Category: English

The day the zombie horde hit, I ripped up my assignment slip, refusing to evacuate Sector C. I clung to life until dawn the next day, listening as Landon blared across the comms, announcing that Seraphina had found a new oasis. Her discovery, he claimed, was humanity’s last hope. Only then did I let out a sigh of relief. As the undead tore through the door, I detonated all the explosives. In my previous life, Landon rigged the draw, using my ‘good luck’ ability to smoothly find the oasis and become the leader. He swore that if I succeeded, he’d dismiss his 999 lovers. I believed him. When I lit the signal fire, what arrived wasn’t his reinforcement, but betrayal. “Seraphina has no powers; she needs my protection more. I just want her and her child to be respected by everyone in this apocalypse. But you, you even want to steal this small credit.” “She got a fever from being scared by zombies while looking for you. I’ll make you feel her pain a thousandfold.” He chained me to a car and dragged me until I was ripped apart by zombies. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day the zombie horde erupted. This time, I’d let them have their savior fantasy.

“Aurora! Get in the car!” “Any later, and the horde will completely surround us!” I looked into the distance; the energy shield on the outskirts of Zone C was weakening. Zach was practically in tears. “Sis! You’re the only one in the entire base with powers! Don’t you get it? You’re our only ace, our last hope! If you’re gone, there’s nothing left!” I was about to speak. The safe house’s steel door was violently kicked open. Landon’s elite guard roughly grabbed my arms, dragging me out without a word. Zach screamed hysterically behind me. “Let her go! Aurora is pregnant, you animals! You’ll make her miscarry! You base lapdogs!” They finally shoved me into the base’s main plaza. A pre-battle rally was taking place here. In the center of the plaza, a dozen people were already kneeling. These were the unlucky souls accused of various crimes. Some were charged with hoarding canned food, others framed for trying to steal a vehicle to escape. Then, the enforcement squad stepped out. They carried a large wooden bucket, going to each person, prying open their jaws. Spoonful after spoonful of black-green liquid was forcibly poured down their throats. That bucket contained the base’s failed purified, contaminated water, full of radiation. The entire plaza was instantly drowned in screams and retching. A man beside me convulsed violently, foaming at the mouth. “We just wanted to save more food for our kids… Why are you doing this to us?!” I wasn’t spared either. A full spoon of the toxic waste water was poured into me, and my stomach cramped in agony. Blood gushed from my lower body. I let out a muffled groan of pain, which startled those around me. “That’s Aurora! The leader’s wife! She got dosed too?” “Isn’t she our hero of Zone C? She led a team yesterday to retrieve medical supplies! What the hell is going on?” The intense pain blurred my vision, and I crumpled to the ground. “Medic! Call a medic, fast! Someone’s going to die!” Just then, the noisy crowd parted automatically. Seraphina, dressed in a brand-new white combat uniform, looked too clean for this apocalypse. She intimately linked arms with Landon, a saintly yet pitying smile on her face. Landon’s gaze swept over us, groaning in pain on the ground, his face grim. Seraphina dramatically covered her mouth. “Oh my goodness, why is everyone collapsing? Who could be so cruel as to destabilize our morale at such a critical moment, with the zombie horde surrounding us?” Before she finished speaking, Landon’s face was filled with fury, and he delivered a vicious kick to my stomach. “You wicked woman!” He roared at me, “The moment I was out of the base, you dared to incite unrest and stir up dissent!” “You’re so consumed by jealousy that you’d try to steal Seraphina’s credit for finding the oasis!” That kick left me unable to even cry out. I looked at Seraphina’s smug, triumphant face behind him. Gritting my teeth, I squeezed out a few words from my throat. “I didn’t… It was her…” “Still trying to lie your way out of it?” Landon roared. “This isn’t the first time you’ve been so unscrupulous for credit! This time, I will absolutely not spare you!” 2 He pointed at the struggling survivors on the ground and ordered them. “Each of you give her one taser shock. After you’re done, I’ll personally send you to the oasis, and your food and medicine will be doubled.” The elite guard dragged me up from the ground, completely disregarding that I had miscarried. The survivors who had been forced to drink the irradiated water looked at me, their eyes filled with reluctance. A middle-aged man, Mr. Miller, walked forward, crying, and pulled the trigger through tears. “I’m sorry, Captain Aurora… I still have two kids at home…” One person, two people… Blue electric arcs flashed again and again, scorching the remnants of my child. Only after everyone had tasered me and left did Landon finally take the water Seraphina offered, pulling her towards me. He looked at me, covered in dirt, my cheeks bruised, a flicker of something complex in his eyes. But the next moment, he coldly lifted my chin. “Don’t blame me for making them do it. I had to teach you a lesson, to make you understand what happens if you dare to be jealous, if you dare to harm anyone again.” “Otherwise, you’ll try to steal Seraphina’s credit again.” I trembled all over, looking up at him. So, I wasn’t the only one reborn. No wonder they found the oasis without my ‘good luck’. No wonder he said it wasn’t the “first time” I’d done this. Because in the previous life, he had also unjustly condemned me for Seraphina’s sake. My eyes reddened, and I wiped away my tears. “Aurora, playing victim won’t work anymore. No matter how capable you are, it’s useless.” “I’ve already had the medical team give Seraphina the highest-grade genetic enhancer. Her powers are sure to upgrade and help me become the leader.” I gave a bitter laugh, clutching my constantly throbbing abdomen. “I already paved the way for you. But why did you make them poison me? Why did you have to destroy Zone C and kill my teammates…?” He paused, his brows furrowed. “Don’t talk nonsense. You clearly led your team’s breakthrough attempt yesterday and failed, leading to everyone being wiped out.” Cold sweat streamed down my face from the pain. I grabbed his pant leg, trying to make him look at Zach, our scout, who was still alive in the surveillance feed. His face was filled with disgust, and he impatiently kicked my hand away. “Stop the act. If you want to prove you weren’t trying to harm Seraphina, then tomorrow during the base-wide broadcast, you can personally admit that you were incompetent and failed in your reconnaissance, and that you begged Seraphina to share some of her credit with you.” “Then, hand over all your commendations and supplies to her and her unborn child, and serve as her loyal second-in-command from now on.” “If you dare to play any more tricks, or even touch a single hair on her head, this time I won’t just deal with you and your useless team—Zach, the one you care about most, won’t get a single dose of anti-infection medicine either.” My eyes widened, staring at Landon in disbelief: “Landon, you bastard! Zach was scratched by a zombie while covering me, he’s a hero of the base! How can you use his life to threaten me?!” Landon’s face was full of impatience. “As long as you obediently serve Seraphina’s team and take good care of them in the future, I won’t touch him.” With that, he put his arm around Seraphina, preparing to leave. “Seraphina, thank you for finding hope for the base. I’m going to reward you handsomely.” I watched their retreating backs, my lower body constantly oozing warm blood from the miscarriage. Dr. Anya Sharma, a researcher who treated me like her own daughter, rushed over, her face turning ashen at my injuries. “Get her to medical treatment immediately! If anything happens to Aurora, I won’t let any of you off the hook!” I was sent to the medical bay, but the healing medic never arrived. Dr. Anya was furious, demanding to know where the medical team assigned to me had gone. 3. The assistant, Cassidy, replied apologetically. “Dr. Sharma, all the healing medics in the entire base have been called to Captain Seraphina’s room by the General Commander. Miss Seraphina scratched her finger while testing a weapon, and Commander Landon is afraid something might happen to her, so he ordered all healing medics to stand by.” “Right now, there are no healing medics in the entire base.” Dr. Anya was so enraged she kept calling. “This is insane! His own wife is critically injured, yet he’s called all the medics away for some mistress, completely disregarding her life!” After the comms operator made the twentieth call, Landon finally answered. “Is Aurora throwing another tantrum, trying to get you to back her up?” Dr. Anya shouted, agitated, “Aurora is bleeding internally and on the verge of unconsciousness! Several of our brothers are barely holding on! And you took her healing medics away?! Are you trying to kill the base’s elite unit?!” Landon sneered, “Did Aurora tell you to call me? Her check-up was fine; why is she faking critical injury now?” “Alright, alright, I still have a victory banquet to host for Seraphina and her team. Doesn’t she want healing medics? I’ll send someone over.” Dr. Anya hung up the phone, gripping my hand tightly. “Don’t be afraid, Aurora, the healing medics will be here soon.” I felt my life force gradually fading. I remembered how, in my previous life, my teammates were also stabbed in the back by Landon’s forces, devoured alive by zombies. Trembling all over, I clutched Dr. Anya’s hand, speaking with difficulty. “Dr. Sharma, you promised me you’d treat me like your own granddaughter. If Landon didn’t treat me well, you’d help me leave him.” “I just want to save Zach’s life, and then live.” Dr. Anya was in tears, repeating, “Landon, after you saved him, he loved you so much. It’s all Seraphina’s fault, that bitch. If she hadn’t suddenly appeared, you two wouldn’t be like this now.” I gave a wretched smile. How could a life-and-death partner, who once fought alongside me, become like this? The man who, after repelling the zombies, blushed and vowed to face life and death with me, promising to be torn to shreds and never find peace if he ever betrayed me. Now, for another woman, he abandoned me without a thought. “Please, Dr. Sharma.” I gnashed out each word. Listening to my plea, Dr. Anya finally nodded. “Tomorrow, I’ll announce that you are the only ability user in Zone C. As for that ungrateful beast, I won’t assist him anymore!” Dr. Anya immediately left to handle the matter. I lay on the medical bed, the sharp pain in my abdomen surging like a tide. Cassidy, the assistant Dr. Anya left behind, anxiously kept hoping for the healing medics sent by Landon to arrive. Finally, someone came. But it wasn’t a healing medic; it was a logistics grunt. Seeing the bloody mess in the medical bay, he handed over a few rolls of bandages and a bottle of expired antiseptic. “General Commander Landon said it’s just a minor injury, nothing life-threatening. He told you to deal with it yourselves and stop bothering him with such disgusting matters.” Cassidy cried and smashed the box. “Captain Aurora, I’m taking you and the brothers to another base right now. You have to hold on.” My vision went black, and I finally lost consciousness. I woke up again, startled by a bucket of icy snow water suddenly being poured over me. Before me was Landon’s face, filled with disgust. “You’re awake, stop faking it.” He looked down at me. “You know I’m about to announce the oasis and Seraphina’s achievements, yet you’re making a fuss about going to my enemy’s base? Are you hoping everyone will think Seraphina is bullying you?” Seraphina clutched a report, tears streaming down her face, standing behind him, looking utterly pathetic. “Sister Aurora, I know you hate me. But it’s one thing to get revenge on me, why do you have to make Dr. Sharma steal my credit?” 4. “That assistant, before she was dragged away, was still shouting that I was a bitch, saying I wasn’t worthy of being the savior’s partner…” I opened my mouth, but not a single word came out of my throat. I could only shake my head with all my might, trembling as I pleaded, “I… I didn’t… Send me to the medical bay… My team… they’re barely holding on…” “You’re lying again!” Landon frowned impatiently. “Dr. Sharma gathered her old subordinates overnight and even found the base’s records officer. Wasn’t it you instigating her from behind? Do you think by stealing Seraphina’s credit, you can secure your position as the base’s second-in-command?” Seraphina curled into his arms, crying and pleading, “Sister Aurora, I beg you, don’t separate Landon and me… If you insist on taking my credit, I’ll just run out of the base alone and die in the zombie horde!” She made a motion to run, and Landon quickly held her tightly. He was furious, and he kicked my stomach again. “How many times have I warned you not to bully Seraphina, but you just won’t listen! Since that’s the case, I’ll have to use some special methods.” He abruptly turned, coldly ordering his elite guard. “She’s forcing Seraphina to rush into the zombie horde, so she should pay the price. Go, shut down Dr. Sharma’s lab’s purification system and throw her out of the research facility!” “Landon!” I shrieked, tearing my throat. “You’re insane! That’s Dr. Sharma! Her research is for all of humanity!!” “So what!” Landon sneered, “To get you into the command structure, she forced me to marry you. Now you’re a captain, and I even gave you your own unit. If you couldn’t find the oasis, that’s your own uselessness. I’ve repaid my debt, I owe you nothing more!” “Do it!” I frantically lunged at the elite guard, trying to stop them, but was brutally kicked to the ground. The wound on my abdomen, which had barely stopped bleeding, burst open from the violent impact, gushing like a broken dam, instantly staining the floor beneath me crimson. I screamed in agony, my throat raw, curling into a ball. Landon was about to drag me further, but suddenly he saw the pools of scarlet, and his face paled. He instinctively stopped, turning to Seraphina and demanding, “What’s going on?! I told you to take care of her and her pregnancy, why is she still bleeding?!” Seraphina’s face subtly changed. But her eyes darted around, and she quickly squeezed out tears. “I’ve always taken good care of Sister Aurora… This is the medical report they gave her yesterday.” She handed over the report, her voice choked. “The report says she only has superficial wounds, and her physical functions and the baby are completely normal.” Landon snatched the report, merely glancing at it, and believed her. The next second, he furiously lifted me from the ground and violently slammed me onto the cold, hard metal floor. My head hit the ground hard, and blood instantly spurted out. “You dared to lie to me!” He roared, “To make me soften, you’d even fake a miscarriage?! How disgusting, how vile are you?!” “You think I’ll fall for it this time? Dream on!” He raised his leg, kicking my abdomen mercilessly, blow after blow. Blood and screams splattered with each impact. “Ah… No… Please no…” I begged, almost tearing my throat, my body growing colder and colder. Until I had no strength left to even beg, only able to curl up in my own pool of blood. He shook off his blood-stained boots and turned to Seraphina, his face full of apology. “I’m sorry, Seraphina, for making you smell this disgusting odor. I’ll deal with her now. Once she’s handled, I’ll take you to the oasis to see the scenery, as compensation for me misunderstanding you, alright?” Seraphina, however, shook her head, tears welling in her eyes, her voice sounding utterly pathetic. “Forget it. Sister Aurora hates me so much; what if she comes up with a new way to deal with me the moment you take me away?” “Perhaps I should just leave with my team instead, and let her have the credit.” She spoke cautiously, sounding incredibly wronged, but perfectly hitting Landon’s anger button. His face instantly turned as dark as night, his voice gentle but chillingly menacing: “Don’t worry, I won’t give her any more chances to harm you.” 5. He waved his hand: “Lock her in the underground bunker outside the base. Once I officially announce Seraphina as the discoverer of the oasis tomorrow, then release her.”

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The third year of my marriage to Jack. His widowed ex-sister-in-law Sophia, who was the same age as him, had returned from abroad. At midnight, she sent Jack a message: “I’m so scared being alone.” Concerned, I replied on Jack’s behalf: “Jack’s busy. I’ll come over instead.” Just because of this, Jack flew into a rage. “She’s just my ex-sister-in-law. How dare you try to go threaten her? You’re acting like a complete shrew!” Sophia stood to the side with tears in her eyes: “Jack, it’s fine. Don’t worry about me.” Jack grabbed Sophia’s hand and left. That night, I saw Sophia post a photo on social media showing Jack’s back as he cooked in the kitchen. In all our years of marriage, Jack had never cooked for me. But none of that matters anymore. A man can’t eat from two homes. 1 I was pregnant, only two months along. I had told Jack yesterday that I had something very important to tell him, and asked if he could come home early tonight. I waited until 9 PM, then checked Sophia’s social media. Caption: Good person, good cook. Two photos – one of a meal with three dishes and soup, one showing Jack’s profile as he cooked in the kitchen. Jack didn’t get home until 10 PM, reeking of Sophia’s perfume. The scent was overwhelming for me in my pregnant state. Jack loosened his tie wearily, clearly having forgotten what I told him this morning: “Go run me a bath.” I looked at him coldly. “You smell lovely. No need to bathe, no one will mind.” Jack hated strong perfumes. When we went out, I never wore anything too pungent. We didn’t keep fruits he disliked in the house. We didn’t even have curtains in colors he didn’t like. For years, I had been accommodating him. He had come to take it for granted. Jack saw that I was still sitting on the couch and hadn’t moved. He pulled a black velvet box from his pocket. Inside lay a pair of sparkling diamond earrings. “I’m sorry I broke our plans. Here’s my apology gift.” The black velvet box gave off the same perfume scent. It even had a black hair caught in it. “Beat me then give me a treat?” Jack’s face froze, then he snapped the box shut and threw it at my feet. “Lucy, enough already. I’m exhausted today. Besides, whatever news you have, couldn’t you have just told me over the phone?! And now you’re turning your nose up at diamond earrings. Don’t forget, back when you were working part-time jobs, you couldn’t even afford $200 shoes!” I stared at him in disbelief. I never imagined my imperfect past would become the knife he used to stab me today. I choked up: “Don’t I have the right to say no?” Jack stormed off to take a shower. At 11 PM, we lay in bed with enough space for two people between us. At 3 AM, Jack’s phone rang. His gentle, melodious voice said to the caller: “Don’t be afraid. I’m here. I’ll keep talking to you.” Ten minutes later, I heard Jack getting up quietly. He even checked himself in the mirror before leaving. At 8 AM, Jack returned with breakfast, once again smelling of Sophia’s perfume. “Wake up, I bought breakfast.” Seeing his attempt to cover things up, I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. People really do laugh when they’re at a loss for words. “Since Sophia came back, you’ve become so diligent.” At this, Jack slammed down his chopsticks. “Lucy, you’re becoming more and more paranoid. Sophia is my ex-sister-in-law. My brother died young, so of course I should take care of her. As a woman, don’t you think you’re being too narrow-minded? Your jealousy is getting out of hand.” Exposed and embarrassed, he lashed out angrily. I never used to mind him and Sophia. But now they seemed to be acting like I was dead. “Am I wrong? Since Sophia came back, you’ve even started cooking.” As soon as I finished speaking, Sophia called again. The house was very quiet. I could clearly hear Sophia on the phone saying she was so clumsy, she had cut her hand. Jack anxiously said: “What fruit do you want to eat? Wait for me to come over and cut it for you. You shouldn’t do it yourself.” I started dry heaving from morning sickness. Sophia’s voice on the other end was on the verge of tears: “Does your wife dislike me? Does she think a widow is bad luck?” Jack reassured her, then after hanging up berated me as I vomited in the bathroom. “You know my sister-in-law is sensitive right now. Why are you pretending to throw up? Lucy, do you have any compassion at all?!” 2 My face was deathly pale in the mirror. Jack was still raging in the living room. I have no compassion? Then who will have compassion for me? I walked out leaning against the wall. My voice was weak: “I really don’t feel well. I really am throwing up. I don’t need to play those kinds of petty games to provoke Sophia.” Jack finally calmed down a bit, his gaze falling on my face to confirm I wasn’t lying. He pulled out another diamond necklace, this time without any woman’s hair on it. “You didn’t like the diamond earrings, but you must like this necklace. I just hope you’ll stop targeting Sophia. She’s pitiful enough as it is.” I recognized this necklace. It had appeared on Sophia’s social media before. Her caption then was: Looks so cheap. Don’t like it. Anyone want it? I laughed bitterly and stepped back. “I don’t want someone else’s leftovers.” Jack’s hand holding the necklace hung in midair. His brows furrowed deeply, then he threw the necklace on the ground. “How else am I supposed to appease you? You don’t want the earrings or the necklace. When did you become so picky? Ever since Sophia came back, you’ve been suspicious every day, always comparing yourself to her. What right do you have to compare yourself to Sophia? You threatened her in the middle of the night, but Sophia still told me not to be mad at you. You’ve clearly been deeply hurt by your dysfunctional family. You’re jealous of anyone better than you!” My body swayed. I had once cried in this man’s arms, telling him how my mother favored boys over girls, how cold-blooded she was. He held me tight and said he would protect me for life, healing my childhood wounds with love. My heart ached terribly, as if stabbed. “Is this how you see me? I’ve never threatened Sophia…” “Enough. You say one thing and do another. It all comes down to your insecurity acting up.” I was insecure, which is why I always strived to grow. Until I met Jack, a man who said he would heal me with love. So I gave up my high-paying job to become a housewife, longing to bear his child. The survival instinct of the baby in my womb was influencing me. My brain kept sending signals to keep the child. But the man before me made me increasingly clearheaded. “If that’s how you want to belittle me, I have nothing more to say.” Grief beyond words. As I turned away, Sophia called as if right on cue. “Don’t worry, Fluffy probably just ate something bad. I’ll take him to the vet right away.” Meanwhile, my vomiting was getting worse. I could barely breathe. “Jack, I don’t feel well. Can you…” “No! Lucy, Sophia’s dog is in danger right now. Stop pretending to be sick. I don’t have time for you!” Jack slammed the door as he left, just as I collapsed from low blood sugar. Using my last bit of strength, I called 91

When I woke up in the hospital the next day, the doctor confirmed I was fine and discharged me. On the way home, I saw Sophia and Jack. Jack was walking a dog while Sophia clung to his arm, looking like a newlywed couple. “Jack, from now on you’re Fluffy’s daddy.” “Sure thing, Fluffy’s mommy.” I touched my belly that wasn’t showing yet and laughed bitterly: “How ironic. Let’s just get divorced then.” 3 Two days later was Jack’s mother Laura’s birthday. In the car. “We still need to pick up Sophia. Don’t make a sour face. She’s our sister-in-law, you need to learn to respect her.” I didn’t look at him, silently accepting everything. When we saw Sophia, I realized her dress matched Jack’s tie perfectly. They were wearing couple’s outfits. “Lucy, I get carsick. Can I sit in the front?” Sophia asked with a smile, but her eyes looked expectantly at Jack. Jack opened the front passenger door. “Lucy, hurry up and move. You should take care of your sister-in-law.” I didn’t move. Sophia tugged Jack’s pinky and said softly: “It’s okay, Lucy’s just like that. Let’s just let her be.” We? So I was the third wheel now. “No way, the front seat should be for my sister-in-law.” Jack looked relieved. Sophia sat in the front. “Oh no, I can’t figure out this seatbelt.” Jack immediately helped her pull out the seatbelt. As he leaned in, their faces were extremely close. Sophia deliberately brushed her lips against Jack’s neck. Jack’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. His ears were red when he pulled away. There were only four people at Laura’s birthday dinner. Laura didn’t like big crowds since her eldest son’s accidental death. Laura didn’t like me much, preferring the more ingratiating Sophia. Now that Sophia was widowed, she felt even more sympathetic. “Let mom take a good look at you. You’ve suffered since James passed. I specifically told Jack to take care of you. Has he been doing a good job?” Sophia smiled bitterly, hesitating to speak. “Jack’s been great, it’s just…” Anyone could tell what she was implying – that I was jealous and mean to her. Laura was displeased and scolded me to my face. “I didn’t agree to you marrying into the family from the start. But Jack liked you, so I had no choice. I said back then that you came from a humble background and wouldn’t be presentable. Now it’s all come true.” “I’ll say this even if it makes you angry – if you and Jack really can’t make it work, you might as well step aside. I think Sophia and Jack are much more compatible.” I replied calmly: “What a coincidence, I was thinking the same thing as you, mom.”

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Julian Hayes dragged me into a compromising situation, busting me with his rival. A barrage of cameras and microphones were shoved into my face, completely ignoring my half-naked body. Julian spoke with a smug, confident tone, “So, Mr. Vance, are you so desperate for women that you’d dare to sleep with my wife?” “Wife, come here.” But I just laid out my divorce certificate and marriage certificate, linking my arm with Caleb Vance’s. “Excuse me, but we’re legally married.” “Julian, did you forget? We got divorced. You were the one who asked for it.” “You wanted me to orchestrate a fake divorce, using my reputation to set up Caleb?” Seriously? I *just* got remarried, thank you very much! Go back to him? Dream on! I stared at the antique clock on the wall. The hour hand pointed to nine. The elaborate dinner on the table had long gone cold, and the candles on the candelabra were burning down to their stumps. “Madam, should I clear the table?” Martha stood at the dining room entrance, hesitant to speak. I shook my head, my fingers unconsciously tracing the embroidery on the napkin. “Just a little longer. He said he’d be home early tonight.” It was my third wedding anniversary with Julian. I’d started preparing a month ago: booked his favorite restaurant, bought a new dress, and even secretly practiced the piano piece he’d been listening to recently, hoping to surprise him after dinner. My phone vibrated. I practically lunged to answer it. “Madam, Mr. Hayes asked me to inform you that he has an important client meeting tonight. He won’t be back for dinner.” It was Daniel, Julian’s assistant, speaking in a strictly businesslike tone. I bit my lower lip until I tasted a hint of blood, then released it. “Did he say… when he’ll be back?” “Mr. Hayes didn’t say. Is there anything you’d like me to relay?” “No, thank you.” I hung up, feeling my eyes sting, but no tears came. In the past three years, I had learned not to show weakness in front of others. Martha sighed and began clearing the table. I stood up to help, but she gently pressed my hand. “Madam, please go rest. I’ll handle this.” I knew she pitied me. Everyone in the Hayes household knew how Julian treated me. In three years of marriage, he’d been home a handful of times. Even when he did return, it was usually late at night, when I was already asleep. Sometimes, I even wondered if he deliberately avoided me. Back in the bedroom, I peeled off the expensive custom-made dress and tossed it onto a chair. The woman in the mirror had a beautiful face and figure, but her eyes were dim. I was only twenty-six, but I felt like I was already old. That rainy night three years ago suddenly flashed before my eyes. My father’s company had plunged into crisis overnight. Creditors blocked the doors, banks demanded payments. The Lin family had fallen from the heights of prosperity into the depths of despair. My father, out of options, humbled himself before the elder Mr. Hayes, desperately pleading for help. “I can help you, but I have a condition.” The elder Mr. Hayes was puffing on a cigar, his eyes sharp. That condition was me. Aurora Lin, the only daughter of the Lin family, would marry Julian Hayes, the heir to the Hayes empire. I still remembered the first time I saw Julian. He stood by the huge floor-to-ceiling window at the Hayes mansion, his back to me, his figure as tall and straight as a pine. When he turned, I was stunned by his handsome face, but his eyes were as cold as ice when he looked at me. “It’s just a business arrangement. Don’t expect me to fall in love with you.” That was the first thing he ever said to me.

I agreed to the marriage. For my father, for the Lin family, I had no choice. The wedding was grand. The Hayes family valued their reputation, wanting even an unwilling marriage to be spectacular. Julian drank a lot that day. He didn’t even step into the bedroom on our wedding night. For three years, I tried to be a perfect wife. I memorized all his preferences, learned about his interests, and even endured his tabloid scandals. I naively believed that if I was good enough, one day he would finally look at me. The sound of water running in the bathroom broke my reverie. I froze. Julian was back? Pushing open the bathroom door, a rush of steam hit me. Julian stood under the shower, water droplets sliding down his muscular back. He turned off the water, grabbed a towel, and wrapped it around his waist. He frowned when he saw me. “You’re still awake?” “It’s our third wedding anniversary today.” I said softly, handing him another towel. He took it and dried his hair, his expression completely flat. “Is it? I forgot.” My heart felt like it was pricked by a needle, but I was used to the pain by now. “It’s okay. Work is important.” Julian walked out of the bathroom, pulled out pajamas from the wardrobe, and changed. I stood there, feeling like a useless decoration. “Right,” he suddenly said. “There’s something I need your cooperation with.” I looked up at him, surprised that he actually needed something from me. “Caleb Vance has been trying to snatch a crucial project from Hayes Corporation recently.” His eyes flashed with a hint of malice when he spoke Caleb’s name. “I need you to get close to him, and collect some… compromising information about him.” My eyes widened. “What do you mean?” “It’s simple.” Julian lit a cigarette, his tone as casual as if discussing the weather. “We’ll get a fake divorce first. That way, your approach to him won’t raise any suspicion.” “With your looks, seducing him shouldn’t be difficult.” I felt a chill run through me, unable to believe what I was hearing. “You… you want me to use my body?” “Don’t put it so crudely.” He exhaled a smoke ring, his eyes filled with indifference. “It’s just business strategy.” “After it’s done, we’ll remarry, and your father’s company will get more resources from Hayes Corporation.” I clenched my fists, my nails digging deep into my palms. Three years. In his eyes, I was nothing but a tool to be used, not even deserving of basic dignity. “What if I refuse?” I heard myself ask. Julian smiled, and the smile sent shivers down my spine. “Your father’s new government project… seems to have some funding issues, doesn’t it?” The threat was unmistakable. I closed my eyes, feeling a wave of dizziness. So, I didn’t even have the right to say no. “Fine, I’ll do it.” I opened my eyes, my voice eerily calm. Julian nodded, satisfied, and stubbed out his cigarette. “The lawyer will be here tomorrow to handle the paperwork. Remember, it’s just a plan. Don’t take it seriously.” He pulled back the covers and lay down, turning his back to me. I stood there, looking at the man who was legally my husband, and suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of unfamiliarity. That night, I stood on the balcony, gazing at the distant city lights, and made a decision. Since Julian wanted to play this game, I would play it to the very end. Only, he would be the one to regret it in the end.

The lights of the charity gala hurt my eyes. I stood in a corner, my fingers unconsciously tracing the rim of my wine glass, my gaze scanning the room for Caleb Vance. Julian’s briefing material said he’d definitely be here tonight. “Alone?” A man reeking of alcohol leaned in, his eyes lingering unpleasantly on my exposed shoulder. I took a half-step back, forcing a smile. “I’m waiting for someone.” “Waiting for who? Why don’t you have a drink with me first?” He reached out to put his arm around my waist. “This lady clearly isn’t interested.” A deep voice came from my side. I turned, my breath catching in my throat. Caleb Vance was even more striking than in his photos. A chiseled face, eyes as deep as ink, and a perfectly tailored suit that accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist. What surprised me most was the way he looked at me—with a restrained politeness, a stark contrast to the ruthless business shark Julian had described. After the drunken man sheepishly left, Caleb gave a slight nod. “Miss Lin, I hope you weren’t too startled?” He knew my name. My heart skipped a beat. “You know me?” “Who in the business world hasn’t heard of Mrs. Hayes?” A slight smile played on his lips as he offered me a handkerchief. “You spilled some wine.” Only then did I notice the red wine splashed on my wrist from earlier. As I took the handkerchief, I noticed a thin, long scar on his fingertip, strikingly different from Julian’s pampered hands. Wiping away the wine stain, I suddenly realized this was the perfect opportunity to approach him. “Might I have the honor of a dance, Mr. Vance? As a thank you.” Caleb raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised, but quickly extended his hand. “My pleasure.” The music started, and his hand rested lightly on my waist, maintaining a respectful distance. I’d expected to smell heavy cologne, but instead, I caught a hint of crisp cedar. “Miss Lin’s dance steps are quite professional,” he suddenly said. “I studied in college,” I replied casually, but then froze. How did he know I was dancing professional ballroom, not just a social dance? Caleb seemed to sense my confusion, letting out a soft chuckle. “A guess. Your way of following the rhythm is quite unique.” When the dance ended, he politely escorted me back to my seat, not lingering. I should have felt relieved, but a strange sense of disappointment washed over me. “How’s the progress?” Back at the Hayes mansion, Julian was waiting for me in the living room. “I’ve made contact. It will take more time.” I slipped off my high heels. My ankles were already chafed and bleeding. Julian frowned. “Too slow. Hayes Corp. has a private reception next week. Find a way to get an invitation.” He stood up and walked closer, his fingers pinching my chin. “Don’t tell me you’re getting soft? Remember, he might act like a gentleman, but he uses every dirty trick in the book behind the scenes.” I lowered my gaze. “I know.” Three days later, I used the excuse of following up on the charity project to arrange a meeting with Caleb at his company. His secretary led me to his office, but then informed me he had an urgent conference call. “Mr. Vance said you could wait here, or relax in the adjacent study.” The secretary said respectfully. I chose the study. The room was spacious and bright, with a wall-to-wall bookshelf filled with books and files. As I looked closer, I suddenly found a plain black photo album tucked away in a corner. Driven by an inexplicable impulse, I picked it up. Turning the first page, my breath hitched. It was me at eighteen, standing on a piano competition stage, smiling brilliantly. Flipping through, there were nothing but clippings about me: college debate champion, charity performances, even candid shots of me feeding stray cats on campus. “That was seven years ago.” Caleb’s voice came from behind me, startling me so much the album slipped from my grasp. He bent down to pick it up, gently brushing off non-existent dust. “You… why do you have these?” My voice trembled. He gazed at the photos, his eyes incredibly tender. “Because that day, your music made me want to live.”

That evening, Julian returned unusually early. The moment I stepped through the door, he dragged me into the study. He flung a gilded card at me, his eyes full of disdain. “The reception invitation. Friday night. Don’t mess it up.” I rubbed my aching wrist. “I’ll be ready.” “Ready?” Julian sneered. “You’ve only had coffee with him a few times in two weeks. Your progress is like a snail’s pace.” “I need evidence to ruin Caleb Vance, not to see you discussing some damn classical music with him.” He slammed a stack of photos onto the table. They were all candid shots of Caleb and me at a coffee shop. My stomach twisted in a painful knot. He had been having me followed all along. “I need time to build trust.” I tried to keep my voice steady. Julian grabbed my chin. “Listen, your father’s new project is signing the contract next week.” “Before that, I want to see results.” His thumb brushed my lips, but his eyes were cold as ice. “If necessary, use some… special methods. Understand?” I understood. Too well. For three years, I had learned to interpret the meaning behind his every threat. Friday morning, the sky was heavily overcast. I stood across from the Vance Tower, hesitating whether I should “accidentally” run into Caleb for lunch as planned. A drop of rain landed on my nose, and instantly, a downpour began. I hurried to take shelter under the eaves of a convenience store, watching the rain create countless splashes on the ground. It was twenty minutes before our scheduled time, but my clothes were already soaked through. “Looks like we both underestimated the weather.” A black umbrella opened above my head. Caleb had appeared beside me without me noticing. He took off his suit jacket and draped it over my shoulders. The fabric still held his body heat. “My car is just ahead,” he said. The rain blurred my vision as I followed him into a discreet black sedan. “Address?” he asked. I instinctively gave him the address of the Hayes mansion, immediately regretting it. It was like telling him I was going back to my “husband’s” house. But Caleb just nodded and set the navigation. Soft piano music suddenly filled the car. My body tensed. It was a rare, obscure piece, an anodyne I often listened to when I couldn’t sleep. “This song…” My voice trembled. Rain streamed down the car windows. I gripped the towel tightly, my heart pounding wildly in my chest. He knew my coffee preference, remembered my phone’s ringtone, and now he was playing this almost unknown piece of music. Too many coincidences stopped being coincidences. “What exactly do you…” “We’re here.” Caleb cut me off, stopping the car a block away from the Hayes mansion, thoughtfully giving me room to explain. Caleb turned to look at me. The rain cast flowing shadows on the car window, making his expression hard to read. After a long moment, he reached out and gently brushed a drop of water from my hair, his voice soft. “Aurora, why haven’t you understood yet?” The civil affairs office door clicked shut behind me. I looked down at the brand-new divorce certificate in my hand, its red cover stinging my eyes in the sunlight. “Don’t make that face.” Julian adjusted his cufflink, his eyes full of mockery. “We’ll remarry in three months. This is just a formality.” I quickly composed my expression and shoved the divorce certificate into my bag.

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My ex-fiancé Ethan Parker embezzled $3 million from my personal investment fund. Even worse, I discovered he had been having an affair with his assistant Olivia Wilson for months, plotting to steal all my assets! Four years of love turned out to be nothing but an elaborate scam! “Where’s my money?” I kicked open the door to his office. “Oh, that,” Ethan said casually. “Olivia’s new project needed some startup capital, so I borrowed it temporarily.” “Borrowed? Is $3 million just pocket change to you?” “Aren’t we family? Why be so particular about money?” He had the audacity to act righteous. “Family? Does family sleep with someone else behind your back?” I threw the hotel photos of him and Olivia on the desk. Ethan’s face turned pale, but he quickly regained composure. “There’s nothing to explain. Olivia and I just have a work relationship.” “Does a work relationship require sharing a bed?” Looking at this man I once loved deeply, anger boiled inside me like lava. Four years of tenderness and care, all just an act! He treated me like an ATM, using my love as a bargaining chip!

It was an ordinary Tuesday until I noticed something unusual in the studio’s account. Three million dollars, gone. “Lucy!” I called out. Lucy Liu hurried in, looking flustered. “Yes, Ms. Green…” “Where’s the $3 million from the Starlight Design Fund?” I slammed the bank statement on the desk. “It… it was approved for transfer by Mr. Parker.” Lucy was trembling as she spoke. “He approved what? That was my dedicated design project fund!” My voice rose several octaves. “Mr. Parker said it was a temporary loan…” “Temporary loan?” I stood up abruptly. “What right does he have to touch my money?” Lucy took half a step back in fear. “Ms. Green, I was just following Mr. Parker’s instructions…” “Get out!” Ethan Parker, my fiancé, was also the general manager of Inspired Creations Advertising. We had been dating for four years and were supposed to get married next month. Now it seemed that wedding needed to be reconsidered. I stormed straight to his office. Ethan was organizing some files. When he saw me burst in, the pen in his hand fell to the floor. “Where’s my money?” I walked up to his desk, both hands on the surface. “What money?” His gaze shifted. “Don’t play dumb! The $3 million from the Starlight Design Fund!” My voice was so loud the next office could probably hear. Ethan stood up, adjusting his tie. “Lower your voice. What will the colleagues think?” “I want everyone to hear!” I pointed at him. “What did you do with my money without my permission?” “Oh, that money.” Ethan said nonchalantly. “Olivia’s new project needed some startup funds, so I borrowed it temporarily. I’ll return it this week.” “Borrowed?” I sneered. “Is $3 million just pocket change to you?” “We’re getting married soon. Why be so particular?” Ethan was getting impatient. “Don’t you trust me?” “Married?” My voice got even louder. “Does being married mean you can take each other’s money as you please?” Just then, Olivia knocked and entered. She was the studio’s assistant designer, admittedly quite attractive, with a very approachable demeanor. “What’s going on? I could hear arguing from the hallway.” Olivia pretended to look concerned. “Perfect timing, Olivia.” Ethan immediately changed his attitude. “Explain to Rachel why your project needs that startup capital.” Olivia immediately put on a pitiful expression, her eyes reddening. “Ms. Green, it’s all my fault for not being capable enough. The project ran into difficulties.” “If we didn’t urgently need these funds, I wouldn’t have troubled Mr. Parker…” “You troubled him?” I stared at Olivia. “Did you know that was my personal fund?” “I… I didn’t know.” Olivia lowered her head. “I thought it was the studio’s working capital. I’m really sorry!” “If sorry was enough, we wouldn’t need contracts, would we?” My voice was cold as ice. Ethan suddenly slammed the table: “Enough, Rachel! Olivia has apologized. What more do you want?” “What do I want?” I turned to him. “I want my money, right now!” “I don’t have it now!” Ethan shouted back. “The funds have already been invested in the project. We have to wait until this week to recover them!” “This week? What if the project fails?” “It won’t fail.” Olivia hurriedly said. “I guarantee the project will succeed.” “You guarantee?” I looked at her. “What can you use as collateral?” Olivia opened her mouth but couldn’t say a word. “It must be repaid this week,” I pointed at Ethan. “Not a penny less!” I left, but turned back at the door. “Oh, and in the future, you’d better get my permission before touching my money!”

Back in my office, Lucy carefully brought in some tea. “Ms. Green, should I look into the specific flow of that fund?” “Do it. As detailed as possible.” Two days later, Lucy brought a stack of photos, her hands trembling. “Ms. Green, take a look at this.” In the photos, Ethan and Olivia were coming out of a high-end French restaurant. Olivia was helping Ethan adjust his shirt collar. They were laughing happily, and Ethan’s hand was on Olivia’s shoulder. “When was this taken?” I picked up the photo to examine closely. “Last night at 9:20 PM.” Lucy pulled out her phone. “I followed them until 10:30 PM before they left separately.” I clearly remembered that last night when I texted Ethan, he said he was working late on files and his phone was about to die. “Anything else?” Lucy took out another stack of documents: “This is Mr. Parker’s schedule for the past week.” I flipped through page by page, getting angrier with each one. The schedule said he was meeting important clients, but the actual locations all matched Olivia’s activity tracks. “This bastard!” I threw the documents on the table. “Ms. Green, there’s something even worse.” Lucy played a recording on her phone. “I recorded this in the break room yesterday.” Olivia’s voice came through the recording: “Mr. Parker looked so handsome in that navy suit last night, much more manly than usual.” Another female voice asked: “What’s really going on between you two?” Olivia gave a light laugh: “You know.” I smashed the water glass on the floor, shattering it to pieces. “Keep investigating! I want to know their every move!” The next day, I decided to test Olivia myself. I cornered her in the design department’s break room. “How was the French dinner yesterday?” I asked deliberately. Olivia was making coffee. Hearing this, her hand shook, spilling coffee grounds all over the table. “What… what French dinner?” She nervously cleaned up the mess. “Don’t pretend.” I walked closer to her. “That place by the river last night. Pretty good, wasn’t it?” Olivia’s face turned pale instantly, then she forced a smile. “Oh, that. It was nice. Mr. Parker said he enjoyed it too.” As soon as she finished speaking, she realized she had slipped up and immediately shut her mouth. “Is that so?” I stared into her eyes. “Didn’t Ethan say he was working late last night?” “I… I…” Olivia stammered. “Maybe I remembered wrong.” “Remembered wrong?” I sneered. “Or have you gotten so used to your dates that you forgot to keep them secret?” “Ms. Green, you’ve misunderstood!” Olivia was sweating profusely. “Mr. Parker and I really just have a work relationship!” “Work?” I took out my phone and showed her the photo Lucy sent me. “Is this work too?” In the photo, Ethan and Olivia were laughing and chatting in the restaurant. Olivia was intimately wiping the corner of Ethan’s mouth. Olivia’s face went completely white when she saw the photo. “This… this is…” “What is this?” I held the phone in front of her face. “Care to explain?” Olivia opened her mouth but couldn’t say a word. Just then, Ethan pushed open the door: “What are you two talking about?” “About your date.” I showed him the phone directly. “Care to explain?” Ethan’s face changed when he saw the photo. But he quickly regained composure. “What’s there to explain?” He even acted righteous. “Olivia and I were discussing the project over dinner. Is there a problem?” “Does discussing a project require feeding each other?” I pointed at the photo. “Is this what you call discussing a project?” “That was… that was an accident.” Olivia started to panic. “We were talking about the design plan, and I had papers in my hand, so…” “So you fed him by accident?” I sneered. “Olivia Wilson, do you think I’m an idiot?” “Rachel, you’re overthinking this.” Ethan started to act gentle. “Olivia and I really just have a work relationship.” “Is that so?” I took out another photo. “Then how do you explain this?”

In the second photo, Ethan’s arm was around Olivia’s waist as they stood at the entrance of a boutique hotel. This time Olivia was completely speechless. “I can explain!” Ethan suddenly spoke up. “Olivia had too much to drink that day, so I sent her back to the hotel!” “Sent her back to the hotel?” I laughed. “Did you send her to her room?” “No!” Ethan waved his hands frantically. “Just to the lobby!” “Really?” I took out my phone and played a recording. It was the voice of the hotel receptionist: “Room 312, two guests, check-in time 10:15 PM, check-out time 10 AM the next day.” The room fell dead silent. “Anything else you want to explain?” I looked at both of them. Ethan and Olivia exchanged a glance, neither daring to speak. “Very well.” I put away my phone. “Since you’re not saying anything, I’ll take that as an admission.” With that, I left them standing there staring at each other. A week later, it was the studio’s annual design exhibition. The exhibition was held at the downtown art gallery, with over 500 attendees, all important figures in the fashion world. I sat in the VIP section, with Ethan next to me, wearing exquisite makeup and the dress I had personally designed. “This year’s Best Creative Award goes to our assistant designer, Olivia Wilson!” the host announced. The audience applauded as Olivia walked onto the stage, beaming. She looked especially beautiful today, wearing a white evening gown with flawless makeup. “Thank you everyone!” Olivia took the microphone. “This year our design department has achieved great results…” She started playing a PowerPoint presentation. The first part showed normal design works. I was about to applaud when suddenly the tone changed dramatically. My early failed design cases appeared on the big screen. A huge meme was added, with the word “FAILURE” written prominently. The whole room burst into laughter. “Haha, Rachel’s design back then was really ugly!” “How much did that exhibition cost again? $500,000?” “It’s still hilarious to think about now!” The murmurs in the audience grew louder. Everyone was looking at me, some snickering, some pointing and whispering. I sat there, expressionless, watching my past failures being displayed as a joke on the big screen. Even worse, Olivia on stage pretended to be flustered: “Oh! I’m so sorry, Ms. Green! This was an old template that wasn’t deleted properly! I’m really sorry!” But while she apologized, her face showed a hint of smugness. It was clearly intentional. Ethan not only didn’t stop it, but laughed along. He covered his mouth, laughing so hard he was bent over, almost to tears. “Ethan, you find this amusing too?” I turned to look at him. “No, I just…” Ethan was still laughing. “Just remembered that project from back then…” People in the audience started commenting loudly: “Rachel’s work quality has really declined these past few years!” “I heard she’s lost quite a few projects!” “She’s just riding on her past reputation now!” “If it weren’t for her dad’s connections, she would’ve gone bankrupt long ago!”

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Seven months pregnant. With my belly showing, I helped Caleb Prescott secure the latest quarterly partnership. Then, checking his location discreetly, I headed to the bar, planning to surprise him. Just before pushing open the private room door, I heard his voice, laced with a cynical laugh, mingling with his friends. “Caleb, won’t Audrey be mad if she finds out you deliberately sent her on that business trip just so you could celebrate Chloe finishing high school and getting into college?” Caleb scoffed, utterly dismissive. “I’ve pampered Audrey for years. What more could she possibly want? Besides, she’s pregnant, easily agitated. I kept it quiet just to prevent her from getting jealous.” “True, Audrey has been with you for so long, she probably can’t live without you. But you’ve raised Chloe for all these years, and now she’s an adult, and so beautiful. Don’t you have… any thoughts?” Caleb reached out, casually wrapping his arm around Chloe Sterling’s delicate shoulders, his voice thick with doting affection. “That depends on whether our Chloe is willing.” “I… I’m willing to marry Uncle Caleb.”

I pushed the door open. The conversation inside the private room died instantly. Caleb instinctively pulled his hand back from Chloe’s shoulder, his doting expression quickly morphing into calm. “Audrey, what are you doing here? Is the contract settled?” Caleb’s friends, seeing my upset face, quickly tried to smooth things over with smiles. “Audrey, Chloe just finished high school today, and we’re all celebrating. Caleb was just about to call you to join us!” “No, thanks. You all have fun. I’m heading back.” I looked at Caleb and Chloe, their intimate posture a punch to the gut. I forced a strained smile onto my face and turned to leave. “Audrey.” Caleb called out, getting up and coming to my side. “Chloe just lost a game and has to drink ten penalty shots. I’ll be driving later, so could you take them for her?” I clutched my pregnant belly, fighting back the burning sensation in my nose, staring at Caleb in disbelief. “You want *me* to drink?” “It’s a celebration for Chloe. Just cooperate, don’t spoil the fun.” “Fine.” I picked up a glass and chugged it. The beer rushed down my throat, the foam stinging my nose, and my stomach churned, threatening to revolt. One glass. Two glasses. … Caleb’s friends started to look uncomfortable, one finally speaking up. “Caleb, maybe that’s enough.” “It’s fine. Back when Audrey helped me close deals with clients, she could down a liter of hard liquor without batting an eye. This is nothing to her.” I held the last glass, feeling nothing but bitter amusement. The year we got married, Caleb’s company hit a rough patch. I wanted to help him by drinking with clients to secure partnerships, but he stopped me, swearing solemnly that no matter how tough things got, he’d never let me suffer that humiliation. But then Chloe came into our lives. Caleb said she was a friend’s orphan, and he needed to take responsibility as her guardian. From that moment on, all his attention shifted to Chloe. For his company, I started to repeatedly drink and smile for investors. Until six months ago, I was force-fed by an investor until I had stomach bleeding and was almost taken to a hotel. I only escaped by slitting my wrists, threatening to end my life. And that night, he used the investment I had begged on my knees for to throw an all-night fireworks display to celebrate Chloe’s birthday. I finished the last drink, nothing left in my throat but a raw, bitter taste. “Caleb, I’m leaving.” “I’ll drive you back…” Caleb was about to reach out and help me, but then he heard Chloe’s saccharine tone. “Uncle Caleb, I don’t have any family left in this world. Could you… divorce Audrey and stay with just me, forever?” The private room fell into a deathly silence. I froze, looking at Caleb. He didn’t hesitate, handing me a divorce agreement, a pleading look in his eyes. “Audrey, Chloe rarely asks for anything from me. I don’t want to disappoint her.” “Fine. I’ll sign.” I managed a desolate smile, fighting back the tears stinging my eyes, and picked up the pen to sign the divorce agreement. As I walked out of the room, I heard Caleb’s friends trying to reason with him: “Caleb, a divorce agreement isn’t a joke. If Audrey truly gets angry, you might take things too far.” “Audrey’s been with me for eight years, and now she’s pregnant. She can’t leave me. I’ll just sweet-talk her later, it’ll be fine.” Tears finally streamed down my face, uncontrolled. I took a deep breath, wiped them away, and cast one last look at the joyous private room. Then, I pulled out my phone and dialed the hospital. **[截断点]** “Please schedule an abortion for me. The sooner, the better.”

Just as I left the bar, Caleb rushed out after me. “It’s too late. I’ll take you home.” I reached for the passenger side door, but he stopped me. “You’re pregnant. The front seat isn’t as safe for you. You should sit in the back.” Caleb then opened the passenger door for Chloe himself, and thoughtfully buckled her seatbelt. I looked at the “Wife’s Seat Only” sticker on the dashboard, finding it incredibly ironic and blindingly painful. “Uncle Caleb, can I date when I’m in college?” “No!” Caleb’s tone was stern. Chloe giggled, playfully feeding a snack into Caleb’s mouth: “Okay then, Uncle Caleb, I’ll listen to you. I’ll only be with you, forever.” I glanced at the car’s interior, decorated with a girlish touch. The mini-fridge that used to hold my milk and pregnancy snacks had long been replaced with Chloe’s favorite candies. This car, the one I brought into our marriage, felt utterly foreign now. Chloe had quietly, insidiously woven herself into Caleb’s life, yet he deluded himself into believing he was merely a guardian, never truly falling for her. How ridiculous. How utterly ironic. Noticing my gaze, Caleb spoke up. “Chloe said she’s never stayed in a hotel before, so I’m going to drop her off to experience that first. I’ll take you home later.” The car soon stopped outside a hotel. I watched Caleb lead Chloe into the hotel, my eyes falling on a discarded receipt on the passenger seat. The receipt clearly showed purchases of condoms and lingerie – all Caleb’s preferred styles. These two things hadn’t been used since I got pregnant. I remembered when Caleb and I got married, he told me his mother had taken her own life because she couldn’t bear her husband’s infidelity. He hated all unfaithful men in the world. He promised he’d protect me forever, never betray me. But as I stood outside that hotel room, hearing a woman’s sweet cries and a man’s muffled grunts from inside, His past vows felt like a cruel illusion. My eyes welled up, but I had no courage to burst in and catch them red-handed. If you couldn’t keep your word, why make those promises in the first place? … Two hours later. Caleb returned to the car, his hair damp. “That girl Chloe is so clingy. She wouldn’t let me leave, so I just took a quick shower. Sorry to keep you waiting.” I silently stared at the hickeys on his neck. Suddenly, this man I’d lived with for eight years felt like a complete stranger. Caleb noticed my silence and sat beside me. “Audrey, Chloe’s just a kid. Don’t be so hard on her.” “That divorce agreement was just to humor her. The terms clearly state I’m leaving with nothing. Don’t worry, once she loses interest, we’ll get back together right away.” I just smiled, saying nothing. Get back together? Caleb, I loved you for eight years. It’s time for it to end.

Early the next morning. Chloe burst into my room with a housekeeper. “Audrey Prescott, you’ve already divorced Uncle Caleb, so why are you still living here? I’m the lady of this house now, get out!” The housekeeper began clearing out my things. I didn’t stop them. I simply picked up my pre-packed suitcase and walked out of the house without looking back. “Wait! Open your suitcase. Who knows if you’ve stolen anything valuable? Uncle Caleb said everything in this mansion is mine now.” The housekeeper snatched my suitcase, ransacking it. Inside were only a few clothes I’d bought before marrying Caleb. Nothing else. “Can I go now?” “No! You haven’t been searched yet. Strip her!” The housekeeper stepped forward, pulling at my clothes until I was completely naked. Chloe looked at my pregnant belly with disgust. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Are those stretch marks? So ugly. No wonder Uncle Caleb said he didn’t want to touch you.” I clenched my fists, enduring the housekeeper’s mocking stares, and squatted down to pick up my clothes and put them back on. Suddenly, Chloe rushed toward me, slapping my belly hard. I instinctively raised my hand. But Chloe stumbled first, falling to the ground and pointing at my suitcase, sobbing. “Uncle Caleb, Audrey won’t let me move in, and she threw my suitcase!” Caleb glared at me, barely suppressing his rage. “What’s going on?” “Uncle Caleb, Audrey called me a fatherless child and told me to stay away from you. She said I was a burden to you. If only my dad were still here…” Chloe continued to sob. Caleb’s fury could no longer be contained. He slapped me hard across the face. “Apologize to Chloe, now!” Blood seeped from the corner of my mouth, my eyes blurring with tears. “Caleb, we’ve been together for eight years. Is this truly how you see me?” “And why wouldn’t I! Chloe’s just a child. Would she lie about you?!” Chloe clung to Caleb’s arm, acting utterly wronged, and pointed at a frog mascot costume. “Uncle Caleb, I want to see Audrey wear that.” “Did you hear her? Put it on and apologize to Chloe! Don’t forget your dad is still in the ICU. I can stop his medical treatment any time!” Caleb said, already dialing the hospital. “No! I’ll wear it.” I endured the mocking stares around me, painstakingly pulling on the frog costume. The tight fabric pressed painfully against my belly. “Uncle Caleb, look at Audrey in that frog suit! Her belly’s all puffy like that, doesn’t it look like a pregnant toad?!” “As long as Chloe likes it. You can wear it every day to make her happy.” The mascot costume was stifling. My head spun, and sharp pains radiated from my lower abdomen. I don’t know how long passed, then a wave of dizziness swept over me. I fell heavily to the ground.

I woke up in the hospital. Caleb was by my bedside, holding my hand. “Audrey, don’t be mad. Chloe’s just a kid, playful. Just go apologize to her properly later, and this whole thing will blow over.” “What if I don’t?” “It’s just an apology! Why are you arguing with a child?! I swear, you’ve gone completely crazy since you got pregnant!” Caleb angrily threw my hand away and stormed out. A nurse quickly rushed over, her voice urgent: “Ms. Sterling, your father’s medical treatment has been stopped. His condition suddenly worsened, and he’s not doing well. You need to go see him one last time!” My pupils constricted. I instinctively tried to get up. But Caleb, leading a team of doctors, burst into the room and dragged me to the operating theater without a word. “Caleb! Let me go! I need to see my dad…” “Audrey, Chloe just had a sudden severe anemia, and she needs umbilical cord blood to save her life. You can see your dad anytime. You need to give birth now.” I was forcibly strapped to the operating table. “Mr. Prescott, the patient is only six months pregnant, far from her due date. Administering labor-inducing drugs now could have a fatal impact on the fetus.” “Saving a life is more important! Do it!” Caleb snatched the oxytocin syringe from the doctor’s hand and brutally plunged it into my belly. Restraints tightly bound my limbs. I struggled desperately, looking at Caleb, trying to find a flicker of compassion in his eyes. But Caleb’s expression remained coldly indifferent. He just injected one syringe of oxytocin after another into my body until all five were empty. The doctor urgently tried to stop Caleb’s hand: “Mr. Prescott, five syringes are the limit! Any more and the baby will die from premature birth!” “Get out of my way! I only care if Chloe lives!” Caleb brutally plunged in the sixth syringe. An excruciating pain surged through my entire body. I couldn’t hold on any longer and completely passed out. … When I opened my eyes again, My abdomen was flat once more. I desperately got up and rushed to my father’s room, only for the nurse to tell me I was too late. My father had passed away just as Caleb dragged me away. The nurse said his last words were my name, whispered repeatedly. Passing a VIP room, I heard Chloe’s voice. “Uncle Caleb, it’s all my fault for being so sick. It caused Audrey’s baby to be born prematurely and die. She won’t be angry, will she?” “It’s fine. If the baby’s gone, Audrey can just have another one. All that matters is that you’re okay.” I touched my flat abdomen, closing my eyes in despair, letting tears stream down my cheeks. Caleb and I started trying to conceive right after we got married. We bought piles of baby clothes and toys, and he devoured books on childcare, saying he wanted our baby to be the happiest child in the world. Seven months ago, when I finally got pregnant, he was so excited, holding me and listening to the baby’s movements all night. That was the child we had hoped for for seven years. How could he be so cruel?! Three days later. I finished my father’s funeral and buried the baby’s tiny body alongside him. Leaving the cemetery.

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The soup I made for my beloved snake was stolen and drunk by my fiancée’s male assistant’s mother. The old lady vomited blood and died on the spot. The male assistant screamed like a madman, demanding that I pay with my life. My fiancée brutally skinned the snake I had raised for 20 years, splattering its blood all over my face: “Ethan’s mom dies from drinking a bit of your damn soup, and you resort to murder, you useless coward? This vile creature should have been skinned and cooked long ago. You deserve to be tortured for keeping it!” She forcefully made me drink a hundred bottles of pesticide. But I was immune to all poisons. Though blood poured from my eyes, nose and mouth, I just wouldn’t die. My fiancée flew into a rage and cut off my research funding. She even had my colleagues’ legs crippled and sent them to Africa to work in the mines. To save them, I ventured alone to Serpent Island. The horrific sight of me being devoured by venomous snakes was broadcast globally. When I was covered in bloody holes and nearly dead from the venom… My fiancée finally arrived leisurely by private jet, arm in arm with her male assistant: “For killing his mother, you should be chopped to pieces and fed to snakes! It’s only because Ethan begged me to spare you…” But she didn’t know that those who provoked me always ended up dead. As for the mystical bond linking our hearts, it was about time for it to backfire on her. 0

On Serpent Island, I had been tortured to the brink of death. Olivia kicked me contemptuously, her face full of disgust: “Lucas, stop pretending. Hurry up and beg Ethan for forgiveness! He’s kind enough to forgive you for poisoning his mother. What more do you want?” The venom had long since seeped into my bones. Every movement felt like a thousand arrows piercing my heart. I struggled to my feet, instantly drenched in cold sweat. Gritting my teeth, I said: “I’m not pretending! After being bitten by thousands of venomous snakes for three days and nights, it’s a miracle I’m not dead…” Olivia was momentarily stunned. Just as I foolishly hoped she might feel a shred of sympathy, She suddenly let out a light chuckle, her face utterly indifferent: “It’s good you’re not dead. We need to keep you alive so you can atone to Ethan!” At that moment, her bodyguard opened a tablet. On the screen were horrific images of my research colleagues toiling in African mines. Their legs had been crippled. They could only crawl painfully, dragging their useless lower limbs. Their backs were covered in bloody wounds from repeated whippings. Seeing my friends suffer such injustice because of me, My heart felt like it was being sliced to pieces. Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face. Olivia’s eyes flashed with cruelty as she sneered: “If you had known they would be implicated, you shouldn’t have tried to murder Ethan’s mother! Everything today is the consequence of your own actions. It’s all because of your vicious heart!” My heart was in agony. No matter how many times I explained, she refused to believe I hadn’t poisoned anyone. Ethan was a boy she had rescued two years ago. At first, she found him weak and clingy. But later, she made him her personal assistant and often scolded me: “He’s just an innocent boy from the countryside. Stop bullying him all the time!” But it was clearly Ethan who deliberately provoked my beloved snake, then threw himself into her arms crying and slandering me. He even took advantage of Olivia’s favor to destroy the research results my team and I had worked on for years. But in Olivia’s eyes, I became the jealous one secretly bullying him. My voice choked with sobs, tinged with a hint of pleading: “Didn’t you promise me that if I survived three days on Serpent Island, you would let them go?” Before Olivia could respond, Ethan emerged from her arms, his face timid and scared: “Brother Lucas, they’re already crippled for life. At least mining gives them three meals a day. If we release them, who knows if they’ll starve to death.” I laughed bitterly, tears flowing uncontrollably. They were top researchers who could have made huge contributions to society. Now they could only eke out a miserable existence in dark mine shafts, like useless invalids. Seeing them like this was more painful than death! I gritted my teeth and spat out each word: “Olivia, don’t make me hate you.” Olivia’s expression flickered. She was about to speak. Ethan’s tears fell on cue, his voice full of grievance: “Brother Lucas, are you blaming me? Fine, it’s all my fault! I should have died from your poison like my mom, so I’ll never bother Sister Olivia again.” Olivia’s eyes filled with heartache as she wiped away his tears. Her gaze turned icy cold when she looked at me: “Lucas, I see you have no intention of repenting at all! Is this how you beg for mercy?” She dialed a number on her phone: “Cut their arms too! Tell them it’s because Lucas wouldn’t cooperate!” My blood surged in an instant. I coughed up mouthfuls of black blood, frantically begging: “No, please don’t— I’ll do anything you want, just let them go!” Ignoring the excruciating pain wracking my body, I crawled to her feet. A flash of satisfaction crossed Ethan’s eyes. He pretended to be considerate and spoke up: “Sister Olivia, doesn’t the company need a human test subject? It’s a critical time now. Why not let Brother Lucas try?” 0

Olivia’s expression turned hesitant: “But that drug is extremely dangerous. Being a test subject could kill him at any moment!” My pupils constricted in fear, but thinking of my colleagues still suffering, I quickly grabbed her pant leg: “Olivia, I’m willing…” Olivia violently shook off my hand, her eyes blazing with even more anger: “Lucas, if you had just apologized and admitted your mistake, I could have forgiven you easily. But you insist on being so stubborn. Don’t back out at the last minute. This concerns the entire company…” My voice was calm, but heavy with resolve: “I won’t regret it!” Because… if I died, you wouldn’t be able to live either, Olivia. And I needed to get away from here to save my friends. I was shackled with an electronic ankle monitor and forced onto the plane. In the spacious cabin, I could only kneel on the floor. Soon, the black blood oozing from my wounds stained the expensive carpet. Olivia sat comfortably in her seat, tenderly cradling Ethan in her arms. She gently fed him milk and cut his steak for him, like a doting girlfriend. The scene stabbed at my eyes, making them burn with pain. A fiery, twisting pain gripped my stomach. My mouth involuntarily filled with saliva. For three days and nights on Serpent Island, I had survived on dew and wild berries, constantly enduring snake bites. Just as I was about to pass out, Ethan suddenly covered his nose. He knocked over the glass of milk, whining pitifully: “Sister Olivia, it stinks so bad. I feel sick…” Olivia turned to glare at me, her eyes full of disgust: “Lucas, you know Ethan has severe eating disorders. How dare you come here all filthy? Are you deliberately trying to make us sick?” My eyes instantly welled up with tears. My voice was weak but filled with resentment: “You threw me onto Serpent Island with nothing, Starving and sleepless, in constant danger of death by snakebite. How can you expect me to be as clean and tidy as you?” Perhaps my gaze was too direct. Olivia turned away, but couldn’t help exploding in rage: “You’re still alive, aren’t you?! How dare you accuse me of being cruel? Think about the heinous, disgusting things you’ve done!” My heart was numb with pain. I said nothing more. Olivia prodded the floor with her high heel, her face haughty: “Lick up the spilled milk, then go kneel in the bathroom.” A few years ago, she had rescued my amnesiac self during riots in a foreign country. She then nursed me devotedly for months, never leaving my side. But now, for Ethan’s sake, she had forgotten all our shared history. I crawled over in humiliation, about to lower my head. Suddenly Olivia stood up and slapped me hard across the face: “Lucas, you’re lower than an animal!” But what was she so angry about? Wasn’t this all her doing? I staggered to my feet, ignoring her fury, and walked towards the bathroom. Ethan chose that moment to faint dramatically, collapsing weakly into her arms: “Sister Olivia, don’t be hard on Brother Lucas. It’s my fault. Just let me starve to death.” After that, Olivia was too busy fussing over Ethan to bother with me. Time passed. Suddenly, the plane hit turbulence. I was thrown to the floor unexpectedly. I saw Olivia clutching Ethan tightly, his clothes in disarray. She tenderly kissed his forehead, cooing softly: “Don’t be scared, Ethan. I’m here.” I clearly saw the challenge in Ethan’s eyes and the kiss marks on his collarbone. I curled up helplessly in the corner, my bloody nails digging deep into the armrest. Having survived riots abroad, I was extremely sensitive to changes in my surroundings. Olivia used to accommodate me by choosing other modes of transport, even if it took much longer. The plane stabilized after a moment. Olivia finally noticed me covered in filthy blood and snapped impatiently: “Get back in the bathroom and stay there. Don’t dirty Ethan’s eyes.” My gaze darkened in despair. I was about to stand up when everything went black and I collapsed. 0

In my hazy state, I seemed to return to my warm, familiar home. I thought I heard Olivia yelling at the doctor by my bedside: “Why isn’t he waking up yet? You’re all useless quacks!” The doctor explained awkwardly: “Mr. Ye may have an unusual constitution, but he’s still human. No one could endure that kind of torture…” There was a loud crash, like something being overturned. But as soon as I opened my eyes, Olivia’s slap left me dazed: “Lucas, why are you so hell-bent on killing yourself?! Pretending to be asleep, are you happy seeing me go crazy?” I was stunned, my whole body aching too much to speak. So she wasn’t happy to see me wake up after all. Just then, Ethan pushed open the door. He was carrying a bowl of porridge, his voice sickeningly fake: “Brother Lucas, you really shouldn’t pretend to be asleep if you don’t want to be a test subject. You know Sister Olivia was worried sick about you. What’s the point in scaring her like that?” Hearing this, Olivia’s chest heaved with anger. She shouted: “Lucas, you useless coward, always putting on an act! You’re going to be the test subject, and that’s final!” With that, she stormed out without a backward glance. Seeing this, Ethan’s face instantly twisted into a vicious sneer. He violently flung the hot porridge in my face. The scalding liquid made me cry out in pain. Gloating, he took out his phone and played a video. In the video, I was completely naked, my face contorted, writhing among countless snakes. My mind exploded. I lunged at him, roaring: “What is this?! Why does this exist?!” Ethan dodged easily, his smile cruel and malicious: “It’s a gift I prepared specially for you, of course~ Let everyone see how you get off with animals!” I knew it was AI-generated, but others wouldn’t know that! And was Olivia behind this too? As if reading my mind, Ethan let out a cold laugh: “That’s right, Sister Olivia knows! A piece of trash like you is only fit to be a lowly lab rat!” Rage boiled up inside me. I tackled Ethan to the ground, heedless of everything else. But he instantly changed his expression, shrieking in terror: “Sister Olivia, Brother Lucas has gone mad! I was just trying to take care of him, but he said he wants to scald himself to death so you’ll send me away!” Olivia rushed in and kicked me hard, sending me sprawling. I tried to explain: “I didn’t, it was Ethan who—” Before I could finish, she slapped me several times, grinding out each word: “You piece of trash, haven’t you had enough?! Can’t you just get along with Ethan?” My numb heart was torn apart once again. I wiped the filth from my face, my eyes dead and lifeless: “Olivia, you’ll regret this.” All I’ve suffered today will be repaid a hundredfold when the heart-linking curse activates. Olivia’s heart clenched suddenly, but she coldly ordered her bodyguards: “Cut their arms immediately!” Tears instantly poured from my eyes. I gritted my teeth so hard I tasted blood: “No, Olivia, don’t hurt them! It was Ethan who provoked me with that naked video of me, and he—” Olivia cut me off coldly: “Enough, Lucas. You’re forcing me to be cruel!” I wanted to argue more, but could only kowtow frantically. My forehead slammed against the floor repeatedly, soon bloody and bruised. But Olivia remained unmoved, her expression icy: “Even if you kowtow until you die, I won’t change my mind. If you don’t learn your lesson this time, who knows how you’ll hurt Ethan next.” My whole body shook with despair as I howled: “Then I’ll leave your world forever. Just let us go, please?” Olivia suddenly gripped my jaw, her eyes as fierce as a wild beast: “Don’t try to manipulate me. I won’t fall for your tricks. You’re not going anywhere!” With that, she flung me aside and left, pulling Ethan along. I was dragged straight to the lab by the bodyguards. They told the staff emotionlessly: “From today on, he’s the new test subject. Mr. Gu said not to hold back.” I struggled desperately, but mechanical arms clamped down on my limbs. Hundreds of needles pierced my veins. The icy drugs made me swell with pain. It felt like my eyeballs would burst. Every vein in my body throbbed wildly. I could barely breathe from the agony. Ethan walked in wearing a white lab coat. He pointed his phone camera at me, gloating: “Right now people are bidding online to buy your blood and eat your flesh. Wouldn’t it be fun if I auctioned off your organs like mystery boxes?” I shook violently with fury, snarling through clenched teeth: “You, you monster, rot in hell!” But Ethan just laughed wildly: “Hahaha, you piece of trash, you’re almost dead while I’m living the good life. I’ll send you off soon, then Sister Olivia will be all mine~” Ethan’s smile grew increasingly twisted and manic. But hearing Olivia’s footsteps, he quickly shoved some pills in my mouth, whining to her: “Brother Lucas is so mean, he just tried to bite me with his venomous fangs. Good thing I dodged in time.” He showed Olivia a non-existent wound. Olivia glared at me, grinding out each word: “I’ll have all his fangs pulled out. That way he can’t hurt you anymore.” Ethan happily kissed her cheek, looking smug: “Sister Olivia, you’re so good to me.” My heart felt like it was being stabbed. Tears flowed freely down my face. I thrashed violently, making muffled sounds: “No, Olivia…” Save me, please save me, this vicious woman wants to kill me!! Olivia gave me a long, deep look. Her voice was uncharacteristically gentle: “Lucas, when you learn to behave, And stop fighting with Ethan, I’ll let you go.” “No, Olivia don’t leave!” I shook like a dying fish, utterly despairing. But she didn’t look at me again. She left arm in arm with Ethan. Late that night, alarms suddenly blared through the lab. The mechanical arms restraining me abruptly released. I stumbled towards the exit, fighting my weakness. But the chaotic footsteps outside made my heart leap into my throat. Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine. The cold barrel of a gun pressed against my forehead. A mocking voice rang out: “Well hello there, darling. Caught you.”

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For a decade, I drained every last dime I had, sacrificing everything to care for my wife who went insane after a car accident. When her fits hit, she’d throw anything she could get her hands on at me, leaving me bruised and bloody. Then, when she cleared up, she’d cling to me, sobbing uncontrollably. My friends all told me to divorce her, but I always remembered: she pushed me out of the way of that car. That’s how she hit her head and ended up like this. Until the day she accidentally hit me so hard, I was critically injured. My soul floated up to the ceiling. From there, I watched her carefully adjusting the collar of her childhood friend. “What are you crying for? He’s dead. Shouldn’t we be celebrating?” “But I feel for you, Victoria. You faked insanity for ten years just to drain all his money.” She leaned in, her lips finding his, her voice chilling. “Ten years of holding back. Finally, I don’t have to touch that loser anymore.” Turns out, that car accident was a setup, a perfectly orchestrated charade. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day my wife was diagnosed with psychosis.

“Mrs. Wallace’s brain sustained a traumatic impact. While there’s no immediate danger to her life, her mental state might become unstable… alternating between lucidity and delusion.” The doctor handed me the diagnosis, sighing deeply. That’s when it hit me: I was reborn. “You should take her home for now, Mr. Wallace. A familiar environment can aid her recovery.” I barely heard the doctor’s advice. My eyes were fixed on Victoria, lying on the bed. Her eyelids fluttered slightly. She was faking sleep, clearly. In my previous life, I’d believed the doctor. I took her home. By day, I worked myself to the bone to earn money. By night, I endured her abuse and violent outbursts. Meanwhile, her childhood friend, Brandon Miller, used the excuse of “knowing a top psychiatrist” to take her out for “treatment” during the day. In reality, he drove my car, maxed out my credit cards, and squandered my money, living it up and getting intimate behind my back. This time around, you think I’m taking you home? Dream on! I walked to the bedside, leaned over, and subtly moved my hand to her inner thigh. Then, I twisted with all my might! “AHHHH!” A piercing scream ripped through the quiet hospital room. Victoria shot up from the bed, pointing at me and yelling, “Julian Wallace! Are you f*cking insane?!” I wasn’t insane. But this time, I was going to make you truly mad! I yelled towards the door, “Help! Doctor! Nurse! My wife is having a breakdown! She’s out of control!” Nurses and doctors rushed in immediately. What they saw was Victoria, face contorted in a terrifying snarl, lunging off the bed to attack me. I was backed against the wall, my face a perfect mask of horror and helplessness, my eyes welling up with tears. “Quick! Restraints!” Dr. Evans barked, making an instant decision. Victoria must have forgotten her “insane” persona because she struggled furiously, roaring at the nurses: “Get lost! I’m not crazy! He’s the crazy one!” I wiped my eyes, gently holding her bound hand. “Don’t worry, darling. Even if you’re crazy, I’ll never divorce you.” My voice was choked up, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear clearly. Victoria’s face instantly shifted from red to green. She glared at me, her eyes overflowing with pure venom. The other patients and their families in the room looked at me with sympathy and admiration. “That young man is such a good husband. His wife is like this, and he’s still standing by her.” “Yeah, talk about rotten luck, getting stuck with something like this.” Meeting their gazes, I spoke to the doctor in a sorrowful tone. “Doctor, for her safety, and for mine, please contact the best psychiatric hospital immediately. I need to transfer her.” “What?!” Victoria’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “Julian Wallace! You wouldn’t dare!” She thrashed her body wildly, the restraints digging into her skin, turning it red. “I’m not sick! I’m not crazy! You cruel husband!” I ignored her roars, simply giving Dr. Evans a look of pity and helplessness. “Doctor, you see? She’s already speaking nonsense, experiencing paranoid delusions. I’m clearly her husband, but she doesn’t even recognize me anymore.” “Please, hurry and get this arranged. I absolutely must get my wife into the best psychiatric hospital and get her cured!” Dr. Evans sighed, stepping back, and sympathetically reassured me, “Don’t worry, Mr. Wallace. The psychiatric hospital staff will be here shortly.” At those words, I saw Victoria’s face fill with terror! Every single one of her desperate arguments only served as ironclad proof of her severe condition. “Julian Wallace, you bastard, how dare you pull this on me? I’ll kill you!” She was furious, trying to lunge at me, but she collapsed under the doctor’s sedative. Watching her gradually quiet down, wanting to kill me but utterly powerless, I curled my lips. “Don’t worry, darling. I’ll make sure they cure you.”

The transfer to the psychiatric hospital went smoothly. I chose Blackwood Mental Health Facility for Victoria – the most secure center in the city. And I specifically upgraded her to the VIP package: 24-hour surveillance, double-layered security doors, and tranquilizer shots twice a day. As I finished signing, ready to leave, Brandon Miller rushed over. He grabbed my arm, his face a mix of anxiety and disbelief. “Julian, I heard about the accident,” “But I never thought it would be this serious! How could you send Victoria to a place like this?” I gently pulled my arm free, subtly stepping back to create distance between us. “I had no choice. The doctor said she has strong violent tendencies. It’s too dangerous to keep her at home.” I sighed, then my tone shifted, and I looked at him curiously. “But how did you find out I was here? I don’t think I had time to notify anyone.” Brandon’s face stiffened slightly, then he explained, “I… I was worried about Victoria, so I called all her old friends. That’s how I found out.” What a perfect excuse. “Oh, I see.” I nodded, a grateful smile on my face. “That was very thoughtful of you. Speaking of which, I was just about to look for an expert to consult. Didn’t you say you had a friend who’s a psychiatrist?” Brandon’s eyes lit up. He quickly said, “Yes, yes! I have a friend who’s an authority in the field! Julian, don’t worry, I’ll make sure he uses the best possible treatment plan for Victoria!” “That’s fantastic!” I feigned delight, and right there, in front of Dr. Evans, the facility’s lead physician, I peppered him with questions: “Mr. Miller, you’re truly so kind. Could you tell me which hospital your expert friend works at?” “And could I perhaps see his medical license and professional qualifications? After all, with Victoria’s condition, I wouldn’t dare trust just any quack without proper credentials.” Brandon’s face instantly turned beet red, and he stammered for a long time, unable to get a single word out. I didn’t give him a chance to breathe. I immediately turned, apologizing to Dr. Evans. “Dr. Evans, I’m so sorry. My friend here is just a little too enthusiastic.” “From now on, Victoria’s condition is entirely in your capable hands.” “Also, to avoid any unnecessary trouble, from now on, besides myself, anyone claiming to be her friend, relative, or an expert coming to visit, please make sure to verify their identity with me first.” “We wouldn’t want any medical mishaps, would we? We’d all be in deep trouble.” Dr. Evans nodded gravely. “Mr. Wallace, rest assured, we have strict visitation policies. There will be no mistakes.” Brandon stood aside, his face pale, looking like he’d been choked. His plan to collude from the inside was thoroughly blocked by me from the very first step. Back home, I dug out all of Victoria’s bank cards and dialed the bank’s customer service. “Hello, I’d like to report all bank cards under my name and my wife Victoria Wallace’s name as lost. Yes, all of them. Immediately. Right now.” “Reason? Oh, my wife is mentally unstable. I suspect she’s given her cards and PINs to outsiders. For the security of our funds, please freeze all accounts immediately.” In my last life, they spent money like water, living lavishly with the funds from these very cards. This time, I’d like to see how well you two can live it up without my money. Sure enough, within three days, that despicable pair was driven to desperate measures. The miniature listening device I’d planted in Brandon’s car relayed their furious conversation. I leisurely steeped my tea, listening in. “…That b*tch! Julian Wallace, that scumbag!” Brandon’s voice was sharp and shrill. “He shut down all the cards! I tried to withdraw cash, and it said the account was frozen!” From the other end of the line, Victoria’s voice came through, seething with suppressed rage, tinged with a hint of undetectable panic. “Brandon, we can’t wait any longer!” “If we wait any longer, those nurses and doctors will truly drive me insane here! They give me shots every day!” “What do we do then? We have no money now, and we can’t even see you! All those shady friends are starting to avoid me!” Brandon’s voice began to crack with tears. “I understand, Victoria. Just wait. I’ll find a way to get you out first. We’ll settle the score with that bastard Julian later!”

Brandon somehow got his hands on a set of orderly clothes and bribed a new cleaning staff member, planning to coordinate an inside job to sneak Victoria out. I decided to play along. That night, I deliberately called Dr. Evans, telling him I’d had a nightmare that something happened to Victoria, and I felt uneasy, asking him to patrol more often. Dr. Evans reassured me that everything was fine but still promised to keep a closer eye out. At midnight, Brandon, disguised as an orderly, pushed a cart piled high with dirty bedsheets and quietly slipped into Victoria’s room. Victoria had already changed into her clothes and was hiding at the very bottom of the cart. Everything went smoothly. They successfully bypassed the first checkpoint and reached the back gate of the facility. Outside the back gate, the bribed cleaning staff member was waiting. However, just as Victoria was climbing out of the cart— “What are you doing?!” A sharp shout, accompanied by several powerful flashlight beams, exposed them. It was Dr. Evans with the security team, who happened to be passing by on rounds. Victoria and Brandon were caught red-handed. This escape attempt had severe consequences. Victoria was deemed an “extremely dangerous individual” and transferred to the deepest part of the facility’s intensive care unit. There, the windows were only palm-sized, and the door was a quadruple-locked iron door. Her daily activity range was limited to that ten-square-meter room. She was completely imprisoned. But what I didn’t expect was that she could still call Brandon. “Brandon, we have no other way.” Through the listening device, Victoria’s voice was cold and desperate. “Only if Julian dies can I get out, can we get the money, and can all of this end.” “I’ll find an opportunity to tell the doctor my condition has improved and request to see him.” “We’ll arrange to meet at Crimson Lake outside of town. It’s secluded and deserted at night.” “Then, I’ll push him into the water, hold him down, and say he committed suicide by jumping into the lake because he couldn’t take it anymore. And I… because of my ‘condition,’ couldn’t save him.” “Okay, let’s do it!” Brandon’s voice held a desperate, make-or-break ruthlessness. “Victoria, this is our last chance.” Listening to the conversation through my headphones, the smile on my lips deepened. When all of a person’s escape routes are blocked, the evil of human nature is unleashed without reservation. The time I’d been waiting for had arrived! A few days later, I received a call from Dr. Evans. He said Victoria’s condition had stabilized significantly lately; she no longer argued and could even engage in simple conversations. Victoria herself had strongly requested to see me, suggesting we meet by Crimson Lake, where we used to have dates. “Mr. Wallace, after our assessment, we believe this could be a good sign, perhaps helpful for her recovery.” “We’ll have two orderlies accompany her to ensure safety.” “Then… alright.” I reluctantly agreed. “For her to get better, I’m willing to try one more time.” Friday, at dusk. I parked my car in a small grove of trees some distance away, turned off the engine, and waited quietly. A few minutes later, a white facility transport van slowly pulled up. The doors opened, and Victoria, along with two orderlies, stepped out. Victoria told the orderlies, “Sirs, could you please wait for me in the car for a moment? I want to speak with my husband alone. It won’t be more than ten minutes.” The orderlies exchanged glances and nodded. After all, this had been pre-arranged. Victoria took a deep breath, straightened her clothes, and walked step by step toward the man by the lake, who was wearing a beige trench coat. That trench coat was my favorite and most frequently worn piece of clothing. Splash! Water splattered everywhere. The man didn’t even have time to react before he was swallowed by the icy lake water. He choked on several mouthfuls, struggling desperately in the water, flailing and shouting, “Victoria! It’s me!” However, Victoria couldn’t hear what he was yelling, or rather, she simply didn’t care. She jumped into the water without hesitation, pressing his head down with all her might, pushing him under again and again. “Die! Die! Julian Wallace, you bastard! You ruined everything for me!” She roared maniacally, having completely lost her mind. The man’s struggles grew weaker and weaker. Finally, the last string of bubbles disappeared from the surface of the water. Victoria gasped for air, a satisfied, twisted smile spreading across her face. She had succeeded! She had killed Julian Wallace. Freedom and wealth were beckoning to her. Just then, a voice, tinged with a hint of curiosity, drifted from the darkness behind her. “Darling, what are you doing?” Victoria’s body stiffened abruptly, the smile on her face freezing instantly. Slowly, inch by excruciating inch, she turned her head.

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The Boy Who Loved Me Most in the World is Dead Ethan was a police officer. He was stabbed seven times while trying to save a girl from domestic violence. Afterwards, the girl tearfully claimed that Ethan had molested her, which is why her boyfriend stabbed him. The culprit was released without charges due to an insanity plea. As I looked at their faces, I suddenly smiled. An insanity plea, huh? What a coincidence. I have one of those too. 0 Ethan was dead. When the nurse told me this news, she watched my face carefully. But I showed no expression, just fiddling with the doll in my hands. “What does that mean?” I asked. She said it meant Ethan would never come visit me again. I paused, then smiled and said, “That’s good.” I had grown tired of Ethan anyway. Tired of how handsome he looked in his police uniform, making me feel even more sickly and ugly in comparison. Tired. Tired of him always cooking delicious meals, making me gain weight. And tired of him always holding his guitar, singing off-key songs to me. It’s better if he never comes again. Someone like me with mental illness shouldn’t be loved by anyone anyway. On the days without Ethan, I ate alone, listened to music alone, took walks alone. But for some reason, my chest always hurt terribly, so much that I couldn’t sleep. So one night I snuck into the director’s office. He was busy kissing a nurse and got startled. But I didn’t care. I pointed at my heart and said, “I feel awful. Fix me quickly.” After hearing my symptoms, the director sighed and said: “I’ll take you to see Ethan one last time.” 0

Ethan lay in a small room at the funeral home. He was the most handsome person I’d ever seen. Back in school he was the campus heartthrob. Girls were always posting his photos on the confession wall. But now he didn’t look so good. His arms and legs were broken, like snapped tree branches. His face His face was covered in bruises, his chest caved in. The staff on duty were whispering next door: “So sad…he wasn’t even on duty. He was just passing by when he saw that rich kid beating his girlfriend.” “Everyone else was too scared to get close. Officer Ethan was the only one who rushed over. And now he’s dead. What a shame.” “I heard he was at the mall to buy an engagement ring…when they took him to the hospital he was barely breathing, kept calling out a name. Rachel or something.” It’s Rachel, I thought to myself. Ethan had helped me choose that name. He said he hoped my future would be full of sunshine, always bright and clear. For some reason, my heart started hurache again. I nudged Ethan. “Hey, I don’t like this name anymore. Help me think of a new one.” He lay there with his eyes closed, not responding. I kissed his lips gently. So cold. No response. So this is what death is like. Suddenly I started screaming hysterically, banging my head against the wall. The staff next door were terrified. They wanted to rush in but were frozen by my heart-wrenching cries. By the time they finally gathered the courage to open the door, I was already gone. 0

Two miles away at a private hospital. I stood in the shadows of the hallway, silently watching the direction of a patient room. The girl staying there was named Olivia. If it weren’t for protecting her, Ethan wouldn’t have been stabbed seven times by that crazed attacker. At this moment, Olivia was crying to a group of reporters. “Lucas didn’t mean to do it, we were just m “That police officer went too far. He pretended to break up the fight, but actually actually took the chance to grope me.” “Lucas told him to stop but he got even worse, so Lucas…I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry. Lucas never meant to hurt anyone, he just loves me too much.” … Olivia’s testimony was quickly corroborated by several alleged eyewitnesses: “That cop really did take the chance to grab the girl’s hand and touch her chest.” “We were all stunned. Who would’ve thought a police officer would do something like that?” “The cop definitely threw the first punch. The other guy only pulled out the knife when he got desperate. I saw it clearly, no mistake.” People had been skeptical of the girl’s story at first, but now with witnesses it became much more believable. And conveniently, the security cameras at the scene had malfunctioned that day. Public opinion quickly turned angry: “How is it possible the the cameras just happened to break that day?” “I bet the police are just too ashamed to release the footage.” “You had such a scumbag in your ranks and you’re trying to save face?” … I closed my phone and lay down on the bed. In my mind I saw Ethan on the day he changed his college application to the police academy. In the sunlight, the young man in a white shirt looked at me with a serious expression. “Rachel, justice has always been absent in your life.” “So…I want to try to become that justice for you.” What a fool he was. He had always been trying his hardest to transform me, a lunatic, into a warm and happy normal person. “Looks like it’s a good thing he didn’t succeed,” I said with a smile to Ethan in the photo. I took off my hospital gown and threw it in the trash as I walked out of the room. Outside was an endless sea of darkness. Perfect. They had extinguished the only light in my life. Little did they know, darkness was my home turf. 0

I climbed into the director’s office. He was shamelessly making out with a nurse in the dark. I turned on the lights and stared at them expressionlessly. The The nurse let out a scream. The director frantically covered himself with a blanket. “Y-y-you…are you crazy?” he stammered. I looked at him puzzled. “If I wasn’t crazy, why would I be in a mental hospital?” I sat down in the leather chair in the center of the office and propped my feet up on the desk. “Get me a new identity.” The director flew into a rage. “What do you think you’re doing?! Giving me orders! You want to rebel?!” I reached out and opened the venetian blinds. Outside was a camcorder, its red recording it recorded. It was a gift Ethan had bought me with his first month’s salary as a cop. High definition even in the dark. I had left it outside when I climbed in through the window. “The movies they show in the activity room have been so boring lately,” I said, waving the camcorder. “Should I give everyone this to watch instead?” The fat on the director’s face trembled. “What…what kind of identity do you want?” I thought for a moment, then turned to the nurse. “What was your name again?” There were dozens of nurses here, but I remembered hers as the prettiest. The nurse stammered, “R-Rachel.” “Nice name,” I said. “I’ll take it.” 0

“Rachel, with six years of nursing experience at Southside Psychiatric Center.” With this identity, I stood before Lucas. Thanks to that insanity plea, he had escaped criminal charges. The price was that he needed to stay at a psychiatric facility for a few months to lay low. The moment he saw me, Lucas smiled. “What a pretty new toy. I like it.” Before me, Lucas had already driven away over a dozen caretakers. One of them was found covered in blood and is still in the ICU. So even with sky-high pay, no one dared to come take care of this violent maniac anymore. But I was different. “I’m not here to be your toy,” I said softly. Before I finished speaking, a glass cup flew straight at my head. It shattered, blood immediately flowing downehead. Lucas lounged on the bed, smiling at me. He was waiting for my reaction. The previous caretakers had either screamed, broken down, or gotten angry. But I did none of those things. I just stuck out my tongue and licked the blood that had dripped to my lips. Lucas stopped smiling. His world had always been full of sheep. But now, one wolf had finally encountered another wolf in the wilderness. It must be quite a novel experience for him. I walked towards Lucas step by step, sat down, and stared intently into his eyes. “Do you enjoy seeing others in pain?” I asked softly. This was the psychological mechanism of sadists. Seeing others suffer gave them intense pleasure. “Too bad, I can’t feel pain. Torturing me won’t do any good.” “You can’t feel pain?” Lucas asked in a low voice. “Don’t believe me?” I picked up a glass ashtray and placed it in Lucas’s hand. “If you don’t believe it.” Glass items weren’t allowed in psychiatric facilities. But Lucas, the only son of Starlight Group’s chairman, was naturally above all rules. He held the ashtray in his hand, staring into my eyes, not moving. My gaze was too calm, like a still water surface with no ripples. A person can’t get any sense of accomplishment from repeatedly striking a calm water surface. This made him lose interest. But that’s okay, I can help you find some fun. Looking into Lucas’s eyes, I spoke softly: “Although I can’t feel pain, if you want to see suffering, I still have a way to help you achieve that.” I have very abnormal eyes. Normal people would be scared of them. But lunatics are drawn to them.

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I was born with color blindness. A fortune teller once said I had a dark aura that needed to be balanced by someone with strong positive energy. My dad, worried about my future, found seven guys who were said to have exceptionally bright auras. But among them all, my eyes were drawn to Marcus Sinclair— Because in my black and white world, he was the only one in color. I chose him. But on our wedding night, he switched the boxes containing my medication. I usually relied on color to distinguish my pills, and as a result, I accidentally swallowed an overdose of sleeping pills, collapsing in convulsions. Over the phone, he laughed coldly: “Lily Foster, Natalie is in the hospital because of you. It’s time you taste the bitterness of despair.” As the clock ticked away, I counted down my final moments. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day I was supposed to choose a husband. This time, I dug my nails into my palm, refusing to look at Marcus Sinclair who stood in the most prominent position. As my gaze swept across the corner, I suddenly remembered that in my previous life, after I died, only that quiet man had come to collect my body. I raised my hand and pointed directly at him: “I choose him.”

“Lily, do you think changing men will make me care?” Marcus sneered, turning away nonchalantly. “I’ve told you before, I’ll never marry you. If you really like someone else… go ahead and marry them.” Jason Shen, standing nearby, frowned at Marcus’s words and quietly lowered his eyes. Natalie immediately came over and tugged at my arm. “Lily, Marcus is leaving. Why aren’t you chasing after him?” She blinked, feigning concern. “If he gets really angry, you’ll have to beg him to forgive you in a few days.” I shook off her hand and laughed coldly. “Why should I chase after him?” How ridiculous. They had lived in my family’s house since childhood, relying on us for food, clothing, and shelter. Now they expect me, the actual owner, to beg them? In my previous life, I was brainwashed by them, believing that ‘the only color in my world must be my destiny.’ This time, I won’t make the same mistake! “Dad, I want to marry Jason.” My father frowned deeply. “Lily, marriage isn’t a game. This concerns your lifelong happiness!” “Did you have a fight with Marcus?” he probed. “Didn’t you used to like him the most?” Like? That so-called love nearly cost me my life. How could I dare to like him again? I forced a smile. “Dad, people change.” My dad exchanged a glance with the fortune teller, who immediately spread out his tools and began to make a show of divination. After a while, he shook his head dramatically. “Mr. Foster, I’ve carefully calculated. This Mr. Shen has a very unusual aura. He’s not compatible with Miss Lily at all!” “In my opinion, Mr. Sinclair still has the strongest positive energy. Even if they don’t get married, as long as he stays close to Miss Lily, it will keep her safe.” Hearing this, my dad’s face showed hesitation. I directly exposed their trick: “If you say we don’t need to get married, then why not just give him a job to stay in the house? Wouldn’t that work the same?” “Well…” The fortune teller was suddenly at a loss for words, mumbling incoherently. My dad pondered for a moment before finally relenting: “Lily, tomorrow is the anniversary of your mother’s passing. I’ll be away for three days to pay my respects. Take these three days to think it over. Whatever decision you make, I’ll support you.” I nodded gratefully, watching as my dad left. My mom died from complications during my birth. Since then, my dad has poured all the love he had for my mom into me. He took me to see countless specialists, but none could cure my color blindness. Later, when he heard that Marcus could let me see colors, my dad was overjoyed and gave him countless privileges. Who could have imagined that this kindness would eventually become the death warrant for me? In my previous life, when my dad saw my final fate, he must have been heartbroken too. “Lily, quick, think about what gift to send to make up with Marcus!” “How about a yacht?” “A mansion might be more practical.” The group chatted animatedly, completely disregarding my opinions. I folded my arms and coldly watched them. “Who said I was going to apologize?”

Everyone burst into laughter. “Lily, stop being stubborn. If Marcus really ignores you, you’ll end up crying again.” Ignoring my protests, they forcibly pushed me into a car, insisting on taking me to the mansion where Marcus lived. These people were so eager because in my previous life, every time I went to apologize to Marcus, they would tag along and reap considerable benefits. When Marcus saw me, he showed no surprise, just arrogantly turned his face away. The freshly picked flower in his hand was alluringly beautiful, like a bottle of enticing poison, tempting me to come closer. “Give me back the keys to the mansion.” “…What did you say?” I calmly repeated myself, shocking everyone present. “Lily, have you gone mad?!” “Marcus, don’t take it to heart. Lily didn’t mean it. Lily, apologize quickly!” Everyone panicked as if Marcus was the true owner of the Foster family. Marcus slowly walked up to me: “Lily, I’ll give you one last chance.” “No need.” “Fine, I’ll give them back to you.” He took out the keys but let them slip from his fingers just as I was about to catch them. The keys fell into the drain with a ‘clink’. “You!” I knelt on the ground, desperately reaching for the keys. Although the water flow wasn’t strong, the keys always seemed just out of reach. Mocking laughter erupted around me: “Come on, Miss Foster, try harder. If the keys wash away, you won’t be able to apologize.” “Hah, I thought she had really changed, but look at her now, scrambling for Marcus’s keys like a dog.” The keys quickly blended into the dark drain. As I fumbled around, my nostrils filled with the stench of decaying leaves. Finally, I felt the keys. But Natalie immediately pulled Marcus back. “Marcus, be careful, don’t get dirty.” Suppressing my anger, I used the keys to open the mansion’s front door, only to be shocked speechless by the sight before me— “Who told you to touch anything here?!” This was the ancestral home my grandmother had left me. Every piece of furniture was her life’s work. But now, all those old items that carried memories were gone. Marcus carelessly adjusted his cuffs. “Last year, you gave me this house as a birthday gift. Don’t you remember?” “I gave you the right to use it!” I gripped the doorknob tightly. “This is a heritage site. Unauthorized alterations are illegal.” He sneered, “You want to take back something you’ve given away? Miss Foster, you never cease to amaze me.” Natalie, standing to the side, suddenly chuckled softly. “Marcus, Miss Foster probably doesn’t know that all the old furniture has been sent to storage.” She added, feigning thoughtfulness, “We’ve just put them away temporarily~” “We?” I coldly looked at her. “Since when did Miss Sullivan become the mistress of this place?” Natalie’s eyes immediately welled up with tears as she shrank behind Marcus. “I was just… trying to explain…” Marcus immediately shielded her and raised his hand, slapping me hard across the face. “Apologize to Natalie!” Everyone present was stunned. No one expected Marcus to actually hit me. “Never!” Marcus laughed in extreme anger. “Fine! Since Miss Foster values her pride so much, I’ll grant your wish!” Marcus roughly pushed me into the unfinished walk-in closet and locked the door with a click. A blinding whiteness greeted my eyes. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all a stark white. When I was eight, I was once kidnapped. The kidnappers locked me in a room just like this for three days and three nights. Marcus knew this incident better than anyone, yet now he deliberately used my greatest fear to punish me. “Open the door! Marcus!” I pounded desperately on the door, cold sweat already beading on my forehead, but the door didn’t budge. Laughter filtered through from outside: “The young miss sure has a temper.” “Only you can put up with her, Marcus.” “Let her cool off in there for a while. It’ll do her good.” Marcus’s voice penetrated the door, each word cutting deep: “She’s nothing but a lapdog. If it weren’t for Mr. Foster’s sake, who would bother entertaining her?” Even though I knew this man had never loved me, hearing such an evaluation firsthand still felt like my heart was being ripped open. I had offered my sincere feelings for so many years. Even the most ordinary friend would show some respect and affection. But Marcus insisted on trampling my dignity and grinding it into the mud. My breathing began to shake uncontrollably. The air in the confined space felt terrifyingly thin. The heavy smell of paint mixed with the acrid scent of disinfectant churned in my lungs. I opened my mouth wide, desperately gasping for air, but it was as futile as a fish out of water. Drip, drip. Whether it was real water or an auditory hallucination brought on by impending breakdown, the walls before me began to twist and writhe, like countless pale hands reaching out to grab me. Just before I lost consciousness completely, I was roughly dragged out of the room by my arm. “Stop pretending! Natalie is about to go to the press conference. You’re the brand manager, don’t think you can slack off!” I struggled to lift my head and saw several men in suits surrounding Natalie like stars around the moon. The dress she wore made my pupils constrict— “How dare you let her wear my gown?!” That was the wedding dress my grandmother had specially customized for me. Every stitch carried her blessings. “It’s just a dress,” one of the men scoffed dismissively. “Take it off!” I struggled to rush over. Suddenly, Natalie burst into tears. “I’m sorry… It’s all my fault… I’ll take it off right away…” She forcefully tore open the collar. The men immediately surrounded her, hastily covering her with their jackets. My precious wedding gown was carelessly trampled underfoot. The exquisite embroidery was ruined beyond recognition, and the inlaid jewels scattered across the floor. Natalie looked at me with tear-filled eyes. “Are you satisfied now, Miss Foster?” Marcus grabbed a fistful of my hair, his voice ice-cold. “Apologize!” Security guards rushed in at the commotion. “What’s going o—” Before they could finish, Marcus slowly turned, his gaze piercingly cold. “You want to interfere?” The guards’ eyes darted between Marcus and me. Finally, one pressed his radio. “Report, all normal in the villa area.” Then they quickly left. Marcus released my hair and leaned down to whisper in my ear. “Lily, you’d better behave. Otherwise… I can’t guarantee what might happen next.” I clenched my fists tightly, my nails digging into my palms. “Marcus, do you really think you’re above the law?” He straightened up with a light chuckle. “I wouldn’t say above the law, but dealing with you… is well within my means.” The press conference staff came to hurry them along. Only then did Marcus temporarily let me go, leading Natalie towards the venue. Marcus quickly got Natalie a new gown and was coaxing her in a low voice. I looked down at my simple white T-shirt and suddenly felt the irony acutely. How could I have been so blind in my previous life? Just as I was about to take my seat, Marcus suddenly pushed me aside. “Natalie, you sit here.” I suppressed my anger. “If she sits here, where am I supposed to sit?” “What?” He raised an eyebrow mockingly. “Don’t tell me you still think this is your reserved seat?” With that, he kicked over a low stool. “Sit if you want, or get lost if you don’t.” He couldn’t resist adding a final jab. “If it weren’t for your dad’s influence, do you think you’d even qualify to be at an event like this?”

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In the first year of the apocalypse, Liam grew tired of me. He began favoring my sister, Rowan, his combat partner. Everyone in the team silently agreed they were the perfect match, leaving me feeling like an outcast. Before the apocalypse, I was his light, his savior. After, I became nothing but a dead weight, dragging our team down. Later, after he and my sister finally confessed their feelings during a battle, he allowed the rest of the team to bully me. To save the one he truly loved, he even pushed me into the arms of another man. Until, I truly fell for someone else. He suddenly remembered me, the girl who took him in, battered and broken, back when we first met. **1** I huddled with the Normals, curled up in a corner in the dead of night. I quickly ducked my head, took a stealthy bite of the last cookie, holding it in my mouth to muffle any sound. My stomach churned with acid, protesting the long hours of hunger. The cookie was a little moldy. I’d secretly stashed it away earlier when we were scavenging for supplies. It was the second year of the apocalypse. We still hadn’t reached the Northern Base, and our team had grown from five to twelve members. Seven Ability Users and five Normals. I was one of the Normals, never having awakened an ability. Not far away, a group held up lights, studying a map. Their voices drifted faintly. “Newport City has fallen. We’ll have to skirt around it, cutting through the mountains to reach the town on the other side. Fewer zombies there. Rowan, what do you think?” A cool, detached female voice replied, “Hmm. That works.” I looked up when I heard his voice. The man holding the lamp had messy hair, but his eyes held a surprising gentleness. “We should reach the Northern Base in about a month. I heard order is slowly being restored there.” Liam and I hadn’t spoken in a long time, even though he was my boyfriend. I finished the last crumb of my cookie, my gaze falling on the woman in leather, exuding an icy coolness. Thank goodness, only a month left. Once we reach the Northern Base, everything will be fine. I’d heard even Normals could live decent lives there. Then, I could finally end things. My fingers instinctively brushed against the zombie crystal core I’d secretly stashed in my pocket. They said if a Normal swallowed a pure crystal, there was a chance they’d awaken an ability. Ability Users could absorb it to grow stronger, but for a Normal, it meant a gruesome, explosive death. Yet, holding it, a fragile spark of hope flickered within me. While the Ability User squad cleared out the zombies outside, our Normal squad searched the convenience store for any remaining supplies. I wore a pack nearly half my height and climbed through a small window into a convenience store. It looked like it had already been picked clean. Only a few daily necessities and some dried peanuts were left. I stuffed everything into my bag, then my sharp eyes spotted a box of coconut candies under the table. I crouched down and tucked them into my sleeve. It was deep summer outside, but thick winter clothing enveloped my skeletal frame. I slowed my breathing, trying to minimize my presence. I handed over everything I found to Hank, the man in charge of supplies. Hank’s gaze lingered on me, laced with ill intent. That predatory look had been following me for a long time now. He took my bag, his clammy fingers brushing my hand. Hank grinned. “Elara, you’re dressed so heavily, but your hands are still freezing.” I pulled my hand back and scurried behind Liam, linking my arm through his. Liam frowned, looking at me, but I just tilted my head back and gave him a sweet, innocent smile, pretending not to notice his stiff posture. Rowan glanced at us, her eyes flashing with a hint of mockery as she saw our linked arms. “Before the apocalypse, she relied on her parents. After, she relies on men…” I pressed my lips together, offering no defense. She seemed to find it uninteresting, turning away, her neat ponytail whipping through the air. Liam watched her disappear into the vehicle, then turned to me, his gaze laced with clear disapproval. “Elara, you know your sister gets upset when she sees you. Why do you always have to appear in front of her?” The impatience in his eyes was almost palpable. I stared, stunned, biting my lip, trying to look lost and helpless. “I’m sorry, but I was scared. Hank just touched me.” Liam’s expression became uncomfortable, but he didn’t pull his hand away. This was the man I’d been with since high school. I’d found him in a dark, damp alley. Ribs showed through his emaciated frame, covered in wounds, passed out in dirty water. Pity compelled me to rescue him. I scrounged and saved every penny to get him treated, even shared my meager meals daily when he had nothing to eat. Back then, Liam’s mother had passed away, and his father was an alcoholic who beat him senseless when drunk. He only managed to stay in school because his grades were exceptional, earning him a scholarship. Slowly, the dark, brooding boy I knew began to heal, his eyes and heart holding only me. We naturally fell in love. He even gave up a scholarship opportunity to attend the same university as me. But on our wedding day, the apocalypse hit. A guest mutated, tearing into another, plunging the reception into utter chaos. My parents, in a desperate act to save us, locked Rowan and me behind an iron gate. They used their own bodies as a shield, buying us precious moments to escape. Then, right before our eyes, they turned, becoming mindless zombies. Rowan was my older sister, three years my senior, and she’d despised me since we were kids. From childhood, I was sickly; a simple cold could nearly kill me. Until I was thirteen, I was practically on medication every day. While other kids chased and played, I could only watch from indoors. Even when my health improved, my parents still worried endlessly about me. I was always so docile and well-behaved, they never spoke a harsh word to me. Rowan always believed my presence stole her parents’ love, feeling they played favorites. During her teenage years, she was as prickly as a hedgehog, and we argued constantly, every other day. She later went to a university far from home and only returned when I was about to get married. That day, her hatred seemed to climax. She grabbed my arm, relentlessly questioning, “Why you, Elara? Why aren’t you dead? If you hadn’t gotten married, none of this would’ve happened! Mom and Dad wouldn’t be dead! You’re a curse, a jinx! They gave you all their love, and even in their last moments, they told me to take care of you! Why, Elara? Why don’t you just die?!” In our small team, Rowan and Liam were the first to awaken their abilities. Ability Users were physically superior to Normals in every way, their strength and endurance far exceeding ours. Rowan had ice powers, Liam awakened fire powers. The other two were Liam’s college roommates, who awakened water and wood abilities respectively. With the apocalypse came earthquakes and floods, ravaging human homes. Nearly all water sources were contaminated, and cities plunged into darkness. Later, we heard there was a survivor’s base up north, so our group set off on the journey. Initially, everyone was friendly to me, but that changed when they realized I hadn’t awakened an ability. Resentment started to fester within the team. If I hadn’t been Liam’s girlfriend and Rowan’s sister, they would have said something. But instead, their occasional impatience and disgust revealed their inner disdain. They probably forgot that, in the beginning, before they awakened their abilities, when buildings were being destroyed by thousands of zombies, it was *me* who squeezed into collapsed ruins to find food. When their abilities were slow to improve, I was also the first to discover that some zombies had crystal cores in their heads. I watched as, over this past year, Liam’s heart was slowly, undeniably, turning towards Rowan. Her ice, his fire – a devastating combination that made quick work of any zombie horde. They were the most in-sync partners, a truly formidable duo. Maybe he felt a kinship with Rowan, a shared sense of tragedy. The more he learned about her past, comparing it to my own carefree nature, the more he seemed to ache for her strength and independence. During food shortages, I even overheard them debating whether to abandon me. They were combat partners, fighting side-by-side. I was nothing but a dead weight, dragging them down. Other Normals, even without abilities, could manage against zombies in groups. But I was weak, frail. I was only useful for my small size, able to squeeze into tight spots to find food. Nothing more than a burden. Later, Hank and his group joined. Hank was a Strength Ability User, and the man with him, George, had a rare healing ability. When did I realize he no longer loved me? Perhaps it was his silence when others mocked me. Or perhaps it was the day I went to get into the car, and my usual seat was piled high with a large duffel bag, packed with all the food I’d found. And Liam’s hesitant eyes when he looked at me. “This car is for Ability Users only. Elara, I’m the leader. I can’t show you favoritism just because you’re my girlfriend. Can you understand that, Elara?” I nodded and went to the back, to the minivan with the rest of the Normals. The Normals in the team were all like me. Any food we found had to be given to the Ability Users. Normals were given only tiny portions of water and food each day, just enough to sustain life. Everyone in the van was silent, eyes closed, conserving energy. That’s when everyone knew: Liam didn’t consider me special anymore. If I hadn’t been Liam’s girlfriend, Hank would have made his move on me long ago. And Liam seemed oblivious to Hank’s blatant, predatory gaze. He just dismissed it, telling me I was overthinking things. “Liam, we’re almost at the Northern Base.” I whispered, lowering my eyes. He paused, as if he hadn’t understood my meaning. I sighed internally. Once we reached the Northern Base, no one would have to pretend anymore. We’d all be free. **2** After a day of rest, the team set off on foot into the mountains. Newport City had long since become a zombie-infested ruin. We planned to enter through a small town at the foot of the mountains. I followed the team. This area used to be a tourist attraction, with man-made paths, so the mountain trail wasn’t too treacherous. The mountain forest was strangely quiet. Behind me, a Normal collapsed. The prolonged hunger had made it impossible for him to keep walking, but everyone else simply ignored him, as if he didn’t exist, continuing forward. I followed, the weight of my backpack reminding me that supplies were low. As I passed him, two coconut candies tumbled from my sleeve. When I looked up after doing that, my eyes met Rowan’s cold gaze. “I think someone needs to carry the pack.” I kept my head down and walked forward, pretending not to hear her. But then the strap of my backpack was yanked. “I said, someone needs to carry it. Are you deaf?!” The people in front stopped. All eyes were on Rowan and me. Rowan suddenly grabbed my arm and yanked up my thick winter sleeve. A bag of coconut candies and two compressed biscuits fell out. “Because someone’s being selfish and hoarding food.” “In the apocalypse, the first to die are the bleeding hearts. You’re damn lucky you’ve made it this far.” Her tone was mocking, her eyes filled with disdain. She picked up the biscuits from the ground and threw them at the collapsed Normal. “Eat up and hurry along.” Then she glared at me. “Don’t let me find anything else missing from the bag.” “I understand,” I mumbled, not a hint of embarrassment for being caught hoarding food. Most of the supplies in the apocalypse had already been scavenged. The majority of the food in our team’s possession was found by me, tucked away in dangerous, narrow crevices. I had to face the constant threat of zombies while navigating crumbling, precarious buildings. And since I found most of our team’s food, I didn’t feel I owed them anything, even if I hadn’t awakened an ability. The supplies they rationed to Normals were pitifully small. What I hid, I believed, was rightfully mine. But I said nothing. Speaking up would only make them think I was ungrateful. The team stopped at a mountain lodge halfway up the slope. Night had fallen. The place seemed to have been ransacked already; anything useful was gone. I set down my heavy pack. Clearly, they had no intention of sharing food with the Normals tonight. I went upstairs, searching every room, trying to find some forgotten scrap of food, but found nothing. No one noticed me. I quickly popped the last coconut candy I’d hidden in my chest into my mouth, then went downstairs and curled up in a corner to try and sleep. A group not far away seemed to be discussing something. Finally, they all left. They returned in the middle of the night. Liam was carrying Rowan, his face etched with worry. She was pale, leaning against him, her entire shoulder soaked with blood. I could vaguely see the raw flesh underneath. If she didn’t get treatment soon, Rowan would turn into a mindless zombie. The two groups seemed to be arguing, the atmosphere tense and volatile. I hid behind the crowd, vaguely understanding what had happened. Rowan had sensed a high-tier zombie in these mountains. Everyone else’s abilities had been leveling up, but hers had stagnated for too long. She was fiercely competitive, incapable of accepting that she was standing still. After sensing the high-tier zombie, she was desperate to get its crystal core. To get this crystal, everyone in the team had taken hits, but Rowan was clearly the most gravely wounded. Hank and George, the healing ability user behind him, along with a Lightning Ability User, stood opposite Liam. Liam’s eyes were bloodshot, and a fiery ball gathered in his palm, ready to strike at any second. “Make your man save Rowan! Besides this Fourth-Tier crystal, I’ll give you anything you want, *anything*.” “Anything I want?” Hank’s ill-intentioned gaze fell on me, then he grinned. “I want you to break up with Elara.” Liam turned and looked at me, standing outside the circle. My lips trembled, and my face instantly went pale. If I lost my status as an Ability User’s girlfriend, as a Normal without an awakened power, my fate was easy to imagine. Hank’s voice continued, “Anyone with eyes can see you’re Elara’s boyfriend, yet you’re obviously into Rowan too. We only have a few women in this team, and you’re hogging the two prettiest ones. That’s not fair, is it? Let go of Elara, and I promise to treat her well. Besides, she’s just a Normal, no ability — being with me would be her goddamn good fortune.” They laughed and debated, nobody caring about what I wanted. They simply decided my future with ease. Liam turned back to me. I instinctively grabbed his hand, tears welling in my eyes. “No, Liam, I don’t want to break up.” Only a month left until the Northern Base! Just one month! Liam looked down at me. He carefully put Rowan down, then gripped my hand and pulled me away. “Liam, you promised you wouldn’t leave me.” I flung myself into his arms, my tears blurring my vision. “Liam, Liam, don’t break up…” I pleaded in a low voice. Breaking up would send a dangerous signal to everyone else. Then, I’d just be a slab of meat on the chopping block, to be devoured not just by Hank, but by the other Ability Users in the team too. In the apocalypse, order had crumbled, and humanity’s depravity was on full display. I’d seen what happened to other Normals, both men and women, who hadn’t awakened abilities. The weak weren’t their kin; they were just resources, to be traded or consumed. I didn’t want to become that. We were so close, just one more month. “Elara, I’m sorry…” Liam’s expression was cold, devoid of the pity he once held for me. “Elara, your sister, she’s always had such a hard life. She was neglected since she was a child, always so strong-willed. I always thought I only felt a comradeship for her, but today, seeing her on the verge of death, I can’t lie to myself anymore. I’ve fallen for her.” “Do you know what will happen to me if we break up?” He fell silent, then spoke, “Hank is a Fourth-Tier Strength user, just as powerful as me. For you, he’s a decent option.” He analyzed it calmly, his eyes devoid of the tenderness they once held. The man who, in the early days of the apocalypse, had shielded me with his body, nearly dying at the hands of the Infected, now looked like a demon. “Besides, Elara, she’s your sister. When did you become so selfish? Do you know when I started to fall for your sister? She pretends not to care about the Normals, but when facing zombies, she’s always the first to charge in. But you? You only think of yourself, even when your own sister’s life hangs in the balance.” As he spoke, a cruel sneer twisted his lips. Rowan’s ‘tough exterior, soft heart’ act was only for others. We were sisters, yet she hated me so fiercely. As a child, she could have softened her tone a little to mend her relationship with our parents, but she always chose the sharpest thorns to face our family. When she insisted on going to a university far from home, our parents, unable to stop her, agonized over it, their hair turning gray with worry. The expenses there were huge. They sent her a hefty sum every month, even selling our family home and downsizing to afford it. No one ever owed her anything. All this way, because of Liam and Rowan’s subtle dislike for me, I had been isolated by everyone. Despite there being so many Normals in the team, I was the only one they routinely mocked and called useless. I wiped my tears, looking at the man before me, knowing it was hopeless. I turned and walked towards the door, a faint glow of dawn visible in the sky, illuminating a path through the mountains. Liam’s voice drifted from behind me, eerily quiet. “There are still some zombies in the mountains. We’ve been here so long, they’ve probably caught our scent. They should be nearby. If you think you can get down the mountain safely by yourself, then go ahead.” “Elara, how did you become so selfish?” I turned back to him. He seemed certain I wouldn’t dare go alone. Liam’s gaze was a mixture of disappointment and relief—as if he was finally seeing me for who I truly was, and was glad of it. To ensure safety, everyone stayed together. I huddled with the Normals, curled up in a corner, knees drawn to my chest. It was an excruciatingly uncomfortable position, but I’d grown used to it. An hour later, everyone rested in place. Sunlight streamed into the room, dimly illuminating the scene. A pair of hands pulled me up. I screamed, but a hand clamped over my mouth and nose. The room was silent. I struggled, kicking over a table and chairs in the living room. I saw the sofa where Liam had been sleeping shift, then settle back into stillness. The man’s foul stench filled my nostrils. His hands, like steel clamps, cinched my waist, dragging me into a room. Everyone else pretended to be oblivious. I gritted my teeth, fumbling for the small knife in my pocket. With a swift movement, I sliced open my palm, drawing blood. When everyone else awakened their abilities, even a tiny scratch on me would draw countless zombies. Born frail, then cursed by the apocalypse, even the ability I’d instinctively awakened was a useless, dangerous curse that seemed intent on killing me. I closed my eyes. If no one wanted me alive, then let everyone die. The hand covering my mouth and nose loosened. He started tearing at my clothes. The blade in my palm sank halfway into my flesh, and blood dripped onto the bedsheets. Outside the window, pale, decaying zombies smashed through the window, lunging into the room and shattering the quiet. Hank scrambled to his feet. I lay limp on the bed, my thick winter coat ripped open, revealing the short-sleeved top underneath. Liam pushed open the door, practically unable to look me in the eyes. They finished off the zombies. Hank pried open a zombie head, found no crystal core, then spat in disgust and left the room, his interest gone. Liam looked back at me. After a long moment, he closed the door. I looked at the scattered zombie corpses on the floor, walked over, and slowly reached out my hand. Just as it was about to touch the rotting flesh, I yanked it back. I couldn’t die. After all the mockery, scorn, and bullying in the apocalypse, enduring so much—wasn’t it all just to survive? **3** The next day, the team continued their trek. The mountain path stretched endlessly, growing steeper and more treacherous the further we went. Besides a few zombies in hiking gear, there were no other signs of life.

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