Category: English

I was going to file for divorce from my husband, Caleb. But he was away on a business trip, with his personal assistant in tow. Then, Caleb got into a car accident. He lost his memory, and his mind reverted to when he was eighteen. He stared at the divorce papers in front of him and yelled. “You cheated on me?! *Me*?!” I just rolled my eyes, rubbing my temples. Seriously, *he* was the one who betrayed our relationship, wasn’t he? When I arrived at the hospital, Caleb was sitting on the bed, looking completely dazed. His head was wrapped in bandages, his cheek bruised. He looked oddly pathetic. His personal assistant, Brianna, stood by his side, her eyes brimming with tears, showering him with concern. She looked more invested than me, his actual wife. Brianna’s face was etched with sorrow. “It’s all my fault,” she sobbed. “If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt protecting me.” I frowned slightly. They were acting like a smitten couple. What was I even doing here? “Rounds!” The doctor’s call made Caleb notice me standing at the door. Perhaps it was my imagination, but I felt like a sudden light flickered in his eyes. “What are you doing just standing there? Come here!” I was utterly bewildered. Was he talking to *me*? I cautiously walked closer, a growing suspicion that my husband was acting really weird. Just a step away, Caleb suddenly yanked me toward him, wrapped an arm around my waist, and wailed loudly. “Hazel, I’m so hurt! What took you so long to get here?” “Quick, blow on it for me! Am I going to have a scar? I won’t be handsome with a scar!” “Hazel, I was so scared I wouldn’t see you again!” “Hazel, I missed you so much!” Me: … Brianna: … Doctor: … Caleb? Was he possessed? Who was this goofy guy?

After the doctor’s examination, it was confirmed: the car accident had affected his head, causing Caleb to lose part of his memory. His memory was stuck at 18. Eighteen. That was when we were deeply in love, when our romance had just begun. “Family signature.” I instinctively took the form from the doctor. Caleb, beside me, grumbled under his breath. “You’re quite proactive, aren’t you? So eager to be my family.” I shot him a glare. Seriously, we’d been married for seven years! But a shy flush spread across Caleb’s face, his eyes sparkling with happiness. It had been so long since I’d seen him look at me with such singular devotion. I took Caleb home, determined to talk to him about our current situation. But as soon as he stepped through the door, he started bouncing around like a hyped-up husky, exploring every corner. “This is our home! It’s exactly how I always imagined it!” “We actually got married!” “I’m so incredibly lucky!” “Hazel, I’m so happy!” He wandered around the house, then came right up to me. “Wife, where are our wedding photos? Why aren’t they displayed?” “Wife, how long have we been married? Do we have kids?” “Wife, wife…” I looked at the overly excited Caleb and let out a long sigh. I pulled him down onto the couch. “We’ve been married for seven years,” I said calmly. “No kids.” “And, we’re getting a divorce.”

A scream erupted in the room—”Impossible!” “How could I divorce you? I love you the most, Hazel!” “Did something go wrong with our relationship?” “My fault?” Caleb shook his head resolutely. “No way, I would never fall for someone else!” “难道是……” Caleb looked at me, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes. Seeing my perpetually cold expression, panic finally dawned on his face. “Hazel, did *you*… betray me?” “Who is he? Who’s that guy? I’ll destroy him!” Caleb’s emotions were running high. But he’d just been discharged from the hospital. Such intense emotional swings made him clutch his head, wincing in pain. I quickly took out his medication and helped him take it, gently soothing him until he calmed down a little. Caleb, looking utterly miserable and pitiful, tugged at my sleeve, his voice a pathetic whimper. “Hazel, please don’t divorce me, okay? Forget about that guy, please?” I was speechless. What was he even imagining? “There’s no other man, no betrayal. We’re having an amicable separation.” “Impossible! I…” Caleb’s brow furrowed slightly, and I could tell his headache was starting again. I patted his shoulder. “Just focus on recovering for now. We can talk about everything else later.” “Okay…” But his face showed a familiar anxiety, one I hadn’t seen in years. This was the insecurity of 18-year-old Caleb. 30-year-old Caleb was composed and stoic, rarely showing his emotions. I didn’t understand him anymore…

After an exhausting day, I was just about to get some rest when a large, bandaged head peeked around my bedroom door. He was hugging a pillow, leaning on the doorframe, cautiously. “Hazel, I heard we’re married.” “Mm-hmm.” “So, I’m still your husband, right?” “Mm-hmm.” “Then… can I come in?!” “Huh?” Caleb quickly explained, “I just want to come in! No other intentions!” I looked at Caleb’s hopeful eyes and spoke bluntly. “We’ve been living separately for six months, and sleeping in separate rooms for almost a year!” Caleb’s face was a picture of shock. “Why are we living separately? Why separate rooms? Is there something wrong with me?” My silence made him interpret it as an admission. He visibly crumpled, squatting in the corner, muttering to himself. “I can’t believe I have issues at thirty! I’m only thirty, just thirty…” He sulked in the corner, looking like he was literally drawing circles of misery on the floor, while peeking at me with sad puppy-dog eyes. “I finally understand why you’re so determined to divorce me…” Me: … I don’t think you understand at all. “But Hazel, can you give me another chance?” Me: ? “Medical technology is very advanced these days.” Me: So? “I think I can still be saved…” Me: … “I’m sorry, Hazel. I’m the one holding back our happiness.” Me: … My silence was deafening, but he just kept rambling. “Hazel, I honestly didn’t realize you cared about that so much. I…” “Just shut up already!” I finally exploded, unable to hold it in any longer! What kind of nonsense was rattling around in this guy’s head? I patted the empty space beside me on the bed. “Be quiet, come sleep!” “Okay, wife, I’m coming!”

Caleb immediately wrapped himself around me, arms and legs everywhere, like an octopus. “What are you doing?” He said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “Sleeping with my wife, of course!” Enveloped by his warm body, I felt a strange awkwardness. It had been so long since we’d had this kind of intimate skin-to-skin contact. 30-year-old Caleb only cared about work. 18-year-old Caleb only cared about me, and… talking endlessly. “Hazel, this is amazing.” “Yesterday, I had my first kiss with you on the school track, and today I get to sleep with you!” “Do you remember that time?” Caleb looked at me expectantly, his eyes full of starlight. That slightly awkward first kiss was still vivid in my memory. Caleb was the kind of golden boy every parent wished they had, a campus heartthrob from the moment he stepped into school. Excellent grades, handsome, athletic—he was the dream guy for countless girls. And I was one of those girls who had a huge crush on him back then. He’d slam-dunked on the basketball court, leading his team to victory again and again, achieving brilliant results. An opposing player, annoyed by the loss, angrily threw the ball into the stands after the game. It was headed straight for me, an innocent bystander… Caleb sprinted over, dashing right in front of me to block it! Completely unaware of the rivalry between the two teams, I quickly pulled him toward the school clinic for a check-up. “Tilt your head back a little, you’re bleeding from your nose.” “Does your head hurt badly?” “Come on, the school clinic is right there.” I thought I’d take a shortcut through a tree-lined path, but Caleb suddenly pulled me to a stop. Despite the blood dripping from his nose, he looked incredibly handsome in the dappled light beneath the trees. “Hazel, I like you.” “Hazel, will you be my girlfriend?” I stared blankly at the boy in front of me. To love and be loved simultaneously—could anything be more beautiful? Caleb lowered his head and kissed me, in that naive, budding summer, in that forest laden with memories. I still remember that first kiss, tinged with the metallic scent of blood, and how hard I had to stand on my tiptoes to reach him. Love swept in with the breeze, and even after it died down, the lingering feelings refused to settle. Caleb saw me lost in tender memories and carefully leaned in to kiss me. A soft, fleeting kiss. I was a little lost in thought, this unfamiliar yet familiar intimacy. Caleb’s husky voice whispered in my ear. “Hazel, I think… I can still be saved!” Caleb was visibly excited. “No, you’re not, you haven’t, go to sleep!” “I…” “Shut up and sleep!” “Okay…” This naughty boy, did he have to look so wronged?

Only when I heard his steady breathing did I finally relax. He was finally asleep… I stared at Caleb, who was still holding my hand even in his sleep, my mind a complex swirl of thoughts, too troubled to sleep. We met in high school, dated in college, and married after graduation. Everything was unbelievably smooth. We were the perfect couple in everyone’s eyes, a match made in heaven. Even we thought we’d walk through life hand in hand… Unfortunately, no matter how strong the feelings, they couldn’t withstand the wear and tear of time. One misunderstanding after another, one test after another, one confrontation after another, until eventually, we had nothing left to say to each other. I reached out, tracing Caleb’s handsome features. How did we end up like this? A night of worry resulted in a splitting headache when I woke up. Caleb, on the other hand, was full of energy, striking poses in front of the mirror in a crisp suit. “Hazel, you’re awake!” He enthusiastically leaned in and gave my sleepy face a kiss. A good morning kiss. It had been… a long time. “I made breakfast! Even your favorite fried eggs!” “I can’t believe I’m thirty in the blink of an eye! Skipped all the college entrance exams, university, and job hunting, and became a powerful CEO directly!” “Hazel, what kind of CEO am I?” “Am I the kind who can take down competitors with a snap of his fingers, a big shot who makes millions in minutes?” He adopted a cool, aloof posture. “It’s getting chilly. Time to bankrupt Evergreen Enterprises.” Me: … What to do? My head hurt even more. The current Caleb wasn’t the savvy Mr. Sterling who knew the ins and outs of the company, was skilled at managing people, and acted decisively. He was an 18-year-old goofball who could only strike poses and babble. If this Caleb went back to the company, it wouldn’t be “Time for Evergreen to fall,” it would be “Time for Sterling Corp to crash and burn in minutes.” I hastily finished the breakfast Caleb had meticulously prepared, deciding to accompany him to work. Even with the mindset of an 18-year-old, 30-year-old Caleb certainly looked impressive. Dressed in a sharp suit, composed and serious, he appeared to be a business elite… That is, as long as he didn’t speak. Caleb held my hand, subtly surveying his company, a look of satisfaction in his eyes. But the other employees were whispering. “How come Ms. Hayes is here?” “Aren’t they getting a divorce?” “Keep your voice down, Mr. Sterling is still holding her hand!”

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My college roommate, Scarlett, and my dad were dating. She brazenly moved into our house for the summer vacation. The very next day after she settled in, extreme weather hit: an arctic freeze accompanied by a relentless hailstorm. As temperatures plummeted, Scarlett claimed her room was too cold and promptly took over my master bedroom. “Anya, I naturally tend to feel cold. Your room is so much warmer. If you don’t want me to, I’ll manage, I guess.” “Scarlett, just take her room. You’re practically her stepmom now, why can’t you have the master bedroom!” My dad, worried I’d interrupt their quality time, coldly shoved me out the door to buy supplies. When I finally managed to finish my shopping, I found the yard gate locked. No matter how much I yelled, no one opened the door. Then, hailstones the size of eggs suddenly started falling. With nowhere to hide, I was beaten to death by the hail, right outside my own front door. This time, I’ll be sipping hot cocoa by a roaring fire, watching them get pummeled by the hail!

“Anya, I want to find a part-time job in the city this summer. Can I stay at your place?” “I can clean and cook for you. You know my family doesn’t have much money, so that’s all I can offer.” Seeing Scarlett, with her usual sweet-but-sly demeanor, I couldn’t help but shiver. That deep-seated terror, etched into my very bones, made me hug myself tightly, desperate to find shelter. Only when I stepped inside the academic building did my heart finally return to a normal rhythm. “Anya, if you didn’t want me to stay, fine, but why are you avoiding me?” “Yes, your house is huge, a standalone mansion with a garden. Not like me, who doesn’t even have a place to call my own in this city. But that’s no excuse to look down on me!” Scarlett’s voice wasn’t loud, but her tearful act made every passing student stop and stare. It was exactly like this in my previous life. She used the public opinion of our classmates to force me to take her home. She was pretty and always spoke with that sweet, manipulative tone. The guys in class absolutely fell for her act. Even though we were roommates, we weren’t really friends. I’m more introverted and usually kept to myself, rarely exchanging more than a few words with her. But she constantly ridiculed me behind my back, calling me a hick and saying my clothes were totally unfashionable, like something from the sticks. She even told our other two roommates, Chloe and Harper, not to talk to me, saying it would ‘drag them down.’ From then on, it was always the three of them, and me, alone. I didn’t care about any of that; I was used to being by myself. Until one time, when I was video chatting with my dad in our dorm, she saw my house and asked, dramatically, “OMG, Anya, your house is a mansion?” “Your dad’s so young and handsome! Is he, like, a CEO or something?” I tried to explain that it was just a modest, single-story house with a small yard, definitely not a mansion. And my dad was just a regular employee. I wasn’t lying. That small mansion was left to my mom by my grandma. After my mom passed away, it was just my dad and me living there. But she didn’t believe me. After that, she started calling me “Anya” affectionately. She even began talking to me more in the dorm, often sharing her snacks. Perhaps my personality was too cold, because soon enough, she reverted to her old self. But then I noticed she started having more money. She often wore new clothes, new jewelry, and even carried designer bags. I thought she’d found a good part-time job, but then I saw my mom’s bracelet on her wrist. That’s when I understood. “Give it back! That’s not yours!” I grabbed Scarlett’s arm, trying to yank the bracelet off, but she shoved me to the floor. “This is a gift from my boyfriend! Have some shame! You see something nice and claim it’s yours? Why don’t you claim this bag is yours too? Oh, wait, you’re a hick, you wouldn’t recognize it!” After Scarlett finished speaking, Chloe and Harper burst into laughter. “Yeah, hilarious!” “Scarlett’s bracelet, and you’re saying it’s yours!” Even a fool like me could figure out what was happening. My dad, that old pervert, must have given it to Scarlett. No wonder she’d suddenly gotten so rich. She was leeching off my dad! “Tell Scarlett to give me back that bracelet!” “Otherwise, I’ll expose you to your company! They’ll find out exactly what kind of man you are!” My dad didn’t care about my mom or me, but he cared about his reputation. Sure enough, Scarlett returned the bracelet soon after. She wanted to smash it, but she was probably afraid she couldn’t afford to replace it, so she gently placed it in front of me. “Hmph, I don’t care! Your dad will buy me an even bigger one!” I ignored her, carefully putting the bracelet away. My dad probably wouldn’t buy her a real one; he’d just get a cheap fake for a couple hundred bucks. After all the money he spent on her bags, he wouldn’t want to ‘invest’ too much more. Before today, we hadn’t spoken for a month. In my previous life, once she moved into my house, her true colors immediately showed, and her manipulative charm had my dad completely under her spell. Despite the atrocious weather outside, freezing everything, he ruthlessly sent me out for supplies, afraid I’d interrupt their time together. I still remember, when the hailstones started, I knelt at the front door, begging them to open up and let me in. But no one answered. I was simply beaten to death by the hail. As my last breath left my body, I saw my dad, arm around Scarlett, emerge from the house. Bundled in thick winter coats, they stared at my bloodied form, completely emotionless. Scarlett looked down at my corpse with disdain, her voice overly dramatic. “Oh, honey~ Why didn’t Anya knock when she got to the door?” “It’s all your fault for being so impatient, otherwise we could have come out to check on her sooner.” “It was her fate. Besides, with this awful weather, who knows how long it’ll last? One less mouth to feed.” Then, my dad stepped over my hail-pitted body, picked up some scattered food from the ground, and walked away. My entire body ached, a phantom pain. I shook my head hard, trying to clear the memory. Seeing that I hadn’t responded, Scarlett, once again, spouted her usual ‘innocent victim’ nonsense. “Anya, I’m beneath you. I don’t deserve to be your friend.”

I offered a slight smile. “What are you talking about, Scarlett? I never said you couldn’t stay!” “Why are you always slandering me? I haven’t done anything to you!” Scarlett’s brows furrowed as she heard the murmurs around us. “But you just ran off…” Ha, already losing your composure, are we? “It was just too sunny outside, so I figured I’d come in and talk. But I hadn’t even said anything yet, and you started showering me with complaints and accusations.” “Anyone who didn’t know better would think you did this on purpose, just to get people to trash-talk me!” Hmph, who doesn’t know how to play the innocent victim? Having died once already, if I’m still kind, then I deserve everything that’s coming. “No, Anya, you’re the best. Don’t be mad. I misunderstood you.” Before I could say anything, Brendon, Scarlett’s pathetic simp, spoke up, clearly annoyed. “Anya, enough already! Scarlett apologized, what more do you want?” “You’re the one who ran off without saying a word, so it’s really your fault.” “Besides, you didn’t lose a limb, did you?” In my previous life, I was too soft-hearted, and this ugly simp’s few words were enough to make me agree to Scarlett staying at my house. “What stray dog is yapping? Did anyone ask you to chime in?” “When you’re simping for someone, can you at least not spray your slobber all over me? It’s disgusting!” Brendon tried to say something else, but Scarlett stopped him. She whispered something in his ear, and he immediately calmed down. “Anyway, aren’t you dating my dad? Why are you asking me?” “Couldn’t you just tell him directly?” This time, I finally understood why she hadn’t just gone to my dad. This house was mine, and he didn’t actually own it or have the final say. He must have somehow twisted the truth to Scarlett. “He’s totally fine with it, of course! But we both respect you and wanted to hear your opinion.” Seeing Scarlett’s desperate eagerness, I almost burst out laughing. Even the simp who’d just defended her stared at her, confused by her sudden change in story. He muttered “gold-digger” and walked away. “Dad, my roommate wants to stay at our house this summer, is that okay?” I texted my dad right in front of Scarlett, and sure enough, I got an affirmative reply. Scarlett, seeing the message, affectionately linked her arm with mine, ready to go home together. “Can we go tomorrow? I need to go home and pack today.” Perhaps she figured one day wouldn’t make a difference, because Scarlett didn’t press the issue. But for me, one extra day meant more time to prepare what I needed.

I actually had another house, left to me by my grandmother: a small, two-story mansion in the suburbs, which my dad didn’t know about. After school, I immediately rushed to a hardware store and picked out a tough-looking boss. “Mr. Jenkins, I need the best steel plates you’ve got. I’m reinforcing my roof.” “And I need top-grade bulletproof glass to replace all the windows in the mansion.” “Also, get me as much waterproof, fireproof, and moisture-proof material as you can find!” The hardware store owner thought I was messing with him, remaining motionless in his chair. “Look, kid, if you’re joking, go to another shop. Otherwise, I’ll kick you out!” Exactly! This is the kind of boss I need. That way, I won’t have to worry about him if we’re working at night. “Sir, here’s a $10,000 deposit. I’ll pay the rest when it’s done.” After Mr. Jenkins left with the materials, I went and bought two truckloads of high-quality charcoal, several thick blankets, and over a dozen extreme-weather coats. Last time, the news said the extreme weather would only last a month, but I never lived to find out if it was true. By the time I finished all that, it was almost evening. I went to the grocery store and pre-ordered two whole pigs, various other meats, and a truckload of vegetables. Storage wouldn’t be an issue; with the freezing temperatures, it wouldn’t spoil. After buying bottled water, I made a quick stop at the supermarket to stock up on a year’s supply of feminine hygiene products. Essentials like these had to be stockpiled. Finally, I bought over a dozen power banks. Power outages were a certainty in extreme weather. I thought about buying candles, but then I realized the light would make me too visible. In desperate times, people show their true, ugly colors. There was still so much more to buy, but my mom’s inheritance was almost gone, so I’d have to make do and pray I could last the month. “Wow, Anya, your house is huge! Your dad is so amazing!” Scarlett gushed the moment she walked in, shamelessly batting her eyelashes at my dad, who was completely besotted, practically drooling. “Oh, this old house? It’s nothing, Scarlett. Feel free to stay as long as you like, don’t be shy with me.” My eyes practically rolled into the back of my head. How dare that old pervert? This house wasn’t even his! “Dad, your AC is so good! The living room is wonderfully cool.” That old pervert was still basking in his self-congratulation, nodding lecherously at everything Scarlett said. Only I knew it was the ominous calm before the storm, the prelude to the extreme cold. “Dad, let’s have hot pot! Didn’t we buy a lot of meat and seafood yesterday? Let Scarlett try some.” My intention was not to leave them with too much food, so they wouldn’t last too long. But my dad surprised me. “Get it all out! Let Scarlett try a little of everything!” I feigned hesitation and looked at my dad. “But Dad, that’s enough for us for two weeks or more. Isn’t it too much to take out all at once?”

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My family is clearly the wealthiest in New York, but even for an $8 takeout order, I still click “refund only.” That’s because in my past life, my family’s housekeeper Evie Hudson’s daughter Ivy Robertson had bound herself to some kind of transaction system. Every dollar I spent would end up in her pocket. So Ivy started using moral blackmail to pressure me into donating to all the underprivileged students at school. I thought it was a good deed, so I didn’t think twice about it and wrote a check for $2 million straight away. But somehow, that money magically became Ivy’s deposit, while my check showed an amount of zero. Everyone called me a fraud, and even the man I was keeping broke up with me. But Ivy used the money I had spent to do good deeds and make donations everywhere, becoming the “beautiful, kind-hearted rich person” in everyone’s eyes. She even turned around and slandered me, claiming I was the housekeeper’s daughter. I was so furious that I pulled out my black card and went on a shopping spree, trying to prove I had money, only to discover the card’s limit had been instantly drained. Meanwhile, Ivy generously transferred $8 million and mocked me: “You’re broke but still trying to act rich. Does your mom’s housekeeper salary give you enough to keep up this charade?” I faced online harassment like never before. Unable to handle the pressure, I had a complete mental breakdown. And for some reason, my body quickly deteriorated too. I died before my father Archie Robertson could come save me. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day Ivy pressured me to donate to all the underprivileged students at school. ***** A girl said, “Amelia, you’re so vain. You’re just a housekeeper’s daughter, yet you insist on pretending to be rich and donating to underprivileged students.” Amelia Robertson is my name. Another girl chimed in, “Exactly! If Miss Robertson hadn’t kindly covered that $2 million for you today, you’d be a complete fraud. “You better apologize to Miss Robertson right now. Otherwise, I’m taking you straight to the police station!” The chorus of accusations rang in my ears. It wasn’t until everyone started pushing and shoving me that I snapped back to reality. Looking at the angry faces of my classmates, I finally realized I had truly been reborn. And I was right back on the day Ivy used that transaction system to manipulate me into donating to all the underprivileged students at school. Just moments ago, the $2 million check I had personally donated suddenly turned into a blank check. But Ivy immediately transferred the exact same amount as a donation, then turned around and slandered me, claiming I was the housekeeper’s daughter. Seeing my silence, Ivy immediately rushed forward. She put on a caring act and urged me, “Amelia, I’ve overlooked you stealing my haute couture dresses and limited edition bags. But now you dare to commit donation fraud in public? “Since you can’t actually donate any money to everyone anyway, just admit your mistake and apologize. Otherwise, I won’t be able to protect you anymore.” Looking at the calculation in Ivy’s eyes, I knew she was deliberately trying to provoke me with her words. In my past life, I had indeed acted impulsively. I was so angry that I pulled out my black card, told the underprivileged students to spend freely, and promised to donate however much they spent. But just as the underprivileged students swore to max out the black card and happily went to pay, the POS machine suddenly issued a warning. Then a mechanical female voice announced: “Insufficient funds on this card. Please try again.” Meanwhile, Ivy generously transferred over ten million dollars and promised to cover all the underprivileged students’ expenses. In an instant, I became everyone’s most hated person, while Ivy became the beautiful, kind-hearted rich person. Just as I was thinking about how to break out of this predicament, my boyfriend James Simpson suddenly burst out. He was dressed head to toe in designer brands, wearing a $1 million watch on his wrist. James arrogantly pointed at me and cursed, “Amelia, I thought you were actually rich. Turns out you’re just a fake pretending to be wealthy! If you hadn’t shamelessly pleased me this whole Christmas, I wouldn’t have given you a second glance. We’re breaking up right now!” But originally, it was James who envied my luxurious lifestyle and shamelessly begged me to keep him. If he hadn’t been decent-looking, I wouldn’t have kept him either. But now James looked at me like I was trash, even kicking me hard in the chest, as if afraid I’d cling to him. People around us applauded and loudly congratulated James for “escaping his miserable situation.” Miserable situation? I gave him $1 million in spending money every month. Apparently, in their eyes, this was a “miserable situation.” Just as I was about to reveal the truth, Ivy’s eyes immediately reddened, and she slapped me across the face. She cried, “Amelia, even now, you still won’t admit your mistake? Even though you’re just my family’s housekeeper’s daughter, I’ve always been good to you. All you had to do was say sorry to me, and I would have forgiven you for old times’ sake. But why won’t you just admit it?” I covered my swollen cheek and gritted my teeth as I stood up. I said coldly, “Admit it? Fine. I’ll admit it right now. “That’s right. I am the housekeeper’s daughter. I impersonated Ivy’s identity. I was wrong. “Miss Robertson, I hope you won’t hold it against a mere housekeeper’s daughter like me.”

Everyone froze in place, clearly not expecting me to admit it so readily. Ivy was about to say something else, but I turned and walked away, not giving her another chance to frame me. Once I was far enough away, I opened various shopping apps and food delivery platforms, going on a crazy ordering spree. Ivy thought my lack of tears and tantrums meant I was plotting something, but when she saw the bank account balance keep increasing, she was absolutely delighted. She immediately sent me a message: [Amelia, everyone says you need to treat us and apologize. Buy another 100 cups of coffee and have them delivered.] I replied with a cold smile: [Sure.] Then I actually ordered 100 cups of coffee for delivery. As soon as the coffee arrived, I immediately applied for a “refund only” claiming “food safety issues.” Not just that order—I applied for refunds on every single purchase I’d just made on the shopping platforms. With my actions, the hundreds of thousands of dollars I’d spent quickly returned to my pocket. But when I reopened the shopping interface, I discovered that the account applying for refunds had somehow become Ivy’s. Sure enough, this trading system could only transfer my spending amounts to Ivy’s account. Once my purchases were canceled, to maintain balance, the system would register the refund records under Ivy’s name, forcibly legitimizing those mysterious income sources of hers. I was so excited I nearly jumped up. This time, Ivy was going to suffer. I instantly spent nearly 3 million dollars on a shopping frenzy. After receiving the goods, I deliberately found various reasons to apply for “refund only” on every single order, even an 8-dollar takeout meal. From underwear and panties, snacks, and sanitary pads, to limited edition handbags, haute couture clothing, and even a suburban house from a court auction—I returned everything. Even so, I still felt inexplicably anxious. Remembering how quickly my body had deteriorated in my past life, I decided to return to the family villa during the weekend break. As soon as I walked in, I saw Ivy and James throwing a party in the living room, surrounded by many classmates. When they saw me, everyone’s faces showed disgust. “Amelia, you’re back,” Ivy said. She was wearing a haute couture gown, setting down her wine glass filled with 1992 Château Lafite, and walked toward me elegantly. Ivy continued: “Today is James’s birthday. He said he really wanted to throw a party at the villa, so I brought him and our classmates over. We’ve finished all the wine in the cellar, so hurry up and order a few hundred more bottles.” I looked up at her beautiful face, momentarily stunned. Good clothes really do make a person look more spirited and refined. The current Ivy, with the tens of millions of dollars she’d “stolen” from me, was completely transformed. At this moment, I couldn’t see any trace of the girl who’d come to our house as a nanny with Evie years ago, wearing a patched coat. I was genuinely curious about what method she’d used to bind me to that trading system with her. Seeing my silence, Ivy grew impatient. She arrogantly pointed at my nose and said: “What are you standing there for? Hurry up! Today is the birthday banquet I’m specially throwing for James. Can you handle the responsibility if you delay things? Oh, and remember to buy more 1992 Château Lafite—James loves that wine. “While you’re at it, help me buy the most expensive cake, an 18-layer one. Then call a five-star restaurant and book a private venue with reserved seating.” I was so amused by her shamelessness that I laughed. She was enjoying life with money stolen from me, yet still wanted me to handle everything without spending a dime herself. Where in this world could such a good deal exist?

I stood frozen in place. Looking at the hundreds of empty wine bottles piled around her, I silently prayed for them in my heart. If my father found out that his precious wine collection, accumulated over many Christmases, had been completely drained by this bunch, I honestly had no idea what kind of beating he’d give them. Just then, James stumbled over drunkenly, followed by a group of disgruntled classmates. One male classmate said, “Amelia, are you deaf? You’re just the daughter of a lowly maid, and Ivy is your master. Whatever she tells you to do, you have to do it! Go buy us more alcohol right now! “If you keep being this lazy and ruin Mr. Simpson’s birthday party, Ivy only needs to say one word and your mom won’t even be able to work as a maid anymore—she’ll probably end up begging on the streets!” The watch I’d given James was gone from his wrist, replaced by a thick pure gold watch. He also had a limited edition Rolls-Royce key fob clipped to his belt—clearly someone who’d recently come into serious money. No wonder they were calling him “Mr. Simpson.” From the looks of it, Ivy must have spent over 8 million dollars on him. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. No wonder Ivy was so desperate to force me to help her. I said coldly, “Sorry. My monthly allowance is only $1,500. I don’t have the money to cover your expenses. If you want to fire my mom, go ahead. I’ll have her move out of the villa right now and quit being a maid.” I turned to leave, but suddenly someone grabbed my hair. James roared, “Amelia, how dare a servant’s daughter speak to your master like that!” His eyes were like poison-tipped daggers, boring into my face. Then he continued, “Back then, if you hadn’t impersonated Ivy’s identity, Ivy and I wouldn’t have been delayed so long in getting together. “Today, I’m going to teach you a lesson!” With that, he shouted, and over a dozen of his lackeys rushed forward to pin down my shoulders. I watched in terror as they closed in on me, struggling desperately: “Let me go! Are you all insane?” But James just smiled maliciously. Then he slapped me across the face: “Today I’m going to discipline this servant properly for Ivy!” A barrage of slaps rained down on my face, and my lip started bleeding. Ivy stood nearby watching me leisurely, showing no intention of helping whatsoever. She said, “Amelia, I’ve been too lenient with you usually, which is why you’ve become so spoiled. I’ll let James teach you a lesson. After this, you’ll know who the real master of this villa is.” Dizzy from the beating, I shouted for the butler to come throw these people out. But I realized all the servants in the villa had been dismissed, so I had no way to call for help. It seemed that during my time at boarding school, massive changes had taken place in the villa. After about half an hour, James seemed to tire from the beating and stopped. But soon, his greedy gaze locked onto the diamond necklace around my neck. James said, “How do you have something so valuable? Don’t tell me you stole this too?” He excitedly grabbed my necklace, trying to yank it off directly. The chain cut painfully into my neck, and I shouted angrily, “Let go! This is a keepsake my mother left me!” But James didn’t believe me at all, and kicked me hard in the chest. He spat at me viciously: “How could your maid mother’s salary possibly afford something this nice? I bet you sneaked it away when Ivy wasn’t looking.” With that, he ran to the kitchen to get a fruit knife, planning to cut the necklace off directly. But this necklace was the only thing my mother had left me after she died. I absolutely could not hand it over. I struggled desperately, stubborn enough to want to go down fighting with them. But just then, a shocked voice came from the doorway: “What are you doing? Stop!” I looked up and saw that it was Ivy’s biological mother, Evie, our family’s housekeeper, who had returned. Just a casual glance was enough for me to notice she was decked out in gold and silver jewelry from head to toe. Anyone who didn’t know better would think she was some wealthy socialite. Ivy lifted her skirt and ran toward Evie, acting coquettishly as she called out, “Mom, why did you come back early?” James and his classmates also stood obediently to the side, respectfully greeting Evie. They said, “Hello, Mrs. Robertson.” I couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh, spat out some bloody saliva, then questioned, “How come I didn’t know there was a Mrs. Robertson in my house?” Archie had only been abroad for half a Christmas, yet Evie and Ivy were already trying to take over my family’s house. Seeing me lying on the ground covered in injuries, a flash of guilt crossed Evie’s eyes. However, she still said sternly, “How dare a housekeeper’s daughter act so arrogant in front of me?” After saying this, she turned around and looked at Ivy with a loving expression. She said, “Ivy, how many times have I told you? Why are you bothering with such a lowly woman? It’s bad for your image. Anyway, you’ve already beaten and scolded her. Hurry up and throw this wretch out. Don’t let her dirty our home.” Ivy said cheerfully, “Okay.” Then she waved her hand, calling over a few lackeys to deal with me. But soon after, she held up the necklace that James had snatched from me, presenting it to Evie like she was seeking praise. She said, “Mom, look! Fortunately, I got this diamond necklace back. Otherwise, I would have given it to Amelia for nothing.” However, what no one expected was that the moment Evie saw this diamond necklace, her face instantly turned pale. She immediately grabbed the necklace and rushed over to me, quickly putting it around my neck. Evie said, “What are you all doing?” Then Evie looked at me, her body visibly trembling. She frantically explained for me, “This necklace was just bought by the housekeeper for Amelia to pretend she’s wealthy. The diamonds on it are actually made of plastic. You all got it wrong. From now on, I forbid anyone from touching Amelia’s necklace. Do you hear me?” Seeing Evie like this, a bold idea popped into my head. Could it be that the system on Ivy was related to this necklace? But I felt like Ivy seemed completely unaware of this. People around started talking. One girl said, “What? So the diamonds on it are plastic? I thought this necklace was something valuable.” One boy said, “Amelia is so vain. She can’t afford a real diamond necklace, so she got a fake one to wear.” Another boy said, “She really is a housekeeper’s daughter, so embarrassing.” Everyone looked me up and down with disdainful eyes, and finally just kicked me out of the villa in disgust. I struggled to get up from the ground, then immediately took off that diamond necklace. Right away, I sent a message telling Archie to hurry back from abroad. After that, I took the necklace to a jewelry counter and spent $3 million to buy an identical one to wear. Sure enough, after switching necklaces, I immediately felt strength return to my whole body, and that uncomfortable feeling stuck in my chest completely disappeared. To avoid alerting Evie and Ivy, besides going crazy buying things on shopping platforms and applying for “refund only,” I posted pictures of my diamond necklace on Instagram every day. Even though countless mockeries and insults tried to break me down, I persisted in posting photos of me and the necklace every day without fail. Soon, James couldn’t help but comment under my post: [I’m dying of laughter. How do you have the nerve to post pictures of a fake necklace every day? Let me show you what real wealth looks like!] With that, he immediately posted a nearly 5-minute video on Instagram. In the video, he was wearing a custom-tailored suit, holding a pigeon egg-sized diamond ring in his hand, kneeling in front of Ivy. He shouted loudly, “Ivy, will you marry me?” Ivy nodded shyly in agreement. The flower petals scattered during the proposal ceremony were actually replaced with hundred-dollar bills. This extravagant video quickly attracted many comments. [Oh my God. A wealthy handsome guy and the richest family’s daughter – a perfect power couple. This is so enviable!] [I looked into that diamond ring. Its market value is nearly $6 million, not to mention all that money they just scattered.] [Amelia has completely become a clown. She posts pictures of her fake necklace every day. No wonder James didn’t choose her but chose Ivy instead.] I smiled as I scrolled through these comments, feeling completely unmoved. After all, applying for “refund only” on online purchases totaling $3,000 already met the threshold for fraud charges. I was really curious about what expression Ivy would have when she saw that $30 million refund record.

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After completing my mission, I, Ariana Gilbert, returned to my original world. The moment I opened my eyes, my parents Wyatt Gilbert and Sienna Gilbert were there with red-rimmed eyes, trembling as they called my name. My usually calm and composed husband Austin Foster was also in tears. I was moved and hugged my son Luca Foster. Just as I was about to tell the system I wanted to stay, Raegan Gilbert, who had been living my life in my absence, suddenly burst through the door. “Don’t touch me! My mommy will be angry!” Luca pushed me away forcefully and threw himself into Raegan’s arms. Raegan smiled smugly, looking like a victor. My family members, who had been heartbroken for me just a second ago, now all gathered around her. After a long silence, I said to the system: “Send me back.” ***** When I woke up, Raegan was crying and saying she wanted to leave: “Since Ariana is back, I, the imposter, should go too.” Wyatt and Sienna immediately rushed forward to stop her, their voices urgent: “What nonsense are you talking about? You’re our daughter, always will be!” Austin also comforted her gently: “That’s right, Raegan. Without you these past three Christmases, Luca and I wouldn’t have made it through.” Luca pushed me away hard and grabbed onto Raegan’s clothes: “Mommy, I can’t live without you.” I fell to the ground, staring at everything in front of me in shock. My heart felt like it was being cut open with a knife, and my eyes burned with unshed tears. I don’t know how long it was before they noticed I had fallen. Austin quickly picked me up and placed me on the bed: “Sorry, Ariana, Luca didn’t mean it.” Wyatt and Sienna also rushed to make amends: “While you were unconscious, Raegan stayed by our side. She’s our adopted daughter now, and your sister too.” Three Christmases ago, they had personally promised that when I returned, they would send Raegan back to her original family. But now, she was wearing the family heirloom bracelet that Sienna had given me. “Ariana, if you don’t like me, I’ll just leave.” Raegan wiped away her tears and made as if to go. But I was blinded by the diamond ring on her ring finger. It was the engagement ring Austin had personally designed for me. Now, it was on Raegan’s hand. I closed my eyes, my heart aching so much I could barely breathe. I said to myself: “System, give me a little more time to think about this.” After the system used my points to exchange for three days of consideration time, it fell into slumber. Seeing my silence, Raegan’s tears, which had just stopped, began falling again: “I knew Ariana wouldn’t accept me. I’ll leave right now.” She turned to go, her posture resolute. Wyatt and Sienna anxiously chased after her, but seemed to suddenly remember me and explained: “We’re afraid she might do something foolish, so we’re going to bring her back.” Luca glared at me fiercely and ran out anxiously: “Mommy, I’m coming with you.” Austin got up to follow, but stopped the moment he met my gaze. He awkwardly picked up the water glass from the table and handed it to me: “Ariana, don’t overthink it. You’re still the person we love most.” His tone was as gentle as always, but his eyes looked toward the door seven times. The hot water created a white mist that blurred my vision. During these three Christmases, the system’s missions had been incredibly difficult, and I had wanted to give up countless times. But whenever I thought of my loving parents, my husband who always protected me, and my child, I found endless courage. Now I wondered if everything I had persisted for was right. Soon, Austin received a message from Wyatt and seemed relieved. He brought me home, and the moment he opened the door, I froze. Austin noticed my reaction and pressed his lips together: “Maybe we should go to the dining room first, and later we can…” Before he could finish, I had already walked into the room. In Austin’s and my home, there were traces of Raegan everywhere. Even our wedding photos had been replaced with her face. Austin’s face went pale as he said frantically: “Ariana, let me explain.”

I stared silently at everything in the room, unable to utter a single word as tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. Austin held me tightly: “After your car accident, Wyatt and Sienna were overcome with grief and took their anger out on Raegan, driving her out of the house. I knew she was your sister, and I should have protected her for your sake, so I brought her back home.” His explanation felt hollow and weak, and I no longer had the strength to dig deeper. Just then, his phone rang. Seeing the name on the screen, his face instantly lit up with unmistakable joy. The display showing “Raegan Baby” pierced through my chest like a sharp blade, each breath pulling at the excruciating pain. “Have you guys gotten to the restaurant? Ariana and I will be right there.” His tone was more cheerful than I’d ever heard. He used to sound just like this when we were madly in love. After hanging up, he gently wiped the tears from my face and led me to the restaurant. Raegan sat in the head seat while Wyatt and Sienna took turns serving her food. Sienna said lovingly, “Eat more, Raegan. You’re too thin.” Luca also held a strawberry to her lips: “Mommy, you should eat more. With me here, no one will dare bully you.” Those innocent words drew laughter from everyone at the table, and even Austin watched them with a smile, his eyes full of contentment. What about me? My feet felt like they were filled with lead, every movement tugging at my heartstrings. “Oh my, Ariana, you’re here!” Seeing me, Raegan immediately stood up: “Today’s dinner is to celebrate your recovery. It’s not appropriate for me to sit in the head seat.” But Sienna pulled her back down: “What are you talking about? A seat is just a seat, right?” The next moment, she seemed to remember that I was supposed to be today’s guest of honor and looked up abruptly, a flash of embarrassment crossing her eyes: “Right, Ariana? It’s no big deal to let Raegan have it. It’s just a seat after all.” But I remembered that on the day they brought me home, Wyatt and Sienna had thrown the most lavish homecoming banquet for me. The guests were all elite socialites and dignitaries, with some quietly trying to squeeze toward the center seats. That’s when the usually gentle Wyatt roared in front of everyone: “Today is my biological daughter Ariana Gilbert’s homecoming celebration! She is the only star of the show! “No matter when, she must always sit in the head seat!” The contrast cut through me like slow torture, each memory reopening the wound. I held back my tears and sat down in the farthest seat. Austin served me some food and held my hand, comforting me softly: “Eat more, Ariana.” My throat tightened, my voice hoarse: “I’m allergic to seafood.” Everyone froze, and the cheerful atmosphere instantly turned awkward. Every dish on the table was seafood, yet no one remembered my allergy. Because Raegan loved seafood the most. Tears immediately rolled down Raegan’s face: “I’m so sorry, it’s all my fault. I’ll have them bring out a whole new spread right away!” She rushed out in a panic, and as she turned, tears splattered on the floor. Then Luca smashed a plate against my head. Scalding soup splashed across my face, glass shards embedded in my skin, and blood trickled down my cheeks. But this physical burning pain was nothing compared to even a fraction of the agony in my heart. Luca looked like an enraged little beast: “You evil woman! Why are you bullying my mommy again? You made her cry twice in one day! I hate you!”

I watched Luca’s retreating figure as he rushed out, my heart aching as if cut by a knife. My eyes burned, but no tears would come. When he was born, I hemorrhaged severely and nearly died on the operating table. But the moment I woke up and saw him, I felt all the pain had been worth it. From when he first started learning to speak, to holding my hand as he learned to walk, to when he would throw himself into my arms with his sweet little voice saying “Mommy, I love you.” These memories are deeply etched in my heart. But now, he’s given all his love to Raegan. When he looks at me, there’s only coldness and resentment in his eyes. This realization chills me to the bone. Wyatt and Sienna snapped back to reality and quickly helped me tend to my wound. Wyatt frowned and said, “Austin, you should go check on them. I’m worried something might happen. We’ll take care of Ariana.” Austin hesitated for a few seconds before nodding and leaving. While wiping away the blood, Sienna said softly, “Don’t hold it against Raegan. She grew up without parents and lacks a sense of security. And Luca—after all, Raegan raised him. Don’t blame him.” I hadn’t said a word, yet they all assumed I would hurt her. I abruptly pushed Sienna’s hand away, my voice hoarse: “I’m going to the restroom.” Just as I walked out the door, I heard Sienna complaining to Wyatt behind me: “Ariana isn’t sweet and understanding like Raegan at all. She doesn’t even know how to act cute with us.” I thought bitterly: “But Mom, have you ever considered that during the years when I should have been able to act cute, I was suffering in the mountains? The slightest mistake would earn me beatings and scolding from my foster parents. And Raegan? She grew up surrounded by your love, like a little princess, traveling the world by plane. How was I supposed to learn to act cute?” I walked to the restroom door, only to see Raegan pinned against the wall by Austin, kissing her. His eyes burned with an almost manic intensity, his movements rough yet possessive. In our four years of dating and six years of marriage, Austin had always been gentle and restrained with me. I had never seen him look so passionate. My feet seemed glued to the spot—I couldn’t move. Like a masochist, I watched their intimate embrace, my stomach churning violently. It wasn’t until they left hand in hand that I rushed into the restroom and collapsed by the toilet, retching violently. Tears mixed with blood from the corner of my mouth, falling into the water without a sound. At eighteen, Austin promised to love me forever and never cheat. At twenty-eight, Austin brought that adopted daughter who had taken my place into his bed under the guise of “taking care of his sister.” I don’t know how I made it back to the private room. When I pushed open the door, it was already empty. The server said, “The guests at this table already paid and left.” My fingers clenched suddenly, then I smiled. They had completely forgotten about me. Without my phone and penniless, I could only walk home step by step. By the time I reached my front door, my feet were covered in blisters. As the door opened, I heard laughter and cheerful voices from the living room. Wyatt was pouring water for Raegan, Sienna was peeling oranges for her. Luca was lying on her lap, making funny faces to make her laugh. She was nestled against Austin’s side, looking like a loving couple. They were a complete family, and I was the extra one. Only when they heard the commotion did they notice me standing disheveled at the doorway. Raegan immediately stood up, her face full of apology: “Ariana, I’m sorry. I didn’t see you and thought you had gone home first, so I came back with Mom and Dad. It’s all my fault—you can hit me or scold me, whatever you want!”     Sienna quickly pulled Raegan over and had her sit down on the couch. “It’s okay, you didn’t do it on purpose.” Wyatt chimed in as well: “Yeah, Ariana, why didn’t you call to let us know you were coming?” Before I could explain, Raegan let out a soft sigh. All eyes turned to her once again. The butler couldn’t stand watching any longer and called for a doctor to examine me. Only then did they remember I was there. Perhaps out of guilt, Wyatt and Sienna hurried to prepare some gifts for me. But Raegan received double portions of everything. Love versus indifference—it was crystal clear. The next day, I told Wyatt and Sienna that I wanted to return to work at the company. Wyatt looked somewhat embarrassed and cleared his throat: “You just recovered. Don’t rush back to work yet. You’ll still get your dividend payments—we won’t shortchange you.” I paused for a moment and instinctively looked up, only to see Raegan in a crisp business suit slowly descending the stairs. She said, “Ariana, I’m heading to the office now. Please take care of Mom and Dad for me.” Her smile was radiant, but her eyes held nothing but provocation as she looked at me. Wyatt and Sienna had once told me that everything they had would be mine. But now, everything they’d promised had likely changed hands long ago. Seeing my continued silence, Austin gently took my hand: “I made dinner reservations. Let me take you out to eat, okay?” The warmth of his palm made me involuntarily recall the image of him holding and kissing Raegan. I pulled my hand away almost instinctively. He froze for a moment but said nothing, simply leading me to the car in silence. At the upscale restaurant, Raegan happened to be entertaining clients. Several clients were taking turns toasting her when Austin immediately stepped forward: “Everyone’s here! What a coincidence—why don’t we all have a drink together?” With that, he began drinking glass after glass in Raegan’s place. Austin had always had stomach problems. During countless business dinners in the past, I was the one who drank those harsh liquors for him. But now, Austin, who never touched alcohol, was drinking until his face turned pale—all for Raegan. I couldn’t take it anymore and grabbed his arm: “Stop drinking! Your stomach can’t handle this!” He was already somewhat drunk and pulled me close by the waist, whispering in my ear: “Don’t worry, Raegan. I’m here—no one can hurt you.” Raegan? My entire body went rigid, as if I’d fallen into an icy abyss. Raegan raised an eyebrow at me provocatively and mouthed: “You lose. This family is happier without you.” My hands trembled as rage surged through me like a tsunami. But I knew that everything that had happened these past few days was telling me the same thing—I no longer mattered. I bit down hard on my teeth and stubbornly lifted my head: “You’re nothing but a fake. What’s there to be proud of?” With that, I helped the swaying Austin toward the exit. Raegan slowly stood up and followed us. She glanced outside and smiled slightly: “Is that so? Then let me show you who’s really the unloved fake.” The next moment, she grabbed my hand and yanked it forward, making it look as if I had pushed her as she tumbled down the restaurant stairs. She let out a pained whimper: “It’s all my fault. Dad, Mom, please don’t blame Ariana.” Before I could react, a sharp slap struck my cheek. Wyatt and Sienna had appeared at the restaurant entrance at some point. Sienna’s eyes were red with fury as she pointed at me and screamed: “Raegan is pregnant! How dare you still bully her? If anything happens to her, you get out of this house immediately!” Wyatt’s hand was still trembling, his face filled with anger and disappointment: “How did I raise such a vicious daughter? I wish Raegan were my real daughter instead.” Austin instantly sobered up from his drunken state. He rushed forward in a few quick steps and carefully lifted Raegan into his arms. Before getting in the car, he turned back and shot me a vicious look. The hatred in his eyes nearly consumed me entirely. Watching their car disappear into the distance, my heart ached unbearably. My last shred of hope was crushed to dust beneath their wheels. I collapsed onto the cold stairs, letting the wind and rain soak my hair, unable to tell whether what streamed down my face was rain or tears. After a long while, I said wearily: “System, send me back to the mission world. I don’t want to stay here anymore.”

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I, Camila Fuller, had been a housewife for ten years. That day, I was washing dishes when suddenly a stream of comments appeared before my eyes. 【The female lead is so pitiful, this family has been draining her luck all along!】 【Her husband stole her graduate degree and job opportunities!】 【Her husband’s parents even took away much of her health.】 【And her husband’s sister borrowed all her romantic prospects.】 【Her husband is about to give her something again. How much luck will she lose this time?】 My hands froze mid-air. Just then, my husband Paxton Freeman walked over and slipped a plastic bracelet onto my wrist. He said, “Honey, I bought this specially after work today. It’s both romantic and budget-friendly. Do you like it?” I looked up and through the reflection in the kitchen window, I caught a glimpse of calculation flashing in his eyes. He continued, “The company is selecting for management positions tomorrow. Do you think I’ll get promoted?” I was still reeling from the shock of those comments, my mind completely blank. “What are you spacing out for?” he urged. “Come on, say something.” The comments appeared again. 【As long as the female lead answers “yes,” this luck-borrowing ritual will be complete.】 【She’ll definitely say yes. She’s always been obedient to this family.】 Seeing my continued silence, Paxton suddenly grabbed my wrist with such force that he nearly crushed it. “Honey, say something.” I stared at the plastic bracelet on my right wrist, which suddenly felt burning hot. I yanked my hand back. “I think my period just started.” Without waiting for his reaction, I rushed into the bathroom. He kept pounding on the door, his voice growing more urgent: “Just tell me, will I get selected or not?” I shouted through the bathroom door: “Yes, you’ll definitely get selected!” Hearing the satisfactory answer, Paxton’s voice carried a note of excitement. “Since you’re not feeling well tonight, I won’t stay with you. I’ll sleep over at my friend’s place.” I looked at the plastic bracelet I had thrown into the toilet. Comments flashed frantically before my eyes. 【The female lead actually threw away the bracelet? Doesn’t she usually treasure everything he gives her?】 【Could she know this man has been harming her all along?】 【Does she know Paxton has been cheating?】 From what just happened, I was certain that these suddenly appearing comments were all true. Reading the words floating in the comments, my heart ached unbearably. Those people in the living room outside were all people I considered family. 【This whole family has been scheming against the female lead from the beginning.】 【The female lead should have gotten into graduate school, then met her husband during her PhD studies. They would have been kindred spirits and founded their company together.】 【If only the female lead knew the truth, she wouldn’t keep letting them borrow her luck.】 Through the comments’ narration, I learned the whole truth and my inevitable fate. I was an orphan who met the seemingly honest and simple Paxton in college. His parents, James Freeman and Sophia Freeman, treated me like their own daughter. But in reality, I had been their target from the very beginning. James had inherited an ancient technique from his ancestors that could borrow others’ luck. However, by now, his ability was limited to borrowing luck only from his own family members. He had calculated that I was born with an exceptionally lucky fate, so he had Paxton marry me quickly, making me part of their family. That’s why, despite my diligent preparation for graduate school entrance exams, Paxton, who never studied, got into my dream school and program. No matter how serious James and Sophia’s illnesses were, they would recover the next day. Meanwhile, I was constantly plagued by various ailments, all the kinds of diseases that typically afflicted elderly people. I maintained a regular exercise routine and balanced nutrition, yet my weight kept increasing daily. Now I weighed nearly 200 pounds, while Jasmin Freeman, who never watched her diet, remained slender and was even dating a rich second-generation heir. At the story’s end, I would develop cancer from having all my luck drained by them, then die crushed by a truck while crossing the street. I splashed cold water on my face repeatedly, trying to calm down. Thank goodness I had seen these comments. I couldn’t let them borrow my luck anymore. Since they didn’t truly care for me, I would make them pay the price. I pressed the flush button. Let that plastic bracelet disappear along with Paxton’s promotion dreams.

The next evening, Paxton stormed through the door in a rage. He yanked his tie loose, and when his eyes landed on my bare wrist, his fury exploded. “Where’s the bracelet!” He grabbed my wrist and roared, “Where’s the bracelet I gave you?” I answered casually, “I accidentally dropped it in the toilet last night.” Paxton’s face flushed red with anger. “You dropped it and didn’t think to fish it out?” I shot back, “It wasn’t anything valuable. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?” “Do you have any idea that because of you, my promotion opportunity is completely ruined!” he said through gritted teeth. I tilted my head, playing dumb. “Oh? So because I lost the bracelet you gave me, you can’t get promoted?” Paxton was about to speak. “It’s because you—” James interrupted with a cough. “Enough. If something’s lost, just buy another one. Don’t make this into a bigger issue.” Only then did Paxton stop, breathing heavily. As I went to the kitchen to serve the dishes, I caught a glimpse of his dark expression from the corner of my eye. Not getting promoted is just the beginning. What you owe me, I’ll make sure you pay back every last bit. At the dinner table, Paxton’s face remained stormy. Sophia smiled sweetly, trying to ease the tension. “Camila, you should be understanding with Paxton. He’s been fighting for this position for several years now. Not getting promoted this time, he’s genuinely anxious. Don’t hold it against him. Look how much he loves you—he’s always buying you things. I’m actually jealous. Since you don’t have parents to rely on, I think of you as my own daughter.” She placed a piece of vegetable on my plate. “Eat more. Vegetables are good for your health.” She helped herself to a piece of meat, took a bite, and continued, “Oh, yesterday I went to the pharmacy downstairs to check my blood pressure, and they said my systolic pressure was 170. I need to go to the hospital tomorrow for a checkup. Do you think there’s something wrong with me?” My heart sank. I had already swallowed that piece of vegetable. The comments started scrolling frantically: 【Holy crap, this old lady is ruthless. Who would be on guard like this all the time?】 【What should the female lead do? Should she run to the bathroom and throw up?】 【Do you think the female lead already knows the truth?】 At the dinner table, Sophia looked at me kindly. “Camila, don’t you think so? I’ll be fine, right?” Under the table, I pressed hard against my stomach with my hand. “Ugh!” I vomited all the food onto the table. As I threw up, I smiled at Sophia, whose face had suddenly changed. “Of course, you’ll definitely be fine.” “Ugh!” I threw up again, and the entire dinner table was in chaos. My stomach was churning violently. I clutched my stomach weakly and said, “I don’t feel well. I’m going back to my room.” Before long, Paxton came in carrying a glass of milk. “My mom had me make this milk for you. She said you barely ate anything and was worried you’d feel sick on an empty stomach. Who else would be as thoughtful as my mom?” I kept my head down and gave a muffled “mm.” He urged impatiently, “Hurry up and drink it. Don’t be ungrateful.” I replied weakly, “Just leave it there. I’ll drink it in a bit.” He set the glass down heavily on the nightstand and left. Once his footsteps faded away, I immediately got up and poured the entire glass of milk into the flower pot by the window. The comments appeared again: 【How does the female lead know the milk was drugged?】 【I suddenly want to know what the female lead will do next.】 I had just lain back down when the conversation from the next room came through the thin wall. The old house had poor soundproofing, and every word was crystal clear. I quietly cracked open my door, leaving just a small gap. “Is Camila asleep?” It was Sophia’s voice. Paxton sneered coldly, “She’s asleep. I put seven or eight sleeping pills in her food. She’s sleeping like a dead pig.” Sophia said, “Be a little gentler with her. You were so harsh today—what if she wants to divorce you? Jasmin is dating that rich kid. Don’t complicate things.” Paxton sneered, “Mom, with that fat pig appearance of hers, who else would want her? I feel disgusted just touching her. As for Jasmin, tell her to eat less. Just looking at Camila makes me want to throw up.” This comment puzzled me. I’d been married into this family for ten years, and Jasmin had never given me anything. How had she borrowed my luck? And why had she been able to keep me overweight all this time? The comments grew alert too. [Come to think of it, they never mentioned Jasmin giving the female lead anything.] [Maybe it was sent through Paxton’s hands?] The comments’ speculation matched my thoughts. Sophia suddenly grew nervous: “She threw up today. Could she be pregnant?” Paxton immediately cut her off: “That dead fat pig? I don’t even want to touch her. How could I possibly get her pregnant?” Hearing this, I instinctively touched my stomach. I’d once had a child, but my poor health meant I couldn’t keep the baby. Paxton laughed, “Dad, your method really worked. When we worked together to get rid of that dead pig’s child, Phoebe gave me a son right away. When can we bring Phoebe and Kevin home? Just seeing Camila makes me sick.” So my son’s life had been borrowed too! James, who had been silent all along, finally spoke: “Just over a month left, and Camila’s luck will be completely drained. Only when she dies will this luck-borrowing ritual end. Otherwise, we’ll all face backlash.” Paxton was so excited he nearly laughed out loud: “Excellent! My son and wife can finally come back to me.” James coldly reminded him: “Phoebe still can’t come back. You need to marry another woman with good fortune so we can keep living well.” Paxton said, “Fine, Phoebe’s obedient anyway. But Kevin must come back—he’s my only son.” Sophia groaned again: “Oh, my leg hurts again. Tomorrow I need to give Camila more things. And you, use your brain—stop fobbing her off with cheap stuff.” Paxton smirked dismissively: “What’s to worry about? She’s accepted everything for ten years, hasn’t she?” Their conversation seemed to end. I quickly closed the door tight and lay back down on the bed. Moments later, Paxton pushed the door open, glanced at me, muttered “dead fat pig” under his breath, then left. In the darkness, I slowly opened my eyes. My face was wet with tears, and the hatred in my heart made me want to make them pay in blood. My child, Mommy will avenge you. For you, and for my stolen ten years of youth and dignity.

Paxton didn’t come home all night. He used to make excuses before, but now that he knows I only have a month left to live, he can’t even be bothered to put on a show. Sophia gently placed a freshly baked cake in front of me. “Camila, you should eat something first. Your stomach was bothering you yesterday.” I didn’t take it, but pulled her hand and sat down on the couch with her. “There’s something I’d like to discuss with you. You know I grew up in an orphanage. Yesterday, the director Freya Lopez called me. She’s getting older and accidentally injured her leg. All these years, she’s been taking care of the children at the orphanage, but she has no children of her own. I want to go stay with her for a while and take good care of her.” Sophia frowned slightly, her tone showing displeasure. “Camila, you’re part of our family. Paxton works hard outside, and you should be the one holding this home together.” I held her hand and spoke honestly: “Sophia, let me be straight with you. Freya told me that she has no children, and I’m the closest person to her after all these years. She’s decided to transfer both of her properties to my name. You and James have always been loving toward me, and Paxton has treated me well too. So I’ve made up my mind—I’ll transfer both properties to Paxton’s name.” Upon hearing this, Sophia’s eyes immediately lit up. She gripped my hand tightly, her voice trembling with excitement. “I knew you were such a thoughtful and filial child! Go ahead, leave today! I’ll handle things with Paxton, so you don’t need to worry about anything!” I nodded with a smile. That evening, Sophia called Paxton home. I hired a fake lawyer and signed many fraudulent documents. Paxton was so immersed in his great joy that he had no idea the divorce agreement was hidden among them. The moment he signed his name, I felt the strings binding me inside snap one by one. A long-lost strength surged from deep within my bones throughout my entire body. The comments were all celebrating for me. 【Great! The female lead finally broke free from the Freeman family and will never have her luck stolen again.】 【The female lead is no longer part of the Freeman family. Since the Freemans failed to complete this luck transfer, what awaits them next is karmic backlash. I can’t wait to see it.】 The lawyer said he needed to take the documents to process the transfer, and Paxton happily saw the fake lawyer out. He had already started planning with James and Sophia how to use those two properties. “We’ll sell one and let Phoebe and Kevin live in the other.” He was so excited that he forgot himself and blurted out about his mistress and illegitimate child right in front of me. Sophia quickly tried to interrupt him, but Paxton glanced at me coldly and said, “Just go take good care of Freya. Don’t bother coming back.” With that, he turned around and violently threw all my luggage downstairs. Standing outside the door, I looked down at the real divorce agreement in my hands as tears fell heavily onto the pages. After ten years, I had finally reclaimed my life. I looked forward to their family’s destruction as payment for the ten years they owed me and my child’s life! Freya had indeed injured her leg. I briefly explained Paxton’s affair to her, and she was very understanding, telling me to settle in comfortably. It was perfect timing for me to take good care of her too. That evening, as I was preparing to rest, Paxton suddenly called. I answered the phone, and before I could speak, I heard his anxious voice: “Honey, you need to come to the Ocean Hotel right now!” Before I could figure out what was happening, the comments filled me in. 【Paxton was supposed to meet a woman, but he went to the wrong room and messed with Nash Ramirez’s woman—the son of New York’s richest man!】

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The day my husband’s parents Jason Gibson and Leila Gibson were in a car accident, I, Gabriela Reeds, called Everett Gibson with trembling hands, my voice choked with tears as I begged him to transfer money for the surgery fees. But all I heard from the other end was his cold mockery: “If you want money, just say so. Why do you always come up with these pathetic excuses?” Staring at the disconnected call, I swallowed my hurt and dialed again, only to hear a familiar female voice: “Everett, I squeezed out too much sunscreen. Can I rub it on your abs?” He laughed indulgently, “You’re being silly.” That night, Jason and Leila died abroad despite all efforts to save them. ***** It’s been over half a month since Jason and Leila’s accident. I couldn’t let their bodies go unattended. But Everett still wouldn’t answer his phone or come home. I had to handle all the arrangements alone and organize the cremation. Just the day before the accident, they were still hoping for a grandchild. Now they lay in cold coffins. I don’t understand how life and death could be separated in a single night. Even less do I understand what could make Everett completely cut off contact for half a month, ignoring his parents’ life and death. I heard rustling sounds—he was home. I looked up, only to see Grace walking in, along with that Grace Lewis who had been sickly since childhood and whom Everett treasured like a precious gem. She was wearing my silk nightgown, the neckline slightly open, revealing several intimate red marks on her neck. The sight stung my eyes and made my stomach churn. “Everett and I have been waiting for you, Gabriela. Were you out having fun? I ordered takeout—want to eat together?” she asked sweetly. Everett stood by the dining table, not even glancing in my direction. Thinking about how Jason and Leila were still unburied while Everett brought Grace back to our marital home, letting her wear my clothes and sleep in my bed— I felt sick and turned to rush to the bathroom. But Grace blocked my path. She said, “Gabriela, don’t fight with Everett. He’s been so busy with work and has no time to spend with anyone. I saw how exhausted he was, so I took him away to relax. After all, unlike you, not everyone can skip work and go shopping for luxury goods every day, right?” She stood too close, her heavy perfume overwhelming me. I suddenly bent over and dry-heaved, even bringing up some acid. Grace screamed and stepped back, but still got splashed a little. “Do you have to be so disgusting?” These were the first words he’d spoken to me in half a month. He didn’t explain why Grace was wearing my nightgown, didn’t ask where I’d been all this time, and didn’t care whether I was sick or holding up. Once, if I so much as frowned slightly, he would anxiously ask if I was feeling unwell. I’d forgotten when exactly he started changing, but it seemed like it had been a long time. I straightened up and met his indifferent gaze coldly. Even though I was prepared, my heart still ached sharply. I said, “I’m the one being disgusting? Everett, you’re the one who’s truly revolting.” “Can you stop being so unreasonable? I came home, didn’t I?” he interrupted irritably. Grace immediately chimed in, “Gabriela, Everett only went on that trip with me because I was heartbroken. Don’t blame him.” Everett said coldly, “You have nothing to apologize for. She’s the one looking for trouble.” Watching him protect her without hesitation, I suddenly found everything utterly absurd. I silently walked to the corner, picked up those two heavy urns, and walked up to him: “These are your parents’ ashes. You take care of them. Also, let’s get divorced.” He laughed coldly, “You just grab two random boxes and claim they’re my parents’ ashes? Gabriela, have you lost your mind? And you want to divorce me?” He casually tossed the urns aside and mocked, “You won’t sleep with me, so now you’re putting on this act with my parents? You just want a child, don’t you? Your plan failed so now you’re threatening divorce? If you really want one, just say so. It’s not like I can’t give you one.” I really wanted to ask who exactly was being dishonest in this marriage. Who took his first love on a million-dollar spending spree on our wedding anniversary? Who claimed to be working overtime while actually holding her hand at amusement parks? And who lied to me over and over again for her sake, leaving me alone in an empty house time after time? I don’t know when this marriage became meaningless, but I know it’s time to end it now. So I said calmly, “Divorce. I’ll move out as soon as possible to make room for you two.” Grace opened her mouth but was silenced by Everett’s icy glare. He stared at me, his voice menacing: “You’re threatening me with divorce again? If you walk out that door today, we’re done for good. Don’t expect me to come after you.” I nodded gently, then turned around without hesitation, opened the door, and walked out. Everett felt an inexplicable sense of defeat rise in his chest, but quickly suppressed it. After all, her parents died long ago—she had nowhere to go. She’d come back eventually.

After renting the apartment, I returned to the villa to collect my belongings. I placed the divorce papers I’d printed earlier in front of Everett. He signed without even looking, but when I reached for the documents, his hand pressed down on the paper. “Gabriela,” he said, “haven’t you thought about what Jason and Leila would think if they found out we’re getting divorced? Aren’t you afraid of breaking their hearts?” I finally understood—Everett didn’t believe a word I’d said. Perhaps Jason and Leila’s ashes had already been carelessly discarded in some forgotten corner. “Everett,” my voice trembled, “I’ve told you countless times—Jason and Leila are dead! What I gave you last time were their ashes. Where did you put them?” “Gabriela, stop talking nonsense.” He frowned, his tone cold. “You’re being completely unreasonable,” I said. “You’re the one being unreasonable, Ms. Reeds.” Grace suddenly appeared, slamming her phone on the table. The screen showed a social media activity log. “Leila was still liking posts online last night! I understand you want Everett’s attention, but making up such ridiculous lies is pretty low, don’t you think?” I was close enough to clearly see that at eleven PM last night, Leila’s account had liked a post. But I had watched Jason and Leila’s bodies being pushed into the crematorium with my own eyes. How was this possible? “I’m being polite to you out of respect for Everett,” Grace sneered. “But I’ve never acknowledged your status, much less this marriage. To get your hands on Gibson Group’s assets, you actually made up lies about Jason and Leila dying in a car accident abroad. What exactly are you trying to pull?” Since when did our marriage need her approval to be valid? “My purpose?” I looked coldly at both of them. “I just hope you two stay together forever, so you won’t harm anyone else.” I turned to Everett. “You believe whatever Grace says? You’re the CEO of a public company—don’t you have a phone? Whether what I’m saying is true or false, your secretary could verify it in five minutes. Why won’t you check?” Grace said, “Then how do you explain this like record? Are you going to say someone found their phones?” Jason and Leila had indeed been in a car accident abroad, and their phones were never found among their belongings. Everett suddenly spoke, his voice ice-cold: “You married me for money, didn’t you? Don’t think you can take a single cent through divorce. You’ll leave with nothing.” “Don’t worry,” I laughed bitterly. “I won’t take a penny of yours. If you look down on me so much, why did you pursue me so relentlessly in the first place? When someone’s heart changes, their face sure follows suit.” He always interpreted my every word and action in the most malicious way possible. I didn’t want to argue anymore and turned to go upstairs to pack. Behind me came Everett’s furious voice: “You came here with just one bag, and now you want to take things when you leave? Letting you walk out in those clothes is charity enough.” I clenched my fists, suppressing my anger, wanting only to retrieve my parents’ belongings—the things that truly belonged to me. “Ugh, what’s that smoky smell? Is Leila burning the trash we cleared out yesterday?” Grace pinched her nose, feigning disgust. She always liked stirring up trouble, and at her words, my heart sank. In a roaring fire, all of my birth parents’ belongings were being consumed—yellowed photographs, old letters, and the necklace Mom had given me on my tenth birthday, her last gift to me. I rushed forward to save them, but Grace deliberately blocked my way: “Such a big fire—be careful you don’t hurt yourself.” She wore a malicious smile, mocking my desperation. Everett said, “Just a pile of junk. If someone wants to treat it like treasure, who cares?” Once, Everett had called these items “your parents’ final mementos.” Now, in his eyes, they were nothing but disposable waste. Just as my hand was about to reach the necklace in the flames, Grace suddenly swayed and fell toward the edge of the fire! Everett shoved me aside and threw himself forward to shield Grace in his arms. My head struck the stone beside me hard. Sharp pain shot through me, my ears rang, my vision blurred, and the world seemed to spin. Grace raised her arm, revealing slightly burned skin, and began to sob: “It hurts so much. I was just trying to get her away from the fire, but she pushed me!” “Don’t cry, I’ll take you to the hospital right away.” Everett lifted her up, and before leaving, he turned back coldly: “I thought you were just a liar, but I never imagined you could be so vicious—actually pushing her into the fire.”

I couldn’t make out what Everett was saying at all. The servant standing nearby hesitated, wanting to step forward but not daring to move. As for me, I simply reached toward the pile of flames still burning. Warm, thick blood trickled down my forehead, blurring my vision. I fumbled several times before finally picking up that necklace from the ashes. Unfortunately, it had already been burned beyond recognition, twisted and deformed. It was just a plastic necklace—cheap and fragile. Yet I still clutched it tightly in my palm, letting the scalding embers burn blisters into my skin, refusing to let go. To ten-year-old me, wearing it meant I could become a princess from a fairy tale. To me now, it was the only keepsake my parents had left behind. And now, this precious memory had been destroyed right before my eyes by his own hands. I didn’t understand why Everett had suddenly become a different person. If he no longer loved me, why not just say he wanted to leave? How could I possibly cling to him then? I understood even less why Grace, who clearly liked him, wouldn’t simply be with him. Instead, she chose to torment me on one side while flirting with him on the other, playing these ambiguous games. Looking down at the divorce papers he had signed in my hand, I suddenly felt it was time to leave this land where I had lived for over twenty years. I walked aimlessly, my vision growing increasingly blurred. I wiped the blood from my face with my hand, but my sight remained cloudy and unclear. When I opened my eyes again, a familiar figure stood before me. The hospital corridor was cold, white, and silent. Noah Howard handed me a test report. He said, “How could you not know you were pregnant? Look at the state you’re in. If I hadn’t run into you on my way to a house call, you might have been hit by a car the next second.” Noah was a classmate from the class next door in high school who had pursued me for a while. After I got together with Everett, we lost touch. I never expected to run into him here after all these years, and he had become a doctor at this hospital. Being seen in such a disheveled state by an old acquaintance made me feel inexplicably embarrassed, though I didn’t know what to say. In the end, I just kept thanking him and transferred the exact amount for the medical fees to him. Just as I turned to leave, a questioning voice came from behind: “What are you two doing?” Everett stormed over in a rage, grabbing my arm with such force that I nearly lost my balance. When he saw the gauze wrapped around my head, he paused for a moment. But he immediately demanded, “So that’s why you suddenly wanted a divorce? You already had someone else, didn’t you? You two have been in contact all along!” “Noah, how can you be so shameless, always going after other men’s wives? Have you no dignity!” His words grew increasingly vicious, not only slandering me but also insulting Noah. I forcefully shook off his grip and straightened up. “Everett, we’re already divorced. The divorce papers have been signed.” “I take it back!” he practically roared, his eyes filled with disbelief and fury. “You want to be with this man, don’t you? Answer me! Gabriela!” Grace, her arm wrapped in gauze, tried to hold him back, but he shoved her aside. I suddenly found it almost laughable. “The way you’re acting, I’d think you still had feelings for me.” “Don’t flatter yourself!” he sneered. “We haven’t even gotten the divorce certificate yet, and you’re already out there fooling around while still carrying my wife’s title?” At that moment, Grace spoke up casually, “I remember Dr. Howard pursued Ms. Reeds back in college, didn’t he? You two seemed pretty close back then.” Everett’s expression instantly darkened. Grace realized she’d said the wrong thing and stuck out her tongue awkwardly. “Sorry, Dr. Howard, maybe I remembered wrong.” Before Noah could respond, I said, “It’s fine, I can handle this myself. Dr. Howard, you should get back to work.” I quietly hid the report behind my back and met Everett’s gaze. “You could carry on with other women throughout our marriage without a care in the world, but I couldn’t do the same. Don’t worry, I would never cheat.” “Ms. Reeds,” Grace suddenly narrowed her eyes, and quick as lightning, snatched the report from behind my back. She glanced down at it, her expression changing dramatically before quickly returning to calm. “Don’t tell me that because Everett wants to divorce you, you got your classmate to fake a report? If this gets exposed, it could ruin Dr. Howard’s entire career.” Everett let out a scornful laugh, his face full of disdain. “We’ve been married for three or four years, and you never got pregnant. Now suddenly overnight you’re expecting? How long has it been since I even touched you? If you’re going to fake something, at least make it logical.” I reached out to grab the report back, but Grace nimbly dodged away. Everett actually stepped in front of her protectively, like some kind of instinctive reaction. I laughed coldly. “What, are you planning to push me again for her sake?” Everett’s gaze fell on the gauze around my head again, but in the end, he said nothing. He snatched the report and threw it hard into my arms, coldly dropping the words “enough is enough” before turning to leave with Grace, their retreating figures resolute. Over a month ago, Everett came home from a business dinner, completely wasted. He stumbled into the bedroom, held me close, and kept calling my name over and over, saying he loved me so much. At the time, I thought Everett must love me, that there had to be some misunderstanding between us. But the next morning when he woke up, he remembered nothing. When he saw me, his eyes were as cold as if he were looking at a stranger, even filled with disgust. I was driven back by that look. The child was probably conceived that very night. Now, it’s probably for the best that he doesn’t acknowledge this child. He doesn’t even care about his own parents’ deaths, so he certainly wouldn’t care about this child. Since the marriage has reached its end anyway, an unwanted child shouldn’t come into this world. I just wondered if someday, when he learns that I terminated his child and discovers I wasn’t lying, that his parents are both dead, and that he bears some responsibility for their deaths, would he break down completely? At this thought, I felt an almost cruel sense of anticipation. So I quietly scheduled an abortion.

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My name is George Moore. My wife Taylor Larson suffers from intimacy phobia. For ten years of marriage, she has pushed me away time and again. Until our wedding anniversary, when she left me behind and passionately kissed another man, walking hand in hand into a luxury hotel. Afterward, Taylor said to me matter-of-factly: “Men should be more generous and not so petty.” Generous? I said: “Then I wish you two all the best together.” A few days later, I handed her the divorce papers with an expressionless face, determined to leave her for good. But she went crazy because of my disappearance. ***** “I have intimacy phobia, don’t force me.” Taylor gently pushed away my hand reaching toward her, turned around, and said nothing more. Yes, we’ve been married for exactly ten years, yet we’ve never had a real married life. I’ve always longed to have children, and both sets of parents have urged us many times. But whenever I wanted to take things further with Taylor, she would always coldly refuse, claiming she was “afraid of physical contact.” Helplessly, I could only tell others that I was too busy with work and had no energy for family matters, shielding her from relatives’ gossip. I love Taylor. I believe she has some unspeakable difficulty, so I never force her, only retreating to the bathroom alone to take care of myself. Perhaps she also sensed that her coldness had hurt me. After I returned, she would turn around and hug my waist, nuzzling affectionately in my arms. “Honey, let’s go to sleep.” Feeling her shallow breathing, a strong unease slowly welled up in my heart. To dispel this feeling, the next day I deliberately finished work at the hospital early, booked a high-end restaurant, wanting to surprise her and strengthen our relationship. But after waiting two hours, she never showed up. I called her colleague and learned that their company was having a dinner party today. The colleague said: “This gathering was scheduled by Ms. Larson a week ago.” But Taylor never told me. In the early days of our marriage, she used to share everything in her life with me. Looking at the messages on WhatsApp that hadn’t been replied to for a long time, I drove to the KTV where they were having their dinner party. The moment I saw what was happening inside, my hand froze on the door handle, and my body instantly felt like it had fallen into an ice cave. Taylor was being held in the arms of a young man, not struggling, not dodging. Amid the crowd’s cheering, she closed her eyes and calmly accepted the man’s deep kiss. After the party ended, I overheard her conversation with her best friend Andrea Evans in the hallway corner. She said: “Actually, before marriage, I really loved George. Being apart for just a morning would make me miss him so much I’d panic. But after marriage, whenever he gets close to me or wants to touch me, I can always smell blood, making me so nauseous I want to throw up. I lied to him about having intimacy phobia, and I didn’t expect him to actually believe it. Ten years of marriage, appearing loving on the surface, but behind closed doors, I haven’t done a single thing that married couples should do with him.” “Bottom line, you just don’t love him anymore,” Andrea said flatly, seeing right through her. Taylor chuckled softly, neither confirming nor denying. Andrea asked: “What about today’s intern? Jayden Howell, right? Don’t tell me you’re actually falling for him?” Taylor casually ran her fingers through her hair. “No, not quite there yet.” Andrea said: “I’m warning you, playing around is fine, but don’t go too far. You and George were the most famous couple on campus back then. He treasures you like his life. If you ever go too far and something really happens, no one will be able to save you.” Taylor scoffed. “Thirteen years of feelings – would he really be willing to let go?”

Taylor’s words pierced my heart like silver needles. All these Christmas memories came flooding back, and I realized she never had any phobia at all—she simply didn’t love me. Those two words “want to throw up” wrapped around my throat like iron chains, making it impossible to breathe. She knew me better than anyone, which is exactly why she could strike at my soft spots with such precision, using them as leverage for her betrayal. I remembered the name Jayden all too clearly. He was the new intern who joined Taylor’s company at the beginning of this Christmas season. The first time she mentioned him, her voice was filled with barely concealed admiration. She told me how Jayden had messed up an important partnership project. But he refused to give up, blocking the departing business partner and tearfully begging for another chance, nearly fainting from emotional distress. This kind of unwavering determination was something many college students today lacked. In the end, Taylor couldn’t stand watching anymore. She angrily confronted the aggressive business partner and pulled Jayden out of the conference room. At the time, I didn’t understand: “Isn’t this just making a scene? He screwed up the company’s partnership—the responsibility is entirely his. The business partner has every right to terminate the deal. You can’t force them to accept the partnership just because you feel sorry for Jayden.” Taylor rarely got angry with me, but this time her eyes flashed with disappointment: “And you call yourself a doctor? You don’t have an ounce of empathy. I’m really disappointed in you.” I didn’t doubt my perspective because of her anger and continued trying to correct her thinking. But she stubbornly sided with Jayden, even suggesting that I’d been too sheltered. Because of this incident, we didn’t speak for several days. In the end, I was the one who apologized, swallowing my pride to win her back. From that day on, I remembered Jayden’s name. I just never imagined that Jayden would transform into Taylor’s assistant. It was also from that moment that an invisible barrier formed between Taylor and me. When you love someone, you can’t help but want to share every little detail of your life with them. When you stop sharing, that’s when the love is gone. All the signs had already surfaced. After work, I went to bed early. I felt subtle movement beside me. Familiar warmth pressed against me as Taylor’s soft body wrapped around mine. I fought back the urge to vomit, quickly rolling away and saying coldly, “It’s too hot.” Her hand froze in mid-air, as if she hadn’t expected me to pull away. I could sense she was in a good mood tonight—initiating physical contact was already the most intimate gesture between us. She didn’t pursue it further, tucking the covers around me before turning away to look at her phone. I don’t know when it started, but Taylor, who never used to stay up late, began scrolling through her phone until the early hours, even clutching it when she went to the bathroom. Just as I was drifting off to sleep, I suddenly received a text message. My instincts told me it was from Jayden. I took a deep breath, my fingertips trembling as I opened it. Jayden had sent me a screenshot of his chat with Taylor from five minutes earlier. He’d sent Taylor a photo of himself in a bathrobe, along with a room number. 【I don’t dare ask you to divorce for me. I just want to stay by your side, to hold you when you’re sad.】 【If you don’t come tonight, I’ll keep waiting.】 And Taylor had softened, replying: 【Wait for me.】 I’d never seen such a shameless man before. For a moment, I was stunned.

Right after reading that chat log, Taylor got up and started getting dressed. She said, “There’s a sudden issue with the project. I need to handle it personally.” Over the past ten years, she’d used this exact line countless times to leave home in the middle of the night. And I, because I loved her deeply, never questioned it, never tried to stop her. Looking back now, she was probably going to see Jayden all those times. I said, “I’ll come with you.” Taylor’s movements paused almost imperceptibly, then she reached up to gently caress my cheek. “It’s already so late. Don’t trouble yourself—just get some sleep. If you wear yourself out staying up, it’ll break my heart. Don’t worry, I’ll be back early.” With that, she showed no hesitation and turned to leave. I quietly called a cab and followed her. Taylor drove extremely fast, nearly losing my driver several times. It was pouring rain outside, and Jayden was standing there waiting for her. The two of them embraced like lovers who’d been separated for ages, unable to control themselves the moment they saw each other. I fought back the sting in my eyes and pulled out my phone, which I’d prepared beforehand, aiming it at them and pressing the shutter. To completely kill any lingering hope, I even recorded a twenty-second video. They kissed passionately, reluctant to part, then walked hand in hand through the hotel entrance. Back in the car, I composed myself and dialed the number I knew by heart. My former doctoral advisor, Callum Fisher, answered the phone. He was abroad now, where it was currently morning. I said, “Prof. Fisher, do you still need people for that medical project?” He paused for a moment, his voice actually trembling slightly. “George, have you made up your mind? As long as you’re willing to come, there’s always a place for you on the project team.” When I graduated with my doctorate ten years ago, Callum had tried hard to convince me to stay, inviting me to go abroad with him for further research and continue my academic career. It would have been a tremendous opportunity for me to advance to the next level. But Taylor didn’t want a long-distance relationship. So I chose to stay. Deep down, though, I regretted it more than anyone. Now, I finally had a chance to start over. I don’t regret my choice back then—that young George was willing to give up his dreams for love. And the current George has the courage to set out again for himself. Every choice has been a decision I made by following my heart. ***** A day later, Callum and I arranged to meet in a month. Dragging my exhausted body home, I pulled out a bottle of wine I’d been saving for years and poured glass after glass down my throat. Just over a month left, and everything would truly be over. My phone suddenly buzzed with a message from my good friend Tate Foster. 【How’d it go? That restaurant I recommended was great, right?】 【What woman could resist that kind of romantic gesture? Taylor must be head over heels for you now, right?】 All our friends thought Taylor was madly in love with me. I used to think so too. Only now do I realize that love really can be faked. Looking down at my watch, I let out a self-mocking laugh. This watch—she and I bought it during our most difficult years. She had just started her business then, and I’d given her all my savings to support her. During the worst period, we often went hungry. To buy me this watch, she secretly took on part-time jobs, sleeping less than four hours a night. It wasn’t until she collapsed on the street one day and was rushed to the hospital that I learned the truth. I rushed into the hospital room, and her first reaction upon seeing me was to hide her scraped palm under the bed. I blamed myself for not taking better care of her and asked through tears why she’d taken those jobs. But she just smiled and wiped away my tears. “Silly, it was for your birthday present, of course. But there’s a condition—you have to promise to marry me.” Later, her business grew bigger and bigger. We moved into a larger house, and life gradually became comfortable. But I kept wearing this inexpensive watch. She once suggested I get a more expensive one, but I refused without hesitation. Because in my heart, it had earned an irreplaceable place. Remembering how she looked at me with such love in her eyes during my birthday celebration, I took off the watch and placed it on the nightstand. Her words from the past seemed to still echo in my ears. But everything had changed. This watch—I didn’t want to keep it anymore either.   In the early morning hours, Taylor called: “There are still issues with the project that haven’t been resolved. I won’t be coming home tonight. Don’t wait up for me—get some rest.” Before I could respond, she hung up. With alcohol still coursing through my veins, I simply collapsed onto the living room carpet and fell into a deep sleep. In my dreams, time rewound to that summer when Taylor and I first met. Under the blazing sun, her roommate pushed her toward me, and she stammered, “You look like my boyfriend.” That straightforward yet clumsy pickup line became the beginning of our story. Because of that line, her roommates crowned me the “love guru.” After that, she kept finding excuses to ask me out for spaghetti. Even though we weren’t in the same college, I somehow kept running into her everywhere. Not long after the semester started, many people confessed their feelings to me, but initially I had no interest in Taylor. But she was like a little sun, slowly winning me over. We went through undergrad and graduate school together. The day I graduated with my PhD, she pulled out a pair of rings and asked if I would marry her. I didn’t answer—I just dropped to one knee and pulled out the ring I’d been carrying in my pocket. She said yes without hesitation. She threw herself into my arms, tears in her eyes, saying, “George, I want to love you forever. We’ll never be apart, okay?” Now, she’s the one pushing me away. Lies have become the sword that’s splitting us apart. ***** The next morning, a colleague’s call woke me up. The throw pillow was soaked with tears. Taylor never came home. I told myself: this is the last time I’ll cry over her. After a quick wash in the bathroom, I drove to the hospital. Even though I’d decided to leave, I couldn’t abandon the work that needed to be handed over, and I had several patients with appointments to see. That’s how brutal life is after entering the workforce—no matter how you’re feeling today, work still has to get done. While waiting at a red light, I opened my phone and texted my lawyer friend, asking about divorce procedures. There was no hysteria between us, no fighting. I didn’t need another woman to suddenly appear and rescue me from my pain. I had loved Taylor deeply, but I could still live a fulfilling life without her. In my world, there’s always been only one protagonist—myself. This marriage had reached its end. After submitting my resignation letter to the director, I threw myself into work. Patient after patient kept me dizzy with busyness, temporarily pushing thoughts of Taylor to the back of my mind. But I never expected that before I could confront Taylor, she would show up on her own. I was holding post-operative reports, about to find the family to discuss post-care instructions, when I spotted that familiar figure around a corner in the hallway. Taylor was clutching Jayden’s arm as they rushed into the emergency department. The room they entered was exactly the one I was heading to.

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The king-sized bed in the hotel room. I was still basking in the afterglow of Ryder’s touch when his voice, husky with post-intimacy breathlessness, whispered a promise in my ear. “Stella, just give me one more month. Next month, I’ll propose.” “Stella, I, Ryder Sterling, swear I’ll give you the most magnificent wedding, make you the most envied bride in the world.” This was the seventh year of our secret relationship. No one in all of Veridian City would ever believe that the notoriously aloof heir of the Sterling family and the infamous adopted daughter of the Reed family had been secretly dating for seven years. I had waited for that promise from the age of eighteen until twenty-five. My heart suddenly hammered. Before I could answer, my phone chimed with a special notification. Ryder reached for my phone, his voice still thick with desire. “Which wild man is that? Baby, are you really keeping some D-list actor on the side, just like the tabloids say?” I chuckled, pushing his hand away. “Just my best friend.” I tapped on the SnapChat picture Valerie had sent. It was a marriage certificate. The marriage certificate was dated today. And the groom? None other than Ryder Sterling, the man I’d been secretly dating for seven years, the man who’d just spent our passionate thirteen rounds with me tonight, and who’d promised to marry me in a month. I replied “Congrats” to my best friend, Valerie, then turned back to kiss Ryder. Ryder was an incredible kisser. His soft, lingering kisses left me breathless, tears welling in my eyes from the pleasant suffocation. Ryder was still pressing, “Just one more month for me, the very last one, okay?” “Okay,” I said. “I’ll wait one more month for you.” I bit down on Ryder’s lip, hard, not releasing until I tasted blood. “Ryder, after seven years, this is the very last month I’ll wait for you.” I casually dodged the lurking paparazzi outside the hotel and slipped into the car sent by the Reed family to pick me up. My brother, Liam Reed, was driving. His eyes were shadowed, dark, as he watched me stumble out of the side entrance, barely able to walk straight. “Which struggling actor was it tonight? Stella, aren’t you satisfied with your already ruined reputation? Are you determined to drag the Reed family name through the mud completely?” “Look at Valerie! She’s brilliant, plays the piano beautifully, and has an impeccable reputation. When she was eighteen, Mr. Sterling himself had personally visited the Valerie family to arrange a marriage proposal for Valerie – to become the Sterling family’s daughter-in-law, to marry the Sterling heir!” “I heard the Sterling heir waited for Valerie for seven years, visiting her abroad every year. He kept it up until Valerie finally got her PhD overseas this year.” “The tabloids caught photos of Ryder proposing to Valerie today, and them leaving City Hall together. They must have gotten married.” “Ryder must have been impatient, couldn’t even wait for a wedding, just went straight to getting the marriage certificate to make their marriage official…” “Stella, you and Valerie came from the same orphanage, but look at her…” The words barely left his lips when Liam slammed on the brakes! The black Lincoln screeched to a halt. Liam slapped himself across the face. He didn’t dare look at his sister in the passenger seat, his voice low. “Stella, I said the wrong thing. I’m sorry.” I sat rigidly, my face pale, my eyes hollow. Liam reached for my hand. My fingertips were icy cold. “Hit me, Stella. I messed up… I shouldn’t have brought it up.” After a long moment, I finally whispered, “The photos.” Liam blinked. “What photos?” “The ones the tabloids took,” I said, my gaze blank, fixed on the darkness ahead. “She was, after all, my friend from the orphanage and my supposed best friend. I want to see if Valerie and that legendary Sterling heir really make a good match.” Liam tossed his phone onto my lap. “See for yourself.” I unlocked it with my fingerprint and scrolled through the pictures. Ryder on one knee in a lavender field, kissing Valerie’s finger, adorned with a wedding ring. Ryder, grinning widely, with his arm around Valerie’s shoulder, standing in front of a wedding dress shop window. Ryder sweeping Valerie into his arms, walking out of a castle… Every single picture was taken abroad. I remembered the past seven years of our secret relationship, every time Ryder mentioned “going abroad for business.” Twelve trips a year, half a month each time. Turns out, his “business trips” were all spent romancing Valerie! I lifted my hand, clutching my chest. An indescribable ache spread from my heart, agonizing through my entire body. The pain made me double over. Liam was startled by my reaction. He snatched the phone from my hand. “Stella, I’ll never mention Valerie’s name in front of you again! Don’t scare me!” He was one of the few people in the world who knew that Valerie, my so-called best friend, and I were deeply at odds. Liam didn’t know the details, but he knew how much his sister loathed Valerie’s name. I forced a smile. “Didn’t you tell me to learn from Valerie? I will. Help me arrange it, Liam. Send me abroad to study.” Liam looked at me, incredulous. “Are you serious?” He couldn’t believe his non-biological sister could be so clear-headed. I smiled. “If I’m not married off by next month, then yes, I’m serious.”

Liam took me back to his private estate. “Mom and Dad aren’t happy about the news of Valerie and Ryder getting married today,” Liam said, peeling me some fruit. “You should stay here for a while.” I looked at the sliced fruit platter, skewered with toothpicks, and let out a cold laugh. “Are they still regretting not picking Valerie when they had to choose between us for adoption? Didn’t they practically fall over themselves to be Valerie’s godparents years ago? They might as well change their last name from Reed to Valerie!” Liam, seeing me looking like I was about to lose it, said nothing and retreated to his study. He knew me well. Engaging with me now would just make him my personal punching bag. I checked the time. It was one in the morning. I called Ryder. It rang three times before someone finally picked up. Ryder’s voice was cold, a stark contrast to the intimacy we’d shared hours earlier in the hotel. “Didn’t I tell you not to call me when I’m home? My family… wouldn’t want to see me associated with a woman like you.” “A woman like me?” My voice rose sharply. “We’ve been secretly together for seven years, Ryder! Do you really believe those tabloid rumors? Believe I’m a promiscuous woman?” Ryder’s reply was icy. “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” Perhaps realizing he’d gone too far, he quickly added, “Don’t cause trouble, Stella. You’ve always been so understanding these past seven years.” I looked at my empty ring finger, picturing Valerie’s wedding ring. “Ryder,” I whispered. “Did you really mean it? That you’d marry me in a month?” His tone softened slightly. “Have I ever broken a promise to you?” “Okay.” I put down my phone, my gaze drawn to the calendar. Just thirty days to wait. Thirty days later, either Ryder would keep his promise, or I would vanish from his world forever. A moment later, rustling sounds came from the receiver. I realized I hadn’t hung up. Ryder must have forgotten too. I heard his voice, chatting with his best friend. “Ryder, you chased Valerie for seven years, and you finally made it official. Old Man Sterling must be thrilled to see your marriage certificate, right?” Ryder’s voice was reserved, yet tinged with a faint pride. “Grandfather has already signed over his shares to me; the paperwork is being processed. Oh, and Valerie’s pregnant. What do you think would be a good gift for her? Do you think she’d like the estate on the west side of town?” Ryder’s friend lowered his voice. “Ryder, that Stella girl you’ve been stringing along… when are you going to get rid of her for good?” Ryder was silent for a moment. Amidst my violently beating heart, I heard Ryder’s indifferent voice. “Stella? Oh, next month.” His friend pressed him. “You’ve been playing her for seven years straight? Young Master Sterling, can you really bear to let her go?” Ryder’s voice was tinged with annoyance. “She’s just an adopted daughter of the Reed family, not particularly favored. What’s there to miss? Valerie and she came from the same orphanage, both adopted, but why is Valerie so much more accomplished, so perfect in every way?” Ryder’s friend lowered his voice. “Young Master Sterling, everyone in the circle knows Stella had your ‘tag’ on her for the past seven years. You even had someone smear Stella’s name, ensuring she wouldn’t have any other men around. Now you’re bored with her, how about… you let us have a taste? See how ‘open’ the Reed family’s adopted daughter really is? She’s only ever been with you, so she must be pure.” Ryder’s chuckling, cursing voice drifted over. “Fine, she’s been with me for so many years, I won’t let you guys lose out. I’ll find a chance to let you all taste what a ‘little firecracker’ is like…” The voices faded. It was then I realized that, at some point, tears were streaming down my face. I wiped away my tears expressionlessly, then wiped away the blood from my lip where I’d bitten myself. Looking at my pale reflection in the mirror, I cursed myself for being so weak. My heart was utterly cold. The question that had plagued me for seven years finally had an answer today. How did I, a woman always so proper, suddenly become entangled in countless salacious rumors seven years ago, all fabricated so convincingly, making me an object of scorn in Veridian City? Making my already precarious position in the Reed family even worse. It was Ryder, pulling the strings all along. At that moment, another invitation popped up on my phone. It was for an afternoon tea. The host was Valerie. The time was the following afternoon.

I never received invitations to these kinds of afternoon tea parties for socialites and rich wives in the circle. My reputation was terrible, I wasn’t favored by my family, and in our social circles, I was implicitly considered to have no social value. The next day, I went to Valerie’s afternoon tea party. By the time I arrived, quite a few people were already there. Valerie, surrounded by admiring glances, was clearly the center of attention. I found a corner and helped myself to food and drinks. The sound of Ryder’s voice made me crush the delicate mini-cake in my hand. A chorus of envious voices rose around us. “Valerie, Young Master Sterling is such a busy man. He often misses board meetings, but he’s actually spending an entire afternoon having tea with us, just for you?” “Valerie, when you first said you could get Young Master Sterling to come, we thought you were joking.” “Valerie, you and Young Master Sterling have already gotten your marriage certificate. When’s the wedding?” “Young Master Sterling, I hear you’ve been looking into wedding venues. Any chance of working together?” I sat outside the group, my gaze distant, meeting Ryder’s eyes. Ryder’s lips were still at Valerie’s ear, clearly whispering sweet nothings between husband and wife. Valerie followed Ryder’s gaze and noticed me too. A flicker of malicious triumph crossed her eyes. Valerie walked towards me, outside the crowd, and intimately linked her arm through mine. I dug my nails into my palm, repeating one phrase to myself— Just one more month. Just one more month of Ryder’s promise. Perhaps… this man who had never broken his word to me, my lover of seven years, would actually keep his promise. Perhaps he would marry me and take me home. Just as I was about to reach my limit, Valerie whispered in my ear. “Stella, do you know how Ryder described you to me?” “Ryder said you were just a slut. Someone he didn’t even have to spend money on, someone who’d spread her legs for just a few sweet words.” “Did he promise to marry you in a month?” “Our wedding is in a month, Stella. Ryder said he’s going to make you look absolutely pathetic that day, to let all of Veridian City see that Stella Reed, the adopted daughter of the Reed family, is a public plaything!” “Last night, Ryder told me to send you the marriage certificate.” “He said he was in bed with you at the time, and he just wanted to know if, after seeing him marry me, you’d still willingly let him…” Valerie didn’t finish the last word, ‘screwed.’ The crisp sound of a slap echoed through the room, and a deafening silence fell over the entire room! I had just slapped Valerie hard, knocking her to the ground, in front of everyone! For the first time, Ryder lost his composure publicly. He quickly rushed forward to help Valerie up. Then he turned, raising his hand high, ready to strike me. I stared him down, offering him half my face. Ryder clenched his fist, then let it drop. “What the hell is wrong with you?!” He grabbed my collar, lowering his voice. “This is not where you belong! Now, apologize to Valerie! Tell her you were jealous and lost control! Then go home!” I laughed. My smile was seductively charming. “Jealous of her? Of what?” I kept my voice low, only audible to the two of us. My words tumbled out at a breathtaking pace. “Jealous that you were dating me while secretly chasing her for seven years? Jealous that we both came from the orphanage, but you ruined my reputation until I was universally despised, while she was praised as a pristine, untouchable flower? Jealous that you promised to marry me in a month, yet got married to her on the very same day?” I couldn’t help but raise my voice on that last sentence! The slap Ryder had held back moments before now landed heavily in front of everyone. It utterly silenced my last words. The moment the slap landed, Ryder regretted it. He had only wanted me to shut up. But the blow made his palm tingle. He saw me standing rigidly, blood trickling from the corner of my mouth. Ryder’s voice held an almost imperceptible plea. “Stella, I’m begging you, don’t make a scene in public! I promised to marry you in a month, and I will! Please, believe me, okay?” I closed my eyes. Only twenty-nine days left. Believe him or not, the pain Ryder could inflict on me only had twenty-nine days left. “I believe you. Twenty-nine days from now, I’ll be waiting for you to propose at the Reed family home.” Uttering those words with every ounce of strength I had, I turned to leave. But Ryder gripped my arm tightly. “Stella, you haven’t apologized to Valerie. You can’t leave… Today is her day, you need to show her that respect.” My eyes were cold. “Apologize to Valerie? Never.” Ryder stared at my stubborn refusal, then suddenly raised his voice. “Guards!”

Ryder had his people tie me up. Right there, in front of all the guests. “She offended you, Valerie. You can do whatever you want to her,” Ryder told Valerie. “Do as you please, don’t hold back. I’ll handle the Reed family.” Valerie looked into Ryder’s eyes, which seemed to hold a smile, yet conveyed no emotion at all. She pressed him. “Any way I want?” Ryder nodded, agreeing. Valerie broke into a radiant smile, turning to me. “Stella, I’m entering an international photography competition soon, and I think you’d make a perfect model for me. How about you cooperate and let me take a set of photos of you today?” A bad feeling bloomed in my gut. Valerie continued, “But for this photo series… I need a boudoir model. Stella, if you change your mind, just apologize to me, say you shouldn’t have slapped me, and I’ll ask Ryder to let you go.” She sounded incredibly generous. I hated Valerie’s pretense most of all. She was like this even in the orphanage. Under five years old, Valerie with her sweet, innocent face would lie shamelessly to everyone, claiming she’d seen me steal cookies from the dining hall. Later, we were both adopted, she by the Valerie family and I by the Reed family. Valerie would smile innocently, telling everyone stories about me kissing boys for an egg in the orphanage. I couldn’t even count how many times Valerie had done things like that. At first, I tried to explain, but everyone seemed to believe Valerie, the girl with good grades and a sweet face. As if I, with my overly bright, aggressive looks, was born a villain. I lifted my chin, staring at everyone. “Apologize? Valerie, I only regret that slap didn’t kill you. You want to strip me naked? Why don’t you check your new husband’s phone gallery? There are plenty of my…” Before I could finish, Ryder kicked me! A searing pain stole my breath, and I choked back the rest of the sentence: “my boudoir photos.” Ryder didn’t wait for Valerie to speak. He just waved his hand. “Valerie needs a model, doesn’t she? Strip Stella and keep her that way until Valerie’s finished shooting!” His voice was cruel. “After all, Miss Stella Reed’s reputation… from eighteen to twenty-five, has never been good in Veridian City.” “Taking her clothes off in public today will just let everyone see how much ‘capital’ Miss Stella has for her wild ways!” My mouth filled with the taste of blood. I didn’t know if it was from Ryder’s slap or his kick. I swallowed the bloody saliva, my eyes colder and more hateful than Ryder’s. “Young Master Sterling, you go ahead and strip me! Let everyone see the woman you’ve slept with for seven years…” The words were cut short again by Ryder’s fierce palm, turning my head violently, the rest of the sentence trapped in my throat. My ears rang with the impact of the blow. I let out a bitter laugh. Just yesterday, I had still harbored fantasies. Fantasies that Ryder and Valerie were just a family arrangement, that I was Ryder’s true love, that Ryder would divorce Valerie and fulfill his promise to marry me in a month! But today’s events clearly showed me the truth: I was nothing but Ryder’s plaything! He had played me for seven whole years. And now that he was done, on the eve of discarding me, he wanted to deliver a final, fatal blow! A gasp rippled through the room as a massive shadow loomed over me. I looked up. A bookshelf against the wall had lost its balance and was toppling towards me. If it hit me full force, I’d either die or be crippled for life! Ryder instinctively reached out to me, lying helpless on the floor. If he just grabbed me, he could pull me out of the shadow of death. But the instant his fingers brushed my collar, he abruptly changed direction, decisively sweeping Valerie, who was still some distance from the bookshelf, into his arms! The last sliver of hope in my eyes completely vanished. I closed my eyes, waiting for death.

The expected pain never came. Someone blocked me. My trembling eyelashes fluttered open. The moment I saw that face, the tears I’d held back all afternoon finally streamed down. “Liam…” My voice was trembling. I wasn’t sure if it was from indignity or the terror of a near-death experience. My gaze drifted over Liam’s shoulder, towards the man and woman nearby. Valerie looked shaken, Ryder kneeling before her, gently stroking her abdomen, softly reassuring her. Liam asked nothing. He simply pulled out a handkerchief, wiped my face clean, and led me away. As we brushed past Ryder, he rose, gently gripping my wrist, attempting to pull me away from Liam. “Stella, I didn’t save you just now because Valerie is pregnant… You understand, don’t you?” I offered a numb smile. Ryder bent lower, his voice even more humble. “I just need one month, Stella. I know you might have heard rumors lately, but trust me, none of it’s true.” “I’m already arranging our wedding. Only twenty-nine days left. I’ll fulfill everything I promised you! Just be good during this time, don’t listen to or believe anything anyone says outside, okay?” I nodded, exhausted. No matter how much it hurt, how heartbroken I was, it would only last a few more days. I would wait and see how Ryder intended to wrap up their seven years of illicit affair. Liam took me home. Once my emotions had settled, Liam spoke. “Want to talk about anything, Stella? Like… you and Ryder?” I shook my head, silent. Liam stroked my hair. “If you don’t want to talk, don’t. I’ve already started arranging your study abroad, just like you said yesterday. But… when I send you off, do you want me to erase all your identity information? The Sterling family might control Veridian City, but hiding a person is a small task I can manage.” I nodded. “I’ll be gone for a week on a business trip,” Liam said, pulling his suitcase. “You need to be good this week, stay home, don’t go anywhere.” “The Sterling family isn’t something you can handle. Valerie’s cunning is beyond you, and the old folks in the Reed family have always despised you.” Liam warned, “Whatever injustice you face, hold it in until I get home.” I was obedient. Before, I’d been bold and reckless in Veridian City, knowing Ryder would back me up. Back then, Ryder was my secret lover. Not anymore. After Liam left, I stayed obediently indoors. Until Ryder’s call came. “Stella, you should be calm now. Can we meet? I want to explain everything that’s happened to you face-to-face.” Ryder’s voice on the phone was tender and loving. My hand pressed against my chest, feeling my heart pound uncontrollably for a moment. “Okay.” Ryder’s voice was delighted. “I’ll pick you up!” “Okay.” Ryder arrived quickly. As if nothing had happened, he took my hand and helped me into the car. He leaned over meticulously to fasten my seatbelt, then straightened up and dropped a kiss on my temple. I felt drowsy the moment I got into the car. After a few sips of the drink Ryder offered me, I quickly drifted into a hazy sleep. When I opened my eyes, I saw only darkness. Suffering from nyctophobia, I screamed hysterically! “Ryder, what are you doing?! Let me out! Turn on the lights!” I was tied up, thrown on the floor. Immobilized. I stared at the profound darkness around me, terrified to the point of nausea. “Ryder, turn on the lights! I’m begging you, turn on the lights!” Ryder’s voice came from nearby. Cold, inhuman. “Stella, I know you’re afraid of the dark. This is the ‘gentlest’ punishment I could think of for your disobedience.” “Why did you hide Valerie?” “Didn’t I say I would definitely marry you next month? Why can’t you just listen, why do you have to take matters into your own hands?” “Valerie is carrying our Sterling child. This isn’t a joke, don’t make trouble.” “Tell me where Valerie is, otherwise, Stella, you’ll regret it.” My face was streaked with tears. I looked into the boundless darkness. “Ryder, I already regret it.” “Please, just let me go, okay? I don’t want you to marry me anymore, I don’t want to wait. The past seven years, that’s on me. Just let me leave. From now on, we’ll be strangers!”

Hearing those three words, “we’ll be strangers,” Ryder’s heart suddenly lurched! For seven whole years, he hadn’t imagined I would ever suggest leaving him! He listened to my sobs in the darkness, and a montage of their years together flashed through his mind like a film. The image finally settled on the wedding dress he’d personally designed for me, set to be completed next month. Ryder clenched his fists tightly, the pain in his palms making him speak. “Stella Reed, I will marry you. But before that, I need to know where Valerie is! She’s carrying our Sterling family’s child!” I couldn’t hear a word Ryder was saying. I screamed, struggling and squirming on the floor, desperately curling myself into a tiny ball, my face drenched in tears. Over and over, I repeated the same garbled words. “Please, Ryder, let me go.” “I won’t marry you.” Ryder roared, unable to hold back. “Stella, I just need to know where Valerie is! I promised I’d marry you, and I will! I know there are misunderstandings between us now, but on our wedding day, I’ll explain everything to you, piece by piece!” Ryder’s voice ended in an uncontrolled sob, a desperate plea. “Stella, I’ve never begged anyone for anything in my life… This time, I’m begging you! I just need Valerie’s address!” I hit my forehead on the floor, crying out. “I don’t know where Valerie is… I didn’t… Ryder, turn on the lights, please…” Ryder stood just outside the door. His hand was on the switch. Just a light flick would end my torment. Ryder could feel his palm raw from clenching, warm, sticky blood spreading between his fingers. He knew why I was afraid of the dark. When we were kids in the orphanage, to compete for adoption spots, Valerie had locked me in the equipment room for three whole days. I was only four years old then. On the third day, I set a small fire in the equipment room to alert the adults, saving myself from dying of thirst and hunger. “The surveillance footage is clear, Valerie got into your Reed family car, then she disappeared,” Ryder said. “I know it was wrong of me to hide things about Valerie from you, but I had my reasons, Stella. For the past seven years, you’ve always been so understanding. Just hold on for one more month, please.” Through my choked sobs, Ryder forced himself to harden his heart. “I know Valerie has done a lot of things to hurt you in the past, and it’s understandable that you’d want to get revenge when you found an opportunity. But she’s pregnant with a Sterling child. Tell me Valerie’s whereabouts, and there’s still room for negotiation in this matter.” “Stella Reed, if this blows up to Mr. Sterling, your whole Reed family will be implicated.” “I know you don’t care about your parents, but what about Liam? Are you willing to see your brother’s future ruined because of your foolish act of jealousy?” My crying stopped for a moment. “Liam.” This seven-year-long, absurd love of mine had not only ruined me but would also drag down the only brother who ever treated me well. “I really don’t know where Valerie is!” I suddenly went wild, banging my head against the floor. “From childhood, hasn’t she framed me enough times? Why won’t any of you believe me, just this once?” “Ryder, if you don’t believe me, then fine. Getting involved with Young Master Sterling was my mistake, and I’ll pay for it with my life, alright?!” The impact of my head hitting the ground was truly forceful! A dull thud, like a shot fired straight into Ryder’s heart. Ryder flicked on the lights with a ‘snap’! It was too late. I lay silently on the ground. Blood slowly spread from my temple.

Ryder rushed into the hospital, cradling me. Half of him was covered in my blood. As he stepped through the hospital doors, I regained consciousness. My eyes immediately locked onto Ryder’s face. Before he could even utter a word of concern, my hand, weak but determined, slapped him across the face. “Hypocrite… Get lost!” I struggled to escape Ryder’s embrace. Ryder said nothing, only holding me tighter. His rush towards the emergency room suddenly halted. I heard Ryder’s already frantic heartbeat quicken even more, so fast I feared it would burst from his chest. Following Ryder’s gaze, I saw Valerie. She was standing there perfectly fine, surrounded not only by Sterling family maids and the butler but also by Mr. and Mrs. Reed, my adoptive parents. There was also an old man I recognized but couldn’t place for a moment. The old man was about sixty or seventy. Ryder’s grip suddenly loosened. In front of everyone, I, whom he had just moments ago held so desperately, was now carelessly dropped onto the ground like trash. He didn’t even spare me a glance. The bruises from Ryder’s kick to my back hadn’t faded, and now with this fall, I almost passed out from the pain. But Ryder merely bypassed me, as if I were a pile of rubbish. Mr. and Mrs. Reed didn’t even look at their adopted daughter. Their eyes were solely on their beloved god-daughter, Valerie. Valerie smiled sweetly, stepping forward to link her arm with Ryder’s. “Ryder, what’s this all about? Stella is my model for my photo shoot. You’ve gotten her into such a state, where am I going to find another Stella?” “I couldn’t reach you. Surveillance showed you got into the Reed family car, and I thought Stella had taken you,” Ryder said, wrapping his arm around Valerie’s waist, kissing her earlobe right in front of me. “So I was just forcing her to tell me your whereabouts?” Ryder looked at me with disgust. “She wasn’t being cooperative, so I was a bit rough. But it’s fine, it won’t affect your photo shoot.” Valerie gave me, struggling to pick myself up from the floor, a knowing, half-smile. “Ryder, the family cars were all sent for maintenance, so I called Mom and Dad to help drive me to the hospital,” Valerie said, her smile clean and gentle. “You worried yourself so much? Look at what you’ve put Stella through. It wasn’t necessary.” Valerie affectionately took my arm, as I was about to go to the treatment room alone, then turned to the others. “Grandfather, Mom and Dad, Ryder, I’ll go with Stella to get her wounds treated. Stella’s always been sensitive since she was little, she’ll cry and fuss over the smallest injury.” I forced a numb smile. Valerie was doing her usual thing, putting me down to highlight her own virtuous character. I was used to it. In the treatment room. A nurse was bandaging the cut on my forehead. Valerie tilted her head, admiring my pallid face. “Ryder put you through quite a lot just now, didn’t he? Actually, the family cars weren’t sent for maintenance at all. I deliberately called your parents to pick me up because I wanted you to see how cruel Ryder could be to a ‘used and discarded’ woman like you.” My brow furrowed. It hurt. The nurse’s touch hurt, and Valerie’s words, “used and discarded,” hurt even more. But I only furrowed my brow. “Be smart and leave on your own.” Valerie played with her beautiful, silky long curls, looking like a princess from a painting. ” If you don’t have money, I’ll buy you a plane ticket, wherever you want to go. Just don’t be so shameless as to stay by Ryder’s side, he’s a married man.”

After my wounds were dressed, I went to the restroom. I just wanted a place to cry silently for a while. From the next stall, I heard the sounds of a man and woman kissing. After the wet, sticky sounds subsided, Ryder’s voice, husky with passion, spoke. “How was the prenatal check-up? Is our baby doing okay?” Valerie’s voice was sweet and cloying. “The doctor said very healthy. Said it must be because Daddy’s sperm quality is excellent.” Ryder let out a muffled chuckle. “Baby, I’m not just excellent in sperm quality, am I? What about everywhere else?” “Since the baby came, how am I supposed to know if you’ve gotten worse in other places?” Valerie giggled. “Maybe little Ryder is all pent up?” A zipper sound. Followed by Ryder’s even deeper, hoarser voice. “Whether little Ryder is pent up or not, little Valerie, why don’t you try it out for yourself…” I clapped a hand over my mouth and gagged. It was sickening. I couldn’t stand another second in there. I bolted out of the restroom like my life depended on it, left the hospital, and took a taxi back to Liam’s private estate. I called Liam. I wouldn’t wait for Ryder’s promise anymore. Even if Ryder had lost his mind and actually kept his word, I wouldn’t let him marry me. He was too dirty. Liam’s phone rang three times before he picked up. “What is it, Stella?” Hearing Liam’s voice, my tears immediately started to fall. I opened my mouth, a sob catching in my throat. The moment the words escaped, I heard a hurried voice from Liam’s end. It was a cool, clear female voice. “Mr. Reed, the meeting was scheduled five minutes ago. Do you need to cancel?” Liam quickly pressed me. “Stella, what’s wrong? Speak to me.” I silently hung up the phone. I sent Liam a message. `[Nothing, accidentally pressed my phone while sleeping.]` Liam: `[Send me a selfie, let me see.]` I looked at my red, swollen eyes in the mirror, then found an old picture in my album and sent it. Liam didn’t reply again. He must have bought it. I quickly packed my bags, booked the fastest international flight, and called a private car to the airport. The driver arrived quickly. I was alone, dragging two suitcases, a travel bag, and a large backpack. The driver made no move to help me with my luggage. I huffed and puffed, loading my own bags into the car, then got in. The car door locked. Ryder’s voice came from the driver’s seat. Gentle, yet laced with bone-chilling coldness. “Stella, you were so obedient by my side for seven years. Why are you suddenly disobedient now?” “So much luggage, and heading to the international airport. Where exactly are you planning to escape to?” “You promised to wait for me for a month. Did you go back on your word?” “That vow of ‘forever and always’ seven years ago, did you feed it to the dogs?” Ryder locked me up. In the Sterling Deer Park Estate, just outside Veridian City. Before Ryder left, he placed a calendar in my bedroom. He said, “Start tearing off the pages from today. When twenty-four pages are gone, it’ll be our wedding day.”

Ryder took my phone and instructed the butler and maids that I couldn’t leave the Deer Park Estate or contact anyone. Other than that, I was free. I stood on the mountain top of Sterling Deer Park Estate, overlooking the entire manor. Ryder had built this especially for me. In my junior year of college, I’d suddenly become obsessed with deer. I loved their graceful legs, their clean eyes, the soft touch of their fur when they gently nudged their heads against me. I frequently dragged Ryder to the zoo to feed the fawns. Until one time, Ryder’s uncle caught us. Ryder shielded me the whole time, not letting his uncle see my face. He handled the situation flawlessly, seeing his uncle off. After that, Ryder didn’t come to school for about a week. I was understanding back then. If Ryder didn’t come, I remembered what he’d told me: never contact him first, especially when he was back at the Sterling family home. The next time I saw Ryder was during final exams week at Veridian City University. It snowed heavily that day. Ryder’s face was paler than the snow, but he embraced me and said he had a gift for me. That gift was Sterling Deer Park Estate. That day, Ryder said that whenever I wanted to see deer again, I could come to *their* Deer Park Estate, for peace and quiet. I quietly sat down on the hillside, instinctively wrapping my arms around a fawn named Little Sun, holding it affectionately in my lap. This fawn was only four months old. The night it was born, Ryder and I were staying at Sterling Deer Park Estate. That night, the estate manager said a doe was having a difficult birth. Worried, I rushed to see, and later, Ryder and I even helped the doe deliver. The fawn, Little Sun, had been tainted with human scent at birth, and its mother refused to nurse it. Ryder and I held it and bottle-fed it ourselves. That fawn was Little Sun. Afterward, this fawn always liked to follow me. Footsteps sounded behind me. I thought it was Ryder. Only when someone sat beside me did I realize it was Valerie. This was the first time I’d seen an outsider at Sterling Deer Park Estate. The thought surfaced, and I paused, then realized that *I* was now the outsider. I didn’t want to talk to Valerie, nor did I care why she was here. I simply stood up and walked towards a more distant spot. Little Sun, only a few months old, was very clingy and followed me. Valerie seemed somewhat jealous. She followed behind me, asking, “This fawn listens to you so well. How did you train it?” I ignored her, pulling carrot sticks from my pocket to feed Little Sun. Valerie mimicked me, pulling a handful of grass to feed it. The fawn only wanted the carrots in my hand and only allowed me to pet it. After I finished feeding it, Little Sun nudged my pocket, clearly wanting more. I smiled, gently pushing the fawn away. “None left for today.” Valerie impatiently shoved the wild grass in her hand towards the fawn’s mouth. I couldn’t be bothered to watch Valerie anymore and headed towards the small bamboo house behind the Deer Park Estate. I needed to rest. I hadn’t walked far when Valerie’s scream pierced the air! Followed by the mournful cry of the fawn! I spun around abruptly! I saw Little Sun nipping at Valerie’s sleeve, a familiar way it interacted with humans. But Valerie was clearly terrified. She kicked the fawn, again and again! Ryder had rushed back from out of town where he was handling matters. He gave me a cold glance, then went straight to Valerie’s room. The door wasn’t closed. Just a wall separating us, I heard everything from next door, clearly. After they had enough time together, Ryder returned to my bedroom, standing before me. “Valerie twisted her ankle, she needs to recuperate.” I looked up, pointing meaningfully at Ryder. “Didn’t you just help her ‘recuperate’?” Ryder let out an exasperated chuckle. “Stella, I’m not kidding. Which deer hurt Valerie this afternoon? Tell me. Valerie needs to recuperate.” I froze for a few seconds before grasping the full meaning of Ryder’s words! “Ryder, you’re inhuman! You said this was *my* Deer Park! Which one of these deer didn’t we watch grow up? How could you bring yourself to do it?” Something flickered in Ryder’s eyes. His throat worked, a hint of endurance and appeasement in his voice. “Stella, it’s just a fawn. Valerie wants to try something fresh.” “Try something fresh?” I was shaking with rage. “Ryder, are you even human?!” As the words burst out, I slapped Ryder across the face!

The sound of the slap faded, and Ryder stared deeply at me. I met his gaze, head held high, completely unafraid. “If you touch my fawn, you will regret it.” I ground out the words through clenched teeth. Ryder closed his eyes, said nothing more, and walked to the desk, tearing off a page from the calendar. “It’s already past midnight, Stella. Twenty-three days left until our wedding.” He walked out of the bedroom. I had a maid bring me a bottle of wine, drank most of it, and only managed to fall asleep as dawn was breaking. I woke up when the sun was high in the sky. A maid knocked on the door. “Miss Stella, the Master is asking you to join him for a meal.” I was indeed hungry. I washed up, changed clothes, and went to the dining room. Valerie was there too. I wanted to leave, but then decided it wasn’t worth starving myself. I sat down with a cold face and served myself a bowl of soup. Ryder, in front of Valerie, served me some rice. “You should eat some carbs, even if you’re watching your weight.” I didn’t take it, but Ryder didn’t seem awkward. He simply picked up a few mouthfuls of greens for me. “These are grown right here at the Deer Park Estate, better than what you get at the market,” Ryder said. “I know you’re picky, but you should try these.” Valerie ate slowly, delicately, as if she didn’t see her husband, married for less than a week, exchanging glances with his secret lover. Finally, Ryder picked up my soup bowl and put a few pieces of meat into it. He said softly, “Eating meat doesn’t make you fat, don’t be so picky.” It was as if Valerie wasn’t even there. As if Sterling Deer Park Estate was still *our* Sterling Deer Park Estate. He was a completely different person from the Ryder who had publicly slapped me just days ago. I glanced at Valerie, thinking she indeed had some nerve to marry into the Sterling family, at least she could tolerate this. As I thought this, my stomach rumbled a few more times. I picked up my forks, first ate some greens, then some rice. Finally, under Ryder’s gentle gaze and Valerie’s knowing half-smile, I ate a piece of meat. I was truly starving. The Deer Park chef’s cooking was excellent, perfectly suited to my taste. I didn’t eat gracefully; traces of my past, fighting for food in the orphanage, were visible in my eating habits, unlike Valerie, who was every inch the refined socialite. After finishing my meal, soup and meat all gone, I stood up to get a second helping. Ryder immediately rose to serve me soup. Valerie elegantly wiped her mouth, then slowly, deliberately, spoke. “I heard this fawn was delivered by you personally, Stella, and you raised it yourself, even bottle-feeding it,” Valerie’s voice was soft and gentle. “You were even feeding it carrots yesterday. No wonder the meat is so good, so tender.” My lips and teeth went numb with shock! I stared blankly at Valerie, as if I hadn’t understood what she was saying. Valerie continued, “It was called Little Sun, right? It was more delicious than any deer meat I’ve ever had before, without any of the usual gaminess. Thank you, Stella.” Valerie added, “Apparently, deer blood is nourishing, so you can’t kill a deer like a chicken by slitting its throat and letting it bleed out. So, they put Little Sun in a sack in middle school and drowned it alive.” Valerie said, “The chef wasn’t experienced, so it took him over ten minutes. He had to hold your fawn underwater in the stream multiple times before it finally died.” Realizing what I had just eaten, my stomach churned violently with disgust! I didn’t even have time to turn around. I doubled over in agony, vomiting everything I had just eaten, along with my stomach acid, in one go! I vomited so violently. Even after everything in my stomach was gone, the nauseating churning wouldn’t subside. What came up next was yellow-green bile.

Finally, in front of Ryder, I coughed up a mouthful of blood! I wiped the blood away with the back of my hand, my eyes as fierce and hateful as a ghost’s, my blood-stained fingertip pointing at Ryder’s face. “You knew, didn’t you? You deliberately encouraged me to eat the meat, didn’t you?” “Ryder, you’re not human! You knew I treated Little Sun like my child; it *was* my child!” My voice was raw with anguish. “If you ever have your own child, would you kill it and eat its flesh?!” The words were barely out when I vomited another mouthful of blood! Ryder clearly hadn’t expected me to be so traumatized that I’d vomit blood! The calm in his eyes finally shattered, giving way to a storm of horror! Valerie, from behind, added a chilling blow. “Ryder didn’t just know? If Ryder hadn’t helped, the chef wouldn’t have even caught that animal. It’s too smart. After I kicked it yesterday, it knew to avoid me today. It was Ryder who showed up and lured your Little Sun out…” I felt pain all over my body. It spread from my stomach. My hateful gaze fixed on Ryder. The next moment, I grabbed a plate and smashed it directly onto Valerie’s head! Ryder would have been my next target. But the Deer Park Estate maids reacted quickly. After I had smashed a plate on Valerie’s head, drawing blood, they immediately rushed forward, shouting to protect “Madam,” and a group of them pinned me down. I was dragged away. The last thing I saw was Ryder holding Valerie in his arms, his eyes filled with a lingering fear for Valerie, turned cold and complex as they landed on me. Ryder gritted his teeth, pointed at me, and ordered everyone. “Lock this madwoman in the basement! No one is to let her out without my permission!” As I was being thrown into the basement, I saw Ryder embracing Valerie, as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones. My lips were still stained with blood, and I let out a laugh, biting back my tears. The love and affection between Young Master Sterling and Valerie that I’d seen in photos and heard about from others paled in comparison to witnessing it firsthand. Through the crack in the door, I watched Ryder embrace Valerie and get into the car. He protected her so carefully. I thought I would truly be locked in the basement. But not long after Ryder left with Valerie, an ambulance from the Sterling family’s top private hospital arrived and took me away. Next came a full body check-up. I was certain Ryder had instructed these people beforehand; not a single person spoke in front of me during the examination. I asked a nurse to borrow her phone to contact Liam. But the nurse just shook her head frantically, clutching the phone in her pocket, saying, “Madam, please don’t make it hard for me,” as if I was asking for her life. Hearing the word “Madam,” I remembered how Ryder used to arrange two medical check-ups for me every year. And when filling out the registration forms, he always put “Ryder Sterling” in the spouse column. Thinking of this, my eyes ached so much they could barely stay open. What was once sweet, little tricks couples played to amuse each other, had all become knives flaying my heart. I never got the check-up results. After two full days of examinations, I was seamlessly transferred to a five-star hotel under the Sterling family. An executive suite. It was my favorite room, overlooking half of Veridian City’s magnificent cityscape. But what I loved most was the floor-to-ceiling window. Over the past seven years, Ryder and I had spent countless passionate nights there, night after night. I looked at the glass, imagining my palm prints still lingered there, along with the marks we’d left behind. Ryder’s butler, who had been with him since he was a toddler, was the one who personally brought me to the hotel. As expected, the phone line had been cut. But on the bedside table, I saw a calendar. The one from Sterling Deer Park Estate. Only twenty pages left.

The butler locked the door behind him and instructed, “Miss Stella, Young Master said he will personally come to pick you up… to take you home when this calendar is finished.” I numbly thanked him and lay on the bed. I was so tired, I quickly fell into a deep sleep. And had a long, drawn-out nightmare. In the dream, I was back in the orphanage. Back then, Valerie and I were the two prettiest girls in the orphanage. The only difference was, my beauty was too bright and bold, while Valerie’s was subtle and gentle. But even being pretty, girls still weren’t easily adopted, especially at our age, old enough to remember things. Adopting families were always afraid that we wouldn’t bond with them. I always thought Valerie was my good friend. One time, the director casually mentioned that a wealthy businessman would be coming in a few days, looking to adopt a girl. That night, Valerie tricked me into looking for something in the equipment room, and then locked me inside. For three whole days. If I hadn’t found a pair of old reading glasses in the equipment room and lit some old newspapers on fire, I would have died. My fear of the dark also started then. But Valerie cried and said she didn’t mean to. The wealthy businessman who was supposedly coming to adopt a girl never showed up. But after that, I gradually began to notice things. I realized Valerie often instigated other children to ostracize me, only for her to then step in as my savior. I realized Valerie loved making me look foolish, then adding fuel to the fire by spreading those embarrassing stories. I understood then. Valerie hated me. When I was eighteen, something happened overnight. I, Stella Reed, the adopted daughter of the Reed family, was branded a slut. The rumors didn’t even have specific photos, it was all “according to informed sources.” But it was enough to brand me “promiscuous.” The Reed family already barely tolerated their adopted daughter, who brought them no honor or benefit, only criticizing my looks. After that incident, my situation in the Reed family became even more precarious. At the end of the nightmare, on a New Year’s Eve, after a small argument with one of my cousins, I was kicked out of the house. And developed a high fever in the snow. I woke up with a start! My blank eyes stared ahead for a long, long time before I remembered where I was. A crisp, pleasant electronic doorbell chime rang. I looked at the executive suite’s door. It had just been silently unlocked from the outside. But no one entered.

I tiptoed out of the room. The hotel corridor was empty. But I faintly heard voices. I instinctively followed the sound. If I could just find someone, borrow a phone, and contact Liam, he would surely take me home. Outside one of the suites, through a crack in the door, I heard the commotion inside. “I hear tonight’s grand finale item is a room key card! How rare is that?” “A room key card? What’s so exciting about that? But if it’s the finale, does that mean… there’s something interesting in the room?” “You guessed it, supposedly there’s a beauty in there.” “A woman? Guys like us, we’re not short on women. Even if it’s an executive suite, what’s so rare about giving us a woman?” “Young Master Sterling just got married a few days ago, could it be Valerie—” “Shh! You want to die? You dare to mention the Valerie family heiress’s name? You don’t know how much Young Master Sterling dotes on Valerie!” “Since Valerie was eighteen, and Mr. Sterling arranged Ryder’s engagement to Valerie, Ryder’s annual birthday ritual has been cruises, parties, fireworks, sports cars. He sends her properties and estates without a second thought.” “Just spending money isn’t that exciting, but the key is Ryder is willing to put effort into Valerie. Several islands in Southeast Asia are for Valerie’s vacations; the French wine chateau is also Valerie’s favorite; the lavender estate only supplies Valerie; Valerie’s skincare products, perfumes, all custom-made by Young Master Sterling himself…” “Valerie wasn’t studying abroad? My niece was at the same school and said that during every exam week, Ryder would personally fly to Valerie’s school and tutor her hand-in-hand… Tsk tsk tsk, that’s how a man should love a woman: not just willing to spend money, but, more importantly, willing to spend his heart and time!” I bit my lip, listening. Before Valerie and Ryder got married, I had no idea they even knew each other! Now it seemed, I was just Ryder’s way of passing the time, relieving boredom. To put it bluntly, I was just a bed warmer! I was about to leave and look for someone else to borrow a phone from when I heard more chatter. “I found out what Young Master Sterling’s room key card means tonight!” “It’s a woman!” “But not just any woman!” “It’s Stella Reed, the Reed family’s notoriously wild adopted daughter, who supposedly has a very unique ‘flavor’!” “Apparently, Stella offended Valerie, and this is Young Master Sterling’s punishment for her!” “What’s even more exciting is, tonight this room key card isn’t just being sold to one person; the top ten bidders will each get a turn to ‘enjoy’ Stella!” “Young Master Sterling also said he just took Stella for a full body check-up yesterday, and the results are perfectly clean. If anyone’s worried, he can provide Stella’s health records for the past seven years.” “Young Master Sterling said Stella was his personal property, and he wouldn’t have ‘auctioned’ her off if she hadn’t offended Valerie so badly. This ‘little firecracker’ needed a lesson he was apparently reluctant to give her personally.” Boom! These words exploded in my mind! Ryder… how could he be so utterly heartless towards me?! He was utterly inhuman! My two-day check-up… no wonder I hadn’t received the report. It wasn’t for me at all! I had actually thought he was worried about me vomiting blood, that there was still some ridiculous spark of our old love! I couldn’t even imagine what I would face tonight. I bit my lip, running like a headless chicken down the hotel corridor. I had to escape! Someone grabbed my neck from behind. This person was tall, their arm powerful, and the scent… it was familiar. It was Ryder’s usual cologne. The man, choking my neck, roughly dragged me back towards the executive suite I had just fled. I screamed. “Ryder, you can’t do this to me! Let me go! I told you I can’t marry you, let me leave, let’s cut all ties, cleanly and completely!” However, the man holding me showed no emotion. He pushed me into the executive suite. Before closing the door, he left me with a muffled blessing. “Enjoy your night, Stella.”

That voice was Ryder’s. Though muffled, as if he’d been drinking, I was certain. The door clicked shut. At the same time, the large screen in the room lit up. I saw it was live-streaming tonight’s hotel auction. And currently on screen was the bidding for the very last item! I saw the room key card displayed on the auction block, and the men below were practically wild, raising their paddles one after another! “Ten thousand!” “I bid fifty thousand!” “One hundred thousand!” “One hundred fifty thousand! Can’t go any higher, right? I want to be the first to taste the Reed family’s adopted daughter!” “One hundred fifty thousand? I bid three hundred thousand! I want to be the first!” I bit my lip so hard it almost bled, watching those almost madmen, trembling uncontrollably! I rushed to the phone line, desperately trying to repair it, to call for help. But it was futile. The large screen flickered a few times, pausing the live stream of the auction. It was replaced by a security camera feed. I saw Ryder. He was enjoying a candlelit dinner with Valerie. Valerie clumsily cut her steak, and Ryder smiled indulgently. He reached out, holding Valerie’s hand, showing her how to apply pressure. But Valerie still seemed unable to learn, so Ryder simply swapped his plate with hers. Valerie clearly knew what was happening tonight, and even what I was going through. Because she suddenly looked up, straight into the camera’s lens. And gave me an undisguised, malicious smile. She mouthed—`Enjoy your wild night, Stella.` I frantically searched for something in the executive suite. This room, which I knew so intimately, where Ryder and I had spent countless wonderful nights. I remembered putting a hair removal razor in a certain drawer once, casually. Since it was a personal item, and this room was considered Ryder’s and my private space, not open to others, the cleaning staff had never touched my things. The live stream was off. I didn’t know how far the auction outside had progressed. The hotel clock ticked, a death knell. Finally, I found what I needed – the delicate hair removal razor. Tears began to fall, sobs catching in my throat, my hands trembling as I clumsily dismantled the blade. I was only twenty-five years old. I was still young. Even though my lover betrayed me and my family had always disapproved of me, I always felt my future was long, and I deserved a very good life. Now, it seemed my life would end tonight. I would rather die than be humiliated. The auction must have ended. Footsteps echoed in the corridor. Then a card swipe. The electronic doorbell chimed. I still couldn’t bring myself to end my life. Clutching the blade, I fled to the bathroom. My heart was pounding so hard that all I could hear was my own ragged breathing. I didn’t hear the man who entered call my name. Finally, I made up my mind. I slammed the bathroom door shut and locked it. Then, I grabbed the blade, aimed it at the faint blue vein on my wrist, and, without hesitation, sliced down hard!

Liam was going crazy. That day, when he received my cryptic phone call, he knew something was wrong. A vague unease churned in his gut. He asked for a selfie, which confirmed I was fine. But half-way through a meeting, he suddenly realized the background in that selfie was wrong. It was spring in the picture, but it was deep summer now. Liam arranged his remaining tasks at lightning speed and drove back to Veridian City like a madman, all through the night. He didn’t find me at his private villa. Calls to my phone went unanswered. But there was surveillance in front of the villa. Following the footage, he tracked the trail to the Sterling family, and then he remembered the humiliation I had suffered in front of Ryder that day. Liam spent a fortune to uncover every trace of Ryder and me across Veridian City. The answer he finally found made his blood run cold, making him wish he could kill Ryder on the spot. To get revenge for Valerie, Ryder had imprisoned his sister and was auctioning off that hotel room key at a high price. He threw in a staggering ten million dollars to win that room key. Becoming the first one to enter. But he was still too late. He saw bright red blood seeping from under the bathroom door. He slammed on the door, screaming his sister’s name, but received no answer. Liam called the hotel staff, only to be told that the room was Ryder’s private suite, and the hotel had no key. Liam called Ryder. Ryder, seeing the unfamiliar number, was discussing business with Valerie. The steak plates in front of them were empty. The tenderness in Ryder’s eyes had completely transformed into a businesslike coldness. He spoke. “Miss Valerie, I’ve fulfilled your desire for a romantic relationship experience. Shouldn’t you also fulfill your part of the agreement?” Ryder pulled out the divorce papers. “We agreed before that the marriage was just a formality to appease Old Man Sterling. Once we had the marriage certificate and announced it to all of Veridian City, giving your child a name, we would divorce.” Just then, Ryder’s phone rang. He glanced at the unfamiliar number and hung up immediately. He refocused on his negotiation with Valerie. “But Miss Valerie seems to keep breaking her promise.” “Valerie, my patience has run out. What you did at Sterling Deer Park Estate crossed my line.” “That day at the Deer Park, if Old Man Sterling’s bodyguards hadn’t been watching, I wouldn’t have let you walk out of there unharmed.” “Out of respect for Old Man Sterling, I won’t pursue this matter, but you need to be sensible.” “Sign the papers. It’s time for the divorce.” Valerie looked at the empty plate in front of her, then at the divorce papers. Her eyes slowly reddened, and she began to sob softly. She choked out, “Ryder, seven whole years, even a stone would have warmed up. How can you be so heartless?” It was a pitiful, heart-wrenching sight, enough to make any man hesitate. But Ryder’s eyes held only cold indifference. “From the age of eighteen, every ‘couple activity’ I did with you was under Old Man Sterling’s instruction,” Ryder said, taking a tasteless sip of water, his voice flat. “Every gift ostensibly from me was personally arranged by Old Man Sterling.” Ryder looked at Valerie with a hint of pity in his cold gaze. “Valerie, you were never truly marrying me from the start. I was just a tool, pushed out by Old Man Sterling to give your child a good name. We can play the part of a loving couple in public, but if you’ve genuinely fallen for me… Grandfather wouldn’t be pleased.” His voice was utterly calm, announcing the true nature of Valerie’s relationship with the Sterling family all these years! Valerie completely lost control! She grabbed a fork, pointing it at Ryder. “Ryder, if we divorce, you know what awaits me! Even if the past seven years were an act, do you really have no feelings for me at all?” Ryder’s phone rang a second time. It was still the same unfamiliar number. He hung up without a thought. “None.” His voice was decisive, then he threatened, “Valerie, I don’t have time for this. Sign the divorce papers quickly. Otherwise, I might overlook the rumors that reached Stella, but if you don’t sign… I will definitely make those who spoke carelessly in front of her pay the price!” That last sentence was laced with killing intent, making Valerie shiver uncontrollably. She grabbed the pen, about to sign the divorce papers. But moments earlier, Ryder’s protective tone towards me clearly echoed in her mind! Valerie’s suppressed emotions suddenly erupted! “Ryder, you pity Stella, why can’t you think about me?!” “We both came from the same orphanage, so why did Stella get to do whatever she wanted after being adopted by the Reed family? She didn’t want to get married, so she didn’t. Even with such a bad reputation, the Reed family just paid lip service, at most locking her out of the house for a few days to reflect!” “And me?” Valerie shrieked, all traces of a Valerie family heiress gone. “From childhood, no matter my grades, competitions, or manners, if I wasn’t the best, I was met with beatings and scoldings at home! Ryder, you’ve seen the scars on my body from the Valerie family’s whips!” “When I was sixteen, just because I won a silver medal in a dance competition, my father drove me back to the orphanage, ready to terminate my adoption! I begged him like a dog on the street, practically kowtowing, asking him not to abandon me!” “The moment I turned eighteen, your grandfather said my birth chart was good, and he wanted me to marry into the Sterling family to ‘brighten his luck’! Your grandfather was already sixty then! My parents knew exactly what ‘brighten his luck’ meant, but for the sake of their partnership with the Sterling family, they personally tied me up and sent me to your grandfather’s… bed!” “Ryder, no matter how bad Stella’s life was, no matter how much the Reed family disliked her, at least she had a cake and a birthday wish on her eighteenth birthday!” “And me? I spent my eighteenth birthday in a dirty old man’s bed! For three whole days! Your grandfather didn’t let me off that bed!” “Your grandfather was worried that if our affair got out, it would damage the Sterling family’s reputation, so he pushed you forward, saying you were my fiancé. Ryder, do you know how desperately I wished, these past seven years, that you truly were my fiancé?!”

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In a high-speed rear-end collision, my fiancée, whom I’d instinctively shielded, pushed open the car door. She stumbled out, running hysterically towards the other vehicle. “Liam! Why are you so foolish? Why did you have to chase after me? I won’t marry anyone else, okay? I’ll never leave you again!” Amidst the wail of sirens, she cradled a blood-soaked Liam onto the ambulance, sobbing uncontrollably. “There’s no one else in the car! Please, get Liam to the hospital! Really, no one else! I beg you, save Liam, I truly can’t live without him!” My heart completely died. Fortunately, in my dying moments, the police, who had stayed behind, found me. That’s how I miraculously clung to life. But I lost a leg in the process, condemned to rely on a prosthetic for the rest of my days. Later, she saw my prosthetic, collapsing in tears, begging for my forgiveness. But I had already given up on her long ago. “It’s been so long since the accident, why hasn’t his fiancée visited him yet?” “Unlike the couple next door, the woman hasn’t left his side, staying up all night.” “*That’s* a fairy-tale romance, next door! I heard the woman almost sacrificed herself for Liam!” Outside my hospital room, the nurses’ chatter was relentless. But my heart remained undisturbed, calm as a stagnant pool. Yes, a fairy-tale romance, indeed. Even I felt moved by it. If only the woman wasn’t *my* fiancée, if only she hadn’t abandoned me, knowing I was also dying. I probably would have been teary-eyed too. But now, it was fine. One car accident had shattered my illusions. Someone who doesn’t love you won’t even spare you a glance, no matter if you give your life. Chloe, I’m letting go. I painfully reached for my phone, finding a message from Chloe. 【Asher, where are you? I know you’re fine after the accident, stop pretending! You didn’t even have blood on your head then! Contact the hospital immediately and arrange the best doctors and a private room! This accident with Liam is all your fault!】 I didn’t reply. She grew impatient. 【Asher! Are you seriously playing games at a time like this? People’s lives are at stake! Are you trying to kill Liam?! If you don’t arrange everything for Liam right away, there’s no point in us getting married!】 I stared at the screen, lost in thought for a long moment. The day Chloe accepted my proposal, we also had a car accident. It wasn’t serious; no blood, but I had a minor fracture in my lower leg. She was heartbroken, insisting I stay in the hospital until I fully recovered, no matter how much I tried to persuade her otherwise. Every day, she’d rush around buying things for me, finding different ways to cook me nutritious meals. “So what if there’s no blood? You still fractured a bone! Broken bones take ages to heal! You need to recover completely before you’re allowed to leave!” Sometimes, I worried she was working too hard. I tried hiring nurses, arranging for a butler, but she refused them all. “I don’t trust anyone else. I’m only at peace if I do everything for you myself!” Back then, I believed love could conquer all obstacles. I gave her my whole heart, my entire love, without reservation. It wasn’t until the crash, when she instinctively rushed towards her ex, Liam, that I finally understood. Love truly can conquer all. But between Chloe and me? It wasn’t love at all. It was just my one-sided delusion. And that, to me, was just too cruel. Snapping back to reality, I wiped away the faint, dry tear tracks on my face. Pale-faced, suppressing the last sliver of reluctance and pain in my heart. I typed out a few blunt words. *Fine, the wedding is off.* 2. I didn’t check my phone again. Sitting on the hospital bed, I felt the emptiness where my left leg should be, and my heart felt just as hollow. As dusk approached, I was listlessly spooning tasteless plain porridge. The hospital room door burst open without warning. Before I could even react, Chloe rushed in and slapped me across the face. It stunned me completely. “Asher! How pathetic are you?! I couldn’t find you anywhere, turns out you’re here, faking illness next door to Liam’s room? You intentionally didn’t help Liam, didn’t you? Is this really amusing? Do you honestly think I’m stupid? You’re perfectly fine!” “Liam barely even hit you! You deliberately ‘protected’ me just to make me feel guilty, didn’t you? How can you be so manipulative? And now you’re talking about canceling the wedding? Ha, your schemes are truly pathetic!” I stared blankly as she raged. My heart plummeted to rock bottom. I once thought her yelling was cute, because she was doing it to defend me. But now, I was the one being screamed at. An indescribable bitterness swelled inside me. All that venom, it was finally aimed at *me*. Exhausted from her tirade, she picked up the still-warm porridge and splashed it directly onto me. “You, looking like this, truly disgust me!” I opened my mouth, about to explain. But Liam suddenly rolled into the doorway in a wheelchair. His face was ghostly white and slick with cold sweat from the effort. “I’m so sorry, Asher. I just love Chloe too much. I never meant to hurt you. I even braked hard during the crash. I’m so sorry, it’s all my fault.” “Asher, you called the police, didn’t you? Yes, I deserve to go to jail for what I did to you. But I beg you, please be good to Chloe, okay?” With that, he struggled to support himself and, with a thud, knelt before me. His unhealed wounds began to seep blood, making the sight even more gruesome. Chloe’s eyes instantly reddened. She rushed to embrace Liam. Then she spun around, practically screaming at me. “Asher! Are you only satisfied if Liam dies? How can you be so vicious? You have no heart! You weren’t even hurt, you didn’t lose anything! Why did you call the police?!” “If you’re going to call the police, then arrest me too! If anything happens to Liam, I will never forgive you! And I definitely won’t marry you!” I felt a sudden blur. The pain in my left leg seemed to spread to my chest, making my face deathly pale. The murmurs outside the door grew louder, most of them condemning me. But I heard none of it. Through Chloe’s stubborn face, I saw the past. Once, because of my family’s wealth, I was kidnapped. It was Chloe who, despite the danger, came looking for me. When the standoff reached an impasse, she bravely offered to take my place as a hostage. I refused, but she wept hysterically. “Asher! I can’t live without you! I have to save you! Listen to me, if anything happens to you, I won’t live either!” She ended up with a scar on her shoulder from that incident. Whenever she thought back to it, she’d sigh. “Asher, this is a testament and symbol of our love! I love you, so I’m willing to die with you.” So sincere, so genuine. But now, all that love was given to Liam. How utterly laughable. I hadn’t even called the police, hadn’t said a word, yet she immediately blamed me. That wasn’t fair to me… My consciousness returned. I trembled, speaking calmly. “I’m sorry, it’s my fault.” “I… won’t call the police.” “But between us, it’s completely over.” Chloe, I’m done with you. 3. Once my condition stabilized, I returned home, no longer paying attention to Chloe and Liam. I changed the lock on my front door, replaced everything she had arranged. Everything related to her, I packed up and had someone send to her place. For half a month, I didn’t contact her. Until our five-year anniversary, when Chloe called me. “It’s been so long, you should have realized your mistake by now. I’ll come back to you for our five-year anniversary, Asher. Don’t be too dramatic, men should be more magnanimous. I’ve been taking care of Liam these past few days to atone for *your* mistakes!” I found it amusing, but there wasn’t a ripple in my heart. I simply murmured, “Okay.” She didn’t get angry at my coldness; instead, her voice became even softer. “Asher, once Liam fully recovers, we’ll get married. I won’t lie to you, you can understand, right?” “After all, we have five years of history together. Otherwise, why would I still remember our anniversary today? I know my tone was a bit harsh before, please don’t be mad at me, okay?” Five years. So she still remembered we had five years. But why did our five years count for so little compared to Liam? But… What if? What if Chloe was telling the truth? What if she still loved me? Thinking this, a sudden glimmer of hope flickered in my heart. Yet, I waited in the restaurant until night fell, but there was no sound from outside. My phone kept ringing. I picked it up, dazed. No one spoke on the other end. Just as I was about to hang up, a string of intimate sounds drifted through. They were the same sounds I’d heard on Chloe’s birthday when she claimed she was bathing a stray dog. I had suspected, I had gotten angry. But Chloe couldn’t stand my suspicion and blew up at me. “Are you sick? I told you I was bathing a dog! Am I supposed to be bathing myself? Can you stop overthinking everything?!” Worried she’d really be angry, I stopped pressing the issue. But those familiar intimate sounds, today, clearly echoed through the phone. Chloe’s delicate moans also streamed through, entering my ears. “Liam, I love you so much, I really, truly love you. Marrying Asher was just out of pity for him, don’t be mad, okay? You’re the only one I truly love.” My heart completely shattered. The last shred of hope was crushed. It was almost laughable. Even at this point, I still thought she might change. So ridiculous. The person on the other end seemed to revel in it, the sounds growing louder and louder. Until, finally, it was almost as if they were pressed against the phone. “Chloe, I love you too…” I stumbled home in a daze, tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep. But one thing was clear. This was the last time I would ever go soft on her. Just as the clock was about to strike midnight, Chloe called me. Her breathing was a little unsteady; she tried to sound calm. “Asher, I didn’t mean to be late today, but where are you? Why wouldn’t you wait for me? Are you still sulking? You’re being really childish!” “Now, I want you here, immediately, within ten minutes. I’ll pretend nothing happened, and the wedding is back on.” “Liam wasn’t feeling well, so I had to take him to the hospital. Can’t you be less petty? He’s only like this because of you!” I said nothing, staring blankly at the ceiling. Only when she grew impatient did I speak, my voice hoarse. “Yeah, it’s my fault. I’m not coming.” 4. I followed the doctor’s advice and got a prosthetic leg. Every day, besides physical therapy, I focused on getting used to it. After that day, Chloe sent me many messages. I didn’t reply to any of them. When everything seemed to be going smoothly, I arrived home one day and saw Chloe squatting by the door again. Her eyes lit up when she saw me, and she instinctively reached to link her arm through mine. But I moved away. “Asher! What are you doing? First, you changed the lock code without a word, and now you’re deliberately avoiding me and not replying to my messages? Haven’t you played enough games? I’ve already decided not to be angry! Why are you still acting like this?” “Oh, I know. You’re still mad because I took care of Liam instead of you? But what’s the big deal? I was atoning for *your* mistake! How could one person take care of two people?” Yes. How could one person take care of two people? Then how could one person love two people at the same time? Even now. You still think I’m playing hard to get. My expression remained unchanged, my eyes devoid of emotion. I was as indifferent to her as a stranger. A flicker of panic crossed Chloe’s face, and her voice softened. “Asher, please stop this. We agreed to go wedding dress shopping today, didn’t we? And I came back to be with you today, didn’t I? What exactly do you want? Do you need me to kneel and apologize?” The more she spoke, the more self-righteous she became. By the end, she looked me up and down, a hint of impatience in her eyes. “Besides, nothing even happened to you! It was only right for me to take care of Liam, wasn’t it? His wounds still haven’t fully healed! Look at you, you’re perfectly fine…” “Why are you being so demanding? I didn’t even do anything wrong! And you’ve been blowing me off lately, not replying to messages, not calling! What do you want? If you don’t want to get married, just say so!” Before this incident, we had indeed set today for wedding dress shopping. I had arranged for stylists, makeup artists, and a photography team. Because I wanted the best for Chloe, every gown was custom-designed for her. She had been so touched when she found out. “One is enough, why so many? Asher, you’re so good to me, I don’t even know how to love you enough.” It wasn’t until yesterday, when they contacted me to ask what time the shoot was, that I remembered. I simply canceled it. After all, I couldn’t pretend everything was okay and go through with this wedding. My thoughts returned to the present. Seeing my silence, Chloe’s anger flared. “Asher! You’re just taking advantage of the fact that I love you! Do you think I can’t live without you?! I came to you myself, what more do you want?!” “Liam is waiting for me at home! He can’t manage without me! I only took time out for *your* sake! If his wounds worsen because of this, you’ll be the murderer!” I couldn’t help but laugh. The broken bone in my left leg throbbed slightly with the movement, a dull ache. But, I could bear it. I stared at her for two seconds, my heart strangely calm. “Chloe, didn’t we already cancel the wedding?” “I had someone send all your things back to your place. We’re over.” “I changed the lock code because I don’t want you anymore, and I don’t love you anymore.” 5. Panic flickered in Chloe’s eyes. Her lips moved, but no words came out. It wasn’t until I turned away with a cold expression, heading home, that she snapped back. She violently grabbed my arm. “Asher! How can that be?! How can you not love me? Stop joking! You’ve thrown enough tantrums, now calm down, this is really pathetic!” “Alright, stop playing this ‘make me feel bad’ trick. It was my fault for not getting there on time, okay? You didn’t lose anything, so let’s call it even. Stop fighting, I’m really tired.” Tired? Probably tired from being with Liam, right? Besides, I wasn’t joking. From the moment she abandoned me time and again, I stopped loving her. I ignored her, found security to escort her away, and went home alone. Behind me, Chloe’s disbelieving curses still echoed. But, none of it mattered. It was late evening, and I had just managed two hours of sleep after my physical therapy. Chloe called me again. Her tone was hostile. “Asher! You don’t want to be with me anymore, do you? Why did you dump all my things at my house?! You know they’ll get dirty! You can argue, but there’s a limit, okay?! Who has endless time to play these games with you?! You should learn to be as well-behaved as Liam right now!” I was too tired to keep my eyes open. Through the phone, not far from her, I heard a soft, gentle male voice. “Chloe, don’t be angry… Why don’t you move in with me so I can take care of you?” It was Liam. But my heart remained untouched, even annoyed. I spoke in a cold voice. “My house isn’t a storage unit! Of course your things were sent back to *your* place! It’s not my problem if you weren’t home to receive them immediately! Chloe, we broke up, this isn’t an argument! A good ex should act like they’re dead!” The other end fell silent for a long time. Just as I was impatiently about to hang up, Chloe’s weary voice finally came through. “Asher, I don’t want to argue, but don’t keep bringing up breaking up. We can argue, but don’t escalate it to breaking up, okay? You’re just jealous Liam can be by my side, aren’t you? Why don’t *you* stick to me every day? Don’t *you* have any issues?” I was almost laughing from pure exasperation. *I* was bringing up breaking up? After Liam appeared, wasn’t *she* the one constantly threatening to break up? I didn’t pick her up from work because I had a fever, and she threatened to break up. I cooked something that wasn’t to her taste, and she threatened to break up. Even when I wanted her to lessen her intimate contact with Liam, she would accuse me of not considering her feelings, of being selfish. “Is all of this *my* fault?” “Chloe!” “Why don’t you look at yourself?” “Aren’t *you* the one who’s been going too far?” “Asher, can you stop talking in that tone? Chloe’s crying because of you! Aren’t you two a couple? Why don’t you know how to cherish her at all? What kind of man are you?!” I scoffed. Listening to Liam’s wailing on the other end, I found it utterly ridiculous. A homewrecker, lecturing me on how to act? “Chloe, can you not understand plain English?” “What?” She sounded confused. “I’m telling you to get lost. And Liam, you get lost too! I hope you two scumbag and snake stay together forever!” With that, I hung up and blocked and deleted all contact information related to both of them.

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The king-sized bed in the hotel room. I was still basking in the afterglow of Ryder’s touch when his voice, husky with post-intimacy breathlessness, whispered a promise in my ear. “Stella, just give me one more month. Next month, I’ll propose.” “Stella, I, Ryder Sterling, swear I’ll give you the most magnificent wedding, make you the most envied bride in the world.” This was the seventh year of our secret relationship. No one in all of Veridian City would ever believe that the notoriously aloof heir of the Sterling family and the infamous adopted daughter of the Reed family had been secretly dating for seven years. I had waited for that promise from the age of eighteen until twenty-five. My heart suddenly hammered. Before I could answer, my phone chimed with a special notification. Ryder reached for my phone, his voice still thick with desire. “Which wild man is that? Baby, are you really keeping some D-list actor on the side, just like the tabloids say?” I chuckled, pushing his hand away. “Just my best friend.” I tapped on the SnapChat picture Valerie had sent. It was a marriage certificate. The marriage certificate was dated today. And the groom? None other than Ryder Sterling, the man I’d been secretly dating for seven years, the man who’d just spent our passionate thirteen rounds with me tonight, and who’d promised to marry me in a month. I replied “Congrats” to my best friend, Valerie, then turned back to kiss Ryder. Ryder was an incredible kisser. His soft, lingering kisses left me breathless, tears welling in my eyes from the pleasant suffocation. Ryder was still pressing, “Just one more month for me, the very last one, okay?” “Okay,” I said. “I’ll wait one more month for you.” I bit down on Ryder’s lip, hard, not releasing until I tasted blood. “Ryder, after seven years, this is the very last month I’ll wait for you.” I casually dodged the lurking paparazzi outside the hotel and slipped into the car sent by the Reed family to pick me up. My brother, Liam Reed, was driving. His eyes were shadowed, dark, as he watched me stumble out of the side entrance, barely able to walk straight. “Which struggling actor was it tonight? Stella, aren’t you satisfied with your already ruined reputation? Are you determined to drag the Reed family name through the mud completely?” “Look at Valerie! She’s brilliant, plays the piano beautifully, and has an impeccable reputation. When she was eighteen, Mr. Sterling himself had personally visited the Valerie family to arrange a marriage proposal for Valerie – to become the Sterling family’s daughter-in-law, to marry the Sterling heir!” “I heard the Sterling heir waited for Valerie for seven years, visiting her abroad every year. He kept it up until Valerie finally got her PhD overseas this year.” “The tabloids caught photos of Ryder proposing to Valerie today, and them leaving City Hall together. They must have gotten married.” “Ryder must have been impatient, couldn’t even wait for a wedding, just went straight to getting the marriage certificate to make their marriage official…” “Stella, you and Valerie came from the same orphanage, but look at her…” The words barely left his lips when Liam slammed on the brakes! The black Lincoln screeched to a halt. Liam slapped himself across the face. He didn’t dare look at his sister in the passenger seat, his voice low. “Stella, I said the wrong thing. I’m sorry.” I sat rigidly, my face pale, my eyes hollow. Liam reached for my hand. My fingertips were icy cold. “Hit me, Stella. I messed up… I shouldn’t have brought it up.” After a long moment, I finally whispered, “The photos.” Liam blinked. “What photos?” “The ones the tabloids took,” I said, my gaze blank, fixed on the darkness ahead. “She was, after all, my friend from the orphanage and my supposed best friend. I want to see if Valerie and that legendary Sterling heir really make a good match.” Liam tossed his phone onto my lap. “See for yourself.” I unlocked it with my fingerprint and scrolled through the pictures. Ryder on one knee in a lavender field, kissing Valerie’s finger, adorned with a wedding ring. Ryder, grinning widely, with his arm around Valerie’s shoulder, standing in front of a wedding dress shop window. Ryder sweeping Valerie into his arms, walking out of a castle… Every single picture was taken abroad. I remembered the past seven years of our secret relationship, every time Ryder mentioned “going abroad for business.” Twelve trips a year, half a month each time. Turns out, his “business trips” were all spent romancing Valerie! I lifted my hand, clutching my chest. An indescribable ache spread from my heart, agonizing through my entire body. The pain made me double over. Liam was startled by my reaction. He snatched the phone from my hand. “Stella, I’ll never mention Valerie’s name in front of you again! Don’t scare me!” He was one of the few people in the world who knew that Valerie, my so-called best friend, and I were deeply at odds. Liam didn’t know the details, but he knew how much his sister loathed Valerie’s name. I forced a smile. “Didn’t you tell me to learn from Valerie? I will. Help me arrange it, Liam. Send me abroad to study.” Liam looked at me, incredulous. “Are you serious?” He couldn’t believe his non-biological sister could be so clear-headed. I smiled. “If I’m not married off by next month, then yes, I’m serious.”

Liam took me back to his private estate. “Mom and Dad aren’t happy about the news of Valerie and Ryder getting married today,” Liam said, peeling me some fruit. “You should stay here for a while.” I looked at the sliced fruit platter, skewered with toothpicks, and let out a cold laugh. “Are they still regretting not picking Valerie when they had to choose between us for adoption? Didn’t they practically fall over themselves to be Valerie’s godparents years ago? They might as well change their last name from Reed to Valerie!” Liam, seeing me looking like I was about to lose it, said nothing and retreated to his study. He knew me well. Engaging with me now would just make him my personal punching bag. I checked the time. It was one in the morning. I called Ryder. It rang three times before someone finally picked up. Ryder’s voice was cold, a stark contrast to the intimacy we’d shared hours earlier in the hotel. “Didn’t I tell you not to call me when I’m home? My family… wouldn’t want to see me associated with a woman like you.” “A woman like me?” My voice rose sharply. “We’ve been secretly together for seven years, Ryder! Do you really believe those tabloid rumors? Believe I’m a promiscuous woman?” Ryder’s reply was icy. “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” Perhaps realizing he’d gone too far, he quickly added, “Don’t cause trouble, Stella. You’ve always been so understanding these past seven years.” I looked at my empty ring finger, picturing Valerie’s wedding ring. “Ryder,” I whispered. “Did you really mean it? That you’d marry me in a month?” His tone softened slightly. “Have I ever broken a promise to you?” “Okay.” I put down my phone, my gaze drawn to the calendar. Just thirty days to wait. Thirty days later, either Ryder would keep his promise, or I would vanish from his world forever. A moment later, rustling sounds came from the receiver. I realized I hadn’t hung up. Ryder must have forgotten too. I heard his voice, chatting with his best friend. “Ryder, you chased Valerie for seven years, and you finally made it official. Old Man Sterling must be thrilled to see your marriage certificate, right?” Ryder’s voice was reserved, yet tinged with a faint pride. “Grandfather has already signed over his shares to me; the paperwork is being processed. Oh, and Valerie’s pregnant. What do you think would be a good gift for her? Do you think she’d like the estate on the west side of town?” Ryder’s friend lowered his voice. “Ryder, that Stella girl you’ve been stringing along… when are you going to get rid of her for good?” Ryder was silent for a moment. Amidst my violently beating heart, I heard Ryder’s indifferent voice. “Stella? Oh, next month.” His friend pressed him. “You’ve been playing her for seven years straight? Young Master Sterling, can you really bear to let her go?” Ryder’s voice was tinged with annoyance. “She’s just an adopted daughter of the Reed family, not particularly favored. What’s there to miss? Valerie and she came from the same orphanage, both adopted, but why is Valerie so much more accomplished, so perfect in every way?” Ryder’s friend lowered his voice. “Young Master Sterling, everyone in the circle knows Stella had your ‘tag’ on her for the past seven years. You even had someone smear Stella’s name, ensuring she wouldn’t have any other men around. Now you’re bored with her, how about… you let us have a taste? See how ‘open’ the Reed family’s adopted daughter really is? She’s only ever been with you, so she must be pure.” Ryder’s chuckling, cursing voice drifted over. “Fine, she’s been with me for so many years, I won’t let you guys lose out. I’ll find a chance to let you all taste what a ‘little firecracker’ is like…” The voices faded. It was then I realized that, at some point, tears were streaming down my face. I wiped away my tears expressionlessly, then wiped away the blood from my lip where I’d bitten myself. Looking at my pale reflection in the mirror, I cursed myself for being so weak. My heart was utterly cold. The question that had plagued me for seven years finally had an answer today. How did I, a woman always so proper, suddenly become entangled in countless salacious rumors seven years ago, all fabricated so convincingly, making me an object of scorn in Veridian City? Making my already precarious position in the Reed family even worse. It was Ryder, pulling the strings all along. At that moment, another invitation popped up on my phone. It was for an afternoon tea. The host was Valerie. The time was the following afternoon.

I never received invitations to these kinds of afternoon tea parties for socialites and rich wives in the circle. My reputation was terrible, I wasn’t favored by my family, and in our social circles, I was implicitly considered to have no social value. The next day, I went to Valerie’s afternoon tea party. By the time I arrived, quite a few people were already there. Valerie, surrounded by admiring glances, was clearly the center of attention. I found a corner and helped myself to food and drinks. The sound of Ryder’s voice made me crush the delicate mini-cake in my hand. A chorus of envious voices rose around us. “Valerie, Young Master Sterling is such a busy man. He often misses board meetings, but he’s actually spending an entire afternoon having tea with us, just for you?” “Valerie, when you first said you could get Young Master Sterling to come, we thought you were joking.” “Valerie, you and Young Master Sterling have already gotten your marriage certificate. When’s the wedding?” “Young Master Sterling, I hear you’ve been looking into wedding venues. Any chance of working together?” I sat outside the group, my gaze distant, meeting Ryder’s eyes. Ryder’s lips were still at Valerie’s ear, clearly whispering sweet nothings between husband and wife. Valerie followed Ryder’s gaze and noticed me too. A flicker of malicious triumph crossed her eyes. Valerie walked towards me, outside the crowd, and intimately linked her arm through mine. I dug my nails into my palm, repeating one phrase to myself— Just one more month. Just one more month of Ryder’s promise. Perhaps… this man who had never broken his word to me, my lover of seven years, would actually keep his promise. Perhaps he would marry me and take me home. Just as I was about to reach my limit, Valerie whispered in my ear. “Stella, do you know how Ryder described you to me?” “Ryder said you were just a slut. Someone he didn’t even have to spend money on, someone who’d spread her legs for just a few sweet words.” “Did he promise to marry you in a month?” “Our wedding is in a month, Stella. Ryder said he’s going to make you look absolutely pathetic that day, to let all of Veridian City see that Stella Reed, the adopted daughter of the Reed family, is a public plaything!” “Last night, Ryder told me to send you the marriage certificate.” “He said he was in bed with you at the time, and he just wanted to know if, after seeing him marry me, you’d still willingly let him…” Valerie didn’t finish the last word, ‘screwed.’ The crisp sound of a slap echoed through the room, and a deafening silence fell over the entire room! I had just slapped Valerie hard, knocking her to the ground, in front of everyone! For the first time, Ryder lost his composure publicly. He quickly rushed forward to help Valerie up. Then he turned, raising his hand high, ready to strike me. I stared him down, offering him half my face. Ryder clenched his fist, then let it drop. “What the hell is wrong with you?!” He grabbed my collar, lowering his voice. “This is not where you belong! Now, apologize to Valerie! Tell her you were jealous and lost control! Then go home!” I laughed. My smile was seductively charming. “Jealous of her? Of what?” I kept my voice low, only audible to the two of us. My words tumbled out at a breathtaking pace. “Jealous that you were dating me while secretly chasing her for seven years? Jealous that we both came from the orphanage, but you ruined my reputation until I was universally despised, while she was praised as a pristine, untouchable flower? Jealous that you promised to marry me in a month, yet got married to her on the very same day?” I couldn’t help but raise my voice on that last sentence! The slap Ryder had held back moments before now landed heavily in front of everyone. It utterly silenced my last words. The moment the slap landed, Ryder regretted it. He had only wanted me to shut up. But the blow made his palm tingle. He saw me standing rigidly, blood trickling from the corner of my mouth. Ryder’s voice held an almost imperceptible plea. “Stella, I’m begging you, don’t make a scene in public! I promised to marry you in a month, and I will! Please, believe me, okay?” I closed my eyes. Only twenty-nine days left. Believe him or not, the pain Ryder could inflict on me only had twenty-nine days left. “I believe you. Twenty-nine days from now, I’ll be waiting for you to propose at the Reed family home.” Uttering those words with every ounce of strength I had, I turned to leave. But Ryder gripped my arm tightly. “Stella, you haven’t apologized to Valerie. You can’t leave… Today is her day, you need to show her that respect.” My eyes were cold. “Apologize to Valerie? Never.” Ryder stared at my stubborn refusal, then suddenly raised his voice. “Guards!”

Ryder had his people tie me up. Right there, in front of all the guests. “She offended you, Valerie. You can do whatever you want to her,” Ryder told Valerie. “Do as you please, don’t hold back. I’ll handle the Reed family.” Valerie looked into Ryder’s eyes, which seemed to hold a smile, yet conveyed no emotion at all. She pressed him. “Any way I want?” Ryder nodded, agreeing. Valerie broke into a radiant smile, turning to me. “Stella, I’m entering an international photography competition soon, and I think you’d make a perfect model for me. How about you cooperate and let me take a set of photos of you today?” A bad feeling bloomed in my gut. Valerie continued, “But for this photo series… I need a boudoir model. Stella, if you change your mind, just apologize to me, say you shouldn’t have slapped me, and I’ll ask Ryder to let you go.” She sounded incredibly generous. I hated Valerie’s pretense most of all. She was like this even in the orphanage. Under five years old, Valerie with her sweet, innocent face would lie shamelessly to everyone, claiming she’d seen me steal cookies from the dining hall. Later, we were both adopted, she by the Valerie family and I by the Reed family. Valerie would smile innocently, telling everyone stories about me kissing boys for an egg in the orphanage. I couldn’t even count how many times Valerie had done things like that. At first, I tried to explain, but everyone seemed to believe Valerie, the girl with good grades and a sweet face. As if I, with my overly bright, aggressive looks, was born a villain. I lifted my chin, staring at everyone. “Apologize? Valerie, I only regret that slap didn’t kill you. You want to strip me naked? Why don’t you check your new husband’s phone gallery? There are plenty of my…” Before I could finish, Ryder kicked me! A searing pain stole my breath, and I choked back the rest of the sentence: “my boudoir photos.” Ryder didn’t wait for Valerie to speak. He just waved his hand. “Valerie needs a model, doesn’t she? Strip Stella and keep her that way until Valerie’s finished shooting!” His voice was cruel. “After all, Miss Stella Reed’s reputation… from eighteen to twenty-five, has never been good in Veridian City.” “Taking her clothes off in public today will just let everyone see how much ‘capital’ Miss Stella has for her wild ways!” My mouth filled with the taste of blood. I didn’t know if it was from Ryder’s slap or his kick. I swallowed the bloody saliva, my eyes colder and more hateful than Ryder’s. “Young Master Sterling, you go ahead and strip me! Let everyone see the woman you’ve slept with for seven years…” The words were cut short again by Ryder’s fierce palm, turning my head violently, the rest of the sentence trapped in my throat. My ears rang with the impact of the blow. I let out a bitter laugh. Just yesterday, I had still harbored fantasies. Fantasies that Ryder and Valerie were just a family arrangement, that I was Ryder’s true love, that Ryder would divorce Valerie and fulfill his promise to marry me in a month! But today’s events clearly showed me the truth: I was nothing but Ryder’s plaything! He had played me for seven whole years. And now that he was done, on the eve of discarding me, he wanted to deliver a final, fatal blow! A gasp rippled through the room as a massive shadow loomed over me. I looked up. A bookshelf against the wall had lost its balance and was toppling towards me. If it hit me full force, I’d either die or be crippled for life! Ryder instinctively reached out to me, lying helpless on the floor. If he just grabbed me, he could pull me out of the shadow of death. But the instant his fingers brushed my collar, he abruptly changed direction, decisively sweeping Valerie, who was still some distance from the bookshelf, into his arms! The last sliver of hope in my eyes completely vanished. I closed my eyes, waiting for death.

The expected pain never came. Someone blocked me. My trembling eyelashes fluttered open. The moment I saw that face, the tears I’d held back all afternoon finally streamed down. “Liam…” My voice was trembling. I wasn’t sure if it was from indignity or the terror of a near-death experience. My gaze drifted over Liam’s shoulder, towards the man and woman nearby. Valerie looked shaken, Ryder kneeling before her, gently stroking her abdomen, softly reassuring her. Liam asked nothing. He simply pulled out a handkerchief, wiped my face clean, and led me away. As we brushed past Ryder, he rose, gently gripping my wrist, attempting to pull me away from Liam. “Stella, I didn’t save you just now because Valerie is pregnant… You understand, don’t you?” I offered a numb smile. Ryder bent lower, his voice even more humble. “I just need one month, Stella. I know you might have heard rumors lately, but trust me, none of it’s true.” “I’m already arranging our wedding. Only twenty-nine days left. I’ll fulfill everything I promised you! Just be good during this time, don’t listen to or believe anything anyone says outside, okay?” I nodded, exhausted. No matter how much it hurt, how heartbroken I was, it would only last a few more days. I would wait and see how Ryder intended to wrap up their seven years of illicit affair. Liam took me home. Once my emotions had settled, Liam spoke. “Want to talk about anything, Stella? Like… you and Ryder?” I shook my head, silent. Liam stroked my hair. “If you don’t want to talk, don’t. I’ve already started arranging your study abroad, just like you said yesterday. But… when I send you off, do you want me to erase all your identity information? The Sterling family might control Veridian City, but hiding a person is a small task I can manage.” I nodded. “I’ll be gone for a week on a business trip,” Liam said, pulling his suitcase. “You need to be good this week, stay home, don’t go anywhere.” “The Sterling family isn’t something you can handle. Valerie’s cunning is beyond you, and the old folks in the Reed family have always despised you.” Liam warned, “Whatever injustice you face, hold it in until I get home.” I was obedient. Before, I’d been bold and reckless in Veridian City, knowing Ryder would back me up. Back then, Ryder was my secret lover. Not anymore. After Liam left, I stayed obediently indoors. Until Ryder’s call came. “Stella, you should be calm now. Can we meet? I want to explain everything that’s happened to you face-to-face.” Ryder’s voice on the phone was tender and loving. My hand pressed against my chest, feeling my heart pound uncontrollably for a moment. “Okay.” Ryder’s voice was delighted. “I’ll pick you up!” “Okay.” Ryder arrived quickly. As if nothing had happened, he took my hand and helped me into the car. He leaned over meticulously to fasten my seatbelt, then straightened up and dropped a kiss on my temple. I felt drowsy the moment I got into the car. After a few sips of the drink Ryder offered me, I quickly drifted into a hazy sleep. When I opened my eyes, I saw only darkness. Suffering from nyctophobia, I screamed hysterically! “Ryder, what are you doing?! Let me out! Turn on the lights!” I was tied up, thrown on the floor. Immobilized. I stared at the profound darkness around me, terrified to the point of nausea. “Ryder, turn on the lights! I’m begging you, turn on the lights!” Ryder’s voice came from nearby. Cold, inhuman. “Stella, I know you’re afraid of the dark. This is the ‘gentlest’ punishment I could think of for your disobedience.” “Why did you hide Valerie?” “Didn’t I say I would definitely marry you next month? Why can’t you just listen, why do you have to take matters into your own hands?” “Valerie is carrying our Sterling child. This isn’t a joke, don’t make trouble.” “Tell me where Valerie is, otherwise, Stella, you’ll regret it.” My face was streaked with tears. I looked into the boundless darkness. “Ryder, I already regret it.” “Please, just let me go, okay? I don’t want you to marry me anymore, I don’t want to wait. The past seven years, that’s on me. Just let me leave. From now on, we’ll be strangers!”

Hearing those three words, “we’ll be strangers,” Ryder’s heart suddenly lurched! For seven whole years, he hadn’t imagined I would ever suggest leaving him! He listened to my sobs in the darkness, and a montage of their years together flashed through his mind like a film. The image finally settled on the wedding dress he’d personally designed for me, set to be completed next month. Ryder clenched his fists tightly, the pain in his palms making him speak. “Stella Reed, I will marry you. But before that, I need to know where Valerie is! She’s carrying our Sterling family’s child!” I couldn’t hear a word Ryder was saying. I screamed, struggling and squirming on the floor, desperately curling myself into a tiny ball, my face drenched in tears. Over and over, I repeated the same garbled words. “Please, Ryder, let me go.” “I won’t marry you.” Ryder roared, unable to hold back. “Stella, I just need to know where Valerie is! I promised I’d marry you, and I will! I know there are misunderstandings between us now, but on our wedding day, I’ll explain everything to you, piece by piece!” Ryder’s voice ended in an uncontrolled sob, a desperate plea. “Stella, I’ve never begged anyone for anything in my life… This time, I’m begging you! I just need Valerie’s address!” I hit my forehead on the floor, crying out. “I don’t know where Valerie is… I didn’t… Ryder, turn on the lights, please…” Ryder stood just outside the door. His hand was on the switch. Just a light flick would end my torment. Ryder could feel his palm raw from clenching, warm, sticky blood spreading between his fingers. He knew why I was afraid of the dark. When we were kids in the orphanage, to compete for adoption spots, Valerie had locked me in the equipment room for three whole days. I was only four years old then. On the third day, I set a small fire in the equipment room to alert the adults, saving myself from dying of thirst and hunger. “The surveillance footage is clear, Valerie got into your Reed family car, then she disappeared,” Ryder said. “I know it was wrong of me to hide things about Valerie from you, but I had my reasons, Stella. For the past seven years, you’ve always been so understanding. Just hold on for one more month, please.” Through my choked sobs, Ryder forced himself to harden his heart. “I know Valerie has done a lot of things to hurt you in the past, and it’s understandable that you’d want to get revenge when you found an opportunity. But she’s pregnant with a Sterling child. Tell me Valerie’s whereabouts, and there’s still room for negotiation in this matter.” “Stella Reed, if this blows up to Mr. Sterling, your whole Reed family will be implicated.” “I know you don’t care about your parents, but what about Liam? Are you willing to see your brother’s future ruined because of your foolish act of jealousy?” My crying stopped for a moment. “Liam.” This seven-year-long, absurd love of mine had not only ruined me but would also drag down the only brother who ever treated me well. “I really don’t know where Valerie is!” I suddenly went wild, banging my head against the floor. “From childhood, hasn’t she framed me enough times? Why won’t any of you believe me, just this once?” “Ryder, if you don’t believe me, then fine. Getting involved with Young Master Sterling was my mistake, and I’ll pay for it with my life, alright?!” The impact of my head hitting the ground was truly forceful! A dull thud, like a shot fired straight into Ryder’s heart. Ryder flicked on the lights with a ‘snap’! It was too late. I lay silently on the ground. Blood slowly spread from my temple.

Ryder rushed into the hospital, cradling me. Half of him was covered in my blood. As he stepped through the hospital doors, I regained consciousness. My eyes immediately locked onto Ryder’s face. Before he could even utter a word of concern, my hand, weak but determined, slapped him across the face. “Hypocrite… Get lost!” I struggled to escape Ryder’s embrace. Ryder said nothing, only holding me tighter. His rush towards the emergency room suddenly halted. I heard Ryder’s already frantic heartbeat quicken even more, so fast I feared it would burst from his chest. Following Ryder’s gaze, I saw Valerie. She was standing there perfectly fine, surrounded not only by Sterling family maids and the butler but also by Mr. and Mrs. Reed, my adoptive parents. There was also an old man I recognized but couldn’t place for a moment. The old man was about sixty or seventy. Ryder’s grip suddenly loosened. In front of everyone, I, whom he had just moments ago held so desperately, was now carelessly dropped onto the ground like trash. He didn’t even spare me a glance. The bruises from Ryder’s kick to my back hadn’t faded, and now with this fall, I almost passed out from the pain. But Ryder merely bypassed me, as if I were a pile of rubbish. Mr. and Mrs. Reed didn’t even look at their adopted daughter. Their eyes were solely on their beloved god-daughter, Valerie. Valerie smiled sweetly, stepping forward to link her arm with Ryder’s. “Ryder, what’s this all about? Stella is my model for my photo shoot. You’ve gotten her into such a state, where am I going to find another Stella?” “I couldn’t reach you. Surveillance showed you got into the Reed family car, and I thought Stella had taken you,” Ryder said, wrapping his arm around Valerie’s waist, kissing her earlobe right in front of me. “So I was just forcing her to tell me your whereabouts?” Ryder looked at me with disgust. “She wasn’t being cooperative, so I was a bit rough. But it’s fine, it won’t affect your photo shoot.” Valerie gave me, struggling to pick myself up from the floor, a knowing, half-smile. “Ryder, the family cars were all sent for maintenance, so I called Mom and Dad to help drive me to the hospital,” Valerie said, her smile clean and gentle. “You worried yourself so much? Look at what you’ve put Stella through. It wasn’t necessary.” Valerie affectionately took my arm, as I was about to go to the treatment room alone, then turned to the others. “Grandfather, Mom and Dad, Ryder, I’ll go with Stella to get her wounds treated. Stella’s always been sensitive since she was little, she’ll cry and fuss over the smallest injury.” I forced a numb smile. Valerie was doing her usual thing, putting me down to highlight her own virtuous character. I was used to it. In the treatment room. A nurse was bandaging the cut on my forehead. Valerie tilted her head, admiring my pallid face. “Ryder put you through quite a lot just now, didn’t he? Actually, the family cars weren’t sent for maintenance at all. I deliberately called your parents to pick me up because I wanted you to see how cruel Ryder could be to a ‘used and discarded’ woman like you.” My brow furrowed. It hurt. The nurse’s touch hurt, and Valerie’s words, “used and discarded,” hurt even more. But I only furrowed my brow. “Be smart and leave on your own.” Valerie played with her beautiful, silky long curls, looking like a princess from a painting. “If you don’t have money, I’ll buy you a plane ticket, wherever you want to go. Just don’t be so shameless as to stay by Ryder’s side, he’s a married man.”

After my wounds were dressed, I went to the restroom. I just wanted a place to cry silently for a while. From the next stall, I heard the sounds of a man and woman kissing. After the wet, sticky sounds subsided, Ryder’s voice, husky with passion, spoke. “How was the prenatal check-up? Is our baby doing okay?” Valerie’s voice was sweet and cloying. “The doctor said very healthy. Said it must be because Daddy’s sperm quality is excellent.” Ryder let out a muffled chuckle. “Baby, I’m not just excellent in sperm quality, am I? What about everywhere else?” “Since the baby came, how am I supposed to know if you’ve gotten worse in other places?” Valerie giggled. “Maybe little Ryder is all pent up?” A zipper sound. Followed by Ryder’s even deeper, hoarser voice. “Whether little Ryder is pent up or not, little Valerie, why don’t you try it out for yourself…” I clapped a hand over my mouth and gagged. It was sickening. I couldn’t stand another second in there. I bolted out of the restroom like my life depended on it, left the hospital, and took a taxi back to Liam’s private estate. I called Liam. I wouldn’t wait for Ryder’s promise anymore. Even if Ryder had lost his mind and actually kept his word, I wouldn’t let him marry me. He was too dirty. Liam’s phone rang three times before he picked up. “What is it, Stella?” Hearing Liam’s voice, my tears immediately started to fall. I opened my mouth, a sob catching in my throat. The moment the words escaped, I heard a hurried voice from Liam’s end. It was a cool, clear female voice. “Mr. Reed, the meeting was scheduled five minutes ago. Do you need to cancel?” Liam quickly pressed me. “Stella, what’s wrong? Speak to me.” I silently hung up the phone. I sent Liam a message. `[Nothing, accidentally pressed my phone while sleeping.]` Liam: `[Send me a selfie, let me see.]` I looked at my red, swollen eyes in the mirror, then found an old picture in my album and sent it. Liam didn’t reply again. He must have bought it. I quickly packed my bags, booked the fastest international flight, and called a private car to the airport. The driver arrived quickly. I was alone, dragging two suitcases, a travel bag, and a large backpack. The driver made no move to help me with my luggage. I huffed and puffed, loading my own bags into the car, then got in. The car door locked. Ryder’s voice came from the driver’s seat. Gentle, yet laced with bone-chilling coldness. “Stella, you were so obedient by my side for seven years. Why are you suddenly disobedient now?” “So much luggage, and heading to the international airport. Where exactly are you planning to escape to?” “You promised to wait for me for a month. Did you go back on your word?” “That vow of ‘forever and always’ seven years ago, did you feed it to the dogs?” Ryder locked me up. In the Sterling Deer Park Estate, just outside Veridian City. Before Ryder left, he placed a calendar in my bedroom. He said, “Start tearing off the pages from today. When twenty-four pages are gone, it’ll be our wedding day.”

Ryder took my phone and instructed the butler and maids that I couldn’t leave the Deer Park Estate or contact anyone. Other than that, I was free. I stood on the mountain top of Sterling Deer Park Estate, overlooking the entire manor. Ryder had built this especially for me. In my junior year of college, I’d suddenly become obsessed with deer. I loved their graceful legs, their clean eyes, the soft touch of their fur when they gently nudged their heads against me. I frequently dragged Ryder to the zoo to feed the fawns. Until one time, Ryder’s uncle caught us. Ryder shielded me the whole time, not letting his uncle see my face. He handled the situation flawlessly, seeing his uncle off. After that, Ryder didn’t come to school for about a week. I was understanding back then. If Ryder didn’t come, I remembered what he’d told me: never contact him first, especially when he was back at the Sterling family home. The next time I saw Ryder was during final exams week at Veridian City University. It snowed heavily that day. Ryder’s face was paler than the snow, but he embraced me and said he had a gift for me. That gift was Sterling Deer Park Estate. That day, Ryder said that whenever I wanted to see deer again, I could come to *their* Deer Park Estate, for peace and quiet. I quietly sat down on the hillside, instinctively wrapping my arms around a fawn named Little Sun, holding it affectionately in my lap. This fawn was only four months old. The night it was born, Ryder and I were staying at Sterling Deer Park Estate. That night, the estate manager said a doe was having a difficult birth. Worried, I rushed to see, and later, Ryder and I even helped the doe deliver. The fawn, Little Sun, had been tainted with human scent at birth, and its mother refused to nurse it. Ryder and I held it and bottle-fed it ourselves. That fawn was Little Sun. Afterward, this fawn always liked to follow me. Footsteps sounded behind me. I thought it was Ryder. Only when someone sat beside me did I realize it was Valerie. This was the first time I’d seen an outsider at Sterling Deer Park Estate. The thought surfaced, and I paused, then realized that *I* was now the outsider. I didn’t want to talk to Valerie, nor did I care why she was here. I simply stood up and walked towards a more distant spot. Little Sun, only a few months old, was very clingy and followed me. Valerie seemed somewhat jealous. She followed behind me, asking, “This fawn listens to you so well. How did you train it?” I ignored her, pulling carrot sticks from my pocket to feed Little Sun. Valerie mimicked me, pulling a handful of grass to feed it. The fawn only wanted the carrots in my hand and only allowed me to pet it. After I finished feeding it, Little Sun nudged my pocket, clearly wanting more. I smiled, gently pushing the fawn away. “None left for today.” Valerie impatiently shoved the wild grass in her hand towards the fawn’s mouth. I couldn’t be bothered to watch Valerie anymore and headed towards the small bamboo house behind the Deer Park Estate. I needed to rest. I hadn’t walked far when Valerie’s scream pierced the air! Followed by the mournful cry of the fawn! I spun around abruptly! I saw Little Sun nipping at Valerie’s sleeve, a familiar way it interacted with humans. But Valerie was clearly terrified. She kicked the fawn, again and again! Ryder had rushed back from out of town where he was handling matters. He gave me a cold glance, then went straight to Valerie’s room. The door wasn’t closed. Just a wall separating us, I heard everything from next door, clearly. After they had enough time together, Ryder returned to my bedroom, standing before me. “Valerie twisted her ankle, she needs to recuperate.” I looked up, pointing meaningfully at Ryder. “Didn’t you just help her ‘recuperate’?” Ryder let out an exasperated chuckle. “Stella, I’m not kidding. Which deer hurt Valerie this afternoon? Tell me. Valerie needs to recuperate.” I froze for a few seconds before grasping the full meaning of Ryder’s words! “Ryder, you’re inhuman! You said this was *my* Deer Park! Which one of these deer didn’t we watch grow up? How could you bring yourself to do it?” Something flickered in Ryder’s eyes. His throat worked, a hint of endurance and appeasement in his voice. “Stella, it’s just a fawn. Valerie wants to try something fresh.” “Try something fresh?” I was shaking with rage. “Ryder, are you even human?!” As the words burst out, I slapped Ryder across the face!

The sound of the slap faded, and Ryder stared deeply at me. I met his gaze, head held high, completely unafraid. “If you touch my fawn, you will regret it.” I ground out the words through clenched teeth. Ryder closed his eyes, said nothing more, and walked to the desk, tearing off a page from the calendar. “It’s already past midnight, Stella. Twenty-three days left until our wedding.” He walked out of the bedroom. I had a maid bring me a bottle of wine, drank most of it, and only managed to fall asleep as dawn was breaking. I woke up when the sun was high in the sky. A maid knocked on the door. “Miss Stella, the Master is asking you to join him for a meal.” I was indeed hungry. I washed up, changed clothes, and went to the dining room. Valerie was there too. I wanted to leave, but then decided it wasn’t worth starving myself. I sat down with a cold face and served myself a bowl of soup. Ryder, in front of Valerie, served me some rice. “You should eat some carbs, even if you’re watching your weight.” I didn’t take it, but Ryder didn’t seem awkward. He simply picked up a few mouthfuls of greens for me. “These are grown right here at the Deer Park Estate, better than what you get at the market,” Ryder said. “I know you’re picky, but you should try these.” Valerie ate slowly, delicately, as if she didn’t see her husband, married for less than a week, exchanging glances with his secret lover. Finally, Ryder picked up my soup bowl and put a few pieces of meat into it. He said softly, “Eating meat doesn’t make you fat, don’t be so picky.” It was as if Valerie wasn’t even there. As if Sterling Deer Park Estate was still *our* Sterling Deer Park Estate. He was a completely different person from the Ryder who had publicly slapped me just days ago. I glanced at Valerie, thinking she indeed had some nerve to marry into the Sterling family, at least she could tolerate this. As I thought this, my stomach rumbled a few more times. I picked up my forks, first ate some greens, then some rice. Finally, under Ryder’s gentle gaze and Valerie’s knowing half-smile, I ate a piece of meat. I was truly starving. The Deer Park chef’s cooking was excellent, perfectly suited to my taste. I didn’t eat gracefully; traces of my past, fighting for food in the orphanage, were visible in my eating habits, unlike Valerie, who was every inch the refined socialite. After finishing my meal, soup and meat all gone, I stood up to get a second helping. Ryder immediately rose to serve me soup. Valerie elegantly wiped her mouth, then slowly, deliberately, spoke. “I heard this fawn was delivered by you personally, Stella, and you raised it yourself, even bottle-feeding it,” Valerie’s voice was soft and gentle. “You were even feeding it carrots yesterday. No wonder the meat is so good, so tender.” My lips and teeth went numb with shock! I stared blankly at Valerie, as if I hadn’t understood what she was saying. Valerie continued, “It was called Little Sun, right? It was more delicious than any deer meat I’ve ever had before, without any of the usual gaminess. Thank you, Stella.” Valerie added, “Apparently, deer blood is nourishing, so you can’t kill a deer like a chicken by slitting its throat and letting it bleed out. So, they put Little Sun in a sack in middle school and drowned it alive.” Valerie said, “The chef wasn’t experienced, so it took him over ten minutes. He had to hold your fawn underwater in the stream multiple times before it finally died.” Realizing what I had just eaten, my stomach churned violently with disgust! I didn’t even have time to turn around. I doubled over in agony, vomiting everything I had just eaten, along with my stomach acid, in one go! I vomited so violently. Even after everything in my stomach was gone, the nauseating churning wouldn’t subside. What came up next was yellow-green bile.

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