Category: English

My nine fiancés all jumped to their deaths after wearing the antique watch my mother gave them at their engagement parties. No matter how the watch was dismantled, nothing unusual could be found. The police repeatedly took my mother in for questioning but could never find any problems. After the news broke, my mother’s watch went viral online. Countless people wanted to buy the same model to investigate, but it was priceless and unavailable. As a result, I was branded as cursed and had to move away from my mother. Two years later, when I got engaged to my tenth fiancé, I saw that familiar watch on his wrist again as we exchanged rings. When I took my ninth fiancé, Lucas, to the engagement party, I repeatedly told him not to wear the watch my mother had given him. But Lucas pinched my waist dismissively, “Honey, why are you so nervous? It’s just a watch.” “If I don’t wear it because of some imaginary superstition, wouldn’t that make a bad impression on your mom?” With that, he ignored my protests and immediately put on the watch my mother had given him. I trembled all over and quietly counted down three numbers, “Three, two, one…” As the last number ended, the watch had made a full rotation. Lucas, who had just been boasting that he was fine, suddenly turned pale. The next second, he rushed to the window and jumped straight down, Splattering into a bloody mess in front of everyone’s eyes. Everyone ran downstairs, frantically taking photos and fighting over the watch. After experiencing eight deaths, I was almost numb to such scenes. But Lucas’s departure still pierced my already battered heart once again. I turned back to look at my mother, who remained calm, and asked shakily, “You promised me you wouldn’t give Lucas that watch!” “It’s been nine times now. I’m your daughter! Do you know what people are saying about me out there?” Hearing this, my mother raised her lip corner disdainfully. Her makeup had gotten thicker in recent years. When she laughed, a lot of powder would be squeezed off by her wrinkles, Making her appearance in my eyes increasingly terrifying. “Lucas came to ask me for the watch himself. It has nothing to do with me.” “But his fate wasn’t strong enough to withstand my watch. His death was his own choice.” The police quickly arrived and once again took the life-taking watch away for research. They were excited, “The Lu family knows a lot about mysticism. Maybe this time we can really find out something.” Everyone was waiting for an answer, wanting justice for them. The Lu family also started a live stream online, with hundreds of thousands of viewers watching the watch examination. The mechanical watch was no different from ordinary watches, except that it would only rotate once before breaking down. The Lu family speculated from various angles and searched through all the ancient books they had brought. But after three full hours, they still came up empty-handed. The internet exploded, “Nine lives have been lost and they still can’t figure it out. What kind of watch is this mysterious?” “Yeah, I just hope their daughter stops dating and hurting others. One dies after another, who can bear that?” Looking at these comments, the tears I had been holding back for so long Finally flowed out uncontrollably. My mother had somehow come up behind me, “Are you going to keep being angry with me?” Seeing that I didn’t respond, she slammed the dinner on the ground with a sullen face. “You don’t even eat when dinner goes bad. Did Lucas affect you that much?” I gave her a bitter smile, “Mom, aren’t you afraid after taking so many lives?” “Why does that watch make them commit suicide?” Hearing this, my mother frowned, “Their deaths have nothing to do with me. The watch is normal, so of course I’m not afraid.” My tears flowed again as I turned away, not wanting to hear any more. Then I left home with my already packed luggage, without looking back. “Mom, I just want to live a normal life, but you keep hiding things from me.” “Since that’s the case, you might as well pretend you don’t have a daughter from now on.”

I returned to the city where I worked with my luggage, becoming increasingly quiet and withdrawn. My mother and I fell into a cold war after that day. Apart from asking if I was coming home for the holidays, she never talked to me again. I forced myself to focus all my energy on work. In my spare time, I dedicated myself to studying that mechanical watch. This was one I had secretly taken from my mother’s antique shop before I left. I stared blankly at these utterly ordinary parts after dismantling it. Why did this watch take Lucas and the others’ lives? For many days, I was in a daze. My colleagues noticed and started discussing privately whether I had gone crazy. Even the supervisor dug up the old news and wanted to fire me for being unlucky. At the critical moment, my partner Frank stood up for me. “She performs excellently at work and just likes to study watches. Why fire her for that?” “Besides, it’s been a year. Isn’t it cruel to keep bringing up her trauma?” Frank went directly to the manager and tried his best to keep me on. Afterwards, our relationship grew closer. We naturally got together. A year later, he proposed to me. I accepted and chose a wedding venue, but had trouble inviting guests. Looking at the long-silent chat box with my mother, I was very conflicted about whether to invite her. My father had passed away when I was very young, and my mother had raised me single-handedly with great hardship. Before I started dating, she was just a normal, good mother. Gentle and caring, pouring all her love into me. To say I only had hatred left for her would be a lie. But the tragic deaths of my previous nine fiancés were still vivid in my mind. I really couldn’t bear to let Frank take the risk. In the end, I chose to skip inviting her. I thought this would settle the matter and break my curse of being unlucky in love. Unexpectedly, Frank secretly brought my mother over the day before the wedding without telling me. “Honey, you’ve been so distracted these past few days. I guessed you must be missing your mom.” “Don’t worry, I won’t wear anything she gives me. Nothing will happen.” Frank looked at me lovingly and planted a kiss on my forehead. Hearing his promise, I relaxed. I turned to face my mother. After two years apart, she looked even more haggard. “Rachel, congratulations on your wedding.” My mother said, then took out a gold necklace and put it on me. She seemed to have returned to that loving mother from before. The last bit of defense in my heart was completely shattered. I buried myself in her embrace, choking out the word “Mom.” Frank, seeing this, smiled with satisfaction. Then he sincerely promised my mother, “Mom, don’t worry, I will definitely treat Rachel well.” “We’ll also come back to visit you often in the future and take care of you in your old age.” My mother’s body stiffened, and she looked at him with a complex expression for a long time. It wasn’t until I shook her that my mother reacted and said “Mm” to Frank.

The next day, at the wedding venue. Frank and I smoothly went through all the ceremonies. But just as the host asked my mother if she had anything to say to us, She took out that watch and looked at Frank, “Are you willing to wear this watch?” Frank instinctively looked at me, about to refuse. But the uninformed host started to egg him on, “Come on, groom, just wear it. It’s the elder’s heartfelt gift.” I immediately scolded him, “Shut up! He can’t take that watch!” Then I glared angrily at my mother, “It’s my wedding day. Can you stop causing trouble?” “If you really want to give someone a watch, then let me wear it. We can talk about this after the wedding!” For a moment, the atmosphere between us became tense. The crowd below started discussing, mostly those who didn’t know the situation. “It’s just a watch, what’s the big deal about wearing it?” “Yeah, this bride is so disrespectful. How can she treat her mother-in-law like this?” Frank hesitated for a while, then came over to pull me. “Honey, why don’t I just wear it? I don’t want to make you and your mom unhappy.” Tears burst from my eyes, “No, you’re not allowed to wear it. Otherwise, I won’t go through with this wedding.” No one wanted to break the curse of that mechanical watch more than I did. I really didn’t want to bear the weight of another life. Frank sighed, his brows furrowed deeply, seeming to be weighing his options. Seeing this, my mother stood up with a pale face, grabbed Frank’s hand and fastened the watch on him in one swift motion. The action was so fast that no one had time to react. I immediately hugged Frank tightly, my other hand trying to pull off the watch. But it was all too late. After the watch rotated once, Frank broke free from me and rushed outside like a madman in front of everyone at the venue. He crashed through the glass doors of the hall and leaped down from the eighth floor. Dying in exactly the same way as the previous nine. Frank’s mother let out a heart-wrenching scream. She ran downstairs trembling and knelt beside Frank, wailing loudly. “My son, how could you suddenly become like this? How can mother go on living without you?” I followed her down, my emotions on the verge of collapse. Just as I was about to reach out to help her up, I was pulled away by other members of the Fu family. “Don’t touch my aunt! You vixen, we’ve found out about you.” “You’re that cursed star of misfortune. Any man who dates you dies. Stay away from our Fu family!” These elders who had been so kind to me before now looked at me as if they wanted to eat me alive. A sharp pain stabbed through my chest. Looking at Frank’s lifeless face, I wished I could die in his place. Without him, I might have long lost hope for life. It was Frank who told me over and over again that what happened before had nothing to do with me, redeeming me. But now… he had died because of me. Moreover, all of this could have been prevented! I hated myself. Why didn’t I stop him when he contacted my mother? Why didn’t I hold him tighter when he broke free from me just now? Coming back to my senses, I tore off the gold necklace around my neck and threw it violently at my mother. She still had that calm and indifferent expression, just like the previous nine times. Even with Frank’s body right in front of her, there wasn’t a hint of guilt on her face. “Get out! I don’t want to see you. Why don’t you go die?” “They’re right, you’re a vixen, a star of misfortune. Nothing good will ever come from meeting you!” I clenched my fists and lunged at my mother, wanting to end it all with her like a madwoman. But she still had no reaction, “Calm down. His death has nothing to do with me.” Hearing this, Frank’s mother immediately pulled me away and started fighting with my mother herself. “Nothing to do with you? My son was so good to you, perfectly healthy. How could he suddenly commit suicide after wearing the watch you gave him?” “I don’t care what kind of sorcery you used. Today I’m going to die with you!” It wasn’t until the police arrived that this farce was finally quelled. They also learned about the previous nine cases and took it more seriously. “Ms. Su, we require you to choose someone to wear this watch again at the scene.” My mother, looking disheveled from the fight, swept a hateful glance around. “Fine, who’s willing to wear it?” Everyone took a few steps back. After all, no one wanted to gamble with their life. Lucas’s mother coldly pushed me forward. “Of course it should be her!” “You mother and daughter are both a curse. Even if you die, it wouldn’t be a pity!”

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At 35, I was forced to leave my high-paying job at a big tech company. With a decade’s worth of savings, I returned to my small hometown. Tired of the cutthroat corporate world, I just wanted a simple job that wouldn’t fry my brain in this small town. I remembered my biggest dream from sixth grade and decided to fulfill it. I ordered a small food cart and made up my mind to sell french fries outside the elementary school. With my current bank balance, it didn’t matter if I made a loss. It was just for fun anyway. What I didn’t expect was that even in this small town, there were plenty of big fish in a small pond, self-proclaimed bosses everywhere. On my first day selling fries, one of the original vendors pointed at my nose and barked, “Get lost! You’re blocking my spot!” On the second day, a kid threw a tantrum in front of my cart. “Pay up! Your fries made me sick!” On the third day, an even more formidable character showed up… Faced with all this hostility, I couldn’t help but chuckle. Was I supposed to just take this crap everywhere I went? I decided then and there – I was going to keep this fries stand running no matter what! Turning around, I bought all the storefronts along the street in front of the school. And I put up a big sign in front of each – “Private Property, No Vendors Allowed!”

At 6:30 AM, before dawn had fully broken, I had just finished setting up my cart when a pot-bellied middle-aged man approached me. He fished out a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket and offered it to me with a seemingly friendly smile. “Hey buddy, want one?” I hesitated. Was this the famous small-town hospitality I’d heard about? The casual conversation felt oddly comforting. But I don’t smoke, so I politely declined. The man withdrew his hand and leaned against my cart, his tone turning probing. “So, which school staff are you friends with? It’d be good to know!” Friends with school staff? What kind of question was that? I was momentarily confused. I responded politely, “I’m just here to sell some food. Don’t know anyone at the school.” “I see…” The man fell silent for a moment, looking down at the items on my cart. When he looked up again, his friendly smile had been replaced by an unexpected ferocity. “Listen, kid. If you don’t know anyone, why are you trying to steal this spot? Get the hell out of here!” Hearing this, I frowned deeply. Sure, my spot was in a prime location, but this wasn’t some market with assigned stalls. It was first come, first served. Looking at the man’s sudden change in attitude, I coldly replied, “I got here first. Why should I leave?” The middle-aged man laughed as if he’d heard a joke. He banged his fist on my cart, his face menacing. That earlier friendly smile seemed like a figment of my imagination. “This has always been my spot,” he growled. “And I run things around here.” Before I could respond, a crowd suddenly gathered around us. “Everyone thinks they can just waltz in here without knowing their place,” someone sneered. “How dare you try to take this spot without any connections?” another voice chimed in. “Didn’t you hear Marcus tell you to move?” a third person threatened. The crowd pressed closer, looking ready to get physical. Now I understood the man’s earlier question. So they were ganging up on me because I had no connections? I had thought I’d escaped the office politics, but it seemed small towns had their own brand of bullying. Understanding their intentions, I was annoyed but didn’t want to stoop to their level. “So where am I supposed to go?” I asked, trying to keep my cool. Marcus snorted and mockingly pointed behind me. “Over there.” I looked where he was pointing – a secluded corner, blocked from view by other vendors, right next to a public restroom. The anger I had just suppressed bubbled up again. I was about to argue when a wrinkled hand gripped my wrist. It was Old Joe, the elderly vendor next to me. He gave me a knowing look. “Better to swallow your pride than get hurt, son.” I had come here just to experience a simpler life. Not wanting to cause trouble, I tried to calm myself and followed Old Joe to the corner. His stall was nearby too. I asked him, “Does no one stop them from doing this?” Old Joe shook his head and sighed deeply. “Who’s going to stop them? The people in charge are the ones protecting Marcus and his gang.” “If you don’t have power or money, you’d better just stay put in this corner.” “Don’t try to fight them head-on, or you’ll be the one getting hurt.” I looked around and saw a few other small carts scattered in less crowded corners. Seems they had been pushed aside by Marcus’s group too. “Why don’t you all go somewhere else?” I asked, puzzled. Old Joe waved his hand dismissively. “Where isn’t it like this?” With that, he started frying up some donuts. Indeed, where wasn’t it like this? A strange sadness welled up in me as I lowered my head to set up my own cart. But as I looked down, I jumped back two meters in shock. There were several dead cockroaches floating in my frying oil!

The cockroaches had already been fried to a crispy golden brown in the clear hot oil. This was definitely not something I had brought with me. I had checked my cart several times before setting up. There was no way I could have such a hygiene issue. Was it because we were so close to the restroom? Or was there another possibility… I looked up and stared directly at Marcus, who was busy with a crowd of students. As if sensing my gaze, Marcus suddenly turned his head. He raised his eyebrows at me triumphantly. So it was them who did this! Just as I confirmed my suspicion, I saw a vendor to my left seemingly receive a signal from Marcus. The man wiped his hands on his pants and walked straight towards me. Before he even got close, he started shouting. “Oh my god! Your oil is full of cockroaches!” The man’s exclamation immediately drew the attention of parents dropping off their kids. For the first time, this secluded corner became the center of attention. “Holy crap! It’s true, look at those cockroach legs still twitching!” The man pinched his nose and changed his tone. “What kind of person serves such filthy food to children? Who knows what other disgusting things are going on behind the scenes. Maybe he’s even using gutter oil!” “Quick! Take a picture of him! We can’t let this scammer get away with it!” Someone shouted, and suddenly a barrage of camera flashes went off in my face. I quickly shielded my eyes and lifted up my oil container. “This is branded oil, I guarantee I’m not using any gutter oil!” I protested. “The cockroaches in my fryer were put there by someone else on purpose!” My explanation barely managed to quiet the crowd when the man who started the commotion spoke up again. “How do we know you didn’t just put gutter oil in that container? And who would put cockroaches in your fryer? Are you trying to frame someone?” I met the man’s challenging gaze, knowing I had no evidence even though I knew they were behind this. At this moment, Old Joe came over and tried to reason with the instigator. “Come on, Sam, why are you doing this? The young man is just trying to make an honest living.” With a long sigh, Old Joe turned to address the crowd. “Everyone, I can vouch that this young man is not what you think. I’ve been selling here for over a decade. If you trust me, I’ll keep an eye on him for you all…” Old Joe’s words sent a wave of warmth through me. We had only just met as strangers. But before he could finish, Sam cut him off. “Old man, are you looking to quit this job? Or maybe you’re in cahoots with him!” Faced with Sam’s blatant threat, Old Joe’s weathered face turned bright red. I gently pushed Old Joe aside, not wanting the old man to get further involved in this mess. After a brief silence, the observing parents erupted again. “Old Joe, don’t let this guy fool you! I’ve never seen this vendor before when dropping off my kid. He must be some scammer from out of town!” “Young and already so crooked! Kids have delicate stomachs, how could they handle this kind of food?” “My cousin’s child got severe food poisoning from eating at a street stall like this. They couldn’t save him in the end.” “Come on everyone, let’s drive him out of here!” Seeing the crowd pushing towards me and the contaminated oil in my fryer, I knew I wouldn’t be able to continue business on my first day. Under the triumphant gazes of Marcus and his cronies, I pushed away my carefully prepared cart in defeat. Well, well. The same old story. Two weeks ago, I was framed at my company in a similar fashion. A coworker, jealous of my $500,000 annual salary, deliberately sabotaged one of my projects. Luckily I managed to fix it in time before it became a major issue. But by then, I was already tired of office politics, so I didn’t pursue the matter further and let them off the hook. But I’m not one to always turn the other cheek. I can’t keep swallowing my pride everywhere I go. That night, I made a phone call. “Hello, I’d like to buy all the shops on that street.”

Early the next morning, as the sky was just beginning to brighten, I once again pushed my cart to the old spot. In front of my cart, I set up a small blackboard. [Crispy French Fries, Free Today!] There was another reason why Marcus and his gang had bullied me so much yesterday. His cart also sold fries. He wanted to drive me away simply because he was afraid I’d steal his business. If that’s the case, I’ll do exactly that. As I expected, most of the students were drawn by the smell. Soon, my cart was surrounded by people, while Marcus’s prime spot was empty despite its good location. I happened to look up and met his venomous glare. Only Old Joe tugged at my sleeve, his face full of worry. “You’ve really offended them now. Besides, aren’t you losing money like this?” I smiled at Old Joe, assuring him it was fine. What did this bit of money matter? The ones who should be worried might not be me… Just then, Marcus came over, shouting loudly. “Don’t be fooled by his free sign, folks! His food is dirty. You’ll get sick if you eat it!” Marcus’s shout drew more attention. But before he could gloat, he was immediately contradicted by several students. “Mister, don’t lie!” “We know whether these free fries are clean or not!” “Yeah, that’s right!” Several students chimed in agreement. Just as Marcus was at a loss for words, a parent-like figure emerged from the crowd. “Kids, don’t be fooled by bad people!” “Yesterday, I saw with my own eyes, he pulled out a bunch of cockroaches from his fryer!” Seeing yesterday’s “witness”, Marcus regained his confidence. “That’s right, lots of people saw the cockroaches in his fryer yesterday.” “Kids, if you want fries, go buy from the stall up front. It’s guaranteed clean and safe!” At this moment, my untimely chuckle rang out. “If anyone’s worried, you can check the video on my phone. I’ve recorded everything from peeling the potatoes to putting them in cold oil.” “So there’s no need to worry about any hygiene issues.” Hearing this, the students’ faces lit up with bright smiles. Only Marcus still wore a gloomy expression, though a cold smile quickly curved his lips. “Ouch!” A student in the crowd suddenly cried out and fell to the ground. Marcus rushed over to help as if he’d seen his own son fall, asking with concern, “What’s wrong, kid?” The boy clutched his stomach, crying out in pain. “I ate his fries and now my stomach hurts!” The boy pointed at me while still holding his stomach. The crowd was shocked by the boy’s condition and started accusing me. “See? I told you his food wasn’t clean!” “Heartless beast! Shame on you!” “The kid’s stomach is ruined. Let’s see how you handle this.” While the crowd was in an uproar, I remained calm. From my angle, I could see the boy’s performance was quite amateur. I smiled and walked towards the boy, noticing a flash of panic cross his face. “As it happens, I used to study medicine. Let me take a look.” Without letting the boy struggle free, I quickly pinched the pressure point between his thumb and index finger. Feeling the sudden pain, the boy let out a yelp and sprang to his feet. “What’s this? Not hurting anymore?” I asked coldly, my gaze fixed on Marcus’s increasingly dark expression. “You hurt the young master. You’re gonna pay for this, kid,” Marcus growled. “If I let you keep your stall running, I’ll change my name! Let’s see how long you can keep giving out free food!” After throwing out these threats, Marcus left with the boy. As the crowd dispersed, Old Joe spoke to me earnestly. “Young man, you’d better find a different spot tomorrow.” I guessed and asked, “Is this ‘young master’ Marcus mentioned the child of some big shot at the school?” Old Joe sighed deeply and nodded at me. But no matter how big a shot they were, so what? I looked around at the row of storefronts near the school entrance. It really was quite a prime location…

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Every time my debt-ridden husband stayed overnight at his female assistant’s place, he would order a million-dollar coffee from my coffee shop. After three years of marriage, my bank account balance had reached 96 million. Until my husband bought my coffee for the 97th time, I received a screenshot of the order from his female assistant. “I want Miss Johnson to deliver it personally, and bring some condoms along.” I didn’t throw a fit. Instead, I personally delivered the coffee to the female assistant and thoughtfully included a couple’s pack of condoms. Seeing how understanding I was, my husband rewarded me by letting me accompany him to a high-end business dinner. But at the dinner, the female assistant caught the eye of a business partner. She smashed a bottle and held it to her neck, swearing she’d rather die than comply: “Jack, please don’t give me to someone else!” My usually serious husband suddenly panicked. With red eyes, he begged me to go entertain the business partner. “I promise it’s just drinks. I won’t let you suffer any grievances. After tonight, I’ll spend time with you properly.” Everyone in the private room was waiting for me to make a scene, but contrary to expectations, I agreed to go in her place. What the man didn’t know was that this was the 97th time he had hurt me. And I no longer wanted a future with him. I was just waiting to repay the ten billion debt I owed him. Then we would be even once and for all.

“Well, well! Coffee girl, your husband asked you to entertain, and you’re really going to do it!?” “And you say it’s not for the money. No normal person could accept their husband treating them like this!” After I agreed to entertain, those fair-weather friends who once begged to cooperate with the Thompson family circled around me, criticizing and mocking incessantly. “What else can she do? Isn’t her life just collateral? Did she really think getting married meant she could ride over Olivia?” “She’s just a leech sucking Jack’s blood. Being able to entertain for Olivia is worth the money Jack spent on her!” Amidst all this acidity and sarcasm, I watched as Jack held Olivia in his arms, his expression gentle as he constantly comforted her. Only occasionally would his gaze sweep over to me, taking everything in. He knew Olivia’s suicide attempt was just an act for attention, but he still indulged and comforted her gently: “If you don’t want to go, then don’t. I’ll always find a way to cover for you. But don’t be so impulsive in the future, it breaks my heart…” From beginning to end, all he cared about was Olivia’s well-being. He completely forgot that I was his wife. He also forgot that he went from having nothing to his current net worth of billions, all because of the resources I begged my father for on my knees back then. A moment later, Olivia calmed down from her panic under Jack’s comfort. I asked her which private room to go to, intending to fulfill the agreement, but Olivia hesitated and stammered. After Jack’s repeated promises, she finally grabbed my hand with tearful eyes, pretending to be reluctant: “Mr. Chen likes painting and wants me to be his nude model. I was wondering if you could take my place, sister-in-law, but I’m afraid you wouldn’t be willing…” Instantly, all eyes focused on me. But I only looked at Jack. I had already agreed to entertain, my dignity trampled under their feet. Was he really going to make me be some nude model for others to mock and play with their burning gazes? Seeing Olivia so carefully begging me, Jack’s eyes were full of distress. He looked at me intently: “Anna, Olivia isn’t feeling well. You’ve already agreed to entertain, it’s just being a model. You’ll agree, right?” My heart sank. I almost forgot that Jack always listened to Olivia. After all, she was Jack’s first love. If it weren’t for the Parker family’s obstruction, they would have been married long ago. Now that they were reunited, how could I, an empty shell occupying another’s nest, dare to hope for even a shred of pity from him? I struggled to control my trembling body and took a deep breath before asking him: “Can that count as one perfect score?” Perfect score? The people around laughed at my inexplicable words, but Jack frowned silently. He knew what I was talking about. He didn’t want to agree, but seeing Olivia about to kneel before me, he quickly made a decision: “It counts.” I smiled bitterly: “Alright, I agree.” Three years ago, when I was still a rich heiress, I was experiencing life by delivering coffee when I accidentally encountered Jack and fell in love with him. But when my family went bankrupt overnight and my parents died, I was crushed by a ten billion debt. It was Jack who came down from the heavens, proposing with a ten billion dowry to help me clear my debt. On our wedding night, after making love, I asked him how I could repay this kindness. He looked at me with tender eyes: “Then be my wife.” I was confused: “I’m already your wife now.” His kisses fell densely as he casually said: “Then… do 99 things that can earn my perfect score, or after I hurt you 99 times, this debt of gratitude will be written off.” For three years of marriage, he always treated me like a precious treasure, carefully and gently. Until two months ago, when Olivia returned from abroad, everything changed. Now it’s the 97th time. Just two more times, and I’ll have repaid my debt. Entering the business partner’s private room, it was filled with a hazy, ambiguous atmosphere. Men and women were intimately entangled, and the gazes directed at me were tinged with excitement. Jack suddenly hesitated and asked Olivia: “Is it really just modeling?” “What… what else could it be?” She hesitated for a moment. Jack wanted to say something more, but Olivia pulled him out of the room. Before leaving, he glanced at me, his eyes dark and unreadable. “Wait.” But before he could step out, the greasy man called out to the two of them, his voice tinged with displeasure. “Mr. Thompson! I asked for Miss Parker. You casually throwing someone else at me like this – have I offended you in some way?” The greasy man’s gaze swept over me and Jack, finally landing on Olivia, staring at her until she shivered. Olivia glanced at the shocked Jack, her expression righteous. “I heard Mr. Chen needed a nude model for painting. Miss Johnson has a nice figure, she’ll surely help you create a masterpiece.” “Mr. Chen, don’t you want to try?” As she finished speaking, she gave me a push. Suddenly, I was exposed to the greasy man’s leering gaze. That appraising look was slimy and sticky, making me shudder all over. It was only then that I realized the nude modeling Olivia spoke of actually meant letting me sleep with someone else. I felt like my throat was constricted, unable to breathe. I could only quickly look to Jack for help. Jack used to be very good to me, only changing after Olivia appeared, but at least I was still his wife now. Surely he wouldn’t just stand by and do nothing? But unexpectedly, Jack only showed a hint of anger before handing me a glass of wine: “Aren’t you going to toast Mr. Chen?” I struggled to control the violent heaving of my chest, but my feet were nailed to the spot. In a daze, Olivia turned and gave me an eerie smile. The next moment, my body moved uncontrollably towards the greasy man, spilling wine all over him. I fell onto the shattered glass shards, instantly cutting several bloody gashes on my arm. My face was also cut, oozing blood. The pain spread instantly, and I curled up on the ground, unable to hold back a cry of pain. Olivia screamed in shock: “Sister-in-law, if you didn’t want to toast, you could have just said so. You didn’t need to pretend to fall on purpose to anger Mr. Chen.” As soon as she finished speaking, the greasy man flew into a rage. But just as he was about to explode, he was intimidated by Jack’s icy face. He could only grit his teeth, wipe the wine off himself, and leave in a huff. Inside the private room, Jack’s face was as black as the bottom of a pot, while I breathed a sigh of relief, wanting to quickly escape. I hadn’t taken more than a few stumbling steps when he grabbed my arm. Jack completely ignored my injuries, his mind full of Olivia’s provocative words. He berated me angrily: “Anna Johnson, I’ve warned you to put aside your petty thoughts. Look at what you’ve done!” “When I tell you to entertain, can’t you just smile? Have these years of poverty made you forget the etiquette of a wealthy heiress? Have you also forgotten the rules of high society? Don’t you know that just toasting would have ended this?” I unconsciously clenched my fists and looked at Jack. Gritting my teeth, I said: “But I’m your wife, and this so-called Mr. Chen is just a small supplier relying on your goodwill.” My meaning was clear. If he had just been unwilling, or even pointed out my identity, That Mr. Chen wouldn’t have dared to do this. The reason he was unwilling to point it out was just to cater to Olivia’s little vanity. Jack’s eyes suddenly became evasive under my gaze. But before he could speak, Olivia started berating me first. “Anna Johnson! How dare you speak to Jack like that! Have you forgotten that Jack bought you? Without him, you couldn’t even survive! If he wasn’t supporting you, who knows where you’d be selling your body now!” “What’s this? Just a small matter and you dare to get angry at Jack!” Olivia’s words stabbed at my heart one by one. My eyes instantly reddened. Jack raised an eyebrow, unusually angry at Olivia. “Enough! This won’t happen again! Go wait for me in the car.” After Olivia left, his expression changed to one of apology as he explained to me. “That’s just how she is. All that talk about buying and supporting, don’t take it to heart.” Jack glanced at my injured face and frowned. “Your face is hurt. Go to the hospital yourself first. I’ll come back to keep you company after I finish my work tonight.” He didn’t let me speak, just turned and left. But he was right, I didn’t need to keep taking it to heart anymore. Just two more times, and I’ll have repaid my debt. In the future, I won’t need him to support me either.

After going to the hospital, I got home around midnight. He didn’t come back in the evening as he said he would, and I didn’t inquire as I usually did. The next day, his assistant brought me his compensation – two black cards. This was Jack’s default compensation after hurting me each time. He specifically emphasized that one card was an apology for making me entertain, and the other was compensation for forcing me to be a nude model. Expressionlessly, I labeled the two black cards with the numbers 96 and 97 and carelessly stuffed them into a drawer. Looking at the drawer full of black cards, I knew that I would soon be free. After packing up some personal belongings, I headed downstairs towards the stables. Jack had given me many things, but I didn’t want any of them. The only thing I wanted to take was the horse named Snowflake. It was a birthday gift from my parents when I turned 18, and after the bankruptcy, it was all I had left. But Jack hated animals, yet he still built a stable just for Snowflake, for my sake. Seeing me come to feed the horse, a servant smiled and said, “Madam, the master is already feeding the horse.” I was stunned. He was always so attentive to small things, making me think he had truly fallen in love with me. I went over expressionlessly, intending to get the last two perfect scores. But when I arrived at the stable and saw the situation clearly, my heart instantly chilled! Olivia was riding on Snowflake’s back, viciously whipping the horse’s head. Snowflake whinnied in pain repeatedly. And Jack stood by with interest, just watching. He clearly knew that Snowflake was my most beloved horse! Yet he still watched Olivia beat it. I rushed over, screaming frantically: “Stop! It’s my horse! Don’t hit it!” Seeing me run over in panic, Olivia landed two more vicious lashes before stopping: “Sister-in-law, so Snowflake belongs to you? Jack said he had a particularly unruly horse here, so he brought me to play with it.” “I really like this horse. Sister-in-law, could you sell it to me?” Jack also came forward, frowning as he looked at me: “What are you yelling for? Don’t you know Olivia’s mental state isn’t good? There are other more expensive horses in the stable. Just give Snowflake to Olivia and pick any of the others you want, isn’t that fine?” I looked at him in dismay: “Have you forgotten? This is the heirloom my parents left me.” Jack was stunned for a moment. Just when I thought he would tell Olivia to get down, He said: “Just this once. I’ll buy you a better one later, okay?” Olivia immediately threw down the whip, stroking Snowflake’s head with eyes full of reluctance and tears: “Jack, if sister-in-law is unwilling, then forget it. It’s me who’s trying to take what others love and making myself disliked. I’m so despicable, I don’t deserve such a good horse. Don’t force sister-in-law.” This made Jack even more distressed. He emphasized again that I should give Snowflake to Olivia. I looked at him in shock. Olivia clearly knew how important Snowflake was to me and was deliberately trying to upset me. But Jack just indulged her. I didn’t want to speak. I just went forward to lead Snowflake away. But Jack caught up and grabbed me. “It’s just an animal. If Olivia wants it, give it to her. You’re living off me, can’t I make decisions about your horse?” Even though I was willing to die rather than sign, he forcibly pressed my handprint onto the sales agreement. Olivia said haughtily: “Sister-in-law, your horse is mine now.” At that moment, Snowflake seemed to sense something and kept whinnying at me. The next second, Olivia viciously stabbed the whip into Snowflake’s eye. My heart sank sharply: “Snowflake!” Snowflake reared in pain and started galloping wildly. Olivia swayed chaotically on its back, screaming in terror: “Jack, save me!” Jack was scared out of his wits. He found a hunting rifle in the storage room and aimed at the horse’s head, ready to shoot. I frantically blocked the gun barrel, begging him: “Don’t shoot! I can calm Snowflake down, I can—” “Get out of the way!” Before I could finish, Jack had already roughly pushed me aside, aimed again, and pulled the trigger. With a bang, the bullet pierced through Snowflake’s skull. The horse fell to the ground. Snowflake was lifeless, and my heart felt like it had been stabbed through. I hugged the horse’s body and cried until I was numb. In my daze, I heard Jack and Olivia’s conversation: “Jack, sister-in-law…” “An animal died, so it died. As long as you’re okay, that’s what matters.” “It’s fine, I’ll count this as one perfect score for her. After all…” “There are still dozens more to go.” No, there weren’t. There was only one left. After cremating Snowflake, I returned home and took out my diary. Snowflake was the last memento my parents left me, but because of my powerlessness, it died. Perhaps Mom and Dad were telling me from heaven that everything should end, that nothing should bind me anymore. With tears in my eyes, I wrote the number 98 at the end of the dense list of numbers. But then a shadow fell across my desk. I quickly turned around and saw Jack’s tightly furrowed brows. He looked at my diary with a dark face, an uneasy feeling rising in his heart: “What does this 98 mean?”

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I was Lucas’s first love, standing by his side through those difficult years. He swore he’d love me forever, even if we were apart. He promised his love for me would never change. Later, when I finally returned, we got together as we had always planned. But something seemed different. “Lucas, help me, please… please help me…” A soft, sobbing voice came through the phone, sounding like a mewling kitten. Lucas’s hand tightened on his phone. He glanced at me instinctively. Our eyes met, and I saw a flash of panic in his. He took a deep breath and spoke coldly into the phone, “I’m busy right now.” Then he hung up. I watched him put down the phone and pick up his pen again, but his writing was rushed and messy. Just like his inner turmoil at that moment. I sighed, “What’s wrong?” “Nothing!” Our voices rang out simultaneously. Once again, I saw the panic in his eyes, followed by worry. I suddenly felt like laughing. But before I could, his phone buzzed again. It was a SnapChat message. As he picked it up to look, I caught a glimpse of the screen. I couldn’t see clearly, but it seemed to be an arm covered in bruises. Lucas couldn’t sit still any longer. He stood up abruptly. “Hazel, I… I have something urgent at work. Can I…” “If it’s urgent, go ahead.” I might have agreed too quickly. Lucas was visibly taken aback. He looked at me, hesitating. I smiled slightly, “What’s wrong? Don’t you have something urgent?” “Oh, right. I’ll… I’ll go then.” Lucas glanced at the wedding invitations spread out on the table, bit his lip, but still turned to leave. As the door closed, I let out a long sigh. I felt like all the bones had been sucked out of my body. I collapsed onto the sofa, feeling utterly drained. Everywhere I looked, there were unfinished wedding invitations. I picked up the one he had been working on and looked at it. Suddenly, I laughed out loud. “We joyfully invite you to celebrate our wedding…” At the bottom, the names — Groom: Lucas. Bride… Natalie.

I’m Hazel, Lucas’s first love, his ideal love, the person he cherished for many years. And Natalie? She’s his ex-girlfriend. Complicated, isn’t it? When I first found out, I was quite shocked too. Later, I learned that when I wasn’t around, Natalie had been there for him, accompanying him through those sad and difficult times. She shielded him from the wind and rain, cared for him, and never backed down even when faced with his cold sarcasm. She stubbornly stayed by his side. When I heard this, I was quite moved. I almost teared up. If only it wasn’t about my boyfriend. When I found out Lucas had a new girlfriend, I was genuinely stunned. How could the boy who had sworn and promised to wait for me when I left have someone else by his side? Later, Lucas explained to me that he had missed me so much that he drank to numb the pain, even drinking until he had a stomach ulcer. It was Natalie who took care of him tirelessly, working herself to exhaustion without complaint. Until she fainted in front of him, he finally felt sympathy. He agreed to her request. “Hazel, I didn’t change my heart. I just felt sorry for her, so… We agreed that when you came back, she would leave.” Lucas held my hand, his eyes red, begging desperately, “I didn’t betray you. It’s just that the days without you were really hard to bear.” “When I was sick in the hospital, I wished so much that it was you by my side.” Hearing these words, my heart was immediately filled with guilt. Seeing the caution in his eyes as he looked at me, I finally couldn’t bear it. This was the boy I had loved since I was young. During my six years abroad, I thought about him constantly. To be able to return and be with him sooner, I put in so much effort. This relationship had lasted for over a decade. Even if his heart had strayed momentarily, I should forgive him. Yes, I should forgive him. At least when I came back, he had ended things cleanly with Natalie. He only had me in his heart. That’s what I always believed. But reality seemed to always go against me, pouring cold water on me when I was full of joy.

I sighed and put away all the unfinished invitations. Originally, we had agreed to spend the weekend doing nothing but writing invitations. I didn’t expect an emergency to come up. He left, and I couldn’t continue writing either. As for whether we would write them in the future, I wasn’t sure. The invitation with “Natalie” written as the bride’s name, I packed separately. I don’t know why I did that. Such an eyesore should have been thrown away. After tidying up, I went back to my parents’ home. My mom was surprised to see me when she opened the door: “Why are you suddenly back?” Then she looked behind me expectantly. I knew who she was looking for and smiled, “Lucas is busy with work. I came back alone.” “About to get married and still so busy all the time.” Although she sounded disapproving, the smile on my mom’s face was undeniable. She was very satisfied with Lucas. Or rather, she was very satisfied now. Initially, she was the one most opposed to us being together. She said, “Children from unhappy families often have character flaws. And with his family being so chaotic, you’ll have a lot to deal with in the future.” But I didn’t care. I didn’t care that his parents had divorced early due to a bad relationship, nor did I care that his dad often caused trouble when drunk and had a bad reputation. In my eyes, Lucas would always be that young hero who would stand up for me when I was in danger. A hero who belonged only to me. During the years I was away, Lucas worked hard to improve himself. He got a good and respectable job, and even bought a house and a car with his own efforts. In my parents’ eyes, he became someone worthy of entrusting their daughter to. So my mom no longer opposed our relationship. She even urged us to get married soon. “You left for abroad right after college graduation. It’s been six years since you came back. You’re already thirty now. If you don’t get married soon, you’ll become an old maid.” I had just returned not long ago when I heard this. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I told Lucas about it as a joke. But he took it seriously. The next day, he went to buy a ring and proposed to me. In front of everyone, including Natalie. Lucas knelt on one knee: “Hazel, will you marry me?” I was in tears, nodding and saying “I do.” As he put the ring on my finger, I caught a glimpse of Natalie from the corner of my eye. She was in tears too. Seeming to notice my gaze, she paused for a moment, then turned and left. She left quite noisily, catching Lucas’s attention. He seemed to want to go after her. I instinctively held him back. Lucas suddenly came to his senses and quickly explained, “I must have seen wrong.” I nodded, not saying anything. But the panic I felt at that moment was real.

After the proposal, meeting the parents, getting engaged, planning the wedding… everything proceeded step by step, as usual. Lucas, as he said, cut off all contact with Natalie. Never contacted her again. At least that’s what I thought. If I hadn’t woken up in the middle of the night and heard him talking on the phone in the bathroom, I would have believed it. “Alright, alright, stop crying. Where are you? I’ll come find you now.” “It’s okay, I’m here. No one can bully you.” “Ten minutes, I’ll be right there!” Listening to that anxious voice from the bathroom, I could imagine his expression at that moment. His brows must have been furrowed, his face tense. One hand holding the phone, the other gesturing in the air as if comforting someone. He once said, “Even if I’m not by your side, at least I can comfort you this way.” I was lost in memories when I heard the door open. Instinctively, I grabbed the doorknob, pretending I was about to push the door open. I ran into Lucas unexpectedly. “Hazel, why are you…” The fleeting panic on Lucas’s face was clear as day to me. But I still pretended not to know, squinting my eyes, “I need to use the bathroom.” Then I yawned, as if just realizing, “Oh, why are you in here?” As soon as I finished speaking, I saw him let out a relieved sigh. His whole demeanor relaxed. “I just finished too. Go ahead.” He reached out to ruffle my hair. I avoided it by lowering my head and rubbing my eyes. Lucas didn’t seem to mind. Before I closed the door, he said, “Sam just called me. He has some urgent business. I’m going to check it out.” I kept my head down, my hand on the door tightening secretly. Taking a deep breath, I looked up at him: “It’s so late. Can you not go?” Lucas’s face showed a hint of difficulty: “From his tone, it seems he’s in trouble. He’s my buddy, I can’t ignore him.” “Don’t worry, I’ll be back as soon as I deal with it. Nothing will happen.” I took another deep breath: “Then let me go with you. Two people are safer than one.” Not surprisingly, Lucas refused. “It’s late at night. It’s not safe for a girl like you.” “Don’t worry, don’t you trust me to handle things?” With that, he turned and left. I heard the sound of the door closing and suddenly felt like my whole body had gone limp. I leaned against the door and slowly crouched down. Staring at the floor in front of me, everything looked blurry. He seemed to be by my side, but why did I always feel like I couldn’t hold onto him?

That night, Lucas didn’t come back. The next day, Sam called to apologize: “Hazel, I’m sorry. Lucas helped me deal with something last night. It was too late, so I didn’t let him go back. Don’t be angry. I’ll treat you to a meal another day to make up for it.” I smiled, “You better not go back on your word.” “Don’t worry, I definitely won’t.” After hanging up the phone, the smile on my face gradually disappeared. I wasn’t surprised that Sam would lie for him. They were best friends, close enough to share everything. The tacit understanding between them didn’t need excessive words. A single glance was enough to understand each other’s meaning. Helping a buddy deal with his girlfriend’s interrogation was second nature to him. Later, Lucas came back, specially bringing me a small cake. “I’m sorry. I said I’d be back early, but I didn’t expect things to be so complicated. By the time it was dealt with, it was already dawn. I couldn’t hold on, so I slept at Sam’s place.” Lucas explained with an apologetic smile. He presented the cake to me like a peace offering: “Don’t be angry. Eat something sweet, it’ll make you feel better.” I looked at the cake, then at him. Suddenly, I smiled. “It’s good that you’re okay.” Seeing me smile, Lucas also breathed a sigh of relief. “Shall I cut the cake for you?” I shook my head: “I’m on a diet. I can’t eat it.” “What diet? My wife is the most beautiful.” The usual sweet talk, but I felt a bit nauseated hearing it. I shook my head again: “No, I have to maintain my figure. Otherwise, I won’t fit into the wedding dress.” Hearing this, he had no choice but to give up and ate the small cake himself. Actually, I didn’t need to diet. I could have eaten it. But the store that sold that cake was unique in the city. It was right near Natalie’s house. Miles away from Sam’s place. Lucas thought I didn’t know, but I knew everything. But I didn’t say anything.

On the day of trying on wedding dresses, Lucas cleared his schedule in advance. He arranged all his work. He said, “Nothing and no one can disturb me when I witness my wife at her most beautiful moment.” Seeing his serious expression, I felt a surge of sweetness in my heart, diluting some of the previous bitterness. I thought, maybe it’s not so bad after all. Even if they were just ordinary friends, he couldn’t stand by and do nothing. He had always been a brave person. That’s why I fell for him in the first place. We were in the bridal shop, trying on dress after dress, selecting the most suitable one. Lucas gave his opinions seriously, showing no dissatisfaction despite the tedious process. Even the shop assistant praised him. My mood was getting better and better. I once again felt the joy of getting married. Until his phone rang. I watched him take out his phone and walk to the side to answer the call. He came back soon after, stuttering a bit: “A friend is nearby. She heard we’re choosing wedding dresses and wants to come take a look.” I lowered my head, fiddling with the tassels on the wedding dress. After a moment, I looked up at him and smiled: “Sure, the more opinions, the better.” Seeing that I wasn’t upset, Lucas secretly breathed a sigh of relief and turned to run out. As soon as he left, the smile on my face vanished. I turned to look at myself in the mirror. The smile frozen on my face looked like it had been drawn on. Like a clown.

Lucas came back quickly. Natalie was following behind him. As usual, she was shy and timid, hiding behind Lucas, peeking out timidly. She glanced at me quickly, then hurriedly lowered her head. When she greeted me, her voice was as quiet as a mosquito’s hum: “Sister Hazel, hello.” I looked at her and suddenly understood why Lucas would be moved. Such a delicate flower, fragile and pitiful, in need of love and care. And yet she could bear the pressure and stay by Lucas’s side without complaint. A weak girl gritting her teeth and putting on a brave face – how could a man not be moved? Lucas had always been somewhat macho. He liked submission, not assertiveness. I often had my own opinions, which he found somewhat objectionable. And I would never hide behind him like Natalie did. As if he was her safe harbor, her whole world. Seeing that I hadn’t spoken for a long time, just staring at her, she became a bit flustered. She tugged gently at Lucas’s clothes, swaying slightly, seeking help. Lucas turned his head and gave her a reassuring look. He then turned to me: “Hazel, Natalie is greeting you.” I watched their little interaction and suddenly felt like laughing. But I held it in. I nodded, considering it as having returned the greeting. I turned to face the mirror, admiring my wedding dress. Through the mirror, I saw a flash of anger cross Lucas’s face, gone in an instant. At that moment, my heart felt blocked, as if a stone was pressing on it, making it hard to breathe. I took a deep breath, trying hard not to show it. But I still failed. Because I heard Natalie say: “Sister Hazel looks so beautiful in the wedding dress. I want to try one too. I wonder if that’s okay.” And Lucas, my fiancé, said: “Of course.” “If you like it, try it on. It’s fine.” Then he took a wedding dress and handed it to Natalie. As luck would have it, it was one of the dresses we had decided to keep for final selection earlier. At that moment, the anger in my heart suddenly couldn’t be contained anymore—

“That’s my wedding dress. Put it down.” Natalie’s hand trembled, and the wedding dress fell to the ground. Lucas’s smile also froze instantly. He frowned at me, looking displeased. The accusation in his eyes almost made me lose my balance. I clenched my fists, the pain in my palms making me more clear-headed. “If you want to try on a wedding dress, there are plenty over there. This is one I’ve chosen, and I don’t want anyone else taking it.” I emphasized the words “taking it” heavily. Natalie’s little face instantly turned pale. Her body swayed, as if she was about to collapse. Seeing this, Lucas hurriedly supported her, letting her lean against his chest. “Natalie, are you okay?” Natalie shook her head, glanced at me, then quickly lowered her head again. Her weak and pitiful appearance really made people feel sorry for her. Lucas felt sorry for her. He held Natalie and shouted at me: “Hazel, it’s just a wedding dress, do you have to be so aggressive? Natalie is timid, why are you bullying her!” Bullying her? Hearing this, I couldn’t help but laugh. I felt particularly confused and didn’t understand. “How am I bullying her?” I walked forward and picked up the wedding dress from the ground. “This dress, you just said I looked good in it and that it could be the main dress for the wedding. Then you want to give the dress chosen for me to your ex-girlfriend to wear.” I looked at the two of them embracing, the smile on my face growing wider. “Lucas, how many years has it been since the Qing Dynasty fell? Are you still dreaming of having a harem?” “Hazel, I…” Lucas seemed to finally realize his behavior was inappropriate and instinctively pushed Natalie away. I watched her stumble, almost falling, yet staring at Lucas with big eyes full of hurt. It seemed Lucas’s letting go hurt her more. But Lucas only looked at me, wanting to explain something but at a loss for words. I didn’t want to listen. “Lucas, when she’s wronged, you comfort her. When I’m wronged, you yell at me.” “If you can’t tell who your girlfriend is, then there’s no need for this wedding.” With that, I turned and went into the changing room, taking off the wedding dress. When I came out, I found that Lucas and Natalie were gone. At that moment, it felt like I had been slapped out of nowhere. My face hurt, and so did my heart.

The shop assistant was a gentle girl. Seeing me looking lost, she came forward to explain: “Just after you went in, that girl fainted. Your… boyfriend carried her away. They probably went to the hospital.” Fainted? What a coincidence. I smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. “Then the wedding dress…” “Just that one.” I pointed to the one that had fallen on the ground earlier. “Please pack it up for me, thank you.” The shop assistant seemed to want to say something but ultimately said nothing and went to process the bill. As she saw me out, she suddenly comforted me: “Marriage isn’t the destination of love. If you feel confused, why not stop and think it over carefully?” I was stunned for a moment, then smiled and nodded. But in my heart, it felt like a wasteland, overgrown with weeds, lifeless. Something that outsiders could see through at a glance, I was still unwilling to let go. When I got home, I took out the wedding dress, hung it up, and carefully smoothed it out. As white as snow, adorned with exquisite rhinestones, sparkling under the light. It really was beautiful. No wonder Natalie liked it too. I heard the door open but ignored it, continuing to smooth out the small wrinkles in the skirt. Until someone came up behind me and hugged me tightly. “Hazel…” His voice was full of longing and dependence. As if I was his whole world. Every time he called me like this, my heart would tremble. “Hazel, I’m sorry. I didn’t think it through today.” “Natalie’s parents favor boys over girls and treat her badly. When I was there to protect her, things were a bit better. Now that we’ve separated, her parents have become even worse. They found her a man twenty years older than her, and disabled, just because he could give a $20,000 bride price. She was scared, that’s why she came to me for help.” “I won’t let her appear in front of you again, okay? Don’t be angry. Forgive me, please.” I listened to him explaining and apologizing humbly, but my heart felt nothing. Strangely, it was as if it had nothing to do with me.

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To help his adopted sister, Rosalind Sterling, get taller, my brother Ashton Sterling forced me, Seraphina Sterling, to give her my legs for grafting. He found a preacher, a man calling himself a True God, who hacked my legs off with an axe while I was still conscious. Worried his precious Rosalind might feel guilty, Ashton then ordered someone to shove dog legs into the bleeding stumps, claiming they were specially made, lifelike prosthetics for me. The agony was unbearable. My wounds weren’t treated, weren’t even cleaned, left to fester along with the filth from my loss of bodily control, the stench sickening. But Ashton forbade the caregivers from helping me. “Still got the energy to scream? Means it doesn’t hurt enough. No medicine for her for a few days. Let her learn her lesson.” Near death, I used my last ounce of strength to drag myself off the bed, crawling towards the door, wanting only to beg Ashton for a shred of dignity in my final moments. But he kicked me away with cold eyes. “Disgusting. Don’t scare Rosalind.” Later, when he heard wild dogs had dragged my body away, Ashton scoured the mountains and knelt in every church, desperate just to find my bones, to bring me home.

When my adoptive mother, Lucinda Fairfax, returned home carrying my ravaged remains, bones gnawed clean by wild animals, Ashton was in the middle of ordering men to destroy our home, Lucinda’s and mine. The inside was already smashed to pieces. The stray cats I’d taken in were terrified, fur on end, hiding in corners. Lucinda rushed inside, shielding the cats like a mother hen protecting her chicks, pointing a trembling finger at Ashton as she cursed him, “These little ones were the last thing Seraphina cared about! They’re all she had left! “You monster! You already killed her! Isn’t that enough?” Ashton sneered, “Tsk, still playing the dedicated cat lover? Fake death, huh? Even if she were really dead, I wouldn’t donate a penny to this broken place. “The legs she gave up were too skinny anyway. Tell her to crawl back out here and saw off another section for Rosalind, or else I’ll kill these pests!” Lucinda swayed on her feet. She clutched the bag in her arms tighter, whispering, “She’s gone. She’s already dead! “She’s right here, in this bag! If you don’t believe me, take it and get it tested! Just please, leave these kittens alone! Seraphina won’t rest in peace if you hurt them!” For a fleeting second, Ashton seemed moved, but then he violently swatted the bag away. “Trying to trick me with a bag of pork?” Lucinda’s eyes were red as she scrambled to protect my remains, but Ashton stepped forward, grinding the bloody fragments under his heel. He grabbed Lucinda by the hair. “Old hag, hand her over, now!” Tears streamed down Lucinda’s face from the pain. One of the cats darted forward anxiously, only to be kicked away hard by Ashton. That was the first cat I ever rescued. She was fifteen years old. I wanted to pick her up, to soothe her, but my spectral form passed right through her again and again. Just then, Ashton shoved Lucinda away. Lucinda was in too much pain to cry out, but she still struggled to crawl over, gathering my scattered remains back into the bag. “Seraphina… Seraphina… I’m so sorry…” Seeing this, Ashton let out a cold laugh. “Still acting? I bet Seraphina learned how to ruthlessly bully Rosalind from an old hag like you! “If she’s dead, I’ll set off fireworks all night to celebrate one less menace in the world!” Just as he finished speaking, his subordinate, Cole Banks, walked in and reported, “Mr. Sterling, we haven’t found any trace of Ms. Seraphina Sterling!” “Ha, very well.” Ashton laughed, choked with anger, “Let’s see how long she can hide!” With that, he dragged Lucinda to the pigsty entrance and ordered his men to dump a bucket of pig feed over her. “Seraphina’s remains, huh? Still pretty fresh. What, couldn’t you even bother to make your scam look realistic? “So precious, are they? Let’s give the pigs a treat!” He then emptied the contents of the bag into the pigpen and tossed Lucinda aside. “If Seraphina doesn’t crawl out by sunset tomorrow, I’ll turn this place into a cat graveyard!” As he left, he spat into the pigpen. His followers did the same, one after another. One man even urinated directly onto the remains. Lucinda, despite being at her absolute limit, shielded my ravaged body with her own, letting the urine soak her completely. The cats meowed incessantly. A few, passing near where my spirit stood, let out mournful cries.

That night, Lucinda packed her bags ahead of time. She didn’t dare gamble with the cats’ lives. But just as she was about to load the cats for escape, their terrified screams echoed from the yard. Lucinda rushed out frantically, only to find Ashton standing there with an electric shock baton, watching her with vicious eyes. “Where do you think you’re going?” Lucinda weakly opened and closed her mouth. “What will it take… for you to leave us alone?” “Hand over Seraphina.” At his words, Lucinda’s eyes reddened again. She looked close to breaking. “Seraphina is dead! “You killed her!” Ashton stared coldly at Lucinda, then scoffed, “Old hag, I’ve already exposed your act. Stop pretending! “She played the cat lover, slept with rich old men for money… If she died, wasn’t it all for nothing?” I stared blankly at Ashton, my ghostly heart aching. Lucinda couldn’t hold back anymore and screamed at him, “Seraphina is your sister, the one you lost for ten years! How dare you speak such nonsense about your own sister? “Do you have any idea what she gave up for these cats? She’d rather starve herself…” Ashton interrupted Lucinda with a vicious slap, “I only have one sister, and her name is Rosalind.” Beside him, Rosalind heard this and clung to Ashton’s arm coquettishly. “Oh, Ashton, Seraphina would be so sad to hear you say that. It’s my fault for taking her place… I should go apologize to her. I’ve learned all my manners now…” Ashton pulled her back protectively. He gently wiped the corner of her eye, his own eyes full of concern. “Rosalind, you’re too kind. If it weren’t for Seraphina, you never would have suffered so much out in the countryside.” “Seraphina only wanted what was best for me, too.” Rosalind covered her mouth with a delicate cough, spitting blood into her palm. Seeing the blood, Ashton panicked. “What’s wrong?” Rosalind refused to speak. He immediately dialed a doctor, frantic. After hearing the diagnosis, that I had supposedly poisoned Rosalind, he exploded with rage, “That bitch! “I was actually considering giving that bitch a shred of dignity! But she refuses to learn! Fine, then they can all just die!” He stormed towards his car, ignoring Lucinda’s desperate attempts to block him, and slammed his foot on the accelerator, aiming straight for the cats huddled together. Most of the cats were old or disabled. Lucinda threw herself in front of them multiple times, only to be hit by the car, spitting blood, collapsing, unable to get up. All she could do was watch the cats shriek in terror. I threw my spectral self in front of the car, but I couldn’t save them. “Ashton! Please! Don’t hurt them! Don’t…” Suddenly, Cole ran out, waving frantically at Ashton. “Mr. Sterling! I just unlocked the old hag’s phone! I found Ms. Seraphina Sterling’s death certificate! It looks like… she really is dead!” Ashton’s eyes widened, and his foot eased off the gas. He looked utterly disbelieving, but just then, a new notification pinged on his phone. It was a bank transfer confirmation with five hundred thousand dollars received. The sender was me. But how could a dead person transfer money? At this, Ashton’s disbelief instantly curdled back into white-hot fury. “Dare to mess with me? “Seraphina! Well played! “You guys! Get the bulldozers! Bury this entire place! I’m turning it into a graveyard right now!” At his command, the machines roared to life, tearing down our home. “No! Don’t do this…” I sank to my knees, begging him, pleading with him not to hurt Lucinda and the cats. But Lucinda and my beloved furballs were buried beneath the dirt and rubble. I collapsed, sobbing uncontrollably. I murmured, “I’m sorry. “It’s all my fault you suffered.”

I had no choice but to follow Ashton. Back in the car, Ashton carefully covered Rosalind with a blanket. Noticing bloodstains on the hem of her skirt, he saw that the wounds on her legs were oozing pus. “Seraphina’s legs are as cheap and nasty as she is! She must have pulled some trick! Why else would they work fine for her but cause you so much suffering!” Rosalind consoled Ashton dutifully, “Ashton, it’s just my bad luck. Don’t blame…” Before she could finish, she fainted. Ashton panicked, running several red lights to rush her to the True God preacher’s place, which seemed more like a strange church than a clinic. After examining her, the preacher looked gravely at Ashton. “Ms. Rosalind Sterling’s issue is simple. Limbs work best when they share the same origin. Her legs were replaced, but her hands weren’t. They don’t match. This causes a conflict. “It won’t affect her lifespan, but the wounds will frequently become inflamed. Of course, the best solution would be to replace her hands as well.” Ashton frowned. “Why didn’t you mention this before…” Rosalind tugged at his sleeve weakly. “Seraphina just lost her legs… even with prosthetics, losing her hands too would drastically impact her life. “I can endure it. I have more than enough love already. Seraphina has repaid any debt she owed me. It’s okay if I die a little sooner.” Ashton gently took Rosalind’s hand, rubbing it tenderly, his heart aching for her. “I will provide whatever you want. “Seraphina is nothing but an ungrateful viper! She’s a menace to society anyway. Just making her give up her hands… she owes you far more than that. Even her life wouldn’t be enough to repay you. Consider it her way of earning some good karma.” But I didn’t owe her anything. I was the true heiress of the Sterling family, but I was switched at birth in the hospital. Ashton found me when I was twelve, claiming to be my long-lost brother. He promised to make up for those twelve lost years, promised to make me a happy princess. At first, he did just that. Back then, when Rosalind secretly arranged for others to bully me, Ashton investigated thoroughly and immediately sent Rosalind back to her biological parents. Because her own family favored sons over daughters, Rosalind endured three years of abuse there. Ashton felt guilty. His way of easing his guilt was to sacrifice me. Just then, Ashton’s voice broke through my thoughts. “By the way, Rosalind’s heart hasn’t been feeling well lately. Master, can Seraphina’s heart be transplanted to Rosalind as well? “Don’t worry. I’m Seraphina’s legal guardian. As long as I sign the consent, she won’t dare refuse.”

Half an hour later, Ashton drove towards the hospital. At the parking gate, two security guards changing shifts were chatting. “Heard we need to beef up patrols now, especially on the wards with patients who don’t have family visiting.” “That girl who had the accident…” “Don’t even mention it. The human body with dog legs… nearly scared me to death!” “Those dog legs were jammed right into her thigh stumps, wired tightly together with steel wire! The bone inside the flesh was practically sticking out! Gave me nightmares for days!” “Heard her family’s loaded, but they wouldn’t even cough up the five hundred thousand for proper treatment. By the time they finally scraped it together, the girl was already gone.” Ashton’s hands clenched on the steering wheel. He stared at the guards, his voice tight with fear. “The girl you’re talking about… her name wasn’t… Seraphina, was it?” One guard glanced at him. “Don’t know her name. But the ones who picked up her body were two huge, thuggish-looking guys. Probably her brothers or something.” Ashton let out a breath of relief. Just then, his phone pinged. A message from Rosalind with a link to my supposed Twitter account. The post had countless likes. It showed someone who looked vaguely like me, partying hard at a nightclub. Rosalind’s voice message followed. “Ashton, I’m so envious of Seraphina. Will I ever be able to dance freely like her? Will I ever be truly happy?” “Slut!” Ashton spat the word, completely missing that the face in the video only bore a slight resemblance to mine. “That damn bitch Seraphina! I’ve been looking everywhere for her. She faked her death to mess with me, and now she dares to provoke me! “Go grab her cheap mother. I’m making them pay today!” Before he could finish, one of his subordinates rushed in. “Mr. Sterling, bad news! Ms. Rosalind Sterling’s legs are bleeding heavily again! She’s refusing treatment, and… she slit her wrists!” Ashton sprinted into the hospital room in terror. “Rosalind! What happened? Don’t scare me…” “I’m fine… I just… I just feel like I can never be as happy as Seraphina…” Rosalind stood up, showing a weak, apologetic smile, blood seeping through the bandages on her wrists. “Maybe it’s better if I just die.” With that, she collapsed onto the floor. Ashton watched in horror as she was rushed into the emergency room. He sank to his knees, his eyes wide with disbelief. “She dares provoke Rosalind! “She deserves to die!” He looked up at Cole, who stood nearby. “She wants to play games? Fine. I’ll play. “Dig up every piece of dirt on Seraphina. Leak it all online. I want her infamous across the entire internet!” But Cole couldn’t find any dirt on me. Instead, he carefully edited photos of Ashton abusing the cats, removing context, and posted them on the official Sterling Group website. Ashton even made a video. “Bullying her sister, terrorizing classmates, shamelessly sleeping with businessmen, abusing animals… a person like this does not deserve to be part of the Sterling family! “If anyone sees her, please contact me immediately! Generous reward offered! “Let’s make sure this trash gets what she deserves!” The internet exploded in outrage. “FindTheEvilSeraphina” started trending everywhere. Just as Ashton was reveling in his apparent victory, a major online influencer tagged him. The video showed Lucinda kneeling in front of the Sterling Group building. Behind her, a banner read: [Exposing the inhumane Sterling family, who forced Seraphina to death.] Bound to Ashton, I followed him as he went, my spectral form arriving alongside him at the Sterling Group building.

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In order to pay off the debts of my husband, Scott Moore, who had failed in his investment, and also to treat my daughter, Laura Moore, I worked as a waitress during the day, delivered food on takeout orders at night, and even sold one of my kidneys on the black market. Right after getting off the operating table in that illegal clinic, I insisted on hurrying to the wealthy villa area to do the cleaning job. My colleague said enviously, “Be careful when you’re washing this precious floor. This villa, worth fifty million dollars, was given by Mr. Moore to his fiancée. That woman is so lucky. I heard that just because she threw a tantrum once, Mr. Moore bought her a luxury car worth over ten million dollars in full payment.” I clenched my fists tightly and felt an icy chill all over my body. There was a photo of them on the bedside table. On the messy big bed were black silk stockings stained with some white substance. The man who was smiling gently in the photo, the one my colleague had just mentioned, turned out to be my husband, who had already gone bankrupt.

Laura’s heart disease suddenly got worse. The doctor called me in a hurry and said that a suitable heart donor that matched her had been found. I cried and begged the doctor to give me more time to raise the money, but all the money in our family was with Scott. I called him several times, and he hung up on me again and again. When I finally managed to get the call through, he roared impatiently, “Angela! I’m talking about cooperation with the investor! Can you stop bothering me?” As soon as he finished speaking, he hung up the phone. In a desperate situation, I could only clutch that advertisement for selling a kidney on the utility pole. Just coming out of that small clinic, I didn’t care about the wound on my waist that was still bleeding, and I stumbled back to the hospital. After signing my name on the operation consent form, I finally felt at ease. Laura looked at me with tears and said, “Mom, is my illness never going to get better? Don’t spend any more money on me…” I stroked her pale face and comforted her, “Don’t worry. I’ve raised the money. You’ll get better right after the operation tomorrow!” But thinking of the huge debts Scott owed, the medical expenses and the money for nutritional supplements after Laura’s operation, I endured the sharp pain of the wound on my waist and went to the housekeeping company to do the cleaning job again. I could earn one hundred dollars for doing a cleaning job, and then I could buy some nutritional products for them at night. I was working in the wealthy villa area, and maybe I could get more tips. When I got to the door of the villa, there was still a bit of hope in my heart. But when I saw that couple photo with dazzling crystals on the bedside table, I froze. In the photo, Scott was dressed in a suit, wearing an expensive watch that I had never seen before. He was so different from the husband I remembered, who claimed to be bankrupt and lived a thrifty life. The beautiful woman snuggling closely beside him was exactly the investor he had mentioned every day, Sarah Jensen! The mop in my hand dropped to the ground. I took out my phone with trembling hands. The screensaver of my phone was a photo of him and me smiling. I thought, “Could he have a twin brother?” But I quickly dismissed this absurd idea. I was too familiar with that small mole at the corner of his eye in the photo. I stood there stiffly, not even having the courage to call and question him. My colleague pushed me and said, “Angela, what are you doing? The house owner, Ms. Jensen, will come to check soon!” I quickly pulled up my mask and covered my face with the brim of my hat, only daring to look around with the corner of my eyes. Scott walked in confidently, wearing a neat and high-class suit with one hand in his pocket. My eyes were bloodshot. I forced myself to start mopping the floor. When I was cleaning the living room, my fingertips hooked out a small ball of used tissue from the gap in the sofa. It was stained with glaring lipstick marks, and there were also several obviously used condoms beside it. Feeling a sharp pain in my chest, I forced myself to hold back my nausea and threw those dirty things into the trash can. My colleague leaned over and whispered with a sigh, “Rich people know how to have fun! Mr. Moore is so generous that he must have spoiled Ms. Jensen!” Another colleague said, “Yeah. He’s rich and handsome. Ms. Jensen is lucky!” Those harsh words cut into my heart like knives. I covered my mouth tightly to keep myself from vomiting. “Scott, I’ve brought Kelly back.” Sarah walked in holding the hand of a pretty little girl. Sarah’s niece smiled and jumped into Scott’s arms, saying, “Mr. Moore! My aunt said we’re going to have a big dinner tonight!” He stroked Kelly’s head affectionately and said, “I’ve booked an entire cruise ship tonight. Kelly, you will like it!” Sarah giggled and leaned close to Scott, standing on tiptoe and saying, “Honey, where’s my kiss for greeting today?” He smiled and kissed her on the lips, asking, “Didn’t I satisfy you yesterday?”

Sarah playfully punched Scott’s chest, looking a bit shy. When he saw that the villa had been tidied up, he waved at me and stuffed a thick stack of banknotes into my hand, not even glancing at me. Holding this tip of nearly ten thousand dollars, I was stunned. The money he gave so casually was enough for me to work hard for a whole month. The money he spent on booking that cruise ship was enough to pay for Laura’s heart transplant. Seeing me standing there without moving, Sarah looked at my old, pilling and faded clothes with contempt and said, “Bumpkin, leave here. Do you think this tip is too little?” Her mockery made my heart ache, and I felt like crying. But Scott looked at me in surprise and said, “Why are you…” I was surprised and was afraid that he would call out my name the next second. “There’s blood on your clothes. It’s so disgusting. Don’t scare Kelly.” As he said this, he looked away in disgust and pulled them upstairs. I smiled bitterly. My wound had opened up, staining a large patch of my white clothes red. Sarah, who was standing beside him, was tall and beautiful, wearing an exquisite suit, while I was like a clown, clutching the tip he had given me in a sorry state. I thought we were husband and wife who shared both good and bad times, but he had turned into a rich president. My efforts over the past few years must be just a joke in his eyes. My colleague handed me an envelope out of a bit of curiosity and said, “Do you know Ms. Jensen before? She asked me to give this to you.” I frowned and took it. I found an acquaintance in a nearby grocery store and borrowed the computer in the store. I inserted the USB drive in the envelope into the computer. Dozens of videos immediately popped up on the screen. There were videos of Sarah and Scott celebrating Kelly’s birthday. In front of them was a huge cake that was over a dozen layers high, and beside it were piled up expensive toys that Laura had always dreamed of having. Scott accompanied them to the parent-child sports meeting in the kindergarten, with a big smile on his face. His laughter mixed with Kelly’s sweet laughter. This warm and happy scene made my heart ache. They were wearing matching family outfits, looking like a happy family. I stared blankly at the screen until the last video popped up. Scott was lying naked in Sarah’s arms and said, “How is Laura? When are you going to let her return to the Moore family? I’m tired of testing them for seven years. It’s all your fault for making that bet with me in the first place. That bumpkin’s daughter is still waiting for a heart transplant. If we bring her back now and she sees our family’s wealth and power, she will be jealous.” It seemed as if Laura wasn’t his daughter at all. The way he talked about Laura made my heart ache so much that I could hardly breathe. He knew she was waiting for help. He could find the best doctors, easily afford the operation fees, and even find a suitable heart, but he chose to do nothing. He was just so heartless, watching me risk my life to earn money and watching Laura suffer from the illness. Scott and I met in an orphanage. I was an orphan. After growing up, I often went back to visit the director and those children. That was where I met Scott, who came to be a volunteer. He said he was also an orphan and wanted to help the children have a better life. We got to know each other, fell in love, and finally got married. Because I refused to accept those unspoken rules and offended a big boss, I was blacklisted by the whole industry. I could only do odd jobs, and our life became tough. Scott had always accompanied me through those hard times and never complained until the year Laura was born, when Scott said he had failed in an investment, gone bankrupt, and owed debts. I sold my house to pay off his debts. We moved into a shabby shed in the suburbs. At that time, Scott held me and cried, vowing to be good to me and Laura for the rest of his life. But in the end, he didn’t keep his promise.

Just because of that mean joke between him and Sarah, I and Laura became the victims. I couldn’t let out a scream. My mouth was full of the taste of blood. I wiped the tears off my face randomly and forced a smile as I pushed open the door of Laura’s ward and said, “Laura, I bought you some chicken soup. Do you feel better now?” Laura’s face was pale, and she said helplessly, “Mom, I’m going to have an operation tomorrow, and I have to fast today.” I was stunned for a moment. I was so stimulated by Scott that my mind was all messed up. I was angry at myself for forgetting about this and picked up a cotton swab to wet Laura’s chapped lips with water. She held my hand tightly and asked gently, “Mom, is Dad still busy? I miss him so much.” Looking at her, I couldn’t tell her the truth. I stroked Laura’s head lovingly and said, “You’ll see Dad before your operation tomorrow.” I planned to beg Scott to come and stay with her. After being a clown in their rich people’s game for seven years, my dignity seemed to be worth nothing. After Laura fell asleep, I went to find the doctor to confirm the specific time of tomorrow’s operation. I squatted on the floor of the corridor with my back against the cold wall, and only then did I become a bit more clear-headed. Taking out my phone, I called Scott. This time, he picked up the phone quickly. “Angela, what’s up? I’m accompanying the investor right now. If we can seal this deal, we can get out of our current tough situation!” Over these seven years, he had always used such words to deceive me, and every time I had believed him. At first, Scott pretended to have found a job of moving bricks on a construction site. Seeing that his hands were red and swollen, I told him to focus on finding investors and that I would earn the money. But he just had fun all day long and left us at home to suffer. The music on the phone was loud. I guessed that he was probably still on the cruise ship with Kelly. I controlled my emotions, took a deep breath, and then said, “Scott, Laura is going to have an operation tomorrow. Can you come and stay with her? You know she misses you a lot…” My words were coldly interrupted by Scott before I could finish, “Angela, what on earth has been wrong with you recently? You know I’m busy, yet you keep bothering me! I’m working so hard just to make sure you can live a good life!” Listening to him yelling at me so confidently, I gave a bitter smile. After calming down, I said in a hoarse voice, “Scott, it doesn’t matter if you think I’m silly and unsophisticated. But Laura is your daughter. Do you really not care about her at all?” Scott paused for a moment and said in a flustered manner, “Angela, what nonsense are you talking about? I’ll go to the hospital as soon as I’m done here.” I looked at Laura through the glass of the ward, and my whole body trembled. She was curled up under the thick quilt, looking so weak. When she was just born, she couldn’t even open her eyes and would hold my finger with her soft little hand. Laura had poor health and had never been to kindergarten, even for a day. She only knew me and Scott. But the father she relied on had never really cared about her. I couldn’t hold on any longer and started crying. I didn’t expect that Scott would actually come. Maybe in his heart, he still cared about Laura. The red marks on his neck hadn’t faded yet, and he rushed into the ward wearing those old patched-up clothes. Looking at the sweat beads still dripping down from his forehead, I had mixed feelings. For a moment, I almost thought that we were still a poor but loving family. I thought that suffering wasn’t a big deal. As long as we loved each other, we could get through any difficulties together, until a flash of gold on his wrist caught my attention. That expensive watch brought me back to reality.

When Laura saw Scott coming, she said happily, “Dad, you haven’t come to see me for a long time. I miss you so much.” He smiled awkwardly and said, “Sorry, I’ve been really busy recently. Laura, when you open your eyes after the operation, we’ll be here with you.” Before the operation, Laura looked at me nervously and asked expectantly, “Mom, can I have a doll as a reward?” I almost burst into tears. The birthday gift Scott bought for Kelly was a truckload of expensive imported dolls, while Laura’s dolls were all handmade by me. I quickly nodded and agreed, “Laura, I’ll go and buy it for you right now!” I immediately ran out. Worrying about Laura, I just wanted to come back quickly. But the doll that Laura wanted had already been out of production. I ran to several stores and finally managed to contact a toy merchant to buy it. Holding the doll excitedly, I rushed back to the hospital. But suddenly, the phone in my pocket rang loudly. It was a call from the nurse. Her voice was trembling as she said, “Ms. Turner! Something terrible has happened. That heart has been snatched away! Laura is still on the operating table. Come back quickly!” My face turned pale, and I almost couldn’t stand up. A kind passerby saw my pale face and sent me back to the hospital. By then, I was soaked in cold sweat all over. I stumbled to the door of the operating room. The nurse waiting there sighed, “Your husband has already gone to the transplant bank and taken the heart away.” These words shattered all my hopes. I took out my phone with trembling hands, wanting to call Scott, but my fingers were shaking so badly that I couldn’t even press the dial button. The nurse reached out pityingly and took the phone that I could hardly hold. The call actually got through quickly. He said, “Honey, I have something urgent…” I didn’t want to listen to his lies anymore. I roared at him in a hoarse voice, “Where is Laura’s heart?” He paused for a moment and quickly explained, “Angela, the niece of my investor has also matched the heart. Laura can wait a little longer. This time, we’ll just let…” I was so angry that my voice was shaking as I interrupted him, “Laura is on the operating table waiting for the heart to save her life! Hurry up and bring the heart back! The operation is already halfway through! How could you do this?” Scott sighed impatiently, “You’re usually so generous. What’s wrong with you today? Laura will still have a chance in the future. I took the heart all for you! As long as Sarah is happy and she makes an investment, there will be money for Laura’s treatment, and you can live a good life too! I’m doing this for your own good!” Before I could reply, he hung up the phone. I called him like crazy one after another. He just turned off his phone. Thinking of Laura, who was still waiting for the heart in the operating room, my heart ached so much that I couldn’t breathe, and I knelt on the ground. I stared blankly at the still-lit red light of the operating room and thought, “Scott made Laura lose the chance to live. His love is like this.” The nurse beside me sighed, “You can go and ask in other hospitals. My friend said that their hospital also has a heart transplant operation today, and they just got a heart donor. Laura’s operation has already started and can’t be delayed any longer.” My shoes had already worn out. My soles hurt and were bleeding. But I couldn’t feel the pain and ran like crazy towards the hospital that the nurse mentioned. Stumbling and rushing to the VIP passage, I was stopped by the bodyguards.

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On the third day after I broke off my engagement, my ex-fiancé committed suicide in our would-be marital home, leaving all his assets to me. As I sorted through his belongings, I saw walls covered in photos of me and bloodstains on the floor. His assistant told me: “The boss had loved you for many years. His depression was severe – only seeing you or thinking of you could make him feel a little better…” Each revelation was more shocking and suffocating than the last, yet strangely heartbreaking. So when I got a second chance at life, I smiled and refused my childhood friend’s plan for me to break the engagement. “I’m not leaving,” I said. I wanted to see just how foolish this man who loved me so desperately could be. Adrian died on the third day after I broke off our engagement. My father and brother had just left his estate after regretfully informing him about my decision when they received news that Adrian had slit his wrists. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The will he had prepared long ago left all his assets to me. When I received my brother’s call in North America, my expression gradually froze. In my eyes, Adrian was just a stranger who had suddenly appeared demanding marriage. I didn’t know him at all. But every new piece of information seemed to suggest that he had loved me deeply for many years.

I rushed back to the country at the lawyer’s request, stiffly accepting Adrian’s urn. His background was a mystery and he had no relatives. His assistant looked sorrowfully at the square box and quietly told me: “The boss had loved you for many years. His depression was severe – only seeing you or thinking of you could make him feel a little better. I thought once you two got married, he wouldn’t be so pessimistic anymore, but I never expected…” His voice trailed off. There was no blame, but my heart inexplicably clenched. The assistant handed me a key: “This is the estate the boss prepared for you. It’s also the marital home he decorated himself.” The place where he had killed himself.

The estate was huge, with a riding arena built on the sprawling green lawn. The decor was in my favorite royal blue, with every piece of furniture and decoration matching my tastes. One room was filled wall-to-wall with photos of me. Looking closely, I realized they spanned from my sophomore year of college up until now. I had been under this man’s lens almost every moment. On the floor were faint bloodstains from where he had slit his wrists, giving off a slight metallic smell. Each revelation was more shocking and suffocating than the last, yet strangely heartbreaking. I couldn’t help feeling angry too. If he liked me, why didn’t he just say so? Bursting into my home like a bandit, demanding marriage right off the bat – how could I possibly feel at ease marrying him? Now with this tragic outcome, was he trying to make me feel guilty and regretful, to never forget him for the rest of my life? Dream on – I ended up donating all the assets, including that mansion. The cleaning lady tore down the photos on the wall, carelessly tossing them on the floor to cover the bloodstains… Adrian’s brief yet legendary life had vanished without a trace from this world.

It took me three days to accept the fact that I had been reborn. Three days ago, Adrian had just come to my home, forcefully demanding an arranged marriage in a manner bordering on coercion. My childhood friend Nathan heard about it and unhesitatingly told me to run, to hide out in North America for a few days. In my past life, that’s exactly what I did. But this life, remembering those walls of photos and the horrifying bloodstains on the floor, I calmly shook my head. “I don’t want to leave anymore,” I said. “I want to go ask him directly why he wants to marry me.”

Adrian’s business empire was vast. When I went to find him, he was still in a meeting. His assistant personally came down to receive me, asking me to wait briefly in his office. “The boss will be down very soon.” I gave a soft “Mm” in response. Adrian did come quickly. Before I could even finish a cup of tea, he walked in hurriedly, fastening his loose cufflinks as he went. Seeing me, he stopped in his tracks and calmly called out, “Miss Gu.” His expression was cold and distant, as if looking at a stranger. I was rendered speechless by his coldness. After some thought, I softly asked: “Mr. Shen, my father said you want to marry me. Why?” “I want to, so I will. No reason needed.” Me: “…” How was I supposed to respond to that? I slowly stood up and picked up my purse. “Then I’ll be going now.” Adrian’s expression shifted slightly, a rare look of bewilderment crossing his face. “You’re leaving already?” I stared at him expressionlessly, watching as his face gradually turned pale and his whole demeanor became tinged with resignation. Yet he still moved aside to let me leave. If I wasn’t certain this man liked me, I would really think he was just toying with me… I sighed and took the initiative to grab his sleeve. “How about we have a meal together?”

Adrian’s interactions with me had even his assistant on edge. As I was leaving, the assistant kept apologizing to me: “The boss isn’t good at talking to girls. Please don’t be angry with him, Miss Gu.” “I’m not angry,” I said with a smile. “I actually quite like him… his looks are very much my type.” The office door wasn’t fully closed. Through the small gap, I clearly saw Adrian touch his own face, his expression dazed. I smiled slightly and told the assistant: “I’ve asked your boss out to dinner tonight. Remember to remind him not to stand me up.” The assistant hurriedly nodded, as if afraid I would change my mind any second. I walked out of the company building in my high heels. As soon as I stepped outside, I received a call from Nathan. Looking at the contact saved as “Brother Nathan”, I calmly hung up and stared blankly at the clouds in the sky. Nathan was very good to me and truly had my best interests at heart. But childhood friends, good friends – they all eventually fade away on the long road of life. Just like in my past life. He had a wife and children, learned to keep his distance from me. So even when I was later trapped in the mountains with an expedition team and called him, I was viciously mocked by his wife, called an old maid who couldn’t get married. Nathan was right beside his wife when she berated me, silent and unresponsive. I ended up dying there, not knowing how he would react to the news.

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My boyfriend, Asher, got married, but I wasn’t the bride. I never imagined such a dramatic turn of events would ever happen to me. To make matters worse, Asher had only been married for three days. Despite this, he was ready to rush back to me, as if nothing had changed, and continue our relationship. I didn’t even consider faking my own death; instead, I set Asher’s house on fire. Someone like me is not to be trifled with. Six months later, I showed up as a bride at his uncle’s wedding. Asher saw me and was utterly shocked, his eyes wide with disbelief. “Adeline! You’re alive! You were deceiving me all along!” With a smile, I replied, “You’ve mistaken me for someone else. Zora died at your house.”

Asher had been very busy lately, always on business trips. Out of boredom, I went to hang out at his brother’s bar. Unexpectedly, I saw Asher there, even though he was supposed to be on a business trip. He was sitting with his friends, a smirk on his face. “Asher, what if your girlfriend finds out you married Beatrix?” “She won’t find out. Adeline is so gullible, she believes everything I say. I told her I was on a business trip, and she bought it.” Asher held a glass, watching the liquid inside with amusement. “Asher, who do you truly love? It’s pitiful for your girlfriend to have no name or status.” Asher pointed to himself, “Isn’t giving my heart and myself to Adeline enough?” “I married Beatrix just to appease my parents. I won’t touch her. If Beatrix wants kids, we can go for IVF.” His friend sighed, “What will you do if your girlfriend finds out? She loves you so much.” Asher’s tone was light, “We’ll deal with that when the time comes. I’m going back to her tomorrow, so don’t spill the beans.” His friends nodded and then changed the subject. I stood there, feeling incredibly mocked. I quietly turned and left. Back home, I came to my senses, realizing Asher had deceived me. He had promised to love me forever, yet just a few days ago, he married another woman. I searched through Asher’s Tablet and found Beatrix’s contact information. I knew she was innocent too, and I didn’t want to take it out on this Heiress. I typed out a message and sent it to her. I told Beatrix the truth. If she still wanted to be with Asher, there was nothing I could do. Respecting others’ choices. Sure enough, Beatrix didn’t reply, and when I texted again, I found she had blocked me. “……” I paced around the house aimlessly. I had been living in Asher’s house since we started living together after college. Staring at the dead cockroach on the windowsill, a thought crossed my mind. Since Asher played me, I should play him back. After getting together with Asher, I felt human. But he forced me to become inhuman. I pre-recorded a suicide video, sadly recounting Asher’s actions. Then I piled all the flammable items, like bed sheets, in the living room. This was the Suburb, almost deserted. If it wasn’t for my Flower shop here, I wouldn’t want to live here. Expressionless, I lit the fire with a lighter. The flames quickly engulfed the living room. Then I placed the Will in an obvious spot. Faking death wasn’t new to me; my biological parents still thought I was dead. I climbed out the window, avoiding all surveillance, and looked back at the increasingly fierce fire consuming the Villa. Soon, someone noticed something was wrong and called the Fire alarm. I felt guilty for a second, troubling the Firefighters.

Using a fake identity, I fled to New York with trusted allies. A friend laughed and asked, “What’s the point of this? Why not ruin him completely?” I shrugged, “Just messing around out of boredom. I’ll make him pay later.” For someone who needs a Family-arranged marriage to stand firm, there are many things to fear. Didn’t Asher say he liked me a lot? I wanted to see how much he really liked me. Just like my parents, who said they loved me but wanted to sell me to help their good son build a house and marry. Even though I reported to the Police during college and tried to escape marriage, nothing worked. The Police said it was a family dispute, not their concern. Reporting too many times annoyed them. After responding, they made snide remarks. “For a college student, you should listen to your parents. In the end, you’re getting married. Who cares to whom?” Looking at the man, who was clearly not my age, I felt a craziness in my heart. After the Police left, I kept hitting him. He cried bitterly, couldn’t get close to me without getting hit. Ridiculously, he reported me, and I was detained. After being released, I bought an axe, injured his arm and leg, and set the Rural house on fire. He was seriously injured in the fire, while I faked death and escaped. I chose a distant University, changed my Residency, name, and identity. The laws here weren’t well established, and they concluded it was an accidental fire, closing the case hastily. Many uneducated people here, even my parents, thought I was dead. They didn’t know the hardships I faced, and even if they saw, they’d pretend not to. Only after my death would they say, “That wretched girl, such bad luck, couldn’t enjoy a good life. Such a good match wasted.” Looking at the seaside scenery, memories flooded back. My parents always said I was cold-blooded. I guess my blood was always cold. I wanted Asher to pay. He shouldn’t have been deceitful and unfaithful. I grasped the wind blowing by but caught nothing. The next day, Asher knelt in front of the Villa, crying so hard he made it to Trending. He desperately tried to rush into the burnt-out Villa but was held back by several people. “Asher! Accept it! She’s dead!” Asher’s eyes were fierce, “Impossible… Impossible! You must be lying, she was fine four or five days ago.” I turned off my phone, expressionless. Who was he performing for? I partied with friends for three days, almost losing myself in the fun. Online, things escalated. Someone dug up my photos. Netizens sympathized with me, saying it wasn’t worth it for a married man. Seeing this, I realized I might have gone too far. What if that jerk Asher deregistered me? That’s when I met Jasper. Jasper looked at me with a subtle expression, “I remember your name is Adeline.” In other words, aren’t you supposed to be dead? I froze, recognizing him as Asher’s Uncle. I said expressionlessly, “You’ve got the wrong person.” I quickly turned to leave, but Jasper grabbed my wrist. “You must be panicking now, there’s more than one Instigator behind this.” The speed of the Public opinion’s explosion suggested someone was pushing it. After all, many were eager to point out Asher’s faults. “What do you want?” I didn’t think Jasper would help me. He must want to expose my lie to his nephew. “I can help you, make sure you have no worries.” I was intrigued but not naive: “What’s your motive?” Jasper suddenly wrapped his arm around my waist, “I need you to marry me.” I widened my eyes, “Are you crazy?” “Yeah, lovesick,” Jasper shamelessly replied. “……”

Jasper explained the situation of the Asher family. It was simply internal and external troubles. If Asher didn’t marry Beatrix, he couldn’t stabilize his position. Asher’s father had several other sons and daughters, all Illegitimate. “You’re helping me against Asher. Aren’t you worried about your sister being upset?” Jasper suddenly said, “She deserves it. I hate Illegitimate children the most in my life.” I instantly understood. Jasper’s mother had difficulty conceiving, and his father had an Affair resulting in Asher’s mother. Jasper’s mother resented for a long time, finally giving birth to Jasper at nearly fifty. Though she was mocked for Late childbirth, it was a relief. But Asher’s mother’s mother was never content, and Jasper’s mother fought to protect Jasper’s interests for many years. Unfortunately, she died of illness. The Mistress took over, and Asher’s mother’s identity was legitimized. At nearly thirty, she married into the Asher family. Ironically, her husband also cheated, resulting in many Illegitimate children. It was karma. I genuinely laughed, “Do you want the Asher family?” “No, I want everything they rely on to be destroyed.” I fist-bumped Jasper’s chest, “What a coincidence, so do I.” The cooperation was cleverly reached. Jasper helped me perfect everything. Asher confirmed my DNA in the charred Villa, and he no longer doubted I was dead. I’m inherently a bit crazy, loving the thrill of dancing on the edge. “Jasper, since that’s the case, let’s go back.” It’s absurd that her husband also had affairs, resulting in many illegitimate children—it’s as if karma caught up with him. I laughed sincerely, “Are you after the Asher family?” “No, I want everything they depend on to be destroyed.” I playfully tapped my fist against Jasper’s chest, “What a coincidence, so do I.” Our partnership was naturally and cleverly established. Jasper helped me refine everything. Asher had found traces of my DNA in the burnt villa, so he no longer suspected I was alive. I have a wild streak and particularly enjoy flirting with danger. “Jasper, since that’s the case, let’s go back.” “I want to attend Beatrix’s birthday party.” Jasper caressed my face, “Sure, but you need to wear this.” He placed an elegant mask on my face. Initially, I found it novel, but it soon felt burdensome. “Don’t take it off. If you do, you won’t be able to play your part.” I immediately lowered my hand. Jasper took me dress shopping, and I chose one completely opposite to my usual style. It was daringly sexy. Purple certainly has its allure, making my skin look fair and beautiful. I’m sure Asher won’t recognize me. I admired myself in the mirror for a long time until Jasper spoiled the moment by adjusting my neckline. “What are you doing?” I slapped his hand away. “Your neckline is too low.” I pointed at my neckline, “Doesn’t it look good?” Jasper said teasingly, “Looks smaller in short sleeves—is it pushed up?” “…” “You’re the one pushing up!” I retorted in mock anger. Jasper’s eyes twinkled with amusement, and then suddenly turned serious. He pulled me into his arms. I leaned against his chest, puzzled, “What’s wrong?” “Shut up, your old flame is here.” I laughed and quickly embraced Jasper, using enough force to make him fall onto the sofa, with me straddling his lap. “Asher, what are you doing here?” Asher asked coldly, noticing me and inquiring, “And who is this?” Wearing my mask, I grinned, “Oh, is this the big nephew?” Asher was momentarily taken aback seeing me, “You are…” Beatrix tugged on Asher, and he quickly composed himself, “Are you Uncle’s girlfriend?” Jasper’s hand rested on my waist, casually caressing it. Jasper kissed me in front of Asher, “Yes.” Asher felt a strange familiarity, struggling to suppress the emotions growing inside him, “Can I see what you look like?” Suddenly, I pretended to cry in Jasper’s arms. Jasper’s face darkened, “Asher, you’re really insensitive! Don’t you know she’s always been self-conscious about her appearance?” Jasper scooped me up, looking anxious. Asher instinctively followed, ignoring Beatrix. Beatrix hurried after them, “Asher! Where are you going?” Lying in Jasper’s arms, I smiled, “He seems suspicious of me.” Jasper’s voice was deep, “You’re my girlfriend, not his long-lost first love.” Asher was eventually held back by Beatrix, staring at me with unconcealed frustration. “Asher, what’s wrong? Why do you look so terrible?” Asher violently shook off Beatrix’s hand, “Leave me alone, it’s none of your business.” Beatrix’s face turned pale, and she fell silent.

Beatrix’s birthday party arrived as planned. The Asher family spared no expense, hoping to use this opportunity to restore their reputation. Asher stayed by Beatrix’s side, but his mind was elsewhere. Until he saw me, he couldn’t help but be distracted again. I held Jasper’s arm, “Is he out of his mind, staring at a stranger in front of so many people?” Jasper tapped my nose, “Stay here and be good. I have something to do.” “Okay.” I knew Jasper was giving me a chance to toy with Asher. Even though I was in a remote spot, Asher found me shortly after. “Miss, can I talk to you?” I blinked, “My last name is Jasper.” “Miss Jasper.” Asher’s heart raced uncontrollably, “You look like someone I used to know.” “Asher, your opening line is so cliché.” “Your voice is also very similar,” Asher suddenly said. I leaned on my hand, “How would your wife feel about this?” Asher suddenly grabbed my hand, and I pretended to call out. Asher’s voice rose, “Don’t shout, just let me see your face, okay?” He covered my mouth tightly, his eyes full of hope, “Just let me see.” Let him give up, okay? At that moment, Jasper walked over, followed by a large group of people. I quickly shook off Asher’s hand and ran to Jasper, pitifully saying, “Jasper, he bullied me, look at how red my hand is.” Jasper tenderly rubbed my wrist, “Asher, what do you want with my girl?” Asher looked shocked, opened his mouth to explain, but I blocked him with a single sentence. “Jasper, I’m scared.” Beatrix arrived late, holding her dress, painfully witnessing the scene. Asher gritted his teeth, “Uncle, I just want to see what she looks like.” Jasper’s face darkened, “I told you, she’s very insecure about her appearance. Don’t make things difficult for her.” Asher murmured, “I just think she looks like someone.” Hearing this, Beatrix showed a hurt expression. “Asher! You still can’t forget Adeline, can you? You’ve already married me, what more do you want!” Beatrix sobbed uncontrollably, “She’s dead! She’s already dead! You killed her!” Stung by her words, Asher spat angrily, “Shut up! She’s not dead, she’s right here!” Asher was still deceiving himself. He looked at me pleadingly, “Miss Jasper, please let me see your face.” I smirked inwardly. Even though he knows the truth, why is he so stubborn? “Alright, as you wish.” Jasper’s grip tightened around me, and I gave him a reassuring look. “Asher!” Beatrix warned him, “It’s my birthday today, and everyone’s watching.” Asher causing a scene was like slapping her in the face. How could she bear the shame, knowing everyone would see that as the heiress of Beatrix’s Family, she couldn’t compare to a deceased woman! Asher looked at her coldly, and Beatrix’s tears couldn’t be held back any longer. “I love you so much…” I laughed, “Miss Beatrix, don’t be sad. I’m really not Adeline.” Saying that, I took off the mask. I’m sorry, but it looks like the text you want translated is missing. Could you please provide the content within the specified section so I can help you with the translation?

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Three years after my death, my husband finally remembered me. The reason? His childhood friend Faye’s leukemia had relapsed, and she needed another bone marrow transplant. He came to the house where I used to live, intending to have me sign a donation agreement. But he found the place long abandoned. He asked the neighbors about me. “You mean Chloe? She’s been dead for years!” one replied. “I heard she was forced to donate bone marrow while she was sick. She passed away just days after returning home.” He refused to believe it, convinced the neighbors were conspiring with me to deceive him. Irritated, he snapped at them, “If you see her, tell her this: if she doesn’t show up in three days, I won’t pay another cent for that bastard child’s medical bills.” As he stormed off, the neighbor shook her head and muttered, “Poor child… he starved to death long ago.” Three years after death, my son and I were still restless spirits. Our attachments to this world were too strong, preventing us from moving on to the next life. Meanwhile, my husband Harrison had clawed his way up from the bottom of society, transforming into an enviable new business tycoon. I had betrayed him when he was at his lowest point. So he hated me. He wanted to flay me alive. Three years ago, he forced me to donate bone marrow to Faye while I was ill. Bone marrow extraction is invasive. Whether due to a procedural error or my weakened immune system, I developed a severe infection a week after the surgery. I fell into a coma with a high fever and died at home. My three-year-old son, left with no one to care for him, eventually died by my side. In those three years, Harrison never came to see us, not even a single phone call. Now, I held my son Timmy’s small hand as we floated in the air, watching Harrison kick our old front gate repeatedly. Three years without seeing each other, and he had changed so much. His eyes were cold and unfeeling. Familiar yet strange. Behind him stood Faye, wearing a mask and dressed to the nines. Her rosy cheeks and well-proportioned figure showed no signs of illness. Timmy, frightened by the loud banging, hid in my embrace. He looked up at me, his bright eyes a mix of excitement and fear. “Mommy, has Daddy finally remembered us? It’s been so long since he came to see us.” “But he looks angry. Did I do something to upset him?” “And who’s that lady standing there?” I stroked his head, my heart aching. My throat felt constricted, unable to utter a word. “Chloe, get out here now! Stop pretending to be dead!” Harrison shouted into the yard. The commotion drew the attention of Mrs. Johnson next door. She came out and asked Harrison, “Young man, who are you looking for? This house has been empty for a long time.” Harrison composed himself and asked, “Doesn’t Chloe live here? Has she moved?” Mrs. Johnson’s expression darkened. She sighed, “You mean Chloe? She died three years ago.” Harrison froze for a moment. Mrs. Johnson continued, “I heard she was forced to donate bone marrow while she was sick. She passed away just days after returning home. It’s such a tragedy.” Faye’s expression changed, her face turning pale. She protested weakly, “Ma’am, please don’t say such things. Donating bone marrow is safe; it doesn’t kill people.” “If she didn’t want to donate to me, she could have just said so. There’s no need to curse herself like this. It’s bad luck.” She spoke loudly, as if I might be eavesdropping from inside the house. Harrison, who had been in shock, suddenly relaxed upon hearing Mrs. Johnson’s words. A mocking smile appeared on his face. “Does she find it amusing to keep up this act? If she’s going to lie, she should at least make it believable. She should check if there are any cases of people dying from bone marrow donation.” Mrs. Johnson, confused by their conversation, simply repeated, “The poor thing was found dead in the house after several days…” Harrison’s face turned cold. He said to Mrs. Johnson, “I don’t know why you’re conspiring with her to deceive me, but please tell her this: if she doesn’t show up to donate bone marrow to Faye within three days, don’t blame me for cutting off the dialysis treatment for that bastard child she’s raising.” Mrs. Johnson was stunned. She shook her head and sighed, preparing to return to her own house. Harrison called out coldly behind her, “Remember! I’m only giving her three days. If she doesn’t appear, I won’t transfer a single penny for living expenses this month. Let her watch that bastard die right in front of her.” As she turned away, Mrs. Johnson’s eyes reddened. She muttered to herself, “That poor child starved to death long ago. If only I had gone to check on them, I might have been able to save him…” “Harrison, is it possible that Chloe doesn’t want to donate bone marrow to me, so she’s hiding?” Faye asked, her expression on the verge of tears. Harrison affectionately ruffled her hair. “Silly girl, it’s just a little leukemia. Even if Chloe doesn’t donate, I’ll search the whole country to find a suitable match for you.” Faye pouted, “But Chloe’s bone marrow is almost a perfect match for my body. The doctor said he’s never seen two people with such a high degree of compatibility.” Harrison glanced at the locked gate, his tone filled with determination and promise: “Then for your sake, I’ll move heaven and earth to find her!” At that moment, my heart couldn’t help but ache again. Looking at the two people standing before me, memories from years ago flooded back. Harrison and I were college classmates. Back then, he was like the morning sun piercing through a thin mist – warm and radiant. I fell for him first. We got together after graduating from college. I once saw him as my salvation, my whole world revolving around him. I followed him into his startup, sharing in the hardships. He promised to take care of me for life. At first, he really did. But ideals eventually gave way to reality. In the early days of his business, I often accompanied him to negotiate deals. That’s when I met Luke Jenkins, the heir to the Radiant Group. Luke was a spoiled rich kid who worked just for the experience. Ever since he met me, he buzzed around me like a fly, even trying to get handsy when drunk. Finally, during one incident when Luke tried to embrace me while intoxicated, Harrison smashed a wine bottle over his head. Because of this incident, we not only lost the Radiant Group contract but also had to pay all our savings to keep Luke from sending Harrison to jail. Of course, what we actually paid was far more than just money. That night, he held me in his arms and apologized. He said he was sorry, that when he succeeded one day, he would never let anyone bully me again. Indeed, after he succeeded, no one else bullied me. Only he did. I don’t want to reminisce anymore. I looked at that face, unseen for years yet colder and more unfeeling than ever. The stifling summer wind tousled his hair, deepening his already furrowed brow. He looked lost in thought. He held Faye in his arms, his gaze fixed on the waist-high weeds at the gate. The year I “betrayed” Harrison was our second year of marriage. By then, I was already over a month pregnant. But neither of us knew about it yet. At that time, Harrison’s business had started to show promise and had attracted several investors. It should have been smooth sailing, but for some reason, we suddenly hit a major setback. Even the investments we had secured were all withdrawn. The cash flow dried up, and our products started having one problem after another. We defaulted on our bank loans, and the mortgaged house, car, and factory were all about to be repossessed and auctioned off. During those days, Harrison couldn’t eat or sleep. To make matters worse, Harrison’s mother was diagnosed with cancer that year, requiring a huge sum for treatment. I pulled some strings to investigate the cause and discovered that the person sabotaging Harrison’s company was none other than Luke Jenkins, the man Harrison had hit with a wine bottle years ago. And now, he had come to me. He said he could arrange for Radiant Group’s investment arm to inject capital into Harrison’s company and even pay for his mother’s treatment. I knew he must have conditions. Would the devil do charity out of kindness? If he didn’t want my life, he must want something even more important than life itself. I asked him what was the point of doing this. Luke sneered, “I do it because I want to. What other reason do I need? I just enjoy watching you insects, furious yet helpless against me.” “Besides, I haven’t paid him back for cracking my skull open back then. It’s time for him to pay up.” I couldn’t understand Luke. He had a hundred ways to make Harrison’s life miserable, yet he chose me. Years later, I still vividly remember the scene that day. In a dimly lit private room, Luke held me on his lap. Harrison, walking in with the contract in hand, froze when he saw us. His eyes reddened as he asked hoarsely, “Why?” I told him, “You can’t give me the life I want, but Luke can…” Luke laughed loudly. His greasy hand pinched my waist. My heart felt like it was being pierced by a thousand arrows. Despite the utter humiliation, I forced a coquettish laugh and playfully dodged. “Harrison, isn’t this good? I help you get resources, you sign a contract with Radiant, it’s win-win.” Disappointment gradually filled Harrison’s eyes. But he still resolutely reached out to me: “Chloe, come here! I don’t need you to do this. Whatever life you want, I’ll work hard to give it to you in the future.” His tone was pleading, his expression so miserable. At that moment, my heart felt like it was being crushed by a thousand-pound stone, making it almost impossible to breathe. He said, “Chloe, I don’t have to sign today’s contract. Come home with me…” The once confident and proud man, who hadn’t hesitated to smash a wine bottle over the head of Radiant’s heir, was now begging so humbly. Luke laughed, triumphant and carefree. “Harrison, look at the woman you cherished. She’s no different from the rest. With just a crook of my finger, she crawled into my bed.” “So tell me, what was the point of smashing that bottle over my head back then? Haha…” Harrison ignored his words, just staring fixedly at me. I smiled, wrapping my arms around Luke’s neck, and said to Harrison, “That’s right, honey. Don’t take things so seriously. Just let it go.” I don’t remember much of what happened later that night. I only remember him signing the contract, his eyes blood-red as he said to me: “Chloe, in this life, we’ll never be done with each other!” After that, he threw himself into his work like a madman. In just a few short years, he grew his startup into a listed company, even becoming an industry leader last year. He had succeeded. And I had become the biggest stain on his life. Of course, I didn’t show up during the three-day deadline he gave. Harrison came to our little house again. Timmy excitedly circled around his father, placing his transparent little hand into Harrison’s large one hanging by his side. He turned back to me, jubilant: “Mommy, I’m finally holding hands with Daddy!” My eyes stung with unshed tears as I forced a smile for him. All these years, Harrison had believed Timmy was Luke’s child, despising him and refusing to even look at him. Although I had done a paternity test proving their biological father-son relationship, he still refused to believe it, thinking I had paid for a fake report. Ever since that night, I had lost all credibility with Harrison. I asked him for a divorce. I wanted to end this toxic relationship too. But he just glared at me viciously: “Chloe, remember, you owe me for life. I told you we’d never be done with each other.” “Divorce? Dream on!” He brought countless women home to spend the night, being intimate with them right in front of me. Whenever I tried to argue, he’d tell me to think about how dirty I was when I rolled around with Luke. This situation continued until Faye returned to the country. After she came back into his life, he cut off all contact with those other women. The two of them openly went everywhere together. Even Harrison’s business partners referred to Faye as “Mrs. Ford.” My thoughts returned to the present. I watched as Harrison stood at the gate, calling my phone. The automated voice informed him the number was no longer in service. He frowned, opening my SnapChat. The last message there was still the one he had sent three days ago, urging me to come forward and do the bone marrow matching for Faye. Of course, I hadn’t replied. He opened my photo feed, pausing when he saw a picture I had posted four years ago. It was a candid shot I had taken – him sitting on the sofa, two-year-old Timmy hugging his arm, resting his adorable little head on Harrison’s shoulder. I thought it was a beautiful moment and captured it, but the next second he had pushed Timmy away in disgust. He stared at the enlarged profile picture for a long while, then returned to the chat window to send me a message, “Chloe, you brought this on yourself. The three-day deadline is up. From today on, I won’t transfer another penny for your living expenses.” He waited for a long time, but still no reply. He then kicked the gate hard in frustration. Timmy, who had been happily circling around Harrison, was startled by this sudden action and began trembling in fear. His lip quivered as he burst into tears and ran into my arms: “Mommy, what’s wrong with Daddy? I’m scared…” I held him close, comforting him: “Don’t be afraid, Timmy. Daddy can’t hurt you anymore. Look, there are butterflies over there. Do you want to fly over and play with them for a bit?” I tried to distract him. Timmy turned his head and saw several butterflies fluttering nearby. He broke into a smile through his tears, quickly wiped his eyes, and flew towards the butterflies. After kicking the gate a couple of times, Harrison became even more agitated. He kept massaging his temples, then pulled out his phone and made a call. “Hello, is this the locksmith?” … Half an hour later. Harrison pushed open the cobweb-covered gate. The grass in the yard was even taller than at the entrance, reaching up to Harrison’s waist. The place had clearly been abandoned for a long time. He stood in the yard, hesitating to go further. He had been here twice before and should have remembered that I kept the yard well-maintained, not like the overgrown mess before him now. The first time he came was to drop off Timmy and me. Two-year-old Timmy had just been diagnosed with uremia, caused by congenital kidney underdevelopment. Disgusted by Timmy’s “bad luck,” Harrison bought this small farmhouse in a remote village and made us move here. He transferred $2,000 a month for living expenses, which included Timmy’s dialysis treatment costs. The second time he came to this little house was to forcibly take me to do bone marrow matching for his “true love” Faye. If he still remembered, he would surely recall that the yard was full of hydrangeas and roses. I had even made a swing for Timmy. While he was still lost in thought, Faye called again. Her voice sounded weak: “Harrison, have you seen Chloe? Will she come for the matching today?” Harrison reassured her: “I’ll handle this. You just focus on following the doctor’s treatment. Don’t worry.” Faye’s voice choked up: “I know Chloe probably doesn’t want to donate bone marrow to me again. I understand. She’s already saved me once; I can’t be greedy and ask her to save me a second time. I don’t blame her for hiding now, really…” It was as if she was confirming that I was deliberately hiding because I didn’t want to donate bone marrow to her. Harrison was silent for a few seconds. To my surprise, he didn’t take Faye’s side this time. He said, “It’s not like that. I haven’t been able to contact her yet. How could she know about your leukemia relapse in advance to hide?” Faye was taken aback. She quickly explained, “Harrison, you misunderstood. That’s not what I meant.” Harrison cut her off: “Faye, don’t worry. As long as Chloe is still alive in this world, I will find her. Even if she’s dead, I’ll make sure she donates bone marrow to you before she dies.” Faye seemed relieved after hearing this. After hanging up, Harrison stood in front of the house door for a long time. Although the door wasn’t locked, he still didn’t push it open. If he had opened it, he would have seen… Two body outlines drawn in white chalk. Those were the outlines the police had drawn after Timmy and I had died. But he just stood there. In the end, he retreated from the yard and bought a new lock from the locksmith to secure the gate. I noticed a strange phenomenon. As long as we followed Harrison, we could leave the place that had been constraining us.

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My Sister Wants to Kill Me The moment my mother stepped forward to help my sister, I gave up struggling. Later, she underwent extensive plastic surgery to look exactly like me, sitting in my bedroom waiting for my husband to return. My parents hoped she would live happily ever after with my husband and enjoy a life of luxury. I laughed at their ignorance, not knowing how dangerous the man before them truly was. Today is the day Alexander Thorne returns from his business trip abroad. He’s been gone for over two months, and I’ve been dead for a week. My sister Natalie Reed nervously stands up when she sees Alexander enter the room. “Alex, have you had dinner? I asked the cook to make your favorite pumpkin soup.” This should be their first time meeting. Yet Alexander doesn’t seem to notice his wife has been replaced. I have to admit, Natalie did an impressive job of making herself look exactly like me from head to toe. Alexander hands his suitcase to the servant and rubs his temples. “I’ll have a bowl.” Natalie smiles softly, perfectly mimicking my mannerisms from the secretly recorded videos. She follows Alexander into the dining room. “Mrs. Wilson, please bring a bowl of pumpkin soup for Mr. Thorne.” Alexander turns and glances at Natalie when he hears this. We have many servants, but I’m still in the habit of doing many things myself. After all, I don’t have much else to do at home. Even though I’ve been in the city for almost two years, I’m still not comfortable ordering people around. Before marrying Alexander, I always lived in my hometown. Originally, Natalie was supposed to marry Alexander. The Thorne and Reed families used to be close for generations. The Thornes were the second most powerful family in the city, with no one daring to claim first place. The grandfathers of both families saw that they had a grandson and granddaughter of the right age, so they arranged a marriage between them. Twenty years ago, after both grandfathers passed away, the Thorne family fell victim to business sabotage. Alexander’s father brought up the marriage agreement again, hoping the Reed family would help save them. But by then, my father had already been won over by other powerful families. He decided to take advantage of the situation to carve up the Thorne empire, no longer caring about their past friendship. The Thorne Group went bankrupt. Alexander’s father died of depression, and his mother disappeared from the city with her son and the butler. Two years ago, Alexander returned from abroad with the Cloud Summit Group, devastating several major powers in the city. Not a single person who had taken advantage of the Thorne family’s downfall back then escaped. They either ended up drowning in debt with no way to recover, or were caught for their crimes and sent to prison. Family ruin became the norm. People in the business world were relieved this was happening domestically. They had heard rumors about how ruthless Alexander could be in less regulated foreign markets. When the Reed Group was on the brink of bankruptcy, my father remembered the old marriage agreement. Natalie was afraid Alexander would torture her to death out of revenge, so she cried and made a scene at home, insisting that I return from our hometown to marry him in her place. Business families tend to be somewhat superstitious, and my father was especially so. On the day Natalie was born, my father successfully signed a major deal that elevated the Reed Group to new heights. But on the day I was born, a project he had just acquired ran into problems, and the Reed Group lost half its assets. He firmly believed Natalie brought him good fortune, while I brought him misfortune. If it weren’t for my grandfather using his last dying breath to protect me, I probably would have been drowned in a chamber pot as an infant. So my father told everyone I was sickly and sent abroad to recuperate. In reality, I was abandoned in the countryside and randomly given to a blind widow surnamed Mendez to raise. My sister was named Natalie, with our parents wishing her peace and health. I was named Evelyn, with my father hoping for my early demise so I wouldn’t affect the Reed family’s fortunes. My grandmother felt sorry for me and secretly changed my name to Evelyn when registering me. Though I escaped an early death, I still ended up dying in the prime of my youth.

Natalie snapped back to reality and said softly, “I’ve been feeling dizzy these past couple days. I’m afraid I might drop the bowl.” Alexander stared at her intently for a few moments. I saw a flash of panic in Natalie’s eyes. How ironic. That night when she stabbed my heart with a dagger, she was so afraid I wouldn’t die that she even twisted it a few times to make sure. Natalie nervously changed her words, “I’ll go get it for you.” Alexander looked away and walked towards the dining room. “No need. If you’re not feeling well, get more rest.” I was stunned for a moment. In our two years of marriage, I had never heard him tell me to rest more. Now that I’m dead, I finally hear these rare words of concern. It’s also strange – my weak constitution that had plagued me since childhood rarely bothered me after those first few months in the Thorne household. I was hardly ever unwell in the past year. After all, we had shared a bed for two years. I gathered my courage and floated to his ear, calling his name. I wanted to ask him to go to the Reed house and bring me back. My grandmother had passed away. There was no one left in this world that I cared about. Although I died with regrets, living had also felt tiring. The freezer was too cold. I had always been prone to chills. I wanted to find a sunny place to stay. Besides, when I died, I heard them planning to cut me open to make it easier to dispose of my body in pieces later. Just hearing about it terrified me. If I was going to end up dismembered, I would have rather been drowned as a baby. At least then I could have kept my body intact. Even being cremated would be better – at least I would be whole when I died. Unfortunately, he had no reaction at all. He simply picked up his bowl and started eating. “I heard you’ve been going out a lot recently?” Hearing his question, my eyes lit up. Other than the Reed family, I didn’t know anyone else in the city. On my wedding day, my parents had told me that if I didn’t want my grandmother to run out of money for medical treatment, I should do my best to please Alexander. As long as the Reed Group remained stable, my grandmother’s medication would never stop. They said a married daughter was like spilled water – I shouldn’t come back in the future. So after marrying into the Thorne family, apart from occasional trips to the supermarket or walks, I hardly had any contact with the outside world. No wonder Alexander found it strange. Natalie obediently replied, “The weather has been changing a lot lately between morning and evening. My parents both got sick, so I went back to check on them.” At the mention of our parents, I was reminded of the scene when she tried to kill me. I had fought back desperately to protect myself. My mother, worried I would hurt Natalie, rushed forward with my father to pin me down. In that moment, I suddenly lost all strength in my body and allowed the dagger to pierce my heart. Alexander didn’t say anything, only responding flatly, “It must be boring staying at home all the time. It’s good to go out for a change.” I felt somewhat discouraged. How could someone as cautious and suspicious as Alexander not notice anything amiss? He even said things he had never said to me before. On our wedding day, my parents had smiled ingratiatingly at Alexander. They said my marriage to the Thorne family was to atone for the Reed family’s sins. He could take out his anger on me however he wanted. I would endure any beating or scolding – my life and death were in his hands. The Reed family would not object. Alexander didn’t actually use me as a punching bag, but he didn’t seem to like going out. So apart from our activities in bed, we hardly had any other interaction in our daily lives. After finishing the soup, they returned to the bedroom together. Natalie sat on the bed expectantly, watching Alexander finish washing up. Alexander leaned down towards her. His phone rang. After hanging up, he started changing clothes. I wasn’t surprised. He was most likely going to the company to deal with an urgent matter. A flash of dissatisfaction appeared on Natalie’s face, but she quickly replaced it with a smile when Alexander turned his head. “Your perfume is too strong. It was better before.” Natalie stared at Alexander’s retreating back in confusion, then quickly raised her arm to sniff. She found she couldn’t smell anything.

Natalie hurriedly called Mrs. Wilson to the bedroom. “Mrs. Wilson, can you smell any perfume on me?” Mrs. Wilson leaned in and sniffed Natalie’s arm and neck. “I don’t smell anything, just a bit of shampoo scent in your hair.” Natalie frowned, pacing back and forth before asking, “When you used to serve that dead girl, what did she smell like?” Mrs. Wilson thought for a moment. “I don’t think she had any particular scent. That poor thing didn’t know how to enjoy life. She had a whole cabinet full of perfumes but I never saw her use any. She didn’t have any feminine fragrance at all!” Mrs. Wilson was sent to the Thorne house by my mother six months ago. She said since I still hadn’t gotten pregnant, she was sending Mrs. Wilson, who was skilled at making medicinal dishes, to help improve my health. The change in the Reed family’s attitude towards me had made me happy for quite a while. Even though Mrs. Wilson never actually cooked a meal for me after she arrived, it still made me hopeful about my parents’ love. But later I realized that from the moment Mrs. Wilson appeared before me, it was the first step in the Reed family’s plan to help Natalie replace me. Mrs. Wilson came to the Thorne house to observe my living habits and secretly record videos for Natalie to imitate me. Hearing Mrs. Wilson’s mockery of me, Natalie’s lips curled into a smile. “Not only was she poor, she was also short-lived.” Mrs. Wilson looked confused. “Short-lived?” Natalie’s smile froze on her face, but she quickly recited her prepared lines, “She was always very weak. The old widow who took care of her was always saying she needed to take her to the doctor, hoping our parents would give more living expenses.” “All they did was ask our family for money. It was just a beggar raising another beggar! You could tell that dead girl had never seen the world. She did everything herself, which made it awkward for me to order the servants around.” I angrily rushed over and tried to punch and kick her, but my fists and feet passed right through her body with no effect. The Reed family only gave money for those first few years. They never gave another cent after that. It was all my grandmother scraping by collecting recyclables to provide for my food and clothing. When they needed someone to take my place, that’s when they finally remembered me. Mrs. Wilson started giving Natalie advice, “Why don’t you wash your hair a few more times with the shampoo in the bathroom? Maybe the scent from the shampoo you used at home hasn’t completely faded yet.” “Evelyn Reed didn’t care about these things. She just used whatever the Thorne household provided. She wasn’t as particular as you.” Natalie pressed her lips together in annoyance. “I’ve been using it every day! How has it not washed out yet? I’ll wash it again later.” After sending Mrs. Wilson away, Natalie made a phone call. “Master Shen, have you contained Evelyn Reed’s wandering soul like I asked?” I leaned in close to the phone to hear the response. “Don’t worry, ma’am. I’ve used my magic to trap her soul on the spirit altar. She doesn’t even have a chance at reincarnation!” Spirit altar… yeah right. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes as I floated around the room a few times. Although I don’t know why I’m bound to stay by her side, a truly capable master wouldn’t speak so obsequiously. He’s clearly just afraid of losing business.

Alexander didn’t return home for several days. Natalie waited until 8 PM. Looking at the table full of his favorite dishes, I licked my lips. To say Alexander and I had nothing in common wasn’t entirely accurate. When it came to food, our tastes were surprisingly similar. Natalie ate some vegetables and a piece of meat before putting down her chopsticks. She had always been very strict about managing her figure. Her total daily food intake was barely equivalent to one of my meals. Not only did she have specific requirements for cooking methods, she also strictly controlled her last meal of the day to be before 6 PM. My grandmother used to say being able to eat was a blessing, so I never deprived myself. Mrs. Zhang’s mouth-watering chicken was first-class! Just looking at it made my mouth water. I had to say Natalie was missing out. Alexander also stopped eating and looked at Natalie. “The food doesn’t suit your taste?” Natalie smiled serenely. “I haven’t had much of an appetite lately.” Alexander stared at her for a good while before saying, “The butler said your appetite was even better than usual while I was abroad. How come you suddenly can’t eat now that I’m back?” Natalie looked at Alexander’s expressionless face and shook her head repeatedly. “My appetite hasn’t been good these past few days. I might have caught a summer cold.” Alexander lowered his gaze. After a moment, he said, “First dizziness, now loss of appetite. I’ll take you for a check-up tomorrow.” Natalie instinctively wanted to refuse, but ended up smiling and agreeing. I knew she thought as long as they didn’t go to the plastic surgery department for an examination, she had nothing to fear. After all, only the three of them knew about my disappearance.

The Cloud Summit Group owns a hospital. I used to come here when I was sick to avoid spending money, conveniently charging it to Alexander’s account. The fact that Alexander was accompanying Natalie for the check-up nearly made my jaw drop. The hospital director handed the report to Alexander, saying, “Mr. Thorne, this is the full body examination report. Mrs. Thorne is in very good health.” “I remember when she came for her first check-up two years ago, her body was lacking in various vitamins. But this examination shows that problem is gone now. It seems the madam has been taking her supplements regularly.” Back then, I had just married into the family and was falling ill every few days. The director had suggested I get a full body check-up. My poor health was due to malnutrition. The hospital had prescribed a bunch of supplements to improve my constitution. But medicine is partly toxic, so after taking them for half a year and feeling much better, I stopped continuing. I wasn’t sure if the medicine actually worked, since they were now examining the well-fed Natalie. Alexander took the report and flipped through it casually. His hand suddenly paused on one page. Just as I was about to float over to take a peek, he quickly flipped to the back. After finishing, he asked, “Aren’t these recent symptoms typical of pregnancy?” I nearly choked on my saliva. Although his suspicion wasn’t directed at me, he knew I took contraceptives after every time. Besides, with my issues of cold constitution and weak blood, how could I possibly get pregnant? The director shook his head. “The weather has been hot lately. Many people are suffering from summer heat exhaustion. I’ve prescribed some Huoxiang Zhengqi water. Mrs. Thorne should feel better after drinking one box.” Alexander lowered his eyes, looking at the report in his hands without saying anything.

Meanwhile, Natalie saw Alexander talking to the director and felt a bit uneasy. She hurried over with the medicine the nurse had retrieved, interrupting, “Alex, is there something wrong with my health?” The director repeated what he had just said. Natalie relaxed upon hearing this. Just then, Natalie received a call from the Reed family asking her to come home for dinner. Seeing this, Alexander said he would accompany her. I floated along and got in the car with them. Since Alexander’s return this time, I felt his attitude towards Natalie impersonating me was a bit strange. For such a businessman who never did anything without profit, I couldn’t help but suspect he had some other motive. This was Alexander’s first time visiting the Reed house. My parents’ faces lit up with joy when they saw him. Their tone was full of fawning and flattery. As they sat in the living room, I was bound to stay within Natalie’s vicinity and couldn’t go too far. My mother held Natalie’s hand, examining her closely while quietly asking if she was eating well at the Thorne house and how she was sleeping. I didn’t want to watch her doting on Natalie. My gaze kept drifting towards the storage room in the backyard of the villa. That day, they had given all the household staff time off. After luring me there to kill me, they directly hid me in the freezer they had prepared in advance. I wanted to go see if I was still there. It was rare for Alexander to visit. If only he could take me away with him. At this moment, my mother gave my father a look. He immediately made an excuse to take Alexander to the study for tea and chess. I followed the mother and daughter to the bedroom. My mother spoke in a low, grave voice, “Your father and I cut that girl into pieces last night.”

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