Category: English

My CEO girlfriend of five years doubted my loyalty. She demanded I collect ten thousand blessings from strangers before she’d marry me. But when Marcus, the man she truly obsessed over – the one she’d broken up with three times – asked her to marry him on a dare, she couldn’t wait to make their relationship official, splashing it across every major screen in the city. My mom, who’d just come to the city to meet my fiancée, was so enraged she suffered a heart attack and ended up in the hospital. I rushed to the announcement site, falling to my knees, begging Vivian to return my savings for Mom’s medical bills. But she frowned, saying that once my money was in her hands, it was hers. She had no obligation to pay for my family’s expenses, telling me to figure it out myself. Then, right in front of me, she used my money to order Marcus a luxury car. Because I couldn’t pay on time, Mom missed her window for treatment and died tragically in the hospital morgue. I buried her with tears in my eyes, accepted an offer from a major overseas company, and submitted my resignation. Vivian, though, just thought I was throwing a tantrum. She casually said, “Where else would a guy your age go without me? Don’t play your little games with me. I’ll take your mom out for a few days later, just doing my duty as your future daughter-in-law.” But when she saw me at the airport, why did her eyes turn red, and why did she fall to her knees, begging for my forgiveness?

After my visa was approved, I went home to pack. The moment I opened my closet, Vivian popped out, startling me. “Alex! I’m the hunter, and I’ve caught my prey!” She was beaming, her cheeks flushed, laughing heartily. I knew she’d used a “business trip” as an excuse these past two days, but she was really just traveling with Marcus to avoid me. In the past, I would have greeted her with a warm smile, asking about her trip. Now, I just pulled her aside and started rummaging for my clothes. Vivian stood there, looking a bit lost. After a long moment, she poked my arm. “Alex, what’s wrong? Are you still mad about me not lending you money that day? I was trying to complete Marcus’s dare. We’re friends, and he was about to lose in fifteen minutes. I didn’t have time to transfer money. Didn’t I soften up later and have the finance department give you an advance?” I gave a bitter laugh, suppressing the sting in my nose, and kept stuffing clothes into my suitcase. That day, Mom had just arrived from out of town when she saw her future daughter-in-law on a giant screen, holding another man’s hand and making their relationship official. She collapsed on the spot. I rushed to the scene, falling to my knees in front of Vivian, pleading with her to give me back my savings for Mom’s medical bills. It would have taken less than three seconds to pull out her bank card from her bag. But she just coldly kicked me aside, telling me to figure it out myself. Then, she used every last cent from my card to buy Marcus a luxury car. Later, when I went to the finance department for an advance, the finance officer rolled her eyes at me. “Alex, who do you think you are, dreaming about someone like her? Mr. Marcus and CEO Vivian are the golden couple.” She deliberately dragged out the process. I ran around the company, completing eighteen different procedures, which took three hours, just to get a $200 advance. The finance officer said it was Vivian’s order, and they couldn’t do anything about it. By the time I rushed to the hospital, Mom had already passed away. Vivian saw I wasn’t speaking, snatched the clothes from my hands, and threw them onto the bed. “That’s what I dislike about you small-town guys. You’re so petty. You hand over a few hundred thousand, and then you try every trick to get it back. Honestly, I bought Marcus that sports car just to cut off your idea of getting into my pockets!” My heart felt like it was squeezed hard. I took a deep breath. I thought if I just poured my heart out and gave her all my earnings, Vivian would eventually let go of her suspicions. But I never imagined she still thought I was after her money. Marcus and she had broken up and gotten back together three times. Each time, it was her winning him back with luxury cars and lavish homes. So why was it suddenly me who was being petty? I finished packing, picked up my suitcase, and curled my lips into a sarcastic smile. “It won’t happen again. Keep your money for Marcus to spend.” Vivian’s eyes widened. She grabbed me. *CRASH!* A storage box was knocked over, sending countless paper slips covered with blessings fluttering to the ground like snow. These were all the blessing messages I had pleaded with anyone and everyone I met on the street to write for me. She had said she’d had enough heartbreak. Unless I collected ten thousand blessings from strangers to prove my sincerity, she wouldn’t marry me. The ten thousandth blessing was from a passenger sitting next to my mom on the train ride into the city. When Mom handed it to me, she wished Vivian and me a long and happy life together. But Vivian still announced her relationship with Marcus just because of one sentence from him. All my boundaries, all my efforts, were a joke. Vivian picked up a slip of paper. Her beautiful brows relaxed, and she sighed. “Alright, Alex, stop sulking. I’ll give you another three hundred. Take your mom to get some nice clothes and good food. Later, I’ll take her on a trip. I’ll do my duty as a daughter-in-law.” In the past, I would have taken the out and praised her as a good wife. But now, the bitterness in my heart wouldn’t let up. I just couldn’t swallow it. I covered her transfer screen with my hand and said coldly, “No need. You’re not her daughter-in-law. We’re over.” My words were swallowed by the sound of a key in the lock. “Vivian, I’m here to pick you up! Didn’t we say we’d treat everyone to dinner to celebrate?” Marcus walked in, looking surprised. “Assistant Alex, why are you at Vivian’s place?” Vivian coughed, putting distance between us. “Alex’s mom needed money, he just asked if he could get an advance on his salary.” We’d been in a secret relationship for five years. She always kept me at arm’s length, and I couldn’t even post about her on Ins. I thought it was because she didn’t want an office romance. Turns out, keeping it from everyone was just about keeping it from *him*. Marcus looked righteous and reprimanded me sharply. “Assistant Alex, don’t go too far. I didn’t even say anything about you causing a scene at the announcement, but you have hands and feet. You can’t just take advantage of Vivian’s kindness and demand money from her!” Vivian frowned, about to speak. I curled my lips. “You’re right, that’s exactly what I think. So I’m leaving now.” With that, I picked up my suitcase and walked past Vivian, heading downstairs. She took a step as if to follow, glanced at Marcus, then calmly said, “Be careful on your way.” As I walked out of the building, Vivian sent me a SnapChat message: “Alex, don’t worry. This is the last time I’ll help Marcus out. I’ll make time in a couple of days to take your aunt out, and we can discuss our wedding plans and get married soon.” I scoffed. I just opened my chat with William, the HR from the overseas company. “William, my visa is done. Flight’s tomorrow afternoon. See you there.”

I hailed a cab to the company to pick up my files, but the HR officer looked impatient. “CEO Vivian has been holding up your resignation application. Come back next Monday to ask again.” I called Vivian, but it just rang busy. It was always like this when she was with Marcus. I should have waited for her to approve my resignation before rushing off earlier. Frustrated, I frowned and left the company. Behind me, a burst of laughter erupted. “When Mr. Marcus and CEO Vivian made their relationship official, he was there singing and dancing, even kneeling and begging Vivian for money! So embarrassing!” “Didn’t you see how awful his face looked when he couldn’t get through to CEO Vivian just now? If I were her, I’d block a leech like that too!” I was used to these mocking words by now. My phone pinged with a notification – a taunting message from Marcus. The photo showed the blessing slips stuffed into a reeking, greasy trash can. “Vivian threw away all ten thousand blessings just because I said so. I heard you spent a year collecting them, so much effort, how sad.” “So what if you dated for five years? The moment I came back, you were kicked to the curb. She’s eating with me right now, peeling shrimp for me, her hands covered in sauce. You’ve never seen that, have you? If you’re curious, come to the restaurant’s private room, I’ll let you see all you want.” My hand tightened around my phone. Since he’d returned, I’d seen too many messages like this. Vivian, who was a clean freak and so proud, would wash his clothes, cook for him, and even wash his feet and make his bed. Before, I used to dread Marcus’s messages, yet I’d self-torture myself by watching Vivian’s special treatment of him. I even tried to tell myself it was all Photoshopped, telling him not to stir up trouble, thinking if I didn’t see the truth, I could keep lying to myself. This time, I went. Not out of jealousy, but to get Vivian to sign my resignation and sever all ties with her. Half an hour later, I arrived at the restaurant, only to hear Vivian arguing with someone in the stairwell. I instinctively hid around the corner. “Vivian, are you out of your mind?! Marcus dumped you three times, each time worse than the last! He even tricked you to a cliff and almost broke your leg! And you’re making it official with him?! Alex has been with you for five years, and you never gave him a title. Don’t forget he risked his life to save you before!” It was Sasha, Vivian’s best friend. I touched the uneven scar on my forehead. A year ago, Vivian and I were in a car accident during a business trip. To protect her, I was impaled by the windshield. I had a dozen steel plates implanted in my body, and a scar above my left eyebrow disfigured me, making my formerly gentle eyes look fierce. Colleagues secretly called me ‘Scarface,’ kept their distance, and even spread rumors that I was beaten by loan sharks. Vivian, however, never clarified anything to avoid suspicion. The next second, Vivian’s reply struck me like a lightning bolt. “It’s because he had the car accident. He has a scar over his eye. He doesn’t look like Marcus anymore.” Sasha was furious. “So you were still treating him as a substitute! No wonder when he proposed, you made him do an impossible task. Ten thousand blessings? Even if he asked thirty people a day, it would take a year! If you didn’t want to marry him, you didn’t have to string him along! What kind of spell did a scumbag like Marcus put on you?!” “Enough!” Vivian snapped, her voice sharp. “Don’t you dare slander Marcus like that! He said he’s turned over a new leaf. I’m just trying to make up for past regrets. Give me two more days, and I’ll break it off with him.” Sasha was speechless. “Aren’t you afraid Alex will truly give up?” Vivian seemed relaxed, in control. “Alex’s job came from me, he lives in my apartment. He has nothing without me. I’ll take responsibility for him. We’ve been out too long, Marcus will get impatient. Let’s head back.” Watching their retreating figures, I stood there for a long time, then sank to the floor, holding myself. When Mom got sick, I brought her to the city for treatment. When I was desperate because we had no money, Vivian was the one who approached me, inviting me to work at her company. She was gentle and compassionate, like a goddess, and I fell for her. Now, looking back, I was wearing a mask then, only my eyes visible. And her eyes were filled with the joy of finding something she’d lost. Whenever she mentioned her ex, Vivian would gnash her teeth, full of love and hate. Then she’d bury her head against my chest, sighing how lucky she was to have me. After Marcus returned to the country, she deliberately ‘ran into’ him several times, clashing with him, but their ‘arguments’ were just her way of flirting and showing how much she missed him. No wonder Vivian suddenly became distant after the car accident. I was foolishly thinking it was because Marcus was back, and she was just conflicted. Turns out, the original was back, and I, the substitute, was useless, which was why she made me collect ten thousand blessings to politely reject me. After a while, I took a deep breath and pushed open the private room door. Inside, everyone was already tipsy, clapping and cheering. “Their dramatic reunion, their intense, complicated love – I’m totally hooked! Vivian, you have to kiss Marcus!” Vivian openly kissed Marcus on the lips. Her long lashes trembled, and her ears turned crimson, betraying her racing heart. She didn’t know how long it had been until the cheering died down. She opened her eyes in confusion. She saw me, standing behind Marcus, my face emotionless. She shot up, her face pale. “Alex, I can explain everything! It’s not what you think!” Her attempt to cover it up just made her look incredibly guilty. “Vivian, we’re done.”

The next second, I pulled out my resignation application. “Also, please sign this so I can leave the company.” Vivian was flustered. Everyone in the room looked on with mixed expressions, some hesitating, wanting to advise me. But then, *whoosh!* Marcus swept the drinks and fruit bowls off the table, looking utterly humiliated. “You two are a couple?!” “Vivian, I told you, the love I want is one where only I exist in your eyes. If you had a boyfriend, you should have just said so. There was no need to take revenge on me like this!” He stormed out. Vivian snapped back to reality and, losing all composure, slapped me. “How dare you make a scene in front of Marcus? Why did you expose our relationship? He’s sensitive and can’t handle shocks, don’t you know that?” My head was snapped sideways from the blow, my eyes cold. The fierce fire in her eyes suddenly died, replaced by a flicker of distress. The hand that hit me trembled violently. She turned her head away and said sharply, “You just want to force me into marriage, but your plan failed. I’d like to see how you’re going to cause trouble for Marcus without the job I gave you!” She snatched my resignation application and signed it. The next second, she shouted “Marcus!” and ran off, chasing him. I rubbed the crumpled paper, and with a sense of relief, I left amidst the stunned gazes of the crowd. Now, there was only one thing left to do. After Mom passed, I decided to take her ashes abroad, so I had only arranged a simple memorial. Tomorrow, I needed to pick up Mom’s ashes and belongings from the hospital. The next morning, I timed my arrival at the hospital perfectly, intending to leave straight for the airport afterward. As I passed a department, I overheard a doctor calling out Vivian’s name. “You young people are crazy in love! Your eyes are inflamed, ulcerated, and bleeding. You could go blind permanently! You can’t keep doing this!” I unconsciously slowed my steps. Then I heard Marcus’s whining voice. “Vivian, I was just being dramatic yesterday when I said I’d only forgive you if you had eyes only for me! Why did you actually tattoo my name all over your eyeballs?!” Vivian’s voice was full of deep affection. “For you, it’s nothing.” I turned my head and saw Vivian’s eyes. Her eyelids were swollen, blood vessels burst, and they were hazy with blood. I could faintly see her eyeballs were dark, densely covered with Marcus’s name. Yet, before, when I had just bought a pair of matching couple’s rings, she had cursed me out, saying I was deliberately claiming ownership and trying to tie her down, restricting her freedom. Turns out, in the face of love, everyone is equally desperate. I continued toward the morgue. Marcus had already spotted me and deliberately picked a fight. “Alex, Vivian said you’re just a persistent admirer who won’t give up. What do you want now?” Vivian, surprisingly, wasn’t angry at all. She quickly put on her sunglasses, adjusted her hair, and her lips curved upward. “Alex, I know you came here looking for me on purpose. As long as you swear not to do anything out of line again, I can still let you come back to the company. I heard your mom is in our city recently. I could be generous and take her on a trip.” My eyes were full of sarcasm. What “out of line” things? Should I continue to be her secret lover, smilingly bless her and Marcus, and then, after she’s had her fun and decided to settle down, gratefully marry her? To this day, she still didn’t know that Mom had already died, her last wish being for me to find someone who loved me. The nurse, however, couldn’t wait. She rushed out to find me, handing me Mom’s ashes and belongings. “Alex, I have other families to attend to. Just sign here, and you can take your mother’s ashes.”

Vivian’s triumphant expression froze. “What ashes?” The medical staff looked at her, surprised. “Alex’s mother passed away two days ago because she couldn’t afford the medical fees.” Vivian was speechless. It took her a moment to find her voice. “How is that possible? Alex, you didn’t use the money I gave you for your mom?!” I bent down to sign the ash collection form. Marcus frowned, then suddenly spoke. “Vivian, I suddenly feel a little discomfort in my heart. Could you please ask the doctor to check me? Alex and I are both men, maybe I can comfort him properly.” Vivian hesitated, then finally called out to me. “Alex, you stay here. Don’t move. Once I call the doctor, we can talk properly!” As soon as she left, Marcus’s eyes filled with malice, and he deliberately knocked over my mother’s ashes. He whispered mockingly, “Alex, you’re truly a persistent ghost. I deliberately told finance not to give you the funds. Your mom died because you didn’t know your place. And Vivian even said she’s giving your vacant position to me. If you’re smart, you’ll get lost!” My pupils contracted. So Marcus was behind my mom’s death! Furious, I didn’t hesitate to slap him. But he immediately collapsed, curled up in the corner, looking pained and begging, “Alex, don’t kill me! I’m so sad your mother died too!” Passersby, not knowing the full story, all assumed I was just venting my anger. They had all seen Vivian and Marcus’s official announcement video and were now righteously indignant. “His own mom died, and he’s bullying another patient to vent?! Where’s security? Get this guy out of the hospital!” “Don’t you know that’s CEO Vivian’s husband? The Sterling family has immense wealth, you just messed with the wrong person! It’s not too late to beg for forgiveness now!” My face was numb. I knelt down to pick up the shattered ceramic urn holding my mother’s ashes. The sharp edges of the fragments cut my fingers, leaving streaks of blood, but I didn’t seem to feel the pain. As everyone condemned me, Vivian finally arrived with the doctor. They vied to speak, as if taking credit. “CEO Vivian, your husband is being bullied! Aren’t you going to stand up for him?” Marcus, looking triumphant, weakly cried out, “Vivian, I’m fine. I was just kindly helping Alex with his mother’s ashes, and I accidentally broke them. He didn’t mean to push me or slap me. I’m okay, I don’t think anything’s broken.” Vivian took three swift steps towards me. I didn’t even lift my head, gathering my mother’s ashes. I figured she’d just say a few words to me. But to my surprise, the next second, she knelt directly in front of me, carefully cradling my hands and asking, “Does it hurt?” She held my bloody hands, her eyes filled with heartache. Everyone present stared at each other, stunned. Marcus was dumbfounded, even forgetting to feign illness, his eyes wide.

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To help my wife, Chloe, settle the crushing debts from her disastrous investments, I agreed to her unthinkable proposal: to sell my kidney. But on the day of the surgery, our six-year-old son, Leo, raced to the clinic by himself, frantically calling his mother for help. Chloe’s voice was strained. “Daddy’s just giving up one kidney, Leo. It’ll buy Mommy peace for the rest of her life. If he doesn’t, Mommy’s life is ruined.” Leo still objected, but Chloe simply hung up. Turning away, she anxiously walked towards a high-end private room nearby, gazing at her pale first love, Ryan, soothing him in a low voice. “Don’t worry,” she whispered. “The kidney source is here. You’ll be fine soon.” “Don’t blame yourself. I chose to lie to him. He’s still young anyway; one less kidney won’t matter.” Later, Chloe’s first love had a successful surgery. Chloe was in high spirits, uncharacteristically suggesting a trip, a ‘honeymoon’ for me, her, and Leo. But she didn’t know. I was already dead. Because on the day of the kidney removal, I couldn’t afford the crucial post-operative antibiotics, and the wound infection claimed my life. And Leo? He had completely given up on her.

When I opened my eyes again, a strange lightness washed over me. All the pain was gone. I thought I’d pulled through the surgery, but then Leo’s childlike wail echoed in my ears. “Daddy, what’s wrong? Get up!” I turned towards the sound and saw my six-year-old son kneeling beside the clinic bed, sobbing his heart out. Before him, lying on the bed, was ‘me,’ pale and lifeless. It dawned on me. Oh. I hadn’t pulled through. I was dead. Of course. I had the surgery done at some cheap, rundown clinic because we had no money. There were no antibiotics, no painkillers after the procedure. So, once the anesthesia wore off, after the kidney was removed, the agony was unbearable. I knew then, with terrifying clarity, that I was dying. But I quickly accepted the reality. I didn’t even feel sad. Our family was deep in debt. We desperately needed money. If my death could bring peace to Chloe and Leo for the rest of their lives, then it was worth it. Just as I thought this, a man in a white coat entered through the doorway. He tossed a card onto the floor in front of Leo, his voice impatient. “Stop that bawling, you’re a real jinx! Here, take this five hundred thousand. Now grab your dad’s body and get out.” With that, he turned to retrieve the fresh kidney, soaking in a solution, from a cooler nearby. Leo’s eyes blazed red. He rushed forward. “That’s my daddy’s! You can’t take it!” Leo tried to grab it back, but the man merely kicked him in the chest. Leo slammed hard against the wall, his face paling with pain. My heart ached terribly. I had thought my timid, crybaby son would give up. But to my surprise, he sobbed, then hysterically rushed forward again. The man snapped his fingers, and three men instantly appeared from outside the door, grabbing Leo and pinning him to the ground. They held him fast, even as he screamed and thrashed. The man sneered, “Your daddy’s? We already bought it for five hundred thousand. Don’t cause trouble, kid. Take the money and leave. This kidney was bought for a huge price. If anything goes wrong, you won’t get a dime, and your daddy will have died for nothing.” Leo was pinned to the ground, crying helplessly. “I don’t want the money! I want Daddy! I’ll give you back the money! Just give Daddy back to me…” But no one listened. The man, clutching the organ transport cooler, hurried away. Only after the sound of a car engine faded outside the door was Leo released. Perhaps he was too exhausted from crying, for he was reduced to mere sobs. He picked up his phone and called Chloe again and again. After the usual unanswered calls, he finally, despairingly, picked up the bank card from the floor. His small shoulders somehow bore my body. “Daddy, I’m taking you home.” How Leo, with his tiny, frail body, managed to get me home, I don’t know. My spirit, uncontrolled, simply followed the man into the car. All the way, the man protected my kidney with extreme care. He buckled it into the passenger seat and constantly glanced over at it. Only when the car stopped in front of a luxurious private hospital did he finally relax, bowing and scraping as he handed the cooler to a woman waiting at the entrance. When I saw her face, one I knew intimately, I was stunned. It was Chloe, my wife, the one who had suggested I sell my kidney to pay off her debts. Before I could wonder why the man was giving her the kidney, Chloe carefully accepted it. “The remaining five million has already been transferred to you.” Without a single word about me, she turned and hurried into the hospital. I stood there, frozen, unable to process it. Chloe had recently lost everything in a disastrous investment, ending up millions in debt. I’d sold our house to help her pay off debts, and Leo had even sold his beloved action figures, but there was still a massive amount unpaid. Where did she get five million from? I hadn’t found an answer yet when Chloe strode quickly into the hospital, anxiously handing the kidney to a doctor. Before she could speak, a nurse rushed over. “Ms. Chloe, your boyfriend absolutely refuses the surgery. Please, go talk to him!” A flicker of tension crossed Chloe’s face, but it quickly vanished. As usual, she calmly instructed the doctor to arrange the surgery immediately, then, her heels clicking, she hurried away. I dazedly followed her, eventually stopping with her in front of a high-end private room. My breath hitched when I saw the young man lying on the bed. It was Ryan, Chloe’s first love. They’d dated for a while, but Chloe’s family disapproved of Ryan. In a fit of anger, he’d left the country and hadn’t been heard from for years. Later, the Xu family fell on hard times, and Chloe was forced into an arranged meeting with me. We logically married and had a child. After Leo was born, I once saw Chloe secretly weeping over Ryan’s picture. That’s when I learned she had a “first love.” But I didn’t care. After all those years of marriage, we were like family, our bond as deep as blood. But I never imagined… Chloe suggested I sell my kidney just to give it to him? Ryan, his face pale, looked at her. “Chloe, maybe we should just forget it. You’re already married anyway. I feel like there’s no point in living.” Chloe quickly stepped forward and took Ryan’s hand. Her voice, when she spoke, was so gentle it felt alien to me. “I was forced to marry him back then. You’ve always been the one in my heart. If you die, *I’m* the one who won’t be able to live.” “Promise me, you’ll be a good boy and have the surgery, okay? Your blood type is rare; it took me so long to find this kidney for you.” Ryan shook his head. “I know this is your husband’s kidney. You should give it back to him. I don’t want you two to have problems because of me.” Chloe’s voice turned pleading. “Ryan, don’t overthink it. Just listen to me this one time.” Ryan was stubborn. “What if your husband gets angry with you? What if he finds out you lied to him and hits you? Then I wouldn’t even be able to help you. Do you want me to just stand by and watch him bully you?” “He won’t,” Chloe shook her head. “He loves me very much.” “…” They looked like a pair of tragic, star-crossed lovers. One after another, the pieces of information clicked, and the truth began to form. After Ryan returned to the country, he discovered he had end-stage uremia and needed a kidney transplant to survive. But his blood type was rare, and a matching kidney was incredibly hard to find. For months, Chloe had been tirelessly searching for a match, all to no avail. Ryan grew weaker by the day. Until finally, Chloe secretly did a tissue match between me and Ryan. When she found we were a match, she set her sights on me. All that talk about failed investments, about being hounded by creditors – it was all a lie. I gave a bitter laugh. Chloe was right. I loved her very much. When I heard about her bankruptcy, my first instinct was to stand by her. I sold everything I could, scrambled for money everywhere. When it wasn’t enough, I even sold my blood, juggling five different jobs a day. Anything that paid, I did it. I felt that as a man, I should shoulder the responsibility of my family. Until a week ago, Chloe suggested I sell one of my kidneys. At first, I refused. But the very next day, Chloe was dragged away by creditors, who threatened her with unspeakable violence. After I rescued Chloe, she stood on the balcony late that night, saying she couldn’t take it anymore, that she wanted to end it all. I finally gave in and agreed. Back then, I was filled with terror for her and a heartbreaking pity that I couldn’t do more to help. But I never imagined… It was all a lie. Chloe, usually so impatient, coaxed him for nearly half an hour. Finally, Ryan agreed to the surgery. As he was about to enter the operating room, Chloe’s gaze never left him. I’d never seen such a worried look on her face before. Before my kidney surgery, she was supposed to be with me, but after a phone call, she rushed off. I walked into that clinic alone, and those cold instruments stole my life. It turns out, love and not loving are so painfully clear. As Chloe waited anxiously outside the operating room, her phone rang again. My name, ‘Liam,’ flashed across the screen. This time, she didn’t hang up. After two seconds of silence, her finger moved to the “answer” button.

“Mommy, Daddy he…” As soon as she answered, Leo’s tearful voice came through. But before he could finish, Chloe interrupted him coolly. “Leo, Mommy really can’t help it. Please stop calling. Daddy is pitiful, but Mommy is working hard too, earning money, trying to pay off the family debts, and buy you new action figures.” Chloe said these words without a hint of shame, her face perfectly composed. Before, I used to pity her. Now, I just felt utterly foolish. I’d been married for eight years, and I never knew the person sharing my bed was such a masterful actress. Leo cried. “I don’t want action figures! I don’t want anything! Mommy, just come home!” Chloe sounded annoyed. “Leo, why are you being so unreasonable? Do you want to see Mommy get beaten to death by creditors because she can’t pay her debts?” “I don’t want to…” “Then be a good boy. Daddy will wake up in a couple of hours. Take good care of him. I can’t come home tonight. Tell Daddy for me.” Just as she finished speaking, a doctor emerged from the operating room. Chloe didn’t wait to hear what else Leo had to say. She hurriedly hung up and rushed to the doctor. Upon learning the surgery was a success, she let out a sigh of profound relief. She fussed over Ryan, taking care of his every need. Fearing muscle atrophy from his long confinement, the impatient Chloe spent forty minutes massaging Ryan’s legs. Worried the IV fluid was too cold, she personally warmed the tube with her hands. When Ryan complained his little toe was cramping, the usually fastidious Chloe didn’t hesitate, gently massaging it for him. In my memory, she had always been careless. She couldn’t even take proper care of Leo; she once almost fed our son laundry detergent instead of formula. This was the first time I had ever seen her so meticulous. Those in love always recover quickly. In less than two days, Ryan was able to get out of bed and walk around. Chloe, seeing the good weather, took him to a nearby park. During their rest, Chloe left for two minutes. When she returned, her hands were behind her back, and she smiled mysteriously. “To reward brave little Ryan for completing his surgery, Big Sister Chloe has a gift for him.” With that, she presented the items she’d been hiding behind her back to Ryan, like she was showing off a prize. They were samples of wedding dresses and suits. Ryan’s eyes widened in surprise. Chloe winked playfully. “I specially picked out the most expensive package. Once you’ve fully recovered at the end of this month, we’ll go take our wedding photos. What do you think?” Ryan was about to nod, then seemed to remember something. His eyes flickered, and his gaze darkened. “Aren’t you afraid Liam will find out?” At the mention of my name, the smile on Chloe’s face froze. “Let’s not mention anyone else right now.” “Besides, I’m already married to him. It’s just taking wedding photos. Surely he won’t make a big fuss over such a small thing.” Ryan’s lips curved into a smile. “Chloe, you’ve done so much for me. I’m really touched.” He stood up, gazing at Chloe with an alluring intensity, slowly leaning closer. The air crackled with an unspoken tension, an almost palpable heat that made my heart race. I understood what they were about to do next. My heart throbbed, a dull ache like a knife twisting inside me. “Mommy!” Just then, Leo’s voice came from nearby. Chloe snapped back to reality, hastily pulling away from Ryan, casting a guilty glance in the direction of the voice. Seeing Leo, my heart felt tightly squeezed. His clothes were stained and tattered, his beautiful eyes swollen like walnuts, veined with angry red. My death had clearly been a massive shock to him. He wasn’t focused on Chloe and Ryan’s actions just now. When he saw Chloe, he rushed into her arms, his voice hoarse and dry. “Mommy, I finally found you.” “Daddy’s dead. He bled a lot. He won’t move, and he won’t talk to me…” He wanted to cry, but his tears had run dry. In the end, only a hoarse, ugly sound escaped him. Hearing his words, Chloe paused. Ryan, beside them, laughed. “Leo, is it? Don’t worry too much. Your dad just had surgery and was given anesthesia, so he can’t move. He’s probably just too tired to talk. He’s not dead.” Then, he patted Leo’s head. “What a cute little boy.” Leo dodged his hand, looking at him blankly. A child might not understand all the nuances, but with Chloe and Ryan together here, Leo clearly sensed something was wrong. He pointed at Ryan, angrily asking Chloe, “Mommy, who is he? Why are you with him?” Chloe gave a forced laugh. “He’s Mommy’s friend.” Leo challenged her. “So, Mommy’s been with him all these days? Does Mommy spend so much time with a friend?” Chloe was speechless. Ryan struggled to take a couple of steps, gasping for breath. “Chloe, maybe you should go back with the child first. Liam really needs someone to take care of him.” Leo was too young to catch the hidden meaning. Hearing this, he hastily grabbed Chloe’s hand. “Mommy, come back with me to see Daddy, Daddy…” Before Leo could finish, Chloe pulled her hand away. “No, Leo. Mommy’s friend still needs care. You go back by yourself for now.” “Mommy will give you money. You can buy the action figures you like, okay?” With that, Chloe, just like she used to dismiss Leo, pulled out a card from her bag and offered it to him. Leo froze. “Mommy, didn’t we run out of money?” Chloe’s hand, poised to offer the card, froze mid-air. Leo looked at her with an unfamiliar gaze, slowly stepping back. Perhaps it was then that he noticed Chloe, who had been dressing more simply for months, was now in a vibrant, glamorous dress, looking so radiant he barely recognized her. He also saw Chloe supporting Ryan, and beside them, a thick wedding photo album. “Mommy, do you not love Daddy and me anymore?” After a long moment, Leo asked, his voice strained. Chloe fell silent for a moment, as if she wanted to say something. But Leo seemed to understand everything. He turned and ran, sprinting away, as if he couldn’t bear to hear that terrible final answer. Chloe instinctively wanted to chase after him, but Ryan held her wrist. “Don’t worry, Chloe. He’s young; if you explain it to him later, he’ll understand.” Chloe pressed her lips together. Finally, looking at the struggling Ryan, she didn’t pursue Leo. Perhaps fearing Leo would tell me, Chloe made time to call me several times when she got back. But each time, the calls went unanswered, automatically hanging up. She frowned slightly, typing out a message: “Leo must have told you everything, but it’s not what you think. Please pick up, let’s talk properly.” I didn’t know what she wanted to talk about. Perhaps even she didn’t know, because after typing the message, she deleted it, word by word. After a long silence, she returned to Ryan’s room. “I need to go home tomorrow. You rest well here for now.”

Ryan nodded. “I’ll come with you. Let’s make things clear.” Chloe seemed about to refuse, but Ryan continued, “After all, this kidney came from Liam. Even if he doesn’t know now, I want to thank him.” After a few seconds, Chloe gave a very slight nod. That night, I watched Chloe constantly checking her phone, even opening our old chat history. It struck me that she was waiting for a message from me, and I was surprised. All these years, she had been aloof; I was always the one clinging to her. But every time I shared something about my life, she either didn’t reply or just gave a faint “Mm.” Our last message, too, had been from me. It was a photo of a beautiful diamond ring. I had told her: “I feel like this suits you perfectly. I can’t imagine how beautiful you’d look wearing it.” Thinking about it, Chloe now finally replied, “It is very beautiful.” Perhaps she expected me to reply as usual, because the next morning, Chloe woke up and immediately grabbed her phone, opening our chat window. Still, there was no reply. Chloe seemed a little annoyed. On the way back with Ryan, she was distracted even when he spoke to her. Ryan squeezed her hand reassuringly. “It’s okay.” Chloe frowned, growing even angrier. “Whatever. So what if we divorce? We were just set up anyway; it’s not like we were deeply in love.” Ryan told her not to say things in anger, but Chloe remained silent. The car soon pulled up in front of the building where we rented an apartment. The house I’d worked so hard to buy had been sold to help Chloe pay her debts, and we were now living in a dilapidated resettlement house. As she got out of the car, Chloe spotted something in the trash can and frowned slightly. It was her usual set of bedding. She visibly grew angrier, her face dark as she went upstairs. “Liam, aren’t you going too far?” As soon as she walked in, she angrily yelled. Leo emerged from the adjacent bedroom. He seemed even smaller, thinner, and his eyes were still red and swollen. Seeing Leo, Chloe’s anger subsided a bit. “Leo, where’s your dad?” Leo merely glanced at her blandly, saying nothing, and then tossed her cosmetics from the house into the trash can. Chloe frowned, a hint of unease on her face. “Leo, I’m asking you a question.” Ryan walked over, gently soothing. “Chloe, don’t be angry. Let me talk to the child. I’ve been through this phase, I know how to communicate.” Chloe usually wasn’t very concerned about Leo, so she believed Ryan and nodded. Ryan walked up to Leo, crouching down. He smiled. “Leo, I know you’re very angry, but you have to trust Mommy. Don’t be angry with Mommy and Uncle, okay? I believe in you. You’re a little man who can handle his emotions.” He reached out and gently rubbed Leo’s shoulder. But I noticed a cruel glint flash in his eyes as he subtly, harshly, pinched Leo’s shoulder. Leo flinched in pain and shoved Ryan away. Ryan lost his balance, tumbling to the floor, clutching the area where he’d had surgery, his face contorted in agony. “Leo, what are you doing?” In a fit of rage, Chloe not only called Leo by his full name, but she rushed forward and roughly pushed him away. Leo’s head hit the nearby table with a dull thud. Chloe didn’t even glance at him, frantically helping Ryan up. Ignoring Leo’s stunned, numb gaze, she yelled, “Who taught you to be so rude? Was it your dad? Where is he? Tell him to come out!” Just as she finished speaking, the front door opened. A man in a black suit entered, carrying an urn. He surveyed the room and asked, “Who are Liam’s family? This is Liam’s ashes. Please sign for them.” The side of the urn with my black and white photo faced Chloe directly. Chloe froze, staring blankly at Leo.

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When the wedding reached the ring exchange, a shocking video suddenly played on the banquet hall’s giant screen—footage of me being kidnapped and humiliated. “You filthy whore, how you dare to dream of becoming my Luna?” “I, Alpha Roderick Padilla, reject you, Adele Franklin, as my mate.” My fate mate—Alpha Roderick—renounced me on the spot and turned to slip the ring onto my bridesmaid Jessica Weaver’s finger instead. Amidst the jeers and scorn of the crowd, I fell from the red carpet. Jessica’s brother, the rogue Alpha Dwayne, silenced the room with a gunshot. Then, holding 999 roses, he dropped to one knee. “Adele Franklin, will you accept me, Dwayne Stokes, as your mate?” The crowd watched, stunned, as I searched his face for answers. Was this pity? Overcome with emotions I couldn’t yet name, I nodded. “Yes I do.”. Three years passed. The day our IVF attempt succeeded. I was finally carrying our pup, the heir he wanted so badly. My heart swelled with excitement as I imagined telling him the news. But fate had one more betrayal to serve me. “Alpha, you really played it smart,” one of his lieutenants said, chuckling. “If you hadn’t leaked Adele’s kidnapping and rape video at the wedding, Miss Jessica wouldn’t have been able to marry into the Blue Moon Pack.” I froze, my hand clutching the doorframe for support. Alpha Dwayne’s reply was chilling. “A pack like Blue Moon, obsessed with honor, would never take a tainted woman as their Luna. The moment Adele was ruined, Jessica had the perfect excuse to take her place.” The lieutenant hesitated. “But Miss Jessica is already the Luna of Blue Moon Pack. Why bother you marrying a used-up woman like Adele?” Alpha Dwayne’s laugh was cold, devoid of any warmth. “Jessica’s afraid of pain,” he said nonchalantly. “Might as well use Adele’s womb to give her a puppy. Once she gives birth to Blue Moon Pack’s next Alpha heir, Jessica’s position as Luna will be even more secure.” The laughter that followed felt like daggers piercing my soul. I stumbled back, my heart shattering into pieces. Every tender moment, every word of affection—it was all a lie. I was nothing more than a pawn in their twisted game. Wiping away my tears, I clenched my fists. I wouldn’t let them win. With trembling hands, I dialed a number I never thought I’d call. A deep, gravelly voice answered. “Rogue Alpha Elliot speaking.” I took a deep breath, steadying my voice. “I have a twenty-billion-dollar deal in my hands,” I said, my tone icy. “You in?”

“Alpha, you’re the smartest. Swapping that woman’s vitamins for abortion pills—she lost six pups in a row, and she still thinks it’s her own fault. She couldn’t conceive and had to go for IVF. If she ever found out that the embryo in the test tube had long been switched to Jessica and Alpha Roderick’s pup, she’d probably die of anger.” “What does her anger have to do with me? Once she gives birth to the pup, I’ll find some excuse to say it died. She’ll just think she wasn’t able to keep it. Being able to pave the way for Jessica’s happiness is her honor.” Alpha Dwayne tossed the lighter onto the table, stood up, and warned the people around him. “Not a single word of today’s conversation leaves this room. I need her to obediently give birth to this pup.” Beta Byron patted his chest with a laugh. “Alpha, don’t worry. That woman is dumb as hell. We call her ‘Luna,’ and she really thinks she’s the Rogue Luna. She brings us food and drinks every day, completely unaware that the guys who raped her ordeal were handpicked by me.” Someone burst into laughter. “Byron, you’re too wicked. Why didn’t you pick me back then? I’d have loved to get a taste…” A fruit knife suddenly flew across the room and stabbed into the floor between the man’s legs. a loud thunk startled everyone. The man who had been joking turned pale with fear. Alpha Dwayne stood there, his cold gaze fixed on the man. “Did I ever say Adele wasn’t my Rogue Luna? Anyone who dares to bring that up again, I’ll make sure you never talk again.” The man blanched, nodding quickly. “Understood, Alpha.” A nervous chuckle broke the tension. “Alpha, I don’t think you’re completely indifferent to her. That woman loves you to death. Aren’t you afraid she’ll leave if she finds out the truth one day?” Alpha Dwayne scoffed indifferently. “Worst case scenario, I’ll just give her another pup through IVF. I’ll take care of her for a lifetime. A filthy, love-blind fool—just a few sweet words, and she’ll come crawling back to me like a dog.” The room erupted into laughter again. At that moment, standing in the doorway, I felt my world shatter. My chest ached, my knees wobbled, and the weight of betrayal pressed down on me like a mountain. Before I could think, before the tears welling in my eyes could spill over, I turned and bolted down the stairs. The packhouse was alive with the usual noise—wolves chatting, laughing, and going about their business. None of them noticed me as I stumbled into the Bar counter, grabbed the nearest bottle of liquor, and poured myself a glass. The first gulp burned like fire, scorching my throat and numbing my senses. Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face. I clutched my chest, my mind replaying the soul-crushing words I had just overheard. A week before my wedding, I was kidnapped， Raped, and abused which lasted a whole day and night. Alpha Roderick, my fiancé, held my hand afterward, “My Adele,I’ll still marry you, We’re fate mate.” But, Lies. All of it. On our wedding day, as I stood there in my wedding dress, holding on to hope, the world crumbled beneath me. The screen lit up, and there it was—my humiliation, my torture, playing out in front of hundreds of eyes. “You filthy whore,” Alpha Roderick’s voice boomed over the speakers, “How dare you dream of becoming my Luna?” “I, Alpha Roderick Padilla, reject you, Adele Franklin, as my mate.” Yet, that wasn’t enough.He turned and walked to my side, taking the hand of my best friend—my bridesmaid, Jessica. Leading her to the center of the stage, he declared, “Only Jessica Weaver is worthy of being the Luna of our Blue Moon Pack.” Gasps filled the room. Whispers turned to laughter. I was branded, judged, and abandoned all at once. But before I could collapse under the weight of it all, the doors slammed open, and in strode Alpha Dwayne Stokes, the notorious Rogue Alpha. He didn’t waste a second. One shot shattered the screen, silencing the room. Then, he strode up to me, pulled me into his arms, and shielded me from the scorn. The room fell into silence, broken only by Alpha Dwayne’s commanding voice. “Does anyone else have something to say?” No one dared to speak. Then, he lifted the massive bouquet of 999 roses from his shoulder and held them out to me. Dropping to one knee, he looked up, his golden eyes unwavering. “Adele Franklin, will you accept me, Dwayne Stokes, as your mate?” What was I supposed to say? My heart was shattered, my pride crushed. Yet his presence was the only anchor I had left. I nodded. “Yes I do.” Yet now, I learned that everything he had done was just to pave the way for Jessica. Alpha Dwayne’s voice was as warm and deceitful as ever, cutting through my thoughts. “Who dared to make my Luna cry?” he roared, pulling me into his arms. “I’ll blow their heads off.” The room fell into a deathly silence. Alpha Dwayne pulled a silver dagger from his belt and pressed it into my trembling hand. His sharp gaze swept across the room. “Adele, you are my Rogue Luna. If you don’t like anyone here, use this dagger and kill them. They won’t fight back. I will always support you.” He cast a glance at the gathered men. They trembled like leaves in the wind, yet none dared to move. In Mississippi, Alpha Dwayne ruled one of the two largest rogue dens. No one dared to cross him. As I gripped the dagger and stepped toward Beta Byron, I halted. His eyes widened in fear, his face drained of color. His words— ‘I personally chose the men who raped her.’ —echoed in my ears like an unrelenting curse. My chest heaved violently, my vision turned red. Just as the dagger was about to pierce Beta Byron’s heart— A strong hand clamped around mine, stopping me cold.

“Adele, the doctor said your IVF was successful. You shouldn’t see blood—it might scare the pup.” He coaxed me gently, his eyes full of concern without a hint of pretense. I almost wanted to applaud his impeccable acting. Sensing my off mood, Alpha Dwayne noticed the wine glass in front of me. He squeezed my palm and asked cautiously, “Adele, how long have you been here? Why didn’t you come upstairs to find me?” His tone was laced with careful probing. I lowered my eyes and said indifferently, “You men were discussing business upstairs, with all that smoke and heat. I don’t like it.” Relief washed over his face. He stroked my hair as if I were some fragile porcelain doll, then gestured to the maid. “Bring Luna some hangover tea.” The maid nodded and disappeared for a moment, returning with a steaming cup. The moment she placed the tray on the table— crack! My entire world slowed. Thud. Thud. In an instant, the maid’s head separated from her body. Her wide, unblinking eyes rolled across the floor, stopping at my feet with a dull sound that made my ears ring. The metallic scent of blood filled the air. Warm droplets splattered across my face. Then, like a puppet with its strings cut, the maid collapsed, lifeless. For a moment, I couldn’t even comprehend what had just happened. Alpha Dwayne pulled a handkerchief from his suit pocket and carefully wiped the blood from my face. My stomach twisted violently. One of his hands remained in its wolf form, claws dripping with fresh blood. The casual gentleness in his movements sent chills down my spine. He lifted the cup to my lips. “Drink.” My hands trembled so hard that I couldn’t even hold the cup. He tilted it slightly, letting the warm liquid slip down my throat. I swallowed mechanically. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Beta Byron signal for the body to be removed. Two enforcers dragged the maid’s body and head away, leaving two long streak of blood across the floor. I barely managed to whisper, “why…” “If she couldn’t even stop my Luna from drinking while pregnant,” he said, his tone disturbingly calm, “then she was harming my pup. She didn’t deserve to live.” I stared into his cruel, merciless eyes. My stomach churned violently.Alpha Dwayne gently caressed my face. “It’s all my fault for letting you suffer so much. Now that we finally have a pup, you must not touch alcohol anymore.” “This pup must be born healthy, no matter what. Understand?” I took several deep breaths before forcing a weak smile. “Okay.” But my heart was freezing over. In three years of marriage, I had been pregnant six times—each one ending in miscarriage for no reason. After so many, it became habitual. Six months ago, the doctor declared that I could never conceive again. Alpha Dwayne had held me tenderly, saying he didn’t care if we had children as long as I was happy and healthy. I had never stopped blaming myself for not being able to give him a child. Desperate, I chose the painful path of IVF. My stomach was riddled with needle marks, my body stuffed with hormone pills. I endured all that suffering—only to realize it was all for Jessica’s sake. Just because she said she was afraid of pain, I was forced to give up my right to be a mother and reduced to a breeding machine. “What’s wrong? You look pale. Are you feeling unwell? I’ll call the doctor right away.” “I’m fine, just a little morning sickness.” Alpha Dwayne’s eyes turned red with distress. He gently stroked my face. “Adele, you’ve suffered. I just wish I could bear it for you. Our wedding was rushed, so I ordered your favorite wedding gown to be flown in. Before your belly grows, I’ll take you to try it on tomorrow.” I stared at him—such deep, affectionate eyes. How many times had he fooled me like this? If he knew I had no intention of giving birth to this child, I would probably end up just like that maid. I curled my lips slightly. “I’ll rest in my room. You guys talk.” As soon as I entered the bedroom, I rushed to the bathroom, vomiting until my stomach twisted into knots. Tears streamed down my face. The physical pain was nothing compared to the agony in my heart. It took me a long time to recover. When I walked out, I noticed Alpha Dwayne’s phone left on the coffee table. As if possessed, I picked it up and entered Jessica’s birthday as the password. It unlocked instantly. The wallpaper was a photo of Jessica leaning against his shoulder, smiling brightly. I scrolled through the gallery. Over 1,000 photos. In every single one, Jessica was there. Each documenting a different phase of her life. The name’s on the folders: “My beloved.” In their chat history, I found that Alpha Dwayne had once risked his life to hijack the Alpha King’s Luna crown overnight. I suddenly recalled that day—he and his rogue wolf pack had been surrounded by the Alpha King’s army. It was only because I gave up my mother’s only keepsake, a priceless ancestral ruby necklace, that I managed to get him back. And the reason? Jessica had casually mentioned wanting to feel like an Alpha Luna on her 23th birthday. Tears dripped onto the screen, my heart wrenching in pain. Not because of years of deception. But because I had sacrificed the only thing my mother left me—for a devil who had ruined my life. Through my blurred vision, I noticed something on Jessica’s right shoulder—a crescent moon birthmark. My eyes widened in shock. I had the exact same birthmark on the same spot. I remembered when I first met Jessica—she didn’t have it. It was only after I told her a story about rescuing a rogue covered in blood while volunteering as a doctor in the rogue den that she started to distance herself from me. Not long after, she became Alpha Dwayne’s adopted sister. Alpha Dwayne had once said Jessica had saved his life. But Jessica was selfish and cowardly. She would never step foot in a war-torn rogue den—she despised and ridiculed them. My cold fingertips curled into my palm as a ridiculous yet horrifying thought took shape in my mind. So that’s how it is… I collapsed onto the floor, laughing and crying at the same time.

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My girlfriend and my childhood best friend indulged in their desires non-stop for days, while I stood by, silently handing out condoms to men. “Don’t worry, they can handle it. Just have fun.” In my past life, a plane crash stranded everyone who attended a company interview on a deserted island. After the disaster, the CEO teamed up with other men to hoard food, making women trade their bodies for survival. I tried to convince the women to uphold their dignity, but my usually conservative girlfriend just mocked me for being old-fashioned. “Are you jealous of the CEO’s kindness?” “We’re on a deserted island now, who cares about morals and dignity? You’re not going to break up with me over this, are you?” “You’re useless, but you can’t deny me a chance to survive, can you?” Almost all the women were swayed and walked over, but Chloe, my childhood best friend, stayed firmly by my side. It wasn’t until the company’s bodyguards arrived to take us back that everyone realized this was just a corporate compliance test. Those who passed successfully would get to stay with the company. Chloe and I were fired, but my girlfriend, Briana, successfully joined the company due to her outstanding performance and even married the CEO. When Chloe found me, I had just uncovered the truth about the company. But she stabbed me, again and again. “Why did you stop me? Do you know how much I wanted to get into this company? How much I wanted to marry him?” “If it weren’t for you, I would have succeeded long ago. How could I let someone else snatch it away?” It was then I realized she had been secretly in love with the CEO all along. When I opened my eyes again, Chloe was asking for my opinion. I pushed her forward. “Fight for it. If you want something, go snatch it.”

“Liam, do you think they really don’t regret it?” “Isn’t this just selling their bodies? It’s disgusting.” The moment I opened my eyes, I heard that familiar complaining voice. I looked at Chloe. Though she claimed it was disgusting, the envy in her eyes was almost palpable. It was so obvious, yet how could I have been so blind in my past life? Just as I was about to speak, Darian, the CEO, who was holding my girlfriend, Briana, looked at me with disdain. “Liam, this is my way of making sure everyone survives.” “There’s no absolute fairness in this world. Only those who hold power get to make the rules.” The men who had benefited nodded in agreement. “Exactly. You’re not, like, embarrassed to show yourself to women because you’re bad in bed, are you?” “They don’t mind, so why do you, a grown man, care so much? Just drop the holier-than-thou act.” Briana couldn’t help but snicker. “Don’t even get me started. We’ve been together this long, and he never even touched me. Who knows what’s wrong with him.” It used to be her who refused my touch, saying I only cared about her body. But now, she was turning it around, questioning my masculinity. Sure enough, for the person she desired, she could say anything. I didn’t beg her for an explanation as I had in the past. Instead, I turned to Chloe. In my previous life, everyone had accepted this twisted way of life. Only she, after my desperate pleas, was the sole person who didn’t go along with it. Later, she even agreed to start a business with me and move towards marriage. I thought she was the only sane one. But I never expected that the moment I uncovered the truth, she would stab me, even pouring out her deep affection for Darian. This love was hidden too perfectly, even I, her childhood best friend, hadn’t noticed. Just then, Darian’s gaze fell upon her. “You’re quite pretty. If you’re willing, you could play with me for a few days.” His flippant words easily made Chloe’s breathing erratic. Seeing her about to lose control and walk over, I simply stood up to leave. But she grabbed my hand. I was stunned. I thought she would leave with me, just like in my past life, but her complex gaze met mine. “Most of the girls here are single, but your girlfriend isn’t. Can’t you take her with you?” In that instant, it felt like an electric current shot through me, from head to toe. Chloe, had she also been reborn? As if to confirm my thoughts, she walked over, took Briana’s hand, and placed it in mine. Her eyes were filled with wariness. Right. Darian was a sucker for a pretty face. Besides Chloe herself, Briana was the most beautiful here. “Are you trying to get me killed?” Briana gnashed her teeth, scoffing as she yanked her hand away from mine. “If I don’t get into that company, I swear I’ll haunt you two even in death.” She whispered it, but my hearing had always been excellent since childhood. I heard it loud and clear. I felt like I’d been struck by lightning. So, my girlfriend from the last life already knew this was a company compliance test? No wonder she was so proactive. And she could just watch so many people go down a path of no return? My heart grew even colder. I couldn’t help but sneer, but Chloe was still wary of me, afraid I’d ruin her plans. “Liam, try to be open-minded. This is actually very normal.” “If you can’t accept it, then just leave us alone. Don’t bother us.” She was solely focused on competing with Briana, but she had no idea the path she was on now was a dead end. Joining that company was their first step towards despair. The company was a playground for perverted rich guys, offering them ‘toys’. They had no real jobs, just endless forced performances. The reason Briana married Darian was because she had lost all value. Her ultimate fate would be the same as his previous wives – a convenient ‘accident’. I had investigated all this, but Chloe wouldn’t give me a chance to speak. Thinking of the suffocating feeling of being stabbed to death in my past life, I pushed Chloe forward. “Fight for it. If you want something, go snatch it.”

The moment the words left my mouth, they all stared at me, astonished. They seemed unable to believe those words had come from me. Briana looked at me with pity. “I know it’s unfair to you that two women you like are involved with someone else, but I’m in a special situation right now. Just put up with it.” “If you can’t handle it, then let’s just break up for now.” The old me would always be sensitive to her jokes like that, forcing her to take back any mention of breaking up. But now, I just smiled. “I thought we broke up ages ago, the moment you chose to trade your body.” With that, I turned to leave. It was just three days, right? I could wait. Briana’s smile froze. Before I could take a step, Darian grabbed me. “Alright, don’t act like I stole your woman. We’re all men here, no need for so much fuss. Come on, join us.” A few men stepped forward, grabbing me by each arm. I struggled wildly. “No, I won’t! Let go of me!” Remembering what they wanted me to do, my stomach churned, and I pushed them away and threw up. Darian’s face was grim for a moment, then he suddenly burst out laughing. “I’ve never seen a guy as pure as you.” “You’re so stubborn. Now I really want you to join us.” Briana and Chloe clearly didn’t want me to, but Darian just looked at them with an arrogant smirk. “If I don’t make him come, he’ll go around spreading rumors about me stealing his woman.” “Don’t worry, we won’t do anything like that. It’s just a simple party. You’ll see when you get there.” Chloe’s outstretched hand froze, but she still managed a strained smile. “I knew Mr. Darian wasn’t like that. How could he possibly lust after our bodies?” Briana, though disappointed, also breathed a sigh of relief. “Yeah, who would be so blatant about trading bodies? That’s illegal. It’s just a joke.” “Alright, Liam, the misunderstanding is cleared up. Only if you go yourself will you believe Mr. Darian’s good intentions. Stop making a fuss.” Others chimed in. “Exactly! Even if we’re stranded on a deserted island, it’s still a civilized society. No one would seriously do that.” “Since you don’t care about us, just go watch your girlfriend. She definitely won’t do anything out of line.” The more they tried to make me go, the more uneasy I felt. I struggled desperately. “I broke up with her! I’m not going!” Briana rolled her eyes impatiently. “It’s not like we haven’t broken up before. We’ll still end up together, won’t we?” I almost choked. Was she going to cling to me even to death? I struggled violently, but more people held me down, forcibly dragging me away. In despair, I desperately clutched Chloe’s clothes. “Once you go, there’s no turning back! You know this isn’t just a compliance test, it’s…” Chloe suddenly yelled, cutting me off, covering my mouth and whispering in my ear. “I know there’s something wrong with their company.” “But how can you guarantee I won’t be the one Darian treats specially?” “There’s no way I’m worse than that idiot Briana, right?” My eyes widened, and I even forgot to breathe. She really was crazy for what she called love, to this extent. I opened my mouth to yell and snap her out of it, but someone shoved a rag in my mouth. “Shut up! You’ll find out when we get there.” I was shoved into a metal barrel and rolled away, unable to make a sound. I could only stare wide-eyed at Chloe, hoping she’d understand what I meant. But she only bothered to flirt with Darian, completely ignoring my fate. But when I finally reached their tent, I couldn’t help but gasp. Screams echoed in my ears.

Before my eyes were men and women, pantsless and engaging in orgies. They seemed to have forgotten the world, lost in their own pleasure. All the girls covered their faces, yet couldn’t help but peek. The air was thick with a foul, musky scent. Realizing someone had arrived, they stopped, brazenly exposing themselves as they looked at us. Darian watched our stunned expressions and then let out an abrupt laugh. “Don’t be scared. These are just savages from the island. They don’t count as women. At best, they’re just human sex dolls.” “We would never treat actual women like this.” Only then did everyone look closely and realize they indeed looked different from regular humans, covered in an alarming amount of body hair. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but my heart was filled with despair. Since we’d landed on the island, Darian’s people had thoroughly explored the entire place. There was no way to escape. Darian handed each girl a cup of grass juice, saying that if they drank it, they could join them and be protected. Facing the girls’ suspicious glances, Darian merely smiled faintly. “This is a potion our male doctor researched. After drinking it, you’ll just fall asleep. It’ll make you feel refreshed and cleanse all toxins, with no other side effects.” He made it sound appealing, but I clearly smelled the scent of an aphrodisiac within it. I desperately tried to signal Chloe, who was also a medical major, hoping she would reveal the truth. But she was the first to step forward. “He’s right, this really is good for us.” With that, she drank it directly. Once one person started, others quickly followed suit. Briana, unwilling to be outdone, drank two cups. Her face flushed, she looked at Darian. “Can we pick our favorite man to protect us while we’re passed out?” I couldn’t watch anymore. I broke free from the men holding me and sharply slapped Chloe across the face. “Are you insane? Spit it out, quickly!” “If the drug takes effect, no one can save you!” Chloe pushed me away, kicking me hard. “This has nothing to do with you! If you dare to interfere, I swear I won’t let you go!” My head buzzed. I felt like the world had completely surpassed my expectations. They were all crazy. I gritted my teeth. “Don’t forget, you all have to go back to civilization! What will your families think if they find out?” “Then you just don’t say anything! No one will ever know!” Seeing the naked killing intent in her eyes, I utterly lost my voice. She was no longer the little sister who used to follow me around, calling me Liam. That last flicker of hope in my heart was thoroughly extinguished by cold water. Meanwhile, Briana had already collapsed into Darian’s arms. She restlessly tugged at her flimsy, barely-there clothes, yet she still didn’t forget to scorn me. “What could possibly happen? You’re making such a big deal out of nothing!” “Liam, how can you make up such lies just to target Mr. Darian?” “He said it was just a joke before, and now he’s helping us with our health! Do you just despise him that much?” Not just her, several other girls had started stripping their clothes. The men who had tasted the sweetness had their eyes glued on them. Their warning gazes all turned to me. “Are you done yet? What do you do all day besides maliciously guessing at people?” “This is just a normal treatment, isn’t it? Look how much your girlfriend is enjoying it! You don’t know a good thing when you see it!” Several people were already kissing. I couldn’t imagine what would happen if I stayed here, so I frantically ran out of the tent. A few men immediately came up and dragged me back inside. Briana, mustering her strength, struggled over and kicked me. “You just can’t stand to see me doing well.” “Since he’s so ungrateful, just forget about him! Throw him into the sea to feed the sharks! Don’t let him bother us!” Darian smoothly pulled her shoulder closer, his lips curling into a scornful smirk at me. Then, right in front of me, he slid his hand into her clothes, eliciting moans from her. However, the R-rated scene didn’t play out in front of me. Chloe, who suddenly rushed out, interrupted them. She twisted Darian’s neck and kissed him fiercely. Darian froze for a moment, then pressed into her.

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That year, when I was twenty, Hayes Holdings plunged into a severe financial crisis. Noah Hayes’s parents tragically died in a car accident on their way to seek help. Everyone was circling Hayes Holdings like vultures, pressuring Noah to hand over all his shares. But it was then, without a second thought, that I broke up with him. “Do you still think you’re the untouchable heir of Hayes Holdings?” Right in front of him, I kissed another man, trampling on his dignity. I even threw the ring he’d lovingly made for me into the sewer. He was utterly heartbroken, devastated beyond words, vowing that I was the one person he’d hate most in this life. Five years later, he climbed back to the top, becoming the driving force behind Hayes Holdings. I saw him at a high-end party, being humiliated. He gripped my face, a sneer on his lips. “Regret it now?” I touched the cancer diagnosis in my pocket, a cold laugh bubbling in my heart. No, no regrets. **1.** To scrape together enough money for surgeries, both for my mom and me, I took every odd job I could find. Today, I was working as a server at a fancy business reception. I was pushing a cart when a woman walking towards me crashed right into it. Red wine splashed all over her dress, and she let out a shriek. “Are you blind, you incompetent server? What are you spilling all over me?” “Do you have any idea how expensive this dress is? You couldn’t pay it off in a lifetime of work!” A sharp, cutting voice pierced through the air. Everyone here was super wealthy, so I couldn’t afford to mess up. I just kept my head down, mumbling apologies. Suddenly, the woman stopped talking. She seemed to recognize me. “Well, well, isn’t it Chloe Davis, the famous campus beauty from college? Look at you now, what a mess you’ve become!” I looked up and finally recognized her face. It was Scarlett Vance. I thought our paths had ended five years ago, never imagining I’d see her again. She crossed her arms, sizing me up from head to toe. “Chloe Davis, look at you now, all broken down. If Noah Hayes saw you, he’d probably be ecstatic, wouldn’t he?” “You know, he absolutely despises you for dumping him for money back then.” Five years later, hearing his name again, my heart still ached. Five years ago, Hayes Holdings faced an unprecedented financial crisis. Noah’s parents died in a car accident, and the company was hanging by a thread. But I, heartlessly, broke up with him. It was pouring rain that day. He knelt downstairs outside my apartment building all night. “Chloe, why are you breaking up with me? We loved each other so much.” I held another man’s hand, leaving Noah to brave the storm. “Noah Hayes, get real. I was only with you because you were the Hayes heir, because you could give me what I wanted.” “But now? You’re nothing. Why are you clinging to me?” He trembled, pulling a bank card from his pocket and pressing it into my hand. I knew it was his last bit of savings, a huge sum he’d meant for our life together. “Chloe, please don’t leave me, okay? Trust me, I’ll give you the happiness you want.” I pulled off the plain band he’d personally crafted for me, throwing it into the sewer right in front of him. “A powerless orphan with nothing, why would I ever trust you?” I kissed another man right in front of him, and then I took that man back home. The lights glowed through the window, revealing two bodies intertwined, moving all night long. Noah screamed in agony downstairs, his grief reaching a breaking point. Finally, he passed out. Later, I heard Scarlett had stayed by his side day and night, helping him through those dark times. With his own efforts and Scarlett’s family’s support, Noah Hayes once again became the head of Hayes Holdings. As Scarlett kept pushing, I couldn’t help but snap back. “If he knew that you were the one who used money to force me away, threatening his future and my mother’s life, who do you think he’d hate then?” At my words, Scarlett’s face instantly darkened. Her eyes turned cold and grim as she squeezed my wrist tightly. “Chloe Davis, if you dare to say anything, I’ll use all my connections to make sure your short-lived mother dies. You know I’m capable of it, you’ve seen my methods.” Oh, I’d definitely seen her methods. Five years ago, she’d had my mom thrown out of the operating room, forcing me to leave Noah. If I hadn’t agreed, my mom probably wouldn’t be alive today. **2.** I turned to leave, but she blocked my way. A glass of icy cold red wine was poured over my head, and then she smashed the glass violently, sending shards scattering. I was a total mess, and everyone around seemed to be enjoying the show. “Trying to run off? Did I say you could leave? Is this how impolite your event staff are?” The manager rushed over, and as a leader, he immediately sided with the customer. Before I could even react, I was forcefully pushed to the ground. My knees landed on the glass shards, instantly turning crimson with blood. “Chloe Davis, apologize to Ms. Vance right now! Do you have a death wish?” The person pushing me down was incredibly strong, and the pain was searing. Then, Noah Hayes walked through the crowd, his voice chilling. “What are you doing?” The moment Noah appeared, my gaze was completely drawn to him. His cold, commanding aura was still so captivating. The man who first made my heart flutter still had that power over me. Noah’s eyes landed on me too, but his expression was terrifyingly cold. Noticing some wine on Scarlett’s dress, he carefully draped his jacket over her shoulders. “Don’t catch a cold.” Scarlett clung to Noah’s arm, her voice sweet and petulant. “Noah, this woman hurt you so much back then, and just now she spilled wine all over me. You don’t mind if I punish her a bit, do you?” Noah’s eyes were icy. He just said, “Whatever makes you happy.” Scarlett seemed to take it as a command. She clapped her hands, and instantly, two cases of red wine were brought out. Then, with a smug smirk, she walked up to me, arms crossed. “Chloe Davis, you service staff, isn’t it all about money for you? I’ll give you a chance. Drink this wine. One glass, I’ll give you ten thousand. However many glasses you drink, that’s how much you get.” Then she pulled a wad of cash from her bag and threw it hard in front of me. I desperately needed the money, but I was allergic to alcohol. Once, I accidentally drank some, and I broke out in a rash all over, ending up in the hospital. Back then, Noah had stayed by my bedside, taking care of me for a full day and night. Scarlett wrapped her arm around Noah’s waist, acting all cozy. “Brother Noah, what do you think of this idea?” Not a trace of concern flickered in Noah’s eyes. “Well, then, Yao Yao, you’d better prepare more money. After all, this woman will do anything for money, let alone drink.” I expected a hint of pain in Noah’s eyes, but there was nothing. But then again, I had hurt him so deeply back then. He probably wished I would die; how could he feel any tenderness for me now? Amidst the cheers of the crowd, someone handed me an opened bottle. My eyes were red. Thinking of my mom’s surgery fees and the next round of chemotherapy, I felt a strange flicker of happiness. Even though I had cancer too, being able to treat my mom’s illness made me happy. I raised the bottle, closed my eyes, and prepared to chug it down. Noah’s handsome, chiseled face flashed before my eyes. He gripped the bottle tightly, his eyes radiating a coldness that sent shivers down my spine. Was he feeling sorry for me? “If you kneel down and beg me, maybe I’ll reconsider.” No, he wasn’t feeling sorry for me. He was just thinking of an even crueler way to humiliate me. I pushed away his hand, which was gripping the bottle, and a faint smile touched my lips. “Thank you, Mr. Hayes, I appreciate your kindness. But I can’t miss this opportunity to make money.” I closed my eyes and forcefully poured the wine down my throat. The liquid burned as it flowed down, my stomach churning as if a storm raged inside. It was a fiery, stinging pain. After just two glasses, I threw up. Every organ in my body felt like it was spasming. But I didn’t stop. I picked up another bottle, my eyes bloodshot. Anyway, I was a dying person. My mom’s treatment still needed money. Mixing tears with wine, I chugged glass after glass. Noah grabbed the bottle again and smashed it violently to the ground, letting out an enraged roar. “Enough!” He squeezed my chin hard. Some of the wine from my stomach came back up, spilling onto his hand. “Chloe Davis, you’re still the same as before. You’ll do anything for money. Take this cash and get out!” A rash instantly spread from my neck. I slumped to the ground, carefully stacking the scattered bills one by one. The glass shards dug into my knees, causing excruciating pain, but I ignored it, limping away from the party. Just then, my phone rang. It was the hospital. **3.** “Ms. Davis, your mother just woke up and is looking for you.” I ignored the pain in my knees and the discomfort in my body. I hailed a cab directly to the hospital. The doctors had been saying my mom wasn’t taking her medicine on time lately, so I was worried and rushed over. Seeing my mom still peacefully lying in bed, I breathed a sigh of relief. As soon as I entered the room, she noticed the blood-stained pants around my knees. Her eyes filled with unconcealed heartache. “Chloe, what happened? Why are you covered in injuries?” I shook my head, assuring her I was fine. But thinking of everything that had just happened, my body began to tremble uncontrollably. A tear plopped onto my mom’s hand. This was the first time I’d ever shown such vulnerability in front of her; I was even stunned myself. I hated myself for being so weak. I thought five years would be enough to make me forget Noah, but it wasn’t. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. Tears, like a broken dam, streamed from my eyes. My throat constricted, and I buried my face by my mom’s bedside, afraid to look into her eyes. “Mom, Noah’s back, and he hates me so much. I’m so miserable.” “He has a girlfriend now, and they’re getting married. He really doesn’t want me anymore.” My mom gently patted my back, her voice soft and full of sorrow. “Chloe, don’t be sad. Some things we just can’t force.” “From the beginning, you two were from different worlds. Now, he’s just returned to his own path.” Yes, she was right. Noah and I were never from the same world. When Hayes Holdings faced turmoil, I could only watch, powerless. The only one who could truly help him was Scarlett. And I was dying soon anyway. A broken, failing body, what right did I have to tell him I loved him? After tucking my mom into bed, I got up to buy her some dinner. The moment I stood, a gush of bright red liquid streamed from my nose. I frantically wiped it away with the back of my hand, terrified my mom would see and her condition would worsen. The doctor walked in with my medical chart, carefully calling me out to the stairwell. “Ms. Davis, your mother’s condition is deteriorating rapidly. If she doesn’t undergo a third surgery soon, I’m afraid her life may be limited.” I took the chart and thanked the doctor. My goal now was to earn money as quickly as possible for my mom’s surgery. I turned to leave, but the doctor called out again. “Ms. Davis, about your own health…” I cut him off, my face calm. “Doctor, I know my own body. No matter what, save my mom first.” “Oh, and please keep this a secret for me. I don’t want my mom to know about this for now.” I knew that with my current financial situation, I couldn’t possibly afford two surgeries. My mom had raised me single-handedly since I was three; she had gone through so much. If she knew about my condition, she would definitely give up on herself and insist on treating me first. I wouldn’t allow that to happen. By the time I finished everything, it was late at night. I dragged my exhausted body towards home. As I walked under a dim streetlamp, a large hand suddenly grabbed me, pulling me into a car. It was too dark to see the person’s face, and an unprecedented fear surged through me. I was terrified, helplessly flailing my arms, trying to push him away. Then, a forceful, yet soft, pair of lips covered mine. When that long, slender hand turned on the interior light, I saw that chiseled, handsome face. It was him? **4.** Noah Hayes. How was he here? Five years had passed, and this kiss felt both familiar and strangely new. My hands were clamped tightly in his, and I couldn’t break free. “Noah Hayes, let go of me, you’re hurting me.” I almost choked out those words. He finally stopped, his bloodshot eyes terrifying. I could feel the hatred radiating from him. My eyes welled up with tears as I stared at him blankly. And I could see the glistening tears in his own bloodshot eyes. He contemptuously pulled a wad of cash from his pocket and slapped it hard against my face. “Still scream when you’re hurt? What, seeing this money makes the pain go away?” So, in Noah’s mind, I was just someone who’d do anything for money. Fine. I was dying anyway. Rather than him feeling guilty and carrying painful memories for the rest of his life, it was better for me to be the villain, for him to hate me forever. I looped my arms around his neck and initiated a kiss. He didn’t refuse, cupping the back of my head, deepening the kiss. His kiss was forceful and dominant, leaving me breathless, yet I couldn’t bring myself to pull away. Just as I was lost in that bittersweet memory, he bit down hard on my lip, drawing a trace of blood. I flinched in pain, pulling my body away from his. There was no love in his eyes, only pure hatred for me. “Chloe Davis, you’re still such a bitch. You’ll do anything for money.” Yeah, what else could I do? I couldn’t bear to watch the mother who raised me die. He balled his fist and punched the car window, with such force that the glass shattered. Seeing him like that, I still stammered out, “Um, can I have the money? My ‘service’ must have been satisfactory, right?” He pulled out another stack of bills and threw it hard at my face. “Get out!” While he was in such pain, my heart ached too. I ignored the throbbing pain from my cancer, carefully stacking the money one bill at a time. But then he noticed the necklace around my neck. He grabbed it, and his eyes suddenly lit up. “Chloe Davis, what’s this? Why do you still have the necklace I gave you?” “Do you… do you still love me? Is there something you can’t tell me?” “Just say yes, and I can forgive everything that happened in the past five years. Or just nod, please?” **5.** As he spoke, his voice cracked with emotion. Tears welled in his eyes. He gripped my shoulders tightly, his gaze full of desperate hope. I gently moved his hands from me, forcing a smile I didn’t feel. “Mr. Hayes, you’ve got it wrong. This was a gift from my boyfriend, not from you. My boyfriend is waiting for me at home, so I won’t invite you up.” I scrambled out of his car and ran. The moment I turned away, my tears fell like broken beads. I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. I didn’t dare look back, afraid that one glance would make me soft. Noah Hayes, please leave. I, Chloe Davis, don’t deserve you. You deserve so much better. **6.** The next day, I got a call from my best friend, Maya. We’d been inseparable since childhood, so she knew my family situation pretty well. She felt incredibly sorry for me, and as soon as she heard about an art competition, she immediately told me.

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My company needed someone to go abroad to assist a branch office, and my father, the chairman, wanted my younger sister and me to draw lots to decide. Before Dad could hand me the slip, I exclaimed, “Dad, I’ll go abroad! Let Nora stay here!” In my previous life, I was engaged to Jasper, the heir of Jasper Corporation. After drawing lots to stay in the country, I married Jasper. Unexpectedly, my sister went abroad, and within a year, she was assaulted by a homeless man one night on the street and later chose to end her life by slitting her wrists. Before her death, she left a message for Jasper, claiming I manipulated the draw to avoid going abroad. From then on, Jasper resented me, and I realized my husband had always loved my sister. He deceived me into going to the street where the incident occurred under the pretense of a trip abroad, beat me, and forced me to kneel to atone to my sister. “If you hadn’t interfered with the draw, how would Nora have been assaulted? Why wasn’t it you who died?” He cursed me with fury, venting all his anger on me. He even spent a lot of money bribing that homeless man to strip me and humiliate me publicly. “You love manipulating so much? I’ll make you feel the pain Nora felt.” What he didn’t know was that I was already pregnant with his child. I pleaded with him to let me go, but he watched as the homeless man humiliated me, ordered my limbs to be broken, and eventually, I died from massive bleeding. Reborn, I decisively abandoned everything in the country, fulfilling the desires of Jasper and Nora, those two betrayers. …

When I announced I wanted to go abroad to assist, Dad and Mom looked at me in shock. “Cora, have you really thought this through? What about your engagement with the Jiang family? Don’t you love Jasper from the Jiang family?” I swallowed hard, recalling the pain of having my limbs broken. “Dad, I’ve decided to go abroad to help. As for the engagement, let my sister and Jasper decide. I’m not marrying him.” Mom stared at me, seemingly trying to discern something from my eyes. Seeing the determination in my eyes, she sighed and finally agreed to my request. Just as I turned to pack my luggage, there was a hurried knock at the door. Jasper rushed in like a madman and hugged Nora. His eyes were red, and he was panting heavily. “Thank God, I made it in time,” Jasper murmured to himself, holding Nora even tighter. After a long silence, he let go of Nora and turned to Mom. “Auntie, the one I love isn’t Cora but Nora. We’ve already pledged our lives to each other!” He knelt, eyes moist, looking at Dad and Mom. “Please, Auntie and Uncle, let us be. Annul my engagement with Cora and betroth me to Nora.” I froze for a moment. It seemed Jasper was also reborn. I clenched my fists, forcing myself to calm down. “Jasper…” I was about to tell him I wanted to break off the engagement when he interrupted me. “Cora, I’d never marry a woman like you! If I can’t marry Nora, I’d rather remain single forever!” His face twisted with anger, yelling at me. He looked just like he did in the past life, crazily seeking revenge on me. I shrank back, and Mom stepped forward to gently hold me. “Jasper, calm down. Cora already said she wants to go abroad to help. Since you and Nora are in love, prepare to marry her then!” Dad patted Jasper’s shoulder and spoke in a deep voice. Jasper was stunned for a moment, then his face lit up with wild joy. He excitedly kissed Nora. “Thank you, Uncle, for allowing this. Nora, we can finally be together.” Even though I knew what kind of person he was, my heart still ached. Jasper held Nora’s hand and left the house to discuss wedding plans. After they left, Mom and Dad were about to head back to their rooms to continue working, but I stopped them. “Mom, Dad, this time I’m going abroad, I plan to live there long term. I won’t come back unless necessary.” Mom looked back at me, and she came forward to pat my back. “Child, I know, you’ve been wronged.” “If that’s what you want, then go. Mom and Dad will always support you!”

Mom and Dad were always like this, unconditionally supporting their daughter. I knew that because I was more obedient and sensible than Nora, they favored me. In the previous life, they knew I admired Jasper for a long time and deliberately let me stay in the country to marry him. I went to the mall near home to buy some things I’d need abroad. I happened to run into Jasper and Nora picking out a wedding dress. Nora excitedly compared the most expensive wedding dress against herself. In the previous life, I also wanted this wedding dress, but Jasper refused. “Cora, I want something low-key. This dress is too flashy, and it’s only worn once, there’s no need.” Now, he bought that wedding dress without hesitation. Turns out the difference between love and not loving is this obvious! I was about to turn to leave when Nora’s sharp eyes caught sight of me, and she called out. “Sis, you’re here at the mall too!” She walked towards me holding Jasper’s hand, her face brimming with happiness. “Our wedding is set for three days from now. The master said it’s a lucky day. Sis, you must come to our wedding! Without your blessing, my wedding wouldn’t be perfect.” “I have to pack for my trip abroad, my flight is booked for tomorrow. I’m afraid…” “Since Nora asked, you better be there on time.” “I know you’re also reborn. If you’re not there that day, I’ll kill Whiskers. Make it suffer the same fate as you did in your past life.” Jasper leaned in, threatening me harshly in my ear. My body shuddered. Whiskers is my little cat, a gift from Aunt Genevieve before she passed away. Back then, Mom and Dad were always busy with work, while Aunt Genevieve pampered me like her own daughter. After Aunt Genevieve’s death, I often held Whiskers and secretly missed her. Filled with resentment, I nodded. As I turned to leave, Nora grabbed my hand. “Sis, since I’m the daughter-in-law of the Jiang family, the jade pendant around your neck…” It was the last keepsake Aunt Genevieve gave me before she passed, acknowledging me as her goddaughter, and she personally put it on me for protection. Nora smiled slyly at the jade on my neck. I glared, “This was a gift from Aunt Genevieve, not a Jiang family heirloom, there’s no need…” “Nora, I can buy you ten or eight of such jade pendants, no need for this one. I have plenty at home.” Jasper replied softly to Nora. “Sis, Aunt Genevieve’s jade pendant was meant for her daughter-in-law. Are you mad at me for taking Jasper? I’m sorry, sis.” Nora’s eyes immediately filled with tears, and she looked pitifully wronged. Jasper by her side immediately frowned with concern, patting Nora’s head. “My mom’s jade pendant is for my future wife. Take it off!” Facing Jasper’s fierce gaze, memories of him forcing me to kneel and apologize flashed back. The shadows of the past haunted me, I didn’t dare refuse him. I could only shakily remove the pendant and hand it to Nora. A sly glint passed through her eyes, and as she took the pendant, she suddenly let it slip. I instinctively tried to catch it, but it shattered on the ground. The pendant broke into pieces, and I couldn’t help but squat down, sobbing quietly. Nora pouted in a tea-like manner, “Sis, I know you hate me. If you really want to marry Jasper, I can go abroad instead. For the family business and your love, I can give up everything here!” “But… but why did you break the pendant? It was Aunt Genevieve’s keepsake! It’s Jasper’s only memory of her!” She loudly lamented her grievance, attracting the attention of passersby, and soon we were surrounded by a crowd. “This woman is so vile, breaking the pendant and trying to steal her sister’s fiancé, shameless.” “Someone like her should be executed, all her education wasted.” “Exactly, people like her pollute the air just by living. That was a keepsake!” “Eyeing her sister’s husband is a disgrace to women.” The piercing curses and mockery from the crowd reached me, and I silently picked up the pendant pieces with a handkerchief. I caught a glimpse of Nora’s smug smile towards me. Jasper, with a sullen face, approached and leaned down, giving me a hard slap. He gripped my chin, warning me. “Don’t try any tricks again, haven’t given up yet, Cora? Still want to taste being beaten and humiliated to death?” Jasper shoved me aside, holding Nora as they left. I covered my swollen face, clutching the broken pieces of the pendant tightly until my hand began to bleed, staining the handkerchief with bright red blood. I carefully wrapped the pieces, whispering to myself. “Sorry, Aunt Genevieve, I broke my promise.”

By the time I got home, it was late. Mom, Dad, and my sister were gathered around the dining table, eating. Jasper was there too. I went straight to my room to tend to my wounds. By the time I finished, Mom and Dad had already left after dinner. Jasper sat on the living room sofa, playing with his phone. Only Nora remained, smiling wickedly. “Sis, come eat! We saved food for you, it won’t taste good if it gets cold!” With that, she pushed a big plate of meat in front of me. I carefully wrapped up the shards, whispering softly to myself. “Sorry, Aunt Genevieve, I’ve broken my promise.” 3 It was late when I finally got home. My parents and sister were at the dining table having dinner, and Jasper was present as well. I headed straight to my room to treat my wound. By the time I was done, my parents had already left the table. Jasper was on the couch in the living room, absorbed in his phone. Only Nora remained, with a mischievous grin on her face. “Sis, come eat! We saved some food for you. If you wait any longer, it’ll get cold and not taste as good!” With that, she pushed a large plate of meat toward me. I picked up a piece and took a bite. The taste was odd; I couldn’t determine what kind of meat it was. Noticing the sinister smile in Nora’s eyes, realization hit me like a flash. “Whiskers! Whiskers!” Normally, Whiskers would be at my side as soon as I got home, but today, there was no sign of the cat. I began searching frantically for Whiskers. Nora chuckled and pointed at the meat in front of me. “Don’t bother looking, sis. Isn’t your Whiskers right there in front of you?” A wave of darkness washed over me. I stuck my fingers down my throat and vomited. “Oh dear sister, I’m just sad you’re heading abroad. The food there won’t match up to home-cooked meals. Anyway, that animal was of no use. I personally cooked this tasty meal for you to remind you of home.” Her laughter echoed with triumph as she took the plate of meat. I clenched my teeth, and after a moment, my anger burst forth. I punched Nora. “Nora! Why? I’ve given you everything, so why do this to me? What did Whiskers ever do to you?” Nora held her face, screaming hysterically. “How dare you ask why? Don’t think I don’t know that in our past life, Mom and Dad favored you and made sure I was sent abroad.” “Do you have any idea how much I suffered in my previous life? A vagrant followed me home and abused me day and night.” “I had to serve him just to survive. And you? You were living comfortably back home!” “Sis, it’s your turn this time to endure everything. I want you to feel the pain I went through and ruin everything you have.” I was in disbelief, shaking my head with difficulty holding back my emotions. “So… you’ve been reborn too. Then you must know how Jasper tormented me in our past life and how I died.” “I didn’t know you would face such things abroad. If I had known, I wouldn’t have let you go. Tell me, what did you say to Jasper back then?” I clutched my heart in agony, while Nora’s smile twisted grotesquely. “Stop pretending to be a saint, Cora. Your hypocrisy makes me sick.” “As for what I said, finish the dinner I made for you, and I’ll tell you.” She picked up the steaming plate of meat and approached me. She glanced at Jasper in the living room, her eyes gleaming with calculation, and let out a wicked laugh. Suddenly, she staggered backward, and the plate of meat spilled onto her, scalding her skin red. As I stood there in shock, Jasper rushed over, slapping me twice before kicking me to the ground. My ears rang, and my cheeks swelled rapidly. Jasper didn’t waste time scolding me; he just picked up Nora and ran cold water over her arms to soothe the burns. Nora whimpered and cried, while Jasper gently comforted her. I lay on the ground, unable to hear anything. After tending to Nora, Jasper walked over to me, grabbed me by the hair, and slapped me repeatedly like a madman. I was in so much pain I nearly passed out, unable to fight back. All I saw when I closed my eyes was Jasper’s ruthless demeanor before my death in our past life. Maybe it would be better to just die. Jasper seemed to tire of hitting me and tossed me aside, panting heavily. “Let me warn you again: don’t make me kill you a second time. Otherwise, I’ll make sure you can’t live or die!”

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Adeline left the country, and on that day, Asher chose to take sleeping pills to end his life. In his farewell letter, he poured out all his love for her. Yet he mentioned regretting marrying me. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself five years in the past. I watched with detachment as he and Adeline indulged in their fervent love. I turned away, determined to treat him as a stranger. But later, when he realized I no longer loved him, he knelt in the rain for three days and nights, begging me to return to him. Asher, a renowned professor of surgery at City Central Hospital, single-handedly completed a highly complex heart transplant. During an interview, his composed demeanor, impressive background, and exceptional surgical skills instantly won him a multitude of admirers. Yet, such an accomplished man couldn’t escape questions about his personal life. When the audience learned he was married, many single women watching showed visible disappointment. But they were also curious about who could inspire such a remarkable man to settle down. I sat on the sofa watching the live interview, feeling a sudden surge of secret joy. The host noticed the tattoo on the inside of Asher’s wrist—”XIN.” She asked about its meaning. The moment she asked, Asher’s composed face showed a slight hesitation. His eyelids lowered, concealing the emotions swirling in his dark eyes. “It’s my beloved.”

His tone was as calm as ever, yet it carried a hint of regret. The smile on his lips vanished instantly. The person he loves the most? Why didn’t he just say it was me? My friend sitting next to me teased me with a playful expression: “Susu, I never expected it. Your Professor Jiang seems so aloof, yet secretly he’s so romantic, tattooing your XIN on his arm.” “Truly envious of your relationship.” Hearing her words, the gloom in my heart slightly lifted. Looking at Asher’s affectionate gaze on the tattoo on TV, a smile tugged at my lips. Asher and I grew up together; we were childhood sweethearts. Later, we got married as planned. He’s not one to express love openly, but it turns out he cared for me deeply in secret. Thinking of this, my cheeks warmed slightly. My hand unconsciously touched my belly. After my friend left, I was alone in the villa. I waited quietly for Asher to come. Hoping to see his joy when he found out the news. However, what I didn’t expect was. What I received was Asher’s farewell letter.

Asher took his own life. He consumed a whole bottle of sleeping pills, choosing to end his brilliant life. He also abandoned me.

When the police handed me the farewell letter, I trembled as I took it. On A4 paper, his familiar handwriting, though a bit messy, was filled with genuine and deep love from the depths of his heart. But the person he expressed it to was not me. It was Adeline. She was a girl who got into our university through school sponsorship due to her poor family background. In all the years I’d been with him, I’d never heard him mention her name. Yet, it turned out she was the one he loved. He had kept this love so carefully. I couldn’t hold on and collapsed onto the carpet. The sudden shock caused a faint pain in my belly. But in the next second, my gaze landed on the jar of Origami Cranes in the corner of the wardrobe, making my heart ache unbearably. I hadn’t forgotten when I accidentally saw him folding Origami Cranes in the study, and he scolded me for interrupting. At the time, I thought he was embarrassed because I accidentally saw a secret gift he was preparing for me. But I didn’t realize this consideration was never meant for me. With trembling hands, I took out the jar of Origami Cranes. Each one had a message. “I love you, Adeline.” “I miss you too.” Asher’s farewell letter was filled with this phrase. He fell in love with Adeline’s coolness at first sight. And he regretted that their status differences kept them apart. XIN. It was Adeline. Not Iris. The one he couldn’t forget was never me. He admitted that the person he loved the most was Adeline. And in the farewell letter, there was only one line about me. “I regret marrying Iris.”

How absurd. All those years, I gave up inheriting Iris’s Family, choosing to be an ordinary anesthesiologist for him. I even repeatedly refused others’ kindness, focusing only on him. In the end, he ignored all my efforts. His eyes only saw that girl from the slums, Adeline, who wasn’t even worthy of him. Every word in the farewell letter was like a burning ember, leaving my heart bleeding. Asher betrayed my deep love, choosing to mentally drift away. Such a scumbag doesn’t deserve for me to endure the hardship of carrying his child for ten months. Just as I made up my mind, the villa’s doorbell suddenly rang.

Standing at the door was Adeline, who was supposed to be abroad. Her eyes were red, indicating she knew about Asher’s suicide. “Iris, if it weren’t for you, he wouldn’t have ended up like this today!” Her face was pale, and when her gaze met mine, it turned hostile. Adeline told me. She was supposed to leave the country the day Asher died, but a few days before, she received a love letter from him. The letter clearly expressed Asher’s love and affection for her. He even transferred a house to her name as a gesture of sincerity. But when she realized all this and wanted to find him. He had already chosen to end his life. Separated by life and death, they could never meet again. After saying this, seemingly unsatisfied, she rushed up and slapped me hard. “It’s because of you he died!” “If you hadn’t clung to him wanting to marry, he wouldn’t have been so miserable!” Caught off guard, the taste of blood filled my mouth, making me feel nauseous. I couldn’t hold back and vomited on the spot. What made me feel sick was their so-called mental affair. Adeline frowned slightly, contemplating for a moment before her gaze fell on my tightly covered belly. She questioned me with a hint of suspicion. “You’re pregnant?” After the nausea subsided, I slowly got up. However, I didn’t directly answer her but instead returned her slap. She probably didn’t expect me to fight back and looked at me in disbelief, holding her cheek. As Asher’s rightful wife, my pregnancy is perfectly normal. But she, being someone Asher secretly admired for years without any results, how dare she openly challenge me—it’s shameless. “Besides, our marriage was consensual. If Asher didn’t want it, I would never have forced him to spend his life with me.” “As things stand, all of this is his own choice. He wasted my feelings, my youth. Who are you to judge me?” After hearing me, Adeline suddenly burst into laughter. “Iris, if I had your status and position, do you think the title of Mrs. Jiang would still be yours?” “He had no choice but to marry you because of your status. How could you be so stupid to think he willingly wanted to be with you?” I was stunned. My mind went blank. Thoughts were racing, but I didn’t know where to start sorting them. Seeing me distracted, Adeline pulled out a prepared fruit knife from her pocket, viciously stabbing toward me. “You ruined our happiness. You and your child should die!” Blood gushed from my belly, and I felt myself gradually slipping into coldness. I couldn’t hold on any longer and fell to the ground. Into darkness.

When I woke up again. I was standing in a secluded part of the campus woods, and not far away, Asher was walking towards me. His gaze was cold when it landed on me. I was reborn. Realizing this. This time, I turned and left without saying a word to Asher. But after a few steps. Suddenly, there was a rush of footsteps behind me. Asher sprinted past me like the wind, his unsteady behavior unlike his usual self. I watched his figure disappear, and a bold idea formed in my mind. So I pursed my lips and followed. He reached the classroom before me. When I arrived, he was at the door, looking lost yet relieved as he watched Adeline quietly reading inside. Sunlight fell on his face, giving him a subtle gentleness. His gaze was so focused on Adeline. On the woman he fell for at first sight and kept buried in his heart. With just one glance, I understood. Asher was reborn too. 8 Guided by memories from my previous life, I found my place. It’s lunchtime now. The academic atmosphere at Central High School is very intense. Everyone studies at a brisk pace, with no time to waste.

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My girlfriend picked a dare and, even with my threat to break up, kissed her childhood friend for a minute. I picked [spend a night with a member of the opposite sex]. I chose Nora, the sweet girl. “Let him be, he’s just a traditional guy, really conservative.” The next day, she showed up with red eyes. “Why did Nora answer your phone last night? Are you two really together?” Adeline secured a major deal at her company. She threw a celebration party at a bar. As soon as I walked in, I saw Adeline with her group of girlfriends. “Here he comes! Adeline’s boyfriend! Beckett, super handsome! Oh my God, his body is incredible! Those pecs, those abs, he looks like he stepped out of a comic book! We’re in for a treat today!” “Sister Adeline, you’re so lucky!” Adeline’s girlfriends looked at me as if they’d discovered a new world. Their eyes were fixed on me, almost boring holes into my skin. Adeline specifically asked me to dress “sexy” today. But as a guy, what do I know about sexy? In the end, Adeline couldn’t stand it anymore. She pulled out a black shirt from the closet and handed it to me. “This one! Just unbutton two buttons to show your collarbone. I signed a major deal today and invited the company’s heiress over. Make a good impression!” I looked down at the shirt with the absurdly low neckline. But I try to meet Adeline’s requests as much as I can. Because I really love her. Adeline enjoyed the attention. She smiled and waved at me. Adeline introduced me to a man sitting across from her. Before I could react, Adeline pulled me over and sat me beside her. “Let me introduce you, this is my boyfriend. What do you think, not bad, right?” Adeline wrapped her arm around mine and nearly leaned against me. I shifted uncomfortably. Adeline, however, acted as if she didn’t notice and continued holding my arm tightly. She usually doesn’t do this. The man across from us smiled at me. I know him. Caspian, Adeline’s childhood friend. Adeline always told me they were just good friends, nothing romantic. But I know when Adeline says that, her eyes are evasive. Caspian was also startled by Adeline’s sudden move. He paused with his wine glass, and his expression turned a bit unnatural. He pretended to drink calmly, but his Adam’s apple moved up and down, revealing he wasn’t just “buddies” with Adeline. Adeline was clearly using me to make him jealous. I sighed softly. I didn’t want to ruin her mood after signing a big deal, so I smiled at everyone present.

Adeline pulled a girl over and almost pushed her into my arms. I didn’t understand what she meant. What’s the point of pushing other women onto your boyfriend? The girl seemed a bit shy, hiding timidly behind Adeline. “This is Nora, the beloved daughter of the company boss we signed the deal with today. She’s just graduated, so I brought her out to see the world. You guys better take good care of her!” Adeline introduced loudly. Everyone assured her they would. “Come on, let’s play something exciting, truth or dare!” Adeline pulled out a deck of cards from who knows where, eagerly inviting everyone to play. The cards passed around the group and eventually stopped in front of Adeline. “Wow, our protagonist is lucky today!” Someone teased. Adeline playfully rolled her eyes. She drew a card. “Kiss number 13 for a minute.” Everyone held their breath and looked at number 1

Caspian. He sat there, looking uncomfortable. Adeline is my girlfriend. How can I let another man kiss her? I stood up abruptly. “I’ll take her place!” People around us laughed. “No way, the game rules say no replacements!” Caspian took a deep breath and stood up. He walked to Adeline without a word. Adeline acted as if nothing was wrong. She turned to me and said, “It’s okay, just buddies having fun, don’t take it seriously.” I got anxious. “Adeline, if you kiss him, we break up.” Adeline paused, then impatiently waved her hand. “Oh, stop it, it’s just a game, don’t make a fuss.” She turned her head, closed her eyes, and tilted her face up. Caspian looked at me provocatively, then leaned down and kissed Adeline. I felt my blood run cold, my heart clenched by an invisible hand, making it hard to breathe. They kissed for a full minute. A minute felt like an eternity, leaving me completely chilled. 3. The second round of truth or dare continued. This time, it was my turn. I picked another card from the table. [Choose an opposite sex present to spend a night alone with.] I read the card’s content, a cold smile on my lips. “Wow, this is interesting!” Adeline wrapped her arm around mine, nearly leaning on me, laughing wildly. “Do you even need to choose? My boyfriend, of course, I’m the one to spoil him!” Her eyes darted towards Caspian, clearly trying to make him jealous. I shook off her hand. Coldly, I said, “It says ‘my choice.’” I looked around and finally fixed my gaze on the quiet girl in the corner. Nora, the boss’s daughter brought here to “see the world.” She seemed scared by the chaotic scene, shrinking into the sofa corner, head down, fingers nervously twisting her clothes. I walked over to her and held out my hand. “Let’s go.” Nora looked up in surprise, glancing between me and Adeline, her eyes full of confusion. “I…” “Come on~” I grabbed her hand and pulled her up from the sofa. “Hey, what are you doing!” Adeline finally realized something was wrong and shouted. I ignored her, pulling Nora with me as we left. “Hey! Come back here!” Adeline yelled, frustrated. Her girlfriends saw the situation. “Go after them!” “They’ll be gone if you don’t!” But Adeline just sat on the sofa, crossing her legs, indifferent. “Why chase them? Don’t I know him? His parents are highly educated, there’s no way he’d do anything inappropriate. Besides, he needs my support for his career.” She took a sip of her drink, smirking. “Nora is a good girl too, all fake propriety, super conservative, let him go.”

I drove Nora to her apartment building. “We’re here,” I said. She kept her head down, silent. “What’s wrong? Did Adeline say something to you? Don’t take it to heart, she’s just like that, no harm intended.” Nora stayed quiet, her shoulders trembling slightly. “Hey, don’t cry.” I panicked, I can’t stand girls crying. Nora suddenly looked up. Tears fell like broken pearls. “It’s not you… It has nothing to do with you…” She choked out, “It’s me…” “What’s wrong? Tell me what’s bothering you.” I was at a loss. “They all say I’m a good girl, that I listen, that I’m timid…” Nora’s voice grew louder. “But I don’t want to be like this, I want to be brave, just once…” As she spoke, she started unbuttoning her shirt. I was startled and quickly grabbed her hands. “What are you doing?!” “Aren’t they saying I’m timid? I’ll prove them wrong now!” Nora’s eyes were red as she struggled. “Calm down!” I held her tightly, “This isn’t bravery, this is just…” Suddenly, I didn’t know what to say. “What is it?” Nora asked, tears in her voice. “This is just…” I took a deep breath, “This is just punishing yourself for others’ mistakes.” Nora froze, her tears slowly stopping. “True bravery isn’t doing something ‘out of line’ in others’ eyes. It’s following your heart and doing what you believe is right.” I looked into her eyes, speaking word by word, “Do you understand?” She seemed to understand and nodded. “Can we make a pact, to break free from the good girl and good boy labels, together?” I tentatively asked, hoping to give her some strength. “How do we break free?” Nora sniffed, looking at me with tearful eyes. “What are you most afraid of?” I guided her, hoping she’d face her true feelings. “I’m most afraid of…” Nora bit her lip, hesitating, “I’m most afraid of my parents pressuring me to date and marry those rich kids.” “But I don’t like them at all, they’re all playboys, just eating, drinking, and having fun, no ambition whatsoever!” As Nora spoke, her emotions grew agitated again, tears flowing anew. I cautiously asked, trying to provide her with some support. “How do I break free?” Nora asked, her eyes glistening with tears. “What are you most afraid of?” I gently prompted, hoping she could confront her feelings. “I’m most afraid of…” Nora hesitated, biting her lip, “I’m most afraid of my parents pushing me into arranged dates with wealthy heirs.” “But I don’t like them at all. They’re playboys, only interested in partying and having no ambition!” As she spoke, her emotions surged again, and tears began to flow. I could feel her anguish, the despair of being trapped and unable to control her own life. “Then start with this. Be brave and tell your parents you need a few more years because you want to build your own career.” I encouraged her, hoping she could find the courage to stand up for herself. Nora paused, seemingly surprised by my suggestion. “But… but my parents are very strong-willed. No one ever changes their minds.” Her voice grew quieter, her eyes dimming like a balloon losing air. “You have to try. How will you know if it doesn’t work unless you try?” I encouraged her, clenching my fist for emphasis. “Just like you said, you want to be brave just this once, for yourself!” Nora took a deep breath, as if she finally made up her mind. “Okay, I’ll try!” A spark of hope reignited in her eyes. “What about you? What are you going to be brave about?” she suddenly asked, looking at me with curiosity. “Me?” I smiled, “I’m going to be brave and start my own business, even if there are many opposing voices. I have to try.”

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After My Brother Stole My Girlfriend Again, I Fell into the Arms of the Woman He’d Loved for Five Years. He Got Serious. At the dinner table, I dropped my fork. As I bent down to pick it up, I saw my brother’s foot stretched out between my girlfriend’s legs. He said, “Your current girlfriend has pretty slim legs. I approve.” Later, he got together with my girlfriend and told me, “What can I do, Adrian? It seems like none of the women around you can resist me.” I laughed and immediately fell into the arms of the woman he’d loved for five years. My brother Brandon broke up with my ex-girlfriend. “We only dated for a month. Isn’t it normal to break up?” Brandon said casually, as if he was discussing what to have for lunch. “But when you sent me those bedroom photos, you said it was true love and hoped I’d give you my blessing,” I said, taking a sip of coffee. I glanced at Emma, who was still waiting outside in the scorching heat, and clicked my tongue. Emma was the beauty queen of our department. Not only was she gorgeous, but she also excelled in her studies. Her family seemed quite wealthy too. Add to that her cool and aloof demeanor, and she was the quintessential campus goddess. Many guys at our college had fallen for her, including me. Emma was technically my ex-girlfriend, but not really. After all, I was just her fake boyfriend to ward off unwanted suitors. The day after we publicly announced our relationship, Brandon stole her away. That night, Brandon sent me several explicit bedroom photos. “I’m interested in her because you’re interested in her,” Brandon had said. “But your taste is truly garbage. For your first girlfriend, you chose such mediocre goods.” I knew Brandon wasn’t actually into Emma. He just wanted to steal everything I liked, even if he’d discard it later. He didn’t want me to have anything. Since childhood, he’d been jealous that my arrival stole all our parents’ love. So anything I liked, he’d find a way to take it for himself. It was like that with toys when we were little, with nice clothes, and now with the girls I dated. “My taste wasn’t great before, but this time, I’m dating someone high quality,” I said, my eyes filled with infatuation. Brandon looked intrigued by my expression. “Oh really? I find it hard to believe your definition of ‘high quality.’ When can you introduce us?” “She’s coming to meet me soon.” Just as I finished speaking, I saw Olivia appear at the café entrance. I smiled and said, “There, that’s my girlfriend.” She wore a white blouse and had a slender figure. A silver necklace adorned her neck, and she exuded a lazy, carefree aura. Compared to Emma, this kind of woman gave off an uncontrollable vibe. I was obsessed with women like her, and so was Brandon. He loved making all sorts of women fall for him, and he especially loved stealing my girlfriends. I saw Brandon’s eyes noticeably brighten. He looked Olivia up and down several times before finally curling his lips meaningfully. I was all too familiar with that expression of his. It meant he had his sights set on his prey. The more carefree and unrestrained a woman was, the more she aroused a man’s desire to conquer her. When Brandon saw that from the moment Olivia entered, her eyes were only on me, he got even more excited. I frowned in displeasure. The reason I dared to bring Olivia to meet Brandon was because I trusted her character. I’d known her for two years, and she was never the type to be seduced by good looks. Emotionally, she was a very loyal woman. But looking at Brandon’s flirtatious eyes and demeanor, I felt a bit uncertain. Brandon knew exactly how to manipulate women. Take Emma for example – she was so cool and aloof at school, but she became wild and flushed with desire when she was with Brandon. I held Olivia’s hand, and she smiled at me tenderly. I firmly believed I hadn’t misjudged her. Before leaving, Brandon kept his eyes fixed intently on Olivia. I observed Olivia’s expression. She seemed completely oblivious to Brandon, her attention fully focused on me. After we left the café, I accompanied Olivia to the sports field. She had plans to play badminton with some friends, while I sat on the sidelines holding her jacket and watching. Olivia exuded a uniquely feminine charm. Her aura was completely different from Emma’s – she was bold and uninhibited, like the June sun, bringing joy to those around her. Being with Olivia was actually the result of my careful planning. On the first day of college, I had noticed Olivia. At the time, she saw a guy taking advantage of the crowded hallway to grope a girl. Olivia immediately pinned the guy to the ground and beat him up. I still remember she was wearing a black t-shirt that day, with a silver necklace around her neck. She had her jacket slung casually over one shoulder as she walked past me with an indifferent expression. My first impression was that she was carefree and rebellious, with an innate bad girl vibe that deeply attracted me. Brandon had taught me that women like her were usually harder to pursue. Pestering them didn’t work – the key was using the right approach. Throughout freshman year, I didn’t make any aggressive moves. I just tried to become a familiar face to her. Sophomore year, I started messaging her frequently and occasionally asking her to hang out. To understand her likes and interests, I did a lot of research. Gradually, we started chatting more and more, eventually progressing to daily good morning and goodnight texts. The flirting intensified to the extreme, and we were just one step away from a relationship. My agreement to be Emma’s fake boyfriend to ward off other guys was what finally broke through that last barrier. That night when Olivia called me out with red-rimmed eyes, demanding to know why I was with another girl, I knew my strategy of playing hard to get had worked. When Emma was stolen by Brandon, it was the perfect opportunity for Olivia and me to get together. She was an excellent girlfriend. In the month we’d been dating, she fulfilled the role to the utmost. Even my roommates said they never imagined a girl like Olivia could be so devoted when she fell in love. Of course, I believed in Olivia’s feelings for me. But I didn’t know if she could resist the temptation of a mature man like Brandon. A cheer erupted from the crowd – Olivia had scored another winning shot. After spiking the final point, she walked towards me. The sunlight shone on her, giving her smile a golden glow. Olivia grinned and said, “Bored of waiting? I’ll treat you to something delicious later.” I smiled brightly back. “Sounds good.” We held hands as we walked along the edge of the sports field. The warm light shone on us, and I could feel the gentle pressure of her hand in mine. I wished this moment could last forever. As I had expected, Brandon finally made his move. Recently, Brandon had been coming to campus to see me much more frequently than before. Olivia would come to my dorm every day to walk me to breakfast, attend classes together, and go on dates. But lately, several times when I went downstairs, I saw Brandon waiting with Olivia. From a distance, Brandon was smiling brightly. Though Olivia’s expression remained neutral, she occasionally responded to him. Brandon seemed oblivious to his third wheel status, forcibly inserting himself into Olivia and my world. One day, Brandon suddenly invited me to dinner and specifically asked me to bring Olivia. I knew what he was up to, but I still asked Olivia to come with me. When Olivia and I arrived, Brandon was already waiting in the private room. He looked like he had dressed up carefully. Was his intention really that obvious? I brought Olivia because I had my own agenda. I wanted to see if she could resist the temptation of a man like Brandon. “Olivia, I heard you’re amazing at badminton. Could you teach me sometime?” Brandon asked in his magnetic voice. Olivia replied flatly, “If you really want to learn, you should find a coach.” Brandon was clearly dissatisfied with Olivia’s attitude, but it seemed to excite him even more. “Finding a coach is such a hassle. You’re my brother’s girlfriend, so why can’t I just ask you?” I stirred my soup with a spoon, listening to Olivia’s cold voice beside me. “You know very well I’m your brother’s girlfriend. It’s inappropriate.” Seeing Brandon’s visibly paled expression, I could barely hold back my laughter. Brandon rarely struck out with women. Aside from that one time five years ago, this was probably only the second time. I must have been smiling too obviously, because Brandon shot me an annoyed glare. My hand slipped and I said, “Oops, I dropped my fork.” With that, I immediately bent down to pick it up. They clearly didn’t have time to react. In the split second I lowered my head, I still saw Brandon’s foot that he hadn’t managed to pull back in time. Yes, just moments ago when I wasn’t paying attention, Brandon had stretched his foot towards Olivia, even between her legs… Olivia hadn’t refused. Was it because she didn’t have time to, or because she didn’t want to refuse?

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My mom was a DEA agent, lost in the line of duty. Since I was a little kid, I had one dream: to reclaim her badge number. The moment I found out my scores were high enough for the police academy, I called my dad, buzzing with excitement. But he blew up. “You, a good-for-nothing loser like you, want to be a cop? Reclaim your mom’s badge number?! Don’t you dare shame your mother! Get lost!” My heart froze solid, my world crumbling around me. I stumbled home, only to be surrounded by a gang of addicts in a dark alley. “Heard your mom, Sergeant Dana, was a narcotics expert, trained a bunch of hotshots, made it impossible for us to even get a fix? Come on, let’s talk!” Naturally, I fought back with everything I had. But they were ready. A sharp knife plunged into my lower back, draining all my strength. Before I blacked out, my dad’s last words echoed in my mind. Dad, did I really disgrace Mom…? It was the dead of night when the police got a call. A large pool of blood was found in a dark alley in South Bayport, but no one was around. The caller thought it was just some drunk fight and quickly reported it, hoping the police would find the injured person and get them to a hospital fast. The police rushed to the scene, only to find the heavy rain had already washed away most of the blood, making it a chaotic mess! There wasn’t a trace of the injured person nearby. They immediately launched a carpet search and soon found dismembered body parts in an abandoned factory nearby. The morgue lights flickered on. “What’s the situation with this case?” A calm, steady male voice broke the silence. A man in a crisp forensic uniform walked in with two young police officers. This was my dad, Dr. Miles, the top forensic pathologist in Bayport. “Dr. Miles, the victim’s condition is pretty grim. Maybe you should prepare yourself…” Dad waved a dismissive hand. “What kind of body haven’t I seen? Just start the autopsy. Let’s solve this case as soon as possible!” He was right. Dad had been practicing for nearly twenty years. He’d seen it all: bloated bodies, headless corpses, dismembered remains, even bodies encased in concrete or reduced to fluid. When it came to forensics, he was a pro. But Dad, did you ever think that the body on that autopsy table… would be your most disregarded daughter? I floated in the air, watching my dad work with a strange detachment. The moment he unzipped the body bag, his brow furrowed. It wasn’t just the jumbled mess of flesh and bone inside; it was the missing, most crucial part. “Where’s the head? Where did it go?” “Uh… Dr. Miles, we searched that abandoned factory thoroughly, but we couldn’t find it. Most likely, the suspect took it.” “Forget it! Let’s start the autopsy.” Dad put on his gloves and began his professional sorting. Bone fragments, tissue, finger pieces… Everything he could identify was carefully laid out. “The victim is female, growth plates were narrow, not yet fully fused, estimated age between eighteen and twenty-three. Height between 5’3” and 5’7”. Probably a student.” “Based on the vitality of the cuts, the culprits must have first brutally broken this kid’s finger bones, radius, ulna, humerus, tibia, and femur while she was still alive. Then they dismembered her limbs. It seems that wasn’t enough for them; they used other blunt objects. Her ribs and spine are almost entirely fractured into tiny pieces…” Dad reported the findings professionally, while the young officer in charge of recording had already gone paper-white. Just hearing the description made him want to throw up! It was even harder to imagine the pain and despair the victim must have experienced! Dad suddenly turned. “Was a murder weapon found at the scene?” “Uh, yes, sir.” The young officer quickly handed a set of photos to Dad. It showed a saw covered in rust and blood, and a large sledgehammer caked with blood and tissue. A dull saw, used to savagely cut off every one of the victim’s fingers, every joint… The pain such weapons would inflict on a living person was beyond words!

Dad frowned deeply. “This wasn’t a random attack, was it? How much hatred could they possibly have for this kid?” Normally, even in a revenge attack, the assailants wouldn’t go to such extremes. The young officer respectfully replied, “Dr. Miles, preliminary investigations by Detective Reed’s Serious Crimes Unit have ruled out robbery and random attacks. It’s definitely a vendetta. Detective Reed and his team are now checking all newly reported missing person cases across the city.” “Understood.” Dad quickly pieced together the body parts, hoping to find some useful information to help solve the case. But it was all in vain. Even teeth, which can identify a person no matter how disfigured, had been taken by the criminals along with the head. Identifying the true identity of a nearly pulverized body, without any clothing, was almost impossible! I floated in the air, half relieved, half wistful. Good, Dad didn’t recognize me. Otherwise, he’d probably call me a loser again… Dad sighed. “What a pathetic kid! Why inflict such cruelty on a child because of their parents’ feuds…” There were tears glimmering in Dad’s eyes. Dad, meticulously piecing together every inch of bone. Dad, desperately searching for every bit of useful information. Dad, showing sympathy for a stranger, a headless female corpse. He felt so… unfamiliar. I knew Dad didn’t like me. When I was in elementary school, I had a fever on a rainy night. He took me to the emergency room alone. Dad thought Mom, who worked tirelessly day and night, deserved some rest, so he didn’t wake her. But Dad didn’t know that Mom got an urgent mission notification shortly after. She didn’t even wash her face before rushing to the scene. And it was that rainy night that Mom died in a shootout with The Viper. Mom’s body… Dad handled that one too. I was too young then to understand what death meant, what it felt like. Now that I think about it, even Dad wouldn’t want to personally send off his own wife, right? It was all my fault, for getting that strange fever on that particular night. It was only natural for Dad to hate me. If I hadn’t been sick, Dad would have fought to stop Mom from going on that mission, and if she hadn’t gone, Mom wouldn’t have died. It was all my fault… I looked down at Dad, who still hadn’t recognized me on the autopsy table. I glanced at the body again, fragmented and soiled. Covered in what looked like mud or blood, each piece of flesh looked gray and black, no different from leftover food dumped in a sewer. Even I couldn’t have recognized myself. No wonder Dad didn’t. The tranquil morgue was suddenly pierced by a ringing phone. Dad stopped, frowning, and looked at the two young officers. They shook their heads quickly. “Dr. Miles, we didn’t bring anything in!” Dad then realized it was his own phone. He pulled off his gloves to check. It was Aunt Sarah. “Hello? I’m busy…” “Oh, Miles, I don’t know… Chloe, have you seen her? I can’t reach her phone…” “Chloe?” Hearing my name, Dad’s brow furrowed. “I don’t know! I disciplined her yesterday. She’s probably out messing around. Just ignore her!” Aunt Sarah sounded anxious. “Why did you scold her again? I heard Chloe scored really well on her college entrance exams, enough for the police academy! She was so happy yesterday!” “Police academy, my foot! Someone as worthless as her? She should just pick some easy major, get a regular job, and make money! Becoming a cop would be an insult to the entire profession!” Dad’s voice was as sharp as ever.

Aunt Sarah was silent for a moment. “That’s been Chloe’s dream for ages. She finally did so well on her exams, and I was planning to invite her over for a big dinner. I bought so much seafood…” Dad was furious. “I forbid her from applying to the police academy! If she does, then she’s no daughter of mine! She can go die for all I care!” With that, Dad hung up. He seemed to forget he wasn’t alone, his chest heaving with anger as he stood by the autopsy table, speechless for a long time. I’m sorry, Dad. I won’t apply to the police academy. Please don’t be angry; it’s not good for you. I wanted to say that so badly, but all I could do was float in the air, watching everything unfold, utterly powerless. I wanted to cry, but as a spirit, I had no tears. By now, Dad had pieced together most of the body, but he couldn’t put my ten fingers back together. He frowned deeply, instructing the young officer to record. “Right ring finger and pinky are missing. Have the officers at the scene search again. If they can’t find them…” My heart clenched. When I was little, I was mischievous and went to tease a police dog. It bit through the flesh of these two fingers, leaving terrible scars. That dog, because of my accidental injury, was forced into early retirement. Dad scolded me relentlessly for that incident. Had he forgotten? Of course, Dad didn’t care about me at all… No! It’s better if Dad doesn’t remember! I don’t want Dad to know that he personally sent off both his wife and daughter! The young officer saluted. “Understood! If they’re not found, it means those two fingers have distinct identifying features!” Dad nodded. “Exactly. To find the victim, look for individuals with old injuries or tattoos on their hands!” He cut a small piece of flesh. “Get a DNA test done. Compare it with the database. Find the direct relatives as soon as possible!” Hearing Dad say that, my heart clenched. If they checked DNA, wouldn’t I be exposed quickly?! Dad! Don’t check the DNA! Dad! Let this case go! Don’t investigate further! I screamed silently, but Dad heard not a single word. Dad worked in the morgue for over ten hours. He’d arrived at dawn, and by the time he emerged, night had fallen again. “Dr. Miles, you’ve worked tirelessly.” Dad nodded, about to head home for rest, but then he saw Aunt Sarah waiting anxiously at the police station entrance. “Miles, Chloe’s been missing for a whole day and night! I asked her classmates; no one’s seen her! I checked all the entertainment spots near the school, couldn’t find her! What do we do?!” Dad looked annoyed, his brows tightly knit. “This is just her using petty tricks to make me agree to her joining the police academy! Impossible! Someone as worthless as her just needs to be law-abiding. What, she wants to uphold justice too?!” Aunt Sarah was on the verge of tears. “Forget about college applications for now! Our child’s safety is more important! I just came here and heard about a major case! A young girl, just turned adult, was dismembered, right?! Aren’t you worried Chloe might have run into those people?” Dad snapped back. “Don’t pry into cases that haven’t been announced! Chloe is eighteen; she can take care of herself! If something happened to her, she can only blame her own bad luck! Knowing how dangerous it is out there, why did she have to go running off?!” Aunt Sarah paused. “I’m not prying, I… I’m just afraid something happened to Chloe!” Dad’s eyes held contempt. “If she can’t even manage basic risk assessment or know how to avoid danger, then what good is she for the police academy? She might as well go get a job!”

“Miles Chen! Listen to yourself! Chloe lost her mom when she was little; she’s already had it tough enough! She didn’t let it get her down; she became even more driven, and you keep knocking her down every single day! Are you even human?!” Aunt Sarah shrieked, tears streaming down her face. “I’m telling you, you’d better pray to God the victim in this case isn’t Chloe! Otherwise, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life!” My heart leaped. Had Aunt Sarah found out? But looking at her expression, it didn’t seem like she knew the truth. It was more like she was deliberately trying to provoke Dad. Sure enough, at her words, Dad’s face instantly changed. “Impossible! Don’t you think I’d know my own daughter?! The victim in there absolutely cannot be Chloe!” Aunt Sarah bit her lip. “If it really is Chloe, don’t even think about claiming her body back! You never liked the kid anyway; let her come back to our family!” Dad raised his voice. “Fine! Take her! Do you think I care?! I’ve wanted that bad luck charm out of my life for years!” Aunt Sarah trembled with rage. “You rotten Miles Chen! If you don’t want Chloe, I do! Such a good kid, she’s suffered enough injustice living with you! You cold-blooded, heartless bastard! Ugh!” I floated in the air, a little overwhelmed. I knew Aunt Sarah was incredibly good to me. After Mom died, Dad rarely paid attention to me. Beyond making sure I ate, he ignored everything else. I still remember Aunt Sarah being the one who bought me my first bras and sanitary pads during my teenage years. I wanted to study hard and get into the police academy, but Dad wouldn’t pay for tutoring classes. In the end, it was Aunt Sarah who secretly took me to enroll. From the smallest daily necessities to tutoring, smartphones, tablets, and computers, Aunt Sarah almost always paid for them out of her own pocket. To Aunt Sarah, I was practically her own daughter. Aunt Sarah, fuming, stormed out of the police station, her trembling fingers typing a message on her phone. I floated over, peering at the screen. ‘Chloe, it’s not safe out there right now. No matter how angry you are at your dad, you still need to come home! If you don’t want to come home, that’s fine. Come to Aunt Sarah’s. I’ll send you to college and pay your tuition! We don’t need your dad. Aunt Sarah’s place will always be your home, sweetie. Be good.’ I blinked, feeling tears well up. Aunt Sarah had lost her only sister on that rainy night years ago too. Yet, she didn’t hate me like Dad did. Instead, she poured all the love she had for her sister into me. I’m so sorry, Aunt Sarah. I’m afraid I’m destined to disappoint you. It seemed that because my body was inside the police station, I couldn’t follow Aunt Sarah further than a certain distance. I could only watch helplessly as she left. When I floated back into the station, I found Dad slumped in a chair, looking exhausted. Officer Miller saw him and couldn’t help but advise, “Dr. Miles, you’ve worked for twenty hours straight. You should go home and rest!” But Dad shook his head. “No, I’m a bit uneasy about this case… I’ll just rest here briefly, then go back and see if there are any more clues on the body.” “Uh… alright.” I watched Dad’s swaying body, both admiring his dedication and wishing he’d get some proper rest. … “The DNA results are in!” A shout echoed through the police station, instantly energizing everyone! Even I couldn’t help but feel a surge of tension! Dad, who had been staying at the station for two nights, rushed to the data room. “The database, has it been checked? Have you identified the victim?” “Still comparing. It’s taking a bit. Don’t rush!” Everyone gathered around the computer, nervously watching the progress bar crawl forward. 75%… 88%… 95%… 100%! Everyone held their breath, waiting for the final result.

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