Category: English

I received Lucas’s divorce papers when I was twenty-eight. When we were eighteen, he proposed to me with a ring made of chocolate wrapper. Just ten years. On the day of our divorce. He got into a car accident and his memory reverted to when he was eighteen. That was when he loved me the most. When I received Lucas’s divorce papers, I was already at the airport in Los Angeles, about to fly to London. As I held the documents, I thought, so we’ve finally come to this day. By then, Lucas and I had been separated for exactly two years. Because his lawyer requested that I must return to the States to handle this matter, I canceled my flight from Los Angeles to London and flew back home instead. On the plane, I looked at the wedding ring on my finger, remembering how he cried like a child when he proposed ten years ago. He said he would love me for a lifetime. At that time, I really believed he would love me forever. But people change, don’t they? Two years ago, when I last saw the look in his eyes as he gazed at me, I knew he no longer loved me. There was no use dwelling on it. I closed my eyes, letting the darkness swallow all my thoughts. When I finally set foot on American soil, I understood what it meant to feel anxious as you approach home. Two years wasn’t long, but it was enough to make everything feel unfamiliar. “Sophia! Over here!” A familiar voice called out to me from the crowd. It was Emma. She had been my best friend since high school. I had told her first about coming back and agreeing to divorce Lucas. She wore a beige suit with wavy red lips and large, dramatic metal hoop earrings, looking very stylish. “Give me a kiss, Sophia!” She grabbed me and planted a big kiss on my cheek. I couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. Just as I was about to tease her, she cupped my face and turned it away. “Don’t look, sweetie. It’s trash!” I smiled faintly and shook my head gently. How could I not see Lucas? The entire airport was filled with his various advertisement posters. Yes. My husband. Is a superstar.

“Hmph! Just wait, Sophia. I’ll be your divorce lawyer. That dog Lucas, hiding his marriage all these years and getting tangled up with that Olivia woman. Just based on the photos the paparazzi caught, I can make him suffer even if it doesn’t kill him.” Emma was now a partner at a famous law firm in the country. Watching her righteous indignation, I suddenly remembered that she used to be Lucas’s friend. Even if I lost Lucas, at least I still had her. “My great lawyer Emma, there’s no need to trouble you with such a small matter.” I just wanted to end it quickly. “You’re not planning to ask for nothing, are you?” Emma guessed my answer from my silence. “You… I’ve never seen anyone as foolish as you. When you were eighteen, you also gave up going to London…” Eighteen… Such a distant past. I never want to remember it. “Emma, I don’t want to get entangled with him anymore.” “The ten years I spent with him, I’ve already exhausted all my energy.” Emma didn’t say anything more, just took me to her apartment. “Rest well. I’ll go back to the firm to handle some things.” Once again, I was left alone in the spacious apartment, just like countless times in that house in the north, always just me. I turned on the TV, which was playing an entertainment news segment. “Breaking news, is famous actress Olivia about to tie the knot? There have been persistent rumors of her dating Lucas for years. Now, sweet photos of the two vacationing together in Hawaii have surfaced, seemingly scouting for wedding venues. When asked by reporters, although Olivia didn’t give a definitive answer, the unmistakable smile on her face hinted at happiness. Currently, Olivia is preparing to attend the Cannes Film Festival. All questions will have to wait until she returns!” Hearing this, I was surprised to find that my heart felt no ripples at all. Two years ago, if I had seen or heard Olivia’s name on TV, I would have screamed and smashed the television. Now I truly admire myself. Suddenly, a text message from an unknown number appeared on my phone. [Tomorrow at 9 AM, City Hall.] Efficient. So eager to divorce me, it was to marry Olivia. Perhaps I should even “thank” her. The next day, at 9 AM, I arrived at the entrance of City Hall as agreed. After waiting for nearly two hours, no one showed up. I mustered up the courage and was about to call that number. Suddenly, Emma’s call came in. “Sophia, come to First People’s Hospital quickly. Lucas has been in a car accident.”

“We’re… married?” Unexpectedly, the first thing Lucas said to me when I saw him after two years was this. Everyone in the hospital room looked at me, some wary, some worried. He looked at the ring on my hand, scratching his head, appearing somewhat confused. What’s going on? I glanced at Emma. “His memory has reverted to when he was eighteen,” Emma told me in private. “Due to the severe head trauma, the doctor says his memory is impaired. He only remembers things from before he was eighteen.” “Eighteen?” I murmured. Why! Why did it have to be that year! Because that year, I gave up the chance to study at the Royal Ballet School in London! Because that year, I had a falling out with my parents because of Lucas! Because that year was the beginning of the hell that would become the next ten years of my life! I don’t want to remember! I rushed into the hospital room. “I’ve already divorced you!” I blurted out. “I would never divorce her. My dream is to marry her!” Another voice countered simultaneously. We both froze, Lucas and I. Only his manager wore an “I told you so” expression. “You’re lying to me, aren’t you?” Lucas accused. “There’s no memory loss at all. You’re just pranking me, right?” “This isn’t funny at all. I need to go train!” He made to get out of the hospital bed but was stopped by his manager. “No one is lying to you, Lucas,” I said firmly. “Look carefully! What is this?” I took out our marriage certificate from my bag and threw it in front of him, emphasizing each word: “I don’t care about any memory loss. Today is the day I divorce you. No matter what, I will divorce you!” Lucas looked at the marriage certificate I had thrown, first smiling, then turning pale after hearing my words. “Sophia, you… I…” “That’s right, that’s right. Lucas, didn’t you just go to Hawaii with Miss Olivia to look at wedding venues?” his manager quickly chimed in. “Shut up!” Lucas shouted angrily. I felt a surge of anger and rushed over to pull him up. “Come on, let’s go to City Hall and get divorced!” Lucas was unwilling, but I forcefully pulled him, ignoring his increasingly pale face. “My head hurts so much!” He suddenly clutched his head, his expression pained, and then he fainted. After the doctor examined him, he scolded everyone severely. “The patient has severe depression and just had a car accident. How could you stimulate him like this? Do you want him to have another mental breakdown?” Depression? When did Lucas develop depression? “Don’t mention divorce in front of him anymore, at least not during this period of memory loss.” “This is just temporary amnesia. When all his symptoms stabilize, he will remember everything. Before that, whatever you want to do, please be patient and wait for the patient to recover.” “Especially you, Mrs. Reed. The patient needs you very much right now.” The doctor’s meaning was very clear. But this meant I had to stay by Lucas’s side. I didn’t want to. I looked at the sleeping Lucas, feeling utterly desolate. Why did you have to go back to being eighteen? At eighteen, that was when you loved me the most.

Lucas and I met at North Bay High School. In the second semester of my freshman year, I transferred to North Bay High and was assigned to sit next to him. North Bay High was the most famous high school in the entire North Bay area. My parents hoped that I would achieve excellent results in high school, which would give me a better chance of applying to the Royal Ballet School in London. I had always been an obedient child, never defying them. But North Bay High was primarily focused on college admissions, so they weren’t very welcoming to transfer students like me. So on my first day of school, I was assigned to the very last seat. My desk mate’s seat was empty. Everyone in the class was busy doing practice problems, and no one had time to talk to me. I remained invisible until two months later when Lucas came to school. When he arrived, I was sleeping. I was very dedicated to my ballet practice back then, practicing until midnight every day. So I was always short on sleep during the day. When I woke up, there was no one left in the classroom. I jolted awake in a cold sweat. “Ah! Hello, desk mate!” A pleasant voice sounded above my head. That was the first time I saw Lucas. He was tall, wearing a white tracksuit, with a youthful energy different from others. His face was handsome, with a straight nose, naturally good-looking. But I didn’t have the heart to look at him then. “What class is it now?” “PE, I think.” Heavens! It was the devil Coach Lee’s PE class! For being late, I was punished to run five laps around the track. Lucas came too, and he was punished to run ten laps. I protested, asking why our punishments were different. Coach Lee looked at me somewhat contemptuously and said: “You’re a girl, can you run?” I hated that contemptuous look the most. “I can!” “Then you run ten laps too!” I started running alone, and the other students on the field turned to look. Lucas followed shortly after. “Hey desk mate, don’t push yourself too hard,” he said with a slightly teasing smile. I ignored him. One lap, two laps… five laps… seven laps, nine laps… I gradually felt my breathing become irregular, my lungs about to burst. “Find the rhythm, ta-ta-ta, ta-ta-ta.” A voice sounded behind me. I glanced at him. How is this guy made! How can he run ten laps without even breaking a sweat! But his “ta-ta-ta” was very similar to my dance rhythm. I quickly regained control of my breathing rhythm. Ten laps completed successfully. Coach Lee was somewhat surprised by my performance and then announced that from now on, anyone who was late, regardless of gender, would run an extra five laps. Only then did I realize that originally, it was just five laps for everyone, and Lucas had to run ten laps simply because he was a sports scholarship student. Great, now I’d be even less welcome. But unexpectedly, when I returned to the classroom, some girls came over to talk to me, expressing their admiration for my angry ten-lap run. Because Coach Lee had always looked down on girls. One of them handed me a bottle of strawberry milk. But it was snatched away by a large hand. “Thanks, class rep!” Lucas said. “Lucas, you’re asking for it! It’s not for you!” the girl snapped. “Huh?” “It’s for your desk mate!” “Oh!” Lucas looked at the half-drunk milk and said to me: “I’ll treat you next time!” The girl rolled her eyes at him and smiled at me, saying: “I’m Emma.” “I’m Sophia.” Just as Emma and I were hitting it off, an affected voice chimed in: “I’m Lucas.” Emma, unable to stand it anymore, jumped up to hit Lucas. They played around behind me, but I felt a happiness I had never experienced before. I was finally no longer alone.

Afterwards, just like the beginning of many cliché romance novels. Lucas and I fell in love. He accompanied me in the dance studio at dawn, and I accompanied him in the swimming pool during training. We promised each other that one would become the world’s best ballet dancer, bringing glory to our country, while the other would become the best gold medalist, participating in the Olympics and winning honor for the nation. But we didn’t develop towards a happy ending like in romantic stories. At eighteen, Lucas got into a car accident on his way to watch my CHD Ballet Championship. His right leg was severely fractured, making it difficult even to walk again, let alone swim. Yet I shone brightly in that competition, securing an early admission to the Royal Ballet School in London. But I ultimately gave up the chance to go to London. Because at eighteen, Lucas, lying in his hospital bed, proposed to me with a ring made from a chocolate wrapper. Isn’t love supposed to be about never leaving each other? At eighteen, that’s what I thought. At twenty-eight, I sat by the hospital bed, looking at Lucas’s face. He hadn’t changed much from when he was eighteen. The only change was that his heart no longer loved me. I was a bit afraid of him waking up.

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My wife, Vanessa Fitzgerald, left me and our six-month-old daughter in my old house to ensure the safety of her first love, Charlie Gomez, who suffered from severe depression and would self-harm at the sight of me. Five years after my brutal assault and death, Charlie was diagnosed with kidney failure. The doctor informed them that a blood relative would have a higher probability of having a kidney match with him, prompting Vanessa to finally remember me, Charlie’s biological elder brother. Vanessa hastily called, demanding I return immediately. My five-year-old daughter, Evelyn Gomez, timidly replied, “Ma’am, my dad… my dad’s been gone for a long time.” Vanessa frowned, her tone dripping with impatience. “Who are you? Where’s Sheldon? Put Sheldon on the phone!” Evelyn stammered, “You… you have to wait a moment.” She put down the phone and hurriedly ran to find the village chief, Howard Douglas. “Mr. Douglas, someone’s looking for my dad.” Howard, hunched over, slowly made his way to the phone and picked it up. “Is this Ms. Fitzgerald? You finally…” As soon as Vanessa heard the old man’s voice, her face darkened immediately. She rubbed her temples forcefully, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, her face showed a hint of simmering irritation. “Where’s Sheldon? Is he scared to answer my call? “He asked a little girl to answer the phone and told me he was dead. Now, he has an old man tell me the same thing, right? “Is this his way of forcing me to come get him myself? “Fine. For Charlie’s sake, I’ll go pick him up myself!” Without waiting for Howard’s response, Vanessa hung up the phone. The next day, Vanessa drove to my old house. Half of the house had collapsed, and the door hung ajar. Inside, there was no furniture, just scattered wooden planks and bricks. Spiderwebs covered both the interior and exterior, and the windows were shattered. Vanessa couldn’t help but frown at the sight. She glanced up at the young man who had brought her here, her eyes filled with impatience. “Where’s Sheldon? Tell him to come see me. “If he’s willing to donate his kidney to Charlie, I’ll take him back.” The young man looked uneasy and hesitated. “Ms. Fitzgerald, well, uh, how about you wait for Mr. Douglas to come?” Vanessa narrowed her eyes, seemingly forcing herself to stay calm. Just then, Howard arrived, leaning on his cane. “Hello, Ms. Fitzgerald.” Vanessa glanced at Howard and said coldly, “Where’s Sheldon?” Howard placed one hand behind his back. “Sheldon can’t come to see you…” Vanessa sneered upon hearing this. “What? Are you going to tell me he’s dead? “Tell him to stop throwing a tantrum. I won’t tolerate it! “He needs to come out and see me now. I’ve come to pick him up in person, so what else does he want?” I thought, “What did I want? I wanted nothing. I just wanted to live and watch my daughter grow up, but I couldn’t even do that.” Now, my soul stood to the side, staring blankly at Vanessa. Five years ago, not long after my half-year-old daughter and I were sent to the old house, Charlie had people track me down. He was jealous that I had married Vanessa, and even more jealous that she had given birth to my child. So, Charlie first sent thugs to destroy my old house, then had them harass me daily, and insulted me, leading to my death. They left my broken body in the mountains, where vultures feasted on it. It was Howard who noticed I was missing. He organized a search, and eventually, my body was found in the mountains and was buried by Howard.

Howard stroked his beard, his eyes filled with sorrow, and let out a deep sigh. “Sheldon has been dead for five years.” A mocking smile appeared on Vanessa’s face, and she grew even more indifferent. “Mr. Douglas, you think I’m easily fooled? “Someone like him would never willingly die.” Vanessa’s sharp gaze swept over the people present. Then, she sternly ordered her bodyguards, “Find him, no matter what it takes!” My soul floated in the air, watching as the bodyguards violently knocked on doors, roughly pushed villagers aside, and went in to search for me. The villagers were so frightened that they all came out. Even as the entire village gathered around, Vanessa still couldn’t find me. She seemed even more irritated as she marched up to Howard, grabbed him by the collar, and demanded, “Tell me! Where are you hiding Sheldon? “If you tell me now, I’ll still treat you with respect. Otherwise, don’t blame me for what happens next!” Howard stuck to his story. Vanessa finally lost her patience and winked at the nearest bodyguard. The bodyguard stepped forward and, with a simple twist, broke Howard’s hand. As Howard let out a cry of pain, a little girl rushed out from the crowd. She was neatly dressed, with two braids, and her eyes were filled with fear. But she still ran to Howard, crying, “Mr. Douglas, are you okay?” Vanessa was stunned. She knitted her brows, her eyes sweeping over Evelyn from head to toe. There was something vaguely familiar about the girl that tugged at the back of her mind. Before anyone could blink, Evelyn, seething with rage, darted right up to Vanessa and sank her teeth hard into Vanessa’s leg. Reacting on pure instinct, Vanessa’s leg jerked, sending Evelyn sprawling to the ground. Evelyn fell to the ground but struggled to get back up, glaring fiercely at Vanessa. “You evil woman! Mr. Douglas already told you my dad is dead. Why are you still bullying him?” For a moment, Vanessa looked shocked, her eyes darkening as she stared at Evelyn. Afraid she would hurt my daughter, my soul instinctively floated in front of Evelyn, blocking Vanessa. I was nothing but a disembodied spirit, so Vanessa passed right through me and approached Evelyn. She picked Evelyn up and perused her carefully, as if trying to read her thoughts from her face. As Evelyn dangled in the air, she kicked her legs, struggling. Staring at Evelyn’s face, which bore a resemblance to mine, Vanessa gritted her teeth. “You’re that bastard!” In an instant, Vanessa grabbed Evelyn by the throat, her voice filled with rage. “Tell Sheldon to come out, or I’ll strangle her!” Watching Evelyn struggle, I shouted, “Vanessa, I’m here! I’m right here. Let go of Eve!” Nevertheless, nobody heard a peep. Evelyn’s face turned red, her breathing becoming more labored. In my panic, I even forgot I was already dead. I rushed at Vanessa, trying to bite the hand choking Evelyn, but I passed through her, biting only air. Seeing Evelyn on the verge of losing consciousness, Howard, despite his pain, managed to shout, “Ms. Fitzgerald, Eve is your…” Before he could finish, a bodyguard kicked him to the ground. He lay there, groaning in pain. Vanessa suddenly released Evelyn and coldly glanced around, threatening, “Sheldon, if you don’t show up in three days, I’ll kill that bastard!” Looking at Howard curled up in agony on the ground and my daughter’s bruised and purple neck, the hatred I felt for Vanessa boiled over. At the same time, a bitter taste of regret filled my mouth for ever having loved her. Unfortunately, my soul was numb to all these emotions.

In the blink of an eye, three days passed. This time, Vanessa brought Charlie with her. Though Charlie had been arrogant when he came to the old house five years ago, he was now frail and weak. Vanessa looked at him tenderly, helping him out of the car and into a wheelchair. She even carefully draped a thin blanket over him, her eyes filled with concern. Vanessa reserved all her gentleness for Charlie. In contrast, all she ever showed me was coldness and impatience. Howard and I waited at the entrance early, though no one could see me. When Vanessa saw that no one was behind Howard, she suppressed her anger and said, “Seeing Charlie so weak, how can Sheldon be so heartless as to not help his own brother? “Mr. Douglas, if you just let Sheldon come out, and he’s willing to match with Charlie, I’ll build roads for your village and improve the villagers’ living conditions. “Also, I’ll take Sheldon back and let him continue living a life of luxury as my husband. “As for that bastard, I’ll treat her as my own daughter.” Vanessa thought she had made a huge concession. If we didn’t toe the line, she wouldn’t let it slide. However, Howard still didn’t give her the answer she wanted. “Ms. Fitzgerald, after Sheldon returned to the old house five years ago, he was constantly harassed by local thugs. “I’m not sure exactly how he died. “When I realized he was missing, I mobilized the whole village to search for him. We found his battered body in the mountains. “I buried his body and laid him to rest at the back of the mountain. If you don’t believe me, go and take a look.” Vanessa let out a bitter laugh, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. “Are you still lying to me? “If he were truly dead, how could that little bastard have grown up?” Howard looked embarrassed and let out a deep sigh. “Even if Sheldon suddenly died, we couldn’t just ignore Evelyn, could we?” Upon hearing this, a flash of surprise and viciousness passed through Charlie’s eyes. Charlie knew exactly how I had died. That day, I asked my daughter to stay at Howard’s place. I planned to go out and look for a job to support myself and my daughter. As soon as I stepped outside, Charlie arrived with three men. Before I could react, Charlie had them cover my mouth and nose, drag me into the house, and pin me down. Charlie began punching and kicking me relentlessly. Still unsatisfied, he stomped on my fingers with his foot. I cried out in pain. “Sheldon, you scum! “Why did you get to marry Vanessa just because you were born first? “Vanessa loves me more!” I struggled to look up at Charlie, wanting to say something. But Charlie seemed determined to vent all his rage on me. He slammed my head against the wall repeatedly. I tried to protect myself, but my arms were pinned down by his men. Finally, I lay on the ground, barely alive. Charlie leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Just the thought of you sleeping with Vanessa and her giving birth to a child for you makes me hate you to the core, my brother! “Since you dared to steal my woman, even if you’re my brother, you must die! “Sheldon, weren’t you so arrogant before? People said you had a thing for guys. Let me give you a gift, and you’ll like it.” As soon as Charlie finished speaking, the three men began to roughly tear at my clothes and brutally humiliate me. I had no idea how many times they did it before I lost my breath. After I died, I watched helplessly as Charlie ordered the others to throw me into the mountains. The wheel of justice might turn slowly, but it would turn. So, five years after my death, Charlie’s retribution arrived. The only brother who could save him was killed by his own hands. He knew that no matter what Vanessa did, it was futile. I could never come back to see her.

Charlie weakly raised his hand, trying to grasp the hem of Vanessa’s dress. Vanessa, who had been seething with anger just moments ago, instantly softened. She quickly bent down, taking Charlie’s hand in hers, and asked gently, “Charlie, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell again?” Charlie gave a faint smile and shook his head slightly. “Vanessa, is Sheldon refusing to save me because he’s still mad at me? “I’ll apologize to Sheldon. I… I was wrong, and I shouldn’t have bothered you… “But… but I want to live. I want to be with you forever.” Vanessa gently kissed Charlie’s forehead and reassured him, “Charlie, don’t worry. I will save you.” A flicker of ruthlessness flashed in her eyes. My heart suddenly raced, and a suspicion began to form. I shouted, “You can’t do that! Eve is your daughter. Don’t hurt her!” But, of course, my voice from beyond the grave couldn’t reach the living. Vanessa’s bodyguards dragged Evelyn out of the root cellar and brought her to the rooftop. The two-story rural house stood over twenty feet tall. Howard stood up in a panic, his voice trembling. “Ms. Fitzgerald, what are you doing? “Let Eve go! She’s your child!” Vanessa looked cold, her eyes hiding a trace of hatred. “Well, my child? Did Sheldon tell you that? “We never crossed that line, so how could we have a child? “He cheated on me and fathered a bastard. “If it weren’t for Charlie pleading back then, I would have killed her. She shouldn’t even be alive now!” Seeing the hatred in Vanessa’s eyes, my memories were instantly pulled back to that night six years ago. It was Vanessa’s birthday party. Charlie had drugged my drink, trying to set me up with another woman to ruin my reputation and force Vanessa to divorce me. Fortunately, I noticed it in time and left. However, the drugs he put in still took effect on me. When I woke up the next day, I clearly saw Vanessa lying beside me. Watching Evelyn cry out “Mr. Douglas” in fear, my soul floated desperately in front of Vanessa. I asked her, “Vanessa, if you never loved me, why would you marry me? “You never forgot Charlie, so why didn’t you go abroad to find him? “He didn’t leave the planet. You could have taken a plane to find him!” Vanessa suddenly looked up, her eyes meeting mine. If my soul could feel emotions, I might have already become a vengeful ghost. Just as I thought she could see me, she said indifferently, “Sheldon, I’ll give you ten minutes. If you don’t come out, I’ll drop your daughter to her death!” My eyes widened in horror. “No! “I’m here. I’m right here! “Don’t hurt my daughter!” Still, no one responded. My soul floated up, trying to save Evelyn, but no matter how many times I reached for her, my hands passed right through her. Howard crouched down abjectly at Vanessa’s feet, begging her to let Evelyn go. Vanessa, as if she were deaf, kept her head down, watching the time on her watch. I screamed in desperation. Meanwhile, Charlie, unnoticed in the corner, smirked, his eyes filled with triumph and disdain. I rushed at Vanessa, punching and kicking, but it was futile. “Ten, nine, eight, seven…” Vanessa began the countdown mercilessly. I slumped down on the ground in despair, watching helplessly as Vanessa ordered the bodyguards to throw Evelyn from the rooftop. My soul flew to catch her, but her body passed right through me. At the last moment, Howard scrambled forward, trying to catch Evelyn, but just as he reached out, a bodyguard kicked him to the ground. He spat blood, lying there barely alive. I stared blankly as Howard’s eyes slowly closed. With a thud, Evelyn hit the ground. I watched as blood spilled from her mouth, and she murmured in pain, “Mr. Douglas… My dad…” In that instant, I screamed in agony, “Eve! Mr. Douglas!” At this moment, a young man from the village rushed over with a paternity test report, shouting, “Ms. Fitzgerald, Eve is your daughter. Please take a look…” Simultaneously, a bodyguard yelled, “Ms. Fitzgerald, we found Mr. Sheldon Gomez’s…” Vanessa’s brow furrowed as she watched Evelyn’s breathing grow shallow, her small body barely clinging to life. She suddenly sneered, mocking, “Sheldon, you’re truly heartless, watching your own daughter fall to her death right in front of you. I underestimated your cruelty!”

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After the lawyer announced the contents of the will, Felix’s phone wouldn’t stop ringing. “Bros, tonight’s on me. I’ve booked the most luxurious VIP room at the club,” Felix boasted. “Yes, yes, it’s me, Felix. That sports car I had my eye on? Get it cleaned and delivered ASAP. Don’t make me late for my party, or I’ll file a complaint!” “Tiffany, baby, don’t be mad. Remember that private jet you liked? I’ll buy it for you tomorrow, okay?” At this moment, the elderly butler couldn’t help but want to intervene. I raised a finger and shook it, signaling him not to meddle. The old butler sighed, shook his head, and retreated. Having watched us grow up, he understood Felix’s temperament. When Felix was on a roll, no one except our parents could control him. After hanging up the phone, Felix was about to leave when he noticed me sitting leisurely on the sofa, sipping tea. His smile grew even wider. “Don’t be jealous. Mom and Dad left you a few million too. As an accidental child, you should be grateful.” “Oh, and you’re still unemployed, right? What’s the use of all that studying? In the end, a Ph.D. still has to rely on a college dropout like me.” “Tell you what, you can be the Janitorial Services Manager at the company. Don’t say I didn’t look out for you!” Watching his smug retreating figure, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. I went back to my room, grabbed my ID, and headed straight for the notary office. Today happened to be my 25th birthday. When we were young, our parents favored Felix. Just because he said, “I want to be the big brother!” our parents forced me to call him “big brother” and obey him. As time went on, everyone naturally assumed Felix was the eldest son. Even our parents forgot I came first. In the past, I tried to compete with Felix for our parents’ affection, but biased people never saw my efforts. The first time I cooked fried rice, it ended up in the dog’s bowl. Later, I focused on studying, burning the midnight oil, consistently ranking first in my grade, and winning top three in various academic competitions. When I proudly presented my certificates to my parents, expecting praise, I was instead slapped hard across the face. “You know your brother struggles with his studies, yet you come here to show off? What’s your game? We always knew you were an ungrateful wretch.” “Such a competitive spirit. Are you planning to step all over your brother when you grow up? You bastard, you’re not fit to compare yourself to him!” Until their death, our parents’ hearts were never fair. “I’m sorry, Mr. Summer, Mr. Stern is out of town. He’ll be back next Monday to help you with the transfer,” the notary office staff informed me. No choice but to wait five more days. I returned home with a heavy heart. As I pushed open the door, I saw my ex-girlfriend hanging onto Felix’s arm, acting coy. “Felix, darling, are you really going to buy me that jet? If you’re lying to me again, I won’t stand for it!” “Don’t worry, babe. Those two old farts used to keep a tight leash on everything, but now they’re dead, and I’m the primary heir. A private jet? That’s pocket change now!” I met Tiffany in college, and we dated for three years. After graduation, I brought her home to meet my parents, intending to discuss marriage. Felix happened to see her. In just one day, Tiffany went from being my fiancée to his girlfriend. When I confronted my parents, I was met with another beating. Dad stomped on my head, yelling, “You beast, how dare you try to steal your brother’s girlfriend!” “Tiffany actually had her eye on Felix from the start. You tricked her into a relationship, you scoundrel!” Mom sat on the couch, holding Tiffany’s hand affectionately, as if they were mother and daughter. The memory faded, and I glared hatefully at the couple fooling around on the couch, silently vowing to make these two pay! “Hey, you. This house must be left to me too. Pack up and get out of here!” Felix said this with his face buried in Tiffany’s neck, completely ignoring my presence. I glanced at them sideways and quickly retreated to my room. Opening my suitcase, I carelessly tossed in a few clothes, then took a photo and posted it on social media. I added a melancholic caption: “Time to fend for myself from now on.” Half an hour later, the downstairs lobby was filled with Felix’s fair-weather friends. “Felix, man, you really inherited the whole family fortune? We thought you were bluffing earlier!” “It can’t be everything, right? Don’t you have a brother?” “Get real! Everyone knows Felix is the favorite. That bastard doesn’t factor in at all.” “Haha, you’ve always had a good eye, my friend!” Felix waved his hand and immediately transferred $100,000 to him. “Thanks, Felix! You’re the man!” “Felix, you’re so generous! By the way, my family’s been eyeing a plot of land in the East District. Would you be interested in joining the development?” “Count me in! Draw up the contract and we’ll talk.” “Felix, Felix, we…” In the past, when our parents were alive, Felix was somewhat restrained in his spending. Now, amidst the constant flattery, he seemed to have lost all self-control. This was exactly what I wanted. As I was secretly observing from a corner, I suddenly noticed a familiar golden glint. “Here, didn’t you say you needed a gift for your girlfriend?” Felix tossed a golden locket to one of his friends. Looking at the safety locket missing a bell, I realized it was the one our grandmother had given me! I hurriedly opened my door, rushed downstairs, and snatched it back. “This is mine!” “Felix, this…” The lackey looked at his empty hand, clearly embarrassed. Before I could put it in my pocket, I was knocked to the ground by a sudden punch. “Who do you think you are, daring to ruin my generosity? The whole house is mine. Is there anything I can’t give away? I’ll give away that old hag’s stuff just to spite her! Beat him up!” Felix yelled, enraged. At his command, countless fists and feet came flying at me. I couldn’t fight back, could only curl up and protect my head as they beat me. There wasn’t a part of my body that didn’t hurt, and the taste of blood in my mouth grew stronger. Finally, Felix kicked me in the stomach with all his might. In an instant, a rusty-tasting liquid splattered out, reddening the floor. The ringtone of a phone sounded jarringly loud amidst the beating. “Felix, this guy’s phone is ringing.” One of his cronies fished the phone out of my pocket and handed it over. I struggled to grab it back, but my hand was pinned down by Felix’s leather shoe. “Penny?” Felix held the phone in front of my eyes. “Isn’t this that college girl you’re keeping? Tch! Acting all proper on the surface, but you’re no saint either.” He hung up the voice call and sent a text message instead. “Hey! You two, go save this fallen angel.” Felix gave a meaningful look to the guys behind me, casually tossing the phone to them. “You got it, boss!” Then I felt a heavy blow to the back of my head, and everything went black as I passed out. About half an hour later, I was jolted awake by a bucket of cold water. I found myself tied to a chair, with Felix on the phone with someone. The video showed the side profile of a thin woman sitting in a car, the angle shaky, obviously from a hidden camera. “What kind of trashy clothes is she wearing? And that figure, flat as a board. You’re supposed to be the young master of the Summer family. Even if Mom and Dad didn’t give you millions in pocket money, you must have had tens of thousands. You can’t even afford to dress up your woman? Such a cheapskate!” Felix spat at me. I actually wished what he said was true. Then I wouldn’t have had to desperately participate in competitions for scholarship money just to maintain the facade of being the Summer family’s young master. “Felix is so much more generous. If I had ended up with him, I probably would’ve been begging on the streets by now.” Tiffany glanced at me disdainfully. The front door of the mansion opened, and the girl looked around nervously. When she saw me tied to the chair, face covered in blood, she instinctively turned to run but was grabbed by the arms by two men behind her. Felix ripped the tape off my mouth. Ignoring the burning pain on my lips, I urgently said, “Whatever you want, come at me. She has nothing to do with this.” “Nothing to do with you? Then why are you giving her money for no reason? Playing charity? If she’s not involved, why did she jump into a stranger’s car without hesitation when she heard you were drunk? She’s probably hoping to take advantage of your drunken state and climb the social ladder, right?” Felix circled the girl a few times, looking her up and down. “This one might not have much of a figure, but after eating fancy food all the time, it’s not bad to have some plain dishes for a change. Boys, this girl is all yours.” Felix said. Four thugs revealed evil grins, slowly approaching the girl. “Stop! Stop it!” My eyes turned bloodshot as I struggled violently, the ropes digging deep into my arms. “You, you’re breaking the law! Don’t come any closer!” The girl kept backing away. “Breaking the law? Who saw anything? After the boys have had their fun, we’ll strip you both naked, throw you on a bed together, and take a few photos. By then, you’ll be begging us!” “Rip!” The girl’s sleeves were roughly torn off on both sides. The other two thugs exchanged a glance and pounced on her, afraid of missing out on the action. “Don’t. Touch. Her!” I closed my eyes in despair. Tears that hadn’t fallen even during the earlier beating now poured down my face. After a scream, I felt my body lighten as the ropes binding me fell to the ground. The men’s agonized howls kept coming, and only then did I come to my senses. “You… you know martial arts?” I asked in disbelief. On the floor, the four thugs were writhing in pain, clutching their stomachs or groins. The girl was slapping Felix, who was pinned to the couch, while Tiffany cowered silently in a corner. “I learned a few moves from my abusive, boxing dad. More than enough to handle these pampered rich boys,” the girl replied. “Here, want to get a few punches in to blow off some steam?” She grabbed Felix by the neck and threw him towards me. I dodged to the side and kicked him as he flew past. “Lucas! You dare hit me? Even Mom and Dad never laid a hand on me. How dare you, you piece of trash!” Felix was furious and tried to lunge at me, but stopped short when he saw the girl nearby. He pointed at us angrily, “Just you wait. Once I inherit Mom and Dad’s estate, I’ll make your lives a living hell! I’ll destroy you both!” I couldn’t help but snicker. Good thing he wasn’t going to inherit that estate. Otherwise, with his vindictive personality and newfound wealth and power, he really could make our lives miserable. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking. You think you’re the only one who can forge a will? Can’t find Mr. Stern, can you?” Felix sneered. What did he mean? Was Mr. Stern deliberately avoiding me? “You really think I’m just some idiot who only knows how to eat, drink, and play?” Felix said.

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Jack’s dog was sick, and his wife abandoned their seriously ill son to go take care of it. I called her over and over again, but all I heard was my wife’s angry scolding: “Did our son die or did you die? Why are you calling? Buddy is very sick, I can’t leave him.” “I can’t be as heartless as you. Buddy is dying, how can I not care?” After saying that, she hung up and turned off her phone. The night our son passed away, I received a video from Adam. I was finally devastated and prepared our son’s funeral alone. But on the day of Tommy’s burial, my wife insisted on fighting for the burial plot I had bought for our son, in order to bury Adam’s dog. 0 Our son had leukemia. I took care of him day and night, nurturing him meticulously, but we still couldn’t overcome the illness. On a warm spring day, our son passed away. Before he died, he held my hand tightly and cried: “Dad, I want to go to the amusement park. I want to see fireworks. I don’t want to be alone.” After our son’s death, I arranged the funeral by myself. I found a burial plot for him near an amusement park and circus. Today is the day of our son’s burial. I held his ashes numbly. Olivia’s parents also rushed over. Her father, despite his age, was crying uncontrollably. “My poor Tommy! How could you leave us at such a young age…” “Grandpa didn’t even get to see you grow up!” He looked at our son’s photo with deep sorrow, sighing repeatedly. Everyone was dressed in black mourning clothes, looking solemn. Only Olivia’s mother had her eyebrows drawn and was wearing colorful clothes, without a trace of sadness in her eyes. Olivia’s mother had always looked down on me, and by extension, our son. She never visited him in the hospital. She despised my poor background and always thought I wasn’t good enough for her well-educated, beautiful daughter. It was Olivia’s father who agreed to our marriage, seeing that I was hardworking and kind-hearted. Olivia’s mother looked around, not seeing the person she wanted to see, and then walked straight up to me, displeased: “Where’s Olivia?” “I’ve been here for a while, why haven’t I seen her?” During the days when our son was seriously ill, Olivia had abandoned him to go find her ex-boyfriend. The reason was that their previously shared dog was seriously ill, and Olivia insisted on going to accompany it in its final moments. Adam even arrogantly posted on social media. He shared a photo of the three of them – him, Olivia, and the dog – with the caption: “From the beginning until now, mom and dad have been by your side the whole time.” Just yesterday, I even received a video from my wife’s ex-boyfriend. I watched expressionlessly as the two of them were intimately entangled. I thought I would be angry, but I wasn’t. Our son was gone, and I no longer wanted to deal with these rights and wrongs. I just wanted to quietly divorce Olivia after our son’s funeral was over. Seeing that I didn’t respond, Olivia’s mother pushed me again. “I’m asking you a question! Where exactly did Olivia go?” My mother thought I was overcome with grief, so she reluctantly answered for me: “Your precious daughter has gone who knows where. Her son is gone but his mother is nowhere to be seen. Even the funeral was arranged entirely by Jack.” I hadn’t told my parents about Olivia’s affair. If they knew the truth, they would surely cause a huge scene. Olivia’s mother was very displeased seeing my mother’s sarcastic tone. “Watch how you speak! What do you mean ‘gone who knows where’? You raised such a good son, who doesn’t even know where his wife went.” My mother, seeing Olivia’s mother’s arrogant attitude, didn’t hold back either and pulled me to ask: “Jack, everyone’s here today. Call Olivia and ask her what exactly she’s doing?” 0

I was about to open my mouth to make up some excuse to get by, when Olivia’s mother stepped forward and slapped me. “Why are you pretending to be innocent? Walking around with that dead expression all day, acting like you’re so wronged!” “No wonder Olivia doesn’t like coming home, having to see your face every day!” Looking at Olivia’s mother’s aggressive face, I really wanted to lay everything out in the open. But the words were on the tip of my tongue and I couldn’t say them. My parents were old and in poor health, they couldn’t handle the shock. And these past two days were my son’s funeral, I didn’t want to make the scene too ugly. Seeing my silence, Olivia’s mother continued: “Hmph! Can’t say anything, can you? Useless man, it’s obvious your family must have bullied my daughter a lot, that’s why she doesn’t dare come home!” Then she turned to complain angrily to Olivia’s father: “This is the good marriage you talked about! I was against it from the beginning, but you insisted on letting Olivia marry this kind of useless man! Now look what’s happened, our daughter is missing!” Olivia’s father really couldn’t stand her unreasonable nagging anymore and shouted at her in a low voice. “Enough! Olivia is a grown woman, how could she just disappear? Her own son has died and she doesn’t even come, yet you have the nerve to yell at Jack! I think Olivia is clearly in the wrong here.” Seeing that her husband wasn’t taking her side, Olivia’s mother was in an even worse mood. She looked at our sad and solemn faces, feeling angry. She took out her phone on the spot and said defiantly: “You cold-blooded people, if you won’t look for my daughter, I’ll do it myself!” She quickly dialed Olivia’s number and put it on speaker. After two rings, Olivia picked up the phone. “Mom? What’s wrong, why are you calling me?” Hearing the familiar voice, I smiled sarcastically. She doesn’t answer any of my calls, but picks up immediately when her mom calls. “Olivia, what are you doing? Why aren’t you coming home?” Olivia’s mother asked. Facing her mother, Olivia lied more naturally. “I’m busy working overtime. The company has a lot going on these days.” Olivia’s mother breathed a sigh of relief and turned to glare at me fiercely. “That’s fine then. Jack said he didn’t know what you were doing. His attitude really made me angry.” Not realizing she was on speaker, Olivia complained about me without hesitation. “Don’t mind him, Mom. He’s just a big man who likes to be petty.” “He always tells others bad things about me, acting like he’s so wronged.” Knowing Olivia was safe, her mother hung up the phone, satisfied. Then she looked at my parents smugly. “Did you hear that? My daughter is busy working. For the sake of this family, she can’t even come to her son’s funeral. Yet you people keep badmouthing her all day! Your whole family is rotten to the core!” Seeing Olivia’s mother’s attitude, my parents couldn’t stand it anymore and wanted to argue properly. I held them back, clenching my fists tightly. I grabbed Olivia’s mother’s phone, wanting to call Olivia back and ask her why, during the days when our son was suffering the most, she was in bed with another man! Olivia’s mother slapped me again. “What are you going crazy for? You useless waste! No skills but such a bad temper!” “You can’t earn money yourself, so don’t disturb my daughter’s work!” Before we got married, Olivia had said she wanted me to be a full-time stay-at-home husband to take care of her. I agreed, and while managing household affairs, I also wrote novels online and accumulated a certain fan base. In the end, our son’s illness became too serious, so I put everything down to fully take care of him. “Once the funeral is over, I’m going to tell Olivia to divorce a useless man like you right away!” “Fine! Let’s divorce, I’ve long wanted to end this!” Olivia’s father looked at the time and pulled his wife back, warning her: “Can you say a few less words? Today is Tommy’s burial day. As his grandmother, just behave yourself!” After saying that, he looked at me apologetically. “Jack, let’s go. Don’t delay Tommy’s time to rest in peace.” 0

I silently hugged the ashes tightly and walked towards the burial plot I had already bought. Seeing her husband’s serious expression, Olivia’s mother finally contained her temper, but she found the coffin inauspicious and didn’t walk at the front, instead following far behind the procession. Our group arrived at the cemetery. I presented the relevant documents and materials. But the staff member looked at me with a troubled expression and stammered: “I’m sorry, Mr. He, but I’m afraid we can’t sell you that plot anymore.” Faced with this sudden situation, I was confused. Could they really cancel an order after the money had already been paid? Seeing our displeased expressions, the staff member continued to explain: “I’m really sorry. Everything was prepared, but suddenly a VIP came and offered ten times your price for this burial plot.” “I’m sorry, we didn’t dare offend them, so we had to inconvenience you. How about I choose another plot for you? This time it will be free of charge.” A gloomy mood gradually spread. “What do you mean? My son is being buried today and you tell me we can’t use it. Is this reasonable? You have no professional ethics!” My mother was also very angry. “This is too unreasonable. How can you sell it to someone else? We want this plot. It was carefully chosen!” Because we had many people, the staff didn’t dare obstruct us. “Fine then. The person who offered the high price is still inside. Why don’t you negotiate with them directly? I’m just an employee, I was only following orders from higher-ups.” I was in a very unpleasant mood. I wanted to see who exactly was doing such an unethical thing as snatching someone’s burial plot. I walked in angrily. But I saw Adam instead. He had a small coffin at his feet. As I walked closer, I saw it was actually the dog Buddy that he and Olivia had raised together before. He seemed to have expected it was me and smiled smugly. “Jack? What are you doing here? Did someone in your family die?” Seeing the memorial photo behind me, he understood, but still taunted: “Oh, so your son died. What a pity.” I ignored his provocation and questioned: “I paid for this plot first. What right do you have to snatch it!” He looked at me and laughed. “Jack, you may be grieving the loss of your son, but I’ve also lost my dog.” “And Olivia paid ten times your price. This dog was like her son too!” I was shocked that Olivia could be so shameless to this extent. I clenched my fists, trying hard to control my emotions, but Adam leaned in and whispered words that stabbed my heart. “You didn’t know? When Olivia found out the owner of this plot was you, she got so angry. I had to work hard to comfort her!” “After Buddy died, Olivia was too sad. We comforted each other, and she released all the frustrations she’s had over the years.” I couldn’t hold back anymore. I raised my fist and swung hard at Adam’s smug, arrogant face. This scene was just seen by Olivia, who was returning from the bathroom. She helped Adam up worriedly and yelled at me: “Jack, have you gone crazy? What are you doing here?” I laughed coldly, my heart turning to ashes. “Olivia, do you know this plot was prepared for our son!” “While you were having an affair with this man, our son was suffering in agony from his illness!” “Do you know today is our son’s funeral!” 0

As expected, Olivia also slapped me. I turned my face. After three slaps from Olivia and her mother, my cheek was already slightly swollen and red. “Adam, are you even human? How dare you curse your own son?” “Tommy has leukemia, but his condition was stable. It’s not at all like what you’re saying!” She really was good at self-deception. “Olivia, during the time our son was sick in the hospital, how many times did you take care of him? How do you have the face to say such things?” “Are you blaming me? Everything you ate and used, Tommy’s medical expenses, which one wasn’t paid for by me?” “Even the burial plot you bought to curse our son was with my money!” She always brings this up. I’m too lazy to argue anymore. “Olivia, if you don’t believe me, I don’t want to bother anymore. But I bought this plot first.” Olivia’s eyes were full of disgust. “Jack, is it worth being jealous of Buddy? This is also a life! Moreover, it accompanied me and Adam for so many years!” “Do you have any heart at all? I won’t let you have this plot no matter what!” At this time, the staff and others finally walked over. I turned and said loudly in front of everyone: “Please help me find a new plot. Olivia won’t allow our son to be buried here.” Olivia’s father looked at her with wide eyes. “Olivia? Didn’t you tell your mother you were working overtime? Why are you here? What’s going on?” Olivia avoided her father’s direct gaze, explaining nervously: “Dad, a dog I raised with a friend before died. I took some time off to accompany him in burying the dog.” Olivia’s father was indeed angry. “You have time to bury a dog! Do you know this was bought by Jack for Tommy!” Olivia was very defiant, “Dad, why are you speaking for Jack! Tommy is alive and well, how could I as his mother agree to buy a burial plot to curse him!” My mother really couldn’t stand it anymore. She held up the memorial photo and cursed: “Olivia! How dare you call yourself a mother? Are you blind? Can’t you see we’re all wearing mourning clothes? Tommy passed away three days ago!” “And you as his mother are busy arranging a funeral for a dog!” Olivia shook her head, still expressing disbelief. She looked straight at me. “Interesting. Jack, you actually got the whole family to cooperate in acting out this play. If you can’t go on living, let’s just get divorced! There’s no need to make up such a clumsy lie to anger me!” “I didn’t expect you all to be such shameless people, actually daring to take a memorial photo of my son?” Then she stared intently at the box in my arms. “What’s in the box you’re holding? Don’t tell me it’s ashes.” After saying that, she snatched the urn of ashes from my arms and scattered them on the spot. Our son’s ashes immediately dispersed in the wind. “Stop pretending with a few handfuls of dirt!” Olivia’s father’s voice trembled as he used all his strength to slap Olivia. “You wretch! You’re truly a wretch!” “You just destroyed the only memento your son left in this world!” I could no longer hear the calls of those around me. There was only one voice in my mind telling me: “Our son’s ashes are gone. I couldn’t preserve his body, and now I couldn’t even protect his ashes.” I knelt on the ground and broke down crying. 0 My parents helped me up, their eyes red. “Olivia, Jack loves Tommy more than anyone in this world. How could he possibly joke about something like this!”

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I couldn’t believe my eyes. My husband Gabriel was pretending to fall down the stairs and lose his memory, just to please his childhood friend Lily. He even gave her my position as the CTO of our tech company. In the hospital room, Lily was cuddling up to Gabriel, giggling and acting coy. “Gabe, you’re so clueless,” she cooed. “When I said I envied Rachel, I meant I envied her for being your wife. But you went and made me the CTO instead.” Gabriel held her close, smiling indulgently. “Why not both? For the next few days, you can be both the CTO and my wife.” I froze as I was about to push open the door, holding the soup I had made. Silently, I turned and left. The next day during a meeting, Gabriel publicly announced that Lily was his real wife and forced me to resign, handing over my CTO position to her. He was prepared for me to argue and fight back, but I said nothing. To everyone’s shock, I signed the termination agreement on the spot. What Gabriel didn’t know was that I had personally compiled the core source code for the company’s newly developed software. And the deadline for delivery to the client was less than a week away.

After the meeting, I went to the finance department to complete the handover. As I was leaving, Lily blocked my way at the door of the CTO’s office. Gabriel’s childhood friend admired her freshly done manicure, her tone condescending. “You’ve been with the company for so many years. If you can’t bear to leave, maybe I could let you stay if you beg me,” Lily said patronizingly. “Look, the company needs a janitor. You could start as an intern.” “As for the salary… how about $300 a month?” The company’s janitors were paid $400 a month. Even without looking at the provocation in her eyes, I knew she was deliberately trying to humiliate me. I narrowed my eyes slightly. “Is this Gabriel’s idea too?” “I’m Gabe’s wife now. How could he refuse my little request?” Lily giggled, covering her mouth. She pointed behind me. “Oh, here comes Gabe. If you don’t believe me, you can ask him yourself.” “Rachel, you’ve already resigned. Why are you still here?” Gabriel’s voice came from behind me before I saw him. He walked past me and pulled Lily into his arms, looking at me warily as if I was bullying his beloved. “Oh, Rachel wasn’t bullying me,” Lily said, snuggling into his embrace with a coy smile. “I saw she was reluctant to leave the company, so I was suggesting she stay. But she said she wanted to ask your opinion first.” Gabriel tweaked her nose. “You don’t need to ask me about such small matters. Just make the decision yourself.” Then he looked at me with disgust. “Since it’s Lily’s idea, go ahead and process your re-employment now.” I asked coldly, “She wants me to be a janitor. You agree with that too?” Hearing this, his tone became annoyed. “What’s with that attitude? What’s wrong with being a janitor? Lily is just being kind.” Whether it was kindness or not, Gabriel knew better than anyone. Looking into his impatient eyes, I suddenly understood. He was so confident because he was sure I wouldn’t leave the company. We had only been married for three years, but this company had been around for seven years. For the company’s development, I had not only worked long hours for the past seven years, but it was also common for me to stay up all night just to write a piece of code. This company held so much of my effort and dedication. My emotional attachment to it was deeper than anyone else’s. A while ago, Lily had just finished her internship and become a full-time employee when Gabriel wanted to promote her to Deputy CTO of the tech department. The tech department already had plenty of talented people. Adding an incompetent deputy wouldn’t make much difference. Many employees, both old and new, came forward to congratulate her. I was the only one who rejected his appointment on the spot. The tech department was the core of the company. I couldn’t let him mess around with it. He stayed quiet for a while after that, and I thought Gabriel had given up. I never expected him to use such a cliché method as pretending to lose his memory just to please his childhood friend. Seeing us standing there in silence, some of the older employees who had been watching quickly stepped in to defuse the situation. “Don’t be angry, Rachel. The boss is sick and has lost his memory. That’s why he’s talking like this.” “Yeah, the reason he’s protecting Lily is that he’s mistaking her for you. See how much he loves you?” “It’s just being a janitor! Just put up with it for a while. Once the boss regains his memory, everything will be fine.” They all chimed in, their words full of envy for Gabriel’s feelings for me, urging me to swallow my pride and bear with it. But why should I? If Gabriel really loved and cherished me, I might have put up with it. Before, when we were dating and even after we got married, Gabriel always seemed like a good man in others’ eyes – respectful and loving towards me. But the truth was… Whenever it came to making a choice, regardless of right or wrong, close or distant, I was always the first one he would abandon. He would persuade me to be more tolerant, to give in more. He said that as a married couple, we could fight at home but make up in bed. Any conflict could be resolved at home, but leaving a bad impression on others was irreparable. Is this how normal couples interact? I was confused for a long time, but as people around me kept expressing their envy, I gradually accepted it. But seeing Gabriel repeatedly shield Lily in his arms, repeatedly abandoning his principles and bottom line for her, I finally got my answer. If you truly love someone, how could you bear to let them get hurt? Love is about protection, care, and pampering. Love is everything, but it’s never a bargaining chip when weighing pros and cons. At this moment, I suddenly felt a bit ironic. I actually understood what true love meant by observing how my husband treated another woman. “All of you, shut up! I’m Gabe’s real wife. If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll have Gabe fire you all,” Lily suddenly burst out of Gabriel’s arms and slapped me across the face. “Rachel Quinn, is this what you’ve been spreading outside? How shameless can you be? I get it now. You joined this company just to seduce Gabe, didn’t you?” She was twisting facts and lashing out in anger, acting as if she really was Gabriel’s legitimate wife. My head was spinning, and I instinctively wanted to slap her back. But Gabriel quickly shielded Lily and pushed me hard. I was already unsteady from Lily’s slap, and wearing high heels, his sudden push sent me tumbling to the ground. My wrist hit the floor hard, and my face contorted in pain. Involuntary tears welled up in my eyes. “That’s enough. What are you crying for? If you hadn’t tried to hit Lily, I wouldn’t have pushed you,” Gabriel said. I looked up to see him avoiding my gaze, his tone stiff as he added, “You graduated from an Ivy League school with a Ph.D. It would be a waste of your talent to be a janitor. Go re-apply for a position as a programmer.” Lily’s previous position had been a programmer. She tugged at Gabriel’s sleeve, dissatisfied. “Gabe, the tech department isn’t short-staffed. Can’t we just let her be a janitor?” But this time, Gabriel didn’t indulge her. Was this compensation? Or a carrot? Did Gabriel think he could still manipulate me like this? But he didn’t know one thing. Sunk costs don’t factor into major decisions. When Gabriel deceived me and negated years of my hard work for another woman, there was no possibility of reconciliation between us. Now he was the one being abandoned by me. I tugged slightly at the corner of my mouth. He wanted to pretend to have amnesia? He wanted Lily to be the CTO? He wanted someone else to be his wife? I would grant him all of it. The newly developed software was the biggest project the company had taken on since its establishment. Its completion would take the company to the next level, but if something went wrong, the penalty would be more than Gabriel could bear. With less than a week left, I hoped he would remain as composed as he was today when it came time to deliver the software. Seeing me smile, Gabriel thought I had chosen to compromise as usual. The corner of his mouth was about to curl up when it froze due to what I said next. I stood up, tidied my disheveled appearance, and looked at him seriously. “No need.” “Gabriel, let’s get a divorce!”

“Are you crazy? You love me so much, how dare you mention divorce?” Gabriel blurted out. Realizing his tone was off, he quickly covered up, “What nonsense are you talking about? Why would I divorce you? Lily is my wife.” His expression was too unnatural; anyone could see something was wrong. But right now, I was willfully blind. Since Gabriel was pretending to have amnesia, I started spouting nonsense too. “That night you were drunk and mistook me for Lily. You insisted on dragging me to get a marriage license.” “Now let’s annul the marriage so you can marry Lily properly.” Lily, who had been hostile towards me, suddenly lit up when she heard this. She tugged at Gabriel’s sleeve, whining, “Gabe, let’s agree to her request. I can’t wait to marry you.” I pretended not to hear the flaw in her words and chimed in. “That’s right, don’t let me hold up your marriage.” Lily’s whining became even sweeter, but Gabriel suddenly shook her off and started to leave. “We’ll talk about this later. I have work to do.” His attitude seemed evasive? Could it be that he didn’t want a divorce? But if he didn’t want a divorce, where did that leave Lily? A bunch of questions popped into my head. In the past, I might have wanted to figure them out, but now I just felt irritated. I didn’t want to play some tragic love triangle drama with Gabriel here. Seeing him about to leave, I deliberately provoked him. “Could it be that you didn’t mistake me for Lily that day, but intentionally married me? Are you actually in love with me?” Lily immediately panicked. “You’re talking nonsense! Gabe only loves me.” Gabriel also turned back to glare at me. “Stop being ridiculous. Lily is the only one in my heart.” “Then why won’t you divorce me?” I smirked, deliberately sighing. “I understand. Men just like to act tough.” “Stop talking or I’ll tear you apart!” Lily glared at me furiously. I ignored her and raised an eyebrow at Gabriel. “Honey, since we’re not getting divorced, how about giving me back my CTO position?” “So that was your real motive all along.” Gabriel gradually regained his composure, his eyes filled with disgust towards me once again. “Such a calculating woman, you’ll never measure up to even Lily’s little finger.” “Yes, yes,” I said perfunctorily. “You can say whatever you want as long as you give me back the CTO position.” Lily screamed, “Don’t even think about it! I’m the CTO now.” Gabriel also snorted coldly. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. Since you want to use divorce to force my hand, I’ll give you what you want.” Hearing this, I deliberately provoked him a few more times. With Lily whining and fanning the flames beside him, Gabriel soon lost his cool. I struck while the iron was hot, grabbing our marriage certificate and dragging him to the courthouse. The staff there wanted to advise us out of duty, but after seeing Lily cuddling up to Gabriel, they stamped our papers without another word. It wasn’t until we walked out with the fresh divorce papers that he seemed to realize what he had done. His body swayed for a moment before he suddenly grabbed my hand as I was about to leave. “My… my head hurts so much…” Gabriel covered his head with his other hand, feigning pain. “I think I remember now. That day I didn’t mistake you for anyone else. I really wanted to marry you.” “Honey, can we not get divorced?” Gabriel rarely called me “honey” except in bed. In the past, he only used this term when he was apologizing to me. He was subtly trying to make amends, but I pushed his hand away without hesitation. “Your memory is confused. On our wedding day, you kept calling Lily’s name.” Lily clung tightly to his arm, eyeing me warily. “That’s right, Gabe. You’ve already divorced her. Let’s go get our marriage license now. Don’t pay any more attention to this woman.” Seeing my resolute attitude, Gabriel’s tone gradually cooled. “Rachel Quinn, think carefully. Once I marry Lily, it’ll be too late for you to regret it.” “Congratulations, best wishes, good riddance.” I threw out these words and left. Yesterday, I had overheard not only Gabriel’s plan to fake amnesia but also the reason he married me in the first place. In the hospital room, he had held Lily and said disdainfully, “A woman with nothing but code in her head, you don’t know how boring she is. If it weren’t for her talent, I wouldn’t have married her…” Three years ago, the company faced a huge crisis, and many employees jumped ship when they saw the situation going south. With the company on the verge of bankruptcy, Gabriel and I were so worried we couldn’t sleep, losing hair in clumps. It was at this time that Gabriel suddenly proposed to me. I thought it was love showing its true colors in times of adversity. I thought Gabriel agreed to marry me out of love, but it wasn’t until yesterday that I realized it was all one-sided. I graduated from an Ivy League school with a Ph.D. and was a core member of the company. He was afraid that if I jumped ship too, the company would be completely finished. That’s why he had no choice but to marry me. The marriage I thought was perfect was actually full of calculations and exploitation from the very beginning. No wonder he never let me participate in the company’s specific management except for the tech department. He had been guarding against me from the start. More and more details leaked out in my memory, and I increasingly felt that my decision to divorce was correct. My disgust towards Gabriel also deepened. This disgust reached its peak when I returned home. Looking at the house full of traces of life with Gabriel, I suddenly found I couldn’t stay for another moment. After booking a hotel on my phone, I started packing to leave. As I was leaving, I ran into Gabriel coming back. He seemed a bit anxious when he returned, still slightly out of breath. But upon seeing me, he still put on a condescending attitude. “I remember some more things. After we got married, we seemed to have moved in together.” “I remember you’re not from this city and have nowhere else to stay. I’m a kind person. Even though we’re divorced now, I’ll still allow you to continue living here.” If it weren’t for him, why would I have stayed in this unfamiliar city after graduation? “No need. I don’t want to disturb you and Lily’s love nest.” After coldly saying this, I left with my suitcase. Lily, who had just caught up, passed by me. Before the door closed, I vaguely heard a few lines of their conversation. “Gabe, I’m sorry. Maybe I went too far today. Should I go explain to her?” “Don’t bother with her. I told you, you can play however you want these few days.” “I know her. She’s just throwing a tantrum for a couple of days. When the time comes, I’ll say a few soft words, and she’ll come running back on her own.” As I pressed the elevator button, I lowered my eyes slightly. Gabriel, I won’t be fooled again this time.

Divorcing Gabriel wasn’t as hard to accept as I thought. During these few days staying at the hotel, I actually felt more relaxed than any day in the past seven years. Three days later, a former colleague from the tech department suddenly called me. “Rachel, when are you coming back? The software is about to be delivered, and we’re still missing part of the core source code.” “You should talk to Lily about this. I’ve already resigned.” “Stop joking around. You’re the boss’s wife. Even if everyone else resigned, you couldn’t really resign!” The person laughed it off, their tone so natural as if I hadn’t resigned but just taken a few days off. “I’m not joking.” I was about to hang up when I heard a series of noises. A moment later, Lily and that colleague’s conversation came through the phone. “Rachel has already resigned. I’m the CTO now. Why aren’t you talking to me about work matters?” “Lily, stop messing around. Do you know how much money the company will lose if this software isn’t delivered on time?”

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I lost my precious hands to save my husband Jack and son Tommy. When I was about to surprise Tommy with a birthday cake, I accidentally overheard their conversation. “Dad, Mom’s hands are so gross. When can we get a new mom? I feel sick when those hands feed me.” “I like Aunt Olivia. At least she’s normal. I want her to be my new mom.” Jack had his back to me, so I couldn’t see his expression. But his tone was unusually gentle. “Be patient, Tommy. Daddy has wanted to replace Mommy for a long time…” They shared a laugh while I collapsed silently by the door. Just then, a robotic voice echoed in my mind: [Host mission complete. Points available to redeem rewards.] “I don’t want rewards. I just want my hands back.” [Understood. Initiating exchange.] Today is my son Tommy’s birthday. For the first time in years, I ventured outside, ignoring the stares, and carried a cake home in my mouth. As I approached our house, I noticed the front door was slightly ajar. Curious about what they might be discussing in my absence, I paused to listen. “Dad, where do you think Mom went?” Tommy’s small voice drifted out. I thought he might be worried about me, so I kept listening. “Your mom texted that she was getting your cake,” Jack explained gently. Hearing this, Tommy immediately freaked out: “What? How can she get a cake without hands?!” “It’ll have my name on it! Now everyone will know that freak is my mom!” “It’s so embarrassing! Why does she have to humiliate our whole family?” “Just thinking about her deformed hands touching my cake makes me want to throw up!” I expected Jack to scold Tommy for speaking that way. Instead, he just stroked Tommy’s head and smiled. “You poor thing.” Encouraged by Jack’s response, Tommy eagerly continued: “Dad, what do you think about Olivia?” “It’s Mom’s fault for being useless. You can’t divorce her, so Olivia has to sneak around! She’s waited so long!” Olivia? The name was both familiar and foreign. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of Olivia,” Jack assured him. Tommy grew excited. “So can you marry Olivia? Let her be my new mom!” My jaw clenched around the cake, teeth aching. I had begged Tommy’s favorite bakery to make this cake special, since they don’t normally do custom orders. I’d been so happy bringing it home, never imagining my own son could despise me this much. All because of my twisted, disabled hands. At least Tommy was just a child who didn’t understand. Surely Jack, as an adult, wouldn’t abandon me so callously. I was immediately proven wrong. “I’m sick of it too. Looking at those deformed hands makes me want to vomit every second. How can anyone’s hands be so hideous…” “I’ve taken care of her for years. I’ll give her a big settlement – that should clear my conscience.” “After your birthday tomorrow, I’ll ask for a divorce…”

As Jack finished speaking, he seemed to let out a sigh of relief. Tommy’s excited cheers pierced through the doorway, shattering something in my mind. My whole body went cold, the cake falling from my mouth unnoticed. Four years ago, I was an up-and-coming pianist envied by all. While camping with Jack and Tommy, an out-of-control truck came barreling towards us. In desperation, I lunged to push them out of the way, but I was a split second too late. When I opened my eyes, the two most important men in my life lay in pools of blood. The truck’s tires had crushed their legs beyond recognition. I knew that even if they survived, they would never walk again. My proud husband Jack, a titan of industry, would be devastated to lose his ability to stand. And my son Tommy was only 3 – he had his whole future ahead of him, so many paths yet to walk. They both needed their legs, while I was a pianist who could play sitting down. In that moment, I made an instant decision. “System, can you transfer their injuries to me instead?” “Host, the price for two pairs of legs is your hands. Do you still wish to proceed?” “Without hands…I…my son is only 3, he can’t lose his legs so young, he just learned to walk…” The system altered everyone’s memories. They all believed I had pushed Jack and Tommy out of the way that day. My hands were crushed beyond recognition, twisted into grotesque, nauseating shapes. But it was all voluntary – I willingly sacrificed my precious hands to keep them safe. I thought we could stay together, supporting each other for life. Even though I lost my piano and my dreams, I still had my family and my love. My life would still be happy. But reality struck a cruel blow, shattering my delusions. Tommy’s excited voice continued: “Dad, you don’t know – every time I see Mom’s twisted hands I feel like she’s a monster. I have nightmares for days…Doesn’t Mom realize how disgusting she is? Why won’t she just leave on her own!” “I was so worried you wouldn’t divorce Mom, but I’m glad I was wrong. I can’t wait to get a new mom!” Jack’s laughter was ruthless, his tone mocking: “Of course Daddy finds it disgusting too. Daddy’s a normal person. And those deformed hands ooze pus and stink. I have to clean them every day – the smell is indescribable…” “What normal woman smells like that…it kills any desire.” “I’m tired of sharing a bed with her every night.” I peeked through the door. Jack’s smug smile pierced my heart. Rooted in place, waves of pain washed over me. I struggled to hold back tears of hurt and betrayal. When your heart goes numb, does it stop hurting? They went on to discuss Olivia, but I barely registered it. My ears were ringing, my mind blank. Mechanically, I bent down to pick up the fallen cake in my mouth and pushed open the door. The previously lively home fell silent at my entrance. As I set down the cake, I didn’t miss Tommy’s look of revulsion. He said with disgust: “Why bother with this stuff? I don’t want to celebrate my birthday!” With that, he flipped the cake off the table. Frosting and cake splattered across the floor, like the pieces of my shattered heart. I wanted to grab a cloth to clean up, but remembered my useless hands hanging limply at my sides. I could only stand there staring at the mess. Jack came over with a cold expression to clean up. “If you can’t help, just stay out of the way. Don’t make more trouble.” As he cleaned, he kept glancing at his phone, replying to messages with rare tenderness in his eyes. I realized he must be chatting with that woman called Olivia. Of course. Smartphones are useless to me now except for making calls. She’s the one keeping him company through the night now, not me. With mixed emotions, I watched Jack bent over cleaning. “Who is this Olivia woman?” Jack looked up, momentarily flustered before composing himself. He met my gaze steadily. “You’re overstepping, Sophia.” I gave a bitter smile. “I’m not trying to control you. I’m just asking…” “It’s none of your business. Why don’t you worry about your own hands instead of being useless forever!” His gaze deliberately fell on my deformed hands, eyes full of contempt. I looked between him and Tommy. The two men I loved most now looked at me with nothing but disgust and disdain. But why? What right do they have? “Let’s get a divorce.” Only I have the right to end our relationship. Jack and Tommy don’t deserve that power. I gazed at Tommy, the child I carried for 9 months, with complicated emotions. I never imagined the flesh of my flesh would become the sharpest knife to pierce my heart. “Tommy, Mommy has always known you don’t like her. That you find Mommy’s hands disgusting…that you want Olivia to be your new mom. Mommy knows everything.” Tommy’s face showed no sadness, only anger at being exposed. He was too young to hide his feelings or lie. He could only yell back defiantly: “It’s your fault for being a freak! All my friends’ moms have normal pretty hands! Only your hands are gross and deformed! What’s wrong with wanting a normal mom? Since you know, just leave already!” Even though I’d already heard those hurtful words, hearing them directly from my child still made my nose sting with unshed tears. Jack made no move to stop Tommy’s cruel words. Instead, he pulled out divorce papers from his desk drawer. “Sophia, your hands became like this because of us. I’ll give you a settlement as compensation. Of course, for custody of Tommy…” My heart turned to ash. “I don’t want custody.” Jack looked surprised. Even Tommy, who had been yelling for me to leave, froze in disbelief. They all thought Tommy was precious to me. But now I was giving him up. “I wasn’t planning to give you custody anyway. Tommy doesn’t want to live with you. I’ll give you a house and $200,000 as compensation.” I laughed. The CEO of a public company offering only $200k as compensation to his ex-wife. $200k for 4 legs? How cheap. I didn’t argue further, just nodded. “Whatever. Let’s finalize the divorce quickly.” With that, I pressed my deformed fingers to the divorce papers as a signature and walked into the bedroom without looking back. I collapsed to the floor behind the closed door. The system’s voice rang out in my mind: [Detection complete. Host mission accomplished. Points available to redeem rewards.] I laughed bitterly. “Divorce counts as completing the mission?” [Living for yourself and loving yourself is the system’s mission. What reward would you like, Host?] I looked at my twisted, deformed hands, remembering how I once stood proudly on stage. I wasted so many years of youth and dreams on those two ungrateful beasts. How laughable. My expression instantly turned cold. I glanced towards the door with a sneer. “System, I don’t want a reward…” “I want their legs. I want my hands back.” 4 The system’s mechanical voice slowly responded: [Understood, Host. Initiating exchange.] [Exchange will take effect over 3 months. Full exchange complete after 3 months.] I’d endured for years. I could certainly wait 3 more months. After I proposed divorce, Jack dropped all pretense. He immediately took Tommy and left our shared home. Eager to escape the life we’d built together. Before my son left, I couldn’t help asking: “Tommy, now that Mom and Dad are divorcing, will you miss me?” He fiddled with his tablet, playing a shooting game without looking up. “Don’t ask stupid questions.” “I can’t wait to get away from you. Why would I miss you? To have nightmares?” I stiffened at his response. Right. His disgust for me was written all over his face, etched into his bones. Every moment he saw his birth mother as revolting. As a mother, I still couldn’t help advising: “Eat less junk food, play fewer games. Your grades lately…” “Not this again! When will you stop nagging?” Tommy suddenly grabbed a nearby glass and threw it at me, his face twisted with impatience. “If you’re leaving then hurry up and go! We’re divorced so you’re not my mom anymore! Stop bothering me, you freak!” I had no time to dodge, no hands to block it. The glass smashed into my forehead. A sharp pain lanced through my skull. The world seemed to grow lighter. Blood trickled down my face, along my eye sockets, like tears of blood. This was the last chance I was giving our relationship. I took a deep breath. I was done. Done with this family, the man I’d loved for nearly 10 years, even my own flesh and blood. I was letting it all go. As they were leaving, a woman appeared at our door. She had a face similar to mine, but younger and more beautiful. I recognized her – Olivia Wilson, the rising piano virtuoso. My gaze drifted down to her long, slender hands. Normal hands. “It’s an honor to meet you.” Olivia’s smile was dazzling as she deliberately extended her hand, then feigned embarrassment. “Oh, I forgot Ms. Lee is disabled. I wanted to shake hands!” “Such a shame. I heard from Jack that you used to play piano beautifully. But now…” Olivia’s eyes kept darting to the hands I tried to hide behind my back. For the first time, I wanted to completely conceal my weakness. But there was nowhere to hide. “The real homewrecker is the one who isn’t loved. Ms. Lee, you’ve overstayed your welcome as Mrs. Sullivan. Using guilt to cling to your position isn’t right. Oh, and don’t forget to come to Jack and I’s wedding!” Olivia proudly displayed the heart-shaped diamond on her finger. Seeing that ring on her slender hand, I froze for a moment. My heart skipped a beat. When Jack and I were dating, he often cradled my hands, kissing each knuckle. He promised that once he made it big, he’d buy me a huge heart-shaped diamond. Now he’d achieved success and bought the ring – but not for me. His love was so cheap, given to whoever he pleased. I once treasured it like gold. How foolish. “Congratulations,” I said coolly to the woman before me. She was so much like me. And yet not me at all. I’d just escaped the prison of marriage. I could only congratulate this woman for eagerly jumping in. “I heard from Tommy that you actually agreed to divorce Jack right away.” Olivia’s tone dripped with sarcasm. “Don’t think our compensation is too little. A useless cripple like you should be grateful Jack supported you at all. We’re being more than fair – anyone else wouldn’t give you a cent.” “Thank you so much then.” I replied flatly, too tired to argue further. I turned to leave. No rush. After all, my lost hands were gradually being restored. My new life was just beginning. Jack and Tommy could enjoy their last taste of freedom while it lasted. 5 After they left, the whole house fell silent. It felt empty, yet somehow safer. I struggled to pack up the few remaining things of theirs, throwing it all away. Even our old family photos went straight into the trash without a second glance.

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After the delivery, my husband told me that because I was too overweight, the baby had suffocated to death. Devastated, I later overheard a conversation between him and another woman. “Won’t your wife be angry if you give her child to me?” “She’s just a breeding tool. It’s an honor for her that her child will have such a gentle and beautiful mother as you.” I laughed through my tears. Since you had already reunited, then the three of you could live happily ever after. Today was my wedding anniversary with my husband, Theo Gray. It was pouring heavily outside. I received a phone call from him. “Leah, come pick me up.” I frowned. “Have you been drinking again?” Theo’s voice came through the phone, laced with impatience and the occasional sound of a woman’s laughter in the background. “Don’t bother me. Come to Paisley Hotel now.” I sighed, cradling my seven-month-pregnant belly, and slowly went upstairs to get the car keys. “Mrs. Gray, how about leaving it to me instead?” the driver suggested. I shook my head. “No, I’ll go there. Theo might worry if he doesn’t see me.” Theo and I had been married for three years. We used to be an inseparable couple, but lately, he had been out every night for business dinners and come home drunk. I knew he still loved me. Every time he came back, he would sleep in another room, claiming it was to protect me and the baby. Thinking of him, I smiled happily as I pressed the pedal and headed to Paisley Hotel. I cradled my heavy belly and climbed the stairs one step at a time, ignoring the mocking voices around me. “Look how fat she is. She must weigh 280 pounds!” “Oh, she’s pregnant. She’s holding her waist.” I ignored these remarks. All that mattered was Theo’s love for me. Theo and I were once neighbors. Due to some issues with his family, we were both kidnapped. The kidnapper forced Theo to drink a drug, but I snatched it away and drank it to protect him. Though we were eventually rescued, I started gaining weight uncontrollably because of the drug. Theo, with red-rimmed eyes, held my hand and sobbed, making a promise, “Leah, I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life.” I approached the private room and knocked on the door. “Oh, Theo, your fat wife is here,” a man’s mocking voice echoed in the private room. “Don’t say that. Leah came here in the rain to pick up Theo!” a woman chuckled. “Enough! Didn’t you say that if she came, you would delete Lucy’s photos?” Anger and arrogance tinged the man’s words. I recognized the voices instantly. They were Theo and Lucy Ramos. I walked into the private room and scanned the crowd. Finally, my gaze landed on Theo, who was completely drunk. “I’m here to pick you up, Theo. Let’s go home.” Theo straightened slightly, squinting, trying to recognize the sudden presence. “Yeah, Theo, you should go back. Or Leah will get mad,” someone chimed in. Theo frowned, his face flushed. He mumbled, “She always tries to control me. I hate her.” The crowd egged on Lucy, urging her to continue asking questions since people tend to speak the truth when drunk. Lucy asked, “Theo, didn’t you say you loved Leah the most?” “That fat woman? Just looking at her makes me sick.” Theo snorted. I froze. The others stood there, watching like spectators. Dragging my heavy body, I tried to help Theo up, but he suddenly shoved me away. I fell to the floor, blood pooling beneath me. This scene seemed to sober Theo up instantly. He stood up abruptly and paced anxiously around me. His mind went blank. “Leah! Why did you really come here?” It seemed like something clicked in Theo’s mind. Sweat dripped from his forehead as he fumbled to call an ambulance, nearly dialing the wrong numbers. For a brief moment, I felt his love. But this feeling vanished as quickly as it came.

The ambulance arrived quickly, and several people lifted me onto the stretcher. Throughout the ride, I felt dizzy from blood loss, but there were constant murmurs around me. “Leah, don’t fall asleep.” “Hold on, Leah! You’re the one I love the most.” “Don’t sleep. The patient is hemorrhaging. We need plasma now! ” “Quick! Adrenaline!” “The baby is out. Get it to the incubator!” When I opened my eyes, everything was a blur of white, and the sharp smell of antiseptic made me nauseous. Turning my head, I saw Theo sitting nearby, engrossed in his work. Noticing that I had woken up, Theo breathed a sigh of relief. Though there was still a hint of anger on his face, he brought over a glass of water. “I can’t believe how foolish you are. I told you to go to the hotel, and you actually went.” His tone was full of reproach, but there was an underlying note of concern. “I was worried about you. What about the baby?” I asked. Theo paused, his expression turning sorrowful, and his voice filled with grief. “Your fat was too thick, leading to oxygen deprivation. The baby didn’t make it.” I felt as if struck by lightning. My vision was blurred, unable to focus. Disregarding my weakened state, I tried to get out of bed. “Where is the baby?” Theo’s eyes were bloodshot, but no tears welled up in them. He held me in his arms, his voice hoarse and low. “Leah, it’s okay. You’re still young. We can have more children.” I closed my eyes and lay down, feeling everything from my nightmare was becoming real. When I sat up again, Theo was outside on the phone, looking haggard. Ignoring the pain, I took a few steps toward him. “Lucy, the baby is still in the incubator,” Theo’s voice was unusually tender. “Theo, aren’t you afraid Leah will find out?” A sweet voice came through the phone. “It doesn’t matter. Leah can still get pregnant. Take good care of the baby,” Theo said soothingly, his words dripping with affection. “Alright, she might wake up soon. She’ll be upset if she doesn’t see me.” The moment he hung up, he turned and saw me standing at the door, staring at him. My eyes were bloodshot, and my voice trembled as I questioned him, “Why? That was the child I fought so hard to bring into this world.” For a moment, Theo looked guilty, but he quickly regained his composure, smiling as he walked over to support me, “Leah, you know Lucy is a celebrity, and she can’t have children. Just be generous and help her out, okay? You can have more children.” As Theo held me in his arms, his tenderness made me feel like needles stuck in my heart. I collapsed to the floor, tears streaming down my cheeks. I screamed, “What does it matter to me whether she can have children or not?” Theo frowned, his tone tinged with frustration. “How can you be so unreasonable? You can have more children. Why do you keep obsessing over this one?”

“Theo, you weren’t like this before,” I said, looking up at him. He was dressed in a sharp suit, standing in stark contrast to my fat, fragile body. Theo glanced at me with impatience, hands in his pockets and brows furrowed. “Leah, can you be reasonable? I’m already stressed enough, but you’re still making things worse. The baby is with Lucy now. Don’t mention it again.” With that, he slammed the door behind him, even forgetting his laptop. I struggled to stand, gripping the bed for support. The pain between my legs was nothing compared to the doctor’s words that day. “Mrs. Gray, did you come for your prenatal checkup alone? The baby isn’t doing well. If you decide to keep it, you might never be able to get pregnant again.” At that time, I had smiled sweetly and nodded without hesitation. That child was the only bond I had with Theo. I didn’t know how I managed to reach the laptop, but by then, my legs were numb. Mechanically, I scrolled through the screen. The note Theo labeled me was “Fatty”, while Lucy’s was “Sweet Lucy”. I told myself not to care, but what followed made me feel like being thrown into an icy wasteland. When I finished reading their chatting records, tears were streaming down my face. Staggering back to the bed, I couldn’t help but think of how things used to be. As I fainted, a conversation replayed in my mind, over and over again. Lucy chuckled, “Theo, do you still love Leah?” Theo snorted. “I regret not drinking that drug myself.” ***** Suddenly, a nurse shouted in surprise, “The patient in room 216 is hemorrhaging. Call her family immediately. Her uterus is failing!” Theo sat on Lucy’s couch, staring at his ringing phone, repeatedly dismissing it. “Why aren’t you answering?” Lucy asked, noticing the caller ID labeled “Fatty”. She couldn’t help but feel a twinge of satisfaction. “Lucy, why isn’t Leah as understanding as you?” Theo sighed. He hadn’t slept last night. He then lay back on the couch and fell asleep. Lucy stared at the constantly ringing phone, picked it up, and walked into the kitchen. “Hello, are you Leah Gray’s family? She’s hemorrhaging, and her uterus is failing. Do you want to save her or the uterus? She’s currently unconscious. Please make a decision!” The voice on the other end of the phone was frantic. In stark contrast, Lucy responded nonchalantly, “Just remove it.” Theo felt something was off and couldn’t sleep anymore. He called out from the living room, “Lucy, where’s my phone?” Lucy hurriedly hung up the call, deleted the recent call record, and put on an innocent act. “Oh, I didn’t want the ring to bother you, so I put the phone away.” Though I was barely conscious, I could hear everything. Tears rolled down my cheeks.

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I worked part-time jobs to support my boyfriend Jack through college. Once, I even bought a 10-hour standing-room-only train ticket to visit him when we were in a long-distance relationship. I wanted to surprise him, but instead, I caught him intimately strolling arm-in-arm with a rich heiress. Devastated, I confronted him: “Why are you doing this to me?” He just sneered and said, “Let’s break up. You have nothing to offer. She can give me so much more.” However, the very next day, my life took an unexpected turn – I discovered I was the daughter of a billionaire. When Jack broke up with me, I was still holding a bouquet of flowers in my hand. The rich girl in the red dress beside him looked at me disdainfully and asked, “Jack, who’s this?” Jack seemed surprised to see me and nervously withdrew his arm from the rich girl’s. “It’s nothing, just a friend of mine.” “Friend?” I stared at him in disbelief. I looked disheveled and travel-worn, having rushed here straight from the train station to give him a surprise. “Jack, you told me you were working overtime at the company. I wanted to surprise you, but you’ve ended up giving me such a big surprise instead?” The rich girl seemed to catch on and asked unhappily, “Jack, didn’t you say you were single? Is this your girlfriend?” Jack looked annoyed. “What girlfriend? I stopped liking her ages ago.” Then he turned to me, “I don’t like you anymore. Stop clinging to me.” His eyes were so cold, as if he couldn’t wait to get rid of me. It was as if the eight years we’d spent together meant nothing to him. It felt like a bolt from the blue. I blinked in disbelief, unable to process that the person looking at me with such disgust was the same one who had been talking about celebrating our eighth anniversary just yesterday on the phone. Jack turned to the rich girl and said softly, “Chloe, it’s cold out here. Why don’t you wait in that coffee shop over there? This girl is clingy. I’ll deal with her.” Chloe wasn’t stupid. She sensed that our relationship was far from ordinary. She looked me up and down haughtily, then laughed and said in a coquettish tone, “Alright, but hurry up and deal with it, okay?” Then she strutted off to the nearby coffee shop in her high heels. A light drizzle had started. I was dressed thinly, but as the night wind blew, I couldn’t feel the cold. The person in front of me had become a stranger, making my heart feel ice-cold. “Pursuer?” I sneered, throwing the flowers at him forcefully. “Some pursuer, Jack! Which pursuer would stay with you for eight years? Which pursuer would be discussing engagement plans with you just two days ago? I was so excited to come and be with you, and this is how you treat me!” Jack’s expression darkened as he silently watched me. The person standing before me was someone I had been with for eight years, someone I had wholeheartedly wanted to marry. I had once believed that even long-distance couldn’t hinder our love. Yet here he was, calmly watching me break down and go crazy, completely unmoved. “Are you done?” Jack frowned impatiently. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” I found it absurd and laughed through my tears. “Tell you? So you could have time to prepare and continue deceiving me?” Jack suddenly started laughing, looking at me with mockery in his eyes. “Emily, don’t you get it yet? You’re just an orphan. What can you offer me?” “Chloe is a rich heiress. Her dad owns a big company, with mansions and yachts. She’s got a great figure too. What do you have?” I stood there, stunned. “Jack, I’ve been with you for eight years. Yes, I’m an orphan without a degree, but don’t forget that your college and master’s degree were funded by me working two jobs and doing part-time work every day.” “Haha, wasn’t that all voluntary on your part?” Jack’s expression was strange. “So you do know I graduated from a top university? I’ve got a good job now, and plenty of girls like me. Look at yourself, Emily. You’ve got no money, no looks. You’re just a high school graduate. How can you compare to her? How are you worthy of me?” “She’s very rich and she likes me. I finally have this opportunity, and I don’t want to live that hard life anymore. We’re not a good match. Just let me go.” I opened my mouth but couldn’t say a word. The fine rain fell on my head, blurring my vision. I felt like I was truly seeing this person for the first time. With the gentle facade stripped away, all that remained were shocking scars. An umbrella appeared over Jack’s head. Chloe was holding it for him. She smiled, “Jack, is this the orphan ex-girlfriend you mentioned who keeps clinging to you? She really doesn’t match up to you.” Ex-girlfriend? I nodded and calmly said, “Yes, I’m the ex-girlfriend now. But Chloe, this Jack beside you isn’t a good person. Rich lady, open your eyes and take a good look. This guy has been living off me for years while studying. He ate my food, wore clothes I bought, and spent the money I earned from part-time jobs. He was happy to be a kept man, and it wasn’t a small expense.” I opened my bag, took out a pen and paper, wrote down my payment details, and slapped it onto Jack’s chest. “Want to get rid of me? Fine. Pay back every cent I spent on you over these years. Not a penny less. I want it in my account within three days, or we’ll settle this in court.” I then turned to Chloe, “You like this scumbag? Well, I was blind. He’s all yours now. If you really like him, you can pay me back on his behalf.” With that, I turned and walked away.

I’m an orphan. I was abandoned at the doorstep of an orphanage when I was still a baby. The kind-hearted director took me in and raised me. Some charitable people sponsored my education. But because I had no parents, I was often bullied at school. The other kids would gang up to mock me for wearing patched clothes, saying I was an uncultured wild child without parents. When I couldn’t take it anymore, I told the teacher, but they didn’t care. I couldn’t even afford the school uniform fees and often had to work part-time jobs or collect recyclables for pocket money, which led to poor grades. So those bullies became even worse. They were like a pack of wolves that had found a weak rabbit and felt excited. They would pour ink on my books, my desk was always covered in messy graffiti, and after school, I’d be cornered and forced to hand over my pocket money. That day, I was cornered again. Their tall shadows loomed over me, making me feel terrified. Suddenly, an angry voice came from behind: “What are you doing?” That was the first time I saw Daniel. He threatened to call the police if they bullied me again. Only then did they reluctantly disperse. Daniel asked me with concern, “Are you okay?” The boy’s clean shirt smelled of laundry detergent. At that time, he was full of righteousness, with gentle features. He was a model student at school, shining like a deity in my eyes. Later, I started to frequently “bump into” him. I deliberately created every opportunity to meet him. He said, “Emily, you’re very pretty.” He kissed my eyes and held my hand on the playground. So we naturally became a couple. Everyone said I was lucky that Daniel liked me, but this made those bullies target me even more. However, Daniel’s family suffered a setback and fell on hard times just as he was about to start college. I stepped up, just as he had once saved me: “Daniel, I’m not going to continue studying. My grades are far worse than yours, and we can’t afford to support both of us.” So I started working several jobs a day to support his studies. He would always hug me tenderly, whispering sweet nothings that made me willingly fall into his honeyed words and devotedly give everything. He said, “Emily, when I graduate and find a good job, I’ll marry you.” He was good-looking, and when we were in a long-distance relationship, many girls at his school liked him. But he said he only liked me and wanted to be with me forever. Now I see it was all just sugar-coated bullets. He just needed a fool to pave the way for his future. I deleted everything related to Jack and hid in a hotel, slowly accepting the fact that I had been betrayed. On the third day of my stay in this city, I suddenly received a payment in my account, along with a text message from an unknown number. [The money has been repaid. Don’t come looking for Jack again. You’re not good enough for him. He’s my boyfriend now.] It was that rich girl. I could only laugh. Looks like another girl fooled by Jack’s sweet talk. I was feeling like a lost goose, not knowing where to go, when I suddenly received a call from the orphanage director. “Emily, there’s a couple here who say they’re your birth parents.”

My heart sank. The word “parents” was foreign to me. In countless dark moments, I had hoped they would appear in my life, but I was always disappointed. Despite this, I still traveled overnight to the city where the orphanage was located. Before me stood a well-dressed middle-aged couple. The man wore a suit and tie, while the woman was dressed in an expensive fur coat with perfect makeup. The moment she saw me, the woman’s eyes welled up with tears. She rushed forward and hugged me excitedly, “Daughter, we’ve finally found you!” It felt surreal. The middle-aged man beside her took off his glasses and wiped his tears, “Emily, we’ve been looking for you for so long.” The woman’s name was Sarah. She looked at me carefully, with a gaze I had never experienced before – gentle and filled with heartache. The middle-aged man was called Robert. He looked at me with relief, “Your mom and I were quite young when we had you. We didn’t have much money then, so we took you north to find work. But the train was so crowded, and in a moment of carelessness, you were stolen by a trafficker. Your mom nearly cried her eyes out. We reported it to the police, and after a long wait, the trafficker was finally caught. But he said the buyer had changed their mind at the last minute, so he just left you at the doorstep of an orphanage.” “But he had done this so many times that he couldn’t remember which orphanage it was. By the time we found out, we were told that you had moved from the old orphanage. It’s taken all these years for us to finally meet, father and daughter.” Robert’s eyes were a bit red as he looked at me excitedly, “They named you Emily, right? Now you have a surname. Your name is Emily Yan.” “Emily Yan…” I murmured. It all felt so unreal, as if I were in a dream. Sarah affectionately held my hand, “My dear child, you must have suffered a lot all these years. I heard from the director that you’ve been very strong and capable. Your dad and I have had some success in our business over the years, and we can give you a good life now. Come home with us.” The director nodded approvingly, so I went home with them. It was only then that I realized their “some success” was far more than just a little. Robert, my father, was the director of the city’s largest venture capital group, with countless businesses under his name. When the car pulled up to a high-end villa complex, I still couldn’t believe it. This area was known for its exorbitant property prices, with many top celebrities choosing to buy luxury homes here. In the past, this was something I couldn’t even dream of. As we entered, an elegant young woman came down the stairs. When she saw me, her eyes lit up, and she quickened her pace, rushing over to grab my hand. “Mom, Dad, is this my sister?” she asked. Her eyes were bright, and her features were similar to mine. She was fair and beautiful, and I immediately took a liking to her. Sarah smiled and pulled me closer, “This is your sister, Lily. She’s been looking for you with us all these years. When we went to pick you up, she kept talking about you.” I felt awkward due to the unfamiliarity, but Lily was excited. She pulled my hand and led me upstairs, “Come on, sis, let me show you your room. I decorated it myself.” As she opened the door, a grand crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, with a huge princess bed in the center. Lily hadn’t let go of my hand. She chattered away, “Sis, here’s the walk-in closet. It’s all filled with the latest seasonal fashion. I picked them out for you, but I’m not sure if they’ll fit. Oh, and we’ve booked a designer to come and take your measurements in a few days. And look, this is my favorite bunny plushie. I’ve put it on your bedside table.” As I listened to her, I felt a lump in my throat for some reason. “Thank you, Lily.” Lily pursed her lips and frowned, “Sis, have you been through a lot of hardship?” I didn’t say anything. She looked at me with concern, “When I held your hand just now, I felt a lot of calluses.” “But don’t worry, I’ll protect you from now on. You won’t have to suffer anymore,” she said with a smile.

Robert said that in a few days, there would be a birthday party for him, with invitations sent to various celebrities and influential people. He planned to announce my return at the party. Over these few days, I truly felt the love of my parents, and my sister loved to stick close to me. At night, we would often squeeze together, and she would listen to stories about my past. The blood ties quickly dissolved the sense of unfamiliarity, and Lily happily helped me choose an evening gown. “Lily, I’m a bit nervous,” I said, feeling anxious at the thought of facing so many people. “Oh, don’t be nervous,” Lily squeezed my hand reassuringly. “Sis, just remember you’re our dad’s daughter. There will be a lot of media there too, announcing your identity to the world.” Soon, the day of the party arrived. I changed into a carefully designed red evening gown, with flawless makeup and hair styled in big waves. The person in the mirror looked so beautiful, I hardly recognized myself. The party was set in a grand hall, with champagne and wine glasses filling long tables covered in red cloth. Men in suits escorted their partners, clinking glasses in conversation. I had only seen such scenes on TV before, but I never expected to see Jack here. He was standing not far from me, with Chloe intimately holding his arm. As Jack turned, he clearly saw me and was visibly stunned. Chloe, the rich girl beside him, was talking to some socialite. Noticing his odd expression, she followed his gaze and saw me, also looking surprised. Then Chloe smiled, her red lips curving as she held her wine glass. With a challenging look, she strutted over in her high heels. She looked me up and down and sneered, “What? Are you working as a waitress here? Do waitresses need to dress up like this?” Jack beside her also looked at me quizzically, though there was a hint of admiration in his eyes. In the past, I had always been weighed down by life’s pressures. This was the first time I appeared so glamorous in front of others. I looked at the couple in front of me and smiled without saying a word. Jack frowned, “Emily, where did you borrow this evening gown from? Are you doing some kind of part-time job?” “This kind of place requires invitations. Ordinary people can’t just waltz in,” Chloe looked me up and down. “Don’t tell me you rented an outfit and are pretending to be some socialite? Or have you hooked up with some rich young master?” Her words unintentionally stung Jack, who was there precisely because he had hooked up with her. “She doesn’t need to pretend, nor does she need to hook up with anyone,” a voice rang out. Lily, wearing a deep red cocktail dress, walked over like a proud swan. She looked Chloe straight in the eye, took my hand, and smiled lightly, “Let me introduce you properly. This is Emily Yan, my elder sister. She’s the long-lost daughter of the Yan family, whom we’ve finally found!” Chloe’s hand holding the wine glass trembled, and Jack beside her turned pale. “Listen, Chloe,” Lily said, her usual warm and lively demeanor replaced by a serious expression. “You brought this kept man to my family’s event and insulted my sister. Are you sure you want your family’s business to continue?” Chloe’s face turned from red to white. “Lily, you…!” At this moment, Robert walked over. He had witnessed everything with cold eyes. He took my hand – the first time I felt the warmth of a father’s broad palm – and led me to stand on the raised platform in the grand hall. He announced to everyone: “Ladies and gentlemen, I have something else to say. My long-lost daughter, Emily Yan, returned to my side a few days ago.” There was a commotion below, and camera flashes went off, dazzling my eyes. But I didn’t shy away, facing head-on what should have been mine all along. I caught sight of Jack staring at me in a daze from below. He was now looking up at me from a slightly lower angle. “How is this possible…” he muttered, seemingly regretting his misjudgment. Chloe’s fingers gripping the wine glass turned white as she noticed Jack’s expression. She spat out bitterly, “Like what you see?” Jack snapped back to reality, cleverly concealing the regret in his eyes. At the party, those people I used to only see in business reports and finance magazines were all praising me for how beautiful I had become. For a moment, I felt like the moon surrounded by stars, though I understood they were only saying it for my father’s benefit. Lily pulled me over to a group of socialites to introduce me. Jack remained silent, drinking alcohol with half his face hidden in shadow. Chloe was fuming inside. She sneered, “Does everyone know? This Miss Emily was just a factory girl who barely graduated high school, living at the bottom of society before she was found. She used to cling to my boyfriend, but unfortunately, my boyfriend didn’t like her.” People around started to whisper. Lily’s brows furrowed, about to say something, but I gently patted her hand to calm her. Then I spoke up: “Miss Chloe, you keep mentioning that I only graduated from high school. So why did you eagerly pick up what this high school graduate discarded?” Chloe’s face immediately darkened. I felt she was easy to provoke, so I continued, “You’re a guest in my home, yet you’re so rude to the host. Is this the kind of upbringing you’ve had, Miss Chloe?” The socialites around, who probably had long disliked Chloe, chimed in sarcastically, “That’s right, some people think they’re all that just because their daddy made some money riding a trend. Now they’re causing a scene on someone else’s turf.” Provoked, Chloe exploded in anger: “Emily, don’t think you’re so great just because the Yan family found you! Deep down, you’re still just an orphan with no parental guidance!” Her words caused a stir, directly slapping Robert in the face. Lily, furious, stepped forward and grabbed her hand, looking like she was about to hit her: “Who are you calling an orphan with no parental guidance?” Robert walked over, his aura intimidating as he glared at Chloe: “You’ve really gone too far! Your father begged and pleaded yesterday to do business with us, and now you dare act so arrogantly! Do you really think I, Robert Yan, have been eating vegetarian dishes all these years?” “Get out of my birthday party right now. You’re not welcome in our home! Go back and tell your father that the business deal is off. We won’t be associating anymore. By calling my daughter an orphan, aren’t you cursing our whole family? Get out of here right now!” Chloe had never faced such a situation before. Her face turned red, and with everyone around watching her like a spectacle, she couldn’t bear to stay any longer. She picked up her dress and ran out crying. Jack hadn’t expected things to turn out this way either. He gave me a deep look before chasing after her. Robert raised his voice, essentially giving a message to the media: “The Zhao family can’t control their daughter. She came to my house today and greatly embarrassed my daughter, which is like slapping me, Robert Yan, in the face. From now on, our Yan Group will have no more dealings with the Zhao family’s investment bank.” For the first time, I felt the confidence of having a strong backing. After years of struggling alone, I now had a safety net. Lily whispered in my ear, explaining, “Dad’s meaning is clear. He’s drawing a line between us and that Chloe’s family. Sis, our family is the industry leader. If we make this statement, other families probably won’t dare to go against us. Anyone who does business with them will be seen as opposing us.” I was shocked, not realizing the Yan family’s influence was so powerful. I was also amazed that my father would go to such lengths for a daughter he hadn’t seen in years. Sarah arranged the best private tutors to teach me, and even suggested that if I was willing, I could study abroad with Lily for a while, taking the opportunity to travel and clear my mind. Studying abroad was something I had never dared to dream of before.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296041”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring #校园School #重生Reborn

There are seven days in a week when I don’t want to work. To fulfill my wish, my boss ran the company into bankruptcy. Now I really don’t have to work anymore. Heartbroken at not being able to earn my workhorse wages, I chose to go crazy in the group chat. [Boss, will we ever meet again?] [Boss, please be happy when we do meet again, okay?] [Boss, how can I live without you!!] [Boss, take me with you boss~~] The group chat was silent for a few seconds, then exploded with laughing emojis. Everyone started joining in: [Boss~ don’t go~] I replied: [I’m not going~] Just as the atmosphere was getting lively, the boss replied with [Okay.] My phone suddenly felt hot in my hand. Before I could reply, the boss messaged me privately [Tomorrow at 10, wait for me downstairs at your place.] I stared at my phone, lost in thought. Why? Was the boss planning to elope with me? If I had known, I wouldn’t have talked nonsense! I don’t want to live a life of starvation with the boss for three days out of every nine! Thinking of this, I replied tactfully: [I have a blind date tomorrow to find a sugar daddy, we’ll meet again if fate allows, boss!] To show I was serious, I even sent a “sorry” kneeling emoji. After sending the message, I started a game. What was the point of being a diligent workhorse for three years? It was all so I could achieve financial independence and go out and have fun. Only an idiot would get married. But I have to say, Lucas was truly a godsend of a boss – no overtime, no team building activities, and the salary arrived more punctually than my period every month. Plus there were all kinds of bonuses from time to time. Most importantly, the boss was so handsome! Easy on the eyes. So after working for three years, I had saved up a bit of money. Take it one step at a time, worst case I’ll die halfway. But after finishing a round of the game, an image of Lucas looking sad popped into my mind. The company going bankrupt was already tragic enough, what if he did something stupid if I didn’t go meet him!? Then wouldn’t I become the final straw that broke Lucas’s back? After tossing and turning all night, I still decided to go see him. The moment I sat down in Lucas’s car, I stared at his fair, slender hands and thought with some regret that this might be the last time Lucas would be driving a Rolls-Royce one-handed. Lucas was silent the whole way. Sigh, the boss must be heartbroken. I opened my mouth to comfort him: “Boss, don’t be too sad. If we work hard, we can still make a comeback.” “When we make it big again, we’ll come work for you.” Lucas remained silent, not saying a word. He’s not thinking of crashing the car with me, is he!? The car stopped in front of another villa, and my heart slowly settled down. Lucas finally spoke: “Does what you said yesterday still stand?” My heart that had just settled down leapt up again. What I said yesterday? I couldn’t even remember what I ate yesterday. After pondering for a while, I tentatively said: “Boss, take me with you?” Seeing that I still remembered, Lucas rested one hand on the steering wheel, looked towards the villa, and said: “I promised my dad that if my startup failed, I’d go back home to inherit the family business.” Wow, so my boss was a hidden rich second generation. Wait, then what was all my heartfelt consoling just now? Was it all for nothing? Lucas continued: “But after I went home, my dad said I’m not stable enough to inherit the business unless I get married.” I silently swallowed my bitterness. I almost thought the boss was about to get rich, but it seems being a rich second generation isn’t so easy after all. Perhaps my sympathetic gaze hurt Lucas, as he cut straight to the point: “I thought about it, and I think your proposal isn’t bad, so let’s get married.” “That way I can inherit the family business.” What the hell!? Who taught you this, Lucas!? You think this is some kind of business collaboration with a good proposal! I covered my forehead, trying to reason with him: “Boss, that’s not how inheritance works. You just need to show your uncle your abilities.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted it. I forgot Lucas had just run a company into bankruptcy. I changed the subject: “Besides, I can keep working for you. What’s the point of getting married?” Want me to work for free? Think you don’t have to pay me after we’re married? Luckily my mind was spinning quickly, otherwise I would’ve been tricked. Seeing through it all, I looked at Lucas with a hint of coldness in my eyes. Truly an evil capitalist. As if seeing through my thoughts, Lucas analyzed it for me: “Working for me, monthly salary $30,000. Being my wife, monthly salary $300,000.” “You choose. I’ll respect your decision.” One shouldn’t be too greedy. So I gave him a sweet smile: “Hubby!” Lucas took me to get our marriage certificate that same day. When taking the ID photos, just thinking about the $300,000 made the corners of my mouth curl up uncontrollably. $300,000! If I stick it out for a year, that’s $3.6 million. Three years, and it’s $10 million. By then, even if I become a discarded rich man’s wife, so what!? I can totally use that money to buy a car and house outright and reach the peak of life, hahahahaha. I looked at Lucas with starry eyes and coyly asked: “Hubby, why did you choose me?” Could it be that Lucas has secretly loved me for years? Lucas’s eyes were full of mirth: “Because you’re good at acting.” With those words, I who had been waiting for Lucas to say something touching froze in place. What did I act? Other than faking being sick a few times when I didn’t want to work, what else did I act? Besides, how can a workhorse’s affairs be called acting? Seeing my unconvinced face, Lucas helped me recall: “A month after joining the company, you said you had gastroenteritis and needed to be hospitalized. Later I found out you were drinking with the new employees, and when I caught you, you immediately performed a fainting act on the spot.” “Two years after joining the company, you said you had a bad breakup, and even found someone to perform a breakup scene outside the company. Later I found out it was an actor you hired, $20 an hour.” “And…” “Stop! Stop stop stop stop!” I reached out to cover his mouth. How does he know everything? Is he omniscient? Lucas spoke with difficulty with my hand over his mouth: “So I think you have great potential.” I was rendered speechless. To be able to find my strengths from these things, Lucas truly… has an eye for discovering beauty. Scrolling through social media, I saw that Lucas had posted our marriage certificate photo. Within seconds, I was bombarded with messages from former colleagues. [WTF Rachel, how did you become the ex-boss’s wife!?] [True love really does emerge in times of trouble. Wishing you a hundred years of happiness, and wishing the ex-boss a comeback!] [Ex-boss’s wife! Is that you? Don’t forget us little people when you get rich and famous.] Some closer friends earnestly advised me: [Are you really just after the ex-boss’s body?] [I only regret we never had team building activities before, otherwise I would’ve been the first to take you digging for wild vegetables!] Me: “…” Even a former colleague who was about to start at a new company told me that if I ever needed startup funding in the future, I could look for him for loans. Forget it friends, fend for yourselves. I’m already on my way to the peak of life! Lucas said he wanted to fulfill his husbandly duties, and started packing my luggage to move in as soon as we left the registry office. I politely declined: “It’s not appropriate, just call me when you need me.” No matter what, Lucas is still a tall handsome guy over 6 feet. I’m afraid I won’t be able to control myself. Lucas argued reasonably: “My dad is old and cunning, he could come to check on us at home anytime. If we’re exposed then, it’s all over.” Lucas brought up our collaboration, so I had no choice but to agree. Although his face showed no expression, I could still see a hint of success. Lucas moved all my things into the new house overnight. As he predicted, his dad came barging in as soon as we finished moving. A guy about Lucas’s age came along with him. He righteously accused Lucas: “Bro, how could you not tell us about such a big thing as getting married!?” “Am I no longer your most beloved little brother!?” Lucas rolled his eyes at him, lowered his head to fiddle with his phone, and gestured for me to check the message. I took out my phone and saw the message Lucas sent. I almost couldn’t hold back my laughter. [My brother Ethan, a nutcase.] [Wifey, what should we do.] Ethan, a 5’7″ guy, stood in front of 6’2″ Lucas, coquettishly complaining about Lucas. I quickly typed back: [Give him an eye roll, let him figure it out himself.] Lucas looked up at me, understanding dawning. He rolled his eyes expressionlessly, then looked at Ethan and said coldly: “Get lost.” Lucas’s brother didn’t expect this reaction from Lucas. He stood there stunned, looking pitifully at his dad. His dad couldn’t be bothered with him and looked at me saying: “So this is my daughter-in-law.” I nodded obediently, wanting to leave a good impression of being sweet and lovable with uncle. Lucas’s dad happily took out a red envelope and handed it to me: “This is a welcome gift for you.” I felt the red envelope, it was super thick. I happily opened the red envelope, ready to count how many bills were inside. Seeing me like this, Lucas’s dad smiled and said: “Don’t worry, I won’t shortchange you.” I looked up at him, grinning from ear to ear: “Thank you, Dad!” As I was feeling it, I suddenly sensed something was off. This texture, this size… I looked down and saw that the red envelope was stuffed with a stack of white paper! I looked pitifully at Lucas’s dad. The huge sum I thought I had just slipped through my fingers. Lucas’s dad looked at me, shock mixed with confusion on his face. Lucas had an expression of watching a good show. Lucas’s dad looked at Ethan and scolded angrily: “You did this?” “You put it in?” I asked Ethan incredulously. He looked wronged: “Yes, I put it in, but I don’t know why it turned into white paper.” “I clearly put in a stack of red bills!” As he spoke, he even wiped away fake tears. Me: “???” Watching Ethan pretend to be wronged in front of me, my fists gradually clenched. Trying to put me in my place, huh? Who can’t act? I turned to look at Lucas pitifully, my eyes glistening with unshed tears, ready to burst. Lucas quickly put his arm around my shoulders, playing along. I nestled in Lucas’s arms, pretending to wipe away non-existent tears, and choked out: “Little brother, if you don’t like your sister-in-law you don’t have to do this. I’ll leave.” Lucas’s dad hurriedly stopped me: “Daughter-in-law, don’t be angry. It’s all this kid’s fault.” “You little brat, I ought to teach you a good lesson!” Seeing that Lucas’s dad was really angry, Ethan had no choice but to compromise. He gritted his teeth and said: “Sister-in-law, I’m sorry. I was wrong.” Lucas looked at him and asked: “Don’t you have any compensation?” Ethan: “??” He hesitated for a moment, then took out a card from his pocket and handed it to me: “Here, this is a welcome gift for you.” “There’s $660,000 in it. Wishing you good fortune.” I took the card, almost laughing out loud. This idiot was pretending to be wronged just now, and now he’s giving me money. I signaled to Lucas with my eyes: [Your brother doesn’t seem too bright.] Lucas looked at me, holding back laughter as he replied with his eyes: [He’s always been like this, don’t take him seriously.] I nodded, then smiled at Ethan: “Well then, I won’t be polite. Thank you, little brother.” Ethan looked at me, nodding resentfully. Lucas’s dad looked at me and smiled: “Rachel, don’t worry. If this kid dares to bully you, just tell Dad. I’ll teach him a lesson for you.” I quickly nodded in agreement. Lucas’s dad turned to look at Lucas and scolded: “And you, now that Rachel has married you, you better treat her well.” “I know,” Lucas replied. Lucas went into the study with his dad. Ethan and I were left in the living room. I was happily thinking about what to do with the $660,000. Buy a house? Buy a car? Or save it to earn interest? Ethan looked at me with disdain: “Is it really worth it? It’s just a bit of money. I really don’t know what my brother sees in you.” Looks like Ethan has a brother complex. I moved closer to Ethan and whispered: “Let me tell you a secret, your brother has actually had a crush on me for a long time.” Ethan’s face was full of disbelief: “How could my brother possibly have a crush on you?” I immediately sat up straight and looked at him seriously: “Why couldn’t your brother have a crush on me?” “I’m fair-skinned, beautiful and have long legs. Your brother is handsome and capable. Us being together is simply a match made in heaven!” “Don’t underestimate your sister-in-law. The line of men chasing me could stretch from our front door all the way to France!” Seeing my serious expression, the corners of Ethan’s mouth twitched a few times. “Bro!” Ethan suddenly called out. I immediately turned to look towards the study door. No one was there. I looked back at Ethan with a serious face: “Ethan, are you messing with me?!” Ethan burst out laughing: “You really were lying!” I gritted my teeth, unwilling to admit defeat: “Who says I’m lying?” “Go ask Lucas yourself if he hasn’t had a crush on me for a long time.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I suddenly heard a cool voice from the doorway: “Who do I have a crush on?” I quickly turned to look. Lucas had appeared at the door at some point and was looking at me with an amused expression. I froze. Ethan took the opportunity to escape. Lucas walked towards me step by step, a smile playing on his lips. He stopped in front of me, slowly bent down to my eye level. “I have a crush on you?” I laughed awkwardly, trying to cover up my panic: “I was just joking with your brother, don’t take it seriously.” But Lucas didn’t let me off. He leaned in slightly, his shadow looming over me. I could smell the faint sandalwood scent on him, mixed with an indescribable masculine aura. Lucas looked at me, the corners of his mouth curling into a barely perceptible smile: “I do have a crush on you.” I thought he was joking and was about to say “Stop messing around”. But he suddenly spoke: “Do you remember that year in freshman year?” [Truncation point] I was stunned. Freshman year? What? I have no memory of it at all. Lucas looked at me and slowly said: “In freshman year, you participated in the campus singing competition and sang ‘Sunny Day’.” “But you went so off-key it was like you were singing to your grandma’s house. The whole school laughed at you.” “Only I sat in the audience, silently applauding for you.” Me: “…?” I looked at him in disbelief: “Are you sure that was me? Not Flora from the next class?” Lucas paused, then burst out laughing: “You’re right, I got it mixed up. It was Flora from the next class.” Me: “…” Seeing Lucas’s shoulders shaking as he tried to hold back laughter, I suddenly understood. This bastard was just messing with me! I took a deep breath. For the money! I’ll endure it! I asked: “So is your uncle willing to give you the company now?” Lucas looked at me, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile as he nodded. My eyes lit up and I immediately hugged his arm, jumping up and down excitedly: “That’s great boss, my sugar mama lifestyle is about to begin!” Lucas looked at me, raising an eyebrow: “What did you call me?” I grinned and let go of his arm. “Boss?” Lucas frowned in displeasure: “$10,000 per word.” Of course I knew what he wanted, but am I the kind of person who only cares about money? I am. “Hubby, hubby, hubby…” My phone notification sounded. [PayPal received $100,000.] This morning, I was woken up by the alarm clock before dawn. I sat up groggily, looked at the clock on the bedside table, and sighed. Last night before bed, Lucas said I needed to iron his clothes in the morning. Of course I didn’t want to do it, but he offered way too much. Money makes the world go round, let alone a workhorse like me. I got out of bed reluctantly and walked to Lucas’s closet. When I opened it, I was dumbfounded. A whole closet full of clothes – shirts, suits, jackets… all kinds of colors and styles. One? More like a million! I stared wide-eyed at the closet full of clothes, unable to hold back a wail: “Lucas you slave driver!” I resignedly picked up the iron and started ironing the clothes one by one. By the fifth piece, I was already drenched in sweat, my arms too sore to lift. I paused, looked at the iron in my hand, and couldn’t help complaining: “Lucas has so many clothes, why doesn’t he just open a clothing store!” As soon as the words left my mouth, a cool voice suddenly came from the doorway. “Good idea, we’ll open one tomorrow.” I was startled and looked up to see Lucas standing in the doorway, looking at me with an amused expression. I immediately laughed awkwardly: “Boss, I mean, hubby, I was just joking. Don’t take it seriously.” Distracted by talking, I didn’t notice the iron in my hand slip and burn my arm directly. “Ah!” I cried out in pain, quickly throwing down the iron and clutching my arm. Seeing this, Lucas hurriedly came over and grabbed my arm to check the injury. I grimaced in pain, looking at the red patch on my arm, and whined: “It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!” Lucas frowned slightly, turned and went to the bathroom, came out with a towel, wet it and pressed it on my arm. “Cool it down first, I’ll go get some burn ointment.” Who knew Lucas was so good at taking care of people. I couldn’t help teasing: “This is a work injury, boss. You have to compensate me.” Lucas came back with the burn ointment, heard what I said and looked up at me with an amused expression: “Alright, how much do you want?”

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I’m Lucy, 23 years old. A few days ago, I told Mr. Thompson, “Let’s break up.” When I said “break up,” I felt unsure because I knew I wasn’t really his “girlfriend.” My “ex” Mr. Thompson is thirty-one years older than me. He has a family abroad, but during our three years together, I never felt mistreated. On my 23rd birthday, Mr. Thompson couldn’t accompany me. He sent me a generous cash gift. He left a voice message saying he’d be home at 10 PM. That meant I needed to be at his villa before then, showered, dressed, and ready to do whatever he liked. But that night, I was distracted. He noticed and asked if something was bothering me. I nodded and said, “I want to get married.” “Are you sure?” I nodded again and said we should break up. He fell silent. I knew he was angry. In the past, I would have cuddled up to him, softly saying, “Don’t be mad.” But this time, I didn’t. He stood up in his robe, poured half a glass of whiskey, and downed it in one gulp. “What do you have without me?” he asked, his voice soft but authoritative. It’s true. Without Mr. Thompson, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I’m from a single-parent family. Coming to this big city for a second-tier college was the best my mother could do for me. The day she sent me off to school was her first time riding the subway, her first time seeing skyscrapers. She said it was wonderful, that I should put down roots here and bring her over someday. I loved this place too. The luxury cars, the stores with handbags worth thousands, the haute cuisine and French restaurants you only see in movies, the wealthiest people in the country. But I couldn’t stay. Graduates from my college earned only about $500 a month, but the cheapest apartment here cost over $500 per square foot. Later, while working part-time at a bar, I met Mr. Thompson. He wore a Richard Mille watch. He was older but well-groomed, with a tailored suit and a fit physique. Even after drinking, he remained gentle and reserved. He was my perfect target. I sent Cindy, the bar manager, a big tip and told her if table 37 asked for company, it had to be me. That night, I sat next to Mr. Thompson but spent the whole time chatting and drinking with another client. This was Cindy’s strategy. She said if you want to attract someone, turn your back to them, make them want you. “The person you’re entertaining isn’t the one you’re after. Get the one you’re with drunk, then wait in the alley by the parking lot exit. Don’t wear a coat, the colder the better. Wait for the one you want to offer you a ride.” That night, it drizzled. I waited from 1 AM until 3 AM, finally seeing Mr. Thompson’s car. Later, he told me he knew I was waiting for him. He saw through everything. He said he didn’t like girls with such obvious intentions. But when it started raining and he saw I hadn’t left, he softened. I was barely 20 then, my first time riding in a Maserati, my first time staying in a villa. Mr. Thompson gave me a card with unlimited spending and a $25,000 monthly cash withdrawal limit. I calculated that if I maxed it out every month, in just over two years, I could buy a small two-bedroom apartment in this city and bring my mom over. But I wouldn’t do that. I couldn’t be so presumptuous. From then on, I accompanied Mr. Thompson on business trips, vacations, and cocktail parties. Sometimes I wouldn’t return to school for weeks at a time. Last year, I officially dropped out. The administrator who stamped my papers looked me up and down, her gaze so sharp I felt like my expensive clothes were stripped away in an instant. She smirked, saying, “I guess you don’t need this degree anymore.” I thought if I was careful, this life could continue. There was nothing bad about being with Mr. Thompson. I could treat him like my “boyfriend” and enjoy this “romance.” I was lost in this fantasy until two weeks ago when Mr. Thompson found a new flame. A girl even younger than me. The housekeeper told me this. He showed me her photo – taller than me, with a face like a minor, a small-time celebrity. The housekeeper said, “Mr. Thompson started a film company this year. There will be plenty of girls like her from now on.” “I see.” “Also, Mr. Thompson is going abroad for about a week. He’s not taking you this time.” As he said this, his tone became increasingly mocking. “You can still stay here during that time.” That night, lying alone in Mr. Thompson’s master bedroom, I couldn’t sleep. Of course, Mr. Thompson wasn’t my “boyfriend.” Mr. Thompson was my sugar daddy. We had an employer-employee relationship. He could hire another, hire many more, or fire me at any time without reason. I went into the bathroom, turned the shower on full blast, and started crying. It was then that I understood Cindy’s words. “For people like us, 23 is a turning point.” I’m 23 this year. “College graduates are 23. After 23, you’re not standard anymore. No matter how well you take care of yourself, no matter how carefree you act, you lose that quality. Age can’t be fooled.” “But the bosses always like them young.” [Cutoff point] 0

“Is it because I found another girl?” He took a sip of his drink and smiled. “So you’ve learned to be jealous?” Just one drink. With just one drink, he regained his composure. I guess I didn’t matter much to him at all. “You’re right, you’re 23 now. You’ve been sensible these past few years. Not like those girls who always dream of marrying me.” “Thank you, Mr. Thompson.” He sat down beside me, his large hand resting on my leg. “What are your plans now?” “I want… to travel.” “Alright. Since you’ve decided to leave, go to the housekeeper tomorrow for some money. I’ll treat you to dinner in the evening.” I nodded. Indeed, I needed this “severance pay” from him. He thought for a moment. “Do you need me to arrange a job for you?” I shook my head. “So… you’ll stay in New York?” Seeing I didn’t answer, he added, “I don’t mean anything by it. Just thought we might get together sometime in the future.” Of course, I didn’t misunderstand his intention. Get together anytime, for what? Just to book a room? What else was there between us? I remained silent, neither refusing nor agreeing directly. “Let’s not talk about this. Get some sleep. I have a meeting early tomorrow. Don’t forget to make me breakfast.” The next day, I moved out of Mr. Thompson’s villa. He gave me a generous severance package. Combined with what I’d saved over the years, I had about $250,000 – enough to live in this city for over a decade. But not enough to settle down. I guess that’s why those “girls” Mr. Thompson mentioned wanted to marry him. After being a mistress for years, I still couldn’t stay. I called Cindy and talked for a long time. She said, “Did you really think being a mistress for a few years would let you settle down in a big city? Don’t dream, girl. Our bodies and faces combined aren’t worth as much as those plots of land. You’ve got to keep hustling.” “But don’t worry, you don’t have to hustle yourself. The urgent task is to find someone who can hustle for you. Get married.” 03 Cindy was the bar owner where I worked part-time. She always looked out for me. She said I didn’t look like the type of girl who’d work in such a place. “Seeing you dressed like them makes me a bit sad.” She said she used to do this too, and was even more popular than me. In the era when internet images loaded slowly, bosses had few channels to find beautiful women, so someone like Cindy was especially precious. Bosses bought her jewelry and bags, took her traveling around the world. But no one married her. “You must get out of this life, as soon as possible,” she told me after I broke up with Mr. Thompson. “Youth is the biggest capital for people like us. Every day you delay marriage, you lose a day of your worth.” “But getting married isn’t hard, especially for us. So stop drinking at my place every day. You won’t find good men here. You need to go out and fish.” Cindy suggested I travel abroad, to America or Europe, because the expensive flights and high living costs would at least filter out the poorest men. Later, I set my sights on a small island called Tasmania in Australia. A heart-shaped island. Not just for the romance, but because it was far away. The farther, the more I felt I could escape my past with Mr. Thompson. In Tasmania, I met Jack. 04 – Jack Lucy was the most perfect girlfriend I’d ever had. I met her during my graduation trip to Australia. The day we met was like a fairy tale. There’s an island in Australia called Tasmania, shaped like a heart. It’s considered the holy grail of Australian tourist destinations. I had been studying for my master’s in Australia for over a year, too busy with coursework to date. So I was hoping for a bit of romance during the trip. Luckily, Lucy was in the Chinese tour group I joined. I was sitting in the back of the bus when I saw her board and take a seat in the third row by the aisle. Just those few steps from the door to her seat were enough to make my heart skip a beat. Her long hair fell over her shoulders, she wore a light camisole top and tight jeans, with a sliver of ankle visible between the jeans and her sneakers, so delicate it looked like you could encircle it with one hand. Her face was pure, with eyes reminiscent of the actress in that old TV series “Chinese Paladin” from over a decade ago. I’m not a shy person. While the bus wasn’t full yet, I counted down in my head – three, two, one – then got up and sat next to her. We talked for the entire bus ride around the island. Not just talking, of course. While making her laugh, I also casually probed for her basic information, and she seemed to play along. A girl from the South, 22 years old, graduated from an Ivy League school, Gemini, likes Japanese hot pot, works in administration in New York. Recently single. Romance happens quickly when traveling. That evening, on this heart-shaped island of Tasmania, we – two people who had known each other for less than 5 hours – stood barefoot where the sea met the sand and held hands. She had changed into a white dress, wearing a cute straw hat and small white flip-flops. The sea breeze lifted her skirt, outlining her slender, beautiful figure in the moonlight, like the final frame of a Japanese anime ending. She seemed too good to be just 20 years old. After Tasmania, we traveled to many places in Australia together. Lucy always arranged all the itineraries in advance, researching every attraction, booking flights, hotels, or Airbnbs. She considered whether we’d get enough sleep each day, if we were eating enough vegetables, scolded me for wearing my jacket to bed, and ordered me to sleep early. She always woke up before me. The sight of her making breakfast in her nightgown was incredibly alluring. I thought she was the girl I liked, someone I could spend my life with. I thought, if our relationship could stabilize, even for just half a year, I wouldn’t be able to resist proposing to her. But the day before we were to return home, she suddenly said to me: “Let’s get married.” I was stunned, feeling a mix of happiness and panic. “Marriage?” Lucy nodded, “Marry me.” “Are you serious? We’ve only known each other for 20 days.” “17 days and 7 hours, but I think it’s enough. I can marry you. I’ll give you two months to think about it. If you agree, bring me to meet your parents.” The next day, Lucy returned home alone. Since she had booked all the tickets and itineraries, I didn’t have a return ticket. For the next two months, Lucy didn’t let me see her again. But the less I saw her, the more I remembered all the good things she did for me. Every moment of our time together was vivid in my memory. We watched the sunrise together at the easternmost point of Australia, posed like in the “Titanic” poster, went diving at the Great Barrier Reef where she took off her oxygen mask 20 meters underwater to kiss me, visited the glow worm caves where she made me sing surrounded by tens of thousands of “stars” in the enclosed cave. “What should I sing? ‘Fireflies’?” I asked her. She pointed, “Look at their country’s glow worms, not a single one flying. That song doesn’t fit the scene.” “Then what should I sing?” She thought for a while, “Let’s go with ‘Fireflies’ after all.” “Didn’t you say it doesn’t fit?” “I suddenly want to hear you sing it.” I thought, I’d never find a girl more wonderful than her. After waiting anxiously for two months, we met again at the agreed place. I bought a $25,000 diamond ring, got down on one knee and said: “Marry me.” She started crying, suddenly kneeling down too and hugging me so tight I could barely breathe. She said to sell the ring, she didn’t need it. “As long as you love me, that’s enough. I have someone who loves me now, I have someone who loves me.” 05 It was just around Christmas time. I brought Lucy to my family home up north for the holiday dinner. Everyone loved her. She was beautiful, had a lovely voice, and carried herself with grace in everything she did. She helped my mom make dumplings, rolling out the wrappers more skillfully than my mom. At the dinner table, she didn’t drink but kept smiling and listening to everyone’s drunken ramblings, then cleaned up afterwards, washing dishes and doing all the chores as if she were already the woman of the house. My mom said, “Such a beautiful girl who can do all this, what more could you ask for, son?” My aunt said, “Where are you two settling down? If you need help buying a house, let your uncle chip in!” My uncle said, “Hurry up and find a job to support your family. With such a good wife, you better be able to provide for her.” And my brothers and sisters, while their words were full of jealousy and resentment, I’m sure in their hearts they all adored Lucy. It was the happiest Christmas I’d ever had. “But I feel like I’ve seen your girlfriend somewhere before,” my cousin, the oldest of us younger folks, said. “Where does she work?” “In New York,” I answered for Lucy. “I work in New York too, as an executive assistant. What do you do?” Lucy hesitated for a moment, “Oh, I work in administration.” “Carrying that kind of bag, you must earn quite a bit.” My cousin took a sip of her drink. “Thompson Group, Mr. Thompson, do you know him?”

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