Category: English

I replicated my Grandpa’s masterpiece for the dessert competition, but my fiancé’s childhood friend accused me of using addictive poppy seed pods. I frantically searched for evidence to prove my innocence, yet my fiancé locked me inside, embracing me in tears and even promising to marry me. “I’m sorry, I love you, but Sophia really needs this trophy. This is the last time; I promise you’ll rise to the top again next time.” Sophia took home the competition trophy, while my Family Heirloom Signature Dessert was scorned by thousands. This was the 99th time he took something that belonged to me for her, turning me into a laughingstock in the dessert community. With her wish fulfilled, Oliver Thompson finally stopped blocking my participation and even asked me to make the Family Heirloom Dessert for their wedding after I won. Yet they didn’t know, my hands had long been severed by his childhood friend. … “What’s going on? Isn’t this the granddaughter of Dessert Master Ethan Johnson, Mia Johnson? How did she end up like this?” “Look at her, she seems like she’s been seriously ill. This is the International Dessert Competition. She’s not here just to humiliate herself, right?” Amid the mocking voices, two bodyguards pushed me in front of Oliver Thompson. His face darkened, and he slapped me angrily. “I gave you a chance to showcase your family creation, but you still pretend to be pitiful. How ungrateful!” “Besides, you’re infamous now because of the poppy seed pods incident. Today is also a chance for you to turn your life around. You better prepare well.” I lowered my head silently, while Sophia Thompson began to exaggerate the story. “Oliver, do you think Mia is still mad at me? After all, I won the trophy 99 times before. Maybe I should withdraw from the competition…” Her eyes reddened as she cried in Oliver’s arms. He comforted her with a tenderness I’d never seen. “Baby, don’t cry. That glory was always yours. With you here, he’ll always look up to you!” The reporters and Sophia’s fans started jeering. “Mia Johnson has some guts, losing to Sophia 99 times. If it were me, I’d have smashed my head long ago.” “I heard her Grandpa’s dessert recipe was stolen from Sophia’s family, and she’s a mistress interfering with Mr. Thompson and Sophia. What a shameless family!” Hearing this, my heart trembled. They could slander me all they wanted, but why defame my Grandpa! He poured his heart into his craft, achieving success through a lifetime of dedication. He was kind and always helped the poor and weak. Why should he bear such disgrace after death! I gritted my teeth and stood up, facing the camera. “Stop lying! My Grandpa never stole anyone’s recipe. The Johnson family’s pastry is entirely original!” But the audience didn’t believe me, only responded with disdainful snorts. I looked to Oliver for an explanation. Oliver stepped back with a look of disgust. “Your Johnson family is notorious. Why should I explain for you? Prove yourself if you have the ability.” I was pushed to the dessert station by the staff. Looking at the shiny kitchen tools, an indescribable emotion welled up inside me. This place, so familiar, should have been filled with a sense of mission and honor, yet it always brought back painful memories. Once, Oliver Thompson loved me dearly. He said my desserts were the best he’d ever tasted, something he could never tire of. Yet he imprisoned me in a basement, repeatedly making me a foil for Sophia. After being forced to lose to Sophia for the 99th time, I finally refused. Oliver looked at me with deep sorrow. “Mia, being a pastry chef is Sophia’s dream. Please don’t compete with her, just this once?” “You still have me. I’ll love you forever, but Sophia lost everything saving me. I can’t bear to see her lose her career too!”

I knew Sophia didn’t truly care about desserts; she just wanted the empty title of Dessert Princess. Yet I didn’t stop her, nodding reluctantly. After all, I owed Oliver a debt, and this was my repayment. But I was too naive. I thought stepping out of the competition would make Oliver let me go. Yet he accused me of using addictive poppy pods, destroying Grandpa’s century-old dessert reputation overnight. I furiously demanded why he did it, but he calmly replied. “You are talented and have the family recipe. You can easily make a comeback. But Sophia has nothing; I must clear all obstacles for her.” “I’m sorry, Mia. I owe her, and I must repay this debt. I’ll spend my life compensating you.” He imprisoned me in the basement, only letting me out for dessert competitions, facing public scorn and repeatedly losing to Sophia. Oliver Thompson, you owe her, and I owe you. So this time, I’ll repay you and owe you nothing more. I closed my eyes, awaiting the torment. Seeing Sophia standing opposite me at the dessert station, the host announced the start of the competition. Under eager gazes, Sophia began separating egg whites and yolks. I stood still, lost in thought. The audience grew dissatisfied. “What’s going on? Can she even make desserts?” “Haha, lost 99 times and still here. She cheated her way to the dessert master’s title. Shameless!” “If you can’t, just get off the stage!” Oliver, nearest to me, walked over displeased, lowering his voice. “What are you doing? Why aren’t you making desserts yet?” I trembled, biting my lip as I explained. “I don’t have hands anymore. Can’t you let me go?” Oliver seemed to find it funny. “Mia, aren’t you overdramatic? You’ve lived a pampered life in my villa’s basement for three years. Everyone respects you. I even instructed the butler to take good care of your hands, and you’re still lying!” Sophia softly chimed in. “Oliver, don’t push Mia. She must be upset because I stole the spotlight. Maybe I should withdraw from the competition.” Saying this, she pretended to untie her apron and leave, eyes red. The audience erupted in anger, cursing and throwing things at me. The insults grew louder, and I saw the bullet comments on the live stream, all cursing me. But I truly had no hands; how could I make desserts? I was about to show my sleeves to prove it when Sophia grabbed my mangled arm, squeezing it. “Mia, your hands are perfectly fine. Why make excuses?” I met Sophia’s malicious, satisfied gaze. She had cut off my hands, yet dared say such things! Before I could explain, Oliver slapped me hard. “If you keep pretending, I’ll reveal Grandpa’s dessert recipe right now. Get serious and compete!” I looked at him in disbelief, my body going rigid. He knew that Grandpa’s dessert recipe, written stroke by stroke, was a crucial confidential kept in our safe deposit box. Yet he stole and gave it to Sophia. How could he insult Grandpa’s legacy like this! I asked, my voice shaking. “Oliver Thompson, have you forgotten how good Grandpa was to you? How can you threaten me with him!” Oliver averted his eyes, guilty. “Don’t play the sympathy card. There’s no room for emotions on the stage. I’m always fair.” Always fair? How laughable. He wanted me to lose to Sophia publicly once more, because this competition was different. The winner would receive the International Dessert Competition Grand Prize, the most prestigious award. But without Grandpa’s dessert recipe, how could I win? At this moment, anger surged through me. I wanted to fight them, but feared he’d harm Grandpa’s dessert recipe. If it were lost, the Johnson family’s craft would truly be gone. “Please don’t do this. I’ll compete. I’ll compete, okay?”

Through sobs, I struggled towards the Dessert Station. But… without hands, even picking up an egg was impossible. An egg rolled off my sleeve, and laughter erupted from the crowd. “Is she pretending to be disabled on purpose?” “Is this the heir of the Pastry Family? She’s no match for Sophia!” Sophia Thompson, full of pride, had already started making cream amidst the cheers. A strong wave of bitterness rose in my heart, and tears streamed down my face. The first fragrant dessert was soon out of the oven. It was a Lemon Cake, made using the secret recipe she stole from my Grandpa. In stark contrast, my creation looked like a mess. Without hands to precisely adjust the oven temperature, my dessert didn’t hold its shape. The audience burst into laughter, and the Judges didn’t even want to look at my work, asking sarcastically, “Was that on purpose or an accident?” Sophia chimed in mockingly, “Judge, I know Mia, she’s far more skilled than this. She’s clearly doing it for show.” I was too ashamed to speak. The next moment, Sophia pretended to accidentally knock over my work and pushed me to the ground. “Oh dear, I’m sorry, Mia. Don’t be mad at me.” As she spoke, she pretended to bend down to help me up, but leaned close to my ear. “You didn’t know, did you? I actually caused your Grandpa’s death. That old man protected the recipe till his last breath, but I smothered him with a pillow…” “That old man protected your family’s recipe even in death, but I burned it all to ashes!” Hearing this, it felt like my blood froze. I wanted to grab her and question her, but I had no hands. “You murderer!” I shouted in anger, trying to get up, but Oliver Thompson rushed over and slapped me. “What do you think you’re doing? Sophia was kind to you, and you made something that looks like crap and fed it to others! No wonder the Johnson family’s reputation was bought with money!” He looked furious, completely forgetting that when he was an orphan, it was my Grandpa who paid for his education. Tears fell like broken beads as I collapsed in front of the Cameras, asking Sophia, “Why did you kill my Grandpa?” Oliver’s face turned ugly. “What nonsense are you spouting in front of so many people? Sophia didn’t kill your Grandpa. He died of old age!” Sophia cried pitifully, “I know you can’t stand to see me doing well, but you can’t slander me!” “But you admitted it yourself! When I was imprisoned, you came and cut off my hands. I want to call the police!” “Shut up!” Oliver was furious. “Don’t let me hear you slander Sophia again. You live in luxury at my place and pamper your hands every day, and today you’re just acting up to get my attention!” Then, Oliver turned to face the hundreds of cameras, addressing countless viewers. “Don’t believe her lies. She’s always cared about her reputation. How could she not have hands?” “And to think I wanted to help her run the Pastry Shop after all this. She’s really let me down.” Oliver looked at me with disappointment, as if I were a terrible person. The audience’s emotions were stirred, and they rushed over to beat me up. I weakly raised my arms to shield myself, but I couldn’t withstand their madness. “Stop hitting me! I didn’t do it on purpose. My hands were cut off. If you don’t believe me, look…” But no one listened to me. Oliver stepped forward and kicked my arm. “Still pretending? You can’t even lie properly.” In the chaos, Sophia accidentally poured a pot of hot butter on me. With a sizzle, I felt my skin blistering and screamed in agony. Everyone gasped and backed away, afraid of getting splashed. It seemed like a glimmer of hope for me. Ignoring the pain, I tried to crawl away. But in the next second, Oliver had the Bodyguards grab my clothes. They pulled so hard they tore my shirt off. I was desperate, as if my last shred of dignity was stripped away, and I screamed for mercy. “Please, let me go! Don’t look at my hands…” But when Oliver saw my arms, he was stunned. Just one look, and his eyes widened in shock, his voice trembling. “Mia, where… where are your hands…” My whole body twitched, my skin blistered from the hot butter, bleeding profusely. “Please, call a doctor for me…” Sophia screamed, “It’s fake, don’t believe him!”

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The only reason my wife, a swimming champion, forced our three-year-old son underwater to practice holding his breath was because he accidentally kicked her beloved Asher while swimming. The onlookers were frantic to jump in and save him, but my wife blocked them. Seeing our child struggle less and less in the water, I knelt on the ground, pleading with her to let him out. “He just learned to swim, he can’t hold his breath! He’ll drown! He didn’t mean to kick Asher, I’ll make him apologize, kneel before Asher, please just let him out—” But my wife just clung to her dear Asher’s shoulder, gently massaging his arm, not even glancing at me. “If you didn’t spoil him so much, he wouldn’t have kicked someone while swimming! I’m a swimming champion, don’t I know how to teach a child to swim? A doting father spoils his son, that’s what they say about you!” Half an hour later, our child finally floated to the surface on his own. When I broke through the crowd to pick him up, I found his face swollen and pale; he wasn’t breathing from drowning. I rushed him to the hospital without caring about anything else. Meanwhile, my wife was off to the side, flirting with Asher, choosing swimsuits for the next competition. Outside the emergency room, facing Mr. Quinn who had finally arrived, I couldn’t hold back anymore and cried out, “Liam is gone, and the five-year agreement is almost up. Please let me go, I don’t want anything anymore.” Mr. Quinn, full of guilt, helped me up with trembling hands and tried to comfort me, “Liam inherited Hazel’s swimming talent, he surely will be alright. Don’t worry too much, he will soon—” He didn’t even finish when the light in the emergency room went out, and the doctor shook his head regretfully at us. “I’m sorry, the child was brought in too late. The asphyxiation lasted too long, and he had no heartbeat before he even arrived. We did our best.” “Moreover, during the rescue, we found that he was different from a typical drowning. His stomach was filled with water, and there were binding marks on his ankles. Was this really an accidental drowning?” I looked up in disbelief and asked, “What did you say?” In an instant, images of Liam struggling underwater flashed through my mind. I thought he was just trying to complete his mother’s task, but I never imagined that Hazel would actually tie him up to prevent him from surfacing. How desperate he must have been. Hearing this, Mr. Quinn couldn’t speak any comforting words and angrily cursed, “Monster! She didn’t even spare her own child.” As soon as he finished speaking, someone delivered a fruit cake, saying it was sent by a Ms. Quinn. “Damn it.” Mr. Quinn looked at the cake in his hand and threw it to the ground. “She hurt her own son like this, didn’t even come herself, and even sent a cake through someone else. She must still be fooling around with that man, and that opportunist still wants to be my son-in-law, dream on!” “I’m calling her right now, making her kneel in front of Liam to atone!” But after dialing her number a dozen times, Hazel didn’t answer, only my phone rang. I answered with shaking hands, and Hazel’s impatient voice came through. “Nolan, running to my dad over a little thing, thinking you can fool me by playing the victim with Liam, dream on.” “It’s just holding his breath, and you took him to the hospital? Your son said he wanted to take over as champion, let him keep practicing, don’t embarrass me, Hazel Quinn!” “I even sent him his favorite fruit cake, what more do you want? Stop playing these petty tricks, I’m busy preparing for the next competition, don’t disturb me!” I glanced at the cake on the floor, filled with mangoes. Liam was allergic to mangoes since childhood. How ludicrous that Hazel claimed it was his favorite flavor. When the nurse pushed Liam’s body out, Mr. Quinn, who was cursing earlier, was suddenly speechless. He choked, trembling as he uncovered the white sheet over Liam’s face, nearly falling to the ground. “It’s all my fault, I didn’t raise my daughter right. But Nolan, even though the five-year agreement is almost up, before Asher came back, you and Hazel were very good together. The Quinn family only recognizes you as a son-in-law, can you give her another chance? I’ll make sure she cuts ties with Asher!” Five years ago, Mr. Quinn came to me, tears streaming down his face, pleading for me to help Hazel recover from an old injury. The Quinn family funded me for five years after my parents passed away. To repay their kindness, I had no choice but to accept their arrangement to marry into the Quinn family, tirelessly caring and encouraging Hazel until she returned to swimming competitions. I thought having Liam would end the five-year agreement, but I never imagined it would end so tragically. And now he wanted me to stay? Without thinking, I caressed Liam’s cold cheek and said word by word, “We made a five-year agreement. Now that Hazel can compete again, our debt is settled.” “Besides, Liam wasn’t supposed to be here. It was my greed that kept him, and now that he’s gone, I should leave too.” I stayed at the hospital with Liam all night until all the formalities were completed, watching as the people from the funeral home took him away. I went back to the Quinn house to pack his belongings, but as soon as I entered, I saw clothes scattered in the living room. Following the sounds to the swimming pool, I saw Hazel in a revealing swimsuit, lying in Asher’s arms, her hand carefully caressing her belly. “You are Mommy’s only treasure. Just wait a little longer, and Mommy will bring you back to the Quinn house openly.” “Hazel, he’s the only one. What about Liam? Today, Liam deliberately kicked me. If he found out you’re pregnant, who knows what chaos he’d cause. Maybe we should abort the baby.” Hazel gently covered Asher’s mouth, her words unusually cruel, “No way, Liam is already spoiled rotten by his dad. I don’t like him at all. If I could, I would prefer not to have him as a son.” Listening to her belittle Liam like that, I clenched my fists, letting the blood flow. After a while, they finally noticed me. But Hazel didn’t feel embarrassed. She affectionately held Asher’s hand and walked towards me, her face full of disdain as she looked at me. “Finally willing to come back? Where did you spend the night, leaving with the child and not returning? Is that how a father acts? The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” “Don’t think I don’t know. You went to my dad and caused a scene, forcing him to disown his grandson and threaten me not to let Asher in.” “In that case, pack your things and take Liam to the old house to be the good son-in-law. Here, I’ll only have Asher as my husband. Where’s Liam? Bring him out to apologize to Asher. Don’t think faking an illness will get him out of the mess he made.” Looking at her ugly face, Liam’s struggling image in the water kept replaying in my mind. I wanted to drown her in the pool. As I was about to rush forward, I heard Liam’s voice from yesterday at the swimming pool: “Daddy, Mommy is the best swimming champion. I want to be a champion like her too.” “And don’t be sad, Daddy. Mommy promised me that when I become a champion, she’ll do something for me. Then she’ll keep you company and make you happy.” I bit my lip, trying to suppress my feelings, and turned to leave. But Hazel grabbed me. “What does this mean? You made a mistake and won’t apologize? How dare you be mad at me? Also, if you hadn’t conspired with my dad to drive Asher away, the title of Quinn family son-in-law wouldn’t have fallen on you. An orphan trying to marry up.” “What, have you found a richer girl to con with your sob story? Such a father is an embarrassment to Liam!” I stayed silent. Without my response, Hazel’s anger boiled over. She yanked my wrist and threw me towards the pool. Splash. I fell into the pool. “It’s just training the kid. If you’re not convinced, I’ll train you too. Stop acting all high and mighty!” “My dad is fooled by you, but only I know you are a gold-digging husband. If you hadn’t stolen Asher’s credit, claiming the miracle doctor treated me because of you, I wouldn’t have married you!”

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After a decade of marriage, he remained distant and indifferent. I stood by him through tough times, so he assumed I could always handle them. “Why hire a nanny when you’re at home all day doing nothing?” His disdain was obvious. Yet he felt deep sympathy for his first love, even to the point of tears. I divorced him, split the assets, and started my own business. When we met again, he was working as a personal assistant for an older woman. 1 “Hurry up and wash these clothes; I need them for a meeting tomorrow,” Jasper said, tossing his clothes at me before heading into the bathroom. I held his shirt, my expression less than pleased. Jasper loved cleanliness; his clothes weren’t dirty and even smelled nice. But why did they have the scent of another woman’s perfume? “Hazel, why isn’t the floor mopped properly? The towel’s still wet,” Jasper shouted from the bathroom. “You’re home all day, and this is all you manage to do?” he added. When we first bought this house, I wanted to hire a housekeeper. During the early days of starting my business, I lived in the basement to save money, which left me with chronic back pain. When my mother-in-law found out, she mocked, “You think you’re some wealthy lady who needs a nanny?” “Back pain is just an excuse for being lazy. Work more, and it’ll get better.” “The house isn’t big; you can clean it yourself without wasting money on help.” I glanced at Jasper, but he was engrossed in his phone, not noticing me at all. Later, I found out that his first love announced her relationship on social media that day. 2 The next day, I got up early to prepare lunch for Jasper. He’s a real workaholic, often forgetting to eat when he’s busy. So, I decided to bring him lunch every day. That day, he actually finished it all and asked me to continue bringing it to the office. Sometimes, he would even tell me in advance what he wanted to eat. This made cooking more fulfilling for me. When I delivered the meal to the office, I ran into Daphne in the elevator. Seeing the lunchbox in my hand, she smiled and said, “Hey Hazel, bringing lunch for Mr. Lu again?” Daphne was a younger schoolmate from high school who joined Jasper’s company after graduation. On the 12th floor, she winked at me. I walked to the office door and saw through the glass a woman inside. She leaned close to Jasper, as if about to kiss him. 3 My mind went blank, and my body moved faster than my thoughts, rushing forward to pull the woman away. She was wearing high heels and stumbled when I tugged her, nearly falling. “Adeline!” Jasper rushed out from behind his desk and held her in his arms. Seeing Adeline in Jasper’s embrace was like being struck by lightning. Adeline, Jasper’s cherished first love who had gone abroad. They were the golden couple in school, famous throughout. Jasper’s deep affection for Adeline was known school-wide. Even after being with me, Adeline still had a place in his heart. Adeline was his youthful regret, and I was merely his reluctant choice. “Alright, Jasper, let go of me. Your wife is still here,” Adeline said playfully. Jasper gazed at her lovingly, then turned to me, his eyes instantly cold: “What are you doing here?” A dull pain surged in my heart. “Were you here to deliver lunch?” Adeline naturally took the lunchbox from my hand. Opening it, her eyes were full of disappointment: “This again?” “I’m tired of it,” she pouted to Jasper. I was stunned: “You’re… tired of it?” “Yes, I said the cafeteria food was bad, so Jasper gave me his lunch. Didn’t he tell you?” Jasper admitted nonchalantly: “Yeah, Adeline’s tired of it. Make different dishes next time.” He picked up his coat, stepped forward to hold Adeline’s hand: “Let’s go, we’re eating out.” “What about this lunchbox?” she waved the lunchbox in her hand. “Throw it away,” Jasper said casually. “It’s not that good anyway.” 4 Adeline threw the lunchbox into the trash right in front of me. She avoided Jasper’s hand, smiling: “Never mind, the ‘boss lady’ is here, how could I dare to have lunch with the boss alone?” She winked at Jasper and walked out of the office in her high heels. As she passed by, her gaze swept over me carelessly as if I were just a roadside rat. She seemed to inadvertently lift her hair, revealing a neck dotted with red marks—clearly kiss marks. It wasn’t until Adeline’s figure disappeared around the corner that Jasper withdrew his gaze, never looking at me once. “Aren’t you going to explain? Why is she here?” I asked, trembling. Jasper finally gave me a glance: “Her company had some issues, so she’s working as my assistant now.” “Aren’t you thrilled? Finally able to be with her day and night.” I couldn’t help but jab at him. “If you hadn’t come, I could’ve had lunch with her today and spent more time together.” He looked at me with a mocking expression. Silence flowed between us like a current, leaving us speechless for a long time. After a while, I suddenly chuckled, though my heart was full of bitterness. 5 I turned and sat on the sofa, gritting my teeth: “So what, I’m not just coming today, I’ll come every day. I want to see how bold she is to stay with a married man.” “I’m the one on your marriage certificate, the company’s ‘boss lady’,” I emphasized. Jasper sneered: “‘Boss lady’? Only you care about these empty titles.” I caught my breath, feeling like something was blocking my heart. The air fell silent again. In a fit of pique, I stayed in the office, not wanting Adeline to come looking for Jasper again. Unknowingly, I actually fell asleep on the sofa. I was woken up by pain, my stomach felt like a blade was stirring it, twisting my insides into a bloody mess. Moaning in pain, Jasper finally noticed my movement: “What trick are you pulling again…” But seeing my pale face, he suddenly fell silent. “Stomachache again?” he asked softly, then picked me up and headed downstairs. 6 Adeline was holding a stack of documents, surprised: “What’s going on?” Jasper’s tone was gentle: “Hazel’s stomach issue flared up, I’m taking her to the hospital, I’ll deal with anything else when I get back.” Seeing Adeline’s gloomy face, I felt strangely satisfied, and my stomach seemed less painful. I snuggled into his arms. As soon as we got into Jasper’s car, I sensed something was off. The car was filled with cute decorations, and on the floor were crumbs, like potato chip bits. Jasper never allowed anyone to eat in his car. Once, I just ate a piece of candy, and he was displeased. Let alone putting so many decorations in his car; I once placed a clay figure I made myself, and he threw it in the trash, saying, “It’s an eyesore.” I sniffed and took out a small bread from my bag, but before I could open it, Jasper grabbed my hand, frowning: “Eat it outside.” “I’m so hungry, I promise I won’t mess up the car.” I pleaded with him. He insisted: “Eat outside.” Maybe my stomach hurt too much, my eyes reddened, and my voice sharpened: “I want to eat now! If Adeline can eat in your car, why can’t I?” Jasper’s gaze turned cold: “She was signing a contract with me, hadn’t eaten all day, and her low blood sugar acted up. At that time, you were at home, sleeping, playing on your phone, tending to flowers.” “Why do you think you can’t?” he questioned me. I opened my mouth but couldn’t say anything. When Jasper’s company was just starting, I followed him everywhere for business and investments. At banquets, high-proof liquor was poured down my throat, leaving me with permanent stomach issues. As the company gradually improved, I wanted to work there, but Jasper’s mother stopped me: “A woman shouldn’t be out in public all the time.” So I gave up my career to stay home full-time. My heart and mind were all for Jasper. Unexpectedly, this became his reason for thinking I was inferior to Adeline now. 7 The silent atmosphere in the car was interrupted by a phone call. Jasper pulled over and tersely told me: “Get out.” “What?” I was stunned. “Adeline twisted her ankle and is in pain,” Jasper explained. “What about me? What should I do?” I panicked. “It’s less than a kilometer to the hospital. It won’t take long to walk,” His face showed growing impatience, “When did you become so delicate?” The kilometer took me nearly an hour to walk. Lying alone in the hospital bed, I watched the patient next to me, who had just had surgery, being cared for by her attentive husband. He adjusted her blanket and made her comfortable. When she couldn’t eat after surgery, her husband patiently coaxed her with a bowl. I buried myself under the blanket, trying to use sleep to divert my attention. The hospital room door opened, and I looked up. Jasper had come. I thought he couldn’t let go of me, a smile forming on my lips. But when I saw who was behind him, my smile froze. 8 Adeline walked over, looking apologetic: “Sorry Hazel, I twisted my ankle and didn’t know who else to turn to, so I called Jasper.” “I didn’t know he’d leave you on the road like that. I’ve already scolded him.” Adeline seemed angry, glaring at Jasper. Watching their interaction, I felt colder than when walking alone. Their mutual understanding and intimacy made them seem more like a couple than Jasper and I did. “Adeline knew you were in this hospital, so she came to see you,” Jasper said, seeing I was silent, with a slight annoyance. Then, he handed me a menu: “Mom’s birthday is in three days, make a few dishes and get a cake.” “I didn’t know he would leave you alone on the street. I’ve already given him a piece of my mind.” Adeline glared at Jasper, clearly annoyed. Watching them interact made me feel even more isolated than when I was walking alone earlier. Their understanding and closeness made them seem more like a couple than Jasper and I ever did. “Adeline heard you were at this hospital and came specifically to see you.” Jasper looked at me with some displeasure when I didn’t respond. Then, he handed me a recipe. “Mom’s birthday is in three days. Go home, cook some dishes, and get a cake.” Adeline glanced at the recipe and exclaimed, “Wow, that’s a lot of dishes. I can’t make any of them. Hazel, you’re amazing.” Jasper joked, “If you want to learn, have Hazel teach you. She’s always in the kitchen, so she’s most familiar with these.” Adeline laughed and shook her head. “No way, I’m a modern independent woman. I’m not going to spend my days cooking and cleaning for others.” Her words pierced my heart like a thorn. I once had dreams of pursuing a career, but now I’m just someone who’s always in the kitchen. — Three days later, I went to my mother-in-law’s house alone. She didn’t even look up and directly instructed, “Go make dinner, and remember to use less salt.” I spent the whole morning in the kitchen, finally bringing the last dish to the table. Jasper finally arrived, with Adeline following behind him. My mother-in-law warmly greeted, “Adeline, come in and sit.” She held her hand and chatted, clearly liking Adeline very much. Adeline, with her flattering words, made my mother-in-law laugh and smile. I stood beside them, nervously twisting my apron, feeling completely out of place. My mother-in-law glanced at me and instructed, “Adeline loves tomato beef stew. Go make another serving.” I silently walked into the kitchen. It was another rainy day, and my back was starting to ache. Forty minutes later, I brought the dish to the table. My mother-in-law kept serving Adeline food, and Jasper poured her soup. From afar, they really looked like a happy family of three. I walked towards Adeline, but suddenly tripped. I couldn’t hold the plate steady, and hot soup spilled all over my arm, instantly reddening and swelling it. At the same time, Adeline shrieked as some soup splashed on her arm too. Jasper jumped up, and my mother-in-law yelled at me, “You can’t even handle such a small task! Worthless!” She raised her hand to hit me. Jasper stopped her, “Mom, take care of Adeline’s hand first.” She found some burn ointment and carefully applied it to Adeline, gently reminding her to avoid water. I returned to the room alone, my arm hurting so much that I couldn’t stop crying. Jasper pushed open the door and entered, holding a tube of burn ointment. “You got burned too, didn’t you?” “My mom can be blunt. Don’t mind her,” he said. “Besides… it really was your fault today. You couldn’t even hold a plate properly.” He added. Noticing my silence, he sighed and left the room, probably to comfort Adeline. After all, she was always delicate and afraid of pain. Back in high school, even a paper cut on her hand would make Jasper worry endlessly, I thought sarcastically. Sitting for a while, I started feeling hungry. I hadn’t eaten a single bite of the feast I prepared. Just as I opened the door, I saw Adeline. She stood there with her arms crossed, smiling as if watching a good show. — Ignoring Adeline’s intentions didn’t work. She spoke softly, “Hazel, I really admire your thick skin. After all this, you still shamelessly stick around Jasper.” I paused and looked back at her, my gaze firm. “Aren’t you the shameless one? When Jasper was a poor kid, you chose to go abroad and abandon him. Now that he’s powerful, you come running back.” She sneered, “So what? As long as I beckon, he comes running like a puppy.” She coldly replied, “If I were you, I’d wisely choose to divorce. At least that way, you’d get a decent settlement.” “What if I don’t want a divorce?” I challenged her. “As long as I don’t divorce, you’ll always be the secret affair.” Her expression changed, and she snapped, “The once high and mighty lady now enjoys being a hidden mistress.” Saying this, she raised her hand to slap me. I quickly grabbed her hand, but she showed a satisfied grin. The next moment, she deliberately fell backward, tumbling down the stairs. “Adeline!” Jasper rushed over, shoving me aside harshly, and my forehead hit the railing. Trembling, I touched my forehead, and the sight of blood stung my eyes. Jasper picked up Adeline, his gaze colder than ever. “If anything happens to Adeline, I’ll make you pay a hundredfold.” “Jasper!” I called to him, enduring the pain. “There are cameras here.” He paused but still left with Adeline in his arms. I went home alone, hastily bandaging my forehead. Late at night, Jasper returned and slipped into bed, bringing a chill that made me shiver. “Adeline’s fine. It’s just that her foot injury from a few days ago worsened from falling down the stairs today. She might need to stay in the hospital a bit longer,” he said casually, his hand wandering on me. I smelled perfume on him and felt a sudden wave of nausea. With Adeline in the hospital, unable to fulfill his needs, he sought me instead. Just as I was about to push him away, the phone rang, breaking the silence. I answered it, frozen by the news on the other end. The thunder outside crashed down at that moment, and the rain that had brewed all day poured down, as if weeping for my plight. 11 “What’s wrong?” I held Jasper’s hand tightly. “My dad… he… he…” My voice caught in my throat, unable to continue. By the time I quickly changed my clothes, Jasper was already waiting in the car.

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Our tenth attempt at a wedding, and for the tenth time, my girlfriend was whisked away by her childhood sweetheart. I stood alone on stage, a complete laughingstock. I swallowed my pride and tried to reach her, begging her to come back and finish the ceremony. But she wouldn’t even answer my calls! Her childhood sweetheart sent a smug photo of them together in bed, boasting, “I won!” My heart went completely cold. We’d held the wedding ten times, only for it to be postponed each time. The MC looked at me sympathetically, “Do you still want to go through with the wedding?” I forced a smile, “Yes! We must finish it!” I messaged the girl next door and received her assurance. I sighed in relief and turned to tell the MC to wait a little longer. This was my tenth wedding, and it couldn’t be ruined again. Cora arrived quickly, her commanding presence drawing everyone’s attention. She walked straight to the center stage, stood beside me, and smiled warmly. “Nolan, have you made up your mind?” I nodded. After all, marriage was just about pleasing the elders; the person didn’t matter. Besides, Grandma’s illness couldn’t wait any longer. Her health started rapidly declining half a year ago. Every time I visited, she’d express her wish to see me married before she passed. As the person closest to me, Grandma’s only wish was for me to find someone trustworthy. So after her passing, I’d have someone to rely on and wouldn’t be bullied. Watching Grandma grow thinner each day, I couldn’t bear to see her leave with regrets, so I took marriage seriously. Adeline had promised we’d get married. But after ten weddings, she was absent every time. She made me the laughingstock of the entire Seaside City over and over. And all her excuses were because of her childhood sweetheart, Jasper. Jasper was fine on regular days, but on my wedding days, he suddenly had issues. Either he was in a bad mood, couldn’t handle stress due to depression, or needed company after watching a scary movie. The most absurd time was when he suddenly felt like taking wedding photos while shopping and called Adeline to be his partner. I couldn’t express any dissatisfaction with these ridiculous reasons. If I messaged her, I’d get scolded. “Nolan, can you be more understanding? Jasper is my buddy, he needs me now, and the wedding can happen any day, right? Don’t be so petty, okay?” But after being abandoned and betrayed ten times, my patience finally ran out. This time, I wouldn’t wait around. After letting go completely, I realized my heart didn’t hurt as much anymore. Maybe I’d become numb. Or perhaps Grandma’s words gave me strength. “Our dear Nolan is so good, Grandma hopes that after she leaves, you’ll find someone who loves you and won’t let you suffer.” Grandma’s aged face appeared in my mind, giving me firm confidence. I can’t disappoint the people who love me. So I took Cora’s hand, and with her in her wedding dress, we walked down the aisle. I had to be in my best state for the wedding so Grandma would feel at ease when she saw the video. When we exchanged rings, my phone chimed; it was Adeline. She hadn’t realized her mistake at all, still using a casual tone. [Nolan, behave yourself, Jasper has a stomachache today, I really can’t leave, it doesn’t matter when the wedding is held, I’ll make it up to you later.] Seeing such words again, my heart still ached. I clenched my phone. Cora noticed and raised an eyebrow slightly. “Still want the ring?” I looked up, eyes firm, “Yes!” After completing all the procedures, I was exhausted. Before leaving, Cora looked at me with a particularly serious expression. “Nolan, I’ll give you two days to regret it, after two days we’ll get our marriage certificate, I hope you’ve thought it through.” These words gave me dignity, but I had already decided to end things with Adeline. “Don’t worry, I won’t regret it!” After Cora left, I received a message from Adeline. [Nolan, you have ten minutes to buy painkillers and deliver them, don’t make me angry.] Below was the address of a well-known romantic hotel in Seaside City. Immediately, my phone chimed again. It was a photo of two people lying in bed. The sender was Jasper. And my girlfriend was one of the protagonists. [I won again!] More than the pain of betrayal and abandonment, I felt disgusted. On my wedding day, my bride was with another man in a romantic hotel. I unconsciously clenched my hands until my palms bled. Chapter Two In the end, I still went to the hotel. This relationship had already come to a full stop for me. I didn’t want any more entanglement with Adeline. So I planned to break up with Adeline face-to-face and ask for my house key back. After all, the place she was living in was a house I bought outright! When I arrived at the hotel, Adeline saw I was empty-handed. She immediately lost her temper. “Nolan, what’s wrong with you? Where are the painkillers I asked for?” Jasper sat at the corner of the bed, looking pitiful. “Cora, don’t be mad, after all, Nolan has been preparing for the wedding all day, he might just be too tired.” He knew very well that he had called away my bride, yet he still spoke so nonchalantly. Being mocked to my face, my heart felt like it had been pierced a thousand times. But it still couldn’t stop the sharp pain. My fingers slowly tightened, almost drawing blood. Disappointment reached a point where I no longer felt the urge to be angry. The romantic hotel room was cramped and ambiguous, making me feel suffocated. My relationship with Adeline started in college. Initially, it was her intense and passionate pursuit that gradually made me fall for her. Once we were together, she remembered every holiday better than I did, always having gifts and surprises. Even when I was occasionally moody, she would take all the blame and patiently comfort me. Brothers and friends often marveled at how lucky I was to have such a good girlfriend. I thought the same, which is why I wanted to get married right after graduation. But everything changed the day Adeline’s childhood sweetheart, Jasper, returned from abroad. From then on, Adeline’s heart completely leaned towards someone else. Between me and Jasper, I was always the one left behind. Adeline affectionately ruffled Jasper’s hair. “Oh, you really are considerate.” Then she approached me, frowning in displeasure. “Why didn’t you reply to my messages?” My repeated concessions only made Adeline push further and further. Clearly, she was the one who abandoned the wedding and me, yet she opened with accusations. I tried to calm down and spoke coldly. “I forgot.” Adeline was stunned, seemingly shocked by my tone. I coldly lifted my eyes to look at Adeline. “Adeline, today you broke your promise again.” Hearing this, her eyes flashed with guilt, but she angrily defended herself. “I didn’t do it on purpose, Jasper wasn’t feeling well, I can’t just ignore him, right?” “We can hold the wedding another day, can’t we? Nolan, stop being unreasonable, be more sensible, okay?” Clearly, she was the one in the wrong, yet she was trying to turn the tables. I had no interest in further entanglement, suppressing my disgust as I spoke coldly. “But I don’t want to wait for you anymore, let’s break up!” With that, I turned and walked away decisively. “Nolan, what the hell did you just say?!” Adeline screamed and immediately chased after me. At this moment, behind me, Jasper let out an “Oh no.” Then came the sound of something shattering, unexpectedly loud. I stopped in confusion and turned to look, and in the next second, my eyes widened in shock. The jade pendant, shattered into pieces on the ground, was the one Grandma had painstakingly prayed for to keep me safe! I was completely stunned, a wave of anger nearly erupted from me. Realizing what had happened, I forcefully pushed Adeline aside and rushed forward to carefully pick up the pieces of the jade pendant. “Why is my jade pendant with you!?” I stared fiercely at Jasper, loudly questioning. Adeline walked over, muttering in dissatisfaction. “Nolan, why are you overreacting? You’re going to scare Jasper.” I couldn’t believe it as I met Adeline’s gaze. She knew how important this jade pendant was to me, yet she could still speak so nonchalantly. All at once, a sense of powerlessness crept over my heart. The soft flesh of my palm was gouged open, bloody and mangled. Indeed, when facing Jasper, I always had to back down. But this time, it involved Grandma, and I was done holding back. I raised my hand and gave Adeline a hard slap. “If you’re blind, go to the hospital for treatment!” “He took the jade pendant Grandma gave me without my consent, and broke it, what right do you have to forgive him for me?” The room fell silent for a moment. I had never resorted to violence before, no matter how angry I was. Now it was Adeline’s turn to be dumbfounded. “You dare hit me? Nolan, I’m your girlfriend, and you dare lay a hand on me?!” She rushed forward and grabbed my neck, squeezing so hard I could barely breathe. She glared at me, eyes filled with malice and hatred, as if looking at an enemy. I couldn’t help but think, when did the person who once looked at me with love change? I remembered when we weren’t together yet, I had posted a photo of a cut less than two millimeters on my finger on social media. Adeline was waiting outside my dorm at four in the morning just to bring me medicine. Her eyes were bright and full of concern. It was at that moment, touched by her sincerity, that I agreed to her pursuit.

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I am the illegitimate daughter of a fallen wealthy family. I married the bipolar grandson of a billionaire in my sister’s place, and now she regrets it. She wore my nightgown and threw herself coquettishly into Lucas’s arms. As for me, my body sank into the cold ocean. My soul floated in mid-air, watching her slowly take my place step by step. She thought she could live the life of a wealthy socialite from now on. Little did she know that she had already stepped into the threshold of hell. 0 When Lucas returned from his business trip, my sister Evelyn was waiting at the door. I floated in mid-air, watching Evelyn gently and attentively remove his suit jacket. “Lucas, I’ve missed you so much.” She spoke in a slightly high-pitched voice, her tone rising slightly. Her way of speaking was identical to mine. When I was struggling to breathe during an asthma attack, she stepped on my inhaler. Her face, identical to mine, twisted in a vicious expression: “Do you know how I’ve lived these past two years abroad? I had to constantly study you, learn your every move, your way of speaking. I never imagined that one day I’d have to learn from you, you little bitch! Everything you have in the Gray family should have been mine!” She had indeed learned well; it was truly convincing. At least Lucas didn’t notice anything amiss. His expression remained indifferent as he allowed her to help him remove his suit jacket. As Evelyn tried to get closer, an unfamiliar fragrance wafted into Lucas’s nose. His eyes darkened slightly as he asked, “Did you change your perfume?” Evelyn hesitated for a moment, then lowered her eyes coyly, “Yes, I bought it while shopping today. Do you like it?” She didn’t get the romantic encounter she had fantasized about. Because in the next second, Lucas had already gripped her slender neck and pinned her against the wall. Her back slammed hard against the wall, causing Evelyn’s face to turn pale with pain. She looked at Lucas, who had suddenly turned violent, with shock and fear, struggling desperately. But Lucas’s eyes were bloodshot, as if he had lost his mind. His grip tightened, almost breaking her neck. “Help… me…” Evelyn’s face had already turned red from suffocation, as if she might lose consciousness at any moment. Watching this scene, I felt a sense of satisfaction. Evelyn, you saw how glamorous my life seemed and took my place at the cost of my life. Did you ever imagine what kind of soul lurked beneath Lucas’s cold and noble exterior? Just as Evelyn was about to roll her eyes back, Lucas suddenly released his grip. Evelyn collapsed to the floor, clutching her throat and gasping for air. Tears and mucus smeared her face, making her look quite ridiculous. Lucas pressed his forehead painfully and crouched down. Evelyn was so frightened that she trembled, wanting to run away but finding her legs too weak to stand. “Aria, I’m sorry…” Lucas’s dark eyes had already regained their calmness. He looked at the purple bruises on Evelyn’s neck with a hint of regret and reached out to caress them. Evelyn reflexively avoided his hand, wanting to speak but finding her voice too hoarse to utter a word. Seeing Evelyn’s rejection, Lucas’s hand fell on her hair, gently stroking it. “I’m sorry,” he said. “Perhaps I was triggered by your new perfume. I couldn’t control myself for a moment and hurt you.” He pulled the trembling Evelyn into his arms to comfort her: “Don’t be afraid of me, don’t leave me, Aria.” Evelyn sat there dumbfounded, her eyes full of fear. She was scared and regretful. But what right did Evelyn have to regret? I was already dead, and she couldn’t afford to offend the Gray family’s power. She had no choice but to continue playing the role of Lucas’s wife. Seeing that Evelyn still looked lost, Lucas took out a black card from his pocket and handed it to her: “As compensation, go buy something you like.” Evelyn’s eyes moved slightly. I saw the familiar greed in her downcast eyes. Lucas, seeing she didn’t move, actively placed the black card in her hand and gently kissed her cheek: “Aria, I’m going to take a shower. As for your perfume, switch back to the old one, okay? I’m afraid I might lose control and hurt you again.” After Lucas left, Evelyn let out a sigh of relief. She touched her neck fearfully, then caressed the black card in her hand. Finally, as if she had made some decision, she stood up. I heard her mutter to herself: “What’s done is done. If that bitch could win him over, I’m sure I can do it too.” Evelyn followed Lucas into the bedroom. I knew what she was thinking. She wanted to quickly consummate the marriage with Lucas, bear a child for the Gray family, and then gain status through the child. 0

I had no feelings for Lucas, but he had an extreme desire to control me. On our wedding night, he pinned me to the bed, his eyes dark: “You’re bound by this arranged marriage, married to a sick man like me. Do you hate me?” I shook my head trembling: “No, how could I hate you.” He smiled with a sneer: “That’s good. Remember, since you married me, you’re mine in life and in death. Never think about leaving me.” That night, I cried until my voice was hoarse, every bone in my body felt as if it had been crushed. Afterwards, Lucas lit a cigarette. In the hazy smoke, he apologized to me. His cold and restrained demeanor made me feel for a moment that the wildness in bed had been just a nightmare. Later, when he almost choked me to death during an episode, I remembered the question he had asked me as I was losing consciousness. Did I hate him? Indeed, I didn’t. Without him, I don’t know where I would have been sold off to. The one who originally had the marriage agreement with the Gray family was the eldest daughter of the Thompson family, Evelyn. As for me, I was just the result of Mr. Thompson’s youthful indiscretion. Evelyn had never met Lucas, only knowing that he suffered from bipolar disorder. People in their social circle all said that Lucas was antisocial and gloomy, often losing control of his emotions and going crazy, which was terrifying. Evelyn became increasingly distressed, constantly crying out that she wouldn’t marry him. But given the Gray family’s status in the business world, if the Thompson family backed out of the engagement today, they would likely go bankrupt tomorrow. It was at this time that my mother, who owed a huge gambling debt, brought me back to the Thompson family to be acknowledged. She had originally planned that if the Thompson family didn’t accept me, she would sell me to pay off her debts. Mr. Thompson gave my mother a sum of money and secretly kept me, spending a year to transform me into Evelyn’s likeness. A year later, he sent the real Evelyn abroad and sent me to the Gray family. It was a win-win situation for them. In the bedroom. Lucas had finished his shower and was drying his hair. As Evelyn plucked up the courage to approach Lucas, he suddenly spoke: “You went back to the Thompson house a few days ago?” Evelyn flinched reflexively when she heard his voice. She bit her lower lip, looking pitiful as she nodded: “Yes, my mother was sick, so I went to see her.” I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly to myself. Half a month ago, Mr. Thompson had found my mother and asked her to pretend to be sick to lure me back to the Thompson house. Then, they locked me in an attic full of willow catkins, triggering my asthma. They took advantage of my illness to take my life. Lucas heard this and simply said “Oh,” then gently asked: “Do you want me to go back with you to check on her?” I was slightly taken aback. He rarely spoke with such emotion. After we got married, he never offered to accompany me back to the Thompson house. Seeing his gentle expression, Evelyn’s heart, which had been on edge, finally settled down. She thought that Lucas’s earlier violence must have been just a momentary lapse due to his condition. He was actually very gentle and considerate when he was normal. Evelyn’s face flushed slightly as she said softly: “Alright.” Then, very naturally, she put her hand on Lucas’s shoulder and tilted her head up to kiss him. Just then, the phone on the bedside table suddenly rang. Lucas immediately pushed her hand away and answered the call. There was a problem with a company project. “I won’t be coming home tonight. Go to bed early,” he said. With that, Lucas changed his clothes and left without looking back. Watching Lucas’s retreating figure, Evelyn stomped her foot in frustration. But recalling her interaction with Lucas earlier, she couldn’t help but blush again and called her mother, Mrs. Thompson. “Mom, I’ve got Lucas under control. He doesn’t suspect a thing.” She looked extremely pleased with herself. Mrs. Thompson on the other end of the phone was also very happy when she heard this. Marrying Lucas meant securing a life of wealth and status. 0

Mrs. Thompson asked: “How is Lucas treating you? Is he bullying you?” Evelyn rolled her eyes and didn’t mention being choked by Lucas. She just complained: “It’s all because of those rumors before, saying Lucas had bipolar disorder, was weird and antisocial, and would beat people! It was all nonsense. Lucas is gentle and considerate, and very generous too. He just gave me a black card. That little bitch Aria really lucked out before.” “Mom, it was all her fault for stealing my identity. I couldn’t even use my own name for these three years. I want to find a psychic to curse her so she can never find peace even in death.” I looked at my semi-transparent body and couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. Wasn’t this already a state of unrest? Three years ago, when I married Lucas, Evelyn had her name changed and was sent abroad to lay low. Originally, it was said that she had married a foreigner, but later that man ran away owing huge gambling debts, leaving her to pay them off. Evelyn raised her eyebrows and smiled: “Anyway, Lucas and the Gray family were supposed to be mine. It’s just returning to the rightful owner. Aria, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” Returning to the rightful owner. How ridiculous. When Evelyn refused to marry Lucas, I was pinned to the operating table, feeling the cold surgical knife moving across my face, gradually removing all traces of Aria. Later, when Evelyn was burdened with huge debts and saw me appearing in public with Lucas in the news media, she regretted her decision. She admired the cold and noble Lucas, while also hating me for having her face. That night, Evelyn, who had finally gotten what she wanted, slept soundly. Early the next morning, she carefully dressed up and prepared a sumptuous meal to take to Lucas’s company. Before leaving, she sprayed my perfume heavily. The receptionist only took a few minutes to announce her arrival before Lucas came out to greet her personally. He seemed to be in a good mood and asked gently: “Why did you come?” Evelyn took his arm and smiled sweetly: “Because I missed you. I brought you lunch, let’s eat together.” Lucas hummed in agreement and didn’t push her hand away. The two walked arm in arm into the office. I felt a twinge of jealousy. Lucas didn’t like me coming to the company. I came once at the request of Mr. Gray, but I accidentally broke a cup in his office. He pinned me to the desk with a gloomy face and tore my dress. After venting, he said to me, who was completely exhausted: “Aria, know your place. Don’t yearn for things you can’t have.” I fled in a panic, wrapped in a shawl, and never came back. How is it that when Evelyn came, he became so gentle? Evelyn opened the thermal container and laid out the dishes layer by layer, then handed chopsticks to Lucas. Lucas took the chopsticks and tasted each dish: “It’s delicious.” Receiving his praise, Evelyn’s eyes curved in happiness as she started eating herself. Seeing her eating happily, a complex expression flashed in Lucas’s eyes: “I remember you said you weren’t feeling well before I left on my business trip, feeling nauseous. Are you better now?” Evelyn hesitated for a moment and explained: “I’m fine now, it was just a bit of gastroenteritis before…” Lucas pursed his lips and didn’t continue this topic. Instead, he had his assistant bring in a gown and said to Evelyn: “Put this on, I’ll take you to an auction later.” An auction? I suddenly understood. Every time Lucas hurt me during an episode, he would try to make it up to me. He probably wanted to buy Evelyn some jewelry to compensate for choking her last night. The camera flashes at the entrance were almost blinding as the CEO of Gray Corporation arrived with his beloved wife for the charity auction. Evelyn, wearing a haute couture gown and holding Lucas’s arm, smiled sweetly at the cameras. This was the life she had always dreamed of, and she finally got it. Lucas took Evelyn to a private box on the second floor. They stood on the balcony of the box, looking towards the central stage. Jade jewelry, antique paintings, it was dazzling. Under the dim yellow lights, Lucas’s expression seemed particularly gentle. He held Evelyn’s waist and placed a restrained kiss on her crimson lips, his eyes soft and affectionate: “Aria, choose something you like for the baby. Don’t hide it from me anymore, I know everything.” Evelyn was stunned. I was stunned too. She had a moment of confusion: “Know what? What baby?” Lucas reached out to touch her abdomen: “I haven’t touched you lately because I was afraid of hurting the baby. Don’t worry, I won’t let you get rid of it. Will you keep the baby for me?” Evelyn’s face turned a bit pale. She almost instinctively, in disbelief, said: “You mean she… I’m pregnant?”

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On my wedding day, I suddenly discovered I could hear my husband Lucas’s inner thoughts. He put on a poker face and sternly warned me, “Now that you’re marrying into my family, you need to behave yourself, understand?” I stared at him, but heard another voice from deep inside him: ‘Honey, be good, don’t go picking wild flowers!’ 0 On my wedding day, I suddenly discovered I could hear my husband Lucas’s inner thoughts. He put on a poker face and sternly warned me, “Now that you’re marrying into my family, you need to behave yourself, understand?” I stared at him, but heard another voice from deep inside him: ‘Honey, be good, don’t go picking wild flowers!’ I thought I had misheard, so I glanced at Lucas, but his mouth was tightly shut. I asked, “What did you just say? Say it again.” “I never repeat myself!” Lucas’s lips were pressed into a thin line, but I clearly heard another voice: ‘Oh no, I must have said something too harsh and upset my wife. I’m such an idiot!’ I finally confirmed that what I heard was indeed Lucas’s inner thoughts. This discovery shocked me so much that I couldn’t process it even until the end of the wedding. Lucas and I had been engaged since childhood. But twenty years had passed, and now he was the sole heir to the Zhou Corporation, while I was just a B-list actress in the entertainment industry. I had assumed this childhood engagement was long invalidated. However, not long ago, the old Chairman Zhou, Lucas’s grandfather, suddenly fell seriously ill. To bring him good fortune, the Zhou family found me and held today’s wedding. I thought this was just a fake marriage to appease Old Mr. Zhou. I never expected there would be such an unexpected gain! In the evening, after all the guests had left, only Lucas and I remained in the new room. “Since you agreed to this marriage, you should know the price of marrying into the Zhou family. I won’t touch you, but you’re also not allowed to fool around outside.” Lucas’s face was cold, as if even the temperature around him had dropped a few degrees. At the same time, a shadow rose from his body. It was a miniature version of Lucas, pulling his hair with a frustrated look: ‘What nonsense am I saying?! Honey, please pretend you didn’t hear that. Let me say it again. I want to touch you, I really do!’ Wow! So his inner thoughts had materialized? I was a bit surprised and tentatively said, “I didn’t hear what you just said. Can you say it again?” “I said, I never repeat myself!” Lucas slammed the door and angrily left. Little Lucas covered his face, and his sobbing voice came back intermittently: ‘I’m such a useless person. I can’t say anything embarrassing, wah wah wah…’ The room fell silent. I sighed. Men, even when given a chance, you’re still useless! That night, I slept alone in the luxurious bedroom of the 5000-square-foot villa, very sweetly. Early the next morning, I got up early, preparing to visit Old Mr. Zhou with Lucas. As soon as I came downstairs, I saw Lucas sitting alone at the dining table, looking gloomy. Even Little Lucas beside him was lying dejectedly on the table, looking like he hadn’t slept well. “Morning.” I greeted cheerfully. The dejected Little Lucas immediately stood up, took small steps to me, clasped his hands, and greeted me shyly: ‘Morning, honey. I made breakfast for you. Come see if you like it.’ He hadn’t rested well because he was making breakfast for me? I was stunned for a moment, feeling a warm current in my heart. My parents passed away early, and I had lived alone for many years. No one had cared about me for a long time, let alone willingly prepare breakfast for me unconditionally. I quickly walked to the table and sat down, picking up a steamed bun and putting it in my mouth. The juice was deliciously fragrant. “Delicious!” I spoke affirmatively. Lucas’s face remained cold without response, while Little Lucas circling around him spun happily. 0

After breakfast, I went with Lucas to the Zhou family’s old house. Old Chairman Zhou was seriously ill but didn’t like the atmosphere of hospitals, so he had always been recuperating at home. When we arrived, besides the family doctor, there was also a girl. She had appeared at the wedding yesterday. If I remember correctly, she was introduced to me as Chloe, Lucas’s cousin. Seeing Lucas, Chloe immediately stood up and came over: “Cousin Lucas, you’re here!” She was visibly excited, pulling Lucas into the room as if she hadn’t seen me standing beside him. Lucas moved unhurriedly, ignoring Chloe, and instead walked into the room slowly with me. Pulling me to the bedside, Lucas spoke to Old Mr. Zhou on the bed, “Grandpa, we’ve come to see you.” I also greeted him, “Grandpa, are you feeling better?” Old Mr. Zhou seemed to be in good spirits, nodding continuously at me and Lucas, his eyes even becoming moist. “Good, seeing you two married makes me feel better! All my illnesses are gone.” “Lucas, Olivia lost her parents early. You must never bully her, understand!” Lucas nodded without hesitation. Chloe, who hadn’t had a chance to speak, finally found an opportunity to interject: “Grandpa, don’t worry. No one can bully Olivia. She has someone backing her up.” As soon as she spoke, she successfully attracted the attention of everyone in the room. Old Mr. Zhou asked puzzledly, “Chloe, what do you mean?” Chloe rolled her eyes, her mouth pouting high: “Grandpa, you don’t follow the entertainment industry, so you don’t know. Olivia is Director Johnson’s favorite. As long as it’s Director Johnson’s drama, she’s sure to play the second female lead. Everyone says, lead actresses come and go, but Olivia is always there!” “With Director Johnson around, no one dares to bully her.” Chloe’s words were too strong; even with my years of rhinitis, I could smell the strong sourness. Lucas and Old Mr. Zhou both fell silent. After a while, Old Mr. Zhou lifted his eyelids and slowly said, “Chloe, you’ve been busy here all morning too. Go home now.” “Alright.” Chloe nodded happily and excitedly left the room. As she was leaving, her inner voice reached my ears: ‘You little bitch, just wait. How dare you think you’re worthy of marrying my Lucas! Only I am worthy of Lucas.’ … I was no longer surprised at being able to hear others’ inner thoughts, but I couldn’t help glancing at Lucas. Hmm… I wonder if Lucas knows about his cousin’s thoughts? As soon as Chloe left, Old Mr. Zhou spoke to me: “Olivia, is what Chloe just said true?” Faced with Old Mr. Zhou’s concerned face, I didn’t hide anything and nodded directly. I thought he would despise me, but unexpectedly, Old Mr. Zhou’s face was moved: “You’ve suffered so much, only being able to play second female leads all these years. Don’t worry, I’ll tell Lucas to open a media company right away, guaranteeing you’ll be the lead actress!” “???” Ah, this… No! How come Old Mr. Zhou’s focus seems a bit different? Aren’t wealthy families supposed to be most wary of actresses like me who are involved in scandals? I fell silent, not knowing how to respond for a moment. It was Lucas who spoke up, resolving the awkward situation for me: “Grandpa, the Zhou family can afford to support a woman. She doesn’t need to go out and make a spectacle of herself.” “That’s right, that’s right. This old man is confused. Olivia, don’t take what I said seriously. You just need to marry into the family and enjoy life, you don’t need to do anything!” 0

As we left the Zhou family’s old house, I immediately saw Chloe standing by the roadside. Seeing Lucas’s car come out, she quickly walked over, leaned on the car window and said: “Cousin Lucas, can you come with me for a moment? I have something I want to tell you.” “No.” Without any hesitation, Lucas directly refused. The engine roared under his foot, and he left without any delay. Little Lucas clenched his fists, his face angry: ‘Chloe is still too idle. She had to jump out and upset my wife on a good day of visiting. It seems I need to find something for the Lin family to do!’ The little shadow was full of anger, its aura soaring. I was stunned again. I had guessed that Lucas would be angry, but I didn’t expect it would be because of this. I originally wanted to explain about Director Johnson, but Lucas not only didn’t ask, he didn’t even doubt it in his heart. Does he trust me that much? Or does he simply not care? Before I could figure it out, we had already returned to the Zhou house. Lucas dropped me off, said he was going to the company, and drove away directly. I thought for a moment and called Director Johnson directly, asking to meet him sometime. When it was about time, I left the Zhou house. I arrived earlier than the appointed time and was about to order something while waiting for Director Johnson when I suddenly sensed an uncomfortable gaze. At the same time, a familiar shadow popped out from somewhere, circling around me. It was Little Lucas. ‘Honey, please don’t meet with other men. I’m begging you, please leave.’ I looked at Little Lucas spinning like a top, confused. How did Lucas know I was here? Did someone follow me? And report to him? Most likely it was Chloe, wanting to ‘catch me in the act’, so she brought Lucas here. Suddenly, my vision darkened as someone sat down, interrupting my thoughts. “Olivia, why did you suddenly ask to meet? You know I can’t leave the set…” It was Director Johnson who had arrived. Although he complained, his face was all smiles. If you looked closely, you could even see a hint of caution and fawning. I sighed, looking at the angry little version of Lucas beside me. This is bad! In this situation, it’s hard not to misunderstand. Sure enough, the next second Chloe jumped out from the seat behind me. She pulled Lucas, her face showing the joy of successfully catching someone in the act, and pointed at me while shouting: “Olivia, you shameless woman! You just married my cousin and now you’re meeting other men!” I was speechless and rolled my eyes. Director Johnson was startled at first but quickly calmed down. Being in the entertainment industry, he had seen such scenes countless times. He glanced at me, then loudly retorted to Chloe: “Miss, what nonsense are you talking about? Olivia and I have a working relationship. Besides, this isn’t the feudal era. Can’t normal men and women even meet?” “Working relationship? Pah! I think it’s a bedroom relationship!” Chloe sneered, her nose in the air: “Your affair is well-known in the industry. Do you think everyone else is stupid! If there’s nothing between you two, why would you always cast Olivia? She’s the second female lead in all your dramas. Now you’re secretly meeting for tea, if we hadn’t caught you, the next step would be going to a hotel!” Once Chloe started talking, she went on and on without giving others a chance to interject. After finishing in one breath, Chloe stood with her hands on her hips, her face proud and smug. And her inner voice transmitted directly into my ears without any filter: ‘I’ve always said that only I can be with Cousin Lucas. Olivia, you shameless woman, you’re not even worthy of polishing my shoes!’ Chloe turned her head to look at Lucas, waiting gleefully for disgust towards me to appear on his face. But unfortunately, she was going to be disappointed. 0

Lucas’s face was expressionless, as if he hadn’t heard Chloe’s words. His eyes were fixed straight on me, and only on me. He didn’t say a word. Little Lucas, however, was circling around me, pleading pitifully: ‘Honey, say something, make up any excuse, so I can drive Chloe away. She’s so annoying!’ I could barely hold back my laughter, almost bursting out. Holding back my smile, I looked at Lucas, never imagining that the cold and serious-looking man would have such cute thoughts. Our eyes met, and Lucas’s originally burning gaze suddenly shifted, as if he had actively moved away. He turned his head, looking at Chloe with a hint of anger: “Is this the important matter you mentioned?” “Cousin Lucas, she’s fooling around with other men behind your back. Isn’t this…” “Enough!” “I…” Chloe’s face was full of dissatisfaction, still wanting to argue. Lucas shouted: “It’s not your place to meddle in my family affairs. Get lost right now, or don’t blame me for being impolite!” Chloe shrank her neck, not daring to continue arguing after all. But she still glared at me resentfully, her gaze venomous, constantly cursing in her heart: ‘Bitch! Making Cousin Lucas scold me, I won’t let you off easily! Let’s see how you handle this today!’ The atmosphere was tense. Director Johnson looked at me helplessly, and took the initiative to speak to Lucas: “Mr. Zhou, hello. My name is Johnson. Please, have a seat and let’s talk.” Lucas glanced at him and didn’t move. Little Lucas clenched his fists, alternately hammering heavily on Director Johnson’s head, indignantly saying: ‘I won’t sit down. How dare you date my wife? I’ll beat you up!’ ‘No, why shouldn’t I sit? This is my wife. I should not only sit but also hug her while sitting!’ There was a thud beside me as Lucas’s long arm swept out, pulling me entirely into his embrace. A clean, crisp scent enveloped me, and inexplicably, I felt my heart rate accelerate. It was ‘thump, thump’ like a startled deer bouncing around everywhere. “Mr. Zhou, I assure you that Olivia and I have absolutely no relationship other than our work in drama; all my scripts are provided by Olivia. Because Olivia needs to be on set to give instructions at any time, she occasionally guest stars in supporting roles during her free time.” Director Johnson explained. But as soon as he finished speaking, before Lucas could respond, Chloe jumped in: “Stop lying! Don’t think I don’t know, your scripts are all works by the famous screenwriter Arrow Heart, not by Olivia at all. This excuse won’t fool anyone!” Director Johnson was a bit impatient, his voice tinged with anger as he said to Chloe: “Arrow Heart is Olivia’s pen name.” Director Johnson then pulled up his email page and handed his phone to Lucas: “Mr. Zhou, these are the emails between Olivia and me. You can take a look. The attachments are script content, and the text is discussions about the script content.” The emails were one after another, at least a dozen pages. Randomly opening one, it was full of large sections of script content. Lucas flipped through them expressionlessly, but Little Lucas was already overjoyed. ‘I knew it, my wife isn’t what they say at all. My wife is a great screenwriter, so amazing!’ Little Lucas danced and waved his arms, as if he wanted to do a ballet spin and somersault right there. On the other side, Chloe’s face had turned ashen. She refused to believe it, waving her hand to knock the phone out of Lucas’s hand. “This is all fake! Cousin Lucas, don’t be fooled by these two. Anyone can send this kind of email. It doesn’t prove anything. Olivia is just a slut, she doesn’t deserve…” Slap! A clear slap interrupted Chloe’s words. She held her face, looking at me in shock, full of disbelief. “Olivia, how dare you hit me? What right do you have to hit me?”

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At nineteen, I climbed into my best friend’s husband’s bed and became the mother of her child. It all started when Lucas was rescued by my best friend, and he vowed to marry only her. After my best friend died in childbirth, Lucas used his family’s influence to force me to marry him and impersonate her. I had to match not only her makeup, clothes, and way of speaking, but even her hobbies and interests. In our most intimate moments, Lucas would call out her name. One day, I was simply trying on my own clothes in front of the mirror. When Lucas discovered this, he frowned and ordered me to change back. Ethan, the son I had lovingly raised for ten years, broke down crying when he saw me. “You’re not my mom! My mom isn’t like this!” I silently took out the divorce papers, determined to break free from my cage. Lucas didn’t know that the person who saved him back then wasn’t my best friend, but me. Lucas’s long fingers gripped the divorce papers, his expression unreadable. “You want a divorce just because of some clothes?” I didn’t answer, only handing him a pen. “Just sign it.” “What about Ethan? Are you abandoning our son?” “Ethan was never my child. My presence or absence makes no difference to him.” Lucas’s usually impassive face showed a hint of surprise. After all, I had cherished and loved Ethan like the apple of my eye for the past decade. He rubbed his temples, seeming agitated. “If we divorce, I’ll immediately terminate all business cooperation with your family. You’d better reconsider.” The same old trick. Ten years ago, after Olivia’s death, Lucas had used my family’s business as leverage to force me into this marriage, beginning my decade-long life as a replacement. This time, I just wanted to live for myself. I handed him the pen once more, my tone calm but firm: “Sign it.” Lucas, proud as he was, would never allow a woman to pressure him. I took the signed divorce papers back to my room. Lucas watched me emerge with just a small suitcase, puzzled. “Is that all you’re taking?” I looked around the lavish bedroom: “None of this belongs to me.” Olivia loved white dresses, so I wore white dresses for ten years. Olivia loved playing the piano, so I played the piano for ten years. Lucas was momentarily speechless. As I was leaving, I ran into Ethan returning home. The child’s smile faded instantly upon seeing me. “If you don’t change back into your usual clothes, you can’t be my mom anymore.” Yesterday, when I had changed into casual wear, Ethan had just brought some classmates home. He felt I had embarrassed him and angrily called me a liar. I gently patted his head: “Don’t worry, I won’t be your mom anymore.” Lucas came out, his face dark: “Why are you saying this in front of the child?” I ignored him and continued walking out. Lucas followed, saying, “It’s late, and you have nowhere to go. Why don’t you leave tomorrow?” “No need.” Less than ten minutes after leaving the Shaw house, my mother called. “Why are you divorcing? Don’t you know the Song family owes its success to Lucas?” “Olivia only married into the Shaw family because she saved Lucas. She was unlucky, but now you’ve got this golden opportunity. How can you not cherish it?” “Go back home right now and apologize to Lucas, or your father and I will disown you!” I hung up the phone, a bitter smile on my lips. Lucas’s love for Olivia ran deep, and their story of damsel saving hero became legendary in high society circles. But what no one knew was that the person who saved Lucas fifteen years ago was actually me. Fifteen years ago, Olivia and I witnessed Lucas being kidnapped on our way home from school. The kidnappers, fearing we’d talk, took us too. The kidnappers were rivals of the Shaw Group, out for blood, not money.

Lucas had a leg broken and was barely conscious. Olivia was trembling with fear, unable to utter a word. I was the only one brave enough to negotiate with the kidnappers. When they saw through my plan, one of them swung a brick at my head. Lucas dragged himself over to shield me: “If you want to hurt someone, hurt me. Leave the innocent girls alone.” The consequence was that he collapsed, barely breathing. I seized the opportunity, grabbing a crowbar and striking the kidnapper. As he staggered, disoriented, I shouted at Olivia, “Run!” She snapped out of her daze and fled. I struggled to carry Lucas on my back as I stumbled towards the exit. I don’t know how long I ran before everything went black. When I fully regained consciousness a week later, the doctor said I was just exhausted and in shock, but the wound on my shoulder would likely leave a scar. I looked down at it – the gash was deep enough to see bone. While carrying Lucas to safety, his hand had slipped down several times. Each time, I’d yelled at him to stay awake. “Grab my shoulder, squeeze it hard! Don’t fall asleep!” When I returned to school after being discharged, I witnessed Lucas confessing to Olivia. Lucas leaned on his crutches, his eyes full of tenderness. “You saved me, so I belong to you now.” “When we’re old enough to marry legally, I’ll make you my wife.” When I confronted Olivia later, the hickeys on her neck were glaringly obvious. “Do you think Lucas would believe it was you who saved him?” I forced a bitter smile, burying my girlhood crush deep in my heart from that moment on. Years later, when Olivia died in childbirth, the usually invincible Lucas showed his vulnerable side for the first time. He knocked on my door in the pouring rain, his eyes dry but bloodshot. “Olivia saved my life. Now that she’s gone, I can’t go on living.” “But we have a child. Ethan is so young, he can’t lose both his mother and father. You look like Olivia – will you marry me?” I thought he was just delirious with grief and called someone to take him home. But I never imagined Lucas would truly go mad. The next day, my family’s company went bankrupt. My parents personally escorted me to the registry office, where a marriage certificate sealed my fate for the next decade. Lucas had me dressed exactly like Olivia, even taking me for plastic surgery. Even my name changed from Aria Song to Olivia Quinn. In public, Lucas showered me with affection. But at home, he would only sleep while holding Olivia’s photo. On the rare occasions we were intimate, he would call out Olivia’s name. Ethan received an elite education from a young age and idolized Lucas. In a family, children learn from their parents’ interactions. Gradually, Ethan began to treat me the way Lucas did – cold and distant. He was even closer to the household staff than to me. Recalling all this, I had already landed in Coast City. As soon as I turned on my phone, Lucas called. I let it ring until the last moment before answering. Seemingly displeased at my delay, Lucas’s voice was impatient. “Why did it take you so long to answer?” Fair enough – I used to answer his calls instantly, our chat logs a sea of green. But now I had neither the obligation nor the inclination. I ignored his harsh tone, simply asking, “What is it?” “Ethan’s been having diarrhea after drinking milk. What kind of milk did you buy him before?” Ethan had been lactose intolerant since childhood, with a more sensitive stomach than other kids. Whenever he had bouts of vomiting and diarrhea, I’d stay up all night by his side. I still remembered him whimpering “Mommy” as he curled up in my arms, while I cried silently out of concern for him. But now, I didn’t want to get involved anymore. “We’re divorced, and I’m no longer Ethan’s mother. The Shaw family surely doesn’t lack private doctors and nannies. Please don’t bother me again.” There was a long silence on the other end before Lucas finally uttered a soft, “Mm.” After hanging up, I blocked all numbers, including my parents’. The real estate agent found me a lovely house. Facing the sea, with spring flowers blooming. I love the ocean, but this was my first time seeing it in person. Shortly after marrying Lucas, he once caught me searching for island getaways on my phone. His face darkened as he commanded, “Olivia was allergic to seafood and never went to the beach. Remember your role.” There used to be an oil painting of moonlight over the sea in my bedroom, but Lucas used this as an excuse to throw it in the trash. Now, as the sea breeze caressed my face, I suddenly realized that seeing the ocean wasn’t so difficult after all. Life in this coastal city was leisurely, and I fell in love with surfing. The waves behind me were like the pursuit of my past life, but instead of being knocked down, I surged forward fearlessly. Two weeks later, I received a call from an unknown number. Lucas’s voice was still devoid of emotion. “Do you know where my work USB drive is? I remember you put it in my study for for me before.”

I suppressed my annoyance: “Mr. Shaw, have you forgotten that you banned me from entering your study a year ago?” “Instead of going through the trouble of asking me, why don’t you ask your secretary?” Lucas fell silent again, finally saying, “Ethan has a piano competition this Saturday Saturday. You can come watch him if you’d like.” “No need.” I hung up and blocked this number too. That weekend, I saw a familiar figure on the evening news. Ethan had won first place in a youth piano competition. The host asked the top three winners to call their parents. The other two children were excitedly jumping around. Only Ethan stood there, phone in hand, looking embarrassed. It seemed Lucas had missed another important moment in his son’s life due to work. Two minutes later, my phone rang. Ethan stammered, “Mom, I got first place in the piano competition.” I replied calmly, without emotion: “I told you I’m not your mother anymore. You should share your joys and sorrows with your real family.” On the TV screen, Ethan’s eyes turned red, but he remained silent. The host, seemingly at a loss for this situation, quickly called for a change of scene. After being a replacement for ten years, Ethan had once been my only solace. Though he wasn’t my biological child, we had spent every day together, and I couldn’t help but see him as my own. But when he started rejecting my affection and looking at me with disgust, I finally gave up completely. Late that night, Lucas called again, barely containing his anger. “I know you’re upset, but you can’t take it out on our son. How can you be so inconsiderate as a mother?” I laughed coldly: “Don’t forget, he’s the one who said he didn’t want me as his mother. I just happened to agree.” As I was about to hang up, Lucas asked, “I suddenly remembered you have a deep scar on your left shoulder. How did you get it?” I found it almost amusing. In ten years of marriage, he had never asked about my shoulder scar. He even wanted to remove it when he took me for plastic surgery. I don’t know where I found the courage then, but I firmly refused. Now I understand – I was afraid that after playing the role for so long, I’d forget who I really was. Only this scar would remind me that I am Aria Song. At that moment, a malicious thought crossed my mind. How would Lucas react if he knew I was the one who saved him back then? “Fifteen years ago, I saved someone. He did it.” There was sudden, rapid breathing on the other end, followed by the sound of a glass shattering. With a secret sense of satisfaction, I hung up and tossed my SIM card into the trash. The next morning, someone rang my doorbell. Lucas stood outside, looking haggard, his eyes bloodshot. “The person who saved me back then… was it you?”

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I went downstairs to take out the trash. But I noticed a rare Lamborghini rocking unnaturally. In the back seat, my two brothers were caught up with the orphan girl they had brought home. I wasn’t surprised. I quietly recorded a video and sent it to the world’s largest Global News Network. “By 7 PM tomorrow, I want this video to be seen by everyone worldwide.” In my previous life, the orphan leveraged her role as my brother’s kept companion to usurp my identity as the eldest daughter of Boston’s elite Harrison family. At the birthday banquet for the Harrison family’s eldest daughter, the orphan Adeline Harrison and my brother confronted me, twisting the narrative. “Do you, just an orphan, have the right to be here?” “I am now the eldest daughter of the Harrison family. And you?! You should crawl back to your kennel and stop embarrassing yourself here.” In my past life, I feared my brother’s wrath and always gave in to Adeline Harrison. But now I’ve been reborn. At the banquet the next day, when the orphan Adeline Harrison blocked my way as she had in my past life, I kicked her to the ground without hesitation. “Who do you think you are, daring to stand in my way?” I shot a sideways glance at the maid nearby, “What are you waiting for? Remove this impostor!” Everyone present was stunned into silence. No one expected me, once so timid, to dare take action. The maid hurried over to help Adeline Harrison up. When she looked back at me, her eyes were filled with fear. “Second Miss, aren’t you afraid the eldest young master will be angry for treating the eldest miss like this?” She knew full well I was the eldest daughter, yet she addressed me otherwise on purpose. “Remember this! The Harrison family has only one daughter, Cora Harrison!” The maid was so frightened she trembled all over, lowering her head, not daring to respond. I stepped up and slapped her to the ground, “Can’t even recognize your own master, what use are you? Get lost!” In my past life, this maid, seeing that my parents were often not home, took my brother’s authority as her own, and insulted me, the eldest daughter of the Harrison family, without restraint. The orphan Adeline Harrison ordered her to find someone to disfigure me and then had me killed and my body disposed of. The maid obeyed, becoming Adeline Harrison’s servant. Now, she was completely intimidated by my aura, kneeling on the ground, “I was only acting on the eldest miss’s orders, how could you hit me?” “If the eldest young master finds out, he definitely won’t let you off.” At this moment, Adeline Harrison, in her orphan identity, began to win people over, helping the maid up and adopting a sisterly posture to scold me. “Truly an orphan taken in.” “Even after all these years in our Harrison family, you still haven’t changed your habit of lying.” Adeline Harrison’s friend, Phoebe Thompson, couldn’t wait to come forward and link arms with her, looking at me with eyes full of resentment. “You’re shameless. Not only do you not appreciate the great kindness of the Harrison family, but you also slander Adeline at her own party.” Everyone present immediately began to whisper. “This person was clearly taken in by the Harrison family, and yet she repays kindness with enmity.” “I heard the Harrison family treats this orphan they took in very well, treating her as one of their own. Even Miss Adeline Harrison treats her as a real sister, sharing everything with her.” “An orphan without parents, yet she wants to impersonate the eldest daughter of the Harrison family, she’s really tired of living.” These people didn’t know the truth. Back then, I saw how pitiful Adeline Harrison was and begged my parents to bring her home to keep me company. As Adeline Harrison grew up, she became sweet-talking and was very likable, which made my cousin fond of her. So whenever there was an event in the circle, my brother would only take Adeline Harrison, leaving me at home, forbidding me to go out. Over time, everyone thought Adeline Harrison was the Harrison family’s eldest daughter, and I was the one taken in. Reborn, I will never swallow my anger again. My dad has billions in assets, and his word is law in the New York social circle, known as Mr. Harrison. My mom is an International Film Star, renowned in the film industry. Many people’s lives and fortunes here depend on my parents’ words. Why should I let an orphan and a cousin ride on my head? Sweeping my gaze over everyone present, my eyes finally locked onto Phoebe Thompson, boiling with hatred, clenching my fists. “Your father’s multinational company only got off the ground because he begged my dad for three days and nights for funding. Ask him if he dares meddle in our family’s affairs?” Publicly humiliated by me, Phoebe Thompson couldn’t swallow her pride and came up intending to slap me. I grabbed her wrist and slapped her back instead. She was instantly furious, her face contorted with rage, her chin trembling, “You, you brat, how dare you hit me?” Adeline Harrison looked around and shouted, “Where are the security guards? Are they all dead?” The security guards had just started to move when I turned and shot them a sharp look, so intense they didn’t dare meet my eyes. “I am the Harrison family’s eldest daughter, who dares lay a finger on me?” Adeline Harrison, afraid others would believe me, immediately shrieked with a guilty conscience. “Cora Harrison, everyone knows you are the brat my dad picked up.” “You think you can reverse black and white, and everyone will believe you? Dream on!” Everyone nodded in agreement. “Miss Harrison is right. Every time there’s an important event, it’s always the Harrison family’s young master attending with Miss Harrison, never seen you.” “Today is the Harrison family’s banquet celebrating Miss Harrison officially entering the New York social circle, yet it’s been ruined by an orphan.” I laughed coldly at their words. I turned to the maid beside me, “Go call my respected brother, and tell him the brat Adeline Harrison wants to impersonate the eldest daughter of the Harrison family and bring shame to us.” “Isn’t he afraid Adeline Harrison will become a rat everyone wants to beat?” The maid hesitated. She knew my brother always held Adeline Harrison in the palm of his hand, even spending billions to make her an online celebrity. Every time Adeline Harrison bullied me, he would take her side, even scolding me harshly for being immature, grounding me without food or drink, and finally forcing me to kneel and apologize to Adeline Harrison before letting it go. “Go, I’ll handle everything.” Hearing this, the maid finally left. Adeline Harrison, the orphan, laughed mockingly, “Cora Harrison, have you forgotten how my brother dealt with you every time you offended me?” Relying on my brother Nolan Harrison’s favor, she never took me seriously. In my past life, when Adeline Harrison had the maid throw acid on me, I called Nolan Harrison for help. Not only did he not believe me, but he also scolded me on the phone for slandering Adeline Harrison, telling me to die far away if I wanted to die. In the end, filled with deep despair and pain, I was beaten to death by people arranged by Adeline Harrison and thrown into the icy, bone-chilling river. In this new life, I will make them pay for their blood debts! Chapter Two Unexpectedly, before Nolan Harrison arrived, my childhood friend Wesley Johnson came pushing a huge bouquet, dressed in a sharp suit, walking gracefully. “Harrison family sister, to show my love for you, I bought out all the flower shops in the city to gather these 9,999 roses.” Phoebe Thompson, Adeline Harrison’s friend, suddenly froze, her face turning pale with shock. She glanced nervously and doubtfully at Adeline Harrison beside her. Could Wesley Johnson’s words be meant for me? Looking at Wesley Johnson’s affectionate expression, I couldn’t help but find it ridiculous. He used to cling to me as a child, often playing the game of groom and bride with me, even telling my dad he wanted to marry me when he grew up. But after seeing the orphan Adeline Harrison, he immediately transferred his affections, starting to fawn over her. Even when Adeline Harrison bullied me, he watched coldly, telling me to recognize my place. Standing in front of Adeline Harrison, Wesley Johnson wore a gentle smile, lightly brushing aside the hair on her forehead, “Adeline, you’re truly beautiful.” Turning his gaze to me, his eyes were sharp as knives, “You, an orphan nearly starved to death on the streets, dare to impersonate the eldest daughter of the Harrison family?” “Cora Harrison, even if you beg me on your knees now, I won’t spare you a glance.” “The only one I love is the true eldest daughter of the Harrison family, Adeline Harrison.” The Wesley Johnson who once swore to love me for a lifetime now shamelessly groveled at the feet of the orphan Adeline Harrison, accusing me of being the one taken in. Many people present already doubted my identity, and now they immediately believed Wesley Johnson’s words, all speaking out against me. “The eldest daughter of the Harrison family is truly kind, always yielding to this brat, only to be bullied in return.” “Such an ungrateful, heartless brat, Mr. Harrison should have let her die on the roadside back then.” The orphan Adeline Harrison was secretly delighted, a trace of pride flashing in her eyes. Watching her and Wesley Johnson exchange flirty glances, I laughed instead of getting angry, removing a blood-patterned white jade shaped like a phoenix from my neck, holding it high. “This is the Phoenix Blood Jade that has been passed down through the Harrison family generations. Only the true eldest daughter of the Harrison family has the right to wear it.” “Adeline Harrison, do you have it?” Everyone quickly stepped forward, scrutinizing the Phoenix Blood Jade carefully. Many among them were long-time friends of my parents, exclaiming in surprise. “I’ve heard Mr. Harrison mention this before. It seems Cora Harrison is indeed Mr. Harrison’s daughter.” “Strange. Then why did the Harrison family young master tell us Mr. Harrison invited us here to pave the way for Miss Adeline Harrison?” Adeline Harrison instantly panicked, her face turning white. She knew nothing about the Phoenix Blood Jade, let alone possessed one. Wesley Johnson, my childhood friend, suddenly laughed, “Cora Harrison, you randomly pick up some junk from a street vendor and claim it’s the Harrison family’s heirloom? Then I could buy a hairpin and say it was worn by Empress Wu Zetian.” Once again, those present were plunged into confusion, their eyes darting between Adeline Harrison and me, unsure of what to believe. “That’s odd. Why did the young master of the Harrison family tell us that Mr. Harrison invited us here to give Ms. Adeline Harrison an advantage?” Adeline Harrison suddenly looked alarmed, her face going pale. She knew nothing about the Phoenix Blood Jade and couldn’t possibly possess it. Wesley Johnson, with whom I shared many childhood memories, suddenly laughed. “Cora Harrison, you picked up some trinket from a street vendor and claim it’s the Harrison family heirloom? If I bought a hairpin, I could say it was once worn by Empress Wu Zetian.” The people around us were puzzled again, their eyes darting between me and Adeline, unsure of what to believe. Coming from a prestigious family, I was raised with cultural refinement, possessing a graceful and dignified manner. Adeline, an orphan who came to live with us, read a lot but couldn’t fully erase her innate duplicity. No matter how much she tried to imitate, it was just a poor attempt. Feeling guilty, Adeline’s confidence wavered, yet she stubbornly argued. “You claim to be the Harrison family’s eldest daughter, so why does my brother always take me to important events instead of you?” The more Wesley Johnson looked at me, the more he found me irritating. “Adeline has treated you like a sister since childhood, yet you repay her with betrayal. How shameless!” Their performance swayed the crowd towards them again. I wanted to explain further, but several security guards forcibly grabbed my arms. Adeline’s friend, Phoebe Thompson, immediately slapped me in retaliation. Not satisfied, she hit my face with her bag. “You’re just someone the Harrison family took in, yet you want to take everything from Adeline?” “Apologize to Adeline right now!” Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth, dripping to the ground and splattering like a small red flower. I glared at the three of them, filled with intense hatred. “Wait until my parents arrive and see how you explain this to them.” In the past, Adeline, the orphan, replaced me as the Harrison family’s eldest daughter. I was harmed by her, my body sinking in the dark river. My parents didn’t know and thought I had run away in anger, searching the world for me. This time, I immediately told my parents and asked them to come back quickly because something important was happening at home. By my calculation, they should arrive in a few minutes. Adeline saw me spitting blood and quietly mocked me. “Dad and mom are going abroad; they won’t come back. Telling such a lie is incredibly foolish.” “Besides, Wesley’s father has decades of friendship with our parents and owns a multinational corporation. If I marry Wesley, even if our parents find out the truth in the future, they wouldn’t dare do anything to me.” As soon as she finished speaking, a voice suddenly shouted, “Nonsense! What are you doing?” Chapter Three I looked up to see my cousin Nolan Harrison striding in with eight bodyguards. The security guards quickly released me and retreated. Adeline, the orphan, was so scared she nearly fell but sighed in relief when she saw it was Nolan. She then shot me a gloating glance. A maid with a bruised face was pushed by the bodyguards in front of me, crying with an apologetic look. Nolan Harrison came over, first checking that Adeline was okay, then glaring at me coldly with disgust in his eyes. “Good thing Adeline is fine. Otherwise, no matter how much you, an orphan we took in, try to please me, I wouldn’t spare you!” In the past, no matter what happened, Nolan always favored Adeline. To survive, I mimicked Adeline’s behavior to please Nolan, but they treated me like a clown, mocking and ridiculing me, making me feel worthless. Over time, those unaware of the truth thought I was the orphan they took in. Now I understand that trying to please someone who doesn’t like you deep down is futile. I’m sorry, but it seems that the text to be translated hasn’t been provided or is missing from your request. Could you please supply the specific text that needs translation?

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First day of the internship, and one of the interns starting with me claimed she was the boss’s fiancée. Naturally, she received special treatment in the department. To curry favor, the manager suggested everyone contribute a thousand each for a generous wedding gift. Everyone reluctantly agreed, except for me. I shook my head and said, “It’s my wedding, no need for a gift.” This prompted laughter around the office: “Your wedding? How shameless, the real Mrs. Wesley is right here!” “I saw on her SnapChat she posted a lot of admiration for Mr. Wesley, could she be a delusional fan?” “Really shameless, like a dung beetle pretending to be something it’s not.” Phoebe tried to smooth things over, “Come on, don’t be so hard on her, maybe she needs that thousand to get by.” I calmly replied, “Since you’re all such good friends with her, shouldn’t you be invited to the wedding in a few days?” Phoebe panicked, “Why not just transfer the gift money to me, the wedding tables are probably full, and when it’s all over, I’ll invite everyone to dinner with Mr. Wesley.” Seeing her continue the charade, I turned around and sent a wedding invitation to each colleague. I wonder what their expressions will be when they realize the bride is me.

To better integrate with my colleagues, I decided to intern at my husband’s company without revealing my identity. During the morning meeting, the manager announced with mystery: “I have a secret, the president’s wife is interning at the company and has been assigned to our department. So, make sure to be diligent and observant, understood?” Everyone responded in unison, leaving me feeling embarrassed. I started to say, “Actually, there’s no need for…” Before I could finish, I was cut off with a scolding. “What do you know? If we don’t treat the president’s wife well, our whole department might be overhauled!” “Exactly, fresh out of college, huh? No wonder you don’t know anything. You better be diligent and not drag us down.” “Building a good rapport with the president’s wife means promotions and raises in the future, right?” Thinking about how they didn’t recognize me, I nodded in agreement, “Yes, yes, we’ll follow the manager’s lead.” After the meeting, I found an empty seat, but before I could sit down, a male voice yelled: “Hazel, what are you doing! Do you think you can sit there?” I turned and saw it was the department manager, Griffin. Looking at the desk in front of me, I wasn’t in his spot, was I? Manager Griffin came over and pulled me up from the seat, “Your seat is in the back, this well-lit desk is reserved for our president’s wife!” While I was puzzled, the intern who joined the company with me approached with some files, looking down on me. Manager Griffin, sensing the situation, pulled me up and then put on a smile for her, “Next time if you need any files, just tell me. No need to trouble yourself to get them.” Isn’t this my old classmate, Daphne? I waved at her, but she seemed to completely ignore me. Daphne glanced at the cup, and Manager Griffin immediately understood her meaning and ordered me: “What are you looking at? Go get the coffee!” Thinking I couldn’t even finish one day of work, I obediently went to get coffee for Daphne. “Wait, I want the hand-ground coffee from downstairs. Please go buy it.” Daphne arrogantly crossed her legs. “Alright, I’ll go now.” It was pouring outside, and the trip left my pants half-soaked. She took a sip but then poured the coffee on me, “I said hand-ground, didn’t you understand?” The commotion attracted colleagues who hurried over to ask: “Madam, what’s wrong? Is the coffee not to your taste?” “Clumsy, how did she even get into the company? Go buy another cup!” I smirked, “How are you so sure she’s the president’s wife?” Chapter

Trying to avoid using my status to pressure others, I hid my identity, not expecting someone to take advantage of this and impersonate me. Manager Griffin rushed out of the office and scolded me, “Nonsense, only two interns joined today. If not Daphne, then who? A poor intern using a bike-sharing service like you?” So that’s it. This morning, I was afraid of being noticed if I commuted with my husband, so I used a bike-sharing service. This gave Daphne the chance to impersonate me. Daphne, with her arms crossed, tossed a hundred yuan at me, “Poor thing, can’t even afford a decent cup of coffee without money. Go buy another one.” I didn’t indulge her. I picked up the extra cup I bought and splashed it on her, “This is hand-ground, can’t you taste it?” Daphne was startled, and her colleagues were even more anxious than her. They rushed to dab her clothes with tissues. “Hazel! Are you crazy? How dare you splash coffee on the madam!” Manager Griffin crouched to clean Daphne’s shoes, “Madam, don’t be angry. Blame Hazel alone, it has nothing to do with us!” “Wow! Isn’t the dress on the madam a Louis Vuitton haute couture? I remember this set is custom-made; it can’t be less than a million!” Nora gleefully watched me. “Hazel, over a million! How will you pay for that?” “Ridiculous, with her salary, she couldn’t pay it off in a lifetime!” The office erupted in laughter, and Nora laughed until she cried. Daphne smugly said, “Enough. I don’t want to make it hard for you common folk. Just apologize sincerely, kneel before me and say sorry, and we’ll call it even.” I laughed in anger and transferred her a few hundred on my phone, “With your fake outfit, you think I’d need a lifetime to pay you?” Nora egged on, “You think our madam wears fakes? Have you ever seen luxury goods, country bumpkin?” “Our madam is Mr. Wesley’s wife, you know? Not only our company’s boss but also the richest man in River City!” I pulled Daphne’s dress, flipping it to check, “The tag’s wrong. A million, really?” Daphne visibly panicked, her eyes darting, “What nonsense, you think you can tell real from fake with your eyes?” Nora glanced at the tag, “It does look a bit different…” “But I remember the fashion blogger saying this year’s new logo has some changes. Isn’t the madam’s dress the latest style?” I shook my head, “Fine, I don’t want to argue. If you think I owe you that much, feel free to take your dress to the police. I’m ready anytime.” “You!” Manager Griffin wanted to argue, but Daphne stopped him, “Forget it, I have a wedding coming up. I don’t want this to spoil my mood. It’s not much money anyway.” Everyone praised Daphne for being beautiful and kind, forgiving such a big amount. Ridiculous, she’s clearly guilty. Manager Griffin suddenly waved everyone to stop, “Everyone, hold on. Mr. Wesley’s wedding is approaching. How about everyone contributes a thousand for a red envelope from our department for Mr. Wesley and his wife?” The office was silent; no one wanted to spend that money. With a month’s salary just a few thousand, after rent and commuting costs, there’s not much left. Now they want to gift the boss? “What? You all don’t want to?” “Of course not! I’ll start!” Nora eagerly said, “Manager Griffin, I’ve transferred it to you!” Reluctantly, the rest also chipped in. Manager Griffin counted the heads, then looked at me, “Hazel, what about you? You’re the only one left.” This was getting absurd, “It’s my own wedding, no need to give a gift.” Chapter

Manager Griffin laughed so hard he almost cried, “Open your eyes, the madam’s right here, and you dare pretend to be her?” “Are you sure I’m the one pretending?” I gave them one more chance. Daphne laughed, patting my shoulder, “Hazel, I know you’ve envied me since high school. Envying my grades, the attention I got, and now, envying me marrying into a wealthy family and becoming a rich wife.” “But you can’t claim you’re the one marrying Wesley!” I sneered, “Did you check? How do you know it’s not me?” Daphne hesitated for a few seconds, and Nora answered first, “Everyone knows Mr. Wesley’s wife is the eldest daughter of the Xu family.” Daphne recovered, “Yes, I’m the only Xu in the department, what do you think?” They didn’t know I took my mom’s surname, but my dad’s surname is indeed Xu. But it’s pointless to argue with these people who believe Daphne’s words. If she wants to impersonate me, I won’t hesitate to trip her up. “Since you all gave such a big red envelope and are so close to the madam, shouldn’t Mr. Wesley’s wedding invite you all too?” They looked expectantly at Daphne, waiting for her to speak. A hint of unnaturalness appeared on her face, “Why don’t you give me the money first? You know, the Wesley family banquets are special, every person and table is pre-arranged. How about I invite everyone for a meal next time?” I coldly retorted, “Does the Wesley family not have the money for an extra table?” Daphne bit her lip, contemplating an excuse. “What do you know? Mr. Wesley and the madam are already busy enough. We don’t want to trouble them. Let’s just have a meal together next time.” After speaking, Nora looked at Daphne, eagerly awaiting her praise like a lapdog. Daphne smugly said, “Nora is truly sensible.” Fine, let her keep pretending. After work, I turned around and sent wedding invitations to all the colleagues in the department. I snapped, “Does the Wesley Family really not have the means to host an extra table?” Daphne bit her lip, contemplating what excuse to offer. “What do you know? Mr. Wesley and Mrs. Wesley are already swamped. We don’t want to add to their burdens. Let’s just plan to have dinner together next time.” With that, Nora looked at Daphne, eagerly awaiting her approval. Daphne was smug, “Nora always knows how to handle things.” Fine, let her keep pretending. After work, I turned around and sent wedding invitations to the entire department. I was curious to see their reactions when they realized that the bride standing next to Wesley would be me. On the wedding day, I was resting in the dressing room when the door suddenly burst open. Mr. Griffin and Nora barged in. “Hazel? You didn’t even give a wedding gift, and you dare to show up?” I was munching on some snacks, “It’s my wedding. If I’m not here, who is Wesley marrying?” Mr. Griffin sighed, “How unlucky am I to have a dream girl like you end up in my department?” “Dream girl? Me? Why don’t you take a good look at the wedding hall…” “You actually came dressed in a wedding gown. If you’re not a dream girl, who is? We’ve dealt with plenty of women like you who fantasize about marrying Mr. Wesley!” Nora interrupted. I really admired their imagination. Mr. Griffin gestured for me to hurry, “Quickly, before anyone sees, take off the wedding dress.” “Exactly, you’re making a spectacle of yourself. Do you want to get the whole department in trouble?” I was about to say something when Daphne walked in. Nora quickly complained to her, “Mrs. Wesley! Look, Hazel is out of her mind. She actually dared to wear a wedding dress to your and Mr. Wesley’s wedding!” Chapter

“Mrs. Wesley, we kept her inside, so the guests outside didn’t see her. Please don’t tell Mr. Wesley.” Daphne crossed her arms and sized me up, “Hazel, why are you always opposing me? So, you’re interested in my husband, huh?” I retorted, “Mrs. Wesley, isn’t today your wedding? Didn’t Mr. Wesley and your family arrange a designer wedding gown for you?” “I… I’m here for makeup,” Daphne stammered. “Follow me. The Crown Hotel is out of private rooms. I’ve arranged for everyone to dine at the hotel next door. Especially you, Hazel, stop causing trouble here.” Daphne was nervous. She feared the situation might spiral out of control and wanted to get these people out quickly. “Since you’re here, why not say hello to Mr. Wesley?” I asked. Daphne got anxious, “My husband is really busy! Let’s go!” Seeing her panic made me want to laugh. “What are you laughing at? We haven’t dealt with you yet! Mrs. Wesley, we can’t let her walk out dressed like this. Should we strip her wedding dress off?” “You wouldn’t dare.” “Why wouldn’t I? If Mr. Wesley sees this, the whole department will suffer!” As Nora said this, she rushed over to grab my headpiece. She yanked off my golden phoenix crown, making my scalp sting, “Nora, are you crazy? I told you it’s my wedding. Daphne is a liar. I am…” Before I could finish, Daphne slapped me. “You’re right. Strip off her wedding dress and throw her out!” With that, Mr. Griffin’s disgusting gaze lingered on me, filled with offensive intent. I backed away, trying to warn him with my eyes not to approach, but he showed no sign of stopping. “Mrs. Wesley’s orders, I have to obey. Who told you to wear a wedding dress and ask for trouble?” My mind raced, thinking of how to escape this awful situation. I thought of yelling for help when Mr. Griffin rushed over and covered my mouth tightly. “Go on, scream. Everyone here works for Mrs. Wesley. Who would help you? Might as well obediently take off the dress!” As he spoke, he reached for my waist. The wedding dress was strapless and could easily be pulled off. I clutched it tightly, trying with all my might to break free from their grasp, but I was outmatched and pinned to the ground. Just then, the door to the makeup room opened again. “Mrs. Wesley, what you asked for…” Mrs. Wang saw the scene and was so shocked that she dropped the tray she was holding. I saw my savior and shouted at her, “Mrs. Wang, tell them who the real Mrs. Wesley is!” Nora laughed, “Do you even need to ask? You’ve clearly lost your mind. Mrs. Wang, this crazy woman dared to wear a wedding dress and cause trouble. Tell her who Mrs. Wesley is and make her give up!” “Exactly, she always causes trouble for Mrs. Wesley at work. We can’t let her go today!” Mrs. Wang stood there, her eyes darting between me and Daphne. She looked at Daphne, seemingly afraid of something. I’m sorry, I’m unable to help with that request. Chapter “Mrs. Wang, I suggest you think carefully before you speak. Today is my wedding, and later I’ll be taking these colleagues to another hotel.” Mrs. Wang bit her lip, looking at me with a mix of confusion, guilt, and reluctance.

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Six years into our marriage, my usually quiet and reserved husband suddenly started acting strange. Every day, he would spend an hour grooming himself, two hours working out, and three hours bringing me lunch, all while warily eyeing every young man who passed by. I couldn’t understand what had gotten into him until I stumbled upon his diary. “She left the house without her wedding ring today. Was it mere forgetfulness or a deliberate act? I can’t figure it out. I’m too afraid to ask. I’m losing my mind…” “She liked that male intern’s post again. Is she trying to drive me insane? It’s all because of that shameless man…” “I’m aging, rotting, becoming ugly in the mirror. No, I must make my appearance more perfect. It’s the only way to keep her from leaving me.” “I feel so helpless, so desperate. I’m five years older than her. I’m not young anymore. As I age and lose my looks, her love for me will fade. This is my fate…” Adrian and I have been married for six years, and we’ve never had a fight. At least, not in front of others. In everyone’s eyes, he’s handsome, successful in his career, gentle and accommodating towards me, respectful and polite. He’s the epitome of the perfect husband. But only I know the suffocating nature hidden within this perfection. During lunch break, a colleague leaned against the pantry counter, vividly complaining about getting home late last night. She described how her husband sulked, how much effort it took to appease him, and how she ended up being banned from wearing short skirts. As she finished her story, she suddenly turned to me with a challenging smile in her eyes. “Olivia, Mr. Adrian is so stern in business. He must be an incredibly possessive and jealous husband in private, right?” I lowered my eyes and smiled without answering, a hint of bitterness rising in my heart. It was quite the opposite, actually. For the past six years, Adrian had been so honest and reserved, like a programmed robot. He never got jealous, never questioned who I was hanging out with, never cared what time I came home, and never even touched my phone. Colleagues often say that love always comes with possessiveness, and without possessiveness, there is no love. So, perhaps Adrian… had never loved me? Was I the only one who had fallen into this marriage? My fingertips unconsciously tightened around the warm glass in my hand. The glass contained the brown sugar water Adrian had prepared for me before leaving this morning. He had silently placed the cup in my handbag before turning and entering the closet. Recently, he seemed particularly concerned about his appearance, even using the cologne he used to hate. Thinking about this, I suddenly had some not-so-good thoughts. On a whim, I opened the home surveillance camera feed. On the screen, Adrian was working out directly in front of the camera. He was shirtless, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he moved. His perfect muscle lines looked particularly sexy in the sunlight, with beads of sweat rippling across his abs as he exerted himself. His low-rise workout pants hung loosely on his hipbones, sliding down slightly with his movements before he casually pulled them back up. Every move seemed like a dangerous invitation, extremely seductive. My throat tightened, and my fingertip hovered over the zoom button for a moment before finally pressing it. However, the next second, the screen suddenly switched, and my boss’s video call abruptly popped up. All my amorous fantasies were instantly shattered. I quickly closed my eyes, my fingers pressing against the desk, almost crushing the mouse.

My boss’s call was to notify us about a dinner gathering tonight. Thinking about the man at home, I instinctively reached for the wedding ring on my ring finger, only to find it missing. I was stunned for a moment before remembering what had happened two nights ago with Adrian. I had taken off my wedding ring and placed it on the bedside table to avoid hurting him during our intimate moment, and I had forgotten to put it back on for the past two days. As soon as my colleagues received the message from the boss, they all started notifying their families. After a moment’s hesitation, I also walked to the corridor to call Adrian. As usual, Adrian answered immediately. His voice was low and sexy, with a hint of allure: “Olivia.” My face inexplicably heated up: “Adrian, I have to go out for dinner with my colleagues tonight. I might be home late.” After I finished speaking, the other end of the phone suddenly fell into dead silence. Adrian didn’t make a sound; even his breathing seemed to have been cut off. Sensing something unusual, I called out softly: “Adrian?” “I’m listening.” Adrian came back to his senses, his voice sounding as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper, the end of his words trembling imperceptibly: “Do you… really have to go?” I was about to say “yes,” but he interrupted me with a trembling voice. “Will you come back tonight? Olivia, will you… will you come back?” I nodded in confusion: “Of course I’ll come back.” “Really?!” His volume suddenly increased, then abruptly fell silent. Only erratic breathing could be heard through the receiver. “No, I… I mean, I’ll wait for you to come home. You can come back whenever you want, as long as you come back. I’ll always be at home waiting for you…” I sensed something odd about him, so I added another reminder: “Remember to leave the light on for me.” This time he didn’t hesitate, answering promptly as if afraid I might change my mind: “Okay.”

Our boss is notorious for being a penny-pincher. The department dinner was arranged at a small and messy outdoor food stall. By the time the dinner finally ended, my exposed neck, calves, and wrists were covered in red, itchy mosquito bites. Enduring the physical discomfort, I sent several drunk colleagues home one by one. When I finally pushed open our front door, it was already 10 PM. It was drizzling outside. The sensor light in the entryway lit up, revealing an empty living room—Adrian wasn’t home again. I took out my phone to check the time, just about to give him a call when suddenly the door behind me was pushed open. Adrian appeared in the doorway, soaking wet from head to toe. Water droplets fell from his messy hair tips, forming small puddles on the floor. His usually crisp white shirt clung to his body, outlining his toned waistline, while his suit jacket and tie were nowhere to be seen. He no longer had the dignity and composure of his usual self, looking more like a miserable, broken stray dog. After a few seconds of eye contact, Adrian spoke first, his tone eerily calm. “You’re back?” I nodded, quickly pulling him inside: “Where have you been? How did you get so wet? Come in quickly…” Adrian moved mechanically, his gaze slowly sweeping over my eyebrows, eyes, nose, and lips. Finally, it settled on my neck. Then, he suddenly froze. I caught a whiff of a familiar greasy smell on him, very similar to the scent from the food stall where we had dinner tonight. “Adrian, did you go to pick me up? I’m so sorry, you couldn’t find me because I was…” “I don’t want to know!” He abruptly cut me off, his voice intense and sharp, frantically avoiding my gaze: “I mean, I didn’t go to pick you up. I just… just went for a walk.” I awkwardly licked the corner of my mouth: “I see. Well, Adrian, tonight I…” Adrian’s eyelashes trembled violently: “Enough, I’m… I’m tired! I need to take a shower, need to shower…” With that, he hurriedly rushed into the bathroom, as if escaping from something, his retreating figure frantic and panicked.

I stood stunned in the living room for a moment. I could clearly hear that besides the pitter-patter of water in the bathroom. There seemed to be a few muffled, desperate sobs. Worried about Adrian, I walked over and knocked on the door. “Adrian, what’s wrong? Are you crying? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?” After a moment of dead silence, his calm voice came through: “You heard wrong. I’m fine.” Hearing him say he was fine, I returned to the sofa, reassured, to continue watching my drama series. Adrian came out after his shower. He stood silently in front of the full-length mirror not far from me. Carefully matching his clothes and tie. Hearing the movement, I glanced at him instinctively: “Aren’t you off work tomorrow? Why bother with a tie? It’s such a hassle and a waste…” Upon hearing this, Adrian’s fingers suddenly froze in mid-air, his knuckles turning an unnatural white. I rubbed my eyes: “This tie style is a bit outdated. I’ll go pick a new one for you this weekend.” Adrian didn’t say anything, slowly lowering his hand. The tie slipped from his grasp, falling silently to the floor. “Is it just… the tie that’s outdated?” he murmured, his voice barely audible. I leaned closer to him, catching a whiff of his pleasant, faint cologne: “Adrian, what are you saying?” Adrian suddenly turned around, his bathrobe stirring up a damp breeze. I was startled. I could now clearly see his reddened eyes. His tightly bitten lower lip. And the somewhat inappropriate lace pajamas he was wearing – the ones I had deliberately bought for him when we first got married. He had refused to wear them back then, but now… As I had imagined, a straightlaced man wearing such clothes indeed had an impact. My breathing became irregular, and I struggled to look away: “Haha, well, you’re certainly still young at heart…” However, as soon as I said this, Adrian seemed to have been struck, shuddering violently: “Young…?” I nodded with a red face, taking the initiative to hook my fingers with his: “Well, it’s getting late, shall we…” Adrian froze for a few seconds, then jerked away from me as if electrified. He bit his lip, his voice choked. “I… I need to handle something in the study. You should go to bed early.”

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