Category: English

My fiancé was playing a kissing game with his childhood friend, Scarlett, and I ripped into him for it. To get back at me, he uploaded our intimate videos online and started selling them. When I confronted him, he just shrugged, completely unbothered: “Scarlett and I were just playing a game. You called her shameless, humiliated her in public.” “Now you’re exposed for everyone to see. Seems fair, right?” My fiancé was playing a kissing game with his childhood friend, Scarlett, and I ripped into him for it. To get back at me, he uploaded our intimate videos online and started selling them. When I confronted him, he just shrugged, completely unbothered: “Scarlett and I were just playing a game. You called her shameless, humiliated her in public.” “Now you’re exposed for everyone to see. Seems fair, right?” My face went ashen. Facing his and his buddies’ sneering mockery, I dialed 91 1 Lucas hadn’t spoken to me in two days. Ever since he tongue-kissed Scarlett during a game of Truth or Dare, and I’d slapped him and chewed Scarlett out, he’d been giving me the silent treatment, furious. Today was the third day, and he finally contacted me, asking me to pick him up at a bar. After some thought, I decided it was best to clear things up in person. So I went. The moment I reached the private room, I heard unrestrained bursts of laughter from inside! “Lucas, you’re seriously generous! HD, uncensored footage, you really uploaded that?!” “Tsk-tsk, priced at just a dollar, and over a million sold! You could make a fortune off this, man!” “If Chloe found out, she’d absolutely lose it! That was her first time, for crying out loud, exposed to the whole internet!” “And damn, she sounds wild!” I peeked through the crack in the door, staring at the screen they were all watching, and all the blood drained from my face! It was *our* intimate video, Lucas and me. He’d said he wanted to record our moments back then, but I told him no. He still filmed it in secret. And now, it was right there, on display, for them to pick apart and comment on. Tears instantly gushed, and I trembled with rage! Lucas scoffed. “She didn’t have to be so rude, calling Scarlett shameless!” “Now we’re even!” “Lucas, after something like this, you’re still going through with the wedding?” I looked up at Lucas. He lit a cigarette, exhaling a plume of smoke before speaking: “I’m looking for a wife, not some celebrity who’s always in the spotlight!” The room erupted in laughter. My body swayed, and I almost collapsed. Gathering every ounce of strength to calm myself, I dialed Lucas’s number. The room instantly fell silent. “Lucas, I’m not feeling well.” “If you’re not feeling well, don’t come. Get some rest. Goodnight.” Lucas didn’t even notice the tremor in my voice. He ended the call abruptly. “She’s not coming. Still mad, huh? Just wait. When she sees these videos, she’ll come crawling back, begging me!” “Lucas, don’t let us miss the show! We have to witness it together!” “Yeah, I want to see what she’s like in person versus on screen!” Their words made my mind go blank. I took a few deep breaths, then quickly backed away. I pulled a mask from my bag and put it on, then stumbled out. Then I pulled out my phone and searched online. When I saw my face clearly displayed, I nearly fainted! The buyer comments were even worse. “Hot stuff! My man’s so generous!” “Selling off her first time? The seller’s a real bastard, but I like it!” “Selling? Local meet-up?” “Haha, you’re so smart, dude. You’re not in any of the shots yourself. What do you see her as, anyway?” Among the many comments, Lucas only replied to one: “What else? She practically threw herself at me, why wouldn’t I take advantage?” My heart tore in half. I struggled to steady myself, my gaze falling on the ring on my finger, and I burst into uncontrollable sobs. The man I’d loved for five years, the one I’d bravely asked for his number – in his eyes, I was just a cheap, easy hookup, someone who threw herself at him. Chloe, you were so blind! I returned home in a daze, looking at photos in my album—five years of Lucas and me. He called me his free, convenient comfort toy. I touched my face, finding it wet. Unaware, tears had streamed down my face. I pulled out all the photos, ripped them to shreds, and burned them. Then I sat on the floor, staring at my phone. A blizzard of texts and missed calls flooded my phone and inbox. This was Lucas’s gift to me. 2 I put my phone on do not disturb, then leaned against the sofa, spending a sleepless night. The next day, when Lucas came looking for me, he looked somewhat moved by my bloodshot eyes. But Scarlett, trailing behind him, annihilated any trace of guilt he might have felt with a single sentence. “Chloe, are you okay?” “Lucas said you wanted to apologize to me for that night. Honestly, it’s no big deal, we always mess around like that. Guess you just can’t handle it, Chloe.” “But wow, you’re pretty wild yourself, aren’t you? With such explicit videos of you and Lucas out there, how can you call *me* shameless?” Lucas glared at her, and Scarlett immediately clapped a hand over her mouth, sticking her tongue out playfully. “Oops, sorry! You’re not mad at me, are you, Chloe?” I looked at Lucas, shoving my phone, with the video playing, right in his face. “Was it you? Why?” Lucas was nonchalant. “You called Scarlett shameless! I was just following the principle of fairness.” “And you don’t need to take it so seriously. So what if people saw? They can look, but they can’t touch!” Even now, Lucas could say something like that. I raised my hand and slapped him hard, snapping his head to the side! “Chloe, you’re insane!” “I am insane! I can’t believe I wasted five years on a piece of trash like you, Lucas! Get out!” Scarlett grabbed his arm tightly. “Lucas, did I make her mad? But she started it, calling me names! Why’s she hitting people?” “You get out too! Say one more word, and I’ll hit you both!” She feigned innocence, shrinking behind Lucas, who grabbed my wrist. “Chloe, have you caused enough drama?!” “Scarlett cried all day because of what you said! She came here specifically to comfort you, and this is how you treat her!” “Apologize!” “Not just apologize to her. Get down on your knees and apologize properly!” Lucas held my hand in a death grip, refusing to let go, and I naturally resisted. But the strength difference was too great, and he started dragging me out. In that moment, I fought back with all my might, screaming for help and digging my nails into him. Soon, neighbors heard the commotion and came out. Seeing me being dragged out by a man, they immediately intervened. “What are you doing?! Let her go!” “Let go right now, or we’re calling the police!” Lucas was furious. “She’s my girlfriend!” I struggled desperately, seizing the chance to kick him hard, finally breaking free. But before I could even steady myself, Scarlett shouted from the side: “Chloe, Lucas was just looking out for you! You’re about to get married, how can you be making those kinds of videos?!” “Lucas is mad because you’re so shameless!” Scarlett’s phone screen was blatantly displayed, and the neighbors immediately looked at me with strange expressions. Several of the men nearby flushed crimson. A wave of fury washed over me, and I slapped Scarlett, grabbing her hair. “Yes, I’m not just shameless, you’ve driven me absolutely insane!” “You pushed me to this point! I’ll take you all down with me!” Scarlett screamed. Lucas exploded in anger, grabbing my wrist and shoving me hard to the side! “Are you crazy?! You filmed that disgusting stuff yourself, and now you blame others?!” I lay sprawled on the floor, my forehead throbbing where it hit the wall corner. Dizziness overwhelmed me, and blood blurred my vision. The people around us backed away. I looked up at Lucas, my heart tearing. “Did *I* film it? Lucas, tell me, did *I* film it?!” Lucas froze, a flicker of guilt in his eyes. “I…” “Lucas, I hurt so bad!” Scarlett clutched her face, sobbing pitifully. Lucas immediately dismissed his guilt, putting his arm around Scarlett and looking at me coldly: “Chloe, the wedding is off. We’ll talk about marriage again when you realize your mistake!” 3 Lucas, with Scarlett in tow, walked away. The neighbors looked at me with open contempt. “Such a loose girl, no wonder her boyfriend dumped her!” “Didn’t realize she had a decent body. These days, girls really have to be trashy to get ahead. Hey, sweetheart, how much an hour?” “You tramp, trying to hook up with my husband right in front of me!” They cursed and insulted me without restraint. Some even took the chance to grope me. I furiously grabbed anything I could find and threw it at them! They eventually backed off, calling me crazy. Someone called the police. When the police arrived, I was lying on the ground, covered in blood, my face swollen. My clothes were practically torn off me when they took me to the hospital. Downstairs, a huge crowd had gathered. Even with my eyes closed, I could hear the murmurs outside, and not a single word was kind. Lying in the hospital bed, I called my mom. “Mom!” “Mom’s on her way, darling. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of those videos.” “But, about you and Lucas’s wedding…” “Mom, I don’t want him anymore. I’m not getting married.” While I was recovering in the hospital, someone, I don’t know who, uploaded a video of me being beaten by the neighbors. The caption read: “She brought it on herself! Women who don’t respect themselves deserve whatever they get!” “This kind of woman doesn’t belong in our neighborhood. Kick her out!” I was subjected to a public lynching online, my video going viral. That’s when Scarlett popped up. “Lucas said the engagement is off.” “Chloe must be so upset. Everyone, please don’t be too harsh on her.” Her words led some netizens to praise her for being beautiful and kind. Scarlett even posted old photos of her and Lucas, deliberately misleading everyone. “You two are a couple! So why was Chloe engaged to Lucas?” Scarlett shrugged carelessly: “Don’t even ask! Our bond is unbreakable!” Her ambiguous words once again threw me into the eye of the storm. I became the internet’s most hated mistress. Netizens even sent funeral wreaths to my hospital room. I broke down. My already frayed nerves finally snapped. The sight of my phone made me tremble every day. Just then, Lucas arrived. Seeing me in the hospital bed, bruised and battered, he held a bouquet of flowers and looked somewhat moved. “Chloe, I’m sorry. I was wrong to treat you like that.” “Don’t worry, the wedding is still on. I’ll take responsibility for you.” “I’ve also found people to delete the videos online. Everything’s over now.” He gently held my hand, reassuring me that everything would be okay. I clung to him, as if he were a lifesaver. But I knew it was all an illusion. Lucas and I shared cloud storage and accounts. Half an hour ago, I’d seen his chat logs with his friends. “Lucas, if you cancel the wedding with Chloe, that’s no fun!” “This whole thing’s blown up, Lucas. Aren’t you worried you won’t be able to control the damage?” Lucas scoffed. “She’s so humiliated now, who else would she turn to but me?” “If I can’t control it, I won’t. I’ll just livestream the wedding. Then Scarlett will really get her payback!” Lucas, you are utterly vile! He showered me with concern, bought me gifts, brought me food and soup. He played the part of a perfect gentleman, an absolute angel. I suppressed my disgust and saved all the evidence. On the day I was discharged, Lucas said: “Chloe, I’ve arranged a dinner for you. Just a small gathering with friends.” “Okay, I’ll go change. You can go ahead and wait for me.” He didn’t suspect a thing. After all, for a week, I’d acted completely dependent. After he left, I got into Mom’s car and went straight to the police station. “I want to report someone for malicious dissemination of my private videos for illegal trade!”

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My wife Chloe’s adopted sister, Sophia, had taken her own life. Before she died, hundreds of photos of me and her were found in her study. Behind each photo, the words “MY LOVE” were scrawled. So when I got a second chance at life, and my mom asked if I wanted to marry Chloe, my childhood sweetheart… I shook my head. Instead, I chose her adopted sister. I had a secret: I had been reborn. In my previous life, I chose to marry the true heiress of the Winters family, Chloe, the woman I’d loved for over twenty years. On our third wedding anniversary, I came home early, hoping to surprise her. I opened the bedroom door only to find condoms scattered all over the floor. Her first love whistled mockingly, provoking me. “She said you couldn’t satisfy her in bed. Might as well give up now.” I lunged at him, and we got into a brawl. He picked up the switchblade from the bedside table and plunged it into my chest. With my last ounce of strength, I begged Chloe to take me to the hospital. She just looked at me with cold indifference. “Don’t ruin the mood, Lucas. Deal with it yourself. Our sex isn’t over yet.” I was left alone on the cold floor, listening to the moans resume from the room until I completely lost consciousness. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to that afternoon when my parents asked me about my marriage.

“Are you sure you want to marry Chloe’s adopted sister, Sophia? I thought you loved Chloe?” My mother confirmed again. I nodded. “I’m sure.” “Alright, as long as you’re happy! I’ll go ask Sophia right away!” After getting my confirmation, Mom immediately turned to contact wedding planners and book the venue. My phone rang shortly after. It was Chloe. “Lucas, could you *be* any more pathetic?” Her voice was full of sarcasm. “I haven’t even agreed to marry you, and you’ve already booked the wedding venue?” “Chloe, the truth is, I’m marrying—” “I don’t care what you want to say.” She cut me off with a cold laugh. “I love Marcus Davies, and I’ll only marry him. Stop bothering me.” She hung up. I put my phone down. Good. She’d find out soon enough that the person I was marrying was her sister. My family and Chloe’s had been close for generations, and Sophia was her family’s adopted sister. We grew up together. Once we were adults, our parents had always expected Chloe and I would marry. But in my previous life, Chloe suddenly wanted to call off the engagement to marry someone else. I refused vehemently, and we had a huge fight over it. Although I eventually married Chloe, the woman I’d loved for over twenty years, she rarely came home after we were married. It wasn’t until our third wedding anniversary, when I saw her in bed with her first love, Marcus Davies, that I realized she’d been cheating on me for three years. In the end, her first love stabbed me through the heart, and I begged her to take me to the hospital. But she told me to deal with it myself and continued having sex with Marcus. Ultimately, I died on the cold floor. Chloe didn’t even attend my funeral; she took Marcus on vacation instead. But after my death, Sophia cried at my grave until she fainted. Three months later, Sophia ended her life in her study. The police found hundreds of photos of me in her study, each with “MY LOVE” written on the back. My parents died of grief within a year, and the entire family business fell into Chloe’s hands. She and Marcus lived a loving life together. In my previous life, marrying Chloe led to my tragic death and made me betray the one who truly loved me. This time, I would protect the person who truly loved me.

After the wedding venue was confirmed, my mother urged me to finalize the overall plan quickly. To apologize for not being able to help with the wedding preparations, Sophia sent me a sleek black card from Geneva. I booked a consultation at the wedding planning company’s Upper East Side showroom. When I arrived, I found Chloe walking out of the VIP room. “Lucas?” Chloe stopped, looking surprised. “What are you doing here?” I said softly, “Here to finalize the wedding plan.” “Lucas?” Chloe’s expression instantly turned cold. “Are there no other women in the world? Is that why you *have* to marry me? When did I ever say I’d marry you?” I looked at her calmly and replied blandly, “Chloe, I told you, I’m not marrying you.” Her face fell, and she scoffed. “You *deliberately* picked this exact day to show up here, and you’re still claiming you don’t want to marry me?” She glanced towards the VIP room, her eyes full of affection. “I told my family last night that I’m canceling our engagement. Even if everyone disagrees, I’m marrying Marcus!” I offered a polite smile and said softly, “Then I wish you both well. I’m marrying someone else very soon. Our engagement is off.” I motioned for Chloe to move, but she stared at me intently, refusing to budge. “Lucas, what game are you playing now? Who else could you possibly marry besides me?” That’s when Marcus Davies walked out. He exclaimed in surprise, “Chloe, what are you two doing?” Chloe immediately turned, hurried to Marcus’s side, and tried to take his hand. Marcus flinched away, and she immediately understood. “I’ll just wipe my hands clean. Wait for me!” Marcus and I met eyes. His held undisguised disdain and smugness. Just then, Emily, the planning director, walked over quickly. “Mr. Davies, the wedding package you wanted to confirm has already been booked. Please take a look at other options.” Marcus glared at Emily in annoyance. “My fiancée is the eldest daughter of the Winters family; she’s loaded! She said I can have any package I want, she can afford it all!” Saying that, Marcus turned to me and said ominously, “Besides, engagements can be called off, let alone a mere booked plan.” Emily looked at me, almost on the verge of tears. I didn’t want to make things difficult for Emily, and choosing the same plan as them would leave a sour taste anyway. I smiled nonchalantly at the staff. “Emily,” I said, pulling out the black card Sophia had given me. “I recall your company designed a private island wedding for a certain royal family?” “I want a similar concept, but nothing repetitive.” Chloe, who had just come out, overheard this. She looked at me coldly. “Lucas, I told you the person I’m marrying is Marcus! There’s no way I’ll marry you, so why are you bothering me here?!” “And do you even know the price of a private island? Ten million! How will you afford that?” I smiled, pulled out the black card, and handed it to the employee. “No need to consider. Can we sign a letter of intent today?” “Absolutely! I’ll immediately have our CEO come down to personally assist you.” Under Chloe’s shocked gaze and Marcus’s resentful one, I turned and left.

That night, as I was dealing with documents in my study, Sophia sent a FaceTime request. Even though we were about to get married, I still felt nervous. After the video call ended, I stood by the window for a long time. Until the doorbell rang—it was Chloe. “Lucas, what was that all about today?” She walked straight into the living room. “I told you I wouldn’t marry you, and you tried to snatch the wedding plan from my fiancé? Don’t you feel ashamed?” I had just talked to Sophia and was in a great mood. Now that she’d ruined it, I was really annoyed. “Chloe, this is the last time I’ll explain this to you: I’m not marrying you!” Chloe looked at me disdainfully. “Don’t play games with me, Lucas. The man I love is Marcus; I would never marry you.” “If you want to keep any dignity, then stay out of my sight!” She was driving me crazy, so I angrily told her to leave. She swung her limited-edition handbag and stomped out, fuming. Her Ins status updated shortly after: “The eighteenth of this month, Marriage Registry Office, marrying for love.” The accompanying picture was of her and Marcus on a yacht. Unfortunately, Sophia and I had also scheduled that day. I arrived at the Marriage Registry Office half an hour early, wearing the custom suit Sophia had prepared for me. To avoid Chloe and Marcus, I had specifically chosen 7 AM. Unexpectedly, we still ran into them. At 6:55 AM, Chloe and Marcus arrived with a group of friends. When she saw me, her expression instantly froze. “You actually came?” She pulled her hand away from Marcus and strode over. “Lucas, how many times have I told you I won’t marry you? What are you doing?” Her friends started to snicker. “Winters, your childhood friend is really persistent!” “Is he planning to crash the wedding?” “Need us to call security for you?” Marcus walked over, his hand resting on my shoulder. “Blackwood, need me to introduce you to some decent dates?” “I told you,” I pushed his hand away, “today, I’m not marrying *her*.” Chloe’s laugh was sharp and unnatural. “Then who are you marrying? At this hour, dressed like this,” She reached out to touch my suit lapel, but I blocked her hand. “You’re not seriously going to say you’re waiting for some other woman, dressed in haute couture at 6 AM outside the Marriage Registry Office, are you?” Her friends burst into louder laughter. “Lucas, stop messing around.” One of the men patted my shoulder. “We all know you’ve loved Chloe for twenty years. But now she’s chosen Marcus, you need to learn to let go.” “Yeah, how about I introduce you to some models? Definitely better than being a laughingstock here.” Chloe smirked disdainfully. “Him? Please. Boring, rigid, can’t even crack a smile—I wouldn’t take him even if he was free.” Listening to Chloe’s insulting words, I could no longer suppress my anger. In my past life, she had used the same tone to tell Marcus, “Him? His size can’t even satisfy me.” I took a deep breath. “Chloe, do you not understand plain English? I told you, I was *never* going to marry *you*!” She laughed, unangered. “Lucas, who would believe that? You’ve wanted to marry me since you were five, even resorting to forcing an engagement!” “So tell me, where is the woman you’re dressed up like this to marry? It’s been so long, why hasn’t she shown up yet?” I glanced at my watch. 7:00 AM. “She’s never late.” Just then, a Rolls-Royce glided through the morning mist. A clear, yet gentle voice rang out. “Chloe, why are you bothering my fiancé again?”

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My husband, Julian Sterling, is a genius painter, but he suffers from a severe emotional disorder. Even when I fell down the stairs, pregnant, and pleaded for his help, he just asked indifferently, “Why are you always crying?” I used to think this was just how geniuses were – unique and detached. That was until I saw his studio, filled with nude portraits of another woman. I confronted him in anger, but he remained cold, retorting, “She’s my muse! A housewife like you wouldn’t understand art!” Finally, I agreed to his divorce request. “Go live your life with your muse, then.” On the divorce papers, I asked for nothing else. Only one thing: Julian had to continue paying my mother’s medical bills. After the divorce was finalized, Julian’s expression remained as cold as ever. “What will you do now?” I knew it was just a polite formality, not genuine concern for my future. Julian had always been heartless and emotionless towards me. I gave a vague answer. “Travel.” He didn’t ask anything further. Chloe Davis linked her arm through his, smiling at me. “Thank you for setting Julian free.” I instinctively looked at Julian. He suddenly spoke. “Traveling costs money. I’ll transfer some to you.” His tone was still flat, indifferent, as if he were speaking to a stranger. I didn’t get much money from this divorce. Julian and I had signed a prenuptial agreement from the start, so I couldn’t claim any of his assets. Our elder son, Leo, had health issues and was a high-needs child. I had quit my job years ago to focus entirely on caring for him. So, this divorce meant I was practically walking away with next to nothing. Chloe pursed her lips, cutting him off. “Julian, Audrey must have her own savings. Aren’t you looking down on her by saying that? Besides, our exhibition is about to open, and we need the money.” Julian turned to look at her, his gaze softening. “You’re right.” Chloe smiled at me. “Audrey, where are you going to travel? Won’t it be unsafe for you alone?” Julian frowned. “What could possibly be unsafe?” I was used to his nonchalant attitude. Julian had an emotional disorder. Over a decade ago, at his grandfather’s funeral, Julian didn’t shed a single tear. Everyone called him a monster. Fearing he might be upset, I covered his ears and tried to comfort him. “Julian, they’re not telling the truth. You just aren’t good at expressing your feelings.” But Julian looked at me seriously and said, “Why should I be sad? Everyone in this world has to leave one day, don’t they?” I was stunned. A young me didn’t understand why Julian would say something like that. Later, Julian’s condition worsened, to the point of self-harm—he didn’t love anyone, including himself. But only when he saw me did his condition seem to improve. The Sterling family, desperate to save him, offered to cover my mother’s medical bills if I married Julian. Julian even pleaded with me with eyes like a wounded puppy. “Audrey, you said you’d always stay with me, didn’t you?” I was moved by him. We even had a period of relative affection. During that brief time, I became pregnant with our elder son. With our son’s birth, my life gradually revolved around him. Without realizing it, Julian and I drifted further apart. Julian was the most renowned genius painter, with a large fan base. Many fans, upon learning I was just a housewife, declared online that I wasn’t worthy of him. 【How can a genius painter’s wife be just a housewife?】 【Heard it was a marriage of convenience. The poor genius painter.】 I broke down crying, seeking his comfort. But Julian looked at me with a strange expression. “Why bother with them? You’re really odd. And they’re not wrong, you are a housewife.” Should I blame him? Everyone told me Julian was just sick; he was simply incapable of love. As his wife, I should be understanding. Countless times after that, I used that excuse to console myself. Our son’s health was fragile. One moment of inattention, and he’d have a high fever that wouldn’t break. I couldn’t sleep all night, watching over his bedside, even while carrying our second child. Meanwhile, Julian, as his father, remained completely absorbed in his paintings. I confronted him, distraught, asking why he didn’t care about our child. He looked up at me. “I’m not a doctor.” In my overwhelming grief, I fell down the stairs. A large pool of blood gushed out beneath me. —I miscarried.

I pleaded for his help. Julian simply asked, “Why are you always crying?” Then, he stepped over me with his long legs and strode away. In that moment, for the first time, I truly felt that “Julian was a monster.” He was utterly indifferent to me. But with his assistant, Chloe Davis, it was different. In front of Chloe, he was like a normal person, a person with flesh and blood. Julian once said at a press conference that Chloe made his barren soul bloom with life. —”Her presence made me feel the sun’s warmth, the captivating scent of flowers.” That day I went home, I smashed everything in the house like a madwoman. I asked him, “Do you know what you’re doing? Are you cheating on me?” Julian’s expression didn’t change. “Cheating? You shouldn’t use conventional standards to define my relationship with Chloe.” With that, he continued working on his painting. His studio was filled with sketches—all portraits of Chloe. There were even nude portraits of Chloe… Every brushstroke seemed to pour out all his tenderness and devotion. As I pushed the door open to leave, Julian suddenly spoke. “Audrey Stone, you and the children have always been mere passing guests in my life. Chloe, however, is my source of inspiration, the core of my artistic creation.” I suddenly stopped all thoughts of arguing with him, feeling only extreme exhaustion and helplessness. It turned out Julian wasn’t emotionally incapable with everyone. I thought my life was already desperate enough. But I never expected that later, Even my son, for whom I would have sacrificed everything, wanted Chloe to be his mother. My son, mimicking his father, fawned over and flattered Chloe endlessly. “Chloe, you’re so beautiful. I wish you were really my mom. My mom is just a common housewife.” … I snapped back from my memories, smiled, and turned to leave. “Goodbye, Mr. Sterling.” If I could, I never wanted to see Julian again in my life. But my wrist was grabbed with force. Julian stared at me, his eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment. “Let go.” I tried to pull free but was powerless against him. Chloe glanced at me, then softly coaxed Julian. “Julian, could you please let go of her?” Julian, however, seemed not to hear, his brows furrowed even deeper. When he spoke again, his words were still clumsy. “Is it because of the miscarriage last time? But I… didn’t I already give you a child?” I laughed bitterly, pulled my hand away, and looked at Julian coldly. “Stay away from me.” Julian had never been treated this way by me before. He stiffened slightly, seemingly unaccustomed to it. Chloe linked her arm through Julian’s, looking a little helpless. “Audrey, don’t be angry. Julian just has an emotional disorder; he doesn’t know how to express himself.” Julian nodded, clearly agreeing with Chloe. I let out a laugh. How utterly boring. “Julian, goodbye.” I waved my hand and walked away, my steps firm. Julian stood rooted to the spot, his fingers trembling unconsciously. Chloe, oblivious, tugged at his arm. “Come on, my great painter.”

Many people came to talk to me after they heard about our divorce. Even Mrs. Sterling, usually so proud, came to find me with Leo. At the time, I was packing my luggage. Mrs. Sterling grabbed my hand, a smile in her eyes. “You don’t need to move out. You’ve been a housewife for so many years without working; how will you support yourself if you move out?” Mrs. Sterling pulled my hand, leading me to sit on the sofa. Leo, standing nearby, pouted at me, muttering under his breath. “She’s just petty. She’s just jealous we like Chloe more.” Mrs. Sterling feigned anger and scolded Leo for a few moments, then continued holding my hand and speaking. “I know you’re upset. You know Julian; he doesn’t mean any harm. He just has an emotional disorder.” I pulled my hand away. “Didn’t you want him to divorce me all along?” Mrs. Sterling let out a few dry laughs. “How could I possibly want you two to divorce?” She seemed earnest, as if she truly hated to see me go. But I hadn’t forgotten that not long ago, after my miscarriage, she had visited me and casually tossed out, “How useless, can’t even keep a child.” Privately, she often told people, “Audrey Stone doesn’t deserve my son at all.” I gave Mrs. Sterling a cold glance. Sure enough, the next second, I heard her say: “Julian’s career is on the rise right now. If news of your divorce gets out at this time, what will people think of him?” With that, Mrs. Sterling’s tone shifted, hardening slightly. “So, for now, please don’t publicly announce the divorce. Can you do that?” Before I could reply, Leo pushed me. “Hey, hurry up and agree! Chloe was right; you’re just selfish, always only thinking about yourself.” Leo’s words were like a sharp knife, piercing my heart precisely. I stared at him, stunned. The old Leo used to cling to me the most, repeating over and over, “Mommy is the best person in the world, I love Mommy the most.” But… he had Julian’s blood flowing in his veins after all. He was just like Julian, able to abandon me and side with Chloe so easily. My face grew cold. “Leo!” Leo jutted out his neck, not thinking he had done anything wrong. Just then, the door opened. Chloe and Julian walked in side-by-side. Leo’s eyes instantly reddened, and he ran to Chloe. “Chloe, I hate that woman! She yelled at me. Can you help me kick her out?” Chloe crouched down, gently comforting Leo. Only then did she look up at me, her eyes filled with disapproval. “Audrey, you’re going too far. A mother who abuses her child like this should have her parental rights revoked.” Julian stood beside her, his displeased gaze falling on my face. “Audrey, why are you becoming so unreasonable?” I rolled my eyes at him and slammed the door as I left. As I got into the elevator, Chloe chased after me. She clutched her stomach, looking at me provocatively. “Audrey, you won’t be coming back, will you? I’m pregnant. It’s Julian’s baby.” I gave a bitter smile. Everything was as I expected. How could she truly just be a muse? In that studio, he certainly wasn’t just painting her nude portraits. Chloe coughed awkwardly. “Julian just hopes my genes can be passed on…” “It has nothing to do with me. Julian and I are divorced.” My expression remained unchanged. Chloe leaned closer, lowering her voice to provoke me further. “He also said that only with me did he truly experience passion between a man and a woman. With you, it was utterly boring.”

With that, she slowly backed away, giving me a sinister smile. Then, she stumbled backward. The next second, I was knocked over by a force. I saw Julian rush over like a madman, trying to grab Chloe. But it was no use. “Bang!” Chloe fell down the steps, the blood gushing from below her waist stinging my eyes. My whole body trembled. Not long ago, I had just experienced something similar. Behind me, Leo’s heartbreaking scream suddenly rang out, “Chloe!” “Chloe, you can’t be hurt, you can’t be hurt…” Julian roared in despair. He knelt in the pool of blood, helplessly holding Chloe, his voice almost cracking. “Don’t be scared, I’ll take you to the hospital. You’ll be alright.” Julian lifted Chloe into his arms, struggling to press the elevator button. It took him several tries to succeed—his hands were trembling violently. Before getting into the elevator, Julian suddenly looked back, his eyes filled with hatred. “Audrey, I won’t let you get away with this.” Leo quickly chased after them, turning back to glare at me fiercely. “Bad woman, you hurt Chloe! I don’t want you anymore!” The moment the elevator doors fully closed, I clearly saw Julian press his forehead against Chloe’s. That deep, bone-marrow level of cherish and pity was something I had never received in the nearly thirty years I’d known him. Julian’s retaliation came swiftly. That night, I received news from the hospital. My mother’s medical payments had been cut off. “Ms. Stone, you must understand that a VIP room costs a hundred thousand a month. If you can’t pay, we’ll have no choice but to…” My hand trembled as I held the phone. A hundred thousand a month for medical bills was an astronomical sum for me now. I had no choice but to beg Julian. I rushed to the hospital. In the corridor, Julian leaned against the wall, a cigarette held between his fingers. Amidst the swirling smoke, his expression grew even colder. “Want to beg me to save your mother?” “Yes. According to the divorce agreement, you should continue to pay for my mother’s medical expenses.” My voice was tight. He scoffed, offering no reply. I explained, almost groveling, “I didn’t push her. If you don’t believe me, you can check the surveillance. There’s a camera at that spot…” I was somewhat incoherent. Julian stubbed out his cigarette, approaching me step by step, his tall figure casting a shadow over me. His tone was utterly cold. “Does it matter?” “What?” “Does it matter if you pushed her?” Julian looked down at me, with a superior, judgmental gaze. “No matter the truth, she lost her baby because of you.” I stared at him, stunned, the last string in my mind snapping. I screamed in despair, “So, you’re going to watch my mother die? That’s a human life!” “Using your mother’s life to pay for the life of Chloe’s unborn child. Sounds fair to me.” Julian’s lips curled into a nearly cruel smile. I felt as if I had plunged into an ice abyss. I had no other option; I knelt before him, bowing my head. “Please, I beg you, for the sake of our past, let my mother go. I’ll even die to atone for it, I’m willing to die…” Julian’s expression didn’t soften in the slightest. He looked at me as if I were a lunatic. “Audrey, you’re just like a dog wagging its tail, begging for scraps.” … That night, no matter what I did, I couldn’t change Julian’s mind. My mother’s respirator was unplugged that very evening. Before dawn, the hospital called. “Ms. Stone, please accept our condolences. Your mother has passed away.” Boom— My world plunged into utter darkness. I arranged my mother’s funeral simply, then walked to the ocean with her ashes… Meanwhile, Julian was at the hospital with Chloe. Chloe looked at his worried face and suddenly asked. “Are you worried about her?” Julian shook his head. Chloe linked her arm through his, coaxing gently. “Don’t worry, nothing bad will happen. That was just Audrey’s way of faking it for sympathy. Her mother’s illness was already cured; she just wanted attention.” Julian hummed softly, but his heart still felt unsettled. Until Mrs. Sterling burst into the hospital room, speaking incoherently. “Julian, quickly, go… go clear things up! Say Audrey Stone’s death has nothing to do with you, that you didn’t force her to die.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “319476”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn

My CEO boyfriend of five years suspected my loyalty. He demanded I collect 10,000 messages of goodwill from strangers before he’d even consider marrying me. Yet, his ex, Seraphina—who had dumped him three times—just had to ask him during a game of truth or dare if he’d marry her, and he immediately plastered their official announcement all over the city’s giant screens. My mom, who had just arrived in the city to meet her future son-in-law, saw the announcement and was so enraged she suffered a heart attack and collapsed, ending up in the hospital. I rushed to the public announcement site, fell to my knees, begging Julian to give me back my savings for her medical bills. But he frowned, claiming that once my money was given to him, it was his. He had no obligation to fund my family’s problems and told me to figure it out myself. Then, he turned around and used my savings to order a luxury car for Seraphina. Because I couldn’t pay the medical fees on time, Mom missed her crucial treatment window and tragically passed away in the hospital morgue. With tears in my eyes, I arranged her simple burial, then accepted a job offer from a big overseas tech company and applied for my resignation. Julian, though, just thought I was playing games. He nonchalantly said:”At your age, where else would you go without me? Stop playing hard to get. Later, I’ll take your mom out for a couple of days, just doing my duty as a son-in-law.” But then, when he saw me at the airport, why did his eyes turn red, begging me on his knees for forgiveness?

After my visa was approved, I went home to pack. The moment I opened my closet door, Julian Sterling, my boyfriend, jumped out, startling me. “Ava! I’m the hunter, and I’ve caught my prey!” He was beaming, his cheeks flushed, laughing heartily. I knew he’d been using a “business trip” as an excuse these past two days, but he was actually traveling with Seraphina Hayes to avoid me. The old me would have greeted him with a smile, doting on him and asking how he was doing. Now, I just shoved him aside and started rummaging for my clothes. Julian stood there, looking a bit helpless. After a moment, he said: “Ava, what’s wrong? Are you still mad about me not lending you money that day? I was trying to complete Seraphina’s dare; we’re friends, after all, and she was about to fail in fifteen minutes. I didn’t have time to transfer money. Didn’t I eventually relent and ask HR to approve your salary advance?” I let out a self-deprecating laugh, fighting back the sting in my nose as I continued to stuff clothes into my suitcase. That day, Mom had just arrived in the city when she saw her future son-in-law on a giant billboard, holding another woman’s hand and making their relationship official. She collapsed on the spot. I rushed to the scene, falling to my knees in front of Julian, begging him to return my savings for Mom’s medical bills. It would have taken less than three seconds to pull out my bank card from my bag. But he shoved me away with an indifferent look, telling me to figure it out myself. Then, he drained my account and bought Seraphina a luxury car. Later, when I went to HR for the advance, Brenda, the HR rep, rolled her eyes at me: “Ava, you think you’re Cinderella trying to snatch a prince? Seraphina and Julian Sterling are the perfect couple.” She deliberately dragged out the process. I ran around the company, completing eighteen different procedures, spending three grueling hours just to get a $200 advance. Brenda just shrugged, saying it was Julian’s instruction and there was nothing they could do. By the time I rushed to the hospital, Mom had already passed away. Julian saw I wasn’t speaking, snatched the clothes from my hands, and threw them onto the bed: “So what if I spent some of your money? Do you have to get so angry and pack your bags?” “That’s what I hate about people from your background, so provincial. You hand over a few hundred thousand, and then you’re constantly trying to claw it back. Honestly, buying Seraphina that sports car was to make sure you stop thinking my money is yours!” My heart felt like it was squeezed hard. I took a deep breath. I thought if I was just sincere enough, if I gave him all my salary, Julian would eventually let go of his suspicions. But I never expected he’d still think I was a gold-digger. Seraphina and he had an on-again, off-again relationship three times. Every single time, he’d win her back with luxury cars and mansions. Why was it suddenly my fault for being “provincial” when it came to me? I finished packing, grabbed my suitcase, and forced a sarcastic smile: “You won’t have to worry about that anymore. You can keep all your money for Seraphina.” Julian’s eyes widened. He grabbed my arm. Crash! A storage box was knocked over, and countless slips of paper with messages of goodwill fluttered to the ground, like a sudden snowfall. These were all the blessings I had begged endlessly for, stopping people on the street one by one. He had told me he’d suffered too much heartbreak, and unless I collected 10,000 messages of goodwill from strangers to prove my sincerity, he wouldn’t marry me. The ten-thousandth blessing was from my mom. She’d asked a fellow passenger on the train coming to the city to write it. When she handed it to me, she wished Julian and me a long and happy marriage, filled with enduring love. But Julian still went public with Seraphina just because of a single word from her. All my boundaries, all my expectations, were a joke. Julian picked up a slip of paper, his handsome eyebrows relaxing as he sighed: “Alright, Ava, stop throwing a fit. I’ll give you another three hundred. Take your mom to get some nice new clothes and buy some good food. Then I’ll take her on a trip later, fulfill my filial duty as a son-in-law.” The old me would have gladly accepted his apology and praised him for being a good husband. But now, my heart was heavy with resentment, and I couldn’t swallow my anger. I placed my hand over his payment transfer screen and said coldly: “No need. You’re not her son-in-law. We’re breaking up.” My words were swallowed by the sound of a key turning in the lock. “Julian, I’m here to pick you up. Weren’t we going out to dinner to celebrate?” Seraphina walked in and looked surprised: “Ava, what are you doing at Julian’s place?” Julian coughed and pulled away from me: “Ava’s mom needed some money, so she just asked if she could get an advance on her salary.” We had been in a secret relationship for five years, and he always kept me at arm’s length. I couldn’t even post about him on Ins. I thought he just disliked office romances. Turns out, hiding it from everyone was just to hide it from one person. Seraphina put on a righteous face and sharply scolded me: “Ava, don’t be so excessive! I didn’t say anything when you caused a scene at the announcement, but you have hands and feet. Just because Julian is kind, you can’t treat him like a cash cow and demand money!” Julian frowned, about to speak. I forced a smile. “You’re right, that’s exactly what I think. So I’m leaving now.” With that, I picked up my suitcase and walked past Julian, heading downstairs. He took a step as if to follow, glanced at Seraphina, then casually said: “Be careful on your way.” As I stepped out of the building, Julian sent me a SnapChat message: “Ava, don’t worry. This is the last time I’m helping Seraphina out. In a couple of days, I’ll make time to take your mom on that trip, and we can discuss our wedding plans and fast-track the ceremony.” I scoffed, opening the chat window with William, the HR from the overseas company: “William, my visa is approved. Flight’s tomorrow afternoon. See you then.”

I hailed a cab to the company to pick up my files, but Brenda, the HR rep, looked completely annoyed: “Julian has been deliberately delaying your resignation application. Come back next Monday to ask again.” I tried calling Julian, but it just went straight to voicemail. It was always like this whenever he was with Seraphina. I should have made him approve my resignation before I left. Frustrated, I frowned and left the company. Behind me, a burst of mocking laughter erupted: “When Seraphina and Julian made it official, she was there singing and dancing, then she kneeled and begged Julian for money! So embarrassing!” “You should have seen her face just now when Julian didn’t pick up his call! If I were him, I’d block such a clingy nuisance too!” I was already used to these taunts. My phone chimed with a notification. It was Seraphina, sending a message to gloat. The photo showed the slips of paper, meant for goodwill, stuffed into a filthy garbage can filled with slop. “One word from me, and Julian threw away your 10,000 blessings. I heard you spent a year collecting them; how tragic. So much effort for nothing.” “What good was five years of dating? The moment I came back, you were swept aside. He’s with me eating dinner right now, peeling shrimp for me. His hands are covered in sauce; you’ve never seen him do that, have you? If you’re curious, come to the restaurant’s private room. You can watch all you want.” My grip tightened on my phone. Ever since she returned to the country, I’d seen plenty of messages like this—Julian, who was such a clean freak and so arrogant, would now wash her clothes, cook for her, wash her feet, and make her bed. Usually, I dreaded Seraphina’s messages, yet I’d morbidly watch Julian’s special treatment of her. I even tried to tell myself it was all Photoshopped, that she was just trying to stir up trouble, and that by not seeing the truth, I could continue to delude myself. This time, I went. Not out of jealousy, but only to make Julian sign my resignation so I could finally be rid of him. Half an hour later, I arrived at the restaurant, only to hear Julian arguing with someone by the staircase. I instinctively hid around the corner. “Julian, are you insane? Seraphina dumped you three times, each time worse than the last. She even tricked you into going to a cliff and almost got you crippled! How could you go public with her? Ava was with you for five years, and you never gave her a title. Don’t forget, she almost died saving you once!” It was Leo, Julian’s closest friend. I touched the uneven scar on my forehead. A year ago, Julian and I were in a car accident during a business trip. To protect him, I was impaled by shards of windshield glass. I had more than a dozen steel plates implanted in my body, and a scar above my left eyebrow disfigured me, turning my previously gentle eyes into something fiercer. Colleagues secretly whispered “Scarface” behind my back, avoiding me and even spreading rumors that I was beaten by creditors. Julian, however, never bothered to set the record straight, always too worried about appearances. The next second, Julian’s reply hit me like a lightning bolt: “It’s because she had that car accident, and the scar near her eye… she doesn’t look like Seraphina anymore.” Leo was furious: “So you were still using her as a stand-in! No wonder when she proposed, you set an impossible task for her. Ten thousand blessings? Even if you asked thirty people a day, it would take a year! If you didn’t want to marry her, you didn’t have to play games with her! What kind of spell has that rotten Seraphina cast on you?” “Enough!” Julian barked. “Don’t you dare slander Seraphina like that! She said she’s turned over a new leaf. I’m just making up for past regrets. Give me two more days, and I’ll break it off with her.” Leo was speechless: “Aren’t you afraid Ava will truly give up?” Julian sounded completely confident: “I got Ava her job, she lives in my apartment, she has nothing without me. I’ll take responsibility for her. We’ve been out too long; Seraphina will get anxious. Let’s go back.” Watching their retreating backs. I stood there for a long time, then collapsed to the ground, hugging myself. When my mom first fell ill, I brought her to the city for treatment. Desperate because we had no money, Julian was the one who approached me, inviting me to work at his company. He was gentle and compassionate, like a god, and I fell for him completely. Looking back now, I remember wearing a face mask at the time, only my eyes visible. And his eyes, they were filled with the joy of finding something lost and finally recovered. Whenever he spoke of his ex, Julian always spoke through gritted teeth, a mix of love and hate. Then he would bury his face against my chest, sighing how grateful he was to have me. After Seraphina returned, he would deliberately “bump into” her several times, confronting her, but it was just an excuse to argue and subtly express his longing. No wonder Julian suddenly grew distant after the car accident. I, foolishly, thought it was because Seraphina was back and he was torn. Turns out, the original had returned, and I, the stand-in, was no longer needed, so he came up with the impossible task of 10,000 blessings as an elaborate excuse to turn me down. After a while, I took a deep breath and pushed open the private room door. Inside, everyone was already tipsy, clapping and cheering: “A dramatic reunion! An epic romance! I’m totally shipping them! Julian, you have to kiss Seraphina!” Julian kissed Seraphina’s lips openly. His long lashes fluttered, betraying a flicker of emotion. After an unknown amount of time, he realized the cheering had stopped and opened his eyes in confusion. He saw me standing behind Seraphina, my face utterly blank. He jolted upright, his face pale: “Ava, I can explain everything! It’s not what you think!” His clumsy attempt to cover it up made it all the more ridiculously absurd to me. “Julian, let’s break up.”

The next second, I pulled out my resignation letter: “Also, please sign this so I can resign.” Julian stood there, dumbfounded. Everyone present had a mix of shock and amusement on their faces; some hesitated, wanting to intervene. But then, Splash! Seraphina swept the wine and fruit platter off the table, as if she’d been utterly humiliated: “You two are a couple?!” “Julian, I told you, the love I want is one where your eyes are only for me! If you have a girlfriend, just say so! There’s no need to try and get revenge on me like this!” She stormed out of the room. Julian snapped back to reality, then, losing all composure, slapped me across the face: “Who told you to cause a scene in front of Seraphina?! Why did you expose our relationship? Don’t you know she’s too sensitive to handle this kind of shock?” My head was flung sideways, my eyes cold and empty. The burning rage in his eyes suddenly died down, replaced by a flicker of pain. The hand that had struck me trembled violently. He turned his head away and said sharply: “You just want to force me to marry you, but your plan failed. I’d like to see how you’re going to cause trouble for Seraphina without the job I gave you!” He snatched my resignation letter and signed it. The next second, he shouted “Seraphina!” and sprinted after her. I traced the crumpled paper, then, with a sense of relief, walked out amidst the bewildered stares of the crowd. Now, only one thing remained. After Mom’s death, I decided to take her away, so I’d only arranged a simple funeral and a symbolic tomb. Tomorrow, I needed to go to the hospital to pick up her ashes and belongings. The next morning, I arrived at the hospital right on schedule, planning to grab Mom’s things and head straight to the airport. As I passed a medical room, I heard a doctor call out Julian’s name. “You young people are crazy for love. Now your chest skin is inflamed, ulcerated, and bleeding. It could easily get infected internally! You can’t keep doing this!” I involuntarily slowed my steps. Then I heard Seraphina’s sugary voice: “Julian, I was just saying yesterday, out of spite, that I’d only forgive you when your heart was completely full of me. How could you actually tattoo my name all over your chest?” Julian’s voice was full of devotion: “For you, it’s nothing.” I turned my head and saw Julian’s open collar. His chest skin was red and festering, and I could faintly make out Seraphina’s name tattooed densely across it, each letter seeping with blood. But before, when I had just bought a pair of matching couple’s rings, he had reamed me out, saying I was deliberately trying to claim him and tie him down, restrict his freedom. Turns out, when it came to love, everyone was equally pathetic. I continued towards the morgue. Seraphina had already spotted me and deliberately picked a fight: “Ava, Julian said you’re just a persistent stalker. What do you want now?” Julian, however, didn’t seem annoyed at all. He quickly buttoned his collar, smoothed his hair, and a slight smile played on his lips: “Ava, I know you came to find me on purpose. As long as you promise not to overstep again, I can still let you come back to the company. I heard your mom is in our city recently. I can be generous and take her on a trip.” My eyes were full of sarcasm. What exactly counted as “not overstepping”? Continue to be his secret lover, smilingly bless him and Seraphina, then wait until he’d had his fill and settled down, gratefully marrying him? He still didn’t know that Mom had died long ago, and her last words were for me to find someone who truly loved me. The nurse, however, couldn’t wait. She rushed out to find me, handing me Mom’s ashes and belongings: “Ava, I have other families to attend to. Just sign here, and you can take your mother’s ashes.”

Julian’s smug expression froze: “What ashes?” The nurse shot him a puzzled look: “Ava’s mother passed away two days ago because she couldn’t afford the medical bills.” Julian was speechless, finding his voice only after a long moment: “How could this be? Ava, didn’t you use the money I gave you for your mom?” I lowered my head to sign the ash claim form. Seraphina frowned, then suddenly spoke: “Julian, I suddenly feel a bit unwell. Could you ask the doctor to check me? Ava and I are both women, maybe I can comfort her properly.” Julian hesitated, then finally called out to me: “Ava, stay right here! Wait for me to get the doctor, then we can talk properly!” The moment he left, Seraphina’s eyes filled with malice. She swept her hand across the table, knocking over my mother’s urn. She whispered mockingly: “Ava, you really are a persistent ghost. It was me who deliberately told HR not to give you the funds. Your mom died because you didn’t know your place. And Julian said he’s going to give your old position to me. If you’re smart, you’ll get lost!” My pupils constricted. So, my mom’s death was her doing! Filled with fury, I didn’t hesitate to slap her. She immediately crumpled to the floor, shrinking into the corner, groaning in pain, begging repeatedly: “Ava, don’t kill me! I’m so sad your mom died too!” Bystanders, unaware of the full story, all assumed I was just venting my anger. They had all seen Julian and Seraphina’s public announcement video, and now they were indignant: “Her own mom died, and she’s taking it out on another patient? Where’s security? Get this person out of the hospital!” “Don’t you know that’s Mr. Sterling’s fiancée? The Sterling family is loaded; you’ve messed with the wrong person! It’s not too late to get on your knees and apologize now!” My face was numb as I knelt to pick up the shattered ceramic pieces of my mother’s urn. The sharp edges of the fragments cut my fingers, leaving streaks of blood, but I felt no pain. As everyone condemned me, Julian finally rushed back with the doctor. They spoke over each other, trying to take credit: “Julian, your fiancée is being bullied! Aren’t you going to stand up for her?” Seraphina, looking smug, weakly cried out: “Julian, I’m fine. Ava didn’t mean to hit me. I was just kindly helping Ava with her mom’s ashes, and I accidentally dropped them. She didn’t intentionally push me or slap me. I’m okay; I probably didn’t break anything.” Julian took three steps and was suddenly in front of me. I didn’t even lift my head, just gathered my mother’s ashes. He’d probably just say a few words to me, nothing more. But to my surprise, the next second, he knelt directly in front of me, carefully cradling my hands and asking: “Does it hurt?”

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Times were rough. My husband’s salary plummeted from ten thousand dollars to two thousand dollars. That was right after our daughter, Lily, was diagnosed with a severe heart condition. To cover the exorbitant medical bills, I took out loans to fund his startup, only for him to lose every single penny. “Grace, I’m so sorry!” He stood on the edge of the rooftop, utterly desperate. I sobbed, clinging to him. “It’s okay, we’ll get through this together!” We spent seven grueling years struggling in a cramped studio apartment. Because we couldn’t afford the fifty thousand dollar per dose specialty medication, Lily eventually died in my arms. Then, I ran into his former colleague, Leo. “Congratulations! Did you know Hymen’s company is now worth hundreds of billions of dollars?” I clutched Lily’s urn, my face ashen. Leo didn’t notice my strange expression and kept talking: “His first love, Stella, is divorced with a critically ill daughter. For the past seven years, he’s been transferring a hundred thousand dollars to her every single month. He even spent a billion dollars developing a special medicine…” 1 I stumbled my way to the pharmaceutical company Hymen had founded. “Mr. Hymen, Ms. Stella’s monthly salary is already twenty thousand dollars. Are you sure you still want to give her a raise? Also, your wife really needs our specialty medication right now…” Brenda, his secretary, was cut off by Hymen before she could finish. “Stella’s salary must be increased every month! The specialty medication production is low right now. My daughter’s heart condition has dragged on this long, it’s not like it’s gotten any worse. Give the specialty medication to Stella’s daughter instead.” My hand, gripping the doorknob, trembled uncontrollably. A chilling dread froze my heart. Years ago, to raise money for his startup, I had begged every relative and friend. For the past seven years, I understood how tough it was for him, so I carried every burden myself. The meager salary he brought home each month wasn’t even enough to cover basic medical expenses. Not wanting to add to his stress, I kept my daily living expenses to five dollars, even resorting to picking up discarded, wilting vegetables from the supermarket floor. Just then, Hymen’s cold voice echoed from the office again. “I founded this pharmaceutical company for Stella. So, until the specialty medication is mass-produced, no one is to compete with Stella for it. Not even my own daughter!” My heart felt like it was ripped open. I flung the door open. “Grace?!” Hymen gasped in shock, his expression shifting from surprise to panic, then to guilt. He motioned for Brenda to leave, then composed himself and walked towards me, putting on a remorseful face. “When did you get here? I was just about to come to this company to beg for a dose of the specialty medication for our daughter. Unfortunately, they’re not being flexible. I’m so sorry.” I shoved him away forcefully, tearing off his mask of pretense without mercy. “Hymen, stop pretending! I heard everything you just said. Do you have any idea that our daughter is dead?!” My撕心裂肺的尖叫 tore through the air, and tears streamed down my face like a broken dam. Hymen was stunned speechless by my words, his lips trembling. “Lily’s dead?” Before I could speak. The sound of papers dropping to the floor suddenly came from the doorway. Stella gasped, covering her mouth, silently weeping. “Hymen, you’re actually the boss of this company? So, the one who anonymously transferred me a hundred thousand dollars every month, arranged my job, and got me the specialty medication… that was all you?” Stella’s face went pale as she stumbled backward, mortified with shame. “Stella, it’s not your fault. I did it because I wanted to!” Watching her cry, her face drenched in tears, Hymen’s heart ached for her, an unbearable pain. It was then that I noticed the Audi car keys in her hand. They looked familiar—they were mine! Seven years ago, I had sold that car and our house to fund his startup. I never imagined he would give it all to his first love. I absolutely saw red. 2 “Hymen, you told me my car and our house were forcibly repossessed by the court. How are they in her hands?” Hymen was speechless, unable to retort. Stella, completely humiliated, quickly bowed and apologized to me. “I’m so sorry, I had no idea. I’ll return the car keys to you right now, and I promise to move out of your house immediately.” With that, she shoved the car keys into my hand and, turning to Hymen, said firmly: “Hymen, thank you for your silent support these past few years, but I really don’t want to ruin your marriage. Starting today, I’m officially resigning, and please don’t transfer me any more money.” She left him with those words, gave him a tearful glance, then turned and ran out. “Stella!” Hymen panicked, instinctively chasing a few steps before suddenly stopping. He turned back to me. “Grace, is Lily really dead?” I let out a bitter laugh, tears welling up. “Do you think I’d lie to you?” “Grace, I…” He opened his mouth, his face pale. To make amends, he decided to choose a good burial plot for Lily. I remembered how Lily had craved his presence more than anything when she was alive. In the end, I agreed to let him attend her funeral. Hymen’s eyes suddenly reddened, and he stared at me with a complex expression before quickly standing and leaving. On the day of the funeral, I sat before Lily’s tombstone. I pulled out my phone, intending to call him to ask if he’d retrieved the urn, but instead, I saw Stella had posted something new. “I heard bone ash can be used as a special ingredient in heart medicine. I wonder if he’d be willing to… ” My heart plummeted. I was enveloped by a terrible premonition. I rushed to the crematorium’s urn storage to inquire. Mr. Clark, the manager, looked at me curiously. “Your husband picked it up twenty minutes ago. You didn’t know?” My breathing became rapid. I frantically called him, but no one answered. A fine layer of cold sweat emerged on my body. My first thought was to hail a cab and rush to Stella’s house. Through the iron gate, I saw that Lily’s urn was empty. And Stella was smiling as she fed the last bit of a liquid medicine into her daughter, Chloe’s, mouth. After telling Chloe to go back to her room to rest, she turned to Hymen, her eyes full of gratitude. “Hymen, thank you. I’ll never be able to repay your kindness.” “You took your daughter’s bone ash for my daughter. What if your wife gets angry? Will it affect your marriage?” Hymen frowned, then dismissed it with an indifferent smile. “Don’t worry. Who else does Grace have to rely on now besides me? She wouldn’t dare make a scene.” Rage surging, I burst in, out of control, and slapped him across the face. “Hymen, are you even human?! You had the specialty medication but wouldn’t give it to Lily. Now that she’s dead, you won’t even leave her ashes alone. You’re an animal!” “And you, Stella, you’re a manipulative bitch feigning innocence!” Hymen was slapped senseless, unable to react. “Grace, what are you doing here?” Stella’s face went white with fright, and she cowered behind him, not daring to look at me. I desperately clawed at his face. Enraged and humiliated, Hymen kicked me hard in the chest. “Enough! It’s just a little bone ash! You’re a medical student, you should know that keeping the ashes won’t bring Lily back!” I never thought he would say something so utterly inhumane. The physical pain was nothing compared to the agony in my heart. I struggled to get up. “You’ll both get your comeuppance! I’m calling the police to expose you!” With that, I pulled out my phone, ready to dial 91

Stella cried out in terror, covering her face. “Hymen, please don’t let her call the police. My daughter and I would be completely ruined. We might as well just die now!” 3 Hymen’s face suddenly changed. In a moment of desperation, he didn’t even think. He grabbed a garden hatchet from the ground and swung it towards my arm. “Ah!” The excruciating pain felt like my arm was almost severed. Blood splattered onto both our faces. As my consciousness faded, I thought I saw his panicked expression. When I woke up, I found myself locked in the attic of the house. The bone-deep wound on my arm was still gushing blood. Weakly, I crawled to the attic door and retrieved my phone. The moment I turned it on, a news headline popped up, trending: “Philanthropic Entrepreneur Hymen, A Man of Integrity and Heart.” My trembling fingers tapped on it. It turned out someone had leaked the news of Hymen’s anonymous support for Stella. Now, they were on site, being interviewed live. Staring at the screen, at their intimate, picture-perfect image of a happy family of three, I violently smashed my phone. He probably didn’t even know my daughter was dead, or that Stella’s daughter wouldn’t live much longer either. I escaped by smashing the window glass. Picking up Lily’s empty urn, which had been abandoned in the yard, I rushed straight to the live broadcast event. Hymen was about to receive a government award, being honored as one of the Top Ten Outstanding Entrepreneurs of the Year. Stella and Chloe, dressed to the nines, stood beside him, as proud as two peacocks. Covered in blood, I pushed through the crowd, holding up Lily’s empty urn, and exposed everything: how Hymen had deceived me, indirectly causing our daughter’s death. “I’m Grace, Hymen’s wife! I’m here to report that Hymen is a hypocritical liar who teamed up with Stella to kill my daughter!” “My daughter needed that specialty medication too, but Hymen was too stingy to give her even one dose. The doctors said that even just one dose would have saved her life!” By this point, my voice was choked and broken. The entire audience was in an uproar. Unanimously, they cast doubting glances towards Stella and Hymen on the stage. “Nonsense!” Hymen quickly stepped off the stage and pulled me aside into a corner. He hissed in a low voice: “Grace, stop making a scene! Let’s talk about this at home. I was just…” But when his gaze fell upon my swollen eyes and the bone-deep wound on my arm. A flicker of remorse crossed his eyes, and he swallowed the harsh words he was about to unleash. Stella suddenly ran down, her eyes red, and knelt before me. “Grace, I swear I never intended to ruin your relationship. If you mind Hymen helping me, I can leave him and go far away. Please, have mercy on me. I can’t take this anymore. I’ll just take my daughter and die right now!” Everyone gasped. Stella stood up, pulled Chloe, and ran towards the balcony of the banquet hall. “Stella!” Hymen’s face was horrified as he rushed over and pulled her into a tight embrace. After comforting Stella, Hymen came back to me and slapped me across the face more than ten times. “Grace, you crazy woman, you’re so consumed by jealousy! You couldn’t take care of your own daughter, so you can’t stand to see Stella’s daughter do well.” “What bone ash? If you dare to spout such nonsense again, I won’t hesitate to send you to a mental hospital!” At his words, the way people looked at me changed. I was dizzy from the blows but still desperately tried to explain. “Please believe me, I’m not crazy! He really gave my daughter’s bone ash to her daughter!” I didn’t expect the onlookers to point and whisper about my sorry state, their faces full of mockery. “Is this woman really insane?” “Mr. Hymen is such an honorable man. Why would he use his own daughter’s bone ash?” Clutching Lily’s urn, I was pushed to the ground, utterly helpless. Someone stepped on the gash on my arm, and the pain made me sweat profusely, almost fainting. Hymen watched, coldly indifferent, not moving a muscle. Suddenly, Stella’s terrified scream erupted from the edge of the crowd. “Hymen, my daughter is throwing up blood!” Hymen whipped his head around, seeing the girl, Chloe, lying on the ground, barely alive, with blood continuously spilling from her mouth. He instantly panicked. “How could this happen?!” Hearing this, my gaze slowly fell to the empty urn in my hand. I let out a slow, knowing smile. Now, your comeuppance has arrived.

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My husband’s ex-girlfriend was in a vegetative state, unconscious, and he was the one taking care of her. “Vivian became a vegetable because I married you, Zara. We both owe her. It’s my responsibility to take care of her.” For three whole years, I couldn’t show even a hint of displeasure. Otherwise, I’d be labeled heartless, unable to tolerate even someone in her state. Guilt-tripped for so long, I was brainwashed, feeling a sense of guilt towards Vivian. Until one day, by chance, while visiting Vivian. I found a pregnancy test stick under her hospital bed. Can a person in a vegetative state get pregnant? ### Blake’s face instantly changed. He snatched the pregnancy test and threw it into the trash. “It must have been dropped by the nurse! How incredibly careless!” The atmosphere in the car on the way home was heavy. I scrolled through my phone, the screen paused on Blake’s credit card’s supplementary card spending records. “Blake, I see you’ve bought quite a few things for Vivian lately.” “Chanel No. 5 perfume, a Hermès bag, a Cartier bracelet… It all adds up to over three hundred thousand dollars.” “Does a patient in a vegetative state really need these things?” Blake’s face darkened immediately, his tone laced with annoyance at being questioned. “The doctor said that if Vivian is exposed to things she used to love, it might stimulate her to wake up.” “Vivian always loved luxury items, but she couldn’t afford them back then.” “Zara, how can you be so petty about a sick person? Can’t you be a little more generous?” “We all owe her! Forget spending hundreds of thousands on bags for her, if she could just wake up, I’d lose everything I have, and I’d do it happily!” He finished, then drove in silence, running three red lights along the way. My heart ached with a suffocating pain. Vivian becoming a vegetable was certainly tragic. But what had I done wrong? When we got home, I went to freshen up, still in a gloomy mood. Blake, however, quickly reverted to his role as the attentive husband. He came to me with a bowl of nutritional supplements. “Darling, I was out of line earlier. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.” “I’m just so stressed. Seeing Vivian in that state… it just breaks my heart.” “But you’re not wrong. This is all my fault, my past mistakes. You shouldn’t have to suffer with me.” He put an arm around my shoulder, bringing the nutritional drink to my lips. “Drink this tonic to boost your health. Mom even called yesterday, nagging us about having a baby.” The nutritional drink had a strong, peculiar smell. My husband claimed he’d specially learned to make this herbal tonic. Normally, I would have been touched by his thoughtfulness, overlooking his earlier coldness. But now, the pregnancy test was like a sharp thorn, plunged deep into my heart. “Just leave it there. I don’t have an appetite.” I pushed the drink away. That night, I had a series of bizarre, unsettling dreams. The next morning, I was supposed to drive to the office, but for some inexplicable reason, I went to that private sanatorium again. I didn’t notify Blake. Avoiding the nurses’ station, I quietly slipped into the private suite where Vivian was staying. And then I saw a scene that made my blood run cold. Behind the floor-to-ceiling windows, it was no longer a cold hospital room. Instead, it was a lavishly decorated living room. Vivian, the patient who was supposedly lying motionless in bed. Was now standing in a custom-made dress, perfectly made-up, and haughtily glaring at the aide. “Slap!” She slapped the young aide hard across the face. “Useless! You can’t even make a decent cup of coffee! Do you even want this job?!” Vivian’s voice was sharp and surprisingly strong. There was no sign of illness about her. And what was most glaringly obvious was her slightly swollen belly. She was pregnant! I stood frozen, my hands and feet turning icy cold, a sudden, chilling realization dawning on me. Blake’s “devotion”! Vivian’s “suicide attempt”! My ridiculous guilt! It was all a carefully woven lie! ###

Half an hour later, the young aide who had been slapped walked out, her eyes red-rimmed. It looked like she was going to take out the trash. I stopped her in a secluded spot. “I saw what just happened.” “You’re just an aide, not her slave. What right did that woman have to hit you?” I offered her a tissue, keeping my voice as gentle as possible. She jumped, looking at me warily, hesitant to take the tissue. The aide, of course, knew who I was. I took a thick wad of cash from my bag, about five thousand dollars, and pressed it into her hand. “Don’t be scared. I just want to know the truth. What’s going on with Vivian?” “How long has she been awake? Whose baby is it?” “If you tell me the truth, I’ll give you more money and help you find a good job.” The young aide looked at the money in her hand, then hesitated before speaking. “Ms. Chen, even if you didn’t give me money, I’d still tell you. Because that vile pair is truly despicable!” “Vivian was never in a coma. She was never a vegetable!” “Your husband bribed the doctors and nurses here to put on a show for you.” “The baby must be your husband’s. As soon as Mr. Blake arrives, they lock the door and do shameless things.” “That woman’s screams make the stray cats outside restless.” “They’re even plotting against you.” “Plotting what?” I forced down my rage and continued to ask. “They said once you died, all your family’s assets would be theirs… and that they were going to drug you…” Drug me? I immediately thought of the nutritional supplements I drank every night. It wasn’t just betrayal; this scoundrel was trying to murder me for my money! I composed myself, then transferred another thirty thousand dollars to the aide’s phone. “Wait here. I’m going to buy some hidden cameras.” “When I get back, you’ll install them in Vivian’s room.” “From now on, you’re my insider!” After arranging for my spy, I went to the hospital for a comprehensive medical check-up. A few days later, I received some candid videos from my insider. Vivian, in a nearly transparent silk nightgown, was coiled around Blake like a seductive vine. “When is that wretched woman Zara going to die already? My belly is getting bigger by the day, I can’t wait much longer.” “I don’t want my child to be a bastard. I’m sick of pretending to be a vegetable; I want to go hit up clubs and dance.” Blake chuckled lewdly, caressing Vivian’s stomach to comfort her. “Don’t rush, sweetheart. She’s been drinking the tonic; the poison will slowly kill her. It’s just taking time.” “We have to take it slow, can’t use too much poison, or there might be suspicious symptoms after she dies.” “Slowly killing her won’t leave any traces. Otherwise, if the bitch dies, and we get caught and thrown in jail, it would all be for nothing, wouldn’t it?” “Just be patient, everything at home will be ours sooner or later!” Vivian seemed convinced but continued to playfully complain. “But you’re not allowed to sleep with her! And you’re definitely not allowed to get her pregnant!” “Hahaha, darling! Don’t be angry!” “You’re the only one I truly love. Everything with Zara is just an act. To me, she’s not even a bed partner; she’s just an inflatable doll.” “The tonic I give her isn’t just slow-acting poison, it’s also a contraceptive!” Vivian looked even happier. “Hehe, that’s good!” “Honey, we haven’t been intimate in days. I want you.” “I’ve noticed since I got pregnant, my desires are even stronger.” She said, reaching out to flirt, but Blake stopped her with a hand. “The doctor said the first three months are unstable; we can’t actually do anything.” “Hehe, I have other ways…” I didn’t need to watch the rest of the video. Rage erupted like a volcano, scorching my insides. But I remained calm. Anger solves nothing; revenge is the top priority! At that moment, my hospital check-up report from a few days ago also came back. Sure enough, it detected traces of slow-acting poison. However, the dosage was small and hadn’t caused any substantial harm. I saved the video, then drove to the most expensive cemetery in the city, Sunset Ridge. Others wanted comfortable burial plots. But I only asked if there were any uncomfortable ones. “Something that won’t let the deceased’s soul rest in peace, even after death?” The cemetery manager naturally said no. “All our plots here are peaceful. Why would we have something like that?” I handed him a fifty thousand dollar tip, and suddenly, he found one. “Ms. Chen, plot number 863 was previously a restroom and even a slaughterhouse. It’s the most ominous of them all.” “Can it fit three people?” “It can!” After signing the contract, I felt refreshed. Blake! Vivian! And that illegitimate child you conceived through deceit and betrayal! I’ve even chosen your final resting place for you. ###

That evening, Blake came home. Again, his face showed exhaustion and melancholy. This was the clever part of Vivian pretending to be a vegetable. Other men had to sneak around to meet their mistresses. But Blake could go openly, spend my money openly, and then come home and emotionally blackmail me with it. “Sigh, Vivian still shows no sign of consciousness.” “Anyway, let’s not talk about sad things. I’ll warm up your nutritional drink.” “Blake, don’t bother.” I called out to him, my voice filled with a strange cheerfulness. “Sit down. I have a gift for you.” He looked a little confused but sat down next to me. “A gift? Suddenly?” I looked at his face, once capable of making my heart flutter, now only filled with revulsion. I thought back to our past. When the Chen family fell on hard times, my parents, out of respect for our long-standing family friendship, not only didn’t break off our engagement but treated him like their own son. They even hired him as the general manager of Chen Corporation. I never imagined that our Chen family, after offering so much help, would raise such an ungrateful viper! “It’s for you.” I handed him the cemetery contract. His face instantly changed when he saw it. “A cemetery plot? Darling, are you crazy? Sending me this is so unlucky!” “It’s an investment.” “I heard that investing in plots is more lucrative than real estate nowadays. This plot is in a good location; it’s sure to appreciate. Look, it’s big enough for three people, what a bargain, right?” Blake was skeptical but a flicker of greed appeared in his eyes when he heard it could appreciate. “Oh, my dearest, you always have such vision, such business acumen.” “To find such an obscure investment opportunity, you’re truly brilliant!” He was buttering me up. I watched his money-grubbing face, a cold sneer forming in my heart. Idiot! Of course, you think it’s brilliant, I picked it for *you*! “There’s something else,” Striking while the iron was hot, I mentioned my second arrangement. “The company is preparing to go public, right? We need some positive publicity to build momentum and boost our brand image and investor confidence. I’ve contacted several major media outlets and influencers to arrange an exclusive interview for you.” “An interview about what?” He looked even more bewildered. “About your touching story of selflessly caring for your ex-girlfriend, who is in a vegetative state, for so many years?” “Think about it: an entrepreneur with deep affection, who keeps promises, is responsible, and has a strong sense of duty—what a positive image! How much more it will move the market and investors!” “This is more persuasive than spending tens of millions on advertising!” I persuaded him. “This… this isn’t quite right, is it?” He looked troubled. “Vivian needs peace and quiet; I don’t want to be high-profile. I’m taking care of Vivian out of conscience, not for publicity—” I immediately cut him off, my tone brooking no argument. “What’s wrong with it?” “This is a great opportunity to build your personal brand and enhance the company’s image! It’s crucial for the company’s IPO!” “I’ve already arranged with the media. The interview will be held at Vivian’s sanatorium. The authentic setting will be even more moving.” “Blake, for the company, for our future, you *must* cooperate!” Blake couldn’t find any more excuses and reluctantly agreed. The next day, he indeed secretly went to the sanatorium to find Vivian and warn her. “You have to play along perfectly, don’t blow our cover!” “If Chen Corporation successfully goes public, it will only benefit us!” “If I establish my image as a good man this time, and it becomes a widespread public perception, then even if Zara dies later, no one will suspect me!”

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A week before the wedding, my fiancée, Seraphina Thorne, declared she had to marry her ex-boyfriend first before she could marry me. Her ex, Caleb Reed’s mother, Mrs. Evelyn Reed, was critically ill, with not long left to live. Her last wish was to see her son married and with a child. “Mrs. Reed has always hoped Caleb would have his own family, a child. I’m just trying to fulfill a mother’s dying wish, don’t overthink it, Leo.” But my company had already tied our “True Love Collection” jewelry launch to the date of our extravagant wedding. She frowned, “It’s just a few billion dollars, can it compare to a mother’s last wish? If you’re so desperate for that money, go find someone else to marry!” Her cold words left me with a bitter understanding. I turned and dialed my brother, Adam Vance. “Adam, find me a new bride.” My brother sounded utterly disbelieving. “You’re calling off your wedding?!” “No, she’s marrying someone else.” I forced a wry smile. To be with Seraphina, I had defied immense pressure from my family. I even convinced the board to link our multi-billion dollar ‘True Love Collection’ project to our wedding date, making it a commercial testament to our love. But now, it was all for nothing. Adam was silent for a long moment. Then he said, “Then it has to be Blair Sterling. Her family is pushing hard, and she’s also looking for a husband lately.” My brow furrowed. Blair Sterling, my arch-rival. On the day of my engagement, she’d even mocked that my marriage wouldn’t last. I never expected her words to become a chilling prophecy. Time was short. I could only say, “Alright, she’s the one. See what she thinks. If not, I’ll figure something else out.” Adam blurted out, “No need to ask, she’ll definitely agree.” “What?” I wanted to ask more, but a group of people suddenly surrounded me. “You must be Sera’s fiancé, you’re so handsome!” “Are you here to pick up Sera from work? She’ll be right down. You two are just adorable.” I gripped the steering wheel, my gaze dropping to hide the self-mockery in my eyes. Seraphina had introduced me to her colleagues and friends early on. In everyone’s eyes, we were the envied model couple. But no one could have imagined she was about to marry another man. After bidding goodbye to the others, Seraphina got in the car and handed me a watch. “Caleb asked me to give you this. Yesterday at the hospital, you said those things in front of his mother, it made him look really bad. Apologize to him when you get a chance.” The watch was clearly a freebie with a full-priced purchase; I’d seen it in Seraphina’s online cart just a couple days ago. I said flatly, “I don’t want it.” Seraphina frowned. “What are you trying to pull now? You barged into the hospital room and said I wasn’t his fiancée, embarrassing him. He isn’t even holding a grudge, he even thought to bring you a gift, and you’re being so ungrateful?” The Seraphina who used to defend me was gone. Now, she cherished someone else. Seraphina irritably rolled down the window, letting the wind blow through. After a long silence, seeing that I wasn’t going to humor or coax her as usual, she finally said, “Fine, whatever. Today we have a fitting for the wedding dress, I’m not going to argue with you.” It was the first time she’d backed down all year. At the bridal boutique, a sales assistant greeted us. “Miss Thorne, Mr. Vance, your twenty custom-made suits and wedding dresses are ready.” Seraphina’s attention wasn’t on the clothes. She was staring down at her phone, a hint of urgency on her face. Catching my eye, she quickly put her phone away, a flicker of apology in her expression. “Leo, something’s come up with Caleb, I need to rush over right away. You try on the suits yourself, and pick a wedding dress for me, I trust your taste.” With that, she hastily hailed a taxi and left, leaving me standing there alone. The sales assistant quickly approached, tentatively asking, “Mr. Vance, would you like to personally select the wedding dress?” I withdrew my gaze and nodded. Of course I would select the wedding dress. Just not for Seraphina. After all, the bride had changed. I got in my car and drove home, expecting Seraphina not to return all night. Instead, I saw her before dinner. She walked purposefully towards me, holding a gift box. “I practically scoured the entire city to get these for you, your favorite artisanal chocolates from that one shop.” I looked at the box of chocolates. There were three fewer than usual, and one of them had a tooth mark, clearly bitten into. Half an hour ago, I’d seen Caleb post on his SnapChat story. The picture was of the exact same chocolates in my hand. “My amazing wife, always thinking of me, even late at night! Love you!” I set the box of chocolates down with a bitter laugh. My appetite was gone. “I don’t feel like eating them. Throw them away.” Seraphina instantly glared at me with displeasure but held back her anger. She sat beside me and began to complain. “You have no idea how pathetic Caleb was today. My parents went to his house and told him his family was poor, couldn’t even afford decent gifts. He literally cried.” “Caleb just got back to the country, he doesn’t have much savings. I was hoping we could divert the assets you prepared for our wedding to him first.” Her unquestionable tone filled me with disgust. I looked at her with a sneer. “So, I’m supposed to pay for your husband to marry you?”

I used to care about Seraphina. If she asked, I’d give her anything, do anything for her. But now, she had personally woken me up. Thinking back, ever since Caleb returned, everything she did was for him. She had forgotten that I was the one meant to spend the rest of my life with her. My answer enraged Seraphina. “What is that supposed to mean? You’re refusing? You better get this straight, Caleb is my most important friend, and you better keep him happy, otherwise, I won’t marry you!” With that, she slammed the door and left. Feeling restless, I went downstairs to the park for a run. After just one lap, I received a call from Blair Sterling. Thinking of the usually stone-faced Blair, I hesitated for two seconds before answering. “Once you’re on my boat, you’re mine. Try to run, and I’ll drag you back!” Blair’s first sentence was a punch to the gut. I remained silent, and she continued: “First, give me your identification. We’re going to get married at the registry office.” “I’m afraid you’ll back out.” Blair, something’s definitely off with you. I’d already conjured a million scenarios in my head of her using our marriage to torment me. In the end, all I could manage was, “See you at the wedding, Miss Sterling.” The moment I hung up, Seraphina appeared behind me, I don’t know when. “You’re inviting Blair to our wedding? No way!” Her eyes narrowed, glaring at me like I was the enemy. “Leo, I told you not to associate with Blair! Her intentions towards you aren’t pure. If you insist on inviting her to our wedding, don’t blame me for cutting ties!” I hadn’t even said a word, and she was already throwing down ultimatums. Seraphina had always disliked Blair, always harboring some inexplicable hostility. When we first started dating, she even got intensely jealous because Blair and I often clashed at business forums. Later, I gradually reduced my public contact with Blair. But she actually said… Blair’s intentions towards me weren’t pure? I was about to press her when Caleb suddenly stumbled, turning to embrace Seraphina. “Sera, you’re hurting my hand…” It was then I realized they had been strolling, fingers intertwined. Seraphina coughed uncomfortably a couple of times but made no move to pull her hand away. Caleb looked at Seraphina with a soft gaze, then feigned helplessness as he apologized to me. “Leo, I’m sorry, Sera and I were just getting familiar with the wedding flow in advance. Please don’t mind us.” “And about you threatening me and harassing my mother, I won’t say anything, but please, don’t hurt Sera. True feelings can’t withstand such tests.” I couldn’t stand this charade any longer. I turned to leave. “Since you’re so excited, then I’ll ‘satisfy’ you tonight.” Slap! Seraphina slapped me hard across the face. “Leo, how could you be so cruel?!” Her face was pale with anger, her chest heaving. Me, cruel? She believed a simple rumor from someone else, but five years of our relationship couldn’t earn me an ounce of trust. A surge of anger suddenly flared within me, and I wanted to confront Seraphina. But Caleb stepped in front of her. “Leo, please, as soon as the wedding is over, I’ll give Sera back to you.” “Please, be merciful, don’t hurt those around me, and don’t hurt Sera anymore.” He began to bow to me. Seraphina quickly grabbed his arm, stopping him from lowering his head, and glared at me. “Leo, don’t play your rich boy bullying tactics!” “You know I hate that most. If you still want to marry me, stop acting out!” With that, she warned me not to show my face in front of them again until the wedding. But the next day, Seraphina actually contacted me. She started with a barrage of scolding. “Leo, you actually harassed Mrs. Reed?! I never thought you’d be this kind of person!” Full of doubt, I immediately called my assistant to investigate, only to uncover something truly shocking. Caleb’s mother… was perfectly fine.

No wonder Caleb could be so unscrupulous, using his mother’s supposed illness to frame me. The critical illness was a complete lie. I sent Seraphina a text: “Caleb’s mother is fine. The truth is in the email I just sent you.” Whether she read it or not was no longer my concern. My flight was booked for three days later, personally arranged by Blair Sterling. When Seraphina returned, she found me packing. Half my clothes were being discarded, a small portion shipped to San Francisco. “Why are you packing?” Seraphina’s expression was hesitant. I vaguely replied, “Moving.” She paused for a moment, not catching on, and continued, talking to herself. “The Vance family’s headquarters are in San Francisco. We’re supposed to settle there after we’re married, so it makes sense to start packing early.” Then, her gaze turned stern as she looked directly at me. “About Caleb’s mother, apologize as soon as possible, don’t make things difficult for me. How about at the wedding? What do you think?” She finished speaking and tossed her phone aside to look for her ID—today was the day she and Caleb were going to the city hall to register their marriage. She didn’t come back until evening. I opened my phone, and Caleb’s message popped up. The picture showed Seraphina and him in matching outfits, sharing a bed. I closed my eyes, but my heart still throbbed with a sharp pang. I suppressed the emotion, turning off my phone. Late that night, the phone by my pillow vibrated every hour. Each vibration meant Caleb had sent another video of him and Seraphina, a naked provocation. Until the next morning, when Blair Sterling sent me a message. “Mr. Vance, the flower has bloomed. You can come back now.” The accompanying image showed two marriage certificates and a pot with a vibrant Queen of the Night cactus flower in full bloom. I hadn’t realized that the tiny plant I’d casually given her years ago, she had meticulously cared for until now. An inexplicable, strange emotion swelled in my chest. I replied with one word: “Okay.” I put down my phone and began to pack my laptop and work documents. I didn’t know when Seraphina had returned. She was packing her everyday luggage. “I’m moving in with Caleb for a few days, he can’t manage preparing for the wedding alone. Remember to be at the wedding on time the day after tomorrow, don’t be late.” After saying that, she went on a long explanation, mostly about how she was just helping out normally and that I shouldn’t cause any more trouble. “Mmhmm, I won’t be there.” I said, my eyes lowered. After last night, the last shred of affection I had for her was completely gone. Seraphina looked at my calm demeanor, an unnamed dread washing over her. She suddenly hesitated. But recalling Caleb’s insistent dependence, her grip on her phone loosened. Leo Vance loves her so much, what could possibly go wrong? Thinking this, she breathed a sigh of relief, no longer bothering me, and vanished from my sight. I watched her retreating back and made a call. That same evening, a helicopter landed in the plaza. A staff member approached. “Mr. Vance, your helicopter has arrived. You’ll be safely transported to South City in half an hour.” I nodded, then handed him a file. “Deliver this to the wedding venue tomorrow. It’s my wedding gift for the happy couple.”

The next day, I sent Seraphina a message right on schedule: “Happy wedding!” At the wedding venue, Seraphina was anxiously looking towards the entrance, asking her assistant, Alex: “Why isn’t Leo here yet? He said he’d publicly apologize to Mrs. Reed today.” Alex scrolled through the news, his brows tightly furrowed. “He probably won’t make it. He’s… busy with his own wedding right now.” Upon hearing this, Seraphina stood in the center of the ballroom, completely stunned. The wedding venue was decorated with Caleb’s favorite champagne roses, adorning the entire hall in a dreamy, ethereal glow. Below the stage, guests clinked glasses and chatted. Everything seemed perfect. However, Seraphina clutched her phone tightly, staring intently at the screen at the news headline: [Vance CEO Weds, “True Love Collection” Shines Simultaneously]. Cold sweat broke out on her palms. She frantically dialed the number etched into her memory, but only heard the tone indicating no one was picking up. “How could this be?” Caleb rushed over to her, taking her hand. “Sera, what’s wrong? Your hand is so cold?” Seraphina gripped his hand back. “Leo… he’s… he’s marrying someone else!” Caleb took her phone, glanced at it, frowned, then smiled. “How could that be? Leo loves you so much, this must be some kind of business strategy. These businessmen, they’ll do anything for profit, even fake a marriage.” “Fake marriage?” Seraphina’s panicked expression eased slightly. “Alright, Sera, the wedding is about to begin. Let’s go up.” The emcee stood on stage hosting the wedding. Seraphina forced a smile back onto her face, exchanged rings with Caleb, and they kissed each other. Just as everything seemed perfectly concluded, the banquet hall doors burst open with a loud bang. A group of formally dressed, solemn-faced individuals marched in in an orderly fashion. Seraphina instinctively thought it was Leo coming to make a scene. Just as she was about to speak, her expression suddenly froze. Because it wasn’t Leo who entered, but a group of uniformed police officers. She immediately panicked, asking, “Officers, we are all law-abiding citizens, this is…?” The lead officer ignored her, directly presenting a document. “Mr. Leo has filed a complaint accusing Caleb of illegal appropriation of another’s property. The evidence is conclusive. Please come with us.” Seraphina was utterly distraught. “Officer, what illegal appropriation? That was prepared for me by Leo! I legally transferred it to Caleb for emergency use!” The officer frowned. “What you consider a legal transfer is not recognized by the rights holder, Mr. Leo. Relevant evidence has also been submitted.” Seraphina vehemently argued, “That’s Leo’s tactic! He’s doing this to ruin my and Caleb’s wedding!” The officer looked at her sternly. “Madam, please do not obstruct justice. Take him away!” Caleb was led away, and the wedding instantly erupted into chaos. Caleb’s relatives loudly whispered, saying how all those seemingly respectable things were actually taken from someone else, truly shameful. Seraphina’s parents’ faces were as dark as thunderclouds, pointing at her forehead and scolding. “You, you, what foolish things have you done!” “You threw away a perfectly good golden boy, insisting on finding dead weight! Now look, everything’s gone!” Seraphina managed to calm down. “Mom, this is Leo’s way of forcing me to come back. I’m going to find him right now, get him to withdraw the charges, and get Caleb out.” She was about to step forward when a well-dressed man, who looked like an assistant, blocked her path. “Miss Thorne, this is Mr. Vance’s wedding gift for you.”

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My editor wife managed the millions I earned from my novels. Then she transferred every cent of my royalties to a rising male author. “You gave it to him? What about Mia!? She’s been kidnapped! They could kill her!” She just shrugged. “Call the police. I sent you ten bucks. And need I remind you? The publishing contract is in my name.” I stared at the ending I’d already written. Then I picked up my keyboard. And I rewrote everyone’s fate. Thanks to its newly signed deal with a famed director, this novel was about to expose her to massive financial liabilities. “Liam, get it together. The press is on their way. Make sure you properly thank Blake for all his inspiration.” I frowned. “The inspiration was mine. He’s a rookie who shouldn’t even be at this event. Why would I thank him?” Smack! A sharp slap landed squarely on my face. “You think you got here on your own? I’ve seen Blake’s talent. If he hadn’t stepped aside, you’d be nowhere.” Blake drifted past, the picture of wounded grace. “Liam, I know my work isn’t like yours. If you think I don’t deserve the support…I can give the money back.” I swallowed my words. Chloe, however, was incensed. “Liam, Blake put his own book on hold to promote yours! All you do is travel and slack off. And now you’re bullying the one person actually trying to help you?” I looked at Chloe’s impatient face, feeling like I was seeing her for the first time. She was my editor. She was my wife. And yet, she never noticed the days I skipped meals, the nights I traded sleep for words, all for the sake of the story. To make my worlds real, I ventured into treacherous places, all to bring back the grand, breathtaking vistas I had pledged to my readers. It cost me my health. Chloe never saw them. To her, writing a novel that moved millions was a simple gift. The real work was in the promotion she managed. My phone buzzed. A text. A photo loaded: my sister Mia, bound and gagged. Below it, a demand: “$100,000 in one hour. Wire it here. Or you’ll never see your sister again.” I was still trying to decide if this was some sick AI scam when a video started to play. “Liam, please, help me! I’m so scared.” Mia’s voice was raw, muffled by the blindfold. The dark cloth around her eyes was already soaked through with tears. I called her number. Again and again. Nothing but silence. Panic seized me. Looking at the few thousand dollars left in my bank account, I turned to Chloe, desperation in my eyes. “Mia’s been kidnapped.I need a hundred thousand. Now. Can you help me?” Chloe rolled her eyes. “Call the police. Where would an editor get that kind of cash?” “You transferred millions in royalties. My royalties. Don’t tell me you don’t have it.” Chloe was about to say something, but Blake cut in. “Chloe, he seems desperate. Even if it’s not for his sister…just let him have his fun. What’s the harm?” Without another word, Chloe transferred the money. My phone vibrated the instant it cleared. A storm of cold, hard clarity washed over me. To her, Mia’s life wasn’t even worth a single word from Blake. And the money I was begging for was my own, hard-earned cash. I quickly pulled out my phone, ready to transfer the money to the kidnappers’ account. But after entering the password, I was told there wasn’t enough balance. Suspicious, I opened my transaction history. That’s when I discovered Chloe hadn’t transferred $100,000 at all. It was ten measly dollars. My hand, gripping the phone, trembled slightly, but I didn’t explode. I lowered my voice again, almost begging. “Chloe, did you make a mistake? I only received ten dollars.” Chloe looked utterly annoyed. “Who knows if that’s just an excuse you made up to get money? Just take the ten bucks and be grateful. Don’t go blowing it all on parties behind my back.” Chloe was about to pull Blake away, but I had no other choice. If I didn’t transfer the money soon, Mia’s situation would become even more dangerous. I called out to Chloe. “What do I have to do for you to give me the money? I’ll do anything you say.” She looked at me with disgust. “Are you really going to make such a spectacle of yourself out here?” She loathed my current pathetic state, afraid someone might recognize me as her husband. Chloe couldn’t be bothered to say more and turned to leave. But Blake seemed intrigued. “Liam, I can help you, if you promise me one thing.” Thinking of Mia, whose life hung by a thread, I nodded. Blake watched my desperation, the smile on his face completely unrestrained. “As long as you tell the reporters that you’re a dog, and then bark three times, I’ll transfer the money.” I gritted my teeth, my fists clenched so tight. Despite the raging fury inside me, I couldn’t bring myself to throw a punch. “Fine, I agree. But you have to transfer $50,000 to me first.” Blake readily agreed. Seeing the $50,000 indeed land in my account, I walked towards the reporters. The cameras were still rolling. The reporter spotted me and was about to begin the interview when I cut him off. “I’m a dog.” Then, I barked three times into the camera. “Woof, woof, woof.” Each bark was laced with humiliation. People around me stared, even the reporter looked utterly shocked. I ignored the whispers of the other renowned authors nearby and rushed over to Blake. He wore a mocking smile and promptly transferred the rest of the money to me.

I furiously transferred the money to the kidnapper. Two seconds later, I heard Blake’s phone ping. “Surprise! Did you like the surprise I sent you?” I gasped, utterly disbelieving. “Blake?” “Liam, you’re not mad, are you? I just wanted to play a prank on you.” I said, my voice heavy. “Do you think this is funny?” “Liam, don’t throw a fit here. It was just a prank, wasn’t it?” Chloe had come over at some point, instantly jumping to Blake’s defense. I gasped for air, the scene before me blurring. Finally, I felt my body give out and passed out. When I woke up again, I was in a hospital. I slowly sat up and saw a familiar figure slumped asleep by the bed. “Mia?” Mia looked up. Seeing I was awake, tears of joy streamed down her face. “Liam, you’re finally awake! You’ve been asleep for a whole day.” Mia’s tears wouldn’t stop. My heart aching, I pulled her into a tight embrace. “I’m so sorry, Mia. I’ve caused you so much trouble.” “What are you talking about? I’m just glad you’re okay. I… I called Chloe, and she… she told me not to put on an act for her…” Mia stuttered, afraid her words would damage my relationship with Chloe. I looked at Mia, my heart full of tenderness. “I’ll handle it.” Ever since our parents passed away, Mia and I had depended on each other. For Chloe’s sake, I had neglected Mia, pouring all my efforts into Chloe. I even gave her ownership of all my novels, accumulated over decades, fearing she wouldn’t have financial security. Now, it had become her leverage to do whatever she pleased. I quickly checked out of the hospital and went home. I opened my laptop and revised the final chapter, which was scheduled for a timely update. It was late into the night when I finally clicked “submit,” having completely derailed the protagonist’s character and the story’s logic. This novel, because of its incredible data and ever-increasing online readership, had attracted the attention of numerous directors. Even before it was finished, many had privately messaged me, inquiring about the film adaptation rights. Eventually, it was signed by a nationally renowned director. He had only one requirement: there must be no major collapse of character design or plot. The penalty for breach of contract was double the signing fee. It wouldn’t have been an issue unless done intentionally. I had just finished packing my bags when I heard a commotion in the living room. “Liam is still in the hospital, aren’t you going to check on him?” I recognized Blake’s voice. Chloe scoffed. “Who knows if he’s faking it? Just some little trick to make me feel guilty.” Chloe, my nominal wife, even thought my illness was an act. Before long, suggestive sounds drifted from outside. Suppressing my nausea, I opened the door. The two were caught in a passionate kiss, their hands exploring each other’s bodies. Hearing the door open, they stopped their movements and instinctively turned. Seeing it was me, Chloe hastily pushed Blake away. Instead of fear at being caught cheating, she was enraged. “Why didn’t you say you were coming back? Who are you trying to scare here?” I looked at her coldly. “Is that your reaction to being caught cheating?” Chloe put on a righteous face. “I was just discussing work with Blake. Your mind is dirty, so everything you think is dirty.” I couldn’t be bothered to argue with her any further. I stated calmly, “Tomorrow, we’re filing for divorce.” “Divorce? You want me to care about you? Just write your novels for me, and that’s enough. Otherwise, when you regret it and beg me to get back together, I won’t agree.” “If you don’t agree to the divorce, then I’ll have to pursue legal action.” I didn’t bother listening to her response. I grabbed my suitcase and left that foul-smelling place, heading alone to a convenience store. I only had the ten dollars Chloe had transferred me, barely enough for a meager meal. Mia was at college and didn’t have much money either. Now, I didn’t even have enough money for my next meal. Thinking of myself, toiling away at my computer every day, I found it utterly pathetic. To make her happy, I’d developed a host of health problems from sitting for long hours. In the end, all my efforts yielded no reward.

Because I was broke, I asked the cashier if the convenience store was hiring. “Sorry, we’re fully staffed right now. You can leave your number, and we’ll contact you if a position opens up.” I thanked her and was about to leave when someone suddenly called my name. “Liam?” I turned towards the voice. Scarlett looked at me with surprise, seemingly amazed to see me there. I understood her surprise. She was an editor from another novel platform. She’d seen my talent and approached me many times, wanting me to switch platforms, even offering me benefits no other author received. This store was near her company, making it easy to run into her. When I went home, I used to pass by this way. To put Chloe at ease, I’d even taken a detour to avoid this area before. Now, it seemed she only cared about the value my novels brought her. Scarlett had overheard my conversation with the cashier. She asked, “Why are you applying for a job here? Aren’t you writing novels anymore?” “No, I’m divorcing Chloe. Those novels were published under her name, so the ownership isn’t mine. Now I’m broke, so I have to find a job to get by.” Scarlett was initially shocked, then looked at me with expectation. “So, you’re not with that platform anymore? If you don’t mind, why don’t you come to us? The previous conditions still stand.” Unlike before, I didn’t coldly refuse. I was incredibly grateful to have run into Scarlett here. I nodded. “If you’ll have me, I’d be honored.” Scarlett excitedly sent messages to someone. “Absolutely! I’ll talk to our boss. I’ll send you an account shortly; you can start posting your work then.” Before leaving, Scarlett added me on SnapChat and, without a word, transferred $10,000 to me. Afraid I would refuse, she explained, “You’re broke right now, right? This is from our boss. Use it for now; I’ll be your editor, and you can pay it back when your work takes off.” I didn’t refuse. I thanked her and accepted the money. I rented a small apartment and returned to my old routine, adopting a new pen name. I started typing away day and night at my computer. Lost in my novel, I felt like I’d entered another world, completely free from fatigue. This time, I wasn’t writing for anyone else; I was writing for myself. This sense of liberation gave me even more motivation. Just as I was getting into my stride, a knock came from the door. Thinking it was my food delivery, I opened the door. “Liam, I finally found you. I’ve missed you so much these past few days.” She spoke stiffly, clearly hoping I wouldn’t notice her words weren’t sincere. I was about to close the door, but she quickly slipped inside. “Chloe, if you don’t want me to call the cops, get out now.” She surveyed my rented apartment, her disdain evident. “You really think you can live a good life without me? Are you regretting leaving me now that you’re stuck in this dump?” A dump? When Chloe and I first got together, we lived in a place just like this. We only moved to a bigger house thanks to the earnings from my novels. Now that I was back at square one, she suddenly found it despicable. Seeing I didn’t reply, she sat down on the couch uninvited. Her eyes landed on my computer screen, and she suddenly remembered something. “I knew you were just too shy to ask. Hurry up and give me what you’ve written. Fans are already hounding me because of the several days of missed updates.” After I’d revised the ending, I’d saved two versions of the continuation on separate flash drives. I’d wanted to give Chloe a chance, but after opening the door and seeing them tangled together, I’d regretted it. Now, she was demanding the rest of my novel as if it were her absolute right. “Honey, it’s been so long. Your anger must have subsided. As long as you give me the rest, we can go back to how things were. Wouldn’t that be great, being so loving and affectionate?” “What affection did we have? You never appreciated any of my efforts for you. In the end, you made enough money, what more could you possibly be dissatisfied with?” “Your novel sells well, and the company earns a lot, so you naturally won’t be treated unfairly. I only earned a small portion.” “That was a test for you. If you give it to me now, I’ll definitely split a lot of money with you…” I recognized her familiar empty promises and cut her off. “Just leave. I’m not giving it to you.” Chloe was enraged by my words. She grabbed the glass off the table and flung the water full in my face. “Do you have any idea who Blake is, Liam? Why do you think he’d joke about your sister?” All pretense of caution was gone from her expression. “He’s connected. Underground. Taking your sister wouldn’t even be a challenge for him.” Then, her eyes blazing, she hurled the empty glass to the floor. Bang! The crash echoed in the room, and with it, my resolve shattered. Mia was still at school. Even with security, if anything happened to her, I would never forgive myself. Finally, I relented. “Fine, Take it. But if you lay a finger on my sister, I swear you will pay.” “Now you’re being reasonable.” A cold smile touched my lips. I hoped she was prepared for the storm that ending would unleash.

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That eight-million-dollar deal I’d bled to secure? My husband’s assistant completely messed it up. But Asher, my husband and also my boss, publicly reprimanded me in front of the entire office. “If you can’t handle the job, Harper, do us all a favor and stay home playing housewife. At least there, your incompetence would be free!” When we got home, he adopted a chillingly business-like demeanor. “You were in charge of this project, so you have to take responsibility for ruining it. Even if I’m your husband, I have to handle this fairly! Understand?” Before I could even respond, his assistant, Chloe, sent me a text. “Harper, it’s all my fault. Asher bought me a cupcake to cheer me up, it was really good! Should I order one for you too?” A bitter laugh escaped my lips as I glared at Asher. “Oh, you’re so fair and unbiased!” That night, I called my long-time rival. “You wanted to be my boyfriend, didn’t you?” One moment, I was submitting my resignation to HR. The next, I was summoned into Asher’s office. The instant I walked in, a cup of coffee was flung directly at me. The force of the splash felt like a harsh slap across my face. It stung. Beside him, on the plush leather sofa, Chloe sat with red-rimmed eyes, the picture of pitiful misery. “Asher, don’t blame Harper. It’s my fault. The deal fell apart on my watch. If anyone should leave, it’s me.” Asher’s voice trembled with a fury he rarely showed. And it was always because of Chloe. “Are you so upset about yesterday that you’d storm into HR just to pressure Chloe?” “As her superior, the failure is your responsibility. How dare you try to pin it all on her?!” “Do you have any idea what they’re saying about her out there? That you couldn’t stand the ‘disruptive intern’ and were forced out. Get back out there and set the record straight. Now.” I’d thought he was distraught because he was losing me, his girlfriend of seven years. But no, he was just worried that after I left, people would look down on Chloe and give her a hard time. Chloe continued to sob, pulling out a tissue to blow her nose, then casually tossing the snotty wad onto the other end of the sofa. Asher’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. Three seconds later, he walked over, picked up the tissue, and dropped it into the trash can. I froze, my heart clenching, a dense ache spreading through my chest. In the second year of dating Asher, we watched a romantic movie at home. There was a scene that wrecked me. I cried so hard I couldn’t stop, tears and snot streaming down my face. He pushed me out of his embrace in disgust. “Sorry, I’m a germaphobe. Please clean yourself up.” Then he walked into the bathroom. I could hear the water running as he scrubbed himself from head to toe, three times over. As if he’d just touched something vile. A cold laugh escaped me. So his germaphobia was selective. I met Asher’s gaze, unwavering. “I’m resigning because I no longer wish to work here. That’s all.” Asher didn’t buy it. “Then why not sooner, or later? Why today? It’s obviously about the deal.” “Harper, drop the mind games with Chloe. Or I might just forget we ever had a past.” I sighed. The old urge to argue with him, to defend myself, was gone. Facing Asher, I felt nothing but a hollow emptiness. There was nothing left to fight with. He was there when the deal collapsed. We were on the brink of closing. The client had verbally agreed. Then Chloe barged in, insisting on toasting the CEO. The CEO was already visibly annoyed. She chose not to see it. A brand-new intern, pressuring a CEO to drink. I still don’t know where she found the nerve. The CEO’s anger was instant. I pulled Chloe back, forcing a smile, my apologies already flowing. I told her to apologize properly and fix this. Instead, she burst into tears, louder and more dramatic than anyone in the room. “Harper, why are you so hard on her? Why do you always force me to do things I don’t want to do?” His face had been thunderous that day, murderous. I’d thought it was over the lost deal, a contract that had been within our grasp. Turns out, it was because I’d made Chloe apologize. Because I’d held her accountable. I was truly tired. “This isn’t a scene, Asher. We’re done.” Ignoring the storm gathering on his face, I gathered the last of my things and walked out of the company. Back home, I started packing my suitcases again. Breaking up is such a tedious chore. There’s always too much stuff, and it never fits back the way it came. My hand stilled. Inside the drawer, I found a pair of red stockings that weren’t mine. They were torn to shreds-evidence of a frantic encounter. I tossed them in the trash, snapped a photo, and sent it to Asher. His texts were still flooding my phone with excuses. I didn’t reply. Instead, I dialed a different number. “That offer to be my boyfriend. I accept.”

On the other end of the line, I could practically hear Jax’s grin. He offered to help me move, but I refused. If Asher saw him, Jax would probably put him in the hospital. I didn’t need the extra drama. I still had the apartment on the west side. Once this month’s bonus cleared, the final mortgage payment would be gone. I’d finally have a home of my own. The thought lifted a weight I hadn’t fully acknowledged. The doorbell rang. Assuming it was the movers, I opened the door. It was Asher. I was startled for a moment, wondering if I was imagining things. Last year, my appendicitis flared up. I was home alone, pain so sharp I nearly blacked out. I called him, voice trembling, begging him to take me to the hospital. His tone was ice. “I’m at work, Harper. You’re an adult. Figure it out. Call 911.” But last week, when Chloe at the office yelped after spilling warm water on her leg, he scooped her up in front of everyone and drove her to the ER himself. He never left work early, unless it was for Chloe. She was the only one who could break his rules. I never thought I’d be lucky enough to make him break his rule for me. He scanned my packed luggage, a hint of something resembling panic escaping in his voice. “What are you doing?! What’s this all about? Are you deliberately saying ‘break up’ to force me to back down?” “Didn’t I text you an explanation? Those are Chloe’s. She accidentally left them at our place. She got caught in a downpour that day, and I told her to come up for a hot tea. Her stockings happened to get torn, so she changed into fresh clothes at our place before she left.” I narrowed my eyes, replaying his words in my mind. That was the week before last when I was on a business trip. I was abroad for a deal, and on my way back, I ran into a massive storm. I asked Asher to pick me up. He said he was working late at the office and was too busy, telling me to take a taxi home. When I got back, I saw the unfinished ginger tea on the coffee table. I’d thought he’d prepared it specially for me. Turns out, I was just getting leftovers. Perhaps recalling that incident, Asher’s face looked a little uneasy. “Don’t overthink it.” I shook my head, my expression calm. “I’m not overthinking anything. It doesn’t matter anymore.” Asher looked at me strangely, staring for a long time. After a moment, his voice was hoarse, tinged with a testing quality. “Why aren’t you angry?” So, he knew I’d been angry before. But he never cared. Instead, he always scolded me, called me petty, said I saw dirt everywhere. I was about to tell him I was moving out. Then Asher’s phone rang. Chloe was on the other end, sniffling and crying, claiming someone had bullied her. Asher glared at me, his eyes blazing, and sneered. “So this is what you were waiting for. Harper, you’re quite cunning.” Before I could even process what was happening, Asher grabbed my wrist with a strong grip and practically dragged me into the car. Inside the car, there was a faint scent of women’s perfume. It was similar to Chloe’s. A plush bunny charm hung from the rearview mirror-just like Chloe’s SnapChat avatar. After I started working at Asher’s company, I never rode in his car again. He said he was afraid people at work would gossip, which was also why we kept our relationship under wraps. The areas I was no longer allowed to tread had long since been occupied by someone else. There was no longer that familiar ache in my heart, just a grim sense of “I knew it.” As soon as we arrived at the company, Asher roughly pulled me out of the car. My heel caught, and I stumbled to the ground. He acted as if he didn’t even see it, letting out a scoff. “What are you trying to pull?” He grabbed the back of my collar with one hand and dragged me into the company like a piece of trash.

He dragged me all the way to my old desk. My wrists and knees were already raw, bleeding. I huddled on the floor, feeling like a beaten dog. Asher pulled Chloe into his arms, protecting her, and warned in a low voice. “I don’t care who ordered you to bully an intern, but this company isn’t Harper’s to run anymore.” “If you want to stay, show some respect.” Brenda’s face was pale, and she didn’t dare move an inch. On the way here, Brenda had already texted me. After I left, Chloe worked under her. What could a lazy, conniving intern accomplish? Brenda had only said a few words to Chloe when she messed up a client’s lunch order. Chloe immediately ran straight to Asher to complain. Chloe buried her head in Asher’s chest, openly affectionate and ignoring everyone else. “Asher, I don’t know what I did… I just thought that client looked like they’d appreciate a healthier option, so I ordered them a diet meal, and Brenda just started yelling at me…” Asher stroked her head and promised to make things right for her. He swept his cold gaze across everyone in the office. “I know Harper had good relationships with all of you, and you want to stand up for her because she resigned. But this was her own work error, and she had no face to stay in the company. It has nothing to do with Chloe.” “I’ll say it again: if you want to stay, show me your attitude, or get out, all of you.” Everyone’s face turned white. They all understood Asher’s hidden threat. Maya, whom I had personally mentored, walked up to me. She squeezed her eyes shut, whispered a soft “I’m sorry,” and then swung her hand, slapping me across the face. Asher stood there impassively, only saying, “What about the rest of you?” Then the others came forward, one after another, jostling to take their turn, a slap after a slap landed on my face. There were those I’d helped, those who’d helped me… Blood trickled from the corner of my lips. My head throbbed, my eardrums buzzed, and my consciousness began to blur. Chloe let out a small giggle. “Asher, look at her. She looks so pathetic, like a swollen pig.” Asher’s eyes were like ice, and his words were even more merciless. “People like her, with deep schemes and only good at backstabbing, don’t deserve to be in this company.” “Her resignation application is rejected. She’s fired. And this year’s bonus will be revoked and given to Chloe instead.” My eyes widened in disbelief. Anger, like a spiderweb, spread layer by layer, constricting my entire heart. “Asher! That’s what I earned! How dare you?!” It was company policy to determine the bonus amount based on the projects each person secured. From negotiating deals to drafting proposals, finalizing contracts, and haggling with clients, I did it all myself. To secure an extra percentage point, I drank late into the night. That bonus was meant to pay off my mortgage… When I was little, my parents divorced, and no one wanted me. I was shuttled back and forth like a package no one wanted. I was thrown into my uncle’s house, where my aunt made it clear I wasn’t welcome. She often threatened to kick me out if I didn’t behave. Because of this, even as an adult, I was terrified of having nowhere to go. After I got together with Asher, I clung to him desperately. I was afraid he’d kick me out. No matter where he went, I had to keep tabs on his every move. But even the most burning love can fade. I started to pin my hopes on money, to buy a place of my own, so that if Asher and I ever broke up, if I was kicked out, I wouldn’t be homeless. I worked like a madwoman, finally saving enough for a down payment. All these years, I’d scrimped and saved every penny, making loan payments. The pressure was immense. I was losing hair and going gray prematurely from stress. Asher saw all of this. He knew how much I valued this bonus. But now, his tone was mocking. “Because this company is mine. And because you bullied Chloe, you owe her compensation!” My throat closed up, choking off any words I might have said. A wave of nausea churned in my stomach, threatening to make me sick. Thirty thousand dollars in bonuses, he casually handed to an intern who had done nothing. I gritted my teeth, enduring the dizziness, as the security guards Asher called threw me out of the company. Just outside the office, Asher texted me. “Today’s events were your fault to begin with.” Perhaps because I didn’t reply, he sent another message. “Okay, maybe I went too far. But you showed Chloe zero respect. She’s still my assistant. I saw red when I heard you had people bullying her.” “I’m flying to Paris for business tomorrow. Coincidentally, that limited edition bag you wanted is dropping there. I’ll get it for you. A peace offering.” He had no idea Chloe had already bragged about it on her Ins a full minute earlier. “Because I wanted to see the Eiffel Tower, someone invented a ‘business trip’ just to take me. My little puppy is so obedient.” I casually blocked both of them. A week later, Asher returned from his business trip, a new designer bag in his hand and a pang of guilt in his heart. He was only supposed to be gone for three days, but Chloe kept dragging him to shop and sightsee. He’d even forgotten to text me that he’d be late. Coming home today, he wanted to surprise me. Flushed with warmth at the thought of me waiting, Asher quickened his steps. When he pushed open the front door, Asher called my name twice. No answer. The suitcases I had packed last time were gone. All of my belongings in the house were gone too. Asher’s breath hitched, his face turning ashen as a terrifying thought clawed at his mind.

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On his deathbed, Grandpa George left behind a billion-dollar fortune and three matches. “You two sister may each choose only one thing. Anya, as the elder, you choose first.” I didn’t hesitate. I chose the billion dollars. My adopted sister, Scarlett, was left with three ordinary-looking matches. What I never imagined was that those matches held a prophetic power. Light one, make a wish, and it would come true. Scarlett, who had always resented our parents for favoring me, struck the first match. Her wish was for them to die horrible deaths. Then, Dad collapsed from a sudden heart attack. Mom, rushing to the hospital, was hit by a truck. Both were gone. I grabbed a knife and went to confront her. “I promised I’d share the inheritance with you when you came of age! Our parents took you in! How could you repay them like this?” Greed twisted Scarlett’s face. “I don’t want your scraps. With all of you dead, every penny will be mine.” Then she struck the second match. “I wish for Anya to be kidnapped, sold into the mountains, and die in childbirth…after bearing eight sons.” Horrified, I liquidated everything I owned and hired a small army of bodyguards. For months, I was untouchable. Then, one night, every last guard was found unconscious. I was taken, dragged into a remote village, and reduced to a breeding machine. I lost count of the time before I finally drew my last, agonizing breath. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of the inheritance distribution. 1 When Grandpa George, trembling, produced the three matches, the room fell into bewildered silence. “Has he lost his mind? Leaving three matches as an inheritance? Is this a cruel joke aimed at the adopted girl? This is too much!” Grandpa’s voice was a frail rasp. “You may each choose only one thing: the fortune, or the matches. Anya, as the eldest, you choose first.” A chill shot through me. I remembered. I had been reborn. The memory of my family’s fate in my last life hit me like a physical blow. My eyes flew to my parents, standing beside me. Alive. Well. Smiling at me with encouragement. My vision blurred with tears. In my previous life, I chose the billions. I never imagined Scarlett would use those matches to wish us all into our graves-my parents dead, and me ending my days as a broken breeding machine in a mountain village. The phantom pain of that death still ached in my bones. Not this time. This time, I chose the three matches without hesitation. The room went utterly still. “Is Anya out of her mind? These are just three ordinary matches, not made of gold or anything!” “That’s billions! Are you really going to leave it all to an adopted girl? Anya wants to be a saint, but look at the situation!” My parents grabbed my sleeves, their faces etched with panic. “Anya, did you choose by mistake?” “The IPO drained us, and your mother’s treatments…that money is a lifeline.” “Come on, sweetheart. I know you’ve got a good heart and you’re always thinking of your sister. But if you’d just take the money, you could give her half! There’s no need to go this far.” My parents pleaded with me earnestly, but I didn’t waver. “I want these three matches. Scarlett lost her parents young. She’s had it harder than I ever did. I don’t want a single cent of that billions. She can have it all.” Scarlett looked ready to leap out of her skin with joy. She signed the inheritance papers with a smug grin, all while offering me the most hypocritical thanks. “Thank you for your generosity, Anya! Don’t worry, when you’re poor and begging on the streets someday, I’ll make sure to buy you a couple loaves of bread!” My parents were left speechless with fury. When Grandpa George was bedridden, I diligently cared for him for three years. But Scarlett complained about him “smelling like an old man” and only visited when she needed money. That’s why, in the previous life, he gave me the first choice of inheritance. I didn’t respond to their ridicule. They didn’t know the secret these matches held-the power to fulfill wishes. 2 That night, I heard Mom and Dad tossing and turning in their bedroom. “What on earth was Anya thinking?” “We raised her for over twenty years, and we’ve raised a fool!” “The creditors will be here tomorrow. If we can’t pay them back, we’ll lose the house!” Grandpa George had been very strict with my father, always insisting his descendants be self-reliant. Dad’s startup company wasn’t doing well, and he owed a lot to loan sharks. He had hoped I would use Grandpa’s inheritance to help him through the tough times, but I chose the three matches. After getting the inheritance, Scarlett immediately went out to party and squander her money. Asking her to pay off Mom and Dad’s debt was a pipe dream. Seeing Mom and Dad sleepless all night, I felt a pang of guilt. I quietly struck the first match. “I wish Mom and Dad become incredibly rich overnight!” After making the wish, I lay in bed, feeling content. But the next morning, I was jolted awake by Mom’s piercing scream. “It’s over! Everything’s gone!” “The company suddenly caught fire! Everything’s burned to ashes!” “The fire spread to the neighboring shops, and now we owe them tens of millions in compensation!” Dad was squatting on the floor, clutching his head, trembling uncontrollably. I clutched the burnt matchstick tightly, my body turning cold. How could this happen?! Mom was frantic, and seeing me just standing there dumbfounded, her pent-up emotions exploded. “It’s all your fault for choosing those worthless matches!” “Matches…fire… it’s all fate!” “If you had chosen the billions, none of this would have happened!” Mom sobbed uncontrollably. Dad silently pulled Mom into his embrace, closing his eyes wearily, saying nothing. My head spun. How could this be? I clearly wished for Mom and Dad to get rich, so why did they suddenly go bankrupt? Could it be the changes brought about by my rebirth? Were the wishes in this life coming true in reverse? Thinking this, I rushed back to my bedroom and pulled out the second match. But before I could make a wish, the front door was kicked open with a bang. “Well, look at you! While we’re busting our asses chasing debts, you’re just chilling at home!” “This is your final warning! If you don’t pay us back by tomorrow, we’ll chop off your hands!” “Heard your older daughter’s pretty. Maybe we can take her as collateral, let us have some fun!” Then, they grabbed their bats and smashed our house to bits. The high-interest loans were still unpaid, and the sudden fire had burdened Mom and Dad with tens of millions in compensation. Helpless, Mom and Dad had no choice but to call Scarlett. After ten calls, Scarlett finally picked up, leisurely. “Honey, your mom and dad are in trouble now. Grandpa left you billions. We’re not asking for much, just thirty million, okay?” “If we can’t pay back the debt, the creditors are going to chop off your mom and dad’s hands…” On Scarlett’s Ins, her new emerald necklace was worth five million. But faced with Mom and Dad’s plea, Scarlett feigned a helpless sigh. “Mom, Dad, it’s not that I don’t want to help. But this inheritance was Grandpa’s specific gift to me. I wouldn’t dare use it carelessly. Blame Anya for choosing nothing but three matches!” 3 My parents tried to say more, but Scarlett abruptly hung up. Not long after, Scarlett posted another update on Ins. The photo showed her holding a small dog, its head adorned with a tiny crown of pure gold. The caption read: “Money should be spent on those who are worthy.” Mom and Dad trembled with rage. To gather enough for tomorrow’s payment, I sold all my trading cards and signed celebrity memorabilia I had collected since childhood. I even sold my phone and bought a cheap second-hand one. Mom sold her jewelry, and Dad sold his car. After much effort, we finally scraped together a few million dollars, and the tension in Dad’s brow eased slightly. “This should be enough to get through tomorrow’s payment to loan shark.” Mom had finally calmed down and spoke to me with sincere remorse. “Anya, I lost my temper this morning and shouted at you. I know none of this was your fault. I’m sorry, honey. I truly am.” My nose stung, and I fought back tears. “Maybe…maybe I really did make the wrong choice…” Dad gently patted my shoulder. “It’s alright, what’s done is done. At least this whole inheritance mess showed us Scarlett’s true colors, and that’s something! Who would’ve thought? We took pity on an orphan, brought her into our home, and ended up raising such a thankless viper.” Dinner was just bread, but a sense of warmth spread among the three of us. Dad started talking about his plans for the future, the light returning to his eyes. “As long as we don’t give up, I’ll make a comeback. I promise!” That night, I gritted my teeth and lit the second match. “II wish for Mom and Dad to become crippled and live in poverty forever!” Since the first wish had backfired, I would reverse my wish this time! My true hope was for them to be safe and prosperous. I clutched the charred matchstick tightly, not daring to close my eyes. I was terrified that, just like the night before, I would wake to another piece of devastating news. I didn’t ask for immense wealth; I just wanted Mom and Dad to be healthy and happy for the rest of their lives. Just before five in the morning, an overwhelming wave of exhaustion slammed into me. My body swayed, and my consciousness blurred. When I woke up again, everything was silent. My heart pounded. I secretly crept to Mom and Dad’s bedroom door and peeked inside. They were sleeping peacefully. I breathed a sigh of relief. But just as I was about to go back to my bedroom, two piercing screams simultaneously erupted from Mom and Dad’s room! I yanked open the door, nearly fainting from shock. Mom and Dad, who had been perfectly fine moments ago, now had all their toes turned black. Mom and Dad clutched their toes, wailing incessantly. My scalp prickled. I quickly dialed 91

When the paramedics arrived, the black area on Mom and Dad’s bodies had already spread from their toes to their entire lower bodies! The doctor’s face was grim. “The condition is worsening too fast. Prepare for immediate amputation!” I was utterly distraught. Remembering the second wish I made, I wanted to slap myself senseless. The money we had just painstakingly gathered was now all going towards surgery fees. “Why are my Mom and Dad like this?” Looking at me, crying uncontrollably, the doctor shook his head and sighed. “We don’t know the exact cause… I’ve never seen a case like this, not even my mentor has!” I almost cried myself into a coma. 3 The next day, the loan sharks came knocking. “Damn it! We’ve been looking for you all over! Don’t think you’re safe just because you’re hiding in the hospital!” “Today, no matter what, I’m chopping off your hands!” I fell to my knees in front of the loan shark. He impatiently kicked me away. But when they walked into the hospital room and saw Mom and Dad’s horrific state, they immediately froze. Their previous arrogance was completely replaced by pity. “This…” “Fine, just pay us back whenever you have the money…” Before leaving, they even threw me two hundred dollars, telling me to buy something to eat. As I put the money in my pocket, I suddenly touched the third match. The first time, I wished for something good, but it turned bad. The second time, I made an opposite wish, hoping a bad outcome would turn good, but the bad outcome actually came true! This wasn’t a match that fulfilled wishes; it was a key to Pandora’s Box. But not making a wish was already a dead end. The third match was the only chance for Mom, Dad, and me to turn things around. But what kind of wish should I make with the third match? My mind was a chaotic mess. Mom and Dad still needed my care, so I had to temporarily put the match incident aside. Mom and Dad, after their sudden amputations, were depressed and morose, tormented by phantom limb pain. But even though they were in so much pain they couldn’t sleep all night, they still tried their best to comfort me. “Anya, Mom and Dad aren’t hurting. Don’t be too sad. Maybe these are just tests from above. As long as we can endure, everything will clear up!” I held back my tears, forcing myself to be strong. To provide my parents with nutrition, I went to work as a laborer on a construction site. After finally saving a few dozen dollars, I bought a good cut of beef for Mom and Dad. All the way, I imagined the smiles that would bloom on their faces. But as soon as I reached the hospital room door, Mom picked up a water cup and violently threw it at my head. “Get out! Get out of my sight!” I froze. I turned my head and saw Scarlett, who had been missing for days, standing beside my parents. She smugly shook her phone at me before hugging Mom and Dad tightly. “Mom, Dad, you all thought I was out partying, but I was actually keeping a secret watch on Anya. I noticed she was acting strange a while ago, so I used a drone to record this. The footage is one hundred percent real! Anya may seem sweet, but her heart is pure poison.” In the video, I was clutching a match, my expression devout as I made my wish. “I wish for Mom and Dad to become crippled and live in poverty forever!” 4 The rage in my parents’ eyes was explosive. “No wonder your father and I have been so unlucky lately! You’ve been cursing us all along!” I panicked and rushed to explain the entire truth. “Mom and Dad, listen to me! The matches Grandpa left me have wish-granting powers. Because the first time I wished for you to get rich, you went bankrupt, that’s why the second time I made the opposite wish…” A flicker of hesitation crossed Mom and Dad’s eyes. But Scarlett walked over and slapped me hard. “According to you, then the matches Grandpa left you will bring disaster no matter what wish you make?” “Nonsense! That was your own grandpa; how could he leave you something like that?” Mom and Dad thought her words made sense, and their eyes turned cold again. “From now on, Scarlett is our only daughter! You jinx, get out and stay out!” I completely broke down. Why did it turn out like this? Scarlett threw all my belongings out. I seized the opportunity to confront her. “This is all your doing, isn’t it? Don’t you already have billions? Why do you still want to steal Mom and Dad from me?” Scarlett rolled her eyes. “No reason. Just because I can’t stand you!” With a bang, the door slammed shut. Inside, three people were laughing joyfully. People came and went in the hospital corridor, and I stood at the door like a clown. In the previous life, Scarlett had hated Mom and Dad. This time, she actively approached Mom and Dad; she definitely had ulterior motives. I had to find out the truth quickly, or the tragedy of my previous life would repeat itself! My first suspicion was that Scarlett had swapped the matches in my hand. The original wish-granting matches had been replaced by her with evil objects that brought misfortune. I sold all my belongings and borrowed a lot of money to hire Detective Miller. But Detective Miller’s investigation results left me incredibly disappointed- These three matches were indeed left to me by Grandpa George. Scarlett hadn’t even touched them, let alone swapped them. I wanted to ask Detective Miller to investigate further, but he flat out refused. “You borrowed money to hire me just to investigate three matches?” “Are you crazy? I’m not taking this job. I’m afraid you’ll try to scam me!” Because of my strange behavior, I was blacklisted by the entire detective community. Since science couldn’t explain it, I could only turn to the supernatural. I posted a few times online, causing a stir. A revered priest, Father Michael, voluntarily offered to help me for free. I was overjoyed and rushed to him that very night. After listening to my story, Father Michael’s eyes welled up with tears, and he promised he would help me. But Father Michael examined the matches over and over for a long time, unable to find anything wrong with them. In the end, he just comforted me with words like, “Evil people will get their comeuppance.” The matches weren’t the problem, so was I the problem? But I had just had a full physical examination a few weeks ago, and I was perfectly healthy, both physically and mentally. Just when I was at my wits’ end, I suddenly received a picture from Scarlett. “Anya, Mom and Dad gave your room to me, you know!” “And this looks like your favorite teddy bear from when we were kids. Oops, I accidentally cut it up. You’re not mad, are you?” I gripped my phone tightly. That teddy bear was the only keepsake my beloved grandma had left me! A wave of rage crashed over me. I wanted to tear Scarlett apart. Then, suddenly, a detail in the photo caught my eye. Connecting it with what Father Michael had just told me, a realization struck. I finally understood why, in this life, none of my wishes had come true. And at last, I knew what to wish for with the final match!

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