Category: English

My husband, Leon Ronald, died suddenly of a heart attack. By the time I arrived at the crematorium, he had already been pushed into the incinerator. Before I could even arrange a funeral, the loan sharks were knocking at my door. It turned out the company’s finances had been in a dire state for a long time, barely kept afloat by high-interest loans. With the company on the verge of bankruptcy, my brother, Madison Wills, and I were working three jobs each just to try and keep up with the debt. Then, Madison was beaten to death by debt collectors, leaving me to shoulder the entire burden alone. One day, while washing dishes at a hotel, I saw my supposedly dead husband celebrating his wedding anniversary with Rachel Tate, my brother’s wife! And to add insult to injury, Rachel’s child was calling my husband “Dad”! I confronted them in rage, but these two despicable lovers shoved me into a pot of boiling oil, mercilessly stabbing my head with a fork. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day Leon had his heart attack. A piercing pain shot through me. I cried out and abruptly opened my eyes. I was standing on a busy street, and people bustled around me. A car sped past, the driver leaning out the window and yelling, “What the hell, are you trying to get yourself killed?” His words snapped me back to reality. I pulled out my phone, and my heart skipped a beat. I had traveled back in time to the day Leon faked his death! Thank God! He had given me a second chance. In my past life, I was shopping when I received the news of Leon’s death from a heart attack. By the time I rushed to the crematorium, his “body” had already been sent into the incinerator. But now, my phone was still silent. Leon was probably busy orchestrating his fake death. I hurried back to my car. A mature-looking man sat in the passenger seat, acting like a child, as he licked his ice cream cone with intense concentration. He grinned when he saw me. “Bella, you’re back!” He was my brother, Madison. Due to an intellectual disability, his mental capacity remained that of a young child. Because of this, before my father passed away, he entrusted his company not to Madison but to me. However, in my past life, I was utterly consumed by love. My entire world revolved around Leon, and I refused even to consider working. And so, Leon took over my father’s company. And I became a stay-at-home wife. But I never could have imagined that Leon was a truly despicable man. He embezzled the company’s assets and took out huge loans in the company’s name. He even had an affair with Rachel, and they faked his death together to escape the debt. Naturally, the responsibility for repaying those debts fell on Madison and me. With the mind of a child, Madison was never suited for work. He was bullied relentlessly and eventually beaten to death by debt collectors. “Bella, I have another ice cream. You can have it.” Madison held up a half-melted ice cream cone, offering it to me. He stretched his arm out further, worried I couldn’t reach it. Looking at his innocent, carefree expression, the image of him lying broken and bloodied in a pool of his blood flashed through my mind. My heart ached. “Madison, I will protect our home.” On my way to the hospital, I got a call. “Bella, come to the hospital quick! Leon… he… he had a sudden heart attack and died!” It was Rachel, Madison’s wife, the same Rachel who was having an affair with my husband, Leon. I feigned panic. “What? Rachel, don’t worry. I’ll be right there!” I hung up the phone, floored the gas pedal, and sped all the way to the hospital. Seeing me arrive so quickly, Rachel was clearly taken aback. But she quickly put on a mournful expression. “Bella, you have to pull yourself together. Don’t be too sad so Leon can rest in peace.” I pushed her aside. Tears instantly streamed down my face, and I wailed in a high-pitched voice. “Honey, how could you just leave like this… I’m Bella… how could you bear to leave me?” I yanked the white sheet off and threw myself onto Leon’s body, and my tears and snot smeared all over his face. “Honey, wake up and look at me again, okay?” I slapped his face left and right, my freshly manicured 1.97-inch-long nails leaving several bloody marks. “Honey… open your eyes and look at me! Honey, say something!”

The sharp crack of the slap echoed through the hospital room. Blood quickly began to ooze from the mark on Leon’s face. Feigning shock, I gasped, “Rachel, look! The blood on Leon’s face is still fresh. Maybe we can still save him!” With that, I placed both hands on his chest and began to press down with all my might. What no one knew was that I had a nail clutched in my hand, digging it deep into Leon’s flesh. I pushed with every ounce of strength I had, practically climbing into the bed to add more force. “Honey, wake up! You have to keep fighting!” I cried. Rachel rushed over and pulled me back. “Bella, calm down. Leon is gone. You can’t bring him back like this!” I sobbed and struggled against her grip. “I don’t believe it! He promised to protect me forever. He wouldn’t leave me!” I broke free from Rachel, who collapsed into Madison’s arms. My mind raced, and I remembered the stun gun I had just bought for Madison. “Madison, give me the stun gun.” Rachel’s face paled. “Bella, what are you doing?” Tears welled up in my eyes, and I choked out, “I just feel like we could try to revive Leon one more time. If the hospital won’t do it, then I will! The principle is basically the same, right?” In the next second, I flipped open the taser and jabbed it into Leon’s chest without hesitation, pressing down with all my might. The electric current surged through his body, making the bed shake violently. His eyelids fluttered open, and his eyes rolled back in his head. “Look!” I cried out in astonishment. “It’s working! Leon’s showing signs of life!” Rachel lunged forward and snatched the taser away, and her face was pale as a sheet. “Bella, I know you’re not ready to accept that Leon is gone,” she said, “but you can’t do this to him! Can’t we just let him go in peace?” “Let him go in peace?” I scoffed inwardly. In my past life, I was desperate. I washed dishes and waited tables at a restaurant, enduring daily abuse and humiliation from customers. Then, one day, I saw Leon and Rachel dining with their child, all dressed in luxury brands, enjoying an expensive meal. The injustice burned inside me! How dare they so easily steal everything that should have been mine? I stormed over to confront them, desperately demanding answers like a woman possessed. But Leon wouldn’t even spare me a glance as he sneered, “What’s this filthy creature doing here? Someone, get her out of my sight!” I fought back as they dragged me to the kitchen, where those monsters forced my head into a pot of boiling oil. They finished me off by driving a large serving fork through my skull. I died such a horrific death in my past life, and now they expected me to let him pass peacefully? They must be dreaming! I cradled Leon’s pale face in my hands, and tears streamed down my face as I put on my act. “How can I possibly let you go like this, Darling? How am I supposed to live without you?” Just as I was sobbing my heart out, the door to the morgue swung open. In walked Leon’s mother, Ashley Ronald. Her son had just “died”, but she was decked out in gold and jewels, dripping with diamonds, as if she wanted the whole world to know how rich she was. “Didn’t I tell you to get my Leon to the crematorium as soon as possible? What’s with the hold-up?” I covered my face and wailed, “Ashley, I can’t believe Leon is just… gone.” Ashley planted her hands on her hips and glared at me with rage. “You’re nothing but bad luck! You brought death to my son, and now you have the nerve to cry! “Listen here! Our family tradition requires cremation within five hours of death. If that doesn’t happen, his soul won’t find peace! If you delay Leon’s passing, you’ll regret it!” The nerve of her! Leon only married into my family because they were dirt poor. That was the only reason they lived comfortably at all. And now she dared call me bad luck! Well then, maybe I should show her just how much ‘”bad luck” I could really bring to Leon.

I threw myself on Leon, sobbing uncontrollably. “Ashley, it’s my fault! I’m the one who brought bad luck! Please, let me atone for my sins!” Ashley and Rachel’s faces changed instantly. Ashley scoffed, “Atone? How can you possibly atone for this? Unless… are you planning on joining my son down there?” Fat chance. Like I’d ever die for that jerk! I pulled a small box of pills from my bag, presenting it like some precious treasure. “This is a miracle medicine I got from the church! The priest said if a dead person takes it, they can come back to life for a few minutes. We could see Leon one last time!” “Are you out of your mind? There’s no such thing as resurrection medicine!” Ashley exclaimed in shock. Rachel tried to reason with me. “Bella, please stop this…” Of course, I knew it wasn’t any miracle cure. It was rat poison I’d bought, strong enough to kill! One sip would be lethal, guaranteed. Ignoring their protests, I moved to pour it into Leon’s mouth. Ashley lunged forward to stop me. “Hey! You can’t just feed Leon some sketchy medicine! If this kills him, I’ll hold you responsible!” I gave her a bewildered look. “What? But Leon is already dead. How could poison kill him again?” Ashley’s words caught in her throat. In that split second, I quickly pried open Leon’s mouth and poured in the medicine. Rachel screamed, knocking the medicine from my hand onto the floor. “Enough! Bella, just let Leon rest in peace. Stop messing with his body!” I secretly rejoiced. Thankfully, I’d been quick enough. Leon had already swallowed several mouthfuls. Ashley glanced at her phone, and her tone suddenly became agitated. “For crying out loud, you’re such bad luck! You’re wasting our time! We only have one hour left to get Leon to the crematorium!” I blocked their way, protesting, “No, Ashley! Don’t you want to see Leon one last time? What if he wakes up?” I couldn’t let them rush him to cremation so quickly. They must have prepared a body swap ahead of time. I needed to witness Leon’s death with my own eyes. No matter how much she cursed at me, I stood my ground, refusing to let anyone through. That was when I noticed Ashley shooting Rachel a meaningful look. Rachel caught on and stepped forward to grab my arm. “Bella, please let Leon go. We need to lay him to rest soon!” I hadn’t even moved, but she let out a gasp and dramatically threw herself to the side. She clutched her stomach and groaned, “Ouch! Bella, I was talking to you nicely! Why did you push me? What if something happens to your nephew? I can’t take it anymore! My stomach really hurts… Bella, quick, take me to the ER, to the maternity ward!” She thought she could get rid of me with this trick, huh? Thinking fast, I called over Madison, who had been quietly snacking in the corner. “Madison, Rachel has a tummy ache and needs someone to go to the doctor with her. Can you go with her?” Madison nodded enthusiastically. “Sure! I want to go with Rachel to see the doctor!” Rachel’s face stiffened. “Madison doesn’t understand anything, Bella… you should come with me…” I cut her off. “The doctors here all know you, and Madison has been with you for checkups before. It won’t be a problem. “Rachel, Leon just died. Can’t you let me give him a proper goodbye?” With things reaching this point, she had no choice but to leave with Madison’s support. In moments, only Ashley and I remained in the morgue. “We’re running out of time. Let me get Leon to the crematorium now!” The anxiety on her face grew more apparent by the second. That was when I noticed Leon’s eyelids flutter ever so slightly on the bed. Could it be… was the anesthetic wearing off? A more twisted thought suddenly crossed my mind. Death by poison would be too merciful for him. Since Ashley was so eager to get him to the crematorium, perhaps I’d help arrange that!   Ashley finally breathed a sigh of relief when I agreed to send Leon to the crematorium. But she hadn’t expected me to get in the car, too. Ashley and I sat on either side of Leon’s “corpse”. I could feel Leon’s hand gradually warming up in my palm. As expected, the drug was wearing off, and he was slowly regaining consciousness. I secretly smirked, then threw myself over his body in an exaggerated display of grief. “Woo… Honey, why haven’t you woken up yet? Don’t you want to see me one last time? “Honey, once you’re in the crematorium, you’ll never have another chance to wake up!” While I wailed on the outside, my words carried a hidden warning. I noticed tiny beads of sweat forming on Leon’s forehead, and his brows were slightly furrowed. The rat poison was starting to work. The small dose wouldn’t kill him, but it would make him wish he were dead for quite a while. Trying to avoid my detection, he fought to maintain his composure, though his face grew paler by the minute. He really did look like a corpse now. Ashley noticed something was wrong and quickly tried to distract me. “When we get to the crematorium, you should wait outside. There’s no need for you to go in.” “Why, Ashley?” I asked, puzzled. “Leon is my husband! Of course, I should be there.” She clicked her tongue in irritation. “It’s our family’s tradition. Only the parents can accompany the deceased during cremation. I don’t care if you’re his wife or whoever! You’re not allowed inside! “You married Leon, so you need to follow our family’s rules!” I sneered inwardly. How convenient that she’d forgotten how her son had married into my family! I put on a hurt expression. “But Ashley, Leon married into the Wills family. By rights, he should be part of our family now and follow our traditions.” “You’ve got some nerve!” Ashley’s eyes bulged with rage. “Thinking Leon would take your family name. Keep dreaming! “Let me tell you something! Even if he married into your family, that was just us doing you a favor. You’ve been living off Leon’s hard work while doing nothing yourself. He’s the real head of the household!” The nerve of her! They used money from my family business while turning accusations back on me. The world’s turned upside down! “Ashley, let’s not discuss this now.” I forced down my anger. “We’re at the crematorium. Let’s give Leon a proper farewell.” Ashley tried to block my way the entire time, but without Rachel there, she had no backup. I pushed my way through to the incinerator. Leon lay on the platform, completely wrapped up. Knowing he was fully conscious in there sent thrills of excitement through my body. Ashley grabbed the cremation platform, preventing it from moving. “That’s enough. You need to leave. I’ll keep watch here.” “Absolutely not!” I refused to budge. “Leon is my husband. I have to stay with him!” “How many times do I have to tell you?” Ashley screamed, “Our family tradition only allows parents at the cremation. If you mess up Leon’s reincarnation, can you live with that?” “Ashley, this is the 21st century! We don’t need these superstitious beliefs! You’re the one delaying Leon’s cremation by arguing about this!” Ashley’s face darkened as we silently fought for control. In desperate defiance, she shouted, “If you don’t leave, I won’t cremate Leon! I might as well die right here with him! My life means nothing anyway!” I put on an act of persuasion. “Ashley, how can you say that? Time is running out! We need to send Leon in now!” Just then, my phone alarm went off. I feigned panic. “Oh no! Didn’t you say the soul can only reincarnate if cremated within five hours of death? We only have one minute left! “Ashley, we must send Leon to his next life now!” Without hesitation, I pressed the button, and the machine whirred to life. Ashley’s eyes bulged in horror. “No…” But it was too late. The cremation platform carried Leon slowly into the blazing furnace, and flames danced as they engulfed him. In that instant, the body bag began to twist violently with his struggles. Leon’s bloodcurdling screams echoed from within. “Ah…”

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After seven years of dating, my boyfriend, Steven Clark, finally proposed to me. I came back to the office early, hoping to surprise him. Instead, I overheard him on the phone with his first love, Rebecca. “Rebecca, if you come back, you’ll always be my bride.” My mind went blank, and my limbs turned to ice. So, our wedding was just his ploy to force his first love to return home. I walked into my home and spotted the matching couple’s mugs on the table. Fresh tears rolled down my cheeks. It turned out the wedding I was so looking forward to was just Steven’s way of getting back at Rebecca. We’d been together for seven years, and I was the one who chased him. I still remembered that day I was crossing the street when a car came speeding out of nowhere. I was about to be hit when Steven pulled me out of the way. That afternoon, my heart raced whenever I thought of him. When I found out he had just broken up with his girlfriend, I went after him with everything I had. Every day, I came up with new recipes to pack in his lunch box. When his startup hit a rough patch, I did everything I could to cheer him up. I even secretly used my dad’s connections to help him land his first investment. He was in high spirits that night, and he drank a lot. He held me close and asked me with deep affection if I wanted to give it a shot with him. There were no grand declarations of love, no flowers. That was just how we began our story. The early days of the company were incredibly tough. I quit my job to take care of his daily needs and meals. It took a full five years before the company finally started showing signs of success. He got down on one knee and proposed to me at the company’s anniversary celebration. I thought my dedication had finally paid off. Little did I know it was all just a ploy to make Rebecca jealous. My seven years of devotion were nothing but a joke to him. When he made that promise to Rebecca, I became nothing more than a disposable pawn in his game. I had personally designed the pattern on those matching couple mugs, but he’d never used his, claiming they were too childish. The conversation I’d overheard at the office earlier today set my nerves on edge, so I threw the pair of mugs straight into the trash. Steven hadn’t come home even as evening turned to night. After stepping out of the shower, I noticed a message from an unknown number: [Thank you for taking such good care of him all these years.] The message included a photo showing a woman’s profile. I’d seen that face countless times before in Steven’s phone gallery. Even after we got together, he couldn’t bring himself to delete her photos. He just secretly transferred them to his backup phone. As I looked at the figure in the top right corner of the picture, my fingertip trembled as I zoomed in. The photo enlarged, and a tear fell onto the screen. Steven, who hadn’t set foot in the kitchen during our seven years together, was now wearing an apron and cooking for her. So, this was why he hadn’t come home yet. He was busy entertaining his first love, who’d just returned from abroad. I was supposed to be his girlfriend. We were practically engaged! How could he do this to me? I wiped away my tears and dialed his number with trembling hands. The phone rang for what felt like forever before he picked up. “What do you want?” Steven snapped impatiently, and his words cut through my heart. Before I could speak, I heard a woman’s voice in the background. “I’m working late. I have to go!” he rushed to say. He hung up quickly as if trying to hide something. I sneered and collapsed onto the sofa, feeling utterly drained. Tears streamed down my face. Steven finally came home at one o’clock in the morning. He walked through the door humming a happy tune as he took off his shoes, clearly in a great mood. But when he looked up and saw me, the smile vanished from his face. He frowned and growled, “What are you trying to do, sitting here in the dark? Give someone a heart attack?”

He’d had a few drinks and stumbled into the bathroom. A moment later, he burst out, yelling, “Where are my clothes?” I always used to have his bathwater ready and his clothes laid out for him before he got home from work. Over time, he just started taking it for granted that it was my job. I looked at him coldly. “You didn’t tell me what time you’d be back.” His eyes darted around, but he quickly regained his composure. “Didn’t I tell you on the phone? I said I was working late! Are you blaming me now? If it weren’t for me working my ass off, you’d be out on the streets!” I couldn’t believe Steven would say something like that. Was it the alcohol talking, or had he always felt that way? Steven didn’t seem to notice my reaction and went grumbling back to the bedroom to get his pajamas. I listened to the sound of the shower running and felt a knot in my stomach. After about ten minutes, Steven came out of the bathroom. He walked straight past me into the bedroom. I followed him in and saw that his hair was still dripping wet. But he didn’t seem to care. He was sitting on the bed, scrolling through his phone. I walked over with the hairdryer, wanting to dry his hair like I always did. But as soon as I touched his hair, he shoved me away. He looked at me defensively and demanded, “What are you doing?” I sat down on the floor, watching him nervously clutch his phone to his chest. Suddenly, everything clicked. He was chatting with Rebecca Ellison! That was why he was so scared of me seeing it. I laughed, and tears involuntarily streamed down my face. Steven looked at me with an irritated expression and accused me. “You scared the hell out of me by sneaking up like that! It’s not like I did it on purpose. Why are you crying?” He continued, “You’re not a kid anymore. Get up yourself!” His expression shifted when he saw the hairdryer in my hand. He reached out to help me up, but I had already wiped away my tears and stood up. I thrust the hairdryer into his hand and walked to the other side of the bed, lying down with my back to him. Steven dried his hair and hugged me from behind. “Caroline, I didn’t mean it. Please don’t be mad.” In the seven years we’ve been together, Steven has rarely had to coax me. Usually, I would have already turned around and hugged him with a smile. But the scene from the photo lingered in my mind. If I hadn’t heard his words with my ears, how long would he have kept it from me? Disgusted, I remained silent. “Please forgive me, okay? I promise it won’t happen again.” I took a deep breath to suppress my emotions, turned around, and asked him, “Are you hiding something from me?” A forced smile flickered across Steven’s face. “No way, you should get some sleep. Don’t be so paranoid all the time.” He leaned in and gave me a quick kiss on the forehead. I looked away, feeling disappointed, and reminded him, “Dad invited us over for dinner tonight. Don’t forget.” Steven just mumbled a response, seemingly distracted. His phone pinged, and he snatched it up, quickly turning his back to me.

The tapping of his fingers on his phone screen was a constant rhythm in the quiet room. Now and then, a low chuckle would escape his lips, and I knew, without a doubt, that he was messaging Rebecca again. Finally, he threw back the covers and got out of bed. “Caroline, I’ve got to take this work call on the balcony. Go ahead and sleep,” he said. I closed my eyes and sneered inwardly, not bothering to call him out on his lie. When I couldn’t reach Steven the next day, a sinking feeling settled in my stomach. As if to confirm my suspicions, a stranger suddenly followed me on Instagram. Her profile picture looked familiar, matching the one Steven had changed to last night. They were a couple’s set. My gut told me this was Rebecca. Why was she following me? I accepted her request and saw a photo in her profile posted just half an hour ago. It showed two hands intertwined. The caption read: [In fairy tales, the prince always sees through the witch disguised as a princess and ends up with the real princess!] I stared at the picture, and tears blurred my vision. The last shred of hope I held for Steven shattered. His choice between Rebecca and me was crystal clear. Or maybe he never really chose me in the first place. Someone who didn’t love you would never take your words to heart. I wiped away my tears and took a taxi home alone. My dad, Michael Jones, saw me come back by myself and asked with a worried frown, “Caroline, why are you back alone? Where’s Steven?” He got closer and saw my red and swollen eyes. His face was immediately filled with anger. “Why are you crying like this? Did that jerk do something to you?” He fumed. “I’ll go to teach him a lesson right now!” I hugged Michael and cried. “Dad, I regret it. I want to break up with him!” Michael patted my head and comforted me, then cursed Steven out. Once I calmed down a bit, I said, “Dad, about the shares in Steven’s company… could you pull them out in a few days?” Steven’s company had just started to take off. If Michael withdrew his investment now, it would be a devastating blow to him. Michael felt awful and immediately wanted to find Steven to settle the score. I stopped him. “No, Dad. I need to settle this with him myself.” To keep Michael from worrying too much, I ate dinner and then headed back to my place. I promised to call him when I was packed and ready for him to pick me up. After seven years together, my belongings were pathetically few. Once I’d packed my clothes from the closet, there seemed to be nothing else worth taking. I stared at the photo of Steven and me on the nightstand. It was from my birthday three years ago, and I had to beg him forever to take it with me. It was also the only photo we had taken together in seven years. I picked up the frame. In the picture, I was clinging to Steven’s arm with a blissful smile while he stood beside me with an impatient look, not even glancing at the camera. I used to think he was just shy and introverted, always putting on a cold front. But now, I finally realized the truth. It seemed like his eyes never held any love for me. He was only with me because I was easygoing and undemanding, someone who could fill the void left by Rebecca. And now that Rebecca was back, I was just a clown, forced to make a pathetic exit. Thinking about all those memories, I felt a pang of sadness. I tossed the photo, once my most treasured possession, into the trash can. It was like throwing away the part of me that had loved Steven so humbly. Dragging my suitcase, I sat down on the living room sofa, waiting for Steven to come home so I could break up with him.   I waited until eight o’clock in the evening when I finally heard laughter and chatter at the door. The door opened and in walked Steven, suitcase in hand, with Rebecca right behind him. The smiles on their faces vanished when they saw me. Steven, clearly not expecting me to be home, quickly removed his arm from around Rebecca’s waist. “Caroline! I thought you went home for the day. When did you get back?” I scoffed internally. So, he did remember he was supposed to go with me to see Michael. I turned my attention to Rebecca. It was the first time I’d seen her in person. Just like in her photos, she had those captivating eyes, but right now, they were fixed on me with a mocking glint. She didn’t flinch under my scrutiny, even flashing me a defiant smirk. Steven, noticing that I was staring at Rebecca instead of answering him, stepped forward to block my view as if he was afraid that I might scare her. “Caroline, this is Rebecca Ellison, my college classmate. She just got back to the country and needs a place to stay for a while, so she’ll be staying with us.” I looked at the two of them and let out a sneer. Even now, Steven couldn’t bring himself to tell me the truth. Seeing my silence, Rebecca tugged at Steven’s sleeve. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea after all,” she said, “I can just get a hotel.” Steven glared at me and snapped, “Caroline, this is my house! I brought Rebecca back to let you know, not to discuss it with you!” He then turned to Rebecca and said softly, “Don’t mind her. It’s not safe for a girl to live alone outside, and I’m worried about you.” I watched them, oblivious to my presence and wholly absorbed in each other. My nails dug into my palms. How could someone be so two-faced? Last year, we went on a camping trip in the mountains with his friends. Just because I bought the wrong seasoning, he left me alone in the wilderness and drove back by himself. It rained heavily on the way back, and I didn’t have an umbrella. I walked for more than three hours with a flashlight before I reached the city. When I got home, he had just finished showering. He looked at my drenched and miserable state with disgust. “How could you be so stupid? Didn’t you know to take a taxi? You’re filthy!” He added, “It’s good for you to suffer a bit. Maybe you’ll learn your lesson!” I was speechless. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to take a taxi. It was that I couldn’t get one. No driver wanted to take a trip to the suburbs in such heavy rain. Yet, he had a completely different attitude when it came to Rebecca. He was so careful and considerate towards her that anyone who didn’t know better would think she was his girlfriend. This time, I finally saw Steven’s true colors. I stood up with a smile and clapped my hands. “Of course, I agree. Why wouldn’t I?” Steven frowned, clearly not expecting me to agree so readily. His eyes suddenly landed on the suitcase beside me, and his expression hardened. “Where do you think you’re going with that suitcase so late at night?” he demanded. “I’m moving out to give you two some space,” I replied calmly. I reached for the suitcase, but before I could grab it, Steven stepped forward and kicked it across the floor. His face was contorted with rage. “You’re moving out just because I didn’t come home for dinner tonight, huh? Can you grow up a little? I honestly don’t understand what you’re trying to pull!” Rebecca rushed over and grabbed his arm. Her voice was soothing. “Alright, calm down. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have called you today.” I watched Rebecca’s performance in silence. They really were a match made in heaven. He was quick to anger, and she was a master of playing the victim. As Steven turned to comfort Rebecca and wipe away her crocodile tears, I bent down and picked up my suitcase. “Let’s break up,” I said, and my voice was firm.

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Lance and I had been in a relationship for eight years. He went to my friend’s place to get his computer fixed. My friend found a lot of private videos of him and another girl on his computer and told me. Three days before the wedding, I secretly booked a flight ticket and decided to escape on the wedding day… I looked at the videos of Lance and Tara on the computer, and my mind went blank. I couldn’t imagine that my boyfriend, who was usually self-disciplined, would get together with his graduate student and take hundreds of videos. Lance and I met and fell in love in college. After graduation, we successfully stayed in school and worked. Lance proposed to me two months ago. After eight years of dating, I thought we could get married. But these videos caught me off guard. The most recent video was last weekend. They had sex in the study room regardless of the fact that I was still at home. They also had sex in the bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom. I was so angry that I was shaking, and my nails dug into my flesh. The young girl who obediently called me Ms. Yanes had been secretly with my boyfriend for a long time. And they treated me like a fool! I took a few deep breaths and closed my computer. I called my director, Richard. “Richard, have you submitted the list of people going to the countryside that you mentioned last time? I’ve made up my mind. I want to go.” Richard was very happy and said, “Not yet. I’ll add your name right away. But aren’t you getting married soon?” “It’s okay. Don’t worry. I’m not getting married.” I hung up the phone and booked a plane ticket for the wedding day. After Lance sent Tara home, he saw that I had replaced the mattress and sofa cushions at home with new ones. He came over and hugged me. “Irene, why did you suddenly change the mattress?” I smelled the faint perfume on him and felt extremely bad. I pushed him away and said lightly, “It was dirty, so I threw it away.” He didn’t notice my mood change and still had a smile on his face. “Tara was just praising you to me. She said you are a great cook, and she wants to come to our house for dinner next time.” If it was before, I would definitely be very happy to hear this. But now I just felt sick. I smiled and said nothing, just looked at him quietly. He looked away guiltily. “What’s wrong? Is there something on my face?” Lance looked elegant and looked like a gentleman. In the past, when he looked at me with those eyes, I felt that he could only see me. It was not until now that I realized that all these can be pretended. He could have sex with Tara while saying that he wanted to marry me. Before I could say anything, his phone rang. He looked at me and went to the balcony with his phone. When I came out of the shower, he was still on the phone. Through the window, I saw a gentle smile on his face. It was a smile I had never seen before. How ironic! We had been together for eight years. When we first got together, there was still freshness between us. But now, we were more like an old couple living together. When Lance came back from the phone call, I was already asleep. He tiptoed to finish the shower and lay down with his back to me. The screen of his cell phone kept flashing. It was past eleven in the evening. He was still chatting with another person on his phone. He laughed from time to time. My heart completely fell to the bottom. He went out early the next morning, saying that his former students asked him to hang out. I looked at the two-day countdown on my phone and packed my luggage. It was dark, and Lance hadn’t come back yet. One of his students sent me their location. “Ms. Yanes, are you done with your work? Come and hang out with us!”

Lance went to their graduation party. To not take me with him, he lied that I was busy. As soon as I walked to the door of the box, I heard the sound of playfulness inside. Pushing the door open, I saw Lance was surrounded by them doing push-ups on the ground. And under him was Tara, who was blushing. “Three, two…” They were counting down loudly, and no one noticed me coming in. When they counted to the last one, they stopped. Lance could only support himself on top of Tara. “I didn’t expect Lance to be so strong!” “Yeah. Tara is so shy. Haha.” Lance held on for a few seconds and finally couldn’t hold on anymore and pressed on Tara. It immediately caused a burst of booing. “That doesn’t count. Start again!” Lance protected Tara’s head, and they laughed together. Suddenly, I said, “I’m here.” The room suddenly became quiet. Everyone’s eyes fell on me, as if they didn’t expect me to come so soon. Lance’s smile froze, and he quickly got up from Tara. “Irene, why are you here?” I sneered in my heart. If I hadn’t come, I wouldn’t have seen such a wonderful scene. “I’m done with work, so I came here to have some fun with you guys.” Lance’s excuse was exposed, and he didn’t dare to look at me with a guilty conscience. Tara got up from the ground and said with a smile, “Ms. Yanes, don’t think too much. We were just playing a game!” “Yes, truth or dare. I don’t drink, so I can only cooperate with them.” Lance quickly agreed. After saying that, he gave the others a wink. Afraid that I would be unhappy, they stopped playing games and started singing. I didn’t know who ordered the song called You’re Going to Marry Me Today. Everyone started to make a fuss again. They put the microphone in Lance’s hand. “This song must have been ordered by Ms. Yanes. You two are too much!” The microphone handed to me was snatched away by Tara next to me. She blushed and was embarrassed. “I ordered it. I wish Mr. Yeager and Ms. Yanes happiness in advance.” I didn’t miss the smug smile in her eyes. If it were in the past, I would definitely not think too much about it, and I would even feel sweet. Lance held the microphone and started singing. Tara stood up and sang along. I looked at them coldly, thinking of the little things in the past between Lance and me. I couldn’t help but drink a few glasses of wine. In the end, I really didn’t want to see their lovey-dovey eyes, so I pushed open the door and planned to go to the bathroom to get some fresh air. I just washed my face when I saw Tara walking in from outside. She smiled and greeted me. She touched up her makeup in front of the mirror. She was looking for lipstick. I didn’t want to stay any longer. As a result, when I turned around, a bunch of keys fell at my feet. The key chain on the ground looked familiar. I bent down to pick it up and stared at it. That was the couple doll I made last year. One for Lance and one for me. Lance’s key chain disappeared two months ago. It turned out that he gave it to her. Tara was stunned for a moment, and said with a smile, “My boyfriend insisted on giving me such an ugly doll. I will throw it away when I get home!” Her tone was proud and provocative. I handed her the key chain without saying anything. She looked at me as if she didn’t expect me to be so calm. When we returned to the box, Lance asked me, “Are you not feeling well? Why were you gone for so long?”

The obvious concern in his eyes made my heart ache. In fact, when we first got together, there were also sweet days. He would go out to buy chestnuts for me in winter because I wanted to eat them. He would also put my cold feet on his stomach when I had menstrual pain. Soon, Lance’s eyes were attracted by Tara, who came in behind me. Tara reached out to grab the fruit plate but was slapped by him. “Aren’t you allergic to mangoes? Don’t eat it!” He pushed the fruit plate in front of me and looked at Tara nervously. “I didn’t plan to eat mangoes. I want to eat the watermelon next to it.” I listened to them talking and laughing as if no one was around, but my eyes fell on the fruit plate in front of me. The warmth that had just risen in my heart was extinguished again. My boyfriend of eight years remembered that Tara was allergic to mangoes, but he didn’t remember that I was allergic to kiwifruits. I really wanted to ask what my eight years meant to him. I drank a lot of wine at the end. Looking at Lance walking in front of me, talking and laughing with Tara, I suddenly wanted to cry. I was like a clown and could only stumble to keep up with their pace. When we reached the parking lot, Tara opened the passenger door before me and got in. Seeing that I was frozen in my position, she said apologetically, “I’m a little carsick, so I can only sit in the passenger seat. Ms. Yanes, you won’t be angry, will you?” Lance glanced at me and said, “What’s there to be angry about? Irene, you’re not carsick, then sit in the back. You’ve been drinking, so you can just take a nap.” They had already found a reason for me. I smiled bitterly and could only sit in the back. The car was shaking. I had a severe headache, so I had to close my eyes and rest. Until a rustling sound woke me up. I opened my eyes uncomfortably and saw that the car had stopped. “She won’t wake up, will she?” Lance didn’t even look at me. “Don’t worry. She’s in a deep sleep.” Tara smiled, grabbed his hand, and placed it on her thigh. His hand slipped under her skirt. They kissed passionately in front of me. I stared at them intently, and the last bit of fantasy about Lance was gone. They kissed for a long time before they separated. Tara took off her panty and stuffed it into his hand, then got out of the car with satisfaction. Lance hid the panty like a thief and then drove home. As soon as I opened the door, Lance hugged me from behind and pressed me on the sofa. I knew his desire was aroused by Tara. “Irene, we haven’t had sex for a long time.” He stared at me, and his hand slipped into my collar. I remembered the scene in the car and instinctively resisted him. At the same time, I felt sick in my stomach and vomited all the wine I drank that night on him. Lance immediately lost interest and got up to go to the bathroom. Before going to bed, I checked the countdown on my phone. There was only one day left until our wedding.   The next day, Lance changed the location of the wedding photo shoot to the school. He said that was where we fell in love. He got out of the car as soon as it stopped at the school gate. I followed him with difficulty, carrying the heavy wedding dress. The high heels didn’t fit my feet very well, and my heels hurt every time I took a step. Today, outstanding graduates returned to school to participate in activities. When I saw Tara, I knew that the reasons he said were all excuses. Tara jumped to Lance, smiled and acted coquettishly at me. “Ms. Yanes, can I take a photo with Lance?” Before I said anything, she asked the photographer to help them take the photo. Compared to me, she looked more like a bride in a white dress. The photographer looked embarrassed. It was probably the first time he saw someone taking photos before the bride. Lance hugged Tara’s shoulders helplessly and acquiesced. I stood beside them. The pain in my heels reminded me that I was a clown all the time. More than ten minutes passed, and they still hadn’t finished yet. I didn’t want to wait any longer. After sending a message to Lance, I took a taxi home alone. Lance came home in the afternoon. He stood at the door and started to blame me. “Why were you so angry suddenly? How could you leave me and the photographer there and just walk away? You are an adult. Can you be more mature?” I was so angry that I couldn’t speak, wondering how he had the nerve to blame me. He continued to be aggressive, “Tara just wanted to take a photo with me. What will the staff think of her if you suddenly left?” She stole my boyfriend and took photos with him. Did I still need to consider her emotions? Then, who would consider me? I looked at Lance, who spoke for Tara. After so long, I seemed to have known him again. I didn’t want to argue with him, so I simply lifted up the hem of my dress to expose my calves. My heels were already worn out, which looked scary. Lance frowned when he saw it. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I sneered in my heart. His attention was all on Tara at the time. How could I tell him? His phone suddenly rang, and he glanced at me. “There are no Band-Aids at home. I’ll go out and buy you some.” After saying that, he turned around and walked out with his phone. I looked at the empty room, feeling sad. I took a shower, found some medicine to disinfect, put on a Band-Aid, and lay down. When Lance got home in the evening, he had forgotten about my worn heels. When he saw me sleeping, he tiptoed to the balcony to make a phone call. His figure was reflected on the glass window, with a smile on his face. He was chatting with Tara again. I didn’t know what was said on the other end of the phone. I only heard Lance say, “If I hadn’t felt guilty about being together for so long, I really wouldn’t want to marry her. “You’re younger than her. Of course, I like you more. Baby.” I thought I wouldn’t be sad. But hearing these words from his mouth, my heart still hurt so much that I couldn’t breathe. It turned out that in his eyes, I was just an old woman who had lost her freshness. I closed my eyes and let the tears flow. I put my phone against my chest, and the countdown on it was only three hours left. The next morning, I got in a taxi with my suitcase. On the way, I briefly told my parents about what happened and asked them not to come to the wedding. Fortunately, Lance said that the wedding should be simple. Except for our parents and friends, no one knew that we were getting married that day. Before going through security check, I thought about it and decided to call Lance to break up. The phone rang for three seconds and was connected. Before I could speak, I heard his impatient voice. “Why are you rushing? The wedding scene is ready. Can I run away? “Tara had a car accident while choosing a wedding gift for you. I’m in the hospital now. Can you be more sensible? “Calm our parents. I’ll come over after I’m done here!” He hung up the phone without even waiting for me to speak. I sneered and sent him a message: [Let’s break up. The wedding is left to you two.]

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While I was working in a cafe at the mall, I received a call from my mother, her voice trembling with tears, “Elena, your dad has a 6-year-old bastard son…” Before I could comfort my mother, I saw my husband walk into the jewelry store hand in hand through the glass window. He placed a diamond ring on that woman’s finger. My voice started to tremble, “Mom. Arvin has also cheated on me!” ***** Shaking, I hung up my mother’s call and watched Arvin Steven chatting and laughing with the other woman in the cafe. I clenched my hand tightly, and without realizing it, the manicure I just got broke straight away. I took a deep breath and called Arvin. “Arvin, where are you? What are you doing?” I suppressed my emotions and asked calmly. As long as he offered me a reasonable explanation, I would definitely not overthink it. But I was wrong. He answered me impatiently and questioned, “Didn’t I tell you this morning that I would be working overtime in the lab today? Why are you being so paranoid?” After saying that, he hung up the phone. I watched Arvin flirting with that woman across from him and couldn’t help but flare up. I rushed out of the café and barged into the jewelry store. When I walked in, Arvin was clearly shocked, but he quickly regained his composure and frowned as he questioned me, “Are you following me?” His accusatory tone made me grit my teeth. But instead of explaining myself, I grabbed the other woman’s hand and took off the ring. “Arvin, you’re so generous!” Other salesmen looked over, which made Arvin uncomfortable. He softened and coaxed me, saying, “Honey, let’s go back and talk.” He grabbed my hand, his expression serious and pleading. In the end, I went soft, and my tone softened as well, “What about her?” I looked at that strange woman with resentment in my eyes. “Why does she have to ruin someone else’s marriage? We are all women. Why is she doing this to me?” I wondered. The woman looked guilty, but when she spoke, it left me at a loss for words, “Elena. Arvin and I are truly in love. Can you…” “Shut up!” Arvin immediately interrupted her. I couldn’t help but feel a bit of joy and pride. “Arvin ultimately loves me and cares about me. This woman is just a small obstacle in our marriage. Everything will be fine as long as we surmount it.” I thought to myself. I looked at the woman who acted arrogantly and said, “Shame on you! How could your parents raise such a shameless daughter like you?” Suddenly, Arvin gave me a hard slap on the face. My mind went blank, and my face was in severe pain. “You can’t say that about my benefactor,” Arvin said and left with the woman. I was so stunned that I stood there in a daze. “Did he say that woman was the daughter of his benefactor? She is Sansa Dalton!” I realized it. I never dreamed that one day I would meet the family who funded Arvin, and it was under such circumstances. After a while, Arvin came back, pulled me, and walked towards the car. “I asked Sansa to go back first, and I will explain this to you later.” He exerted so much force on the grip, giving me pain. “That hurts,” I spoke. But he remained indifferent. After pushing me into the car, Arvin slammed the car door shut with a “bang.” After he got in the car, I spoke up, “No matter who she is, you are already married now.” I looked at him, hoping he would give me the answer I was expecting. He stared at me and shook his head. “I’m sorry. I can’t do it.” My heart suddenly sank. He continued, “Sansa attempted suicide because of me. Thankfully, Mr. and Mrs. Dalton discovered it in time and saved her. They set aside their pride to ask me for help, and I couldn’t refuse.” I found his explanation absurd. Their daughter was determined to steal someone else’s husband, and those people used Arvin’s gratitude to force him into an affair. I couldn’t just give up like this. “I know several handsome PhD guys. I can introduce them to her.” “She only wants me.” Arvin stared at me. I wasn’t sure if it was just an illusion, but I actually saw a hint of smugness in his eyes. “Indeed, how many men can make a woman commit suicide for them? But what about me? I’m his wife. Don’t my feelings matter?” I wondered. “This is unacceptable,” I stated my position clearly. He sighed, “Elena, please be understandable.” Utterly disappointed, I asked back, “Did you even consider my feelings, even a little bit?” We fell into silence. My phone rang, and I answered it. My mother’s voice came through with a nasal tone, “Elena, your dad has come back with his illegitimate son!”

In a hurry, I rushed into my parents’ house. As soon as I entered, I heard my father pleading, “Honey, I made a mistake. But he’s a child and has to go to school. I have to take responsibility for him!” My mother stood in the corner, constantly wiping her tears with her sleeve. I walked between the two of them, blocking my mother and facing my father directly. He looked at me and said, “Elena, I know you are kind-hearted. Please talk some sense to your mother and let Freddie be registered in our household. He needs a spot in a good school.” “Dad, you should know that Arvin and I are trying to get pregnant. If your illegitimate son has taken up that spot, what about my child in the future? There is only one quota every nine years here.” I looked at my father and questioned. He was a bit at a loss. “But… but…” I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it was all over. My father still cared about me and would certainly consider my future child. However, to my surprise, Arvin replied, “Actually, we’re not in a hurry to have children any time soon.” I looked at him in shock. He was the one who proposed to us to get pregnant back then. Why did he say such a thing now? I suddenly noticed my father and Arvin exchange a glance, and I knew something was off. They were in this together! “Yes, you’re not pregnant yet. You don’t have to worry about it now.” My father regained confidence and replied. My mother and I remained silent, not knowing how to react. My father pulled Freddie Linch over and pressed him to kneel on the ground. “Please give this child a chance to live. Freddie, bow to them.” For the first time, I felt my father was so strange. “If we don’t allow this child to register in our household, we’ll be denying him a chance to live. Is that what he’s saying? Hasn’t he been living well for these past few years?” I thought. But six-year-old children are often frank. Freddie actually asked with confusion, “Dad, why do I have to kneel to them? Didn’t you and my grandma say that I am the only offspring of the Linch family and that everything of the Linch family belongs to me?” His words made me widen my eyes. My mother was trembling all over. “You… you’re really something…” My father hurriedly covered Freddie’s mouth. “He’s talking nonsense! Children say what they like.” After saying that, he knelt. “I’m such a beast! When my mother was seriously ill, she made me promise to have a son to carry on the family lineage, or she would never rest in peace!” I pressed my lips tightly together. “I knew my grandmother favored boys over girls early on, but my father clearly told my mother back then that he didn’t care about whether it was a boy or a girl, and he only wanted one child. He had held that idea for over twenty years, yet my grandmother actually made him change his mind. How is that possible? Was it really my grandmother who forced him, or did he already have such thoughts? We’ll find out over time.” I thought to myself. My father looked at the mother, “Honey, you wouldn’t want to see me without an heir, would you?” “Am I not your heir?” I stared at my father. He lowered his head. But Freddie replied for him, “Of course not. My dad said you are a girl, and in the future you will be…” Although my father quickly covered Freddie’s mouth, I already knew what would come next. I couldn’t believe my father always regarded me as an outsider. Had he been pretending to love me all these years? My father continued to pressure my mother, “Honey, we’ve loved each other for so many years. Don’t make me hate you.” My mother immediately clutched her chest with her hand. Failing to control myself, I rushed forward and slapped my father in the face. “Bastard! My mom has a heart disease. How could you say such a thing to hurt her?” Without giving him a chance to react, I tried to drag my mother towards the door. But my mother remained still. She just looked at me with a pained expression. I sighed and said to my father and my husband, ” Who will you choose, us or that child? It’s up to you to decide.’ Finally, I pulled my mother and rushed out the door.   As soon as we stepped out, we bumped into Sansa Dalton. She stood with a stranger woman. My mother was stunned. “You are Freddie’s mother, Helen Garret…” Before we could react, the two of them suddenly knelt in the hallway. “What are you doing?” I was shocked and hurried to make them stand, but they refused. Helen was the first to speak, “Karen, I know what I did was wrong. But I had no choice at that time. When I escaped from my wedding and left the village, I was penniless. Freddie’s grandma came to me and said she’d give me money for having a son for Mr. Linch, so I agreed. “Don’t worry. Mr. Linch and I have no feelings for each other. “I’ve worked so hard to raise Freddie in the past few years, and now he’s about to go to school. Could you please do me a favor?” She cried out in sorrow, making my mother sound like a cold-blooded, ruthless villain. Before I could speak up for my mother, Sansa chimed in, “Elena, I’m in love with Arvin. I know this is wrong, but I can’t help myself. “Don’t worry. I’m not here to destroy your marriage. I just want to be a part of your family. “You can still be his wife, and I’ll be his mistress. I don’t care about my identity.” Hearing her words, I choked on my saliva and started to cough violently. She actually said I could still be Arvin’s wife, and she would be his mistress. I was rendered speechless. After they finished speaking, they unexpectedly bowed to us as if they had rehearsed it. My mother was a bit soft-hearted and wanted to help them up. I grabbed her and said coldly, “Since you know what you did was wrong, why did you still do this? “Is it because you have no sense of shame? “You just don’t care if what you did would hurt other people, do you?” After speaking, I pulled the two of them up forcefully and gently pushed them away. I dragged my mother, ready to leave. Suddenly, they fell to the ground at the same time and cried out, “Ah!” I looked at them in disbelief. I just pushed them gently. How did they fall to the ground? My father and my husband rushed out of the room to help them up. Nervously, I wondered if they would buy their lies. They were clearly trying to frame me. My father and my husband wouldn’t be so foolish to believe it. However, they bought their lies. “How can you two be so vicious?” My father spoke, glaring at us fiercely. My husband wore a guilty look and said, “It’s my fault. If I hadn’t put Elena in this situation, she wouldn’t have done something like this.” The two of them quickly passed the blame on me and my mother. My mother tried to explain, “It wasn’t us. They fell by themselves.” The father sneered, “Are you saying that they framed you? Karen Zander, I never expected you to be such a coward who shirks responsibility. You are so petty!” My mother patted her chest with her hand, her face pale. I hurried over to support her. But my father continued to speak, “You’re still pretending! I’ve been tolerating you for so many years because of your heart disease. But you take advantage of that!” My husband tried to mediate, “Henry, please don’t be mad. I believe that Karen and Elena acted out of impulse. We can just ask them to apologize and let it go.” I sneered and said, “Apologize? We didn’t do anything wrong. Why should we apologize!’ My father rushed over and slapped my face, saying, “Don’t sass me!” I was stunned for a moment and couldn’t react. My father opened the door, walked in, and threw out two suitcases, saying, “You will reflect on yourselves outside. If you can’t realize your mistakes, you will not come in!” Then, he pulled other people back into the room and slammed the door shut. So, that was how they thought of my mother and me. They had no trust in us at all. I bought some drugs for my mother’s heartache and then booked a hotel room. My mother lay in bed, tears streaming down her face. “Elena, do you think your father still loves me?” I lowered my head and held her hand. “Mom, there’s no need to maintain that marriage at such a point.” She looked at me silently. I took her phone and said, “If you can’t say it, I’ll help you.” She remained silent for a moment, closed her eyes, and nodded slightly. So, I sent the same message to both my father and my husband: [Let’s get a divorce.]   We agreed to meet my father and husband in a cafe. My mother and I specially dressed up for the meeting, aiming to make those two scumbags regret it. When we arrived at the café, the two of them had been waiting for a while. We took our seats, and the room fell into silence for a moment. My father spoke first, “You look great today.” “Yeah, it’s rare to see you all so dressed up,” Arvin said. My mother and I nodded slightly, feeling pleased by their compliments. My father nodded and said to my mother, “Honey, we have been married for nearly thirty years, and we have weathered so many ups and downs. There is no need to divorce over this matter.” “Henry and I talked about it. What you did to them before was only out of anger, which is completely understandable. We’ve already gotten them to forgive you.” Arvin said to me. I scoffed at such remarks. He sounded so condescending. I couldn’t help but sneer, “Are we supposed to say ‘Thank you, My Lord’ now?” Arvin lowered his head and said, “That’s not what I meant…” Seeing this, my father patted Arvin’s shoulder. Then, they took out two boxes from under the table, opened them, and inside were two jade bangles. That was a tradition passed down through generations in my mother’s family. When you meet someone you admire, you can give them a bangle as a gift. It represented the love that my mother and I once had for them. Arvin held out the bangle and pushed it in front of me, saying, “Elena, please don’t give up our marriage, okay?” His cheesy remark made me feel a chill. I asked, “Who cheated first? Who’s the one giving up our marriage?” I squinted my eyes and glanced at my father and Arvin. The two of them lowered their heads in silence. After a while, they took out two copies of the divorce agreement. “If you really want a divorce, let’s do it by this agreement.” My mother and I picked up the agreement and read it carefully. My mother frowned and looked at my father. “Henry, is this how you repay me after more than twenty years of marriage?” I placed the divorce agreement on the table and stared at Arvin. “Are you saying we only have 250 bucks in our joint account?” He must be deliberately humiliating me! Arvin suddenly took my hand and said, “Because I don’t want to divorce.” Feeling uncomfortable, I tried hard to pull my hand back, but I couldn’t get it out. My father also spoke in an affectionate voice, “Honey, I just don’t want to leave you and our daughter.” Worried about my mother’s heart disease, I looked over anxiously. But my mother just remained silent, her expression unchanged, with no signs of having an episode whatsoever. I couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Arvin still grasped my hand tightly, unwilling to let go. I could no longer bear it, so I bit him. I vented all of my resentment and grief on that bite. Suddenly, I tasted blood in my mouth. He let out a painful grunt and released my hand. I got up and pulled my mother, wanting to leave. But my mother spoke up, “I think maybe we can take them in and make a big family.” I looked at my mother in disbelief.   I wanted to ask her. My mother placed her index finger on her lips, signaling me to be quiet. I didn’t understand, but I kept quiet. Arvin and my father were excited. “Honey, you finally came around!” “Thank you so much, Karen.” I couldn’t bear to see their faces anymore, so I turned away. My mother chuckled, got up, and held my hand. “Let’s have dinner at our house tonight. Elena and I will go prepare first.” Arvin and my father were pleased to hear that. My mother pulled me out of the cafe, and her smile immediately vanished. After getting in the car, I asked my mother, “Mom, why did you do that? Are you really going to take them in?” My mother shook her head and said, “Of course not.” She leaned over and explained her plan to my ear. I was stunned for a moment and nodded. In the evening, Arvin, my father, and their respective “family members” who were outside all gathered at our house. My mother and I smiled and entertained them. I didn’t realize other emotions from my mother’s smile. But when I saw Sansa take Arvin’s arm, I felt pain in my heart. I secretly hoped that Arvin would not bring Sansa along. Perhaps he might realize how inappropriate it would be. But he didn’t. At the dining table, Sansa looked at me in gratitude. “Thank you for your understanding, Elena. I don’t think I can live without Arvin.” She downed the wine in her hand in one go. My body trembled slightly. Sansa’s words felt like a slow torture to me. I bowed my head, forcing my gaze to soften. “You are deeply in love with Arvin. I just can’t bear to separate you two.” Arvin held my hand, his eyes full of gratification. I discreetly withdrew, lifting the wine glass for a sip. Helen also thanked my mother profusely. “Karen, thank you. I don’t have to worry about Freddie’s schooling anymore.” With a proper smile, my mother waved her hand. “Don’t worry about it, Helen. We’re family. You don’t have to thank me.” My father patted my mother’s shoulder. “So… can we change the way we address them?” Suddenly, Sansa asked, her eyes filled with longing. “What?” I wondered. Yet, I remained silent. Unconsciously, I looked at my mother. My mother secretly winked at me. I guessed her meaning. So, I closed my eyes and calmed myself. “Of course.” Unknowingly, my voice trembled. I looked at Arvin, hoping he would oppose, even if just for show. But he didn’t. Sansa smiled and called out in excitement, “Honey.” That sound exploded in my mind. Arvin nodded and held Sansa in his arms. My heart felt as if it had shattered into pieces at that moment, and I could no longer feel any emotions. Helen, encouraged by my mother, hesitantly changed her address to my father. My father replied with a flushed face, “Good! Good!” I still couldn’t see any emotion on my mother’s face. It seemed that my mother had long decided to end her marriage. I, on the other hand, still harbored a glimmer of hope. I looked up at a corner of the ceiling, where a faint red light was flickering. On the following day, Arvin and my father took their women out to take wedding photos. My mother and I cleaned the house, leaving behind a new divorce agreement and a tape. Then, my mother took out the bangles that represented love and handed one of them to me. We smashed them to the ground. When the bangles hit the ground, they shattered into pieces. Just like our marriage and relationships, they became beyond repair. With our suitcases ready, my mother and I boarded the plane heading to Eurico.

When my mother and I got off the plane and turned our phones on, we saw many missed calls. There were also messages, some positive, some threatening, and some furious. We deleted them all. We came to the airport service area, ready to use our card to buy something, but we found it couldn’t work. They froze our card! An unknown call came in, and I answered. It turned out to be my father and Arvin. Before we could speak, my father shouted angrily, “What is this nonsense again? Get back here!” Arvin played the mediator, persuading my father, “Henry, please calm down. It’s okay if they take a vacation abroad. After all, they have just gone through so much lately.” Then, he said to me, “Honey, please come back. I miss you. Henry also misses Karen.” I looked at my mother. She shook her head and waved her hand, indicating she didn’t want to speak to them. I nodded and turned my attention back to the call. “You should just live with your wives. We’ll stay out of your way.” I said sarcastically, “Aren’t you husband and wife now?” “Wasn’t that you guys who suggested it?” Arvin hurriedly said, “If you feel uncomfortable, we’ll ask them to stop addressing us like that.” I found it amusing. They actually thought that was what my mother and I cared about. I couldn’t believe they actually played dumb with us. How silly they were. I didn’t respond, allowing silence to prevail. Suddenly, a hoarse female voice came over. I listened carefully and recognized that it was Sansa’s voice. She said in a trembling voice, “Elena, if you don’t like me, I can leave. Although I love Arvin to my bones, and I might die after leaving, I don’t want to ruin your marriage. I don’t want to upset Arvin.” “Sansa, please don’t say that…” I heard Arvin say with a gentle and worried tone. I felt a bit disgusted. Helen’s voice came through the phone as well, “If Karen cannot accept us, we will just leave. As long as Freddie can go to school, I don’t mind leaving.” She also began to weep sorrowfully. I accidentally laughed out loud. “What are you laughing about?” My father’s voice came out, “I can’t believe I have such a cold-blooded daughter like you!” I couldn’t help but mock, “Yeah, like father, like son. You are selfish and cold-blooded, and I certainly am not a good person, either.” “You!” My father sounded so angry that it seemed like he smashed something to the floor. I could hear the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground over the phone. “Come back, or I won’t unfreeze your bank card! Without money, you will starve!” I sneered. They finally got to the point. I said coldly, “Father, did you watch the tape we left?” “What about it?” He sounded displeased. I smiled and said, “You know that bigamy is a crime, right? In the video, you behaved like a couple. You also have an illegitimate child. Not to mention, you two just went to a studio to take wedding photos with those two women. The evidence is all there. If my mom and I file a lawsuit, you two will end up in jail!” Arvin hurriedly came to smooth things over. “It’s not that serious. There’s no need to do this.” I said sternly, “That divorce agreement we prepared is fair to you. Sign the document and unfreeze our bank card. Otherwise, we’ll see each other in court!” Then, I hung up the phone! My mother looked at me appreciatively, and I smiled back. After a while, I received a message on my phone: [We’ll sign it! I hope you won’t regret it. Arvin and I will marry Helen and Sansa right away.] [Do you think we can’t do without you?] I replied: [I wish you happiness.] Then, I blocked their numbers. My mother and I successfully made the payment and then took a taxi to a university. We came here as visiting scholars for three years. In the following days, my mother and I immersed ourselves in work and research. One day, when we finished work, and left the university, we saw Arvin and his father stand at the entrance holding flowers.

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A high school reunion was being organized, and my classmates in the group chat were practically begging me to attend. [Lorraine, Livia’s boyfriend is hosting. Aren’t you coming?] I had just returned from a business trip with a pile of documents waiting for my approval on my desk. I politely declined. [I’m really busy with work lately. I don’t have time. You all have fun.] The next second, the group chat exploded with mockery. [What could you possibly be busy with? You haven’t even shown your face since graduation. Must be having a tough life.] [Working late at night? You’re not doing anything legit, are you?] [Livia’s boyfriend is the CEO of a listed company. She’s probably just jealous.] They even sent a photo of Livia Hewitt and her boyfriend. When I saw that familiar face on my screen, my hands and feet went cold. Livia’s boyfriend was none other than Lukas Foster, my husband of two years. ***** I had just parked my car when a text from Lukas popped up. [Lorraine, I’m heading overseas for a business trip these next few days. I’ll bring you back a gift.] Over the past two years of marriage, Lukas had always been gentle and attentive, reporting his whereabouts to me no matter where he went. If I hadn’t seen that photo of him and Livia in the group chat, I never would have suspected him of cheating. Thinking back, I realized his business trips had become more frequent in the past six months. Sometimes, they lasted two or three days, other times a week. Now it was clear that those trips were probably spent with Livia. I didn’t reply to his message. Meanwhile, the class group chat had suddenly become lively again. Someone shared photos from the gathering. One of them showed a bottle of wine with a price tag of one hundred thousand dollars. [Thanks to Livia’s boyfriend, I finally got to drink something this fancy. One bottle of this costs as much as my annual salary.] The chat was flooded with compliments and praise for Livia. Then, they started tagging me relentlessly. [Lorraine, where are you?] [We’re just waiting on you now. Don’t tell me you’re too scared to show up?] I put my phone into my bag and followed the server to the elevator up to the 22nd floor. The moment the elevator doors opened, I saw a bold sign at the entrance. It read: [Class 114 Reunion. Sponsored by Livia Hewitt and her boyfriend, Lukas Foster.] At the dining area, Livia stood in the center of the crowd, wearing an expensive evening gown, basking in the adoration of her audience like a proud princess. “Livia, will your boyfriend be joining us today? Since we’re all old classmates, could you introduce him to us?” “Yeah, Livia, I always knew you’d end up the most successful of us all. It’s so great to see you living the dream. I’m genuinely happy for you.” “Lorraine might have been top of the class back then, but look at her now, still can’t hold a candle to you.” Livia couldn’t hide her smug grin. She clearly enjoyed their flattery. Then they noticed me standing at the door. They suddenly became strangely quiet. The class monitor broke the silence. “Lorraine’s here? Come in, quick.” As I walked in, their gazes turned sharp and judgmental. “Almost ten years since we’ve seen you, Lorraine. Why are you here alone? Still single, huh?” Before I could answer, someone snickered. “She probably didn’t know who to bring. With the kind of job she has, her boyfriends must be numerous and temporary.” It had been over a decade since we last met, yet I couldn’t understand why they harbored such hostility toward me. I frowned. “What do you mean by that? Watch your mouth.” The room erupted into laughter. One of them noticed the Hermès bag in my hand and pointed at it with a mocking expression. “Lorraine, we’re all old classmates here. Even if you’re struggling, no one’s going to judge you. But I didn’t expect you to show up with a fake bag just to pretend to be rich.”

Their disdainful stares immediately landed on me. I met her gaze coldly and asked, “What makes you so sure it’s fake?” She looked triumphant, her voice brimming with excitement. “My cousin works for this brand. She posted about this bag on Twitter just a few days ago. “This model hasn’t even been released in the country yet. How could yours be real?” Her words turned everyone’s gaze on me into that of ridicule, as if they were watching a clown. Throughout high school, I had kept a low profile. To them, I was just an average girl from an ordinary family. They would never believe I had access to something as exclusive as this. Before I could respond, Livia’s eyes locked onto my keychain. Her face instantly darkened as she shouted, “Where did you get that figurine?” Her reaction was intense. All eyes turned to the crystal keychain in my hand. It was the Valentine’s Day gift I had given Lukas this year, custom-designed by a top artisan. It had cost me 1.5 million dollars to commission a pair. “This is mine.” No sooner had I spoken than Livia stormed over with a glass of wine in hand. Before I could react, she flung the wine in my face. “Yours? That’s part of a set with my boyfriend’s!” “I’ve been suspecting him of cheating lately, and now I finally know who the shameless woman is. It’s you! How dare you seduce my boyfriend?” Her accusations were sharp, and everyone’s eyes on me grew more hostile. “Livia, are you sure? It’s just a keychain. Maybe you’re mistaken.” “Yeah, Livia, your boyfriend is the CEO of Quantuva Group. How could she even get close to him?” To prove her point, Livia pulled out a video she had taken while sitting in Lukas’ car. In the video, the crystal figurine on his car keys was identical to mine. Now, everyone believed her. Their judgmental stares intensified. “So you really are a homewrecker? How disgusting. Stealing a classmate’s boyfriend!” “I used to think you were the school goddess. Turns out you’re just a mistress!” “You’re the kind of woman who destroys relationships. You deserve to rot in hell!” “If I were you, I’d be too ashamed to show my face here. How dare you even come here?” Without giving me a chance to explain, they had already branded me as the villain. From their moral high ground, they hurled insults and condemnation. Some even spat at me and whipped out their phones to record. “You’re a disgrace, selling your body for money. I feel embarrassed for you! “I’m going to share this in the group. Everyone should know what a shameless mistress the former top student has become!” I suppressed my nausea and stared coldly at Livia, who wore a smug, self-satisfied expression. “You’d better call Lukas and ask him who the real mistress is.” Livia’s face showed no fear. She raised her hand and slapped me hard across the face. “Do I even need to ask? “Of course it’s you! You shameless woman, how dare you call him by his name!”

She raised her hand, showing off the ring on her finger, her smug expression like a slap in my face. “See this? Lukas proposed to me last month.” “Give it up already. A mistress like you doesn’t deserve to live!” I stared at the ring on her hand, too disgusted to respond. “Just wait till Lukas gets here. You’ll see how ridiculous you are.” Livia glared at me, her face twisted with fury. “You shameless homewrecker, how dare you provoke me!” She snatched my bag out of my hands before I could react. “Let’s see what my boyfriend has been giving you!” She turned the bag upside down, dumping everything onto the floor. My face turned cold. Among the scattered items, a document fell out. It was the contract I’d just picked up. It was a 90-million-dollar deal I had sealed with a business partner on my way here. Before I could speak, one of her sycophants eagerly picked it up and handed it to her. “You’d better give that back,” I said sharply. “That’s a multi-million-dollar contract. You can’t afford the consequences.” Livia froze for a second, then burst out laughing, clutching her stomach like I’d told the best joke of her life. “Are you insane? Do you really think I’d fall for that? You’re trying to scare me with this nonsense?” She sneered and held up the papers. “You’re telling me these few pieces of paper are worth millions? Please! I’ll rip them up, and what can you do about it? Call the cops?” Before I could stop her, she tore the contract in half and tossed the pieces at my face. The room erupted in applause and cheers. “That’s the spirit, Livia!” “You’re going to be the wife of Quantuva Group’s CEO! This pathetic woman doesn’t deserve to stand in front of you!” “And those papers worth millions? What a joke! I could grab some printer paper and call myself a billionaire!” They all stood with Livia, their faces alight with mockery. I shot them a cold glare, too tired of their idiocy to argue. “I hope you can afford the price of your stupidity later,” I said icily. When I pulled out my phone to call the police, Livia stormed over and snatched it out of my hand, smashing it against the floor. “You think you can call the cops? Who do you think you are, you filthy mistress?” Her shamelessness sent a chill down my spine. Her gaze shifted to my wrist. When she spotted the bracelet peeking out from under my sleeve, her eyes lit up with greed. I saw what she was thinking and quickly tried to pull my sleeve down, but she was faster. She grabbed my arm and yanked the bracelet off my wrist in one swift motion. Her movement was so quick that before I could react, the bracelet was already in her hand. I froze, my face turning pale. My voice dropped to a dangerous chill. “Give it back.” Livia smirked, spinning the bracelet in her fingers. “Oh? You seem awfully attached to this. It must be worth a fortune, right?” My heart clenched, and I blurted out, “It’s not worth anything! It has nothing to do with Lukas. Give it back, now!” I stepped forward to grab it from her, desperation gripping me. This bracelet wasn’t just a piece of jewelry. It was the last gift my brother, Stefan Prescott, had given me before his tragic car accident. Before I could celebrate that birthday, Stefan was gone. Before his eyes closed for the last time, Stefan handed me the bracelet. He told me it was something he had specially bought for my protection. He told me to take good care of it. I had worn it every day since, keeping it close as a reminder of him. This bracelet was the last thing he left me. I couldn’t let anyone destroy it! But before I could touch Livia, her lackeys grabbed me, pinning me down. Livia laughed, her face a mask of cruelty. “You want it back? The more you care, the more I want to destroy it!”   With a cold smile, she raised the bracelet high and smashed it against the floor. A sharp crack echoed in the room. The bracelet shattered into three pieces. “No!” A scream tore from my throat as my mind went blank. Tears blurred my vision. Livia hummed in satisfaction and strutted over. She bent down and slapped my face with mock affection. “Don’t you get it? Things that aren’t yours are never yours to have. Stop dreaming.” My chest heaved with fury as I glared at her and the pack of jackals around her. “You animals. You’ll pay for this.” “Did you just call me a bitch?” Livia’s face twisted with rage as she slapped me hard twice. The force left me reeling. The next moment, she grabbed a fistful of my hair and dragged me toward the dining table. “I hate homewreckers. Today, I’ll show you what happens to women like you!” She shoved my face into a steaming dish. Grease smeared across my skin, and the scalding liquid stung my eyes and nose. I choked, struggling to breathe, but her lackeys pinned my arms down. I couldn’t see, couldn’t move. Hot soup burned my throat as I gasped for air. Around me, I heard the sound of applause. My heart sank. “That’s right, Livia! Show her what happens to trash like her!” “She was so smug earlier. Look at her now! She’s disgusting!” Livia yanked my head out of the dish, her expression filled with disgust. She shoved me to the floor like I was filth. Grease dripped down my face as I desperately wiped my eyes with my sleeve. Livia stood tall, radiating arrogance. “Who wants to help me teach her a lesson? When Lukas gets here, I’ll make sure everyone who joins in gets a hundred thousand dollars!” Her words sent a ripple through the room. One brave soul stepped forward and kicked me. Livia clapped in delight. “Good! You’re the first!” Then, another stepped forward. And another. Soon, a mob swarmed me, fueled by greed. They clawed at my hair, slapped my face, and kicked me without mercy. “You deserve this!” “Beating up a mistress is justice!” Their shouts blurred into one cacophony as the pain overwhelmed me. I tried to crawl away, but they dragged me back, their hands bruising and tearing at me. “You think you can run? You chose to be a mistress. Now face the consequences!” They yanked me back, slapping me harder. “Enough! I’m not a mistress! Let me go!” I couldn’t take it anymore and screamed in defiance, but someone kicked me hard in the stomach. “You still dare to argue? You filthy, shameless woman. Today, we’ll beat you until you admit it!” Someone grabbed my hair and slammed my head into the floor. They slammed my head into the floor, and my mind buzzed with dizziness. The room fell silent as they watched, waiting for more. “Do it harder! Make sure she never dares to steal someone else’s boyfriend!” Blood trickled down my face, warm and sticky. I spat a mouthful of blood onto the floor and fixed Livia with a glare of pure hatred. “You’ll regret this,” I said, my voice trembling but defiant. Livia burst out laughing, looking down at me as if I were nothing. “This is what you get for messing with my man.” Her smug words had barely left her lips when the door to the room swung open. Lukas strode in, his sharp suit immaculate, his expression cold.

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I finished my fieldwork and checked my phone, only to be bombarded with messages. Some colleagues asked where I’d ordered my wedding dress from and who my husband was, while others immediately started calling me shallow and materialistic. I opened the work group chat and realized that I’d accidentally sent the wedding dress photo to the wrong group. Daphne Quinn, a colleague, was still typing away furiously in the chat. [How dare you steal my wedding dress photo and try to pass it off as yours? Have you no shame?] [My husband is Dorian Black! If he finds out you’re impersonating me, you’re in trouble!] At that exact moment, Dorian was lying on my lap, looking up at me. “Babe, don’t schedule so much work for yourself this week. Come to my private island and hang out with me.” ***** Dorian and I met in college, and we recently got our marriage certificate. Right now, we were caught up in wedding planning, barely keeping our heads above water. But then Daphne suddenly popped up, claiming Dorian was her husband. I didn’t tell him about it. He had been busy taking over the family business, and this was something I could handle on my own. Daphne and I had always been in competition, and she thought she had me cornered, so she wasn’t holding back. She was still in the group chat, demanding that I apologize. When I got back to the office, I went straight to confront her. “This wedding dress is mine,” I said. Daphne’s face turned red with fury. She stormed over, shouting, “I’ve never met anyone so shameless! The proof is right in front of you, and you’re still denying it! “Since you’re so sure, why don’t you tell me what kind of flower is on the veil?” The picture I posted only showed the dress, not the accessories. I said confidently, “It’s jasmine.” Daphne practically exploded. She screamed, “Did you hear that, everyone? She’s still lying to herself!” Then, she sent another photo to the group, showing the whole wedding dress, but this time, the flower on the veil was a rose. “Jasmine was just a sample accessory. This dress was completely redesigned by me to match my personal style. “You, poor thing, could only dream of the mass-market version.” I was confused. How did she manage to talk to the designer without me knowing? I never asked for any changes to the accessories. “Show me your chat history with the designer,” I demanded. Her gaze immediately shifted, and she stumbled, “Eliza, you post a picture and claim it’s your wedding dress, but you don’t even know the style, and you’re still asking me for proof?” The group chat exploded with more nasty comments. [Vain woman. She looks all perfect on the outside, but behind closed doors, she’s stealing and lying. What a fraud.] [I bet that designer handbag she had was probably a gift from some sugar daddy.] [No wonder she’s so good at sucking up to the boss. She’s always getting the top projects. Must have learned that from somewhere.] These people were jumping at the chance to spread rumors and gossip. I gripped my phone so tightly my knuckles turned white. Seeing the drama escalating in her favor, Daphne marched over, hand raised, ready to slap me. “Today, I’m going to teach you a lesson, you shameless bitch!” Quick on my feet, I grabbed a clipboard and blocked her hand. Her hand hit the wooden board, and she yelped in pain. “How dare you hit me!” She was about to lose it, but our team leader, Mason Brooks, stepped in and stopped us. “Alright, Daphne, don’t make a scene. The office isn’t the place for this.” Daphne, realizing it wasn’t worth making a bigger fuss, reluctantly backed off. When I got back to my desk, she still wasn’t done. She shot me a final threat. “Just wait. After work, I’ll make sure my husband deals with you.” Later, Mason pulled me into a meeting room and handed back the design proposal I had submitted earlier. “Eliza, did you create this design all by yourself?” A bad feeling crept over me, but I still answered honestly, “Yes.” He gave me a half-smile and then pulled out another document.

I felt a knot form in my stomach as I compared Daphne’s design with mine. Aside from some minor tweaks to the decoration and the final design being slightly different, everything else was identical. Suddenly, it hit me. Just a couple of days ago, I’d been working late and left my computer unlocked when I went out for dinner. Daphne had been there too. Looks like she had taken full advantage of that moment. “So, what do you think? Noticed anything? Just so you know, Daphne submitted hers earlier than you,” Mason said, his tone clearly favoring her. I took a deep breath and replied calmly, “Mason, I’m not sure how Daphne completed her design, but I can walk you through mine step by step.” I explained my design process, the inspiration behind it, and how I developed the concept. “Two days ago, I added a new element to make the design more appealing to the audience. Honestly, if I’d just wanted to finish quickly, I could have wrapped it up that afternoon. “You can compare my design approach with Daphne’s and judge for yourself.” Mason nodded but then said, “Eliza, you still don’t get it. I don’t need to ask Daphne anything. “No matter how well you explain it, her version is just different.” I was starting to feel confused. I was just presenting the facts, but he was talking to me like I was some rookie. Trying to hold back my frustration, I forced a smile. “I don’t quite understand. Could you explain it more clearly?” Mason seemed pleased with my polite response, taking his time to sip his coffee. “I get it. You’re talented and passionate, but talent alone won’t get you far here. “Do you know who Daphne’s husband is? He’s the heir to the Black family! If I don’t take her side, I might as well kiss my career goodbye.” I couldn’t hide my disgust. He was just blindly siding with her without even hearing me out, and he had the nerve to say this to my face. Honestly, flattering someone didn’t mean they’d return the favor. “You really don’t get it, do you? You’re making enemies everywhere. I’m covering for you this time, but what happens next time?” My fists clenched under the sleeves. “How exactly are you covering for me?” He casually replied, “I’ll keep the similarity in the designs under wraps. It wouldn’t look good for the company if it came out. “You won’t be punished or forced to apologize. Just redo your design, and Daphne will handle this project from here on out.” I couldn’t believe it. I was the one who got plagiarized, yet he was acting like I was the one at fault. I stood up quickly, startling Mason so much that he choked on his coffee. “W-what do you want? “I’ve been helping you. If it were anyone else, this would have been discussed in a meeting. Daphne already came to complain about you yesterday.” I bit my lip, forced out a sarcastic smile, and left the meeting room. As I opened the door, I saw Daphne standing right outside, grinning like she’d won something. “What’s up? Something wrong with your design?” I didn’t even bother answering her. She had stolen my work and now she was acting like the victim. I could tell she was more thrilled by my misfortune than her own success. Mason wasn’t much better. He was just sucking up to her and pretending to be magnanimous, even though I was the one who’d been wronged. But then again, even if I had gotten the project, I’d still be working under him, so maybe it was better to keep my distance. They both seemed like they were all about their own gain, Daphne trying to shine and Mason eager to please her. I could already picture how well they’d work together. So I forced a smile. “If you really want to know, maybe you should ask Mason. I’m sure he’d be happy to explain everything to you.” Back at my desk, I encrypted all my files, created a new document, and saved a recording of my conversation with Mason. I was planning to report this to the director. I could redo the design, but the team leader could also be replaced. In the afternoon, we had an impromptu team meeting, where Mason announced that Daphne would be taking over the project. Everyone was praising her, saying her design was brilliant. Daphne humbly responded, “It’s all thanks to Mason for giving me this chance. I’m not great, just worked hard.” I almost rolled my eyes. Since she got the task, she’d been slacking off, only putting in the effort to steal my work. “I’m not like some people, pretending something that’s not theirs is their own.” Some colleagues snickered, clearly glancing at me. Mason smiled. “Alright, as long as we all stay on the right path, everyone will get the chance to lead projects. Now, let’s get back to work.” But it was clear Daphne wasn’t done with me yet.

I had just finished work when a man in a sharp suit appeared at the door, slicked-back hair, roses in hand. Something about this stranger felt oddly familiar yet out of place. “Babe! You came to pick me up!” Daphne spotted him and instantly dropped her unfinished task, rushing over to throw herself into his arms. “I got a new project today! Praise me!” The man ran his hand gently along her waist. “You’re incredible, babe.” Daphne nestled into his chest, taking in the cologne before turning to introduce him to the team. “Oh, I forgot to introduce him. This is my husband, Dorian Black.” He gave a polite nod. “Thanks, everyone, for looking out for Daphne.” I couldn’t stomach the sight of them, so I started gathering my things, ready to head out. “Eliza, don’t walk away!” Daphne’s sharp nails snagged my sleeve. I yanked my bag away, knocking her hand off. “Let go.” She instantly started fake-crying, clinging to the man’s arm and pointing at me, her voice high-pitched. “She’s been bullying me! She took a picture of my wedding dress, claimed it was hers, and refused to apologize. She’s so full of herself!” The man raised an eyebrow, his gaze darkening as he turned to me. “Oh? You dared to mess with my wife? “Apologize to Daphne right now, or I’ll have your director fire you on the spot.”

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The day I found out I was pregnant, my mom posted a picture of her baby bump on social media. [At 49, still spoiled and loved, I’m finally having another child!] In the photo, she was wearing a sexy outfit that showed off her stretch-marked belly, snuggling up to a man as they took a selfie. The guy was gently rubbing her stomach while holding the heart-shaped lunch I had made for him. I liked the post, and just seconds later, Gabriel Hawthorne called me, practically yelling through the phone. “Are you seriously jealous of your own mother? What, are you panicking now? “You’ve been married for ages and still can’t get pregnant, but your mom? How is she pregnant already?” A few minutes later, my mom posted another one. [What should I do? My daughter is jealous because I’m pregnant.] Gabriel commented right away, trying to comfort her. I rolled my eyes and decided I was done. I’d head back to the hospital and schedule surgery to get rid of the baby. ***** I took a deep breath and stepped into the house I’d lived in for four years. The place was buzzing with excitement. Mom was lounging on the sofa, letting Gabriel massage her shoulders. When Gabriel saw me, he immediately started scolding me. “It’s six o’clock! Why haven’t you made dinner yet? Clary is starving!” Clary, of course, was my mom, Clara Lockwood. Noticing my blank expression, Gabriel frowned. “Still not pregnant?” I didn’t say anything and just stuffed the pregnancy test results in my pocket. Gabriel scoffed, “Seriously, how many times have you been to the gynecologist this month? Your mom’s pregnant and you’re still not? “I don’t want to feed a barren hen.” I gripped my canvas bag tighter, ready to speak, but my mom sweetly interrupted, “Gabe, don’t say that about my daughter!” She snuggled into his arms and pouted, looking almost too cute for a woman with so many wrinkles. But Gabriel was eating it up. He leaned down and continued massaging her temples. “Alright, alright, Clary. Don’t be upset. Ariana is lucky to have such a great mom. Too bad she didn’t inherit anything from you.” My mom sighed and shot me a glance. “Maybe it’s her father’s genes. Your genes are definitely better.” Gabriel took this to heart, clearly pleased by the compliment. At 37, Gabriel still hadn’t fathered a child. He worked as a foreman at a construction site, where the men all had kids by their twenties. The workers used to joke that Gabriel must have some kind of problem, whether it was impotence or infertility. Before long, the nickname “One-Minute Man” started circulating at the site. Gabriel was obsessed with proving them wrong and was determined to make me pregnant. He always said, “It doesn’t matter if it’s a boy or a girl. You’ve got to be pregnant this year.” Without responding, I just slipped off my shoes and walked past him. “Why the long face? When you’re done changing, remember to wash your hands and make some chicken soup for Clary.” He got up as if my mom was some kind of treasure, treating her like royalty. Mom had been so lively yesterday, but today, she was lying on the couch, acting all fragile and in pain, while Gabriel fussed over her, practically in tears. I decided to stir the pot a bit, dragging my words out. “Mom, who is the father? Could it be some guy on the street?” Mom’s face turned pale, and then she gave me a tearful glare. “You don’t have a heart, do you? Isn’t it a good thing that I’m giving you a little brother at my age? “Plus, you still haven’t gotten pregnant. I’m worried too. Just pretend this child is yours and Gabe’s.” She skirted around it, never once mentioning who the father really was. Gabriel was so moved by her words that he didn’t even wait for me to get up and cook. “You’re not cooking today. Since your mom’s pregnant, we’re going out to eat something nice.” He carefully helped my mom up, even putting on her socks with a smile. Gabriel nudged me aside and gave me a quick once-over, his eyes landing on my stomach. “You stay home and clean up. Don’t come with us to dinner.” Seeing my face fall, Gabriel softened his tone. “After all, she’s your mom. Helping her is the least you can do. “Plus, you’re not pregnant yet. You should be taking care of your mom.” I could feel my blood boiling. “Yeah, you’re so busy ‘taking care of her’. People are going to think you’re sleeping with her.” Gabriel’s eyes went wide, and before I could blink, he slapped me across the face. “Don’t you dare slander me and Clary! I’m doing all this for you. If she was anyone else’s mom, I’d have kicked her out already!” The slap made my head spin, and my heart was racing. My mom, standing off to the side, was barely holding back a laugh, looking totally smug. Before I could say another word, the two of them stormed out, slamming the door behind them. I slumped down on the couch, covering my face. On the table in front of me was my mom’s pregnancy test result. She was already three months pregnant, a full month ahead of me. Gabriel wasn’t infertile at all. In fact, he could even knock up his mother-in-law.

I reached out to Elise Westbrook, the daughter of Darren Westbrook next door. She’d just gotten divorced, so it seemed like the perfect time to ask her about it. Elise walked in without hesitation, immediately glancing around. “Are you making chicken soup? It smells amazing. So, what’s up? Did you call me over for something good?” I gave her a quick look. “Good? It’s about my divorce!” Elise froze for a second, then rushed over to sit next to me, grabbing my hand. “You’re serious about this? “Gabriel seemed like a nice guy, though. He was walking with your mom yesterday, right? It’s rare to find someone that thoughtful. “He’s got some money and doesn’t cheat. All he wants is to have a kid with you! Honestly, even if it’s for your mom, you should really think about it.” I stayed silent. Gabriel had indeed taken good care of my mom, and they had slept together. But that was a family issue, and I wasn’t about to air it out. “Elise, stop asking so much. I’ve made up my mind. This marriage is over!” Elise thought for a moment, then said, “If you go through with the divorce, Gabriel probably won’t agree. Plus, there’s the whole cooling-off period. “If it comes to that, you might have to move out. But how are you going to handle your mom?” I sighed, feeling lost. I didn’t have much education. My dad passed away early, and I started working with my mom right after middle school. No one around us even went to college. Gabriel was introduced to me by my mom’s friends. I didn’t feel much for him as our relationship was arranged. But I never expected he’d get involved with my mom. Before I could think it through, a message popped up on my phone. It was from my mom, with several texts in a row. [Gabe’s been losing weight. Can you make some beef soup tomorrow and take it to him at the construction site?] The photo she sent showed her and Gabriel holding hands. [Why is Gabe’s back so dirty? You didn’t help him wash when he took a shower?] Another photo showed Gabriel’s dirty back. [When I come home tonight, my feet are sore. Don’t forget to rub them. Gabe’s working, you know.] The picture showed Gabriel massaging my mom’s feet, and there was even a bystander in the background holding their nose. I felt my stomach churn and quickly turned off my phone. I could practically smell her feet through the screen. Without getting a reply, my mom sent more messages, desperate for attention. In the past, I would have rushed over to confront Gabriel. But now, I honestly didn’t care anymore. At first, I wanted to have a child because Gabriel provided me with stability. But now that my mom was pregnant, I didn’t need to worry about it anymore. Gabriel just wanted a kid, so I decided to give them what they wanted. Elise noticed me staring at my phone without saying anything. “What did your mom say?” I shook my head. “Nothing important. I think you’re right. I’ll just move out.” Elise’s eyes widened. “Wait, you’re really doing this? Don’t let Gabriel think this was my idea! It’s just about getting pregnant. Try harder, and maybe you’ll be pregnant in no time.” She started pacing, her eyes darting around until she saw the pregnancy test report on the table. “You’re pregnant?” She reached for it, but I quickly grabbed it from her. “Are you showing off by calling me over here?” Elise sighed in relief while I crumpled the report in my hands. “It’s nothing. Just leave. It’s none of your business.” Elise stood up and headed for the door. “Wow, you really got me there! I thought you were serious. Alright, I’m out.” I followed her to the door, and just then, I saw Gabriel walking back with my mom in his arms. My mom was pretending to be all shy, hiding her face against his chest. Elise didn’t recognize her at all. “Oh my god!” When she heard Elise, my mom tried to peek out, but by the time she did, Elise had already darted away. My mom didn’t catch a glimpse of her. “Elise’s always in such a rush. I was just about to ask Darren how things are going with him!” A message popped up on my phone. [Ariana, I feel so bad for you. Gabriel is such a jerk. He even brought his mistress home.] [Leave him! You have to get out of there!] I didn’t respond. If Elise knew the truth, she’d probably be shocked for a while.

As soon as I walked in, I saw my mom’s eyes go red, and she pushed Gabriel aside, huddling into the corner of the sofa. “What’s going on, Clary?” Gabriel rushed over, still wearing his shoes, clearly panicked. I froze, my stomach tightening as I peered over. My mom was staring at the pregnancy report I’d crumpled up, quietly sobbing. “Ariana! Are you serious?” Gabriel followed her gaze, saw the crumpled report, and, fuming, dragged me over to the sofa. “You’re really gonna be this petty? You can’t even deal with your own mom? “So what if she’s pregnant?” He yanked me so hard my shoulder screamed in pain. “Yeah, what’s the big deal? It’s just your kid, right?” I sneered and tried to push back, but he threw me onto the sofa with a grunt. I braced myself and grabbed something on the sofa to steady myself. What I pulled out made my stomach churn. It was a pair of loose thongs, stained with yellowish liquid. The smell hit me immediately, disgusting and rancid. “Ugh, no wonder this place stinks.” My mom had been watching quietly, but at that, her face turned crimson, and she lunged to grab the underwear from me. “Don’t say anything else!” Gabriel, seeing her embarrassment, suddenly lost his anger. “Hey! Let me explain!” I glared at him. “Explain what? You and my mom are having sex on the sofa, and you didn’t even use a condom?” For a second, Gabriel sounded guilty, but then he snapped back. “Is this my fault? It’s your fault! If you could have a baby, would I need to be doing this? “Ariana, I don’t owe you anything! If it weren’t for your mom, I would’ve left you a long time ago!” My mom, seeing it was getting out of hand, clung to Gabriel’s arm. “Gabe! We promised not to talk about this!” I felt a wave of nausea. “Sweetheart, is it really necessary to blow this up? I’m doing this for our family. “I’m having your child, and Gabe’s sticking around. Isn’t that enough for you? “Why do you want to ruin everything?” My mom was acting like she was heartbroken, but I couldn’t ignore the fact that her foot was still wrapped around Gabriel’s leg. I sighed, defeated. “Fine. Do whatever you want. Just divorce me. I’m cool with you two being together.” Without missing a beat, they both spoke in unison, “That’s not happening!” Gabriel gently laid my mom back on the couch, then turned to me with a serious face. “If you keep this up, you’re going to ruin my reputation. When Clary has the baby, we’ll just say it’s yours. If I marry a 50-year-old woman, what would people say about me? “You’ve got to trust me. Clary and I both love you!” My mom nodded along, clearly agreeing. I didn’t want to stick around any longer. I walked out, leaving behind Gabriel’s angry shout. “Do you really think you’ll find anyone else out there who’ll treat you like we do?” I slammed the door shut and started walking, only to see Elise peeking her head out from next door. She mimed with her lips. “Had a fight?” I nodded, pressing the button for the elevator. She raised an eyebrow. “Want to crash at my place?” “Nah, too awkward. I’ll see if I can find a site that needs a cook. I’ll figure it out.” I didn’t wait for her reply, heading straight for the elevator. I had a few thousand dollars saved up from selling fast food at the construction site before. I booked a hotel for the night, got some good rest, and the next day, I found a construction site that was hiring. They offered food and lodging, plus four thousand dollars a month. I took the job right away. I didn’t think about home, just focused on cooking at the site and getting through the day. But, of course, it didn’t take long for Gabriel to track me down. He pulled up on his motorbike, frowning when he saw me handing out food. “Really? You’re out here cooking instead of taking care of your mom?” My mom was right behind him, holding a new pregnancy test in her hand. “Honey, I really need you. I’m three and a half months pregnant, and I can’t eat anyone else’s cooking. I want you to make food for me.” I didn’t even look up and just waved the ladle. “Move aside. Don’t disturb them.” The workers, who were hungry from working all morning, crowded Gabriel out of the way. “Ugh! What an ungrateful little brat!” I heard my mom’s voice from far off, cursing under her breath. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. After about an hour, I had a moment to check my phone. There were a couple of messages from my mom and one from the hospital. [Sweetie, have I done something wrong? Why are you ignoring me like this?] [My 50th birthday is coming up. Can we talk?] [Next Wednesday, Gabe will host a party for my birthday at Golden Restaurant. You better show up.] [Love, Mom.] [Ms. Hawthorne, your scheduled abortion is tomorrow at 10 AM. Please arrive on time.] I wiped my hands, took a deep breath, and called my boss. “Hey, can I take a week off? I’ve got something urgent to deal with. Thanks!”   I quickly went through the procedure, stuffed the aftercare instructions the doctor gave me into my bag, and left the hospital. I don’t know why, but I felt no sadness at all. Maybe at one point, I had considered keeping the baby, especially with how hard Gabriel had worked for us. I’m not bad-looking, and Gabriel fell for me the moment he saw me. He fought against everyone’s opinions to be with me, a penniless girl. Over the years, there was no love, but I got used to having a man around to lean on. But now my mom was pregnant with his child, and things had gotten way too complicated. I didn’t know if I should call my mom’s baby my sibling or my husband’s illegitimate child. To make matters worse, my mom’s pregnancy was actually further along than mine. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the kind of gossip I’d have to deal with if I had a baby now. In a small town like ours, rumors spread fast, and I didn’t want to be the subject of everyone’s whispers. Just as I got into a cab, my phone rang. It was Gabriel. His tone was a bit hesitant. “Hey, babe, could you pick up some larger-sized underwear on your way back? The ones Clary has right now don’t fit her well.” I blinked in surprise. “Why don’t you just buy them yourself?” Gabriel coughed, a little awkward. “How could a guy like me go to a lingerie store? Clary’s your mom, after all! Can you just help me out?” I couldn’t tell if they were treating me like a part of their little game, but after all, she was my mom, the one who gave birth to me and raised me. With a sigh, I grabbed a few XXL-sized pieces of underwear, paid, and headed home. As soon as I opened the door, a strange smell hit me. “What’s going on here?” Gabriel, wearing an apron, stepped out of the kitchen, his face smeared with yellow and black stains. “Hey, babe, you’re back! I was just cooking for Clary.” Mom, who was Gabriel’s little darling, had even made him go into the kitchen, something he’d never done before. “Ariana, let me see what you bought me!” Mom twirled over in her trendy pink puffball dress. She dug through the bag, pouted, and said, “Honey, you’re only thirty. How do you have such bad taste? “Who’s going to wear these? Why didn’t you get some with lace? Even men would think these are ugly!” Gabriel quickly agreed, “Clary knows best. You should learn from her.” He casually glanced between me and my mom’s chest. I froze, realizing exactly what was going on. I’d never felt at ease in bed, and there were times when Gabriel lost interest halfway through. But I knew deep down, he wanted me to have his child. He kept messaging me during this time, telling me that the thing he looked forward to most was me having his baby. But I couldn’t bring myself to believe him anymore. Mom’s 50th birthday was coming up, and Gabriel had planned a celebration that was even grander than our wedding. He invited over a hundred people, including my mom’s side of the family. It was supposed to be a birthday party, but it looked more like a wedding. Flowers everywhere, and a giant family portrait of the three of us. But if you looked closely, you’d see I was in the corner, half of my face hidden by Mom’s bun, making it look like a newlywed couple with their servant. The moment I arrived, my grandparents rushed over to me. “Ariana, you married a good man! He’s so good to your mom. You’ve got to have a baby with him soon!” “Yeah, make sure to keep him tied down with a kid.” “When you’re older, your face won’t be worth anything!” I stayed silent because, honestly, Mom had already secured him with a baby. Elise and her father showed up too. She shot me a look of disappointment and mouthed, “Are you two back together?” I shook my head. Gabriel hadn’t invited his parents because I wasn’t pregnant yet and it’d be bad if they noticed anything. But my mom was having the time of her life, thrilled by the lavish event after so many years of struggling. She was collecting gifts and basking in compliments from our relatives. That was when Gabriel came up to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “Babe, when you get pregnant, I’ll throw you an even bigger birthday party. How’s that sound?” I rolled my eyes and tried to push him away, but he wouldn’t let go. Back and forth, my bag dropped to the floor. A piece of paper slipped out, and a child from the crowd picked it up for me. She handed it to me with a curious look. “What’s this, the aftercare instructions for surgery?” Gabriel’s face went pale. He quickly snatched the paper out of my hand. “Babe, what’s this? Are you pregnant?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “397634”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #B×G

The day I nearly lost my life during childbirth, my husband should have been waiting outside the delivery room, but instead, he was accompanying his first love to treat her child. She shared a post: [With him, I, as a single mother, feel like I’ve found a home.] The caption went with a photo of my husband holding her child, looking full of compassion. Having narrowly escaped death, I no longer craved his attention. Whether he had an ambiguous relationship with her or built a home outside of ours, it no longer mattered to me. On the day I sent the divorce papers and prepared to leave the country, he chased me to the airport. He asked desperately, “Honey, why don’t you care about me anymore?” ***** The night before my due date, my water broke, and I was rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night. After signing some paperwork, my husband, Luke Carter, lingered in the waiting area, playing on his phone. In excruciating pain, I wanted him to come in and comfort me, but he was indifferent. While I missed the best window for anesthesia, he was still chatting with his first love. As I bled heavily, and the doctor informed me that the baby was gone and that they would do their best to save me, he wasn’t even outside the delivery room. I came back from the brink of death, only to see a lifeless fetus when I woke up, and Luke’s phone had powered off. The doctor, exhausted, tried to console me, but I felt numb. Without shedding a tear, I asked the nurse to take me away from the hospital. Being sorrowful was meaningless. If even my husband didn’t care about me, no one else would. Walking through the hospital corridor, I passed the emergency department and saw Luke, who had been missing for several hours. He was holding the son of his first love, Jessica Ellis, in his arms. The child was weak and burning with fever. When he saw me, he whispered, “Did you give birth? A boy or a girl?” Looking at the warm scene before me, I bitterly said, “She’s dead. It was a girl.” Luke froze, while Jessica shot a look of high-handed pity. The postpartum pain made it impossible for me to stand for long. I ignored them and left wearily. My relationship with Luke was always poorly timed. We were forced to sit at the matchmaking dinner table, thrown together by circumstance. After the wedding, I learned that he had always been in love with Jessica, who lived overseas. He had only agreed to marry me out of disappointment. He promised to treat me well, but after I was five months pregnant, Jessica returned home with her child after a divorce. Luke’s rekindled feelings for her led to the most difficult four months of my life. He began frequently coming home late, always citing work as the excuse. He smelled of unfamiliar perfume. He never accompanied me to regular check-ups, but he would run around for Jessica’s son. I opened my phone and saw her latest post: [With him, I, as a single mother, feel like I’ve found a home.] The word “home” stung my eyes. I was Luke’s wife, but Jessica and her child seemed to receive more care from him. During my pregnancy, I would cry and argue, asking him why he couldn’t prioritize me. But now, having come so close to death, I had let go. If I survived such a major surgery without him by my side, I could live the rest of my life without him. I no longer wanted the love he had begrudgingly given me. I decided to stop giving him my heart and soul. I continued clearing the unread messages from the past few days and saw an announcement from the company about a recruitment opportunity at the headquarters in Olisfast for two years. My past achievements met the application criteria. I felt a surge of gratitude toward fate for giving me a chance to start over right after I had shifted my perspective. Without hesitation, I submitted my application and began secretly preparing for the documents to go abroad. Luke had always disliked that I earned more than he did and that my household chores didn’t match up to his mother’s. He complained that I wasn’t good at taking care of him. I couldn’t let him find out too soon, or he’d try to stop me. As I was calculating my next steps, Luke came home. Before I could close the webpage, he caught me red-handed. “What are you looking at? You plan to go abroad?” he asked.

I hadn’t even had the chance to come up with an excuse when Luke frowned. He said, “You lost your child and you’re still in the mood for a trip abroad? “You should stay home and rest for now, stop running around and working.” He still saw me as the woman who clung to fantasies about marriage. But thanks to his dismissive attitude and self-righteousness, my plans to travel abroad remained a secret. I kept my face neutral, closing the webpage. “Got it.” Luke threw his coat onto the sofa and sat down, placing his feet on the table. “What’s for dinner?” I didn’t want to move because I was in pain. “Isn’t your mom here today? Let her cook for you.” Luke tilted his head and chuckled, “You want to eat without cooking? My mom is only here to take care of you because you’re pregnant. “Now that the baby’s gone, she won’t come. If I didn’t stop her, she’d probably have a few harsh words to say to you.” During my pregnancy, I still went to work and cooked, while my mother-in-law, who cared more about the child, came uninvited to take over the housework. Luke didn’t care about me or our family. He expected everything to be served to him on a plate while running off all the time. Now, after losing the baby, I was still weak. He had the nerve to blame me. I bit my lip, not wanting to argue. I got up and went to the bedroom to lie down on the bed. Luke was puzzled by my unusual silence. He followed me into the bedroom. “What’s wrong? Aren’t you making dinner?” I closed my eyes to rest. He shook me lightly and continued, “You’ve had enough sleep at the hospital, haven’t you? If you’re not making dinner, what am I supposed to eat?” I sighed, “I don’t want to move. Just order takeout.” He retorted, “No way! My mom says takeout is unhealthy and expensive.” His loud voice made my headache worse. I pulled the blanket over my head, ignoring him. Luke bent down and leaned in. He asked tentatively, “Amy, are you mad?” Not waiting for my reply, he continued, “You’re angry, aren’t you? “Jessica’s been divorced and raising a child on her own. It’s tough for her. I just want to help her out. “I am her only friend in Yraburg, so please try to understand.” In the past, I might have argued with him. He just wouldn’t let go of his ridiculous need to save people. I also needed his support, but he’d rather leave me to help someone else. He never cared about my feelings. But now, I was too tired to bring it up anymore, because talking about it felt pointless. I replied, “I’m not angry. She does have it hard. “Since she’s your acquaintance, why don’t you ask her to make dinner for you? I’m tired today.” Luke stood up, taking a deep breath. He snapped, “What’s with the attitude? Honestly, it’s fine if you don’t want to cook. Don’t act like I’m some big fan of your cooking.” It didn’t matter whether I agreed with him or not. He was impossible to please. He left in a huff and went to the living room, watching short videos on his phone and laughing loudly. Soon enough, he received a phone call and rushed out of the house, grabbing his coat as he went. He went to find Jessica. I recognized the ringtone. It was set for Jessica specifically, by Luke. The house fell silent. After nearly a week of rest post-surgery, I had mostly recovered to my pre-pregnancy state. One night, after finishing the work I had put off, Luke came back home reeking of alcohol. Jessica had brought him back. She had almost been knocked over by him as she helped him walk. She said, “Luke has been waiting for ten months, hoping for a child, and he’s not in a good mood these days. He drank too much. “Amy, please be patient with him. After all, the baby died in your womb.”

Jessica’s smile was polite, but the hostility in her eyes was crystal clear. I didn’t understand why she hated me so much, but in less than a month, I’d be divorcing Luke and leaving the country. I ignored her glare, took Luke from her hands, and gave her the cold shoulder. I said, “Thanks, it’s inappropriate for a single lady to be out so late. You should head home too.” Jessica seemed unwilling to leave without getting in one last jab. She said, “You can’t even have children, so make sure you watch your husband. Don’t blame me when things go wrong.” I closed the door and tossed Luke onto the sofa. His voice was weak and intermittent as he muttered, “Amy, I’m drunk. I feel terrible.” I didn’t bother with him. Luke had a bad drinking habit. Whenever he was either in a good mood or a bad mood, he’d go out and drink himself into a stupor. He had never thought about changing this habit, and before we were married, he had relied on his mother, and after marriage, he relied on me. Three years ago, it was the same thing. On a night like this, he had been brought home by his friends. I took care of him diligently, bathing him and making soup for him. In return, he hit and scolded me. He snapped, “Why did I marry you, you ugly freak? “You’re nothing compared to Jessica. How can you expect me to care about you? No chance!” He pulled out his belt, venting all his pent-up frustrations on me. He knocked over the bowl and left my body bruised. He couldn’t hold his liquor, and his temper only worsened after drinking. He’d blackout completely. I cried the entire night while taking care of him until he fell asleep. But when he woke up, he had forgotten everything he’d done to me. He said, “Honey, I didn’t know. I was drunk. I promise I won’t hit you again, okay?” I believed him. But even when he wasn’t hitting me, he would still throw drunken tantrums, yelling at me as if everything going wrong in his life was my fault. “Amy, why aren’t you here to take care of me?” he grumbled as if I had wronged him in some way. I stood a few steps away from him. I said indifferently, “Jessica can’t handle you. If you can come back on your own, it means you’re still standing. There’s soup on the table, help yourself.” He snapped, “Why are you so stubborn? How long are you going to hold a grudge over Jessica? “You heartless shrew, I already explained it to you.” I ignored him and returned to my room to continue preparing my documents for leaving the country. Luke kept whining, asking for my attention one moment and insulting me the next. I acted as though I couldn’t hear him. I wasn’t his maid. I still had my own life. The next morning, still hungover, Luke packed his things, shot me a glare, and slammed the door on his way out. He said, “I’m on a business trip. You have a few days to think about what a wife is supposed to be like.” So, he could pack his luggage after all. I hummed in response and went off to work. A week went by without a word from Luke. He was adamant about freezing me out. Meanwhile, Jessica’s posts were full of life. Starting from the day Luke “went on a business trip”, she updated her travel photos like clockwork. In every set of pictures, Luke appeared. Her captions were as suggestive as ever. [The important thing is not the scenery, but the person you see it with.] [After all the twists and turns, the right person finally walked into my life.] They made quite a sweet couple. I took screenshots of all these posts, keeping them as evidence of his infidelity. Thankfully, with Luke out of the picture, I had the peace of mind to prepare my documents for leaving the country. Jessica’s flaunting was practically a gift to me, providing the perfect leverage for my divorce. A week later, Luke returned home. The first thing he did was nervously ask me, “Amy, I’ve been gone so many days, and you didn’t ask where I went or if I missed you. “How did you change like this?”   I looked at him, feeling a bit bewildered by his anxious expression. If I didn’t know any better, I might think he was off on a vacation with someone else, not Jessica. Freshly out of her arms, he came to me. His mother taught him well, making him think that the world should revolve around him. “What about me? You used to tell me not to bother you when you were on business trips, so I listened and didn’t disturb you,” I said. Luke was speechless. After a long pause, he finally replied, “Alright. I promise I won’t contact Jessica again, okay? “This weekend, I’ll invite some friends over for dinner. Cook for them and show them even though you can’t have children, you have other qualities. How about it?” I smirked. “You don’t need to go through the trouble because I’m going on a business trip this week.” His friends never liked me, always thinking Jessica was a better match for him. They had mocked me both openly and covertly. Cooking for them would not change their opinions of me. Moreover, their gatherings were always filled with heavy drinking and meats. I would be the one to clean up. I had no reason to please people who would soon become my ex-husband’s friends. Luke frowned, unable to believe that such a good proposal had been rejected. He said, “You don’t know how to appreciate a favor. “Is work more important than me?” I heard him say these words, ones I had often said in the past, and I couldn’t help but feel a touch of irony. “Sorry, maybe next time,” I said. I thought that would be the end of it, but when I arrived home on the weekend, dragging my luggage and feeling exhausted, I was greeted by a loud noise. “Kiss her!” Cheered Luke’s friends. They were surrounding Luke and Jessica. Luke and Jessica embraced each other. They were getting closer and closer when a child sitting nearby suddenly pointed at me. He asked, “Daddy, who’s that lady?” Luke quickly pulled away from Jessica. He asked awkwardly, “Amy, you’re back.” Without batting an eye, I closed the door and went downstairs, as though the house behind me wasn’t even mine anymore. Luke opened the door and chased after me. He didn’t care whether the neighbors heard. He shouted, “It’s not like that, Amy. Let me explain. You misunderstood. “Amy, where are you going? Please come back.” I flagged down a taxi by the side of the road and asked the driver to take me to the airport. In truth, my visa had already been processed, and I had planned to leave for abroad tonight. I wanted to leave quietly and calmly, officially part ways with Luke. That was why I had returned home. But now, it didn’t seem necessary to set aside time for a conversation with him. After all, that home had long been taken over by someone else. I sat in the taxi and sent the electronic version of the divorce agreement to Luke. My colleague, Jake Grant, who was also on this business trip, called me for a conference call to confirm my flight details and work arrangements. After hanging up, I saw several missed calls from Luke. I put my phone on silent. Aside from the signed divorce agreement, nothing else mattered. At the airport, I met up with Jake. Just as we were about to go through security, someone grabbed my suitcase. I turned around to see Luke, panting heavily. His eyes were red, and his voice was hoarse as he said, “Amy, I’ve already sent them all away. Please come home with me, alright?” I didn’t answer. Instead, I took the paper version of the divorce agreement from my bag. I asked, “Did you read the agreement I sent you? “If it’s convenient, you can just sign this one instead.”

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My brother, Nathan Ortega, dropped dead from exhaustion after working 48 hours straight. By the time I rushed to the hospital, Nathan had already been cremated. I didn’t even have time to grieve before the people from an underground casino came knocking on my door, demanding repayment. Only then did I learn Nathan had racked up over a hundred million dollars in gambling debts, and I was the sole heir in his will. To pay off the debt, I was forced to drop out of school and was sold by the casino to a red-light district in some backward country. But then I saw Nathan, who was supposed to be dead, dressed in designer clothes and attending a performance with my best friend, Jillian Sanderson. Nathan tossed out a crisp two-hundred-dollar bill and smiled as he thanked me for my “sacrifice.” I was so enraged I passed out on the spot. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Nathan had “died.” ***** “Sara, you have to stay strong… We did everything we could, but Nathan still…” My best friend Jillian, who also happened to be Nathan’s attending physician, looked at me with a worried expression. She helped me sit down and spoke with regret and sorrow, “You shouldn’t see the body. I know how close you two were. I’m afraid you won’t be able to handle it.” I stared at her familiar face, then glanced down at my unharmed body, stunned. I thought, “Did I… just get a second chance?” I couldn’t believe it. I had been granted a miraculous opportunity to rewrite my fate. In my previous life, when I’d heard the news of Nathan’s sudden death, I’d run five red lights in a frenzy to get to the hospital. But I was still too late. I held his death certificate in my hands and cried until I passed out. When I woke up, Nathan had already been cremated. All that remained of him was a box of ashes. I hadn’t even processed my grief when the people from the underground casino came to collect his debts. That was when I learned Nathan had left me with over a hundred million dollars in gambling debts. Our house was auctioned off, and my grandmother, Karol Ortega, sold off the family business. I had to drop out of school and ended up renting a dingy basement to survive. But I still couldn’t pay off the debt. Eventually, the mob boss sold me to a backward country, where they cut off my limbs and displayed me like some freak show. One day, during a performance, I saw Nathan, who had supposedly been dead for five years, laughing and chatting with Jillian as they walked past me. Nathan mocked me, saying, “Thanks for your sacrifice, Sara. I couldn’t have this life without you.” I was so overwhelmed with rage that I couldn’t even speak. I could only cry and scream. That was when I found out he was my father’s illegitimate son. I died of anger on that stage, while Nathan walked away without a care. Snapping back to the present, I saw Jillian handing me a glass of water. “Here, drink some water. Don’t wear yourself out.” I accepted the glass but didn’t drink it. In my last life, I’d drunk that water and passed out, and when I woke up, everything was too late. It was obvious there was something in it. Jillian glanced at the clock, then turned to find someone to have Nathan taken out of the ER. I rushed forward, grabbing the edge of the bed as I screamed, my voice raw and desperate. “No! Let me see Nathan one last time! He can’t leave me alone!” “Nathan! What am I supposed to do without you?” I wailed as I yanked the white sheet off Nathan’s body. Jillian cried out in shock, but it was too late—the sheet fell away, revealing Nathan’s face, still unnaturally rosy. In my last life, I’d been too stupid to notice these clues. Suppressing the fury that surged within me, I raised my hand and slapped Nathan across the face with all my strength. Jillian let out a shriek, thinking I’d lost control. “Sara! He’s your brother! How could you hit him like that? I know you’re upset, but…” I ignored her completely. Gripping the key in my hand, I jabbed it hard into that scumbag’s stomach. Tears streaming down my face, I sobbed, “You bastard! How could you leave me all alone to go find Mom and Dad? What am I supposed to do without you? “I kept telling you to stop working overtime, to stop burning yourself out, but you never listened…” Jillian, thinking I hadn’t uncovered the truth, let out a breath of relief. Seeing my breakdown, she seemed concerned for Nathan. “Sara, take it easy. Nathan… he can still feel pain…” I stopped crying and stared at her like she was an idiot. “Do dead people feel pain?” Jillian froze, panic flashing across her face as she stammered, “That’s not what I meant. I just…” Unable to explain herself, she regretted saying anything at all and quickly tried to change the subject. “Sara, I called Madam Ortega earlier. She said Nathan has to be cremated today. “She’s just so heartbroken. She wants to take care of everything as soon as possible.” I clenched my fists and laughed coldly in my heart. I thought, “Cremation today? Perfect. If Nathan wanted to play dead, I’d make sure he got the full experience. I’d send him straight into the crematorium myself.”

“No, absolutely not. Before anything else, I want Nathan to have a proper funeral. He deserves to leave with dignity.” I clutched Nathan’s hand tightly, tears streaming down my face. Outside the ER, a small crowd of patients had gathered, watching the scene unfold. As I sobbed, I suddenly turned to Jillian. “Jillian, feel Nathan’s hand. Doesn’t it feel warm? Is it possible… could he still be alive?” Jillian frowned and pulled out the death certificate. “Sara, Nathan is gone. Maybe you’re just warming his hand yourself.” I kept sniffling, ignoring the murmurs of the onlookers who tried to console me with well-meaning but useless words. I pulled out my phone and made a call. “Yes, my brother just passed away. I’d like to donate his organs. Please come quickly.” Jillian’s face turned ghostly pale. Her hands trembled, but she didn’t dare stop me. She fumbled for her phone, hastily typing out a message. I noticed her actions but didn’t intervene. “Sara, Nathan… never said he wanted to donate his organs,” she stammered. I didn’t respond. Moments later, the organ donation team arrived. Jillian tried to block their way. But I played the role of the grieving sister, my voice trembling with emotion. “Nathan was always so kind. I believe he’d want his life to help others continue theirs.” The team of medical staff looked at me with gratitude. “Your family’s generosity will save so many lives. Thank you. “What organs would you like to donate?” I glanced at Nathan and wiped away my tears. “He died suddenly, so… everything. Take whatever is still usable.” Jillian’s expression shifted dramatically. She hurried to stand in front of Nathan’s bed. “Sara, Nathan told me before that he didn’t want to donate his organs!” I looked at her, my eyes narrowing with suspicion. “Jillian, I’m Nathan’s sister. It’s my decision. You’re my friend. Why are you so protective of my brother? “The more you delay, the faster his organs will deteriorate. As a doctor, don’t you understand how vital this is for those waiting for a transplant?” The other medical staff nodded in agreement. “Dr. Sanderson, please step aside. Don’t interfere.” Jillian was visibly panicking now. She stammered, “Sara, I already contacted Madam Ortega. At least… let her see Nathan one last time.” I smirked internally. “So, she really was messaging Karol just now,” I thought. This was what I wanted. I never actually intended to donate Nathan’s organs. If they took him away, his fake death might be exposed. I wouldn’t let that happen. I just wanted to force Karol to show up. I wanted her to watch helplessly as Nathan “died” and know there was nothing she could do about it. Sure enough, less than ten minutes later, Karol burst into the room. She was still dressed in her shopping clothes, her makeup barely smudged. The moment she saw Nathan lying on the hospital bed, she let out a sigh of relief. But then she turned on me, her face twisted with rage, and slapped me hard. “You wicked girl! You killed your parents, and now you want to donate Nathan’s organs?” “You monsters! If anyone touches a single hair on his head, I’ll kill their entire family!” She spat venomous insults at me, her voice filled with fury. She shoved the organ donation staff aside with unrestrained aggression. “We’re not donating anything! Get out! All of you, leave!” The doctors, though regretful, didn’t want to escalate the situation. Shaking their heads, they left the room. Jillian let out a sigh of relief once they were gone. Before Nathan’s fake death, I’d already suspected their relationship wasn’t normal. But I never imagined that someone I’d called a friend for over a decade would conspire with my brother to destroy me. I wanted nothing more than to rip her apart. Karol sat down in a chair, her dramatic performance of grief utterly unconvincing. She began berating me. “You ungrateful brat! Your brother just died, and instead of mourning, you’re trying to give his organs away? “If you’re so eager to donate something, why don’t you just drop dead yourself?” Tears streamed down my face as I whispered, “Grandma, I was wrong. I was so wrong…” Karol slapped me again, the sharp sting numbing half my face. “Stop causing trouble! I’ll take Nathan to be cremated myself!” I didn’t argue. Instead, I picked up the glass of water Jillian had poured earlier and handed it to Karol. “Grandma, have some water first.” Jillian’s eyes widened in shock. Before she could snatch the glass away, Karol had already downed it in one gulp. She’d rushed over, shouted at everyone, and cursed me out. It was no wonder she was thirsty. Jillian muttered under her breath, “This is bad… this is really bad…” Not even a minute later, Karol slumped in the chair, fast asleep. Jillian broke into a cold sweat. When she saw me stand up and fix my gaze on her, she swallowed nervously. “Sara… what are you planning to do now?”

My eyes were red as I carefully draped the white sheet over Nathan’s face. I turned to Jillian. “My grandmother said nothing more can be done.” “Jillian, she must have fainted from grief. Please take care of her. I’m taking Nathan to the crematorium myself. He’ll be cremated immediately.” Jillian’s face turned deathly pale. “Sara, there’s no rush to cremate him. At least wait until Madam Ortega wakes up.” I narrowed my eyes at her. “Jillian, weren’t you just saying earlier that time is critical? Now you’re stalling. “You’re acting like the living aren’t as important as the dead. We’ve been friends for years, but why are you stopping me at every turn today? What are you trying to do? “This is my brother. Don’t I have the right to take care of him?” Jillian was frantic, but she could only watch as I called the crematorium. They arrived quickly, ready to take Nathan away. That was when Jillian couldn’t hold back anymore. With tears in her eyes, she grabbed my arm. “Sara, I saw his hand move. We can still save him!” I stared her down and held up the death certificate. “Jillian, you were the one who declared Nathan dead just moments ago. “Do you know how much your hospital will have to pay if you’re wrong? Negligence that results in death could put you in prison!” Jillian’s lips quivered, but she gritted her teeth and still tried to block me. “You can’t do this!” I pushed her away and followed the crematorium van as it left. In the vehicle, I looked at Nathan’s tightly shut eyes. Thinking about how he’d truly die soon, I couldn’t help but laugh. In my last life, when I ran into him overseas, he seemed to be doing just fine. Nathan had stood before me, narrowing his eyes as he sized me up. “Sara, how did you end up like this?” I wanted to ask why he was still alive, but my tongue had already been cut out by then. Nathan had sneered. “If I didn’t fake my death, how else would I have gotten all that money from the company? “Blame that woman for wanting to leave the company to you instead of me. “But what can I do? I’m not her biological son. I had no choice but to trick you.” Jillian, standing beside him, spat in my face. “Nathan, just looking at her brings bad luck.” Nathan slapped two hundred dollars onto my face and walked off with her in his arms. That was the last thing I remembered. Snapping back to the present, I noticed Nathan’s fingers twitch. I guessed the effects of the sedative were wearing off. Now that he’d heard he was about to be cremated, he was desperate to wake up. “Driver, could you please speed up? My grandmother wishes for my brother to find peace as soon as possible.” The driver obliged, slamming on the gas pedal and racing toward the crematorium. I leaned close to Nathan’s ear and whispered, “Nathan, I know you’re faking it. You, Jillian, and our grandmother are all in on this, trying to make me pay off your gambling debts. “But I’m a good person. I’ve decided to honor your wish and get you cremated right away. “I know you can hear me, you heartless bastard. In my last life, I trusted you, and I died miserably. So don’t blame me for being ruthless this time.” As I finished speaking, a tear rolled down Nathan’s cheek. I chuckled, wiping it away. “Why are you crying already? We’re not even there yet. Save it for when you’re in the furnace.” With the driver’s aggressive speed, we reached the crematorium in just fifteen minutes. There were more than ten people ahead of us, but I couldn’t wait. I went straight to the person in charge. He said there was no cutting in line, but the way he rubbed his fingers together told a different story. I transferred him three thousand dollars and smiled. “Please, sir, help me out.” With the help of money, Nathan successfully jumped the line. In less than five minutes, they wheeled him into the cremation chamber. I made up an excuse, saying I wanted to bid farewell, and asked to press the start button myself. But just as I was about to, I heard Karol and Jillian’s voices yelling from outside. “Stop! You can’t burn him!” They rushed in frantically. Karol slapped me hard across the face. “Are you trying to kill Nathan?” I wailed, tears streaming down my face. “Grandma, Nathan is already gone! Why won’t you let him be cremated?” Jillian stood in front of the cremation chamber, her voice trembling. “Sara, don’t do this… Your grandmother still has things she wants to say to Nathan.” Karol was still shaky from the lingering effects of the sedative. “You little brat! Get out of here! All of you, leave!” I laughed coldly inside but cried and knelt on the ground, kowtowing. “Grandma, please let Nathan rest in peace! I’m begging you.” “Please…” The staff and the families waiting behind us started muttering in frustration. “What’s all this fuss about? Hurry up!” “He’s already dead. What’s left to say?” “Stop wasting everyone’s time!” One impatient family member stepped forward, reaching to press the start button. Karol and Jillian screamed, lunging to stop them. But in their frantic rush, the two of them collided and accidentally slammed the button themselves. Flames roared to life, engulfing Nathan’s body in an instant. “No!” “Ahhh!”

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Six months ago, my husband, Matthew Wright, hired a stunning new secretary, Everly Tate. They were inseparable in public, always holding hands without a hint of shame. The entire company was waiting for me, the CEO’s wife, to become the laughingstock. Behind closed doors, they even placed bets that my husband would divorce me within three months. I watched them making out in the back seat of the car and calmly started recording on my phone. They were right about one thing, divorce was coming. But I would be the one walking away. I tapped on the car window. The window rolled down, and my husband’s face twisted with annoyance at the interruption. “Nicole Samson, Everly is just a secretary. Must you harass us every single day?” In the past, I would have made a scene. But now, I just smiled sweetly, “The house is all cleaned up. You’ll be much more comfortable there.” ***** When Matthew stepped out of the car to scold me, his wrinkled shirt still bore traces of lipstick. “Nicole, are you following me?” I shook my head and replied in a neutral tone, “I’m just shopping. I didn’t expect to run into you and her working here.” But Matthew wasn’t buying it. He grabbed my wrist tightly, speaking through gritted teeth. “Cut the act. Your comment was clearly implying something is going on between us. “I’ve told you many times, me and…” I cut him off with a smile. “I know, you guys are just colleagues. I must have seen wrong through the car window. I apologize to Ms. Tate.” I bowed my head apologetically without protest. A complete departure from my usual argumentative self. Matthew’s expression froze. I reached up to fix his collar, my fingers deliberately brushing over the lipstick mark. “Ms. Tate’s lipstick quality seems rather poor. Why don’t we go pick out a better one at the counter? My treat.” As soon as the words left my mouth, Matthew slapped me across the face. “Nicole, what’s with the snide remarks? “Evie is so busy every day that she doesn’t have time for these petty things.” I stood frozen in place. So he knew all along that busy people had no time for appearances. Yet he’d rejected my promotion application back then, citing my “unkempt appearance” as the reason. But none of that matters to me anymore. I kept recording on my phone until they walked out of the jewelry store, hand in hand, with two jade bracelets. I sent the video to my divorce lawyer. [These gifts he’s buying for his mistress. They count as our shared marital property, right?] The reply came quickly: [Yes, Ms. Samson. Are you sure you want to skip mediation and go straight to litigation? That might require more time for evidence collection and trial preparation.] I replied without hesitation: [Absolutely.] If he dared to have an affair during our marriage, he must be prepared to leave with nothing. Matthew was right about one thing. As someone with “nothing better to do”, I certainly have plenty of time to study these legal provisions. My phone chimed with a final message from the lawyer. [To prove the husband’s infidelity and violation of the prenuptial agreement, please continue gathering evidence discreetly, just as you did today.] Shortly after I got home, Matthew reluctantly returned as well. He tossed his perfume-scented shirt onto the couch and ordered. “I have a meeting tomorrow. Make sure you iron this again.” I nodded obediently, then dumped his dirty clothes on the floor. After throwing them in the washing machine, I prepared for bed. I already had trouble sleeping. Just when I finally dozed off, someone shook me awake roughly. “Get up. Everly called, saying her throat hurt. I need to go check on her.” My temples throbbed and my heart raced as I nodded weakly with a pale face. Then he added matter-of-factly, “Stop being dramatic and pretending to be sick. “Make an apple pie and drive it over later.” I pressed my throbbing temples, laughing with rage. “Apple pie, huh? Well, tell her to look forward to it!” But Matthew remained oblivious as he threw on his coat and rushed out. I opened Grabfood with practiced ease. Carefully selected and ordered an apple pie worth a whopping four dollars and fifty-six cents. To show my sincerity, I even transferred the pie from its cheap black plastic container to high-end dinnerware. I decided to deliver it personally. When I knocked on Everly’s door, Matthew answered with an irritated expression. “What took so long to make the pie?” Before I could speak, Everly, lounging on the sofa, cleared her throat theatrically. “Boss, don’t be so harsh! It’s late, and Nicole’s always been prejudiced against me. “It’s understandable if she didn’t want to deliver it.” Her words were sweet, but her eyes were full of challenge. I knew she was waiting for me to make a scene. But I just smiled and walked into her house with casual familiarity, cutting a slice of pie. “Isn’t your throat sore, Ms. Tate? You should rest your voice and eat something.” Everly’s expression turned complex as she stared at the appetizing pie in my hands. Matthew was taken aback, completely surprised by my sudden compliance. He snatched the pie from my hands and demanded, “What are you up to this time?”

“What am I up to?” I couldn’t help but laugh. Ever since Everly showed up, she had been walking all over me like she owned the place. And Matthew? He couldn’t be happier about it. I was blind before, either picking fights with Everly in public or getting into screaming matches with Matthew. In the end, everyone turned against me. They called me a drama queen who stirred up trouble for no reason. Looking back now, I really did mess up badly. Who was I to cause trouble anymore? I looked at Matthew, keeping my expression neutral. “Didn’t you ask me to bring the apple pie? Or is Ms. Tate allergic to apples?” I made sure to show a hint of concern. “Oh my bad, my bad! Matthew, quick, give me back the pie before Ms. Tate has an allergic reaction, and it affects her work!” I played both parts perfectly, reaching for the apple pie. After a couple of deliberate fumbles, I watched as the sticky pie spilled all over Everly’s clothes and the pristine white fabric sofa. Everly let out a startled cry. Her exposed skin at the neckline, where the apple pie had spilled, turned a rosy pink. Matthew’s eyes narrowed as he pulled Everly close and roughly shoved me away. The bowl in my hands shattered, slicing my palm and splattering blood across the floor. He ignored my injury completely and snarled, “What’s wrong with you? You’re almost thirty and useless! You can’t even hold a damn apple pie steady!” I was used to his rough treatment by now and just gritted my teeth while pressing down on the wound. Head bowed, I murmured, “I’m so sorry… the house isn’t really livable right now… “Perhaps Ms. Tate could stay at our place for the night?” The suggestion sounded absurd even to my ears. But it struck precisely the chord I intended. They were probably dying to spend more time together anyway, and it would give me perfect access to the dozen surveillance cameras I had at home. Sure enough, Everly couldn’t resist. Right in front of me, she draped herself around Matthew’s neck, deliberately pressing against him. Her pale pink skin peeked through the semi-sheer fabric as she tentatively offered, “Mr. Wright… maybe I should just go ahead and…” But his expression darkened as he pushed away the advancing Everly. “There’s no need for that! It’s too late to be moving around.” But Everly wouldn’t give up, clutching his hand with a wounded look. “But the apple pie burned my chest. It really hurts… And Nicole already agreed. Please take me home to put some medicine on it!” After a brief exchange, Matthew gave in to her request. Before leaving, though, there wasn’t a trace of a smile on his face. He just fixed me with a long, dark stare. I stood by the window, waiting until their car disappeared before sending Matthew a casual message. [I need to clean up the apple pie mess. I won’t be coming home tonight.] [Take care of Ms. Tate. Don’t wait up for me.] My phone helpfully chimed, indicating all cameras were connected to the cloud, ready for online storage and playback. I remained silent, a slight smile playing on my lips. When I arrived home the next day, I was surprised to find Matthew there. He looked up as I entered, his gaze heavy and his expression unreadable. “Matthew, why are you home?” Instead of answering, he grabbed my waist. “What was that about last night?” “Stop it!” I brushed his hand away, pretending not to understand. Heading straight to the kitchen, I said, “Is Ms. Tate’s throat still bothering her? I picked up some medicine this morning. Remember to tell her to come by the house…” Before I could finish, the medicine bag was suddenly snatched from my hand. Matthew’s face darkened as he roughly shoved me onto the couch. “Nicole, who are you trying to fool with this act? I’ve never seen anyone push their husband towards another woman!” He towered over me, his eyes filled with disgust. “Looks like you’ve found a new angle. You’re trying to make me sick by playing the perfect little housemaid, aren’t you?” I looked up at him and could only laugh at the absurdity. Once upon a time, I genuinely saw myself as his wife, repeatedly claiming my place whenever I needed to. But how did that end? With a harsh slap across my face and being thrown out of our home. Now that I had proof in my hands, I was finally showing him a bit of kindness. And somehow, that didn’t please him either. Men were such pathetic creatures. Anger flared in my chest as I shot him an icy glare. “I’m only concerned about Ms. Tate. After all, you said she’s your right-hand woman. Without her, the company’s operations would suffer. “I’m just thinking about the company.” But Matthew let out a sudden, scornful laugh. “We’ve been married for so many years. Why are you putting on an act?” In the next instant, he grabbed my collar and snatched a camera from the table. “You didn’t seriously think I wouldn’t catch on to your little scheme, did you? “What’s this? Stooping to such dirty tricks just to confirm your disgusting suspicions!”

My eyes widened as my heart jumped. Still, I forced myself to respond calmly. “They’re just security cameras. You’re the head of the household. They weren’t installed because of you.” As I spoke, I handed Matthew my phone, openly showing him the camera system’s backend. “If you want to check, I can share the backend access with you, too.” Matthew snatched the phone and immediately deleted last night’s footage. I pretended not to notice, deliberately putting on a dejected expression. “Matthew,” I began, my voice thick with emotion, “Do you realize you haven’t been home in two months? Not counting yesterday, that is.” My eyes welled up with tears as I looked down with a bitter smile. “It’s a huge house, thousands of square feet, and I’m all alone. I… I get scared sometimes, you know?” Matthew paused from browsing through the surveillance footage. “I was so frightened lately. I couldn’t sleep, so I installed about a dozen cameras. If you don’t like them, we can turn them off in the backend.” My calculated display of vulnerability immediately pleased Matthew. He pulled me into a protective embrace and said soothingly, “Let’s forget about this time, but tell me if you’re ever scared in the future. “Nicole, no matter what, you’re my only wife and the woman I love most. “Just stop picking fights with Everly, and after your birthday, we can try for a baby.” I nodded obediently while inwardly sneering. Soon after, my birthday celebration arrived. In our first year of marriage, Matthew had held my hand, his eyes full of love. “Nicole, whether we’re rich or poor, I promise I’ll always treat your birthday as the most important day of the year! “I’ll forever thank Heaven for sending me my one true love on this day!” He was indeed a man of his word. Even now with Everly as his mistress, he still threw me a grand birthday party. Of course, I might have been more touched if anyone had remembered to get a cake for the birthday girl. I stood among the well-dressed crowd in my everyday clothes, silently watching the couple holding hands on stage. What a perfect match. Under the guise of a “birthday party”, Matthew worked the room with a wine glass in hand, exchanging business cards left and right. They eagerly discussed various business collaborations and partnerships. Everyone had forgotten this party was meant to be my birthday celebration, everyone except Everly. As the wine flowed, the atmosphere reached its peak. Feeling irritated, I decided to leave. Suddenly, someone grabbed my arm. “Nicole, you’re the guest of honor! How can you leave so early? Don’t tell me you’re upset because Mr. Wright’s been busy with work all night?” I turned to face Everly’s beaming expression, my face darkening. Matthew spotted us from across the room and rushed over, pulling Everly into his arms. “Nicole, are you trying to start trouble with Everly again at a time like this?” He hissed, his eyes burning with anger. “You’re thirty now! Can’t you read the room like Everly does? “Are you really making a scene in front of everyone just because we didn’t get you a cake? Do you know how many cakes I could buy with the contracts I’ve secured tonight?” I smiled faintly at the growing impatience and disgust in his eyes. “Matthew, it’s just a birthday. There will be plenty more. Why would I be angry over something so small?” My smile, free of any resentment, only seemed to deepen the darkness in Matthew’s eyes. The glass in his hand froze midair. “What’s with the attitude? I threw you this huge party! What more could you possibly want?” I raised my glass and lightly clinked it against his. “I’m thrilled about such a grand party! Besides, these are just minor details. You and Ms. Tate just focus on having a good time.” Matthew snapped, gripping my wrist and hissing in my ear, “Fine, I admit I messed up! I’ll make it up to you with a vacation to Malt Island when I have time, okay?” I curved my lips into a smile. Back when I loved him, I knew he had trouble admitting his faults. Whenever he made the first move to apologize, I would forgive him unconditionally. But now, I couldn’t care less about his apologies. Tonight, I would destroy both him and his mistress. I pulled my hand away and smiled sweetly. “I need to grab something from the car. I’ll be right back.” When I returned, I held a black velvet box in my hands. I walked in and immediately linked arms with Everly, who stood beside Matthew and headed straight for the stage. As all eyes in the room turned to us, the large screen behind me went dark, then began playing the video automatically.   The two figures in the video became entangled the moment they entered the room. In just ten seconds of footage, several pieces of clothing were already scattered across the floor. The video ended with Matthew lifting Everly onto the bedroom bed, pinning her beneath him. As the screen went black, a spotlight suddenly illuminated Everly and me. Her face was as white as chalk. The microphone amplified my voice to fill the entire room. I turned to face Everly in her elegant attire and spoke with sincere politeness, “I’ve always known Ms. Tate to be meticulous and talented at her work. “However, I never realized she was so dedicated to performing such… round-the-clock services. “Since it’s my birthday today, I’d like to thank Ms. Tate for her hard work specially. “While my husband manages our family assets, I can at least offer Ms. Tate a vacation opportunity on the Malt Island.” Still smiling, I opened the small box in my hands. I removed a plain ring and placed it in Everly’s palm. “This ring is a bit tarnished, not worthy of me anymore. Consider it your gift.” As I announced this loudly, I caught sight of Matthew in my peripheral vision, restrained by my bodyguards. His eyes were bloodshot, fixed intensely on that single ring. It was our wedding ring. “Nicole, you fucking bitch!” he screamed. In a surge of rage, he somehow broke free from the two security guards and aimed a vicious kick at me. Chaos erupted instantly. Before I could process what was happening, Matthew grabbed my wrist in an iron grip and threw me into the car. The door slammed shut with a deafening bang. In the dim light, he wrapped his hand around my throat in a death grip. His words came out in a murderous hiss, “Nicole, have you lost your damn mind? Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Blood vessels burst in his eyes as he stared at me with pure hatred. Trembling with fury, his hands tightened around my neck as if he wanted nothing more than to end my life right there. “You worthless whore, you actually… you actually dared to leak this! “And for what? Everly? That second-rate mistress? You’d destroy me for someone like that? “After I was going to make you the president’s wife of the Wright Group for life! It is how you repay me!” I was starting to black out. Driven by survival instinct, I frantically clawed at his hands when suddenly a phone rang like a death knell. The moment the phone was answered, I was finally released and began coughing violently. Through the phone came a panicked voice, shouting frantically, “Mr. Wright, the incident from the party has leaked!” Hearing this, Matthew immediately forgot about me. He rushed out the door. I took my time, waiting until he left before checking my phone. Sure enough, the topic was trending. [Wright Group’s internal party! CEO’s wife creates malicious rumors about female employees out of jealousy. Sources say the victim now suffers from depression. Will there be an official statement? @WrightGroupOfficial] The video had been edited, with my voice and lip movements replaced using AI. Combined with provocative screenshots and commentary, it had completely inflamed public opinion. [I heard the company maliciously fired this poor girl! That old witch is disgusting!] [Typical trophy wife behavior! She thinks every woman wants to steal her precious husband!] [Can someone dig up her social media accounts? We need to cyberbully her off the internet!] The comment section was flooded with vicious insults and curses. While scrolling, Matthew called again, his voice seething with anger. “You worthless piece of trash, I’m warning you! “Stay in the car and don’t move. If this mess isn’t cleaned up today, you can expect divorce papers, you bitch.” I let out a soft laugh, my voice oddly cheerful. “An amicable divorce? Oh, Matthew… you’re really living in a fantasy world.” The moment those words left my lips, I posted it. A pre-written post appeared on my profile. The post was simple, featuring just three pieces of evidence. A photo of our marriage certificate and a complete video from the birthday party… And finally, a court summons. [See you in court, Matthew.]

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