Category: English

My boyfriend Jason insisted on a platonic relationship, believing physical desire was sinful. When I simply kissed him, he sent me away for “spiritual purification.” The purification was successful. I no longer felt any desire for him. But my desire for other men doubled. Later, when he noticed the kiss marks on my collarbone, he started ranting in public again. “Must you fall into the abyss of sin?!” he yelled. His friend pulled me onto his lap and kissed my hand, laughing: “I’ve sinned. Why don’t you call the police and arrest me?” 0 The day I graduated from the spiritual purification program, I gave a speech as an outstanding graduate in front of the other students and their families. “I believe true love is the communion of souls. It shouldn’t be bound by physical constraints or driven by desire…” My boyfriend Jason was sitting in the audience. I stared at his face, maintaining a polite smile, but inwardly I felt sick. The reason I was standing here was all thanks to him. Three months ago, we had kissed. It was our first kiss. He had pulled me into his arms, called my name with a drunken voice, and kissed me. I didn’t push him away. After all, we had been dating for five years. And he wasn’t calling someone else’s name when he kissed me. But when he sobered up and realized it was me, his eyes instantly filled with disgust. I was pushed to the ground. Jason went to rinse his mouth. I stood at the bathroom door, staring at his actions, my fingers gripping the doorframe tightly. “Jason, was kissing me that disgusting?” He looked up at my reflection in the mirror, his gaze ice cold. “I’ve told you before, I’m platonic. I find this kind of intimate behavior repulsive.” “You were the one who kissed me,” I softly retorted. “Then why didn’t you push me away?” He pressed his palms on the counter, his fingertips turning white, sweeping everything onto the floor. I froze for a moment, then turned and left. I didn’t answer him. Because it was too absurd and laughable. By the time he came out of the bathroom, I had already packed my things. “Jason, let’s break up.” He walked past me, giving me a casual glance. He only said three words: “No need to.” “There is a need. I don’t accept your platonic relationship. I want to have a normal relationship.” I looked at his back, enunciating each word: “A normal relationship. With sex.” As soon as those words left my mouth, Jason lost his mind. I wasn’t able to break up with him smoothly. Instead, I was sent to a spiritual purification program abroad. They promised that in just three months, they could purify my desires. The students sent here were all young, beautiful girls. Most of their partners were elderly rich men, or wealthy men with hidden ailments. The so-called purification program was actually to prevent women dependent on men from cheating. I was an anomaly here. Because there was nothing wrong with Jason in that department. When we kissed, I could feel his reaction. He clearly had a physical response. But every time I showed any desire for intimacy, even just watching TV together, it would make him furious. Even on the day my mother passed away, Jason didn’t show up. I endured the funeral and memorial service alone, wanting to ask him for a comforting hug. He still refused. To avoid me, he even went out in the middle of the night. The next day, I received an anonymous text message. It was a photo of a woman sitting on Jason’s lap. Just thinking about it made me vomit in front of everyone. Jason immediately stood up from the audience. 0

I was helped off the stage by a teacher from the purification program. Jason came over and asked what was wrong. I said I was just too nervous. Once the door closed, the teacher took out a small bottle of blue reagent. I quickly drank it, suppressing the nausea. “Sophia, you’ve always performed excellently. How could you recall such things in public?” The purification program had specially assigned an English-speaking teacher for me. I smiled helplessly: “Teacher, I didn’t. I just thought about my boyfriend cheating.” The teacher sighed as well. The purification program presented itself as psychological courses to the outside world. But what actually worked was the consumption of drugs that forcibly suppressed desire. As soon as you had intimate fantasies about your designated partner, you would immediately start vomiting uncontrollably. At first I was very resistant, but after trying to fantasize about other men and having no reaction, I became indifferent. I didn’t care about Jason, I just wanted to leave early, so I took a lot of the medication. I don’t know if there were any side effects. When I opened the door, Jason tried to take my hand, but I instinctively avoided it. He froze for a moment, then withdrew his hand and curved his lips into a smile. He was very satisfied with the results of my “learning.” Jason decided to take me back home. The purification program gave him a course of medication. “If Sophia’s condition becomes unstable, you can administer it according to the instructions.” Jason asked, “What do you mean by unstable?” But the teacher didn’t explain, only giving vague answers. “Some students may experience withdrawal symptoms. Taking the medication will help.” Jason took me back to the country. He kept me locked up in a villa, with people monitoring me 24 hours a day. But I showed no abnormalities. Half a month later, he took me out. In a spacious private room, the contoured lights flowed, each face appearing and disappearing. This was the first time I met his friends. “How come you finally brought her out?” Jason sat down, patting the seat beside him. I sat next to him. “Sophia just got back from abroad. I was worried she’d be bored at home.” The light swept across the face of the girl opposite us. She was the female lead in that photo. Fiona, Jason’s childhood sweetheart from a suitable family background. She handed me a drink, asking curiously: “I’ve heard about this kind of thing before. I mentioned it to Jason. Can it really purify desires?” So it was her who had instigated Jason to send me away. And apparently everyone knew about my trip abroad. I downed that glass of wine, looking at Jason. I put the glass upside down on the table. “It can. I no longer have any desire for Mr. Xu.” 0

“What do you mean?” Jason stood up. “I’m saying, let’s break up.” Fiona whispered, “Is she not cured yet?” Jason frowned. He grabbed my wrist, pulling me into his arms. His other hand fell on my waist. The physical reaction came quickly. From my stomach to my throat, I couldn’t stop the violent convulsions. I suddenly pushed him away, barely covering my mouth in time as vomit spilled through my fingers onto the carpet. Everyone was shocked. Including Jason himself. Only I was already used to it, grabbing some tissues to wipe my fingers clean. “Are you satisfied now?” Jason’s face grew even darker. “You can’t even have normal contact with men now, and you still want to break up with me?” “Yes. Even so, I want to break up.” I turned to leave. This time Jason didn’t stop me. Maybe because I had passed the physical test, his emotions stabilized. “Sophia, no one else will accept you except me.” “If you walk out that door today, don’t ever beg me to take you back!” I never looked back. I leaned against the wall in the hallway, my vision blurring under the swaying lights, growing increasingly dizzy. I immediately realized Fiona’s drink had been spiked. Someone was following me from behind. I forced myself to stay alert, walking quickly forward without showing any signs. Just as I turned the corner, I crashed into a man’s arms. I tried to push him away, but then I stopped. I just waited quietly for a moment. The physical aversion reaction didn’t come. In fact, I felt the relief of the drug’s effects being alleviated. “Sophia, how long are you going to hug me?” The man’s backlit features held a teasing smile. It was Ethan, the heir to the Qin family. He used to be friends with Jason and had even spoken up for me before, but I heard they had a falling out later. Ethan felt my forehead with his hand. “Looks like you’ve been drugged. I’ll take you to find Jason.” “No, we broke up,” I looked at him steadily, my voice calm. “Besides, he can’t help me.” Ethan tilted his head, staring at me with a smile, his hand hovering near my waist. “Then what do you suggest we do?” His voice was soft, but to my ears, it was incredibly alluring. With my last bit of strength, I wrapped my arms around his neck. My lips brushed against his cheek, slowly stopping at his ear. “Ethan, can you… help me?” His arm tightened forcefully around my waist. Ethan looked down at me, his eyes dark with meaning. “Sophia, you’re not even asking if I’m willing, just if I can?” “I can’t take it anymore, please.”

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My parents are famous, but I can only see them on TV. They rush to the frontlines of war, claiming the environment is dangerous, and left me with my grandmother in the countryside. But later, they adopted their colleague’s daughter. They kept her by their side, compensating her for everything they owed me. She became their precious one, able to stay with Mom and Dad without the barrier of a cold screen. When they finally remembered me, I had already forgotten my feelings for them after a high fever. 0 I fell ill. It wasn’t serious, but it lasted for a long time. It all started with a bet between me and my adoptive sister. We were competing to see who could climb to the top of the mountain first. The winner would get our parents to attend their parent-teacher conference. When I finally reached the summit, exerting all my strength against the morning breeze and dew, I saw my parents and adoptive sister, the three of them smiling as they set up a tent to capture the sunrise. Seeing me arrive, Sophia grinned and said, “I only said we’d race to see who gets here first. I never specified how we’d get here.” She continued, “Emma, don’t you get it? To reach the same destination, you have to rely on your own two feet, but I have our parents to lift me up. You were destined to lose from the start.” My parents stood behind her, holding cameras. Upon hearing our conversation and realizing what had happened, they looked a bit embarrassed and were about to invite me to watch the sunrise with them. But I had already turned to leave without a second glance. “Let her go!” I heard Mom’s angry voice from behind. “Why can’t she be more understanding like Sophia? If she knew how to be close to her parents, instead of always having that cold, sullen face, we wouldn’t ignore her!” Hearing this, I couldn’t help but find it somewhat amusing. My parents always said I never knew how to soften my attitude, never knew how to be affectionate and please them. But in the fifteen years of my life that they were absent, I couldn’t even see them, let alone be close to them. How could I know how to do something no one ever taught me? After returning home, I fell ill. Although I had only been exposed to a bit of wind and dew, I developed a high fever and felt weak and dizzy. Before completely passing out, I called an ambulance for myself. Then I sank into darkness. In my unconscious state, I saw my childhood again. When I was very young, I could only see my parents on television, and that was the only place I could see them. They were nationally renowned journalists, college sweethearts with shared ideals. After graduation, they chased their common dream, running to the frontlines of various important news events. Later, they even volunteered to go abroad to war zones, living and eating with refugees devastated by war. Before they left, they took a photo. In the picture, I was still a baby, held in the arms of a smiling man and woman, the three of us nestled together happily as a family. At that time, I didn’t know that this would be the last time in my life that I would be embraced by my parents. It was also this moment that made the child in me regret and beat my chest countless times. I hated myself for not being more precocious – so that I could have known what it felt like to be in my parents’ arms. It must have been an experience worth remembering for a lifetime. But there are no “what ifs” in life. Communication wasn’t as advanced in those days, so I was left with my grandmother who lived alone in the countryside. The old lady wasn’t very good at using the mobile phone my parents had left her. At the beginning of each month, she would walk over ten miles to the post office in town, leaning on her cane, to see if there was any mail for us. When I got a bit older, she would take me with her. Before each trip, I would always put on my best clothes that I usually saved for special occasions, and wear two flowers on the neat braids Grandma had done for me. I thought my parents could see me through the letters, so I had to dress up beautifully to see them. But I never received any letters. It wasn’t until third grade, when my language teacher assigned us to write a letter to our mothers, that I suddenly realized letters were only sent one way. My parents wouldn’t suddenly appear in the post office to hear me tell them how much I missed them. Fortunately, even without letters, there was still television. My parents had been abroad for many years and hadn’t come home for the Spring Festival for seven or eight years. Occasionally, they would ask someone to bring some appliances to Grandma’s house in the old village. When that 45-inch color TV was installed in the house, it drew many villagers to come and watch. Grandma didn’t mind, inviting everyone in to watch TV together. After the antenna was set up and the TV turned on, it happened to be the evening news. After the well-dressed anchor said a few words, the scene changed, and a couple in plain clothes appeared on the screen, holding microphones. At that moment, my eyes lit up. The people in the news were my parents. They were standing in front of the smoke of war, briefly introducing the local situation and calling on the whole society to lend a hand to these refugees who had suffered undeserved disasters. I looked at their faces, much more weathered than in the photos, and walked dazedly to the TV. “Dad, Mom…” I looked up, calling out to them loudly, but got no response. 0

From then on, watching the news became my unwavering hobby. They weren’t on the news every day, but whenever they were, I would always have a good dream that night. In my dreams, my parents would take me with them, and I could go on adventures with them. They would hold me in their arms, ruffle my hair, and call me “baby.” Later, when I entered junior high school, I went to study in town. By that time, mobile phones had started to become more common. One day after school, I found that old mobile phone that hadn’t been turned on for a long time in the drawer of Grandma’s bedside table. I charged it up again and when I found the number with my parents’ names in the contacts, my heart started pounding uncontrollably. The call didn’t go through; the phone had been out of service for a long time. Later, I saved up money for a long time, reciting that number representing my parents every day. Finally, on my birthday, I gave ten dollars to the owner of the small shop at the entrance and borrowed her phone to dial that number. The phone rang for a long time, and just when I thought no one would answer, that gentle male voice that had been lingering in my dreams day and night sounded. “Dad!” I exclaimed his name excitedly, telling him I was his baby. But he was silent for a long time, as if he couldn’t remember that he had a baby back in his hometown. When he spoke again, his voice was a bit hurried. He said, “Baby, Dad’s busy with work. I’ll contact you later. Be good and listen to your grandmother back home.” He hung up without waiting for my reply. I held the phone, warmed by the heat from my ear, feeling a bit disappointed. This was the first time I had spoken to my father in my memory. A child’s intuition is actually keen, and on that day, I suddenly realized something. My parents didn’t necessarily miss me as much as I missed them. From then on, I still couldn’t break the habit of waiting for the news in front of the TV, but I was no longer as excited as before when waiting. Once, I had fantasized that I was a loved child, thinking that Mom and Dad also wanted to see me through the screen. But now, I finally understood that they probably didn’t love me. To them, I was a strange existence that hadn’t left much impression due to the long separation. 0

The turning point came when I was in high school. At that time, I was buried in my studies every day, hoping to enter the news industry for college. High school required boarding, so naturally, I no longer had the chance to watch the news every day. One day after self-study, I saw Grandma standing at the classroom door, leaning on her cane. She had even put on new clothes for the occasion. As soon as she saw me, she excitedly said, “Baby, your parents are back. Let’s go meet them.” At that moment, the books in my hands fell to the ground, and the whole world was filled with a ringing sound. I was going to see my parents. They were finally no longer just cold images existing on the screen. I could throw myself into their arms and act spoiled, or hold their hands, sit beside them, and show them all the awards I had received over the years. I grew up in the countryside and didn’t have any special talents. These certificates praising me for being top of the class every year were the only things I could proudly show them. I wanted to know if they would be proud of me. I hurriedly followed Grandma to the bus station. While waiting, I fixed my hair countless times. I also quietly bought a pack of wet wipes to clean my face. Using the reflection from the steel armrests of the station seats, I kept adjusting my appearance over and over, constantly regretting that I should have washed my hair before coming out. I was afraid that my first impression on them would be bad, but then I thought that since they were my parents, they shouldn’t mind. By then I had entered puberty, and my vague sense of self-esteem had already taken root. I thought, since my parents had neglected me so much when I was little, when I met them, I should also act a bit reserved. That way, we’d be even. Grandma and I ended up not being able to wait for my parents. After sitting at the station until late at night, my dad’s friend came to find Grandma. He said my dad had called him, saying they had landed in the capital and would only stay for a week. After finishing their handover, they would set off again, so there was no need to come back to the old home. They told us not to wait anymore. I listened to this news in a daze, my head buzzing. I felt they would indeed do something like this. I just felt a bit of contempt for them in my heart. I thought, Grandma is old, and even I know to be filial to her, but they let their own parents’ expectations fall through time and time again. Perhaps they weren’t as wonderful as I had imagined. Perhaps… they weren’t even as good as me. After returning home, I developed a high fever. During my illness, I learned from my uncle who came to visit me about the reason for their return to the country this time. The war zone they had been in was completely destroyed by artillery fire. The attack came too suddenly, and the journalists were slow to evacuate. Many people were injured. My parents, in order to record the city under artillery fire in the first place, forcibly delayed until the last moment. Their best friend – the photographer who had followed them through life and death – also lost his life because of this. Bearing the life and expectations of their friend, they were even more unwilling to stop. After returning to the country for recuperation, they quickly geared up to return to the front lines of the war. As if to express their guilt, they had someone buy new phones for Grandma and me. They even took the initiative to call me. But we were indeed strangers, and after exchanging a few pleasantries on the phone, we had nothing more to say. Before hanging up, Dad told me to study hard, saying that Mom and Dad were waiting for me at the front. But my attention was all on the clear voice of a little girl calling “Dad!” from their end of the phone. Yes, they had adopted their colleague’s daughter. That girl, five months younger than me, was very pitiful. Her name was Sophia. Her mother had passed away when she was very young, and now she had lost her father too. My parents took her in. War is cruel and dangerous, yet they kept Sophia by their side.

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My boyfriend asked me, the winner of the North American Architectural Design Award, to draw his blueprints. After five years of dating and on the verge of getting married, I agreed. I pulled all-nighters, day in and day out, helping him with his designs, which landed him the sole coveted faculty position at the university. But when I went to help him organize his office for the new semester, I ran into his new assistant, Briar Thorne. “Audrey, your designs are so handy. It’s just, the paper for your sketches was so stiff, it wasn’t comfortable to lie on. It even chafed my skin. Next time, use something softer, like fine art paper.” “I’m attending Professor Thorne’s induction ceremony in three days, and Mr. Hayes worked so hard to get Professor Thorne to take me on as his protégé. What if I can’t even wear my dress?” I looked at the water-stained blueprints, and it hit me: my all-nighters, my blood, sweat, and tears, were just a flimsy pad for my boyfriend and his assistant to… well, *enjoy themselves* on! Noah always preached that Briar came from a rough background, and he was just “doing his part” to help her out. He told me to “broaden my horizons,” to stop being so “petty.” But he took my design plans and put Briar Thorne’s name on them! And for three whole months, my hard-earned designs? Just a prop in their twisted little *game*! Silently, I tossed the design sketches into the trash. Then, I called Professor Sterling Thorne, the man who’d been trying to recruit me as his protégé for years. “Professor Thorne,” I said, my voice cutting through the silence, “Your apprentice? It’s either me or her!”

“Audrey, you finally came around!” Professor Thorne’s voice was filled with barely contained delight. “You absolutely *must* be there for the induction ceremony in three days!” “It was always meant for you. You are the true star, the guest of honor!” I simply hummed in response, listening as Professor Thorne continued to give instructions. “That Noah kid, he did recommend a student named Briar Thorne to me.” “I saw that design draft. It was brimming with creativity and showed a deep foundation. But that kind of innate design sense? No ordinary student could pull that off.” “I found it suspicious then, and I’d been meaning to ask you about it. I just didn’t realize… you’re just too patient, kid.” Professor Thorne’s words stirred a bitter ache in my chest. After hanging up, I drove back to the apartment Noah and I had decorated together, a place filled with five years of memories. Pushing open the door, Noah was sitting on the sofa, drinking a beer, talking to Briar Thorne on FaceTime. His voice was so soft and gentle, it could melt butter. “Briar, don’t worry. I’ve handled everything with Professor Thorne. He really admires your talent.” “Just be stunning at the induction ceremony.” He saw me, but didn’t hang up. He just casually lifted his chin, gesturing for me to change my shoes. After he finished the call, he noticed my calm demeanor and realized something was off. He scowled, his face full of impatience. “What now, Audrey Blake? Who annoyed you?” I tossed my phone onto the coffee table in front of him. The screen showed the photo of the water-stained blueprint. Noah’s face instantly changed. “Audrey Blake, what is this supposed to mean?” “What do I mean? Noah, why is Briar Thorne’s name on *my* design?” Seeing that I’d caught him, his tone softened slightly. “Audrey, I only did this for *our* future!” “Think about it, if Briar becomes Professor Thorne’s protégé, won’t we have an extra connection in this industry? It’ll benefit both our careers!” He reached for my hand, but I sidestepped, avoiding his touch. “You’re going to doubt our five years together just because of a piece of paper?” “Audrey Blake, you’re really disappointing me!” Disappointing? I looked at his indignant face and felt nothing but absurdity. “Disappointment? Is it because I didn’t use softer paper, so it chafed *her* skin?” “You two know exactly what you did on my blueprints!” At that, Noah’s face turned beet red. He snarled, “Audrey Blake! How can your mind be so filthy?!” “Briar is young, she’s just a kid, she likes to joke around. Why are you getting so worked up over it? Don’t you have any dignity as an upperclassman?!” I watched his furious outburst, and the last flicker of warmth in my heart completely extinguished. That’s what true heartbreak feels like, when your heart just… dies. “Noah, we’re over.” I spoke calmly, and the air instantly solidified. The anger on Noah’s face froze. He probably thought this was just another one of my usual “tantrums.” Throughout our five-year relationship, he’d grown accustomed to my tolerance, my yielding, my habit of always revolving within the circle he drew for me. “Audrey Blake, you’re being utterly unreasonable! Fine, I’ll let you cool off for a few days.” He walked into the bedroom, slamming the door shut. “Once the induction ceremony is over, you’ll understand my good intentions.” I looked at this man, who had become completely unrecognizable, and a cold smile touched my lips. Noah, there is no future for us anymore.

Leaving the apartment and getting into my car, I watched the city lights fly by outside the window, remembering the laughable five years I’d spent with Noah. Noah’s talent was limited; he originally wouldn’t have been able to secure a faculty position. It was *me* who locked myself in the studio, researching, sketching, and building models day and night, helping him complete the design that earned recognition from FasTech and secured him that sole coveted faculty position. The last week before the project deadline, I was on my period, doubled over in pain, cold sweat drenching my clothes. Noah brought me a warm tea, his eyes full of feigned concern. “Audrey, maybe you should stop drawing. Your health is the most important thing.” I was so touched back then, I drank the tea, put on a heating pad, and gritted my teeth, continuing to work. Now that I think about it, his “maybe you should stop” was probably the only honest thing he said. The next day, I returned to the studio with bloodshot, swollen eyes. My assistant, Julian Reed, brought in coffee and gasped when he saw me. “Audrey, what happened to you? Did a client push you this hard?” Julian has been my assistant since I graduated. He’s two years younger than me, usually seems laid-back, but he’s sharper and more attentive than anyone. I didn’t say anything. I just silently opened my laptop and pulled up the design I’d made for Noah. “This…” Julian’s eyes lit up after just one glance. “Audrey, is this your new work? It’s brilliant! That mortise and tenon joint structure is simply divine!” I forced a bitter smile. “This design? It belongs to someone else now.” After Julian heard what happened, he slammed the folder in his hand onto the desk in anger. “Holy hell! You gave your blood, sweat, and tears to that jerk, and he hands it over to that manipulative snake? And they used it as a damn *pad*? Are you kidding me? Who *does* that?!” “Audrey, just wait. I’m going to have someone teach that jerk a lesson right now!” Seeing him hopping mad, my heavy heart lightened a little. “It’s fine, no need.” But Julian wouldn’t back down. He suddenly sat across from me, looking at me with a serious expression. “Audrey, seriously, are you just going to keep this dead weight around? Dump him, now!” He winked, a playful tone in his voice, “If you need a place to stay, you can come to my place. If you need a boyfriend, you can consider me.” “I promise, I’ll spoil you rotten, take care of your every need. I’ll never let you suffer any more injustice.” I laughed, amused. “Are you getting your lines from a bad rom-com, kid? Get back to work.” He pouted, wearing an expression that clearly said, “I’m serious, you know.” Just then, my phone rang. I answered, and Noah’s condescending lecture immediately came through. “Audrey Blake, stop messing around.” “You’ve had your fit, right? I’m apologizing, okay?” “Two days from now, dress up nicely and come to the ceremony. Apologize to Briar in front of everyone, and we’ll put this behind us.” “We can go back to how we were before, okay?” Before I could say anything, a sickly sweet, suggestive female voice came from the other end. “Mr. Hayes, hurry up, please. Help me with the zipper on the back of my dress, I can’t reach it…” It was Briar Thorne. Noah’s voice dropped, tender and comforting. “Don’t rush, I’m coming.” They didn’t even bother to hide it from me. I forced a bitter laugh. Julian, noticing my mood, clenched his jaw, his knuckles white. He looked ready to jump through the phone and tear that rotten pair apart. I reached out and gently pressed his hand, then spoke calmly into the phone. “Okay.” “I’ll be at the induction ceremony in three days.” With that, I hung up and dragged Noah’s number into my blacklist. Julian looked at me incredulously. “Audrey, you’re really going to…” “Apologize?” I raised an eyebrow. “What are you thinking?” I stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the bustling street below. “That ceremony was always *mine*.” “I’m just going to reclaim what belongs to me.” “As for apologizing… the one who needs to apologize? It’s certainly not me.” “Audrey, you look so powerful right now.” Julian’s eyes held a flash of concern, but he quickly put on a joking facade to comfort me. What I didn’t see was that the moment he closed the door, the smile on his face vanished. Julian pulled out his phone and dialed a number, his voice cold as ice. “Look into Noah Hayes and Briar Thorne from the Architecture Department at A-University.” “Yes, I want them… utterly ruined.”

Three days later, the induction ceremony. The venue was the city’s most exclusive hotel ballroom. Noah had clearly pulled out all the stops. To build momentum for Briar, he had already leaked my design, credited to Briar Thorne, to several friendly media outlets. Headlines screaming “Architectural Prodigy Takes the World by Storm!” and “Professor Thorne’s Visionary Discovery” were plastered everywhere. Noah wore a crisp, tailored suit, looking radiant. Briar, in a white strapless gown, her makeup flawless, nestled against his arm, playing the demure damsel. “Mr. Hayes is truly young and accomplished, and so sharp-eyed to discover such a talent like Briar!” “Indeed, a perfect match, a match made in heaven!” “Briar is Professor Thorne’s final protégé! We seniors will have to look after this little genius in the future, won’t we?” Noah beamed, unable to contain his joy. While his words were humble, his eyes were practically overflowing with smugness. “Oh, it’s nothing, really. Briar simply has immense talent and works incredibly hard.” “Everyone here is part of the same community now, so please, do look after our Briar.” Noah and Briar revelled in the compliments, completely oblivious to how dark Professor Thorne’s face was on stage! Professor Thorne took the microphone, his deep voice resounding throughout the ballroom. “Good evening, distinguished guests. Today, I’ve invited you all here to introduce a young designer whom I deeply admire.” He gestured to a staff member, who projected a 3D rendering of a design onto the large screen behind him. It was “The Nest,” the very design I had poured countless sleepless nights into. “This design, ‘The Nest,’ is a work of genius, whether viewed from its structure, concept, or humanitarian considerations.” Below the stage, Briar Thorne already wore a triumphant smile. She was even ready to elegantly walk onto the stage the moment Professor Thorne called her name. Noah also smugly adjusted his tie, preparing to accept everyone’s congratulations. Just then, I walked into the ballroom, arm in arm with Julian. Seeing me, the smiles on Noah’s and Briar’s faces froze. Noah strode towards me, his voice low and sharp. “Audrey Blake! How can you be so clueless?!” “I know you’re feeling wronged, but today is Briar’s induction ceremony. What are you doing here? Do you *have* to embarrass Briar?!” On stage, Professor Thorne’s gaze swept across the room, his eyes suddenly sharp. “Today, besides introducing a true genius, I also want to use this opportunity to reveal a truth and personally rid our design world of plagiarism and its perpetrators!” At these words, the entire hall fell silent!

The reporters Noah had invited to fill the room were the first to react, swarming around me. “Miss Blake, there are rumors circulating online that you maliciously plagiarized new designer Briar Thorne’s work. What’s your explanation?” “We hear you were in a relationship with Mr. Hayes. Did you make such an irrational move out of jealousy that your boyfriend was promoting a new talent?” “Are you here today to publicly apologize to Miss Briar Thorne and Professor Thorne?” Sharp questions came one after another, flashbulbs flickering wildly, threatening to swallow me whole. Noah looked at me coldly. “Just go back! The plagiarism rumors are already trending! Do you seriously have the nerve to come here and make a scene?!” After reprimanding me, he quickly stepped forward, adopting a humble and deferential posture toward Professor Thorne on stage. “Professor Thorne, please don’t be angry. Audrey is young, she made a mistake. I’ll make sure to teach her a good lesson when we get home!” Briar Thorne’s eyes immediately welled up, tears flowing freely. She weakly stepped to the front of the stage, pleading with Professor Thorne in a seemingly magnanimous tone. “Professor Thorne, please don’t blame Audrey.” “I know Audrey didn’t mean it. She probably just liked my design too much and made such a mistake.” “Please, I beg you, give her another chance. I… I’m willing to forgive her.” Her words, while seemingly magnanimous, were utterly insidious, directly nailing me to the pillar of shame for plagiarism. The gazes of the crowd below were already filled with disdain and contempt. Professor Thorne gave them a cold glance, saying nothing, but then turned the microphone towards me, his eyes burning with intensity. “Audrey, come up here!” “Now, I would like to formally introduce you to someone.” “This person is the true author of the genius work ‘The Nest,’ and the brilliant designer I have been searching for years to take under my wing—Audrey Blake!”

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My brother and I both had high fevers at the same time. My parents gave me the last three fever reducers, and he turned into a slow, unresponsive kid. When he was bullied, he retaliated against his classmates. When he was ignored, he hurt our parents. Reborn, I shoved all the fever reducers into his mouth. The thick stench of blood clung to my nostrils. In the dim living room, two cold bodies lay still. It was my mom and dad! They had been murdered! They lay on the floor, eyes wide open in death, a sight that sent shivers down my spine. But I was pinned down on the bed, held tight. My hands and feet were tied, leaving me completely immobile. A large, grayish-blue hand gripped my throat, making it hard to breathe. A sharp dagger dripped with blood, wet and cold against the pulse point in my neck. “Sis… Sis…” The person on top of me let out a low, pained sound. Stuttering, broken. This person was my younger brother. Ten years ago, he and I both had persistent high fevers, our temperatures soaring past 104°F. Medicine was scarce back then, almost impossible to find on the market. Our family only had three fever reducers left. After much agonizing, my parents decided to give them to me. My thirteen-year-old brother, after that fever, became what everyone called an “idiot.” He became a target for bullying at school and a transparent, ignored presence at home. And that led to this grim outcome… He’d killed Mom and Dad, and now, he was coming for me. Why was he looking so hurt right now? The man’s hand tightened, and I slowly lost my breath, unable to respond. “Sister,” he called me again, slowly. Perhaps from years of not speaking, he could barely form full words anymore. His voice sounded like it was squeezed from his throat, tinged with a manic eeriness. “Everyone who bullied me at school… I killed them all.” He slowly lowered his head, his warm breath ghosting over my face, raising goosebumps all over my skin. Meeting his bloodshot eyes, I painfully squeezed mine shut. “These two people, I killed them too.” He continued to utter chilling words. I knew he was talking about Mom and Dad. Suddenly, the large hand on my neck loosened slightly. He pressed the knife deeper into my skin. A jolt of pain shot through my neck. With every breath, an icy chill pierced me. He had slit my throat.

He gently rubbed his face against mine, whimpering, “I gave you all the fever reducers. Why did you have to get married?” So, he still remembered what happened ten years ago. Because of a high fever, the clever and lively boy he once was became clumsy and blank. He had lost his promising life. I owed him for that. But he shouldn’t… he shouldn’t have… killed so many people, and he definitely shouldn’t have acted like a monster and murdered our parents. I didn’t quite understand the second part of his sentence. After graduating from college, because of his condition, I worried he wouldn’t be able to take care of our parents in the future. So, I chose to stay by Mom and Dad, marry a gentle man, and together, we’d take care of them and him. I had planned out our whole family’s future… I’d met a decent guy through a setup, and we were getting married next week. “Sister, after you die, I’ll kill him and then come join you.” “Don’t worry.” At this moment, he spoke more than usual, no longer like the silent, slow kid he used to be. I knew he was talking about my fiancé. Tears blurred my vision, and I could only shake my head in agony. As my consciousness faded, I could feel him holding me tightly. And his pained whimpers, like a trapped beast. He must be in pain too, right? Unable to control himself? It shouldn’t have, shouldn’t have ended like this. I seemed to see glimpses of our happy family of four from when I was little. If only, back then, I had given him the fever reducers. If only, back then, I had known his classmates were bullying him, and I had helped him. If only, back then, I had shown him more care at home. Would things not have turned out like this? But alas, it was too late. He killed everyone. And I died too.

It hurt. My head hurt. My whole body ached. My eyes refused to open. In a hazy state, I couldn’t distinguish between dream and reality. It felt like I was being cooked in hot water, excruciatingly uncomfortable. A cool hand pressed against my forehead, followed by the cold beep of a device. Then, a woman’s anxious cry: “What are we going to do? Avery’s temperature is already 104°F!” Hurried footsteps echoed in the room. “Leo’s at 104°F too! We can’t buy medicine, and the neighbors don’t have any to lend. This won’t do!” “Let’s go to the hospital!” “It’s on lockdown! How long will it take to get approval? Plus, with the special circumstances, there might not even be beds at the hospital!” “Why do my children have such a hard life…” A familiar male voice declared decisively, “There are only three fever reducers left. Give them to Avery? She can’t be harmed! Otherwise, we’d never forgive ourselves…” These words felt like they came from another lifetime, instantly clearing my hazy mind. Like someone struggling for survival, I burst out of a steaming cauldron. I opened my eyes! Startling the man and woman in the room, who then erupted in joyful surprise. “Oh, my sweet Avery, you’re finally awake! You scared Mom half to death!” Two much younger faces leaned over me, two living, breathing people, bringing tears to my eyes. My hands trembling, I touched my neck. It was perfectly fine! I shot up, ignoring the damp sweat on the bedsheets. Due to the high fever, my voice was hoarse. “What year is it?” Mom and Dad exchanged glances, their worry evident. “Oh no, the fever made her confused.” “It’s 2022. You and Leo are on winter break. Avery, just take the medicine…” I suppressed my pounding heart, snatched the three fever reducers from Mom’s hand, and jumped out of bed, rushing towards Leo’s room.

When I burst through the door, the young boy on the bed had his eyes tightly shut, his face flushed red, muttering in pain, “Dad… Mom… Sister…” I finally let out a heavy sigh of relief. There was still time. It was good, I’d been reborn, and I had a chance to choose again. I tore open the medicine packet and immediately threw myself onto Leo’s bed, forcefully prying open his mouth. I cried, muttering, “This time you eat it, you eat it! Just take it down…” Perhaps my frantic actions scared Mom and Dad, they rushed over to pull me away. “Avery…” But I yelled, “Don’t move!” I turned to them, my eyes blurry with tears, my voice firm. “Give the medicine to my brother.” Just then, my hand was gently licked, and I froze. Looking down, I met a pair of dark, weak eyes. As if crossing a long decade, and countless bloody, cruel moments, they converged into this handsome young boy before me. “Sister.” He called me. My body stiffened. I didn’t know what expression to show. The terrifying scene before my death made it impossible for me to face him calmly. This was the future killer… Could I really change everything? Thinking of Mom and Dad behind me, I gritted my teeth, making up my mind. This life, I absolutely couldn’t let him feel hurt or ignored. I had to make him happy, had to soothe him. I forced a strained smile, popped the medicine into his mouth, and said softly, “Good boy, Leo. Take your medicine, and you’ll feel better soon.” Mom and Dad behind me seemed to hesitate, as if wanting to say something, but in the end, they just sighed and said no more. Leo blinked his dark eyes, then suddenly smiled, innocent and harmless, his voice hoarse, “Mommy said there were only three left. Sister, you take them.” I didn’t care about anything else, tears streaming down, I clumsily kept shoving the medicine into his mouth. “You take it, you take it…” If you don’t take it, we’ll all die ten years from now. He frowned, reaching out to stop me, and forcibly pulled out two pills, weakly offering them to me. His gaze was calm, his voice still holding the clear tone of a young boy: “Then I’ll take one, and Sister will take two.” I couldn’t refuse again. Because his eyes were terrifyingly bright. Just like they were when he cut my throat. Even though, in this year, he was only thirteen. Perhaps the fever reducers really worked. I don’t know how long I slept in a daze, but when I finally opened my eyes, I was startled.

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The new air traffic control intern, eager to cultivate an image as a prodigy, volunteered to direct flights from the control tower. However, due to her lack of experience and poor judgment, she issued a takeoff command despite interference signals, causing a collision between the departing plane and another aircraft that was about to land. Afterwards, she threw herself into my boyfriend’s arms, sobbing: “I didn’t mean to, it was my first time and I was so nervous…” My boyfriend held her close, comforting her: “Everyone makes mistakes their first time. Don’t worry about it.” “You’ll get better with more experience.” Those passengers on the planes were moments away from reuniting with their families. But their lives were forever frozen in that instant. Shaking with anger, I slapped her: “Those were human lives! Not some game you’re playing!” “Your carelessness killed everyone on two planes!” The intern was overcome with shame, wailing that she would atone with her own death. To protect her, my boyfriend and the team leader pushed me out as the scapegoat. The leader secretly altered the duty logs and bribed everyone to fabricate evidence against me. At the press conference, my boyfriend publicly revealed “information” pinning all responsibility on me. Public outrage erupted. I was fired by the company and blacklisted across the industry. Grief-stricken families of the victims stabbed me 38 times until I died. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day of the intern’s fatal mistake. 0

“What… what do I do?” In the control tower, Tiffany, the air traffic controller intern, stared at the radar screen with a pale face, helplessly watching the two planes about to collide. As the aircraft markers turned red and drew closer, disaster was imminent. Unable to handle the pressure, Tiffany burst into tears, switched off her headset and collapsed into my boyfriend James’ arms, refusing to continue. “I’m scared, James,” she sobbed. In my previous life, Tiffany’s arrogance led her to recklessly order a takeoff despite interference signals. When the predictive radar blared urgent red warnings, the entire control tower was thrown into panic. Hundreds of lives that could have been saved were lost due to the actions of Tiffany, an intern who didn’t even have her official certification yet. The incident made headlines, causing a huge public outcry. Everyone was waiting for our airport to provide an explanation. To protect Tiffany, my boyfriend James didn’t hesitate to use me as a scapegoat. The team leader Henry also deleted all the control tower recordings that could prove my innocence, to eliminate any loose ends. At the press conference, I was helpless to defend myself as the blame was pinned on me. Facing astronomical compensation claims and prison time, I was brutally stabbed to death by grieving family members of the victims who had infiltrated the event. In my final moments, I saw the hatred burning in their eyes. Rage surged through me – I wasn’t the one who deserved to die! How could this be happening? Perhaps my unjust death moved the heavens. Incredibly, I found myself back at the moment Tiffany abandoned her post. In this new life, I was determined to make these people pay for their sins and seek justice for my past self. As the situation grew dire, I strode to the control panel, put on the headset and opened the radio channel to the pilots: “Eastern 5195, go around. Previous aircraft has requested landing, climb and maintain 2100 feet on current heading…” The chaotic control room fell silent as they heard my commands, holding their breath so as not to disrupt the rescue. After prolonged communication and cooperation from the pilots, the red alert was finally cleared. This time, the passengers who had died because of Tiffany in my past life would make it home safely. I switched off the headset, saved the recording, and handed off communications to a colleague. Then I turned and yanked Tiffany out of James’ embrace. A clear handprint was left on Tiffany’s tear-stained cheek. I was furious. This slap was not just for my wronged past self, but for all the passengers and crew who had died in my previous life. 0

The force of my slap sent Tiffany stumbling backwards. She clutched her face, looking at me in disbelief. I pointed at the plane that had just safely taken off outside. “You idiot! An air traffic controller’s job is to ensure safety in the skies. You nearly cost hundreds of lives with your stupidity!” Tiffany’s tears flowed freely as she whined, “I was just nervous since it was my first time directing takeoff. I’m sorry!” Always the same trick. Ever since she started her internship, this was how she handled problems. She insisted on cultivating an image as a prodigy despite her mediocrity, just to make everyone see her differently. But when crucial work was actually entrusted to her, she’d screw up royally and leave us to clean up her mess. Afterwards, she’d cry and act cute to beg for forgiveness. But this time, hundreds of living, breathing people had nearly died because of her. “Olivia, that’s going too far!” James yelled. “Mind your own business!” I snapped back at him. “Wasn’t it you who confidently boasted you could handle this flight direction? Now that we actually let you do it, you try to run away when things go wrong!” “What, do you think we all have a death wish? Want us to go to prison with you?” Henry, the team leader, also stepped in to muddy the waters and try to shift blame onto me. “Olivia, you should have given Tiffany more guidance since you knew it was her first time.” “Are you kidding me, Henry?” I scoffed. Henry was taken aback, probably not expecting me to call him out so directly. I glared coldly at the two men shielding Tiffany: “Instead of acknowledging Tiffany’s incompetence, you’re blaming me for not teaching her properly?” “Her poor work performance nearly cost hundreds of lives, and you’re still making excuses for her!” “If I hadn’t stepped in to direct the flights, do you think you’d still be standing here chatting with me?” “Do people actually have to die before you take this seriously? Or are human lives just meaningless to you?” Doubt flickered across their faces, but they still chose to defend Tiffany. “Don’t give me that crap about me not teaching her well or her being some genius! Tiffany was mentored by you two, so if she’s such a prodigy, how come you failed to train her properly?” “Did you all get kicked in the head by a donkey? Have you forgotten our duty to protect air safety?” I let out a cold laugh, looking at Tiffany being comforted in James’ arms: “What you’re doing now isn’t just a dereliction of your professional duties. It’s a blatant disregard for human life! If you want to keep arguing with me, don’t expect me to show any mercy!” 0

By now it was clear to everyone that I wouldn’t let this slide. Seeing my resolute attitude, the two men didn’t dare say anything more. I glared fiercely at Tiffany and ordered: “For the next two months, you’ll retrain with the new batch of interns. Just you, alone. You’re not allowed to participate in any flight direction until you pass the training!” “Do plenty of simulation exercises and learn how to handle emergencies properly!” “And I want to see your written self-reflection at Monday’s meeting. You’ll read it out loud to everyone.” With that, I turned to leave, not wanting to look at Tiffany for another second. “Wait!” James clearly wanted to advocate for Tiffany one last time: “Tiffany was involved in the rescue too. You can’t hog all the credit – add her name to today’s incident report.” Looking at his shameless expression, I responded sarcastically: “Sure, go ahead. And next time she screws up, you can take responsibility for her.” “Olivia! You- if it weren’t for Tiffany you wouldn’t even have this achievement-” I laughed mockingly, cutting him off. “Oh right, I should thank her for creating a mess for me to clean up!” “She doesn’t even have the basic psychological qualities needed for air traffic control, let alone actual directing skills!” “And you, repeatedly acting like this is all perfectly reasonable. How pathetic can you get?” James was at a loss for words, only able to glare at me with a red face. Tiffany’s tears seemed to have opened floodgates. She looked at me defiantly: “Olivia, I know you’ve always had issues with me, but aren’t you going too far today?” I drawled in an exaggerated tone: “Oh, so you know I have issues with you? Then why don’t you stay out of my way instead of constantly causing trouble!” “If you want credit for this rescue, you’d better earn it first. Though I suppose abandoning your post in a crisis is quite a talent too.” “Don’t worry, if you want to keep slacking off and coasting by, I’m sure someone will be happy to take the fall for you when things go wrong.” As I finished, I glanced meaningfully between James and Henry. Their faces twisted as if they’d swallowed flies. I gave a cold laugh and strode away. 0 Back in my office, I had just poured myself some water when Henry opened the door, ushering in Manager Smith with a sycophantic smile. Seeing James and Tiffany following behind, I immediately understood what this was about. An inquisition. I let out a derisive laugh. “Manager Smith, shouldn’t you be in training right now? What brings you to a lowly grunt’s office?” Manager Smith was in his fifties and had spent most of his life working at the airport, constantly squeezing money out of us underlings. All in all, he was a slippery old fox who loved being flattered. I couldn’t be bothered to play nice with someone like him. Seeing my attitude, Manager Smith immediately let out a disdainful snort. “If they hadn’t told me you were bullying your coworkers, I wouldn’t have known your authority had grown beyond mine!” “Making decisions above your pay grade, ordering Tiffany to retrain without reporting to me.” “You clearly have no respect for me!”

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Six years with Chloe, and in the end, I still couldn’t compare to her first love. The 88th time her first love, Asher, stood on a rooftop, claiming depression, she shoved a fake divorce agreement at me. “What are you waiting for? Sign it, now!” I knew it was fake, but I still refused. I begged her to find another way. But Chloe stubbornly shook her head, yelling at me, “Asher is literally dying! Do you even care about our marriage? Have you no sympathy? I was so wrong about you. I should have married Asher back then!” I froze. She said she regretted marrying me? I shook my head, a bitter laugh escaping me. Of course. She’d never loved me. So I decided I wouldn’t cling on anymore. I secretly swapped out the fake divorce agreement for a real one, signed it, and then turned around and married someone else in a wedding for the ages. Chloe watched me sign the divorce papers, her face instantly changing. She leaned in and kissed my cheek, bubbling with excitement. “Baby, you’re amazing!” “Don’t worry, I’m just faking it for Asher. I’m still your loving wife.” I could see it clearly: her excitement wasn’t about me. It was because she could finally be with Asher openly, without needing any more excuses. Clutching the divorce agreement, she didn’t hesitate. She turned and headed straight for the rooftop upstairs. As she turned, her arm brushed against my leg, which was still recovering. I cried out, a sharp pang shooting through my heart, followed by a dull, persistent ache. She probably forgot I was still lying in this hospital bed, my leg injured from saving her, needing constant care. I gave a bitter laugh. Of course. In her heart, compared to Asher, I was nothing. Besides, we were divorced now. I didn’t expect her to take care of me. After she left, I opened a super popular live stream. On screen, Asher was on the rooftop. Everyone was tense, trying to talk him down, but it was useless. Then, Chloe suddenly appeared in the frame. She eagerly pulled out the divorce papers and held them up to Asher. “Asher, look! I divorced him!” “You’re the one I love most. Please come down, okay? I’ll stay by your side forever, never leaving.” My fingers paused. *That* was her real truth, wasn’t it? As she spoke, she slowly moved closer. She reached him, ignoring the knife in his hand, and pulled him into a tight embrace. She was always so meticulous about her skin, she wouldn’t even let me gently touch her during intimate moments. Yet now, for Asher, her collarbone was grazed. The two embraced tightly, weeping with joy, and shared a passionate kiss that lasted for ten minutes. The live stream chat exploded with viewers calling it “true love” and shipping them relentlessly. I couldn’t watch another second. I switched off the screen. I squeezed my eyes shut, my entire body trembling. Nurses came in to change my dressing, chatting loudly about gossip. “That couple on the rooftop today, the girl was so brave! She dumped her unloved ex-husband and fearlessly pursued true love.” “Oh, you know, I’ve seen it all, and that girl probably married her ex for all sorts of reasons, but definitely not for love!” Hearing them, it hit me. It was true. Chloe had never loved me. I had just loved her too much, living in a fantasy of love, a one-sided devotion. Suddenly, I heard sounds from outside the door. It was Chloe, holding Asher’s hand, coming back. They looked like a new couple, her face flushed with a sweet bashfulness. In all the years we were together, I had never seen that expression on her. So, this is how she blushes for someone she truly loves. Even though we were divorced, that moment still felt incredibly bitter. As they passed my room, our eyes met. Chloe looked a little guilty, but she still linked arms with Asher and walked into the room next door.

Asher was in the room right next to mine, and the soundproofing wasn’t great, so I could hear everything they said. As soon as their door closed, I heard the sounds of their passionate kissing. Their kisses were intense, punctuated by Chloe’s soft moans. “Chloe, you’re completely mine now.” “When was I ever not yours? Asher, I’ve missed you so much all these years. Every single moment I spent with Noah, I was thinking of you.” I couldn’t bear to listen anymore. I opened my music app, trying to distract myself. But my tears fell despite myself, soaking the pillow. That night, Chloe came over. She carried a lunchbox and handed it to me. Then she took my hand, her eyes filled with a manufactured helplessness. “Noah, did you see the live stream today?” “Yeah.” Her grip tightened. “You know we were just putting on a show, right? That kiss was just to soothe him.” “Yeah, I get it.” She suddenly hugged me tightly. “Noah, you’re really too good.” “Quick, try the food I made myself. It’s all your favorites.” She opened the lunchbox for me. The moment I saw the dishes, I froze. Every single dish was loaded with chili peppers. I had gastritis and couldn’t handle anything spicy. It was clearly food she’d meticulously prepared for Asher. Before, no matter how late I worked, or even when I overworked to the point of stomach bleeding, she had never personally made me a single bowl of porridge. Whenever I cautiously asked her if she could make me a soothing stomach porridge, she’d refuse, saying her hands were for playing the piano, not for household chores. But for another man, she was willing to cook and care for him with such devotion. She saw me hesitate to pick up my fork, so she picked up a piece of food to feed me, but I pushed her hand away. I frowned. “Chloe, have you forgotten? I have gastritis.” She seemed to suddenly remember, putting down the fork. “Oh, right. Sorry, Noah, I got caught up.” I didn’t say anything, my heart aching again. Just then, Asher suddenly walked in. He wrapped an arm around Chloe, looking at me with triumph. “Noah, Chloe already divorced you! Don’t cling to her like a pathetic dog anymore. Don’t be so pathetic.” He glanced at the food on the table, scoffing, “Oh, spoke of a dog, and here you are. You’re only fit to eat my leftovers.” Chloe looked flustered. To avoid Asher’s suspicion, she suddenly glared at me. “I came here today to tell you that we’re divorced. I need to give Asher a sense of security. Don’t bother me again.” Then she took Asher’s hand and left. I looked at the food on the table and let out a self-deprecating laugh. My mind drifted back to Chloe and my past. I first met her in a dessert shop. She was working part-time to pay for her mother’s medical expenses. The moment I saw her, I was drawn to her resilience. I began to pursue her relentlessly, even paying her mother’s expensive medical bills. She slowly began to accept me. At the time, I was ecstatic, thinking it was love. Only now, I realize, perhaps it was just gratitude. Because of the vast difference in our family backgrounds, my father adamantly opposed our relationship. To marry her, I cut ties with my family. Leaving home, I became a penniless young man. To continue paying for her mother’s medical expenses and to allow Chloe to pursue her dream of becoming a pianist, I started working day and night. I don’t know how many times I collapsed from exhaustion in the warehouse. I drank until my stomach bled to secure deals, and even had cardiac arrest due to severe lack of sleep. Despite all this, I never allowed Chloe to suffer in the slightest. She could just chase her dreams. After I successfully founded my own company, I gave Chloe all my unwavering affection. But her heart never truly opened up to me. She had a first love she couldn’t forget. Before, I thought it didn’t matter. As long as I gave her enough love, she would eventually make a place for me in her heart. It was only after this incident that I understood: it was useless.

My mom called. For years, she had been trying to convince me to go home and apologize to my dad. I knew he couldn’t stand Chloe, and if I went back, he would definitely demand I divorce her. That’s why I hadn’t returned home all these years. But this time, I agreed. My mom was shocked by my decision. “You’ve really come to your senses?” “Yeah.” During these days in the hospital, Chloe hadn’t visited me once, because she was busy traveling with Asher. Every day, I saw different scenic photos on Asher’s social media feed. Before, no matter how much I begged Chloe, she would never travel with me, saying she had to practice piano and couldn’t slack off. Now it seemed, accompanying Asher was probably the most important thing in her life. I laughed at myself, then turned off my phone. When my leg was mostly healed, I was discharged from the hospital. I went back to the small house Chloe and I shared first. I took out the divorce agreement and placed it on her piano. She often made time to practice, and she would see the divorce papers right away when she did. I stared at the divorce papers, a strange anticipation swelling within me. What expression would Chloe have when she saw them? After all, a *real* divorce was never part of her plan. I sat blankly on the sofa for I don’t know how long, until the door opened. Chloe was back from her trip. Asher was with her. Seeing me, Chloe looked surprised. “Why are you here? We’re already divorced, aren’t we?” She vigorously gave me a look, wanting me to play along. “Just came to pack my things.” I didn’t need to play along. Every word was sincere. Asher looked like he was about to make a scene, so Chloe quickly soothed him, her eyes soft and tender. Then she snapped at me, “Don’t just come and go from this house anymore! Asher gets upset whenever he sees you. Don’t you know that?” Her expression didn’t seem fake. “Chloe, why are his things still everywhere in this house?” “Isn’t this supposed to be *our* home now?” Asher looked at Chloe with a pitiful expression. I hadn’t expected her to let Asher live in our marital home. I was actually curious to see what she would do next. Chloe froze for a few seconds, but her next action chilled me to the bone. She actually ripped up our wedding photos! She reached out and tore every single one of our wedding photos, tossing the pieces to the floor. Her movements were swift and decisive, without a hint of hesitation. Then she rushed into the bedroom and threw my few remaining clothes at me. “Take your things and get out! Don’t ever let me see you again!” My mind went blank. I couldn’t think. It was only when Chloe threw something at me that I was jolted back to reality. It hit the floor with a crisp sound. I looked down. It was our wedding ring. I had taken design classes for two months just to create this ring for her, to give her a perfect proposal experience. To put on a show, she could go to such lengths. No, at this point, I couldn’t even tell if she was still putting on a show. “Take your things and get out!” she shrieked in my face. Asher looked at me with a triumphant smirk, as if he’d won a grand victory. I stared at that ring for a long time, until my eyes burned. Finally, I let out a bitter laugh. “Fine. I’ll have movers come and clear everything out.” Then I turned and walked away. And I would never come back. I drove to my old family home. My mom was already waiting for me at the door. We hadn’t seen each other in years. The moment she saw me, tears streamed down her face.

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The rescue team called me, saying my parents had ventured into the uncharted wilderness and were now calling for help. They told me to be ready for the huge rescue fees. My husband suddenly snatched my phone. “These are just scam calls, don’t believe them.” He then threw my phone, threatening to divorce me if I dared use our money for the rescue. But he had no idea that the tour package he’d booked for my parents had been stolen by *his* parents. Now, trapped in the wilderness and waiting for rescue, were *his* parents. “Ms. Miller, this is the rescue team. Your parents have entered an uncharted wilderness. We are not a volunteer service, so the cost to get them out will be approximately $150,000.” The number they quoted was huge. It sounded like a lot, but with years of savings between my husband and me, we could still manage it if we really pushed ourselves. I immediately said, “Of course, rescue them! How do I transfer the money to you…?” Before I could finish, my husband snatched my phone. He stated flatly, “Those two old people went into the wilderness on their own. We don’t need to waste our tax dollars. Thanks for your time, but no thanks.” What kind of talk was that?! I immediately tried to grab my phone back from his hand, but he just threw it on the floor and smashed it. He glared at me, his face red with fury. “Ashley, do you know what you were just saying? That’s years of our savings, just gone like that? Don’t you think that’s a waste?” I stared at him, shocked. “What are you talking about? That’s our parents! You’re always saying how hard they worked to raise you, how we needed to honor them!” I picked up my phone from the floor. Luckily, my phone case was shockproof, and with the tempered glass protector, it only shattered the screen protector when it hit the ground. Seeing the phone was okay, I sighed in relief. The rescue team’s call was still connected on the screen. I knelt on the floor and replied, “I’m willing to pay for the rescue!” My husband rushed over, snatched my phone again, and yelled into the receiver, “Rescue who, exactly?! I said no damn way! Those worthless old people had nothing better to do than wander into that wilderness. They deserved whatever they got!” With that, my husband hung up. I looked at him in disbelief. “Blake Hayes, are you even human?! Those are your parents!” He scoffed. “My parents? No, those are *your* parents. Ashley Miller, let me tell you, if you dare spend a dime to rescue them, I’m divorcing you. Don’t forget, you have no right to touch our joint assets without my consent.” After saying that, he went back into the bedroom, even locking the door to keep me out. My heart turned to ice. I sat on the floor, trying to compose myself, already thinking of ways to get around him and pay for my parents’ rescue. Suddenly, I realized something was off. What he’d just said clearly showed he thought it was *my* parents who were trapped in the wilderness. But it was *his* parents who had taken the tour tickets.

A week ago, Blake was humming a tune as he walked in. Seeing me, he pulled two tickets out of his bag. “My friend opened a travel agency, and they’re doing a promotion right now, so I bought two tickets. Aren’t your parents always talking about traveling? This is a perfect chance to send them off on a trip.” I stared at the two tickets. The price tag on them was hefty: $800 a head, flights not included. Clearly not a budget tour. Holding the tickets, something felt off. I asked, “Blake, didn’t you say before that my parents traveled too much, that it was a waste of money? Why the sudden change of heart, sending them on a trip now?” He sat on the couch, smiling. “Oh, old people have so few hobbies, right? They’ve got plenty saved up, their retirement funds are solid. It’s good for them to get out, stretch their legs, and stay active.” Hearing Blake say that, I felt genuinely happy. Looking at the two tickets to the Northwest, I immediately called my parents. After hanging up, Blake smiled at me. “Happy?” I nodded repeatedly. “Yeah, I am. How about this, we buy two more tickets and send your parents along too?” “No way. They can’t go!” he blurted out. I looked at him, confused. “Why? If you think it’s too expensive, I’ll chip in some extra money. Four old people could look out for each other on the trip.” Blake always said his parents were simple country folk, born and raised in the sticks. Besides coming to the city for our wedding, they spent most of their time in the countryside. They’d never traveled before, and this was a great opportunity. My parents, who were seasoned travelers, could take his parents along, and they could look out for each other, so nothing would go wrong. He frowned, thinking for a long time before replying, “They’re just country bumpkins, practically born with mud on their boots. They don’t deserve such a fancy trip. A little sightseeing around the city is enough for them.” “No way! There’s a first time for everything! Those two have worked hard their whole lives, what’s wrong with them enjoying themselves a little?” I opened my phone. “Send me your friend’s travel agency info; I’ll buy the tickets.” Blake stood up and put his arm around me. “Honey, their travel agency just opened, and the special tickets are all gone. How about this, next time we go on a trip, we’ll invite them along.” “Oh, and remember to book the flights for your parents. The tour tickets are redeemed in person. I’m going out of town tomorrow, so I’ll leave you to handle the arrangements. I trust you with it.” He was so adamant that I had no choice but to agree. That night, after he fell asleep, I slipped out of bed and went to the living room, taking the two travel tickets to search for the travel agency online. But after searching for a long time, I couldn’t find any information about that travel agency. “Could it be that it’s a new agency, so there’s no info yet?” I mumbled to myself. The thought of Blake sending my parents on a trip while leaving his own at home made me feel a little guilty. Finally, I found the travel agency my parents usually used and asked if they had any new packages. They quickly replied, “Of course, ma’am. Same great service, guaranteed to satisfy.” “$200 a head, flights not included.” Looking at the package they offered, the itinerary was packed, but the price was incredibly cheap. Since it was a travel agency we’d worked with for years, I immediately transferred the money. After doing all that, I returned to bed and slept soundly.

After Blake left for his business trip, I called both sets of parents and told them we’d booked a trip departing from our city. My father-in-law and mother-in-law immediately told me to book business class flights for them to come from the countryside. As soon as they walked in, my mother-in-law started grumbling, “Going out to play again, how much money have you even made to be so wasteful?” My mother-in-law was always like that—loud and incredibly stingy. After years of being married to Blake, I’d long learned to just let her nagging go in one ear and out the other. I smiled and pulled my mother-in-law into the house. “Mom, Blake said you two have never traveled before, so this is a chance to send you off! Besides, money’s meant to be spent, right?” My mother-in-law sat down, scrutinizing me. I smiled and showed her my phone. “See, this travel agency is great. My parents go there all the time. No forced sales, the guides are fantastic speakers, their descriptions of the sights are so vivid and engaging. The itinerary is well-planned, and they book five-star hotels.” My mother-in-law glanced at it, clearly tempted. She scrolled through my chat history with the travel agency for a bit, then suddenly looked displeased. “You’ve sent your parents off so many times, and we get booked on this little tour?” She looked at me and snorted dismissively. “My son makes so much money, and it all goes to your parents.” I kept a smile on my face. “If one isn’t enough, we can add more activities, go to more places, right?” As I spoke, my father-in-law suddenly stood up, picked up two travel tickets from the coffee table, glanced at them, and immediately got angry. “You booked us a $200 tour, and sent your parents on an $800 one?!” My mother-in-law snatched the tickets from his hand. After looking at them, she was so furious she stomped her foot, then plopped onto the floor, dramatically slapping her thigh. “Oh, the horror! I thought you were finally being merciful, having a change of heart and wanting to send us on a trip, but I never expected you to book us on this garbage tour!” I quickly explained, “Blake bought these to support his friend’s business. They were special discount tickets, not expensive.” With that, my mother-in-law shoved the two travel tickets into my arms. “Anyway, it’s all just travel. We want to go on the $800 one.” “This…” I hesitated. After all, the $800 tickets were bought by Blake. My mother-in-law immediately burst into a tirade. “You just don’t want us to enjoy anything good. You look down on us country folk, don’t you? Such a cheap tour, who are you trying to fool?!” Even my usually quiet father-in-law spoke with a hint of anger now. “We’ve seen videos online. Cheap tours lock old people in rooms. If you don’t buy expensive goods, they don’t give you food, water, or even let you use the bathroom. If you want to abuse us, why use such a method?!” I had no idea how to explain. I pointed to my past chat records with the travel agency. “I’ve sent my parents on this tour several times; this travel agency is really good.” My mother-in-law swatted my phone to the floor. “Hmph, I don’t care. Hurry up and book our flights. We’re going to the Northwest.” I picked up my phone, feeling helpless. Seeing my mother-in-law’s insistence, I called Blake. The first call was hung up. Just as I was about to dial again, my father-in-law spoke up. “Don’t bother him. A man’s busy with work. What are you, a woman, doing, telling him what to do?!” Having lived with my in-laws for years, I knew how to avoid their temper. “I just wanted to confirm with Blake.” My father-in-law was impatient. “Does this little thing need confirmation from the man of the house? I’ve always said a man’s place is at work, a woman’s place is at home. Women shouldn’t interfere when a man is out building his career. Hurry up and book our flights.” My mother-in-law chimed in, “Exactly! It’s normal for our Blake to ignore us for a month or two when he’s busy. Don’t you dare bother him when he’s trying to get a promotion.” Stay calm, stay calm. Mother-in-law relations have always been tricky. We only see them twice a year, so I’ll just consider this my good deed for the year. I sighed and had no choice but to open my phone to book flights. I entered their information, selected tonight’s flight, and as I was about to pay, my mother-in-law snatched my phone again. She suddenly yelled, “Why are you booking us economy class?! That’s for the common folk! Our son can afford a house in the big city; how can you make us fly economy?!” After several rounds of this, I was too tired to argue. If she wanted first class, so be it. Payment, of course, would be from my husband’s bank card. Only after the tickets were successfully purchased were they satisfied. “Then I’ll postpone the original tour I booked for you. It’s just a reservation; you can go any time within a year.” My mother-in-law wasn’t happy again. “Don’t think I don’t know, you just want to subject us to a cheap tour! We’re not going. Either refund it, or let your parents go.” Then, my mother-in-law’s eyes darted. “Oh, right, just let your parents go on the $200 tour. Let them suffer a bit, and they’ll never want to travel again!” My good intentions were completely wasted on them. Even though I was used to letting their words go in one ear and out the other, I felt a little angry now. “Fine, then my parents will go on the $200 tour.”

Just then, there was a knock at the door. I quickly opened it; it was my parents. As soon as he walked in, my dad cheerfully said, “Ashley, what kind of tour did Blake book for us?” Then he noticed the two older people in the room and quickly greeted them. “Oh, in-laws, you’re here too! Is it just the four of us older folks going off without you two young ones this time?” My mom also smiled slightly. “We travel often, so we know all the ins and outs. When we’re on the road, we’ll give you tips.” I was about to speak, but my mother-in-law cut me off. “I don’t need your tips! My darling son booked us an $800 tour, not like your daughter, who’s so cheap, only booking you a $200 one.” She cast a sideways glance at me. My mom paused. “An $800 tour? That’s pretty good.” My mother-in-law gloated, “That’s because my son has been filial since he was little. He feels bad for us old folks in the countryside, so he booked us an $800 one. Your tour is too cheap; we won’t go with you.” Then, my mother-in-law said with fake sympathy, “But dear in-laws, you need to be careful. There are a lot of cheap tours online that will make you spend money to leave. You should be careful, or maybe just don’t go.” Who couldn’t hear the underlying meaning of those fake sympathetic words? My mom was naturally gentle and kind to everyone. Even after hearing that, she didn’t show any anger towards my mother-in-law, maintaining her smile. She reached out and patted my back, comforting me slightly. “The city has many tourist attractions close by, and a two-day itinerary is plenty. This price includes two nights’ accommodation, which is a great deal. Just the other day, your dad and I were talking about booking this package. I guess mother and daughter really are on the same wavelength.” Seeing that my mom wasn’t angry at all, my mother-in-law realized her taunts were falling flat. “Hmph, you’ll know when you’ve suffered a bit. Honey, let’s go now. No need to see us off. Just take your parents on their trip.” My father-inin-law and mother-in-law turned and left. Only my parents and I remained in the house. After they were gone, I took my mom’s hand. “Mom, I really didn’t think all this through. The tour I booked for you, there were plenty of cheaper ones, but you know this travel agency’s value.” My mom shook her head. “That $800 tour was originally for us, right?” My mom had seen right through it, of course. I was about to tell her that I would rebook a trip to the Northwest for them later, but then my mom spoke. “Your in-laws have spent their whole lives in the countryside and have never traveled. It’s a rare chance for them to go, so of course they should enjoy themselves. Don’t worry, your dad and I won’t mind.” I looked at my parents with gratitude and immediately contacted the travel agency to change the passenger names.

After seeing both sets of parents off on their trips, I was alone at home. I went about my usual routine: working, coming home, cleaning the house. I also received different photos from both sets of parents. Mother-in-law: “Oh, my son is so filial! This $800 trip is just different.” Mother-in-law: “Look at this grand hotel, how luxurious! Those country folks would never get to stay in a place like this. My son is a city man now, with a car and a house, he’s amazing.” Mother-in-law: “Oh, this vast, sandy desert is truly something else. Most people wouldn’t even understand it. In a couple of days, our guide is taking us to a famous landmark. Ordinary people can’t get in there, only those with our $800 tickets can.” I looked closely at the photos my mother-in-law sent, frowning. The package clearly stated five-star hotels, but the place they were staying didn’t look like a five-star hotel at all. It looked more like a budget motel. I was about to type a message, telling my mother-in-law to ask the guide about the accommodation, but after typing a few words, I deleted them all. Better to avoid trouble. After so many years married to Blake, I already knew how to handle his relatives. If I opened my mouth and said the hotel was wrong, my mother-in-law would probably scold me. Then I looked at the messages my mom sent me, all beautiful landscape photos. As I was looking at my mom’s photos, Blake came home. “Did you send your parents on their trip?” He asked casually, changing his shoes. I nodded. “Yeah, they’re having a great time. Want to see photos?” I even purposefully held my phone out to him. But he frowned and pushed my hand away. “I just got back from a business trip, I’m a little tired. As long as they’re having fun, that’s enough.” It was normal to be tired after a five-day business trip, so I didn’t think much of it. But unexpectedly, the very next day after he returned, I received an unfamiliar call.

Now, sitting on the floor, I kept replaying everything, and suddenly, from a mess of “something’s wrong,” I finally pulled out the crucial thread. There was no “friend’s travel agency.” It was clearly a setup he orchestrated, to lure my travel-loving parents to the Northwest, then have his contacts guide them into the uncharted wilderness. My parents’ emergency contact was me. The rescue cost was too high, and no one offers free rescue. So, naturally, they contacted me to get them out. In my initial panic, I hadn’t thought much. But now, calm, I knew that regardless of whether it was my parents or his, if either pair of elderly people were in trouble in the wilderness, I would pay to rescue them. However, Blake’s words just now had completely extinguished that notion. He was so resolute, demanding no rescue. Why should I make him act like a devoted son? Thinking this, I stood up and knocked on his bedroom door. “Come out. I want a divorce.” The door opened, and Blake stared at me, utterly shocked. “Are you insane? You want to divorce for those two old geezers, willing to waste so much money? I’m not giving you the money, and now you want a divorce?” I nodded. “Divorce, and divide the assets. My parents paid the down payment on this house, and we’ve been jointly paying the mortgage. Your family paid for the renovations and appliances. So, we’ll split it equally by market value: the house goes to you, and the money comes to me.” “Our joint assets will be divided equally. Don’t worry, we had a prenuptial agreement notarized, so our pre-marital assets won’t be mixed in. “One car each.” At this moment, I was even more grateful that I had considered getting pregnant some time ago. For it, I had specifically asked experienced colleagues with children, bought folic acid and other prenatal supplements, and downloaded an app to calculate my ovulation day. But these were just preparations. Just as I was about to start, some things got in the way. I even decided I didn’t want children this lifetime. Without children, dividing assets would be incredibly easy. Seeing my resolve, Blake sneered. “You think threatening me with divorce will make me pay that money? Ashley Miller, don’t dream. Your money is also mine. You won’t get a divorce.” I looked at him, stunned. It was hard to imagine the man who used to show up under my dorm building every day, who knelt on one knee to propose and promised to treat me well for life, had turned into this. “Are you really willing to let our parents die?” I struggled to control my breathing, staring at him coldly. He sighed. “Ashley, I know it wasn’t easy for your parents to raise you for so many years, but you have to think about our future. We’re both only children; we already have four elderly parents to support. If we have two kids too, can we afford it?” I said grimly, “My parents have their retirement funds; we don’t need to worry about their retirement.” He looked at me coldly, his eyes even showing clear dissatisfaction. “But now we’re talking about $150,000 for one rescue, and there’s no guarantee they’ll even make it out alive! Wouldn’t that $150,000 just be wasted? How many years will it take us, with our salaries, to save up that much?!” Hearing this, I felt utterly sick to my stomach. Perhaps it was psychosomatic, but I clutched my stomach and gagged. Seeing my action, Blake’s eyes suddenly lit up. “If you won’t consider us, at least consider our child, right?” Pregnant? How could I be pregnant? He moved to hug me. “Honey, you’re pregnant, you’re tired, don’t stress over these things. Don’t worry, after this is over, I’ll contact a search and rescue team to try and retrieve your parents’ bodies.” “I remember your parents should have a few insurance policies, and you’re the beneficiary. Once the money comes in, we can move my mom to the city. She can live in your parents’ house. That way, everyone in our village will say you’re a filial daughter-in-law.” “Once the baby is born, we can pool our money to buy him a house. Wouldn’t that be amazing later?” Oh, he’d already planned everything, even for the money after my parents died, and the house we were living in now. When did Blake start having these thoughts? I dodged his embrace. “Are you sure you don’t want a divorce?” Blake nodded. “No divorce, no divorce. You’re pregnant now, why would I divorce? Think about it, wouldn’t it be better to spend that $150,000 on our child than on rescuing two elderly people with slim chances of survival?” I took a long, hard look at Blake, hoping he wouldn’t regret his decision today. After that, Blake became incredibly attentive, even specifically telling me not to be too upset, and to remember to think more about our child if I felt overwhelmed.

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Adrian and Olivia had been together for three years, but she still couldn’t forget her first love. There was a locked room in her house, a promise she kept for her first love. If he ever came back, there would always be a place for him in her home. For his sake, she abandoned Adrian time and time again. The last time, Adrian left only a breakup message before vanishing without a trace. But she seemed to go mad, searching for him everywhere. Finally, at the cemetery, she discovered the truth behind everything. Red-eyed, she pointed at the black and white photo of a woman who looked strikingly similar to her and demanded: “Adrian, tell me—” “Who were you really thinking of every time you looked at me?” On Olivia’s birthday, Adrian brought a few of her close friends back to their place to prepare a surprise party for her. At the height of the celebration, everyone started chanting for them to kiss: “Olivia, you need to cherish such a thoughtful boyfriend!” Olivia gazed at Adrian, her eyes shining brightly, as she slowly leaned in. Adrian lowered his head to meet her, and just as their lips were about to touch amidst the cheers of their friends— The door suddenly burst open. A man drenched from the rain stood in the doorway. Olivia froze in place. Adrian turned to look and saw a face that bore a striking resemblance to his own. “Olivia…” the man called out softly. His tone intimate and familiar. Olivia seemed dazed for a moment before her expression changed: “Why are you soaked? Quickly go change into some dry clothes.” The friends around them reacted faster than Adrian, greeting the newcomer naturally: “Ethan, you’re suddenly back? Done with your wandering?” The man stood stunned in the doorway, a faint smile appearing on his face: “It’s been a while.” Olivia’s gaze remained fixed on him, not sparing Adrian a single glance. Adrian wanted to ask who he was. Before he could speak, Ethan walked straight upstairs. Towards that room in Olivia’s house that was always locked, the one she had repeatedly emphasized to Adrian was absolutely off-limits. Ethan skillfully pulled out a key and unlocked the door with ease.

When Ethan came back down, he had changed into dry clothes and casually took an empty seat at the dining table. The friends, tipsy from drinking, naturally draped an arm over Ethan’s shoulder. “Ethan, stay longer this time. Olivia will always keep a room for you anyway.” “How nice, to always have someone as your solid backup.” “I say, you two might as well get marr—” Olivia cleared her throat lightly. She moved closer to Adrian, trying to break the awkward atmosphere: “Adrian, thank you again for helping celebrate my birthday today.” The scent of lily of the valley enveloped him, but Adrian felt a chill run through his body. Adrian had always known that Olivia had a deeply meaningful first love – Ethan. When Olivia’s company was just starting out, Ethan had quit his high-paying job at a foreign firm without hesitation to support her. Even now, years after Ethan had left, Olivia’s friends were still so close with him. They laughed and joked together, reminiscing about old times. Adrian picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of food. But he couldn’t taste anything.

This celebration that belonged to them continued until 10 PM. As everyone was leaving, it started pouring rain. In the end, only the three of them remained in the house. Olivia’s face was flushed from alcohol as she leaned her head on Ethan’s shoulder, looking small and delicate. I, her actual boyfriend, felt like thin air at that moment. “I’ll take you to a hotel,” I said. “I’m not leaving,” Ethan replied coldly. “That room is mine.” “You promised,” he continued. “No matter what, there will always be a room for me in your home.” I felt like an insignificant backdrop, ignored by them both. Olivia was at a loss for words. She looked to me pleadingly: “Let him stay.” “The rain is getting heavier outside.” “Just for one night, okay?” Olivia gazed at me, her eyes flickering with a hint of apology on her face. “Adrian, I’m sorry.” I pressed my lips together and walked past them to go upstairs.

I didn’t sleep well that night. The storm raged on, and a loud clap of thunder woke me with a start in the middle of the night. I instinctively reached out to hold the person beside me. But my hand fell on empty space. I only felt cold sheets. A sliver of light seeped in through the crack in the door. I opened it slightly to peek outside. The living room lights were on bright. Ethan, wearing an apron, brought out a bowl of noodles and set it on the coffee table. Wisps of steam rose from it. He looked every bit the man of the house. I saw his lips curve into an indulgent smile as he spoke softly: “You’re still the same as always.” “Scared by thunder and needing someone by your side to feel safe.” Olivia stood nearby, a smile on her face. Ethan hugged her from behind. I clearly saw Olivia’s body stiffen for a moment. But she didn’t push him away. The warm glow of the living room lights fell on them, inadvertently revealing an air of intimacy. They looked like a couple that no outsider could ever come between.

I met Olivia when I was 22. I had just graduated and started working at her company. My desk was right in front of her office. When her office door wasn’t fully closed, I would peek through that tiny gap to look at her. To gaze at that face that looked 70% similar to the one that had appeared countless times in my dreams. They really looked so alike, especially the dimples that appeared when they smiled. Later, my colleague Sam caught me looking. He pressed an iced coffee against my face, startling me. I turned to meet his eyes as he said, “Adrian.” He smiled and handed me the coffee, his tone light as if joking: “Don’t go falling for Ms. Olivia.” “She’s got someone in her heart already.” I blinked at him. He leaned in to gossip: “Ms. Olivia has a first love she can’t forget.” “Not sure exactly how long they were together, but I think they knew each other since they were students.” “When the company was just starting out, they were still together. He’d come by sometimes to bring her lunch.” “Once during a meeting, she got a call saying he was sick. She immediately left everything behind to go to him.” “Can you believe it? Such a workaholic, dropping everything for her boyfriend.” “Pretty romantic, huh?” I held the coffee and asked softly: “What happened after that?” “They broke up later.” “I don’t know the details, but I think Ms. Olivia still has feelings for him.” “She even keeps his photo on her desk.” Sam shrugged and smiled, “I guess her first love probably hasn’t let go either.” “Loving each other but unable to be together – it’s like a bittersweet ending straight out of a novel.” I was stunned for a moment hearing this. Just then, Olivia’s office door suddenly opened and her secretary came out: “Adrian, Ms. Olivia is calling for you.” When I went in, Olivia was looking over some documents. Seeing me enter, she looked up with a smile. Two small dimples appeared at the corners of her mouth. My gaze fell on a framed photo standing on her desk. I stared at it, my mind full of Sam’s wistful expression from earlier. “…Adrian, will you be my boyfriend?” Olivia suddenly asked. Caught off guard, I answered reflexively: “Okay.”

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I was the most envied woman in the entire city. My billionaire husband adored me, treating me like a queen, and my powerful brother doted on me, loving me to bits. Three years ago, I was diagnosed with a rare illness. They told me they’d give anything, even their lives, to make me well again. And they meant it. Asher stopped several critical projects, blowing billions searching the globe for a compatible kidney; And Ryder canceled all his engagements, staying by my side day and night at the hospital, never leaving my bedside. Three years later, I was basically cured. I could finally return home. I didn’t tell them, wanting to give them a surprise. But I was stopped at the familiar villa gate. “Who are you looking for?” “This is my home. I’m Asher Vance’s wife,” I said with a smile. The guard froze for a second, then a look of pure disgust, like he was looking at a gold-digger, crossed his face. “Mrs. Vance doesn’t look like you.” As he spoke, the guard pulled out his phone and opened his photo album. The woman in the picture had eyes and brows strikingly similar to mine, and when she smiled, two shallow dimples appeared. I recognized her. It was Chloe Miller, the woman who donated her kidney to me back then.

I stumbled, my phone almost slipping from my hand. The guard’s disgusted look intensified. “See? If you had any sense of self-awareness, you’d know not to come here and make a fool of yourself.” “Mr. Vance treats his wife wonderfully; we can all see how much they love each other. You’re dreaming.” With that, the guard gave me a hard shove. I lost my balance, and coupled with the exhaustion from the long journey, I fell heavily. My head hit the ground, leaving me dizzy. Just then, the guard’s walkie-talkie buzzed. A familiar voice came through— “What’s all the noise out there?” The guard’s attitude instantly turned fawning. “Mr. Vance, it’s just a gold-digger, claiming she knows you.” “Get her out of here quickly. Mrs. Vance just fell asleep, don’t disturb her.” I distinctly heard Asher Vance’s voice. It was arrogant, impatient, yet filled with tenderness and care for the “wife” he spoke of. So, Asher Vance and “the wife” were living in this villa now. Living in the marital home he and I once shared. My blood ran cold. So many beautiful memories, of him and me, were in there. And he let another woman live in it? My blood boiled, and a bitter, metallic taste flooded my mouth. “Asher, who is it?” A woman’s sleepy voice drifted from the walkie-talkie. Then came Asher’s voice, softened to an almost unbearable degree. “It’s nothing, just a small matter. Go back to sleep.” “Stay with me.” “Alright, alright, you’re impossible.” “Tomorrow, I still have to see my brother…” The walkie-talkie clicked off abruptly. My heart felt like it was being squeezed tight, so painful I couldn’t breathe. That soft voice, filled with love. Before, he only spoke to me like that, as if he wanted to melt me in his palm. And my brother… Did my brother know about this too? Of course, how could anything happening here be hidden from Ryder? I don’t remember how I left. I walked along the road in a daze, my phone buzzing non-stop. Asher’s message came through right on cue. [Babe, are you feeling better today?] [Did you take your medicine? When is your surgery scheduled?] My brother’s message arrived at the same time. [My dearest sister, my adorable little sister, did you miss your brother?] [Brother’s been busy with work lately, couldn’t be abroad with you. Are you mad at brother?] Looking at these messages, my tears flowed uncontrollably. They seemed to love me so much, but why? Why would they let someone else take my place? Chloe Miller was the compatible kidney donor Asher and Ryder found for me years ago. She had a face strikingly similar to mine. The first time I saw her, I even joked that maybe we were alternate versions of each other from a parallel universe. Back then, Ryder cradled my face and said: “My sister is one of a kind. No matter how much she looks like you, she can’t compare even a fraction.” And Asher Vance hadn’t given Chloe Miller a second glance the entire time. Asher’s assistant talked with Chloe Miller about the compensation after the kidney donation. That’s when I learned Chloe Miller’s family was very poor. She was forced to donate her kidney to pay for her seriously ill mother’s treatment. I still remember Chloe Miller back then, wearing a faded T-shirt, looking at me awkwardly. “Miss, I’ll take good care of myself and cooperate with the surgery.” I looked at her, feeling a little soft-hearted. I slipped her a card: “Take this to pay for your mother’s treatment first.” But she refused to take it, saying she wouldn’t accept charity.

The memory abruptly stopped. I suddenly looked up, toward the brightly lit villa in the distance. On the second-floor balcony of the villa, Asher Vance held a petite woman tightly in his embrace. On a crazy impulse, I called him. The next second, he hung up. I called again. He hung up again. My heart ached, and I squatted on the ground, gasping for air. About ten minutes later, he scooped the woman up into his arms and went inside. Then, he reappeared on the balcony. And my phone rang. “Hello, babe, what’s wrong? I was just in a video conference.” I wanted to expose him directly. But the words caught in my throat, bitter and dry, I couldn’t squeeze out a single one. “Babe?” Asher Vance asked, confused. I still didn’t speak, biting my lip hard, forcing myself not to cry out. Asher finally realized something was wrong, and his voice turned worried: “Did someone upset you?” I wanted to say, the ones who upset me are you. I smiled bitterly: “Asher Vance, do you remember what day it is today?” The person on the other end was silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled. “Oh, so you’re mad I forgot our wedding anniversary? My little princess is throwing a fit again.” “I’m sorry, babe, I was just so busy today. I’ll come abroad and spend some quality time with you in a few days, okay?” Just then, I saw Chloe Miller come out again. She stood on tiptoes and kissed Asher Vance on the lips. A sickening smacking sound came clearly through the phone. A shiver of disgust ran through me. My voice was already hoarse: “No need. If work is busy, then focus on work. Don’t mind me.” “Alright, babe, you’re getting more understanding.” The call ended. The two on the second-floor balcony embraced tightly under the moonlight, looking like a truly devoted couple! My tears gushed out instantly. Was this what betrayal felt like? The eighteen-year-old Asher Vance and Aria Blackwood would never have imagined that the twenty-five-year-old Asher Vance would betray his beloved. He had loved me so much. That summer, a boy held a basketball, dazzling under the sun. The wind blew across my face, carrying the voice of an eighteen-year-old boy through time— “Aria, I love you, I’ll only ever love you. If I, Asher Vance, ever betray you, may I die a terrible death!” The night wind made me tremble uncontrollably. I leaned against the wall and slowly stood up, then turned to leave. I hailed a taxi. The place I went to was the small apartment Ryder had given me for my eighteenth birthday. My hand trembled as I inserted the key into the lock. The moment the door opened, a damp, dusty smell assaulted me. It was clear no one had lived here for a long time. The furnishings inside were just as I had left them three years ago. On the desk sat a photo of Ryder and me. Ryder was in a black suit, and I, standing next to him, had a high ponytail and was smiling brightly. Ryder and Asher learned of my return the next day. They both gathered at my small apartment. These two men, who commanded respect and power in the outside world, now faced me with looks of surprise and awkwardness. Asher stepped forward first, reaching out to take my hand as he used to. “Aria, you’re back? Are you… are you well?” I subtly avoided his hand. Ryder’s eyes welled up, his voice choked. “Sister, this is great, as long as you’re okay.” Asher’s hand froze in mid-air, a little surprised. Then, a deeper tenderness melted into his eyes. “Are you too tired from the long flight?” Hearing this, Ryder quickly walked to my side, worried, and reached out to feel my forehead. I didn’t move, my body stiff. Ryder checked carefully, “No, your temperature’s normal.” I forced a smile. “Yeah, I guess I’m just a little tired.” Asher smoothly picked up the conversation. “In that case, you should stay here and not run around.” “It’s close to the hospital, so it’s convenient for your follow-up check-ups.” My lips curved into a smile. Was he afraid I’d discover his secret mistress? How absurd. I, his wife, was living outside. While his lover was brazenly living in our home. It seemed I was the one who looked like the mistress. I chuckled bitterly, “Whatever.” It wouldn’t be for long anyway. Asher’s brow relaxed, his voice filled with his usual宠溺. “Good girl. Rest well here, I’ll come to see you often.” Ryder also visibly relaxed: “Okay, then I’ll have Mrs. Davis come over and tidy up. Tell me if you need anything, sister.” “Mhm.” I played along with their charade.

Asher’s phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the screen, then awkwardly looked at me. Then he walked to the balcony, his voice deliberately kept very low. But blurry words still floated into my ears. “Good girl, I’m busy now, can’t come back yet… I’ll be done soon… Mhm, I’ll bring you a small cake…” When he hung up and turned around, the tenderness hadn’t faded from his face. Asher walked over, his gaze towards me now tinged with apology. “Something urgent came up at the company. I need to handle it. I’ll be back later to have dinner with you.” I nodded, saying nothing. Ryder looked at Asher with concern. “Is something wrong?” “Minor issue.” They were playing a charade in front of me, thinking I didn’t know. Ryder eventually left with Asher. At the door, they both turned back to look at me. Asher’s eyes were filled with lingering affection: “Aria, wait for me. I’ll be back tonight.” Ryder also looked at me with doting affection. “Sister, go to bed early. Brother will take you for your hospital follow-up tomorrow.” I smiled and nodded. The next second, the door was gently closed. The front door isolated me from them, and it also severed my last shred of hope. Only I remained in the spacious living room. The wall clock ticked, seemingly knocking against my shattered heart. It felt like Ryder and Asher were slowly killing me, all in the name of love. That night, Asher didn’t return. He only sent me a message: [Company business is hectic; I’ll have to stay at the office tonight. Babe, get some rest.] And the next day, Ryder, who said he’d come to pick me up for my follow-up, didn’t show either. I took a taxi to the hospital by myself. After my check-up, as I was about to leave, a commotion suddenly erupted nearby. I subconsciously looked up. Just one glance, and my blood instantly froze. Asher Vance was carefully supporting Chloe Miller, his face filled with tenderness and concern. Ryder followed on the other side, his tone cautious and worried. “Walk slowly. The doctor said you’re at risk of miscarriage, you can’t exert yourself now.” I froze. Chloe Miller was pregnant… Chloe Miller looked at Asher Vance coquettishly, her voice sickeningly sweet. “It’s all your fault, you didn’t come back to be with me last night for so long, that’s why I almost had a miscarriage.” “Yes, yes, it’s all my fault.” Asher Vance lowered his head, one hand supporting her shoulder, the other touching her belly. The doting affection in his eyes was impossible to hide. “I’ll stay with you from now on, okay?” “My husband is so good to me.” Chloe Miller burst into tears, then a smile. Ryder also chimed in: “As long as you’re well, we’ll do whatever you want.” The three of them stood there, backlit, their figures searing my eyes. Chloe Miller leaned against Asher Vance’s chest: “Husband, will you always be good to me?” “Of course. You’re my wife, and you’re carrying my child in your belly. Of course, I’ll be good to you.” Asher Vance looked at her, his profile unbelievably soft. Ryder joked from the side. “You’re just spoiling her rotten.” But there wasn’t a hint of blame in his tone, only pure indulgence. Chloe Miller giggled, clearly amused… That metallic taste surged into my throat again. I clapped a hand over my mouth, forcing myself to swallow the blood. Not long after leaving the hospital, my phone vibrated a few times. It was a message from Ryder: [Sister, how were your check-up results?] [Brother’s quite busy here and can’t get away. Next time, I’ll definitely go with you.] I looked at that text, smiling through my tears. After getting home, I took a cold shower. Finally, I felt a little clearer. Asher Vance’s words to Chloe Miller, “You’re my wife…,” kept echoing in my ears. I sent a message to a contact with a plain black profile picture. “Julian, help me look into Asher Vance…” About ten minutes later, he called me back. “Aria, I found out you and Asher Vance divorced six months ago.” “Asher Vance’s current wife is named Chloe Miller.” I clutched my cramping stomach, laughing and crying on the sofa. It was so absurd, so ridiculous. I was a joke. In three years, someone had completely taken my place. The person on the other end of the line sounded anxious. “Aria, are you okay?” “I’m fine, Julian, I’m fine. And—I agree to marry you.”

There was no room for me here anymore. And no need for me to stay and be an eyesore. After talking things over with Julian, I fell into a deep sleep. The next few days, I was busy with preparations to go abroad. And handling my assets here. Ryder and Asher always seemed to have something going on and no time to see me. I knew they were both with Chloe Miller. A few days later, I was woken up in the middle of the night by faint whispers. I was conscious, but my body couldn’t move. It was Ryder and Asher. “Are you sure she won’t wake up?” Ryder’s voice was worried. “No, this diffuser produces a scent that will put her into a temporary coma. She won’t wake up tonight.” Asher said with a chuckle. Then, he skillfully pressed my finger into an ink pad. And then pressed my ink-stained finger onto a document. “Alright, with this statement, we can clear Chloe of the mistress label.” My head felt woozy. What mistress label? Then I heard Ryder sigh, “She just got back, and bad rumors about Chloe started circulating – do you think Aria did it?” Asher let out a snort of laughter. “How could that be? Aria’s just a spoiled little princess; if she found out about Chloe, she’d make a huge scene, she wouldn’t just pull strings in secret.” I felt like I’d been plunged into hell. So, Ryder thought the so-called “mistress label” was spread by me? And Asher’s next words made me even more disgusted. “Chloe’s pregnant with my child, she’s very important to me now.” “I hope Aria didn’t do it, otherwise I…” Asher didn’t finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear. I really wanted to ask. Otherwise what? What do you, Asher Vance, intend to do to me for Chloe Miller? After they left, the room returned to quiet. I only found out what had happened the next day. It turned out, the truth about Chloe Miller being a mistress had been exposed. That day at the hospital, the three of them were photographed and posted online. Netizens were initially shipping them. But then an insider came forward and revealed the tangled web of our relationships. They even attached my photo. Suddenly, the hashtag “The rich family’s body double takes over” caused a sensation online. Of course, these hashtags didn’t stay up for long before they were taken down. Soon after, topping the trending list was a statement with my fingerprint: “I, Aria Blackwood, solemnly declare that Ms. Chloe Miller is my savior, and she is not a mistress.” I looked at my phone, my breathing quickening. How dare they speak for me? Pain, despair, confusion… In the end, only a stagnant pool of emptiness remained deep inside me. Chloe Miller came to my door at that moment. As she entered, she kept clutching her stomach. “Miss Blackwood, please don’t misunderstand. That day at the hospital, Mr. Vance and I met purely by chance.” “They were just thanking me for donating my kidney to you, and they saw I was alone for my prenatal check-up and felt sorry for me, so they stayed with me.” “You really shouldn’t overthink it, we’re innocent.” She clutched her stomach, her eyes red, and lowered her head, sobbing. “We… anyway, none of us did anything to wrong you.” “If you don’t believe me, I can only… only leave.” As she spoke, she covered her face and ran off. In her emotional state, she seemed not to notice the stairs in front of her. Her foot missed a step, and her body tilted. My heart leaped, and I quickly rushed forward, “Be careful!” I lunged to grab her. But the next second, a force knocked me over. I lost my footing and tumbled down the steps. In a split second, I saw Asher Vance and Ryder both rush towards Chloe Miller. Chloe Miller was pulled back by Asher Vance and held tightly in his arms. They spoke in unison, “Chloe, are you okay?” “I… I’m fine…” Chloe Miller’s voice was choked with sobs, tinged with lingering fear. She trembled as she pointed at me, “She looks… she looks pretty bad.” Following the direction of her finger. Only then did Ryder and Asher Vance notice that the person who had fallen down the stairs was me. Through my blurring vision, I saw the two men, faces pale with shock, rush towards me. “Aria!” At the same time, a message popped up on my phone: “Okay, the marriage certificate is done.” “Allow me to introduce myself, I’m your husband, Julian Reed.”

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My son had dwarfism. I quit my job, scouring clinics far and wide, giving him growth hormone shots, and accompanying him through rigorous training in all weather. Finally, I helped him become the youngest world champion. But the moment he stood on the podium, he accused me, his father, of being cold-blooded and selfish to the global media. Faced with an overwhelming wave of online hate and abuse, my wife threw divorce papers at me. She said I wasn’t fit to be a father or a husband, then turned around and married the single dad downstairs who cooked gourmet meals. It wasn’t until I was on my deathbed that I found out my wife had cheated on me with that man the very day I quit my job. My son even helped her hide it, claiming that was the only place he could find a moment of peace. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day my son was diagnosed with dwarfism. “Don’t listen to the doctor’s nonsense. Our son is just a late bloomer. Is bothering my mom the only thing you do all day?” Watching my wife and son look at me like an enemy, I curved my lips into a sneer. Fine, then. No treatment. I’m done catering to you all.

“Your son is seven years old now, and he’s only 3 feet 4 inches tall. He’s severely stunted. If you don’t intervene with growth hormone treatments in time, you’ll miss his growth spurt, and it’ll be much harder later on.” Listening to the doctor’s patient explanation, I felt a moment of dizzying confusion. I wasn’t barely clinging to life, hooked up to machines in the ICU anymore. My body felt light, a sensation I hadn’t experienced in years. I… had actually been reborn? Despite the disbelief, my body trembled with excitement. The doctor thought I was too upset and told me to calm down. Using that as an excuse, I rushed out and crouched by the wall. “I told you you were making a fuss. My mom was raising the kid just fine, but you insisted he was sick. Now look, you’re happy that he’s diagnosed with dwarfism, aren’t you? You believe everything the doctor says, even if it’s just nonsense. They’re only after your money.” “Yeah, Dad, Grandma said I’d be a late bloomer, just like Mom. I’m so smart, I’ll definitely get into college and be successful. You just can’t stand us being comfortable, always messing things up.” Even though I’d heard it once before, facing such doubt and mockery from my own flesh and blood still sent a sharp ache through my chest. I had tirelessly raised him until he was three. My mother-in-law only started helping out when he began preschool, under the guise of lending a hand. She brainwashed him daily, telling him I didn’t love him, and now she was openly accusing me of messing things up right in front of him. In my previous life, he inherited my mother-in-law’s side of the family’s dwarfism. I quit my job and poured all my time into him. I traveled the world to find him treatment. Each shot cost $200, given weekly, for years on end. My wife thought I was wasting money and simply washed her hands of it. I gritted my teeth and persevered through everything alone. I also exercised with him every day, and eventually, he was indistinguishable from his peers In fact, his consistent training gave him exceptional physical fitness, and he was chosen by a coach. After two years of training, he became the youngest long-distance running champion at the Junior World Championship. Yet, despite all that, he hated me. He believed I had tormented him all those years, preventing him from seeing his mother and grandmother, and robbing him of a happy childhood. The most agonizing part was that in my previous life, he already knew about my wife’s affair but helped her conceal it. I only found out when I was diagnosed with terminal cancer and wanted to see him one last time. Instead, I saw him excitedly stuffing his championship trophy and prize money into that lowlife’s hands. They… they had already been a cozy, harmonious “family” for a long time. And I, the one he accused of being a lunatic and a control freak, was subjected to overwhelming online abuse even in my final, dying days. Remembering the pain and despair of my deathbed in the previous life, I absolutely refused to be a foolish martyr this time. Since he also thought I was “messing things up,” then I’d just completely pull away and let things fall apart. Let’s see. Without me. Could he still become a world champion?

“Since you both feel that way, then let’s just go home.” Both mother and son looked surprised at my words. Usually, anything involving the child meant a huge argument. My sudden compliance made my wife think I was in the wrong, and she immediately started lecturing me. “I told you you were making a fuss. Go home and apologize to my mom. She helps with the kid every day and still has to put up with your attitude.” My wife’s words made me sneer. My attitude? For years, I juggled work and childcare. Who do you think handled all the big and small matters in this house? For the four years our son was with my mother-in-law, she extracted countless sums of money from me under various pretexts. Then she’d turn around and tell my wife I wasn’t committed to the family. Now, even my own son has been brainwashed to resent me, and she’s still claiming she has to “put up with my attitude”? She always felt that her marrying me was some great favor. She spent my money, enjoyed the life I provided for her. And she’d constantly play the victim to sow discord between us. I endured it all for the sake of family harmony and my son. But then she let my son develop dwarfism, and my wife still blamed me, saying I was “making a fuss.” Sure enough, back home, my mother-in-law started arguing with me again. “I told you you’re just rich and bored, can’t stand to see others doing well.” “The kid was fine, but you just *had* to take him to the doctor. If our neighbors hear our kid has dwarfism, they’ll laugh us to scorn.” After that, she started crying, wiping her tears, saying if I disliked her, she’d pack her bags and go back to her hometown to grow vegetables, so she wouldn’t bother our family of three. Leo watched his grandma about to leave, and I remained unmoved. He looked at me with a fierce, hateful gaze. “Dad is a control freak, selfish and cold-blooded. That’s why he was abandoned at an orphanage! I don’t want you as my dad. Mr. Jason downstairs is funny and makes great food. I want *him* to be my dad!” Those simple words hit me with unbelievable pain. Sure enough, only the closest people know how to twist the knife most painfully. He knew my orphanage past was my greatest wound, and now he was using it to tear me open. Thinking about everything he did to me in the previous life… Indeed, what kind of seed, what kind of fruit. Nature is unchangeable. I sacrificed my career, all my youth, for his healthy growth, only to be told I was worse than a home-wrecker. Seeing my wife’s deeply approving expression. So, without my knowing, that Jason had already infiltrated my home.

Jason had moved into the first-floor apartment in my building a few months ago. He was divorced with a daughter, tall, handsome, humorous, and a great cook – very popular. Within the first week of arriving, he’d added every well-off married woman in the neighborhood on SnapChat. He called it “exchanging parenting tips,” but his true motives were unknown. In my past life, I was entirely focused on my son’s medical treatment and his studies. I had no time to notice my wife’s odd behavior or Jason’s countless boundary-testing moves. “Alright, if you like him that much, then let him be your dad.” No sooner had the words left my lips than the doorbell rang. My wife, being closest, opened the door directly. Jason stood there, holding a box full of cream cakes and a plate of cola chicken wings. “Yesterday, I heard Leo say he wanted cake and cola chicken wings. I had ingredients at home, so I made some.” As Jason spoke, he naturally handed the items to my wife, then took off his shoes and put on slippers. He walked into the kitchen, took out plates, and started portioning the food. His movements were so skilled and natural, like the man of the house. Because of his arrival, not only my son Leo, but even my wife and mother-in-law, were utterly smitten. They immediately put on beaming smiles and squeezed into the kitchen to help. In my previous life, during the holidays, I’d wake up at five in the morning to prepare nutritious meals for my son. In the evenings, I’d massage and stretch him, leaving me with aching back pain. They only thought I brought it upon myself. Leo wasn’t just reluctant; my wife would spread rumors that I was petty and annoying, always finding something to complain about if I did even a little work. But now, with someone else, why was everything so harmonious? “Oh, Dean, you’re here too. I was so busy packing the cake, I didn’t even see you. I’m so sorry. Don’t get the wrong idea, it’s just that Veronica helped me out a few times, and I felt so bad, so I just made some gifts in return.” Jason acted as if he’d just noticed me, standing there awkwardly and nervously. He even looked a bit wronged and fearful, as if I were bullying him. God knows, I hadn’t said or done anything. “Mr. Jason, don’t mind my dad. He just wants to cause trouble and make us all follow his rules. Come quickly and eat with us!” Leo, while devouring the sugar-laden cake and chicken wings, scolded me. My mother-in-law and wife echoed his words from the side. My son didn’t even consider that his dad had been running around all day and hadn’t had a drop to eat or drink. That huge cake – the four of them didn’t even think to offer me a piece. Finally, Jason was coaxed back into the kitchen to eat cake with them. The warm yellow light in the kitchen shone on their faces, making them look blissfully happy, as if they were a natural family. Well, they were just a perfect match made in hell.

Watching that disgusting display, I found an excuse to go on a business trip and left the house. I urgently needed a quiet environment to clear my head. In my last life, I quit my job to treat my son, giving up a promotion that was practically in my hands. This time, I’m getting back everything that belongs to me. And in my last life, because I was so consumed with my son’s issues, I overlooked my wife’s affair and her attempts to transfer assets. As a result, after the divorce, I didn’t get a single dime and still had to pay child support. Now I’m back. The tables had turned. Let’s see if I don’t mess you all up this time. “Hello, Mr. Hayes, I have something I’d like to consult you about…” “Hi, I’d like to install some home security cameras. Yes, I’ll set the date. I need them with audio recording. Price isn’t an issue.” I hung up the phone, relieved that I hadn’t missed anything. Then my phone started buzzing with notifications for card deductions. I looked closely: an amusement park, a fancy restaurant, a clothing store, and even a watch store – forty thousand dollars in total. This card was one I always kept at home as Leo’s education fund. Every year, no matter how hard or poor things got, I’d consistently deposit two thousand dollars into it. And now, the one hundred and forty thousand dollars in it had dropped by over forty thousand in just one day. I instinctively clicked into my wife’s Ins. She’d posted a picture of her holding our son at the amusement park. Though not fully in the frame, a tall, handsome figure was clearly visible beside her. He even reached out to help my wife adjust her hair. That mechanical watch on his wrist must have been the one they just bought, right? We got married eight years ago. As an orphan, I desperately longed for a family. Even though my wife’s family was poor and couldn’t offer much in the way of a dowry, I still gritted my teeth and saved up for a significant sum for her family. I didn’t just buy all the traditional wedding jewelry, I gave her eighteen thousand eight hundred dollars, and threw her a grand wedding. For that, I worked my ass off for two full years, even taking the riskiest assignments the company sent me to. My wife just took my efforts for granted. She never reciprocated anything. And now, she was generously spending money on another man. “Oh, Veronica, is that your husband next to you? It’s rare for your family to go out, so happy!” “That’s not him at all! He’d just spoil the fun. Won’t let us eat this, won’t let us play that. That’s just a friend.” In my wife’s Ins, our mutual friends were commenting. Everyone thought the man adjusting her hair was me. And seeing that “spoiling the fun,” I couldn’t help but sneer. For years, my wife had stomach ulcers and diabetes from drinking and socializing. If she didn’t control it, she’d get stomachaches and cramps, even risking kidney failure. My son, fed by my mother-in-law, had a weak spleen and stomach; he’d get indigestion if he ate anything wrong, leading to fever, vomiting, and needing IV drips. Every time, I was the one rushing him to the hospital. For their sake, I had to give up my own dietary preferences and join them in eating bland, healthy food. And now she called me “spoiling the fun.” In my previous life, I might have endured it to protect my son’s feelings, but now, I didn’t care. “Why are there transactions on Leo’s card? What did you spend over forty thousand dollars on?” I FaceTimed her directly. I could even see Jason feeding my wife a bubble tea beside her. He was about to smile and say something, then suddenly noticed me. He quickly explained that my wife’s hands were full, so he was just helping her with the bubble tea, telling me not to overthink it. The sleazy vibe was practically seeping through the screen. That careful look in his eyes even held a hint of provocation towards me, but neither she nor my son seemed to notice. “It’s just spending, what’s the big deal? Leo accidentally broke Jason’s heirloom watch, so we had to pay for a new one, right?” I remembered this dialogue from my previous life. When I saw the card activity back then, I specifically asked, and she gave the same excuse. But it wasn’t until later that I found out Jason’s original watch cost him only fifty bucks. They had just made up the lie to appease me and to suck up to him. Then my wife went on about how pitiful Jason and his daughter were. After his divorce, he was left with nothing, and they were struggling. His little girl had never been to an amusement park, never eaten good food, and dressed in ordinary clothes. “So… you were just overflowing with sympathy? You spent the money I painstakingly saved for Leo on another man?” My questioning made my wife choke. As a pharmaceutical rep, she earned over ten thousand a month, which sounded decent, but she had so many social engagements. After all the networking, she not only didn’t bring money home, but I often had to cover her expenses. For years, she drove a twenty or thirty thousand dollar car, living a carefree life. She was out early and back late every day, socializing and charming clients. She never fulfilled any motherly duties, but she sure was quick to spend money. “Dad, why are you so selfish? Mr. Jason is so pitiful, of course we should help him when we have money. And that money was yours to save for me, so I have the right to decide how to spend it. If you keep being unreasonable, I won’t recognize you as my dad anymore.” This line had been used to manipulate me countless times in my previous life. Every time he wanted something I wouldn’t give him, he’d say that, and I’d soften and compromise. Because he was the only blood relative I had in the world; I cherished that connection. But thinking about his hatred for me in the previous life, it seemed he had never shown any warmth to me, his father, since he was a child. So this time, why couldn’t I cut my losses? My father-son bond with him, it was time to break it completely. “Okay, then I don’t want you either. From now on, you can live well with your mom and grandma. If you need anything, find them. I’m going away for a month on business.” With that, I hung up the phone. I immediately went to the bank, transferred all the money out of that card, and closed the account. Looking at the remaining cash, I thought, why shouldn’t I spend it on myself? Not a cent of my money would go to those scumbags. I switched off my personal phone, making sure they couldn’t reach me. First, I dropped two thousand dollars at a detective agency to thoroughly investigate Jason. Know your enemy, win a hundred battles. Then, with the rest of the money, I went to a phone store and bought the latest model. Next, I went to a clothing store and bought all the suits I’d admired for so long but never dared to buy. I even went to a foot massage parlor for the first time – turns out foot massages are incredibly relaxing. I got a two-thousand-dollar hairstyle design. Finally, I went to an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet I’d dreamed of my whole life, priced at $299. In a single day, I bought everything I’d ever wanted but never bought in my previous life. Lying on a five-star hotel bed, looking at the day’s spoils, I checked the cash I had left. Even with such extravagant spending, it was only about ninety thousand dollars. In my previous life, to pay for Leo’s growth hormone and meet his daily needs, I scrimped and saved, not spending a single cent on myself. Thinking about it now, it was laughable. It was time I started loving myself. The next day, I arrived at the company looking refreshed, and went straight to the General Manager’s office. The risk control department I worked in was personally built up by the GM. I was one of the first employees, and I’d always been hardworking and reliable, with excellent judgment—almost none of my chosen investments had ever lost money. He trusted me completely. I pulled out the agreement I’d printed. For the upcoming projects I’d take on, if successful, I’d get 5% of the profit. If not, I’d lose everything and even go to jail to compensate. The GM thought I was crazy, but the newfound confidence and wild determination in my eyes convinced him. “GM, let’s go crazy and make a huge fortune!” “Dean, Leo’s in the hospital with indigestion. You need to come back and take care of him. Mom isn’t feeling well and can’t handle the strain.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296858”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic