Category: English

My best friend was Rachel Parker. After her family went bankrupt, I begged my dad to support her and even took the initiative to let her move into my house. I didn’t expect that she would live the life of a young lady in my family. Rachel still arrogantly treated me as a maid, arbitrarily instructed me, rolled her eyes, and scolded me. “If it weren’t for your pity, who would want to be your friend? “So what if you support me? You have money, and isn’t this what you should do? And you will also get a reputation as a philanthropist.” Later, she coveted my family’s property and teamed up with my boyfriend, Yves Whitman, to push me off the mountain and kill me. He once comforted and cared for my parents in front of them, always accompanying them, and finally recognized them as godparents as he wished. Opening my eyes again, I returned to university shortly after the start of the semester. Rachel showed off her shopping order on Facebook and in the group and then asked me to pay for it. I smiled indifferently, “Aren’t you a young lady in Sollke? Why can’t you even afford a bag worth 100,000 dollars?” On the first day of entering university, Rachel became famous throughout the university. Just because she sent the message in the freshman group: [Does our university have a helipad? My home is far away, so my parents arranged a helicopter to bring me here.] Finished sending this, Rachel received countless ridicule, and many students accused her of being pretentious in establishing her persona. But she didn’t care and transferred nearly 10,000 dollars to everyone in the group, thus earning the title of wealthy lady. Rachel casually booked a private room at a restaurant for an average of 4,999 dollars per person while our roommates were planning to go out for dinner together. Facing the admiring gazes of our two roommates, she said perfunctorily, “It’s okay. This little money is not even enough for me to buy a pair of shoes.” Our roommates were even more excited. But Rachel took advantage of their inattention, came over, lowered her voice, and said, “Transfer me 20,000 dollars. “I have spent all my living expenses this month. Can you ask your dad to give me more money next month?” It was at this moment that I realized that I was reborn. Rachel, who was in front of me, seemed annoyed that I didn’t answer, and there was anger in her low voice. “Ellie Collins, are you deaf? I ask you to transfer money but you didn’t understand, right? Why are you pretending?” As Rachel’s family went bankrupt, her parents owed tens of millions of dollars in debt and were almost unable to pay even her tuition. I felt sorry for her, so I asked my father to support her and specifically requested the school to arrange for us to stay in the same dormitory. In her previous life, in order to maintain her image as a young lady, she always spent money recklessly outside. Rachel casually bought bags worth tens of thousands of dollars. Before clicking to pay, she took a screenshot, posted it on Facebook and in the group to show off, and then ordered me to pay. Sometimes, as I transferred money slowly, I would get a scolding from Rachel. “Is your arm broken? Why does it take so long to transfer money? Ellie, are you unwilling to give me the money? “Okay, if you don’t give me money, then we can’t even be friends anymore. Get out of here as soon as you can.” Considering our years of relationship, I could only sigh and agree to all of her requests. But I didn’t expect that she would actually covet my family’s property. After teaming up with Yves and accidentally falling to my death during a trip, Rachel cried more miserably in front of my parents than anyone else. This made them shake their heads in regret, marveling at how good our relationship was. It took two years for her to become my parents’ goddaughter. Rachel also inherited my family company as she wished and became a true wealthy lady. With the blessings of my parents, relatives, and friends, she and Yves got married. I died in the damp and cold mountain, my rotting body covered with moss, and I could not rest in peace. Now reborn, of course, I would not continue to be the kind fool in the eyes of others like in my previous life. As Rachel frowned and called my name with anger in her voice, I deliberately showed a puzzled expression. “Ms. Parker, if you don’t have living expenses, just ask your parents for it. Why do you want me to transfer money to you? “So, am I your mother?”

Rachel was determined to save face, even deliberately lowering her voice to the lightest when asking for money just now. Now, I was not hiding my voice at all, causing unease and tension to appear on her face. Subconsciously, she turned her head to look at my two roommates and saw that they were confused but didn’t ask any further questions. Then, Rachel grabbed my wrist tightly and threatened, “Why are you talking so loudly? Are you trying to embarrass me? “If you embarrass me, I will never be friends with you again, no matter how much you beg me!” Because of my experience of being bullied in high school, I paid special attention to Rachel. Regardless of whether she did anything wrong or not, if she used this threat, I would promise to apologize to her immediately. She had been using this trick for three years and had already mastered it. It was a pity that I was no longer the same as I was in my previous life. Staring at the strange looks from the other two roommates, I didn’t respond to her threat and shook off her hand. “Aren’t you the wealthy lady in Sollke, Rachel? Why do you want me to give you even 20,000 dollars? “If you don’t have money, don’t pretend to be a wealthy lady. What’s wrong with you having to act like that?” She was stunned. After all, Rachel hadn’t paid the bill for the private room in the restaurant where we had dinner. Over the past few years, I had been her ATM machine for taking whatever she wanted. Suddenly, I stopped transferring money to her, which made Rachel very anxious. And those two roommates had long been blinded by her wealthy persona and were determined to be her most loyal bootlicker. In my previous life, I did not know how many times they excluded and isolated me at Rachel’s suggestion. As they saw me targeting her, they couldn’t stand it and immediately showed expressions of disgust. “Ellie, have you read too many romantic novels and thought you are the wealthy lady?” “If you have delusions, go get treatment. Don’t bother Rachel. She’s the one who treated us to this meal today. If you have the guts, don’t eat it.” As they said this, they pushed me away and rolled their eyes at me. “You spend her money and still scold her. Ellie, you are such an ungrateful person.” It was clearly my roommates who said those insults to me, but they were all directed at Rachel. Her face turned awkward. Rachel wanted to speak up for me when our roommates were targeting me. But I interrupted her in time. I smiled, “Okay, I won’t join the dinner party today. Just have fun.” Then, I turned around and walked out of the restaurant quickly. Even Rachel didn’t react. Later, she called me several times, but I ignored her. As I walked further away, I could still hear our two roommates deliberately raising their voices to speak ill of me. “Rachel, you are just too nice. But she is an ungrateful person and will never remember your kindness!” She clearly knew whether it was a favor or a hate. I took a taxi back to school, and halfway through, countless calls popped up on my phone, all from Rachel. I blacklisted all her contact information and watched videos leisurely in the dormitory. However, less than half an hour after I returned to the dormitory, with a beep, Rache and the others also came back. Compared to the bright smile on her face before going out, Rachel’s gloomy expression made me feel even happier at this moment. I even deliberately provoked her and showed a puzzled expression. “Why are you back so soon? Is the food not tasty?” My roommate, Amy Brooks, let out a loud scoff. “The food is delicious, but we also need to be able to afford it. “How could Ms. Parker do things like this? She said she wanted to treat us, but in the end, it became a Dutch treatment.” Rachel was very angry and had a bad temper, so she slapped Amy in the back. “Who do you think you are? How dare you be so sarcastic to me? “My family is much richer than yours. Believe it or not, I will make sure you can’t survive in the university!”

Amy was not a good-tempered person either. Amy gave in to Rachel before because she thought Rachel was a lady from some wealthy family who came to live on campus to experience life. As a result, Rachel had to pretend to be a wealthy lady, but she couldn’t come up with much money. As she was exposed, she became angry and embarrassed. Amy also got angry and grabbed Rachel’s hair and started wrestling with her. I was just taking advantage of the situation. While pretending to stop the fight, I secretly kicked Rachel several times. Her only pair of brand-name shoes was covered with footprints. As Amy finally let go, Rachel’s noble and elegant look as a wealthy lady had long disappeared. There were traces of blood on her delicately made-up face, and her hair and clothes were messy. She gritted her teeth and glared at us fiercely. “You’re ganging up on me, right? Wait, this isn’t over yet!” Rachel was the first to file a complaint and called the teacher, saying that we were bullying her. As she went to the teacher’s office, quite a few students saw her. In the freshman group, where messages were scrolling rapidly, a girl suddenly appeared. She said that she saw Rachel in the teacher’s office. [Her eyes are red, and she seems to be bullied by someone.] [Isn’t she a wealthy lady? How dare someone bully her?] It was hard to say whether anyone dared to bully Rachel. But right after these messages, another message popped up asking which building and which room the teacher’s office was located in. It was my boyfriend, Yves. His tone was extremely anxious, urging the girl to reply quickly. As she called out the office number, he fell silent as if he had already left halfway. When we first arrived at the teacher’s office, we saw Yves come over panting, and his eyes fixed on Rachel. Finishing making sure she was okay, he saw me and frowned. I stood leisurely by and watched them exchange glances. In my previous life, I must have been blind and mentally ill to think there was nothing wrong with them. I also believed that he took special care of Rachel. Yves even explained it to me as he peeled the prawn for her personally. “Isn’t she your good friend? Then, it’s only right that I treat her well.” The teacher coughed at the right time. “You are Rachel’s roommates, right? Did you know that she wants to change dormitory?” Before Amy and I could answer, Yves asked first, “Why did she change the dormitory? Was she bullied?” Amy rolled her eyes snidely. Rachel’s eyes were red. She looked at me cautiously at first, then shook her head, her voice soft and aggrieved. “No, they didn’t bully me.” Hypocrisy filled the entire office. But Yves couldn’t see it. His eyes were full of heartache, and he sighed deeply, “Rachel, you are just too kind.” He stood in front of her like a protector and ordered me to apologize to her. “Ellie, Rachel is kind-hearted, so she asked her parents to support you for so many years. “I didn’t expect you to be such an ungrateful person, repaying her kindness with hatred!” As this crime was brought against me, not only me but also Amy was dumbfounded. I looked at Yves, who had an angry face, and then at Rachel, who was hiding behind him with a smug look on her face. I couldn’t help but sneer. Because of his protection, I couldn’t slap her. Then, I had to settle for the next best thing and slap Yves. As he looked at me with his hands covering his face in disbelief, I took out my cell phone and called my dad. Then, the call was connected. Seeing Rachel’s pale face, I slowly called out, “Dad.” My dad responded. There was sarcasm in his deep voice. “It’s really interesting. I have been supporting Rachel for more than ten years. I didn’t expect that in other people’s eyes, my daughter was the one being supported.”

As Rachel heard what my father said, her eyes changed again and again, and she rushed over and snatched my phone. She saw the call-in-progress display on the screen. Then, Rachel glared at me with her eyes as if they were filled with poison and forced a flattering smile. “Mr. Collins, don’t believe what Ellie said. We were just joking.” This kind of talk might be enough to fool a brainless person like Yves, but how could a shrewd man like my father believe it? I did not know what my father said, but Rachel’s lips became pale. She bit her lips and took a long time to utter the word “okay”. As soon as she hung up the phone, Yves’s question came one after another. He frowned and asked, “Rachel, what happened? Why do you look so unhappy? “Also, aren’t you Ms. Parker? Ellie is just a poor student sponsored by your family. How dare she talk to you like that?” I knew it a long time ago. Rachel never told others that it was my parents who sponsored her. Instead, she said that she sponsored me. Due to Rachel’s kindness, I could get into the car that arranged to pick us up and drop us off during the holidays. Her friends had mocked me with jealousy and envy countless times. They thought that I was so lucky to have Rachel’s support. She hinted several times that I was dissatisfied with her and even stole the gifts her parents gave me. Then, her friends accused me, and the abusive words were like a wave, drowning me completely. [You ungrateful bastard! Rachel is so good to you, but you actually harmed her. You are such a piece of shit.] [Ellie, how come you don’t even understand what it means to be a bootlicker?] [People like you who don’t know how to be grateful should die sooner!] I explained it and also wanted to prove that I was the one who actually funded her. I wanted to tell them that Rachel was not the so-called rich lady at all. I was the one. But as they looked at the evidence I produced, the malice in their eyes became even more obvious. [What’s the point of using your wallet balance and these brand-name items as proof? They must have been bought for you by Rachel.] [Even if you really bought it yourself, we don’t even know where the money came from. It’s dirty and disgusting!] If it weren’t for this massive cyber violence, I might not agree with Rachel’s proposal to go traveling with her to relax. Nor would I die at the foot of the mountain and slowly stop breathing. I didn’t listen carefully to her explanation to Yves in a panic. I just glanced at my phone and saw it was a message from my family driver. He said he still had half an hour to arrive at my university. The teacher also received a call. She answered with a strange look on her face, bent down, wrote two leave requests, and handed them to me. “Your family contacted the school and said something happened at home. I have already written you a note for leave.”

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It was the seventh year I had been with Bruce Green. I decided to drop by his office, but as I approached, I overheard him chatting with someone. “Seven years with Mia, huh? Must be pretty happy, right?” Bruce replied coolly, “I’ve never loved her. Do you believe it?” “Come on, you can’t be serious. Seven years without love? You’re not still hung up on Felicity, are you? She’s been gone for years.” “Don’t say that. Felicity and I are ancient history…”

When my son was just five years old, the foundation of my marriage to Alex Short began to crumble because of the presence of Mona Mill and her child. Alex had once vowed that his attentiveness to Mona stemmed solely from pity since she was a single mother with a daughter. Yet, time and again, he chose Mona and her daughter over me and our son. Alex even neglected our son in favor of caring for Mona’s daughter.

My girlfriend, Katrina Moritz, was in heavy debt after the bankruptcy. To pay back the money, she and I would work part-time after getting off work every day. By chance, I received an order for expedited document delivery. When I arrived at the destination, a man opened the door. He turned around and called out his girlfriend’s name, “Katrina, the file you urgently need has arrived.” I thought it was just a coincidence of sharing the same names. Unexpectedly, my girlfriend’s voice came out. “Okay, ask the runner to buy us a few more boxes of this.” Soon after, an empty box of condoms was thrown at the man’s feet. ****** Katrina went bankrupt. To help her pay off her debts, I cashed in all the brand-name watches that Katrina gave me as well as the expensive cultural relics I bought at the auction. I even spent all my savings that I had saved for many years to help her, But she still owed more than 800,000 dollars. So, after work every day, she and I would do part-time jobs. During the day, I worked as a salesperson in a high-end clothing store, and she distributed flyers on the street. At night, I ran errands, and she worked as a driver. Today, I took an order to go to a company to pick up a document for the boss. As generous as the payer was, he was willing to give me an extra thousand dollars as a tip. The only requirement was that the delivery must be done as fast as it could be. When I received this order, I was waiting on the roadside for the owner of a pancake stall to make me pancakes. I was so hungry today that I ordered a twelve-dollar pancake to treat myself. But when I saw the message from the payer, I immediately rode my electric scooter towards the designated location. While waiting for the secretary to deliver the documents downstairs in the company, I took the time to share the good news with Katrina. I texted, “Katrina, I made more than a thousand today. You said that you wanted to eat ribs. Let’s buy some ribs tomorrow.” After the message was sent, there was no response. But I believed that Katrina must have been receiving guests. To get customers to their destination safely, she seldom replied to my messages. She would only do that when she was free. This seemed to have become a tacit understanding between us. I would send Katrina messages. When she texted back in her free time, she would give me enough emotional support. We had never complained about the unfairness of fate. Even at the lowest point, we just held each other’s hands tightly. When we looked at the slowly rising sunlight outside the window together, we secretly made up our minds to make a lot of money. This time, the destination was a bit far away. But thinking of the thousand-dollar tip, I was glad that I got this order. When I arrived at the villa area, I was stopped by a security guard at the door. He looked at my car and said in a loud voice, “Outside vehicles are not allowed to enter the community.” Seeing the order that was about to expire, I was extremely anxious, but I also understood the security guard’s implicit meaning. I parked the car on the side of the road, held the documents tightly in my hands, and rushed into the community. After jogging to the destination, I saw a man open the door for me. He had a bath towel around his waist. The few wet strands of hair on his temples and the crazy kiss marks on his neck told me everything that had just happened in the villa. He stood on the steps, leaning against the door frame with his arms folded across his chest, and he smelled of the pleasant scent of gardenia. As if he was disturbed, he asked impatiently, “What’s the matter?” I handed over the document in my hand. “Hello, your document has been delivered.” He took the document in confusion, but seeing the contents, he instantly understood. He casually flipped through the file bag while saying, “This is my girlfriend’s file.” I took out my phone and opened the order interface. After clicking to complete the order, I was about to turn around and leave, but he shouted his girlfriend’s name into the house. “Katrina, the documents you urgently need have arrived…” The people in the room responded quickly. “Please help me get it in. It’s quite important. I’ll need it for the meeting later. I have to take a shower first.” Upon hearing the sound, I was completely stunned. This voice was so familiar that I could even imagine the look on the speaker’s face. Before I could react, a box was thrown out. Katrina’s voice came from inside the house again. “By the way, ask the errand boy to help us buy a few boxes of this.” The empty box rolled on the ground and finally landed at the man’s feet. He bent down to pick it up and then threw the box back at me. He then said, “Please help us buy a few more boxes. We are in a hurry. By the way, I’m allergic to silicone oil. Remember to buy hyaluronic acid. After you buy it back, I’ll give you another two thousand dollars as a tip.” I lowered my head stiffly and saw the big words printed on the box. I felt my throat tightening as if I were being strangled.

When Katrina returned to our rental house, it was half past two in the morning. I sat on the ground, tending to the wound on my leg. I didn’t even raise my head when I heard the noise coming from the entrance. Katrina didn’t seem to understand why I stayed up so late. She asked, “Haven’t you gone to sleep? You said you wanted to eat shrimp a few days ago, so I bought some.” Katrina walked over and put the shrimp in her hand aside. When she saw the wounds on my knees and arms, she seemed a little flustered. “You are injured. What happened?” My tone was calm. “I accidentally fell while delivering a bill today.” She took out a new cotton swab, sprayed some iodine on it, and then carefully took care of the wound for me. When I got a little closer to Katrina, I could smell the fragrance of her shower gel, which was exactly the same as the smell of the man who opened the door today. Katrina worked part-time and had a busy day, but there wasn’t even a hint of sweat odor on her body. She was so careless even in her disguise. I wondered, “Does she think I’m easy to fool, or does she simply not bother to pretend in front of me?” After I left the villa area, several sports cars that looked very expensive followed me. Those rich girls in the car tried to cut in maliciously several times. They seemed to take this as fun. After I fell to the ground in a panic, they laughed and left. Of course, their conversation came to my ears. “Will Katrina be angry about us?” “You are worrying too much. She won’t be angry with us because of this man.” “Don’t you know Katrina? How could she like him?” “Garnett Patrick has returned. Katrina will cut off contact with that man sooner or later.” Their car was getting farther and farther away, but there seemed to be a loudspeaker beside them, allowing me to hear them very clearly. The stinging pain in my knee brought me back from my thoughts. I looked into Katrina’s eyes, trying to find the guilt in her eyes after deceiving me. Katrina threw the cotton swab into the trash can. It seemed that I said too little tonight. She raised her head in confusion. “What’s wrong with you tonight? Why don’t you say anything?” She came closer to me, and only then did she realize that the corners of my eyes were wet. Her eyes fell directly on my face. She was obviously at a loss and could only stroke my back gently. This was her usual way of comforting me. “Why are you crying? Did the payer of the order give you a hard time? Or is it because I came back home late tonight?” I had just calmed down, but what Katrina asked angered me. She gently wiped my wet eyes. “Neither? Then why?” Katrina couldn’t find out the reason no matter how hard she tried, leaving her anxious. I sniffed and tried to force a smile. “I’m fine. It just hurt when the disinfectant touched the wound.” She wiped my tears and asked with a frown, not believing me completely, “Really?” I nodded. While I was having shrimp with Katrina, I planned to give her a chance to confess. “Katrina, do you have anything to say to me?” I held my breath, expecting to hear something from her. She shook her head. “We are together every day. I have told you everything.” Seeing that she had no intention of confessing the truth, I felt like I was falling into an icy cave. If I failed to grab that order tonight, how long would I be kept in the dark? But in the end, I held back the questions that I had been brewing all night. I didn’t know how to start or how to ask. We had been together for three years, not a short time. When I woke up the next day, Katrina had prepared breakfast. She picked up the keys from the table and gave me a kiss on the cheek as usual. “I’m going to work.” I called out as she was about to leave, “Katrina.” She turned and looked at me. “Are you free tonight? I want to talk to you,” I asked. She hesitated for a moment and finally nodded. As the door closed, the house became quiet again. Quietness was like a silent beast, constantly devouring my love for Katrina. I know she was not free tonight. Last night, when she went into the bathroom to take a shower, I checked her phone. Tonight was her half-yearly gathering with her upper-class circles. The organizer was Garnett, so she would definitely be there.

During the day, I worked as a salesperson in a high-end clothing store, and I would get a ten-point commission on each piece of clothing sold. Today, I went to work as usual but was temporarily transferred to another store by the store manager. Almost as soon as I changed into my work uniform, customers came to the store. “Welcome.” I greeted customers with a smile that I had trained thousands of times, but when I saw the comer, I was on the verge of breakdown. “I customized some clothes and shoes. I came here to pick them up today,” the man said. He walked up to me in a dark brown haute couture suit. He slowly took off his sunglasses, revealing his charming eyes, with an attitude of arrogance and impatience. “By the way, I’m Garnett Patrick.” He was the man who opened the door for me yesterday when I delivered documents. He should also be the man who was mentioned by those wealthy ladies last night. The clerk on the side pushed me away and showed a flattering smile. “Mr. Patrick, please come this way.” Garnett gave me a glance with an inexplicable look on his face that I couldn’t understand. He pointed at me. “I only want him to serve me, and others can go to the front hall to receive new guests.” After Garnett entered the VIP reception area, I was stopped by the store manager. He looked a little nervous. “You can’t mess with the guy inside. Just do what he says. Do you understand?” “The Patrick family are our distinguished guests, not to mention that Mr. Patrick is Ms. Moritz’s fiancé. If you have more patience in everything and make him happy, you won’t have to worry about your performance this month.” I thought, “Ms. Moritz? Is it Katrina?” It was really hard for her to act affectionate for three years. I was afraid that in the end, even Katrina herself would be moved by the small favor she gave. I took a deep breath. “Manager, I don’t want to.” When the store manager heard my refusal, he interrupted me in panic, “Why don’t you want to? Mr. Patrick appointed you to serve him. This is your blessing. See? Bob wants to go but he can’t.” He pointed to the clerk standing in the front hall. Some people were willing to be submissive and agreed to disregard their dignity. But I didn’t want to. The moment I learned that Katrina was not bankrupt, I was subjected to a big blow. Those oaths of being together forever dampened all my motivation. Garnett impatiently urged me inside, which instantly scared the store manager. He lowered his voice. “Is there too much pressure from work? Well, as long as you serve Mr. Patrick well, I will apply to the superiors to give you a week’s vacation to relax.” Yes, I did need to take time to deal with some annoying things. When I opened the door and walked in, Garnett was sitting on the sofa and looking at the magazines on the bookshelf. On the coffee table next to it were the exquisite pastries just brought by the store manager and a cup of coffee with perfect latte art. Before leaving, the store manager winked at me vigorously, for fear that I would offend Garnett. Garnett took a sip of coffee and then looked up at me. He chuckled lightly and pointed to the pair of custom-made leather boots placed in front of him. “Help me put on the shoes.” I squatted down obediently and carefully arranged the details of the shoes. But the next second, I heard Garnett’s voice again. “You need to kneel. Didn’t your manager tell you?” I looked up and saw Garnett’s eyes filled with contempt and a malicious smile on his face. Thinking of the store manager’s request, I suppressed the overwhelming emotions. “Sorry, I forgot.” The shoes were very heavy and complicated, and Garnett was always making things difficult, leaving me on the verge of collapse. Even though I was tormented by Garnett, the smile on my face never disappeared. The moment I was done, Garnett’s voice suddenly became stern. “You hurt me.” Before I could react, Garnett kicked me on the shoulder. Due to his heavy kick, I fell backward uncontrollably, and the back of my head hit the sharp corner of the coffee table. The intense dizziness and pain in my head made me unable to stand upright. Seeing my painful look, Garnett seemed very satisfied. He maintained his arrogant demeanor, sitting on the sofa with his arms folded proudly. “Do you know why I called you over? Do you know why Katrina is with you? This is just a bet between her and her friends. They are betting on whether you will be stupid enough to spend your hard-earned money to help her. Did Katrina tell you that she was bankrupt?” I didn’t answer him. Garnett paused, as if he thought of something, and then burst into laughter. “By the way, do you know that all the money you worked so hard to save was transferred to me soon after Katrina got it? How pitiful! It was only more than 400,000 dollars, which was not enough for me to buy a watch and a tie. Bankruptcy was just a reason she came up with to dump you. But I didn’t expect you to stalk her and say you would help her repay these debts together. Don’t you think it’s ridiculous?” Garnett’s voice no longer had the arrogance it had before, replaced by his sneer and anger. He picked up the cup of scalding coffee, ready to throw it at me. The door of the VIP reception area was suddenly opened from the outside. Although Garnett stopped in time, some of the coffee in the cup spilled. “What do you think? Do you like customized clothes and shoes?” Katrina’s voice was somewhat endearing, but when she saw me, her voice stopped abruptly. I never thought that I would talk about these things with Katrina on such an unseemly occasion.

The store manager followed Katrina closely. When he saw the anger that had not dissipated on Garnett’s face, he couldn’t help but roar at me. “Aaron Zumthor, what’s wrong with you? What did I tell you? Get up quickly.” Only then did I realize how embarrassed I looked. I held on to the coffee table and barely stood up, but it agitated the wound from last night’s fall, and I clenched my fists in pain. Katrina walked towards me quickly. She stretched out her hand to help me, but I dodged sideways. I said in disgust, “Don’t touch me.” Katrina’s expression froze for a few seconds, and then the color on her face completely faded. With a sullen face, she turned to the store manager who was watching aside and said, “Go out first.” When the door closed, I slowly looked up and saw what she was wearing today. Having worked in this field for many years, I could tell at a glance that the fabric and bead inlay craftsmanship of the skirt she was wearing were very expensive. Even the sparkling diamonds of the small brooch on her chest were exquisite. I looked at Katrina, and my eyes felt sore and painful. “Is it fun to play tricks on me? Your lavish gambling has an innocent man involved. It is as if I just fell from the top of the mountain to the bottom of the valley. I even took out the money I had saved for many years without reservation to pay off your so-called debt.” Katrina stretched out her hands in panic as if she wanted to put me in her arms like last night. “No, that’s not the case.” At a loss, she didn’t know how to refute. She knew that what I said was true. I took a few steps back to avoid her. “Katrina, do you know who sent you the documents last night? It was me, the idiot who was teased by you. Before sending the documents, I even proudly told you that we could have ribs today.” At that point, I looked up at the exquisite and small brooch she pinned on her chest. I found it ironic. “The tip of one thousand dollars is not enough to buy a diamond on your brooch, right?” I tried to calm my breathing and not look so embarrassed. But I knew it was useless. Garnett clicked his tongue impatiently. “You said so much for money, right? After all, orphans like you can only work hard at the bottom.” When he said this, his disgusted eyes fell on me. After looking up and down, he continued to mock me. “You finally climbed up the ladder, but your dream of being a rich person is shattered. Naturally, you will ask for a lot of money. By the way, you were abandoned after being adopted. I heard that it was because you stole money.” “Shut up” Before Garnett finished speaking, I punched him in the face hard. One’s close spouse was the one who knew his weakness and how to hurt him best. I only told Katrina about the things Garnett said. She knew better than anyone that this was hurtful, but she chose to tell the twisted story to others. I was so angry that my fingertips were trembling, and the hand that hit Garnett was numb and painful. Katrina was stunned by the sudden punch. After she came to her senses, she quickly protected Garnett behind her. She yelled at me, “Do you know what you are doing?” Furious, Garnett picked up everything he could get on the coffee table and threw it at me. “You dare to hit me? My parents never slapped me in the face.” Before Garnett could make his next move, the door to the VIP room was opened again. The comer applauded casually, her tone full of amusement. “It’s really wonderful. I didn’t expect such a big show to happen.”

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Mom took me and my sister, Nora Lewis, to buy some Lucky Pets. I fell in love with a white snake at first sight. Nora thought snakes were scary and hard to keep, so she picked a loach, the easiest to care for. We heard loaches take a year to bond with their owners, so Nora pampered hers. But her loach died within six months. Meanwhile, after getting my white snake, I landed a job at a company and won millions in the lottery. Nora was consumed by jealousy, ranting about snakes eating loaches, accusing me of letting the snake devour the loach’s luck. When I let my guard down, Nora shoved me into the river. We both got a second chance at life, but Nora beat me to choosing the white snake. She didn’t know that… Snakes were creatures of dark energy; they chose their masters, not the other way around. Forcing a snake to submit only leads to getting bitten. ***** “Mom, I want this white snake!” The icy grip of the river water had just faded when I opened my eyes to see Nora grabbing the white snake’s cage. She hugged it tight as if afraid I’d snatch it away. Mom frowned. “Nora, weren’t you terrified of snakes? They’re dangerous and can bite. Pick something safer, honey.” Even the seller chimed in. “Young lady, you’ve got no connection with this snake. Why not go for the loach? It’s a fallen dragon. Once it bonds with you, it’ll transfer its unused luck your way.” Nora’s face darkened. “You swindler, think I’m clueless? Loaches just have dragon luck, they’re not real dragons. Snakes are true reincarnated dragons. I’m picking the snake.” His well-meant advice earned him an undeserved scolding. The seller’s face fell, and he didn’t say another word after that. Mom always favored Nora. Seeing her pick the snake, she said nothing, just nudged me to hurry up and choose so we could go home. As I stood there, eyeing the array of lucky pets, still unsure what to pick, Nora shoved the box with the loach into my hands. “Claire, take the loach. It’s no dragon, but it suits you just fine.” I knew then she’d been reborn, too. Nora and I are twins. At 24, we were both struggling to find jobs. Mom heard raising lucky pets could change our luck, so she brought us here to choose. In our past life, Nora followed the master’s advice and picked the loach. Determined to change her fate, she’d recite the bible daily and feed it the most expensive foods. But within six months, her loach died. Less than a month later, Nora got in a car crash, was scammed out of money, and was nearly assaulted by a homeless man. Meanwhile, I’d only raised a little white snake for half a year, but my luck soared. I won big on scratch cards, landed my dream job, and everything fell into place. Nora grew jealous. She invited me to the river and, when I wasn’t looking, pushed me in. And I drowned. I was about to say something, but Mom had already paid and was ushering us out the door. In the car, Nora kept grinning, clutching the small white snake. Suddenly, she turned to me with a smug look. “Claire, I heard these eels are something special. I’m letting you have it, so when you hit the big time, don’t forget who hooked you up.” If I hadn’t lived this life before, I might’ve bought Nora’s act hook, line, and sinker. But I knew the ugly truth lurking behind that fake smile of hers. The moment I’d climb the ladder, she’d be the first in line to stab me in the back. My eyes fell on the drowsy white snake in her arms, and I couldn’t help but smirk. Nora had no clue. Snakes were way trickier to raise than eels. They were full of negative energy and killer instincts. More importantly, mystical snakes chose their masters. They came to you, not the other way around. Just buying one and expecting to be its master was asking for trouble. And what Nora had wasn’t even a regular snake. It was a python. The kind that keeps on growing.

We’d barely stepped through the door when Nora whisked her snake off to her room. Some folks from the neighborhood watch dropped by to warn Mom about a string of break-ins nearby. “Keep an eye on your valuables,” they said. I dug up an old fish tank and tossed the loach in. To be honest, I’m not big on the whole “lucky pet” superstition. But in my past life, my luck really did change after I got the white snack. I called it Whitey. I followed the seller’s advice and started raising a loach. I named it Muddy and fed it daily, even reading a Bible verse every night. I found an old eggshell and put it in its tank. Muddy seemed to love it. It looked like it was using that shell as a little hideout. Still, the little guy always kept its distance from me. After a week of feeding, I called out to it, and surprisingly, it responded. Meanwhile, I kept up my daily outings. I told the folks I was job hunting, but really, I was hitting the books at the library. In my past life, it took me six months to land a gig with a big-name company. That company was a big deal in our town. Getting in was like hitting the jackpot. But after I started, I realized the boss didn’t care about my skills. He was after my zodiac. He wanted me there as his good luck charm. So now, I was thinking of trying for a government job. After all, who wants to be someone else’s human shield? Nora still refused to leave the house, fixated on the idea that raising Lucky Pets would magically turn her life around. Mom asked me to talk some sense into Nora. In my previous life, I had listened to Mom’s advice. I told Nora that lucky pets were just luck boosters and that finding a job still required personal effort. At the very least, she should go out and drop off some resumes. Nora took my advice back then. On her first day of job hunting, her pet loach died. From that day on, Nora blamed my Whitey for killing her loach, saying I was trying to steal her good fortune. Then, I accidentally won the lottery and landed a job at a foreign company. Nora’s jealousy went through the roof, and she ended up killing me. After Nora shoved me into the river, I saw Mom arrive at the scene. Seeing me clinging to life, Mom didn’t call for help. Instead, she rushed Nora home. When they fished out my body, Mom had me cremated right away. She told everyone it was an accidental drowning. My blood ran cold at the memory. I said to Mom, “Raising a lucky pet requires true devotion. Nora’s actions are justified.” I kept quiet, and Mom was too scared to say anything about Nora. We had no choice but to let Nora worship that snake like a god. She built a fancy cage, cleaned it daily, read the Bible three times a day, and even sent Mom to catch newborn wild mice in the countryside. Whitey was picky, too. It turned its nose up at farm-raised mice, demanding only wild ones. And they had to be tender ones, just sprouting their first bit of fur. Once, while Mom was cleaning Whitey’s cage in Nora’s room, it nearly bit her. Nora didn’t blame Whitey. Instead, she scolded Mom for disturbing its meditation. After that, no one dared go near the thing. That night, Nora came to my room to borrow my hairdryer. She walked in just as I was reading the Bible to Muddy. She snorted, “Claire, you’re really taking this little mudfish seriously, huh? People online say those who believe these fish can bond with humans are as gullible as old folks buying into health scams. You might as well feed that thing to my snake.” As she said this, Muddy seemed to sulk in his tank. It swam back and forth in the tank, looking like it wanted to jump out. I called out softly, “Muddy, calm down.” Hearing my voice, Muddy actually stopped, ignoring Nora and curling up in its favorite eggshell instead. I chuckled, “Seems pretty smart to me.” Nora’s eyes widened. The loach she had in her past life never listened to her like this. Nora’s face darkened, and she scoffed, “So what if it listens? A snake can still steal a loach’s luck.” I laughed. “We’re just keeping it for fun. Don’t tell me you actually believe in that superstition.” I laughed, and Nora joined in. But her laughter was unsettling, with a smile on her face but ice in her eyes. As she left, Nora muttered under her breath. “It doesn’t matter if the mudfish obeys you. With my baby snake around, it won’t bring you any luck at all.” Ironically, the very next day after Nora said that, I hit the jackpot.

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Five years after my death, my strong attachment to the living world kept me from moving on, so I stayed in this world, wandering around as a ghost. I stayed by my grandma, Patricia’s side every day. I watched Patricia slowly lose her sanity, unable to accept my death. Eventually, Patricia’s mind became confused and her memory jumbled. Patricia often forgot that I had died. It was heartbreaking to see her make my favorite baked ribs, only to realize she was waiting for someone who’d never come home again. She’d go looking for me at Ian’s place, but luckily, Ian had moved abroad after we split up five years back. So when Patricia knocked, no one was ever there. Lately, Patricia’s been getting worse. One day, she rushed out like usual. I followed her through the shopping street, across the intersection, and into an apartment building. She took the elevator up and knocked on Ian’s old door. That place had been empty for years. I sighed to myself as she knocked again, thinking, “No one’s gonna answer.” But then, out of nowhere, the door opened. Patricia called out the name I’d been dreading to hear, even as a ghost: “Ian! Have you seen Audrey?”

I hadn’t seen Ian in over five years, and he was still as handsome as ever. With time, he looked even more mature and composed. When Ian saw it was Patricia, he became even angrier. He took a step back and sneered, “Audrey? The woman who looked down on me? We broke up ages ago.” Hearing this, Patricia immediately defended me. “No, Audrey broke up with you because…” Worried Patricia might reveal the real reason for our breakup, I tried to stop her. The next second, Patricia rubbed her forehead. Her memory was jumbled, and she kept mumbling, “What? Because of what?” I knew Patricia was having one of her episodes again. Ian looked at Patricia coldly. “Enough with the act. Get lost!” With that, he slammed the door shut. I hurriedly floated over to help Patricia, but I was just a ghost. I could only watch helplessly as Patricia fell to the ground in pain. I stood there, powerless. No matter how much I shouted, no one could hear me. Looking at the closed door, I lowered my head in sorrow. I didn’t blame Ian. After all, I was the one who hurt him first.

Ian has always hated me. He thinks I look down on him and that I heartlessly dumped him, so of course, he wouldn’t meet Patricia. After Patricia was driven away by him, I followed her back to our empty home. From the moment I glimpsed Ian that fateful day, my heart has been irresistibly drawn to him. I found myself retracing our steps to our old university, where I watched him address the students as an accomplished business leader. There he stood on stage, exuding confidence and charisma. His poise and expressions were so refined and captivating that I couldn’t tear my eyes away. As I gazed at Ian, lost in reverie, his towering figure seemed to merge with the memory of the boy he once was. A wave of emotion washed over me, bringing tears to my eyes. I knew our paths could never truly cross again, for Ian’s future was now entwined with another’s… After Ian’s speech, a female student approached him with a book for an autograph. I instantly felt very nervous because Ian absolutely couldn’t see that girl. I instinctively floated over. “Ian, this is my favorite web novel. I heard the author was your classmate. Could you get her autograph for me?” Through the gaps in the crowd, I saw the familiar cover of the book in her hand, and a chill ran down my spine. “Don’t let him see it!” I rushed over to stop the girl, but I was too late. Ian had already taken the book and calmly flipped through a couple of pages. I desperately tried to cover the pages. I didn’t want Ian to read this book. But now, I’m just a ghost. My hand passed through the pages, but the words were clearly visible to Ian. “No, please…” I floated in mid-air, heartbroken. It was true; I had written this book based on Ian and me, but I died before I could finish it. I died before I could finish it. I’ve written our love story deeply in this book. All our beautiful memories from knowing each other to falling in love are tagged with pink happiness. Every word expresses my sincere love for Ian, touching many hearts. I feel heartbroken. To Ian, it must be the opposite, right? Ian probably thinks I’m sugarcoating lies and that my feelings for him aren’t like what’s written. I ruthlessly abandoned Ian, and my love for him isn’t even a fraction of what’s in the book… I didn’t dare look at Ian’s face, but I could hear him flipping through the pages quickly. His pace got faster, sounding extremely impatient. The tension and suffocation made it hard to breathe. I cautiously looked up. Sure enough, Ian was frowning deeply, his face dark. Suddenly, Ian looked up and met my gaze in the air. Ian’s hateful stare scared me, making my limbs weak, and I stiffly floated back. Ian gripped the book tightly, gritting his teeth, and said, “Damn it.” Then he turned and left the venue, telling his secretary, “Contact the author and get the rights to this book. Now! Immediately!”

I went home listlessly, my mind filled with Ian’s furious expression. He must really hate me. So, he wants to find the author and publicly humiliate me, right? “Unfortunately, he’ll never find me.” I laughed bitterly, wiping away my tears forcefully. Muttering to myself, I entered the house, but Patricia wasn’t home. I searched around the neighborhood but couldn’t find her. I even checked the supermarket and market she frequents, but no luck. Panic set in. Where could Patricia have gone? Suddenly, a thought struck me, and I hurried to Ian’s house. Sure enough, Patricia was having another episode. She was at Ian’s door again. She kept knocking and calling my name non-stop. I felt both touched and sad. Despite my attempts to stop her, it was useless. Finally, the door opened. It wasn’t Ian who came out, but a beautiful woman. Seeing her made me feel incredibly down. It was her. It was Julie Anderson. Why was she at Ian’s place? Why was Ian with this woman? Julie was our high school classmate. She had once pursued Ian relentlessly. But Ian said he liked me, so he politely turned her down. Although Julie didn’t bother Ian after that, I never expected to see her at his house years later. I recalled the malicious and triumphant look Julie gave me before she died. I felt incredibly sad, like my heart was being squeezed. It was strange because I was just a spirit. Why was I heartbroken and struggling to breathe? Patricia froze when she saw Julie. Then she frowned, “Who are you? Why are you at Ian’s house? Where’s my Audrey?” Julie raised an eyebrow and looked Patricia up and down, a hint of disdain in her eyes. “Ma’am, there’s no one here you’re looking for. Get lost!” Patricia immediately looked furious. She walked over, grabbed Julie’s sleeve, and tried to pull her out. “You’re a rude girl! Are you trying to seduce Ian? You should leave.” Julie stumbled as Patricia yanked her, her gaze turning fierce. She forcefully shoved Patricia to the ground. “You old hag! How dare you show up here?” “Patricia!” I rushed forward to help Patricia, but my hand went right through her body. Frustrated, I clenched my fists, glaring at Julie, wanting to punch her. Just then, a familiar male voice echoed in the room. “What’s going on?” Julie’s fierce demeanor vanished. She clung to Ian’s arm, crying, “Ian, this madam hit me!” I stared at Julie in disbelief. When my eyes met Ian’s, I felt a deep sadness.

Ian wore ash-gray pajamas, the collar slightly open, revealing noticeable kiss marks on his neck. I stared blankly at Ian’s neck, feeling a wave of disappointment. Are they dating? Ian’s face darkened when he saw Patricia. “What are you doing here again?” “I’m looking for Audrey. My Audrey is missing…” Patricia said anxiously. Suddenly remembering something, she angrily pointed at Julie. “Who is she? Why is she in your house? You betrayed Audrey, didn’t you?” “I didn’t!” Ian suddenly shouted, looking furious. “Audrey’s the one who betrayed me!” Patricia turned pale with fear, waving her hands and explaining, “That’s not true. No. “Audrey didn’t betray you, she didn’t…She just… she…” Patricia clutched her head in pain, unable to remember what happened next. Ian stared coldly at Patricia having an episode, his eyes full of disgust. “Stop pretending! Tell Audrey to stop using you to gain my sympathy! It only makes me sick!” Ian slammed the door shut. The moment Ian closed the door, Julie looked smug, as if she had already won. I clenched my fists in anger, but there was nothing I could do. “Audrey, Audrey…” Patricia’s sobs brought me back to reality. I felt a deep sadness and floated behind Patricia. I weakly wrapped my arms around her shoulders. As if doing so could comfort her. “Grandma, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault…”

After leaving Ian’s house, Patricia got lost again. I followed her anxiously, worried she might encounter danger. Luckily, this time Patricia went straight to the police station. When the police asked Patricia about her family, she thought for a moment. She happened to see Ian’s news on the screen, so she excitedly pointed and said, “I remember him. He’s my granddaughter’s boyfriend.” The police exchanged glances, thinking Patricia was just rambling. However, the officer patiently continued, “Do you remember your granddaughter’s boyfriend’s phone number?” Patricia thought for a bit and then recited Ian’s number. “Alright, I’ll call him now!” Ian arrived at the police station quickly. When Ian saw Patricia, his expression instantly turned cold. “Madam Cooper! Will you ever stop?” he yelled at Patricia as soon as he walked in. The officer frowned, reminding Ian to watch his tone. Ian felt frustrated, but his attitude didn’t change. He continued to accuse Patricia, “You caused trouble at my house earlier, and now you’re here at the station! What exactly do you want?” Patricia sat there, looking aggrieved and shaking her head. “I didn’t cause any trouble. I just wanted to find Audrey…” The officer seemed to notice something off about Patricia, so he pulled Ian aside. “Sir, this elderly lady seems confused. If you know her, please contact her family.” Ian seemed to realize something from the officer’s words. He glanced at Patricia with a complicated expression. After a moment, he scoffed, “I think she’s faking it! She’s a con artist, just like her granddaughter!” I had been sitting next to Patricia the whole time. I overheard Ian’s words. I lowered my head and smiled bitterly. Patricia is such a kind person, yet she’s misunderstood and insulted because of me. Despite Ian’s harsh words, he immediately took out his phone and dialed my number. The phone rang continuously, but no one answered. As the call went to voicemail, Ian grew even angrier. “She doesn’t even care about her grandmother. What a heartless person!” He gritted his teeth, clearly hating me even more. “I broke up with her granddaughter years ago. Don’t come to me with this anymore.” Ian didn’t want to stay a minute longer, so he turned and left. The officer had no choice but to approach Patricia and patiently ask, “Patricia, your granddaughter isn’t answering. Is there anyone else at home?” Hearing this, Patricia seemed to suddenly become lucid. She instantly looked sorrowful. She nodded and cried, “That’s right. My granddaughter won’t answer my calls anymore…She’s already dead…”

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Evie Finally, I made it. After four years of being the perfect student, I finally made it across that stage. The graduation party rages all around me. People are dancing, and singing, and cheering as they all let loose. Not that any of them took notice of me. I tend to stay out of the spotlight. I had been so excited to receive this invitation. Timothy Hayes himself had personally invited me to this party. It’s my first house party ever. And word had it that Timothy’s house parties were notorious for being crazy and fun. Everyone at school was fighting over getting an invitation. The boys flipped coins. Girls sharpened their manicured nails, getting ready to claw their way to Timothy’s side. It made sense. He was the hottest guy in school. “Hey, Evie, I just need one last signature for my yearbook,” I slowly lift my chin to meet the hazel eyes of the only boy I would have risked it all for. Timothy Hayes. “You’re my final signature.” “I don’t have a pen on me,” I say awkwardly. He shrugs. “I have one in my room. Come on,” he urges, taking my hand and pulling me up the stairs to his room. Now, everything has changed. There, laying beside me, was Timothy. My immediate instinct was to scream. But I bite my tongue and cover my face in the pillows. When I finally gathered my control, I sit up looking around the room. My clothes had been scattered wildly across the floor. I look down at myself. I had slept in his jersey. The number 9 was boldly printed on the front with a picture of our school mascot, the bulldog. But the night was over and I had to go home. Slipping out of the room, with my clothes in hand, I make a break for the front door and back to my house. ** A few days passed and that night was all I had been thinking about. Timothy had chosen me. It felt so good to be seen by him. My eyes haven’t left that jersey. I should give that back. It probably means a lot to him. So I headed downstairs and started my short walk around the neighborhood. I wondered how he would react to me showing up at his door. I hoped he would be happy to see me, considering how he came to me. As I approached his house, I noticed a few cars parked in his driveway. Those cars belonged to his friends. Loud laughter came from the back of the house. I couldn’t help but want to listen in to their conversation. It was too tempting. Tip-toeing around the side, I got close to the white-painted gate. “I can’t believe you did that,” one says laughing. “You have guts, my man.” “Nah,” Timothy sighed heavily. “She definitely had some potential.” “Still, Evie Sinclair? Isn’t she like a shut-in? Everyone knew that she didn’t care about any boys, except for the damn books.” “Shut up,” Timothy laughed. “It wasn’t that bad.” One of them blew a raspberry. “Whatever you say. You followed through on the deal, so I’ll let you take the bike.” There was a deal. My chest suddenly felt constricted. “Here’s to getting all the girls ‘signatures’,” one of his friends laughs. “Hey,” Timothy argues. “It worked didn’t it. I slept with her.” Oh, god. I felt sick. I stumble back to the front yard, tears blurring every inch of my vision. I couldn’t be seen here. I have to leave before I humiliate myself any further. I throw his jersey on the front steps of his porch and make an attempt to run, but my legs were barely working. It feels like my body had been stripped of any structure it had. I was nothing but a puddle on the ground waiting for the next person to step on me. “Evie?” I stop dead in my tracks, gathering every bit of strength I had left. “What is it?” “I didn’t think you’d drop by–” “I was just returning your jersey,” I say calmly, turning around to face him finally. “You’re welcome to borrow it any time,” he smirks playfully. I had to force myself to look away. I hated him. He had used me. “What happened the other night can’t happen again,” I say firmly. “I had fun, but–” “But?” His question hung in the air between us. “But I have to focus on my goals,” I spoke quietly. “And you have your professional career to think about. I think it’s best that we leave it as a one time thing. We both got what we wanted from each other. Right?” He frowns at her. “What do you mean?” My jaw tightens, teeth grinding against each other. “Bye, Timothy,” I whisper shakily, and I walked away. Every step was torture. Every breath was shallow and fast. I wish the ground would just swallow me whole right about now. The way home felt like it took years. It made it worse that I saw my stepbrother’s car sitting in the driveway. I swallow hard and head inside. “You look terrible,” he snorts, immediately as I enter the living room. “Your boyfriend dumped you right?” I shook my head. “He wasn’t my boyfriend,” I whisper. Bruce chokes on his laughter. “You’re telling me that you slept with some random and took his jersey?” “Leave it, Bruce,” I snap angrily, bitter tears starting to fill my eyes. “Aw,” he pouts. “He broke your heart. You gave it up didn’t you.” “Bruce,” I beg. “Stop–” “God, you’re so stupid,” he laughs. “All these academic awards and you’re still too dumb to recognize when a dude is using you.” I didn’t want to hear him demean me further. I sprint up the stairs as fast as I could, practically tripping on the way up. But he just keeps flinging insults at me. He was right. It was stupid of me to believe a word that boy had said. He was notorious for his acquisitions. His friends were too. And I had just gotten so caught up in the fantasy that someone would actually like me, that I refused to see the signs. Locking the door, I finally allow myself to break. I couldn’t stop the tears from falling down my face as the heartbreak really sets itself in. Six Years Later Work was busy again. It was a Wednesday night at the hottest restaurant in the city. Waiters and waitresses whizzed around the tables with their trays of drinks and food. I was exhausted after a long day of trying to get clients for my internship, but I had to pick this shift up to get the last of my month’s rent. Behind the long elegant bar, a couple tvs were tuned into some sports events. I didn’t pay any attention to who was playing or what sport it was, until a man asked for the channel to be changed. “Put on the Thunderbolt game. I hear we have a chance at the Stanley cup,”he says proudly. Out of sheer curiosity, I looked up at the screen as it changed. Right then, the camera changed and a face I swore I’d never lay eyes upon again popped on the screen. Of course, it was the infamous Timothy Hayes. The hot rising star that everyone is watching right now. Except me. Anger burned through me again. I still hated myself for being so naive about him. Get a grip, Evie. I had bigger things to worry about. Like saving my money and surviving this job and my internship at the law firm. Not Him.

Evie The night went on and I continued setting tables for a private event set for this evening. It was a nice little break from the constant stream of guests that would come through. It was hard to tune out the highlight reels of the Thunderbolts Captain being the leading scorer in the league and becoming the rookie of the year. How some people manage to become that successful amazes me. He must be the city’s favorite little hockey star. I hummed quietly to myself as I moved around the dining room. “Waitress,” a woman’s shrill voice squawked. “Waitress!” My head snaps up at the signal. “I’m so sorry, mam,” I apologize carefully. “What can I do for you?” “Well, for starters, why don’t you actually serve me,” she scolds. “I have been sitting here for ten minutes trying to get your attention!” I looked around. My eyes were starting to turn towards where I stood. “Absolutely, mam,” I stammer. “What can I get you?” “I need a drink, but everyone in here seems to be too distracted by the craziness outside,” she says with a huff. I looked down at her glass. “What kind of wine would you like?” “Your most expensive bottle. Make it snappy,” she orders sharply. “Anything else?” “I have a super important guest coming. Bring two glasses,” she muttered. I flashed a smile. “I’ll be right back with your drinks,” I say with forced cheerfulness. God, people like this make me furious. I grab the bottle of wine and bring two glasses back out to the table. The woman watched me with cold eyes as I popped open the bottle and poured her a glass. “Anything—“ The sudden splash of fragrant red wine over my face shut me up quick. The entire restaurant went silent. “Did that finally get your attention,” she laughed smugly. “That’s for being incompetent and ruining our night.” “Stella, that’s enough,” a male voice said angrily, coming beside me. “Are you not embarrassed by treating another human being like this?” “Ugh, but baby, it’s our night. I bought out the restaurant just for celebrating your win,” Stella pouted innocently. “We can do what we want. Isn’t that right,” she looked at my name badge, “Evie?” The man froze – He is Timothy !! I once again lost any and all ability to speak. “I— uh—“ “See? She’s fine,” Stella smirked. “I’d go get yourself cleaned, sweetie, before that stains.” I quickly nodded, running off to the bathroom and locking myself in a stall. Forcing myself to take deep breaths, it brought me back to the torment of high school. It was brutal how some kids were just able to rip into their peers’ self esteem like it was nothing. A few minutes later, I finally managed to calm myself down and I stepped back onto the floor. My manager switched me sections after learning about my run in, and the rest of my shift went fairly smoothly. At least I made good tips tonight. Maybe it was the pity of the entire restaurant that filled my pockets. They all felt bad for the girl who got wine thrown in her face. I throw my apron into the dirty bin and grab my bag, throwing it tiredly over my shoulder. Without a single word, I head out the back of the restaurant and onto the street. Some jerkoff was zooming down the street in some crazy expensive sports car. “Wait!” I spun around. There behind the wheel of that crazy sports car, sat the one and only Timothy Hayes. He was as attractive as ever with those hazel eyes of his and his chestnut hair. His face, though still youthful, had matured in all the best ways. His cheeks were toned and his jaw sharp and peppered with stubble. Could this night get any worse? “You’re not Evie Sinclair, are you?” I picked up the pace. “Just hold on a minute,” he shouts quickly. “I know you. I swear I’ve seen you before.” I ignored him again. “Can I at least give you a ride,” he offered hopefully. Just then, the heel of my shoe slips right between the grate on the sidewalk, snapping it from beneath me. Stumbling forward, I hear a car door open quickly and hurried footsteps approaching. Nevermind. This night could get so much worse. “Here,” he says, stabilizing me gently. “I got you.” It’s been six years, and I still had never forgotten the feel of his hands on my body. Heat burned throughout every single inch of me. Some was rage. But the rest? That was the left over desire to have him. I still was unable to get rid of that. As much as I tried to forget about that night and the devastation it brought me, I couldn’t lie to myself and say that I hated it. He was too good to be that delusional about it. But I wouldn’t let him get me this time. He would not use me like that again. I quickly push him off me. “I’m fine,” I snap. “Get off me.” It was too much to bear the way he looked at me just then, like he didn’t understand the reason for my cold reaction towards him. My chest became tight again. “Good luck on your next game,” I whisper hoarsely, kicking off my shoes and sprinting to catch the arriving bus just at the corner. I make one last glance over my shoulder. He was just standing there. Even from this distance I could see the hurt in his eyes. But he had hurt me first. I tried not to feel bad. He didn’t deserve my kindness or my forgiveness. This was only a sliver of what I wanted him to feel. And if I ever run into him again, I hope I’m much more prepared to dig that knife in deeper. How was I this unlucky to have run into him on such a bad day? I was not prepared to say my piece. There were so many things to say that I had no strength to even begin tonight. I am still not ready to open that can of worms. I still have to face my own issues and earn my internship status. I still have to become the top tier lawyer I have always dreamed about. I have too much to deal with to worry about Timothy Hayes now. So I went home, heated up a cup of ramen, popped open a bottle of wine, and tried to forget about him. It didn’t really work, but at least I tried. That was all that mattered. Right? In the morning, I’d have to keep my head focused on my goals. I’d have no room to still be worried about the boy who broke my heart.

Evie The boss had called me into his office this morning. Dread settled in my stomach as I stepped inside and Jasper was standing there too. “Miss Sinclair,” he says simply. “Mister Morgan. I called you both in here to discuss a rather important matter. I can’t have two interns. One of you will be let go.” I bristle at his statement. “The one I keep here has to demonstrate a knowledge of client acquisition that exceeds our expectations for interns. Whoever brings me the next big client will receive the role here in this office. The other will have to go.” Jasper chuckles smugly beside me. “Certainly, sir,” he says. “Excellence in everything, isn’t that right, Evie?” My nails bit into my palms as anger started boiling over. “Absolutely,” I say, feigning sweetness. “I expect to see your client portfolios in three days,” our boss said. “I look forward to seeing what you guys bring to the table.” As soon as we step outside his office, Jasper began his trash talk again. “Prepare to lose, Evie,” he says with a smirk. “I won’t lose,” I say proudly. “Don’t lie to yourself,” he snorts. “I know you have zero prospects. It must be hard being you.” “Oh yea? What do you have that I don’t,” I ask, folding my arms. “My family owns the largest shipping company in the world,” he says plainly, picking at his nails. “That’s a cowards way out,” I snort. “It doesn’t matter,” he said quickly, a grin plastered on his face. “A client is a client. It’s not about what you know, but about who you know. It won’t matter how smart you are when you show up with nothing. I hold it all in the palm of my hand.” I felt my stomach drop. I hated when he was right. Jasper was second on my list of most hated people I knew. Which means he was first place loser. How fitting. “It might be better for you to just give up,” he says, lowering his tone. “It’s obvious you don’t belong here. You’d never understand how to deal with the one percent. I mean, look at you. You taped your heels.” My jaw tightens. “Your attempts at scaring me are childish at best. I’d suggest you focus on your clients.” I strode back to my cubicle, aware of how my heel wobbled beneath me. I cursed, feeling embarrassed creep onto my face. God, I was so out of my league. It felt like I dropped right into the deep end without my floaties. I didn’t let his words deter me. I kept reaching out and searching for the client of my boss’s dreams. I just had to keep looking. As the day came to a close, I felt my first wave of defeat. Not a single bite. It was like no one would come near me with a ten foot pole. I would suspect sabotage from my colleague, but something told me Jasper was much too confident in his abilities to want to put in the extra effort. So I packed up for the night. My phone started buzzing. I pulled it from my purse and looked down at the screen. Aria. I picked up her call, pressing the phone to my ear. “Hey.” For a second, all I could hear was soft sniffles coming from the other end of the phone. “Hey,” Aria repeated. Her voice was wobbly and quiet. I frowned. “What is it,” I ask worriedly. “Aria, what’s wrong?” “He dumped me,” she wailed. “Ryan, dumped me!” I inhaled deeply. “Aria, I’m so sorry,” I say apologetically. “What can I do?” Her sniffles grew louder. “I don’t want to be alone,” she whimpers. I nod quickly. “No, absolutely. Come over,” I urge. “We can order takeout and open a bottle of wine. Maybe watch a movie?” Aria laughed sadly. “You’re too good for this world, Evie,” she says tiredly. “Are you finally off work?” “Yea,” I answer. “I’m just heading onto the elevator.” “Okay,” she sniffled again. “I’ll see you soon,” I promise gently. “Okay. Bye.” She hangs up, and I move double time to get home. I’ve gotten much better at hailing a cab. I used to be much less assertive than I am now. Once inside the cab, I place an order at our favorite Italian restaurant. I got us the whole thing– pizza, pasta, salad, you name it. All of it was set to arrive about the time I was. When I stepped into my shabby little apartment, I kicked off my heels and shrugged off my blazer, throwing it on the couch. My doorbell rang just then and I run to grab it. A tearful Aria stands at my door, still wiping her cheeks of their dampness. “Come in,” I say quickly, ushering her inside with a gentle hand. “What happened?” “He broke it off because he was ‘working’ on himself,” she says with air quotations. “But we all know what that means.” I felt bad that I didn’t know what that meant. “What does that mean?” Aria breaks down again, sobbing uncontrollably. “I’m going to die alone!” “Oh, no, babe,” I say, laughing quietly as I drew her in for a hug. “You’re not going to die alone. You’ll always have me.” Honestly, if anyone was going to die alone, it was probably me. “I hate men,” she whines in frustration. “Me too,” I admit softly. “Jasper was a real a-hole today. There’s a reason he’s number two on my hit list.” “You never told me who’s number one on that list,” Aria says, with almost pleading eyes. “It doesn’t matter,” I sigh tiredly. “Men suck in general.” Aria groaned. “I mean, why can’t they all just be like Timothy Hayes,” she whined. “He’s so hot. Ugh.” The name is my number one. “Yea,” I croaked. “That would be… interesting.” I sit her down on the couch, tossing a fuzzy blanket to her. “Thanks,” she says gratefully. “You didn’t have to do this, you know.” I laugh softly. “I think I needed this too,” I admit. “Things have been tough lately.” “What’s up,” she asks. “It’s nothing, just work,” I answer, keeping it vague. She didn’t need to pile my problems on top of hers. “Evie, you know you can talk to me too,” she says pleadingly. “I can’t be the only one word vomiting tonight.” “It’s not that big of a deal,” I say dismissively. “I’m just tired.” “Evie–” “I just don’t need you to get involved,” I say sharply. I regretted my tone the moment the words had left my lips. “Ari, I didn’t mean–” She remained quiet for a moment, hurt filling her eyes. “It’s fine,” she finally says. “But I just wanted you to know that you don’t have to solve everything by yourself. I’m your best friend, I just want to help you too. You work so hard. You’re literally falling apart at the seams and I just have to sit by and watch you rip yourself to shreds.” I inhaled quietly at her words. Aria was the one person who truly had a heart of gold. She could be a little messy sometimes and chaotic, but she truly meant well. And she at least deserved an explanation as to why I was the way I was. “I know you’re worried about me, Ari,” I began, swallowing quietly. “But this is something that I need to do on my own.” Aria nods quietly. “You need to learn how to relax. Come with me to a Thunderbolts game,” she pleaded innocently. “It’s a birthday present to myself. I’m hoping for glass seats. That way, I can see Hayes up close and personal.” I scoff, rolling my eyes. “Let me check my calendar,” I concede. She continues giving me her puppy dog eyes. “Please?” I look through quickly, not seeing any conflicts on the day of Aria’s birthday. “Ugh, fine. You win. I’ll go,” I laugh. She claps her hands together. “You know I love you,” Aria grins. As much as I loved making Aria happy, anxiety rippled through me. I would be willingly putting myself within close proximity with my mortal enemy. God help me now.

Evie Jasper is being Jasper again. He’s going around the office swearing up and down how he bagged the biggest client for the firm. The worst part is how people are eating up his antics. I, for one, am not finding his little parade cute. He finally made his rounds, stopping at my desk. He leans against it casually. Victory is plastered on his face. He sighs lazily. “How does it feel to be two days away from losing your job, Evie?” “Bite me,” I mutter, typing away at my computer. “Oh, come on,” he whines teasingly. “Don’t be like that. It’s a dog eat dog world here. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.” “Oh, I don’t hate you Jasper,” I say sweetly, turning in my chair to smile. “I just think that nepotism is cheating. I mean come on. Really? Who is it this time? Daddy? Or was it your Uncle.” Jasper looks over at my computer screen, sucking in a sharp breath. “Your email looks dryer than the Sahara. You better get on that, Eve.” He pushes off my cubicle, swaggering down the row to his own office space. With his back turned to me, I gather the courage to flip him the bird beneath anyone’s line of sight. A cough came from behind me. I froze. “Evie,” the gruff voice of my boss spoke grimly. “Mr. Erickson,” I squeaked. “I’m so sorry—“ “A word in my office please,” he said, striding off into that large perfect corner office. I quickly stand up and scurry behind him. Just as I pass Jasper’s office, he gave an amused smirk and waved. Waved. The bastard waved! My finger nails bite into my palms as I find my place before his desk. “Shut the door,” he says grimly. I quickly do as he asked. I turn back to him. His demeanor changed. He looked at me almost with pity. “I know I need to find a client,” I began. “I’ve been working so hard—“ “I know,” he sighed. “It’s not easy starting from zero. And I know making those connections are hard. But I can’t keep making excuses for you, Evie.” I nodded, my chest tightening. “Trust me. I know.” “You have to bring me a client,” he says. “Otherwise I’ll have to let you go.” “I’ll get you that client,” I promise. “And it’s going to be huge.” He chuckled. “I can’t wait.” Hours passed. Still no leads. I groaned, dropping my head to the desk tiredly. I felt the vibration of my phone against the surface. I threw my hand over, sliding my phone aggressively across the desk. Lifting my head again, I looked at the notification. From Aria. We’re still on for tonight, right? I shot straight up. Shoot. I completely forgot about tonight! I check the time. I didn’t even have time to change. The game starts at seven and I’m too far out from the arena to add another stop. Yup! Totally. I’ll just meet you there. The text bubbles appear. You forgot, didn’t you… My fingers fly over the keyboard in an attempt to defend my honor. No! I’m on my way. I throw my stuff into my purse and scramble to the elevator. Only, the doors were already shutting. And Jasper was the only one inside. “Hold—“ “See ya, Evie,” he calls. And the doors shut. I curse every violent curse I could think of in my head, before darting down the emergency staircase. The backs of my heels were stinging with every step. I finally reach the bottom and run out onto the bustling sidewalk. Hailing a cab, I jump in and buckle my seat belt. “Clayton Center,” I huff. “Step on it.” The cab driver acknowledges my request and hit the gas. It took about thirty minutes to pull up at the entrance. I hand over the fare and ran towards the entrance. I knew Aria would wait for me near the planters before the security checkpoint. Without fail, there she was. An amused look was spread across her face, and her arms folded casually. “Didn’t forget, did we?” I was practically wheezing. “I had a lot going on at work,” I explain tiredly. “Ugh, work. I don’t want to hear another word about work,” she groans. “I want to whisk my problems away by watching hot men beat each other up.” I couldn’t help it. The laughter just starts bubbling out of me. “Well, don’t let me stop you, Ari,” I say. We go in together. I stuck out like a sore thumb in her charcoal gray pencil skirt and cream colored blouse. Everyone wore their Thunderbolt jerseys. Some had painted faces. Ari had gotten glass seats. I mean we were practically on the ice at that point. “How much were these tickets, Ari?” She looked over with a deadpan look. “You don’t wanna know.” I snorted. “Fine. Don’t tell me.” Several things occurred before the start of the game. The national anthem was played. The opposing teams starting lineup was announced. Then the lights go out. Loud pounding music began to play and the announcer called everyone to attention. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he says. “Here are your Thunderbolts!” The arena erupted into roars of support as names were called. I tuned out most of it. I was never much into sports, but I was here because my friend had asked me. But there was one name that pierced the quiet of my mind. “And your team captain— Timothy Hayes!” I didn’t think this place could get any louder than it already was. They were all chanting his name. Every single person was losing their minds. I looked over at Aria again. She was screaming and pounding on the glass like a maniac as he appeared on the ice. His proud smile was prominent on his face as he glided around the rink, lifting his stick in the air. Oh, no. He had grown even hotter since the last time I had seen him. I wasn’t sure if it was the hint of stubble or the look of him in his uniform, but it shook me to my core. “You good,” Aria asked, nudging me. I jumped. “Yes. I’m fine,” I laughed awkwardly. She didn’t look convinced. But the game went on and Aria looked like she was having the time of her life. I, on the other hand, felt completely exposed. I was so in my head about him being on that ice, that I completely missed the incoming swarm of bodies approaching the glass. The moment there was impact, I screamed, throwing my arms over my face. “Get him, Hayes! Fight him!” I dropped my arms, watching the brawl that broke out right in front of me. Twelve fully grown men were pressed against the glass. No no no… he was right there! I held my breath hoping he wouldn’t recognize me. Whistles were blown and refs intervened, ripping the players from each other. He was laughing, shoving the player one last time before slowly backing away. He was about to turn around, but he did a double take. His eyes set on mine. I quickly avert my gaze. It was going to be fine. Just because he saw me doesn’t mean he’ll recognize me or even see me after this. It will all be ok. So the game continued on. It seemed like he picked up his game after that fight. He ended up scoring three goals for the Thunderbolts, ending the game with a score of three to one. “What a game,” Aria squealed. “I mean, there’s nothing more dramatic than a bench-clearing brawl!” I nod. “Yea,” I swallowed. “Hey, I have to go to the bathroom really quick. I’ll meet you at the planters.” “Sure thing,” she grinned. “Go, Bolts!” “Go, Bolts,” I laughed awkwardly. I turned around with a sigh. Now to navigate this maze of an arena. The signage was so confusing. I ended up just turning wherever it felt right. I thought I had found it, when a firm hand grips my wrist. I spin around, ready to slap the audacity out of this person. Only I was met with my worst nightmare. “Evie?” I froze, stumbling over what to say. What was there even to say? “I—“ “Look at you,” he says in awe. “You look great.” “Yea,” I swallowed. “Thanks. You look— great too.” He laughed, running a hand through his sweaty hair. “Don’t lie,” he joked. “I’m a mess.” “You played… well,” I said awkwardly. “They don’t pay me the kind of salary they do to be mid-tier,” he chuckled. “How have you been? Damn, it’s been— how long?” “Six years,” I answer. Damn it. I answered that too quickly. Now he probably thinks I’ve been obsessing over him. He tilted his head, looking at me fully. “Yea. Six years,” he repeats softly. I looked around. My stomach was twisting from anxiety. “I was just looking for the bathroom, I have to go—“ “Just hear me out,” he begs. “I really have a bad stomach ache,” I whined. “Can you just show me where it is?” “Just one question and I promise to show you where it is,” he says firmly. I fold my arms. “Fine. What?” “Why’d you leave that night?” I inhaled deeply. “Something came up.” “You ghosted me,” he swallowed. “You left me and didn’t even tell me why.” “Is this the bathroom,” I ask quickly. “Evie, stop dodging the question. Why did you leave me?” “Why do you care,” I mutter. “You don’t need to have me when you have all your adoring fans anyways.” “That’s not why you left,” he says plainly. “It really was just a misunderstanding,” I groaned. “It’s probably not a good idea that I stay around any longer, just in case there’s paparazzi nearby. You don’t want me ruining your reputation.” “At least, let me get your number or something,” he urges quickly. “I have so much I want to say that you never gave me the chance to tell you.” “Take me to the bathroom and I’ll think about it,” I say, lifting my chin. Tim nods, placing his hands tiredly on his hips. “Alright. Fine,” he agrees. The moment he brought me to the bathroom, I quickly rushed inside. I wasted no time stepping onto the metal toilet paper box and hoisting myself up through the cracked window. Goodbye, Timothy Hayes. Good riddance. And with that, I prayed the size of this city would put some distance between us.

Evie The last day. I felt the entirety of my life resting upon this pivotal moment. It was do or die. And it felt like I was dying. I had given my entire soul to finding a worthy client. And no one followed through. I watched the clock wind down. Ten minutes. I had ten minutes to pull off a miracle. But obviously, I had no such luck. I didn’t have Jasper’s resources and money. All I had was a Jellar report card and a piece of paper that said I could attempt being a lawyer. “Well, well,” Jasper sighs, popping his head over the cubicle wall. “It’s too bad about the internship, Evie. I almost thought you had it.” “Shut up,” I growl. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Evie,” he says, poking out his bottom lip. “I tried to spare your feelings–” “I can’t wait for someone to burst your little bubble,” I snap angrily. “Look at you with daddy’s money and daddy’s contacts. You didn’t prove anything to anyone here. I put in the hard work and I put in the time–” His face darkened. “And look where that got you,” he says grimly. “Nothing but a participation trophy and a pink slip. You’re not anything special because you worked harder. Honestly, Evie. You’re the most naive girl I have ever met.” I did all I could to stop the hurt from making its way to my eyes. But I could feel it tightening my throat. I stand up quietly, gathering my things. I was just so tired of everything. I had plans. I was on track to be an amazing attorney. I studied my life away for this, only to be held back by my own lack of personability. It was all meaningless. It felt like ever since that night, my life has been spinning out of control and I don’t know how to stop it. This was exactly what I was afraid of. All that hard work was wasted. Maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised. Nothing ever came easy for me. Coming out of high school as valedictorian gave me a false sense of confidence. Everyone had told me I was spectacular as a student. But being a great student didn’t guarantee I’d be a great attorney. I don’t remember how I got home, only that when I did, Aria was at my door. She leaned casually against the wall, arms folded. “Hey, stranger,” she says mischeviously. I took a deep breath, fighting the urge to flip out and lose control of my anger. “Hey, Aria,” I say, forcing a smile to my face. “What’s up?” “You owe me for ditching me last night,” she grins. “There’s a press conference about to start on ESPN soon. I thought you could make it up to me.” She holds out a plastic bag for me. “It’s from the burger joint down the block,” she offers. I couldn’t say no to a bit of comfort food right about now. “French fries?” She nods. “Extra ranch.” I moaned. “Fine,” I say, unlocking my door. “You’re a mad woman.” “Oh, you know you love me,” she snorts. “Ugh. You know I do,” I whine. “I want that damn burger.” Aria nudges my shoulder. “Open the door and you’ll get your precious burger.” I throw open the door and quickly plop down on the couch. I reach for the remote and turn on the tv, searching for the channel. I find it smack dab in the middle of a commercial break. “Burger,” I order simply. “Coming right up,” she answers, handing me the paper wrapped deliciousness. Ripping open the wrapper, I take a bite, moaning at the comfort of the food. “So,” she says, swallowing her own bite. “How was work?” I glared over at her. Work was no longer my issue. It was over and I would have to move on. “Pass,” I groan, taking another bite. She let out a heavy sigh. “That bad, huh?” “I’m just… over it,” I grumble. “I’m tired of worrying about it now.” “Oh, thank god,” she says gratefully. The commercials end and the commentators come back on screen. “Welcome back, boy do we have a great show ahead for our viewers,” one says excitedly. “We have our reporters down at Clayton Center tonight, looking to get some insight into the Thunderbolt’s very own captain of the year, Timothy Hayes!” “That’s right, John,” the other commentator nods. “From the moment that kid stepped onto NHL ice, he has been a powerhouse. I mean, right out the gate, he comes in with fantastic speed and accuracy. It’s no wonder he’s been leading this Thunderbolt team to so many victories.” “Absolutely,” he agrees. “We’re heading in live to the press room to hear what Mister Hayes has to say about the season.” The camera jumps over to a room with a long table. At its center sat my number one pick for who I’d like to see get slammed into a wall at the next match. “Mister Hayes,” a reporter shouts. “Over here!” Timothy smiles, nodding in the reporter’s direction. “How are you, Jake?” Jake laughs. “Doing good. I’m here with the Independent and I was curious on how you feel your chances are at winning the Stanley this year,” he asks. Timothy chuckles. “You already know what I think,” he began. “It’s anybody’s to win at this point. It’s early in the season, we still have a lot of games to play.” “We already know what your publicist wants you to think,” the reporter added. “Tell us what you really think.” Timothy leans forward in his chair, bringing himself closer to the mic. “The cup is coming home.” Immediately, more hands fly up. Aria is squealing in giddy. “He’s just so hot,” she screams. I had to fight to keep my burger down. “Yea,” I grumble. “So hot.” More questions were asked. Every answer he gave seemed like the perfect answer to give. From a public relations standpoint. It was hard to not think about how perfect he seemed to be at everything. It was annoying. It wasn’t until a question perked my ears. “Mister Hayes,” a woman says. “We all know you’re a big hit with the female fans. But do you have anyone special back home?” For the first time this entire interview, he looked like a deer in the headlights. “I–,” he swallowed. “I did have someone. Once.” “Can you tell us a little bit about her?” He dropped his head. “Her name was Evie,” he finally answered. “She was special because out of everyone I knew, she didn’t care how many goals I got or how many state championships I won. That was never what defined my worth to her.” “Evie,” Aria says slowly. “What is happening?” Truthfully, I didn’t know. I had no idea what this jerk was trying to pull right now. I just blinked at the screen. “Do you have anything you’d like to say to her,” the reporter asked again. Timothy nods, finally looking back up to the camera. “If you’re watching this, Evie, you have no idea how sorry I am for who I was. You didn’t deserve to be put through all of that. I was an ass. I think about the day you returned my senior jersey all the time. I should have fought for you.” The breath was knocked from my lungs. Countless people across the country watched the scene on TV. “Evie,” Aria repeats, her voice quiet. “Did Timothy Hayes just say your…”

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After my boyfriend lost his memory, he insisted that I was his aunt. His rich uncle paid me $5 million to pretend to be his wife. But then I realised it was me who had lost my memory.

On our first wedding anniversary, my husband said he bought me my favorite flowers. I took the flowers and thanked the delivery guy with a smile. But I never liked the white roses. These were my sister Brenda’s favorite, not mine.

The plane was about to crash. My fiancé, Stefan Ramos, was the captain. He gave the only life-saving device to his old flame, Aniyah Fletcher. I didn’t argue or protest. Instead, I calmly accepted it. In my past life, when faced with the same choice, Stefan gave me that life-saving device. At that time, I was carrying his child. In the end, the plane made an emergency landing. Aniyah, without a life-saving device, tragically perished from the impact when the plane hit the ground. I carried his child, and later, I married Stefan. However, on our wedding night, he locked me in the basement and brutally beat me with a baseball bat until I miscarried. He accused me, saying, “If you hadn’t blackmailed me with your pregnancy, forcing me to give you the life-saving device, Aniyah wouldn’t have died such a horrible death.” He made me repent at Aniyah’s grave and forced me to get pregnant over and over again, only to make me lose the baby each time, as punishment for the “sin” I had committed. I was tormented to the brink of insanity, and in the end, I chose to end my life. When I opened my eyes again, all the memories of my previous life came flooding back. This time, I would do as he wished… The entire cabin lurched violently, and panic engulfed the passengers. There were less than ten minutes left before the crash. I shielded my swollen belly, pressing myself tightly against the seat, my face pale. Sitting nearby, equally pale, was Camden Burke, the co-pilot, who was distributing the life-saving equipment. However, there was only one life-saving device left. Aniyah and I were seated in the last row, and neither of us had gotten our life-saving equipment. Aniyah was my fiancé Stefan’s old love. The cockpit door swung open, and Stefan strode out. The moment Aniyah saw him, her eyes welled up with tears. “Stefan, I’m so scared…” Aniyah was stunningly beautiful, and those lovely eyes of hers were now filled with tears. Without even glancing at me, Stefan wrapped her tightly in his arms, comforting her. “Don’t be afraid, I’ll protect you,” he murmured softly, soothing the woman he loved, completely forgetting that his seven-month pregnant fiancée was sitting just a few feet away. It wasn’t until Camden reminded him that Stefan remembered I was there. He turned to look at me, frowning in disgust. “I told you it was bad luck for a pregnant woman to fly. But you insisted on coming out of jealousy. Now look, you’ve endangered the entire plane. Are you happy now?!” He was the famously handsome captain of this route, and most of the passengers trusted him. Hearing his words, the already frightened passengers became enraged. They hurled insults at me and the baby in my womb, their words venomous and cruel. A five-year-old boy threw a metal airplane model at me with all his strength. The sharp wing slashed my forehead, and blood immediately began to trickle down. Seeing the entire plane venting their fury on me, a gleam of triumph and provocation flickered in Aniyah’s eyes. Choking with sobs, she asked Stefan, “But Stefan, there’s only one life-saving device left. What should we do?” As she spoke, tears streamed down her face in large droplets. “Maybe… maybe you should give the device to Kristina. She’s carrying your child… I’d be content just to spend my last moments with you…” Stefan’s eyes reddened. He held Aniyah tightly, kissing her hair over and over, his voice low with emotion. “No, Aniyah, meeting you is the luckiest thing that’s ever happened to me. I won’t let anything happen to you.” With that, he reached over and snatched the last life-saving device from Camden’s hands, putting it on Aniyah without hesitation. As soon as he finished, the cabin erupted in applause. Everyone was moved by their love story. Except for Camden, no one spoke up for me. “Captain, what about your fiancée?! There’s less than two minutes before the crash. She’s pregnant. She won’t survive it!” Camden pleaded, his voice urgent. Stefan glared at me coldly, his eyes filled with malice. “You’re doing this on purpose. You’re using my child to force me into giving you the last life-saving device, just so you can kill Aniyah! Don’t you understand? She’s the most talented dancer in the world, with a promising future ahead of her! “You couldn’t fulfill your own dreams of being a dancer, so now you want to destroy her! You’re a vile, wicked woman, and I won’t let you succeed!” His hysterical shouting cut through the increasingly loud, shrill sounds of the plane’s rapid descent. I remained calm, silent. After the agony of my past life, I had long since seen through the true nature of this man I had loved for over a decade. I knew he had never loved me. Since that was the case, I would no longer harbor any hope for him. This time, I would give him exactly what he wanted. I would leave his life for good. In the final moments of crisis, Camden tried to take off his life-saving device to give it to me, but I stopped him. I looked at Stefan’s astonished expression with quiet composure. In the last seconds before the plane exploded, I mouthed to him, “I don’t want you anymore. And I don’t want your child either.”

I let go of my belly, my hands falling limp as the weightlessness hit me, and in an instant, I lost consciousness. My body plunged into the freezing, icy waters. The blast wave from the final explosion of the plane crashed against me. My bones snapped. My once-swollen belly now caved in unnaturally, and the blast left me deaf. The world around me fell silent. Warm blood streamed from my head, a stinging pain spreading across my face. My body was growing colder with every passing second. The deep blue sea around me turned crimson with my blood. I floated alone in the vast ocean, my vision blurring as circles of light began to form before my eyes. Through the haze, I saw the wreckage of the plane. Above it, a rescue helicopter hovered. A rope ladder descended from the helicopter. Stefan, his face filled with urgency, held Aniyah tightly as he prepared to climb the ladder. But Camden, with blood trickling down his temple, blocked him furiously. I squinted, trying to make out their words. Camden was saying, “You bastard! Your pregnant fiancée is still in the ocean, and all you can think about is saving your old flame?!” Though Camden and I didn’t know each other well, he was truly indignant on my behalf. Luckily, he had survived the crash. Stefan, however, seemed even more enraged than Camden. “Aniyah sprained her ankle! Do you even realize how serious that is for a dancer? Why I choose not to save her is none of your business!” He glanced at Camden with contempt, his voice dripping with disdain. “Or what? Are you her lover? Why else would you be so concerned about her?” Even though I had already witnessed Stefan’s cruelty before, his coldness at that moment still cut deep. Camden’s face went pale with anger. He insisted that I be taken for medical treatment first, but Stefan wasn’t having it. “Camden, you’re just a trainee,” Stefan warned, his voice low and menacing. “As one of your examiners, I have the authority to assess your competence. If you keep pushing this, you might need to find a new job.” Seeing that Camden wasn’t backing down, Stefan’s tone darkened further. “You may not care about yourself, but does your girlfriend in the control tower not matter to you either?” Camden’s face turned ashen at those words. He hesitated. Stefan smirked, satisfied that his subordinate was cowed. With a sneer of disdain, he glanced at me briefly before speaking again, his voice filled with malice. “Don’t be fooled by how she looks. She’s a master manipulator. She’s good at twisting the truth, playing the victim. She once lied, claiming Aniyah sent people to harass her. I missed Aniyah’s most important competition because of it, rushing to ‘rescue’ her. “It wasn’t until later that I realized it was all part of her plan. She wanted Aniyah to miss that competition and lose her chance to get into the university. She’s nothing but a vile, scheming woman. She trapped me by getting pregnant, then used the child to force me into an engagement. And now, she wants to pull the same stunt again to kill Aniyah! “I’ve seen through her games a long time ago. If she wants to play the victim, let her freeze in the ocean.” With that, he turned away without looking back, carrying the unconscious but still delicate-looking Aniyah up the ladder to the helicopter. The helicopter’s blades whipped up towering waves across the surface of the sea. I had no strength left. I couldn’t hold on any longer. As the final wave crashed over me, darkness swallowed me whole.

Things between Stefan and me hadn’t always been this terrible. Before senior year, I had been the most important person in his life. Back then, his phone and computer passwords were my birthday. Our relationship started to go downhill when my housekeeper’s daughter, Aniyah, transferred to our class. About two weeks after she arrived, I had an accident. One morning, I tripped going downstairs and broke my leg. I was supposed to be preparing for a very important dance competition at the time. Aniyah took my place. That was when I learned she also studied ballet, and she was exceptionally good at it. Stefan thought so, too. While I was home recovering for two weeks, Aniyah became Stefan’s new desk partner. Stefan had asked for that arrangement himself. One day, some of my friends cornered Aniyah in the bathroom and bullied her. Stefan happened to walk by and saved her. From that moment on, he became her protector. I turned into the most irrelevant and hated antagonist in their budding romance. In my previous life, I couldn’t accept losing Stefan, so I acted out, doing all sorts of childish things out of jealousy. When Aniyah set me up, I failed to find proof in time, which only made Stefan despise me more and more. In the end, he blocked me for Aniyah and even told both his parents and mine that he would never marry me. He said the only person he truly loved was Aniyah. Heartbroken, I fell into a deep depression and left for college abroad, staying away from him for four years. When I returned, I was surprised to find out that Aniyah had also left the country. During Stefan’s time of despair, when he was downcast and miserable because of her absence, I came back into his life. I encouraged him to pursue his dreams. That was when he decided to become a pilot. He did it because Aniyah loved dancing, and as a pilot, he could personally fly her to her competitions. I had planned to give up on him. But on the night that Aniyah and Stefan had a huge fight and broke up, he got drunk and forced himself on me. Afterward, he waved a test report in my face, accusing me of being a shameless manipulator. But the truth was, I had no idea who had drugged him. To make matters worse, I found out I was pregnant after that night. Under pressure from his parents, Stefan agreed to get engaged to me. During that time, Aniyah came back. From the moment she returned, Stefan stopped coming home, spending entire nights at her place. His behavior drove the previous version of me mad with jealousy. To catch him in the act, I bought a ticket on the same flight as Aniyah. At the critical moment, I pulled out the agreement his father had signed with me and threatened Stefan. I told him if I died, he wouldn’t see a penny of his inheritance. That was the only reason he agreed to give me the life-saving equipment. What I never expected was that Stefan had never loved me or our unborn child. But now, I’d been given a second chance. This time, I’d decided to cut my losses early.

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was the cold, white ceiling. I lay in the ICU, a breathing machine helping my fragile breath. The nurse was thrilled when she saw I was awake. “You’ve broken ten ribs, suffered severe damage to your eardrums, fractured your skull, and punctured a lung… It’s a miracle you’re even awake!” She spoke quickly. Her words finally pulled me out of the memories from my previous life. Pain coursed through my entire body, making me shiver. For the next two weeks, until I was discharged, Stefan never came. During that time, his father, Dustin Ramos, called him numerous times, but Stefan brushed it all off, convinced it was just another lie orchestrated by me and his parents. “Kristina, it’s bad enough that you’re scheming against me, but dragging my parents into it too? I’m ashamed of you.” He said he had more important things to do. I knew those “things” were about being with his beloved, Aniyah. As the heir to the Ramos Group, he attended various business events with her, boosting her fame as she prepared to make her debut. On the day I was discharged, I sat in a wheelchair. The doctor informed me that my leg had been crushed beyond repair. I would never dance again, and even walking would be difficult for the rest of my life. Stefan’s mother, Marsha Ramos, fainted in Dustin’s arms when she heard the news. I stayed calm and reassured them. “It’s okay. At least I’m still alive, right?” I hadn’t died at Stefan’s hands like I did in my previous life. I was still alive. To honor our child, I planned to hold a funeral. That day, I sent Stefan a message: [Today is the baby’s funeral. You should come and say goodbye. The doctor said it was a fully formed girl. You can also sign the divorce papers when we meet.] Although we had never held a wedding, when Stefan learned I was pregnant, he had been forced to marry me. Many of our high school friends came to the funeral. They wore solemn expressions, offering me their condolences. Stefan arrived in the middle of it all. He looked vibrant, his neck still marked with fresh love bites, and his shirt buttons fastened in the wrong places. It was clear what he had just done. Everyone present could tell, too. They all shot him disgusted looks. No man with any sense of decency would be fooling around with another woman on the day of his own child’s funeral. Stefan ignored their stares. He glanced at my abdomen, hidden beneath a loose coat, then tossed a stack of medical records at me. “Aniyah’s friend works at the hospital. She checked your records long before you called. There is no record of a miscarriage. Your injuries were just minor bruises, not even a fracture.” He shook his head, his eyes filled with contempt. “How low can you go? You actually staged a funeral to curse your own child just for attention.” He turned to the others in the room. “Don’t let her fool you! She’s nothing but trash. This woman is insane. She has no value, nothing in her life but chasing after men. Leave before she cons you too!” He was speaking as though he had uncovered some grand deceit. If it weren’t for the fact that everyone there had already seen the baby’s ashes and the scars on my stomach, they might have believed him. Dustin and Marsha, looking furious, tried to pull him away to avoid further embarrassment. But Stefan pushed them aside. “Dad, Mom, I told you from the start I didn’t want to marry this woman. You forced me. Now look at what she’s done to our family! “She’s the one who ruined our family’s reputation with all her lies! I…” “Stefan, stop.” I rolled forward in my wheelchair, calmly cutting him off. Stefan looked down at me, his eyes filled with disdain and scorn. “What? Afraid of being exposed?” I shook my head, pulling out the medical report and the divorce papers from my bag and handing them to him with a steady gaze. “I just don’t want Mr. and Mrs. Ramos to suffer any more shame because of you.” Stefan froze for a moment when he saw the documents but quickly recovered, smirking in disdain. “You think faking the documents will make me believe you?” Without a word, I lifted my shirt, revealing the scars etched across my abdomen. “I didn’t have any life-saving equipment, so when the plane exploded, my stomach was torn open…” I sighed softly, resigned. “I wasn’t lying. The baby is really gone.” With just one glance at me, Stefan’s face turned pale.

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