carpet. “Oh my, she’s really good at acting, isn’t she?” Chloe exclaimed dramatically. Then she crouched down and whispered, her voice audible only to me. “Hehe, just die already. If you die, it’ll clear the way for Derek and me.” She stood up, deliberately raising her voice. “Aria, stop messing around, get up! Everyone’s waiting for you and Derek to share a drink!” Derek looked a little uneasy. He stepped forward and helped me up. “What’s wrong with you? Are you really not feeling well?” “Help me…” I managed to croak out a few words. My hand gripped Derek’s wrist tightly, only broken gasps escaping. “In… inhaler…” Derek’s brows furrowed, and a flicker of panic and struggle finally appeared in his eyes. He looked at Chloe. “Chloe, maybe just give it to her.” But Chloe’s face immediately fell. She stubbornly hid the inhaler behind her back, stomping her foot in frustration. “Derek, are you blind? She’s clearly faking it! Have you forgotten how she used to throw her little tantrums?” Then, she suddenly looked at the others and yelled, “Look, these drama queens always put on an act! Derek totally fell for it, didn’t he?” The guys immediately backed her up. “Derek, Chloe grew up with all of us. She wouldn’t try to hurt you, would she?” “Girls like her, they just like to make trouble. You can’t spoil her.” Derek’s expression changed. His hand, which was holding me, loosened a little. I could feel his hesitation. On one side was my agonizing attack, on the other, Chloe and their provocations. “But… her face really does look pale…”

Derek seemed worried, his gaze falling on my bloodless lips. Chloe suddenly slapped her own head with an “oops!” “Oh, I saw her go to the restroom earlier with a pad. She’s probably just having period cramps.” She then adopted a sympathetic tone, as if genuinely concerned for me. “Aria, if you’re having period cramps, just say so! Why lie to us and say it’s an asthma attack? You’re just needlessly worrying Derek!” Hearing her, Derek visibly relaxed. His gaze toward me was now filled with reproach. “You can’t joke around like that again. You almost scared me to death.” I didn’t have much strength left. Luckily, I had taken a preventative pill before leaving home. Otherwise, with them stalling like this, I would have been dead already. Chloe, hiding behind Derek, smirked at me provocatively. Then she pulled out a small bottle from her bag. “Here, have some throat lozenges. Aria, isn’t your throat bothering you? Pop one in!” She shoved a lozenge into my mouth without asking. The strong mint flavor rushed into my nasal passages, making the burning sensation in my throat even more intense. I tried to spit it out. But she clamped my jaw shut. “Swallow it! What’s wrong with you? You really are just faking it for sympathy!” Only when I was dry heaving uncontrollably did she let go, turning to Derek. “See? She won’t even eat it. What else could this be but an act?” Derek looked at me, then at the lozenge I had just spit onto the floor. The panic in his eyes vanished, replaced by pure annoyance. He just thought I was making a mountain out of a molehill, being dramatic for no reason. He sighed heavily and roughly pushed me onto the sofa. My back slammed into the armrest, and I gasped in pain. “Alright, let’s just drop this. You can’t do this again in the future.” “No, I…” I wanted to argue, but only ragged gasps escaped my throat. Chloe patted Derek’s shoulder. “Come on, forget her. Let’s go drink. If no one pays attention to her, she’ll be fine in a bit.” Derek nodded. As he walked away, he gave me one last look. His eyes were full of impatience and irritation, but no concern. Chloe pulled him towards the crowd, and before he left, he didn’t forget to throw out a last remark. “Behave yourself, don’t embarrass me anymore.” The rest of the group dispersed too, heading off to drink. I huddled in the corner, watching Derek and Chloe being cheered on to share a drink in the crowd. “Come on, share a drink!” “Don’t be a party pooper, drink up!” “It’s just a game, your girlfriend won’t be that petty, right?” Through my blurry vision, I saw Derek glance at me from afar, then wrap an arm around Chloe and kiss her… I felt the air slowly being sucked out of my lungs. I really couldn’t breathe anymore. My phone lay where Derek had thrown it on the floor. But I didn’t even have the strength to crawl to it. In despair, I suddenly remembered that last month I’d put an asthma pill in my bag. I used my last shred of strength to grope around. My heart leaped when my fingertips brushed against my bag’s strap. I desperately clawed at the strap, pulling it out, the leather rustling against the sofa. The bag was still open. I flipped it. A pill rolled out and landed on the carpet. That was it! It was just an emergency extended-release pill. It wasn’t as fast-acting as the inhaler, but it could buy me more time. I was almost in tears. But as I reached out, my fingertips about to touch the pill—a high heel stomped down.

Right in front of me, the heel repeatedly ground the pill. It was Chloe. She smirked, watching me, her foot still grinding. “Oh, almost got to your medicine, didn’t you?” All the blood rushed to my head. “Get lost! I’ll kill you! My mom won’t let you get away with this!” Suffocation surged. After yelling that, I collapsed back onto the sofa, like a dying animal trapped in a cage. “Hehe, I’m so happy watching you rage like this, so helpless.” Chloe crouched down and poked my face with her long nail. “You deserve this, always trying to steal what’s mine. Derek is mine, even if I don’t want him, he’s certainly not for you.” Then, she grabbed my hair forcefully. “Alright, you can die now.” My scalp burned with pain. I wanted to struggle. But I didn’t even have the strength to lift my hand. “I’m… Sterling—” Through my blurry vision, Chloe’s face was a distorted, grotesque mask. She cut me off. “Derek’s over there drinking,” She leaned close to my ear, her voice sickly sweet. “He’s hardly paying attention to you, is he? Do you think he’d be sad if you died right now?” I tried to bite her hand, but she easily dodged away. She stood up, patted my face, then called out to Derek in the distance. “Derek, come see! Aria looks really angry!” Derek came over when she called. He looked at me, slumped on the sofa, his brow furrowing deeper. “What’s wrong with you now? It’s just period cramps, don’t act like you’re dying. What woman doesn’t have cramps?” “I… I really have…” My voice was barely a whisper. “Have asthma…” Derek’s gaze swept over my pale face, then he looked at Chloe. Chloe helplessly threw up her hands, indicating she could do nothing. Derek fixed his gaze on me, his eyes full of disappointment. “Aria, I’m really fed up with you. If you keep this up, we’re breaking up.” With that, he turned and left, annoyed. Chloe scampered happily behind him, not forgetting to turn back and give me a ‘V’ sign with her fingers. I felt like my lungs were a deflated bellows, every breath tearing at me. The blurry specks in my vision grew denser. Chloe’s face in the distance, bathed in hazy light, flickered closer and farther, like a demon from hell. My eyelids were heavy. Over there, a crowd of people cheered around Chloe. In my peripheral vision, Derek and his bros raised their glasses. Chloe, feigning drunkenness, leaned into Derek’s arms. He didn’t push her away, but instead wrapped his arm tighter around her waist. “Derek…” I used every ounce of strength to call him. My voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. He, as if by some strange impulse, looked back. Chloe immediately stood on tiptoes and whispered something in his ear. He frowned, shaking his head impatiently. At that moment, the last bit of warmth in my heart turned to ice. I slowly closed my eyes. I had so many regrets. Why did I ever get involved with Derek? Derek was just a poor student from an ordinary family. My mother, on the other hand, was a billionaire entrepreneur. I was afraid Derek would feel inferior, so I never told him any of this. He always thought I was just from a slightly better family than his. Chloe came back. She crouched in front of me. “I heard you grew up in a single-parent home. If you die, your mom will be heartbroken, right?” “But it’s okay, Derek can handle your funeral as the quasi-son-in-law. Maybe your mom will soften up and give him all the family fortune…” Chloe was really dreaming. But before she could finish, the private room door suddenly burst open. “Aria!” It was Mom’s voice.

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I had a strange condition: my memory only lasted a day. Every morning, my boyfriend would tell me I was his love. Until I saw him wrapped around another woman, his eyes lowered, a wicked smile playing on his lips. “What are you afraid of? She won’t remember a thing.” But what he didn’t know was, I was already recovering. Waking up in the early morning, a strange man held me in his arms. Before I could struggle, he spoke as if he knew what was coming. “Lily, it’s Caleb.” I stiffened, looking up at him. He opened his eyes and met my gaze, the sleep still heavy in them. “You’re my love, Lily.” “You forgot me again, didn’t you?” His tone was natural, lazy. I slowly let my guard down. “Should I remember you?” Caleb sighed, burying his face for a few seconds before sitting up. His hair was messy, but it didn’t detract from his good looks. He reached for his phone, then casually used my thumbprint to unlock it. The screen showed a picture of us, close together. In the photo, I was leaning on Caleb’s shoulder, smiling brightly. “Lily + Caleb. Always.” I was surprised. I had no memory of that moment, or of Caleb. Caleb turned off the screen and tossed the phone aside, pulling me back into his arms. His voice was muffled. “Shh, go back to sleep, babe.”

I couldn’t sleep in Caleb’s arms. Once his breathing evened out, I carefully slipped out of bed. A small sticky note was taped to the bedside table. “Don’t forget Caleb.” I looked back. Caleb was still asleep, his brows slightly furrowed, restless. It wasn’t just the bedside. These little notes were stuck everywhere in the room. I leaned against the bathroom sink, lost in thought. I don’t know how long passed before a pair of hands suddenly wrapped around my waist. I looked up. In the mirror, Caleb rested his chin on my shoulder, his voice hoarse with sleep. “Lily, don’t rush.” “I’ll always be here for you.”

Caleb said I went through this same routine every day. Waking up, feeling confused, then slowly accepting him. Caleb would also tell me, day after day, that he loved me. When Caleb called me for breakfast, I stood awkwardly at the table. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember you.” Caleb paused, a helpless smile touching his lips. He leaned against the table, slowly bending down to meet my eyes. His eyes and brows were incredibly handsome, deep and focused when he looked at someone. He was definitely my type. “It’s okay if I remember you, Lily,” Caleb said softly. “You’ll get better.” He tried to comfort me, but I clearly saw the sadness in his eyes as he turned away. “Are you… sad?” Caleb held his mug of coffee, tilting his head as he thought for a moment. “How do I put it?” “I’m almost used to it.” He turned back to me, sighing. “I just hope that one day, when you wake up, you’ll remember me.” “Even just my name.”

Caleb took me to the supermarket, and that night, he took me to a concert. He said these were things on my old wish list. He’d been repeating them quite often lately. He ruffled my hair. “Lily, you have to get better soon.” Under the streetlights, Caleb’s expression was fond and hopeful. My heart pounded fiercely in my chest. “Caleb.” “Did I used to… really like you?” Even with my memory loss, I could feel an intense affection for the man in front of me. Caleb stopped walking. He lowered his eyes to me, a smirk playing on his lips. Caleb usually looked like the good-boy type, but when he moved, a hint of something mischievous, even bad, would unexpectedly surface. He thought for a moment, then slowly said, “You? You chased me for six whole months.” “That’s when I finally said yes.” “Sometimes I even wonder if you’re deliberately getting back at me now.” “I’ll try my best to get better,” I took his hand. “Caleb, please wait for me a little longer.”

On the way back, a woman suddenly stumbled out from a corner. She was swaying, barely able to walk straight. Luckily, Caleb reached out quickly and steadied her before she fell. She had a sweet, innocent face and tilted her head, smiling at Caleb. “Thanks.” Caleb lowered his eyes to her. They looked at each other for a few seconds before Caleb said in a low voice, “You’re drunk.” “Good thing I’m drunk!” the woman laughed loudly. “No one cares anyway.” “It’s better to be drunk. It hurts less.” For some reason, I felt a strange tension between her and Caleb. Caleb held her arm tightly, not letting go. After a moment, he said, “It’s not safe to drink late at night.” “Go home early.” The girl didn’t answer him. Instead, she looked at me. “You’re so lucky.” “My boyfriend doesn’t want me anymore.” I was still confused, but I said honestly, “If he doesn’t want you, then you don’t need him either.” “There are plenty of guys out there. No need to make yourself suffer.” “Yeah,” her tone suddenly turned sharp. “Easy for you to say. You’re enjoying all the sweetness. How could you know what bitterness feels like?” Caleb suddenly looked annoyed. He let go of her hand. “Lily, let’s go home.”

Back home, Caleb’s face was still sullen. He leaned back on the couch, the game controller in his hand making sounds. The TV screen went black, and he ‘tsk’ed, tossing the controller aside before lying back. “What’s wrong?” Sensing his mood shift, I walked over. Caleb composed himself, pulling me into his arms. “Lily, please don’t leave me.” “I really like you.” I pulled myself out of his embrace to look at him, curious. “Caleb, that girl.” “Do you know her?” Caleb’s expression was calm, unchanging. “No, I don’t.” “Just a drunk person.” Before I could speak, Caleb’s lips found mine. He mumbled, “Lily.” “Don’t leave me.”

I woke up the next morning, my head still foggy. Caleb was up early today. Hearing me stir, he walked over and leaned against the doorway, watching me. “Lily, good morning.” “I’m Caleb.” I sat blankly on the bed, watching Caleb walk over and meet my gaze. He gently said, “You forgot me again, didn’t you?” He showed me the video as usual, a video of Caleb and me. I looked up at him, saying nothing. I watched him lead me to the table and hand me a warm glass of milk. A note was still taped to the table’s edge: “Lily, remember to eat on time and love Caleb.” Caleb seemed afraid to scare me, so he spoke softly. “Don’t be scared, just eat breakfast first.” “I’ll explain everything later.” I sat at the table, holding the milk, slowly taking sips. My mind was a mess.

Before I could finish the milk, just as I was about to speak, there was a knock at the door. The knocking was rhythmic, two knocks at a time. Caleb held his milk, his gaze fixed on the door. The knocking continued. Caleb stood in silence for a moment, not moving to open the door, but not ignoring it either. He seemed to be deep in thought. He pulled his gaze back, turning to meet my eyes. “I’ll get it.” “Lily.” As I started to get up, Caleb pressed me back down. “I’ll handle it. You eat first.” His tone was natural. He walked towards the door. The door was pulled open a tiny crack. I shifted my position and watched. Behind the door, I saw a familiar face. It was the woman from last night. My hand, holding the milk, trembled uncontrollably. I couldn’t hear what they were saying. Caleb abruptly slammed the door shut. “Who was that?” “No one I know,” Caleb explained calmly. “Wrong door.” I looked at Caleb’s composed face, and my heart gave a sudden, hard thump. An indescribable feeling swirled in my chest. Actually, just now, I hadn’t had a chance to tell Caleb. I could remember yesterday.

I lowered my head, saying nothing, feeling the milk in my hands gradually lose its warmth. She hadn’t even changed her clothes and had come looking for Caleb. Caleb stiffened for only a moment, quickly returning to his usual self. He smiled at me, his actions and expression showing no flaws. As if he were truly facing a stranger. I looked up at the door, an unconscious emotion brewing inside me. After breakfast, Caleb said he’d cut some fruit for me. Opening the fridge, he found there was no fruit. He slipped on his jacket and left. On an impulse, I walked to the window and looked down. Caleb’s figure quickly appeared below. A few seconds later, a figure suddenly darted out from the side. Her target was clearly Caleb. My hand gripping the window sill tightened unconsciously. Caleb obviously noticed her too, but he stood still. The moment the girl got close, he suddenly turned his body sideways. She missed him, stumbling to the side. Just as she was about to fall, her body froze in mid-air. A pair of hands gripped her arm firmly. Caleb ultimately didn’t let her fall to the ground. It was too far away for me to hear their conversation. But for some reason, I had a strange feeling that the woman’s face was smiling.

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It was the seventh year of my marriage to Chloe when her rich first love came back home. He had a face that looked strikingly similar to mine, almost as if he were my shadow. At the class reunion, he cornered me in the restroom, his voice dripping with condescension: “Tell me, every night when she sleeps next to you, is she thinking of you or me?” I couldn’t hold back. My fist flew. But Chloe, of all people, screamed at me, her voice laced with fury, “Why don’t you just drop dead?!” She had no idea. I was, indeed, dying. At the class reunion, Chloe’s first love, Liam, made his grand return. He was now a wildly successful man. Amidst a chorus of fawning compliments, he stepped past our old classmates and went straight to Chloe, greeting her with a simple, “Long time no see.” Just those four words, and Chloe’s eyes instantly welled up, turning blazing red. Our classmates chuckled, starting to stir the pot, “All these years, and Liam still only has eyes for Chloe!” “If Chloe had married Liam back then, she’d be Mrs. Thorne by now. She wouldn’t have to run that small company.” “Honestly, Chloe, it’s not too late to get a divorce now!” “…” The room buzzed with gossip, all centered around Liam and Chloe. Meanwhile, I, Chloe’s husband, sat off to the side, feeling like nothing more than a part of the background. I studied Liam. He had a face that looked surprisingly similar to mine, almost like a mirror image. Deep down, I’d always known. I was just a replacement Chloe had found. I used to swear to myself that I would spend the rest of my life making Chloe truly fall in love with me. But now – Now, I was dying.

My chest felt heavy, suffocating, so I decided to step out for some fresh air. But I ran into Liam right by the restroom door. His smile was mocking, contemptuous. “Thanks for looking after Chloe for me all these years.” “Now I’m back. She doesn’t need you anymore.” A knot of anger tightened in my chest, twisting my insides with a sharp, wrenching pain. I looked at him coldly. “It’s Chloe’s choice. At least for now, I’m still her legal husband.” Liam’s sneering laugh echoed back. “What makes you so confident? Is it just this face that looks a bit like mine?” “Tell me, every night when she sleeps next to you, is she thinking of you or me?” Every single word was a cruel, stinging jab. I couldn’t take it anymore. My fist connected hard with his face. But then, a gasp rang out from behind me: “Liam!” I spun around. Chloe was already rushing to his side. She helped him up, her eyes blazing red as she glared at me. In seven years of marriage, I had never seen her this furious. “Alex, have you lost your mind?!” “What gives you the right to hit someone?” Their classmates also crowded around, helping Liam, their gazes turning hostile as they looked at me. “Chloe, your husband is unbelievable. No matter how jealous he is, he can’t just hit people!” “Seriously, he’s got no self-awareness. If it were me, I’d pack my bags and make way the moment the real deal came back.” Amidst their whispers, Chloe looked at me with cold disappointment. “You’ve truly let me down.” The pain in my chest seemed to intensify. Suddenly, a sweet metallic taste filled my throat. I swallowed hard, barely managing to hold it back. I turned and walked away. On the steps outside the hotel, I slowly pulled a crumpled medical report from my pocket. Alex Reid, Male, Stage IV Stomach Cancer. The sunlight caught the thin paper, making it shimmer, almost blinding. I couldn’t hold it back any longer. A mouthful of blood gushed out.

Seven years ago, Chloe found me. She claimed she wanted to avoid her family’s pressure to marry, so she proposed we live together as partners. At the time, it was my third year of secretly crushing on Chloe. So, I agreed without hesitation. For seven years, we lived like polite roommates, eventually developing a kind of affection. I had spent seven years trying to melt her icy heart, watching the fortress she had built around herself slowly crumble, piece by piece. I even started to believe she had truly fallen in love with me. Now, it seemed. I was just fooling myself. Unbeknownst to me, I dozed off on the sofa. I woke up to the sound of a door closing. The wall clock pointed exactly to three in the morning as Chloe walked in. Seeing me awake, she paused, then took off her jacket and hung it in the closet. That jacket looked familiar. Earlier that afternoon, Liam had been wearing it. Chloe walked to the sofa, knelt down, and took my hand. “Are you still mad?” I didn’t speak. I just pulled my hand away and pushed the drafted divorce papers toward her. “Here’s the divorce agreement. Take a look.”

Chloe froze for two seconds. Then, her face contorted with anger, like a secret exposed. “Alex, what is the meaning of this?” “Nothing happened between him and me. We just met as old classmates today.” “Can you please stop acting like a dramatic woman?” She fired off three questions in a row, growing more agitated with each one. The anger I had suppressed all day finally erupted. “What about you, then?” “Chloe, in these seven years of marriage, have I been your husband or just a replacement?” “When you kissed me, were you thinking of me or Liam?” I hadn’t meant to argue with her. But the excruciating pain in my stomach was like knives twisting inside me, and I couldn’t hold back the question. Chloe fell silent instantly. After a moment, she got up and walked toward the door. “Alex, are you going to be this childish until the day you die?” With that, she stormed out, slamming the door behind her. I, however, just stared blankly. She was right. I was on my deathbed, and I was still acting so childish.

Chloe hadn’t come home for two days. I called her three times, trying to get her to finalize the divorce. The first two calls were hung up, and the last time, she just turned off her phone. I remembered a few years ago, she had added me to her class SnapChat group. I opened my laptop and logged into the account I hadn’t touched in ages. It was still there, as expected. Someone in the group had posted some photos from a private classmates’ gathering. I saw Chloe in the pictures, and Liam too. She seemed to have been drinking, passed out in his arms. I looked at every single photo. Then, calmly, I tagged Chloe in the group. “Come home. Let’s sign the divorce papers.” She responded quickly enough. “What crazy stunt are you pulling now?” A moment later, I received a notification: “You have been removed from the group chat.” Chloe’s phone was still unreachable. But then, the doorbell rang. I pressed a hand to my subtly aching abdomen and went to open the door. “Mom? What are you doing here?” Outside, my mother-in-law stood, laden with bags, her face beaming despite the journey. “Didn’t you say your stomach hadn’t been feeling well recently? I got some herbal remedies from a top specialist. Make sure you drink them.” “I heard he’s amazing with stomach issues.” Several large bags were placed on the floor, filled with the remedies and our favorite dishes. My nose suddenly stung with emotion. This elderly woman, who had traveled dozens of miles with all these packages, had no idea— No matter how skilled a doctor, they probably couldn’t cure my body now.

After some hesitation, I brought up the divorce to her. “Mom, I’ve thought about it for a long time. I’m planning to divorce Chloe.” With a dull thud, the teacup in her hand dropped to the floor. It shattered. Hot water splashed everywhere. I rushed to help, but she grabbed me instead. “Alex, did you two have a fight?” “If she did anything wrong, just tell me, Mom will…” “No,” I interrupted her, “it’s my fault. Our relationship has some issues.” I had no intention of exposing her daughter’s unacceptable behavior in front of my mother-in-law. For seven years of marriage, my in-laws had treated me like their own son. Whatever Chloe did wrong, it had nothing to do with them. Suddenly, the sound of a key turning in the lock echoed from the door. Chloe was back. “Alex, isn’t causing trouble at home enough? Do you have to take it outside?” Chloe’s voice abruptly cut off the moment she saw her mother. But my mother-in-law had already seen Liam, who was following behind her. Liam, however, showed no panic. Instead, he stepped forward confidently. “Auntie, I don’t know if you still remember me, I’m Liam Thorne.” “I even had dinner with you before I went abroad.” My mother-in-law’s face was cold, silent. The atmosphere grew awkward. Chloe stepped forward to smooth things over, but her mother grabbed her. “Chloe, tell me, are you divorcing Alex for him?” Chloe’s expression shifted, flustered. “Mom, just stay out of it.” “Whether we divorce or not is between Alex and me, we…” “Slam—” A sharp slap cut Chloe off. “Foolish!” My mother-in-law pointed at Liam, her hand trembling with rage. “Do you think he truly loves you? If he loved you, he wouldn’t have abandoned you to go abroad in the first place!” That slap ignited Chloe’s temper too. The mother and daughter argued fiercely. Until I noticed my mother-in-law’s face looked off. “Stop arguing!” I stepped forward to support her. “Mom, are you okay?” “Mom…”

My mother-in-law was hospitalized with a heart attack, but thankfully, there was no serious danger. In the hospital room. Chloe and I sat by the bed. My mother-in-law clutched my hand tightly, tears streaming down her face. “Alex, Chloe is so foolish. She’s always been stubborn since she was little. Just give her a bit more time; she’ll come to her senses.” I didn’t say anything. Her voice choked, and she patted the back of my hand gently, “All these years, your dad and I have treated you like our own son. We only recognize you as our son-in-law.” “My body won’t last another two years. If you two get divorced, Mom will…” “Mom won’t be able to close her eyes when she goes.” My nose stung with sadness. Unable to bear an elderly woman crying and pleading, I took a deep breath and said yes. Only then did my mother-in-law visibly relax. … In the hallway. I clutched my agonizing stomach, looking at Chloe. “Let’s pick a day and finalize the divorce.” Chloe froze. “Didn’t you just say…” “I was lying to her.” The more my stomach hurt, the calmer my expression became. “Our business, I don’t want to bother the elderly with it.” “I’ll send you the drafted divorce agreement.” “I don’t agree!”

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The night Chloe didn’t come home, I vanished. She went to see Aiden, her first love, the one who got away, and she ignored all my calls. I desperately texted her: **”Don’t do anything reckless, or I swear I’ll die!”** She just logged into all my gaming accounts and deleted them, then threatened me: **”Still sulking? If you don’t come back now, I’m throwing out your precious husky too.”** I was frantic, but utterly helpless. Because the Soulmate Quest failed, the System had already wiped me out completely, leaving absolutely nothing behind. 0 My wife’s first love had returned to the country, and I tried my best to keep her from seeing the news. But she still found out and went to see him behind my back, leaving me a message to reassure me: **”He and I are just friends now, don’t get the wrong idea.”** I paced back and forth in the living room, a knot of anxiety twisting in my gut. A dull ache settled in my chest, heavy and suffocating. “One life, one love, one fated pair”—that was the mission the System had given me. If Chloe betrayed our marriage, I would be completely erased. For now, I chose to trust her… After all, I had so much faith in our relationship. Midway, I couldn’t resist calling her. She sounded soft and sweet, even a little bit flirty with the alcohol: “Honey…” “No need to pick me up, I know my way home. Don’t worry, I’ll be good. See you in a bit.” I didn’t know where they were having dinner, so I got in my car and started driving around, searching for her. I called countless times, but she kept rejecting them, until eventually, her phone went straight to voicemail. At that moment, my mind was a chaotic mess. Okay, I was panicking. I kept sending her desperate texts: **”If you truly can’t let him go, we can get a divorce.”** **”Please, don’t do anything that would betray me. I’ll die, I really will die!”** … The city lights blazed bright, a kaleidoscope of colors. My car pulled into a deserted alley. That’s when the System’s cold, robotic voice echoed in my head: **[Host, it is with regret that we inform you, your Soulmate Quest in this world has failed.]** My mind went blank. I clenched my fists, slamming them against the steering wheel again and again. The last thread of hope in my chest snapped. But I was so incredibly unwilling. The System’s voice remained mechanical, but this time, it seemed to stutter: **[Your wife has already… with him…** **[Based on the penalty mechanism, you will be annihilated before dawn.]** ### Cut-off point But I never expected her to return in the dead of night. What truly shocked me was that her first love had brought her back. 0

The door creaked open. Aiden King had his arm wrapped around Chloe Bennett’s waist, his voice dripping with intimacy: “You must be tired, Chloe. Get inside and get some sleep.” My heart violently twisted, rage threatening to consume me. I shot up from the sofa, flicked on the living room lights, and cut straight to the chase: “Chloe Bennett. “Haven’t you had enough sleep already? What more sleep do you need?” She froze, straightened up, her face chilling: “Liam Harris, what are you yelling about? I drank too much tonight, that’s why I asked Aiden to bring me home.” He drove you? Even if he drove around the entire city, it wouldn’t take three hours. Besides, arguing with her was pointless now. She noticed the strange look on my face and, instead, got angry, demanding: “When did you become so possessive, to even suspect your own wife?” Aiden leaned lazily against the doorframe, his eyes narrowed, enjoying our argument. I grabbed the vase from the table and hurled it towards her: “He abandoned you first and went abroad back then, don’t you remember? You’ve been married to me for so many years, have you forgotten that too?” But I couldn’t bring myself to hurt her. The vase flew wide, shattering on the floor near her. The exploding glass shards seemed to clear her eyes. She stammered out: “I really did drink too much tonight, and Aiden came back specifically to say goodbye to me. He’s staying abroad for good now. “Besides, he and I have both moved on. If you were so bothered by our past, why did you marry me in the first place?! What are you raging about?” I listened, then let out a soft, mocking laugh. I pulled a cigarette to my lips, self-deprecatingly: “Stop pretending. Own up to what you did.” The smoke drifted across Chloe’s face. She frowned: “Own up to what? Aiden suffered so much drifting alone overseas, what did he do wrong? Can you please stop bothering him now? I’m begging you!” I shrugged: “I won’t. You won’t be seeing me around anyway.” Aiden snickered, a sneer twisting his lips. “You two chat. I’m out.” The door clicked shut. Chloe’s expression softened. She took a step closer, wrapped her arms around my neck, and stood on tiptoes to touch my nose with hers: “Honey, still jealous? “Don’t worry, you’re the only one I love.” I swept her soft body into my arms. Her warm breath tickled my neck, igniting a familiar heat within me. But then I thought of what she’d done with her first love just hours ago, and I abruptly let go. She landed on the floor with a painful thud. I disgustedly wiped the spot on my face where she’d touched me: “You’re disgusting.” I even spat on the floor. She froze, too stunned by the pain to cry. After a long moment, she slowly got up, then stormed out, slamming the door behind her: “Liam Harris, you dare humiliate me like this today, you’d better not regret it! “If it weren’t for you paying Aiden to leave the country and stay away, I would have married him years ago! I never would have chosen you!” 0

Back then, my wife, Chloe Bennett, was the dream goddess of every guy on campus. Her exquisite, stunning face needed no makeup whatsoever. Any elective Chloe chose, the classes would be packed, with people even spilling out into the hallways. I was one of them. And everyone knew that besides Aiden King, she wouldn’t say a single extra word to any other man. “You like her too?” Aiden had approached me back then, handing me a card. “Give me enough money to study abroad, and I’ll hand her over to you.” My rival, yet he offered her up. Without a second thought, I transferred the money, sending off my biggest competitor. The System quest notification appeared the moment I fell in love with Chloe at first sight. Initially, the mission was just to marry her. I felt no pressure at all, I was even excited. Because I truly loved her. After Aiden left, I finally won her over with my persistent efforts. When Chloe agreed to marry me, she said: “When there’s a rainbow in the sky, I want to capture it for you. When I hear a beautiful song, I want to sing it to you. When I’m sad, I want you to understand me. I want to share every beautiful thing with you, and if you’re slow to reply, I’ll worry you don’t care about me anymore. I hate unstable relationships, so Liam, let’s get married.” I’ll never forget the rapid beat of my heart that day. And, of course, the sweet chime that signaled the completion of the quest. But I never expected there to be a second quest: **[One Life, One Love, One Fated Pair.]** **[If your partner betrays you, you will be annihilated by the System.]** At first, I thought the System was just testing me. After all, there were so many temptations in the world. Until I saw Aiden King’s chat pinned to the top of my wife’s SnapChat friend list. I panicked. She always calmed me down with her actions. Dark clouds rolled outside, thunder rumbling. Her eyes were hazy in my arms, and the air around us crackled with a charged intimacy. I told her seriously and sincerely: “If you ever stop loving me and want a divorce, I’ll agree. “But please, never betray me. Otherwise, I’ll die.” She laughed, confidently: “Honey, I’m not that kind of person.” Now, it all seemed like a cruel joke. Did I regret it? Yes, I should have divorced her the day I found out she still had feelings for Aiden! I should’ve married anyone, even someone I didn’t love, and I’d still be alive! My carefully built company, all those savings in the bank. My buddies I gamed with. Even the limited edition action figures, signed basketballs, and rare sneakers I’d spent millions collecting. The moment dawn broke, they would all be gone forever! My phone rang. It was an unknown number. “Liam Harris, it’s Aiden. “Heh, she came looking for me again. You’re really pathetic, can’t even hold onto what was given to you.” 0

“Take me to a hotel, please.” Aiden deliberately didn’t hang up the phone. Chloe had gotten into his car. “Chloe, why the long face? Didn’t you say you definitely wanted to go home earlier?” “He’s like a rabid dog. I don’t want to talk about him. I’m tired, and I don’t want to see him for a while.” Aiden chuckled: “But you were so determined when you emailed me saying you were marrying him. “Now that you regret it, maybe you could consider someone new? “After all, I’m your first love. After all these years, didn’t you miss me?” Chloe’s voice softened: “Alright, Aiden, stop it…” The call ended. My head slumped. The ashtray was overflowing with cigarette butts. I’d be gone soon. I pulled out my phone and called my closest friend, Caleb. He picked up, his voice heavy with sleep: “What time is it? Waking up this early makes me feel like my soul’s being ripped from my body!” He’d been my best friend since childhood. Our bond was stronger than gold. I intended to tell him my last wishes, but hearing his voice somehow steadied my emotions. “Chloe cheated on me. I’m going to die.” He didn’t understand, even raising his voice: “She cheated? No way, she would never cheat! She wouldn’t even look at another man besides you!” “Aiden’s back.” “Good, divorce her! Divorce her immediately! You have money, you have looks, there’s no woman you can’t get! As long as you don’t love her, she’s absolutely nothing!” I fell silent, not replying, and began reciting my bank card passwords to him… Before we got married, Chloe, to prove she wasn’t marrying me for money, had signed a prenuptial agreement. That worked out. Now that I was gone, I’d rather donate the money than let her get a cent. Caleb seemed scared, his voice frantic: “Liam Harris, are you out of your mind? “Don’t be like this. I’m coming over right now to drink with you, drink till we drop! There’s no hurdle in life you can’t get over! “It’s just a woman, right? Divorce her, torment her, make her regret it! Isn’t ‘the ex-lover’s desperate chase’ the hot trend now?! “Hang in there, man. I’m telling you, I rode my bike all day today, my crotch was chafed, I can’t even take a shower. Isn’t that hilarious? “Think about your bank account! You can go to the Maldives and stare at the sea, feed pigeons in London Square, go diving in Australia, travel the world to heal. How happy is that? If I got dumped, all I could say is, ‘Ugh, I’m tired, guess I’ll just screw it and live.’ You’re living in paradise and don’t even know it!” As he spoke, he started crying. Because he knew I would never joke about something like this. But only Chloe didn’t know. Even though I’d told her again and again. I gambled and lost. I deserved it. I printed out the divorce papers, signed them, and prepared to give them to Chloe. My last wish was to divorce her. She wasn’t asleep yet and quickly replied: **”Liam Harris, are you serious about this?”** The sunlight streamed through the window, so faint. My body began to turn transparent, light, floating upward… So this is what death felt like. Chloe. If I hadn’t been erased by the System, I would never have let you off easy.

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In the ten years since the apocalypse hit, I’d awakened my spatial powers and become the toughest supply hunter our base had. During one mission, I put myself in harm’s way to save my boyfriend, only to be swarmed by zombies. But instead of helping, he just ran, taking my best friend, Briar, with him. Three months later, I fought my way back, covered in blood and fury. I kicked open the War Council chamber doors, only to see Briar. She was wearing my combat uniform, distributing supplies like she owned the place, like she was the deputy commander. The moment she saw me, Briar shrieked, instantly defensive. “You’re supposed to be dead! How are you even *here*? Are you infected?” She scoffed, a smug look on her face. “Fine, out of old mercy, I’ll let you stew in the isolation zone. You need to see how things work now. This is *our* base now.” “Oh, and don’t even *think* about causing trouble. I’ll be the first to gun you down like a zombie.” I ignored her, my eyes locked on the water bottle clipped to her belt. She instinctively shielded it, then flaunted it at me. “What are you staring at? Never seen a spatial water bottle before? My boyfriend gave it to me! The water inside can purify your body.” Hah, a spatial water bottle? That was just a little trinket I’d casually conjured, a mere *trick*. That measly bit of water? It was just some of the cheapest healing spring water from my spatial dimension. Briar really thought she’d found a treasure, but she had no idea – the *real* riches were still far beyond her grasp! I snatched the bottle from her belt, unscrewing the cap. “My space. You really think you’re worthy?”

Briar’s face drained of color. She shrieked, trying to grab it back. “What are you doing! Give it back!” I tilted my head back, chugging the water down in one go. “Ahhh—” A sigh of pure satisfaction escaped me. “My water. Still tastes so good.” “Cassidy! You absolute psycho!” Her piercing scream drew a crowd from outside the War Council chamber. Footsteps pounded closer, and a tall figure appeared in the doorway. It was Jax, my ex-boyfriend. When he saw me, his face just… froze. For a split second, it was like his perfect facade cracked. “Cassidy?” Briar found her anchor. She instantly threw herself into his arms, sobbing. “Jax, she’s back! She stole the water bottle you gave me and drank all the water!” “She must be infected! That’s why she’s acting so violent, so completely unhinged!” Jax held Briar close, his shock twisting into wariness, then pure disgust. “What are you doing back here?” “This is my home. Why shouldn’t I be back?” I shot back. “Your home?” Jax sneered. “You’ve been missing for three months. You were declared dead weeks ago. Your pension, your room, your position – Briar’s inherited all of it.” “Now, you’re just an unknown returnee. You have to undergo examination.” He waved his hand. “Guards! Take her to the isolation zone!” The combat team members hesitated. They were my former teammates. I’d helped them out countless times. One of them, a guy named Milo, couldn’t help but speak up. “Captain, Cassidy… she doesn’t look infected.” Jax’s face clouded over. “What? Are you defying my orders?” “She vanished into a zombie horde for three months. Who can guarantee she’s 100% clean? What if she’s carrying a new virus and infects the entire base? Are *you* going to take responsibility for that?” Milo fell silent, looking down. “I’ll go myself.” I tossed the empty water bottle to the ground. “Jax. Briar.” I called out their names, making sure they heard every word. “I clawed my way out of that horde once, and I’ll do it again. You two better pray I *am* infected, because if I’m not…” As their faces contorted in ugly expressions, I turned and walked towards the isolation zone. Behind me, I could hear Briar’s voice, thick with feigned tears, yet brimming with triumph. “Oh, Jax, I’m so scared. She looked terrifying just now. What if she comes back for us?” “Don’t worry, I’ve got you. A washed-up power user like her won’t be stirring up any trouble.” Washed-up power user? They thought my spatial powers were just that little water bottle?

The isolation zone was the farthest, most desolate corner of the base, fenced off with barbed wire. It housed suspected infected individuals and exiles banished for severe crimes. I was shoved into a dilapidated metal shack, the heavy door clanging shut and locking behind me. I found a relatively clean corner, slumped down, and closed my eyes, trying to conserve energy. Later that night, the shack door creaked open a crack. Milo slipped in, clutching two hard, black loaves of bread and a bottle of water. “Cassidy, you need to eat something.” He pressed the items into my hands. “I’m sorry, Cassidy, we…” “It’s not your fault.” I cut him off. “Jax is the captain now. You’re supposed to follow his orders.” Milo sighed. “Cassidy, you don’t know what Captain Jax and Briar said after you went missing.” “They told everyone you willingly charged into the horde to cover our retreat, detonating all your explosives, going down with the zombies.” “The base even held a funeral for you and declared you a hero. Everyone was heartbroken.” “Captain Jax… he really looked devastated, holed himself up for days. It was Briar who finally coaxed him out. Then, he started telling everyone – and himself, I guess – that he had to be strong, to carry on your legacy, to lead the base in your honor.” “That’s how he convinced himself, and that’s how he convinced everyone else. Now, they all believe they got together to inherit your will. Briar smoothly stepped into your position as deputy commander and even moved into your room.” “And Jax? He handed over *all* my gear, *all* my supplies, to her.” I gnawed on the dry, hard bread. So, in their version of the story, I’d become a great sacrifice. My death, a stepping stone for their love and power. “Cassidy, you need to be really careful now that you’re back,” Milo warned. “Captain Jax… he’s like a different person. He’s got a lot of animosity towards you.” “I know.” “And Briar, she’s the toast of the base right now. Everyone sees her as the new hope, believing she’s carrying on your legacy.” Inheriting my legacy? Not even close. Milo shared more about the base’s changes over the past three months, then left. I swallowed the last bite of bread, feeling the energy flow through my body. The healing spring water was still working its magic; my injuries were mending. Now, all I needed was an opportunity. An opportunity to walk out of here, head held high, and reclaim everything that was mine.

The next day, the iron door of the isolation zone was kicked open. Briar sauntered in, surrounded by a crowd of sycophants. Finally, her gaze landed on me. “Well, well, if it isn’t our great hero, Cassidy.” The other prisoners in the isolation zone shrank into the corners, not daring to utter a sound. I leaned against the wall, eyes still closed. My blatant disregard infuriated her. “Cassidy, I’m talking to you! Are you deaf?!” She stalked over, looking down at me. “Don’t you dare think you can be as arrogant as before. Now, you’re nothing but a suspected infected prisoner, a captive. Your life is in my hands.” She pulled a dagger from her waist—my dagger. My initials, CL, were still etched into the hilt. She used the tip of the blade to lift my chin. “Do you know? Since we were kids, everyone only ever saw *you*! Now, it’s finally *my* turn!” “Jax is mine, the deputy commander position is mine, your room, your glory – it’s *all* mine!” “After we ran that day, Jax was so riddled with guilt, so much pain. It was *me*, I was by his side day and night, comforting him, helping him through it until he finally pulled himself together.” “He said he must have been blind to ever have fallen for a butch, battle-hungry woman like you.” “He said *I* was the woman for him. Gentle, caring, and capable.” “Are you done?” I finally opened my eyes, looking at her with cold indifference. “Done? Get lost.” Briar’s face turned an ugly shade of green. “You… you dare talk to me like that!” “I came here today to tell you one thing.” She gritted her teeth. “Jax, and everything you once had, is mine now. You came back, but you can’t change a thing.” “Oh really?” I scoffed, a faint smile playing on my lips. “Briar, do you truly believe you have everything?” “You’re just a thief, a pathetic worm who clawed her way up through lies and betrayal.” “You!” Briar raised the dagger, ready to strike. But I was faster. My hand shot out, seizing her wrist, the one clutching the dagger. With a sickening *CRACK*, her scream ripped through the air as her wrist snapped under my grip. The dagger clattered to the ground. “Ahhh—! My hand!” Briar cradled her broken wrist, writhing on the ground in agony. The people who came with her were frozen in terror; no one dared to step forward. I picked up the dagger from the ground. “Stolen things, eventually, have to be returned.”

Jax stormed in shortly after, a squad of his men hot on his heels. When he saw Briar’s horrific state, his eyes practically bugged out with rage. “Cassidy! You audacious bitch!” But his raised hand froze mid-air when his eyes met my utterly cold stare. The team members behind him exchanged uneasy glances. Jax took a deep breath, forcing down his fury, and managed a cold, twisted smile. “Cassidy, you’re still as impulsive as ever.” He turned to the fearful prisoners in the isolation zone, his voice rising. “You all saw it. Cassidy disappeared for three months and came back changed, extremely aggressive.” “But I, Jax, am not one to forget old ties.” “How about this, I’ll give you a chance.” He looked at me. “The base urgently needs a batch of medical supplies, especially those gene-enhancement serums from Central Hospital.” “I know you’re strong. If you’re willing to participate in this mission, atone for your actions, and succeed, I can overlook everything and grant you your freedom.” “Of course, the mission is extremely dangerous. A mutated Alpha zombie has taken root in that hospital.” His words plunged the entire isolation zone into a dead silence. Central Hospital. Alpha zombie. That was a recognized death trap. He was clearly sending me to my death. Briar, clutching her broken hand, wore a venomous yet triumphant expression. She knew. Jax was trying to get rid of me. “Jax, don’t let her off that easy! She broke my hand!” Briar shrieked. Jax patted her back reassuringly, but his voice was cold. “She’s a dead woman walking. Why bother with her?” He looked at me again. “Well? Cassidy, this is your only chance.” “I’ll take it.” I replied. Jax’s face registered surprise, then his smile twisted into something grotesque. “Very good. I hope you don’t disappoint me.” He ordered someone to take away the still-wailing Briar, then turned and left. His back radiated arrogance. He thought he’d set a trap. But he had no idea, I was waiting for one too. Central Hospital, mutated Alpha zombie? Perfect. Time to test my new skills from the past three months. The sky was overcast on the day of our departure. We, the ‘cannon fodder’ from the isolation zone, were assigned to the very outer perimeter of the convoy, armed with rusty knives and short spears. Jax stood on the roof of an SUV, delivering a pre-mission pep talk.

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