Category: English

On the eve of my wedding, my fiancé died in a car crash. Everyone thought I couldn’t live without him, but I didn’t shed a single tear. Three years later, I ran into him again. “Without me, you’ve really hit rock bottom? Fine, for old times’ sake, I’ll give you one day a week to sleep with me.” I didn’t get angry. I just laughed. Had no one told him I was already married? And my husband is his father—the Mafia Don. **1** A guest complained about not having enough condoms in the room. Worried he’d hassle the housekeeper, I went to handle it myself. I pushed the slightly open door. Julian Shaw was sprawled on the sofa in a robe. Serena Rossi was snuggled against him in a silk nightgown. “Julian, you’ve been gone for three years. You really don’t need to check on Elena?” Julian sneered. “What’s the rush? After our engagement party, I’ll just throw some cash her way. With her stubborn personality, what else can she do?” “I’m just worried. Honestly, that woman Elena is so shameless. If she knew you were here, she’d probably be too shocked to speak, right?” She laughed softly, her voice dripping with mockery. “I heard she’s been living pretty rough these past three years, doing odd jobs everywhere. Just goes to show, without you, her life is completely ruined.” The room was thick with ridicule. No one bothered to hide their sarcasm. I was about to turn and leave when Serena looked up and spotted me standing in the doorway. She bolted upright, a flash of surprise crossing her face before turning into blatant mockery. “Oh, look who it is. Elena?!” Julian turned his head, too, looking me over with bleary eyes. I was wearing the hotel manager’s uniform, holding a work tablet. A sarcastic smirk twisted his lips. “What, working here? As a housekeeper?” He pushed Serena aside and walked closer. “Dressed like that… yeah, I guess it tracks. With where you’re at now, landing a job at this hotel is a real achievement. So, what, you found out Serena and I are staying here and came looking for me?” Serena came over, too. “Oh wow, she really is a hotel employee. Elena, it’s been three years. How did you end up… working in a place like this? No wonder Julian forgot about you. Looking like this now, who would even care?” I frowned, my hands clenching subconsciously. They were making me sick. But Julian mistook my reaction as me being stung by their romantic display. He looked smug. “Alright, don’t pull that face. If you still want to be with me, you’ll have to adapt to this new dynamic. Don’t worry, I’ll save one day a week just for you.” He paused, then added, “Since you work here, that makes it even more convenient.” Serena jumped in immediately, her voice dripping with schadenfreude. “Oh, Elena, look! Julian still has feelings for you. Even with his memory gone, he still holds a place for you in his heart, willing to give you one day a week! How much can you even make as a manager here? Why not just take care of Julian and me? Your life would be way better than before, right? Look at how pathetic you are. You’ve had enough of this miserable existence, haven’t you? You need to grab this chance!” Serena tsked a few times. “No helping it, Elena. We’ll just have to put you in a tough spot for now. After all, Julian loves me the most right now. But since you work here, we’ll visit often to ‘help’ your business.” Julian glanced at me dismissively. “What’s she got to be upset about? She was crazy in love with me before. She should be secretly grateful she even gets to see me now.” Hearing this, my heart twisted painfully. Julian was now so unrecognizable, he was a stranger to me. I remembered clearly how, years ago, he had loved me so deeply. Once, I was cornered in a secluded back alley. He dropped everything to come for me, taking a life-threatening knife wound meant for me. He almost didn’t make it. Back then, looking at his pale face and blood-soaked bandages in the hospital bed, my heart ached so much I couldn’t speak. I just called him an idiot. But he weakly grabbed my hand. “As long as you’re safe, my life is worth it.” The past was vivid in my mind, but reality was a different story. It turns out a person can change this much. I suppressed the churning emotions, and calmly revealed the wedding ring on my finger. “You’ve got the wrong person.” “And I’m already married.” **2** The room instantly went silent. Julian casually glanced at the wedding ring on my finger. “Married? To some guy doing odd jobs?” He scoffed. “Look at how pathetic you are. That ring’s probably from a flea market! What, you think this is enough to trigger my memory of you?” Without waiting, he shot up from the sofa and yanked the ring off my ring finger. Serena stepped closer, examining the wedding ring carefully. Suddenly, she burst out laughing. “Julian, why does this ring look so much like the ‘Eternal Hearts’ pair your father, Alexander, bid on at that French auction three years ago? Elena, don’t tell me the man you married is Mr. Shaw?” The idea was too absurd for them. After all, Alexander Shaw was the family’s true power, a man of cold, swift decisions, someone no one in the criminal world dared to offend. Yet, three years ago, this very man suddenly got married in a flash wedding to a mysterious woman, treasuring her to an extreme. For three years, no matter how the outside world dug, they couldn’t find a single trace of his wife or son. “Elena, you’re not going to say you’re that mysterious woman no one has been able to find for three years, are you?” Serena tossed the ring in the air and caught it, her voice still mocking. “This fake is a pretty good copy. Where’d you get it?” Her relentless mockery was grating on my nerves. “Don’t touch my ring. It’s real…” Before I could finish, Julian slapped me across the face, snapping my head to the side. A sharp, burning pain bloomed on my cheek. “Elena, have you lost your mind? You dare spread rumors about my father? Everyone knows how much he treasures his wife. Even I’ve never seen her face. You actually have the nerve to impersonate her? Who gave you the guts?!” I licked my dry lips and slowly turned my head, meeting Julian’s gaze. Maybe my stare was too intimidating, because Julian frowned. Serena wasn’t having it. She pointed a finger in my face and yelled, “Elena, how can you be so heartless? Julian already promised you one day a week. You don’t appreciate it, and now you dare to impersonate someone? Everyone in our circles knows Mr. Shaw’s biggest taboo is his mysterious wife. Are you trying to get him to turn on Julian? How can you be so malicious!” Hearing this, I felt dazed. Once, Serena had been my best friend. We went to school together, job-hunted together. Until I started dating Julian. She suddenly changed, constantly trying to smear my image and drive a wedge between Julian and me. But back then, Julian never believed her. He even severely punished her for her malicious slander. Now, the man who once defended me most fiercely was standing with Serena. He held Serena’s hand and threw a wad of cash hard in my face. “Enough, stop pretending. For old times’ sake, I won’t hold this against you. Look at your pathetic state. This money should last you a while.” The sharp edges of the bills cut my face, tiny beads of blood surfacing. I ignored them, just staring fixedly at Julian. An inexplicable flicker of guilt and panic crossed his face. Seeing this, I let out a scoff and bent down. The guilt and panic on Julian’s face faded, replaced by sarcasm again. “I thought you actually had some backbone…” His words stopped mid-sentence. Under Julian’s stunned gaze, I found the ring among the scattered cash. Julian froze, blocking my path before I could leave. “Why are you still pretending? Any single bill on the floor could buy dozens of your cheap rings!” His expression was complicated. Looking closely, I could even see a trace of anger. I ignored his emotional shift and slapped his hand away hard. Julian’s hand froze in mid-air, his teeth grinding audibly. “Fine, you’ve really grown some nerve. The poorer you get, the bigger your temper. Tomorrow night, there’s a private dinner on the hotel’s top floor. My father will attend with his wife. If you have the guts, come!” At the mention of the dinner, Serena’s eyes lit up. She quickly added, “Maybe she’s scared of being exposed and won’t dare to show up.” I didn’t want to engage with them anymore. I turned and strode away, leaving one last sentence behind. “I’ll be there tomorrow night. I hope you’ll still be this confident then.” **3** I rushed out of the hotel, and breathing in the fresh air, the nausea churning in my stomach finally subsided. I took out my phone and replayed the video I’d received three years ago. In the footage, the man intimately held Serena, laughing lazily and carelessly. “Elena is too boring. Though I love her, she can’t give me the thrill I want.” “This faked death… once I’ve had my fun, I’ll go back. She’s the type you settle down with. But with this stunt I’m pulling, knowing her personality, she might do something stupid like hurt herself. You guys have to keep an eye on her.” The day I got the death certificate, I did think about ending it all. It was his friends who kept stopping me, preventing me from doing anything drastic. Looking back now, their twisted sobs were clearly them struggling to hold back laughter. I put away my phone and looked out at the dim streetlights outside the hotel. Regardless of whether Julian was alive or dead, he had no place in my heart, not since three years ago. The next evening, I held my son Leo’s hand and arrived at the Shaw estate as promised. The moment Julian saw us, mother and son, enter the banquet hall, his tense expression instantly relaxed, replaced by undisguised mockery. I looked away, holding Leo’s hand steadily, planning to take our seats. But someone tripped me hard. Shielding Leo, I crashed into a server’s tray. The tray, carrying a bottle of vintage red wine and several crystal glasses, smashed to the floor. Scarlet wine and glass shards splattered all over me, ruining my designer dress instantly. A few pieces of broken glass cut Leo’s exposed calf, and he winced in pain. The shards cut my face and arms, blood trickling from my forehead. The hall erupted in chaos, all eyes on us. Wine blurred my vision. I struggled to get up, but before I could steady myself, someone shoved me hard again. Serena’s furious voice rang out from above. “Elena, what is your problem? We invited you to a family gathering, and not only do you have zero manners, you deliberately knock over such expensive wine, and you bring a fatherless, ill-mannered brat to cause trouble! Can’t you stand seeing us happy?!” Many people were at this dinner, most having heard that Alexander Shaw would appear with his mysterious wife. They were all eager to curry favor with Julian. “Some people really have no shame, daring to bully the Shaws. Making a scene at Mr. Shaw’s family dinner and bringing a child of unknown origin. Let’s see how she gets out of this!” “Hey, look at that ring on her finger. Doesn’t it look just like the ‘Eternal Hearts’ ring Mr. Shaw paid a fortune for three years ago? How dare this woman!” “Everyone knows Mr. Shaw loves his wife deeply. Daring to blatantly pose as an imposter at an event like this, and with a burden whose father is a mystery, she’s really asking for death!” Julian heard these comments, too. His chest heaved with rage, his eyes looking ready to spit fire. He glared viciously at Leo, who was clinging tightly to my clothes, scared pale. “Elena, you’re just a walking disaster! I was blind to have ever liked you. Still wearing that fake, shabby ring, and you had a bastard with some random man. Are you waiting for my father to get here and deal with you personally?!” Without another word, he walked straight towards me and stomped down on my left ring finger, grinding it hard. A piercing pain shot from my finger, straight to my heart. It felt like thousands of blades stabbing my heart. Seeing me struggle, Serena immediately called for people to hold me down. In an instant, I couldn’t move. Crying, Leo tried to come to me but was shoved aside impatiently by a man. Wine blurred my vision. I wanted to fight back but couldn’t. Finally, I could only shout in fury: “Alexander Shaw is my husband! Let go of my son!” Julian burst out laughing at this, as if hearing the most ridiculous joke. His foot twisted cruelly, the tip of his shoe nearly snapping my ring finger off. “Your son? Just an unwanted bastard! Now you’re still trying to play the imposter? When my father gets here, how will you explain yourself? He loves his wife so much, just wait for your death!” Seeing Julian was beyond reason, I felt despair. I used all my strength to break free, but I was pinned down. Leo’s cries and the crowd’s mockery of “bastard” constantly pierced my eardrums. I gritted my teeth in my heart. When the time comes, I won’t let a single one of these people off the hook! Julian pressed down again with his foot. The distinct sound of bone snapping was heard. I grunted in pain, but suddenly, my whole body felt light. The people holding me down had let go. Everyone ignored me, quickly getting up to fix their appearance, their gazes eagerly fixed ahead. The butler opened the banquet hall doors. Alexander Shaw, alone, walked in with a calm expression. **4** Alexander strode forward alone. Serena immediately approached him, holding a plate of pastries. “Mr. Shaw, are you looking for your wife and son?” She wore an eager, attentive smile. Alexander glanced at her distantly, not answering directly. His gaze swept the room, as if searching for something. Seeing Alexander, Julian enthusiastically went to greet him. “You’re finally here. I’ve missed you so much all these years! Oh, right, why didn’t your wife and son come with you?” Alexander looked at Julian with detached coolness, his voice flat. “I had unfinished business abroad and came back a bit later. She returned to the country three days ago. You should have met her. She said she’d come find you beforehand. Did you not meet?” Julian was stunned, a look of surprise flashing across his face. “No, no one has come to see me in the past three days. I haven’t met your wife… or son.” Getting no response, Alexander’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. Serena stepped forward at this moment, smiling gently. “Mr. Shaw, don’t worry. Your wife and son might just be delayed by something on the way. But… we have a bad woman here impersonating your wife, and she even brought a child pretending to be your son. Would you like to take a look?” Some guests eager to flatter Alexander chimed in, “Yes, Mr. Shaw, you have no idea how arrogant this woman is. Even knowing you were about to arrive, she still claimed to be your wife, and said that child was your son. Holding a shabby ring, did she think we couldn’t tell the difference?” Julian also stepped forward at this moment. “Rest assured, I’ve already severely punished this person. I broke her finger and threw away the ring. No one can impersonate your wife. You can be at ease!” “Embarrassingly, I actually know this person. I even had a past with her. I don’t know why I was so blind back then to choose someone so despicable, so vain, trying to put on a show as Mrs. Shaw.” “She probably wanted to use me to get close to you and rise to riches. But of course, I couldn’t give her that chance. Everyone knows how deeply you love your wife. Once, someone simply said a bad word about her, and you put that person in an oil drum filled with cement and sank him into the sea. We all see your love for your wife. I absolutely won’t allow anyone to damage her image!” Alexander’s expression changed the moment Julian mentioned having a past relationship with me. The more he listened, the darker his face became, until finally, he let out a cold laugh. “What’s the name of this person you’re talking about?” Julian thought Alexander was angry at me and ready to settle the score. He glanced at me, huddled in a corner, barely alive. My dress was still stained with wine, looking utterly disheveled. Leo was curled up beside me, his little face covered in tear tracks, a bloody scratch on his leg. Julian loudly announced: “This person is my ex-girlfriend, Elena.”

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After being reborn, I chugged ten bottles of poison straight away and jumped into a shark tank. It was all because, in my previous life, my husband’s sister, Finley, was diagnosed with a “terminal illness.” She ate and drank lavishly in front of the camera every day, while I was rushed to the hospital for gut-wrenching cramps. She dressed to the nines, while my body was covered in unexplained, festering sores. I went to my husband to explain the situation, but he pushed me away impatiently. “There’s a limit to being jealous! Finley is so sick, it’s only natural I take extra care of her. Do you really have to put on this act?” After that, my sister-in-law got even worse, going on a crazy suicide run with her illness, even eating a mango cake she was allergic to. And I ended up in the hospital from a severe allergic reaction, my life hanging by a thread. I went for check-ups, but the doctors couldn’t find a cause. They concluded it was psychological, driven by my jealousy. Later, to build an image as an “inspirational cancer-fighting beauty,” my sister-in-law started a high-intensity workout livestream. After she jumped around for three hours straight, my internal organs ruptured and I died. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day my sister-in-law announced she was seriously ill.

After my sister-in-law Finley was diagnosed with “leukemia,” she used it as an excuse to throw a tantrum about moving in with us, so my husband could take care of her every second. My mother-in-law, Sophia, was naturally overjoyed and immediately agreed, even bringing her chicken soup that had been simmering for hours. But the moment Finley took a small sip, my stomach seized up in a violent, twisting cramp, and I couldn’t help but dry heave. As expected, being reborn didn’t change the situation. I wasn’t sick, but the intense, chemo-like reactions that should have been Finley’s were happening to me. As I stood there in shock, Finley pushed the soup away in disgust, demanding to eat super-spicy fire noodles. “Ethan, this soup is way too bland. A sick person’s mouth tastes bitter, I just want something with a kick! Please~” My husband looked at her whining with a doting gaze and sighed helplessly. “Fine, fine, my little princess. What else do you want besides the fire noodles?” “Yay! I also want mango cake, blue cheese…” Listening to Finley rattle off a list of junk food, I immediately stepped in front of her. If I let her wreck her body like this, a single violent vomiting spell would be enough to torture me half to death. I spoke up quickly, “Honey, Finley is still in treatment. How can you let her eat these irritating things?” Sophia, standing nearby, had initially thought I’d make a scene about her letting Ethan bring his sister to live with us. But when she heard me showing so much concern for Finley’s health, she paused, stunned, and then immediately chimed in with me. “Absolutely right! When you’re sick, you need to eat light, nourishing food. How can you eat that junk?” “Ethan, don’t spoil Finley rotten!” But Finley’s eyes immediately reddened, and she burst into loud sobs after hearing this. “Sister-in-law, why are you making things hard for me? I’m just sick and have no appetite, I just want to eat something I’m craving!” “Are you blaming me for taking Ethan’s attention away, which is why you’re acting like this? Fine! I’ll pull out my IV and stop treatment! Just let me die!” This was exactly how it had been in my last life. Ever since Finley got “sick,” I started having a series of strange, painful symptoms, so I suspected her immediately. But because she was a “seriously ill patient” who could put on a pitiful act, my husband didn’t believe a word I said. “Are you jealous that I’m paying a little more attention to Finley, so you’re deliberately making up these lies to fool me?” “There’s a limit to being jealous! Finley is so sick, it’s perfectly normal for me to be good to her! Do you have to deliberately put on this act?” From then on, my husband Ethan directly took Finley and moved out, staying by her side to care for her 24/7. Whenever he found me coming over, he’d chase me away without any mercy. Several times, when I fainted from violent vomiting outside their door, Ethan would be carefully holding Finley, laughing at my misery. “Tch, if you’re done acting, get lost! Finley is in poor health now, she can’t stand seeing an unlucky jinx like you!” Ethan and Finley lived outside for three months. During that time, I was hospitalized fifty times for bizarre reasons – vomiting, allergies, unexplained bleeding. Until later, Finley started a crazy fitness livestream to build her image as an inspirational sick beauty. After she jumped for three hours, my internal organs ruptured, and I died from massive blood loss. When I opened my eyes again, I had actually been reborn. This time, I had to find the key to breaking this situation! Saying this, I met Finley’s now venomous gaze and took the initiative to lower my head and apologize to her. “Finley, I didn’t mean to upset you. How about this, since you want to eat those things, I’ll go buy them for you myself.” I said this with my mouth, but my eyes were firmly fixed on that bowl of scalding chicken soup. Since Finley could transfer her pain to me, I was determined to test today if this suffering was only directed at me!

Ethan hadn’t expected me to be this reasonable, and the scolding words he was about to say died in his throat. Even Sophia and Finley nearby were frozen in place. Before anyone could react, I turned and ran out of the house, heading to a supermarket a few miles away. When I returned with my arms full of bags, Finley’s face was tightly scrunched up. She checked the snacks in the plastic bags one by one, and spoke with a hint of disgust. “Sister-in-law, I wanted super-spicy fire noodles. Why did you just buy the mildly spicy ones?” “And this, I wanted mango cake, but you bought strawberry? Are you deliberately trying to annoy me?” I completely ignored her complaints. When she was done whining, I pretended to slip and knocked over the bowl of scalding chicken soup beside my hand. Most of the boiling soup splashed onto my hand, which instantly swelled with red, blistering burns. I gritted my teeth against the intense pain, glaring at Finley. But she was just startled. After dodging away, her face showed no sign of pain. The searing pain in my hand hadn’t transferred to her at all. Just as I was feeling disappointed, a wicked smile played on Finley’s lips. “Sister-in-law, it seems you didn’t take my words to heart at all, did you?” She started complaining with feigned grievance. “Oh, it’s all my fault. I only think about what I want to eat after getting this sick. I knew you disliked me so much, I shouldn’t have bothered with treatment!” As she said this, Finley began pounding her own chest frantically. And a sharp, piercing pain immediately shot through my own chest. She was doing this on purpose! I suppressed the pain and could only put on a sincere, apologetic expression. “Finley, I was just thinking of your health. I remember you became allergic to mangoes after falling ill, so I changed the flavor.” “Your health is the most important thing right now. If an allergy caused other complications, that would be terrible. Please, don’t be reckless!” Hearing me say this, Sophia also quickly urged her to stop before going too far. She even complimented me on the side for being so thoughtful and considerate. Finley wanted to whine to Ethan for help, but he was also afraid of her health taking a turn for the worse. So he went along with it and persuaded Finley to stop pushing it. “Riley is just looking out for you. Be good, when you’re feeling a bit better, I’ll take you to eat whatever you want.” Seeing them being all lovey-dovey right in front of me, I endured the burning pain in my hand and ran to the bathroom to rinse it under cold water. A chill ran through my heart. As expected, this damn transfer was one-way! And at this moment, my husband Ethan had already cooked the pack of fire noodles for Finley and was spoon-feeding her the strawberry cake, bite by bite. Luckily, this time I had swapped everything out, and the vomiting reaction wasn’t as severe as in my last life. I also didn’t go into anaphylactic shock from the mango cake. This put my mind at ease, and I shed my exhaustion, returning to the bedroom to rest. But lying in bed, I couldn’t sleep at all. As long as I didn’t figure out what was going on, Finley could control me at any moment. Just as I was thinking about how to break this deadlock, a violent, churning cramp in my stomach made me vomit violently. There were even traces of blood and bile in the vomit. I was hugging the toilet, throwing up until the world spun, carefully trying to recall if I had eaten anything I shouldn’t have. Right then, it hit me. I grabbed my phone and checked Finley’s SnapChat story. I found she’d dared to go out alone to a barbecue stall. She even posted a video showing off. “A sick girl’s got cravings, so I had to sneak out for some good food by myself~”

In the video, Finley was happily eating with an extra-spicy kebab in one hand and an iced cola in the other. I’ve always preferred light flavors, and combined with the violent vomiting, I was already tortured and drenched in cold sweat. Seeing this, I was so angry I called Finley directly. As soon as the call connected, Finley pretended she knew nothing, speaking in that fake, sickeningly sweet tone. “Oh, sister-in-law, why aren’t you asleep this late? I’m still out having barbecue. If there’s nothing important, don’t bother me.” “Also, please keep it a secret from your mother-in-law~ You know how she is, she’s just so overbearing.” Before she could finish, I growled in a low voice, “Finley, what on earth have you done to me? Why, after you got sick, has all the pain been transferred to me?!” But Finley on the other end deliberately ignored me, even ordering a few more skewers of insanely spicy beef kidneys from the owner. I gagged and vomited uncontrollably, my whole body so weak I was trembling. Finley acted like she didn’t understand a thing. “Sister-in-law, do you have a persecution complex or something? What could a sick person like me do to you?” “Could it be that you saw me getting sick and want to fight for Ethan’s attention, so you’re deliberately putting on a pity act?” “In that case, as long as you admit you’re just acting, I’ll stop eating.” Hearing her deliberately order more greasy, spicy junk food, my stomach convulsed. I could only cry and admit it. “Fine! You’re right! I am acting! I’m begging you, please stop this madness!” Who knew, the next second, my husband Ethan’s furious voice boomed from the other end. “Riley! You’ve utterly disappointed me!” With that, Finley laughed loudly and hung up the phone. After another violent bout of vomiting, I mustered my last ounce of strength and called 911. Luckily, the ambulance arrived quickly. After being unconscious for 8 hours, I finally woke up. This time, I had vomited so violently and excessively that I was hospitalized for dehydration and shock. But the doctor looked at my chart, utterly unable to find any cause. “We did a gastroscopy, a colonoscopy, blood tests… We haven’t found anything wrong. Do you have any idea yourself?” I didn’t answer. I immediately asked the doctor to discharge me and rushed straight home to find the real culprit. The moment I saw Finley, I put a knife to her throat. “Sister-in-law, what are you doing?!” I was too tired to keep up this act with her, and I glared at her with deadly intent. “I don’t have time for your nonsense. Talk! Why, after you got sick, is all the pain transferred to me!” Finley looked incredibly wronged. “Sister-in-law, what are you talking about? You don’t really have a persecution complex, do you?” I pressed the knife closer. “Drop the act! Talk!” Finley screamed in fright. “Okay, okay, I’ll talk! I’ll talk!” But the next second, she switched back to an innocent victim act and cried out, “Ethan, help!” Ethan had actually snuck up behind me while I was distracted. He snatched the knife away and kicked me square in the chest. “Riley! You dare touch Finley? Do you want to die?!” Sophia also rushed forward and slapped me hard across the face. “Damn it, you bitch! And to think I thought you were finally being sensible. You were just holding back for this dirty trick!” “You dare lay a hand on Finley?! I’ll beat you to death!” Ethan and Sophia immediately called the police, saying they had to teach me a lesson. Facing the officers in the room, Ethan directly played the recording from that night he spent with Finley at the barbecue. “Officer, my wife insists Finley transferred her illness pain to her, but listen for yourselves! She clearly admitted it was all an act! She’s just jealous of Finley!” “Today she even dared to threaten Finley with a knife. A woman this vicious, you need to take her away now!” The police were initially skeptical of Ethan’s story, but when they clearly heard me in the recording saying: “Fine! You’re right! I am acting!” Their expressions changed immediately. They put me in handcuffs. And one of them warned me sternly, “Making such a scene just because of jealousy! This is absolutely ridiculous!” I struggled desperately, trying to explain, but from the corner of my eye, I saw Finley, smiling as she started eating a chunk of mango. Instantly, a severe allergic reaction hit me like a pair of giant invisible hands, strangling my throat tight. My limbs began to convulse uncontrollably, my vision going black. I could only look to the crowd for help, trembling. But Ethan just sneered coldly, without a care. “See, officers! This bitch is acting again! You can be our witnesses today!”

I clenched my fists tightly, forcing myself to stay conscious with my last breath, and lunged into the arms of a nearby female officer. “I’m not acting… Please… Please, take me to the hospital.” The officer looked at my pale face and finally realized something was wrong. She quickly moved to help me out. But Ethan and Sophia blocked the way, insisting I had to apologize to Finley first before I could leave. “If I ever catch you trying to harm Finley again, I’m divorcing you immediately!” I completely lost consciousness. When I woke up in the hospital again, the doctor was scratching his head frantically. He couldn’t understand why, with all my tests perfectly normal, I had mysteriously gone into anaphylactic shock. Left with no other choice, he suggested I make an appointment with the psychiatric department. I gave a bitter laugh and just asked the doctor to prescribe me some sleeping pills and painkillers. The doctor, at a loss, listened to me, gave me a bunch of pills, and let me go. The police also ruled it as a domestic dispute and didn’t press charges against me harshly. Taking advantage of this opportunity, I packed a light bag and decided to go back to my parents’ house. Thankfully, my parents believed me completely. After taking me for every test imaginable with no results, they patiently comforted me and told me to rest first. I smiled and nodded, agreeing. But suddenly, a heavy, wrenching pain seized my lower abdomen. It felt like a pair of hands were grabbing my internal organs and twisting them wildly, accompanied by a fair amount of bleeding. I instinctively searched for Finley’s account on social media and saw she had already started a fitness livestream under the banner of “inspirational cancer warrior.” In the video, she was in workout clothes, jumping and bouncing in front of the camera. [Life is about movement! Everyone, even when you’re sick, you have to face it positively and fight the disease with energy!] Clutching my painfully cramping stomach, I was shaking with rage, wishing I could tear Finley to pieces. And right then, I received a mysterious phone call. At that moment, I finally understood what was behind all of this. In the following days, Finley became an overnight internet sensation with her gimmick of a sick person doing fitness livestreams. Even though she claimed to be seriously ill, her energetic appearance made many people envious, and she accumulated a huge following. Many fitness influencers jumped on the trend and connected with her for fitness PKs. She was delighted to see this and naturally launched a “three-hour fitness challenge” online. In my last life, it was this challenge that caused my internal organs to rupture and kill me. This time, I was eating ice cream and watermelon, leisurely watching over her livestream. The day of the challenge arrived quickly. Her livestream instantly shot to the number one spot in trending. Finley, in her workout clothes, started bouncing and jumping to the background music. But just five minutes in, her expression suddenly became strange, and she stopped abruptly. The comments started to panic, while Ethan and Sophia asked with concern if she was feeling unwell. But seeing the number of viewers steadily dropping, Finley suppressed her discomfort, shook her head, and prepared to start jumping again. Who would have thought, the next second, after she jumped and landed, she actually lost control of her bladder in front of over a hundred thousand viewers. In an instant, yellow liquid streamed down her thighs, completely unstoppable. And she clutched her own stomach, passing out from the pain. Watching this scene unfold, I laughed so hard I couldn’t straighten my back. Soon, Ethan’s call came through. “What did you do?!”

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After inheriting a multi-million dollar fortune, I decided to quit my job at my brother’s company. When the intern Katherine found out, she panicked and blocked my way, begging, “How will you live after you quit?” “I’ve already forgiven you for copying me. Just stay!” In my previous life, I poured my heart into a project proposal for six months, only to be accused of plagiarism at the final presentation by the client. Because Katherine had already secretly contacted the client beforehand and presented a proposal that was identical to my core content. I begged my brother, the company CEO, and my husband Mark to vouch for me. But my brother announced with a heavy tone, “Eve, since you’re my sister, I won’t hold you accountable for the company’s losses this time.” Then, he immediately signed an internal memo confirming my “crime” of stealing a colleague’s idea. And my husband Mark didn’t say a single word in my defense. I became a shameless parasite who used connections and plagiarized. Unable to clear my name, I was blacklisted by the entire industry and couldn’t find another job. I sank into depression and ended my life on a snowy night. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the week before the client presentation.

“Eve, I heated some milk for you. No matter how late you’re preparing the proposal, take care of yourself.” My brother Daniel placed the cup on my desk, his voice gentle. But this scene almost made me fall out of my chair. Just then, my husband Mark pushed the door open. He set a lunch box on the table. “I heard you’ve been pulling all-nighters, so I made soup to nourish you.” I had experienced this scene twice before. In my previous life, I thought I was the luckiest woman in the world. My brother, seven years older and already the company CEO, had always been extremely protective of me. And my beloved husband Mark was my most trusted harbor. But after my rebirth, I felt nothing but coldness. In my previous life, when I presented the proposal to the client, my core content turned out identical to Katherine’s. After the client discovered it, they immediately complained to senior management. As the brightest rising star in the department, I was supposed to be promoted through this project. But once the scandal broke, I was instantly swept into a whirlwind of accusations. I turned to my brother, the CEO, and my husband Mark, who was in the same project team, begging them to help me clear my name. But they refused. Daniel even apologized to the client on my behalf, begging the company to only issue an internal reprimand because I was a first-time offender and his sister. And Mark avoided my gaze from start to finish. This incident sparked intense debate among colleagues and the industry. “I knew she only dared to plagiarize on such an important project because the CEO is her own brother and her husband is on the team. Isn’t this a family fraud?” “Exactly! Someone with no professional ethics like her should be banned from the industry!” Under the public pressure, the company launched a harsh investigation. Soon after, the investigation results “confirmed” that I had plagiarized Katherine. I, who had always been hailed as a genius newcomer, was branded a thief. Meanwhile, Katherine, who had previously been mediocre, became famous overnight and gained the promotion and glory that should have been mine. Just like that, she became the company’s new star. And I became a professional pariah everyone despised. Because of the severity of the situation, I was fired immediately and blacklisted by the industry association. Stripped of my professional credentials, I could only take odd jobs. But whenever employers recognized me, they would find excuses to dock my pay or fire me outright. Penniless, I lost all hope. On a snowy night, I jumped into a lake that was about to freeze. But to my surprise, when I opened my eyes, I was back to the week before the final client presentation. Looking at my brother earnestly “helping me refine my proposal” and my husband going out of his way to “nourish my body,” my emotions were suddenly a tangled mess.

“Eve, this is the proposal framework I organized for you. As long as you follow it, you’ll definitely wow the client!” Daniel placed the compiled materials in front of me, full of confidence. My husband Mark chimed in teasingly, “Eve, you have to win this project. If you do, you’ll get promoted. I’m bringing you soup every day — if you fail, how can you face my soup?” It was clearly a joke, but I couldn’t laugh. Daniel is my biological brother; he would never harm me. My husband Mark, though sometimes blunt, had always supported me. Once, when a colleague tried to steal my credit, he almost got into a fight with them. So it couldn’t be them. Then where did the problem lie? I had been a technical prodigy since childhood, and every project I’d handled since joining the company had outstanding results. Even in a top-tier company, I was a priority talent. My department supervisor said I was the strongest competitor for the promotion this time. So when the plagiarism scandal broke, the supervisor and most of my colleagues initially believed me. Besides, my previous project accomplishments were indisputable — there was no need for me to plagiarize. But then, Katherine suddenly released surveillance footage from the preparation period. The footage showed that she had completed the overall proposal earlier than I had. And she had “shared” her thoughts on the project on the internal forum a week before the presentation. The proposal she presented was exactly a deepened version of those thoughts. In an instant, the internal gossip and accusations nearly drowned me. “This clearly proves that Evelyn copied Katherine. The timestamps are crystal clear!” “I heard her previous projects might not be real either — they just weren’t discovered!” “It’s a good thing her brother and husband kept their heads and didn’t commit perjury for her, or the real victim would’ve been wronged to death!” Because of the terrible impact, senior management took it very seriously and immediately verified Katherine’s evidence. After verification, the surveillance timestamps and forum post records were authentic and untampered with. They ruled that I had indeed plagiarized Katherine. I was stunned. That proposal was obviously my original work — how could it be plagiarism? But I had no evidence to prove it. I couldn’t understand how Katherine’s proposal ended up identical to my core content. Could Daniel have shared the “framework” he gave me with Katherine as well? One mystery after another loomed over me. But for now, Daniel and my husband Mark were acting completely normal. I could only start by investigating Katherine’s internal forum account. By my calculations, her “forward-thinking” post should already be up. But Daniel and my husband Mark, using the excuse of discussing the proposal, barely left my side. I had to quickly scribble a few irrelevant draft pages to placate them. Then I pretended to have a headache and needed fresh air in the break room. A flicker of impatience crossed my husband Mark’s eyes. “You’re so high-maintenance. Daniel already gave you the core ideas, and you still want to slack off!” Daniel hurriedly smoothed things over. “It’s not that urgent. Don’t rush her.” “As long as she follows my framework, she’ll definitely win!” But I didn’t have much time left to find the truth. After locking the break room door, I immediately checked Katherine’s internal forum on my phone. She was the daughter of a board member, and with her stunning looks and social skills, she had quite a following. But I had almost no interaction with her. However, Daniel, as the CEO, had more contact with Katherine. Once, I overheard him telling my husband Mark that Katherine clearly had the potential of a future leader, unlike me, who only buried myself in technical details. He also said that in the workplace, you had to build good relationships with people like Katherine who had both background and ability. At the time, I thought it was just a casual remark. Now, I realized it might have been his true feelings. But I truly couldn’t understand why a golden girl like Katherine would target me specifically. Then, I saw her latest post. Under the guise of “throwing out a brick to attract jade,” she shared her “preliminary thoughts” on several key challenges of the project. When I saw those “thoughts,” I froze. Weren’t these the “core logic” that Daniel had helped me organize? What’s more, Katherine even listed several key data projection directions. They were exactly the same as what I had written in my private notes last night. Below the post, colleagues were showering her with praise. “Katherine is so beautiful and talented, even willing to share unpublished project ideas like this. She’s a goddess!” “Exactly. I was completely stuck on these challenges before. Her analysis made everything clear.” Idea collisions could be coincidence. But then why was the complete proposal she was about to present also highly similar to my core content? My private workstation and computer could only be accessed by Daniel and my husband Mark, who knew the passwords. It had to be them! A chill ran down my spine. I couldn’t understand why they would do this. Was blood and marriage really worth less than Katherine’s professional connection to them?

I sat in the break room for an hour, then decided to take a desperate risk. I already knew the core proposal that would be presented. In my previous life, the one I was framed for plagiarizing was actually my most mature and safest design. It was excellent, but not flawless. This time, I decided to use a bolder, more cutting-edge, but also riskier new architecture. Since Katherine’s proposal in my previous life was identical to mine, I would completely replace the core. No matter the final evaluation, at least I could clear myself of plagiarism. Early the next morning, before Daniel arrived at the company, I secretly went to a co-working space on the other side of the city. To be honest, I hesitated. After all, adopting a completely unverified new architecture wasn’t just high risk — it might also render much of my previous work useless. There, I met my grandma, who couldn’t stand retirement and occasionally helped a friend manage the space. Grandma brought me a cup of warm milk. “What’s wrong with my sweet granddaughter? You look so upset.” I smiled bitterly. “Grandma, what if I screw up my most important project? Would you be very disappointed?” Grandma stroked my head and smiled warmly. “Silly girl, how could I?” “Grandma just wants you to be happy doing what you love. Even if this doesn’t work out, you still have me. I’ll take care of you!” Hearing that, I suddenly felt a surge of determination to do certain things. After leaving the co-working space, I got a call from Daniel. “Eve, where did you run off to? Mark brought breakfast and wants to discuss the proposal with you. He’s throwing a fit because he can’t find you!” I replied coldly, “I went out to find some inspiration and get some air. I’m coming back.” I didn’t plan to tell either of them about adopting the new architecture. After all, in my previous life, those two were the prime suspects in the “plagiarism.” I decided to rebuild the proposal in the co-working space. Besides, it was quiet enough there.

Halfway through, I stretched and planned to take a short break. I was curious about what Katherine was up to. Just as my mind wandered, Daniel and my husband Mark showed up. I wondered how they knew I was here. The next second, Daniel placed a steaming food container on my desk. “We were afraid you’d get so wrapped up in work you’d forget to eat, so we brought you something.” My husband Mark also handed me a thermos. “Freshly squeezed orange juice. I know your stomach is sensitive, so I already warmed it up.” The two of them looked so sincere. There was no way they seemed like people who would harm me. Had I been overthinking? But if it wasn’t them, who was it? My mind was a mess. I forced a smile. “You guys came just in time. I was getting hungry.” “Let me wash my hands, and I’ll eat right away.” I grabbed my phone and headed to the washroom area. But instead of going into a stall, I opened Katherine’s internal forum by the sink. Sure enough, she had posted another update. “What bad luck. I kindly shared my preliminary thoughts on the project, and someone actually stole the core ideas directly. Even though the ideas might not be fully mature, doing this is really disgusting. So, I’ve decided to restructure my entire proposal.” The attached photo was a silhouette of a woman working in a co-working space. Anyone familiar with me would recognize that silhouette as mine. But who took this photo? In the comments, someone asked Katherine what new architecture she planned to use. Katherine said she wanted to use a very cutting-edge, almost risky technical route this time. I was instantly alarmed. I hadn’t told anyone about adopting a new architecture. Even if it were a coincidence, Katherine wouldn’t choose a direction she wasn’t good at with such high risk, right? There had to be a spy for her near me! Was it Daniel or my husband Mark? Or were both of them involved? But what on earth did they stand to gain? Just then, someone suddenly tapped my shoulder. “Eve, what are you spacing out about?” I was startled. It was Daniel and my husband Mark, who had come to the break area looking for me. They’d been worried because I hadn’t returned, so they came to check. Still shaken, I replied vaguely, “Daniel, why don’t you guys go back first? I’ll eat later.” The moment I finished, my husband Mark exploded. “Evelyn Sinclair, we came all the way here to bring you food, and this is your attitude?” “Don’t think I don’t know you’ve been guarding against us for days. You don’t appreciate anything!” Daniel quickly explained, “Mark just speaks bluntly. Don’t take it personally.” “I know you’re under a lot of pressure with the project. Mark and I are just worried about you.” I hurriedly said, “Daniel, I know you’re both doing this for my own good.” “How about I go back to my own apartment for the next few days? That way you won’t have to run back and forth.” My husband Mark rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I’m done waiting on you!” With that, he dragged Daniel out of the co-working space. I finally breathed a sigh of relief. At 10:30 that night, I returned to the company dormitory. The moment I walked in, I heard my roommate discussing Katherine. I leaned over to look. It was a photo. The photo showed three hands clinking drinks together. Caption: “Love from my big brothers~” I recognized them instantly — those were Daniel’s and my husband Mark’s hands. When did they get so close? I had no idea. I pulled out my phone to check Katherine’s social media. And I saw comments from Daniel and my husband Mark. “Katherine will always be the goddess in my heart.” “Don’t worry, Katherine, your big brother has a way to make sure you win the project.” I blinked, wondering if I was seeing things. But when I refreshed, the comments were deleted. It seemed the plagiarism was definitely connected to them. Reaching that conclusion, I didn’t feel much emotion. Once I knew who was behind it, it was easier to handle. I had no intention of going back to my brother’s house before the presentation anyway. They probably wouldn’t be able to help Katherine copy anymore. I could prepare my new proposal in peace.

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My husband Caleb Cole’s first love, Grace, died in a car accident. After that, he set the house on fire and locked us both inside. “The biggest regret of my life is marrying you! If it weren’t for you, I would’ve been with Grace! She wouldn’t have died so young!” In the end, I burned to death. When I woke up, we had both been reborn back to our college days. This time, I decided to let each other go. We stopped contacting each other and became strangers from then on. Seven years later, he became a rising star in the business world and dramatically announced his engagement to Grace at a yacht party. When I rushed in wearing nothing but my pajamas, all I got was his mocking laugh: “Molly, I know I’m pretty charming. You’ve been hung up on me for two lifetimes, but you don’t have to cling to the past like this.” But when he saw me take another man’s hand, his eyes turned red and he demanded: “Didn’t you say you’d love only me forever?” Seven years later, a grand party was being held on the “Starlight” yacht. I was frantically searching the cabins for my five-year-old son — half an hour ago, he said he wanted to see the seagulls on the deck, and then he disappeared the moment I turned around. I’d thrown on only a robe and run out with no makeup, looking completely undone. I searched until I reached the ballroom. In the center of the crowd, Caleb Cole and Grace were holding hands, basking in everyone’s flattery. “Caleb, you’re amazing. In just a few years, you’ve become a rising young entrepreneur everyone’s watching. This yacht is yours too, right? You’re a legend in Coastal City!” “Of course! I heard the ‘Starlight’ cost over a hundred million dollars to build and only serves high-end clients. We’re all here thanks to Caleb today!” “Caleb, I’ve got a project. For old times’ sake, could we talk about a partnership?” Someone teased, “Caleb, looking at you and Grace, is there good news on the horizon?” Grace blushed slightly and looked up at him tenderly. Caleb squeezed her hand, his smile confident. “That’s right. Tonight isn’t just a party — it’s also our engagement celebration.” Everyone raised their glasses to congratulate them. An old acquaintance joked, “Caleb, you and Molly were so crazy in love back then. Do you still keep in touch? I remember you even used a megaphone to confess your love to her during halftime at the college football game!” Hearing my name, Caleb’s smile froze for a moment, and his lips pressed together. But Grace held his arm even tighter, her voice gentle and gracious. “Caleb and I are about to get married. Don’t you think he’s moved on? A young, naive crush can’t compare to a deep, lasting adult love.” Everyone laughed and continued chatting around them. But I couldn’t care less. I anxiously scanned the room, searching for my child. Someone with sharp eyes spotted me. “Molly? What are you doing here… Oh my god, what are you wearing…” “This is a yacht party. Why are you in pajamas? Your hair isn’t even brushed. Did you just roll out of bed?” “Where are you working now? Our Mr. Cole is so successful now. Pour him a drink nicely, and maybe he’ll help an old classmate out.” Several guests murmured under their breath when they saw my casual clothes and bare face. From the moment I appeared, Caleb’s eyes had been on me. I gave him a simple nod, a quick greeting, and kept searching. He froze for a second, his gaze unreadable. “Molly, after all these years, you still don’t know how to dress for the occasion. You can’t even put on a proper outfit.” Grace swept a cold glance over me and deliberately tightened her hold on Caleb’s arm, as if staking her claim. “Caleb, don’t say that. Even though she’s dressed a little plainly, we shouldn’t keep talking about her. After all, we’re all old acquaintances.” Her tone was gentle, and she looked me over again, a faint, almost imperceptible smile on her lips. “But speaking of which, why did you come to a party like this dressed like that? Wearing appropriate clothes to a formal event is a basic sign of respect for others. If you need something, I have a spare gown in my cabin. I could lend it to you.” The moment the words left her mouth, a few people snickered.

At that moment, the contrast between Grace and me was stark. She wore a Tiffany diamond necklace, a custom-made gown, and an elegant hairstyle, every gesture graceful. I had just gotten out of bed, wearing a loose robe, my hair a little messy, no makeup on my face — completely different from her. I didn’t have time to care. I kept looking around. My son was missing, and I was beside myself with worry. Caleb suddenly walked over and handed me a check for twenty thousand dollars. “This money is for you, for old times’ sake. You don’t have to pay it back. Go buy some decent clothes, find a respectable job, and take better care of yourself.” “Molly, let the past stay in the past. Don’t keep yourself trapped in it.” “If back then… forget it. There’s no point talking about it now.” “What matters is, don’t let yourself go just because of my choice, okay? It makes things really awkward for me when you’re like this.” What was he talking about? I looked up at him, confused. Suddenly, I really wanted to know what I had done in my last life to make him leave so decisively after our rebirth. In our previous life, we went from college sweethearts to marriage. He had a dream of starting his own business, and I was passionate about jewelry design. We were both busy. Because I loved him, I gave up my chance to study in Europe, started working early to support the household, and backed his dreams. When he hit wall after wall and got depressed, I was the one covering all the family expenses, patiently comforting and encouraging him. After years of marriage, whenever I brought up the topic of having children, he would push me away irritably, his eyes full of disgust. “I’ve told you long ago, I don’t want kids. I never plan to have any. The thought of having a child with someone like you makes me sick!” That sentence completely broke my heart. Then came the day the news arrived that his first love, Grace, had died in a car crash. He completely lost his mind. He dragged me into the house, locked the door, and set the place on fire. As the flames raged, he choked me by the neck, his face twisted with rage: “The biggest regret of my life is marrying you! If it weren’t for you, I would’ve been with Grace! She wouldn’t have died so young!” In the end, I burned to death. Now we’ve both been reborn, and we mutually chose to become strangers. There’s no past affection to cling to. I pushed the check back and said flatly, “That’s not necessary. I don’t need help from a stranger. Thank you.”

Caleb frowned deeply, his expression darkening. “Molly, what do you mean? You’re calling me a stranger?” I nodded slightly. “We have nothing to do with each other anymore.” I was in a hurry to keep looking for my child and didn’t have time to argue with him. Grace walked quickly to his side, saw the check, and seemed to understand something. A flicker of displeasure crossed her eyes, but she still kept her tone gentle. “Molly, if you don’t want direct help, we can recommend a job for you.” “A friend of mine owns a boutique and they’re hiring a retail associate. It’s twenty-five dollars an hour. The starting pay might not be high, but once you learn the ropes, there’s room to grow. It’s definitely more stable than unstable freelance work.” “I can give you the store manager’s number. You can contact them directly. What do you think?” My expression didn’t change. I kept searching for my son. “Thank you, but I’m very happy with my current job. I have no plans to switch industries.” Someone in the crowd spoke up: “Molly, don’t be so stubborn. They’re being nice and trying to help you. Why won’t you accept it?” “Exactly. Look at you, coming to a yacht party in your pajamas to look for a kid. Isn’t that just a way to get an opportunity? Now that an opportunity’s here, you’re acting all high and mighty. Who are you putting on a show for?” Grace kept an elegant smile on her face. “Everyone, don’t say that. Maybe Molly really does love her current job.” She turned to me, her tone soft but with a subtle hint of condescension. “Molly, we’re trying to help you because of our history. Don’t just hold out for the sake of pride. Also, your child is lost. You must be really anxious right now, right?” I was baffled. Why were they still mocking me at a time like this? If I really wanted to compare, the total assets of everyone here combined probably wouldn’t even match the value of my jewelry designs. “I really don’t need it, thank you,” I replied coldly and turned to go to another area. Grace’s smile remained, but her eyes chilled a little. Caleb clenched the check in his hand, his voice dripping with sarcasm: “You’re hopeless. You’re given a chance and you don’t even know how to take it. You deserve to stay mediocre!” His words made more people look over. A heavyset male guest came up to me with a wine glass and tried to make me drink: “Molly, seeing how down-to-earth you are now, tell you what — you drink one glass, and I’ll give you a thousand dollars.” “If you think that’s too little, I can add more.” The man’s eyes unashamedly swept over my body. People around us laughed under their breath. No one stepped in to stop it. I was just about to call a server when Caleb suddenly grabbed the man’s wrist. The air pressure around him dropped instantly, and his face was terrifyingly dark. “What do you think my yacht is? If you want to throw your weight around, go somewhere else. She’s not someone you can harass!”

The man grimaced from Caleb’s grip, but didn’t dare make a sound. Grace grabbed Caleb’s arm. “Caleb, what are you doing!” Caleb’s eyes were icy, his expression fierce. “Can’t you see she’s looking for her child? Sir, if you try that again, I’ll have you removed from this yacht immediately.” He threw the heavyset man’s hand aside. The man didn’t dare cross him and could only glare at me viciously. I was a little surprised and couldn’t help glancing at Caleb. I hadn’t expected him to step in. The gentle smile on Grace’s face barely held up as she abruptly changed the subject. “I heard the CEO of Easton Group is also on the yacht tonight. Maybe we’ll be lucky enough to meet him.” The guests got excited at her words. “The CEO of Easton Group is the richest man in Coastal City, young and successful. He’s only in his early thirties this year. I heard he’s extremely protective of his family. The media has never managed to dig up his wife’s identity.” “Then what does his wife do?” “Rumor is she’s an internationally renowned jewelry designer. Her ‘Starry Night’ collection sold for an astronomical price at the Paris auction last year! But she’s incredibly low-key and rarely appears in public.” “That’s amazing. Maybe we’ll get to see this mysterious designer in person today!” The words had barely been spoken when a little boy about five years old slipped into the ballroom through a side door, looking around curiously, and immediately drew a lot of attention. “Whose child is this? He’s adorable, absolutely gorgeous.” Someone in the crowd suddenly lowered their voice in surprise: “Wait a second… that kid, I feel like I’ve seen his picture in a financial magazine. Isn’t he the youngest son of Brandon Fu from Easton Group?” The moment this was said, several people’s eyes instantly turned eager. Grace reacted the fastest. She plastered a gentle, gracious smile on her face, quickly walked over to the little boy, crouched down, and said softly, “Hey there, little guy. Are you alone? What kind of snack would you like? Let me help you get some?” As she spoke, she reached out to pat the child’s head. Unexpectedly, the little boy frowned, nimbly dodged to the side, and ignored her completely. At the same time, a tall, stern-faced man appeared hurriedly through the other main door of the ballroom. His sharp eyes swept the room, and when he saw the child, he visibly relaxed. He strode over. “Ryan, what are you doing running off by yourself?” The man’s voice was deep, with a hint of reproach, but more worry than anything. Seeing the man, the boy immediately broke into a relieved smile and called out clearly, “Daddy! I came to see the big boat!” Then he turned his head, saw me, and his eyes lit up like stars. Without hesitation, he dodged around the still-crouching Grace and ran toward me with open arms: “Mommy! I finally found you!”

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After My Miscarriage, My Husband Wanted Me to Donate a Kidney to His Mistress After my unexpected miscarriage, my husband took a long leave from work to take care of me. He looked at me with eyes full of pity. “Children will come again. You must take care of yourself. What would I do if something happened to you?” He bought me all sorts of expensive supplements and tended to my every need. I thought I had finally found someone who truly loved me. Until I discovered the car accident that caused my miscarriage was his deliberate design. He said to my sister, “Sierra, don’t worry. I made sure the guy I hired would only hit her hard enough to cause a miscarriage. It won’t affect her kidneys.” “Once she’s recovered, I’ll make her donate a kidney to you.” Ice flooded my veins. Without hesitation, I pulled out my phone and dialed a number. “Hello, I’d like to schedule a death-faking service.” I had just gotten home and set down my bag when I heard a car pull up downstairs, followed by familiar voices. I walked to the window and saw Finn helping Sierra out of the car. Hank and Lena got out of another vehicle. The group hurriedly entered the building. I immediately hid in the storage closet next to the living room, leaving the door slightly ajar. A key turned in the lock. They came into the living room. “Let Sierra sit down, quick.” Lena’s voice was frantic. “Hank, doesn’t she look paler to you?” “Mom, I’m fine. Just a little dizzy.” Sierra’s voice sounded terribly weak. Finn jumped in right away, his tone full of concern. “You call that fine? Your hands are like ice. We have to decide, and soon. Sierra’s condition can’t wait!” Hank sighed. “I know, but Hazel just had a miscarriage. Her body needs time to recover. Forcing a surgery now is too risky. And we need her to sign the papers ‘voluntarily,’ or the hospital won’t even process it.” Hidden in the storage closet, my heart hammered against my ribs. I quietly switched my phone to recording mode and slipped it through the crack in the door. “Recover? What more recovery does she need?” Lena’s voice suddenly spiked with impatience. “All those supplements we’ve been feeding her—what do you think they were for? This day! Sierra can’t wait any longer! As long as her test results barely meet the minimum and it won’t mess up the surgery, who cares what happens to her afterward?” My hand clamped over my mouth. So all that “care” and all those “supplements” were just to fatten me up for a safe organ harvest. “But Mom,” Finn seemed to hesitate. “Hazel just had a miscarriage. If she has surgery now, what if it seriously damages her long-term health? What if…” “What if what?” Lena snapped. “The most important thing right now is Sierra! Nothing else matters! Why else have we been nursing her back to health if not for the kidney donation? Finn, you’re not going soft, are you?” “How could I?” Finn shot back immediately. “I only married her to wait for the right chance to save Sierra. Once she donates the kidney, she’s of no value to me. It’s always been Sierra I love.” Sierra leaned into Finn’s arms, her voice trembling with tears. “Finn, you’re so good to me… She’ll help me, right? We’re family…” “She wouldn’t dare refuse!” Hank’s voice was final. “We gave her life and raised her. Now it’s her time to repay us! Sierra is her own sister. How could she just stand by and watch her die? As soon as her next test results are out, if her numbers are close enough, we’ll find a way to make her sign!” “Right,” Lena said coldly. “If the gentle approach doesn’t work, we’ll use force. She owes this family. She owes Sierra! This has to be arranged quickly. Sierra can’t afford to wait.” I stood frozen in the darkness, silent tears streaming down my face. So my only value in this life was a single healthy kidney. Outside, Sierra let out a low moan. “What’s wrong with Sierra? Is she feeling worse again?” Finn asked immediately. “Quick, get her to the hospital!” Lena panicked. “Go to the hospital now! We’ll deal with this later!” Hank decided. A flurry of hurried footsteps and the slam of the door later, the house fell completely silent. They had rushed Sierra to the hospital. I slowly walked out of the storage closet, staring at the empty living room. The last shred of my hesitation vanished. I walked to the desk, signed the divorce papers, and locked them in the safe. Then, I took out another phone and sent a single text: Initiate the plan. The death-faking service was all set. I looked around this so-called “home,” my eyes as cold as ice. Late that night, a fire erupted inside the house. The flames spread rapidly. When Finn got the news and rushed back, all he saw was the charred ruins of the house and the firefighters carrying out a body burned beyond recognition. By then, I had already left with a new identity.

I thought I’d never see them again. Not until a seemingly ordinary afternoon, a year later. I was taking out the trash when I pushed open my door and saw several people standing in the hallway of my old apartment building. Finn’s eyes locked onto me. In a flash, he lunged forward, his hand clamping down on my wrist like a vise. “Hazel?!” His voice was shaking. “You… really are alive?!” I tried to pull my hand back, but he only squeezed tighter. “Let go! I don’t know you!” I struggled violently. “Faking your death… You actually dared to fake your death!” Finn’s eyes were bloodshot. “Do you have any idea what this past year has been like for us?!” Lena wailed and threw herself at me. “You ungrateful brat! Do you know we thought you were dead?!” Hank blocked my escape route. “Enough talk! The important thing is we found her! Take her away!” From the moment I was born, Hank and Lena had dumped me in the countryside to live with my grandparents. It wasn’t until they both passed away, and the local government contacted them, that they reluctantly brought me back. I had always wanted to ask them one thing: Why didn’t they love me? I was using almost all my strength. Lena couldn’t pry my fingers loose. A sharp “slap” rang out. Lena’s palm landed hard across my face. “You’d better come with me to the hospital right now! If something happens to Sierra because you delayed things for a whole year, I will never forgive you!” My cheek instantly swelled and reddened. I let out a bitter laugh. “So the mask finally comes off.” Lena didn’t even flinch. “I don’t know what you’re talking about! All I know is Sierra needs a kidney transplant now, and you’re the most compatible donor! You have to come with me this instant!” Seeing that I still refused to let go, Hank stepped in to help. “Hazel, you used to be so sensible. Your sister needs you now. Just do this one favor for your mom and dad and come to the hospital, okay?” Hank was trying to play the pity card. I spat directly at his feet. “Stop pretending! Her life matters, but mine doesn’t? Have you ever, not even once, treated me like a daughter, like a human being?” Seeing I was completely unmoved, Hank slapped me across the face, too. “You monster! That’s your own sister! Donating one kidney won’t kill you! You can still live with just one kidney, right?” Finn dropped all pretense and grabbed me by the throat. “Hazel! Sierra’s condition took a turn for the worse this afternoon. She needs surgery as soon as possible! Your body’s stats have to meet the baseline quickly! You’re coming with us, whether you like it or not!” “Finn! You all conspired to deceive me, to use me, and now you’re trying to kidnap me?!” I screamed. Finn just sneered dismissively. “Cut the crap! I’m the reason you’re even alive! Saving Sierra is your only reason for living! Otherwise, you don’t even deserve to be standing here!” Looking into Finn’s cold, hard eyes, I felt a chill that went down to my bones. “Hank, Lena, stop wasting time on her. Sierra can’t wait! We’ll tie her up and take her to the hospital for some proper ‘recuperation’!” As he spoke, Finn grabbed a rope and, with Hank and Lena’s help, tied my hands behind my back. “Move it! If you delay Sierra’s treatment, I’ll make you pay!” Lena shoved me forward. I hooked my foot around the doorframe, refusing to leave my home. Finn responded by kicking my foot away with brutal force. “Hazel! If Sierra doesn’t make it, I swear I’ll make you pay with your life!” Finn used almost all his strength. My whole body crashed down with a “thud” onto my knees. The pain was so intense I nearly cried. A sharp, dragging ache shot through my lower abdomen, too. “Be careful! Don’t actually damage the important parts!” Lena looked at Finn with some annoyance. Finn nodded repeatedly, and then, with Hank, they hauled me up like a rag doll and started dragging me forward. Just as the elevator doors opened, a tall man with a straight posture stepped out. I knew him. He was Officer Carter, who lived next door. He had even helped me catch a thief once. I saw him like a lifeline. My eyes lit up. “Help…” Just as I opened my mouth to scream, Lena clamped her hand tightly over it. “Feeling like you need to throw up again? Mom will take you to the hospital right now for a good checkup!” Officer Carter looked at our group, puzzled. “What’s going on here?” “My wife hasn’t recovered well since her miscarriage. She’s feeling a bit unwell. I’m taking her to the hospital for a follow-up right now,” Finn said smoothly, not missing a beat. My hands were tied behind my back by Finn and Hank. Finn was squeezing my hands hard to prevent me from moving. I could only look at Officer Carter with desperate, pleading eyes. “I’m a doctor. My daughter is physically weak and needs careful treatment. There’s no time to waste,” Lena said, afraid Officer Carter wouldn’t believe her, and quickly pulled out her hospital ID badge. “Then you should hurry. Health comes first,” Officer Carter said, immediately stepping aside to let us pass. Finn let out a sigh of relief instantly. As I was manhandled into the elevator, I watched Officer Carter turn and walk away. The hope in my heart shattered into despair. “You little bitch! You almost tattled to that cop! Do you realize that would be hurting your own sister? How can you be so evil?” The moment the elevator doors closed, Lena viciously pinched my arm. The searing pain made my tears flow uncontrollably. Just then, Hank’s phone rang. “Dr. Harris, your daughter Sierra’s kidney function indicators have worsened again. Please come back to the hospital immediately!” Hanging up, Hank looked at me with a dark expression. “Sierra can’t wait! The moment we get to the hospital, arrange a full physical examination immediately. We need to get her body in optimal condition as fast as possible!” As soon as the elevator doors opened, Finn and Hank couldn’t wait to drag me out. “Freeze!” Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed. I turned my head to see Officer Carter standing behind us with a stern look on his face. My extinguished hope flared back to life. “You dropped your ID card.” Officer Carter jogged over and handed my ID to Lena. “Thank you, Officer Carter,” Lena said profusely. I struggled desperately to free my bound hands. “Officer…” Just as Officer Carter was about to leave again, I frantically started to speak, but my mouth was only halfway open when Finn clamped his hand over it. “Hold on just a little longer, honey. We’ll be at the hospital soon.” Then Finn dragged me toward the car. The moment I was thrown into the car, Lena viciously pinched my arm again. “If you dare cause me any more trouble, I swear I won’t let you get away with it!” Finn sped all the way to the hospital, running three red lights. Once we arrived, I was immediately dragged into a private ward.

Staring at the locked ward door, terror seized me. I needed to run. But Lena walked straight toward me with a syringe of nutritional supplement. “All we want is for you to rest and recover properly. I don’t understand why you’re reacting so badly. We’re all family. Besides, the person you’re saving is your own sister!” A stream of icy liquid was injected into my vein. To get my physical stats up to the surgical requirements as quickly as possible, they started forcing me onto IV drips to pump me full of nutrients. My consciousness still held a sliver of clarity. “You’re breaking the law, don’t you understand that?” I yelled in despair. Lena just scoffed at me. “I’m your mother, and I’m helping you regulate your health. What’s the problem? I gave you your life!” Hank rolled his eyes at me. “You ungrateful wretch! We raised you, and all we’re asking is for you to donate a kidney to save your own sister, and you’re talking to us about breaking the law?” Finn checked the needle in my hand to make sure I couldn’t break free. “Finn, keep an eye on that. These nutritional drips are a specially designed formula. It has to be administered on time and in the correct dosage,” Lena instructed. Finn nodded, his gaze fixed on the IV bag as if what flowed inside wasn’t medicine, but Sierra’s hope for life. I looked at the people calling themselves my family. My heart was a frozen wasteland. “This is illegal detention! Forced organ donation is against the law!” I struggled, but the drugs left my body completely weak. Finn just glanced at me coldly. “Once your body is well and you voluntarily sign the consent form, it won’t be forced anymore. Hazel, stop fighting. Just focus on getting your body healthy. It’s better for everyone.” His words were a knife in my heart. In his eyes, I was nothing more than an organ container that needed to be fattened up to meet the standard. Because their plan was to make me a “voluntary” donor, on the surface, it just looked like family members caring for a sick relative. The ward echoed with my weak but furious accusations. But no one paid me any attention. “You’ll pay for this,” I gritted out through my teeth. Just as Finn was about to speak, the ward door was pushed open. A nurse came in to change the IV bag. Lena instantly plastered a loving mother’s expression onto her face. “Nurse, how is my daughter’s condition? Will these nutritional supplements help her recover quickly?” The nurse looked at my pale face, then at the three vultures hovering nearby, and hesitated. “The patient needs rest. You shouldn’t agitate her. As for her specific recovery, that depends on the test results.” The moment the nurse left, Lena’s face fell again. “Did you hear that? Rest well, and get your body healthy!” I closed my eyes, refusing to look at their nauseating faces any longer. My hand, hidden under the blanket, was tightly gripping my phone. From the moment they grabbed me in the hallway, I had secretly pressed the record button. I knew a direct confrontation was a losing battle. I had to endure. I had to wait. A few days later, with my cooperation, my complexion looked a little better. Lena couldn’t wait to arrange a full physical examination, especially focusing on kidney function. On the day the results came out, Hank, Lena, and Finn all gathered in the doctor’s office. I was brought in, too. The doctor looked at the report and paused thoughtfully. “From the current test results, Miss Hazel’s physical recovery is slower than expected. Some indicators, especially regarding her kidney function, are not yet at an ideal level. Proceeding with a kidney transplant now would pose a significant risk to the donor…” “How significant is significant?” Hank cut him off impatiently. “As long as she doesn’t die! You don’t have to worry about the donor. We, the family, will handle it. She’s a willing volunteer!” The doctor frowned and looked at me. “Miss Hazel, are you truly willing to donate a kidney at this stage? You need to understand the risks involved…” “She’s willing!” Lena answered before I could, shooting me a deadly glare. Finn also stepped forward, grabbing my hand. His grip was so strong it hurt, but he wore a gentle smile on his face. “Honey, Sierra can’t wait any longer. You’ll help her, right? Once you’re better, we can still have another child.” I looked at the three of them, then at the doctor who clearly disapproved. Slowly, clearly, I spoke. “Doctor, I am… not… willing.” “Bang!” Lena slammed her fist on the table. “What did you say?!” “I said, I am not willing.” I met their nearly fiery glares, enunciating every word. “My body hasn’t recovered. I don’t want to donate a kidney. And, I have evidence that you have been trying to coerce me.” With that, I pulled out my phone and played a clear segment of the recording, the very words they had spoken in the ward while pressuring me, revealing that the whole purpose of nursing me back to health was for the kidney donation. The atmosphere in the office froze solid. Hank was trembling with rage, and Finn’s eyes looked murderous. Lena screamed, “You’ve turned against us! You ungrateful thing! I’ll beat you to death today!” She lunged at me, trying to hit me, but was blocked by the doctor and the nurses who had rushed in at the commotion. “This is a hospital! I need you all to remain calm!” the doctor said sternly. “Miss Hazel has clearly stated she does not wish to donate, and her current physical condition is not suitable for donation. You cannot force her! Otherwise, I will call the police!” “Call the police? I’m her mother!” Lena roared. “Even if you are her mother, you cannot force her to donate an organ! That is the law!” The doctor didn’t back down an inch. In the chaos, I used all my strength to break free of Finn’s grip and rushed out of the office. I knew this brief conflict wouldn’t stop them. I needed to get more damning evidence. I needed to get rid of them completely! I ran to the fire escape stairwell, quickly backed up the audio file to the cloud, and then deleted the original from my phone. The moment I finished, I heard Finn and Hank’s voices echoing from the floor below, searching for me. I quietly slipped down another staircase, wanting to leave the hospital first. Just as I reached the entrance of the inpatient wing, I bumped right into Sierra, who was there for a check-up, and Finn, who was with her. It turned out Finn had already come down another way and met up with Sierra. Seeing me, Finn’s eyes turned cold. He quickly stepped forward and grabbed my arm. “Where do you think you’re going?” Sierra looked at me with a pitiful, helpless expression. “Sister, are you really that heartless? Can you just watch me die? I just want a chance to live…” Looking at this couple, I felt nothing but disgust. I violently shook off Finn’s hand. “Let go! Sierra, you want to live, but why should my life be the price?” “Your life?” Finn was so angry he laughed. “Hazel, don’t forget who paid to nurse you back to health after your miscarriage! Those supplements, the home care you received—all of it was to get you better fast so you could save Sierra! Your life stopped being just your own a long time ago!” His words finally tore away the last shred of pretense. I looked at him and suddenly laughed. I laughed until tears streamed down my face. “Finn, so all the kindness after the fire, all the care… it was all just to get my body healthy so you could give Sierra a healthy kidney, wasn’t it?” My laughter unsettled Finn, but he still said coldly, “So what if it was? Being able to save Sierra is your blessing!” “Fine. A blessing, huh.” I stopped laughing, wiped my tears. “Then let me tell you, I don’t want this blessing. And you won’t get what you want.” I spotted a few security guards in the distance and immediately shouted at the top of my lungs, “Security! Help! Someone’s trying to kidnap me! They’re forcing me to donate an organ!” My shouts drew the attention of people nearby, and the security guards started running this way. Finn’s face changed, and he reached out to cover my mouth. Sierra panicked, too. “Finn, what do we do?” Hank and Lena had also chased us down by now. Seeing the scene, Lena immediately started making a scene of her own. “There’s no justice in this world! A daughter wants to let her sick sister die! We’re just parents asking her to donate a kidney to save her sister, and she wants to call the cops on us!” The crowd grew, and people were pointing and murmuring. The security guards arrived and asked about the situation. I seized the opportunity and quickly said to the guards, “They’re illegally holding me against my will and forcing me to donate an organ! I have evidence! Please, call the police!” Finn, seeing the situation turning sour, tried to pull Sierra away. Lena was still making a dramatic scene, while Hank tried to explain it away as a family matter to the guards. The scene was complete chaos. Just then, I saw Officer Carter and his colleague outside the crowd, heading toward the inpatient department, seemingly on some other case. My heart leaped with joy, and I screamed with all my might, “Officer Carter! Help!” Officer Carter looked over at the sound of his name and saw me, disheveled and trapped in the middle of the conflict, with Finn pulling at me and Hank and Lena howling. His brow furrowed, and he immediately walked over with his colleague. “What’s going on here?” Officer Carter asked, his voice commanding.

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I’d been dating Ethan for three years, and we promised we’d go to the same college. So when the recommendation list was posted, everyone shot us knowing looks. “You two are totally using your recommendation spots to get into the same school, right?” “So jealous!” But when I got to the bulletin board, where my name should’ve been, there was someone else’s. Serena Bell, the scholarship student in our class. Ethan stood in the crowd, shielding Serena, and looked at me calmly. “I asked the teacher to give the spot to Serena. She needs it more.” “Babe, your family’s well-off, and your grades are amazing. You don’t need this recommendation.” The crowd went dead silent. I stared at Ethan, but I didn’t break down and demand to know what was going on with him and Serena, like I used to. Ethan had no idea I was leaving the country next week. Jade’s face went dark, and she started to charge at Ethan. I grabbed her arm before she could swing. She turned, her eyes redder than mine. “Serena did this on purpose! You worked your ass off for that spot. Who the hell does he think he is, just giving it away—” “Jade.” I cut her off, voice low. “Let’s go back to class.” The whole class had already shifted their attention from me and Ethan. They were all focused on the girl named Serena. She clutched her books, trailing behind Ethan, timid and small, her fingers gripping the edge of his jacket. Ethan probably didn’t even realize that the person following him hadn’t been me for a long time. All morning, I sat at my desk. Taking in the pitying or curious stares from every direction. Ethan was on the other side of the room, laughing it up with his friends. Serena sat right next to him, leaning in to talk to him every few seconds, so close they were almost hugging. She didn’t used to sit there. She transferred into that class just last week. Ethan started bringing her to group study sessions, calling it “helping each other out.” Eventually, he even started bringing her to our friend hangouts. At lunch, Jade dropped her tray across from me. She slammed her fork down and lowered her voice to a furious hiss. “Serena’s been throwing herself at Ethan for ages. I asked around—she’s got serious moves. And Ethan, he just—” “Jade,” I said, dropping a piece of chicken into her bowl, cutting her off. “Eat first.” She snorted but didn’t say any more. The last bell rang, and everyone started filing out. Ethan strolled over, casual as ever. “Walk out together?” He grabbed my bag like it was nothing, his other hand reaching for my shoulder, a move he’d done a thousand times. I shifted slightly, dodging it. “You go ahead. I’ve got club stuff.” Ethan blinked, then nodded. “I’ll wait for you.” He leaned against the hallway wall, scrolling on his phone, texting somebody. The late afternoon sun slanted through the hallway. My shadow, blurry against the wall. My uniform was neat, but it couldn’t hide the exhaustion in my eyes. I ignored him and walked straight out. “Hey,” he said, suddenly catching up a couple of steps behind me. “Serena’s overall assessment isn’t as strong, so this spot really matters to her.” “Think of it as helping a student with financial struggles.” I didn’t answer, just stared at the people running on the distant track field. He waited a beat, then finally tore his eyes from his phone and looked at me. “You mad?” He leaned in closer. “We agreed, right? Next time, I promise.” His fingers slid through my hair, rubbing the back of my neck, like he was soothing a grumpy kitten. “You’ll ace the college entrance exams. You can get into any school you want. There’s no need to fight her for this.” A bitter ache spread through my chest. It was always like this. I had the better family, the better grades, so I was supposed to step aside. Afterward, he’d toss out a casual apology, and automatically assume the whole thing was over. “Ethan.” I stared at our long shadows on the floor. “Yeah?” “I had a deal with my parents.” My voice was calm. “If I didn’t get the recommendation spot, I had to leave the country with them.” “They’ve already finished the immigration paperwork.” The hallway went quiet for a second. His hand on my neck stopped moving. “Your parents are just messing with you,” he said with a dry laugh. His hand started moving again, but this time it felt dismissive. “What’s so great about going abroad anyway? You’d really leave?” No plea to stay. Just straight to “going abroad is bad.” I suddenly remembered something I’d overheard once, Ethan talking to one of his friends. I’d gone to find him and caught his friend asking, “Aren’t you scared Riley might leave?” Ethan had laughed. “She can’t live without me.” I hadn’t thought much of it then. I’d even made excuses for him in my head—he was just talking off the cuff. Now I realized he’d probably always believed that. From the very beginning, he thought I’d never leave him. The sun dipped lower, and the building’s shadow stretched further. Ethan glanced at his watch. Like he figured the earlier conversation had already smoothed things over, he reached for my hand, casual as could be. I raised my hand, gently blocking his. He froze. “I’m heading home, Ethan.” Chapter

He stared at me, silent for a few seconds. Finally, he just patted my shoulder. “Club stuff must’ve been tiring. Head home early then.” “Serena said she’s cramming for a competition project tonight. I’m gonna go help her out.” “Okay.” My voice was flat. He didn’t move right away. Like he was waiting for me to tell him to be careful, like usual. Or to complain, just a little wounded, “You’re going to her again?” But I just turned around. And walked toward the school gate. The sunset stretched my shadow long behind me. When I got home, I collapsed onto the couch. A long time passed before I got up and went to my room. I dug out everything Ethan had ever given me over the years— Handwritten love letters, each one folded perfectly; movie ticket stubs from our dates, tucked into a notebook; amusement park tickets, photos from our trips… All of it filled a cardboard box. I carried the box to our usual study spot at the library. He was there with Serena, their heads bent close together. A moment later, I don’t know what was said, but Serena suddenly leaned up and kissed him. Ethan didn’t pull away. I thought I’d stopped hurting over him, but right then, my heart gave a sharp, painful stab. I didn’t go in and interrupt. Instead, I sent Ethan a message. A while later, he came out from the study area. He spotted me and jogged over. “What are you doing here?” Then he saw the box at my feet. He paused, confused. “What’s this?” I set the box on the bench in front of him. “Remember this photo?” I pulled a picture from the top of the box— Him giving me a piggyback ride under the cherry blossoms, my arms wrapped around his neck, my hair flying in the wind with the petals. He glanced at it and smiled. “Of course. Tenth grade. I even wrote on the back—‘Piggyback rides forever, I swear.’” “And these.” I pulled out a thick stack of movie ticket stubs. “First movie we saw was *Your Name.* You said watching it together was like a promise. The second one was…” “Riley.” He cut me off, the smile fading from his face. “What’s your point?” “These love letters. You wrote thirty-seven of them. One tucked into my birthday gift. Another when we made up after a fight…” “Feeling nostalgic?” He laughed again, his tone light. “Why are you suddenly digging all this up?” “It’s not nostalgia.” I pushed the box closer to him. “I’m here to break up. I’m returning all this.” The smile on his face froze. “What did you say?” “I’m leaving the country. My parents finished the paperwork. I leave next week.” He was quiet for a long moment, then let out a strained laugh. “Is this because of the recommendation spot yesterday? Stop messing around.” “I’m not messing around. I’m serious.” He looked down at the box, then back up at me, his expression a mix of confusion and a flicker of impatience. “Riley, don’t be ridiculous.” “I’m not being ridiculous. Keep this stuff. I’m leaving.” I turned and walked toward the exit. He called after me. “Riley!” I didn’t look back. By the time I got home, he’d sent me another message. [Home yet? Serena’s project is almost done. I won’t have to help her tomorrow. Lunch together?] I didn’t reply. A while later, another one came through: [Still mad? Don’t be so petty. The spot thing is already decided. It’s out of my hands.] I stared at that line, and all I felt was a hollow calm. His attention had always been a rare commodity. Split between a crushing course load and the “capable” underclassmen— late-night tutoring sessions, birthday surprises, and the extra alone time that just happened to pop up under the guise of competition prep… There was barely anything left for me, the “old-timer.” I didn’t reply. I turned off my phone. Chapter

The next morning, when I got to class, Ethan was already at his desk. He saw me and lifted a breakfast bag. “Got you breakfast.” I took it and said thanks. He paused, probably not expecting me to be so polite. “Riley,” he lowered his voice, “lunch together?” “Can’t. I’m meeting Jade.” I went back to my seat. He opened his mouth, but in the end, said nothing. At lunch, Jade dragged me up to the rooftop. She gnawed on a chicken leg, fuming. “You know what? Serena was badmouthing you again today. Saying crap like, ‘Riley’s grades are so good, she doesn’t even need the spot.’” “She sure knows how to justify herself.” I leaned against the railing, watching people come and go on the sports field. “Jade,” I said quietly, “I’m leaving next Wednesday.” Her chicken leg nearly fell out of her hand. “Leaving? Where?” “Canada. My parents finished the immigration stuff a while ago. I didn’t tell you before.” “Then… does Ethan know?” “I told him I was breaking up with him last night.” Jade was silent for a long time. Then she took a vicious bite of her chicken leg. “Good. He doesn’t deserve you.” The next few days, Ethan went to school like normal. He probably figured my breakup was just a tantrum, so he chose to chill and wait it out. Fine by me. It gave us both some breathing room. I started quietly packing up my things. Bringing textbooks from my locker home, one by one. That night, my phone screen lit up. A message from Ethan: [I’m at the fast food place near school. Come get me?] I stared at the screen for a long time. He hadn’t asked me to come get him in ages. Hell, he hadn’t even invited me to one of his hangouts in forever. After a moment, I grabbed my jacket and headed out the door. This was our last chance to meet. I wanted to have a clear conversation. Outside the fast food place, I was about to push the door open. But I heard familiar laughter from inside. Ethan, a few of his friends, and Serena. My raised hand froze in the air. Through the crack in the door, I saw Serena sitting right next to Ethan, way too close. A familiar girl’s voice piped up, dripping with a coy tone: “Ethan, don’t you think you should treat me to dinner to celebrate me getting the recommendation spot?” Before Ethan could answer, one of his friends cut in with a teasing laugh: “Hey Serena, you want Ethan to take just you out, or do you want us all to tag along?” A round of suggestive chuckles. Serena cooed “Stop it,” but there wasn’t a trace of genuine annoyance in her voice. “Alright, leave her alone,” Ethan’s voice cut in, casual and indulgent. “Of course, we’ll celebrate.” That sentence hit me like a switch. It took me back to when we’d first started dating. We were at a restaurant, and his friends saw us eating together. One of them grinned and asked, “Whoa, are you two a thing?” He’d laughed and said, “Nah, we’re just classmates.” His friends didn’t believe him and pressed, and he denied it again and again. Back then, I understood. High school relationships weren’t ideal. We didn’t want to be too obvious, didn’t want the teachers to know. But now, looking back, his tone had been so natural, so effortless. Like denying our relationship was the most obvious thing in the world. A chill spread through my fingertips. So maybe it was never about the “high school relationship” itself. It was about the person he was seen with being me. Another voice from the table pulled me back to the present: “Speaking of which, Ethan, how’d you handle Riley? …She said she was breaking up with you yesterday. Was that for real?” A brief silence. Then Ethan let out a cold laugh. “Let her be. Usually, I put up with her little tantrums. But this time, she needs to learn that some things can’t be fixed by making a scene.” “Whoa,” someone jeered, “so you’re really just gonna let her go?” Ethan didn’t answer, which was an answer. Then another friend spoke up, hesitant: “Ethan, you sure you want things to go this far? You and Riley have been together for years…” “If you’re not backing down, does that mean you’ve got other plans? Like, say, our girl Serena?” “Don’t joke like that~” Serena’s voice stretched into a playful whine. “You really shouldn’t joke about that. Ethan… he knows what he’s doing.” Those last few words came out soft and loaded with meaning. Ethan didn’t explain. A knowing laugh rippled through the group. Another guy chimed in, all agreement: “Honestly, Ethan’s been more than patient. Years with her? Anyone else would’ve lost it by now.” “What does Riley even have besides her family’s money? Not like Serena, who’s smart and sweet…” Serena cut him off with a coy protest. “Stop talking nonsense!” The streetlight outside flickered. The street was dark. I gently set the umbrella I’d brought down on the front step. Then I turned and walked away. I didn’t push the door open. Didn’t go inside. Didn’t say that final word. Chapter

Ethan checked his phone screen again. His chat with Riley still ended with the last message he’d sent her: [We’ll talk when you’ve come to your senses.] Something was off. He knew Riley. Even when they were in a cold war, her silence always carried a hint of a little game to get his attention. But these past few days, she hadn’t even posted a single social media update. “Ethan,” a mutual friend held his phone out, voice tinged with surprise. “Whoa, Riley’s photos… is she leaving?” Ethan snapped back to reality. It was a post from Jade’s social media. A series of photos. The center photo was a selfie of Jade and Riley. Riley was grinning, so bright. He hadn’t seen her smile like that in a long time. Then he saw the caption. [Sent my best friend off abroad!] Jade’s profile had always been blocked from his view. He couldn’t see it normally. But seeing that caption, his first reaction was anger. “Tch, she’s really putting on a show.” He tugged at the corner of his mouth. “She definitely posted this to make me panic. Let her have her fun. If I don’t go, I’d like to see how she plays this out alone.” The friend laughed awkwardly. “Ethan, is this really necessary…” “Some things you can’t tolerate.” Ethan cut him off. “Especially when someone’s in her ear, stirring the pot. When this whole thing blows over,” He paused, his words pointed. “I’ll make her understand who she needs to keep her distance from.” In his mind, Jade had long been labeled a bad influence on Riley, someone who needed to be cut out. Wednesday. The day after those photos were posted. Ethan felt restless all through class. He looked at my seat, but I wasn’t there. It hit him then—I hadn’t been coming to school for days. Ethan thought of a place we’d once promised to go back to— the rooftop at the back of the school. In eleventh grade, we’d skipped class and snuck up there to feel the breeze. He’d said: “After graduation, I’m going to officially ask you out again right here.” Clutching that last shred of hope, he ran there. Someone was standing on the rooftop. The sunset stretched her shadow long. His heart leaped. He strode forward quickly. “Riley—” The person turned around. It was Serena. “What are you doing here?” He frowned. Serena looked at him, her eyes a little red. “I was waiting for you.” “Waiting for me for what?” “Ethan, I like you. I’ve liked you since ninth grade.” She took a step forward. “I know you were with Riley, but I’ve been waiting. Now that she’s gone, can you… just look at me?” Ethan stepped back. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t feel that way about you.” Serena’s face went pale. “Because of Riley? She’s already gone!” “It has nothing to do with her.” Ethan turned around. “I just don’t like you.” His footsteps were a little unsteady as he walked down from the rooftop. He didn’t understand what Serena meant by “she’s already gone.” He couldn’t help but go ask the school counselor. The counselor flipped through the records and told him: “Riley? Her parents completed her withdrawal paperwork. She left last week.” Ethan was stunned. “Withdrawal? She withdrew?” “Yes, transferring to a school abroad. The paperwork was processed very quickly.” He started frantically trying to contact me. Called my phone—off. Sent messages—no reply. He called our mutual friends, and every single one told him: “Haven’t seen Riley in a while.” “She didn’t contact you?” “I thought you knew.” He ran to my house and pounded on the door for a long time. A strange woman opened it. “Can I help you?” “I’m looking for Riley. She lives here.” “You mean the previous owners? My family just bought this house a couple of days ago. The old owners moved out today.”

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My CEO husband asked me to go to the airport and bring him the underwear he needed for his business trip. I got in the car right away and arrived within thirty minutes. His friend praised me. “A wife really is more virtuous than a mistress.” I froze for a second, then asked, “Does he have a mistress?” His friends all fell silent, panic flashing through their eyes. But my husband smiled and pulled me into his arms. “Don’t listen to their nonsense. You’re the only one I love!” Looking at how calm and innocent my husband seemed, I smiled. But after they boarded the plane, I called my mafia stepbrother. “Victor Hale cheated on me. Kill him.” On the other end of the line, my stepbrother Adrian Cross went silent for three seconds. “Serena, is that true? Didn’t you once say he was the best man in the world?” I took the wedding ring off my ring finger, and the diamond dug painfully into my palm. “After ten years of marriage, every tie he owns was an Hermès tie I personally picked out. But today, he was wearing a cheap knockoff Mickey Mouse tie. Help me hire the best lawyer. I’m going to expose his tax evasion records from all these years, and I’m getting a divorce.” Adrian agreed without hesitation. “Okay.” Half an hour later, my phone received an encrypted file. When I opened the first photo, I saw Victor with his arm around a young, beautiful woman. It was the secretary who had been following Victor around. She was even wearing a T-shirt with a Mickey Mouse logo on it. I did not hesitate and drove straight to the company.

A few minutes later, the woman named Lily Vale ran out. The moment she saw me, her face turned pale with fright, and she instinctively hid her hand behind her back. But I still saw the pink diamond ring on her ring finger, the size of a pigeon egg. It was almost identical to the ring Victor had used to propose to me back then. No, my diamond was not even as big as hers. I let out a scoff and said directly, “Ms. Vale’s husband has taste pretty similar to my husband’s. Even the wedding rings have the same design.” When Lily heard my words, she trembled in fear, and her red lips opened and closed for a long while before she stammered, “Yeah… maybe men all have similar taste.” Her fingers, clenched around the hem of her shirt, had turned white. “Enough. Stop pretending. You’re Victor’s mistress, aren’t you?” When she saw me lay it all out, Lily trembled even harder, panicking beyond control. “Please don’t misunderstand. Mr. Hale just got drunk once, and I only took care of him that one time. Mr. Hale’s friends misunderstood.” After saying that, she even gave me an exaggerated ninety-degree bow. She looked so wronged and pitiful that if I had not seen the way she seduced Victor, I might really have been fooled by her. I sneered. “What are you pretending for? When you were flaunting your love all over social media, why didn’t you think that I, his actual wife, might find out?” Half a month ago, she posted a video on social media. Victor was buying a yacht. Her caption read, [A man’s money is where his love is.] At that time, I was at home with a fever so high I passed out. I called Victor and asked him to take me to the hospital. He panicked for a moment, but the next second, his voice turned hoarse, as if he were holding something back. “Serena, I’ll have the driver take you there. I have something urgent here and can’t leave.” An hour later, I developed pneumonia from the fever and was being rescued in the hospital. But she posted a photo of herself lying on the deck, the woman wearing a sexy bikini decorated with ambiguous red marks, while the man’s abs were sharply defined. The caption read, [On our new yacht, swaying with the person I love most until the end of time.] When Victor arrived, his shirt was soaked. He collapsed by my bedside, his eyes red. Back then, I naively thought he felt sorry for me, but it turned out that was just guilt after cheating. For no reason, I only felt disgusted that trash like this was even worth Victor betraying me for. Too lazy to look at her wronged, pitiful expression any longer, I turned and left. But as soon as I got into the car, Victor called me. The moment I answered, his tone was panicked. “Why did you suddenly think of coming to the company?” “What? The company is mine too. Am I not allowed to come?” Sitting in the car, I asked back calmly. “I just happened to pass by and came to take a look. Is there something you’re afraid I’ll find out?” Victor seemed not to have expected me to ask that. His breathing suddenly stopped, and after a few seconds of silence, his tone softened, carrying his usual coaxing sweetness. “Serena, what nonsense are you talking about?” “What could I possibly be hiding from you? The office was just too messy, and if you were coming, I would have had someone clean it up first.” “Besides, how could I ever betray you? Check anything you want.” Hearing that, I felt a little confused. Lily had actually not told him that I had confronted her. I flipped through the evidence while listening to him make excuses. There were over a thousand pieces of evidence about his affair, and every single one was related to Victor cheating. On our tenth wedding anniversary last year, he used a business trip overseas as an excuse and said he could not call me, but in reality, he was watching penguins in Antarctica with Lily. When my father was critically ill, I called him more than thirty times, and he did not pick up once, because at the time, he was celebrating Lily’s cat’s birthday. I could not believe a man like this had fooled me for so long. “I believe you. I just want to know what’s going on with the diamond ring on your secretary’s hand. Why is it exactly like mine?”

When I brought it up first, Victor actually breathed a sigh of relief. His voice moved closer to the receiver, carrying a deliberately crafted intimacy. “Lily won it at the company’s annual party.” He paused, then added, “Although it’s the same style as yours, hers is fake. I forgot to tell you back then, so don’t mind it.” He forgot, huh? Then his memory must be pretty terrible. Not only did he forget to tell me about that, he also forgot that they went to the penthouse suite of a hotel that same night. And he forgot that they stayed there for three days and three nights. I sneered inwardly. “Why didn’t you come home the night of the annual party?” His eyes panicked. “I got drunk that day. Don’t you hate it most when I drink? I was afraid the smell would bother you, so I asked Lily to take me to a hotel.” “She sure is enthusiastic. She knew you had a wife, yet she still dared to take you to a hotel.” Victor clearly paused on the other end, his breathing skipping half a beat, before he laughed it off. “Right? Girls these days are pretty bold. But I really only treat her as a subordinate.” “Look at you, always getting suspicious. You’re the only one in my heart.” His voice moved closer to the receiver, carrying a deliberately crafted intimacy. “When I’m done with this busy stretch, I’ll take you to the Maldives for a makeup vacation, okay? Just the two of us.” That tenderness once would have made my heart soften, but now, I only felt disgusted. “Sure.” I looked at the neon lights flashing past outside the window, my tone as calm as if I were talking about the weather. “But take care of your serious business first. Don’t let me delay you.” “Nothing matters more than spending time with you.” Victor’s voice was full of eager appeasement, but my heart only grew colder. It was not because Victor had betrayed me and cheated. It was because I could not understand how I had let them act right under my nose for so long. My grip on the steering wheel tightened, and I forced down the urge to confront Victor right then. I wanted him to admit his relationship with Lily with his own mouth, then ruin both of them completely. I gave a few perfunctory replies and hung up. Less than two days later, Lily’s social media account updated again. In the video, she wore a Chanel haute couture wedding gown, her eyes and brows full of joy. “A homewrecker came to make trouble a few days ago, and to make it up to me, Mr. Hale is finally going to marry me.” “I only said I wanted a seaside wedding, and he actually bought an entire island for me.” She curled her lips, and the camera casually swept over the island ownership documents. “He said this will be our home from now on, and no one can take it away.” “And he even insisted on giving me one billion dollars so I could build an amusement park and a resort hotel on the island.” “I’m such a silly little thing and don’t know anything about business, but Mr. Hale said that as long as I’m happy, it doesn’t matter how much money we lose.” Looking at the ownership certificate in the video that had my name on it, rage surged straight up inside me. That island was a birthday gift from my stepbrother! Victor had actually taken my island to hold a wedding for his little mistress! Fine, they wanted to get married? Then I wanted to see how he and the other woman would get married right in front of his actual wife!

I took a private jet to the island overnight. When the old butler on the island saw me, surprise flashed through his eyes. “Miss, why are you here? Didn’t you say you were lending this island to Mr. Hale for a banquet today? You even transferred away all the island’s security team and servants.” Hearing that, rage surged in me. I was just about to answer when Victor’s call came in. “Honey, I’m in an international conference right now, and I’ll fly back to keep you company when I’m done.” Before I could reply, a sweet, cloying female voice faintly came from the other end. “Victor, do I look pretty in this lingerie?” The next second, Victor covered the phone and walked away. “I have to go. The meeting is starting.” Almost at the same time, more than a dozen luxury yachts under my name appeared at the island dock. Countless people I had never seen before got off, were guided into the estate on the island, and took their seats, while I also found a remote seat and sat down. Once everything was ready, Lily appeared in a fiery red haute couture gown, looking every bit like a petty person drunk on sudden success. “Let me introduce myself. I am the new owner of this private island, Lily Vale.” “Mr. Hale said that from now on, this bay, the dock, the villas, and even this entire stretch of sea are all under my control!” “To celebrate, all yachts and ocean activities are free today, as my welcome gift to everyone!” Free? How generous of her. The island’s annual maintenance costs alone reached hundreds of millions. Just the superyachts docked at the private pier were worth over a hundred million each. Some guests could not rent them even if they wanted to. The old butler had watched me grow up, and when he heard that, he was so furious he could barely contain himself. “When did this island become hers?” “And Victor Hale actually found a mistress behind your back! Does he have a death wish?” Seeing that the butler was about to rush out, I quickly shook my head, because now was not the time to expose her. I wanted to wait until Victor personally admitted his relationship with Lily, then ruin both of them completely. Just then, the estate doors opened again, and Victor walked in wearing a haute couture suit. Seeing him, Lily immediately threw herself into his arms, smiling as she held his arm and swayed it. “Victor, I told you this brand’s clothes fit you best.” Victor’s eyes clearly froze, but he still nodded without changing his expression. The rage in my heart almost burst into flames. The founder of this brand was my family’s sworn enemy. Back then, my father was set up by them and literally died from rage because of it. Victor knew this, but now, he had slapped me in the face in public. Just as I could no longer hold back and wanted to rush out, Victor’s friends all surrounded him. “Victor, look at Lily. She’s so young, beautiful, lively, and charming!” “Lily, our Victor gives you a private island worth tens of billions as soon as he makes a move. Where else in the world could you find such a good man?” “From now on, this winery belongs to the Vale family. How are you going to thank Victor?” Amid their teasing laughter, Lily lowered her head with a shy blush. Just then, the wine steward who came to serve wine spoke in confusion. “What do you mean it belongs to the Vale family? Didn’t you borrow this from my young lady?” As soon as those words came out, the guests at the scene looked at each other and began whispering. “What’s going on?” “I’ve only heard that this island belongs to Mrs. Hale, but isn’t Mrs. Hale’s last name Cross?” “Huh? Then if her last name is Vale, could she be some fake who came out of nowhere?” Anger was already on the wine steward’s face. “Mr. Hale, how could you do something like this behind Miss’s back?” As he spoke, he moved to take out his phone and call me. The next second, the bodyguards behind Victor swarmed forward and forced the wine steward to his knees. Victor’s gaze swept coldly over everyone present. “Tear his mouth open and let him understand the price of running his mouth.” His voice was not loud, but it carried the ruthlessness of someone who had spent years in a high position, and the banquet hall instantly fell silent. Victor did not even lift his eyelids as his fingertips casually stroked Lily’s face. “Lily is the real Mrs. Hale! Serena Cross is nothing but a maid in my house.” A maid? I was so angry I almost laughed. It seemed Victor had really forgotten who had pushed him step by step into the position where countless people looked up to him. Since that was the case, he could not blame me for being ruthless!

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I make ten thousand dollars a month, but right now, I’m standing at the hospital pharmacy counter, burning with embarrassment. My card was declined. I quickly opened Snapchat and messaged my husband. “Send me fifty dollars, fast. My card is declined and I need to pay for my stomach medication!” A second later, he sent over a PDF link. “Honey, don’t forget to fill out the Allowance Request Form first!” At that exact moment, cold reality hit me. We were done. I folded the unpaid prescription receipt, walked straight out of the hospital, and drove to a law firm. “I need your help,” I told the attorney. “I want a divorce.” I’ve been married to Ethan for three years. During this time, I put all of my assets and income into a joint bank account. It was Ethan’s idea. “Vivian, marriage is about equality. But our incomes are too different, and that can easily cause friction.” “How about we put all our money together? I’ll manage it, handle the bills, and cut down on unnecessary spending.” I had agreed back then. And now, the result was that my stomach ulcer was acting up, I was in agonizing pain, and I couldn’t even pay for my medication because my personal account was short by thirty dollars. The clerk behind the counter was getting impatient. “Are you paying or not? There’s a line behind you.” I awkwardly tucked the slip into my pocket. “Sorry, not today.” Under her pitying gaze, I turned around, clutching my throbbing stomach, and walked away. My phone buzzed repeatedly with messages from Ethan. “Vivian, why haven’t you submitted the form yet? If you miss the daily approval window, you won’t get the transfer today!” I looked at the screen and let out a cold, bitter laugh. Yes, according to his ridiculous rules, I had to fill out the request within ten minutes of receiving the form. Otherwise, I’d lose my eligibility for the day and would have to wait until tomorrow to get any cash. I took a deep breath, opened PayPal, and messaged my best friend, Chloe, to borrow a hundred bucks. She called me instantly. “Vivian, what’s wrong? Are you in trouble?” I explained the situation in two sentences. Without a word, she sent $10,000 to my account. “Tell me if you need more!” Looking at the notification, my heart felt like ice. The man sleeping next to me made me write an application for thirty dollars. My best friend sent me ten grand without a second thought. That is the difference in human nature. After buying the medicine and feeling a bit better, I drove home. I had already made up my mind. As soon as I walked through the door, I saw Ethan. He was sitting on the sofa, eagerly showing off his wrist. “Look at this! This watch just dropped today, and I nabbed it.” “Got a ten percent discount. Paid in cash!” Looking at his smug face, my expression went cold. “Ethan, from now on, I’m not putting a single penny into our joint account.” Ethan froze. “Vivian, what are you talking about? With the way you throw money around, you make ten grand a month and can barely save a thousand. You’d go broke without me.” “I know you’re mad about the medicine. But look at this watch—it’s an investment! It holds its value.” I sneered inwardly. When I spent money, it was “throwing it around.” When he bought a luxury watch, it was an “investment.” I had truly underestimated his double standards. I pushed past him, went to the bathroom, and logged into our joint account. There was only fifty dollars left in it. Ethan’s voice drifted in from the living room. “Honey, I know you’re upset. Tell you what, I’ll let you have that fifty dollars today without the form. Consider it a gift.” “See? Your husband takes good care of you.” I didn’t reply. I just sent a text to my lawyer. After reviewing my situation, the lawyer told me the first step was to find out exactly how much money we had. To get a fair share of the assets, or to claw back the majority of the wealth I had earned, was going to be difficult. Since I was the one initiating the divorce, I might have to compromise on some funds. I clenched my fists. I opened Instagram and checked his family’s profiles. I saw that his brother, Tyler, had just moved into a brand-new house. It was in the city’s most expensive gated community. Paid in full. Tyler was in his thirties, had no steady job, and his wife, Sarah, was a stay-at-home mom. Where on earth did they get the money to buy a luxury house in cash? Obviously, it was Ethan. He had drained our joint account to fund his leech of a family while keeping me on a leash. What a joke! My instinct was to storm out and confront him, but my lawyer’s warning echoed in my mind: “You need hard evidence first.” If I blew my cover now, I would lose. I forced myself to calm down, logged onto my mobile banking, and reported all my credit cards as lost.

I did the math. With my ten-thousand-dollar monthly salary, performance bonuses, and stock options, I had brought in nearly four million dollars over the last three years. All of it was in his hands. Meanwhile, Ethan worked as a project supervisor for the city planning department. He made barely three thousand dollars a month. That was it. Yet, he lived like a millionaire, casually buying forty-thousand-dollar watches and designer clothes. And me? I had nothing. My own jewelry was locked away in a safe. If I wanted to wear a necklace, I had to submit an request explaining the exact occasion and why it was necessary. In his words: “You have too many business dinners. Drinking and dining out is a waste of money. Home-cooked meals are healthier. And jewelry is unnecessary. Simple is best.” Before, I had believed his sweet talk about “natural beauty.” I didn’t care much because I was too busy with work, and simple accessories were indeed more convenient. Now I realized I had been financially abused and brainwashed the entire time. I took a deep breath, walked out of the bathroom, and went straight to the safe in the study. Ethan followed me. “Vivian, what are you doing?” “I have a product launch the day after tomorrow. I need to take out some jewelry to match my outfit.” But when I reached the safe and entered the code, the screen flashed red. Error. I turned to look at Ethan. “You changed the passcode?” “Yeah. Just tell me what you need and I’ll get it for you. I changed all the codes in the house.” My temper flared. “By what right?! That safe is mine! I bought it, the code was mine, and everything inside was bought with my money! What right do you have to lock me out?” “Starting today, you will not touch another cent of my money. We are done!” Ethan remained incredibly calm. “Honey, you’re just tired. Are you stressed at work? You’re the one who authorized me to manage everything. Why are you acting up now? Did someone get in your head?” He reached out to pat my head, but I slapped his hand away with a loud “smack”! “Don’t touch me! You disgust me!” Ethan looked at his reddened hand, his eyes darkening with a warning glare. “Vivian, behave. If you play nice, we won’t have any issues. But if you keep acting crazy, there will be consequences.” Hearing his threat, my rage boiled over. “Open the safe right now! I want my jewelry!” “No. Fill out the request form first.” I raised my hand to slap him, but he grabbed my wrist in a vice grip. “Vivian, you are emotionally unstable. You are unfit to handle our marital assets. Be a good girl, let me help you. If you need money, just ask.” I laughed out of sheer anger. “You really think I can’t do anything to you?” He smiled smugly. “You’re overthinking. Go get some sleep.” Ethan was completely fearless. He probably thought I’d never actually dare to divorce him. Undoubtedly, the safe was already empty. I couldn’t stand being in the same room with him. I grabbed my keys and ran out. Just as I got to the parking lot, his call came through. “Are you going to your downtown condo? Sorry to break it to you, but I sold it last week.” I froze in my tracks. I slowly turned around and looked up. Ethan was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window of our penthouse, looking down at me with a smirk. “Come back inside, Vivian. It’s getting late.” I squeezed my keys so hard they cut into my palm. I couldn’t believe he actually dared to sell my apartment! “Ethan, forging my signature on real estate documents is a felony!” “Let’s see who laughs last!” I immediately instructed my lawyer to draft the divorce papers and email them to him. Then, I got in my car and sped away.

I immediately contacted a friend who was a cybersecurity expert and sent him $5,000. I needed him to trace every single transaction from Ethan’s bank accounts. I also wanted a full trace on his family’s finances. At the same time, I filed an official complaint with the City Ethics Board, reporting Ethan for having unexplained assets that far exceeded his government salary. As a city employee, Ethan was subject to strict anti-corruption laws. He had just bought a forty-thousand-dollar watch and drove a luxury SUV worth over a hundred thousand. Most people with dirty money kept a low profile. But not Ethan. He was a poor boy who struck gold; he flaunted his wealth every chance he got, which had already made his colleagues jealous. Before, he always claimed the money came from his wealthy wife. Now, I was going to let the Ethics Board ask him exactly where those millions came from. While they investigated him, I would gather my evidence. My hacker friend worked fast. Within hours, he sent me a detailed spreadsheet of Ethan’s financial transactions. Looking at the numbers, my heart sank into a dark abyss. Over the last three years, under the guise of “supporting his parents,” Ethan had been transferring $5,000 to them every single month. On holidays, the transfers were at least $50,000. In total, he had funneled over $300,000 to his parents, and another $500,000 to buy his brother Tyler a house. He had also bought countless designer bags and jewelry. His sister-in-law, Sarah, frequently posted photos of her carrying Chanel and Hermes on Instagram. The hilarious part? Ethan always told his coworkers he bought those bags for me. In reality, they all went to Sarah. He was using my hard-earned money to feed his family of parasites, while treating me like a beggar who had to beg for a thirty-dollar prescription. He gave his family everything, but treated me like garbage. If I didn’t make him pay a devastating price for this, my name wasn’t Vivian! Meanwhile, Chloe, who worked at the main branch of our local bank, saw that Ethan’s government agency had flagged his accounts and demanded his financial statements. She called me immediately. “Viv, did something happen to Ethan?” “Yeah. I reported him.” She gasped in shock. When I told her that Ethan had locked up all my assets, she went absolutely ballistic. “Vivian! Are you insane?! You two were never on the same level! It was bad enough you married that loser, but you gave him control of your money?!” “I know. I regret it. That’s why I’m divorcing him.” Chloe fell silent for a moment, then said, “Whatever you need, I’m here.” She hung up, and a second later, my phone pinged with a PayPal notification: “$20,000 received.” Then came her text: “I know you’re broke right now. Consider this your war chest. Don’t you dare refuse it!” Looking at the screen, I started to laugh, and then the tears came. Sitting in my car by the curb, I cried and laughed like a madwoman, scaring away a few pedestrians. I wiped my tears, sat up straight, and my phone rang again. It was Ethan. “Vivian, you’re trying to ruin me! You’re the one who reported me to the Board, weren’t you?” “They brought me in for questioning today. But guess what? I got off clean. You can’t touch me!” I smiled. “I have all the time in the world to play with you, Ethan.” “The divorce papers are in your inbox. Enjoy.” Ethan choked on his words, his voice filled with disbelief. “What? You’re divorcing me? Over a safe and some jewelry? You reported me to the government and want a divorce over “that”?” “Yes. Over that.” I hung up on him. Then, I took my story and posted it on TikTok. I even paid for promotion to boost the video. I didn’t name him directly, but I knew his coworkers and acquaintances would easily connect the dots. The video was titled: 《My Husband is a Control Freak: I Have to Submit a Written Request Just to Buy Coffee!》 As soon as the video went live, it went viral. I posted screenshots of the “Allowance Request Forms” and his ridiculously petty rejections. I highlighted a few “masterpieces,” like when I requested $20 for a birthday cake or $15 for a pair of tights. I even showed his comments on the forms: “Honey, Walmart has sheet cakes for $5. Buy that instead. A birthday happens every year, no need to be extra.” “Your tights always rip. Don’t buy expensive ones. Order a bulk pack from Amazon.” Ethan, I hope you enjoy the spotlight.

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“Daisy, your private videos were posted on a paid forum!” I was bedridden after giving birth, and that message from my best friend chilled me to the bone. I opened the link, and in the HD footage, strangers by the thousands were watching my private daily life: breastfeeding, changing clothes, everything. The comment section was packed with filthy words: “I love married women like this.” The camera had been installed by my husband, Nathan Reed, two weeks ago. His excuse at the time was, “This way I can check on the baby while I’m at work.” With trembling hands, I tracked his phone. His location was not at the research institute, but at Wisteria Apartments. Standing at the door, a seductive woman’s voice pierced my eardrums: “Professor Reed, if your wife finds out you come to see me every day, won’t she be furious?” Nathan Reed laughed. “I posted the camera footage to a forum, and if she finds out, I can still threaten her with it.” So my body was the offering he had made to the entire internet. In that case, he could not blame me for being ruthless.

Daisy Lee POV When my best friend Olivia Hart’s message popped up, I had just gotten the baby to sleep. “Daisy, your private videos were posted on a paid forum!” I had been resting at home ever since giving birth, so how could there possibly be any videos? The next second, Olivia sent me a link. After I opened it, I froze on the spot. In the HD footage, every moment of me breastfeeding my baby and changing clothes was clearly exposed to strangers. My limbs went cold, and my stomach churned. With shaking hands, I swiped to the comment section, and the words there made me sick. “Her body’s out of shape after giving birth, but that face is perfect.” “I love married women like this.” “I’d love to go all night with this beauty.” The comments were dense, filthy, and disgusting. I covered my mouth and dry-heaved as tears and bile rose together. But at the same time, I noticed one thing: all the footage came from the bedroom camera. That camera had been installed by my husband, Nathan Reed, two weeks ago. He had said, “Let’s install a camera so I can check on the baby while I’m at work.” But now, how had the footage from that camera ended up on a porn forum? I called Nathan four or five times, but he did not answer a single call. I hesitated for three seconds, then opened my laptop and tracked his phone. I had worked at a tech company before, so this was not hard for me. I did not expect Nathan’s location to be at Wisteria Apartments near the research institute instead of at the institute itself. I filed a report with the cybercrime tip center, unplugged the camera’s power cord, handed the baby to Nathan’s mother, Linda, and went out. When I reached the door of Wisteria Apartments, before I could knock, a seductive voice drifted out. “Professor Reed, if your wife finds out you come to see me every day, won’t she be furious?” Nathan laughed, his voice lazy. “She won’t find out. I installed a camera at home, so I know her every move. I even posted the camera footage to a forum, so every man has seen her body, and even if she finds out about us, I can still threaten her.” The woman giggled and clung to him, and the wet sounds of their deep kiss stabbed into my ears like needles. Between gasps, the woman spoke again. “No wonder you’re a big-shot professor. Tell me, compared to your wife, don’t I make you feel better?” “Don’t mention someone so depressing at a time like this.” Soon, her high-pitched moans spilled out. My whole body trembled, and my tears almost broke free. I had thought Nathan loved me, so even though my health was poor, I had still risked my life to give birth to his child. In the end, it had all been fake. I raised my hand to cover my mouth and forced myself to steady my breathing. But my gaze suddenly fell on the trash bag by the door. A supermarket receipt was stuck to the outside: cat food, fruit, rice, body wash, and all kinds of sauces. I froze. Nathan was not having a temporary affair; he had already started living with another woman outside our home. No wonder he came home less and less, always saying the research institute was busy. So he had a new home. The woman’s coquettish voice came from inside again. “When are you going to dump her and marry me? I want to have a baby for you too.” The room seemed to fall silent for a moment. Nathan said in a low voice, “What’s good about having a baby? Your stomach ends up covered in disgusting stretch marks. I couldn’t bear to let you suffer, so just stay beautiful.” My tears finally fell, and I raised my hand to cover my lower abdomen. For this child, I had endured every kind of suffering: stretch marks, tearing, incontinence… and what I had received in exchange for nearly dying was my husband calling it “disgusting.” Just then, my phone received an encrypted email. “Ms. Lee, I know you just gave birth and are still recovering, but only you are capable of leading Mr. Black’s new project. Are you really not considering returning to work?” HR had already sent this email several times. Before, I had naively thought Nathan needed me to manage the household, so I had rejected it again and again. Now? I wiped away my tears and typed quickly. “Okay, I’ll go to California next week to discuss it with you in person.” I could not tolerate a cheating man, and I definitely could not let a man like that be my child’s father. If I wanted to raise my child alone, I needed a job, because only then would I have the confidence to grind that bastard into the dirt. I took one last look at that door, then turned and left.

Daisy Lee POV When Nathan Reed came home, I was sitting on the couch with no expression on my face. “Honey, I’m home.” Nathan smiled gently, holding a delicate fruit platter in his hand. “The institute gave out employee perks today, a premium fruit platter, and I brought it back especially for you to try.” My gaze fell on the fruit platter. The cantaloupe pieces were cut in uneven sizes, and several strawberries were obviously soft and wilted. This was not a store-cut, sealed platter; it was leftovers pieced together. A sour ache surged into my nose, because he had not been like this before. When I was pregnant, my morning sickness was terrible, and Nathan ran across half the city at three in the morning to buy me fruit and vegetable juice. When my feet were so swollen I could not wear shoes, he crouched on the floor and massaged them for half an hour at a time. He never missed a single prenatal appointment, and once, when the doctor said the baby’s position was not quite right, his eyes turned red on the spot. Back then, I had believed I had married the right person. Even when stretch marks crawled across my belly, and even when I tore and hemorrhaged so badly during childbirth that I nearly did not make it off the operating table, I still thought I was happy. But now, as I looked at the face of the man beside me, he suddenly felt unbearably unfamiliar. My tone was extremely calm. “My videos were posted online.” Nathan’s face stiffened, but he quickly returned to normal. Fake anger rose on his face. “What videos? Who posted them?” “They were recorded by the bedroom camera, the one you installed two weeks ago.” Nathan raised his voice. “Are you saying the camera was hacked? Don’t be scared, I’ll make sure you get justice!” “I already called the police,” I said. Nathan opened his mouth, but he could not say a word. In the end, he only pulled me into his arms. “That’s good. Don’t be scared, your husband is here for everything.” I closed my eyes, and it felt like a dull knife was grinding against my heart. I knew I could not alert him now, because I had to collect evidence before I could sue for divorce. After calming down for a while, I got up and went to Linda’s room to get the baby. When I pushed open the door, the baby was lying in the crib, sleeping quietly. I walked over, but no matter what I did, I could not wake the baby. The baby’s little face was flushed an abnormal red, and her breathing was shallow and slow. My heart dropped. “What’s wrong with the baby? Why won’t she wake up?” Linda was watching TV and did not even lift her head. “She cried too hard this afternoon and gave me a headache, so I fed her a little alcohol, and now she’s sleeping just fine.” The string in my mind snapped. I practically roared, “You fed the baby alcohol?! She isn’t even a month old!” Linda waved dismissively. “Stop making such a fuss. We all raised kids like this back then. It helps them sleep better.” I could not listen anymore and scooped the baby up. “Nathan Reed! Your mother fed the baby alcohol! Drive us to the hospital right now!” Nathan’s face changed when he heard that, and he grabbed the car keys and rushed downstairs. The car started, and I held the baby while my whole body shook uncontrollably. The baby was still sleeping heavily, her little mouth faintly purple, and her breathing grew weaker and weaker. Nathan stepped on the gas and ran two red lights in a row. Just as the car picked up speed, his phone rang. The car’s Bluetooth connected automatically, and a woman’s sweet, crying voice filled the entire cabin. “Professor Reed, help me—I’m so scared!” The voice stopped abruptly, and the call disconnected. Nathan froze for a second, then instinctively jerked the steering wheel hard. The car instantly turned around. I was thrown against the car door and looked up in disbelief. “What are you doing? Why are you turning around?” “I have to go over there,” Nathan said tightly, flooring the gas pedal. “Nathan Reed! Do you know your daughter has alcohol poisoning? She needs emergency care!” “Something happened over there too!” Nathan roared. All the blood in my body turned cold. Holding back tears, I yanked open the car door, and Nathan slammed on the brakes. I ran out of the car with the baby in my arms. Nathan stuck his head out of the window as if he wanted to say something, but his phone rang again. He glanced at the caller ID, then sped away with one hard press of the gas. I stood there as raindrops smashed onto me and onto the baby’s burning little face. I looked down at the child in my arms, and her lips had already turned blue. I could only reach out to hail a cab, but it was rush hour, and the rain was pouring. One taxi after another sped past, and no one paid any attention to me. Helpless, I held the baby and ran forward, but my foot slipped, and I fell heavily to the ground. The fall made my vision go black, and rain mixed with tears until my face was soaked, but I still protected the baby tightly in my arms. Luckily, a kind person found me and took me to the nearest children’s hospital. The baby was sent to emergency care, and I stood frozen, staring hard at the doors of the resuscitation room. I did not know how long had passed before the doors opened. The doctor came out with a grave expression. “The child has acute liver failure and needs immediate surgery.” My legs went weak, and I collapsed straight to the floor.

Daisy Lee POV The red light above the operating room was on. I sat slumped in a chair, cold all over. Hurried footsteps came from the end of the hallway, and when I looked up, I saw Linda jogging over. “Daisy Lee! What did you do to my granddaughter?!” Linda rushed over, her finger almost jabbing the tip of my nose. “She’s so little, and you let doctors cut her open? Are you even human?” My voice was hoarse. “You fed her alcohol, and the baby’s liver failed…” “Bullshit. You think that tiny bit of alcohol I fed her could kill someone? You’re targeting me on purpose, making this a big deal so you can extort the Reed family!” My whole body trembled, and I wanted to stand, but I had no strength. I said weakly, “I’m not arguing with you. We’ll talk after the surgery.” “My perfectly fine granddaughter was sent to the operating table by you, and you still have the nerve to talk?” Linda’s voice grew louder and louder, drawing sideways glances from passing nurses. People began whispering, and the way they looked at me carried a hint of judgment. At that moment, Nathan Reed ran over from the other end of the hallway. I saw his eyes turn red instantly, but I clenched my teeth and did not let my tears fall. “How nice of you to show up. Wasn’t someone looking for you?” I said through gritted teeth. Nathan froze, and his expression turned a little unnatural. “My colleague had an emergency. A mouse got into her apartment and scared her badly…” I suddenly laughed. His daughter had alcohol poisoning and liver failure, yet he had turned around halfway to comfort his mistress because she was scared by a mouse. I took a deep breath and looked at Linda. “From now on, you are not allowed near my child again.” Linda froze for one second, then exploded. “You heartless thing! I worked so hard helping you take care of the baby, and this is how you repay me?” The more she spoke, the more worked up she became, until she sat directly on the floor, slapped her thighs, and began wailing. “Everyone, judge for yourselves! This woman abused my granddaughter, and now she won’t let me, her grandmother, see the child! She’s trying to steal the Reed family’s bloodline!” More and more people gathered in the hallway, and someone pulled out a phone to record. I looked at Linda throwing a tantrum on the floor and only felt my stomach churn. I took out my phone and pressed 911. A hand reached over and snatched my phone away. Nathan lowered his voice. “Are you insane? She’s my mother!” “She fed your daughter alcohol and nearly killed your daughter!” My voice was shaking. “She meant well and only wanted the baby to sleep more peacefully.” “And you? How much sincerity have you ever shown me and our child?” I stared hard at him. Nathan’s face changed sharply, and his lips moved, but no words came out. I said in a low voice, “Are you going to handle this or not? If you won’t, I’ll call the police.” Nathan was silent for a few seconds, then said, “I’ll take her home first. She’s old and can’t handle all this stress.” I closed my eyes, and my chest hurt as if it were being carved open alive. I did not know how long passed before the operating room finally opened. The doctor walked out and removed his mask. “I’m sorry. We did everything we could.” “The child’s alcohol poisoning was too severe, and she was brought in too late. Her liver function completely failed, and multiple organ failure occurred during surgery…” The doctor was still saying something, but I could no longer hear it. I saw a nurse push out a small cart covered with a white sheet. Under the white sheet was one tiny little rise. That was the child I had carried for ten months and nearly died giving birth to. I reached out to lift the white sheet, but my hand was shaking so badly that it took three tries. I lay over my child’s body, and my tears fell one by one. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry… Mommy didn’t protect you…” In the hallway, only my sobs remained, until my throat was dry and hoarse, and even my tears had run out. My phone rang at that moment. Olivia’s voice came from the other end, urgent and sharp. “Daisy, why are you being exposed online? Someone posted on a forum saying you abused your child and caused her death! Everyone in the comments is cursing you! They even posted your photo and home address!”

Daisy Lee POV Numbly, I opened the link Olivia had sent. The title of the post was written in bold red font: “Mother with Postpartum Depression Feeds Infant Alcohol While Drunk, Baby Girl Dies of Alcohol Poisoning!” The poster wrote that I had been a long-term alcoholic, had lost control emotionally after giving birth, and had deliberately forced alcohol into my child. Every single word was false, but my photo and phone number had been leaked. The comment section exploded. “How can someone like this be a mother? Go die.” “That poor child had the worst luck being born into that family.” “Someone should dox her and ruin her life.” My phone started ringing, one unfamiliar number after another. When I answered, the person on the other end immediately screamed, “Murderer, why don’t you go die?” After I hung up, it rang again, and after I hung up again, it rang again. Text messages also flooded in, each one more vicious than the last. “I hope you can never have another child in this life.” “Aren’t you afraid your child will come for your life at night?” “Go die go die go die.” All my strength drained away, and cold sweat soaked my back. People came and went around me, and someone recognized me, pointing at me and whispering. “That’s her, right? The one online who fed her baby alcohol…” “Oh my God, she looks so normal, so how could she do something like that?” “You really can’t know a person’s heart by looking at their face.” All the slander pressed down on me like a giant mountain, but I did not defend myself and only held the child who had already lost her warmth tighter. After an unknown amount of time, I handed my child’s body to the nurse and walked to the hospital rooftop alone. The wind on the rooftop was strong, and I stood at the edge and looked down. If I jumped, I would not have to face my daughter’s body. If I jumped, I would not have to hear those people’s insults. I took one step forward, but when the wind poured into my collar, I suddenly remembered my daughter’s face. Her tiny mouth had opened in a grin, showing pink gums, and her eyes had curved into little crescents. My body suddenly trembled, because if I jumped, who would avenge my daughter? The people who had killed my daughter would keep living, without paying any price at all. I crouched at the edge of the rooftop and cried without making a sound. After an unknown amount of time, I walked down from the rooftop and took a cab home. I had to take the camera away first and preserve some evidence. But when I reached the downstairs entrance, I saw Nathan Reed’s mistress standing there. Chloe Snow wore a white dress, her long hair falling over her shoulders, graceful and pretty. “Daisy, I heard about everything online. Don’t be too upset. People online just follow the crowd, and they’ll forget in a few days.” Chloe Snow smiled just right. I stopped walking. “What are you trying to say?” “Your current reputation is bad for Professor Reed. If you really love him, shouldn’t you consider leaving him?” Looking at that face pretending to be innocent, I suddenly wanted to laugh. “Chloe Snow, what identity are you using to say this to me? His girlfriend? Or his mistress?” Chloe’s smile froze for a moment, and then she simply stopped pretending. “When you were pregnant, you cried and got angry over everything, and living with you was so painful for him that he came to me. You pushed him away yourself.” “Did he tell you that his monthly salary is deposited into my account? That the house under his name is in my name? That he still hasn’t dared to bring up divorce with me? Do you know why?” Chloe’s lips trembled. “Because he can’t afford to divorce me. If he divorces me, he’ll leave with nothing, and when that happens, are you willing to support him?” I stared tightly at Chloe. Chloe’s eyes turned red, and the resentment in them could not be hidden at all. I continued, “Actually, you don’t love him. You love the title of ‘Professor Reed.’ If he were just an ordinary researcher, would you still sleep with him?” “Shut up!” Chloe’s voice turned shrill. “With a mouth that nasty, be careful your daughter doesn’t get punished and die without a whole body!” My hand clenched tight, and a burst of rage surged up instantly. Slap. Chloe’s head was knocked to the side. “If you dare say one more word about my daughter, I’ll kill you.” Chloe covered her face, and tears instantly poured out. At that moment, Nathan Reed happened to come home and ran over when he saw the scene. “Daisy, why did you hit someone?” He glanced at the red mark on Chloe’s face and looked quite displeased. “I know you’re hurting, but what good does making a scene like this do anyone? Can’t you calm down for my sake?” I sneered. “What the hell is she, coming in front of me to stir up trouble?” Nathan looked at Chloe, and Chloe’s eyes immediately reddened. “I was only worried about Professor Reed’s career. I didn’t mean anything else…” Nathan waved his hand. “Chloe is just my colleague, and she meant well. Hitting someone is wrong. Your emotions have been very unstable lately, so you should see a doctor.” I opened my mouth, only to find my throat felt blocked. “Enough. Let’s talk inside.” As Nathan spoke, he reached out to pull me, but I stepped back and avoided him. Nathan’s hand froze in midair, and his face finally darkened. He frowned. “How long are you going to keep making trouble?” I looked at him heavily, with far too many emotions in that one look. “Nathan Reed, I’m tired. Let’s get divorced.”

Daisy Lee POV After I said that, I went upstairs, and soon Nathan Reed abandoned Chloe Snow and followed me. The air in the living room was so still it felt like it would freeze. “What did you just say?” My voice was flat. “I’m tired. I don’t want to drag this out with you anymore.” Nathan stared at me and laughed as if he were listening to a child speak in anger. “You’re still recovering, and I don’t blame you for being emotionally unstable, but you can’t just say things like divorce.” I looked up at him. “Nathan Reed, I know you cheated.” Nathan’s smile immediately froze. Before he could speak, I continued, “I went to Wisteria Apartments, and I know exactly what you two were doing inside.” Nathan’s face shifted several times, then he suddenly became earnest. “Daisy, have you ever thought about your own problems? After you got pregnant, your moods changed constantly. I was exhausted from work every day, and when I came home, I still had to deal with your emotions, so I was under a lot of pressure too. Besides, from your pregnancy until now, it’s been almost a year, and I couldn’t even touch you. I’m a normal man, and I have needs too. It’s normal for me to find a woman outside to deal with it, but in the end, I’ll still return to the family.” “So your cheating is my fault?” I asked expressionlessly. “I’m not saying you’re at fault,” Nathan said, shaking his head, “but when there are problems in a marriage, both of us are responsible, and you can’t push all the blame onto me.” I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, they were full of determination. “Get divorced, and leave with nothing.” Nathan’s face changed completely. “Daisy Lee, don’t go too far.” I sneered. “Why didn’t you think you were going too far when you cheated? Why didn’t you think you were going too far when you posted my camera footage online?” Nathan’s pupils shrank sharply. I did not give him a chance to argue. “You installed the camera, and you uploaded the videos. Did you think no one could find anything after you deleted the records? Nathan Reed, just wait to go to prison.” Nathan’s face turned pale. Linda, who had been eavesdropping, rushed out and pointed at my nose while cursing me. “You still have the nerve to mention divorce? You married into the Reed family, ate our food, and lived in our house, and now you want a divorce? Fine, pay three hundred thousand dollars, not a penny less!” Looking at that twisted face, I suddenly felt disgusted. “Your son cheated, and you’re talking to me about money?” “So what if my son cheated? That just means you couldn’t keep your man. Who can you blame when you’re useless?” My whole body trembled, and I suddenly understood that I had never been treated as family. I was a breeding tool, a nanny, a thing that could be discarded at will. I took out my phone to call the police, but Nathan snatched it away with so much force that he broke my fingernail. The pain made my vision go black, and in the next second, Nathan shoved me into the bedroom. “Nathan Reed! This is unlawful confinement!” I shouted angrily. “I’m your husband, and I’m responsible for controlling you. You’re too emotional right now, and I can’t let you go out and do something stupid.” I pounded on the door several times, until my hands turned red, but no one answered. The sky outside the window grew dark. After an unknown amount of time, I smelled something strange, a thick smell of smoke. I shot to my feet. “Nathan Reed! There’s a fire!” I pounded on the door like crazy, shouting until my voice cracked, but no one answered. The smoke grew thicker and thicker, choking me until I coughed violently. Suddenly, the door opened. But the person standing at the door was not Nathan Reed, but Chloe Snow. Chloe stood in the thick smoke, holding a lighter in her hand, with a smile hanging at the corner of her mouth. “Daisy, do you like the gift I gave you?” My pupils shrank sharply. “Are you insane? This is an apartment building!” Chloe’s eyes were cold. “As long as you die, your place will be mine!” The flames blazed, and Chloe locked the door, turned, and ran. Nathan was nowhere to be found, and Linda was gone too. I curled up by the window and gulped in the last of the air. Just then, the door was kicked open from the outside. Olivia Hart rushed in, soaked from head to toe and wrapped in a wet blanket, then grabbed my hand. “Don’t waste time! Come with me!” We stumbled through the sea of fire. Downstairs, a black SUV was already waiting by the curb. Olivia shoved me into the back seat, jumped into the driver’s seat, and sped away with one hard press of the gas. “The plane tickets and documents you asked me to prepare are done. We’re leaving tonight!” I looked at the Reed home growing farther away, my eyes numb. Nathan Reed POV Not long after, I came home from the research institute and found that the house had been burned. The bedroom door was open, and no one was inside. Daisy Lee had run away. I stood in the mess, my face so dark it seemed to drip water. Daisy did not have her phone, so I could only call the hospital. “Hello, I’m a family member of the patient in Bed 15. I’d like to ask about my daughter’s condition, and also, if the child’s mother comes to the hospital, please notify me immediately…” The other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds. “Sir, the child in Bed 15 passed away during surgery last night, and we already informed the child’s mother on site.” The hand I was using to hold the phone froze. “What did you say? Passed away?” The world suddenly went quiet. The sirens of the fire trucks and the neighbors’ shouting all disappeared. I could only hear my own heartbeat. One beat after another, heavy and dull, like a hammer striking my chest. “Click.”

Daisy Lee POV The plane landed at San Francisco International Airport. I had not closed my eyes the entire way, and my tears dried, then wet my face again, then dried again. Olivia gently put her arm around me. “Pull yourself together. Mr. Black has already arranged everything, and you can handle onboarding this afternoon.” I took a deep breath and decided to use work to temporarily fill the hole in my heart. But when we arrived at the company, the receptionist glanced at me, and her expression looked a little strange. “Ms. Lee, please wait.” Mr. Carter walked over from not far away with a serious expression and held his phone right in front of my face. On the screen, Nathan Reed was sitting on a couch, brows furrowed and eyes red, doing a livestream. “My wife’s postpartum depression is very severe. Her emotions have been unstable since she got pregnant, and I’ve been trying hard to take care of her and comfort her, but after our child’s accident, she completely broke down.” He lowered his head and pressed the corner of his eye with his thumb. “She set fire to our home and then disappeared. I don’t blame her. I know she’s in more pain than I am. I only want to say one thing to her: Daisy, come back. I’ll always wait for you, and no matter what happens, I won’t give up on you.” The comment section scrolled like crazy. “Professor Reed is seriously so devoted. Where do you even find a man like this?” “Daisy Lee is just a crazy woman! She killed her own child and burned down the house?” “I feel so bad for Professor Reed, getting stuck with a wife like that.” “Hurry up and call the police to find her and force her into treatment. Don’t let her hurt anyone else.” I clenched my fists, and my voice tightened. “Mr. Carter, what he’s saying is false.” Mr. Carter had no expression. “The company is preparing the PR campaign for a new project, and every move we make is being watched by the media. Forgive me for being direct, but your current public image is not very suitable for onboarding.” “He’s slandering me. I am mentally normal!” “Public opinion online doesn’t care whether it’s slander or not. We can talk about reinstatement after you’ve cleaned up your personal affairs—” “Gregory Carter.” A faint voice came over, making Mr. Carter freeze in place. I turned my head. Adrian Black was wearing a dark gray shirt, the cuffs rolled up to his forearms, and his gaze was sharp as a blade. Mr. Carter immediately became respectful. “I was only thinking of the company…” Adrian’s face was cold. “Ms. Lee is someone I personally recruited back. No one but her can lead the North American project. If you can do it, then you take over.” After hearing that, Mr. Carter could only retreat awkwardly to the side. I did not stand on ceremony with Adrian either and spoke directly. “I need a livestream room, right now.” Adrian did not ask a single extra word. “The east-side conference room on the nineteenth floor is empty. Anyone who dares go up and disturb you can come answer to me.” After he said that, Olivia pulled me toward the elevator. After I entered the conference room, I opened the computer, and my fingers flew across the keyboard. When I hacked into Nathan Reed’s livestream, he was still broadcasting. Nathan wiped his tears. “I know many people are cursing my wife, but please be merciful with your words. She is a victim too…” With a livid face, I hit Enter and forcibly connected to Nathan’s livestream. The livestream comments froze for one second, then exploded. “Holy shit??? Is that Daisy Lee???” “What the hell is going on???” Nathan’s face went deathly pale, and before he could speak, I had already opened my mouth. “Nathan Reed, weren’t you looking for me? I’m right here.” “Do you want to tell everyone what you did one more time?” Nathan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Daisy, don’t be impulsive…” I cut him off directly. “You installed a camera in the bedroom to film me breastfeeding and changing clothes, then posted those videos on a paid forum for every man to watch.” The comments went crazy again. “A camera? A paid forum?” “That account was called Married Woman Watcher. Even though you already deleted the post history, you took monthly revenue shares from that forum, so do you want me to show your bank statements?” I said. Nathan’s face lost every trace of color. He forced the corners of his mouth apart, trying to argue, but I spoke faster and faster. “And then there’s Wisteria Apartments, where you and your mistress lived together for nearly half a year. That day, our child had alcohol poisoning and liver failure, and I held her in the rain trying to stop cars on the road, but you went to see your mistress because a mouse got into her apartment.” The livestream completely collapsed. The comments changed from cursing me to flooding the screen with insults toward Nathan. “Nathan Reed, are you even fucking human?” “Your daughter was dying, and you went to see your side chick?” “Holy shit, camera footage? That’s already illegal, right?!” Nathan suddenly stood up. “Daisy Lee, stop talking nonsense!” I tilted my head, and a faint curve rose at the corner of my mouth.I turned on screen sharing, and the transfer records, location history, forum backend data, and camera footage were neatly lined up in front of everyone. Nathan froze on-screen, and the expression on his face changed from anger to fear. The livestream’s viewer count jumped from twenty thousand to one hundred thousand, then to five hundred thousand. Trending tags shot up the rankings almost at the same second. #NathanReedCheated# #NathanReedFilmedHisWifeInSecret# Nathan roared and yanked out the power cord, and the screen went black. I slowly released the mouse, only then realizing my hands were shaking badly. When tears slowly fell, I thought of my daughter in a daze. I wanted so badly to hold her one more time, but I still had things left to do. This was only the beginning.

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On the day of the engagement rehearsal, I saw my name erased from the main screen and replaced with another woman’s. Lily Carter spun in the spotlight. “Do I look good?” “Ethan said the main image looked too soft, but when I stand in front of it, I can hold the whole vibe together.” The staff laughed along with her, and not a single person stopped her. I called Ethan Grant, and his tone was flat. “Lily is just helping with the test shoot.” “You just got to New York, so don’t start throwing a tantrum the second you arrive.” The call ended, and the spotlight was still on. On the main screen, Lily Carter’s name overlapped with the tulip pattern my mother had drawn by hand, like a replacement that had been written in advance. I raised my hand and turned off that light. “I’m here, so the rehearsal starts over.” I said to the man on the other end of the line, “Goodbye, I’m going to marry a different man.” Claire Hayes POV On the day of the engagement rehearsal, I saw my name erased from the main engagement screen and replaced with another woman’s. It was a main image of tulips, and the tulip pattern in the corner had been finalized by my mother herself, with my name written in the corner of the draft. Before I came back from overseas, my mother told me that the Grant family in New York had plenty of rules, and the engagement did not need to be extravagant, but my first appearance could not let anyone look down on me. I never expected that the person who looked down on me would first take my place. In the center of the banquet hall, Lily Carter was standing under the spotlight, filming a pre-engagement video, and the main screen behind her showed her name and Ethan Grant’s name. Around her stood photographers, makeup artists, and hotel coordinators, and everyone called her “Miss Carter,” while someone even whispered that Mr. Grant truly spoiled her, since he was willing to let her film with his fiancée’s main engagement visual first. I stopped at the doorway and did not rush to speak. Lily Carter saw me through the mirror and deliberately spun around. “Do I look good?” “Ethan said the main image looked too soft, but when I stand in front of it, I can hold the whole vibe together.” Her voice was not loud, but it was just enough for the people around her to hear. The hotel coordinator glanced at me, and when he saw my simple trench coat, his attitude instantly became perfunctory. “Miss, the hall is not open to the public today, so if you’re looking for someone, please register at the front desk.” I looked at Lily Carter’s name on the main screen. “Take her image down.” The room fell silent at once. Lily Carter seemed startled and took half a step back, but her fingers gripped the cue card in her hand even tighter. “Who are you?” “You barge in and tell me to turn off the main screen?” “Can just anyone walk into the Grant family’s engagement venue in New York now?” Someone laughed along with her. I ignored everyone else and only asked the coordinator, “Who approved this main visual?” The coordinator grew impatient after being questioned. “Of course it was arranged by Mr. Grant’s side.” “Miss Carter is Mr. Grant’s close family friend, and she is also the one in charge of the test shoot tonight.” “If you’re just some passerby or freelance photographer, please leave.” Lily Carter smiled even more sweetly. “Don’t make things hard for her.” “Maybe she saw the engagement news online and misunderstood, thinking she had a chance to marry into the Grant family too.” Once she said that, the laughter in the hall became even more obvious. I took out my phone and called Ethan Grant. After the call connected, I asked only one question. “Did you let Lily Carter use my name to shoot the engagement video?” The other end of the phone went quiet for a moment. Ethan Grant’s voice was cold. “Claire Hayes?” “You’re at the hotel?” “I’m asking you whether you let her shoot it.” “It’s just one image.” Ethan Grant’s tone carried irritation at being disturbed. “Lily is helping test-shoot the materials, and the staff are rushing to meet the schedule.” “You just got back to New York, and you don’t understand how things are arranged here, so don’t start causing trouble the moment you arrive.” I looked at Lily Carter’s smug eyes in the mirror and suddenly laughed. “So I, the fiancée, should thank her for shooting my engagement video for me?” Ethan Grant was silent for a moment. “don’t come in here making a scene.” “Lily isn’t in good health, so don’t embarrass her in public.” “I’ll be there soon.” The call ended. Lily Carter lifted her chin like she had won a round. “Did you hear that?” “Ethan told you not to embarrass me.” I put away my phone, walked to the front of the main stage, and raised my hand to turn off that spotlight. The moment the light went out, the entire banquet hall dimmed by half. I looked at Lily Carter, and my voice was steady. “I’m here, so the rehearsal starts over.” “As for you, take down the name that doesn’t belong to you first.” Before I returned to New York, I had seen photos of Ethan Grant. My mother placed the documents in front of me and said the Grant family had been fairly stable in New York these years, and Ethan Grant himself was not an heir who only knew how to live off family money. At the time, I did not have much of an opinion. I had no fairy-tale expectations for marriage, and if two families could respect each other, getting engaged first and then getting to know each other was not completely unacceptable. But respect was never something written in documents. It showed itself in a person’s first reaction. For example, Ethan Grant clearly knew tonight was the engagement rehearsal, yet he let another woman stand onstage in my name. For example, when the staff saw the fiancée arrive, their first reaction was not to verify my identity, but to treat me like an outsider who had barged in. I had seen plenty of arrogance overseas, but this kind of contempt dressed up as intimacy still shocked me. The camera was still on, and the screen showed the clip Lily Carter had just filmed in real time. Facing the camera, she said, “Ethan and I can’t wait for everyone to come witness this,” and her tone was so intimate that she sounded like the real Mrs. Grant. I glanced at it and asked the photographer, “Where is this clip going to be posted?” The photographer said quietly, “The Grant wedding account, and the hotel’s partner promotion account.” Lily Carter’s expression changed slightly, and she rushed to speak first. “It’s just a test line, and it’ll be changed in post-production.” I looked at her. “Why wasn’t my name in the test line?” This question was far more deadly than fighting over an image. Only then did the people around us realize that Lily Carter had not just taken a main image, but had taken my place in front of the Grant family and their guests ahead of me.

Claire Hayes POV Lily Carter’s eyes immediately turned red. She was too good at controlling this kind of situation and knew exactly when to be arrogant and when to act weak. Once the spotlight went out, she looked as if I had bullied her terribly, clutching the cue card while her voice trembled. “I was only helping test the effect, so do you really have to humiliate me like this?” The hotel coordinator hurried over to support her. “Miss Carter, please don’t panic.” I glanced at the coordinator. “This main visual has a custom archive, a signature, a tulip pattern, and delivery records, all of which can be checked.” “She used my name and my main visual to shoot engagement materials, so who approved it?” The coordinator’s expression shifted, but he still forced himself to hold his ground. “Mr. Grant’s side said that the event site should follow Miss Carter’s opinions.” “Ethan Grant is the engagement partner, not the owner of the main visual and the signature,” I said. “Whoever paid you is the person you should answer to.” Lily Carter bit her lip. “You’re so harsh.” “Ethan always says I’m one of the Grant family, so what’s wrong with me helping him?” “Besides, you haven’t even married into the family yet, but you’re already in such a hurry to claim things.” “Isn’t that a little petty?” Someone nearby chimed in. “Miss Carter has known Mr. Grant for so many years, so of course their relationship is different.” “I heard Mr. Grant’s family arranged this marriage, and he might not even want it himself.” “Even so, she can’t come in and force someone to turn off the main screen right away.” “That’s so rude.” Listening to those words, I calmed down instead. Growing up overseas did not mean I had never seen this kind of scene. The more semi-public the occasion was, the more people wanted to step on me to test the Grant family’s attitude. Since Lily Carter dared to replace this main visual today, it clearly was not a sudden impulse, but a plan to firmly claim the position of “the woman Ethan Grant favors most” before the engagement. Footsteps sounded at the door. Ethan Grant walked in, followed by several members of the Grant family. He wore a dark suit, and he did have striking looks, but the impatience between his brows was just as clear. The moment Lily Carter saw him, tears immediately fell. “Ethan, I didn’t know she would mind this much.” “I only wanted to help you finish the pre-engagement video, but as soon as she arrived, she told me to take down the image.” Ethan Grant frowned and looked at me. “You just came back to New York, and you have to make things this ugly?” I asked, “Did all of this start with me, or with the person who took the wrong place?” Ethan Grant’s voice sank. “Lily is not an outsider.” “She grew up with me, she’s not in good health, and everyone has always accommodated her.” “If you’re going to join the Grant family in the future, the first thing you need to learn is how to get along with her.” I almost laughed out loud. “I’m joining the Grant family to get engaged to my fiancé, not to learn how to serve his mistress.” “Claire Hayes!” Ethan Grant’s expression turned completely cold. “Watch your words.” Lily Carter looked as if she had suffered the greatest injustice in the world and hid behind Ethan Grant. “Forget it, I won’t shoot anymore.” “Anyway, I’m not the real fiancée, so I’m not even worthy of helping you test a shot.” She shoved the cue card into Ethan Grant’s hand, but her feet remained in the spotlight as she waited for Ethan Grant to speak for me. Sure enough, Ethan Grant stopped her. “You don’t need to leave.” He looked at me. “Let Lily finish shooting this set of clips.” “If you’re upset, I’ll have someone send you another set tonight.” I stared at him for a few seconds. I suddenly felt that when my mother arranged this marriage for me, she probably had not expected the Grant heir to be stupid enough to put his favoritism on display in front of the main screen at the engagement rehearsal. I picked up the engagement schedule booklet from the table and tore off the cover with Ethan Grant’s name and mine on it. “No need to send anything,” I said. “I’m not going through with this engagement.” When Ethan Grant said, “Lily is not an outsider,” I suddenly understood. This was not about who owned an image, but about the position the Grant family had drawn for me in advance. Lily Carter could cross boundaries, test limits, and stand in my place while everyone coaxed her. Meanwhile, I, the real fiancée, had to learn to give way the moment I walked through the door. I looked at Ethan Grant. “If a different man replaced your name today, would you also say he wasn’t an outsider?” Ethan Grant’s expression darkened. “Why are you comparing Lily to a man?” “She’s different.” “What makes her different?” I asked. “So different that she can shoot my engagement materials for me?” “So different that you can demand I give up the spotlight to her at my own engagement party?” The quiet murmurs around us slowly stopped. Only then did many people realize that I was not throwing a tantrum. I was asking whether the Grant family still knew where the line was. Ethan Grant did not answer that question. After all, I had looked into him, and he was used to Lily Carter occupying a special place in his life. She could enter his office, use his driver, pick food at the Grant family dinner table, and before he got engaged to another woman, take away the most important thing with a single line about “helping.” Taken separately, those things did not seem serious. But as I stood there, I suddenly exposed the meaning behind them. Ethan Grant was unwilling to admit it, so he could only accuse me of making a fuss over nothing. I saw through his avoidance and instead stopped being anxious. “You don’t have to figure it out now.” “When you truly do, I probably won’t need to hear it anymore.”

Claire Hayes POV Ethan Grant looked as if he had heard a joke. “What did you say?” I threw the torn-off cover into the trash. “I said the engagement is canceled.” The staff in the banquet hall were all stunned. Several Grant relatives’ expressions changed, and someone immediately lowered their voice to advise Ethan Grant. “Ethan, don’t let this blow up.” “The Hayes family hasn’t arrived yet.” But Ethan Grant was angered by my attitude. “Claire Hayes, the engagement is not something you can decide on your own.” Ethan Grant lowered his voice. “Apologize to Lily now, and I can pretend this never happened.” I asked back, “She used my name to shoot my engagement materials, and I’m supposed to apologize to her?” Lily Carter sobbed and said, “I really didn’t know the main screen was supposed to use your name.” “Ethan only said there would be a test shoot tonight, and I thought it was a sample prepared by the hotel.” What an interesting thing to say. I looked at her. “You didn’t know?” “The corner of the tulip main image draft has my name on it, and the framed border even has a signature card for me.” “Did you not see it before you started shooting, Miss Carter?” Lily Carter’s face turned slightly pale. But Ethan Grant grew impatient. “She doesn’t understand details like that.” “Claire Hayes, you keep clinging to one image, and it makes you look petty.” “Petty?” I nodded. “Then the Grant family’s engagement really isn’t worth much.” Ethan Grant stepped forward and reached out to grab my wrist. I avoided him. “Don’t touch me.” Lily Carter suddenly cried out, and her entire body fell backward, knocking over a glass of red wine, and the deep red liquid splashed across the draft of the tulip main image. “Claire, if you didn’t want me to shoot, I could have taken it down, so why did you push me?” She clutched her wrist, and tears came the moment she wanted them. I looked at that red wine stain, and my gaze turned completely cold. This tulip main image was my mother’s heartfelt gift to me, yet it was not enough for Lily Carter to take it away, and she had to destroy it with her own hands too. Ethan Grant held Lily Carter and could not suppress his anger. “Claire Hayes, you’ve gone too far!” “Mr. Grant.” A calm male voice came from the doorway. “There are surveillance cameras here, so do you want to see what happened clearly before you scold her?” I turned around. Adrian Lawson stood by the door, with the Hayes family’s legal team behind him. He had his coat draped over his arm, and when his gaze landed on the stained tulip main image draft, his expression also turned cold. “Miss Hayes, Ms. Hayes is on her way,” he said. “She asked me to come pick you up first.” Someone in the banquet hall whispered, “Ms. Hayes?” “Which Ms. Hayes?” Adrian Lawson did not answer and only walked to my side. “Are you all right?” I shook my head. “I’m fine.” “The main visual draft is not.” Ethan Grant frowned. “And who are you?” Adrian Lawson looked at him, his tone so polite it was almost sharp. “Miss Hayes’s legal counsel.” “All future correspondence between the Grant family and Miss Hayes regarding this engagement must run through me exclusively.” Adrian Lawson’s arrival was not exactly sudden. On the day I returned to New York, Vivian Hayes had given me his contact information, saying that the situation in New York was complicated, and if I encountered anything that made me uncomfortable, I could contact Adrian Lawson first. At the time, I even laughed at my mother for being too cautious. Only now did I realize my mother did not distrust the Grant family, but understood human nature too well. Adrian Lawson did not rush in like a hero saving the day and argue on my behalf. He first confirmed whether I was hurt, then had his assistant secure the surveillance footage and the main visual modification records. Every step was steady, so steady that Ethan Grant could not find a gap to gloss things over with the word “misunderstanding.” I looked at the document envelope he handed me, and the fire in my heart calmed instead. Anger could make me turn away, but evidence could make the other side shut up. Ethan Grant stared at Adrian Lawson, his tone carrying a warning. “Claire Hayes is my fiancée, and her affairs do not need an outsider’s involvement.” Adrian Lawson was not provoked. “The engagement has not been completed, and the engagement contract has not taken effect.” “Even if we take a step back and say the engagement contract had taken effect, that still would not mean Miss Hayes had lost the right to independently retain counsel.” His words were too calm, so calm that they made Ethan Grant even more embarrassed. I looked at Ethan Grant. “See, even my hiring a lawyer feels offensive to you.” “How could I dare marry someone like that?” For a moment, Ethan Grant was speechless. Lily Carter still wanted to cry, but Adrian Lawson had already asked his assistant to pull up the surveillance screenshot of the moment she stepped back and knocked over the wineglass. The footage froze on the second her foot moved backward on its own, and all her grievances looked ridiculous.

Claire Hayes POV Ethan Grant did not know Adrian Lawson, but he should have heard of the Lawson family. Everyone in New York commercial litigation knew that Adrian Lawson was young, steady, and best at turning words into knives for his clients. When Ethan Grant realized I had not come alone, his expression finally changed. But Lily Carter still did not understand the situation. She looked at the wine-splashed corner of the image and spoke in a weak voice. “Ethan, did I cause a huge problem?” “Why don’t I kneel down and apologize to Claire, as long as she doesn’t blame you?” Ethan Grant immediately frowned. “Don’t say nonsense.” I felt sick listening to it. Adrian Lawson asked his assistant to retrieve the surveillance footage and then asked the hotel manager to come over. The manager had been hiding the whole time, and only when he heard “the Hayes family’s lawyer” did he rush over, his forehead covered in sweat. “Miss Hayes, today was indeed a failure in our on-site management.” The manager smiled apologetically. “We will coordinate the compensation for the destroyed main visual draft.” “Coordinate?” I asked. “You handed my main engagement visual to someone else to shoot with, allowed her to film materials under my name, and now the draft is destroyed, but you only call it a failure in management?” The manager could not say a word. Another group of people arrived at the door. When Vivian Hayes walked into the banquet hall, every voice lowered. She wore a black suit, and her presence was so strong that no one dared look directly at her. When I was young, I always thought my mother was too quiet, and only after growing up did I understand that people who could truly command a room never relied on shouting. An elder from the Grant family recognized her, and his face instantly turned white. “Ms. Hayes?” Ethan Grant’s brows furrowed even tighter. He knew my mother’s last name was Hayes, but he had never connected the woman before him with that low-key capital powerhouse. Vivian Hayes looked at me first. “Were you hurt?” I shook my head. “No.” Only then did Vivian Hayes look at Ethan Grant and Lily Carter. “Then let’s talk business.” Ethan Grant said, “Ms. Hayes, today was a misunderstanding.” “Lily didn’t understand the rules, and Claire was a little impulsive too.” “I can apologize.” Vivian Hayes smiled, but there was no warmth in her eyes. “Mr. Grant, your apology comes quickly.” “When my daughter was surrounded and humiliated just now, were you this quick too?” Ethan Grant froze at the question. Vivian Hayes looked at the hotel manager. “Stop all releases of the Grant family’s engagement materials tonight, and seal all on-site files.” “Send the main visual draft and modification records for verification, and the responsible party will bear the loss.” The manager nodded repeatedly. Lily Carter finally panicked. “Ms. Hayes, I really didn’t do it on purpose.” “I didn’t know Claire would care this much about one image.” Vivian Hayes looked at her. “You knew, but you didn’t care.” Lily Carter’s face turned deathly pale. Vivian Hayes took my hand, and her tone became gentle again. “Claire, let’s go home.” I looked at Ethan Grant one last time. There was no hatred in that glance, and no unwillingness either, only disgust. Vivian Hayes walked to the tulip main image. Her fingertips did not touch the wine stain. My mother had told me before. The tulip pattern was a flower I had drawn in a notebook as a child, and the name in the corner of the draft was something she had written for the studio herself. She had not wanted to dress me up as a tool for an arranged marriage, but wanted me to know that someone loved her when I made my first formal appearance in unfamiliar New York. Now that sincerity had been taken by someone else to film under a false name, and then ruined by red wine. Vivian Hayes looked at Ethan Grant, and her tone remained calm. “Mr. Grant, an image can be remade, but thoughtfulness cannot be compensated for.” “What you did today made my daughter understand one thing.” “The Grant family is not worthy of her.” Ethan Grant’s face turned pale. The hotel manager no longer dared to talk about coordination and immediately had someone take down the image on the main screen. When Lily Carter was taken by the staff to the lounge, she still looked back at Ethan Grant. She probably thought Ethan Grant would follow her, or at least give her a look of comfort. But Ethan Grant was nailed in place by Vivian Hayes’s words and did not immediately respond to her. She clenched the cue card, her fingertips still stained with red wine, looking both miserable and cold.

Ethan Grant POV By the time my father arrived at the hotel, Claire Hayes had already left. After he watched the surveillance footage, his expression became extremely ugly. In the footage, Lily Carter used Claire Hayes’s main visual to film, and during the dispute, she took a step back on her own and knocked over the red wine. Claire Hayes did not push her, but I stood in front of Lily Carter at the first moment. “You fool!” My father slammed his palm on the table. “I told you to host Claire Hayes, not offend her so badly that she calls off the engagement!” My face turned livid from being scolded. “Dad, it was just one image.” “Just?” My father laughed in anger. “That main visual was personally commissioned by Vivian Hayes.” “You letting Lily Carter use it to film engagement materials was the same as grinding the Hayes family’s dignity into the floor.” I fell silent. Lily Carter stood to the side, tears falling nonstop. “It’s all my fault.” “Please don’t scold Ethan.” “I saw that the main visual was beautiful, so I begged him to let me test it out.” My father looked at her coldly. “Miss Carter, you are not part of the Grant family, so in the future, stop making decisions in Grant family matters.” Those words were too heavy. All the color drained from Lily Carter’s face at once. After all, she had used my favoritism since childhood to freely enter and leave the Grant family, and everyone gave her some respect. This was the first time my father had publicly placed her on the outside, and grievance and resentment surged up together. I frowned. “Dad, Lily isn’t in good health, so don’t scare her.” My father pointed at me. “You’re still protecting her?” “If the Hayes marriage is canceled, do you know how much support Grant Group will lose?” “Grant Group doesn’t depend on women to make money.” My tone hardened. “And I don’t want to marry a woman who makes such a huge scene the first time we meet.” When my father heard this, he calmed down instead. “Do you think Vivian Hayes values you?” he asked. I raised my head. My father’s voice sank. “Back then, when Grant Group’s capital chain nearly broke, Vivian Hayes brought in the first lifesaving investment for us.” “Later, during several overseas mergers and acquisitions, the Hayes family trust also guaranteed them from behind the scenes.” “Half the position you sit in now is dignity that they left for the Grant family.” My expression finally changed. I knew the Grant family and the Hayes family had an old connection, but I did not know it went that deep. My father picked up his phone. “I’m going to the Hayes family to apologize in person.” “You’re going too.” I was just about to speak when Lily Carter suddenly grabbed my sleeve. “Ethan, my stomach hurts a little.” My father looked at me. I hesitated for only one second before supporting Lily Carter. “Dad, I’ll take her to the hospital first.” “We can apologize tomorrow.” My father closed his eyes in anger. Before my father went to the Hayes family, he first had someone bring me back to the study. “Do you know why Lily Carter has been able to do whatever she wants in the Grant family all these years?” my father asked. I said nothing. My father said coldly, “Because you backed her up.” “The maids didn’t dare stop her, your assistants didn’t dare refuse her, and business partners gave her resources because of your face.” “Now you say she was just ignorant, but who would believe that?” Those words made me very uncomfortable. I had always thought I was only taking care of Lily Carter. Her parents had died early, and she had lived with the Grant family for a while as a child, so it was normal for me to protect her a little more. But when my father laid out those acts of “care,” they suddenly became a long account of favoritism. Lily Carter had not become what she was today in a single day. She had been spoiled by me little by little until she no longer knew where the line was. Before my father went to the Hayes family, he specifically had someone send Lily Carter back to her own apartment. Lily Carter stood at the hotel entrance, and I stood beside her. She was wrapped in a coat temporarily brought over by the staff, and her expression was ugly. “I should go apologize too.” My father glanced at her. “If you go now, you will only make things look worse.” “But Ethan…” “Ethan shouldn’t go either,” my father said coldly. “But he is a Grant, so he must go bear responsibility for the trouble caused by the Grant family.” “You are not a Grant, so stop appearing on behalf of the Grant family.”

Claire Hayes POV After I returned to the Hayes house, I first placed the engagement ring in my mother’s study. I had not worn that ring yet, and it had been sent by the Grant family according to my size. The diamond was bright and the design was expensive, but looking at it now, I only felt like it was a trap exposed too early. Vivian Hayes had someone pour me warm milk. “Were you scared?” “No.” I sat on the sofa. “I just feel disgusted.” Vivian Hayes smiled faintly. “Disgust is good.” “It’s better than feeling disgusted after marrying into the family.” I looked at my mother. “Do we still need to continue discussing this marriage?” Vivian Hayes did not answer right away. After all, my mother had told me that she had agreed to the Grant marriage because Richard Grant had indeed honored a few old loyalties when he was young. Ethan Grant was capable, his reputation in public was good, and I had just returned to New York and needed a steady identity to enter its social circle. She was not determined to make me marry for family interests, but had believed the Grant family at least understood boundaries. But tonight proved that the most important heir of the Grant family did not. “Your marriage is your decision,” Vivian Hayes said. “I am only responsible for being your safety net.” Those words warmed my heart. I’d spent most of my youth studying abroad, while Mother’s schedule kept us separated far more often than not. The public saw Vivian Hayes as icy, unemotional. Only I understood the freedom she’d granted me was never neglect—she’d laid a clear escape path right in front of my eyes all along. Adrian Lawson brought in the preliminary materials. “The hotel has sealed the surveillance footage, and the design studio has also confirmed that the signature in the corner of the draft and the delivery records are complete.” “It would have been impossible for Lily Carter not to know that this main visual draft belonged to Miss Hayes before she filmed.” I flipped through a few pages and asked, “If I cancel the engagement, will it affect the cooperation between the Hayes family and the Grant family?” Adrian Lawson said, “It will, but the impact is controllable.” “The Grant family will be affected far more.” Vivian Hayes looked at me. “No need to feel sorry for the Grant family.” I closed the materials. “Then cancel it.” “We don’t need to scold anyone publicly, just say our values don’t align.” Adrian Lawson nodded. Vivian Hayes asked, “You’re letting them off that easily?” I shook my head. “I’m not letting them off.” “It’s easy to curse them out over someone replacing the main engagement visual.” “I want them to return every bit of favoritism, disrespect, and lying one by one.” My tone was very calm, but I was no longer the unfamiliar girl who had just arrived in New York and stood in that banquet hall. After returning to my room, I opened my suitcase and took out each piece of jewelry I had originally prepared for the engagement. Some were from my mother, and some I had brought back from overseas myself. I had originally thought that since I was formally entering New York society, I should be as considerate as possible and not let anyone think I was slighting the Grant family. Now it seemed that the more thoroughly I prepared, the more absurd the Grant family looked. I put the jewelry away again, leaving only the ring sent by the Grant family. I placed the ring box at the very edge of the desk, like a package delivered to the wrong address and waiting to be returned. When Vivian Hayes came in, she happened to see this scene. She did not advise me to be magnanimous, nor did she say the cooperation with the Grant family was still worthwhile. She only asked, “Claire, after tonight, do you regret coming back?” I thought for a moment. “I don’t regret it.” “It’s better to see clearly early than to fall in too late.” Before Adrian Lawson left, he listed the ways the Grant family might try to fix the situation. “They will most likely suppress public opinion first, then ask the elders to plead on their behalf.” “If Ethan Grant comes in person, it is best not to meet him privately.” Looking at the list, I could not help saying, “You even guessed how they would try to fix it?” “It isn’t a guess,” Adrian Lawson said. “People who make mistakes but still want to preserve decorum usually follow the same playbook.” Vivian Hayes heard this and looked at him lightly. “You seem to understand it well.” Adrian Lawson’s expression did not change. “I’ve seen too many people like that.” I lowered my head and drank tea, nearly laughing. After being tense all night, I finally felt a little lighter. I did not sleep well that night. I was not sad over Ethan Grant, but scared that I had almost handed my life over to a pretty file. Files could lie, family backgrounds could lie, and the “suitable” person described by elders could also lie. At the critical moment, who a person protected first and who he blamed first was far clearer than anything on a résumé. Ethan Grant protected Lily Carter. I pushed the ring box to the corner of my desk and would have Adrian Lawson return it to the Grant family tomorrow morning.

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