Category: English

I was at my private research facility on a remote island, finally making a breakthrough. I couldn’t wait to share the good news with my wife. But right then, her new male assistant showed up, bringing his entire family to the island. I didn’t think much of it, figuring they’d just come to the wrong place. I stayed focused on my experiment. Yet, his family just barged straight into the lab. Blake, in his ridiculous beach shorts, spotted me and immediately started barking orders. “Hey, are you the receptionist here? Got any common sense?” “Don’t you know I’m here for a vacation today? Hurry up and grab our luggage!” Watching him turn off the main experimental switch, mistaking it for an AC remote, made a bitter laugh bubble up my throat. “You’re Chloe’s… husband? Don’t you know this is her lab?” “You’re here causing trouble. Aren’t you afraid she’ll get mad?” If Chloe found out that her decade-long experiment, something she’d poured her heart and soul into, was just destroyed by some fake “Mr. Blake,” Would she still want this imposter?

The words barely left my mouth when Blake, the self-proclaimed “Mr. Blake,” started cackling. He eyed me up and down, his gaze full of scorn and contempt. “Afraid she’ll get mad? I’m the *future* Mr. Blake!” “You, a mere receptionist, are trying to tell me what to do?” “Forget about some broken machine. Even if I set this entire island on fire, she wouldn’t bat an eye!” Next to him, a young woman, flamboyantly dressed and looking utterly frivolous, aggressively kicked a suitcase towards my feet. The hard corner of the case slammed into my ankle, sending a searing pain shooting through me. “Hey! I’m talking to you! Are you deaf?” She pointed her chin at me, her face full of impatience. “My future sister-in-law adores my brother too much to get mad over a broken machine!” “Say one more useless word, and I’ll make you vanish from this island!” I was wearing the simplest, most basic white anti-static work uniform. For convenience, my hair was just casually pulled back. My face, due to long nights of experimental work, showed signs of exhaustion. This appearance certainly clashed with the vibe of a luxurious private island retreat. I stared at the energy module’s master switch that he’d just pressed, my heart sinking inch by inch. Chloe and I had poured twelve years of our lives into this project. It wasn’t just about Sterling Corp.’s multi-billion dollar industrial blueprint; it was *our* shared dream, something we’d worked on since college. Now, twelve years of our blood, sweat, and tears might be ruined in an instant, all because of some idiot’s clueless actions. I forced down the fury boiling inside me, my voice dangerously cold. “This is your last warning. Take your hand off that switch immediately, and get your people off this island!” “Oh, still trying to act tough with us?” Blake’s mother, Karen, pointed a finger at my nose and yelled: “Blake, why waste your breath on this kind of lowly servant! An insolent lapdog who doesn’t know his place!” “Just tell Chloe to fire him! People like him should be kicked out on their ass!” Egging on by his mother, Blake grew even more arrogant. Not only did he not release the switch, he pressed it down even harder. “I’m not taking it off. What are you going to do about it?” “Let me tell you, from today onwards, I’m the man of the house here!” “You’d better wise up, or you’ll have a world of pain coming your way!” The words hadn’t fully left his mouth when the alarm lights at the top of the lab began to flash frantically. A piercing siren immediately blared across the entire island. I watched, horrified, as the core temperature reading on the main control screen shot up like a rocket. I didn’t have time to argue with these fools. I spun around and sprinted towards the backup coolant storage room. A few more minutes, and this entire lab, along with the island, would explode violently due to core overheating! “Shut up! What a terrible place!” Skylar, annoyed by the screeching alarm, kicked a nearby instrument with full force. A loud “BANG!” echoed, followed by the sound of shattering metal and sparking electricity. My blood surged, and I almost coughed up a mouthful of it. That was a superconducting data analyzer custom-made in Germany, worth thirty million dollars! It contained all our experimental data from the past decade! I glared at them, my eyes burning. “All of you, you will pay for what you’ve done today!”

Blake flinched, startled by the murderous glint in my eyes, but quickly regained his arrogant smirk. “Pay? What can a poor grunt like you make us pay?” “Let me tell you, when my girlfriend gets here, you’ll be the first one she deals with!” He seemed to have blind confidence in Chloe. I couldn’t be bothered with him anymore. Saving the experimental data was my top priority now. I rushed into the storage room, quickly put on a heavy, insulated hazmat suit, and, cradling a heavy backup coolant tank, stumbled towards the core reactor. Through the thick observation window, I could see the device inside already emitting a blinding red glow. “Bro, look at him! He’s dressed like a clown, so hilarious!” Skylar laughed from outside, her face full of mockery. Karen immediately pulled out her phone, snapping pictures of me to post on Ins, with the caption: [My future daughter-in-law’s private island, even the staff are so unique, how cute~] They had no idea they were standing on the brink of disaster, thinking they were watching a comedy show. I gritted my teeth and opened the valve to the emergency injection port. High-pressure liquid nitrogen instantly jetted out, the powerful recoil slamming me hard against the wall. My internal organs felt like they’d shifted, my throat burned, and a mouthful of blood surged up. But I dared not let go. I clung to the coolant tank, pouring the cooling liquid onto the rapidly heating device. The alarm finally began to subside, and the temperature curve on the screen slowly started to drop. Yet, despite all this, the twelve-year experiment was ultimately ruined. I collapsed onto the ground like a ragdoll, not even having the strength to stand. The visor of my hazmat suit was covered in a mixture of blood and sweat, blurring my vision. I struggled to reach for my satellite phone. I had to report the situation to Chloe immediately. But as I stretched out my hand, a foot clad in a polished leather shoe slammed down hard on it. Blake looked down at me, his face full of disgust. “Who are you trying to fool, playing dead? You made such a huge ruckus, it ruined my good mood!” “Get up now and make us some food! I want Australian lobster, Kobe beef.” “And open a bottle of ’82 Lafite for me!” Listening to his shameless demands, I just felt a profound absurdity. Lobster and steak? Why not dinosaur eggs while he’s at it? “Get lost,” I rasped, forcing the word through clenched teeth. “You dare curse at me?” Blake shrieked, enraged. “Skylar, drag him out! Let him know who the real boss is here!” Skylar grinned maliciously and stepped forward, grabbing a fistful of my hair, yanking me hard towards the exit. A searing pain ripped through my scalp. My body scraped against the rough floor, every raw wound burning. I fought with all my might, grabbing the corner of a nearby lab table, refusing to be dragged away. “Let go of me! I am Chloe’s legitimate husband! If you dare touch me, you’ll regret it!” Blake’s family stared at me, frozen for a few seconds, then erupted into thunderous laughter. “Hahahaha! He says *he’s* Mr. Blake?” Skylar laughed so hard tears streamed down her face. She pointed at me and said to Blake: “Bro, has this guy watched too many sci-fi movies? Is his brain broken? Is he desperate to marry into a rich family?” Karen looked at me like I was a lunatic, spitting in disgust. “You, with that pathetic look? Wearing a shabby work uniform, hair like a bird’s nest.” “And your face looks like a ghost! How dare you pretend to be Mr. Blake?” “Before you lie, why don’t you go take a good look at yourself in the mirror?”

Blake’s face, however, suddenly darkened. He hated anyone eyeing what he considered his, especially when he was about to “make things official” with Chloe. “I thought you were someone important. Turns out you’re just some gold-digger trying to climb the ladder!” “You’ve got some nerve, impersonating Mr. Blake and causing trouble here!” He grabbed my already messy hair, yanking my head back violently, forcing me to look up. Then, he raised his hand and slapped me hard across the face. The sharp crack echoed through the lab. “You home-wrecker! Today, I’m going to teach you a good lesson on Chloe’s behalf, so you know what pipe dreams are!” I was already weak, and that slap sent me sprawling to the ground, stars bursting in my vision, my ears ringing. “Hit him! This shameless man deserves to be beaten to death!” Karen shrieked, lunging at me, her long nails savagely raking across my face. Instantly, several burning red gashes appeared. Skylar, grinning viciously, kicked me in the abdomen. “Still daring to impersonate my future sister-in-law’s husband!” “Let me tell you, my future sister-in-law got tired of that emotionless block of wood long ago! My brother is the one she truly cares about!” “Trash like you isn’t even worthy of shining my brother’s shoes!” I was surrounded by their family, beaten and kicked, completely defenseless. The agonizing pain in my abdomen made me curl into a ball. My head slammed against the metal floor, and my consciousness began to fade. I desperately wanted to explain, to call for help, but only broken whimpers escaped my throat. In their eyes, I, the legitimate husband, was the shameless, opportunistic third party. Just as I thought I was going to be beaten to death right there, a loud roar grew closer and closer. A black helicopter hovered over the lab. The hatch opened, and Chloe’s figure swiftly slid down a rope ladder. Blake’s family immediately stopped their assault, their faces lighting up as if they’d seen a savior. They rushed forward excitedly. “Chloe, you’re finally here!” Blake was the first to throw himself into her arms, pointing at my barely conscious form on the ground, his voice choked with feigned tears. “This crazy man somehow sneaked onto the island, claiming he’s your husband.” “He even tried to hit us! Look at my wrist, it’s all red!” Chloe patted his back reassuringly, then her gaze swept over the messy lab. When she saw the smashed analyzer and the smoking control console, her brows furrowed tightly. Her eyes landed on me, and her expression was like she was looking at an annoying piece of trash. She didn’t even bother to distinguish who I was. “What happened?” she demanded. I lay curled on the ground, covered in injuries, my blood-stained face swollen beyond recognition. I lifted my head, wanting her to see who I was. But she just impatiently averted her gaze. Seeing this, Blake immediately seized the opportunity, adding fuel to the fire: “Chloe, don’t even ask! It was him. He pressed some button, and everything started blaring and making noise.” “He also attacked us like a mad dog! I think he has mental issues!” Chloe clearly had no interest in discerning the truth. “He’s just an employee. Why bother with him?” She waved her hand at the two black-suited bodyguards behind her, her voice icy. “He can’t even look after a lab. Drag him out and throw him into the sea to feed the fish.” “I don’t want any irrelevant people dirtying my space.” I stared in disbelief at the woman I had loved for twelve years, the woman I had given everything to. We had been married for twelve years, and she didn’t even recognize me! Now, she was gently embracing another man, condemning me to death with the most brutal words, delivered so casually. Tears, unbidden, streamed down my face. It turned out, in her heart, I was worse than trash. The bodyguards acknowledged her command, their faces emotionless, and lifted my lifeless body, dragging me outside. My feet left a long, bloody trail on the ground. At that very moment, three heavy helicopters, painted in military camouflage, landed on the island, their deafening roar filling the air. Skylar, who had never seen such a spectacle, gasped repeatedly. “Oh my God! Who is that? Is that a military helicopter? The display is too grand!” Blake gasped, “No! Look at that emblem… It’s Aegis Tech!” “They’re the only ones in the country who developed the sixth-generation lithography machine! Their chairman, doesn’t he ever show his face?” Chloe also stopped, her face changing. Seeing the middle-aged man descending from the central helicopter via rope ladder, she immediately abandoned Blake and hurried forward. Her face was etched with the humblest smile she could manage. “Dad! What brings you here? How did you…” Before Chloe could finish her sentence, Mr. Sterling delivered a powerful kick to her chest. Chloe coughed up a mouthful of blood, stumbling back several steps. “Dad, you… what are you doing?!”

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The train engine was destroyed by the extreme heat. I could have called for a helicopter rescue, but I remained indifferent. All because in my previous life, just as I was about to board the helicopter, my wife Olivia mercilessly kicked me off the platform and embraced her adopted brother Caleb instead. “There’s limited space on the helicopter. Someone has to stay behind. Caleb’s health is fragile, he can’t endure hardship. I’ll send people back to rescue you once I return. You’re tough, you won’t die from waiting a bit longer.” I fell and broke bones all over my body, unable to move. I became a charred corpse under the scorching sun before any rescue arrived. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the moment the train engine failed and we were forced to stop. I took out a box for drawing lots. Only those whose names I drew would be allowed to board. Olivia looked calm, unaware that her name wasn’t even in the box. 0 “Everyone stay calm. Even though the train is out of commission, I’m sure Mrs. Greene will find a way to rescue us!” Caleb stood up, his eyes red-rimmed, as he tried to comfort the subordinates who had accompanied Olivia on this business trip. Olivia gazed at Caleb with eyes full of pity, as if he had suffered some great injustice. My phone rang. As I felt the vibration, I truly realized – I had been reborn. Just yesterday, Olivia had moved her newly returned adopted brother Caleb into our master bedroom, tossing me only one sentence: “Pack our luggage. To welcome Caleb home, I’m taking all the company’s top talent to the branch office tomorrow to publicly announce Caleb taking over.” Despite my repeated warnings about the “extreme heat advisory” in the weather report, she didn’t hesitate at all. She only looked at me with increased impatience in her eyes. “Are you done? I can see you’re just jealous that Caleb comes from a good family. You’re eyeing our family assets, not wanting me to give the branch to Caleb.” I was brought onto the train like a piece of luggage. Olivia only gave me one task – to take care of Caleb. When the train broke down, I received a rescue call from my childhood friend Mia. Thoughtfully arranging for them to board the helicopter. But what I got in return was Caleb’s contemptuous smile at the train entrance. “Want to bet? With just one word from me, Olivia would abandon you without a second thought.” Although Olivia and I had an arranged marriage, we had been husband and wife for seven years. I didn’t believe it. But what I got was Olivia kicking me off the platform, leaving me to become a charred corpse under the sun. In my final moments, Caleb’s light chuckle as he nestled in Olivia’s arms. Like a heavy hammer nailing me to the ground. Just thinking about it, the hatred in my heart could no longer be suppressed. My hand holding the phone started to shake. A woman’s voice broke through my emotions. “Jack, what are you spacing out for? The phone’s been ringing for so long and you don’t know to answer it?” “Caleb’s ears were injured by firecrackers when he was little, he can’t handle loud noises. I can see you’re deliberately torturing him!” I turned my back and walked to the next carriage. After taking a few deep breaths, I answered the call. Mia’s urgent voice came through from the other end. “Jack, I heard you’re trapped on the train. Are you okay?” My eyes instantly burned. I held back my emotions and gave a hoarse “Mm-hmm.” “Don’t be afraid. The rescue helicopter I sent will arrive soon. You’ll be fine.” “But the helicopter can only seat ten people. One person from your group will have to stay behind.” Only one person has to stay behind, huh? I let out a cold laugh and gripped the phone tightly. “It’s okay. Can you come on the helicopter to keep me company? I’m scared.” There was no hesitation on the other end of the line. “Of course.” I hung up and returned to the original carriage. Seeing Olivia using her fingertips to carefully wipe away Caleb’s tears, I couldn’t help but clench my jaw. Since you two care for each other so much, why don’t you just stay here together? 0

Seeing me come out, Caleb’s expression froze. He immediately got up from Olivia’s arms, acting contrary to his usual behavior. You should know that when he was abroad, he ordered Olivia around like a servant. Especially when it came to anything related to me, he would always go out of his way to provoke me. During each of our wedding anniversaries over the past seven years, Olivia would travel abroad to be by his side, losing track of time. A year ago, when my parents were in a car accident and urgently needed money for medical treatment, Caleb chose that time to pester Olivia to buy him diamond rings, draining all her liquid assets. He even spent all my remaining savings. My parents died on the spot. As for me, I only found out yesterday that all these years, the meal Olivia personally cooked for me each month was just to drug me, to prevent me from having a child that would inherit the Greene family fortune. The sound of high heels brought me back to reality. The next second, Caleb appeared before my eyes. He gave a fake smile and hugged me tightly. Leaning close to my ear, he spoke in a voice only the two of us could hear: “It seems Brother Jack has also been reborn.” “What? This time you’re planning to keep the helicopter rescue a secret and sneak away by yourself?” “Why don’t we make a deal – this time, we can both leave, and leave Olivia behind.” I couldn’t help but laugh. Olivia in the distance looked bewildered, warily watching my every move, afraid I would hurt her precious darling. But she didn’t know that the person she had cherished for over 20 years actually wanted her dead. I grabbed Caleb’s shoulders, putting some distance between us. “What makes you think I would help you?” Caleb’s face instantly darkened. He let out a cold laugh, as if threatening: “If you don’t help me, I’ll announce to everyone that you have a helicopter coming for rescue. You want to leave by yourself? Not a chance.” “Last time I could make Olivia abandon you. Do you think you’ll get your way this time?” Seeing his anxious look, I found it amusing. I raised an eyebrow and said: “I can help you, but we’ll leave it up to fate.” I walked past Caleb to stand in front of everyone and announced loudly: “Don’t panic everyone. I’ve already arranged for rescue. We’ll all be safe.” Olivia casually crossed her legs, looking at me with disdain. Her words carried a mocking tone. “You? What kind of rescue could you bring?” “Just a man from a fallen family, only surviving by marrying me. What gives you the confidence and resources to say such things?” I looked down at my whitened knuckles, ignoring her muttering to herself. I tore the white paper in my hand into small pieces and handed them out to everyone. “The helicopter rescue will arrive soon, but there are only ten seats.” There were eleven people on the train, which meant one person had to stay behind. I took out a box for drawing lots, indicating for them to write their names and put them inside. “In a moment, I’ll draw names publicly. Only those whose names are drawn can leave with me.” 0

Caleb panicked first. He snatched the box from my hand and smashed it on the ground, then swung a slap towards my face. “You really don’t know your place. Aren’t you afraid that this time, you’ll be the one left behind?” I raised an eyebrow and let out a cold laugh, holding up my phone in front of his eyes. To avoid the situation from my previous life, this time the helicopter doors would only open to let others board after I got on. Caleb gritted his teeth audibly. He walked over to Olivia and leaned into her arms, shamelessly throwing a tantrum. He seemed to still think I would be hurt by Olivia not loving me. Using Olivia to threaten me was a wrong move on his part. But I couldn’t be bothered to expose him. I’d just watch the show. People lined up to put their name slips into the box. Passing by me, Olivia still had a confident look. “Do I even need to write this? You definitely won’t let me stay behind, so why bother?” Seeing her smug expression, I felt like I was in a different world. Years ago when my family fell from grace, to pay off debts, my father sold me off like a commodity. He put a ballot box at the front door. Any influential family’s child who was willing to marry into the Wilson family to help pay off our debts could marry me. In the past, I was considered quite a catch in the city’s social circles. There was no shortage of women who wanted to associate with me. But after this incident, not a single person dared to visit. I hid in my room, tormented for three days and nights. Then Olivia sent over a marriage proposal. The first time I saw her, she was beaming as she held out a box to me. I followed her gaze to look inside. It was stuffed full. There was her marriage proposal, all the property deeds, even company stock certificates. I still remember on our wedding day, she took my hand and vowed that she would never let me suffer again in this lifetime. At that moment, my heart was completely filled. It turns out I wasn’t unwanted. It turns out I was also cherished by someone. But on our wedding night, Olivia came home drunk and started smashing things frantically. She kept muttering Caleb’s name. I tried to help her up from the broken glass, but she shoved me down. Glass shards pierced my knee, and I shook from the pain. When I looked up at her, her eyes were full of disgust. “No matter how much you look like him, you’re not him.” “Why did he have to be my adopted brother? Why can’t I be with him properly?” At that moment, I finally understood – I was just a substitute for Caleb. The woman who had eagerly proposed to me with a box full of assets was exactly the same as the Olivia standing before me now. It turns out her superior attitude had never changed. I was the one who had been hoping in vain all along. Suddenly there was a commotion in the crowd, followed by a man’s loud voice. “Water! There’s still water left in this carriage!” With those words, everyone in the carriage looked excitedly in that direction. But intimidated by Olivia’s authority, no one dared to make a move. Seeing I was unmoved, Olivia gave me a look, signaling me to go carry the water. After all, she was used to having everything done for her all these years. Because of her obsession with cleanliness, I had to personally clean our 9-story villa every day. Her three meals, schedule arrangements – she casually tossed it all to me to handle. I worked until my lower back was severely injured. When I wanted to rest for a day, she disgustedly pushed me to the ground. “Stop pretending to be pitiful in front of me. Using that face that looks like Caleb to gain sympathy only makes me more disgusted with you.” Olivia clicked her tongue, bringing me back to reality. She impatiently raised her hand to point at the water bucket. “What are you spacing out for?” “Caleb and I are thirsty. Hurry up and bring the water bucket over.” She clearly knew how badly injured my lower back was, that it couldn’t handle such heavy weight. One wrong move could even lead to paralysis of my lower body. The crowd behind me spoke up. “Mrs. Greene, there are so many of us men here. Let us carry it. The boss doesn’t look well.” “That’s right, we still need to rely on the boss for the helicopter rescue.” But Olivia seemed to feel she had lost face. She immediately grabbed my collar and dragged me in front of the water bucket, forcing me to lift it. By the time I carried the water bucket back to the original carriage, my lower back hurt so much I couldn’t stand up straight. My legs were starting to go numb. I picked up the box for drawing lots and began drawing names. Olivia casually crossed her legs, waiting for me to call her name. “You’ll see, he loves me so much, he’ll definitely draw my name first.” 0

But she didn’t know that her name wasn’t even in the box. “Mark Henderson, Lisa Chen…” Eight names had already been called. Including me, that made nine. In their eyes, there was only one spot left. But they didn’t know Mia would be on the helicopter to accompany me. Those two were already doomed. Olivia and Caleb started to get agitated. Caleb quietly got up from Olivia’s arms. Both their faces were full of calculation. I reached my hand into the box. At that moment, Olivia and Caleb stood up almost simultaneously. “Wait!” They spoke in unison, their faces unable to hide their panic. The two exchanged a glance. Olivia forced a smile. “Caleb, the company can’t run for a day without me.” “How about this – you stay on the train first, and I’ll send someone to pick you up as soon as I get back to the company, okay?” Caleb’s expression froze for a moment, as if he hadn’t expected Olivia to abandon him so easily. He gave me a deep look. With the experience of being left here to become a charred corpse in my previous life, Caleb didn’t believe the hypocritical Olivia in front of him. But afraid of ruining their relationship, he still forced a smile. “But sister Olivia, don’t you remember? When we were little, you set off firecrackers that injured my ears. My skin was also damaged. In this heat, I can’t take it.” “Why don’t I go first, and I’ll send someone to get you when I return.” Olivia’s face instantly darkened. She pressed her tongue against her back teeth, her expression already showing impatience. “I already said I’m going first. Since when did you become so hard of hearing?” Seeing the situation, Caleb stopped pretending. He rushed in front of me and grabbed my hand. “Brother Jack, take me with you. Once we get out I promise you’ll have endless wealth and status. You won’t have to live under Olivia’s thumb anymore. I’ll help pay off your family’s debts, okay?” Hearing the trembling in Caleb’s anxious voice, I felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction rise in my heart. The sound of the helicopter drew closer. The train carriage door was forcibly dismantled from the outside. Olivia rushed over and shoved Caleb away, then grasped my hand with a loving expression. “Jack, we’ve been married for seven years. You can’t abandon me here out of spite.” “I was blind before to like Caleb. Don’t worry, after we go back, I’ll devote myself only to you. I won’t be fickle anymore!” Before I could speak, a woman slowly walked down from the helicopter. Mia let out a light laugh, but her eyes were full of hatred as she looked at Olivia. “After? His future won’t include you anymore.”

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My name is Stella Richards, and I have a mother, Jane Richards, who’s obsessed with haggling. She haggles when shopping at the supermarket, haggles when paying my tuition, and basically haggles over anything that costs money. Until my brother Kevin Richards was kidnapped, and the kidnapper Paul Watson called demanding a ransom of five hundred thousand dollars. Jane, as usual, calmly started haggling with Paul: “Five hundred thousand is too expensive! How about thirty-eight thousand?” I tried to reason with Jane: “This is a matter of life and death—stop haggling!” But she scolded me: “Stella, you have no sense of frugality!” She went back and forth with Paul for three hours, and incredibly, Paul actually agreed. Watching Jane’s smug satisfaction, I stopped trying to persuade her. Later, Kevin was indeed released by Paul. Except when he came back, his body had been dismembered. ***** “What did you say? You kidnapped my son?” The sudden phone call made Jane gasp in shock, and she asked again in disbelief. Paul’s voice on the other end was ice-cold: “Your son is in our hands now. If you can’t come up with five hundred thousand dollars in ransom within forty-eight hours, you can start planning his funeral!” Jane gasped again when she heard “five hundred thousand dollars”: “Five hundred thousand? Why don’t you just rob a bank! Where am I supposed to get five hundred thousand dollars?” Paul said impatiently: “I don’t care how you get it—sell your car, sell your house, whatever. Just get the money to me within forty-eight hours!” After saying this, he seemed to kick Kevin hard. Kevin’s tearful cries for help came through the phone: “Mom, you have to save me! They really have knives!” Before he could finish, Kevin’s mouth was covered. Paul continued coldly: “You heard that, right? Your son is in our hands. No ransom and…” Before he could finish, Jane suddenly interrupted: “Five hundred thousand in ransom is too expensive!” Paul was stunned: “What did you say?” Jane said matter-of-factly: “I said five hundred thousand is too expensive. I want to haggle!” My vision went dark—I knew Jane’s haggling habit was kicking in again. She’s just someone who loves to haggle. She haggles when shopping at the supermarket, haggles when paying mine and Kevin’s tuition, and now that Kevin’s been kidnapped, she’s still thinking about haggling! Paul probably thought this request was absolutely ridiculous and hung up directly. But Jane looked dissatisfied: “Cheap bastard! It’s just haggling, and he hangs up on me!” I couldn’t help but try to reason with her: “Mom, Kevin’s been kidnapped, and you’re still haggling with the kidnapper. Aren’t you afraid he’ll hurt Kevin?” Jane said dismissively: “That’s all just to scare people. Kidnappers only care about money—they wouldn’t dare actually kill anyone! Besides, he’s asking for five hundred thousand right off the bat. Where would our family get that kind of money? Should we really sell the house for him? In his dreams. I’m going to haggle, and I want to see just how shameless this kidnapper is!” Her words made my vision blur. I knew Jane too well—she’s stubborn, won’t listen to reason, and haggling is a lifelong habit she’s stuck to.

I still remember the scene when Jane suddenly tried to haggle with my teacher Amber Jansen while paying my school fees. At the time, Amber told Jane that the total fees came to two hundred and thirty-four dollars. Jane stared at Amber for a few seconds, then suddenly spoke up: “Can’t you make it any cheaper?” Amber’s reaction was just like the kidnapper’s earlier—completely bewildered: “What did you say?” Jane said bluntly: “I said can’t you make it cheaper? Two hundred and thirty-four dollars is too much. I’ll give you two hundred dollars instead.” After saying this, she rummaged through her purse, pulled out two hundred dollars, and handed it directly to Amber. But Amber got flustered: “This is tuition! How can you haggle with me over this? Every payment has to be recorded!” Jane’s face darkened: “Recording it is your business. I’m only short thirty-four dollars. Why are you making such a fuss?” I was still young at the time, but I’d already noticed that quite a few parents around us who’d overheard Jane and Amber’s conversation were whispering among themselves and looking our way. Feeling embarrassed, I quickly tugged at Jane: “Mom, just stop haggling and give her the rest of the money.” But Jane suddenly started shrieking: “What? All you know is how to waste money—you have no sense of thrift! Do you know how much I could buy with thirty-four dollars? And you want to just hand it over to her? Are you stupid? Are you in cahoots with Amber?” As she spoke, she pointed at my nose and scolded: “You’re just Amber’s accomplice, aren’t you!” That day, Jane spent over an hour pointing at me and Amber, berating us both. No matter how much Amber tried to reason with her, she wouldn’t budge. In the end, Amber had no choice but to reluctantly pay the thirty-four dollars out of her own pocket. On the way home, Jane said to me triumphantly: “See that? That’s my unbeatable haggling skills!” But she didn’t care that from then on, I was ostracized by teachers and classmates alike—she only cared about how satisfying her haggling victory had been. Similar incidents happened many more times after that. Haggling seemed to become Jane’s instinct—whenever money was involved, she had to haggle. But I never expected that even when Kevin was kidnapped, she’d still think about haggling! Although Kevin was usually a good-for-nothing who showed me no respect, he was still my brother—a living, breathing human being. Thinking of Kevin’s agonized screams before Paul hung up, I decided to try reasoning with Jane one more time: “Mom, I’m begging you, please listen to me. Kevin’s life is in the kidnappers’ hands right now—we can only do what they demand. Selling the house isn’t ideal, but no matter what, Kevin’s life is more important than anything else!”

Despite my earnest attempts to reason with her, Jane angrily told me to shut up. She said, “I’m your mother, and I have more experience than you. Do you think you know better than me how to handle this kind of situation? The experts all say we live in a society governed by law—who would dare act so recklessly?” I replied, “Yes, we live under the rule of law, but the kidnappers still took Kevin.” Jane glared at me fiercely: “Enough! Keep your mouth shut! You’re a spoiled girl who’s never even learned to bargain in your entire life, and you dare criticize me! I’ll show you in a moment whether I can negotiate with these kidnappers!” With that, she immediately called Paul back. The phone was answered instantly: “Have you made up your mind?” Jane curled her lip: “Made up my mind about what? I’m here to negotiate!” Paul on the other end seemed to curse: “Are you out of your mind? We have your son, and you still dare to bargain with me? I could kill him right now—believe it or not!” Jane remained expressionless: “You don’t need to threaten me. I’m not easily intimidated. I’ve dealt with people like you before, and I always succeed in getting the price down.” Paul laughed angrily: “Fine, go ahead and negotiate. I’d like to see how low you can go!” Paul’s anger didn’t affect Jane in the slightest. She even said somewhat smugly: “See? I told you there’s nothing that can’t be negotiated! As long as I’m paying money, I have the right to bargain! “Look, you’re so young to be out here kidnapping people—you probably don’t know how tough things are these days! You open your mouth asking for five hundred thousand dollars—do you think we run a bank? Where would we get that kind of money for you! “If you ask me, you’re just too greedy. Didn’t you research our family’s situation before kidnapping Kevin? We’re just an ordinary family—how could we possibly come up with five hundred thousand dollars just like that?” Paul was practically spitting blood with rage on the other end, probably unable to comprehend Jane’s logic: “Cut the crap! Of course I did my research! You have a house, don’t you? Won’t you even sell your house to save your own son?” Jane frowned: “Of course we have a house, but where would we live if we sold it? You’re being ridiculous—this could be solved by simply lowering the ransom, but you insist on making me sell the house! Let me tell you, selling the house is out of the question. We need to keep money to buy Kevin a new house when he gets married. If we sell now, we’d have to rent and save up all over again. “Please be understanding, won’t you? I work so hard—my face is covered with wrinkles from all the worry. How about this—I’ve calculated it, and five hundred thousand is an unlucky number. I’ll give you thirty-eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight dollars instead. Doesn’t that sound much better?” Paul shrieked in fury: “I’ve kidnapped your son, and you only want to give me thirty-eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight dollars to buy back his life?” Jane persisted: “That’s my final offer. We can be friends, can’t we!” I listened from the side, terrified. In the end, Jane actually went back and forth with Paul for a full three hours. Both of them were parched, and Jane was about to take a sip of water to continue negotiating when Paul’s voice came through hoarse: “Fine. That price.” Jane was overjoyed: “You said it! Quick, send me the account number—I’ll transfer the money right now!” Paul rattled off a string of numbers, and Jane immediately signaled to me to transfer money to that account. Paul suddenly added ominously: “Your bargaining skills are really something. I’ll be sending you a gift later—I hope you like it.” Jane completely missed the chill in his words and said happily: “Wonderful! Now hurry up and send my son back home—I’m still waiting to have dinner with him!” With that, they hung up. Paul said Kevin would be home before eight o’clock tonight. That evening, the moment Jane opened the door, she completely broke down.

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On my wedding day, I, Claire Garrett, jumped from the thirty-eighth floor of a hotel. After I started dating my first love, Adam Morris, my good friend Aurora Holmes approached me, claiming she had bound herself to a romance system that would make all my boyfriends fall in love with her and then abandon me. I thought she was just joking and didn’t believe her at all. But within days, Adam actually came clean, saying he had fallen in love with Aurora and wanted to break up with me. From then on, I never told anyone about my relationships. But Aurora seemed to have surveillance on me—no matter who I dated, she always found out immediately, and those men would leave me within days, turning to her embrace instead. Heartbroken and discouraged, I returned to my hometown, far from Aurora, ready to start fresh. Through my parents’ introduction, I got engaged to someone from a blind date, thinking I could finally escape her shadow. However, on my wedding day, my fiancé publicly confessed his love to Aurora and announced he would marry her instead. My parents were so enraged they vomited blood on the spot and died after being rushed to the hospital. Aurora, wearing the ring that should have been mine, said smugly, “Such an excellent man—you don’t deserve him! Now he’s mine, and it’s time for you to exit the stage.” Unable to bear the blow, I climbed to the hotel rooftop and jumped. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to before Aurora mentioned binding the system. ***** “Claire, how are things going with that guy lately?” The familiar voice rang in my ears. I snapped my eyes open to see Aurora leaning close, her face full of curiosity. Instinctively, I pushed her away, unable to suppress the hatred in my eyes. Aurora said, “Why are you pushing me? I’m just asking. This is your first time dating—I need to test him for you.” First time? I had clearly dated several times, but she had ruined every single relationship. I quickly pulled out my phone to check the time, finally realizing I had been reborn. Seeing my lack of response, Aurora brushed the dust off her clothes and sat back down beside me, her expression mysterious, as if preparing to say something. My heart immediately started racing because I knew what she was about to say—about binding that romance system. Sure enough, she began with a hint of guilt, her eyes reddening, “Claire, there’s something I have to tell you. Last night I accidentally bound myself to a romance system. It says all your boyfriends will fall in love with me and then break up with you. I don’t want this either, but the system told me that if I unbind it, I’ll die. You’re my best friend—you wouldn’t want to see me die, would you?” In my previous life, I thought she was just joking. A romance system? I’d only seen those in novels—how could they exist in reality? Besides, emotions are so complex—how could they be controlled by a system? If all the men I dated fell in love with Aurora, it only meant I had poor judgment and encountered nothing but jerks. Seeing my indifference, Aurora said she would let me witness it firsthand in a few days. I didn’t take it seriously. A few days later, Adam actually sought me out, saying he had fallen in love with Aurora and wanted to break up with me. I was shocked and began to wonder if what Aurora said was true. I suffered for a long time. After that, I never told anyone about my relationships—except for me and my partner, no one knew we were dating. But the result was the same. They all eventually left me, with only one reason—they had fallen in love with Aurora. This time, I had to believe that the system really existed. And I was completely powerless against Aurora. In despair, I returned to my hometown, completely cutting ties with Aurora. I deleted all contact information and prepared to marry someone my parents had introduced me to. But even so, Aurora still wouldn’t let me go. She suddenly appeared at my wedding, ruined everything, and even caused my parents’ deaths. I lost everything and didn’t know how to fight against that system, so I chose to end it all. Perhaps God saw that I died too unjustly and gave me a chance to start over. This time, I’m determined to figure out what Aurora’s damned system really is!

I took several deep breaths, forcing myself to calm down, and stared coldly at Aurora. “What system? You’ve been reading too many novels, haven’t you? Aurora, I never thought you’d be this kind of person—stealing my boyfriend!” People around us heard our argument and turned to look at me, their gazes toward Aurora filled with disdain. “No, I didn’t! I really didn’t mean to—I was being controlled! Please believe me!” Aurora’s eyes welled up with tears as she kept defending herself. I immediately cut her off: “Enough! I was so wrong about you! From now on, I’m pretending I never had a friend like you!” With that, I turned and walked away without looking back, pulling out my phone as I went and deleting Aurora’s contact information without hesitation. This time, I decisively cut all ties with her. She’d never again know who I was dating, and she’d never get another chance to use whatever so-called “system” on me. When I got home, Adam was busy in the kitchen. We’d met at work. Since this was my first relationship, I’d been extra cautious, spending a long time getting to know him before deciding to truly start this relationship. I’d always thought he was sincere and reliable. Maybe I’d misjudged him. But now that I’d cut contact with Aurora, perhaps this time the tragedy from my past life wouldn’t repeat itself. However, just a few days later, when Adam and I went shopping at the mall, we ran into Aurora there. I instinctively wanted to pull Adam away from her, but Aurora approached us directly. She asked, “Is this your boyfriend, Claire? You fell out with me over him? You like him that much?” I remained expressionless, saying nothing, but cold sweat broke out on my back. I could clearly sense that Adam’s expression had already changed. I said, “Let’s go. I don’t want to talk to her.” I tried to pull Adam away, but he suddenly shook off my hand: “Claire, let’s break up.” My eyes widened, filled more with fear than anything else—fear that the scene from my past life would play out again. I asked, “Why are you suddenly breaking up with me? This is completely out of nowhere!” He said, “I don’t like you anymore. I’ve discovered I’m in love with Aurora—it was love at first sight.” Aurora wore a triumphant smile on her face while pretending to decline: “Don’t say that. I’m Claire’s best friend—we can’t do this.” Adam left the mall after saying that, while I stood there as if nailed to the spot, unable to move. Aurora leaned close to my ear and whispered, “I told you I have a system. Now do you believe me?” I clenched my teeth, still remaining silent. Seeing the fear in my heart, Aurora smiled even more smugly. After returning home, I immediately searched online for information about “systems.” Without exception, all the results showed that “systems” only existed in novels—they were fictional concepts that didn’t exist in reality. Unwilling to give up, I posted on forums asking for help, only to be met with countless mockeries. Internet users laughed at me for being mentally unclear after a breakup, saying that instead of admitting my own lack of charm, I was blaming Aurora. I searched for information all night until my stomach started growling, making me realize I hadn’t eaten all day. The breakup didn’t make me sad—instead, it filled me with deep fear of that unknown “system.” I ordered takeout. But when the delivery person appeared, a bold idea suddenly flashed through my mind.

The next morning, I immediately went downstairs to find the security guard, Damian Stewart. Damian had lost his wife over ten years ago and had been desperately looking for a companion ever since. He was always hitting on the middle-aged women doing their morning exercises in the community. But these women had children, grandchildren, and retirement pensions—they couldn’t care less about some old doorman living on welfare benefits and found him quite annoying. I walked up to him and handed him a pack of cigarettes. “Damian, want me to set you up with a girlfriend?” His eyes immediately lit up. “Yes! Who are you going to introduce me to?” I smiled slightly and pointed to myself. “What do you think of me?” Damian burst out laughing. “You’re pulling my leg, right? Come on, get going. Don’t interfere with my work.” I kept smiling. “I’m not joking at all. I really like men like you—you make me feel so secure. I’ve always preferred older men since I was little.” I forced myself to say these words despite feeling sick. Since Aurora could steal all my boyfriends with her system, I wanted to see if she’d want this man too. Men are always confident. Hearing my words, Damian’s face showed a hint of smugness. “Really? You’re not lying to me, are you?” I said, “Of course it’s true. My parents have been pressuring me to get married. Why don’t we give it a try?” Damian and I exchanged contact information. He even tried to get closer to me, but I cleverly dodged him by saying I was rushing to work. Damian sent me quite a few messages, and I replied to each one, letting him bask in the illusion of romance. At work, I couldn’t focus on anything my boss said. My mind was completely occupied with one thought: “Aurora, please don’t let me down.” Finally, it was time to get off work. I had just walked out of the company entrance when Aurora came charging out from some corner and slapped me hard across the face. She screamed, “Claire, are you insane? Why are you dating that old man! Is there something wrong with your brain!” She was completely worked up, straddling me and pinning me down so I couldn’t get up. I quickly covered my face with my hands, but inside I felt absolutely thrilled. “What business is it of yours who I date? I just like older men. What are you going to do about it?” My coworkers who were leaving at the same time saw me getting beaten and immediately called the police for help. When the police arrived, they listened to our account of what happened. Although they found it puzzling that I was dating an old man, it wasn’t illegal after all, so there wasn’t much they could say. They could only turn to criticize Aurora for getting physical. The officer said, “What does her dating life have to do with you? How could you hit her!” Aurora certainly couldn’t tell the police about her system, so she could only stammer out excuses: “I was just worried about her. She’s so young but wants to date an old man. As her friend, I just wanted to talk some sense into her.” I said, “I cut ties with her long ago, officer. She stole my boyfriend before, so we haven’t been friends for a while. And she just hit me—I’m dizzy, nauseous, and even my teeth feel loose. I want her to go to jail!” There were security cameras at the company entrance, so Aurora couldn’t deny anything. Faced with the possibility of prison time, she finally got scared and started begging me for forgiveness in a humble tone. Seeing her like this now, I felt incredibly satisfied. Finally, there was a day when she had to beg me. But I had no intention of forgiving her—I almost wished the police would lock her up for life. Soon, the police took her away. Before leaving, Aurora dropped her submissive act and glared at me viciously. “Don’t think you can escape me. I’m telling you, I have a system, and you can’t get away.” The police told me she would be detained for fifteen days, but that was far from enough. After all, my life and work were here. I couldn’t abandon everything and run away because of some illusory system. Fifteen days passed quickly, and Aurora was released. Shortly after, I received a message from her: [Finding that old man to spite me was completely pointless. Your sick mother is dying, and her biggest wish before she passes is to see you get married. If she knew you deliberately found an old man, she’d probably die even faster.] Aurora was right. My mom Hannah Garrett was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, and this year her condition deteriorated rapidly. The doctor said she had at most two more years to live. Her greatest wish was to see me get married, but she also didn’t want me to just marry any random guy. If she knew I had found an old man, she’d probably drop dead from shock on the spot. Aurora knew exactly where to hit me where it hurt, so she used this to blackmail me. Before long, Hannah called me, demanding to know if I was really dating an old man. I said, “Mom, it’s absolutely not true. Even if I never get married, I wouldn’t date an old man. You know what kind of person I am, right? Don’t let anyone fool you. Without any evidence, just a few words got you all worked up.” Aurora indeed had no evidence, and based solely on her word, Hannah was quickly reassured by me. I took the opportunity to tell her about Aurora stealing my boyfriend, and she immediately deleted Aurora’s contact information, firmly taking my side. That said, I also understood that I wasn’t getting any younger, my career was stable now, and it really was time to consider marriage. Work kept me too busy to actively meet men. I also couldn’t spend my whole life avoiding romance and marriage just to guard against Aurora. So I walked into a matchmaking agency and found a consultant named Emily Bryant. I explained my requirements in detail and asked her to help me find a suitable match. Emily was very efficient and quickly found me a suitable candidate named Brian Walsh. Due to our busy work schedules, we first added each other on WhatsApp and started communicating online. Actually, I had another consideration. I wanted to see if Aurora’s so-called “system” would still work if I didn’t meet Brian in person and only communicated through the internet. We chatted for nearly a month, and Brian never showed any unusual reactions. So I decided to arrange a time for our first in-person meeting. We arranged to meet at a park, where Emily and Brian had already arrived before me. I had just exited the subway station when I heard Aurora’s voice behind me. How did I keep running into her everywhere? I asked with a darkened expression, “What are you doing here?” She said, “I know you’re on a blind date today, so I came specifically to watch. Didn’t I tell you before that I have a system? No matter who you date, I’ll know about it. Why won’t you believe me?” I said, “Don’t tell me you’re going to claim that Brian has already fallen in love with you?” Aurora nodded, “Otherwise, why would I come today? I’m here to make you give up completely. Stop trying to compete with me from now on—you’re not qualified!” I suddenly became curious about her motivation and asked, “What’s your purpose in not letting me get married? How does it benefit you if I don’t get married or date anyone?” Aurora’s eyes instantly turned crazy, “You actually have the nerve to ask? If it weren’t for you, I would have married Derek and had children long ago. If I can’t have happiness, why should you get to have it!” I finally understood why she hated me. But I didn’t have time to argue with her. The meeting time with Emily was approaching, and being late for a first date wouldn’t look good. Seeing me turn to leave, Aurora hurriedly followed. However, when she saw clearly who was sitting on the bench, her expression changed dramatically, and she suddenly grabbed my throat. She roared, “Claire! You set me up! You bitch! I’m going to kill you!”

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My father, Declan Hamilton, turned fifty this Christmas. He has two daughters—my older sister Ariana Hamilton and me, Ashley Hamilton. He dotes on Ariana endlessly but treats me like a stray dog, subjecting me to constant abuse. I always thought he despised me because I was his illegitimate daughter, until a paternity test proved I was indeed his biological child. He forced drugs down my throat, making me foam at the mouth like a rabid animal, my limbs convulsing in agony. I cried out to my mother, Monica Hamilton, for help. Heartbroken, she demanded to know why Declan was treating me this way. But he simply pulled out Ariana’s test results. After one glance, Monica kicked me in the stomach so hard I couldn’t stop vomiting. My aunt Emma Lawson felt sorry for me and wanted to take me away. But Declan showed her that same report. After reading it, her face went pale, and she jumped off a building that very day. Declan’s boss, Vincent Murray, accidentally witnessed everything and secretly slipped me some money, telling me to run. Just three more days, and I’ll escape this hell! But I’ve always been curious—what exactly was written on Ariana’s test results? “You bitch, let’s see if you ever dare do this again!” Declan roared as I cowered at his feet, trembling all over. He slashed my face with scissors just because I’d secretly used Ariana’s makeup. Blood blurred my vision as my heart pounded violently. I wanted to tell him I was his daughter, not some toy he could trample on at will. I begged him to stop hitting me. But when I looked up at him, there wasn’t a trace of mercy in his eyes—only deep disgust. Why? Wasn’t I his daughter? Ever since Declan brought Ariana back from Emma’s house where she’d been raised, he became a completely different person. Every day he prepared lavish meals for Ariana while I crouched in the corner, eating their leftovers. They threw Ariana a birthday party at a five-star hotel while I hid in the basement, gnawing on dry spaghetti and watching her laugh happily through the crack under the door. She had her own private dressing room filled with designer cosmetics Declan bought her. Meanwhile, I was beaten until my bones broke just for secretly using Monica’s old lipstick. That day I was beaten so badly my limbs were twisted, and I could only crawl on the ground, my eyes filled with resentment. Could there be something wrong with my identity? I thought I wasn’t Declan’s biological daughter. So Ariana secretly took me to get a paternity test. The results confirmed I was indeed Declan and Monica’s biological daughter. Then why did he despise me so much? Just as I was about to check Ariana’s test results, Declan appeared. Seeing his cold stare, I instinctively tried to flee but was kicked to the ground. “Bitch, trying to run?” He clutched the test report in one hand while whipping me with a belt in the other. Lash after lash fell as I rolled on the ground in pain while Ariana clapped and laughed beside him. Once I was completely unable to resist, he pried open my mouth and forced down some burning liquid. I foamed at the mouth like a dog, my limbs convulsing as my abdomen felt like it was on fire. When Monica came home and saw me writhing in agony on the floor, she immediately confronted Declan. “Ashley is your daughter! How can you treat her like this?” Declan sneered and handed Ariana’s test results to her, then leaned down to whisper something. Monica’s face went white. She stopped questioning him and instead lifted her high heel, stomping on my abdomen over and over. I convulsed in pain, clutching my bleeding stomach with both hands. As Monica stomped on me, she cursed, “Little bitch! I can see you don’t want to stay in this house anymore. Once I crush your belly, let’s see if you still dare think such thoughts!” From then on, every day became a nightmare of Declan and Monica’s joint abuse. Each time I’d kneel on the ground covered in bruises, wiping away blood while enviously watching them cuddle with Ariana as they watched movies. I was their daughter—so why did they treat me this way after Ariana came back? During those years of beatings from Declan and Monica, I once sought help from community workers. Initially, they sympathized with me and even visited our home, trying to correct Declan and Monica’s behavior. The workers said, “What kind of parents are you? The child hasn’t done anything wrong and you’re still beating her.” Declan and Monica remained silent, simply showing them Ariana’s test results. After reading it, the workers’ expressions changed completely, and they immediately turned on me with harsh words. “She deserves to be beaten to death—she’s nothing but a slut!” And so I endured abuse until high school graduation, my entire body covered in scars. Every cry for help fell on deaf ears. Trembling, I asked Declan, “I’m about to start college. Can you please tell me what I did wrong?” He looked at me with a cold smile, not a trace of warmth in his eyes. “Your very existence is a mistake!” With that, he slapped me hard and grabbed my hair for another vicious beating. Fortunately, Emma, who hadn’t shown up in ages, arrived just in time, and I barely escaped with my life. She held my bloodied body in her arms and angrily scolded Declan, “I’ll pay for Ashley’s tuition. You’re never to touch her again!” Warmth flooded my heart, but seeing Declan’s next move, my entire body froze. He was about to pull out Ariana’s test results again.

I trembled all over, curled up in Emma’s warm embrace, fear nearly suffocating me. Declan’s fingers had already reached into his suit pocket, where he kept Ariana’s paternity test report! Anyone who tried to help me would instantly turn into a demon and push me into eternal damnation the moment they saw that report. Fear drove me to break free from Emma’s embrace. “No! Don’t take that out!” I gripped his wrist desperately. “I’ll never run away again…” Before I could finish speaking, a sharp slap landed across my face. The taste of blood immediately filled my mouth, but I couldn’t care about the pain—I just desperately clung to Declan’s legs. Declan remained unmoved by my pleas. “Emma, read this first, then decide whether you want to take Ashley away.” I could only kneel and turn to Emma, kowtowing in desperation. “Please, Aunt Emma, take me away now.” My tears fell in despair. I knew better than anyone that once Emma saw that paper, she would definitely have Declan kill me. Thinking I was just scared, Emma frowned and pulled me into her arms with concern. “It’s okay, Ashley. I’ll take you away after I read it.” But the more I begged, the more curious she became. Eventually, Emma still let go of her embrace and walked toward the paternity report. The moment Emma looked at the paternity report, I still held onto a sliver of hope. Emma had raised Ariana for so many years—she must know whose child Ariana was. She would never abandon me. However, I was ultimately too naive. Emma staggered backward, slipped, and stepped on my bloodied hand. “Impossible…” her voice trembled, barely coherent. She suddenly looked up at me, and this time, there was no previous compassion in her eyes—only bone-chilling coldness. She said, “You’re right, Ashley deserves to die. She doesn’t deserve to live!” It was over. Everything was over. I closed my eyes in despair, waiting only for the next wave of pain to arrive. But aside from Emma’s cold words, nothing happened. Could it be that she was just talking, and still had a bit of feeling for me in her heart? Just as I opened my eyes in wild joy, Emma had already rushed out the door. I saw her eyes filled with terror. What was she afraid of? Before I could figure out the reason, I suddenly heard hurried footsteps in the hallway, followed by the dull thud of something heavy hitting the ground, mixed with neighbors’ screams. What happened? Did someone jump from the building? My whole body turned ice cold, as if I had fallen into a frozen abyss. Declan walked to the window and glanced down, a cold smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he stared coldly at my disheveled state. I crawled toward the window in disbelief, only to see a bloody, mangled figure lying below. A crowd of onlookers had already gathered around. The moment I recognized that face, it was like thunder exploding in my mind. It was Emma who had jumped. After seeing the paternity report, she chose suicide. “Your aunt died because of you—this is all your fault!” Declan coldly dropped this statement and left, leaving me alone to scream in endless agony. What exactly was in Ariana’s paternity report? It made Emma choose death over facing the truth, and made everyone who knew want me to disappear immediately! The unknown truth filled me with terror. I comforted myself over and over—I would soon be able to go to college and escape this hell! Just then, the doorbell rang. Declan opened the door, and a group of police officers poured in. The lead officer showed his badge and said calmly to Declan, “Regarding the woman’s jumping incident, Mr. Hamilton, please bring your daughter with you to the police station.”

Facing the police, Declan remained as cold and indifferent as ever. He answered every question with calm composure, showing no emotion whatsoever. The investigation lasted the entire day, and ultimately the police closed the case, ruling Emma’s death a suicide. Afterward, the officers noticed the injuries covering my body and immediately demanded sternly: “Mr. Declan Hamilton, your actions constitute domestic violence. I have the authority to arrest you!” Declan let out a cold laugh that made my entire body tremble. Seeing my terrified expression, the officer grew even more furious, suddenly standing up and shouting at Declan: “I’m arresting you right now on charges of domestic abuse!” Then he gently took my arm and softly comforted me, saying it was all over. I forced a grateful smile, but didn’t dare relax for a moment, keeping my eyes fixed on Declan’s every move. Declan glanced at me sideways, his eyes full of contempt. He said: “Officer, this is merely a family dispute. Perhaps you should review this medical report before making your decision?” He pulled out Ariana’s paternity test results. Like a desperate rabid dog, I collapsed at Declan’s feet, my nails digging desperately into the back of his hand. The moment the officer’s fingers touched the paper, I heard a drowning-like gurgling sound escape from my throat. I was suffocating. I wished I could die right then and there. They would surely abandon me, condemn me, all because of Ariana’s test results. “Please…” I clutched desperately at the hem of the officer’s uniform. Declan released his grip on my hair, and I crashed onto the table like a broken rag doll. Sure enough, the officer’s eyes widened instantly, his face changing color dramatically. He looked at Declan in shock, while Declan responded with complete seriousness: “Family dispute. Minor matter.” The officer sighed deeply and spoke the words that filled me with despair: “You two go home. For family disputes, we recommend internal mediation. As for Ashley’s injuries, they were caused by accidental bumps and falls.” He too released the hand that had been ready to save me. Tears of despair slid down my cheeks as I completely lost strength and collapsed to the floor. A look of satisfaction crossed Declan’s face as he kicked at my head with the tip of his shoe and spat. He said: “Let’s go, Ashley. Time to resolve our family dispute.” I cried and screamed as Declan dragged me out of the police station by my hair. Just as I was struggling and wailing, a strange man appeared. I lifted my tear-stained face and looked up at the newcomer in confusion. It was Vincent, Declan’s boss and the owner of the pharmaceutical company. Having learned that Declan hadn’t come to work today due to the investigation, he had personally come to the police station. Seeing me lying disheveled on the ground, Vincent reached out his hand, wanting to wipe the blood from my face. Seeing this, Declan stepped on my face and ground his heel against it repeatedly. He said: “This slut wants to find another man to be her daddy. We already destroyed her uterus long ago. Don’t touch her, sir. I’d hate for her to dirty your hands.” Vincent gasped in shock, then bent down and whispered a few words in my ear that only we could hear. My face instantly lit up with hope, and I nodded carefully. After being dragged home covered in injuries, before I could even tend to my wounds, Declan burst through the door and stared at me intensely: “What did he say to you?” Seeing me shake my head frantically, Declan immediately pulled out his belt and began beating me savagely. I was beaten bloody, but still refused to speak. Only when the belt broke from his violent strikes did he finally stop. Watching Declan’s retreating figure, I let out a long breath. Vincent had said he was willing to fund my college education and help me escape this hellish family, on the condition that I couldn’t tell Declan and Monica about it. We agreed to meet in three days. Just three more days, and I could finally escape this place! When I woke up again, my body still ached terribly, but hope had ignited in my heart—the force that would keep me alive. Just then, I noticed the light was still on in Declan’s study, and I heard a voice from inside that was both strange and familiar. “Ashley is your daughter. If you can’t raise her properly, just let me raise her instead.” It was Vincent’s voice! My whole body stiffened, terrified that the hope I’d barely managed to kindle would instantly be extinguished. I quietly hid on the balcony outside the study, peering through the glass into the room. I spied secretly, and my blood instantly turned to ice. I saw Ariana’s paternity test results! Finally, I understood why Declan hated me so much!

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I never expected that when my grandfather asked me to choose one of the Johnson brothers for marriage, I would pick Ethan, Caleb’s older brother. Everyone knew I had been Caleb’s shadow since childhood. I once made myself deathly ill, begging to marry him with my life. I smiled bitterly, remembering my past life. On our wedding day, Caleb ran away with Lily, the girl my family had been supporting, declaring he would marry no one but her. I stood there in the wedding dress I had dreamed of for so long, utterly humiliated. Only then did I realize he had agreed to marry me just to get revenge at the wedding. After being reborn, I started avoiding him at every turn. Later, when his brother Ethan held me in his arms and kissed me until my lips were swollen, Caleb, who had always looked down on me, suddenly lost control of his emotions. **** After setting the wedding date, I started preparing things we’d need for the ceremony. I didn’t expect to run into Caleb and his friends at the mall. “Coming out to play and still keeping such a close eye on her. Caleb, you’re watching your woman way too tightly,” his friend teased, causing Caleb to frown in annoyance. “She’s not my woman. Say that again and I’ll sew your mouth shut.” Caleb spotted me from afar and walked over, clearly displeased. “Aria, when will you give it a rest? Why do you have to follow me everywhere I go?” “You forced the elders to tie us together. Now everyone knows you’re marrying into the Johnson family. Are you satisfied now?” I stayed silent for a moment, my expression calm. “I’m not trying to tie myself to you. You’ve misunderstood.” His emotions suddenly flared up as he gripped my wrist tightly, causing pain. “Then why are you here? Aren’t you just stalking me?” I shook off his hand, instinctively rubbing my reddened wrist as I explained: “I’m here to prepare things for the wedding. I didn’t expect to run into you.” Seeing our unhappy expressions, his friends quickly gathered around. “Preparing for the wedding? Caleb, marrying her sure is convenient – you don’t have to prepare anything yourself.” Caleb glared at the speaker without responding. “Aria, don’t think that just because our families arranged this marriage, you can use these tactics to get me.” “Even if you get my body, you’ll never have my heart. I despise manipulative, vicious women like you the most.” His eyes were cold, his voice suppressing anger. But I felt nothing, only wanting to escape this troublesome situation. I looked up and met his gaze calmly: “Who wants your heart? Don’t flatter yourself. I won’t be marrying you either.” Hearing this, Caleb’s face immediately fell. “How can you still deny it at this point? You’ve always used every trick to force me to marry you. Now that you’ve finally succeeded, you’re saying you won’t marry me…” His friend bumped his shoulder: “Caleb, can’t you tell? The little lady is just mad at you. She’s saying that out of anger.” “She’s personally out choosing things for the wedding. How can she be happy when you’re being so cold and sarcastic to her?” Caleb’s expression finally softened a bit. He stared at me with a complex look, finally forcing out a sentence after a long pause. “I’ll show up for the wedding on time, but like I said, don’t expect me to ever like you.” Suddenly there was a sound of something dropping behind us. Caleb and I turned to see Lily standing there in shock, wearing a cute sundress. She was the foster child my family had been supporting. With poor health, she was a frequent hospital patient. My mother felt bad about her poor living conditions and took her in to live with us. She was now dressed up like a delicate doll, with fluttering eyelashes over watery eyes. Caleb immediately let go of me and rushed over to her. “Lily, let me explain. It’s not what you think.” Lily covered her face and ran off, not giving him a chance to explain. Everyone dispersed unhappily after Lily left. Before leaving, Caleb threatened me harshly. “If Lily gets upset over this, I won’t let you off easy.” I laughed mockingly, for a moment doubting if the childhood friend I grew up with had been possessed by someone else.

After that whole scene, I lost interest in continuing to shop and went home early. It wasn’t until evening that Caleb brought Lily back. He was carrying bags of things, with his driver following behind carrying several boxes. The boxes were filled with expensive fruits and imported snacks. It was clear Caleb had bought a lot to appease Lily. When they came in, I was curled up on the couch watching TV. I deliberately didn’t look Caleb’s way, but he came over on his own. At first he didn’t speak, just pursing his lips as if waiting for my reaction. But I kept my eyes fixed on the TV, not even glancing his way. “Aria, you clearly saw me bring in all these things. Why didn’t you come help?” I gave him an indifferent look: “Why should I help you? The stuff wasn’t bought for me. What does it have to do with me?” His expression darkened: “If you want something just say so. If word gets out that my fiancée is so desperate for a few trinkets, people will laugh at me.” Caleb completely ignored what I’d said at the mall. I couldn’t be bothered to keep emphasizing to him that I wouldn’t marry him. He’d understand completely on the wedding day. Caleb casually picked up a box of blueberries and tossed it next to me. Due to the force, the box bounced off the couch and fell to the floor. “A reward for you. Don’t say I mistreat you.” I looked down at the box of blueberries, but had no desire to pick it up. Because if I did, I’d be like a begging dog, eagerly accepting Caleb’s handouts. I don’t need that kind of charity. I curled my lips in a cold smile: “You’re quite at home in my house. Don’t you have any sense of being a guest? Don’t embarrass your family’s upbringing.” We’d grown up together and were certainly familiar with each other’s homes. I’d never said such insulting words before. Caleb’s face turned red with anger. He looked at me like he wanted to eat me alive. My parents weren’t home yet, and the staff were busy with their own tasks. Only Caleb, Lily and I were left in the living room. Caleb acted like I didn’t exist, pressing Lily against the wall and giving her a quick kiss. He murmured: “Lily, in the future if anything upsets you, just tell me directly. Don’t let it hurt your health.” Lily’s coquettish voice reached my ears. “I know. Caleb always treats me the best.” As Lily responded to him, the two started kissing passionately, their intimate sounds making one blush. I turned off the TV and walked around the couch, deliberately taking a path farther from them to reach the stairs, intending to return to my room. When I was halfway up the stairs, Caleb suddenly opened his eyes, remembering there was another person present. He instinctively pushed Lily away. Lily didn’t notice his change, just reluctantly ending the kiss. Finally Lily looked up at me, her eyes full of provocation and disdain, as if showing off her victory. Back in my room, I received a message from Lily. [Sister, even though Caleb promised you a wedding, the title of Mrs. Johnson will only ever be mine.] [Aria, whatever outcome you got in your past life, you’ll get the same this life. You can’t beat me.]

Seeing this message, my heart suddenly skipped a beat. So I wasn’t the only one who had been reborn. In my past life, after Caleb accepted the engagement, I thought he had been moved by my sincerity. After all, I had chased after him for over a decade. Even a rock should have been warmed up by now, right? I never expected that he only accepted the marriage to thoroughly humiliate me at the wedding. In front of all the guests, he tightly held Lily’s hand. He announced to everyone that he could never marry me, that Lily was the only one he loved and would marry in this life. I was utterly humiliated, standing alone in my wedding dress, trapped in awkward emotions. Everyone in our social circle knew how much I liked him. I had even made myself deathly ill, just to get my parents to agree to an engagement with the Johnson family. I had lowered myself so much, shaming myself and my parents, only to be repaid with Caleb’s revenge. He resented me for using my family’s status to force an engagement, making him and Lily separate. I also passed away from illness. I never want to experience that kind of suffering again. So after being reborn, I gave up on Caleb and chose his brother Ethan instead. But I never expected that this time, my marriage to Ethan would proceed so smoothly. There were no obstacles. I just had to wait patiently for the wedding next month to arrive on schedule. In my past life, Ethan had always worked abroad and never married. Everyone thought he had some unspeakable issue. Even my grandfather asked me to confirm again when he heard I decided to marry Ethan. Was I really sure I wanted to marry Ethan? I nodded. Even if he had some physical problem, so what? If I had to choose between them, a life of mutual respect was far better than one full of scars. The next day, I went to the jeweler to pick up the wedding rings for Ethan and me. But the staff informed me that the rings had already been taken by Mr. Caleb Johnson. This jewelry store was under the Johnson Group. If Caleb wanted to take them, the staff couldn’t stop him. Out of all the couples’ rings, he just had to take my wedding rings. Anger suddenly flared up inside me, because those rings were my own design. Since childhood, I’d had a dream of wearing rings I designed myself at my wedding to the man I loved. In the past, I thought the man wearing the matching ring would be Caleb. But now that the groom had changed, I’d torn up that old design and made a new one specially for Ethan. Yet Caleb had snatched them away. Just as I was about to call Caleb to demand an explanation, I suddenly saw Lily’s new post on social media. [A one-of-a-kind ring from my beloved.] The photo showed her and Caleb wearing the rings I had designed. People flooded the comments with congratulations. My eyes unconsciously welled up with tears. Even if the arranged marriage had once troubled Caleb, I had already backed out in time and given him his freedom. Why did he have to keep humiliating me, and even let Lily take my wedding rings? I couldn’t wait another second. I didn’t want to argue with Caleb over the phone. So I took a cab straight to Caleb’s office. Caleb wasn’t in his office. But Lily was there. When she saw me, her eyes showed no surprise. As if she had expected I would come demand an explanation. Lily kept fiddling with the ring on her finger, occasionally pouting. “Sister, what do you think of the ring Caleb gave me?” She shook her head as she spoke. “I think it’s ugly as sin, but since Caleb gave it to me, I love it.” “I love anything he gives me.” Hearing her words, I couldn’t help but clench my fists. “Sister, do you think if I wear this ring to your wedding, I’ll steal your spotlight?” “After all, the diamond Caleb gave me is definitely bigger than whatever ring you’ll have.” Something snapped in my mind. I rushed forward to grab the ring from her hand. So Lily and I ended up in a tussle. The moment I got the ring off her finger, I felt a sharp blow to my waist. Someone kicked me hard, sending me sprawling on the ground in pain so intense I could barely breathe. Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes as I stubbornly turned my head, gritting my teeth as I glared at the petite woman now cradled in Caleb’s arms. “You crazy woman, how dare you lay hands on Lily? Don’t you know her health is fragile?” The pain spreading up from my waist was nothing compared to the ache in my heart. Caleb didn’t bother scolding me further, focused on comforting the distraught Lily. “Caleb, I can’t believe it. If you hadn’t arrived in time, would my sister have beaten me to death?” His gaze fell on Lily as he gently wiped away her tears, his movements tender and attentive. Caleb’s brows were tightly furrowed, his eyes rimmed with red. “Lily, don’t worry. I won’t let that crazy woman near you alone again.” “I won’t allow anyone to hurt you. Even if it’s the Wilson family’s daughter, I’ll turn against them if they so much as touch a hair on your head.” Caleb really went to extremes for Lily’s sake. Many people at Johnson Group knew me, including his secretary. The secretary helped me up, but Caleb angrily berated her. “Who said you could help her? Go to accounting and get your final paycheck. Don’t come in tomorrow.” The secretary stood there stunned before reluctantly leaving the office. I clutched my waist, my face flushed red. Just thinking about this humiliating situation made me want to cry. I laughed mockingly at myself. Each laugh blurred my vision a little more with unshed tears. He fired his secretary who helped me without a second thought. Did Caleb really hate me to this extent? “Crazy woman, you still have the nerve to laugh?” Caleb demanded: “I told you I would never like you. So why do you keep hurting the person I love?” I stubbornly refused to back down: “Are you blind? She’s the one who stole my things!” Caleb hesitated for a moment, but after glancing at Lily’s pitiful expression, he impatiently scolded me: “It’s just a ring. It was meant for me anyway. What’s wrong with her having it since it was meant for me!” I sneered: “You must not have a mirror, or even a puddle to look in. Check yourself – your ego is way too big!” I almost blurted out that the ring was meant for Ethan. But I suddenly remembered Ethan would be back tonight. I would thoroughly humiliate Caleb at the family dinner. I pressed a hand to my waist, each step difficult and painful. His voice came from behind me: “Come to the family dinner on your own tonight. I don’t have time to pick you up.” I left the office without looking back, a faint smile still on my lips. Laughing at his conceit, and even more at my own pathetic state. It’s fine. I don’t need him to pick me up. He’ll understand soon enough that my life will have nothing to do with him from now on.

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When I learned that my boyfriend Luca Ross was trapped in a house fire, I immediately rushed back to save him. After struggling to carry him out, I discovered it was just a mannequin. Laughter echoed from the house next door. A man said, “That idiot Chloe Roberts fell for it again.” Through the half-open window, I saw Luca lounging on the couch, playing on his phone, completely unharmed. The man continued, “That’s the 47th time we’ve gotten revenge on her. Once we hit 50, we can call it quits.” Another man chimed in, “She deserves it! She stole Ruby Mitchell’s scholarship. Ruby’s the girl Luca actually likes, so we decided to have Luca date her as revenge 50 times. Too bad there won’t be any fun left after the revenge is over.” I bent over, gasping for air. So the relationship I’d been so carefully nurturing was nothing but a game to them. ***** I stood outside the door, my whole body trembling uncontrollably. Both arms bore burn marks from the fire, too painful to move properly. I stared at the mannequin on the ground while mocking laughter continued to drift from the room. One man laughed, “Think she’ll go back to save him a second time? After all, what she carried out was just a dummy.” Another man replied, “Of course she will. Remember when we tricked her into thinking Luca was trapped at school? She smashed open every locked room. Ended up paying eighty thousand dollars in damages, just finished paying it off.” The first man laughed, “Exactly. A poor girl trying to play hero – how ridiculous.” Luca casually interrupted them, “Alright, I already called the fire department to put out the fire. Don’t actually kill her – we’re not done playing yet.” The words “not done playing” echoed in my ears like a curse, making me nearly lose my balance. It wasn’t until the paramedics lifted me onto a stretcher and put an oxygen mask over my face that I snapped back to reality. When my arm brushed against the stretcher’s edge, sharp pain shot through me, making me curl up instinctively. The attentive paramedic noticed and bent down to ask if I was in pain. Like I’d found an outlet for my emotions, my eyes immediately welled up with tears. I said, “I hurt so much.” Not just physically, but emotionally – my whole body ached unbearably. I spoke softly, yet it felt like I’d used every ounce of my strength. As consciousness faded, I closed my eyes. In my dreams, I returned to when I first met Luca. He appeared in my life like an angel, giving me love and teaching me what love meant. Luca, a privileged rich kid, not only sympathized with my orphaned background but also protected my fragile heart. I worked hard to maintain the balance in our relationship. Until sophomore year, when I ended up owing the school eighty thousand dollars trying to save him. My stubborn pride kept me from telling him about it. Eventually, he found me collapsed in the hospital from exhaustion after working three jobs a day. Luca cried heartbrokenly. His tears tore at my heart. He paid off that eighty thousand dollars for me and said he’d marry no one but me in this lifetime. Back then, my heart was full of sweetness, thinking God had finally decided to bless this unfortunate soul. But when I opened my tear-filled eyes, only my good friend Eliana Walker was there – no sign of Luca anywhere. Seeing me awake, she finally couldn’t hold back her tears. Eliana said, “Your injuries need at least two weeks to heal. Was it worth it for Luca?” I forced a smile and grabbed her hand. I said, “After two weeks, help me buy a train ticket. Anywhere will do.” As long as I could get away from Luca.

After the doctor’s examination, he confirmed I only had superficial injuries, and the hospital discharged me quickly. I immediately took a taxi back to the company to resign. The manager looked at me with a troubled expression, constantly trying to persuade me to stay. Seeing my firm attitude, he could only sigh. At that moment, Luca called, his tone somewhat cold. “You want to resign?” he asked. I was somewhat surprised. “How did you know?” Looking at the manager pressing his forehead, I understood immediately. “This company belongs to your family, doesn’t it?” I asked. I clenched my fists tightly, my mind in complete chaos. This explained all the difficulties I’d encountered at the company. No wonder I was always assigned all the dirty and exhausting work. No wonder I’d completed several major projects and consistently ranked first in performance, yet never received any bonuses. No wonder everyone looked at me with contempt and excluded me from every activity. I should have gotten used to being isolated all these years. I was honest and just wanted a job so I could pay off my debts and then switch companies. But thinking that all of this was Luca’s arrangement made me feel cold all over, almost unable to breathe. Seeing my silence, Luca let out a cold laugh. “I know I shouldn’t have hidden this from you initially, but you never wanted to let me help you. I could only do this behind the scenes. This isn’t my fault,” he said. I couldn’t help but question him, “So everyone in the company knows I got in through my connection with you. Have you ever thought about what kind of life I’ve been living at the company?” Luca avoided my question, clearly acknowledging it. “I’ll just explain things for you at the company. It’s not a big deal,” he said. “You don’t need to explain anything. I’m resigning,” I insisted. Luca grew somewhat impatient, his voice getting louder. “Do you really have to obsess over that bit of pride that nobody cares about? If it weren’t for me, how could you possibly be living such a good life now?” he said. At that moment, a sweet woman’s voice came through the phone, asking when he could finish the call. Luca said hastily, “Alright. I’ll come find you later.” The call ended abruptly. I didn’t take his words to heart and decisively returned to my desk to pack up my things before leaving the company. As I walked into the alley I had to pass through to get home, a blonde man suddenly appeared before me. He whistled and said, “Hey beautiful, where are you headed?” I recognized that voice. He was one of the people who had mocked me before. I gripped my bag tightly and turned to run back. But after just a few steps, I stopped immediately. I was blocked from both front and back. Before I could react, a hand suddenly grabbed my hair and yanked it back hard. Sleazy laughter came from above my head. A man said, “Don’t be afraid. We’ll all take good ‘care’ of you.” At the front of the alley, dim lighting illuminated a man wearing a mask. The alcohol on his breath made my head ache. His hands roamed over my body, then tightly embraced my waist. “Your waist is so soft,” he said with a laugh. I suppressed the urge to vomit and lifted my foot to kick hard upward. “Get away from me!” I roared. The masked man groaned and released my waist. Seeing me struggle, the blonde man used his other hand to grab my throat directly, shouting at the man on the ground, “Hurry up and strip off her clothes, then take some photos.” After the masked man recovered, he slapped me hard across the face. “How dare you kick me!” he said. The two of them pressed me against the wall together. I watched as my clothes were stripped down to just my underwear, tears streaming down uncontrollably. “Ah!” A scream rang out. The force holding me down suddenly disappeared. I opened my eyes to see a jacket thrown over me, covering me up. After hearing the sound of fists hitting flesh, I heard Luca say coldly, “Get lost!” I crouched against the wall. Luca pulled aside the jacket and helped me put my clothes back on with his head down. When he looked up, his eyes were red. “I’m sorry, I came too late,” he said. Luca tried to pick me up, but I pushed him away. I supported myself against the wall, stood up shakily, and slowly walked forward. Luca remained silent, just following behind me. As I walked, I fainted. I don’t know how much time passed before I groggily woke up to hear Luca arguing with someone. “Can’t you ask for my opinion before you take action? She’s my woman, at least,” he said. A man said, “We knew she yelled at you this afternoon, so we thought we’d have some fun with her. What’s wrong? You’re not actually falling for her, are you?” Luca’s voice suddenly got louder, “How is that possible? She’s the person I hate most in this lifetime.” Then I heard a “bang,” like he’d punched the wall. Luca continued, “Anyway, you’re not allowed to act recklessly anymore. Follow my orders.” After saying this, he suddenly walked in. I didn’t have time to close my eyes and made eye contact with him. I saw his face instantly turn pale. “Did you hear everything?” Luca asked.

“What?” I feigned confusion. Luca breathed a sigh of relief. After that, I became cold and distant, turning over to get up. I said, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll head home now.” Luca grabbed my hand and pressed down on my shoulder, making me lie back down. He said, “This is my bedroom. You should rest here.” Of course I knew this was Luca’s bedroom, because there was still a photo of him and Ruby on the nightstand. They were both wearing high school uniforms, smiling so brightly, so radiantly. Luca and I had been together for five years, and forget about taking photos together—whenever I wanted to take a picture of him as a keepsake, he would immediately snatch my phone away and angrily shout, “Don’t you dare take photos from now on. I hate having my picture taken.” Luca followed my gaze and immediately rushed forward to flip the photo face down on the table, then frantically explained, “This girl is Ruby. She’s your college classmate and also my cousin. Don’t overthink it.” “Okay.” I responded dismissively. Luca froze, unable to help asking, “Don’t you have anything else you want to know?” I looked up, staring at him intently, my clenched fingers digging into my palms as a trace of indescribable hope flashed through my heart. I asked, “Is there anything you want to explain?” Luca opened his mouth, a hint of irritation crossing his expression. We both knew something had changed between us, right after that fire that was meant to torment me. I was being too compliant. If this were before, I would have kept asking Luca why he took photos with her but not with me. Luca would probably have gotten into a big fight with me. The end result would have been no photo taken, me crying heartbrokenly, and him leaving the house in an irritated mood. A silence spread between us. Then, a woman’s voice came from nearby, breaking the quiet: “Luca, I heard Chloe came to your place, so I came to check on things.” I hadn’t expected to see Ruby again at Luca’s house. She was even more beautiful than when I’d seen her in college, dressed head to toe in luxury brands, with dimples when she smiled. Without even looking at myself, I knew I looked far more disheveled than her, covered in injuries. I forced a smile and said, “Ruby, long time no see.” Before Ruby could say anything, Luca grabbed her hand and led her outside. The soundproofing in this room wasn’t very good. I heard Luca ask in a low voice, “What are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you two not to meet?” Ruby’s aggrieved voice came from outside: “But you haven’t talked to me for twenty-four hours. I heard them say you brought her to your house. You never used to bring her here, and didn’t you say before that only I could sleep in your bed?” I froze, unable to believe my ears. The stinging sensation in my eyes couldn’t help but well up as I covered my mouth with trembling hands. I heard Luca quietly scold, “Keep your voice down. What if she hears us?” Ruby paused, and though her voice became quieter, it sounded even more aggrieved: “You’re actually getting angry at me because of her.” Their conversation was so quiet, so quiet that I had to strain to hear it. But the sound of Luca kissing her was loud. Luca said, “Be good, just wait a little longer for me, okay?” Ruby sniffled, and after a moment of silence said, “In a few days, I’m having my birthday party on a cruise ship. You have to stay with me the whole time, and make her come too. I want to break her heart badly on that cruise, make her watch with her own eyes as the person she likes gets close to me. Finally, I’ll say the ship is in trouble and put her on a small boat I’ve prepared.” Luca’s voice turned somewhat cold: “What are you trying to do?” Ruby snorted coldly and said, “I want her to completely cut ties with us and drift away alone.” “She could get hurt that way.” Ruby grew anxious and questioned him: “Didn’t you say you’d do anything for me? What do you mean now? Besides, she can swim—what are you afraid of?” “Fine, I promise you. Don’t be mad.” Luca coaxed her gently. I heard their footsteps getting closer and immediately returned to bed, lying down. The door opened, and Ruby came in with a bright smile on her face, jogging over to check on me with concern. Then she said eagerly: “Chloe, I’m having my birthday party on a cruise ship in three days. Will you come?” Luca stood nearby without saying a word, his face dark. I smiled and said: “Sure, after all, we haven’t seen each other in a long time.” So you want me to disappear in front of you both? I’ll make it happen. The three days passed faster than I expected. Ruby’s birthday party was grand, with all kinds of people gathered on the cruise ship. Just as she said, she made a dazzling entrance, arm in arm with Luca, walking out slowly amid everyone’s praise of “they’re such a perfect match.” All the contemptuous looks fell on me, and mocking laughter came from around me. I ignored it, just getting a bit impatient from waiting. The party was proceeding normally when suddenly someone shouted: “Fire!” People on the cruise ship began running everywhere. I was pushed onto the deck by the crowd. Ruby immediately rushed over and grabbed my hand, saying urgently: “Chloe, jump onto that boat first.” Looking at the small boat specially prepared for me, I jumped down without hesitation. After a moment of dizziness, I heard laughter from the ship above. Someone shouted: “Look everyone, that idiot Chloe actually jumped!” I raised my head and looked at them quietly. The ship’s edge was crowded with people, each wearing the same mocking expression. Ruby slowly raised a pair of scissors and, amid everyone’s jeering and under my gaze, cut the rope connecting the small boat to the cruise ship. She said: “Idiot, drift away by yourself.” As soon as she finished speaking, I saw Luca running frantically from behind. He pushed everyone aside and desperately tried to grab the falling rope, but missed. Luca roared: “Are you all insane? Chloe will really die this way! There’s a bomb on that boat!” Hearing his words, I turned to look at the countdown displayed on the bomb and smiled. The sea breeze tousled my hair. Looking at Luca’s anxious expression at this moment, I found it ridiculous. After being deceived by him for so long, I could finally play him for once. I smiled and said: “Luca, are you satisfied with this forty-seventh revenge?” The sea breeze carried away most of my voice, but I knew Luca definitely heard me. He stood there stunned. Taking advantage of his daze, I walked toward the cabin without hesitation. With a bang, flames shot up into the sky, illuminating the surroundings. I whispered: “Goodbye, Luca.”

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I, Delilah Garrett, and my husband Nathan Simmons encountered mechanical failure during our flight and were forced to make an emergency landing. When I opened my eyes again, we had somehow returned to the time before we ever met. In my previous life, we were married for ten years, yet he consistently refused to share a bed with me, and in later years, he wouldn’t even come home. I later discovered that he had long been living with his first love, Riley Morris, building a family with her—they even had grandchildren. After my rebirth, I decided to completely sever ties with him and choose an entirely different life. Seven years later, he became a financial mogul and married Riley. Yet I was invited to sit in the audience, applauding for him. When he saw me, he couldn’t help but mock: “What’s wrong? Can’t find anyone else who wants you besides me? Why don’t you beg me—I might reluctantly keep you as my mistress.” I scoffed, linking my arm through his uncle Marshal Simmons’ arm and showing him the large diamond ring on my finger. His face instantly turned ashen, his eyes bloodshot. “Didn’t you say I was the love of your life, that you only wanted to be with me?” ***** Actually, I never expected that my reunion with Nathan would be at his wedding. When my assistant hurriedly pulled me from my studio, I remembered this event, hastily got ready, and rushed to the venue. Their ceremony was nearly over when I arrived. I sat in a corner, applauding for them, genuinely wishing them happiness as they finally became husband and wife. After the ceremony, Nathan held Riley’s hand as they stood at the center of the reception, accepting everyone’s congratulations. “Nathan, you’re incredible! In just a few years, you’ve become CEO of the family’s subsidiary, and now you’ve married the mayor’s daughter—success in both career and love!” “Exactly! Now so many people want your help, they can’t even get a meeting with you!” “Nathan, for old times’ sake as classmates, help us make some money!” Suddenly, someone in the crowd spoke up: “By the way, you really didn’t invite Delilah?” Hearing my name, Nathan’s expression stiffened, and the atmosphere immediately became awkward. The others didn’t dare speak, only the questioner remained oblivious. “You two were the top talents in the art department back then, your romance was known throughout the school. Every time we saw your artwork, it was like witnessing your love story. “Now…” Seeing Nathan’s increasingly dark expression, Riley quickly interrupted with a smile: “We’ve moved past all that, and Nathan doesn’t paint anymore anyway.” The atmosphere relaxed somewhat, and the topic of me was tactfully dropped. I knew he was right—we did indeed use our artwork to display our love for everyone to see. In my previous life, we studied under the same professor. The day we transformed from rivals to lovers, his eyes sparkled as he told me: “I don’t like anyone but you.” I believed him until the very end of my life, only to discover he had been lying from the very beginning. Lost in thought, I sensed someone’s gaze on me. “Look, isn’t that person Delilah?” “She’s dressed so plainly—couldn’t she have worn something more formal?” “She probably can’t afford it. It’s sad that she’s not doing well and doesn’t ask us for help. Should we introduce her to someone? But how did she even get in here?” Several people approached, looking me up and down with mockery in their eyes. I ignored them, simply wiping away traces of dessert from the corner of my mouth, remaining composed. Nathan’s gaze stayed fixed on me, his lips pressed tightly together. I smiled and greeted them: “Hello, congratulations to you both.” He spoke coolly: “I never expected that after all this time, you haven’t changed a bit—still so sloppy. Don’t tell me you’re still painting those worthless scraps of paper.” Riley stared at me coldly, then linked her arm through Nathan’s. “Nathan, don’t say that. Delilah is just passionate about art. “I know you artists are all like this, but Delilah, your outfit is too casual—this isn’t your best dress, is it? “As your friend, I could lend you something.” At his words, the people around us couldn’t help but cover their mouths and snicker. After all, Riley was dressed in an exquisite gown with impeccable makeup and a stunning figure, radiating elegance and sophistication from head to toe. Meanwhile, I had been busy preparing for my art exhibition and hadn’t slept for three straight days, leaving me looking utterly exhausted. The clothes I wore were just something I’d grabbed randomly, with no thought put into them. From head to toe, my outfit screamed financial struggle. Compared to her, I did look rather disheveled. I replied calmly, “No need. I’m just sitting here for a moment.” If it weren’t for my husband Marshal from this lifetime saying he’d come pick me up later, I probably would have left the congratulatory gift and departed long ago. During this rare moment of leisure, my stomach chose that exact time to growl. Just as I scooped up a spoonful of cake and brought it to my mouth, Nathan pulled out a bank card from his wallet and tossed it in front of me. He said, “This is a card I just got. There’s $150,000 on it—consider it helping out an old classmate. From now on, don’t dress like this when you go out claiming to be my ex-girlfriend. It’s bad luck. Even though we’ve broken up, you don’t have to live this miserably, do you? Why not just live a decent life?” The rich cake nearly choked me. Seven years without seeing each other, and just because I dressed simply, Nathan interpreted it as me still being hung up on him. But in my previous life, we went from love to mutual disgust. During our student days, we both loved painting, but after graduation, we disagreed on life directions. He was eager to make money and wanted me to join him in copying famous works to sell to middle-class families who couldn’t afford originals, hoping to quickly save up money to start a company. I refused to do this, wanting only to create original art. But in relationships, someone always has to compromise. Because I loved him, I chose to give in and follow his plan. Everything progressed smoothly as he predicted. He used the initial savings to start his company and gradually expanded it. As for me, after losing my creative freedom, I was gradually marginalized and eventually became a full-time housewife confined to the home. Later, as I grew older, I became too lonely at home and longed for a child. But when I lay on the bed in a slip nightgown trying to get close to him, he threw me out along with the bedsheets. He said, “I told you I don’t want kids right now—this is the time to focus on my career. Besides, we’ve been married so long, and you’re still pulling this act. Don’t you find it disgusting?” But I was only thirty years old. I couldn’t believe I had truly lost my appeal, especially since I’d received frequent confessions during college. But when I stood in front of the mirror and carefully examined my appearance, I realized I no longer recognized my former self. The woman in the mirror was overweight, dull, completely lacking the youthful beauty I once had. From that day on, we started sleeping in separate rooms, and I completely gave up on the idea of having children. I thought I would spend the rest of my life with him in this peaceful manner, even if it was just mutual respect. But at age sixty, I witnessed Nathan and Riley walking hand in hand down the street, with a young man beside them affectionately calling them “Mom and Dad.” In that moment, I stood frozen, tears streaming down my face, unable to say a word or dare to confront them. Because I had spent my entire life depending on Nathan, I had long lost the ability to survive independently. After returning home, Nathan noticed my dejection and decided to take me abroad to lift my spirits. I have to admit, when I learned about the plane accident, I felt incredibly relieved inside—not a trace of fear, only liberation. Now that we’ve both been reborn, we’ve tacitly stayed away from each other, with no old feelings remaining. I handed the bank card back to Nathan: “Thank you for your concern, but I’m not short on money.”

Nathan didn’t reach for the money, his eyes burning with rage. “What are you acting all high and mighty for? This hundred and fifty thousand dollars is just meal money to me, but for you, it’s probably several Christmases’ worth of expenses.” Someone chuckled softly. “If she’s careful, it could last ten Christmases!” “You say you’re living so miserably, yet you still came to the wedding. Aren’t you just here to mooch some good stuff?” “Exactly, stop pretending. You’re not thinking this hundred and fifty thousand is too little and wanting more, are you? You should know your place.” Riley listened with delight on the sidelines, chiming in with fake concern: “Don’t be like that. She’s my friend after all, and I invited her here. If I’d known she was struggling this much, I should have helped her. “Oh right, would you like to work as a housekeeper at my place? We still need someone to tend the garden. Ten thousand dollars a month – that’s pretty good pay for ordinary people.” As she spoke, she grabbed my hand. “Delilah, don’t refuse me out of pride. People have to make a living, and we all understand your situation.” I sighed, really wanting to leave immediately. I finally understood Riley’s purpose in inviting me here. She just wanted to show off – to flaunt that she’d finally stolen Nathan completely, to show off her superior family background compared to mine. I pulled my hand back and smiled in response: “No need, I have money.” Riley maintained her polite smile, though her eyes were full of mockery. “You’re not still hoping to make a living from painting, are you? You really are something – you were always so prideful in school, and you’re still the same now. “Whatever, if you really can’t get by, come find me.” She put on an understanding act, even lowering her head to dab at nonexistent tears. Nathan frowned, looking at Riley with eyes full of sympathy. Then he glared at me fiercely. “People like you are just worthless. Others try to help you out of kindness and you don’t appreciate it. You deserve to be poor your whole life!” With that, he pulled Riley away with large strides. I scoffed softly and immediately texted Marshal: [When will you arrive? Your nephew and his wife are really annoying.] Marshal replied quickly: [Did they bully you? Wait for me, fifteen more minutes.] I knew him – when he said fifteen minutes, he’d be there in ten. I patiently sat to the side, planning to eat while waiting. People around me started discussing other things. “When is the real head of The Simmons family arriving? Didn’t they say he’d come to the wedding?” “You mean Nathan’s uncle Marshal? I heard Nathan say he’s coming later.” The crowd immediately became restless. One girl spoke up: “You actually have news? Do you know what time he’s arriving? What does he look like?” Another responded: “Don’t even think about it. He got married over a year ago, but his wife has never been willing to show her face. Look how Marshal mentions his wife everywhere he goes, as if he’s afraid people don’t know he’s married. You can tell he really loves his wife. “I wonder who’s that lucky.” The girl’s mood instantly deflated. I was listening intently when suddenly, footsteps slowly approached me. A male classmate I hadn’t seen in ages, wearing an expensive suit and holding a wine glass, sat beside me and deliberately leaned closer. He said: “I can see you’re quite attractive. Drink this glass, and how about we go upstairs and have some fun?” Upstairs were the guests’ rooms. I frowned and didn’t respond, feeling even more irritated. But he persisted, directly putting his arm around my shoulder while trying to coax me and force me to drink. I grabbed his wine glass and poured the wine over his head. He shot up abruptly, his chair making a sharp scraping sound that echoed throughout the banquet hall. Instantly, everyone’s eyes turned toward us. Feeling embarrassed, he glared at me with vicious eyes. “Don’t be ungrateful! My willingness to keep you is your good fortune!” His gaze was contemptuous, as if certain I wouldn’t dare do anything to him. But I wasn’t the Delilah from my past life. I delivered a sharp slap and warned coldly: “I should be the one saying that. Don’t be ungrateful.” The man said: “You…” “Delilah! Who gave you permission to cause trouble at my wedding!” Nathan strode over, grabbing my hand with an icy expression. “Security! Come throw her out!” I stared at him and asked softly: “Are you sure you want security to throw me out?” Nathan didn’t understand the meaning behind my words and mocked: “What, did you realize no one else wants you besides me? Why don’t you beg me, and I’ll reluctantly keep you. “Why bother harassing male classmates?” His words made me nauseous, and I couldn’t help rolling my eyes. Suddenly, a phone rang. After he answered, his expression changed dramatically. I guessed Marshal had arrived. The next second, he hurriedly shoved me under the table, warning in a low voice: “If you still want me to keep you, hide obediently. My uncle is here.” I was somewhat confused – what did this matter? Though I hadn’t expected him to fear Marshal to this extent. Looking at the ring in my hand that I hadn’t had time to put on before leaving, I still crawled under the table. Rather than let him discover it later and get angry, I might as well create a distraction. I decisively crawled under the table, pulled the diamond ring from my pocket and put it on, sighing. Footsteps sounded outside, and Marshal’s deep voice rang out: “Where’s my wife?” Nathan was stunned. Marshal continued asking: “She’s your college classmate. Haven’t you seen her?” Nathan was momentarily speechless, unsure how to begin. I lifted the tablecloth in front of me and looked directly into Marshal’s captivating eyes. “Hi, darling.” Nathan’s face went pale with shock as he rushed over to my table in a few quick steps, positioning himself between Marshal and me. He said, “Delilah, have you lost your mind? How many times have I told you—I’m married now, and whatever we had is long over. You actually hid here and are now ruining my reputation in front of Uncle Marshal!” With that, he reached out to drag me away. But another hand moved faster. Marshal remained composed, his tone calm: “Darling, what are you doing here?” Only I understood that he was jealous because of Nathan’s words. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, I placed my hand in his and let him pull me out from under the table, smiling as I explained, “You misunderstood. I’ll explain everything when we get home, okay?” Nathan watched as Marshal pulled me into his embrace, his expression shifting from confusion to shock, then to anger: “You actually got involved with Uncle Marshal! Do you know he has a wife? Delilah, after leaving me, you became someone’s mistress!” I sighed softly, marveling at Nathan’s stupidity. I raised my hand with Marshal’s, both wearing our rings, making sure they could see clearly: “You should recognize this ring, shouldn’t you? There’s only one pair like this in the world, and no one else can wear it but me, dear nephew.” Marshal chimed in from beside me: “Nathan, call her Aunt Delilah.” Nathan’s face flushed red, unable to utter a word. The surrounding guests, however, began to stir. “My God, she’s actually Mrs. Simmons.” “They’ve been married for a year, and she’s never made a public appearance. We’re actually seeing her today.” Those who had been mocking me moments before instantly turned pale, then approached me with fawning smiles. “Mr. Simmons, Mrs. Simmons, hello. I’m Mrs. Simmons’ college classmate. Here’s my business card, please take it.” I glanced sideways but didn’t acknowledge them. Seeing this, others feared being left out and rushed forward to curry favor with me. I frowned, which Marshal immediately noticed. He coldly surveyed the crowd pressing around us: “Back off. I have no interest in any of you.” Then, looking at my slightly weary appearance, his tone filled with concern: “You’ve been busy with the art exhibition again, so busy you forgot to rest? Take a good break these next few days. I’ll have my assistant handle the wrap-up.” I nodded in agreement. After all, if the work could be completed easily, I was too lazy to handle it myself. Riley emerged in a different gown, looking bewildered. When she saw me arm-in-arm with Marshal, her expression immediately changed. She instantly understood what was happening and smiled as she spoke: “So you’re Aunt Delilah! I’m sorry for the poor hospitality…” I could tell she was trying to make up for her earlier rudeness. The guests watching the drama began whispering among themselves. “She was mocking her just moments ago, and now she’s all smiles. Truly worthy of being the mayor’s daughter—she really knows how to handle people.” “Delilah is Marshal’s wife—she has everything she could want. Nathan was trying to brush her off with a bank card earlier. How ridiculous.” “Didn’t Riley just ask Delilah to clean her garden? Turns out Delilah owns an art gallery. I remember that sold-out exhibition recently—I think she’s the one who organized it.” Every word reached Marshal’s ears, and his expression grew cold: “You all did these things?” Riley’s face went white as she hastily explained: “I meant no harm, really. I just thought Aunt Delilah wasn’t doing well and wanted to help her.” Nathan quickly chimed in: “Right, we were just trying to help her back then.” “I don’t believe it.” Marshal’s tone was light but decisive: “Nathan, I think you’re really asking for trouble. I need to reconsider who should be CEO of the subsidiary.” Nathan’s face instantly turned ashen. He opened his mouth but couldn’t say a word. I remained silent, thinking that since today was his wedding day after all, I didn’t want to ruin the atmosphere. But he kept causing me trouble again and again. After Marshal finished speaking, he wanted to take me home to rest. We had just turned around when we heard Riley shout loudly: “Delilah has a questionable personal life! Uncle Marshal, don’t let her deceive you!”

I turned around to see Riley standing with her arms crossed, watching us with a composed expression. I didn’t understand—Nathan had already been dismissed, so shouldn’t she be trying to curry favor with us? Yet here she was, spreading rumors in public. Marshal couldn’t be bothered with her and just wanted to get me to the car first. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle what she said,” he told me. I shook my head, gently pulling free from his grip, and looked directly at Riley. “I’d love to hear how exactly my private life is inappropriate.” Riley’s smile deepened. “I have evidence of you being involved with two men simultaneously, and you’re still in contact with them. Are you sure you want me to make this public? You might want to be careful about your position.” I shrugged, finding it somewhat amusing, and waited for her next move. Seeing that Marshal’s expression remained unchanged, Riley’s face darkened, and she directly projected her evidence onto the venue’s large screen. The screen at the center of the banquet hall instantly switched from playing Riley and Nathan’s romantic highlights to “evidence of my inappropriate behavior.” The first set of images showed me during my graduate studies in France, frequently interacting with a man named Alan. Although the photos didn’t capture his face clearly, we were often seen cooking together in the same house and going out. Even after two Christmases, he was still spending the night at my apartment. Anyone would assume we were in a relationship based on these scenes. Next, she displayed chat records between me and another man, Aiden, on social media. We shared daily life updates and even scheduled gaming sessions together. And on the very night I was sharing a room with Alan, Aiden confessed his feelings to me in the game. The entire venue erupted in gasps. “Oh my God, one after another—how shameless!” “Mr. Simmons was actually deceived by this kind of woman!” Riley watched the crowd’s reaction, her smile growing even wider. Then she showed my multiple travel records to France, even including images of me meeting with some man at that little cottage. The chat records kept scrolling and updating continuously. Finally, a woman couldn’t hold back and spoke up: “Mr. Simmons, you can actually tolerate this kind of thing? This woman has gone too far!” I remained calm, turned to look at Marshal beside me, who appeared slightly embarrassed, and asked with a smile, “She’s asking you—can you put up with it?” Marshal resumed his cold expression, glanced at me, and spoke slowly: “Those men—they’re all me. Anything more than that is a private matter between my wife and me, which you have no right to know. Riley, I don’t care what channels you used to get this information, but don’t let me catch you doing it again.” The entire venue fell silent. “I thought we’d see them fighting, but they’re actually so sweet together.” “I get the feeling Mr. Simmons went through great lengths to win back his wife.” “Now I finally understand why he’s always showing off. If I had worked so hard to win back my wife, I’d be bragging too.” “Young couples’ business—we wouldn’t understand.” Nathan went from shock to anticipation, and now his face was deathly pale. He rushed forward, his voice hoarse as he shouted: “Delilah, didn’t you say you only liked me, that you only wanted to be with me!”

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My blood ran with a secret power, a living cure for any poison. Seraphina Hayes, the untouchable heiress from one of the city’s most powerful dynasties, had been bitten by a venomous snake and was clinging to life. In that critical moment, I slit my wrist and let my blood flow to save her. Only later did I learn the cruel truth: whoever saved Seraphina’s life would become the chosen son-in-law of the Hayes family. But the first thing Seraphina did after inheriting her family’s empire was drain every last drop of my blood, then had my body chopped into pieces and fed to their dogs. “Julian had already brought the antidote,” she’d sneered, her eyes glittering with malice. “If I had just waited five more minutes, I could have married him without a single obstacle.” “But you had to butt in, didn’t you? You stole his place as the Hayes family’s son-in-law, driving him to despair and suicide.” “You claimed your blood could cure all poisons? Well, Asher Vance, let’s see how many doses of antidote we can squeeze out of you.” My entire body was drained of blood, then thrown into a gladiator pit. There was nothing left of me. My parents, ruined by the Hayes family, took their own lives, together. When I opened my eyes again, I was back. Back to that fateful day Seraphina Hayes was poisoned. Eleanor Hayes, Seraphina’s mother, looked at me with a hopeful gaze. “I heard you were born with a unique gift, a living cure. Would you be willing to save my daughter’s life?” I immediately shook my head. “All those stories are just rumors, Mrs. Hayes. Besides, using blood as medicine? That’s just barbaric and unsanitary.” “You don’t need to worry, though. I heard Mr. Thorne is already rushing here with a special antidote. Miss Hayes will surely pull through!” A thrill of dark anticipation rippled through me. Without my blood to cure her… Seraphina Hayes? Forget inheriting her family’s empire. She’d be lucky to last another month!

Eleanor Hayes hadn’t even had a chance to mask her disappointment when suddenly, a gut-wrenching cry echoed through the hall. Silence fell instantly. No one dared to utter a sound. A rush of hurried footsteps came from the entrance, and several bodyguards carried Seraphina Hayes inside. Her eyes were tightly shut, and half of her arm was a sickening blackish-purple. It was a gruesome sight. The grand hall instantly erupted into chaos. Many people shrieked, backing away several steps. Richard Hayes’s face was terrifyingly grim. “Why do I even bother keeping you useless fools around?! I told you to protect her closely! How could you let Miss Hayes get bitten by a venomous snake?!” The bodyguards hung their heads low, sweat trickling down their temples, but not a single one dared to speak up. Just then, Julian Thorne was practically shoved to the front. “It’s not their fault… Seraphina said she didn’t like too many people following her.” A doctor rushed forward, quickly examining Seraphina’s injury. Seraphina’s body suddenly trembled violently. Finally, her eyes slowly fluttered open. “It’s Julian,” she whispered, her voice weak. “He risked everything to bring me the antidote. If it weren’t for him, I’d probably be dead already.” The doctor quietly added, “Indeed. If not for the uniquely potent antidote Mr. Thorne brought, the consequences would have been unthinkable.” Hearing this, Richard Hayes’s expression finally softened a little. His gaze turned to Julian. “You saved Seraphina’s life. You are a great benefactor to the Hayes family. Tell me, what do you want? As long as it’s within my power, I won’t refuse.” A flicker of light crossed Julian’s eyes. He stole a quick glance at Seraphina, his lips parted, but he couldn’t find the words. Seraphina’s expression darkened. She suddenly reached out and took his hand in hers. “Father, Julian is too shy to speak. I’ll speak for him.” Her voice was unwavering. “I want to marry him. I don’t care what anyone outside says. He saved my life, and I want to repay him with my entire future.” The atmosphere in the hall abruptly froze. Everyone gasped. Julian Thorne was merely the son of the Hayes family’s housekeeper. Although he had grown up with Seraphina, his background was simply too humble. The idea of him becoming their future son-in-law had never even crossed Richard and Eleanor Hayes’s minds. Richard Hayes frowned, a clear look of displeasure flashing in his eyes. Eleanor Hayes, standing beside him, suddenly spoke, her voice chilling. “You want to marry a housekeeper’s son? Do you want everyone to laugh at the Hayes family?” “You are the future heir of the Hayes Corporation. Don’t you understand the stakes involved?” Seraphina turned her head to look at Julian, who stood beside her. She made up her mind and slowly spoke.

“I understand the responsibilities of a Hayes Corporation heir, but I believe managing this empire requires capability and shrewdness, not relying on my partner’s power!” “The status I want, I’ll fight for myself. I don’t need outsiders to get it.” A single sentence plunged the banquet into a brief, stunned silence. Richard Hayes’s face turned a sickly shade of green, veins throbbing in his temples. I lowered my head, rubbing my fingers, a faint smile playing on my lips. Seraphina Hayes. She truly was ruthless and arrogant to her very core. Too bad she’d forgotten that her father only managed to pull their company back from the brink during that crisis years ago because my family bailed them out. That’s when Richard Hayes made a verbal agreement with my father for Seraphina and I to marry. “Fine! Very well!” Richard Hayes was seething. He slammed his hand on the table. “Since you’re so capable, I’ll let you have your way. Let’s see how long you can last without our support!” With that, he stormed off in a rage. Eleanor Hayes quickly stood up and followed him. Seraphina extended her arm, pulling Julian into a tight embrace, and solemnly promised him. “Don’t worry. The Hayes family’s son-in-law position will always be yours. No one can ever shake that!” I watched the two wrapped up in their own little world, preparing to leave. But Seraphina’s quiet voice stopped me. “Wait.” She pushed away Julian’s helping hand, swayed slightly, and came after me alone. She leaned close to my ear, speaking in a voice only we could hear. “Asher Vance, did you also come back with your memories?” “Good, you’re smart enough not to block Julian’s path this time. If you hadn’t meddled in my past life and made me lose Julian, I wouldn’t have been so ruthless towards you. This time, as long as you stay in your place, I can spare you and the Vance family.” “If you want to stay by my side, I’ll tell you now: I won’t give you any official title.” I raised an eyebrow, feigning confusion. “What are you talking about, Miss Hayes?” “My family may not be an old dynasty, but we still have pride. Why on earth would I agree to be some kept man?” I met her eyes directly. I didn’t want her to know too much, and I certainly didn’t want the bloody hatred of my past life to bring disaster upon my family again. I glanced down, noticing her arm was still black. I scoffed internally. The blood debt from the past life—did she really think a few sweet words could erase it? Seraphina Hayes clearly underestimated me. Just wait until the poison in her right hand flares up again. She won’t even be able to save her own life. I ignored her, letting out a dismissive laugh, and ruthlessly pushed her hand away. “Are you out of your mind, Seraphina? You’re talking absolute nonsense.” With that, I walked around her and quickly left. Seraphina lunged for me, but suddenly lost her balance, stumbled, and collapsed to the floor. Julian let out a panicked shriek. “Seraphina!” I calmly adjusted my cuffs, not even bothering to look back. Heaven had granted me a new life. I would never let anyone hurt my family or me again. The next morning, I heard the frantic shouts of the staff downstairs that someone had broken in. Julian Thorne stormed in, his eyes blazing red, pointing at me and demanding furiously. “Asher Vance! You’re from a distinguished family, you lack nothing! Why do you insist on stealing Seraphina from me?!” “Don’t you know she was supposed to be mine?!” I sat up straight, my hair still a mess. “Are you sure you’ve got the right person? When have I ever competed with you for anything?” “You!” Julian bit his lower lip, tears welling up again, his voice filled with resentment. “Then what did you two talk about yesterday? Seraphina kept shouting your name after she fainted!” I raised an eyebrow at him, my voice flat, almost amused. “Didn’t she tell you? She’s begging to marry me now.”

Julian’s face instantly paled. He bit his lip, his voice turning shrill. “How could that be?! You bastard! You must have used some underhanded tactics!” I was about to explain when he suddenly shrieked and lunged at me, his hand already flying towards my face. The next second, a fluffy white ball of fur shot out like a flash from the corner. Snowball bit down hard on Julian’s wrist. Julian shrieked, stumbling back several steps and landing hard on the floor. I instinctively reached out, wanting to help him up. But the front door was kicked open with a loud bang. Seraphina Hayes stood at the doorway, her face like stone. “Asher Vance, how dare you incite this beast to harm Julian?!” Seraphina’s dark eyes swept over Snowball, then settled on me, her thin lips forming a grim line. “I told you, anyone who hurts Julian deserves to die.” “What are you waiting for?!” Her voice, relentless and cold, tore through any remaining illusions I had. “Throw that beast into the shredder!” The two bodyguards by the door instantly obeyed, lunging forward and grabbing Snowball by her small neck. Snowball’s eyes were wide with terror and fury. Her four paws struggled desperately, but she couldn’t break free from the men’s thick arms. My heart leaped into my throat. I yelled. “Stop it!” But a bodyguard held me fast, unable to move a muscle. “Miss Hayes, Mr. Thorne came here to insult our young master! Snowball only bit him to protect him!” One of the housekeepers tried to defend me. “Lies!” Julian cried, clutching his hand, his voice thick with tears. “He deliberately raised a crazy dog to hurt me!” Seraphina gave me a cold, dismissive glance, then bent down to help the fallen Julian. “Get rid of this mad dog, now.” Snowball was lifted into the air. Her neck was visibly about to snap. My blood ran cold. I didn’t think, I just wanted to snatch Snowball back from them. “Seraphina Hayes! Snowball was just protecting me! Julian provoked her first! He was the one who made the first move…” But she didn’t even spare me a glance. She simply tossed Snowball aside like trash. Snowball twitched twice on the ground, then her neck went limp, and her struggles ceased. I knelt there, stunned, horrifying images flashing through my mind again. In my past life, Seraphina had been just as ruthless. She’d bribed the vet, and Snowball had been used as a lab experiment, finally dying on a cold operating table. I bit down hard on my lower lip, swallowing back the sob that threatened to tear through my throat. “Seraphina Hayes, you can’t even tolerate the dog I raised since I was a child?!” I clenched my fists, my voice raw. But Seraphina merely scoffed. “Asher Vance, I’m already being merciful by letting you live. Don’t push your luck.” “My heart has always belonged to Julian and only Julian. If you dare to cross him again, you’ll be the next one to die.” Seraphina wrapped an arm around Julian and led him away without a backward glance. I bowed my head, my nails digging into my palms. Julian looked back, glaring at me, a smirk of disdain and triumph on his lips. Seraphina probably didn’t realize that she hadn’t just killed Snowball; she had killed her last hope of survival. Forget inheriting her family’s empire. She’d be lucky if death itself showed her mercy. Snowball’s body was already stiff. I picked her up with trembling hands and dug a grave in the yard. Since I was a child, Snowball was the only one who truly stayed by my side. Even in my last life, tortured to her death, she never let go. My tears splattered onto the soil. In that moment, the pain was so crushing, even breathing hurt. “Do you need help?” I looked up, meeting Valentina Cross’s dark, gentle eyes. At yesterday’s banquet, besides Seraphina being bitten by a venomous snake, Valentina had also been poisoned. In my previous life, my entire focus was on Seraphina. I cut my wrist and gave her my blood, saving her. This led to Valentina not receiving timely medical treatment and dying from the poison. But yesterday, I had someone deliver the special antidote made from my blood to Valentina in advance. She took it immediately after being bitten, and only then did she escape danger. I wiped away my tears. I looked at her, my voice deadly serious. “Valentina Cross, interested in a partnership?” “I’ll help you bring down Hayes Corp, and you marry me.” The words had barely left my mouth when Valentina’s eyes lit up with surprise. A smile touched her lips, as if her long wait had finally paid off. “Alright, it’s a deal. Don’t you dare go back on your word.”

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At the parent-teacher conference, Leo Stone’s essay, “My CEO Mom,” won first place. The entire class applauded. After the meeting, my daughter, Lily, ran crying towards me, five angry red marks blooming on her face. “Daddy, Leo Stone hit me again! He said I don’t belong in the same class as him, and he even spat on me!” I picked up Lily and went to confront Ms. Davies, our class teacher. Ms. Davies just scoffed, “Mr. Foster, kids play rough sometimes, it’s completely normal. You’re making such a big deal out of it.” “Besides, Leo Stone is the son of Victoria Hayes, the CEO of Hayes Corporation. Who do you think you are?” “Leo himself said it. You’d better know your place and just transfer her out. Don’t you dare disrupt Leo’s schooling.” I froze for a second. Then I called my private lawyer: “Prepare the divorce papers. I want Victoria Hayes to lose everything in the divorce.” She dared to use my money to support a lover and his illegitimate child. She had truly crossed the line.

After the parent-teacher conference, I went directly to Ms. Davies. “Ms. Davies, I’d like to discuss my daughter, Lily Foster’s situation.” Ms. Davies was tidying her desk, not even looking up. “Oh, Lily Foster, is there a problem?” “She’s been coming home crying a lot lately, saying Leo and his friends often dump water in her backpack and draw on her face.” Ms. Davies impatiently waved her hand. “Mr. Foster, it’s just kids being kids. How serious could it be? Just a bit of roughhousing, perfectly normal.” I started to doubt my own ears. “But my daughter’s backpack was deliberately soaked, and her stationery was hidden. You call that roughhousing?” Ms. Davies sighed, “Goodness, why are you parents so sensitive these days? Leo is such an energetic boy. It’s a privilege for your daughter that he even bothers to play with her!” “His mom is the CEO of Hayes Corporation. You should be thanking her son for even acknowledging your daughter.” My fists clenched instantly. “A privilege? My daughter is being bullied, and you, as a teacher, not only do nothing but call it a privilege?” Ms. Davies clearly looked annoyed. “Mr. Foster, that’s going too far. Victoria Hayes has donated so much money to our school. It’s normal for a child to be a bit spirited. You’re making a mountain out of a molehill.” “Besides, isn’t it all just kids playing?” “Playing? My voice couldn’t hold back the anger. She comes home crying every day, sometimes her clothes are torn. You call that playing?” “Oh, kids these days are just too sensitive.” Ms. Davies scoffed, pursing her lips. “Leo is such an excellent kid. His mom is a CEO, his dad is a respectable man. Your daughter should be honored to be friends with him.” “I advise you to go home and educate your daughter properly. Teach her to fit in and stop being so petty.” Fine, just fine! Is this the respect I get for stepping back to support my family? Is this the professional integrity I get for anonymously donating millions in scholarships to this school every year?

After leaving the teacher’s office, I was about to drive Lily home. But I found the road blocked. I leaned out to see, and a group of well-dressed parents were gathered in the middle of the road, completely blocking traffic. I got out of the car and walked closer. It turned out they were eagerly chatting around Mark Stone. I stepped forward and said, “Excuse me, could you please move aside?” The group of parents immediately turned their heads, scrutinizing me with utter disdain. A fat man with a gold chain rudely snapped, “We’re talking to Mr. Stone here. Who do you think you are to interrupt?” Mark Stone noticed me then. He looked at me, then at my car, and sneered, “Well, well, a nobody like you daring to lecture us here?” The other parents chimed in: “Exactly! He doesn’t even know his place, daring to lecture Mr. Stone?” “Mr. Stone is the husband of Victoria Hayes from Hayes Corporation, worth hundreds of millions! What right does a pauper driving a beat-up car like you have to make a scene here?” “You’d better know your place and get out of our sight!” Ten years ago, for my wife and daughter, I chose to retire, giving all my love to them. Hayes Corporation? That was just a little trinket I bought to make my wife happy back then. But now, this small toy I used to amuse my wife has become an object of worship for these people. I looked at Mark Stone, then at the familiar luxury car behind him – it was the exact car I had given Victoria for her birthday last year. Mark Stone noticed my gaze, mistaking it for envy, and even more smugly patted the car door. “What do you think? Never seen one before? This is a global limited edition, money can’t even buy it!” I spoke calmly, “I haven’t indeed.” “Of course not!” Mark Stone said with an air of superiority. “This level of car isn’t something people like you can even dream of touching.” I continued, “I just haven’t seen anyone else dare to drive *my* car.” The air suddenly went silent for a second. Mark Stone froze. “What did you say?” “I said, this car is mine,” my voice was calm. “The last digits of the license plate are even Victoria’s birthday.” Mark Stone first froze, then burst into laughter. “Hahaha! Did you hear that? This pauper says this car is his!” The surrounding parents also joined in the laughter: “Is this guy crazy?” “Mr. Stone, don’t stoop to the level of a delusional patient like him!” “Exactly, these days anyone can come along, daring to flatter themselves like that!” Mark Stone wiped away tears of laughter. “Buddy, do you know how much this car costs? Three hundred thousand! Look at the junker you’re driving, a used one isn’t even worth three thousand! And you dare to say this Maserati is yours?” “And you just said the license plate ends with Victoria’s birthday?” Mark Stone became even more arrogant. “My wife’s birthday is public knowledge, you can find it online! You think you can fool me with such a pathetic trick?” Mark Stone pulled out his phone, triumphantly. “Come on, let me show you, a country bumpkin, what real high society life looks like!” He opened his photo album, and the screen displayed a picture of him and Victoria. In the photo, Victoria was wearing a custom-made gown I had bought her, worth tens of thousands, her arm linked with Mark Stone’s, both intimately leaning against each other. “This one, this is our photo under the Eiffel Tower in Paris.” I looked at the photo on the screen, my heart struck by lightning. At that time, Victoria had clearly told me she was going to attend an important business conference, requiring a week-long business trip. “And this!” Mark Stone opened a video. “This is our daily life at home last weekend.” In the video, Victoria was busy in the kitchen, wearing an apron, seriously chopping vegetables and stir-frying. Mark Stone hugged her from behind, and they interacted sweetly. I froze. Victoria never cooked. In ten years of marriage, she had always claimed she couldn’t cook, either ordering takeout every day or having the housekeeper prepare meals. Even when I was sick and wanted a bowl of soup, she would say she was too busy and told me to order takeout myself. But now, she was personally cooking for another man, with a gentle smile on her face I had never seen before. Just then, a sharp voice cut through the crowd: “Dad!”

I turned to see Leo Stone, Mark’s son, running from the school gate. He was wearing a designer school uniform, with an arrogant expression on his face. Mark Stone ruffled his son’s hair. “Leo, perfect timing. Someone here says our car is his. What do you think?” Leo sneered, saying in a precocious tone, “Dad, I’ve seen too many people like this. There’s a kid in my class who always brags about how rich his family is, but he can’t even afford a decent toy.” He glanced at me. “Mister, do you know how much this car costs? My mom said it’s enough to buy a house. Look at yourself, do you look like someone who could afford it?” Then he pointed at my clothes. “Your entire outfit probably costs less than one of my shoes, and you dare to say our car is yours?” “Just a pauper!” Leo made a face. “My mom said, people like you, poor as dirt, should just disappear. You’re a blight on our eyes!” Mark Stone burst out laughing. “My son’s right! You’d better know your place and get out of here before you embarrass yourself!” I looked at this father and son, my anger intensifying. What kind of upbringing did this child have? Just then, my daughter, Lily, also stepped out of the car. She ran worriedly to my side. “Daddy, why aren’t you leaving yet?” Leo Stone’s eyes lit up the moment he saw Lily. “Well, well, if it isn’t the poor little girl!” He walked in front of Lily, deliberately blocking her path. “I heard your dad said our car is his? Like father, like daughter, both of you love to lie!” “Poor kids should know their place!” Saying that, he pulled out a craft knife from his backpack. “If you don’t apologize, I’ll show you what happens when you mess with me!” Lily recoiled in terror, tripped over her feet, and fell to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. I didn’t hesitate. I rushed forward, grabbed Leo Stone’s wrist, and snatched the craft knife away. “Ah! Ow! Let go of me!” Leo Stone shrieked loudly. I pocketed the knife and released his hand. Leo Stone immediately sat on the ground, wailing. “Dad! He took my stuff! He squeezed my hand!” Mark Stone immediately rushed over, pointing at me furiously. “You dared to lay hands on him? Do you know how precious my son is?” “He just threatened my daughter with a knife!” I said, pointing to the craft knife in my hand. Mark Stone glanced at the craft knife and scoffed, “That’s just school art supplies, kids play with them! Do you have to be so dramatic?” The surrounding parents also chimed in: “It’s normal for kids to roughhouse, adults shouldn’t interfere!” “And if your daughter were a bit nicer, Leo wouldn’t have pulled out a knife!” “Ultimately, you two started it, that’s why Leo got angry!” “Look at your daughter, crying like that, she must be spoiled rotten, can’t handle anything!” “At the end of the day, it’s your father-daughter problem!” Mark Stone sneered, “Poor people are just poor people, they don’t even know how to raise kids. No wonder others bully them!” I watched these people twist the truth, a cynical smile playing on my lips. No matter what Leo Stone did, in their eyes, the fault would always be ours.

Mark Stone pulled out his phone and quickly dialed a number. The moment the phone rang, it was answered instantly. “Babe?” My heart jolted. Every time I called Victoria, she’d hang up immediately. She’d always say she was in a meeting, busy, no time to answer. But now, she answered Mark Stone’s call instantly. Mark Stone spoke a few words into the phone. In less than a minute, he hung up. “My wife will be here any minute!” Mark Stone looked at me. “If you’ve got the guts, don’t go anywhere.” Not long after, a white BMW X7 pulled up to the curb. The car door opened, and Victoria Hayes stepped out, her expression grim. Mark Stone immediately rushed to her, looking wronged. “Babe, you’re finally here! This lunatic is making a scene, not only claiming our car is his but also hitting Leo!” Leo Stone also cooperatively held up his wrist, which indeed had a red mark. “Mom, this mister is so mean. He took my knife and squeezed my hand!” Victoria soothingly patted Leo Stone’s back. “Don’t worry, Leo, Mom will make sure you get justice!” “Honey, it’s those two, the father and daughter!” Mark Stone pointed at me and Lily, gritting his teeth. “That man is a maniac, and the little one is no good either! You must make them pay and disappear from here!” The surrounding parents, seeing the main person arrive, started eagerly adding fuel to the fire: “Ms. Hayes, it’s this man! He not only insulted Mr. Stone but also laid hands on Leo!” “That’s right, I think he’s just jealous of Mr. Stone’s happy family and successful career, deliberately looking for trouble!” “Yes, this person is too arrogant, he just doesn’t respect you at all!” The surrounding parents started to incite again. Victoria Hayes followed the direction of their fingers. When she saw my face, the anger on her face instantly froze, and a flicker of guilt flashed in her eyes. She walked up to me and said coldly, “Sir, there might be some misunderstanding here. But no matter what, you laying hands on my son is wrong.” “So?” I retorted calmly. “So, I hope you can apologize, and we can put this matter behind us.” She said, her eyes uncontrollably darting away, avoiding my gaze. Mark Stone, seeing Victoria handle the situation so lightly, immediately interrupted, clearly displeased: “Babe, how can an apology just end it? This guy made me lose face in front of so many people today! He not only said our car was his, but he humiliated me in front of everyone, and then he laid hands on Leo! I can’t let this go!” Mark Stone grew more agitated as he spoke, pointing at me furiously. “Look at all these parents watching. If we let him off easy today, how can I, Mark Stone, ever mix in this circle again? What will everyone think of me?” A few parents immediately nodded in agreement: “Mr. Stone is right! Ms. Hayes, you’re too kind-hearted!” “Exactly, this kind of person needs to be taught a lesson, otherwise more people will cause trouble later!” “Ms. Hayes, you’re being too lenient, people will take advantage of you!” Mark Stone’s face darkened when he heard these dissenting voices. He eagerly looked at Victoria: “Babe, did you hear that? If this matter is settled today, tomorrow all the parents in the school will know that Mark Stone was bullied and didn’t dare fight back! My reputation, our family’s reputation, have you considered that?” “You shut up!” Victoria Hayes suddenly burst out, her voice so sharp it made everyone present freeze. Mark Stone was startled by the sudden roar and took a step back, looking at Victoria in disbelief. “Babe, you… what’s wrong?” I smiled. “Apologize? Of course.” Victoria and Mark Stone both froze, seemingly not expecting me to back down so easily. Mark Stone’s face immediately showed a triumphant expression. “Smart move!” I pulled out my phone and dialed a number. “Chief Miller? It’s Alex Foster.” “I’m at my daughter’s school gate. Someone stole my car and is claiming it’s theirs in front of all these people. Could you please send some officers over to handle it?” After hanging up, I looked at Mark Stone. “Mr. Stone, don’t rush. My apology will be here any minute.” Mark Stone sneered, “Heh, still putting on a show with phone calls? Do you think if you get a friend to back you up, we’ll believe you?” The surrounding parents also scoffed, “Exactly, these days anyone can make up stories. ‘Chief Miller,’ big talk!” Five minutes later, three police cars sped up, sirens wailing. The middle-aged police chief leading the group walked over quickly. Seeing me, he immediately saluted. “Mr. Foster, are you alright? Who would be so foolish as to steal your car?”

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