Category: English

Husband lied about being able to see everyone’s lifespan to make up for missed opportunities with Adeline. He claimed I had sixty years left, but his idealized love from the past had only seven days. So, during those seven days, he wanted to fulfill the promises he made to her in their youth. He brought her to our home to personally care for her, and they revisited their young love, rekindling their romance. I didn’t make a fuss. He professed his love to Adeline and then organized an extravagant wedding to marry her, making me the bridesmaid. I didn’t argue. Until he decided to break the ultimate barrier with her in our marital home. With guilt in his eyes, he asked me to move out of our house. The maids laughed at me, but I simply smiled and agreed. I then packed my belongings and moved into the guest room next door with my child. Seeing me as compliant as ever, my husband teared up: “I promise, this is the last time I’ll wrong you. Once Addie passes away, I’ll make it up to you.” He didn’t know I had seen through his lies. Nor did he know that it was actually me with cancer, with only seven days left. In three days, I’ll be gone.

“She just moved next door without a fuss? Wouldn’t she be heartbroken, listening in at night?” “What? You want to help? Didn’t you see how much he dotes on Miss Adeline? She’s just a nobody now; you don’t know whom to flatter.” “Indeed, Mr. Lachlan and Miss Adeline are a better match.” I held my child, pushing boxes from our home, moving things next door trip by trip. I looked around for help, but no one responded. On the fifth day after my terminal diagnosis, my husband wanted to share our new home with his romanticized past love. The maids removed our photos, the bedding, and replaced them with red lovebird sheets, Adeline’s personal items, and their wedding photos. Lachlan glanced coldly over everything, not sparing me a look. He knelt by the sofa, feeding Adeline strawberries, full of indulgence: “I promised you everything a bride should have, you won’t lack anything, don’t let yourself suffer, be good, open your mouth…” My daughter sensed something wrong and whimpered, but Lachlan pretended not to hear. His heart and mind focused only on his first love, leaving me and our daughter to be ridiculed. I gently rocked my child, feeling a bitter ache in my heart. I had no choice; I was dying. After dealing with everything, I didn’t want to talk and planned to return to my room. But as I passed the living room, Adeline wouldn’t let me leave. Lachlan coaxed her for a long time before she shyly spoke: “I don’t have many days left and can’t have kids. I just want to borrow the baby for a few days to see what it’s like to be a mom, but I’m afraid of offending you, sister…” Instantly, everyone’s eyes were on me. I stared firmly at Lachlan. He let his mistress enter the house, making me the maids’ joke. Would he really take my child away, not letting me see her one last time before I die? Seeing Adeline’s face full of melancholy, Lachlan felt pity and looked at me earnestly: “Nora, since you can let go of our home, you won’t mind letting Addie take care of the baby, will you?” I almost forgot; Adeline was the one he vowed to marry when he was young. If Lachlan hadn’t loved her so much, willing to break up rather than hinder her future, they would have been married long ago, and I wouldn’t have picked up the pieces. I only became his wife because I was suitable. Besides responsibility, he had nothing left for me. I forcibly held back the dull pain in my head and asked him: “What if I mind? She’s our daughter, only a month old.” Lachlan paused his fruit-cutting, turned back coldly: “I said, just borrowing the child for three days. Addie’s dying and has never been a mom, what’s wrong with that?” “Anyway, you can live so long, you have plenty of time to see her.” “She’s my daughter! Without my consent, no one can take her.” My voice was resolute. I bled heavily for a whole day to barely give birth to her. And I only have three days left. If I don’t see her more now, I never will. “Nora, I didn’t think you’d be so selfish, can’t you wait just three days?” Lachlan frowned, his tone somber. “I really can’t…” But before I finished, he ordered the maids to restrain me and snatched my daughter, handing her to Adeline. I bit my lip, red-eyed, glaring at him, my heart feeling slashed and bleeding. Yet Adeline smiled triumphantly, her gaze full of pride. The pain in my body couldn’t compare to the pain in my heart. I broke free from the maids, pouncing to grab my daughter back. As I grasped the edge of the swaddle, I felt joy, but then saw Adeline’s sinister smile. I was puzzled when she suddenly fell back, loosening her grip. Seeing my daughter about to fall, I quickly reached out, holding her tight. I fell to the floor from inertia, my elbow throbbing with pain. Gasps surrounded me. But Lachlan caught Adeline, and she nestled in his arms, frightened and wronged: “Sister, if you didn’t want to lend me the child, just say so. No need to use her as a shield to push and bully me…” A maid also stepped up to defend her: “Ma’am, you overreacted. Little Miss is so small. If she hit her head on the ground, she couldn’t be saved!” Lachlan was initially moved by my willingness to protect our child, but after hearing this, his eyes filled with disappointment and anger: “Nora, I can’t believe you’re so cruel to use our child as leverage to bully Addie. You don’t deserve to be a mom!” He said, snatching my daughter from the floor. “For these few days, go stay in the maids’ quarters and serve Addie well.” After speaking, Lachlan saw my tears, curled on the ground, hesitating, a hint of concern in his eyes: “Are you unwell?” To the side, Adeline shrugged: “Sister, you didn’t hit your head. Why act like you have a concussion, trying to gain Lachlan’s sympathy?” “The child isn’t crying, but you, an adult, are. That’s not right.” Lachlan’s concern vanished, replaced by disgust: “Don’t act like you’re dying. Your bright sixty-year lifespan is clear. You can’t fool me.” My heart ached with countless pains. He’d been lying to me all along. Thinking of the time after our whirlwind wedding, the close moments with Lachlan, felt like a dream. In the later stages of my pregnancy, he pushed away work, cooked for me daily, and applied oil to prevent stretch marks. He didn’t mind my swollen, unattractive appearance, still hugging and kissing me… But in just five days after Adeline’s return, everything changed. Lachlan protected Adeline, even the maids sided with her. I was isolated, with no support. When the pain subsided, I sat up from the floor, finding the living room empty. Lachlan ordered I shouldn’t see my daughter for these days, even throwing my luggage from the guest room into the maids’ quarters. With my body unwell, I planned to return to my room but was stopped by Adeline. “Sister, I plan to let my Bichon Frise stay here. Maybe you can make do in the basement for a few days.” I gritted my teeth, glaring at Lachlan behind her. Lachlan pursed his lips, finally stopping her from moving me again: “Alright, the guest room next door is for your dog. The maids’ quarters suit her.” Hearing this, Adeline cheerfully ran upstairs to arrange the doghouse, and Lachlan comforted me: “Nora, I just want to make up for her dying regrets. I promise to stay with Addie for three days.” “After three days, we can spend sixty years together. She’s just passing through, you’re still my legal wife, nothing will change.” Lachlan touched my head. “Be good, be generous, and I promise you won’t be wronged again.” He said and walked away. But he didn’t know I had no time to be generous. We had no future. 2 Five days ago, I was diagnosed with brain cancer, only seven days to live. I told Lachlan about the cancer, but he didn’t believe me, saying I was pretending to be pitiful like Adeline. Since he didn’t believe me, I stopped explaining. The pain in my brain left me weak and limp. Dazed, I heard a knock on the door. Opening it, I found Mrs. Chen, sent by Lachlan with a gift for me—a bouquet of eternal gold roses. He also had Mrs. Chen convey that it was compensation for giving up the new house and my daughter. Mrs. Chen was the only one in the villa who truly cared for me now. She smiled, suppressing her distaste for Adeline, and advised me: “Mr. Lachlan is just temporarily blinded by a vixen. Sending an expensive gift shows he still cares for you.” “Maybe it’ll be better in a few days. Ma’am, just bear with it.” I placed the roses in the corner without expression. There were already four identical bouquets of eternal roses there. I nodded perfunctorily. Since Lachlan lied to me, he sent Mrs. Chen with such a bouquet every day. Mrs. Chen couldn’t see, but after three years of sharing a bed, how could I not know? He was just trying to ease his guilt, deceiving himself. Even sending flowers was done secretly; he didn’t think he was wrong. Looking at the eternal flowers in the corner, only two bouquets left. Once they’re gone, I’ll likely be gone too. There’s no eternity for me… Brain cancer is truly torturous. After a night of splitting headaches, I barely slept at dawn. Suddenly, my phone rang abruptly, pulling me from sleep. I pressed my temples hard, answering the call from my attending doctor. Dr. Xavier’s excited voice rang out: Mrs. Chen might not notice, but after spending three years by his side, how could I not see through him? He’s just trying to ease his guilt, fooling himself. Even when he gives flowers, he does it in secret. He doesn’t think he’s in the wrong at all. Looking at the Eternal Flowers in the corner, only two bouquets remain. Once they’re gone, so might I be. Where’s the eternity in that… Brain cancer is truly relentless. After an entire night of a splitting headache, I finally managed to catch some sleep at dawn. Suddenly, my phone rang, startling me awake. Pressing hard on my temples, I answered the call from my physician. Dr. Xavier’s excited voice came through: “Ms. Nora, a new drug that can inhibit brain cancer cells has just been released abroad. Supplies are limited, but I managed to get a bottle through some connections.” “It might help extend your life a bit. If you’d like, come to the hospital to pick it up.” Hearing this, I was overwhelmed with joy. Even if it’s just for my daughter, I need to live a few more days. So I agreed immediately and rushed to the hospital to get the new medicine. Dr. Xavier specifically reminded me that the new drug is precious and needs to be kept safe. He said it could help me survive the next two days and maybe extend my life until the next batch is produced. With tears in my eyes, I paid for the medicine and held it tightly in my hand. But as soon as I left the pharmacy, I ran into Lachlan and Adeline, who were there to pick up medicine too. Seeing the medicine in my hand, Lachlan immediately approached me, nervously asking: “Are you sick? Why are you at the hospital getting medicine?” Lachlan kept turning me around, trying to figure out what illness I had. These days, he’s been wavering between me and Adeline, making me think he still cares about me. I couldn’t help but find it amusing and casually told the truth: “Yeah, cancer, only a few days left to live.” Lachlan froze for a moment, but Adeline reacted first, bursting into tears: “Sister, you know I have cancer and live in pain every day, yet you joke about it with me.” “Yeah, if I die sooner, I won’t burden Brother Lachlan with taking care of me. I’m just a wretched short-lived ghost! Let me die!” She said this and tried to climb out of the corridor window, but Lachlan stopped her instantly. Lachlan was both angry and heartbroken, turning to scold me harshly: “Nora, why do you keep using cancer to provoke Addie? You’re living just fine. Do you know how tormenting illness is?” “You’re so selfish, acting like you’re dying all the time. Even the King of the Underworld wouldn’t take someone like you! You’re blind!” With that, he grabbed the medicine from my hand, speaking angrily: “I want to see what kind of life-threatening disease you really have!” “Don’t touch my medicine!” Knowing how precious the new drug is, I panicked and rushed to get it back. But Lachlan pushed me away, seeing the blank label on the bottle. The drug is still in the trial phase, so there’s no label on the bottle. Adeline sneered at me: “Sister, if you’re faking cancer, at least write something on the prop bottle. How crude. How can Brother Lachlan believe you?” “Brother Lachlan, who knows what’s in there. We can’t let her take it. What if it kills her?” I shot her a cold glance, gritting my teeth: “If I die from it, what… does it matter to you…” Before I could finish, Lachlan had already tossed the bottle out the window with a wave of his hand. Outside the window was the artificial lake!

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The news spread throughout the company that the CEO’s fiancée, whom I risked my life to save, is going to marry her idealized love due to her pregnancy. Everyone assumed that I, as the fiancé, would be furious over her marrying someone else. But even after their child was born, I stayed composed and didn’t cause any trouble. Instead, I took initiative and focused on projects to support the struggling company. The fiancée believed I had finally accepted my role as just a tool to help her manage the company. With a condescending air of self-satisfaction, she promised me, “Since you’re so considerate in earning money for me and the baby, I’ll reluctantly let you stay in the company and give you a chance to continue taking care of us.” However, she was sorely mistaken. I am not working for her and the child; I’m preparing to take over the company next week. From now on, I won’t compromise and be her supportive partner behind the scenes. I’ll replace her and become the new CEO! 1 I had just wrapped up a project discussion with a client and stepped out of the meeting room when I saw Jasper at my desk changing his and Josephine’s baby’s diaper. “Assistant Jiang, you’re really juggling a lot, working and taking care of the baby. Once CEO Shen finishes her postpartum recovery and returns, you definitely deserve a big promotion and raise!” “Yeah, babies born in the Year of the Snake are considered destined for greatness. When they grow up, they’ll surely be exceptional individuals and company pillars, just like Assistant Jiang.” The small five-square-meter room was packed with project team colleagues. This used to be my office, but now it was filled with baby supplies and had become Jasper’s nursery at the company. Even the awards I earned for the company that were on the wall had been replaced with photos of the baby from birth to the first month. Actually, due to layoffs, there have been plenty of empty rooms in the company these years. But Jasper claimed that a master advised him that only my office was suitable for the child’s growth. Everyone could tell it was just an excuse Jasper made up to squeeze me out. Yet Josephine, who usually has a firm belief in materialism, believed it. She even wanted me to move to the small desk by the restroom to block some negative energy for her and Jasper’s child. There was no hint of remorse for breaking the engagement she had with me long ago and marrying Jasper and having his child. Coming back to the present, Jasper noticed the contract I had just signed in my hand and approached me with a smile: “Really sorry, Director Ye.” “I’ve been busy with the baby lately, and Josephine still needs a few more days to finish her postpartum recovery. I’ve been troubling you to run the business, but I’ll definitely tell Josephine about your contributions later!” Although Jasper was polite, his right hand tried to snatch the signed contract from me. Since Jasper joined the company a year ago, taking advantage of Josephine’s favoritism towards him, he had often stolen projects and achievements from me. Before, I always compromised and indulged him because of my feelings for Josephine. But now that Josephine had married him, I had no reason to tolerate it any longer and directly slapped his hand away. “Jasper, you took my fiancée, and now you want the contract I closed?” Before Jasper could respond, our colleagues rushed to defend him: “What do you mean by ‘took’? Director Ye, your words are too harsh!” “Exactly, Assistant Jiang was just too busy with the baby and had to hand over the project he brought in to you. You got an easy win and still complain. You’re just a freeloader with no right to bark here!” I only found it ironic. Yes, Jasper did bring in this project. But to prove himself, he exaggerated the project proposal’s price to 60% of the original during a drinking session with the client. He secured the business without considering its feasibility. In the end, I had to work overtime, optimize the technology, and even use my own money to smooth things over with suppliers to barely reduce the costs. Yet, the credit went to Jasper. Seeing my firm stance, Jasper smiled and said earning money for the company was all that mattered. But when no one was looking, he pinched the baby in his arms. The next moment, the baby started wailing, and poop and pee splattered all over me. Even the contract I had just signed was stained and ruined. “Oh dear, Director Ye, my apologies. It’s my first time being a dad, I’m inexperienced. My hand slipped, please forgive me.” Noticing my dark expression, the nearby colleagues wouldn’t miss the chance to impress Jasper and chimed in: “Ezra, are you seriously arguing with a baby just a month old? Have some shame.” “With that bad temper, no wonder CEO Shen broke off the engagement. You can’t compare to Assistant Jiang’s gentlemanly demeanor.” Hearing them mention the broken engagement, I couldn’t help but laugh coldly. Josephine and I had been together for seven years, engaged, and were about to get married. But a year ago, her ex, Jasper, suddenly appeared. Josephine brought him into the company unusually, and before long, she hurriedly sent me on an overseas trip. When I returned, I heard the news of their shotgun wedding. Rather than a gentleman, “beast in a suit” suits him better. But now I had more pressing matters and no time to bicker with them. I calmly took a file from my drawer and threw the diaper Jasper had intentionally left on my desk back at him. “Sorry, I’ve been working overtime a lot, and my eyes are blurry. I meant to throw it in the trash. My hand slipped too, forgive me.” For a moment, a foul stench rose from Jasper’s expensive suit. His face turned green, but I didn’t give them a chance to criticize me and left with my files, driving to the business registration office to hand the file to a staff member. “Please register the shareholder information update for me.” This was the share transfer agreement Josephine personally signed six months ago before I went abroad for negotiations. It transferred all her shares back to me. Actually, I had founded the company myself, with all the funds and technology being mine, so naturally, the shares were initially mine too. A few years ago, when the company began to succeed, I gave her 51% of the shares to compensate for the hardships she endured with me, fulfilling her dream of being a boss. During these tough times, I intended to take back all the shares to bear the risks myself and not let Josephine fall into debt. I thought it would be difficult and prepared many excuses to persuade her, fearing she’d misunderstand my intentions. But the day before I went abroad, when I approached Josephine, she signed without even looking and urged me to leave the country quickly. At that time, I asked her if she wasn’t afraid I’d con her. But she just smiled while packing my luggage, saying we were about to get married and were one family, so why differentiate between mine and yours. Back then, I thought Josephine loved me deeply and left that night, determined to secure the deal and save the company. After successfully securing the order and returning, I found she had married Jasper and even had a big baby boy with him. Only then did I realize she hadn’t trusted me but was pregnant and eager to marry Jasper, fearing I’d discover her secret, hence the rush to sign and send me away. But now it’s just right; at least the company is still in my hands. After confirming the agreement, the staff suddenly asked: “Mr. Ye, shareholder transfers are significant. Why didn’t Miss Shen come with you?” I calmly shook my head: “She’s still in the postpartum recovery period.” Hearing this, the staff was initially stunned, then congratulated me on becoming a dad and happily proceeded with the shareholder transfer procedures. But I couldn’t smile. Because I’m not the child’s father, nor am I her husband. While waiting for approval and lost in thought, my phone suddenly rang. It was Josephine calling. As soon as I answered, a roar came from the other end. “Jasper just dirtied the contract. Can’t you ask the client to sign again? Why are you acting up at work and scaring the baby?” Before she could finish, the staff handed me the paperwork to sign. “Signing?” “Ezra, it’s work hours. Where are you instead of being at the company?” After signing, I explained: “I’m signing an agreement.” On the other end, Josephine paused, then her tone softened considerably. “That’s more like it. Seeing how eager you are to make money for me and the baby, I’ll reluctantly keep you in the company and give you a chance to take care of us.” But I wasn’t listening to her words. Looking at the new shareholder list, with me holding 91%, making me the true CEO of the company, I couldn’t help but laugh. Josephine, on the other end, misunderstood, thinking I was grateful to her, and smugly said: “Look at you, all smug. Work hard, and when I return from the postpartum care center, I might consider promoting and giving you a raise.” After a few more words, Josephine laughed and hung up. But she didn’t know that in two days, once the review period was over, I’d be the new CEO of the company. I wonder if she’ll still be able to smile then. 2 Having firmly regained my company, I felt a huge relief and went home first, planning to pack my things and completely end things with Josephine. But as soon as I opened the door, a musty smell hit me. Josephine had been in the hospital for prenatal care, then went straight to the postpartum care center after delivery, and I had been away on business trips. This home hadn’t been tended to for nearly half a year. I intended to open the windows to air it out, but as I walked into the living room, I tripped over something. I found a large photo frame on the floor. Lifting it, I realized it was the wedding photo Josephine and I had taken. After our engagement, Josephine had insisted we go to the studio for a photo shoot. She had me try on dozens of suits, never quite satisfied, and it took an entire afternoon to choose a white suit she liked. Though it wasn’t my style, knowing she had spent the whole afternoon choosing it for me, I accepted it willingly. Her serious gaze from that time remains vivid in my memory. Coming back to reality, I dusted off the frame, feeling puzzled. I had always kept the wedding photo in the bedroom. Why was it thrown in the living room? Entering the bedroom, I immediately understood the reason. Above the head of the bed now hung a photo of Josephine and Jasper from their wedding. In the photo, Josephine, with her pregnant belly, was nestled in Jasper’s arms, smiling like a girl who had just won the world. Although it wasn’t my style, knowing Josephine spent an entire afternoon choosing it for me made me accept it with a smile. Her earnest look from that day is still vivid in my memory. Bringing myself back to the present, I wiped dust off the photo frame, feeling puzzled. I always hung our wedding photo in the bedroom, so why was it tossed on the living room floor? It wasn’t until I walked into the bedroom that everything became clear. Above the headboard was a wedding photo of Josephine and Jasper. In the picture, Josephine, with her pregnant belly, was in Jasper’s arms, smiling like a girl who had the whole world in her grasp. They wore the very same wedding dress and suit Josephine had meticulously chosen that day. It hit me why Josephine wasn’t satisfied after trying all afternoon and eventually picked a white suit that didn’t suit me at all. It was never meant for me. Over the years, my skin had tanned due to long business trips outdoors. Josephine chose a pure white suit for me, which naturally looked odd against my complexion. However, Jasper, who always stayed in the company assisting Josephine, was fair-skinned and refined. The white suit made him look like a storybook prince. I chuckled sarcastically, planning to pack my things and sell the house. This house was originally prepared by my parents as a marital home for me. Since the marriage isn’t happening, there’s no reason to keep it; it might as well be sold to alleviate the company’s financial strain. But when I opened the wardrobe, my fists clenched. All my belongings were gone, replaced by Jasper’s frequently worn shirts. I immediately messaged Josephine, demanding to know where my clothes were. It wasn’t until half an hour later that Josephine replied: “Of course, I threw them away. Jasper’s rental is too far from the company, so I let him move in directly.” “Your stuff doesn’t suit his cleanliness, so I tossed it all.” “Besides, you used my salary to buy these things, so technically it’s my money. I can do whatever I want with it, and I don’t need your permission, do I?” I have to admit, Josephine has always been skilled at twisting logic. Seeing that I had no response, Josephine sent another message: “What, feeling sorry for your junk?” “I heard about the company situation this morning. If you hand over the project to Jasper, I’ll get you some high-end stuff and even leave you a storage room to rest.” “No need.” Before Josephine could finish typing, I blocked her on SnapChat and called a junk removal service to clear everything out of the house. Then I contacted a real estate agency to list the house for sale and went to a hotel to rest. The next morning, the junk removal service transferred the money to me. Although it was collected at a low rate as scrap, I still made quite a bit of cash. It showed how much Josephine cared about Jasper, eager to give him the world. Just as I was about to freshen up and get out of bed, Josephine suddenly called. “Ezra, who allowed you to sell the marital home? Where are Jasper and the baby supposed to live now?!” “And what about his designer suits and game console? Where did you throw them?” On the other end, Josephine was so furious she could barely breathe. I found it ironic. My belongings could be casually thrown away, but Jasper’s things were treasures. I replied calmly: “You do realize that was our marital home, right? Since you’re married to Jasper now, what’s wrong with me selling it?” “As for the stuff in the house, I sold it all as scrap.” Josephine was speechless with anger, but soon she let out a disdainful laugh. “Ezra, do you think selling the house is going to stop me?” “Don’t think I don’t know you’re trying to play hard to get, using these little tricks to get my attention.” “Know your place. You’re just a tool working for me, don’t delude yourself with thoughts you shouldn’t have!” With that, Josephine hung up. Almost simultaneously, Jasper updated his Facebook status. It was a photo of him signing a real estate contract with an agency. He even captioned it: “Finally got my own place in this city.” Jasper’s position at the company was just an assistant role, and his monthly salary wasn’t much. Plus, he was a big spender, so buying a house was out of the question. Clearly, Josephine paid for it and bought back the house I just listed for sale. And Jasper intentionally posted on Facebook, obviously to flaunt it to me. But instead of being angry, I almost couldn’t hold back my laughter. Although property prices had dropped over the years, I had bought the place early on, so overall, I still made a profit. Josephine, on the other hand, basically handed me the money the company made over the past two years for a depreciating house that Jasper now treasures like gold. To celebrate, I treated myself to a rare feast. The business registration office also sent a message notifying me that the shareholder information update had been approved. I was ready to return to the company and take over. But as soon as I walked through the door, I ran into Josephine. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to…” Before I could finish, Josephine, with a cold expression, slapped me. “Ezra, as a senior employee, is this how you set an example?” “Absent for two days, you’re nothing but a disruptive influence!” “I didn’t work hard to run this company so you could slack off and draw a salary!” “Starting tomorrow, your performance for the next year is wiped clean. You’re no longer a director; go assist Jasper and learn how to be a proper person.” Hearing Josephine’s punishment, my colleagues around me didn’t even try to hide their mockery. After all, the company wasn’t that big, and with Jasper’s embellishments, I had long become the target of ridicule. However, the absence Josephine mentioned was pure nonsense. I had applied for a week of fieldwork a month ago and didn’t need to clock in. Josephine herself had approved it. It was clear she was just finding excuses to vent Jasper’s anger. Seeing me remain silent, Josephine frowned: “Ezra, I’m talking to you. Are you deaf?” “Don’t you see the baby soiled his diaper? Hurry up and help Jasper clean it, or do you want to stink up the entire company?” Still, I didn’t move. After all, I’m the owner of this company now. Before I could speak, Jasper was quick to play the good guy. “Josephine, don’t be mad. Ezra must be exhausted from running errands the past two days.” “I’m young and energetic; I can manage work and childcare.” But before he could do anything, Josephine stopped him with concern: “No need, you’ve been busy with paternity leave and childcare, and you’ve lost weight.” “Plus, you just got promoted and the project is yours now. Focus on preparing your speech for the release event.” “As for him, if he wants to stay in the company, let him do some hard labor. It’ll teach him not to be lazy and help him realize how hard you’ve had it with the baby.” Watching Josephine’s concern for Jasper, I found it absurd. Jasper was all talk. At work, he’d dump childcare and tasks onto colleagues who fawned over him, while he hid away eating fried chicken and gaming. Meanwhile, due to poor business performance, I frequently had to go out and hustle. I even prioritized a contract meeting over hospital care after a car accident, impressing clients with my dedication. Yet, in her eyes, I was a lazy freeloader. Love or the lack thereof was painfully obvious. Bringing myself back, I looked straight at Josephine, speaking steadily: “I recall the company’s manual clearly states that infants aren’t allowed to disrupt the office.” “Moreover, I applied for fieldwork in advance, so I don’t need to clock in. You have no grounds to penalize me.” In seven years, this was probably the first time I openly defied Josephine. She was stunned but quickly sneered: “Ezra, I’ll admit, you’ve gotten my attention, but you’re going about it the wrong way.” “I’m the CEO of this company. If I say you’re absent, then you’re absent!” “I’ve already backed up all the projects and client info you have. Do you really think you’re irreplaceable?” “HR, prepare the termination papers and notify all our partner enterprises to add him to the employment blacklist.” Before HR could make a move, I stopped them: “No need. I’ve already prepared resignation letters.” Jasper was overjoyed but pretended to be regretful: “Ezra, why put yourself through this?” “Why not apologize to Josephine? She’s kind-hearted; considering you cared for her for several years, she’d surely give you a break and let you clean toilets and unclog drains.” Next to him, Josephine, seeing me stop HR, raised her chin arrogantly. “Didn’t expect you to have some self-awareness.” “Tell you what, since you’ve been a useful tool, if you willingly give up…” Before Josephine could finish, I interrupted, tossing resignation letters to her and Jasper. “Enough, no need for small talk. You’re both dismissed.” Looking at her own resignation letter, Josephine was momentarily stunned, then scoffed. “What right does an employee have to fire me?” I smiled calmly and handed over the shareholder transfer notice. “Miss Josephine, you’ve forgotten something important.” “I’m the CEO of this company now.” “Alright, since you’re nothing but a convenient lackey, if you voluntarily give up…” Before Josephine could finish, I cut her off and tossed two termination letters to her and Jasper. “Enough of the pointless chatter. You both can get out now.” Holding her termination letter, Josephine was momentarily stunned, then sneered with disdain. “What right do you, just an employee, have to fire me?” I smiled dismissively and presented the formal notice of shareholder transfer. “Miss Shen—oh wait, no, Miss Josephine—your esteemed status seems to have made you forgetful.” “Take a good look, I’m the CEO of the company now.” “As for you and Jasper, you’re both fired immediately for violating company policy, disrupting workplace order, and stealing company project secrets.” I’m sorry, but it appears that the specific text you need translated is missing. Could you please provide the text you would like me to translate? “`plaintext 4 As Josephine read the shareholder information update on the notice, her face turned pale.

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My best friend came to me, asking for help. She said she was being harassed by her ex-boyfriend and pressured by her parents to marry. She wanted to have a sham marriage with my husband. I was shocked when my husband agreed and even let her move into our house. Hearing the unsettling noises from the living room every night, I felt like I was falling apart… I’ve been married to my husband, Declan, for three years. He is thriving in his career while I am the lovely and charming presence at home. We are in love and harmonious. But something happened three days ago that left me in turmoil. My best friend Keira insisted on giving me $100,000, saying she needed to marry Declan. Her reason was that she was being harassed by her ex-boyfriend and pressured by her parents to marry. She needed a man to protect her temporarily and provide an explanation to her parents. After this period, she promised to return Declan to me. This was outrageous! Even though she is my best friend, I couldn’t agree to it. $100,000 is insignificant to me; I have countless such amounts. But just as I was about to transfer the money back to Keira, my husband Declan came home. He sighed and said, “Honey.” “Why the long face? Was work difficult?” “No.” He opened Instagram, “Honey, look how pitiful Keira is. A girl being harassed every day, it’s awful.” I saw Keira covered in bruises, and my heart ached. It made me start to struggle with whether or not to help her. Every day after that, Keira called and sent voice messages, crying to me about her miserable life. “Please, you are my only good friend, my best friend, help me. My parents say if I don’t get married, they’ll jump off a building.” “After this period, I’ll get a divorce certificate with your husband. He will always be yours.” Against my better judgment, I agreed. When I saw the divorce certificate with Declan and the marriage certificate with Keira, my mind was still buzzing. It all felt like a dream. The day they got the marriage certificate, Declan came home and gave me a bouquet of roses. “My kind and beautiful goddess, you’ve worked hard lately.” Looking at my affectionate and gentle husband, I suddenly felt calm. All the troublesome things seemed to vanish into thin air. Born into a privileged life, I’m actually easy to appease. That night, Declan and I were intimate and close. Midway through, Declan held my wrists and whispered in my ear. “Wife, I heard Keira is still being harassed. Should we let her stay with us?” I frowned slightly. Why was he bringing up Keira at this moment? “Would she want to? It’s just a sham marriage with you. Don’t make it awkward for her.” “Let’s give it a try.” I thought Keira wouldn’t come to my house, so I made a phone call pretending to invite her. “Really?! Thank you, Phoebe, I’m so happy. I’ll come over tomorrow.” Me: “…” I felt uncomfortable. On Keira’s first night at our house, Declan took us out for fondue to celebrate Keira’s visit. I was a bit jealous. Was my husband being too nice to Keira? I tossed and turned that night, unable to sleep. Declan held me and softly said, “Don’t worry, it’s just a sham marriage with her. Didn’t we agree? After some time, she and I will divorce, and I’ll remarry you. It’s fake with her.” I thought I might be overthinking, but my mind wouldn’t cooperate. I soon noticed Keira being particularly diligent around the house. She always liked talking to Declan and treated him warmly, making it seem like she was the lady of the house. Every time Declan came home, Keira would wear some revealing clothes. Once, I couldn’t hold back and told Keira, “Keira, Declan is my husband. Could you dress more appropriately?” Keira looked at me with wide eyes and admitted her mistake, “I know I was wrong. I won’t dress like that anymore.” Seeing her admit her mistake, I didn’t want to ruin our rare friendship. After that, Keira’s dressing was normal, but her behavior wasn’t. For example, when I was intimate with my husband, Keira would knock on the door, interrupting us. I asked her what was wrong. She sobbed and said, “I had a nightmare.”

Then she looked pitifully at Declan, using a sweet tone, “Declan, I’m so scared, can you stay with me?” I was a bit angry, but Declan immediately reassured me, “It’s okay, don’t worry.” His firm gaze calmed my annoyed heart. I reluctantly told him, “Then go accompany her.” So Declan took Keira to our guest room. Then I heard some strange noises coming from the guest room. I vaguely heard Keira say, “I’m so scared, Declan.” Declan said, “It’s okay, don’t be afraid. In my house, I can protect you.” I immediately pulled the blanket over my head, afraid I would overthink if I listened more, but I trusted Declan’s character. The next day, I thought it over and handed $100,000 to Keira. “Please leave my house, Keira. Leave my husband, and divorce him, okay?” Keira’s tears rolled out in three seconds. She clung to my arm like a kitten, pushing softly, “Phoebe, I swore before that after this period, once I explain to my parents about the marriage, I’ll immediately divorce. You may not believe me, but don’t you believe Declan? If you insist on this, won’t he feel like you don’t trust him?” I felt stifled. I only believed in Declan. But believing in someone doesn’t mean you won’t overthink. I was still anxious. But then Keira told me she wanted to take Declan back to her hometown. After explaining to her parents, she said they could immediately get a divorce certificate. I was thrilled. As long as they got a divorce certificate, that was fine. While adjusting Declan’s tie, I reminded, “Just act natural in front of Keira’s parents, okay?” “Don’t worry, my dear wife.” “Slick talker,” I laughed. I dressed Declan elegantly and personally sent them off to board their flight. After Declan left, I really missed him, so I kept sending him messages. He always replied with a flower and a smiley face, then photos. But a few times, I noticed something odd. He posted many photos of Keira on his feed. Some netizens teased, asking if he had found a girlfriend… Soon, they returned. After they got back, I asked Keira, “Can you get divorced now?” Keira suddenly covered her face, crying and sniffling, “No, Phoebe, I can’t yet.” I got angry in a second, “Why not?” “Because I’m pregnant.” “What?” Did I hear that right? Declan came over and put his arm around my shoulder, “The baby in her belly is her ex-boyfriend’s. Now she’s a pregnant woman, she can’t divorce me.” I couldn’t describe my feelings. I was relieved the baby wasn’t my husband’s. I was disgusted she wanted to keep clinging to my husband, yet my husband didn’t object. Because of this, in the following days, I was distant with Keira, feeling her presence in my house gave me a headache. Once, Keira held my hand and said, “Phoebe, I know you’re upset, but I swear once my baby is born, I’ll definitely divorce Declan. I have no choice, I need a man to give me courage. Declan has always liked you, he treats me like a friend.”

Whenever she spoke to me, she was sweet and cute, making me look like the villain. Seeing her tears, I couldn’t bear to drive her away, so I made peace with her. I even personally made broth for her and ensured she had a nutritious diet. During this time, she indeed kept a respectful distance from Declan, which made me more comfortable serving her. Keira had a healthy pregnancy with my care, turning plump and healthy. Ten months later, Keira went into labor. That day, Declan suddenly took leave and went with me to the hospital. “Didn’t you say there’s a multi-million project? Why come to the hospital?” I didn’t understand Declan’s actions. Declan didn’t look at me but anxiously watched the maternity ward door, brushing me off, “It’s okay, it won’t affect it.” For a moment, Declan felt so unfamiliar to me. While I was full of doubts, Keira’s eight-pound son was born healthy. When the doctor opened the maternity ward and asked who Keira’s husband was, Declan rushed in like a rocket, “It’s me, it’s me, I’m her husband.” “Congratulations, this is your son.” The doctor placed the baby in Declan’s arms for him to hold first. Me: “…” What was I feeling? Like eating something vile. Soon after, Keira was wheeled out by the nurses. Although she had just given birth, because she was young, she recovered well. Keira was soon settled in a private hospital room. Looking at the delicate newborn, I sincerely said to Keira, “Congratulations, this baby looks so much like you.” Keira gazed at the baby with gentle eyes, her tone filled with maternal love, “He not only looks like me, but he looks more like his father.” Then she side-eyed Declan. Did she mean the baby looked like Declan? Yet Declan didn’t deny it and seemed more excited about the baby than Keira. I was very upset. I felt suffocated in this environment, so I went out for some air. Just as I stepped out, I realized I hadn’t taken my bag. When I turned back to get it, I overheard Declan and Keira’s conversation. “Darling, this is our son. Your wife can’t give you a baby, but I can. Are you happy?” I noticed her give Declan a sidelong glance. Was she implying that the child resembled Declan? Surprisingly, Declan didn’t refute it. He seemed even more thrilled about the child than Keira did. A surge of anger rose within me. Feeling suffocated by the situation, I stepped outside to catch my breath. Just as I left, I realized I’d forgotten my bag. When I turned back to retrieve it, I overheard Declan and Keira’s conversation through the door. “Darling, this is our son. Your wife can’t give you a child, but I can. Are you happy?” “Keira, you did such a great job. The boy is absolutely adorable.” “Yes, what a cute child. We have a son now.” Their conversation felt like a knife cutting through me. One was my best friend, the other my husband. I recalled how my best friend had given me ten thousand to “borrow” my husband, and I had actually agreed. Now, the ridiculousness of it all hit me like a slap in the face. I wanted to burst in, scream, and tear them apart. But I restrained myself, taking a deep breath to calm down. I should have known there couldn’t be an appropriate relationship between them, but I trusted Declan’s integrity. Reality, however, proved me wrong. Declan had betrayed me, and Keira was a traitor. I composed myself, pretending nothing had happened, grabbed my bag, and left. That night, I went out to drown my sorrows, drinking until I was a wreck. I drank, vomited, then drank and vomited again. No one knew the depths of my pain, feeling as if I were being torn apart and ground to pieces. Declan, the man I loved most, had always assured me of his character. Yet, he had fathered a child. His integrity was worthless, absolute garbage. That night, I betrayed Declan and ended up in bed with a younger guy. Then I acted as if nothing was amiss, waiting for Keira and their little family of three to return. I watched as Declan personally prepared postpartum meals for Keira. “Keira, the child is born. Can you divorce my husband now?” Hearing my words, Keira held her son, looking pitiful and aggrieved. “But the child is still young. He can’t be without a father…” “Declan isn’t your child’s father. You had a sham marriage.” I pretended to know nothing. Keira cried, holding her child, appearing weak and helpless. Hearing the commotion, Declan rushed in angrily and said to me, “Phoebe, what are you trying to say? Keira is still in her postpartum period; can she afford to cry now? What about the risk of postpartum complications?”

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I induced labor early and gave birth to my child, then stuffed pillows under my clothes to pretend I was still pregnant until the day my sister and I were both sent to the delivery room. It was all because in my previous life, when my sister and I married into the wealthy Gray family together, our mother-in-law promised at the wedding that whoever gave birth to an heir would inherit the entire family fortune. But after carrying a child for ten months, I unexpectedly gave birth to a black baby, while my sister delivered a healthy, chubby white boy. My mother-in-law was furious, calling me a shameless whore for cuckolding her son. “Sister, I can’t keep covering up for you anymore about your secret meetings with that black man,” my sister said with tears in her eyes, acting as if I had been forcing her to keep quiet all this time. I struggled desperately to explain, but no one believed me. Even my father spat at me, saying I was born to be a disgrace. When my enraged mother-in-law locked me in the basement, my sister poured gasoline inside while gloating. “Your son will have to call me mom from now on. Everything that was yours is mine now!” When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the time before giving birth.

“Lily, you must be carrying a boy!” “You’ll be their greatest contributor by continuing the family line. Dad’s future depends on you!” My father exclaimed excitedly, holding my sister’s prenatal check-up report. Meanwhile, my sister stared greedily at my belly, a barely noticeable smile on her face. Seeing the scene identical to my previous life, I couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. This time, I absolutely won’t let you have your way! I covered my mouth and bent over, dry heaving continuously. My father glanced at me with disgust and said impatiently, “I don’t know how the Gray family’s heir apparent took a liking to you.” “But it doesn’t matter. In the future, he and you won’t even be fit to shine Yvonne’s shoes.” After saying this, he exaggeratedly supported my sister, his face beaming with joy. Watching their retreating figures, I sneered. Sure enough, both father and daughter were despicable creatures. In my previous life, before my grandfather passed away, he struggled to arrange my marriage to Lucas Gray, my childhood sweetheart and the heir to the city’s most powerful family. When my sister heard the news, she threw a tantrum, saying she wanted to marry into a wealthy family too. But she was nothing more than the illegitimate daughter from my father’s affair. She was only able to move into our home because my mother had passed away early and my grandfather had been bedridden for years. My father pestered my grandfather time and time again until finally, to protect me from being bullied, grandfather agreed to let my sister marry into the Gray family as well, though she would wed Zack Gray, the family’s black sheep. The wedding was held in a castle, where our mother-in-law promised that whoever gave birth to an heir would inherit all of the Gray family’s assets. Coincidentally, my sister and I became pregnant on the same day and even gave birth on the same day. But fate played a cruel trick. Under their scheming, I gave birth to a pitch-black child. My father didn’t hesitate to sever ties with me. My mother-in-law also cursed me as a slut. They locked me, weak from just giving birth, in the basement, planning to wait for Lucas to return so he could personally throw me out. That night, my sister came to the basement with a can of gasoline. “Your son will have to call me mom from now on. Everything that was yours is mine now!” It was then that I realized I hadn’t given birth to a black child at all. My baby was healthy and fair-skinned. It was Yvonne who had given birth to the black child. She had always been jealous of me for being smarter and prettier, envious that my grandfather left everything to me, and resentful that I could marry Lucas Gray. She and my gold-digging father had conspired together, bribing all the doctors to give me her child and then accusing me of infidelity. Years later, after Yvonne gave birth to her own child, she orchestrated another “accident,” pushing my son off a luxury yacht, drowning him! She ensured that both my son and I died without intact bodies, while also bearing a lifelong stigma. Now, seeing her, I truly wished I could grind her bones to dust and cut her into a thousand pieces! By the time we reached the hospital entrance, my father was already helping my sister into the luxury car Lucas had bought for me. Looking at the empty driver’s seat, I curled my lips into an innocent smile. “Dad, I think you’re right. It’s of utmost importance for my sister to give the Gray family a child.” I turned to look at my sister’s strange expression. “As it happens, my best friend is returning from abroad today. She’s a professional nutritionist. Why don’t we have her take care of my sister’s prenatal care?” In my previous life, my best friend had always been worried about me, which was why she returned early to be by my side. Unfortunately, I was too stupid back then. I still believed in family bonds and rejected my friend’s good intentions. Hearing this, both my father and sister’s expressions changed. They stiffly refused, “You think marrying into the Gray family means you’ve reached the top? What nutritionist needs your approval? Do you have any sense of respect for your elders? Is this how your grandfather, that supposedly well-respected dean, taught you?” My father became increasingly agitated, his entire face turning red. My sister chimed in, “You’re asking your friend to take care of me? What if something happens to me? Wouldn’t that be convenient for you?” I coldly watched their reactions, understanding most of what was going on. Sure enough, there was still something wrong with my sister’s pregnancy. Seeing that I didn’t respond, my father excitedly got out of the car, grabbed my arm, and raised his hand. “I never thought you’d harbor such intentions!” “I can see now that you and your mother are cut from the same cloth!” Looking at my furious father, I couldn’t help but laugh, both for myself and for my foolish mother. This ungrateful social climber, who would scheme against even his own daughter, was truly eye-opening. But unfortunately for them, they would miscalculate this time. I wasn’t pregnant at all. Even my protruding belly was a fake one I had bought online. In this life, I wouldn’t give birth at the same time as her. How could they swap babies now? My father’s expression became even more unpleasant as I laughed. He gritted his teeth and squeezed out, “Today, I’m going to teach you a lesson!” As he finished speaking, his hand swung down hard. But before it could land on my face, someone kicked him away, sending him stumbling backward with a yelp as he fell to the ground. He was about to lash out when he saw it was Lucas Gray. Immediately, he switched to a fawning demeanor. “Son-in-law, why are you here? Weren’t you busy with the acquisition?” Lucas ignored my father’s attempt at flattery and pulled me into his arms. In my previous life, when I was accused of infidelity, he was the first to stand up and declare his trust in me. He even warned everyone over the phone not to touch a hair on my head. But just as he was rushing back overnight, his car’s brakes failed, and he plunged off a cliff, his body never found. Feeling his warm embrace, I suddenly felt overwhelmed with emotion. Thankfully, in this life, everything could still be salvaged. He whispered in my ear, “I’m sorry I’m late.” I shook my head, fighting back tears. “Who were you going to teach a lesson to?” Lucas’s imposing presence was palpable. As the normally stern heir to the city’s most powerful family, no one dared to come within half a step of him except for me. If he hadn’t been so concerned and careless in my previous life, he wouldn’t have fallen for their tricks. His gaze swept over my sister, who had been so arrogant just moments ago. Now she was terrified, her whole body trembling as she looked fearfully at my father. My father’s face flashed with embarrassment. He quickly approached again, bowing and scraping. “It’s nothing, nothing at all. I was just giving Lily a bit of fatherly advice.” Lucas kept his arm around my waist, not even bothering to look up. “You’re Lily’s father, so I I can overlook it.” “But what about Yvonne? Since when does the Gray family allow you to speak to your sister-in-law like that?” She was so frightened her legs gave out, and she burst into tears. Seeing her trembling in fear, I felt a rush of satisfaction. She was finally getting a taste of her own medicine! Lucas’s cold gaze swept across Yvonne’s face as he contemptuously spat out: “Apologize to Lily.” “Yvonne was just thinking of the baby and spoke without thinking. There’s no need for apologies between sisters!” My father swallowed hard and tentatively asked, “Good son-in-law, for my sake, please don’t be hard on Yvonne.” But Lucas had always been a man of his word. How could he allow anyone to bully me without seeking revenge? He pulled me back half a step and gave his bodyguard a cold look. The bodyguard immediately rushed forward, restrained my father to one side, and then slapped Yvonne more than a dozen times across the face. Her mouth bled and her cheeks swelled up. Yvonne’s tears flowed freely, but she didn’t dare resist or even cry out in pain. Lucas smirked at my father, who was now terrified. “You’re Lily’s father, so I’ve still shown you some respect.” “As for you?” He turned his gaze to Yvonne, whose face was now swollen like a pig’s head. “Don’t let me catch you bullying Lily again, or I won’t be so lenient.” Yvonne nodded without the slightest hesitation. Seeing the hatred in her eyes, I couldn’t help but smile slightly. She would never have imagined that I had returned to the past two months ago. And the first thing I did when I opened my eyes was to tell Lucas everything. Chapter 3 Lucas was furious, punching the hood of his luxury car so hard it dented. He even wanted to call a board meeting the next day to kick Zack and our mother-in-law out of the Gray family. Although the Gray family was nominally headed by our mother-in-law, she was only Lucas’s stepmother and couldn’t make any decisions for Gray Corp. The “black baby” incident orchestrated by my father and sister was indeed a good strategy. It could both throw Lucas off balance and allow Zack to take over smoothly. But how innocent were my son and I! He was so young that when he fell into the sea, he was pushed down by the waves without even a chance to struggle. How pitiful that all three of us died unjustly! After Lucas calmed down, he decided to play along with their plan. It would be a shame not to take advantage of such a perfect scheme. So he took me abroad in secret, arranged for a professional medical team, and induced my baby early. When I was lying on the bed writhing in pain after the induction, Lucas was so distressed he almost cried. “Lily, I’ve let you down.” Soon, I gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Lucas spent a fortune to put him in an incubator. When we returned to the country, I kissed him over and over again, reluctant to part. This was the child I had given birth to, not some illegitimate child. Originally, my sister and I were due on the same day, but now that I had already given birth to a healthy child, there was no chance for them to swap babies. How would my sister face the Gray family’s expectations now? When the time came, it wouldn’t be me who would be driven out of the Gray family! Thinking of this, I couldn’t help but smile. Perhaps because of the slaps from the bodyguard, my sister suddenly clutched her belly and started wailing. Her water broke, trickling down intermittently. My father hurried to support her, shouting heartrendingly, “Doctor! We need a doctor! My daughter is in labor!” Watching my sister being carried away on a stretcher, I exchanged a glance with Lucas and immediately clutched my own belly. “Oh no, I’m in labor too!” Lucas pretended to panic and carried me in his arms, rushing me to the delivery room as well. Two hours later, my father came to my hospital room carrying a swaddled infant. He rudely ordered me, “You have everything. You should give up the position of the Gray family heir to your sister.” “You owe her this!” I couldn’t help but want to laugh. Back then, it was he who had an affair and fathered an illegitimate daughter, not daring to bring her home, making her suffer. How could this be blamed on me? “What if I refuse?” I asked. My father’s gaze turned vicious as he gritted out a threat, “Then don’t blame me!” “Blame you for what?” My best friend pushed open the door, looking at my father’s stunned figure with a half-smile. “Uncle, you really are a good father, staying by your daughter’s side at a time like this.” After saying this, she quickly ushered in the bejeweled socialites behind her. “See, I told you Mrs. Gray was fine. It’s just childbirth after all.” The wealthy ladies crowded into the room, each offering unique congratulations, their faces full of flattery. One of them reached out to take the baby from my father’s arms. “This must be the second Mrs. Gray’s child, so quiet and well-behaved.” My father sneered and held the baby high. “This is Lily’s child!” The socialite kept smiling. “Miss Chen’s child must be extraordinary.” “After all, Mr. Gray…” As her eyes swept over the child, she suddenly screamed. “What is this!” “Why is it black!” “Miss Chen! Whose child is this?!”

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I married the young, handsome billionaire, but on our wedding night, he didn’t touch me. He said, “I want to save our precious first time for the most beautiful day.” But even after more than ten years of marriage, my husband still hadn’t touched me once. I initially thought he had some embarrassing medical issue and spent years helping him seek treatment, but to no avail. It wasn’t until I saw Derek Starr in Hawaii, arm-in-arm with my sister, surrounded by a pair of twins who were the spitting image of him and called him “Daddy,” that I finally woke up from my delusion. He didn’t have any problems at all. He just wasn’t interested in me. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day I was about to join the wealthy Starr family. I saw the pink roses that Derek had planted for Sophia, filling the entire living room and our marital bedroom. But he didn’t know that this time, I was going to marry his uncle instead. The moment the text message was delivered, the phone rang. The voice on the other end was filled with barely contained magnetic joy: “Good, uncle wants to marry you too.”

On the day we set the wedding date, I ran into Derek at a bar. His friends saw me suddenly appear and their faces were full of disdain and mockery: “Oh look, Young Master Starr, your little crybaby stalker has followed you here!” “Mrs. Starr-to-be, the news of your engagement to the Starr family is all over social media. Why are you still keeping such a close eye on him? We’re throwing one last bachelor party for Derek here – are you trying to ruin it?” When Derek looked up and saw it was me, he angrily downed his drink in one gulp. “Lily Frost, are you really that desperate to throw yourself at me? You sent over the dowry without my consent, and now the whole world knows you’re about to become Mrs. Starr. You’re quite the schemer, aren’t you?” His look of disgust made my heart skip a beat. After a moment, I calmly replied: “The person I’m marrying isn’t you, so why would I need your consent?” As soon as I said this, the whole place erupted in laughter. Derek’s buddies were laughing so hard they had tears in their eyes. They urged him: “Derek, you’d better comfort your little wife here, or she might start crying and making a scene to get sympathy again!” Derek frowned: “Where did you learn to play hard to get? Let me tell you, Lily Frost, that trick won’t work on me.” “You’ve set the wedding date with my family, who else could you possibly be marrying if not me? My father?” “Besides, you’ve been following me around like a lovesick puppy since elementary school. Who would believe you’re marrying someone else?” He walked over and stroked my messy hair in a seemingly affectionate gesture, but his grip was painfully tight. “I’ll let the unauthorized engagement slide, but listen carefully – I can go through with a wedding ceremony for show… but don’t even think about me touching you!” He leaned in close to my ear and lowered his voice: “If you don’t want to live as a lonely wife, you’d better wise up and get lost. I’ll only have children with someone I truly love!” Hearing this, I frowned slightly. In my past life, Derek had indeed obediently followed his family’s arrangements and quickly married me. Could it be… that he had been reborn too? Before I could further analyze the information hidden in his words, my sister Sophia suddenly appeared at the door. Seeing Derek’s intimate behavior next to me, Sophia’s eyes suddenly welled up with tears as she covered her mouth. “Derek, I heard you’re going to marry my sister. Even though we’ll be family soon, I didn’t bring any gifts. I just wish you eternal happiness!” With that, Sophia ran out crying as if escaping for her life. “Lily Frost, are you fucking satisfied now?” Derek pointed at me, fuming with anger, then stormed out without looking back. Chapter

Half an hour later, Sophia was led back in by Derek, holding his hand. She walked with a limp, and there were obvious signs of tearing on the stockings on her inner thighs. Everyone looked at me with schadenfreude, waiting for me to make a scene. Because in the past, I would have inevitably cried my heart out in this situation, drawing attention to myself. Derek pulled Sophia behind him protectively, his expression seeming to anticipate the drama as well. However, several minutes passed, and I remained calm, slowly swirling the drink in my hand. Derek was a bit surprised. After a moment, he let out a cold laugh: “Well, well, looks like you’ve grown up and aren’t making a fuss like before!” I couldn’t be bothered to watch him make a fool of himself, so I picked up my bag to leave, but he grabbed me: “You’ve been drinking, it’s late. Don’t go wandering around alone – I can’t have you getting picked up by some stranger and embarrassing me!” Since someone was offering to take me home, I naturally didn’t refuse. When I tried to walk towards the back seat, Derek quickly blocked the front passenger door. “Sit in the back.” He then helped Sophia into the front passenger seat. “Derek is worried I’ll get carsick. You won’t be petty about this, will you, sis?” Sophia’s tone was apologetic, but her expression was smug as she looked at me. I sat quietly in the back seat, not saying a word. Thinking I was so weak, she became even more unbridled. Taking advantage of the traffic jam ahead, Sophia took off her shoes and propped her long, slender legs up on the steering wheel. “My legs hurt so much. Derek, your hands are so big and strong. Sophia loves it when you massage my legs.” Seeing the beautiful feet in front of him, Derek froze, his breathing becoming heavy. The next second, Derek suddenly looked back at the rear seat, as if just remembering I was in the car too. “Don’t hold back on my account. We’re all going to be family soon, no need to be shy around me.” Seeing me looking out at the night scenery nonchalantly, his expression faltered, and he gently put Sophia’s feet down. The car pulled up in front of my building first. After I got out and headed straight upstairs, Derek chased after me. He pulled out a diamond ring and handed it to me: “You’re still my fiancée in name, so consider this ring a compensation from me.” Seeing that I didn’t take it, Derek took a deep breath and continued trying to persuade me. “That’s enough, you’ve embarrassed me so much tonight. How am I supposed to face others in the future?” “As long as you don’t make trouble, I’ll make sure you keep your position as Mrs. Starr securely. There will be plenty of benefits for you in the future.” I took the ring and tried it on, finding it a size too big. I looked up and asked: “So who’s the real Mrs. Starr you’re going to have children with? Sophia, right?” Derek suddenly became angry, but his expression also held a hint of smug satisfaction. “So you knew all along. I’m warning you, you absolutely cannot breathe a word of this to our parents!” “Sophia and I are meant to be together! She’s pure and kind, not scheming like you. If you dare to make her cry again like tonight, be careful or you’ll end up with nothing!” I laughed. He was clearly the one who was cowardly and afraid to tell his family his true wishes, yet somehow I had become the schemer standing in the way. I ignored him and turned to go upstairs. Just as I was about to go to sleep after showering, I received a video from Sophia. In the video, Derek was lovingly and carefully helping her put on an even larger diamond ring. “This one suits my beloved Sophia much better. That outdated piece of junk from earlier – I threw it away.” When things got heated, the two of them fell onto the bed in a tight embrace. The screen went black, but unmistakable sounds could still be heard. At the end, Sophia sent me a string of text messages like a victor: [Be content, sister. Even though you’re getting my leftovers, not many people can compare to this life of luxury.] [For the rest of your life, just keep playing your role well. We won’t mistreat you.] Chapter

So Sophia had been reborn too. No wonder in my past life, she and Derek had no apparent connection on the surface, yet they had secretly been carrying on behind the scenes. I suppose they had already confessed their feelings to each other and were looking to rekindle their relationship in this life. I lowered my eyes, remembering how after I married into the Starr family in my past life, Starr Industries suddenly took off, not only securing endless contracts but also going public on NASDAQ. The Starr family elders all praised me for bringing good fortune to my husband, and treated me like their own daughter. So even though Derek and I never had children of our own, I always thought I was happy, until I later discovered the truth. My mother called to tell me that Harrison Moon was about to return to the country. I was a bit surprised, because in my past life, Derek’s uncle, who was only ten years older than him, never married. I hadn’t expected our arranged marriage to progress so smoothly. I only vaguely remembered him as a stern elder who rarely smiled. When I was little, every time Derek bullied me to tears, he would patiently hand me tissues. Then a few days later, Derek would sport bruises and be on his best behavior towards me for a while. I had thought our relationship was simply that of an elder and a junior, nothing more. Until in my past life, after I accidentally discovered Sophia and Derek’s family of three and died from falling into water in shock. At my funeral, I saw Harrison Moon with bloodshot eyes, pinning Derek to the ground and beating him over and over again. Only then did I realize that his feelings for me had unknowingly sprouted long ago. The next day, I arrived early at my clothing workshop in the company to modify the design of my wedding dress. Ever since I started studying fashion design in college, I had been working on designing my wedding dress. Except back then, the person I wanted to marry with all my heart was Derek. From the style to the accessories, everything had to be according to his preferences, without any of my own ideas. In this life, I could finally wear the wedding dress I truly wanted, to marry someone else. I hadn’t rested well for several days. After finishing the dress, I slept for a day and a night. When I woke up, I saw Sophia’s social media post. In the photo, my newly altered wedding dress had its skirt cut off, turned into a short dress worn on her body as she coquettishly posed in Derek’s arms with her legs raised. [Derek knew I was doing a photoshoot, so he specially brought this for me~ It feels so good to be loved!] I rushed to the photo studio in disbelief. Sophia and Derek were resting, while my wedding dress was crumpled into a ball and tossed on the ground like garbage. “How dare you touch my wedding dress and deliberately ruin it!” Seeing me, Sophia immediately put on an act of being scared and started crying. “Derek… Did I make my sister angry? Why does she look like she wants to hit me?” Derek pulled her behind him protectively. “Lily Frost, it’s just a dress! You were going to wear it for me to see anyway, so what’s wrong with letting Sophia wear it for a photoshoot?!” “Besides, I don’t even like this style. You might as well make a new one! Don’t make such a big deal out of nothing!” I could hardly believe his shamelessness. “Stop being so full of yourself! This is the wedding dress I made for myself!” Derek shook his head and sneered, “That’s enough, Lily Frost. Isn’t our wedding basically our wedding? I’ve already agreed to marry you, don’t push your luck here!” I grabbed the Zippo lighter from the coffee table and flicked it open. Sophia thought I was going to burn her alive and hid behind Derek in terror, her face pale with fright. “Derek Starr, open your eyes wide and watch carefully! I won’t keep anything that’s been dirtied! And I certainly won’t stoop so low as to marry a man who has hurt me countless times!” I picked up the ruined wedding dress, set it on fire, and tossed it into the air before turning to leave. Seeing my resolute attitude, Derek was caught off guard. In the past, no matter how much I cried and made a fuss, I would always give in first. He had never seen me act like this before. He instinctively wanted to stop me, but Sophia’s exaggerated, affected voice rang out at the wrong moment. “Sophia is so scared, my heart is racing… But it’s okay, Derek, don’t worry about me. It’s all my fault, you should go after my sister…” Derek hesitated for a moment, then looked at my retreating figure and snorted coldly: “Who are you trying to impress?! Lily Frost, you said it yourself – even if you strip naked and kneel on the ground begging me later, I won’t marry you!”

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Graduation felt like it led straight to unemployment. To make ends meet, I decided to alter my educational background to show I only finished middle school and entered the housekeeping industry. On my first day, I unexpectedly witnessed what could be described as a high-society family drama. The 9-year-old daughter, attempting to frame her 6-year-old brother, actually jumped off the stairs… 1 Her little scheme, naturally, didn’t succeed. Besides me, the surveillance cameras captured everything clearly. The young lady was fighting with her brother over something, couldn’t get her way, and ended up falling down the stairs herself. As a result, her mother, my employer, left her in the hospital without even visiting. The other maids in the house, disliking her behavior, pushed the responsibility of caring for her onto me. I hadn’t even moved into my dormitory yet and was already staying at the hospital. She cried from evening until morning, making my head throb. I wanted to give up, but my financial situation said otherwise. If I left now, finding another job as good as this one would be impossible. Free meals and lodging with a good salary. At least, at least I should stay until my debts are paid off. I had to figure out a way to mingle with the other maids and gather some information. “I’ve never seen such a troublesome child. When her brother enters her room, she burns it down to blame him.” “Her dad brought cookies from abroad, and when her brother unknowingly ate them first, she almost strangled him.” “She can’t stand it when her parents praise her brother. Whenever they do, she hits him.” “Back in our hometown, a girl like that would have been dealt with harshly.” These comments made me uncomfortable. Suddenly, a voice came from behind me: “So what if I’m that vicious person?” I was so startled that I dropped my phone and turned around to find her standing behind me, eyes swollen from crying and glaring at me. She tried to kick me: “You, a mere servant, dare to gossip about me behind my back.” “Believe it or not, I can have you fired.” I managed to dodge her kick just in time. But she slipped and fell. Suddenly, her cries were deafening. I quickly helped her up, holding her gently to calm her down. I thought she’d make an even bigger scene. But she calmed down unexpectedly. I looked down in surprise to see her snuggling in my arms, looking very docile. When she noticed my gaze, she looked up and met my eyes. She immediately looked down. Then she reacted and shouted fiercely at me: “What are you looking at?” “Believe it or not, I’ll gouge your eyes out.” Why is such a young girl learning lines from TV shows? I found it a bit amusing and carried her back to the ward, pressing the call button to get a doctor to check her. The good news was she wasn’t seriously hurt. The bad news was she claimed to be in pain and insisted I massage her, or she’d report it to the family. When Mrs. Taylor came to deliver food, she saw me massaging her leg. My hands were sore, alternating between my left and right hands. One hand massaging, the other shaking. Mrs. Taylor set the food down and gave me a look. I made an excuse to wash the dishes and met Mrs. Taylor outside. Mrs. Taylor immediately said with a disdainful expression: “If you hold her like this now, she’ll make a fuss if you don’t hold her next time.” I found it a bit strange. But I didn’t agree with Mrs. Taylor, just gently refuted: “Kids need affection, right?” 2 It didn’t seem like a big deal. But Mrs. Taylor gave me a knowing look, said nothing, and left. I was completely confused. I decided not to take Mrs. Taylor’s words to heart. As long as I appeared conscientious in front of others, that was enough. I returned to the ward to feed the young lady. She was indeed quite picky. Not only did she want me to feed her, but she also nitpicked: “Oh, I don’t eat onions.” “Why aren’t there any drumsticks? Asher must have eaten them.” “I’ll give him a piece of my mind when I get back.” I coaxed her while feeding her: “Then you can’t be picky.” “A balanced diet will make you strong enough to stand up to your brother.” Hearing this, she widened her eyes at me: “Aren’t you advising me to let Asher off the hook?” I looked innocent: “Why should you let him?” She frowned: “Everyone says it’s because I’m the older sister.” With an indignant look on her face, she said: “Why?” “Yeah, why?” I guided her: “You’re a few years older than him and will always be.” “Does that mean you have to let him have his way forever?” Hearing this, she got interested, looking at me with shining eyes: “Not bad, not bad, I like you.” “From now on, you’re on my side.” I found it amusing; she’s just a kid. I figured out how to handle her. As long as I hug her, tell her fairy tales, and agree with her. This young lady isn’t so hard to please. After three days in the hospital, the doctor confirmed she didn’t have a concussion and issued a discharge notice. I took her home, where there was an invisible hostility towards her arrival. Her mother frowned when she saw her, turned around, and left with her younger son. Other maids whispered when they saw her. Their eyes were full of undisguised disdain and disgust. Just as she was about to throw her toy at someone, I quickly grabbed her hand. I squatted down and gently advised: “Don’t you love the little rabbit?” “If you throw the rabbit, it will get hurt.” Hearing this, she quickly hugged the rabbit, stroking it continuously. I sighed inwardly, feeling sorry for her and worried she’d cause trouble and implicate me. I heard that whenever she caused trouble, a maid would be fired. I took her to her room. Because she previously burned her own room, she now lived in a narrow, windowless utility room. There was no light, and it had a strange smell. No exaggeration, my dorm was much better. Oddly, she showed no discomfort but placed her rabbit toy on the bed. Carefully covering the rabbit with a blanket. I opened my suitcase and tidied up her room. A voice came from above, sounding uneasy: “This is my mom’s punishment for burning the room.” “When she calms down, she’ll let me move back to my original room.” “She doesn’t dislike me.” I looked up at the little girl. She tried to act indifferent, not looking at me. But she was gripping the blanket tightly. I pretended not to see her stubbornness, casually saying: “Yeah, yeah, as long as you know it was wrong.” “Burning the room is dangerous. If something happened to you, how would your mom cope?” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her sigh in relief. I think she also needed someone to affirm that her mom loved her, right? 3 The dark and damp room was really not suitable for living. Even though I cleaned it three times a day and used all sorts of effective pest control products, she always had some bug bites on her. Her fair skin was covered in red, swollen marks, with blood faintly visible beneath. I advised her: “How about you sleep with me at night?” “Staying in the employee dorm, you’re still being punished.” She was obviously tempted, but she stubbornly shook her head: “No, I have to let mom calm down.” “If I go to you, mom might think I’m disobedient.” Just then, Mrs. Johnson passed by, clicking her tongue disdainfully: “If she’s so obedient, why does she always anger her mom and hit her brother?” The little girl bit her lip, a look of grievance appearing on her face. Just as anger appeared on her face, I quickly scolded Mrs. Johnson: “Mrs. Johnson, we’re just workers here; it’s not our place to meddle in the family’s affairs, right?” “Mr. and Mrs. don’t like us pointing fingers at their family matters, do they?” Mrs. Johnson snorted from her nose and swayed away. I turned back to the little girl, seeing her eyebrows knitted together, tears welling up in her eyes. “I really want to listen to mom.” “But I really, really don’t want to…” I hugged her, holding her tightly, telling her: “You did nothing wrong.” “My young lady is a very obedient and well-behaved child.” “It’s them who are unfair, always forcing you to give up your rights.” Her actions were indeed excessive. But a little girl, not wanting her brother in her room, had to resort to burning the room. She had to use the threat of strangling her brother to gain the right to share food equally. The ones at fault are clearly the parents. I’m just a housekeeper and can’t possibly criticize my employers. I can only do my best to make her life better. Decorating her room. Changing her night light to the cutest little rabbit. Placing jasmine flowers so she can sleep with the fragrance… Thunder roared in the middle of the night, and the temperature plummeted. Awoken by the noise, I saw a shadowy figure in the room. I screamed in fright. The figure screamed too. I turned on the night light. The little girl was holding a pillow, looking at me, wearing a thin nightgown, her face pale from the cold. I quickly got up, pulled her into bed, and wrapped her tightly in the blanket: “What’s wrong?” “Why didn’t you wear a coat? What if you catch a cold?” I couldn’t help but scold her. She sniffled and told me: “The noise is so loud, I’m scared.” Place some jasmine flowers by her bed so she can fall asleep with their comforting fragrance… In the middle of the night, thunder roared, and the temperature plummeted. The noise woke me up, and I saw a dark figure in the room. Startled, I screamed. The figure screamed as well.

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Boyfriend said he never traveled as a child. I secretly researched travel guides, hoping to share the experience with him. But I unexpectedly discovered his travel account. It turns out he’s a travel blogger with millions of followers. And he’s a couple’s blogger at that. In every video, he’s closely accompanied by his childhood sweetheart, inseparable. His latest video? They’re getting married in three days. In the video, the girl lifts her skirt and runs hand in hand with the guy at dusk. It’s truly passionate and bold. They end up showing a wedding invitation with blissful faces. The invitation says their wedding is in three days, and they will livestream it, inviting all their fans to witness their beautiful moment. The names on the invitation are Jasper and Adeline. The video ends, and the next one auto-plays. They’re visiting famous landmarks. Their account has over a thousand videos, all capturing their beautiful travels together. I stare at the screen, unable to believe my eyes. The Jasper on the invitation is my boyfriend of five years, and Adeline is his childhood friend. Jasper always told me he didn’t like traveling. He said his poor childhood made travel seem unattainable, like a luxury. So for five years, we never traveled, rarely even went out. Once, I wanted to help him get over it and secretly planned for a long time. When he found out, he got furious: “If you want to play, go to an amusement park yourself. Why force me to travel with you? Don’t you ever think about what I want?” I apologized, holding my torn notes, and swore never to bring it up again. But a week ago, I overheard Jasper talking to a friend on the phone. He said he was going to the seaside and asked for recommendations. My heart raced, thinking it was a surprise for me. I happily cooked a feast, opened wine, and bought gifts, waiting for him to announce the good news. But he didn’t even look at me. Just said, “I’m going on a business trip,” and left with his luggage. Now, in the video, they’re embracing by the sea. I finally understand. It’s not that he doesn’t like traveling; he just doesn’t want to travel with me. I obsessively click through all their videos. Jasper talks about those places so fluently and calmly, detailing the history and culture more thoroughly than my week-long research. He doesn’t seem like someone who has a grudge against traveling. The pain stabs my chest, making it hard to breathe. I scroll through quickly. The earlier videos are crude, their outfits less refined, showing the long time span. The first video was posted five years ago, when we just got together. They both look a bit young and innocent. I even remember the first time I met them. Adeline shyly introduced herself in Jasper’s arms, “Hi, I’m Adeline, and this is Jasper.” Jasper smiled and recited a poem: “Old memories often thought of, finally often seen.” It’s a poem made with their names. But what about me? What am I? With trembling hands, I want to forward the video to Jasper and ask why he did this. But then I hear a click. The door opens, and Jasper is home.

He walks in cheerfully, smiling from ear to ear. As if he just experienced something wonderful. “Sorry, Cora, I have to go on a business trip during the holiday again. Can’t be with you.” “Our boss just loves using me for everything, doesn’t even let me spend time with you.” “Help me pack, we need to leave soon.” I scrutinize his expression. Calm and composed, no hint of guilt for lying to me. He’s even urging me to pack his luggage. “Cora, do you remember where you put the suit you bought me last year? I can’t find it.” “And pick a few ties for me, I’ll need them for work.” A strong wave of nausea surges in me, like a tide ready to swallow me whole. He’s going to wear the clothes I bought, with ties I chose, to marry Adeline. For a moment, I don’t know whether I’m more pitiful or Adeline is. Seeing my cold expression, Jasper thinks I’m upset about him leaving, throwing a little tantrum. He sighs, softening his tone slightly, “Cora, be good. I don’t want to leave, but work is important. I’ll be back soon.” His lame excuse makes me want to laugh. I push him away. Jasper’s job is a cultural relics restorer, often going to remote places for large restoration projects. I used to complain about this and his boss. Now, it seems I misjudged. Seeing me still cold, Jasper loses patience, frowning, “Adeline and I are just friends. Do you have to nitpick over something so small?” “It’s been so long, and you still doubt us?” He didn’t need to remind me. A month ago, Jasper said he was on a work trip restoring ancient buildings. That night, I heard there was a landslide, and everyone was out of contact. I immediately bought the nearest flight, worried sick. When I got there, I found Jasper comforting Adeline, who was nestled in his arms. Her eyes were wet, yet there was a challenging glint in them. That led to our most intense fight in five years. Jasper downplayed it, saying they just ran into each other. His colleagues vouched for him, “We can testify, Jasper was just comforting her. Don’t overthink it.” But secretly, I’ve seen them giving Jasper and Adeline knowing looks, as if guarding a shared secret. Since then, Jasper and I have been in a cold war, still ongoing. Jasper sees me silent, compromising, “Cora, I want to be with you, but my job doesn’t allow it. Work is important, you understand, right?” I grip my phone, itching to open their account and ask if this is his idea of work. But reason suppresses the urge. I will expose them, but not here. I’ll do it at their wedding. I’ll lay bare all their past, in front of everyone important to them. I won’t take this lying down.

After Jasper leaves, I start gathering evidence. I make a PowerPoint from our entire history since Jasper pursued me, saved on a USB. Then I mark all his business trip dates against their video uploads. They completely overlap. In the past five years, about 80% of Jasper’s trips were romantic getaways with Adeline. After finishing, there’s one day left before their wedding. I book a stylist for an at-home trial. We choose a black dress. Its sleek cut is sharp, the skirt flaring slightly, like a rose blooming at night. Bright yet dangerous. During my makeup trial, Jasper video calls, checking in as usual. Seeing my look, he’s a bit surprised, “Didn’t you always like a casual style? Why so sharp today?” I answer calmly, “I’m supporting a friend tomorrow, need something to hold its ground. This outfit is perfect. Do you think I look good?” Jasper smiles genuinely, “You look great, my dear looks good in anything.” I smile back. Hope he can say the same tomorrow. Based on the invitation from the video, I locate their wedding hotel. There’s traffic. By the time I arrive, it’s packed. They’ve put a lot into this wedding, inviting not just family and friends, but loads of fellow bloggers and fans. Cameras are set up everywhere, seems they want to record this beautiful moment forever. I smirk, brushing my hair back, and stride in. This wedding is worth recording. I’ll give them an unforgettable surprise. I pay $250 for a gift, then find an inconspicuous corner to sit. Maybe my makeup is too striking, people keep glancing my way, whispering nonstop. The murmurs grow louder, loud enough for Jasper, busy helping Adeline with her dress, to look my way. The moment our eyes meet, his face turns pale. He drops Adeline and rushes over, panicked, “Cora, why are you here? Let me explain, it’s not what you think.” I don’t answer, instead slowly rising and twirling in my dress, “Jasper, you said you liked this yesterday, still like it today?” He bites his lip, nervous, whispering, “You’re mistaken, Adeline and I are nothing. I’m not marrying her.” “She’s a signed influencer with a short video company, I’m just helping her film, there’s nothing between us.” He hurriedly pulls out his phone to show me. The account’s real name is Adeline’s. It’s not his. But what does that prove? I didn’t respond. Instead, I lifted my dress and slowly twirled around. “Jasper, you said you liked this outfit yesterday. Do you still like it today?” He bit his lip, looking tense, and whispered, “You’ve got it wrong. There’s nothing between Adeline and me. I didn’t marry her.”

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Every time my sugar daddy husband spent the night at his female assistant’s place, he would gift me a building. In the two years since our marriage, I had acquired 96 commercial properties scattered throughout the city. It also meant that the man had hurt me 96 times. When the 97th property deed was handed to me, his assistant immediately sent me a gloating video. “So what if Nathan gives you money? I’ve got his heart and body. You may be a supermodel, but you can’t even get your own husband to sleep with you, can you?” I didn’t argue with her. Instead, I graciously sent her a set of new Victoria’s Secret lingerie from my latest runway show. When my husband found out about my generous gift, he rewarded me by allowing me to accompany him to a high-society party. During a party game, his assistant lost three times in a row and was dared to lick whipped cream off a playboy’s thigh. She smashed a bottle and held it to her neck, swearing, “Nathan, I’d rather die than let anyone humiliate me like this!” My usually cold-hearted husband suddenly panicked and begged me to take the punishment in his assistant’s place. “It’s just licking some cream. I promise I’ll spend time with you properly after this.” Everyone was waiting to see me make a fool of myself, but I calmly agreed without making a fuss. He didn’t know that this was the 97th time he had hurt me. And I no longer wanted to be his caged bird. I was just waiting to repay the life debt for saving me, and then we would have no more connection.

“Well, well, looks like the supermodel agreed to lick it after all? Nathan sure knows how to handle women!” “What if she doesn’t lick the cream? Are they really going to make Lauren do it? She’s Nathan’s true love!” The mocking laughter around me was deafening, and I felt utterly humiliated standing there. Amidst this nauseating display of arrogance, Nathan crouched in front of Lauren, carefully placing a band-aid on her neck. Then he turned to me with cold eyes: “Sophia, don’t try anything clever. Lauren’s waiting for you to finish so we can continue the game.” Lauren, Lauren… He only cared about Lauren, never once asking if I was willing. He had completely forgotten that I was his wife. He had also forgotten that just a few days ago, I had miscarried because of her, and I was barely able to stand here today. Seeing me hesitate, someone suddenly pushed me: “What are you standing there for? Go lick it! Don’t tell me you’re backing out now?” I stumbled but managed to steady myself. When I looked at Nathan again, his eyes were completely focused on Lauren. “96 times. This is the ninety-sixth time,” I counted silently in my head as I stiffly walked towards the man with whipped cream on his leg, a notorious playboy in our circle. Just as I bent down to kneel, the playboy suddenly grabbed my chin. He looked at Lauren and said, “Miss Lauren, this isn’t right. She lost to me three times. Licking once isn’t enough.” “How about we play ‘stuff the egg’? If you can persuade her to do it, I’ll forget about the punishment.” Stuff the egg? What’s that?! An unnamed fear suddenly surged through me, and I quickly looked towards Nathan. But in the next second, Lauren was already pleading with Nathan, clinging to his arm and pouting: “Nathan, it’s just a dare. Can’t you let your sister-in-law agree just this once?” Seeing Lauren’s small body trembling, Nathan was left with nothing but pity. He looked at me intently: “Sophia, you were willing to lick the cream. So you wouldn’t mind taking on another dare for Lauren, right?” “Yay! Thank you, Nathan!” Lauren jumped up happily, her face full of smugness. Watching Nathan gently pat Lauren’s head with a doting expression, I couldn’t help but laugh at that moment. My dignity had been trampled on, and I had become nothing more than a toy for them to torment and play with. Nathan, how could you be so heartless? How could you still want me to participate in some kind of performance art and be humiliated for her sake? Oh, right, I almost forgot. Lauren was his unattainable moon. He had pursued her for years without success, and then they were separated by their families. Lauren had left the country overnight. Now that he finally had her, of course he would pamper and indulge her every whim. How could I possibly compete? Suppressing the bitterness in my heart, I spoke stiffly: “Can that count as one forgiveness voucher?” Forgiveness voucher? The crowd laughed at my strange request, but Nathan put down the hand that had been pampering Lauren and suddenly looked at me. He knew what I was talking about. After a moment, he nodded: “It counts!” I smiled bitterly: “Alright, I agree.” Eight years ago, when I had just entered the modeling world, I was targeted by a big boss and confined on an island. Along with other girls, I became a tool for men to use at their business gatherings. I was lucky. Nathan was the first man I encountered, and he fell in love with me at first sight. For my sake, he took over those men’s businesses, sent them to prison, and saved my life. Later, I found out that it was because my features strongly resembled Lauren’s. On the night I was rescued, I asked him how I could repay this debt of gratitude. His eyes were sincere: “Then marry me.” I pinched him: “I’m serious.” His breathing became ragged as he entangled with me and said: “Then… give me 99 forgiveness vouchers.” “Forgiveness vouchers?” I curiously clung to his body, not understanding. At that moment, he smiled: “Silly girl, if – and I’m just saying if – if one day I hurt you 99 times, I’ll use these vouchers to make you forgive me 99 times. Once the vouchers are used up, this debt will be settled.” For the next five years, he poured resources into making me a supermodel and loved me like a precious jewel. Until two months ago, when Lauren returned to the country. Everything changed. Now it was the 97th time. Just two more times, and my debt would be repaid. We would have no more connection. Seeing Nathan agree, the playboy took me into his private room, a dimly lit chamber covered in silk. The table was full of hard-boiled eggs, and on the floor lay two or three women with disheveled clothes, a rotten smell emanating from beneath them. A chill ran down my spine as I realized with horror what Lauren meant by “stuffing eggs” – they were going to insert them into my private parts. Nathan, who had followed us in, suddenly narrowed his eyes and turned to ask Lauren: “Wasn’t this supposed to be about eating eggs? What’s going on here?” But Lauren ignored him and pushed me forward. “Mr. Seven, Miss Sophia used to be a dancer. I’m sure her flexibility will satisfy you.” “Don’t you want to try it yourself? Push your limits?” As Lauren finished speaking, I was already trembling in terror. I immediately looked to Nathan for help. At least I was still his wife. He had loved me once. Although he had tormented me a lot for Lauren’s sake, he surely wouldn’t hand me over to a pervert to be tortured, right? But to my surprise, Nathan walked to the bar, poured a glass of wine, and shoved it into my hand. “Why don’t you toast Mr. Seven first to liven things up?” Liven things up? Did he want me to entertain them? He… actually agreed? In a daze, I saw Lauren give me a sinister smile. “Sister! Didn’t you hear what Nathan said?” Just as I was looking at Lauren, not knowing what to do, she suddenly kicked me in the knee. In an instant, I lost my balance, and the wine in my hand spilled on the playboy’s face. Then I fell onto the shattered glass, immediately cutting several bloody gashes on my arm. My eyes met the distorted, pale face of the woman on the floor. Lauren’s shrill accusations rang in my ears: “Sister, if you didn’t want to toast, you could have just said so. There’s no need to pretend to be crazy to anger Mr. Seven. Is this how you act as Nathan’s wife? Are you trying to embarrass Nathan?” The playboy’s expression froze for a moment, then he suddenly realized something and stared at me with wide eyes: “You… you’re Nathan’s legendary wife?” I said nothing, just sat on the ground, my body and heart aching almost to the point of suffocation. The playboy reached out to grab my arm, but Nathan immediately seized his wrist. Nathan glanced at my blood-covered face, his eyes suddenly turning gloomy. He gritted his teeth as he looked at the playboy: “Get out!” The playboy was intimidated and had to leave, grumbling under his breath. “Nathan! Are you crazy? If I had known she was your psycho wife, I wouldn’t have touched her!” As the playboy disappeared, I got up to leave, but my arm was once again gripped by a large hand. “Sophia, aren’t you happy now that you don’t have to be punished? Did those two years on the island not teach you how to behave? You only had to toast a drink, and this would have been over. Why did you have to act crazy? You knew that when I asked you to toast, I was trying to end this, didn’t you? Are you that clueless?” Looking at the angry Nathan, I responded with bloodshot eyes. This time, I finally didn’t hold back and retorted: “Nathan! I’m your wife. If you had just made my identity clear, this would have been over just the same.” My words were clear. It was him, he was the one who wanted to play with my vanity to protect Lauren’s face, which is why he never said anything. Caught off guard by my revelation, Nathan felt a bit guilty. Lauren, seeing this, wanted to defend him. But Nathan frowned and spoke up to stop her: “Enough! Shut up and wait for me in the car.” After her footsteps faded away, he sighed: “I’m sorry, but I still need to explain. I really didn’t know what ‘stuffing eggs’ meant. If I had known, I wouldn’t have agreed from the start.” “As for Lauren, I hope you can understand. After all, she just came back to the country and saw that I was marr-” Nathan stopped abruptly, but I could still guess what he was going to say. He wanted to say that Lauren was in a bad mood because she found out he was married, so she deliberately gave me a hard time, and he wanted me to forgive her. Our eyes met, and Nathan seemed to understand the mockery in mine. He sighed again. “Alright, I see you’re hurt. I’ll have the driver take you to the hospital. Lauren’s not in a good state, so I need to check on her. We’ll talk about this when I get back.” Without waiting for my response, he added: “Although you didn’t complete the task, I’ll allow you to count this as one forgiveness voucher.” With that, he turned and left. Watching his retreating figure, I touched my still-bleeding forehead and burst into laughter. But I didn’t care anymore. Just two more times, and once I’ve repaid my debt, I’ll leave. From now on, I won’t suffer his mistreatment anymore.

It was late at night when the driver sent me home. Nathan hadn’t returned, and I didn’t bother to ask. The next day, his assistant brought his gift: two commercial property deeds. He specifically emphasized that one was compensation for forcing me to lick the cream, and the other was an apology for the egg incident. Expressionless, I labeled the deeds with numbers 96 and 97, then carelessly stuffed them into the safe. The maid beside me smiled fondly: “Mr. Nathan really dotes on you, ma’am. He’s been giving gifts more and more frequently.” I smiled without saying a word. She didn’t know that these were just Nathan’s compensations after hurting me each time. Looking at the safe full of property deeds, I knew I would be able to leave soon. But before I left, I just wanted to take one camera with me. It contained things I had to destroy. Nathan was very exploratory when it came to intimate matters, and in the heat of the moment, he would sometimes impulsively record our encounters with a camera. In the past, those videos were just marital intimacy. But now, I didn’t want them to remain. After all, if the videos were leaked, I would be ruined. However, after searching every corner of the room, I couldn’t find that camera. Just as I was about to search again, my agent called, yelling angrily: “Sophia, are you crazy? Look at the internet! Your private photos are everywhere! How dare you accompany other sugar daddies behind Nathan’s back? If you want to die, don’t drag our whole company down with you!” In an instant, my mind exploded, only hearing my agent’s words: “You’d better give me an explanation for the videos online right now! And for Nathan’s fury, or we’ll haunt you even as ghosts!” The call was hung up, and I quickly opened my phone. I saw that the top trending topic was my private video. With bold, explosive text: [Supermodel Sophia Sleeps Her Way to the Top] In it, Nathan’s face was blurred, while mine was clearly visible in the center, flushed with desire. Millions of netizens were online hurling abuse, calling me a slut who slept with multiple sugar daddies for resources, a woman who would sleep with anyone. My legs gave way, and I collapsed to the ground. But in the last moment before I lost strength, I was suddenly caught in Nathan’s strong embrace. “Don’t look at those things. It’s okay, I’ll handle it. Trust me!” The comforting words had barely left his ears when he turned, his face cold, and roared at the room full of people. “Who did this! Tell me! Who did this!” Seeing his unprecedented fury, my eyes suddenly stung with tears. But at the same time, Lauren’s casual voice came from nearby: “Nathan, you mean the videos? I uploaded them!” The arm around my waist suddenly tightened. Nathan and I both looked at Lauren. “Don’t look at me like that! I just happened to see them and thought sister’s body was too amazing to be seen by only you, Nathan. So I took the initiative to share them!” “After all, beautiful things should be enjoyed by everyone, right?” In an instant, blood rushed to my head. I got up to slap Lauren, but Nathan steadily caught my hand. “Sophia! Enough!” I was furious and grief-stricken, shouting: “But she-” Before I could finish, Nathan glanced at the smug Lauren, then turned back to me with a frown: “I’ll help you take down the trending topics. Let’s end this here. Don’t cause trouble for Lauren, okay? You know, after all, she’s also…” “No! Nathan, why should I let it go? She’s ruined my reputation! Why should I let it go?” “I want to sue her for defamation! She must pay the price!” I stared at Nathan with bloodshot eyes, refusing to back down even a little. “Sophia! You-” Nathan took a deep breath, about to persuade me again. But Lauren tugged at Nathan’s sleeve, pretending to sob with reddened eyes: “Nathan! Don’t say anymore. I know I was wrong. Let sister sue me. I shouldn’t have been jealous, jealous that she married you. It was my fault. If only I had persisted back then!” As she spoke, Lauren’s eyes turned red, and she began to cry. “Sister, I really know I was wrong. I’ll kneel and apologize to you. Please don’t make things difficult for Nathan.” “If it makes you happy, I’ll turn myself in right now and help clear your name! At worst, let me be ruined too, but please don’t let this ruin your relationship.” Seeing Lauren about to kneel before me, Nathan’s eyes turned cold again. He said to me in a deep voice: “Sophia! Lauren already knows she was wrong. Let it go.” “Your reputation is already ruined anyway, so why not just quit the industry and enjoy being a rich housewife at home? Isn’t that good?” I was shocked by his blindness, unable to believe he would still indulge her to this extent. I was about to speak again, but in the next second, I received a hard slap across the face, leaving it stinging. His knuckles were red, his breathing rapid, his eyes filled with unprecedented violence. He threw a disclaimer at me: “Be good and sign this. Once the storm blows over, I’ll help you make a comeback.” “But if you dare to report this to the police, don’t even think about stepping out of this door again!” “I won’t sign!” I gritted my teeth, staring at him. But no matter how much I struggled and refused to sign, Nathan forcibly pressed my handprint onto the disclaimer. As I collapsed to the ground, exhausted, A feeling of helplessness and pain that I had never experienced before swept over my entire body, like thousands of needles piercing my heart. They left, but their casual conversation was like poisonous insects crawling into my ears: “Nathan, is sister okay…” “She’s fine. As long as she still wants to make a comeback, she’ll listen to me. At worst…” “I’ll count it as one forgiveness voucher. She still has dozens left, she’ll behave.” No, there aren’t any left. There’s only one more time. Nathan, I won’t be your puppet anymore. After sitting stunned on the ground for a long time, I finally went back to my room and took out my diary. Although everyone says the modeling world isn’t much cleaner than the entertainment industry, I really loved this career. Standing on the runway, bathed in spotlights – that confidence was where I found my value. But now, it had been utterly destroyed. Perhaps even heaven was telling me it was time to go, to not linger anymore. Tears flowing, I wrote down today’s events in the book, ending with the number 98. Every time he hurt me, I would record it in my diary to remind myself not to soften. But Nathan’s voice suddenly came from behind: “What does 98 mean?”

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When I opened my eyes, I found myself kneeling in Ethan’s study. Memories from my past life came flooding back like a tidal wave. The bullet I took for him, his cold smirk as he held his mistress and said “Finally, some peace and quiet” as I lay dying, and the urn of ashes that no one claimed at my cremation. “Sign the divorce papers,” Ethan demanded, tossing the documents in my face. It was the exact same scene from my previous life, but he looked a decade younger now. I lowered my head and chuckled softly, the pen making a decisive arc across the paper. This time, I wouldn’t wait for his driver to run me over before I found my freedom. “Mr. Greene,” I said, pushing the agreement back towards him. I stood up, meeting his shocked gaze. “This time, I’ll be the one to leave you first.” As I turned to go, he suddenly grabbed my wrist with surprising force. “Olivia, what are you—” I pried his fingers off one by one. The touch I had begged for on my knees in my past life now only made me sick. Thunder crashed outside, illuminating the unfamiliar panic in his eyes. How ironic. The glance I would have died for in my previous life came so easily now that I’d been given a second chance.

I strode out of the conference room on the top floor of Greene Enterprises. The floor-to-ceiling windows offered a view of the entire city’s twinkling lights. The pen I’d used to sign the divorce papers was still warm in my hand, the ink barely dry. Ethan sat at the far end of the long table, his long fingers drumming restlessly on the surface as he frowned. “Are you sure about this?” he asked in a low voice, with a hint of hesitation I’d never heard before. I calmly closed the folder, my fingertips trailing over the embossed cover. In my past life, I had knelt right here, begging him for another chance. All I got in return was his look of disgust and the cold words, “Stop embarrassing yourself.” “Absolutely certain,” I said, rising to my feet with a smile. My heels clicked sharply against the marble floor. “Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted, Mr. Greene? For me to disappear?” His pupils constricted as he gripped the armrests of his chair. I turned towards the door, but just as I grasped the handle, I heard a chair topple over behind me. “Wait!” Ethan rushed over, his breathing ragged. He reached out as if to grab my wrist, but froze mid-motion. This man, who in my past life wouldn’t even let me touch his sleeve without recoiling, now had a hint of panic in his eyes. “Where…” he swallowed hard. “Where are you going?” I tilted my head, studying him. Suddenly, I found it amusing. In my previous life, he never spared a glance for the dinners I carefully prepared each night. Now he cared about my whereabouts? “To register my own company,” I replied cheerfully. “I’m going to be Greene Enterprises’ newest competitor.” The color drained from his face. I took the opportunity to pull open the conference room door. The secretaries outside immediately lowered their heads, pretending to be busy. Only my assistant Emma hurried over, handing me a file folder. “Ms. Carter, Mr. Zhang from Prosperity Investments has scheduled a meeting with you tomorrow at 10 AM,” she announced loudly. “He says he’s very interested in our new renewable energy project.” I caught Ethan’s head snapping around in my peripheral vision. Feeling pleased, I patted Emma’s shoulder. “Well done.” As the elevator doors closed, I glimpsed Ethan rushing out. His tie was askew and his hair disheveled, a far cry from his usual polished executive look. In my past life, I had loved him so much I was willing to die for him. Now I only felt a bitter irony. In the basement parking garage, my new car was already waiting. A flashy red sports car, completely different from the old sedan he had complained was “too ostentatious” in my previous life. “Take me to Blue Water Bay,” I instructed the driver. It was a villa I had purchased just last week, in a location Ethan knew nothing about. As we pulled out of the underground garage, my phone started buzzing incessantly. Ethan’s name flashed on the screen over and over. I simply turned the device off. Under the night sky, the city’s neon lights streamed past the car windows like flowing water. I opened the window, letting the night breeze blow away the stuffiness in my chest. The scene from my deathbed in my previous life flashed before my eyes again. The harsh white hospital lights, the shrill beeping of the monitors. And Ethan’s smile as he held Sophia, saying “Finally free” with a smirk. My phone suddenly lit up again with a text from an unknown number: “Since when did you start drinking black coffee?” I stared at the seemingly random message, a chill running down my spine. In my past life, I had always pretended to like lattes just like Ethan did, to please him. In this life, I had been drinking only black coffee since the day I was reborn. And the only person who knew about this habit was… Another text popped up: “Last night I dreamed you died.” My fingers trembled uncontrollably. In the distance, the lights on the top floor of Greene Tower were still blazing, like a watchful eye.

I clutched my phone tightly, my knuckles turning white. “Turn around,” I ordered the driver, my voice unnaturally calm. “Back to Harmony Gardens.” That was Ethan’s private villa, a place I never had the privilege of entering in my past life. But this time, I needed to confirm something in person. Had he been reborn too? As the car entered the gated community, rain began pelting the windshield. I had the driver stop by the curb and walked alone towards the familiar building, umbrella in hand. The roses in the garden were in full bloom – the ones I had secretly planted in my past life but never dared to claim credit for. After the third ring of the doorbell, Ethan answered the door himself. His shirt collar was wide open, his hair a mess and dripping wet. He clutched a half-empty bottle of whiskey. The moment he saw me, the bottle crashed to the floor with a loud “thud”, amber liquid seeping into the carpet. “You really came,” he said hoarsely, his eyes swirling with emotions I had never seen before. “Just like in the dream…” Rainwater slid down the umbrella ribs, forming a transparent curtain between us. I met his gaze steadily. “You dreamed I died?” He suddenly gripped my shoulders, his fingers digging in painfully: “It wasn’t just a dream! I remember every second – you jumping in front of the bullet, your blood splattering on my face…” His voice began to shake. “I remember holding Sophia and saying… saying…” “That you were finally free,” I finished calmly, watching the color drain from his face. “So you’ve been reborn too.” Those words seemed to flip a switch. Ethan suddenly collapsed to his knees on the wet ground. The rain soaked through his shirt, outlining his gaunt frame. The ever-lofty Mr. Greene from my past life now looked as wretched as a beggar. “Olivia, I—” “Shut up.” I took a step back, the umbrella rim blocking his pleading gaze. “Ethan Greene, did you think being reborn was your chance for redemption?” Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating his ashen face. I leaned down close to his ear and whispered: “No. This is my chance for revenge.” As I turned to leave, he lunged forward and clung to my legs: “At least tell me, that bullet…” “Didn’t hit any vital organs,” I said, shaking off his hands. “But you had the hospital withdraw my life support.” His wails were drowned out by a clap of thunder. I walked towards the waiting car in the rain, never looking back. My phone lit up then with a message from my assistant: “Ms. Carter, we’ve confirmed that Sophia started transferring Greene Corp funds to offshore accounts last month.” I smirked. Look, Ethan. The woman you protected with your life in the past is already preparing to betray you. And this time, I’ll personally send you both to hell.

I sat in the car, raindrops blurring the windows. Ethan’s figure grew smaller in the rain, eventually disappearing from view. The driver glanced at me cautiously in the rearview mirror. “Where to now, Ms. Carter?” “The office,” I said, scrolling through the files my assistant had sent. A cold smile played on my lips. “And set up a meeting with Sophia for me.” At 2 AM, the lights in my office were still on. On the computer screen: Sophia’s bank statements for the past three months, photos of her secret meetings, even email exchanges with Greene Corp’s competitors – everything was laid out clearly before me. This woman who had caused my miserable death in my past life was now walking step by step into the trap I had set. “Ms. Carter, Miss Evans has arrived,” my assistant knocked and announced. I closed my laptop and looked up towards the door. Sophia wore a white sundress, her makeup impeccable, her eyes carrying that same air of innocence and vulnerability as always. She bit her lower lip, timidly speaking up: “Olivia, you wanted to see me?” In my past life, it was this exact damsel-in-distress act that had Ethan wrapped around her finger. I smiled faintly, gesturing for her to sit. “I hear you and Ethan have been getting quite close lately?” A flash of pride crossed her eyes before she quickly concealed it. “Ethan just… looks out for me, that’s all.” “Is that so?” I slid a folder across the desk to her. “Then do you know he’s been investigating your transfer of company funds?” The color drained from Sophia’s face in an instant. She abruptly stood up, her chair scraping harshly against the floor. “What are you talking about?!” I calmly flipped open the folder, my finger tapping on the numbers: “Thirty million, transferred to offshore accounts. What do you think Ethan’s reaction would be if he found out?” Her fingers clutched her skirt tightly, knuckles turning white. “What… what do you want?” I stood up, looking down at her: “It’s simple,” I said softly. “I want you to continue.” Three days later, Greene Enterprises’ stock price plummeted. Following my plan, Sophia frantically cashed out Greene Corp assets, even going so far as to forge Ethan’s signature. Meanwhile, Ethan, the man who had been so cold and heartless in my past life, was now frantically searching for me like a madman. My phone was flooded with his calls, his car perpetually parked outside my office building. He even started sending flowers to my office every day, with cards that simply read “I’m sorry.” Too little, too late. “Ms. Carter, Greene Corp has applied for emergency loans from the banks,” my assistant reported. “But regarding Sophia…” “Keep going,” I said, not looking up as I signed documents. “Have her transfer that final sum as well.” My assistant hesitated for a moment: “But… if Greene Corp really goes bankrupt, the shares you still hold…” I chuckled softly: “Who cares about that bit of money?” What I wanted was for Ethan to lose everything. Just like I had in my past life. A month later, Greene Enterprises officially announced the breakdown of its capital chain. I stood in a coffee shop across from Greene Tower, watching as Ethan was surrounded by reporters. He had lost a lot of weight, his suit hanging loosely on his frame, dark circles prominent under his eyes. A reporter asked sharply: “Mr. Greene, we’ve heard this crisis is related to your fiancée, Sophia Evans?” Ethan’s head snapped up, his gaze fierce: “She is not my fiancée.” “Then was your divorce from Olivia Carter also for Miss Evans’ sake?” His expression crumbled instantly. I set down my coffee cup and turned to leave. Suddenly, a commotion broke out behind me, followed by Ethan’s heart-wrenching cry: “Olivia!” I didn’t look back. It started to rain. I opened my umbrella and walked into the crowd. In this life, I had finally learned to leave without a backward glance.

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My husband’s rehabilitation center went bankrupt, and we owe millions in penalties for breach of contract. I left my kids with my parents and started working two jobs every day. Three years later, when I finally saved enough to pay off the penalty and went to the hospital, I saw Ezra nonchalantly sitting in the director’s chair. The director and head nurse, who always targeted me, were flattering him: “Director, Dr. Nora has been working extremely hard lately. She just completed a 48-hour shift without sleep.” “She mentioned taking a vacation yesterday, saying she was unwell. Should we approve it?” Ezra’s voice was lazy and indifferent: “Isn’t she obsessed with money? How can she even think about taking a break?” “We just admitted a few patients today. Let her take care of them.” Adeline raised her eyebrows, acting playfully: “Honey~ I booked tickets for you and our son. How about going to the Maldives next week?” Ezra pulled her into his arms, kissed her hair, and instructed: “Schedule all of Adeline’s surgeries for the next couple of days to Nora. Don’t let her have any downtime.” I shakily pulled out the late-stage stomach cancer diagnosis from my pocket, tears streaming down. — After Ezra’s rehabilitation center went bankrupt, I gave up a stable director position and chose the hospital that was Ezra’s biggest creditor. Because I needed money, I converted all my benefits into salary and performed intense surgeries every day. After work, I took on extra shifts as a hospital orderly. But I never expected Ezra to be the director of this private hospital. The realization hit me, and despair almost swallowed me whole. The Mediterranean Fake Director flattered: “Director, you’re really good with women, even someone as stubborn as Nora is compliant under your influence!” The head nurse rolled her eyes: “What nonsense! Our director only has eyes for Dr. Adeline. Nora’s like a clingy plaster that can’t be removed!” Adeline, hearing this, leaned into Ezra’s embrace, acting all aggrieved: “Ezra, if it weren’t for my mom forcing me to marry that old man, you wouldn’t have married someone else out of spite and had two kids with her.” Ezra and I were both graduate students under the same mentor. Many girls pursued Ezra, but he chose me. He was gentle and attentive, treating me like a princess. Whenever I couldn’t handle the high workload, it was those memories that kept me going. Later, I secured a position at a public hospital, and he inherited the family rehabilitation center. After the center went bankrupt, we shared the debt. While he smoked and drank at home, I endured the director’s anger and humiliation at the hospital. He once messaged me about ending his life, and I rushed home, covered in patient waste, to save him. I used my shoulder to support our crumbling home. But now, I feel like a walking joke. In my despair, a former colleague called: “Nora, did you come to the hospital today?” I forced a smile, harder than crying: “Just felt like visiting old friends.” His voice was as loud as ever: “Nora! You’re still so stubborn! You were like this in school, and still are. Why didn’t you tell me you have cancer? I have the latest technology here! Get everything arranged and come here for treatment!” I paused, then softly replied: “Okay.” I stood up, adjusted myself, and opened the door. Ezra had already taken off his lab coat, revealing a cheap shirt underneath. Seeing me, he looked guilty. “Nora, I’m sorry. You’ve worked so hard on surgeries, but this money ended up filling an endless pit for me.” The fake director sneered: “Your rehabilitation project cost us so much. If it weren’t for Dr. Nora, we wouldn’t have let you drag it out this long!” The head nurse praised me: “There aren’t many wives like Dr. Nora who can share hardships these days!” Adeline looked me up and down: “Dr. Nora, I admire how energetic you are. Surgeries by day, patient care by night, and still looking so satisfied.” She gasped, covering her mouth with a laugh: “The senior ward patients are all fighting for Dr. Nora’s service. I heard some sell themselves for dirty money. Dr. Nora, are you one of those?” I stared at Adeline, shocked at her slander. Ezra’s face turned grim, pointing at me and shouting: “Nora! You didn’t really do that for money, did you?” — A metallic taste rose in my throat, and I couldn’t help but spit out blood. The disdain in Ezra’s eyes shattered my heart. Trembling, I handed him a bank card, hoping he would at least treat our children well after my death. Our issues don’t matter, but the kids are innocent. Ezra snatched the card from me and handed it to the fake director. “Director, check this. Nora said there’s a million in it. While we’ve paid back a third, we still owe two million. We’ll pay it next year.” I was stunned. Ezra had told me we only owed a million. How did it suddenly become three million? And all due in a year—does he think I’m a miracle worker? After a look from Ezra, the fake director passed the card to Adeline. “Dr. Nora, didn’t you know? Our hospital’s big boss is actually Dr. Adeline. I’ve heard you’ve argued with her over trivial matters. If you apologize, maybe your request for a raise will go through.” Adeline smirked: “Dr. Nora is a pillar of our hospital. I wouldn’t dare ask her to apologize.” “But I heard an old man, Mr. Lin, in the senior ward is looking for a woman to have his child for a high price. Since you’re so short on money, why not give it a try?” Ezra’s urging and their mockery filled my ears. My heart ached unbearably. Ezra’s past care and love weren’t fake. He even gave up a chance for a position for me. The Ezra family is a prestigious one with complex relations. His mother died early, and his father married a woman only ten years older than him. In anger, he left home. It was only on our wedding day that I met his father. Feeling Ezra’s affection for him, I spent months mending their relationship. After graduation, he worked at the rehabilitation center. During that time, Ezra was busy with work, and his patience with me waned. I met Adeline at a business banquet. She was Ezra’s stepmother’s daughter’s friend. The two, arm in arm, drew everyone’s attention. Ezra’s stepsister was like a radiant rose, thorny yet alluring. Adeline, true to her name, was soft and pure, like a little angel. When she learned I was a medical student with a position at the third hospital, her admiring eyes softened me. But as we interacted, I sensed something off between her and Ezra. She stayed over at our place but would come out in the middle of the night undressed for water. When I complained to Ezra, he looked helpless: “Adeline’s just like that. But she’s pure-hearted, no ill intentions.” At a birthday party, she accidentally fell into the water, and he pushed me aside to give her CPR. Even after she regained consciousness, they kissed and embraced, ignoring everyone. Seeing Ezra’s growing obsession with her, I stopped taking birth control, gave up promotion opportunities, and had twins for him. I thought this would keep him by my side. My father-in-law was thrilled, promising a two-million reward. Ezra was busy with work, only returning home for the kids’ full moon celebration. After that, he came home daily, thinking of the kids. Later, when my father-in-law passed, the rehabilitation center went bankrupt, and our lives hit rock bottom. Only today did I realize everything was by Ezra’s design. At this moment, Ezra whispered, trying to retreat strategically: “Nora, maybe I should go to prison. I’ve seen your struggles over the years, but two million is no small sum… I owe you and the kids.” In the past, I’d have encouraged him like a little sun. But today, I remained silent. He panicked, tightly gripping my hand: “Nora, maybe you should beg Adeline. I don’t mind going to prison, but you’re already thirty-five. Once you leave this hospital, no one will want you.” “Even if not for yourself, think of the kids. Kneeling is just a gesture. Pride doesn’t fill your stomach.” Kneeling? Tears streamed uncontrollably. To him, am I just a plaything or a beast without dignity? Wiping my tears, I turned and left. When Ezra and I first came to the hospital, laden with debt, we couldn’t afford rent. The hospital kindly assigned me a single dorm. Passing by Adeline’s room, I suddenly remembered accidentally entering it before and seeing familiar items. — Ezra is obsessive about certain things. His razors, skincare products, and other personal items are always the same brand. To ease the awkwardness, I casually chatted with Adeline: “Didn’t expect your husband to like these brands too, just like Ezra.” She laughed: “Yeah, I gave those to him when we were dating. He said it wouldn’t be the same with other brands.” Passing by Adeline’s dorm, I was suddenly reminded of the time I mistakenly entered the wrong room and saw those all-too-familiar items. Ezra has a peculiar attachment to certain brands. His razor, skincare products, and other personal items are always from the same line. To break the ice back then, I started chatting with Adeline: “I didn’t realize your husband likes these brands too, just like Ezra.” She laughed, “Yes, I gave them to him when we were dating, and he’s been a fan ever since. He says nothing else feels quite right.” Now, putting everything together, my composure was shattered. Because the dorm bed was too small, he would only sleep with me once a week. Sometimes, after performing a surgery, I’d see him emerge from the shower with a lingering look of desire, and I’d feel guilty. They deliberately left things unspoken, perhaps for the thrill of it all, or maybe waiting to see when I’d catch on! Ezra came back to the dorm just as I was about to leave. His face was conflicted, “Nora, I’m sorry for all you’ve been through.” “But remember how kind Adeline and the others have been to you. You shouldn’t be ungrateful.” I laughed bitterly and pushed him hard, “Ezra, stop pretending. Do you enjoy making a fool of me?” He was startled, then chuckled softly, “You finally figured it out? I thought you’d only realize when Adeline and I were right in front of you. Nora, are you really that naive, or are you just playing dumb?” He grabbed my chin and forced me against the wall, “Aren’t you supposed to be a little ray of sunshine? Can you still shine now? Nora, you make me sick!” I stared at him blankly, unable to grasp his words. He bit my lip harshly and whispered, “Aren’t you the saint who loves saving the world? The hospital needs funds now, so why not offer your body to help?” I was already humiliated, but his words cut even deeper. I grew up in a traditional setting, always obedient and never causing trouble for my parents or teachers. Every setback, I overcame on my own. I was always strong, confident, sunny, and kind. But hearing “saint,” “saving the world,” and “angel” from Ezra felt incredibly ironic. When he was bullied, I stood up for him. When his father passed away, I supported him like a pillar. I encouraged him, even treating him like a child. And this is what I get? I struggled desperately to break free from his hold. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder, and then everything went black. When I opened my eyes again, I was in a VIP hospital room. As Mr. Lin leered at me, I heard Ezra and Adeline talking outside the door. “Ezra, are we really doing the right thing? Nora is still your wife.” Ezra replied coldly, “Adeline, don’t you know who she is by now? She’s greedy, jealous, selfish, and manipulative. She’s brought this on herself.” “Isn’t she the saint who loves to help? The hospital is in trouble, so she should help.” Suddenly, a sharp pain hit my stomach, and I uncontrollably vomited blood. My heart sank, and my life was slipping away. “Ezra, if there’s a next life, I never want to meet you again.” My vomiting scared Mr. Lin. “Doctor! Nurse! Someone’s vomiting blood!” Ezra heard the commotion and instinctively pushed the door open. He anxiously approached Mr. Lin, asking if he was unwell. Mr. Lin gestured for him to look at me. The blood on the white sheets made him frown. “Nora, did you steal blood bags from the hospital?” I laughed bitterly at his accusation, “Ezra, is it really that hard to confirm I’m vomiting blood?” He seemed to find it laughable, “You’re trying to imitate Adeline again? With your health, saying you have a terminal illness would be more believable. Stop pretending!” Adeline was frail, frequently falling ill. When we were on good terms, I accompanied her to the hospital during my breaks. She said it was a congenital issue, and I even learned some traditional medicine to help her. Adeline was grateful, saying I treated her better than her own mother and promised to always be friends. But how did she repay me? By repaying my husband with her body? Adeline reminded Mr. Lin, “Mr. Lin, you’re in the late stages of stomach cancer. Time is running out. Don’t you want to have a child soon? Don’t waste time.” Mr. Lin’s face wrinkled into a frown. “Dr. Adeline, I do like Dr. Nora, but she’s in such poor health now, and she’s unwilling. Maybe we should drop it.” Ezra wrapped an arm around Adeline’s waist, indifferent, “Dr. Nora always acts. When she says no, she means yes. When she says she doesn’t want it, she wants it. Mr. Lin, you won’t get another chance like this.” Adeline placed Mr. Lin’s hand on my chest, persuading him, “Mr. Lin, Dr. Nora’s family has twins. Don’t you want a boy and a girl at once?” Listening to their conversation, I felt like I was in an icehouse. I tried to run but Ezra shoved me hard, and I hit the wall with my head. My already weak body had no strength to fight back. I could only watch as my clothes were torn, Mr. Lin’s body blocking my view. “What are you doing?” Before losing consciousness, I heard a familiar voice. In my daze, I saw my former colleague, Jasper, punch Ezra to the ground. Ezra hadn’t even reacted when Jasper cursed, “You scumbag! Heartless jerk! Nora marrying you was the worst luck. She must owe you from a past life to deserve this! Get lost, I’m taking her away!” Ezra’s voice was filled with anger, “Jasper! Nora is my wife. What right do you have to take her?” Jasper replied furiously, word by word, “Because I’m her attending physician. The patient entrusted me with treating her cancer. Is that reason enough for you?” I’m sorry, but the text you want translated isn’t available. Could you please provide the text you need translated? Upon noticing Ezra’s changing expression, Jasper continued: “I knew Nora wouldn’t tell you about her health! She’s been sacrificing her sleep for years just to make money. I warned her that health is the real wealth, but she wouldn’t listen. She wanted you to move on quickly so your burden would lessen.” “Your beloved is in your arms, but she only has a few days left due to her terminal illness. Does that make you happy?” Ezra’s face turned dark. Then, sarcastically clapping, he mocked: “Nora, isn’t it enough for you to put on a show alone? Now you’re bringing in your lover to help? Are you paying him, or did you sell yourself to make him perform so eagerly?”

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