Category: English

I was diagnosed with acute leukemia the moment I found out York was dating another girl Winnie. My world shattered, and just when I thought it couldn’t get worse, his uncle appeared. On their wedding day, Winnie whispered something strange to me. After the wedding, York’s true face emerged. Yet, the truth ignited something fierce within me. I couldn’t stand by, not even at the cost of my life. I would fight, using every ounce of strength to save him from his own lies. And in my final moments, I realized—York had always been there, hidden in the shadows, loving me in his own twisted way. Even as I bled out, I knew—he had always been there. In my quest for revenge, I married my boyfriend’s uncle. I’m Zenobia Smith, and I met York Wales five years ago. It was a typical college day when I first saw him—standing under the sun in a crisp white shirt. His clean, perfect image struck me, but it was his eyes—so clear and untainted—that held me. His family was wealthy, and they had already arranged a marriage for him. But York, in defiance, ran away from his world and chose me. We struggled after college. No jobs, no money. But we always had each other. Then, things started to change. A company hired us, and York, after a year and a half, left to start his own business. Despite the hardships, we made it. For five years, we were inseparable. I believed we’d walk down the aisle one day. Then came the diagnosis. Acute leukemia. “I can’t afford the treatment, York. My family… they can’t help. I’m… I’m too far gone,” my voice breaking. York’s face twisted in agony. “I’ll do whatever it takes, Zenobia. I’m not losing you. I’ll find the money, I swear.” But nothing was enough. The bills piled up, and we were drowning. Then came the anonymous envelope, the one with money. I read the handwritten note over and over again, desperately clinging to it like it was my lifeline. As the pain from treatment consumed me, York stayed by my side. He was my rock. But soon, I started noticing the change in him. His phone would ring, and he’d quickly shove it away, muttering about spam. “York, who was that?” I asked one evening, my voice fragile. “It’s nothing, Zenobia. Just… just some junk mail,” he replied, forcing a smile. I could feel it in my bones. Something was off. One day, when he stepped out of the room. I unlocked his phone. The message was clear. “Tonight at 8, Doya Hotel, Room 203, waiting for you.” My heart stopped. The name on the message sent a chill through me—Winnie. His ex-fiancée. The woman his family had chosen for him. I could hardly breathe. My entire world was crashing down around me. “York… How could you?” York had never turned his back on me during my sickness, but maybe the pressure was too much for him. Maybe he needed an outlet—or maybe he just had normal human needs? I tried to rationalize it, to make excuses for him. But as the days passed, my mood soured. My treatment stopped going as smoothly, and I couldn’t hide my anger every time he glanced at his phone. Finally, one day, I exploded. He didn’t argue with me. He just calmly walked out of the room—and he never came back.

I began to resist treatment on purpose, refusing to take my medicine. My former doctors and nurses were at their wit’s end. At that moment, I just wanted to wait for death. Then, my new doctor—Woodruff Jenkins—walked into my world. “Hello, I’m your new doctor, Woodruff Jenkins. Forty-two years old, Cancer sign, no bad habits, I own a house and a car, and after work, I just go home,” he introduced himself, his voice casual yet confident. I thought, What is he doing, giving me his personal details like we’re on a blind date? But I couldn’t help but notice that his introduction caught my attention. “I’ve reviewed your case. There’s hope for you. Don’t worry, no patient of mine has ever given up on themselves,” he said with a reassuring smile like a ray of light cutting through the darkness of my life. I stared at him, and something about his smile—his eyes—reminded me of York. They were just as clear, just as innocent. “Medicine is great, but nothing beats the sunshine. Let’s go for a walk,” his tone gentle but unyielding. “I’m tired,” Before I could respond, he signaled the nurse to bring over a wheelchair. Then, without warning, he swept me into his arms in a princess carry and placed me in the wheelchair. I was stunned by his suddenness but didn’t push him away. I couldn’t help it—there was something about him that reminded me of York. I began cooperating with my treatment. Dr. Jenkins would accompany me on walks whenever he had time, and soon, I found myself eagerly awaiting his rounds. My health improved, and as our bond grew beyond the doctor-patient relationship. One day, as we sat together, he took my hand and said softly, “I think it’s time we take things to the next level. Next week, there’s a family gathering. I want to bring you along.” I froze. Is this happening so fast? Five years with York, and he never once took me to meet his family. But with Woodruff, just three months in, and I was going to meet his parents? The day of the gathering, Woodruff took me shopping for a red dress. The moment I put it on, I felt like a new person—healthier, more alive. I was worried about what his family would think if they knew I was sick, but Woodruff had once said, “A firm choice is more important than any romance.” I wasn’t sure if I believed in fate, but in that moment, I understood what he meant. When we arrived at Woodruff’s home, my anxiety only grew. The large garden, the mansion, the servants—everything screamed wealth. I walked in with him, my heart pounding. “The others aren’t here yet, we’ve arrived first. Let’s wait for them,” Woodruff said, his hand gently guiding me. “Okay,” I whispered, trying to steady myself. “Sit here. I’ll go grab you some fresh juice,” he walked toward the kitchen. As I waited, I noticed the family photos on the mantle above the fireplace. I ran my fingers over them, one by one, until I reached a photo of Woodruff as a child. He looked so innocent. But then, my eyes froze on one particular picture. It was a photo of Woodruff with someone else. York. My heart skipped a beat. Before I could process the shock, Woodruff came back with the juice. He saw the blood on my hands, and panic flashed across his face. “Zenobia! You’re bleeding,” . He rushed me to the car and sped back to the hospital. On the way there,my mind racing. How could I have missed this? Woodruff glanced at me, concern written all over his face. “We’ll be at the hospital soon. Where are you hurting?” “Pull over,” I ordered suddenly. “Zenobia, what’s wrong?” “Stop the car,” Woodruff pulled over and reached out to touch my head. “What’s happening?” “Why… why do you have a picture with York?” “He’s my nephew. I’m his uncle.” I was stunned. “You knew about York and me all along?” “No, not at first,” his brow furrowed. “I didn’t know, but then his father mentioned you to me. I felt for you and wanted to help, but I never expected to fall for you. I’m so sorry, Zenobia. I never meant to hide it from you.” He pulled me into an embrace. “And York… I’m sure you’ve figured out what happened. He and Winnie, they’ve been in contact for a while. They were still meeting, going to hotels together…” His words sliced through me like a knife. They’d been together all along. My heart broke into a thousand pieces. But at that moment, I could feel Woodruff’s arms around me—comforting, gentle. He wasn’t York. He never would be. Yet, even in his warmth, I could still see York’s face, his eyes, his smile. I wanted to confess my feelings to Woodruff, but every time I saw the care he gave me, my words got stuck. He was the light in my life now, and I couldn’t bear to hurt him.

It was valentine day, and a nurse walked in with a bouquet of flowers, smiling brightly. “Dr. White is in surgery, but the flowers he ordered for you have arrived.” Yes, he was always so thoughtful. I placed the flowers in a vase and gazed out at the cars passing below the hospital, each car seemingly carrying a pair of lovers. Last year’s Valentine was spent with York, but this year, everything had changed. “Do you like the flowers?” Suddenly, a pair of large hands wrapped around my waist from behind. It was Woodruff. “I do,” “How about we go out for dinner tonight? I’ve reserved a table at a fancy restaurant,” Woodruff whispered, nibbling at my neck. “Sounds good,” At 8 PM, I changed out of my hospital gown and joined Woodruff at the restaurant. As expected, it was a high-end place. The decor suggested the food might be expensive, though I couldn’t tell if it was any good, but I could already taste the wealth in the air. Sure enough, the dishes that arrived were Michelin-level. Woodruff clearly paid great attention to me. Amid our light conversation, a familiar voice suddenly called from behind. “Uncle.” I turned, and my heart nearly shattered. It was York. “York, Winnie is here too,” Woodruff responded. I quickly turned away, not wanting to meet his gaze, though I could tell York was equally stunned. “I was just checking in on my patient,” Woodruff tried to lighten the awkward atmosphere. “Well, since Uncle’s friend is here, we won’t stay. Let’s go, York,” Winnie said, pulling York away. York walked slowly, struggling, probably because he couldn’t understand the situation—his uncle was sitting across from his ex, who hadn’t officially broken up with him yet. As York and Winnie sat down nearby, I lowered my head and tried to eat, but the food had lost all its taste. A wave of resentment and jealousy surged inside me. “Marry me,” Woodruff suddenly said. My mind was still reeling from the shock of seeing York, the man who had betrayed me and left me when I was sick. I stared at Woodruff for a moment and then answered, “Yes.” Woodruff’s excitement was palpable. “What? You said yes?” “Mm,” “Wait here,” Woodruff stood and walked toward the front desk, speaking briefly with the manager before returning to my side, grabbing my hand. The manager approached, pushing a cart with wine and flowers, followed by a violinist. Woodruff knelt beside me, pulling a ring from his pocket. As the violinist began to play, we became the center of attention. In front of everyone, Woodruff slipped the ring onto my finger. The room erupted in applause, offering us their blessings. But York, seated nearby, wore a shocked and worried expression. Less than a year after breaking up with York, I was marrying his uncle. Woodruff rushed to plan our wedding as if afraid I would disappear if we slowed down. We began writing invitations, and since Woodruff was York’s uncle, I knew he would come. I quickly wrote York’s name on the invitation, imagining how he would regret his actions when he saw me on my wedding day. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was York. I froze for a second, thinking, Could he already regret it? “Hello, what’s up?” There was a brief silence on the other end before he spoke. “Don’t marry my uncle.” Does he regret it already? “Don’t you want me to live long?” “No, you can hate me, but don’t marry my uncle. You have to trust me. We were together for five years. Have I ever lied to you?” His voice shook. “Did you lie to me? What about you and Winnie?” “It’s not what you think. We didn’t do anything,” he hurriedly explained. “I saw your phone.” I cut him off. There was silence on the other end. “No one stays a fool forever. I have to finish writing wedding invitations. Goodbye.” Before he could say more, I hung up. The more he suffered, the better I felt. It felt like all the pain from the past was finally being repaid. I deleted York’s contact information and blocked him. “You deserve it. This is the price of betrayal.” “Are you done?” Woodruff’s voice startled me. I hadn’t realized he was standing behind me. “Almost,” I quickly closed my phone. “Who was that?” Woodruff asked, noticing my unease. “Telemarketer,” I lied. Woodruff paused, “Let’s go to the marriage registration office today.” “I thought we were doing that after the wedding?” I asked, surprised. We had previously agreed to register after the ceremony. “Maybe I just want you so much. I’m afraid someone might steal you away,” “Okay, let’s go to the registration office this afternoon,” I replied.

In the afternoon, we left the civil affairs bureau and took a car back to Woodruff’s house. Along the way, Woodruff suddenly became much quieter than usua. To break the silence, I spoke first, “My condition is much more stable now.” Normally, if I mentioned my illness before, he would go into a detailed analysis, but today he only replied with a cold “mm.” Perhaps he was tired from juggling work and wedding preparations. I decided not to push for a conversation and let the silence linger. But then I noticed we weren’t heading to the hospital or his house; instead, we were going to a resort in the suburbs. “The house is a bit chaotic with the wedding preparations, so you’ll stay here for now,” Woodruff said. His thoughtfulness moved me, and for a moment, I thought I had found the right person. But once again, reality shattered my hopeful dreams … Soon, the wedding day arrived. We had decided to hold the ceremony in Woodruff’s small villa. To keep things simple and not tire me out, we only invited family and close friends. York and Winnie were also present. winnie approached me to congratulate me and gave me a gift. York didn’t speak to me; he went straight to Woodruff, and I caught a glimpse of their expressions. Woodruff wore his professional, fake smile, while York looked visibly displeased.”If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn’t have left first.” Woodruff glanced over at me, and when he saw Winnie and I talking, he ignored York and came over to us. Winnie, upon seeing him, suddenly hugged me and whispered “York asked me to tell you not to sign any papers Woodruff gives you, and don’t let him know what I told you.” Before I could ask her what she meant, she quickly greeted Woodruff. “Uncle, congratulations.” Woodruff gave her a quick glance before turning to me, “Not tired, are you?” I nodded. Just then, Woodruff’s boss arrived, and he quickly took me away from Winnie to greet him. As the wedding party carried on, a frail, disheveled old woman, around 70 years old, burst into the room, grabbing Woodruff by the collar and shouting like a madwoman, “Give me back my daughter, you killed her…” Everyone was shocked, but only Winnie and York remained calm. At first, Woodruff was a bit stunned, but he quickly composed himself, silently instructing the servants to remove the woman. He adjusted his tie and glanced deeply at York, then ordered the servants to call the police. Was this York’s revenge? Sending an old woman to disrupt my most important moment? It was his betrayal that started this, and now he was trying to ruin my wedding. Five years of my life wasted. I stormed up to York and slapped him across the face. I hated this man in front of me with all my heart. Winnie gasped and immediately pushed me away. I then slapped her, the mistress in my relationship, leaving her stunned. She screamed, “Are you crazy?” Yes, I was crazy. These two had driven me mad. York didn’t try to explain himself; he just looked at me with sad eyes. “Please leave. You’re not welcome here,” As they were leaving, Winnie said, “Zenobia, all the suffering you’ll endure from now on, you deserve it.” All the pain I’ve suffered has come from these two people.

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### My sister, radiant and mesmerizing, never stopped being the center of attention—even when she was pregnant. Our parents worked tirelessly to find men for her, never complaining, never resting. I watched as one scrawny, pale man after another left our house with glowing faces and renewed energy. The villagers called her the luck of the town, the one who brought fortune to anyone who shared her bed. But one day, I followed her to the river in the hills and saw something moving beneath the water where she bathed. My sister, Clara, was the jewel of Pearl Creek Village. She was known far and wide for her beauty, her alluring charm, and the way she did… absolutely nothing all day but lie in bed. Even pregnancy didn’t slow her down. Strange muffled sounds often came from her room—moans, groans, and the occasional gasp. People said Clara was the “Pearl of Fortune.” Sleep with her, they claimed, and your luck would change overnight. Our parents didn’t mind the rumors. In fact, they encouraged it, happily taking the money that inevitably followed. A few days ago, however, Clara had slipped and miscarried. Our parents were devastated. They doted on her even more, cooking meat broth every day to “restore her health.” “Still in bed, you lazy brat? Get up and make soup for your sister!” I barely had time to register the sound of my mother’s broom swishing through the air before it smacked down on my back, sending a sharp sting through me. I bolted upright, all traces of sleep gone, and scrambled to the kitchen under her harsh glare. Unlike Clara, who was pale, flawless, and angelic, I was a walking nightmare. My face was a disaster. A twisted nose, a crooked mouth, and an uneven patch of scars covered my left cheek. The right side was even worse—a dark birthmark stretched across it, thick with coarse black hair. The villagers called me “Toad,” saying I was uglier than the slimiest creature in the swamp. When I was born, my parents had wanted to drown me in a chamber pot, but they’d decided to keep me around because I was healthy enough to work. Now, I stood on a stool, stirring a pot of meat broth until the rich, savory aroma filled the air. My stomach growled loudly—I hadn’t eaten all day. But when I was done, my mother snatched the pot away, not sparing me a single drop. “Take this to your sister,” she barked. When I entered Clara’s room, she was sprawled across the bed, her eyes closed, her body writhing slightly as if she were in a dream. The moment she smelled the broth, her eyes snapped open, and she lunged for the bowl. She drank greedily, swallowing mouthful after mouthful, the oil glistening on her lips as it slid down her chin. Watching her eat, I couldn’t help but gulp, my stomach twisting with hunger. Halfway through the bowl, Clara paused and looked at me with a strange smile. “Want some?” she asked sweetly, a rare show of generosity. I nodded eagerly. “Yes, please!” For once, she handed me the bowl. “Here,” she said, smirking. “You look so pitiful—I’ll let you have a taste.” My hands trembled as I brought the bowl to my lips, taking a deep sip of the broth. And then I froze. The broth, which smelled so rich and delicious, tasted like rot—thick with an overwhelming stench of decay. Before I could even understand what was happening, Clara let out a piercing scream. “Mom! Toad stole my broth! She drank it!” My mother stormed in before I could explain, her hand flying across my face with a force that sent me reeling. “That broth is for your sister! You think you deserve it? Get outside and do your chores!” Clara laughed hysterically, her slender waist twisting as she clutched her stomach in mock pain. “Mom,” she said, her voice syrupy sweet, “when are you bringing me my next man? I’m feeling better, you know.” My mother stroked her hair lovingly. “Don’t worry, dear. Once you’re pregnant again, the men will come flocking back.” I clutched my stinging cheek, tears streaming down my face, and stumbled outside to pull weeds. It was nearly sunset by the time I finished my chores. Exhausted, I dragged myself back to the house, only to find my father squatting in the backyard, gnawing on bones. The bones were leftovers from Clara’s broth. Nearby, my mother was scrubbing clothes, muttering to herself. “Good thing this baby didn’t go to waste,” she sighed. “Clara’s body is recovering so well—she’ll be ready to conceive again in no time.” “Clara’s a blessing,” my father agreed, cracking another bone between his teeth. “Even if she’s just our little fortune pearl, she’s worth her weight in money.” Once they went inside, curiosity got the better of me. I crept toward the pile of discarded bones. At first, I didn’t see anything unusual. But then my eyes landed on something that made my stomach drop. Lying among the scraps was a skull—not fully formed, but unmistakably human. I staggered back, my heart hammering in my chest. It was the remains of Clara’s unborn child. 2 My parents always made me cook the meat, never letting me look too closely at it. But now, the thought of that broth—its nauseating stench—made me shiver. That night, I couldn’t sleep. My parents’ words kept replaying in my mind, and my cheek, still swollen from the slap, throbbed painfully. Unable to bear it, I got up in the dark to find some ointment. That’s when I noticed something strange: my sister, Clara, who never left her bed, was gone. Curiosity got the best of me, and I decided to follow her. I crept through the shadows, watching as Clara made her way to the river behind the hills. She slipped out of her clothes and stepped into the water. Holding my breath, I crouched low and peeked through the bushes. Clara was waist-deep in the river, her bare back partially exposed above the surface. Her cheeks were flushed, her chest rising and falling heavily. She looked… in pain, but there was something else too—a strange, almost blissful expression on her face. My eyes widened in horror. Something thick and eel-like, as large as a man’s arm, was writhing in her lap, coiling and twisting against her body. “Ah!” Clara let out a sharp gasp, her voice breaking through the quiet night. I froze, my mind racing. I knew there were eels in the river. They liked dark, murky places, preferring the shadows and filth. But this—this was something else entirely. A chill ran down my spine as I instinctively rubbed my arms, feeling as though I’d been in that water myself. I couldn’t watch any longer. Shaking, I crouched lower and began to sneak away. But just as I thought I was safe, a hand clamped down hard on my shoulder. I screamed, spinning around, only to find my father standing behind me. His voice was low, almost a whisper, but it sent a shiver through me. “Little Lizzy,” he said, his tone eerily calm, “what did you see?” My heart thudded in my chest as I stammered out a lie, saying I’d gone to use the outhouse and noticed Clara’s door was open, so I went to look for her. “She’s at the river,” I added. “She looked like she wasn’t feeling well…” My father’s expression turned strange, his lips curling into a half-smile. “You’re too young to understand,” he said, his voice almost condescending. “What your sister’s going through… it’s just part of growing up. It’s what makes her a woman.” He patted my head, his words heavy with meaning I didn’t understand, and sent me back toward the house. But instead of going inside, I doubled back. Something wasn’t right. Hiding in the shadows once again, I watched as my father crouched in the bushes by the river, his eyes fixed on Clara. His gaze was intense, hungry. That night, I didn’t dare sleep. I lay in bed, feigning rest, my ears straining for any sound. And then I heard it. The soft creak of footsteps, careful and quiet. My father was sneaking into Clara’s room. A month later, Clara started vomiting. She was showing all the signs of pregnancy. My mother wasted no time calling the town’s only healer, Dr. Samuel, to check her. Sure enough, Clara was pregnant again. My parents were overjoyed. “Thank the heavens,” my mother exclaimed, practically glowing with pride. “We’ve got another one on the way!” Clara, too, couldn’t stop smiling. She leaned against the bedpost, her voice saccharine and teasing. “Mom, does that mean I’ll get a man tonight? It’s been over a month, and I’m starving.” “Of course, sweetheart,” my mother cooed. “I’ll let them know right away. The Pearl of Fortune is ready again.” Their laughter filled the house, but I couldn’t stay. My chest felt tight, and I needed to get away from their sickening celebration. Dr. Samuel was the only person in Hollow Creek who had ever been kind to me. He wasn’t like the others. Young, clean-cut, and soft-spoken, he didn’t treat me like a monster. He’d even taught me how to read and write when no one else would bother. As he was leaving, he caught my arm. “Lizzy,” he said in a low, urgent voice, his usual calm replaced with tension. “Let me check something.” He took my wrist and pressed his fingers to it, feeling my pulse. His brow furrowed deeply. “Lizzy,” he said again, his voice more serious this time, “you need to listen to me carefully.” I nodded, my heart pounding. “They’ve been lying to you. All of them,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “When you… when you come of age, when your body changes, don’t tell anyone. Don’t let them know.” My eyes widened, confusion and fear swirling in my chest. “Why?” “Because they’ll give you something to drink. They’ll say it’s medicine, but it’s not. Whatever you do, don’t drink it. If you do, something terrible will happen.” 3 I didn’t understand Dr. Samuel’s warning, but the fear in his voice made me shiver. “What… what do you mean?” I asked, my voice trembling. He opened his mouth to explain, but before he could say another word, my mother’s sharp voice called me from inside the house. Samuel hesitated, then sighed and left quickly. After Clara got pregnant again, she became even lazier, leaving every chore to me. She didn’t lift a finger, not even to pour herself a glass of water. Every morning, I had to cook her meat broth and wash her, while at night, her room filled with those strange, lilting sounds again. But tonight, the noises were different. The usual soft, drawn-out hums turned into something lower, guttural—almost like the whimpering of a wounded animal. The village chief came by that night. He was well past sixty, but when he left, his face was ruddy, his step light, as though years had been lifted from his shoulders. In the yard, I overheard him whispering with a few other men. “That was the last night. I’ll miss her, though. My wife’s never been so… lively.” “True,” another man said with a chuckle. “But we have to think about the future. The entire village depends on her.” Their words sent a chill through me. Something was wrong. What were they planning? Did Clara know? The next morning, when I brought Clara her broth, I finally worked up the courage to warn her. “Clara,” I whispered, my voice trembling, “stop bringing men into your room. They’re going to hurt you. I think—” Before I could finish, she snatched the bowl from my hands and slammed it against my face. The scalding liquid splashed across my skin, and the bowl left a red, swollen mark where it hit me. “You jealous little toad,” she sneered, laughing as I stumbled back, clutching my burning cheek. “What do you know? You don’t even have a man. You just can’t stand that they all want me.” She clapped her hands, laughing so hard she doubled over, her snake-like waist twisting with glee. I swallowed my anger, my voice low and cold. “Fine. I’ll go tell Mom to bring you another man.” For three months, my parents kept collecting money from the men who came to Clara’s room. But instead of looking happy, their expressions grew heavier each day, darkened by something they wouldn’t talk about. And Clara… something wasn’t right with her either. At only four months pregnant, her belly was already as large as if she were full-term. Veins, dark and swollen, twisted under her pale, thin skin, writhing like worms. One morning, I was jolted awake by screams from Clara’s room. She was in labor. It didn’t make sense—normal women carried their babies for nine months, maybe eight at the least. But Clara was only four months in. The entire village had gathered outside our house, their faces tense with anticipation. “God bless her,” someone whispered. “May she bring fortune to us all.” “We’ve waited so long,” another murmured. “This has to be it.” Hours dragged on, and Clara’s screams grew weaker and weaker. Finally, my mother emerged, her face drenched in sweat, her hands covered in blood. She carried a heavy basket in her arms. She looked down at it and spat. “Another useless one.” The villagers craned their necks for a look. But when they saw what was inside, their faces fell, and they quickly dispersed, muttering under their breath. Curiosity got the better of me. Once everyone was gone, I crept closer to the basket. Inside, wrapped in a thin, translucent membrane, was a creature that wasn’t human. It had no arms or legs, just a stubby, misshapen body. Two pitch-black eyes, slitted and unblinking, stared out from its face, with no eyelids to close them. Gills flared on its sides, opening and closing with each shallow breath. I froze, my blood running cold. It wasn’t a baby. It was a monster. Clara bled out later that day. No matter what my mother did, the bleeding wouldn’t stop. She died before sunset. But what shocked me most wasn’t her death—it was the village’s reaction. The same people who once called her their “Pearl of Fortune” now acted as though she’d never existed. They didn’t mourn her. They didn’t even come to pay their respects. The next morning, smoke rose from every chimney, carrying the mouthwatering scent of roasted meat. Only the village chief came to our house. “Such a shame,” he said, standing before Clara’s altar. He even squeezed out a few tears. “She was one of a kind.” As he turned to leave, his gaze landed on me, crouched in the corner, burning paper for the dead. His eyes narrowed, a slow, calculating smile spreading across his face. “Lizzy’s sixteen now, isn’t she?” I didn’t dare lie. I nodded stiffly. The chief’s smile widened. Later that evening, I saw him talking to my parents in hushed tones. “She’ll do just fine,” I heard him say through the thin wooden door. “Better than the last one. She’ll bring us everything we need.” They talked until dusk. After Clara’s death, my parents’ attitude toward me shifted. They were… kind. For the first time in my life, they treated me with warmth, as though I were something precious. But I didn’t trust it. A few weeks later, I was washing clothes by the river when I felt a sudden heat between my legs. Looking down, I saw a smear of sticky, red liquid staining my underclothes. Panic surged through me. “Mom! Mom, what’s happening to me?” When my mother saw the blood, her face lit up with joy. “Don’t be scared, Lizzy,” she said, beaming. “You’re a woman now.” I felt sick, my stomach cramping as she carried me home on her back. That night, she made me a bowl of thick, bitter-smelling broth and brought it to my bedside. For the first time, she was gentle with me, her voice soft and sweet as she coaxed me to drink. “Be a good girl, Lizzy. Drink this, and the pain will go away.” Tears welled in my eyes. I couldn’t remember the last time she’d spoken to me like this. I reached for the bowl, my hands trembling. But just as I was about to take a sip, Dr. Samuel’s voice echoed in my mind: “Whatever you do, don’t drink it. If you do, something terrible will happen.” I froze, the bowl inches from my lips. 4 I turned my head away, refusing to drink the bitter concoction. My teeth clenched as I shook my head in defiance. But my mother wasn’t having it. Her expression darkened, and she grabbed my jaw with surprising strength, forcing my mouth open. She poured the hot, thick liquid down my throat, ignoring my muffled protests. “Be a good girl,” she said, her voice sickly sweet. “By tomorrow morning, you’ll be a grown woman.” When she finally left, I scrambled to the corner and tried to gag myself, desperate to throw it all up. But no matter how hard I tried, the medicine refused to come back up. Terror gripped me, and I spent the entire night curled up in my bed, trembling as I waited for the unspeakable horror Dr. Samuel had warned me about. But nothing happened. The next morning, I cautiously approached the mirror—and froze. The scars that had marred my face for as long as I could remember were gone. The dark, hairy birthmark that had covered the right side of my face? Vanished. In its place was smooth, porcelain skin—soft, flawless, and glowing. My cheeks looked so delicate, they seemed like they might bruise if touched too hard. I was… beautiful. Even more beautiful than Clara had been. I stood in stunned silence, pulling off my clothes. The tight, restricting bandages I’d always worn fell to the floor, revealing my figure. My chest, once flattened beneath layers of cloth, was now full, pale, and unrestrained. For the first time in my sixteen years, I saw my true self. When I finally stepped out of my room, my parents were cooking breakfast. The moment my father saw me, he couldn’t help himself—his hand reached out and pinched my arm, as though testing if I was real. I flinched away, but my mother’s reaction was far different. Her face lit up with joy. “See? Didn’t I tell you?” she cried, clapping her hands. “Look at you now—you’re the most beautiful girl in the whole village!” My heart pounded as her words sank in. The most beautiful girl in the village. For the first time, I wouldn’t have to hear people call me “Toad.” With my newfound beauty, everything changed. The villagers, who used to mock and avoid me, treated me with reverence. Even my parents seemed to see me in a new light. “Lizzy’s got that good fortune about her,” someone said. “She’s even better than Clara was!” “She’ll make a fine Pearl of Fortune,” another villager added. “She’ll bring blessings to all of us!” But every time someone said those words, Clara’s screams echoed in my mind. I couldn’t forget the way she’d died, and the thought of following in her footsteps filled me with dread. My mother must have sensed my fear because she pulled me aside one afternoon. “Don’t worry,” she said, her tone soft and reassuring. “Your sister just wasn’t as lucky as you. You’re different. You’re our family’s only hope now.” For three days, my mother personally supervised me as I drank the herbal medicine. By the fourth day, she seemed satisfied that I was obedient and left me alone with the steaming bowl. “Finish it all,” she said, patting my head before heading out to do chores. But this time, I couldn’t bring myself to drink it. I stared at the bowl in my hands, the bitter aroma filling my nose. All my life, I’d dreamed of shedding my ugly skin, of finally being seen as something other than a monster. But now that I had it… Was this really a blessing? That afternoon, Dr. Samuel found me by the river, washing clothes. When he saw me, he froze, his eyes widening in shock. “You…” he whispered. “What have they done to you?” I avoided his gaze, my heart heavy with doubt. Grabbing my bucket, I tried to walk away. “You lied to me!” I shot back over my shoulder. “You said something terrible would happen, but nothing has! I’m fine!” “Lizzy, stop!” he called after me, his voice filled with urgency. I paused, my fists tightening around the bucket handle. “You’re not fine,” he said firmly, stepping closer. “What you’re experiencing… it’s all a lie. A trap to pull you in.” I turned to face him, my chest tight with frustration. “What are you talking about?” Samuel hesitated, his expression pained. “If you drink the medicine for seven days, you’ll lose control of yourself completely. Your mind, your will—it’ll all be gone. You’ll become nothing more than a tool for the men in this village.” His voice dropped lower. “Do you remember the river behind the hills? The thing you saw there? That’s what killed your sister.” The memory hit me like a punch to the gut. Clara, half-submerged in the water. The massive eel-like creature writhing against her body. The strange mix of pain and ecstasy on her face. I shuddered, my skin crawling. But who was telling the truth—Samuel or my parents? That night, I decided to test it for myself. When my mother gave me the fourth bowl of medicine, I pretended to drink it but secretly poured it out. By morning, I noticed something strange: a faint shadow of the birthmark had reappeared on my cheek. That evening, I crept down the hallway, pressing myself against the wall as I approached my parents’ room. The light was still on, and their voices drifted through the thin wooden door. “…The full moon’s almost here,” my father was saying, excitement clear in his tone. “It’s time to offer Lizzy to the River God.”

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Lucas, my boyfriend, asked me to take on his massive debts to help him secure his family’s business inheritance. He begged me to fake a breakup with him. On the day the debts were finally cleared, he was nowhere to be found when we were supposed to get back together. When we met again, he coldly said: “For the sake of my family’s reputation, you can only be my secret lover. We can’t have any public connection, and I’ll have a stand-in pretend to be my girlfriend.” Three years of suffering, only to end up with such a disgraceful outcome. At a luxurious banquet, he trapped me, dressed in an elegant gown, in a hotel suite. Pointing at some documents on the table, he coaxed me: “All this money is compensation for you. Just wait for me here.” As the door closed, his cronies could no longer contain their laughter: “Lucas, you’re so clever. I bet if you told her to jump off a cliff, she wouldn’t even hesitate!” Seeing the banquet was about to start, I struggled with all my might to break free from my restraints and rushed to the neighboring hotel. Unexpectedly, I ran into his stand-in girlfriend. Lucas angrily slapped me to the ground: “Sophia, we’re long over. Why do you keep pestering me? I refused to let you be the other woman, so you came to ruin my plans. How disgusting can you be?” He labeled me as the other woman and coldly watched as people poured drinks on me and tore at my dress. Then I was subjected to public condemnation on social media. But when the powerful Leo came to pick me up for the banquet, Lucas was completely dumbfounded.

As the banquet was about to begin, I had just arrived at the hotel when I unfortunately ran into Lucas preparing to leave for the event. I ignored him and walked straight past, but his cronies blocked my way: “Lucas, why is she dressed like this? Is she trying to cause trouble?” “If people find out there are two women, what about your reputation and your family’s?” Lucas’s eyes widened in shock. He and his cronies quickly dragged me to a corner. He examined my elegant attire with a gloomy expression: “Sophia! What do you mean by this? I’ve already promised you compensation. Do you have to make such a scene?” “That’s right, Lucas is now the heir to the family business. You should be grateful to even be his secret lover, given your debt situation!” People who once treated me with respect now puffed on cigars and spoke to me rudely, calling me the “debt woman.” If Lucas hadn’t allowed it, how would they dare treat me like this? Faced with my icy gaze, they deliberately blew smoke in my face: “Greed knows no bounds. You’ve been hiding from debts and living the good life while Lucas solved your big problems. He even arranged a stand-in for the banquet knowing you don’t like attention. If I were you, I’d be falling over myself with gratitude!” “But here you are, wearing some cheap dress you got from who knows where to cause trouble. Aren’t you just embarrassing Lucas?” Little did I know that bearing Lucas’s debts was considered “living the good life.” These arrogant cronies once again began their skillful manipulation of me. Praising Lucas and belittling me was their specialty. Back when Lucas was vying for his inheritance by orchestrating a business scheme, they took turns persuading me to take the fall to please him. I was worried Lucas might have fallen for someone else during these three years, but they swore they’d be the first to make him pay if he ever betrayed me. A man’s word truly can’t be trusted. I let out a cold laugh and said calmly: “If it’s such a blessing, why don’t you take it?” When things went wrong, all of these people were involved, each more devious than the last, but none dared to take responsibility. Faced with my questioning, William, the leader, took a deep drag on his cigar and spoke arrogantly: “If I were a woman, you wouldn’t stand a chance!” The others chimed in, lamenting that they weren’t women and telling me to cherish what I had. Knowing full well that I hated the smell of smoke, they deliberately got close to me and blew it in my face. Seeing me cough uncontrollably with tears in my eyes from the smoke, Lucas remained unmoved. Through the haze, I couldn’t help but recall how Lucas used to sternly stop anyone from smoking near me. I turned to look at him involuntarily: “So, you also think that bearing your debts for three years is my honor and blessing?” Lucas pressed his lips tightly together, a flash of embarrassment on his face that quickly turned to anger: “Enough, hurry up and go change your clothes. Stop embarrassing me here!” He immediately called someone to take me away. Times have changed. He’s broken his promises, and I have no interest in wasting words with such an ungrateful person: “Good dogs don’t block the way. Please move aside, I need to attend the banquet.” Laughter erupted: “Sophia, did hiding from debts addle your brain? You’re not the one who gets to attend the banquet openly with Lucas, you know!” “Lucas, since she’s so eager to attend the banquet, why don’t we find a room for her to watch from? That way she can say she attended.” Faced with his crony’s suggestion, Lucas impatiently asked me: “We didn’t want you to come because we were afraid you’d be upset. Are you sure you insist on attending the banquet?”

The banquet was hosted by Leo’s family. I had no idea Lucas would be here. Running into him on the day of the banquet, what rotten luck! “Why would I be upset about attending my own banquet?” If he wasn’t worried about me exposing his scheme, Lucas would have gotten rid of me long ago. It’s laughable that he’s still pretending to care deeply for me, thinking I’m still blindly devoted to him and will obediently be his puppet for life. My honest words fell on Lucas’s ears as mere stubbornness. He was clearly annoyed at my ingratitude, yet still had to put on a show of concern. “Sophia, everything I’ve done is for your own good! Don’t be so stubborn……” Yet his hand showed no mercy as he dragged me into the hotel. “Since you want to attend the banquet so badly, fine. But you must stay quiet, and don’t throw a tantrum with me afterward!” His reluctant tone implied that allowing me into the hotel was a great favor. Before I was caught up in his scheme, he had also put on this fake act: “Since you’ve decided, I can only trouble you for now. I swear that the day you’re free from debt will be the day I bring you back……” He painted a beautiful picture of our reunion after three years, and I, deeply in love with him, clung to these empty promises to endure the difficult years. Even during our last meeting, he was still planning our future life together. Sadly, after three years of painful waiting, he wanted to find someone new. All his professions of love were just tactics to lure me into his trap. Thinking of this, waves of anger and sorrow surged within me. “Let go of me! I’m going to the hotel next door! It has nothing to do with you!” I forcefully broke free from Lucas’s grip. He was shocked that I, who had always been so docile, would resist. His face was full of surprise. Taking advantage of his momentary shock, I turned and walked towards the hotel without looking back. “Sophia, haven’t you had enough? Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?!” “How did hiding from debt give you such a rebellious attitude? Looks like you’ve been living too comfortably out there……” Lucas stopped himself mid-sentence. He had accidentally revealed his true thoughts. “Bearing three years of debt, nearly losing my life being chased by creditors, you don’t mention a word of that, do you?” Under my direct gaze, Lucas turned his head, unable to look at me: “Sophia, I spoke hastily out of anxiety. That incident was an accident, but you came out unharmed in the end, didn’t you?” William also chimed in: “That’s right, if it weren’t for Lucas quietly pulling strings, you might not even be alive.” The unease on Lucas’s face vanished, replaced by an air of superiority. “If it weren’t for your weak personality, always letting people take advantage of you, they wouldn’t have dared to harm you so easily. I met those creditors, and they said they targeted you because you were an easy mark……” Lucas knew the truth of the matter all too well. It was he who, in order to secure his inheritance, had schemed to frame me with massive debts. The creditors, unable to collect, first threatened and intimidated me, and finally resorted to attempting to take my life. Who could swallow such treatment? That’s why the creditors paid someone to try to kill me. If Lucas had faced this himself, he would have been the one nearly losing his life. Yet he preferred to believe others’ lies rather than trust me. He even used my personality as an excuse. During those three years, I had imagined countless times that he might change his heart, that he might abandon me because of my fallen status. But I never imagined that he would think it was only right for me to bear his debts. All the passionate vows crumbled in the face of reality. I was just too naive and foolish, thinking that being loved by a rich young man like him was the greatest luck of my life. “I’ll get back together with you after the banquet ends, that should satisfy you, right?” As expected of someone who grew up in the scheming business world, he knew how to give a sweet after a slap. He even made a show of taking out his phone to show me the order for the gift he had prepared for me. Lucas turned the phone screen towards me: “Are you reassured now?” The next second, a message popped up on his phone: [Darling, have you left yet? I’m waiting for you at the banquet. That stupid woman didn’t give you any trouble, did she……]

Stupid woman…… I couldn’t help but laugh. Lucas thought I was happy because of his gift. So he once again took it for granted to pull me along, not forgetting to give his cronies a knowing look. Outnumbered, they forcibly took me to a suite. Then they ordered someone to quickly bring me some clothes. “Take off that cheap dress and throw it in the trash. If people found out I couldn’t even buy you a decent dress, wouldn’t that be embarrassing?” Lucas shooed William and the others out, but found me staring blankly at the dress. “If you like wearing dresses so much, I’ll have dozens made for you. You can wear them however you like at home! But not today.” “We’ll soon be family, sharing glory and shame. If any bad rumors spread, you’ll be the one suffering.” I stroked the dress, saying nothing. He had indeed forgotten all his past promises. This was the dress my late mother had carefully chosen for me, always hoping to see me happy. Back then, Lucas had promised at my mother’s grave that he would give me a happy life. He said that wearing the dress my mother chose would make me the most beautiful woman in the world. Even Leo could accept me not wearing a dress prepared by his family, but Lucas found this dress cheap. In his eyes, what wasn’t cheap? “Who you want to be with is your business, but don’t delay my attendance at the banquet!” Lucas was grinding his teeth in frustration at my stubbornness, clenching and unclenching his fists. This was a sign that he was losing patience. As a ringtone sounded, he ordered William and the others to watch me, then went aside to answer the phone. I couldn’t hear clearly what they were saying, but I could see his excited expression and tender smile in the mirror’s reflection. It was a look I had never seen before. I thought my heart would ache, but I felt nothing. William, ever the loyal follower, deliberately blocked my view, afraid I would notice something. “Sister Sophia, we all know the sacrifices you’ve made for Lucas. If you want to be with him, you shouldn’t mind sacrificing a little more.” “You should believe that he has planned everything for your future.” While calling me “Sister Sophia,” William’s hand began to caress my bare arm as he spoke. The other cronies also started calling me “Sister Sophia” in a mocking tone. “Get lost!” I forcefully shook off William’s hand. Lucas heard the commotion and quickly hung up the phone to come over. “Sophia, can’t you behave? Stop causing trouble, will you?” “It’s an important occasion today, can’t you just……” I coldly interrupted him: “When did I agree to get back together with you? You think you’re worthy of having me?” “If you anger Mr. Leo, don’t say I didn’t warn you!” The powerful Leo was someone to be reckoned with. I had to use his name, otherwise I might be late for the banquet. Who knows how that gentleman would punish me then. “Mr. Leo? You don’t mean Leo from the Li family? Don’t tell me you want to be with him!” “That’s right, today I’m attending the banquet he’s hosting……” William and the others laughed uproariously. “Lucas, I think she really has gone crazy, daring to say such nonsense.” “Brother, I suddenly feel so sorry for you. If you really get back together with her, you’ll have endless trouble!” Lucas reprimanded them with a dark face: “Enough, stop laughing!” He turned and pointed at the screen on the wall, coaxing me: “Sophia, just stay here and watch. I’ll be back soon.” “I know you want to be with me, but you shouldn’t let your imagination run wild, especially about Mr. Leo. Don’t get involved with him anymore, he’s not someone you or I can mess with.” His phone rang more and more urgently, and his voice grew gentler as he tried to pacify me. With that, he hurriedly left, locking the door behind him in one smooth motion. As the door locked, his cronies could no longer contain themselves, stomping their feet with laughter: “Lucas, you’re really something! I bet if you told her to jump off a cliff, she wouldn’t even resist!” “All of you shut up!”

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At the wedding seven years ago, during the ring exchange, my bride slapped me in front of everyone. “Marriage? It’s just a game. You don’t actually think I’m serious, do you?” The next moment, a wealthy young man took the stage, wrapping his arms around her and looking at me with disdain. “How dare you touch my woman? Here’s the deal. Crawl through my legs and bark three times, and I’ll spare you. I’ll let you serve me like a dog.” I stood there in disbelief, tears welling up as I asked her why. But she swiftly kicked me off the stage. She told me to get lost. She said I wasn’t even worthy of being a dog. Seven years later, when I returned to the city where I was born, I was already a renowned tech tycoon. I never expected the next time I would see her to be on the golf course I owned. The sight of her pregnant belly made me pause in shock. I wasn’t familiar with the entertainment industry in Bumville. I only bought it for the convenience of holding business events for the company. Cutting costs was an instinct I had developed since my childhood. After all, I had once been poor, and the feeling of living in a basement stayed with me for a long time. That was why I cherished everything I had earned more than anyone else. WEI gradually became a notable presence in Bumville. It was said that if you wanted to mix in Bumville, you had to get through the door of WEI. In the past, I didn’t pay much attention to it. But this afternoon, I gave the order to stop accepting new guests. Because I was about to host a dinner for my future business partner at the golf course. Dylan Creeway, just over forty, was incredibly experienced. Every project he handled was profitable, and what I wanted was the most lucrative one in his hands. After a few rounds of golf, Dylan and I went to a private box. As drinks were being passed around, his secretary came to fetch him for another meeting. I was about to step out to get some fresh air when my assistant was waiting for me outside. He respectfully handed me a business card. “Mr. Ferguson, a young man downstairs insists on meeting you. Doesn’t even realize his own standing.” Normally, I wouldn’t see such people. They were just some hungry wolves who smelled an opportunity and wanted to grab a piece. But today, I had already cleared the place, yet this guy still managed to sneak in. His actions intrigued me. Honestly, it was rather impolite to make such a move. I gestured, grabbed a bottle of aged red wine, and followed my assistant downstairs. At the door, I asked my assistant to wait and pass on a message to Dylan, telling him to give me a few minutes. After handling these situations often, I naturally learned how to manage them. I knocked three times before a familiar voice sounded from inside. “Come in.” As I pushed the door open, the sight before me left me frozen in place. Sitting directly across from me was Edward Wilson, the same reckless young heir who had stolen my bride and publicly humiliated me. And sitting next to him was Georgia Marvis, equally shocked to see me. Her eyes, which had once been so filled with affection, were now wide with disbelief. Her hand involuntarily slid down to rest on her swollen belly. She was pregnant. I hadn’t noticed when I last saw Georgia. That encounter had been purely accidental. I was on a business trip, and I ran into her struggling with someone outside a high-end hotel. She had insisted she wasn’t selling herself, clinging to her dignity. I stepped in and drove the man away, looking down at her. Wasn’t she dying to climb the social ladder? How had her standards dropped so much in just a few years? That day, Georgia had looked at me with helpless eyes, begging me to take her home. I couldn’t quite explain how I felt at that time, maybe I wanted to ask her why she treated me like that back then, maybe I wanted her to regret it, or maybe I just wanted to humiliate her. I said, “Name your price. Have a drink with me.” She quickly climbed into my car and said, “I owe you. I won’t take your money.” I drank a lot that night, and I couldn’t remember what happened afterward. I only remembered that in my sleep, it felt like a fire was surging within me. The next morning, when I woke up, Georgia was gone. She had left without a trace as if she had never been there at all. Now, looking at her swollen belly and Edward’s large hand on her, I suddenly understood. She had eventually gotten what she wanted. Edward seemed to read the expression in my eyes and immediately turned to look at Georgia with concern. “Did the baby kick you again? Such a playful one, just like me.” The next moment, he raised an eyebrow at me. Then he clicked his tongue and said, “Martin, it’s been so long, and you’ve fallen so far. You’re actually working here?”

The large private room echoed with the sound of laughter. These people were all familiar to me. They were the guests at that humiliating wedding, Edward’s closest friends. “How could someone who went to college end up like this?” Edward sneered. “You’re better off being my dog.” Apparently, he thought I was one of the staff members here. The people around him burst into laughter, some even whispering to each other, speaking loud enough for me to hear. “Wasn’t it him? The one who lost the bride and the wedding.” “Poor enough to live in a basement, he deserved to have his woman stolen…” I placed the bottle of fine wine on the table as a sign of politeness. Since they were somehow my guests, I considered the wine a charitable gesture. These sycophants surrounding Edward looked at me with contempt. “Such a decent wine. Even your life isn’t worth that much.” Actually, he was wrong. I was now a rising star in the industry, with assets exceeding hundreds of millions of dollars. And my company’s market value was still on the rise. I smiled politely and turned to leave. Engaging with people like them was beneath me. As for Georgia… Our fates were probably sealed. She had a family now, about to become a mother, and we were destined to have no further connection. Just as I reached the door, a voice rang out behind me. “Wait a second. Are you leaving just like that? “Mr. Wilson didn’t say you’re free to go. How dare you!” I turned around and saw Edward’s top lackey, Adam, frowning at me. He stood up as if preparing to block my path. Edward snorted. He shot me a sideways glance. “You’ve spent all these years without improving, but your guts sure have grown.” I took a deep breath. Since I had already decided not to engage with him, the sooner I left, the better. “Everyone, I need to get back to work.” I cleared my throat. “Today’s work is very important to me.” I wasn’t lying. It wasn’t easy to get Dylan here. Had I known it was Edward, I wouldn’t have bothered to come. My words were met with merciless laughter. “Come on, you’re just a waiter. No more than a useless servant.” “That’s ridiculous. You truly are poor to the bone.” I didn’t get their sense of humor. Even though my business wasn’t the biggest, the employee benefits here were top-notch. All the out-of-town staff were provided with nearby housing, and their salaries were higher than those of white-collar workers. The people here probably didn’t earn more than my waitstaff. As if to provoke me further, some of them fiddled with the car keys and watches on the table. I glanced over. They were nothing more than basic models. I couldn’t understand what they were laughing about. Seeing that I didn’t react, Adam intentionally pulled back his sleeve and flashed his keys and watch. “See? You’ll never earn enough to buy these in your lifetime.” He sized me up, his gaze full of disdain. “You’ve probably never even touched a car.” He was right. I never drove. “Yes,” I responded calmly. “I walk to work every day.”

Laughter erupted again in the room. I was stunned once more. I was telling the truth. My estate was connected to the golf course, so I didn’t need to commute. What were they laughing at? Edward, sitting at the head of the table, cleared his throat, and the room fell silent. At that moment, I realized that everyone in this room, except for me, was Edward’s lackey. They were eagerly waiting for their master’s next command. Edward pulled Georgia closer, his chin rubbing against her head. “Georgia, if you hadn’t listened to me back then, you probably wouldn’t be sitting here,” he said. “Martin’s just a good-for-nothing.” The entire room burst into laughter. Only Georgia glanced at me cautiously before immediately looking down, seeming a bit flustered. In that instant, I became curious. Was she worried I would expose the fact that we’d drunk together? Was she worried that Edward would get angry? I wouldn’t stoop to such petty acts. Edward’s gaze swept over the room, and once again, the place went quiet. He looked at me from his high position with a condescending gaze. “If you kneel and beg me now, I’ll have Mr. Anderson help you out. Getting a raise will be no problem.” Mr. Anderson? I furrowed my brows in thought. Seeing my confusion, Adam laughed louder. “Stop thinking about it. Mr. Anderson is the trusted confidant of the owner of this golf course. A lowly employee like you will never get a chance to meet him.” He sneered. “Hurry up and kneel. This is your one and only chance to turn your life around. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Mr. Wilson is rarely kind.” A group of people telling me to kneel and beg for mercy. How was this supposed to be kind? Their morals were even lower than I’d imagined. Being Edward’s dog was certainly about personal gain. They were like flies hovering over the crack in an egg. There was no need to argue with them. And I definitely wouldn’t let them know my true capabilities. I smiled calmly. “Enjoy your meal and your laughter. I’ll take my leave now.” What I had to do was a thousand times more important than this. Just as I was about to leave, a force from behind nearly caused me to stumble. Adam glared at me, and his face was full of anger. Edward looked at me with a smirk, saying nothing. Then, Adam kicked me in the knee. Although the pain shot through me, I remained steady on my feet. “Didn’t I tell you to kneel?” he snapped. “You can’t wait to learn your lesson, huh?”

After Adam’s barrage of insults, the crowd around me looked on with eager anticipation, their faces lighting up as they waited for me to fall to my knees and beg for forgiveness. That would be an ending they expected to cap off the evening’s disappointment. Even Edward rose from his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. “I truly want to help you, you know. Why not show a little appreciation?” he said, his voice cool but tinged with a subtle mockery. “I’m about to make a big deal with the owner of this place tonight. A few good words from me, and you could be on your way to the stars.” Adam furrowed his brow, clearly displeased. “Mr. Wilson, that’s Dylan’s project. Why not let me have a piece of the pie?” The people around us immediately jumped in, eager to flatter. “Yeah, I heard Dylan’s been working with some big tech mogul, their company’s worth billions of dollars.” “Mr. Wilson and Dylan go way back. If he could lend us a hand, we could make a little extra before the New Year.” Lackeys buzzing around him, Edward seemed unbothered, his expression haughty as he glanced around. “Do you even know the scale of this project? Even if you risked every penny you have, you wouldn’t be able to get a piece.” A collective gasp swept through the crowd. Edward tilted his chin and met my eyes, his gaze sharpening with a new level of disdain. “Looks like you’ve gained some backbone over the years.” With a swift push, he shoved Georgia aside and perched himself casually on another chair, leaning with one leg draped over the edge. “So, Martin,” he drawled, his voice smooth. “Here’s another chance. You want to be a lapdog or not?” The room fell silent, their eyes fixed on me like vultures, waiting for my next move. I had endured so much, swallowing my pride at every turn, but nothing had worked. This time, I couldn’t keep quiet anymore. I straightened my back, feeling the weight of the moment. “The Dylan you’re talking about,” I said, my voice unwavering, “is someone I invited. “This place belongs to me, and I’m going after that project. It’s mine.” The room went deathly quiet for a few seconds before laughter erupted, even louder than before. Adam shoved me roughly, a sneer twisting his face. “You’re the boss? I could just as easily say I’m Elon Musk!” “Yeah, keep dreaming,” the others jeered, joining in the mockery. Edward, smirking, gave me a long look. “If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable. Say you know Mr. Anderson, or something.” I didn’t flinch. “I do know him.” How could I not know the assistant I’d personally brought back from a famous overseas university? The laughter roared again, drowning out my voice, but I stood my ground, smoothing the wrinkles in my jacket as I looked at them all, my tone steady. “I graduated from Quenca University, class of 2013. You can’t fake that.” Some in the crowd seemed to waver, their disbelief beginning to crack. “Quenca? Now that’s impressive.” But just as their uncertainty began to show, Adam’s voice cut through, cold and dismissive. “So, why don’t you show us your diploma then? Let’s see if it’s real.” Who would carry their diploma around with them? Adam’s taunt was deliberate, and the crowd laughed along with him, feeding off his cruelty. I took a deep breath, my patience beginning to fray. “Is that what it takes for you to believe me? A piece of paper?” No one answered. They just looked at me, smug and certain of their superiority. But then Georgia’s voice broke the silence, soft and almost tentative. She tugged gently at Edward’s sleeve, her touch light. “Could you… let him go? I think he’s starting to make me feel sick.” The room erupted in laughter again, but I felt a sharp pang in my chest. I knew she was trying to help me. But it wasn’t just relief I felt. It was confusion. Why was she helping me? She’d been so uneasy all night, so nervous around me, as though she was terrified of facing me. Just as I turned to leave in search of my diploma, a sudden force blocked my path. I stepped back, instinctively moving out of the way. The door opened, and Julius Anderson walked in, followed by a few others. Edward, his face paling, stumbled back, his voice trembling. “Mr. Creeway, Mr. Anderson!” He cast a fleeting glance at me, his expression twisting with sudden panic. “Martin, good dogs know their place. Get out of the way!” But before I could move, Dylan’s voice rang out, cutting through the tension like a blade. “Who are you telling to get out of the way?”

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In the restaurant, my husband Keith Beltran’s good friend spoke to him in a foreign language. “Isn’t Mildred you’re keeping pregnant? I bet Cynthia doesn’t know about it.” Keith shook his head lightly, his expression unchanged. “Cynthia said she wouldn’t accept betrayal. “If she ever finds out, she’ll vanish from my life forever, so I’ve kept it well hidden.” What he didn’t know was that not only had I learned foreign languages, but I was also planning to leave him. In just one month, I would disappear completely from his world. Keith chatted away with his friend in a fluent foreign language while carefully feeding fruit to me. He didn’t notice my slightly swollen, red eyes. He thought I couldn’t understand foreign languages, which was why he felt free to discuss his affairs right in front of me. What he didn’t know was that, over the years, I had learned multiple languages and was fluent in five of them. Even his casual conversations with his mistress, Mildred Clayton, always in another language, were all within my understanding. He’d been deceiving me for so long, but I had kept one secret from him, too. One month from now, I would erase all my information and leave for another country with a completely new identity. By then, no matter what methods Keith used, he would never find me. I looked coldly at the man I had loved for ten years. His face was the same, his features unchanged, but to me, he had become a stranger. Suddenly, everything felt so pointless. I didn’t want to play along anymore. I made an excuse to go home and rest. Just as I stood up, Keith did the same, saying. “You all have fun. I’m leaving, need to take my wife home to rest.” His friends sighed, clearly dissatisfied. “We’ve barely started, and now you’re leaving? This is no fun.” I let go of his hand, coolly replying, “Just have the driver take me home. Just stay and enjoy yourself.” Without giving him a chance to respond, I turned and walked out.

Outside the restaurant, the driver had been waiting for a while. As I got in, I realized that Keith’s coat was still draped over my shoulders. I told the driver to turn around. When we got back to the restaurant, a familiar figure appeared before me. It was Mildred, the woman Keith had been keeping for the past six months. She was wearing a black, tight-fitting dress that highlighted her curves, her high heels clicking as she swayed her hips toward the restaurant. My breath caught in my throat, and my heart tightened in pain. She walked into the private room and immediately sat down on Keith’s lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and speaking in a playful tone. “As soon as I got your call, I rushed over. I missed you so much.” Then, she pressed her lips to Keith’s, a brief, teasing kiss. Keith smirked, and his eyes were full of desire. He cupped the back of her head, pulling her closer as he kissed her with an intensity that seemed to want to consume her completely. Laughter erupted from the group. “That’s why Keith keeps a mistress. Mildred’s the perfect type, innocent yet so tempting. Who could resist her?” I stood outside the door, coldly watching the scene before me, my heart slowly numbing. They all knew about this, and they played along with Keith to deceive me. Meanwhile, I had been desperately trying to fit into their world, hoping to bond with them. In the end, I was just a fool. In my panic, Mildred had already climbed off Keith’s lap. She raised her glass, toasting the group with a drink, acting carefree as she downed it. A friend joked, “Keith, you sure know how to live. We’re all jealous of you. “I thought you’d stay faithful to Cynthia, but seems like even the innocent guy couldn’t resist Mildred at all.” When he heard my name, Keith’s smile faded, replaced by a cold expression. His tone turned sharp, carrying an unspoken warning. “I hope this stays between us. If it reaches Cynthia, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” The atmosphere instantly dropped to freezing point. A friend slapped his chest and reassured him, “Keith, don’t worry. We’ve got your back. Cynthia will never find out.” “Yeah, don’t worry. As long as you’re careful, she won’t notice. Women are easy to deceive.” Their chatter made Keith’s furrowed brow relax a little. Trying to lighten the mood, Mildred suggested they play a game of truth or dare. The bottle spun, and whoever it pointed to had to tell the truth. After several rounds, it was finally Mildred’s turn. With a mischievous grin, a friend asked, “When was the last time you…?” Mildred playfully pouted and answered, “Yesterday, in Keith’s office.”

As soon as those words left her mouth, the room erupted in laughter and praise for Mildred’s boldness. Outside the door, I gripped the hem of my dress, my body trembling. Yesterday was our five-year wedding anniversary. I had cooked all of Keith’s favorite dishes myself. I heated the food again and again, only to get the message that he had to stay late for a meeting. To keep me from suspecting, he even arranged for his secretary to pretend to be with him. I remembered the day five years ago when he married me. He had raised my hand high, tears in his eyes, and loudly announced to the world, “I married Cynthia! She is my wife!” That day, he laughed and cried as if he had finally achieved his long-awaited dream. But in just five years, the boy who had made me feel like I had won the world now made me feel like I had lost everything. I couldn’t bear to watch anymore, so I turned and left. As I turned, I bumped into the waiter who was bringing the next dish. I signaled for him to stay quiet. “I don’t want anyone in there to know I was here.” Afraid he might blurt something out and ruin my plan, I slipped a few bills into his hand, feeling relieved once he took them. I wiped away the tears from my eyes and composed myself before walking out. The driver noticed Keith’s jacket still draped over me and looked puzzled. “Mrs. Beltran, haven’t you seen Mr. Beltran? You can wait in the car. I will take it to him. You look a bit pale.” I waved him off and tossed the jacket into the car. “He’s too hot right now for that jacket. I’ll take it back later. You can drive another car. I need to use this one.” I started the engine and drove toward the university, where Keith and I had spent our wonderful college years. For a moment, I could almost see that young, ambitious man again, holding my face in his hands, making a promise for a lifetime. He had said, “I’ll only love Cynthia in this life.” He had said, “Cynthia, I can’t live without you.” Keith, the one who broke his promise, deserved to swallow ten thousand needles. So, I would punish him. After a month, he would never see me again.

I sat alone on a bench by the lake for a long time until the night quietly settled in, and I snapped back to reality. Having been with Keith for five years, married for another five, ten years of love, it would be a lie to say I wasn’t heartbroken. But now, I felt strangely indifferent, no longer stirred by any emotion. Time was the best medicine. I stood up, ready to head back, but was suddenly hit by an electric bike. The intense pain made me lose consciousness. When I opened my eyes again, I was in the hospital. I had an IV drip attached to my hand, which helped reduce the pain in my body. When the nurse saw that I was awake, she spoke to me while changing my bandages. “Mrs. Beltran, you were hit by an electric scooter. Luckily, it’s not serious, just some minor injuries. A period of rest, and you’ll be fine. “Mr. Beltran is outside the room. I’ll go get him for you. When he heard about the accident, he was so worried his voice was shaking. He really cares about you.” As she said that, she started to head toward the door. I stopped her. “No need. Let him finish whatever he’s doing first.” The nurse nodded, didn’t say more, and left. The room was quiet except for my breathing. Even though Keith tried to lower his voice outside, I could still hear his conversation. “Is that true? I’ll be there right away.” His voice faded as he walked away. Struggling, I got out of bed, yanked the IV needle from my hand, slipped on my shoes, and followed Keith. He walked briskly, and in no time, we were at the obstetrics and gynecology department. Mildred, with her slightly swollen belly, rested contentedly in Keith’s arms, her face glowing with the happiness of expecting a child. Both of them radiated the joy of becoming parents for the first time. In the second year of our marriage, I told Keith I wanted a child, but he refused. He said he couldn’t bear to see me suffer through the pain of pregnancy and childbirth. He said he didn’t want anyone else to take away his love for me, that he wanted to love me with all his heart. But now, I could clearly see the joy on his face. He did want a child. He wanted to be a father. I couldn’t understand his conflicting feelings. At that moment, I even felt relieved that we didn’t have any children between us.

Keith finally saw me two minutes later. His smile immediately froze, and he hurriedly pushed Mildred aside. “Cynthia, what… what are you doing out here? How do you feel? Does it still hurt?” I looked at him steadily, trying to find a trace of the man I once knew on his face, but there was nothing. Now, he was mature and composed, no longer the passionate man who once loved me deeply. I shook my head. “It doesn’t hurt anymore. Just some minor injuries, nothing serious. The doctor said I just need to rest at home.” Keith seemed to sigh in relief and casually introduced the woman next to him. “Mildred is my business partner. She happened to be here for a checkup, so I came to visit her.” My eyes lingered on Mildred’s baby bump. “You’re pregnant? Why isn’t your husband here with you?” Mildred gently touched her belly and smiled, looking very happy. “My baby’s father couldn’t come today because he’s busy, but he loves me so much. He bought me a villa and even designed a special blue firework show for me. It will be launched all over the city to celebrate my pregnancy.” I smiled faintly. “Really? You’re so lucky.” Mildred became even more pleased with herself. “Mrs. Beltran, would you join us for dinner and watch the fireworks together?” At that, Keith’s voice turned low and cold, like ice. “There’s no need. My wife needs to rest.” With that, he wrapped his arm around my waist and carried me out of the room. Behind us, Mildred’s smile froze, and her eyes burned with venom as she stared at me.

Keith brought me home and took care of me carefully, though he seemed distant. I was too tired to face him, so I pretended to sleep. He seemed distracted all day. When he saw that I was asleep, he immediately went into his study. Suddenly, I received a text from an unknown number. It was from Mildred. [You’ve probably figured out that the baby in my belly is Keith’s, right? Why do you still cling to him? He doesn’t love you anymore. He’s with me on every important holiday. Everywhere you look, you’ll find traces of me in your life. Your man completely belongs to me now, so leave him. I will love him more than you ever did.] I let out a cold laugh and turned off my phone. At that moment, the sky was lit up with brilliant blue fireworks. It was the blue I once loved the most. Keith rushed in, covering my ears. “I’m afraid the sound of the fireworks will scare you.” I pushed his hand away and looked up at the sky full of fireworks. “These blue fireworks are so beautiful.” Keith gently patted my head. “If you like them, I’ll make sure they set off even bigger and more beautiful fireworks for you tomorrow. How about it?” I shook my head. “No need. I find things other people have used dirty.” Though I was clearly talking about the fireworks, a hint of panic flashed across Keith’s face. He held me tightly in his arms. “Don’t worry. I’ll design a unique firework just for you, one that’s only yours.” In the following days, Keith kept coming home late, using work as an excuse. I didn’t ask about his whereabouts, but Mildred’s messages never stopped. There were photos of Keith personally making soup for her. There were videos of Keith playing the guitar and singing for her during her pregnancy. There were pictures of Keith spending a fortune on collectibles just to make her smile. Each message seemed to flaunt the deep love Keith had for her. I never replied, pretending I hadn’t seen them. I had more important things to focus on, clearing all traces of myself from this home. On the first day, when Keith was busy making soup for Mildred, I shredded the nutrition plan he’d personally written for me. On the second day, after Keith bought a collectible for Mildred, I took off the necklace he had designed for me, the one with the crescent moon, and sent it to the auction house. On the third day, when Keith and Mildred shared a kiss under the moonlight, I burned all the love letters between us. On the day I left, Keith stood by my bed, his face tired. “Cynthia, why did you send the necklace I gave you to the auction?” I looked at him, my tone flat. “I grew tired of it. I don’t like it anymore.” He looked down and gently placed the necklace back around my neck. “Just wear it for now. When I have time, I’ll design a new one for you. That way, you won’t get bored of it.” As he spoke, my phone received a message. Keith asked, “Successful cancellation?” My heart skipped a beat at his words.

I grabbed my phone, quickly turned the screen down, and put it on the bed. Luckily, I had changed the password, so Keith could only see a few words. I pretended nothing had happened and casually said, “Nothing. I just canceled my membership at a dessert shop. Their products have been getting worse lately, not to my taste, so I decided to stop going.” Keith seemed to relax and pulled me into his arms, gently asking, “Cynthia, guess what I brought back for you?” I paused for a moment and replied faintly, “A cake.” Keith’s eyes showed a hint of surprise. “How did you know?” How could I not know? Back in college, whenever Keith made me angry, he would drive to a popular tourist spot to wait in line for two hours just to get me a cake. That shop was really popular, so it took him ages to get through the line. He never asked anyone else to do it. He would stand in line himself, just for me. When he appeared in front of me, holding that sweet, delicious cake, I couldn’t help but soften. Keith teased, “You are so easy to please, you don’t care for designer bags, just love cakes.” I pretended to be angry and lightly poked his forehead. “It’s not that I’m easy to please. It’s because I love you, and I’m willing to let you off the hook. “If one day I stop loving you, even if you kneel in front of me, I won’t even look at you.” Now, he still thought the same old tricks would soften my heart. But I no longer wanted to give him that chance. Keith carefully took out the box of pastries from behind him and placed it in front of me, like a treasure, his voice soft with affection. “I knew nothing could get past you. Your sharp nose catches every scent, doesn’t it?” I gave a wry smile. “You really can’t hide anything from me.” He looked down as if my words hit a nerve. He looked a little flustered. “Cynthia, I…” Seeing his panic, I couldn’t help but find it amusing. I took the pastries he handed me, placed them on the bedside table, and then got up to wash my face in the bathroom. When I came out, I noticed that Keith’s face had darkened. “Cynthia, are you still mad at me? I’ve been so busy lately, and I know I’ve been neglecting you. I haven’t spent enough time with you, but once I get through this, I’ll make it up to you, okay?” I stayed silent, and he grew more anxious. “Next month, I’ll take you to Dathia for a while. Don’t you want to see the ocean?” Next month? Keith, we wouldn’t have a next month.

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On the fifth anniversary of our relationship, my girlfriend, having rejoined her wealthy family, posted my photo on a platform similar to Craigslist. [One dollar for a loyal admirer of five years.] I thought she was joking until I received a friend request on Snapchat. Then my girlfriend called me: “I’m the heiress of Miller Bank. We’re not on the same level; you’re not suitable for me.” “The person I’ve introduced to you is a wealthy woman my family knows. If you treat her well, fortune and success will be yours. No need to thank me.” She hung up, only to announce her engagement to the sole heir of the Carter Miller Group on Snapchat. Looking at the unfamiliar face in her post left me utterly confused. He’s the heir of the Carter Miller Group, so who am I? “Let’s break up.” “I was with you because we were equals. That’s no longer the case. You couldn’t reach my level in several lifetimes.” “Don’t tell anyone we dated; it disgusts me.” The call ended abruptly, leaving me stunned. I couldn’t believe these words came from my girlfriend, Emma. Emma was an ordinary employee at a small company. She was smart and capable, and despite a tough upbringing, she never complained. Her smile was like a ray of sunshine that drew me to her. For five years, she cared for me with thoughtfulness. Just yesterday, we were planning to earn more money to build a future together. And today, she suddenly wants to break up? She once told me I was the person she loved most and never wanted to part from me. Even if she told me herself, I couldn’t believe it! I had to find out what was really going on! I kept calling her, but she didn’t answer, and eventually, her number became unreachable. While I was still anxious, a friend suddenly sent me a screenshot. It was Emma’s announcement on Snapchat: “Meeting you made me realize how beautiful life is. Everyone is welcome to my engagement party with Liam Carter, the heir of the Carter Miller Group.” The comments section was filled with congratulations. But I was left in confusion. Carter Miller Group? How many Carter Miller Groups are there in the city? Not only did the company’s name match my family’s, but all other details matched too. Even our parents’ names were the same! Could there really be such a coincidence? I quickly asked a friend to get a photo for me. It wasn’t long before I saw the supposed heir of Carter Miller Group. Then I realized. Yes, it’s my family’s engagement. But the groom is a fraud! He’s not Liam Carter! He’s a university student I sponsored, named Ethan Johnson. For years, I quietly stayed by Emma’s side, while he attended business events with my mom. I wanted him to gain some experience for the future. But I never thought… He would deceive me! I couldn’t accept that a five-year relationship would end so ambiguously. So, I went straight to the engagement venue that day. As soon as I entered, I saw Emma in a white wedding dress, a scene I had dreamed of countless times. The emcee asked them to drink a ceremonial toast. Emma maintained a perfect smile, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. “Emma, our family’s prosperity depends on you. You won’t let your mom down, right?” That must be her mom speaking. Emma looked pained, forcing a smile as she glanced at Ethan. I understood her forced smile. She didn’t want to leave me! “Emma, you don’t have to struggle like this!” I shouted toward the center of the ceremony, releasing my pent-up anger. Everyone turned to look at me with strange eyes. Emma’s face turned pale. “Didn’t I tell you we broke up? Leave and stop causing trouble!” Emma’s eyes reddened upon seeing me. Afraid I’d see her, she turned away. How could I leave without understanding? “Emma, I love you. I might not know what’s happening, but trust me, I can solve it!” From her back, I could tell Emma was about to lose control of her emotions. She turned around, tears in her eyes. Before she could speak, her mom interjected. “Young man, this isn’t a place for someone of your status.” I couldn’t help but scoff internally. Usually, such a high-end banquet hall requires an invitation to enter. But I didn’t need one; the banquet owner drove me here personally. He’s hoping I’ll rent the hall to him next year. I knew my purpose today and didn’t mention these things. Emma’s mom looked me up and down. “Are you Emma’s friend? Knowing her is already a highlight of your life.” “Young man, just because you dress nicely doesn’t mean you can cross social classes.” “Emma has feelings for you, but you must know someone as poor as you isn’t worthy of her.”

I took her words as her concern for Emma’s future and didn’t take them to heart. I didn’t respond. Emma, afraid her mom would say more outrageous things, quickly stepped up beside her mom. “Mom, I’ve already told him clearly. I have no feelings for him. Let’s not argue with him; our company still wants to go public, and this could hurt our reputation.” Miller Bank has been planning to go public since the beginning of the year. They repeatedly sought cooperation with the Carter Miller Group. Two years ago, when Miller Bank faced a financial crisis, we helped them, and now they want my dad to finance them to go public, but my dad ignored them. But Miller Bank was persistent, always looking for opportunities to cooperate. With this in mind, I suddenly realized. Could Emma’s mom be forcing her to marry this fake heir to get help from our group? It must be. Emma loves me too much to leave me just because she’s an heiress of Miller Bank! The imposter Ethan, who had been observing, snorted at me. “Kid, you have some nerve, disrupting my engagement to the Carter family heir!” I almost laughed. Talk about greed. I’ve supported him for years, showed him the world, and he dares to impersonate me and commit fraud! Such an ungrateful person! “Carter family heir? Are you?” My smile seemed to sting his sensitive pride. “You poor loser! Do you know how serious your disrespect is?” “I’m the Carter Miller Group heir. If you don’t want my father to kill you, kneel and apologize.” My tone was slightly mocking. “Too bad, if the Carter Miller Group chairman finds out, you’re the one who’s dead, not me.” “Did all your knowledge go to waste? This is a society ruled by law. No one can kill anyone! If you’re brainless, read more books.” As soon as I finished speaking, the atmosphere turned icy. My parents have always respected my choices and decisions. They know I’m not a spoiled brat and have always helped me build a good reputation. If my parents knew the student we helped was biting the hand that fed him. Using our son’s name to commit fraud, they would make him pay. Ethan’s face turned livid with rage. “You poser, dreaming of the unattainable! Get lost!” “Out of respect for Emma, I’ll let you go today! Don’t push it!” Seeing Ethan angry, Emma quickly tried to calm him. “Don’t get mad; it’s not worth it over a poor loser.” After comforting Ethan, Emma turned to me with a stern face. “Don’t you understand? We’re not on the same level. Stop dreaming and get out! I don’t want to see you!” She gestured to the security to escort me out. I thought that was the end of it, but Ethan stopped the security. “Wait!” “This poor loser is talking nonsense and ruining my engagement. How can I face the Carter family?” Ethan, dressed in the latest Dior suit, swaggered toward me. Ha, I had my mom give him that suit, thinking he’d look presentable at important events. I never imagined he’d betray us. He punched me hard, and I fell to the ground, unprepared. “Don’t let me see you again, or I’ll take your leg off next time!” I wiped the blood from my mouth. And punched him back. As soon as he raised his head to hurl insults, I swung a left hook. My boxing coach was a national champion. I do anaerobic exercise every day, and my muscles outweigh Ethan’s fat. Comparing fists with me is a futile effort. Everyone was shocked by my actions. Emma quickly reacted, indirectly protecting me. My boxing skills were honed under the guidance of a national champion. I maintain a rigorous daily regimen of anaerobic exercises, and my muscles are more defined than Ethan Johnson’s excess weight. Trying to take me on in a fight is as futile as trying to crack a rock with an egg. Is Ethan Johnson really so caught up in his act that he’s convinced himself he’s the real deal? After I landed two punches on him in front of everyone, Ethan Johnson was furious, yelling at me in a rage. “You’re finished! You’re done for! Tell your family to prepare for the worst!” “Security! Security!” Has he watched too many gangster movies, or does he think he’s some kind of mob boss? Everyone was taken aback by my actions. Emma Miller quickly stepped in to protect me. “Liam Carter, are you deaf? Get out of here now!” She exclaimed while pushing me out, though we were stopped by security halfway. “You think you can hit the young master and just walk away?” Emma trembled with fear. But I remained unfazed. I ignored the security. “Emma, you got engaged to him for your family’s business, right? Don’t be fooled by this impostor. Marry me, and I promise you and your company wealth and prosperity.” Ethan Johnson, who was raised by his grandmother, got into a prestigious university on his own merits, and with his father’s connections, landed a job at a public company. If word got out that he was impersonating me, all his efforts would be in vain. I’m willing to give him another chance. I took Emma’s hand and gave her a reassuring look. “Emma, trust me.”

But she didn’t catch my meaning. The crowd erupted in laughter at my words. “This guy’s watched too much TV. He’s so poor, hasn’t he looked at himself lately?” “In simple terms, he wants the high life but lacks the ability, so he’s looking for a free ride.” “As a man, being this shameless is utterly disgusting.” Emma’s mom chimed in with mockery. “Emma, it’s all my fault for not finding you sooner and letting you be fooled by this delusional guy.” Emma looked helpless, her brows furrowed. “Liam Carter, I’m no longer the carefree Emma you once knew. I have the responsibility of my entire family’s business on my shoulders. I don’t want to disrupt your life.” “Stop provoking Ethan. Forget me and live your life.” After saying that, she turned to Ethan with a pleading expression. “Young Master Ethan, please let bygones be bygones. Let’s continue our engagement ceremony without letting him disrupt it. Please let him go.” Ethan, looking smug, said. “Fine, you’re lucky Emma pleaded for you.” He pointed at his shoes. “But this guy got my shoes dirty. Kneel and clean them, and I’ll let it go.” Emma thought his demand was too much and couldn’t help but speak up. “Young Master Ethan, isn’t that going too far…” Ethan, annoyed, retorted at Emma. “I’m the heir of the Carter Miller Group and this loser disrupted my engagement and hit me twice. Am I overreacting?” Ethan nodded, still angry. “Fine, then Emma, you do it. Do it for him, and I’ll let him go.” Emma pressed her lips into a line, steeling herself, and knelt down. The bystanders who were on Ethan’s side earlier now began to question. The guests whispered among themselves. “Isn’t Young Master Ethan going too far? How can he treat his fiancée like this?” “Exactly. Even if this guy was wrong, it’s not Emma’s fault. Isn’t this taking it out on Emma?” “Why is Emma so humble? It’s embarrassing for us women! Even though the Carter Miller Group is powerful, she’s from a noble family too. Why bow down to Ethan like this?” “But you can’t say that. You don’t understand the Carter Miller Group’s influence. If they cut ties with Miller Bank, it would be disastrous. Didn’t you see? Even with Ethan treating Miss Miller like this, her family dare not speak up.” Emma lowered her head, hands on the ground. “I’m sorry, Young Master Ethan. It’s all my fault. I hope you can calm down.” “Emma, get up!” I couldn’t believe the proud Emma would kneel like this. A few years ago, her ex-boyfriend returned, offering her a high-paying job and everything she needed. But she didn’t even look at him, outright rejecting him, even as she was burdened with her adoptive mom’s medical bills. Yet today, she’s humbling herself for me in public. Emma blocked out my calls. My heart felt as if it was being stabbed! With sheer force, I broke free from the four or five security guards restraining me. Even if it costs me my life today, I won’t let the woman I love be humiliated. “Ethan Johnson, don’t be ungrateful! I am the real heir of the Carter Miller Group!”

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On my sister’s wedding night, she caught me having an affair with her husband. The wedding guests pointed at me, laughing at how disgraceful our family was. My father had a heart attack from the shock, while my mother rushed over in tears, scratching my face and pulling my hair, forcing me to kneel and apologize to my sister. At that moment, I became the most despicable and promiscuous woman in Cloud City. Gabriel Knight, satisfied with our encounter, elegantly buttoned up his shirt. In front of everyone, he suddenly grabbed my neck, his tone cold and indifferent. “Not bad, but your methods of climbing the social ladder are a bit crude.” As I struggled to breathe, I couldn’t help but laugh hysterically. Because in my previous life, this was exactly how he choked my sister when she was eight months pregnant, Until the baby stopped moving completely. When Rose kicked open the hotel room door, I was straddling her fiancé’s waist. “What are you doing?!” Rose, dressed in an elegant wedding gown, looked like a devastated clown. I threw my head back and laughed, gently biting Gabriel’s ear. “Your husband says white wedding dresses are too dull. He prefers my black lace~” “You whore!” My usually gentle sister cursed for the first time in her life. She grabbed a nearby glass and hurled it at me. The shards grazed the corner of my eye, drawing blood, nearly blinding me. Amidst the gasps of the guests, our father arrived and collapsed, clutching his chest at the sight. “Someone’s dying! Call 911!” “How awful, the Rivers family adopted a viper!” In the chaos, our elderly mother charged through the crowd like a lioness, her eyes blazing red as she slapped me hard across the face. “You ungrateful bitch! Have you forgotten how your sister worked five jobs a day to pay for your surgery when we adopted you?!” The pain left me speechless, but my mother grabbed my hair and dragged me off the bed, throwing me at my sister’s feet. Meanwhile, Rose’s fiancé – Gabriel Knight – stood by coldly, observing like an outsider. “Apologize to your sister! Kneel and beg for forgiveness!” My mother angrily pulled my hair, slamming my head against the floor repeatedly. My forehead bled from the impacts, some drops even staining Rose’s pristine white wedding dress. “I won’t! I love Gabriel Knight!” I shouted defiantly, my makeup smeared like a ghost’s. My sister, who had always loved and cared for me, slapped me for the first time. Her diamond ring cut my cheek, drawing blood. Trembling, screaming, she broke down and yelled. “Gabriel is mine! Lily Rivers, don’t you dare!” This scene of the Rivers sisters turning against each other over Cloud City’s elite bachelor clearly pleased Gabriel Knight immensely. The man elegantly buttoned his shirt, got off the bed, and suddenly grabbed my neck, his tone frivolous as if appraising merchandise. “Not bad, but your methods of climbing the social ladder are a bit crude.” I rolled my eyes, my face turning red from near suffocation. But I couldn’t help grinning widely. Yes, just thinking about how I got Gabriel Knight first in this life, Made me tremble with joy all over.

After that day, Gabriel changed his engagement with the Rivers family, abandoning my sister and marrying me instead. My father was so angry he was hospitalized, and my mother’s hair turned white overnight at his bedside. I lay in Gabriel’s arms, carelessly laughing as I fed him grapes. The whole world said I was shameless, but I had no regrets. I looked at my face in the mirror opposite, so similar to my sister’s, and bit my lip hard. Don’t blame me, sister. In my previous life, you were tortured to death by this man. In this life, even if you hate me, I must prevent it all. The next day, I stood in front of the mirror with exquisite makeup, wearing an expensive haute couture dress. Downstairs was the birthday party Gabriel threw for me. Amidst everyone’s praise, I took Gabriel’s arm, smiling seductively. “Lily, please give Gabriel back to me, please… I’m begging you! Please!” Rose somehow burst in, still wearing that ridiculous wedding dress, falling to her knees in front of me. Disheveled and bloodshot, she had lost all the grace and dignity of the Rivers family’s eldest daughter. “For the sake of our sisterhood, for all these years I’ve loved and cared for you, can’t you let your sister have this…” Seeing my sister torture herself like this over a man broke my heart. Better to end it quickly than prolong the pain. I pretended to laugh cruelly, deliberately crouching down to pat Rose’s face. “Sis, men aren’t something you can just ‘let’ someone have. You have to fight for them, understand?” Catching Gabriel glancing at me from the corner of my eye, I unhesitatingly slapped Rose hard across the face in front of everyone, so hard my palm swelled. My sister fell to the ground, her cheek bleeding, utterly disheveled. I gritted my teeth and delivered the cruel words, “Mom slapped me once. Now you’re paying it back.”

After marrying Gabriel Knight, everyone in Cloud City said his love for me knew no bounds. I could freely enter and exit his private club, and he even generously gifted me a yacht. I was the last conquest in his playboy life, able to keep him in bed. The media almost daily caught steamy photos of us at hotels. Indeed, I put in a lot of effort to achieve all this. That night, Gabriel imprisoned me in a private hot spring hotel. I was carefully applying fake scars to my inner thighs. “Back then, when Mr. Rivers had a heart attack, your sister begged me on her knees to save him,” he said, gripping my chin and pouring red wine into my mouth. “Guess what I said? Unless she gave you to me to play with for three months.” “Who would have thought I wouldn’t need her to do that? You came to me voluntarily.” I let the wine soak through my lace nightgown, offering no resistance, obedient and fawning. “Your father’s condition is very serious, you know? The hospital has already issued a critical condition notice.” “Your mother is now also lying in a hospital bed, sick with worry. Rivers Corp’s stock price is plummeting, about to go bankrupt. Your sister even has to borrow money now to pay for their medical bills.” With each sentence, Gabriel’s sharp, icy snake-like eyes stared intently at my face, afraid to miss even the slightest expression. I curled my lips into a smile, my burning red lips lightly kissing Gabriel’s Adam’s apple, my tone cold and vicious. “What does that have to do with me? If they die, they die.” “They’re not my birth parents. Do they expect me to be grateful to them for life?” Gabriel’s eyes flickered. He cursed me for being heartless, but his eyes showed satisfaction. “Mr. Knight, I have something even more exciting here.” I untied my robe, revealing a body covered in cigarette burns – all faked with special effects makeup glue. “Would you like to try a branding iron?” His eyes lit up with that familiar sadistic desire, just like when he used an iron to burn my sister’s back in my previous life. Afterward, as I lay on the bed, Gabriel gently caressed the scars on my back, placing a soft kiss on them. “You’re more interesting than Rose. She would only cry when beaten, but you climax.”

A few days later, I went to the hospital, not to see my parents, but to flaunt my upcoming wedding to my sister. “Rose Rivers, I’m going to marry Gabriel Knight.” My mother, lying in the hospital bed, was so angered she suddenly sat up, pointing at me with a trembling finger, her eyes full of hatred. “Lily Rivers! How can you be so shameless? Are you trying to drive your sister to her death? Is this how you repay her for nearly sacrificing her life for you?” “Are you really that desperate for a man?” My sister, for the sake of Rivers Corp and to be with Gabriel Knight, had taken stomach medication like food to accompany clients for drinks, drinking until she vomited blood, just to climb to Gabriel’s side and become his girlfriend. In everyone’s eyes, Rose Rivers and Gabriel Knight were a match made in heaven. But I insisted on breaking them up. I pulled open my collar, revealing suggestive red marks. “That’s right, I just don’t want my sister to have a good life. I’ve slept with Gabriel Knight, and I’m keeping him.” My always gentle and kind sister burst into tears. The recent blows had already pushed her to the brink of mental collapse, and she had lost a significant amount of weight. “Lily Rivers, I hate you so much… I hate you…” “Hate me then. Oh, and I advise you to leave Cloud City soon.” I admired my newly done blood-red manicure, carelessly addressing their hatred. “So you don’t have to watch me marry your fiancé and go crazy with jealousy~” Before Rose could react, my mother threw a pillow at me first, crying and shouting. “You don’t deserve the Rivers name! We were blind to adopt you back then! Get out of here!” I turned and left the hospital room, closing the door to block out the angry outbursts, breakdowns, and endless crying inside. Just as I walked out of the hospital, an egg smashed against my head. The foul-smelling egg yolk dripped down my hair. “Bad woman! Mommy, look! That’s the bad woman from the news who stole someone else’s husband!” A little brat helping his mother carry groceries angrily pointed at me, turning to tattle to his mother. “Child, let’s go, let’s go.” The woman first glanced at me, both fearful and disgusted, then quickly left, pulling her child’s hand. Not far away, the woman couldn’t wait to say, “Honey, in the future, never interact with people like that. It’s too unlucky.” I was stunned for a moment, then casually wiped off the egg yolk and put on my new Bvlgari sunglasses.

I returned alone to the empty Rivers house, watching as debt collectors were carrying out valuable items one by one. This once grand and luxurious house was instantly left hollow inside. According to media rumors, a mysterious wealthy buyer had swept in and purchased all the Rivers family furniture at a high price. I took off my sunglasses and went to my room to pack my things. I saw the strawberry bear plush toy that my father had braved a snowstorm to buy for me when I had acute gastritis at fifteen. I saw the performance dress studded with diamonds that my mother had hand-sewn for my dance competition when I was eighteen. I saw the brooch that my sister had personally designed for me a week before her wedding at twenty-three, smiling as she told me she wanted me to wear it with my bridesmaid dress. I didn’t want any of these anymore. When I returned to the Knight residence empty-handed, Gabriel looked somewhat surprised. He put down his newspaper and raised an eyebrow. “What’s this? They wouldn’t let you take your belongings?” I shook my head, smiling as I curled up in Gabriel’s arms, kissing his chin. “It’s all worthless stuff. I couldn’t be bothered to take it. You’ll give me everything I need, won’t you, Mr. Knight?” “You’re very clever.” Gabriel stared at the red marks on my fair shoulders, his eyes tinged with desire. Those were whip marks he had personally inflicted last night. The man picked me up in his arms and carried me to the bedroom. In the heat of passion, I gently caressed Gabriel’s chiseled jawline, seizing the moment of his climax to ask, “That female celebrity who drowned last year, you had someone tie rocks to her, didn’t you?” The man chuckled, his tone contemptuous. “Who told her to get pregnant with my child? Not just anyone can be my wife.” “I still prefer your type… scheming yet self-aware.” I pretended to be jealous, playfully hitting Gabriel’s chest while extracting more information. “How mean~ Just how many women have you had? I might get jealous, you know.” Gabriel smirked, his casual words full of boasting and teasing. “Not many. You know that famous ‘pure’ actress in the entertainment industry, right? My men drugged her and sent her to my bed.” My eyes darkened, but my tone remained coy. “So how did Mr. Knight deal with her?” “Of course, I played with her once and then discarded her. Some money as compensation is enough for people like that.” “Mr. Knight, you’re so heartless. What about me then?” I pretended to be scared, actually observing Gabriel’s reaction. As expected, the man pulled me into his arms and whispered reassuringly.

Gabriel had lowered his guard around me considerably. These past few days I had been quite demanding, complaining of boredom, so he decided to take me to his underground auction house for some entertainment. Gabriel’s current status as the all-powerful figure in Cloud City was inseparable from his behind-the-scenes power and methods. At the auction house, seeing the battered young girl in the cage gasping for breath, I let out a startled cry and curled up in Gabriel’s arms like a frightened kitten. “Such a delicate little thing.” Gabriel lowered his head and affectionately tweaked my nose, smiling slightly. “I told you not to come along. Now you’ve been scared, haven’t you?” I stubbornly retorted. “I just wanted to be with Mr. Knight. Besides, it’s just this much, I’m not scared at all.” “Oh? So you won’t be scared by what comes next either?” Gabriel snapped his fingers, and the next batch of auction items were brought out one by one, either walking a fine moral line or existing in legal gray areas. These shocking and spine-chilling items made my pupils dilate, but I still clung tightly to Gabriel, looking up at him adoringly. “Mr. Knight is so amazing. Are all these yours?” “Of course, they’re all my businesses. This entire underground auction house is mine.” My pearl earrings grew slightly warm. I leaned on Gabriel’s shoulder, curling my lips in satisfaction. Gabriel took my hand, kissing the back of it, his tone gentle. “It’s not easy to acquire these goods. Is there anything you like, baby?” I shook my head, obedient yet clear-minded. “Lily only wants Mr. Knight. I don’t covet anything else.” Gabriel patted my head, saying nothing, but his eyes were full of infatuation for me. On the way back, it started pouring rain, and the car was suddenly stopped. At that moment, I was being intimate with Gabriel. “Mr. Knight, there’s a crazy woman blocking the road!” The man’s eyes filled with bloody intent. He adjusted his tie and got out of the car. I straightened my dress and followed him out, only to find that the person blocking the road was actually Rose Rivers. She looked like she had lost all will to live. The woman knelt on the ground, her face sallow, her voice hoarse, her clothes tattered and filthy, drenched by the rain like a beggar. “Mr. Knight, Mr. Knight… will you marry me? I love you… I love you more than Lily Rivers does.” I smirked, as the assistant held an umbrella for me. I crossed my arms and sneered. “Sister, still harboring such delusions? Do you think you’re worthy?” Gabriel said nothing, coldly sweeping his gaze over her before preparing to get back in the car. However, he was stopped by Rose’s next words. “I’m pregnant.” Rose pulled out a pregnancy test report, which clearly stated she was one week pregnant. Thinking carefully, my last intimate encounter with Gabriel was two weeks ago. “It’s yours, Gabriel Knight.” Gabriel’s face darkened. He walked over and grabbed Rose’s hair, slamming her against the luxury car without a word. His demeanor was fierce, his actions decisive, showing no mercy. Rose, already weak from pregnancy, now had no strength to resist as the man gripped her scalp and slammed her against the car. The impacts were so severe she opened her mouth but couldn’t even moan. I suddenly snapped back to reality and rushed forward like a madwoman, trying to pull the man away. Because in my previous life, when he choked my sister and slammed her against the piano corner, he had the exact same expression.

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When the apocalypse descended, my sister and I activated our latent powers. Lily, without hesitation, chose the flashy and powerful lightning ability. However, unable to endure hardship, she ultimately wasted her talent and barely survived in the base. I, on the other hand, relied on my seemingly useless healing ability to amass vast resources and became sought after by various base leaders. Out of kindness, I saved Lily, but she, consumed by jealousy, led me into a horde of zombies. Given a second chance, this time she snatched the healing ability first. “Now it’s my turn to coast through life and have everything. Emma, it’s your turn to suffer,” she smirked. Looking at the dazzling lightning ability now in my possession, I couldn’t help but smile. This was the power I had desperately wished for in my previous life. I awoke from darkness and searing heat. Lily’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she grinned, “Sister dear, now it’s my turn to relax and enjoy the good life.” Seeing the soft green glow in her hands, I finally snapped out of my daze and looked down at the weak electrical currents flickering in my own palms. Both Lily and I had been reborn. In our previous life, Lily had claimed she was too fragile and needed a powerful ability to protect herself. I had compromised and let her choose the lightning ability first. Little did I know she would refuse to fight zombies, unable to endure hardship, and ultimately waste her powerful gift. In the end, she could only perform simple tasks within the base, barely clinging to life. I, however, chose the seemingly useless healing ability, only to become a prized guest of various base leaders. During one encounter, I saved Lily from the brink of death at the hands of zombies. At that time, the down-on-her-luck Lily could only look up at me, protected by others. Blinded by jealousy, she chose to lead me into a horde of zombies, intending for us to perish together. Given this second chance, Lily rushed to claim the healing ability. Before I could react, chaos erupted around us. When the apocalypse first broke out, Lily and I had fortunately escaped to a large supermarket, where we successfully activated our abilities. Resources were plentiful, but people’s hearts were restless. “From now on, everyone must go out and kill zombies. Otherwise, you’ll be permanently expelled from the supermarket,” announced a young man with fair skin and a gentle voice, yet carrying an undeniable air of authority. His name was James, a man of both charisma and capability who had swiftly taken control of the supermarket and established strict rules. “Why should we?!” “This isn’t your property, you have no right to kick us out!” voices of dissent rose from the crowd. James smiled, his eyes crinkling, “Because of this.” He raised his hand, and a loud bang echoed through the air. Everyone froze, suddenly silent. Under the pressure of absolute superiority in combat, people slowly made their way out of the supermarket. Lily approached James delicately, speaking in a soft voice, “I’ve developed healing abilities. I can support your team.” James raised an eyebrow, his eyes gleaming, “Very well, you can join us.” After speaking, he shifted his gaze to me, standing silently to the side. Noticing this, Lily pointed at me with her dainty hand, “That’s my sister. She’s excellent at killing zombies. You should definitely put her on the front lines.” She looked at me, her eyes full of schadenfreude. I, however, responded with a radiant smile. What Lily didn’t know was that in my previous life, I had envied her. I had dreamed of possessing the lightning ability. Instead of relying on healing powers to become someone else’s caged bird.

Perhaps my smile angered Lily. I was assigned to be the first person to kill zombies. In our previous life, when Lily chose the lightning ability, she was also full of confidence. The reason she wasted her talent was that the ability needed to be upgraded. Initially, the lightning ability could only produce weak electrical sparks, at most causing zombies to pause for a second. She had fully believed she could dominate the battlefield with her ability, unstoppable and invincible. Yet during her first zombie encounter, she ended up in a miserable state. In her panic, she discharged electricity wildly, causing numerous casualties among James’ team, earning his resentment. Countless zombies began moving towards us, like beasts drawn by scent. My hand, gripping the knife, trembled slightly. In my previous life, I had been heavily protected and hadn’t directly confronted zombies for a long time. I stared intently at the nearest zombie, focusing all my attention. I activated my ability precisely, the weak electrical shock causing the zombie to pause for a moment. Seizing that second of opportunity, I plunged the knife deep into the zombie’s brain! Blood sprayed out as I quickly withdrew the blade, stabbing again and again. Before another zombie could approach, I finally finished it off. I swiftly discharged another electrical shock, repeating the process with the next zombie. By the end, my hands were too stiff to lift, my entire body covered in blood and gore. With my ability exhausted, I lay numbly on the ground. “You… you’re quite impressive,” James’ clear voice rang out, a smile in his tone. “You, a woman, single-handedly killed ten zombies.” I opened my tired eyes to see Lily’s face twisted with jealousy. She forced a smile, feigning concern, “Emma, you’re amazing, but with all that blood… you weren’t bitten, were you?” A cold glint flashed in my eyes. James’ smile faltered for a moment as he glanced at Lily, quickly resuming his pleasant expression. “You’re right, we should definitely check thoroughly. We absolutely cannot allow any internal threats to our group.” I lay indifferently on the ground. As long as James saw my value, he wouldn’t easily abandon me. But once he labeled me as “useless,” I’d truly be in trouble. Thinking of this, I turned to look at Lily with a knowing smile. “Shouldn’t you be treating the wounded? Why do you have time to chat here?” Anger flashed in Lily’s eyes, but mindful of James’ presence, she obediently went to tend to the injured. As I watched her walk away, my gaze grew increasingly cold. In our previous life, after Lily and I activated our abilities, she immediately abandoned me. So she didn’t know. Although the lightning ability needed upgrading, it could truly become an excellent weapon against zombies in the later stages. The healing ability, however, had a fatal flaw.

“What’s going on?!” “It hurts so much, damn it! Hurry up and heal me!” Lily stood among a group of bloodied and mangled survivors, her face as pale as a sheet of paper. She mumbled incoherently, “What’s happening? Why isn’t it working? I don’t know, I don’t know…” The relatives of the injured berated her, pushing and shoving her around. Finally, one enraged family member slapped her across the face. “To hell with you!” Lily suddenly exploded with emotion, screaming and looking towards me in the crowd. She shouted hysterically, as if possessed, “It’s you! It’s your fault, isn’t it? You did something to me!” She pushed through the layers of people surrounding her. “What’s really going on?! Isn’t this supposed to be a healing ability?!” Lily grabbed my shoulders tightly, shaking me frantically. “My dear sister, this is what you chose,” I said calmly. Her eyes were full of confusion and bewilderment, as if she couldn’t understand why the candy she had snatched was bitter. Because she had been sickly as a child, our family always told me to “let your sister have her way.” So no matter what, she always took the best things for herself, thinking it was her right. James approached to check on the situation, still wearing his gentle smile. “What’s the matter here?” Lily’s body shrank back slightly. She quickly adjusted her expression. Tucking her hair behind her ear, her eyes reddened, looking pitiful as she said, “I think it’s because I’ve only just activated my ability. I haven’t mastered the technique yet, so I can’t heal them.” James frowned in confusion, “Is that so? Well, I suppose that can’t be helped.” He patted Lily’s shoulder understandingly, speaking earnestly, “The injured can’t control their emotions, and their families are agitated with worry.” “If this happens again, I might not be able to protect you,” James said with a smile, though his words carried an inexplicable chill. I couldn’t help but take a deep breath, remembering the coldness in his eyes from my previous life, as if it could cut me into pieces. Lily’s face showed fear. After James left, I moved close to Lily, whispering in her ear like a demon, “You will never be able to heal others.” “This useless ability can only heal yourself.” I looked at Lily with interest, my tone malicious. “Not only that, it will become a target for everyone to fight over. If they can’t have it… they’ll destroy it!” Her face filled with disbelief, the light in her eyes shattering.

“Impossible! It can’t be!” Lily pushed me away frantically, muttering to herself. “You’re lying to me.” “You’re afraid I’ll become like you in your previous life, gaining the favor of all the strong ones. You’re afraid I’ll take the highest position and then take revenge on you!” Lily’s eyes were full of madness and desire, “If it can only heal oneself, how could you have been so sought after in your previous life?” She pointed at me with her bright red nails. “Emma, do you think I’m as stupid as I was in the last life?” “This time, you’re destined to be trampled under my feet.” The madness disappeared from Lily’s face, replaced by a confident smile. She turned away decisively, though her steps weren’t as steady as she’d like. She was probably half-believing, half-doubting. It didn’t matter; regardless of how much she denied it, facts were facts. In my previous life, after multiple attempts and discovering I could only heal myself, I was thunderstruck. The people who had once treated me kindly suddenly changed their attitudes. James pointed a gun at me, still smiling gently: “How will you compensate us for our losses?” “It seems you can only repay with your body.” That cold gaze and tone still haunt me to this day. No one came to save me then; I had to endure it all on my own. This time, it was Lily’s own choice. She only saw the glamorous surface of my position, ignoring the dirty scars behind the power. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. This time, I will never walk that path again. My gaze was clear, my steps determined. For the next few days, I continued to stand at the forefront, killing zombies. After each blood-soaked battle, I could feel my ability growing stronger within me. Lily’s gaze towards me grew increasingly dark and twisted. After one zombie-killing session, I returned to the supermarket. I was greeted by suspicious and disgusted looks from everyone. Lily’s triumphant expression was mixed in among them. James spoke with an apologetic tone, “Someone reported seeing you bitten by a zombie.” “You have two choices: One, be expelled from the supermarket; Two, strip and let everyone inspect you.” In an instant, it felt like that gun barrel was pointed at me again. Someone jeered, “We should all inspect together! Otherwise, I’ll be too scared.” The lewd joke drew many echoes of agreement. “Don’t kick her out, she might seek revenge on us later. Let’s just hold her down and strip her for inspection!” I lowered my eyes. This was the human nature in the apocalypse, unable to withstand even a bit of provocation. Lily’s eyes filled with tears as she cried out, “This is for everyone’s safety, Emma! It’s the apocalypse now, you can’t let your trivial sense of modesty endanger everyone’s lives!” The atmosphere reached a fever pitch. Everyone was shouting frantically, as if I was prey within their grasp. I quietly took a few steps back, only to find myself surrounded. I frowned deeply. This wasn’t good. My mind raced, thinking of ways to escape. I could run towards the stored gasoline and use my remaining ability to threaten them; or I could go all out, use lightning on those guarding the door, and seize the opportunity to escape… No matter what, I would never submit meekly again in this life. Having made up my mind, I raised my bright eyes. But then I heard a loud bang. Followed by the dull thud of a body hitting the ground. “Murder! Someone’s been killed!!!”

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I Had a Girlfriend in College I had a girlfriend in college. She was gentle and lovely, with clear eyes. I was head over heels for her, wanting to give her the world. One day, I received a friend request. It dawned on me that I might have been cheated on. I confronted my girlfriend, but she denied it vehemently, tears in her eyes. My heart softened, and I believed her, even buying her a new bag to make up. Until my friends told me the truth: she had long been married to a man in his fifties back in her hometown. They were working together to deceive me and swindle my money, causing my company to face frequent troubles. I couldn’t believe it. As my vision blurred, I suddenly found myself in her husband’s body when I opened my eyes again. Still reeling from the shock of being the other man, the harsh sunlight outside the window snapped me back to reality. The soft sensation beneath me startled me. I looked down to find myself sitting on a bed, surrounded by unfamiliar surroundings. “Where am I?” The pain of being cheated on was momentarily forgotten, replaced by confusion. I unconsciously reached up to scratch my neck, surprised by the rough texture. Shocked, I looked down at my hands. They were rough, dark, and calloused. My confusion deepened. “Who am I?” I rushed to a mirror, staring at the unfamiliar “me” reflected back. The man in the mirror was overweight, with a fleshy face and dark skin, looking to be in his fifties. I stared at him, feeling a sense of familiarity. Racking my brain, it suddenly hit me where I’d seen him before. This was Emma’s husband back in her hometown! I had seen him in my friend’s phone. “Holy crap, did I… swap bodies with him?” The situation had gone beyond my comprehension. “Where is he then? Is he in my body?” Just then, a ringtone interrupted my thoughts. I pulled out a phone from my pocket, seeing “Mom” on the caller ID. I answered. Before I could speak, an elderly voice came through, “Richard, Emma’s just playing around with that boy. She’s still yours. Once she’s swindled all his money, the company will be yours too. You can provoke him however you want, it’s fine. We’re just enduring for now, we won’t lose out in the end.” The barrage of words left me dizzy. Hearing my silence, the voice continued, “Richard? Richard? I know you’re upset about Emma seeing another man, but listen to your mother. If we endure now, you can do whatever you want with Emma when she comes back for summer break. I heard that boy’s quite generous with her, let Emma milk him for all he’s worth and bring back some money for you to buy cigarettes.” Only then did I fully grasp the situation. So, not only had I swapped bodies with the older man, but I had also traveled back to the moment he sent me a friend request. “So the company’s troubles were their doing too. Damn it!” I slapped my thigh. “Heaven’s given me this chance. This time, I’ll protect my money and my company.” If I had swapped into his body, he might have swapped into mine. In that case, wouldn’t he empty my bank account?! I had a moment of panic, wishing I hadn’t set up fingerprint payments.

No, wait. What if he hadn’t? I clung to a shred of hope, silently praying that this greedy old man hadn’t swapped into my body. First, I needed to confirm who was in my body. With this realization, I quickly pulled out my phone, found my chat window, and with trembling hands, slowly typed, “Who are you?” “?” The reply came quickly, followed by, “Are you crazy?” It felt so familiar, like my style. Excited, I eagerly typed, “Who was our elementary school teacher?” “Mr. Thompson, of course.” The instant reply, coupled with the fact that I had never discussed this with Emma and had no elementary school classmates’ contacts in my phone, plus the familiar feeling, was conclusive! I was almost certain the person on the other end was me. “Emma is a fraud. Don’t be fooled by her sweet talk!!” I typed furiously, afraid that my younger self might soften and fall for Emma’s tricks again. “She’s already married.” “?” came the reply from the other end, “You’re the fraud. Don’t I know my own girlfriend?” My heart sank at this response. It was over; he must have already confronted Emma, and she had managed to talk her way out of it. I was disappointed in myself. How could I believe everything Emma said? I felt like flying over there to knock some sense into myself. I kept trying, typing frantically, but the other end stopped responding. Frustrated, calling myself an idiot, a sudden idea struck me. I hurriedly rummaged around and found Richard and Emma’s marriage certificate. I took about a hundred photos of the certificate from every possible angle, proving it was as real as gold. Confident, I sent the photos over with a trademark “haha”, thinking, “Now with this iron-clad evidence, you’ve got to believe me.” Before I could celebrate for long, a red exclamation mark appeared on the screen. I had been blocked. Blocked by myself. Okay, I guess I’ve really outdone myself this time, being both a hopeless romantic and a clown. Not giving up, I tried adding him from other accounts, but none were accepted. At this point, with my savings at stake, I didn’t hesitate. I quickly booked a flight, planning to confront Emma and knock some sense into my love-struck self. Fortunately, Richard had also set up fingerprint payments. I booked a first-class ticket. Hehe, it’s the old man’s money, so might as well go all out. After all the trouble he’s caused me, a little compensation isn’t too much to ask, right?

As the plane landed, I once again set foot on familiar ground. On the taxi ride to campus, memories of my time with Emma flooded my mind. I remembered the first time I saw her on campus. She was wearing a white dress that fluttered in the wind, standing in the sunlight, flashing me a sweet smile. I got her WeChat under the pretext of helping her move her luggage. I sent her good morning, good afternoon, and good night messages every day. I spent time and energy making her happy, time and money accompanying her shopping and paying for her. It took me over three months of pursuing her before I dared to confess. When I saw her hesitate, seemingly about to refuse, I quickly told her how much I liked her, swearing to treat her well. Only then did I manage to convince her to be my girlfriend. After we got together, I told her everything, even company secrets without any reservations. We spent what I thought was a sweet and blissful time together. At least, that’s how it seemed to me. Occasionally, she would avoid taking calls in front of me, but I never questioned it, giving her enough privacy. Sometimes when we talked about family topics, she would stammer and refuse to elaborate. I thought it was because of a troubled family background, and feeling sorry for her, I would quickly change the subject. I thought that as long as I gave her my whole heart, we would be together forever. I never expected she would give me such a big surprise. I was the one intruding on their marriage. This realization once again stabbed at my heart. The phone screen reflected Richard’s face. I stared at it, thinking how I, a 6’1″ extremely handsome guy, couldn’t compete with this fifty-year-old man. The thought made my heart ache even more. The driver’s voice snapped me out of my daze. I got out of the car, standing at the university gates, determination in my eyes. Emma, this time I won’t be fooled by you. At this time, my younger self should have just finished Calculus class and be on the way back to the dorm. Relying on my memory, I went to the path he would take and waited for a while before I saw myself. I approached and stopped him. I watched a look of confusion spread across my familiar face. “Can I help you?” Talking to my own face, hearing my own voice, was an indescribably strange feeling. “Jack, I’m the uncle who added you the other day,” I said, knowing I didn’t have much patience and getting straight to the point. Jack’s face flashed with impatience. “I trust my girlfriend. I made it clear last time, please don’t bother us anymore.” Come on, man. I’ve come all this way and you still believe Emma? I facepalmed once again at my past self’s stupidity. Seeing Jack’s firm attitude, I didn’t dare to proceed with my original plan.

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The day I stood by Ethan Quinn as he claimed his inheritance from the Quinn family, he made the entire city of Riverton stop and watch. Ethan had bought out every major ad space in the city to propose to me, declaring to the world that I was the only woman he would ever love. People envied me. They said I had married for love. And for a while, I believed it too. But less than a year later, Ethan swallowed up my family’s wealth and waltzed in with his “true love,” Lydia, by his side. He locked me in a basement, leaving me at the mercy of Lydia’s endless humiliation. It wasn’t until the moment I died in that cold, damp darkness that I realized—the love Ethan had proclaimed for me was nothing but a lie. A carefully planned deception from the start. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of Ethan’s grand proposal. “Willow,” Ethan said, kneeling before me. I was surrounded by a sea of flowers, our closest friends, and nearly every influential figure in Riverton. The proposal was nothing short of extravagant. Ethan had spared no expense. This wasn’t just a private moment; it was a city-wide broadcast. Every screen in Riverton was tuned into this “romantic spectacle.” I looked at Ethan, my chest tightening as memories flooded back—memories of suffocating darkness, the metallic stench of damp air, and Lydia’s cruel laughter. The pain from that nightmare felt all too real. My body trembled at the memory, and I couldn’t stop myself from shivering. Ethan’s voice broke through my thoughts, his eyes red with emotion as he spoke. “Willow, I’ve loved you my entire life. You’ve been my light, my only salvation. You stayed with me through the darkest times, when no one else would. You are my happiness, my everything. Please, marry me.” My past and present collided in that instant. I snapped back to reality, stepping away from him as he stared at me in shock. “Ethan,” I said, cutting him off mid-sentence. The surprise on his face was evident as I continued, “We’re not right for each other.” I turned to the lighting technician and signaled for them to stop the romantic effects. Then, I bowed slightly to the gathered crowd, apologizing for the disruption. Facing the live broadcast, I smiled politely and said, “Ethan, I’ve always thought of you as a friend. I’ve never felt anything romantic toward you.” Ethan Quinn wasn’t just any man. He was the illegitimate son of Harold Quinn, the patriarch of the powerful Quinn family. His mother had clawed her way into a life of luxury by giving birth to Ethan after a single night with Harold. But she was never satisfied, always scheming for a way to replace Harold’s wife and claim the family’s fortune. When we were children, Ethan’s mother orchestrated a fake kidnapping to force the Quinn family to acknowledge her son. But her plan backfired. The criminals she hired turned on her, cutting her out of the deal and planning to kill Ethan to keep the ransom money for themselves. It was my father who saved Ethan that day. Risking his own life, my father pulled Ethan out of that nightmare. My parents and I stayed by Ethan’s side, nursing him back to health. For two weeks, we barely left his bedside. Out of pity, my father intervened and convinced the Quinn family to take Ethan in. That’s how Ethan and I grew up together. I thought the bond we formed through those harrowing events would last a lifetime. I stood by Ethan as he fought his way into the Quinn family, earning their respect and ultimately inheriting the family fortune. I believed our love was inevitable, forged through shared struggles and strengthened by time. But I was wrong. Ethan wasn’t my soulmate. He was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The man I gave my heart to would later destroy my family and claim everything we owned. I still remember that day, one year after our marriage, when Ethan revealed his true colors. He had seized control of both the Quinn and Linwood family assets, solidifying himself as the most powerful man in Riverton. Standing beside him was Lydia, the woman he truly loved. “Willow,” he said, cold and detached. “If your parents hadn’t meddled in my life, I wouldn’t have suffered all those years in the Quinn family.” His words were like knives, cutting into my heart. “To get back at you, I’ve been planning this for years. Look at you now—you’re no longer the Linwood heiress. You’re nothing more than a useless pawn under my control. Do you regret saving me back then?” He gripped my chin, forcing me to meet his venomous gaze. “And just so you know,” he added, his voice dripping with malice, “it was me who set your parents up. The charges that sent them to prison? All my doing. They’ll live out the rest of their days rotting behind bars. You can thank me for that.”

Ethan’s eyes glinted with malice, like a snake tightening around my neck, suffocating me. Beside him, Lydia twisted the knife deeper into my wounds. “I’m already carrying Ethan’s child,” she said, her voice dripping with smugness. “The two of you have been married for years, and yet… no baby, Willow.” “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll let you in on a little secret.” Lydia’s grin widened, her tone as sweet as arsenic. “It’s because Ethan’s been drugging your food. You’re barren now. A hen that can’t lay eggs. Isn’t that hilarious?” I stared at Ethan—the man I used to share my life with, whose every touch once felt tender—and then at Lydia, whose flat stomach now carried his child. Hate surged through me, so fierce and hot that I thought it might burn me alive. I clenched my teeth so hard I thought they might shatter. “I’ll make sure you both pay for this,” I spat, my voice trembling with rage. But Ethan only laughed as if my words were a joke. Without another word, he grabbed me by the arm and dragged me like a ragdoll to the basement. Ethan knew I was scared of the dark. And so, he locked me in a pitch-black basement, where the damp air clung to my skin and the silence was broken only by the occasional drip of water. Standing in the doorway, he sneered down at me. “From now on, this is where you’ll stay. Take your time reflecting on all the terrible things you’ve done to me.” I’ve been afraid of the dark for as long as I can remember. The moment the door slammed shut, the fear wrapped around me like a suffocating blanket. My chest heaved, and I clawed at the walls, desperate to find something—anything—to hold on to. When the door opened again, I rushed forward, throwing myself at Ethan’s feet. “Please,” I sobbed, clutching at the hem of his pants. “Don’t leave me here. I’ll do anything. Just don’t leave me in the dark.” I begged with every ounce of dignity I had left, lowering myself to a level I never thought possible. Ethan’s only response was laughter—cold, heartless laughter that echoed off the damp walls. “Oh, did I forget to mention something?” he said, crouching down so his face was level with mine. The dim light from the hallway cast shadows over his sharp features, making him look almost inhuman. “Willow,” he drawled, his voice sickeningly soft, “do you remember that time you were locked in the equipment room overnight as a child?” My entire body froze. “That was me,” he said casually. Ice shot through my veins as he continued, his tone almost conversational. “I planned it all. Timed it down to the minute. And then, when I showed up the next morning to ‘rescue’ you…” He smiled, as if savoring the memory. “You thought I was your savior. You fell for me completely after that, didn’t you?” I couldn’t breathe. “You were so easy to manipulate,” he said, his voice dripping with mockery. “And look at you now. Everything you are, everything you’ve done—it’s all because I made you believe in me. I’ve had you wrapped around my finger this whole time.” The weight of his words crushed me, like a boulder pressing down on my chest. I let go of his pants and scrambled backward, away from him, as though the darkness behind me was less terrifying than the man in front of me. He straightened, his shadow stretching long against the walls. “To me, you’ve always been nothing more than a toy. Something I could control, something I could break,” he said. And then, he turned and left, slamming the door behind him. Now, back in the present, I stood in front of Ethan as he tried desperately to save face. His expression shifted between anger and forced composure, the weight of the crowd’s murmurs pressing down on him. People in the audience were whispering to one another, casting glances at me and then back at Ethan. “Did he do something to upset her?” “Why would she humiliate him like this? He’s nothing without her family’s support.” “Isn’t her family the most powerful in Riverton? If she’s mad at him, he’s finished.” The Linwood name carried weight in this city. As the only daughter of the Linwood family, I had been spoiled and protected my entire life. Everyone in Riverton knew that Ethan’s rise to power had been made possible only because of me. Without the Linwoods, he was nothing. Ethan must have realized this as well. Though his face had darkened, he quickly plastered on a smile and stepped forward, reaching for my hand. “Willow,” he said, his voice soft and full of concern. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” I stepped back, dodging his touch. “I don’t understand,” Ethan said, his forced smile faltering. “You told me once that if I ever proposed, you wanted the whole world to witness it. You wanted everyone to see how happy you were. That’s all I wanted to do—make you happy.” He paused, his voice growing quieter. “If I did something wrong… tell me. I’ll fix it.”

Ethan Quinn remained every bit the perfect boyfriend—patient, charming, and composed. Even after I publicly humiliated him, he kept his head low and tried to appease me, his voice soft and apologetic. The murmurs in the crowd grew louder, and it didn’t take long for people to start blaming me. “Willow really doesn’t know how good she has it. Ethan’s proposal was so heartfelt—what more could she possibly want? If I had someone like Ethan, I’d cherish him forever.” “Exactly! Ethan treats her like a queen. Everyone knows he’d do anything for her. And on top of that, they’ve been childhood friends! Honestly, Willow’s just lucky to have him.” “Maybe she’s fallen for someone else? Why else would she reject him?” “Last week, I saw them on a date. They looked so happy—what could’ve happened?” “Look at Ethan! He’s about to cry. I think Willow’s being completely unreasonable.” The whispers surrounded me like a swarm of bees, but one voice, in particular, cut through the noise. It was a voice I could never forget, one that was burned into my soul after years of torment. I turned, scanning the crowd, and found her—Lydia Wright. She stood quietly among the onlookers, her appearance modest and unassuming. But the jealousy in her eyes was unmistakable, burning so fiercely that it nearly betrayed her facade of innocence. Ignoring Ethan, I walked straight past him and stopped in front of Lydia. Under the confused stares of the crowd, I slipped the engagement ring off my finger and tossed it at her feet. “If you think Ethan is so perfect, then why don’t you take him? You two seem like a match made in heaven.” The diamond caught the sunlight as it arced through the air, landing with a sharp clink on the ground. Lydia’s face flushed bright red, her composure cracking under the weight of my words. I smiled at her, a sharp, knowing smile. In my previous life, Lydia had boasted endlessly about her “unbreakable bond” with Ethan. She once told me, with a smirk on her face: “I’ve loved Ethan since high school.” “I wrote him 99 love letters, each one carefully written by hand. And do you know what he did with them? He kept every single one. He carried them with him everywhere, tucked safely in his briefcase. You never even noticed, did you?” “On the back of the letters, Ethan marked the dates. He always planned to marry me—on the day your family fell from grace.” Now, I looked her dead in the eye and asked, loud enough for everyone to hear, “Didn’t you say you’ve loved Ethan since high school?” Lydia’s face paled. “And didn’t you write him 99 love letters?” I continued, my tone dripping with mockery. “How many was it again? 99, right?” Lydia’s embarrassment turned to rage. She pointed a trembling finger at me and shouted, “Don’t think you can just throw around your status as the Linwood heiress to bully people!” Someone from the crowd stepped forward, touching my arm lightly. “Willow, is there some kind of misunderstanding here?” Ethan rushed over as well, his expression frantic. “Willow, are you rejecting me because of these baseless rumors? That’s all they are—rumors!” He turned toward the crowd, desperate to clear his name. “I don’t even know her! She’s lying. Don’t believe a word she says.” Ethan’s devotion to me was no secret. Everyone in Riverton knew the stories. When I had a high fever that wouldn’t break, Ethan stayed by my bedside for days, barely sleeping until I recovered. When I woke up and casually mentioned craving a bowl of clam chowder from a restaurant in a distant city, Ethan chartered a plane that very day to bring it to me, still warm. On my 18th birthday, someone had made an inappropriate comment toward me at the party. Ethan didn’t hesitate to start a fight right then and there, risking not only his place in the Quinn family but also nearly getting arrested. He told me once, “Willow, I would give my life for you.” To him, I was more important than anything—even himself. Or so he said. But what the world didn’t know, what I hadn’t known until it was too late, was that Ethan’s love was a lie. And so, on the day he proposed, the day he claimed to love me in front of the entire city, I didn’t just reject him—I humiliated him. When he tried to explain himself, insisting that he and Lydia had no connection, I responded by slapping him across the face. The sharp crack of my palm against his cheek silenced the crowd. I didn’t hold back—I put every ounce of anger, betrayal, and hatred into that slap. But even that wasn’t enough. Not compared to the pain he had inflicted on me and my family in my previous life. “You say you have nothing to do with her?” I said, my voice cold and unwavering.

I shook my stinging hand, the sharp pain grounding me as I walked to an unassuming corner of the floral stage. There, I picked up Ethan’s plain, seemingly ordinary briefcase. The live broadcast of this entire debacle was still rolling. Ethan didn’t understand what I was doing. Instead, he hurried after me, his face swollen red from the slap but still managing to look concerned. “Willow, does your hand hurt?” he asked, his tone soft and full of worry. “If I’ve upset you, just tell me,” he continued, his voice trembling with sincerity. “Honestly, if one slap makes you feel better, it’s worth it.” Even now, he kept up his act. But in the next moment, I unzipped his briefcase. Guided by the memory of Lydia’s smug boasts, I found the hidden compartment. Inside, just as she’d described, I pulled out dozens of folded letters. And then I turned to face Ethan. The change in his expression was instant. His ever-gentle, composed mask cracked, his features twisting into something stiff and unnatural. He reached out instinctively, his hand moving toward mine, desperate to snatch the letters away. I sidestepped, and with a single look, my security team stepped forward, forming a wall between us. They pushed Ethan back, keeping him out of reach. Calmly, I unfolded the first letter, holding it up for everyone to see. And then, I read it aloud. “‘Sunny today. I saw you having breakfast with that tramp again. You even took out the trash for her. Ethan, you’re so much better than that. You’re a king, so why lower yourself to be with someone like her? You belong with me.’” The crowd gasped. This was one of Lydia Wright’s so-called love letters. I moved on to the next one. My voice rang clear, cutting through the silence. “‘Ethan, it’s been 1,000 days since I fell in love with you. I dreamed about you again last night. Don’t think it’s improper—how could it be, when it’s you? Please, leave that worthless woman and come to me.’” The words were raw, obsessive, every sentence dripping with malice toward me and longing for Ethan. By the tenth letter, the tone had shifted. “‘Ethan, you kissed me today. I couldn’t believe it. Even if you didn’t say you love me, I’ll take it as a sign that you do.’” The truth was unraveling before everyone’s eyes. Lydia had once bragged to me about their college affair, about how they’d been inseparable. And now, as I read these letters, the puzzle pieces fell into place. The signs had always been there. I had just been too blind in my so-called love to see them. Lydia, unable to hold back anymore, lunged toward me like a wild animal, her hand outstretched to grab the letters. But the crowd recoiled from her, parting like the sea, leaving her isolated and exposed. Ethan’s face had gone pale, his lips pressed into a thin line. I flipped to the back of one of the letters, revealing more incriminating words scrawled in Ethan’s handwriting. “‘Day one with Lydia. For the first time, I feel like I understand what love is. Lydia, wait for me. I’ll take down the Quinn family and the Linwood family. The countdown to marrying you has begun.’” The crowd gasped again, louder this time. I didn’t stop. I read the next one. “‘Lydia, I drugged Willow today. She’ll never be able to have my child. Don’t worry—her body isn’t worthy of carrying my bloodline.’” Even now, my nerves, dulled by hatred and determination, trembled with cold fury. I let the stack of letters fall from my hands, scattering them at Ethan’s feet. The crowd whispered in disbelief. I stared at him, my voice icy and sharp. “Well, Ethan? Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Ethan’s eyes locked on mine, wide with shock and disbelief. For the first time, his mask of calm was completely shattered. “Willow,” he stammered, his voice cracking. “It’s not what it looks like.” He stepped forward, his expression carefully shifting into one of pain and remorse. “Please, believe me,” he said, his voice low and shaky. “It’s really not what you think.” He paused dramatically, taking a deep breath. “I admit it,” he said, his voice trembling just enough to sound sincere. “I made a mistake—a mistake that any man could make.” The crowd murmured again, some buying into his act, others still horrified by the letters. “I don’t love her,” Ethan continued, casting a quick glance at Lydia, whose face was now beet-red with humiliation. “She pursued me relentlessly, and I… I was weak. I gave in. But it didn’t mean anything—it never did.” The man who once told me he loved Lydia more than life itself, the man who spent years plotting his rise to power for her, now discarded her in the face of public scrutiny. She was nothing more than collateral damage to him. “It was her,” Ethan said, his voice growing firmer. “She seduced me.”

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