Category: English

I found myself and my sister Nora inside a fantasy novel, tasked with selecting our husbands. In her previous life, Nora, having read ahead, chose the novel’s protagonist, the Tentacle Monster. I was left with the supporting character, the Vampire. Unexpectedly, the Tentacle Monster fell in battle due to a lack of Mental Strength, while the Vampire I picked grew powerful and became the new lord. When I woke up again, Nora had already chosen the dashing Vampire. “I’ll be the Vampire Lord’s wife in your place,” she declared. I tried to hide my smile. If she wanted to be a Blood Pack and endure the depraved Vampire’s torment, I wouldn’t stop her. When Nora took the Spirit Clan’s blood-purifying technique, I realized she had reincarnated as well. Previously, she unhesitatingly chose to marry into the Tentacle Clan, knowing they’d eventually triumph. However, my blood turned out to be crucial for enhancing Declan’s powers, allowing him to counter the silver light waves created by the Tentacle Monster Clan and even increase his attack speed. After we won the war, Declan openly showed affection for me, making others envious. But as victory was within reach, jealousy turned Nora’s eyes red, and she stabbed me with a silver knife. I watched as blood gushed from my chest, and my vision faded. Later, she turned me into a “Human Swine,” trapping my soul for a century, often mocking me, “I am the Spirit Clan Heiress. How dare you compete with me?” Upon waking again, Nora looked down at me after stealing the technique to enhance blood purity. “Sister, only I can be the Vampire Lord’s wife.” Seeing her smug face, I knew she hadn’t realized I had reincarnated too. I nodded obediently, letting her decide everything. Our father, the Clan Leader, spoke with a heavy heart, “Fiona, as the Heiress, you should marry into the Tentacle Monster Clan. You can’t endure the hardships of marrying a Vampire.” I laughed coldly inside. Father always treated us differently. If Nora couldn’t endure the hardship, why should I? The Tentacle Monster Clan had suppressed the Vampires until they were confined to darkness. Eventually, both sides made peace. Our Spirit Clan had techniques to enhance both clans. To survive in this chaotic world, the Clan Leader’s daughter had to be sent for a Political Marriage. We all knew that after the marriage, a new war would begin. On the surface, we remained neutral, but Father leaned towards a Tentacle Monster victory. This Political Marriage was bound to be unfair. Nora quickly reassured Father, “Don’t worry, Father. As the Spirit Clan Heiress, I’ll be fine.” Father resentfully scolded me, “Thank your sister for her concession. Otherwise, how could a concubine’s daughter like you receive such protection?” I could no longer hold back and coldly asked, “I didn’t ask for it. Why should I thank her?” Fiona yelled at me, pulling out a whip and lashing it at me, “Who do you think you are, daring to speak to Father like that? Kneel and apologize immediately!” My back burned, and warm liquid oozed out. Growing up, she would beat or scold me at the slightest conflict, and my father always turned a blind eye. Father pointed at me, cursing, “You’re just like your lowborn mother! If you weren’t useful for the marriage, I’d have killed you long ago!” I bit my lip and stayed silent. Nora, you probably don’t know how much I suffered in my past life. Since you’re willing to endure hardship, I’ll let you. Nora only saw Declan’s public kindness towards me, not realizing he used me to gain the Spirit Clan’s trust. He forced me to cultivate the Spirit Clan’s blood technique, making me produce blood endlessly. He even made my blood into Blood Packs for his generals, successfully destroying many Tentacle Monster bases.

Moreover, Declan was extremely sinister. When in a bad mood, he would lock me in the dark, dreary basement of the Castle to torture and vent his anger. In this life, since Nora chose Declan for me, I was finally free. The next day, the wedding entourage arrived. The Vampire Clan brought a flying carriage, surrounded by a sea of flowers, to welcome Nora. Declan stood imposingly in front of the carriage. In a flash, he teleported to Nora, looking like a perfect couple. Declan’s alluring, pale face and deep features were indeed captivating. “A Vampire loves only once in their lifetime. I, Declan, promise the Spirit Clan I will never marry again.” Amidst the cheers, Nora looked at me triumphantly, gripping Declan’s hand tightly. “Cora, you must be so jealous of me.” I looked at Fiona expressionlessly. She had no idea her hard days were just beginning… I closed my eyes, recalling the days when a slight offense would lead to a beating. The dungeon filled with torture tools had pierced my fingers and knees. If I hadn’t seen his true nature in my past life, I might have been fooled by Declan’s pretense. Fortunately, later on, I refined my blood to the purest level, benefiting the entire Vampire Clan, so they dared not torture me anymore. Refining that technique required sleeping on an ice bed daily. Nora, pampered since childhood, would never work so hard. The Tentacle Monster Clan only had a simple Spaceship. I was summoned inside without any ceremony. In the dark spaceship cabin, eight black tentacles spread out like a giant flower with shiny black nodules. I screamed in fear. The tentacles quickly retracted, revealing a man’s strong, handsome features. His black, bright eyes studied me. “Did I scare you? I’ll keep the tentacles away in the future.” I looked at Asher. His gaze was icy, completely different from Declan’s sinister nature, but his eyes held no emotion. It seemed true that the Tentacle Clan didn’t understand love. I shook my head quickly, “It’s okay. Do whatever makes you comfortable. No need to accommodate me.” The tentacles weren’t that scary. I was just nervous about boarding the spaceship. Looking at Asher’s handsome features, I wondered why Nora always called him ugly in the past life. Maybe she only saw his tentacle side. “Leader, let’s perform the Soul Contract ceremony.” Asher nodded, extending a tentacle towards me among the clan members. I shrank back in fear, warily watching him. “Don’t worry. It won’t hurt much.” I obediently closed my eyes, feeling Asher’s tentacle slide into my clothes, wrapping tightly around my waist, smooth and slippery. Another tentacle explored my chest. Finally, the tentacle adhered to the soft part of my chest, causing a tingling sensation. A strong white light shone from my chest, and the clan members exclaimed, “This girl’s Mental Strength is so strong! A rare talent in a thousand years!” “Yes, with her, our victory is assured.” The tingling made my legs weak, and I collapsed, but Asher’s strong arms caught me securely. His eyes were as deep as a pool, unreadable, but he gently carried me to the rest cabin, preparing Spirit Clan food for me. If you need anything, just call me. “Bad news! Clan Leader, the Vampire Clan broke the peace treaty and attacked multiple bases during the Political Marriage!” I knew the events from the previous life were unfolding early, and Fiona must have revealed the Tentacle Clan’s plans. In the original story, Declan’s sneak attack severely damaged the Tentacle Monster bases, and Asher nearly died in the battle. Luckily, Asher survived, biding his time, growing stronger, and eventually conquering the Vampire Clan. However, after we entered the story, my blood helped the Vampires resist the silver light, making them invincible. Thinking of this, I grabbed Asher’s hand, “I have Spirit Stones to help you. Let me go with you.” Asher glanced at my hand holding his, nodded slightly, pulling me into the transporter, and we arrived at a base. The base was swarming with bat minions from the Vampires, feasting on the Tentacle Clan. The Tentacle Clan members were turning to stone due to lack of Mental Strength. I tried using the Spirit Stones but couldn’t activate them. “I suddenly can’t use my power!” I shouted anxiously to Asher, who seemed to sense my mental state. But Asher had already joined the battle with his eight tentacles. I watched him worriedly. Though the Tentacle Clan had strong combat abilities, they heavily consumed Mental Strength. Without my support, he wouldn’t last long. Sure enough, he soon fell due to lack of Mental Strength. He was captured by the Vampires, and I was tied up too. We were taken back to the Castle, where Fiona lay seductively by Declan’s side, enjoying the scene. She looked at me smugly, “Sister, how do you like the effect of the Spirit Dissolving Powder I gave you? It’s your own fault for being careless, deciding the outcome from the start.” I remembered the time Fiona tampered with the Spirit Stone while I chose the technique. But only Father had the Spirit Dissolving Powder, so was he involved too? My heart sank, feeling betrayed by Father. I saw Asher’s worried gaze. Was he concerned about me? Perhaps our Soul Contract made him empathetic towards me. Declan studied me, sniffing my neck, smirking, “How about you both serve me?” Fiona quickly cooed, “Isn’t having me enough, my Lord? I am the Spirit Clan Heiress!” I recalled the moment I was selecting a cultivation method, and it struck me that Fiona had meddled with the Spirit Stone. However, only my father possessed the Spirit Dissolving Powder. Could he be a part of this conspiracy too? My heart sank, as if I had plunged into an abyss of cold despair. I couldn’t fathom that my father would scheme against me this way. Looking up, I caught Asher’s gaze filled with concern. Was he worried about me? Perhaps our Soul Contract allowed him to share in my emotions. Declan hovered close, a smirk on his lips, “How about both of you serve me?” Fiona quickly feigned innocence, “Isn’t having me enough, Lord? After all, I am the Spirit Clan Heiress!” I knew she wasn’t trying to help me; she was simply afraid I’d take the position of the Lord’s wife from her. Declan laughed fiercely, pulling Fiona close and biting her neck. She whimpered in pain, and he pushed her aside with disinterest, wiping his mouth. “Maybe Cora’s blood is more to my liking?” Fiona hurried to defend herself, “I’m the Spirit Clan Heiress, with a pure bloodline. Cora’s blood is a mess and would weaken your power.” Declan raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, and carried Fiona into the bedroom. Soon after, sounds of passion echoed from within. Declan imprisoned us beneath the Dungeon, waiting for his chance to develop a weapon against the Tentacle Clan. In a past life, Declan was aware that the Tentacle Clan couldn’t be killed, only sent into a dormant state. Once revived by sufficient Mental Strength, their resurgence would be inevitable. But back then, Fiona refused to sacrifice herself as the book instructed to revive the Tentacle Clan, insisting on returning home. “I am the Spirit Clan Heiress; how could I become exhausted and frail?” Asher fought to grant Fiona her freedom, only for her new lover to extract information from her and betray the Tentacle Clan’s base location, leading to its downfall. The Tentacle Clan often remained in stasis pods, making the base’s secrecy vital. While I was confined in the Dungeon, I discovered a massive ice bed filled with girls from my Spirit Clan. Fiona had incited Declan to capture my people to practice this cultivation method for her gain. I shook my head with a bitter laugh. Oh, Fiona, don’t you realize? Our ancestors branded this cultivation method, and only those of royal blood could master it. Every glory demands a price. So why do you, as the Heiress, believe you are inherently noble? Declan visited the Dungeon one day, ordered my clanswomen to be cut for their blood, but spat it out in disgust. He called Fiona over and kicked her face with his foot. “Didn’t you claim this method would purify the blood? Why is it still the same?” Fiona frowned, inspecting my clanspeople like livestock, muttering that it couldn’t be true. Watching this betrayal filled me with trembling rage. I always thought she was merely spoiled and willful, but I never expected her to betray her race in this manner. As fury consumed me, a pair of warm hands enveloped mine. I looked up to meet Asher’s compassionate eyes. It felt as though he was silently reassuring me, “Cora, don’t worry, I’ll get you out soon.” I was taken aback. His Mental Strength was depleted; how could he save me? Fortunately, as I channeled my power, I realized my Spirit Power had recovered by eighty percent. Even without a Spirit Stone, my strong Mental Strength could support Asher in our escape. Sadly, the other girls couldn’t be saved. After they left, Asher seized his moment, using all his strength to unfurl black tentacles, wrapping around me to break through the siege. He intended to sacrifice himself to help me escape, warming my heart. In a past life, Nora manipulated his innocence to lead him to his demise. I must protect his pure heart this time. I seized the moment, quickly cutting my finger, letting blood drip onto the Spirit Stone. The Spirit Stone instantly emitted a dazzling light, flying toward Asher. He immediately became agile, his tentacles powerful, slaying enemies left and right. My Mental Strength was formidable due to my Heaven Clan bloodline, more potent than the pure Spirit Clan, capable of maximizing the Spirit Stone’s power. Yet, the Spirit Clan always valued pure lineage as the noble standard. Asher glanced back gratefully at me, then plunged into battle. I steeled myself, cutting my wrist, letting more blood flow to the Spirit Stone. Asher could then fight ten at once, sweeping through the enemies. I watched him with relief but fainted from overexertion. In my daze, I felt someone securely catch me.

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On our wedding night, my wife wore a carefully chosen nightgown, waiting for me in bed. I grabbed my robe and quickly finished my shower. But then, on the bathroom shelf, I noticed her phone ringing. Driven by curiosity, I picked it up. A pinned group chat with seven members immediately caught my eye. The latest message, sent by my wife just five minutes ago, was a photo of her in the shower. [Although I’m married now, you’re all still my darlings. As usual, here’s a little treat for you to enjoy.] The replies from six different men in the group flooded the screen with gloating and cheers. Monday: [Ellie’s figure is looking better and better!] Tuesday: [Ellie still loves us so much!] Wednesday: [Tonight was supposed to be my turn with Ellie. That lucky bastard stole it from me!] Thursday: [Ellie, did you miss me today?] Friday: [Ellie, see you Friday at the usual spot!] Saturday: [Ellie, let your husband take Sundays, okay? One day each! How generous of us!] The disgusting messages flooded my vision, yet a strange sense of exhilaration rose in my chest. The wife I had personally chosen didn’t disappoint me at all!

I slipped her phone into my pajama pocket and quietly walked into the bedroom. On the newly made bed, covered with a fresh wedding bedding set, my wife, Eleanor Dixon, lay on her side against the bed sheets. Her legs were exposed. “Honey, come on! I’ve been waiting for you!” I said nothing, my brows tightly furrowed. Eleanor didn’t seem to notice anything unusual about my expression. She playfully urged me to hurry over, her face brimming with impatience. “You know we’re married now, hurry up! “What are you standing there for? Honey, it’s our wedding night! Every second of tonight is precious!” I stared at Eleanor, barely containing the fury boiling within me. So she did remember it was our wedding night. And yet, she still found time to send “treats” to her group of male admirers. Eleanor sat up on the bed, her pretty face quickly showing irritation. “Keith, it’s our wedding night. Why the long face? You’re being ridiculous!” Her audacious tone pushed me over the edge. “Ridiculous? Me? “Can you explain who those men in the group chat are? And those photos you personally sent?” As I spoke, I pulled the phone out of my pocket and tossed it onto the bed. Eleanor’s face visibly froze. She quickly grabbed her phone and opened WhatsApp. Sure enough, she saw the replies from the other members. “Keith, you went through my phone?” She didn’t address my questions. Instead, she threw another accusation at me. I laughed bitterly to myself. My wife was always like this. The moment she got caught red-handed, she would immediately try to shift the blame, as if that could erase her wrongdoing. I glanced at the wedding photo on the bedside table. Those celebratory images now felt painfully ironic. Everything screamed “happily ever after” and “a lifetime of bliss,” but to me, it all seemed like a façade covering something unspeakably ugly. “Ellie, as a normal man, I can’t just sit back and watch my wife’s naked photos being commented on by other men! “It’s late tonight. Tomorrow morning, we’ll get a divorce.” At the mention of divorce, Eleanor rushed over and hugged me. “Honey, we just got married today, how can we get divorced tomorrow? “What would our friends and family think? “I can explain those group messages. “Honey, you know how exhausting my work is. I’m always swamped with company matters. “Last week, at my friend’s birthday party, I just happened to add a few waiters to my contacts. “Those guys in the group are just joking around. Don’t take it seriously. I swear there’s nothing going on. Please trust me, okay?” I tried to push her arms away, but she clung to me tightly, refusing to let go. With our height difference, I looked down at her tear-streaked, delicate face. For a moment, I felt a pang of pity. “Jokes? Since when do jokes involve sending naked photos to a group chat?” “Honey, I was confused for a moment and didn’t think it through. It’s my fault. Please don’t divorce me. “I’ll delete the group chat right now and never talk to them again!” She picked up her phone and exited the pinned group chat on her own. “Honey, I love you so, so much. Please forgive me this once. Don’t divorce me, okay?”

Eleanor’s voice was choked with sobs as she buried her face in my chest, much like a pitiful, wronged kitten. I could feel a distinct warmth spreading across my chest. I knew her tears had soaked through my pajama top. I raised my hand to wipe the tears from her face. Some of my anger subsided, and my tone softened noticeably. “Alright, Ellie, stop crying.” “Then you won’t divorce me, right?” Her tearful, wide eyes gazed up at me, perfectly angled for maximum effect. Of course, I knew this was all part of her carefully calculated performance. After a long pause, I finally said the word she had been waiting for. “Alright.” After freshening up again, Eleanor became even more proactive, inviting me to consummate our marriage. However, her enthusiasm was quickly interrupted by a work-related call I pretended to receive. Using overtime as an excuse, I spent the entire night in the study instead. The next morning, Eleanor seemed to feel a pang of guilt. My bank account received an extra one hundred thousand dollars. She was fond of using money as an apology, and I, naturally, was happy to accept it. In the following days, Eleanor tried her best to please me. She would either prepare breakfast early in the morning or bring back gifts after work. One evening, I came home late due to work. As soon as I entered, I saw Eleanor’s busy figure in the kitchen. She had prepared an entire feast. Seeing me, she affectionately asked me to wash my hands and join her for dinner. Normally, such tasks were left to the housekeeper. But now, in an effort to win me over, she had taken it upon herself to cook. At the dinner table, Eleanor kept adding food to my plate and even suggested making up for our wedding night. “Honey, don’t sleep in the study tonight, okay?” I silently calculated the timing in my head and agreed. After dinner, I carried Eleanor back to the bedroom. The room was filled with a pleasant aroma from a lit scented candle, and flower petals were scattered across the bed. Eleanor had meticulously prepared everything, determined to win me over. The atmosphere grew heated as I leaned over Eleanor, my hand trailing along her waist and moving downward. Suddenly, a warm, wet sensation spread across my hand. Eleanor’s period had arrived. She seemed to realize it too and hurried to the bathroom. After a while, she came out of the bathroom, wrapping her slender arms around mine and speaking in a voice as soft as water. “Honey, my period came.” I affectionately patted her head and got up to make her some hot cocoa in the kitchen. In the kitchen, I dropped a sleeping pill into her cup. After drinking the cocoa, Eleanor quickly fell asleep. I tucked her in and casually picked up her phone from the bedside table. When I opened WhatsApp, the group chat I had seen before was indeed gone. Her contact list now had me pinned at the top, while the rest of the messages were all work-related. Switching seamlessly to her secondary WhatsApp account, I found the familiar seven-person group chat again. The latest message had been sent that morning. In it, Eleanor reminded the group. [I’ve been busy pacifying my husband. Once tonight is over, I’ll be yours again!]

Eleanor clearly couldn’t bear to part with her six lovers. Feigning ignorance, I put her phone back where I found it. The next morning, I packed a few essentials into a suitcase and prepared to leave the house. Eleanor stopped me at the door, calling out to my retreating figure. “Honey, why are you packing your suitcase?” I turned back and looked at her, my tone calm. “I’ve taken on a new project and might be on a business trip for a week.” Eleanor’s gaze was filled with reluctant affection as she spoke softly. “Then, honey, make sure to bring me back a gift when you return, okay? I’ll be waiting for you!” I nodded and left with my suitcase. Inwardly, I promised her a very special gift. Leaving the house, I hailed a cab and went straight to a hotel. At the front desk, the receptionist asked for my driver’s license to check me in. As I handed over my license from my wallet, an old photograph inside accidentally fell out. The receptionist returned both my license and the photo after processing my details. “Sir, you dropped this photo.” I took the photo and thanked her politely. “Sir, you and the lady in the photo make a beautiful couple.” I didn’t respond, turning instead to the elevator to head to my room. After a week at the hotel, I picked up my spare phone and sent a message to a familiar contact. [It’s time.] Before long, my computer screen lit up with a live mirror of Eleanor’s WhatsApp account. The seven-person group chat was still pinned at the top. The man labeled “Monday” was the first to speak. [Ellie hasn’t contacted us in a week. Don’t you miss us?] [Ellie, did you forget about us?] Eleanor’s reply came almost instantly. [You’re all my darlings. Of course, I missed you!] The other men quickly chimed in. Tuesday: [But it’s been ages since you sent us anything nice, let alone met us. Did you forget about us?] Eleanor: [I didn’t! Don’t worry. I’ll see you all tomorrow.] Wednesday: [But tomorrow’s Sunday. Ellie, who are you meeting? You promised your husband gets Sundays!] Eleanor: [My husband’s on a business trip. He won’t be back anytime soon. Don’t worry. I’ll see you tomorrow.] Friday: [Ellie, can we all meet tomorrow? After all, if you see just one of us, the rest will get jealous. Why not make it a group gathering?] The group echoed their agreement enthusiastically. Eleanor finally relented and sent the time and hotel name in the chat. It was the very hotel I was currently staying at.

The next morning at 9 a.m., Eleanor posted a picture of her outfit in the group chat. She was wearing a tight black pencil skirt, with a hint of cleavage peeking out from her top. Paired with black stockings and red-bottomed heels, her seductive figure was fully on display. Then, Eleanor shared what she had brought in her bag. Two boxes of 16 condoms. The group chat exploded with excitement. Monday: [Ellie, still spoiling us as always!] Tuesday: [Don’t worry, Ellie, we’ll make sure to take good care of you today. You’ll have no complaints.] Wednesday: [I still don’t understand why you married that useless husband of yours. We’re the ones who truly love you.] Eleanor: [Of course, you guys are my true loves. The marriage was just to deal with my mom, so she’ll give me more money for my babies!] Eleanor: [But honestly, the husband I picked turned out to be a good choice. Even if he finds out about you guys, so what? I’ll shed a couple of tears, act cute, and that dumb fool will forgive me.] Eleanor: [I could tell right away how obsessed he was with me. I knew he was a simp!] Friday: [It’s still all about Ellie’s charm!] Friday: [Let’s not mention Ellie’s simp of a husband. We’ll head to the hotel and wait for Ellie!] Twenty minutes later, someone posted a room number in the chat. [Crescent Hotel, Room 502.] I couldn’t help but laugh as I saw the room number. What a coincidence, it was next door. Not long after, I heard shuffling noises from the adjacent room. Then, the distinct sound of high heels echoed. It was Eleanor’s footsteps. At the hotel room door, Eleanor casually told the others to wait while she took off her high heels and left them outside the room. Once she entered, loud voices from the next room filled the air. I picked up my phone, found her contact, and called her, but she didn’t pick up. I tried calling her on WhatsApp, but after a few rings, there was still no answer. The noises from the neighboring room quieted down, so I stopped calling Eleanor. Instead, I flipped through my contact list and dialed Eleanor’s mother, Claire Avery’s number. When she picked up, I urgently said into the phone, “I think Ellie’s in danger. You need to come to the hotel with your relatives. “I suspect she’s being threatened by someone and might be trapped!” There was a brief silence on the other end before Claire started to panic. “Keith, what are you talking about? What happened to Ellie? Explain clearly!” “Now is not the time to explain! You need to hurry over with the relatives. The sooner, the better! I’m going to Crescent Hotel Room 502, so hurry!” Without giving Claire a chance to respond, I quickly hung up. I opened the door, and sure enough, I found Eleanor’s high heels in front of the neighboring room. She always couldn’t wait. From inside the room, bursts of laughter, followed by moaning, crying, and pleas for mercy, could be heard. Maybe it was just my imagination, but I thought I heard Eleanor shout, “Daddy!” But my wife’s father had been dead for years. I looked at the high heels at the door and, without hesitation, dialed the phone number. “Hello, I’d like to report something! There’s prostitution going on at Crescent Hotel, Room 502!”

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To avoid the relentless marriage pressure, I told my parents I lost my job and had racked up a huge debt, figuring no one would want me then. I didn’t expect to be disowned and kicked out that same night. “We don’t have a daughter who brings such shame to our family!” “Get out, get out, get out! If debt collectors come knocking during the holidays, how are we supposed to face anyone?” “Angel, you’re an adult now. You need to take responsibility for yourself. We’re too old to bear this burden for you.” Should I tell them it’s their son who’s in debt, not me? Chapter As New Year approached, the marriage pressure calls became more frequent. “Daughter, you’re already in your late twenties. What are you going to do if you don’t get married soon?” “Your elementary school classmate, I forget his name, already has two kids!” “How can your father and I hold our heads up? People think there’s something wrong with our daughter! If you don’t marry, your brother will struggle to find a wife too!” “Listen to me, your aunt set you up on a blind date. The guy is honest and doesn’t talk much! He’s really good! You have to meet him when you come back for New Year, got it?” “There are also other men introduced by relatives. I’ve lined them up for you. It doesn’t matter if they’re good or bad, as long as someone wants you! Otherwise, in a couple of years, even the guys at the village entrance won’t want you!” By the end of the year, it was almost like clockwork, four calls a day, perfectly timed with meals. Colleagues who witnessed all this were secretly mocking me: “Is your family breeding livestock?” “Even for breeding, you’d want a strong one to ensure the quality of offspring. Your family… not even the village guys?” I was blushing from the ridicule. My manager’s gaze was also becoming strange. With my limited work experience, I guessed they either wanted to make me more compliant or suspected I was about to get married and become unsuitable for work! I was both restless and angry! I’m only 23, in the prime of my youth! At the beginning of the year, I joined a big company. Every day, my parents would call me with workplace survival tips like “be diligent, serve tea and clean up, give gifts, sweet talk, and use connections.” After being overheard, I was ridiculed and became a minor office joke. At the end of the year, because of countless marriage pressure calls, I became the office laughingstock again. I walked to a quiet corner, and another call came through. “Stop pressuring me! I’m only 23!” I ruffled my hair in frustration and pleaded into the phone with a tearful voice. “I was just negotiating a business deal! Your calls ruined the cooperation, and I’m about to get fired and held accountable!” “The deal was worth millions! Are you going to compensate for that?” “Stop calling.” The marriage pressure call ended. My mom didn’t say anything. Before I realized it, she hung up with a “ding.” I was stunned for a couple of seconds, then exhaled a breath of relief, finally able to enjoy some peace. Days passed without any marriage pressure calls, and I was in a great mood, even eating two extra bowls of rice. “Finally got through it!” I packed up my things, ready to head home. “Next year is a new year, with new gossip. Everyone will forget.” I comforted myself. Chapter

When I got home, it was dinner time. “Dad, Mom, Brother,” I greeted each one. Seeing my brother and his new girlfriend was a bit of a surprise. “Hi, hi, I’m Angel, Jack’s sister. Make yourself at home!” They seemed surprised to see me, their chopsticks frozen in mid-air, and the atmosphere felt a bit tense. “What’s up? Didn’t I text you that I’d be home today?” I looked at my silent family, feeling a bit strange. “No, uh, my phone broke, didn’t see it.” My mom awkwardly smiled, pointing with her chopsticks. “You’ve eaten, right? We’re halfway through our meal, you… want some more?” I looked at the leftover food, a bit helpless: “I sent the message to the family group chat.” My dad’s face darkened, frowning as he scolded me: “Just come home, it’s not a big deal!” “Daughter.” My mom quickly stopped him and then hesitated to stop me from getting more dishes. “Yeah? What is it?” “Well, Mom’s phone broke, and I’m getting old, don’t understand these electronic products. Can you buy me a new one?” “Sure.” I didn’t catch any hidden meaning and agreed readily. Since I started working, they’ve often asked me for gifts. She finally showed a smile and went to get me some dishes. “Daughter, it’s good you’re back. We all missed you!” “While everyone’s free for the New Year, I’ve arranged for you to meet your aunt and a few other men introduced by relatives. One every hour! Just check them out, pick one, and aim to get married this holiday.” “You’re still young, you have choices. Wait a couple more years, who will want you then?!” I was so shocked that I dropped my food, the beef roll falling back into the hot pot, quickly picked up by my brother, who glared at me. “This year? Are you kidding?” Seeing their serious expressions, I put down my chopsticks and addressed a reality check about marriage. “Marriage requires a lot of preparation, especially financially.” “For example, how much are you expecting in dowry? How much are you giving me as a bride price?” My mom gave me a pinch of cabbage, giving me a playful look. “You young people love shortcuts, hoping to get rich through marriage! Cars and houses will come in time! Don’t fuss over these! A reliable man is what matters most!” My dad’s face was grim, displeased with my questions. “We’re not selling our daughter, why ask for benefits? You want people to gossip about us?” My mom quickly filled his glass, soothing him. “Listen to Mom, money isn’t important in life. When your dad and I got married, we didn’t care about these things. We had nothing but still made it work.” Seeing I wasn’t moved, she began tearfully lamenting how hard it was to raise me, and how not getting married would be an eternal shame, leaving them restless forever. I got fed up with the pressure, recalling the words that made them quiet before, ready to use the same trick. “It’s not that I don’t want to get married, but marriage involves living together, buying a house, a car, having kids, needing a stable financial base, right?” “Before… you kept calling at inappropriate times, ruining several contracts, and now I’ve been fired. The client is demanding compensation, and I’m in debt by millions. Who would dare marry me? Marry me and share my debt?” The familiar tense atmosphere returned, broken by my dad slamming his chopsticks down. “Who are you trying to fool? You agreed to buy the phone for your mom without hesitation, how can you be in debt?!” “Don’t think we don’t know your little schemes!” “You just don’t want to get married! How are we supposed to hold our heads up in the village?” I stared in disbelief. Were they testing me from the start, setting a trap? No way, we’re family, right? I shook my head, pushing the odd thought away. “Take out a loan! If you’re deep in debt, what’s one more? If you’re covered in lice, you won’t feel itchy!” I said casually, trying to continue eating, but my brother blocked me, so I gave up, not caring anymore. “Anyway, I’m deep in debt now! No job! Anyone who marries me is unlucky! Definitely can’t get married!” “My focus next year is to find a good job, then work for promotions and raises! Be filial to you, alright?” “As for marriage, I’m not considering it for now. Don’t rush me. I’ll marry when I find the right person!” They stared at me, seemingly confirming the truth of my words. Finally, after a moment, my mom clutched her chest, trembling, and began crying again. My image of being obedient and honest since childhood was deeply ingrained, so they probably believed me. But what they didn’t know is once someone starts working, they learn to tell little lies with ease! Watching my mom cry, I felt at a loss. Is not marrying at 23 such a big deal? Is it worth crying over? “So you’re blaming us…” “You want us to pay your debts?” My mom pointed at me, crying as if she was about to faint. “How did I give birth to such a debt-collector?!” Chapter

“I…” Before I could finish my sentence, my dad took a deep breath, threw back a shot of baijiu, and slammed the glass on the ground, asserting his authority as the head of the family. “Impossible! Don’t even think about it!” “Other people’s children go out to work and earn money to support their families. But you? You’re like a failure! Not only didn’t you make money, but you also ended up owing millions!” “I don’t have such a disappointing daughter!” His harsh words left me stunned. Pointing to myself in disbelief, I asked, “Me? Disappointing?” I finally understood what they were implying. They thought I wanted them to help pay off my debts? But the debt isn’t real! Even if it were, shouldn’t a family face hardships together? “What if it was my brother Jack who was in debt?” I asked, not giving up. My dad’s face darkened even more. “Don’t even think of comparing yourself to your brother! He’s the pillar of our family! After a hundred years, everything we have will be his. Don’t even dream of getting a penny!” “Besides, your brother wouldn’t do something like that!” Jack had been looking uncertain, but hearing this, he immediately raised his head proudly. I found it absurd. They say a father’s love is conditional, while a mother’s love is selfless. Could my mom be this heartless too? My mom clutched her chest as if she couldn’t breathe. “What do you mean? Are you blaming us?” “We’re urging you to get married for your own good, so there’s someone to take care of you! If you can’t secure a contract, it’s because you’re not capable!” “If we made a mistake, it’s in raising you too well, making you arrogant! You couldn’t see your place and insisted on working in the big city!” “If you’d dropped out and worked early on, you’d already be married, and you wouldn’t have all these problems!” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. In middle school, they wanted me to drop out and work. It was my teacher’s home visit that brought me back to school. I worked hard, finished college with scholarships and part-time jobs. I always thought we were poor, as they always said, raising me was a huge favor. Until last year, when they suddenly took out two million yuan to buy Jack a house. That’s when I realized we weren’t poor; they were just poor to me. By then, I was financially independent, so I didn’t dwell on it. After all, we’re family! My mom continued, “Daughter, you made this mess, you should clean it up yourself! We’re old, how can you bear to let us suffer with you?” Suffer? I’ve never made them suffer. As she bragged, when she was seven months pregnant with me, she was still working hard. I was quiet and obedient. When she argued with my grandma and accidentally fell, I was born with a “splash.” She wanted to earn money and have another child, so she barely raised me, leaving me with my grandparents. They fed me rice soup. Once I started school, being diligent and sensible, I never caused them any trouble. When I was two, my brother was born, and I helped take care of him like half a nanny. Suddenly, I wanted them to suffer a bit. Tears started flowing uncontrollably. “I’m not asking for much. Didn’t Jack prepare 188,000 yuan for his wedding? Lend it to me for now. I’ll pay it back after the Lunar New Year, double!” I gritted my teeth, looking at them hopefully. 188,000 yuan is definitely within their reach. As long as they say “yes,” I’ll repay it double next year! I wasn’t sure what I was fighting for. Maybe this would prove they saw me as family! Chapter

“Angel, what do you mean?” Jack, who had been silent, jumped up excitedly. “Who do you think you are? Do you deserve it?” I looked at him in shock, unable to believe the sweet brother on the phone could become so vicious. “I’ve wanted to say this for a long time. So what if you owe debts? Just ask for more benefits!” “Go ask around, how many college students are there in our area? We endured hardships to send her to college, wasn’t it for this? Why are you being so pretentious?” He shouted at my mom, then looked at me smugly. “You probably don’t know yet, right? Aunt found you a match whose wife just died, leaving him a big inheritance!” “You did pretty well, worth some money! He’s willing to pay 188,000 yuan to marry a college graduate!” “Don’t look so shocked, as if you’re innocent! You’ve worked so hard studying, trying to please mom and dad, isn’t it to find a better husband? If not to attract a man’s attention, why work so hard?” I was furious and slapped him across the face. Before high school, I spent all my vacations on him, teaching him homework and life lessons. In high school, I spent more time studying and working part-time, always buying him snacks and gifts when I had extra money. The effort I put into him wasn’t any less than what my parents did. His words hurt me more than my parents’ schemes. “He’s your brother, how can you hit him?” My mom shrieked, raising her hand to hit me. I dodged quickly, avoiding her hand, but tripped over a chair and fell to the ground. Jack seized the opportunity to kick me in the stomach. The girlfriend he brought home was so scared she dropped her chopsticks, quietly standing up and heading for the door. I curled up, in pain all over, unable to believe these were my family, who claimed to love me and have my best interest at heart! My dad approached, and I thought he was going to help me up. I propped myself on my arms to get up, only to see him looking down at me arrogantly. “Lock her in the room, let Aunt come to pick her up tomorrow.” My heart went cold, finally recognizing the truth. This isn’t my home, and they’re not my family. I bit down on Jack’s hand, drawing blood. He used his other hand to choke me. “You dare hit me! You’ll marry whether you want to or not! That’s your fate!” “If you refuse, I’ll break your legs!” I grabbed his hands, trying to loosen his grip, but I couldn’t match his strength. Asphyxiation set in, and my head started spinning. Tears blurred my vision, and I saw my mom leaning on a chair, crying harder than I was. “Enough! It’s a holiday, don’t you find this unlucky!” “Once you’ve vented, that’s it. We’re still waiting for her to bring in benefits!” I finally got a moment to breathe. “Wait!” “You can’t lock me up…” My dad, impatient, was about to kick me again. I covered my head and shouted, “I said the debt is real!” “They’re already here, right at the village entrance!” “They have knives and axes!” “Let me go, I’ll lead them away!” “Otherwise, none of us will survive tonight!” He paused, looking at me mockingly. “If you’re going to make something up, at least make it believable!” I struggled to look up. “Listen!” My voice was hoarse from the choking, like a ghost. Chapter On my way back, I saw people at the village entrance, smashing things. I wanted to watch but was worried they’d wait too long for me at home, so I quickly asked what was happening. “What else? Debt collecting!” “It’s a good time to collect debts during the holidays!” There are many who drink and gamble in the village, losing a car over the New Year is common. I’ve known that since I was young. But collecting debts during the holidays, this was a first for me. But it doesn’t matter to me, I just want to get away! They’re not family; they’re demons!

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My Best Friend is a Serial Cheater and Now She’s After My Fiancé She smugly treats us like prey, thinking she can trample all over me. Little does she know, the moment she set her sights on us, I had my gun aimed at her. My best friend called, asking to stay at my place for a few days. The reason? She was caught cheating by her husband. I was a bit surprised. “Weren’t you always so careful before? How did you get caught this time?” Vanessa Hughes’ tone was lazy, showing no signs of the tension or embarrassment one might expect from being caught in the act. “I got wasted that night and hooked up with some young stud at a bar. Didn’t think it through and brought him home… Derek said he was on a business trip and wouldn’t be back, who could have guessed…” Vanessa’s husband, Derek Lee, was from a business marriage arrangement between their families. I’d met Derek before. He always looked prim and proper in his crisp suits, the very picture of an upper-class elite. To outsiders, his marriage with Vanessa seemed like a childhood sweethearts’ fairy tale romance, but in reality… The couple played their own games, as long as they didn’t bring it home, anything goes. Once, right after Vanessa had finished a steamy session with her gym trainer at a hotel, she called me to come find her. She was holding a blurry, secretly taken photo. It showed Derek’s profile and a girl who looked like an innocent college student. Vanessa, holding a glass of wine and looking tipsy, sneered at the photo— “Look at his poor taste. After all these years, he still goes for these innocent types…” Vanessa said that men, when they have nothing, are infatuated with women at the top of the pyramid. But once they have everything and have seen it all, even the grandest parties bore them. Then they start to prefer ordinary, down-to-earth women, wanting to settle down with a good wife. Unfortunately, Vanessa was never that type of woman. No matter how alluringly she dressed herself up, able to make countless men lose their minds with a wave of her hand, she couldn’t move Derek’s heart. Derek rarely even looked at her when he was home. Vanessa asked me to pick her up, but I replied, “I’m still at work. How about I ask my fiancé to pick you up?” Vanessa made a confused sound. “You have a fiancé? Since when?”

Lucas and I met at work. He’s my boss, originally from a rural background, graduated from a prestigious university, and climbed his way up to the middle class through his own abilities and skills. I’ve already met his parents, and they really like me. They said I looked like a good, well-behaved girl at first glance, perfect for marriage and family life. Lucas didn’t say anything at the time because his reason for choosing me was also that I was suitable for marriage and family life. I sent Vanessa a photo of Lucas and me, explaining— “We met six months ago. I wanted to wait until our relationship was stable before introducing him to you. We’re about to get engaged.” The photo was taken at a company event. Lucas was wearing a white shirt, looking handsome and reserved. He looked like the male lead in a campus drama, touched by sunlight and the scent of fresh grass. Vanessa teased languidly, “Hiding such a catch, afraid I’d find out?” I laughed, “Don’t joke around. He’s my fiancé, we’re about to get married. You wouldn’t go after him, would you?” Lucas bought a three-bedroom apartment in the city, with a down payment of several hundred thousand dollars, and he’s still paying off the mortgage. Since we’re about to get married, we moved in together. Now that Vanessa was coming, I naturally had to let him know first. When he heard Vanessa was coming to stay, Lucas seemed a bit annoyed: “Vanessa? That wild friend of yours?” Vanessa’s love for partying was well-known in our friend circle. Lucas used to always tell me to cut ties with Vanessa, saying he didn’t want me to have a “party girl” as a best friend. I could only coax him, saying, “Vanessa might be wild when it comes to relationships, but she’s been really good to me. I don’t care what others say about her, I can’t be ungrateful and let her down. If her husband doesn’t mind her partying, what can we say as outsiders?” Lucas drove to pick up Vanessa, but it wasn’t necessary. Vanessa had her own car, a Maserati worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. She had several in her underground garage and chose whichever one she felt like driving. She even took a photo of Lucas next to her car and sent it to me. Seeing that photo, my heart skipped a beat. Vanessa’s way of showing interest in a man was simple: she’d shower him with money and resources, as if seeing a man covered in things she bought was a way of claiming ownership. That mentality was more like decorating a trophy with luxurious and exquisite things. Had she… really set her sights on Lucas?

When I got home that evening, Lucas was cooking in the kitchen. He was tall and well-built, with gentle features and a calm, scholarly air about him. Wearing an apron, he looked just like the perfect house husband. Vanessa was sitting barefoot on the living room couch, scrolling through her phone while munching on an apple. Perhaps because she was a guest in our home, her makeup was more subdued than usual. Instead of her usual sexy, glamorous look, she appeared fresh and delicate. Her custom-made bag from France sat on the coffee table, seeming to fill the air with the scent of expensive perfume. Seeing me come in, she looked up and gave me a sweet smile— “You’re back? Your fiancé is a great cook. I just had a taste, and it’s quite good…” To be honest, facing Vanessa now made me nervous and uneasy. She was too beautiful, with the kind of confidence that comes from being raised with privilege and luxury, constantly rubbing against my insecurities like sandpaper. If she had really set her sights on Lucas, what were my chances of winning? On the first night, she didn’t interact with Lucas at all, keeping the conversation centered around me. Our dinner talk mostly revolved around work. When Vanessa learned that Lucas was currently in charge of a project, her eyes suddenly lit up. She looked at Lucas with a meaningful smile and said, “I know the boss of your business partner. Since you’re Emily’s fiancé and you just cooked me a delicious meal, I’ll help you out. It’s just a matter of putting in a good word.” That night, Vanessa stayed in the guest room while Lucas and I returned to the master bedroom. Vanessa had voluntarily offered to help with his project, and although Lucas didn’t show much reaction on the surface, I could tell he was pleased. He came out of the bathroom after a shower and casually said to me, “Your friend seems alright.” I was sorting out his clothes for the next day when I heard this. I looked up at him, a bit at a loss for words. Lucas seemed to realize something and added, “Don’t worry, your friend’s type… I can’t handle that.” I finally managed a smile and walked over to hug Lucas, but he pushed me away— “We have a guest today, it’s not convenient. Besides, shouldn’t you go keep your friend company?”

Lucas and I had agreed to go look at wedding dresses, but he stood me up. The reason was that Vanessa had taken him to meet the boss of the business partner. Their discussion went very well, and they even had lunch together at a restaurant. Thanks to Vanessa’s help, the project that had been giving Lucas headaches for months was signed smoothly. Lucas told me he wanted to buy a gift to thank Vanessa and asked for my opinion. I thought for a moment and said, “Vanessa has had everything since she was little. No matter what gift we buy, she won’t think much of it.” But Lucas said, “You’re her best friend, shouldn’t you at least know what she likes?” I fell silent for a moment, observing Lucas’s slightly expectant expression, and finally said, “Vanessa decided to help because of me. Even if someone needs to thank her, it should be me. You don’t need to worry about this, I’ll handle it.” Lucas didn’t say anything more and went back to his study to work on the new project. That night, Vanessa didn’t come back until nearly dawn. She was drunk again, carelessly holding her bag, stumbling on her high heels. The strong smell of perfume and alcohol hit us as she came in. Because she couldn’t stand steady, Lucas reached out to support her, and she fell into his arms. I walked into the living room with a cup of hot water, just in time to see this scene. Lucas looked up at me, awkwardly pushing Vanessa away and standing up to avoid suspicion, saying, “You take care of her.” Lucas and I helped Vanessa back to the guest room. Vanessa had a habit of randomly taking off her clothes when drunk. Her high heels were thrown at the door, and she was uncomfortably writhing in the bed, raising her hand to toss her bra under the bed. I turned to look at Lucas, who was looking at me awkwardly, seeming a bit at a loss. I then noticed that at his feet lay Vanessa’s lacy panties. Lucas stiffly averted his gaze and said mildly, “You look after her. I’ll go rest first. Call me if you need anything.” After Lucas left, I turned to look at Vanessa sleeping. She was always like this, able to have the love of many people from the moment she was born. Like a proud princess, under everyone’s care, she would pluck the exquisite flowers in the garden, then disdainfully trample them underfoot. Those things cherished by others, she would crush into mud without a care. She would still be that princess loved by everyone.

Lucas began to work overtime frequently and even go on business trips, causing our wedding date to be postponed. He said the new project he was in charge of was extremely urgent and had to be completed before the new quarter. However, Vanessa posted a photo on social media, claiming that Lucas, who was supposedly very busy on a business trip out of town, was accompanying her on a stroll along the Bund. Lucas’s explanation for this was— “I was meeting with Mr. Li, the boss of our business partner. Vanessa happened to be there too. Remember she helped me get the project last time? So I invited her to dinner as a thank you. After dinner, I was just walking her back to her hotel, that’s all. Don’t overthink it…” I didn’t overthink it, because I knew this was Vanessa’s declaration of war against me. Or rather, it was her smug way of showing off and giving me a warning. She wanted to tell me that she had set her sights on my man, and there was nothing I could do about it. On the fifth day of Lucas’s business trip, Vanessa posted another photo on social media. It was a picture of a hotel room. Through a narrow gap in the curtains, you could see the blue coastline outside. Coincidentally, the city where Lucas was on his business trip, the hotel he was staying at, also had a view of the sea. I tried to video call Lucas, but he hung up. He said he was dealing with work matters and couldn’t talk at the moment, but he’d call me back later. About two hours later, Lucas finally returned my video call. In the frame, he had already showered, his hair still wet. Lucas and I were in the honeymoon phase of our relationship. Before we lived together, we used to video chat every night. He was a reserved and distant person, always keeping others at arm’s length, but with me, he showed a rare boyish side. He liked to cling to me, using that whiny and tired voice, as if he was showing his vulnerability and trying to please me. Every time, we would chat until around 10:30 PM. Only when I reminded him to go to sleep because he had work the next day would he reluctantly end the call. But now, as the clock struck 9 PM, he said he was tired and wanted to go to bed early. Looking at his handsome face in the video, I held back the pain in my heart and wished him goodnight. After hanging up, I sent a message to Vanessa’s husband, Derek Lee. It was the photo of Vanessa and Lucas out together. After a long while, I finally received Derek’s reply— “That’s her business. She can do whatever she wants. It has nothing to do with me.”

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To protect his illegitimate child, Lucas pushed me down the stairs when I was in late pregnancy. He left me bleeding profusely and rushed to the hospital with that illegitimate child. It wasn’t until I was sent to the operating table that I learned the truth. He forced me to give birth to this child, just to save the life of his and Amber’s illegitimate child. Poof— A mouthful of fresh blood gushed from my mouth, staining Amber’s face. Before losing consciousness, all I could hear was Amber’s panicked screams. And those words mercilessly revealing the truth about why Lucas made me pregnant and give birth. When I woke up again, I was in the operating room of the hospital. The lights above me swayed back and forth, stinging my eyes. My limbs felt like they were being gnawed by ants. I could constantly hear the doctors discussing around me. Intermittently, not very clearly. The gist was that I might die on this operating table due to excessive blood loss. And the child in my belly would never have a chance to be born into this world. Tears flowed uncontrollably from my eyes. I wanted so badly to grab the doctor’s hand and beg him to save me, to save my child. But I had no strength. I could only let them cut open my belly and take out the baby that was originally nurtured there. Then my body was like a rag doll, being turned over and stitched up by the doctors. Until finally I heard a “beep”, and the doctors stopped their actions. And my consciousness began to gradually leave my body. Looking at the tiny body placed beside the operating table, my heart felt like it was being pricked by needles. After all, he was once expected to be born. The doctors kept calling Lucas’s phone again and again, but couldn’t get through. And I just watched numbly, unable to stir up any ripples in my heart. I don’t know how long it took, but finally someone came to deal with my and the baby’s bodies. It wasn’t my legal husband, the father of the child, Lucas. But Amber, with tears in her eyes but a smile on her lips— My own elder sister. She took away my baby with the organ donation consent form signed by Lucas. As for me, she only left a sentence “Contact the crematorium to cremate as soon as possible, to avoid the family’s grief” before leaving without looking back.

Watching Amber take away my baby, I hurriedly followed. Thinking of that organ donation consent form, I rushed in front of her like a madwoman. What was she going to do with my child? What was she going to do to my child! I hysterically tried to take back my child, but I could only pass through Amber’s body, touching nothing but emptiness. She came to Lucas’s side, and right in front of him, directly handed the child to the doctors in the operating room. Throughout this process, Lucas didn’t even raise his head. The lights in the operating room lit up again, and I rushed towards it with a heavy heart. But the scene inside made my eyes bulge with anger. My baby was again placed on the cold operating table. Those people were cutting open his chest, but not to save him. They mercilessly cut open his chest to take out that tiny heart, and then carefully placed it on the illegitimate child next to him. The scene before my eyes was like being doused with a bucket of cold water and thrown out in the bitter cold of winter. My whole body trembled. A murderer, a third party, an illegitimate child! How dare they transplant my child’s heart! How dare they! “Stop! You bunch of devils!” “Don’t treat my child like this! Stop it…” I screamed, I roared. I was so angry I wanted to destroy everything here. But I was powerless. I could only watch helplessly as they took the heart and then harvested all the usable organs from my baby. In the end, that poor child was thrown in the corner like a broken doll. No one cared anymore. It wasn’t until someone congratulated Lucas saying the young master’s surgery was successful that I pulled away from my angry and sorrowful emotions. I suddenly rushed in front of Lucas, punching and kicking him, wishing I could tear off his skin with my own hands. Both of them inside were his children. But why treat my baby like this? Why let him leave with such a mutilated body? Is it because he hates me? But the one who has the least right to hate me is him, Lucas. We’ve known each other for over twenty years, I saved him from dire straits, and in the end, I met with such a tragic death! I really hate him so much!

For some reason, after that day, I could no longer leave Lucas’s side. I could only float within his range of activity. Perhaps my hatred was too intense, Lucas would occasionally unconsciously turn his head to look in my direction. “Was that child properly buried?” “Don’t worry, Huai. I’ve already found a place with excellent feng shui, and even invited a master to perform rites. It’s enough to do right by him for coming here.” After saying this, Amber gently leaned on Lucas’s shoulder and cried mournfully: “It’s just a pity for my Henry, who has been fighting with illness for so many years. Now he’s finally overcome his suffering.” “Huai, we’ll be happy as a family of three from now on, right?” This time, Lucas rarely didn’t go along with Amber, and spoke on his own: “After all, we owe that child. In the future, on holidays, you should burn more paper money for him.” A flash of impatience crossed Amber’s eyes, but she still pretended to comply. “Alright, I’ll do as you say.” Lucas responded, then asked: “How is… Zoe? She didn’t make a fuss this time?” Amber’s face went blank for a moment, then she quickly said: “You know Youyou’s temperament. So after she woke up, no one dared to tell her about the child.” Observing Lucas’s expression, Amber tentatively said: “She did shout about wanting a divorce a few times after waking up. But Henry’s condition wasn’t good at the time, so I forgot to tell you.” Sure enough, hearing Amber’s words, Lucas’s face, which had shown some guilt, once again showed anger. “Why does she think she can force me to marry her when she wants, and I have to obediently listen to her arrangements when she wants a divorce?” He picked up his phone, ignoring Amber’s attempts to stop him, and strode out of the ward. I was forced to follow him once again to the place where I had died tragically. Watching Lucas stumble around the obstetrics department like a headless fly. He kept grabbing doctors and nurses in the corridor asking: “Which ward is Zoe in?” Everyone looked at him with confusion, as if looking at a mental patient, saying there was no patient called Zoe here. Lucas felt uncomfortable being looked at like this, and turned to leave with a frustrated face. Watching Lucas’s back as he left without hesitation, one of the young nurses who had been stopped suddenly slapped her forehead, finally remembering where she had heard the name “Zoe”. She angrily called out to Lucas’s back: “Pah! What a scumbag! His wife died from massive bleeding, two lives lost, and he only comes to the hospital to look for her after the seventh day of mourning. What kind of person is he!” Hearing the young nurse’s words, Lucas suddenly turned back. His eyes were as sharp as swords, shooting towards the nurse who had spoken: “What did you say? Say again who died?” The young nurse, seeing Lucas’s fierce look, was frightened. But she still stood up, trembling as she said: “It’s that Zoe, she died from difficult labor that night. Her husband couldn’t be contacted, in the end it was her sister who contacted the crematorium, and she was directly cremated.” “They didn’t even notify anyone else to see her one last time.”

Lucas’s expression stiffened for a moment, but quickly returned to normal. He called Amber to inquire. “Maybe Youyou found out about the child, couldn’t accept it for a while, and is still angry with you. That’s why she got the young nurse to act with her to fool you.” “If Youyou really died, how could you, as her husband, not know?” Lucas hung up the phone and returned to Henry’s ward, filled with anger. Just as he was about to speak to Amber, the phone in his pocket rang. Seeing the words “Wife” flashing on the phone, he sneered coldly. While feeling relieved, his anger surged. “You love playing dead? Then go die for real!” Then he violently smashed the phone against the wall, shattering it to pieces. “Wah… Dad is so scary… wuwu…” “Huai! Henry is still sick, why do you have to make such a big fuss about something!” Amber, under the guise of comforting and holding Henry, took the opportunity to slip the phone hidden behind her back under the mattress. Lucas, seeing Henry crying with a red face, and Amber haggard from taking care of the child, was immediately overwhelmed with guilt, replacing his anger towards me. He stepped forward to take Henry, gently coaxing him. Only when the little one in his arms fell asleep did he gently place him back on the bed. Looking down at Henry’s sleeping face, Lucas lightly kissed his forehead. Then he slowly said to Amber: “Every time I see Henry, I think of that child. I don’t even dare to look at him. Even though I once looked forward to his birth.” “Although Zoe is willful and ignorant, that child was innocent.” “Huai, I know you feel guilty about her and that child, but it’s not your fault!” “You were just trying to save one of the two children as best you could.” Amber slowly wrapped her arms around Lucas’s waist, burying her face in his chest. “I know you have feelings for Youyou. I won’t force you to divorce.” “But in the current situation, it’s really not appropriate to let her know the truth, and Henry needs you now…” “Huai, let me be selfish just this once. Before Henry is discharged, don’t go back to find her, okay? Just take pity on us, mother and son.” “After Henry is discharged, if Youyou doesn’t like it, we’ll leave and never see you again.” Lucas’s arms around Amber suddenly tightened, and he lowered his head to urgently kiss Amber. He blocked the words of leaving from her mouth.

I floated above them, laughing at Amber’s fabricated words. If she really wanted to leave and let me be with Lucas, she wouldn’t have appeared in front of me with her illegitimate child when I was in late pregnancy. The scene before me was really disgusting. Before I could turn to leave, Amber’s phone rang. I looked at the flashing “Mom” on the screen, and couldn’t help but feel a twinge in my nose. I wonder how mom is doing. We had promised to visit her together with Lucas, but I had broken that promise forever. The sudden ringtone interrupted their intimacy. Although Amber was impatient, she still answered the phone gently: “Mom, what’s wrong? Huai? He’s here…” Lucas took the phone, sounding much more respectful. “Mom…” “Lucas, are you really not coming to see Youyou off?” “Mom, Henry just had surgery, Chen Chen can’t take care of him alone, I can’t leave. Since Youyou is already with you, I’m relieved…” “Moreover… moreover, Chen Chen and Henry are also your daughter and grandson, you shouldn’t be partial…” Hearing Lucas say this, mom’s voice suddenly became hysterical: “Lucas! Are you still human? Today is the seventh day after her death, even if you don’t come to see Youyou, what about the child? He’s your flesh and blood too…” Lucas’s hand gripping the phone suddenly tightened, his voice hoarse as he opened his mouth: “Mom, I…” “Don’t call me mom!” Mom’s sharp crying came through the receiver. “The thing I regret most in my life is listening to Youyou back then and adopting you! Causing my Youyou to die, two lives lost…” “Since you won’t come, then don’t come anymore in the future.” “From now on, you have nothing to do with Youyou anymore. I won’t even carve your name on her and the child’s tombstone.” Mom hung up the phone after saying this. Lucas stood there motionless, holding the disconnected phone, while I was anxious. I wished I could fly to mom’s side and comfort her. I didn’t know how mom, who was staying well in the nursing home, found out about my death. But I guess it had something to do with Amber. Hearing mom’s desperate voice, my heart hurt more than being dismembered. Seeing Lucas still standing there motionless, I angrily punched and kicked him. I wished I could drag him to see my mom. “What’s wrong, Huai? Did something happen to mom?” It wasn’t until Amber spoke that Lucas suddenly came back to his senses. “Mom said… Zoe is dead.” “What nonsense are they talking about! How could that troublemaker Zoe possibly be dead?” Lucas suddenly rushed out of the ward, slamming the door so hard it shook. He didn’t consider Henry who had just had heart surgery at all. I floated beside him, constantly praying, hurry up, walk faster! Don’t let Amber call him back again! But just as Lucas’s figure was about to disappear, Amber’s heart-wrenching cry came from behind: “Henry!”

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On my birthday, my dad gave me a car. I posted about it on social media to show it off a bit. But when my boyfriend’s father saw it, he came over pointing at me and yelling: “What’s a girl buying a car for? What a waste of money!” “Hurry up and sell that car, and give the money to my son!” I was stunned. Was something wrong with this man’s brain? What business was it of his if I bought a car? But to my shock, he actually rushed at me trying to grab my car keys! And that wasn’t all. When I wouldn’t give them to him, he started demanding I pay his son a “gene usage fee”! That’s right, a “gene usage fee”! I was furious and immediately posted the video of this online. Netizens were speechless. [Is this old man some kind of clown?] [Today I learned what true shamelessness looks like!] [This old man’s face is thicker than the Great Wall!] [First time hearing such a ridiculous reason, I’ve learned something new!] I had been with Ethan for two years. This was our first New Year as a couple, so I bought gifts and went with Ethan to his family home, hoping to gain his parents’ approval. Who knew that as soon as Ethan’s father saw me, his face darkened: “My son finally comes home for once, and you have to come drag him down!” I bit my lip, not wanting to argue on New Year’s, and could only force a smile: “Uncle, these are gifts I brought for you…” “Tsk, what a bunch of useless junk,” Ethan’s father didn’t even look. “All flash, no substance!” He turned to Ethan and said: “At least my son is filial, bringing back good cigarettes and alcohol. Much more practical than the trash you brought!” I almost laughed from anger. I had brought high-quality tea, supplements and health products. The cigarettes and alcohol Ethan brought were bad for his health. Which gifts were really more practical? But out of respect for him as an elder and Ethan’s father, I held my tongue and didn’t argue. Instead, I rolled up my sleeves and went to the kitchen to help make dinner. I thought, if I help out, surely he’ll see my good qualities? However, I still underestimated how shameless Ethan’s father could be. After dinner, he looked me up and down before asking: “I hear your family is quite well-off?” I pressed my lips together and nodded. “How many properties do you own? What brand is your car?” Ethan’s father asked. I frowned, feeling annoyed, but still answered: “I’m not sure how many properties, the car is just the one I drive now.” “Oh,” Ethan’s father seemed disappointed. “Well, that’s not bad.” Before I could feel relieved, he asked: “So what do your parents do? High salaries?” Suppressing my irritation, I replied: “Their salaries are decent. They have formal jobs.” Ethan’s father nodded, finally stopping his questions. I thought that was the end of it, but the next second, Ethan’s father said: “I hear you and our Ethan have been dating for a year?” I nodded. “When do you plan to get married?” Ethan’s father asked. I frowned: “That depends on both people’s wishes. It can’t be decided unilaterally.” “So you’re not planning to marry yet?” Ethan’s father instantly became angry. “Why are you stringing my son along!” I was speechless: “How am I stringing him along? Isn’t your son involved in this too?” Ethan’s father sneered: “My son is such a good catch, girls are lining up for him! You’d better hurry up and marry him while he still has some interest in you. Otherwise, you’ll be crying with no one to hear you!” “Besides…” he looked me up and down, “With your conditions, you should consider yourself lucky to have my son!” I was so angry I could barely breathe. Pointing at the door, I shouted: “What do you mean by that!” Ethan’s father crossed his arms, looking at me with disdain: “You’re two years older than my son, your education isn’t as good, and your job isn’t as good. If that’s not marrying up, what is?” I glared at him, wanting to smash the teacup on the table into his face. “And…” Ethan’s father’s eyes shifted, “If you’re willing to sell your car and transfer the money to my son, I suppose I could reluctantly agree to you two being together.” “Hah,” I was so angry my hands were shaking. “Sell my car and give your son the money? Keep dreaming!” Ethan’s father frowned, looking at me with contempt: “It’s just a car, what’s the big deal? With my son’s conditions, good girls would be lining up for him.” “I’m only agreeing to let you be with my son because you have some looks. Otherwise, you think you’d be able to step foot in our house?” I was so angry I wanted to flip the table: “I don’t care about stepping foot in your house!” “Hey, don’t speak too soon.” Ethan’s father waved his hand. “My son is great in every way. His only flaw is that his genes are too good.” I was stunned for a moment, not understanding: “What?” Ethan’s father said matter-of-factly: “My son has good genes, he’s strong in that area too. When you’re together, if you get pregnant, that would be a premium product!” “I didn’t create this for free, you need to pay our family a gene usage fee!” I forced a smile, holding back my anger: “Uncle, you must be joking.” Ethan’s father’s face darkened: “Who’s joking? I’m serious!” “Hurry up and sell the car, transfer the money to Ethan!” “When you two are together, all the money should be managed by Ethan. Your money is my money, my money is still my money!” “Your car should be for Ethan to drive. You should buy Ethan a car, that’s the right thing to do!” I really couldn’t listen anymore! I was shaking with anger. This person was simply unreasonable! I grabbed my bag and turned to leave, but Ethan’s father was still shouting behind me: “I’m telling you, our Ethan’s genes are very good!” “His sperm motility is much higher than average. Being able to have his child is your good fortune!” “You should be paying our Ethan a gene usage fee!” I was completely speechless. I had always thought that even though Ethan’s conditions were average, he was at least an educated person, so his family shouldn’t be too bad. But I never imagined his family would be like this! To say such things, what kind of upbringing did they have!

On my birthday, my father gave me a car. I happily posted on social media to show off: “Thank you Dad! You’re the strongest and best dad I’ve ever seen!” Ethan liked the post but didn’t say anything else. But that evening, he suddenly called me: “You bought a car?” I nodded: “Yeah.” “How could you buy a car!” Ethan sounded unhappy. “Weren’t we saving money to buy a house and get married?” I was stunned for a moment before explaining: “This was a birthday gift from my dad, I didn’t spend money to buy it.” “You still should have refused!” Ethan frowned. “You don’t even know how to drive, it’s a waste to buy one. It would be better to have your dad transfer the money to me for investment!” “Or…” he hesitated, “You could sell the car and transfer the money to me.” I almost laughed from anger: “Is something wrong with your brain? Asking me to sell the car and give you the money?” Ethan looked serious: “Yeah, you don’t know how to drive anyway, it’s a waste to buy one. Might as well give it to me to do something more useful!” “Besides…” he paused, “A man should be the head of the household. The family finances should all be managed by the man!” I sneered: “Do you live by the ocean? Trying to control everything?” “I don’t agree. Give up on that idea!” I said and hung up the phone. I thought that was the end of it, but the next day, Ethan’s father actually showed up at my door! “Bang! Bang! Bang!” The deafening knocking was accompanied by Ethan’s father’s loud voice: “Come out! You come out right now!” I looked through the peephole and saw it was Ethan’s father. I didn’t want to open the door. Outside, Ethan’s father was still shouting: “I’m telling you, don’t try to hide from me, I know you’re home!” “Come out right now! Let’s get things straight!” Afraid the neighbors would hear and gossip, I had to grit my teeth and open the door: “What do you want!” Ethan’s father snorted: “When I’m not around, you try to drive a wedge between Ethan and me, huh!” I frowned: “When did I drive a wedge?” “I heard all about it!” Ethan’s father looked disdainful. “Just asking you to sell the car and transfer the money to my son, and you whisper in my son’s ear that his father is no good!” I laughed angrily: “I said his father is no good, is there a problem with that? Do you think you’re good?” “Furthermore…” I paused, “Why should I sell my car and give your son money? Your son hasn’t said anything, and you’re already trying to call the shots!” Ethan’s father frowned: “My son is a man, men need to save face, of course he’s embarrassed to ask you for money!” “Hah.” I sneered, “He’s too embarrassed to ask, but you’re not?” “And…” I glared at him, “This is my own family’s money, I can spend it however I want. What business is it of yours!” Ethan’s father snorted: “You’re with my son, so you’re part of our Gu family! Your money is Ethan’s money, Ethan’s money is my money!” “I can’t manage it? Who else can manage it!” I was shaking with anger: “How can you be so shameless!” “I’m warning you…” I pointed at his nose, “If you don’t leave, I’m calling the police!” “Go ahead and call!” Ethan’s father said disdainfully, “Let’s see if you dare!” “You think I don’t dare?” I was so angry I took out my phone and dialed 110. To my surprise, Ethan’s father snatched my phone, smashed it on the ground, and stomped on it twice: “Go ahead and call! You believe I won’t smash your car too!” “Give me the keys!” He held out his hand. As he spoke, he reached out to grab my keys. I was completely stunned. How could this person’s face be so thick! He was actually trying to rob me! I struggled desperately, shouting: “Let go of me! Let go!” “Give me the keys!” Ethan’s father stared at me with bloodshot eyes. I was terrified, crying and dodging. Fortunately, the police arrived quickly and took Ethan’s father away. That day, Ethan never showed up. The only time he called, it was to criticize me for treating his father that way, saying I was making a big deal out of nothing. I angrily argued with him: “Your father came to my house, smashed my phone, and tried to steal my car keys. What’s wrong with me calling the police!” “You know if I had been a second later, he would have wrecked my house!” “That’s my dad!” Ethan’s voice came through the phone. “If you don’t respect my dad, you don’t respect me!” “Hah.” I was shaking with anger. “What kind of robber’s logic is that!” “Ethan, let me tell you…” I said through gritted teeth, “We’re done!” I thought that after breaking up with Ethan, this matter would be over. But Ethan’s father came looking for me again. He would call to curse at me from time to time, or wait outside my company to ambush me, saying I wasn’t good enough for his son, that I was shameless, and that I still wouldn’t listen to him and sell the car to give his son money… Even more terrifying, he actually brought up the “gene usage fee” again.

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I accidentally saw a “mistress registry” in the company group email. Next to my husband Ethan Parker’s name was his childhood sweetheart, the same age as him. In the evidence column, there was a screenshot of a chat. The childhood sweetheart asked him: “How long has it been since you touched that old lady?” He replied: “Don’t mention it. Now when I look at the company’s interns, I find them so youthful and vibrant.” “But when I go home and face her wrinkled face, I always feel there’s an elderly odor.” I’m already thirty-six, eight years older than him. But I don’t think I’m old yet. After coming to my senses, I decisively handed him divorce papers. Without me, his older sister figure, charging ahead, Ethan Parker lost his job and dignity, and reluctantly tried to keep me. I pinched my nose and said mockingly: “Why is there a smell of poverty here?” When I saw that “mistress registry”, Ethan Parker was playing games in the study. I placed the warmed milk beside him, reminding him to drink it soon. He impatiently said: “I know, you go rest first.” I casually scrolled on my phone, the page stopping right on his name. Olivia Quinn’s name was prefixed to his. And for several rows after, there was all kinds of substantial evidence of her being his mistress. My gaze focused on the words “elderly odor” for a long time, until my hand was almost numb. My heart ached, and my mind went blank. Until a game ended, Ethan Parker cursed softly and reached for the milk. But he accidentally spilled it. The milk spilled all over me. Ethan Parker finally had time to look up at me: “You haven’t left yet?” He frowned, his eyes showing a hint of disgust: “Tsk, what a strong smell. Go take a shower quickly.” The three words from the chat screenshot instantly became sharp arrows in reality. They pierced through the void, stabbing fiercely into my chest. In a daze, I suddenly realized a problem. Ethan Parker hadn’t touched me for a very long time.

When I closed the study door. The girl he was playing with maliciously asked: “She’s been waiting for you, does she want to… with you?” Ethan Parker instinctively looked back. Probably afraid I would hear. The door was left with a small gap, I stood where he couldn’t see me, and heard him say: “Can you stop disgusting me on purpose? Just thinking about that smell on her body makes me lose my appetite.” The girl’s mocking laughter was like sharp knives, cutting me to pieces. She continued to ask: “You’re not even thirty yet, why suffer with her? Just get a divorce.” “Forget it,” Ethan Parker hesitated. I thought he still couldn’t bear to part with me. Who knew he would say pityingly: “She’s almost forty, an old woman. Who would want her besides me?” My breathing became irregular, and my hands started trembling uncontrollably. I ran to the bathroom in a panic, looked up, and found my face had already turned pale. Ethan Parker didn’t notice anything unusual. But in the past, if I just sneezed once, he would make a fuss, take my temperature, and make chicken soup for me. Afraid I would be even slightly uncomfortable. When did he change? It was after I turned thirty-five. In this year and more, we rarely communicated. I always thought I was too busy with work and neglected him. I never imagined that his disgust had shown signs long ago. No longer turning on a lamp late at night, waiting for me to come home. No longer holding my waist intimately, calling me “babe” when things got passionate. No longer taking every little thing about me to heart, fearing to be negligent. It’s hard to imagine that this man, who now thinks I smell like an old person and is disgusted with me in every way, Once fought with his whole family, was kicked out of the house, to be with me, a woman eight years older than him, still firmly holding my hand, never giving up. At that time he said: “I don’t care what others think, you’re the best in my heart.” “Whether you’re twenty, thirty, or forty, fifty, in my heart, you’ll always be an eighteen-year-old girl.” “Even if the whole world disapproves of us, I still want to be with you.” “Let me take care of you for life, okay?” I raised my hand to smell myself. Because I was taking medicine to regulate my body, I could only smell a very faint scent of Chinese herbs. Like a string suddenly snapped, I took all the perfumes from the cabinet and sprayed them on myself. The perfume bottles fell to the ground, the broken pieces flew up, leaving a bright red wound on my leg. Blood flowed profusely. The entire bathroom was filled with a suffocating strong fragrance. Ethan Parker pushed open the door: “Rachel, what did you break?” He didn’t even notice that my leg was bleeding profusely, but just complained: “It’s so stuffy, clean it up quickly! It smells terrible!” But that was perfume. It doesn’t stink. At that moment, I suddenly realized. Ethan Parker just didn’t love me anymore. Why should I punish myself for his lack of love?

In the six years of marriage with Ethan Parker, I had always been known as a strong career woman to outsiders. And he rightfully enjoyed the “material” benefits that I, as the older one, contributed more to this relationship. I didn’t intend to let Ethan Parker take away a penny of the “marital property” I had worked hard to earn. Getting actual evidence of his affair became particularly important. To my surprise, Ethan Parker’s social circle was shockingly clean. The only one he was entangled with was his childhood friend he had known for many years. Olivia Quinn.

In the past, we had arguments because of Olivia Quinn. Although I was older than him and more mature, when it came to matters of the heart, I also had a jealous side. Olivia Quinn was young and beautiful, and had known Ethan Parker for many years. Their relationship was very deep. Sometimes, there would be actions that crossed the line. One particularly intense argument with Ethan Parker was because during a trip together, Olivia Quinn accidentally sprained her ankle. Ethan Parker carried her on his back without a second thought, leaving me, his girlfriend, far behind. Afterwards, Ethan Parker found it very hard to understand. He said: “Olivia is just like a sister to me.” “I carried my own sister when she was hurt, there was absolutely no other meaning to it.” Even Olivia came to apologize to me: “Rachel, don’t misunderstand. Ethan and I are just buddies. If we could be together, we would have been long ago, why wait until now?” In the end, it turned out that I was making a fuss over nothing. I stopped paying attention, and that argument became the longest cold war between Ethan Parker and me. In the end, he waited for me outside my company building for a day and a night. I worked overtime all night, and early the next morning, I met him at the entrance with his eyes red from staying up all night. He came up to me, gently tugging at the hem of my clothes, and pleaded in a low voice: “Don’t be angry anymore, babe.” “I promise, I’ll keep my distance from Olivia in the future.” “Okay?” After that, I rarely saw Olivia appear in front of me again. Little did I know, they had been keeping in touch privately all along. In fact, the girl he was playing games with last night. Was Olivia Quinn.

After staking out for half a month, I finally saw the latest chat records between Ethan Parker and Olivia Quinn on the iPad. They had arranged to meet at a hotel in the neighboring city. That day was Olivia Quinn’s birthday. I sat in a rented Volkswagen, watching Olivia Quinn link arms with Ethan Parker not far away. They were eating the same ice cream cone. Olivia Quinn’s face was full of arrogance: “Would the old lady eat the same ice cream cone with you?” Ethan Parker looked embarrassed: “Walking on the street, people think she’s my mom.” “Who eats the same ice cream cone with their mom at this age!” They entered the hotel together. The room number was 606. I travel frequently for work and have a gold membership on the hotel APP, with VIP discounts for accommodation. But my assistant always helped me book rooms, I rarely logged in myself. So Ethan Parker felt safe enough to use my account to book hotel rooms. It was only after calling customer service and asking them to restore the deleted booking records that I discovered Ethan Parker had booked rooms more than ten times in the past year and a half. Each time in his words was a so-called business trip. I sat in the Volkswagen for about twenty minutes, smoking two cigarettes. Estimating that enough time had passed, I finally dialed the police. Imitating the online procedures for catching cheaters, I calmly informed the person on the other end of the phone. “Hello, I want to report anonymously.” “There’s group prostitution happening in room 606 of XX Hotel.”

When I entered the room, Ethan Parker was shirtless, trying to explain. “I’m just playing games with my friend, what’s the problem?” The police officer sneered: “You play games without clothes on?” “Well, the informant is here. Please come with us to the police station to make a statement.” Ethan Parker hadn’t seen me yet, and was already furious: “Which psycho—” As I walked around the police officers. He met my eyes. At that moment, he completely panicked, his eyes full of disbelief: “You- why are you here?” I lit another cigarette, scanning him from head to toe. Fortunately, Ethan Parker was wearing shorts. But they must have been hastily put on when he was caught. After all, they were on backwards. The pockets were in the front. I couldn’t help but sneer. Ethan Parker fiddled with his drawstring, and after the initial panic, he quickly regained his composure. He quickly explained: “Rachel, today is Olivia’s birthday.” “We had arranged to meet some friends at the hotel to celebrate her birthday.” “We just arrived early, don’t misunderstand.” As he spoke, he deliberately took out his phone to show me the group he had created with his buddies. The group name was “Princess Olivia’s Birthday Party”. Six or seven men, but only Olivia was a woman. “I know you’ve never liked Olivia much, so I didn’t dare tell you. We even arranged it in the neighboring city.” I calmly finished my last drag of the cigarette, extinguished it, and said flatly: “Ethan Parker, do you remember what day it was yesterday?” His eyes first flashed with confusion. Then, he suddenly panicked. Of course he should panic. Because yesterday was my birthday.

It was when I got on the high-speed train to the neighboring city that I suddenly saw the date on the calendar and remembered. Yesterday was my birthday. It had already passed. I hadn’t remembered, and neither had Ethan Parker. Before I turned thirty-five, for every one of my birthdays, Ethan Parker would thoughtfully prepare gifts for me. From small things like a pen or a bouquet of flowers, to big things like a diamond ring or a wedding dress. At thirty-six, everything was gone. All that was left was the “elderly odor” that people found disgusting all over me. I smiled self-mockingly, suddenly realizing that when I thought of those three words again, I no longer felt so breathless with pain. This is probably the advantage of dating an older woman. All emotions are processed internally. But, you won’t get away with taking advantage of me. Love is just a game, I can play it, and I can lose it. “I’ve been so busy lately, I really forgot…” When Ethan Parker stepped forward urgently, trying to explain, I gently waved away his hand. I said in a contemptuous tone: “Ethan Parker, you’ve saved quite a bit of money using my VIP membership to book hotels over a dozen times, haven’t you?” “After the divorce, remember to transfer that money back to my card.”

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Ethan pressed me against the corner of the sofa, his eyes blazing red: “Emily, I’m asking you for the last time, do you want to be with me or not?” I opened my mouth but couldn’t speak, too many worries preventing me from answering. He slowly released me and stepped back, his reddened eyes full of disappointment. I quickly grabbed his hand to stop him from leaving, whispering: “Can you give me some more time to think about it?” “Emily, you’re really going to be the death of me.” I found him on a rainy day. He was soaked to the bone, hiding alone behind a pillar on the sidewalk, curled up in a ball and shivering uncontrollably. “Are you okay?” I asked. He looked up at me briefly, then quickly lowered his head again, turning away as if he didn’t want to talk. I went into a convenience store, bought some hot food and water, and sat by the window to eat it all at once. Hot food on a rainy day always brings comfort. When I came out, he was still in the same position, looking like he might be washed away by the heavy rain at any moment. Unable to bear it, I went back and bought another portion of food, placing it in his arms. “Eat this, it’s still hot.” After a few seconds of hesitation, he shakily took the food and stuffed it all into his mouth, finishing everything including the soup in just three minutes. After eating, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve and softly said, “Thank you.” Seeing him like this, I thought he might be a runaway kid. I couldn’t do much more, so I left my umbrella and turned to leave. Just as I stepped into the rain, my sleeve was tugged. I turned to find the young man who had been crouching there following me. With hesitation but also a hint of desperate courage, he asked: “Can you take me home with you?” Out of selfishness, I agreed. After all, in my final days, I wanted someone to keep me company. Just having someone there would be enough.

Two months ago, when I received my leukemia diagnosis, I didn’t feel much sadness. If anything, I felt relieved that I could finally leave this miserable world with a legitimate reason. But in these last days, I wanted to be selfish for once and do all those things I had only ever written down in my notebook. I wanted to see the breathtaking sunrise over the mountains and the endless expanse of the ocean. Perhaps the heavens didn’t want me to be too lonely in my final days and sent me a companion. After entering my apartment, I told him to quickly take a shower. In this weather, catching a cold would be miserable. I gave him my largest T-shirt and pants, but they were still a bit short on him. It would have to do for now. I planned to take him shopping for suitable clothes tomorrow. After his shower, he looked damp and vulnerable, his doe-like eyes darting around, clearly wary of his surroundings. It stirred a strange protective instinct in me. I handed him a glass of warm water and brought out some instant noodles I had just prepared. “Eat this to warm up your stomach, you got pretty soaked in the rain earlier.” “By the way, I’m Emily. What’s your name?” “I’m Ethan, miss,” the young man replied, his voice low and somewhat muffled, as if speaking from inside a glass dome. After he finished eating, I took the bowl to clean up. When I came back, he had already fallen asleep on the table, his arms wrapped around his neck in an awkward position. Not wanting to wake him, I draped a blanket over his shoulders and turned up the temperature on the living room heater. … The next morning, I woke up with a nosebleed that wouldn’t stop. The medicine I took last night didn’t seem to have any effect. I finally managed to stop the bleeding, but my whole body felt boneless. I collapsed on the floor with a loud thud. There was frantic knocking at the door. “Emily? Are you okay?” It had been so long since anyone cared about me that I felt a bit uncomfortable. I didn’t want to open the door and let him see me in such a pale and haggard state. I suppressed the taste of blood in my throat and steadied my voice to tell him I was fine. “I just tripped and fell.” I applied some light makeup to look more lively. Ethan was sitting obediently in the living room waiting for me, still wearing the clothes from last night, looking a bit comical. I stared at him, the corners of my eyes lifting slightly as I smiled. Seeing me trying to hold back laughter, he looked down at his clothes and pouted in disappointment. “Mine aren’t dry yet, I can’t wear them.” “Alright, let’s go out and buy you some new ones now.” I took him to the mall to buy a few sets of clothes. I had to admit, the young man was very handsome with his pale skin, doe-like eyes, and a smile as bright as the stars. No wonder he was hard to refuse. We also went to the supermarket to buy some ingredients. I planned to make hot pot for dinner, something I had been craving for a long time but never had anyone to share it with. Now that I finally had the chance, I was determined to enjoy it to the fullest. During dinner, Ethan and I both had our mouths and throats burning from the spice. We kept drinking ice water to try to cool down, but the fire only seemed to spread to our ears, tormenting us to no end. He was drinking water but still managed to tease me. “Emily, you’re such a wimp.” “You’re not doing much better yourself,” I retorted. Looking at each other’s disheveled state, we couldn’t help but burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the room. It seemed that because of his arrival, my final days had gained a glimmer of hope.

Sometimes we would choose a classic movie and sprawl out on the sofa in all sorts of positions to watch it. Seeing the characters in a scenic location, I leaned on the sofa armrest and asked Ethan: “Should we go on a trip? We could see the unique culture and watch the sunrise over the mountains.” “Sure,” he agreed without hesitation. On the day of departure, the sky was clear, as if giving our journey a beautiful omen. We were seated next to a young couple who assumed Ethan and I were also on our honeymoon. They kept enthusiastically sharing their travel tips with us. “We’re not actually—” I started to explain, but was interrupted. Seeing their enthusiasm, I gave up trying to correct them. Let them think we were a couple, it didn’t matter. I turned to look at Ethan and saw the tips of his ears turning red as he pretended to look elsewhere. I decided to tease him a bit, moving closer and resting my head on his shoulder. He stiffened, his back going straight as he awkwardly asked, “Emily?” “Don’t move, boyfriend. I’m tired,” I said playfully. I had intended to just see his flustered reaction, but I actually fell asleep, missing the blush that spread across his face. When I woke up, I was still in the same position, but now there was a blanket draped over me. Ethan had his eyes closed, already asleep. The woman next to us noticed I was awake and whispered teasingly: “After you fell asleep, your boyfriend didn’t dare move an inch. He kept looking at you like he wanted to drink in the sight. He even asked the flight attendant for a blanket when he was worried you might be cold.” I was stunned for a moment, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. I hadn’t made a mistake in taking him in.

When we arrived at our destination, neither Ethan nor I experienced any altitude sickness. We moved our luggage to the guesthouse, but the front desk told us that due to an error, the two rooms we had booked were no longer available. They only had one room left and offered to refund us and pay a penalty fee. I thought about finding another hotel, but everywhere nearby was fully booked. We had no choice but to make do. Ethan said he could sleep on the floor. It was my first time sharing a room with a guy, and we both tactfully avoided mentioning it. After showering, I hid under the covers with only my eyes peeking out, blinking rapidly. Hearing the water running in the bathroom, my imagination started to wander. A young, fit body… something I had never experienced. I muttered to myself: “Emily, get it together. You can’t do something like that.” But another voice in my head chimed in: “Well, it’s not entirely out of the question…” In the end, I did nothing and just lay there obediently, but I couldn’t fall asleep. I decided to chat with him instead. “Ethan, are you asleep?” “No, can’t you sleep, Emily?” “I just want to talk for a bit.” Ethan told me that one day he had a big argument with his parents over something trivial. He was so angry that he stormed out and didn’t come home all night. His parents were worried and went out looking for him by car, but they encountered a drunk driver. The two cars collided, and tragedy struck. “If I hadn’t argued with them that day, if I hadn’t left, would everything be different? Would I still have a family?” It turned out that the day I found him was the seventh day after his parents’ passing. He had planned to end his life that day but unexpectedly met me instead. Muffled sobs came from under the bed, breaking my heart. I rolled to the edge of the bed and gently stroked his head, taking his hand in mine as I shared my own story with him. My dad and mom were only 18 when they had me, having just graduated from high school. When my mom was discovered to be pregnant, she was locked up at home. My grandmother brought over a dozen relatives to demand an explanation from my dad’s family. If they didn’t agree to marriage, they threatened to report my dad for rape. In the end, the two families decided to have the baby first and get married later. My parents only got their marriage certificate when I was four years old. Less than a year later, they were already at each other’s throats, insisting on divorce. Neither of them wanted to take me, seeing me as a burden. It was my grandmother who couldn’t bear to see this and took me back to the countryside, raising me to adulthood. By the time I finally made something of myself and earned some money, my grandmother was no longer around to enjoy it, having gone to a faraway place. Ethan squeezed my hand and said softly: “Everything will be alright.” “It definitely will be.” We were like two wounded animals licking each other’s wounds. Though they couldn’t be fully healed, at least they didn’t hurt as much anymore. Suddenly, I felt like I had a reason to keep living.

I always thought I slept quite gracefully, but I ended up embarrassing myself completely in front of Ethan. I woke up next to Ethan, opening my eyes to see his face up close, my hand resting on his firm waist, feeling the rise and fall of his breathing. Afraid of an awkward awakening, I tried to sneak back to my own bed, but as soon as I moved, he pulled me back into his arms. “Emily, let’s sleep a bit longer.” I felt a rush of heat to my face, my heart pounding. This kid really knew how to charm. “Are you awake?” I asked. There was no response. Ethan looked even more innocent when asleep, like a baby, making me want to kiss him. And I actually did. His lips were soft like jelly. I kept it brief, feeling guilty for stealing a kiss. But suddenly Ethan deepened the kiss, our breaths intertwining as we greedily savored each other’s taste. Throughout the whole process, he never opened his eyes. After the kiss, he rolled over to face the other way, as if he had fallen back asleep. If it weren’t for the redness spreading from his ears to his neck, I would have thought he was just dreaming. Cheeky brat, kissing me and then pretending to be asleep. I went to the bathroom feeling shy and annoyed, stomping my feet loudly to make sure he heard. In the time it took to brush my teeth, a metallic taste filled my mouth and my nose started bleeding profusely. I kept trying to wipe it away, staining my fingers red. Looking at myself in the mirror, I suddenly felt overwhelmed with sadness, almost losing myself in despair. I couldn’t let this ruin things for him. If only I could live… It seemed I wasn’t as unafraid of death as I thought. Once you have someone to care about, you become terrified of leaving. I flushed the bloodied tissues down the toilet and cleaned myself up. When I came out, Ethan was making the bed, neatly folding the pajamas I had tossed aside. I walked past him and poured myself a glass of warm water, swallowing a handful of pills in one go. Seeing me take medicine, he asked with concern: “Emily, what’s wrong?” “It’s nothing, just some vitamins. I’ll give you a few later too.” “Let’s go out after you’re done getting ready.” … After leaving the room, Ethan tried to bring up what happened that morning, but I kept brushing it off. He seemed annoyed but didn’t dare express it, not understanding why my attitude had suddenly changed so much. He tried to hold my hand several times but gave up disappointedly each time, like a Samoyed that hadn’t received its treat. I kept reminding myself not to soften, it would only hurt both of us. The sky here was truly blue, making me feel completely relaxed. We rented a vintage car and drove along the lake road towards a scenic town. Walking on this flower-lined street felt like it could heal everything. There were too many people coming and going, including children running around. “Emily, watch out!” Ethan suddenly pulled me into his arms, shielding me in his small space.

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Who would have thought that the boyfriend I bought on a second-hand website would turn out to be my direct supervisor? After meeting in person, my grudge-holding boss transformed into a sweet puppy. Later, rumors spread throughout the office. He locked me in his office, cornering me, “I heard you’re dating that guy? What about me? What about the promises we made?” “Don’t worry, you’re still my favorite.” #Selling second-hand boyfriend. We’ve been chatting for a week. He plays all kinds of games, has a magnetic voice that’ll make your ears pregnant. He’s quite funny and great for boosting mood, perfect for gaming together. #I heard in real life he’s handsome, 6’1″, with a six-pack and still working out. He says he wants to be a lean muscle boy. He can also play piano and sing pop songs. You can just use him as a tool. I haven’t told him any of my personal info, so you can chat safely. Scrolling through this post, I felt like I was doomed. Who would sell their boyfriend? And this was from someone I followed. Who was this? Looking closer, I realized it was an online gaming buddy I’d met a few days ago. I couldn’t help but ask: “Girl, are you really selling your boyfriend?” Before I got a reply, I received a call from my mother. As soon as I answered, unsurprisingly, it was about marriage – “You’re already 26, almost 30, and you still haven’t found a boyfriend! What will you do in a few years when your dad and I are gone? All alone, you…” I could recite Mom’s spiel by heart at this point. “It’s just that I haven’t found anyone suitable…” Before I could finish, she interrupted, “No excuses. You must come home next weekend for a blind date! Otherwise, I’ll… I’ll disown you.” It seemed Mrs. Wilson had been “inspired” by some friend, to the point of threatening to disown me. I quickly agreed, and Mrs. Wilson was finally satisfied enough to end the call. But not before warning me, “Don’t you dare try to trick me, or I’ll bring someone straight to your little apartment for the blind date.” The thought of those blind dates made me shudder. They were either as plain as a potato, as short as a turnip, missing a few teeth, or divorced with two kids… No way, not for me.

“Yes, yes, girl! Do you want him? I’ll give you a good price.” “We’re so close, I’ll be honest with you.” “The main thing is, I found someone with decent conditions in real life, so I don’t really want this online one anymore. I thought I’d sell him and get some money back.” While I was on the phone with my mother, this girl sent me a bunch of messages. “Look, here’s his photo and some videos to prove it’s him. I think he’s really quite good.” “video.mp4” I didn’t rush to reply to her messages. I was curious if what she said was true, so I clicked on the video to feast my eyes. He walked ahead, turning back to look at the camera. The young man’s lips curled into a particularly dazzling smile. A simple white T-shirt looked like an expensive suit on him. Sunlight fell on his hair. His youthful aura was overwhelming. He was so handsome! Much better than those duds from blind dates! I want him. Blinded by his looks, I transferred money to the girl, and she sent me his friend request.

After adding him as a friend, I came to my senses. How could I go after a younger guy! I felt a bit heartbroken. My principle was never to go after guys younger than me, but now I’d spent a lot of money to get a “second-hand boyfriend”. I didn’t know whether to call myself stupid or foolish. “Hello, baby.” Since I’d already bought him, might as well chat. Worst case, I could come clean about the truth. The girl told me his name was Ethan. She had just asked Ethan to add her main account – which was my account. This completed the account transfer. The girl also sent me a document titled “Things We’ve Discussed”. I skimmed through it. It was mostly information about Ethan, with very little about Ethan’s “girlfriend”. “This way, you can chat with him yourself and reveal your own preferences.” Looking at the pile of information about Ethan, I couldn’t help but comment – he was way too gullible. He’d spilled everything without the other person saying much. He didn’t even need to be tricked, he’d just give you his social security number.

I discovered that Ethan was really too easy to fool! He believed everything I said. I had no doubt that if I told him there were lychees growing in the sky, he’d believe it without question. There weren’t many people as pure as him left in this world. “Olivia baby, I have to go to work now. When can we meet?” Ethan’s one downside was that he really wanted to meet. In the few days we’d been chatting, our relationship had rapidly heated up. I was thinking of just bringing Ethan home for the weekend blind date. Having someone was better than no one, right? Mom shouldn’t say much then. From what I understood, Ethan was in the same city as me, working in the same district! What could be better than that? We might even bump into each other on the street. “Baby, are you free this weekend? Would it be okay to come home with me?” “Really? I can?” Seeing this exclamation mark, I could imagine how excited he must be on the other side of the screen. “Baby wants to meet me, I’m so happy, so excited!” “Baby baby baby, this is great, I can finally meet you! Five days until the weekend! I need to think about how to dress myself, hehe.” His messages came one after another like an excited puppy. I looked at them helplessly. It was just a meeting, was it really such a big deal? “Olivia, has anything exciting happened recently?” My coworker Sarah asked from the desk opposite. It was just after lunch break. I didn’t like squeezing into the cafeteria with everyone else, so I usually waited a bit to eat. I didn’t expect Sarah to still be here too. “Why do you ask?” Sarah tidied up her desk and picked up her phone. “No reason, I just noticed you’ve had a non-stop smile on your face. I thought maybe you saw some funny video, or…” Sarah leaned in with a mischievous grin, her eyes narrowing to slits, “Could it be? Has our beautiful Olivia found love?” “What are you talking about? Don’t be silly. If anyone’s going to find love, it’ll be you before me.” I quickly locked my phone screen and joked, “Alright, alright, I’m going to eat now. Want to join me?” “Sure.”

While eating, I glimpsed a handsome guy at a nearby table that I hadn’t seen before. I whispered to Sarah, “Quick, look at the guy behind me. He’s so handsome. Look at that high nose bridge, tsk tsk…” The handsome guy wore a simple white T-shirt, shoveling food into his mouth. If this was in high school, he’d be the quintessential hot guy. I’d say one sentence, then take a bite of food, my eyes never leaving the guy next door. “Look, his profile is so handsome, his full face must be amazing.” Sarah quickly tugged at my sleeve, whispering so quietly I could barely hear, “Olivia, lower your voice. You’re speaking a bit loudly, he might hear you.” I noticed the guy’s ears turning visibly red. Crap, he heard me talking about him behind his back. I slowed down my eating, not wanting to run into the handsome guy. The company was so big, I’d never seen this handsome guy before, so I probably wouldn’t see him again. As long as I didn’t feel awkward, the awkward one would be someone else. I kept trying to convince myself. But reality slapped me in the face that afternoon. “Now, let’s welcome our newly appointed Manager Ethan.” The former manager walked in with a somewhat familiar face. I was secretly stuffing fruit into my mouth, trying to get some vitamin C. I looked up and suddenly met eyes with the new “Manager Ethan”. Oh no, did he recognize me? I could feel my heart pounding frantically. I didn’t want to be targeted by the new boss, then ostracized by everyone, and finally leave the company in disgrace. Manager Ethan only glanced at me for a moment before looking away, greeting everyone casually, “I’ll be working with all of you from now on. Please take care of me.” Everyone applauded. “Alright, everyone get back to work. Oh, Olivia, come to my office for a moment.” Manager Ethan said mildly before walking to his office. As soon as he said this, everyone in the office seemed to smell some juicy gossip and stared at me. I felt uncomfortable and looked at Sarah. Sarah gave me a helpless expression. I thought I could avoid it, but it seemed I couldn’t. Looks like he was going to confront me about what I said in the cafeteria. I steeled myself and walked to his office.

“You’re here, have a seat.” Manager Ethan still had that smiling expression, inviting me to sit on the big sofa nearby. As I was considering whether to fall to my knees and immediately apologize for gossiping about a colleague at lunch, ruining the company atmosphere… Manager Ethan handed me a document, “Take a look at this project. Can you handle it?” As long as he wasn’t pursuing the matter, I could climb mountains of blades or dive into seas of fire. Anything was fine. I immediately relaxed, quickly skimmed the project, and confidently assured him, “No problem, you can count on me.” Manager Ethan waved his hand, telling me to go back and work on the plan, “Can you give me a proposal by Friday?” I nodded vigorously like a pecking chicken. As I nodded, I walked backwards and knocked over a vase on the sofa. “Crash!” The crisp sound of breaking porcelain. I didn’t dare turn around, afraid this was all just my imagination. “Hehe.” I looked at Manager Ethan sheepishly, wishing the office floor would open up and swallow me. Gossiping about a colleague at lunch, then breaking a vase in the office in the afternoon. I must have forgotten to check my horoscope before leaving home today. Such bad luck! “Are you okay?” Manager Ethan rushed over, looking very concerned. “The vase seems to have a bit of a problem. I’m sorry, Manager Ethan, I’ll compensate for it at the original price.” I quickly bowed, hoping Manager Ethan would forgive me. I didn’t want to be the first target of his new leadership. A manager who just started on his first day surely couldn’t be asking if I was okay. “I’m asking if you’re alright. The vase breaking is just a small matter, as long as you’re not hurt.” Manager Ethan looked me up and down. Only after seeing I was really okay did his tense expression fade. “As for the vase, let’s just consider it breaking for good luck. No need for compensation.” “Then I’ll get back to work.” I slipped out, leaving those words behind.

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Title: My Girlfriend Planned a Beach Proposal, but I Found Her Kissing Her “First Love” Instead # After my girlfriend’s 99th dramatic breakup, she surprised me by apologizing and inviting me to the beach to “clear the air.” When I arrived, I saw a beautifully decorated proposal setup and immediately assumed it was her usual game of playing hard to get. For three years, this had been her style: make me sad and frustrated, only to turn it into a “surprise” that was supposed to make me happy again. So, I put on my best suit, ready to accept her proposal, only to find her kissing her “first love” in front of an applauding crowd. That’s when it hit me—one-sided love is meaningless. But as I boarded the train to leave, she called me, crying and begging for a chance to explain. “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” On the beach, my girlfriend, Summer, and her “first love,” Chase, were locked in a passionate kiss, urged on by the cheering crowd around them. And I was just… standing there, watching. My chest felt like it was being ripped apart, and my vision blurred with tears. I looked down at the suit I had picked so carefully, at the bouquet of 999 roses I’d bought just for her. Suddenly, I felt like the biggest fool in the world. Today was the 99th time Summer had threatened to break up with me. But for the first time, she’d actually apologized and asked me to join her for a day at the beach. As soon as I arrived and saw the elaborate proposal decorations, I thought I understood what was happening. This was just another one of her tricks—a game of push and pull. For three years, she’d loved to toy with my emotions, making me feel hurt and neglected before delivering some grand surprise to “make it up to me.” Like on my birthday. She had pretended to forget it entirely and spent the whole day out with Chase, leaving me waiting at home. After I’d sat there alone for hours, watching the dinner I’d prepared grow cold, she finally came back with a cake. She smeared frosting on my face, giggling as she said, “Surprised? Happy birthday, Ryan!” Or on our anniversary. She stood me up at the restaurant, leaving me sitting alone at a table while strangers whispered about the guy who’d been ghosted. When the restaurant finally closed, she waltzed in with perfect hair and makeup. “Even if the restaurant’s closed, I still showed up. Isn’t that romantic?” Every time, my emotions were dragged through highs and lows, like a rollercoaster I couldn’t get off. I’d told her how much I hated these kinds of “surprises,” begged her to stop playing these games. But she never took it seriously. So this time, I thought it was just more of the same. Breaking up was just the “low,” and this proposal would be the “high.” I let go of my earlier frustration and sadness, convincing myself that this was finally the moment I’d been waiting for. After all, I’d always wanted to marry her. For years, Summer had insisted on delaying marriage, claiming she wanted to focus on her career. But now, I thought she was finally ready to commit. Excited, I went all out. I rented a tailored suit from a boutique and bought the biggest, most beautiful bouquet of roses I could find. I rushed back to the beach, ready to say yes to her proposal. But instead… I saw her kissing Chase, their faces glowing with happiness as the crowd cheered them on. I clenched my fists so tightly my nails dug into my palms. My chest felt like it was being torn apart. How could she do this? We’d been together for so long, and she’d never even kissed me. Summer had always told me she was a conservative person. She wanted to save her first kiss for our wedding day. So for three years, I respected her boundaries. The most we ever did was hold hands—and even that depended on her mood. But now… Now she was kissing Chase in front of everyone, without hesitation, without shame. I felt cold all over, like every part of me had been rejected. She wasn’t conservative. She wasn’t shy. She just didn’t want me. Suddenly, everything made sense. The constant delays, her refusal to marry me—it was never about her career. She was waiting for Chase. I stood there for what felt like an eternity, the salty breeze drying my tears until my eyes stung. The whole time, Summer didn’t even notice me. At that moment, I realized how pointless it all was. Loving someone who doesn’t love you back is the most meaningless thing in the world. I let out a quiet sigh, tossed the flowers into the trash, and turned to leave. Afterward, I returned the suit, changed back into my own clothes, and went home. Once there, I began packing my things, determined to end things with Summer for good. While sorting through my belongings, I stumbled upon a dusty pink diamond necklace tucked away in the corner of a drawer. It was the first gift I ever bought for her, something I had saved up my entire first paycheck to afford. It was also supposed to be our “promise” gift. I had never once seen her wear it. When I asked, she claimed she had accidentally lost it. But here it was, sitting untouched, still in its original packaging, collecting dust in a forgotten corner. I had offered it to her with so much love, and she had dismissed it without a second thought. For years, she had treated me with indifference, breaking up with me more times than I could count. And yet, I had fooled myself into believing there was love between us. The truth was, Summer had never let go of Chase. Her games of “push and pull” were nothing more than excuses to openly get closer to him. They grew up together, childhood friends who naturally became a couple in college. But they broke up because of clashing personalities, and Chase had left her behind to study abroad. Even after the breakup, their connection lingered, messy and unresolved. I had only entered the picture after their split, helping her move on from the heartbreak. There was a time when we were happy together. Before Chase came back, no matter how angry Summer got, she never actually broke up with me. She even remembered small details about me—like my allergy to spicy food. But once Chase returned, everything changed. Suddenly, she was picking fights and breaking up with me on a whim. Her heart was no longer with me. She even forgot about my allergy, putting chili peppers in our meals multiple times, which sent me to the hospital for stomach pumps and IV drips. Back then, I lied to myself. I told myself she was just too busy to remember these things, that she still loved me even if she was bad at showing it. But now? Now I could finally see the truth. I had been in love with an illusion, convincing myself there was something real between us when there never was. I’d had enough. Enough disappointment, enough heartbreak. It was time to let go and start over. Just as I finished packing my bags and was about to leave, Summer walked through the door. She looked surprised to see me. Then her expression shifted into a frown, full of annoyance. “Why didn’t you come to the beach today?” she asked, her tone sharp. After a pause, she lowered her gaze and added, almost dismissively, “Not that it matters. It’s all over now.” I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. She had no idea I’d been there. No idea I’d seen her and Chase locked in that passionate kiss. Of course, she wouldn’t have noticed me. She had been so caught up in the moment, so lost in her happiness with him. I was exhausted—years of trying, years of hoping for something that would never come. Love that isn’t returned isn’t love worth keeping. With that thought, I took a deep breath, looked her in the eyes, and said, slowly and clearly: “We’re done.”

“What? Can you stop being so unreasonable?” Summer’s eyes widened as she stared at me, utterly stunned. She clearly hadn’t expected someone who had always loved her unconditionally to suddenly suggest a breakup. But my tone was calm. “I’m not being unreasonable. I’m serious.” “You kissed Chase. What’s the point of continuing this relationship?” Summer froze at my words, her expression faltering for just a moment before a flicker of guilt crossed her face. “You… you saw that? When did you—” Before she could finish, I cut her off with a bitter laugh. “Right when you and Chase were so caught up in your kiss. You two really make a perfect match.” Summer paused, then shot me a cold glare, her tone sharpening with anger. “And whose fault is that? If you hadn’t been late, Chase wouldn’t have had to kiss me to diffuse the situation!” “We agreed to meet at ten, but you didn’t show up until eleven. Do you know how humiliated I felt, standing there while everyone was ridiculing me?” “And if you had arrived, why didn’t you come find me? Were you just standing there watching, hoping to see me embarrassed?” I was speechless for a moment. She was the one who had done something wrong, yet somehow she managed to twist it around and make it my fault. Besides, I clearly remember sending her a message when I went to rent the suit and buy the flowers. Seems like she hadn’t even bothered to check. Chase calls her once, and she’ll drop everything—even a meeting—to answer. But when I sent her over a dozen messages, she ignored them all without a second thought. This was the difference between love and indifference, and I was finally starting to understand it. “Summer, I sent you a mess—” Before I could finish, the sound of a knock on the door interrupted me. It was Chase. The next second, he entered the apartment after punching in the code, as if it were his own home. Judging by how natural and practiced he looked, it was clear this wasn’t his first time here. This was my home. Mine and Summer’s. Yet she had given him the door code behind my back. I turned to look at her, but she avoided my gaze, shifting uncomfortably. Chase walked over to her, casually standing by her side, and said with a grin, “Summer, you left in such a rush earlier that I just realized I still had the engagement ring on me!” “Good thing I noticed and came over to return it right away!” As he spoke, he shot me a smug, taunting look, deliberately holding up the ring for me to see, his intention to provoke clear as day. It was only then that I noticed the matching couples’ rings on their hands. I lowered my gaze, my heart growing colder by the second. Wasn’t he just “helping” her out of an awkward situation? Then why were they wearing matching rings? Neither Summer nor I spoke, and the room was thick with tension. Chase took advantage of the silence, pretending to lighten the mood while slyly fanning the flames. “Are you two fighting? Ryan, don’t misunderstand. I only wore the engagement ring because I had no choice.” “Back at the beach, I only kissed her because you didn’t show up on time. We thought you weren’t coming.” “The moment was perfect, the crowd was cheering, and I didn’t want Summer to feel awkward. That’s all.” “But really, nothing happened between us. We’re completely innocent. Don’t let me come between you two!” Chase then turned to me with a fake smile. “I’ll take the ring off and return it to you right away.” He started fiddling with the ring, but it was obvious he wasn’t trying very hard. In fact, he made a big show of pretending it was stuck, rubbing his finger until it turned red. Then he looked at Summer with mock helplessness. “Summer, it’s stuck! What should I do?” Playing along, he forced a pitiful expression, as if he had tried his best. Summer, of course, fell for it. She grabbed his hand, her voice soft and full of concern. “If it’s stuck, don’t force it. It’s just a ring—don’t hurt yourself over it.” Chase continued his act, still “struggling” to remove the ring as he glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “But this is the engagement ring you bought for Ryan…” Summer, clearly irritated, glanced at me with annoyance, as if still upset about our argument. “Then I’ll just buy him another one. It’s not a big deal. He’s not that petty.” Hearing her dismiss me so easily, Chase’s smugness grew, and he shot me a triumphant look. I, however, felt nothing but cold detachment. This was how it always was. Whenever it came down to choosing between me and Chase, she always chose Chase. This wasn’t about a ring. It was about everything that had been broken between us. Rings can be replaced. But a broken relationship? That can’t be fixed. I smiled faintly, walked over, and placed their hands together. “There’s no need to take it off. You two are perfect for each other. I wish you both the best.”

With that, I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the door. Chase, clearly delighted, decided to play the “good guy” and pretended to stop me. “Ryan, I know you’re still upset about what happened at the beach, but it really wasn’t what you think. I was only trying to help Summer out of an awkward situation.” “Sure, we shared some great memories in the past—bungee jumping, watching the northern lights—but that’s ancient history. Summer and I are just good friends now. Don’t let it get to you…” He was pretending to console me, but every word was dripping with smugness. Before he could finish, I interrupted with a cold smile. “Oh, I get it. It’s lip friendship, right? Friendship sealed with a kiss.” My sarcasm made Chase’s face twitch, and Summer immediately snapped. “That’s enough, Ryan! Chase already explained everything to you. What more do you want?” “And seriously, it was just a kiss! I’ve already agreed to marry you—my whole life will be yours after we’re married! Do you really need to make a big deal out of one kiss?” I couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculous she sounded, defending Chase like that. She didn’t understand. It wasn’t about the kiss. It was about the way she always treated Chase so differently—how she always put him first. When I didn’t respond, Chase’s eyes began to glisten as he played his usual victim card. “I’m sorry, Summer. It’s my fault you and Ryan are having this fight.” “I should probably just leave so I don’t upset him anymore…” As he said this, he slowly made his way toward the door, deliberately brushing past me. I frowned, wondering what he was up to now. The next second, he stumbled and fell to the ground with a dramatic cry of pain, clutching his leg. He looked up at me with teary, accusing eyes, as if I’d somehow tripped him. Summer immediately pushed me aside and rushed to his side, wrapping her arms around him protectively. “Ryan! How could you? Tripping Chase over something so petty? I’m so disappointed in you!” Chase, of course, was quick to add fuel to the fire. “Don’t blame Ryan, Summer. It’s my fault—I wasn’t standing properly…” Her shove had sent me sprawling to the ground, scraping my arm in the process. Blood was trickling down, but Summer didn’t even glance my way. I got up slowly, looking at her with cold detachment. “Summer, I’m the one who’s disappointed.” For three years, she had always chosen Chase over me. She had always made excuses for him, always found a way to justify his presence in our lives while treating me as an afterthought. Three years of disappointment and resentment had built up inside me. I was tired. Exhausted. Without another word, I turned and headed for the door. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of panic in Summer’s eyes, but it quickly disappeared, replaced by icy indifference. “Ryan, don’t think pulling this stunt will get my attention. Playing hard to get doesn’t work on me!” “If you leave now, don’t bother coming back!” I stopped for a moment, and for a brief second, she looked confident, like she thought her words had worked. Her lips curled into a faint, triumphant smile. “If you’ve come to your senses, then hurry up and—” But before she could finish, her smile froze. I wasn’t stopping for her. I was just grabbing my suitcase. I walked right past her and left without looking back. Seeing my resolve, Summer finally realized I wasn’t bluffing. “Ryan! If you dare walk out that door, I’ll cut off your mom’s medication!” Her words stopped me in my tracks. She was threatening me with my mother’s life? My mother had been gravely ill for years, relying on expensive medication to stay alive. Summer, being the successful career woman she was, had always paid for it. I had stepped back from my career to take care of her, managing our home and daily expenses instead. And now, she was using that against me? I turned back, my voice cold and final. “Do whatever you want. I’ll take care of my mom myself.” Without waiting for her response, I walked out the door. Once outside, I called my boss and requested a transfer to the company’s branch in Calridge City. My boss was thrilled. “Ryan, I’m so glad you’ve finally made this decision! Do you know how disappointed I was when you turned down the transfer last time?” “You’re one of the most talented people I know. I’ve always believed in you.” I had given up so much for Summer—promotions, career growth, even opportunities to relocate. My boss had offered me countless chances, but I’d turned them all down, thinking I was doing the right thing for my relationship. But now that we were done, it was time to focus on myself again. I asked my boss to help look after my mom while I was away, and he agreed without hesitation. After hanging up, I booked the next train out of this miserable city. As my cab pulled up to the station, my phone started buzzing non-stop. Summer had finally realized I wasn’t joking. She bombarded me with calls and messages: “Ryan! I heard you’re leaving. Is it true?” “Where are you? I’ll come find you right now!” “Why won’t you answer me? Please, just hear me out!” “It’s all a misunderstanding. Let me explain—things aren’t what you think!” I was irritated and blocked her number without hesitation. Then I powered off my phone. Now she regretted it? Too late. Whatever excuses she had, they didn’t matter anymore. Her lack of boundaries with Chase was undeniable, and I had no interest in hearing her try to justify it. Looking back, I couldn’t believe how pathetic I’d been all these years. I’d spent so much energy walking on eggshells, constantly trying to please her. Every time she abandoned me, I’d make excuses for her. Every time she wore matching outfits with Chase instead of me, I told myself it was just a coincidence. Every time she broke up with me, I’d wonder if I’d done something wrong. I knew deep down that she didn’t love me as much as I loved her. But I hadn’t wanted to admit it. The incident at the beach had been the wake-up call I needed. It was time to let go of this toxic relationship and move on. By the time I reached the train station, my train had just arrived. It felt like fate, everything falling into place. I passed through security, checked my ticket, and boarded the train. Just as I found my seat and was about to relax, someone appeared out of nowhere. It was Summer. Her eyes were red and swollen as she ran onto the platform, screaming at the top of her lungs. “Ryan! You promised you’d never leave me, no matter what! So why are you leaving me now?”

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