Category: English

“Just sign it, Lily. My child can’t be illegitimate.” The night my sister was hospitalized after a car accident, her husband slapped the divorce papers against the ICU glass. Outside, he wrapped his arm around a female student’s waist, his fingers suggestively caressing her swollen belly. “She’s supported you for eight years. It’s time for her to step aside.” I stared at the girl’s face with a hint of amusement. Lily Evans: My high school classmate – the bully who drove someone to suicide eight years ago – now wrapped in a pure white cotton dress, timidly calling me “little sister Olivia.” Amidst the chaos, I clutched the paper in my pocket tightly. It was my brother-in-law’s medical report, showing a sperm survival rate of 0.03%. 0 “It’s okay, Lily. You know she can’t have a boy. A hen that can’t even lay eggs should be slaughtered.” Professor Thompson shielded Lily behind him, his crude language a far cry from his usual refined professorial image. On the other side of the glass, my sister’s oxygen mask was seeping blood. She remained oblivious to her husband’s betrayal. The smell of disinfectant stung my eyes as I looked through the glass at my sister’s body, riddled with tubes. Just three days ago, she had been adjusting Lily’s master’s degree gown tassel, smiling warmly: “Lily is like a second sister to me.” Because Lily wasn’t just anyone – she was the girl my sister had been supporting all these years. In her sophomore year of high school, Lily had been at the top of her class. Everyone in the village said she was destined for greatness, surely bound for Harvard. But her family couldn’t afford it. Her parents wanted her to marry the mayor’s son early, to help pay for her brother’s wedding. She wasn’t content with her fate and kept seeking sponsors. My sister, seeing her plight, immediately drove to her home to investigate. Not only did she give Lily’s parents a sum of money, but she also sponsored Lily through high school, college, and graduate school. Lily’s college entrance exam scores weren’t as stellar as expected. She didn’t make it into Harvard, barely scraping by with an undergraduate degree. Her subsequent master’s degree and upcoming PhD were all arranged by my sister. When Lily applied for her PhD, my sister placed her in Professor Thompson’s lab – the most prestigious lab in her field. Over these eight years, my sister not only arranged Lily’s education but also used her connections to find her jobs. As for Lily’s future marriage, my sister had been planning ahead, already scouting suitable young talents for her. Who would have thought that Lily didn’t fancy young, handsome men, but instead jumped into my brother-in-law’s bed? Professor Thompson sat with Lily for a while, then lost patience. He pulled out a document from his folder and handed it to me: “When your sister wakes up, have her sign this agreement.” His tone was indifferent, as if the person in the hospital room had nothing to do with him. I flipped through a page and felt my face flush with anger. How shameless! My sister was unconscious in the hospital, and here he was, bringing his mistress to force my sister to leave with nothing? 0

Seeing my silence, Lily looked up with a timid expression, her voice soft and hesitant. “I’m so sorry, Olivia. I’m grateful to Amelia, and to James too. I just want to fulfill their wish and give the Thompson family a son to carry on the family name.” “I’m not asking for any status. James and I are truly in love. I only want to repay their kindness.” Lily bit her lip, looking like a frightened deer. Professor Thompson held her closer, his eyes full of concern: “Don’t say that, Lily. I’m determined to get this divorce!” Suddenly, Lily stumbled and grabbed my father’s sleeve, her pregnant belly accidentally bumping against the emergency cart. She looked up with tears in her eyes: “James, why don’t we just leave? Amelia is in such a state…” “Leave? No way! My grandson must be born legitimate!” A shrill voice cut through the corridor. It was Mrs. Thompson, my sister’s mother-in-law, clutching her prayer beads as she rushed over. Her bony finger jabbed at my nose: “You little brat, how dare you glare at your sister Lily? She’s carrying our heir!” The prayer beads stung my face as they swung against it, reminiscent of the cigarette burns Lily had inflicted on a transfer student’s hand eight years ago, the sparks splattering onto my school uniform. I smiled, fingering the medical report: “You’re right, Auntie. The Thompson family’s precious grandson should be properly verified. But how do you know it’s a boy? Or even a Thompson at all?” I deliberately dragged out my words, watching Lily’s face turn ashen: “With today’s technology, prenatal paternity tests are quite safe.” I chuckled, feeling the other paper in my pocket – a document delivered by courier this morning, its cover stamped with “Sperm Bank Withdrawal Record Inquiry Result.” Suddenly, Lily clutched her belly and crumpled to the ground. Dark red blood flowers bloomed on her pure white cotton dress. Her voice was extremely weak: “Little sister Olivia, it’s understandable that you misunderstand me. You and Amelia are so close, but how could the baby not be James’…” She suddenly grasped the hem of my clothes, her eyes brimming with tears, her face as white as jade with a few spots of red: “Little sister Olivia, I’ll be honest with you. James was actually my first love.” Seeing the beauty in tears, Professor Thompson immediately slammed me against the wall. The back of my head rang from the impact. “You little bitch, just like your sister. Look at what state Lily is in, and you’re still upsetting her! Don’t I know if Lily was a virgin or not?” “If anything happens to Lily’s baby, I’ll make you and your sister pay with your lives.” Professor Thompson loosened his tie, glaring at me fiercely. The monitor was still screeching. I licked the blood from the corner of my mouth and looked at Lily. She was using the support as cover to flash me a familiar cold smirk. That smile was identical to the one on that rainy night when she had stomped on the transfer student’s head, burning her face with a cigarette! The transfer student’s pretty face was already blistered from the burns. Lily, ignoring her cries, yanked the latest model earrings right off her ears. “James, my stomach hurts so much.” Her trembling fingers clutched my brother-in-law’s tie, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. In a corner out of sight, she mouthed to me: You’ve already lost. 0

Ten years ago, on a night like this, my sister had burst into the dorm room, soaking wet, clutching James’ scholarship application form tightly to her chest. Back then, her eyes had sparkled: “Olivia, he said he’d buy me a diamond ring once he becomes a professor.” Yes, my sister had always been deeply in love with James. James’ current position was entirely due to my sister’s support. In high school, James had fallen for my sister at first sight – she was from a wealthy family and excelled academically. He’d said, “Amelia, I can’t give you much now, but I can give you my whole heart.” Under James’ gentle advances, my sister had gradually fallen for him. They finished high school together, did their master’s together, their PhDs together, and finally stayed on as faculty at the same university. When James couldn’t afford tuition, my sister paid for him. When James struggled with his research, my sister comforted him. When James was awkward at social events, my sister worked the room for his projects, putting on countless fake smiles. A young man from a rural area, who originally couldn’t afford tuition and was about to drop out. After meeting my sister, his life took an upward trajectory, eventually becoming a top professor. Amidst the shrill alarms of the monitors, I saw my sister’s fingers twitch through the glass. The prayer beads Mrs. Thompson had thrown at her were still wrapped around her pale wrist, the sandalwood beads gleaming a dark red under the cold fluorescent lights. Three months ago, when I’d burst into the Thompson house, these supposedly blessed beads had been grinding into my sister’s hand. Lily had leaned into James’ embrace, chuckling lightly: “Don’t upset yourself, Mrs. Thompson. Amelia just can’t have children, it’s not like she deliberately killed your grandson.” This was the home my sister had protected for ten years. Mrs. Thompson had always used my sister’s inability to have children as an excuse to treat her poorly. She would berate my sister daily, and my sister often cried secretly in her room, hating herself for not being able to bear a child. “Olivia, what are you standing there for?” Mrs. Thompson suddenly grabbed my collar, her prayer beads digging into my collarbone. “Hurry up and buy some brown sugar for your brother-in-law! Lily says her stomach hurts and she wants ginger tea!” I looked at this old woman who had once knelt in front of the Wells’ mansion begging for tuition money. Now she wore a jade bracelet my sister had given her, but used her gold-ringed finger to jab at my chest: “You jinx, all you Wells women are bad luck!” I had long known about my brother-in-law’s affair. That day in the lab, I’d seen James holding Lily. His suggestive fingers had slipped off her clothes, and I knew then that my seemingly upright brother-in-law had finally given in to temptation. Lily gently pushed James away with her small hand, as if reluctantly: “James, we shouldn’t be doing this.” I had run back to the Thompson house in a rage, intending to tell my sister about James’ infidelity. But I found my sister crouched in the Thompsons’ bathroom, scrubbing the toilet. Mrs. Thompson had thrown her blood-stained underwear on my sister’s head: “If you can’t have children, you should at least absorb some human energy.” After returning home, I checked all of James’ papers, only to discover that the first authorship that should have belonged to my sister had been changed to Lily! But this experimental data was clearly my sister’s! 0

It turned out that for all these years, James had been claiming my sister’s experimental data as his own to get promoted to full professor. My sister had kept quiet for the sake of her husband’s career. Years later, when she finally had the chance to become a full professor herself, it turned out her work had become the bully’s achievement. That day, I brooded alone for a long time. Had my sister and James’ childlessness all these years really been just my sister’s problem? I secretly doubted, and tricked James into participating in our company’s free comprehensive physical examination. Finally, I got the test report: sperm survival rate 0.03%. How could he possibly father a child? It had been him all along who couldn’t have children, yet James had pinned all the blame on my sister for all these years. I clenched my fists, slowly formulating a plan. I smiled and took Mrs. Thompson’s hand, looking at her with a hint of apology: “My sister’s inability to give the Thompson family a ‘biological grandson’ all these years is indeed her fault. I’ll go buy some brown sugar water for sister Lily right away. Don’t worry, as soon as my sister wakes up, I’ll make sure she signs this divorce agreement immediately.” Mrs. Thompson was surprised but nodded confidently, her wrinkled finger poking me lightly: “Little Olivia is so sensible, unlike that jinx of a sister. When our Thompson family has a grandson, you’ll have contributed too.” I suddenly grabbed her hand emotionally, tears welling up: “Oh, Auntie, you’re such a good person! All these years you’ve never held a grudge, and you’re even giving me credit. When Lily gives James a ‘biological son’, can I come see him? After all, Lily has given the Thompson family quite a ‘surprise’!” Seeing Mrs. Thompson hesitate, I continued: “It’s not that I want to cause trouble. It’s just that my parents feel guilty too. They think my sister has let the Thompson family down. They want to take this opportunity to properly apologize to the Thompson family and bring a big gift.” Hearing the words “big gift,” Mrs. Thompson’s eyes widened. She fingered her prayer beads and squinted. Then she nodded, grunting: “Fine then. Your Wells family is finally showing some sense. Having my son as an ex-son-in-law, a big professor, brings glory to your family name too.” I chuckled softly, wondering if James would be able to handle seeing his “biological son” later. I turned and went to buy brown sugar water for Lily, bringing it to her after it was ready: “Sister Lily, I’m sorry you’re not feeling well and had to come all this way. My sister’s fate is in heaven’s hands now, you don’t need to wish for her early death.” Lily shook her head repeatedly in denial: “Olivia, I only hope for Amelia’s speedy recovery.” “Well, thank you then. The brown sugar water is getting cold, drink up.” I was too lazy to argue with her, scooping up some brown sugar water and looking at her expectantly. “Sister Lily, I truly know I was wrong. There’s nothing wrong with the brown sugar water, I just bought it. You’ll feel better after drinking it.” Seeing her reluctance, I let a few tears drop, looking up at her pitifully. James inexplicably felt a twinge of softness and coaxed Lily: “Lily, drink some brown sugar water. It’ll make you feel better.” After a few seconds of standoff, Lily finally took a small sip. Then, she clutched her belly and screamed. Seeing this, Mrs. Thompson immediately threw her prayer beads at my face. James scooped Lily up in one motion, and the three of them hurried away. 0

I walked to the hospital bed and removed my sister’s oxygen mask, looking at her with concern: “Sis, do you see my brother-in-law’s true colors now?” My sister’s eyes were filled with tears, her voice choked with sobs: “Olivia, how could I have loved the wrong person?” I hugged her tightly, speaking softly: “It’s okay, sis. At least we still have a chance now. At least we can fight back.” After comforting my sister, I went to Lily’s hospital bed. James and Mrs. Thompson had gone out to buy food, so I locked the door behind me. Lily was peeling an apple. When she saw it was me, she dropped the fruit knife in terror. “Olivia, your sister isn’t dead yet and you’re already rushing to show your loyalty?” Lily shrank back, the jade pendant on her chest gleaming coldly – it was the family heirloom Mrs. Thompson had forcibly yanked from my sister’s neck. I sat down on her hospital bed, smiling as I tucked a stray hair behind her ear: “Sister Lily, why aren’t you calling me ‘little sister Olivia’ anymore? Why have you dropped the act?” “Olivia, I could cripple your sister, and dealing with you would be even simpler. Are you trying to threaten me?” Lily straightened up, a sinister smile playing on her red lips. “I’m well aware of Sister Lily’s methods. We saw them in high school, didn’t we?” “But today, let’s talk about something else.” I opened my phone and projected an image onto the stark white wall. The sperm bank records cast an eerie light, with Lily’s signature clearly visible next to the notation [Donor ID X-0742]. Seeing this, Lily’s eyes widened in disbelief: “How did you get this?” Ignoring her question, I looked at her with a hint of mockery: “So the child isn’t my brother-in-law’s after all! You couldn’t even wait for IVF, could you?” I swiped to the next image on the wall projection, my smile growing brighter: “Actually, I can understand your impatience. After all, the Thompson family struck gold with one professor. They’d need a legitimate grandson to inherit, wouldn’t they?” Lily’s face turned deathly pale. She bit her lip: “You little bitch, what do you want?” I smiled at her: “Why, to ask for your help, of course.” Seeing Lily’s hesitation, I tossed her James’ medical report showing his 0.03% sperm survival rate, then twisted the knife: “I could guess the child wasn’t my brother-in-law’s, but I never imagined it wasn’t William’s either!”

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I stared at my baby brother Lucas, who was just learning to speak. I knew that not far away, there were child traffickers waiting for their chance. Hearing the piercing cry of a child, I felt disoriented. “You deaf girl! Take your brother out to play!” my mom Karen yelled. My lips trembled as I pinched myself hard. The pain made me shudder. Mom impatiently pushed me, her familiar curses filling the air. “I really gave birth to a useless girl. Always pretending to be dead when there’s work to do.” Suddenly, I snapped back to reality. Turning my head, I saw my small reflection in the glass window. I had been given a second chance at life! Glancing at the calendar on the wall, I instantly realized what day it was. I carried Lucas out, trying to organize my thoughts. Loan sharks, debt collection, falling from a building. I bit my lip and looked at Lucas, who was curiously looking around. Did I hate him? Of course, I did. In those few seconds of falling from the high-rise, I had cursed this family with all the malice I could muster. I was supposed to get married in just a few days, finally escaping this suffocating quagmire. Instead, I died in an abandoned factory, becoming nothing but rotting flesh for flies and ants. I took a deep breath. The overwhelming resentment made black thorns grow in my heart, my eyes gradually turning frantic. I remembered this day very clearly. It was on this day that we encountered child traffickers. I went to buy Lucas an ice cream, but he was lured away by someone with a lollipop. I was terrified, but I was smart enough to ask adults around for help. In the end, Lucas was saved, but he was traumatized and cried non-stop when we got home. Lucas was already two and a half years old, but he had been spoiled rotten by our mom. He would cry and throw tantrums at the slightest dissatisfaction, speaking one word at a time. “…Hit…Me…Hurt…” Mom’s eyes widened in anger. She grabbed a belt and beat me half to death. “You little beast, he’s your brother! How dare you hit him! Why don’t you just die!” I curled up, crying out, “I didn’t! It was bad people, bad people tried to grab him!” “You little beast, still lying! You’re the worst thing in our family. How did I give birth to such an ungrateful creature?” I cried until my voice was hoarse, crawling to the edge of the bed. “Lucas, Lucas, tell mom I didn’t hit you!” But Lucas seemed amused by the scene and started giggling. Lucas suddenly laughed as if he had seen something interesting. The child’s innocent laughter overlapped with my dark memories. My whole body tensed up. The sudden fear almost made me throw him away. I trembled all over. I didn’t know if it was because of hatred or excitement. — The ice cream stand was just around the corner. Two men wearing old-fashioned hats were crouching not far away. Once again, I stood at this crossroads of fate. Sure enough, Lucas spoke up. “Ice… eat… eat.” I lowered my head. “Does Lucas want ice cream?” Lucas nodded. I felt my blood boiling, turning my brain into mush. I walked towards the ice cream stand. Lucas was left behind. I couldn’t see him, but I could clearly feel his small figure. Gradually shrinking, blurring, falling into a haze. I took the ice cream from the vendor, shuddering at its cold touch. If Lucas disappeared… I wouldn’t have to live like a dog in this family anymore. I wouldn’t have to support a family of bloodsuckers. I wouldn’t be chased by debt collectors to the point of jumping off a building. I should have had a great life. I stared at the ice cream, unconsciously gripping it tightly, my eyes as red as blood. “Hey, hey, girl, you haven’t paid yet!” the vendor called out. The scorching July sun shone on me. But I felt like I had fallen into an ice pit. I threw away the ice cream and ran back like a madwoman.

Lucas was gone! My mind went blank, as if a heavy snow had fallen. Stumbling, I found the bicycle repairman and cried out, “Bad people, they took my brother!” With the memory of my previous life, I led people directly to the alley entrance. The repairman and onlookers subdued the kidnappers, and I took Lucas back. As soon as I removed the cotton cloth stuffed in his mouth, he burst into earth-shattering cries. Holding him, I was also in tears. I wanted to change my miserable life. But the awakening of female consciousness should not come at the cost of sacrificing humanity. This time, I didn’t run home immediately like I did in my previous life. I wiped away my tears and went to the police station with the repairman and others. I was very calm when giving my statement, focusing on comforting my crying brother throughout. When the statement was done, Lucas had cried himself to sleep. I asked the repairman to take us home. The repairman praised me the whole way. “Oh, you little girl, you’re so brave. You’re made for great things.” “If it weren’t for you today, your brother would have suffered.” “These damn child traffickers are worse than animals.” I smiled awkwardly, choosing to remain silent. Little did he know, I had almost become an accomplice to these inhuman creatures. Back home, Mom started yelling before she even saw us. “You useless girl, coming back so late. Were you slacking off? Come here and wash the clothes right now.” She hadn’t finished scolding when she saw the sleeping Lucas in my arms. She rushed over with an “Oh my!” “What happened to Lucas?” She was anxious and heartbroken. “Did you, you little brat…” “Mom, you’re disturbing Lucas,” I said. Sure enough, Mom shut up immediately. She glared at me fiercely. I ignored her and carried Lucas into the room. If I didn’t know how to handle her by now, I would have lived these two lives in vain. The repairman would help me sort out the rest. But I needed to think carefully about what to do next. During dinner, Mom scolded me for being a jinx, saying I shouldn’t have taken Lucas there. I ignored her words, focusing on eating. Lucas sat in Mom’s lap, letting her feed him, showing none of his usual tantrums. He ate whatever she fed him, being so obedient that Mom could hardly believe it. After dinner, I cleaned up the messy table as usual. Lucas, who never wanted to move and always demanded to be carried, came over and looked up at me. “…Sis…Sis…” Mom happened to pass by and exclaimed with delight, “Lucas can call people now?” Since Lucas learned to speak, he had never called anyone Mom or Dad. He rarely spoke because whenever he wanted something, crying was enough. I didn’t expect his first time calling someone would be dedicated to me, the “useless girl.” The joy on Mom’s face instantly disappeared. She spat at me. “You useless girl, always teaching my darling bad things. Stay away from your brother in the future, you hear me?” I carried the bowls into the kitchen, the corner of my lips curling up. “Okay.” When it was time to sleep, Lucas started fussing again. “…Sis…Sis…Want…” He cried his heart out. Mom was heartbroken and angrily questioned me. “What kind of spell did you cast on him? Why does he only want you?” I looked innocent. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s because he was scared earlier today, and I happened to be by his side.” Lucas would cry if he was away from me. Despite her extreme reluctance, Mom had no choice but to compromise. The plan was successful. Lucas and I faced each other. Mom had once worried that her only precious son might have some intellectual disability because he started speaking late. But I knew he was actually very smart. When he was little, he loved to snatch my things. A stone, a wildflower, a card, no matter how well I hid them, he could always find them. If I didn’t give them to him, he would cry and make a scene in front of Mom. Invariably, I would end up being beaten severely, kneeling on the ground apologizing, and handing those little things to him. I slightly narrowed my eyes, watching Lucas’s ingratiating face. Before dinner, I changed his diaper. I moved very slowly, brainwashing him for an hour. “See, today you didn’t listen to your sister and stay put, so bad people caught you.” “If you dare not listen to your sister again in the future, bad people will beat you to death.” My tone was gloomy, unable to suppress the hatred mixed in. “Just like… how Mom beats your sister, they won’t stop, they’ll keep beating and beating…” Living beings instinctively fear dangerous things, and with the addition of force, they choose to submit. Young ones are the same. He seemed to sense the genuine malice in my words. His eyes darted around, and he reached out for me to hold him. From tonight, when he cried and insisted on sleeping with me as I had instructed. I understood.

My life would change completely. In a different way. “Lucas, what did your sister tell you?” He had just started first grade and was dejected as he returned the broken water gun to someone else. I was very stern: “Lucas, apologize.” Lucas was very unwilling, even looking at me with some hatred. But I didn’t back down. With my height advantage and adult presence, I forced him to finally speak up. I went to his classmate, gritted my teeth, and took out all the pocket money I had saved from selling bottles. “I’m sorry, we’ll buy you a new one.” I patted the chubby kid’s head and said softly: “Sister will buy you candy. Please forgive Lucas, and can you play with him in the future?” The chubby kid hesitated but nodded. Lucas grumbled unhappily: “Who cares about playing with them.” This little brat. With Mom as a strong negative influence. I spent five whole years and still couldn’t correct many of Lucas’s bad habits. When I first started educating him, I encountered many obstacles. Lucas and I agreed that if he made a mistake, he would have to eat bitter melon. Every time I forced it to his mouth, Lucas would scream and yell, attracting Mom. But he never dared to say it was my fault. Before he was three years old, I had imprinted in his DNA that he must absolutely obey his sister’s words. Just like a baby elephant tied with a rope, even when it grows up and can easily break free from the rope. It doesn’t have this awareness, and I don’t allow such things to happen. Over these five years, I constantly reminded myself. Never let Lucas become like he was in my previous life. On the way home, I remained silent. Lucas glanced at my expression. “Sis, the backpack is so heavy.” After Mom discovered that I could teach Lucas to speak, she very reluctantly handed him over to me to take care of. But she still constantly reminded him, instilling the idea that everything of his sister’s belonged to him, and that his sister was just a lowly girl. But she acted too late. When it comes to brainwashing, how could an ignorant illiterate like her compare to me? The child I had already set on the right path couldn’t be ruined by her again. Seeing that I wasn’t responding to him, Lucas became anxious and ran in front of me. “Sis, I was wrong. Don’t be angry. Don’t make me eat bitter melon.” If it were Mom, she would definitely say: “It’s all those little bastards’ fault. My darling is always right. Mom will buy you cake, and we won’t play with them anymore.” I looked at him coldly. “What did you do wrong?” “I shouldn’t have snatched the toy from Chubby just because they wouldn’t play with me.” I gave him a light tap on the head and said sternly: “Remember this, be kind to others, and also—” I suddenly raised my voice: “Never be greedy for things that don’t belong to you, do you hear me!” In my previous life, Lucas ended up in trouble because he was greedy for enjoyment and too vain. After Lucas became sensible, I rarely scolded him harshly anymore. He was startled by me and stood at attention, trembling as he repeated: “Don’t be greedy for things that don’t belong to me.” “I remember, Sis.” As time passed, Lucas entered middle school. One night, Dad came home drunk again. He often did this, so at home, Mom was the one who called the shots. “I and some friends… are planning to… open a brick factory,” I heard Dad say as I was going to get water for washing feet. My hand shook, and some water splashed onto my shoes. This brick factory was my lifelong nightmare. Dad was fooled and lost everything. From that moment on, I fell into another hell. “You’re a woman, what money could you possibly spend?” “Hurry up and give me five thousand dollars. Didn’t you earn quite a bit? What’s wrong with contributing to the family?” “What do you mean you have no money? You’re just selfish, watching your parents starve outside while you eat and drink well.” “Your brother is in a relationship. Buy him a house.” “If you don’t help your brother pay off his debts, you’re ruining his life!” From age fifteen to thirty-five, I supported these bloodsuckers for twenty whole years. They clung to me tightly, sucking the marrow from my bones, draining every drop of my blood. During those twenty dark years. They were happy, enjoying themselves. With vicious smiles, they watched me struggle desperately in the quagmire. I trembled all over, my face pale, as the long-absent feeling of panic engulfed me. Lucas passed by: “Sis, what’s wrong?” I suddenly came to my senses, as if grasping at a lifeline. “Lucas, Dad’s business will fail. Mom listens to you the most, quickly stop them.” Lucas listened to me very well, and there was another reason— I could “predict” things. Over the years, I had foreseen many big and small family matters in advance, so Lucas had a mysterious reverence for me. Lucas frowned: “Sis, how should I say this? They won’t listen to me about this kind of thing.” I dragged him into the room. “Lucas, listen, Dad will not only lose everything, but he’ll also end up with a crippled leg.” I was almost hysterical: “Go quickly, use whatever method you can.” “We must not let Dad get involved in this!” My expression was too ferocious, scaring Lucas stiff, but he had no choice but to go. I slid down against the door, covered in cold sweat.

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On the first day of college, my roommate revealed her identity as the daughter of the richest man in town. I was confused since her last name didn’t match the billionaire’s. She explained she took her mother’s surname since childhood. I secretly called the billionaire’s wife: “Mom, I heard you have a secret daughter with someone else behind Dad’s back?” On the first day of freshman year, our dorm was in an uproar over one girl. Heavy makeup, clicking high heels, designer logos from head to toe. “Hi everyone, I’m Wendy. My dad is the richest man in town,” the girl introduced herself with her head held high. The revelation of a billionaire’s daughter caused quite a stir in the dorm. “Wow, I’ve never met a wealthy heiress before!” My roommate Mia excitedly approached her. But before she could get close, Wendy stopped her with a hand: “Don’t get too near me, I’m prone to allergies.” What? Allergic to what? People? Why not just live in outer space then? Seeing Mia’s awkward expression, I couldn’t help but speak up: “Isn’t the richest man in town surnamed Smith?” Besides, I don’t remember seeing anyone named Wendy on the 2025 Forbes list. Wendy looked at me, giving me a once-over. How to describe it – one part scrutiny, nine parts disdain? “I use my mom’s surname.” “Oh, I see,” I said, feigning sudden realization. “Mrs. Smith, I heard you have a secret daughter with the surname Wendy,” I texted quietly. Mrs. Smith replied faster than ever: “Get lost, I just managed to calm down your jealous dad last night.” Thinking of my easily jealous dad gave me a headache. For males, regardless of species, even if Mrs. Smith just gave directions to someone, he’d throw a fit all day. But looking at this ‘sister’ who appeared out of nowhere, well, let her pretend if she wants. As long as she’s not spending our family’s money. Just as I was about to climb into bed, a man and woman entered the room. Their bodies were covered in signs of wind and sun exposure, dark and thin, carrying two huge pieces of luggage. “These are my family’s maid and driver,” Wendy explained to us, then turned back to the couple and said, “Just leave the luggage there, you can go back now.” “Miss…” The maid was about to say something but was half-pushed out of the dorm by Wendy. That night, Wendy suggested playing Truth or Dare to get to know each other better. Since it was everyone’s first time meeting, we all agreed. Mia lost the first round and chose Truth. Wendy asked: “What do your parents do?” Mia’s face lit up with happiness as she recalled her parents: “My parents run a supermarket chain.” “Oh, that must be a tough life for you,” Wendy’s contemptuous tone slipped out naturally. “…” Is this girl low on both IQ and EQ? How can she say such disdainful things so confidently? “Why don’t you ask her what the supermarket chain is called?” Wendy looked puzzled. “Walmart.” The daughter of a founder who opened so many large chain supermarkets nationwide, and you say her life is tough? I had seen Mia’s father at one of my dad’s dinner parties earlier when her parents came to drop her off. Sure enough, when Wendy heard this, her eyes lit up for a moment. Then she lightly patted Mia’s hand, “You should have said so earlier, we can hang out together in the future.” “…” She’s not allergic to touching others herself? I lost the second round and chose Truth. Wendy jumped in: “What do your parents do?” Ugh, is she a parrot? Did she only learn this one question? Holding back the urge to roll my eyes, I said: “They’re farmers.” I wasn’t lying. The delicate-looking Mrs. Wang is actually a forensic pathologist. After seeing too many corpses and smelling enough formaldehyde, her greatest wish in life is to return to farming. Mr. Wang, who dotes on his wife, made a grand gesture and rented hundreds of acres of farmland in the suburbs. He handed over the company to their son and has since been living a farming life with his beloved wife. They even said they were too busy to manage my college move-in. However, the hundreds of acres of farmland are mostly barren and overgrown with weeds under the couple’s care. When Wendy heard “farmers,” a smile, no, more like a sneer, immediately appeared on her face: “One shouldn’t be too vain. If your parents are farmers, you shouldn’t wear designer brands. Anyone can tell they’re fake. But you’re pretty enough, I can introduce you to a rich guy in the future.” I glanced at my ‘fake brands’ and was speechless. This heiress seems quite ignorant. I gave her a white eye roll. Wendy lost the third round and chose Truth. I asked: “The wife of the richest man in town is surnamed Wang. You, who supposedly took your mom’s surname, are sure your last name is Wendy?” Can’t even do basic research before pretending? Wendy’s face changed instantly. “You…” she stammered. Before she could finish stuttering, I threw her words back at her: “One shouldn’t be too vain. If your parents are farmers, you shouldn’t wear designer brands. Anyone can tell they’re fake. But you’re not that pretty, so I won’t bother introducing you to any guys.” Seeing the tense atmosphere between us, Quinn, our dorm leader, quickly found an excuse to end the game. But the grudge between Wendy and me was set from that moment on.

On the second night of Freshman Orientation Week. Wendy returned to the dorm carrying a large bouquet of roses and two designer shopping bags, her face unable to hide her joy. “Wow, which handsome guy is so generous?” Quinn exclaimed in surprise. “This set must have cost quite a bit, right?” Seeing everyone gather around, Wendy replied with feigned shyness: “It’s not much, just a few thousand dollars.” Mia: “If he’s not a rich heir, this definitely doesn’t add up. How did you two meet?” “When it comes to dating, you should find someone wealthy. He’s our senior, called Jack. He asked for my contact info on the first day of school.” “Wow, love at first sight? That’s so nice,” Mia’s eyes were full of envy. I noticed Mia was the most innocent and least grudge-holding girl, always cheerful. “Tomorrow night, my boyfriend is inviting everyone to dinner at Nobu. It’s his brother’s restaurant,” Wendy announced. Quinn and Mia excitedly high-fived each other. Nobu, a famously difficult place to get reservations in town, even for the wealthy. Wendy looked at me playing on my phone in bed: “Oh, you can come too. This might be your only chance in life.” “Sure,” I agreed readily, ignoring her snarky tone. Mainly because I was too curious about this Jack character. First Wendy didn’t recognize my parents, and now here’s someone who doesn’t recognize my brother? Is my family the United Nations of surnames? Though, Jack… that name sounds familiar. The next day, at Nobu. “Miss…” The waiter was about to greet me when I gave him a look to stop. “We don’t need service, we’ll manage ourselves.” “Wow, rich people’s place. This lobby is so luxurious, like a palace,” Mia’s eyes were spinning rapidly as soon as we entered Nobu. Seeing her expression was too cute, I couldn’t help but joke: “Mia, are your parents abusing you?” “Hehe, am I overreacting a bit?” Mia grinned mischievously. “Not at all, you’re adorable.” Much more lovable than certain pretentious people. “We’re in the South Bay private room,” Quinn received Wendy’s message. “This way,” I pulled back the two who were walking in the opposite direction. “Hey Claire, how do you know this place so well?” Mia asked curiously. “Maybe I’m a psychic?” I teased Mia as we arrived at the private room. “This is Quinn, Mia, and Claire. This is my boyfriend Jack,” Wendy introduced us one by one. Jack also greeted each of us politely, but when he saw my face, he suddenly froze, with an expression of disbelief. Wendy must have noticed her boyfriend’s unusual reaction and pinched him hard. Jack snapped back to reality and avoided my gaze as he sat down. I saw Wendy silently questioning her boyfriend what was wrong, but he just shook his head. So it’s him. No wonder the name sounded familiar.

With everyone seated, Jack called the waiter to start serving dishes. As various exquisite dishes were brought to the table, Mia and Quinn’s exclamations of surprise greatly satisfied Wendy’s vanity. Perhaps because I didn’t show the reaction she wanted, Wendy suddenly said to me: “This is Almas caviar, flown in from the Alps. Country folks probably never get a chance to taste this in their lifetime. Try some.” It’s from Dubai, sis. The Alps only have glaciers now! I really wanted to retort, but seeing the man opposite carefully glancing at me and tugging at Wendy’s clothes, I raised the corner of my mouth slightly. Never mind, it’s true this country bumpkin hasn’t had it in a while. The rest of the meal continued in this vein, with Wendy repeatedly emphasizing how I, a farmer’s kid, had never eaten or seen these things before. Her boyfriend looked like he wanted to say something but kept stopping her. “Claire, I’m sorry.” As soon as I came out of the restroom, I heard the man apologize. “Jack,” I paused, but felt I had to say something, “She’s not right for you.” The man rubbed his face with his hand: “I know, but I really can’t help it. I like her so much.” Seeing the man’s resolute expression, I finally left in silence. Love can make guys lose themselves too. “Thank you for not exposing me,” I heard a dejected male voice behind me before I walked far. Jack became an orphan in a major earthquake. Later, by chance, Mrs. Wang sponsored all his expenses. But according to Mrs. Wang, he refused her help since his sophomore year of high school and has been working part-time jobs to pay for everything himself. The year he got into college, Mrs. Wang once brought me to celebrate with him. Mrs. Wang always praised him highly. I just didn’t expect to meet again in this way. That night, a discordant dinner ended harmoniously. That evening, I secretly called my brother, because knowing Jack’s personality, he would never ask my brother for a free meal. Although I really dislike the pretentious Wendy, for Jack’s sake, I decided to try not to provoke her in the future. The day after the dinner, two photos and a sensational headline pushed me to the top of the hot topics on the school forum. “Shocking! Country girl schemes to seduce someone else’s rich boyfriend!” The first photo: Under the lights, a woman gazes at a man affectionately. The yellowish lighting makes the woman’s gaze seem unusually ambiguous and flirtatious. The second photo: A woman riding a sheep, frowning at the camera. She’s wearing a loose white T-shirt on top and strikingly colorful pants on the bottom, surrounded by countless chickens, ducks and geese.

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I never expected to end up tangled in the sheets with Jack Carlisle, my family’s longtime friend and my unofficial guardian. The morning after our passionate night together, I did what I do best: I put on my ice queen face and pretended nothing had ever happened between us. But Jack? Oh, he’s not taking it well at all. He’s going absolutely crazy, trying to make me acknowledge what we shared. I heard that he never dates, never gives women a chance at a real relationship. And he certainly never touches the same woman twice. Yet somehow, we’ve been maintaining this secret affair for six whole months. Then one day, Mrs. Carlisle excitedly showed me a photo. “Jack picked his fiancée himself. Isn’t she beautiful?” I looked at the stunningly gorgeous woman in the picture and smiled, offering my congratulations. “She’s very pretty. They make a great couple. Congratulations to Jack.” Late that night, Jack suddenly appeared in my room. “Getting cocky, aren’t you, Aria? Calling me ‘daddy’ in bed and ‘Mr. Carlisle’ outside. Are you playing games with me?”

As I made my way downstairs, my body aching, I saw Jack sitting at the dining table. His tie was undone, his collar open, revealing the bite mark on his collarbone. I nearly stumbled, quickly grabbing the railing to steady myself. Jack glanced up at me, his tone as calm and indifferent as ever: “Be careful coming down.” “Mm, I will,” I replied. He said nothing more, lowering his gaze to continue eating. I watched his long fingers grip the knife and fork, cutting into the food on his plate. His knuckles were prominent, his hands clean and strong. My cheeks began to burn as I remembered how those hands, so skilled with surgical instruments, had explored uncharted territories of my body just last night. Again and again, they had brought me to the heights of pleasure.

I bypassed the dining room and headed for the kitchen. Grabbing an egg and a carton of milk, I prepared to leave. “Aria,” Jack suddenly called out to me. I instinctively stopped and turned around. He had already stood up, taking the jacket handed to him by the housekeeper. “I’ll give you a ride. We’re going the same way,” he said. “No need, I can take the subway…” I began to protest. Jack didn’t respond, just looked down at me from his imposing height. My gaze accidentally fell on the bite mark on his collarbone, and I quickly looked away, as if burned.

“No subway today,” Jack said, glancing at his watch. “Let’s go.” Afraid of annoying him, I didn’t insist further. Jack, being a surgeon, was always a neat freak. I didn’t dare eat anything in his car, so I stuffed the egg and milk into my backpack. As I got into the car earlier, I must have aggravated the tender area between my legs. Sitting in the car seat made me feel uncomfortably stiff. Jack seemed to notice. He closed his tablet and lowered the partition in the car. “We’ll stop by a pharmacy. You should apply some ointment,” he said. I kept my head down, my face burning hot. “Okay.” “If it still hurts after applying the medicine, come to the hospital. I’ll take care of it.” “Alright.” “I drank a bit too much last night. I lost control and hurt you.” “It’s okay, Mr. Carlisle,” I said softly. “I was drunk too. It wasn’t entirely your fault.” I understood Jack’s meaning clearly. In his view, last night was just drunken sex. But the truth was, I hadn’t been drunk at all. I had deliberately used alcohol as an excuse to let myself cross the line. “Don’t overthink it. Focus on your studies for now.” “Mm.” The car moved smoothly forward. I sat properly, occasionally brushing against his pants with my bare legs when the car bumped. He didn’t move away, but I discreetly shifted further from him.

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My husband secretly bought an apartment upstairs for his childhood female friend. He was cheating on me right under my nose. Later, a fire broke out in our building due to equipment failure. As we were escaping, I caught them in the act, and they pushed me into the flames. As my soul left my body, I watched from above as the true nature of these evil people was revealed. Perhaps due to my intense resentment, heaven gave me a second chance. When I opened my eyes again, it was my wedding day with my husband. The wedding venue was packed with guests. Zack, standing opposite me, said “I do” with deep emotion. I hesitated for a moment, and the bouquet slipped from my hands. Just a second ago, I had been floating above my own funeral, watching my husband and his mistress scheme over my family’s assets, discussing how to use a jade pendant to suppress my soul. Unable to contain my anger, I had rushed towards them seeking revenge, only to be sucked into the jade pendant. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back at my wedding with Zack. The overwhelming sense of unreality made me uneasy. I needed to do something to prove this wasn’t a dream. In the next moment, a sharp sound rang out, and the entire venue fell silent. Against the backdrop of sweet background music, Zack’s face was turned to one side by a slap. Feeling the stinging sensation in my palm, I finally believed that heaven had truly given me a second chance. From great sorrow to great joy, I suddenly burst into laughter, like a madwoman. Zack, who had just been slapped, showed no signs of anger. With a slightly swollen face, he came over to check on me. “Mia, what’s wrong?” My parents also rushed up from below, examining me from head to toe. Seeing my parents again, I felt a pang in my heart. I hugged them with tears in my eyes and apologized. “Mom, Dad, I’m so sorry.” Not understanding the situation, my parents unconditionally embraced and comforted me. “Sweetie, are you unhappy? If you’re not happy, we don’t have to go through with this wedding.” I almost agreed, but then my eyes met Zack’s. His face was half white and half red as he stood there stiffly. Averting my gaze, I saw my mother-in-law sitting in the family section, looking equally nervous. In the fire, I had sworn that if given the chance, I would make them suffer a thousand times more than I did. Now, I needed to let the wedding continue. I explained to my parents, “It’s nothing. I just realized how immature I’ve been and how much trouble I’ve caused you.” My parents believed me and returned to their seats after I reassured them. I took the officiant’s microphone and, taking advantage of the tears still in my eyes, forced out a choked voice to explain to Zack. “I was just too emotional, too in love with you. I was afraid this wedding was a dream, that’s why I acted that way. I’m sorry, Zack.” My declaration made Zack’s tense body relax. He wiped away my tears and spoke gently and magnanimously. “Mia, this isn’t a dream. We’ll be happy together.” I nodded emotionally and said that crucial phrase: “I do.” Zack excitedly hugged me, as if embracing a precious treasure. But now, I was acutely aware that I wasn’t a treasure, but a stepping stone—a ladder for Zack to climb higher. I would make him trip over this stepping stone, let him climb the ladder, only to fall hard from the top!

After the wedding, the three of us returned to our marital home. Yes, three of us—me, Zack, and my mother-in-law. In my previous life, Zack and I had planned to buy a house for my mother-in-law in the countryside. But after seeing our marital home, she changed her mind and insisted on living with us. The apartment my parents gave me as a wedding gift was a large flat, more than enough for three people. Unable to withstand my mother-in-law’s fuss, I agreed to let her stay. But this decision nearly drove me to depression. She was extremely petty, making a big fuss over the slightest things and arguing with me in a loud voice. Whenever I talked back, she would throw tantrums and use every dirty trick in the book. She also spread rumors in the neighborhood that I was a bad daughter-in-law, making it impossible for me to hold my head high in the community group chat. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, I moved with Zack to the smaller apartment he had bought with his own money. Looking back now, I realize how stupid I was. This was clearly a scheme concocted by mother and son, forcing me to live in a small apartment where I would be cheated on, while my mother-in-law enjoyed the large flat. This time around, I planned to deal with my mother-in-law first. “Mother, I’ve been thinking, and you were absolutely right before. A housekeeper is an outsider, we shouldn’t let our resources benefit strangers.” “From now on, I’ll give you the money for hiring a housekeeper and other household expenses. You can manage the household.” My mother-in-law happily agreed, even praising me for being good with money. I laughed coldly inside, waiting for her to lose control of the situation. On my mother-in-law’s first day in charge: The three meals were far from what I had requested. Breakfast: soy milk and fried dough sticks. I said nothing. Lunch: noodles with sauce. I still said nothing. Dinner: pickled vegetables with rice porridge. I continued to say nothing. The next morning, the cycle repeated. Breakfast: again, soy milk and fried dough sticks, and even less than yesterday. I stood at the dining table, looking coldly at my mother-in-law: “Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?” Because Zack was present, my mother-in-law felt she had backup and didn’t even bother to pretend to be apologetic. She was extremely self-righteous. “Soy milk and fried dough sticks are fine for breakfast. All those complicated things you told me about, I can’t remember them.” “When Zack and I were poor, we ate even worse than this. People should learn to be content.” I ignored her and turned to Zack. “Zack, is your mother saying that I should suffer along with you? Is that it?” “I married you, and I can’t even have a meal I want to eat? Is that what you’re saying?” Zack looked uncomfortable and was about to explain when my mother-in-law interrupted him sharply. “You’re just being a spoiled princess. What’s wrong with soy milk and fried dough sticks? Didn’t you eat them yesterday? Did they poison you?” This time, I didn’t let Zack speak either. “Fine, I can eat it. But since we’re cutting back on expenses, give me back the extra grocery money.” At the mention of money, it was as if I had hit my mother-in-law’s sore spot. She jumped up, her eyes wide. “With transportation costs and labor fees, there’s no extra money!” I folded my arms and looked directly at her, speaking clearly. “Transportation doesn’t cost that much, and labor fees are wages, which aren’t included. If every meal is going to be at the standard of soy milk and fried dough sticks, you need to give me back at least five thousand dollars.” As my mother-in-law was about to argue, Zack suddenly interrupted loudly: “Mom! Listen to Mia.” Zack didn’t understand his mother as well as I did. To her, money was more important than her son’s words, and she couldn’t hear him at all. Sure enough, my mother-in-law burst into tears, pointing at us and scolding. “I’ve never seen someone so insistent on taking money from their elders. The daughter-in-law you brought home is too much, and even the son I raised with my own hands doesn’t side with his old mother anymore. What a misfortune for our family!” She waved her arms wildly, crying and complaining as if we had committed some terrible crime. As the drama unfolded, I went back to the bedroom to get my bag. Zack stopped me: “Mia, where are you going?” “Home.” “This is your home.” I laughed coldly, looking at him silently, then at the old woman who was still crying loudly. Zack couldn’t withstand my mocking gaze and helplessly let go of my hand. Before leaving, I discreetly glanced at my mother-in-law on the floor, catching a glimpse of her cunning, satisfied smile beneath her fake tears. Hah, laugh while you can. Your time for real tears will come.

I ate well, drank well, and slept well at my parents’ home. Life was extremely comfortable. The only discomfort came from Zack’s daily phone calls and messages. In the evening, I received another punctual call from Zack. But this time, when I answered, it wasn’t Zack’s voice, but my mother-in-law’s. I remained silent, waiting for the other end to speak first. After some faint urging in the background, my mother-in-law started speaking haltingly. “This time… it’s my fault. I’ll… give you back the money, and I’ll cook better meals from now on. Please come back.” Then Zack’s voice came on the line. “Mia, Mom knows she was wrong. Please come home. It’s not good for you to stay there for so long. Your parents already had issues with me, and if you keep doing this, they’ll look down on me even more.” In reality, whether I returned home or not wasn’t important. What mattered was that Zack was afraid my father would give him a hard time at work. Understanding his twisted motives, I remained silent. Zack softened his voice, using the approach that I used to fall for. “Mia, I’ve missed you so much these past few days.” Hearing this, I felt a wave of disgust, goosebumps breaking out all over my body. Afraid he might say something even more nauseating, I quickly agreed. “Alright, I’ll come back tomorrow afternoon.” The next day, I returned as promised. The table was full of home-cooked dishes. Although certainly not as good as our previous housekeeper’s cooking, they had at least made an effort to apologize. After the meal, my mother-in-law reluctantly returned the money to me. For the first few days after I returned, my mother-in-law did her job passably well. But by the fourth day, she gradually began to show her true colors. Lazy, sloppy, careless. One day, Zack came home with a face as black as thunder and went straight to the bathroom, spending a full hour there. At the dinner table, he asked his mother, “Mom, how did you wash these clothes?” My mother-in-law put on an innocent act: “I wash them every day, what’s wrong?” I saw Zack put down his chopsticks with considerable force, barely containing his anger. “I’ve had a cold recently, so my nose isn’t working well. Today, I wore the clothes you washed to work, and everyone I met avoided me. When I asked, they all said my clothes smelled bad. How could that be if you wash them every day?” I had smelled it in the morning, but I didn’t say anything. My mother-in-law probably smelled it too, but she didn’t dare say anything. Now that the truth was out, my mother-in-law still tried to defend herself. “There are so many clothes to wash every day, it’s normal to forget one.” Zack was gritting his teeth, struggling to control himself. “Mom, stop making excuses! Is it so hard to admit you made a mistake?” I was also struggling, trying not to laugh out loud. The show of dogs biting dogs was about to begin. My mother-in-law suddenly stood up: “Fine, now you’re starting to despise your old mother. When I raised you from a baby, changing your diapers and feeding you, why didn’t you complain about your old mother’s poor work then? Now that you’ve grown up, you’re nitpicking everything your mother does…” Zack’s face grew darker and darker as his mother ranted. My mother-in-law was spitting as she yelled, and suddenly turned her attack on me. “And you’re no better! Making your old mother-in-law work all day, my back and waist aching. Don’t think you’re really a princess. Take a good look at yourself before you judge others. Both of you are ungrateful!” I stepped back to avoid her spit, still trying to reason with her. “It’s just a job that you’re paid for, not exploitation. If you really can’t handle it, don’t force yourself. I have high standards for my life, and Zack can’t lose face when he goes out. By being so careless, you’re hurting both of us.” My mother-in-law’s face turned the color of pig liver. “I’m hurting you? Zack, search your conscience, has your mother ever hurt you?” With his mother being so unreasonable, Zack was about to lose his temper. “Mom, I couldn’t hold my head up in front of my colleagues today, all because of you. You’ve really gone too far this time!” This pushed my mother-in-law’s anger to the limit. Before either of us could react, she ran towards the front door. By the time we caught up with her, she was already downstairs in the community. My mother-in-law plopped down on the ground and started wailing loudly, her voice carrying far and wide. “Oh, how miserable I am! I worked myself to the bone to put my son through college, and now that he’s successful and married, he’s forgotten all the good his mother has done. He’s joining his wife in bullying me!” The commotion attracted a lot of attention from the neighbors. Some were watching from their windows, others came downstairs for a closer look. Remembering how the neighbors had criticized me in my previous life, I pushed Zack forward, sarcastically saying, “Your mother, you deal with her. I’m just a wicked daughter-in-law, I won’t get involved in your mother-son affairs.” With that, I melted into the crowd of onlookers, distancing myself from the situation.

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In the twenty-third year since I was adopted by the Lewis family, everyone assumed I would marry Adam Lewis. But he thought I was beautiful yet brainless, far inferior to the intelligent beauty he met in college. I knew he probably didn’t love me, so when he went abroad as an exchange student with his smart female classmate, I agreed to an arranged marriage with the Chen family. After I got engaged to the eldest son of the Chen family, Adam returned. When he saw me with my fiancé, he went crazy. “Melody, didn’t you promise you’d only be with me? How could you break your word?” I was just about to enter Adam’s room with a plate of cut fruit when I heard laughter from inside. “Adam, when are you going to marry Melody?” “We heard your parents are practically hounding you about it. Last time you ran out in the middle of an experiment, it was to take your mom’s marriage-pushing call, right?” “Your family is interesting, adopting an orphan and still following the old ‘child bride’ tradition… But seriously, Melody has been devoted to you, only liking you from the beginning until now. As for her looks and figure…” Another burst of laughter erupted, mixed with suggestive undertones. “She’s just the type men like, and conveniently has an empty head. You can easily manipulate her to do whatever you want in the future. How perfect!” My hand, ready to knock, froze. My heart sank. That’s right, everyone knew I liked Adam. But everyone also knew he didn’t like me. Sure enough, his voice rang out, clearly annoyed. “Whoever likes her can have her. I won’t marry her no matter what. Weren’t we going to play games? Are we still playing or not?” Adam didn’t want to discuss it, but someone always had to push the topic. “If you don’t like her, then it must be Cassy. Everyone knows our talented Cassy only smiles for you!” The teasing continued in waves. Outside the door, I stood holding the fruit, unable to move, feeling suffocated and miserable. Unlike his vehement denials when teased, Adam only chuckled lightly when Cassy was mentioned. Then came the sound of glasses clinking and chairs moving. The topic seemed to have been forcibly changed. I’m an orphan, adopted by the Lewis family when I was very young. From an early age, people joked that I was Adam’s future bride. Mom and Dad never stopped them, always smiling as they watched us, saying they were observing our compatibility. Later, when more people said it, Mom and Dad would ask me too. “Melody, would you like to marry Adam in the future?” “Yes!” After that, I followed Adam around like a little tail, but he always kept his distance. At the dinner table, he would push the food I put on his plate straight into the trash without even looking at it. When Mom and Dad asked him to pick me up from school, he ignored it. I would wait by the roadside until dark, then slowly walk home alone. When I saw him at school and greeted him, he acted as if he didn’t hear me, walking past me expressionlessly. Some people privately speculated about our relationship, but he always said he wasn’t familiar with me and not to associate us. I didn’t understand what I had done wrong to make him dislike me so much. I snapped back to reality, looking at the tightly closed study door, just like the barrier between Adam and me. He was inside, and I didn’t even dare to knock. I thought for a moment, then decided to take the cut fruit back to the kitchen, staring at the carefully arranged plate of fruit. “Well, well, what’s our little beauty hiding here for?” a frivolous voice sounded behind me, making me turn around sharply. I was startled by the voice behind me. I turned to see Paul, Adam’s friend, who was one of the people talking upstairs earlier. He leaned against the kitchen doorframe, his eyes shamelessly roaming over my body, a smile with unclear intentions on his lips. Seeing that I didn’t answer, Paul seemed to get more excited. He crossed his arms and walked a few steps closer to me, his gaze falling on me without any restraint. “But Melody, how do you have such a good figure… None of my girlfriends are as… hot as you.” The man’s slightly flirtatious comments made me frown instinctively. I was about to leave when Paul suddenly grabbed my arm. “Where are you going?”

Paul snickered and leaned in closer to me, grinning. “Little sister Melody, you’d be better off with me! How could someone like Adam ever like a pretty face with an empty head like you?” He looked me up and down, his gaze so blatant it was as if he was undressing me with his eyes. “The one standing next to him will only be someone like Cassy. That talented beauty next to Adam is what you call a perfect match. Standing next to you, it’s like a young master with his servant girl. Do you understand the difference?” The contempt in Paul’s tone was undisguised, his equally disdainful gaze falling on me. Paul’s words made my face turn pale. But it’s possible that I understood this point even more clearly than he did. I had actually seen Cassy before. Once, Mom asked me to bring something to Adam at his university. I searched all the way to Adam’s lab and saw him smiling in a way he had never shown me, listening attentively to a girl with a high ponytail opposite him. The two stood side by side, discussing complex formulas that I couldn’t understand at all. I watched them through the glass window. The two seemed to be in a world of their own, with no room for anyone else. They also looked very compatible, like formulas arranged together, always without a place for me. That day, I handed the things to Adam’s classmate without even thinking of going in. Come to think of it, I was just an adopted daughter of the Lewis family. I was already incredibly grateful that they had given me a second chance at life. How could I dare to go along with Mom and Dad’s jokes and think that I was worthy of Adam? Just as I was lost in thought, Paul suddenly let go of my arm and pulled me into his arms! “What are you doing!” I cried out, instinctively pushing him away hard. In the struggle, my elbow hit the drying rack at the edge of the sink. The plates on it fell into the sink with a loud clang. Paul’s arms were like iron clamps, gripping me so tightly that I couldn’t break free. “Let go of me!” I saw a flash of satisfaction cross Paul’s face. In my panic, I heard hurried footsteps coming down the stairs. Adam and a few other friends appeared at the kitchen door, probably alarmed by the noise. When Paul saw them, he let go of me as if he had been electrocuted. He quickly stepped back and immediately put on a surprised and angry expression, pointing at me. “Adam! Look at her!” His voice was loud, filled with accusation. “I just saw her standing here in a daze and came over to check on her out of kindness. She suddenly threw herself at me and hugged me!” He laughed coldly, his sharp gaze sweeping across my face. “What? Can’t get Adam, so you’re trying to seduce me? Want to be a daughter-in-law of the Phillips family? Melody, you’re really overestimating yourself!” “That’s not true! He was the one who…” I hurriedly tried to explain, my whole body shaking as I attempted to clarify what had just happened. But no one gave me a chance. The few friends who had come down with Adam looked back and forth between Paul and me with suggestive gazes, smiles on their faces as if they were watching a good show. They clearly believed Paul’s twisted version of events. Adam’s face was terrifyingly dark, his gaze falling on me like knives, filled with undisguised disgust and impatience. “Enough!” He harshly cut off my unfinished words. “Melody, look at yourself! Go back to your room and change your clothes! Stop embarrassing yourself here!” Embarrassing myself? I lowered my head instinctively. Only then did I realize that during the struggle, water from the sink had splashed out, soaking a large part of my chest. The thin summer fabric clung to my body when wet, clearly outlining the curves of my chest. I instinctively covered my chest with my hands, still able to hear a few laughs from around Adam. Embarrassment and overwhelming grievance instantly broke through my last line of defense. He didn’t even think about listening to my explanation. I rushed out of the kitchen, almost fleeing back to my own room.

After returning to my room, I changed my clothes as quickly as possible. At the same time, I heard the commotion outside getting quieter, as if Adam had taken his friends and left the house. I sat on the bed, tears falling uncontrollably. In high school, it was no secret that Adam and I lived under the same roof. People often joked that I was Adam’s child bride. It happened so often that Adam finally snapped, slamming down the book in his hand with a cold face. “I don’t like idiots. Stop associating us in the future.” Compared to someone like Adam who was always at the top of the class, I was indeed not very smart, always hundreds of places behind him in rankings. I knew what Adam said was true, but I still felt sad inside. Even studying hard at home in private didn’t help much, and I didn’t dare ask Mom and Dad for tutoring. Instead, it was Adam who accidentally saw me studying at home and casually tossed me his unused notes. The top student’s notes were indeed helpful. My grades improved significantly, and I attributed it all to Adam’s notes. At that time, I used my saved pocket money to prepare a beautiful notebook for Adam, secretly placing it in Adam’s desk drawer. But I never imagined that when Adam took out the box with my name on it, the notebook had turned into lingerie. I still remember Adam getting angry. In front of the whole class, with an ashen face, he threw that box along with its contents hard at me. “Melody! Can’t you have some self-respect? This is outrageous!” The box hitting me really hurt. I was slow to react, watching the bright red lingerie fall to the ground, feeling a chill from head to toe, not understanding why my gift had turned into this. Suppressed laughter and whispers immediately erupted around us. I was at a loss for words, feeling my face burn hot. Adam’s embarrassed and angry gaze made me feel even more cornered with nowhere to hide. That incident ended with me being forced to transfer schools amidst all the gossip at school. Fortunately, Mom and Dad believed me. They knew I wasn’t the kind of person who would do such a thing. Only Adam, from that day on, looked at me with nothing but cold disgust. The already thin relationship between us completely broke, becoming increasingly estranged. That night, Adam and his friends didn’t come back. Mom and Dad were out of town and hadn’t returned. I was scrolling through TikTok when I unexpectedly came across a video of Adam. On the screen, against the background of a noisy bar, the camera was focused on Adam. Someone holding a phone asked loudly, “Adam! Tell us now! Melody or Cassy, who do you choose?” In the video, Adam seemed to have had a bit to drink, but his eyes were still clear. He didn’t even hesitate for a moment, a careless smile on his lips. “Cassy.” Decisive and straightforward. The screen went dark, leaving only my pale face. From then on, I started deliberately avoiding Adam. When he came home on weekends, I would find various excuses to stay at school. Even on days when I had to go back, I tried to stay in my own room as much as possible, reducing the chances of running into him. We became like two parallel lines living under the same roof, never intersecting. But Adam changed a bit. In the past, he never cared about any of my social media posts, but these days he started frequently liking my posts on Facebook. I don’t know how many times I picked up my phone, saw the scenic photos Adam had liked, thought for a moment, and still chose to delete them. Along with the other posts Adam had liked in the past few days. It was as if doing this could really make our relationship return to something purely platonic. But no matter how much I tried to avoid him, when I received a call from Mom and Dad saying I had to come back for dinner tonight, I had no choice. “Melody, your brother has decided to go abroad as an exchange student for a while. Come back tonight, we’ll have a farewell dinner as a family.” I didn’t know how to feel. Perhaps it was relief. If he left, I wouldn’t have to hide so carefully anymore. I couldn’t refuse Mom and Dad again, so I had to go home reluctantly. But as soon as I got home and opened the door, I saw a girl with delicate features standing with Adam. When they heard the sound and looked at me, Adam hadn’t had time to retract his doting smile for her. My gaze lingered on the girl. Wasn’t it supposed to be a family dinner tonight? But why… why was Cassy here?

“You must be little sister Melody? I’ve often heard Adam mention you.” Cassy was beautiful. She took the initiative to shake my hand, then familiarly linked her arm with mine. The moment he saw me come back, the smile on Adam’s face disappeared without a trace, and he turned to enter the kitchen. Cassy was lively, talking about how she was about to go abroad with Adam as exchange students, and might even share an apartment with him in the future. “Adam is so attentive and considerate. He even suggested we live together, worried about my safety as a girl alone. Your brother is really a good man.” I forced myself to squeeze out a smile uglier than crying. “Yes, he’s very good.” Very good indeed, so good that I’ve been chasing after him since childhood, yet I can’t even touch his shadow. I was so immersed in my own thoughts that I didn’t even hear clearly what Cassy said afterwards. At that moment, I just nodded and said “good” mindlessly, not realizing that Cassy had just asked me if I thought it was good for her and Adam to be together. “Dinner’s ready.” I instinctively looked up and saw Adam, who had returned without me noticing, standing in the hallway not far away, his gaze heavy as he looked at me. My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly averted my gaze. Mom and Dad’s attitude towards Cassy’s presence was lukewarm, only polite at best. Cassy kept trying to liven up the atmosphere, but neither Adam nor I said a word. Just then, a pair of chopsticks reached over, placing a glistening piece of sweet and sour ribs in my bowl. I froze, looking up at Adam. A nameless anger suddenly surged in my heart. I silently used my chopsticks to push that piece of rib he had picked for me to the side. My heart felt sour and bitter. He had always disliked me, even hated me a little. Why did he have to create this illusion of caring about me before he left? After dinner, Adam got up to send Cassy home. I returned to my room to sort out some seasonal clothes. As I passed by the living room, I heard Mom and Dad’s lowered voices coming through the slightly ajar door. “…It seems Adam really doesn’t like Melody.” It was Mom’s voice, tinged with a sigh. Dad was silent for a moment before saying, “You can’t force love. We can’t push the kids too much. We’ve always said the two of them would be together when they grow up, thinking that from childhood to adulthood…” Mom continued, “That’s true. By the way, the Chen family brought up the marriage arrangement again a few days ago. I think that Chen boy seems quite steady…” “Mm, I’ve met the Chen boy a few times. His character and abilities are not bad, and his family background is comparable. It’s just that I don’t know if Melody…” Yes, Adam doesn’t like me. Everyone knows that. Even Mom and Dad have finally given up. That’s good. I know Mom and Dad’s business hasn’t been going well lately. The Chen family is someone Mom and Dad want to partner with. If I can play a role in this, it’s a way to repay Mom and Dad for raising me. I took a deep breath and pushed open that slightly ajar door. Mom and Dad looked at me in surprise. I tugged at the corners of my mouth, putting on an obedient smile. “Dad, Mom.” “I’m willing to get engaged to the Chen family.”

The day I met Noah Chen was the same day Adam left for abroad. After that dinner, Adam and I returned to our clearly defined boundaries, though I could feel Adam looking at me several times, but when I turned around, I only saw his back. I met Noah Chen. As the only son of the Chen family, I had often heard about him. He was wild in his youth, but before he even graduated from high school, he had helped his family secure a big project. From the start of college, he had been working part-time at his family’s company while studying at a top domestic university. When Noah saw me, he couldn’t stop smiling. I’ve always felt a bit awkward around good-looking people who act unpredictably like him. So when he rested his chin on his hand and looked at me lazily, I couldn’t help but ask a question. “Why… do you want to…” Get engaged to me. Noah also smiled and gave his answer, “Because you’re beautiful!” I didn’t quite understand. If it’s just about looks, there are so many people more beautiful than me. But at that moment, what flashed through my mind were the words Adam’s friend had said. “…The type men like, and conveniently has an empty head. You can easily manipulate her to do whatever you want in the future. How perfect!” I didn’t say anything more. From the moment I agreed to Mom and Dad’s proposal, I had treated my marriage as a transaction of gratitude. So whatever Noah wanted in the future, I would go along with it. But Noah turned out to be quite different from what I had heard. Before, I had heard that Noah was flirtatious and unreliable, full of nonsense that you couldn’t tell was true or false. I agree with the part about him being full of nonsense. Otherwise, this guy wouldn’t send me a message saying he was going on a business trip and how tired he was, and then appear outside my school leaning against his car the next second. Noah always found various reasons to ask me out on dates. Today is the one-week anniversary of our engagement, today is some random holiday, today is the one-month anniversary of our first meeting… He always came up with new ideas, whether it was picking me up from school or coming to my house to pick me up, always in a high-profile manner. At first, Mom and Dad were worried that we wouldn’t get along well, but when they saw me glaring at him and then unable to hold back a smile, they started smiling along with us. And I seemed to be getting more and more used to Noah’s presence. He never joked about my looks or figure like others did. He sincerely praised my A+ grade report, and affirmed my clumsy but hardworking interest in learning to make clothes. He also didn’t spare his time, accompanying me to the library, to small diners, doing many things that Adam would find a waste of time just hearing about. And I also seemed to be more adapted to having him around, even adapted to the point where I had forgotten how long it had been since I had thought about Adam, or instinctively started to hide when I heard Mom and Dad mention Adam at home.

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My younger sister got pregnant unexpectedly, but my mother said the baby was innocent and begged her to keep it. The daughter of my father’s mistress wanted to go on a trip. My mother took the money meant to save my little brother’s life and used it to sign her up for that tour. To help someone else pay off their debts, she slipped something into my drink and sent me to some stranger’s bed. I never understood why she did all those things. It was only after I died that I found out she was the saintly heroine of some story, and we were just the setup before the real plot began. “Maya, I’m begging you. Please keep this baby. No matter what, the baby didn’t do anything wrong. Having a baby is easy.” A woman’s pleading voice cut through the air as I rushed home. “That’s crap,” I shouted. I burst into the living room, hearing her nonstop begging. I threw the bedroom door open, and the sight made my head spin with rage. My little sister, Maya Henderson, sat stiffly on the bed, looking lost. Next to her, my mom, Amelia Henderson, sat on the floor, tears streaking down her face as she pleaded. Amelia had a tight grip on Maya’s hand. With every word Amelia said, Maya’s face got paler. “Maya, don’t listen to her,” I said. Maya’s panicked face eased a little when she saw me. I stepped forward and stood in front of Maya, shielding her. “Are you out of your mind? Look at what she’s wearing. It’s her school uniform! Are you trying to force a high school student who hasn’t even graduated to have a baby?” I shouted, pointing right at Amelia. Amelia, looking a bit embarrassed by my outburst, stood up awkwardly. “Sienna, what are you doing here all of a sudden?” “If I hadn’t come back, you’d have ruined Maya’s life,” I retorted. How could she say all that nonsense about how having a baby was no big deal and how the baby was innocent? Saying stuff like that to a teenage girl, her daughter? I couldn’t understand it. “How can you talk to me like that, Sienna? When would I ever hurt Maya?” Amelia frowned, clearly annoyed. “She’s a mom now. She’s gotta take responsibility for the baby inside her.” At the mention of “mom” and “responsibility”, Maya behind me was afraid. My heart ached. I turned around and pulled her into my arms. “Maya, don’t be scared. Don’t listen to Mom’s crazy talk. As long as I’m here, no one’s gonna hurt you.” Maya’s hair was stuck to her face with tears. Under her baggy school uniform, her skinny body trembled slightly. “Sienna, there’s… there’s a baby in me. I… I’m gonna be a mom,” she whispered, her voice thick with fear and despair, her hand floating weakly over her belly. I said gently, “Maya, it’s just a tiny group of cells right now, not a baby. You’re still a kid yourself. You can’t be a mom. “Tomorrow, I’m taking you to a hospital. We’ll take care of this. I know you’ve been through a lot. Don’t be scared. I’ll chase away anyone who tries to hurt you.” I held her close, patting her back softly. At first, Maya was silent. Then, after a moment, she started crying loudly. This pregnancy was never her choice. How much psychological pressure did a teenage girl undergo when she was suddenly struck by such an accident and chose to go to a small clinic alone to undergo the operation? When Amelia suddenly showed up, was Maya scared or hoping for help? Was she scared of the truth coming out or hoping her family would step in? But in the end, whatever she’d felt, Maya was scared off by Amelia’s begging her to keep the baby. Amelia, standing there awkwardly for a while, was ready to say something, but one glare from me shut her right up.

After calming Maya down, I called Amelia into the living room. “How did Maya get pregnant?” I asked. Amelia looked a bit shifty-eyed at my question. “I don’t know. Maybe she got carried away with her classmate.” My anger flared up again at her words. “Your daughter had an unplanned pregnancy, and all you care about is making her keep the baby? You don’t give a hoot about her feelings or what actually happened? “Maya’s a senior in high school. Her life’s just starting. She has to have an abortion.” At first, Amelia just kept her mouth shut, frowning. But the second I mentioned an abortion, she shouted, “No matter what, the baby’s innocent! It’s a life! You can’t just get rid of it like that. Sienna, how could you be so heartless!” She scowled at me, looking at me like I was some cold-blooded killer. I took a deep breath, deciding not to argue with her anymore. “You’re staying out of this. I’ll take care of Maya. If you stick your nose in again, I’ll tell the landlord you’ve been keeping cats.” The landlord was allergic to cat hair, and the lease clearly said no pets. But Amelia still snuck stray cats into the house. “Sienna, those cats are living beings too! You’re using them to threaten me? I’m so disappointed in you,” Amelia said, looking truly heartbroken. She always made a big deal out of those cats. Seeing the determination in my eyes, she finally backed down. She grabbed the cat food from the corner and left. Hearing the click-clack of her high heels echoing, I wasn’t sure who she was trying to impress. I rolled my eyes, sneering. If not disappointing her meant giving up our lives, she’d never get what she wanted. In my previous life, I didn’t find out about Maya’s pregnancy until it was too late. By the time I got to the hospital, she’d already died on the bed from complications during childbirth. When I rushed there, Amelia didn’t even look at Maya under the white sheet. Instead, she wailed over the bloody mess in the trash can. Back then, I thought she’d just lost her mind from grief and didn’t think much of it. Then, my little brother, Albert Henderson, who’d been suffering from uremia for ages, finally got a kidney match, but Amelia disappeared with the money meant for his life-saving surgery. That same day, at the same hospital, I lost my second family member. After that, Amelia showed up, begging for my forgiveness. She sat on the ground, her eyes red and puffy from crying. Even passersby couldn’t stand it and tried to talk me into forgiving her. Struck by so many blows, I made the wrong choice again. I finished one drink, and then I woke up in a hotel bed. The chains on my wrists and the man’s brutal assault made me finally understand why Amelia had insisted I drink that cocktail. But I couldn’t figure it out. Amelia loved cats and even took care of a mistress’ kid. How could she be so cruel to her kids? With that question haunting me, I died in that hotel room. Then, I got the answer I’d been dying for. It turned out that our world was just a novel, and Amelia was the saintly female lead. Her first half of life was full of hardships, but she stayed kind-hearted, so fate rewarded her with a domineering male lead to ensure her happiness for the rest of her days. My siblings and I were just the backdrop of her hardships. The story truly began when we were all out of the picture. Maybe my resentment and bitterness were too strong, so fate gave me a second chance. This time, that saintly female lead should just go to hell.

The next morning, I took Maya to the hospital for a checkup. The doctor said she was too young and malnourished, and she needed plenty of rest after the procedure. Looking at her bony shoulders, I felt my heart ached. Since I started working, I’d been busy nonstop outside, barely making it home a few times a year. I thought my hard work would bring happiness to my family. But under Amelia’s “care”, my siblings had ended up in such a sorry state. On the way home, I tried everything to cheer Maya up while figuring out how to ask her about what had really happened. Before I could even come up with the right words, the other person involved in this mess showed up on his own. Downstairs in the hallway, Amelia was grinning like a Cheshire cat, chatting away. Right next to her, a guy sat slouched, puffing on a cigarette with an irritated look. When we appeared, both of them became excited. “Maya, look who’s here,” Amelia said, all excited, shoving the guy forward. I stepped in front, blocking their way. I sized up the guy from head to toe, and a guess formed in my mind. “Sienna, move out of the way. This is Henry Walker, the father of Maya’s baby,” Amelia said, grabbing Maya’s arm to pull her toward the guy. But I pushed her back roughly. I turned to look at Maya. Sure enough, she was trembling, tears streaming down her face. “Are you the one who took advantage of my sister?” I asked, holding back my anger. “Oh, come on. It’s none of your business. It’s just a couple’s thing,” Amelia said, giving me a coquettish shove. I ignored her and slipped my phone into Maya’s hand. Henry flicked his cigarette butt on the ground and sneered, “We were both into it. What’s ‘taking advantage’ got to do with it?” “Did you force her to have sex with you? Isn’t that taking advantage?” I pressed on. “If she wasn’t throwing herself at me after class, why would I even look at her? Now she’s playing the innocent virgin?” Henry shouted, looking like a total sleaze. Maya was shaking with rage. “I didn’t throw myself at you! I came to you after class because the teacher asked me to tutor you. I already told you that. “And the first time you harassed me, I said no. But then, during gym class, you…” By then, she was choking up, unable to get the words out. I quickly patted her back to calm her down. Amelia chimed in again, “Oh, Maya, this is partly your fault, too. You should know your limits when helping classmates. It’s easy to get misunderstood. Henry, don’t be mad. Maya’s just a little shy.” Henry nodded, looking pleased with Amelia’s flattery. “Okay, enough small talk. I came to see how my baby’s doing.” Seeing Amelia calm down a bit, I took a deep breath and shouted, “As a rapist, how dare you ask the victim such disgusting questions? “You’re a menace to society at such a young age. You’re a born piece of trash. You’re the heir to all the scum of the new era, huh?” Henry’s face turned red in anger. He swung his fist, ready to hit me. I stepped back, stuck out my foot, and sent him falling to the ground. “Do you think you can throw a punch? I’ve wanted to beat you since you opened your mouth.” How could someone like this even get raised? Just looking at him made me sick. “Sienna, what are you doing?” Amelia said, frowning at me. “Sure, Henry went too far. But doesn’t Maya share some blame? You can’t just…” “Shut up! Maya didn’t do a single thing wrong. How dare you say something so heartless?” I shouted. I stomped on Henry’s back, my eyes fixed on Amelia. “Your daughter got taken advantage of, and you’re siding with the rapist? Do you even have a conscience?” “I…” Amelia tried to say something. But I interrupted her, “I sent you so much money to take care of Maya, but the doctor says she’s been malnourished for ages. Where’s the money? Did it all go down the toilet? “You don’t care about your daughter, but you’re defending this scumbag? That’s not being kind-hearted. That’s being blind and stupid.” Then, I sneered and ground my right foot down hard. “Remember, you still owe me a beating. You’ll pay for it later.” Just then, police sirens wailed in the distance, getting closer. Two cops walked up, got a quick rundown, and cuffed Henry, shoving him into the squad car. This scumbag should just go rot in jail.

After cooperating with the police in the investigation, Henry was taken into custody. During that time, Amelia even tried to plead Henry’s case, earning herself some seriously perplexed looks from everyone at the station. “Maya, Henry’s the father of your baby! How could you send him to prison?” Inside the station, Amelia cried her eyes out, begging for Henry, her sincere act leaving everyone momentarily stunned. “Ma’am, are you sure you’ve got this right? Henry forced himself on your daughter against her will. He’s a rapist,” a female officer, thinking Amelia had lost her marbles, kindly said. At that, Amelia wailed even louder. “Officer, he’s just a kid! He took a wrong turn. We gotta give him a chance to turn his life around!” The sight of the victim’s mother begging the cops to spare her daughter’s attacker left everyone in the room speechless. “Ma’am, you should go comfort your child. We’ve got work to do here. We’ll contact you if we need your help later,” the female officer said coldly, shooting me a sympathetic glance. I nodded, took Maya, who was still shocked, by the hand, and left. I thought that was the end of it, but the day after Maya’s surgery, I got a frantic call from her. Using the phone’s location, I rushed over to a restaurant. I barged into the private room and saw Maya sandwiched between an elderly couple, looking anxious as hell. Across from them, Amelia sat, grinning, urging Maya to agree with them. “Let my sister go!” I lunged forward, yanking Maya out of their grip, and the other three jumped in surprise. Amelia’s face flashed with guilt. “Sienna, these are Henry’s parents.” Jaxon Walker, Henry’s father, stood up with a smile. “Sienna, I’m Henry’s father. We’re gonna be family now.” I almost laughed out of anger. “It seems Henry’s shamelessness runs in the family. Who the hell wants to be related to you?” How could they raise a rapist and then talk about family? They really had no shame. Jaxon was angry, but he held back his anger, thinking about what he came for. “Sienna, Henry messed up, but he’s just a kid. He’s our only son. If anything happens to him, we don’t know how we’ll go on.” Jaxon and his wife burst into tears, hugging each other. Amelia was moved to tears, too. “Sienna, look how pitiful they are. Let Henry go.” I shouted, “Shut up! Henry put himself there, and the law put him there, not me. They raised a monster, but they’re crying for their kid. What about you? Maya just had surgery, and you drag her here? Are you even worth being a mother?” Amelia went pale at my words. She turned to grab Maya but missed. I continued, “I’ve been disappointed in you for ages, but Maya wasn’t. But now, you’ve broken her heart for good. Stay out of Maya’s life from now on.” With that, I grabbed Maya and walked out of the room. After that, Amelia called me a million times, but I was too busy sorting out Maya’s transfer to a new school to pick her up. When she realized my attitude, she stopped trying to contact me. Then, one evening, after we’d been out of touch for a while, my grandmother, Penelope Henderson, called me. Thinking it might be Albert missing me, I answered happily. But the voice on the other end sent a chill down my spine. “Albert’s gone missing!” As soon as I heard Albert was missing, my gut told me Amelia had taken him. I booked a car ride on the spot and raced home through the night from the next town over, my anxiety boiling over like a pot of water on high heat.

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In the third month of my pregnancy, my husband, a forensic expert, once again left me to attend a prenatal checkup alone. This wasn’t the first time. During my first checkup, his assistant was called out to a case, and I ended up spending the entire day waiting in the hospital lobby. On the second occasion, halfway to the hospital, he received a call from his assistant, left me on the side of the road, and rushed off. From the day we got married, whether it was a special occasion or a routine prenatal checkup, his assistant always seemed to find a reason to call him away. By the third time he abandoned me at the hospital, my heart was utterly broken. Yet, when I mentioned divorce and boarded a plane to go abroad, he went to great lengths to win me back. 1. At 10 weeks pregnant, Ethan hadn’t accompanied me to a single checkup. Today was the third one, and he had promised he’d stay with me until it was over. But soon after we arrived at the hospital, Chloe called. Ethan quickly pulled his hand away from mine, his expression softening as he answered her call. Chloe’s helpless voice came through the phone: “Mr. Ethan, I’m the only woman on the scene this afternoon, and I’ve never handled such a big case. I’m a bit scared.” Hearing this, Ethan covered the phone and looked at me apologetically. “Willa, there’s a major case at the department, and Chloe is inexperienced. I’m worried she can’t handle it.” “It’s just a routine blood test today. You can manage on your own, right?” Though phrased as a question, it was more of a statement. Despite this scenario playing out many times since we got married, I tried to suppress my anger and quietly asked, “But Ethan, I might faint during the blood test. Plus, the doctor said the early stages of pregnancy are very important. Could you please stay and listen to the doctor’s advice with me?” He frowned, clearly displeased. “Since when have you had a fear of blood? I wasn’t aware of that. I understand you have issues with Chloe, but this is work. Can you please not let your feelings interfere with my job?” Realizing he might have spoken too harshly, he quickly added, “Anyway, you’ll still have a long wait. I should be able to finish work and come to pick you up.” After saying that, Ethan ignored my reaction, reassured Chloe on the phone, and left without looking back. I stood there, stunned, holding the newly prescribed medicine. After three years of dating and two years of marriage, this wasn’t the first time Ethan had left me for Chloe. In the past, I’d probably have argued with him, questioning who his real wife was. Was my unborn child less important than an assistant? Why couldn’t he remember I had hereditary anemia, which made blood tests truly faint-inducing? But this time, I just felt profoundly exhausted. No matter what I said, Ethan’s excuses were always “work is busy” and “Chloe needs me more.” No matter what I did, in Ethan’s eyes, it was just me being jealous. River City was in the height of summer, and my body was weak from the pregnancy. The oppressive heat made me break out in a sweat, but my heart grew colder with each passing moment. I took a deep breath, clutching the prenatal checkup form tightly in my hand. I knew it was time to let this relationship go. 2. After the checkup, I went straight to the police station to tender my resignation to Officer Carter. “Beatrix, are you sure about resigning so suddenly? Does Ethan know?” Officer Carter was surprised by my resignation. As a specially appointed sketch artist for the police, I had helped solve numerous challenging cases over the years and had a promising future. I forced a smile and said, “I’ll tell him later, but he probably won’t care much.” “Sigh, back then, you two were the golden couple—the youngest and most promising forensic expert and the most capable sketch artist. When you got married two years ago, the Chief even officiated the wedding. Everyone thought you two were so happy…” Officer Carter sighed regretfully. Indeed, we were once the envy of others. But now, those memories were just that—memories. After handing over my work, I returned home at nine in the evening. The house was silent and empty. My phone displayed a new post from Chloe, specifically tagging me. “With Mr. Ethan by my side during my first big case, I wasn’t scared at all! To thank Mr. Ethan for taking me home, I’m treating him to a big meal tomorrow~ [heart][sun]” I knew Ethan, who had promised at noon to be home for dinner, wouldn’t be coming back. He had completely forgotten about picking me up from the hospital. In the two years since our marriage, such situations were countless. I cooked myself a bowl of noodles, filling my stomach, and then opened my email. Looking through the invitations from overseas universities in my inbox, I paused at the one from the Royal College of Art. Without much hesitation, I accepted the invitation and booked a flight to London for three days later. Five years ago, Ethan had gone to London for a transnational case. Upon returning, he fell seriously ill and was unwilling to speak about that city since. Not only did he avoid going there, but he also got agitated whenever I mentioned it. Ethan, once I’m in London, we’ll never see each other again. 3. The next morning, I started packing my luggage. Halfway through, Ethan returned, bringing with him a faint scent of perfume. I paused, slightly surprised. He never liked sweet and cloying perfume scents. Because of this, I rarely wore perfume while with him, switching to unscented or mild fragrances. It seems now, he just didn’t like me wearing perfume. Seeing me packing, his eyes flickered. “Last night there was a team dinner, and when it ended, Fiona didn’t look well, so I took her home first. It was too late, so I stayed the night at the duty room.” I looked up at him, feeling indifferent. In these two years of marriage, he rarely explained anything to me voluntarily. I nodded, not saying a word. He approached me and asked, “Are you going on a business trip?” I nodded. “Sort of.” He seemed relieved, pausing before saying, “I came back to get some documents. I won’t be home for lunch.” “Okay.” I didn’t look at him, just continued packing my luggage. Originally, I planned to discuss the divorce over lunch and inform him of my resignation from the department, formally ending our marriage. But it seemed there wouldn’t be a chance. After speaking, Ethan went to the study, took a file and a blue bag, grabbed his clothes hanging by the door, and rushed out. “Crash!” The photo together, hanging on the wall by the door for two years, suddenly fell and shattered as he left. Glass scattered everywhere. I turned to look. It was a picture Officer Carter took of us on our wedding day. In the photo, we were wearing bridal attire, closely leaning against each other, smiling happily. That day, he had promised to always respond, to be kind to me, to love me forever. But since Chloe appeared, all those promises turned into empty words. After a long silence, I slowly crouched down, carefully picking up the broken pieces. Then, I threw away the photo that once held such beautiful memories, along with my last lingering feelings for this relationship, into the trash can. 4. Late at night, after finishing everything, I lay in bed, my whole body aching. Suddenly, my phone rang with a voice message from my best friend, Fiona. “Beatrix, how can Ethan and that Chloe be so blatant about this?” “You haven’t even divorced yet, and they’re flaunting it like this. Ethan is too much!” Puzzled, I opened my phone to see a screenshot of Fiona’s social media feed. In the photo, Chloe wore a deep V-neck dress, her fair chest adorned with a dazzling diamond necklace. On the table corner was a blue bag—exactly the one Ethan took from home at noon. The caption read: “Thanks for the surprise gift, Mr. Ethan. Happy two-year anniversary!” I scrolled through my phone, instinctively glancing at the calendar. Two-year anniversary? Today was also my and Ethan’s two-year wedding anniversary. After our marriage, he was always busy. Busy with various cases, busy with Chloe’s numerous demands. We never celebrated an anniversary properly. Eventually, I even forgot those important days. I chuckled bitterly and replied, “Maybe he’s just taking care of a subordinate.” “Taking care? That’s not taking care; that’s blatant infidelity! Beatrix, what are you thinking? Are you really going to keep enduring this?” Listening to Fiona’s question, I fell silent. Indeed, was I really going to endure this forever? In these two years of marriage, Ethan had been called away by Chloe for various reasons, from holidays to even my birthday and our wedding anniversary. I thought having a child would settle him down. He promised to be a good father one day. But after I got pregnant, Chloe became even more unscrupulous. My pregnancy made me sleepy, and several times I woke up in the middle of the night to find Ethan gone. Even his rare rest time was occupied by Chloe’s calls, one after another. Facing Fiona’s questions, I remained silent. Is this truly something I should continue to endure? Throughout our two-year marriage, Ethan has been drawn away by Chloe for various reasons, even during important moments like holidays, my birthday, and our wedding anniversary. I hoped that having a child would encourage him to settle down. He had once promised to be a good father someday. But after I became pregnant, Chloe’s demands only grew bolder. During my pregnancy, I often found myself waking up alone in the middle of the night, realizing that Ethan had left without a word. Even the few breaks he had were consumed by Chloe’s constant calls. Now, even with a child, he’s left me alone at the hospital three times without a trace of guilt. I looked up at the ceiling, my eyes burning with unshed tears. What have these two years of marriage truly meant? I have no idea. Perhaps it was a mistake from the very beginning. 5. Around midnight, Ethan finally came home. He seemed a little tired, taking off his coat and instinctively reaching to hang it behind the door, only to notice the wedding photo was missing, making him pause.

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For ten years, I was Jack’s secret lover, and during that time, I secretly gave birth to a child. In those days when I sought neither fame nor fortune, Lucas was my only salvation. Later, Jack found out about Lucas’s existence and said he wanted to give the child a family. I was moved to tears. Until that day, I saw Olivia, his first love who had disappeared for ten years, getting out of his car with a child. “Jack, are you sure that child can save Lily?” “Of course! I made her have my child to save Lily!” “I’ve been secretly monitoring his health condition, and all the test results are good! The doctor said as long as the bone marrow matches, Lily can live!” What I thought was stolen happiness turned out to be an elaborately designed scam. That night, I dialed a number I had never called before: “Can Lucas and I become your legal family?” “I’ll take care of the legal documents,” Noah’s firm answer rekindled my hope. As long as the change of Lucas’s guardianship is completed, Jack won’t be able to sign the surgery consent form! After hanging up the phone, I immediately canceled Jack’s guardianship application. We had agreed that the date for the guardianship change would be Lucas’s birthday. I had promised to take him to meet his father. Now it seems I’ll have to break that promise. The next second, Jack’s call came in. “Emma, why did you cancel the guardianship application?” “You think I’m that free? To play family drama with you?” “If you don’t want the kid to recognize me, get lost! I won’t pay a penny in child support!” His barrage of accusations made my fingers go numb. When I accidentally got pregnant back then, I was both anxious and excited. The relationship without status between Jack and me made me too eager to hold onto something. I thought Lucas was a gift from heaven, so I carefully cherished this stolen happiness. It turns out I was able to give birth to Lucas not because I was smart, but because of Jack’s careful arrangement. He wanted to use my child’s life to exchange for Olivia’s child’s life. The image of Lucas’s obedient face floated in my mind, and my heart felt like it was being sliced by countless blades. “Lucas has been sick these past few days, so the guardianship matter can only be delayed for a few days.” I answered with a straight face, but heard a woman’s voice from the other end of the phone: “Didn’t you say that child was very healthy? How could he be sick? She must be lying to you!” The voice was soft, but I guessed it was Olivia. “Jack, do you have a woman with you?” He obviously panicked and stammered: “I’m just worried that I’ll be on a business trip in a few days, and the timing won’t be good.” “Suit yourself.” Jack had always been hot and cold towards me, giving a slap followed by a piece of candy. For the past decade or so, I had been foolishly content with this treatment. I didn’t pursue the matter further and just calmly hung up the phone. Before Lucas was born, I had bought a two-bedroom apartment in the complex where Jack lived. My mom had always been helping to take care of Lucas. I sent a message to my mom, planning to pick up Lucas after school and go straight back to our hometown. But I didn’t receive a reply, and no one answered when I called. Just as I was thinking of going over to check, I bumped into Jack who had just returned as I opened the door. “A gift I bought for you on my business trip.” Jack threw a bag in front of me with an air of condescension. I looked at the bag in my arms and smiled bitterly. This was the third time he had given me this same bag, not even changing the size or color. In the past, I could still comfort myself that he was too busy, and it was already good that he remembered to buy a gift. But now, I couldn’t fool myself anymore. I coldly looked at Jack, his loose collar revealing several hickeys. There was a lipstick stain on the back of his shirt collar. Over the years, Jack would go on business trips every so often, lasting from three or four days to half a month. Now I knew that every so-called business trip was actually him accompanying Olivia and her child. “By the way, Olivia is back in the country.” His somber voice struck my heart. For the past decade, this was the first time I had heard Olivia’s name from his mouth.

Olivia was a year ahead of us in school, a campus beauty. She and Jack were the acknowledged golden couple of the school, everyone said they were meant to be together. Unfortunately, as soon as Olivia graduated, she dumped Jack and married a high-level executive at a foreign company. Jack hated her but couldn’t let her go. He drank excessively, got into fights, skipped classes, the works. It was I who quietly helped him organize his coursework, attended classes for him, wrote his papers, so he barely managed to get his diploma. At the graduation party, Jack and I had a drunken one-night stand. From then on, I became his hidden lover. I thought that someday Jack would see my goodness, but I never imagined he would only scheme to ruin me, and our child. Now that I’ve woken up from the dream, I should come to my senses too. “She’s here to treat her child’s illness, I heard it’s leukemia,” Jack continued, with a hint of regret in his voice, “She might need to stay at my place for a few days.” I nodded, “This is your home, you can let whoever you want stay.” Jack’s eyes flashed with surprise, just as he was about to ask further. At that moment, my phone rang, and I saw a message from my mom: [Lucas is in the hospital] A buzzing filled my head, and I didn’t care about anything else. I grabbed my coat and headed out: “I’m going out for a bit.” Jack blocked me, his eyes probing: “Where are you going so late?” I really didn’t have the energy to explain, so I pushed past him and rushed out the door. At the hospital, I saw my mom crying uncontrollably. “Emma, I don’t know what happened, he just ended up in the hospital…” “When I picked him up from school, the teacher said he had a stomachache. I went to the clinic to get some medicine, and he felt much better after taking it.” “In the evening, we were playing in the garden of the complex. I walked away for a moment, and he fainted…” Mom was both remorseful and frustrated, her tears unstoppable. I comforted Mom while looking at Lucas in the emergency room. His usually rosy little face was now completely pale. My heart clenched into a knot. Fortunately, the doctor said it was just mild food poisoning, and he would be fine after the IV drip. “Mom, when he’s done, go pack some things. I’m taking you and Lucas back to our hometown.” Mom looked at my grave expression and didn’t ask much, just nodded repeatedly. “Mommy…” Lucas lay on my shoulder and asked weakly, “Why are we going back to our hometown? Didn’t you say you’d take me to see Daddy on my birthday?” “Daddy, he…” “Emma!” Jack’s voice was like a summons from hell, sending a shiver through my body. “You’re delaying the guardianship because you want to take the child back to your hometown?!” “You dare lie to me?” Jack was furious, striding towards us. Lucas and Jack looked very much alike, the kind of resemblance where you could tell they were father and son at a glance. “Daddy…” Lucas cried out, wanting Jack to hold him, and refused to leave with me no matter what I said. My eyes grew hot, my nose stung, and tears fell. Lucas, meeting his father for the first time, made a fuss, insisting on going home with him: “Mommy, I want to see your home.” “Mommy, please?” Before I could answer, Jack was already coaxing Lucas to go home. No matter what I said, Lucas was determined to go with him.

What I didn’t expect was that Olivia and her daughter were waiting for us at home. “Jack, you’re finally back…” As soon as she saw Jack, Olivia clung to him like a bee to a flower: “Lily has a fever again… When can we schedule the surgery?” Her voice was soft, but I still heard it. I carried Lucas back to the room, and he kept asking when Daddy would come to tuck him in. But even late into the night, Jack didn’t appear. “Mommy, the day after tomorrow is my birthday,” Lucas said expectantly, “Is it true that Daddy will throw me a birthday party? I heard from my classmates that birthday parties are so much fun…” I couldn’t refuse a five-year-old child’s longing for fatherly love. Before this, Lucas had never asked about his father, but because of my promise last time, he now had expectations. I hugged Lucas tightly, my heart aching. “It’s true, Lucas’s birthday party will definitely be the best birthday party in the world.” I cried while comforting him to sleep. As soon as we get through the birthday, I’ll take Lucas away from here forever. I swore silently in my heart, not knowing that the next day I would experience an even bigger shock. “Horsie ride! Horsie ride!” I was woken up by a child’s laughter, and as soon as I opened the door, I saw Lily riding on Lucas’s back. She was waving a toy whip in her hand, urging Lucas to crawl faster. “Hurry up! If you don’t go faster, I’ll tell my daddy to beat you!” “That’s my daddy!” Lucas heard this and angrily straightened up to retort. “Jack is my daddy! Not your daddy! My mommy said you were born just to cure me!” “He’s not your daddy!” Lily cried as she swung the whip, leaving a bloody mark on Lucas’s face. “What are you doing!” I rushed forward and snatched the whip from her hand. Lily’s cries grew louder, and I heard a door opening behind me. Olivia saw the whip in my hand and immediately ran over to pick up her daughter. “Emma… how could you hit a child?” Jack followed closely behind, grabbing me and Lucas, his eyes bloodshot: “Emma, who told you to bully her?! Don’t you know this child is in poor health? If something happens to her, will you take responsibility?” “Apologize right now!” Jack forced me to apologize to Lily. “Mommy, if I apologize, will Daddy stop disliking me?” Lucas bit his lip, tears welling up in his eyes, and quietly apologized. Lily looked smug, which broke my heart. “Daddy, will you still throw me a birthday party?” Lucas asked cautiously. Jack was still angry and had forgotten all about the promised birthday party. He shook off Lucas’s hand impatiently and said, “What birthday party for a little brat? You’re just as troublesome as your mother.” Lucas’s crying stopped abruptly, and the light in his eyes completely disappeared. That day, Lucas didn’t cling to Jack anymore. He just sat quietly beside me, watching Jack play with Olivia and her daughter. In the evening, Lucas hugged my neck and suddenly said, “Mommy, he’s not my daddy, is he?” “He’s different from the daddies of other kids in kindergarten. He never smiles at me or hugs me.” “Mommy, is my daddy in that hometown you talked about?” “Let’s go back to our hometown!” Lucas said all this without crying, but it made me burst into tears. I held him tightly, comforting and soothing him. It was I who gave him hope, and then made him face the cruel reality. In the darkness, my phone lit up. [Legal documents are done. Meet at the airport tomorrow at 2 PM.] My anxious heart finally settled. I could finally take the child away without any worries. At this moment, I heard the sound of keys outside the door. I alertly got up and met Jack’s eyes. He made a gesture to keep quiet: “Emma, I was wrong about today. How about this, I’ll throw Lucas a birthday party tomorrow, okay?” “Don’t be angry anymore.” This was the first time Jack had been so patient in coaxing me. I knew he was just trying to keep us here. To avoid raising his suspicions, I nodded in agreement.

Early the next morning, the apartment was decorated for a birthday party. But the style was all girly, with a Frozen princess theme. The blue and white decorations were full of Jack’s love for Olivia and her daughter. The name on the backdrop wall was Lucas’s, but I could see at a glance that it was wrong – “Gu Yangyang” instead of “Gu Yanyang”. “Do you like it? Lucas, this is what Daddy specially arranged for you. There will be many little friends coming to celebrate your birthday later!” Jack smiled and pinched Lucas’s cheek. Lucas said he liked it, but secretly grabbed my hand and whispered, “Mommy, when are we leaving?” Seeing the disappointment on the child’s face, my heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. This was even more painful than when I discovered Jack’s betrayal. Just as I was about to answer, the door suddenly opened. Olivia and Lily came in with a group of children and parents, obviously Lily’s classmates. They greeted each other warmly, and Jack politely responded. He and Olivia looked every bit like a married couple, and the whole birthday party turned into Lily’s show. I sat with Lucas in the corner, texting my mom to wait for us directly at the airport. “Wait a bit, we’ll leave after Lucas blows out the candles, okay?” Today is Lucas’s birthday, and I don’t want to deny him even the chance to make a wish. But as Lucas stood in front of the cake, he was forcefully pushed away by Lily: “Who told you to stand here and blow out the candles!” “Get away from here!” Lily pushed hard, and I pulled Lucas away to dodge. She missed and fell to the ground, her foot catching on the table corner, overturning the entire dessert table. Lily, covered in cake, cried and screamed. Olivia shrieked for Jack: “Jack, Lily… she fainted!” Hearing this, I immediately pulled Lucas towards the door. But Jack grabbed us: “You can’t leave!” “Only he can cure Lily’s illness!” Jack picked up Lucas and rushed to the hospital with Olivia and Lily. “Mommy! Mommy! I want Mommy!” I chased after them closely, my heart shattering with Lucas’s cries. “Dr. Zhang! Arrange the bone marrow transplant immediately! My daughter is dying!” The hospital seemed to be prepared. As soon as Jack appeared, everything was arranged. I finally understood that the originally scheduled date for the guardianship change was the surgery date. Lucas had been given a sedative and was already asleep. “Jack, I beg you, don’t hurt Lucas!” I knelt in front of Jack, grabbing his pants leg and pleading: “I know you want to use Lucas to save her, but Lucas is a life too! He’s our child!” “Let’s find another way, please?” The immense fear made me incoherent. Jack looked down at me coldly: “Emma, I have no other way!” Jack’s outright refusal left me completely desperate. I rushed to the operating room door trying to stop the doctor. But Jack held me back, kicking me in the stomach several times. As the operating room door closed, my breathing stopped. “This surgery can’t be done!” Hurried footsteps echoed in the corridor, and a doctor wiping sweat opened the operating room door. Jack looked bewildered and stepped forward to question: “I’ve paid all the money, why can’t it be done?” The doctor looked Jack up and down angrily and said, “Mr. Gu, is this your child? Non-guardians have no right to sign for surgery! Do you know this is illegal?”

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After my parents divorced, my dad dumped me on my mom’s lover to raise. He beat and scolded me constantly, only hoping I could quickly repay the debt my mom owed him. But ten years later, when my mom wanted to take me away, he cried and said he’d give up everything just to keep me. [1] When I was seven, our once-harmonious family shattered overnight because of my innocent comment: “When daddy’s not home, mommy brings other uncles to sleep over.” My mom moved out that very night, and my dad dumped me on my mom’s lover to raise. The man’s name was Frank. My dad looked at the man before him and said coldly, “If it weren’t for you, our family wouldn’t be in this mess.” “As compensation for destroying my family, take care of Mandy for a while until I get settled in my new job.” With that, my dad pushed me towards the man opposite him. Seeing the scar on Frank’s face, I cried and turned back to run to my dad. “Daddy, I promise I’ll never say anything wrong again. Please don’t leave me!” My dad didn’t hide the disgust in his eyes. Even though I had his blood, I was still the child of that unfaithful woman. But my dad still forced a smile, “Mandy, be good and sensible. Only then can daddy come back for you sooner.” I could only wipe my tears and obediently return to Frank’s side. Frank hadn’t looked at me once. As my dad was about to leave, Frank grabbed him and said, “Room and board not included.” My dad gave an awkward smile and took out $50 from his bag to hand to him. Watching my dad’s retreating figure, Frank said coldly, “If you don’t come back for her within a month, I’ll dump her.” My dad nodded repeatedly, “She’s my own daughter after all. How could I possibly abandon her?” With those words, my dad turned and left without looking back. And so, I was temporarily taken in by Frank. As we lived together, I discovered that although he was my mom’s lover, he was actually a pitiful man who had been scammed out of his money by my mom. He originally had some small assets, but after my mom took everything and ran, he could only move into a run-down house rented in the countryside. Within a month, I endured all kinds of cold treatment from Frank. He always dumped all the dirty and tiring chores on me. “Seeing your face that looks just like your mother’s makes me angry! You’re both good-for-nothing freeloaders!” I knew he was taking out all his resentment towards my mom on me. To be able to stay in this house temporarily, I could only humbly obey any of Frank’s arrangements. Every day, my only motivation was the hope that my dad would come to take me away from this misery soon. But as the one-month deadline approached, there was no news from my dad’s side. Frank’s calls to my dad went unanswered. Frank’s face grew darker and darker. He spat on the ground viciously, “You little brat, if your dad doesn’t come to get you in the next couple of days, I’m going to sell you to old man Johnson at the end of the village!” A wave of panic washed over me, and I could only work even harder. The month passed, and I waited from dawn till dusk, but still didn’t see my dad. It was then that I realized I had truly been abandoned by my father. Frank grabbed me and said, “Come with me.” He dragged me towards the direction of the village’s end. Seeing he was serious, I panicked completely and desperately clung to the ground. “I don’t want to go! I don’t want to!” “You think you have a choice? Since you’re your mother’s daughter, you should pay off her debts!” Just as I was still struggling desperately, old man Johnson from the village’s end actually came to the door. [2] “Frank, I couldn’t wait any longer at home.” Old man Johnson grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. The fear in my heart was like a lake, drowning me until I could barely breathe. Frank took advantage of my daze and hoisted me onto his shoulder, following old man Johnson towards his house. I desperately pounded on Frank’s back, “I don’t want to! I don’t want to go with him!” Tears of grievance soaked Frank’s back, but he showed no sign of stopping. “I’m begging you, I’ll do whatever you say from now on, just please don’t send me away.” Frank ignored my fear and helplessness, casually discussing the price with old man Johnson. “As agreed, $400 a month.” At old man Johnson’s house, he turned and went inside to find an iron chain. Frank’s brow furrowed slightly, “Old man, what are you doing?” Old man Johnson smiled slyly, “Well, since I paid for her, I naturally have to prevent her from running away.” With that, he locked the huge iron chain to my foot. Old man Johnson handed the money to Frank, who counted it, satisfied, and turned to leave. No matter how much I cried for help behind him, he never looked back at me once. Abandoned by my parents, and now abandoned by my mother’s lover, it seemed I was destined only to be discarded in this life. Old man Johnson closed the door and immediately slapped me across the face, “From now on, you’re my property. You’ll cry when I tell you to cry, and laugh when I tell you to laugh, got it?” I nodded, clutching my stinging cheek. “Now take off your clothes!” I looked up in disbelief, meeting old man Johnson’s leering gaze. My whole body trembled uncontrollably. Seeing my reluctance to move, old man Johnson slapped me again. “What are you playing at, acting all pure?” “Your mom is a big slut who seduces men everywhere, and you’re just a little slut too! Do you want me to do it myself?” Despite the tears of humiliation falling non-stop, I still hugged myself tightly, not giving him any opportunity. Old man Johnson grew increasingly impatient. Sure enough, the next second he pounced on me like an evil ghost. “No! No!” I closed my eyes tightly, hearing only the sound of clothes being torn. His disgusting, dry hands groped all over my body. Fighting the nausea, I bit down hard on his hand, but it only earned me an even more vicious beating. “You little slut, you dare bite me? I’ll teach you a lesson today!” I wanted to scream for help, but found I was too scared to make a sound. Just as I was about to be forced to accept my miserable fate, the door behind me was kicked open. Before I could even look back, I saw a figure rush in front of me and kick old man Johnson away hard. “You bastard!” “Didn’t I say I was bringing her over just to do your laundry and cooking? What the hell are you doing?” Old man Johnson looked at Frank with an awkward smile, “Frank, why are you protecting this little brat so much?” “Don’t forget, she’s the daughter of that woman who hurt you. Didn’t you want revenge on her?” “How about this, I’ll give you an extra $50 a month, just let me play with her a little…” Before he could finish, Frank punched old man Johnson in the face, “If you dare touch her again, I’ll kill you!” With that, he threw the $400 old man Johnson had given him earlier onto the ground. He unlocked the iron chain from my foot and picked me up. “Let’s go home.” [3] After returning home, Frank stopped making me do heavy chores. He turned around and sent me to the only elementary school in town. “Your mom owes me so much money, it would take forever if you just worked to pay it back. Better to send you to school, you’ll make money faster that way.” “Remember, you’ll have to pay me back double for your school fees in the future!” He rubbed his stomach, “I’m hungry, go make dinner.” Frank used to be a small factory manager. He had the opportunity to gradually expand his business, but then he met my mom. He gave my mom everything he could, but she turned around and betrayed him. The factory went bankrupt almost overnight. I heard all this from the neighbors. Soon it was time to start school. Frank handed me a new backpack and clothes with a blank expression. “I’m telling you, if your grades aren’t good, I’ll send you off to work!” I excitedly took the clothes and backpack, “Thank you, Uncle!” Frank said he was afraid I’d run away, so he personally took me to and from school every day. He now worked at a parts factory just outside the small town. Although his work hours didn’t match my school schedule, he still managed to drop me off and pick me up on time. I thought things would continue peacefully like this, but before long, the story of my background spread through the school. The school bully, Fatty, and some other kids cornered me in a secluded spot by the school wall. “Mandy, my mom said your mom is a big slut who seduces men everywhere. You little slut came to our school just to corrupt us.” “You should go seduce men everywhere like your mom. Our school doesn’t welcome people like you!” Looking at their faces, I mustered up the courage to retort, “Your whole family are the sluts!” Fatty glared at me, nostrils flaring, and with a few others, locked me in the equipment shed. “Mandy, no one wants you. Even if you die in here, no one will know!” They laughed at me as they ran away. Frank waited for me at the school gate for two whole hours. By the time he found out where I was, it was already midnight. Curled up in a corner, I shivered from the cold. In my daze, I heard his scolding. “Useless thing, don’t you know how to fight back when they bully you?” “Your mom is so capable, how did she give birth to such a wimp?” His reprimands gradually grew quieter until he held me in his arms, wiping away my tears with his calloused hands. All my insecurities instantly vanished. Later I found out that to find me, he had searched every corner of the small town. Those bad kids only revealed my location after he repeatedly questioned them. Seeing the scrapes on his arms, he must have fallen in his haste to find me. The next day, Fatty’s mom came to the school to make a scene. She pointed at my nose and started cursing. “This little bastard not only uses foul language but also tells lies.” “My son was just joking with her, and look how badly beaten his face is now?” I looked at Fatty’s swollen face, knowing it must be Frank’s handiwork. “Principal, you must expel this little bastard!” “You’re the bastard!” I snapped back immediately. The fat woman flew into a rage, “You unwanted child, if you’re not a bastard, what are you? Am I wrong?” “Let me tell you, it’s your honor that my son even joked with you…” Suddenly the office door opened, and Frank, who should have been at work, appeared. “You call that a joke? How about I lock your son up for a night too?” Seeing Frank, Fatty quickly hid behind his mother. Such a comical sight made me burst out laughing. “If your kid dares to bully my daughter again, I won’t be so lenient next time!” At that moment, I felt the whole world go quiet, with only Frank’s word “daughter” echoing in my ears. My eyes stung, and I quickly ran out of the principal’s office. [4] By 2008, I was old enough to start middle school. Remembering Frank’s “threat,” I got into the best middle school in the city with the top score in town. At this time, there were layoffs at the factory where Frank worked, and he was on the list. He wasn’t cut out for physical labor in the first place, and these years had taken a toll on his health. He hadn’t saved much money, and now things were even worse. A female employee who had once been helped by him at his factory suddenly approached him, saying she wanted to marry him and live together. Although friends advised him to send me away, he sighed helplessly: “The child is so big now, we can’t let someone else benefit from the bride price for nothing.” The woman’s arrival gave this home a chance to breathe. This pieced-together family finally had a hint of home-like warmth. Frank relied on a second-hand motorcycle he got from a friend to start a passenger transport business in town. The income wasn’t much, but it was stable. But good times didn’t last long, and the woman gradually revealed her true intentions. Whenever Frank wasn’t home, she would drag me to meet various old ladies. “Mandy, remember, these might all be your benefactors.” At that time, I didn’t understand what she meant, and seeing how hard Frank worked every day, I didn’t dare to bother him. But that day, she and an old lady said they were taking me to a banquet. I was forcibly dragged to someone’s house, only to see a big red “Double Happiness” character pasted on their front door. I was pushed into the main seat, and next to me sat a man wearing a red flower on his chest. “Mandy, just enjoy your meal. I’ll come pick you up later.” With that, the woman left with the old lady, and they were counting some cash that had appeared from somewhere. It was then that I finally realized – she had sold me! I threw down my chopsticks and tried to run, but the man next to me grabbed me, “Wife! Where are you going?” “After we finish eating, it’s time for our wedding night!” I panicked but forced myself not to cry. “Let go of me. If my uncle finds out, he’ll kill you!” The man smirked, “You mean that lousy motorcycle driver? The money I gave him is more than he could earn in decades of driving. He’d be overjoyed!” “Just stay here obediently and give me a big fat son. I promise I won’t mistreat you!” The man hoisted me up to leave when suddenly there was a loud bang. Frank had crashed right in on his motorcycle. He threw his motorcycle aside with a flourish, “Put her down!” The man was intimidated by his aura, and I quickly broke free to hide behind Frank. “Frank, I’ve already given the bride price to your wife. You’re not thinking of going back on your word, are you?” Frank snorted coldly, “I never married that woman!” Just then, the woman came back crying with the money. “Frank, why are you doing this? I really wanted to live with you!” “If we sell this girl, you could open your own factory again. You wouldn’t have to ride that motorcycle in the wind and sun anymore!” But faced with such a huge temptation, Frank didn’t even bother to look. He directly slapped away the money the woman was offering. “I don’t need it.” With that, he put me on his motorcycle and left. After that, the woman never came back. But one day, the motorcycle he relied on for a living was smashed to pieces. It didn’t take much guessing to know who did it, but without evidence, he could only swallow his anger. As the start of my school term drew nearer, Frank started coming home later and later. I also tried to find whatever part-time jobs I could do. But when I came home that day, I saw Frank had returned early. He sat on the doorstep, chain-smoking the cheapest cigarettes. Seeing me, he slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with an emotion I couldn’t understand. Putting out his cigarette butt, he finally spoke, “Your mom’s back. She’s inside.”

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