Category: English

Married for five years, Asher passed me off to his boss, Finn. The first time, he said, “Adeline, just have a meal with him, and he’ll hand me the project.” The second time, “Adeline, just spend the night with him. He promised he wouldn’t harm you!” The third time, “Adeline, why not have a child with him? Then he’ll promote me to General Manager!” Later, on the day Asher joyfully became the General Manager, I divorced him and instead married Finn. After I posted our marriage certificate on Facebook, Asher was filled with regret. “What did you just say? You want me to have dinner with Finn?” I froze, holding a wine glass, staring incredulously at Asher across the table. Today is our wedding anniversary. I prepared a candlelight dinner, thinking we would celebrate together. But instead of a gift, he said this. We were college sweethearts and joined the same corporation after graduation, though in different departments. He was in the Project Department, and I was in the Secretarial Department. After five years, he remained a small team leader, while I had been promoted to Chief Secretary. Finn was my boss, and I was responsible for all his needs, practically on call 24/7. I spent more time with Finn than with Asher. I knew many colleagues gossiped about us, given the stereotype of a CEO and secretary. Besides, Finn was young, wealthy, and attractive. But I always reminded myself that I was married. Asher and I had a strong relationship, from school to the working world. We were once the golden couple at school, with nearly a decade of history, and I had faith in us. Asher looked down, avoiding my gaze. We both understood what “having dinner” implied. He approached me, crouched down, and held my hand tightly. “Adeline, Mr. Finn said if you have dinner with him, he’ll let me handle the coveted project. You know many in the Project Team are after it. If I don’t get it, my promotion this half of the year is doomed… Adeline, I’m begging you!” Looking at this somewhat desperate man, my heart ached, and I wiped away a tear. “Okay, I’ll do it.” Asher hugged me tightly, almost to the point of pain. “Adeline, I knew you were the best. Once I finish this project, I’ll take a break and travel with you. Didn’t you always want to go to the beach?” That night, I lay awake until dawn, listening to Asher’s loud snores and occasional sleep talking. The next morning, Asher was up early. When I came out of the bathroom, he had picked out my clothes. A fitted pencil skirt with a white lace blouse. I frowned, reluctant. It was an outfit Asher had bought for our anniversary last year, one I only wore when we were alone to keep things exciting. “I’m not wearing this. Didn’t you say it was just dinner? I’ll wear my uniform.” “Adeline, please wear this. It looks great… If Mr. Finn is in a good mood, he might promote me even more. Be good, for our future! Just endure it!”

In the end, under Asher’s insistence, I wore it. Standing before the mirror, I bit my lip. The woman reflected had a great figure, the lace blouse with a hint of cleavage showing. Before leaving, I put on a blazer to cover up. Asher and I joined the corporation one after the other. The company had a no-office-romance rule, so few knew we were married. Finn knew because I told him myself. A few months after I became his Chief Secretary, he confessed to me. To refuse, I had to reveal I was married. Since then, he minimized our alone time. I thought he’d transfer me out of the Secretarial Department, but instead, he investigated Asher and came up with this plan… Just stepping onto the CEO’s floor, Finn walked out of the pantry with a coffee cup. His gaze fell on me, and I instinctively forced a smile. “Good morning, Mr. Finn.” “Morning, Secretary Adeline, you look… quite nice today!” Before I could respond, he entered the office, and I sighed in relief. Finally, it was time to leave. Colleagues bid goodbye one by one. My phone showed two messages, one from Asher, and the other from Finn. “Wife, I’ll wait for you at home!” “Secretary Adeline, wait a few minutes for me!” I turned off the screen, feeling too tired to reply. I was about to fall asleep when a knock on the table startled me awake. Finn looked amused. “Did I scare you? Let’s go…” I followed him into the CEO’s private elevator to the parking lot, keeping my distance, afraid a colleague might see us. Finally, we reached the restaurant. “Secretary Adeline, I apologize for this way of having dinner with you… I looked into Asher; he doesn’t deserve you…” “Mr. Finn, my husband and I get along very well.” Finn leaned back slightly, with a hint of sarcasm at my words. “Very well? Secretary Adeline, greed knows no bounds. Want to bet? Next time, Asher will send you to me without any request.” I bit my lip, feeling pale. “He won’t… We’ve shared so many years!” Even as I said it, I found it hard to believe. Seeing Asher offer me to another man for a project, what if there were more at stake next time? I didn’t dare imagine. “If I win, you can’t refuse me anymore. If I lose, I won’t bother you again, how about it?” That night, Finn was a gentleman and drove me home. When I got out, he opened the car door, and I glanced up to see Asher peeking from the third floor. “Adeline, remember our bet!” I nodded silently. In the following days, Asher successfully took on the project and was visibly happier. I felt somewhat relieved. I didn’t expect to lose the bet with Finn… A month later, one day after work, I came home to a strong smell of alcohol.

I quickly turned on the lights, opened the windows, and saw Asher sprawled on the sofa with a bottle, surrounded by empty bottles. I squatted in front of him, patting his face. “Honey, why did you drink so much? What’s wrong?” Hearing my voice, Asher jumped up and hugged me, crying. “Adeline, I’m done for; I can’t be with you anymore!” I frowned, confused. After a long time comforting him, I finally understood. Asher was desperate for a promotion. The project he took on had a batch of products with a 50% deposit paid. But now, at delivery time, the supplier was unreachable. He went to their office, but it was empty. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. “How much was the 50% deposit?” “Five million…” I was stunned. Five million. Our savings together barely reached one million, and even with this apartment, it wouldn’t cover the gap. “Let’s call the police!” “We can’t call the police, Adeline. If we do, the company will find out and fire me… You know our corporation is the industry leader. If I’m fired, no one else will hire me…” Asher was agitated, his grip on my hand hurting. I tried to stay calm, coaxing him. “It’s okay, we can find another job slowly. You have me; my salary can support us.” “No… no…” No matter how I comforted or persuaded him, Asher drowned in his emotions. He always avoided problems instead of solving them. I lost patience, my voice turning cold. “Then what do you want?” Asher glanced at me, seemingly making a decision. He suddenly got off the sofa and knelt. “Adeline, only you can save me now.” My heart tightened, sensing something bad. Before I could ask how, Asher spoke up. “Adeline, just spend the night with Mr. Finn. He said he’d cover the five million privately. Then I can find another supplier to fill the order, and no one else in the corporation will know…” I slowly stood, staring at the man kneeling before me, feeling like he was a stranger. “Adeline, you’re the only one who can help me now.” A sense of dread gripped my heart. Before I could ask how, Asher blurted out the answer himself. “Adeline, you just need to spend the night with Mr. Finn. He promised to handle the five million privately for me. Then I can place orders with other suppliers to cover it, so no one else in the corporation will find out…” I slowly stood up from the floor, staring blankly at the man crying and kneeling in front of me. In that instant, he seemed like a stranger. Was this the same man who used to defend me with his fists when classmates teased me in school? How could he shamelessly suggest something like this with such confidence? “Asher, are you out of your mind? I’m your wife, and you’re asking me to sleep with another man?” Asher clung to my leg desperately, his words tumbling out incoherently. “Adeline, Mr. Finn promised, it’s just spending the night. He won’t do anything else, don’t worry!” I struggled to control my emotions, taking a deep breath to calm myself. Asher was just panicked by the sudden crisis, not thinking clearly. Maybe once he’s sober, he’ll realize what he’s asking, and then we can discuss how to solve this. “Honey, I can’t agree to this. I’m a person, not a commodity to be used for such things. Let’s talk when you’re thinking straight.” After saying that, I pried his hands off me. I had lost all interest in dinner and decided to wash up and go to bed. Asher sat dazed on the floor, mumbling something I couldn’t make out, and I left him alone. After washing up, I found him sitting by the bed, holding a glass of milk, with a hint of guilt on his face. “Sweetheart, I lost my mind earlier. I’m sorry. Will you come with me to the police station tomorrow?” Hearing this, I breathed a sigh of relief, glad he had come to his senses. I stopped drying my hair, sat beside him, and held his hand. “Yes, honey, we’ll figure this out together. Tomorrow, let’s go to the police station first, then see how the corporation handles it. If worst comes to worst, we can go back to our hometown and start over, right?” “Yeah, right! You didn’t eat dinner earlier, so I made you some milk. Drink it, please.” “Thank you, honey!” I didn’t suspect a thing, took the milk, and drank it. I didn’t notice the forced smile on Asher’s face. After drinking it, I planned to dry my hair. But as I stood up, I suddenly felt dizzy. I shook my head and grabbed Asher’s sleeve. “Honey, I feel so dizzy…” “Adeline, I’m sorry, just help me this once. After this, I’ll never push you to anyone else… I can’t lose this job. I’ve worked so hard for it…” Only then did I notice the madness in Asher’s reddened eyes. My body gradually lost strength, and I lay on the bed, gasping for air. “Asher, what did you put in the milk?” “Adeline, it’s just something to make you weak. Just get through tonight, please…” “You’re crazy, Asher, you’re a madman. I’m your wife.” “Exactly because you’re my wife. You think I’m not suffering too? But I have no choice… Adeline, forgive me!” I lay motionless on the bed, not wanting to see that twisted face anymore. The weakness in my body, the grievances in my heart, and the fear overwhelmed me, and tears streamed down my face. Normally, I could accept anything. I even agreed the last time Asher asked me to have dinner with Finn. But this time, he truly broke my heart. I began to doubt if our marriage could really continue. For the first time, I considered divorce. I didn’t know what Asher put in the milk. My body was weak, but my mind was clear. Asher took me to a nearby hotel, stripped me naked, and left me on the bed. “Adeline, I’ll come to get you tomorrow morning!” I didn’t respond, just silently closed my eyes. Tears fell silently onto the pillow. As I waited, the feeling of humiliation made me tremble uncontrollably. I started to hate Asher for doing this to me. I didn’t know how long it was before the hotel door opened and Finn walked in. The moment he saw me, he looked away and covered me with a blanket. With the blanket on, I finally felt a bit of security. “Sorry, I didn’t expect Asher to be so…” I knew what he wanted to say, those two words he didn’t speak—shameless. “Adeline, you’ve been let down.” Yes, I had been let down, completely. I never imagined that nearly ten years of relationship from dating to marriage couldn’t compete with a job. That night, Finn didn’t touch me. He slept on the couch all night. I’m somewhat grateful to him for leaving me with a shred of dignity. The next morning, after the drug effect wore off, I quietly got dressed to leave before Finn woke up. As I reached the couch, he grabbed my hand, and I lost my balance, falling onto him, my hand resting on his chest. “Adeline, you don’t think just because I acted like a gentleman all night, I truly am one, do you?” I felt nervous, avoiding his intense gaze. “Mr. Finn, thank you. Can I have some time to think?” “Sure, I’ll wait for your decision.” When I got home, Asher wasn’t there. I took a quick shower, put on my uniform, and got ready for work. Just as I opened the door, Asher was outside, about to enter. When he saw me, his eyes lit up. “Adeline, you’re back. Didn’t we agree I’d pick you up? When I went to the hotel, you were already gone.” At that moment, I was almost late for work and didn’t want to talk to him. As I tried to pass him, he grabbed me. “Adeline, did Mr. Finn touch you?” Hearing that, the string that had been tight all night in my heart finally snapped, and I slapped Asher hard. 5 His face turned away from the slap, and my palm throbbed painfully as I choked out the words, “Asher, you may not care about your reputation, but I do!” I shook off his hand forcefully and went to the office.

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I was the last surviving member of the Immortal Kindred. But after 99 heartbreaks, my immortality would shatter completely, and I would die for good. Falling for Caleb Thorne, the brilliant archaeologist, was my last chance. He once promised we’d grow old together, our love eternal. But everything changed when Lila joined our excavation team. He mocked my immortal fate, sneering, “Don’t sicken me. When I’m gone, won’t you just move on to the next guy? How filthy.” Later, when I was captured for live research, I called him for help. He dismissed it as a pathetic act and hung up to be with Lila instead. My heart broke for the 99th time. I closed my eyes, and my life finally ended. But when he realized I was truly gone, he spiraled into madness. Wind whipped up sand, the sky darkened, and the ancient tomb felt eerily sinister. Our team carefully studied the murals on the walls. Suddenly, a deep rumble echoed from above, and the tomb passage began to shake violently. “Cave-in! Run!” one of the team members yelled. “Lila!” Caleb’s voice was filled with frantic urgency. In that critical moment, my boyfriend was calling out another woman’s name. I turned my head and saw a massive rock hurtling towards Lila. Before I could even react, a shove sent me forward, pushing Lila to safety. The colossal rock, instead, crashed down on me. Excruciating pain ripped through my body. Slowly, I lifted my gaze to the hands that had pushed me—Caleb Thorne’s. He was frantically rushing to Lila, pulling her into his arms, as if terrified she might even get a scratch. When the cave-in subsided, team members rushed to help move the rock off me. Caleb, meanwhile, was still meticulously tending to Lila’s slightly scraped knee. Only after he was done did he finally remember me. By then, I had already been moved onto a stretcher. Caleb’s eyes widened when he saw my state. He looked stunned. “Anya… I…” “Caleb! My foot hurts!” Lila called out from a distance. Caleb immediately rushed back to her. After a few steps, he turned back to me and said: “Anya, it was too dangerous just now. You know Lila’s always been delicate since childhood, she can’t handle any injury.” “Anyway, you won’t die. You won’t blame me, right?” I struggled to speak, but before I could utter a single word, Caleb was already helping Lila up. Right. I wouldn’t die. But I just wouldn’t die. I had all the same emotions and senses as any normal person… I was bedridden for three days. Caleb finally came to see me. He looked at me, lying in the hospital bed, his face full of guilt. “Anya, this is an ancient coin we found during the dig these past two days. It has great meaning, so I had it made into a necklace for you.” The last time Caleb gave me a gift was four years ago, when I hand-knitted him a scarf. The next day, he gifted me a bottle of perfume in return. Even though the top notes of the perfume were an overpowering rose scent, which I didn’t like, I still treasured it for years. Every year after that, he would say: “We’re old married couples now, no need for these extra things. I’ll always love you.” Though I accepted that notion, I was still excited and asked him to put the necklace on me. But after he did, he said, “Lila and I made it together. She said it’s her apology to you.” “She feels really bad about what happened the other day, and she’s been down. When you’re better, why don’t you go apologize to her?” The sudden surge of joy instantly drained away. My heart clenched with a sharp, agonizing pain. I stared at him, confused, and said, “Caleb, you two made it together, fine. But why do I have to apologize?” Caleb frowned, looking at me with dissatisfaction. “Anya, when did you become so petty? It’s just an apology, sweet-talk her a bit. You won’t lose a limb.” I turned away from him. “I won’t go.” Caleb said nothing, then turned and walked out. From start to finish, not a single word of comfort.

The next day, I woke up in a haze. I unexpectedly heard an argument outside my door. “Caleb, Miss Anya’s current condition isn’t suitable for blood drawing. You can’t do this.” Our team’s accompanying doctor said. “She’ll be fine, but Lila needs this blood to save her life! Hurry up and prepare, or you can say goodbye to your medical career.” Caleb’s family was seriously loaded. They pretty much owned half the city. But I never imagined he’d threaten someone like this for Lila. Before, in my mind, he was always kind and dedicated to his work. I stared silently at the door, my eyes hazy. Just then, Caleb walked in. He seemed startled to see me awake and said, “You heard everything?” I nodded weakly. “Anya, yesterday when Lila and I were out on the excavation, she got seriously injured and lost a lot of blood trying to protect me.” “She’s already anemic, I have to save her.” “Your blood never spoils, it’s perfect for a transfusion.” “You wouldn’t just stand by and let her die, would you?” Caleb said, his voice soft and gentle. He didn’t seem to realize that I, too, was a severely injured patient lying in a hospital bed. “What if I don’t?” At my words, Caleb’s expression instantly hardened. He stared at me coldly: “Anya, I don’t know when you became so stingy.” “Yesterday, I let it slide when you refused to apologize. What more do you want?” “You won’t die anyway, so why not save her?” “There’s no discussing this. You *will* donate blood.” With that, he called two people in to hold me down, afraid I’d resist. The doctor came to draw my blood. He looked at me with a pained expression and sighed. After he finished the first draw, Caleb stopped him. “That’s not enough. What if Lila’s afraid of pain and moves, spilling some?” “Keep drawing.” The doctor looked at Caleb in disbelief. “Caleb, if you draw any more from Miss Anya, she might die.” Caleb glanced at me, his voice firm. “Don’t worry, she won’t die.” The secret of me being an Immortal Kindred was known only to Caleb. If others found out, I’d surely be captured for live research. Two streams of tears silently ran down my face. The doctor, left with no choice, continued to draw my blood. Fortunately, he monitored my condition and didn’t take a lethal amount. After everyone left, Caleb saw my pale, bloodless face. He looked like he wanted to say something, but stopped himself. “You’ll heal quickly. It’s fine.” With that, he hurried out. Later, I overheard the little nurses chatting. “Mr. Thorne and Miss Lila are so sweet together.” “I know, right? He stays by Lila’s side day and night, afraid anything bad might happen to her.” “I saw Mr. Thorne at lunch today, he even blew on Lila’s food to cool it down and fed it to her, just in case she burned herself.” “Truly childhood sweethearts, they’re such a perfect match!” “Shh, don’t let Anya hear us. Let’s go talk over there.” I lay alone in the empty hospital room, staring at the ceiling. It had been almost a century. My heart hadn’t ached like this in so long.

The day I could finally get out of bed, I went home first. I mistakenly thought leaving early would grab Caleb’s attention. After all, I used to be the one he cherished most. But I was wrong. Our last contact was a month ago: a message from him informing me that Lila would be joining the archaeological team and asking me to look after her. The next day, I was woken by a commotion. I looked and saw Caleb had returned from the dig. No, Caleb *and* Lila had returned from the dig. Caleb was in the kitchen, making noodles for Lila, while Lila was in the living room, casually playing with Caleb’s most prized antique. I’d once accidentally touched that antique myself. At the time, Caleb had lost his temper with me for the first time: “Do you know how precious this is? It’s a Ming Dynasty antique, the only one in the world!” His voice was laced with suppressed rage, as if I’d almost destroyed his entire world. I stood rooted to the spot, feeling helpless, my heart pricked by something sharp. “I’m sorry…” I whispered. But he didn’t even look at me again, only carefully placed the porcelain vase back in its spot. After that, I never touched anything he loved again. Now, Lila casually balanced the porcelain vase on her lap, her fingertips gently tapping the body, making a clear, crisp sound. Caleb poked his head out from the kitchen, his gaze falling on the vase in her hands, yet there was no displeasure, only a smile as he asked, “Do you like it? If you do, it’s yours.” Lila looked up, blinked, and her voice held a touch of playful charm: “Really? But this is your most treasured possession.” Caleb chuckled, his voice doting: “When have I ever lied to you? Come, the noodles are ready.” I watched it all in silence. The warm scene before me was blindingly painful. Suddenly, Lila accidentally spilled some noodle soup on the table. She casually grabbed a piece of cloth and said, “This is a rag, right? I’ll just wipe it up.” I stared intently, realizing it was the scarf I had personally knitted for Caleb. Caleb probably didn’t remember. He didn’t stop her, only looked at Lila with concern. “Didn’t burn yourself, did you?” Lila shook her head, complimenting Caleb that his noodles were still as delicious as ever. “Caleb, do you remember?” “You couldn’t cook before, but you specifically learned to make tomato and egg noodles for me.” Caleb smiled faintly: “Of course, I remember.” I looked at him in surprise. Before, Caleb had discovered my fondness for tomato and egg noodles. Every morning he was home, he would make a steaming bowl for me. I thought he had learned and made it specifically for me. Turns out, from the very beginning, it was never for me. I gave a self-deprecating laugh, turned, and prepared to go back to my room. But then I heard Lila say: “Oh, right, Caleb, can you come perfume shopping with me this afternoon? Mine’s almost out.” “There’s a new one in the cabinet, just take it. It’s your favorite rose scent.” My steps faltered. Rose scent… Back in my room, I threw the bottle of perfume, treasured for years, into the trash.

Early the next morning, I was jolted awake by a nightmare. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had one. Feeling strange, I decided to go for a walk alone. When I got downstairs, I saw Lila hadn’t left yet. Caleb had actually let another woman stay over. I watched her fiddling with the flowers I’d planted, just about to warn her, when she spoke first: “Anya, you’re awake! Speaking of which, your name really suits an Immortal Kindred, doesn’t it? I never thought the legend was true.” I walked over, gripping her wrist tightly, and stared at her coldly: “Who told you?” “Caleb did, yesterday. He told me.” Lila looked at me smugly. “Be smart, Caleb doesn’t love you anymore. Just give up now.” “You’ve lived for so many years, you don’t need Caleb, do you? Wouldn’t it be better to just let me have him?” She leaned in close, whispering in my ear. I slapped her across the face. The sharp sound drew Caleb’s attention. Lila clutched her cheek, whimpering and looking down, feigning hurt. Caleb saw, rushed to Lila’s side, and then noticed the flower bed next to her. He glared at me.

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The year I loved Julian Thorne the most, I was forced to personally attend to his pregnant mistress. When his mistress faked an illness, Julian was convinced I’d tampered with her soup. He condemned me to three days and three nights kneeling in the freezing snow. While he was inside the mansion, doting on his mistress. I could hear them, for three days and three nights, their passionate sounds echoing. At one point, I heard Melody Hayes say: “Julian, if you treat Aubrey like this, what if Aubrey stops loving you?” Julian scoffed, a cold sneer on his lips: “Impossible. She loves me so much she’d throw her life away for me.” He was right, I did love him desperately. But what he didn’t know. This love had an expiration date. The doctor said I had ten days before I would completely lose my memory. Julian Thorne slapped me across the face, leaving my left cheek burning. “You jealous witch! If you can’t have children yourself, fine!” “But now Melody’s pregnant, and you’re trying to harm her!” Behind Julian, Melody Hayes wore a triumphant smile. “Julian, what if I told you she did it to herself? Would you believe me?” I pressed a hand to my cheek, my voice barely a whisper. Julian’s cold eyes narrowed, his anger mounting, as he let out a harsh snort. “Are you saying she harmed herself?” “Do you even believe that nonsense coming out of your own mouth?” “Aubrey Sinclair, when did you become this kind of person?” Melody stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Julian’s arm, her voice deliberately sweet: “Julian, it’s my own weak body, don’t blame Aubrey.” Julian sighed in exasperation, then tenderly stroked her head. “My little Melody is always so kind.” Then his voice hardened. “But that doesn’t mean I am.” “Aubrey Sinclair, you should be grateful Melody is unharmed. If anything had happened to her, I’d have made you pay with your life!” “But since you made a mistake, you must accept your punishment.” “I’ll sentence you to kneel in the snow for three days and three nights. No standing.” Melody gasped at his words, feigning concern. “Julian, that’s too harsh! Our wombs are so delicate, what if…?” Julian sneered. “She doesn’t even *have* a womb, what’s there to fear?” At his words, my hand instinctively went to my flat abdomen. Yes, I didn’t have a womb. And I couldn’t bear children. But Julian seemed to have forgotten that if I hadn’t been stabbed in the abdomen while saving him years ago, forcing a hysterectomy, I wouldn’t be without a womb now. “What are you waiting for? Guards!” At his command, two bodyguards grabbed me and dragged me out into the snow. Following Julian’s unspoken signal, they used electric batons to brutally strike the back of my knees. I cried out in pain, forced to my knees in the biting snow. Julian simply uttered, “You reflect on your actions here,” before wrapping his arm around Melody and leading her into the mansion. Soon after, passionate sounds began to emanate from within. Night fell quickly, but the sounds from inside showed no sign of stopping. The sub-zero temperatures, dropping to minus ten degrees, froze me until I was numb. Every time I tried to stand, the guards watching on the security cameras would spot me and strike my knees again. After a while, I lost all strength to even attempt to stand. I shivered uncontrollably, a thick layer of frost coating my face. Inside the warm mansion, Julian ceaselessly took Melody, again and again. At one point, I heard Melody Hayes say: “Julian, if you treat Aubrey like this, what if Aubrey stops loving you?” Julian scoffed at her words. “Impossible. She loves me so much she’d throw her life away for me.” He was right. It was common knowledge among our set: I was utterly, hopelessly devoted to Julian Thorne. Three years ago, when he was attacked at a gala, I didn’t hesitate to shield him from a fatal blow, leading to the removal of my uterus. Two years ago, when his car plunged from a bridge into a lake, I rushed into the freezing water without a second thought to find him, leaving me with a chronic illness that makes my entire body ache every winter. Five months ago, when Melody Hayes discovered she was pregnant, Julian brought her back to the mansion, and I was expected to cater to her every whim, on call 24/7. I even had to go out in the middle of a storm-lashed night to buy their condoms. But what no one knew was that this love had an expiration date. Due to the complications from my hysterectomy, my doctor had told me I had only ten days before I would completely lose my memory.

I knelt in the snow for as long as Julian and Melody were together. Three days and three nights passed, and I had completely lost all sensation. When the staff carried me into the mansion, Julian was getting out of Melody’s bed, looking utterly satisfied. Seeing me, his brow furrowed, and a rare flicker of worry and unease crossed his usually indifferent eyes. He lost control, shouting at Mr. Charles, the butler: “Where’s the doctor?! Get the doctor here now!” By the time the family doctor, Dr. Miller, arrived, I was on the brink of death. Just then, a loud crash came from Melody Hayes’s room. Followed by her cry of pain: “Julian, I accidentally fell! It hurts so much!” Julian instantly panicked. “Dr. Miller, come with me, quickly, to help Melody!” Dr. Miller hesitated for a moment. My skin had taken on a waxy, grayish-white pallor. If I wasn’t treated immediately, I would surely die. He explained my critical condition to Julian, but Julian simply brushed it off. “Her life’s a tough one.” I fought to remain conscious until Dr. Miller returned, though by then, my awareness was fading. Julian and Melody came in with him. Melody looked at my frostbitten body, a flash of surprise in her eyes. Then she abruptly pushed Dr. Miller aside and began rubbing my hands together. Dr. Miller frantically called out to stop her, but it was too late. A large patch of skin had already been rubbed off my left hand. With severe frostbite, rubbing the skin is strictly forbidden; it only causes secondary damage. I found it hard to believe Melody didn’t know this basic first aid. Excruciating pain shot through my left hand, and I bit down hard, clenching my teeth. Dr. Miller immediately rebuked Melody. “Ms. Hayes, what are you doing?! This will only make her condition worse!” Julian watched my tormented expression, his brow furrowing, and for once, he even criticized her. “Melody, couldn’t you have waited for the doctor?” Melody’s eyes instantly welled up. “But I didn’t know it would be like this! I just wanted to help Aubrey!” Hearing her, Julian’s heart immediately softened. He pulled the crying Melody into his embrace, comforting her. “Don’t cry, Melody. It’s not your fault. Did it scare you?” Then he turned to me, his voice dismissive. “I’ll get you the best medicine and resources to save you. Just forgive Melody; she meant well.” “Anyway, you survived the pain of having your uterus removed. This is nothing.” With that, his warm fingers wiped away Melody’s tears. Melody, fresh from crying, looked utterly pathetic and adorable. Julian’s voice was a little husky, teasingly caressing Melody’s nose. “Such a cute little crybaby, is someone getting a little… aroused?” Melody’s face flushed crimson, and she clenched her fists, playfully punching Julian’s chest. “Someone’s here, Julian, don’t be like that!” “This mansion, I call the shots.” When the ambulance Dr. Miller called arrived, Julian swept Melody into his arms and hurried into the master bedroom.

When I woke up in the hospital, Julian was beside me, engrossed in paperwork. “You’re awake?” Julian looked at my weak state, a flicker of tenderness in his eyes, and his voice softened in a way I’d never heard before. “What do you want to eat? I’ll go get it for you.” “Tiramisu.” The word slipped out instinctively. Julian paused for a moment, then said, “Okay, I’ll go buy it for you right now.” I shook my head. “I want the one you make.” That single sentence pulled us back three years. Those were the days I was hospitalized after shielding Julian from that knife. Julian was constantly by my side, tending to my needs. He even learned to make tiramisu himself, just because I loved it. Back then, he’d replay a single cooking tutorial video a hundred times, meticulously researching different ingredients and combinations. He was a quick learner; within days, he’d mastered it. The tiramisu he made was perfect, even better than anything from a bakery. But ever since Melody appeared, he’d never made it for me again. Julian hesitated, then finally agreed. “Alright, I’ll go back and make it immediately. You wait here, okay?” I forced a smile through the pain, replying, “Okay.” For some reason, my smile seemed to freeze him, leaving him stunned for a long moment. After he left, I finally stopped pretending. The pain made me weep. Especially during the dressing change. My left hand was almost completely raw. I had deliberately sent Julian away. My heart had died completely for him; I no longer cared for his sympathy. Wanting tiramisu was a lie; I just wanted to smash the one he made right in front of him. But it was a chance I was destined not to have. About thirty minutes after Julian left, I received a call. It was Melody Hayes. Over the phone, I heard the woman’s unbearable moans and the man’s heavy grunts. I knew then that Julian wouldn’t be making me any tiramisu. Julian pushed open the hospital room door, a flicker of guilt in his eyes. But he quickly composed himself, his voice carefully neutral. “Aubrey, I made this myself. Taste it, is it still the same?” I knew perfectly well, but I took a bite. I feigned a smile. “Mmm, it’s delicious.” Julian’s voice still held a hint of post-intimacy raspiness. “Good, glad you like it.” Just then, my attending physician came in for rounds. He asked if I wanted to take Torrusin. I knew he was referring to the memory recovery drug. They had recently developed a new medication to prevent memory loss. We had discussed it on SnapChat. I observed Julian; he showed no reaction. If only he’d bothered to ask what medication I was taking, he would have known everything. But he didn’t. I decisively refused the doctor. The doctor asked me one last time: “Ms. Sinclair, are you sure? You only have five days until you completely lose…” I gave him a look, and the doctor immediately fell silent. Julian finally frowned, raising his eyes, and asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice: “Lose what?” I suddenly spoke up. “Melody just Snapchatted me saying her stomach hurts, and she couldn’t reach you by phone.” At my words, he immediately grabbed my hand, anxiously saying: “What did you say?!” “How could she not reach me?” I couldn’t help but cry out in pain, and only then did he realize he was gripping my freshly operated-on left hand. Blood soaked through the bandage, staining it crimson. Julian gave me a apologetic look, a hint of hesitation in his eyes. But in the end, he grabbed his documents and hurried out of the hospital room, rushing towards the mansion. The next day, Julian came to visit me again. This time, he brought another tiramisu. I opened the box, about to scoop a spoonful, but he stopped me. “You just had surgery, you can’t eat too much sweet stuff. You need to moderate.” “You definitely won’t stick to it yourself.” “Let me feed you.” I was suddenly reminded of when we first got married. I loved ice cream, and our fridge was always stocked with several tubs. But whenever my period approached, Julian would eat all the ice cream in the fridge. He’d only buy more after my period was over. Because we had an agreement that I wouldn’t eat cold things during my period, but I never stuck to it. As he said this, his expression was a little distant, as if he was thinking of something, and his eyes softened for a rare moment. He scooped a spoonful and held it to my mouth. But I didn’t open it. “Are you upset with me?” Seeing my silence, he wore an “I knew it” expression. “I know you’ve been feeling suffocated lately.” “But Melody is pregnant with our child, can’t you just make allowances for her?” “Melody is only twenty-two, and you’re a thirty-year-old woman. Why are you always bickering with a young girl? Melody even sees you as a sister.” “Anyway, you can’t have children, can you? Just let Melody give birth to my child. For my sake, Melody will let you be the child’s godmother.” I scoffed. “No thanks, I find that repulsive.” Julian instantly became enraged, slamming the spoon onto me. “You truly are stubborn!” Just then, Melody Hayes pushed open the hospital room door and entered. Seeing the scene before her, she immediately rushed forward and grabbed Julian. Feigning anger, she said: “Julian, what are you doing? Aubrey just had surgery!” Julian frowned. “She’s an ungrateful wretch.” “Forget her, Melody, why are you here? Didn’t I tell you to rest?” Melody pouted, looking remorseful. “Aubrey’s skin peeled off because of me. It’s only right that I come to take care of her.” Julian’s face darkened, his eyes like ice. “Nonsense! This is entirely her own fault!” “Not to mention she didn’t take proper care of you, she almost caused you to miscarry! I haven’t even settled that score with her yet!” “Now she’s using her surgery as an excuse to make you wait on her?” With that, he pulled Melody away and left. 5 Melody Hayes sent me a few more explicit pictures. I felt a surge of disgust. My gaze inadvertently fell upon Julian’s left ring finger and I noticed the diamond ring wasn’t his original wedding band. It was a matched set with the one Melody wore. A ring from a brand famed for its ‘one love, one life’ promise. I closed my eyes and turned off my phone. A short while later, another call came in. Mr. Charles, the butler, said Julian wanted a simple wedding for Melody, and Julian had specifically asked me to be the chief planner, claiming I had experience. The reason was Melody’s prenatal depression; she was constantly terrified Julian would abandon her, and he wanted to prove his love for her. They were taking their wedding photos at the beach.

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After the Thorne family went bankrupt, my stepsister, Vanessa, and I were thrown into a strange selection process for a substitute bride. Whoever was picked would be married off to the comatose eldest son of the wealthiest family. Vanessa was destined to be chosen. While I, bound by a family agreement, was set to marry Alex Sterling, my childhood friend who’d been in love with Vanessa for a decade. In my last life, he begged me to undergo nine IVF procedures, and I finally conceived a boy and a girl. When I was confined to the attic during my late pregnancy, forced to rest, he and my recently widowed stepsister were having a passionate affair in the master bedroom downstairs, night after night. A week before I gave birth, he deliberately swerved, crashing the car into a guardrail, letting sharp metal pierce my abdomen. The second before my consciousness faded, I heard his unrestrained joy: “Vanessa, Iris is finally dead. We can get married tomorrow!” I opened my eyes again and found myself back on the night of the drawing. Looking at my stepsister, who was crying into her hands, I leaned in close to her ear, smiling: “How about it, sis? I’ll marry him instead of you?” That unfaithful bastard? Not even if he begged!

A round of applause erupted from the crowd. Vanessa’s face was ashen, her fingers digging into my clothes, clinging desperately. “The second Miss Thorne is truly blessed with good fortune.” “From an illegitimate daughter of a bankrupt family to the future mistress of the wealthiest household – who wouldn’t be envious?” A few people deliberately spoke loudly, then covered their mouths, giggling. Vanessa gritted her teeth, her tear-filled eyes glaring at Mrs. Thorne. “I don’t want to marry him! I want to marry Alex! Alex promised he’d only marry me! And I’ll only marry him!” Mrs. Thorne quickly clamped a hand over her mouth. I stood there, stunned, staring at the empty lot slip in my hand. The excruciating pain of the guardrail piercing my abdomen still hadn’t faded. I instinctively looked towards Alex Sterling. The man stood there, fists clenched and trembling, his eyes bloodshot with rage. It was a stark contrast to his usual gentle demeanor. The next second, he strode forward and bowed deeply to the Hayes family representatives. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he cleared his throat, “the second Miss Thorne is still young and doesn’t know how to care for others. I believe it would be better to have the eldest Miss Thorne marry instead.” The entire room fell into a sudden, dead silence. No one had ever dared to offer an opinion to the Hayes family. In my last life, Alex had merely watched helplessly as the woman he loved married another. Right up until her wedding ended, he’d locked himself in his room, numbing himself by systematically collapsing his business rivals’ stock. Could it be that… A thought flashed through my mind, and my hair instantly stood on end. Had he been reborn too? The Hayes family’s old butler slowly rose, leaning on his cane, his sharp gaze sweeping over me and Vanessa, who was trembling uncontrollably behind me. “Mr. Sterling is truly considerate.” “It appears the second Miss Thorne’s identity truly doesn’t suit our Hayes family. In that case, let the eldest Miss marry our eldest young master.” With that, the old man led the others away. Vanessa’s breath hitched, her long, sharp nails digging tighter and tighter into my arm. Her eyes were sinister, but her voice was pitifully aggrieved: “Iris, that Hayes family’s eldest young master is just a useless invalid clinging to life. If you marry him and he drops dead on the spot, the Hayes family won’t come back to haunt us, will they?” A flicker of hesitation crossed Alex Sterling’s eyes. He pulled Vanessa into a comforting embrace and murmured, “Vanessa, we’ll fulfill our engagement tomorrow, okay?” “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to throw you a wedding that will shake the entire city.” As he spoke, he glanced at me a few times, observing my reaction. In his eyes, my expression was surely one of utter devastation. But I simply offered a polite smile and bowed deeply to him. “Mr. Sterling, thank you for your help to the Thorne family. I’m truly grateful.” As the man stood there, momentarily stunned, I handed him a string of simple jade beads. We had picked them out together from a street vendor when we were little. He’d told me to keep them, and then never mentioned them again. “Just a small token of my appreciation.” When my fingertips brushed his cool palm, my body involuntarily shivered. Alex Sterling’s gaze was dark and unreadable. He released Vanessa’s hand and meticulously examined the gift. After a heavy sigh, the red string snapped, and the beads scattered across the floor. His gaze, when it met mine, was utterly indifferent. “The eldest Miss Thorne sends me this trash?” He scoffed, casually nudging the nearest bead with the tip of his leather shoe. “This kind of ‘token,’ you might as well not send it at all.”

My chest felt heavy, as if a stone had been lodged there. I took a deep breath, forcing down the stinging tears in my eyes. “Alright, tomorrow I’ll bring you the antique watch from home…” “No need.” Alex Sterling took Vanessa’s hand, lacing his fingers with hers. The plain band on his middle finger was unassuming, yet he’d worn it for ten years. Only because it was the first gift Vanessa had ever given him. “If the person giving the gift is wrong, then nothing is right.” “Mrs. Thorne, Vanessa and I have a date. We’ll be leaving now.” With that, he walked away, his arm around Vanessa, not sparing me another glance. It seemed I had been delusional. “Slap!” Before I could even process my emotions, a loud slap landed on my cheek. A ringing sound echoed in my eardrums. My face went numb, then a burning sting spread across it. “You little bitch! Still coveting the family’s assets? I’m telling you, the Thorne family won’t give you a single penny as dowry! Dreaming of that antique watch? In your dreams!” “But that was my mother’s…” Before I could finish, another slap landed. My eyes red, I met her distorted, furious face. “Your mother’s been dead for ten years! She didn’t leave you a separate will before she jumped into the river.” “If I hadn’t brought my lucky star daughter into this family, the Thornes would have been cursed into extinction by you long ago.” I staggered backward, fumbling, and knocked over a cup of scalding hot green tea. The tea splattered on the back of my hand, but it was nothing compared to the chill in my heart. My father was superstitious. She had specifically sought out a psychic to analyze my and Vanessa’s birth charts. That’s why, before my mother’s memorial rites were even over, she was able to bring her illegitimate daughter, claiming her to be a lucky charm, and they officially moved into our family home. My father loved to boast about his second daughter’s special ‘blessed’ constitution, and the rumors had long since reached the Hayes family. Mr. Hayes, desperate to save his son, didn’t hesitate to stoop low, manipulating the Thorne corporation to drain its assets, and then proposed a substitute marriage. And there was another, bigger secret, one I had kept buried deep until the day I died. Seeing that I wasn’t arguing or crying, Mrs. Thorne snorted. “Just like your pathetic mother, a complete pushover.” “After you’re married, remember to rake in plenty of money and bring it back to the Thorne family.” I swallowed the metallic taste in my mouth, letting her yank my hair as she dragged me outside. “The Hayes family has more than one son. If you play your cards right, you might even snag that playboy second son.” *In her dreams.* I silently replied. In the last life, after Vanessa married Marcus, the second son, Julian Hayes, immediately branched off from the family, cutting ties with the greedy Thorne family at lightning speed. When Mrs. Thorne dumped me at the door, the servants nearby were still gossiping: “That lady just ran off, leaving her daughter to be bullied by her stepmother.” “I say, what man doesn’t change his mind? Just turn a blind eye, and it’s over.” “They’re too used to good lives, can’t handle a little setback. All these rich ladies are like that…” I couldn’t take it anymore and roared, “Shut up!” The few women immediately fell silent, startled. When they realized it was me, they all relaxed. “What’s all this noise about?” Vanessa, holding Alex Sterling’s hand, came closer. “Sister, how can you be so mean to the servants?” Her soft, delicate voice immediately garnered a chorus of agreement. Alex Sterling frowned at me. “Although your mother’s death left you with psychological trauma, what they’re saying isn’t wrong.” “Can’t you be a little more lenient?” The elderly woman leading the group jutted out her neck in agreement. “Mr. Sterling is right, we didn’t mean to.” I laughed, exasperated, and lunged forward to hit her. Vanessa spread her arms wide, desperately blocking me. “Martha has taken care of me since I was little. If you’re angry, take it out on me, ah!”

Vanessa screamed and fell backward, pulling me down with her into the pond. “Splash!” The cold water choked my lungs the moment I hit it. I fought through the pain, trying to swim to the surface. But the more Vanessa struggled, the more I was dragged deeper into the water. “Splash!” Another splash, and the water’s surface suddenly exploded with light. Vanessa immediately released the leg she had wrapped around my waist and vanished from my sight. I desperately groped around, but there was nothing left. In a daze, the scene of my death from the previous life replayed before my eyes. I can’t die! Digging my fingernails into the muddy pond wall, I struggled to climb up. My broken fingernails peeled back, but the pain was nothing compared to my tattered heart. Finally, someone pulled me up. I pushed aside my soaking wet hair and coughed,趴吐ed at the edge of the pond, while Vanessa shivered, burrowing into Alex Sterling’s embrace. “Alex… my sister pushed me… I’m scared!” Alex Sterling took off his soaked suit jacket, grabbed a dry towel, and wrapped it tightly around her. The worry in his eyes was the genuine concern I had always longed for. And when he faced Vanessa, he was never insincere or dismissive. Warm tears flowed down my face. I bit down hard on my lip, all my accusations choked in my throat. Alex Sterling belatedly looked at me. He subconsciously released Vanessa, his eyes darting away as he helped me up from the ground. “Iris, you…” “Do you still remember this place?” I cut him off, forcing a bitter smile. My mother had just passed away then; her body hadn’t even been fully recovered from the river. My father, meanwhile, accompanied that mother and daughter on a trip. In the vast Thorne mansion, only Alex Sterling had climbed over the wall and sat with me in the courtyard all night long. “You said you’d protect me forever, that even if I fell into this pond, you’d jump in without hesitation to save me.” They say children’s words mean nothing, but I had remembered them for eighteen years. “Alex Sterling, when did you change?” His fingers, which were helping me, trembled violently. His eyes were full of heartache. Just as he was about to speak, Vanessa suddenly coughed violently. “Be careful not to catch a cold.” He instinctively warned Vanessa, yet his gaze remained fixed on my face. “Iris, get inside first, it’s cold out here.” Before I could even nod, my father roared, charging towards us. “You disgraceful child!” The brass buckle of his belt struck my kneecap directly. Alex Sterling let go, and I tumbled onto the pile of碎石. Mrs. Thorne frantically brought a fur coat and draped it over Vanessa. That was clearly my mother’s heirloom! I took a deep breath, and with all my might, I screamed, “Don’t you dare touch my mother’s things!” My father’s furious voice was my only answer: “You deliberately pushed Vanessa into the pond! How could you be as malicious as that short-lived mother of yours!” “These are all Thorne family belongings! What right do you, a daughter who’s marrying out in a few days, have to tell us what to do?” Alex Sterling remained silent. Mrs. Thorne shrieked and cried, “My Vanessa, wake up, don’t scare your mommy!” She turned, her face contorted, glaring at me, her tear-filled eyes bloodshot: “If anything happens to Vanessa, I’ll have your birth mother’s ashes dug out of the family grave!” I laughed, exasperated, and coldly watched the performance of this theatrical family. Vanessa, who had been lying there with her eyes closed, suddenly began to twitch. “Alex, I’m so cold, save me.” The sob in her voice completely unnerved Alex Sterling. The guilt on his face was replaced by urgency. He quickly scooped the heavily wrapped woman into the living room. The boy who had once saved me in my memories had now personally abandoned me. He truly died the day Vanessa and her mother moved in. “You’re to spend the entire night kneeling, and tomorrow you’ll be writing lines in the family study!” My father finished, then slammed the front door shut. The courtyard instantly fell silent. All my strength was gone. My heart was like a stagnant pool, completely still. This home had no room for me anymore. I picked at the broken stones under my knees and suddenly smiled with a sense of release. It felt so good to have no lingering attachment. They didn’t know. As long as I held out until noon tomorrow, this little sympathy play would be over.

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Married into an elite family for three years, I left with my unborn child, disappearing into a distant land. Years later, I returned to find my former husband and son begging for forgiveness. I sneered, “I only have one child.” **1** “Alright, you can go.” Julian was off to see Celeste again. I had just stepped through the front door of our house. He was carrying large bags, so many that an uninformed person would think he was moving in with her. He looked surprised, as if he couldn’t believe his own eyes. “How come you’re not even asking questions anymore?” My face was expressionless, but inside, a whirlwind of emotions churned. “What’s the point of asking? I’ve been asking for three years, has anything changed?” Julian, however, poked his head back through the doorway, a flattering smile plastered on his face. “Mia, are you in a good mood today?” “Could you let Caleb go visit Celeste?” The motion of me changing my shoes paused slightly. After a moment of silence, I nodded. “You agreed?!” I once thought I would never relent. Julian actually wanted my son, Caleb, to get closer to that woman. How ironic. I was his lawful wife, the one he officially married. Yet he wanted to take the child I bore with so much difficulty and give him to his mistress. Just because she liked him. “Celeste doesn’t ask for anything. She just loves the child.” “We’ll have more children later.” He wrapped his arms around me from behind, but I offered no response. He probably forgot that when Caleb was born, we were dirt poor. The only shelter we had was a ramshackle hut my mom put together from whatever scraps we could find, the door cobbled together from salvaged planks. That winter, he had to go out for business. I hid there, shivering from the cold, gritting my teeth and struggling for three days and three nights to give birth to Caleb. After that, we struggled through countless hardships, and my body was never the same. Julian always said he owed me, promised he’d give me the grand wedding ceremony we never had. The wedding did happen, but he just ended up owing me even more. I was numb to the blatant lies that just rolled off his tongue. My family passed away that winter. I broke free from his grasp, turning to grab a beer from the fridge. “Go. Caleb’s things are already packed.” Julian’s expression was complex. After a long pause, he looked at me and spoke, “Mia, don’t play mind games like those elite wives in Grandview City.” “Don’t pull any tricks on me.” “Otherwise…” He scowled, turned, and disappeared into the darkness. I watched his retreating back, wanting to scream. Celeste’s manipulations were so obvious, yet you were completely blind to them. **2** But he truly overestimated me. Julian’s wild, impractical business ideas, no one believed in them except for me and my support over the last ten years. Until Celeste appeared. She had her father fund Julian, making him a name for himself overnight and truly finding his footing in Grandview City. When we first arrived in Grandview City, all the elite wives sneered at me. A small-town girl like me, if it weren’t for pure dumb luck, I wouldn’t have met Julian, nor achieved what I have today. But this achievement felt like a wild hawk trapped in a gilded cage. Why did everyone say I was lucky? Why didn’t anyone say Julian was lucky to have me? I stood up, dusted myself off, and walked to the dressing table. From behind the wall, I pulled out my hidden phone and sent a message: “I’m leaving.” Then I put the phone on the table and hugged myself tightly. The sky darkened. I didn’t turn on the lights, letting the darkness slowly consume me. In this enormous house, I was alone. Father and son had both gone to Celeste’s place, as if that was the real family. My swollen eyes stared at the phone. The screen suddenly lit up. The reply was a single word: “Okay.” **3** My name was Mia. I didn’t even have a last name. Actually, even this name was given to me. My adoptive father was in some shady business. After his last “job,” he brought us to hide out in this remote town. Julian, the neighbor boy, who’d actually been to school and knew how to read, gave me the name “Mia.” He said I smiled like the moon in the sky, especially beautiful. Later, when I learned to read, I realized he thought it meant “radiant,” like the moon, but it was a clumsy spelling of a word that meant something totally different. I did rough work at home; I was incredibly strong. But Julian next door was weak and always getting sick. He always smiled and told me, “Mia, you’re strong, and I’m smart. If we team up, we’ll be unstoppable!” Later, when he wanted to start a company, I’d never even heard of such things. I told him to focus on his work and we could hold off on getting married for a bit. But Julian looked serious. “Mia, you’re marrying me. What are you scared of?!” I wasn’t scared of anything. I wasn’t scared of anyone. But I was scared of becoming a burden to him. I was afraid that my lack of education, or my rough demeanor, would offend his important clients. After that, he went out to make his way alone, and I gave birth to Caleb by myself. But he didn’t come home for two years. I carried Caleb on my back and worked odd jobs, taking anything that hired. At the construction site, I’d secure Caleb to a stool in the security guard’s shack outside the site, then go in and work all day. Caleb would cry from hunger, but I had no choice. I didn’t know how to reach him; I could only wait for him to find me. So I waited and waited, waited and waited. Finally, the day his company went public arrived. Julian came back for me and said he wanted to take me to Grandview City. I saw another girl beside him, but I didn’t think much of it. My Jules was so capable! He’d built such a huge business in just two years! Going to Grandview City was fine. With Jules there, what was there to fear? I was so foolish. I actually believed every word he said. **4** Even more impactful than the changing environment was the change in the people around me. I knew all of Julian’s buddies, the ones he’d struggled with. Back then, when they were so broke they couldn’t even eat, I’d gather discarded cabbage leaves and rotten winter melons from the market and make them a big pot of stew. His buddies used to affectionately call me “sister-in-law.” When Caleb and I came back from the construction site, they’d see us and their eyes would well up with sympathy. But now, no one called me “sister-in-law” anymore. They all called me “Madam CEO.” I was dusty and disheveled, a complete mismatch for them. They were awkward, and so was I. All sorts of eyes in the company swept over me. I wasn’t particularly smart, but that day, I understood in an instant. This place didn’t belong to me. Powerful people were everywhere in Grandview City, and glamorous socialites were a dime a dozen. New money like Julian, with no connections and easily manipulated, everyone wanted to court him. When they found out I was his wife, their faces first showed disdain, then they started plotting. I felt like I was a step below them. I had been exposed to wind and sun, my skin was dark and cracked, my hands covered in layers of scars, working harder than their household staff. The second person to change was Julian. Not long after arriving here, I sensed it. The only thing I asked for here was a wedding. Though I wasn’t smart, I could tell many people coveted my position. He hesitated but still agreed. However, after that, he stopped going along with me so easily. “Initially, the company could only get started thanks to Celeste’s father’s help.” “Now, they just want me to spend more time with Celeste. It’s a profitable deal.” I felt a pang of panic, but I still blurted out, “Jules, back where I came from, that kind of behavior could get you ostracized…” “You already have me. How can you go looking for other women…” He erupted like a lion whose tail had been stepped on, covering his insecurity with rage. “Mia! Everyone here is like this!” “Do you know how much effort I put into fitting in here?!” “Now, it’s just a small sacrifice for you, and you’re so unwilling?!” It was the first time I’d seen him so furious. I took a few steps back and looked at him. That familiar face looked more and more unfamiliar. I asked one last question, “Celeste, is she pretty?” Julian seemed to calm down a little, and he lightly tapped my nose. “No one’s prettier than Mia.” He lied. Celeste was much prettier than me, and several years younger. Her playfully whining mannerisms, I’d seen them so many times, yet I could never learn them. Whenever things didn’t go her way, she’d look at Julian with tearful eyes and pout sweetly. At first, Julian would come back and complain to me, saying he couldn’t handle such a delicate, demanding socialite. But then, he started going to Celeste’s place more and more often. Later, he’d be called away for various holidays, sometimes even taking Caleb with him behind my back. But truthfully, if it were just that, I wouldn’t have sent that message to that person. What truly broke my heart was Caleb’s repeated hurtful actions. I once thought that no matter what grievances I suffered, I would never leave. Not this man, full of lies, nor the child I bore with so much difficulty. In the days Julian was absent, Caleb would snuggle up to me, looking at me with clear eyes. The people at the company might look down on me, but they didn’t dare look down on Caleb. Whenever I was bullied, Caleb would always step forward to confront them, then turn around and hug me. When did it change? Probably when he started elementary school. Julian said Caleb needed to act like a young gentleman now, with private cars for pickup and drop-off. And then, without my knowing, he started taking my child to see Celeste. I could barely read, so I couldn’t help him with his studies, or understand the articles he was praised for, or his perfectly answered math problems. Caleb would say, “Dad’s at Aunt Celeste’s house, so I’m going to find Dad.” But later, he started calling Celeste “Mom.” I didn’t mind him getting close to Celeste at first. He would eventually inherit the company, and he would eventually have to deal with Celeste’s powerful family. But that day, I just couldn’t take it anymore. It was snowing that day, and Caleb had left too quickly without his jacket. I worried there might not be a jacket in the car, so I rushed out after him, calling his name. But he didn’t seem to hear me, running excitedly, directly into Celeste’s arms in front of the car. “Mommy—” My blood seemed to freeze. I watched them, trembling. Julian stepped out of the car, smiling as he looked at them. I hid in the shadows, like an ugly bug. I remembered those three days I gave birth to him, the freezing cold, my vision blurred, all I saw was blood and red. But how could he call another woman “Mommy”? **5** I stumbled back home, leaning against the wall. But my heart wasn’t completely cold yet. He was my son, what could I blame him for? Until Celeste suggested to Julian that Caleb should move in with her. I refused, adamant. Until that day, Celeste came to our door. My relationship with Celeste was subtle; we both knew the other existed but didn’t interfere. I didn’t have the courage to make a fuss anymore, and she disdained competing with me. But her coming to my door, that changed everything. Her eyes swimming with tears, she held a hospital diagnosis report. It stated she could never have children. “Sister Mia, I truly adore this child…” “You can still have more children, but I… I can’t…” She was sobbing uncontrollably, but I held Caleb tight, refusing to let go. “I carried him for nine months and gave birth to him! Why should I give him to you?!” Julian’s face darkened, his tone annoyed. “Mia, Celeste just wants a child.” “We’ll have more later.” My heart twisted with a sharp, gut-wrenching pain. For the first time, I yelled at Julian. “Where?! Didn’t you know the doctor said it would be hard for me to get pregnant again, Julian?!” A flicker of hesitation crossed Julian’s eyes, but then his resolve hardened. “Mia, it’s just one child.” Just one child? He hadn’t been with me for years, and Caleb was my only hope. He was the hope of my entire life. Perhaps I was distracted, because Caleb struggled free from my embrace. He shoved me hard. “You’re not my mom! You don’t love me at all!” “Other kids have their moms pick them up, but you’ve never picked me up once!” I froze. Julian was the one who didn’t let me go. He said he was afraid I’d embarrass Caleb and make him feel ashamed in front of others. “You don’t even love me, so why are you clinging to me?!” My heart seized. Just then, a loud clap of thunder boomed outside the window. A brilliant flash of white light illuminated the faces of the few people in the room. Celeste’s triumph, Julian’s impatience, and Caleb’s fury. That’s it. He seemed genuinely angry… I sank to the floor, watching them embrace. I suddenly understood: there was never a place for me here. I had occupied Julian’s wife’s position. I had clung to their child. I should have left long ago. **8** They bought me a ticket to a city called South Mountain and told me a car would pick me up in three days. Three days later was supposed to be Caleb’s parent-teacher conference. I had originally planned to go; I thought it was his first conference, and I’d go even if it meant defying Julian. But now, there was no need. For some reason, my health had been worsening these past few days. On the first day, Julian came. He seemed pleased with my decision yesterday. As if to reward me, he even took off his clothes, intending to kiss me. I saw the kiss marks on his neck—from someone else—and a bitter ache spread through my chest. Without warning, a mouthful of blood suddenly rose in my throat. Julian asked why I wasn’t speaking. I forced a smile and swallowed the blood down. “I’m on my period.” Julian shrugged. For some reason, I felt he was relieved too. He lit a cigarette and then took my hand. “Mia, you need to be good here.” “We can’t compare to the Celeste family. Some things, just bear with it, and they’ll be over soon.” “He’s your son, after all.” I remained silent. He blew out a smoke ring. “How about I take you and Caleb out next weekend?” I looked up. “I want to go back to the town.” “To South Mountain, the place you always wanted to go…” “I want to see the magnolia blossoms.” “After I’m done with things here…” “Okay.” I pulled away from him and wrapped myself in the blanket. For some reason, tears suddenly streamed down my face. Julian used to look so cool when he smoked, my favorite kind of charmingly bad boy. But now when he smoked, he looked meek. Julian, what do I even like about you anymore? Suddenly, his phone rang. I could hear a woman’s voice on the other end, saying she had a headache and couldn’t sleep, telling him to come quickly. I didn’t turn around. “Go.” Julian didn’t answer, just the rustle of clothes. I watched his figure in the moonlight; he had changed. Back in the town, we were used to being wild and free. Now, he was tall and lean, every movement reeking of a Grandview City socialite. He walked further and further away, becoming smaller and smaller. More and more like Jules when we were kids. “…We’re unstoppable together!” “You marry me, you won’t lose anything. I’m afraid you’ll run off if you’re unhappy!” “If you run, with my broken body, I won’t even be able to catch you!” …I couldn’t think about it anymore. The next day, Caleb came. I lay weakly, and his small face rubbed against mine. “Mom, you’ll have lots of other kids.” “But Aunt Celeste only has me.” My heart bled. I wanted to tell him, even if I had more children, they wouldn’t be him. But I didn’t say a word, just smiled and looked at him. This was my last look at you, Caleb. **10** Celeste went to the parent-teacher conference. She was dressed to the nines, and Caleb walked behind her, his little back held straight. I left, and no one seemed to care. My only real leverage was that marriage certificate with Julian. That person also got me a divorce agreement. I signed my part and left it on the living room table. There was also Caleb’s custody transfer agreement. I clearly wrote that I was voluntarily giving up custody of Caleb. I knew that after I left, Julian would sign the divorce agreement, then grandly marry Celeste, the powerful heiress. Let it be. This life, living up to this point, was exhausting. **11** The maid noticed I was gone but didn’t tell Julian. Because he was with Celeste, playing in the water with Caleb. It wasn’t until half a month later that they returned to the apartment. The coffee table even had a thin layer of dust. I heard Julian threw a fit, turning Grandview City upside down, but I was beyond caring. I was already in South Mountain City, where I opened a flower shop. On the day of the opening, the person who helped me appeared. It was a strange coincidence; I felt my fate had always been peculiar. In those years working odd jobs with Caleb on my back, I had nowhere to sleep except a sleeping bag I found in a junkyard. One day, I found him by the roadside. He said he was a wanderer and, after looking at me, kept sighing about my convoluted fate. He left me his phone number, saying if I ever wanted to leave a place, I should text him. I thought it was strange at the time, but he looked so sincere, saying I would definitely need it. So I kept it carefully. He stood at the entrance, bowed to me, and said, “The client is set. The old man has finally repaid his life debt.” My new shop was open, and my heart was filled with joy looking at the garden full of flowers. Not just because this was the flower city I had dreamed of, but also because I had escaped that suffocating place. “You’re not that old. Why do you call yourself ‘old man’?” He closed his eyes, bowed again, and walked away. I called out to him, smiling brightly, “Come often! It’s free for you!” This was my true nature. Bold and uninhibited, interacting with people. Across the street was a coffee shop, run by a young man who collected antiques. He often gazed at my shop while making things. So I took a bouquet of flowers and gave it to him. His face turned red, a little overwhelmed. His name was Noah. We would do crafts together, tend to flowers, bask in the sun, and rock in chairs. Life was so peaceful, I almost forgot the miserable things that had happened recently. I wanted to settle in South Mountain, but buying a house involved residency status issues. That’s when he suddenly blushed and said, “Sister Mia, if you really want to buy a house, you could marry me…” I didn’t quite catch the rest of his words; his voice trailed off. When he finished explaining, I paused. Noah saw my hesitation and, blushing again, explained, “Sister Mia, I’m not a kid anymore. I can make my own decisions.” “If you want to leave later, or divorce after buying the house, I absolutely won’t interfere.” “I just want to help you.” I looked at his shy, clear eyes and smiled faintly. So, I vaguely got married again. As I was getting married, I thought, Julian must have already signed the divorce papers, right…? **12** On our wedding night, I asked him to call me Elena. He jokingly asked, “Is Sister Mia warning me to cherish you properly?” Before I could answer, he leaned in. “How could I not cherish someone as wonderful as Sister Mia? I’ll protect you fiercely, afraid of anyone coveting you.” He made me laugh, but I didn’t take his words to heart. Men’s words, they’re just for amusement. A year later, we had a clever daughter named Daisy. I hadn’t thought I would get pregnant again, so I wasn’t careful. I hesitated about whether to terminate the pregnancy, and Noah squatted by the window, his eyes tearful as he looked at me. “Sister, c-can we keep her…?” I touched my belly, lost in thought. “Okay.”

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I married an idiot. For three years, I personally fed him, bathed him, and gave him the whole world. Then one day he woke up, became the CEO of a listed company, and spent millions proposing to me across the city. After marriage, I became the envy of everyone. He expressed his love for me on various occasions. But when his true love appeared, he immediately kicked me out, just to make room for her. With nowhere to go, I swallowed a whole bottle of sleeping pills. When I crossed over to this world, I spent 25 years pursuing the four main love interests, only to lose everything in the end. The system said that as long as this body dies, I can go home. But just as my consciousness was fading, I heard someone desperately begging me to live. 0 “Aria, I know you’re awake. Why did you choose to attempt suicide on the day Sam returns? What, are you trying to frame Sam by pretending to be dead?” Accompanied by a cold voice, I opened my eyes to see William’s icy gaze full of hatred. William, one of my love interests, was once a husband who loved me to the bone. When we first met, he was tricked while fighting for his family’s inheritance and became an idiot, insisting on marrying me. For three years, I bathed him, washed his clothes, took care of his daily life, and gave him the whole world. However, when the family heirs killed each other off, he suddenly woke up and became the sole heir. It turned out that he had been pretending to be stupid to avoid disaster, and I was the real fool who had been deceived. When I turned to leave, he knelt down and begged, spending millions to propose to me across the city. “Aria, please don’t go. I can’t live without you. I may have been pretending to be stupid, but I really do like you.” Amidst flying flower petals, looking at the face I had lived with day and night, I agreed. Until Olivia appeared, and he changed his heart. He used work as an excuse to stay away from home for long periods. “Why can’t you understand me?” “If I don’t work hard, where will your food and clothes come from?” I believed him. But not long after, I found him intimate with Olivia in the office, with used condoms on the floor. When I asked him why, he told me to leave with nothing. I refused, so Olivia faked her death by jumping into the sea and posted a 10,000-word accusation on social media, framing me for bullying and abusing her, forcing her to die. I was subjected to overwhelming cyberbullying. He seized the opportunity to kick me out of the house. My own brother also wanted to sever ties with me, this vicious person. No matter how I explained, no one believed I was innocent. Although I don’t know why William would save me, looking at the surging hatred in his eyes, I forced out the last breath from my lungs and said with difficulty: “Kill… me.” The next moment, William released his hand and slapped me angrily: “If you want to die, go somewhere else to die. Don’t dirty my hands!” I was stunned by his slap. When I came to my senses, I had already been thrown onto the road outside the villa gate by him and his bodyguards. William folded his arms across his chest, his expression cold and indifferent, as if looking at garbage: “If it weren’t for you bullying and harassing Olivia, how could she have been forced to jump into the sea? If you want to commit suicide, remember to stay away from me. Seeing you makes me physically sick.” I laughed self-mockingly. It was clearly them slandering me behind my back, but it became my fault! Can those with power and influence really turn black into white? But he probably forgot that without me, he wouldn’t have today! Since that’s the case, I won’t dirty his eyes! I staggered away, coming to a bustling street. Looking at the flowing traffic, I jumped. As long as this body dies, I can go home. The next instant, the sharp sound of tires screeching accompanied by honking horns rang out. Someone grabbed my hair tightly and dragged me to the roadside. “Aria, what are you doing?!” I looked at the angry William and quietly asked: “Why? I’ve already stayed away from you.” Although his words were so fierce, I saw his body trembling. When he was still pretending to be an idiot, whenever he was afraid, he would unconsciously tremble and hide behind me. What was he afraid of? Afraid of me dying? But isn’t this fulfilling his and Olivia’s wishes? William slapped me hard: “What are you pretending for? This is the road Olivia has to take to get home! If you die here, how will it dirty her eyes?” I lowered my eyes and laughed self-mockingly. So it was because of this. I obediently went to the riverside. Here, it shouldn’t dirty his beloved’s eyes, right? 0

I walked step by step into the river. The next moment, another hand grabbed me. I turned back in confusion, only to find it was my brother Finn. He was holding a cake with a big name written on it: “Olivia”. It should be a cake prepared to celebrate Olivia’s fake death return… Anger and hatred surged in Finn’s eyes. “What are you doing here? Don’t tell me you knew I was going to bring a cake for Olivia and came to stop me?!” “Aria, have you forgotten that I’ve already severed ties with you!” In this world, if there’s someone who hates me more than William, it would be my own brother. But he wasn’t like this before. We lost both parents when we were young. I raised my brother alone, naming him “Finn”, hoping he would be as free as the wind chimes dancing in the air. He dreamed of studying music, so I dropped out of school early and worked three jobs to send him to the best training classes. Once, during a house fire, he ran barefoot into the flames, crying that if I died, he wouldn’t live alone either. We were each other’s support in this world, the closest blood relatives. But all this changed after he met Olivia. Olivia said she wanted to eat something good, so he forced me to cook a table full of dishes despite my serious illness. She didn’t eat, and when I couldn’t help but ask, he turned on me: “Your cooking is too bad, why are you yelling at her!” Saying that, he threw the dishes I had worked hard to make into the garbage. Later, Olivia and William framed me and faked her death by jumping into the sea. Because of this, Finn hated me to the bone, severed ties with me, coldly watched me suffer all kinds of torment, and even personally pushed me into the abyss. Thinking of this, I didn’t answer his words, slowly pulling my wrist out of his hand inch by inch. Seeing this, William immediately sneered: “Olivia is back. She was kicked out by me with nothing, so she probably can’t accept it and wants to commit suicide.” Finn frowned and laughed coldly: “Someone as afraid of death as her, how could she really commit suicide? She’s probably just putting on an act.” “Great minds think alike,” William also laughed. “She just performed twice in front of me.” After mocking me, Finn looked at me with hatred again: “Aria, even if a vicious person like you really dies, no one would care!” “Get out of my way, don’t block me from finding Olivia.” I slowly lowered my eyes: “Alright, I’ll leave.” As soon as the words fell, I plunged towards the rushing river. Finn’s face turned pale. The river was so rapid that in the blink of an eye, I had been washed ten meters away. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. This time, I should really be able to die, right? But the next moment, with a “splash” sound, I was rescued by Finn and thrown onto the grass, covered in mud, looking miserable. He was soaking wet and kicked me like a madman. “Aria, are you trying to make everyone think I drove you to death and then ruin me?!” “You really disgust me!” “You, when did you learn to swim?” I coughed violently, bitter water spilling from the corners of my mouth. Finn kicked me hard and sneered: “After Olivia jumped into the sea, I learned to swim.” “What? Unhappy that your scheme didn’t work?” I couldn’t help but sneer. Love is really great. In the past, I wanted to teach him how to swim countless times. But every time I was stopped by Olivia, “With me around, Finn doesn’t need to learn to swim at all. I will always be with him and save him when he’s in danger.” Finn also coldly belittled me: “Aria, this is the difference between you and Olivia. You only force me to do things I don’t want to do. You’re not fit to be my sister at all!” Later, Finn accidentally drowned, and Olivia watched coldly. It was me who went into the water and saved him. But he thought it was Olivia who saved him, attributing all the credit to Olivia, and even scolded me for being ungrateful, watching my own brother drown without doing anything. But I never thought that Finn, who had been afraid of water since childhood, would actually learn to swim for Olivia. “What does my suicide have to do with you? You’re nothing but a stranger to me.” Hearing this, Finn’s face turned red with anger, and he slapped me. “If it weren’t for the fact that I vowed to pray and accumulate virtue for Olivia after her death, do you think I would save you, a biological sister I’ve severed ties with?” “Even if it were a dog that fell into the water today, I would save it!” I laughed self-mockingly, “What a fresh term, biological sister. Then what about Olivia? Your emotional sister? But she’s going to marry William.” Hearing this, Finn suddenly dropped the cake in his hand and looked at William. “Marriage?! With William?” I was about to speak when another love interest, Ryan, rushed over and blurted out: “Olivia is missing!” “Aria, did you hide Olivia?! Quickly call her out!” 0

William, who had been calm all along, panicked for the first time. “Olivia is missing?” “Aria! No wonder you’ve been acting so strange today. It seems you’ve done something bad and want to use fake suicide to clear your suspicions! Quick, tell me where you’ve taken Olivia!” Finn immediately reddened his eyes and slapped me hard: “Olivia went through so much to come back, and you dare to harm her! I should have let you drown in the river earlier!” “Quickly give her back to me! If she dies, I won’t live either!” There was an iron rust taste in my mouth. I opened my lips, and a few drops of blood fell. Olivia disappeared again. She really can’t stand to see me have any good. Since that’s the case, I might as well fulfill her wishes. I was about to speak when I saw Ryan, who once said I was his only salvation, holding a knife to my throat. “Speak! Where did you hide my Olivia!” Ryan, the fourth of my love interests, was also a well-known medical genius. Back then, because someone wanted to steal his family’s secret medical book, his entire family was killed. It was I who risked my life to save him. Perhaps because he witnessed his entire family being killed, Ryan became extremely resistant to others approaching him. There’s still a scar on my left hand where he bit me when he was in shock. But I never left him, accompanying him through that difficult time. Finally, Ryan regained his senses and decided to practice his family’s medical skills to find evidence and avenge his family. In the silent struggle, I went through countless life and death moments, personally helping him reach a high position and slaughter all his enemies. That day, he cried and said that from then on, I would be his sister, a relative without blood ties. That day, I cried too, because he really looked like my brother from another world. I… missed my brother. But later, after Olivia appeared, he gradually distanced himself from me. Just because Olivia said she didn’t like me calling him brother. He then declared that if I came within three meters of him, he would seal my throat with silver needles. On the day he learned that Olivia had faked her death by jumping into the sea, Ryan went crazy. He stuck tens of thousands of needles into my body, torturing me endlessly, just to avenge Olivia. “Who knows how much Olivia suffered at your hands before she jumped into the sea to commit suicide.” “Since that’s the case, then for each of your following days, you will suffer a hundred times more cruel torture than her!” Seeing my silence, Ryan’s eyes were filled with bloodshot, and the sharp blade pressed against my throat, drawing a line of blood. “Not talking? It seems a few days without torture have made you forget our methods!” Ryan coldly stepped forward, knocked me unconscious, and took me to the dark room in William’s villa. He stuck dense silver needles into my acupoints, amplifying my pain and torturing me with various instruments. William and Finn didn’t stop him, but instead gritted their teeth and glared at me with raging anger. I struggled, and dense, stabbing pain came from all over my body. The pain penetrated to the bone, making me cry out involuntarily. But Ryan slapped me hard and shouted: “What are you yelling for? Can’t you even bear this little pain? Don’t forget how you tortured Olivia back then!” “If you don’t tell us her whereabouts, everything you did to her, I will return to you one by one!” Hearing this, I opened my eyes wide, as if seeing dawn. I don’t want to be abused by them anymore. I just want to die quickly and cleanly. I just want to go home and have a good sleep! I cried, sobbed, and shouted: “Your Olivia is already dead! I chopped her up piece by piece with a knife!” “Come on! Kill me!! Let me accompany her!” “Come on!!!” I shouted crazily at them. Ryan was probably too angry, even at this point I still dared to be so arrogant. “You really think I don’t dare to kill you? Olivia is dead, trash like you should accompany her!” He suddenly took out a knife and rushed out, raising his hand to stab me. He used full force, probably thinking I would resist, but I just stood there, watching the knife tip enter my heart. Ryan was stunned, looking at the blood gushing from my chest, as if he couldn’t believe it. But I pulled the corners of my mouth, finally going to die! As my consciousness dispersed, Olivia’s voice suddenly came from the door: “Oh, why is everyone here? I’ve been looking for you for a long time…”

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I had just been released after serving three years in prison for my wife. To my shock, Olivia had given my position as vice president to Ryan, her old flame. When I confronted her about it, Olivia’s expression was cold. “You’ve been to prison. I should have fired you, but Ryan pleaded on your behalf, so I kept a position for you,” she said dismissively. “Do your job well and don’t cause any more trouble for him.” The “position” she referred to was as a janitor cleaning toilets in the company. That night, I knelt at my parents’ graves. During those three years, my father had passed away from a stroke, and my mother followed soon after. I never got to see them one last time, and now the company had been taken from me as well. As I was repenting for my mistakes, I discovered a phone hidden near the tombstone. The videos on it contained evidence that Olivia had conspired with Ryan to frame me and send me to jail, and then caused my parents’ deaths. Leaving the cemetery, I numbly dialed a number. “Mr. Thompson, I’ve made up my mind. I agree to transfer my shares to you to help you take control of the company.”

“That’s wonderful news, my boy! With your help, we’ll certainly be able to set the company straight and fulfill your parents’ wishes,” Mr. Thompson replied enthusiastically. I kept my voice steady. “Good. Pleasure doing business with you.” Just as I hung up, Olivia opened the car door and approached me. “Who were you talking to?” she asked suspiciously. “Nothing important, just a telemarketer,” I lied smoothly. Olivia didn’t seem to care about my response. Her gaze was fixed on the cemetery behind me. “Why did you come here?” she asked. “I came to visit my parents,” I explained. “Their passing was so sudden. I never got to say goodbye, so I wanted to pay my respects.” Olivia visibly relaxed, no longer concerned. She simply said “Oh” and urged me to leave quickly. As we got in the car, I studied Olivia. Since my release, she had been cold towards me. Yet today, after I’d only been at the cemetery for a short while, she had rushed over, even driving here herself to pick me up. Her unusual attentiveness only confirmed my suspicions about the video’s authenticity. On the drive back, Olivia probed to see what I knew. Once satisfied that I had simply come to visit my parents and knew nothing else, she dropped her facade of warmth. “Jack, I know you used to be the company’s vice president when your parents were alive. But they’re gone now, and you’ve been to prison. The company decided to appoint Ryan as VP,” she said coldly. “Don’t take out your frustrations on Ryan. Go apologize to him right away.” Earlier that afternoon, at the company’s year-end party, Ryan and I had both fallen into the swimming pool. Olivia immediately accused me of pushing Ryan in out of resentment for taking my position. I tried to explain that Ryan had actually pushed me, and asked them to check the security cameras to prove my innocence. But Olivia just frowned. “That won’t be necessary.” “Jack, I can’t believe you’re still so petty, deliberately pushing Ryan into the pool and then trying to frame him!” she scolded. Olivia was about to say more, but Ryan grabbed her wrist. “It’s okay, I’m fine,” he said smoothly. “Jack was probably just upset. He might have seen wrong – I actually slipped and fell into the pool accidentally, and Jack got pulled in with me.” Ryan’s false generosity only further condemned me. Olivia’s indulgence of Ryan nailed me to a pillar of shame. And now, she was demanding I apologize to Ryan. I turned to look out the window. “Did you check the security footage?” I asked quietly. Olivia slammed on the brakes, pulling over to the side of the road. She glared at me in disgust. “Jack, you really never learn, do you?” “Get out! Walk the rest of the way home and think about what you’ve done.” Olivia sped off, leaving me standing there. I watched the car disappear, then took out my phone to call Mr. Thompson again. “I can sign the share transfer contract today,” I said decisively.

Mr. Thompson offered me a lump sum of $300 million for my shares. As I stared at the transfer contract, my mind went blank. These shares were the last thing my parents had left me. Thinking I was having second thoughts, Mr. Thompson tried to persuade me. “Jack, my boy, I’ve known you since you were little. You don’t know what that woman Olivia has done to the company in the three years you were… away,” he said gravely. “After your father passed, she’s driven away almost all of us old-timers from the company.” “I’m not trying to cause trouble between you and your wife. I’ve just seen too much in my life. All I can say is, be careful of Olivia. She’s not a simple character.” My parents had warned me about her too. But back then, I was madly in love with Olivia and didn’t take their words to heart. Now I was paying the price, and it had cost my parents their lives. I let out a bitter laugh. “I understand, Uncle. But Thompson. Don’t worry, I won’t make the same mistakes again.” Mr. Thompson said we should wait until the shareholders’ meeting next week to reveal the share transfer. For this week, I needed to keep it secret from Olivia to prevent her from interfering with our plans if she found out about the shares. After setting the time, I returned home. It was already night. Olivia assumed I had actually walked all the way back, and looked at me with disgust when she saw me. She was still angry, waiting for me to apologize and make amends. But I was too exhausted. After learning my parents had been killed by her, I didn’t want to see her at all. Olivia waited and waited, but I didn’t bow my head to her. As I was about to enter the bedroom, she angrily threw clothes and bedding at my face. “You can come back when you’ve apologized to Ryan!” she snapped. “Take your things and get out. I don’t want to see you!” Clothes and blankets rained down on me as Olivia slammed the bedroom door shut in frustration. I stood there for a moment, then turned and went to the guest room without hesitation. Before going to sleep, I opened my phone and saw Ryan’s SnapChat post from that afternoon. “When you’re sick and someone brings you care and medicine, that’s the one to marry.” The photo showed Olivia’s back. Olivia had commented with a shy emoji. In the comments, many familiar names were cheering them on – our mutual friends, college classmates, former coworkers… Everyone seemed to have forgotten my existence, tacitly expressing their blessings for this new “couple.” I hit the like button and turned off my phone to sleep. The next morning, Olivia had the housekeeper buy breakfast from a famous old restaurant. Seeing me sit down, she proudly placed a crab roe bun in front of me. She cleared her throat, her expression haughty. “I bought this specially for you. Didn’t you like these? Eat up.” I didn’t touch it, only sipping the plain porridge the housekeeper had made. Olivia rarely lowered her head to me, but I wasn’t playing along as she had imagined. Her expression changed slightly as she tossed her chopsticks on the table. “I’ve already let the incident with Ryan go, and I’m taking the initiative to make peace. What more do you want?” she said icily. I looked at her face, angry yet tinged with grievance, and replied expressionlessly: “I’m allergic to seafood. I’ve never eaten crab roe buns.” Olivia’s expression turned awkward as she finally remembered it was Ryan who liked crab roe buns, not me. “Well… the housekeeper must have bought the wrong thing. But I’m already extending an olive branch. Do you have to fixate on this?” she said defensively. I put down my spoon, unable to hold back asking, “What are you in such a rush about?” “Yes, I went to prison for a few years. I can’t be VP anymore after getting out, but I can still like a SnapChat post, can’t I? Why are you acting so strange?” “What are you talking about? What do you mean you went to prison for me? That was your own doing. Don’t try to drag me into it,” Olivia snapped, suddenly standing up. She glanced nervously at the housekeeper’s questioning look and hurriedly sent her out.

Once we were alone, Olivia frowned and berated me: “That’s all in the past now. Why bring it up when there are others around?” “Why can’t I bring it up?” I countered. “Back then, you begged me. You said the police were framing you, that the company accounts were definitely clean. You said I just needed to go to the station for a few days and I’d be back soon.” “To make me believe you, you even married me.” “But you didn’t tell me I’d have to stay in prison for three years.” Three years. When I got out, everything had changed. My parents were gone. Olivia had taken over the company. I was stripped of my position and could only work as a janitor cleaning toilets. Olivia opened her mouth, seeming about to explain something. But I didn’t want to hear it. I turned and went to the bedroom, taking out a box with only one condom left inside. “There’s a whole drawer full in the guest room. I don’t know which of you bought them, but remember to put them away,” I said, tossing the box in front of Olivia. Olivia’s face flashed with shock. She angrily threw the box in the trash. “Jack! I was wrong about what happened back then. But do you have to dig all this up just because you’re jealous?” she snapped. “There’s nothing between Ryan and me. Even yesterday, I only went to see him because you pushed him in the water and made him sick. I was checking on him for your sake.” “As for these… things, I have no idea where they came from!” Olivia watched my cold expression, unsure if I believed her or not. She suggested we go to work together. Although Olivia had taken over the company using her status as my wife, after I got out of prison, she refused to go to work with me. At the company, she made no effort to hide her rapport and intimacy with Ryan. Now, few people in the company took my marriage to Olivia seriously. Everyone thought I should divorce Olivia and let her be with Ryan. Thinking of this, my face darkened. Perhaps it was time to put divorce on the agenda. “Olivia, we should—” I began. Before I could finish, Olivia’s phone rang. She answered it and walked away without a backward glance. “There’s an emergency at the company. I have to go. We’ll go to work together another day,” she called over her shoulder. Olivia had broken her word and left again. But I was no longer hurt by her every move like before. Thinking about divorce, I let out a sigh. Never mind. There were still five days until the shareholders’ meeting. I’d bring up divorce then. Half an hour later, I drove myself to the company. The person Ryan had arranged was waiting for me. As soon as he saw me, he deliberately spilled coffee on the floor. “Oops, so sorry about that. Jack, could you clean this up? And the meeting room needs to be tidied quickly too – we’ll be using it for a meeting soon.” With that, he sauntered off smugly. I finished mopping the floor and pushed open the meeting room door with my broom and mop, only to find the room full of people. Seeing me in such a sorry state, Olivia frowned in disgust and gestured for her assistant to get rid of me. As the door closed, I caught Ryan’s undisguised smirk. I finally understood this was a trap he had deliberately set for me. Sure enough, after the meeting Olivia immediately summoned me to her office. “Jack, can’t you do your job properly? Didn’t anyone tell you that during meetings, non-essential personnel aren’t allowed in?” she scolded. “Did you turn stupid in prison? Can’t you remember such a simple thing?” The office fell silent. Olivia belatedly realized she had mentioned something she shouldn’t have. She stumbled over her words, “I… I didn’t mean… I meant…” “I understand,” I cut her off. “Do you have any other instructions? If not, I’ll get back to work.” Watching me turn to leave, Olivia called out hesitantly, “Don’t you have anything to explain?” “No,” I replied simply. It’s not like anyone would believe me anyway.

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My heart was ripped out and placed into the chest of Eleanor’s adopted daughter, Tiffany Thorne. On my birthday, Eleanor threw me out, cursing me, calling me a jinx, a curse on our family. My grandmother, Agnes, was murdered by Tiffany’s biological parents while searching for me. But Eleanor didn’t know the truth: I was her biological daughter. My body was discovered by Robert, my father. Only then did they realize they had been loving the wrong person all along. Even with a bitter resentment deep in her heart, Eleanor still couldn’t bring herself to let go of Tiffany. Finally, the truth came crashing down, and Eleanor herself ended Tiffany’s life. Eleanor chose to jump from the building, a desperate attempt to atone for her sins, but she never received my forgiveness. And I, a wandering spirit, watched their fates unfold. “Where is Anya Thorne? Never coming home, day after day. I should never have listened to Mother Agnes and adopted her!” “My Tiffany is so much better, she gives me no trouble at all.” My spirit hovered in mid-air, listening to Eleanor’s endless curses and complaints. Robert, my father, hung his head, not uttering a word, sighing silently. Tiffany Thorne, also an adopted daughter, lay in the hospital bed, her tiny, ashen face tugging at anyone’s heartstrings. She had just undergone heart surgery. That vibrant heart beating in her chest was mine. I looked down at my own empty chest, a wave of stunned realization washing over me. It was only on the verge of death that I truly learned I was Eleanor’s biological daughter. When Eleanor gave birth to me, there was a baby-snatching incident at the hospital, and I was the unfortunate victim. By a twist of fate, Agnes found me. She was the one who brought me home. She named me Anya, taught me how to read. Agnes always whispered in my ear, “Every time I see you, Anya, I feel such a strong connection. It seems we truly have a deep bond.” Agnes brought me to Eleanor, but I was met with no smile. Standing beside Eleanor was a little girl, roughly my age, sweet and adorable. Tiffany. I could tell Eleanor didn’t like me, but out of respect for Agnes, she kept me in the house. I tried my best to please Eleanor, but it never earned me any special attention. Instead, she said, “Don’t bother with thankless tasks. Tiffany is my only daughter. As for you, I’ll make sure you grow up with food and clothes, but don’t expect anything more.” Every word she uttered felt like a knife twisting in my gut, and I could only silently endure the pain. Tiffany suffered from a congenital heart condition. Eleanor had found her abandoned at the hospital. Eleanor couldn’t bear the pain of her own baby being stolen, so she brought the abandoned Tiffany home. Eleanor treated her like her own biological daughter, putting Tiffany first in everything. That’s why, even when I went missing, she didn’t even bother to care. The day I was kidnapped was also mine and Tiffany’s birthday. My heart full of hope, I pushed open the front door, only to realize they had forgotten my birthday. Eleanor was furious at my sudden appearance, her brows furrowed as she spoke. “You couldn’t come back earlier, couldn’t come back later, you just had to pick *today*. You’re nothing but bad luck.” Robert tried to pull Eleanor away, telling her to say less, but it only made her anger surge. “Was I wrong? Today is Tiffany’s birthday! Do you know how long I’ve been preparing for this? Why did she have to come back and mess everything up?!” A storm of insults crashed down on me. My heart ached with a dull, prickling pain, like a thousand tiny needles. I hadn’t planned on coming home today. Tiffany had sent me a message. She’d said, “Mom is really looking forward to us celebrating our birthday together. She keeps mentioning you.” Tiffany said a lot, and I genuinely yearned for Eleanor’s love. I refused to celebrate with Agnes and rushed home, hoping to make it in time. But what greeted me wasn’t Eleanor’s smile. I lifted my head, cautiously saying, “Eleanor, today is my birthday too.” She slapped me hard across the face. My cheek instantly swelled, burning with a searing pain. “An orphan like you, where do *you* get a birthday from?!” “I told you, don’t ever try to compete with Tiffany for anything! You’ll never surpass her place in my heart!” “Now, get out!” She screamed, her voice raw with fury. I turned my head and saw Tiffany’s sickeningly sweet smile. Second Chapter Outside, a torrential rain poured down, and in an instant, I was soaked to the bone. In a daze, I walked for a long time towards Agnes’s house. Carelessly, I was pulled into a car. The ones who kidnapped me were a middle-aged couple, dressed in tattered clothes. They looked at me, their eyes glinting with a hungry, predatory light. When I woke from my stupor, they were chattering to themselves. “Once Anya Thorne is gone, no one can shake our Tiffany’s position.” “That child’s fate was sealed. We had no money to cure her illness, you know.” Suddenly, I felt two pairs of eyes on me. They said with feigned regret, “Child, blame your bad luck. We can’t let you stand in the way of our Tiffany’s future.” Initially, they hadn’t planned on killing me. But then they heard Tiffany had a heart condition and desperately needed a heart transplant. Their greedy eyes locked onto my chest. Lying on the operating table, I wondered if Eleanor would feel any pain if she knew I had died. As I closed my eyes, a blur of images flashed before my eyes. I was Eleanor’s biological daughter, after all. I saw Eleanor’s joyful, expectant expression when she was pregnant with me. Every day, she sang lullabies, talked to me, and imagined our future life together. On the day of my birth, everything changed. It was Tiffany’s biological parents who secretly took me from the hospital and then abandoned Tiffany by Eleanor’s side. If Agnes hadn’t found me in a dumpster, I would have been a lost soul long ago. After so many twists and turns, my fate still ended in Tiffany’s hands. The moment my heart was torn out, my tears became a flood, unending. Slowly, I felt my body lighten, drifting up into the air. My chest was an empty, gaping hole, a gruesome sight. I followed them to the hospital and watched with my own eyes as my heart began to beat again in Tiffany’s chest. It was the vitality of life, the very life I had yearned for. Tiffany seemed to sense something, opening her eyes and flashing a disturbing smile in my direction. I understood her silent message then. This was all her doing. We were nothing but pawns in her game for survival. She lived, I died, and everyone was happy, except Agnes. When Agnes rushed to the hospital, Eleanor was coincidentally feeding Tiffany soup. Agnes couldn’t bear it. She knocked the soup bowl to the floor. The hot liquid splashed everywhere, scalding Tiffany’s tender skin. Tiffany only let out a small hiss, and immediately, Eleanor cooed in comfort. Eleanor turned to Agnes, her face contorted in anger. “What are you doing? Are you insane? Tiffany just had surgery, she’s extremely fragile!” “Whatever it is, it can wait a few days.” Agnes shook her head, seething, and pointed at Eleanor. “Where’s Anya? She hasn’t contacted me since she went there. Where is she?” Eleanor’s temper flared. Hands on her hips, she retorted, “How would I know? She’s an adult! She has legs, how could I stop her from going wherever she wants? If she hadn’t brought this bad luck on herself that day, I wouldn’t have thrown her out.” By the end, Eleanor’s voice softened guiltily, almost a whisper. After all, it was pouring rain when she threw me out. Agnes bit back her own temper and said in a low voice, “You threw Anya out? She never came back! She’s been gone for so many days, and you, as her mother, aren’t worried?” “Even if she’s adopted, if you had given Anya even a fraction of the genuine care you give Tiffany, things wouldn’t have come to this!” Eleanor remained silent, not answering Agnes. After they reached a standstill, Agnes sighed and left. Third Chapter Lying on the operating table, I wondered if Eleanor would feel any pain if she knew I had died. As I closed my eyes, a blur of images flashed before my eyes. I was Eleanor’s biological daughter, after all. I saw Eleanor’s joyful, expectant expression when she was pregnant with me. Every day, she sang lullabies, talked to me, and imagined our future life together. On the day of my birth, everything changed. It was Tiffany’s biological parents who secretly took me from the hospital and then abandoned Tiffany by Eleanor’s side. If Agnes hadn’t found me in a dumpster, I would have been a lost soul long ago. After so many twists and turns, my fate still ended in Tiffany’s hands. The moment my heart was torn out, my tears became a flood, unending. Slowly, I felt my body lighten, drifting up into the air. My chest was an empty, gaping hole, a gruesome sight. I followed them to the hospital and watched with my own eyes as my heart began to beat again in Tiffany’s chest. It was the vitality of life, the very life I had yearned for. Tiffany seemed to sense something, opening her eyes and flashing a disturbing smile in my direction. I understood her silent message then. This was all her doing. We were nothing but pawns in her game for survival. She lived, I died, and everyone was happy, except Agnes. When Agnes rushed to the hospital, Eleanor was coincidentally feeding Tiffany soup. Agnes couldn’t bear it. She knocked the soup bowl to the floor. The hot liquid splashed everywhere, scalding Tiffany’s tender skin. Tiffany only let out a small hiss, and immediately, Eleanor cooed in comfort. Eleanor turned to Agnes, her face contorted in anger. “What are you doing? Are you insane? Tiffany just had surgery, she’s extremely fragile!” “Whatever it is, it can wait a few days.” Agnes shook her head, seething, and pointed at Eleanor. “Where’s Anya? She hasn’t contacted me since she went there. Where is she?” Eleanor’s temper flared. Hands on her hips, she retorted, “How would I know? She’s an adult! She has legs, how could I stop her from going wherever she wants? If she hadn’t brought this bad luck on herself that day, I wouldn’t have thrown her out.” By the end, Eleanor’s voice softened guiltily, almost a whisper. After all, it was pouring rain when she threw me out. Agnes bit back her own temper and said in a low voice, “You threw Anya out? She never came back! She’s been gone for so many days, and you, as her mother, aren’t worried?” “Even if she’s adopted, if you had given Anya even a fraction of the genuine care you give Tiffany, things wouldn’t have come to this!” Eleanor remained silent, not answering Agnes. After they reached a standstill, Agnes sighed and left. I followed Agnes all the way to the police station. No one believed Agnes’s story; to them, she was just having a nightmare. Someone at the police station had a connection with Robert and promised to help Agnes search for me. That night, I followed Agnes back home and again encountered Tiffany’s biological parents, Brenda and Gary Miller. They said, “I know where your granddaughter is. Come with us.” Agnes, who was usually so wary, heard my name and, without a second thought, followed them. They led Agnes into the woods and pointed at a tree not far away. “See? Under this tree is your granddaughter’s head, and these are her legs, these are her hands.” “Don’t worry, she went peacefully. The rest of her usable parts, we sold.” They laughed maniacally, completely disregarding Agnes’s feelings. Agnes had no proper tool in her hands, so she started digging with her bare hands. She dug with immense strength. Blood filled her fingernails as she clawed at the earth, but she gritted her teeth, not making a sound. I cried out, “Grandma, stop digging, please stop!” But Agnes couldn’t hear me. Only after she had pieced me back together completely did all her strength leave her. A mournful wail tore through her chest, a guttural cry of despair. Her eyes were wide, staring blankly, as she completely broke down. The two culprits secretly discussed something, and they actually set their sights on Agnes. “She knows now. We can’t let this old woman ruin our plans!” “If she goes to the police, we’re finished. Tiffany will be affected too.” After much deliberation, they repeated the same method they used to kill me on Agnes. Agnes struggled for only a moment before her last breath left her. She, like me, became a spirit. Now, she could see me. “Anya, it’s all my fault. I should have kept you with me all along.” I reached out to wipe Agnes’s tears, wiping hard, for a long time. “Grandma, it’s not your fault. I was too foolish, I fell into their trap.” Agnes examined me closely, and then her spirit slowly began to fade. I cried, begging Agnes to take me with her, but it was useless. I watched helplessly as Agnes vanished before my eyes, leaving only her mutilated body behind with mine. Daylight broke, someone discovered Agnes, and the police were called. When Eleanor arrived, she nearly fainted. She saw Agnes, dead, and me, shattered… Fourth Chapter But she only saw Agnes, and her legs gave out, collapsing into unconsciousness. She remained in a coma for a long time. During that period, Tiffany, who was able to walk around, never once came to see her.

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The day my sister committed suicide, my husband locked me, three months pregnant, in a large sterilization chamber. “You filthy-minded woman, purify your dirty, ugly soul in here!” Jack shouted. “You killed Rose! Not making you die with her is already the greatest mercy!” “You’re morally corrupt and unfaithful. This will disinfect you and treat those shameful gynecological infections of yours!” Rose was his first love, his ideal. I was just leftover rice gone bad. Rose’s depression was fake. My claustrophobia was real. I struggled desperately in the sterilization chamber, finally dying from ozone poisoning. Ironically, it turned out my sister’s suicide was also fake. She came back to life with a radiant smile. My husband embraced Rose passionately, leaving my corpse to rot in the cramped sterilization chamber. A week later, he opened the chamber door with Rose by his side. “Lily, have you repented yet?” Only in death can one truly find liberation. My soul floated out of the sterilization chamber, drifting to Jack’s side. He was crying. In the eyes of the world, Jack was a cold and dignified man, always composed and never losing his poise. He was also a germaphobe, never allowing even a speck of dust on himself. But now he was crying uncontrollably, snot running down his face, sobbing over Rose’s photo on his phone. “Rose, I miss you so much!” “Why did you do something so foolish? What am I supposed to do without you? The world has lost all its color without you… wah wah wah…” He was inconsolable, just like the passionate male lead in a romance movie. I laughed mockingly. Romance movie? More like an illicit affair movie! Rose was my sister, and I was Jack’s lawful wife. So Rose was Jack’s sister-in-law. What right did he have to cry? The one who should be crying is me! I floated in the air, tears streaming down my face, my hand caressing my now-flat belly. Not just crying for my own death, but for the loss of my innocent child. “Baby, Mommy is so sorry.” “Mommy was blind, marrying such a heartless scumbag. Because of that, you didn’t even get a chance to see this world before tragically departing.” “If there’s a next life, please be born into a family where the parents truly love each other, okay?” “Even if it’s poor, at least it will be warm.” “Wah wah…” My soul trembled with grief. The door opened, and the housekeeper walked in. “Sir, the madam has been locked in the sterilization chamber for three days and nights. Please let her out! I’m really worried something might happen to her. Madam is very timid, she even has claustrophobia and is afraid to ride in elevators alone—” The housekeeper’s words enraged Jack. “Shut up!” “Three days without food or water won’t kill her!” “It’s not a gas chamber! Ozone isn’t toxic, it can even disinfect and reduce inflammation! It’s perfect for purifying Lily’s dirty, ugly soul!” “What’s claustrophobia compared to this? My Rose has already committed suicide because of depression! Lily is just afraid of the dark, what’s there to fuss about? Let her stay in there and atone for her sins!” “She killed her own sister. I’m already being merciful by not drowning this vicious woman in a pig cage!” Jack was so agitated that snot ran into his mouth without him noticing. I felt disgusted watching. It seems people only truly understand everything after death. I regretted why I ever fell in love with such a heartless beast like Jack. Even though I was already dead, just thinking about the torture and abuse I suffered before dying still left my soul restless. Three days ago, I had begged Jack not to lock me in the sterilization chamber. “My sister committed suicide. Her death had nothing to do with me!”

But my pleas were met with Jack’s distorted face as he roared: “You still dare to quibble? You knew very well that Rose had depression and couldn’t handle stress!” “But you didn’t open the door for her, didn’t wake me up to comfort her lonely and fragile heart, letting her drown herself in despair!” “Bah! You’re just a malicious woman! Jealousy made you lose your humanity! You could even do this to your own sister!” “You may not have broken the law, but you’re morally bankrupt!” “I must get justice for Rose! Repent, you executioner!” He forcefully shoved me into the sterilization chamber. The chamber wasn’t large. To close the door, Jack actually broke my right wrist. I screamed in agony while he laughed maniacally. He slammed the door shut, isolating me in the cramped darkness. I have claustrophobia. I screamed hysterically inside, suffering both mental and physical torture. Jack was unmoved and stormed off. Before leaving, he turned on the chamber’s sterilization program. Ozone continuously poured in. At low concentrations, ozone smells like fresh grass. It wasn’t too unpleasant. I could still bear it. Although I was afraid of the dark and my wrist hurt terribly, for the sake of the baby in my belly, I trembled but encouraged myself to be brave. Women may be weak, but mothers are strong. With the company of the child in my womb, I didn’t feel as frightened. But Jack forgot to turn off the sterilization program, and ozone kept pouring in! The concentration got higher and higher, turning into a fishy smell. I was good at chemistry. I knew that low concentrations of ozone weren’t toxic. But at high concentrations, inhaling too much could damage the respiratory system, circulatory system, and nervous system. It could be fatal! In the blue smoke, I felt chest tightness, shortness of breath, arrhythmia, and a splitting headache. “Let me out!” “Help!” “Jack, I’m carrying your child! We’re both going to die!” I screamed desperately, but no one answered my calls. I was terrified of dying! I was even more afraid something would happen to the baby in my belly! I cried and pounded on the door. It wouldn’t budge. My right hand was broken, so I tried to claw at it with my left hand. I tore off my nails, rubbed my flesh raw, exposing white bone, but it was all in vain. In the end, I died, tragically saying goodbye to this cruel world along with the unborn child in my womb. Jack’s mercy never came. Jack, how could you be so cruel!

The housekeeper trembled in fear, but I had always treated her well. So she still gathered her courage and continued to plead: “But madam is pregnant, pregnant women can’t handle this kind of stress—” The housekeeper mentioning my pregnancy was like lighting a fuse for Jack. “Shut up!” “I don’t want to hear the word ‘pregnant’! Get out!” “Say one more word and you’re fired!” “One week! Keep that bitch Lily locked up for at least a week before letting her out!” I really couldn’t understand. Isn’t it said that even tigers don’t eat their cubs? Aren’t men supposed to believe “the child is mine, but the wife belongs to someone else”? Why was Jack so heartless towards the child in my womb? You may not love me, but how could you be so cruel to your own flesh and blood? You’re truly an animal! The housekeeper left, and Jack couldn’t hear my curses as he continued to mourn Rose. I watched him coldly. Because I hated him so much, because my tears had all dried up while I was still alive. So I smiled a sad smile. Jack, you can no longer control my life. I’m waiting for the day you regret this bitterly!

Rose and I were sisters born to the same parents. But she bullied me since childhood, stealing all the spotlight. She was the red flower, I could only be the green leaves. Whenever I made her unhappy, she would torment me in revenge. In elementary school, just because my grades were one point higher than hers, she locked me in the basement and played creepy music from horror movies outside. That’s how I developed claustrophobia. The Qiao family and the Ye family had an arranged marriage. Jack was handsome and dashing, so Rose claimed him without hesitation. She seized every opportunity to date Jack, warning me not to interfere. Although I also liked Jack, I didn’t want to compete with Rose. Three years ago, when Rose was about to get engaged to Jack, the Ye family business ran into big trouble and was on the verge of bankruptcy. Rose was used to a life of luxury and didn’t want to marry into hardship, so she pretended to have depression and checked herself into a mental hospital. Jack’s career and love life both took a hit, leaving him very depressed and drowning his sorrows in alcohol every day. I couldn’t bear to see him like that, so I voluntarily offered to marry Jack. I fell out with my parents over this. Because they were also snobs who wanted to break off the engagement. But I was very insistent. Before our grandfather passed away, he left a will. Our parents held 60% of the Qiao family shares, while Rose and I each had 20%. I brought my 20% shares as a dowry to the Ye family. My parents cursed me for being an ungrateful white-eyed wolf. But I felt that I should give everything to my husband without reservation. I didn’t want to see Jack depressed. I hoped he could make a comeback. Jack was very capable. After liquidating these shares as capital, he worked hard and pulled the Ye family back from the brink of bankruptcy step by step. They became even more prominent than before. Ironically, my own family’s company went bankrupt due to bad investments. My parents also passed away in an accident. Although I was very sad, I thought I still had my husband to rely on. My husband and sister were the two closest people to me in the world. But these two people also hurt me the deepest! Because my sister regretted her decision. She shamelessly became the other woman, seducing my husband in various ways. She even had the audacity to say that love is first come, first served. Although I had the marriage certificate, she was the inviolable first love. She said I married Jack by taking advantage of the situation, stealing her man. She wanted to take back the man and happiness that belonged to her. To protect my marriage, I very solemnly told Jack not to be deceived by my sister’s sweet talk, that she was a white lotus. She had previously faked depression to avoid marrying him. But Jack was furious and accused me of slandering his goddess, his first love. He said Rose would never deceive him, that she developed depression because she was worried about his bankruptcy. She suffered for his sake. He felt guilty towards Rose, so he wanted to take extra care of her. Jack and Rose became more and more unscrupulous, using treating depression as an excuse to go bar-hopping, clubbing, dancing, swimming, traveling, mountain climbing, skiing… I was disheartened, realizing that Jack didn’t believe me simply because he didn’t love me. He had always loved Rose. He chose to marry me back then only because of that 20% of shares. Disappointed, I thought about divorce. I wanted to keep some dignity for myself. I didn’t want to be a beggar for love. But just three months ago, I found out I was pregnant. Jack was very shocked, but also very happy. He apologized to me for neglecting me, saying he would be a good father and keep his distance from Rose. I knew his return to the family wasn’t because of love, but because he cared about the child in my belly. But I still swallowed the bitterness and reconciled with him. Not because I couldn’t bear to part with him, but because I didn’t want the child to grow up in a single-parent family. For the sake of the child, a mother can sacrifice anything. Including stupid love. Jack did indeed turn over a new leaf, treating me very gently and attentively, even preparing a nursery full of toys. He kept his distance from Rose, blocking all her contact information. Until a week ago, he suddenly got drunk, cursing incomprehensibly, and passed out on the bed. In the middle of the night, Rose came, banging on the door violently, crying that her depression had flared up. She needed Jack’s comfort. Of course I couldn’t let Rose in. I kept her out and didn’t wake up my drunk husband either. That night Rose drowned herself in the sea, leaving her shoes and a suicide note on the shore. The note was full of love for Jack and resentment towards me. The next day when Jack woke up, he went crazy. He cursed me for having evil thoughts, for driving Rose to her death. Ignoring my cries, he locked me in the sterilization chamber.

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I kept telling myself that snakes were cold-blooded creatures, so it was only natural my adopted shifter wouldn’t want to get close to me. It wasn’t until later that I realized he was in love with my sister. Because my sister was tall, with long limbs, the dream partner for all snake-shifters. And I? I was a freak who just wouldn’t grow. I simply wasn’t worthy of that magnificent snake. Damian was a sickly little snake I’d adopted. It wasn’t uncommon for humans and shifters to pair and bond. My family had been bonded with snake shifters for generations. From a young age, each of us would either be gifted a snake beast-man by our parents or find one on our own. But I was out of favor, so I quietly went and found my own little snake. When I found Damian in a dilapidated sewer drain, he was tiny and frail. His body, having just shed its skin, was incredibly weak, and he was barely clinging to life. I saved him, and I raised him for twelve years. Raising a snake took immense energy, resources, and money. Raising a *sick* snake was adding insult to injury. And being an unfavored, penniless person? That was like adding insult to injury and then some. Thankfully, Damian grew up healthy. His bronzed, muscular lines curved smoothly down, outlining his taut waist, yet his snake form kept him from looking bulky, instead giving him a certain delicate grace. Many in my family said I’d struck gold, finding such a handsome snake-shifter. I’d just smile, never saying a word. Only I truly understood the bitter reality of our bond. Damian rarely initiated physical contact with me. Even when I had to train for my snake-bonding rituals, he rarely cooperated. He’d always be cold-faced, impatiently wrapping himself around my arm, his scales grating painfully against my skin. I constantly reassured myself that snakes were cold-blooded, and that was why he didn’t want to be affectionate with me. Until that day I saw him, his face flushed, carefully wrapping himself around my sister Chloe’s calf, softly asking her, “Does it hurt?” Chloe looked helpless, gently pushing his head away. “Damian, I know you like me, but you’re my sister’s companion. This isn’t right for us.” His face instantly hardened, and he scoffed. “I don’t care. I only like you. Who would ever like that short little freak?” Chloe tried to protest further, but Damian moved closer, wrapping around her waist, his scales smoothed against her, playfully tickling her. Damian was *flirting*. Scene after scene from the past twelve years flashed through my mind. Damian rarely smiled, but during family dinners, sitting across from me, his face always held a faint smile. Looking back now, he was never looking at me. He was looking at my sister, Chloe, beside me. The signs had been there all along, but I had just been too blind to see them. I had thought that my adopting this sickly little snake was a mutual rescue, a fate that brought us together. But I never imagined it was precisely *because* I was a freak that he disliked me. It felt like my heart was being squeezed. That tiny flicker of hope I’d harbored for years, which used to tickle my heart, suddenly sharpened into a blade, piercing right through me.

On my way home, I passed a clothing store and couldn’t help but stop. Chloe had one of the dresses displayed in the window. The sales assistant looked hesitant but, seeing my persistence, handed me a set of clothes. The girl in the changing room was small, barely reaching half the height of the full-length mirror. My chest was flat, my limbs slender and weak – the body of someone too frail to properly bond with a snake-shifter. That outfit, which looked absolutely stunning on Chloe, made me look like a precocious little girl secretly wearing her mother’s high heels. Images of Chloe with her shifter automatically flashed through my mind. Tall, with long limbs, Chloe looked incredibly beautiful when she bonded with a snake-shifter. Damian wrapped around her, they looked perfectly matched. No wonder Damian didn’t like me. From the day I was born, even my own parents didn’t want me. I hadn’t developed properly in the womb, born with a frail constitution. I grew slower and stayed shorter than everyone else. Even as an adult, I still looked like an eleven or twelve-year-old child. Others would mock me: “A freak of nature in a family of revered snake-tamers! She’ll probably snap her arm just trying to handle one.” Those cruel words pricked at my heart like thorns that couldn’t be removed, and they brought shame to my parents’ faces too. They learned their lesson and were extra attentive when Chloe was conceived. And that extra care gave them every snake-shifter’s dream match – she grew fast and tall. With Chloe, they cared for me even less. It was as if they were a complete family of three, and I was just a poorly-nurtured burden. I stared at my small hands, angrily digging my nails into my palm, then curled my fingers into fists, silently sobbing.

I arrived home, my eyes swollen raw, like bruised fruit. Damian was sitting on the sofa, his expression impatient and chillingly cold. “What took you so long? Do you know I’m starving?” I sniffled, my emotions, just barely controlled, surged up again. “I’ll order you some takeout later, I’m a little tired.” He scoffed, “Ha, you want me to eat takeout?” Not wanting to argue, I sighed. My foot, already stepping towards the bathroom, changed direction, heading to the kitchen instead. I usually cooked for Damian. He never lifted a finger in the kitchen. Even with a fridge full of ingredients, he was too pampered to dirty his precious hands. Once before, I’d come home late, and Damian had thrown a terrible fit because he was hungry. I thought he was specially waiting for me to eat, and, filled with guilt and a tiny bit of joy, I cooked him a huge meal. But as I pulled out a chair, about to sit down, he threw cold water on my hopes. “You reek of cooking oil. Go take a shower.” Snapping back to reality, I placed the prepared meal in front of him, but Damian didn’t touch it. “Why do you smell like another shifter?” I raised my arm and sniffed. It was probably from the clothing store earlier. I suddenly remembered when I was little and had no money, I had to hike up the mountain to hunt wild rabbits and pheasants to feed him. He’d grumble, chewing on the tough, stringy meat. He’d complain about the mud on my face and the scent of other shifters on me, always keeping his distance. “I’ll go shower now.” I set the cutlery on the table and walked towards the bathroom, but Damian swept the cooked meal onto the floor with a single arm. “Audrey Miller, aren’t you going to explain yourself?” A shard of ceramic from the shattered bowl cut my calf, and the pain instantly sharpened my mind. Some people are just so strange. They don’t love you, but they still want to possess you. They give you the illusion of being cherished, of being cared for, when all they truly want is to extract more love from *you*. Damian was exactly like that. For the first time, I looked at him with a cold face. “Explain what? “It’s fine for you to smell like other people, but I can’t?” A flicker of surprise crossed his face. But it was quickly replaced by anger. “You’re doubting me? “Don’t forget who presumptuously saved you?” I didn’t answer, stepping past him to get the first-aid kit. I brushed past his arm, and he immediately flinched back, the sharp edges of his scales scraping me. His voice was colder than his expression. “Don’t touch me.” Right. He barely let me touch him even during bonding training. Outside of training? That was a pipe dream. I gave a self-deprecating laugh. I used to think he was just a cold-blooded creature, too hard to warm, too wild to tame. Turns out, he just didn’t like *me*. Twelve years of sincere companionship from a freak meant nothing compared to his instant infatuation with a ‘normal’ person.

I took a dissolution of adoption agreement from my bag. “I’m sorry. Sorry for presumptuously saving you, for intruding into over ten years of your life without permission, and for making you unhappy. “So, let’s part ways amicably. “May you finally achieve everything you wish for, and live a life filled with joy and ease.” Damian ground his molars together, a sound of pure rage, his face dark as he asked, “What do you mean?” I said calmly, “It means we’re breaking up.” I then pulled out a property transfer deed and a bank card for him. “I sold the house. We’ll split the money evenly, and with this bank card, you’ll have enough to buy a small studio apartment for yourself.” His face grew even darker. “You’re abandoning me? “Didn’t you say you loved me?” Did I love Damian? I had wondered about that myself. I had never truly received love, so I wasn’t entirely sure what love felt like. I just thought that love meant being good to someone. I looked up at the small house filled with our memories. I had moved out with Damian after I came of age. At first, he was reluctant. Back then, I had to both study and work to support him, so I was always out early and back late, with little time to spend with him. He’d be all alone in that cramped rental apartment, his snake tail sticking out from the folding bed with nowhere to go. I thought that was why he was reluctant. So I worked seven or eight jobs, saving up to buy a house for him. Even then, he still didn’t want to touch me, locking his bedroom door even though we each had our own room. But I still wanted to melt his icy demeanor. He was my responsibility, the one I had saved and raised. I couldn’t just abandon him. Yet, I had seen how others in my family interacted with their shifters. My childhood friend, Hailey, had a snow leopard beast-man. That snow leopard had been very arrogant when first adopted, but Hailey’s gentle persistence eventually melted his icy heart. He’d affectionately rub against Hailey’s neck, and gently lick the back of her hand. Like a mouse in the gutter, I watched, craving a beauty that wasn’t mine. I searched for shifter vlogs online, learning their preferred ways of care. I spoiled him rotten, never letting him do any chores, giving him whatever he wanted. I never thought that what was my sweet gesture was his bitter poison. I also thought that one day I could truly enter Damian’s heart, but his heart had long been occupied by someone else. Perhaps I had loved Damian once, but those feelings had slowly eroded over the years. Until I saw him wrapped around Chloe – that was when the melting snow mountain of my hope finally crumbled into dust. “I don’t love you anymore.”

*Bang!* The door slammed shut with a heavy thud. Damian stormed out in a rage. I didn’t need to guess; I knew he was hiding in some nearby corner, waiting for me to rush out and coax him back. But not this time. I pulled my suitcase and walked out of that small house. On the way, I tripped over a pebble, and the heel of my high shoe instantly snapped off. I sat numbly on the ground, a memory flashing through my mind: Chloe twisting her ankle once. Damian, who was walking behind us, immediately supported her, his face full of tenderness. “Chloe, are you okay?” Chloe, blushing, stood steadily, then pulled my hand and laughed. “Oh, Audrey, you’re so lucky! You have such a thoughtful shifter!” Thoughtful? I had never felt it. If Chloe had found you that day, you would have been happier, wouldn’t you? I felt inferior for being a freak, and I envied the love Chloe received. But Mom and Dad were her parents and mine. If I couldn’t get their love, I accepted it. But Damian was *my* shifter. Only mine. I couldn’t accept the fact that he didn’t love me, that he even loved someone else, and still foolishly continue to be good to him. I couldn’t just get over it in a short time, so I decided to leave this painful place. Separate ways, to the ends of the earth. I needed to start a new life, to live for myself. My new job was as a junior clerk at an electronics company. My salary wasn’t high, so I rented a small studio apartment near the office. Though small, it was cozy in winter and cool in summer—perfect for a cold-blooded creature to hibernate. I instinctively started to say, “Damian, you won’t have to worry about hibernation now.” But the words caught in my throat, and I swallowed them, a lump of pain. I couldn’t help but remember Damian’s retreating back that day. No matter how much he pretended to care then, he was probably overjoyed now, wagging his tail as he ran off to find Chloe. I opened the window, and the cool evening breeze brushed against my face. I let the wind flow into my heart, letting the chill settle over my scars. I remembered something I’d read in a book: True sorrow isn’t about dramatic highs or lows, but a quiet, steady current, like a flowing river. I never understood it then. But now it was clear. Just like for decades, Damian would light a cigarette on the balcony after every family dinner. A subtle sadness always lingered in his eyes. I thought he was upset because I’d been called a freak again, that he was furious for me. But, just like I thought he was reluctant to move out with me, I was just projecting. He was only sad for himself. Sad that he couldn’t see Chloe. Sad that he couldn’t be with her.

To numb myself and completely let go of that relationship, I threw myself wholeheartedly into work. I eagerly took on new tasks and helped seniors with theirs. Unexpectedly, I won over many of my senior colleagues. They admired me, giving me a thumbs-up and showering me with praise: “Small but mighty!” The first time I heard it, I paused, surprised. But I had to admit, I felt a little thrill. After tasting that sweetness once, I buried myself deeper into my work, hoping to use my abilities to hide my flaw of being a freak. They praised me for my ambition. Some of the bolder seniors even leaned in and asked, “Audrey, do you have a shifter, dear?” I just stared blankly, nodding instinctively, then suddenly snapped out of it and shook my head vigorously. Brenda furrowed her brow and asked, “Do you or don’t you?” I answered honestly, “I did, but we dissolved our bond.” Brenda looked a little awkward. Another senior subtly gave her a look, and her “Why?” was swallowed whole. She grabbed a handful of pistachios for me, trying to comfort me. I fumbled, and they scattered across the floor. My eyes fell on a pair of gleaming bear paws. I looked up in confusion, meeting a pair of light brown eyes. Above those eyes, a pair of fluffy ears twitched unconsciously. Before I could even process how a shifter had suddenly appeared in the company, I heard one of the seniors quietly whisper, “Boss.” The bear softly grunted in response. I quickly pulled the nearest senior colleague and whispered, “Why didn’t I know our boss was a bear? “Will he fire me for slacking off and eating snacks?” The thought that this job, where for once no one seemed to hate me for being a freak, might be gone, made my heart ache. The entire room fell silent. It was the bear boss who broke the silence first. He bent down, picked up the scattered pistachios, and steadily placed them on my desk. “I won’t fire you.” Then he extended his bear paw. “I was in hibernation when you started. Let’s reintroduce ourselves. My name is Arthur.” After shaking his paw, my cubicle was surrounded by a crowd of curious faces. One senior, her face full of curiosity, asked, “Audrey, what did the boss’s hand feel like?”

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