Category: English

My husband knows that I can be reborn every time I die. So after that landslide, he didn’t hesitate to cut out my heart to save his true love. When he received my emptied body from the doctor, he said, “You’ll be fine after a nap.” But what he didn’t know was that it was my last chance to be reborn. Ryan Quinn carried my lifeless body into the underground room of the Search and Rescue (SAR) Team base. My internal organs had been removed, leaving only an empty shell. My face, however, was rosy, as if I were just sleeping. He skillfully opened the cryogenic equipment, his movements clean and precise. As he placed me inside, his hands were steady, without even a hint of hesitation. “Sleep for now,” his voice was terrifyingly calm. “Didn’t you say that dying doesn’t matter?” Yesterday was our wedding anniversary. I had prepared a table full of delicious food at home and bought his favorite red wine. Seeing him come home on time for once, I was as happy as a fool. When the phone rang, he had just picked up his wine glass. It was his deputy calling: “Captain, Bella got caught in a landslide while patrolling the mountain area. She’s trapped inside…” His hand trembled, and the wine glass fell to the floor, dark red liquid splashing onto my new dress. “How badly is she hurt?” His voice was already hoarse. “It’s serious, her internal organs…” He didn’t wait for the other person to finish. He grabbed his jacket and rushed out. I caught his hand, “I’ll go too. I can help.” He turned back to look at me, his eyes complex, not with concern, but as if he were calculating something. At the scene, Bella had already been rescued, but her heart was severely damaged and urgently needed a transplant. He looked at the unconscious Bella on the stretcher, his fingers trembling. It was a panic I had never seen in him before. Then he looked at me. His eyes were bloodshot. “I’m sorry,” he said. Before I could understand what he meant, I felt a sharp pain in the back of my neck. As I lost consciousness, I saw him nod to the doctor. They had prepared for this all along. Miraculously, as I was pushed into the operating room, it was as if my soul floated out of my body. I felt myself hovering in mid-air, witnessing everything. I saw him standing right next to the operating table. As the surgeon’s scalpel cut open my body, he watched without expression, his eyes showing no ripple of emotion, as if this body was nothing more than a tool to be disposed of at will. “Her organs are in good condition, and the match is compatible,” the doctor’s voice seemed to come from far away. “It’s enough to save Bella.” I watched as my heart was taken out, placed in an ice box, and sent to the adjacent operating room. He followed the ice box out, not even sparing me a final glance. After putting me in the cryogenic equipment, he sat nearby dealing with documents, occasionally looking up at me. I floated in front of him, wanting to see if there was even a hint of guilt in his eyes. But his gaze passed through my soul and fell on his phone – it was a message from the doctor: The surgery was very successful, she’s recovering well. He smiled with relief, casually tossed my medical record aside, and left the underground room. The part of the medical record that was open clearly stated: “Organ donor – voluntary donation.” He didn’t even bother to make up a lie, thinking I would wake up soon anyway. But what he didn’t know was that this time, I really wouldn’t wake up again. Because the chance that allowed me to be reborn had already been used up the last time I saved his teammate.

My ability to be reborn was real. Three years ago, before I was pulled out as the sole survivor of that plane crash, the system informed me that I had gained three lives. The first time, I used it on myself, allowing myself to survive that plane crash. Ryan was the SAR team leader who came to investigate the accident. He was tall, wearing a dark blue uniform with straight shoulder lines. Standing in front of the plane wreckage, he was surrounded by an aura of coldness, like a general who had walked out of an old photograph. I was shivering on the stretcher when he turned his face towards me, his well-defined jawline tense. When those pitch-black eyes swept over me, it felt like they could see through to my soul. “Don’t be afraid,” he said, “You’re safe now.” His voice was deep and pleasant, like warm water slowly being poured into my heart. At that moment, I was smitten. The system said that if I maintained a three-year marriage with my destined person, I could stay in this world forever. Looking at this stern man before me, I decided to take a chance. This was the first time that 28-year-old Lily Hart had ever been so determined to want something. Ryan looked to be in his early thirties, very tall, with a lean and muscular build from years of training. He walked with a special rhythm, probably due to his military background. Every time I passed by the SAR team, I could recognize his silhouette at a glance. I started to approach him as an ordinary person. I would bring coffee to the SAR team every day and prepare late-night snacks for the team members working overtime. I knew I was like a desperate groupie, but I didn’t care. They said Ryan never accepted anything from women, but he took my coffee. He was always polite and gentle, but he always kept his distance from me. The people in the SAR team felt sorry for me, saying I couldn’t see reality clearly. “Captain Quinn never gives hope to any woman. Don’t waste your efforts.” But what I didn’t tell them was that every time I pretended to lose my balance, he would always be the first to steady me. He would tell me to be careful, but his hand would linger. Until one day, I heard him on the phone calling a woman “Bella,” his tone affectionate. It turned out to be his former deputy team leader, Bella White. They were said to be childhood sweethearts. Bella was very beautiful, and everyone said they were a perfect match. I should have known better and given up. But at that time, I still had two lives left. Young and reckless, I thought I could always make it through three years. If I had known earlier that the second life would be used to save his teammate, and the third life would be ended by his own hands, I would have stayed far away from him from the very beginning. But alas, love is blind when you’re in it.

Bella had been Ryan’s partner since their special forces days. Everyone in the SAR team knew that they were once the most outstanding sniper and spotter. On the battlefield, a spotter and a sniper need to be in perfect sync to complete their missions. So after retiring from the military, Ryan and Bella joined the SAR team together, working in perfect harmony as if they were one person. I once secretly looked through Ryan’s old photo album. In the photos, Bella wore a uniform, her eyes bright and spirited, exuding a charm that ordinary people like me could never achieve. And Ryan stood beside her, looking down at her with such gentle eyes. Later, people in the team told me that Ryan had pursued Bella for five whole years. From boot camp to special forces, from training grounds to battlefields, everyone thought they would end up together. But in the end, Bella still rejected him. “We’re not suitable for each other. You deserve better,” she said. She said this just before a mission, and Ryan still loaded her bullets for her. They remained the best partners, as if nothing had happened. But in the dead of night, Ryan would practice shooting alone on the training ground until his fingers bled. Later, Bella voluntarily applied for a transfer to a remote SAR branch. On the day she left, Ryan stood outside the airport, watching her silhouette disappear into the security check. His fingers unconsciously fiddled with the ring he had never given her. The team said that was the most lost and dejected they had ever seen Ryan. I met Ryan six months after Bella left. At that time, he was like a dead pond, even his smile was cold. But I didn’t care. Young and impetuous, I thought time would wash away all the past. “He’s never had eyes for anyone else. You think he’s being gentle? That’s just his professional habit. Not just you, even those Instagram models who send him flowers, beautiful women, he smiles and accepts them, then throws them away as soon as they leave.” That’s what an old team member once told me. They couldn’t stand seeing me running to the SAR team time and time again, kindly warning me not to embarrass myself. But I didn’t believe them. I told myself that the past was in the past. Even if I was just continuing someone else’s story, I accepted it. Even the on-duty nurse at the SAR team couldn’t bear to watch anymore: “Lily, why don’t you understand? Ryan goes to the border to see Bella every year without fail. They may be separated by mountains and rivers, but their feelings are deeper than every day you spend by his side.” I really didn’t understand. I didn’t understand why Ryan would accept my pursuit, why he would marry me. Thinking back now, perhaps from the day I used my second life to save his teammate, he had already been planning something.

The rescue that changed everything happened in my second year of knowing Ryan. Heavy rain caused a landslide, burying an entire village. Ryan led the team at the forefront, with his lifelong friend Leo Sanders covering the rear. No one noticed the massive boulder teetering overhead. “Ryan!” Leo’s voice cut through the curtain of rain. The moment Leo pushed Ryan away, the boulder came crashing down. “No!” Ryan rushed towards the rubble like a madman, held back by three team members. Back at the SAR team compound, he knelt in the rain, his whole body shaking like a wounded animal. It was the first time I had seen him lose control. Ryan, who was always calm and composed, could actually be driven to such despair. Leo was Ryan’s brother in all but blood. They had grown up together, joined the military together, entered the special forces together, and later retired to join the SAR team together. Their relationship was closer than real brothers. When Leo was rescued, his heart had already stopped beating. The doctor said that even if they could save him, he would need a heart transplant, and the treatment would cost at least five million dollars. “Please, you must save him,” Ryan gripped the doctor’s hands, his voice hoarse. “I’ll find a way to pay, no matter how much it costs.” But he had only recently retired from the military, and his salary was mostly going towards his mortgage. His teammates pitched in, a thousand here, ten thousand there, but they only managed to gather half a million. I watched him pacing back and forth in the hospital corridor, his eyes bloodshot as if he hadn’t slept for days. “It should have been me,” he kept saying. “Why did he save me?” At that moment, I felt like I was suffocating from heartache. I couldn’t hold back anymore. “I can donate my heart,” I pushed open the door and walked in. “My tissue type is a perfect match for Leo.” Ryan jerked his head up. “Are you crazy?” His voice was raspy. “You’ll die!” I smiled at him and whispered in his ear: “Trust me, I have a superpower. I won’t die.” He still didn’t agree, but I went ahead with the surgery behind his back. Not only did I donate my heart, but also my liver and kidneys to a rich man’s daughter. The wealthy man transferred five million dollars to Ryan’s account. Three days later, I woke up. When I opened my eyes, I saw Ryan keeping vigil by my bedside. He hadn’t slept for three whole days. Dark circles under his eyes, yet he stubbornly refused to leave. “You’re awake,” his voice was hoarse as he carefully held my hand. “Does it hurt?” It was the first time I had seen him so gentle. Leo recovered quickly, and Ryan started visiting me in the hospital frequently. He would peel apples for me, help me drink water, his gaze so focused it made my heart tremble. Sometimes when I was asleep, I would feel someone gently kissing my forehead. He began to tell me his stories, about the fun times training with Leo when they were young, about the rigorous tests in the special forces, and about how much he feared losing important people. When he said these things, his eyes were gentle, but there was also something in them that I couldn’t quite understand. Later, he proposed to me. I nodded, tears streaming down my face. He kissed away the tears on my face and held me tight. After that, I applied to join the SAR team as a contract nurse, so I could be by his side. It was at this time that Bella was transferred back to the main team.

The day Bella returned, the entire SAR team was in a frenzy. She stood in front of the headquarters building, her military posture still impeccable, her pretty features now enhanced with a touch of mature charm. Ryan stood by the window on the third floor, watching for a full ten minutes. I stood behind him, seeing his hands tremble slightly. “Bella is truly a force to be reckoned with,” the team members gossiped. “She’s done great things at the border these past few years. I heard she even saved an entire village.” At the welcome party that night, Bella raised her glass to Ryan: “Captain Quinn, thank you for your care.” Ryan rarely got drunk, but that night he did. With reddened eyes, he said, “Welcome back.” Just these simple words made the entire table fall silent. Everyone knew how many years he had held back those words. I sat to the side, watching them smile at each other, suddenly feeling a sense of foreboding. From that day on, Ryan started staying out late. He said he was preparing for some important rescue mission, but I knew he was helping Bella refamiliarize herself with all the equipment. I would make dinner and wait for him, but he’d say he was in a meeting. Yet colleagues told me they saw the captain taking Bella out for dinner, the two of them talking for hours. When I asked where he’d been, he would come over and kiss my forehead: “I was going over work with Bella. Don’t overthink it.” But I clearly saw his phone light up on the coffee table, a message from Bella. He instinctively turned off the screen, then held me tighter. He became increasingly gentle, so gentle it made me anxious. Every day he would bring home my favorite desserts, comfort me when I couldn’t sleep, and even took time off on my birthday to be with me. As if afraid I would overthink things, he started showing how much he cared for me in front of others. Sometimes in front of Bella, he would deliberately put his arm around me and kiss my forehead. But Bella’s smile was strange, as if she was watching a show. Was he trying to reassure me, or make her jealous?

A few months later, Leo, whom I had saved, finally passed away. The complications came too suddenly, and by the time they were discovered, it was too late for treatment. I clearly remember that day, Ryan kneeling by the hospital bed, holding Leo’s hand and saying, “I’m sorry, Leo. I failed to protect you.” After that, he started having insomnia. Sometimes he would wake up in the middle of the night and hold me tightly. “If only we had discovered the complications earlier,” he said, his eyes cold. “If only we could have saved him sooner.” I thought he was blaming himself, but I didn’t notice the resentment in his eyes when he looked at me. In his heart, if my ability to be reborn could have been used more timely, perhaps Leo wouldn’t have died. Days passed like this. I started having frequent nightmares, dreaming of Leo standing by the hospital bed asking me, “Why didn’t you save me earlier?” Ryan would hold me when I woke up startled, comforting me softly. But those kisses seemed to lack the warmth they once had. Until our wedding anniversary. I had just set the table when the emergency call came in. There had been a major landslide in the mountain area. Bella had led the advance team but was trapped inside. We rushed to the hospital. The doctor said, “Extensive internal organ damage. We need to transplant immediately.” I saw Ryan’s hands shaking, but his eyes were eerily calm. He turned to look at me with an expression I had never seen before. At that moment, I finally understood why he had been acting strange lately. But it was too late. “I’m sorry,” he said. As the anesthetic needle pierced my neck, I saw tears in his eyes. “You said you couldn’t die,” his voice was soft. “Bella’s different. She won’t survive a second time.” As I was pushed into the operating room, I heard him talking to the doctor: “Take the heart first.” As the scalpel cut into my body, I remembered what Leo had once said: “Ryan values loyalty, but once he’s set his mind on something, he’ll stop at nothing.” In fact, since Leo’s passing, Ryan had been calculating how to use my ability to be reborn. He was waiting for an opportunity, waiting for a reason to convince himself. And Bella was the perfect reason. The surgery was successful. My soul floated in the hospital corridor, watching two people being wheeled out of the operating room. One was Bella, with a stable heartbeat. The other was me, my body emptied. “Bella’s saved,” the nurse said. “The transplanted organs are in good condition.” Ryan breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes red-rimmed. He held Bella’s hand, keeping vigil for an entire night. I floated beside him, watching him tuck Bella in. His hands were steady, as if afraid of hurting her. Afterwards, he stood facing the window for a long time. “You’ve suffered,” he said, his voice hoarse beyond recognition. Who was he talking to? After I had died once to save Leo, he had kept vigil over me in the same way, saying the same words. But now, the body that had been pushed into the morgue didn’t even have a heart. “Captain Quinn,” the on-duty nurse called out to him, “What should we do with Ms. Hart’s remains?”

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After a heated argument, Lucas stormed out and got into a car accident, losing nearly three years of his memories. He forgot everything about me and reverted to his former playboy self. In an attempt to jog his memory, I kept reminiscing about our past together. But he just irritably shooed me away. Until I saw him passionately kissing Zoe, the girl who used to bully me. I decided I didn’t want him anymore, but he frantically held me and said: “Ava, I’ve regained my memory. You can’t leave me.” I rushed to the hospital, where Lucas’s friends stood at the door, looking at me with hesitation. I didn’t pay much attention to them and burst into the ward. Lucas was laughing and chatting with his friends. I approached him, took his hand, and with teary eyes and a choked voice, I said: “Lucas, I’m sorry. Let’s not fight anymore.” Lucas raised an eyebrow and looked at me with a cocky attitude: “Miss, isn’t it a bit forward to hold hands when we’ve just met?” I froze, staring at Lucas in disbelief. His friend awkwardly spoke up: “Sis, the doctor said Lucas has amnesia. He’s lost the last three years of his memories.” My heart tightened. Three years – that’s exactly how long Lucas and I had known each other and been together. So, he remembered his childhood friends but had forgotten only me. I felt a pang in my heart. If we hadn’t argued that night, he wouldn’t have driven off in anger. Hearing his friends address me, Lucas chuckled: “Don’t tell me you’re my girlfriend? I don’t like girls like you.” I knew that three years ago, Lucas was wild and arrogant, speaking without regard for others’ feelings. I didn’t want to argue with him, planning to settle accounts after he regained his memory. I forced a smile and said: “It’s okay, I’ll help you remember me again.” Lucas’s friends tactfully left the room. I sat on a nearby chair and asked softly: “Are you hungry? Have you eaten?” Lucas looked down at his phone, his tone cold: “No! You can leave if you have nothing else to do.” I blinked and continued, undeterred: “Lucas, do you remember our first anniversary? You made a cake yourself but forgot it was an ice cream cake. When we opened it that night, it had all melted, and you hugged me and cried for a long time.” Lucas smirked at his phone: “Childish.” I pressed my lips together and continued: “And on your birthday, you insisted on hiking to see the sunrise, but a sudden rainstorm trapped us on the mountain for a day and a night. We had no food, and I caught a fever. You were so worried you even thought about how we could die together.” Lucas’s body tensed, then he turned away, ignoring me. I grew a bit annoyed: “Lucas! Even if you’ve lost your memory, I’m still your girlfriend! You should at least show some respect!” Lucas turned his head, lifting his eyelids to glance at me indifferently: “Then let’s break up.” I looked at him, shocked, feeling a bit hurt: “Lucas! You’ll regret this when you regain your memory.” Lucas chuckled twice, then turned away, ignoring me again. I was angry too, and left the room with tears in my eyes. During our first month together, he couldn’t resist going to a bar with friends and staying out all night. When we argued about it, I mentioned breaking up. He, who had been full of anger, immediately hugged me with teary eyes and said pitifully: “Ava, it was so hard for me to win you over, how can you talk about breaking up so casually? I’ll change in the future, please don’t mention breaking up again, okay?” But now, with his memory loss, he casually mentioned breaking up. It seems that Lucas, having lost his memory, had reverted to the person I used to dislike. I walked out of the hospital but ultimately couldn’t bear to leave him. I bought him a bowl of soup and returned to the hospital. Just as I reached the door, I heard him on the phone with his friend, arranging to meet at a bar later. I hurriedly pushed the door open, my brows furrowed and my voice filled with anger: “Lucas! You’re not even healed yet, why are you going to a bar!” Lucas had just changed his clothes and looked at me impatiently: “Why are you so controlling? Didn’t I say we’re breaking up? Don’t you understand?” With that, he pushed past me and walked out, ignoring my attempts to stop him. The hot soup spilled on my hand, instantly causing it to redden and swell. I took a deep breath, constantly reassuring myself: Lucas has lost his memory, he used to treat me well, I can’t give up on him. Worried, I followed him to the bar. By the time I arrived, a woman was already sitting next to Lucas. She was his former type – sexy and alluring. He had one arm around her shoulder and was raising a glass with the other, toasting to his survival. I walked over and stopped his hand as he was about to drink, saying seriously: “Lucas, even if you’ve lost your memory, you should still take care of your health, right?” Lucas irritably ran his fingers through his hair, his tone impatient: “Why are you so annoying? Like a nagging housewife!” His friends looked at each other, not daring to speak. Lucas pulled the woman closer, holding her in his arms, and said with a smirk: “Since you don’t want me to drink, but this bottle is already open, someone has to drink it. How about this – if you finish it, I’ll go back with you.” The sour feeling in my heart was unbearable, and tears welled up in my eyes: “Lucas, I have alcohol intolerance.” In the past, when one of his friends tried to force me to drink at a gathering, he smashed the bottle on that person’s head and protected me as we left. Now Lucas looked at me expressionlessly. I sniffled, picked up the bottle from the table, and gulped it down. Lucas’s eyes darkened, and his palm tightened slightly. After finishing the last sip, I couldn’t help but cough, tears involuntarily flowing. Lucas muttered “boring” and left with his coat. I rubbed the ache in my chest and took a taxi to the hospital for an IV. I spent the whole night on an IV drip, with not a single message from Lucas. Lying on the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling, I wondered what to do if Lucas never regained his memory. Three years ago, I was being followed on my way home from work late at night. In a moment of crisis, Lucas noticed the suspicious person and rushed over to chase them away. I thanked him, trembling all over, and he took the opportunity to offer to walk me home and asked for my contact information. In the days that followed, Lucas began to pursue me openly. I knew the gap between us and didn’t dare dream of marrying into a wealthy family. But for me, Lucas gradually changed from a wild playboy into a gentle and caring good man. As we spent more time together, I couldn’t help but fall for him. After we got together, Lucas spoiled me to no end.

Early in the morning, I returned home in a daze. Lucas had just finished showering, with a towel around his waist, drinking water in the kitchen. Hearing movement at the door, he glanced at me lightly. I smelled an unfamiliar fragrance in the house and walked into the bedroom with a grim face. In the bedroom, the messy sheets and the intimate atmosphere in the air clearly showed that he hadn’t been alone last night. Lucas leaned against the dining table, raising an eyebrow as he watched me. “Slap!” I walked over and slapped him directly. Lucas’s expression froze for a moment, then he looked at me angrily. I tried hard not to let my tears fall, my voice choked with sobs: “Lucas! I spent the whole night on an IV drip at the hospital. And you brought a woman back here to fool around!” Lucas rubbed his face and sneered coldly: “First, you chose to drink that alcohol yourself. Second, this is my house, I can bring whoever I want back here.” I trembled all over, looking at him in disbelief, unable to believe he would treat me like this. Tears finally broke free, falling one by one, and I couldn’t help but sob. “Lucas! How can you do this to me? Aren’t you afraid I’ll really leave you?” I lowered my head, pulling at Lucas’s sleeve, my shoulders shaking violently, my voice breaking: “Aren’t you afraid you’ll regret treating me like this when you regain your memory?” I didn’t notice Lucas’s other hand slightly raised and then quietly lowered again. He pulled his sleeve from my grasp and tilted my chin up indifferently: “If you insist on staying here, you’d better learn to mind your own business and not interfere where you shouldn’t.” With that, he returned to the bedroom and closed the door. I leaned against the wall, slowly crouching down, burying my head and whimpering. Three years ago, Lucas always had women around him. So at that time, I thought he was just temporarily interested in me and didn’t want to get too involved. But to reassure me, he kept his distance from all other women. He basically stopped going to bars and nightclubs. His friends all joked that the player had finally settled down. He would proudly reply: “That’s because I didn’t meet Ava earlier.” In our two years together, he always respected me and never crossed the final line. Now, he had returned to being the player he once was. Lucas, if you regain your memory, will you regret it? After that day, Lucas and I fell into a cold war, and I moved to the guest room. Lucas had already forgotten me, and these days he was even less willing to pay attention to me. I stubbornly shut myself in my room, leaving for work before dawn and only returning after he had gone out. That day, I received a message from an unknown number: “If you want to know the truth about Lucas’s memory loss, come to Moonlight Villa.” I frowned, wondering if there was more to Lucas’s amnesia. I got ready and took a taxi to Moonlight Villa. This was the villa of Lucas’s friend. They liked to throw parties and gatherings here. Before I got close, I could hear the cheers and laughter of men and women coming from the back garden of the villa. I walked over and looked inside through the fence. Lucas was sitting on a lounge chair with a cigarette in his mouth. His friend handed him a bottle of alcohol and said: “Our Lucas is still the best! Pretending to have amnesia and fooling Ava completely.” Lucas took a sip of alcohol, his tone somewhat proud: “I behaved myself for three years for her, what’s wrong with letting loose for a while?” I trembled all over, my throat dry as I stared at Lucas. Pretending… to have amnesia? Of course, this way Lucas could be his old player self without any guilt. After he’s had enough fun, he can still tell me he had amnesia and ask for my forgiveness with a clear conscience. My eyes stung, and everything in front of me began to blur. With a light blink, tears rolled down. “Lucas, aren’t you afraid of taking it too far and Ava really breaking up with you?” Lucas took a deep drag of his cigarette, looking smug: “She won’t leave me. Ava may seem indifferent to everyone, but I know once she’s committed to someone, she won’t easily change her mind. Besides, she’s an orphan, where else could she go without me?” I clutched my chest, tears uncontrollably pouring out, my heart pounding so hard I could barely breathe. I had shown him my most vulnerable side, and it became the sword he used to attack me. I grew up in an orphanage, longing for someone to love me while also being wary of anyone who got close to me. So when I decided to be with Lucas, I really intended to spend my life with him. But Lucas, since you understand me so well, you should also know that I hate deception the most. At that moment, a girl ran over and hugged Lucas. Lucas picked her up and jumped into the swimming pool, kissing her passionately in the water. The others on the shore kept cheering them on. Lucas released the girl in his arms, panting heavily. When I saw her face clearly, my pupils constricted, and my mind went blank. I stared at the girl, pale-faced and motionless, afraid I had mistaken her identity. How could Lucas do this! He hadn’t lost his memory, he knew that girl! That girl was Zoe, the one who had bullied me in high school. After I started dating Lucas, we accidentally ran into her at a mall once. She came over smiling and greeted us, but her eyes kept drifting towards Lucas. I coldly pulled Lucas away. After we got home, Lucas noticed something was wrong with me and kept asking why. When I told him, he hugged me tenderly, comforting me with a choked voice. Seeing how familiar they were now, they probably had been in contact much earlier. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at myself for thinking I could really make a player change his ways. Lucas, this time… I really don’t want you anymore. I wiped the tears from my face haphazardly and turned away resolutely.

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At my birthday party, Ethan couldn’t stop praising his friend’s model girlfriend. Then he turned to me as I was eating cake, his words dripping with sarcasm: “Stop eating! You’re as fat as a pig!” “When are you going to lose weight?” “The wedding dress I ordered for you only fits someone who weighs 187 pounds!” In that moment, I didn’t want to marry him anymore. At my birthday party, Ethan’s friend Jack brought a gorgeous model girlfriend. Her skin was like porcelain, with a waist you could wrap your hands around. When they walked in, all eyes were on her. Even the usually serious Ethan couldn’t help but stare. Jack boasted proudly: “This is Lily, my girlfriend. As you can see, she’s obviously a model.” The crowd erupted in cheers and teasing. “Jack, who knew you had it in you to date such a beautiful girl!” “Be honest, did you trick her somehow?” Jack laughed, his eyes challenging as he looked at Ethan sitting next to me. “You guys are joking. How could I compare to Ethan? His girlfriend is a graduate student.” Ethan’s face immediately darkened. He and Jack were childhood friends, growing up in the same neighborhood. Their elders had always compared them. Ethan’s family was in politics, he had good grades and a steady personality. Jack’s family was in business; he was a troublemaker who relied on his family’s money. So in all the comparisons growing up, Ethan had always come out on top. But this time… Ethan gripped my hand and stood up, his smile stiff: “There’s no point in comparing. What’s best is what suits you.” “By the way, which university does your girlfriend attend?” Now it was Jack’s turn to be embarrassed. He opened and closed his mouth without saying anything. Lily stepped in: “I started working after high school, I didn’t go to college.” With those words, the atmosphere in the room froze. Ethan’s friends all came from good backgrounds. Even those with poor grades were sent abroad by their parents to study and came back with a shiny degree. Luckily, at that moment the waiter came in pushing the cake, breaking the awkward silence. Everyone started singing “Happy Birthday” in unison. Oh right, I was the star of the day. After I made my wish, Ethan eagerly started cutting and distributing cake to everyone. He especially cut the biggest piece for Lily. Lily waved her hand: “I need to maintain my figure, I can’t eat sweets.” Ethan sighed: “You’re already so thin, it’s okay to eat a little sometimes.” But Lily still politely refused with a smile. Strangely, Ethan seemed glued to that spot, taking a long time to return. The cake in front of me gave off a sweet aroma. Thinking about how I had been on a diet for a month, avoiding all my favorite foods, just waiting for my birthday as an excuse to indulge a little. I couldn’t resist using my finger to scoop up a bit of frosting. Just as I put it in my mouth, Ethan turned around as if he had radar and glared at me. “Weren’t you on a diet? Why are you still eating! You’re as fat as a pig!” “When are you going to lose weight?” “The wedding dress I ordered for you only fits someone who weighs 187 pounds!”

Being yelled at in public, I was stunned for a few seconds. A friend next to me smoothly tried to defuse the situation: “Ethan’s just joking, he said he likes you best when you’re a little chubby.” “You guys are getting married soon? Congratulations!” Ethan also realized his reaction was over the top. He walked over and held my hand, his tone softening: “Mia, I didn’t mean it like that. Didn’t you say you wanted to lose weight recently? I’m afraid you’ll regret it after eating.” I held back my anger, not wanting to make a scene. After everyone left, I looked at him with cold eyes: “Ethan, do you think I’m fat?” With the stress of grad school, I had gone from about 130 pounds to 165. It’s easy to gain weight, but hard to lose it. Ethan avoided the question, handing me his phone which showed a weight loss meal plan. “I just got this from Jack’s girlfriend. If you follow it, you’ll definitely lose weight.” So that’s why he was sitting there for so long. I let out a cold laugh. “Ethan, you do think I’m fat. You’re embarrassed to be seen with me in front of your friends.” “That model girlfriend who’s 5’9″, I can’t compare to her.” Ethan softened his tone. “It’s all for your own good. We’re getting engaged next month, don’t you want your once-in-a-lifetime engagement to be perfect?” “That wedding dress is custom-made, it’s too late to alter it now.” “Besides, didn’t you ask me to keep you accountable?” Thinking about it, I had put in a lot of effort to fit into that wedding dress. But his attitude just now still made me feel uncomfortable. I couldn’t quite put my finger on why. After comforting me a bit more, Ethan drove me home.

Back in my dorm room, there was a birthday cake on the table from my parents. The card urged me to eat well and take care of myself. Seeing this, tears inexplicably fell. Looking at my chubby figure in the mirror, I sniffled and decided to give the cake to others. I only kept the little chocolate figurine made to look like me. The next morning, Ethan was waiting at the bottom of my dorm building as usual. As I walked over, I noticed his hands were empty and his face was gloomy. “What’s wrong? Where’s breakfast?” Since I started dieting, Ethan had been calculating the calories for my two meals a day. To encourage me, he ate the same meals. Ethan replied with a hint of sarcasm: “You ate chocolate last night. That one piece of chocolate is equal to a whole day’s calories. You shouldn’t eat anything today.” “If you can’t commit to losing weight, just tell me straight. I’ll return the wedding dress right away!” With that, he walked off on his own. Leaving me standing there bewildered. How did he know? I chased after him, grabbing his hand to explain. “Ethan, I did keep a piece of chocolate, but I didn’t eat it. I can go up and show you if you don’t believe me!” Seeing my sincere attitude, Ethan didn’t say anything more. He looked me up and down, hand on his chin in thought for a moment, then surveyed me again. He exclaimed: “I know what you’re missing now!” “What?” “A goal.” Saying that, he took my phone and fiddled with it for a while. When he handed it back, the lock screen had changed to a photo of a slim model. “Mia, look at her every day and imagine your body will be like hers after you lose weight.” “After our engagement party, we’ll go to the Maldives for vacation. By then your body in a bikini…” As Ethan vividly described the scene, I suddenly felt like he was a stranger. It reminded me of when we went to a water park. He insisted I wear a skimpy bikini and wanted to show me off to his friends. It was only after my repeated refusals that he finally gave up. His reluctant expression at the time… I suddenly felt nauseous and interrupted his fantasy: “Ethan, I just remembered I have something to do. I’m leaving first.”

Over the next few days, Ethan seemed obsessed, sending me photos of different models every day. The implication was encouragement. Once when I opened the chat, I saw he had quickly deleted a photo. Though he deleted it fast, my sharp eyes still caught that it was Jack’s girlfriend. A woman’s intuition told me this wasn’t an accident. One day, I saw a timed alarm on Ethan’s phone. It was a reminder for him to attend a classmate gathering that night. I deliberately asked him: “Do you have plans tonight?” His expression froze: “My advisor wants me to attend a meeting tonight to discuss the topic for the next paper.” I smiled without exposing him. However, shortly after he left, I suddenly received a text from an unknown number: [Ethan is in Room 306 at the Grand Hotel.] After hesitating for a long time, I decided to go take a look. Through the crack in the door, I saw Ethan. He had dressed up specially and was wearing the shirt I bought him. He used to complain it was too flashy and refused to wear it, but now he was happily wearing it? It was supposed to be a classmate gathering, but most people had brought their girlfriends. Jack had his arm around Lily as he sat next to Ethan: “Where’s your girlfriend?” Ethan downed the drink in front of him: “She’s busy with school, no time to come. Not like your girlfriend who can be with you all the time.” His expression was very dejected. Anyone who didn’t know better would think he’d been dumped. Jack patted him on the shoulder with a smile “Looks like dating a genius means being alone a lot. You might as well be like me and find someone without much education. Give her a few thousand a month to keep her, and she’ll stick to you like glue.” “It’s impressive to bring a grad student girlfriend out, but girls with too much education have too much autonomy. It’ll be hard to control her in the future.” Listening to this speech from outside the door made me want to vomit. Satisfying themselves by putting women down. I thought that no matter how much of a jerk Ethan was, he wouldn’t be like that. I waited for his rebuttal. But Ethan’s words made my heart go cold. “You have a point. Why don’t you have your girlfriend introduce someone to me?” Jack clearly hadn’t expected this answer. After freezing for a few seconds, he patted his chest and promised: “Leave it to me!”

Almost simultaneously, I pushed open the door and entered. Seeing me, Ethan hurriedly stood up, his tone nervous: “Why are you here?” I walked over and questioned him: “Didn’t you say you were going to a meeting?” Embarrassment flashed across Ethan’s face, but he quickly recovered: “The advisor had something come up and cancelled. Since there was a classmate gathering, I came here.” The others noticed something was wrong and tried to help cover for him. Only Jack seemed eager to watch the drama unfold. “Well well, sister-in-law is so busy with school but still came to check up on him?” “I can vouch for Ethan, he definitely hasn’t cheated. You can rest easy.” I looked at him and said sarcastically: “A fine man like you, why act as a pimp?” “Your family spent so much money to send you abroad to study, and this is what you learned?” Jack angrily stood up, about to retort, but I glared at him: “If you say one more word, don’t blame me for spilling your secrets and letting everyone see what kind of person you really are!” Jack was at a loss for words. But Ethan was unhappy. “Mia! Where did a graduate student like you learn such vulgar language? Stop embarrassing me here! Come home with me!” I laughed coldly and looked at him “You shamelessly asked someone to introduce you to a girlfriend, and you have the nerve to talk about me?” “I was just joking! What evidence do you have against me?” I looked around at everyone. They all avoided eye contact, afraid of taking sides. Heh, truly a bunch of fair-weather friends. Just then, Lily suddenly stood up and said timidly: “Ethan, I just sent you the WeChat contacts of some models that meet your requirements. Remember to check.”

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Both Ethan Lewis and I were given a second chance at life. We were reincarnated on the day he was supposed to propose to me. This time, he let go of my hand and turned to embrace Olivia Taylor tightly. I suddenly remembered that in our previous life, on our way to file for divorce, we had a car accident. As he lay dying, the name he murmured wasn’t mine, but a regret. “If I could start over, I would definitely choose Olivia Taylor. Only with her do I feel truly alive…” If that’s the case, then I’ll fulfill his wish. But later, he knelt before me, begging for us to start over. February 14th, Valentine’s Day. Ethan Lewis had invited all our mutual friends and classmates. On the school’s field at night, he had arranged countless flowers and balloons to form a huge setting. Tonight, Ethan was going to propose to me. Ethan and I had been dating for four years, agreeing from the start to get married after graduating from college. So today, Valentine’s Day, was the day Ethan would propose to me. Of course, besides this reason, there was another person’s existence that prompted me to choose this day. Olivia Taylor. She was two years our senior, the lead singer of a band, and quite a popular figure on campus. She had fallen in love with Ethan at first sight during a school anniversary celebration and had been pursuing him passionately ever since. Countless gestures of goodwill, bringing him breakfast, writing love letters, making appearances on Valentine’s Day, Christmas, and even his birthday. Ethan would always coldly send her away. But this woman was relentless. Her unwavering devotion annoyed Ethan to no end. Finally, unable to bear her persistence any longer, Ethan hinted to me that he wanted to propose, hoping to completely dash Olivia’s hopes. In my previous life, when Ethan proposed to me, Olivia was standing in the crowd. She wore a white mini dress, a crown on her head, her gaze intense and sincere. “Ethan Lewis, I like you! If you don’t have a girlfriend, can you give me a chance?” “I promise I won’t be inferior to her!” How did Ethan respond back then? He smiled gently yet firmly, gazing deeply at me, one arm tightly around my waist. “I’m sorry, but I won’t let anyone else be my girlfriend.” “Rachel is my only girlfriend.” “Please don’t bother me anymore in the future.” His voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough for the three of us to hear. Olivia was stunned, while I was deeply moved. But this time, the situation was completely reversed. Ethan held Olivia tightly, not even sparing me a glance, his tone calm and resolute. “I’m sorry, Rachel. I think our relationship was just a mistake.” “In the future, please don’t bother me anymore.” Almost the exact same words, just directed at a different person. My heart suddenly twisted in pain, but my face remained calm. I looked at Ethan, his cheeks slightly flushed with excitement, his eyes carrying a hint of guilt that was hard to notice. But he didn’t let go of Olivia’s waist. I nodded, turning to face the crowd. “Everyone, thank you for coming today.” “But I’m afraid the proposal has to be canceled.” “Ethan has just broken up with me. Although I don’t know when he changed his mind, since he’s said it, we should respect his wishes.” After saying this, I looked back at Ethan, my gaze lingering on Olivia for a moment before moving away. “Ethan, I respect your choice.” “From today, no, from this moment on, we are officially broken up, and we won’t have any relationship in the future.” “I wish you happiness.”

Ethan gave me a deep look, then turned and left with Olivia. They walked side by side, Olivia’s head slightly tilted, resting on Ethan’s shoulder, one hand tightly clasped with his, the other pointing in some direction. “Olivia, don’t you have a concert next month?” “Yes, you must be in the audience to hear me sing.” “Okay.” “And next March, let’s go to Provence together to see the lavender fields.” “Okay.” “In the future, wherever I want to go, you’ll accompany me, right?” “Yes.” Ethan smiled, looking at Olivia adoringly, as if she was a treasure he had lost and found again. Watching them walk away, I let out a soft sigh and turned to walk in the opposite direction. I called my roommates, asking them to meet me at our usual bar. “Don’t ask what happened, don’t try to comfort me, and don’t feel sad for me.” “I’m treating you to drinks. Tonight, we’re not leaving until we’re drunk.” After downing glass after glass, my roommates patted my shoulder, wanting to say something but holding back, finally just letting out a sigh. “Rachel, try to cheer up. Ethan isn’t worth this.” I shook my head and drained another glass. “You’re wrong. I’m actually very happy.” “I’m finally free of him.” Ethan and I were childhood sweethearts, from families of similar status. Our parents always thought we were a perfect match and that we would definitely marry in the future. We didn’t disappoint our parents’ expectations. Elementary school, middle school, high school, we were always in the same class until college when we finally separated. He was a year younger than me. As a child, he was quite proud but also very kind. In elementary school, when older students tried to steal my money, he rushed up to fight them, ending up pushed to the ground with a scraped arm. Back then, our agreement was to start dating after college graduation and get married after that. But after we actually got married, everything seemed to change. Every day was filled with mundane chores, struggling to make a living. Life gradually became dull, and Ethan started to feel that this kind of life was meaningless. Later, Olivia became a pop singer, performing at various small venues. She didn’t earn much, but it was enough to get by. Her vibrant and passionate image deeply attracted Ethan, and he began to actively approach Olivia. At first, Olivia maintained boundaries, but faced with the active pursuit of the boy she had liked for so many years, how could she refuse? So everything naturally fell into place. Once, I went on a business trip for a month. When I came back, I found out they had been intimate more than once. I was thunderstruck, but Ethan was nonchalant. “I married you because you wanted to get married. What more do you want?” “I’ve never been to a bar, never been to a concert, never watched a movie or had a candlelit dinner in my entire life.” “You never do these things with me, and now you won’t let others do them with me?” “From now on, let’s each do our own thing. Don’t interfere with me, and I won’t bother with you. But if you dare to hurt my Olivia, I won’t let you off easily!” I was already too tired to argue with him. After a while, I proposed divorce. Of course, Ethan didn’t agree. I insisted, and finally, he compromised. He sarcastically said, “The two and a half months I’ve been with Olivia have been happier than all the happiness in my previous half-life combined.” “Rachel White, you said you’d give me happiness, but you can’t.”

After drinking I don’t know how many glasses of wine, I felt a bit dizzy. I stood up unsteadily, intending to go to the bathroom. On the way, I passed by a private room with the door not fully closed. The voices coming from inside made me stop in my tracks. “…That Rachel White, I’m really sick of her. She’s as stiff and boring as a piece of wood.” “Olivia, you’re so much better. You’re beautiful, interesting, and know how to talk. You can give me the life I want.” “I only like you, Olivia.” “Ethan, I like you too.” I pushed open the half-open door. The people in the room instantly fell silent, all turning to look at me. Ethan saw me and froze for a moment, then frowned and said, “Rachel White, didn’t we already break up? Why are you still haunting me?” Olivia sat beside him, looking at me with a half-smile, then raised her head and kissed Ethan. “Did you see that?” “He’s my boyfriend now.” “If you dare to keep bothering Ethan, don’t blame me for being unkind.” I looked at the two of them expressionlessly. “Don’t worry, I won’t pick up trash again.” “Ethan Lewis, I hope you can always maintain today’s choice.” After saying this, I turned and walked out of the private room. I had only taken a few steps when I accidentally bumped into someone while turning around. “Ouch—” The man was wearing a burgundy open-collar shirt. His skin was fair, and under the colorful lights of the bar, he looked exceptionally handsome. He clutched his chest where I had bumped him, opening his phoenix eyes wide to look at me, seeming a bit surprised. “Rachel White?” “Did you really break up with Ethan Lewis?” Jason Chen, the young master of the Chen family from the north of the city, whom I had met once before. I nodded, “Yes, I’m single now.” Jason blinked, his expression seeming to become more lively. “Then… are you interested in dating now?” I stared at his handsome face for a moment, not answering his question, but instead turned to walk towards the bathroom. But before I had taken two steps, I heard a “thump” sound behind me. I turned to look and saw Jason almost fall to the ground. I quickly walked over and reached out to steady him. Jason waved his hand, “I’m fine…” Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly vomited. The strong smell of alcohol spread through the air. I sighed, resigned to supporting his arm and walking towards the bathroom. The warmth from Jason’s body transmitted through the thin layer of fabric to my skin. His skin was very fair, almost transparent under the lights. Up close, I could see faint freckles on his face, which added a touch of wild beauty. Perhaps it was the effect of the alcohol, but I suddenly felt my body grow hot. Jason leaned softly against me, lifting his head, his phoenix eyes hazy and confused. “Rachel White, you still haven’t answered my question.” “Do you want to date me?” “I like you, I want to be your boyfriend.” My gaze slid upwards, landing on his slightly parted lips. The next second, I raised my head and kissed him.

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This was the fifth year of Ethan’s torment. The heiress of River City’s most prominent family had chosen him, a chauffeur’s son, as her fake boyfriend to avoid an arranged marriage. Rather than being her boyfriend, he was more like a toy she had casually picked up. She deliberately made him wait outside in the pouring rain all night, forced him to buy alcohol for her and her lover, and mocked him mercilessly when he was nearly in tears with worry. But because of love, he never thought of leaving her. Until the day the young miss used his sister’s life as a bargaining chip in her games. That day, he made up his mind to disappear from her world. Soon, rumors spread throughout River City that the once-proud heiress had gone completely mad trying to find him. Summer rain nights are always humid and sticky. Ethan had been standing in front of Olivia’s door for nearly three hours. The rain had long since soaked through his clothes and hair, but the items in his arms remained clean, in stark contrast to his disheveled appearance. For the first time, Ethan felt that summer could be this cold, chilling him to the bone and making his heart ache with bitterness. Two hours earlier, Ethan had suddenly received a message from Olivia, the cold words like frost. “I want cake. Bring it to me within thirty minutes.” Nothing but a command, without any other words. Ethan wasn’t angry; instead, a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes as he immediately set off for South Street to fulfill her order. After buying the strawberry cake, Ethan even bought a bouquet of jasmine flowers. Although it wasn’t cheap for a poor boy saving money for his sister’s medical treatment, it was worth it for Olivia. “Olivia, I’m already at your door.” Ethan’s voice message was full of anticipation. He waited nervously at the door for a while, but the door before him never opened. Ethan thought Olivia might be asleep; she often slept at odd hours. So he stood at the door, waiting patiently. As dark clouds covered the quiet night sky, threatening to bring a downpour, the flowers in his hands gradually lost their vitality. Yet he still couldn’t get any response from Olivia or hear the crisp sound of the door opening. Wait a little longer, Ethan consoled himself. Raindrops began to fall steadily, creating beautiful ripples on the ground. Ethan couldn’t help but call Olivia, and after a long while, she finally answered. “What are you doing? Don’t you know you’re disturbing my movie?” Her tone was full of impatience. Seeing her unfriendly attitude, Ethan cautiously asked, “Didn’t you say you wanted strawberry cake? I’ve already bought it and I’m at your door, but I haven’t heard from you… Is there something urgent?” Olivia was silent for a few seconds, and there seemed to be some giggling from the other end of the line. “Nothing urgent, I was just having fun and forgot about you. Since you’ve already bought the cake, go buy a bottle of wine and bring it over.” Ethan was about to speak, but the call was disconnected. Olivia loved to drink, especially the special cocktail from that restaurant in the north of the city, which wasn’t easy to buy without connections. Ethan hardly hesitated and didn’t think much of it, immediately setting off to buy wine for Olivia, even though his clothes were soaked by the heavy rain. He had no complaints. The journey wasn’t easy. He stumbled into the restaurant, dripping wet, and was mocked by the wealthy diners for a long time. Fortunately, Ethan arrived just in time and managed to buy the last bottle of special cocktail before closing time, using Olivia’s name. By the time he rushed back to Olivia’s house in the pouring rain, it was almost midnight, and he was soaked to the bone. But the cake, wine, and even the flowers didn’t have a single drop of rain on them. Ethan had just put on a pleasing smile and was about to step in when he saw that the person opening the door wasn’t Olivia, but a face he despised. Nathan. “He’s really obedient, isn’t he? Olivia, you’ve trained your dog well.” Instantly, laughter erupted from the living room. “Miss, we’ve heard that this little pet of yours is very well-trained, and seeing it today, it’s indeed true.” “That’s right, remember our deal? That club of yours is mine now.” The group laughed together, looking very pleased with themselves. “Ethan, are you a dog? You’re so obedient. We left you outside for so long and you didn’t even get angry. You even went all the way to buy wine and bring it back. You’re really worthless, aren’t you? And you made me lose my favorite sports car to someone else. How embarrassing!” Olivia slowly walked into Ethan’s line of sight, her proud expression mixed with a hint of anger. This wasn’t the first time such a scene had occurred, but Ethan still handed her the items with a bitter smile, forcing a smile that looked worse than crying. “Eat it quickly, before it’s not fresh anymore.” Olivia snorted coldly, with a sarcastic smile at the corner of her eye, and knocked over the cake with one sweep. “Useless thing, it’s been hours, how am I supposed to eat it now?” The cake and flowers were mixed together, now all smeared on Ethan’s face, wet and sticky. “Don’t be angry, Olivia. This kind of trash isn’t worth your attention.” Olivia’s slender waist was held in Nathan’s arms as he patiently coaxed her. “A chauffeur’s son is indeed a lowly creature. I really don’t know what Olivia saw in you.” Olivia’s lips curled slightly, looking at Ethan with a half-smile. “He can’t even compare to your little toe. You don’t need to lower yourself to his level.” Ethan had long known that Olivia didn’t like him that much, but seeing this scene and hearing her cold words, his heart ached intensely. Ethan was seventeen when he came to the Thompson family. His mother had passed away then, and his father, in poor health, could only work as a driver to make ends meet. He also had a younger sister with leukemia, and life was very difficult. He could never forget the first time he saw Olivia at seventeen. Such a bright and charming girl appeared before his eyes, as beautiful as an oil painting, making him fall hopelessly in love. Due to the difference in their status, he only dared to bury this feeling deep in his heart, letting it grow wildly. Until the year his father also passed away, which was also the year Olivia was forced by her family to marry Nathan. To rebel against her parents, she deliberately confessed to him. For Ethan, who had just lost his family, this was like a warm ray of sunshine, making him deeply immersed in it, craving this warmth. Even though Ethan knew from the beginning that this was just Olivia’s means to defy her family and avoid the arranged marriage, he was still as happy as a child receiving a beloved gift. During their five years of dating, Ethan gave his heart and soul to her, wanting to melt her icy exterior and enter her heart, making her fall in love with him. But he never expected Nathan to appear at this time. He was Olivia’s legitimate fiancé, an arrogant and disrespectful young master. Whenever attending important banquets, Olivia always brought Nathan by her side. When many people inquired about their relationship, Olivia’s answer was always the same. “Nathan is my fiancé, we have a very good relationship.” Olivia’s eyes sparkled with laughter, looking at Ethan with a challenging gaze. Faced with such situations, Ethan could only swallow his grievances, his heart sinking into an endless sea, feeling extremely bitter. But he loved Olivia too much. As long as she kept him by her side for one more day, he would wholeheartedly be good to her. Ethan let out a long sigh, enduring the pain in his heart, and mustered up the courage to try and pull Olivia back. “Olivia, your stomach isn’t feeling well. Don’t drink alcohol. Let me make you some porridge.” As soon as he finished speaking, jeers erupted from the crowd. “What porridge? You’re just a chauffeur’s son. Olivia only keeps you as a boyfriend to play with, like a pet. Don’t try to act all high and mighty here!” “You don’t really think you’re the master, do you? Her real fiancé is right here. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?” Olivia didn’t refute. Her beautiful eyes flashed with coldness as she shook off Ethan’s hand. “Who do you think you are to tell me what to do? Get out of here, don’t ruin the mood between me and Nathan.” Ethan pressed his lips together, unable to say anything. He turned around silently and left. After returning home, he was about to eat something to fill his stomach and warm up his rain-soaked body when he found that the chicken soup he had prepared for his sister in the afternoon had long since gone cold. Ethan’s eyes welled up with tears, his nose stinging. For Olivia’s sake, he had forgotten to visit his sister today. Emily suffered from severe leukemia. Her greatest wish was to see her brother and Olivia finally together, happy and content. But Olivia disliked him, and by extension, didn’t care for Emily. Ethan absent-mindedly reheated the soup. He understood that he was just a stopgap measure, a joke. Ethan could endure the torment and pain Olivia gave him, but he didn’t want Olivia to despise his sister or do anything to harm her. After all, she was his only family left. So he decided to tell his sister that he and Olivia wouldn’t have a future together. Ethan rode his bike to the hospital, only to find the room empty. He thought the medical staff might have taken his sister to the bathroom, so he turned to look for her. Little did he know, his sister had already been dragged into the abyss by a group of demons. “Olivia, it’s boring with just us drinking. We’ve played the same games over and over.” “Yeah, don’t you often go to that club? The games there must be exciting. Teach us how to play.” Olivia and Nathan often threw parties at the villa, usually lasting from morning till night. After playing for so long, they naturally felt bored. A few playful young masters started looking for more exciting entertainment. “Are you sure? Don’t be sore losers when the time comes,” Olivia glanced at those who spoke, with a half-smile curling her lips. Hearing this, Nathan revealed a faint smile: “Olivia, don’t underestimate them. They might play even more intensely than us!” Olivia nodded and led everyone to a secret room filled with divine statues, as solemn and sacred as a church. “This is a secret base that I begged our family’s old man to build for a long time. You guys are in for a treat today.” Olivia held a wine glass, her red lips alluring, proudly introducing the place to everyone. “This is contraband, Olivia. You’re really daring.” “What’s the big deal? Name one young master from a rich family who doesn’t touch this stuff nowadays?” Several people gathered around the table, carefully examining the tools on it – syringes, surrounded by “magical elixirs” that would let them experience an extreme high. “Don’t worry, these doses won’t get you addicted, but……” Olivia picked up a syringe from the table and scanned the room: “If anyone dares to talk, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” “Relax, Olivia. With me here, they wouldn’t dare,” Nathan put his arm around Olivia’s shoulders, his expression carrying a warning as he looked at everyone present. Everyone immediately understood, and for a moment, no one dared to speak. “Miss, Mr. Ethan’s sister is here. She says she has something to give you.” The butler knocked on the door, and everyone felt their fun was being spoiled. “These siblings are really like ghosts that won’t go away. They’re both such pests!” “Just send her away. Don’t let her ruin our fun.” Nathan’s eyes held a playful glint: “Sending her away is no fun. Since Ethan treasures his sister so much, he probably wouldn’t mind letting her join our game.” The crowd egged them on, and Olivia just slightly tilted her head, resting it on her hand, silently agreeing to his idea. “Bring her in.” Emily passed through the dark staircase, timidly hugging the doll in her arms, her eyes full of fear. “Little Emily, do you like feeling happy? Light and floating, like flying in the sky.” Olivia pretended to be gentle, stroking Emily’s hair. “I like it!” “Then let’s play a game together.” Olivia led her to a chair and pressed a mechanism. Soon, Emily’s hands were locked to the chair, unable to move. “How long do you think this little girl can last? Ten minutes?” “That’s too little! Kids have good bodies, it should be at least half an hour!” Everyone laughed, carelessly joking about it. “Since that’s the case, why don’t we make a bet? Let’s see how long she can hold out.” The one who said this was Nathan. Everyone placed their bets, taking out checkbooks and writing numbers. Whoever guessed closest would get all the checks on the table! Emily was trembling, cautiously opening her mouth. “Sister, what game do you want me to play? My brother is waiting for me to go home.” Olivia frowned slightly, curled her lips, and deliberately coaxed her: “Don’t you want me and your brother to take you to the amusement park together? If you complete this game, I’ll agree to it.” Emily’s eyes lit up. How could she distinguish between true and false intentions? She nodded resolutely. Olivia sneered, beckoning Nathan to take the syringe and mercilessly inject it into Emily’s body. “Sister! It hurts, it’s so cold!” Emily cried out, struggling constantly. “You little bitch, don’t give up so easily. This is just the beginning.” Nathan held her down tightly, letting the drug enter Emily’s body, watching her tear-filled eyes with great satisfaction. “Sister……” Emily looked to Olivia for help, but she just silently played with her soft hair. Gradually, Emily’s consciousness became more and more blurred, and her limbs stopped struggling. There wasn’t the excitement everyone had expected, so they found it boring and left in droves with their favorite drugs and syringes, without anyone checking Emily’s condition. Shortly after everyone left, Emily kept coughing, her lips turning whiter and whiter, finding it increasingly difficult to breathe. She weakly called for help in the empty secret room: “Help… save me… Sister… Brother…” There was no response. Finally, Emily’s hand slowly fell, and she stopped breathing.

On his way to the bathroom, Ethan met Emily’s caregiver, which confused him. “Mrs. Chen, isn’t Emily with you?” “No, she said she was going to find you this afternoon. I even sent her to the villa gate. I think she brought some kind of gift.” Ethan’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. He hadn’t seen his sister in the villa just now. Cold sweat broke out all over his body as alarm bells rang in his head. He hurriedly rushed back to the Thompson house. It was already late at night. As soon as Ethan entered, he almost bumped into the butler who had just finished cleaning up after the party. “Ethan, why are you in such a hurry? Did something happen?” The butler steadied Ethan’s body, asking with concern. Ethan was almost in tears with anxiety. “Mr. Chen, have you seen Emily? When I went to the hospital to find her, the doctor told me Olivia had taken her away.” “This is not good! Come with me!” Hearing this, the butler immediately realized something was wrong. He had only seen Emily come in, not go out, and quickly led Ethan to search. The secret room wasn’t locked because no one dared to come here except Olivia. The two quickly passed through the dark staircase. “Emily!” The scene before his eyes almost made Ethan faint. Under the dim light, Emily’s small body was slumped over, lifeless. The butler’s heart sank, and he immediately went forward to check. His fingers trembled as he placed them under Emily’s nose, then he collapsed to the ground in shock. Emily…… was dead? 2. Emily’s body was covered in bruises, with needle marks left behind. Her face was pale, and her body was cold. The gift she had brought was carelessly thrown on the ground, trampled and covered in dirt. “Don’t scare me, Emily!” Ethan immediately rushed over to hug his sister. Seeing the girl’s ashen face and rigid body, his heart felt as if it had been buried in an icy wasteland, completely frozen. “Emily, wake up, open your eyes and look at me. I’m your brother! Who did this to you?” Ethan’s tears fell like broken strings of pearls, rolling down one by one in grief. He couldn’t believe his sister was gone. He called her name over and over, unable to accept this cruel reality. “Emily, I’ll call a doctor. Just wait a little longer, it’ll be okay soon.” “Emily, are you in pain? Let brother blow on it, and it won’t hurt anymore.” Seeing Ethan about to go mad, the butler quickly had someone hold him back. “Ethan! Calm down. Emily is gone. Let her rest in peace.” Forced to let go of his sister, Ethan kept mumbling “It’s not possible.” He couldn’t believe his sister would leave him so easily. Just yesterday she was such a lively little girl, how could she become a cold corpse today? Who had taken her life? “Mr. Chen, you must know what happened. Tell me who killed her. This is very important to me. She was my only family left!” Ethan spoke each word with extreme pain, his saliva mixed with tears smeared all over his face. The butler couldn’t bear it and had someone retrieve the surveillance footage. Olivia was crazy. She had specially installed cameras in this secret room just to watch everyone’s expressions as they took the drugs. The course of events was cruelly presented to Ethan. He stared blankly, his eyes filled with despair and numbness, as if struck by lightning. “Why! Why did you do this to Emily!” He cried out in anguish, feeling hatred towards Olivia for the first time – extreme hatred. He had long known about Olivia’s bad habits, with drug use being one of them. He had never dared to question it, but that was his sister! How could these people treat a human life as a game! Divine statues hung on the walls, yet these people were committing demonic acts. How ironic! He held his sister’s lifeless body, his eyes bloodshot, bloodshot veins spreading in his eyes. He had cried for so long that his tears had dried up. “Revenge! I want revenge! I want these beasts to die a horrible death!”

Ethan wanted to copy the surveillance footage to report to the police and seek justice for his sister, but Mr. Chen refused. “Ethan! You don’t have the power to fight against them! Besides, I’m part of the Thompson family… I’m sorry.” The butler sighed repeatedly, feeling helpless despite his wishes. Ethan’s heart felt like it had sunk into an icy abyss, his whole body trembling uncontrollably. A strong sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart, almost making him want to kill all these people! To accompany his sister in death! What kind of status did the Thompson family have? They were well-known throughout River City, with power that could overshadow everything. Anyone in their eyes was just an ant crawling at their feet. It was just an insignificant girl who died, why would they face any consequences? Thinking of this, Ethan’s heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. He hated his own powerlessness, hated his cowardice that gave them the power to hurt Emily. After the cremation, Ethan looked at the box in his arms. His sister, who once smiled brightly at him while holding a candied haw, now lived only in his memories forever. Five days later, Ethan returned to Olivia’s villa like a wandering soul from a mass grave. He forced himself to endure the discomfort in his heart and pushed open this heavy door. Ethan was enveloped in an aura of despair, completely at odds with the lively atmosphere. “Isn’t this Ethan? Why do you look so miserable after not seeing you for a few days? Did Olivia torment you again?” Laughter erupted from the living room as scorching gazes suddenly fell on Ethan. “I don’t have time to deal with him. I’m busy going on a date with Nathan!” Olivia snorted coldly, leaning into Nathan’s arms, her coquettish voice inviting pity. “You have the nerve to come back. You really are the Thompson family’s dog. Your skin is so thick.” Nathan was angered by the sight of him and walked over, looking at him with disdain. “Excuse me.” Ethan moved his dry lips, indifferently uttering two words as he walked past Nathan, who was blocking the doorway. In the past, he could only swallow his grievances and suffer alone in response to Nathan’s provocations. But now, there was only desolation left in his heart. “What? Are you angry? Nathan and I just like to play some intimate games. You surely won’t mind, right?” Olivia crossed her legs, swinging them back and forth, staring at Ethan carelessly. Hearing this, Ethan’s bloodshot eyes glared fiercely at Nathan and Olivia. “Playing games?” Ethan laughed maniacally, then pointed at everyone present and asked hatefully: “Is everything just a game in your eyes?” “Even my sister’s life was just a game to you!” Ethan’s words were filled with blood and tears, his voice hoarse as if he was about to cough up blood. He wished he could tear apart everyone before him. “Oh, so you found out.” Olivia snorted with laughter, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I just wanted to make her happy too. After all, poor people like you must live very bitter lives.” The others were only stunned for a moment. Hearing Olivia say this, they quickly resumed their laughter, obviously not taking Ethan’s words seriously. “That’s right! She should be grateful!” “Hey Ethan, did your sister share with you how good it felt?” Ethan stared at the group with bloodshot eyes, shouting with all his might: “Do you know how old my sister was? She had leukemia and was already very weak! Yet you made her take drugs and left her there without checking on her. You beasts!” The game they spoke of so casually had cost him the last person in this world who truly cherished him. Everyone seemed to have never seen Ethan rebel like this before, and they were all slightly shocked for a moment. Olivia’s face turned ugly, having lost face. She coldly said, her voice as if laced with ice: “What are you raving about? Your sister, like you, was just a dog of our family. Whatever I wanted her to do, she had to do it.” Hearing Olivia say this, Nathan also sneered. “That’s right, Ethan. Is your sister so precious? Can’t she even make us happy? Can’t she even take a joke?” Hearing these words, Ethan’s anger surged, and he could no longer control his emotions. He shouted hysterically once again. “My sister was a living, breathing person! Not a chip for your entertainment! You murderers should all go down and keep my sister company!”

Murderers? Olivia laughed mockingly. No one had ever dared to call her that before. Olivia’s beautiful eyes darkened like a deep swamp, bottomless. “So what? Are you going to report me? Or kill me? Ethan, know your place. Don’t try to challenge my bottom line.” Ethan suddenly laughed, tears rushing down uncontrollably. “Bottom line? When you trampled on my bottom line, did you ever think about how humiliated I felt!” “These five years, how I’ve endured all the insults, what you’ve done to us siblings, you know better than anyone. If being loved by you means being toyed with, mocked, at the cost of my family’s life, then this kind of love disgusts me to the extreme!” Olivia seemed to see him like this for the first time. Her brows furrowed, not knowing what to say for a moment. At this time, Nathan walked over to Ethan’s side with a mocking expression. “Ethan, I’m half responsible for this too. Don’t blame Olivia. Why don’t I go apologize to your sister?” “After all, your poor sister was struggling so painfully yesterday. You don’t know how heart-wrenching her cries were, like she was between life and death. It was quite a spectacle! It would be a shame if she didn’t become an actress.” His light tone seemed to not take human life seriously at all, and there was even a hint of pride. Ethan felt his head buzzing. He grabbed Nathan’s collar and gave him a hard punch! Nathan’s howl of pain instantly sobered everyone up. He covered his face, his eyes immediately reddening, his face turning ashen. The people around were in an uproar. “Ethan actually dared to hit Nathan. I see he really doesn’t know his place anymore. He’s out of control!” “Olivia, Young Master Nathan has never suffered such a big grievance since childhood. This time you can’t protect Ethan anymore.” Olivia stood not far away, coldly watching this scene. After who knows how long, she slowly walked over in her high heels. Looking at Ethan, she laughed lightly, but that laugh was bone-chillingly cold. The next second, she kicked Ethan in the stomach. His body, already weak, was caught off guard and fell to the ground. “Who told you to touch him? Don’t you know our relationship? Am I giving you too much face?” Olivia stepped on Ethan’s face, her heel scraping across his face, leaving a not-so-light wound. Seeing this, others rushed forward to pin down the struggling Ethan. Ethan’s face was humiliatingly pressed against the ground, unable to move at all. He could only lift his face, watching helplessly as Olivia looked down at him. That once bright girl now seemed like a ripe fruit, her heart beginning to rot, the core growing darker and darker. “You and your sister were just dogs of our Thompson family. Whatever I told you to do, you had to do it. Let alone playing with me, even if I told you to crawl and bark like dogs, you’d have to do it immediately. Do you understand?” Ethan was in heart-wrenching pain, but suddenly burst into laughter. He stared blankly at the white ceiling, his voice hoarse as he said word by word: “Olivia, I never want to see you again in this life.” “Let’s break up.”

Olivia, the person he loved, cherished, and loved for so many years, in the end, even cost him the life of his only relative. The huge blow completely awakened him. They were never from the same world. After saying he wanted to break up, Ethan dragged his painful body and struggled to get up, stumbling a few times. Without even packing his belongings, he turned and left without looking back. “Ethan! You dare!” For some reason, hearing these words made Olivia feel very uncomfortable. She felt gloomy and instinctively called out to stop him. “Don’t forget who you’ve been living off these years! You’re nothing without me!” Olivia’s threats and warnings didn’t stop Ethan’s steps. He left the villa without any hesitation, decisively. From then on, Olivia really never saw Ethan again. Olivia very much disliked the feeling of things slipping out of her control. The person who used to follow her every command had now disappeared without a trace. She was extremely displeased. Her mind kept replaying the day he left, his back looking so lonely yet determined, as if he really wanted to never see her again in this life. Afterwards, Olivia kept attending various parties, using strong alcohol and drugs, but she just couldn’t get Ethan’s figure out of her mind. Seeing her absent-minded appearance, Nathan bought many gifts trying to make her smile, but she remained unmoved. “I feel so bad. Quickly make me something to eat and bring it over.” Olivia lay panting by the bed, her arm still pierced with the syringe she had just used. The servants didn’t dare to neglect her and hurriedly cooked some porridge to bring over. The moment it entered her mouth, Olivia smashed the bowl to pieces. “Are you all useless! You can’t even make a decent meal!” “Get out, all of you!” The drug-addled Olivia had a volatile temper. The servants were all frightened into silence and hurriedly left the room, pushing and shoving each other. “Ethan, Ethan!” Olivia mumbled, smashing things around the bed to pieces. Seeing that Ethan didn’t respond, she angrily stormed into Ethan’s room barefoot. The room was empty, the bed sheets neat, even covered with a thin layer of dust, obviously uninhabited for days. It was then that Olivia woke up from her dazed state. They had broken up. She irritably ran a hand through her hair, sitting on Ethan’s bed and lighting a cigarette. All their past moments together swirled in her mind. Olivia firmly believed that in a few days, Ethan would definitely come back begging for her forgiveness. “It was just a game, why is he taking it so seriously? It’s not like anything happened to his sister.” Olivia couldn’t understand. Was this Ethan’s new tactic to make her love him? Or was it because Nathan’s provocation went too far and Ethan was jealous? Thinking of this, Olivia frowned impatiently and sent a message to her personal assistant. [Go buy some things Ethan likes.] [Alright, what does Mr. Ethan like?] Olivia was stunned. She seemed to have never understood him. She became more irritated and threw her phone far away. Never mind, Ethan would come back to find her no matter what. These gifts didn’t matter. However, what Olivia didn’t expect was that for several days in a row, Ethan had no news at all. No one, not even herself, could find him. He had vanished from this world. “Miss, you can’t continue injecting anymore.” The private doctor came to the villa to check Olivia’s physical condition and earnestly reminded her. Olivia nodded nonchalantly, but didn’t take it to heart at all. She had been dreaming of Ethan these past few days, but couldn’t bring herself to go find him. She could only relieve her restless emotions by taking drugs, which led to an overdose. Olivia remembered that every time she was in a bad mood and took drugs, Ethan would thoughtfully prepare food for her and stay by her side. Now that he was gone, it felt like a piece was missing from her life. Olivia casually dismissed the doctor, ignoring his advice and continuing to indulge in a life of debauchery. Soon, her body couldn’t take it anymore.

Olivia woke up in the middle of the night, her chest hurting badly. She tried to call a doctor but found her phone was dead. She could only drag herself to find suppressants, but the pain and burning sensation made it difficult to move. If only Ethan were here, he would surely rush over to take care of her, staying by her side every step of the way. Ethan was always the first person to truly care about her. “Ethan, don’t go.” Olivia curled up on the floor, her face pale and her breathing weak, but she still mumbled Ethan’s name. When Mr. Chen found Olivia, he was startled and hurriedly called Dr. Zhou. When Olivia woke up, she saw the empty room, with servants and the doctor looking at her with worried faces. She still didn’t see the person she wanted to see most. In the past, when things like this happened, let alone fainting, even if she just had a headache, Ethan would be by her side taking meticulous care of her. But since Ethan had decisively broken up with her, he had truly vanished from Olivia’s world without a trace. For some reason, a surge of indescribable anger suddenly welled up in Olivia’s heart. Her eyes darkened, and the atmosphere in the entire villa turned bone-chillingly cold. Everyone lowered their heads in silence. “Bring Ethan to me, no matter where he is. I want to see him immediately. Tell him the Thompson family has lost something and suspects he took it.” No one dared to disobey her order. Ethan was thus forcibly brought away by Olivia’s people. When he arrived at the villa, Ethan was tightly holding Emily’s urn. His face was ashen, with no light in his eyes. “I thought you had a backbone and they couldn’t bring you back.” As soon as he entered, Olivia sneered at him sarcastically. Nathan was also sitting by the bed, looking at him arrogantly. “Didn’t you say something was lost? Check then.” Ethan mechanically raised his arms to let the bodyguards search him. Throughout the process, his expression remained blank. He didn’t even lift his head, just silently watching Olivia’s bodyguards open his suitcase and search, finally finding nothing. Olivia had deliberately called Nathan over to provoke Ethan, but his demeanor showed no sign of caring. The two were like strangers who had never met before. Could it be that he really didn’t care about her anymore, didn’t love her anymore? Was he really leaving her? Olivia didn’t believe it. She thought Ethan surely couldn’t live without her. Seeing him about to turn and leave, a surge of anger and indescribable panic suddenly swept over her. Seeing this, Nathan’s eyes flashed with a cold light as he called out to Ethan. “You rude thing, don’t you even know how to say hello?” Nathan narrowed his eyes, staring at him resentfully, as if trying to see through him. He had been with Olivia for so long, but had never seen her care about someone so much, and that person was actually Ethan! The thought that he couldn’t even compare to a chauffeur’s son made Nathan furious. He didn’t attack Ethan directly, but just smiled slightly: “Poor people like you would never admit to stealing. Who knows, maybe it’s hidden somewhere inconspicuous, like the box you’re holding.” Hearing this, Ethan finally seemed to come alive. He tightly hugged the box, glaring angrily at him. “Don’t you dare touch it!” Nathan raised an eyebrow. Sure enough, this box was Ethan’s weak point. He felt increasingly smug in his heart and was determined to find out what Ethan was treasuring so much. Seeing Ethan refuse to let go, Nathan directly reached out to snatch it. With a crash, the urn in his arms fell to the ground, instantly shattering. Along with it, Ethan’s heart shattered into pieces. The air was terrifyingly quiet. After a long while, Nathan covered his nose and glanced at Ethan disdainfully. “Are you so poor that you can’t even afford flour? I thought it was something valuable!” Ethan looked at the ashes scattered on the floor, his pupils shaking. “No!” He fell to his knees, frantically trying to gather the ashes on the ground with his hands. “No, it’s all mine, it’s all mine.” Ethan had no container to put it in. He could only use his clothes to protect his sister’s soul, desperately trying to gather it up with his hands. He didn’t even dare to cry, fearing his tears would wet the ashes and prevent his sister from resting in peace. Seeing him like this, Nathan suddenly became interested. He liked seeing Ethan devastated, in pain, and helpless. “Ethan.” Nathan disregarded everything and directly stepped on the pile of ashes, swaggering over. He bent down and whispered in his ear: “Oops, I seem to have dirtied it. I’m so sorry! Do you need me to compensate you?” The little bit of ashes that had just been gathered up were now filthy beyond recognition. Ethan’s eyes were bloodshot, almost bursting. He could no longer maintain his rationality. That was his deceased sister! It was his only reason for living in this world! Ethan suddenly stood up and used all his strength to kick Nathan down. He viciously punched his face, with a ferocity that seemed intent on killing him. This still wasn’t enough to vent Ethan’s inner rage. He kicked Nathan’s stomach hard, wishing he could make him pay with his life for his sister! “Help… help… this madman wants to kill me.” Nathan was beaten to within an inch of his life and could only desperately slap at Ethan’s movements, crying out loudly for help. “What are you all standing there for? Are you waiting for someone to die?” Olivia was also frightened and screamed for the bodyguards to pull Ethan away. Ethan was thrown heavily to the ground, cradling the scattered ashes on the floor, crying heart-rendingly. Nathan barely escaped with his life, lying on the floor gasping for breath like he had just survived a great calamity, his face still showing traces of fear.

“Olivia, he wanted to kill me… We can’t keep this dog around anymore, or he’ll surely take revenge on us one day!” Nathan, a grown man, was now shedding tears in fright as he cowered behind Olivia. “Olivia, I just spilled some cheap flour, and he wanted to kill me for it. If we don’t deal with him, where will you put your face in the future?” Olivia comforted Nathan while looking down at his face covered in bloody marks, her heart filled with anger. It was just some flour, yet Ethan dared to hit Nathan. Wasn’t this deliberately opposing her? Could it be that Ethan knew she had fallen ill because of him, and that’s why he dared to be so reckless? Olivia’s expression instantly turned vicious. She gave a look to her bodyguard, then turned to face him with a terrifying expression. “You treasure it so much, it must be because you can’t afford to eat, right? Don’t worry, you won’t waste it if you eat it.” As soon as Olivia finished speaking, Ethan’s heart stopped. His pupils dilated as he shook his head desperately, “Are you crazy?” He tried to scoop up the ashes on the ground, wanting to escape this hell. But the next second, the bodyguards firmly restrained him, rendering him immobile. “Olivia, you’ll face retribution for this. Do you know what this is? This is……” Before Ethan could finish speaking, the bodyguards grabbed a handful of ashes and stuffed it directly into his mouth. Ethan clenched his teeth tightly, desperately trying to dodge. “Get away! I won’t eat it!” This was Emily’s ashes. How could they dare to do such a rebellious thing! Why did his sister have to suffer such torment even after death? “If you want to eat, I’ll feed you until you’re full! Hold him down properly!” Seeing Ethan resist so fiercely, Nathan grabbed his chin and forcefully poured it in. Ethan wanted to bite his tongue to avoid swallowing it directly, but the large amount of powder choked him into a coughing fit. The gray-white ashes covered his entire face, looking quite ridiculous. Gradually, Ethan stopped struggling. Tears slid into his sideburns as his hands fell limp. His eyes were filled with deathly stillness. Olivia was startled by Ethan’s expression and panicked for a moment. “Stop! I don’t want him to die yet.” She called for Nathan to stop, a flash of complex emotions crossing her eyes. Nathan’s eyes were bloodshot, showing no intention of stopping: “He wanted to kill me. I won’t let him off easily!” “Enough! Nathan, if you kill him, no one will clean up this mess for you!” Olivia scolded angrily, signaling the bodyguards to let go of Ethan and stop Nathan’s actions. Hearing this, Nathan was indignant. Not killing Ethan left him unsatisfied, but seeing Olivia’s cold expression, he didn’t dare to act rashly. “This can’t end like this! I’m going to report him to the police!” Nathan quickly picked up his phone, but it was knocked away by Olivia the next second. “I think you’ve gone mad too. With Ethan in this state, if our drug use gets exposed, what then? I have the Thompson family to protect me, but what about you? The Ji family has more than just you as a son.” Olivia frowned, threatening him. She wasn’t concerned about Nathan’s life or death; she just didn’t want Ethan to go to jail. She didn’t want Ethan to leave her. “Then what should I do? Olivia, are you just going to watch me get beaten up for nothing?” Nathan pretended to be pitiful, tears streaming down his face, but only irritated Olivia. “Just have Ethan kneel down and apologize to you. Don’t keep harping on it. I don’t like you like this.” After saying this, the bodyguards immediately pressed Ethan down. Ethan’s proud spirit had long been crushed. Like a walking corpse, he knelt in front of Nathan. “Kowtow! Don’t you even know how to apologize?” Nathan was dissatisfied but didn’t dare to vent. He temporarily couldn’t afford to offend the Thompson family. Ethan was forced to bow his head, heavily kowtowing on the ground. Once. Twice. Until Nathan revealed a triumphant smile, he was finally pulled up and thrown aside like garbage. He got up and desperately tried to induce vomiting, powder mixed with bloody saliva hanging on his lips. Olivia, already nauseated from her illness, now felt her stomach churning at the sight. “Get him out of here! Can’t you see the young miss is disgusted? A bunch of useless things!” “No! No, I haven’t taken her home yet!”

Ethan wanted to take the scattered ashes on the ground with him, using all his strength to resist the bodyguards. The bodyguards’ strong arms restrained him, rendering all his struggling useless. In the end, he could only watch helplessly as his sister’s ashes were swept away like garbage. The floor was left without a speck of dust. The last glimmer of hope in his heart was also severed. He hung his head, laughing self-mockingly, his eyes filled with deathly stillness. His only relative had left him too, in such a humiliating and painful way. He didn’t understand why he was still alive. It would be better if he were dead, Ethan thought. His laughter grew more and more frenzied, already in utter despair, startling everyone. “Olivia, you won’t die a good death!” As soon as the words left his mouth, he fainted. Olivia didn’t know what had come over her, but she suddenly felt a twinge in her chest. There was even a moment of reluctance. It was just flour, right? Was it that important? Had Ethan really become so poor he couldn’t afford food? “Go buy him a few more and send them over. Also, buy some daily necessities for him.” Olivia instructed the butler. Ethan suddenly opened his eyes, as if waking from a nightmare. He also wished that everything just now had been a nightmare. If he opened his eyes, he would still see his sister smiling at him, the family sitting together for a meal. But this was something he couldn’t even hope for in his dreams anymore. Soon, Ethan fully woke up and found several similar boxes not far in front of him. “It’s just a box. I had people buy many. See if you like any of them.” “I also had people buy a lot of food for you. You don’t need to treasure that cheap flour so much anymore.” Olivia tried hard to suppress her pride and dissatisfaction, speaking softly and gently: Ethan lifted his eyelids to look at the person in front of him, feeling only hatred and ridicule. “Let me go.” Seeing his cold and distant demeanor, Olivia felt she was losing face and instantly dropped her smile. “Ethan! Don’t be ungrateful. This is my charity to you. You should be thanking me.” Olivia’s eyes flickered. Suddenly remembering something, she raised her chin and said arrogantly and haughtily. “Don’t forget, your sister still needs your meager salary to pay for medical expenses. If you continue to be so unresponsive and throw tantrums with me, I’ll make sure you can never save your sister’s life.” “Of course, if you choose to come back now! I’ll pretend none of this ever happened!” Hearing this, Ethan pulled a sarcastic expression. He slowly lifted his eyelids, staring at Olivia until she felt uneasy. She still dared to mention Emily in front of him! Then again, she never valued the lives of these ants. “Mm.” Ethan nodded. He stayed not because of love or hatred, but to take away his sister’s belongings. He absolutely wouldn’t allow his sister’s things to remain in such a filthy place.

Olivia was both delighted and very surprised, not understanding why Ethan had suddenly changed his mind. But the urgent matter was to keep Ethan. He couldn’t leave her again. Ethan went to Emily’s former room, tears streaming uncontrollably. He quickly packed up all her things, moving like a walking corpse towards the villa’s main door. Emily’s innocent smiling face still lingered in his mind. Now he could only look at these cold photos to remember her. “Ethan, what do you mean by this!” “I’m telling you, if you leave, I’ll never forgive you in this life!” In Olivia’s view, what Ethan feared most was being abandoned by her, being disliked by her. As long as she used these threats, he would surely turn back and stay. Ethan didn’t hear Olivia’s words at all. His eyes and heart were filled only with his sister’s belongings. His footsteps didn’t pause for a moment as he was about to leave without looking back. Watching his retreating figure, Olivia panicked. At this moment, she finally realized that all the things she had done – the threats, the coaxing – were just to keep Ethan by her side. Perhaps unknowingly, Ethan had already become the most important person in her life, the person she couldn’t do without on her life’s journey. She had fallen in love with Ethan long ago, but just never wanted to admit it. The high and mighty heiress of River City falling for a poor boy – she was afraid of being laughed at, so she kept hurting him again and again. But she never thought Ethan would leave her. She was afraid, and she absolutely wouldn’t allow it. “Quick, stop him! I don’t care what methods you use, you must bring him back!” Having received the order, several servants and bodyguards immediately chased after Ethan to block his path. Olivia followed closely behind, coming to Ethan’s side and hugging him tightly. “Ethan, don’t you want to stay here with me? Don’t you love me anymore? Why do you have to leave?” “Are these things very important to you? They’re just a few old photos. If you like, we can go take new ones together.” Olivia glanced at those photos from the corner of her eye. They were already covered in dust, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit disgusted. She forced herself to touch them with her delicate hands. But Ethan held onto the photos tightly, afraid Olivia would snatch them away. In the chaos of the struggle, the photo was torn from the middle, separating him and his sister, dividing the living and the dead. He looked at the torn photo paper, crying like a child, but his cries were so mournful. He couldn’t protect his sister, and now he couldn’t even protect her photo. He was truly a useless brother. Olivia was also stunned, not expecting it to turn out like this. She stiffly pulled at her lips. “What are you crying about! What do you want me to do for you to come back? I’ll have someone bring glue to stick it back together, okay? Stop making a fuss! My patience has limits too!” No matter what Olivia said, Ethan ignored her. He took the torn photo and dragged his heavy body towards the exit. Ethan’s repeated refusals finally angered Olivia completely. She, the noble young miss, everyone’s darling, didn’t lack just one person, did she? She wanted to see how long Ethan could remain so proud! Three days. Five days. A week. Half a month passed… Ethan truly vanished like smoke, never appearing in any place Olivia could see again. She felt empty inside, never having felt so powerless before. She knew Ethan was like this because they had toyed with his sister. Since that was the case, she would make everyone apologize. In any case, Ethan must return to her side. Olivia disregarded everyone’s objections and forced Nathan and the others to go apologize to Ethan. In front of Ethan’s door, Olivia took a deep breath and knocked. They knocked for a long time but received no response, just like how Ethan could never knock open her door before. Olivia suddenly had a bad feeling. She pushed Nathan. “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and kick the door open!” As soon as the door opened, the house was empty. Everything was gone. “Olivia, the place is deserted. Why did you drag us here? Are we supposed to apologize to thin air?” “Yeah, it’s not like we forced her to take it. Why should we apologize?” “Olivia, are you high? He’s just a chauffeur’s son. Didn’t you hate him the most? Why are you suddenly so concerned about him?” “Shut up, all of you!” Olivia’s gaze was terrifyingly cold, as if she would kill someone the next second. Everyone was scared into silence. Olivia stumbled out of Ethan’s house looking like she had gone mad. Her eyes were blank as she kept mumbling, “It’s not possible, it can’t be, it won’t be…” The rain poured down on her, extinguishing the last bit of hope in her heart. She leaned against the car door, at a loss, her face full of panic. Mr. Chen’s words kept echoing in her ears. Emily… was dead. A few minutes ago, Olivia had called the butler. “Mr. Chen! Where’s Emily? Bring her to me.” Olivia knew Ethan cared most about Emily and wanted to use this to threaten him. To her surprise, the butler was silent for a long time, stammering and unable to speak. Olivia grew increasingly irritated, stamping her foot angrily: “What are you mumbling about? I told you to bring Emily here!” On the other end, the butler let out a heavy sigh and finally made up his mind to speak. “Miss, Emily is no longer with us.”

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I’m the top salesperson who brings in millions in revenue for the company. Just because I didn’t compliment her looks in the company SnapChat group, she fired me without hesitation. She replaced me with her cousin. Until later, when the company’s sales plummeted to zero. She came to apologize to me in person. “Please come back. My boyfriend said he’d break up with me if you don’t return.” The boss went on a business trip for a month and left his girlfriend in charge of the company. Who knew that her first act as the new boss would be to target me? At 10 AM, I arrived at the office on time. I saw my colleague looking nervous, pointing at the boss’s office and whispering, “Tiffany’s here. She wants to see you!” Tiffany Fox was the boss’s new girlfriend, known for her arrogance and bullying. She would curse at anyone she didn’t like. Once, when a female colleague stayed a bit longer in the boss’s office to report work, Tiffany spread rumors that she was a prostitute. She bullied that girl so much that she was forced to resign. But because Tiffany was sweet-talking and good at flattery, the boss usually let her do whatever she wanted. I didn’t expect her to target me now. I put down my coffee and pushed open the door to enter the office. As soon as I entered, a file flew towards my face. “Do you know what time it is? Company policy states work starts at 8 AM. Why are you coming in at 10?” The sharp edge of the file folder left a bloody cut on my forehead. I held my head, looking at Tiffany who was throwing her weight around behind the desk. My 10 AM start time was a perk for being the top salesperson. Everyone in the company knew about this unwritten rule. Years ago, when the boss’s company was about to go bankrupt, they accidentally hired me. In my first month, I generated $5 million in sales, bringing the company back from the brink of death. Since then, the boss had treated me like a precious asset, usually listening to my opinions on major decisions. She slammed the table, her face contorted with rage: “Look at your punch card. You’ve been coming in at 10 for a whole month. Do you think you’re above company rules?” “According to company policy, three consecutive days of tardiness can result in termination!” “You can get out now!” I looked at Tiffany in disbelief: “You’re firing me? Did you ask the boss?” I created 80% of the company’s profits, and she dared to fire me? Tiffany snorted coldly, looking at me with disdain: “You’re just a salesperson. A lousy peddler. What’s wrong with me firing you?” “This is my boyfriend’s company. I’m the boss’s girlfriend, I can fire whoever I want!” The boss had treated me well, so I couldn’t just leave like this. I sat down on the sofa: “You should ask for the boss’s opinion first.” Tiffany rolled her eyes: “Who do you think you are?” Saying this, she directly called the boss. The boss’s voice on the other end sounded tired: “What’s the matter?” Tiffany, who had just been yelling at me in a shrill voice, immediately softened her tone, cooing, “Honey, I miss you.” The boss sighed: “Just tell me what you want.” Tiffany glanced at me triumphantly: “There’s a salesperson who doesn’t follow the rules, always coming in late. I want to fire him.” “Whatever, I need to rest now.” The boss casually agreed and hung up. Tiffany looked at me arrogantly: “Did you hear that? I can fire whoever I want. Now get out!”

I laughed coldly, looking at Tiffany: “Are you sure?” “If the boss comes back and finds out you fired me, he might get angry.” I kindly reminded her. After all, headhunters had been trying to poach me with high offers for years, but out of loyalty to the boss, I had always stayed. My leaving wouldn’t affect me at all, but Tiffany might not be so lucky. Tiffany glared at me, her face twisted with arrogance and tyranny. “Who do you think you are? You’re just a salesperson. I’m my boyfriend’s future wife, the mistress of this company. Do you think he’d choose you over me?” Hearing her say this, I shook my head. If that’s how it is, so be it. I turned and left the office. Outside, my colleagues had heard our argument but didn’t know what happened. They kept looking at me. “Boss, what’s going on?” I started packing my things efficiently, smiling: “What’s going on? I got fired, that’s what.” My colleague’s eyes widened, looking at me in disbelief: “Fire you? Has Tiffany gone crazy? Everyone knows you’re the boss’s golden goose. Isn’t she afraid the boss will break up with her?” I shook my head and chuckled: “Well, that’s not my problem anymore. After all, it’s her decision, she’ll have to bear the consequences.” “Besides, I’ve been working for so many years, it might be nice to take a good rest.” I had long ago saved enough money to be financially independent, but I had never taken a break and felt too embarrassed to ask. This was a perfect opportunity. My colleague was furious: “But why did she fire you? Did you offend her somehow, boss?” I frowned, thinking carefully: “I guess it’s because last time when she spread rumors about Zoe, I stood up for Zoe, remember?” “Since then, she’s been picking on me, always finding fault one way or another.” Yesterday, Tiffany uploaded a photo of herself to the company WhatsApp group, and everyone was flooding the comments with compliments. I was the only one who read it without replying. I guess that was the final straw. “Should I call the boss now? You’re the backbone of the company, you can’t just leave like this.” I shook my head, smiling lightly: “Forget it. If I ever come back, it’ll be after Tiffany and the boss break up. I really can’t stand her behavior anymore. We’ll see in the future.” I finished packing my things and headed to the finance department to collect my salary for the month. I had only worked for ten days this month, but my salary and commission amounted to $100,000. I informed the finance staff about my termination and asked her to transfer the salary to my account later. Unexpectedly, Tiffany suddenly appeared at the company entrance, glaring at me: “Jack Wilson, didn’t I tell you to get lost? What are you doing here?” I looked at her calmly. She was gloating, thinking she had found a good boyfriend, looking particularly disgusting. Seeing that I didn’t respond to her, Tiffany became agitated. She came forward and grabbed my clothes: “Are you deaf? What are you doing in the finance department? These are all important company documents. Get out now, or I’ll call the police!” I frowned and forcefully shook off Tiffany’s hand. “Let go!” “Now that I’ve been fired, is there a problem with me collecting my salary for this month? I’m already being nice by not asking for severance pay.” Tiffany glared at the young girl in front of me: “How much is his salary?” The finance girl answered honestly: “One hundred thousand and five hundred dollars.” Tiffany’s face immediately changed: “How much?” After the finance girl repeated it, she pointed at me and said: “You violated company rules by being late, so your salary for this month is forfeited.” I laughed coldly: “A $200 deduction for each tardiness, is that how you calculate? Did you even graduate elementary school?” To my surprise, Tiffany looked at me righteously: “It’s a new rule I made. Three tardies and your whole month’s salary is gone. Now get out!”

“What right do you have to make rules?” Tiffany crossed her arms, her mouth gaping like a shark, shamelessly saying: “I’ll have a share in this company in the future. What’s wrong with me making rules?” I couldn’t be bothered to argue with her: “Then you can expect a lawsuit from me.” With that, I strode out. I drove home and had just put my things away when I saw a group message from Tiffany in the company SnapChat group that I hadn’t left yet. “From now on, everyone must reply to any messages I post on SnapChat or WhatsApp. Those who don’t reply will be fired like that person today.” It seems she really fired me because I didn’t join in praising her. The boss really hit the jackpot with this girlfriend of his. Everyone started replying to the group message. I found it annoying and simply left all the groups. My phone suddenly became much quieter. However, since Tiffany wouldn’t let me take my last month’s salary, I decided to teach her a lesson. All the important clients were saved in my contacts, so I sent out a mass message to these clients, basically saying that I had resigned and would no longer be handling business for the company. Most of these people were clients I had brought in, and they were mainly working with the company because of me. If I left, they would likely follow me. Sure enough, within two minutes, former clients started messaging me, asking which company I had gone to and expressing their willingness to transfer their contracts. I explained the situation to each of them, saying that I hadn’t found a new job yet, but I would contact them as soon as I did. There were so many clients on my contact list that I kept replying until it got dark, and finally fell asleep from exhaustion. When I woke up the next day, a colleague had sent me a message: “Boss, many of our business partners are saying they want to terminate their cooperation and won’t renew their contracts. Was this your doing?” It seems the plan had worked. I chuckled: “I didn’t do anything. I just told them the fact that I’m no longer working there.” “You’re still the best, boss. When Tiffany came in this morning and heard about this, she blew up at several salespeople, demanding to know why they couldn’t retain the clients. Now several salespeople are planning to quit, saying they won’t put up with this crap.” It seems quite a few people in the company were unhappy with Tiffany. I wondered how she would handle the fallout. On my end, I was preparing to contact a lawyer to file a major lawsuit to get my salary back. After all, I didn’t really need the money, but I couldn’t let her off easy. Unexpectedly, after just a few days, Tiffany called me. I was surprised and answered uncertainly: “What is it?” As soon as I picked up, I was met with a barrage of abuse from the other end. “Jack Wilson, are you even human? I’m asking you, where did all the company’s client contacts go? They said you have them all. Give me those phone numbers right now. That’s company property. Don’t think I won’t sue you!” I was stunned for a moment, then realized that Tiffany must be getting desperate. “How can you be so disgusting? Give me the client contacts right now! Or I swear I’ll destroy you, you believe me?”

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# At the company’s annual gala, Luke Thatcher’s young assistant suddenly got down on one knee and proposed to him. A slideshow lit up the big screen, showing photos of the two of them skiing, watching the sunrise, and bungee jumping together. The crowd erupted in cheers: “Say yes! Say yes!” The camera panned to Luke, his brows furrowed, face clouded with a dark expression. I sat beside him, blending in with the crowd as I joined in their chant: “Say yes, honey.” As soon as the words left my mouth, Luke’s already tense expression darkened even further. But with the camera trained on him, he had no choice but to rise from his seat. As he leaned toward me, his voice was low and venomous: “Emma, don’t even think about divorce.” Then, straightening his suit, he ascended the stage. Luke’s assistant, Maddie, lit up the moment she saw him approach. This proposal wasn’t spontaneous—it was carefully planned. I’d known about it for a while. For a moment, I thought this girl might actually matter to Luke, that she might hold some weight in his heart. But yet again, he proved me wrong. Luke reached for the ring box in Maddie’s trembling hands, his expression unreadable. He glanced over his shoulder at the slideshow on the screen—images of them together, warm and idyllic. With a subtle gesture, the screen went black. Maddie’s eyes filled with tears as she gazed at him, hope shining in her expression. “Luke, will you marry me?” Luke let out a soft chuckle, but his words were cutting, devoid of warmth. “Maddie, you shouldn’t have done this.” “I’ve told you before, there’s no future for us.” Maddie’s gaze snapped toward me, panic flashing in her eyes. Luke shifted slightly, blocking her view. Tears streamed down Maddie’s face as she began to sob uncontrollably. Luke gently pulled her into an embrace, whispering something in her ear that made her stop crying and break into a soft, nervous laugh. She playfully hit him on the chest, and he led her off the stage. The gala continued, but the proposal-turned-drama had already become the night’s hot topic. I could hear whispers behind me: “Why didn’t Luke accept? They seemed perfect together.” “I thought she was going to secure her place tonight. Still, gotta hand it to her—takes guts to propose in front of everyone.” “Maybe he’s already married? I heard from some of the old staff that he used to wear a wedding ring.” The speculation grew louder until someone tapped the back of my chair. “Emma, you’ve been with the company for years. You must know Luke better than anyone, right?” I forced a faint smile, one that didn’t quite reach my eyes. “I don’t know him at all.” 2 Once, I thought I did. But that was before I stumbled upon the photos Luke kept hidden in his study—pictures of his late sister. That’s when I realized the truth: I wasn’t special to him. I was just a convenient stand-in, a face that reminded him of someone he’d lost. We had fought bitterly that night. Overcome with anger and heartbreak, I’d grabbed a knife and threatened to scar my own face. Luke’s response was chillingly calm. “If you’re not afraid of the pain, go ahead. I can always pay to have it fixed.” He knew me too well. He knew I feared pain more than anything. Even now, the memory of that knife slicing into my thigh years ago—of the kidnappers taking their time, carving inch by inch—still haunted me. It was a pain I could never forget, one that lingered even now. Ignoring the curious glances from the younger women behind me, I grabbed my bag and quietly slipped out of the hall. As I turned a corner, faint sounds of heavy breathing reached my ears. Embarrassed, I hesitated, debating whether to take another route. That’s when I heard his voice—the voice I knew so well. “Who told you to pull a stunt like that tonight?” Luke’s tone was ice-cold, almost cruel. Maddie’s shaky reply came next, her voice trembling with fear. “I just… I just wanted an answer. Mrs. Thatcher said she’d step aside for me.” Luke let out a sharp, mocking laugh. Gripping Maddie’s chin, he tilted her face up, studying her with a detached gaze. “I’ve warned you before—there’s no outcome here where you win.” “You shouldn’t have been so greedy.” Maddie shrank under his scrutiny, her voice barely a whisper. “I thought… I thought Mrs. Thatcher was the one refusing to divorce you. I just wanted to try convincing her…” “I didn’t expect her to agree so easily.” Luke’s laugh was sharp and biting. “Do you know why she’s Mrs. Thatcher?” he asked, his tone dripping with disdain. “It’s because she knows how to be generous.” Maddie blinked, confused, clearly not understanding. Luke had no patience for her anymore. Turning on his heel, he started to walk away—only to stop abruptly when his eyes locked with mine. I hadn’t had time to hide. He closed the distance between us in a few quick strides, stopping just in front of me. “Emma,” he said, his voice low and steady. “Enjoyed the show tonight?” “Leaving already? Couldn’t wait to make your exit?” I nodded blankly and replied, “Mr. Thatcher.” At work, Luke Thatcher and I always addressed each other this way, strictly professional. So, despite being married for years, no one ever associated the two of us as a couple. Maddie, standing nearby, glanced at me with her usual pitiful expression. She tugged at Luke’s sleeve and said softly, “If you won’t say yes to my proposal, can you at least wear the ring?” “I spent so long picking it out.” Luke took the ring box from her hand, opened it, and inspected the contents. “It’s beautiful,” he said flatly. Then, turning his head slightly, he asked, “Wouldn’t you agree, Ms. Miller?” I cursed silently under my breath, wanting nothing more than to leave. Luke took the ring from the box and, with a flick of his wrist, tossed it into a nearby trash can. The ring clattered as it landed. His move was identical to what I’d done years ago. Maddie’s already pale face turned ghostly white. Her lips trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes as she began to shake. “The ring will be reimbursed,” Luke said coldly. “And starting tomorrow, you don’t need to come to work anymore.” With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Maddie standing there, frozen in shock. 4 As I turned to leave, Maddie suddenly grabbed my arm. The pitiful, teary-eyed act was gone. Now, her face was filled with anger and resentment. “You did this on purpose, didn’t you?” she hissed. “You knew he’d never divorce you, but you still let me humiliate myself by proposing.” “Now he’s fired me. That was your plan all along, wasn’t it?” I pried her hand off my arm and said calmly, “I would’ve been thrilled if your proposal had worked. At least then, I’d finally be free.” By the time I stepped outside, rain had started to fall. I hadn’t brought an umbrella. The cold wind carried the rain against my bare legs, sending chills through me even though I had a coat on. I pulled out my phone to call for a ride but stopped when a message popped up. [At the corner.] I looked toward the nearby intersection and, sure enough, Luke’s car was parked there. Pulling my coat tighter, I began walking toward the car. In the early days of our marriage, Luke’s car would always be waiting for me at the corner. Back then, I would walk this short distance with a heart full of joy. Now, the same walk felt like marching toward my own doom. As soon as I opened the car door, a hand shot out and yanked me inside. Caught off guard, I stumbled straight into Luke’s chest. Before I could even steady myself, that same hand wrapped around my neck—not tight enough to hurt, but enough to make me feel trapped. Luke’s voice was low, cold, and sharp. “Mrs. Thatcher, don’t try pulling stunts like Maddie did.” “With that face of yours, no one can threaten your position.” I let out a bitter laugh, my voice full of disdain. “You think I care about this position?” Once upon a time, maybe I did. After all, who wouldn’t want to marry the person they loved? But now, being Mrs. Thatcher felt nothing short of humiliating. My words seemed to ignite something in Luke. He shoved me against the car window, leaning in so close that his breath brushed against my ear. “You don’t care? So you’d just give it to someone else?” “Don’t even think about it. Stop trying to push other women my way.” He reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a small box. Opening it, he revealed a ring—a perfect replica of the one I’d thrown away years ago. Without hesitation, Luke grabbed my hand and tried to slide the ring onto my finger. I yanked my hand back, kicking and punching in protest. But the difference in strength was undeniable. In the end, the ring went on. “If you take it off, I’ll just put it back on. Unless you plan to cut off your hand, don’t bother.” Hearing that, I stopped struggling. I leaned back against the farthest corner of the seat, as far away from Luke as I could get, and stared out the window at the passing city lights. “Your parents called,” Luke said after a moment of silence. His voice was calm, almost casual. “They’re spending the New Year in the mountains with your sister. I’ll go with them. You don’t need to come.” I didn’t react. “Okay,” I replied flatly. Spending the holiday alone sounded fine to me. At least it would be better than sitting with a family drowning in sadness. 5 Years ago, my sister and I were kidnapped. The kidnappers filmed a video of them cutting into my thigh with a knife, using it to threaten our family. My sister fought back to protect me, but she was stabbed in the stomach. We were deep in the mountains, far from any medical help. She didn’t survive. By the time the police found us, I was too scared to react, frozen in shock. All I remember is seeing them carry her body away, covered by a white sheet. For a long time, I had nightmares every night. And when I woke up, I’d always ask myself: If I hadn’t cried or screamed when the kidnappers cut me—if I had stayed quiet and obedient—would she still be alive? But no one could give me an answer. All I heard were whispers, harsh words from those around me: “It’s her fault. Her sister died because of her.” I stayed in the hospital for months before I could finally regain some sense of myself. My parents only visited me a handful of times. They said looking at my face reminded them of my sister and made their grief worse. The day I was discharged, it wasn’t my parents who came to pick me up. It was Luke Thatcher. I didn’t know who he was or where he had come from, but he treated me with kindness. After being rejected by my parents, I couldn’t resist his warmth. I clung to him like a drowning person grabbing onto a lifeline, desperate to escape the water. But I didn’t realize I was stepping into an even deeper abyss. 6 When my parents called, Luke was packing his suitcase. I answered the phone and was met with a brief silence before my father’s voice came through. “Emma, we’re heading to the mountains this year to spend New Year’s with your sister. Is there anything you’d like us to tell her?” It felt like someone had wrapped their hands around my throat. It took me a long time to find my voice again. “No. I’ve already said what I needed to say at her grave.” “Alright.” The call ended, and I stared at the darkened screen, lost in thought. My parents always went back to the mountain where the kidnapping happened whenever they missed her. They said that when someone dies, their soul lingers where they took their last breath. I’d gone with them once. But as soon as we reached the base of the mountain, my body started shaking uncontrollably. I didn’t even make it halfway up before I passed out. Before leaving, Luke gave me one last instruction: “Hire a new assistant. Make sure it’s a man this time.” “And stop trying to pull those little schemes of yours.” I listened to the sound of his car engine fading into the distance. Then I went upstairs, changed my clothes, and left the house. By the time I reached the cemetery, it was already getting dark. But I still knew my way to her gravestone, as if I’d walked this path a thousand times before. “Sis, they’ve all gone to the mountain to be with you. I came here instead.” “If it had been you who survived that day, would everything have turned out better?” “I’m sorry I used to tell you how amazing Luke was to me. It probably made you angry, didn’t it? You must’ve thought I stole the happiness that should’ve been yours.” I spoke softly, the words tumbling out without thought, carried by the cold night air. Snow began to fall—this year’s first snow. I stood up and caught a snowflake in my palm, watching it melt against my skin. After saying my goodbyes, I turned and began walking toward the exit. Maybe I was too lost in my thoughts, but I didn’t notice the figure standing in my path until I was almost upon it. The shadow made my heart race. I wasn’t afraid while standing by my sister’s grave, but now, for some reason, fear crept in. My throat felt dry as I stammered, “W-Who’s there? Are you… human or… something else?” The figure turned around, their pale face illuminated by the faint moonlight. I stumbled back in panic, letting out a sharp scream. “A ghost!” But instead of vanishing, the “ghost” stepped closer, stopping right in front of me. “So, this cemetery only allows one living person at a time, huh?” he said, his breath visible in the cold air. I glanced around at the rows of dark gravestones, suddenly hyper-aware of how isolated we were. But the sight of his breath calmed me slightly. Warm air. He had to be human, right? Reassured, my courage returned, and I decided to walk with him the rest of the way out. Neither of us spoke, as if by some unspoken agreement. When we reached the gate, we went our separate ways. By the time I got home, it was already 10 p.m. I pulled out my phone and saw several missed calls from Luke. I’d put my phone on silent before heading to the cemetery, so I hadn’t heard them. As I debated whether to call him back, my phone lit up with another incoming call—from him. This time, I answered. “Why didn’t you pick up earlier?” His voice was sharp. “I went to the cemetery to visit my sister.” There was a long silence on the other end. Finally, he spoke, his tone colder than before. “Why didn’t you wait for me? We could’ve gone together.” “She wouldn’t have wanted to see us there together,” I replied flatly. “And I didn’t want to go with you either.” 7 Luke Thatcher fell silent again. In the end, he simply said, “Get some rest,” and hung up. By now, I’d become an expert at keeping our conversations short. I spent the New Year alone at home. The house was cold and quiet. Outside, lanterns lit up the streets, and everyone wore bright smiles, immersed in the festive atmosphere. As I walked through the lively crowds, I couldn’t help but feel like an outsider—a shadow moving through the light. Eventually, I found a quiet little park and sat down on an empty bench, trying to figure out what to do next. Luke didn’t want me hiring a female assistant. A male assistant wouldn’t make him any more inclined to divorce me either. Over the years, I had tried everything—staging chance encounters, hiring women who resembled my sister, even replacing his secretaries with women. But none of it worked. This time, I thought Maddie might be different. She’d managed to stick around him for six months. I thought I’d finally found a crack in his armor, a sliver of hope. But that, too, had failed. I let out a deep, defeated sigh. How much longer could I endure this never-ending cycle of torment? 8 I hadn’t even started looking for a new assistant when bad news came first. Luke ended up in the hospital. By the time I arrived, my parents were already sitting outside the hospital room. I froze mid-step, instinctively turning toward the nurses’ station. I asked them for a face mask and put it on before heading back. I knew my parents didn’t want to see me. I rarely visited them unless absolutely necessary, and they never asked me to. Standing outside the emergency room, I saw that Luke’s operation wasn’t over yet. When my parents noticed me, their initial expressions were filled with emotion, but the moment they saw the mask on my face, their excitement faded into indifference. “Luke fell while trying to pick your sister’s favorite flowers,” my mom said. “When he gets through this, stay by his side more often. At least you can be some sort of comfort to him.” I stood there in stunned silence, watching her lips move. But after that first sentence, I couldn’t hear another word she said. The doors to the emergency room finally opened. “The patient is out of danger. Are his family members here?” Before I could react, my mom pushed me forward. I found myself standing at the foot of Luke’s bed, staring at his pale, unconscious face. And in that moment, a dark, horrifying thought flashed through my mind: Why didn’t he die?

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I had a confrontation with the aloof campus heartthrob, and in the heat of the moment, I punched him. Then, something strange happened—I could hear his thoughts. [I’m breathless. She’s so adorable, that punch was amazing! I want to kiss her until she faints!] I yanked his tie and murmured a warning: “You creep, if you follow me again, I’ll tie you to a post and beat you up!” The guy was taken aback, his eyes unexpectedly filled with anticipation. [Tie me up? Could things get any better?] After that day, I went out of my way to avoid this weirdo. Until one night, he sneaked into my bed and covered my eyes from behind. “I’ve given you my heart, why can’t you love me a little?” Every time I walked back to my dorm after class, I felt someone trailing me, keeping their distance. I sped up, my heart racing. This shadow had been following me for a while. I reported it to the campus security, but they dismissed it as stress-induced paranoia, assuring me there couldn’t be a stalker. “Does something terrible need to happen before you take action? I’ll report your negligence!” After seeing my frustration, they reluctantly checked the surveillance. But they found nothing. Strangely, the stalker didn’t rob or harass me. He just silently followed. Later, pretending to tie my shoelaces, I finally saw the person hiding behind a tree. He wore a dark hoodie and a baseball cap, tall and lean. He actually… looked kind of handsome. I swallowed hard, a slight smile creeping up. Things were suddenly getting interesting. However, I sensed this person was different from the previous stalker. Every day after school felt like a game of hide-and-seek. Until one day, I hid around the corner of the lab building, ready to uncover this peeper’s identity. I gripped my pepper spray. If he was a handsome guy, maybe I was the creep. I’d drag him back to my place to repay him for scaring me all this time. If he was a creepy guy, I’d take him straight to the police station for questioning. But before I could act, a large hand covered my eyes, pulling me backward. My back slammed into a solid, warm chest. The familiar scent of pine and snow filled my nostrils. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. “Logan, what are you up to? Let go.” The man behind me seemed a bit surprised. “You recognized me so quickly?” I stomped on his foot, breaking free in his moment of pain. “Are you crazy? Following me after school every day, are you some kind of psycho?” Logan remained as cold as ever, hands in his pockets, looking like he deserved another punch. “Don’t flatter yourself. I was just headed to the music room to practice piano, and it just so happened to align with your schedule.” Could it really be a coincidence every single day? I knew he was getting back at me. For accidentally spilling soup dumplings on his piano! “If you keep following me, I’ll…” He moved closer, his eyes indifferent. Trapping me against the wall, he looked down at me. “What will you do?” The patience I tried to maintain crumbled in his presence. I flexed my wrist and threw a punch. “Bang!” Logan turned his head, a slight bleed at the corner of his mouth. Seeing him like that, my reason returned, and I pulled back my hand, feeling guilty. Oops, I was impulsive. What if this shameless guy clung to me? Logan licked his lip. I didn’t dare look at him, focusing on my shoes. But he forced me to meet his icy eyes by tilting my head up. Logan smirked, teasing me. “Is that all the strength you have? Didn’t eat enough?” I regretted feeling guilty. I should have hit him harder! Right now, Logan’s gaze was cold, his grip on my cheek firm and chilling. He leaned in, whispering in my ear. Like a snake waiting to strike, cold and slimy. But then I heard a strange voice. [Awww, Sweetie is so cute, that punch felt great! I want to kiss her until she faints!] What the heck? Who’s talking? Logan clearly didn’t open his mouth? Am I hearing his inner thoughts? This creep is calling me Sweetie? His mushy words gave me goosebumps. Ignoring that voice, I grabbed his collar and threatened: “If you follow me again, I’ll tie you to a post and beat you!” He was stunned, unable to hide the expectation in his eyes. [Tie me up? Is there such a good thing?] Turns out he’s not just a stalker, but maybe a masochist too. He put on a cold front, but his inner drama was intense. After his inner excitement, Logan’s face returned to its indifferent calm, graciously explaining to me. “You’re overthinking it. I wasn’t following you.” “If I really wanted to scare you, I’d just put the spiders you’re afraid of in your backpack. Why go through the trouble?” Though I wanted to hit him, I had to admit, he made sense. I could feel it recently; it was indeed Logan following me. But as for who was stalking me earlier, I had no idea. “Forget it, I can’t be bothered with you. Don’t let me catch you following me again.” I pushed him away and left without looking back. [Is Logan mad at me again?] [But she’s so cool and fierce, I love her. I want to be Logan’s dog!] Hearing these thoughts, I covered my flushed face, awkwardly quickening my pace. Damn Logan, what nonsense is he thinking?

Back at the dorm, my aunt’s video call came in. Lately, she’s been calling me non-stop. She seemed particularly worried about me. I adjusted my emotions before answering the call. After chatting about trivial matters, my aunt tentatively asked, “Logan, have you encountered anything strange at school recently?” My heart skipped a beat. Could my aunt know that I was being followed? I immediately told her everything that had happened. “So that person isn’t following you anymore?” I nodded, it seemed that way. The previous stalker wasn’t as tall as Logan and was slimmer. Recently, it’s just been that annoying Logan. I thought the stalkers were working together, but it turned out the later one was Logan. My aunt’s tense expression finally relaxed. She laughed and said, “Good thing I found the right person to have Logan protect you. That kid is reliable.” Huh? I almost choked on my water. “Aunt, you mean you had Logan follow me?” She nodded matter-of-factly. “Yes, you have classes at night, and your school’s security isn’t strict. I was worried, so I asked Logan to watch over you.” “You two grew up together and are at the same school; having him protect you gives me peace of mind.” I felt guilty. If my aunt knew that not only did I scold Logan, but I also punched him hard enough to make his mouth bleed, would she scold me? After ending the video call, I couldn’t stop thinking about it while showering. It seems the previous stalker was taken care of by Logan. But I misunderstood his good intentions. He was protecting me, but I mistook him for a stalker and even hit him. Should I apologize? After all, that punch numbed my hand. I hope I didn’t loosen his teeth. After getting out of the shower, I changed into my nightgown, slightly dried my hair, and ran downstairs to the boys’ dorm. I thought about sending him a message, but after editing it, I couldn’t bring myself to hit send. That damn Logan, a year older than me. Our families are neighbors, so he’s sort of my childhood friend. But he always wore an expressionless face, speaking with an air of superiority. I’ve always found him annoying. Now, apologizing to him is something I just can’t do. Just as I hesitated, Logan walked out of the dorm. He wore a loose gray jacket, jeans, and carried a bag of trash. Seeing me, he stopped, giving me a puzzled look as if asking what I wanted. I awkwardly greeted him. “Haha, still up this late?” Logan slowly threw away the trash, speaking elegantly: “Yeah.” The next second, his inner voice echoed: [Of course, I’m still up. I knew you’d come to apologize, so I waited at the door. Baby is so cute, kissing, kissing, kissing.] I was speechless, but he remained calm. Such a scheming guy. It must be hard for him to act so proper. Logan’s haughty gaze finally landed on me. Seeing my nightgown, he immediately frowned. Without a word, he took off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. “Yan Logan, showing up in a nightgown at the boys’ dorm, do you want people to think I have a girlfriend?” I looked down at my nightgown. It was knee-length and perfectly normal, not suggestive at all. Just as I was about to retort, I heard his inner voice again. [Sweetie just showered, so soft and white, too cute. Those guys better not look at my wife.] [Her legs are so slender and white. If she kicked me hard, it’d feel amazing. Ah, I’m dead.] His inner voice spoke right in my ear, the content so embarrassing it made my toes curl. Damn creep, taking advantage of me not hearing to say all this flirty nonsense in his head. “Cora Harper, sneaking into the boys’ dorm at night dressed like that, trying to make people think I’ve got a girlfriend?” I glanced down at my nightgown. It was knee-length, perfectly innocent. I was about to fire back when I caught a glimpse of his inner thoughts. [Sweetie just got out of the shower, all soft and fair, so adorable. Those guys better not stare at my girl.] [Her calves are so slender and pale. If she kicked me, it’d probably feel amazing. Ah, I’m done for.] His voice echoed in my mind, and the embarrassing content made my toes curl. What a creep. Just because he thinks I can’t hear him, he lets his mind run wild. I touched my flushed face and turned away from him. “I’m here to apologize. I mistook you for a stalker today; my Aunt explained everything.” With that, I turned to leave. But he caught my wrist and said nonchalantly, “Is this your idea of an apology? I don’t see any sincerity.” He’s really pushing it! I’ve come to apologize, and now he’s being picky? Next time, I’ll hide his piano and see how arrogant he gets without it! [If she could just give me a kiss, I’d die happy!] “You shameless jerk, don’t even think about it. Absolutely not!” I was stunned as soon as the words left my mouth. I accidentally replied to his inner thoughts. Logan looked at me, puzzled. “What’s impossible?” Afraid of revealing that I could hear his thoughts, I quickly covered up. “I mean, for sincerity, I’ll give you a box of chocolate milk later. How’s that for sincerity?” It was from last year when a classmate visited me after I sprained my ankle. Not sure if it’s still good. [Does Sweetie like chocolate milk?] No, I don’t. Logan’s gaze drifted as if lost in thought again. Sometimes, I really wonder what’s going on in his head. Always thinking about random things. I went back to my dorm and grabbed the box of chocolate milk, even wiping the dust off with a tissue. When I returned, Logan was waiting for me by the gazebo next to the boys’ dorm. He seemed warm, his collar open as he drank water. Droplets slid down his chin and disappeared into his shirt. I found myself captivated. Previously, when Logan was voted campus heartthrob every year, I scoffed, thinking people were shallow for not seeing what a jerk he really was. But now, I realized I was just pretending to be above it all. Logan does have some charm. Once I snapped out of it, I quickly shoved the chocolate milk into his arms. “Here, my apology gift. We’re even now.” Afraid of hearing more of his shameless thoughts, I turned and ran toward the girls’ dorm. [She’s so cute, I just want to hold her and kiss her breathless.] I almost slipped. Is he crazy or what? Ever since I could hear Logan’s thoughts, I’ve been avoiding him. I’m such a mess. Usually, I can’t stand his cold face. But when I don’t see him for a few days, it feels like something’s missing. Did that jerk put a spell on me? With no classes on the weekend and feeling restless, I decided to stay at my apartment for a day. I drank too much coffee while working on my paper, making it hard to sleep that night. At 1 AM, as I was about to get up for a drink of water, I suddenly heard the balcony door sliding open. Cold sweat broke out on my back instantly. A thief? Or that stalker again? Time seemed to stretch, and I could hear my own breathing and heartbeat clearly. Creak. The balcony door was fully opened.

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Arnold finally agreed to my proposal for marriage. He specifically asked me to dress beautifully, saying he had a surprise for me. But when I arrived in full attire, there was no groom at the wedding. Arnold turned to Esther beside him and smiled. “You’ve always said weddings are tedious and boring. Today, let me show you how interesting a wedding can be. How does that sound?” My brother, Peter, loudly announced, “Wedding paused!” My childhood friend, Tyler, even pulled down a water balloon, soaking me completely. Arnold mischievously raised an eyebrow at me. “Sara, it’s just a joke. You didn’t really think I was going to marry you, did you?” This wedding was nothing but a farce, created by them to amuse my depressed stepsister. Seeing me silent, Arnold laughed again. “If you’re really so desperate to get married, just pick someone from the guests and marry them.” But when I actually walked out with my groom, they panicked. Peter finished reading the vows on stage, but the groom still hadn’t arrived. The guests below whispered amongst themselves. I realized this was yet another attempt to embarrass me. Sure enough, Arnold below nonchalantly fiddled with the ring in his hand and turned to Esther with a smile. “Esther, didn’t you say weddings are all tedious and boring? Just a couple of vows and a ring and it’s over,” he said. “Today, let me show you what a wedding can be like.” Peter immediately caught on and loudly announced, “Wedding paused!” Tyler shouted, “Esther! Look!” The water balloon above my head fell suddenly. Even though I quickly tried to dodge, it still hit me when I least expected it. My hair stuck to my face, drenched, and water dripped from my wedding dress. I gripped the sides of my dress tightly. Finally, Esther couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing. Arnold slowly walked over, pretending to care, but his tone was indifferent. “What’s wrong, Sara? Aren’t you happy?” He turned and jokingly punched Tyler. “You went this far? Didn’t you think about how Sara is the bride today?” When I thought he might actually realize the joke had gone too far, he handed me the ring, still in its box, that should have been on my finger. “You wanted to get married, right? You wanted to be a bride? I’ve made it happen. I even got the officiant, best man, and guests ready for you.” Meeting my cold gaze, he sneered. “You really thought I was going to marry you? I’m just helping you fulfill your wish. I never said I’d marry you.” Then, he added with a mocking tone, “Make sure you keep the wedding ring safe. You wouldn’t want to lose it, or your groom can’t put it on for you. He then added, “Oh, wait, I forgot. There’s no groom at this wedding.” “Oh, no! There’s no groom at this wedding?” Tyler laughed openly, not even trying to hide the sarcasm. “But I think Sara is ready to marry you! Look how formal she looks!” His words drew everyone’s attention to my soaked wedding dress. If this had been before, I would have held back tears, begging Arnold not to humiliate me in front of everyone. But now, I simply wiped the water from my face, trying not to ruin my makeup. I calmly thanked him. “Thank you all for walking me through the wedding. I was a little nervous, but now I feel better. Hopefully, the real wedding will go more smoothly.” Arnold stared at me, then laughed loudly. “Are you really that stupid or just pretending? You still thought I’d marry you? “Can’t you see? I’m just trying to make Esther laugh! “Women who throw themselves at men are too cheap!” He didn’t even try to hide his teasing expression, showing no concern for how much his words would hurt me. Even Esther and the others laughed happily along. My heart felt like it was being squeezed by a heavy hand, twisted and crushed. I had known for a long time that Arnold, my brother Peter, and my childhood friend Tyler were planning to humiliate me. A few days ago, Arnold had called me. “Sara, you want to get married, right? You want to be a bride? The venue you picked is ready. Let’s meet there.” My heart skipped a beat. He knew what I wanted. I’d always wanted to get married. After my mother passed, I had been living with my grandmother, and now she was very sick, gravely ill. Her only wish was to see me married. I had already booked the wedding venue long ago, and I had begged Arnold to marry me, even if it was just a fake wedding, to put my grandmother’s mind at ease. His phone call left me in a state of turmoil. I wanted to go to the study and talk to Peter about it, but I overheard them eagerly discussing how to stage this farce on the day of the wedding.

Arnold laughed loudly and said, “I just called Sara to get her to prepare the wedding details. Guess what? She really thought I was going to marry her! “She’s dumb as hell, isn’t she?” Peter said, “She has no idea. The drama can only happen if we catch her off guard. It’s only fun if Sara makes a fool of herself. That’s what Esther will find entertaining.” I covered my mouth in disbelief. Even my half-brother, I didn’t know when, had chosen Esther’s side. Tyler immediately chimed in, “How about we swap the confetti over her head with water balloons? That’ll drench her and make her look like a drowned rat. “Just make sure Esther doesn’t find out ahead of time. Otherwise, it’ll be no fun.” They all seemed thrilled with their plan to prank me. Their faces showed that they were sure of their success. I stood frozen at the door, unable to move. The wedding I had so eagerly anticipated was nothing more than a farce to amuse Esther. The three people who once ran all over town just to buy me my favorite cake to make me happy… Where had they gone? When had they changed so much? In my memories, Peter, Arnold, and Tyler were the ones who cared the most about me. But ever since Esther came into this family, everything changed. Her depression was severe. So severe that just seeing me would bring her down, and every time she had an episode, she’d beg them to stay with her. At first, they were dismissive, thinking it was all an act. But gradually, their focus shifted from me to Esther. Arnold was the man I’d loved for seven years; Peter and Tyler had always been by my side. Now, they were willing to turn my wedding into a joke just to get a smile out of Esther. Making Esther happy had become their biggest goal even if it meant exchanging my humiliation for that. They tiptoed around Esther but showed no concern for how they turned me into the laughingstock. The thought sent a numbing pain to my heart. Today, I was indeed getting married. Just not to Arnold. I fixed my hair, trying to look presentable, and lifted the microphone to announce to everyone, “What just happened was a small interlude. Please be patient for just a moment.” Then I took my dampened, heavy wedding dress and added, “I’ll go change into another dress, or I won’t have time to change when my husband arrives.” Thankfully, I had predicted how things would go today and hadn’t worn my favorite dress. To my surprise, Arnold stared at me like I was some kind of clown. “Sara, are you insane because I’m not marrying you?” he suddenly asked. “I told you, this wedding was all a trick. There’s no groom!” Peter added with mocking laughter, “Sara, even if you’re embarrassed, there’s no need to lie! “And by the way, I know exactly whether anyone wants you or not. As your brother, I’m pretty sure I’d know.” His words drew laughter from everyone. For all these years, it was a well-known fact that I had chased after Arnold. Tyler pretended to ponder for a while. Then, he said, “Could it be that you’re trying to make Arnold jealous on purpose? “Such a low-level trick. Sara, don’t you find it hilarious?” Esther softly intervened and turned to persuade me, “Sara, this whole farce was just them trying to make me happy. I’m really touched that you’re willing to play along and entertain me. “I know you’ve liked Arnold for a long time, but love is a two-person thing… “A girl should value herself. Mom and Dad are down there, and there are so many guests. Don’t drag this out any longer.” She looked at me, her tone gentle, but her words implicitly criticized me for embarrassing myself. I turned to see my father in the audience, his face dark, constantly explaining to the guests. I took a deep breath and emphasized, “This is really my wedding, and my groom is on his way.” With that, I picked up my phone and dialed the top contact.

But the phone line kept buzzing with a busy signal, and after several minutes, no one answered. My heart sank, and I felt a little anxious. After all, we had only met once. Arnold watched me with a mocking tone. “Sara, I used to think you were just a little shameless, but now I think you’re really good at fooling yourself.” Peter sneered. “Sara, you should really stop with these pointless efforts.” Esther looked at me with a false air of understanding and turned to Arnold. “Arnold, it seems like Sara really wants to get married. “Why don’t you just pretend to go along with her for the sake of completing this charade? I think she looks pretty pitiful.” Arnold didn’t hesitate to refuse, saying decisively, “I’m just trying to make you laugh. I have no intention of marrying Sara.” He took a step back, distancing himself from me as if making it clear that he wanted no part in this and was afraid I might cling to him. Esther then turned to Tyler. Tyler also quickly declined, “This is way too embarrassing. I’m not doing it!” Watching them both hurriedly refuse, pledging their loyalty to Esther, I vaguely recalled the time when they were eighteen. They’d both fought to invite me as their partner for their coming-of-age dance. They’d competed to plant roses for me, just to win my favor. Now, my heart had grown numb. I didn’t want to watch Esther’s hypocritical act anymore. I said coldly, “Don’t worry. I won’t marry either of you scumbags. I’ve had enough of you. My groom is someone else.” My father seemed to have had enough. He yelled at me. “Sara! What are you playing at? Are you trying to ruin my reputation? “Why can’t you be more like Esther? Do you really want everyone to know you’re a desperate, unmarriageable loser?” I was stuck on stage, unable to leave, while all he cared about was his face. But my grandmother held my hand and stood firmly by my side. She gave me a comforting smile. “Sara never lies! Please, everyone, just wait a little longer.” At that moment, my phone suddenly rang. I picked it up. The voice on the other end was urgent but had a soothing, reassuring tone. “Sorry, honey, there’s some traffic, but I’m on my way.” I reminded him to be careful on the road. Tyler sneered and stared at me, “You’re really good at pretending. Did you hire an actor on the fly or something? “Sara, you’ll do anything to preserve your pathetic little pride, won’t you? “You’re so desperate to get married. Why don’t you just pick a man from the guests and get married right here?” Arnold pretended to be kind and suggested, but I knew he was doing it on purpose, trying to force me into a corner. The next second, he grabbed the microphone and spoke to the audience. “We’re having a live wedding here for Sara! Any man can sign up to participate. If someone catches her eye, we’ll just hold the wedding right here.” He continued with a sneer, “Anyone willing to try? Sara is loyal and devoted, and she’s been chasing after me for years.”

The guests started murmuring, some even taking out their phones to take pictures. I felt my face burn with humiliation as I bit my lip. Yes, I had chased after him for many years, but he had always accepted my kindness and given me vague, non-committal replies. Again and again, he trampled on my genuine feelings. A cold wind blew through the room. I felt cold both inside and out. There were actually people in the audience who seemed to agree with Arnold, wanting to marry me. Arnold led a man up to the stage, a man in his forties or fifties who looked even older than my father. He grinned, exposing yellow teeth and flashing a lewd smile. “What a beauty,” he commented. Tyler and Peter pushed me roughly in front of him. I felt disgusted and couldn’t bring myself to speak. Peter, seeing I wasn’t playing along, snapped, “Isn’t this faster than bringing in an actor? Hurry up and marry him. Stop embarrassing us all.” Esther chimed in, “Sara, just stop the act. We’ve already chosen the best one for you. What else could you possibly want?” I stared at these sanctimonious people, clenching my fists. “My wedding is not something for you to decide!” Then it hit me. I had just registered my marriage yesterday. At this very moment, my marriage certificate was in my bag. I took a few steps forward, grabbed the bag, and pulled out the marriage certificate. Then, I opened it and slammed it in front of them. “This is my marriage certificate, with my husband’s name on it. Like I said, he’s just not here yet.” Peter froze for a moment, his expression odd, before he burst into laughter. “Sara, you really went all out with the drama! “Do you even know who this man is? How dare you photoshop him into your husband?” Arnold took a quick look at the certificate, too. The room erupted into laughter. “Which shady place did you get this fake certificate from? You didn’t even bother to make it look convincing. Mr. Jerome Emmerson? I just asked him to meet up with me yesterday about a partnership. “He said he had just gotten married and was busy spending time with his wife! “You say this is your husband? Stop making a fool of yourself!” I remembered that Jerome had indeed spent the whole day with me trying on wedding dresses. His phone kept ringing, so I kindly told him to go ahead with his work, only for him to insist on staying and finishing the fitting. Esther looked at me with pity in her eyes. “Sara, it’s not your fault that you can’t have the one you love. But to force yourself to play out a charade like this just makes you look like a clown.” My father couldn’t take it anymore. He grabbed my arm and tried to pull me off the stage. “Enough, Sara. Are you not done yet?” But Arnold held onto my hand, preventing me from leaving. “Didn’t you say he was almost here? “Aren’t you going to let us meet this so-called husband? You’re not leaving without showing him off, are you?” Peter and Tyler also grabbed me, preventing me from leaving. In the chaos, I almost lost my balance and tripped down the stairs. Just when I thought I was about to fall flat on my face, losing what little dignity I had left, a man caught me tightly in his arms, and the fresh, calming scent of pine wrapped around me. “Sorry, honey, I’m late.”

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I’m Jack’s cherished wife. When I learned I would die on the operating table during the birth of my fourth child, I became aware of my fate. My future husband stands before me now, a vulnerable young man, showing me his injuries. “My dad, the gambling addict, hit me again.” “Rose, why does everyone else have a happy family, but I have nothing?” Looking at his bloody wounds, I couldn’t help but laugh. “Your dad did well; he’s meting out justice!” Chapter 1 On the way home from school, Jack showed me his injuries as usual. His hands were clenched tightly, and his face was full of restraint. I felt terrible, worriedly asking him, “Did your dad hit you again?” Jack nodded, feeling wronged: “Last night, he lost at gambling and started hitting me again.” “Why does everyone else have a happy family, but I don’t?” Jack looked at me with red eyes: “Rose, it’s good to have you with me.” “If my mom hadn’t left with someone, my dad wouldn’t have turned out like this.” He made it sound as if his mom was to blame for his dad’s gambling addiction. Something felt off to me. Even now, Jack was defending his dad. Looking at Jack’s bruises, I felt unbearably sad. I didn’t voice my doubts. I just thought about how I could give him more money to pay off his dad’s gambling debts. Even though I’ve given money many times, it still couldn’t satisfy his dad’s appetite. I said, “Why don’t we call the police and let them handle it?” Jack immediately shook his head: “No, if people find out I have a gambling addict dad, how will I face anyone in the future?” He’d rather take the beatings than seek help from the police. I had no choice but to think about how to give Jack the money without hurting his pride. I handed him a card from my bag: “Here’s three hundred thousand dollars, my mom gave it to me as pocket money. You can take it first.” Jack waved my hand away, angrily saying: “What do you take me for? How could I take money from a woman!” I said, “Everything at home is bought for me; I don’t need to spend money.” “You’re so good at studying; you’ll definitely be successful in the future. This amount of money is nothing to you.” Only then was Jack satisfied. Just as he hesitated to take the card, a truck suddenly rushed straight at me. Jack noticed it first and dodged to the side alone. I couldn’t react in time, frozen in place with fear. My mind exploded in a roaring sound, and it felt as if my soul floated upwards. Images flashed before me like a carousel. I saw my future. Chapter 2 The images showed my life with Jack. The first scene was how Jack and I met and fell in love. Jack’s path to adulthood was tough; his dad was a gambling addict, and his mom was missing. He grew up in a violent environment. In his hardest times, he met me. I was his only hope during his youth. The second scene was Jack and I ending a ten-year relationship and getting married. After college, Jack rose rapidly, becoming the CEO of a public company with our family’s help. We entered marriage amidst everyone’s blessings. We became the model couple everyone envied. The third scene was my married life. It gave me chills. To my current self, it seemed more like a horror story, exhausting my future life. After having the third child, I was required to stay home with the kids. Endless household chores drove me crazy. The kids resented me, and Jack stopped coming home. This marriage turned me from a wealthy and leisurely rich girl into a complete madwoman. Later, I got pregnant again, and Jack wanted to keep it. He said, “Children are a blessing. They are the hope for the future.” “Since we have a bond with this child, let’s have it.” I listened. On the day I died of massive hemorrhage giving birth to the fourth child, Jack was in the office flirting with his secretary. Another image showed him chatting with another woman. “I wanted to drive her crazy and send her to a psychiatric hospital, but dying works too.” “I’ve had enough of her for so many years.” “Now her family’s company is mine too. Who dares say I live off a woman now!” “That old hag is dead, Lily, we can finally be together openly.” A piercing screech brought my soul back. The truck screeched to a halt just in front of me, its bumper grazing my knee. Jack finally reacted and ran towards me. “Rose, are you okay?” He pretended to care, but his first reaction was to reach for the bank card in my hand. I dodged him. He asked confusedly, “What’s wrong? Weren’t you going to give it to me?” As he spoke, he accidentally showed me the wounds on his arm again. I originally wondered if the images I’d seen were just illusions in my mind. But Jack’s series of actions made me realize that was my future! I suddenly became clear-headed. Everything was just his ploy. He wanted me to willingly become his endless source of support. Don’t count on bad genes to win the lottery; he’s just like his dad. I smiled brightly and put the card back in my bag. “You’re right; taking money from a woman is indeed shameful.” “I was thinking too much. Your dad hitting you is deserved,” “If he doesn’t vent at home, he’d take it out on society. Bear more of it, consider it a contribution to society.” Jack was instantly angry: “Rose, what’s wrong with you? You never talked like this before.” “Do you know how hurtful it is to talk like this? Don’t say things like that again!” I laughed: “Being beaten by your dad every day is fine, but a few words from me hurt you?” “I really don’t know whether to call you fragile or thick-skinned.” Chapter 3 Jack didn’t expect me to say that. He clenched his fists, his face changing slightly. It took him a while to calm down. Then he started his pitiful routine again. But I didn’t care now and called the driver to pick me up. In the car, the driver took it upon himself to offer Jack a ride home. “Jack, why don’t you get in, and I’ll give you a ride?” I interrupted impatiently: “Emma, remember whose driver you are?” Emma apologized: “Sorry, young lady, I just felt bad for him having such a hard time alone.” I sneered: “If you feel bad, you can play his dad, not use my family’s resources to show charity.” I didn’t avoid saying this in front of Jack, knowing he heard it all. As the car started, I saw Jack glaring at me with resentment in the rearview mirror. Thinking of the conversation he had with others in the visions. He said he had enough of me. Judging by the current look, he must have approached me with ulterior motives from the start. Hah. You can really act, Jack. After spending so much time together, I didn’t even notice. Thinking back on how I gave up luxury car rides to walk home with him every day to care for his sensitive nerves. I wanted to slap myself. Misery seems to find those who can endure it, and that was probably me. Otherwise, would I have died on the operating table for a fourth child? Chapter 4 The next day at school, Jack followed me around. Our classmates egged us on like savages. I used to feel secretly proud. Now I just wanted to sew their mouths shut. Jack’s first reaction when he sat down was to open my bag and help me with my homework. I snatched it back. Kidding, I’m nearly scared to death by my future self. How could I not do my homework? I’d rather read the books to pieces than live that life. I overdid it yesterday and went out today with dark circles. My best friend Eva noticed something was up. “Rose, did you have a fight with Jack?” “Oh, you’re such a spoiled young lady. Jack must suffer a lot from you.” Her words filled my mind with question marks, so I asked her: “Tell me, how did I bully him?” She said flatteringly: “Your relationship is so good. He’s in trouble now. How can you not help him with such a bond?” I was puzzled. Jack usually avoided talking about his dad’s issues. How did Eva know he was in trouble? Before I could think further, Jack interrupted my thoughts. “I thought about it all night. Was it because I only cared about getting myself out of danger yesterday that you’re mad?” “I’m sorry, I swear that no matter what happens in the future, I’ll stand up and protect you first.” I wouldn’t believe that for a second. I took off my shoe, tossed it aside, and teased him like a dog: “Sure, go fetch my shoe and put it on for me, and I’ll believe you.” Jack looked at me in disbelief, full of grievance: “Rose, if you’re mad, you can hit or scold me, but why humiliate me like this?” He placed himself in a humble position, drawing everyone’s sympathy. Classmates echoed in support, criticizing me for being wrong. Eva stepped in to mediate: “Yeah, Rose, Jack’s a guy. How can you make him do that?” She picked up the shoe and put it on for me: “I’ll do it. Don’t make it hard for him.” Anyone who didn’t know would think Eva was Jack’s friend, always speaking for him. I felt something was off. It wasn’t until Eva bent over to put my shoe on and revealed half of a necklace pendant that I finally got it. These two were probably already together. He played the victim, winning everyone’s sympathy. Classmates chimed in, criticizing me for being in the wrong. Eva stepped in to mediate: “Rose, how can you make Jack, a guy, do something like that?” she said, picking up a shoe and putting it on for me. “I’ll do it; don’t make it hard for him.” To anyone watching, it would seem that Eva was Jack’s ally, always speaking up for him. I sensed something was off. It wasn’t until Eva bent down to put on my shoe and I saw half of a necklace pendant that it all clicked. These two have likely been involved for a while. Now they are teaming up to take everything from me. That conversation in the kaleidoscope… The girl named Eva across from me must be the same Eva standing before me. The necklace was a birthday gift I gave Jack for his eighteenth birthday. It was the first time he asked me for something, saying he wanted to give it to the aunt who took care of him. It was one of three limited editions worldwide; I spent a lot of time getting it. Turns out the ‘aunt’ is her. I sneered at Jack: “Why don’t you tell everyone how much money you’ve taken from me over the years? If I had given that money to a stray dog, it would at least bark twice at me.” “And now you’re unwilling to put on a shoe for me?” The classmates immediately turned into gossiping faces upon hearing this. Jack couldn’t keep his composure and suddenly became embarrassed and furious. “Rose, spreading rumors can get you in legal trouble. How could I possibly use your money?” he said in front of the entire class. “Today, I’m inviting all classmates to dinner. I hope everyone can make it.” I chuckled. That’s Jack for you. Playing pitiful in front of the rich and acting like a big spender in front of the poor. His buddy chimed in: “Yeah, how could someone like Jack be a kept man?” “Everyone doesn’t know, last time a girl gave him a strap worth thousands, and Jack threw it in the trash.” That girl was me, and the strap was something he begged me for. It was just to show off in front of his ‘brothers.’ Chapter 5 A group of people grandly went to a high-end revolving restaurant. I didn’t join them; instead, I booked a private room to watch the drama unfold. They didn’t know I was there. Eva sat next to Jack, inviting everyone to eat and drink, acting as if she were the hostess. Jack swapped his usual cowardly attitude in front of me for authority at the dining table: “Let me tell you, even if you gave me someone like Rose for free, I wouldn’t want her.” “Why does she deserve anything, isn’t it just because she has a rich mom? Who knows if it’s dirty money from doing shady things?” His brothers echoed: “Exactly, how dare she throw a fit at you. Let her stay far away in the future.” “Not to say anything, but you and Sister Eva are a perfect match. What interest could a boring woman like Rose have?” Eva was all smiles at the comments, happily ordering more food. But her happiness didn’t last long before the waiter came to ask Jack to pay the bill. Jack ostentatiously threw out a black card, saying to everyone: “This place is still lacking. Next time, I’ll take you to the most expensive restaurant.” Shortly after, the waiter rushed to him, whispering a few words in his ear. Jack’s face turned dark instantly. He went to the corner and picked up his phone. It wasn’t long before my phone rang. As soon as I answered, I heard Jack’s questioning voice: “Why is the money in the card gone?” I calmly said: “That’s my card. If I don’t use it, I cancel it.” “Stop messing around. I’m treating people to a meal, transfer me some money first.” These days, even beggars can stand and demand money. “Aren’t you very capable? Go earn it yourself.” After saying this, I hung up and watched Jack, shaking with anger, holding his phone. After a while, Jack pulled Eva aside. “Rose took my money. You pay for today’s meal.” He said it as if I stole his money. Eva instantly got angry. “Jack, are you kidding me? You invite, and I pay?” “Are you crazy?” Jack: “Don’t you like me? Why are you unwilling to spend this little money? Didn’t you say you’d do anything for me?” “Isn’t your family rich? This money is just small change for you.” “Trust me, I’ll definitely pay you back later,” Jack added when Eva wouldn’t relent. Eva gritted her teeth and agreed. Jack got what he wanted and happily went to ask the waiter to add more dishes. From my perspective, Eva’s expression was quite ugly. Chapter 6 After parting unhappily that day, I thought Jack would have some backbone. I underestimated the power of money. Less than a week later, Jack showed up at my house waiting for me.

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