Category: English

The day the Suttons’ true heiress returned, I, the imposter, became an outcast. My parents doted on her, telling me to yield to her in everything. She wanted the position of the Sutton family’s charity ambassador, and I let her have it. She wanted the heirloom bracelet my biological parents left me, and I gave it to her. But when she demanded I take her place at the altar and marry Dorian Blackwood, the notoriously brutal and reclusive scion of the powerful Blackwood dynasty—a man rumored to be confined to a wheelchair—I hesitated. Yet, my childhood sweetheart and fiancé, Julian Davies, sneered, “You stole twenty years of Scarlett’s life from her; isn’t that enough? Do you really have to steal her marriage too?” In that moment, I decisively broke off the engagement and agreed to marry in her place. But at the wedding, seeing Dorian Blackwood, who was supposed to be paralyzed, stand up, Scarlett Sutton and Julian Davies’s facades completely crumbled! “Stella, I know this is unfair to you, but Scarlett is our biological daughter after all. Your engagement to Julian… please, just let her have it.” My mother held my hand, her face still filled with that familiar, gentle affection, but her words sliced into my heart like a dagger. I was *still* the daughter you’d raised for twenty years. I ignored her plea, turning instead to face Julian Davies, my childhood sweetheart and fiancé, who stood behind me. Marriage wasn’t some childish game; it wasn’t something I could just hand over. “Julian, tell me, who do you want to marry?” Julian froze, seemingly surprised I’d asked him. After a moment of hesitation, he walked over and stood beside the tearful Scarlett Sutton. “Stella Sutton, haven’t you stolen enough of Scarlett’s life over these past twenty years?” “Now you want to steal the marriage that rightfully belongs to her too?” I couldn’t believe those words had come from Julian’s mouth. I thought he would fight for me. He had once said that no matter what my identity was, whether I was the Sutton heiress or not, he would always be good to me. But now, those vows meant absolutely nothing! What Julian Davies truly loved was nothing but the wealth, status, and influence that came with being a Sutton, and what my family could do for his! I was just an imposter, a cuckoo in the nest, a pawn he could discard at any moment. The last flicker of hope for love in my heart extinguished, and I spoke calmly, “Fine, I’ll break off the engagement.” Hearing my answer, Julian’s grim expression instantly softened. “Stella, thank you. I’ll take good care of Scarlett.” Seeing this, Mother immediately smiled and said to Julian, “Julian, the wedding date is approaching fast. You and Scarlett should go pick out some wedding dresses now. Richard and I want to chat with Stella for a bit longer.” “That’s right, you two go on ahead. Stella and I have some private things to discuss.” Julian gave my parents a grateful look, then turned and quickly left the study with Scarlett. The study door closed with a soft click. I thought this was the extent of their cruelty towards me, that this farce was finally over. To my surprise, the moment Julian left, the subtle relief on my parents’ faces quickly faded, replaced by expressions even more troubled and grave than before. “Stella, there’s one more thing…” Mother began, wringing her hands, her eyes darting away from mine. “Scarlett and the Blackwoods originally had an engagement.” “Now that she’s marrying Julian, the Blackwood engagement…” She couldn’t finish her sentence, covering her face and starting to cry. My heart sank, inch by agonizing inch, as I already had a premonition. “The Blackwoods specifically requested a Sutton daughter, so you’re the only one who can marry in Scarlett’s place,” Father finished for her. Dorian Blackwood. I had heard of him. Rumor had it he wielded immense power in the city’s elite circles, but was notoriously brutal, ruthless, and moody. More importantly, a few years ago, he’d suffered an accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down—a cripple. It wasn’t enough that they made me give Julian to Scarlett. They wanted me to live as a ghost in a loveless marriage for her, to face a crippled man with a twisted personality! “Dad, Mom,” my voice was dry. “Are you serious?” Mother avoided my gaze. “There’s no other way. It’s not like Scarlett was willing to go.” “We can’t afford to offend the Blackwoods. There has to be a Sutton daughter to marry into their family. Stella, you’re the most sensible. Just consider it helping the Suttons, and helping your sister.” Father’s face hardened. “The Suttons raised you for twenty years. Now it’s time for you to repay them.” I looked at them, suddenly feeling utterly alienated. The grace of being raised for twenty years, it turned out, was just a bargaining chip to be exchanged at any time. I knew I had no choice in the matter. My heart felt like it had a huge hole, with cold wind whistling through it. I had despaired of Julian. Now, even the familial love of these twenty years had completely shattered.

There were three days left until the wedding. I thought that by agreeing to break off the engagement and marry in her place, I could spend these three days in peace. But as I walked to the dining table for breakfast as usual, Mrs. Davies emerged from the kitchen, let out a shriek, and rushed over to snatch the plate from in front of me. “Mrs. Davies, what are you doing?” I frowned. “Miss Stella, this breakfast is for Miss Scarlett. And the seat you’re in right now? That’s Miss Scarlett’s too.” She deliberately emphasized “Scarlett.” “From now on, you’ll sit over there,” she pointed to the very edge of the dining table. A surge of anger flared in my chest. Even if I was the imposter heiress, it wasn’t a servant’s place to bully me. “Who gave you these rules?” My voice turned cold. “Sister, don’t blame Mrs. Davies. I was the one who said I wanted to sit here.” Scarlett Sutton appeared, I didn’t know when, her voice soft and weak, her eyes slightly red-rimmed. She was dressed in a beautiful lace nightgown, a picture of innocent vulnerability. “Scarlett, why didn’t you sleep longer?” Mother, hearing the commotion, also came out of the kitchen, carrying a nourishing smoothie. “Mom, I was afraid Sister would misunderstand Mrs. Davies…” Scarlett lowered her head aggrievedly. Father walked over too, and seeing the scene, his face immediately darkened. “Stella Sutton! Are you bullying Scarlett again!” “Scarlett is our biological daughter! Get your identity straight!” “She just came back; she’s not used to many things. Can’t you just make allowances for her?” Mother echoed him, “That’s right, Stella. Scarlett suffered so much hardship outside. As her older sister, you should be more understanding.” I stood rooted to the spot, watching them, a picture of a happy family of three, while I felt like an unwanted outsider. All the accusations shot at me like sharp arrows. This blatant favoritism made my chest feel suffocating. Injustice swelled up like a tide, but I pushed it down fiercely. What else could I say? If I said I hadn’t bullied her, would they believe me? If I said I was also a victim, would they feel sorry for me? No, they wouldn’t. In their eyes, every tear Scarlett shed was precious and deserving of pity, while all my feelings were insignificant. I silently walked to that corner, pulled out a chair, and sat down. Scarlett Sutton picked up the smoothie, sipping it delicately, a smug smile playing on her lips.

“Stella Sutton, you know your place now, don’t you?” “You’re nothing but a dog the Suttons raised for twenty years.” “Now that I’m back, you, this dog, can be abandoned at any time.” Her words were ugly, but they were the brutal, cutting truth. After my parents finished breakfast and left, only Scarlett and I remained in the dining room. The challenge and smugness in her eyes were undeniable. I looked at her coldly, not wanting to waste my breath. Scarlett’s gaze fell on my wrist, and her eyes lit up. It was an heirloom bracelet I had worn for many years, an antique piece, a rich emerald green, shimmering with an inner glow. “That bracelet is nice. I want it,” she said, reaching out to snatch it. I instinctively protected my wrist. “This is mine!” “Yours?” Scarlett scoffed. “What do you own that’s truly yours?” “Everything you eat, wear, and use in the Sutton household, isn’t it all the Suttons’?” “And what belongs to the Suttons, naturally belongs to me!” “Let go!” I snapped. This bracelet was the only keepsake my biological parents had left me before they died. It held profound significance for me. “My biological parents left this to me!” I tried to explain. But Scarlett reacted as if she’d heard the biggest joke. “Your biological parents? Who are they? Does it matter?” “Anyway, I want this bracelet now, and you *will* give it to me!” She pulled with force, her nails digging into my skin, the pain twisting my face. In the struggle, the bracelet slipped from my wrist. With a “smash!” it fell onto the hard floor. The crisp sound of it breaking shattered in my ears like a clap of thunder. The bracelet split into several pieces, and my heart, too, shattered into a million fragments. It was the only memento my biological parents had left me, the only way I could feel their presence in this world. Now, it too was broken, just like my heart at this moment, incapable of ever being whole again. Scarlett froze for a moment, then a flicker of panic crossed her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure. She hypocritically bent down and picked up a shard. “Oh, sister, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to.” “If you had just given it to me earlier, it wouldn’t have broken, would it?” Her apology was light and empty, devoid of any sincerity. Julian Davies, I didn’t know when, arrived, having heard the commotion. Seeing the broken pieces on the floor and Scarlett’s “aggrieved” expression, he immediately turned on me. “Stella Sutton! What are you doing now!” “Scarlett only liked your bracelet; couldn’t you have just given it to her? Did you have to make a scene like this?” Julian tenderly took Scarlett’s hand. “Don’t be afraid, Scarlett. It’s just a bracelet. I’ll buy you a better one.” Then he frowned at me. “Stella, Scarlett just came back; she’s still innocent. She suffered a lot outside. Can’t you be more understanding?” He didn’t ask me a single question, didn’t understand the circumstances, and didn’t even see the red marks Scarlett’s nails had left on my wrist. He simply condemned me, as if I were some unforgivable criminal. For some reason, at that moment, I found myself looking forward to the day I would marry Dorian Blackwood. Julian’s tone grew increasingly annoyed. “Why do you always have to be at odds with Scarlett? Are you trying to get my attention?” “Let me tell you, my bride is already decided—it’s Scarlett. You don’t need to play these useless little tricks anymore. I’m never going to marry you!” I hadn’t realized Julian thought this way; I felt as if I had never truly known him. “Julian Davies, you have no right to tell me what to do. We stopped being anything to each other the day I broke off the engagement!” I ignored his endless accusations, simply knelt down, picked up the fragments, and rushed out of that suffocating house. I didn’t notice the stunned, complex look in Julian’s eyes as I turned and left.

My wedding and Scarlett’s were set for the same day. Early in the morning, the Sutton mansion was bustling with activity. Scarlett, in her pristine white wedding gown, beamed with happiness, like a princess held in the palm of their hands. I, too, had changed into a deep red gown, simple but perfectly fitted. When Julian came to pick up Scarlett, his eyes immediately found me, also dressed in a wedding gown. He froze, then a look of disgust spread across his face. “Stella Sutton, what do you think you’re doing?” He walked over, lowering his voice to confront me. “Do you think wearing a wedding gown will let you steal Scarlett’s wedding?” The narcissism and certainty in his tone made me want to laugh. “Julian, do you think too highly of yourself? Do you think you’re the center of the universe, and everyone revolves around you?” Scarlett walked over, hooked Julian’s arm, her voice mournful. “Sister, are you deliberately trying to embarrass me?” As she spoke, her eyes reddened again, and she turned to my parents with a pitiful look. Father casually explained, “Julian, Scarlett, Stella is also getting married today.” “She’s marrying Dorian Blackwood, the Blackwood family’s head.” Scarlett’s eyes flickered with glee at the mention of it. So she’s marrying that cripple Dorian Blackwood. She didn’t care for that, so my marrying him instead was perfect. Julian, however, looked as if he’d heard something unbelievable, his brows furrowing tightly. “Marrying Dorian Blackwood? That cripple?” “Stella Sutton, are you crazy?” “Don’t think this way you can get my attention. Let me tell you, it’s impossible!” He stubbornly insisted that I was deliberately wearing a wedding gown to sabotage his and Scarlett’s wedding. I was too tired to argue with him. Just then, the sound of car engines reached us from outside. Several black luxury cars slowly drove up, stopping in front of the Sutton mansion. From the leading car, a well-dressed, respectful middle-aged man emerged. He was the Blackwood family’s butler. “Miss Stella Sutton, the ceremony is about to begin. Mr. Blackwood sent me to pick you up,” the butler said, bowing slightly as he approached me. In that moment, Julian’s arrogance and certainty finally cracked. He stared at me in shock, then at the Blackwood’s impressive wedding car procession, seemingly only then believing that I was truly marrying Dorian Blackwood. As I was about to step into the car, Julian suddenly stepped forward and blocked me. “Stella Sutton, you can’t marry him!” “Snap out of it! Don’t you know what kind of person Dorian Blackwood is? You’re ruining your future!” His tone was urgent, even with a hint of panic he himself hadn’t noticed. I looked at him coldly, feeling only a bitter irony. “Julian Davies, in what capacity are you stopping me now?” “You’re Scarlett Sutton’s groom, aren’t you?” My words hit him like a bucket of ice water, drenching him to the bone. Julian’s face turned a shade of sickly green, then stark white, and he opened his mouth, but not a single word came out.

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My husband’s idealized first love got engaged. To make her regret it, he abandoned me right after our wedding and left for a scientific expedition in Antarctica. I visited him 66 times during that period, but all my attempts were futile. Five years later, I stopped. I was laughing and chatting at my birthday party when he suddenly appeared. He looked at my slightly swollen belly, his face twisted in anguish. “I was away for five years, and you never once bothered with me. Whose bastard child is that in your belly?” I replied calmly, “It’s none of your business. Legally, a couple can divorce after two years of separation.” Hearing that, Brandon Sterling kicked over the birthday cake, furious. “Chloe Sterling, I’ve only been working away for five years, and you’ve already gotten yourself pregnant.” “You’re so despicable. Tell me, whose bastard is it? I’ll make sure he can’t even show his face in this city.” Seeing my carefully prepared birthday party ruined by Brandon, my temper flared too. “Brandon Sterling, this isn’t your playground. Stop acting like a lunatic. If you’re sick, go to a hospital.” When Brandon heard the word “hospital,” his emotions instantly surged. He grabbed my arm and started dragging me out. “Bitch, we’re going to the hospital right now for an abortion.” Brandon’s strength was immense; I had no room to struggle. Just then, Grandma Sterling heard the commotion and rushed over, leaning on her cane. Seeing Brandon’s brutal actions, her heart leaped into her throat. “Brandon, let go of Chloe immediately!” “Chloe is carrying…” Brandon’s anger seemed to calm slightly when he saw Grandma, but it surged again when he heard her words. He cut Grandma Sterling off directly. “Chloe Sterling, you’re quite the manipulative one, you’ve even got Grandma wrapped around your finger.” With that, he raised his other hand and brutally slapped my face. My lip instantly split, and my cheek swelled red. Grandma Sterling was shocked by the scene. She immediately tried to pull me free from Brandon’s grip. But Brandon’s bodyguards blocked her, preventing her from getting close. Brandon told his bodyguards to call a private hospital doctor to prepare for the abortion. He arranged everything while dragging me to the car. Grandma Sterling stubbornly followed the bodyguards into another car. None of our friends around us offered a hand. Instead, they watched the scene unfold with gleeful schadenfreude. The Sterling family was wealthy and influential, and they didn’t want to offend Brandon, preferring to curry favor with him. The car quickly arrived at a private hospital. Dr. Hayes, the Dean, personally came out to greet Brandon. Brandon ignored the Dean’s obsequious flattery, dragging me straight to the obstetrics and gynecology department. “Brandon Sterling, let go of me! The child in my belly is…” Before I could finish speaking, I ran straight into Serena, who had just come out of the doctor’s office. She was Brandon’s ex-sister-in-law, and the idealized woman he could never forget. The moment she saw Brandon, she happily ran over and hugged him tightly. “Brandon, I’m finally pregnant!” After saying that, she looked at Brandon with deep affection. Brandon released my hand and carefully embraced Serena. “Serena, you’re pregnant, why are you still so reckless? Be careful.” Serena giggled playfully, then her eyes caught sight of me, and she exclaimed in surprise, “Sister-in-law, you’re pregnant?” Seeing their intimate actions at that moment, I instantly understood. Why Brandon had been gone for five years, and why Serena had also disappeared for five years. It turned out they had been involved all along. I ignored the challenge in Serena’s eyes and replied calmly, “Brandon Sterling, we are no longer married, and besides, you’re with Serena now. Let me go immediately, or you won’t be able to handle the consequences.” Though Grandma Sterling was shocked by Brandon and Serena’s entanglement, her immediate concern was preventing Brandon from doing something extreme. “Brandon, let Chloe go back and rest now.” Brandon instantly released Serena, demanding in a sharp voice, “Grandma, Chloe cheated on me! She’s carrying a bastard child! Do you expect me to just turn a blind eye?!” Grandma Sterling heard his intent to not give up easily. She quickly said, “Brandon, the child in Chloe’s belly isn’t a bastard, it’s…”

Before Grandma Sterling could finish speaking, Serena interrupted, “Brandon, Grandma doesn’t look well. Is Chloe not taking good care of her? Or perhaps Grandma is being threatened by Chloe?” Hearing this, I found it utterly ridiculous. “Brandon Sterling, Grandma raised you. You just left for five years. You know better than anyone why Grandma’s spirits are low.” Serena scoffed, walking up to me. “You were the one who came between Brandon and me in the first place! Why Brandon left, don’t you know?” With that, Serena violently shoved me. My belly slammed into a gurney placed in the hallway, and a sharp pain instantly shot through me. A warm gush flowed down my thighs. Grandma Sterling saw it and looked utterly frantic. “Doctor, quickly, come look! Nothing can happen to Chloe’s baby!” The doctor and nurses were about to come check, but Brandon barked at them, “No one is to go near her! Today, I’m going to make her abort that bastard!” At Dr. Hayes’s signal, the doctors and nurses didn’t dare move. Serena sneered, “Sister-in-law is carrying some unknown bastard, betraying Brandon. How does she even have the nerve to ask for doctors from his family’s hospital to examine her?” Grandma Sterling anxiously fumbled in her bag for her phone, ready to call for help. Brandon saw her and had his bodyguards confiscate Grandma’s phone. “Grandma, what kind of spell did this bitch Chloe cast on you? You’re still trying to find someone to help her now.” “Grandma, I’m telling you, this bastard cannot be kept.” Grandma Sterling was utterly shocked. “Brandon, I’m your grandmother! Are you not going to listen to me anymore?” With that, Grandma Sterling went to help me up and tried to lead me outside, planning to find another hospital. But the bodyguards held her back. “Brandon Sterling, don’t you dare act crazy here!” I struggled to stand, clutching my belly, cold sweat pouring down my body. “The child in my belly is not something you can touch. Let me go now, or you won’t be able to handle the consequences!” Brandon stared at me, silent for a moment. Just then, Serena opened a live stream on her phone. She tiptoed and whispered something in Brandon’s ear. Brandon took the phone Serena handed him, pointing it at me. “Chloe Sterling, since you don’t want a proper abortion at the hospital, I’ll find another way.” “I’ll make sure you remember the consequences of betraying me.” Brandon had his bodyguards tie me to the hospital bed. My eyes widened in terror as I watched the bodyguards with clubs. I thrashed my arms and legs desperately, trying to break free. At this point, I couldn’t care less about anything else. I was ready to reveal the child’s true father. “Brandon Sterling, you’re insane! The child I’m carrying is…” Before I could finish speaking, at Brandon’s signal, a bodyguard brought a club down hard on my belly. Excruciating pain ripped through me, and the words I was about to utter turned into a scream of agony. Blood seeped from where my wrists and ankles were tied due to my violent struggles. “Bitch, this is what you get for cheating on me and getting pregnant with a bastard!” The online viewers, having learned the alleged story, chimed in with agreement. “This woman clearly isn’t decent.” “Cheaters deserve to die, don’t let her off easy.” “Seductress, beat her to death! Let all women see the consequences of cheating!” Brandon held the live stream screen for me to see. “Chloe Sterling, not only did you cheat on me and make a fool of me, you also manipulated Grandma to help you deceive me.” “Today, I’m going to have the child in your belly beaten to death right before your eyes.” When the bodyguards started tying me up, Brandon had already locked Grandma Sterling in a nearby office.

As the second blow was about to land, someone suddenly burst in. He stopped the bodyguard. “Mr. Sterling, you can’t touch Ms. Sterling right now.” “If you stop now and apologize to Ms. Sterling, your future might be a little easier.” Serena’s expression changed slightly when she saw the bodyguard, but she didn’t say anything. However, Brandon stared at the unexpected visitor for a long time before speaking, “You look familiar. Oh, you’re my brother’s bodyguard.” With that, Brandon suddenly grabbed the club from his bodyguard’s hand and brutally struck the man on the head. “Damn it, you’re just a low-level worker! How dare you meddle with my woman?!” Blood instantly gushed from the bodyguard’s head, and his body slumped to the ground. Watching the bodyguard who had been by my side fall to the ground, his life hanging by a thread, my emotions plummeted. This was my only hope, and now it was gone. “Brandon Sterling, please, I’m sorry. Please, let my baby go!” Utterly desperate, I cried out these words. Brandon glanced at his phone, then at me, and had his bodyguards untie me from the bed. “Now, kneel before me and tell me what you did wrong?” “If the viewers in the live stream forgive you, then I’ll let you off.” Clutching my aching belly, I painfully crawled to Brandon’s feet and knelt. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have cheated, and I certainly shouldn’t have gotten pregnant. I’m a slut.” “But the baby is innocent, please, I beg you, let him go.” Brandon watched my pathetic state but said nothing. Instead, he randomly connected to a viewer’s microphone. The outraged voice of a viewer boomed from the phone. “Bitch, you deserve to die! You’re a whore, beat her to death!” Serena walked up next to Brandon and slowly spoke, “Brandon, look, sister-in-law still doesn’t want to give up this child, and she still won’t say who the father is. It seems she hasn’t truly acknowledged her mistakes.” Hearing their conversation, my face turned ashen. But for the sake of the child in my belly, I couldn’t give up. Enduring the intense pain, I suddenly stood up and ran towards the exit. If I could just run out of this hospital, if I could call for help from people outside and report this. Then this child would still have a chance to survive. Just as I was about to rush out the hospital main entrance, Brandon grabbed my hair from behind. He harshly pulled me back, a tearing pain searing my scalp. “Bitch, you’re actually trying to escape now?” “Unless I teach you a lesson, you’ll never learn.” He spoke while handing me over to the bodyguards, telling them to tie me to an operating table. “Doctor, directly perform a caesarean section and remove the fetus from her belly.” The doctors and nurses prepared to give me anesthesia, but Brandon stopped them. “She’s a whore, and the child in her belly is a bastard. No anesthesia is needed.” Looking at the sterile, white lights of the operating room, I weakly said, “Brandon Sterling, you will regret this.” Brandon replied indifferently, “After this, maybe you’ll even thank me. Do you know, you’re famous now? You’ll be the first person in history to have an abortion live-streamed for the whole internet to see.”

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While expanding my business overseas, I unexpectedly stumbled upon my brother-in-law Mark’s SnapChat story. “Happy birthday to my wife today. Helping her become the CEO of Sterling Group.” My brows instantly furrowed. Because the woman in the photo, intimately close with my brother-in-law, wasn’t my sister. Yet, she was wearing my sister’s clothes and jewelry, sitting on my sister’s husband, and even living in our family’s mansion. Scrolling further down, I realized Mark had blocked my main account on SnapChat. “Today, we got a new pet at home. My wife doesn’t like it, so I can only let the dog stay outside.” In the photo, my sister Clara was covered in bruises, barely clothed, her hair completely shaved off. She was chained like a dog in a small doghouse by the entrance, looking utterly miserable. Rage burned through me. How dare that good-for-nothing leech who married into our family turn my sister into a dog?! … I rushed back home. My car pulled up to the Sterling family mansion, and the sight before me made my breath catch. The once meticulously maintained garden was now overgrown with weeds, the villa’s exterior walls were peeling, and the yard was littered with trash. What truly chilled me to the bone was the tiny figure chained next to the doghouse by the entrance. “Clara?” I rushed closer, unable to believe my eyes. The figure huddled by the doghouse was my sister, the one I had cherished and protected like a precious gem. She looked up, her eyes vacant and lifeless, her face covered in wounds. Even more terrifying, she didn’t show any surprise or joy at seeing me. Instead, she cowered back, a low whimper, like a dog’s bark, escaping her throat. “Clara, it’s me, your brother, Alex!” My voice trembled as I knelt before her. But she grew even more terrified, desperately trying to burrow into the doghouse, crawling with all fours. “Don’t hit me… please… I’ll be good…” She whimpered softly, her voice so hoarse it was barely recognizable. I saw her exposed arms and ankles were covered in bruises and scars. Some even looked like cigarette burns. My sanity instantly shattered, consumed by fury. “Who! Who did this!” I roared, standing up. Just then, the mansion door opened. My brother-in-law Mark and his mother, Brenda, stepped out. “Alex, you’re back?” Mark wore a smile, but his tone was nonchalant. I stared at them coldly: “What happened to my sister? Why is she chained out here?” Mark’s face changed, then twisted into a sorrowful expression: “Alex, Clara… she’s developed a mental illness.” Brenda chimed in, adding fuel to the fire: “Lately, Clara suddenly became unstable, going crazy all day, even trying to bite people! We had no choice but to…” “Shut up!” I cut her off. “Don’t you think I know what Clara is like? What exactly did you do to her?!” Seeing my fury, Mark’s expression immediately hardened: “Since you don’t believe me, then I’ll tell you the truth.” He pulled out his phone and played a video: “Take a look, this is what your sister is really like!” In the video, a figure resembling my sister was entangled with several men in a hotel room. “What is this?” I demanded, my voice icy. Mark sneered: “That’s your sister’s true face! A chaotic private life, seducing men everywhere!” “As her husband, I’ve been tolerant enough. Anyone else would have divorced her long ago!” “Ever since I found out about this and proposed a divorce, she couldn’t handle it herself and went insane.” Brenda, ever the instigator, added: “Our family is respectable! How can we tolerate a woman who tarnishes our good name?!” “Your family?” I scoffed. “Your son married into the Sterling family, he even changed his surname, and you’re still talking about your family’s good name here?” I knew my own sister. If Clara had ever done anything like that, I’d drop dead on the spot. Just then, Clara finally spoke. She cautiously tugged at my pants. Her voice was so weak it was almost inaudible: “Brother… they… they drugged me… it wasn’t willing…” “You little tramp, shut your mouth!” Mark lunged forward to hit her, but I blocked him instantly. “Dare to touch her? Just try me.” My eyes blazed with murderous intent. Mark recoiled, intimidated by my glare, but his words remained venomous: “Alex, don’t let her fool you! She acted just like this when I caught her red-handed at the hotel that day!” “Everyone at the company knows she’s mentally unstable. The board has already voted to remove her from her position!” I ignored him, kneeling to embrace my trembling sister, carefully examining her arms. A multitude of needle marks and old scars were clearly visible. “What are these?” I pointed to the needle marks. Mark stammered: “Those are… those are sedatives the doctor gave her…” “Doctor? Which doctor?” I pressed. “Just… the community clinic’s…” My rationality completely snapped. I waved my hand towards the car outside the mansion. A dozen black-clad bodyguards immediately stormed in, apprehending Mark and Brenda. “What are you doing! Let me go!” Mark struggled violently. Brenda shrieked: “Help! Someone’s attacking us!” “Search the place! Turn this house upside down and find all the evidence!” I commanded coldly. Mark thrashed: “How dare you! This is my house! Let me go!” I punched him in the face: “You married into the Sterling family, live in the Sterling family’s house, and abuse the Sterling family’s heiress, and you have the nerve to call this your house?!” Mark’s nose bled profusely, but he still yelled: “Alex Sterling, don’t go too far! Let me tell you, the Sterling Group isn’t yours to command anymore!” “The company has a new CEO, and your sister is nothing now!” I sneered: “Oh really? Then I’d like to see who’s audacious enough to snatch my sister’s position.” The bodyguards moved swiftly, thoroughly searching the entire mansion. I, meanwhile, held my sister, light as a scarecrow, and gently comforted her: “Clara, brother’s back. It’s okay now, everything will be alright.” Clara trembled in my arms: “Brother… they’ll kill me… they said… if I told you the truth…” “No one can hurt you, I promise.” I said firmly. I took clean clothes from the car and helped her change, my heart aching. Her body was covered in injuries, some scabbed over, others fresh. Even more terrifying, her eyes were filled with pure dread. Even my softest words made her tremble. “Clara, don’t be afraid. Brother will take you to the company and see who dared to bully you!” I whispered gently. A flicker of confusion crossed her eyes, then she nodded slightly. I instructed my head bodyguard: “Keep a close eye on them. I’ll deal with them when I get back!” The bodyguard nodded: “Don’t worry, Mr. Sterling, they won’t get away.” “Also, organize all the evidence you find, especially those drugs and surveillance footage.” Taking Clara to the Sterling Group headquarters building, I found the situation worse than I’d imagined. The receptionist looked at us with disdain: “Do you have an appointment? No appointment, no entry.” I scoffed: “I am Alex Sterling, and this is Clara Sterling, the CEO of Sterling Group.” The receptionist displayed a look of contempt: “I’m sorry, our company’s CEO is Ms. Victoria. I haven’t heard of anyone named Clara Sterling.” Ms. Victoria? My brows furrowed instantly. I could understand if Mark, that bastard, wanted to usurp power and become CEO himself. But who was this Ms. Victoria, and where did she come from? Several employees nearby were already whispering: “Look, isn’t that the boss’s husband’s mistress? I heard she’s a real party animal, went crazy from all the fun, and then her family locked her up.” “CEO? She’s really trying to flatter herself!” “Who’s that guy? Her brother? Daring to cause trouble?” “Oh, what do you even know? At the end of the day, isn’t being a mistress just for money? This might be just a new client she’s picked up.” I glared at those employees, “Are your mouths filled with absolute garbage?!” A security guard approached, blocking our way: “Sir, please don’t cause a disturbance here, or we’ll call the police.” I took a deep breath, suppressing my anger, and told the receptionist: “Take me to the CEO’s office.” The receptionist hesitated, perhaps seeing my strong aura, not daring to confront me directly. She made a phone call. “Ms. Victoria, two people claiming to be Alex Sterling and Clara Sterling want to see you… Alright, I’ll take them up now.” Upon receiving the instructions, she gave a strange smile: “Very well, please follow me.” The elevator went straight to the top floor. On what used to be my sister’s office door, a nameplate conspicuously displayed “CEO Victoria.” The office door opened, and a glamorous woman walked out, followed by a panting Mark, who must have escaped my bodyguards at home. Victoria sized us up, a sneer playing on her lips: “You must be Alex Sterling, right? I’ve heard so much about you.” I didn’t know how Mark had managed to get away from the bodyguards, but he now stood beside Victoria, looking utterly confident of victory. “Who are you? Why are you in my sister’s office?” I demanded coldly. Victoria’s smile grew more smug: “I am Victoria, the CEO of Sterling Group, and this is a legitimate appointment.” She pulled a stack of documents from a drawer: “This is the appointment letter, unanimously passed by the board of directors. Your sister was dismissed due to mental issues, and now I’m managing Sterling Group.” I scoffed: “Legitimate? Are you sure?” Victoria raised an eyebrow: “Of course, all procedures were legal and compliant.” “Clara Sterling became mentally unstable and couldn’t perform her CEO duties, so the board voted for me to take over.” “These are legally binding documents. You can have your lawyer verify them.” Clara hid behind me, trembling constantly, murmuring softly: “No… it’s not like that… they’re lying…” Mark sneered: “Clara, stop pretending. We have all your psychiatric diagnostic reports.” “Everyone in the company saw you having your fits.” Victoria chimed in too: “Mr. Sterling, I understand your feelings as a brother, but facts are facts.” “Your sister needs treatment, not to continue in a position she can’t handle.” I gently patted my sister’s hand, calming her, then pulled out my phone and dialed a number. “Immediately gather all Sterling Group board members. They must be here within five minutes, not a single one missing!” Victoria and Mark exchanged a glance, their faces subtly changing. “Mr. Sterling, what is the meaning of this?” Victoria tried to maintain her composure. I sneered: “Meaning? You’ll find out soon enough.” Mark interjected: “Alex, don’t cause trouble. It will only make things more embarrassing for you.” “The board is all on our side. You can’t win.” I ignored him, just staring at him coldly: “Mark, do you really think that just because I wasn’t here for three years, you could do whatever you wanted?” “You overestimate yourself.” In less than five minutes, the board members arrived one by one. Seeing my sister and me, their eyes held clear hostility. Director Mr. Peterson was the first to speak: “Alex, you returned without warning. What’s the meaning of suddenly barging into the company?” Another director chimed in: “That’s right. Sterling Group is running very well now. We don’t need you telling us what to do.” I looked around the room. These people had all been my father’s trusted subordinates, yet now they had all betrayed us. “I want to know, why did you betray my sister? She is the legitimate heir of Sterling Group. By what right did you put this woman in the CEO’s position?” I demanded coldly. The board members exchanged glances, finally, the most senior, Director Mr. Miller, spoke: “Clara Sterling is mentally unstable and no longer suitable to be CEO. This was a unanimous decision by the board.” “We have hospital diagnostic certificates and video recordings of her fits.” “As the board, we have a responsibility to protect the company’s interests and cannot let a mentally ill person continue to lead Sterling Group.” Brenda, who had arrived at some point, stood by, fanning the flames: “See? Even the company staff know Clara’s gone crazy! It’s a fact, no one can change it!” Mark seized the opportunity to attack: “Alex, you don’t understand company rules, so don’t come here to cause trouble. Sterling Group is now controlled by the board and Director Victoria. Everything is legal and compliant.” Victoria pressed her advantage: “Mr. Sterling, I suggest you take your sister and leave. She needs proper rest, not to cause more disruption here.” “Look at her now, does she look like a normal person?” My sister, the CEO of the prestigious Sterling Group, was being humiliated by these people! Clara trembled behind me, her eyes filled with dread. “I’ll ask one last time: are you sure you want to side with them?” My voice was colder than ice. Director Mr. Peterson sneered: “Alex, who do you think you are? You’re just an expatriate who returned from overseas. Sterling Group has already changed hands. Do you really think you’re still the undisputed ruler around here?” “Sterling Group is ours to command now. You’d better be sensible and leave with your crazy sister.” “If that’s too hard, I can even send you a two-hundred-dollar PayPal payment. Get your crazy sister some more male escorts, isn’t she into that kind of thing?” Mr. Hayes also added: “Exactly. Don’t think that just because you had some success overseas, you can come back and boss us around.” “We’ve been working with your father for many years. How the company should operate is not for you to teach.” “I just never thought your father, such a respected figure, could raise two utterly disgraceful individuals like you.” Director Mr. Miller was even more direct: “Security, get these troublemakers out of here!” Just then, the conference room door was pushed open, and a middle-aged man walked in with several assistants. “Mr. Thompson!” The directors immediately stood up, their faces beaming with fawning smiles. Director Mr. Miller hastily introduced: “Alex, you probably haven’t met him, right? This is Mr. Thompson, the East Coast Regional President of Titan Enterprises. Thanks to Ms. Victoria, we’re discussing a major project with Titan.” “If your sister were still CEO, we probably wouldn’t have met Mr. Thompson in our lifetime.” “Mr. Thompson, I’m truly sorry you had to see this.” Mr. Thompson surveyed the scene, frowning slightly. Mark, seeing this, quickly stepped forward: “Mr. Thompson, this is my brother-in-law. He just returned from overseas, doesn’t understand the company situation, and is causing trouble here.” Victoria also chimed in: “That’s right, Mr. Thompson, he even wants to interfere with our cooperation with Titan. It’s truly outrageous.” Director Mr. Hayes added fuel to the fire: “Mr. Thompson, we hope you can help us uphold justice. If this kind of person continues to cause trouble, it will be detrimental to the entire business community.” “The contract we’re about to sign with you, it concerns hundreds of millions in profit.” Mr. Thompson’s gaze swept across the room, finally landing on me, his expression complex. Then, to everyone’s surprise, he walked directly up to me and bowed ninety degrees: “Mr. Sterling, you’re back! Titan Enterprises is at your disposal anytime!” The entire conference room fell silent. Everyone’s faces shifted from smugness to shock, then to utter dread. I scoffed softly: “Mr. Thompson, thank you for your hard work. It seems you’ve done a great job expanding Titan’s business in the East Coast region.” Mr. Thompson respectfully replied: “It’s all thanks to your guidance, Mr. Sterling. I only came to discuss this cooperation today because I knew Sterling Group was your family company.” At his words, the entire room was even more stunned. Mr. Hayes stammered: “Mr. Thompson, you… you know Alex Sterling?” Mr. Thompson gave him a contemptuous look: “Titan Enterprises is Mr. Sterling’s property. I’m just an employee.” “In the three years Mr. Sterling was overseas, he acquired seventeen multinational corporations, quadrupling his assets.” “Titan is just one of many subsidiaries Mr. Sterling owns.” This news dropped like a bomb, stunning everyone present. Titan Enterprises was a giant in the domestic business world, with a market value of hundreds of billions. And it belonged to Alex Sterling? They had thought Alex Sterling had lost real power after passing on Sterling Group to Clara. But who would have thought that he didn’t care about Sterling Group at all; it was just a place for his sister to work and have fun! Victoria’s face turned pale, her legs weak, barely able to stand. Mark was too terrified to speak, cold sweat beading on his forehead. The directors exchanged bewildered glances, finally realizing the immense trouble they had caused. I looked around, speaking calmly: “Today, I announce the termination of all of Victoria’s positions within Sterling Group and the freezing of all assets held by Mark and Victoria that are related to Sterling Group.” “All employees hired by Victoria and Mark will go through standard dismissal procedures!” “Furthermore, the board of directors is hereby dissolved and will be re-formed. Everyone involved in this incident will pay for their actions.” The directors snapped out of their daze, falling to their knees, begging for mercy: “Mr. Sterling, we were forced!” “Mark threatened us, saying he’d cut off our financial resources if we didn’t cooperate!” “He had videos of your sister and hospital certificates! We truly believed she had mental problems!” “We were also thinking about the company. Ms. Clara’s condition really wasn’t good…” Mr. Thompson scoffed: “What a bunch of spineless opportunists, just swaying whichever way the wind blows.” “Mr. Sterling was so good to you all. If he hadn’t protected you back then, you would have been purged from the board long ago.” “Now, you repay kindness with betrayal, and aided and abetted these wrongdoers!” I looked at those spineless opportunists with cold eyes, no longer bothering with them. Just then, several bodyguards entered the conference room with police officers and investigators. The investigators held a stack of documents and several USB drives: “Mr. Sterling, we found these in the mansion.” “Surveillance footage shows Mark and Brenda routinely abusing Ms. Sterling, injecting her with unknown drugs, and the original fake video files.” “This is the list of drugs they injected into Ms. Sterling; most are psychiatric medications and sedatives. Long-term use can lead to mental confusion and cognitive impairment.” “Additionally, we found extensive evidence of company asset embezzlement. Mark transferred most of Sterling Group’s funds into private accounts.” “These are the forged hospital diagnostic reports. We’ve already contacted the hospital and confirmed they are fake.” With overwhelming evidence, Mark, Victoria, and Brenda’s faces were beyond pale. Victoria was the first to break down. She knelt on the floor, crying out: “It’s not my fault! It’s all Mark! He was the one who promised me the CEO position! He was the one who said he’d marry me!” “He said as long as I cooperated with him, once he controlled Sterling Group, he’d divorce Clara and marry me!” “I just followed his instructions; all decisions were controlled by him behind the scenes!” Brenda, hearing this, immediately cursed: “You tramp! You vixen! Seducing my son wasn’t enough, now you want to blame him too?!” “Do you think I don’t know all the dirty things you two were doing behind our backs?” “My son wouldn’t have done such things if you hadn’t charmed him!” Mark’s face turned ashen as he faced accusations from both sides. Suddenly, he lunged at me: “Alex Sterling, don’t you get cocky! I’ll kill you!”

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Quinn has skin hunger syndrome but never touches me.
He says it’s because he loves me too much to hurt me.
I believed him.
But in private, he embraces his true love without hesitation, saying,
”The sorcerer said that without that pearl, she’s no different from ordinary people. Why should I care about her?”
”She’s just a fox spirit. Isn’t it disgusting to touch her? My skin hunger can only be satisfied by our dear Sophia.”
Everyone thought I would continue to endure, just because he is my immortal love I’ve searched for over a thousand years.
But I acted out of character, not crying or making a fuss.
On the eve of his wedding, I vowed never to see him again in this life and returned to my magical realm.
Who knew that a year later, he would travel thousands of miles to my realm, kneeling and begging me to return to his side.
”Quinn, I don’t want children anymore. Please, just hold me.” With the rapid development of modern technology, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth has become scarce.
No new magical creatures have been born since the founding of the country.
So now magical beings are in decline, with only a few thousand-year-old great spirits still existing in the world.
But I had no awareness of shouldering the mission of reviving our kind, indulging in love instead.
I wanted to be with my immortal love Lucas forever, just because I had waited for him for a thousand years.
For him, I cut off contact with my clan, willing to become an ordinary person mingling in modern society.
He never touched me, but he told me he wanted to have a child.
To fulfill his wish to be a father, I disregarded the reproductive barrier between humans and magical beings. I found a witch doctor and exchanged half of my remaining soul to get a body that could conceive offspring with humans.
Because I loved him.

The morning I learned online that he was about to marry Sophia, I hurriedly left my rented apartment, wanting to find him for an explanation.
He had just promised me not long ago.
As long as I was willing to give up my soul pearl to save Sophia, he would marry me.
The vow of “Willing to get my true love, never to part till old age” was still ringing in my ears.
Although I had lost all my magical powers, my physical skills remained.
I effortlessly dodged through the crowd, shuttling between high-rise buildings to his villa.
Standing at the door, I had just pushed it open a crack when I saw him holding Sophia in his arms, pinching her face with an affectionate expression.
”Alright, still throwing a tantrum? I’ve said that my wife can only be our dear Sophia.”
”She’s just a useless creature who can’t even have children. She doesn’t even have a modern identity. Who would marry her?”
Sophia pushed away his hand and pouted, “Who knows if that witch will whisper sweet nothings in your ear and make you change your mind?”
”After all, someone used her to get rid of all the competitors and climb to this position.”
The man who used to forbid everyone from discussing this matter, and would become furious if anyone mentioned it, was now not angry at all.
He coaxed gently, “I used her for the sake of us and our child.”
”That Quinn is so stupid. I casually said I would marry her, and she foolishly handed over her soul pearl.”
”The sorcerer said that without that pearl, she’s no different from ordinary people. Why should I care about her?”
”She’s just a fox spirit. Isn’t it disgusting to touch her? My skin hunger can only be satisfied by our dear Sophia.” As he spoke, he hugged her tightly, his hands roaming inappropriately.
Seeing his shameless behavior, Sophia giggled coyly, “Lucas, you’re so bad.”
I was certain Lucas knew I was there because he was looking directly into my eyes as he said it, the corners of his mouth curling into a malicious arc.
He was deliberately saying it for me to hear, revealing his true colors to me.

I could no longer bear to hear the sounds of the couple’s flirting and playing.
So, it turns out he never touched me because I was a magical being.
He found me disgusting.
If that’s the case, why didn’t he just say so? No matter how painful it would be, I wouldn’t have humiliated myself. I would have left.
I wandered away in a daze, bumping into a maid.
I looked up at the newcomer.
It was Sophia’s personal maid, who was also her good friend.
She was holding a snow-white cat, with a haughty expression.
When she saw it was me, she looked at me with disdain and sneered, “Oh, it’s Miss Quinn. Sorry, I bumped into you.”
After saying that, she nodded perfunctorily at me.
In the past, as Lucas’s vice president, I had schemed for him and acted as his pawn to clear obstacles for him.
Now that he was firmly seated in a high position, these two roles of mine were not of much use to him anymore.
So he suggested removing my position, letting me stay by his side to bear children for him.
Out of trust in him, I agreed.
So, in the eyes of most people, I was just a nameless orphan girl of unknown origin.
Except for my former subordinates, not many people respected me.
Moreover, to satisfy his desire to be a father, I disregarded the reproductive barrier between humans and magical beings. I found a witch doctor and endured a year of soul-stripping pain, only succeeding today.
Originally, I wanted to tell him this good news this morning.
I was too emotionally confused to care about her rudeness.
I tried to walk past her.
But she didn’t intend to let me go, blocking my path.
She held up the cat in her hands and brought it close to my face, her eyes flashing with malice.
”Don’t go, Miss Fox. Look, this is the pet Mr. Lucas gave to our dear Sophia.”
”I specially brought it out for a walk today.”
I knew what she meant. She just wanted to show off Lucas’s love for Sophia and make me see the situation clearly.
This kind of inexplicable malice from humans is sometimes truly incomprehensible to magical beings.
If I didn’t go along with her, I was afraid she would pester me for a long time.
I prepared to humor her and praise the cat a few times before leaving.
Just as I was about to open my mouth to look at the cat, I froze.

The kitten opened its round, big eyes and affectionately reached out its chubby paw towards me.
Perhaps it sensed that we were both feline creatures.
The red silk ribbon fluttering around its neck caught all my attention.
That ribbon was the one I had given to Lucas.
A thousand years ago, Lucas’s previous life, Luke, had saved me when I was on the verge of death, being hunted by spirit hunters.
At that time, I was a little fox who had just started cultivating and couldn’t transform into human form yet.
And he was just a sickly scholar.
Unlike the stories in novels where fox spirits repay kindness, I ended up causing his death.
In my memory, the meandering blood flowed from under him, staining the blood-red ribbon.
This ribbon, for me, was filled with warm and painful memories of the past, and also contained half of my soul.
The scene of the couple’s wanton mockery flashed through my mind again.
My nails were almost embedded in my palms, but I felt nothing.
He could use and humiliate me, he could marry someone else.
But he actually casually gave away the ribbon I had cherished for a thousand years!
He clearly knew what it meant to me!
My eyes gradually became deep and dark, as if they could suck people into hell.
The maid saw that I wasn’t speaking and secretly felt proud. She said as if unintentionally, “This ribbon, Mr. Lucas used to wear it every day, but he gave it to Sophia as soon as she asked.”
”You can see that Sophia is not like some…”
Before she could finish speaking, I calmly reached out my hand.
Then.
I grabbed her neck.
Too noisy, I didn’t like it.
I casually picked her up by the collar, ignoring her struggles, and threw her into the pool like throwing away garbage.
It didn’t matter if someone discovered it, there were no cameras here anyway.
The little cat in front of me seemed not to understand what had happened and came to my feet on all fours, rubbing against the hem of my skirt as if seeking attention.
I looked at it for a moment, silently picked it up, and left.

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Ava’s world shatters when she overhears the Alpha she’s loved for five years admit his crippled act was a cruel ruse to punish her. For 98 rain-drenched days, Ethan faked agony with wolfsbane, letting her believe he needed her—all to avenge a childhood illness that “cost” him his Luna. “99 times, then it ends,” he cold-bloodedly tells his Beta, unaware she’s eavesdropping. Her heart breaks further as she plays along, forced to watch him flirt with Lila, a fake healer brought in to replace her. When Lila parades from Ethan’s room in silk pajamas, marking her neck with “medical” bites, Ava’s blind loyalty snaps. The man who once soothed her nightmares now gaslights her, calling her “filthy-minded” for doubting his lies. As she uncovers his ability to walk—every midnight “massage” a mockery—Ava plots escape. But Ethan’s final act of betrayal looms: the 99th rainstorm, a trap disguised as need. Will she break free from the man who weaponized her love, or drown in the wreckage of his five-year lie? Chapter 1 When I delivered Alpha Ethan’s painkillers in the heavy rain, I heard him talking to his friend. “Ethan, you are too good at pretending. You have been bound to a wheelchair for five years since the ‘accident’. Ava is also a fool. She has served you for five years and didn’t even notice that there was nothing wrong with your legs.” His friend, Beta Declan, chuckled, “I can’t even remember how many times you asked her to deliver medicine in the rain.” I only heard Alpha Ethan speak coldly, “98 times, what do you care about her?” Another voice was silent for a while, “I didn’t, but after all, you raised her as a child, are you really willing to do that?” Ethan replied, “If she hadn’t pretended to be sick on the day Sophia left, I wouldn’t have failed to win back my Luna. This is her punishment. The game will end after 99 times.” Outside the door, I tightly grasped the painkillers in my hand, feeling so heartbroken that I couldn’t breathe. I thought Alpha Ethan didn’t care about other wolves’ eyes and kept me by his side because he felt the mate bond. I didn’t expect it was just to retaliate for my illness that day and delayed his pursuit of Sophia, the former Luna. Okay, he sheltered me in his pack for five years and I would pay him back for five years. After that, we would not see each other again. I waited in the hotel lobby until I calmed down before I walked to the box again. After the knock on the door, there was a commotion inside. Everyone’s smiles faded. “Ava, why did you come just now? Alpha Ethan is sweating from the pain. If you don’t want to serve Alpha Ethan, just say so. If you hadn’t been so shameless as to rush to take care of him yourself, his legs might have healed long ago.” The voice was the same as before, it was Beta Declan, Ethan’s closest subordinate. I ignored his strange voice and walked in front of Alpha Ethan. His expression was ugly, as if he had endured great pain and beads of sweat were clearly visible on his forehead. But I clearly smelled a strong smell of wolfsbane on it. This was the drama he had performed for me 98 times before and the funny thing was that I didn’t notice it at all in the past five years. “What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and get the medicine.” Seeing that I was not like usual, Beta Declan grabbed my wrist and threw me to the side. I fell heavily to the ground and the wound that was knocked down by someone because I was in a hurry broke again. But no matter how deep the pain in my knee was, it was not even one-tenth of the pain in my heart. Ethan, you were really a good actor. In order to punish me, you even pretended to be disabled in a wheelchair for five years. “Declan, stop it!” Alpha Ethan’s voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked up and saw him maneuvering the wheelchair in front of me, trying hard to help me up. “Ava, I’m sorry, Declan didn’t mean it, he was just too worried about me.” I refused his help and tried to force a smile on my face. “I know, I took too long. You must be in pain.” Hearing what I said, the tension in Alpha Ethan’s eyes immediately relaxed. I knew that my performance just now made him suspicious. The Hawthorne Pack was extremely powerful. As a human fostered in the pack for five years, I knew better than anyone how absolute Alpha Ethan’s authority was. If I didn’t listen and play this scene with him, the consequences would never be better than now. I gave the medicine to Beta Declan, told him to take good care of Alpha Ethan and left on my own. Just because Alpha Ethan said he didn’t want me to see him taking medicine—he said it would make me sad, and if I was sad, he would be unhappy. In fact, not only would I be sad, but every time I turned around, I would pray for his legs to heal. Even if it costed me my life. Chapter 2 Before I walked far, I could vaguely hear loud laughter coming from inside. “Ethan, you saw it, we successfully fooled her again. Next time I will be more prepared. Just a little scratch is not enough to make her realize her mistake. And you have to pay for all the wolfsbane today. I have prepared a mysterious gift for you.” Alpha Ethan was silent for a moment. “Ask the waiter to put it on my tab.” I walked back to the pack villa in my soaking wet clothes, their laughter replaying in my mind. My hope for the mate bond with Alpha Ethan disappeared with every step I took. Until I saw a woman dressed exquisitely at the gate. I suddenly realized that this was the gift Beta Declan prepared for him. “Miss, please make way, you are blocking me,” she said. I hurriedly stood aside and waited for her to go in. “Isn’t this the best hotel? How come someone dressed like this appears? It’s really disappointing.” That woman said to me as she looked at me upside down. I thought it was really Sophia, the former Luna, who came back, but as soon as she opened her mouth, I knew it wasn’t. Sophia was raised in a noble pack and it would never be possible for her to say such a thing in public. It turned out she was Lila Blackwood, the Beta Female Declan had found as a substitute. On the way back to the Hawthorne Pack villa, I contacted my aunt who was away for the first time. Five years ago, in order to take care of the “disabled” Alpha Ethan, I did not agree to go abroad with her. This time, she agreed to help me get a new identity without asking anything—human identities were easier to forge outside pack territories. Before that, I just needed to maintain the status quo and serve Alpha Ethan as usual. Unfortunately, Alpha Ethan did not show up for the next three days. His assistant told me that there was an emergency in the pack—only he could handle it. “Ava, I’m already here. I’m safe and sound, you should have a good rest and don’t run around.” Alpha Ethan called me as usual after arriving at the place. This was our agreement, to tell each other that we were safe at any time. The year I first arrived at the Hawthorne Pack, I made an appointment with several human classmates to travel. On the way, we were threatened by a rogue werewolf and locked in a small dark room. He mobilized the pack warriors to find us who were hungry and scared. He asked me to call him when I went out. He had kept this habit for so many years. But this time, I clearly heard a charming female voice from the other side. “Alpha Ethan, come and see, do you like this sample? I’ll wear it for you to see.” “Don’t make trouble.” I said shortly as I hung up the phone bitterly. The appearance of this woman made Alpha Ethan’s lies clumsy. Since he couldn’t move his legs, he never went on pack business trips. Besides, with the current strength of the Hawthorne Pack, there would be no problem that only he could handle, unless the pack was under siege. While he was away, I stepped up my plan to leave. The weather forecast said that it would rain in five days—and that would be the day I left the Hawthorne Pack. Alpha Ethan was back, and he brought Lila Blackwood back to the pack villa. “Where have you been? The housekeeper said you always go out recently.” I greeted him. Alpha Ethan looked at me who had just entered the door with an unhappy face. I took out the herbal medicine bag in my hand and shook it. “I just found a human pharmacist with good skills. Just when you are back, I will make it for you to soak your feet in the evening,” I explained. His eyes looked at the medicine bag for a moment. “Yeah,” he replied casually. My tense heart relaxed immediately and I handed the medicine bag to the housekeeper and walked over to push him naturally. Unexpectedly, I was pushed away by the woman behind him—Lila Blackwood. “Ava, this is Lila, the private Healer that Declan hired for me. She will arrange my daily care in the future, just listen to her instructions.”

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After I died, my parents signed the organ donation consent form, transplanting my retinas into their most cherished adopted daughter, Felicity. Without me, they finally became a real family. My whole life, I’d fought with Felicity, only to end up with nothing but a bleak, desolate fate. Reborn, I decided to live my own life, and unexpectedly, I found a happy ending. I was reborn, back to the very day Felicity came to our home. If I’d been reborn just a little earlier, maybe I could have prevented Felicity’s biological parents from dying, or perhaps I could have threatened to kill myself to stop my parents from adopting her. But now, she was already home. It was too late for any drama. Felicity was the daughter of my father’s respected mentor, a renowned artist who had her late in life, and she was cherished like a precious gem. She showed extraordinary artistic talent but suffered from an unknown eye condition, with her sight fluctuating and the constant risk of blindness. Her parents had taken Felicity everywhere seeking treatment, but they died in an accident, leaving young Felicity orphaned. Felicity’s childhood was truly tragic, which is why my parents, at first sight, decided to treat her as their own, even valuing her more than me, their biological daughter. “Chloe, haven’t you always wanted an older sister? From now on, Felicity will be your sister. Aren’t you happy?” My parents looked at me with loving eyes, hoping I would genuinely accept this adopted sister. My seven-year-old self, in my previous life, was indeed happy. I thought the world had given me a warm new family member, and I was eager to share my love with this gentle-looking sister. I never imagined Felicity was a thief, not wanting to share my parents’ love, but to steal it all for herself. “Chloe, Dad knows you’re a sensible girl. Felicity’s health isn’t good. Even though you’re the younger sister, we need you to help Mom and Dad take care of her. Can you do that?” Before I could even open my mouth, tears were already welling in Felicity’s eyes. “I know my sister will have a hard time accepting me. Who wants to share their family’s love? Sister, don’t worry, I’ll just go to an orphanage.” Sometimes I truly suspected Felicity had also been reborn. How could an eight-year-old girl be so manipulative? I hadn’t even expressed any opposition, and she was already branding me as a jealous, difficult child. Mom gently wiped Felicity’s tears. “Don’t cry, Felicity, it’s bad for your eyes.” “Why are you still calling us ‘Uncle’ and ‘Auntie’? We told you, from today on, we’re your Mom and Dad.” Felicity lifted her small, innocent face, clear tears still clinging to her lashes. She looked so overwhelmed and grateful, anyone would feel sorry for her. “Waaah, I have a Mom and Dad now!” At that moment, the three of them hugged, crying together, and no one remembered to ask for my opinion. Felicity just had that kind of power.

That night, my parents made Felicity and me share a room. I lay quietly, unable to sleep, my mind racing with how to become independent and leave this family as soon as possible. After everything in my previous life, I understood: from the moment Felicity entered this home, my Mom, Dad, and even my brother, all became her sole possessions. Late in the night, Felicity quietly got out of bed beside me. I squinted, pretending to be asleep, and watched her head straight for my parents’ room. “Waaah, Mom, Dad, it’s so dark, my eyes hurt so much, I’m so scared!” My overly compassionate parents, blinded by sympathy, didn’t even stop to think how Felicity, in such an unfamiliar environment, could have found their room so easily in the middle of a sudden “eye attack.” They just hugged Felicity tightly, their eyes welling up with tears in distress. “Don’t be afraid, Felicity, Mom and Dad are here.” Felicity trembled, burying herself in Mom’s arms, looking utterly terrified. “Mom, Dad, can I really stay in this home? Waaah, just now my sister…” Overhearing this, my heart sank. The next second, Dad stormed into my room without a word, pulling me out of bed while I was still pretending to sleep. “What did you say to Felicity?! How can you be so insensitive? Felicity has been sick since she was little, and her background is so tragic. Can’t you just give in to her?!” “Don’t be like that, Chloe is still young. Just teach her, she’ll understand!” Mom said she was trying to calm Dad down, but she was still holding Felicity tightly, not even attempting to come over and shield me. In the end, they took Felicity back to their room, leaving me, dressed only in thin pajamas, shut outside my own door. Before, Mom used to check on me in the middle of the night, tucking me in before she left. They seemed to have forgotten I was just a seven-year-old child. I also feared the dark, the cold, and I was at an age when I needed my parents’ love the most. In my previous life, Felicity often did this. She would fake an eye flare-up, then, while my bleeding-heart parents were overwhelmed with sympathy, she’d invent baseless lies to badmouth me. As a young child, I gradually realized the danger. Ever since she arrived, I, their sweet and adorable little daughter, had turned into a “bad girl” in my parents’ eyes. So, I began to secretly compete with Felicity, always trying to outdo her. Anything Felicity had, I had to have too. But Felicity was skilled at playing innocent in front of people, appearing gentle, timid, and always deferring. My parents felt even more indebted to her. I fought with Felicity my entire life, but I could never win against her. Even my brother, who used to dote on me, fell under Felicity’s spell. Everyone in the art world knew that the Davidsons had a pitiful, talented adopted daughter, Felicity, and a rude, jealous, good-for-nothing biological daughter, Chloe. This time, I decided not to compete with Felicity anymore. I would live the life I truly wanted.

The next morning, Felicity and my parents’ joyful laughter drifted from the dining room. I quietly walked downstairs and saw Felicity sitting in *my* seat, using my favorite tableware. When they saw me, the previously harmonious atmosphere suddenly shattered, as if *I* were the outsider who had intruded on their family. A flicker of awkwardness crossed Mom’s face. “Chloe, why are you up so early today? Felicity doesn’t have her own tableware yet, so she’s using yours. Can you use Liam’s set, please?” “No, thanks. I don’t like taking other people’s things.” The moment those words left my mouth, everyone understood I was mocking Felicity. Dad seemed to still be upset about me “bullying” Felicity yesterday; his usually kind expression turned incredibly sour. I glanced at the milk, sandwich, and bacon and eggs on the table—all things Felicity liked to eat. I was lactose intolerant and usually had porridge for breakfast. “Oh dear, I forgot! You can’t drink milk. I’ll make you some soy milk in a bit,” Mom quickly interjected, trying to smooth things over, desperate to hide the fact that she paid more attention to her adopted daughter than to me. *Slam!* Dad slammed his cup on the table, scolding me with displeasure in his voice. “Why so particular? You spoil her too much! At such a young age, you’ve indulged her into being so wild! We need to take Felicity to transfer schools, no time to waste!” The old me would have been heartbroken by those words, throwing a tantrum without a second thought. But now, my heart was numb. I silently sat at a corner of the table, watching Felicity, who was eating with her head down, a hint of a triumphant smile playing on her lips. But when she looked up again, her small face was filled with sorrow. “Dad, don’t talk about my sister like that. My sister isn’t like me; she was pampered with love since she was little, so it’s natural for her to be a bit willful. It just shows how much you love her.” My overly compassionate parents were once again moved to tears. How could there be such an angelic little girl in the world? In comparison, I, who had everything since childhood yet was so headstrong, seemed utterly insensitive. The disappointment in their eyes when they looked at me deepened. But I didn’t care. In my previous life, I had practically cut ties with my parents, and I no longer cared what they thought of me. I could have easily charmed Felicity, acting as a brainless, easily controlled younger sister. Then I would still be my parents’ good daughter, picking up whatever scraps of affection they left over from Felicity. But I would make Felicity understand that the family love and affection she so painstakingly gained were worthless in my eyes.

By the time “the family of three” returned home after handling the school transfer, I had already voluntarily cleared out my original room, moving all my belongings into the unoccupied guest room. It wasn’t that I was giving way to Felicity on purpose; it was simply to preserve my own personal space. Dad gently patted my head and said, “Chloe is so sensible, truly Dad’s good daughter.” A young child might have gloated over those words, but reborn, I understood the unspoken meaning: I had to sympathize with Felicity at every turn, sacrificing my own happiness for hers, to be worthy of being his “good daughter.” Felicity burst into my room without asking, wanting to look around. When she saw the complete set of art supplies my parents had bought for me earlier, her small face suddenly turned pale, and she weakly collapsed into Mom’s arms, sobbing. “Waaah, I wish I could paint carefree like my sister!” Mom looked at me uneasily, hesitating for a long time before finally speaking. “I’m sorry, Chloe, but to consider Felicity’s feelings, could you put away your painting things for now?” Here we go again. Ever since Felicity appeared, my living space had been constantly squeezed, to the point where I wasn’t even allowed to have my own hobbies and dreams. It was the same in my previous life. Felicity’s eyes weren’t good, so she couldn’t paint for long periods, which meant I was also forced to drastically cut down my painting time. I was a painter’s daughter, yet I couldn’t buy art supplies freely or attend art classes, simply because seeing them would upset Felicity. But Felicity could cuddle in Dad’s arms, learning to paint hand-in-hand. Every one of her works was exquisitely framed, while my paintings had to be hidden at the very bottom of my art box. It even came to the crucial moment of our art school entrance exams. Felicity’s vision suddenly flared up during the exam, preventing her from completing her test, and she swapped our names on the canvases when submitting them. When the admission results came out, I immediately recognized that the excellent artwork labeled with Felicity’s name was actually mine. I begged my parents to intervene for me, but they just held a sobbing Felicity, urging me to be more generous. “Chloe, you can always retake the exam next year, but Felicity doesn’t have much time left! You know she could go blind at any moment!” “Felicity has been so pitiful since she was little, just let her have this! You’ll definitely get in next year!” It was easy for them to say. They had no idea how much time I, with less natural talent than Felicity, had secretly spent practicing, painting in the dark every night, nearly ruining my own eyes. I broke down, screaming: “She stole my Mom and Dad, and now she wants to steal my life too?! Give me my spot back, or I’m leaving this house forever!” My resistance didn’t bring my parents any remorse, only a furious slap from my father. “If it weren’t for Felicity’s eyes, do you think you could have beaten her? You have no talent for painting at all, you’d just be bottom of the class at an art school!” I clutched my stinging cheek, unable to believe those words came from my own father. In the end, Felicity still took my place at art school. I, meanwhile, was mocked by everyone in the art world for losing to an adopted daughter with poor eyesight. My artistic dreams shattered, and I lived a mediocre life. Reborn, I had lost all passion for painting. So, in front of my parents, I threw that set of painting tools into the trash. Dad’s face immediately darkened, but they knew they were in the wrong and just awkwardly left with Felicity.

When summer arrived, my older brother, Liam, who usually studied abroad, returned home for a reunion, mainly to meet the legendary new sister, Felicity. Just like in my previous life, Liam was utterly captivated by Felicity the first time he saw her. Felicity had wrapped a cloth around her face, stumbling around the living room like a blind person, then “accidentally” fell into Liam’s arms during their first meeting. Felicity blushed, saying in a delicate voice, “Because I don’t know when I’ll go blind, I want to learn to live in darkness first, so I won’t be a burden to Mom, Dad, and my brother later.” Felicity was so good with words. She subtly excluded me, her sister, and hinted to Liam that I didn’t get along with her. The passionate young Liam was too stunned to speak. The girl before him was as endearing as a delicate, innocent-looking heroine from a K-drama. He instantly vowed in his heart to take care of Felicity for the rest of his life. My parents suggested we all go out and have a fun day to welcome Liam home. I didn’t want to go. They were a harmonious family of four; what did I, their willful, jealous, spoiled, unloved younger daughter, have to do with it? But Felicity just had to stir up trouble, shrinking into a corner and letting tears roll down her face. “Mom, Dad, you should just take my brother and sister. It would be so depressing if I were there when you all have your family reunion.” Liam panicked, gently wiping Felicity’s tears. “Why would you say that? We’re already a family!” Felicity feigned shyness, trying to evade Liam’s hand, while casting a timid glance at me, as if making a silent accusation. Liam immediately glared at me. “Chloe! Why are you bullying Felicity? How did you become this kind of person? You weren’t like this before!” What kind of person did I become? The ones who changed were clearly *you*. Mom, who once thought of me in every way; Dad, who was strict but gentle; and my brother, who always protected me—they had all become strangers. I simply gave a cold laugh, looking Liam directly in the eyes. “Why don’t you let Felicity answer? How did I bully her? I even gave her my room; what else isn’t she satisfied with?” Felicity, guilty, instinctively avoided my gaze. Her frightened look only fueled Liam’s protective instincts, and he shouted at me without restraint, “It’s that condescending attitude of yours that hurt her! Felicity just arrived at our house, it’s only right for you to give in to her!” Suddenly, I felt like an enemy who needed to be vanquished, and he, Liam, was the prince protecting his princess. My overly compassionate parents only took sides. “Chloe, your brother is rarely home; don’t make him angry. Go apologize to your brother and Felicity.” I scanned this family, whose favoritism extended all the way to Antarctica, and answered firmly, word by word, “Anything Felicity wants, I can give it up, because I don’t care. But make me apologize? No way!” After throwing out those words, I locked myself in my room, shutting out Liam’s enraged shouts. Afterward, the family of four happily spent the entire day out. No one remembered to call to check on me, and no one remembered to bring me back any food. If it were the me from my previous life, I would have been incredibly wronged, starving myself or even running away from home to make my parents feel guilty. But now, I knew such actions were futile and would only torment my own body. I cooked myself a rich bowl of instant noodles, and while eating, I laid out the study guides I had secretly bought. Since being reborn, I had diligently studied and improved myself, not daring to slack off for a single day. This time, I wanted to forge my own path through my own efforts. After careful consideration, I decided to study medicine.

My seven-year-old self retained the intellect of my twenty-something self from my previous life, which meant I far surpassed Felicity academically. Felicity’s ‘white lotus’ acts worked on my overly compassionate family, but they were useless against school teachers. Failing an exam meant failing an exam. At the end of the semester, I ranked first in my grade, while Felicity was at the bottom. Every time she was called in for a parent-teacher meeting due to her poor grades, Felicity would cry, claiming she was too stressed and her eye condition flared up. Yet, she stubbornly refused to transfer to a special needs school. Every exam week, she would disrupt the peace of our home. To accommodate Felicity’s feelings and prevent her from being looked down upon by classmates due for being an adopted child, my overly compassionate parents decided both of them would attend Felicity’s parent-teacher conference, even though our grade levels had parent-teacher conferences on the same day. My bleeding-heart parents couldn’t possibly have been unaware that I was being mocked and bullied by my classmates because of their favoritism, being called a child who was born but not loved. Every time they needed to inconvenience me for Felicity, they pulled out the same old, tired, brainwashing rhetoric I’d heard countless times: “Felicity isn’t well, and her background is so sad. Just give in to her.” But I didn’t care, because knowledge gave me the greatest power. I used my after-school hours to study ahead, and at twelve, I skipped grades, becoming the youngest high school student in our city’s history. Overnight, my name became famous. Everyone knew the Davidsons had a child prodigy daughter. Dad’s phone rang off the hook daily with calls from people in high society, wanting me to befriend or even get engaged to their children. But again, to cater to Felicity’s feelings, Dad turned down all those invitations. He never considered how beneficial connecting with high society could be for my future. Of course, how could I compare to his precious darling, Felicity? The day my acceptance letter arrived, the Principal and newspaper reporters personally came to our house to deliver it. But they were met only by the fleeting backs of my parents rushing out. How could Felicity allow me to draw my parents’ attention? She simply claimed she had a headache, and my parents, without a second thought, whisked her off to the hospital, not even taking the time to greet the Principal. Even though I had long given up hope on my overly compassionate parents, at that moment, I still felt a touch of injustice and powerlessness. The Principal looked at me deeply and said earnestly, “Our school doesn’t have boarding students, but if you want to stay in the dorms, you can apply in advance, and I’ll arrange it for you.” The Principal’s hand, as she gently stroked my head, was so warm. I hadn’t felt such care and concern from an elder in a long time. I couldn’t help but shed tears in front of her. It was because of that tear that I gained the two truly important people in my life.

As the school year approached, I couldn’t wait to move out of that loveless home and into the school dorms. The day I left, my parents were once again dispatched to the hospital by Felicity. Liam, though home for the holidays, showed no inclination to help me pack. He just watched me busy myself, then finally tossed out, “This house will finally be quiet.” I hoisted the last bag of luggage into the taxi, not even sparing Liam a glance. The room Principal Thompson had prepared for me was excellent, seemingly converted from an unused faculty dorm, a comfortable studio apartment. I spent a day cleaning the dorm until it was neat and cozy, then went to a bookstore and bought a huge stack of study guides. High school coursework would be heavier; I had to work even harder to outcompete everyone. On the first day of school, as expected, I was ostracized by the other students. They heard the Principal had made an exception to arrange a dorm for me, and immediately labeled me as someone with connections. “Oh, look, here comes the 12-year-old genius!” “Is the prodigy scared to live alone in the dorm? Will she cry for her mom at night?” “Let the prodigy sit by the water cooler. Maybe she’ll need to mix some baby formula during breaks.”

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As the true daughter, I was asked to donate a kidney to the adopted daughter. I pulled out my cancer diagnosis: “I’m sick, I can’t donate.” My eldest brother, Alex, flung the diagnosis in my face. “Liar! Do you know falsifying hospital documents is illegal?” My second brother, Ryan, his eyes red, clamped onto my wrist. “I know you’re jealous of Serena. Are you really going to let her die just to win favor?” My mother, Eleanor, cried, cursing me for being cold-blooded. “Serena’s dying! What’s wrong with giving her a kidney?!” My father, Robert, shattered my last shred of hope with a slap. “Your life’s only value is to save Serena. Don’t be ungrateful.” After being thrown out of the house, I swallowed a massive dose of sleeping pills, lying in bed, calmly waiting for death. But the Cancer Research Institute called me: “Miss Davies, why did you suddenly request to stop the drug clinical trial?” I sighed, defeated. “I’m sorry, I’m a little busy right now.” “Can we talk tomorrow?”

The project leader on the other end, Julian, fell silent for a moment. He asked in a meticulous tone: “Miss Davies, when you signed the consent form, you promised me you’d see it through to the end.” “You’ve been so proactive with every treatment. Why the sudden change of heart?” I sighed, a headache throbbing, not because of him, but because the expected sleep never came. It was probably the resistance from relying on sleeping pills for my usual insomnia. Good thing I had a backup plan. I lay in the simple folding bathtub and slowly brought the razor to my wrist. “Sorry, I’m a little busy right now.” “Can we talk tomorrow?” Julian was stubbornly insistent. “What are you busy with?” I watched the blood bloom in the water, hesitating. Should I tell him I was busy dying? While I was still conscious, I quickly mass-texted my family. Attached was a selfie, the screen awash in crimson. “You wanted my kidney, right? Come collect the body!” “If you’re late, I’ll bleed out, and the kidney won’t be fresh.” My eldest brother, Alex: “You must have spent a fortune Photoshopping that.” “According to the tech I developed, if that blood loss were real, you’d be unconscious already.” “Charlotte Davies, stop acting. If you really want to die, jump off a building.” My fingers trembled, fumbling for the keys. “Your software sucks. You need to send it back to the drawing board.” In the SnapChat chat, a red exclamation mark popped up. System notification: Message sent, but rejected by the recipient. My second brother, Ryan, rapidly sent several messages: “You’re such a drama queen; Hollywood really missed out without you.” “If you truly wanted to donate, why didn’t you just come home? Stop pretending!” “I saw right through you after Serena’s engagement party, you phony!” I was getting dizzy from the rapid blood loss.

That day, it was Serena’s engagement party, but I was the one who went viral, trending everywhere. “Wardrobe Malfunction Steals the Show! The Real Heiress’s Raw Beauty Outshines the Socialite’s ‘Perfect’ Image.” Serena wept, accusing me of humiliating her. Alex said I used despicable tactics to steal Serena’s spotlight on her most important day. Ryan had my dress ripped off me. “You don’t deserve to wear something I made with my own hands!” Dad’s single phrase, “family discipline,” had me confined in the attic for seven whole days. Nothing but water. No food. I developed insomnia, terrified of the dark. From then on, I became withdrawn and quiet. Dad seemed quite proud, believing my newfound obedience was a result of his ‘effective’ parenting. “You came back and turned this house upside down. I truly wish you’d never come back.” His words pierced me, my eyes stinging. I opened Mom’s voice message, clinging to a final sliver of hope. “Charlotte, are you threatening your mother?” Her voice was tearful: “Serena is as much a daughter of the Davies family as you are.” “She’s sick, and as her older sister, you should help her!” “You can’t hate her because of what happened to you when you were little!” I stared up at the ceiling. A true daughter, stolen and sold in childhood, then found again, was nothing but vulgar in their eyes, not worth a single strand of the adopted daughter’s hair. But I, foolishly oblivious, had tried so desperately to win their approval. The moment they invited me to a family dinner, I rushed home, eager. Seeing the birthday cake, I couldn’t contain my excitement and surprise. After so many years, they finally remembered my birthday, finally ready to accept me! Just as I reached for the gift box, Alex smacked my hand away. “That’s Serena’s birthday gift. Who told you to touch it?” I felt a pang of confusion, watching Serena, surrounded and adored, blow out the candles amidst joyous laughter. “So, why did you call me home?”… I listened several times before I understood what they meant. “You want me to donate a kidney to Serena?” I pulled out my cancer diagnosis. “I’m sick, I can’t donate.” “Can’t donate, or don’t want to donate?” Alex scolded my hypocrisy, and Ryan raged that I’d disregard someone’s life just to compete for attention. Mom’s tearful curses and Dad’s slap utterly shattered the last bit of hope I had for the Davies family. I gave a bitter laugh. “Should the true daughter’s blood just drain dry for the sake of the adopted one?” I clutched my phone, feeling like I was squeezing my own heart, my face numb with pain. “Are you going to save your beloved Serena or not?” “If you are, come collect the body.” Mom’s tone was reproaching, as if speaking to an unruly child. “Charlotte, stop acting up. I can’t leave.” “Serena needs me.” Dad’s messages, as always, vanished without a trace. I stared at the silent chat list, muttering to myself, “Didn’t you want my kidney?” “Now that I’m willing to give it, why don’t you want it anymore?”… “Miss Davies, are you still there?” I slowly came back to myself, dropping my hand weakly. “I’m so sorry, I really can’t help you.” “However, I’d be very happy to donate my body to your research.”

I slept restlessly, plagued by nightmares. Sporadic noises drifted into my ears, like someone speaking. When I woke again, Julian’s voice rang above my head. He was pressing hard on my wrist wound, his tone edged with a furious grit. “Miss Davies, did you take pills too?” I smiled, dazed, a flicker of pride in my voice. “Yup! Sleeping pills!” “I saved them up for two months!” Julian rushed me into the emergency room, but a man swiftly cut in front of him. “Doctor, my sister was scratched by a stray cat; she needs a vaccine!” Hearing the familiar voice, I sharply looked up, staring intently at the backs of the two people ahead. What a coincidence. It was my second brother, Ryan, and Serena. “Why did you have to go feed that stray cat? It’s none of your business if it starves to death.” Serena whimpered, looking aggrieved. “Ryan, that’s the cat Charlotte often feeds.” “I saw she wasn’t around, so I wanted to help.” Ryan looked at the three bloodied scratches on her hand, his doting expression twisting into irritation and anger. “This is all Charlotte Davies’s fault, getting you hurt.” I struggled to make sense of it. Mimi? She’s so timid, she hides so well. How did Serena find her? Julian, seeing them cut in line, scowled and moved to argue. I stopped him, weakly saying, “Let’s go to another hospital.” Julian glared. “Change? Change what? You need your stomach pumped, we can’t wait!” The doctor’s ears perked up, and she instantly looked at me, her eyes wide. “Charlotte Davies, is that you?” I recognized her as my clinic doctor and gave her a helpless smile. Hearing my name, Serena immediately looked over. Catching sight of my wound, she turned pale with fright, backing away repeatedly until she stumbled into Ryan’s arms. Ryan frowned, as if suppressing disgust as he glanced at my wound. A few seconds later, a mocking smile twisted his lips. “How much ketchup did you waste on that outfit?” “The wound’s quite realistic though. Are you really trying to fool people even at a hospital?” The doctor pushed him aside. “Sir, this lady’s condition is more serious. I need to see her first.” As Julian carried me past, Ryan shielded Serena. His eyes were wary, as if I were the most dangerous virus on earth, capable of harming his beloved sister. The doctor bandaged my wound and arranged for my stomach to be pumped. She looked hesitant. “Even with late-stage cancer, don’t give up hope.” I deliberately laughed exaggeratedly, pretending nothing was wrong. “You misunderstood.” “Every time I come here, you all say there’s nothing you can do.” “So I just learned from the ancients and tried bloodletting myself.” Ryan’s eyes were filled with disdain and contempt. “Charlotte Davies, aren’t you getting a little too deep into character?!” “A tiny scratch, a few pills, and you’re making a scene at the hospital saying you’re suicidal.” “Now you’re upgrading the drama, playing a cancer patient. Do you really need to go this far just to compete with Serena for attention?” The doctor was annoyed. “She’s my patient, I know her condition!” Ryan eyed me and the doctor back and forth, as if so enraged he found it funny. “Bravo, Charlotte Davies.” “You’re even colluding with doctors just to avoid donating a kidney to Serena.” I shrugged, a faint smile playing on my lips. “If you’d come earlier, my kidney would’ve been yours.” “Now it’s too late. I promised to donate my body to the institute.” Julian suddenly stepped forward, grabbing Ryan’s collar. “She’s this sick, and you still want her to donate a kidney? Are you even human?” Ryan violently shook him off, both angry and amused. “What’s it to you?” “It’s only right for her to save her own family!” My throat choked up, and I gave a bitter laugh. “How do I deserve to be family with Miss Serena Davies?” “Did you ever treat me as family?” Ryan’s face stiffened, then he clenched his jaw, suppressing his anger. “You’re a Davies daughter, living in luxury, you want for nothing. What else do you want?” “Just wait till you get home; Dad will teach you a lesson!” My ears buzzed, and my cheeks faintly stung, as if a burning slap had just landed on my face again. My fingers dug into the edge of the table, my whole body trembling uncontrollably, my voice squeezed through clenched teeth. “Do I even have a home?” “Don’t forget, you threw me out.” Ryan’s face darkened, veins throbbing on his forehead. “It was clearly your spoiled tantrum that made you run away.” He mumbled softly, “We just said a few things to you.”

Julian gently squeezed the IV tube, cool liquid with his body warmth slowly entering my veins. When I woke, I couldn’t help but marvel, “You’re truly dedicated to your patients.” Julian’s face looked a bit unnatural. “You’re not just my patient; you’re also my friend.” I was startled by the answer, taking a moment to process it. Julian’s lowered lashes fluttered. “Of course, maybe it’s just me unilaterally thinking you’re my friend.” “No, no, no, I’d be honored to be your friend!” “I thought geniuses like you only liked making friends with other geniuses.” I paused. “I’m just surprised you’d even consider me.” Julian frowned and pursed his lips, lost in thought. After a moment, he slowly raised his eyes, his earlobes flushing, his expression incredibly serious. “Charlotte Davies, you are the kindest, most understanding person I’ve ever met.” “When I start talking about my research, I can’t stop, and everyone else gets annoyed, but you listen patiently and ask questions.” “When you look seriously into my eyes and smile at me, it makes me really happy.” “In my heart, you’re amazing.” My eyes grew warm, and I turned my head, feigning nonchalance. “As a friend, do I get any special privileges?” Julian lowered his head to check his phone, then said earnestly, “I just asked my AI.” “As a friend, I have an obligation to be there for you when you need me.” “So, is there anything you want to do?” Julian drove me back to the apartment complex, and I softly called out, “Mimi.” A rustling sound came from the bushes. A tabby cat peeked out, looking around warily, then emerged when it saw me. It circled my legs, rubbing against me and meowing affectionately. After making sure Mimi was okay, I got up to leave. Julian spoke up. “I thought you’d take her home.” “You really like her, and she likes you too.” I fell silent for a moment, my chest heavy. I had thought about adopting her too. But when Mom found out, she said stray cats carry all sorts of germs, bad for people. I mustered my courage and said, “I’ll take her to get her shots!” The dinner table went quiet for a moment, Mom looking a little awkward. Alex scoffed. “Charlotte Davies, Mom’s giving you an out, can’t you tell?” “Let me tell you, no cats allowed in this house, because Serena doesn’t like them!” “Whatever Serena dislikes, anything you say is useless.” I murmured, “I don’t have a home, so how can I give her one?” That was just where I was staying, dependent on others. I composed myself and asked Julian, “Do you know anywhere with a really, really tall building?” Seeing his confusion, I quickly explained, “The ancients used to say you could reach out and pluck stars from the sky, and I want to try that too.” He nodded. “I know a place where the stars are beautiful.” “I’ll make a call to set it up.” A shadow fell over me. I exhaled slowly, looking up. “Where are we going next?” It wasn’t Julian. I stared blankly at Mom and Alex.

Alex eyed me up and down. I instinctively hid my injured hand behind my back. His brows furrowed into a deep V. “A few days out on your own and you’ve made a mess of yourself. I’m embarrassed to even say you’re a Davies.” Here we go again. Next would be— “You’re both Davies daughters, but how can you be so different from Serena?” “Did you feed everything you learned in etiquette class to the dogs?” Mom’s eyes welled with tears. “Charlotte, just come home.” “You and Serena are sisters, you should help each other.” Help? I swayed for a moment, understanding her meaning, a sharp pain shooting through my wrist wound. Alex crossed his arms, a flicker of irritation in his eyes. “Mom, don’t spoil her.” “Is the Davies home a hotel? You can just leave and come back whenever you want?” “You can come home, but first, you apologize properly to Serena.” “I’ll arrange the kidney donation. That way, Serena will surely forgive your past mistakes.” My body stiffened, my face expressionless. “What did I do wrong? Why should I apologize?” Alex rubbed the bridge of his nose hard, a look of impatience and exhaustion on his face, as if he’d reached his limit of tolerance. “You leaked company secrets and tried to climb into Daniel Chen’s bed, Serena’s fiancé. Do you have no shame?” I opened my mouth, my throat dry. “I didn’t do that.” Alex laughed, enraged. “Enough! Caught red-handed, you think we’re all blind?” “If Daniel hadn’t recognized you in time and prevented a major disaster, Serena’s lifelong happiness would have been utterly ruined by you.” “How could the Davies family have given birth to such a manipulative daughter like you?” “I’m truly grateful Mom and Dad brought Serena home that year, not you!” Alex’s eyes held no warmth, looking at me the same way he’d look at trash on the street. My mind went blank, and I helplessly looked at Mom. Mom’s expression had flattened. “Charlotte, Serena was generous back then, she pleaded for you, otherwise, if this had blown up, you would have gone to jail.” “Listen to your mother. Give Serena a kidney.” “Whatever happened before, right or wrong, will be completely wiped clean.” My nails dug deep into my palms, a cold chill running through my body, my voice coming out raspy and despairing. “Mom… I didn’t do any of that. Why don’t you believe me?” Suddenly, someone pulled me behind them. Julian glared at them, angry and anxious, then looked solemnly at me. “Charlotte Davies, your body is your own.” “Not even your own mother has the right to force you to do anything!” He finished speaking and pulled me, intending to leave. Mom shouted, stopping me. “Charlotte, where are you going?” Alex’s arm muscles tensed, a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes. “Charlotte Davies, Mom and I have said all the nice things we can.” “If you leave today, the Davies family will consider you no longer their daughter!” My steps faltered, my lips trembling slightly, all the blood in my body rushing backward. My gaze finally landed on the brightly lit room in the distance. I once thought that was my forever home. I fiercely squeezed my eyes shut, forcing back the tears brimming in my eyes, and finally, gave a liberated smile. “Fine. I don’t care about being a Davies daughter anyway!” Julian took me to an observatory by the sea. I gazed blankly at the sky dotted with stars, feeling as if I were immersed in a galaxy. “It’s beautiful.” Julian’s face showed a rare, boyish, proud smile. “I knew you’d like it.”

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I stood by Jasper while he built his fortune from the ground up, remaining by his side for ten years. Yet, once he achieved success, the first thing he did was propose to Phoebe. He said people often yearn for what they couldn’t have in their youth. He claimed his feelings for Phoebe were just unfinished business, asking me to wait a little longer. But I was out of time. Each day he spent wrapped up with Phoebe felt like a countdown to my end. … In the office, I accidentally walked in on Jasper and Phoebe during their secret rendezvous. The typically reserved CEO of Jasper’s Corporation was embracing Phoebe. His eyes turned dark, with a hint of red at the edges. My heart sank, and I stood frozen in shock, not even noticing the documents slipping from my hands. Jasper quickly covered Phoebe’s exposed back and stared at me with intensity, “Get out!” His tone was cold and harsh, as if I were some bothersome presence. Unable to bear those icy eyes any longer, I fled. The scene kept replaying in my mind, making my stomach churn. I stumbled into the bathroom, clutching the sink as I vomited. The pain in my stomach and the mental fog overwhelmed me. I didn’t know how long it took before Jasper finally came looking for me. He approached, still carrying Phoebe’s lingering scent. The smell made me nauseous again, so I distanced myself and said, “This is the ladies’ room.” Jasper paused, then locked the door. “Is this enough for you?” he said. “Adeline, stop this.” It was laughable—I hadn’t done anything, yet he came to tell me to stop. What was I doing? “You know I only did it to get back at Lydia.” “I know you like me, I…” “You’ve waited ten years already, can’t you wait a little longer?” His calm gaze fell on me, the earlier desires he showed for Lydia now completely gone. I choked. He had known all along. Ten years of hidden love, those feelings I carefully hid away, he knew them all. Yet he kept them at a distance, repeatedly playing out this tragic love drama before me. What did he see me as? A pathetic fool? Or a servant who flawlessly handled both his work and life? Thinking of him with Phoebe made my stomach ache again. The pain twisted my insides, and a metallic taste rose in my throat. Jasper frowned at my trembling form, “Adeline…” I shouted, “Get out!” I frantically grabbed his collar and pushed him out, locking the door and turning back to the sink to vomit again. When I lifted my head, my mouth was full of blood. “Miss Xue, your cancer has advanced to stage four, leading to severe gastrointestinal bleeding. It’s very dangerous,” the doctor sighed repeatedly while looking at my test results. “I recommend hospitalization.” But as I listened, my eyes were blankly fixated on my phone. The company forum’s gossip post had already skyrocketed. The front page showed Lydia in Jasper’s coat, being pulled into his office. When she emerged, her clothes were disheveled, and her lipstick smeared. The contrast between the two photos led many to imagine the worst. Especially since Lydia held a special status as Jasper’s chosen Phoebe, the one who occupied his thoughts for ten years. The comment section was buzzing. “Does this mean Jasper’s Corporation is getting a new boss lady?” “Of course. Lydia dumped him when Jasper’s Family went bankrupt, but he still couldn’t forget her. Now that he’s back on top, he chased her down again. If it wasn’t true love, who’d do that?” “Also, a friend in the secretary’s office said the CEO plans to propose. He’s already secretly preparing.” “What? Is Jasper really going to marry her? What about Manager Xue?” “Adeline? What’s she, anyway? She’s been with the CEO for ten years. If he was going to give her a title, he would have done it by now. Why drag it out and make it so embarrassing?” “I say, the CEO’s stance is clear. She’s been just a manager for all these years, obviously dispensable. Yet she clings like a shadow. I’d have left long ago.” “Staying now, waiting for the boss lady to come in and be humiliated?” Reading those comments, my heart felt pierced. Was my decade of loyalty really so worthless in others’ eyes? And Jasper… I thought again of him and Lydia in the office. Is that what he thinks too? “Miss Xue, what’s your decision?” the doctor asked again, tentatively. Maybe he felt pity for the young life before him. “If you don’t get hospitalized, your life expectancy is less than three months…” Three months. I felt dazed. I looked down, my eyes falling back on those comments. A bitter feeling rippled through me. “Alright. I’ll stay.” After arranging for hospitalization, I requested leave from Jasper via phone. Lying in the hospital bed, I realized it was my first time taking leave in ten years. Jasper always joked that I was a workaholic, with a will of steel, the favorite worker of capitalists. But he didn’t know it was just for him that I endured. I lost my parents young, and Jasper’s Family supported me for ten years, helping me avoid hardships and successfully get into college. But soon after, Jasper’s Corporation went bankrupt, accumulating huge debts. Jasper’s parents couldn’t handle the pressure and jumped to their deaths. The once favored son studying abroad had to drop out and return home to clean up the mess. When I heard, I rushed to Jasper’s Family. The once-bustling household was desolate, and the boy lay among piles of debt contracts, quietly sobbing. That vulnerability struck me deeply. Naively, I thought I could save him, just as his parents had saved me. Driven by a sense of mission, I resolutely went to him, determined to pull him from the mire. The story that followed was cliché. Gradually, under my daily influence, Jasper emerged from his despair and took on his parents’ debt, rebuilding from scratch. Meanwhile, I studied and helped him with the business. In the early days, it was just the two of us, working till exhaustion, often going without sleep, ending up with four dark circles under our eyes. To share his burden, I even attended drinking parties, turning from a non-drinker to someone who could hold her liquor. We lived like that for ten years, achieving today’s success. Jasper cleared all his debts and gloriously bought back Jasper’s Corporation. I thought I had redeemed him. But he told me he had come this far only for the heartless Phoebe who abandoned him. In a daze, I got a call from Jasper. His usual cool tone, “Taking leave for hospitalization? Are you sick? Even a workaholic has days she can’t endure.” “Which hospital? Want me to visit?” His tone was casual, teasing, as if he’d long forgotten the earlier unpleasantness. He always did this, moving on as if nothing mattered besides Phoebe. If I brought up conflicts, I’d seem petty. So I usually let it slide, ignoring things again and again. But this time, I was tired, lacking the energy to follow his lead. I suddenly wondered what expression Jasper would have if he knew I was dying. So I said, “Sure. General Hospital, Building 5, North Wing, Bed 31. Come on over.” Jasper didn’t expect my response and paused. Then he chuckled lightly, “Adeline, your lie is quite detailed.” “Stop joking. I know you’re upset about what happened before. I apologize, okay?” “I shouldn’t have yelled at you in the bathroom.” “But Lydia heartlessly left me when my family went bankrupt. I can’t swallow that.” “I’ve held on for so many years, finally reaching today, just to make her suffer as I did.” “I want her to soar high and then fall hard… Adeline, I’m about to succeed.” “Adeline, help me one more time.” Almost begging, in a way. Knowing me for ten years, Jasper had me figured out. He knew I couldn’t refuse. He sent an address, asking me to help. I looked at it, feeling helpless but eventually packed my things and went. The address Jasper sent was an amusement park under Jasper’s Corporation. I’d been there multiple times during project development, but I didn’t expect it to be the venue for setting up a proposal for Phoebe. Jasper said I was meticulous and suited his needs, specifically appointing me as the general coordinator. Ha, he certainly thought highly of me. The path had to be lined with flowers, the scenery along the way had to be beautiful, and the proposal scene had to be impressive. Even the people playing NPCs had to be ones she liked… A list of demands that made my head spin. So when the park manager asked for my instructions, I waved it off, “Whatever.” This was Jasper’s revenge game, unrelated to me. Besides, was it really just a game to him? Thinking back to the redness in his eyes, I couldn’t be sure. Maybe even he couldn’t guarantee it. So my existence became even more of a joke. Haha, he really does think a lot of me. Moreover, the Path needs to be lined with flowers, the scenery along the way must be exquisite, the Proposal setting should be outstanding, and even the NPC dolls should be ones she likes… He made a slew of such requests, giving me a headache. So when the Amusement Park Manager consulted me, I just waved it off and said, “Whatever.”

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I was five months pregnant when I found out I was carrying a child that belonged to Nolan and his true love. Back then, my father had groomed two childhood friends as potential suitors for me. I bypassed the one he favored and chose Nolan, who seemed uninterested and unambitious. Then one day, as my pregnancy progressed, I overheard a conversation between Nolan and his beloved: “Adeline’s uterine wall is thin, and she risks a miscarriage at any time.” “Nolan, are you really willing to let her risk her life to carry our child?” Nolan remained unmoved. “I’ll compensate Adeline later, but right now, your uterine cancer is the priority.” “Even if it means risking Adeline’s health, I want you to have a child that’s ours.” “You’ve suffered enough. I don’t want you to have any regrets.” “Besides, Adeline only bears 80% of the risk; there’s a 20% chance everything will be fine. Just endure the next five months.” I wiped away my tears and dialed a number I hadn’t called in years. “If I say I regret it, would you still want me?” …

I stood outside the door, feeling like I’d been struck by lightning, cold to the bone. On the other side, a woman’s screams rang out, then gradually subsided. Phoebe’s voice was still laced with seduction: “You didn’t touch her, did you? You promised me, in these last days, you’re mine alone, only crazy for me!” Nolan let out a satisfied laugh. “Such a little temptress, who was just begging for mercy?” Before I could make sense of it, the door opened before me. Nolan’s hair was disheveled, and there was a faint lipstick mark on his collarbone. The man standing before me carried a distinct scent. Nausea hit me hard, my stomach churning with morning sickness. Nolan, still looking pleased, was visibly startled to see me. His expression turned awkward as he noticed my pale face. In a voice still husky with desire, he asked cautiously: “Adeline? How long have you been standing there?” His Adam’s apple bobbed—a sign of his unease. I dug my fingers into my palm, forcing a strained smile. “I was just about to knock.” My throat tightened, and I looked away to control my trembling. “Nolan, I came to ask where you put my calcium tablets. Are you meeting with a guest?” Now was not the time for confrontation. Nolan visibly relaxed, clearing his throat. Before he could answer, Phoebe peeked out from behind him, playfully sticking out her tongue: “Adeline, I have some here.” She pulled out a bottle of calcium tablets, giggling as she handed it to me. “Nolan knows I hate drinking milk, so he’s been stuffing my bag with these since we were kids.” She stomped her foot happily: “He’s so annoying! The house is full of them, and I can’t finish them.” Phoebe, the daughter of Nolan’s family maid, grew up with him. Seeing the familiar pink bottle, I was at a loss. Nolan had once leaned against my belly, proudly handing me this bottle. “I had these calcium tablets specially made for you. Be sure to take them.” He’d said they were precious, only one bottle a month. I chuckled to myself. Inside, I felt barren. What moved me was merely someone else’s leftover. Seeing I didn’t take it, Nolan looked displeased. “What’s your problem now? Who are you giving attitude to?” “Am I giving you too much leeway? You’re making things hard for Phoebe.” In public, Nolan was always accommodating to me, but I was never to upset Phoebe. I used to think it was childhood friendship. Now, I realize I was naive. Five years of marriage, and my husband had his heart elsewhere. Five months pregnant, I was just a vessel. The illusion of happiness from a minute ago was now ashes. I looked at the man before me, who was clearly biased, feeling only disappointment. I gently caressed my slightly swollen belly, speaking in a low voice: “Nolan, it really hurts.” My shoulders shook, tears rolling uncontrollably. “It hurts so much.” Maybe my face looked really bad. Nolan’s dissatisfaction faded, replaced by nervousness. He warmed his hands, cautiously placing them on my belly. I felt no warmth from his palm. A wave of sorrow engulfed me, leaving me sobbing and breathless. Nolan, helpless, helped me sit down, wiping my tears with concern. He squatted in front of me, looking up: “Is it hurting badly?” My tears fell like rain, and I choked out: “Nolan, the doctor said my eggs weren’t good. How did I get pregnant with IVF this time?” For a child of ours, I’d been to the hospital countless times, my hands covered in needle marks. Hormone pills were my meals, and my hair fell out in clumps. The large egg retrieval needle made my whole body tremble with pain. Now I’m told this hard-won embryo is my husband’s and someone else’s.

Even if he could just tell me the whole truth right now… Nolan’s expression stiffened, panic flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained composure. “Don’t overthink it, maybe heaven saw our sincerity.” The faint hope was snuffed out. I lowered my gaze, hiding my turbulent emotions. The life inside me seemed to empathize, contracting suddenly. I placed a hand on my belly, feeling a stab of pain. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a red string on Phoebe’s hand. My gaze lingered; it was what I had prayed for at the Blue Mountain Temple, wishing for Nolan’s safety. Inside, woven with strands of my own hair. Sincerity? More like a joke. Neither of them noticed my change. Nolan handed me a glass of water, intending to feed me, a faint hint of guilt in his eyes. I shook my head, taking it and drinking it all in one go. Steeling myself, I took out my phone and messaged someone, scheduling a surgery. Nolan, feeling inexplicably uneasy, leaned over to look. “Adeline, who are you messaging?” His tone was displeased, tinged with jealousy. After confirming the surgery time, I turned off the screen emotionlessly. “Work stuff.” When Nolan asked, I didn’t miss the malice in Phoebe’s eyes. His unease grew, but Phoebe interrupted, clinging to his arm provocatively. “Nolan, you promised to take me for wedding photos today.” I ignored her. Compared to the child not being mine, nothing else mattered. Nolan licked his dry lips, awkwardly explaining. “Phoebe’s just childish, she wants to take some bridal photos and dragged me to be the groom for fun.” “Don’t mind it.” So the wedding photos were just a casual photo shoot. In five years of marriage with Nolan, we never even had wedding photos, just the one on our marriage certificate. My heart shattered, settling into silence. I gave a faint, indifferent smile, brushing away his hand on my belly. “If you promised her, go ahead.” Nolan sensed something was off, opened his mouth to explain more, but Phoebe tugged him away. He hurried out, reminding me: “Adeline, remember to take the calcium tablets Phoebe gave you. I’ll be back after the photos.” Once they left, I went straight to the hospital. Lying on the operating table, I felt a slight movement in my belly. Sorrow overwhelmed me instantly. I stared at the ceiling, letting tears soak into my hair. “Let’s begin.” Just as the anesthesia started to take effect, my phone rang. Nolan’s apologetic voice came through. “Adeline, the flowers are gone.” With just those words, I staggered off the operating table, rushing back. But I was too late; the blue and pink field of lily of the valley was already charred black. My legs gave out, and I collapsed to the ground. Those flowers were my labor of love. I had traveled the world to find the seeds, planting them one by one on my knees. Even with a big belly, I squatted to weed, nurturing them carefully. Lily of the valley takes five years to bloom, and after five years, this was the year they finally blossomed. Before I could even rejoice, they were destroyed in the fire. I dug through the ashes, my hands trembling, finding even the seeds burned soft. Phoebe shrieked. “How are these still alive!” Her words caught my attention, and I leapt up, cradling the surviving flowers with blackened leaves. Thankfully, there was still hope for a new beginning. Phoebe’s eyes glinted with malice, and I sensed danger. Before I could react, she pretended to trip, pouring boiling water over me. Instinctively, I shielded the flowers, the scalding water cascading down my shoulder. The burn made me flinch, my skin blistering and swelling instantly. The popped blisters clung to my clothes, the friction making the pain unbearable. I looked at the intact seeds and sighed in relief. Failing once, Phoebe changed her face, ruthlessly kicking me aside. “Adeline, what’s your problem? Trying to make Nolan blame me?” She then smashed the hot kettle onto the remaining flower seeds. Lily of the valley is delicate, and the surviving seedlings were all scalded. Nolan looked at me coldly, his words full of disdain. I jerked from the burn, and the skin blistered and reddened immediately. The broken blisters stuck to my clothes, and the friction was so painful that I shuddered uncontrollably. I looked at the intact seeds below and let out a sigh of relief. But my relief was short-lived as Phoebe’s expression shifted dramatically. She kicked me aside without hesitation. “Adeline, what’s wrong with you? Are you trying to make Nolan blame me on purpose?” she snapped, then threw the kettle onto the flower seeds. The delicate lily of the valley seedlings were all withered by the scalding water. Nolan looked at me with disdain in his eyes. “Adeline, you’re about to become a mother, yet you still play these games.” “Phoebe is younger than you, and she should be calling you sister-in-law. Can’t you be a bit more accommodating?” Never have I seen a woman call someone sister-in-law while trying to steal her husband. My heart felt like it had turned to ice.

All I could see was a field of charred lily of the valley. My heart felt like it was being squeezed by a giant hand, the pain making it hard to breathe. Tears fell uncontrollably, leaving trails in the sooty mess. My research, my family, my life’s work was destroyed like trash. What did I gain in the end? I helplessly held the lifeless lilies, feeling lost. Yet I couldn’t help but think of Nolan from six years ago. He stood excitedly in the front row, catching the bouquet at his best friend’s wedding. He rushed toward me, his face alight with excitement, kneeling before me with tears of sincerity in his eyes: “Adeline, will you marry me? I’ll treat you well for a lifetime.” I was moved by his sincerity and, against my better judgment, took the bouquet. The passionate youth was something that could never be regained. The vibrant lilies from the bouquet years ago had gradually turned into the charred land before me. There’s no going back. Never going back. I covered my tears and cried softly. Phoebe was still adding fuel to the fire, arms crossed and watching like a spectator: “Adeline, I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to set up an outdoor barbecue for Nolan. Who knew these flowers would catch fire so easily?” “Nolan, I’m really too clumsy.” Nolan didn’t see Phoebe’s malice, even gently coaxing her. My anger flared up, and I used all my strength to slap Phoebe hard. She was stunned, covering her face and looking at me in shock. Nolan’s eyes widened; he hadn’t expected the usually obedient and tolerant me to dare to confront Phoebe in front of him. He shoved me hard, burning with anger. “Phoebe already said it wasn’t on purpose. Why are you being unreasonable and even daring to hit her?” The force of his push made me fall to the ground, small stones embedding into my palm. He stood in front of another woman, completely forgetting who his wife was. The extreme pain turned into numbness. I no longer hoped for his return, looking at him with exhausted eyes. Nolan’s eyes flickered at my expression, a huge panic almost unstoppable inside him. But he stood there silently for a few seconds, hoarsely offering a truce: “Adeline, let it go, okay? We can plant flowers again later.” After speaking, he bent down to pull me up, but I gently shook off his hand. I shook my head, smiling bitterly. “No more. They can’t be replanted.” Just like my brave heart that once rushed towards him, it will never come back. Nolan’s Adam’s apple moved, thinking he had come up with a compromise. “I’ll have Phoebe drink three glasses of milk as an apology, okay? She’s always hated drinking milk; it’s the biggest punishment for her.” Is this a reward or a punishment? I looked at the man before me, feeling like I was seeing him for the first time. Phoebe pouted and whined. “Nolan, I don’t want to drink milk.” Nolan turned to negotiate with me. “Adeline, how about two glasses?” The scene before me was so absurd it was laughable. I couldn’t hold back and laughed like a madwoman, tears in my eyes. Pain hit me belatedly from where my back hit the stone, followed by a severe ache in my stomach. Warm liquid gushed between my legs. My face turned pale, the smile frozen. I forgot about the child’s existence, overwhelmed by panic. I clutched my stomach nervously, calling out in distress, looking at the man pleadingly. “Nolan, my child! The child!” Nolan instinctively moved to help me, but Phoebe called out and stopped him. Phoebe let out a scream, clutching her calf as she sat on the ground, tears welling up in her eyes. “Brother Nolan, I was just bitten by a snake! I’m so scared. Will I die?” Following her pointing finger, I saw a small green snake, no bigger than a thumb. It bites but is non-venomous and not deadly. Nolan gritted his teeth, glanced at me, and decisively turned to pick up Phoebe. She clung to his collar, her lips pale, deliberately acting like a victim. “Adeline, stop being childish. The doctor said a five-month fetus is stable. It’s not that fragile.” But my body wasn’t suited for pregnancy from the start. My condition is different from most. In the intense pain, I couldn’t speak, biting my lip until it bled. Cold sweat dripped down, and tears blurred my vision. The hesitation in Nolan’s eyes disappeared as he held Phoebe and looked at me coldly. “Adeline, you’ll do anything to bully Phoebe. I’ll deal with you later!” With that, he quickly got into the prepared car and left. The pain in my abdomen drained all my strength, and large beads of sweat formed on my forehead. Blood pooled beneath me. At this critical moment, my mind went blank. I only remembered the child I had carried for five months and hoped for years. Driven by a powerful will to survive, I shakily dialed a number. I felt the life inside me slipping away. The sensation of two hearts beating in unison was gone. My consciousness was blurry, but tears flowed uncontrollably. “Nolan, it really hurts,” I murmured, feeling the grip on my hand tighten suddenly. Then I fell into darkness. In my dream, I saw a petite girl in a purple dress I had embroidered. She waved at me from a field of lilies, her smile radiant. I moved beside her, crouched down, and inexplicably started to cry. A deep sorrow engulfed me. The little girl reached out, wiped my tears, kissed my face softly, and spoke gently, “Mom, don’t be sad.” Tears streamed down my face as I choked, wanting to embrace her small body, only to wake up suddenly, my arms empty. I clutched my now flat abdomen and finally broke down in tears. The man stood silently beside me for a long time, his eyes red with pain. I stayed in the hospital for a week. Nolan called countless times but never visited. On the day I was discharged, the man peeled open a candy and put it in my mouth. “Adeline, it’s all over. It won’t be bitter anymore.” The sweet grapefruit flavor exploded in my mouth, and I smiled. Sunlight filtered through my fingers, shining on my face, and I finally felt reborn.

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On my wedding day, the shocking revelation came: I was responsible for my fiancé’s father’s death. He publicly called off our engagement and, in front of everyone, placed the ring on my cousin’s finger instead. Shamed by the crowd, I made my way down the aisle, not in celebration, but in disgrace. Then, the grandson of New York’s wealthiest man stepped forward, offering a villa as a dowry to marry me, silencing the crowd’s murmurs. Touched by his bold gesture, I accepted. Three years later, with joy in my heart, I brought my ultrasound report to his office, only to stumble upon a conversation between him, his friend Beckett, and my cousin. “So, who do you think the father is? I’m dying to see her reaction.” It turned out I was nothing but a pawn in their cruel game. Wiping away my tears, I called his business rival. “I have something you want, along with a multimillion-dollar proposition. Are you interested?” Laughter echoed through the office, chilling me to the bone. “Declan really has me wrapped around his finger. He orchestrated the murder accusation. She’s been trying to have your child, not knowing her fertility meds were swapped for birth control.” “If I wasn’t curious about whose child it would be, she wouldn’t even have the chance to become a mother.” Declan adjusted his glasses and said, “There’s a 50-50 chance for both of us. Maybe we should bet on whose child it is. The loser buys Adeline three villas on the most expensive land.” With their pride at stake, they agreed. Adeline toyed with my private photos, sitting on the desk, laughing. “I took these photos at the scene. I can’t wait to see her face when she finds out the truth.” Declan placed his glasses on the table, a hint of malice in his voice. “No one should let her find out about this!” Adeline, with a touch of jealousy, said, “Declan, are you feeling sorry for her?” “Not really. I’m just worried that if she finds out, she’ll have an abortion, and the bet will be meaningless.” Declan continued his work without looking up. The photos disturbed him. He casually tossed them but landed them precisely outside the door. Quickly, I grabbed the photos and walked out. The stares from everyone felt like they were stripping me bare. Back home, I poured a glass of strong liquor and downed it in one go. The burning sensation in my stomach brought tears to my eyes, as the office conversations replayed in my mind. The day before the wedding, I had received an anonymous package. The words and photos accused my father of being a murderer, with my fiancé’s father as the victim. He had hugged me and said, “Let’s not let the previous generation’s issues affect ours.” But the wedding I eagerly awaited only brought public humiliation, with words and photos displayed on the big screen, and his abandonment turning me into a social pariah. Declan appeared among the crowd, offering a villa as a dowry to marry me, silencing everyone. He claimed he had loved me all along and if he couldn’t marry me, he wouldn’t marry at all. His determination moved me, but now I know it was all part of their game. No wonder on the wedding day, Adeline’s gaze was filled with a strange smile. She mocked my naivety, proud to have me as her plaything. I endured bitter herbal medicine just to give him a child. The nightly milk I drank before bed, unaware of the person switching it all along. For three years, Declan’s companionship was just a facade to gain my trust. A familiar scent from behind enveloped me as he hugged me, his hand resting on my stomach. “My sources told me you went to the hospital today. Are you pregnant?” He took the glass I drank from, “If you’re pregnant, drinking isn’t good.” Seeing my red eyes, he asked, “Who made my beloved cry? I’ll make them pay.” He wiped my tears carelessly. Then he ordered the maids to remove all the alcohol, telling me to point out anyone who upset me, and he’d deal with them. I shook my head, they were innocent. Yet he had the maid taken away to be fed to the tigers.

I tried to stop him but was taken to see the scene. “She didn’t watch over you, letting you drink alcohol. She deserves to die.” His words could decide life and death. The bloody scene made me nauseous, and I rushed to the bathroom. He looked at me with genuine concern, a stark contrast to his office demeanor. “Let’s go to the hospital. With you feeling this bad, I feel bad too.” I gazed at him, his deep eyes, and nodded along. At the hospital, Adeline and Beckett were at the OB/GYN. The next moment, he asked the doctor for an amniocentesis, and I realized their intention. The doctor was shocked, “The baby is just forming. Anesthesia can’t be used, and it would harm the mother.” “Just do it,” he said, pushing me into despair. I held onto a sliver of hope as he walked over, “It’s just to check if the baby’s okay.” I almost applauded his acting skills. Inside, I heard him impatiently tell the doctor, “Check the DNA for me and him.” The people outside gossiped, “No wonder they’re doing a DNA test so early. She must have done something shameful.” “No anesthesia, it’s definitely not her husband’s child.” The doctor returned, no longer shocked, and was quite rough. I endured the pain, slowly making my way out. The doctor said it’d take a week for the results. Declan wanted to carry me to the car, but Adeline left without looking back. Beckett followed her, and I was left by Declan, who went after Adeline. I clutched my stomach, barely making it to the hospital entrance, blocked by onlookers. “How much for a night? Pregnant women must be interesting.” “She’s free!” I boarded my car amid the insults. Returning home, I found my beloved dog dead in the rain. I ran to hold it. In the distance, Declan was bandaging Adeline’s wound. After his subordinate spoke to him, he glanced my way before resuming the bandaging. He walked over with Adeline, looking down on me. “This mad dog bit Adeline. It needed to be quieted forever.” My eyes reddened as I looked at him. “It’s gentle, never bites.” Adeline weakly touched her bitten hand, catching my eye. “Fiona, are you saying I wronged the dog?” “I don’t even know if I should get a rabies shot.” Declan waved, and the dog was tossed into the trash. I screamed in horror, “No!” “Fiona, it’s just a dog. You want one, I’ll get you another.” Then he left with Adeline. The dog was a birthday gift from my parents. I had told him. Now, because of Adeline’s words, it’s gone forever. Ignoring them, I braved the rain to retrieve the dog and gave it a proper burial.

Inside, I saw his forgotten phone on the table. Ignoring my soaked clothes, I instinctively entered Adeline’s birthday and unlocked it, revealing their sweet wallpaper. My heart ached. On SnapChat, there was a pinned conversation titled “Only One.” I clicked it without thinking. The screen was filled with their discussions about me. Adeline had set her eyes on the man I was to marry. Unable to take him openly, she resorted to underhanded tactics. My fiancé’s father was indeed murdered, but evidence was fabricated to frame my family, leaving my father restless in his grave. Further down, videos of me in bed were in Adeline’s hands, and Declan’s message left me hollow. “She’s not as good as you. You know how to please people.” Adeline: “Then come over tonight. It’s your good brother’s turn there.” Suppressing my anger, I read on, oblivious to the cold. Recent messages revealed they had plans for my dog all along. Adeline: “Your dog always barks at me. I’m scared.” Declan: “Then come over here, and I’ll have a reason to deal with it.” I never thought these words would come from him. In the chat album below, my blood froze. He had once said he urgently needed a necklace for his cousin. Without hesitation, I agreed, except for my most cherished one, he could take any. He laughed, “You’re the best wife. Having you as a sister-in-law is a blessing for her.” Now, that necklace was perfectly worn around Adeline’s neck. I ran to check my cabinet in disbelief, and it was indeed gone. It was my mother’s gift for my 18th birthday. I stared at the photo, noticing a scar on her arm similar to mine. I had known her for so long, she never had a scar. We were close cousins, sharing everything. But after I told her I saved a bloodied Chinese person in No Borders Country, she distanced herself. With work being busy, I didn’t look into it. When we met again, she was Declan’s adopted sister, seemingly holding a grudge against me. Suddenly, it all made sense. “So that’s it.” Declan never knew about the scar on my arm. I hid it with foundation. Checking the time, he’d be back soon looking for his phone. I called his business rival. I used to be very close to my cousin, sharing everything with her right away. Ever since I told her about saving a blood-covered Chinese person in No Borders Country, she started distancing herself from me. I was too busy with work to delve into it, and when I saw her again, she had become Declan’s adopted sister, as if we held a deep grudge against each other. Suddenly, it clicked for me, “So that’s how it is.” Declan never knew about the scar on my arm, which I always covered with foundation. Glancing at the time, I figured he’d soon return to look for his phone. I dialed the number of his business rival. “I can offer you what you want, plus a million-dollar deal. Are you interested?” “What are the conditions?” “Kidnap me in two days.” I gently touched my belly, “Declan will pay for this willingly.” Just as I put down the phone, he walked in, glaring at the phone’s location, displeased with anyone touching his things. His whole demeanor was tense as he looked at me, “You know everything?” I played dumb, “What should I know?” Declan held his head, noticing my clothes were soaked, and urged me to change. He didn’t forget to mention he had just taken Adeline for her rabies vaccine. I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, pulling at my face, realizing I couldn’t smile. The messages on my phone kept replaying in my mind. I desperately washed myself for an hour. Just as I came out dressed, I saw Declan about to go in. “I saw you were in there for so long, worried you might faint.” “You’re not alone now, you’re carrying someone else too. Don’t mess around like that next time.” Before I could respond, he hurriedly left with his men. I started preparing the divorce agreement and the recording.

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