Category: English

I secured a million-dollar deal for the company, but my wife ended up giving all the credit to her assistant, Theo. She said, “Theo is new here; cut him some slack. Don’t be so petty.” Later, during the company retreat, she even chose to share a couple’s suite with Theo. Theo, looking quite smug, said, “I’m not feeling well and need Mr. Declan to be nearby when I soak in the hot spring.” “Mr. Declan is so generous; he won’t be mad, right?” My wife looked at him affectionately and said, “Don’t worry about him. If he’s so petty, then I misplaced my feelings!” I texted my parents: [No need to invest; this company is corrupt.] Nora pulled Theo to face me and impatiently said, “Hand over the key card for the couple’s suite. I’m taking Theo to the hot spring.” Theo clung to Nora’s arm, giving me a challenging look. Anyone watching would think they were the married couple. “Thanks, Mr. Declan. Ms. Su and I will definitely enjoy ourselves!” I stood up and handed him the key card. As he took it, he bumped my shoulder. I lost my balance, staggered back, and painfully hit my side on the table corner, crying out in pain. But Nora didn’t look back. “Theo was burnt out over this project and finally sealed the deal.” “He’s the company’s hero, so Ms. Su should treat him well.” The Sales Director, Ethan Johnson, said to me, as if warning me. But the contract was signed because I had lengthy negotiations with our partners and promised them many benefits under my parents’ company’s name. Only then did they agree. Theo, on the other hand, was just serving tea and water. How did he become the hero? Even the Tech Director, Logan Carter, backed Theo: “Yeah, he’s been exhausted these days and needs a rest.” “Mr. Declan, don’t disturb him, prepare some good food for him tonight!” Seeing everyone side with Theo left me cold-hearted. When Theo first joined the company, they were all on my side. I lost my appetite and returned to my room. Just as I got back, Nora called. “Theo has a headache, quickly go buy him some medicine! You have five minutes to bring it to our room.” I replied icily, “I’m not going.” Nora got angry: “If it weren’t for you stirring up trouble during the day, Theo wouldn’t be so upset with a headache.” “Just buy the medicine and consider it an apology, or else I…” I hung up the phone and lay down to sleep. Nora and I married as soon as we were of legal age. We grew up together. She gave up better schools for me, just to stay together. She said, “I want to be with Declan Chen my whole life, never apart!” We were inseparable for half our lives. Every first of mine was with her. Our relationship was natural, no confession, just a proposal. During the proposal, at my favorite beach, she handed over all her assets to me, even wanting to transfer her family’s shares. She left nothing for herself. “Declan Chen, what’s mine is yours. We’re one, never to part.” But shortly after the proposal, Nora’s family went bankrupt. I secretly paid her tuition fees. She became sensitive, less patient with me, easily irritated, and lashed out at me. Then she met Theo and spent most of her time with him. They dined and traveled together, leaving no place for me. We had planned to start a business after graduation, but she ignored my wishes and made Theo her assistant. I thought as we fought for the company, she’d recall our synergy. But now, she’s already forgotten me. The retreat was planned here because a month ago, she casually mentioned celebrating here if we sealed the deal. But now, it’s Theo sharing the hot spring with her. Tears flowed down to the pillow as I removed the ring from my finger and tossed it in the trash.

When I woke up, it was already evening. I had planned to have barbecue at night. When I got to the barbecue area on the lawn, my colleagues had already started. The only seat left was by Nora, so I had to sit there. “Where’s your wedding ring?” As soon as I sat down, Nora questioned me. “Threw it away.” After I said that, Nora slammed her chopsticks on the table. “Enough! Since when did you become so unreasonable?” “I just spent a day with Theo and you give me attitude!” “He’s not well, what’s wrong with helping him more? Why are you so heartless?” After Nora spoke, Ethan chimed in, “Yeah, Theo’s right, Declan Chen, you’re just not generous enough.” “You wouldn’t even get Theo headache medicine.” “If I hadn’t been thoughtful and brought some, Theo would’ve suffered!” Theo acted all pitiful, leaning against Nora, rubbing his eyes. They all looked at me with disdain, like I was the town pariah. “Enough, let’s not let Declan Chen ruin our mood.” Logan brought a tray of grilled meat over to Theo. “Theo, eat up, don’t let irrelevant people upset you, your health is important.” Nora patted Theo’s head to comfort him, “Alright, Theo doesn’t want to see you. Go buy him a cocktail, he loves it.” “Come back and drink three cups as an apology!” I left my seat, but not to buy drinks. I went to get my own dinner. I bought a burger and sat by the fountain plaza outside the lawn to eat. The fountain show was beautiful, easing my heartache a bit. I got a text from Nora, asking why I hadn’t bought the drink. She forgot I’m allergic to alcohol and never bought it. When I was at the table, there was never alcohol. That was because Nora protected me, ensuring I never saw alcohol and asked others not to drink around me. I blocked Nora. “What are you doing here, why haven’t you bought the drink?” I looked up, it was Theo. “If you want a drink, buy it yourself. What, got no money?” I said, provoking Theo. He pointed at me angrily, “Isn’t your money from Nora? Who do you think you are?” “I just need to beckon, and do you know how much Nora will give me?” “Do you believe it? Soon Nora will kick you out!” I nodded, “I believe it! You better make her divorce me soon.” So it was about money. I wanted to see if Theo would still stay with Nora once she was left with nothing. Seeing I wasn’t angry, he was displeased, sneering. Then he grabbed me suddenly, loudly saying, “Mr. Declan, don’t be mad, it’s my fault!” Then he pushed me hard, and I fell backward into the fountain. The overwhelming suffocation made me feel near death. I feared water, couldn’t swim. I once wanted Nora to teach me, but she said with her around, I’d never be in danger. But now I was in danger, and she didn’t care. A female colleague saved me, pulling me from the water. After regaining consciousness, I looked at Nora comforting Theo from a distance. I made up my mind. “Declan Chen! You’re ruthless! Theo apologized, yet you pushed him!” “Stop pretending to be pitiful by jumping in the fountain! Why did I marry someone like you?” I trembled, getting up from the ground: “If that’s the case, let’s divorce!”

I walked back to my room alone, took a shower, and went to sleep. I woke up from the heat in the middle of the night, realizing I had a fever. I called the front desk for help, took fever medicine, then fell asleep again. When I woke, my colleagues had already checked out, no one told me. I called my parents to send a car for me. But they came themselves. Falling into their arms was the only warmth I felt. “Dad, Mom, I’m returning to work at our family company tomorrow.” “And I’ve decided to divorce. Please find a lawyer for me.” Mom patted my back to comfort me: “Alright. We support you! Kick out someone who went bankrupt.” “We’ll make her suffer with a flick of a finger.” “I’ve already prepared an office for you! Our family’s is always the best!” After a few days of rest at home, I got a call from Logan. He said the partners were visiting the company, urging me to hurry. Thinking it was my last deal, I wanted to wrap it up well, so I went. But it was a trap. As soon as I entered the office, Nora tossed the divorce papers on the table, glaring at me. “What do you mean!” So the lawyer acted quickly, it was already written and sent. “Of course, it means divorce, just sign.” Nora grabbed the papers and tore them up. “What about the company after we divorce?” After a few days of rest at home, I received a call from Logan urging me to hurry to the office for a partner’s inspection. I thought it was the last deal I had closed and wanted to wrap it up properly, so I went. But upon arrival, I realized it was a setup. As soon as I walked in, Nora tossed a divorce agreement on the table, glaring at me. “What is this supposed to mean?” The lawyer had been quick, and the papers were ready. “Obviously, it means divorce. Just sign it.” Nora picked up the agreement and tore it to pieces. “What about the company after the divorce?” “After the divorce, my family will withdraw their investment. The company will be yours alone.” Nora was silent for a moment, then took my hand and pushed me into a chair. “I know you’re upset, but hear me out first.” Just then, Theo entered the office. “Declan, I’m here to apologize today.” He suddenly knelt down, “It’s all my fault. I didn’t know my place. I’ll stay away from Nora in the future!” Tears began to flow as soon as he started speaking. Ethan and Logan seemed to have it well-timed, coming in with tissues to wipe his tears. “Declan, don’t go overboard! Theo’s not well, and you’re making him kneel.” Nora quickly went to help him up, and the three of them settled him on the couch. “Alright, he’s apologized, so stop making a fuss.” “Get back to work and don’t let Theo do your work!” She was just concerned about her precious Theo. I ignored her words and started packing my things from the desk. But Ethan and Logan wouldn’t let me go. They snatched my things from my hands and threw them on the floor. “Why can’t you appreciate what’s being done for you!” Seeing the shattered glass tower on the ground, my heart broke as well. This souvenir was bought when the core team of the company visited a temple together. Back then, Ethan and Logan were new hires, laid off by their previous company, which also unlawfully took their research. I helped them reclaim their project and found professors to mentor them, enabling them to win awards. They had promised at the temple that they would never forget my kindness if the company ever took off. But now, they didn’t even see me as their boss. My desk was a mess, the water cup was shattered, and the floor was covered in glass shards. Ethan stepped over the shards to drag me in front of Theo. “If you’re leaving, hand over the key to the company’s archive room to Theo!” I couldn’t resist her pull and stumbled forward, tripping and landing on the glass shards. Pain shot through my body, and I cried out but was too stunned to move. Nora instinctively wanted to help me but was held back by Theo. “Declan’s not even bleeding. You don’t need to go.” My pants were black, and the glass shards had pierced my thigh, with blood already trickling down my leg. Without seeing my wound, Nora said, “Declan, stop pretending!” Theo stood in front of Nora, making Ethan and Logan pin me to the ground. “Nora, let me teach him a lesson so he’ll listen!” With that, he slapped me across the face a dozen times. I struggled desperately but couldn’t fight off two grown men holding me down. Nora watched from the side, still scolding me: “Admit your mistake quickly, or I won’t be soft-hearted!”

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My childhood sweetheart, Jack, is the director of one of the most expensive plastic surgery clinics in the city. He always complained that my nose wasn’t high enough, my lips weren’t full enough, and my eyes weren’t big enough. “I can do the surgery for you for free anyway,” he would say. “Lily, don’t you want to be more beautiful?” I never cared, believing that what my parents gave me was the best. After a car accident, my face was completely ruined. My husband finally got his chance. He reconstructed my face to look like the love of his life. 0 After the car accident, I lay semiconscious on the operating table, and the last thing I heard was: “Quick, bring that photo over here.” “Make sure the patient’s face after the surgery looks exactly like the one in the picture.” A nurse hesitated and said: “The patient hasn’t regained consciousness yet. Is it okay to do plastic surgery directly?” A voice I knew all too well spoke up. “It’s fine, she’s my wife. I’ll decide what her second face will look like.” I woke up from the excruciating pain all over my body. What I heard was the noisy beeping of machines and my husband’s voice. He excitedly said, “Lily, you’re awake! You’re finally awake!” “Do you know? You’ve been in a coma for nearly three months.” I looked around in confusion. As my memory returned, I realized I had survived a car accident. At this moment, I felt that my face was wrapped in bandages. It hurt so much. I asked Jack desperately: “Honey, what happened to my face? Is it disfigured?” His eyes reddened, and he nodded painfully. “After your car accident, the vehicle exploded immediately. It’s a miracle you survived. But your face…” Jack trailed off, seemingly unable to continue. I pleaded, “Can I see what I look like now?” “Okay, you’ve recovered enough now.” He slowly, carefully unwrapped the thick bandages for me. With trembling hands, I held up the mirror. The face reflected in it shocked me to my core. This, this was clearly the face of the pianist he adored! Every line, every contour, matched that person’s face perfectly. At this moment, The way Jack looked at me was full of fascination and intoxication. As if he was admiring the most perfect work of art in the world. It gave me chills. Eyes wide, I screamed in horror: “Jack, what have you done to me?!” “Why? Why do I look exactly like Emma Rose?” He looked pained, gripping my shoulders tightly, and said: “Lily, that accident completely destroyed your face.” Then, he spoke with difficulty. “To restore it, I tried everything I could and did my best to make you look beautiful through plastic surgery.” “I know this is absurd…” “Maybe I’ve watched her performances too many times, and I couldn’t help but reshape you to look like her during the surgery.” In the past, my husband often flew to watch Emma Rose’s performances. He never missed a single one, whether at home or abroad. Even if it meant missing our son’s first birthday party. Even if it meant missing my mother’s funeral, leaving me to bear everything alone… And I simply thought he was just a fan, trying my best to understand him as his wife. At this moment, my hands trembled uncontrollably as I clawed at my face. My nails dug deep into the skin, wanting to peel off this face that didn’t belong to me. Seeing this, Jack quickly pounced on me, using all his strength to control my hands. “Lily, can you just pretend you’re her twin sister?” “I promise I’ll love you more and give you everything you want.” He held me in his arms, his tears soaking my clothes. “Just don’t leave me…” That night, I slept deeply. I had no idea that he was intimately holding Emma Rose, standing by my hospital bed. “You like my son Tommy very much, don’t you? In a few years, when he gets used to this face, I’ll let you be his new mom.” “How could I let you go through childbirth? This is an opportunity for you to become a mother painlessly.” 0

A week later, I was discharged from the hospital. My husband wanted me to rest well at home. He made soup for me every day, cooked meals, and did physical check-ups. He not only picked up and dropped off our son at school but also took care of all the housework. I was happy to see this change in him. I reached out my right hand, gently stroking my cheek. If this new face could make me receive so much love, I would try hard to adapt to it. Even if every time I went to the bathroom in the middle of the night, Looking at this unfamiliar face in the mirror, It was like wearing a creepy mask. One afternoon, I needed to use the computer to look up some information. I saw that Jack’s document account was still logged in. Among them, there was a blank document that stood out among a pile of work files. I opened it, and inside was a record of the girls he had known before. The first one was Emma Rose’s profile, along with her photo. It detailed her likes, birthday, and so on. And at the bottom was written: [In heaven, in my heart, just not by my side] My body suddenly froze, as if electrocuted. I quickly scrolled down to view the profiles of other girls. [Looks very similar, hard to control] [Voice identical, too ugly] [Can play the piano, bad temper] Finally, at the bottom, I saw my photo. I couldn’t believe my eyes, staring at those words as if trying to see through them. [Name: Lily Grant] [Body shape most like hers, suitable for marriage] My heart instantly sank to the bottom. I always thought I was his true love, the only one in his heart. No wonder his favorite position was to hug me from behind… Every time I wanted to lie on my back in bed, he would make me turn around. He always said gently, “Lily, your back is the most beautiful.” “Don’t be shy, let me admire it for a while.” I closed my eyes and bit my lip, the taste of blood filling my mouth. I took out my phone and called my secretary: “How’s the investigation on that car accident going?” The secretary told me that the parking lot’s surveillance had been damaged. But the dashcam in my car had picked up a fragment of sound. However, the sound was broken. Only “don’t blame me” and “bomb” could be clearly heard. It had been sent to technicians for restoration. It would take at least 72 hours to recover a small part. The secretary sighed, “Ms. Grant, although the hope is slim, we’ll do our best.” I sent Jack’s recording to him. “Use this audio clip for matching.” I looked at the date, today is February 10th. [Countdown remaining: 3 days] 0

Somehow, Jack was particularly proactive today. He came home very early and went to take a shower as soon as he got home. Soon after, he came out, his body exuding the fragrance of bath products. Wrapped only in a towel, revealing his muscular abs. Jack carried me to the bed, his voice somewhat cautious. “Lily, shall we have another child?” I was stunned. For the past few years, whenever I suggested having a second child, he always made excuses. With a hint of confusion in my voice, I responded, “Why bring this up suddenly?” “You’ve always been unwilling before.” Then he leaned down close to me, gently caressing my cheek. “You know, after this car accident, I feel like I’m the luckiest man in the world, successfully snatching you back from the hands of death.” “I’m afraid that when we’re old, our son will be lonely without siblings to keep him company.” Tonight, his tenderness in bed was irresistible. My heart was shamefully softening. Perhaps he had realized that I was the woman most suitable to spend his life with. After a night of intimacy, Jack gently got up and went to the bathroom to shower. I picked up my phone to check unread messages, my fingers sliding across the screen, my mind still savoring the intimacy we just shared. Suddenly, a message popped up: [Your VIP notification just posted a tweet.] “Emma Rose: Thank you to my loyal fan of ten years who bought 2 million digital copies of my album for me. I’ve received your enthusiasm, and this money will be donated to a charity foundation in both our names. I hope my music will become more valuable because of this.” The comments below were updating quickly: “Emma is so kind, no wonder I’ve been a fan for so long.” “A full two million copies of the album! My God, that’s over 20 million dollars!” I opened her new album, and the sound came out from the speaker. Such beautiful music, yet it stabbed into my heart like a sharp knife— That music was exactly what my husband had played on the stereo while we were intimate just now. Just now, I had been so moved by Jack’s sudden romantic gesture. My nails dug into my flesh, unable to suppress the overwhelming hatred. [Countdown remaining: 2 days] 0

In the afternoon, I was lying at home reading a book. Suddenly, my best friend sent me a message saying she saw my husband on a date with a woman. I quickly changed my clothes, put on a mask, and hurried to the marked location. It was an elegant café. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, I immediately saw the familiar figure. Jack was holding her hand with such adoration. He bowed his head reverently, constantly kissing those hands that had played countless melodies. “Don’t worry, tomorrow’s concert will go smoothly. I’ll be sitting in the front row watching you perform.” Emma Rose smiled gently, even her smile was so elegant. “Jack, I knew you would come to every performance.” “With you in the audience, I feel very secure.” Jack embraced her: “Darling, I’ve prepared a surprise for you, I’ll tell you after the concert is over.” “Get a good rest tonight, call me if you can’t sleep.” He drove Emma Rose home, and I followed closely behind in a taxi. To my surprise, Jack came down shortly after sending her up. The time was so short. Not enough time for him to do more to betray me. However, it wasn’t until the evening that I understood the reason for all this. The unfamiliar scent on Jack’s body told me: He simply didn’t want to tire her out, he came back to exhaust me instead. That night, he hurt me a lot. He had pure love with his ideal woman. Yet he played cruel games with me, his childhood sweetheart of over twenty years. At this point, I finally understood. True feelings can change in an instant, love cannot be begged for. [Countdown remaining: 1 day] The next day. Jack took me to the concert together. I was also curious about what gift he would give to Emma Rose. I have to admit, hearing the music played by my husband’s lover. No matter how beautiful the melody, to me it was like a saw cruelly cutting through my body. After the concert ended, Jack told me to go home first by myself. I agreed verbally but secretly followed behind him. My footsteps were light, but my heartbeat was heavy. From inside the dressing room came their voices. I saw Jack’s eyes full of deep affection as he solemnly handed her a stack of papers. “Emma, this is my gift to you.” Emma Rose took it and flipped through it, asking: “What do you mean by giving me two medical reports?” He slowly leaned forward, pointing at the words on the report: “This is my medical report, and Lily’s pre-pregnancy check-up.” “You’ve always wanted a baby, right? But I can’t bear to let you go through childbirth, it’s too painful. And pregnancy would affect your global tour schedule.” As he spoke, he gently stroked the back of her hand with his other hand. “So we just need to implant our fertilized egg into Lily’s womb, and she will take good care of our baby.” Emma Rose was stunned for a moment, her brows furrowed: “Wouldn’t that be very risky?” At this point, the corners of his mouth turned up, revealing a cruel smile. “Don’t worry, I’ve arranged everything – the hospital, the doctors. As for that stupid woman, she’ll be too happy to have a child for me to suspect anything.” “Everything is prepared, just waiting for your consent.” Jack’s body leaned slightly forward, his face full of anticipation, waiting for the answer he most desired. I stood motionless like a statue outside the door. Silently listening to the whole process. The scene before me was truly sickening. My teeth bit down hard on my lower lip, almost drawing blood. Jack, are you even human anymore?! My womb will never be the sinful cradle for your child. With such humiliation and pain, I just wanted to escape this terrible place immediately. I turned and left, melting into the crowded crowd, slowly walking home. At some point, the mask on my face was squeezed off by the crowd. The fans next to me, who had been excitedly chatting, suddenly caught sight of me and uncertainly called out: “Emma Rose! Is that you?” But quickly, he shook his head, denying himself: “No, how could she be here, and Emma isn’t this short.” I quickly lowered my head, trying to use my hair to completely cover this face of mine. As soon as these words were spoken, several fans around gathered over, one of them couldn’t help but swear: “Holy shit, how does this woman look exactly like Emma Rose!” They all cast strange glances at me, taking out their phones to photograph and video me. Some even suddenly became enraged, grabbing a bottle of mineral water and throwing it at my head. “Where did this bitch come from, trying to imitate our idol’s face, so disgusting!” The moment the bottle hit my head, I felt dizzy. “I’m not, I didn’t…” I opened my mouth, but my voice got stuck in my throat, unable to defend myself. A young man with dyed yellow hair rushed over, slapped me hard, and said viciously: “How dare you imitate her!” Then, someone else threw their drink at me, instantly soaking my clothes. Those strangers, driven by emotion, instantly turned into demons, angrily punching and kicking me. It wasn’t until security guards hurriedly arrived that they managed, with great effort, to disperse these people who had lost their reason. In the early hours of the morning, standing on the empty street, I wiped away the blood from the corner of my mouth. Just then, my phone rang. I numbly answered the call from my secretary. “Ms. Grant, the original audio matches 98.99% with the voice you sent over.” “Hello? Ms. Grant, are you still there?”

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In the seventh year of my relationship with Ethan Shaw, his long-dead first love “came back to life.” He reunited with her and spent every day by her side. The once arrogant Ethan would now bend down to tie her shoelaces when no one was looking, and his eyes would turn red with concern when she pricked her finger. At that moment, I knew my relationship with Ethan had come to an end. I boarded a plane to leave, but that flight crashed later that night, with no survivors among the hundred-plus passengers. When Ethan heard the news, he went mad, holding my clothes and crying day and night with regret. But what he didn’t know was that I never got on that plane. I had just finished showering when I received a text from Ethan’s best friend. “Sis, Ethan’s had a bit too much to drink. Could you come pick him up?” The location was a bar they frequented. Ethan had taken me there before, but I didn’t like such noisy environments, so more often than not, I just went to pick up a drunk Ethan. I replied, “Sure, I’ll be right there.” I quickly changed and headed out. At the bar, someone led me to the VIP room on the top floor. The decor was luxurious, and only the rich and powerful could access the top floor. The door to the room was slightly ajar, but instead of the expected noise, it was eerily quiet inside. Suspicious, I pushed the door open. Suddenly, there was a “pop,” and confetti rained down from above. Soft music filled the air, and the floor was covered with heart-shaped candles. I looked up to see Ethan standing not far away, holding a bouquet of red roses and gazing at me lovingly. “Natalie, will you marry me?” He walked towards me, one step at a time, then knelt on one knee. He took out a ring from his pocket and held it up to me. The friends in the room started to cheer, chanting in unison, “Say yes! Say yes!” My eyes welled up with tears. I had imagined this scene countless times. Him in a suit, holding roses, walking towards me, proposing in front of our friends, with their blessings. We had walked this path for seven whole years. “I wi-” Before I could finish saying “I will,” this romantic atmosphere was shattered by the sound of breaking bottles. The room was dimly lit, and we heard a waiter frantically apologizing. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to.” “What kind of clumsy waiter did they hire? Just fire them already,” someone grumbled, scaring the waiter so much that they fell to their knees. “Please don’t fire me. I’m sorry. How much was the wine? I’ll pay for it. Please don’t report this to the manager.” Not wanting to be too hard on the waiter, I quickly said, “It’s okay, you don’t need to pay. You can go now.” But they didn’t move, just kept crying on their knees. After a while, it started to get annoying. The commotion soon reached the manager’s ears. He didn’t dare delay and came running, knowing he couldn’t afford to offend the VIP guests. “I’m terribly sorry, gentlemen. It’s our fault. All the drinks in the room tonight are on the house.” The manager was very polite, bowing and apologizing as soon as he entered. We were all easy-going and not short on money, so a few bottles of wine weren’t worth making a big fuss over. But some of Ethan’s friends loved to play around. They opened a bottle of beer and put it on the table, smirking at the waiter. “Drink this whole bottle, and we’ll let it go. In fact, I’ll even give you a thousand bucks.” The female waiter was about to refuse when the manager scolded her, “Lily, drink up and apologize to these gentlemen.” “What did you say her name was?” Ethan, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up coldly. His voice was trembling slightly. Someone turned on the lights, and everyone gasped. Because the waiter’s face was identical to Ethan’s “deceased” first love.

“Lily? You’re Lily? Are you human or ghost?” someone who knew Lily exclaimed. I didn’t know Lily, but I had heard about her history with Ethan. While everyone was still questioning whether Lily was real or not, Ethan suddenly pushed me aside and rushed over to her. It happened so suddenly that I lost my balance and fell to the ground, my palm landing directly on some broken glass. Blood immediately started flowing. “Is it really you, Lily? How are you here?” Ethan’s eyes were red as he held Lily tightly in his arms, completely ignoring me on the side, injured. The pain in my heart was far more lethal than the pain in my hand. “Bro, your girlfriend is still here,” the guy who had been joking earlier reminded Ethan quietly. To everyone’s surprise, Ethan then picked up the bottle of beer from the table and smashed it over the guy’s head without hesitation. “Get your medical expenses from Shaw Corp. As for our previous business deal, consider it void.” His eyes were filled with coldness. Though he didn’t spell it out, everyone present could hear the warning in his tone. The man had just been giving Lily a hard time, and Ethan was making an example of him, showing that even after seven years, Lily’s place in his heart remained unshakeable. No one in the room dared to speak, and no one came to help me up. Lily had been kneeling where there was broken glass too, and now her knees were bleeding. Without a word, Ethan took off his jacket and draped it over Lily’s shoulders. Then, in front of everyone, he put his arm around her waist and picked her up. Lily curled up in his arms, her slender body shaking with sobs, evoking sympathy from those around. This intimate scene was like a knife twisting in my eyes. He left in a hurry, only giving me a calm glance and saying flatly, “Lily’s hurt. You can go home by yourself.”

After getting bandaged at the hospital, I returned home and sat on the sofa until three in the morning before Ethan finally came back, with Lily in tow. He carried Lily straight upstairs, completely ignoring me on the sofa. “Ethan, put me down. Your wife is still here,” Lily reminded him softly, and only then did Ethan pause and look over. “Your knee just got bandaged. Don’t move around,” Ethan patiently coaxed Lily, and afraid of upsetting her, he added, “We’re not married yet. She’s not my wife.” He distanced himself from me completely, his indifferent expression as if he had never known me. The romantic proposal scene from yesterday seemed like a dream I had. I looked up at the two of them. They looked like a loving couple, while I was the intruder, out of place. Suppressing the pain in my heart, I smiled softly and said, “Ethan, I accepted your proposal yesterday.” Ethan’s body stiffened, and he looked troubled. Before, he had been afraid I wouldn’t accept his proposal. Now, he was afraid that I had accepted it. He didn’t answer me immediately. Instead, he lowered his gaze and gently comforted Lily in his arms, “Be good. I’ll take you to your room to rest first. I’ll handle things here.” Throughout all this, he never once looked at me, either out of guilt or disgust. I think he must have been disgusted with me. Ethan wouldn’t feel guilty; he would only blame my existence for interfering with his freedom with Lily. After a while, Ethan finally came down from upstairs and sat across from me. We once had countless intimate moments, but now it felt like an entire galaxy separated us. “What’s the deal with Lily?” I asked. “Natalie, let’s not rush into the wedding,” he said softly. I knew why, but I still asked, “Because of her? Are you planning to marry her?” “Lily’s not in a good emotional state. I’m afraid of upsetting her. She’s suffered a lot these years, and I want to make it up to her.” Although I already had the answer in my heart, hearing Ethan say it out loud still made my heart clench painfully. Tears welled up uncontrollably. I’m not the cool, calm protagonist from a novel. I’m just an ordinary person who cries and becomes hysterical when faced with betrayal from the one I love. “Ethan, why are you doing this to me? You feel sorry for her, but do you feel sorry for me? We’ve been together for seven years! The wedding invitations have already been sent out, and now you want to postpone our marriage for her? Should I step down and give the bride’s position to her?” “Natalie! Keep your voice down. Lily is still sleeping. This has nothing to do with her! It’s me who wants to make amends!” Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose, looking extremely impatient. My emotions exploded, and I raised my hand to slap Ethan. But before my hand could land, a small figure rushed forward and stood in front of Ethan. I couldn’t stop in time, and that slap landed hard on Lily’s face. I had put all my strength into that slap. It made Lily cry, and it also shattered the years of love between Ethan and me.

“Slap!” Almost instantly, Ethan raised his hand and slapped me hard. The taste of blood spread in my mouth, and the ringing in my ears momentarily drowned out Ethan’s curses. I only saw him protectively shielding Lily behind him. “Natalie, have you gone mad? How could you become like this? You’re acting like a shrew!” I heard this sentence clearly. I stood there, stunned, holding my face and staring at the man before me. This man, who once protected me like a precious treasure and wouldn’t let even a hair on my head be harmed, had now hit me for Lily’s sake. He drove me to madness, silently watched me go mad, and then stood on his high horse to accuse me of being a shrew. But he forgot that it was once my goodness and innocence that had attracted him. “It’s my fault. It’s my appearance that caused discord between you. Ms. Chen, if you have any grievances, take them out on me. It has nothing to do with Ethan. He’s a good person. I shouldn’t have appeared,” Lily cried in Ethan’s arms, repeatedly apologizing to me. She was naturally pure-looking, and even after all these years, her crying face still looked pitiful and heart-wrenching. “Don’t cry, Lily. It’s not your fault,” Ethan gently kissed away the tears at the corners of her eyes, patiently comforting her. “No, it’s my fault. Ethan, I shouldn’t have survived. It would have been better if I had died seven years ago.” The incident from seven years ago had always been a painful memory for Ethan. He shook his head and held Lily tightly in his arms. “Natalie, you should move out for now. Lily can’t take any more shocks,” Ethan said to me seriously after comforting Lily. His eyes were filled with countless emotions, but love wasn’t one of them. “Ethan, let’s break up,” I sighed lightly. I thought Ethan would try to stop me, but when I said those words, he visibly relaxed, his whole demeanor becoming more at ease. “As you wish. Don’t regret it later.”

I moved out of Ethan’s place that very day. Ironically, after seven years, everything I could take with me fit into a single suitcase. As compensation, Ethan gave me a villa in the East District. I didn’t refuse, but I didn’t move in either. Instead, I immediately put it up for sale. That area was prime real estate, and the house attracted many potential buyers as soon as it was listed. In the end, it sold for over a million dollars. With that money, I rented an apartment in a remote neighborhood far from the city center. On the first day I moved in, I installed a hidden camera at the entrance. I knew it would come in handy someday. Since I left Ethan, he and Lily have been constantly trending on social media, either caught kissing on the streets late at night or showing affection in public. Even I, the ex-girlfriend, was dug up by netizens. Some sympathized with me for wasting seven years, some mocked me for being a homewrecker, and others envied me for getting a huge breakup settlement that would set me up for life. But the buzz came and went quickly, and it didn’t affect me much either way. Ethan called me a few times in between, but I put my phone on silent and deliberately didn’t answer. I didn’t expect him to show up at my doorstep. The door was being knocked so hard it seemed like it might break. I irritably opened it to find Ethan standing there with a dark expression. “Natalie, you’re getting bolder. You sold the villa to live in this dump?” “We’ve broken up. Where I live is none of your business, is it?” These days, I’ve slowly come to accept the fact that I’m not loved, and facing Ethan, though there’s still pain inside, I’ve become much calmer. “If I hadn’t gone to the East District to look for you, I wouldn’t have known you sold the house the day we broke up! Natalie, have I ever let you want for money in all our time together?” He specially came to find me, it seems there’s something important. “Is there something you need? If not, please leave. This dump is too small to accommodate your majesty.” I made a move to close the door, but Ethan stopped it with his hand. “Next week, I’m planning to hold a press conference to announce my engagement to Lily. But I hope you can be there to make a statement that we broke up due to incompatibility, and it has nothing to do with Lily.” I couldn’t help but laugh, and as I laughed, tears started to flow uncontrollably. He made me feel like a joke. Asking me to make a statement to justify their relationship, did he hit his head, or did I? “Ethan, I really want to know, in these seven years, did you ever love me at all?” If there was even a moment of love, he wouldn’t keep stabbing my heart like this over and over again. Ethan was silent for a long time. Finally, he looked at me apologetically, “Natalie, I tried. I just couldn’t fall in love with you.”

In the end, I didn’t go to the press conference. That day, all major platforms were live streaming the event. Ethan appeared on screen in a suit, holding Lily’s hand. In the time since I last saw her, Lily had transformed completely, looking exquisite and beautiful in a haute couture dress. A handsome man and a beautiful woman, plus the first love storyline, moved everyone present with their touching love story. I turned off the TV and threw on a jacket, planning to go downstairs for something to eat. Although where I lived wasn’t as upscale, there was a street food alley right downstairs, full of local flavor. I ate and drank my fill before leisurely heading home. The facilities in my neighborhood were old, and the street lights usually flickered. Today, they had given up working altogether. I’m quite afraid of the dark, so I quickened my pace. Just as I reached the entrance of my building, a dark figure blocked my way. I shone my flashlight on him – it was Ethan’s good friend, the one who had his head smashed at the bar that day. “I’ve been waiting for you for a long time, Natalie,” he said. The wound on his head hadn’t healed yet, looking particularly horrifying in the darkness. I took a few steps back. “How did you know I was here? What do you want?” I didn’t have much interaction with the people around Ethan. They were wary of him, so they usually just called me “sis” for show when we met. Only this man would let his gaze linger on me unscrupulously. He smiled lecherously, approaching me step by step. “Of course someone told me your address. Sis, oh no, Natalie, I’ve always liked you. Now that you’ve broken up with Ethan, why don’t you be with me? I don’t mind picking up his used goods.” My stomach churned, and I almost threw up everything I had eaten earlier. “I’m sorry, but I think I’m going to be sick. Could you please stay away from me?” Instead of backing off, he came closer, even reaching out to touch my face.

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On Christmas, my husband’s sister, Evelyn Johnson, and her family asked if they could hitch a ride with me back to their hometown. Without hesitation, I agreed. On the day of the trip, there were five of them, and my car couldn’t fit everyone. Evelyn shamelessly said, “I’ll buy you a bus ticket for the ride back, and my husband can drive the car. Otherwise, we can’t fit everyone in. “We’re family. You can’t make us split up just because you’re an outsider.” I refused, but they simply tried to take my car anyway. So, I called the police. “I need to report a car theft.” This year, my husband, Keith Harding, had his holiday early, so he went home ahead of me. I was stuck working overtime and wouldn’t be heading back until Christmas. Evelyn’s family was also heading home for the holiday and decided to hitch a ride with me. Since they were family, I agreed right away and double-checked with Evelyn, confirming that there would only be four people in total. But when the day came, Evelyn showed up with a colleague tagging along. I looked at the number of people and hesitated. “Evelyn, my car can only fit four people. Five won’t work.” Evelyn didn’t seem concerned. “Oh, it’ll be fine. Your car looks big enough, and we’ll squeeze in. We’ll just hold the two kids,” she said. But it wasn’t about squeezing in. It was about safety and rules. I explained, “Evelyn, my car isn’t allowed to carry that many people. We could get fined for overloading it.” Evelyn’s face soured, and she snapped, “What’s your problem, Cynthia Morgan? Are you worried about saving a few bucks?” I quickly denied, “Evelyn, you’re misunderstanding. I’m just saying it’ll be uncomfortable for all of us with an overloaded car, especially on Christmas.” But Evelyn wasn’t listening. The group just pushed open the car doors and started piling in. Her kids, who were both in elementary school, had grown so fast. Her son was even a bit chubby, and there was no way he could fit. Reluctantly, I tried to find another solution. “Evelyn, there really isn’t enough space. “How about I order another car for you guys? That way, we won’t be cramped.” Evelyn’s colleague suddenly objected, “Taxis are so expensive during the holidays! I can’t afford that.” I was a bit speechless. “I’ll pay for the ride, so let’s not make a fuss.” Just as I was about to book a taxi, Evelyn grabbed my phone out of my hands and refused. “No, I need to talk to my colleague on the way. Let’s keep things as they are.” I was getting irritated. Why were they making this so difficult? But I kept my cool and suggested, “How about your husband take another car?” Evelyn shot that down immediately. “No, he has to stay with me. And my kids need to stay with us too. I can’t let them go separately.” I couldn’t take it anymore. “Ugh, what do you want from me? Are we going home or not? Are we going to have Christmas dinner or not?” Evelyn thought for a moment, then handed my phone back and pulled me aside. “Hey, why don’t you just order a taxi for yourself? We’ll take your car. My husband can drive it.” I was livid, my voice sharp with anger. “Are you serious, Evelyn? You’re saying my own car isn’t good enough for me to drive, and I have to pay for my own ride home?” Evelyn didn’t see the issue. Instead, she pulled out 50 dollars from her bag and handed it to me. “So this whole thing is about money? Here, take fifty bucks, buy a bus ticket, and we’ll use your car.” I was so mad, I almost laughed. How shameless could they be? Since they were acting like this, I wasn’t going to let them get away with it. I tore off the mask and said, “Fine, you want to do this? Get out of my car. Take a bus home. You’re not riding with me anymore.”

When Evelyn and her family heard me, instead of feeling guilty, they turned around and blamed me. “Cynthia, what’s wrong with you? We’re family, and you want to separate us? You’re all alone, just take the bus by yourself,” Evelyn said. How could she even say that? I shot back, “Evelyn, get this straight. This is my car.” Evelyn rolled her eyes. “When you marry someone, you marry everything that comes with them. You married my brother, so everything you have is ours now.” Her husband, Bobby Johnson, chimed in, “Exactly, Cynthia, your car is our family’s car. You’re the only one going back, so just take the bus. We’ll look out for each other.” They were so bold about taking my car and kicking me out of it. It was unbelievable. My anger flared, and I snapped, “My car is mine, and it’s got nothing to do with you! Don’t flatter yourselves. “Anyway, my car can only fit four people, so you can sit or not, it’s up to you.” With that, I slammed the car door shut and was about to leave. But Evelyn blocked the door with her hand, and in the process, she somehow managed to pinch her hand badly. She cried out in pain and ran straight to her husband. Her entire family turned on me, pointing fingers. “Cynthia, what did you do? You hurt Evelyn!” Seeing her hurt, I did feel a little guilty, so I apologized. “Sorry, Evelyn. I didn’t notice your hand when you put it there.” But instead of being grateful, Evelyn turned on me, spitting out, “Cynthia, you’ve been married to my brother for how long, and you still don’t respect me?” Then she grabbed me and pulled at me. “Get out. We’re taking this car.” She really had no shame. I shoved her away. “Evelyn, stop overstepping.” The two kids, seeing the struggle, rushed over and kicked me. “Don’t hurt our mom!” Though they were just kids, their kicks were surprisingly strong, and one hit me hard enough to leave me in pain. I couldn’t take it anymore and shouted at them, “You two uneducated brats, how dare you lay hands on me?” Bobby immediately stepped in, blocking the kids and pulling me out of the car, shouting, “Cynthia, what the hell is your problem?!” I put my hands on my hips and shot back, “If you can’t control your own kids, then it’s up to me to teach them some manners. They’re already learning to hit people at such a young age.” Evelyn stood by, clapping and cheering them on. “Good job! These are my kids, after all. See? Your aunt deserved it. She has no respect.” After hearing their mom’s encouragement, the kids got even bolder. They grabbed me and said, “Get up. Let Dad drive the car.” They were so strong for their size, and I refused to let go of the car, shouting, “Is there no law anymore? This is my car!” Evelyn jumped in to help, and together with the kids, they pulled me out of the car. She shoved me so hard that I landed on the ground, hurting all over. I couldn’t get up. Seizing the chance, the whole group hopped into my car, started it up, and sped off, leaving me sitting there, stunned and in pain.

I stood there, watching my car drive off into the distance, my face burning with anger. Slowly, I managed to get up, feeling pain all over my body. I couldn’t swallow the humiliation, so I dialed the police. “Hello, I need to report a theft. Someone took my car. The license plate is…” The police immediately intercepted the car at a highway exit. Evelyn was completely stunned when they stopped her. After the police explained the situation, she glanced at me, who was standing there with a cold expression. Evelyn’s anger flared up, and in front of the officers, she lunged at me, shouting, “Cynthia, you bitch, how dare you call the police? Don’t you have any conscience? I’ll beat you to death!” Thankfully, the police pulled her away in time. I hid behind the officers and said, “Officers, you saw it, right? They didn’t just steal my car. They tried to hit me.” The police gave Evelyn’s group a stern reprimand. “What do you think you’re doing? You’re trying to hit her right in front of us?” That was enough to calm Evelyn down. She quickly started explaining, “You misunderstood, this is my brother’s wife. We’re all family. Don’t listen to her. She’s just being unreasonable. We’re in a rush to get home. Please let us go.” The police asked, “Is that true?” I nodded and added, “Yes, they’re relatives, but they did steal my car. They dragged me out of the car and even tried to hit me.” I rolled up my sleeves and showed them the bruises on my arms and neck. We were all taken to the police station for questioning. Even though they were family, I refused to forgive them and demanded compensation. When Evelyn heard that, she exploded. “What do you mean compensation? Your money is the same as my brother’s money. If I pay you, I’m just moving it from one pocket to the other!” But I stood firm. “So what? You deserve it. You stole my car and even hit me. “If you don’t pay, you’ll be going to jail.” Evelyn gritted her teeth and hissed. “You bitch, you wait. I’ll pay today, but you’ll regret this. Let’s see if my brother still wants you.” I scoffed, “Pay up.” I was certain that my husband, Keith, would stand by me. We’ve always had a strong relationship since we got married. Evelyn’s colleagues kept complaining, “Why does it always cause so many problems when I take your car? I’m not paying for this. Don’t drag me into your family drama.” Evelyn didn’t have much to say and reluctantly handed me 20 thousand dollars. Once we left the police station, I rushed to get my car back and head home. But Evelyn stood by, glaring at me. I shot her a warning glance. “If you touch me again, the compensation won’t just be this amount.” With that, I got into my car and drove off, leaving them all behind, stomping their feet in frustration. The delay on the road had eaten up a lot of time, and by the time I got home, it was already dark. I knocked and entered, only to find my husband, Keith, waiting for me with a dark face. The moment he saw me, he started questioning, “I’ve been calling you non-stop. Why didn’t you answer?” I pulled out my phone and realized it was completely dead. I was exhausted from the day, so I pouted and hugged him. “My phone died. You have no idea how hard it’s been for me today.” Instead of comforting me, my husband shoved me away and scolded, “Tell me, what good did you do today?”

I was completely stunned, and after a moment of thinking, I realized he must be talking about what happened with Evelyn. At that moment, his mother, Marie Harding, came out of the kitchen and shot me a cold look. I quickly explained, “Evelyn’s family had a lot of people. The car was too small, but they insisted on taking mine and made me take the bus. So, I had no choice but to come back on my own.” Marie wasn’t buying it. She angrily scolded, “Evelyn, you’ve really gotten bold! How dare you treat Evelyn like that?” She then turned to my husband, Keith, and lectured him. “Keith, you’d better handle your wife. If I did something like this years ago, your dad would’ve slapped me.” Even Marie couldn’t be this unreasonable. This wasn’t even my fault! I protested, “It was Evelyn who started bullying me. “They even left bruises on me!” I added. Just then, the door creaked open, and Evelyn and her family walked in. Without a word, Evelyn slapped me across the face and yelled in front of everyone, “Cynthia, you had the nerve to call the police on us and demand compensation. Let’s see if I don’t teach you a lesson today!” I slapped Evelyn right back, firing back. “You were in the wrong first! I was just trying to get my car back.” Evelyn looked at my husband with teary eyes. “Keith, look at her! You just let her bully me, and you’re not going to do anything? “She’s only been in the family for a short time and already called the cops on me. She even made me pay her 20 thousand dollars!” She held up her hand, which had been caught in the car door, and complained, “Look, my hand’s like this now. And she still says I’m bullying her! “See? My hand is black and blue.” Keith looked at her hand with pity in his eyes. I defended myself. “She did it to herself! I was closing the door, and she insisted on sticking her hand in, then tried to pull me out of the car!” But Keith, instead of standing by me, raised his hand and slapped me hard across the face. The pain was immediate and sharp, and I covered my reddening cheek, staring at Keith in disbelief. “You hit me?” I asked, my voice trembling. Keith didn’t look guilty at all. He simply ordered, “Apologize to her, and give her the 20 thousand dollars back.” All the frustration inside me boiled over, and I couldn’t hold back my tears. I cried out, “They were in the wrong from the start! It was my car, and they forced me out, making me take the bus home. Why should I just let that go? “I only called the cops to protect my rights! Why do I have to apologize? Keith, I’m your wife. Don’t turn your back on me like this.” Evelyn looked all innocent. “It’s because we’re family. How could we go home separately? She’s an outsider, so it’s totally normal for her to take the bus. “As for family, Keith and I are family. We’ve been together for decades, and you’ve only just married him. Of course, he’s closer to me.” My anger flared, and with a cry in my voice, I shouted, “Evelyn, you’re shameless! Get this straight. It’s my car, not yours!” Keith, instead of defending me, snapped back, “The car is yours, but we’re married now. That car belongs to our family. What’s the problem if I want my sister to use it? “Cynthia, I didn’t expect you to be so cold-hearted. You don’t care about family at all, and you called the cops on Evelyn. Fine, here’s the deal. apologize to her, transfer the car to Evelyn’s name, and we’ll consider it done.” Evelyn didn’t say a word but looked at me with a smug grin. I stood my ground. “No, I won’t. Why should I?” Keith, usually so gentle, now pointed at me with a warning in his eyes. “If you don’t apologize, you won’t be having Christmas dinner tonight.” Looking at the veins bulging on his forehead and the fire in his eyes, I suddenly felt a chill in my heart. But I wasn’t going to just take this. I walked over, flipped the table, and declared, “Then no one eats.”

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Once upon a time, I was a doormat. Not only did I spend all my money on my girlfriend, but I also followed her around like a puppy, catering to her every whim. I even washed her underwear. Yet, my girlfriend treated me with contempt, using my money to support her first love. The two of them spent their days together, rarely coming home. Then, I died of cancer. My girlfriend and her first love held their wedding. I watched as the roses I had carefully tended withered away, and I saw her life gradually deteriorate into something worse than a pig or dog’s. Yet, I felt nothing. She regretted it eventually, praying to every god and buddha, desperately begging for my return. I died from a terminal illness. Before I went to the hospice, Mia was still arguing with me, all because I didn’t want her to have dinner with her first love, Jason, that day. She accused me of being jealous, saying that over the years, it was Jason who had helped her in her career, while I had been useless. Jason was her first love and now her boss. I had intended to tell her about my illness that day and ask her to accompany me to the hospice, but at that moment, my heart turned cold. I shut the door tightly and refused to let her leave. She scratched my arms until they bled. “Lucas Wilson, what right do you have to compare yourself to him? You’re not even worth his little toe. If I could be with him, I would have been long ago. How could it ever be your turn?” With my last hope shattered, I finally let her go. I packed a simple bag alone, took my cat Jerry, and went to a mountain resort hospice. After just two months, my body couldn’t hold on any longer. During that month, she hadn’t called me once or sent a single message. After I died, perhaps due to some lingering attachment, my soul refused to leave and floated back to Mia’s side. I saw Mia contacting Jason more frequently after I left. I saw her dolling herself up like a young girl before each date. I saw her celebrating Jason’s birthday, even making a handmade music box, not caring that she cut her hands in the process. I saw her rushing out to meet Jason at his beck and call, rain or shine, never refusing. I saw her occasionally stumble upon my things at home, pausing for a moment, then checking her phone for missed calls or unread messages. When there were none, she would say, “This time you’re really being stubborn, not contacting me for over a month. You’re so paranoid. Let’s see how long you can hold out this time.” In our five-year marriage, I could never measure up to Jason’s place in her heart. Perhaps from the very beginning, I meant nothing to her. My relentless pursuit before marriage and attentive care after marriage only made her think that maybe I wasn’t so bad at a marriageable age. It turns out that after all these years, I still couldn’t warm even half of her heart. Just when I thought Mia had forgotten about me and would naturally end up with Jason, he asked about the necklace he had given her during their naive first love. She couldn’t find it at home and suddenly remembered me, frantically calling my number, “Where’s my necklace? Did you pick it up and put it somewhere again?” “I told you not to touch my things, don’t touch my things. Always pretending to be sick and weak, who are you trying to impress?”

The call was answered by a caregiver at the hospice. In my final stages, I was tormented by cancer pain every day. This kind brother of a caregiver patiently listened to my troubles, helped massage me to relieve my pain, and assisted me in many ways. “Ms. Thompson, this is Safe Haven Hospice. Mr. Wilson passed away from cancer two months ago. Mr. Wilson specifically instructed me before he died that if Ms. Thompson called, to ask her to come to the hospice. He has some things to give you.” His tone was polite but distant. “What kind of trick are you playing now?” Mia was shocked. “Mr. Wilson is dead, Ms. Thompson. He died here at the hospice, tormented by cancer. You will never see him again.” “I don’t know what kind of joke you’re making, but tell Lucas it’s not funny at all! Please tell him that my necklace is very important. If he helped me pick it up, please make sure he brings it over as soon as possible. We’re all very busy, not like him, who can idle away his time day trading stocks and dreaming up big plans. Thank you.” My job was a securities economist, with flexible working hours and high income. I was solely responsible for all expenses at home, including buying the house, the car, and all other big and small expenditures. But in Mia’s eyes, because my job allowed me to take better care of the house, I became someone who didn’t have a proper job. “Ms. Thompson, I think it would be better if you came here in person. Mr. Wilson left behind a cat. I’m taking care of it now, but it’s clearly unhappy. I think it might cheer up if it were with you.” “A cat? I’ve told him long ago to get rid of that cat. Now he doesn’t want to keep it and wants to dump it on me? No way!” With that, she angrily hung up the phone.

Mia’s face was full of anger, and she couldn’t help but curse me even after hanging up the phone, “Terminal illness, huh? Lucas Wilson, do you really think you’re some TV drama protagonist? Getting a terminal illness to keep me by your side, what a cliché plot!” In the end, she searched every nook and cranny of the house but couldn’t find the necklace. With her neck feeling bare, she went to her date. After hearing about this, Jason said sarcastically, “Lucas Wilson’s skills might not be great, but his temper sure is. Can’t even tolerate a necklace. Never mind, I’ll buy you an identical one.” I watched them happily go to the mall together. Clearly, that phone call hadn’t stirred any emotions in her. Whether I lived or died didn’t matter to her. Perhaps, whether I lived or died didn’t matter to anyone, except Jerry. I was an orphan, growing up in an orphanage, never knowing who my parents were. After graduating from college, I was introduced to Mia by a classmate and fell in love at first sight. Having grown up in an orphanage, I was somewhat introverted and lonely, without many friends. Initially, Mia was lively and outgoing. After being with her, I became more sunny and confident than before. I originally thought she was my salvation, but I didn’t know she had a “perfect first love ex-boyfriend” whom she had dated for many years. After we got married, she changed jobs, and Jason became her boss. Their old feelings were rekindled. When I found out, I wanted to win her back. Having never received family warmth since childhood, I was afraid of losing this hard-won happiness. But perhaps because I cared too much, I became sensitive and jealous. I didn’t let her go out alone with Jason, nor did I want them to contact each other. Mia hated me for this. The more I forbade her, the more she did it, constantly angering me. Now it’s good. She angered me to death, and she’s free.

When Mia returned from her date, she faced a mess at home. In the past, I was always the one tidying up. Because I spent more time at home, I took care of all the household chores, big and small, including washing Mia’s underwear. Mia had hardly ever done any housework, so this time, when her necklace went missing, her first thought was to look for me. She cleared a spot on the sofa and lay down, holding the newly bought necklace in her hand. The old style had long been discontinued, so Jason had bought her a new one. She stared at the ceiling, as if looking into my eyes, but even now, I didn’t know what she was thinking. Was she feeling any sadness about my death, or was she just reminiscing about her past with Jason? But at this moment, I no longer had the fondness and obsession for her that I had when I was alive. Looking at her was like looking at a stranger. Finally, she called a housekeeping service to clean up. The housekeeper cleared out some wedding photos stored under the bed. Throughout our marriage, Mia never let me hang these wedding photos in the house, saying she didn’t think she looked good in them. In the photos, the groom looked jubilant, while she only smiled in each picture. I remember that when we were taking the photos, the photographer told jokes to make us laugh and imagine a beautiful life. I easily got every point the photographer made, laughing loudly and heartily. But Mia only smiled shyly. At the time, I thought she was just shy and couldn’t relax. In fact, maybe she didn’t want to marry me even then. She probably just felt sorry for me being such a doormat and gave me a marriage, making me feel like I had the whole world. Mia had the housekeeper stuff the photos back under the bed, as if having me as a husband was something she wanted to keep hidden.

Today was her birthday. Jason had booked a high-end restaurant early to celebrate with her. Mia carefully dolled herself up. She wanted to find a red evening gown we had bought together, but she couldn’t find it anywhere. The evening gown was at the dry cleaners. I had taken it there to be cleaned, but because of my sudden illness, I never picked it up. “That dead Lucas, never good for much except tidying up all day, and now he’s lost things and is playing dead with me. He’s made me search everywhere and I still can’t find it.” She had to wear another dress to go out. Jason had prepared a candlelit dinner for her, and they looked sweet and happy together. Midway through the meal, Jason received a phone call. On the other end was Jason’s ex-wife, saying their child was very sick and hoping he could come to the hospital. “If you can’t come, can you at least send some money? I just paid rent recently, and the doctor says we need to pay a $5,000 deposit for hospitalization. You’re not paying child support, and I really have no other option. The child has your blood too, don’t you feel bad that he’s suffering?” “Money, money, money. I don’t have any money. I’m so broke I can’t even pay my phone bill, and you’re asking me for money? No child support, if you have the guts, go sue me.” Jason angrily hung up the phone and even turned it off. Who would have thought that Jason, who seemed so refined in public, could be so cold-blooded, not even caring about his own flesh and blood. When Jason returned to the table, Mia asked who had called. He only said it was something from work, lying without a hint of guilt. Oh, Mia, Mia, you think you’ve found the perfect man, but can you really see clearly what’s behind this man?

Jason gave Mia a gift-wrapped birthday present and tentatively asked her, “Aren’t you afraid your husband will be angry that you’re out celebrating your birthday with someone else?” “It’s a happy day, don’t mention him. I still don’t know where he’s messing around.” “He’s not even here for your birthday? Huh, he must have someone else outside,” Jason asked with ill intent. Mia paused for a moment, then smiled casually, “Who would be with him? He’s an orphan with no background and no connections. Only I took pity on him and stayed with him for five years. He even has the audacity to argue with me at home. I don’t know where he gets the confidence.” Mia was still the same, easily falling for others’ provocations. When Mia got home and opened the gift, it was a ceramic doll with her name engraved on the bottom. Mia was clearly disappointed with this cheap gift. Now that I think about it carefully, Mia was actually a bit vain. Exquisite makeup and hair, proper clothing, and fixed twice-monthly beauty salon treatments. In the past, I always paid when we went shopping, and I always topped up her cards when they were empty. Several thousand dollars spent each month, and Mia never asked for details. They say loving someone is like tending a flower. I nurtured her into a blooming rose, but the flower was picked by someone else, leaving me with nothing but thorns. Perhaps remembering something, Mia tried to call me again, but the phone was turned off. Mia angrily threw the phone away, “Lucas Wilson, if you have the guts, never come looking for me again.” She still didn’t believe I was dead. She thought I was still angry and refusing to talk to her. But now, no matter how capable I am, I can never look for her again.

Jason and Mia planned to go for a walk in the park. Not long after entering the park, Jason sprained his ankle. Mia helped the limping Jason sit down on a park bench, went to the kiosk to buy a few cold drinks, and carefully used a handkerchief to wrap them and place them on his foot to cold compress it. “Mia, I’m sorry for ruining your mood.” “It’s nothing, we can come out again next time.” “Mia, you’re so good. I really don’t understand why that Lucas Wilson doesn’t know how to cherish you. He’s an orphan, yet he dares to argue with you. He’s really getting ahead of himself.” “It’s getting late, let’s go.” Hearing his words, Mia looked a bit displeased and stood up, urging to go home. “I’m sorry, Mia. I shouldn’t have said that about him. I just can’t stand seeing him neglect you like this.” “I’m a bit tired too, let’s go back early.” Mia said perfunctorily. “We haven’t eaten yet.” “I have some work to deal with this afternoon. You can go eat by yourself.” Mia picked up her bag and was about to leave. “Mia, wait for me.” Jason panicked and hurriedly tried to follow her, but due to his injured foot, he could only hop step by step. “Mia, just have a meal with me, please. Look at me, I can’t even climb stairs easily. Just help me out, okay?” Mia ultimately couldn’t refuse Jason. She agreed. Jason revealed a triumphant smile. This tactic of advancing by retreating was indeed clever, especially effective on Mia, who had feelings for him.

Mia drove the car into the restaurant and ordered a few dishes according to Jason’s taste. Midway through the meal, Mia seemed to be feeling unwell, constantly frowning and rubbing her temples. Jason noticed and asked with concern: “What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?” Mia nodded, “I feel a bit dizzy.” They hurriedly ate a few more bites, and Jason called a designated driver to take Mia and himself home. When Mia got home and took her temperature, it was 101.3°F. She looked very uncomfortable. Because Jason had insisted on eating in the afternoon, and tomorrow was a workday, she had a pile of documents on her computer that she needed to work overtime to process. I saw her open the refrigerator, take out a large bottle of ice-cold mineral water, and gulp down several mouthfuls. She shook her dizzy head, took a Tylenol, and then opened her computer to start working overtime. During this time, Jason kept calling and messaging her to chat. She could only respond while working. By the time she closed her computer, it was late at night. She was covered in cold sweat, curled up on the sofa clutching her stomach in pain. I saw her scroll to my contact in her phone, hesitate for a long time without pressing call, then switch to the dialer and call 911. She was taken to the hospital alone. Fever plus acute gastroenteritis. The doctor urgently put her on an IV and prescribed medication. Because it was late at night and no caregiver could be found, she had to pay the fees, buy hospital gowns, and get medication herself once her condition slightly improved. After everything settled, she lay on the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling, silently shedding a few tears. They say the highest level of loneliness is going to the hospital alone. I don’t know what she was thinking at that moment, but she looked very helpless and pitiful. It would be best if she died from the pain, I smirked coldly to myself. In the past, when Mia was sick, I would always be heartbroken, taking care of her attentively, waiting on her hand and foot. But for her current state, I no longer had any feelings.

During my last few days alive at the hospice, I wanted to give her a call in my final moments when I felt so helpless. Her tone was as cold and disdainful as ever, each word like a knife cutting into my heart. Now history repeats itself, but with reversed roles. She can’t even endure half the pain I went through? Mia stayed in the hospital for 3 days. During this time, Jason came to visit once, limping and saying he wanted to stay at the hospital to take care of her. Mia refused, saying he was a patient himself who needed care, how could he take care of her? After that, he didn’t mention it again. When Mia was discharged, he was at work and called a car for her. Mia packed up by herself and went home. When she got home, the place was still a mess. A thin layer of dust had settled on everything. Mia opened the curtains, and the choking dust made her cough, her body just recovered from illness. She called the cleaning company again to have someone tidy up. After the cleaning was done, the doorbell rang. It was Mrs. Johnson from next door, bringing a bowl of meatball soup. “Mia dear, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you and your husband. I heard from your husband that you love my meatball soup, so I made a big bowl today and wanted to share some with you two. Eat it while it’s hot.” “Thank you.” Mia looked a bit awkward. She was busy with work and wasn’t very familiar with the neighbors upstairs and downstairs. “By the way, how’s your husband’s meatball soup coming along?” “What?” Mia was confused. “Didn’t he say last time that you love my meatball soup? He came over specially to learn from me, so I taught him a few tricks. Your husband is so good to you, unlike my old-fashioned husband who doesn’t know how to care for people.”

After Mrs. Johnson left, Mia sat at the dining table, holding the bowl of meatball soup for a long time without touching it. Mia liked spicy and strong flavors, which had always been bad for her stomach, often causing her stomach pain. But she extremely liked Mrs. Johnson’s meatball soup. The meatball soup was light and clear, with some winter melon and hand-made meatballs. Some scallions floated on the surface, but the flavor was rich. Mrs. Johnson said this was because she simmered it on low heat to bring out all the savory flavors of the meat. To help Mia eat less spicy food and take care of her stomach, when I was alive, I often asked Mrs. Johnson for advice and learned to make meatball soup. I would simmer the meatball soup on low heat for 3 hours, add some winter melon cooked until soft, carefully remove the layer of oil on top of the soup, sprinkle some scallions, and time it perfectly so it would be ready just as Mia came home from work. She could always eat three bowls each time. Thinking of my foolishness in the past, I now feel it wasn’t worth it at all. Love should be given to those who deserve to be loved. For those who don’t love you, no matter how much you do, it’s not worth mentioning in their eyes. As Mia was drinking the soup, she suddenly received a phone call, “Is this Ms. Thompson? This is the insurance company. Our big data has observed that your husband Mr. Wilson’s ID has been cancelled, so we’re calling to inform you. The various expenses for Mr. Wilson’s hospital treatment that exceed the deductible can now be claimed. You’ll need to bring his death certificate, all treatment examination records and invoices…” Mia was stunned. The phone in her hand had unknowingly fallen to the ground, and she couldn’t hear clearly what was still being said on the other end.

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After Dad declared bankruptcy, Mom started to demand a divorce. I stayed out of it, watching as my sister shoved me aside and ran to Dad, saying: “Dad, don’t be sad. I’ll stay with you!” In my previous life, after our parents divorced, my sister went with our wealthy Mom while I stayed with our bankrupt Dad. But then Mom remarried a jerk, lost everything, and ended up with nothing. My sister suffered too. Meanwhile, Dad’s business flourished, and he became a tycoon. Jealous of my success, my sister arranged a reunion that resulted in my fatal car accident. Now, we’ve been transported back to the day our parents finalized their divorce at City Hall. This time, with a smirk, my sister declared, “I love Dad, I want to stay with him.” Little did she know, I was even happier inside. I refuse to live that life of hiding and dodging again! My sister clung to Dad’s arm, acting all sweet: “Dad, please let me stay with you! You’re my favorite, and I’m not afraid of a little hardship.” Seeing his usually spoiled daughter say this moved Dad deeply. He didn’t notice Mom standing nearby with a scowl. “No way, Amy will suffer with you. I have to take her with me,” Mom insisted. My sister would struggle with Dad, but what about me? My parents were fiercely fighting over my sister’s custody, as if I didn’t exist. In the end, they couldn’t change my sister’s mind about staying with Dad, so Mom reluctantly picked me. I got into my stepdad’s luxury car with Mom. My sister skipped away holding Dad’s hand. Before leaving, she shot me a taunting look. I didn’t care. After all, Mom was wealthy now, and Dad’s situation was a mess. In my past life, Dad and I spent every day hiding from debt collectors. I couldn’t concentrate on my studies. His career failure and Mom’s departure devastated him. He gave up, drank heavily in a dingy apartment, and ignored everything. Despite being a top student, I couldn’t afford tuition and had to drop out to support us. We came from the same womb, but my sister was luckier. She was pretty and knew how to charm our parents, who adored her. Being younger, they expected me, as her older sister, to concede to her. Even during the divorce, they only wanted her. But in this life, she chose Dad, letting him boast in front of Mom. In the car, Mom started berating me. “You’ve always been plain and unlikeable. We’re going to live with Uncle Ryan now, so don’t embarrass me.” It’s laughable; what kind of mother says such things about her own daughter? But whatever, the car rolled into the upscale villa district. I knew my stepfather was rich, but I didn’t know he was this rich. He got me into the city’s best private school. A driver picked me up and dropped me off every day. To make up for having dropped out in my past life, I studied hard. I ranked in the top three every year. Mom, who usually ignored me, was eager to attend my parent-teacher meetings. She loved being envied by other parents and praised as an excellent parent by teachers. Since my stepfather had no children of his own, I thrived in this household. I even started planning to study abroad. “Kids shouldn’t think about going abroad. Don’t think you can do anything just because you’re a top student,” my mom snapped before my stepfather could speak. Later, I realized you don’t need a reason to dislike someone. Even between a mother and daughter.

My stepfather wasn’t as Mom and my sister described him in the past: unpredictable, domineering, and violent. I found him intelligent but proud and self-respecting. Their conflicts surfaced soon after we moved in. Mom was a total pretty face with no brains. Honestly, she and Dad were a perfect match. Dad, a true rich heir, was always simple-minded and physically strong. He married Mom because of his brute force and money. When my grandparents were alive, they supported him. After they passed, Dad got dragged into investments by his foolish friends, losing everything he and my grandparents had. Mom quickly found someone else and divorced him. My study abroad plans were halted by Mom’s opposition. But with my grades, I could easily get into a top school in the country. “Amy’s here!” “Aunt Nora, is my mom home?” “She’s out shopping, but your sister’s upstairs reading.” I heard Amy’s footsteps coming toward my room. Without my permission, she opened my door. “Nean, why pretend? No one’s home. Who are you trying to impress with all this studying?” she said, snatching my books. Though Dad raised her, she came here monthly to get money, jewelry, and clothes from Mom. She’d leave with a car full and still wear shabby clothes the next month. Dad, now a gambler, traded good things for cash to squander. Mom hated seeing my sister suffer with Dad. She even asked my stepfather if they could bring her here to live. He agreed, but Dad refused to let her go. He relied on my sister to get things from Mom to sustain his life. “You study so much it’s making you dumb. What’s the use? You’re not as pretty as me, and Mom and Dad don’t like you.” “This good life is only because I let you have it. Enjoy it while it lasts.” She rifled through my things. Of course, this room was her princess room in the past life. She rummaged through everything. “Tsk tsk, you don’t know how to enjoy life. What are all these things you bought?” “All you do is bury your nose in those books.” I ignored her antics. “Amy, is my precious daughter Amy here?” I coldly watched their mother-daughter act unfold. Mom saw my room in chaos. “You won’t find anything good here. Come to my room. I just bought new clothes, jewelry, and accessories. Take whatever you like.” She dragged my sister out without a glance at me or a word of concern. Aunt Nora brought in a glass of fresh orange juice and tidied up my room. “I’ve never seen such a biased mother.” It didn’t bother me. Her good days were numbered.

A few days later, I heard a heated argument downstairs. “How shameless! Living off me and keeping a pretty boy outside!” Uncle Ryan slapped my mom. My sister rushed to intervene. Still angry, my stepfather shoved her to the ground. “I haven’t even talked about your precious daughter. Didn’t we agree to take one daughter each?” “Why does she keep coming here and taking half the stuff?” Mom retorted, “She’s taking my things. Not your business.” “Yours? Look at yourself. What isn’t bought with my money? And now I’m supporting your whole family!” “Ryan, you have the nerve to say that. If it weren’t for your infertility, would I need to do this?” This completely enraged my stepfather. He lost his temper, throwing Mom’s things out. She tried to stop him but was pushed down too. No one dared intervene, and my sister cowered in a corner. Initially, my stepfather married Mom for her looks and the two kids. After marriage, he invested in me, grooming me as a successor. In the past life, Mom exploited this, recklessly spending his assets. Though my sister was pretty, she was empty-headed. But their greed and stupidity knew no bounds. Mom had a lover, and my sister shamelessly claimed everything would be hers in the future. Word quickly reached my stepfather. She wasn’t even dead, and they were eyeing his estate. Who wouldn’t be upset? He couldn’t bond with them as they weren’t his own. He brought in his nephew to groom as an heir and kicked them out. In this life, Mom was kicked out again. But my stepfather didn’t kick me out. “Nean, following your clueless mom is worse than staying with me.” All my efforts weren’t in vain. My stepfather knew I was smart, ambitious, and had vision. I considered his opinion before making any major decision. I even discussed taking his last name privately. My mom, who only cared about buying clothes, was oblivious and uninterested. She refused to leave, saying she’d rather die there. She underestimated my stepfather. A man who built his business from scratch is different from my weak, incompetent rich heir dad. He wouldn’t be fooled by her petty tricks. “Miss Nora, pack some clothes for her in the bedroom,” he instructed. He called security. Just like that, my mom and sister were thrown out. As my stepfather passed my room, he patted my shoulder. “Nean, focus on your studies. Adult matters don’t concern you.” I nodded. Fools remain fools, no matter how many times they live. My life wasn’t affected at all; in fact, Uncle Ryan valued me even more. My mom secretly urged me to plead with my stepfather. Of course, I didn’t go. She called every day, hurling the nastiest insults at me. Aunt Lydia overheard once and doubted if I was even her biological child. Ha, in her eyes, only my sister mattered. Without my mom’s support, my sister had an even harder time. Her grades were bad, and she hated school. Seeing this, dad stopped sending her to school, but he was buried in debt and living a mess. I was single-mindedly preparing for college entrance exams. Uncle Ryan was busy and rarely home. Not long after, on my way to school, a group of thugs blocked my path. It happened that day our car was in for maintenance, so I was on my own. Just after leaving the school gate, a man stopped me. “Are you Nean?” Before I could answer, someone covered my mouth from behind and dragged me to an abandoned warehouse. Once the blindfold was off, someone kicked me to the ground. “Sister, enjoying the luxury mansion?”

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As a CEO, my wife is incredibly wealthy, yet she’s always worried I’m after her inheritance. She keeps a tight rein on our finances, allowing my daughter and me just $200 a month for spending money. However, when her first love came back to the country, she didn’t hesitate to shower him with a luxury car and a mansion, worth millions, to welcome him. Later, when my daughter had a sudden heart attack, the only thing that could save her was a $10,000 surgery. Instead, I was accused of being ambitious and was thrown out of the company by security. I watched as my daughter passed away in the operating room, while my wife boarded a plane for a joyful world tour with her first love. After I finished arranging my daughter’s funeral, my wife returned from her trip, as indifferent as ever. She said: “Hey, didn’t you and our daughter always want to go to the amusement park? I’ll take you next week.” But she didn’t know that the moment our daughter died on that operating table, I was ready to end our marriage.

I was packing up my daughter’s belongings when my wife, Adeline, who had just returned from her world tour, casually walked back into our home. “Declan, can you massage my shoulders? The trip really wore me out.” Hearing this, I, who once cherished her dearly, remained silent and continued packing. Seeing I ignored her, Adeline frowned, then suddenly laughed as if something amusing had crossed her mind. “Are you still jealous about Jasper and I traveling together?” Jasper was her childhood friend. Adeline had left our daughter, who was gravely ill, to travel the world with this friend, letting our daughter die on a cold operating table. Thinking about my daughter’s eyes slowly losing their warmth felt like a dagger through my heart. Before I could speak, Jasper walked in, feigning innocence: “Oh, Declan, it’s all my fault for dragging Adeline on the trip.” “But don’t worry, it was just a trip, nothing more.” He spoke lightly, yet they wore matching outfits and rings, looking like a genuine couple in public. Meanwhile, the wedding ring Adeline and I shared had long been discarded by her. Seeing I still wouldn’t speak, Adeline sighed, looking helpless. “Alright, don’t be mad. I’ll send an extra $500 this month for Anna to get something nice.” “Just remember, I’m doing this for you. No need to thank me.” But looking at the transaction on my phone, I felt nothing but mockery. She spent millions on a world tour with Jasper, buying luxury brands, where a single bag costs thousands. Yet now, giving me $500 felt as if she was doing me a huge favor. Jasper stood by, trying to suppress his laughter, sarcastically saying: “Declan, $500 is quite a bit. You should thank Adeline.” “Let me tell you, kids should be raised modestly, so they won’t be materialistic when they grow up!” As absurd as it was, Adeline believed it. To prevent our daughter from being materialistic, she strictly controlled our expenses, giving only $200 monthly. I used to argue because I wanted a better life for our daughter, but now she’s gone. Arguing means nothing. With this thought, I returned the money and said calmly: “No need, I don’t want it.” Adeline’s smile froze, then she helplessly said: “Declan, I already apologized. What more do you want?” Before I could speak, Jasper’s mocking voice came from the side, “I think he just thinks $500 is too little, right?” “Declan, not to be harsh, but with your greedy attitude, how can you be a good example for Anna?” He lectured me condescendingly. Hearing this, Adeline also looked at me with disappointment. “Declan, we’ve been married a few years, and you’re already this greedy?” “In a few more years, are you planning to take over the shares and inheritance from Adeline’s family?” Listening to Adeline’s accusation, I couldn’t help but laugh at myself. After all this time, this is how she sees me. But my silence, to her, seemed like guilt. The next moment, Adeline spoke with irritation: “Looks like Jasper was right, you’re not a fit father.” “I’m doing this to teach our daughter resilience.” “If you keep this up, and Anna turns out materialistic and greedy like you, can we still call this a family?” Looking at her seriousness, I found it ironic. Her so-called resilience was scolding me for asking for a little extra for groceries, accusing me of eyeing her inheritance. Even when our daughter scored high and wanted a small cake, she’d point at her, scolding: “So materialistic at a young age, you’ll grow up to be a gold-digger!” “Your dad will spoil you rotten someday!” Thinking of this, I was about to tell her about our daughter. “Adeline, our daughter is already…” But before I could finish, Jasper suddenly cried out in pain at the door. The next moment, Adeline didn’t even bother continuing to lecture me, she rushed to Jasper’s side. “Jasper, what happened?” Jasper feigned nonchalance, waving it off: “Adeline, I’m fine. Maybe the long flight triggered my old back pain.” “I’m okay, don’t let me delay your time with family.” Hearing this, Adeline shook her head. “Your health comes first. I’ll take you to the hospital now.” Just before leaving, Adeline seemed to remember something, turned to me, and sighed seriously. “Declan, let’s both calm down first.” “When I get back, we can discuss taking our daughter out next week.” But she didn’t know our daughter was gone, and I had no intention of waiting for her anymore.

After gathering my thoughts, I took my resignation letter and went straight to the company to resign. On the way, colleagues pointed and whispered. “Isn’t that Declan? How can he still show his face here?” “Yeah, asking CEO Adeline for $10,000 last month and got thrown out by security.” “With his salary, how many years would he need to earn $10,000?” “Ignore this clown, let’s go…” Hearing these, I laughed at myself. For years, Adeline never announced our relationship, even arranged for me to be just a regular employee to avoid suspicion. I’ve worked hard, even drank myself sick to secure big deals for the company. All I wanted was to become better, to make her acknowledge me and our daughter. But my promotion applications were repeatedly rejected by her. I sought her out for an explanation. She smiled, clinging to my arm, sweetly said: “Declan, this is all to train you, so you can be a better husband and father!” “Besides, I earn enough for us. Do you think I can’t support you and our daughter, or are you trying to climb into the company’s upper ranks to seize power?” I was left speechless, thinking she had her reasons. But on the day Jasper returned, she sent dozens of luxury cars to the airport, the cannon salute was deafening. That night, Jasper parachuted into the company, appointed as Vice President. I realized then, love or lack thereof, the difference was obvious. Given this, there’s no need to continue this ridiculous marriage. I submitted my resignation. Stepping out of the company, I expected to feel heavy-hearted, but I only felt relief. For years, like a bird with clipped wings, I’ve been trapped in a cage, oppressed. Now, I see freedom ahead. I visited my daughter’s grave, placed her favorite toys by her small tombstone. Stayed with her until nightfall, then dragged my tired body home. To my surprise, opening the door, Adeline was unexpectedly home waiting. “Do you know what time it is? I thought you’d learned to stay out all night.” On the couch, Adeline frowned, arms crossed, displeased. Her expression was a signal for me to comfort her. But I found it odd that while Jasper’s minor injuries would keep her by his side, she wasn’t with him at the hospital today. Not my concern, so I didn’t ask. I calmly asked: “What’s up?” My cold tone made Adeline’s face stiffen. No matter what happened before, I always greeted her with a smile. But since she returned from her trip, I’ve been different. No arguments, no fuss, even my gaze lost warmth. This made her uneasy, quickly saying: “Are you still mad about me going with Jasper? I told you, it was just to relax.” “Didn’t our daughter always say she wanted to go to the beach? Once I’m less busy, I’ll take you and her, okay?” “Is something the matter?” Adeline’s expression shifted, caught off guard by the icy tone. In the past, no matter what happened, I always greeted her with a smile. But ever since she returned from her trip, I’ve changed. I no longer argue or make a fuss, and even my gaze towards her has grown cold. This unsettled her, prompting her to say hurriedly, “Are you still upset about me going out with Jasper? I told you, it was just a break to clear my mind.” “Our daughter has always wanted to go to the beach, right? Once things settle down, I’ll take you both. How about that?” Her attempt at reconciliation felt more like a condescending gesture. To her, my daughter and I were like pets—amusing when she was in a good mood, and pushed aside when she wasn’t. Suddenly, Adeline seemed to remember something and looked at me curiously. “Wait, where’s our daughter? I haven’t seen her since I got back.” “Did you send her to your mom?” I stared at her in disbelief. She had been back for two days and was only now asking about our daughter? It was clear she didn’t truly care about our daughter or this family. Before I could respond, Jasper emerged from the bathroom wearing my bathrobe.

Seeing me, Jasper was unfazed and acted as if he owned the place, warmly inviting me in: “Declan, come on in, make yourself comfortable.” I was momentarily speechless, looking questioningly at Adeline on the sofa. “Why is he here?” Sensing my expression, Adeline awkwardly explained, “Jasper hasn’t been well, so I brought him here to look after him. Don’t overthink it.” I suddenly understood. No wonder Adeline was home tonight—it was all for Jasper. She seemed relieved, adding, “It’s a good thing you sent our daughter to your mom’s beforehand. Otherwise, it would’ve been inconvenient with so many people here.” I found it ironic. She hadn’t even noticed our daughter’s absence, her mind solely occupied with Jasper. Jasper feigned remorse, saying, “It’s all my fault for disrupting your married life, Declan. I’m just here temporarily. You aren’t upset, right?” But his eyes were filled with smugness and a challenge. Adeline, anxious to avoid conflict, quickly interjected, “Declan, don’t worry. Jasper and I agreed he’d sleep on the sofa. He won’t disturb us.” But the next moment, I saw pity in her eyes for him. How could she bear to let Jasper sleep on a cold sofa? If I hadn’t come back suddenly, she would have cradled him in her arms. Thinking of this, I said, “Since his back is bad, he shouldn’t sleep on the sofa. He should sleep in the master bedroom.” Jasper’s face lit up with delight at my words. “Really? Declan, you’re so generous.” Adeline also breathed a sigh of relief. “Declan, I’m glad you see it this way. I was worried you’d be jealous of Jasper and make a scene.” She thought I had matured and wouldn’t argue over such trivial matters. I was leaving anyway, so why should it matter to me where he stays? As Adeline joyfully led Jasper into the master bedroom, I quietly packed my bags, ready to stay at a hotel. But as I reached the door, Adeline emerged from the bedroom and stopped me. “Declan, it’s late. Where are you going?” I smiled faintly. “To give you and Jasper some space, of course.” Upon hearing this, Adeline’s expression turned grim, and she gritted her teeth. “What do you mean by that, Declan?” “I already explained. It’s because of Jasper’s back pain that I brought him here temporarily. You’re the one who agreed to let him stay in the master bedroom. What are you doing now?” “Don’t you have any sympathy?” Her words were endless, but I found them amusing. I used to argue with her about Jasper, and she’d call me immature and unreasonable. Now that I was mature and didn’t argue, she was unhappy again. Jasper pretended to sob. “I knew Declan was still mad at me. It’s all my fault. I should just suffer on the street.” His poor acting fooled Adeline, who then shielded Jasper. “Jasper, you’re staying here today. I’d like to see who dares to kick you out!” Crossing her arms, she coldly said to me: “You’ve grown bold. Go ahead, leave if you dare!” She assumed I loved her too much to really leave. But from the moment our daughter died, my love for her vanished. I would never forgive her. I chuckled coldly, grabbed my suitcase, and left. Adeline stared at my back in disbelief, unable to comprehend. It wasn’t until I got in the elevator that I heard her shout, “Go on! If you leave, don’t come back!” But she didn’t realize I truly wouldn’t return. She had lost me forever. At the hotel, I slept peacefully. The next morning, I woke up to dozens of missed calls—all from Adeline. The last call was half an hour ago. I was surprised she hadn’t slept all night. She used to tell me to be more tolerant and not argue with Jasper. When did she become so petty? When I opened the door, Adeline sat tiredly in a chair. Seeing me, her eyes immediately welled up. “Just because I let Jasper stay with us, you’re leaving and quitting your job?”

I didn’t answer directly, but asked, frowning: “How did you know I was here?” Adeline’s voice was hoarse. “I checked your bank transactions.” I suddenly remembered that not long after we married, Adeline took control of our finances, monitoring my and our daughter’s expenses closely. Even the bank cards were under her name. Looks like I won’t be needing that card anymore. But I was puzzled. Shouldn’t she be at home taking care of Jasper? Why was she here? Adeline, unusually gentle, took my hand. “I know you’re still mad about last night.” “So this morning, after Jasper felt a bit better, I sent him away. Don’t worry, he slept on the sofa.” I looked at her in disbelief. She never used to explain these things. Whenever I argued with her about them, she’d call me petty and narrow-minded. But now, without me asking, she kept talking in my ear. I felt annoyed and pushed her away, expressionless. “Are you done? I need to go to an interview.” Recently, I’d sent out many resumes and received offers from several big companies. But just as I was about to leave, Adeline, tearful, grabbed me, her voice trembling: “Declan, must you be so heartless?” “Jasper and I grew up together. I just want him to be well. Is that wrong?” “Besides, haven’t I been good to you and our daughter?” “Haven’t I paid for everything you and our daughter needed all these years?” “Do you think this is fair to me?” Her confident words felt ironic. She only gave us 200 dollars a month, barely enough for basic needs, let alone school or commuting… To feed our daughter, I worked three part-time jobs after work. Yet, I couldn’t gather the ten thousand dollars for surgery and watched as our daughter died on the operating table. Tearfully, Adeline softly said: “Declan, stop this, come home with our daughter. Let’s live happily as a family, okay?” Her pitiful look only amused me. Why should I act like her obedient dog, doing whatever she says? Seeing my stern face, she reluctantly offered: “Then… I’ll raise your and our daughter’s allowance to 500 a month!” “Didn’t our daughter want to go to the beach? Let’s go today, okay?” “Look, I even bought her the swimsuit she always wanted.” She finished, looking at me expectantly. She thought her offer was tempting enough that I couldn’t refuse. I sneered coldly, “You want to take our daughter to the beach?” “Then come with me.” Adeline had no idea what was coming. She thought I’d forgiven her. As she followed me to the car, she joked: “We’ve been together so long, and you still have surprises for me?” “Alright, I’ll humor you and check it out.” But when I drove to our daughter’s grave, Adeline looked confused. “Declan, weren’t we going to your mom’s to see our daughter?” “Why did you bring me here?” I gave a bitter chuckle, “You want to take our daughter to the beach, right?” “Then follow me.” Adeline had no idea what was coming. She thought I’d forgiven her. Even as she got into the car with me, she joked with a playful smile: “We’ve been together for so long, and you’re still planning surprises for me?” “Alright, I’ll humor you and come along.” But when I drove to our daughter’s grave, Adeline looked puzzled. “Declan, weren’t you taking me to your mom’s to see our daughter?” “Why did you bring me here?” The moment Adeline saw our daughter’s photo on the tombstone, the swimsuit she had bought slipped from her hands.

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When the car accident occurred, Jasper instinctively pulled me close, shielding me in his arms. Afterward, I was left without a scratch, but he ended up in the ICU, where he was treated for nearly five hours before being moved to a regular ward. Friends who came to visit couldn’t help but express their envy: “He’s truly devoted, willing to risk his life for you. You’re so fortunate to have him!” “Tell me where I can find someone as handsome, wealthy, and caring as he is.” I forced a smile and remained silent. They didn’t know that Jasper, their so-called devoted husband, had already found someone new. The night before the accident, he was in the underground garage, wrapped around a young, beautiful intern, lost in a passion I hadn’t seen in his eyes for a long time. I didn’t cause a scene; instead, I quietly planned an accident. Originally, I was supposed to “die” in that accident… “Luna!” A terrified voice suddenly broke the silence in the hospital room. I quickly put down my phone and got up from the sofa, only to be pulled into Jasper’s trembling embrace as I approached the bed. “What happened? Did you have a nightmare?” I gently stroked his back. His grip around my waist tightened, “Don’t leave me…” My hand paused. “I keep dreaming of you lying in a pool of blood these days…” Jasper looked up at me, his eyes bloodshot, “I can’t let you out of my sight again, not even for a moment.” I held him tighter, doing my best to comfort him. “I won’t.” After a while, he released my waist and patted the spot next to him. I stood still. “Please…” His eyes pleaded with me, his voice unusually tender. “Why have you been so distant with me lately…” “Did I do something wrong? Tell me, and I’ll change.” He rubbed his face against my palm, full of dependence, just like the Jasper from years ago. I looked at the scabbed wound on his prominent nose and sighed softly, lifting the covers to lie down. Immediately, he pulled me close again, his eyes content as though he’d regained something precious. “Luna.” “Yeah?” “I love you.” Jasper fought his fatigue, waiting for the words, “I love you too,” but instead, he drifted off to sleep, hearing only, “Sleep.” He instinctively held me tighter, finally giving in to his drowsiness. As his breathing steadied beside me, I opened my eyes and gently tried to push him away. But any slight movement made him hold me tighter, so I gave up, lying silently in his arms. I hadn’t slept well for a while, and wrapped in his familiar scent, I soon fell asleep in Jasper’s arms. But my sleep was light. So, in the middle of the night, when I heard a faint sound behind me, I woke almost instantly. “Don’t cry, Lily, I’m fine.” Jasper’s lowered voice came from the bathroom. “You don’t need to visit me. I’ll come to you once I’m better.” “I miss you too… Take care of yourself. I’ll make it up to you once I’m out of here.” I lay with my back to him, pretending to sleep. But my eyes stared unblinkingly at the pale moonlight outside the window until they ached and filled with tears. It turns out, even when you’ve decided not to love anymore, the heart still hurts. His arms gently encircled me from behind, and I closed my eyes in silence, a tear rolling down my cheek, disappearing into the pillow.

“I feel like having wontons.” Hearing this, I put down the chicken soup in my hand. “Then I’ll go buy some for you downstairs.” Jasper smiled softly, “I want the ones we used to have back in school.” I froze for a moment. That shop was on the east side of the city, an hour’s drive from here, and it was always busy with long lines. A round trip would take the entire afternoon. Whether he genuinely wanted wontons or just wanted to send me away, I no longer cared to find out. I nodded, said nothing, and walked out of the hospital room. Soon, a girl in a white dress hurriedly entered the room from the stairwell. She threw herself into Jasper’s arms. Perhaps she touched a wound, and Jasper instinctively frowned, but he gritted his teeth and said nothing. “I told you not to come, didn’t I?” He wrapped an arm around her waist, playfully pinching her cheek. “But I missed you.” The girl lifted her face, looking at him playfully: “I really want to kiss and hug you.” Jasper’s smile deepened, his tone teasing: “Is that all you want?” Hearing this, the girl, with glistening eyes, leaned against him, whispering: “I want you too.” Jasper’s eyes darkened, suddenly grasping her chin to kiss her. The quiet VIP hospital room was soon filled with the sound of intimate exchanges. Jasper’s fingers slipped under her skirt, and she couldn’t help but moan softly. Just as things were about to get out of hand, Jasper stopped himself in time, gently pushing her away, his voice hoarse: “You should go back.” The girl reluctantly withdrew, “Can I visit you again tomorrow?” Jasper kissed her cheek, soothing her softly: “Don’t come for a while. I don’t want you running back and forth; it’s too tiring.” “I’ll be with you once I’m out. Eat more,” he lazily leaned against the headboard, his palm holding her softness, teasing: “You’ve lost weight.” The girl playfully bit him, making Jasper lightly “tsk,” his voice full of indulgence: “Are you a puppy? You love biting so much.” The familiar tone made me pause. Because he had said the same to me. When Jasper graduated high school, I was in my third year of college. He refused to go abroad, insisting on attending the university in my city. For this, his mom approached me. But surprisingly, there was no dramatic request for a breakup or any difficulties. She was even willing to sponsor my studies abroad and thanked me for tutoring Jasper and supervising his studies. I politely declined, for the sake of my remaining dignity. But I agreed to persuade Jasper to study abroad. For the first time, Jasper got really mad at me, ignoring my resistance, kissing me forcefully and awkwardly. I couldn’t push him away, so I took the chance to bite his lip during a pause for breath, accidentally biting too hard and breaking the skin. He wasn’t angry at all, instead, he gently hummed against my nose, “Are you a puppy? You love biting so much.” As my thoughts returned, tears unexpectedly fell on my clenched fists. My palms throbbed with sharp pain, and I gritted my teeth, holding back the urge to burst in, turning away to leave the scene in haste. But the Jasper in front of me is no longer the boy he once was. I packed the wontons and sat in the hospital lobby for a while. Only after the playful figure disappeared at the hospital entrance did I return to the hospital room with the food. As soon as I placed the food down, Jasper came up from behind, his warm lips brushing my ear, “Thank you.” The chopsticks in my hand fell to the floor, and I stiffened, pushing him away. He froze: “What’s wrong?” “Nothing.” I grabbed a spare set of chopsticks and handed them to him, “Eat, or it’ll get soggy.” Jasper smiled: “Even if it’s soggy, I have to finish it since you went all the way to get it for me.” He took a bite, and I asked if it was good. He nodded, praising, “Still tastes like before.” I couldn’t help but smirk. But it was just something I bought downstairs. How could it taste like before?

On Jasper’s discharge day, many friends and long-time partners came, including Lily. But except for a glance at the beginning, Jasper didn’t spare her another look. Lily stood in the corner, looking disappointed. Until someone raised a glass to toast Jasper, she suddenly stood up, taking the glass from Jasper’s hand, saying, “Mr. Johnson, Jasper just got discharged, I’ll drink this for him.” With that, she drank it all in one go. Everyone fell silent, their expressions varied as they glanced at me, sitting by Jasper’s side. “Who is this?” Jasper smiled, his expression unchanged: “A new intern at the company. She’s new, so if she does anything wrong, Mr. Johnson, please be forgiving.” Everyone present was savvy enough to catch the underlying support in his words. Mr. Johnson obligingly drank his wine, and the atmosphere at the table warmed up again. Under the table, Jasper casually took my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, “I don’t know who hired such a clueless intern, eager to show off.” I smirked, “Oh? Maybe we should just fire her then.” The hand holding mine paused slightly. I discreetly pulled my hand back, chuckling softly, “Just joking. Newbies need time to grow.” He looked at me, his expression probing, just about to say something when I stood up. “I’m a bit tired. I’ll head back first.” Without waiting for him to speak, I smiled at everyone and left the room. When I got downstairs and reached for my phone, I realized I’d left my bag in the room, so I had to go back. Passing by the stairwell, I couldn’t help but overhear a familiar voice. I couldn’t resist looking over. “Didn’t I tell you not to show up in front of her? Why can’t you listen?” I discreetly pulled my hand back and gave a soft laugh, “Just kidding. Newcomers always need time to mature.” He looked at me with a questioning look, just about to speak as I stood up. “I’m a bit tired, so I’m heading back.” Without waiting for a response, I smiled and said goodbye to everyone before leaving the private room. As I reached downstairs and went to get my phone, I realized I had left my bag in the room. I had to return. Passing by the stairwell, I suddenly heard a familiar voice and couldn’t help but glance over. “Haven’t I told you to avoid appearing in front of her? Why don’t you listen?” “But I wanted to pick you up from the hospital.” Lily buried her head in Jasper’s chest, her petite frame shaking with sobs. “Jasper, I missed you.” “But why were you so cold to me today? It hurt.” Seeing this, Jasper’s expression softened. “Why are you crying?” He wiped away Lily’s tears, his voice carrying a subtle tenderness. “I told you, as long as you don’t cause a scene in front of her, I’ll do anything for you.” “Then I’ll behave. Will you spend time with me today?” She placed Jasper’s hand on her chest. “Don’t you want to check the results yourself?” “I’ve prepared a surprise for you tonight. Don’t you want to try it?” Jasper’s eyes darkened, and he suddenly grabbed her by the neck, kissing her lips. “Clean up and wait for me.” Lily wrapped her arms around his shoulders, clinging to him as she kissed back. Her eyes, shimmering with triumph and challenge, looked straight at me. I met her gaze calmly for a few seconds, then turned and walked downstairs, leaving my bag behind. As I walked home along the street, I saw a boy at Love Sea Plaza confessing to a girl with a bouquet of roses. Just like that awkward and sincere young boy from years ago. He said, “Age and distance are not problems. As long as you’re willing, I commit to you for life. Nothing can separate us.” But a lifetime is long, and true feelings often change. The next morning, as soon as I opened my eyes, I saw Jasper standing by my bed. He looked at me intently, holding my phone and bag. “Luna, your phone showed a message saying the agreement was signed successfully. What did you sign?” “And why did you delete my fingerprint?” Hearing this, my heart sank, and I suddenly snapped out of my haze. What agreement… Of course, it was my termination agreement. I took the phone from his hand calmly and slowly said, “I joined a tour group. Planning to go out for a while.” “The fingerprint and password issue is probably due to a system update.” Jasper breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned over to kiss me, the sweet scent of perfume overwhelming my senses. I instinctively turned my head, and the kiss landed on the side of my face. “Haven’t you always wanted to go to Lake Elara? When I get back from this business trip, I’ll take you. It won’t be long, just a week. When I get back, I’ll take you there.” I stayed silent. He’s probably forgotten how many times he’s said this, always breaking the promise for various reasons. And soon, I won’t need it anymore. Seeing me silent, Jasper was about to say something when the phone rang. He kissed my forehead, “Wait for me.” With that, he walked out, answering the call. As the door closed, a text from an unknown number popped up. I opened it, and there was nothing inside except a screenshot of an ID account. I opened the app and found Lily’s SweetPotato account. Her profile said, “Everyday life with Little Jasper.” The timeline traced back a year, and the account had accumulated over a million followers. She clearly never intended to hide this relationship. Hundreds of posts documented her moments with Jasper. “Picked up from the company by Little Jasper. Now I can see my husband whenever I look up.” “On the day of campus recruitment, there were so many people. Seeing my roommate sweating and squeezing through the crowd, I’m suddenly grateful to have a capable husband who spares me any hardship.” I scrolled through many posts. He took her to see the sea, chase the aurora, and tick off “a hundred little things lovers do.” He even overcame his fear of heights to bungee jump with her… So, it’s not that he didn’t have the time. He just devoted all his time and energy to someone else. I didn’t want to see any more and exited her profile. The page had been open too long, and as I exited, it automatically refreshed, pushing a new update. Posted half an hour ago. The main picture was a half-body shot in a black lace camisole, revealing a hand on her waist, veined and strong. “Who said men over 25 are on the decline? This morning, my legs were weak, and he was just fine.” In the comments, the top-liked pinned reply read: “Try calling me an old man again.” The original poster appeared, and fans went wild in the comments. Lily responded suggestively: “Men remain young until they die, but women approaching thirty become grass. Luckily, I’m still young, with plenty of youth and love to go wild.” A fan replied flirtatiously: “How wild? Tell us more.” Lily replied with a shy emoji. “To make me happy, someone promised to take me to Lake Elara for a honeymoon. Come find us, everyone.” Attached were two plane tickets with key info blurred, showing a man’s hand nearby. On his ring finger was a simple ring engraved with “J·Y.” Those are my initials. In the following days, aside from morning and evening greetings, Jasper didn’t send me any other messages. And I never asked. Perhaps too lost in his affections, he didn’t care if I responded, sticking to routine good mornings and good nights. Until the morning of his departure, maybe out of guilt, Jasper unexpectedly sent a long sentimental essay recalling our past. I wasn’t interested in reading it, ready to turn off the screen when another message from Jasper popped up. “Wife, I miss you.” “Even if I know you can’t see it now, I still want to say, I love you.” “Goodnight, sweet dreams.” I couldn’t help but laugh. Saying you love me while in another woman’s bed, Jasper, doesn’t it make you feel sick? This act of feigned affection, you can keep performing it by yourself from now on. In the morning, I carefully set up the birthday cake and placed the prepared birthday gift prominently on the living room coffee table. Taking one last look at this home, I left without any nostalgia. On the way to the airport, Jasper suddenly called. “Wife, did you forget what day it is today?” “No, I didn’t.” I watched the scenery quickly pass by the car window and softly said, “Happy birthday, Jasper.” He immediately brightened. “I knew you wouldn’t forget. You used to wait until the last minute to send me wishes. This time it’s so quiet…” “Are you secretly preparing a surprise for your husband?” I smiled, “Yes, a surprise you’ll never forget…” Hearing this, Jasper smiled. He glanced at the airport’s flight display. His flight back to Beijing was about to depart. Luna would never guess he planned to fly back a day early. Thinking of this, Jasper’s smile deepened. His birthday should be spent with his wife. After the birthday, he’d take her around. It’s been a while since he took her traveling. First stop, Lake Elara, where she’s wanted to go for so long… “Luna, wait for me—!” “Boom!!” Before he finished speaking, a loud crash sounded through the phone, followed by a phone clattering to the ground. “Luna? What happened?!” “Luna!! Answer me!!!” Jasper called Luna’s name repeatedly, but there was no response, just chaos in the background. Then came the sound of an ambulance siren. “Sir, are you the family of the person involved? Your partner was in a car accident…”

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When the hurricane hit, my family kicked me out of our home. I was left stranded in the storm, freezing and soaked, until the raging floodwaters swept me away. My body was never found. Meanwhile, my parents and sister sat comfortably around the dining table, enjoying the food I had painstakingly stockpiled for them. But perhaps the heavens pitied me, because I woke up three days before the hurricane made landfall. This time, when faced with their ridicule, I was too tired to care. This time, I decided to save myself. The hurricane arrived earlier than expected. Worried about my family’s safety, I rushed home from a class reunion. My clothes were drenched, and my feet were freezing, but I didn’t stop. When I reached the door, I found it locked. My key wouldn’t work—it had been bolted shut from the inside. I banged on the door and shouted, “Mom? Dad? Emily? Are you there?” There was no answer. I pressed my ear to the door and heard faint sounds inside. Fearing something had happened, I was about to force the door open when my mom’s voice erupted from the other side. “You little tramp! Always running around in those short skirts, trying to seduce men. Don’t you dare come back here! Get out and go live with your boyfriends!” “This house doesn’t welcome you!”

I froze, stunned, and tried to explain myself. But before I could, my sister Emily sent me a text. “Mom and Dad are really mad right now. You should leave before you stress Dad out and trigger his heart condition.” I wanted to defend myself, but the thought of my dad’s health stopped me. I replied: “Emily, can you please explain to them? I was just at a reunion, that’s all.” She didn’t reply. With nowhere else to go, I decided to book a room at a nearby motel to wait out the storm. As I stepped outside, the rain started pouring in sheets, and the temperature plummeted. Wearing nothing but a short skirt, I shivered uncontrollably as the cold wind cut through me. The water on the streets quickly rose, turning into rushing streams. As I carefully made my way down the sidewalk, I heard the faint cries of a child. Turning around, I saw a small boy—no older than four or five—being carried away by the floodwaters, screaming for help. I reached out to grab him, but my foot slipped. Before I could react, I was swallowed by the icy, murky water.

As I drifted in and out of consciousness, I felt my body grow colder and heavier. My chest tightened, and my breaths slowed until there was nothing left. Through the haze, I saw the boy being rescued by a passerby, crying in his mother’s arms. I also saw my parents and sister. They were sitting at our dining table, surrounded by the supplies I had worked so hard to gather. I heard my father sigh, “I’m so disappointed in Wendy. From now on, I only have one daughter.” I heard my mother scoff, “Don’t mention her. She’s nothing but bad luck.” And I heard my sister laugh, saying, “Mom, Dad, don’t worry about her. She texted me earlier—she’s with some guy. She doesn’t need us!” I stared in disbelief. All my life, I thought that if I worked hard enough, my parents would love me just as much as they loved Emily. I thought my sister was kind and supportive, the best sister anyone could ask for. But behind my back, they wished I would disappear. And the sister I had always looked up to was happy to tarnish my name in front of them. Fine. If that’s how they felt, they’d never see me again. But still… I couldn’t accept it. Before my consciousness faded completely, I heard a voice ask me: “Do you want another chance at life?” I summoned every last bit of strength and answered: “Yes.”

“The National Weather Service has issued a severe hurricane warning. Residents are advised to prepare and stock up on supplies…” I woke up to the sound of a weather broadcast. I was lying on the couch in our living room, a blanket draped over me. The sensation of rainwater filling my lungs still felt so vivid, like a nightmare I couldn’t shake. But I knew this wasn’t just a dream. It had all happened. The television displayed the date: three days before the hurricane would hit. Just as I was piecing everything together, my phone rang. I answered, and my mom’s sharp, angry voice immediately came through. “Wendy, you ungrateful brat! The hurricane is coming, and you’re out there fooling around instead of helping your father and me? Why don’t you just die out there?” That was how every conversation with my mom ended. Before, I’d always thought she didn’t mean it. But now, I knew better. For the first time in my life, I talked back. “You’ve always said Emily’s enough for you. Let her help you, then.” And I hung up without waiting for her reply.

In this house, I’ve always been the unwanted one. My birth was an accident—something my parents never let me forget. As a child, Emily saw me as competition for our parents’ love and did everything she could to turn them against me. I still remember them holding her in their arms, comforting her as she cried. “Don’t worry, Emily. We don’t like her. We only love you.” Over time, those words became their truth. They barely looked at me, spoke to me, or acknowledged me. I worked myself to the bone to earn their approval. Once, I finally scored higher than Emily on a test and proudly showed my mom. She slapped me across the face, ripped up my test, and shouted, “You’re just trying to upset your sister. Don’t ever bring something like this home again!” When I went to college, I chose a major with poor job prospects but pursued my passion for writing full-time. My family didn’t understand. To them, I was lazy, irresponsible, and wasting my life. Every success I achieved meant nothing—they believed I was out partying with men instead of working. But I never realized how deeply they resented me. Not until now.

Soon enough, my mom called again. I didn’t answer. The phone kept ringing, so I simply turned it off. I didn’t have time to waste on them—I only had three days to get everything done. I needed to secure water and electricity, stock up on food, and prepare enough medicine. In my last life, I had done all of this for my family. But I was met with nothing but disdain and ridicule. I still remember lugging heavy cases of bottled water under the hot sun while my parents stood nearby, watching and mocking me. “What’s the point of all this? We already have water at home. You’re just wasting money.” By the time I had carried everything upstairs, dripping with sweat, I was utterly exhausted. And yet, in the end, I wasn’t even alive to use any of it. If I had to make the choice again, this time I’d choose myself. Thankfully, after graduating college and becoming independent, I insisted on renting my own place so I could focus on my writing. Now, that apartment was my safest refuge.

I headed straight to the largest wholesale store in the city. Since no one had realized the importance of stocking up yet, the shelves were still fully stocked. I filled my cart with instant noodles, bottled water, bread, and crackers, then added a variety of snacks I liked. Despite earning a good income, I had spent most of my money in the past buying furniture for my parents or giving them gifts. I couldn’t even bring myself to splurge on something as simple as fresh fruit. But now, it felt liberating to put myself first for once. Every penny I earned was finally mine to spend however I pleased. By the time I carried all my supplies home, it was already noon. I made sure to order a portable gas stove and a hand-crank flashlight online. Just as I finished, ready to take a well-deserved break, I heard someone banging on my door.

When I opened it, there stood my dear sister, Emily. She was the only one who knew my address. But of course, she couldn’t keep it to herself. She had casually let it slip to my parents: “Oh, Wendy’s living on her own now. Who knows if she’s living with someone?” Thanks to her, my parents had once dragged me home in the middle of the night, insisting on taking me to the doctor because they were convinced I had some “dirty disease.” And yet, Emily had played the same role as always—the sweet, understanding daughter. “Wendy,” she started, her tone dripping with fake concern. “Mom said you’ve been ignoring her calls. You’re an adult now; you should be more considerate. Mom and Dad are getting older, you know. What if—” “I’m not answering because I don’t want to see any of you,” I cut her off and started to close the door. “Wendy!” She shoved her hand into the doorframe to stop me. “Mom and Dad are worried about you. Why don’t you come home for a couple of days? The hurricane’s coming, and it’s dangerous to stay here alone.” I stared at her sly expression and couldn’t help but laugh. Worried about me? Hardly. She clearly wanted me back to act as the family’s unpaid labor force. Feigning hesitation, I said, “Well… okay. But I twisted my ankle, so I might need you to take care of me.” Her face changed instantly. “What? You’re hurt?” I nodded pitifully. “Yeah, the doctor said I shouldn’t do anything strenuous for three months. I’m supposed to stay in bed and rest.” “Well… maybe you should just stay here and focus on recovering. I’ll check on you another time.” And with that, Emily hurried off without looking back.

hanks to that little lie, I enjoyed two days of peace and quiet. The day before the hurricane hit, I received another invitation to the class reunion. This time, I declined. After explaining to the class president, I headed downstairs to the local market and bought plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. I also treated myself to some duck neck snacks and ice cream, planning to stay home for the entire week. Just as I was unpacking my groceries, my dad called me. In my 24 years of life, I could count on one hand the number of times we’d spoken. This was the first time he had ever called me himself. I answered. “Wendy, I heard there’s a hurricane coming. Make sure you take care of yourself.” For a moment, he actually sounded like a caring father. But then came the second half of his sentence. “We’re running low on supplies at home. Can you order some online and have them delivered?” So they couldn’t use me as free labor, and now they wanted my money instead? I didn’t bother hiding my disdain. “Emily knows how to do all of this. Ask her.” There was a pause, followed by the sound of something shattering on the other end of the line. “You’ve got some nerve talking to me like that! If this is how you’re going to act, then you can forget about being part of this family!” Did he think that would scare me? Too bad for him, I’d already heard those words before. I chuckled lightly. “This family never included me to begin with.” “And honestly? I couldn’t care less.”

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I Supported Him from a Debt-Ridden Streamer to a Top Internet Celebrity For six years, I worked multiple jobs despite my gastritis to help him pay off his debts. Yet he flirted with others during his livestreams and accompanied sponsors to scenic night views. I never complained, silently cleaning up every mess he made. Until that day, when I received photos of him in bed with his top fan. He knelt down and proposed, promising to marry me once the debts were cleared. I pushed him away and calmly replied, “I don’t love you anymore.” The person I loved was the young man who bought me porridge six years ago. “Ouch—” I curled up on the changing bench, peeling off a band-aid. The fluffy fur of the Mickey Mouse head was sticking to my sweaty neck, while the air conditioning vent blew cold air directly onto my bleeding ankle. Just as my phone vibrated, I accidentally knocked over the iodine bottle with my knee. As Ryan Collins’s message popped up, the brown liquid was dripping onto my phone screen. The light came on, revealing the gastroscopy report I hadn’t had a chance to check earlier: “Chronic atrophic gastritis.” The diagnosis was slowly being covered by the medicine. I quickly wiped the screen with my palm, careful not to touch the costume. A single costume was worth a whole day’s wages from my part-time job. “Babe, a sponsorship deal fell through. I need to accompany Ms. Chen today.” The heartbreaking stomach pain began to throb again. I tilted my head back, trying to hold back my tears. “Okay.” To help Ryan pay off his debts, I had been working two part-time jobs for two years, hoping to clear his debts as soon as possible. Ryan’s parents had accumulated a lot of debt due to gambling. Being a filial son, he started livestreaming in his sophomore year to help pay off his parents’ debts and support his sister, taking advantage of his good looks and physique. However, over the past few years, his business had grown significantly, expanding from online to offline, and he started choosing more lucrative work. “Ms. Chen’s Rolls-Royce leather seats are much more comfortable than the livestream studio,” his words from last week’s stream suddenly echoed in my ears. I clutched my stomach, trembling as I opened my yellowing second-hand designer bag. I twisted open the medicine bottle only to find that I had run out of painkillers. They say the stomach is an emotional organ. So, even my stomach could feel it? Before I could dwell on it, Jane, who often introduced me to part-time jobs, walked in. “Emily, the dinosaur costume needs two layers of cotton lining to be stable enough.” Jane threw the costume over my shoulder. The synthetic fabric rubbed against my sunburned skin, but I couldn’t feel any pain except in my stomach. “The girl who played Mickey last month and got heatstroke was diagnosed with heat illness today.” Seeing my determination, Jane, despite being a capitalist, added a few more words about taking precautions against heatstroke. The scorching 104°F heat couldn’t deter me from returning to the amusement park. “Phew, finally done.” I staggered with dizziness, stars dancing before my eyes as I took off the character head. A cool breeze hit my neck – it turned out a light rain had started. I suddenly remembered that stormy night in my freshman year. Ryan stood under the dormitory building for three hours, holding a leaking umbrella, with a convenience store red bean bread tucked in his jacket. He said, “My part-time job money just came in. Want to go for Japanese food?”

The stinging pain from the blood blister on my ankle brought me back to reality. Without time to think further, I returned to the changing room to put away the costume and continued with my part-time job. As the seventh shot of tequila slid down my throat, the house singer’s husky voice suddenly tore through the noise. “All these years of youth I’ve given you—” I knocked over the bar stool as I rushed to the bathroom, my knees hitting the marble steps hard. Vomit mixed with blood splattered on my newly opened phone screen. Ryan’s livestream was exceptionally clear amidst the filth. His fingers were pinching a cherry stem, using the magic trick I taught him to charm the VIP fan into flooding the screen with Porsche gifts. As my stomach cramped, I seemed to see the Ryan from years ago in a haze. “Babe, you need to eat well even when you have a fever. Come on, the porridge is still hot, hurry and eat it.” Twenty-year-old Ryan braved the rainy night, warming the porridge container with his body heat, the plastic spoon broken in two inside the thermal bag. I slowly turned off the screen, a salty taste now surging up from my stomach. Forcing myself back to the bar, I kept repeating to myself: “I need this job. Once the debts are cleared, Ryan and I will have a bright future!” The fur-clad woman in the booth, cigarette dangling from her lips, saw me return and dug her sharp, long nails deep into my shoulder. “Finish this bottle, and I’ll give you a grand in cash.” Her nail jewels scraped against my collarbone, where Ryan’s bite marks from yesterday still left a bruise. People around started to egg me on, and the manager came over repeatedly urging me to drink. Fighting the discomfort in my stomach, I slowly poured the cold alcohol mixed with my freely falling tears down my throat. My stomach suddenly began to spasm, and I couldn’t hold onto the expensive liquor, dropping it onto the table. Glass shards scattered across the glass table, and the manager’s palm came flying towards me with a whoosh. I fell to the ground powerlessly, seeing countless pathetic reflections of myself in the glass shards. I didn’t even notice my knees being cut by the broken glass.

Ryan’s video call came through at that moment. Taking advantage of the cleaning lady tidying up the table, I ran to the side and pressed the answer button. The crystal chandelier behind the man hurt my eyes. Seeing my background, he hesitated for a moment and frowned. “Come home early after your part-time job.” After briefly saying this, he swirled his wine glass and said with a smile: “Thanks to Ms. Chen, I landed a new endorsement deal tonight. I’ll take you to pick out wedding rings next week.” I stared at the Rolex Submariner on his wrist. Suddenly remembering his reddened hands from our junior year. The chilblains from handing out flyers in 19°F weather were exchanged for a bowl of beef noodles. All just to celebrate my 22nd birthday. Ryan was still showing off the logo on his steak knife in the video. “Why aren’t you saying anything?” His frown was identical to the one he wore during livestreams. A coquettish female voice came from the background. I recognized it as the second-highest tipper who had sent thirty Diamond gifts last month. Blood trickled from my knee into my high heels – the 4-inch stilettos were his anniversary gift. At this moment, the manager called me over. I hurriedly hung up the phone and downed the eighth shot of tequila the manager brought over. As the alcohol burned through my stomach lining, the house singer was crooning, “Forever isn’t necessary for love to be complete.” The neon sign shattered into stardust through my tear-filled eyes. The warmth of that bowl of porridge from when I was twenty had finally grown colder than tonight.

The Hermès gift box in the entryway was tied with a silver ribbon, reminiscent of the clumsy bow he tied on our first night together. The shower stopped, and Ryan came out, pressing against me with steamy warmth. I counted three new scratch marks on his abs, one less than Ms. Li had left last month. “Just bought a new bag, see if you like it.” He licked the sweat off my collarbone, his fingertips trailing down my spine. As the platinum bag’s metal clasp cut through the darkness, I felt the curled hair inside the lining, just long enough to wrap around his wrist twice. Fireworks exploded outside the window as Ryan made his vow in a husky voice. “Once the debts are paid off, I’ll set off fireworks for you every day.” But now, the ticking of his Vacheron Constantin watch on his wrist was clearer than his vows. I counted my heartbeats, waiting for him to tell that all-too-familiar lie. “The platform wants to push me for the year-end gala.” He whispered, nibbling on my earlobe, the couple’s ring on his ring finger digging painfully into my skin. This wasn’t our couple’s ring. Seeing me staring intently, he casually said it was something Ms. Chen required him to wear, telling me not to mind it. “Once we get the bonus, we’ll go get married in Iceland, your favorite place, okay?” I composed myself and said okay. The digital clock on the bedside table changed to 02:07, and suddenly his phone screen lit up. The lock screen notifications were crowded with unread messages, including the topmost one with a pink avatar. “Babe, the couple’s necklace you gave me is so pretty~” My brow twitched, and I closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep. Hearing him tiptoe to the balcony to reply to the message, I painfully supported my sore waist to get out of bed, took out the key, and pulled open the most hidden drawer. It was empty. It used to hold the couple’s necklace I had personally designed for our fourth anniversary. Moonlight sliced through the curtains onto the bedsheet, making the stain he had just left look incredibly ironic. When Ryan returned and saw me standing blankly to the side, he noticed the open drawer. He hurriedly grabbed my arm. “Babe, I’m just playing along with clients, don’t take it seriously. Think about it, we can make so much money just by borrowing it for a while!” “What were you just doing?” I asked calmly. Ryan paused for a moment. “Didn’t I tell you? I’m participating in the year-end gala. My assistant just told me that to win the bonus this time, you’ll need to cooperate with me for a while!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295808”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #校园School #励志Inspiring #重生Reborn