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Before the wedding, Alpha Lawrence’s first love, Sandra Barlow, was betrothed to none other than Emmett Wright—the most infamous rogue Alpha along the Mississippi River. A wolf so ruthless, even the werewolf Council preferred to pretend he didn’t exist. Alpha Lawrence, ever the noble hero, couldn’t bear to see his precious white moonlight thrown into the fire pit. So, what did he do? With the werewolf army of the Blue Moon Pack, he stormed into the rogue den and snatched her away from Alpha Emmett. That very night, they registered their marriage and held a wedding. And me? Oh, the entire Blue Moon Pack was practically at the thought of watching Gamma Audrey Gilbert—the strongest female warrior in the pack—get humiliated. After all, my years of loyalty, my unmatched skills, my blood spilled for this pack? Worthless. Why? Because their beloved Alpha had chosen another. I braced myself for the whispers, the pitying glances. But then— The very next day, Alpha Emmett, the same rogue who’d been so cruelly robbed of his mate, climbed onto my villa’s security wall like a damn cat burglar. He perched there, arms crossed, watching me with an infuriatingly lazy smirk. “Wife pays for her husband’s debt,” he drawled, his voice carrying the rough edge of a wolf who lived lawless and free. “Alpha Lawrence stole my mate. So I figured—you should compensate me by becoming my rogue Luna.” He grinned, canines flashing. “ That’s fair, isn’t it?” I nodded. “Fair.”

“I’ll marry you and become your Rogue Luna.” Alpha Emmett seemed completely taken aback that I would agree to such an absurd condition.he stood there, frozen like a statue, his jaw slack, his expression a mix of disbelief and confusion. “You… you, you—are you serious?” he finally stammered, his eyes wide as if he’d just seen a ghost. “Three days from now, I’ll come to marry you. No backing out.” I shrugged with a smirk. “Yes，I said it, Never take-backs.” The poor guy practically tripped over his own feet as he scrambled down the wall, clearly terrified I might change my mind. Just as he reached the ground, he stumbled and almost faceplanted. I laughed, the sound light and genuine. For someone with the reputation of being a rogue Alpha to the core, Emmett was unexpectedly… charming in an awkward kind of way. Not the arrogant brute the rumors painted him to be. My amusement was cut short when a voice interrupted my thoughts, sliding into my mind through the pack link. “Gamma,” came the calm, measured voice of my servant. “Alpha Lawrence is waiting for you in the living room.” The laughter vanished from my face in an instant. My wolf, usually heard this will be happy or wag her tail, but now went deathly silent. By the time I reached the living room, my smile was gone, replaced by a mask of cool detachment. Alpha Lawrence was standing there, his posture as confident as ever, but the forced smile on his lips gave him away. “Alpha Lawrence,” I said evenly, “shouldn’t you be at home with your new Luna? What urgent business brings you here?” His grin faltered for a split second before he forced it wider. “Audrey, you know I wouldn’t come if it wasn’t important.” I crossed my arms, leaning against the doorframe with an arched brow. “Important enough to leave your honeymoon?” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Sandra’s too soft. She’d be ruined if I let her marry that rogue. You know she wouldn’t survive in a life like that.” I tilted my head, my tone laced with mockery. “And yet, you didn’t hesitate to ruin me and my family’s reputation. Funny how that works.” His face fell, but he quickly recovered. “Audrey, let’s not do this. I didn’t have a choice. You know I care about you.” “Alpha Lawrence,” I said, voice cold and steady, “our engagement is over. There’s nothing more to say.” He took a step closer, his hand reaching out as if to placate me. “Audrey, don’t be rash. Just because I married her doesn’t mean things have to change between us.” I stared at him, incredulous. He actually believed the garbage coming out of his mouth. “Sandra won’t mind, She’s sweet, understanding. You just need to be patient for now. Be my girlfriend until things settle. When you have my pup, I’ll bring you back to my estate. We’ll be together—all three of us.” ““You and Sandra are both important to me, and I swear I’ll treat you equally. Neither of you will feel neglected.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. The audacity of this man, to ask the strongest female Gamma in the pack to be his mistress. Even if I were willing, my family would never tolerate such humiliation. I laughed, a sharp, humorless sound that made him flinch. “I, Audrey Gilbert, won’t be anyone’s mistress.” His smile faltered, annoyance flickering in his eyes. “Audrey, don’t make this difficult. Being my mistress isn’t as bad as you’re making it out to be. I’ll make sure no one disrespects you.Why make this so difficult for me?” I’m making it difficult for him? I almost laughed in disbelief. Was I the one who had disrupted someone’s wedding, dragged another woman to the registry office, and left my family in disgrace? I looked at him mockingly and repeated, “I said, I, Audrey Gilbert, will never—never—be anyone’s mistress.” He scowled. “You’re being unreasonable! The entire Blue Moon Pack knows you’re my mate. Do you think anyone else would want you now? You’re already ruined.” His words were like a dagger, but I didn’t flinch. My wolf growled low in my mind, her hackles raised. If she had her way, she’d rip his throat out for daring to speak to me like that. But I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me lose control. I stood taller, my voice steady and unwavering. “I, Audrey Gilbert, would rather live alone for all of my life than settle for being your second choice.” “Beta Audrey,Without me, no one else will ever want you.” “He stormed out, his word lingering like an unwelcome guest. The slam of the door echoed in the room, but I didn’t move. My hands clenched into fists and a bitter ache in my chest. From the moment I turned 18, I had taken over my father’s Gamma position, thanks to my rare white wolf. That same day, I found my mate. When I first saw Alpha Lawrence, my wolf howled with joy, “Mate!” The golden boy of the Blue Moon Pack was my destined mate. Even now, years after we graduated, we were still the star couple of the Blue Moon Pack’s No 1 Academy. But the Alpha Lawrence who once adored me, who couldn’t bear to see me suffer even the slightest pain—that Lawrence was gone. The man before me now was Sandra’s mate. The moment he chose Sandra over me, ignoring my love and trampling on my heart, I should have let go. But I couldn’t. Ten years of history between us—I couldn’t believe it would lose to their mere six months of knowing each other. Yet, I was wrong. Completely, utterly wrong. chapter 2 Alpha Emmett didn’t give me a chance to change my mind. The very next morning, a convoy of wolves from the Rogue Den arrived at the gates of my villa. Their cargo? Twenty-five chests of gold. Yes, you heard that right—one chest for every year of my life. When Alpha Emmett opened those chests in my living room, the dazzling gold nearly blinded me. Honestly, I didn’t know if I should be impressed or worried about getting robbed. My parents weren’t thrilled about Alpha Emmett. “Are you sure about this, Audrey?” my mom asked for the tenth time. “Alpha Emmett’s reputation isn’t exactly… spotless,” my dad added. But my mind was made up. “Love or power,” I replied with a shrug, “at least I’ll have one of them.” Now, was Alpha Emmett’s reputation as the Rogue Alpha of the entire Rogue Den a little intimidating? Sure. But he was powerful. His pack is tucked away in the remote Mississippi River region, but it was vast and fiercely strong. That kind of strength came with its own allure. And besides, if Sandra Barlow hadn’t turned him down, I wouldn’t even have this opportunity. Just as I was contemplating how to store all this gold , the door swung open. In walked Alpha Lawrence with Sandra trailing behind him. Upon seeing the scene before them, both seemed to jump to conclusions. Alpha Lawrence raised his chin with an expression that practically screamed, “I knew it.” Sandra, on the other hand, had a glint of greed in her eyes. “Audrey,” she cooed, her voice dripping with fake sweetness, “is this all your dowry?” Sandra Barlow is the unwanted product of a drunken night between Delta Kingsley and a stripper. The Barlow family barely tolerated her existence, sending her off on her wedding day with nothing more than a box of pastries. I frowned. “No, it’s not.” Lawrence scoffed. “Come on, Audrey, drop the act. Yesterday, you were all about not getting married, and now you’re stockpiling your dowry?” “Yes, Audrey,” Sandra chimed in, her voice sickly sweet. “We’re all family now that you’re marrying Lawrence.” Before I could tell her to shove her idea of “family,” she turned to Lawrence. “Didn’t you prepare a gift for Audrey? Go on, show her!” she said, tugging on his arm. As she moved, a glint of green around her neck caught my eye. My chest tightened. That necklace—a stunning emerald piece—was an heirloom from Lawrence’s family, meant for the future Luna. I’d dropped more hints about it than I cared to admit, but he’d always dodged the subject, refusing to part with it. Yet there it was, now sitting smugly on Sandra’s neck. Noticing my stare, Sandra adjusted her collar, ensuring the necklace sparkled under the light. And then, as if that weren’t enough, Lawrence pulled out a small box from his pocket, opened it, and tossed its contents at me. A ring. A cheap, ugly ring made of stainless steel. “Here,” he said, his tone laced with mockery. “It’s for you.” I picked up the ring, its chipped rose-gold paint flaking off in my hand, and couldn’t help but laugh. He was so generous with Sandra, yet so miserly with me. “Wow, Alpha Lawrence,” I said, handing it back to him. “This masterpiece should definitely go to your Luna.” Alpha Lawrence’s face darkened instantly. Furious, he snatched the ring and hurled it out the window. “If you don’t want it, then it’s trash!” Sandra pouted dramatically, stomping her foot. “Audrey, this ring was chosen specifically for you by Lawrence and me. It’s a token of our goodwill.” “Oh, and Audrey,” she continued with a saccharine smile, “I designed a wedding dress for you myself. I hope you’ll like it.” She gestured to a maid, who handed her a pink gown. I was so angry, I laughed. In Blue Moon Pack tradition, pink wedding dresses were reserved for second marriages or mistresses. Watching Sandra’s smug expression, I finally understood their purpose for coming today. They wanted to humiliate me. Without caring whether I agreed or not. Sandra handed me the dress with a smug grin, clearly enjoying herself. In front of Alpha Lawrence, I reiterated, “I’ve already told you, the wedding is off.” “If there’s nothing else, you two may leave.” But it was clear they didn’t take my words seriously. Sandra grabbed my arm, trying to drag me toward the fitting room. “Don’t be ridiculous, Audrey. At least try it on!” Annoyed, I shoved her hand away. “Get out. Don’t touch me.” I hadn’t even used much force, yet Sandra dramatically staggered backward, collapsing to the ground with the dress in hand. Tears quickly welled in her eyes. “Audrey, I… I was just trying to help,” she whimpered, clutching the dress like I’d ripped her heart out. Alpha Lawrence, seeing this, shoved me hard. “Audrey Gilbert, This dress was Sandra’s gift to you,She spent days designing it and made sure it was finished in time for the wedding. And this is how you repay her?” “An ungrateful, jealous shrew like you deserves to be alone forever.” With that, he scooped Sandra into his arms and stormed out. Sandra glanced over his shoulder, smirking triumphantly. That smirk reminded me of the first time I met her. chapter 3 Back then, she was just the illegitimate daughter of the Barlow family, a stray among nobles, tolerated but never truly accepted. At a grand banquet, her sister, Miss Fiona, treated her like a mere servant. When she accidentally spilled wine on Fiona’s silk gown, the entire hall fell silent. A hush of anticipation rippled through the crowd as Fiona, ever the perfect lady in public, cracked her fan shut with an audible snap and delivered a sharp slap across Sandra’s cheek. “Know your place,” Fiona hissed. “Kneel.” Sandra hesitated, her hands trembling. No one moved to help her. No one ever did. That was when Alpha Lawrence stepped forward. His golden eyes flashed with barely restrained fury as he caught Fiona’s wrist mid-swing. “Enough,” he said, his voice dangerously low. “She’s still your sister.” The crowd gasped. Fiona’s face burned with anger, but she swallowed it down, retreating with forced grace. From then on, Lawrence became Sandra’s silent protector. He offered her food before anyone else, took her on runs through the pack lands, even made sure she had the best training gear. I should’ve seen the signs. Whenever I pouted about it, he’d ruffle my hair and laugh. “I just feel sorry for Sandra,” he’d say. “She’s had it rough.” And I believed him. Like a fool. Until the day Sandra was set to marry Alpha Emmett, the most feared rogue Alpha along the Mississippi River. Lawrence stormed the rogue den like a man possessed, challenging Emmett in broad daylight. He didn’t just stop the wedding. He married her himself that very night. And to make sure no one could ever take her away, he marked her under the moonlight. That was when I finally understood. Pity had nothing to do with it. The night before my wedding, the Blue Moon Pack held its annual harvest festival—my favorite time of the year. Every year, Lawrence and I would set off fireworks together, laughing like pups as they painted the sky with streaks of silver and gold. But this year, I stood alone in the empty streets. The vendors were gone. The familiar scent of caramel apples and roasted nuts was missing. Something was off. Then, I heard two women chatting nearby. “Alpha Lawrence really went all out for Luna Sandra this time. Did you hear? He bought every single firework on this street just for her.” “No kidding. If I were Luna Sandra, I’d be moved to tears.” “That’s not even the best part. Alpha Lawrence went as far as offending the Rogue Alpha for her and even made Gamma Audrey to be a mistress. Alphas this good only exist in TV dramas!” Hearing that, I scoffed mockingly. I was about to leave when a familiar voice called out from behind me. “Audrey.” Instinctively, I turned around and saw Alpha Lawrence and Sandra standing not far away. Sandra was holding a sparkler and ran over to me, beaming. “Audrey, are you here to set off fireworks too?” Alpha Lawrence was still angry about what happened yesterday. Seeing me, he let out a cold snort. Sandra, ever the show-off, extended the sparkler in her hand toward me. “I’m sorry, sister. Lawrence bought all the fireworks on this street for me. Why don’t you take this one?” “No, thank you.” I stepped back, wary of her trying to frame me again. Besides, I had no interest in using something that had already been touched by someone else—whether it was an object or a person. Hearing my response, Alpha Lawrence’s expression turned icy, and his tone dripped with sarcasm. “Gamma Audrey wouldn’t deign to accept anything from us. Leave her be, Sandra. Let’s go.” With that, he pulled Sandra toward the riverbank. As they walked away, a man in a suit approached me. “Gamma Audrey, this is from Alpha Emmett,” he said.

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Damien Thorne, the ruthless underworld kingpin, confessed his love for the ninety-ninth time. And for the ninety-ninth time, I rejected him. That very night, he drugged me and held me captive. Damien’s eyes were wild, possessive. He held me close, whispering his love over and over, a chilling litany. I scoffed, my heart burning with hatred for him. I managed to escape, barely, only to be kidnapped by his enemies. To save me, Damien took three bullets. The first shot crippled his arm. The second blinded an eye. The third stole his life. As he lay dying, covered in his own blood, Damien stared at me, his gaze stubborn, yet heartbreakingly fragile. “Evelyn, why couldn’t you just love me, just once?” I opened my eyes again, and I was back. Back to the day Damien Thorne first confessed his love. This time, I took his hand. I thought we’d grow old together. But Damien, the man who died for me, betrayed me three times instead. On our wedding night, he deliberately ‘mistook’ rooms and slept with someone else. I swallowed the bitter pain and forgave him. Another time, a two AM call from someone else, and he left me stranded in the pouring rain in the middle of nowhere while I was three months pregnant. I miscarried. I wiped my tears, letting it go. But the third time? He threw my elderly mother off a sheer cliff, hundreds of feet above the crashing ocean.

The ocean wind howled, whipping my tears away before I could even try to stop them. Just a few steps away, my mother was brought forward, a burlap sack over her head. Her frail, elderly frame trembled violently. Even though I couldn’t see her face, I knew the utter despair consuming her. Damien’s face was a mask of cold indifference. A cigarette dangled from his lips, and in his right hand, he idly twirled a sleek, black handgun. Behind them, hundreds of feet below, stretched the vast, endless ocean. It hit me in an instant what he was about to do. My legs buckled. I fell to my knees, trembling, before him. “She’s my mom… my only family left in this world. Please, just spare her. Do whatever you want to me, but don’t hurt her…” Damien glanced at me, a casual, dismissive look. He lifted my chin with his hand, a mocking smile playing on his lips. “Did you ever think about Tiffany’s feelings when you recklessly hurt what she cherished? Now that the stick is hitting your own back, does it finally sting?” I stared at him, my heart heavy with a profound sadness. Just hours ago, Tiffany’s dog accidentally fell into a mud pit. Tiffany, feigning illness, had subtly ordered me to take on the ‘burden’ of bathing her pet. All because I accidentally got a little water in its nose while bathing it, Tiffany had cried hysterically, claiming I was trying to drown her dog. For years, Damien had treated her like a precious gem, so of course, he was utterly heartbroken for her. Damien gently comforted her, his smile easy and unbothered. I thought that would be the end of it. I never imagined that after comforting Tiffany, he would bring my mother here. I knew Damien’s methods all too well. I wouldn’t dare gamble with my mother’s life. So, I could only lower myself and beg him. “Damien, I truly didn’t mean to. Please believe me? My mom is old and her health isn’t good. Don’t scare her…” Damien scoffed. “You wanted to drown Tiffany’s dog, didn’t you? Then I’ll just have to let you taste what it’s like to have someone close to you drowned, Evelyn. When you do something wrong, there’s always a price to pay.” He looked into my eyes, a cruel smile twisting his lips. “Wouldn’t you agree?” A chill shot through me. I clutched desperately at his pants leg, pleading with him over and over again. But Damien was dead set on getting revenge for Tiffany. The next second, he slowly raised his hand, and his men immediately understood. “No! Don’t!” It was too late. My mother was thrown over the edge, like a rag doll— She plummeted downwards. *Splash!* The calm ocean surface erupted with a violent spray. My heart ripped into a million pieces. I lunged forward like a madwoman, only to be roughly held back by Damien’s men, pinned to the ground. Tears blurred my vision. In a daze, Damien’s blood-stained face from my past life, and his desperate, fragile eyes, flashed before me. Because of that look, I had made a solemn vow. If I ever got another chance, another life, I would love him truly. Fate, it seemed, had heard my plea. But tragically, in this second chance, the man from my memories had become utterly unrecognizable. Facing his repeated cruelty, I chose to bite my tongue and swallow the pain. I kept brainwashing myself: he didn’t mean it, if I just treated him well enough, he’d eventually remember his feelings for me. But reality slapped me hard across the face. My stubborn delusion had cost me an unbearable price. I had lost the only person in this world who truly cared about me: my mom. My tears became a torrent, and despair threatened to swallow me whole. Damien watched me for a long time, seemingly quite pleased with my reaction. He walked over, his fingertips tracing my face, gently wiping away my tears. Then he slowly pulled me into his embrace. “Sweetheart, do you finally understand your mistake?” His face held none of the loving warmth he once showed. Only cold indifference remained. The man who once died for me was long gone. Wrong. Of course, I knew I was wrong. I was wrong to keep softening my heart for him. Wrong to not walk away the first time he crossed my line. Wrong to bring the grievances of my past life into this one. I was terribly, utterly wrong. Time seemed to stretch endlessly. Eventually, Damien’s men retrieved my mother’s body from the water. Suddenly, I found a surge of strength from somewhere deep inside. I shoved him away, scrambling, trembling, to my mother’s side. Just as I reached out to open the burlap sack, Damien’s voice cut through the air again. “Alright, alright, I’m just messing with you. It’s just a dummy in there, not your mother.” I froze. Damien continued, “Sweetheart, if you ever dare to ‘misbehave’ again, what’s placed before you truly *will* be your mother’s body.” “Tiffany took a bullet for me. She’s my savior. Don’t provoke her again, understand? Be a good girl. Don’t make things difficult for me.” I stared blankly at him until his figure vanished from my sight. Only then did I wipe away my tears, my hand trembling as I dialed a number. “I’ve made up my mind,” I choked out. “I’m leaving Damien Thorne.”

After hanging up, as I dragged my numb, lifeless legs, ready to leave, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Tiffany. “Ms. Price, I assume the dummy has been retrieved. Why don’t you open the bag and take a look? There’s a little surprise for you.” My eyes involuntarily darted to the burlap sack containing the ‘dummy’ a short distance away. My entire body stiffened, a chilling dread blossoming in my chest. I was shaking uncontrollably, my feet heavy as lead. I couldn’t even move my legs. Suddenly, the burlap sack shifted. A muffled cry of pain seemed to come from within. I couldn’t take it anymore. I stumbled, half-ran, half-fell towards it. My hands trembled violently as I desperately clawed at the sack, tearing it open… Tiffany’s second text followed immediately. “I had someone switch your mother with the dummy, Ms. Price. This is the price of provoking me. I hope you can afford it.” My mother’s face was ashen, blood stark against her skin. She lay bound, soaked, barely clinging to life. At the sight, I nearly fainted. When I finally managed to get her to the hospital, practically dragging her, I was told all medical resources had been diverted to save a dog that had merely choked on some water. The nurse pursed her lips, sighing helplessly. “Just a dog, yet it’s worth more than a human life! I swear, my life isn’t even worth as much as that dog’s!” “Exactly. If a dog has issues, take it to the vet, right? Why waste all these medical resources on it? Besides, that dog looks perfectly fine, jumping around. People are making a fuss over nothing!” “Shhh! Keep your voice down! That dog belongs to Damien Thorne’s beloved! You want to talk trash about the Kingpin’s favorite, you’ve got a death wish!” My mother was barely breathing. Any more delay and it would be too late. There was no time to think. I had to find Damien. I found him in a VIP room upstairs. The moment I walked in, I saw Tiffany sitting on his lap, their bodies pressed intimately together as they passionately kissed. Normally, seeing such a scene would tear me apart with jealousy. But now, I didn’t even have the energy for it. I rushed over, grabbing Damien’s hand. “My mom… something’s happened to her. She’s in critical condition. Please, will you save her?” Damien impatiently shook off my hand, looking annoyed, as if I’d interrupted something important. “I threw a dummy into the ocean, Evelyn, not her. What could possibly happen to her in such a short time? Stop this drama. I don’t have time for your games.” As every second ticked by, helpless tears streamed down my face. “I’m not lying… My mom is really hurt. Tiffany swapped her with the dummy. She hit her head on a rock when she was thrown down, and she’s barely clinging to life. She’s right here in the hospital. Please, tell the doctors to go see her!” At my words, a flicker of uncertainty crossed Damien’s eyes. “Ms. Price, what are you implying? How could I possibly harm your mother? I haven’t even brought up you trying to drown my dog, and now you’re trying to frame me?” Tiffany started to cry as she spoke. Seeing her tears, Damien’s expression instantly darkened. He stared at me, a cold fury in his gaze. “Apologize.” My mother was teetering on the brink of death. For her sake, I had no choice but to endure. “I’m sorry, Ms. Reed. I was wrong. Please, for my elderly mother’s sake, save her!” A flash of triumph crossed Tiffany’s eyes, but before she could speak, Damien cut in again. “Good. Now, it’s its turn.” Damien pointed at the dog behind me, a sneer on his face. “You almost drowned it. Is it really too much to ask for you to apologize to it?” Even after enduring so much humiliation, I still couldn’t believe my ears. Damien Thorne was actually telling me to apologize to a dog. All color drained from my face. I stared at him, utterly incredulous. “You want me to apologize to a dog?” Damien chuckled, “What? Feeling wronged? Don’t you want me to send someone to save your mother? Just apologize to it, and I’ll agree.” I looked into his eyes, biting down hard on my teeth. The humiliation was so profound, I wished I could just die. But then I thought of my mother’s ashen face, and I realized I didn’t even have the luxury of death.

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Just because my son poured a glass of cold water for the coughing bodyguard, my wife immediately declared he was trying to hurt someone: “Don’t you know cold water makes a cough worse? You’re so young and already trying to harm people. What will you become when you grow up?” My wife grounded Leo and locked him in his room for 24 hours, saying she needed to teach him a lesson. I begged her desperately, explaining that our son had a high fever and urgently needed medical attention. I told her to punish me instead. But Quinn scoffed dismissively: “You’ve spoiled him rotten, letting him run wild. And now he’s faking illness to escape punishment? He needs to be locked up for two more days to learn some discipline.” She was afraid I’d cause trouble, so she locked me in a different room. I slammed myself against the door, not caring about the consequences, but it was too late. Leo died right there, his high fever untreatable. Three days later, as I was packing up Leo’s belongings, Quinn returned from a trip with the bodyguard. She was in a cheerful mood, plucking a single rose from the massive bouquet of 999 roses she’d received from him and handing it to me: “Stop acting. So what if he was grounded for a few days? What could possibly happen? At worst, I’ll take you two on a trip in a couple of days and cheer him up.” But she had no idea our son was dead. And I knew, then and there, that I couldn’t spend another day of my life with her.

Before, if she’d given me a flower, I’d have been too excited to sleep. But now, clutching Leo’s tiny clothes, my heart was torn to shreds, numb from the pain. Her raised arm must have gotten tired because she angrily flung the flower at my face: “I only brought Declan with me for protection. Nothing happened between us. Who are you putting on this face for?” A thorn from the stem left a small cut on my cheek, a thin line of blood welled up. A flicker of concern flashed in Quinn’s eyes, and her temper softened slightly: “Whatever, I’m not going to waste my breath on you. Just so you know, I’m going away on a business trip for a year. You manage our son, don’t cause any trouble, I…” As she spoke, she suddenly gagged. Declan immediately rushed to pat Quinn’s back, feigning carelessness and letting a pregnancy test slip fall from his pocket. I picked it up. It read: four weeks pregnant. No wonder. Before, her trips with Declan would last for months. This time, she barely left before coming back. So, she was pregnant. She said she was going on a year-long business trip, but she was clearly trying to escape and secretly give birth to this child. My poor Leo. To try and please Quinn, he saw Declan, the one Quinn pampered the most, coughing. So, he copied what his teacher taught him and poured Declan a glass of water. But because it was cold water, Quinn decided he was being malicious, trying to harm Declan. Even though he was burning with fever, she ignored my desperate pleas and locked him in his room. I fought with all my strength to break free from the bodyguards’ grasp, slamming myself against the door to save him, not caring if it killed me. My tiny son was hot as a furnace, but his last flicker of consciousness was still shaking his head: “No, Daddy. Mommy said three days. The time isn’t up yet. Mommy will hate Leo if she knows.” They say real men don’t cry easily, but that day, I couldn’t control myself. Tears streamed down my face: “No, we don’t need this mommy anymore, Leo. I’ll take you to the hospital…” Tragically, it was too late. He couldn’t be saved. Before he took his last breath, he clutched my sleeve and choked out, “Why didn’t Mommy come see Leo? Was Leo a bad boy?” Looking into his hopeful eyes, my throat was raw. I couldn’t utter a single word. Now, seeing this pregnancy test, I only felt a bitter irony. If Leo had known that the mommy he adored had poured all her energy into another child, how heartbroken would he have been? I couldn’t control my rage any longer. I flung the pregnancy test slip in front of Quinn: “Quinn, this is what you call ‘nothing happened’? Have you ever considered how Leo felt?” A flicker of shock crossed Declan’s face. He hadn’t expected me, who usually endured every injustice in silence, to actually resist. He quickly lowered his head and explained to Quinn: “I’m so sorry, Quinn. I was just so overjoyed about being a dad that I kept the pregnancy slip in my pocket. I didn’t mean to drop it, and I certainly didn’t expect Caleb to see it. Please punish me.” Quinn raised an eyebrow and soothed Declan: “It wasn’t intentional. Don’t overthink it.” Then, she glared at me: “You have the nerve to bring up the child? Aren’t you the one who caused all of this?” “Caleb, everything happening today is your just desserts.” My gaze darkened. Years ago, Quinn wanted to use IVF to have a child for her idealized first love, Julian, who was supposedly dying of cancer. It turned out Julian was faking a terminal illness and then absconded with the charity funds. Her Grandma Evelyn, fearing Quinn would lose her mind, asked me to tamper with the IVF procedure. I refused point-blank. Though Quinn and I had a marriage certificate, we’d signed a contract long ago. We were only a marriage of convenience, not allowed to interfere with each other’s private lives. But Grandma Evelyn knelt before me, pulling out records of all the tuition fees she’d paid for me, from elementary school to my PhD, begging for my help: “My son and daughter-in-law are gone. Quinn is my only grandchild. If anything happens to her, I won’t want to live either.” Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I couldn’t refuse. I had no choice but to do as she asked. Quinn gave birth to my son, believing he was Julian’s orphaned heir, and cared for him meticulously. For a while, seeing how good I was with Leo, her attitude toward me improved significantly. She even suggested canceling our contract and genuinely building a life together. Then Declan appeared. She became completely infatuated with Declan’s face and mannerisms, which were ninety percent similar to Julian’s. She started spending nights out. She thought I didn’t know. At first, she met him in secret. Later, she even arranged for him to be her personal bodyguard, always by her side. But life was relatively stable, so I turned a blind eye. When Quinn eventually learned the truth and decided to send Declan away, he threw out a paternity test, accusing me: “Caleb used your trust to tamper with the IVF procedure, ensuring the man you love would have no descendants. And you, Quinn, you’re so foolish, enduring and sacrificing for him? You’re a complete joke!” Quinn flew into a rage on the spot. From that day on, her attitude toward Leo and me completely reversed. It was constant abuse, harshness, and punishment. I could suffer, but I never imagined Leo would lose his life because of it. Now, facing Quinn’s accusations, I couldn’t help but want to reveal the truth: “Quinn, about what happened back then…”

Just as I was about to speak, my phone vibrated. Grandma Evelyn’s name flashed on the screen. I looked up and saw the security camera in the living room blinking with a red light. I forced a bitter smile. Grandma Evelyn had been monitoring me. She would never allow me to reveal the truth. “Caleb, if you’ve got Leo’s clothes packed, come over. He’s waiting.” Grandma Evelyn’s voice was kind, yet a chill ran down my spine. I nodded and hung up. Quinn watched me suddenly pack my things without a word, raising an eyebrow: “What about what happened back then? Don’t tell me you’re going to say you had a reason too?” A flicker of anxiety crossed Declan’s eyes. He quickly interjected: “Quinn, no man can accept his wife having a child with someone else. You should consider his dignity as a man.” Quinn exploded in anger. She snatched a glass from the table and hurled it at me: “A good-for-nothing parasite living off my family, and he has the nerve to talk about dignity?” I didn’t say a word. As the glass shattered, I walked out of that suffocating house and headed to Grandma Evelyn’s old estate. The moment I arrived, Grandma Evelyn pressed a bank card into my hand: “Caleb, you and Leo have suffered so much. Take this money.” I knelt before her: “I don’t want money. I just have one request.” Grandma Evelyn quickly helped me to my feet: “If you want to leave, I’ll allow it. You’ve endured so many years of hardship. The favor I did for you back then has long been repaid. You don’t owe me anything.” I looked at Leo’s lifeless body, my eyes reddening: “Besides that, I want to take Leo with me, change his last name, and bury him in our family plot back home.” Grandma Evelyn hesitated. After all, I had married into Quinn’s family, and Leo not only bore Quinn’s family name but was also entered into their family tree. Knowing she wouldn’t easily agree, I handed her the crumpled pregnancy test slip: “Quinn is pregnant. She’ll have other children. But Leo only has me as family.” Grandma Evelyn remembered what Quinn had done to Leo. Unable to bear it any longer, she finally nodded in agreement. After handling Leo’s funeral, I cradled his ashes and returned home to get my documents. *Click!* The lights flickered on. Quinn was sitting in the living room, waiting for me, while Declan stood beside her with a smug, almost triumphant look. The atmosphere was eerily tense. Quinn was the first to break the silence, angrily declaring: “Look at what your son has done.” I raised an eyebrow, confused. Leo was dead. What could he possibly have done? Declan slowly patted Quinn’s back: “Calm down, honey. Don’t upset the baby.” “Leo added peanuts, which you’re allergic to, to your nutritious meal. He was just jealous of his unborn brother and wanted to harm him. It’s our fault, we didn’t discuss having a second child with him. He’s young, he doesn’t know any better. You shouldn’t be mad at him.” Quinn was furious: “It seems the last punishment was too light. He hasn’t learned his lesson.” He was just a three-year-old. How could he know anything about that? Besides, he was already dead… “Leo didn’t do it.” He was such a good, considerate boy. Until his last breath, he regretted pouring cold water and making Quinn angry. But Quinn believed someone else’s malicious lies and wanted to punish him. Ultimately, Quinn had transferred all her hatred for me onto our son. I’m so sorry, Leo. Mommy hated you because of me. You didn’t do anything wrong. I hugged the urn tightly, fighting back tears. Declan sighed: “If he didn’t do it, then did you?” Quinn became even more enraged, grabbing a tissue box from the table and throwing it at me: “It’s because you always cover for him that he became so unruly at such a young age! He needs a lesson today, to learn some discipline.” “Hand Leo over right now, don’t make me punish you instead.” He was so small. How could he possibly take the blame for such a serious accusation? I couldn’t take it anymore. Holding up the urn, I yelled: “Quinn, Leo was locked in his room and died from a high fever because of you!” “His ashes are right here! How could he possibly harm you?”

Quinn shot to her feet. “What did you say?” She rose too quickly, nearly stumbling. Declan quickly steadied her, his voice full of exasperation: “Quinn, he’s lied to you before. How can you still believe him?” “This afternoon, I clearly saw Leo wandering around the kitchen with a bag of peanuts, and then Grandma Evelyn picked him up.” Quinn immediately breathed a sigh of relief. She pulled out her phone and video-called Grandma Evelyn: “Grandma, is Leo with you?” Leo was dead. She would soon realize how terrible her actions had been. On the other end of the line, Grandma Evelyn smiled warmly: “Yes, he’s with me.” “Leo, do you want to talk to Mommy?” I lunged forward. And then, on the screen, I saw a child, crouched among a pile of toys, shaking his head, burying himself in his play. Grandma Evelyn sternly chided Quinn: “It’s all your fault for being so harsh on Leo. Now he doesn’t even want to talk to you.” My face turned ashen. I almost forgot. Quinn’s Grandma Evelyn had the most authoritative high-tech team in the world. Years ago, even before AI was prevalent, she’d used AI in a video call to let me assume Julian’s face, allowing Quinn to say her final goodbyes to him. Now, she was using someone else’s child to impersonate Leo, just to keep Quinn at ease. In this house, Leo and I were nothing more than tools, completely insignificant. It’s okay, Leo. Even if the whole world doesn’t love you, Daddy will always love you. I stroked the urn, speechless with grief. Quinn’s face darkened. She hung up the phone and snapped: “Caleb, you dared to lie to me again!” “Fine, your son is with Grandma Evelyn, so I can’t punish him. Then I’ll punish you.” “Declan, smash that useless thing in his hands.” I fought desperately to stop them, but I was no match for several bodyguards who quickly overpowered me. Seeing Declan raise the urn high, I fell to my knees, pleading: “Quinn, I beg you, give Leo back to me.” “I’ll do anything you want, please!” Quinn’s heart twisted in her chest. Just at the crucial moment, she suddenly called out, stopping Declan, and waved her hand: “Forget it. It’s just a broken box, no fun smashing it. Give it back to him.” Declan, looking disappointed, practically threw the urn back at me. I lunged forward, catching the box securely. With Leo back in my arms, I clutched the urn tightly, a mix of relief and despair washing over me. Declan sighed: “Quinn, you’re truly too kind.” “It’s okay. I’ll keep a closer eye on things from now on. After all, protecting you and the baby is my job.” Quinn’s hand went to her stomach. She suddenly called out to me as I was about to leave: “Wait. I said I wouldn’t punish Leo, but I didn’t say I wouldn’t punish you.” “Since you love taking the blame for your son so much, you can experience what an allergic reaction feels like.” “Order ten thousand lobsters for him. He’s not allowed to leave until he’s shelled every single one.” She knew I had a severe lobster allergy; even touching it would make me break out in hives. Even when our relationship was at its worst, she never allowed a single lobster on the table. Now, she must be completely insane with rage. I clutched the urn tightly. Looking at the enormous basin of lobsters before me, my eyes stung. The moment I picked up the first one to shell, my fingers began to turn red from the allergic reaction. Quinn turned her face away, standing with her back to me: “I’m tired. I’m going to rest. Don’t even think about slacking off. I’ll have someone watch you.” Declan helped her to the room. Facing the row of muscular bodyguards, I didn’t resist. I numbly continued shelling lobsters. As time passed, my entire body became covered in red hives, and my breathing grew increasingly difficult. In a haze, a pair of gleaming leather shoes appeared before my eyes. Declan grabbed my chin, his voice cold: “Just shelling lobsters is too light a punishment. You’re allergic, right? Then eat them.” He grabbed lobster meat and tried to force it into my mouth. With one quick move, I easily pushed him away. With his weak physique, he was no match for me. His only reason for being a bodyguard was Quinn’s longing for Julian. Seeing my resistance, Declan’s anger flared: “If you struggle again, I swear I’ll smash your son’s ashes.” I glared at him. He knew. He’d been deliberately trying to provoke me earlier! Declan saw me compromise and viciously shoved a handful of lobster meat into my mouth. For Leo, I didn’t dare to resist. Just at that critical moment, Grandma Evelyn appeared behind me, tapping her cane. She angrily confronted Declan: “You dare bully my family’s son-in-law? Get out.” Declan looked like he wanted to say more but eventually left, defeated. Grandma Evelyn dismissed all the outsiders. Ignoring the grease on my hands, she helped me up: “Caleb, stop shelling. You’re severely allergic now. I’ll take you to the hospital first, then help you leave.” I nodded, wiping the grease off myself before picking up the urn. A flicker of shame crossed Grandma Evelyn’s eyes. She explained: “Quinn is pregnant. Her emotions can’t be too volatile. I thought I’d wait until she’s more stable to tell her about Leo’s death.” “You and Leo have suffered so much again, Caleb. You *must* take this money.” As she spoke, she pushed two more cards toward me. I shook my head: “No, thank you. You’ve given me more than enough. I just want to leave peacefully with Leo.” Grandma Evelyn pressed the cards into my hand with more force, hinting: “Take it. Years ago, when Quinn’s first love ran off with her money, I forced you to switch the IVF samples, to make Quinn pregnant with your child.” “But I never imagined that my decision, the decision of this old woman, would lead to poor Leo’s death.” “I regret it deeply. I shouldn’t have forced you back then.” “This money isn’t much, but it’s my apology. I hope you’ll accept it.” “And please don’t blame this old woman. Quinn is my son’s only daughter, after all. She is my life.” She seemed to be pleading, but in reality, she was threatening me. If I didn’t take this hush money, I wouldn’t be leaving with Leo today. “Then, thank you, Grandma Evelyn.” I had no choice. Just as I was about to take the cards, *Crash!* A glass shattered. Quinn, in her pajamas, stood frozen in the doorway.

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I was injured in an explosion while on a mission abroad, protecting my younger brother. The blast left me in a coma. My brother, grateful for my life-saving act, returned home and married my wife. When I finally regained consciousness and hurried back home, I witnessed a heartbreaking scene. My son was on his knees, sobbing, his college acceptance letter torn to shreds. My nephew was viciously beating my son’s back with a metal pipe, shouting, “Your mom’s gonna lick my boots. Who do you think you are to go to college?” Meanwhile, my wife stood by, applauding and occasionally wiping the sweat from my nephew’s brow. “You’re just like your dead father, only fit to be my stepping stone!” My eyes blazed with fury as I clenched my fists. Anyone who dared harm my son would face hell! The school gates opened. Several security guards, wielding batons, rushed to surround my son. I got out of my car and approached them. “Why is your school taking sides without investigating properly?” “Didn’t you see this child’s acceptance letter being torn up by those people?” A guard spat and sneered, “Who’d dare to mess with young master Nick? We’re doing God’s work here, teaching Mr. George’s dog a lesson on his behalf!” My face had been severely damaged and reconstructed after the incident. Even my voice had changed due to the burns. My son didn’t recognize me. Neither did my nephew, Nick. The guards exchanged glances and growled, “Beat him up! He dares to mess with Mr. George’s son!” Although I only had my fists, I’d been through hell and back these past years. Beating up a few watchdogs was child’s play! I dodged when I could and took hits when necessary, returning each with a punch that sent them flying, blood gushing from their mouths and noses. My son, seeing me surrounded by the school guards, shouted, “Come at me! Leave the kind stranger alone!” He tried to hold off some of the guards for me. When I’d finished with the ones surrounding me, I saw my son cornered by several guards and those thugs. Nick was jumping up and down, yelling, “Kill him!” I grabbed Nick by the collar, threw him to the ground, and stepped on his ribs, breaking them. Coldly, I asked, “Who do you want to kill?”

Nick didn’t have my son’s guts. He immediately started crying for his parents. I messaged my domestic contact, asking about my son’s recent situation. He replied that my wife had already arranged for a guaranteed college admission, and my son just needed to report directly when school started. I had just heard my wife helping others bully my son, and now he’s telling me she’s arranging for his guaranteed admission? I coldly asked, “Is this how you handle logistics support?” “I’m going to file a complaint against you at headquarters!” Putting down the phone, I grabbed Nick by the collar, slapped him twice, and demanded, “Why did you tear up Sam’s acceptance letter?” Nick, terrified and covered in tears and snot, stammered, “He scored 600 points higher than me. I felt humiliated and wanted to vent.” A bright red Porsche pulled up at the school gate. Nick excitedly shouted, “Mom, Mom, save me! This lunatic is beating me for no reason!” I hadn’t expected to meet my ex-wife Claire in this scenario. She was dressed garishly, dripping with jewelry. Stomping over in her ridiculous red high heels, she screeched like a fishwife, “Let go of my son!” Her son? I looked closely at Nick. No mistake, this kid had always looked like a rat. How did Nick become her son? I blocked her clawing hand with my arm, causing her to lose balance and fall. Nick muttered under his breath, “Useless.” But Sam went over to help her up. Claire pointed her fat finger at Sam’s forehead. “Can’t you just behave?” “Stop provoking your brother, okay?” “You have food to eat, school to attend, and I can live this good life now, all thanks to your uncle, right?” “And you? Every time the school calls home, it’s either about you stealing watches or tearing up his homework!” “So what if he gets back at you once?” “You’re just as useless as your dead father!” Sam stood his ground, declaring firmly, “My dad is a great hero. He’ll come back for me someday!” Claire spat, “Your deadbeat dad is long gone. Give up that pipe dream, he’s never coming back!” Enraged, I grabbed Claire’s arm, pulled her close, and slapped her twice. “You bitch, do you know who I am?” “I’ve been risking my life out there, building a fortune for you all.” “If you wanted to be a slut and find another man, fine. But why did you have to hook up with my brother and treat my son like this?” Claire looked me up and down in shock, her eyes filled with disbelief. Suddenly, her expression changed, and she started screaming, “Help! Kidnapper! Someone call the police!” “Quick, contact my husband! Someone’s trying to kidnap us!” Sam carefully examined me from all angles, tentatively calling out, “Dad?” Claire viciously kicked Sam. “What are you yelling about? Your deadbeat dad is long gone. Your father now is George.” Sam roared, “George is just using you! His whole family is using you and my dad’s identity for their own benefit!” “Do you think they really see you as a person?” Several vans pulled up outside the school, and a group of bodyguards with hostile looks surrounded me…

The school’s watchdogs had already called out the school leaders. The smug-looking principal glared fiercely at Sam: “We let you attend our school as a favor to Mr. George.” “Colluding with outsiders to beat up young master Nick.” “Who can prove that Nick tore up your acceptance letter?” “You clearly tore it up yourself and framed Nick.” “Fighting at the school gate is a serious offense.” “Not only are you not going to college this year, but your school record is now expelled, and you can’t even get your files back.” “No one will take you for a retake!” “If you still want to study, kneel down and lick the mud off young master Nick’s shoes.” “Maybe I’ll consider your sincere apology and give you a chance to retake the exam next year.” Claire, seeing that George’s bodyguards had surrounded me, shrieked: “You little bastard, didn’t you hear? Kneel down and apologize!” “Don’t forget that I still have your household registration and ID card.” “If you keep being stubborn like your dead father, I’ll make sure you can’t even find a job to support yourself.” What kind of abuse has my son endured all these years while I was fighting for my life out there? This principal deserves to die! I stepped forward, grabbed the principal’s shirt collar, and kicked the back of his knees. Forcing him to kneel in front of Sam. “You say Sam tore up his own acceptance letter?” “Dare you say that again?” “Want to bet if I can tear you up more thoroughly than that acceptance letter?” The principal, sweating profusely in pain, struggled and shouted: “Call the police! Shoot this criminal!” I gripped the principal’s throat: “Your time is running out. Think quickly about what you need to do for me to spare your miserable life!” Claire, holding her phone, incoherently called the police. My phone also received a message that my personal file had been declassified. Immediate arrangements were being made for my personal security detail. I was notified to return to headquarters to discuss arrangements for my life back in the country and settle my benefits. Right now, I just wanted to get revenge for my son. Who has time to care about benefits? Claire smiled smugly: “Everyone’s watching. He’s assaulting people for no reason. You’re all witnesses.” “Surround him well and don’t let him escape. They’ll be here to arrest him soon!” “We’re all civilized people. We didn’t hit anyone first!” I was certain Claire had recognized me. She knew that among those present, no one could beat me in a fight. Even if all the bodyguards attacked together, they might not gain the upper hand. This looked like she was trying to frame me with a crime to get me locked up, and maybe even have me killed inside through some backroom deal. I always felt this woman couldn’t be trusted, which is why I had left money for George too, hoping he could keep an eye on her. I never expected these two scumbags would hit it off and get together. Realizing I had lifted a rock only to drop it on my own feet, I clenched my fists in anger. The private high school principal struggled desperately, screaming for help. George’s bodyguards had clearly received orders. They just surrounded me without making a move. Seemingly waiting to see the show of me strangling the principal to death. Preferably for me to be shot dead on the spot. Unfortunately for them, they were going to be disappointed today. I tightened my grip on the principal’s throat. The principal’s face turned purple as he began to beg: “Please spare me, sir. Mrs. Claire has already called the police. You should run quickly.” Sam tugged at my sleeve, whispering: “Dad, revenge is a dish best served cold.” I snorted lightly: “Today, if he doesn’t lick your shoes clean, I’ll strangle him to death.” The principal began to reason with me: “Taking me hostage won’t help. You’ll be shot by snipers. They’re all professionals.” “Your best bet now is to let me go and run for it.” I increased the pressure on my hand: “Don’t worry. Even if I strangle a piece of trash like you with my bare hands, the snipers can’t do anything to me. I’m not a rookie either.” I raised my voice to threaten the principal: “Have you figured out how to save your life yet?” Piercing sirens rang out as several cars arrived. The principal croaked hoarsely, shouting with all his might: “You’re finished! With so many people here, you’re going to eat bullets. Mr. George won’t let you off!” I tightened my grip again. How could I bear to strangle him outright? He had abused my son so much; letting him die like this would be too easy. Claire immediately started screaming: “Help! Murder! The principal is about to be strangled to death by a thug! Quickly rescue the hostage and shoot the criminal!” A tall man in uniform got out of the first car and came to my side: “Captain Frank, I’m the leader of your local security team in this city. You can call me Kevin.”

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When my friend sent me a video from a private lounge at a high-end club, I was watching the recording of my daughter’s kindergarten performance. In the video, my wife, Chloe, had her cheeks flushed a deep crimson, and beside her was her childhood sweetheart, Blake. Amidst the deafening music, Blake leaned in and kissed her. Around them, friends screamed and cheered them on. Chloe didn’t push him away. In fact, as he pulled back, she drunkenly licked her lips. The camera shook, sweeping across scattered items on the floor—it was her Hermès bag, zipper wide open, revealing a picture of our family of three inside. I turned off the video and called her. Her sweet, yet slightly impatient voice came through: “It was just a game, Liam. You’re not going to be petty about it, are you?” I smiled. Then I’d show her just how petty I could be. Games, after all, come with consequences. I texted my fund manager directly. The next second, Chloe’s call came through, which I promptly ignored. She called my assistant next. Mark politely replied, “My apologies, Ms. Henderson, Mr. Hayes is currently with an important client.” Playing hard to get? As if I couldn’t play that game too. Within half an hour, my office door was violently thrown open. Chloe, in her high heels, stormed over to me, her face contorted with rage, and slammed her phone onto my desk. “Liam Hayes, are you insane?! Stellar Tech was supposed to be our family business, Henderson Corp’s, next big acquisition! Are you trying to destroy us by shorting it now?!” The elegant and poised Chloe, who always presented herself as the epitome of grace, lost her composure for the first time in front of me, looking like a furious, scorned woman—all for her childhood sweetheart. I slowly set down my fountain pen and looked up at her beautiful face, twisted by anger. “You have twenty minutes.” “What?” “Kick him out of your car, then send that car to be destroyed,” I said calmly. “That passenger seat is where my daughter always sits, *her* spot.” Ten minutes later, Mark sent me a photo. Chloe’s white Maserati was being fed into the massive compressor of a metal recycling plant. I immediately notified my fund manager: “Close out the position and transfer all profits to a charity foundation.” Then, I sent Chloe a picture. The landscape painting in her study—her most treasured piece, a priceless, one-of-a-kind masterpiece by a famous artist—was now my canvas. I’d drawn a ridiculous turtle on it with a marker. “Chloe, this is also a game. Remember, this is your first warning. Next time, you’ll face the consequences.” On Chloe’s end, there was dead silence. I knew she must be absolutely furious. But I was even angrier. Our marriage began with love. I had single-handedly supported the nearly bankrupt Henderson Corp, turning Chloe from a sheltered heiress into a renowned beautiful CEO in the business world. I thought our relationship was solid as bedrock. But she, with her own hands, had smashed a crack through it. The millions that evaporated in an instant? That was just the beginning. That night, Chloe didn’t come home. The next day, I had Mark dig up all the information on Blake, then headed directly to the private club where they’d arranged to meet.

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After my wife was reported for embezzlement by a business rival, I took the blame and went to prison for her. She promised she would wait for me at our home, but she never visited me even once. I thought she was just busy and didn’t think much of it. Until the day I was released, I saw my wife leaning against another man’s chest, happily watching a boy and a girl playing in the yard. No wonder she had no time to see me – she was too busy living her happy new life. I sacrificed four and a half years in prison, thinking I was protecting her. But she didn’t care at all. The little boy made eye contact with me as I crouched behind the iron fence. He turned and shouted excitedly: “Mommy, Daddy, look! There’s a homeless man begging!” The man looked over at me, and I felt my heart turn cold. Wasn’t he Henry Shaw, the one who had reported my wife all those years ago? … Henry pulled the two children behind him and looked up warily. “Go play with mommy, kids.” The two children bounced over to my wife’s side. Claire just frowned as she stared at me. Henry reached out to pat my shoulder, hesitated for a few seconds when he saw my ragged clothes, but still completed the greeting between men. “Next time you come to our house, remember to call ahead. You showing up like this… almost scared the kids.” “I remember you weren’t supposed to be out of prison this early.” Henry pulled out a cigarette and offered it to me. I didn’t take it. “Got out early for good behavior,” I muttered, the words tasting bitter. “The deed to this mansion is in my name.” The fruits of my years of hard work had become Henry’s gift, handed to him on a silver platter. Henry fell silent. He lit the cigarette and smoked it himself. Claire walked over, and Henry’s free hand naturally draped over her shoulder. Claire looked me up and down, making me uncomfortable. She let out a soft sigh, her expressive eyes gazing at me: “You’ve lost weight.” As if we were long-lost lovers reuniting. I wanted to ask her if she still meant what she said years ago, if she had thought of me at all in these long days. Henry suddenly clapped his hands, cigarette dangling from his lips. “I almost forgot! Look at my scatterbrain. It’s all because your son riled me up.” “Sweetie, stop eating.” He picked up the dog bowl covered in the family pet’s drool and tossed it arrogantly at my feet. He blew a contemptuous puff of smoke in my face. “Lambert, I’m not trying to insult you. Our dog’s monthly food budget is definitely way more than what you got in prison. The quality is much better too.” “I just want to satisfy my curiosity. I heard that people who’ve been in prison for a while will eat even rotten vegetable roots with gusto. I want to see if it’s true that you’ll eat anything now.” I had come on an empty stomach, rushing over as soon as I was released because I wanted to see Claire quickly. But I certainly wasn’t so desperate as to eat rotten vegetables with relish, like he claimed. I just never imagined that Claire already had two children. She had long forgotten me and my sacrifices. Henry treated me like less than human, and Claire smiled along indulgently. [Paywall] I angrily grabbed Henry’s collar with one hand. “What are you so smug about? Setting up my wife, stealing my family – I haven’t even settled accounts with you for that yet!” Claire’s nails scraped my arm as she impatiently said: “Andrew Lambert, Henry was just joking with you. Why are you overreacting like this?” I forced down the bitterness in my heart and let go. As soon as I released him, Claire hurried to Henry’s side, carefully straightening his collar. “Claire, aren’t you going to explain anything to me? Him and those twins…” Claire glanced at her watch, her tone cold and distant. “We’ll discuss this minor issue later. It’s time for Nathan and Haley’s swing session at our house.” They treated me like I was invisible, walking away hand in hand. My anger felt like it was hitting cotton – no one cared. Claire pulled out a $100 bill from between her phone and case, tucking it into my hand. “Thanks for your hard work these past four years. Treat yourself to something nice.” I stood there stunned, holding the $100 bill. Keeping cash between the phone and case was a habit I’d had for years. It started when Claire and I were on vacation once. She fainted from heatstroke, my phone was dead, and I had no cash on me. I had to ask many passersby before borrowing money from a girl who had issues with Claire. Her condition was slapping me once for $5. From then on, to be prepared for emergencies, I would check every morning that we both had cash behind our phones. Claire’s actions still had traces of my influence, but she no longer loved me. Only this house we had lived in for years told me that our loving past had truly existed. I swallowed the acid in my heart, found the key under the doormat, and prepared to go inside to change into slippers. The housekeeper suddenly loudly scolded me. “Mr. Lambert, what are you doing? There are muddy footprints all over the tiles. Can’t you think about how hard it is for us to clean?” The housekeeper was someone I had hired from my hometown. She had been very grateful to me at first. I never imagined that in four and a half years in prison, it wasn’t just Claire whose heart had changed. I ignored the housekeeper and picked up a pair of slippers. She exclaimed again: “Mr. Lambert, you’re breaking the rules again. Those slippers are for guests!” I was about to lose my temper when she ran back and brought me a pair of my old shoes, along with two red plastic bags to use as shoe covers. She patted my back like an elder. “Mr. Lambert, don’t be angry with me. I have to follow the orders of whoever pays my salary, right?” “Your things… the madam had me pack them all in the storage room. You should take that pile of junk and move out quickly.” I shook my head and went to the storage room. Expensive watches and custom suits were carelessly piled on the floor. But on the spotless top shelf of a glass cabinet sat a shoebox. I carefully took it down, only to find shredded cloth shoes inside. The uppers had several burn holes, with traces of cigarette ash. When I came out holding the shoebox, the happy family of four had returned. Seeing my unhappy expression, Claire came over and felt my forehead. “You don’t have a fever. Why do you look so unwell? I’ll have the housekeeper make you some chicken soup later.” “I just discussed it with Henry. We’ve known each other for so many years, so you can continue living in our home. We won’t force you out onto the streets.” I stepped back to avoid her touch and opened the shoebox. “Who ruined my shoes?” Claire glanced at them. “The ones your mom made for you, right?” I nodded. Claire pointed at me and let out a clear laugh. “Henry, he’s treating a pair of $20 cloth shoes like a treasure.” “Who could stand this mama’s boy, wearing the same ratty shoes every day, putting them in the safe when it rains. Why doesn’t he just live with his mom forever.” The little boy who had been hiding behind Henry bravely stepped forward, raising his hand high. “I did it! Don’t blame my mommy.” He seemed very proud. Claire gently ruffled his hair. “If you break someone’s things, you have to pay for them. Go buy him a new pair.” Then she said to me resignedly: “Andrew Lambert, don’t quibble with a child. He’ll buy you a new pair, so let it go.” The chubby boy ran over with an alligator skin wallet, taking out a handful of coins and scattering them on me. He grinned, looking very much like Henry when he smiled. Claire praised the boy for being sensible, but when she looked at me again, her brow furrowed. “This matter is over now. What child isn’t naughty sometimes? Your old-fashioned cloth shoes – $20 is already generous of him.” Henry gestured mysteriously with his cigarette. The shoes were placed too high for a 3-foot-tall child to reach. And there were cigarette ashes on them. Claire followed my gaze, playfully punched Henry, then turned to me with an icy expression. “You don’t suspect Henry did it, do you? Even if he knew that ratty shoe was your family heirloom, Henry wouldn’t bother touching your junk. Just have your mom make you another pair.” She won’t be making any more. This was the last pair of shoes my mom had sewn for me. In those bitter years I spent in prison, only my mom visited once. She specifically instructed me to treat Claire well in the future. But was it me who didn’t want to have a good life with Claire? In the five years I longed for her… She was laughing in another man’s arms. Claire ignored me and picked up her child. “Baby must be hungry. Let’s go eat. Honey, you come quickly too.”

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Once again, I was beaten bloody by my unpredictable wife, Gwen. As I lay there, on the verge of being beaten to death, my adopted daughter didn’t shield me as she usually did. Instead, she sat nearby, casually counting money with a smirk on her face. It was the money I had saved for a house, penny by penny, from sweeping streets and collecting garbage. “Mom, don’t kill him yet,” she said. “While it’s still dark, let’s dump him on the road. If this cripple gets run over by a car, we might be able to scam some money.” The mother and daughter dragged me by my crippled right leg and threw me onto the road. As I lay dying, I desperately tried to crawl away. But my father, George, and my brother, William, came and dragged me back to the middle of the road. Through my blurry vision, I saw my adopted daughter hugging my father and brother, unable to contain her laughter. “Dad, once the cripple is dead, we can finally acknowledge our true relationship!” I widened my eyes in disbelief. Could it be that the abandoned child I had raised with such difficulty was actually the illegitimate daughter of one of them? Before I could understand the truth, a speeding truck ran me over. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day I found my adopted daughter.

“Waa! Waa!” The familiar cry of an infant felt like a blunt knife scraping against my nerves. I coldly looked towards the bundle in the corner. In my previous life, I had picked up this ungrateful child because I felt sorry for her. To buy her formula, I walked 10 miles to the city. Because she wanted pizza, I worked through a three-day fever with my body shaking from chills. When she had diarrhea, I carried her through flood waters to the hospital. I slipped and broke my right leg, leaving me with a lifelong limp, but I had no regrets. I raised her with countless drops of blood and sweat. In the end, she pushed me into hell with her own hands. I stared at the bundle in the corner of the alley, my nails digging deep into my palms, almost drawing blood. Resisting the urge to strangle the little ingrate, I quickly ran back home with my backpack. I took a bite of the hard bread. Even though it scratched my throat, it tasted sweeter than honey. In this life, I hadn’t yet been hit by Gwen with a beer bottle, losing three teeth. I wouldn’t speak with a lisp or spill food while eating porridge. My elbow hadn’t been shattered, causing my hand to shake uncontrollably when holding things. My right leg was fine too. I wouldn’t have to crawl like a dog, dragging a crippled leg to pick up fallen bread from the ground. “Creak!” The door to the west room opened, and William came out rubbing his eyes. Seeing me eating, his eyes immediately widened. His voice rose, “Brother! How come you’ve come back empty-handed!” I slowly and deliberately spread a generous amount of lard on the bread. Life in the countryside was hard. I never dared to eat such good things as lard, saving it all for William and our father, George. All because of our grandfather’s instructions. He said that my father and brother had always been weak, and as the eldest grandson, I should take care of them more. So I worked like a tireless ox. In the countryside, I rushed to do all the dirty and tiring work for George and William. Under the scorching sun, I went to dry grain and weed for William. At night, I forced my aching back to carry manure for George. My hands were always covered in blisters. I was grateful if I could sleep four or five hours a day. I was always afraid they might catch a cold or get sick from the wind and rain. But in return, I was schemed against for a lifetime. I tilted my head back and took a big bite of the lard-covered bread. The rich oily fragrance slid down my dry throat. “I just went out to weed, of course I came back empty-handed,” I said, glancing at him inconspicuously and sneering. “What, did you expect me to bring back something dirty and unsavory? I can’t do that kind of profiteering!” William frowned angrily, rushed out, pulling back the curtain. There was a “clang” from the yard. William had kicked over the vegetable washing basin, shouting for dad.

George and William whispered for a while. Then they hurriedly left the house. Not long after, they started shouting dramatically in the yard. “Oh my! Whose child is this?” My father held the bundle with a pitying look. “Oh, poor baby! How could you be abandoned here?” He heard my footsteps and immediately turned to look at me. His eyes were so “kind” and “righteous” that he looked like a saint incarnate. “Lucas, come quick and see how pitiful this child is. We can’t just stand by and do nothing!” George rushed over in three quick steps and tried to shove the bundle into my arms, muttering, “Hurry and take the child to the village clinic.” “I don’t know how long this child has been abandoned. I see hoof prints on its body. Quick, go check if there’s anything wrong.” I glanced down. The bastard child born of an affair. Its face was purple-red, its cries weak, as if it might die at any moment. I desperately suppressed the cold laughter in my heart. In my previous life, George had persuaded me with this “saintly” face. He earnestly persuaded me to give up my chance to return to the city. To be stuck in this backwater village for a lifetime. For this bastard child, born of either him or William with some loose woman. My whole life was ruined! I suddenly stepped back, avoiding his hand, and spoke calmly. “Dad, my bones ache all over. I don’t want to go out.” George’s face immediately changed. “Lucas! How can you be so heartless?” he said, gritting his teeth and suppressing his anger, as if I were some unfilial son. “This child will die if no one takes care of it! Can you bear that?” “How have I taught you all this time? You must have a conscience in everything you do.” “Good deeds will be rewarded, and turning a blind eye to someone in need will have consequences!” William quickly joined in, pretending to persuade me. “Brother, don’t you always say you’re tired? Just bear with it for a bit. Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda…” Ha! So he knew I was exhausted every day from working for him? I looked at George and William’s hypocritical, self-righteous faces and suddenly laughed. “Brother, you’re so kind. Why don’t you take the child to the clinic yourself?” “The money is in the drawer. You can’t just stand by and do nothing.” “I’m aching all over from working for you. If I faint while carrying the child and accidentally drop it, now that would really be a sin!” The cries of the little bastard in the bundle were growing weaker. My father and brother glared at me. They looked like they wanted to devour me alive. My father’s face turned iron-gray, his fingers tightly pinching the bundle. As if he wanted to strangle the child inside. William panicked too, like a chicken with its throat squeezed. “Brother! What are you saying! Dad’s old, and I’ve always been weak. How could we handle the back and forth?” I clenched my fists and leaned against the doorframe, sneering. “We’re all born of the same parents. So I’m the only one with thick skin and a cheap life, is that it?” “All the dirty and tiring work has always fallen to me.” “You two get to be kind-hearted living Buddhas, while I’m destined to be a beast of burden?” George trembled with anger. All traces of kindness and civility had vanished. He looked like he wanted to tear me apart. “Lucas Young! You ungrateful wretch!” “Do you think you can start complaining now that you might get to return to the city?” “If you don’t take care of this child today, I’ll go around the village shouting, let everyone know you turned a blind eye to someone in need!” I stared at him and spoke slowly and deliberately. “Do whatever you want.” This life, no one will use “conscience” to pressure me again!

In my previous life, I listened to their devilish words. I took that little bastard to the clinic. Right after, I was pointed at and gossiped about. They spread rumors that I, a young man, was suddenly carrying a child for no reason. It was almost certain that the child was mine, born of an affair with some woman. George and William spread rumors about me everywhere. It was just when they were selecting young people to return to the city. A young person’s moral conduct was an especially important selection criterion. Because of these baseless rumors, my chance to return to the city was revoked. This time, I absolutely won’t have anything to do with that little bastard! Unexpectedly, though I didn’t look for trouble, trouble found me. Just as I was packing to return to the city, the yard gate was suddenly kicked open from outside. Gwen stood at the door holding the blood-covered little bastard, cursing loudly. “Lucas Young! You shameless scoundrel!” “You sweet-talked me into bed and got me pregnant!” “Now you want to go back to the city, so you abandoned your son, not caring if he lives or dies. How can you be so vicious!” My blood instantly froze. In my previous life, it was this crazy woman who made me live worse than death for twenty years! I walked out of the house. Half the village had already gathered at the door. Gwen, who had beaten me for half my life, stood guarding the door, cursing loudly. Back then, because I adopted that bastard, my reputation was ruined and I couldn’t return to the city. George decided to have me marry Gwen, a widow in the village who was over ten years older than me. I didn’t want to. George acted like the family patriarch. He said with my reputation as a scoundrel, I couldn’t marry a girl from a decent family anymore. Marrying Gwen would at least give the child a mother, so he wouldn’t be bullied as a single parent child. He tol a singled me not to only think of myself, but to the child’s welfare. Later he simply sent the bride price to Gwen on his own. He forced me to marry Gwen. Although Gwen was older, she treated the child I had adopted very well, like a real mother! As time passed, I resigned myself to my fate. I planned to settle down, raise the child, and live my life with Gwen. Just because I helped a young widow whose husband had died young carry two bags of grain while she was pregnant with her late husband’s child, I was beaten. Gwen dragged me to the yard, grabbed my hair and smashed my head against the millstone. In front of the neighbors, she cursed and spat at me. “Lucas Young, you’re really shameless! I didn’t look down on you for being a scoundrel when I married into your family!” “You ungrateful bastard! You dare to steal women from me! Is that little slut pregnant with your child?” Faced with Gwen’s hysterical behavior… I desperately tried to explain that I just saw someone in need and wanted to help, as we’re all neighbors. But she didn’t believe me at all. She insisted I couldn’t change my scoundrel ways, that I was seducing young wives! She even picked up a stick and beat my right leg, crippling me for life. Not a single relative or neighbor was willing to help. They despised me even more for being no good. I had been unfaithful before marriage, having an illegitimate child with some loose woman. After marriage, I still wasn’t an upright person. They all felt that a dirty scoundrel like me who fooled around deserved to be beaten. At the time, George and William were watching from the side. Neither of them came to pull Gwen away. At the time, I thought they were just scared by the crazed Gwen. I was even afraid my blood would splatter on them. Now that I think about it, it’s really laughable. Every time George and William came to see me, Gwen would find an excuse to beat me viciously. Whenever I really couldn’t take it anymore and wanted to divorce Gwen, George and William would always persuade me: “For the sake of how good she is to the child, just endure it. It’ll get better with time. The child can’t be without a mother!” I believed these words, swallowed my tears and pain, gritted my teeth, and continued living with Gwen. As my adopted daughter grew up, she looked more and more like Gwen, but I didn’t think much of it. I just thought that after being raised for so long, it was natural for a child to resemble their adoptive parents. I thought it was because the child was close to her parents.

Gwen’s ability to turn black into white… Made me suffer for a lifetime. I didn’t expect that in this life, she would directly throw mud at me. The villagers watching couldn’t help but point at me and criticize. Their spit nearly drowned me. “Even a tiger doesn’t eat its cubs. This man’s heart is really vicious!” “The child was crying and almost dying at the clinic, yet he still has the nerve to pack his bags!” “Ptui! Scoundrel! You deserve to be condemned!” “I just heard at the clinic that this child’s ears were trampled deaf by either sheep or donkey hooves. Who knows if his brain was damaged too!” “To have such a father, what terrible luck!” The accusations from all sides made my head buzz. Memories of a lifetime of being unable to hold my head high, always inferior to others, flooded back. I tasted blood in my throat. The words “scoundrel” and “scum” kept drilling into my brain. George rushed over and slapped me hard across the face. He still smelled of the clean soap I had risked my life to buy for him, working in the mountains breaking rocks and pulling carts like a donkey. He pointed at my face and cursed righteously. “How could I have given birth to such a shameless son!” Blood dripped from my split lip onto the snow. My face stung and burned. George leaned back, as if he had suffered a great injustice. “It’s all my fault as a father for not teaching you well. How could you do such a despicable thing!” “Our Young family has been upright for generations. Now we can’t even face our ancestors underground!” The uncles and aunts tried to persuade him. “You can’t control grown children! How can you watch over him all the time!” “When a boy grows up, if he wants to fool around, how can you as a father stop him? You can’t tie him to your waist.” William quickly chimed in, adding fuel to the fire. “Brother, even if you really want to return to the city, you can’t mistreat the child like this!” “I’ve always told you to be upright and responsible, but you just wouldn’t listen…” The corner of a brand new dress shirt peeked out from under his coat. It was the shirt I had exchanged thirty work points for, just so I could return to the city looking presentable. He had stolen it and was wearing it himself. But never mind, I stole something of his too! William deliberately lifted the blanket, exposing the child’s festering ears. The crowd instantly exploded. Several strong men looked like they wanted to beat me with sticks. Someone spat in my face. I immediately dropped to the ground and started rolling around. Like a mad dog, I bit anyone who tried to pull me away. “Gwen! You say I had an affair with you! What proof do you have?” Gwen snorted coldly and pulled out a pair of men’s underwear from her labor reform cloth bag. “You scoundrel! Do you dare say these aren’t yours!” “And you have a birthmark on your left buttock!” The crowd’s curses became even more vicious. The village chief was so angry he stamped his feet. “You’ve completely ruined our village’s reputation! You still want to return to the city? Keep dreaming!” “We’d rather give the spot to William than to scum like you!” The smiles on William and George’s faces were barely concealed. I got up from the ground, wiped the blood from my face. I tore open the pocket of my clothes and took something out, holding it up. “What a coincidence, I have some evidence too.”

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In my previous life, my sister Hazel always encouraged me to skip classes, stay up all night gaming, and sleep during lessons. Whenever I tried to study, she would mock me for being a goody-two-shoes. But behind my back, she was burning the midnight oil and secretly studying with top students during holidays. When the college entrance exam results came out, Hazel successfully got into an Ivy League university. After graduation, she landed a job at a top tech company and married a programmer earning six figures. Meanwhile, I barely scraped by in the exam, disappointing our parents who sent me off to work in a factory. I ended up marrying a good-for-nothing who abused me during pregnancy, leading to my tragic death during childbirth. After I died, Hazel spoke at my funeral, saying I was actually quite smart but didn’t apply myself to studying. She claimed all my misfortunes were self-inflicted, unlike her who knew from a young age to study hard and change her fate through education. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself sitting in a gaming cafe, in the midst of an intense match with my teammates. I shook my foggy head, grabbed my dirty backpack, and ran home. Back at the house, Hazel was diligently writing under a desk lamp. Seeing me return, she quickly hid her papers and asked, “Sis, why are you back so early? You left the team one player short, what about your teammates?” It had always been her who called me to the gaming cafe, while she pretended to be tired and went home to study in secret. I took out my brand new textbooks and pinned my target university on the wall. Hazel immediately flew into a rage: “You want to get into Harvard? How dare you even think about Harvard?” Not only would I get into Harvard, but I would also make her understand that natural talent isn’t something she could catch up to with mere hard work. I looked at the “Pentakill” screen on the computer, smelling the strong odor of cigarettes and sweat, hearing my teammates cursing at our loss. I couldn’t believe my eyes as I looked around. I had been reborn, back to when I was seventeen, a month before the first mock exam in my senior year. I picked up my dirty backpack from the floor and ran out, ignoring my teammates’ anxious questions behind me. I had promised to help them reach the top rank, and my leaving meant certain defeat for them. But my future was far more important than their fleeting victory. Ignoring everyone, I ran home as fast as I could. It was already 1 AM, but the light in Hazel’s room was still on. Her shadow was projected on the window, her hand moving rapidly across paper. I pushed open her bedroom door, startling her. She hurriedly tried to hide the papers under her arm. I had my phone out, recording the whole scene. Faking a yawn, I asked, “Weren’t you tired? Why aren’t you asleep yet?” Trying to appear calm, she said, “I woke up to use the bathroom and realized I hadn’t packed my bag. I’m just packing up and then I’ll go to sleep.” The light in Hazel’s room went out, and I turned on my long-unused desk lamp. I took out my textbooks, which didn’t even have my name written in them yet. In my previous life, I had barely scraped by into high school thanks to last-minute cramming in middle school. Hazel, shocked at my sudden studiousness, told me that being good at studying wasn’t cool – hanging out with the popular kids was what mattered. There was an expensive class at our school, full of students from rich and powerful families who got in through money rather than grades. Believing Hazel’s words, I started skipping classes to game with them every day. We took pride in who was the best gamer. With a little effort, I became the top player among them. But what I didn’t know then was that they were all rich kids who would transfer to international programs in junior year and study abroad for senior year. After returning, they would work in their family businesses. My parents were just ordinary office workers. Without getting into a good university, I could only work in a factory. I was pretty, so as soon as I started at the factory, a guy named Jake took a liking to me. I told Hazel about it, and she encouraged me to pursue true love. She said love couldn’t be measured by money, and as long as Jake loved me, true love could conquer all. I believed her and had a child with Jake before marriage, without even a proper engagement. We hastily got our marriage certificate. But as soon as we were married, Jake started abusing me verbally and physically. Whenever he got drunk, he would say that Hazel and I had the same mother, so why was Hazel so outstanding while I was as dumb as a pig. I cried as I thought back to the past – I used to be the more brilliant one. I could solve any problem at a glance and had a photographic memory. My middle school teachers couldn’t believe how poorly I did in the high school entrance exam. Later, when I was in labor, Jake refused to let me have a C-section, leading to the death of both me and the baby. During labor, I called Hazel countless times, but she always said she was busy. As soon as I died, she showed up immediately. At my funeral, everyone sighed about how the former little genius had ended up like this. Hazel pretended to be heartbroken as she told everyone, “My sister was actually very smart, but she didn’t like studying. Everything that happened to her was her own doing. Unlike her, I knew from a young age to study hard and changed my fate through education.” After everyone left, Hazel gloated and revealed the reason for her deception. It turned out that I had always been smart, and our parents’ attention had always been on me. She was so jealous that she went crazy and used my trust in her to set me up. This time, I absolutely wouldn’t fall for it again. I wanted to show her that talent is talent, and it’s not something she could surpass just by working hard. I took out some paper, wrote down my goal of getting into Harvard, and stuck it on my desk. I took out my freshman textbooks and started reading from the first page. By 3 AM, I had finished two books, the knowledge already taking root in my mind. I slept for two hours, then got up and was the first to enter the classroom to start the morning reading. By the time my classmates arrived one after another, I had already memorized two volumes of freshman and sophomore English vocabulary. “Iris is actually studying, how strange!” “There’s only half a year left until the college entrance exam, no matter how hard she tries now, it’s useless. At most she might get into a community college.” “With her grades, even a public community college would be difficult. She’ll probably have to pay high tuition for a private one.” I ignored others’ idle chatter. When the exam results came out, everything would be clear. Hazel, as usual, entered the classroom just as the bell rang. As soon as she saw me, she asked, “Sis, why didn’t you wake me up this morning?” “From now on, I’ll be at school at 5 AM every day. If you can get up, come with me. If not, set your own alarm.” Hazel asked curiously, “You don’t study, what are you coming so early for?” Lucas, sitting behind me, excitedly told Hazel, “Your sister came early to memorize English vocabulary. She seems to have memorized two books already. I don’t know what’s gotten into her!” Hazel was stunned for a moment, then angrily said, “Sis, we’re just here to get a diploma. After graduation, let’s work in a factory together. I’ve already checked, if you work well in an electronics factory, you can earn over $3,000 a month!” I took out my phone and showed her the video: “If the factory is so good, why are you secretly studying at night?” Hazel’s face immediately turned pale when she saw the video. Lucas snatched my phone and pointed at Hazel, shouting, “You little liar, Hazel! No wonder you always run off in the middle of our gaming sessions. So you’ve been secretly studying at home!” “You study in secret and still only score in the 400s, your brain must not be very good, huh?” Hazel’s face turned red with anger. She opened her textbook and started memorizing vocabulary. She repeated one word over and over more than a dozen times but still couldn’t remember it. After school, I still accompanied the rich kids to the gaming cafe. I wouldn’t cut ties with them – after graduation, they would all be valuable connections for me. In my previous life, all the relationships I had worked hard to maintain ended up benefiting Hazel in the end. After leading them to five consecutive victories, I rushed back home. My parents saw me come home and sarcastically remarked, “Oh, you actually know how to come home early. Didn’t you say you’d rather die in the gaming cafe?” “If you have the guts, stay there every night and don’t come out. Let’s see what you get in the college entrance exam.” In my previous life, my parents had tried everything to get me to study properly. But I believed Hazel’s words and just wouldn’t listen. As a result, my parents gave up on me and, apart from not letting me starve, stopped caring about me. After I died, they were heartbroken for a long time. My mom even stayed in the hospital for an extended period. I suddenly knelt down in front of my parents: “Dad, Mom, I’m sorry. I was foolish before. I will definitely study hard and get into a good university.” My mom looked at me in surprise, turning away to wipe her tears. My dad quickly helped me up: “Good, it’s good that you know to study. Dad always knew you weren’t bad at heart. Although there’s not much time left, just do your best. Worst case, we can always have you repeat a year.” I nodded: “Don’t worry, Mom and Dad. I can get in on the first try. I’m going to get into Harvard.” At this moment, Hazel came out of her room with a textbook: “Sis, why are you back? Didn’t you go to the gaming cafe with Lucas and the others?” She deliberately walked over to me and immediately covered her nose: “Oh my, Sis, the cigarette smell on you is so strong, it’s choking me!” My mom came over to smell me too, then immediately slapped me across the face: “I knew you couldn’t change your ways. You just came back from the gaming cafe and you’re lying to us about studying hard. With your scores barely over 200 in every test, and still skipping class to game, if you could get into Harvard, even a pig could get into Harvard!” Dad sighed in disappointment and went back to the bedroom with Mom. With no one else around, Hazel finally showed her true colors: “Sis, don’t waste your effort. You only have half a year, you can’t surpass me. I’ve been holding back – my real level is definitely not just 400 points.” I gave a cold laugh and went back to my room to study. Actions speak louder than words. I would use my results to show everyone my true ability. We had a small test every week. Although I was improving, I still couldn’t pass. Hazel stopped pretending and showed her true level, directly scoring second in the class and tenth in the grade. The homeroom teacher praised me for improving, saying I had hope of getting into a public vocational college. I looked at Hazel’s test paper – she couldn’t solve the most difficult questions. Her brain really wasn’t up to par. Hazel put her test paper in front of me, deliberately showing me her score: “Sis, look, full marks in English, 129 in math!” “Let me see yours. Tsk tsk, 59 in math. Not bad, not bad. If the full score was 100, you’d be just one point away from passing. Too bad our full score is 150, and you need 90 to pass.” “Oh my, you’re a bit unbalanced. You got 60 in language. Hmm, you’re better at liberal arts than sciences.” Lucas tried to persuade me: “Iris, you’re not cut out for studying. Just give up. You haven’t been pulling all-nighters gaming with us lately. Without you, we keep dropping ranks.” Hazel pretended to scold Lucas: “How can you say that about my sister? My sister is going to get into Harvard.” As soon as Hazel finished speaking, the class erupted in laughter: “A total score of less than 400, getting into Harvard? That’s hilarious!” “Does she think Harvard is run by her family, that she can just go whenever she wants?” I ignored them and took out practice exam papers to work on. Suddenly, our homeroom teacher burst into the classroom like a whirlwind. The teacher put a stack of scratch paper on my desk: “Iris, is this your scratch paper?” I nodded. The teacher excitedly hugged me: “Genius, you’re a genius!” “The principal always said I was mediocre and could only teach regular classes. Who would have thought I could produce a student capable of getting into Harvard!” Hazel looked at the teacher in shock: “Mr. Johnson, my sister has improved in this test, but her total score is only 397. How could she possibly get into Harvard?” The teacher patted my shoulder: “She can, she definitely can. Your sister is the smartest person I’ve ever seen.” Lucas muttered quietly: “Has Mr. Johnson gone crazy?” The first mock exam soon arrived. After the results came out, the school-wide rankings were posted in the corridor. Hazel ranked 20th in the grade, while I ranked 988th. Hazel immediately started mocking me: “Oh, our future Harvard student has made quite an improvement. You’ve reached 988th in the grade.” The students all laughed. The grade director stood nearby and said meaningfully: “Iris should be first in the grade.” Hazel looked at me hatefully: “Even though you’re doing so poorly, why does everyone still believe in you? I don’t believe you can go from barely over 200 to 700 points in half a year.” I leaned close to her ear and said, “Let me tell you why they all believe I can get into Harvard!” I put all my test papers and answer sheets in front of her. Her eyes grew wider and wider. “This is impossible!” “It’s absolutely impossible. You must have cheated. I’m going to report you.” On my answer sheets, I hadn’t done any of the simple, basic questions. But I had solved all the more difficult ones. And of the questions I had solved, Hazel had only gotten half right. Hazel ran to the principal’s office with my answer sheets. She burst in without knocking: “Principal, I want to report Iris from Class 12 for cheating in the mock exam.” Sitting across from the principal were all the subject teachers from our class. Seeing Hazel and me, the principal beckoned me over: “Iris, you’ve come at the right time. We were just analyzing your situation. Can you explain why you didn’t do any of the simple questions, but solved all the difficult ones, and even used simplified methods?” “I just started trying hard, and I didn’t want to discourage the average students by immediately scoring first in the grade.” I deliberately glanced at Hazel and continued, “I wanted to take it slow, so I only did the questions I thought were worth doing. I’ll perform properly in the third mock exam and the college entrance exam.” The homeroom teacher smiled and said, “See? Iris’s approach is exactly as I guessed.” The principal immediately decided to transfer both Hazel and me to the advanced class. We both refused. I felt I could do well anywhere, while Hazel wanted to stick to her plan of leading me astray. After school, Hazel brought Lucas and the others to block my way: “Sis, let’s go to the gaming cafe for an all-nighter tonight. I have a ranking match.” I readily agreed and led them to five consecutive wins. Just as I was about to go home to study, a man who looked clearly seven or eight years older than me stood beside me, bending over to embrace me from behind. “Your operation still has some problems. Let big brother teach you how to play.” I quickly slipped out from under his armpit, the strong body odor almost making me throw up. “Who are you?” Hazel quickly explained: “Sis, this is Jake. He’s the toughest guy in our area. With him protecting you, absolutely no one will dare mess with you.” Jake took out a cheap cigarette, lit it in what he thought was a cool manner, and blew out a smoke ring. “Iris, I’ve taken a liking to you. You’re my girlfriend now. Come on, let’s go home.” Hazel smiled and handed me my backpack: “Sis, it’s your lucky day that Jake likes you. Go with him quickly. I’ll cover for you with Mom and Dad.” Jake reached out to grab me, but I quickly dodged: “Don’t touch me.” Jake grinned, showing a mouthful of yellow teeth, looking very excited: “Why are you pretending? Your sister said you throw yourself at any guy you see.” Lucas grabbed my hand, letting me hide behind him: “I don’t care who you are, Jake. Get lost. If you dare touch a hair on Iris’s head, I’ll kill you.” Everyone was looking at Jake. He might have felt his authority was being challenged and became enraged. Cursing, he lunged at Lucas. In the end, we all ended up at the police station. Lucas was bruised. Jake was worse off, with a broken nose, crying and whining at the police station for the officers to help him. My parents arrived at the police station and immediately started scolding me: “You’re not only ruining yourself, but you’re also dragging your sister down. How many times have I said, you can ruin yourself if you want, but don’t make Hazel become like you.” My mom was about to hit me but was stopped by the police. “Mrs. Summers, please calm down. The situation isn’t what you think.” Afraid that the police would tell my mom the truth, Hazel’s lips quivered and she cried to my mom: “Mom, my sister has improved recently. She even scored over 400 points. I thought as long as she didn’t go gaming, she could keep improving. When I saw her go to the gaming cafe again, I called her to come home. Who knew she had a boyfriend from the streets, and we got into a conflict.” “Mom, I don’t want to watch my sister ruin herself. Why don’t you send her to an internet addiction treatment center? When she’s cured and comes back, she can take the college entrance exam again. I’m sure she can get into Harvard then.” My mom looked at me and sighed: “Ah, I guess that’s the only way. Iris used to be so smart. It’s all because of those games that she’s become like this. I’ll contact the center tomorrow.” Lucas, his head wrapped in bandages, rushed in front of my mom to explain: “Auntie, don’t listen to Hazel’s nonsense. Today it was Hazel who actively called Iris to game. That Jake guy was also brought by Hazel, trying to force Iris to be his girlfriend. Iris didn’t agree, so I got into a fight with Jake.” Hazel looked at Lucas in horror, her eyes darting around before she burst into loud sobs: “Lucas, I know you have a crush on my sister, but you can’t slander me for her sake! How could I possibly know someone like Jake?” If my sister hadn’t been hanging around gaming cafes all the time, how would Jake have targeted her? Maybe my sister already had something going on with him. My mom, without listening to reason, slapped me again: “You’ve disappointed me too much. It’s bad enough that you don’t study well, but now you’re mixing with these unsavory characters. We must send you to the internet addiction treatment center. It’s a good chance to cut ties with that Jake guy too.” Hazel stood behind my mom, looking at me smugly.

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Blake Donovan said my body was a curse, yet his lucky charm. The rougher he was in bed, the smoother his career went. So, every day, blindfolded, I endured his demands, his forceful advances, whenever and wherever. After the seventh tearing, I was back in the hospital. That’s when I overheard a nurse calling me an “elite-tier pleasure object.” Fury surged through me, I wanted to confront them, but then I heard my fiancé talking to his friends. “How did you tear Amelia Vance up again, Blake? My turn when she heals?” “Amelia Vance is a godsend! I only used her once, and I got a raise and a promotion!” Blake softly kissed Scarlett Hayes’ forehead, speaking with a casual indifference that chilled me. “She’s getting so much more *accommodating* now. Don’t worry, she’ll be good to go again in no time!” Everyone chuckled, a dark, knowing sound. Scarlett playfully smacked Blake’s chest. “You guys are so bad, Professor Donovan! Aren’t you afraid Amelia will find out and break off the engagement?” Blake carefully pulled her onto his lap, gently pinching her cheek. “You’re all that matters to me.” “Women like her are cheap. I treat her like this every time, and she still loves it. You think she’d ever leave me?” His words were met with universal agreement. “I’ve been with so many women, but she’s the most obedient, the softest.” “She just lets us do whatever we want. Even when it hurts, she only cries. Honestly, I’m kinda hooked.” “It hurts so bad, but she screams so sweetly. Blake, can we try that last game again next time? She won’t die, and a little blood just adds to the thrill!” But Blake’s face darkened. “I told you, if you want to play this game, you follow my rules!” “No matter what, she’s *my* Amelia Vance now.” “She chased me for three years. She’d probably lose her mind if I left her. She’s been with me, after all. I can’t just let you guys completely ruin her.” The others didn’t dare push it. “You’re right. Blake’s such a stand-up guy. Otherwise, he wouldn’t share such a prize with us.” “Blake, why don’t you share some tips? Where do you find such obedient women?” Blake just curled his lips into a cold, emotionless smile. “She’s just… cheap. She loves it when people are rough with her.” “Just give her a little sweet talk afterward, and she’ll hand you her heart.” They continued to discuss their “experience” with me. I felt like I’d been struck by lightning, my body frozen, hands and feet as cold as a corpse. What were they talking about? Blake and I had known each other since we were ten, together for twelve years. He treated me like a precious gem. After we started dating, even my parents saw him as their successor. I’d stepped back from my lab, handing over my half-finished research, practically putting him on a pedestal as a genius doctor, celebrated and admired. He said he was too busy, that he didn’t have enough time for me, and he wanted to make it up to me. So, no matter how rough he was during our intimate moments, I thought he was just too passionate. Even after being torn multiple times, I bit my lips until they bled from the pain, yet I never wanted him to stop. Turns out, it was all just my wishful thinking. The thought of him whispering sweet nothings in my ear last night made me sick to my stomach. My body weak, I leaned on the wall, struggling to stand, when I heard Scarlett’s suggestion. “Oh, Amelia Vance is so rare, a masochist like her. I’ve never seen one before!” “Blake, can I observe too?” She looked around at the men, a wicked grin on her face. “To thank Amelia for ‘helping’ me, I specially invited a master from abroad for her. He’ll definitely make her even more vibrant and resilient.” Blake’s gaze fell on a man who had been quiet and unassuming. I instinctively looked over, and our eyes met. He mouthed something, but I quickly looked away, unable to make it out. Blake hesitated. “No more tearing. The doctor said if she gets hurt again, it won’t heal properly.” Scarlett, though, grew even more excited. “Tearing makes it more fun! Besides, if it doesn’t heal, just use another spot, right?” Blake intimately pecked her lips. “Alright, whatever you say. I’ll make sure you have a blast.”

“If she gets hooked, I’ll announce that she cheated on me. You’ll owe me a new fiancée then.” Scarlett giggled sweetly, burying herself in his arms. Everyone offered them congratulations. Only I remained hidden in the corner, my heart shattered by the truth. I returned to my hospital room, my phone ringing several times. It was such a short distance, but with every step, the pain in my body felt like dancing on knife-edges, and cold sweat drenched me. I gripped the bed rail, waiting for the worst of the pain to subside. Just then, the hospital room door swung open. Blake, phone in hand, rushed in with a worried expression and scooped me up into his arms. His movements were too rough, tearing at my wounds. The scent of roses made me nauseous. “Why didn’t you answer my calls? Are you still mad at me?” I closed my eyes, hesitantly clinging to his sleeve. “Blake, do you only love me?” He froze, not answering immediately. “Are you overthinking things again? I told you, you’re the most important person in my heart.” “I have things to do back at the lab. Be a good girl, don’t make me worry too much.” He placed me on the bed. My face was pale as I begged him. “I don’t like it here. I want to go home.” Blake was still gentle with me, but I saw the deep-seated disgust in his eyes. “Be a good girl. Our engagement party is in three days.” “How can you attend looking like this? Rest up, don’t overthink.” He was used to domineeringly arranging everything for me. Just then, someone gently knocked on the door. Almost instantly, Blake let go of my hand and eagerly opened the door. Scarlett poked her head in, their eyes met, and they shared a knowing smile. “Professor Donovan, is Amelia still throwing a fit? Don’t be childish, Amelia. Your health is most important.” The girl who had once been so poorly dressed was now vibrant and charming, yet I felt nothing but utter repulsion. I turned my head, but she actively leaned into Blake’s embrace, her voice filled with feigned disappointment. “It seems I shouldn’t have come.” “Amelia, I know you don’t like me. I can go back to my hometown and never bother you two again.” I watched coldly as she cried, pressing herself against Blake. She knew exactly what she was doing. But Blake gently held her, his brow furrowed as he looked at me, his face disapproving. “How long are you going to keep being so childish?” “Scarlett works so hard, she’s so ambitious. It wasn’t easy for her to get out of her small town. How could you be so cruel as to ruin a girl’s life?” So, it was okay for her to ruin my entire life? I felt an overwhelming sense of absurdity. Last time, the research I’d spent three months perfecting was stolen by him and given to Scarlett, who was about to graduate. Not only did Scarlett get credit for the paper, but I also had to appease the other team members and take all the blame. This year, on my birthday, I waited for him on the mountaintop as we’d agreed, to watch the sunrise together. But it wasn’t until I almost fell off the cliff that I saw on his Ins stories that he’d stayed up all night cooking soup for her because her stomach hurt. Time and time again. It seemed ever since Scarlett appeared, he always broke his promises. I used to think that after more than a decade as childhood sweethearts, no one could ever come between us. But that was just what *I* thought. Blake didn’t wait for me to back down, and his face also hardened. “It’s not always the weaker person who’s right, Amelia. You’ve truly disappointed me!” He roughly yanked my leg. A sharp, piercing pain, like a knife twisting in my flesh, tore through me the next second. I could barely speak. “Call… call a doctor…” My pale face made him want to touch me, but he didn’t dare. Scarlett, though, grabbed his hand, looking at me disapprovingly. “Amelia Vance is so lucky. Someone even spoils her when she’s faking it.” “But I think this looks so bad, so immature.” Blake’s concern instantly turned to contempt. He stared at me coldly. “Amelia Vance, you look truly pathetic like this. Stop faking it!” I felt myself getting wet beneath me, my strength completely drained. I reached out, trying desperately to press the call button beside the bed. But as soon as my finger touched it, someone’s hand clamped over my mouth and nose. “It’s nothing, just the patient in Bed 2 playing a prank. You don’t need to worry about her.”

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One year into our marriage. I found out my husband was actually a rich guy. It’s just… he looked exactly like a guy in the financial newspaper. When I confronted him, he just laughed and said, “Lots of people look alike, but not everyone has my eight-pack abs.” “…” Ugh, he was so right. I absolutely *loved* my husband’s eight-pack abs. “Violet.” Rhys’s arms wrapped tightly around my waist, his handsome face buried in my neck. I heard his low chuckle and reached out to push him, but my hand landed right on those solid eight-pack abs. A shock like electricity ran through my palm, my breath hitched, and my heart pounded. “Rhys…” The word slipped from my lips, soft and sweet, my eyes swimming, practically dripping with desire. He lifted his head, bracing himself on either side of me, hovering as he smiled. The slight upturn of his foxy eyes held a hint of raw desire, tinged with red. His thin lips parted, and he lowered his head, kissing mine fiercely, taking charge without a moment’s hesitation. “Good girl, call me Daddy.” … Just like that, I called him Daddy all night long. The next morning, I almost missed work. When I finally dragged myself out of bed, my darling husband was still sprawled out, sound asleep. Ugh, he looked like a god in repose, absolutely stunning. Looks like it was up to me to bring home the bacon. My best friend, Harper, said I was hopelessly gone, and I admit it. Ever since I met Rhys, I’d been a total prisoner of love. “You’re completely wrapped around his finger! That dog Rhys is like some manipulative siren, whispering nonsense in your ear, and you just do whatever he says without a second thought!” Every time I met Harper, she called my husband a dog. I just put up with it. What else could I do? She’s been my best friend since we were kids. “My lunch break is almost over. Can we talk about something else?” I checked the time. This woman had been going on for nearly an hour. Harper sighed, her expression like she was thoroughly disappointed in me. “What is that dog Rhys even thinking, letting you, a woman, go out and earn money while he hides at home sleeping? What’s up with that?” “I’m happy to.” Only I truly know what’s best for me. Rhys has his good points, and others just wouldn’t understand. Rhys and I met completely by chance. As the old saying goes, it was truly meant to be, the best possible arrangement. A year ago, my company had a team-building trip to beautiful Miami Beach. That evening, I was strolling along the shore by myself when I saw a crowd of people gathered, arguing loudly. Right in the middle was Rhys. Under the moonlight, his unfairly perfect face practically glowed like something carved from moonlight, looking awkwardly innocent. His long, slender fingers held a crab claw like it was a piece of art. He was wearing the most ridiculously loud Hawaiian shirt and baggy shorts, but on him, it looked unbelievably stunning. It was love at first sight, and I was completely, hopelessly sunk. Like quicksand, there was no pulling me out. Turns out, poor Rhys hadn’t brought any money for dinner, and the owner thought he was trying to dine and dash. Was there any justice in the world? What’s wrong with a gorgeous person eating a little food? I dug into my own wallet and helped him out. But it hurt for a while because he’d ordered a whole king crab feast. Harper said I was totally bewitched by Rhys. I couldn’t help it. He was too handsome, and I was too much of a sucker for a pretty face. He promised he’d pay me back, but I honestly never expected him to. I was playing the long game. There had to be a reason for us to meet again, right? Then I found out we lived in the same city. Fate is just like that, wonderfully mysterious. Later, we got closer and closer. I felt the time was right to take things to the next level, but then I got nervous and totally butchered my words. “Can we do, friends?”

It was like a sudden clap of thunder; we both just froze. “No, no, no! I mean, can we *be* friends? Not *do*… Why would I say something like that? I…” Ugh, explaining only makes it worse. I was just digging myself deeper. Oh no, I sounded like a pervert! Rhys reached out and took my hand. His palm was large and strong, warm and solid. He looked at me, serious and sincere. “You don’t really know me yet. The truth is, I…” “I know.” I understood his awkwardness. He still hadn’t paid me back for that dinner in Miami. And after that, whenever we went out, I always rushed to pay. Sigh, I guess the heavens are fair. They gave him perfect looks but made his life so… poor. “I’ll support you.” I was serious. More real than pure gold. From the very first moment I saw him, I was utterly captivated. I’m a total sucker for a pretty face, and I guess that means I’m doomed to give my all. Rhys’s eyes widened in surprise. His foxy eyes, usually so subtle, now popped wide open. He probably didn’t expect me to be so direct. Maybe he needed to think about it. It was a big deal, after all. My expression dimmed, and my heart sank. To be honest, I wasn’t rich either. With me, he’d have food and clothes, but it was far from a life of luxury. The next second, my chin was gently lifted, and his soft lips pressed against mine. Between whispered kisses, Rhys chuckled softly. “It’s a deal.” Once we started, there was no stopping us. It was like a fuse had been lit, and we just exploded. The most important thing was how incredibly compatible we were, especially in bed. Those eight-pack abs, in particular, were the death of me. Just being in the same room felt like a commitment, and our eyes meeting was pure intimacy. Every day was hot and fiery. As for going directly to the courthouse to get married later, I swear I wasn’t the one who suggested it. We didn’t have a wedding. We just went out for a nice dinner together the night we got our marriage certificate. The beginning was tough, but the rest was much smoother. Our lives together were sweeter than honey, so happy it made some people green with envy. Like my best friend, Harper. “Did you even listen to a word I said? You’re a great girl, but why are you so clueless? Have you really thought this through? You’re going to support him for life?” Harper scolded me too. I nodded. “For life.” The words themselves sounded happy. Harper waved her hand, telling me to get lost. “Alright, I’m going. Talk later!” I grabbed my bag and blew her a kiss. “Violet Hayes, mark my words, one day he’ll drain you dry.” I took my best friend’s “blessing.” No, thanks! Hope neither of us ever ends up like that.

I’d been at my company for four years, but my position was lower than some of the new hires. The reason? Everyone knew. I’m tall and slender, with fair skin and a pretty face. When I first joined the company, I was the center of attention for quite a while. That ended the moment I got married. Everyone here was civilized; they knew there were certain lines you didn’t cross. But some people weren’t like that. They were just predators, taking whatever they wanted. My boss, Mr. Sterling, had hinted at things repeatedly, but I always played dumb and brushed him off. Today, though, it seemed that wasn’t going to work. “Director Sterling, I need to go home and have dinner with my husband tonight.” I pulled my hand away, smiling as I politely refused my boss’s invitation. That old creep practically had his dirty thoughts tattooed on his forehead. It was sickening. He’d already taken advantage of almost every woman in the office, it was just a matter of how much. “Violet, what about tomorrow then?” “I’m on a diet tomorrow. No dinner.” I blurted out without thinking. Dealing with workplace harassment is a vital skill for modern women. The old creep’s face instantly darkened, and he slammed a file onto the desk. “Redo this! I want to see it before the meeting tomorrow morning, or else, Violet Hayes, you can forget about your bonus this month!” I kept a smile on my face as I bent down to pick up the huge stack of files from his desk. These were materials I’d spent a week organizing. He hadn’t even looked at them before tossing them back, clearly trying to mess with me. If it were the old me, I would have thrown it right back in his face and walked out. But times were different now. I had a husband to support at home. If I quit, we’d both starve. Ugh, money problems can really crush you. After a whole day of hard work, it was already dark when I got home. In early spring, the mornings and evenings still felt like winter. The wind bit at my face, making my skin sting. After an hour of battling rush hour traffic, I finally dragged my half-dead self through the door. Our place wasn’t big, a cozy two-bedroom apartment, but it was warm and comfortable. “Wifey, you’re back! Quick, wash up and change. Dinner’s ready!” Rhys was wearing a cartoon apron, his clothes a sportswear set bought on sale at the mall, and on his feet were blue bunny slippers that matched my pink ones. He came out of the kitchen carrying steaming dishes, a warm smile on his face. His smile was like sunshine after a storm, melting away all my fatigue. I sniffled hard, suddenly feeling like all the grievances I’d suffered outside didn’t matter. A good partner protects their loved one from any pain. Seeing him so peaceful and domestic, I decided I could handle anything the outside world threw at us. “What’s wrong? Hurry and wash your hands. Come taste today’s special Rhys-style home cooking.” His goofy look made me laugh, and I happily trotted off to the bathroom to wash my hands. On the dinner table were what Rhys considered “home-cooked meals.” “Are we having Boston lobster today?” I absolutely refused to believe my meager salary could afford him buying gourmet meals home every few days. Yesterday, it was abalone. The day before, ginseng chicken soup. The day before that…

Rhys skillfully cracked open the lobster and placed the tender meat on my plate. “It’s lobster alright, but it’s local. The seller’s wife just had a baby, he needed to rush home, so he sold it cheap.” It sounded suspiciously similar to his excuse yesterday. Yesterday, the abalone seller’s son got married, so it was a day for everyone to celebrate. The day before that, he’d helped someone catch a chicken, and the owner kindly gave him one. These kinds of miracles seemed to happen to him every single day. “How do you run into such good luck every day?” I was baffled, taking a bite of the lobster meat. The delicious flavor melted in my mouth. So good. Rhys flashed his perfect white teeth at me, then smoothly popped a piece of meat he’d just pried from a crab claw into my mouth. “No choice, I’m just too charming and my luck is too good. Sellers practically chase me to feed me.” I chuckled, nodding. He wasn’t wrong, but then I thought about it again and felt something was off. “Then why don’t you buy more?” Rhys shook with laughter, reaching over to wipe a crumb from the corner of my mouth with his thumb. “My dearest wife works so hard, eat more.” I giggled sweetly, thoroughly enjoying his service. Cute, he’s got some conscience after all. He fed me until I was full, but he barely ate anything himself. The fruit after dinner was plump and glistening, sweet and refreshing, not at all cloying. “Honey, what’s this fruit you’re giving me?” Rhys had me lay with my head on his lap, feeding me the nameless, delicious fruit. “I don’t know, I picked it by the side of the road.” The food in my mouth instantly lost its appeal. Didn’t this guy worry about poison? “I tasted it beforehand; it’s perfectly fine. Good, right?” He saw right through my thoughts. “I’d eat it even if it was poisoned.” I turned and wrapped my arms around his waist, burying my face in his eight-pack abs. Harper was right. Rhys was a total charmer, keeping me utterly bewitched every single day. But hey, I totally fell for it. I loved it. I’d happily die in his arms, and I’d be a happy ghost. This comfortable, easy life… if only I didn’t have to be controlled by work, how perfect would that be? “No more eating. I still have work to do. If I don’t finish tonight, that old creep at my company will definitely make my life miserable again.” I reluctantly climbed off his lap. Ugh, life isn’t easy. “Is it that boss of yours again?” Rhys frowned, his expression instantly darkening. “You bet. Just looking at him makes me want to puke sometimes. Honestly, I really want to quit, sigh.” I patted his head. I didn’t tell him about the harassment; he’s a guy, I didn’t want him to feel his dignity was threatened. Rhys suddenly wrapped his arms around my waist, flipping us over so he was pinning me on the couch. His eyes bore into mine, filled with fire and fury. “Then just quit.” I froze for a second, then burst out laughing. He’s like a naive prince, totally out of touch with real-world struggles. Every single thing costs money! “Come on, I’ll go do some work. Just one hour, okay? One hour.” I coaxed him, enjoying our little game. But Rhys wouldn’t play along. Between soft kisses, he whispered in my ear, seducing me, “You know me, one hour is nowhere near enough…” “Rhys, just give me a bit, okay? Just a little while.” I blinked my eyes, a pleading look on my face. “No.” His kisses fell like rain, pouting like a stubborn child. “Honey… my sweet husband…” I gasped, feeling myself melting into a puddle, practically liquid. I tried to dodge his kisses, but he kept landing them perfectly. “I know.” He was so shameless, and I was so flustered. This husband, he was perfect in every way, but seriously, exhausting in the best way. …

The next day at the company, a bombshell dropped out of nowhere. That old creep, my boss, Mr. Sterling, was fired. I silently cheered, “Oh yeah!” I’d been expecting to get chewed out today. I hadn’t even touched the work I brought home yesterday, because Rhys had kept me pinned down, *massaging* me for hours and hours, sending me straight to dreamland. Who knew the tables would turn so quickly? In just one night, that old creep was out. It was truly cause for celebration! I immediately sent a SnapChat to my darling husband, sharing the good news. He sent me a selfie. In the photo, he was wearing the sportswear I bought him, out for a run downstairs, playfully making a finger heart at me. Sunny, handsome, full of energy. And the best part? This man was *mine*. A powerful sense of satisfaction washed over me. My subconscious urged me to work even harder, to keep him pampered and perfect, so he could continue to bless my life. The new boss was a woman, in her early forties, and very kind. To get off on the right foot, she was treating everyone to dinner after work. I couldn’t refuse, but I was really worried about Rhys back home. I called him and sent him messages, but I couldn’t relax during dinner. Tonight, the boss was treating us to a buffet, which was nice. Everyone could pick what they liked. But nothing here was as good as what we had at home. The abalone wasn’t big enough, the chicken soup wasn’t fresh enough, and I had to wait in line for lobster. A colleague next to me chatted, but my mind was entirely on Rhys, so I was a bit distracted. “Violet, have you heard that our company is going to be acquired?” I shook my head, listlessly poking at the food on my plate. Ugh, not as good as what my husband makes. “How can you not care? Our department is buzzing about it!” My colleague looked completely surprised, making me feel bad for not asking. “What happens if we’re acquired? Will I be laid off? Will I get a raise? Is the new boss handsome?” My colleague shook her head like a bobblehead, totally confused. “Exactly! Everything’s unknown, so I don’t get why you’re all whispering about it.” My colleague scratched her head, then nodded, seemingly agreeing with my point. I finally put an end to that topic. I speared a strawberry and popped it into my mouth. Ugh, it was… indescribable. “Why does this strawberry taste like nothing? It’s nowhere near as good as what my husband buys, and it’s even worse than the wild berries he picks from the roadside.” My colleague leaned in, intrigued, bumping my shoulder. “Tsk, tsk, look at you, Ms. Big Shot. Three sentences and it’s all about your husband. You’re such a husband-bragger! Violet, you’ve been married for about a year, right? We’ve never met your husband. Why don’t you invite him to join us tonight?”

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