Category: English

Heather and I gave birth on the same day, both to baby boys. That night, while we were under observation in the hospital, I saw Heather sneakily switch my baby with hers. I said nothing. Years later, Heather’s son, under my care, became an Ivy League PhD graduate. Meanwhile, my biological son dropped out of middle school to work in a steel factory, overworked himself to illness, and developed cirrhosis. When Martha begged me to pay for his treatment, Heather scoffed, saying, “Why waste money on that mutt? Better to save it for Ezra’s future wedding!” After my son’s death, Heather decided to reveal the baby swap at Ezra’s wedding, planning to reclaim him as her son. I simply smiled, knowingly. Content “You filthy mutt! Who said you could sit at the table to eat?!” Heather slapped Calvin so hard he fell to the ground. Martha rushed to help him up but was shoved aside by Heather. “Trash like you should have been smothered in the hospital!” she snapped. Heather’s tirades always lasted for hours. Whenever Martha or I tried to intervene, she’d deflect, blaming “poor discipline” during his childhood as the reason for his supposed failures. In reality, she was venting her resentment toward me. Heather gave Calvin his name—a throwaway, as insignificant as lint. “Mom, I’m home!” Ezra’s cheerful voice broke the tension. He ran to my arms, proudly holding up a perfect test paper for me to see. Before I could take it, Heather snatched it away. “Ezra, you’re amazing! Auntie has to reward you for this!” She pulled a hundred-dollar bill from her purse and stuffed it into Ezra’s pocket. “Buy yourself something nice! If it’s not enough, just come to me for more!” Ezra, though thrilled by the gesture, hesitated. He glanced at me for permission, his upbringing keeping him cautious. Meanwhile, Calvin, his face swollen from Heather’s earlier assault, silently watched as she handed Ezra the money. “What are you staring at?! It’s not for you!” Heather sneered, pushing Calvin. “With grades like yours, you’re not even worth a fraction of Ezra’s talent!” Calvin lowered his head, too scared to respond. But Heather wasn’t finished. She grabbed Calvin by his shirt collar, dragging him to the door. “Don’t you dare covet things that aren’t yours,” she spat. “You’re nothing more than a guard dog—a lowly mutt!” “Mom,” Calvin suddenly mustered the courage to ask, “Can I go do my homework? I’ll work hard to catch up to Ezra, I promise…” He looked at her pleadingly, desperate for any acknowledgment. Heather’s response was a harsh kick, sending him sprawling to the floor. “No matter how hard you try, you’ll never measure up to Ezra. You’re destined to be beneath him for the rest of your life!” I watched as Heather’s cruel words crushed Calvin’s fragile hope, snuffing out the light in his eyes. Martha couldn’t take it anymore and shielded Calvin. “How can you treat your own child like this?!” she scolded Heather. “You don’t get it, Mom,” Heather retorted. “This is tough-love parenting!” Unable to hold back, I countered, “Even tough love has limits. Constant belittling will only destroy a child’s spirit.” “Stay out of it, Clara,” Heather snapped, bristling like a porcupine. “You focus on Ezra. Calvin is none of your business.” In truth, I only ever spoke up—I never truly saved Calvin from the hell he endured. 2 Martha fretted over Calvin’s treatment but didn’t say much. After all, Heather’s pregnancy had been the result of her teenage recklessness. Back in high school, Heather spent all her energy chasing boys, particularly Trey Walters, a local delinquent with bleached hair. When Martha found out, she warned Heather to stay away from him. Instead, Heather ran off, dropping out of school and moving into Trey’s house. Trey quickly lost interest after their fling. He threw her out, dumping her belongings onto the street. With nowhere else to go, Heather returned home, visibly pregnant. Martha believed Heather’s resentment toward Calvin stemmed from him being Trey’s child—the result of that humiliation. What she didn’t know was that Heather, on a cold, foggy night, had swapped the babies. She abused my son without guilt because he wasn’t hers. “Let’s just eat,” I said, calling Calvin over to join us. Heather coughed and said smugly, “I didn’t know you had so much free time, Clara—worrying about someone else’s kid.” “Calvin’s not hungry. He’s like a little bird—barely eats and never starves,” she quipped. But Calvin’s growling stomach betrayed her. His gaunt frame screamed malnourishment. I was about to insist when Heather hurled a slipper at the door. “Get out! Have you finished the laundry yet? Why are you standing around?!” “Sorry, Mom. I’ll get to it now,” Calvin whispered, carefully picking up the slipper and placing it by her feet before quietly leaving the kitchen. “You can use the washing machine for all those thick winter clothes,” I remarked. “Machines don’t clean as well as hands,” Heather replied. “Calvin’s too dumb to study. If he’s not diligent, he’s truly worthless.” She turned to Ezra, piling food onto his plate. “Ezra, my smart boy, you’ll go to Harvard or Yale one day. Leave the servant work to others.” Heather’s favoritism was blatant. She might as well have tattooed “Ezra is my real son” across her forehead. But I stayed silent, choosing to watch from the sidelines. Later, Heather pulled Calvin out of school, claiming she’d arranged a job for him in Detroit for $800 a month. Martha protested. “He’s just a boy! He can’t handle that kind of labor!” Even Richard couldn’t hold back. “That steel factory is brutal! You’re sending Calvin to ruin himself!” “He’s not cut out for school, so why not earn money while he’s young?” Heather argued. “It’s his choice.” “Right, Calvin?” she added, glaring at him. Calvin nodded obediently. Richard placed a hand on Calvin’s shoulder, asking gently, “Why do you want to go?” “Mom said we owe you and Aunt Clara for taking us in. I should help Ezra with his education…” Hearing this, Richard and Martha were heartbroken. Richard snapped at Heather, “We’re not so poor we need a child’s help!” Heather burst into tears, throwing a fit. “I’m doing this for the family—for Ezra’s future!” When Richard wouldn’t relent, Heather pinched Calvin hard, prompting him to grab a pair of scissors from the table and press them against his neck. “If Uncle Richard won’t let me go, I’ll end it right here!” 3 I stood by, cold and detached, as Calvin pressed the sharp edge of the scissors to his neck. Blood seeped through a tiny cut, but I still didn’t move to stop him. Richard and Martha were frozen in fear, their voices trembling as they tried to calm him down. They promised to let him go to work, begging him to put the scissors down. Only then did Calvin lower the blade. His tearful gaze darted toward Heather. Heather’s tears vanished instantly. She beamed at Calvin and said, “Good boy. Work hard, make lots of money for Ezra!” “You’re useless for anything else. But if you can support your brother, at least your life will have some value.” Calvin nodded numbly, a sign he had completely surrendered. Years passed. Under my care, Ezra flourished—earning a PhD from the Ivy League. He was brilliant, well-mannered, and had found himself a bright, accomplished girlfriend. Meanwhile, Calvin toiled away in Detroit. Word reached us that his health was failing. The factory docked his pay frequently because he wasn’t as strong as before. After saving every penny, he could only manage to send home $200 or $300 a month. Whenever his money arrived, Heather would berate him over the phone: “Useless piece of trash! Raising you was a waste of time!” “This little bit of money? It wouldn’t even cover Ezra’s pocket change!” Every time I overheard Heather’s tirades, I tuned her out. Ezra was preparing to bring his girlfriend home, and I wanted everything to be perfect. Heather was ecstatic at the news. She rushed out to curl her hair and buy a few new outfits. She smeared makeup onto her lined face, muttering complaints about her dull skin. Then, she came to me for cosmetics. “Why the sudden makeover?” I asked, feigning ignorance. “Really, Clara? You’re managing my makeup routine now?” she snapped. I handed her the cosmetics, casually adding, “You know, Calvin and Ezra are the same age. Isn’t it time Calvin found someone too?” Heather’s cheerful mood soured instantly. Her face darkened as she replied, “Calvin ‘dated’ someone at the factory last year, but she was probably just a tramp. What decent girl would be interested in Calvin?” “But for someone like him, even that’s not bad,” she added, brushing foundation on her face before changing the subject. “Speaking of which, I heard Ezra’s girlfriend is a PhD too—pretty and wealthy. She’s barely good enough for our Ezra!” Heather gushed about Ezra’s girlfriend, beaming as though it were her own engagement. By evening, Ezra and his girlfriend arrived. She was just as Ezra had described—polite, poised, and eloquent. Her words flowed gracefully, each one perfectly chosen. I served her food and asked, “How’s the meal?” She smiled warmly. “Mrs. Dawson, everything’s delicious. You’re an amazing cook.” “This whole spread was made by me!” Heather interjected, unable to contain herself. She began listing the ingredients she’d chosen and her meticulous preparation process. Richard sighed, “Let the girl eat, Heather.” Reluctantly, Heather quieted down, though her constant interruptions had already made the dinner awkward. Ezra, oblivious to the tension, suddenly noticed an empty chair and asked, “Isn’t Calvin coming home this year?” 4 The mention of Calvin cast a heavy silence over the table. “He’s staying in Detroit for the holidays,” Heather replied curtly. Ezra frowned. “I’m getting married this year. I was hoping Calvin could be my best man.” “Exactly,” Martha chimed in. “That boy hasn’t been back in years. I miss him. At least let him visit for the wedding.” Heather, clearly uncomfortable discussing Calvin in front of Ezra’s fiancée, forced a smile and made the call. The phone rang twice before it was picked up. “Hey, your grandma and cousin want you home for the wedding.” Heather’s tone was clipped, but with everyone watching, she softened it slightly. “We all miss you. You should come back.” The silence on the other end was long. Finally, a woman’s voice responded. “Hi, is this Aunt Heather? Calvin’s in the hospital. He’s been under observation.” “In the hospital? For what?” Heather demanded, standing abruptly. “What’s so serious that he needs a hospital stay? Must be a waste of money.” The woman’s tone grew sharp. “What do you mean? He’s gravely ill and running a constant fever. You don’t care, fine, but how can you complain about the cost? Money doesn’t outweigh someone’s life!” But to Heather, Calvin’s life truly was less valuable than money. Martha and Richard, hearing Calvin was sick, rushed to the phone. Heather ended the call abruptly, brushing them off. “He’s fine. Just being dramatic,” she said, smoothing her hair. “He’s probably faking it to get out of work.” Ezra, worried, asked if they should visit Calvin in Detroit. Heather shot him down. “There’s nothing to see. Right now, the priority is planning your wedding.” I watched Heather’s indifference to Calvin’s illness and couldn’t help recalling how, years ago, she had demanded hospital observation for Ezra over a minor cold. She had questioned the doctor’s competence, accused him of negligence, and fussed until Ezra fully recovered. She had even made him chicken soup every day, so much that Ezra grew nauseated at the sight of chicken. When Ezra caught chickenpox, Heather became his shadow, never leaving his side. She checked his fever constantly, ensured he didn’t scratch the sores, and even scolded me for walking too loudly, claiming it disrupted Ezra’s rest. Richard and Martha had often wondered aloud why Heather adored Ezra so fiercely. Even for an aunt, her devotion was extreme. Three months later, it was Ezra’s wedding day. Heather clutched Ezra’s hand, her tears streaming. “I’ve waited so long to see you start your own family.” “Watching you marry the woman you love—this makes my whole life worthwhile.” I watched as Heather’s emotions overwhelmed her. Her tears intensified, and I realized she was about to confess the truth. Standing on the stage, she grabbed the microphone, tears streaming down her face. “Ezra, my wonderful boy…” “I’m actually your mother!” 5 Ezra didn’t seem to take Heather’s words seriously. He smiled and said, “Aunt Heather, you’ve always cared for me like a mother.” “No,” Heather blurted, “I am your mother! You’re not Clara’s son—you’re mine!” She pulled out a document—paternity results. The report stated, with 99.99% certainty, that she and Ezra were biologically related. The room erupted into gasps. All eyes turned toward me. “Clara Dawson, you’re not Ezra’s real mother! I’m taking my son back today!” Heather declared, her voice trembling with emotion. I didn’t flinch. My face betrayed no shock or distress. It was as if she had casually asked me what I had for breakfast. I smiled faintly and nodded. “Fine. Take him back.” “What nonsense!” Richard snapped, his eyes reddening. “Ezra is our son! Clara, what’s going on here?” Even the guests, friends, and family stared at me, bewildered. After all, I had devoted years to raising Ezra, pouring my heart into him. “Clara, explain yourself!” Richard demanded, his voice shaking. I simply repeated Heather’s statement. “Ezra isn’t our child. I saw her swap the babies that night.” The guests broke into murmurs. Some glared at me in horror, while others openly accused me. “She knew her son was switched and still let this happen? How could she ignore her real child, working himself to death in Detroit?” “She let Heather abuse Calvin for years, knowing he wasn’t hers!” another guest hissed. I laid the truth bare, my tone calm, as though recounting an unremarkable story. Richard staggered backward, his expression twisting into disbelief. He raised his hand and slapped me hard across the face.

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My Boyfriend’s first love was crying uncontrollably. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come between you two. I should be the one to leave,” said my boyfriend’s first love, the famous actress, as she sobbed. My boyfriend pointed at me and scolded me for being too harsh. He immediately left me behind to chase after her. Well, well, with acting skills like that, she calls herself an award-winning actress? I immediately called the billionaire, “Didn’t you say you wanted to marry me? Let’s get the marriage license tomorrow.” That afternoon, Caspian took me to the civil affairs bureau. When we came out again, I, Zinnia, was now a married woman. Caspian tapped the marriage certificate in his palm, his expression smug and irritating, completely overshadowing his handsomeness. “Didn’t you say you’d never marry me in this lifetime, and that if you married me, you’d be a dog?” I nodded, “That’s right, I married you, so you’re the dog.” “You…” Caspian gritted his teeth, “Zinnia, that mouth of yours is really…” “Really what? Asking for a beating?” I tilted my head slightly, my expression probably a bit provocative, “You want to hit me?” Caspian suddenly laughed and slowly approached me, looking mischievous in every way. Then I heard him say “asking for a kiss” before he grabbed the back of my head and kissed me. “!!” I pushed him away and wiped my mouth vigorously, “Caspian, what are you doing?” Caspian looked very displeased, “We’re married now, what’s wrong with me kissing you? Not only am I going to kiss you, but you’ll have to consummate the marriage with me tonight.” “…” “I’ve been waiting for this day, Zinnia. Just you wait, I’ll show you how I’ll deal with you tonight.” Caspian was arrogant and domineering. After saying that, he got in the car and left, even lowering the window to wave at me, his expression was really… He’s just an annoying jerk. How did he become the richest man in the country? I put away the marriage certificate and prepared to return to the company. Henry called, telling me, “Zinnia, let’s break up.” Hadn’t we already broken up? Why bother calling to tell me? When he scolded me and abandoned me for his first love, we had already broken up. I pursed my lips in annoyance, “You’re the most troublesome of the lot.” Henry: “…” I hung up the phone and suddenly remembered something… Damn it, Caspian brought me here, and now he’s driven off, how am I supposed to get back? Jerk! I called a ride-share and returned to the company. My dad saw me and looked me up and down several times, “Who’s this? I don’t recognize you. Who are you looking for?” “…” I went straight to the point, “Dad, I broke up with Henry, and also, I got married to Caspian.” My dad’s face immediately lit up with joy, showing a kind fatherly smile, “Isn’t this my precious daughter!” “…” See, even my dad has better acting skills than Henry’s first love, a hundred expressions in one second. My dad suddenly snorted coldly, “How did you break up? I thought you two were very lovey-dovey? I told you not to date him, but you wouldn’t listen.” “That’s all because you kept pushing me to marry Caspian.” If it weren’t for my parents pressuring me so much about marriage, I wouldn’t have been so rebellious and grabbed the first decent guy I saw to date, only to end up being cheated on. Caspian isn’t a good guy either, he has quite a few women outside too, don’t think I don’t know. Marrying Caspian was just a spur of the moment decision out of anger, now that I think about it, I regret it a little. No, I need to make things clear with him. “So you’ve come back to take over the company? Haha, that’s great, your mom and I can finally be free.” My dad jumped up and rushed out, his legs surprisingly agile. I quickly grabbed his arm, “Don’t go, Dad! Where are you going?” “To find your mom, of course. She wants to go to a small island for a couple of days. She’s always complaining that I don’t accompany her. Now that you’re back, I can finally go back and be filial to your mom.” Perhaps realizing his words sounded too submissive, my dad coughed lightly and changed his tune: “Compensate, it’s all because of you. You’re never home, I don’t even have time to accompany your mom.” “…”

“Dad, you probably can’t spend all your time with mom just yet. I didn’t plan on taking over the company.” “Look at you… Alright, you don’t need to come back either. Every time you come back, you just make me angry. Go on, get out.” I was kicked out of my dad’s office. So he doesn’t want this unexpected child anymore? Caspian’s SnapChat message came in at this time, reminding me, [Don’t forget to come back tonight for our wedding night.] “…” I gritted my teeth, [Would it kill you to be a bit more subtle?] Caspian’s voice message came right after, “This isn’t subtle enough? I haven’t even said to come back and sleep with me yet.” My dad’s secretary came towards me, looking at me with an ambiguous gaze, “Miss.” “…” I think I should consider living on another planet. Caspian is such a big mouth. He’s such a big shot billionaire, how come he doesn’t have any of the aura of a tycoon? Always fooling around like a playboy, it’s so annoying! Caspian sent me another address, which is where he’s living now. He also said to come back early, we’ll have dinner together tonight to celebrate. What’s there to celebrate? Is he so happy about marrying me? Well, my family is also rich and powerful, and he knows I definitely won’t bother to manage him, of course he’s happy. … At around seven, I arrived at Caspian’s apartment. As soon as I entered, the luxurious decor and flamboyant atmosphere hit me in the face. Caspian was sitting on the sofa, legs crossed casually, wearing a white T-shirt and orange floral shorts, holding a glass of red wine. “You’re back.” “…” I walked over, “Didn’t you say we were going to eat? Where’s the food? I’m hungry.” Caspian pointed to the kitchen, “It’s being prepared. Sit.” He patted the spot next to him. As soon as I sat down, he leaned in close. I leaned away, “Stay away from me, or you might get hit.” “Why did you suddenly decide to marry me? What about that unreliable boyfriend of yours?” Caspian looked like a curious puppy. He’s the unreliable one. Ahem, I’m not defending Henry. Henry’s cheating can’t be described as merely unreliable, it’s downright despicable. I cleared my throat quietly, “Because… well…” “Alright, you don’t need to say anymore.” Caspian held up his hand. Just when I thought he was being understanding for once and not forcing me to do something I didn’t like, he came out with… “You got dumped.” “…” I suspect Caspian’s head has been kicked by the donkeys on the production team more than once, I suspect this more than once. Caspian suddenly had a realization, “Wait, doesn’t that make me your rebound? So I’m your backup plan? Is that it?” “If you don’t want to be the rebound, then let’s get divorced. Besides, aren’t I your rebound too?” He’s acting like he’s the victim here. Caspian nodded, “You’re right, I am quite popular.” “…” Psycho. The person in the kitchen came out at this time to tell us dinner was ready. After eating and resting for half an hour, I did some yoga, and Caspian was beside me trying to learn. He suddenly commented on me, “Zinnia, your flexibility is pretty good.” I kicked at him, “Can’t you be more serious?” Caspian looked a bit wronged, “What’s wrong? How is complimenting you not serious?” He looked genuinely aggrieved, so maybe I misunderstood him. I got up to go upstairs to wash up, and he followed me up like a little tail. Even when I was about to enter the bathroom, he was still following behind. I turned around, and he bumped right into me. “Why did you suddenly stop?” “I’m going to take a shower, why are you following me in?” Caspian scratched his head, “To take a shower together, of course.” I gave him a hard knock on the head, and Caspian yelled out in pain: “Ouch! Zinnia, you’re trying to murder your husband!” “Don’t come in!” Who wants to shower with him? Jerk!

While soaking in the bathtub, I suddenly felt a bit dazed. Am I really married to Caspian now? I had resisted countless times in the past, even saying I’d be a dog if I married him, but now I’ve actually married him. Caspian and I could be considered childhood sweethearts, but this sweetheart of mine was truly unreliable. He liked to bully me since we were kids, either pulling my hair or tattling on me, telling my parents I was dating early, and exposing to my parents that I received love letters… And so on and so forth, I was almost annoyed to death by him! So when my parents wanted me to marry Caspian, I said I’d be a dog if I married him. Caspian immediately stated, “I don’t even like you. I have plenty of girls I’m interested in.” Later, when my parents pressured me too much, I rebelled and went after Henry. I don’t know what kind of madness possessed Caspian, but after he found out I was pursuing Henry, he actually said to me: “Why don’t we just get married? I’ll marry you, and you won’t have to go through all the trouble of chasing someone else. I don’t think you can catch him anyway.” That nasty mouth of his deserved all the beatings I gave him, thinking about it now, he really had it coming. Caspian was urging me to hurry up outside. It seems his big house only has one bathroom, doesn’t it? I got out of the bathtub and only then realized I hadn’t brought any sleepwear in with me. This is my first time here, and I don’t know where to get any. The yoga clothes I wore earlier were ones he found for me, they looked new so I wore them. I wrapped a towel around myself and walked to the door, “Caspian, do you have any new sleepwear?” “You didn’t bring sleepwear in with you?” Caspian’s annoying voice came from outside, “It’s so late, why don’t you just not wear any?” “Are you sick? You don’t wear clothes at night?” “That’s right, I don’t.” I abruptly opened the door, “Go get me some sleepwear quickly!” “Alright, alright, why are you so fierce?” Caspian glanced at me and turned to leave. Halfway there, he suddenly stopped and looked at me, “Zinnia.” “What?” Caspian smiled and said: “You have a great figure, very sexy.” I grabbed a towel from the cabinet and threw it at him, “Get lost!” He’s just a… Pervert! Caspian caught the towel and left, looking very pleased with himself. After a while, he came back with two sets of pajamas and handed one to me. I looked at the ones in his hand, “Didn’t you say you don’t wear any?” “Then I won’t wear any, I’ll take them back.” He said as he turned to leave. I quickly grabbed him back, “Stop fooling around. Let me ask you, where did you get these women’s pajamas? Do you often bring women here?” “How could that be possible? I don’t bring women back here, you can rest assured about that. I bought these new for you today.” Caspian looked very proud, “The size is just right, I can tell just by looking at you. After all, I’ve been looking at you since we were kids…” I kicked him, almost making him unable to have children. “Zinnia, not only are you trying to murder your husband, but you’re also trying to kill our future children, you heartless woman!” Caspian bent over, instantly becoming a member of the crotch-protecting club. “Get lost!” I couldn’t be bothered with him anymore and went in to change. Behind me, Caspian’s annoying voice rang out again, “Zinnia, I saw your underwear just now.” I turned and rushed back, determined to finish him off today! “Ah…” Caspian’s scream echoed throughout the room. Half an hour later, Caspian came out of the bathroom, and I was sitting on the edge of the bed with my arms crossed, “Come here, I have something to tell you.” Caspian came over while drying his hair with a towel, “Go ahead, I’ll agree to anything except not consummating the marriage.” “I’m not talking about that.” I pursed my lips helplessly, “I want to set some ground rules with you. Sit.” I patted the spot beside me. Caspian came over and sat down obediently. After washing his hair, his bangs had fallen down, making him look much more docile, like a little puppy instead of a little brat. Not bad, not bad. I patted Caspian’s head, “Good boy.” “Don’t be disrespectful.” Caspian brushed my hand away. “You’re only one month older than me, why are you acting so mature?” I rolled my eyes and continued with the main topic, “Since we’re married now, I have a few rules I need to tell you first.”

“First, I don’t care how many women you have outside, but you can’t have children with them.” “Second, if you really find someone you like, tell me, and we’ll divorce immediately.” “Third, during our marriage, at least make people believe we’re a loving couple. I don’t want our families’ companies to be affected.” I stated these three rules in one breath, then continued: “Now it’s your turn. What rules do you have? Say them.” “I agree to everything you said. I only have one condition.” Caspian held up one finger, “In our marriage, you can’t get too close to other men.” “That’s natural.” I agreed without even thinking. But wait, that’s not right. “This is a double standard. Can you cut off all ties with other women?” “Of course I can. I can do that in a minute.” Just as Caspian finished speaking, his phone rang. I glanced at his phone screen, the contact was saved as “Baby”. I rolled my eyes dramatically. Caspian answered the phone, made a few noncommittal sounds, then hung up. I sneered, “It’s fine. I said as long as you don’t have children, I don’t care about you.” “What are you talking about?” Caspian casually tossed his phone aside, “Let’s go to sleep.” “…” Forget it, there’s no point talking to him. He won’t even give me a chance to be upset. I turned and crawled into bed, and he followed. “Um… lights on or off?” he asked me. What’s going on? Why do I feel like he’s a bit nervous? It’s making me nervous too. “Turn them off.” Caspian turned off the lights, then pressed down on me and started kissing me. I resisted the urge to push him away, “Do you even know how to kiss? You’re biting me.” “You’re the one who doesn’t know how to kiss.” Caspian coughed lightly, “Zinnia, you’re trembling. Could it be that this is your first time?” “No… of course not.” I took a deep breath, “Don’t tell me it’s your first time?” “How could that be?” Caspian’s tone was quite proud, “I’m very experienced.” … After a night, my conclusion is that Caspian was bluffing. How could someone with such poor skills be experienced? Who is he trying to fool? Caspian was still sleeping, holding me tightly. Just thinking about last night made me angry. I pushed him away and got out of bed. I put on my clothes and went to the bathroom. Suddenly, Caspian’s voice came from behind, “Zinnia, does it hurt?” “It doesn’t hurt.” I gritted my teeth. It hurts like hell, okay? “Zinnia.” Caspian called my name again. Why is he so annoying? “What?” I turned around and glared at him. Caspian pointed with his eyes at the small bloodstain on the bed, “Didn’t you say it wasn’t your first time?” “…” I closed my eyes in frustration. How could I have forgotten about that? Caspian seemed to be in a very good mood. I was just annoyed, so I deliberately tried to upset him, “That’s because your technique is so poor. I’ve never seen anyone with such bad skills. Do you even know what you’re doing? And you call yourself experienced, you’re just bluffing.” The smile on Caspian’s face instantly disappeared… No, the smile didn’t disappear, it just transferred to my face. I hummed a tune as I walked towards the bathroom. Behind me came the sound of Caspian angrily hitting the bed. He shouted at my back: “Zinnia, you just wait. I will… I will…” I laughed and turned back to ask him, “You will what?” Caspian paused for a moment, then suddenly struck a sexy and charming pose on the bed, “I will definitely make you succumb beneath me.” “Are you sick? Pervert!” I gave him a disgusted look and entered the bathroom. “I don’t know who it is, still lying about it being their first time when it clearly was, getting caught red-handed. I was wondering why you wanted the lights off, turns out you were just shy…” I grabbed another towel and went out, rubbing it up and threw it at Caspian’s face.

I received a call from Lily, she wanted to meet me. Lily is Henry’s first love. Henry and I have already broken up, why does she still want to see me? Only after meeting did I realize that she just wanted to show off her victory to me. “Zinnia, you should actually thank me. If I had gone back to find Henry earlier, he would have been mine long ago. You wouldn’t have had the chance to date him at all.” Looking at Lily’s smug face, I found it amusing. “Is Henry some kind of trophy to be shown off in your eyes?” I sneered, “You’re so inexperienced, tsk tsk, I almost feel sorry for you. How about this, I’ll introduce you to a couple of better guys, what do you say?” Lily chuckled lightly, “You don’t have to do that. We’re both women, I understand how you’re feeling right now…” “Don’t say you’re a woman, you’re really giving women a bad name.” I smiled as I interrupted her words, “But I understand. I advise you to read more books and improve yourself.” Lily’s phone suddenly rang. She answered it right in front of me, “Hello, Blue Planet? Movie or TV series? Okay, I’ll be right there.” She hung up the phone and looked at me, “Ms. Chen, I have to go now. I have an audition. By the way, order whatever you want, it’s on me.” I smiled and said, “Thank you.” After seeing Lily off, I immediately returned to the company. “Dad, give me some money. I want to invest in a few IPs.” “That has to come from my own account. Ask your mom to transfer it to you.” My dad said, then added: “You should practice investing and such now.” “Got it, thanks Dad!” … Soon I contacted the crew of “Blue Planet”, expressing my intention to invest. Of course they were willing. I put in 200 million, becoming the biggest investor, which means I have the final say on this show. I also got news that Lily had already gone for the audition, and it was for the female lead. She had a very high chance of being selected. But with just one word from me, she would be immediately eliminated. However, I didn’t do that. I let her pass the first few rounds of auditions. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fun. Actually, I hadn’t planned to do anything to her originally. But being a mistress was one thing, she shouldn’t have come to show off to me. If I don’t teach her a lesson, wouldn’t I have lived these twenty-some years in vain? Since that’s the case, I won’t let Henry off either. He should really thank his precious first love. I waited until the final round of auditions before I showed up. The audition location was in a hotel. I was about to enter the elevator when someone pulled me out. “Didn’t you see our Miss Brown was about to take the elevator?” I looked up and saw Lily walk into the elevator. She gave me a proud and challenging look. Just as the elevator doors were about to close, she spoke up: “Oh, Zinnia, it’s you. Why don’t you come up too?” The assistant beside her, acting high and mighty, said, “Who does she think she is? How could she ride in the same elevator as you, Lily?” Lily just smiled without saying anything more. The elevator doors closed. I shook my head with a smile. My phone rang at this moment. It was Caspian calling. “You want to invest in a movie? Why didn’t you tell me? I have a film company, I can give it to you if you want.” I was a bit surprised, “Why are you being so nice and generous today?” “Zinnia, you ungrateful wretch. When have I ever not been generous to you? Tell me!” I thought about it, and it was true. Although Caspian is a terrible person, from childhood until now, on my birthdays or holidays, the gifts he gave me were always extravagant. Okay, I wronged him then. “We’ll talk about it when I get back tonight. I’m at the audition location now, selecting actors.” I hung up the phone, and the elevator came down. I got in. For the final round of auditions for the female lead, there were only three actresses left, with Lily being the first one. I sent a message to the casting director to move Lily to the last spot. So when I came out of the elevator, I saw Lily storming out of the audition room. “What’s going on? How could they put me last? If the director takes a liking to someone else first, won’t I lose my chance? It’s already the final round, I must get this role. Quick, call Chen!” Her arrogant little assistant was still flattering her, “Don’t worry, Lily. Those two’s acting skills are no match for yours. Being last is actually better. After the director sees their terrible acting, he’ll definitely be impressed when he sees you. He’ll make his decision on the spot!” I have to say, this little assistant’s flattery skills are quite impressive. It’s partly thanks to her that Lily, with such poor acting skills, is still so confident… The other half of the credit goes to the other staff around Lily who praise her day after day, leading to her current blind confidence and arrogance. Lily looked up and saw me. Her little assistant, ever the bootlicker, immediately came over, “Why are you still lurking around? This is not a place for you to be. Get lost quickly!” I hadn’t even dealt with Lily yet, but this arrogant little assistant caught my interest. “Little girl, I advise you to watch your mouth and leave yourself a way out. Don’t you understand the principle of not burning all your bridges?” The little assistant rolled her eyes dramatically, “Even lowly people can talk about principles now. Fan behavior has its limits. I don’t care who your idol is, but this is the audition area for the crew, not a place for you to chase stars. Get out, get out, get out quickly!” “Very well, I’ll leave then. But I’m afraid you’ll be begging me to come back later.” I smiled and turned to enter the elevator. I booked a room on the top floor and waited there. The producer sent me updates on the situation and clips of the auditions. One of the actresses named Zoe caught my eye. Her eyes were indeed quite good. I had already made up my mind. Soon it was Lily’s turn to audition. The casting director told Lily, “Not everyone is here yet. Let’s end today’s auditions here.” I was on a video call with the casting director. On the phone screen, I saw Lily’s expression freeze, her displeased look barely contained. “But I’m all prepared. Weren’t the other two able to audition when not everyone was here?” “The investor has already seen the audition clips of the other two. Originally, the investor had high hopes for your acting skills and wanted to come see you perform in person, but was stopped and chased away halfway here.” “Chased away? How could they be chased away? Where are they now? I’ll go find them right away.” Lily was extremely anxious. “She’s very angry now. Even if you go beg her, she won’t come. I’m afraid your audition is probably off.” The casting director sighed. Lily was even more regretful, “That’s not possible. I’m going to find her now. I’ll definitely impress her with my acting skills.” The casting director nodded, “Alright then, go find her.” He then gave Lily my room number. I ended the video call. After a while, there was a knock on the door. Here she comes. The knocking continued. I slowly went to open the door. When Lily saw it was me, she was naturally shocked. “Zinnia, it’s you again?” “I should be the one asking you that. What are you doing here?” I asked coldly with a sneer. Lily paused, looked at the room number, and after confirming several times, she looked at me in disbelief, “You… you’re here. Is there anyone else inside?” I raised an eyebrow, “Just me.” Lily turned around and slapped her assistant hard across the face. The assistant was stunned. Lily, however, turned back very calmly and gave me a slight smile. She spoke as if nothing had happened, “Miss White, if you’re still not satisfied, you can hit me yourself. I won’t stop you.” The assistant finally reacted and knelt down, “Miss White, I was wrong. I was blind and didn’t recognize you. Please forgive me this once, you’re a big person who doesn’t hold grudges against small people.” I gave her a chance, but she didn’t know how to take it. She can’t blame me now. Seeing that I wasn’t softening, Lily said again, “I will blacklist her from the entire industry. Is that enough?” I was very dissatisfied with her attitude. The assistant was just being arrogant because of her backing. How could she still try to distance herself? “Miss White, please give me a chance to live. I’m begging you.” The assistant pleaded tearfully. But I wasn’t moved by this. “Why are you begging me? Did I tell you to be arrogant and look down on people? Beg yourself.” I said, then looked at Lily, “Do you have anything else to say? If not, I’m closing the door.” I gave her one chance to apologize to me. It’s up to her whether she knows to cherish it or not. Lily narrowed her eyes slightly, “Zinnia, are you sure you want to go against me?” “…” Are actors so powerful nowadays? They dare to confront investors now. Does she think her backing is very powerful? Fine. I directly closed the door. Lily left. I received a call from Henry. On the phone, Henry said, “Zinnia, can we meet?” I asked with interest, “What’s the matter?” After two seconds of silence, Henry spoke again, “You’re the biggest investor in Lily’s new show. I hope you won’t make things difficult for her. The person who wronged you was me. You can come at me instead.” His words made me laugh, “What makes you think I would let you off?” Henry: “…” “Lily’s matter has nothing to do with you. It’s her own problem. Your first love doesn’t have very good character. I don’t care if others fall for her act, but she’s messed with me now, and I won’t indulge her.” I laid it out there. Henry paused again, “Zinnia, do you still love me?” “??” Did my ears stop working? “What did you say?” “I know you still love me. Everything you’re doing is because you can’t let go of me, so you want to take revenge on me…” “Didn’t you say you wanted to see me?” I interrupted Henry’s words, “Where? When?” Henry: “…” … The place where Henry and I met was in a very quiet club. I entered the private room, and Henry slowly stood up. Without a word, I went up and slapped him hard across the face. The sound of “slap” was crisp and loud. Henry was first incredulous, then his expression turned to anger. I smiled and asked him, “Are you angry? Do you want to hit me? You’re angry, you want to hit me, that’s because you still love me, so you want to take revenge on me.” Henry choked, his lips pressed tightly together. I sat down, “What did you want to tell me? You can say it now.” “Lily said you’re making things difficult for her. I said, if you have any dissatisfaction, you can come at me.” I looked up slightly, “I also said, I won’t let you off. Don’t be in a hurry.” “Are you sure you want to go against me?” Henry asked in a deep voice. “Go against you?” I couldn’t help but laugh, “No, no, you’ve got it wrong. I’m not going against you, Henry. I’m unilaterally crushing you.” Henry nodded, his voice still heavy, “Alright, Zinnia. Don’t blame me for not giving you a chance later.” 8 Although Henry and I left the club one after another, we were still photographed and quickly made it to the financial news section. That night when I returned to Caspian’s home, as soon as I entered, I saw him reading the newspaper. I went over to look, and there was such a large section about Henry and me. Looking at Caspian’s face, it was so dark it looked like the bottom of a pot. I quietly cleared my throat and sat down beside him, “The reporters only caught us going out one after another. They didn’t capture me slapping Henry inside.” Caspian scanned me, seeming to become interested, “You hit him?” I nodded. He half-believed, half-doubted, “Really?” I raised my hand, “Do you want me to demonstrate for you?” Caspian suddenly grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his arms, leaning down to kiss me. Is he sick? I pushed him away, “What are you doing?” “You’re shy?” Caspian seemed to be in a much better mood, smiling as he asked. I rolled my eyes, “Which eye of yours saw that I was shy? I just… I’m not used to it.” Although we’re married, I’m really not used to being so intimate and lovey-dovey with Caspian. It always feels a bit awkward. I’m more used to bantering with him. “Then we’ll get used to it with more kisses?” Caspian’s tone was matter-of-fact. “…” He put his arm around my shoulders, “Come on, tell your brother, what are your plans?” “What plans?” Caspian’s face instantly darkened, “Zinnia, you’re using a double standard. You’ve been going against me for so many years. I say one thing and you have ten things waiting for me. He cheated on you, and you’re not even getting revenge? Do you still have lingering feelings for him?” “Oh, you mean this.” I smiled, “What, do you have any good suggestions? Let’s hear them.” Caspian whispered something in my ear. My ear tickled, and I couldn’t help but shrink away a few times. But he’s really quite mischievous. However, I like this suggestion. “Alright, I’ll take your advice then.” “So how are you going to repay me?” He looked at me, his gaze gradually becoming heated. I vaguely sensed something changing in the atmosphere and couldn’t help but swallow. The next second, Caspian leaned in and kissed me. This time, I didn’t resist. … Just as Caspian said, Henry indeed invested to get resources for Lily. It was another movie. After I got the news, I immediately increased my investment, becoming the largest investor, and changed the female lead. When Henry found out, he threw in another 50 million. So I threw in another 100 million. After all, mine was money. Henry had limited funds and couldn’t compete with me in this bidding war. He withdrew his investment. He invested in another project, and even though it was kept confidential, I still had channels to get the information. I also withdrew my investment from the previous project and followed Henry to invest in his current project, determined to be the largest investor, then replace the female lead. When Henry withdrew his investment, I immediately withdrew mine too. After several rounds like this, Henry finally couldn’t hold back and found me again. “Zinnia, I said, if you have any issues, come at me. It has nothing to do with Lily!” “Alright then, I’ll come at you.” I’m really considerate, doing whatever he says. I really went after Henry. He invested in another project, and I pushed the funding to a peak before backing off. Henry invested three hundred million more in this project than he originally planned. Next, I was going to go after Henry’s company. Competing with him for projects. I have money anyway, and he’s spent all his liquid funds on getting resources for his dear Lily, so he has no more cash flow. In a few months, I had snatched three or four of Henry’s projects. My dad even started praising me. Actually, Caspian taught me these underhanded tactics. Caspian was very proud of this, smugly asking me, “Isn’t your husband smart?” Seeing how pleased he looked, I didn’t have the heart to burst his bubble, so I nodded. In fact, how is this smart? It’s clearly just being mean. 9 I got the latest news that Lily’s new show was cancelled due to lack of investment. Lily asked to meet me, wanting to know what it would take for me to let her off. I blinked innocently, “I never thought about letting you off. If you’re doing well, I’ll feel upset. You know, people shouldn’t get angry, especially women. Holding in anger is very bad for your health.” Lily took a deep breath and straightened her back, “You think this is enough to bring me down? I can completely quit the entertainment industry and be content as a rich man’s wife.” “Then why don’t you go be one and let me see?” I smiled slightly.

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After Edward’s undercover work ended, it felt like he had become a different person. He would often stare blankly out of the window, with sadness and melancholy in his eyes. He no longer lifted our daughter up and twirled her around, calling her “baby.” He stopped bringing flowers home after work, and he even avoided my affectionate gestures. Later, on the day our daughter Doris was hit by a car, I saw him tenderly kissing another woman in the rain. I was in a meeting when I received the news about Doris’s accident. When I heard the words “died on the spot,” I froze. I rushed to the funeral home like a madwoman, finding Doris’s contorted body lying on a cold table. The yellow dress I personally put on her that morning became her burial clothing. Chaos surrounded me—some people tried to console me, others were interrogating, and the truck driver was hurriedly explaining, “It was your daughter who ran the red light. It’s not my fault!” I collapsed to the ground, desperately yelling, “How could she run a red light? Where is her father? Where is her father?” “Mrs. Jane, your daughter was alone when she got off the bus. We didn’t see any accompanying adult,” a police officer told me. I had always taken Doris to her piano lessons, but this one time, she asked for her daddy to take her. Ever since Edward came back from his year-long assignment, his attitude towards us had become cold and distant. He liked to be alone, avoided eye contact with me, often made excuses to sit in the car and smoke, and even got irritated with Doris’s playful requests. Our beloved daughter couldn’t understand why her dad had changed. Innocently, she just wanted to mend their relationship. I agreed, sending the two of them off before heading to my meeting. I never imagined that this one time would cost Doris her life. I called Edward repeatedly, only to be met with busy signals. My own parents were far away, and with my mother-in-law gravely ill, I was left to face this devastating blow alone. Finally, under my signature, Doris was reduced to a small box of ashes. Holding her ashes, I walked back to the neighborhood like a zombie, only to find Edward. He was in the rain, gently lifting the face of another woman and kissing her deeply. The woman was petite, nestled softly in Edward’s arms. They kissed for so long that even I, as an onlooker, had not noticed. Doris’s tragic demise flashed through my mind, juxtaposed with the scene before me. It was almost laughable. At this moment, I didn’t know whether to feel anger or sorrow. I didn’t even have the energy to question or rage; I just stood there, empty-headed. I should have seen it coming. Given Edward’s unique job, I had always known I’d have to manage the household independently when I married him. For seven years, I worked during the day and tended to my ailing mother-in-law at night. I single-handedly set up our new home, carrying tiles up six flights of stairs to save a few hundred dollars. When I got pregnant, I fainted from vomiting in the bathroom and lay there for seven or eight hours before anyone discovered me. I attended prenatal appointments alone, feeling out of place among couples. My water broke in the middle of the night, but I took a cab to the hospital by myself and signed the necessary papers alone. When I was sad, he wasn’t there. When I was happy, he still wasn’t. I was like a lone ranger; many asked where my husband was, but due to confidentiality, I would brush them off, making me seem like a pitiful widow.

I always believed my sacrifices were worth it because he loved his job, and I loved him. We had happy times too. When he wasn’t busy, he’d travel two hours just to get a cake for me. He’d come home with a bouquet of roses, stay up all night to care for the newborn Doris, change diapers, feed her, and do household chores. He loved holding my face, pressing his forehead against mine, and saying, “Jane, thank you. Without you, we wouldn’t have this family. I will always love you.” Then he went on that year-long assignment. I didn’t know what he was doing, but once, I ran into him selling seafood at a market. I pretended we were strangers and walked past him. After that, we had no contact for a year. When he returned, he was like a different person. He could go the whole day without speaking a word and showed no concern for our household. It was like a stranger sleeping next to me. I tried to mend our relationship, but Edward found excuses to avoid me. He eventually looked at me with a strange expression and sarcastically said, “I never realized before how much you crave intimacy.” Now, I finally understood our problem. I stood there for a long time before the woman noticed me. She seemed flustered, pushing Edward away and nervously shrinking into his arms. Edward’s face showed a rare hint of panic. He instinctively shielded the woman before quickly calming down and said, “Jane, she’s innocent. Don’t take your anger out on her. I’ll come home and explain.” “No need.” I coldly looked at the man I once loved deeply and asked, “I asked you to take Doris to her piano lesson. Where did you go?” “I got a work call and couldn’t leave. I watched her get on the bus. It was only a couple of blocks after getting off. She’s four; she knows the way.” Edward explained. Grief made me double over, barely able to stand. Tears mixed with rainwater streamed down my face. Doris was only four years old. He let a four-year-old girl take a half-hour bus ride alone and then walk another kilometer to her lesson. He knew better than anyone how dangerous the world could be, yet he neglected his own daughter. “Is this ‘work’ you mentioned just making out with her?” I raised my voice, pointing at the girl in his arms. She looked young, possibly still in college, and she bit her lip nervously, trembling. Edward instinctively comforted her before looking at me with impatience. “Jane, stop scaring her. Try to understand the demands of my job, you used to be reasonable…” I couldn’t hold it in any longer and slapped him hard. The girl screamed and reached out to touch Edward’s cheek, her face full of concern. “We’re getting a divorce.” With that, I walked away without looking back. Two hours later, Edward came back. Seeing that I had packed up most of the house, he frowned deeply. “I’m exhausted. Can you stop acting like a child throwing a tantrum?” “You think this is a tantrum?” I was too tired to argue, just staring coldly at him.

“Edward, do you even care about this family? If you did, Doris wouldn’t have…” “Michelle started out as just a friend,” Edward interrupted me roughly. He was silent for a long time before slowly beginning to talk about the other woman. “This past year, she’s been there for me, doing everything for me.” As he spoke, his expression softened. Edward described Michelle as a foolish girl who knew he had a family but still loved him steadfastly. He said she had a hero complex and had risked her life to save him several times. He said she was carefree, liked to wear short skirts, and frequently had wardrobe malfunctions, but she would complain that he was too controlling. He talked about their countless nights huddled together for warmth, holding hands and leaning against each other, feeling like he was ten years younger. In the end, he said, “I know our relationship has gone beyond friendship. Give me time, and I’ll forget her and live properly with you.” Edward closed his eyes, looking pained. “She’s young and naive, but I can’t be. I’ve already wasted a year of her life. I can’t keep holding her back.” I could barely breathe. Edward knew what he was saying. He was telling his wife about his romance with another woman. It felt like I was the third party, forcing him to abandon his true love for family duty. Edward remembered her sacrifices for him, but what about mine? Did my seven years of love and dedication mean nothing? After a long pause, I regained my composure. “I’ll give you freedom instead.” I grabbed my suitcase and pushed past him, heading downstairs. Edward grabbed my hand, his eyes pleading. “Jane, I promise, today was my last meeting with her. I still love you. I want to give Doris a complete family…” “Don’t mention Doris!” I lost control, hurling my bag at him. Sharp decorations cut his face and neck, causing blood to flow. He stood there, stunned. I didn’t look back and left. I rented an apartment near my office, contacted a lawyer, and started packing up, arranging my daughter’s funeral. While I was busy, the hospital called. “Jane, your mother-in-law Alice has taken a turn for the worse. Please come quickly…” I grabbed my bag and rushed out. Alice had terminal cancer. After marrying Edward, I had taken it upon myself to care for her. I did everything except bear the pain of her illness. Over seven years, I spent at least four nights a week at the hospital. Only these past few days, overwhelmed by Doris’s situation, did I forget about Alice in the hospital. Rushing in, I didn’t expect to find Michelle chatting happily with Alice. She wasn’t wearing the short skirts Edward mentioned but was dressed modestly in long sleeves and pants, looking clean and respectable. Anyone would find her likable. Alice and Michelle seemed very close, talking like mother and daughter. “Alice…” I croaked. Alice quickly waved me over to introduce me. “Jane, this is Edward’s coworker’s sister. Did he mention her?” Michelle looked nervous when she saw me, standing up from her chair. She stammered, “We’ve met…” Not responding, I watched Michelle’s eyes redden as she lowered her head and ran out, bumping into Edward coming in. She seemed relieved, grabbing his sleeve and hiding behind him, looking at me. Edward held a medical report, frowning at me. “Jane, you can be mad at me, but my mom did nothing to you. Is this how you’ve been taking care of her?” He threw the report at me, words like “critical condition” and “organ failure” glaring back at me. Before I could respond, Alice shouted, “Shut up!” “If not for Jane, I’d have died in the hospital long ago. You, who I barely see twice a year, have no right to say anything about Jane!”

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At graduation, I finally mustered up the courage to confess to my crush. But, as fate would have it, I got hit by a car. When I woke up, my crush stood right in front of me, staring at me coldly. “You’re awake? Great, let’s discuss the divorce agreement.” Me: ??? I haven’t even confessed yet! How did this turn into a divorce? At my graduation ceremony, I finally summoned the courage to confess to Zachary Warren, my long-time crush. On the other side of the crosswalk, Zach was standing there, looking sharp in his graduation gown, taking photos. I got so excited that I dashed toward him, completely missing the fact that the light was red. There was a loud crash. I was hit by a car, and everything went black. The next time I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was the blinding white ceiling. And there he was. Zach, standing by my hospital bed. Still as handsome as ever. This might be the first time we’ve been this close. Zach was looking up at the IV drip, but his gaze slowly shifted to my face. I accidentally noticed the ring on his left hand. I’ve had a crush on him for so long. So, he’s already taken? Suppressing the bitterness in my heart, I forced a smile and greeted him, “Zach, what are you doing here?” As I tried to sit up, I noticed that my arm was wrapped in thick bandages. The next second, Zach sat on the chair beside my bed, his voice cold and distant. “Jennifer, you’ve really mastered the art of manipulation. Risking your life just to push for a divorce?” I stared at Zach, completely confused. What is he talking about? Divorce? I haven’t even graduated yet, let alone gotten married. Where is this divorce thing coming from? Just then, a nurse came into the room, holding a tray for bandaging wounds. “Dr. Williams, you’re still here? Miss Niles, you don’t realize how lucky you are. You were hit by a car, but thankfully Dr. Williams happened to be nearby. He gave you emergency care right away. Otherwise, it wouldn’t just be a broken arm you’re dealing with.” The nurse bent down and carefully disinfected my wound. After she rested my hand on the side of the bed, I noticed… I was also wearing a ring on my right hand! And it matched Zach’s ring. A couple’s ring! A wave of fear and uncertainty washed over me. After the nurse left, I grabbed Zach’s sleeve in a panic. “Zach, you graduated from NYU Medical School in 2018, right?” He frowned, clearly annoyed. He shook my hand off and looked at me coldly. “Since you’re awake, let’s go over the divorce agreement.”

This is absolutely ridiculous! I was on my way to graduation, got hit by a car, and now I’m being accused of “faking an accident” to force a divorce from Zach? Either I’ve lost my mind, or Zach has. “Wait, Zach!” Before I could finish, a little kid suddenly ran into the room, jumping right into Zach’s arms. Me: ??? Wow, this kid is so adorable. I reached out with my good arm to pinch his cheek, but he immediately hid behind Zach, clearly scared. “Sorry, little guy. You’re just too cute. I couldn’t help myself.” Zach shot me a disapproving look. It suddenly hit me that I hadn’t even gotten to the main point. “Zach, this might sound crazy, but I don’t remember anything you’re talking about. All I recall is being on my way to the graduation ceremony…” Before I could finish, Zach cut me off impatiently. “So, you’re telling me you’ve lost your memory?” Amnesia? Yes, that must be it. Amnesia is the only explanation for why I don’t remember any of this. I nodded sincerely. Zach’s icy expression didn’t soften. He pulled a document from his bag and tossed it onto my lap. “This is the divorce agreement. The terms are exactly as you requested. If you have no objections, just sign it.” I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. The little boy in Zach’s arms looked sad, his lips trembling. “Zach, shouldn’t we avoid discussing such topics in front of a child? It’s not good for his emotional well-being.” “How considerate of you, Jennifer,” Zach sneered. “That’s our child.” … “And yet, when you were having dinner with another man, did you ever think about how that might affect his emotional well-being?” I hadn’t even processed his first sentence when the second one hit me like a ton of bricks. I stared at the little boy in disbelief. So, I didn’t just get married—I have a child too? But the little guy paid no attention to me. He buried his face in Zach’s neck, refusing to even look my way. Too much information. My brain couldn’t handle it. I was officially out of commission.

It took me a whole day to wrap my head around everything. It seems I really did lose my memory. I’m still me, and Zach is still Zach. The only difference is—we’re married, and we have a kid. But that divorce agreement sitting on the bed speaks volumes: there’s clearly a problem with our marriage. The problem is… did I cheat? No way, right? Why would I cheat on Zach? He’s good-looking and smart. I must’ve been crazy. So, what went wrong? How can I get my memory back? I scratched my head, completely frustrated. “Mommy.” A tiny voice came from the door. I looked up to see a small face peeking through the slightly open door. “Daddy said you need to disinfect your hand. Here’s the iodine. He said you should do it yourself.” The little boy held a bottle tightly in his tiny hands. I gestured for him to come closer. “Mommy’s hand hurts. Can you bring it over for me?” The boy hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded and shuffled over to the bed, placing the iodine on the bedside table. I pulled him onto my lap and studied his features. His eyes were big and round like mine, his nose straight like Zach’s, and his face… a perfect combination of both of us. This was our son. I couldn’t resist hugging him tight and planting a big kiss on his cheek. He smelled so sweet and innocent—absolutely irresistible. When I looked up, his face was bright red. He froze for a moment before wrapping his little arms around my neck and hugging me back tightly. He leaned in and whispered in my ear, “Mommy, you smell nice.” This little guy is the sweetest thing ever. As I basked in the joy of my son’s affection, the door opened again. Zach entered, his familiar presence filling the room. “Daddy!” The little boy immediately ran to Zach and held his arms out, waiting for him to pick him up. Zach had just showered, wearing casual loungewear, looking effortlessly sexy and relaxed. His hair was still slightly damp, with droplets running down his neck and disappearing into his collar. I swallowed. This man was dangerously attractive. As he came closer, my heart started racing. But then Zach’s words shattered my moment of bliss. “Jennifer, don’t you think it’s a little late to start being a good mom to Cooper?” “I… I didn’t mean to…” I tried to explain, but the look on Zach’s face told me he wouldn’t believe a word I said. So, I stayed silent. “Whatever. Do what you need to do. I’m heading out.” As I left the study, Cooper peeked out from Zach’s neck and gave me a glance. Watching the two of them so close, a wave of sadness washed over me. What good are a husband and child if my husband doesn’t love me? Even my son seems closer to him. I started questioning everything. Why did we get married in the first place? Why did we have a child? Outside, the full moon hung high in the sky. The night breeze blew through the balcony, scattering my emotions. Nothing has changed. Except for me.

The master bedroom had only one large bed. The entire room was decorated in a minimalist black, white, and gray palette. Apart from that, it was immaculately tidy, with a light scent of gardenias floating in the air. I recognized it instantly—it was my favorite fragrance. I headed to the walk-in closet, looking for my pajamas. But all I saw was a row of black clothes. And they were all men’s clothing. … I had no choice but to knock on the door of Zach’s study. “Zach… I mean, honey, sorry to bother you.” Zach looked up from his laptop, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses. His whole demeanor was both tempting and distant. “Do you know where my pajamas are? I looked through the closet in the master bedroom but couldn’t find them.” Zach stared at me for a few seconds without saying a word. Just as I was about to give up and leave, he suddenly stood up and walked toward me. He towered over me, standing at six foot one while I barely reached five foot five. I felt like a child standing in front of him. Zach smirked, slipping his hands into his pockets. “So, are you planning to carry on with this amnesia act?” I gulped, unsure of what to say. The truth was, even if I told him the truth, he wouldn’t believe me. Thankfully, he didn’t make things difficult this time. He walked past me, heading toward another part of the house. I stood there, confused and not sure what to do next. He glanced back at me from the corner of his eye. “Well? Aren’t you coming?” I immediately followed him, keeping a safe distance. “Thanks.” Two minutes later, I eagerly opened the closet door in the guest bedroom to grab my pajamas. But the moment I saw what was inside, I slammed the door shut, my face flushed with embarrassment. Oh my God! “This is…” I didn’t even finish my sentence, but I knew Zach understood. He stood by the door, arms crossed, silently watching me with a look that said, “Keep going, I’m just here to watch the show.” … Taking a deep breath, I slowly reopened the closet door. Inside were outfits so revealing, they looked like they belonged on a nightclub dancer. Tiny scraps of fabric—there was hardly anything to cover up with! Was this how I dressed after graduation… I mean, after I got married? Had my style become this… provocative? To make things worse, Zach didn’t seem to have any intention of leaving. I ignored his piercing gaze and continued searching through the clothes. But I couldn’t find anything even remotely “normal.” … I sighed inwardly and, for some reason, turned to Zach and asked, “Honey, which one do you like seeing me in?” His eyes immediately darkened, and without a word, he turned and walked out of the room. The door slammed shut behind him, and the sound made me jump. Why did he get mad? They say women are hard to understand, but men are even more of a mystery. I grabbed some pajamas and headed to the bathroom. A wild thought crossed my mind: could our impending divorce have something to do with… issues in the bedroom? After my shower, I wrapped myself in a robe and headed to Cooper’s room. The nursery was cozy, and it was clear Zach had put a lot of thought into it. Everything was designed with care. I tiptoed over to his bed. Cooper was fast asleep, clutching a little stuffed animal. I gently tucked the blanket around him and wiped his thumb, which he had been sucking on. For the first time, I felt a real connection to being a mother. But I still didn’t know how old he was. I looked over at our marriage certificate. It was dated four years ago. That meant Cooper must be around three. I ruffled his hair and quietly left the room. Just as I closed the door, I turned around and saw Zach standing right in front of me. We were so close that if I looked up, I could bump into his chin. My back pressed against the door, and Zach didn’t seem to realize—or care—that he was invading my personal space. My heart raced so fast, I thought it might leap out of my chest any second. “Are you done?” “Yeah.” The air was thick with awkwardness. I had no idea what to say next. “So… are you going to bed now?” Zach didn’t respond or make a move. I tightened the robe around me, making sure he couldn’t see the revealing pajamas underneath. “Okay, I’ll go to sleep first, then.” I stepped aside and practically bolted to the master bedroom. Without a second thought, I jumped into bed, pulled the covers over me, and lay still. Moments later, the bedroom door opened, and Zach walked in. He paused when he saw me lying in bed, seeming a little surprised. He stood there, just staring at me. His gaze made my scalp tingle. “Honey, which side do you usually sleep on?” No answer. Has Zach always been this strange? He’s so quiet, always just staring coldly, without saying a word. Frustrated, I got out of bed and stood by the side. “You pick first.” Zach finally moved. He walked to the other side, lay down, and shut off the bedside lamp with a loud click. … Now we were in total darkness. Great. Thankfully, I don’t have night blindness, or I’d really be angry right now! I fumbled in the dark, trying to get comfortable under the covers, but I couldn’t sleep. My mind was a chaotic mess, and to make matters worse, my arm, which was still sore from the accident, started to hurt again because of the way my robe was pressing against it. I shifted slightly, but Zach didn’t react, so I sat up and tried to remove my robe. As I finally managed to shrug it off, rubbing my sore arm, Zach suddenly opened his eyes. Before I could react, he rolled over and pinned me beneath him. I gasped, my breathing instantly becoming erratic. In the dark, I couldn’t see him clearly, but I could feel how close he was—so close that our breaths were mingling. “Jenny, what are you doing?” Zach asked, his voice low. “What do you mean?” “You wanted to get married, you went through so much trouble to get a divorce, and now you’re lying next to me, trying to seduce me. Jennifer, I don’t have time for your games. What do you want?” “Seduce you?” I stared at him, completely stunned, when suddenly I felt a chill across my chest. Looking down, I realized that my pajamas were way more revealing than I thought. No wonder Zach thought I was trying to seduce him. “I… I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry.” I reached for the robe I had tossed onto the floor, but Zach had already had enough. He got up from the bed, clearly done with the conversation. “Jennifer, I don’t care what you’re thinking. I don’t have any feelings for you anymore. I hope you understand that. Whether you’re faking amnesia or trying to seduce me, it doesn’t matter to me.” “I’ll sleep in the guest room tonight. Do whatever you want.” Zach left. And now, I was alone in this big room, with nothing but my sadness.

I couldn’t sleep. I just lay there, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling until dawn. Around 7 a.m., I heard Zach’s voice outside, speaking to a woman who kept saying “okay, okay.” It was probably the nanny, I guessed. A little while later, the front door closed, and I heard the sound of the car engine starting. Zach had gone to work. I stayed in bed, staring at the ceiling while my mind raced. I’ve never been an outgoing person—if I were, I wouldn’t have been crushing on Zach for so many years without saying a word. But now, not only had my crush succeeded, but I had also become his wife. Along with the shock, there was a sense of joy I couldn’t suppress. I thought this was my one big chance from fate, but it turns out I played my cards terribly in this marriage. Emotional intelligence really is my weakness. As I was lost in thought, the bedroom door suddenly opened. A woman in a nanny uniform walked in. The moment she saw me, she apologized repeatedly. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t think anyone was in here.” “It’s fine, I was just about to get up.” I smiled at her, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she slowly walked into the room. “Mr. Warren left for work. I assumed no one was here since you usually slept in your own room.” My own room? Suddenly, memories from the day before came rushing back. There was definitely a bed in that other room where I grabbed my clothes. So, I had been sleeping in a different room all this time? Does that mean Zach and I had been living separately? It all made sense now—Zach’s strange behavior yesterday. Oh no, this is embarrassing. I buried my face in my hands, and a flood of regret washed over me. Hearing our conversation, Cooper came running to the bedroom door, his bare feet thumping against the floor. He stood there looking at me with big, expectant eyes, but didn’t dare come in. “Cooper, come to mommy.” I gently called to him, holding out my arms. The little guy’s face lit up with excitement. He sprinted across the room and jumped into my arms, knocking me onto the bed. He flashed a big smile, his tiny teeth showing. “Mommy,” he said, nuzzling his head against my chest. My heart melted. No matter how much Zach might hate me right now, Cooper is still my baby. I would always love him. After saying goodbye to the nanny, I took Cooper out for some quality time together. We went shopping. I bought him a bunch of cute clothes and treated myself to some more “normal” outfits. Honestly, the clothes I wore after getting married were a bit… much. Holding Cooper in my arms, I watched as he happily ate his ice cream, his face smudged with cream. I gently wiped his mouth. “Cooper, what was Mommy like before?” Cooper pouted, his voice soft with a hint of sadness. “You didn’t like Cooper.” Then he added, “You were always so mean.” Kids don’t lie. Hearing this broke my heart. So, I really had changed that much, to the point where even I wouldn’t recognize myself? Then why did Zach marry me? Was it out of love? If so, he sure had an interesting taste. “Mommy, I want that!” Sitting in my lap, Cooper pointed at a McDonald’s poster advertising the latest family meal. Well, kids will be kids—can’t resist the temptation. Me: “Let’s buy it!” An hour later, Cooper and I sat side by side on the couch in Zach’s office, looking like two children who had just been caught misbehaving.

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Before my A-Levels, I was diagnosed with stomach cancer—because I was starving. When I told my mum, she thought I was lying and cut my allowance even more. She said that when she was my age, she only had £60 a month, and here I was, getting £100. I should consider myself lucky. She wanted me to learn the virtue of thrift. Later, she and my dad went on holiday and left me with no money. I ended up starving to death. She held my body, crying uncontrollably. “Mum, why are you crying?” “Now that I’m dead, you won’t have to spend any more money on me. Isn’t that something to be happy about?” After finishing my check-up at St. Thomas’ Hospital, I went home with the late-stage stomach cancer diagnosis in my hand. As soon as I walked in, my mum was on her phone. She glanced at me and said, “Starting next month, your allowance will go from £300 to £100.” I froze, the test result still in my hand, thinking about how to give it to her. She continued, “You’ve got it so good now. When I was your age, I had £60 a month. £100 is more than enough for you.” I bit my lip gently, hesitated, and then said, “Mum… it’s not really enough. Could you give me a bit more? I’m… sick.” I slowly pulled the diagnosis out of my pocket and handed it to her, still hoping that despite everything, she was my mother and would care. But in the next second, she knocked the paper out of my hand. “Since when did you learn to lie like this? When I didn’t lower your allowance, you were fine. The moment I cut it, you suddenly have all these problems?” Her voice was sharp, her eyes filled with anger, as if I was her worst enemy. Timidly, I stepped forward and mumbled, “Mum, I’m not lying…” But she only got angrier, pointing at me and shouting, “Oh, now you’re talking back, are you? You ungrateful little pest!” She grabbed a feather duster from the sofa and hit me with it. At that moment, my dad, who was outside hanging up the laundry, came over, pushing me gently towards my room. He smiled at her and said, “Come on, love, no need to hit her…” “She’s gone rotten! All I wanted was for her to learn the value of money, and now she’s lying about being ill! I just watched a video—some student made millions in their first year at uni, supporting their family. Why should I still have to support her?” “She’s such a burden—always sulking. It would be better if she were dead…” I closed my bedroom door quietly, my heart being sliced to pieces by each word. Maybe it would be better if I were dead… It wasn’t the first time I’d heard her say that. But it hurt every single time. Mum, do you really wish I were dead? When I die, I’m sure you’ll be happy. The doctor said I wouldn’t live more than three months. By then, I’m sure you’ll be relieved. But Chloe doesn’t want to give up…

Since my monthly allowance had been cut to £100, after buying my school supplies, even if I only ate bread and pickles, I still couldn’t make ends meet. With A-Levels coming up, I had very little time. I only had Sunday afternoons off, so I spent that time handing out flyers. The boss, Mr. Cooper, knew about my situation and gave me a slight raise. I worked one day a week, and I earned £100, paid on the spot. One day, after a long day of distributing flyers, I came home, and the first thing my mum did was glare at me. “I’m missing £100 from my purse. Did you take it?” I was confused, and before I could say anything, she stormed over and pulled my bag from me. She rummaged through it and only found some loose change, but she wasn’t satisfied. She started searching my pockets. Finally, she found £100 in my jeans. Her eyes burned into me like a demon from hell. “Who told you to steal from me?” she hissed through clenched teeth. I was terrified. Every time she looked at me like that, I knew there would be punishment. My legs started trembling, and my voice shook as I stammered, “I didn’t… I didn’t…” “That’s the money I earned from my part-time job. I didn’t steal it.” But she didn’t believe me. She slapped me and yelled, “You’ve been lying to me your whole life! Didn’t I raise you better than this?” “Do you think I’m stupid? Do you think you can fool me with these lies? Today, I’ll teach you a lesson and show you who’s in charge!” She pulled the charging cable from the plug, grabbed my hair, and dragged me to the floor. Then, she whipped my leg with the cable. It hurt so much. But my heart was numb. From primary school until now, her “military discipline” had gone from confusing me, breaking my heart, and making me rebel, to leaving me completely numb. She had perfected her methods of “education.” The charging cable was her favourite because it hurt but didn’t leave lasting marks, unlike sticks or coat hangers. She also knew how to pinch me in the most painful spots without leaving a bruise, tie elastic bands around my arm so tightly that my hand would go numb, and wrap a towel around a stick so it would hurt but leave no visible wounds. It’s laughable, isn’t it? All of these were things my own mother tested on her daughter. Her only daughter… Right then, the pain in my stomach flared up again, twisting and turning like something was tearing it apart. I started to wish that I could just die during one of these “lessons.” At least then, the pain would stop.

All the money I earned was taken by my mum. Now, I had less than £10 to my name. To stretch it out, I decided to only eat one piece of bread every three days. But I’d overestimated how long I could last with stomach cancer. By the first morning, I fainted while running during PE. Ms. Thompson carried me to the nurse’s office, and after a quick check, the nurse said I’d collapsed from low blood sugar. A classmate, who had come along with the teacher, explained my situation to her. Ms. Thompson was shocked when she heard about how my mum treated me. It wasn’t unusual for students to faint from exhaustion and stress in school, but given my situation, she felt she had to call my mum. When my mum heard what had happened, she was reluctant to come, but Ms. Thompson insisted. When she arrived, she found the teacher encouraging me to eat the food she’d bought for me. My mum, furious, slapped me in front of everyone. “You liar! You said you’d fainted! Here you are, looking perfectly fine. Why didn’t you just die?” Ms. Thompson, stunned by the sudden slap, froze in shock. After a moment, she spoke up, standing between us. “Why would you say something like that? Can’t you talk without being so cruel?” But my mum continued to rant, accusing me of being deceitful, saying I’d manipulated everyone for money. Then she glanced at Ms. Thompson and sneered, “First she couldn’t trick me, and now she’s got you fooled, hasn’t she? Or are you just trying to seduce her?” The teacher slammed the table in anger. “Madam, I’m Chloe’s form tutor,” she said firmly. By now, the whole canteen had turned to look at us. Embarrassed, my mum’s expression softened, and she mumbled, “Sorry, I didn’t know you were her teacher.” “She’s just such a troublemaker. I’ve only been trying to teach her to save money, and now she’s lying to me, stealing from me, and pretending to faint because she hasn’t eaten…” Ms. Thompson, her face pale with shock, interrupted her mid-sentence. “She’s not lying. Chloe fainted from low blood sugar, and I called you.” She went on, “I’ve heard from her classmates that all Chloe eats at school is bread and pickles. Sometimes, she only has one meal a day because you won’t give her any more money.” My mum, caught off-guard, stammered, “But I do give her money. I give her £100 a month! When I was her age, I got £60, and she gets £40 more than I ever did.”

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In the dead of night, I was jolted awake by a loud snoring sound. I was alone in my flat—how could there be a man snoring? Suddenly, I remembered a film where a man was hiding under a woman’s bed… I immediately picked up my phone to call Tom, but my best friend Rachel texted me just then: “Don’t trust your boyfriend; he’s going to kill you!” At midnight, I was awoken by the sound of snoring. Groggy and half-asleep, I instinctively thought it was Tom, but then I remembered we had just had an argument and he hadn’t come to see me tonight. I sat up in shock. The snoring stopped abruptly. I quickly turned on the light. I lived in a single room flat of about twenty square meters, and it was clear there was no one else in sight. Could I have been dreaming just now? But the snoring had been so vivid and real. At this point, I hadn’t thought much about it and assumed it was just my stress from work causing hallucinations. I went to the bathroom and then back to bed. I didn’t turn off the light; after all, that snoring had been far too real, and I felt a bit scared. The light gave me a semblance of comfort. But just as I lay down, the snoring began again. This time, it was so clear, it felt as if it was right next to me! I was truly terrified; my heart skipped a beat. I sat up again, and the snoring disappeared once more. I sat there, dumbfounded. Then I remembered the film about a man hiding under a woman’s bed… If that snoring was real and so close, then the person making that sound had to be in the room! If I couldn’t see them, they must be… hiding under the bed! I grabbed my phone to call the police. But what if the snoring was just a figment of my imagination? How would I explain that to the police when they arrived? I glanced around the room and found only a pair of scissors for protection, so I picked them up and opened the door, ready to flee at any moment. In the end, I grabbed a clothes pole and reached under the bed, sweeping left and right. The clothes pole didn’t touch anything. I finally breathed a sigh of relief, summoning the courage to lift the bed sheet that touched the floor. Under the bed was nothing but a thick layer of dust. Only then did I feel reassured and let out a long sigh. It seemed it had indeed been my imagination. I closed the door and lay back down, trying to sleep; the snoring didn’t return. But just as I was about to doze off, my smart speaker suddenly chimed: “Game on, please answer the question. Is she virtual?” What was happening? Had I mumbled in my sleep? Or was it malfunctioning? So I shouted, “Smart speaker, shut up!” It seemed to malfunction and didn’t receive my command; instead, it continued: “Is she female?” The smart speaker was right by my bedside, and I grabbed it to try to turn it off, but no matter how I pressed the buttons, it wouldn’t respond. “Is she from a Japanese anime?” “Is she from a novel?” … This was definitely not a hallucination, nor was it a dream! Then I recalled the snoring, and a chilling conclusion hit me—there was something unclean in this room! For the first time in my life, I felt such intense fear! Run! That was the only thought in my mind! I didn’t even have time to put on shoes, wrapped in my pajamas, I bolted out of the flat. I lived on the 25th floor, and the lift was still on the 1st floor. I thought about taking the stairs, but the corridor was too dark, and I was too scared to go. I wanted to call the police, but how could I explain this to them? In the end, I trembled as I took out my phone to call Rachel. But she hung up immediately and soon replied with a text: “What’s wrong?” I figured she might not be able to take the call, so I replied that I was encountering a ghost and needed her to come save me. As I typed, my hands shook, and I wasn’t sure how many typos I made in that simple sentence. But I knew she would understand. Just then, the lift arrived, and I hurried in, pressing the door close button. As soon as the doors closed, they opened again. But the corridor was empty; there was nothing there.

The lift doors closed again, and it began to descend normally, with no more anomalies. When it reached the 18th floor, the doors opened again, and still, no one was there. What was more terrifying was that the doors stayed open for a long time; I pressed the button frantically, but to no avail. The only reason the doors wouldn’t close was that someone was still trying to get in! I felt tears prick at my eyes, hesitating to escape the lift, when suddenly the doors shut. On the 16th floor, the doors opened. Finally, I saw someone. It was a middle-aged woman, dressed in red and green, looking very flamboyant, as if she were going to meet a lover. I was sure she was human. I felt like I had grasped a lifeline and quickly stepped aside, hoping to ask her for help once she entered. But she frowned at the lift, mumbling to herself, “Why are there so many people at this hour?” She took a couple of steps back. “I’m the only one in here!” I trembled as I told her. But it seemed she didn’t hear me; until the lift doors closed again, she never got on. I finally realized—this lift was full of ghosts! My back instantly went cold, and I hurriedly pressed the button for the 9th floor; I had to get out of here! I pressed myself against the side of the lift, keeping a wary eye on my surroundings. 9th floor. As soon as the doors opened, I dashed out. That was when I noticed a fat man waiting by the door. Seeing the lift doors open, the fat man stepped inside. “Don’t go in!” I shouted, “There are ghosts in there!” The fat man hesitated, looked back at me, but ultimately ignored my warning and entered the lift. Suddenly, a loud beeping sound echoed in the lift. I knew that sound only occurred when it was overloaded! There was only the fat man inside; even at his heaviest, he couldn’t be over 300 pounds—how could it be overloaded? With a confused look, he exited the lift, mumbling, “What a strange experience.” Finally encountering a living person gave me some sense of security, so I hurriedly approached him and said, “Mate, I—” “Blimey!” the fat man exclaimed, not waiting for me to finish before he turned and ran back to his flat in sheer panic. I immediately chased after him. Even though I didn’t know him, I believed he was the only person who could alleviate my fear at that moment. Besides, I always felt an inexplicable trust towards fat people, as if I thought all of them were good people. But that fat man dashed into his flat and slammed the door shut. I banged on the door, yelling “Help me,” hoping he would come out, but the door remained firmly closed. Just then, my phone suddenly rang. I quickly checked; it was Rachel texting me. “It’s too late; I can’t come alone. What about your boyfriend?” Despair washed over me as I sat on the floor. I understood why she wouldn’t come, and given I mentioned a ghost, she probably thought I was joking. Then I remembered my boyfriend, Tom. We were in a cold war, but we hadn’t officially broken up. In such a dangerous and terrifying situation, I couldn’t afford to let my pride keep me from reaching out to him first. I dialed his number, but he hung up. I was furious and scared! How could he still be angry at a time like this? I quickly sent him a text: “Tom, come save me!” He finally called back, anxious and asking what was wrong. “Tom, please come quickly! I’m so scared!” Tom reassured me, “Don’t be afraid; there’s no such thing as ghosts; it’s all in your head. I’ll be there soon; find somewhere safe to hide.” I asked, “How long will it take?” “About an hour; I’m quite far away.” “An hour?” I stammered, “I’ll be scared to death in an hour!” “Then I’ll call the police right now; just wait.” The call ended. Tom’s voice vanished, and I fell into panic again. Wait a minute! Why did Tom just say, “There’s no such thing as ghosts”? I had never mentioned to him that I was encountering a ghost! Could it be that he was pulling a prank on me to get revenge?

He had a background in computer science, and I heard he once hacked into some pretty serious websites. I thought with his skills, making the smart speaker malfunction or causing the lift to break down wouldn’t be an issue. With that thought, remembering how scared I had been, my anger flared up. Just then, Tom called again. Once I picked up, I exploded, “Are you out of your mind? It was just an argument! Do you really need to scare me like this?” I could imagine Tom on the other end of the line, laughing uncontrollably, which only made me angrier. But Tom sounded bewildered. “What’s wrong? How did I upset you?” “Was it you who messed with the smart speaker and the lift?” “What do you mean? Wait, calm down; the police will be there in ten minutes,” Tom said, sounding a bit exasperated. He actually called the police? If he was just trying to scare me, he wouldn’t have done that. I hung up with doubts and dialed 999 to verify what he said. “Hello, this is 999 emergency services…” “Hello!” I interrupted, “Did you receive an emergency call about something happening at the Oasis estate?” “Yes, I took that call; we are already on our way. The caller stated that a female resident in flat 2503 was in danger.” That female resident was me! “Yes, that’s me! Please hurry!” “We are on our way; we’ll be there within ten minutes. Please stay on the line, find somewhere safe to hide, and contact us if you’re in danger.” He actually called the police! Which meant I was truly in danger! But the police wouldn’t arrive for another ten minutes—where could I hide? I had given up hope on the fat man and banged on the door across from me, but got no response. Maybe there was no one living there. I had to try another floor. I thought about taking the stairs, but the corridor was pitch black, and the lift offered some sense of safety. So, I bravely pressed the lift button. The doors opened, and there was no one inside. I swallowed hard, closed my eyes, and stepped into the lift. I only dared to open my eyes after I heard the doors close behind me. Nothing seemed amiss in the lift. I relaxed a bit, hesitating, before pressing the button for the ground floor. The security office by the entrance seemed like the safest place! As I stepped out, the estate was eerily quiet and dim, with only scattered lights that barely illuminated the path ahead. I made my way toward the estate’s entrance. I was almost convinced I had encountered a ghost, but as I walked out and down, I hadn’t been harmed. Perhaps the ghosts in my flat and the lift were harmless. With that thought, my fear lessened somewhat. When fear stopped overwhelming me, I remembered something else. How did Tom know I was encountering a ghost? I had only told Rachel about it; if Tom knew, it could only mean they were together! What were they doing alone together in the dead of night? No wonder they weren’t answering my calls! No wonder Tom got angry and left when I said a few trivial things yesterday! My phone rang again—it was Tom calling. “How are you? Are you okay?” he asked with concern. I didn’t respond and instead asked, “How did you know I was encountering a ghost?” Tom paused for a second before saying, “Because… because Rachel’s phone card is with me; she’s been dead for two months.”

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Simon and I had been together for ten years, and we were finally getting married. But after we moved in together, his cat always seemed to hate me. Simon brushed it off, telling me I was reading too much into it. “It’s just a cat,” he said. But then, one night in the study, I saw something that shattered that illusion. I clearly saw his cat transform into a young woman, tangled in his embrace. In a soft voice, she whispered, “I don’t like your girlfriend. Do you really have to marry her?” I stood frozen at the doorway, feeling dizzy. Not because of the pair entwined in front of me, but because flashes of memories and visions overwhelmed me. The past, the present, and even the future. In those swirling images, I saw my entire life unfold. It turns out I’m just the villainess in a sugary romance novel. The novel is called I Became a Cat and Stole My Crush’s Heart. In the story, the heroine, Mia Yates, secretly loves the male lead, Simon Shaw. She thought they were destined to never be together—until a car accident changes everything. Mia wakes up, only to find she’s turned into a cat. Simon, unaware of her true identity, adopts her, and Mia becomes his treasured pet. One day, she mysteriously returns to her human form—in Simon’s bed. From that moment on, their story unfolds with stolen glances and hearts racing. As for me? I’m the villain, Simon’s malicious fiancée. I’m supposed to compete with a cat for his affection. Out of jealousy, I even plan to throw acid on Mia’s face, only for Simon to stop me just in time. In the end, I get my comeuppance and spend the rest of my life regretting my actions behind prison bars. Simon and I are about to get married, which is why we’ve moved in together. But ever since I arrived, Mia the cat has made her hostility toward me abundantly clear. Every time Simon and I are in the same room, she screeches at the top of her lungs or knocks things over to steal his attention. She never lets me near her. Every time I try to pet her, she scratches me. I thought she was just being defensive, like any cat might be with a stranger. I figured she’d get used to me eventually. But now, I finally understand. She’s no ordinary cat; she’s a woman pretending to be one. Certain things are cute when a cat does them. But when it’s a human? It’s far from charming.

The next morning. I sat at the breakfast table, watching Mia nestled beside Simon. He carefully cut his breakfast into small pieces and fed her bit by bit. How did I never see it before? I took a sip of milk and casually said, “Simon, don’t you think it’s time Mia was spayed? She’s always so agitated—getting her spayed might calm her down.” As soon as I said that, Mia’s fur bristled in outrage. She hissed at me, then quickly retreated into Simon’s arms, meowing pitifully. Sure enough, Simon stroked her back gently to comfort her before looking at me with irritation. “I don’t want to put her through that kind of surgery. It’s not right to take away her right to have kittens.” I raised an eyebrow. “Oh? So, you want Mia to have kittens? Maybe I can help by finding her a tomcat or two.” At that, Mia’s cries grew even louder. Simon’s face darkened. “Bella, why do you have to be so cruel to her? She’s just a cat! Can’t you see she’s just not used to you yet?” Just a cat? He’s been telling me that for ages, using it as an excuse whenever Mia acts out. But he knows perfectly well that Mia is no ordinary cat. He knows her every action is designed to push me out. Yet he still clings to his comforting delusion. I didn’t bother arguing with him. After breakfast, I drove to Mia Yates’ old house. Mia wasn’t always a cat. She used to be just a regular university student. She fell in love with Simon when he taught a few lectures at her university. But after she turned into a cat, the human body she later gained was beautiful—innocently alluring. Whose body was this? Could a ‘miracle’ like this only happen to Mia? These thoughts consumed me as I drove around her neighbourhood, asking about her. Sure enough, those who are hateful often have a tragic backstory. Her mother, I learned, never cared much for her. She favoured Mia’s brother and constantly pressured her to find a wealthy husband, one who could provide a dowry to buy her brother a house. Mia’s attraction to Simon? Well, that had a lot to do with his money. I smirked. Rich, is he? What if Simon lost everything? Would Mia still care for him then? On my way home, I stopped by The Bark & Purr Pet Shop. As soon as I walked in, a brown blur came bounding toward me. “Max!” Max, my beloved Labrador. I had to send him away because Mia hated him. Simon made me rehome him. Of course, I never actually gave him away. I’d just been keeping him at the pet shop, hoping Mia might accept him one day. Now? I couldn’t care less what Mia thinks. I knelt down and stroked Max’s head. “Max, I’m so sorry. I’ll never leave you again.” He seemed to understand, nuzzling into my hand. I hugged him tighter, relieved.

When I brought Max back, Simon predictably lost his temper. “Why did you bring that dog here? You know Mia is terrified of him!” I held Max close, not even looking at Simon. “You have Mia. I need Max with me.” He snapped without thinking. “How can that dog compare to Mia?” Anger flared up inside me. “So your precious cat gets to stay, but my dog gets kicked out?!” He stood there, speechless, before storming off with Mia, slamming the door behind him. “You’re impossible, Bella.” For the first time in our relationship, we had a real argument. It wasn’t that we never disagreed before. I’d just always been the one to compromise, to make concessions for him. But now? I didn’t mind this feeling. For once, I was standing up for myself. That night, Simon didn’t come home. And I didn’t care. Max and I slept soundly. The next morning, I made breakfast for both of us. Afterwards, I got ready for work. The Oxford Research Institute was always busy, and I had taken time off to plan our wedding. Well, there wouldn’t be a wedding anymore.

When I arrived at the institute, I could tell people were surprised. “Bella, you’re back! Weren’t you on leave for wedding prep?” “Yeah, where’s Simon?” Everyone knew about our relationship. We were both researchers at the institute. I made small talk and brushed off their questions. There was plenty of work piled up, and before I knew it, the morning flew by in a blur. Just as I finished, Jessica grabbed me for lunch. “Bella, I’ve got so much gossip saved up! No one else around here cares about celebrity news—they’re all too busy staring at data all day. I need to spill the tea!” Jessica, with her bubbly personality, was a rare exception in our research-focused environment. I smiled. “I’m all ears. I need a break from science talk.” She hugged me. “You’re the best, Bella!” But we didn’t get far before someone interrupted us. “Bella, there’s an urgent meeting. You need to come right away.” The person’s serious tone left no room for delay, so I hurried back to the conference room. Dr. Knight was furious when I arrived. “Who’s responsible for this project? How did such a massive data error go unnoticed?” The room was tense, and several people cast nervous glances my way before someone spoke up. “Uh… it’s Simon’s project, Dr. Knight.” I knew why they were all looking at me. Simon wasn’t qualified for the position he held. The institute had only promoted him to keep me on board. And over the years, he’d been rising through the ranks quickly—thanks to me. Dr. Knight was still fuming. “Where is he? I’ve told everyone repeatedly that this experiment needs constant supervision, especially at such a critical stage. Where was he yesterday?!” Mistakes like this usually led to demotions. Someone tried to make excuses. “Maybe he’s just been overwhelmed with the wedding plans.” “Isn’t Bella the one who took time off for the wedding? So why is she here, and Simon’s nowhere to be found?” “He’s got connections. That’s why he can get away with anything.” “Wish I had that kind of backup. Mess up this badly and still keep your job.” I listened to the murmurs of discontent, knowing full well the resentment Simon had caused by coasting on my reputation. I stood up and faced them. “If Simon’s responsible for this error, then he should be demoted as per the rules.” The room fell silent. Dr. Knight stared at me, surprised. In the past, I’d always covered for Simon, fixing his mistakes. But not anymore. The meeting ended, and as the others filed out, Dr. Knight pulled me aside. She looked at me thoughtfully. “Bella, you’ve been here for years. Your talent and dedication are the best I’ve ever seen. I’ve always worried that these personal matters were holding you back.” I nodded and smiled, reassuring her. “I understand, Dr. Knight. Don’t worry.” I took over Simon’s project. That afternoon, while I was working on the experiment, Dr. Knight’s words echoed in my mind. She had said, “I hope you keep moving forward, Bella. Your path shouldn’t end here. You’re meant to lead humanity to the next level.” My blood surged with excitement at the thought. By the time I left the institute, night had already fallen. But I wasn’t tired at all. In fact, I felt energized, surrounded by the work I loved. 4 When I got home, Max came bounding over to greet me. I patted his head, but my attention was drawn to Simon, who was sitting in the living room with a stormy expression on his face. “Why was I demoted? Did you have something to do with this?” he demanded. I felt a pang of sadness. Was this really the man I had spent over a decade with? I stayed calm. “Your project had a major issue, Simon. It’s only natural that it was handled according to the rules.” But he still didn’t believe me. “I ran those numbers multiple times—they were flawless. Dr. Knight has had it out for me for ages. I bet she had someone tamper with the data!” I couldn’t take it anymore. “Simon, when are you going to stop blaming everyone else for your mistakes? When will you finally learn to take responsibility?” He stared at me in shock before a sudden realisation seemed to hit him. “Oh, I see how it is,” he sneered. “This was all about you taking over my project, wasn’t it? You wanted me out of the way so you could get ahead.” His words struck me like a slap to the face. I looked at him, my voice breaking. “Is that really what you think? After everything we’ve been through for the past ten years?” “I…” Simon faltered, reaching out as if to wipe the tears from my eyes. But at that moment, a sharp hiss pierced the air. We both turned to see Max cornering Mia, growling low and threatening. It looked like any second he would tear her apart. Simon rushed over, pushing Max aside. “Get away from her!” He scooped Mia into his arms and turned back to me. “Bella, I’m willing to forget everything that happened today, but I’m warning you—keep your dog away from Mia. I won’t ask again.” Without waiting for a response, he stormed into the study, slamming the door behind him. I slid down the wall in defeat, feeling completely drained. Max nuzzled me, his head resting on my lap. Simon never used to be like this.

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My older sister Crystal has a savior complex. She thought our housekeeper was pitiful and wanted me to become her daughter instead. I enthusiastically agreed and went with her that very day to handle the paperwork. Whoever she felt sorry for, she could go be their daughter herself. In this life, she took my place being sold to the countryside and becoming a plaything. “Our housekeeper Mrs. Johnson is so pitiful. Her daughter isn’t even by her side. Why don’t you change your surname and become her daughter?” my older sister Crystal said. I wasn’t surprised at all to hear this from her. Instead, I clapped my hands in agreement. “Sister, you’re such a good person!” That same day, I went with her to handle the relevant paperwork. However, the one who ended up changing surnames wasn’t me, but my sister Crystal. I had secretly swapped the documents, and she didn’t notice at all. After all, she was used to me obeying her every word. When we got home, she started ordering the servants around. “Oh, and starting today, set one less place at the table.” “You’re right, sister. Since you’re no longer part of our family, you really shouldn’t be eating at the same table as me,” I said nonchalantly as I sat down in the main seat and started eating. “Ruby, what nonsense are you talking about? You’re the one who’s supposed to become the housekeeper’s daughter,” Crystal said, glaring at me with a sour expression. “Oh? Sister, did you misunderstand something?” I asked calmly, not even bothering to look at her as I took out the agreement from my bag and tossed it to her. Crystal picked up the agreement and only had to glance at it for a few seconds before her eyes widened in shock. “Ruby, you little bitch! How dare you trick me!” “From now on, we’re changing the rules in this house. I eat at the table, while the housekeeper doesn’t. You can only eat my leftovers. Got it?” I said, looking down at her from my seat. “Ruby, have you gone mad? How dare you talk to me like this? Do you have a death wish? I’m your sister!” Crystal shouted angrily. I took out two identification booklets. “Look carefully. Your registration is no longer in the same booklet as mine. You’re just our housekeeper’s daughter now. If you keep talking back, I might just throw you out.” Crystal has always had a savior complex, feeling pity for everyone she saw. But every time she made a sacrifice, it was always at my expense. When we were little, she saw a beggar on the street and thought he looked lonely and pitiful. So she left me there to be the beggar’s daughter. If our parents hadn’t found me in time, I would have been sold off to some far-off place. In school, she felt sorry for the school bullies because they didn’t have parents around. She hung out with them every day and even brought them home. I was just a child then, and they used me as their punching bag. I nearly lost my life. As she grew older, it only got worse. She sympathized with our housekeeper who had only been with us for two months. “Mrs. Johnson is so pitiful. Her daughter isn’t even by her side. You should go be her daughter.” In my previous life, after I refused, she secretly changed my surname behind my back and forcibly sent me to be the housekeeper’s daughter. She told our parents I was just away on a study trip. In the end, she conspired with outsiders to steal all the money from our family. She even poisoned our parents, causing them both to die from the toxins. She even had me kidnapped and taken to the countryside, where she gave me to the housekeeper’s brother as a wife. I was locked in a cellar for three years, enduring inhuman torture every day. After multiple failed escape attempts, I chose to bite off my own tongue and end my life. When I woke up again, it was to Crystal saying: “Sister, why don’t you go be the housekeeper’s daughter?” This time, I clapped my hands in agreement and took the initiative. I absolutely wouldn’t let her have any opportunity to act against me. I pushed her towards the door. “Mom and Dad will be so proud of you. Don’t worry.” “Crystal, oh, I should call you Jenna Johnson now. If you’re not happy with this, why don’t you go find your housekeeper mom and have her take you back to the countryside?” I said with a cold smile. Crystal stomped her foot and walked away. “Ruby, just you wait. I’ll make you pay for this.” So Crystal went to our parents’ company to plead her case. My heart tightened. In my previous life, Crystal had caused our parents to fall gravely ill. Even with their dying breaths, they were still trying to persuade her to face reality. In this life, I was sure our parents would continue to indulge her. But the result was beyond my expectations. Crystal hadn’t even seen our parents before she was kicked out by the security at the front desk. “The CEO said he only has one daughter named Ruby. We’re not to let anyone else see them,” the guard said. I was overjoyed and rushed to find my parents. The moment I saw them, I couldn’t hold back my tears. “Mom, Dad, I’ve missed you so much.” The three of us embraced, and they said, “Ruby, don’t worry. In this life, we’ll definitely protect you properly.” I looked up at them. As I had guessed, my parents had also been reborn. It was a relief. I had been worrying about how to persuade my parents to see through Crystal’s true nature. Now it was settled – the three of us would get our revenge on Crystal together. She thought she had the biggest heart for others? Well, I’d let her be a good person all the way. She could go take care of Mrs. Johnson’s family in the countryside.

Over the next few days, I found fault with everything Mrs. Johnson did at home. I climbed up a ladder to the top of a cabinet, wiped it with my hand, and showed her the dust. “How do you do your job? You can’t even clean a cabinet properly. Maybe you should just pack your bags and get out.” Mrs. Johnson’s legs trembled in fear. Crystal came to support her. “Ruby, what’s wrong with you? Can’t you see how hard Mrs. Johnson’s life is? She’s already so unfortunate, why are you making things difficult for her?” “Oh, is that so? Then why don’t you clean it instead? It’s not strange for a daughter to help her mother, right?” I said indifferently. If I hadn’t lived through another life, I wouldn’t be so harsh on Mrs. Johnson. But now I knew she wasn’t a good person either. She took a high salary from our family, but not only did she slack off and not do her work properly, she also ordered others around. After she left her job in my previous life, she even slandered our family online. She even encouraged Crystal to sell me to their hometown to be her brother’s daughter-in-law. For someone like her, I wanted to tear her to pieces. “It’s okay, I don’t mind working harder. I have a big family to support at home,” Mrs. Johnson said, wiping away her tears. Crystal became even angrier. “Ruby, you’re going too far. We won’t put up with your attitude anymore.” She stepped forward, about to slap me, but I pushed her away first. Crystal was furious. She helped Mrs. Johnson up and said, “Mrs. Johnson, let’s go. We won’t stay here any longer!” “We just renewed Mrs. Johnson’s contract recently. If you leave now, you’ll have to pay a penalty fee,” I said gleefully. “You… Fine, I’ll pay the penalty fee if that’s what it takes,” Crystal said. With those words, I immediately had people pack up Mrs. Johnson’s belongings and throw them out. Why weren’t there any of Crystal’s belongings? Because everything she owned belonged to our family. She couldn’t take a single thing with her. She still clung to her designer bags, refusing to let go. “These are all mine. Why can’t I take them with me?” I went over with a dark expression. “Miss Johnson, have you forgotten? When you bought these things, your surname was Huang. But now, your surname is Johnson.” Seeing that I wouldn’t budge, Crystal tried to appeal to my emotions. “Sister, don’t you remember? I’m your older sister. I watched you grow up. How can you be so heartless to me? Even if my surname is Johnson now, I’m still your sister.” I shook off her hand. “Sister? You mean the sister who gave away my things for free to a bunch of good-for-nothings from childhood to adulthood?” “Or the sister who falsely accused me of stealing?” Once, there was a thief at school who stole many things. To protect her friend, Crystal publicly accused me of being the thief in front of everyone. She even hid her belongings in my schoolbag. I was isolated and insulted by everyone. It wasn’t until later that I found out the real thief was Crystal’s classmate. To protect her, Crystal had lied and said I was the thief. “How can you be so petty? That was so long ago. I just felt sorry for them. You should have some compassion too,” Crystal said, rolling her eyes disdainfully. “Yes, you have the biggest heart. No one’s heart is bigger than yours. So now, please leave,” I said, pointing to the open door. “You… Mom and Dad would never allow you to kick me out. Stop putting on an act,” Crystal said, crossing her arms confidently. The next moment, our parents walked in. “Your mother is that housekeeper outside. Don’t call the wrong person.” Crystal’s eyes widened. “Mom, Dad, how can you be like this too? Didn’t you always teach me to be kind to others?” “We taught you to be kind, but we never taught you to help bad people. Don’t try to pin this on us,” our father said sternly. “What good people or bad people? You’re just prejudiced against them. They’re more pitiful than anyone else. If you won’t help them, I will!” Crystal said angrily as she pushed past our mother and walked out. Crystal took Mrs. Johnson’s hand affectionately and said, “Mom, let’s go. From now on, I’ll be your real daughter.” Mrs. Johnson smiled at her, but for some reason, it sent chills down my spine. I sent a lawyer to claim compensation from Mrs. Johnson for breaching the contract. Crystal probably emptied out all her savings. She sent me a message: [Ruby, just you wait.]

Sure enough, a few days later, Mrs. Johnson posted a video online claiming that we had abused her, treated her as less than human, and humiliated her. When she worked as our housekeeper, she had earned quite a bit of money and gained many followers by bragging about working in a mansion. Now, all her followers began to speak up for her. “Just because you’re rich, you think you’re better than everyone else?” “What’s wrong with a housekeeper working honestly? Why look down on her?” In this life, Mrs. Johnson directly exposed photos of our family and our home address. Many angry people came to throw rotten eggs at our front door. “My dear sister, are you scared now? This is just the first step,” Crystal called me as soon as she saw the online comments. It was clear that she had been the one to suggest this idea to Mrs. Johnson. “Heh, sister, don’t end up outsmarting yourself,” I replied. After waiting for the comments to reach a certain number that evening, I began my counterattack. I registered a new account called “Exposing Housekeeper Johnson’s True Face”. It contained footage from security cameras, recording various scenes of Mrs. Johnson working at our house. She used instant meal kits instead of cooking properly, picked up food that had been licked by dogs and continued to use it, and touched food with her hands right after scratching her bottom. Every detail was enough to make one lose their appetite. The videos she posted online were nothing more than staged performances. And this was just the first step. The tone of the netizens’ comments clearly changed. “Oh my god, I wouldn’t even dare to buy such dirty food from a street vendor.” I then released another video showing how Mrs. Johnson, relying on Crystal’s favoritism, deliberately oppressed the other housekeepers. When we weren’t home, she acted like the mistress of the house, verbally abusing the other housekeepers, bossing them around, and taking credit for their work. “Pah, a lousy housekeeper dares to eat the same food as me? Know your place,” Mrs. Johnson said in the video. This thoroughly angered the netizens.

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Liam was my husband. We had been married for five years, and our love was as strong as ever. Until I received an anonymous video: a man’s head was bashed in, his face a bloody mess, with several stab wounds on his body. If it weren’t for the custom-made diamond ring on his ring finger, even I wouldn’t have recognized Liam. At this moment, I was lying with my back to “Liam”, desperately trying to stifle any sound. Who, then, was sleeping beside me? “Nora, why aren’t you asleep? Is the wound hurting again?” The gradually dimming phone screen reflected Liam’s expressionless face. He stared at the phone, his neck craned at an awkward angle. I stiffened but quickly turned to hug him, whispering, “It’s nothing. I’m just feeling a bit upset about the baby.” Liam and I had been married for five years. My mother-in-law, Martha, had been urging us to have a child. I had helped Liam start his business from scratch, but the constant drinking and late nights at social events had taken a toll on my health. For the past two years, I had been trying to recover my health, and finally got pregnant. But just two months ago, the doctor told me that the baby’s heartbeat was extremely unstable. They diagnosed it as a genetic defect syndrome. Giving birth would not only be irresponsible to the child but also pose a huge risk to my safety. The doctor recommended termination. And just like that, my first baby left this world. Liam reached out and stroked my face. His expression was hidden in the darkness, unreadable. His fingers were ice-cold, sending a shiver of fear through me as they traced my skin. “Honey, did you forget to take your medicine today? You know Mom specially got it prescribed by the doctor.” Liam and I both loved children dearly, and losing the baby had left me with depression. I had quit my job to rest at home. Liam’s voice was so gentle it could almost wring water. He got up to heat some milk for me. Watching his back, my thoughts lingered on the terrifying sensation of Liam’s fingers on my face. Remembering the gruesome scene in the video, my body involuntarily shuddered, causing me to drop my phone. As I bent down to retrieve it, I suddenly caught a whiff of a very subtle formaldehyde smell. The screen’s light illuminated my horrified face. There was a dead infant under the bed. It was curled up, preserved in formaldehyde solution, its pale face turned towards me. Suddenly, its tightly closed eyes opened, staring straight into mine. Then its mouth twisted into an eerie smile. My whole body trembled, goosebumps erupting on my arms. Overwhelmed by fear, I felt my body go limp. In my panic, I turned around only to see Liam standing at the door with a glass of milk, smiling at me.

When I regained consciousness, it was already noon the next day. “Nora, you’re finally awake. Are you feeling any discomfort?” Liam sat by my bedside, looking at me with concern. Ignoring him, I immediately got out of bed and pulled out the jar from underneath. The glass had shattered, but instead of the dead infant I saw last night, it was a small figure wrapped in bloody bandages! “Impossible, I clearly saw… it even smiled at me…” I panicked and stumbled backwards, only to be caught in Liam’s embrace. “Oh no, who broke the jar?!” An elderly woman rushed in, first complaining, then wailing as she cradled the jar. “My poor grandson, can’t even rest in peace after death…” “Mom, what’s going on? Who told you to put this thing under our bed?!” Liam scolded his mother while gently comforting me. I stared blankly at her wrinkled face, only connecting her to my mother-in-law when Liam spoke. My condition seemed to have worsened recently. My memories of everyone were just blurry fragments, even their faces seemed covered in a layer of sand, impossible to recall clearly. “The house is haunted, so I found a spiritual healer,” she said. “We can’t let it interfere with my grandson’s birth!” She had been looking down, speaking hesitantly at first. But then she glanced at me, her tone turning disdainful and louder, as if intentionally speaking for me to hear. “Alright, Mom, that’s enough. Don’t upset Nora,” Liam urged his mother to leave, his tone annoyed. “What I saw last night wasn’t a small figure…” I said, my fear growing. No matter how I tried to explain, Liam insisted I had just had a nightmare. “Honey, where’s my phone?” I suddenly remembered the video, wanting to show it as proof. But Liam’s expression turned strange. He unlocked his phone and held it up to me. “You mean this video?” ! “How did you know?” I felt scared, backing away step by step. Liam sighed, “You’ve watched this video many times already. Every day you suspect that I might be dead.” “I know losing the baby was a huge blow to you. You’ve developed depression and prosopagnosia.” “But this is just a video. I’m standing right here, alive and unharmed.” I stared intently at the ring on Liam’s finger, suddenly deflating. Perhaps I really was too stressed out. “I’ll be here to help you get better, trust me, okay?” “We’ll definitely have our own child someday.” Liam’s last sentence sounded like comfort, but I detected something odd in it. He kissed my forehead and walked towards the door. “Nora, I’m going to buy your favorite roast duck.” I watched him leave, trying to recall last night’s events. To my horror, I realized that my memories were all fragmented, and even Liam’s face was starting to blur. “Nora, come on, it’s time for your medicine.” Martha appeared at the door with a cup of medicine just as Liam left. “Am I taking the medicine this early today?” I looked at the time, feeling confused. After all the strange occurrences, I didn’t want to take the medicine, even if Liam said it would help my condition. But Martha just stood there holding the cup, staring at me intently. She looked very eager. “Mom, you can leave it here. I’ll drink it in a bit.” Martha reluctantly put down the cup and left, repeatedly reminding me not to waste it. I stared at the dark brown liquid, a thought flashing through my mind. Why had my symptoms gotten worse after taking this medicine for so long? Could there be something wrong with the medicine? As I picked up the cup, debating whether to drink it or not, I caught a glimpse of something in the full-length mirror by the wardrobe. The door was slightly ajar, and Martha’s pale face was pressed against the crack, expressionlessly staring at me.

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My husband, Gregory, cheated on me with his cousin, Tina. After she had his child, he immediately filed for divorce. On the day the divorce waiting period ended, I sent him a medical report congratulating him on becoming a dad. Upon receiving the report, he completely broke down. “Samantha, explain to me what’s going on!” I replied, “Do I really need to tell you that you have a fertility issue and can’t have kids?” I met my husband, Gregory Hill, during a college club event. He fell head over heels for me and quickly began pursuing me. Eventually, I was moved by his sincerity and passion, so I agreed to be with him. Over the four years of college, we developed a deep bond and promised to marry after graduation, but my parents didn’t approve. After all, I was an only child from a wealthy family in a big city, well-loved and spoiled. Gregory, on the other hand, came from Appalachia. He didn’t have a comfortable upbringing or strong connections; he worked hard to earn his way to college in the city. To marry him, I was willing to clash with my parents and even threatened to cut ties with them. Eventually, my parents relented, fearing I’d struggle without their support. They agreed to the marriage and gave me a house and a car as a wedding gift. Gregory was ambitious and capable. He started his own business right after graduation, but faced numerous obstacles in the early days. His small company was on the brink of collapse due to a lack of stable funding. Seeing that his business was about to fail, I made the decisive choice to sell the house my parents had given me to provide him with startup capital. We moved into a cramped, damp one-bedroom apartment. For me, this hardship was nothing; I was just happy to be with Gregory. Gradually, his business began to improve, and we moved into a newly bought house. We lived a simple yet happy life for two years, but Gregory and I had been unable to conceive a child. It was strange; ever since his company stabilized, we hadn’t intentionally avoided pregnancy. We thought if I became pregnant, we’d just have the baby since we could financially support it now. However, I still hadn’t gotten pregnant, so I decided that Gregory and I should go get checked out. His company was growing, and he was so busy managing everything that it took a while for him to carve out time to accompany me to the doctor. After the checkup, Gregory rushed back to work, leaving me to wait for the results. When the results came in, I was utterly stunned. I was in good health, but Gregory had a fertility issue. Sitting alone on a hospital bench, I felt dizzy and didn’t know how to face this reality. This explained why we hadn’t been able to conceive in two years of marriage. But Gregory was very prideful, and I feared that learning the truth would devastate him. Moreover, my parents already disapproved of our marriage; if they knew Gregory couldn’t have kids, they would surely pressure me to divorce him. So, I planned to keep this a secret. If it came to it, we could always adopt later. That evening, when Gregory got home from work, he asked, “What did the tests say? Is there a problem?” I smiled gently and replied, “No, we’re both fine. The doctor said pregnancy is a matter of chance; as long as we take care of our health, exercise, and avoid late nights, it will happen eventually.” Gregory nodded with a neutral expression. “That’s good.” Although he didn’t say much, I could tell he wasn’t entirely satisfied with this outcome. After that day, we didn’t mention the baby issue again. I had just been promoted to a supervisory position at work, and with my increased responsibilities, I had even less time to think about it.

One day, when I came home from work, Gregory surprised me by cooking dinner. I guessed he might want to discuss something important. I was right. He told me he wanted to bring his mom and cousin, Tina, to live with us. Initially, I was reluctant. With more people in the house, there would inevitably be conflicts and tensions. Moreover, managing the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship was already challenging; adding a cousin into the mix felt overwhelming. But Gregory insisted, “My dad passed away when I was young, and my mom worked hard to raise me alone. Now that I can support her, I can’t leave her in the small town. Besides, Tina’s parents passed away, and she has always relied on us. I’ve always considered her like a sister.” So, I reluctantly agreed to let them move in. Before long, my mother-in-law and Tina arrived, dressed simply and exuding an air of humility. “You must be Samantha! It’s been so long since I’ve seen you!” my mother-in-law said warmly, rushing over to shake my hand. I felt a bit overwhelmed. I responded politely but distantly, “Mom, you both can settle in comfortably here. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.” “Absolutely!” my mother-in-law nodded eagerly, while Tina seemed indifferent. Tina was 20 years old and, though she dressed plainly, it was clear she was a pretty young woman. According to Gregory, Tina hadn’t gone to college after high school because his mom needed help at home, so she stayed to care for her. Tina was diligent, jumping right into chores and cooking as soon as she arrived. However, she didn’t seem to like me very much. Sometimes, she’d be laughing and chatting with Gregory one moment, and then her face would drop the second she saw me. Today was Sunday, and after my shower, I went to my bedroom to change. On my way back to the bathroom, I noticed my recently changed underwear was missing. “Mom, did anyone come to the bathroom just now?” I asked my mother-in-law, who was watching TV in the living room. “Oh, Tina went in a bit ago,” she replied. I walked over to Tina’s room and knocked on the door. “Tina, did you see my underwear that I just changed out of?” Tina appeared unhappy and said, “I washed them.” Washed them? In just a few minutes? “Did you hand wash them for me?” I asked, surprised. “Not at all. I just tossed them in the washing machine with the other clothes,” she pouted. “What? You can’t just throw them in the washing machine! That’s so unsanitary!” I exclaimed as I hurried to stop the washing machine. Inside, I found all of our clothes mixed together, including socks, along with my recently changed underwear. That set was from a pricey brand my friend abroad had sent me, and it was barely worn. Now, not only was it dirty, but it was also wrinkled and ruined by the washing machine. Fuming, I confronted her, “I didn’t ask you to wash my underwear! Who washes their underwear with everyone else’s? Don’t you realize how unsanitary that is?” To my surprise, she didn’t back down and shouted back, “It’s just a worn-out underwear set! What’s the big deal? Besides, when Gregory was living at home, didn’t his underwear get washed with mine?” I was so stunned; I didn’t expect Tina to have such a bad attitude, even calling her brother by his name. My mother-in-law rushed in, hearing our argument, and instead of calming things down, she took Tina’s side. “Samantha, don’t be upset. Tina is still young and doesn’t understand. As a sister-in-law, you should be more tolerant,” she pretended to be the good guy while protecting Tina. I was at a loss for words, and feeling like I shouldn’t create family drama, I turned to Tina and said, “Fine, just apologize to me and we can move past this.” Tina remained unfazed, and it took several cues from my mother-in-law before she reluctantly said, “I’m sorry!” Then she turned and slammed the door behind her. I stood there staring at my mother-in-law, who continued to defend Tina. I waved my hand, indicating there was no need for more discussion; it was over.

I thought that what happened today was just a minor incident, but it turned out to be just the beginning. Tina seemed to be intentionally provoking me; each time she did laundry, she would take Gregory’s clothes and wash them separately, deliberately leaving mine behind. I didn’t want to get into it with her; she was just a sheltered girl and didn’t know better. However, my tolerance didn’t dissuade her annoying behavior; in fact, it made her bolder. One day, I noticed some of my cosmetics had gone missing. Given there were only a few of us in the house, it was obvious who took them. While Gregory was in the living room chatting with my mother-in-law, I marched straight into Tina’s room. I heard a loud scream, “What are you doing? Samantha, are you out of your mind?” There she was, wearing a revealing tank dress, barely concealing her modesty. I yanked open the drawer of her desk and found my missing cosmetics lying inside. I held up a bottle of foundation and approached her. “What is this?” She feigned indifference and replied, “It’s foundation. What’s the problem?” I couldn’t help but laugh in frustration. “I know it’s foundation! More importantly, I know it’s my foundation!” “That’s nonsense! This is mine!” she stubbornly defended. I smirked, “Oh really? What brand is it? What shade? Which counter did you buy it from?” She fell silent, glaring at me with daggers. At that moment, Gregory and my mother-in-law heard the commotion and rushed in. Tina, upon seeing Gregory, immediately leaped into his arms, completely disregarding what she was wearing. “Greg, this woman is accusing me of stealing her stuff! You have to stand up for me!” she said, feigning tears. Gregory gently rubbed her back and comforted her softly, “It’s okay, don’t cry. I’ll figure out what’s going on.” Then he turned to me, “Samantha, is there some misunderstanding? Tina isn’t like that.” I let out a scoff. “Misunderstanding?” I held the foundation up for them to see. “I have this little habit where I write the date on the bottom when I open a new cosmetic. You can check for yourselves.” When they looked at the bottom, they saw the small date I had written, and their expressions turned awkward. Gregory spoke first, “Samantha, Tina probably just thought these were new and interesting. After all, she hasn’t seen this kind of stuff in Appalachia. I’ll apologize for her. Please don’t be upset.” My mother-in-law added insincerely, “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t raise her properly; you can blame me!” This whole family was acting so put upon that it made me look like the villain. I felt incredibly frustrated and said, “Just have her return all my things, and I won’t argue with you!” Tina reluctantly handed the items back to me. Seeing her sulking, Gregory consoled her, “Don’t be sad. I’ll buy you new stuff tomorrow, the best and most expensive.” Hearing this made me both sad and infuriated. My husband was siding with his sister for her wrongdoings and disrespecting me. I was at my wit’s end and retreated to my room.

Not long after, Gregory came into my room. “Samantha, I know you’re upset, but Tina has lived in a small town her whole life and hasn’t seen much. She’s really quite innocent and pitiable,” he said. I didn’t respond, unwilling to engage in this pointless conversation. Seeing I wasn’t reacting, he continued, “I know we’re from different backgrounds, and you might have some biases. But I hope you can look at our years of feelings and give me some grace. Can we just let this go?” Gregory’s words sounded condescending to me, and I was so annoyed I didn’t want to say anything to him. Noticing my silence, he left the room. The next day, true to form, Gregory bought Tina a bunch of expensive cosmetics, but he also got me something. This time, he didn’t say any passive-aggressive remarks but instead held up a new designer bag, soothingly telling me not to be upset. Seeing his sincere attitude, I decided not to dwell on the issue any further. In the afternoon, Tina saw the bag Gregory had bought for me and grew incredibly jealous, saying, “Ugh, relying on a man isn’t a real accomplishment.” I shot back, “I’m your sister-in-law; please speak respectfully! Instead of being jealous, why don’t you think about how to improve yourself?” After I said that, Tina fell completely silent, though I could see her eyes rolling in disdain. Maybe my words struck a chord; she began to learn how to do makeup and dressed up more, going out every day. One night, seeing her heavy makeup and a dress so short it might as well be nonexistent, I kindly warned her, “It’s late; you shouldn’t be going out alone.” “Why do you care? What gives you the right to tell me what to do?” she replied dismissively. I was irritated and snapped, “Tina, please remember your place. I’m your brother’s wife, your sister-in-law!” She just scoffed, as if I were a joke, and ignored me as she walked out. I felt my temples pounding in anger. My mother-in-law had gone to bed early, and Gregory was out of town for work, so no one was around to keep an eye on her. Forget it; I didn’t need to get worked up over this. The next morning, just as I was heading out to work, I ran into Tina, who had just come home.

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