Category: English

My mother-in-law, Eleanor, said she wanted to experience what young people do, so I took her to a bar to grab a drink. I never expected that as soon as I ordered a drink for Eleanor, a flirtatious woman came over with a glass in her hand. Her eyes scanned the bill on our table, and she snickered dismissively. “Only spending a few bucks? Just brought the old lady here to leech off the free AC, huh?” “Poor people should stay in their gutters! Do you really think you belong in a high-class place like this?” I stood up, trying to keep my temper in check. “We’re spending our own money. What’s it to you?” She suddenly snapped, grabbing an unfinished beer bottle from our table, and raised it to smash it over my head: “My husband owns this bar! Even if I kill you, I can afford to pay for it!” I wiped the beer from my face, trembling with rage. She was my husband’s side chick! I immediately opened my live stream and said to my followers: “Live on air, I’m taking you all on a tour of my husband’s *other* home.”

\[OMG! Scarlett, your head is bleeding! Who did that?!] \[Daniel’s other home? What does that mean? I just came from CEO Miller’s financial interview live stream, he said he was coming home to have dinner with Scarlett tonight!] \[Who’s that woman up front? So arrogant! I know this bar, it just opened. Heard Daniel Miller is the owner!] \[My husband is the owner? So… is that woman the owner’s wife?] Comments flooded the screen, scrolling so fast they were a blur. Meanwhile, the woman opposite me casually lit a cigarette. “Your husband? With your pathetic look, do you really think you’re good enough for Daniel?” “Stop flattering yourself. Take this old hag and get out, or I’ll call security!” I was about to argue when I noticed the wristwatch on her wrist – “Overture of Time.” It was mine. Just yesterday, Daniel had held my hand, his face full of concern: “Scarlett, the watch strap is a little loose. I’ll take it to the master’s apprentice to adjust it for you, and get it serviced. I promise you’ll be wearing the perfect watch tomorrow.” I laughed, telling him he was making a big deal out of nothing, but his thoughtfulness melted my heart, and I gave him the watch. But I never imagined it would be on another woman’s wrist at this very moment! My live stream followers were sharp-eyed and spotted it too. \[Wait! That watch! Isn’t that Scarlett’s ‘Overture of Time’?! The only one in the entire world!] \[Holy crap! I remember that watch! When CEO Miller gave it to Scarlett back then, we all said it was a fairy-tale romance! How is it on this woman’s wrist?!] The woman obviously saw the comments. She deliberately raised her wrist. “So you really are Daniel’s wife. Even better!” “Let me tell you right now, this watch is proof of Daniel’s love for *me*! Who do you think you are? You’re nothing but a wife in name only! Daniel loves *me*!” “You don’t deserve to wear it,” I said coldly, clenching my fists. “Scarlett, let’s go. Don’t bother with people like her.” Eleanor’s face changed as she looked at the watch. “Old hag, trying to leave? Not until you clean up the mess you made!” The woman stepped forward, blocking our way, grabbed a bottle of red wine, and poured it over Eleanor’s head. “Aren’t you live streaming? Perfect! Today, I’ll let everyone see how you and that old hag kneel down and lick the wine off my shoes!” She waved over a few black-suited security guards who had come over to see what the commotion was about. “What are you standing around for?! Grab these two fools for me!” “When Daniel gets here, I want him to see with his own eyes how these two pieces of trash kneel and beg for mercy!”

I aimed my phone camera directly at the woman’s face. “Folks, meet this lady who claims to be Daniel Miller’s ‘true love.’ Right now, she wants my mother-in-law and me to kneel before her.” The comments on the live stream instantly went from anger to a flood of mockery. \[Kneel? Is her brain broken? Make Scarlett and her mother-in-law kneel to *her*?] \[LOL, who is this person, so basic, yet so confident? ‘True love,’ does CEO Miller even know?] Eleanor also spoke up, “Young lady, power that comes from a man blows away with the slightest breeze.” Tiffany’s face instantly turned scarlet with rage. She grabbed a wine bottle. “Old hag! Stop acting like you’re so wise just because you’re old!” I instinctively pulled Eleanor behind me. *Thud!* The bottle smashed hard against my back. Wine soaked through my dress, and glass shards cut my skin. I grunted, falling to my knees. “Scarlett!” Eleanor shrieked in terror. The woman pointed at me, yelling at the surrounding security guards. “What are you looking at?! Grab this crazy woman! And that old hag! Tie them both up!” Several menacing security guards advanced on us. Eleanor anxiously said, “Wait!” She then called Daniel and put him on speakerphone. Just as it was about to go to voicemail, Daniel’s impatient voice came through, mixed with a woman’s giggling in the background. “Mom? What is it? I’m kind of busy here.” “Daniel, Scarlett and I are at your new bar. Scarlett was hit with a wine bottle protecting me and is bleeding badly,” Eleanor said anxiously. Daniel replied dismissively, “Mom, why did you two go there?” “I have a very important business dinner here; I really can’t leave.” “Take Scarlett to the hospital first, and let Tiffany handle everything. All medical expenses are on me.” “I’ll… I’ll come see you later.” With that, he actually hung up the phone. “Beep… beep… beep…” So her name was Tiffany. Eleanor’s hand, holding the phone, trembled uncontrollably. “Heard that? Daniel doesn’t care about you two at all!” “Security! What are you standing around for?! Throw them out!” Tiffany waved her hand, saying triumphantly. The security guards closed in again. “You just heard your boss’s voice. He’s just busy and can’t leave right now.” “But if you dare touch us, I promise you, you’ll deeply regret it!” I shielded Eleanor behind me, forcing myself to stay calm. “And I’m still live streaming, you know. If this gets out, I wonder if your bar will have any business left!”

My words clearly had an effect. The bodyguards exchanged glances and stopped. Tiffany shrieked in exasperation, “What are you afraid of?! What can a stupid live stream do?! Daniel will handle any consequences! Get them!” However, no one moved. Tiffany could only call Daniel, putting him on speaker. He picked up almost instantly: “Tiffany? What’s wrong? Didn’t I tell you not to be childish? I’m busy here.” She cried into the phone, “Daniel! Someone’s causing trouble at your bar! They hit me! Come quick!” Daniel on the other end immediately sounded tense. “What?! Are you hurt? Where are you hurt? Don’t be scared, wait for me, I’m coming right now!” He then hung up abruptly. A cold dread washed over me. Just a few minutes ago, Eleanor told him I was bleeding from a bottle smash while protecting her. And he said, “I can’t leave, you two go to the hospital yourselves.” Tiffany hung up, arrogantly commanding the security guards, “Did you hear that? Daniel will be here any second!” “You! Now, tie these two bitches up immediately!” “When Daniel gets here, I’ll make sure you all know who truly has his ear!” Eleanor looked at me worriedly, and I gave her a reassuring smile. Then, I walked up to Tiffany and slapped her hard. *Smack!* “You dared to hit me?!” Tiffany shrieked, clutching her face. She raised her hand, but stopped when she saw the watch. “You really care about this watch, don’t you?” She dangled the watch, and my heart sank, a premonition of dread rising within me. She smiled at me, deftly unbuckled the strap, and held the wristwatch high. “You say Daniel loves you? But he gave me your symbol of eternal love!” “I heard this watch is priceless. Do you think it would still be valuable if it shattered?” With that, she violently slammed the watch onto the marble floor. “No!” I screamed, lunging forward. *Crash!* With a crisp sound, the sapphire crystal of the watch face instantly shattered, and intricate parts scattered everywhere. My heart shattered with it. The live stream viewers were also shocked by her瘋狂act; the comments completely froze for a moment. “See that? That’s how much you mean to him! Worthless!” Tiffany laughed maniacally, grinding her sharp high heel over the broken watch face. “Some broken junk, and you cherish it so much?!” “I’m going to kill you!” I lunged, pinning her to the ground, slapping her repeatedly! “Ahhh!” Tiffany screamed non-stop. The security captain behind her finally snapped out of his shock. “Quick! Pull her off! Tie this crazy woman up!” he yelled at his men. I was pulled away by the bodyguards. “Yes! Tie her up! Beat her hard! I want her to spend the rest of her life in bed!” She yelled at everyone, “When Daniel comes, he’ll only take my side! Get her!”

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Under the solemn national emblem, the senior officer asked me, “Jack Foster, are you sure you want to become an undercover detective?” “I’m sure,” I replied firmly. To become an undercover detective, the first step was to erase all traces of my past life. My current name would completely disappear from this world. So, I would be arranged a fake death by the authorities, and then live again with a new identity. As I returned from the police station, before I could reach the bedroom door, I heard a woman’s soft moans coming from inside. With a numb expression, I looked at the wide-open door, mentally counting how many men Sophia Sanders had brought back this time. For three years of our marriage, she brought back a different man who looked like me every day. She deliberately left the door open, shamelessly making love in front of me, all to get revenge for my abandonment years ago. But this time, when the woman inside made a sound, I was stunned. Lost in thought, it was already over inside. Sophia walked out wrapped in a towel, her legs trembling. She looked at me, her eyes cold. “You’re back just in time. We’re out of condoms. Go buy some more.” She took out a thick wad of cash from the nearby drawer and threw it directly at my face. “The rest is your tip. Isn’t money what you love?” My face stung from the bills, but I didn’t pick up the money on the ground. Instead, I looked at her with red eyes. “After sleeping with so many men all these years, why couldn’t you leave Ryan alone?” It was cruel beyond measure. She knew very well that Ryan Johnson was my best friend. Sophia’s eyes were cold as ice. She sneered, “Back then, did you spare me?” My heart suddenly ached as those memories came flooding back. Sophia and I were high school sweethearts, the campus beauty and the campus heartthrob, known as the model couple in school. We had promised to get married when we came of age, but at the peak of our love, I suddenly broke up with her and left the country with a rich kid. On the day I broke up with her, she chased after me for a long time with tears in her eyes. Such a proud person, begging me over and over not to break up, saying that she would definitely grow up one day. She begged me not to rush, to wait for her, begged me not to fall in love with someone else. But I was so cold, unwilling to say even a word to her. I even watched her get into a car accident while chasing after me, without looking back. That accident was very serious, causing her kidney to rupture. She needed a kidney transplant to survive. She lay on the operating table covered in blood, but still insisted on crawling up to call me. But the calls she made with all her strength were all hung up. Love cuts deep, and hate cuts deeper. From that day on, Sophia hated me to the core. She spent four years establishing herself at the top of the business world, becoming a female billionaire. And the first thing she did after achieving fame and fortune was to use her power and influence to force me to marry her, and then bring one man after another home to humiliate me. But only I knew that breaking up with her back then wasn’t because I didn’t love her, nor because I was greedy for money. It was because I had no choice. My father was an undercover cop. When his mission failed and his identity was exposed to the drug lords, after killing my father, the criminal gang started taking revenge on my family. After receiving the news, we fled as a family. To avoid implicating Sophia, I had no choice but to break up with her. On the way, I learned that she had been in a car accident. I risked my life to run to the hospital to donate a kidney to her, but had to hurry back home before she woke up. But I never expected that my entire family – four elderly relatives, my mother and my sister – would all be brutally killed by the drug dealers. Only I miraculously escaped with my life. Thinking of how my family was brutally murdered, my eyes involuntarily turned bloodshot. Seeing my red eyes, Sophia spoke coldly, but with a hint of expectation in her eyes: “What, you want to say you had difficulties back then?” Coming back to my senses, I just shook my head firmly. “No difficulties. You didn’t misunderstand, I’m just that kind of person who loves money and fame.” I couldn’t explain the difficulties then, and even more so now. I carried the blood debt of my entire family. Sophia and I were destined to never have a future together. These years of time were stolen by me. Now that I’ve decided to inherit my father’s badge, the mission is life-threatening. I’ll probably be reunited with my family soon.

Seeing me like this, Sophia’s face darkened even more. She looked at me coldly, her tone carrying more anger. “If not, then get out and buy condoms.” I said nothing, just picked up the money from the ground and went out. After buying the stuff, I put the condoms at the door, then went back to my room and locked the door. That night, the intimate sounds from the next room never stopped. As if to deliberately get revenge on me, Sophia was especially gentle when saying sweet nothings to Ryan. “Darling, I love you so much.” “You should love me forever too, never leave me, okay?” And these sweet words were all things I used to say when making love to her before. Back then, we didn’t have much money, living in a tiny 200 square foot rental apartment, but we were so in love. I had countless fantasies of growing old with Sophia, having a son and a daughter, living happily ever after. But those memories were like flowers in a mirror and the moon’s reflection in water – no matter how beautiful, they would never return. I cried all night, waking up to find my pillow soaked through. I told myself, Jack Foster, this is the last time you cry for her. When I went downstairs, they were both already awake. Before, the men she brought back never stayed overnight. Ryan was the first, and also the only one to have breakfast here. The housekeepers were obviously busier than usual. I then learned that today was Ryan’s birthday, and Sophia was throwing a grand birthday party for him at home. When the party started, many friends from their social circle came. They warmly greeted Ryan, as if he was the master of this house. Sophia gave him plenty of face, holding his hand as they accepted everyone’s toasts. After he blew out the candles and made a wish, she lavishly gifted him a million-dollar diamond watch. In the heat of the moment, the two even passionately kissed in front of everyone. The crowd below applauded enthusiastically. The looks they gave me were full of undisguised pity. “To be a husband reduced to this state, how pitiful.” “Who doesn’t know that I’m now the laughingstock of the entire social circle? If it were me, I’d just find a place to hide away.” “Yet I act like nothing’s wrong, without any reaction at all.” I pulled my lips into a bitter smile. I had suffered too much pain already. What was this level of humiliation compared to that? Midway through the party, Ryan found me in a place where no one else was around. “It’s been a whole day. Aren’t you going to ask me why?” I shook my head faintly: “There’s no need to know anymore.” Ryan was my best friend, so he also knew about what happened years ago. All these years, he had witnessed firsthand how much pain I was in. He couldn’t bear to see me with red eyes, looking at the bedroom photos Sophia sent, crying countless times. He wanted to call her so many times to tell her the whole truth. It was me who stopped him, saying that no matter what we did, it wouldn’t change the outcome between the two of us. Now, Ryan looked at me with bloodshot eyes. There were too many emotions hidden in those eyes, making it impossible to understand. “Jack, you know I hate it most when you’re like this, acting like you don’t care about anything. You don’t know anything, so of course you don’t know that I’ve secretly liked her for many years.” “But her heart only had you in it. I know you’ve been in agony because of her these past years, but do you know what kind of life she lived after you left?” “For you, she drank alcohol all day, drinking until she vomited blood. She stayed alone in the apartment you two used to rent, spending night after night there. The photo you left her was kept in her wallet for years. Once when she encountered a robbery, she’d rather be stabbed multiple times than let the wallet be taken away, just to protect the only memento you left her. She even brought you back home after becoming successful, bringing so many men back, just to make you admit defeat to her. As long as you said you still loved her, she would forget everything and reconcile with you without hesitation.” “Jack, she’s such a proud person, yet she lowered herself to such an extent for you. She hates you, but she loves you even more.” Saying this, he paused for a moment. “You know what? I hate you too. I hate that even after you’ve treated her like this, she still won’t let you go.” “Actually, Sophia wasn’t planning to keep me originally. All the men she brought back over the years looked like you, but I don’t look like you at all. But I’ll be the man who stays by her side the longest.” “Do you know why? Because I lied to her, saying that kidney from back then was donated by me.” I just listened quietly, not saying a word. Seeing me still silent, Ryan’s breathing gradually became rapid. After a long while, he finally spoke: “Jack, you haven’t given me a birthday gift this year. But what I want is only one thing – I want you to give Sophia to me.” Hearing this, I was silent for a long time. Just when Ryan thought I wouldn’t answer, I opened my mouth. “Okay.” Ryan smiled, tears in his eyes. “Since you’re giving her up, then do it thoroughly. Make her heart completely free of you.” As he finished speaking, he let go of the handrail he was holding onto and closed his eyes, falling backwards!

The huge noise startled everyone. When Sophia saw Ryan lying on the ground covered in blood, her face darkened to the extreme. “Jack Foster! You’re asking for death!” She helped Ryan up and hurriedly pushed open the door to leave. The party ended unhappily. I was also taken to the hospital by the bodyguards. I heard that Ryan had lost a lot of blood, and coincidentally my blood type matched his. So Sophia ordered me to donate blood without hesitation. Blood donation requires a simple physical examination, where past surgeries and medical history would be revealed. I couldn’t let Sophia know at this point that I had donated a kidney to her. Thinking of this, I immediately put on an act of being mean: “I won’t donate. My blood type isn’t rare, why does it have to be me?” Sophia took out a thick wad of cash from her pocket and threw it hard at my face. “Isn’t money what you love? How much do you want? I’ll give you as much as you want. Will you donate now?!” I looked at her with a numb expression as she threw wad after wad of cash at my face. It felt like a knife was cutting deep into my heart. After she had thrown six or seven wads in disgust, I finally crouched down to pick up the scattered bills one by one. I forced a smile and looked at her. “Why didn’t you give it earlier? Such a waste of time.” With that, I walked straight to the blood donation room. After the examination, the doctor looked at the report in his hand and shook his head. “This gentleman has had surgery before and is missing a kidney. He has a history of major blood loss. Blood donation is not recommended.” Sophia’s brows immediately furrowed into a frown: “What do you mean missing a kidney?” Before I could speak, Sophia coldly said: “What, for my money, are you going to make up some lie about how you donated the kidney to me back then?” My heart ached sharply. I forced a smile and nodded. “Yeah, I didn’t expect you to see through it.” Her face darkened to the extreme. She grabbed the doctor’s collar and said through gritted teeth: “I don’t care how much money Jack gave you to lie, I’ll give you double.” “Draw as much blood from me as Ryan needs.” The huge needle pierced into my vein, making me tremble involuntarily. As the blood drained drop by drop, my body grew colder and colder. The world in front of me started to blur. I don’t know how many vials of blood were drawn before I finally couldn’t hold on any longer and passed out. When I woke up, it was already dark. There was a rice cake I loved to eat on the bedside table. In the past, whenever I wasn’t feeling well, Sophia would brave wind and rain to buy this for me, no matter where she was, to cheer me up. She said she was poor now and could only afford to buy me these things, but in the future she would definitely give me the best. Thinking of how she used to hold me and comfort me so gently, my heart started to throb painfully, aching to the point of suffocation. I took the rice cake from the table and mechanically put it in my mouth, swallowing it bite by bite. When I went out, I happened to see Ryan in the next hospital room, leaning against the bed and acting coquettishly towards Sophia. “Sophia, it’s too hot.” Sophia gently blew on it to cool it down, then brought it to my mouth again. I took a bite and pouted: “It’s not sweet enough.” Sophia didn’t get impatient. She just smiled and took out a piece of candy from her pocket, unwrapped it, and fed it into my mouth. I blinked and said again: “It’s still not sweet enough.” This time, Sophia put down the bowl in her hand and directly cupped my face, kissing me tenderly. A moment later, the two separated. Ryan hugged her in his arms, his tone affectionate. “Sophia, don’t love Jack anymore. Love me, okay?” Her gaze happened to meet mine at the door. There was a moment of silence in the air. She looked at me, her eyes cold. “I don’t love him anymore. I never will again.” I said nothing, just pulled my lips into a sad smile, then turned and left.

During these days in the hospital, Sophia’s doting on Ryan was known to everyone. I was alone in the hospital room, with no one coming to see me. The intern nurse thought I was single, and one day she boldly came to ask for my contact information. As luck would have it, Sophia happened to witness this. She looked coldly at the two of us, saying nothing, but the light in her eyes was frighteningly cold. That night, I saw the fireworks show she had prepared for Ryan. The fireworks were so grand that they lit up the entire night sky. Everyone in the hospital couldn’t help but run out to watch. I stood under the fireworks, admiring the beauty that wasn’t meant for me. Fireworks are fleeting, just like my happiness. The intern nurse who was supposed to check on me never appeared in front of me again. For the next few days, until I was discharged, I didn’t see her again. On the day of discharge, Ryan insisted on taking me along. “Sophia, let’s bring Jack too. It’s inconvenient for me to take a taxi alone.” Sophia looked at me coldly, her tone icy: “Ryan, don’t be too kind to me, or you’ll be eaten alive.” “Besides, Jack is very good at seducing women. There are plenty of people willing to take him home.” I didn’t say anything, but in the end I still got into her car. Halfway through the drive, Sophia suddenly received a phone call saying there was a business dinner she had been invited to for a long time. Ryan immediately begged her to take both of them along, saying he had been cooped up in the hospital for many days and wanted to go out and see the world. Sophia didn’t refuse. The three of us arrived at the dinner together. Everyone only saw her holding Ryan’s hand, so they thought I was Sophia’s husband and turned their gazes towards me walking behind the two of them. “Ms. Sanders, who is this gentleman?” She glanced at me coldly and said: “Him? He’s our housekeeper.” “I brought him to take care of Ryan.” My heart suddenly stopped, but I didn’t say a word in protest. Midway through, someone came to toast Sophia. She just coldly waved her hand at me. “Drink up. I didn’t bring you here to enjoy yourself.” “Don’t worry, I won’t shortchange you on money.” I smiled and raised the wine glass without hesitation, downing the contents in one gulp. Seeing how she didn’t care about me, everyone crowded around me, forcing me to drink. I accepted every toast. At one point, a middle-aged woman, under the pretext of toasting, discreetly felt me up. After being pushed away by me several times, she put her hand on my abs again. In the dimly lit corner, Sophia’s eyes watched the woman’s movements, her gaze growing darker and darker. I don’t know how long I drank, but I felt dizzy and the world was spinning. I got up to go to the bathroom to wash my face. When I came out, that middle-aged woman was walking towards me step by step. A bad premonition rose in my heart. I quickly backed away, but the woman moved faster, covering my nose and mouth with a cloth soaked in drugs. My body grew heavier and heavier, and my blood seemed to boil instantly. I struggled as I was dragged towards the end of the hallway. In the last moment before I was pushed through the door, I kicked the woman’s foot hard. Taking advantage of her pain and loosened grip, I pushed her away and staggered out. I hid in a random room, my body feeling like it was about to explode from the heat. The cloth from earlier must have been drugged. I knew I had been drugged! In my hazy state, the door was pushed open and a tall woman walked in. Against the light, I couldn’t see her face clearly. I thought she was a waitress from the private room and rushed towards her in panic. I grabbed her hand tightly: “Help me find a woman, quick!” The newcomer’s voice was cold: “Do you know what you’re saying?” I bit my lip hard, forcing myself to be a little more clearheaded. “I… I can’t die. Please, I’m begging you…” The person laughed coldly: “Why do you need to find a woman? Am I not good enough?” The familiar voice made me instantly sober up. I opened my eyes to see Sophia standing in front of me. Using my last bit of strength, I pushed her away. “You can’t… you can’t…” Sophia’s face immediately darkened to the extreme. She angrily rushed forward and tightly gripped my neck. “Why can’t I?” “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t leave me as long as I had money?” “I have money now, so why can’t I?” I was stunned for a moment. After a while, tears fell uncontrollably, and I said in a trembling voice: “Because you’re… Sophia Sanders. You’re my Sophia.” As soon as the words fell, it was as if a huge wave had been stirred up. She completely lost control and pressed me against the wall, kissing me.

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I tried to seduce my fiancé 99 times, but he still preferred my sister. On our wedding day, he didn’t show up. Instead, he married my sister first, making me the laughingstock of the entire city. In my moment of pain and despair, my fiancé’s brother Ethan Foster took me into his arms. He said he had secretly loved me for a long time and asked me to give him a chance. Moved by Ethan’s devotion, I turned around and married him instead. For five years of marriage, Ethan catered to my every whim and showered me with affection. Until a tragic boating accident took his life. At the funeral, I was inconsolable, nearly smashing my head against his tombstone in grief. It wasn’t until I unexpectedly discovered I was pregnant that I gave up thoughts of suicide. I spent my days in tears, barely hanging on. I thought this was how the rest of my life would be. Until one day, I overheard a conversation between my former fiancé and his friend. “Ethan, it was actually your brother who died in that boating accident. But you’ve been deceiving everyone by assuming your brother’s identity just to be with Zoe. Aren’t you afraid the truth will come out one day?” “I don’t care anymore. I’ve always loved Zoe. I only married Olivia out of duty, to avoid interfering with her happiness. I already stepped aside once before. This time, fate has given me a chance and I don’t want to let it go!” In that moment, I finally understood. It turns out, everyone had always preferred my sister Zoe Reed. It turns out, Ethan loved her even more deeply than Aaron did. Back then, Ethan had been willing to “make the sacrifice” of marrying me for Zoe’s happiness. Now he was even willing to fake his own death and assume his brother’s identity just to be with her! I couldn’t accept this reality. I ran out into the pouring rain and cried my heart out until dawn. Looking at my disheveled state, I finally came to my senses. He didn’t love me. Heartbroken, I accidentally tripped and fell, bleeding profusely. Soaked to the bone, I stumbled into the hospital. “Doctor, please save my baby!” “Ms. Reed, I’m sorry but your baby has stopped developing. We need to perform surgery immediately. What happened to you? We need to contact your family right away.” Hearing the doctor’s reproach, my heart shattered. If I hadn’t truly lost all hope, how could I have ended up in this state? Tears streamed down my face as I recalled the past few months. Ever since “Ethan’s” death, the entire Foster family had been consumed by grief. So when I found out I was pregnant, I hadn’t told anyone. So Ethan had no idea that while he was playing husband to Zoe, I was already carrying his child. I touched my belly, heartbroken that the baby could no longer be saved. My hand trembled as I held my phone, but ultimately I released the send button. Since he was so fixated on pursuing his true love, completely disregarding me and our child, there was no need to tell him this news. “Don’t contact anyone! Doctor, please proceed with the surgery.” After three grueling hours of surgery, I emerged from the operating room looking deathly pale. I leaned against the wall and sat down on a bench in the hallway, feeling a dull ache in my lower abdomen. Suddenly, there was a commotion up ahead. A familiar figure rushed past carrying someone in his arms. Not long after, he hurried by again, his gaze finally landing on me. This time, I clearly saw who it was. Ethan. “Quick, come with me!” He tossed out those words and pulled me along in the direction he came from. Having just undergone surgery and now running, I felt waves of nausea and my face grew even paler. But Ethan’s attention clearly wasn’t on me, so he didn’t notice my condition. We finally stopped when we reached the blood donation room. “She has the same blood type as Zoe. Draw her blood!” I frowned, about to refuse, but Ethan pushed me into a chair without hesitation, directing the nurses to start drawing blood immediately. From start to finish, Ethan never thought to offer me a word of explanation. Only after seeing the needle pierce my arm did he hurry off again, his face filled with anxiety as he went to check on Zoe. As they drew my blood, the nurses gossiped about what they had just witnessed. “What’s going on? Why is Mr. Foster in such a panic?” “What else could it be? His wife was just rushed in from their bedroom with a ruptured corpus luteum and massive bleeding. Things must have gotten pretty wild, if you know what I mean.” “He really loves his wife, huh? Married for three years and still as excited as a high school boy.” Listening to the nurses’ knowing looks and whispers, I finally understood what had happened. So… He and Zoe had been intimate, and due to their overexcitement, she suffered a ruptured corpus luteum and massive bleeding! The hospital blood bank was low, so when Ethan frantically spotted me resting in the hallway, he dragged me over to donate blood. Realizing this, I felt as if my heart had been violently torn apart. The pain radiated through my entire body. Ethan would never know that while he was passionately entangled with the woman he loved, I had just lost their child. If Ethan had shown even a moment of concern for me earlier, he would have noticed something was wrong. But he didn’t. His heart and eyes were filled only with Zoe. Tears fell uncontrollably from my eyes. Ethan, since you love Zoe so much, I’ll step aside completely. From now on, we’ll never meet again! After leaving the hospital, I touched up my makeup to ensure no trace of distress showed before returning to the Foster family mansion. Instead of hiding away in my room staring at Ethan’s photos and crying like before, I walked straight to the study and knelt before Mr. Foster Sr. “Grandpa Foster, I’ve made a decision. I’m ready to let go of Ethan and leave the Foster family!”

After Ethan’s “death”, I was the one most devastated by grief. So even though Mr. Foster Sr. was still mourning, the first thing he did was try to console me. Mr. Foster felt I was still young with a long future ahead. He gently suggested that now that Ethan was gone, it was time for me to start a new life. He tactfully encouraged me to leave the Foster family and find happiness again, to move past the pain of losing my husband. I knew Mr. Foster meant well, but at the time I refused without hesitation. I couldn’t forget Ethan and didn’t want to leave the home filled with our memories. I was determined to remain single and live out my days alone. But now, I discovered that Ethan’s pursuit of me from the very beginning had all been a lie. These five years held no love, only deception! I no longer had any reason to stay. Mr. Foster didn’t know all the twists and turns, so his first reaction upon hearing my decision was relief. He helped me up, his eyes brimming with tears: “Olivia, you’ve finally come to your senses. You’re a good girl, and I’ve watched you grow up. The past is over now. The living must go on living.” “I’ll transfer 50% of the Foster family shares to you. It will be enough for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life. Child, don’t come back to the Foster home after this. Forget Ethan and take good care of yourself…” I held back my tears for a long time before I could speak without crying. My parents didn’t love me, they only loved my sister Zoe. My fiancé didn’t love me, he only had eyes for Zoe. And now, even Ethan who I thought loved me most, truly loved Zoe all along. From childhood, Mr. Foster Sr. was the only one who genuinely cared for me. I nodded, “Grandpa, I will. If not for myself, then for you. I’ll start a brand new life.” Since everyone loves Zoe Reed and no one loves Olivia Reed, From now on, I’ll love myself. I’ll have nothing more to do with these awful people and their drama! The next morning, I got up early and went to a real estate agency. “I want to buy a secluded island, away from everything. Do you have anything like that?” I stated my request simply. The sales agent immediately brought out a catalog and started introducing various options. My head spun looking at islands of all shapes and sizes. In the end, I randomly chose one that caught my eye and paid in full. “Ms. Reed, the paperwork will take about a month. Once everything is finalized, you’ll be able to move in.” The sales agent walked me to the door, smiling excitedly as he reminded me of the final details. “Alright, I understand.” Back home, I started packing right away. Because I wasn’t valued by the Reed family, I didn’t bring much when I married into the Foster family. Though Ethan and I had a large bedroom, most of the things in it were gifts he gave me later. Photos of us covered the walls. Couple figurines carefully arranged on the shelves. In the past, seeing these things filled me with joy and happiness. I thought they were proof of Ethan’s love. But now, I only felt bitter irony. I packed all those things into cardboard boxes. Soon, all the memories related to Ethan were boxed up, the boxes stuffed full. I carried the boxes outside and threw them unceremoniously into the trash. Just as I finished, I looked up to see Ethan walking towards me. I could tell Ethan didn’t want to greet me, until his gaze fell on the boxes of photos and gifts I had thrown away. His brows furrowed deeply. I pretended not to see him and turned to leave, but he suddenly called out to stop me. “Why are you throwing all this away? Aren’t these your memories with my brother?” I paused, feeling a surge of mockery rise within me. I turned back to look at him, keeping my voice calm, “It’s been so long. I should move on.” Move on? Hearing those words, his expression changed abruptly. He grabbed my arm, “What do you mean?!” “Let go, you’re hurting me!” Feeling the pressure on my wrist, I frowned and forcefully shook him off. My wrist was already turning red. I couldn’t help but rub it. Noticing my reaction, Ethan seemed to realize he had overreacted. After all, his current identity was supposed to be his brother “Aaron”. I forced down the emotions churning inside me and looked at him coldly. In the end, Ethan couldn’t hold back and spoke again: “You’re leaving?” “Don’t you want me to leave?” I looked straight into his eyes, my gaze unwavering. Ethan said nonchalantly, “Don’t listen to what Grandpa says. The Foster family can afford to support you. I also promised my brother I’d take good care of you. I won’t fail his dying wish, so you’re not allowed to leave my sight. Ever.” Hearing those words, I let out a bitter laugh. I suddenly couldn’t understand Ethan anymore. I didn’t get it. If I left, wouldn’t everything work out perfectly? Ethan could stay by Zoe’s side forever without having to keep up this charade with me, constantly worried I might notice something was off. If that was the case, why did Ethan seem so unwilling to let me go? I was about to speak when Ethan’s phone suddenly rang. Ethan glanced down, his expression instantly softening. He answered the call and Zoe’s voice came through. “Honey, is the soup ready yet? I’m hungry.” Ethan’s tone was gentle, “I’ll bring it right over. Be patient for just a little longer, okay?” Because I was standing close, I could even hear Zoe’s coquettish voice, half pouting and half teasing. “It’s all your fault. We’ve been married for so long, how are you still so excited? You were so worked up the other day, you ended up hurting me. Like an overexcited teenager. Anyone would think it was our first time…” Hearing those words, my body suddenly went rigid. A hidden pain bloomed in my chest, tinged with sorrow. For him and Zoe, it really was their first time, wasn’t it… I stood silently to the side, not speaking, but my thoughts drifted to the past. In our five years of marriage, although Ethan doted on me, he was always cold and unresponsive during intimacy. He went through the motions mechanically, as if completing a task. Back then, I thought it was just Ethan’s reserved personality. After all, I had never seen him get emotional about anything. If it weren’t for him becoming “Aaron” this time, I probably never would have known that Ethan could also lose control from excitement when he was with the woman he truly loved. When I came back to my senses, Ethan had already hung up the phone and gone to the kitchen to make soup. Watching him refuse the maid’s help and personally prepare soup for Zoe, I gave a self-mocking smile and turned to leave. For the next few days, I stayed shut in my room, not going out at all. I was just waiting for the island purchase to be finalized so I could leave the Foster house as soon as possible. Until Zoe was discharged from the hospital and came chirping at my door. “Sis, my husband has a car race today. Come watch with us! I know you’ve been depressed since Ethan passed away, but staying cooped up at home all the time isn’t good for you.” The Foster brothers were both exceptional men. Ethan was cool and steady, inheriting the position of CEO at Foster Corp. Aaron was wild and unrestrained, a globally renowned Formula 1 race car driver. The two had completely different personalities and life directions. I didn’t want to go, but I was curious to see how Ethan, who had never touched a race car before, would handle this. So I went along. At the racetrack, Zoe went off on her own to find Ethan. Left alone, I wandered aimlessly until I suddenly overheard a conversation nearby. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?! You’re even willing to tamper with the brakes just to stay by Zoe’s side? Have you lost your mind?” The familiar name made me stop in my tracks. I recognized the speaker’s voice too – it was one of Ethan’s friends. Last time, I had discovered the shocking truth by overhearing their conversation. I never expected to stumble upon them talking again. “I don’t know how to race. If I don’t mess with the brakes, my cover will be blown.” “Even if you can keep up the act for now, you can’t hide the truth forever! Ethan, I know you love Zoe, but she’s your brother’s wife. You have your own wife too. Olivia’s been crying her eyes out for you these past few months. I saw her earlier – she looks like a shell of her former self. You’ve been married for five years, surely you must have some feelings for her. They say to cherish what’s in front of you. Just let Zoe go.” Silence fell after those words. A moment later, his voice finally rang out: “Give me three more years. Just three years to live out this dream. After that, I’ll go back to her.” Hearing that, I smiled. Ethan, you don’t need to come back. I’ll leave on my own. From now on, you can be “Aaron” for as long as you want. I turned and walked away smiling, heading towards the spectator stands nearby. I had barely sat down when a round of cheers erupted. The racers, including Ethan, started entering the track one by one. When it was Ethan’s turn, the cheers grew even louder. Zoe sat down in the seat beside me, her eyes fixed ahead but her words directed at me. “Sis, don’t keep moping around because of Ethan’s death. You need to get out more.” “Some things are just fate, you know? Look at how your husband and my husband were on the same cruise ship. Your husband died, while mine luckily survived. I know you’ve been devastated lately, but that’s just how life goes. Your luck has never been as good as mine, so you need to look forward.” Those words left me breathless, my face turning pale. I was about to speak when a loud crash rang out, followed by screams of horror. “Ethan!!!” I looked up to see that Ethan had crashed on the track. His race car had slammed straight into the barrier at the first turn! The medical staff rushed over in a panic. After what felt like forever, they finally pulled Ethan’s bloodied body from the wreckage and rushed him to the hospital. With such a serious accident, the race couldn’t continue. Everyone anxiously followed to the hospital. Even Zoe had no time to gloat, crying dramatically as she got into the ambulance. Only I remained eerily calm from start to finish. The conversation I had just overheard was still ringing in my ears. I knew this was the outcome Ethan had engineered for himself. It was what he wanted. To stay by Zoe’s side, he was even willing to harm himself to this extent. For a moment, I didn’t know if I should marvel at this earth-shattering love story, or pity myself for being so pathetic. On the third day, I suddenly received a call from the hospital. “Ms. Reed, the time limit for storing your items in our cold storage has expired. Please come collect them as soon as possible.” Items… Hearing those words, my eyes welled up with tears. That’s right, a pair of miscarried fetuses were nothing more than “items” now, weren’t they? I could still vividly recall the painful scene from that day. I struggled to control my emotions, “Alright, I’ll be right there.” I hung up and rushed to the hospital as quickly as I could. I was about to go retrieve the items when I accidentally caught sight of Ethan as I passed by the inpatient ward. The doctor stood by his bedside, shaking his head and sighing, his eyes full of regret. “I’m very sorry, Mr. Foster. The crash caused severe damage to your left wrist. I’m afraid you won’t be able to race again.” Zoe was draped over his bedside, crying inconsolably upon hearing the news. Ethan gently comforted her, “Don’t cry, darling. It breaks my heart to see you like this.” “Racing is too dangerous. You were always so worried. I was already thinking about retiring. This accident just sped up the process. Zoe, you used to complain that racing took up too much of my time. Now that I can’t race anymore, doesn’t that mean I can spend all my time with you?” “Our wedding anniversary is coming up soon. Let’s throw a big party to celebrate, okay?” His coaxing tone was obvious. Zoe finally broke into a smile through her tears. She wiped her eyes and childishly held out her pinky to link with his. “It’s a promise then.” My heart clenched in pain. Not wanting to see any more, I turned away and headed towards the cold storage. I hadn’t gone far when Zoe’s voice suddenly called out from behind me. I turned to see Zoe running up, out of breath. “Sis, how come you came to the hospital without telling us?” Without waiting for my response, Zoe launched into her own monologue. “Aaron needs to rest these next few days. He’s not in any condition for visitors. I’ll take care of him here, so you should just go home. By the way, it’s our third wedding anniversary in two weeks. He said we’re throwing a big party at the Starlight Ballroom that night. You have to come, and don’t forget to bring a nice gift!” Seeing the challenge and smugness in her eyes, I lowered my gaze and said nothing. Two weeks from now was also the day I would be leaving the Foster family. After a moment, I smiled and nodded, “Of course. I’ll be sure to prepare a special gift for you two.” Satisfied with my response, Zoe sauntered off. I watched her retreating figure as I took out my phone to make a call, continuing towards the cold storage. I only waited briefly in the cold storage before the staff member I had arranged arrived. I rewrapped the fetuses I had just retrieved from storage and handed them to him, my gaze flickering. “Two weeks from now, please deliver this to the Starlight Ballroom and give it directly to Aaron Foster.” “This is the grand gift I want to give him.”

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In 2056, the apocalypse arrived. The world plunged into an extreme cold era. Those without warmth or shelter stood no chance. They met a swift, icy demise. My family, despite having everything we needed, died a horrific death at the hands of my cousin and my boyfriend. I was reborn one year before the apocalypse. That extra time was my secret weapon. I blew all my savings, frantically stocking up on cold-weather gear, learning combat, and fortifying our family’s underground fallout shelter… Everyone thought I’d hit my head and lost my mind. I just smiled at them, saying nothing. This time, I wouldn’t be the one dying. My name is Rowan, and I died a horrific death in the extreme cold, tormented by my own cousin and boyfriend. No one could have predicted my rebirth. When I opened my eyes, my cousin, Tiffany, and my boyfriend, Ryan, were barely dressed. I glanced at the digital clock. I was back one year. I couldn’t believe they were already betraying me at this point. In my previous life, I must have discovered their affair then too. During our scuffle, I fell and hit my head, suffering severe injuries and losing my memory. And those two disgusting traitors actually tricked me into believing I’d fallen on my own. It wasn’t until the apocalypse hit and they teamed up to persecute my family that I saw their true colors. My head throbbed, still dizzy, so I feigned unconsciousness and closed my eyes. “Ryan, babe, is she… dead?” Tiffany cooed, her voice sickly sweet. “Let’s take her to the hospital first. If she wakes up, we’ll say her memory’s messed up. If she doesn’t… even better…” Ryan replied. I sneered mentally. So, they wanted to kill me this early on, huh? They quickly rushed me to the hospital and called my parents. “Where am I? Mom, who are these people?” I pretended not to recognize the scummy pair. “Doctor! What’s wrong with my daughter?” My parents asked, frantic with worry. The doctor explained that I’d suffered a head injury, and memory loss was a normal side effect. Hearing this, Tiffany and Ryan both visibly relaxed. “Don’t worry, Rowan, we’ll get you good treatment and rest, you’ll be fine in a few days!” Mom gently patted my back. “That’s right, little sis!” Tiffany practically gloated that I couldn’t remember. I pretended not to know her. Mom noticed my confusion and said, “Rowan, this is your cousin, Tiffany.” A plan began to form in my mind. “Is that her boyfriend?” I asked, pointing at Ryan. Ryan looked awkward. “Rowan, it’s Ryan! I’m your boyfriend…” I feigned shock: “Really? How could I possibly like you?” “Besides, I remember you two weren’t wearing clothes just now… and those marks on your necks…”

Tiffany and Ryan thought I was an idiot, too careless to even hide the evidence of their hookup. My parents looked at them, their faces darkening. They immediately understood the situation. “Uncle, it’s not like that, please let me explain!” “Yes, Aunt’s husband! Rowan’s not thinking clearly right now!” The guilty pair immediately denied everything, even trying to shift the blame onto me. But Dad, a former police officer, had always said I was a poor judge of character and never liked Ryan. Now, with undeniable evidence, and conveniently without breaking my heart, he glared at them and said, “Hmph! My daughter may have hit her head, but she’s not blind! Now, if you’ll excuse yourselves!” Mom, too, changed her usual gentle tone, her voice cold: “Tiffany, I’ll be having a word with your mother about this later. For now, get out.” The two dared not argue further and fled in dismay. “Mom, Dad, don’t worry, I didn’t actually lose my memory. I was just pretending to fool them!” Once they left, I quickly confessed to my parents. My parents, thinking I’d been wronged, hugged me tightly. Remembering how they died tragically because of me in my last life, I finally broke down and cried. It was peak summer now. In three months, continuous heavy rain would bring a sharp drop in temperature. In six months, heavy snow would begin, and the temperature would plummet. In less than a year, the world would enter an extreme cold era, and two-thirds of the global population would freeze to death. In my last life, our family of three hid in our underground fallout shelter. It was left from wartime, warm in winter and cool in summer, capable of resisting the cold even during the extreme era. Aunt Patricia came with Tiffany seeking refuge. We kindly took them in, unaware we were helping villains. They teamed up with Ryan to harm us. My parents pleaded with them to spare me, but they were driven out of the shelter themselves. In the extreme cold, human blood was considered a prime supplement. They died a gruesome death right before my eyes. Looking at my parents, still alive before me, I suppressed the hatred burning in my heart. “Let’s go home. I miss home.” “Okay, home it is!”

I rested for a week before submitting my resignation. Ryan worked at the same company, but his position was lower than mine. Everyone said it was *his* good fortune to be with *me*. Even after I quit, he had the nerve to text me, trying to make me stay. My colleagues were confused why I’d ‘abandoned’ him and quit. That shameless man even pretended to outsiders that we were still together. He was just after my considerable salary, nothing more. I explained the situation in the company WhatsApp group, screenshotted it, sent it to Tiffany, and then blocked them both. Anyway, when the apocalypse came, with their level of shamelessness, they were bound to come looking for me. When Mom got home, she told Aunt Patricia that Tiffany was a homewrecker. Aunt Patricia and Tiffany were truly mother and daughter; not only did she not think her daughter had a problem, she even mocked me for not being able to keep my boyfriend in line. Mom was so furious she severed all ties with them. My parents initially didn’t understand my decision to quit, but fortunately, I had ample savings, so they let me do as I pleased. I got the keys to the fallout shelter from them and started hoarding supplies. I hired people to replace the doors and windows with bulletproof ones, and I fenced off the surrounding area with an iron fence. The weather gradually turned cold. I spent my days in the fallout shelter, and the neighbors gossiped about me in private. “Hey, that Rowan girl, she used to be so nice. Why’s she suddenly locked herself in that old fallout shelter?” “Forget about it, you wouldn’t know. I heard her boyfriend and her cousin got together! She hit her head and forgot everything!” “She probably went crazy from the shock, didn’t she?” “Don’t bother worrying about me. Just buy more warm clothes! It’s getting colder.” I walked past them, carrying a massive down comforter. In my last life, when Tiffany and Ryan chained me up, these same ladies had secretly brought me food. I hoped they would listen to my words; consider it my repayment. The neighbors exchanged glances. “You know, she’s right. The weather really is getting weirder and weirder!”

“Daughter, your old man can’t beat you anymore!” Dad gasped for breath, leaning against the wall. “Then my money wasn’t wasted!” I’d paid a fortune for combat lessons, and the results were clear! “I’m heading into the bunker. I need to run some electrical wires today.” “What’s a girl like you always doing down in that hole?” Dad grumbled, confused. I checked the time. “You’ll know soon enough!” Today brought an unexpected bonus: I discovered several secret passages in the bunker, each with an entrance just big enough for one person. If opened up, the shelter’s area would expand significantly, revealing a hidden world within. I’d secretly picked up some skills from the workers I hired. Afraid of drawing too much attention, I decided to handle these passages myself. “Rowan, dinner! Look at you, all filthy!” Mom said, handing me a lunchbox with a doting smile. “What are you doing with these useless rocks?” She looked at the stones in my basket, puzzled. “These are treasures! You’ll understand later!” These were special stones; if not actively extinguished, they would burn indefinitely. In the apocalypse, they were called Ever-burning stones, and after the world ended, thousands would frantically snatch them up. In the extreme cold, they’d even be exchanged for food or human lives. And our fallout shelter had plenty of them. In my previous life, those two idiots, Tiffany and Ryan, ran into some escaped murderers. To save their own skins, they revealed the existence of these stones. The men broke into the fallout shelter and found me chained by the door, their laughter evil and arrogant. I fought them for the Ever-burning stones. The leader, a man named Dexter, came up with a cruel idea: he ordered my hand to be shoved outside the door to freeze. You have to understand, it was over eighty degrees below zero outside then. My hand would freeze solid and die within minutes. Tiffany, wanting to impress them, eagerly carried out this ‘punishment.’ That wasn’t enough. To please them, she took a hammer and systematically knocked off my already frozen fingers, one by one. Ryan pried open my eyes, and I watched, helpless, as my fingers separated from my body. After my parents died, I was dead inside. I didn’t cry, didn’t fight. Seeing my lack of reaction, which failed to satisfy their twisted pleasure, they simply threw me out. I glared, my eyes wide, memorizing every single one of them. The natural death of the extreme cold wasn’t painful, but my hatred burned a thousand times hotter.

As the weather turned colder, heavy rains began, and my preparations were nearing completion. I convinced my parents to move into the fallout shelter. Seeing the completely transformed world inside, they were greatly surprised. “Rowan, why is this section so steamy?” Mom asked, pointing to a partitioned room. I explained to Mom that this was a hot spring vent I’d discovered while collecting the Ever-burning stones. It wasn’t finished construction yet. I just hoped the spring water would still be this hot when the extreme cold arrived. The opened secret passages were also partitioned into small rooms, with concealed doors that were usually undetectable. I installed hidden cameras and some small traps at the entrances. I also planned to fence off a plot of land for some small poultry and vegetables, trying to eat fresh ingredients whenever possible. “Down jackets are all sold out now! The weather is so strange, and it’s only [late summer/early fall]!” Dad sighed, sipping his tea. “Right! Good thing Rowan bought them.” When my parents had questioned my actions before, I told them I’d had nightmares for a month straight. I revealed the extreme cold conditions of my previous life to them. They still didn’t fully understand, but they stopped questioning me. *Knock, knock, knock!* Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. I checked the hidden camera feed: it was Aunt Patricia, Tiffany, and Ryan. The rain was so heavy that even with umbrellas, the three were drenched like drowned rats. We went back up to the house through the newly opened staircase and opened the door. “Rowan, dear! Do you have any extra down jackets?” Aunt Patricia’s lips were stiff with cold. Before I could even speak, Mom snapped, “No!” “Liar! We heard that little sis went crazy and bought tons of down jackets!” Tiffany’s tone was as entitled as ever. “Rowan! I really misjudged you! We’re family, what’s wrong with giving us some clothes?” Ryan’s face was contorted with fury. I scoffed, “Sir, even if I *am* family with these two, what exactly are *you* to me?” Tiffany stepped in front of Ryan. “He’s your future brother-in-law!” “I won’t say anything nasty, but I distinctly remember Mom cutting ties with you two.” “And as for this one, hmph, he’s just a used-up piece of trash! He has absolutely nothing to do with us!” Dad sneered, not even bothering to look at them directly. The three’s faces turned crimson. They flew into a rage out of shame and lunged at me. Aunt Patricia took the opportunity to rush inside and rummage through the closet.

“There’s no law anymore!” Dad roared, his eyes blazing. I grabbed Tiffany by the arm. “You really are shameless, always picking up other people’s scraps!”

“Mom, they must be hiding inside! And they set this damned mousetrap!” Tiffany hissed, sucking in air from the pain. I saw they were still wearing the clothes they’d snatched last time—torn and stained with blood. They’d probably been attacked on their way here. Ryan glanced around furtively and actually spotted my camera. He leaned in, his face purplish, eyes bloodshot. “Rowan, I know you’re in there! Let us in! Tiffany’s hurt!” “Why should I let you in?” I asked, a smile playing on my lips. Hearing the playful tone in my voice, the three went wild, frantically banging on the door. But this door could stop bullets. “If you don’t let us in, you’re murderers!” Tiffany shrieked, stomping her feet back and forth. “Rowan, don’t let them in!” My parents hated them deeply. I raised a hand, calming my parents. “You can come in, but on certain conditions!” “Okay, okay, we agree! Anything!” The three nodded frantically, almost kneeling. Before the door was fully open, they burst in. “I’m freezing to death!” My parents secretly gripped their weapons, and I watched them coldly. “Once you’re in, you follow my rules, or I throw you right back out!” “First, food is limited and rationed. Second, you go out every day to find supplies. Third, two people stand guard every night.” “Agreed, we accept!” Tiffany quickly agreed. I scoffed. Tiffany was always the type to bend when necessary. “Break the rules, and I’ll break your hands!” I snatched a stick and shattered a vase. The three, half-frozen to death, didn’t seem to heed my warning, which was exactly what I wanted.

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The apocalypse of extreme heat had arrived. My best friend and my boyfriend tied me to a chair, together. They drained my blood, using it as their new water supply, and gleefully pulled out my bones, giving them to the dog to chew on. When I opened my eyes again, I saw my best friend, in tiny pink shorts, swaying provocatively in front of my boyfriend. This time, I was going to make them taste despair. “AC, Wi-Fi… If only we had some watermelon.” A familiar whine woke me up. The moment my eyes fluttered open, I saw Brittany, clad only in her underwear, dramatically complaining to my boyfriend, Damian. She was biting her finger, her bra strap conveniently slipping off her shoulder. Damian turned his head, glancing at the scorching sun outside, looking a little troubled. Then, his gaze landed on me. “Perfect, you’re awake.” “Brittany wants watermelon. She’s a guest, and your best friend, so why don’t you go out and buy some?” The scene before me was all too familiar. I had been reborn, two days before the high-temperature apocalypse officially hit. At this point, no one realized it was a disaster; people just thought it was a normal heatwave. Two days later, the water and electricity would cut out, and food and fresh water would become scarce. That would signal the official arrival of the high-temperature apocalypse. 2 In my previous life, after waking up and seeing Brittany’s attire, I had pulled her into the bedroom, reminding her to be mindful. “What do you expect me to wear in this heat?!” Brittany’s face had twisted in annoyance, and she’d reached up to adjust her fallen strap. “You don’t actually think I’m trying to hook up with your boyfriend, do you? Don’t be ridiculous! We knew each other long before you came along. If we wanted to be together, we would’ve been already! What would it even have to do with you?!” “Cassie, you’re misunderstanding Brittany. She’s your best friend. Don’t you know what kind of person she is?” Damian had leaned against the bedroom doorway, his tone dripping with accusation. “Go buy the watermelon. It’ll do you good to cool down.” Like hell I would! It was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside, and he wanted me to “cool down.” But now. I actually did want to go out. 3 “I’ll go buy the watermelon! It’s so hot, how can we let darling Brittany go without her watermelon?” I forced a smile, sweetly complying. The moment the door closed, the cold air from inside was cut off. The suffocating heatwave hit me almost immediately, threatening to choke me. My parents had already bought me a small villa in the suburbs. To spare Damian’s ego, I had never told him about it. After all, the carefully constructed image he maintained was always about *him* working hard to provide a happy life for the woman he loved. Yet, I was the one paying the rent for his apartment. After leaving, I headed straight for my villa. Buying this villa had been a stroke of luck. For a while, I had been obsessed with apocalypse movies, and this real estate company’s slogan was perfect: “Your Apocalypse Home.” The entire exterior of the villa was made of explosion-proof and fire-resistant materials, and it also had cooling and temperature-regulating functions. The roof was covered with numerous solar panels. The spacious basement was a natural giant refrigerator, perfect for storing massive amounts of food. Even better, the villa had its own ecological vegetable garden. With a complete hydroponic system, all I needed to do was plant seeds and add water, and the vegetables would be enough to meet my needs throughout the apocalypse. It did have its downsides, though. The villa looked ugly and was incredibly expensive. They hadn’t sold many units to date. 4 The villa came fully furnished with appliances. Though, they were all off-brand names I’d never heard of. When my mom came to add household items, she’d complained about the quality of these generic appliances and wanted to replace them. I looked at the ten massive refrigerators lined up in a row and couldn’t bring myself to let them go. After running back and forth three or four times, I finally managed to fill all the fridges. In addition to that, I bought a dozen more cases of crackers, instant noodles, self-heating hot pots, and various canned goods. Plus emergency medicines, feminine hygiene products, and other daily necessities. Only after the basement was filled to the brim with bottled water did I finally feel secure enough to splurge on snacks. My phone buzzed with a text message: [ATTENTION RESIDENTS: ABNORMAL HIGH TEMPERATURES EXPECTED. PLEASE STOCK UP ON SUPPLIES AND AVOID UNNECESSARY OUTINGS. ALSO, BE AWARE OF DISEASE AND BACTERIAL SPREAD IN HIGH HEAT.] Immediately after, Damian called. “Does it really take this long to buy a watermelon?” I explained that it was too hot, many fruit stores were closed, and I had to go far to find one. There was a moment of silence on the other end. “Cassie, you got the notification too, right?” Damian’s voice was heavy, like he’d just woken up. “Don’t worry about it. Experts say things, but who really listens? Those people hoarding supplies probably haven’t even finished the salt they bought last year.” I feigned a relaxed chuckle, making a joke. “It’s like fire outside. I’ll swing by and get some supplies on my way back. You two just stay in, I’d hate for you to overheat.” To dissuade Damian from going out shopping, I had to keep up the act. Just like in my previous life. That evening, I returned to the rental apartment with the supplies. *** [PAYWALL] *** In my previous life, I hadn’t realized the extreme heat apocalypse would be endless. I certainly hadn’t imagined that, when the apocalypse truly arrived, those two scumbags would hog all the supplies. They’d even tied me to a chair, drained my blood to use as their new water supply, and then gleefully picked my bones clean to give to Brittany’s dog as a chew toy. “How did you only get this much?!” Damian pointed at the meager instant noodles and crackers in the bag, clearly displeased. “Because the bottled water and watermelon were too heavy.” I deliberately twisted my wrist, looking a bit wronged as I gestured to the few bottles of water and the large watermelon. Brittany was happily gnawing on the watermelon, feeding the rinds to her beloved pet dog. But the dog clearly didn’t want the rinds, lunging to snatch a few bites of the red flesh instead. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s just a few days of heat, the experts are just being dramatic! We don’t even have to go to work, how bad can it get?” Damian shot Brittany a disgusted look. Though Damian wanted to hoard more supplies, I had timed my return perfectly. The supermarkets and stores were already closed. In my previous life, I had always lived in the company’s employee dorms. When the apocalypse hit, I was forced to stay in this rental apartment. When I suggested staying overnight tonight, Damian was ecstatic. Brittany, however, pouted and linked arms with me. “Cassie definitely wants to stay and keep me company! We haven’t had a good heart-to-heart in ages.” Facing my best friend’s overwhelming enthusiasm, I naturally had to “repay” her. While they slept soundly, I installed long-lasting, omnidirectional surveillance cameras in every corner of the apartment. Who needs a movie when you’ve got a live feed like this? 5 The next day, the temperature rose another ten degrees. Roads started to melt, and major video platforms were flooded with clips of people fighting over supplies. Unlike in my previous life. Damian was visibly panicking now. He ordered Brittany and me to split up and rush to grab supplies. Brittany, however, complained it was too hot and refused to leave. The moment Damian and I split up, I practically sprinted back to the villa. My parents video-called me; they had already moved to the countryside. It was a retirement home they’d bought earlier, located in the north, not yet affected by the extreme heat. I reminded them to stock up on supplies beforehand and take precautions. They, however, looked worried, urging me not to skimp on money, to buy whatever I could, no matter the cost. It turned out they’d seen the news: because of that high-temperature alert, supermarket shelves had been cleared out, and some people were price gouging. Bottled water that usually sold for two dollars was now being scalped for a thousand dollars a bottle. I secretly congratulated myself on being a step ahead yesterday. Just as I was comforting my parents, Damian’s call came in. “Cassie, I managed to get supplies! Ten whole cases of bottled water!” His voice was brimming with barely contained excitement. Then, he lowered his voice. “The owner gave us a discount, it’s fifty thousand dollars in total, Cassie… don’t think it’s expensive, these are extreme times…” Expensive? For a thousand dollars a bottle, I thought the owner was being surprisingly fair. After all, in the apocalypse, money would soon be worthless. Yet right now, not having money was the absolute worst. “Tell me, are you buying this or not?! Don’t waste my time if you’re not!” “Owner, I’ll offer eighty thousand, give it to me!” A quarrel erupted on the other end of the line. “Not expensive, not expensive at all. Forget fifty thousand, even a hundred thousand wouldn’t be expensive.” I was practically giddy, watching the drama escalate. Damian’s voice changed with delight. “I’ll offer a hundred thousand, owner, give it to me. Cassie, you can transfer the money to my bank account later.” I readily agreed. Then I turned off my phone and settled in for a nap. 6 After a good, long sleep, I slowly got up and pushed my shopping cart into the pantry. I had transformed this area into a small supermarket. Only after I’d prepared a hot pot did I turn my phone back on. An avalanche of missed calls and hundreds of unread messages flooded my screen. I found myself added to a group chat called [Apocalypse Survivors’ Haven]. The group admin was the same person who had developed this villa community. Its members were all like the admin, friends interested in exploring apocalyptic survival. For me, an “unexpected resident,” the group showed a lot of concern. [B-02 resident, what’s the situation? Male or female? Alive or dead? Boss, can’t you check their info? — Admin] [How can I just casually check a resident’s info? They’re closest to me, I’ll get to know them eventually. — (Another Member)] My phone suddenly popped up with a friend request; it was the admin. [You live alone, and you’re a girl. Do you need any help?] Clearly, they had checked my information. I thought for a moment, deciding to wait and see. I set out the hot pot ingredients and turned on the TV. As soon as the surveillance feed connected to the screen, Damian’s furious face appeared. He was grabbing Brittany by the hair, his fists raining down on her face. Brittany’s wails filled the surveillance audio. Her dog, trying to protect its owner, was kicked into a corner by Damian, whimpering and cowering, daring not to approach. It turned out Brittany had heard Damian got water and opened one of the few remaining bottles of bottled water to feed to the dog. Damian, tired of hitting her, locked Brittany and the dog together, then picked up his phone and dialed my number. [Blocked one incoming call.] [Blocked one incoming call.] … [Blocked one incoming text message.] I stuffed a piece of hot beef into my mouth, leisurely opening the text message. [Apocalypse Haven Villa B-02, Cassie, so you’re here.] [You’re reborn too, aren’t you?] Damian licked his chapped lips, looking at my location on his phone, a cunning, greedy smile spreading across his face. Damian’s mood brightened considerably after locating me. He grabbed a towel and dabbed at the blood on Brittany’s face. “I have you to thank for suggesting we install that tracker on Cassie’s phone, back when we were sneaking around.” Brittany’s eyes were swollen into narrow slits, and she gritted her teeth viciously. “Cassie, that bitch! She wouldn’t even buy us water! When we find her, I’ll rip her bones out and feed them to the dog!” On the monitor, Damian’s face slowly twisted. He gripped his phone, the muscles in his cheekbones so taut they looked ready to split, his smile filled with suppressed rage and madness. [Blocked one message.] I tapped it open, another one from Damian. [Cassie, let’s make a deal.] 7 I looked out the window; the sun was still bright white, like midday. But it was already 9 PM. Damian knew that under such extreme weather, it was no longer suitable to go out. So, he chose to get down on his knees and weep, sincerely repenting. He said that in his previous life, he had been seduced by Brittany and only resorted to harming me out of desperation. He also claimed that after I died, Brittany tricked him onto the balcony, where he was baked alive. All because Brittany had heard in a group chat that human bodies could evaporate water. I told him I needed to see his sincerity. As soon as I unblocked Damian on SnapChat, he eagerly sent a FaceTime call. On screen, Damian held a gleaming boning knife, gesturing back and forth over Brittany’s pale, tender thigh. “How about a hundred dollars per cut?” “You know, Brittany is my best friend.” I frowned at the phone camera. “So I’ll need to charge more. Make it a thousand dollars per cut.” At first, Brittany thought Damian was just putting on a show to extort money from me. When I raised the price, a hint of triumph even flashed across her face. But when the sharp blade sliced through her skin, and the first piece of flesh was cut off, She let out a piercing scream. The dog, long without food, drooled, its tongue hanging out. “First the flesh, then the money. Is that sincere enough?” Damian’s facial muscles twitched with excitement. Brittany’s curses filled the entire room. “Damian, you bastard! You said we’d get the money first! You actually cut me?!” “I’m pregnant!” Brittany shrieked the last sentence, and Damian’s movements froze. I even slowed my potato chip crunching, tensely anticipating the unfolding drama. In my previous life, when Brittany suggested tying me up to drain my blood, Damian had hesitated. “I’m pregnant with your child! You choose, the child or Cassie, you decide!” “The child is innocent, after all. Cassie, just consider it an act of charity, sacrificing yourself for a new life.” Ultimately, Damian had tied me to the chair, and with one swift cut, ended my life. “Who knows if that child is even mine?” Damian suddenly scoffed, his words completely shattering Brittany’s composure. “You’re an animal! If you hadn’t said Cassie wouldn’t sleep with you and pushed me to come over every day, my boyfriend wouldn’t have found out about us and broken up with me!” Brittany’s curses grew fouler, and even the dog began to bark wildly. Damian picked up a piece of meat from the floor and tossed it far away; the dog was instantly distracted. Brittany stopped yelling. She stared blankly as her beloved pet dog ravenously devoured the fresh meat. “Ugh!” Before she could vomit, Damian was a step ahead, stuffing a sock into her mouth. Ugh, that taste. I couldn’t even eat my potato chips anymore. Brittany’s thigh was a bloody mess. Damian’s technique was unique; there were many wounds, but none were fatal. He understood that only a living Brittany could bring him more money. As soon as I transferred the money, Damian immediately started posting in the community’s swap chat, desperately seeking supplies at exorbitant prices. As a reborn individual. Damian knew very well that in the early stages, there were still people in the community group willing to sell things for money, desperate as they were. But later on. No amount of money would buy a single drop of water. And that was when the true hunt would begin for the real predators. I watched my caged prey on the surveillance screen. Comfortably, I snuggled into my comforter. 8 Three more days passed. Damian, relying on the supplies he’d bought at high prices early on, was still living quite comfortably. Brittany, however, didn’t have a single patch of intact skin left on her body. [Our whole family is dying of thirst, please, be merciful, sell me one bottle of water, I’ll pay a hundred thousand!] The rental apartment’s community chat was filled with many such pleas. But no one responded to them. [Please save my child, he’s only a few months old, I beg you.] [Video] The baby’s normally pink lips were now dry and pale. I scrolled through the videos, feeling a heavy weight in my heart. These people were the ones who hadn’t believed the pre-apocalypse warnings to stock up. That’s because, over the years, expert warnings had become tiresome. No one had actually believed that disaster would truly strike. [The child is innocent, let’s share some water with them. – Unit 2, Apt 301] Damian’s name in the group chat was his unit and apartment number. The moment my message with Damian’s unit number went out, the group chat exploded. Unit 2, Apt 702: [Exactly, your family bought so much water in the group chat a few days ago, share some with everyone!] Unit 6, Apt 502: [Hand over the water and show some charity! – Unit 2, Apt 301] Unit 3, Apt 401: [Brother, please be kind, just one bottle for my kid, I won’t tell anyone.] Damian panicked. He sent several messages to the group, explaining that all his water was gone. But how could people easily give up their only chance at survival? I opened a cold soda, enjoying the scene on the monitor. The crowd worked together to pry open the rental apartment door. Damian was beaten black and blue, cowering in a corner with the dog, which was now skin and bones, looking almost lifeless. These people, like pirates discovering treasure, ransacked all the supplies in the apartment. An old man arrived a little late. After surveying the apartment, he took Brittany, who was still tied to the chair and close to death, with him.

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My mother-in-law, Eleanor, and I were enjoying a getaway. After checking into our hotel, we headed straight for the pool. But a perfectly put-together woman, looking utterly disgusted, scrunched up her nose at us. “This is a high-end hotel. What kind of people do they let in? Are you just sneaking in to use the pool?” “Sharing a pool with you makes me worry about catching some infectious disease!” Eleanor and I immediately felt our vibe killed. I retorted coldly: “The hotel pool is public, open to all guests. If you can’t handle that, build your own at home.” Her eyebrows shot up in anger. She snapped: “How dare you talk to me like that? Do you even know my husband owns this hotel? The most exclusive suite here is mine year-round.” “I command you to get out! You reek of cheapness, you’re making the water filthy. It’s disgusting!” Eleanor and I exchanged a glance, a chill of recognition passing between us. This hotel was owned by Julian Hayes. When did he become *her* husband?! A chilling dread washed over me. Had Julian Hayes, the man who’d vowed eternal loyalty to me, truly cheated?

The next moment, my gaze fell on the rose tattoo on her collarbone. I’d seen an identical one on Julian’s abs. He’d told me he got it because I loved roses. How foolish I felt then, so touched by his gesture. It turned out to be a matching tattoo with another woman. If I hadn’t stumbled upon this today, I would never have known he’d found someone else so long ago. The more furious I became, the calmer I felt. I decided to expose her facade. “But as far as I know, Julian Hayes’s wife’s surname is Shaw, and she doesn’t look like you at all. You’re the third party, yet you dare to be so arrogant. You have no shame.” “Go ahead, call Julian Hayes right now. I’d love to see how he’s going to make us pay dearly!” My words, “third party,” stung her. She hissed: “There’s no ‘first-come, first-served’ in love. The one who isn’t loved, *that’s* the third party.” “My husband is coming over today anyway. I’ll have him here in a flash. You just wait!” She dialed a number, her voice shifting to a sickly sweet tone: “Julian, honey, when will you be here? I’m being bullied by two old women at the hotel pool, and I’m so scared all by myself. Please hurry and help me out.” “After this, you should make the pool exclusive for me. I’ve been practicing some new moves in the pool, just for you.” After she hung up, her eyes practically gleamed with vanity and triumph. “He’ll be here in half an hour. You two are dead. He has plenty of ways to deal with you!” The thought of Julian putting on a show of deep affection with me while cheating with another woman made me want to throw up. Eleanor caught my reaction and understood. She gnashed her teeth. “Julian Hayes, that monster! Just like his worthless father!” “What I gave him, I can just as easily take back!” Eleanor hated infidelity. Years ago, she divorced Julian’s father because he cheated with a younger model. She’d raised her son alone, balancing a demanding career. She never expected the son she raised to be just as rotten, stabbing her in the back. Eleanor Hayes owned over a hundred hotels nationwide. Although she’d handed over some operations to Julian these past few years, she was still the true power behind them. And I, Elara Shaw, wouldn’t have married Julian Hayes if I didn’t come from an equally prominent family. Julian Hayes, I’m waiting to see how you’re going to explain this to us! At that moment, I noticed Eleanor’s face had turned pale. Worried, I quickly helped her, trying to get her out of the pool to change. But Tiffany waved her hand. Mikey immediately used his arms to vault onto the deck, and as Eleanor was climbing the ladder, he kicked her. Eleanor tumbled back into the water. I quickly reached for her again. Tiffany watched from the side, laughing maniacally. “You two look like a couple of old ducks flapping around in the water! Don’t you love being in the water? Then stay there!” “Mikey, don’t let them out until my husband arrives.” Mikey, like a loyal lackey, responded: “Tiffany, don’t worry, mission accomplished. Just put in a good word for me with Mr. Hayes when he gets here.” No matter how many times Eleanor and I tried to climb out, he’d kick us back down. Our strength was quickly draining. Eleanor, clutching her chest, was gasping for air, unable to speak. I made her lean on me, shouting desperately to the shore: “Are you trying to kill someone?! My mother is having a heart attack; let us out now! “Otherwise, when Julian Hayes gets here, you’ll regret it!” Mikey’s face paled, and he nervously looked at Tiffany. She just chuckled, dismissing my threat. “You old ladies always pull these kinds of stunts. Faking a heart attack? You were swimming perfectly fine just a minute ago!” “Mikey, go turn off the pool heater. Let’s see how long she can keep up the act then!”

My temples throbbed with rage. “I’m telling you, if someone dies, the police will be involved, and none of you will get away with it!” She casually took a sip from a glass of red wine, her tone arrogant. “Stop faking it. If you want out, just beg me.” “Weren’t you so tough a minute ago? What, now that you know my husband is coming, you’re scared?” Eleanor already had a heart condition. Not only had she been infuriated today, but she’d also choked on water several times and was exhausted. She was in severe distress. I bit my lip. I couldn’t let her be in danger. I had to endure it for now, ensure her safety. Just as I was about to open my mouth and beg her, Eleanor grabbed my arm. She spoke with a trembling voice: “I’ve never bowed my head to anyone in my life, much less begged a despicable thing like her.” “Elara, I can still hold on. When Julian Hayes gets here, he definitely won’t forgive her.” “Don’t worry, I’ve been hurt by men my whole life. I’ll stand by you.” Seeing that we still wouldn’t beg, Tiffany’s eyes glinted slyly. She turned and instructed Mikey: “Go grab two buckets of ice from the kitchen. Let’s cool them down even more.” Ice cubes were dumped into the water, and the temperature quickly plummeted. I was shivering uncontrollably. Eleanor’s lips were already turning blue, and her consciousness was fading. I slapped her face, but she barely reacted. Holding my breath, I quickly swam with her towards the edge, but Mikey pushed us away again and again with a pole. I was frantic, my eyes red, screaming hoarsely: “My mother is dying! Let her out now! If someone dies, your hotel won’t be able to escape responsibility!” “Julian Hayes will never let you off the hook!” Mikey, being a swimming instructor, noticed Eleanor’s pale face and realized the situation was genuinely bad. He quickly turned to Tiffany. “Tiffany, the older woman looks really bad. Maybe we should let her out? It’ll be such a hassle if she dies in the pool, and it’ll gross you out every time you use it.” “Besides, Mr. Hayes probably doesn’t want you to actually kill someone. If he gets angry, I might lose my job.” Tiffany thought for a moment, then scoffed. “Oh, so you’re worried about your job? I didn’t actually intend to kill anyone, but some people are just too stubborn for their own good.” “I said if they begged me, I’d consider letting them out. They’re still not at death’s door. I want to see how long they can last!” Mikey, emboldened by Tiffany’s presence, glared at me. “Let me tell you, Tiffany Blackwood is Mr. Hayes’s woman. This hotel exists to serve her; everything has to make way for her.” “You shouldn’t have been let in today. If you want to live, apologize to her right now, and beg her properly.” “If you’re not smart about this, no one can help you!” I bit my lip hard, seeing Eleanor in such a critical state. I couldn’t care less about my pride or dignity anymore. I struggled to speak: “I beg you, please let my mother out first. She has a heart condition; she’ll really die.” Tiffany’s lips curved into a smug smile. She deliberately sneered, her voice dripping with mock sweetness: “Didn’t you just call me a shameless third party? I want you to say it again. Say that Elara Shaw is the bitchy third party, and *I* am Julian Hayes’s wife.” Tiffany hated being called a third party, and she was fiercely jealous of the Elara Shaw she’d never met. She didn’t know *I* was Elara Shaw, and yet, she unwittingly delivered the greatest insult. My fists clenched, nails digging deep into my palms. I swallowed the humiliation, repeating each word slowly: “Elara Shaw is the bitchy third party, you are Julian Hayes’s wife!” “Is that enough? Now let my mother out!” She smiled, satisfied, a cunning glint in her eyes. “I said I’d *consider* it. Now that I’ve considered it, I’ve decided I don’t want you to come out.”

I was utterly furious, wanting to tear her apart with my eyes. I had no choice but to reveal Eleanor’s identity. “You’ve gone too far! She is Julian Hayes’s mother! If anything happens to her, Julian Hayes will never let you off the hook when he gets here!” Tiffany burst into laughter, scoffing: “You disgusting women will make up any lie! I just heard you call her ‘Mom.’ How did she suddenly become Julian Hayes’s mother?” “You’ve ruined my swimming fun today. I’m going to teach you a lesson. Next time you go out, remember to open your eyes!” Eleanor was trembling slightly in my arms, her breathing growing weaker. Her heart condition had fully flared up. If she didn’t get her emergency heart medicine soon, she would truly die. My eyes red, I screamed hoarsely: “Help! Someone, please help us! Someone’s going to die…” But the entire pool area was empty; there was no one else around. Mikey also started to panic. He said anxiously: “Tiffany, what if…” But she cut Mikey off, completely disregarding human life. She said nonchalantly: “It’s fine. Old ladies like her are stronger than young people. She’s just faking it.” “My husband will be here any minute. We can let them out after he arrives. A few more minutes won’t hurt. If something was going to happen, it would have already.” A few minutes could cost Eleanor her life if we missed the critical time for rescue. Despair flooded my heart. Just then, Mr. Davis, the hotel manager, rushed over. I yelled at him, my voice hoarse: “Help! My mom is having a heart attack! Get her out of the water immediately and call an ambulance!” The manager had seen Eleanor years ago, but he didn’t recognize her now. He saw Eleanor’s condition and his heart sank. He had heard there was trouble and had come to ingratiate himself with Tiffany. But now, with someone possibly dying, he quickly weighed upsetting Tiffany against losing his job over a death. He then smiled at Tiffany and said: “Ms. Blackwood, maybe we should let them out of the water first. If something really bad happens, you won’t be able to use this pool ever again.” Tiffany shot him a haughty look. “Fine. For your sake, I’ll let them out.” The manager quickly had Mikey pull Eleanor and me out of the water. Eleanor lay motionless on the ground. Ignoring my own gasping for breath, I sprinted to the changing room, grabbing my bag as fast as I could. I fumbled, spilling out the emergency heart medicine, and was about to put it in her mouth. But Tiffany kicked the bottle, sending both it and the pills flying into the pool. She looked at my furious face and sneered mockingly: “Alright, stop faking it. I let you out. Now get lost. Next time you see me, remember to walk the other way. I’m feeling generous today, so I’ll let you two off.” Rage propelled me forward. I slapped Tiffany hard across the face, my eyes red as I hissed: “If anything happens to my mother, I swear I’ll make you and Julian Hayes both pay the price!” She hadn’t expected me to dare hit her. She shrieked: “You lunatic! I shouldn’t have been soft-hearted. I should have let you two bitches drown!” I lunged to hit her again, but Mikey and Mr. Davis grabbed my shoulders. Tiffany, meanwhile, slapped me over and over again. The burning pain on my face cleared my head. I realized that any more delay would cost Eleanor her life. Struggling free from their grip, I quickly found my phone and called Julian Hayes: “Julian Hayes, Mom’s having a heart attack! We’re at the hotel pool in River City. Get the nearest medical team here now!” “Any later, and Mom will be gone!” But Julian replied impatiently: “If your mom has a heart condition, shouldn’t *she* be more careful? I’m in a meeting. Call an ambulance yourself.” He then abruptly hung up. I was trembling with anger. Does he even know whose mother has a heart condition? The next moment, Tiffany let out a delighted squeal, looking towards the entrance: “Julian, honey, you’re finally here!”

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After I spearheaded the company’s IPO, I personally generated billions in profits for my CEO wife. Veronica excitedly promised me a car. But then, she rolled out a kid’s scooter from the garage, beaming, “Practice with this first, honey. When the company makes *real* money, we’ll get you a proper one.” Just moments later, I saw her on her ex-boyfriend Blake’s live stream, casually dropping millions to snag a global limited-edition vintage supercar. On screen, she was draped around his neck, practically purring: “This is the only thing fit for my baby’s status!” I looked down at the scooter she’d given me, and suddenly, I burst out laughing. With a flick of my thumb, I forwarded it straight to the company’s main WhatsApp group, tagging everyone. Thirty seconds later, my phone practically vibrated off the table. Her voice, when it finally broke through, was a frantic, tear-laced shriek: “Jake, honey, let me explain! That was just to get his dad’s investment! Pull it back now! I’ll buy you a real car tomorrow!” But her promises? They were like a maxed-out credit card, draining every last drop of hope I had left. I slipped off my wedding ring and gently placed it on the coffee table. “Nine AM tomorrow. Don’t forget to show up for the divorce.” On the other end of the line, Veronica’s voice rose, sharp and shrill: “Are you out of your mind?! I told you it was to reel in an investment! What are you trying to prove here? The company’s making big money, aren’t you living comfortably too?” “Divorce? Who are you trying to scare? Who do you think you are? Without me, Veronica, would you be where you are today?” “Pull that message from the group *now*! The whole company’s laughing at me; how am I, the CEO, supposed to show my face? Are you deliberately trying to humiliate me?” “I’m telling you, don’t push your luck! Retract it now, immediately! Otherwise, I’m *really* going to divorce you!” With that, she hung up before I could respond. I looked at the ring on the table and silently closed my eyes. In this marriage, I was truly exhausted. Messages in the company WhatsApp group were still piling up, all supporting me. “Veronica is totally out of line here. Is *this* how you treat the guy who made it all happen?” “Blake’s got zero talent, but he gets a supercar? That money could cover our team’s bonuses for three freaking years!” “Her ex is flaunting his wealth on TikTok, while we busted our butts getting this company public, and *this* is our reward?” I scrolled through them, one by one, and chuckled. Turns out, Veronica wasn’t upset because I embarrassed her; it was because her beloved Blake was getting ripped apart. But they were right. Her ex, Blake, was like a peacock constantly showing off, always circling around heiresses and wealthy older women, flamboyantly parading his supposed ‘family connections’ and ‘deep pockets.’ The truth? He couldn’t even read a basic financial statement, yet he’d brag at every cocktail party about ‘closing multi-million dollar deals.’ The most ridiculous part was when he visited the company last time. Just because the Head of Sales didn’t *grovel* enough for him, he immediately convinced Veronica to fire her. Everyone in the company came to me, begging me to intervene. Veronica immediately ripped into me: “‘The most important thing in this company is respect! If someone can’t even grasp that, they deserve to be fired!’” Thinking about it, I couldn’t help but sneer. The so-called “respect” was only for her useless ex. Me, her husband, I worked my butt off to make her billions, and the “respect” I earned was a kid’s scooter. My phone vibrated suddenly. It was a message from my team leader, Frank: “Jake, the guys just went to bat for you.” Seeing the flood of memes in the group, my mood lightened slightly. I was about to remind them to be careful. Suddenly, a disciplinary notice from Veronica’s ex, Blake, popped up in the company WhatsApp: “Anyone caught chatting in the group during work hours will have their monthly performance bonus docked completely!” Every single name on that list was from the team I had personally built and mentored. The group immediately erupted: “Director Jake, Blake is clearly coming after you!” “What’s the point of staying in this dump of a company?” “If you leave, we’re all leaving with you!” I clenched my phone. Seven years. From the very first fight we had about Blake, Veronica had unilaterally added him—an absolute outsider to our company—to the main group chat, even granting him administrative privileges. She knew how much I valued loyalty and my team. But she deliberately let Blake harass them, just to spite me. I dialed a number I hadn’t called in a long time. “Hey, old friend, is that offer we talked about still on the table?” A voice on the other end erupted with joy: “Of course! You finally came to your senses?” “But I have one condition.” “Name it!” “I’m bringing my entire team with me.” “Excellent! Double salary, same position, you can sign the contract tomorrow!” I hung up and looked at the divorce papers I’d just pulled from the drawer. Veronica had probably forgotten, but in the early days of our startup, we made a pact: if this company ever felt like a cage, either of us could walk away at any time. I stared at Veronica’s signature from seven years ago. Back then, she’d cling to my arm, her voice soft and sweet: “Honey, we’ll never need this agreement. I just want you to know that in my heart, you’re more important than the company.” But now? Everything was different. We were different. The pen spun once between my fingers. Without hesitation, I signed my name. Then, I opened the company WhatsApp and sent a new message: 【Everyone, effective tomorrow, I am officially resigning.】 Then, I turned off my phone. 2 Early the next morning, I arrived at the company to find the CEO’s assistant stammering nervously at me. I pushed open the office door, and Veronica was there, her face a storm cloud of fury, staring daggers at me: “You actually show up for work? Didn’t you say you were resigning yesterday? Regretting it already?” “Hmph, I called you *eighty-eight* times last night, and you didn’t pick up! Don’t think for a second I’m going to forgive you!” “I’m going on a business trip for a few days, so I won’t be home! You can use this time to *reflect* on your actions!” Just outside my office door, Blake, looking smug and dressed in some ridiculously flashy outfit, swooped in and grabbed Veronica by the waist: “Darling, what should we have for dinner once we land in the Maldives tonight?” I watched them walk away, and a cold laugh escaped me. So, it wasn’t a business trip. It was a vacation with Blake. Veronica almost drowned as a child; she’s always been terrified of the ocean. When we first married, I suggested the Maldives for our honeymoon, but her fear was so profound we kept postponing it. Now, for Blake? She was breaking every single one of her long-held rules. Tears blurred my vision from laughing. So true love really *can* conquer all fears. It just turned out that after seven or eight years of marriage, I was never her true love. Casting away the last shred of fantasy in my heart, I finalized the terms with my team and the new company. At the restaurant, Frank clapped a sympathetic hand on my shoulder. “Jake, a boss as biased as Veronica? She’s just not worth your loyalty.” I threw back a shot of whiskey, the fiery liquid burning a path down my throat. I remembered meeting Veronica for the first time. She was a fresh-faced intern, wearing a simple white shirt, so nervous in the conference room that she’d even put her PowerPoint slides in backward. Now, she was a woman full of lies, a master of manipulation. And hadn’t I, in a way, created this monster by constantly tolerating her behavior? In the early days of our startup, no matter how big a screw-up she made, one sweet word, one innocent look, and I’d melt, always forgiving her. Eventually, she didn’t even bother pretending. She just used her CEO title to shut me down. Now, for that ex, she could sacrifice me without a second thought. “Tonight, we drink until we drop!” I raised my glass, and my team members cheered in response. At 3 AM, I stumbled through the front door. To my surprise, Veronica was sitting upright on the couch in the living room, perfectly poised. She frowned and took two steps back: “Jake! I hate drunks! Have you forgotten that?” I chuckled. Right. Because she hated the smell of alcohol, I hadn’t touched a drop in eight years. But last week, in a SnapChat video Blake posted, Veronica was plastered, draped all over his shoulder. His caption? “My baby’s even cuter when she’s had too much.” She could even drink the alcohol she hated for her beloved ex, but now she was telling me she hated drunks. Thinking about it, I looked at her, my gaze cold. “Weren’t you supposed to be in the Maldives?” Veronica tossed a blanket at me: “How did you know? Never mind. It’s not important. I wouldn’t have changed my flight if I wasn’t worried sick about *you*!” “But you? You’re out here partying like crazy with those annoying people from the company?! Didn’t I tell you to reflect?!” She then pointed to the dining table. “And I even bothered to bring you coffee from that shop you love.” I used to constantly worry about her safety. No matter how fierce our arguments, if I didn’t hear from her for over an hour, I’d immediately call to check. But this time, I hadn’t sent her a single message for twenty-four hours straight. She finally couldn’t sit still, could she? On the dining table, there was indeed my favorite coffee. The smell used to make my whole day, but now it just made my stomach churn. This ‘stab you in the back then offer you a sweet’ routine? She’d perfected it years ago. Too bad it wasn’t working this time. Seeing my lack of reaction, Veronica’s tone softened slightly, but there was a suppressed, grinding anger beneath it. “Honey, can we please just stop this? No more fighting. I’ll get you a real car right away—Porsche or Ferrari, you pick!” I stared at the ceiling, then slowly spoke: “Veronica, do you honestly still think I’m negotiating with you over a car?” She frowned after a few seconds of silence: “Then what do you want? Just *say* it! I’ll agree to anything!” I smiled softly: “No need.” Then Veronica’s tone shifted abruptly: “Then how about that new energy project you’re leading? Let Blake take over. After all, you *did* egg your team on to badmouth him, so consider it an apology!” I scoffed. So that was it. She waited up all night just to get a project for that deadbeat. “Alright.” I said. Veronica flashed a triumphant smile, as if she’d expected me to cave: “See? That was easy. Just come back to the office tomorrow. I’ll call Blake, you apologize to him, and this whole thing will blow over.” “I won’t hold it against your team members for what they said about Blake. We can go back to being a happy couple.” I didn’t let her finish. I slapped my company ID badge onto the dining table. “One project? That’s not enough. Tomorrow, I’ll hand over *all* my current work to him.” 3 Veronica’s face instantly changed: “Jake! What are you talking about?” “Blake’s family is *so* influential, Jake. It’s just a project. You’re giving it to him as a gesture.” “Once his father’s investment comes through, our company will explode! And I’m just discussing this with you, what’s with the sarcasm?” “Nothing.” I turned and walked towards the bedroom. Veronica lunged forward, grabbing my collar. “Jake! You’re just jealous I bought Blake that car, aren’t you?!” She shrieked hysterically. “Don’t act like some martyr! A petty, calculating man like you isn’t even worth one of Blake’s pinky fingers!” “Fine! I’ll just buy you one myself!” Even now, she thought it was all about the car. I calmly pushed her hand away: “Keep that money, Veronica. Buy Blake a yacht.” With a *CRASH*—Veronica hurled the entire coffee cup at the wall. Coffee splattered, a jarring brown against the pristine white. “Blake and I are *nothing*! Your disgusting mind is so twisted, you don’t even deserve to be a VP!” I looked at her face, contorted with rage, and suddenly found it pathetic. Everyone else in the company called him ‘Mr. Blake,’ some even mockingly ‘Prince Blake.’ But *she* always used his first name, ‘Blake.’ And now she wanted to talk about innocence? “Veronica,” I used her formal title, letting the coldness sink in. “Do I need to pull up the security footage? Last Wednesday night, how exactly did your ‘Blake’ end up in your office?” Veronica’s face instantly went white, her carefully applied red lips trembling. She suddenly raised her hand, but stopped it inches from my face. Her freshly manicured red nails seemed to glint with a sinister, bloody light under the lamp. “Hmph!” She stumbled back, her voice catching. “Give me back the scooter I gave you! I picked that out myself! You don’t deserve it!” “Threw it away.” I cut off her theatrics. “This morning, when the cleaner came, I personally tossed it out.” Veronica’s tears instantly froze in her eyes. She stared at me, wide-eyed and disbelieving, as if seeing her husband of eight years for the very first time. I turned and closed the bedroom door, hearing Veronica’s furious roar from inside. “I’m leaving! I’m never coming back!” But strangely, this time, my heart felt completely calm. Turns out, when disappointment finally fills you up, even anger becomes redundant. When I woke up, my phone was scorching hot from all the messages. The company WhatsApp’s latest announcement displayed a new personnel change: 【After deliberation by the board of directors, Jake, Director of Operations, has been removed from his position and reassigned to Assistant Manager of Logistics, effective immediately.】 The reason for disciplinary action was explicitly stated as: 【Due to personal emotional issues affecting company unity.】 Even more ridiculous, the announcement bore Veronica’s digital signature, and the posting time was 3 AM—precisely the time her flight with Blake took off for the Maldives after they adjusted their schedule. When I went to HR with my team to process our resignations, the new HR representative, Mr. Davis, fumbled with his phone, trying to call for instructions: “Veronica, Director Jake and his team are…” From the other end of the line, Blake’s artificially sweet voice purred: “Veronica’s in the shower, darling. Can’t it wait until tomorrow?” Then came Veronica’s impatient, irritated voice: “Didn’t I say *not* to bother me today, no matter what?!” “But Director Jake—!” 4 “Let him handle whatever he needs to himself! He thinks he’s so capable, why is he calling me?!” Veronica’s voice suddenly sharpened. “The company seal is in the safe! The password is his birthday! Do I really need to be bothered with such trivial matters?” Mr. Davis hung up, his face flushed scarlet. He nervously opened the safe, but froze when he saw the keypad. The date displayed? It wasn’t my birthday. It was the exact date Veronica and Blake first met. The resignation process was unusually smooth. On my way to the courthouse for the divorce, I idly scrolled through Instagram and saw Blake’s latest post. A nine-photo dump, with Veronica in a sexy bikini, intimately feeding him fruit. The caption read: 【Some people take eight years to do nothing, others achieve more in eight days.】 Veronica’s old friends commented below: “She introduced him to us three years ago, saying they were about to go public. Guess she finally decided to post about it on SnapChat today.” All these years, Veronica had always made excuses about being too busy to introduce me to her friends. But in truth, three years ago, she was already introducing Blake as her husband. I silently liked her post on my phone. Veronica’s international call came through immediately. “Jake, what are you doing liking my post in the middle of a workday? Don’t you have a job?!” “And why are your team members liking it too?” “I’m half tempted to dock all your salaries!” I laughed into the international call. “Forgot to tell you. My team and I have already resigned.” Veronica paused, then asked incredulously: “What kind of game are you playing now to get me back?” “I’m busy with *real* work, Jake. I don’t have time for your childish games!” She certainly was busy. Busy dating Blake, busy making their relationship Instagram official to her college friends. And busy punishing me and my team. Blake, still on the line, stoked the flames: “Veronica, he’s doing this to disrespect you. Quitting himself is one thing, but taking all your top talent? He’s trying to destroy you!” Before he finished speaking, her friends, seeing my ‘like,’ chimed in with their own comments: “We all heard from Blake. Even if Jake *is* your husband, he’s just a pathetic loser at home. Blake does all his work at the company! Someone like that, if he doesn’t quit, you should’ve fired him yourself!” “Honestly, Veronica, that loser needs to go. Blake is clearly your soulmate!” Seeing their incitement and slander, Veronica, who knew the truth, didn’t bother to clarify for me. Instead, she sighed into the phone: “Jake, for the sake of our years together, I’m giving you one last chance.” “As long as you apologize, when we get back, I can offer you a position as Blake’s assistant. Otherwise!” Otherwise, she would divorce me. But this time, I wasn’t giving her any chances. Before, whenever she was about to utter those two words, I’d panic, begging her not to divorce me. But now, I calmly sent a photo of our divorce certificate to her comments section: “Allow me to announce, we are officially divorced.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “298999”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

At graduation, I finally mustered up the courage to confess to my crush. But, as fate would have it, I got hit by a car. When I woke up, my crush stood right in front of me, staring at me coldly. “You’re awake? Great, let’s discuss the divorce agreement.” Me: ??? I haven’t even confessed yet! How did this turn into a divorce? ***** At my graduation ceremony, I finally summoned the courage to confess to Richard Mond, my long-time crush. On the other side of the crosswalk, Richard was standing there, looking sharp in his graduation gown, taking photos. I got so excited that I dashed toward him, completely missing the fact that the light was red. There was a loud crash. I was hit by a car, and everything went black. The next time I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was the blinding white ceiling. And there he was. Richard, standing by my hospital bed. Still as handsome as ever. This might be the first time we’ve been this close. Richard was looking up at the IV drip, but his gaze slowly shifted to my face. I accidentally noticed the ring on his left hand. I’ve had a crush on him for so long. So, he’s already taken? Suppressing the bitterness in my heart, I forced a smile and greeted him, “Richard, what are you doing here?” As I tried to sit up, I noticed that my arm was wrapped in thick bandages. The next second, Richard sat on the chair beside my bed, his voice cold and distant. “Nydia, you’ve really mastered the art of manipulation. Risking your life just to push for a divorce?” I stared at Richard, completely confused. What is he talking about? Divorce? I haven’t even graduated yet, let alone gotten married. Where is this divorce thing coming from? Just then, a nurse came into the room, holding a tray for bandaging wounds. “Dr. Mond, you’re still here? Miss Rosa, you don’t realize how lucky you are. You were hit by a car, but thankfully Dr. Mond happened to be nearby. He gave you emergency care right away. Otherwise, it wouldn’t just be a broken arm you’re dealing with.” The nurse bent down and carefully disinfected my wound. After she rested my hand on the side of the bed, I noticed… I was also wearing a ring on my right hand! And it matched Richard’s ring. A couple’s ring! A wave of fear and uncertainty washed over me. After the nurse left, I grabbed Richard’s sleeve in a panic. “Richard, you graduated from NYU Medical School in 2018, right?” He frowned, clearly annoyed. He shook my hand off and looked at me coldly. “Since you’re awake, let’s go over the divorce agreement.”   This is absolutely ridiculous! I was on my way to graduation, got hit by a car, and now I’m being accused of “faking an accident” to force a divorce from Richard? Either I’ve lost my mind, or Richard has. “Wait, Richard!” Before I could finish, a little kid suddenly ran into the room, jumping right into Richard’s arms. Me: ??? Wow, this kid is so adorable. I reached out with my good arm to pinch his cheek, but he immediately hid behind Richard, clearly scared. “Sorry, little guy. You’re just too cute. I couldn’t help myself.” Richard shot me a disapproving look. It suddenly hit me that I hadn’t even gotten to the main point. “Richard, this might sound crazy, but I don’t remember anything you’re talking about. All I recall is being on my way to the graduation ceremony…” Before I could finish, Richard cut me off impatiently. “So, you’re telling me you’ve lost your memory?” Amnesia? Yes, that must be it. Amnesia is the only explanation for why I don’t remember any of this. I nodded sincerely. Richard’s icy expression didn’t soften. He pulled a document from his bag and tossed it onto my lap. “This is the divorce agreement. The terms are exactly as you requested. If you have no objections, just sign it.” I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. The little boy in Richard’s arms looked sad, his lips trembling. “Richard, shouldn’t we avoid discussing such topics in front of a child? It’s not good for his emotional well-being.” “How considerate of you, Nydia,” Richard sneered. “That’s our child.” … “And yet, when you were having dinner with another man, did you ever think about how that might affect his emotional well-being?” I hadn’t even processed his first sentence when the second one hit me like a ton of bricks. I stared at the little boy in disbelief. So, I didn’t just get married—I have a child too? But the little guy paid no attention to me. He buried his face in Richard’s neck, refusing to even look my way. Too much information. My brain couldn’t handle it. I was officially out of commission.

It took me a whole day to wrap my head around everything. It seems I really did lose my memory. I’m still me, and Richard is still Richard. The only difference is—we’re married, and we have a kid. But that divorce agreement sitting on the bed speaks volumes: there’s clearly a problem with our marriage. The problem is… did I cheat? No way, right? Why would I cheat on Richard? He’s good-looking and smart. I must’ve been crazy. So, what went wrong? How can I get my memory back? I scratched my head, completely frustrated. “Mommy.” A tiny voice came from the door. I looked up to see a small face peeking through the slightly open door. “Daddy said you need to disinfect your hand. Here’s the iodine. He said you should do it yourself.” The little boy held a bottle tightly in his tiny hands. I gestured for him to come closer. “Mommy’s hand hurts. Can you bring it over for me?” The boy hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded and shuffled over to the bed, placing the iodine on the bedside table. I pulled him onto my lap and studied his features. His eyes were big and round like mine, his nose straight like Richard’s, and his face… a perfect combination of both of us. This was our son. I couldn’t resist hugging him tight and planting a big kiss on his cheek. He smelled so sweet and innocent—absolutely irresistible. When I looked up, his face was bright red. He froze for a moment before wrapping his little arms around my neck and hugging me back tightly. He leaned in and whispered in my ear, “Mommy, you smell nice.” This little guy is the sweetest thing ever. As I basked in the joy of my son’s affection, the door opened again. Richard entered, his familiar presence filling the room. “Daddy!” The little boy immediately ran to Richard and held his arms out, waiting for him to pick him up. Richard had just showered, wearing casual loungewear, looking effortlessly sexy and relaxed. His hair was still slightly damp, with droplets running down his neck and disappearing into his collar. I swallowed. This man was dangerously attractive. As he came closer, my heart started racing. But then Richard’s words shattered my moment of bliss. “Nydia, don’t you think it’s a little late to start being a good mom to Jacob?” “I… I didn’t mean to…” I tried to explain, but the look on Richard’s face told me he wouldn’t believe a word I said. So, I stayed silent. “Whatever. Do what you need to do. I’m heading out.” As I left the study, Jacob peeked out from Richard’s neck and gave me a glance. Watching the two of them so close, a wave of sadness washed over me. What good are a husband and child if my husband doesn’t love me? Even my son seems closer to him. I started questioning everything. Why did we get married in the first place? Why did we have a child? Outside, the full moon hung high in the sky. The night breeze blew through the balcony, scattering my emotions. Nothing has changed. Except for me.     The master bedroom had only one large bed. The entire room was decorated in a minimalist black, white, and gray palette. Apart from that, it was immaculately tidy, with a light scent of gardenias floating in the air. I recognized it instantly—it was my favorite fragrance. I headed to the walk-in closet, looking for my pajamas. But all I saw was a row of black clothes. And they were all men’s clothing. … I had no choice but to knock on the door of Richard’s study. “Richard… I mean, honey, sorry to bother you.” Richard looked up from his laptop, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses. His whole demeanor was both tempting and distant. “Do you know where my pajamas are? I looked through the closet in the master bedroom but couldn’t find them.” Richard stared at me for a few seconds without saying a word. Just as I was about to give up and leave, he suddenly stood up and walked toward me. He towered over me, standing at six foot one while I barely reached five foot five. I felt like a child standing in front of him. Richard smirked, slipping his hands into his pockets. “So, are you planning to carry on with this amnesia act?” I gulped, unsure of what to say. The truth was, even if I told him the truth, he wouldn’t believe me. Thankfully, he didn’t make things difficult this time. He walked past me, heading toward another part of the house. I stood there, confused and not sure what to do next. He glanced back at me from the corner of his eye. “Well? Aren’t you coming?” I immediately followed him, keeping a safe distance. “Thanks.” Two minutes later, I eagerly opened the closet door in the guest bedroom to grab my pajamas. But the moment I saw what was inside, I slammed the door shut, my face flushed with embarrassment. Oh my God! “This is…” I didn’t even finish my sentence, but I knew Richard understood. He stood by the door, arms crossed, silently watching me with a look that said, “Keep going, I’m just here to watch the show.” … Taking a deep breath, I slowly reopened the closet door. Inside were outfits so revealing, they looked like they belonged on a nightclub dancer. Tiny scraps of fabric—there was hardly anything to cover up with! Was this how I dressed after graduation… I mean, after I got married? Had my style become this… provocative? To make things worse, Richard didn’t seem to have any intention of leaving. I ignored his piercing gaze and continued searching through the clothes. But I couldn’t find anything even remotely “normal.” … I sighed inwardly and, for some reason, turned to Richard and asked, “Honey, which one do you like seeing me in?” His eyes immediately darkened, and without a word, he turned and walked out of the room. The door slammed shut behind him, and the sound made me jump. Why did he get mad? They say women are hard to understand, but men are even more of a mystery. I grabbed some pajamas and headed to the bathroom. A wild thought crossed my mind: could our impending divorce have something to do with… issues in the bedroom? After my shower, I wrapped myself in a robe and headed to Jacob’s room. The nursery was cozy, and it was clear Richard had put a lot of thought into it. Everything was designed with care. I tiptoed over to his bed. Jacob was fast asleep, clutching a little stuffed animal. I gently tucked the blanket around him and wiped his thumb, which he had been sucking on. For the first time, I felt a real connection to being a mother. But I still didn’t know how old he was. I looked over at our marriage certificate. It was dated four years ago. That meant Jacob must be around three. I ruffled his hair and quietly left the room. Just as I closed the door, I turned around and saw Richard standing right in front of me. We were so close that if I looked up, I could bump into his chin. My back pressed against the door, and Richard didn’t seem to realize—or care—that he was invading my personal space. My heart raced so fast, I thought it might leap out of my chest any second. “Are you done?” “Yeah.” The air was thick with awkwardness. I had no idea what to say next. “So… are you going to bed now?” Richard didn’t respond or make a move. I tightened the robe around me, making sure he couldn’t see the revealing pajamas underneath. “Okay, I’ll go to sleep first, then.” I stepped aside and practically bolted to the master bedroom. Without a second thought, I jumped into bed, pulled the covers over me, and lay still. Moments later, the bedroom door opened, and Richard walked in. He paused when he saw me lying in bed, seeming a little surprised. He stood there, just staring at me. His gaze made my scalp tingle. “Honey, which side do you usually sleep on?” No answer. Has Richard always been this strange? He’s so quiet, always just staring coldly, without saying a word. Frustrated, I got out of bed and stood by the side. “You pick first.” Richard finally moved. He walked to the other side, lay down, and shut off the bedside lamp with a loud click. …

  Now we were in total darkness. Great. Thankfully, I don’t have night blindness, or I’d really be angry right now! I fumbled in the dark, trying to get comfortable under the covers, but I couldn’t sleep. My mind was a chaotic mess, and to make matters worse, my arm, which was still sore from the accident, started to hurt again because of the way my robe was pressing against it. I shifted slightly, but Richard didn’t react, so I sat up and tried to remove my robe. As I finally managed to shrug it off, rubbing my sore arm, Richard suddenly opened his eyes. Before I could react, he rolled over and pinned me beneath him. I gasped, my breathing instantly becoming erratic. In the dark, I couldn’t see him clearly, but I could feel how close he was—so close that our breaths were mingling. “Jenny, what are you doing?” Richard asked, his voice low. “What do you mean?” “You wanted to get married, you went through so much trouble to get a divorce, and now you’re lying next to me, trying to seduce me. Nydia, I don’t have time for your games. What do you want?” “Seduce you?” I stared at him, completely stunned, when suddenly I felt a chill across my chest. Looking down, I realized that my pajamas were way more revealing than I thought. No wonder Richard thought I was trying to seduce him. “I… I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry.” I reached for the robe I had tossed onto the floor, but Richard had already had enough. He got up from the bed, clearly done with the conversation. “Nydia, I don’t care what you’re thinking. I don’t have any feelings for you anymore. I hope you understand that. Whether you’re faking amnesia or trying to seduce me, it doesn’t matter to me.” “I’ll sleep in the guest room tonight. Do whatever you want.” Richard left. And now, I was alone in this big room, with nothing but my sadness.   I couldn’t sleep. I just lay there, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling until dawn. Around 7 a.m., I heard Richard’s voice outside, speaking to a woman who kept saying “okay, okay.” It was probably the nanny, I guessed. A little while later, the front door closed, and I heard the sound of the car engine starting. Richard had gone to work. I stayed in bed, staring at the ceiling while my mind raced. I’ve never been an outgoing person—if I were, I wouldn’t have been crushing on Richard for so many years without saying a word. But now, not only had my crush succeeded, but I had also become his wife. Along with the shock, there was a sense of joy I couldn’t suppress. I thought this was my one big chance from fate, but it turns out I played my cards terribly in this marriage. Emotional intelligence really is my weakness. As I was lost in thought, the bedroom door suddenly opened. A woman in a nanny uniform walked in. The moment she saw me, she apologized repeatedly. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t think anyone was in here.” “It’s fine, I was just about to get up.” I smiled at her, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she slowly walked into the room. “Mr. Mond left for work. I assumed no one was here since you usually slept in your own room.” My own room? Suddenly, memories from the day before came rushing back. There was definitely a bed in that other room where I grabbed my clothes. So, I had been sleeping in a different room all this time? Does that mean Richard and I had been living separately? It all made sense now—Richard’s strange behavior yesterday. Oh no, this is embarrassing. I buried my face in my hands, and a flood of regret washed over me. Hearing our conversation, Jacob came running to the bedroom door, his bare feet thumping against the floor. He stood there looking at me with big, expectant eyes, but didn’t dare come in. “Jacob, come to mommy.” I gently called to him, holding out my arms. The little guy’s face lit up with excitement. He sprinted across the room and jumped into my arms, knocking me onto the bed. He flashed a big smile, his tiny teeth showing. “Mommy,” he said, nuzzling his head against my chest. My heart melted. No matter how much Richard might hate me right now, Jacob is still my baby. I would always love him. After saying goodbye to the nanny, I took Jacob out for some quality time together. We went shopping. I bought him a bunch of cute clothes and treated myself to some more “normal” outfits. Honestly, the clothes I wore after getting married were a bit… much. Holding Jacob in my arms, I watched as he happily ate his ice cream, his face smudged with cream. I gently wiped his mouth. “Jacob, what was Mommy like before?” Jacob pouted, his voice soft with a hint of sadness. “You didn’t like Jacob.” Then he added, “You were always so mean.” Kids don’t lie. Hearing this broke my heart. So, I really had changed that much, to the point where even I wouldn’t recognize myself? Then why did Richard marry me? Was it out of love? If so, he sure had an interesting taste. “Mommy, I want that!” Sitting in my lap, Jacob pointed at a McDonald’s poster advertising the latest family meal. Well, kids will be kids—can’t resist the temptation. Me: “Let’s buy it!” An hour later, Jacob and I sat side by side on the couch in Richard’s office, looking like two children who had just been caught misbehaving.

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  I was linked to a Sickness Transmigration System. It dumped me into the body of the true heiress, despised by everyone. Everyone adored the fake heiress, who’d been carefully cherished by the family for sixteen years. My three brothers feared I’d try to claim what belonged to the fake heiress, so they constantly mocked and taunted me. My biological parents were terrified my presence would upset the fake heiress, so they went all out to make it up to her. They never once considered my feelings. They saw my desperate yearning for love as a threat, as sheer jealousy. Later, I was dying. Even later, my second brother found the diary hidden under my pillow. They fell apart. *****   I was linked to a Sickness Transmigration System. It dropped me into the body of Harriet Bernal, the true heiress, half a year after she’d been found by the wealthy Bernal family. On my very first day here. Someone splashed a whole plate of food right onto me. Hot curry sauce ran down my face and neck, and fish balls rolled off my clothes onto the floor. The heat stung. I stared at the boy in front of me, my face blank. My gaze was blank, devoid of any emotion. Everyone else was startled by his actions too. Laurel, my mother, gasped, “Elton, what are you doing!” Elton’s face flickered with a hint of regret, but the words that burst out were nothing but blame. “It’s just that she always has that deadpan face! Renata talked to her, didn’t she hear?” Renata looked guilty at his words. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know it was because of me…” She looked at me apologetically. “My third brother didn’t mean it. Harriet, can I apologize to you for him?” Elton instantly bristled. “Who is she, anyway? Why would you even apologize to her? Renata, why do you even bother with her?!” I gave a faint, bitter smile. I wondered, too, what the original Harriet meant to them. Renata stood, surrounded by my three brothers, dressed in a pristine white dress, her hair perfectly styled. Meanwhile, my clothes were stained yellow with curry, and the smell of food clung to me, even without looking down. Renata. The family’s precious darling. This name shouldn’t have been hers. I ignored Renata. I picked up the last remaining fish ball that had landed on my lap, swallowing it along with the curry still clinging to my lips. It wasn’t the taste I remembered. I got up and left. “I’m full. I’ll head back to my room now, thank you.” As I turned, I met Mrs. Ward’s worried gaze. I managed a small smile for her. Silence fell over the dining table. Bernal and Laurel looked displeased. Brian, my eldest brother, said in a low, stern voice, “Elton, you genuinely crossed a line this time. Harriet didn’t do a thing.”   My original self in the previous world was already dead. Late-stage stomach cancer, died at eighteen. I had died a slow, agonizing death from the pain. There was no one by my side. Aside from that single fish ball just now, I hadn’t eaten anything solid for nearly three months. Perhaps the System, taking pity on my miserable existence, brought me to this world. This body also had stomach cancer. But it hadn’t progressed to a terminal stage yet. The System said the original girl had taken sleeping pills and committed suicide today. Frequent abdominal pain accompanied by coughing up blood had made her aware of her body’s problems. But she was afraid that speaking up would cause trouble for the Bernal family. Making the family, who already disliked her, despise her even more. So she chose to simply leave this world. How foolish she was. The Bernal family had vast resources; with proper treatment, she could have definitely gotten better. This family was truly ironic. They’d brought their biological daughter back half a year ago and still hadn’t noticed she was gravely ill. “Why am I here?” A girl who shared my unfortunate fate. Both orphans since childhood. Both afflicted with stomach cancer. Perhaps she was luckier than I. At sixteen, she was welcomed home by her biological parents. Perhaps she was unluckier than I. She never received a single shred of unconditional love before she left this world, becoming an angel. The System remained silent. “Has my arrival worsened this body’s symptoms?” I asked the System, feeling the metallic taste of blood in my throat. The System replied, “Yes. Just like your original self, you might… by eighteen.” “But if you cooperate with treatment…” I spoke calmly, “No treatment.” It didn’t matter. I was going to die anyway, so what did it matter? Besides, I didn’t want to live.   In the middle of the night, my stomach pain was unbearable, and I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. It felt like I was back in my previous life. Every night, I’d curl up, eyes wide open until dawn. My room was empty. My throat was parched. I fumbled my way downstairs in the dark, desperate for a drink of water. Instead, I ran into my second brother, Jeremy, in the living room. Jeremy was a professional gamer, so it wasn’t unusual for him to be up at two or three in the morning. He clearly noticed me too. He looked at me with a sour expression. Jeremy was the quietest member of the Bernal family. The original Harriet had never seen him in a good mood in the six months since she came home. I ignored him. I figured her very presence was enough to irritate him. I walked to the kitchen, hunched over. But I didn’t realize Jeremy was startled by my appearance. Under the dim nightlight in the living room. He clearly saw me sweating profusely from the pain, my lips pale. Aside from the angry red scald mark on my cheek, the rest of my skin was shockingly pale, almost translucent. I, however, was used to my sickly appearance, so I paid it no mind. I leaned against the sink, trying to rest, but the next second, a wave of nausea hit me, and I threw up blood. “Ugh.” I choked, tears welling up from the pain. A sound came from the kitchen doorway. Jeremy had followed me in. I quickly turned on the faucet to rinse the blood from the sink, then cupped my hands and drank a few gulps of tap water. Then I heard Jeremy’s deep voice. “If you’re going to drink water, drink warm water. Cold water can upset your stomach.” I softly hummed in response, lowering my head, trying to walk past him. The original Harriet had barely exchanged words with Jeremy, and I certainly wasn’t eager to get tangled up with this family. But Jeremy grabbed my wrist. I turned my head to look at him, my voice hoarse. “Second brother, is something wrong?” Being so close, Jeremy saw the wound on my face more clearly. He frowned, silent for a moment, then asked, “Why haven’t you treated the scald on your face?” I looked at his seemingly impatient expression. I just assumed he thought it was some kind of attention-seeking stunt. I pulled my wrist free, nodded vaguely. “Yeah, I’m heading back now.” He was too close. Jeremy turned on the light, then walked closer to the sink, frowning. Though the blood had mostly washed away. He still keenly noticed the faint reddish stains lingering in the sink…

  The next morning, as I went downstairs, I ran right into Elton near the staircase. My third brother had the most hostility towards the original Harriet. He and Renata were close in age, and their bond was the deepest. Perhaps Elton was simply too young. All he knew was that the sister he had pampered and protected his entire life had suddenly been replaced. This new girl, who had just been found, was going to steal everything from Renata. He vented all his resentment on his biological sister. He resented her for shattering their perfect life. Little did he realize, the original Harriet was the true innocent one. Elton looked at the obvious scald on my face, his eyes darting away. He deliberately didn’t speak to me, waiting for me to greet him. But I didn’t even glance at him, walking past him and away. Bernal’s face was cold. “You’re a grown person, can’t you even treat a small scald yourself? What kind of impression will you make walking around like that?” Bernal was a traditional patriarch, his eyes always on profits rather than family. He was probably just worried about me embarrassing him. Besides, the original Harriet had only been home for half a year. She couldn’t play any instruments, paint, or excel in academics. Her grades were abysmal. She had no real value to him. Laurel also looked disapproving. I scoffed internally. If it had been Renata, she’d have probably been rushed to the emergency room the second it happened. Yet last night, not a single person had bothered to ask if I’d been scalded. Or if I was still hungry after eating so little. Their favoritism truly knew no bounds. “There’s no first-aid kit in my room.” Silence fell over the Bernal family. Of course, the master bedrooms in the Bernal family mansion were fully equipped. But when they brought the original Harriet back, they made their biological daughter live in a guest room. And a guest room’s amenities were naturally sparse. The original Harriet even used the public bathroom. Not one person offered to give the original Harriet a different room. Laurel looked at her daughter’s face, so similar to her own, flushed with the scald, and a flicker of panic crossed her heart. If it were Renata, even a small injury would have the whole family doting on her. But when it came to me, there was no sound, no care. I was nothing like Renata, not at all lovable. Elton retorted, “You didn’t say anything, how were we supposed to know it was that serious?” A dull ache started in my upper abdomen, and I couldn’t help but hunch over. The taste of blood welled up in my throat. I tugged at my backpack strap, my voice hoarse. “I’m going to school now.” Elton frowned. It felt like his imagination, but Harriet’s posture seemed… off.   After the original Harriet was found, she transferred to Elton and Renata’s school. But Renata didn’t want the original Harriet to share the same car, afraid someone would discover she wasn’t the Bernal family’s true child. So the original Harriet always went to school alone. In those six months, due to Renata’s subtle hints, she had suffered no small amount of bullying. But that foolish girl endured it all in silence. She probably knew that even if she spoke up, no one would care. And her family would never believe Renata had instigated it. I had just pulled my textbooks from my desk when I saw the fake cockroach glued to the cover. The few kids waiting to see my reaction were already secretly covering their smirking mouths. The original Harriet would have definitely just taken it. But for me, dealing with such problems was just another Tuesday. I just wanted to quietly wait to die here, but if they insisted on coming at me, I wasn’t some pushover they could walk all over. I snatched up the textbook with the fake roach still stuck to it and strode towards the girl who’d been openly enjoying the show. I slapped the book right onto her face. Before she could even shriek, I dumped all the books out of her desk and found an identical textbook. The original Harriet had always been quiet and unassuming in class, never making a sound. Today, with my flushed face, I drew the silent attention of many classmates. Now, my once invisible self was causing such a commotion. The classroom instantly fell silent. The girl snapped back to reality and lunged at me like a maniac, trying to scratch me. I grabbed her hair and said coldly, “I’m letting bygones be bygones for what happened before. Don’t you dare mess with me again.” With that, I shoved her away and went back to my seat, slumping down. Not only was my stomach burning, but I also felt faintly nauseous, like I was about to vomit. The girl wouldn’t let it go, raising her hand to slap my face. Suddenly, her wrist was caught by Porter, who sat behind me. His rebellious face darkened. “Too loud.” The girl’s eyes widened when she saw it was Porter, and she instantly shut up. Porter was the undisputed king of the school, a total bad boy. His family had serious power and influence, so no one dared cross him. She went back to her seat and exchanged knowing glances with the others who’d been enjoying the show. A smirk played on their lips.   I was in so much pain I couldn’t straighten up, cold sweat beaded on my forehead, and I bit my lip hard to suppress the nausea. The frown etched on my face from the pain wouldn’t ease. This wasn’t right. It shouldn’t have progressed this quickly. This felt like late-stage. The next moment, I was suddenly lifted into the air. The jarring screech of a chair dragging across the floor made the whole class turn to look. I struggled, trying to get out of Porter’s arms, but I didn’t have enough strength and he held me even tighter. The tall, slender boy seemed to have endless energy. “Don’t move.” He seemed to see me like this for the first time: “I thought you were just a meek little mouse, always letting people walk all over you. Guess even the quiet ones snap sometimes.” As we walked, Porter sighed lightly: “How can you be so light?” Before we even reached the infirmary, Elton lunged forward, blocking our path, fuming. Elton’s anger surged, and he sneered coldly. “Harriet, are you serious right now? Class is about to start, and you’re out here on a date with a guy!” “Clearly, you have no upbringing at all. You’re nothing like Renata.” My heart suddenly twisted with a sharp pain. A wave of emotions, not entirely my own, surged through my chest, overwhelming me. It was always like this… No questions, just immediate blame. The pain intensified, and the taste of blood flooded my mouth. My eyes welled up with tears. I quickly ducked my head, refusing to acknowledge they were mine. Through his thin summer shirt. Porter seemed to feel the hot teardrops. His face was etched with confusion. He had a hot temper, and he said impatiently, “Who are you? Can’t you see she’s not feeling well? You just came up and started yelling? Go get some therapy if you’re sick, don’t throw a tantrum here!” He started to pull my face away, but then he looked down and saw the angry, bright red scald on my cheek. “Don’t scare me. We’ll be at the infirmary soon.” Even if only for a second, I saw Elton’s gaze sweep over me. He must have seen the blood at the corner of my mouth. His face instantly panicked. He wanted to follow, but Renata, who had caught up, pulled him back. “Third brother, why didn’t you wait for me! You ran so fast?” Elton turned to look at her displeased expression, pushing down the unease in his heart, and stayed where he was.

Porter jostling me made me feel even more nauseous. I pushed at him, struggling to speak. “Want… to throw up…” Porter only heard a weak mumble. “What did you sa—?” Before he could even finish asking, I wretched, spewing everything out. I hadn’t eaten anything all morning, so what came out was just acidic water mixed with blood from my stomach. I tried my best to avoid it, but it still got on Porter’s clothes. I gripped his shirt, weakly apologizing. Porter’s face darkened, but he gently laid me on the infirmary bed, letting the school nurse take over. He silently went out to get a mop and rag to clean up my vomit. The school nurse applied medicine to my face and put me on an IV drip of glucose. “Young lady, why are you throwing up blood? Do you have any medical history?” The school nurse advised me to go to the hospital for a thorough check-up, just for peace of mind. I thanked him and explained that it was just because I hadn’t eaten breakfast. I didn’t need a check-up; I already knew this body’s condition. I silently asked the System why this was happening. The System’s mechanical voice quietly responded. “Because the original owner’s consciousness is fading faster.” Meaning she wanted to leave this world faster, right? The System remained silent. I gave a knowing, bitter smile. Harriet. Her name, given by her grandma, held a hidden meaning: “to retain,” “to keep.” When Grandma Rose found the baby girl, still bundled in swaddling, she was stiff and purple, frozen in the bitter snow. Grandma Rose thought the original Harriet had already frozen to death, but then her tiny finger moved. Grandma Rose took the original Harriet home and named the little girl Harriet. Grandma Rose was a woman of deep faith. She always said that saving Harriet, retaining her, was fate’s decree, and her own heartfelt wish. At five years old, Grandma Rose passed away. The original Harriet was sent to an orphanage by the neighbors. Later, the Bernal family took her back and wanted to change Harriet’s name. But she stubbornly refused; it was the only thing her grandma had left her. But now, Harriet no longer wanted to follow fate’s decree. She just wanted to find the only person who had ever truly loved her: Grandma Rose… Perhaps it was the pain, or perhaps it was because of the girl. My eyes welled up, and I stared blankly at the ceiling. We were two souls adrift, bound by the same tragic fate. No need for introductions; we understood each other instantly. In that moment. I wanted to hold that girl deep within my soul, tightly.     I noticed Porter was still there and quickly wiped my eyes. I pursed my lips. “Thank you for bringing me here.” In my past life, I faced too much malice and always fought alone. Now, facing Porter, who had helped me, I felt a little lost. And I’d just thrown up on him… Porter raised an eyebrow. “Then, as repayment, how about you get me breakfast every day?” I hesitated. I didn’t want to get too involved with anyone. Porter saw my worn, faded canvas shoes and quickly added, “My meal card’s yours. What? Your thanks aren’t just empty words, are they?” I sighed, helpless, and could only nod in agreement. After school, I planned to go to the hospital. My body’s condition would only worsen. I needed to get some painkillers. The original Harriet had a card; it was compensation given to her by Brian, the Bernal family heir, when she first returned. If ordinary painkillers worked, I wouldn’t even want to go to the hospital. Gastroenterology department. Dr. Todd was very young. Perhaps seeing that his patient was a young girl, he spoke softly, asking me where I felt unwell. For a moment, I actually felt like crying. Such concern was something I had never received in both my lives. I smiled at him. “Could you please prescribe me some morphine?” The doctor froze, unable to believe his ears. The young girl in front of him, barely old enough to be in school, was asking for morphine. I continued, “If not, then OxyContin, Fentanyl, just anything will do.” Dr. Todd choked, looking reproving. “What illness does this young lady have? Have you been checked? You can’t just take any medicine.” “I have stomach cancer, mid-stage,” I answered calmly and seriously. His expression instantly stiffened, and he even seemed agitated. “How is that possible? How old are you? Which hospital? Which quack diagnosed you?! Believe it or not, I’ll report them!” The doctor’s expression was a little amusing. I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’ve already been checked. It’s just been hurting more and more recently. Could you please prescribe me some painkillers?” Dr. Todd looked at the girl’s genuine expression, and his heart sank. “Do your family know?” “You’re so young. Why aren’t you fighting for treatment?” I sighed. This was one reason I didn’t want to come to the hospital. I had to play the victim. “My family knows. It’s just… we don’t have the money at home, and I have several older brothers, so I won’t get treatment.” Dr. Todd looked like he wanted to say more but eventually said nothing. I left the hospital with my medication. Unaware that Porter had followed me the whole way.   Porter hid behind the door, feeling a chill run through him. After school, Porter had watched the girl wobble out of the school gate, worried she might faint halfway. After all, they’d shared a bond from half a year of him copying her homework. He inexplicably followed her. Unconsciously, he’d followed her to the hospital. He had planned to leave, but a strong emotion held him back. And then he overheard that the girl had stomach cancer. No wonder… she was coughing up blood. Porter felt a knot in his stomach, even wanting to slap himself. He had bullied the girl for half a year. He was a terrible person! But beyond that, a dense wave of heartache washed over him… When I got home, I intended to pack a few changes of clothes, preparing to move into the school dorms. But then I found my things had been moved. Mrs. Ward said, “Harriet, Mrs. Bernal gave you a new room.” “It’s on the same floor as Renata, the one on the far east side. She said it’s so you and Renata can bond better.” Mrs. Ward looked at me with pity. The Bernal family’s favoritism was truly boundless. Almost the entire third floor belonged to Renata, yet they’d given me only one room on the far east side. Ha. I felt a pathetic amusement on behalf of the original girl. Were they arranging this to warn me that my status in this family would never compare to Renata’s? But it didn’t matter anymore. I was moving into the dorms anyway, and in just another half a year or so, I wouldn’t be in this world anymore. The daily, agonizing pain told me so. The girl’s desire to break free from this family, and from this world, was incredibly strong.   At the dinner table. I informed Bernal and Laurel that I wanted to live at school. The family, who had been chatting and laughing, instantly fell silent. Laurel frowned. “Why do you suddenly want to live at school? Don’t you like the room your mother arranged for you today?” She suddenly remembered Mrs. Ward’s words from this morning: “Harriet and Renata’s rooms are quite different, I’m afraid Harriet might overthink it.” She then had a sudden realization, thinking Harriet had complained to Mrs. Ward, and said impatiently, “Don’t be so jealous. Renata’s room has been hers for sixteen years.” “You’ve only just moved in. Don’t compare everything to Renata. If you really want it, we can get an interior designer to renovate your room in a while.” Bernal’s face was even fouler. “Why aren’t you as sensible as Renata? What will people think if they find out that I, a prominent Bernal, let my daughter live at school? It’ll just be a joke.” Elton suddenly thought of the boy who had held me today and became annoyed, speaking without thinking. “Could it be for the convenience of flirting with some wild guy?”

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Everyone in Chicago said Dean Keynes was a cold-blooded monster. He kept a house full of venomous snakes—yet none were colder than he was. I married him only because our engagement had existed before the Doherty family went bankrupt. Over the years, he toyed with countless women. And I, his so-called wife, was left to deal with them. When I knelt to write checks to make them leave, those women would lift my chin with the tips of their high heels and sneer, “Mr. Keynes said you should kneel to send us off.” Every time, Dean would sit on the second floor, swirling a glass of red wine, watching with cold indifference. Then Sally came along—a factory girl from the countryside. One day, the hospital called. They’d finally found a kidney match for my sister. I called Dean in a panic. But it wasn’t him who answered. It was Sally’s delicate voice. “Miss Secretary? Mr. Keynes said my foot hurts. Could you bring me a Band-Aid?” That night, it was raining hard. I stood drenched outside the presidential suite, Band-Aid in hand. From inside came Dean’s languid voice. “Come in. Bring the Band-Aid.” A pause. “And the three boxes of condoms on the table.” I stood frozen, listening to the sounds of their intimacy. Then my phone rang. It was the hospital. The doctor’s voice was hesitant. “Madam Carol… your sister said something disrespectful to Miss Sally, and Mr. Keynes ordered the medical team removed…” “She… she pulled out her own dialysis tube…” The screen lit up with my sister’s final message. Sister, stop kneeling for me. —— I rushed to the hospital. The nurse looked at me apologetically. “I’m sorry, Madam Carol. After your sister offended Miss Sally, the team was removed… we didn’t get to her in time.” I stood there, numb, my blood running cold. Another message arrived. It was from Dean. “Carol, this is just a small warning. If you want to save what’s left of your family, behave—and don’t upset Sally again.” Tears slipped silently down my face as I stared at the screen. When my family collapsed, everyone said I married him for money. No one knew I had loved Dean in silence for ten years. When I stood at the gates of the Keynes family holding our marriage certificate, I truly believed I could thaw the ice in his heart. I watched countless women come and go. I never cared. Because I thought it was all just a game. But Sally was different. She was never a game. After my sister’s cremation, I left the funeral home in a daze, her ashes in a small porcelain jar clutched to my chest. I returned home, took out the divorce papers I had prepared long ago, and went straight to Dean’s company. When I opened the office door, I saw him holding Sally in his arms, kissing her as if no one else in the world existed. His face—always cold, always distant—was now tender, full of warmth I had never seen. In five years of marriage, he had never once embraced me. Sex was mechanical, wordless. When he was done, he turned away. No eye contact. No warmth. But now he cradled Sally like something sacred. She playfully hit his chest, and he smiled, brushing her hair from her face. Then he finally acknowledged me. “She’s on her period,” he said without even looking up. “Go buy her some sanitary pads.” I glanced down. Draped around Sally’s waist was Dean’s six-figure designer suit jacket. Suddenly, I remembered last month—how I had collapsed with a fever during my own period. I had weakly tugged on his sleeve, asking for help. He had shaken me off. “You’re uncomfortable? Go see a doctor.”

  When I returned with the shopping bag, Sally had already gone into the bathroom. I leaned against the wall outside the door, staring blankly at the ceiling, my mind drifting. Suddenly, something wet and heavy slapped against my face. The sharp, metallic scent of blood flooded my nose. “Oh—sorry.” Her sweet voice drifted out from inside. “Sister Carol, could you help me wash my underwear?” She paused, then added with a smug lilt, “Mr. Keynes said my hands are for serving him. I’m not allowed to get them wet.” I didn’t say a word. I quietly washed the bloodied underwear with trembling fingers. Dean sat on the sofa nearby, a snake coiled leisurely around his hand, a glass of red wine in the other. He often looked like this—detached, elegant, dangerous. Like the cold-blooded creatures he kept, beautiful and heartless. I approached, placing the divorce papers in front of him. “Sign it.” He didn’t even glance at me at first. I studied his profile, that sharp jawline, those emotionless eyes. I suddenly remembered the first time I heard about his past. Back then, a kidnapping had left his brother dead and him abandoned in the dark. I thought… foolishly, that I could warm his soul. He looked up, sarcasm flickering in his eyes. “So impatient?” He sneered. “Fine. The medical team can return.” Then he pointed lazily toward Sally, who was curled on the couch like a fragile porcelain doll. “But first, apologize to Sally.” Without hesitation, I dropped to my knees. “Miss Sally,” I said quietly, “I’m sorry. My sister was wrong to say what she did.” Dean’s brows furrowed. He’d seen me kneel before, but never like this. There was no humiliation in my voice, no resentment in my expression. Just calm, jarring indifference. And that unsettled him. Sally’s eyes reddened immediately. She wiped at imaginary tears. “Your sister said I was a homewrecker.” Her voice trembled. “But the truth is you’re just old and can’t keep Mr. Keynes’s heart.” She turned to him, her voice pitiful and aggrieved. “Is it because I’m a factory girl? That I don’t deserve to be respected?” His expression softened instantly. He gently wiped away her tears. “Don’t say that. You saved me during that mudslide. You’re not like the rest.” Then he coaxed, “Little fool, tell me. What do you want to forgive them?” Sally lifted her chin. Her eyes gleamed with cruelty. “I want her to crawl into Bruno’s doghouse and sleep there tonight.” Bruno, Dean’s German Shepherd, lived in a kennel in the living room. I stood frozen. My chest tightened. In the past, I had endured humiliation from other women. But this… this was different. I looked at Dean instinctively, hoping—perhaps foolishly—that he would show a flicker of hesitation. But he didn’t. “Do as Sally says.” He sipped his wine as if discussing the weather. “If she’s satisfied, I’ll call the medical team back tomorrow.” My nails dug into my palms as I fought back the heat rising in my eyes. “If I sleep there for one night… will you sign the divorce papers?” He smiled coldly. “Of course. As long as Sally is happy.” My head dipped. My voice was barely above a whisper. “Okay.” Gasps echoed from the watching servants as I dropped to my knees and began crawling toward the kennel. Bruno snarled, teeth bared, and I curled up in the corner of his doghouse, trembling. Upstairs, laughter and moans echoed through the floorboards—unbearable, endless. I bit my lip so hard it bled. Just one more night, I told myself. One more night and I’ll finally be free. The wind outside was sharp and merciless. Curled up in that filthy space, drifting between wakefulness and fevered dreams, I lost track of time. By morning, when a servant opened the kennel, I was already burning with fever. My vision darkened. “Where’s Mr. Keynes?” I croaked. My voice barely sounded human. The servant looked away, speaking in a hushed tone. “He left early to celebrate Miss Sally’s birthday.”

I forced myself to the banquet hall, fevered and swaying with every step—just in time to see Dean fastening a diamond necklace around Sally’s neck. The look in his eyes… I’d never seen it before. Soft. Tender. “Sally,” he said gently, “meeting you is the luckiest thing that’s ever happened to me.” My heart clenched. Then Sally spotted me. Her voice rang out, deliberately loud. “Sister Carol! Today’s my birthday, and that necklace you’re wearing—how special! Give it to me as a gift, okay?” I stiffened. The wooden necklace around my neck was the last thing my sister ever made for me. Her final gift. “Give it to her.” Dean didn’t even look up from his wine. I bit back the pain, forcing a hollow smile. I unclasped the necklace, placed it into Sally’s hand, then reached into my bag and pulled out the divorce agreement. Without a word, Dean signed it. “Fine,” he said coldly. “Go find Assistant Mike. He’ll arrange a new medical team for you.” Then he turned to Sally and pulled her into his arms. Just as I was about to leave, Sally grabbed my wrist. Her expression shifted to mock concern. “Oh no, Sister Carol, your hand is burning up. Let me get you some antipyretics.” She gripped me tighter. I tried to pull away, but I was too weak. Then she leaned in close and whispered, her voice dripping with poison. “By the way… what do you think Bruno would like for a treat today?” Before I could react, she pulled a small porcelain jar from her coat pocket—the one I knew too well. My sister’s ashes. “Give it back!” My voice cracked as I lunged toward her. But she let go on purpose. The jar hit the ground with a sharp crack, shattering. The ashes scattered across the floor. Bruno came bounding over, tail wagging. He sniffed the mess—and began to lick. “No!” I screamed, falling to my knees. “Stop! Please!” Sally stood above me, smiling as if she were watching a performance. “Mr. Keynes only has me in his heart,” she said sweetly. “Why do you keep embarrassing yourself?” Then she tossed the wooden necklace into a nearby trash bin. “You and your short-lived sister? You both deserved it.” “Shut up!” I slapped her across the face. “Don’t you dare talk about my sister!” She held her cheek, then smirked. “Why not? She’s dead. Isn’t it fitting her ashes fed a dog?” I raised my hand again—but it never landed. Dean caught my wrist midair. His face was a mask of fury. “Carol,” he said darkly, “are you looking for death?” Sally immediately turned on the waterworks. “She called me a country girl. Said I was no better than a chicken. Said I didn’t deserve to stay in the Keynes family…” At a glance from him, two bodyguards rushed forward and forced me to my knees. “Hit her,” he said coldly. Sally hesitated for show. “Isn’t that… a bit too much?” But Dean took her hand himself and swung it hard across my face. The slap rang out, sharp and final. My skin stung, my mouth filled with the taste of blood. My face went numb on one side. I lifted my head, dazed. And I looked at the man I had loved for over a decade. He wasn’t even looking at me. He was gently cradling Sally’s hand, rubbing it like something precious. “Did that hurt, sweetheart?” he asked softly. That’s when I finally woke up. To him, I wasn’t even worth the attention he gave a dog. Dean looked at me again, frowning. “I think I’ll take back the medical team—” But before he could finish, I let out a bitter laugh. Tears streamed down my burning cheeks. “There’s no need,” I said hoarsely. “My sister died long ago. Her ashes are gone now, too.” He stared at me, briefly speechless. Then he turned away—cold, unmoved—his arm around Sally as they walked off together like nothing had happened. I dragged myself back to the villa, every step heavier than the last. I began packing what little I had. Five years in this place, and nothing truly belonged to me. The wardrobe was filled with dark dresses—his favorite. He hated bright colors. So I never wore them.   I never dared to keep anything with almonds in the kitchen—just the faintest trace could trigger his allergies. Every year before Memorial Day, I would travel to Napa Valley myself, just to bring back the freshest premium green tea. I remember the time he became obsessed with racing. I secretly enrolled in driving courses, passed the test, and earned a license—thinking I could surprise him. But when I told him, smiling with excitement, he only gave me a cold glance. “Don’t touch my car.” Five years of marriage. All I had left was a marriage certificate. No photos. No shared memories. Even our fights were one-sided—I argued in silence, and he never bothered replying. At dawn, the door slammed open. Dean burst in, face twisted with fury. He stormed up to me and wrapped his fingers around my neck. “Where’s Sally?” I gasped, clawing at his hand. “I don’t know…” “Still lying?” His grip tightened, cutting off my breath. “She disappeared this morning after getting an anonymous message. Who else but you would want to hurt her?” “I really don’t know,” I choked out, shaking my head. His eyes darkened. He motioned to the bodyguards. Before I could react, they dragged me out to the pool and threw me in. The icy water slammed into my body, stealing the air from my lungs. I struggled to surface, coughing— Only to feel Dean’s hand push my head under again. “I’ll ask one last time,” he said above me. “Where is she?” Water surged into my nose, my throat, my lungs. The world spun, and my vision began to blacken. Somewhere, through the growing numbness, I heard his voice: “You really won’t cry until you see the coffin, will you?” — When I came to, bright white lights stabbed into my eyes. I was tied to an iron chair, wrists bound, my body aching. Across from me sat Dean, his once-familiar gaze now filled with cold, murderous rage. Sally curled in his lap, sobbing dramatically. “Mr. Keynes… If you hadn’t arrived when you did… I… I would’ve been…” She let the words trail off, her shoulders shaking in practiced tremors. I turned my neck, muscles stiff, and saw more than a dozen men kneeling on the ground. Faces bloodied. Begging. Dean didn’t spare them a glance. He crossed his legs slowly, voice sharp as frost. “Carol, I underestimated you. Even this kind of despicable trick… all to win sympathy?” I opened my mouth to explain— But in that instant, he lifted his hand. A flick of his wrist. The venomous snake he had raised for years slithered free— And lunged at me. Its fangs sank deep into my arm. Agony exploded through me like fire, spreading fast, relentless. My vision blurred. My body trembled uncontrollably. “When you wake up,” he said, standing up with Sally in his arms, “come back to me—on your knees.” The warehouse door slammed shut behind him. Silence. Then low, cruel laughter echoed from the bloodied men on the floor. The one in front spat out blood, his smile turning savage. “Dean dares to mess with us? We’ll make him pay—through his woman.” Panic surged, but the venom had already paralyzed my limbs. I thrashed in my restraints as their footsteps closed in. Rough hands tore at my collar— And the world went dark. — When I woke again, everything was quiet. Too quiet. Pain wracked every inch of my body. My ribs felt shattered, my skin torn open. I coughed, and blood spilled from my lips. My fingers twitched weakly, every movement screaming. Memories flickered like a dying reel of film— My sister’s gentle smile. The way my heart once raced when I first saw Dean. Those nights spent listening to him and others from behind a locked door… And then— The iron door creaked open. A figure stood in the doorway, tall and backlit by blinding white light. His face was shadowed, but the silhouette was firm, unmoving. I didn’t know who he was. But he wasn’t Dean. With the last shred of strength left in my body, I raised my bloodstained hand, trembling. “Help… me…” When he looked up, I froze.

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