Category: English

The day my daughter was admitted to the ICU, Damien boarded a flight to the States, his first love, Seraphina, and her daughter right by his side. The man who once swore he’d be my and Chloe’s safe harbor had fled, taking every last penny with him. When the private investigator finally tracked him down, he only had one message for me. “Seraphina already lost her husband. I can’t let her lose her daughter too.” “When I return, I’ll give you the grand wedding you deserve.” Three years later, Damien returned. And I saw the news of Damien’s wedding… on TV. “Mommy, why is Daddy marrying someone else?” “That’s not your dad.” I put my phone away, my mind swirling with the image of Damien, Seraphina, and her daughter, their faces beaming with joy. Frozen in place, my vision blurred. “Mommy, hug.” It wasn’t until Chloe spoke that I realized it was pouring rain. And Chloe and I didn’t even have enough money for an umbrella. I scooped her up, and we huddled under the awning of a bakery. The rain was coming down in sheets. My face was soaked, but I couldn’t tell if it was the relentless downpour or my own silent, endless tears. “Mommy, was that Daddy on your phone just now?” Chloe leaned against my knee. “If it was Daddy, why is he marrying another woman?” For a moment, I had no idea how to explain. I touched Chloe’s face, wiping away the raindrops. The chime above the bakery door jingled. The door swung open, and out stepped Seraphina and Stella. “Mommy, the rain is so heavy! When is Daddy coming?” “Daddy’s almost here. He said he couldn’t bear to let his little princess get wet, so he’s driving all the way to pick us up himself.” Just as she finished speaking, a car pulled up nearby. The moment the car door opened, Damien stepped out, holding an umbrella, and walked gracefully towards Seraphina and Stella. “Mommy, it’s Daddy!” Chloe, ecstatic, started to jump up and down, but I gently pulled her back. “That’s not your dad.” Damien’s expression froze the moment he saw me. He tightened his embrace around Stella, his gaze slowly shifting down to Chloe. Then, Damien’s brows furrowed, and a displeased sound escaped him. Three years. This was the first time we’d seen each other since he left. A bitter, hollow laugh escaped me. In a twisted, heartbreaking way, I actually *understood* Damien. He was successful, about to get married. Chloe and I? We were just… excess baggage. “Aria, I genuinely didn’t recognize you. What happened to you?” Seraphina feigned a gasp, her eyes immediately welling with theatrical sympathy. She pulled a wad of cash from her purse and pressed it into my hand. “Honestly, if it weren’t for Damien back then, I might have ended up just like you.” I looked at her expensive clothes, her flawless skin, and remembered the woman I used to be. If Damien hadn’t run off with all our money, Chloe and I would never have fallen so low. What Damien didn’t know – or maybe he just didn’t care – was that he’d also taken the money for Chloe’s life-saving treatment. To save Chloe, I’d borrowed money from every corner. These past few years, I’d aged more than a decade, and Chloe hadn’t known a single day of true happiness. I threw the money to the ground and picked up Chloe. But Stella suddenly burst into tears, wriggling in Damien’s arms like a spoiled brat. “You mean witch! You hurt my mommy! And three years ago, you hurt *me*! If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have needed surgery! You’re both evil!” Damien’s face changed dramatically. He spun to face me, demanding to know what had happened back then. “Stella’s sudden illness back then… was it because of you?” His eyes were like cold blades, pulling me into an endless abyss. Chloe tried to explain, but Stella suddenly grabbed Chloe’s hand and bit her. My instinct was to shield Chloe, but Damien shoved me away with surprising force. Chloe and I slammed against the wall, the dull ache blossoming into a full-body throb. My eyes instantly burned with tears. Seraphina looked triumphant, even feigning an apology to Chloe and me. A bitter tang spread through my heart. He once promised to be our safe harbor, our shield from the world’s storms. Now, he *was* the storm. I sniffled, forcing back my tears, and gazed at Damien.

Chloe scrambled up from the ground and stood in front of me. Her face was etched with hurt as she looked at Damien. “Daddy…” Hearing Chloe’s soft voice, Damien’s heart seemed to melt for a moment. I hugged Chloe tight, checking her for any injuries. “Oh my! How could you be so careless? Look at that huge scar on her arm! What will she do when she grows up?” Seraphina shrieked, pointing at the wound on Chloe’s arm. Chloe tugged down her long sleeve, lowering her head. “Look at our Stella. Not a single scar on her.” Saying this, Stella even spun around triumphantly in front of Chloe. I remained silent. How did Chloe get that scar? Well, it was all thanks to Damien. After he left, kids at school called her names, whispered about her not having a dad. They called her a ‘nobody,’ and even the teachers turned a blind eye. I hated Damien. But the one I truly despised was myself. Damien’s face clouded over. He gently pulled Chloe closer, kneeling to meet her gaze. “Does it hurt, sweetheart?” he asked, his voice softer than I’d heard in years. Chloe looked at me, then bravely replied. “Daddy, it doesn’t hurt.” Stella, on the other hand, looked ready to explode. Her eyes narrowed into slits of pure venom as she glared at Chloe. Damien shielded Stella behind him, taking a deep breath before speaking to me. “Perfect timing. Let’s discuss Chloe’s custody.” Chloe didn’t understand what that meant, but she could read Damien’s tone. She struggled free from behind Damien and ran to me, hugging me tightly. “You walked out on us! You *abandoned* us! And now you’re talking about custody? Do you even have the right to breathe the same air as us?” I looked at Damien with cold contempt. My words were a direct hit, a verbal slap across his arrogant face. I could see the disgust for me deepening in his eyes. Seraphina dramatically crumpled, her shoulders shaking with carefully orchestrated sobs. “I know you hate me, but the situation was urgent back then. If you want to hate someone, hate me, just don’t hate Damien.” Seeing Seraphina cry, Stella instantly clung to Damien’s leg. “Daddy, did Mommy and Stella do something wrong?” Damien looked at me with palpable irritation, but the moment his gaze shifted to Seraphina and Stella, his face softened into a tender, sickeningly sweet expression. I couldn’t stand it. I picked up Chloe, ready to leave. Damien reached out to grab Chloe, but I raised my hand and slapped him across the face. “How could you hit Damien? Don’t you know how much Damien sacrificed for you all these years?” My palm tingled, and I realized my face was already streaked with tears. Sacrificed for us? What did Damien sacrifice for us? Chloe almost *died*! She was clinging to life in the hospital because we couldn’t afford her surgery! I couldn’t even afford her medicine, she never had a new toy, and every single item of clothing she owned was a hand-me-down. And Stella? A single one of her outfits probably cost more than Chloe’s entire course of treatment. I hugged Chloe tighter, biting my bottom lip, and said each word slowly: “Stay away from us.” “The day you left three years ago, I considered you dead.” Chloe touched my face. “Mommy, don’t cry. Chloe’s heart hurts.” Damien, still reeling from the slap, slowly composed himself. Then, he grabbed my arm, squeezing with brutal force. He looked as if he wanted to crush me, his eyes blazing with fury. “You can’t take care of Chloe! She’ll have a good life only if she’s with me!” “You selfish woman! You don’t deserve to be a mother! If you truly love Chloe, you’ll let her come with me, where she can have a real life!” His words were nothing but accusations. The past three years, all my hardship and tears – he saw none of it. Just as I felt myself collapsing, Chloe hugged me tighter in my arms.

The day Damien left three years ago was a bright, sunny day. I was watering flowers at home as usual when the front door was suddenly violently flung open. In my panic, I learned that Damien had borrowed a huge amount of money and then fled with the last of our savings. I simply couldn’t believe he would do such a thing. But that day, strangers were moving into our house, taking everything we owned. Pregnant with Chloe at the time, I went into early labor. From the moment she was born, Chloe was diagnosed with a congenital heart condition. Being premature on top of that, she was rushed straight to the ICU, her tiny life hanging by a fragile thread. Bringing Chloe up these past three years was nothing short of a miracle. I knew I couldn’t give her better material conditions, and often, in the dead of night, I would cry with regret. Once I started earning some money, I even hired someone to find Damien. He left me two sentences, not a single word of concern for me. “Seraphina already lost her husband. I can’t let her lose her daughter too.” “When I return, I’ll give you the grand wedding you deserve.” He even forgot the very promise he made. Seeing me lost in thought, Damien’s face grew even darker. “Are you even listening to me?” Damien lost all patience and yelled at me. Chloe choked back a sob. “You’re not allowed to yell at my mommy! You’re not my daddy anymore! I don’t want you!” Pouting, Chloe buried her face in my shoulder, heartbroken. She had always longed for a dad. Only I knew how much courage it took for Chloe to say those words. “Chloe, Mommy can’t take good care of you. Will you go with Daddy, okay?” An awkward expression flitted across his face, but he quickly composed himself, opening his arms and cooing softly at Chloe. “Mommy said you’re not my daddy! Stay away from us!” After saying that, Chloe cried until she was sobbing uncontrollably. Stella let out a snide, dismissive sound, making Chloe cry even harder. She bravely wiped away her own tears, a silent strength I didn’t possess. My heart, though, was being shredded into tiny pieces. We had waited for Damien to return. But he now had his own wife and daughter. Thinking of their grand wedding, I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. “I will take good care of Chloe. You don’t need to worry about us.” “Go take care of your own wife and daughter.”

Damien’s eyes were bloodshot, his hands falling helplessly to his sides. He finally snapped back to reality and pulled us into the coffee shop next door. Seraphina, leading Stella, picked up the menu and ordered with practiced ease. Chloe, meanwhile, looked utterly out of place. She knew I didn’t have money to pay for this meal. She looked up at me. “Mommy, why are the cakes here so cheap?” “How can the cakes here compare to what Stella eats in the States?” Seraphina and Stella smirked, then Seraphina lifted her eyes to look at me. “What would you two like to order?” The menu was written in elegant cursive, every item a string of French words. Chloe and I stared blankly, not understanding a single thing. Damien made a phone call, then called over a server and ordered some desserts. Seraphina looked utterly blissful. “Damien, I can’t believe you remembered Stella and I are allergic to mango!” “Daddy, I knew you loved Stella the most!” Stella burrowed into Damien’s arms, showering him with affection. Chloe sat forlornly, her head drooping. The desserts arrived, and every single one had almond slivers. My heart felt half-empty. I had foolishly believed Damien would remember I didn’t eat almonds. He didn’t notice my disappointed expression. He simply sent Seraphina and Stella off. “Mr. Damien, I’m not interested in your family’s happy life. Can Chloe and I leave now?” Hearing my words, Damien looked utterly disbelieving. “I was forced to make that choice back then! Why can’t you understand me?” “‘Forced to,’ huh? What a pathetic excuse.” I scoffed, turning my head away. “Were you ‘forced’ to marry Seraphina too?” “No one forced you to do any of this. These were all *your* choices.” After I finished speaking, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. Damien fell silent, his expression wounded. But I was the one who should be hurting the most. I’d clung to the foolish hope that when Damien finally returned, I’d get my wedding, the one that was rightfully mine. That we’d just… go back to how things were, to our quiet, peaceful life. But I was wrong. Terribly, horribly wrong. I was so wrong that Damien already had a whole new family, and I was still holding onto a ghost. The more I thought about it, the more ridiculous I felt. “Chloe, let’s go.” “I’ve already called my lawyer! We *have* to talk about Chloe’s custody!” But Damien was insistent, as if he was afraid I’d run away. I struggled twice, but Damien wrapped his arms around me and Chloe. A wave of violent nausea churned in my stomach, and I shoved him away with all my might. Damien’s hands froze in mid-air. Noticing the disgust in my eyes, he stood still, stunned. “Aria,” he whispered, his voice laced with disbelief, “do you truly hate me that much?” He mumbled, his body swaying slightly. Just as he reached out again, Seraphina’s shriek echoed through the cafe. “Damien! Stella’s gone! Help me find her!” Damien didn’t hesitate for a second. He spun around, abandoning us, and rushed out of the shop. Outside, Seraphina watched me with a smug, triumphant smirk. And peeking from behind a parked car, a supposedly “missing” Stella was barely suppressing her giggles. Their mockery made me feel utterly humiliated. I forced myself to appear calm, picked up Chloe, and walked away.

Back home, I gave Chloe a warm bath. Halfway through filling the tub, the lights and water stopped. That’s when I remembered. Chloe had a fever last month, and we hadn’t been able to pay the water or electricity bill. Chloe, ever so practical, cheerfully lathered herself with shower gel. “Mommy, this little bit of water is plenty!” she chirped. “Let’s not waste it!” She looked utterly delighted, never once making me feel like I’d deprived her. Thinking of Damien’s words, perhaps Chloe really would have a better life with him. Perhaps Chloe didn’t need a dad, but rather… money. Besides, the money Seraphina and Stella were spending? Some of it was rightfully mine. The thought solidified my resolve. I quickly finished bathing Chloe and helped her into clean clothes. Our landlady, Mrs. Gable, knocked on the door, bringing a small cake and a few candles. She knew we were always struggling, yet she’d never been anything but kind, even when we fell behind on rent. Chloe thanked Mrs. Gable, and I smiled with relief. “Is your son a lawyer?” Mrs. Gable nodded, her face etched with concern. “Did something happen?” “Damien’s back. I need to file a lawsuit. I want him to pay child support.” Mrs. Gable looked surprised, and then puzzled. “Your husband is back? Why hasn’t he taken you two in?” I stayed silent, simply smiling. Because he already had his own family, of course. Chloe and I were just… redundant. If that was the case, I wouldn’t cling to him. But what was rightfully Chloe’s and mine, I would not let go of a single penny. Mrs. Gable murmured, feeling for Chloe and me. “You’re so beautiful, and Chloe is such a sweet girl. You’ve both been through so much because of him. How could he just… leave you like that?” “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure my son does everything he can to help you.” Once Mrs. Gable left, I closed the door and sent a text to Damien’s creditor. **[Want your money? This month’s payment. Meet at the entrance of The Grand Estates tomorrow. Someone will be waiting for you.]** The creditor called, asking if Damien was back. I answered vaguely. He cursed under his breath, then agreed to meet tomorrow. I hung up, feeling satisfied, and saw Chloe’s face smeared with cake like a little kitten. Looking at my daughter, my heart felt more at peace. Damien, I’m sorry, but if you want your money, this is the only way. This is what Chloe and I deserve. And you, too, should pay for your actions.

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The night before my wedding, Asher’s first love was betrothed to Veridia City’s most notorious, ruthless heir. He felt so sorry for her, supposedly crying her eyes out every single day. So, he ditched me to save her. At the wedding venue, he and Ivy were locked in a passionate kiss, their embrace lingering in a hotel room throughout the night. I was about to become the laughingstock of the city’s elite. But then, unexpectedly, Adrian Vance suddenly appeared at the wedding the next day. He cornered me against a wall, gripping my chin as he asked, “Asher took my fiancée. What he owes me, shouldn’t it be you who repays my loss, Mrs. Vance?” “I agree.” My answer seemed to catch him off guard, given how unfair his proposition was to me. Adrian stared at me, stunned for a good while, before he finally spoke again. “Good. As expected of the eldest daughter of the Sullivan family.” “I’ll marry you in a week. Don’t you dare back out.” With that, he released me, turning to leave. Before he walked away, he slipped a business card into my hand. I stood there for a long time, unable to process what had just happened. This Adrian was very different from what I’d imagined. Rumors painted him as ugly and ill-tempered. Soon after Adrian left, Asher finally arrived. My face darkened, and I couldn’t even stand to look at him. “Mr. Thompson, what are you doing here? Fresh from a romantic night with your new wife, and now you’re here to gloat?” A flicker of guilt, quickly masked, crossed Asher’s eyes. He tried to take my hand. “Chloe, can’t you understand me?” “Ivy’s health has always been delicate. How could she marry that kind of playboy? Her whole life would be ruined!” So, to protect Ivy, he was willing to break off our engagement and let me become the joke of all Veridia City? The moment I found out he went to Ivy’s place the night before, I decided to sever all ties with him. “Mr. Thompson, please leave. The wedding is canceled. I’ll return all the wedding expenses.” Asher wouldn’t let go, stepping forward, trying to hug me. “Chloe, I was wrong. Even though I signed the marriage license with her, my heart still belongs only to you.” “Ivy even said she’d be okay with sharing me, with us living together as a… trio.” I almost doubted my own ears. What era was this? Asher was actually dreaming about some archaic, polyamorous fantasy. As the eldest daughter of the Sullivan family, what kind of men hadn’t I seen? This was a complete insult. I scoffed, pushing him away. “Asher, you’re delusional. Get help.” Seeing my hostile attitude, Asher got annoyed. “Why are you talking like that? You can’t seriously expect me to go divorce Ivy right now? Can’t you consider my feelings for once?” Consider his feelings? Who did he think he was? I’d been too lenient with him, letting him say such outrageous things. Who ran off to cheat the night before their wedding? I, Chloe Sullivan, a prominent heiress, was stood up at the altar and became the laughingstock of Veridia City. How dare he ask me to consider *his* feelings? I was utterly disillusioned with him. My gaze firm, I repeated, “Didn’t you understand me? If you’re sick, go get therapy.” Seeing I wasn’t giving him an easy out, Asher finally lost his temper. His face darkened, a dangerous warning in his eyes. “Chloe Sullivan, you’re truly disappointing! So what if you’re the Sullivan family’s eldest daughter? You’re just some used-up trash I’ve played with for years. Who else would ever want you besides me!” He scoffed, turning on his heel and walking away, as if he hadn’t just insulted me to my core. I stared at his retreating back, tears blurring my vision from anger. The man who, just this morning, held me and whispered words of love, spent the night entangled with another woman. Now, he was Ivy’s husband. I should have seen it coming. Whenever it came down to a choice between me and Ivy, he always, without hesitation, chose Ivy. Six years of shared moments couldn’t compare to his two-month-old ‘first love’ infatuation. I should have let go ages ago.

I thought Adrian was just joking. It wasn’t until I was woken up the next day by the procession of cars outside the villa that I realized he was serious. There were three entire cars packed with luxury goods alone. A man who introduced himself as Mr. Jenkins, Adrian’s butler, handed me a black card, saying it was a small token of Adrian’s appreciation. My parents, concerned by the bad rumors, were unsure about Adrian and urged me to reconsider. But I had lost love, so I was no longer indulging in fantasies. Even if Adrian was known for being a playboy, the Vance family’s standing in Veridia City’s business world was unparalleled. I decided to treat this as a strategic marriage for our family business. I would make sure to utterly crush Asher and Ivy. The Miller family’s business had only recently grown from a small, privately-owned business into a minor company. Marrying Ivy off to Adrian was mostly for money. I instructed the house staff to bring the luxury items into the villa, just as Asher and Ivy were about to leave. They both walked in, looking confused. Asher sneered, scanning the cars full of luxury items. Ivy’s face twisted with jealousy, her teeth practically grinding. “Chloe, what is all this?” Looking at Ivy’s hypocritical face, I nearly threw up right there. The daughter of a small, barely-registered business, didn’t she know her place? Even the wedding gifts Asher’s family gave her didn’t amount to ten thousand dollars. I casually glared at her. “Does it concern you?” Asher snorted, mocking me. “Chloe Sullivan, you move on fast! I just married Ivy, and you’re already running off to find some other man.” “Oh, come on, honey. We should be happy for Chloe.” “Honey, didn’t you get a gift for Chloe? Go on, give it to her.” Ivy poked Asher’s arm. Inadvertently, my gaze snagged on the pink diamond ring glinting on Ivy’s finger. I involuntarily gasped, my heart aching anew. I couldn’t mistake that pink diamond ring. Even if the Thompson family wasn’t top-tier, they still had a recognizable name in the city’s business elite. Asking Asher for a forty-five thousand dollar diamond ring wasn’t unreasonable. But he’d made every excuse, unwilling to buy it for me. Now, it was on Ivy’s hand. As if noticing my gaze, Ivy deliberately held her hand up in front of me. Asher scoffed, pulling a sealed bag from his pocket. Inside was a plain, thin band, which he casually tossed to me. “For you.” When I saw what it was, I almost burst out laughing from sheer exasperation. I picked it up and dangled it in front of Ivy. Then I tossed it back to her. “You actually dare to bring out this trash? Ivy, my dear, seems to love it so much, so I won’t spoil your fun.” Humiliated on the spot, Asher’s face darkened. He pulled Ivy behind him and shouted at me. “Don’t push your luck! If you don’t want it, just throw it away.” Ivy, ever the drama queen, chimed in again. “Chloe, my husband picked this out specially for you.” “I know you like my husband. I’m even willing to let you share him with me.” “Consider this my welcoming gift.” “Bringing out something so shameful? My pets’ leashes cost thousands of dollars each.” Was Asher even worth sharing? Disgusting. I looked Asher straight in the eye, mercilessly. “You two truly deserve each other. Both of you are insane!” “Get out of my house!” They still thought I was joking. Ivy, holding the ring, grabbed my hand and tried to slip it on. “Chloe, you’re just upset right now.” “See how perfect this ring looks on you.” My patience snapped. “Get away from me! You’re disgusting.” I didn’t even lay a hand on her, but Ivy dramatically collapsed to the floor right in front of everyone, letting out a little whimper before putting on a wounded expression. “Chloe, I know you hate me, but how could you hit me, sob sob…” Asher immediately flew into a rage. He couldn’t stand Ivy being upset. “Chloe Sullivan, if you don’t want it, then don’t take it. What was the meaning of laying hands on Ivy?” With that, he scooped Ivy into his arms and walked away. Ivy gave me a provocative look over Asher’s shoulder. That look… it was strangely familiar.

Back then, the Miller family’s company had just started, and Ivy had pulled every string to attend a single business gathering. At the party, among all the heiresses, Ivy seemed completely out of place. She was even being picked on by Tiffany Hayes, the eldest daughter of the Hayes family. If I hadn’t stepped in to help, she would have been kicked out of the party on the spot. Later, I found out she was Asher’s first love. Every time Ivy faced trouble, Asher would defend her without a second thought, even secretly sending her many things behind my back. We had countless arguments because of this. Asher kept brainwashing me: “Ivy and I are long over. I just feel sorry for her.” At first, I even wondered if I was being petty, unfairly accusing Asher of ill intentions. It wasn’t until the night before my wedding, when Ivy was betrothed to Adrian Vance – the same man Asher tried to save her from. Asher ran off to crash *her* wedding. He offered me no explanation, no remorse, and spent the entire night entwined with Ivy in a hotel. That’s when I finally realized how important Ivy was to him. I had silently condoned his ‘kindness,’ and he repaid me by cheating? Today was my birthday, usually one of the most important days of my year, but this year, I couldn’t muster any enthusiasm. Every previous birthday, Asher had spent with me. My parents had offered to throw a birthday party for me, but I flat-out refused. This year, I would celebrate my birthday alone. I drove aimlessly, and without realizing it, I arrived at my favorite restaurant. Oddly, there was no one inside. Then I noticed a stand placed next to the restaurant entrance. **[THIS ESTABLISHMENT HAS BEEN BOOKED TONIGHT BY MR. ASHER THOMPSON. CONGRATULATIONS TO MR. ASHER THOMPSON AND MISS IVY MILLER ON THEIR WEDDING!]** **[THIS ESTABLISHMENT WILL NOT ACCEPT OUTSIDE GUESTS AFTER 10 PM TONIGHT.]** Exaggerated wedding photos of Asher and Ivy were plastered all over it. No wonder the place was empty. Asher was behind this. I sneered, about to turn and leave, when I bumped right into Ivy and Asher, who had just stepped out of their car. “Chloe? What a coincidence.” I rolled my eyes at her. How were these two so persistently annoying? Asher, with his arm wrapped around Ivy’s waist, seemed to understand something when he saw me, lifting his head arrogantly. “Oh dear! I’m so sorry, Chloe. I completely forgot this was your favorite restaurant. Asher, darling, insisted our first post-wedding dinner should be special.” “Sorry, I don’t frequent establishments that cater to trash.” I shot back immediately. This fake b*tch, playing innocent. Asher’s expression was priceless. He glared at me and retaliated. “Looks like someone’s got sour grapes, Chloe Sullivan. No need to stoop to her level, right, honey? Are you hungry, Ivy?” With that, they grandly walked past me and entered the restaurant. As soon as they left, Adrian’s car pulled up. Mr. Jenkins, the butler, stepped out. “Miss Sullivan, happy birthday. This is a birthday gift from Adrian.”

I stared at the transfer contract in my hand, speechless. Because this contract was for the very restaurant behind me. The moment I signed it, I would be the new owner of this establishment. This was the most thoughtful birthday gift I had ever received. My wedding to Adrian was tomorrow. I immediately signed the document and put the contract away. I wouldn’t hesitate at a moment like this. I didn’t sleep a wink. The next day, the entire Sullivan mansion was filled with joyous anticipation. I put on my pristine white wedding gown. I stared at myself in the mirror, feeling as if nothing was real. I was getting married. My husband-to-be wasn’t Asher, my boyfriend of many years, but Adrian Vance, Veridia City’s notorious playboy. The complex emotions were hard to describe. I patted my chest. Well, here I was. No turning back now. Whatever the future held, I would accept it. This was my choice, after all. Several cars pulled up in front of the villa. And out of them stepped… Asher Thompson. They weren’t fancy cars at all. Then I noticed the scratches on the lead car, and everything clicked. Asher truly didn’t listen. Not a single word I said yesterday sank in. With the pathetic display his family put on, he thought he could marry me? In his wildest dreams. Before I could even speak, Asher, seeing me in my flowing wedding gown, holding my bouquet, sneered. “Chloe Sullivan, can’t keep up the act anymore, can you?” “Who was it that didn’t want to share me with Ivy before? Now you’re so eager to put on a wedding dress.” He leisurely scanned me from head to toe, a look of absolute certainty on his face. How could anyone be so arrogantly delusional? “Asher, you’re really trying to pat yourself on the back, aren’t you? Who said I was marrying you? The man I’m marrying is Adrian Vance.” “My husband will be here soon. Now move these pathetic cars out of the way!” Asher didn’t get angry; instead, he laughed. He pointed at me. “Still playing tough, huh? You’ll regret this!” “If Ivy hadn’t begged me to give you another chance, I wouldn’t even be here today! I advise you to be smart, or you’ll really miss your chance to share me with Ivy!” Asher genuinely thought he was some kind of treasure. He and Ivy were like a trash can and a trash bag – who would want them? Suddenly, a long procession of cars approached. Asher’s eyes lit up when he saw them. “Whose heiress is getting married today?” Just as he spoke, Adrian Vance, impeccably dressed in a suit, stepped out of the lead car. He walked straight to me and intimately wrapped his arm around my waist. Adrian looked at Asher provocatively, his tone light. “Well, well, Mr. Thompson.” “Trying to steal my wife again?” Asher didn’t react immediately. After a few seconds of confusion, he realized the implication.

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I was linked to a Sickness Transmigration System. It dumped me into the body of the true heiress, despised by everyone. Everyone adored the fake heiress, who’d been carefully cherished by the family for sixteen years. My three brothers feared I’d try to claim what belonged to the fake heiress, so they constantly mocked and taunted me. My biological parents were terrified my presence would upset the fake heiress, so they went all out to make it up to her. They never once considered my feelings. They saw my desperate yearning for love as a threat, as sheer jealousy. Later, I was dying. Even later, my second brother found the diary hidden under my pillow. They fell apart. 0I was linked to a Sickness Transmigration System. It dropped me into the body of Elara Richard, the true heiress, half a year after she’d been found by the wealthy Richard family. On my very first day here. Someone splashed a whole plate of food right onto me. Hot curry sauce ran down my face and neck, and fish balls rolled off my clothes onto the floor. The heat stung. I stared at the boy in front of me, my face blank. My gaze was blank, devoid of any emotion. Everyone else was startled by his actions too. Eleanor, my mother, gasped, “Liam, what are you doing!” Liam’s face flickered with a hint of regret, but the words that burst out were nothing but blame. “It’s just that she always has that deadpan face! Jessica talked to her, didn’t she hear?” Jessica looked guilty at his words. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know it was because of me…” She looked at me apologetically. “My third brother didn’t mean it. Elara, can I apologize to you for him?” Liam instantly bristled. “Who is she, anyway? Why would you even apologize to her? Jessica, why do you even bother with her?!” I gave a faint, bitter smile. I wondered, too, what the original Elara meant to them. Jessica stood, surrounded by my three brothers, dressed in a pristine white dress, her hair perfectly styled. Meanwhile, my clothes were stained yellow with curry, and the smell of food clung to me, even without looking down. Jessica. The family’s precious darling. This name shouldn’t have been hers. I ignored Jessica. I picked up the last remaining fish ball that had landed on my lap, swallowing it along with the curry still clinging to my lips. It wasn’t the taste I remembered. I got up and left. “I’m full. I’ll head back to my room now, thank you.” As I turned, I met Mrs. Davis’s worried gaze. I managed a small smile for her. Silence fell over the dining table. Richard and Eleanor looked displeased. Marcus, my eldest brother, said in a low, stern voice, “Liam, you genuinely crossed a line this time. Elara didn’t do a thing.” 0

My original self in the previous world was already dead. Late-stage stomach cancer, died at eighteen. I had died a slow, agonizing death from the pain. There was no one by my side. Aside from that single fish ball just now, I hadn’t eaten anything solid for nearly three months. Perhaps the System, taking pity on my miserable existence, brought me to this world. This body also had stomach cancer. But it hadn’t progressed to a terminal stage yet. The System said the original girl had taken sleeping pills and committed suicide today. Frequent abdominal pain accompanied by coughing up blood had made her aware of her body’s problems. But she was afraid that speaking up would cause trouble for the Richards family. Making the family, who already disliked her, despise her even more. So she chose to simply leave this world. How foolish she was. The Richards family had vast resources; with proper treatment, she could have definitely gotten better. This family was truly ironic. They’d brought their biological daughter back half a year ago and still hadn’t noticed she was gravely ill. “Why am I here?” A girl who shared my unfortunate fate. Both orphans since childhood. Both afflicted with stomach cancer. Perhaps she was luckier than I. At sixteen, she was welcomed home by her biological parents. Perhaps she was unluckier than I. She never received a single shred of unconditional love before she left this world, becoming an angel. The System remained silent. “Has my arrival worsened this body’s symptoms?” I asked the System, feeling the metallic taste of blood in my throat. The System replied, “Yes. Just like your original self, you might… by eighteen.” “But if you cooperate with treatment…” I spoke calmly, “No treatment.” It didn’t matter. I was going to die anyway, so what did it matter? Besides, I didn’t want to live. 0

In the middle of the night, my stomach pain was unbearable, and I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. It felt like I was back in my previous life. Every night, I’d curl up, eyes wide open until dawn. My room was empty. My throat was parched. I fumbled my way downstairs in the dark, desperate for a drink of water. Instead, I ran into my second brother, Alex, in the living room. Alex was a professional gamer, so it wasn’t unusual for him to be up at two or three in the morning. He clearly noticed me too. He looked at me with a sour expression. Alex was the quietest member of the Richard family. The original Elara had never seen him in a good mood in the six months since she came home. I ignored him. I figured her very presence was enough to irritate him. I walked to the kitchen, hunched over. But I didn’t realize Alex was startled by my appearance. Under the dim nightlight in the living room. He clearly saw me sweating profusely from the pain, my lips pale. Aside from the angry red scald mark on my cheek, the rest of my skin was shockingly pale, almost translucent. I, however, was used to my sickly appearance, so I paid it no mind. I leaned against the sink, trying to rest, but the next second, a wave of nausea hit me, and I threw up blood. “Ugh.” I choked, tears welling up from the pain. A sound came from the kitchen doorway. Alex had followed me in. I quickly turned on the faucet to rinse the blood from the sink, then cupped my hands and drank a few gulps of tap water. Then I heard Alex’s deep voice. “If you’re going to drink water, drink warm water. Cold water can upset your stomach.” I softly hummed in response, lowering my head, trying to walk past him. The original Elara had barely exchanged words with Alex, and I certainly wasn’t eager to get tangled up with this family. But Alex grabbed my wrist. I turned my head to look at him, my voice hoarse. “Second brother, is something wrong?” Being so close, Alex saw the wound on my face more clearly. He frowned, silent for a moment, then asked, “Why haven’t you treated the scald on your face?” I looked at his seemingly impatient expression. I just assumed he thought it was some kind of attention-seeking stunt. I pulled my wrist free, nodded vaguely. “Yeah, I’m heading back now.” He was too close. Alex turned on the light, then walked closer to the sink, frowning. Though the blood had mostly washed away. He still keenly noticed the faint reddish stains lingering in the sink… 0

The next morning, as I went downstairs, I ran right into Liam near the staircase. My third brother had the most hostility towards the original Elara. He and Jessica were close in age, and their bond was the deepest. Perhaps Liam was simply too young. All he knew was that the sister he had pampered and protected his entire life had suddenly been replaced. This new girl, who had just been found, was going to steal everything from Jessica. He vented all his resentment on his biological sister. He resented her for shattering their perfect life. Little did he realize, the original Elara was the true innocent one. Liam looked at the obvious scald on my face, his eyes darting away. He deliberately didn’t speak to me, waiting for me to greet him. But I didn’t even glance at him, walking past him and away. Richard’s face was cold. “You’re a grown person, can’t you even treat a small scald yourself? What kind of impression will you make walking around like that?” Richard was a traditional patriarch, his eyes always on profits rather than family. He was probably just worried about me embarrassing him. Besides, the original Elara had only been home for half a year. She couldn’t play any instruments, paint, or excel in academics. Her grades were abysmal. She had no real value to him. Eleanor also looked disapproving. I scoffed internally. If it had been Jessica, she’d have probably been rushed to the emergency room the second it happened. Yet last night, not a single person had bothered to ask if I’d been scalded. Or if I was still hungry after eating so little. Their favoritism truly knew no bounds. “There’s no first-aid kit in my room.” Silence fell over the Richards family. Of course, the master bedrooms in the Richard family mansion were fully equipped. But when they brought the original Elara back, they made their biological daughter live in a guest room. And a guest room’s amenities were naturally sparse. The original Elara even used the public bathroom. Not one person offered to give the original Elara a different room. Eleanor looked at her daughter’s face, so similar to her own, flushed with the scald, and a flicker of panic crossed her heart. If it were Jessica, even a small injury would have the whole family doting on her. But when it came to me, there was no sound, no care. I was nothing like Jessica, not at all lovable. Liam retorted, “You didn’t say anything, how were we supposed to know it was that serious?” A dull ache started in my upper abdomen, and I couldn’t help but hunch over. The taste of blood welled up in my throat. I tugged at my backpack strap, my voice hoarse. “I’m going to school now.” Liam frowned. It felt like his imagination, but Elara’s posture seemed… off. 0

After the original Elara was found, she transferred to Liam and Jessica’s school. But Jessica didn’t want the original Elara to share the same car, afraid someone would discover she wasn’t the Richard family’s true child. So the original Elara always went to school alone. In those six months, due to Jessica’s subtle hints, she had suffered no small amount of bullying. But that foolish girl endured it all in silence. She probably knew that even if she spoke up, no one would care. And her family would never believe Jessica had instigated it. I had just pulled my textbooks from my desk when I saw the fake cockroach glued to the cover. The few kids waiting to see my reaction were already secretly covering their smirking mouths. The original Elara would have definitely just taken it. But for me, dealing with such problems was just another Tuesday. I just wanted to quietly wait to die here, but if they insisted on coming at me, I wasn’t some pushover they could walk all over. I snatched up the textbook with the fake roach still stuck to it and strode towards the girl who’d been openly enjoying the show. I slapped the book right onto her face. Before she could even shriek, I dumped all the books out of her desk and found an identical textbook. The original Elara had always been quiet and unassuming in class, never making a sound. Today, with my flushed face, I drew the silent attention of many classmates. Now, my once invisible self was causing such a commotion. The classroom instantly fell silent. The girl snapped back to reality and lunged at me like a maniac, trying to scratch me. I grabbed her hair and said coldly, “I’m letting bygones be bygones for what happened before. Don’t you dare mess with me again.” With that, I shoved her away and went back to my seat, slumping down. Not only was my stomach burning, but I also felt faintly nauseous, like I was about to vomit. The girl wouldn’t let it go, raising her hand to slap my face. Suddenly, her wrist was caught by Jax, who sat behind me. His rebellious face darkened. “Too loud.” The girl’s eyes widened when she saw it was Jax, and she instantly shut up. Jax was the undisputed king of the school, a total bad boy. His family had serious power and influence, so no one dared cross him. She went back to her seat and exchanged knowing glances with the others who’d been enjoying the show. A smirk played on their lips. 0

I was in so much pain I couldn’t straighten up, cold sweat beaded on my forehead, and I bit my lip hard to suppress the nausea. The frown etched on my face from the pain wouldn’t ease. This wasn’t right. It shouldn’t have progressed this quickly. This felt like late-stage. The next moment, I was suddenly lifted into the air. The jarring screech of a chair dragging across the floor made the whole class turn to look. I struggled, trying to get out of Jax’s arms, but I didn’t have enough strength and he held me even tighter. The tall, slender boy seemed to have endless energy. “Don’t move.” He seemed to see me like this for the first time: “I thought you were just a meek little mouse, always letting people walk all over you. Guess even the quiet ones snap sometimes.” As we walked, Jax sighed lightly: “How can you be so light?” Before we even reached the infirmary, Liam lunged forward, blocking our path, fuming. Liam’s anger surged, and he sneered coldly. “Elara, are you serious right now? Class is about to start, and you’re out here on a date with a guy!” “Clearly, you have no upbringing at all. You’re nothing like Jessica.” My heart suddenly twisted with a sharp pain. A wave of emotions, not entirely my own, surged through my chest, overwhelming me. It was always like this… No questions, just immediate blame. The pain intensified, and the taste of blood flooded my mouth. My eyes welled up with tears. I quickly ducked my head, refusing to acknowledge they were mine. Through his thin summer shirt. Jax seemed to feel the hot teardrops. His face was etched with confusion. He had a hot temper, and he said impatiently, “Who are you? Can’t you see she’s not feeling well? You just came up and started yelling? Go get some therapy if you’re sick, don’t throw a tantrum here!” He started to pull my face away, but then he looked down and saw the angry, bright red scald on my cheek. “Don’t scare me. We’ll be at the infirmary soon.” Even if only for a second, I saw Liam’s gaze sweep over me. He must have seen the blood at the corner of my mouth. His face instantly panicked. He wanted to follow, but Jessica, who had caught up, pulled him back. “Third brother, why didn’t you wait for me! You ran so fast?” Liam turned to look at her displeased expression, pushing down the unease in his heart, and stayed where he was. 0

Jax jostling me made me feel even more nauseous. I pushed at him, struggling to speak. “Want… to throw up…” Jax only heard a weak mumble. “What did you sa—?” Before he could even finish asking, I wretched, spewing everything out. I hadn’t eaten anything all morning, so what came out was just acidic water mixed with blood from my stomach. I tried my best to avoid it, but it still got on Jax’s clothes. I gripped his shirt, weakly apologizing. Jax’s face darkened, but he gently laid me on the infirmary bed, letting the school nurse take over. He silently went out to get a mop and rag to clean up my vomit. The school nurse applied medicine to my face and put me on an IV drip of glucose. “Young lady, why are you throwing up blood? Do you have any medical history?” The school nurse advised me to go to the hospital for a thorough check-up, just for peace of mind. I thanked him and explained that it was just because I hadn’t eaten breakfast. I didn’t need a check-up; I already knew this body’s condition. I silently asked the System why this was happening. The System’s mechanical voice quietly responded. “Because the original owner’s consciousness is fading faster.” Meaning she wanted to leave this world faster, right? The System remained silent. I gave a knowing, bitter smile. Elara. Her name, given by her grandma, held a hidden meaning: “to retain,” “to keep.” When Grandma Rose found the baby girl, still bundled in swaddling, she was stiff and purple, frozen in the bitter snow. Grandma Rose thought the original Elara had already frozen to death, but then her tiny finger moved. Grandma Rose took the original Elara home and named the little girl Elara. Grandma Rose was a woman of deep faith. She always said that saving Elara, retaining her, was fate’s decree, and her own heartfelt wish. At five years old, Grandma Rose passed away. The original Elara was sent to an orphanage by the neighbors. Later, the Richards family took her back and wanted to change Elara’s name. But she stubbornly refused; it was the only thing her grandma had left her. But now, Elara no longer wanted to follow fate’s decree. She just wanted to find the only person who had ever truly loved her: Grandma Rose… Perhaps it was the pain, or perhaps it was because of the girl. My eyes welled up, and I stared blankly at the ceiling. We were two souls adrift, bound by the same tragic fate. No need for introductions; we understood each other instantly. In that moment. I wanted to hold that girl deep within my soul, tightly. 0

I noticed Jax was still there and quickly wiped my eyes. I pursed my lips. “Thank you for bringing me here.” In my past life, I faced too much malice and always fought alone. Now, facing Jax, who had helped me, I felt a little lost. And I’d just thrown up on him… Jax raised an eyebrow. “Then, as repayment, how about you get me breakfast every day?” I hesitated. I didn’t want to get too involved with anyone. Jax saw my worn, faded canvas shoes and quickly added, “My meal card’s yours. What? Your thanks aren’t just empty words, are they?” I sighed, helpless, and could only nod in agreement. After school, I planned to go to the hospital. My body’s condition would only worsen. I needed to get some painkillers. The original Elara had a card; it was compensation given to her by Marcus, the Richard family heir, when she first returned. If ordinary painkillers worked, I wouldn’t even want to go to the hospital. Gastroenterology department. Dr. Miles was very young. Perhaps seeing that his patient was a young girl, he spoke softly, asking me where I felt unwell. For a moment, I actually felt like crying. Such concern was something I had never received in both my lives. I smiled at him. “Could you please prescribe me some morphine?” The doctor froze, unable to believe his ears. The young girl in front of him, barely old enough to be in school, was asking for morphine. I continued, “If not, then OxyContin, Fentanyl, just anything will do.” Dr. Miles choked, looking reproving. “What illness does this young lady have? Have you been checked? You can’t just take any medicine.” “I have stomach cancer, mid-stage,” I answered calmly and seriously. His expression instantly stiffened, and he even seemed agitated. “How is that possible? How old are you? Which hospital? Which quack diagnosed you?! Believe it or not, I’ll report them!” The doctor’s expression was a little amusing. I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’ve already been checked. It’s just been hurting more and more recently. Could you please prescribe me some painkillers?” Dr. Miles looked at the girl’s genuine expression, and his heart sank. “Do your family know?” “You’re so young. Why aren’t you fighting for treatment?” I sighed. This was one reason I didn’t want to come to the hospital. I had to play the victim. “My family knows. It’s just… we don’t have the money at home, and I have several older brothers, so I won’t get treatment.” Dr. Miles looked like he wanted to say more but eventually said nothing. I left the hospital with my medication. Unaware that Jax had followed me the whole way. 0

ax hid behind the door, feeling a chill run through him. After school, Jax had watched the girl wobble out of the school gate, worried she might faint halfway. After all, they’d shared a bond from half a year of him copying her homework. He inexplicably followed her. Unconsciously, he’d followed her to the hospital. He had planned to leave, but a strong emotion held him back. And then he overheard that the girl had stomach cancer. No wonder… she was coughing up blood. Jax felt a knot in his stomach, even wanting to slap himself. He had bullied the girl for half a year. He was a terrible person! But beyond that, a dense wave of heartache washed over him… When I got home, I intended to pack a few changes of clothes, preparing to move into the school dorms. But then I found my things had been moved. Mrs. Davis said, “Elara, Mrs. Richard gave you a new room.” “It’s on the same floor as Jessica, the one on the far east side. She said it’s so you and Jessica can bond better.” Mrs. Davis looked at me with pity. The Richards family’s favoritism was truly boundless. Almost the entire third floor belonged to Jessica, yet they’d given me only one room on the far east side. Ha. I felt a pathetic amusement on behalf of the original girl. Were they arranging this to warn me that my status in this family would never compare to Jessica’s? But it didn’t matter anymore. I was moving into the dorms anyway, and in just another half a year or so, I wouldn’t be in this world anymore. The daily, agonizing pain told me so. The girl’s desire to break free from this family, and from this world, was incredibly strong.

At the dinner table. I informed Richard and Eleanor that I wanted to live at school. The family, who had been chatting and laughing, instantly fell silent. Eleanor frowned. “Why do you suddenly want to live at school? Don’t you like the room your mother arranged for you today?” She suddenly remembered Mrs. Davis’s words from this morning: “Elara and Jessica’s rooms are quite different, I’m afraid Elara might overthink it.” She then had a sudden realization, thinking Elara had complained to Mrs. Davis, and said impatiently, “Don’t be so jealous. Jessica’s room has been hers for sixteen years.” “You’ve only just moved in. Don’t compare everything to Jessica. If you really want it, we can get an interior designer to renovate your room in a while.” Richard’s face was even fouler. “Why aren’t you as sensible as Jessica? What will people think if they find out that I, a prominent Richard, let my daughter live at school? It’ll just be a joke.” Liam suddenly thought of the boy who had held me today and became annoyed, speaking without thinking. “Could it be for the convenience of flirting with some wild guy?”

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My cousin and I both transmigrated to a beastmen world. Life in this world was harsh, but we were surrounded by all kinds of gorgeous men, and polyandry was the norm. My cousin, Brittany, snatched the [Beloved System] first, grinning triumphantly at me. “You got ahead of me in our last life, but this time, everyone will love and spoil me. I’m the protagonist, and I’ll have countless leading men.” I just smiled faintly, opting for the leftover [Nation-Building Tech System], then pulled out an AK47. “I want that [Beloved System]!” Brittany shoved me aside, her eyes gleaming with impatience. The moment I heard her, I knew. Brittany had reincarnated too. In our previous life, my cousin and I had just arrived in this beastmen world when two systems appeared: one was the [Beloved System], and the other, the [Nation-Building Tech System]. Last time, Brittany pinched me hard, rushing to choose the [Nation-Building Tech System]. I never thought she’d regret it and choose differently this time around. The robotic voice in the air spoke, just as stiffly as before. “Once chosen, there’s no turning back.” “Only a fool would regret becoming the beloved protagonist! I’ll never regret it!” As Brittany’s words faded, the pink glow slowly settled into her chest. And just like that, the discarded [Nation-Building Tech System] bound itself to me. Brittany stared at me, a mix of triumph and hatred in her eyes: “Skylar, in our last life, you got the Beloved System and enjoyed the adoration of so many men. This time, those good days finally belong to me. As for you, if you get in my way, you might as well die early in this wilderness.” If Brittany hadn’t snatched the [Nation-Building Tech System] last time, why would I have needed to bind myself to the Beloved System and live a life of trying to please countless men? What was poison to me, she craved like honey. Oh, Brittany. You don’t know, I’ve wanted this [Nation-Building Tech System] for ages. Now, my wish has finally come true. The surrounding light faded, just like last time, leaving us in a dense forest. The trees here were so thick they blocked out the sun, even denser than any rainforest I’d seen. All sorts of strange plants were everywhere. This was the primeval beastmen world, where strength reigned supreme. Brittany couldn’t wait. “The protagonist’s perks are finally mine.” “Quick, Beloved System, make me beautiful!” A crystalline pill appeared in Brittany’s hand, and she swallowed it without hesitation. The pill worked instantly. Brittany’s skin brightened several shades, becoming smooth and delicate, and even her hair turned silky. “This Beloved System stuff is amazing! Skylar, you were so stingy to hog something this good from me in our last life!” Brittany excitedly caressed her now even more beautiful face, then remembered me standing nearby and added, her voice bitter with resentment. Just then, a lion’s roar echoed, and a massive tiger leaped out of the dense jungle beside us. Brittany showed no fear. She swayed her hips, a shy smile playing on her lips, and walked towards the tiger. A flicker of human-like astonishment crossed the great tiger’s eyes. The next second, he transformed into a bare-chested, handsome man. “Beautiful she-beastkin, if you do not have a tribe, Brody invites you to return to my tribe with me.” Brittany, all sweetness and light, threw herself into Brody’s arms, shooting me a triumphant look over his shoulder. “Of course, I’d be delighted.”

Female beastkin were scarce in this world, and just like in my previous life, Brody, the tiger beastman, brought my cousin and me back to his tribe. Brody was the leader of the nearby Soar Tribe, powerful and handsome. The moment we arrived at the tribe, a large group of bare-chested beastkin swarmed us, buzzing with questions. “Chief Brody, what did you hunt?” “Oh my goodness, it’s a she-beastkin! And she’s so beautiful!” “Only Chief Brody could find such a rare she-beastkin!” Just like me in my previous life, under the [Beloved System]’s influence, Brittany received the welcome and adoration of all the beastkin. Facing so many intense gazes, Brittany clung to Brody, all innocent and demure. I overheard her talking to her system, her tone surprisingly critical: “System, besides Brody, none of these beastkin are very handsome.” “My leading men must be absolute top-tier alphas. Only then will I allow them to grovel at my feet.” “Just like Skylar in the last life, she had handsome snake-kin, the Young Lord of Eagle City… This time, they’ll all be mine.” I shook my head from the side, secretly laughing at my cousin’s naivety. Memories flooded my mind. In my previous life, after transmigrating from a civilized modern society to this savage beastmen world, Brittany, wanting technological security, had snatched the [Nation-Building Tech System]. Females were rare in this world, so polyandry was practiced. Under the influence of the [Beloved System], the top male beastkin of the entire world pursued me, revering me as a goddess. Brittany only saw my sweet life, being pampered by powerful male beastkin. But she didn’t see how I was practically held captive, constantly pressured to birth new children. Mindful of our relationship before transmigrating, I tried my best to mediate among the male beastkin, asking them to let Brittany stay by my side. She had freedom and didn’t have to be a birthing tool like me. I never expected that my softheartedness would be my undoing. The night before I was due to give birth, Brittany burst in and shot me directly in the stomach. As I lay dying, spitting blood, I clutched at her and asked why. Her face was twisted with cruel malice. “Skylar, how dare you ask why? Ever since we came to this world, you’ve had the best of everything, so many men falling over themselves for you. I was consumed with jealousy.” Only then did I realize that all my consideration for her, in her eyes, had just been a show-off. Turns out, karma was watching. This life, I got a do-over. Watching Brittany, surrounded by all the beastkin, I secretly smiled. This ‘blessing’ is all yours now. Enjoy it.

The beastkin buzzed around Brittany, trying every trick in the book to win her favor. Brody got angry. “Brittany is my she-beastkin! Who dares to even think about her?” When the Chief spoke, the surrounding beastkin, no matter how unwilling, had no choice but to shut up. Brittany, watching Brody’s protective jealousy, was flushed with sweet delight. Just as the atmosphere was joyous and harmonious, an arrogant, wolf-eared beastman walked in. “Chief Brody, it’s tribute day today. Don’t tell me you forgot.” I was stunned. I wondered if my rebirth had caused a butterfly effect; this event had moved up. In my previous life, the Soar Tribe and Wolf Cloud City had clashed. The Soar Tribe was defeated and forced to relocate, agreeing to offer she-beastkin to Wolf Cloud City on a certain day. My cousin and I were outsiders, with no real ties to the tribe. Brody, who had taken a liking to me, had planned to offer Brittany to the Wolf Cloud City Lord. I learned from Brody that the Wolf Cloud City Lord was ugly and brutal. I begged Brody to let Brittany stay, saving her life. This time, however, Brittany glanced at me, then pulled Brody, who was still in a standoff with the Wolf Cloud City envoy, and whispered a few words to him. The next second, Brody pointed at me: “Envoy, this is the she-beastkin our tribe will offer to the City Lord. Take her.” I looked at Brittany. As expected, a look of satisfying revenge spread across her face. I scoffed, not at all surprised. The Wolf Tribe envoy looked at me, his eyes lighting up. He nodded in satisfaction. I knew what he was satisfied with. Though my looks were average in modern society, here, I was considered fair-skinned and beautiful. More importantly, my slender build fit their perverted City Lord’s aesthetic. The Wolf Cloud City envoy grabbed me. I almost struggled, but then I thought, I have my own way to protect myself now. Why not go to a different place and really make my mark, build my own power? So I calmed down, not moving, allowing myself to be taken obediently. Before I left, Brittany smugly came to see me off. “Skylar, that City Lord is old and ugly. Enjoy him.” “Now, no one can steal my protagonist halo.” I smiled. I mouthed something to her: “Just you wait, cousin.” I was rewarded by seeing her face go pale.

Hearing that I was too weak to shift into a beast form from fright, the envoy and other guards were quite shocked. They didn’t shift either but instead tossed me onto a wooden sled, planning to drag me along. Watching that sled with no wheels, even after being reborn, I was still amazed by the primitive world’s backward production capabilities. Perhaps seeing my weak constitution, they didn’t even bother to tie me up. So I lay comfortably on the wooden sled, closed my eyes, and began to contact my Nation-Building Tech System. In my previous life, I didn’t even realize there was a gun inside the system until I was dying. This time, the moment I entered the system space, I was utterly stunned. There was everything: rice that yielded a thousand kilograms per mu, basic medical knowledge, craft instruction books, and of course, plenty of guns and ammunition… The shelves were packed full. Any one item, pulled out at random, would be revolutionary for this world! My heart pounded, then surged with excitement. With these things, building my own empire wouldn’t be difficult. It could at least vastly improve my quality of life! No more living like a savage, like in my last life! I couldn’t help but want to grab my short-sighted cousin, Brittany, and beat her senseless. So many treasures, and in her previous life, she was like a toddler given a fortune, unable to use any of it, obsessed only with being beloved. What a waste! Just as my mind raced, commotion and screams erupted around me. I instantly opened my eyes. The moment I did, I froze. Breathing on me was a colossal beast, half a story tall, covered in hard, gleaming armor. Its mouthparts dripped with saliva, exhaling a foul, fishy odor. I was barely half a meter from it, face-to-face. What in the world was this thing?! The beastkin guards who had been watching me scrambled away in sheer terror, “Insect-beast! The insect-beast is here! Run!” It was an insect-beast, the beastkin’s natural enemy, something I’d only heard legends of in my previous life but never seen. “Roar—!” The insect-beast roared at me, its foul saliva dripping all over me. The next second, a gunshot rang out. “Bang—!” The colossal body of the insect-beast crashed down before me, kicking up clouds of dust. I whistled softly. Gotta say, the AK47 is just so good. And the moment I picked it up, I instantly mastered all its usage methods. System-issued, always top-tier. The scattered beastkin, seeing the insect-beast subdued by me, stared in shock, their faces filled with disbelief, almost afraid to approach me. I jumped off the wooden sled. Finn, the envoy, looked at me, a mix of shock and joy on his face: “How did you do that?!” Soon, greed crept onto his face. “What are you standing around for?! Grab her! Tie her up quickly! We must get her secret!” Laughable. Gun in hand, I rule this place. I immediately aimed the AK47 at Finn’s leg and shot him. “Aarghh—!” Finn let out a sharp howl, clutching a bloody hole in his leg, his face filled with terror. “What is this?! What is this?! By the Mother Goddess Raynes, I was wrong! Please, forgive me!” The beastkin guards who had been about to seize me were terrified. They instantly abandoned Finn and tried to flee. I fired a few shots into the sky. “Who dares to run? I’ll kill them directly!” All the beastkin became utterly silent. I nodded in satisfaction. A joke. If I let them go, who would boil water, cook, and hunt on the way to the city? I ran up to the terrified envoy and pressed the gun to his head. He was stunned and terrified by this unseen “divine artifact,” his mouth trembling. “Tell me everything about your Wolf Cloud City, or you’ll end up like that insect-beast.” I pointed to the thoroughly dead insect-beast nearby. Finn immediately nodded, spilling the beans on everything, like a dam breaking.

In my previous life, Wolf Cloud City had collapsed before I ever visited it, seemingly merged with another tribal power. This time, the envoy’s detailed account gave me a rough idea of the situation. Wolf Cloud City hadn’t always been called that. It was originally built by both the Wolf Tribe and the Fox Tribe, and back then, it was incredibly prosperous. Later, the Wolf Tribe grew powerful, directly expelling the Fox Tribe from the city to become the sole dominant power, then changed its name. The current City Lord, Drogo, was absurd and unreasonable. Not only did he hoard rare female beastkin, but he also loved war, turning the whole city into a chaotic mess and causing a significant loss of beastkin population. “Little Goddess, these rabbits have been caught by our warriors for you, and already cooked. Please, enjoy.” Finn respectfully offered me a bowl of rabbit stew in an old wooden bowl. Through my “brainwashing” and a few modern tricks, I had been hailed by the entire group as a goddess sent by their Mother Goddess Raynes. But I looked at the crude, indescribably ugly wooden bowl and couldn’t help but show my disdain. Sigh, change was absolutely necessary. “Little Goddess, this is the best food we can offer you! Once you return to Wolf Cloud City, I will definitely send people to bring you the finest, most exquisite food!” Seeing my frown, Finn swore to the heavens and earth. I stood up. “Who is in charge of cooking?” A somewhat scrawny guard stood up. I extended my hand, and instantly, a pile of modern seasonings appeared in my palm. Seeing me materialize these things out of thin air, all the beastkin looked on in shock and awe. “I’ll teach you how to use these.” I told the scrawny guard. In the beastmen world, the only seasoning was salt, but it was unrefined salt blocks that tasted bad, nowhere near as fine as modern salt. “Is this… salt? It’s so fine!” A beastman couldn’t help but exclaim. Seeing wood ear mushrooms on a nearby tree, my eyes lit up, and I picked quite a few. “Goddess, what are you doing with those? Only frail rabbit-kin and sheep-kin eat those.” Finn mumbled. I had the guard wash them clean and stew them with the rabbit meat, adding plenty of seasonings. Soon, a unique aroma filled the air. All the beastkin sniffed desperately, constantly swallowing their saliva. In no time, a fresh, rich pot of wood ear rabbit stew was ready. “This is a blessing from the Goddess!” Finn was the first to kneel, and a large group followed, kneeling in a rush. I was just chuckling to myself when, suddenly, a wooden grapple flew down from a nearby tree, hooked the stone pot, and the entire pot of rabbit stew was lifted away as if by magic. I was startled. “Quick, catch them!” The guards immediately transformed into their wolf forms and sprinted into the dense forest. I saw two fiery-red figures quickly disappear from my sight within the trees. But soon, the guards returned, apprehending two fox-kin beastmen, along with the stone pot and the confiscated vine-wood grapple. The two fox-kin beastmen had the alluring beauty unique to their kind, a stunning, almost ethereal beauty that transcended gender. One had a mole near his eye, the other didn’t. Their silver hair was topped with two beautiful fiery-red ears. Right now, both of them glared at us, looking annoyed and wary. “Inferior mixed-blood fox-kin, daring to use such tricks to steal the food the Goddess prepared for us! Break their hands and legs and banish them!” Finn declared imperiously, but I stopped him. “Wait.” I held up the vine-wood grapple to the two fox-kin beastmen. It was a hook with a mechanism, capable of retracting flexibly, but when extended, it had an extremely strong grip. I’d seen it already; even a heavy stone pot was no match for it. In my past life and this one, it was hard to find such a strong, expertly crafted hook on the beastkin continent. My heart swelled with excitement. If they had made this hook themselves, possessing such incredible craftsmanship, how wonderful it would be if they could join my ranks and help me implement new crafting methods! “Did you make this?” Both fox-kin beastmen kept their mouths shut, raising an eyebrow at me without speaking. Finn tried to intimidate them, but I stopped him. “I mean nothing else. I’m recruiting new subordinates. Don’t worry, if you become my subordinates, not only will you have today’s food, but anything else I can provide, I will.” The fox-kin beastman with the mole near his eye asked, “What do you want to do?” “Kill City Lord Drogo, and build my own, more advanced empire. What do you say? Care to take a gamble?” I didn’t hide my intentions, my power was evident. Hearing my words, their faces showed shock, as if they hadn’t expected me to have such resolve. The surrounding wolf-kin guards, however, were calm, having already been brought under my command. “Alright. Wolf Cloud City has a part of our fox tribe too. I’m in.” The fox-kin beastman with the mole said. The other one nodded slightly. After getting to know them, I learned that these two fox-kin beastmen had been expelled from their own tribe. They were twins, the elder brother named Lian, and the younger Nolan. Because they were a mixed bloodline of fire fox and silver fox, they were driven out of their tribe. They had survived in the dense forest by relying on their ingenious mechanical skills. This time, Nolan had craved the wood ear rabbit stew, which led them to take such a risk among the wolf-kin. Hearing it was because of their bloodline, I looked at the two beastkin curiously. Their bodies didn’t quite fit the beastkin continent’s ideal of robust strength, but their figures were slender, with lean muscle subtly showing beneath their fur clothes, undeniably captivating. The twins, one steady and the other lively, had silver hair and silver eyes, yet fiery red ears, making them absolutely captivating. I quietly swallowed. No wonder they were fox-kin. I had the beastkin divide the wood ear rabbit stew. For a moment, all I heard were the happy slurping sounds, until even the bottoms of the bowls were licked clean. “Brother, just for this skill, staying here is totally worth it!” Nolan’s silver fox eyes widened, adding to his allure, still wanting more. Lian, comparatively, was more mature. At Nolan’s words, he merely smiled subtly, looking at me, the mole near his eye stood out vividly. No way, they’re too good-looking! Seriously, in our world, they’d be superstars! Even without any romantic intentions towards them, my heart couldn’t stop pounding. This was a raw, visceral impact of facing extreme beauty. “Done eating? I have something for you.” I pulled out books on basic crafts and technology from the system space. Seeing me materialize objects out of thin air, Lian and Nolan’s faces showed shock, while the other wolf-kin beastmen looked on with pride and reverence. “Both of you, study this thoroughly. If there’s anything you don’t understand, ask me. I’ll need you to produce the things shown in this book.” The book used picture-based lessons, simple and straightforward. Lian took the book with a puzzled expression, but soon exclaimed in surprise, “What is this? It’s so light, and it has pictures!” In the beastmen continent, records were kept on stone carvings or wooden boards; paper didn’t exist yet. I smiled faintly, with an air of profound mystery. “This is called a book. Just follow me, and I can give you even better things than this.” Along the way, relying on the complete set of craft books, I brought Lian and Nolan under my wing. They were smart and eager to learn, quickly becoming my two greatest aids.

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I married the son of a billionaire through an arranged marriage, but he suffered from erectile dysfunction. The only woman who could arouse him was his secretary. To give his terminally ill father a grandson, my husband would sneak out every night to “resolve his physical needs” with his secretary. When I discovered this, he fell to his knees crying, slapping himself until he bled as he begged for my forgiveness. “Honey, I do love you. I just can’t bear to see my father pass away with regrets!” he pleaded. What he didn’t know was that every time he snuck out, I would buy myself a luxury apartment downtown as compensation. And each time his secretary got pregnant, I would treat myself to a private island. In just two years, I had acquired 99 luxury properties and 4 islands. Until one day, I received a photo. In it, my father-in-law – who was supposed to have died from cancer – was lovingly caressing the secretary’s pregnant belly, his eyes glowing with joy. I threw the photo in my husband’s face. He immediately dropped to his knees, repeatedly kowtowing as he begged: “Honey, this child is the fruit of our love. I beg you to spare her…” “I swear I’ll cut off all contact with her once the baby is born!” I clenched my fists tightly, resisting the urge to hit him. Instead, I turned away calmly. “Fine,” I said. Since you don’t cherish what I’ve given you, don’t blame me for taking it all back. 0

In the photo, Kevin was leaning tenderly against Chloe’s swollen belly, smiling with deep satisfaction. I opened my contacts and called him. The phone rang for a long time before he picked up. “Hello? Honey?” His voice sounded guilty. “How was the business dinner? Did you make some good connections? I’m here with some important investors. Just finished a round of talks, I’m exhausted…” I replied with a laugh: “It went well. But I miss you so much right now. Can we video chat?” There was no response from the other end. The two of them were clearly panicking. “Baby, it’s not convenient right now. Besides, who video calls their wife in the middle of a business meeting? It wouldn’t leave a good impression on the clients.” “I know you miss me. Don’t worry, I’ll wrap up work as quickly as I can and spend more time with you tonight, okay?” I didn’t bother exposing his lies. Instead, I asked directly: “Kevin, do you love me?” Kevin hesitated for a few seconds before answering: “Of course I love you, honey! Don’t overthink things. You’re the only woman I’ll ever love!” His voice was very quiet, clearly trying to prevent Chloe from overhearing. Some “wife” I am. How pathetic. I hung up the phone and headed straight to their love nest, knocking on the door. “Sweetie, is that the food delivery? I…” Kevin opened the door, his bare upper body still glistening with sweat. He never expected to see me standing there. He immediately tried to block the doorway with his body, attempting to obstruct my view. “H-honey? What are you doing here… Aren’t you supposed to be…” He was utterly shocked. “At the business dinner, right? Kevin, that’s hardly important now, is it? Just like how you’re not actually in a meeting.” I looked past him at Chloe. She instinctively covered her belly with both hands, stammering: “Sophia… What brings you here…” I knew she was waiting for me to confront her so she could play the victim. But I didn’t. With a blank expression, I unlocked my phone screen and shoved that glaring photo right in Kevin’s face. I asked calmly: “Honey, didn’t you promise you’d never see her again?” “Were you lying to me?” 0

Kevin’s legs gave out and he fell to his knees in front of me. He started slapping himself hard. “Honey! Honey, I was wrong!!” “It’s not what you think! I… I admit I didn’t handle things well. Let me explain!” He tried to grab my pants leg, but I didn’t give him the chance. “Get lost,” I said coolly. “Sophia, you can’t blame this all on Kevin… You’ve been married for years without getting pregnant. Are you saying he’s not allowed to find someone else?” Chloe sneered. At this moment, she was wielding her pregnancy like a weapon. This girl I had once helped out of poverty was now seducing my husband. “Chloe, do you know why Kevin and I haven’t had children in ten years of marriage?” I stared her down. She lowered her head under my gaze, but her tone remained defiant: “You’re going to bring up his erectile dysfunction again, aren’t you? I’ve tried plenty of times and he’s perfectly normal. I don’t think it’s ED at all – he’s just not interested in you!” “A woman who can’t even arouse desire… Your life really is a failure… Ah!!!” I slapped her across the face. “Sophia! If you’re upset, take it out on me!! She’s just a young girl in a difficult situation…” “It’s all my fault… I didn’t handle my feelings properly. But I… I just can’t control myself when I see her… I’m not human! I’ve wronged you!” He was slapping himself repeatedly. Chloe grabbed his hand, crying. “Don’t stop her! She can beat me to death if she wants! I’ve been sick of how she treats you for a long time! You’re such a good man, why should you have to endure this?” “And… and I was willing. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me! Blame me for falling in love with you… for having feelings for you!” The two of them went back and forth, like a deeply affectionate couple. I was tired of watching their performance. “Are you done?” I asked. “If you’re done, I’ll continue.” 0

The scene before me was nauseating. “Kevin, you’d better make a choice between me and her today.” Kevin hurried to placate me. “Honey, you know I love you, but I’m a man too. I have my own needs…” “Besides, you know it’s because you couldn’t give birth that my dad, on his deathbed…” “Your dad! You have the nerve to bring up your dad!” I threw my phone hard, hitting him square on the nose. But he didn’t react at all, his eyes fixed on the photo on the screen. It showed his father, beaming as he touched Chloe’s pregnant belly. “How… how did you get this photo…” Clearly, the discovery that his father had faked his death came as a huge shock. He didn’t even know how to start lying. At this point, what was there for me not to understand? The three of them were putting on a show for me. “Kevin, I’ve warned you many times. Why didn’t you take it to heart?” Kevin dropped the act. “Yes! I lied to you! But don’t you have issues too?” “If you could have children, if you could arouse me, would I have cheated?” With the truth exposed, Kevin chose the stupidest path. That is, to turn against me completely. I was stunned for a moment, then couldn’t help but laugh. I must have been too good to him all these years, making him forget who made his current lifestyle possible. He couldn’t really think he could afford mansions and sports cars on his $3000 monthly salary, could he? “Kevin, I’ve been so tolerant of you only to end up like this. Don’t blame me for being ruthless now.” “I’ll have my lawyer send you the divorce papers. As for everything I’ve given you, I expect it all returned intact in three days.” With that, I strode away in my high heels. Three days later, not only did I not see a single thing returned, I received a scolding from the miraculously resurrected billionaire: “Sophia! What gives you the right to divorce What gives you the right to divorce my son? What can you do besides make money? You can’t even satisfy a man properly. Who else would want you besides my son!” “Alright, alright, I’ve decided to let him keep Chloe on the side. They can meet once a month, how’s that? But you’ll have to cover her living expenses!” His shamelessness was truly like father, like son. I smiled and said: “I spent over $100,000 on your funeral. When do you plan to pay me back?” What money? Chloe had already pocketed it all. When the old lady heard this, she wasn’t having it. She immediately jumped up: “Have you no shame? I’m a billionaire! I didn’t complain that you couldn’t have children, and now you dare ask me for money? What sins did I commit in my past life to end up with such a wretched daughter-in-law!” She looked ready to throw herself on the ground and start a tantrum. I helpfully offered her a cushion: “Please continue, Uncle. I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t stay to humor your antics.” His father couldn’t stand this indignity. He chased after me, wailing dramatically: “Help! My daughter-in-law is abandoning me!” “At my age, I’m begging her and she won’t even look at me! What a miserable life!” Noticing camera flashes around us, I pretended not to see. If they want to take photos, let them. Just make sure to use a beauty filter on me. 0

A few days later, Chloe actually came to my office threatening suicide. I looked at her helplessly. “Can’t you make a scene somewhere else? People are trying to work here.” But Chloe’s brain clearly couldn’t comprehend the importance of work. She continued shouting: “Kevin and I are truly in love. Why can’t you just let us be together? Do I have to die for you to be satisfied?!” I was confused. Wasn’t I already agreeing to divorce? How was that not letting them be together? What exactly did she want? “Why did you cancel Kevin’s credit cards? Don’t you know we can’t survive without money? How can you be so selfish!” When Kevin rushed over, I rolled my eyes and said, “Oh, you’re here. Your little mistress has been threatening suicide for an hour but hasn’t even scratched herself. Better comfort her quick, or you’ll inconvenience the cleaning staff getting off work.” Kevin’s face turned ashen. But it wasn’t because he found Chloe embarrassing. He was upset at my indifference: “Sophia, when did you become so cold-blooded…” “You’ve really disappointed me…” Mr. Chen was even more dramatic, his eyes rolling back as if about to faint: “Sophia! You little beast! Are you only happy when you’ve driven our whole family to death?!” She yelled loudly, and I replied even louder. “Yep, thrilled.” The onlookers, not knowing the full story, actually started criticizing me: “I can’t believe it. Ms. Johnson seemed so capable at work, but behind closed doors she’s so cold to her own family!” “Yeah, she’s driven that poor girl to the brink of suicide and she’s still making sarcastic comments. You really can’t judge a book by its cover!” “Hmph! Who knows how she got that CEO position. Probably by sleeping with other men.” As the crowd’s speculation grew more and more outrageous, Kevin cleared his throat and put on a magnanimous act: “Sophia, you see how clear-sighted everyone is? They all know you’re in the wrong. Stop making a fuss and come home with me. Who else would want you besides me?” He reached out to grab my hand. I laughed. As if he was worthy of touching me. I stepped back, and under his dissatisfied gaze, I slowly spoke: “Do they know that in all our years of marriage, we’ve had no children because you have erectile dysfunction?” The crowd fell silent, all ears perked up waiting for the juicy gossip. “Sophia! What nonsense are you spouting?!” “If you keep talking rubbish, I really won’t take you back!” The man’s pride was thoroughly trampled in public. I shrugged, cleared my throat, and repeated in a voice the whole office could hear: “You have ED! You have ED! You have ED! You have ED!” “I’ve been married to you for years and never experienced a woman’s pleasure, all because…” “You have erectile dysfunction!!!!”

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The day after I had a fight with my husband over his first love, a young, energetic guy showed up at my door soaking wet. “Please, can I stay here?” he begged. Without hesitation, I let him stay for three months. During those three months, he did everything he could to make me happy and win my affection. Everyone said he had ulterior motives and was getting close to me for some other purpose. They warned me not to fall for him. Sure enough, as soon as I agreed to be with him, Jason smirked and told me he was Jessica’s childhood friend, and he had only gotten close to me for her happiness. But I already knew that, and I had collected evidence of my husband’s affair with his first love. “Thanks for helping me gather evidence. Now you can get lost.” Three months after a big fight with my husband Ethan, I returned to our home of three years for the first time, having collected all the evidence of his affair with Jessica and discussed divorce plans with my lawyer. “That old hag is wrapped around my finger now. If I tell her to kneel, she wouldn’t dare stand up!” Jason’s familiar voice came through the door. It was different from his usual pitiful tone when talking to me – arrogant and smug. I paused as I was about to open the door. Ethan and Jessica’s voices followed. “You’ve got her trained like that in less than three months? I thought Rachel loved me so much, but turns out she’s such a slut.” “Jason, you’ve suffered for my happiness. Once Ethan successfully divorces that old cow, I’ll make it up to you!” I quietly pushed open the door and saw Jessica sitting in Ethan’s lap. Jason sat nearby, surrounded by his buddies who used to joke about me and him. “Rachel said it’s her birthday today and she has a surprise for Jason. We all know the old hag can’t hold back anymore. Once she takes her clothes off, we’ll burst into the room and take photos of her in heat as evidence of cheating.” “If it weren’t for that old cow stubbornly clinging to Ethan, we wouldn’t have to set her up to cheat and force a divorce.” “Isn’t she supposed to be so successful in her career? When we post the video online, everyone will see what a slut she is. It’ll be payback for Jessica!” “After the truth comes out, the old hag will probably go crazy. She might even kneel and beg us to let her off!” “Jason, you take one for the team tonight. If she’s not bad, maybe let the rest of us have a go too.” My husband of seven years and the man who had been devoted to me for three months were unfazed by the other men’s blatant insults towards me. I quietly closed the door. My feelings of guilt towards Jason instantly turned to anticipation and excitement. I knew it was too good to be true – a handsome guy in his early 20s showing up at my door in a soaking wet white tank top, pitifully begging me to take him in. So Jason was Jessica’s childhood friend, and he had appeared to seduce me so Ethan could catch us in bed, get evidence to ruin me, and kick me out penniless in the divorce. Three months ago, Jessica had returned from abroad and moved in with us, using the excuse that she couldn’t find a place to stay. My husband of seven years, married for three, didn’t take my side. Instead, he told me to sleep in the guest room. “Jessica has nightmares if she doesn’t sleep in a big bed. Can’t you make this small sacrifice for me instead of being so unreasonable?” I put up with it for a week, but Jessica showed no signs of leaving. Every morning, Jessica acted like the perfect wife, wearing an apron and making Ethan breakfast. “Rachel, a man is a woman’s sky and earth. A man’s hands are only for making money, how can you let him do housework?” “I’m so envious of you, marrying such a good husband like Ethan. If I were Ethan’s wife, I would never let him step foot in the kitchen.” Knowing I was allergic to tomatoes, Jessica deliberately squeezed tomato sauce all over my sandwich. I broke out in hives and passed out at work from difficulty breathing. When I woke up, Jessica was crying in Ethan’s arms. I pointed at Jessica, my hand shaking. “Either she goes, or I go.”

Ethan frowned, acting like I was being unreasonable. “It’s just an allergy, why are you making such a big deal out of it? I’ve never heard of anyone dying from allergies. Jessica almost fainted when she heard what happened to you.” Ethan and I had a huge fight. He threw our wedding rings on the ground. I packed my bags and left that night, moving into another rental apartment. The next day, Jason appeared at my door. “Can I stay here for the night? Don’t worry, I have money and I’ll be good.” Actually, I already knew Jason was Jessica’s childhood friend. After finding out she was coming back, I had looked up all her social media accounts and found many photos of Jason. Whenever she fought with Ethan or was upset, there were always photos of Jason quietly by her side. Without a doubt, Jason was Jessica’s loyal puppy dog, the devoted second male lead. Thanks to Jessica, I received the attentive care of this devoted second male lead for three months, and got to play the female lead for once. Two months in, Ethan and I ran into each other while shopping. He glared at Jason beside me. “Who’s this guy? It hasn’t been that long and you’re already with someone new. You’ve really disappointed me!” I gave him what he wanted, acting haughty and replying, “None of your business!” I pulled Jason into the mall. He pushed me against the wall in a changing room. “Your husband doesn’t treat you well at all. He’s old and ugly, totally unworthy of you. Not like me – I only want to cherish you.” I grabbed Jason’s collar, squeezing out two pitiful tears. “I know, right? And that vixen still has the nerve to seduce him. I guess trash attracts trash!” Hearing me talk that way about his beloved, Jason clenched his jaw but had to keep comforting me. Pretending to be delighted by his comfort, I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him. His eyes widened in panic as he jerked backwards. For the past month, although Jason had acted very fond of me, he was reluctant to get too physical. I knew he found me less attractive than Jessica, being two years older. But he seemed to have forgotten that Jessica had sent him to sacrifice his body to seduce me. Since that was the case, why keep up the act? I pretended to be disappointed and let go of his collar, pouting with red-rimmed eyes. “I thought you said you liked me? Why won’t you even kiss me?” Jason’s eyes were a mess of emotions. He clenched and unclenched his fists before finally forcing out a stiff smile. “Of course I’ll do anything to make you happy.” I eagerly went to kiss him. He closed his eyes with a look of grim resignation. But I deliberately missed, brushing past the corner of his mouth before shoving him away. I ran out of the changing room with a coy expression, and sure enough saw Jessica outside with a thunderous face. Seeing my flushed face and the lipstick mark on the corner of Jason’s mouth, Jessica nearly ground her teeth to dust. “Broad daylight in a public place – have you no shame?!” “Jessica, you’re the one who should be asking yourself that question. After all, you’re the one who’s taken shamelessness to new heights.” Jessica’s face turned red. She sneered, “I’m standing up for Ethan! He works himself to the bone at the office to support you, while you’re lazy and now fooling around with some boy toy!” The irony was, I had bought our house in cash, my salary was twice Ethan’s, and I paid for most of our expenses. That’s why Ethan did housework – he felt guilty about freeloading. I deliberately pulled the uncomfortable-looking Jason closer, saying haughtily, “Jessica, you already have Ethan. Don’t tell me you want to steal this one from me too?” Seeing that I seemed to have genuinely fallen for Jason, Jessica finally relaxed a bit. She looked at Jason and me like we were adulterers. Afterwards, I went on a shopping spree in the mall, making Jason pay for everything. His face got paler and paler as he hesitantly pulled out his card again and again. After all, his job was mediocre, and I had nearly wiped out half a year of his savings in one go. But he had no choice – wasn’t he pursuing me? Hadn’t he said he’d do anything to make me happy? As we were leaving the mall, Jason said he needed to use the restroom. I nodded and followed him secretly. At a corner, I saw him standing unhappily in front of Jessica. “How much longer do I have to keep this up? I can’t stand that old hag for another day. Having to act cutesy with her makes me want to puke!” Jessica stroked his head, swinging his hand back and forth. “Bear with it a little longer for my happiness, okay? Didn’t you promise to be my knight in shining armor forever?” Seeing Jason was still upset, Jessica bit her lip and gave him a quick kiss. Comforted by this, Jason cheered up and treated me even better in the following days. But what people fear most is getting used to something. Over our three months living together, Jason had grown accustomed to taking care of my daily life – cooking, doing laundry, picking me up from work, taking me out for nice meals. At first he would stiffen uncomfortably when I took his arm, instinctively rejecting it. Now he would buy me gifts just to see me jump into his arms and kiss him. The acting in his eyes grew less and less, while my calculations became clearer and clearer. After learning his password and being able to freely check his phone, I looked through his group chat with his buddies more than once. Jessica was the only girl in the chat. Jason reported on his progress pursuing me every day. At first, he would boast in the group: “I’ll have that old hag wrapped around my finger in no time. She already obeys my every word.” “Took the old hag shopping today. She tried to kiss me – I got goosebumps, it was so gross. If it wasn’t for Jessica, I’d want to kick her to the curb!” “Sigh, thinking about how devoted the old hag is to me, when I’m going to utterly ruin her reputation…I feel a tiny bit guilty.” His buddies would cheer him on in the chat, saying there was no woman Jason couldn’t conquer. They even planned that after Jason had me under his mental control, the group of them would take turns using me. Jessica would also message him privately, acting concerned: “I’m sorry, Jason. You have to put on an act with that disgusting slut for my happiness. If only I had fallen in love with you instead.” Those words had Jason over the moon. But gradually, Jason took longer and longer to reply to messages. “Rachel just fell asleep so I couldn’t check my phone. Nothing special today, just did chores as usual.” “Was making a midnight snack for Rachel earlier so couldn’t see the messages. She seems to like me a lot now. She even praised me for how neatly I peeled the crab for her today.” “Taking videos is fine, but I should be the only one filming. She’s still a woman after all, that would be going too far. Isn’t there another way?” Not just Jason’s buddies, but even Jessica started to sense something was off. She began interrogating Jason. One night, I heard Jason on the balcony taking a call. Jessica’s crying voice came through. “Why are you always doing laundry and cooking for that bitch? Have you fallen for her? Don’t forget you’re supposed to be seducing her, making her kneel and beg us for mercy! Not being her personal chef!” Jason, who had always cared deeply about Jessica’s feelings, was silent for a full 30 seconds before answering. “How could I possibly love that slut? I haven’t forgotten my purpose. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely torment her until she’s utterly ruined, as a birthday gift for you.” “But from now on…don’t call me late at night anymore. She’s been under a lot of work stress lately and is a light sleeper. I’m afraid she’ll overhear.” “Are you afraid she’ll overhear, or afraid of disturbing her sleep?!” Jessica’s accusation followed immediately. I deliberately rolled over, making a small noise that caused Jason to instinctively hang up. He quietly came back to bed. Seeing I was still asleep, he let out a long sigh of relief. Over these three months, despite his coaxing, I had never gone further physically with Jason. But I did allow him to sleep in my bed. Jason carefully lifted the covers and got in bed. He gingerly put his arm around my waist and whispered in my ear: “Rachel, I’m sorry.” After he fell asleep, I opened my eyes, a mocking smile on my face.

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The first time I noticed something was off was when I smelled an unfamiliar body wash scent on her. We always use the same brand and fragrance at home. So that day when she came home and leaned in to kiss me, I immediately sensed something wasn’t right. “Did you shower somewhere else today?” I asked casually. “A bird pooped on my head. I didn’t want to stink up the house, so I showered at school before coming home,” she replied smoothly. I smiled and let my gaze drift quickly over her face. She was too calm. So I joked, “Good thing it didn’t happen back in our hometown. There, you’d have to collect rice from a hundred families to make a ‘hundred family meal’ to ward off the bad luck.” That evening, before my shower, I pulled out the clothes she had tossed in the washing machine. I sniffed them carefully but couldn’t detect any scent other than body wash. How could a woman go from morning to night, interacting with so many people, without picking up any traces of perfume, sweat or food smells? I examined her clothes meticulously. The average adult woman sheds about 50 hairs a day, mostly on the back. But this shirt didn’t have a single hair on it! It was as clean as if she had just put it on before coming home. That night, Olivia was especially affectionate, clinging to me and initiating intimacy. I felt nauseous the whole time. I have mild germaphobia, and even though there was still uncertainty, the whole process felt like swallowing a dead fly. “Honey, you don’t seem very into it tonight,” Olivia curled up in my arms afterwards. “Did you hear something upsetting during a therapy session again?”

I’m a hypnotherapist. Many people think we’re like clear mountain springs – tranquil and pure. In reality, we deal with people’s psychological issues every day. As they say, ‘When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back.’ The monsters in our clients’ minds often project onto us, creating new monsters within ourselves. Most of the time we can self-regulate. When we can’t, we turn to colleagues for help. “It was a case of chronic infidelity,” I made up a story. “The wife is notoriously promiscuous. She used to cheat discreetly, but after her husband found out, she started brazenly bringing men home.” “The husband, my client, loves his wife deeply and doesn’t want a divorce. He’s suffering terribly.” I rolled over with a frown. “Why are you women so unfaithful?” “That’s totally unfair! You can’t lump all women together like that,” Olivia pinched my waist playfully. “Not all women are unfaithful. It depends on their moral standards.” “Some women have no moral bottom line and sleep around. Others, like your wife, have very high standards. I’m your first and I’ll be your last, for life.” I couldn’t detect anything amiss from her micro-expressions. But that was normal. It would be abnormal if I could. As an associate professor of mathematics, she’s far more intelligent than me.

Olivia and I met in college. We both did our bachelor’s and master’s degrees consecutively – me in psychology, her in math. Everyone said we were a power couple when we started dating, a collision of two rational minds. We got married right after finishing our master’s degrees, to no one’s surprise. She became a lecturer at the university, teaching undergrads while pursuing her PhD. With my advisor’s support and my parents’ financial help, I opened my own psychological counseling practice. I majored in applied psychology, with hypnotherapy as my specialty. Psychology got a late start in the US. In the early days, people were more skeptical than accepting of psychology, let alone hypnosis. They thought the whole field was a scam. My practice struggled at first, but slowly improved. After successfully handling a few big cases, I gained some renown in the industry.

Fame may seem intangible, but it brings very real benefits. The revenue of my practice skyrocketed. There’s a saying: “A man’s confidence and status come from money.” Because I was earning more, my position at home also rose. I felt more secure and was almost certain Olivia wouldn’t cheat. But reality slapped me hard in the face… The day after I first noticed something off, I picked her up from work and hugged her as usual. The seed of doubt had been planted in my mind about her clothes. Seeing her suspiciously clean outfit again, I slipped a lighter into her coat pocket without hesitation. Then I pretended nothing had happened and cheerfully took her out to dinner. During the meal, she went to the bathroom once for a full ten minutes. When she came back, she looked uneasy. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Nothing, just some work stuff,” she replied. “Do you need to go back to campus?” “No, I’ll deal with it tomorrow.” We were both putting on an act – me playing the clueless husband, her selling the ‘stressed about work’ story. When we got home, she took off her coat and grabbed her phone to shower. I felt in her coat pocket – the lighter was gone. Classic guilty behavior. I tiptoed to the bathroom door. First I heard the ‘ding’ of an incoming SnapChat message, then her lowered voice, sounding annoyed: “Who else would it be? No need to explain! … I’m at home, we’ll talk tomorrow!” My heart sank. Before we got married, we had both expressed the same view: “Zero tolerance for cheating, no compromises.” I backed away, poured myself a drink, and sat on the couch pondering my next move… We don’t have kids, so divorce would only involve dividing assets. Apart from our fixed assets – house, car, collectibles and savings – Olivia manages all our joint finances. She handles the stocks, funds and insurance policies. All the linked bank cards are with her. I hardly ever ask about it… “Honey, what made you decide to have a drink tonight?” Olivia came out of the bathroom, toweling her hair. “Just to set the mood,” I raised my glass in her direction, with a hint of invitation. “I saw you go straight to shower when you got home, so I thought you… Or am I wrong?” “You’re right,” she straddled my lap and kissed me, arms around my neck. Two people with zero interest, both pretending to be in the mood. I still felt sick to my stomach, like I’d swallowed a dead fly, but I kept reminding myself: “Don’t let her realize I know.” I’ve seen many divorces. No matter how passionate the couple once was, few remain civil when it comes to dividing assets. Most turn ugly. I didn’t want to see her ugly side, nor did I want her to see mine. So the best approach was to “elegantly calculate everything in advance.” I’m a selfish person. I don’t want years of hard work to benefit someone else.

The next day, I did two things. First, “I went to a law firm and hired a lawyer to advise me on next steps.” The lawyer first affirmed my actions from the night before – don’t confront her yet. Get everything prepared before showing your hand. You want to catch her off guard. He was slightly concerned about the lighter: “You were a bit rash there. Given your wife’s intelligence, she’ll quickly suspect you planted it.” I replied, “She has no proof. I bought that lighter recently when getting cigarettes. It’s not my usual brand.” The lawyer told me to be careful not to slip up, then recommended “three steps plus one additional suggestion.” “Step 1: Collect evidence of her infidelity.” “Step 2: Apply to the court for asset protection based on the evidence.” I don’t need to compile a detailed list of assets. Just provide leads on the assets and apply for court protection. The court can then take protective measures. “Step 3: File for divorce, request dissolution of the marriage. The judge will determine how to divide marital assets based on the evidence.” Additional suggestion: “If Olivia purchased any high-value items for her lover during the marriage, like a house or car, that’s considered misappropriation of marital assets. I can legally reclaim those.” “The second thing I did was hire a private investigator to gather evidence of Olivia’s affair.” This person is technically called a ‘private investigator’, though less politely they’re known as ‘paparazzi’. They often help dig up celebrity gossip too. My requirements were: “A. I want to know who the other man is and how long it’s been going on.” “B. Dating photos that prove their relationship, like kissing or entering a hotel.” “C. I want to know if Olivia has given him any expensive gifts, like a house or car.” The PI readily agreed, though his fee wasn’t cheap.

The PI’s efficiency puts soap opera plot lines to shame. Those TV wives who spend ages trying to catch cheating husbands should just hire a PI without hesitation. Just four days after I hired him, the PI had already identified the other man. Someone familiar. His name is Jake. A golden boy who made it out of his small town. During college, he interned at my practice as a senior. After graduating, he worked for me for another six months. I even wrote him a recommendation letter for his current job… Who would have thought? Talk about biting the hand that feeds you! I almost laughed out loud. Two weeks ago at an industry gathering, he clinked glasses with me and casually asked how I’d handle it if my wife cheated. I thought it was an odd question at the time. Turns out it was his subtle way of declaring war. I’m sure Olivia sensed his intentions too. That’s why when I put the lighter in her pocket, she never suspected me. “When did they start?” I asked the PI. “Not sure yet, but they’ve been living together for 2 years. Here’s their address…” I looked at the address on the notepad. It was an apartment complex not far from the university, also close to Jake’s workplace. Convenient for both of them. “Did they buy or rent?” “Bought. In Jake’s name.” I didn’t need to ask who paid for it. Jake only has a bachelor’s degree and has been working less than 5 years. He’s not well-known in the field yet, with a monthly salary of just over $1000. Back in his hometown, the whole village would be eager to help out their college graduate. Plus he has a good-for-nothing brother who always needs support… But that apartment complex, even at prices from 3 years ago, would cost at least $200,000 for 800 square feet! I sighed. Olivia is usually so frugal, she won’t even buy me a $1000 watch. But for her lover, she easily shells out over $200,000 for an apartment! “Don’t be too heartbroken, man!” the PI consoled me. “Women are like that, thinking with their lower half.” “That guy isn’t as good-looking as you, and his vibe is way off. Your wife just got bored and wanted some excitement.” I smiled wryly.

Olivia’s choice of Jake was partly about “boredom and excitement”, but more about psychological needs. They both grew up in small towns, fighting their way to the big city. There’s a sense of kindred spirits there. Olivia sees a bit of herself in Jake. Olivia and I come from very different backgrounds. As she puts it, she struggled for 20 years just to have the chance to drink coffee with me at Starbucks. Between us, even though she now has high social status, there’s still deep-rooted insecurity. Whenever we go somewhere fancy, she can’t help but feel nervous, always observing others first. But with Jake, given her absolute advantage in economic and social status, she must feel much more relaxed and empowered. Plus, in their hometown there’s a backwards notion that a woman’s success isn’t just about how much she earns or achieves, but how many men she can attract. We discussed this topic back in college. Olivia vehemently criticized that view. Unfortunately, ideas ingrained over many years become part of one’s core. They can’t be easily erased just by adopting the right values. As for Jake, I won’t speculate on whether he truly loves Olivia. In the adult world, relationships are often just about mutual benefit. When Jake interned with me years ago, he repeatedly expressed envy of my background, career and marriage. So from my perspective, by being with Olivia, he gains material support. Emotionally, he probably feels like he’s finally surpassed me in something. “Here are their photos, boss. This is all we’ve got so far,” the PI handed me several pictures. “Do you want to go to court now, or wait a few more days?” I looked at the photos of them coming and going together, feeling conflicted. Past vows of eternal love, no match for the passage of time. “Christmas is in a couple days,” the PI glanced at my expression cautiously. “Maybe you want to think it over some more?” “In my line of work, you see a lot of dirty business,” the PI said. “To be honest, women who never stray in their whole lives are pretty rare.” For a moment I wavered, but finally just said, “Keep a close eye on them for me.”

Christmas came quickly. Olivia showed up at my office with a huge bouquet of red roses, which was highly unusual for her. The young staff at the office teased us as usual, giving envious looks, posting in the work SnapChat group about being “fed dog food” (seeing a sickeningly sweet couple)… I left work early, browsed the mall a bit, bought a pair of shoes and a necklace for her. Then we went for a Western dinner. I actually cherished the whole process, knowing it might be our last holiday together. But unexpectedly, halfway through dinner, Olivia got a call saying she had to leave. She said her coworker had a fight with her boyfriend. They got into a physical altercation on the street and were now at the hospital. The police were taking statements. She had to go check on them. I know most of Olivia’s close coworkers who would call her for something like this. I picked up my coat and said “I’ll come with you”, but Olivia stopped me. She told me to enjoy my meal, saying the people involved didn’t want too many others to know. She promised to call me after playing peacemaker. I understood immediately, reminded of those palace dramas on TV! The favored concubines always like to flaunt their status in front of the empress, not knowing how they’ll end up dead. “Alright, you go ahead,” I sat back down. “I’ll finish dinner and then hang out at a bar for a bit.” Olivia smiled at me, leaned down to cup my face, and touched her forehead to mine affectionately. “Don’t flirt with any floozies,” she said in her usual doting tone. I made a sound of agreement. Keeping up the act, I teased back, “You never know! Better hurry back if you’re gonna be jealous.” Olivia pinched my nose and turned to leave. Watching her walk away, I called the PI: “Where are you? Olivia just left.” The PI said he was tailing Jake, then gave me an address. From our restaurant to Jake’s location, even with Christmas traffic, should take about 40 minutes by car. But an hour passed. The PI messaged that Olivia still hadn’t arrived. I almost thought Olivia had a fourth lover on the side. Or maybe a coworker really did end up in the hospital. But 20 minutes later, the PI said Olivia had arrived…

That night, I met some friends at a bar. Surrounded by the noisy crowd, all I could picture was those two in bed together. I got home at midnight. Olivia wasn’t back yet. I went into the study and reached for the computer. Before I even touched it, I knew why Olivia had taken twice as long to reach Jake after leaving the restaurant. She’d come home first. Someone had used my computer. Everyone has their own computer habits. My left and right eyes have different degrees of nearsightedness, plus my right eye has astigmatism. So I keep the computer slightly tilted on the desk. Olivia knows this house too well. So well that she forgot to pay attention to these details. The computer use history had been cleared. Apart from some cutting-edge academic materials, the most important thing on my computer was the paper I was currently writing. Something Jake could directly use. Once published in an academic journal, the paper would boost my industry ranking. I don’t want to assume the worst intentions from Olivia and Jake, but I have to prepare for the worst case scenario. Although I only started writing that paper recently, I had been preparing for three years, analyzing thousands of cases and investing huge amounts of time and energy. [Stealing my academic work is even more despicable than stealing my woman!]

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Suddenly, after I got pregnant, Gabriel became incredibly attentive to me. He canceled all his social engagements and personally cooked for me. Everyone envied me for finding such a devoted husband. Until I accidentally discovered a document in his study – “Agreement for Directed Blood Donation During Pregnancy and Newborn Cord Blood Donation”. My name and ID number were clearly listed! In the beneficiary column was Aria Song, the love of his life he had kept abroad for seven years… From outside the door came his gentle, doting voice. “Don’t worry, Aria. I’m personally overseeing her. Nutrition, rest – everything is according to the highest standards. I guarantee the baby will be born healthy. Your life-saving treatment is absolutely assured!” So all those carefully prepared prenatal meals, the mountains of supplements – none of it was out of love for me. It was to raise me into a qualified “blood bank”! “Aria, don’t worry. When the baby is born, I’ll personally take it to the operating room.” “It’s an honor for her and the baby to contribute to your recovery.” Overhearing Gabriel’s phone conversation through the door, my stomach churned violently. Fighting back nausea, I opened the agreement I had found in his drawer – Agreement for Directed Blood Donation During Pregnancy and Cord Blood Donation. The agreement clearly stated: Party B, Olivia Chen, will provide 200cc of blood every 15 days during pregnancy for Miss Aria Song, who suffers from aplastic anemia. Party B will voluntarily donate the child’s cord blood after delivery for Miss Aria Song’s emergency treatment. … So all that blood the nurses had been drawing wasn’t for tests, but for Aria. And the date on this contract was the day after I found out I was pregnant. I remember Gabriel running back excitedly that day, hugging me and spinning me around. It turns out he wasn’t overjoyed, but had finally found the cure to save his true love’s life. My whole body felt drained of blood, chilled to the bone. I flipped from the first page of the agreement to the last. Supplementary terms were printed in bold black font. “If cord blood typing fails, Party B Olivia Chen must agree that when the child meets surgical conditions, they will undergo bone marrow transplant surgery for Miss Aria Song.” “As compensation, after successful surgery, Mr. Gabriel Gu will pay Miss Olivia Chen a one-time mental anguish fee of $1 million, and immediately terminate their marriage.” “Custody of the child will belong to Mr. Gabriel Gu.” My child. The child I risked my life to conceive. From before they were even born, their own father had put a price tag on them, turning them into a walking blood bag and bone marrow bank! Seven years of love, all that time he was good to me. I thought it was belated happiness. I never imagined it was actually cold-hearted calculation! “Thud.” The agreement slipped from my hands. My whole body went limp, and I had to grip the desk to keep from falling. The study door opened. Gabriel walked in carrying a bowl of bird’s nest soup. Seeing my pale face, he frowned slightly. “Olivia, why are you in the study? The doctor said you need more rest.” His voice was as gentle as ever, but I couldn’t help feeling nauseated. I had originally wanted to confront him about the agreement, but instead overheard that conversation. My heart burned with a thousand questions I wanted to ask him, but I trembled, unable to speak. His gaze followed mine to the agreement on the floor. He froze for an instant. But in just a second, his eyes returned to their usual calm, without even a hint of panic. He calmly walked over, picked up the agreement, put it back in the drawer, and locked it. The whole process was smooth and fluid, as if he was just handling an unimportant document. Then he came to stand in front of me, looking down with a tone of resignation and condescension. “You heard everything?” “Olivia, it’s not good to touch other people’s things without permission. But since you already know, I won’t hide it from you anymore.” “Aria is very ill. The doctors say this is her only chance.” “Olivia, you’ve always been kind-hearted. You’ll help me, won’t you?”

I stared into his eyes, which I once thought held the stars and sea. Now I realized they were a bottomless, icy pool. My kindness meant letting him treat my child like medical waste to save another woman? It felt like a burning coal was lodged in my throat. The searing pain left me unable to speak, only able to stare at him intently. Gabriel grew uncomfortable under my gaze. He looked away, his tone taking on a hint of barely noticeable irritation. “Don’t look at me like that.” “This won’t affect our child. The doctors have assessed it, it’s very safe.” “After it’s done, that million dollars will be enough for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life.” He paused, as if realizing his tone was too harsh, and softened his voice with a hint of coaxing. “Olivia, Aria is a human life too. We can’t stand by and let her die.” “You give birth to the child, get the money, we part ways amicably. It’s good for everyone.” Good for everyone? Using my child, my life, to save Aria – how is that good for everyone? If he really thought that, why did he work so hard to make it up to me all this time? In an instant, all those nights we spent in each other’s arms, him cooking for me, worrying about me – all those sweet memories of the past became carefully calculated schemes. It all became utterly disgusting! “Is that so?” I looked into his eyes, my voice hoarse and unfamiliar. “Then what if… I refuse?” The mask of tenderness Gabriel had worn for nine months shattered completely. He straightened up, looking down at me, his eyes cold as ice. “Olivia, you don’t have a choice in this matter.” “My woman and child should share my burdens.” With that, he turned to leave, stopping at the door without looking back. “Tomorrow at 9 AM, the driver will take you to the hospital. You’d better cooperate!” There is no greater sorrow than the death of one’s heart. My whole body went limp. I slid down the cold desk to the floor, unable to shed even a single tear. My phone vibrated in my pocket. I woodenly took it out. It was a bank deposit notification. $500,000. Sent by Gabriel. A down payment. He was always so thorough in everything he did. I stared at that string of numbers, suddenly laughing. So this was the marriage I had persevered in for seven years… I loved for seven years, was a fool for seven years. From now on, it was all over. From here on out, I would start planning for myself.

Early the next morning, I didn’t wait for the driver. Contrary to my usual style, I put on elaborate makeup and changed into the white dress Gabriel liked best. Seeing me come downstairs, Gabriel looked up and scanned me, his eyes filled with scrutiny and warning. I returned a docile smile, obediently sitting across from him. “Gabriel, I’ve thought it through.” My tone was calm. “You’re right. Helping Miss Aria won’t cost me anything.” “I’ll be good and do as you say.” Gabriel clearly hadn’t expected me to agree so quickly. “It’s good that you see it that way.” “I’ll have the lawyers redraft that agreement. If you cooperate, the compensation can be increased by another $500,000.” He was always so confident about me. I lowered my eyes, hiding the mockery in them. “The money’s not important. What’s important is, I have one condition.” “Go on.” I raised my head, looking straight into his eyes. “I want to meet Miss Aria.” “After all, I’m the child’s mother. I have the right to know who my child is saving.” “And… I want to see for myself what kind of woman is worth you going to such lengths for.” Gabriel’s brow furrowed, as if weighing the pros and cons. I continued to push, my voice tinged with a hint of grievance and trembling. “Don’t worry, I won’t do anything. I just… just want to let myself give up completely.” “Let me see her, and I can let go of all my fantasies about you, and calmly… complete this transaction.” Perhaps the word “transaction” pleased him. Or perhaps my current appearance, sufficiently pitiful and submissive, was enough. He was silent for a moment, then finally nodded. “Fine.” “I’ll arrange it for this afternoon.” The first step of my plan was successful. That afternoon, Gabriel personally drove me to that expensive private hospital. Compared to the ordinary single room where I had my prenatal checkups, Aria’s room was a VIP suite on the top floor, filled with sunlight, as cozy as a princess’s chamber. It seems favoritism is evident in every detail. Hiding my bitterness, I looked up. Aria was wearing pink hospital pajamas, her face pale as she leaned weakly against the headboard. Seeing Gabriel enter, her eyes lit up, her voice sweet and soft. “Gabriel, you’re here.” Her gaze fell on me, especially on my belly. That fragility instantly mixed with a barely noticeable hint of scrutiny and smugness. Gabriel walked over, tucking her blanket with practiced tenderness that could melt ice. “Aria, I brought Olivia to see you.” Only then did Aria turn her full attention to me, giving me an apologetic smile. “Mrs. Gu, hello.” “I’m so sorry that my illness has caused you so much trouble.” As she spoke, she gave a weak cough, her eyes rimming with red. “If there was any other way, I wouldn’t have agreed to Gabriel doing this.” “I hope you don’t blame him, he’s just too worried about me.” What a pitiful white lotus. In a few words, she absolved herself of all responsibility, while highlighting Gabriel’s deep love for her. I stood silently, just quietly looking at her. Then I smiled. I walked to her bedside, leaned down, and whispered so only the two of us could hear. “Miss Song, your acting is truly impressive.” “But you’d better be able to fool Gabriel for the rest of your life, and pray that I never reveal the truth.” Aria’s expression changed instantly!

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My dad called me at the classified government agency where I work, telling me to go back home for an arranged date. The potential match seemed great on paper – not only was he handsome, but also a renowned entrepreneur in the area. Before I left, my boss specifically instructed the airline to keep my identity confidential. I boarded the plane at the scheduled time and was about to take my seat when someone suddenly shoved me from behind. Before I could react, the person arrogantly pulled out a wad of cash. “I want this seat. Take the money and get lost.” I suppressed my anger and retorted, “This is clearly the seat I reserved in advance. What gives you the right to kick me out?” Faced with my questioning, the woman looked at me with disdain. “What gives me the right? I’m Mr. Smith’s personal assistant. In Bay City, even the birds in the sky have to answer to the Smith family, got it?” I was stunned for a few seconds, then took out my phone and called my potential fiancé. “I heard from your company that the Smith family can do whatever they want in Bay City. Is that true?” 0

If it weren’t for my dad’s sake, I wouldn’t have even bothered making this call. Stealing my reserved seat wasn’t something that could be resolved just by throwing money at it. If the person had a decent attitude about it, I might have been willing to let it slide. “I’m busy. What do you want?” The voice on the phone sounded very impatient. “Mr. Smith, I think you should ask your personal assistant what she’s trying to do,” I said, about to hand the phone over. But the call abruptly ended. I was dumbfounded. Is this how all rich people behave? Seeing this, the woman who stole my seat had a smug grin plastered across her face. “Oh my, I thought you were so impressive. Turns out Mr. Smith can’t even be bothered to talk to you!” Seeing I was only in my early 20s and dressed simply, she clearly didn’t take me seriously at all. “Miss, do you have any sense of decency left?” I asked. “You stole my seat, and I haven’t even made a fuss about it. How dare you mock me on top of that?” I pointed to a flight attendant nearby. “There are air marshals on board. If you keep causing trouble, don’t blame me for calling security!” When she heard me mention security, she became even more brazen. “Listen here you little brat, save your breath. This airline is owned by the Smith family. Do you really think anyone will help you?” She got more and more worked up as she spoke, spittle flying onto my face. I clenched my fists, instinctively taking a step back. “You keep going on about Mr. Smith this, the Smith family that. So tell me, what exactly is your relationship to the Smiths?” As soon as I finished speaking, she shoved me hard. “My relationship with the Smiths is none of your damn business. Now get lost!” “If you don’t leave right now, I’ll make sure you never get off this plane!” Having spent years in a government agency with minimal outside contact, I had no idea how to deal with this kind of shrew. Seeing her arrogant attitude, my anger levels were rapidly rising. “You steal my seat and now you’re threatening me? Who do you think you are, the Queen of England?” As soon as I said that, the other passengers on the plane gasped in shock. “Holy crap, this girl’s got some nerve! Daring to insult Ms. Zhang like that, she must have a death wish!” “It’s just a seat, what’s the big deal about giving it up? If she really offends them, she’ll be the one to suffer.” “Man, talk about bad luck. Of all people to run into, it had to be Yasmin Zhang. She’s Mr. Smith’s right-hand woman!” As the murmurs from the crowd grew louder, Ms. Zhang’s expression became even more smug. “You little bitch, how dare you insult me! Do you have a death wish?” Faced with her threats, I couldn’t care less. In fact, I found it almost amusing. “Ms. Zhang, I suggest you watch your language.” “If you really piss me off, not even your boss will be able to deal with the consequences.” “Watch my ass!” After cursing at me some more, she seemed to feel it wasn’t enough. She rolled up her sleeves and charged at me again. “What, Ms. Zhang? Resorting to violence at the drop of a hat, are we?” She swung at me several times but couldn’t even touch the hem of my clothes. She instantly became furious. “You little brat, try dodging one more time!” “I’ll call Mr. Smith right now, just you wait!” I didn’t fight back against the secretary’s repeated provocations, only dodging. It wasn’t because I was afraid of her, but because before I left the agency, my boss had repeatedly instructed me: “Your every word and action represents the image of our agency. When you’re out there, don’t get into conflicts with others no matter what.” Besides, I didn’t know how to fight. Either I don’t act at all, or I go for the kill in one strike! Seeing that I wasn’t saying anything, Ms. Zhang thought I had chickened out. She raised her hand and charged at me again. At the critical moment, a roar came from behind: “Stop right there!” 0

“Yasmin Zhang, you’re my personal assistant. How can you casually start fights in public?” A tall, muscular young man, surrounded by bodyguards, strode quickly to where we were standing. “Are you William Smith?” I asked. I carefully examined the man in front of me. I had to admit, my dad did have good taste. He was wearing a tailored suit, with sharp, chiseled features. If I had to find any flaw, it would be the cold look in his eyes as he gazed at me. “Mr. Smith, since this is our first meeting, please allow me to briefly introduce myself.” “My surname is Chen, given name Jessica. I’m from…” “No need!” William impatiently waved his hand to cut me off before I could finish. “We’ve met now. We’re not compatible. Get off the plane.” At that moment, I almost thought there was something wrong with my ears. I had gone through layers of approval from my agency superiors to take even half a day off. We had barely met, and he wouldn’t even let me finish introducing myself before telling me to leave? He was clearly treating me like an idiot! Thinking about this, my temper immediately flared up. “You must be William Smith, the man my dad set me up with for this arranged date, right?” “Isn’t it a bit rude to not even let me finish speaking before asking me to leave?” Hearing my words, William let out a derisive laugh. “Manners? Why don’t you take a look in the mirror – do you really think you’re worthy of me?” He glanced at me disdainfully. “I don’t know what my dad was thinking, wanting me to marry some trophy wife like you.” With those words, the crowd erupted once again. “What? This girl is actually Mr. Smith’s fiancée? This is unbelievable!” “A country bumpkin like her who’s never seen the world, dreaming of marrying into a rich family? She should take a good look at herself and see if she’s worthy.” “Mr. Smith is the most eligible bachelor in Bay City. I, Lily Roberts, will be the first to object to this marriage!” As the murmurs from the crowd grew louder, I was a bit bewildered. When did I ever say I wanted to marry him? Even if I did want to, it would still require approval from my superiors! “Alright, alright. I’m a trophy wife, you’re the young master. Happy now?” I said. “Since Mr. Smith isn’t interested in me, I’ll just leave. However…” I suddenly changed my tone. “This first class seat was reserved in advance by my agency. It’s not something just anyone can sit in.” I had barely finished speaking when Yasmin immediately stepped forward. “You little bitch, trying to act high and mighty in front of Mr. Smith, huh?” “The entire plane belongs to the Smith family. What right do you have to refuse?” Seeing this scene, I finally understood the true meaning of the word “bootlicker”. “Ms. Zhang, I just want to sit in my own seat. What does it matter who owns the plane?” As soon as I finished speaking, William immediately became displeased and took out his phone. “It’s just a first class ticket. I’ll pay ten times the price!” “I’ll give you $100,000. Now disappear and don’t let me see you again!” I curled my lips into a smile. “Well, since Mr. Smith is being so sincere, I suppose I’ll have to reluctantly accept.” Just as I was about to turn around, Ms. Zhang suddenly shouted at me. “Stop right there, you little bitch!” I paused mid-step and slowly turned back. “What’s the matter? Has Ms. Zhang changed her mind?” Yasmin gave me a sinister smile and whispered something in William’s ear. The next second, this so-called youngest billionaire in Bay City exploded in anger. “You Chen, how dare you lay hands on my people?” 0

From Yasmin’s expression, I guessed she must have said quite a few bad things about me to William. I have to say, her tactic of using others to attack me was flawless. Based on the first impression William had of me, I knew that no amount of explanation would work. I simply couldn’t be bothered to waste my breath. “Whether I laid hands on her or not doesn’t matter anymore. Just tell me what you want to do about it.” William seemed surprised that I was so unapologetic. There was a hint of astonishment in his eyes. “What else can be done? You need to apologize of course!” I raised an eyebrow slightly, a faint smile on my lips. “An apology is definitely not happening. Why don’t you come up with another solution?” “One million dollars!” Yasmin exclaimed gleefully, stepping forward. “As Mr. Smith’s personal assistant, I handle multi-million dollar deals in minutes.” “Just because you pushed me earlier, I’m feeling unwell now. You have to take responsibility!” Hearing Yasmin’s words, the onlookers around us gasped in shock. Even William himself seemed surprised. “Ms. Zhang, isn’t a million dollars a bit much?” he asked. “Even if you went to the hospital for a full body check-up, it wouldn’t cost nearly that much.” Yasmin immediately waved her hand. “No, no, no, Mr. Smith. You’re thinking too narrowly.” “As your personal assistant, I was assaulted on your family’s own plane. It’s not just my face that’s been lost!” “Asking for just a million in compensation is already being merciful to her.” William pondered for a moment, feeling there was some logic to it, and nodded slightly. “Fine! A million it is. I’ll pay it!” I didn’t give them time to reconsider and immediately agreed. “Alright, I accept.” With those words, the eyes of everyone on the plane focused on me. Some thought I was putting on airs. Some suspected I was playing dumb to catch them off guard. The rest were just gloating. But these opinions didn’t matter much to me. What mattered was that someone was trying to steal my seat. Although they offered over ten times the price, their attitude really pissed me off. “Now that we’ve settled the pushing incident, shall we discuss the seat issue?” I asked. Suddenly changing tack, I couldn’t help but smirk. “My itinerary was reported to the airline. Did you think just anyone could sit here?” As soon as I finished speaking, laughter erupted around us. “Has this girl lost her mind? It’s just a first class seat, who needs to report that to anyone?” “Exactly! The entire airline belongs to the Smith family. Who else could she possibly report to?” I coldly swept my gaze across the crowd before slowly speaking. “Everyone seems to think the Smith family is so wealthy and powerful that they can buy out an entire airline, right?” “Well then, I’d like to know – can Mr. Smith make the plane stop?” I grinned. “He can’t… but I can!”

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To donate bone marrow to my husband’s *nominal* sister, I was forced to terminate the baby in my womb. After the surgery, my husband appeased his *nominal* sister with company shares, yet he trivialized my pain. “Don’t cause a scene here. It’s just one child; it’s not like she can’t have more.” His words were terrifyingly calm, as if what was lost was utterly insignificant. But that was the child I’d fought for with countless fertility treatments. The gown I’d poured my heart into designing was stolen, leaving me to wear a cheap dress. Chloe nestled in Julian’s arms, looking smug. “Sister-in-law, I liked this dress, so I took it. You wouldn’t look good in it anyway.” Watching them embrace, I couldn’t help but gag. This was the man who once knelt before my mother to marry me. Now, he wore the matching outfit I designed, yet held another woman. Finally, I dialed the number I thought I’d never have to call. The person on the other end chuckled, a joyful sound, as if a long-awaited treasure had finally returned. “Wait for me. Your car is already on its way.”

“Chloe, did you get this month’s company dividend?” Standing outside the CEO’s office, about to knock, I froze at the voices from within. Dividend? Chloe was merely Julian’s *nominal* sister, with no company shares. Why would she get a dividend? Then, Chloe’s delicate voice chimed in: “Julian, you gave me 30% of the company shares for my surgery. What did Sister-in-law get?” “If she got more than me, I won’t accept it!” “Aubrey? She merely had a fetus aborted. For you, that’s nothing.” Julian scoffed, his voice icy, as if it wasn’t even his child. *Merely had a fetus aborted?* The two in the CEO’s office had begun to pour out their hearts to each other, but I couldn’t hear anything anymore. The world just spun around me. My mind replayed Julian holding my waist, his expression incredibly forlorn as he said, “Aubrey, I want a child.” We’d been married for ten years, and for those words, I… I endured countless hormone shots, trying for seven years to finally conceive that child. The day we found out, he held me and cried tears of joy. But less than two months later, Chloe fell ill. She was diagnosed with leukemia and needed a bone marrow donor. After countless tests, only I was a match. For Chloe to have a successful surgery, Julian knelt before me. “Aubrey, I’m sorry to you and our child, but Chloe will die without your bone marrow!” This man who claimed to love me deeply, this man who smiled and said he could finally be a father. In the end, for his *nominal* sister, he demanded his wife personally sacrifice their hard-won child. His tears back then, compared to now, were nothing but a joke. I looked at the ceiling, a desperate smile on my face, tears silently falling. Gently stroking my flat stomach, I murmured, “My baby, ultimately, it’s mommy who failed you. I chose the wrong daddy for you.” When I came to my senses, sickening gasps and moans came from the CEO’s office. I morbidly listened to the entire exchange at the door, as if to sever the last shred of hope in my heart. Julian held Chloe, caressing her slightly swollen belly. “Chloe, we’ll have to be more careful from now on. The baby is getting bigger.” Chloe seemed shy, playfully complaining, “Why would you say something like that? What if someone hears us?” “I finally have a child again, of course I have to be careful.” Julian’s voice held boundless anticipation, just like he used to speak to me. “Julian, you sound like it’s your first time being a dad. Didn’t you have a child with Sister-in-law before?” Chloe’s voice carried a hint of confusion. Julian spoke as if it concerned someone utterly insignificant, his tone indifferent: “Her child wasn’t mine and yours. Besides, it was never born. Its greatest purpose was being aborted for you.” I couldn’t bear to listen anymore. I left the company in a daze. The heavens seemed to weep with me, unleashing a torrential downpour. I only heard the screech of tires, and a dark shadow enveloped me. *Bang!* I instantly plunged into darkness.

When I woke up again, all I saw was a stark white ceiling. The air was thick with the pungent smell of disinfectant. “Aubrey, are you okay! You’re finally awake! You’ve been unconscious for three days and three nights after the car accident!” Julian excitedly gripped my hand by the bedside. My mind slowly started to clear. I expressionlessly pulled my hand away. Julian froze for a few seconds. In that brief moment, a petite figure squeezed past the stunned Julian. “Sister-in-law! Your sudden car accident scared Julian and me terribly! Julian personally took care of you for three days!” Chloe looked worried, but her eyes clearly told me: *Why aren’t you dead yet?* I weakly pulled at the corners of my mouth. “Then I’m truly grateful for your devoted care.” As I spoke, my gaze fell directly on Chloe’s slightly swollen belly. Chloe realized her true intentions had been seen through, and being stared at so intently, she recoiled slightly. Julian disapproved of my tone. “Aubrey, why would you say that? We’re all family. Family doesn’t talk like strangers.” I forced myself to sit up, my body, aching from the crash, felt as if it would shatter. “You and I are legally family. What does that make Chloe?” My tone was devoid of emotion, simply stating a fact. But Julian instantly reacted like I’d struck a nerve, jumping up from his chair. The chair scraped against the floor with a shrill screech, but no one cared in that moment. Julian’s face darkened. He pointed at me, enunciating each word: “Aubrey, apologize to Chloe immediately!” “Chloe grew up with me since she was little. Her father was my dad’s old comrade; he entrusted her to our family before he died. Are you saying you don’t consider Chloe a sister at all?!” I looked at the two standing together, and it was like seeing Julian protect me in the past. Before, when I was cornered and bullied in the alley by people who looked down on me at school, Julian defended me with the same unwavering resolve. Now, I had gone from being by his side to standing against him. “Is that so? What’s Chloe’s last name? Or is she the one on your family record?” I looked coldly at the man before me, my eyes devoid of any past affection. Julian’s anger was thoroughly ignited. He roughly grabbed my hand, which was still hooked up to an IV. “No matter what Chloe’s last name is, or if she’s on my family record, she *is* my family!” A sharp pain shot through the back of my hand. I watched as blood rapidly flowed back into the IV line. The man who once couldn’t stand to see me get even a scratch. Now, he showed no reaction to my injury, his sole focus still on defending his beloved sister. My numb heart still involuntarily twinged with pain. Memories of love flickered within me, the contrast with the harsh reality made my eyes sting. I quietly watched the blood in my body mix little by little with the medication. Julian, getting no response, followed my gaze. Only then did he notice the blood flowing back, and a look of disgust flashed across his face. Julian abruptly flung my hand away. “My wife shouldn’t be someone as jealous as you. You stay here and reflect properly.” With that, he took Chloe and slammed the door shut as they left. I lay alone on the bed, silently weeping. My hand unconsciously went to my lower abdomen, where there was no longer any sign of life.

Julian, under the guise of wanting me to “reflect,” didn’t show up at all during my half-month hospital stay. Only Chloe visited, as if to declare her dominance. As if I were the one who had been taken in by their family; And she, the rightful lady of the house, came to visit me so naturally. She even “casually” exposed her baby bump, trying to provoke me into an irreversible decline. “Ms. Aubrey, your condition has mostly stabilized, but a few data points aren’t quite up to par.” “But don’t worry too much, as long as you regulate your mood, you’ll be fine. Is the lady who often visits you your sister? She really cares for you.” The doctor looked at the medical records in her hand, explaining my situation, clearly thinking Chloe and I were sisters. A crestfallen expression on my face, I closed my eyes and softly murmured, “With a sister like that, I probably won’t ever leave this hospital.” The doctor didn’t quite catch what I said and instinctively asked. I didn’t want to elaborate, so I perfunctorily sent the doctor away. Discharged, I returned home. Chloe looked at me sitting in a wheelchair. A resentful malice flashed in her eyes. “Sister-in-law, you’re really lucky, coming out of such a car accident in half a month like nothing happened.” I didn’t respond to her. I surveyed the small home I once considered our love nest, Julian’s and mine. Many of my things were gone, Replaced by items clearly in Chloe’s preferred style. “Oh, Sister-in-law, I’m so sorry, but while you were in the hospital, I was afraid Julian wouldn’t have anyone to take care of him, so I moved in. You’re not angry, are you?” There wasn’t an ounce of apology in Chloe’s words, only overflowing smugness. I sat there, silent. It was always like this, I don’t know when it started. Whenever it came down to a choice between me and Chloe, I was always the one cast aside. Just like that crucial charity gala. To save Julian from embarrassment, I poured immense effort into designing a matching gown. With all my love for Julian and the belief that we would soon have the fruit of our love. The dress created with such conviction; Chloe obtained it with a single pout directed at Julian. When the gala began, I couldn’t find my gown and cried in desperation. But Julian said, “How many times have I told you to keep your things safe? Now look, we’re going to be late because of you.” He seemed a little guilty, not daring to meet my tear-filled eyes. My tears smudged my delicate makeup: “I distinctly remember telling Mrs. Davies to take it to the dry cleaner and then put it personally in the deepest part of the wardrobe. I even saw her do it.” Seeing me frantically rummaging through the wardrobe like a madwoman, Julian, as if escaping something, flung out a frustrated accusation, saying he was going to attend with Chloe and I shouldn’t bother. When I finally got a hastily bought dress from Mrs. Davies, And arrived at the venue, only then did I find out where my original gown had gone. Chloe smugly held Julian’s arm, stroking the gown that was meant for me, Smiling, she said, “Sister-in-law, isn’t this dress beautiful? It’s Julian’s matching one.” “But Sister-in-law, how dare you come here wearing such a cheap dress? You’re totally embarrassing Julian.” Seeing the two glued together, I almost immediately leaned against the wall and started dry heaving, unable to control myself. Chloe immediately covered her mouth in disgust. “Julian, I think Sister-in-law’s not well. If she goes to the gala in this state…” Julian’s slight feeling of guilt vanished instantly. He ordered someone to “escort” me out. My tears fell like a broken string of pearls. I shook off the security guard who came to restrain me, looking utterly pathetic in the eyes of countless guests. Mocks and laughter filled my ears. My heart lost the ability to feel in that moment. “Julian, let’s get a divorce.”

The moment I spoke, everyone present fell silent. I numbly watched Julian’s expression turn utterly astonished, his eyes filled with panic. Julian was about to speak, but was immediately interrupted by a sob. “Sister-in-law, I didn’t mean to wear your dress by mistake! Please don’t be angry over such a small thing!” Chloe cried dramatically, feigning to take off the gown. Julian seemed to snap back to reality. “Aubrey, I’m so disappointed in you.” “It’s just a dress. Are you really that petty, making our family a laughingstock in front of everyone at an event like this?” As he spoke, he took off the matching suit jacket I had designed for him and draped it over the other woman. My heart twinged uncontrollably, like a thousand needles pricking me. Did he not see how I toiled tirelessly, like a mother nurturing a child, to create that design? Did he not see my ten fingers constantly pricked as I stitched every single thread? No, he saw it all. He just didn’t care. “Julian, whose family *are* you anyway?” I looked at Julian, deeply hurt, my voice tinged with rare accusation. Julian, as if exposed, grew enraged. “Aubrey, I think you’ve lost your mind. Someone take her away to calm down!” The surrounding scorn and ridicule intensified, but I couldn’t hear it anymore. My body was ice cold, all strength drained from me. Taken away by security again, this time I didn’t resist. After that gala ended, Chloe provocatively sent the two utterly ruined outfits back to me. Looking at the two garments, almost unrecognizable from their original form, my heart felt just as broken. Crying all night, clutching the clothes, my heart gradually grew numb. But not long after, good news came from my belly. The child we had waited for so many years had finally arrived. Julian held my waist, his ear pressed against my still-flat belly. “Aubrey, after all these years, we finally have our child!” I had never seen him so happy. “Julian, with this child, I don’t care how much hardship or suffering I’ve endured before.” We embraced, our faces filled with joyful smiles. I felt like I was in heaven at that moment. But less than four months later, it became hell. Julian, his face filled with urgency, knelt before me: “Aubrey! Only you can save Chloe! I beg you, abort the child!” I felt as if plunged into an ice cellar: “What are you saying?” Julian, still kneeling, gripped my arm as if afraid I’d run away, his hold impossibly tight. “Chloe has leukemia, and only your bone marrow is a match.” “The doctor said for the donation to go smoothly, you must abort the child. Please, I’m begging you!” “Our family owes Chloe’s family a life! You can’t just stand by and watch her die!!” The man before me, in his frantic state, terrified me. “Julian, are you insane?! This child came after how many hormone shots?! How many years have we waited for this, have you forgotten!?” My voice grew sharp, filled with disbelief. Julian, as if he hadn’t expected me to refuse, His face twisted, anger overriding his desperation. “Can’t you have another child?! What could be more important than Chloe?!” His words were followed by a harsh slap. I clutched my red, swollen cheek, completely stunned. By the time I reacted, I couldn’t catch my breath and passed out. When I woke again, my slightly swollen belly was flat. Learning I had lost the child, I felt as if my soul had been ripped from my body, all vitality gone. Compared to the lifelessness in my hospital room, Chloe’s bed, just a wall away, was surrounded by people. Everyone was celebrating Chloe’s recovery from danger; My husband happily held her hand, his eyes full of affection: “Chloe, I told you I’d cure you no matter the cost.” Chloe was moved to tears: “Julian, I always believed in you.” Everyone present praised their bond, saying it was closer than blood. Just a wall away, I lay shattered on the bed, like a rag doll from whom all utility had been extracted. I don’t know how much time passed. When I regained consciousness, it had been a week. The nurse, seeing me finally regain some autonomy, said with a hint of fear: “Ms. Aubrey, you wouldn’t believe it, but for that entire week, you had no basic will to live. You were sustained only by IV drips. Otherwise, I’m afraid…” The nurse didn’t finish her sentence. I didn’t care about my emaciated body, nor did I care about anyone anymore. I was no different from a corpse. Having lost my child, I finally dialed the number I thought I’d never call in my life. Back then… He insisted I take his contact information, saying it was his private number. No matter when I called, he would answer immediately. The phone connected, and a deep, magnetic voice came through: “You finally called.”

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