Category: English

Three months before our wedding, my fiancé Ryan posted on Instagram – photos of his marriage certificate with my adopted sister Chloe, along with pictures of her pregnant belly. The caption read: “Legally welcoming our little bundle of joy.” Chloe commented with a shy emoji. My mom liked the post, commenting: “Once the baby is born, I’ll take care of it so you two can enjoy your time together.” I couldn’t help but reply with a question mark. The next moment, Ryan’s harsh rebuke came at me like a slap in the face. “She’s only borrowing my name for a year of marriage. Once the baby is born, I’ll be back with you.” “Don’t be so petty. My mom also said we should only get our marriage license after you give birth to a son. It works out perfectly – we can have the wedding first and get the license later.” I gave a faint “Mm” in response, then deleted all Instagram posts related to Ryan before posting a new one: “Need a new groom. Who wants to marry me?” Ryan was the first to reply. [Aria Young, are you out of your mind? I’m just marrying her on paper, why are you making such a big deal out of it?] [You don’t seriously think posting on Instagram will make me jealous, do you? That’s laughable. I’m warning you, stop causing trouble over nothing, and don’t you dare give Chloe a hard time.] Chloe quickly followed up on Ryan’s comment. [Sis, Ryan is just trying to help our baby be born legally. I won’t steal him away from you. After you and Ryan get married, my child can call you mom too.] My mom scolded me for being ungrateful. [You get to have a child without going through the pain of childbirth. Chloe is doing you such a huge favor, shouldn’t you be thanking her?] Several comments followed from Ryan’s buddies, all chiming in. [You and Chloe are sisters, so it doesn’t matter which of you Ryan marries, you’re all family anyway. How about Chloe gets him Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and you get Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday!] Everyone was joking and laughing at my expense. I stared at the screen in shock, tears welling up and spilling over onto my phone. They were clearly in the wrong. Yet they had the audacity to turn around and blame me. How ridiculous. These people weren’t worth my tears. I wiped my eyes forcefully and scrolled through the mess of comments. One stood out from the rest. It was from Sean White: “Can I be your new groom?” Sean and I grew up together. After college graduation, I stayed in the city while he chose to study abroad. We’d avoided each other since I started dating Ryan in college. It had been years since we last spoke. As I pondered this, Sean called me directly. “Aria, I’ve liked you for a long time.” “You know I’ve always hated your adopted sister, so I would never have anything to do with her. I don’t have a bunch of shady friends either. These past few years, I’ve been focused on my career and haven’t dated anyone.” As he spoke, I suddenly received a contract. When I opened it, I saw it was the transfer of rights to all his assets and shares. While I was still in shock, Sean nervously said: “Aria, this is all the sincerity I have to offer. Will you give me a chance?” My nose stung with emotion. Suddenly, I remembered when we were kids. Our teacher rewarded us with two candies that Sean loved. He was clearly craving them, but he didn’t eat a single one. He saved both for me. He had always given me his utmost sincerity. I choked up a bit as I said: “I will.” Love had always seemed so elusive. I tried to grasp it, only to end up hurt and scarred. I had thought… I had thought being alone would be fine. But my grandmother’s dying wish was to see me married, to know someone would take care of me after she was gone. Ryan wasn’t worthy. But if the groom was Sean, I think Grandma would be truly at ease. Sean’s voice was full of joy. “Then I’ll wrap things up at work and come back to marry you within two weeks.” “Aria, you’ll wait for me and won’t change your mind, right?” His tone held a hint of pitiful pleading. It reminded me of when we were kids and I promised to be his bride when we grew up. I made a sound of agreement. Suddenly I felt the urge to cry. “Sean, let’s pinky swear on it.” After hanging up, my mom pushed open my bedroom door. “Where’s that sapphire necklace your father left you before he died?” I remained silent, not answering. Mom frowned in displeasure. “What’s with that attitude? Your sister just thought it was pretty and wanted to borrow it for a few days. Hurry up and get it out, don’t be so stingy!” Chloe hung on Mom’s arm, saying dejectedly: “It’s okay, Mom. Sis has never seen me as real family. If she doesn’t want to lend it, I won’t force her.” “She wouldn’t dare refuse! That necklace belonged to my husband, your father. I’m making the decision to give it to you today.” Mom hugged Chloe and glared sternly at me. “If you don’t hand it over, don’t blame me for having people search your room.” I stared at her blankly, my smile more painful than crying. The once gentle and loving mother in my memories. Had ultimately transformed into this harsh, scolding face in reality. But I was about to leave this place forever anyway. I no longer had the heart to argue pointlessly with her. Silently, I took the sapphire necklace out of its velvet box and handed it to her. Mom smiled with satisfaction. “That’s more like it. Chloe is your sister, so you as the older one should let her have the nice things.” After Mom left, Chloe put on the necklace right in front of me. “Sis, don’t blame Mom for favoring me. To be honest, this necklace looks better on me anyway.” “Just like how Ryan is more suitable as my boyfriend.” “What belongs to me, others can never have.” Seeing Chloe’s smug expression, I didn’t say a word. People like her – the more you engage, the more they push it. I picked up my purse and walked past her down the stairs, ignoring her completely. “Ah! Sis, why did you push me…” Chloe suddenly darted in front of me, pretending I had shoved her as she stumbled towards the stairs. I may despise her, but I instinctively reached out to grab her. After all, falling down over 20 steps was no joke. “Aria Young, you vicious woman!” Ryan violently smacked away my hand that was steadying Chloe’s arm. My hand slammed into the railing with a loud “THUD.” The pain instantly brought cold sweat to my brow. “Ryan, thank goodness you came in time, or else I…” Chloe hid in Ryan’s arms, her face streaked with tears and fear. “It’s okay, don’t be scared. I’m here.” Ryan stroked Chloe’s head, comforting her softly. “I won’t let anyone bully you.” I looked at my own hand, already bruising and swollen from the impact. Then I looked at Chloe, who had only gotten a little scare but was being held tight and fussed over by Ryan. Suddenly it all felt so ironic. The boy who once showered me with love and promised to treat me well forever. The man who was supposed to marry me in just three months. How could he have changed his heart so suddenly? After soothing Chloe, Ryan glared at me darkly. “I know you’ve been unhappy about me marrying her and having a baby behind your back. You can take it out on me if you want, since I didn’t tell you beforehand.” “But you can’t hurt Chloe. Her health is fragile, she’s pitiful enough as it is.” “All she wanted was a chance to be a mother. What’s wrong with that? Why should she bear the brunt of your anger?” He pointed at me angrily. “You have to apologize to Chloe today!” I struggled to control my trembling body. Through gritted teeth I asked: “Then what did I do wrong?” “What exactly did I do wrong?” Ryan stared at my reddened eyes, taken aback for a moment. “Never mind, Ryan. Even though I almost fell to my death…” “I don’t blame Sis, and I don’t need her to apologize.” “You two are still getting married in the future. I don’t want you to fight because of me.” Chloe cried pitifully. Ryan sighed, looking at her with tender affection. “Chloe, sometimes your kindness breaks my heart.” He turned to me with cold eyes. “At the end of the day, you’re just jealous of Chloe. You can’t stand to see her doing better than you.” “I’ll let it slide this time since Chloe spoke up for you. But if you dare hurt her again, I won’t go easy on you.” He picked Chloe up in his arms. Before leaving, he looked at me with disappointment and said: “You don’t measure up to your sister at all.” Only I remained in the silent living room. I stared blankly at the withered leaves drifting outside the window. Finally unable to hold back, I crouched down and sobbed into my hands. One last time… This was the last time I would cry over Ryan. That afternoon, Ryan posted on Instagram. It was a 9-photo collage. The photos showed different corners of a house. The caption read: “Every room, every piece of furniture, every decoration here was carefully chosen by me. I just want to give my baby a warm and comfortable home.” Many people offered congratulations in the comments. “Congrats to Mr. Brown on becoming a father so soon!” “So you and Aria are having a shotgun wedding! Congratulations!” “The bride is so lucky to have such a good husband in Ryan. So envious!” “I wouldn’t miss your wedding in three months for a billion-dollar deal.” Just as the comment section was buzzing with well-wishes, Chloe suddenly chimed in: “Please don’t misunderstand, everyone. This isn’t Ryan’s marital home, it’s my house.” The comments section instantly fell into awkward silence. I was the first to break it, posting: “Three’s a crowd. I’m out. Wishing you two happiness.” With that, I couldn’t be bothered to see what else they might say. I directly deleted Ryan and Chloe from my friends list. Within minutes, Ryan called me. “Aria Young, have you had enough of this tantrum?” I calmly replied: “I’m not throwing a tantrum.” Ryan fumed. “That comment you left on my Instagram was clearly trying to smear dirt on Chloe.” “Do you have to paint her as the other woman to be satisfied?” “If you keep slandering her, we can just call off the wedding!” I listened to his cold, heartless accusations, my heart as still as dead water, unmoved. “Ryan Brown, what makes you think I’d still want someone’s sloppy seconds?” I hung up the phone. Perhaps the words “sloppy seconds” stung him. He called me countless times after that. When the calls wouldn’t go through, he bombarded me with messages. I ignored them all. In ten days I would be marrying Sean. These people would all become part of my past. I had hoped to spend the remaining days coexisting peacefully with them, but I never expected Chloe to knock over my father’s urn. The ashes scattered on the floor. Not only did she show no remorse, she even let her pet cat urinate on them. Then she looked at me with glee. “Sis, look! The ashes can even be used as kitty litter for my cat!” In that moment, the grief and rage I had been suppressing exploded. I snatched up the baseball bat by the door and swung it viciously at Chloe. She took one hit and ran away screaming, her face pale. “Aria Young! You’ve really gone too far! How dare you hit your sister!” Mom’s appearance made Chloe feel like she’d found a savior. She hid behind Mom, trembling. Sobbing, she said: “Mom, I’m scared. Sis tried to kill me!” Mom shielded Chloe like a mother hen protecting her chick. She berated me harshly: “I’ve let your bullying of your sister slide before, treating it as harmless squabbling. But this time you’ve gone too far.” She was my mother, yet she always stood against me, defending an adopted daughter with no blood relation to her. Nothing could be more heartbreaking than this. I stared at Mom through tear-filled eyes. “She knocked over Dad’s urn!” “That was Dad! My Dad! Why? Why!” Why did they have to destroy the last memento Dad left me, even though I had already been so tolerant? Why didn’t my own mother love me?

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When I was preparing our honeymoon suite, I found suspicious stains on the bed sheets while preparing our honeymoon suite. Someone else had been in our new marital bed! My mind went blank. I immediately video called my fiancé. Surprisingly, he picked up right away. “The new bed is very comfortable. I’ve tested it for you,” said a sultry female voice. It was Phoenix’s assistant, Lydia, who answered the call. The woman smiled seductively and arrogantly. Well, I guess I don’t want this man anymore. “Where’s Phoenix? Tell him to answer the phone,” I said, stunned for a few seconds before quickly regaining my composure. Lydia pretended to carefully examine my surroundings through the video. Then she smiled coyly, “Miss Cora, you’re in the honeymoon suite, aren’t you?” “The new bed is very comfortable. I’ve tested it for you,” she repeated. I felt like the ground had dropped out from under me, my mind going blank. I stared intently at the woman in the video, momentarily speechless. Lydia’s gaze swept over the bed sheets, her tone smug: “The groom is quite good too. I’ve tested him out for you as well.” By now, I could clearly see her surroundings – it was a hotel room. I forcefully suppressed my anger, trying to stay calm. I asked again, “Where is Phoenix?” Lydia deliberately glanced in a certain direction, then feigned reluctance: “Mr. Brown is working overtime, of course. He’s very busy.” Just then, I heard that familiar voice. “Lydia, come help me wash my back.” At that moment, I felt like I’d been paralyzed. My mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. “You just want to trick me into showering with you, you naughty boy,” Lydia said. As she spoke, she gave me a triumphant look, then abruptly ended the video call. I collapsed to the floor, all strength leaving my body. A tidal wave of anger and sorrow engulfed me. After I don’t know how long, I let out a bitter laugh and tossed the bed sheets into the trash. Tomorrow was supposed to be my wedding day with Phoenix. While I was busy preparing our honeymoon suite, he was busy taking a romantic bath with his female assistant. I knew Lydia wanted to ruin my wedding. She had succeeded. I sent Phoenix a message: “Phoenix, let’s break up. The wedding is off.” I wanted nothing to do with a tainted honeymoon suite or a tainted man. I looked at the decorative figurines on the table – a kissing bride and groom in traditional red wedding attire. I threw them in the trash too. I smashed our framed wedding photos hanging on the wall. I destroyed all the decorations I had carefully put up around the suite. I sent messages to friends and family canceling the wedding, then turned off my phone and went home. Once things quieted down, I forced myself not to think about all the years I’d spent with that dog of a man. I drank myself into a stupor, seeking oblivion in alcohol. The next morning, I was awakened by furious pounding on my door. Phoenix and his groomsmen were outside, all dressed up in suits and looking presentable. The roses Phoenix was holding were crushed and scattered. Seeing that I had clearly just woken up, he became enraged. “Cora! Are you out of your mind?!” he shouted. The ugly, contorted look on his face was almost comical. I couldn’t help but laugh. This laugh seemed to infuriate Phoenix even more. He violently threw the mangled bouquet to the ground, roaring, “Do you know today is our wedding day?!”

I rubbed my eyes, extremely irritated at having my hangover disturbed. My tone was equally harsh: “Didn’t I tell you the wedding’s off?! We’re breaking up, don’t you understand?!” Phoenix’s eyes were bloodshot, as if he was desperately trying to contain his anger. Finally, he squeezed his eyes shut and said through gritted teeth, “Get dressed and come with me right now. I’ll pretend nothing happened. I can forgive you this one time.” I don’t know how he got the impression I was some lovesick girl who couldn’t leave him. I had just taken our relationship seriously, and he assumed I couldn’t live without him! I glanced over the groomsmen behind him, who all looked like they were enjoying the show to some degree. “Phoenix! You’re the one who did something wrong. Do you want to discuss your relationship with Lydia right here?” I said coldly. “Get lost now! We’re over, understand?!” I shouted. Phoenix was stunned for a moment before his expression changed drastically. He no longer had his previous arrogant air. His eyes darted around as he avoided my gaze, but he didn’t leave. His tone softened. “You misunderstood. It’s my fault. I should have explained things to you earlier,” he said. “You can hit me or yell at me later if you want. Today is our wedding day, the most important day of our lives. All our family and friends are waiting for us. Please don’t make a scene. Just come with me, okay?” he pleaded. He shook his head and smiled bitterly, his expression earnest, as if I was the one being unreasonable. This man could change his tune so quickly. He was quite the smooth operator. I could see the groomsmen giving me disapproving looks. One of Phoenix’s close friends even tried to persuade me. “Come on, sis. Today’s not the day to throw a tantrum. You can do whatever you want after the wedding,” he said. Very well. If Phoenix wanted to force my hand, I’d play along. But whatever happened next would be on him. I nodded. “Fine. Wait here.” I quickly washed up and threw on a dress before heading out. Phoenix asked where I was going to do my makeup and change into my wedding dress, but I refused. His face darkened, but he couldn’t do anything about it. At the hotel, only Phoenix’s family and friends were there. Although my relatives and friends didn’t know exactly what had happened, they knew I had canceled the wedding. Seeing me arrive dressed so casually, the guests’ expressions became quite meaningful. Several aunties immediately started criticizing me. “How can you throw a tantrum over such an important event like your wedding? You’re so willful. Only Phoenix would put up with this. Anyone else would have left you by now.” “Exactly! All these guests are waiting here. If you didn’t want to get married, why did you wait until now?!” “Alright, alright. Cora’s here now, isn’t she?” Mrs. Brown interjected, taking my arm and leading me to sit at the main table. Her face showed no signs of displeasure. She even asked me, “You silly girl, we were so worried when we couldn’t reach you. Did Phoenix upset you? Tell us, and we’ll teach him a lesson.” Mr. Brown also chimed in gently, “That’s right, we’re on your side.” Phoenix’s parents had always been very good to me. Marrying into their family wouldn’t have involved any mother-in-law issues at all. Mrs. Brown was an especially considerate and tolerant woman, and Mr. Brown was a kind and generous man. But Phoenix had cheated. I could never forgive that, no matter what. I remained silent for a moment. Mrs. Brown probably thought I was still upset. She spoke earnestly, “Cora, listen to me. Go get your makeup done and change into your dress. I promise I’ll make Phoenix apologize to you later.” “Yes, don’t ruin this joyous day,” Mr. Brown agreed. I let out a long sigh. At that moment, I wanted to explain everything properly to Phoenix’s parents and resolve this peacefully. But someone’s arrival interrupted me. Lydia floated in wearing a flowing red chiffon dress, looking delicate and pretty. She smiled slightly, her gaze challenging as she looked at me. Her elaborate makeup contrasted sharply with my bare face. The rhythmic clicking of her high heels attracted everyone’s attention. “I hope I’m not late. Congratulations on your wedding, Miss Cora,” she said sweetly.

I smiled back. How lovely she looked in that red dress, just like the star of the wedding. Lydia casually walked over to the main table and sat down in the seat next to me that should have been Phoenix’s. As she bent to sit down, a flash of light at her neck caught my eye. I couldn’t help but look closer. I thought my heart had already turned to ice, but apparently it could freeze a few more degrees. It was a diamond ring, identical to my wedding ring. I had personally designed that style – there was only one in the whole world. Now it hung around the neck of this homewrecker. If my wedding had gone ahead as planned, I don’t know what kind of ring Phoenix would have given me. But whether he found a random replacement or took it off his assistant’s neck, it was utterly disgusting. I guess I still couldn’t help feeling angry. I dug my nails into my palms, trying not to lose my composure. Just then, Phoenix walked in with the officiant. “Isn’t the bride wearing a wedding dress? A red dress is fine too, very pretty,” the officiant said approvingly. He clearly thought Lydia, in her red dress and full makeup, was the pouting bride. Lydia glanced at me, then acted embarrassed. “Oh no, I’m not the bride today. Please don’t be upset, Miss Cora,” she said, waving her hands. Phoenix strode over, looking furious. He demanded, “Why haven’t you gone to do your makeup and change? Do you not care about our wedding at all?!” He reached out to grab me. Mrs. Brown quickly intervened, scolding Phoenix, “Phoenix, watch your tone! There’s no need to be so harsh.” Lydia chimed in, “That’s right, Miss Cora is just being a little willful. Mr. Brown, you should coax her. Don’t let it ruin the wedding.” Phoenix got even angrier, clearly frustrated in front of all the guests. He pointed at me and said, “Cora, your tantrums have limits. Go change right now!” Lydia stood up and patted Phoenix’s arm soothingly. “Don’t be angry. I’ll help you greet the guests and apologize while Miss Cora gets ready.” “Why don’t you just finish the whole wedding for him while you’re at it,” I said coldly. I was done pretending everything was fine. Clearly there was no way to resolve this calmly today. I made a snap decision and announced loudly, “I’m sorry everyone had to see this farce. Please enjoy the food and drinks, but Phoenix and I are officially breaking up as of today. You’re all witnesses.” “How long are you going to keep this up?!” Phoenix glared at me furiously. Lydia looked very anxious and even stamped her foot. Her high heel made a crisp sound against the floor. “Miss Cora, please don’t misunderstand. I just meant I’d help greet the guests. I didn’t mean anything else,” she said. She was quite the experienced manipulator. I crossed my arms and coldly watched her performance. “You’re not just greeting guests for me. Didn’t you consummate the marriage for me too?” I said. Lydia seemed very pleased with my reaction. A flash of smug triumph crossed her eyes before she quickly put on an expression of utter wronged innocence. “Miss Cora, you really misunderstand me,” she said. Slap! The little vixen was quite the actress, but I had no interest in playing along with her act.

“Cora, have you gone crazy?!” Phoenix panicked. He quickly pulled Lydia into his arms, holding her protectively. Lydia also seemed shocked that I would actually hit her. Her big eyes filled with tears that threatened to spill over. She buried her face in Phoenix’s chest and rubbed it back and forth pitifully, finally managing to smear some tears onto his clothes. I don’t know if it was the heat of his mistress’s tears that set him off, but Phoenix looked at me like he wanted to eat me alive. “Cora, you’re nothing but a shrew! Look at yourself – how could you possibly compare to…” “Enough, Phoenix!” Mr. Brown cut him off mid-sentence, grabbing Phoenix’s arm. Mrs. Brown also reacted quickly, pulling Lydia out of Phoenix’s embrace. “Miss Ye, this is a family matter. It’s not appropriate for you to be involved. Please leave,” Mrs. Brown said firmly. Lydia glanced at Phoenix, then raised her chin defiantly at me. In the end, she left without another word, her high heels clicking loudly. But Phoenix wasn’t done. “Are you happy now, ruining our wedding day like this?! No man but me would marry a psycho like you!” he shouted. “Phoenix, be quiet!” Mrs. Brown hurried to intervene, moving to restrain Phoenix. But he shook her off roughly. “Mom, stay out of this. We’re not getting married today. I need to teach this woman a lesson,” he snarled. What a coincidence – I wanted to teach him a lesson too! I slammed my hand on the table and shouted back, “You’re right, we’re not getting married. But I’m the one who’s going to teach YOU a lesson!” I ignored everyone’s reactions and walked over to the officiant standing by the big screen. The poor man was so uncomfortable he didn’t know what to say. He instinctively stepped aside, blinking rapidly as he asked, “Miss… Miss Cora, what do you need?” I ignored him and went straight to the computer connected to the big screen. I logged into SnapChat, uploaded a video, and hit play. Suddenly Lydia’s smug face filled the entire screen. Her taunting voice echoed through the hall. “The groom is quite good too. I’ve tested him out for you as well.” “Where is Phoenix?” “Mr. Brown is working overtime, of course. He’s very busy.” “Lydia, come help me wash my back.” “You just want to trick me into showering with you, you naughty boy.” Even after Lydia’s triumphant face disappeared from the screen, the room remained deathly silent for several long seconds. Slap! “You worthless scum!” Mr. Brown put all his strength into that slap. Afterwards, he seemed to deflate, his shoulders sagging. My heart ached a bit too. I realized I wouldn’t be able to maintain my relationship with Phoenix’s parents after all. “Phoenix, the one who betrayed this marriage wasn’t me. It was you – the bastard who fooled around with his mistress in our marital bed!” I said coldly. “Do I need to spell out what those stains on the bed were? You sure know how to have fun!” I spat.

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My husband and I got married not too long ago, and right after, his parents started traveling extensively. Over the past two years, they’ve practically toured the entire country, spending their entire retirement pension each month. I’ve often suggested to my husband that he should encourage them to save some money for their future. However, he always responds with frustration, “Are you planning to live off my parents? Why do you keep worrying about their finances? As their children, it’s our responsibility to support them in their old age—otherwise, what’s the point of having children?” Despite my genuine concern for them, I was misunderstood. So, I stopped bringing it up. I thought it was fine as long as they didn’t impose financial burdens on us. But I was too naive. With their spending habits, how could their pension be sufficient? In the living room, my aunt placed a box of candies on the table and got straight to the point, “Charlie, your cousin is getting married this July, and I was wondering when your mom plans to return the seventy thousand she borrowed from me last year.” My husband and I were taken aback, filled with questions. He quickly asked, surprised, “Aunt, did my mom borrow money from you? I wasn’t aware.” My aunt waved her hand and explained, “Your mom asked me not to tell you when she borrowed money, saying she was short on cash and needed a few tens of thousands. It wasn’t just me; your uncle and another aunt also lent her money. I wouldn’t have pressed for repayment, but with your cousin’s wedding coming up, I need the money back. When I called your mom, she said she didn’t have it and told me to ask you.” My heart sank, and my expression turned grim. My in-laws receive a combined nine thousand in retirement pension monthly. It’s one thing to spend it all, but borrowing money as well? My husband sighed deeply, his face darkening, “Aunt, give me your bank account details. I’ll find a way to gather the money and transfer it to you in the next couple of days.” “Alright, I’ll send you the account info when I get home. I’ll be on my way now.” My aunt left smiling, relieved that my husband agreed to repay the money. I struggled to keep my anger in check as I awkwardly saw her out. Once the door closed, I was so upset that I clutched my churning stomach in distress. “Husband, what’s going on with your parents? How is their pension not enough, and why are they borrowing from everywhere? I told you they should be more frugal. Look at what’s happening now.” His expression was equally troubled, and he said irritably, “Alright, enough nagging. I’ll ask them later.” Annoyed, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and started smoking, then called his parents to come over. When it comes to his parents, my husband doesn’t let me say a word. Frustrated, I left to take care of our child. My in-laws have been self-centered their entire lives, never considering their children. When my husband and I got married, my family asked for a bride price of fifty thousand, which my husband saved from working. His parents didn’t contribute a cent, not even for the wedding expenses. They acted like hands-off managers. Later, when we bought a house, my husband put in all his savings and borrowed a bit from friends, managing to gather two hundred thousand. My parents also contributed two hundred thousand to help us. Initially, I thought of asking my mother-in-law for some help, which would ease our loan pressure. But she dismissed me, saying she had no money and that “no one should think about her retirement savings.” And now, this… I suddenly felt extremely stressed about our future. “Quick, Alex, make me some food; I’m starving,” my mother-in-law’s voice came from outside. As soon as I came out, she bossily asked me to make her food. I didn’t agree. My husband made tea for his parents and served it: “Mom, I called you over today to clarify something. Did you borrow money from Aunt and Uncle? Aunt came today saying you borrowed seventy thousand from her last year.” Hearing this, my father-in-law looked around guiltily without speaking. My mother-in-law paused for a few seconds, then said matter-of-factly, “Oh, I almost forgot. Yes, I borrowed seventy thousand from your aunt last year. I’m a bit tight on cash now; you should help me pay it back.” My husband asked incredulously, “Mom, how can two people’s monthly retirement pension not be enough?” Seeing him angry, she tried to change the topic, “What? I’m your mother, and I can’t spend some money? We have a retirement pension and never asked you for money before. You have no idea; my friend group, their sons give them money every month. Look at you!” My husband ignored her, and I couldn’t hold back: “Those parents also help their kids buy houses and cars! We don’t expect money from you, but at least don’t drag us down!” My mother-in-law dismissed my words, “I’m talking to my son. Why are you butting in? I didn’t ask you to pay.” “You…” I was about to argue when my husband grabbed my wrist and pulled me back, his eyes full of disapproval. Though angry with his parents, he disapproved of me, the daughter-in-law, arguing with them. I was also fired up and thought, “Fine, I won’t hold back either.” I pulled my hand away and sat down somewhere else. My husband rubbed his forehead in frustration, trying to keep his voice calm: “Just tell me, Mom, how much do you owe altogether?” My in-laws exchanged a glance. My husband stared at them intently. My mother-in-law hesitated, “About… about two hundred thousand.” “What? You owe that much? What are you doing with the money, spending or burning it? I told you to spend less every month. Two hundred thousand is my yearly salary. Do you think I’m immortal or something?” My husband stood up in anger, pointing at my in-laws. “Don’t be mad. Just help us pay it off, and we won’t spend recklessly anymore,” my mother-in-law said timidly, scared by my husband’s anger. “Pay it off? Where am I supposed to find the money? I still have to pay the mortgage and car loans every month,” he retorted, annoyed, and sat back down. The living room fell into a strange silence until my mother-in-law turned her attention to me: “Alex, didn’t your mom give you money when she babysat for you? She must have some cash. Why don’t you borrow from her?” When I was postpartum last year, I initially wanted my mother-in-law to help with the baby and offered her five thousand a month, but she was too busy traveling to agree. So I had no choice but to ask my mom. She refused to take money, and after much persuasion, she only accepted three thousand a month as a token, often buying things for me and the baby. That money supposedly went to my mom but ended up with us. Yet, she willingly took care of the baby. I clenched my fists, controlling my emotions: “Mom, I wanted to pay you for watching the baby, but you refused, so I asked my mom. She didn’t want to accept money, only taking three thousand symbolically. And with all the things she buys for the house, the money doesn’t even end up with her. How can you think of borrowing from her?” My mother-in-law wouldn’t listen, using her age to argue, “You talk a good game. Would you let your mom lose money? Who knows how much you gave her secretly? Besides, the baby is her grandchild too. Asking for money hurts the relationship.” When it’s not their problem, they don’t care. I sneered, “You’re noble! You talk about relationships! The baby is your grandchild too, shouldn’t you care without asking for money?” “You… you dare talk back to me, I’m still your mother-in-law. Son, control your wife, she’s disrespectful.” Flustered by my words, my mother-in-law changed the subject, feigning authority. “Alright, stop arguing. Mom and Dad, you can go back. I’ll figure something out,” my husband interrupted our quarrel impatiently. “Charlie, I knew you were a good son, so filial. Leave that money to you,” my mother-in-law cheered up, pleased, and complimented my husband before leaving with my father-in-law, leisurely. I sat quietly, blaming my husband. Our family isn’t well-off, and he just takes on more burdens. With the in-laws’ extravagant spending habits, they’ll just borrow again after we pay this off. When will it end? After thinking for a while, I couldn’t help but speak, “Husband, are you really planning to help your parents pay off this debt? What if they borrow more later?” He took a drag from his cigarette and replied dismissively, “What else can I do? They’re my parents. If I don’t help them, who will?” “Then you should pressure them a bit. Maybe have them save three thousand from their pension each month before spending the rest. It’s not a big burden and could help them develop a habit of saving, just in case,” I suggested, having thought about it for a while. After all, it’s not good for the elderly to have no money at all. “After all, my parents raised me, and I have a duty to support them. Since they have a pension, I haven’t given them money before. This time, helping with the debt is the least I can do. I’ll think about your idea and discuss it with my mom.” I finally spoke my mind about something that had been on my mind for a while. It’s not ideal for elderly parents to be without financial security. “After all, my parents raised me, and I have a responsibility to support them. Since they always had their retirement pension, I never actually gave them money. But this time, helping them pay off their debt is the right thing to do. I’ll consider what you said and discuss it with my mom.” My husband tends to take charge at home, and I’ve usually kept quiet about it. But this time, I couldn’t hold back: “You should discuss it with your mom. Even if we set aside three thousand dollars a month, the remaining six thousand should be enough for your parents. Otherwise, we’re under a lot of financial pressure, and paying back the debt won’t be quick.” My husband looked at me for a moment and sighed, then agreed to talk to his parents. I felt a bit relieved because my aunt urgently needed those seventy thousand dollars. My husband eventually used our savings to pay off his parents’ debt. Fortunately, after this, he followed my suggestion and helped his parents set aside three thousand dollars from their pension each month. Initially, my mother-in-law was unhappy, often complaining about the lack of money. But she eventually quieted down, and I thought she had come around. I was wrong. She and my father-in-law showed up with their luggage, ready to move in. “Charlie, your dad and I decided to stay with you for a while, and I can help with the baby. I don’t need much, just four thousand dollars a month.” I knew nothing came free with my in-laws. The baby was easier to care for now, and my job allowed me to be home often. My mother occasionally helped when I was busy. My mother-in-law’s offer to help with the baby was just a way to get paid. Seeing that my husband and I didn’t respond, she continued: “The baby is my grandchild too, and I miss him. They say there’s a special bond with grandchildren. Plus, if I come, I can help with housework, and Alex won’t be as busy.” Fearing my husband might agree, I quickly intervened: “Mom, the baby is easy to care for now; I can manage on my own. You and Dad are getting older, so it’s better to rest at home. Honestly, we can’t afford an extra four thousand dollars a month.” My words reminded my husband of our financial strain after helping with the debts. We didn’t have much savings left, and the mortgage and car loans were a significant burden. My husband hesitated: “Mom, I can’t give you four thousand dollars a month anymore. After helping with the debt, our expenses are tight. Besides what we spend on the baby, Alex and I hardly spend anything on ourselves.” Hearing her plan wasn’t working, my mother-in-law was displeased: “Son, can’t you spare even three thousand dollars? If not, three thousand is fine, but I won’t do housework for that, and you’ll have to cook for yourselves.” Seeing my husband at a loss, I joined in: “Maybe, Mom, you could handle the rest of the debt yourself? We really can’t provide extra money.” My mother-in-law was taken aback, and my husband seemed to be considering the feasibility of this idea. Worried about being saddled with the debt, my mother-in-law quickly backtracked: “No need, I don’t want the money. But, son, six thousand a month isn’t enough for us. Let us move in with you.” As soon as she said it, she and my father-in-law headed to the guest room with their luggage. Seeing my husband didn’t object, I angrily threw my things into his arms: “What are you thinking? Letting your parents move in is just causing trouble. I was managing the baby alone, and now I have to care for your parents too?” My husband tried to reason: “There’s no other way. My parents want to live with us. I can’t just turn them away; people would gossip.” I rolled my eyes: “Anyone can see your parents are staying because they can’t manage on their own, turning me into a maid for your family.” Hearing me criticize his parents, my husband became serious: “Enough. It’s natural for parents to rely on their children. Don’t worry, they’ll stay for a week, then I’ll send them back. I can’t send them away the same day they arrive with their luggage.” Though upset, I realized he had a point. Forcing them to leave today would make us look bad to the neighbors. “Remember what you said, okay? Send your parents back after a week.” I conceded. Once my in-laws moved in, it was as I feared. Because I didn’t agree to pay my mother-in-law, even though I was already overwhelmed, she refused to help. She waited for me to cook all meals and was picky about the food. She even joined the local dance club, spending her time dancing in the community while ignoring housework. Worse still, they were not tidy, leaving dirty clothes everywhere and not disposing of used bags properly. In just a few days, the house was a mess. I was exhausted, juggling housework, the baby, and two elderly parents, nearing a breaking point. After a week, I brought up sending them back home. “We’re not leaving. Your dad and I are comfortable here, eating and drinking well. Why go back? Are you daring to kick your mom out of your house?” As expected, my mother-in-law glared at my husband instead of me. My husband smiled awkwardly and served her food: “Of course not, Mom. My home is your home! Stay as long as you want.” My father-in-law chimed in while eating: “Charlie, you can’t forget your parents after getting married. We raised you, and now you don’t let us stay? People would talk.” They only thought of living with us after spending their money on travel. After a week, they barely looked at their grandson. I quickly explained: “Parents, it’s not that we don’t want you here, but I’m struggling to handle everything alone. Michael is busy and often works late. I have two days at school a week, and the rest of the time I’m with the baby. With no one to help, I barely have time to cook. With more people in the house, there’s even more housework, and I can’t manage.” My mother-in-law scoffed: “How can we be a burden? You managed before, and now you can’t with us here? You’re just upset I don’t help with the child. Wanting me to work for free? Dream on!”

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When my husband’s father, Vincent Todd, arrived at our home, he not only tried to sabotage my job but also laid down a hundred and one rules for me to follow. He insisted that everything should revolve around serving my husband and them and that I must obey every command from the men in the house without question. He believed that a woman’s place was not in the workforce but at home, her duty to be the perfect housewife. I once reached out to his wife, Amanda Todd, for help. She was a hypocrite, coaxing me to comply. “Megan, Vincent is right. No woman can work outside and neglect her household duties.” I confided in my husband, but he only shrugged it off, doing nothing to help. “Oh, honey, Dad’s intentions are all for the good of the family.” With Vincent’s increasing cruelty, Amanda’s encouragement, and my husband’s indifference, I fell into depression and confusion, which eventually led to a car accident that took my life. When I was given a second chance, I decided to be the “picture-perfect”, “obedient” woman. This time, I took the initiative to show Vincent my allegiance. “You’re absolutely right! A woman should stay at home, take care of you and Amanda, and be a loving wife to my husband!”

The world around me sharpened into focus, and just as I was beginning to shake off the suffocating grip of death, Vincent stood firmly in my way. “Megan, do you think we can’t get by without your paycheck? How many times have I told you to quit your job and focus on being a proper housewife? Why won’t you listen?” Vincent’s eyes blazed with anger as he blocked the doorway, his stubbornness evident. Amanda, standing beside me, was in tears, softly urging me to comply. “Megan… Vincent’s right. What kind of woman goes out to work and neglects her household duties?” It was only when I saw this familiar scene unfold before me that the reality hit me—I had been reborn. Even though my limbs still ached with lingering pain, I realized that being crushed by a truck was not just a nightmare; it had really happened. Since my husband’s surgery, Vincent and Amanda had moved in under the pretense of visiting their son. But to my dismay, they had been living with us for six long months. Despite my best efforts to care for them, Vincent constantly nitpicked my every move, even going so far as to create a set of absurd family rules. He declared that I wouldn’t be allowed to leave until I met his standards according to his ridiculous regulations. The rules he set were outrageous! Everything revolved around serving Vincent and Amanda. I had to obey every command from the men in the house, and all decisions—big or small—had to be approved by them first. He even insisted that, despite being married, I had to maintain a demure demeanor: no showing teeth when I smiled, no loud talking, always sitting up straight, dressing modestly, and taking on all household chores. Anytime I wanted to socialize, I had to report my plans in advance. At first, I resisted these inhumane demands, but each time I tried to discuss it with Vincent, he would get so worked up that he’d end up in the hospital with his old ailments flaring up. Before long, everyone blamed me for being ungrateful and disrespectful to my elders, claiming I was the reason Vincent and Amanda had to run to the hospital so often. So, I swallowed my pride, repeatedly lowering my standards to appease them. In my previous life, it was this very set of rules that had driven me to depression, leading me to take a walk one day, only to be struck by that truck. This time, I wouldn’t allow myself to repeat the same mistakes! Seeing me standing there in silence, Amanda grabbed my arm, pulling me back from my thoughts. “Megan, Vincent looks like he’s about to faint! His health is already fragile. Do you really want to go against him right now? Are you really going to make me beg you?” Her words sent a shiver through me, and I quickly steadied Amanda, who looked ready to collapse. I feigned a look of defeat, pretending to give in. “Amanda, I won’t go to the office anymore… I’ll quit! I’ll do it right now!” But when Vincent heard this, his expression didn’t soften. His piercing gaze searched mine through his glasses; suspicion etched on his face. “Are you really sure you want to quit?” I projected an air of submission as if I’d finally made this decision after a painful struggle. “Yes! Your words have made me reconsider, and they make perfect sense. You’re right! A woman should stay at home, devoted to taking care of you guys and being a good wife!”

I thought to myself, “What do you mean ‘quit your job’? Only a fool would actually do that!” Behind the scenes, I secretly requested a month off from my boss. But in front of Vincent, I staged a little performance with a friend posing as my boss. So, when the night came for my ‘resignation’, Vincent was quite pleased, and Amanda let out a sigh of relief. But my husband, Nick Todd, was anything but calm. “Vincent, Amanda, I can take care of myself at home while I recover. Why do you insist that Megan quit her job?!” Vincent’s expression hardened at Nick’s words. He crossed his arms over his slightly protruding beer belly, adopting that familiar lecturing tone that suggested he’d lived longer than I could imagine. “A woman’s place is at home, supporting her husband and raising children. And I’m not some old-fashioned tyrant. I haven’t forced her to leave you just because she can’t have kids. All I want is for her to stay home and take good care of you while also being a good girl to me and Amanda. I think we’ve made enough concessions as parents. Now you’re telling me she needs to work? Do you really think your income isn’t enough to support her?” Nick was left speechless by this retort. In my previous life, on the day Vincent had brought up my resignation, I had fought back fiercely, unwilling to give up my job just as I was about to get a promotion. That confrontation had sent Vincent into a heart attack, landing him in the hospital, and the entire family had blamed me for being an inconsiderate person. Back then, Nick’s first reaction had been to subtly blame me too. “Megan, my dad’s getting old. Why do you have to argue with him? Can’t you just listen to what he says?” So this time, I decided to play the obedient one. Ironically, Nick was furious with me behind closed doors. “How can you just say you’re quitting? You make a fortune every month! What are we going to do about all the bills for this family after you quit?!” His tone was incredulous, completely at odds with the ‘son who earns 40 to 50 thousand a month’ that Vincent bragged about as if they were two different people! The truth was I was the main breadwinner in our household. After graduation, Nick’s meager income from writing novels at home didn’t even cover the small change from my paycheck. But Nick had inherited his father’s sense of pride, flaunting his ‘accomplishments’ while never correcting Vincent and Amanda’s assumptions. Every time I sent money to Vincent and Amanda, who lived in a small town, it was always under Nick’s name, even though the funds came from my wallet. Over time, everyone believed Nick was doing exceptionally well, sending his parents a whopping 10 thousand a month! In a place where over ninety percent of young people didn’t even make that much in a month, it was no wonder that relatives and neighbors constantly praised them. “Oh, you’ve really hit the jackpot with such a successful son!” “Nick’s always been a good kid! He’s so filial; my son should take a page from his book!” “I remember when he was just a little kid! Look at him now! I’m so envious…” Nick loved the attention, and I never bothered to correct Vincent and Amanda. So, to this day, they had no idea that I was the real backbone of our family’s finances. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation. When they finally realized that the son they were so proud of was actually a useless slacker and that the only substantial income in the family was the job they pressured me to quit, I could only imagine the look on Vincent and Amanda’s faces!

For the past couple of days, I had been feigning illness to avoid Vincent and Amanda, steering clear of any interaction with them. Thanks to Vincent’s self-righteous persona, he didn’t dare barge into my room to lecture me directly. However, that didn’t stop him from finding opportunities to stand at my door and spout off. “Nick, listen to me. We can’t coddle women these days! Back in Amanda’s day, she had a huge scar and still worked hard in the fields! How can Megan just sit in her room all day doing nothing?” Nick, anxious that his carefully crafted image of being wealthy was about to crumble, was busy pouring himself into his writing, hoping to bridge the financial gap. So even though he heard Vincent’s words, he didn’t have time to confront me. Vincent barked at Amanda, “What are you doing? Put that rag down! Don’t you realize how old you are? Those chores aren’t meant for you!” Amanda shot back, “Come on, old man! If we don’t clean, this door will gather dust! Megan’s sick, and we can’t just sit around doing nothing. Besides, I can still manage a little dusting here and there…” “Go ahead! Go on and tire yourself out! If you collapse, this family will fall apart, and then they’ll have no mother…” The two of them stood just outside my door, loudly ‘discussing’ their grievances. Even with earplugs stuffed in, I could hear every word clearly. I knew they were talking to me. Since they hadn’t been living here long, Vincent was too proud to reveal his true nature and lay down the law directly. As for their complaints about dust on the door? I had only been in my room for two days, not two years. Amanda pretended to defend me, but she was just as lethal as Vincent, always playing the victim while subtly twisting the knife. Days dragged on in this tedious manner, with Vincent becoming increasingly irritable, creating all sorts of noise, and Amanda occasionally crying just outside my door. Even Nick, usually wrapped up in his creative endeavors, started popping into my room more frequently to check on my health. I realized my sick act was wearing thin! But on the bright side, my self-imposed retreat was nearing its end. The next morning, as Vincent returned from his early morning workout, he saw me finally opening my door. The pent-up frustration from the past days spilled over, and he couldn’t help but throw a sarcastic remark my way. “Whoa! Who do we have here? Did you get lost on your way out?” Amanda quickly intervened, rushing to my side, “Now, now, old man, let’s not be too harsh. Megan, come on, it’s time to eat.” Once we all sat down at the table, Amanda put on a sincere yet apologetic expression and said to me, “I just got here, so I’m not sure what you like. My eyesight isn’t what it used to be, and I accidentally cut my hand while doing chores yesterday. Cooking is a bit tricky for me right now, so if it doesn’t taste great… please bear with me.” With that well-rehearsed speech, she effectively ignited a silent war at the table. Vincent’s face darkened immediately. “Do you know what people are saying about Nick getting such a great wife? She’s always locked up in her room, making us do all the dirty work. It’s like she thinks she’s the boss around here!” Nick, who prided himself on his image, couldn’t take it anymore. “Megan, what’s gotten into you lately? My mom works so hard taking care of this house, and you just sit there, not even cooking your own meals. And when she does cook for you, you still find something to complain about!” I moved slightly, and he misinterpreted it as reaching for a fork. “Don’t even think about eating! Are you really that clueless? Can’t you see my dad is upset? Go reflect on your behavior according to our family rules, and apologize to Mom properly. Otherwise, don’t think this is over between us!” Despite being prepared for this, their blatant disrespect still managed to amuse me. This whole family, living off the groceries I buy, wearing luxury clothes paid for with my salary, using items from the property that’s in my name, had the audacity to scold me, the owner, as if I was their subordinate. They were right about one thing: in the past two years, my constant giving in and indulgence had emboldened them, making them forget their place and treat me like an inferior.

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My husband had a sister who, while not biological, might as well have been. He gave her the Public Relations Officer position I had worked so hard to earn, just because she couldn’t handle the struggles of the Rural Community Development Program. When I was lying in a hospital bed after my miscarriage, he was busy taking care of his sister, who’d just had her appendix removed. And when I finally got into Yale, he handed that spot to her as well, saying, “Claire needs this more.” She took everything I worked for and still had the nerve to push me into the street, where I was hit by a car. I died angry, filled with regret for my own weakness. Given a second chance, I immediately filed for divorce. But my ever-cold husband refused. I blinked my eyes open, the stark white ceiling overhead coming into view. A dull ache tugged at my lower abdomen. Where was I? Wasn’t I hit by a car? The sensation of being thrown by the impact, the searing pain as I hit the ground—those memories felt like they’d happened just a second ago. “Emily, you’ve just had a miscarriage. You need to rest!” A woman’s voice, gentle and concerned, reached my ears. I turned my head. It was a young nurse. A miscarriage? I’ve been reborn. In my previous life, I’d spent two grueling months preparing for the Steelworks Factory entrance exam. I thought I had it in the bag, but when the final list of hires came out, my name was missing. I was devastated for days, but I tried to rationalize it—competition was fair, and there were always people better than you. Then, I overheard some gossip: “Andrew Carson is so impartial. He even gave away his own wife’s position to someone else.” “Right? The Public Relations office hardly hires anyone. They only took two people this time, and Claire Carson was third in line—just missed the cut.” “Andrew said his wife volunteered to give it up, so Claire could take the spot.” A woman nearby scoffed, spitting a sunflower seed shell on the ground. “He didn’t want Claire dealing with the rough conditions of the Rural Program. Claire’s living the good life while Emily Shaw doesn’t even know what hit her. Poor Emily—her husband’s never on her side.” The words hit me like a thunderbolt. I drifted home like a ghost, grocery bag in hand, my mind filled with the joy I’d felt when I thought I’d passed, the buried rage, and the unbearable bitterness of being replaced. I had passed the exam, but Andrew had taken it upon himself to make me “volunteer” my spot for Claire. Who the hell did Andrew think he was? How dare he play the hero with my opportunity without even consulting me? Did he know it was wrong, and that’s why he didn’t even ask? Just because he was my husband didn’t give him the right to make decisions for me. I dropped the groceries in the kitchen and stormed out to confront Claire. Andrew was still at work, but Claire would be home. “Emily, what a surprise! What brings you by?” Claire greeted me when she opened the door. I didn’t say a word. I just stared at her. She was nineteen, full of youthful energy, her big doe eyes practically begging for sympathy. The kind of girl most men would trip over themselves to protect, eager to give her anything she wanted. Andrew was clearly one of those men. “Did Andrew give you the Public Relations Officer position?” I asked, cutting right to the point. For a brief moment, panic flickered across Claire’s face, but she quickly smothered it. Rubbing her fingers nervously, she forced an awkward smile. “Emily, what are you talking about? I earned that spot myself.” She glanced around nervously before grabbing my hand. “Why don’t we talk inside? It’s not convenient standing out here.” Inside? Yeah, right. Claire was clearly guilty.

I yanked my hand from her grip, my expression cold and mocking. “You earned it? Claire, you barely scraped by in high school. You’ve spent the last few years partying, doing nothing productive. You really expect anyone to believe you earned that spot? You could ask the stray dogs on the street, and they wouldn’t believe you.” Seeing that I wasn’t about to back down, Claire’s eyes welled up with tears, her lip trembling in a picture of pure innocence. “They’ve been encouraging young, unemployed people like me to join the Rural Program. I just complained about it to Andrew, and he thought of a way to help me,” she explained pitifully. “I’ve heard farm work is dirty and exhausting. My parents always pampered me—how could I handle that? Besides, if I went away, my mom would be all alone. I just couldn’t leave her.” She looked at me, pleading. “Emily, please, let me have this chance. You’re so talented. You’ll easily pass the next Steelworks Factory entrance exam!” Sure, I passed the exam through hard work, but that didn’t mean Claire had the right to steal the fruits of my labor! I scoffed. “How can you justify taking what I’ve worked for? I’m going to get justice for myself. Let’s go—right now. We’ll go to the Company Board of Directors. Andrew doesn’t get to make all the decisions at that factory.” I grabbed Claire by the wrist and started dragging her down the stairs. Panicking, she struggled to break free. “I’m not going! Andrew promised the job to me, and that’s final. I won’t go to the countryside—I won’t!” Driven by her fear of the Rural Program, Claire yanked her arm out of my grip with all her strength. I lost my balance, tumbling down the stairs. A sharp pain shot through my abdomen, followed by a warm, wet sensation. Before I passed out, I caught a glimpse of Claire’s expression. Her panic had given way to smug satisfaction. And then I woke up, alive again. I placed a hand over my stomach. I’m sorry, little one. I couldn’t protect you in this second chance either. But don’t worry—I’ll make sure justice is served for you. The nurse mistook my silence for grief, thinking I was still mourning the loss of my child. She sighed softly and tried to comfort me. “Don’t be too upset. You’ll have more chances to have children. For now, focus on recovering.” Tears slipped down my cheeks, soaking the pillow. I wiped them away and forced a smile. “Thank you, nurse.” She efficiently replaced the IV and continued. “It’s my job. But where’s your husband? He should be here with you after something like this.” Andrew was probably with his beloved sister, Claire, right now. I’d never been able to compete with her for his attention. I offered a bitter smile, making an excuse to save face. “He’s busy with work. I’m sure he’ll come when he has time.” The nurse shook her head disapprovingly. “A baby takes two to make. How could his work be more important than your health? Honestly, some men…” Knowing better than to delve too deeply into someone else’s personal matters, she trailed off and checked her watch. “I’m on the night shift tonight. Call me if you need anything.” I nodded gratefully. “Thank you, nurse.” The next morning, after I’d finished breakfast, there was a knock at the door. It was my husband, Andrew Carson. With his sharp features and lean frame, he looked every bit the handsome, stoic man I’d married. But as he sat down by my bed, his brow furrowed in mild annoyance. “How could you be so careless? How did you not know you were pregnant?”

This was my husband. I had just suffered a miscarriage and was in the hospital. He showed up late, and the first thing he did was scold me. “My periods are always irregular. I didn’t know I was pregnant,” I said, looking at him with a mix of frustration and pain. “And why are you questioning me? Claire pushed me down the stairs—if you want to blame someone, blame her!” Andrew rubbed his temples, the dark circles under his eyes giving away the fact that he hadn’t slept well, likely because he had been up all night caring for Claire. “Claire is still just a kid. She told me it was an accident. Besides, if you hadn’t dragged her to the Company Board of Directors to argue, she wouldn’t have lost her balance and accidentally pushed you down the stairs.” A nineteen-year-old kid? Was he serious? It was laughable. Andrew Carson always had an excuse for Claire. “So, what you’re saying is, I deserved to lose the baby? That it’s my fault for not throwing a bone to the rabid dog so it wouldn’t bite me?” I snapped, feeling the anger rise. Without thinking, I grabbed the ceramic cup on the bedside table and threw it at him. Andrew dodged it, and the cup shattered against the floor. Calmly, he bent down, picked up the pieces, and placed them back on the table, his expression stern, as though he were dealing with a child having a tantrum. “Emily, I’m upset about the baby too, but I’ve already given the Public Relations position to Claire. Let’s just put this matter to rest and move on. Don’t make this messier than it needs to be.” “I made a promise to Jon—I swore I’d take care of Claire as if she were my own sister. I can’t just stand by and watch her suffer in the Rural Program. Letting her stay at the Steelworks Factory was the best option.” Jon, Jon, Jon—everything came back to Jonathan Carson, his best friend from childhood. Andrew had stayed behind in Pittsburgh, working his way up to factory manager, thanks to both his skills and his family’s connections. Meanwhile, Jon had joined the army, choosing to serve his country. Four years ago, Jon had died on a mission, leaving behind a letter asking Andrew to look after his mother and sister. Andrew had been heartbroken by his best friend’s death and had taken Jon’s request seriously. With Jon gone, he was constantly worrying about Claire and her mom, always there for them. In the two years we’d been married, I’d heard him use Jon’s name as an excuse to favor Claire more times than I could count. It was a familiar refrain in my ears by now. I hadn’t minded when it was just a little extra cash, some grocery coupons, or even gifts he bought for them. Those were Andrew’s things—he could give them to whoever he wanted. I didn’t care. But the Public Relations Officer job was mine. I earned it, and he had no right to take it from me. Move on? Was Andrew afraid the whole factory would find out he used his position to pull strings for Claire? I let out a bitter laugh, tears stinging my eyes. Andrew had fulfilled his promise to Jon, taking care of his sister and making sure she didn’t have to suffer in the Rural Program. Claire got a cushy job at the factory, all thanks to him. And what about me? My hard-earned position had been stolen, and I had lost my baby. Now, my husband was telling me to just drop it, to stop making things difficult. Anger and sadness twisted inside me, leaving my mind blank. My tongue felt tied, and I couldn’t find the words to respond. Seeing my silence, Andrew pressed on. “I know this is unfair to you, but I promise, this is the only time I’ll do this. It won’t happen again.” He sounded sincere, each word filled with emotion. In my last life, when Andrew had begged for my forgiveness in that soft voice, I’d believed him. I’d been naive. Back then, I had grown up in a small town, where they’d sent a few of the city’s volunteers to work. Those city folks couldn’t handle the farm work—half of them couldn’t even carry their own weight. The women had it even worse, constantly complaining about the long days in the sun and the hard labor. I had felt sorry for Claire then, a young girl being sent to the rural areas, working the land. Andrew had convinced me to let it go, and I had agreed to drop the issue. When Claire found out I wasn’t going to fight anymore, she had come to my house, full of gratitude. “Emily, I can’t thank you enough! Don’t worry, I’ll work hard and make you proud in that job!” She had clenched her fist and pumped it in the air, like she was making some sort of dramatic pledge. The room had been filled with laughter and good spirits. At the time, I had thought, “It’s just this once.” But, as it turned out, a wolf in sheep’s clothing is still a wolf. What happened next completely blindsided me.

Later, Claire came flaunting my college acceptance letter right in my face. “Emily, I can’t thank you enough! First, you got me the Steelworks Factory job, so I wouldn’t have to go to the Rural Program. And now, with the reinstatement of the college entrance exams, you went ahead and got me into Yale! What a sister-in-law you are!” “I just told Andrew that I’d never be able to get married without a college degree, and without hesitation, he let me take your spot.” She laughed—a cruel, mocking sound that burned in my ears. “You fool! You were always meant to pave the way for me. Andrew doesn’t even care about you! You miscarried after I pushed you down the stairs, and I faked a stomachache to get my appendix removed. Andrew stayed by my side all night!” “Face it, Emily, you should’ve stayed in that little town of yours. Stop trying to take what belongs to me. Once I finish college, you’ll be old news, and Andrew will realize that we’re the ones who truly belong together!” Her words sent a wave of fury crashing over me. In my past life, this had been the moment I lost control. Betrayed, humiliated, I had dragged Claire to the education board to demand my spot at Yale. But as we crossed the street, she pushed me into oncoming traffic. That was how my miserable, short life had ended. Looking back, I could see it clearly: “Villains walk with ease, while the righteous are laid low.” Once you compromise your principles, others will exploit every inch you give them. I had been too kind for my own good in my past life. But this time, things would be different. This time, I would take back what was mine. As for Andrew’s promises? They meant nothing to me now. I could barely tolerate hearing him speak. After my miscarriage, he had chosen to comfort Claire after her surgery. Andrew wasn’t fit to be a husband, though he certainly excelled at playing the role of the doting brother. He could go ahead and be the best brother in the world. It didn’t matter to me anymore. I had lived twice, and I was done being disappointed in Andrew Carson. Without bothering to argue further, I lay back in the hospital bed, pulling the covers up around me. “Fine, I understand. Now, please leave.” Andrew stood there for a moment, as if uncertain, but then leaned down to tuck the covers around me, his face filled with guilt. “You know, working in Public Relations isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It’s exhausting, always writing reports and handling press. Being the wife of the factory manager is much more relaxed. People would kill to be in your shoes.” Andrew always had this self-important air, acting like he was doing me a favor, like I owed him something. Still lying on my side, I rolled my eyes. The more he talked, the more I just wanted him to leave. It was as annoying as the barking of a dog. “Get out!” I spat, finally letting loose. It was the first time in both my lives that I’d spoken to Andrew that way, and it felt so satisfying. That man didn’t deserve my patience. Silence followed for a moment. Then I heard him sigh heavily before his footsteps retreated out the door. I assumed he was off to care for his precious sister again. Outside, the sun shone brightly, a soft breeze rustling the leaves on the trees. This time, I would live for myself. I spent a week recovering in the hospital before the doctors sent me home with instructions to take it easy for a while. As luck would have it, Claire was also being discharged that same day. So, naturally, Andrew was busy running around handling her paperwork while I managed to check myself out, alone. Slowly, I made my way back to the Worker’s Apartments. When I reached the building, I saw a familiar figure standing at the entrance. Her hair was neatly styled, and she wore a clean, tidy outfit. At her feet were several large bags and two bound chickens. “Mom?” She turned around, eyes full of worry. She hurried over to me, putting her arms around me for support. “When you called yesterday, I made your father pack everything up, and we took the first bus to get here,” she said, gently poking my forehead, her tone both scolding and loving. “How could you be so bold? You went through something this serious, and you didn’t tell us until yesterday? If you’d called sooner, I could have come to take care of you!”

In my previous life, after my miscarriage, I didn’t want my family to worry, so I didn’t tell my parents a single word about what had happened. If I didn’t say anything, Andrew certainly wouldn’t, so my parents thought my marriage was just fine. When I died in that car accident, my parents would have lost their daughter, their hearts heavy with grief. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how devastated they would be. Tears filled my eyes, and I quickly wiped them away, forcing a light smile. “I called to let you and Dad know; I just took a little longer. Please don’t be angry, Mom.” My mom placed the items she brought on the table and sat down on the couch. “Raising a child is a lifetime of worry, especially after something like this. I brought two chickens for dinner; I’ll cook one for you tonight. You need to eat well and take care of yourself!” These days, there were regulations on how many chickens each household could keep, and we only had one left. The saying that a child with a caring mother is worth a fortune couldn’t be truer. I wrapped my arms around my mom and rested my head on her shoulder. “Thanks, Mom. You’re the best.” She smiled, gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “Don’t think you can just get away with being coddled. You didn’t explain things clearly yesterday on the phone. Now you need to tell me honestly how my grandbaby ended up this way.” I fell silent for a moment. I knew this marriage was bound to end. Instead of hiding the truth and letting my parents worry, it was better to lay everything out on the table. So I shared the whole story of my miscarriage, including Andrew’s blatant favoritism towards Claire. After hearing everything, my mom was furious, launching into a tirade against Claire and Andrew. “That little brat, Claire Carson! Stealing your job, pushing you down the stairs, and now she has the nerve to come here! How shameless can she be?” “And Andrew isn’t any better. He always favors outsiders. I never approved of you marrying him. Who took your grandfather’s matchmaking seriously? But you liked him, so your dad and I kept quiet. But now look at the life you’re living!” Years ago, Andrew’s grandfather was injured in a war and fell off a cliff; my grandfather saved him. To repay that favor, they arranged for us to marry. Three years ago, when Andrew’s grandfather fell ill, he wanted to see his only grandson settled down and remembered the old promise. Andrew was charming and had an air of sophistication about him, so I quickly fell for him. My parents were worried about me moving to the city, fearing I’d be taken advantage of. But both grandfathers pushed for the marriage, and I insisted on going through with it. My parents prepared a nice dowry, happily sending me off. Little did I know, the marriage I had anticipated would end up like this. Andrew was my husband but also Claire’s brother. His favoritism toward her far outweighed what he gave me. Once unfaithful, always untrustworthy. I had already paid the ultimate price in my past life. Seeing my mom so worked up, I gently patted her back to calm her down. “Mom, please don’t be angry. It’s not worth getting upset over someone like that.” “And I want to divorce Andrew.”

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My roommate‘s brother is recruiting for a factory. ＂You can earn 10,000 in a month doing part-time work.＂ I think it’s a scam. At the same time, my family’s small factory is recruiting part-time worker,and I took them to my family. In order to take care of my classmates, my mother gave us four thousand a month, provide food and housing But my roommate heard that the long-term worker can get seven thousand per month, they said that my family are devil. Not only did they report my parents to the to the Labour Bureau, but also went on a live broadcast saying that our products were defective. My family went bankrupt. My parents committed suicide. I was so traumatized that I fell overboard. When I woke up, I was back at the day they discussed going to work part-time. …… ＂My brother said the work is easy and pays well.＂ The fan was whirring in the cramped dormitory. Abby said these words to us from her bed. The other two said, “Wow.” Connie asked, ＂Can we have such good conditions?＂ ＂Sure.＂ Abby patted his chest and said, ＂My brother is the HR in the factory. He told me that as long as you go you can get your salary. The factory is also near the sea, we can also go to the beach on days off.＂ Abby described the part-time life very good, it seems they would like to take the train right now. Suddenly Abby changed the topic to me: “Barbara, do you want to go with us?” Looking at her face, I tried to control my anger. I could never have imagined that such a pure exterior hid a heart like a demon. I smiled gently at her. ＂I can’t go. I have to go back to help my mother.＂ ＂You come with us. Why stay at home when you can make $20,000 in two months over the summer?＂ I got up with my book. ＂Sorry, my mom said no, I have to go to the library to study now.＂ ＂You’re so grown up!＂ They laughed. I left the dorm and went to the library. The cold air made me realize what was real. I wasn’t angry at those three people. I was thankful. I was reborn. In my last life, Abby also suggested a the idea of taking a part-time job in the summer vacation. The factory was in my hometown. I knew that the average factory would only offer 8,000 for the long-term workers. It would be impossible to be so generous to the summer job. I told Abby it was a scam and to look for another job. My family was recruiting, so I told them I wanted to work at home as a summer job. My parents opened a garment factory. They needed help with simple tasks or work in the air-conditioned house. I didn’t worry about recruiting people for this position at home. My mother offers a high salary. And for my classmates, my mother takes care of them like children, so she decided to pay them a monthly salary of 4000, without mandatory workload, and also provides food and accommodation. My housemates agreed when I told them.

We got along well at the start of the first half-month. We’ve been roommates since our first year at college. Abby is the head of the dorm, beautiful and talkative. She’s also a good mediator between us. They work hard. My mother likes them and gives me money to take them to a local restaurant. Abby heard the others who works together talking about how much they were making and got really angry. She asked my mother if she was using them as cheap labour. But the truth was Abby and the other girls had one-third the workload of the others. ＂We are college students, so we cost more than hiring those rural women. You are paying for knowledge.＂Abby said. My mom was confused. She didn’t know what knowledge was needed for packing. But Abby was my classmate, so she asked, ＂How should we settle it?＂ They wanted my mother to pay them half a month’s salary so they could leave. My mom wanted to put the whole thing to rest, so she paid her with what she Abby asked for. I didn’t think this would cause a problem. When Abby left, she told the workers what she had done. How can the salary of temporary workers be better than those of old employees. So they want my mom to give them a raise. Just as the workers’ commotion subsided, Abby began to turn into a demon again. She put this on the Internet, saying that my parents was devil who forced them to work. This news spread widely online and she became very famous. People online proposed ideas, and she followed them. She called the labor department, tax bureau, and fire department every three days. My family was a small business, although it is not illegal, we still cannot tolerate people coming to inspect every day. My mother asked if she could pay her a settlement to stop it.. At this point, the discussion about this matter on the internet was no longer as hot, until she sent a text message online, asking for my mother’s forgiveness. She also revealed my home, saying that the quality of my clothes is very poor. My family was a supplier to big brands. This incident led to high liquidated damages. My parents’ hair turned white overnight. Under the pressure of public opinion and liquidated damages, they took medicine to commit suicide. I lost my family because I brought my roommates home. After my parents died, I had a mental breakdown. I lived a muddled life, unable to distinguish between dream and reality. I saw my parents on the beach and walked towards them. I fell into the sea when the sea water got into my nose. It was too late. I don’t think I learned much in the library. By the time I had thought about it, the library had started to kick people out. Back in the dorm, the girls still wanted to work part-time. I went to shower and didn’t want to be a part of this. If I didn’t care about them, they still wanted to care about me. After I showered and dried my hair, Abby came over. She said her brother needed four people and had already signed me up. She asked me to pay the sign-up fee. She had a kind face and looked like she wanted me to thank her. I looked straight at her and said, ＂Who asked you to sign me up?＂

Abby froze and frowned, ＂What’s your attitude? I’m being kind.＂ I looked at her. ＂I said I’m not going. Why are you reporting this to me?＂ Abby’s face showed panic, but she quickly calmed down. She scolded me, ＂If you’re not going, don’t slander people.＂ The argument attracted Connie and the girls. Connie was naturally on Abby’s side. She rolled her eyes at me, ＂Barbara, you’re too much. Abby said we work part-time together with you is to avoid isolating you. You just don’t know how to appreciate good people.” Zoe also backed Abby, saying, ＂That;s right. Liu Barbara, you’re so unsociable.＂ ＂Good intentions?＂ I sneered, ＂Who knows what she did with my information? Maybe she sold it to a pyramid scheme.＂ People from other dorms came to see what was going on. More and more people gathered at our door. ＂Barbara, you’ve gone too far!＂ Abby ran out after yelling. Zoe chased me out. ＂Are you satisfied?＂ I said loudly, ＂What? She leaked my information. She also did something wrong.＂ My voice echoed through the dormitory. Other students thoght I have no problems with this move. They were wondering if Abby was connected with those pyramid selling organizations. That night, Abby cried all night in the dormitory. The next day, the teacher discovered it. When the teacher brought us over, Abby thought I was outnumbered and that the teacher would say something favorable to her. She was very rude to the teacher, saying that I had wronged her. After listened to my words, the teacher asked Abby to apologize to me. “If you take someone’s ID card without their consent, then you are wrong. If Barbara is serious, you may enter the police station.” The teacher frowned at the seriousness of the matter. Abby apologized to me. I feel happy to see her looking nauseous. The teacher asked me to leave first, leaving the three of them to discuss summer job scams. After this, I have completely broken off relations with Abby and the others. In the dormitory, they isolated me and spoke ill of me loudly. I recorded their words and told the mentor. I wanted to change dormitories. But it was difficult to change dormitories at the end of the semester, but she can pay me to stay in a hotel and change dormitories next semester. I know the mentor was also well intentioned, changing dormitories at the end of the semester is not easy. I agreed. The three of them also had to review for the final exam. We didn’t speak for the last week but didn’t have any big arguments. The final exams were over. I bought a ticket to go home. When I got on the train, I realized Abby and the three of them had bought tickets on the same train. She was sitting opposite me.

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“Trish, that streamer is a friend of mine from school. I was just supporting her career, and it was only a hundred thousand dollars! Plus, it wasn’t even your money, it was Mom’s. Are you seriously so mad that you’re going to cut off my card and send me to some strict school where they’ll even take my phone? Are you still my sister?” “Yeah, Trish, it’s just a hundred thousand. Mom isn’t upset, so why are you? Besides, I couldn’t bear to see Ryan go through hardship. If he went to that school, I’d only get to see him once a month. For my sake, please, drop this idea…” I opened my eyes, feeling disoriented as I looked at the two familiar faces in front of me. Anger and sadness nearly overwhelmed me as I fought the urge to strangle them right then and there. Because just a moment ago, in my mind, these two—along with my sister and her husband—had conspired to burn me alive in this very house. After my gruesome death, I had watched helplessly as they took all of the billions my biological parents left me and moved abroad to live carefree lives. That’s right, I wasn’t their biological daughter. I was the one they found on the side of the road. After they picked me up, my adoptive parents, who had struggled for years to have children, suddenly had a son, Ryan Harris, and a daughter, Lily Harris. They didn’t treat me terribly, because in a small Midwestern farm town, all they had to do was give me food to eat. They drilled into my head that as the older sister, I had the responsibility to take care of my younger siblings. At five, I was already changing diapers and feeding them formula. By the time I graduated middle school, I gave up further education and started working at an assembly plant. Each month, I earned nearly ten thousand dollars in overtime, but I only kept about a thousand for myself. The rest went home to support my brother and sister’s education. When I turned twenty, a representative from my biological parents found me. It was then I learned the truth: I wasn’t their biological daughter. My real parents were two professors at Georgetown University. Years ago, they were hunted down for protecting their research. They left me in a safe place temporarily, but by the time they came back, I had already been taken in by my adoptive family. My adoptive parents had returned to rural South Carolina. There weren’t many security cameras around back then, and by the time my biological parents found me, years had passed. My mother had grown sick with guilt and depression and ended her life, while my father, devastated, continued searching for me for over a decade until he passed away last year… Life can be cruel. I was only found by my biological parents’ representative a year after they had both died. I had gone from a factory worker to the heir of a billion-dollar fortune practically overnight! But with my biological parents gone, and being a twenty-year-old girl desperate for familial affection and weighed down by a strong sense of responsibility for my siblings, I made the foolish decision to bring my entire adoptive family to Washington D.C. with me. I thought, they raised me, so I should make sure they live well now that I had the means to. I moved my adoptive parents into a mansion on the outskirts of D.C., spared no expense, and enrolled my reckless brother in a high-end boarding school. He had gone off the rails after we came into money, partying, drinking, drag racing, even stealing my parents’ phone to send donations to his favorite streamers. A semester at this school cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, but I wanted him to be successful, so I even sent him to an elite overseas university. When he returned, I gave him millions to start his own business… As for me, I regretted not being able to attend college. I was talented, but I never had the chance to learn new skills or wear all the pretty clothes I longed for. So, I hired the best tutors for my sister and bought her all the fashionable clothes and designer handbags she wanted, turning her into a little princess. But my sister wasn’t grateful. She complained that I put too much pressure on her, that she never wanted to learn those things. She spent my money at school pretending to be a wealthy heiress, dated a rich kid, and ended up pregnant. She refused to have an abortion. Because of her stubbornness, I had to drag her to the rich kid’s family and force them to marry her. My biological parents had a good relationship with Keith Morgan, CEO of the Morgan Corporation. It was through Keith that I was found in the first place. The rich kid’s family didn’t like my sister, but they couldn’t say no because of Keith Morgan. So, despite their disdain, they let her marry into the family. Even though my sister was finally married to a wealthy man, her husband would beat her, but she refused to leave, and I had to clean up the mess every time. My adoptive father was a gambler and a drunk. When he got drunk, he would beat my adoptive mother. If I hadn’t stepped in to pay off his debts and get him into rehab, he would’ve been killed by debt collectors. I thought I had done everything for this family, treated them like my real family, even though we weren’t related by blood. And yet, they conspired to burn me alive to take my fortune! Trish Harris, you should’ve died long ago! You inherited all that wealth, and as our daughter, you should’ve given it all to us. You never really treated us like your real parents! All we did was ask for a little more money, and you couldn’t even give us a few million dollars when you’re worth billions! Some sister you are! No wonder we’re not related by blood. My husband asked you for two million to invest, and you refused, so now I have to suffer his abuse. You never treated me like your real sister! In my final moments, I looked at my adoptive parents, hoping for some sympathy, but they turned away, cold and indifferent, watching as the flames consumed me. Pulled out of my memories, I stared at the two familiar faces in front of me, my hands trembling with overwhelming hatred. Heaven has eyes, and I’ve been given a second chance. This time, I won’t make the same mistakes as before! Though I wasn’t reborn to the moment when I was first found by my biological parents and had the chance to leave my adoptive family behind, this moment is still good enough. At this point in time, my adoptive family is already used to living a wealthy lifestyle because of me. They’ve gotten comfortable not working, knowing they can rely on me, their “cheap” daughter and sister, to give them tens of thousands of dollars in allowance at the drop of a hat… It’s hard to go back once you’ve lived in luxury. I’m curious to see how they’ll maintain this lifestyle once I’m gone! Suppressing my anger, I nodded. “You’re right. It was your money he used, so I have no right to be upset.” My adoptive mother looked a bit surprised. After all, her money came from me, so I had every right to be angry. But seeing that I had softened my stance, she breathed a sigh of relief. Ryan, too, was ecstatic. “So, you’re not sending me to boarding school?” “No, I’m not.” My adoptive mother, noticing my expression, gave Ryan a subtle nod, and he hurriedly left the room. She then tried to comfort me. “Trish, it’s not that I’m siding with your brother, but he’s still young. He needs to be guided carefully. If we send him to boarding school now, it might make him even more rebellious. I know you mean well, but we need to take it slow.” I lowered my eyes. “He’s already spent a hundred thousand this month. I won’t be giving him any more allowance.” “That’s fine. He should learn that money doesn’t come easily…” Before she could say more, I cut her off. “I’m tired.” Upstairs, I reflected on my past life. Back then, I had insisted on sending Ryan to boarding school. To calm him down, my adoptive parents took him on a trip to Miami. I had even transferred money to my adoptive mother with a message: Ryan must be upset. Why don’t you and Dad take him and Lily on a trip to Miami?

When my adoptive mother received the money, she excitedly agreed to the vacation. “See, Ryan? You can relax. Your sister is still family. She’s just worried about you, but she won’t abandon us. Look, she just sent another $200,000 for us to take a trip!” Ryan let out a sigh of relief, sneering. “Trish Harris, don’t think this means I ’ll forgive you!” Lily, on the other hand, was less pleased. “What about me, sis?” “Didn’t I just send you money the other day? Or are you spending it all on Bradley again, buying him gifts?” My words hit a nerve. Lily knew full well that I disapproved of her spending money to chase after Bradley. Suddenly, she didn’t dare ask for more. But when she heard that we were going to Miami, usually the first to pack her bags for a trip, she unexpectedly declined this time. “Mom, Dad, I can’t go. Trish got me an internship at Morgan Corporation. It’s a big opportunity. I need to stay.” Morgan Corporation was one of the top companies in the country, and landing an internship there was highly competitive. In my past life, I had gone to great lengths to get Lily that opportunity. I had even reached out to Keith Morgan, a man I hadn’t spoken to since he helped find me, and used my biological parents’ connections to secure it for her. With my lack of education, I had hoped my sister could build a solid foundation and one day work for a top company like Morgan Corporation. But instead, she had secretly turned down the internship to run off abroad with Bradley Adams and ended up pregnant. When she returned, she boasted that she had planned the whole thing, claiming that getting pregnant was her way of ensuring she would marry into Bradley’s wealthy family. Lily had been so short-sighted, and though I had been heartbroken, I still fought for her. I dragged her to Bradley’s family and forced them to marry her, even though he hadn’t taken her seriously at all. That action had used up all of the goodwill Keith Morgan and my biological parents had for me. After that, I couldn’t bring myself to reach out to Keith again. But this time… After sending my adoptive parents and Ryan off, I watched as Lily tried her old tricks again. “Sis, Morgan Corporation is pretty far from here. I heard from my mentor that when she interned there, she was working late every night. I was thinking, maybe I could rent a place nearby and stay there until the internship is over.” I smiled and transferred some money to her. “Sure. Good luck with your internship.” Lily, delighted, packed her bags and left. Soon after, the private investigator I had hired informed me that Lily had gone straight to the airport and followed Bradley overseas… I immediately contacted a realtor and put the mansion up for sale at a reduced price. Then, I went to the study and storage room. Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked around. The storage room was filled with my biological parents’ belongings. When we had moved here, my adoptive parents had wanted to throw them away, calling them unlucky since they were from dead people. I had fought to keep them, so they were stashed away in the storage room. I opened the cabinet in the study and felt a surge of anger when I saw the paintings inside. In my previous life, I hadn’t known that my biological parents’ legacy included more than just this mansion and the money in the bank. There were also their valuable art collections. Any one of these paintings could fetch hundreds of thousands at auction. But I hadn’t realized that in my previous life. My adoptive father had secretly sold them off to fuel his gambling addiction. Dozens of priceless paintings, along with my parents’ research and manuscripts, had all been sold by my adoptive father. And I, their biological daughter, had been none the wiser! If I hadn’t seen him rushing to grab the last few paintings before my death, I might never have known… Tears blurred my vision as I stared at the photos of my real parents, their loving smiles forever frozen in time. I called a moving company and had all my biological parents’ belongings sent to their old house near Georgetown University. As for me, I stayed. There’s no way I’d leave before seeing how this family falls apart. While they were on vacation, I made several preparations. I installed hidden cameras in every corner of the house. The mansion had already been sold, and since I had offered it for a lower price than the market value, the buyer agreed to let me stay for another month. It wasn’t long before my adoptive parents returned with Ryan. Ryan, acting as if nothing had happened, immediately asked me for more spending money. I didn’t even look at him. “No. You used this month’s allowance on that streamer.” Ryan was furious. “That was Mom’s money! Trish, you’re so stingy, no wonder you don’t have any friends!” My adoptive mother hesitated, but before she could say anything, I cut her off. “Mom, didn’t you say Ryan needed to learn how hard it is to make money?” Seeing that I was serious about teaching Ryan a lesson, she didn’t push back. Instead, she secretly slipped him some cash. She figured that if she ran out of money, she could just ask me for more. But I was one step ahead. “Mom, I’ve already given you the household allowance for the month. You wouldn’t have secretly given it to Ryan, would you?” She immediately looked guilty and denied it. She had given all her money to Ryan, leaving nothing for my adoptive father. He rarely asked me for money directly, so it was usually my adoptive mother who asked on his behalf. But this time, since she didn’t have enough to give him, my adoptive father, drunk and furious, beat her half to death. Screaming, my adoptive mother begged me for help. “Trish! Trish, stop your father! He’s going to kill me!” I remained calm. “Mom, Dad’s just drunk. When he sobers up, he’ll apologize, right? Isn’t that what you always told me?” My adoptive mother looked at me in disbelief. After all, every time this happened before, I had jumped in to stop him, getting beaten black and blue in her place. And every time, I would urge her to leave him. But she always cried and said, “Trish, he’s your father. We’ve got three kids together. How can you tell me to leave him? He only gets like this when he’s drunk. He’ll be sorry and apologize when he sobers up…” Since she was so forgiving, all I could do was respect her decision. So this time, I stood back and watched as my adoptive father nearly beat her to death. He took her hidden stash of money and ran off to gamble again. My adoptive mother was confused by my sudden change in behavior but couldn’t afford to anger me, as she still depended on my money. A month later, Lily, who had been anxiously taking pregnancy tests every day, showed up at my door, tearfully holding a positive result… I couldn’t help but smirk.

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The house collapsed. My husband spent a lot of money to save his first love. I was left in the rubble, waiting for death. But I survived. He said he cares about me, but he invited me to be his wedding bridesmaid with his first love. On the day of the wedding, I dressed up. I also brought his fianc é e’s “long gone” boyfriend as a groomsman. …… I was dug out, covered in broken glass. The nurse was helping me clean up while wondering why my wounds looked like they were caused by an explosion. I stayed silent. Andrew and his first love Gillian were being interviewed at the same time. The video of him digging for Gillian went viral. This love story about earthquake rescue was the most popular. Reporters kept asking Andrew questions. They called him ‘the most handsome boyfriend in the world!’ The whole ward knows about him. Even my doctor said he loves his girlfriend. He dug with his bare hands for hours. The wounds were deep. He also showed me the video. Andrew was kneeling on the rubble, digging with his hands in front of the rebar and glass. Glass pierced all his hands. He shouted Gillian’s name and kept digging. In the end, he spent a huge sum of money to find a professional blaster to help him blast the floorboards to get Gillian out. He saw Gillian. He cried. The doctor wiped his tears and said, ‘If I had someone to love me, I’d be happy. There aren’t many good men like this.’ My mouth twitched. A good man. I thought about those three words, then looked at Andrew feeding congee to Gillian. He forgot he had a wife. He forgot I was under the floor too. I was buried because I saved him. He only talked about his love for Gillian. He didn’t mention me at all. The only time he thought of me was when people were recording the death list and asking if my name was on it. He looked disappointed when people told him I was still alive. He didn’t think I would survive the disaster. But we were in the same ward. Every day, I saw him looking at me as he took care of Gillian.

Andrew looked at me, surprised. He brought over the leftovers and put them in front of me. I was wrapped in bandages. The nurse looked sad when she gave me my medicine. But Andrew looked at me with disgust. He couldn’t stand the smell of my rotting body. He looked like he was going to vomit. ‘I got these to eat. Eat them yourself or I will get someone to feed you.’ He pushed the food in front of me and stayed one meter away from me. But when he served Gillian, he leaned tightly against her. He hated the meal so much that he couldn’t even eat it. I looked at him. He was too obvious about it. He said, ‘I wanted to go back to save you after Gillian was rescued, but you were gone and that place had caved in.’ ‘It was dangerous. I couldn’t stay. You don’t blame me from not saving you, do you?’ Save me? He followed Gillian into the ambulance without looking back. The ambulance crew asked him if there was anyone else there. He shook his head and I was trapped under the concrete slab. He called off the ambulance team and left. Why did he leave me there? She saw me chatting with Andrew for too long and pretended to be in pain, shouting loudly. Andrew left without looking back after hearing her voice. He heated up the food and fed Gillian a little. He helped Gillian clean her wound. Her body smelled too. But Andrew didn’t even frown, rubbing it with a sad heart. And I… There were not enough nurses to take care of me because there are too many patients in need of rescue.. I wanted water. Andrew didn’t hear me. I had to shout several times. I reached for the water bottle and I fell to the ground. Andrew stepped on my hand with the hot meal. He went to Gillian’s side. ‘I am thirsty…’ I shouted again. The nurse who was looking after me saw that I had fallen. She looked at the couple and shouted, ‘Can’t you see this patient?’ ‘Can’t you help her get a glass of water? She has injuries all over her body!’ He pretended not to see it and stepped over my hand, but he was acting pitifully. The doctor came over and said the single-person ward was ready. He told Andrew to take his girlfriend there. A single room? The earthquake was so sudden that several public hospitals were full. Gillian and I ended up at the most expensive private hospital in the city. This ward cost more. He asked for a single room. The nurse who gave me the injection said, ‘That boy took a lot of money, about a hundred thousand!’ He took the single room and said he was heartbroken for his girlfriend. More than a hundred thousand! Where did he get so much money?

The next night, Andrew came to my ward with a gift. He gave me an apple as a gift. I asked, ‘Who’s getting married?’ ‘Gillian and I.’ He said. He wasn’t divorced yet, so how could he say he was going to marry Gillian in front of me? I threw the gift in the bin. ‘You have to wait for me to die or get divorced before marrying your first love, Andrew. Why are you so disgusting?’ ‘I’m innocent. I’m just trying to fulfil one of her wishes.’ He took out a map of the wedding site. This wedding was more luxurious than mine. It looked expensive. He said, ‘Gillian was going to marry her first love. Her first love died in an accident because of the message I sent. I was trying to make up for it. I was planning to help her fulfil this wish so that she could have a perfect wedding.’ I laughed. When he knew Gillian was getting married, he was angry. He wished he could have killed me and Gillian’s fiancé back then and so he could have married Gillian. He sent his fiancée photos of him and Gillian, which made her almost get into a car accident. He wants to give Gillian a perfect wedding instead of her fiancé. I laughed angrily. ‘To make it complete.’ ‘Let’s divorce!’ He stood up. ‘I didn’t come to talk about divorce. I love you, Jolene. I just want you to be the bridesmaid and hand her to me. My mother died to save you. You should help me.’ ‘If my mum was here, I wouldn’t even come to ask you.’ His mum? I remembered something. After my parents’ accident, I got five million dollars in compensation. Now I have less than fifty thousand. ‘You used mum and dad’s death compensation to give you and Gillian a wedding!’ ‘That’s my family’s money. If my mum hadn’t helped you, you wouldn’t have had the life to take that much money!’ My parents’ lives were exchanged for this money. He thinks this money is his! He moved Gillian to a single room and planned a big wedding. My phone rang. ‘Hello, is this Jolene?’ ‘Yes, what’s up?’ ‘We rescued a patient who woke up today. He remembered your name and number, so we want to confirm: do you know Mr.Johnson‌‌?’ Gillian’s first love, William ‌‌Johnson‌‌? He’s alive?

After a few minutes, the doctor handed the phone to William‌‌. I heard breathing and the sound of instruments ticking. ‘Are you Jolene?’ ‘Hm.’ I said, ‘Do you want to find Gillian? I can help you contact…’ ‘No, I’m looking for you.’ Looking for me? William and I knew each other. He wanted to find me after I’ve been in a coma for years. William coughed and said, ‘It’s about your husband Andrew. I need to tell you in person. See you tomorrow.’ The phone was hung up. I was sent a time and place. ‘Don’t tell them I’m still alive, especially Andrew.’ I closed the dialogue box. The home surveillance alarmed. Gillian was lying on the bed in my clothes. She was still wearing my lace underwear. Andrew came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. He took a suit out of the wardrobe and changed in front of the man. Just as they were about to embrace, Gillian looked at the surveillance. She asked Andrew, ‘Would it be bad if Jolene saw this?’ Andrew said, ‘I’m just showing you the suit I’m going to wear tomorrow. Nothing else has happened.’ I felt sick when I heard those words. He even sent it to me after taking a selfie in the suit. ‘Does it look good?’ I’ll wear this for my wedding tomorrow. Don’t be late. You’re my bridesmaid. There was a hickey on his neck. ‘Do you see it?’ ‘Don’t be late.’ I looked at the picture and said, ‘I’ll be on time.’ On the wedding day, Andrew posted lots of lively photos, more than when we got married. Inside the hotel, friends smiled when they saw me in my bridesmaid dress. ‘Her own husband had a wedding with someone else, and she came as a bridesmaid!’ They don’t like me. Jolene, your husband looks great today. He’s a real match for Gillian. You should have done this sooner.’ I took the microphone and walked onto the stage. I looked at Andrew and Gillian, who were looking at each other fondly. ‘I’m happy to be at my husband’s wedding. It’s a rare experience, and I’ve picked the best man for this wedding!’ Here is Gillian’s fiancé, William ‌‌Johnson‌‌.

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Three hundred thousand. I know that a college student has no way of repaying such a heavy debt, and his family can’t fill this hole. Later, my younger brother worked hard and obtained a master’s and doctoral degree, and had a bright future. But his goddess had already married a rich second-generation man. He hated me for this, and when I finally passed the civil service exam, he spread rumors that caused me to lose my job, and he didn’t even help me. Maybe it was God’s mercy that I returned to the day when I found out that he was planning to borrow online loan. I was reborn back to the day when my younger brother borrowed online loans. My younger brother William was holding my mother’s hand and making a solemn promise. “Mom, don’t worry, just let me take a photo of the property certificate. I’m famous university student, I will definitely be able to pay it back in the future.” Mom remained silent. Three hundred thousand is an astronomical figure for my family. My parents’ combined salary is only 6,000 dollar, and there is a mortgage payment of more than 2,000 dollar a month. Dad looked at me hesitantly. I remembered that my father in my previous life also pushed the decision-making power onto me. I know the family situation at home. The family savings have long been used up in order to support my younger brother’s schooling and prevent him from being embarrassed in front of his classmates. Even if he graduates in two years, how much salary can a fresh graduate get? So in my previous life I was strongly opposed to it. Break the truth down and explain it to him. He was not convinced, but he couldn’t argue with me, so he could only glare at me angrily. My parents thought what I said made sense and decisively rejected William. Through this incident, William deeply realized his own powerlessness. In my junior year, I studied hard, participated in competitions, and obtained admission to the top 1 university in China. Three years later, he continued his doctoral studies and participated in project research, winning several generous bonuses and having a bright future. I worked hard for three years and finally passed all the tests and got the civil service position I wanted. But I didn’t expect that during the background check, I would be backstabbed by my beloved younger brother. He spread rumors that I had no self-respect and was materialistic. It’s just because his goddess married the rich second-generation who helped her in the past. William felt that if I had not stopped my parents, he would have been successful and married a beautiful woman. I was so upset that I had a heart attack because I was just one step away from success at work. William transferred all the money from my bank card and turned a blind eye when I cried for help. I just left like that. Lying on the cold floor, not breathing. When mom and dad came back and saw all this, they actually showed concern for their beloved son first. I was afraid that my death would scare him, so I asked him to go for a physical examination as well. “Fortunately, it was Isabella who died.” Those were the last words I heard before I lost consciousness. Thinking of this, I met my father’s eager gaze and said, “I can’t make the decision on such a big matter. You decide.” After hearing this, William gave me an approving look and said, “Dad, Mom, just promise me that if I can’t marry her, I won’t want anyone else. You won’t have grandchildren in this life.” I almost laughed out loud. William, you are still in school, you only have goddess in your heart and don’t study, how are you going to pay back the money in this life?

After William left with the property certificate, my mother pulled me to sit down. “Isabella, come on, you didn’t stop William when he wanted to borrow money just now.” “I’m a girl, I don’t understand these things, but you and my dad do. Why don’t you stop him?” Why are you doing this as a girl? What do you know as a girl? This is what my parents always told me. Because I am a girl, I don’t need to go to cram school. I play games to waste my time, but William plays to exercise his brain and become smarter. Since I’m a girl, I can’t choose science. I can just study liberal arts, get into an ordinary university, get an ordinary job, and then get married. I love them, so I can pretend these biases don’t exist. In return, they said, “Fortunately it was Isabella who died.” I was so stunned that my mother was speechless. She didn’t want to offend William, so she wanted me to take the blame. My father had already gone to see the advertisements for part-time jobs, ready to provide a guarantee for his son. “Isabella, please remember to transfer William’s living expenses this month.” The school I attended was not a good university. After graduation, I went to work as a clerk in a small company, earning just over 5,000 dollar a month. I paid for my school tuition with a loan, and I have to repay it every month. Add to that the living expenses for William, and I can barely save any money. I wasted two years like this, and later I realized the importance of academic qualifications, so I took the exam to become a postgraduate student, and then worked hard to prepare for the civil service exam. In the end, everything was ruined by William. I refuse to spend another penny on William. “Mom, our company’s performance is not good, and we have cut salaries. I can’t give William living expenses anymore.” “What did you say!” Mom’s expression changed immediately. “As a sister, can’t you save money a little? Your brother is still in school. “After deducting social security, I will only receive 2,000 dollar a month. What should I do if I give it all to William?” “What kind of a shitty company is this? You’re living and eating at home anyway, so you can just give William 2,000 dollar a month and treat it as rent for your family.” My dear mother, you really don’t intend to leave me a penny. Has she ever thought about how to live without money? “I’ll transfer these two thousand to you every month as living expenses for you and my dad. As for William, you guys can handle it yourself.” My mother noticed that I was angry, but she had already achieved her goal of getting money, so she was satisfied and didn’t say anything. I told myself that two thousand dollar a month from now on would be my repayment for the money they had paid for me over the years.

The money was borrowed, and William finally got his sweetheart. I’ve seen the photo of that girl. She is fresh and beautiful, with the gracefulness unique to noble girls, clear eyes, and a nice name, Alicia. Being with William is like a flower stuck in cow dung. Of course William is not ugly, he is just 1.7 meters tall and weighs 170 kg… that’s all… right? After falling in love, William’s spending increased. My mother always comes to me to complain about her poverty. I ignored it. In my previous life, I woke up too late and was deceived by the word “stability”. I plan to apply for full-time graduate studies, which is a very competitive field, and I don’t have time to care about what William is doing. Anyway, he looks down on me, his sister who only has an ordinary undergraduate degree. I moved out of home and lived in the company dormitory to avoid my parents’ nagging. The monthly interest plus William’s living expenses made them feel overwhelmed. The most important thing is that I still feel heartbroken when I see them working two jobs every day. I cursed myself in my heart for being so useless. William brought Alicia home during the Chinese New Year. Her mother had surgery for her illness and is getting much better now. My parents cooked a table full of delicious food and smiled so hard that their teeth were showing. “Alicia, this is my sister. Her monthly salary is only over 2,000 dollar. Don’t worry, I’m not as useless as her. I will definitely make a lot of money in the future and let you live a good life!” The little girl looked at me when she heard this, feeling a little embarrassed. I smiled at her nonchalantly. “Okay, Isabella, what’s wrong with you kid? Stop being lazy and come to the kitchen to help. There are two more dishes in there.” “Mom, your future daughter-in-law is here today, why don’t you let your son behave well?” In previous years, when there were guests at home, I was always busy in the kitchen while William sat at the table playing games. When I asked him to do something, my mother got anxious first: “Why is he a boy in the kitchen? Don’t you know what a gentleman is?” “A gentleman should stay away from the kitchen.” William continued, and he would proudly belittle me: “Sister, you are not good-looking and your studies are not good. Why don’t you learn to cook well? After all, you have to capture a man’s stomach first.” My mother didn’t have time to refute me this time. Alicia heard what I said, smiled and said to my mother: “Auntie, William’s stir-fried lettuce is delicious…” “William, when did you learn to cook? Oh, you really forgot your mother after you got married. Mom has never eaten the food you cooked.” My mother’s expression immediately changed, and she looked at Alicia with an unfriendly expression. As I watched this scene, I suddenly felt like a villain who was trying to sow discord, and I immediately lost the desire to eat. “Mom, something suddenly happened in my company, I’m going back to the dormitory first.” I picked up my bag, left home, and went back to study. “Why are you in such a hurry to leave? It’s only been a few days since the New Year. You are so heartless. Why don’t you spend more time with your parents?” “Take some buns back to eat!” I held back the tears that were about to burst out. My father doesn’t talk much. Although my mother made me do some housework, she would patiently braid my hair, buy me new clothes, make longevity noodles for me on my birthday, and buy me the Barbie doll that I had been asking for for a long time. I knew they didn’t love me as much as they loved William, but I never denied that they loved me too. But why? Could you say such cold words when you found my body? If they didn’t give me any love at all, maybe I would be able to be really cruel and cut off relations with them. “Fortunately it was Isabella who died.” These words kept lingering in my ears. That night, I had nightmares all night.

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I listened to my best friend’s urging and planned to secretly meet my childhood friend. As I was about to leave, a book fell from the sky and hit my head. In the book, I constantly hurt my loving husband in order to be with my childhood friend. In the end, I was betrayed by my best friend and childhood friend, left alone and abandoned. I decided to play along and go to the meeting. When my childhood friend tried to hug me, I pushed him away and made it clear we had no relationship. I turned and walked to my husband who was standing in the corner. He asked suspiciously, “What game are you playing now?” “Hubby, hug me,” I said. Well, who wouldn’t want a rich husband who loves you deeply? After being hit on the head by a book that fell from the sky, a new set of memories appeared in my mind. Because of these memories, my obsession with my first love completely vanished. When I woke up, I was still a bit dazed, thinking I was cramped in a dark, damp basement, waking up every day worrying about how to make money, or else I’d be homeless the next day. I looked around the room – it was luxuriously decorated, with everything arranged according to my preferences. The extra memories were so vivid, as if heaven was deliberately reminding me. If I remained stubborn and unrepentant, I would end up in a miserable situation in the future. I pulled back the curtains and saw a large field of roses. My husband Adrian had hired professional gardeners to plant them. The entire villa’s decor, down to every flower in the garden, was designed based on my preferences. But in the past, I saw it as a beautiful cage. I opened my phone and, unsurprisingly, there were many messages from my best friend Rachel. We had originally planned to go out three days ago, but I was knocked unconscious by the falling book right before leaving, so the plan fell through. “Hazel, did Adrian lock you up at home again? He’s such a psycho. I’ll definitely help you escape. Jack is still waiting for you.” I couldn’t help but laugh. She called Adrian a psycho, but she used all sorts of tricks to seduce him after I left. And Jack, my first love who was supposedly waiting for me, had already dated countless women abroad. In the new memories, I used suicide to force Adrian to divorce me. He was left scarred and broken, but still willing to give me most of his assets. Unfortunately, that money was quickly swindled away by Jack. It was only then that I realized everything had been fake. … I hadn’t responded to Rachel for three days, and she was clearly getting anxious. She kept sending messages, trying to drive a wedge between Adrian and me, while painting Jack as deeply in love with me. “Adrian is coming back from abroad in two days. You’ll really have no chance after that.” Adrian’s whereabouts were always kept secret, yet she even knew when he was returning. It seems Rachel had quite a few spies around Adrian. I pondered for a moment, then opened my chat with Adrian. All the messages were from him, ranging from daily greetings to itinerary updates. But I had never replied. The last message was from last night. Adrian said his flight had been rescheduled and he would be back today. In the past, I would have gotten a headache seeing this message. But at this moment, I suddenly felt an overwhelming longing for my husband. “Okay, I’ll wait for you to come back. Be careful on the way.” Just after I sent the message, there was a sudden commotion downstairs. A car had stopped at the entrance of the estate. A 5-year-old boy got out of the car, wearing a kindergarten backpack and holding something in his hand. As he walked into the estate, everyone he passed stopped to greet him. Because he was Adrian’s and my child. The child who looked 80% like Adrian, so I had never liked him.

I once overheard our son talking to Adrian. The 5-year-old was innocent yet sensitive, asking Adrian if he wasn’t behaving well enough. “Why doesn’t mommy like me? Is it because I’m not obedient?” Adrian held him on his lap, gently stroking his face. “Maybe… it’s because you look too much like daddy.” When I went downstairs, our son had just walked in. Seeing me, his eyes lit up, but he only inched cautiously towards me. “Mommy…” His gaze kept scanning me until it suddenly fell on the bruise on my forehead from being hit. His eyes widened and he rushed over without hesitation. “Mommy, what happened to your head?” “I accidentally bumped my head. Have you been good at kindergarten this week?” Looking at his cautious demeanor, I couldn’t help but reach out to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Our son was visibly startled, but still nuzzled my hand obediently. “I’ve been good. I even got a gold star from the teacher.” The housekeeper watched us nervously and carefully approached. “Young master, why don’t we go play with your toys instead of bothering mommy?” Our son looked at me reluctantly, clearly not wanting to leave, but still let go of my hand. We rarely had intimate moments. In the past, I had mixed feelings of love and hate towards this child. But now I just wanted to make it up to him. “Am I not allowed to talk to my own son?” I raised an eyebrow at the housekeeper, who flinched and immediately backed away. It seems my past crazy behavior in the villa had left quite an impression, making everyone in the house wary of me. Only my son looked at me in confusion, his chubby little hands fidgeting with his clothes. After a while, I finally heard his tentative voice. “Mommy, do you want to see my gold star?” I finally noticed the gold star he was holding and nodded immediately. Seeing his face light up with a smile, he happily placed the star in my palm. “It’s beautiful. My baby is so clever.” Everyone looked at me in shock. My son was so excited he couldn’t speak. For the whole day, my son played nearby, not too close but not too far, glancing at me from time to time. Finally, I couldn’t resist patting my lap. “Do you want to sit on mommy’s lap and play?” My son stood up, looked at his toy thoughtfully for a while, then smiled brightly and ran over to me happily. He sat in my lap very obediently, looking up at my expression every so often while playing. “Mommy, do you want to play with the toys? Or read a storybook?” Behind the well-behaved child was a long-term lack of maternal love. He was always cautious, afraid of angering me. My heart melted at the sight. I pulled my son close and hugged him tightly. “It’s okay, sweetie. From now on, mommy will do whatever you want to do with you.”

I played with my son all day. By evening, I was unusually tired as soon as my head hit the pillow. In the middle of the night, I suddenly felt cold next to me. I tried to pull the blanket, but my hand was restrained by something. A body pressed down on me, so heavy I could barely breathe. I could only groggily open my eyes in my sleepy state. As soon as I opened my eyes, I met a pair of almond-shaped eyes, instantly captivated. Adrian was undeniably handsome. This was something I could never deny. He had alluring almond eyes with a beauty mark below them. The first time we met, I even wondered if fox spirits really existed in this world. How else could a man wearing a complex three-piece suit, covered from head to toe, still silently seduce you with just a glance? “Hazel.” He softened his voice, husky and magnetic, as if bewitching me. “It’s been a while. Did you miss me?” His cold fingers trailed across my face, sliding down my neck, raising goosebumps. “Let go of my hands first.” My wrists were tied with Adrian’s tie. I couldn’t move and could only quietly plead with him. Although Adrian was very tolerant of my tantrums in the villa, smashing glasses and crystal lamps, the truly sick one in our relationship was Adrian. He had an obsessive disorder, never letting go of things he was fixated on. He was sensitive, suspicious, and extremely possessive. Once, after arguing with Adrian due to Rachel’s instigation, I was directly locked up in the villa by him. “Baby, I don’t want to do this either. But once I let you go, who knows where you’ll run off to.” He caressed my face with one hand while skillfully unbuttoning my clothes with the other. Adrian’s body temperature was always low. As soon as he touched me, I felt a chill. “I really won’t run away. It’s uncomfortable being tied up like this.” Adrian ignored my words. Only after we were done did he finally release me. I was exhausted and could only lie panting in bed. He gently massaged my hands. I managed to open my eyes and saw Adrian kneeling by the bed, intently focused on my hands, his movements becoming increasingly gentle. “What do you want to say to me?” Adrian met my gaze, his eyes filled with complex emotions. “You suddenly messaged me. What did you want to discuss? Letting you leave? I’ve said before that I won’t agree…” For once, I argued with Adrian. Using my last bit of strength, I sat up and threw myself into his arms. Adrian was clearly stunned, his body stiffening. He just tightly wrapped his arms around me. I was too tired to talk to Adrian and fell fast asleep. When I woke up the next morning, I heard soft voices outside the door. “Is mommy still not awake? She said she’d have breakfast with me today.” “Mommy is very tired and needs to rest.” My son fell silent. Through the door crack, I saw him sit down on the floor. “Then I’ll wait here for mommy. This way she’ll see me when she wakes up.” Genetics truly are a mysterious thing. Not only did my son look similar to Adrian, sometimes his stubbornness was exactly the same. I softly called out “baby”, and hearing my voice, my son immediately got up and rushed towards the room. “Good morning, mommy.” Yesterday’s interactions had broken down the barriers between us. My son happily pounced in front of me, his chubby little hands holding mine. Adrian stood at the bedroom door, looking at me with a complex expression. He had tried every way to please me before, even begging me not to leave on his knees. Every time he got close, it only triggered greater disgust from me. So Adrian got used to standing at a distance, just awkwardly staring at me. Well, the best way to deal with an awkward person is to be direct. I looked at Adrian and smiled. “Good morning, hubby.” On Saturday morning, because of that one “hubby”, Adrian accidentally knocked over two water glasses. By the third time, I finally couldn’t hold back. “If you don’t like it, I won’t call you that anymore in the future.” “I do like it!” Good, this time he denied it faster than anyone. At the dining table, the housekeeper brought today’s breakfast. I met the housekeeper’s gaze. The moment our eyes met, she instinctively avoided it. “Mrs. Wood, how long have you been working in this house?” “Almost ten years. I used to work at the old mansion, but came here after the master married you.”

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