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Cold water sprayed from the shower head, drenching me from head to toe. Ethan’s long, powerful hands caressed my lips. “I told you, mistakes must be punished,” he whispered. “Brother, why… why are you here?” I stammered. At the gates of A University, I was holding hands with my boyfriend Oliver, ready to go on a date, when a Maybach stopped in front of us. Ethan, dressed in an impeccably tailored black suit, stepped out of the car. It had been almost two years since I last saw him, and an inexplicable panic welled up inside me. He said nothing, his gaze falling on Oliver’s and my intertwined hands. As if touched by a spark, before my brain could react, my hand had already retracted. I even unconsciously moved half a step away, distancing myself from Oliver. Oliver turned to me in surprise, “Chloe?” A cold, composed smile appeared on Ethan’s face. “Chloe, aren’t you going to introduce me?” I avoided his gaze, not daring to look at him directly. “I… he…” I suddenly became a stutterer. Unexpectedly, Oliver smiled graciously and extended his hand to Ethan: “So you’re the brother. I’m Oliver, Chloe’s boyfriend.” Ethan lowered his eyelashes, glancing at Oliver’s hand with no intention of shaking it. He turned to look at me and said, “Boyfriend? It seems our little Chloe has grown up and even has a boyfriend now. Why didn’t you tell your brother?” Though he was smiling, I felt a chill run down my spine, as if a cold, venomous snake was slithering up my back. I wanted to flee. I just wanted to escape. But my feet felt like they were filled with lead, unable to move. Seeing that Ethan had no intention of shaking hands, Oliver awkwardly withdrew his hand, but still maintained a polite smile on his face. “Brother, Chloe and I haven’t been together for long. She probably hasn’t had the chance to tell you yet…” “Don’t call me that. I’m her brother, not yours,” Ethan said coldly, his icy gaze sweeping over Oliver. With that, he grabbed my wrist and unceremoniously pushed me into the car. Oliver hurriedly stepped forward, but unsure of what to do since Ethan was my brother, he could only tap on the window, calling my name in confusion. I opened the window and forced a smile. “Oliver, my brother needs me for something. You should head back to campus first.” Before I could finish speaking, Ethan leaned over and closed the window. The car started, and Oliver’s worried face quickly receded in the rearview mirror. … The shower in the bathroom was turned on full blast. Ethan pushed me into the bathtub, and cold water poured down on me. He leaned in, his long, powerful fingers tightly gripping my chin. His expression was grim. “Did he touch you?” “No,” I shook my head, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably, mixing with the cold water. “Brother, Chloe knows she was wrong.” “What did you do wrong?” His voice was dangerous, impossible to disobey. “Chloe shouldn’t have dated.” “What else?” “I shouldn’t have hidden from you.” “And?” He prompted. I sobbed and shook my head. “There’s nothing else…” Ethan cupped my face, looking at me seriously. “And you can’t let anyone touch you. They’re all too dirty. They’ll taint my Chloe. Do you understand?” Looking at his cold eyes, I nodded fearfully.

My name is Chloe Wilson. Ethan is my brother, or more accurately, my stepbrother. Before I was eight, my life was a bottomless hell. My biological father was an alcoholic gambler with severe domestic violence tendencies. He was an absolute scumbag. Every time he lost at gambling or got drunk, he would come home and beat my mom and me. Eventually, my mom couldn’t take it anymore and filed for divorce, but he still wouldn’t leave us alone. He would come to our house every few days to demand money and beat us. He was a madman, and no one dared to stop him. Until I was eight, my mom met Mr. Wilson. He had someone break that man’s legs and throw him out. From then on, that man never dared to harass us again. It turns out he wasn’t so crazy after all. He was afraid of death too. Half a year later, my mom married Mr. Wilson, and we moved into the Wilson mansion. That was the first time I met Ethan. Because I had always lived under the shadow of my biological father, I was timid and insecure from a young age. I hid behind my mom, clinging to her waist, afraid to meet people. Mom pulled me out from behind her and said with a smile, “Chloe, this is your brother. Say hello to your brother.” I saw Ethan’s face was indifferent, his eyes devoid of any emotion. But he was so handsome. I had never seen such a good-looking brother before. I thought, he shouldn’t be a bad person, right? So I gathered my courage and timidly called out, “Brother.” “Chloe is such a good girl.” Mr. Wilson patted my head and then said to Ethan, “This is your Aunt Chen, say hello.” A cold smile flashed across Ethan’s face. Before I could figure out who he was smiling at, he turned and went upstairs. “This child!” Mr. Wilson was slightly angry. Mom held him back. “It’s okay, he’s still young. Let’s take it slow. I don’t mind.” I watched his back, and for some reason, I felt he was very lonely.

From that day on, I became Chloe Wilson, the young lady of Prosperous Bay City’s top elite family. My life turned upside down, everything was like a dream. My mom became the elegant Mrs. Wilson, but in private when no one was around, she would always pull me aside and say, “Chloe, you must be good. Listen to your uncle and brother. If you don’t behave, we’ll be thrown out. Do you understand?” Over and over again! Her words lingered in my ears like a nightmare. You must behave, Chloe. Or we’ll be thrown out. You must behave! You must behave! Or we’ll be thrown out! I didn’t want to be thrown out. I didn’t want to go back to that run-down rental house, didn’t want to go hungry and cold, and definitely didn’t want to be beaten by that man. Chloe was very scared. Chloe will be very good, will definitely behave! Don’t throw Chloe out! Although my brother was very fierce, although he always spoke harshly to me and ignored my attempts to be nice. He called me the daughter of a bitch. He poured the milk I brought him over my head. He threw the birthday gift I prepared for him in the trash. When I was cleaning up broken glass, he stepped on my hand. At school, when I picked up his basketball, he pushed me down the stairs… But it’s okay, Chloe is a good child, Chloe doesn’t get angry. We attended an elite school that combined elementary, middle, and high school. When I transferred there, I was in third grade, and Ethan had just started middle school. Mr. Wilson told him to wait for me every day to go home together, but he never waited a second longer than necessary. If I was late, even if he had already seen me coming out of the school gates, he would still have the driver leave. Many times, I had to walk home by myself. The road was long, and I was very tired, but when I got home, I always apologized to Mr. Wilson, saying it was my fault for playing around and letting my brother leave first. Ethan looked at me with a mocking expression, I didn’t know if he was mocking my self-importance or laughing at how easily I lied at such a young age. But I was just afraid, afraid of going back to the nightmare of the past. Would the gods in heaven forgive Chloe’s lies?

This went on for a long time, until my first year of middle school. One day, Ethan was playing ball with his friends in the yard. For some reason, his hat was thrown up into a tree. He told me to climb up and get it. I didn’t ask why his hat ended up in the tree while they were playing ball, nor did I refuse. But that hat was stuck very high, and I couldn’t reach it. After a lot of effort, I finally grabbed it, but then I heard a crack beneath my feet. The branch broke, and I fell. It hurt, it really hurt. I was in so much pain that tears came to my eyes. But I still held onto the hat tightly. Sitting on the ground, I raised it high above my head and smiled at Ethan, saying, “Brother, I got your hat down.” Ethan looked at me for a long time. He probably thought I looked ridiculous, smiling while tears were streaming down my face. Then, he took out his phone and called 911. I had fractured my left ankle and it took three months to heal. But during those three months, Ethan never once showed concern for me. However, I didn’t regret it at all, because after that day, his attitude towards me improved a lot, or rather, a lot lot. He no longer called me the daughter of a bitch, and he wouldn’t bully me randomly. He even waited three minutes for me every day after school. Although he still didn’t show much of a pleasant expression, I was already very content. I thought, as long as I behaved, my brother wouldn’t throw me out. When I was in my second year of middle school, Ethan was in his last year of high school. I thought he must be very tired from studying, so I often brought him a glass of hot milk at night. That day, his room door wasn’t closed. I was carrying another glass of hot milk when I pushed the door open— Crash! The glass shattered, milk splattered everywhere. I saw Ethan at his desk, covered in blood, holding a craft knife in his hand, cutting his left arm over and over again. He looked up at me, still with those beautiful eyes that held no warmth. His lips were white, devoid of any color. “Come here,” he said. I walked over step by step, kneeling in front of him, my knees soaked in his blood. I carefully cradled his hand, tears unstoppable. “Are you scared?” His voice was cold. I shook my head. “Why are you crying?” he asked me. “Brother, it hurts so much.” I looked up, tears sliding down my neck into my collar. He stared at me blankly for a long time, then raised his hand to my cheek, wiping away my tears. The sticky, warm sensation was Ethan’s fresh blood. I found the first aid kit and treated his wounds. When I washed away the blood with clean water, I realized there were many old scars on his arm. This was probably why he never wore short sleeves. I used alcohol to disinfect and then bandaged his wounds. Throughout the process, he remained calm, as if he had completely lost the ability to feel pain. When I finally finished, he looked at me, his eyes filled with a pain and struggle I couldn’t understand, which eventually settled into calmness. “Chloe, do you like your brother?” “I like you, I like my brother.” I said seriously. He smiled, leaning forward to hug me, burying his face in my neck. “You said it yourself, you must remember, never leave your brother.” “Okay, Chloe will never leave her brother.”

After that, Ethan became increasingly kind to me, you could say he was attentive in every way. In fact, except for the time we spent in classes at school, we were inseparable at all other times. The expressions on his face also became more varied. He was no longer cold and distant all the time. Most of the time when he looked at me, he had a smile. But for some reason, not long after, the classmates around me started to gradually distance themselves from me. At first, it was a few boys I was close to. One after another, they stopped talking to me and even asked the teacher to change their seats. Later, even the girls rarely communicated with me. They always avoided me, as if I were some kind of monster. I sat alone in the corner of the classroom, without a desk mate. Soon after, a transfer student came to our class. He seemed very curious about me and often stole glances at me. Not long after, he confessed to me. Of course, I politely refused him. He was very disappointed, but I wasn’t someone who would date at such a young age. After all, I always behaved well. That afternoon after school, I waited for a long time but Ethan didn’t come to pick me up. Usually, he always waited for me at the classroom door. I thought maybe the teacher had kept the class late. After all, the coursework for seniors was very heavy, so I decided to go wait for him. I packed up my schoolbag and went downstairs. Because it was a bit late, there were hardly any people left in the school. I came to the high school building, when suddenly I heard strange sounds coming from a corner. I curiously walked over. Then I saw Ethan leaning against the wall, a half-smoked cigarette held between his slender index and middle fingers. On the ground in front of him, a small boy was curled up, being kicked and punched by several high school boys. He had no strength to resist, and gradually stopped moving. Even his cries of pain became weaker and weaker, until only miserable moans remained. Ethan extinguished the cigarette on the boy’s thin shoulder, casually tossing it onto him, his tone ice-cold: “Don’t get close to Chloe Wilson again, or I’ll kill you.” I finally understood why they had been avoiding me. I covered my mouth to prevent myself from screaming out loud, then quietly left. I recognized the boy on the ground. He was the transfer student who had confessed to me today. I should have gone to save him, but… I didn’t dare. I had finally made Ethan accept me, like me. I couldn’t make him angry, or he would throw me out of the Wilson family. Chloe will always be good, won’t make brother angry. But… I’m really a very bad person. This time, will the gods still forgive me?

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In the delivery room, my husband Jack was grinning as he held our daughter. “Emma, you’re awake. This is our little girl.” Looking at our daughter in the swaddle, I clenched my fists, my whole body trembling. I knew that when my daughter grew up, she would kill me. This was my third reincarnation. In my previous two lives, I had died at my daughter’s hands. My daughter was born evil, an ungrateful wolf that could never be tamed. I raised my hand high. “Emma, what are you doing?” My husband looked at me in horror. “Slap!” I struck my husband across the face. A father who didn’t care about his daughter’s upbringing at all. In my previous two lives, I had always reflected on my own parenting issues. This life, I finally understood. A child isn’t raised by just one person. Even if I were to be killed by my daughter again, I would drag my husband down with me. 0 I believe some people are born bad, but my daughter wasn’t one of them. When I breastfed Lily, she was always hungry. Although she had no teeth, her little mouth was always strong, bringing tears to my eyes every time she fed. Once, when I couldn’t bear the pain anymore, I gently told her, “Mommy hurts, please eat more gently.” Lily, tiny and soft in my arms, seemed to understand. She slowed down her feeding. From then on, whenever I breastfed her, she was always gentle and never hurt me again. When Lily was two, we weren’t well off, but I would occasionally buy her small cakes. Every time, Lily would smile, take the little cake, and toddle over to me, insisting I take the first bite. Most of the time, I couldn’t bear to eat it. Once, I experimentally took a big bite, and Lily didn’t get upset at all. She happily ate the rest of the cake. At that time, I thought I had given birth to an angel. But I don’t know when it started, Lily’s personality became increasingly difficult. When I wouldn’t let her eat ice cream, she would complain to her dad and grandmother, saying I pinched her, hit her, and didn’t feed her. At the time, I thought she just couldn’t distinguish between fantasy and reality. But after that, whenever I was slightly unkind to her, she would tell everyone that I, her mother, was abusing her. At preschool, she fought with her best friend Rachel over a toy. When the teacher just scolded her a bit, she started spreading rumors that the teacher had molested her. I don’t know where she learned that word. Luckily, all the teachers at the preschool were women, otherwise it would have been hard to clear up. When I exposed her lie, she cried and said she wanted to kill Rachel and the teacher. Later, she saw other kids playing the piano and said she wanted to play too. I said the piano was too expensive, that mommy couldn’t afford it. But she cried and begged, and I couldn’t resist her persistence, so I still bought her one. But after buying it, she only played a few times and then refused to play anymore. I tried to persuade her nicely a few times, but it didn’t work. Then one day when I came home from work, the piano was smashed. Not just the piano, the whole house was turned upside down. I thought a thief had broken in and called the police. After the police investigation, they found that no one had come to our house. It was all Lily’s doing, just so she wouldn’t have to play the piano. After discovering this, I wanted to punish Lily, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. After scolding her a bit, Lily went on a hunger strike in protest. My heart softened, and I coaxed Lily into eating. From then on, Lily became increasingly out of control. Starting in middle school, she often skipped classes. I only found out when her teachers called me. She was addicted to video games and barely communicated with anyone around her. If I criticized her a bit, she would curse at me, showing no respect at all. Regarding Lily’s education, both my husband and mother-in-law blamed me, saying I had spoiled her. I realized myself that the indulgence from her childhood had made Lily uncontrollable. But now it was too late, and she wouldn’t listen to me anymore when I tried to discipline her. If my tone was even slightly off when I spoke to her, she would hold a knife to her own throat, saying she had depression and wanted to kill herself. I was scared out of my wits and quickly tried to comfort her. To prevent her from committing suicide, I gave in to whatever she wanted. My husband wanted to send Lily to a school that specialized in troubled kids. I cried and begged him not to, saying they really abused children there, and if Lily really became depressed, we would regret it too late. But Lily found out about this and stole money to run away from home. Chapter

Lily was gone, and my heart was breaking. I cried every day. The next time I saw Lily, her belly was already big, and she was followed by a punk with dyed hair. My husband was so angry he smashed the table. I sat beside him, crying non-stop. I tried to take her to get an abortion, but she shook me off: “You don’t love me. Can’t I have a child to love me?” I had worried myself sick for her all these years. How could she say I didn’t love her? She grabbed a fruit knife from the kitchen and pointed it at me. “If you try to stop me again, I’ll kill you all.” Lily took two thousand dollars and left without looking back. My husband was smoking on the balcony and said to me: “How did you raise our daughter? How did she turn out like this?” I was also blaming myself. How did the sweet little girl from her childhood turn into this? Before Lily got too far, I chased after her. Lily and the punk were waiting for a cab outside. I grabbed Lily and tried to drag her home. This time, I wouldn’t let her leave no matter what. But I didn’t expect Lily to have grown so strong. Even with all my strength, I couldn’t pull her, and she pushed me to the ground instead. I had been working in a factory for years and had an old back injury. This fall aggravated it, and I grimaced in pain. Seeing my pained expression, Lily said, “Keep acting. Go on.” Lily looked at me coldly, like a stranger. “Lily, come home with mom. Listen to me, you can’t have this baby. It will ruin your life.” “My life is already ruined. You’re only realizing this now?” I cried and said, “I’m sorry, Lily. I’ve missed you so much while you were gone. Please come back with me.” Lily shouted and covered my mouth with her hand. “Shut up! Don’t cry! You’re just trying to make me feel guilty.” “Why should I go back with you? So you can kill my baby?” Before I could say anything, a sharp knife plunged into my heart. I looked down and saw blood gushing from my chest. Lily was holding the fruit knife she had taken from our home. Lily said coldly, “I won’t let you kill my child.” “I won’t be like you, treating my own child badly.” That was the last thing I heard. Soon, I lost consciousness. When I woke up again, I was back in the hospital. Time had rewound to when I had just given birth to Lily. My husband was showing me the swaddled infant. I hadn’t yet woken from the nightmare of my previous life. The knife entering my body was so cold and painful. The one who plunged the knife into my heart was the daughter I had raised for so many years. My heart went cold, as cold as the knife tip that pierced it. I didn’t understand why. Even if you raised a dog for eighteen years, it would become attached to you. Why was Lily always so cold, like a stone that could never be warmed? Her words still echoed in my ears: “I won’t be like you, treating my own child badly.” Hadn’t I been good enough to her? We didn’t have much money, but everything good was hers. When she said she wanted strawberries, even if it was freezing outside, I would go from store to store looking. Even if I only had a few dollars left, I would buy the best for her. When Lily was little, she was always afraid of monsters and didn’t dare sleep alone. I always slept with her, even if it meant I couldn’t sleep well myself. From small things like toys and snacks to big things like a piano or trips to the amusement park or vacations, as long as she asked for it, I would make it happen. Wasn’t that good enough? Maybe it was too good. It made her think she was the center of the world, that everyone should revolve around her, that she could take my love for granted. This life would be different. I was prepared to discipline her strictly. Chapter

In my previous life, Lily didn’t like to eat, and the whole family would follow her around trying to feed her. This life, she doesn’t want to eat? Fine. I dumped out all the food in her bowl right in front of her. Eat it or don’t. If you don’t eat, you’ll go hungry. Lily cried and said, “Grandma, mommy won’t give me food and she hit me.” Lily was lying again. I asked her quietly, “Lily, how did mommy hit you just now?” Lily put her little hand to her face to show me: “Like this.” “Oh, really?” I raised my hand and slapped Lily’s face hard. A red mark immediately appeared on Lily’s cheek. I said sternly, “This is hitting.” Lily started crying loudly. I shouted, “Is this how I hit you earlier?” “Tell grandma, did mommy hit you like this before?” Lily shook her head, crying, “No.” “No? Then why did you say mommy hit you like this? Why are you lying?” Lily cried without saying anything. My mother-in-law came over to stop me: “What are you doing? She’s just a child.” “I know she’s young. That’s why I’m helping her understand what ‘hitting’ really means, so she doesn’t go around saying it carelessly in the future.” My mother-in-law crouched down and wiped Lily’s tears with the back of her hand. “It’s all mommy’s fault. Mommy is bad. Lily, don’t cry, okay?” Hearing this, I got angry. It was the same in my previous life. My mother-in-law was always telling the child “It’s all mommy’s fault” and “Mommy is wrong.” When I tried to discipline the child, they all accused me of being too harsh. But when Lily really went bad, they jumped out to say I had spoiled her. I tried to control my anger and said, “Mom, from now on, don’t interfere when I’m parenting. Otherwise, if the child turns bad in the future, it will be your fault.” My mother-in-law said sarcastically, “You’re like a loaded gun every day. Lily is so good, how could she possibly turn bad?” “You’re so fierce, aren’t you afraid the child will pull out your oxygen tube when you’re old?” I laughed. She would kill me long before I needed an oxygen tube. After this incident, I sent my mother-in-law back to her hometown. If I let her continue to spoil Lily, she would end up on the same path as before. I quit my job to focus on teaching Lily at home. I bought a ruler, and whenever I was sure Lily was lying, I would hit her palm with it. After a few times, her lying improved a lot. The way she looked at me was often full of fear and trepidation. Whenever I was about to soften, I would think of the knife plunging into my chest in my previous life. But I didn’t know then that she was just scared, not changed. When her preschool teacher criticized her, she still made up stories about the teacher molesting her. I took her to the preschool and made her stand in front of all the teachers to point out which one had touched her. She was scared and cried, admitting she had lied. She smashed the piano at home again. I gritted my teeth and bought another one. Every day I stood behind her with a stick, supervising her practice. She had to practice for two hours a day. Since we agreed she would learn, even if she didn’t want to, she had to practice. Lily wasn’t a very smart child. I attended extra classes with her and checked her homework every day. Under my strict discipline, her grades improved a lot compared to my previous life. I finally managed to get her into a good high school, but then she started saying she was depressed. She said she didn’t want to go to school and held a knife to her throat, threatening suicide. In my previous life, every time she did this, I would practically get on my knees begging her. This life, hah. “You want to die? Go ahead, just don’t get blood on me.” Lily was stunned. She hadn’t expected this reaction from me. She put down the knife sheepishly. She didn’t really want to die. It was just a tactic to threaten me. “You don’t want to go to school? Fine, then don’t. Tomorrow I’ll withdraw you from school, and you can go get a job to support yourself.” Lily left. Two months later, she came back on her own, carrying her bag. Working was too hard. She wanted to go back to school. After this episode, Lily’s attitude towards studying finally improved a bit. Unfortunately, she didn’t do well on the SAT and only got into a second-tier college. Although it wasn’t a great school, I was still satisfied. Compared to her middle school education in the previous life, my efforts this time had finally shown some results. But after starting college, she completely reverted to her old ways. In her first year, she failed nine out of fifteen major courses. I called her, but she stopped answering my calls. One month, two months, three months passed with no news. I was so angry I cut off her living expenses. The next time I saw her, she was standing in front of me and my husband with a big belly again.

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“Get off me, you’ve had your fun,” Lucas said as I was lying on top of him, nibbling his ear. His girlfriend, Sophia Snow, was standing at his bedroom door, watching us. I didn’t respond to him. Instead, I moved my lips from his ear to his Adam’s apple. I felt Lucas’s large hand on my waist, and the next second, he flipped me off the bed. And that’s how I ended up in the hospital. After Lucas threw me off the bed, my fragile head hit the floor of his bedroom, causing it to bleed. When Sophia turned on the bedroom light, I was lying on the floor, unable to move. “Aria, stop pretending. Get up and get out,” Lucas said coldly. He wasn’t going to coddle me; he just found me annoying. “Lucas, she’s bleeding!” Sophia quickly came to my side, trying to stop the bleeding. Thank goodness for Sophia. Otherwise, Lucas would have let me lie there until I died. Lucas sighed softly and sat up in bed. Then came the sound of slippers touching the floor. He picked me up and carried me out of the room. What a mess. Lucas had to help me, the troublemaker, even though he had a cold and fever. But Lucas’s embrace was genuinely warm, accompanied by a faint scent of mint. I passed out in his arms. When I regained consciousness, I was already in the hospital. I was surrounded by the smell of disinfectant, and there were low whispers in the hospital room. “Uncle, I asked Aria to take care of you. How did she end up in the hospital herself?” It was my best friend, Haley Davis. It was thanks to her that Lucas had thrown me off the bed. Lucas was Haley’s uncle. After I expressed my feelings for Lucas, Haley had been trying to set us up whenever she could. Lucas spoke up. Due to his cold, his voice was a bit hoarse, showing no emotional fluctuations. “Ask her when she wakes up.” Well, I guess I shouldn’t wake up then. “Aria, I saw your eyelashes move.” Lucas was really something else. I couldn’t keep pretending anymore. I pretended to just wake up, opening my eyes groggily. In the hospital room, besides Haley and Lucas who were talking quietly, Sophia was also there. Haley leaned close to my face. “What happened, Aria?” Her long eyelashes were almost brushing against my face. I used my hand that wasn’t connected to the IV to push her face away slightly. “Haley, who are these people?” I asked. Haley was always easy to fool. All the brains in their family seemed to have gone to Lucas. She put her hand on my forehead. “Sweetie, are you okay? This is my uncle.” I pushed her hand away and smiled at Lucas. “Hello, Uncle.” Then I shifted my gaze to Sophia’s face. Sophia was beautiful, fair-skinned and pretty, with the most alluring eyes. “And this must be Auntie. Hello, Auntie.” Lucas just looked at me with an amused expression. I realized how stupid I was. Why was I pretending to have amnesia in front of this old wolf? Haley, however, was all flustered. “Aria, you haven’t gone stupid, have you? I’m going to call the doctor to check.” “I’ll go with Haley,” Sophia said, following Haley’s steps out. Perhaps she sensed that Lucas wanted to scold me and kindly left us some privacy. “Aria, stop bothering me. I don’t have time to play your games,” Lucas said once everyone had left the room. He didn’t give me any mental preparation, just blurted it out. His words fell on my ears, stinging painfully. “Then what about when you were nice to me before?” I couldn’t help but ask. “Because you’re Haley’s friend.” When Haley returned with the doctor, only I was left in the room. I had thrown a tantrum and chased Lucas out. Only the doctor came back with Haley. Sophia had left with Lucas. Come to think of it, I had only met Sophia three times. The first time was at a bar. I hadn’t seen Lucas for a long time and wanted to secretly take a look at him. I was all disguised, hiding in a corner, and Sophia was sitting obediently next to Lucas. The second time was last night when I was kissing Lucas on his bed, and she was watching from the doorway. The third time was just now, when she was standing behind Lucas. If I were in his shoes, I would choose Sophia too. Pretty and obedient, unlike me who always goes against Lucas’s wishes. He tells me not to do something, and I insist on doing it. He tells me to stay away from him, and I haven’t listened once in all these years. But who am I kidding? I was never even an option for Lucas. “Doctor, please check her quickly,” Haley urged the doctor to examine me. I held her hand. “Haley, I’m fine now.” The doctor spoke up, “You saying you’re fine doesn’t count. I have to say it.” After cooperating with the doctor’s examination, the doctor concluded, “She’s fine now. Just rest and avoid strenuous activities. You can be discharged.” Haley breathed a sigh of relief. After the doctor left, she leaned in close to me and asked, “You were pretending just now. You really scared me.” “Mm-hmm.” “Then why did you stop pretending?” “Couldn’t fool him anyway.” I knew I couldn’t deceive Lucas, but the events of last night were still vivid in my mind, and I just didn’t know how to face it. “Tell me about your heroic deed last night!” It was hardly heroic. Thinking about it now, it was quite laughable. Haley had brought me the intel that Lucas was sick, and I exchanged a hotpot dinner for Lucas’s house key from her. I wanted to take advantage of the situation and create the image of a caring girlfriend. I made it smoothly into Lucas’s house without any obstacles. I made some cold medicine and snuck into his room. I stood by Lucas’s bed, wanting to wake him up, but the medicine was too hot, so I thought I’d let him sleep a bit longer. Lucas is handsome, with distinct features and sharp angles. I love his high, straight nose the most. Heaven knows, I just wanted to see if he was really asleep. I reached out and poked his cheek. It was soft, different from the impression he usually gives me. He’s always polite and distant, not as human as this. I couldn’t resist leaning closer, wanting to kiss his cheek. “Aria, don’t you dare,” he warned. If Lucas was going to say that, then I really wanted to test where his bottom line was. I climbed onto his bed, leaning down to kiss his lips, but he dodged. We were at a stalemate. The door wasn’t closed, and I vaguely heard the sound of a key turning in the lock. “Lucas…” It must be Sophia, right? At this hour, the only person who could have Lucas’s house key and open his door should be her. I smirked at him. “Uncle, your girlfriend is here.” Lucas didn’t say anything, just turned his face away from me. He was giving me a chance to get off on my own. I couldn’t just do as he wished. I changed my target to his ear. I lay down and kissed his ear. “Get off me, you’ve had your fun,” he said. Sophia was already outside the bedroom door. I switched from kissing his ear to kissing his Adam’s apple. That’s when Lucas flipped me off the bed. My head was bleeding, and the cold medicine I had made for him was still steaming. “Oh, Aria, your… although the ending was a bit tragic, the process wasn’t bad!” Haley scratched her head, pondering for a while, and could only come up with this comment. I pouted, trying to squeeze out a couple of tears, but in vain. I was just heartbroken; I couldn’t cry. “Aria, how did you end up in the hospital?” Before I could wallow in my sorrow, my mom rushed in after hearing the news. “Let Mom take a look!” My mom pushed Haley aside and sat next to me, cradling my head and examining it. “Mom, I’m fine now. The doctor said I can be discharged,” I said. Mrs. Sullivan, spoiled by my dad, had no common sense in life and was handling me roughly, causing me pain. “Then you’re coming home to stay with Mom!” she insisted. I dodged her hands, agreeing repeatedly, “Okay, okay, okay.” Having hit a wall with Lucas, I needed to recharge in my mother’s embrace. Haley, in order to freeload a meal at my house, escorted me all the way to my bedroom. After settling in, she lay down beside me of her own accord. “Aria, did my uncle say something to you?” Her fingers were twirling the ends of my hair, tugging gently. Haley’s question made me feel extremely wronged. I pouted, and tears rolled down the corners of my eyes. “He told me to stop bothering him, said I was annoying. He’s never said that to me before.” Haley frantically searched for tissues to wipe my tears. “Did we go too far? After all, he already has a girlfriend.” “He never admitted it. The thing about Sophia being his girlfriend was what your mom said, not Lucas,” I argued.

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As my wife’s due date approached, my mother-in-law, Linda, came to stay with us to help during the postpartum recovery period. In less than a week, our newly bought toiletries were almost gone. Two lunch boxes disappeared, and twelve packs of tissues vanished. Even the new underwear I bought for my wife went missing! Watching our home gradually being emptied, I felt exhausted. “Honey, did you know your mom had this habit?” I asked my wife, Sophia. “Honey, where did you put the toothbrushes that were in the organizer? I can’t find them anywhere,” I asked, puzzled. This morning, I noticed my toothbrush was frayed and decided to replace it. However, I couldn’t find any new ones no matter where I looked. Sophia and I usually keep extra household items at home. I remember buying five toothbrushes at the supermarket just two weeks ago for future use. Sophia had used one recently, and Linda took one when she arrived. There should have been three left. Sophia walked over with a bun in her hand, peering into the organizer. “I put the toothbrushes right here. Can’t you see them?” I shook my head. “Are you sure you didn’t misplace them?” Sophia shot me an annoyed look. “I’m not that old to be forgetful!” She turned to ask her mother, “Mom, have you seen them?” Linda continued ladling porridge without pausing. “No, I haven’t seen any toothbrushes.” I had to rush to work, but I gave Linda a suspicious glance before quickly finishing breakfast and heading out. Ever since my mother-in-law arrived, I spent most of my time either searching for things or on my way to search for things. That afternoon, after a meeting, I received a message from Sophia: [Pick me up after work. We need to go grocery shopping. We’re out of tissues, laundry detergent, and body wash. Also, let’s buy two more cases of milk. I feel off if I don’t have milk every day (mischievous emoji)] I thought for a moment and asked her, [Honey, don’t you think a lot of things have gone missing from our house lately?] Last week, when I wanted to bring lunch to work, I discovered that the lunch boxes we bought less than two months ago had vanished. There were many similar incidents. One day, we had a cabinet full of tissues, and two days later, only six packs remained. On the day Linda arrived, we still had over two-thirds of our toiletries left. In just three days, they were almost gone. Usually, these supplies would last Sophia and me for at least a month. Unless she was drinking the body wash! The most ridiculous thing was that the underwear I carefully selected for Sophia on Amazon disappeared after being washed and hung on the balcony… When I asked Linda about it, she looked bewildered: “I didn’t see anything. The wind has been strong these past couple of days. Maybe they blew away?” I believe Sophia had noticed these strange occurrences in our home too, but she didn’t want to think about it too much. [It’s normal for things to be used up faster with an extra person in the house.] With less than a month until the due date, I didn’t want to cause any unpleasantness with my wife over this issue. So I simply replied: [Maybe you’re right.] Little did I know, this was just the beginning.

I stared at Linda with a grim expression. “I clearly remember the lucky charm was on the table yesterday. How come it’s gone today?” Our company evaluates employees’ performance annually, with one promotion opportunity. The previous supervisor had been promoted to department manager, and I was now the leader of the first team, competing with the leaders of the second and third teams for the supervisor position. In previous evaluations, my performance and abilities stood out compared to the other two. Colleagues were quietly saying the supervisor position was practically mine. However, nothing was certain until the very end. The boss called me into his office for a chat, hinting that the higher-ups favored me. If I could secure this cooperation deal, the supervisor position would be mine. Currently, I earn about $3,000 a month including bonuses. As a supervisor, my salary would increase by $500. Not only would the work be easier, but our quality of life would also improve. Recently, I’ve been running around non-stop trying to complete the task assigned by the boss. The potential partner was a tough nut to crack. I camped outside their office for ten whole days before finally meeting the project manager. I prepared a stack of documents, explaining the project’s construction process, our company’s advantages, and past case studies. After listening, the manager only said, “We’ll consider it.” Anyone who’s worked in an office knows that this official response usually means “you’re out of luck.” Having been in the workforce for so many years, I relied on my tenacity as an “unkillable cockroach.” After spending time and money, I finally found out that the manager’s child was sick. His wife was superstitious and went to the temple every day at dawn to pray for their child’s successful surgery and good health. So I took an overnight high-speed train to a famous temple in a nearby city to get a lucky charm. I originally planned to give this as a gift to the manager, but when I woke up today, the lucky charm I had placed on the table was gone! Linda defended herself: “I didn’t see any lucky charm. I just came in to clean the room and left.” Sophia knew how important this was and tried to persuade her mother: “Mom, if you took it, please return it now. This lucky charm is crucial for James’s work.” Even though we had made it so clear, Linda still insisted she hadn’t taken it. “Why would I take your lucky charm? It’s not like it’s worth much. If I wanted one, couldn’t I just go to a temple myself? I’m here taking care of you, and you treat me like a thief. I must have owed you in a past life!” Sophia seemed to believe her mother a bit and hesitantly said, “James, let’s look around some more. My mom really has no use for this thing.” Frustrated, I went back to the bedroom and lay on the bed to book another high-speed train ticket. As I was scrolling through my social media feed, I saw a new post from Emily, my sister-in-law. [Thanks for Mom’s love. Hope everyone stays safe.] The triangular object in her palm looked increasingly familiar… Wait, wasn’t that the lucky charm I got? Sophia was still sitting on the floor helping me search for the charm. I called her over, handed her my phone, and said: “Take a look at this. What is it?” Sophia recognized it immediately and confronted her mother with a stern face: “Mom, didn’t you say you didn’t take the lucky charm? Then why is it in my sister’s hands?” Linda’s eyes darted around. “I just thought your sister is studying alone away from home. Giving her a lucky charm would put my mind at ease.” Sophia exploded in anger, shouting, “I already told you how important this charm was! Are you deaf?” Linda’s tears fell on cue: “You ungrateful child! I serve you hand and foot all day, not even having time to visit a temple. What’s wrong with taking one lucky charm? Your sister is my child too!” Seeing Sophia getting increasingly agitated, I stepped in to calm her down. “Let it go. Don’t get worked up. Let’s just get the charm back.” Sophia nodded and immediately called her sister, explaining the whole situation. Emily exclaimed, “I had no idea! I’m so sorry, sis. Tell James to come pick it up at my school gate right now. I’ll wait for him there.” I quickly changed clothes and rushed out. After all, opportunity waits for no one. Before leaving, I advised Sophia: “Have a good talk with your mom. If she really wants something, she can ask us. But she shouldn’t take things without our permission.” It was exhausting enough coming home after working like a horse all day, without having to play detective on top of it.

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I thought I had found my light in the darkness, but it turned out to be just another illusion. On the day of my daughter’s one-month celebration, James’ adopted sister Amy set fire to the nursery. I rushed into the inferno, suffering severe burns all over my body, but my little Daisy still died from respiratory failure. My husband Zack wasn’t even sad. Instead, he helped Amy destroy all the evidence and locked me up at home. In my despair, Zack’s older brother James broke down the door to rescue me and held a grand funeral for my daughter. At Daisy’s graveside, James solemnly proposed to me. I accepted. For three years after our marriage, James took care of me in every way. No matter how busy he was, he always personally accompanied me to therapy sessions. Until one day, I woke up early from hypnosis and overheard his conversation with the therapist. “Sir, your wife’s memories of her daughter’s death are too deeply ingrained. If we continue with hypnosis, she might become confused and end up mentally impaired!” “I don’t care if Lily becomes an idiot. You just need to make her forget that Amy is the one who killed her daughter. That’s the only way Amy and my brother’s wedding can go perfectly.” “Once Lily loses her memory, I’ll give her another child to make up for it.” Tears silently rolled down my face. So all that attentive care I thought I was receiving was just his way of deceiving me. Making my daughter’s killer happy was his life’s goal. If that’s the case, I’ll just leave.

Outside the treatment room, James’ voice was unusually cold: “I don’t care what risks the new method has. You just need to make Lily completely forget that her daughter was burned to death.” “Otherwise, when she finds out Amy and Zack are getting married, she’ll definitely cause a scene at the wedding.” “What happened back then was our family’s fault, but I’ve already given myself to her as compensation. Making her lose a few memories is nothing.” The therapist still hesitated: “The technology for hypnotic amnesia is still immature. I’ve been trying for three years, but your wife’s memories of her daughter’s death are too deeply ingrained. If we forcibly use the new method, she’ll become confused and end up with dementia.” “You have other ways to keep this from her. You could take her abroad to avoid Miss Amy’s wedding.” James irritably interrupted: “No way. Amy wants her wedding to be perfect. Who else but me, her big brother, can walk her down the aisle and give her away?” “You’ve taken my money, so just do what I tell you. Don’t meddle in other affairs.” “At worst, after Amy’s wedding is over, I’ll give Lily another child to make up for it.” The therapist sighed: “Alright, but sir, I must warn you that the human brain is very delicate. I can’t guarantee your wife will never recover her memories.” “When she learns the truth, she’ll definitely hate you for the rest of her life!” “Let her hate me then. By that time, with a child, she’ll be obedient.” James sighed: “If she really wants to make a fuss, I’ll just take her and the child abroad.” “As long as Amy can be happy, even if I never come back to see her again, I’m willing.” My head was buzzing, tears falling silently. Footsteps approached outside. I quickly closed my eyes. “Lily? Lily? The treatment is over. Why are you crying?” In three years of marriage, James had accompanied me to countless therapy sessions. He’d come so many times that he even learned how to wake someone from hypnosis. Looking at James’ same gentle expression as always, I dug my nails into my palms: “I don’t know why, but I feel very sad, like I’ve lost something.” James immediately called the therapist over excitedly: “Come check quickly, has the treatment worked?” The therapist came forward to ask what I saw in my dreams. I touched the burn scars on my arm: “I kept dreaming I was surrounded by fire. When did that happen? How did I get this scar?” James hugged me sympathetically: “Lily, the fire was a long time ago. You almost lost your life then. After leaving the hospital, you had nightmares every night and couldn’t get over the psychological trauma.” “Now that the hypnotherapy has finally worked, you’ll get better and better. If you don’t like the scars on your body, we can go for scar removal surgery.” “If it can’t be treated domestically, we’ll go abroad. I’ll accompany you wherever we need to go for your recovery.” I nodded at James’ gentle smile. The therapist asked a few more detailed questions and gave James an affirmative look. James’ lips curled up, and he asked casually: “Lily, Amy is marrying Zack next week. They’ve invited us to the wedding.” “I know she used to give you a hard time because she liked Zack. She was spoiled, but I’ve scolded her for it. Are you willing to go with me?” “It’s fine. Even though it was an arranged marriage, it’s normal for Amy to be unhappy that I married the man she liked.” James hugged me emotionally: “Lily, I’m so lucky to have such an understanding wife.” I closed my eyes, suppressing the trembling of my body: “Let’s go home.” James quickly packed up my things and led me downstairs. Before James could open the passenger door, I spoke up first: “I’m a bit tired. I want to sleep in the back.” So James busied himself arranging pillows and blankets for me in the back seat. As the car started moving, I hid in the shadows, crying nonstop. So my initial approach that I saw as salvation was all an act James put on to help Amy clear obstacles. The attentive accompaniment to therapy sessions over the years was just to make me lose my memory so his dear sister could have a perfect wedding. I had always thought James was the only light I grasped in the darkness. If I hadn’t accidentally woken up this time and heard their plan, pretending to lose my memory… I probably would have forgotten everything about my daughter and become a puppet for them to manipulate. James has been too good an actor these years. So much so that I forgot he’s also part of the Potter family.

My marriage to Zack was arranged for business purposes, with no feelings between us. But because my mother-in-law kept pressuring us to have children, I got pregnant soon after the wedding. Having never felt much family warmth from my own parents, I was really looking forward to this child. After ten months of pregnancy, all the physical discomfort and pain of childbirth dissipated the moment I saw my daughter. Even Zack’s eyes held a hint of tenderness when he saw our tiny daughter. During that time, Zack and I were just like all new parents, clumsily but happily taking care of our daughter. I thought our days would continue peacefully like this. But on the night of our daughter’s one-month celebration, I got up to check on her. I found James’ adopted sister Amy standing in front of the nursery, which was engulfed in flames, smugly locking the door. I frantically rushed over to snatch the key from her hand, desperately rescuing my daughter from the fire despite the danger. Seeing Zack hurriedly running over with the servants, I finally collapsed in his arms, too weak from my injuries. When I woke up again, I heard from Zack that our daughter had died from respiratory failure after inhaling too much smoke. Unable to bear the devastating news, my burns worsened and I was rushed to surgery. But Zack, who had heard from me that Amy was the arsonist who burned our daughter to death, took advantage of my emergency surgery to clean up all the surveillance footage and fingerprints from that night. As soon as I regained consciousness after surgery, I immediately called the police to report Amy for deliberate arson and murder. The police searched the scene multiple times but regretfully informed me there was no substantial evidence, so my accusation couldn’t stand. Zack tied me to the bed with restraints, his tone full of threats: “Enough, Lily. The fire was just an accident, it had nothing to do with Amy. You can call the police a hundred times, it’s useless.” “Be a good girl. We can have more children in the future.” Zack confiscated all my means of communication and confined me at home. He even had my own parents come to persuade me to give in. That couple looked at me struggling desperately to the point of reopening my wounds, as coldly as if looking at a stranger: “We arranged for you to marry into the Potter family to maintain our company’s partnership with them.” “It was just a child who couldn’t even talk yet. Who told you to make such a big fuss?” “Zack has already promised to have another heir with you. You better know when to stop.” Seeing how the two of them looked down on me condescendingly, I completely broke down: “My daughter died for no reason! I want Amy to pay the price – how is that making a fuss?” “Zack clearly knows as well as I do that Amy set the fire, but he wants to cover for Amy and let my daughter die in vain!” My mom scoffed coldly: “So what if Zack saw Amy start the fire with his own eyes? My dear daughter, don’t be naive.” “He won’t allow a murder scandal in his family. If you were smart, you’d turn a blind eye to his and Amy’s affairs from now on.” My parents left, abandoning me to complete despair, betrayed by both my husband and parents. At that time, it was James, Zack’s older brother, who defied everyone’s opposition, Cut through the restraints and rescued me from the room full of surveillance cameras. With eyes full of sympathy, he took me to get treatment for my injuries. After I woke up, he offered several prime burial plots, letting me personally choose a feng shui treasure land for my daughter to rest. My daughter’s funeral, which had been suppressed by the Potter family, was held grandly with James’ help. Touching the words “Daisy, daughter of Lily Evans” engraved on the tombstone, I cried to the point of collapse. James supported me and took out divorce papers: “Lily, I’ve negotiated with Zack for you. Once you sign this, you’ll have no more connection to him.” “From now on, Daisy will be only your child.” It wasn’t until after the divorce cooling-off period that I learned Zack was willing to sign the divorce papers because James had given up half of his shares. On the day I received the divorce certificate, James gave me a large bouquet of bright sunflowers and knelt on one knee with a diamond ring: “Lily, your new life is beginning. Will you give me a chance to be your support?” Maybe it was because the sunlight that day was too beautiful, or James’ gaze was too sincere and passionate. I accepted his pursuit. After marrying James, I felt the warmth of home I had always dreamed of. Although I still couldn’t get over the grief of my daughter’s tragic death, With his companionship, I no longer resisted therapy and even started to actively engage in it. Even though it took a lot of effort to digest the psychological knowledge and work on self-healing. Even though each hypnosis session would make me dream of the nursery engulfed in flames that night. But now I’m told that James’ initial approach to me Was to help Amy get Zack, to remove me as an obstacle. He said he had already given himself to me as compensation, and would give me another child in the future. But James, I don’t need your cheap and hypocritical compensation.

After returning home, I maintained my usual demeanor, eating, washing up, and resting with James. Until I heard his breathing become steady, I gently pulled his hand off my waist. I got out of bed and went straight to the computer in his study. But after searching every corner of James’ computer, I couldn’t find any valuable information. I did see a folder labeled “Amy” though. Inside were photos and videos of Amy from childhood to adulthood. James had carefully labeled the time and place for each photo. In the three years of our marriage, he was still meticulously recording Amy’s every smile. Suppressing the nausea in my heart, I closed the folder and continued searching desperately. My mouse accidentally clicked on a foreign social media platform I didn’t recognize. James’ account was still logged in. After scrolling through all his chat logs and records, I finally found a clue in a transfer record from three years ago. The recipient was a hacker. James hired him to delete the online backup of the surveillance footage from the night Amy set the fire. Tears fell drop by drop. I urgently typed: “Can you recover the online backup you deleted three years ago?” The hacker quickly replied: “Didn’t you say to destroy it completely? I didn’t keep any traces on my end either.” Seeing this, my heart was already numb with pain. I brushed off the hacker, cleared the chat history, and shut down the computer. I picked up my phone and dialed a number: “Hello, I’d like to book a fake death service for seven days from now.” I didn’t sleep all night. The next morning, James saw my swollen eyes and looked very concerned: “Lily, did you cry again in your dreams?” “I must have. Did I used to do this often?” James wrapped an ice pack in a towel and held it to my eyes: “Yes, you often had nightmares. We have a family dinner today. When we have time, I’ll take you to see the therapist again.” Hearing the words “family dinner”, I took down the ice pack and looked up at James. He explained gently but firmly: “Amy is getting married next week. As her family, we should help out in some way, don’t you think?” I smiled: “Of course we should.” James got the answer he wanted and stood up with the ice pack: “Then I’ll go to the office first and pick you up in the evening.” As soon as James left, I went to the cemetery where my daughter was buried. Carefully wiping the dust off the tombstone, I apologized to my daughter in a low voice: “Baby, I’m sorry you’ve been sleeping in this place arranged by the Potters for so long.” “Mommy has figured out a way to take you away.”

When I got home, James followed me in shortly after. Seeing the mud from the cemetery on the soles of my shoes, he looked puzzled: “Lily, where did you go?” I calmly took off my shoes and handed them to the housekeeper: “I went out for a walk. It was crowded and I accidentally stepped in some landscaping.” James didn’t think much of it and urged me to change shoes so we could go to the family dinner. By the time James and I arrived, all the Potters were already there. Amy bounced over, rudely shoving me aside with a disgusted pout: “James! You finally came back, why did you bring her?” My waist slammed hard into the shoe cabinet, making me break out in a cold sweat from the pain. Amy looked at my exposed wrist with revulsion: “Her skin looks like it has bugs crawling on it. If I were her, I’d rather scrape off my skin than come out and disgust people.” James’ eyes were full of indulgence: “You’re still so childish even at this age. Lily, don’t take offense.” Childish? What kind of child tries to kill a baby less than a month old? I suppressed my hatred and smiled: “It’s fine. Let’s go in quickly.” James was very pleased with my docile demeanor. As soon as we sat down, my mother-in-law started mocking me coldly: “Bad luck charm, making us wait for you to eat when we invited you home for dinner!” My mother-in-law had always been very dissatisfied that James gave up shares to get my divorce agreement. Not to mention that James had a falling out with the family to marry me and hadn’t come back to see her in three years. Amy’s eyes flashed with glee: “Mom, my sister-in-law is the apple of James’ eye. You shouldn’t talk like that or he’ll be upset.” My mother-in-law’s expression grew even more unpleasant. James glanced at me, still staring intently at Amy as he spoke: “What do you mean ‘apple of my eye’? Don’t say such nonsense.” Seeing how nervous and concerned he was about Amy, My eyes couldn’t help but sting. Such an obvious thing, yet it took me three years to realize. Fortunately, I woke up in time that day and didn’t let his plan succeed. Just seven more days. Then I can leave completely, taking my Daisy with me. After dinner, the Potters gathered to discuss next week’s wedding details. I sat alone to the side, typing with lowered eyes: “One more thing, before the plan starts, help me go to the cemetery.” “Don’t let anyone find out.” I got up midway to use the restroom and ran into Amy on my way out. Disgust flashed across her face, but she grabbed my arm as I was about to move aside. “Sister-in-law, come help me see how the nursery I prepared looks.” With that, she dragged me upstairs. The room that had once been burned black was now completely renovated. It was filled with warm baby items. Amy smiled maliciously and smugly: “Sister-in-law, what do you think of this nursery?” I froze in place. Desperately telling myself to endure. If James found out the hypnosis didn’t work, I would be in an even more dangerous situation than when I was imprisoned and monitored back then. But Amy wouldn’t let me go. She pulled up my sleeve. Lightly tracing my scars with a fruit knife she had grabbed, “I heard from James that after seeing the therapist, sister-in-law doesn’t really remember how she got burned.” “If you ask me, sister-in-law’s mental illness is really scary. Back then, you tried to commit suicide by setting fire to this room in the middle of the night. You almost burned our whole family to death.” I looked at Amy in disbelief. I tried to commit suicide? How dare she turn things around like this? Seeing the anger in my eyes, Amy viciously cut off a piece of skin from my arm: “What are you glaring at? I finally got you to divorce Zack, but then you turned around and married my brother with this disgusting skin.” “You think my brother likes you that much? He told me that every night he sleeps next to you, he feels like vomiting.” I trembled in pain: “You psycho! Murderer!” Amy laughed coldly and cruelly, raising the knife for another cut: “You’re right to curse me. I’ve wanted to have someone kill you for a long time, just like I killed that little bastard you gave birth to.”

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My best friend tricked me into appearing on a reality TV relationship counseling show. Her male friend pointed at me, crying and shouting that I was stringing him along despite not liking him, calling me a gold-digger. “I’m not from a wealthy family. I saved up every penny. I’ve been pursuing her for two years – two years! Every time I sent her money, she accepted it quickly. But it took her three days to reply to my messages!” The host’s words dripped with sarcasm: “You’re not getting any younger. If you don’t like him, just say so. Why string him along? This is how good men get worn down.” I looked to my best friend. She turned away, muttering: “Jiaojiao, this really isn’t right. Either be with him or return the money. You can’t have it both ways.” The audience was ready to pelt me with eggs. But when I revealed the truth, their expressions changed in an instant. I was an avid follower of the top-rated relationship advice show that aired every week. So when my best friend Sophia handed me a ticket, I was so excited I hugged her and planted two kisses on her cheek. Sophia gently pushed me away with an awkward smile. “Make sure you get there on time, okay? These tickets were really hard to get. And dress up nicely!” I held up four fingers in a solemn vow: “I promise I’ll be there on time!” On the day of filming, I put on my best makeup, practiced my expressions in the mirror dozens of times, and chose a light blue dress for the occasion. I arrived early at the entrance, where a staff member checked a list and said curtly: “Follow me.” She led me to a waiting room and told me: “Wait here. We’ll call you when it’s time.” I didn’t think much of it, assuming Sophia’s connections had gotten me VIP treatment. I contentedly poured myself a glass of water and settled in. A short while later, a staff member came to get me. As we walked, I grew confused: “Are you sure this is the right way? Isn’t there another entrance?” The staff member gave me a little push forward, muttering: “Stop playing innocent. You weren’t so innocent when you were scamming people out of money!” I was completely baffled. Bright lights suddenly shone on me as all eyes in the room turned my way. I instinctively wanted to turn back. The host’s voice boomed: “Please welcome our next guest, Chloe!” Through the glare of the lights, I finally noticed Sophia and Gregory sitting on the other side of the stage. I walked over to her, confused: “Sophia, what’s going on? Why are you here too?” Sophia avoided my gaze as the host barked: “Chloe, please sit on the opposite side.” In that moment, I realized I was today’s main guest on the show. The host quickly changed his demeanor, addressing the others in a coaxing tone: “Mr. Gregory, our show aims to resolve relationship conflicts fairly and justly. Please share your concerns – I’m sure everyone will give you a fair hearing.” Gregory lowered his eyes and heaved a deep sigh, the picture of an honest man wronged. His demeanor instantly elicited sympathy from the audience. Audience members called out encouragement: “Speak up, brother! How long are you going to let this woman string you along? Nice guys always get taken advantage of!” I narrowed my eyes at the man in the audience egging things on, then calmly studied Gregory. In all our previous meetings, he had dressed like a millionaire – suit, tie, leather shoes, slicked back hair, the works. Now he wore a cheap, wrinkled t-shirt. He pursed his lips, his eyes instantly reddening. “At this point, I just want the money I spent on her back. I’ve given up on love. Chloe, if you didn’t like me, why did you keep stringing me along?” His words caused an uproar in the audience. “Look how nicely she’s dressed! I saw that dress in a store last week – it costs over $300. I could never afford that.” “Gold digger, for sure. This guy probably isn’t her first victim. She must have scammed a lot of money by now.” “I can’t stand women like this!” I opened my mouth to explain, but the host cut me off: “It’s not your turn to speak yet. You’ll have a chance to respond later.” Gregory continued his tearful accusations, pointing at me: “I don’t come from a wealthy family. I saved up that money bit by bit. I pursued her for two years – two years! Every time I sent her money, she accepted it quickly. But it would take her three days to reply to my messages! “I’ve sent her money over 30 times!” The host’s eyes flashed coldly: “Ms. Chloe, is this true?” I shook my head: “He did send money many times, but-” The host impatiently cut me off again, his words dripping with sarcasm: “So Mr. Gregory’s account is accurate. You’re not so young anymore – if you weren’t interested, you should have said so directly. Why string him along? This is how good men get worn down and used up.” I looked to Sophia, but she turned away, muttering: “Chloe, this really isn’t right. Either be with him or return the money. You can’t have it both ways.” I could feel the hostility radiating from the audience – contempt, anger, like they wanted to pelt me with rotten eggs. I never imagined I’d find myself in a situation like this. Gregory, emboldened by the audience’s support, wiped away his tears and sat up straighter. He made an impassioned plea, his eyes full of sorrow: “Chloe, I still have feelings for you. Can you give me a chance? If you’re willing to be with me, I’ll forgive everything. What’s mine is yours – both my money and myself. I’ll give you control of all my future earnings too.”

I remained silent. He gave a bitter laugh: “I knew it. You look down on me. Those occasional replies were just to string me along for my money. But Chloe, I’m not being materialistic. For people from humble backgrounds like me, we can’t afford to make mistakes in love. I only want to spend my money on my future wife. “I didn’t want to make a scene like this, but I’m so hurt. If you had just kept talking to me these past two years, I would have considered the money spent on emotional fulfillment. Or if you had said directly that you weren’t interested, I would have gracefully backed off. But you said nothing, letting me make a fool of myself!” I felt a lump in my throat, hardly able to breathe. I had met Gregory at Sophia’s birthday party. He got my contact info through Sophia and immediately started messaging me with greetings and small talk. Good morning, good afternoon, good night – he never missed a beat. At first, I wasn’t sure of his intentions and didn’t want to assume, so I politely replied to his messages. After a week, he confessed: “Chloe, I fell for you the moment I saw you. I never believed in love at first sight before, but meeting you changed that. Will you give me a chance to spend our lives together?” When I saw that message, I carefully considered my response before replying without hesitation: “I’m flattered by your interest, but I’m sorry – we’re not compatible. I hope you find a better match.” That night, Sophia called me: “Chloe, did you reject Gregory?” I answered while watching TV: “Yeah, I don’t like the guy. No point in stringing him along, right? That wouldn’t be fair.” Sophia sighed: “Chloe, how do you know you’re not compatible if you haven’t gotten to know him? Even if you want to reject him, you shouldn’t be so blunt. He’s been hurt before and struggles with depression. He’s drunk right now and threatening suicide, saying he’s worthless and no one will ever love him.” I was shocked that my rejection could drive someone to suicide. “What should I do?” I asked anxiously. She advised me: “You could reject him more gently. Reply to his messages occasionally, but be a bit cold. After a while, he’ll get the hint and give up on his own.” After thinking it over, I agreed to her suggestion. My main concern was Gregory doing something drastic. From then on, Gregory often messaged me about his life. I would occasionally reply with short messages or emojis. Later, he started sending me money and red envelopes. I ignored them and never accepted the transfers. The audience was outraged on Gregory’s behalf. “My god, this guy is such a doormat! Have some self-respect, man! This woman will bleed you and your whole family dry if you marry her!” “The world is so unfair. Good men always get jerked around by awful women. I’m single too – maybe I should give you a chance?” “If you like someone or not, just say it directly! Rip the bandaid off. I had a crush on a guy before, so I totally get how this feels.” “If she said it directly, how would she keep scamming money? Use your brain…” I picked up the microphone to defend myself, only to find it had been muted. I shook my head vigorously in frustration. The host calmly said: “Ms. Chloe, please control your emotions. There’s no need to get so agitated.” Gregory’s lips trembled as he fought to control his emotions. He continued: “Do you know what it’s like to come home exhausted from work, only to wait desperately for a message from the girl you like? “I know girls love bubble tea, so I’d scrimp and save to buy her drinks and send her money for gifts. But from morning till night, I’d wait and wait with no response. If my phone buzzed at midnight, I’d jump up hoping it was her message.” Then Gregory dropped another bombshell. “Actually…we were at the point of getting to know each other seriously, almost ready to discuss marriage. But after she visited my home once, she became even colder towards me. I guess she looked down on how poor my family is.”

Across from me, Sophia comforted Gregory in a low voice. She seemed to have forgotten our years of friendship, launching into criticism without hesitation. “Even though I’ve known Chloe longer, the depth of a relationship isn’t measured by time. I can confirm what Gregory is saying is true. I was there when Chloe visited his home. “When Gregory found out Chloe was coming over, he messaged me the night before saying he was too excited to sleep. He asked me about all of Chloe’s preferences. His mom went to the market early in the morning, not wanting Chloe to feel unwelcome.” She concluded: “Chloe, I don’t even recognize you anymore. Gregory has done so much for you. You’re both my friends – do you know how awkward this puts me in the middle?” I blinked in confusion, wondering when they had taken acting classes behind my back. They were masters at twisting the truth. The events were true, but coming from their mouths, the story was unrecognizable. I shouted: “They’re lying! I never accepted any of his money!” The audience nearly drowned me out with their angry shouts. They looked down on me from their high horses. “Look how defensive she’s getting, raising her voice to intimidate us. Classic guilty behavior.” “Gregory’s story is logical and backed up with evidence. We saw the transfer records – he sent money 25 times in one month.” A child’s voice piped up: “But this lady doesn’t seem like someone who would lie…” An audience member retorted: “Little girl, you’re too young to understand. You can’t judge a book by its cover. The ones who look the most innocent often have the deepest schemes!” The host didn’t bother hiding his disdain: “Since Ms. Chloe claims she’s been wronged, let’s turn to our on-site reporter.” The camera cut to a seven-story apartment building. “Hello everyone, I’m the on-site reporter for the show. I’m now at the entrance of Mr. Gregory’s home. We’ll be interviewing his mother next.” After a few knocks, a woman with graying hair and a wrinkled face opened the door. As she poured tea, the reporter’s camera panned around the room. I would recognize this place anywhere – it was Gregory’s home! The reporter accepted the tea politely and asked: “Ma’am, did you know your son is participating in our relationship advice show today?” The woman nodded: “Yes, he told me before going. It was a difficult decision for him. As you can see, we live in a small apartment and still have a mortgage to pay. We need to save up for his future wife’s dowry too. It’s so hard for ordinary people to save money these days. He really had no choice.” The reporter got straight to the point: “Ma’am, did Chloe ever visit your home? How did you treat her?” The woman’s face fell as she shakily stood up, pointing at a calendar: “Yes, I even marked the date. It was the first time my son brought a girl home – how could I not take it seriously?” On the desk was a Crayon Shin-chan calendar with March 12th circled in red. My heart sank. That circle definitely wasn’t there when I visited… They were putting on quite a show. Gregory’s mother perfectly embodied the image of a self-sacrificing, devoted parent. “I went to the market at 5 AM to buy ingredients for soup, crab, oysters, shrimp, fish, snails – you name it. To be honest, we don’t eat this well even during Chinese New Year. “My son was hurt badly in a previous relationship. It took him a long time to move on. If Chloe was serious about dating my son, we wouldn’t mind the money spent. We’re not stingy people. I may be old, but I’m not old-fashioned. It’s normal for men to spend money on their girlfriends. “But they weren’t even officially together! She didn’t reject him but didn’t accept him either. What kind of behavior is that?” Across from me, Gregory fell to his knees, his voice filled with anguish: “Mom, I’m sorry for being so foolish. I’m a grown man but still causing you worry.” The audience was moved to tears by this scene. Even the host discreetly wiped his eyes. “A parent’s love knows no bounds. No matter how old we get, we’re always our parents’ babies. Let’s continue watching.” The next segment showed the reporter interviewing neighbors downstairs. The older residents gossiped amongst themselves. “Gregory? He’s a good kid. Whenever anyone in the building needs something fixed, he’s always there to help.” “You’re right, it’s rare to find such an honest young man these days. He doesn’t gamble or chase women. I wanted to introduce my niece to him, but he wasn’t interested.” “He’s very hardworking too. Sometimes I see him coming home late from overtime. He really earns every penny.” I stood on stage, utterly bewildered. When I had visited Gregory’s home, I overheard neighbors complaining about his family being stingy and inconsiderate… How had public opinion shifted so drastically? A water bottle suddenly smashed against my head. The pain snapped me back to reality. An audience member shouted: “I knew you were a bad woman from the start. Gold diggers like you should die!” Everyone else remained silent. I could read schadenfreude written all over their faces. After the audience member finished venting, the host waved security over to escort him out. “Just a small interruption, folks. Let’s all stay calm and continue following the reporter’s investigation. We’ll let the facts speak for themselves.”

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On my son Lucas Williams’ seventh birthday, my husband, Asher Williams, stood us up again because of his adopted sister, Sofia Robinson. I tried to hold him back. “Just wait a bit. Lucas has been looking forward to your birthday present for a long time. You’ve never accompanied Lucas on his birthday. Please stay here this time.” Upon hearing this, Asher immediately turned stern. “Lillian Scott, can’t you stop being so unreasonable? “It’s not easy for Sofia to raise a child on her own. If I don’t go and take care of her, who will? What’s more, what does it matter if we celebrate the birthday or not? Just tell him to go to bed early.” He left me and Lucas behind once again for Sofia, and this time, my heart went completely cold. Once again, right in front of me and Lucas Williams, Asher Williams picked up his coat and walked out the door without looking back. I had lost count of how many times he had deserted our family for Sofia Robinson. “Don’t worry. I’ll come back as soon as I deal with things on Sofia’s end. I’ll try my best to be back in time to cut the cake with Lucas,” he said. I knew that once he left, he might be gone all night and might not even come back for several days. Lucas tugged at the hem of his coat and asked softly, “Daddy, will you come back later?” Without turning his head, Asher replied, “Of course. Even if I can’t make it back today, I’ll take you to the amusement park.” But for Lucas’ birthdays in the past six years, he had been absent every single time. I had married Asher right after graduating from college. Back then, he was gentle and charming, and he took meticulous care of me. Although our marriage was a business arrangement, we had dated for two years before our marriage. After getting married, we had a plain but happy life for a while, and I found out I was pregnant the following year. I could still remember how excited Asher was when he first learned he was going to be a father. His eyes were red with joy as he held me and promised to treat me well for the rest of his life. But ever since Sofia came back, Asher had changed. He became busier and busier, came home later and later, and showed less and less concern for me. Even on the day I gave birth, he left me because of a phone call from Sofia and didn’t show up again until Lucas and I were discharged from the hospital. In the eight years of our marriage, I had to juggle work, take care of the child, and manage everything at home. But Asher never seemed to notice how hard I was working and was completely devoted to his adopted sister. Now, the house was quiet again, and he missed even our child’s once-a-year birthday. Looking at Lucas, who was disappointed and trying hard to hold back his tears, I picked up my phone and dialed Asher’s number, my hands shaking. It was my last attempt to save this marriage. “Asher, can you come back now? Today is Lucas’ seventh birthday. He has been looking forward to your birthday present for a long time. “You’ve never celebrated Lucas’ birthday with him. Please come back and spend some time with him this time,” I pleaded. On the other end of the phone, Asher’s impatient voice sounded. Through the receiver, I could also hear the laughter of Sofia and her son, Carter Robinson. Asher shouted, “Lillian, I’ve told you many times. It’s not easy for Sofia to raise a child on her own. Lucas is young and doesn’t understand me. Don’t you understand me either? “What does it matter if we celebrate this stupid birthday or not? Just tell him to go to bed early and don’t call me again.” With that, Asher hung up the phone directly. My heart sank to the bottom. It wasn’t the first time that Asher had abandoned me and Lucas for Sofia. I had already gotten used to Asher’s absence from our home. I pulled myself together, coaxed Lucas to cut the cake, and accidentally saw Sofia’s Instagram. In the photo, Sofia was holding Carter, and Asher was standing behind them. The three of them were smiling happily. In Carter’s hand was the limited-edition model that Lucas had been longing for and that Asher had promised to give him a long time ago. Just yesterday, Lucas had secretly told me that Asher had promised him a surprise for his birthday. But now, that surprise was on someone else’s Instagram. When Lucas saw this Instagram post, the tears that he had just held back started flowing. He cried, “Mommy, does Daddy not like me? Why is he always not at home? Why did he give my birthday present to someone else?” Looking at Lucas’ red eyes from crying, I said in a hoarse voice, “Lucas, let’s forget about Daddy, okay?” Lucas nodded and threw himself into my arms. “Daddy always breaks his promises and makes Mommy unhappy. I don’t want such a daddy.” I hugged him and told the nanny, Emma Thomas, to help us pack our things. It was time for me and Asher to end this.

In the eight years of our marriage, I had been taking good care of the family wholeheartedly. At home, I prepared three meals a day for Asher, who was very picky about food, and helped him match the clothes for various occasions. At work, I was personally in charge of the cooperation projects with the Williams Group and tried my best to maintain the relationship between our two families. After Lucas was born, I learned carefully how to take care of a kid and spared time from my busy work to accompany him. But Asher was always absent when I and the child needed him. He always said that I should be understanding of Sofia, the single mother, but he never realized that over the years, I was more like a single mother than Sofia. After all, having a husband like him was no different from having none at all. In recent years, even Lucas didn’t ask me as often as before why his daddy wasn’t coming home. I knew that the decision to get a divorce this time was triggered by Sofia’s Instagram post, but what disappointed me most was Asher’s actions. I carried Lucas and the packed luggage, took a look back at the house where I had lived for eight years, and then resolutely turned around and closed the door. This time, we wouldn’t be waiting foolishly for Asher to come back anymore. The next day, I learned from Emma that Asher didn’t come back all night. So, I asked my assistant, Freya Taylor, to send the drafted divorce agreement to the Williams Group and have Asher sign it. I moved back to the villa where I had lived before marriage with Lucas. Without having to cook for Asher, I didn’t need to get up early. I just waited for the family chef to prepare breakfast. After having breakfast and sending Lucas to school, I went straight to my company. My company had recently won an important project, which was a great opportunity for me to shift my attention. Just as I was looking through the project materials and listening to the report from the project manager, Adam Bell, Asher stormed into my office with a gloomy face. He looked annoyed and was holding the divorce agreement that I had sent him in his hand. Asher shouted, “Lillian, just because I didn’t accompany Lucas on his birthday, you want to divorce me? “You’re using divorce to threaten me just because you can’t stand Sofia, right? I don’t understand. You’re also a woman. Why do you have to make things difficult for a single mother like her?” Adam left tactfully. I gave Asher a cold glance. I questioned, “Are you saying that me asking my husband to come back and accompany our child on his birthday is making things difficult for Sofia? “Over the past few years, everyone in our circle knows that you and Sofia seem more like a real couple than I am with you. Whether it’s for business or personal reasons, you’ve been embarrassing me and the Scott family. Why should I waste any more time on you?” Asher was taken aback for a moment. I didn’t know which words hit the mark, but a flash of guilt crossed his face. He said in a rare soft tone, “Lillian, what do you mean by a real couple? Sofia is just my sister. You’re always having wild thoughts. “Sofia called me last night because her son had a fever. As an uncle, I had to go and check on him. “It’s already so hard for her to raise a child as a single mother. If I don’t take care of her, what can she do?” Asher looked exhausted, and there was some stubble on his chin. He looked like he had taken care of his sick nephew all night. If I hadn’t seen Sofia’s Instagram post last night, I might have believed his lies. I sneered, “Asher, do you want me to make it even clearer? “Sofia is twenty-eight, not eight. If she’s sick, she can call a doctor. If her son has a fever, she can take him to the hospital. “Even if she needs help from family members, why does she always come to you instead of your parents?” After hearing this, Asher didn’t get angry. Instead, he smiled, “Come on! I know you’re angry because I didn’t accompany you and Lucas on his birthday last night. I promise I won’t do it again in the future. “Our wedding anniversary is next month. After I’m done with this busy period, I’ll make it up to you and Lucas.” I tapped the table impatiently and interrupted Asher, “You don’t need to talk so much. Just sign the papers, and then no one will care who you take care of in the future.” Then, I called Adam, who was waiting outside, back in. “Your idea is good. Just go with this direction and prepare a plan.” Being ignored by me, Asher was furious and tore up the divorce agreement. “Lillian, I won’t agree to the divorce. Take a few days to calm down. I’ll pick you and Lucas up when you’ve cooled off.” After saying that, he turned around and left. Looking at the shredded paper on the floor, I rubbed my forehead and called Freya, ordering, “Hire a few more private detectives and keep a close eye on Sofia and Asher.”

Asher’s concern for Sofia had long gone beyond what a brother should feel for his sister, and the way he doted on Sofia’s son was just plain creepy. If he didn’t like Sofia, why would he care more about Sofia and another man’s son than his son? I’d had my suspicions before. But with Lucas being so young, I didn’t dare to take that risk. I was afraid that because of my decision, Lucas would face a broken family before getting much fatherly love. But seeing Lucas disappointed time and time again when Asher stood him up, I knew I’d been dead wrong. Letting Lucas keep hoping for something from such an absent father was the real harm to him. With that thought, I clicked on the video the private detective had just sent. It had been taken in my company’s underground parking lot. Asher was leaning against his car, lighting a cigarette. Then, his phone rang. As soon as I heard that ringtone, I knew it was Sofia. He’d set a special ringtone for her so that he would never miss her calls. Asher said, “Sofia, don’t worry. Lillian won’t stay mad at me for long. Don’t feel bad. “Lucas is fine, too. I’ll buy him a gift later to make it up to him. Okay, I’m coming back right away.” At this moment, the pain of my nails digging into my palms couldn’t stop my anger. Who did Asher think he was? Did he believe he could make this divorce thing disappear by buying us some random gifts after ignoring me and Lucas for a few days? I told the private detective to speed up the investigation on Sofia, especially to dig into her life before she came back to the country. After sorting that out, I called my parents, Finley Scott and Matilda Scott, and told them I wanted a divorce from Asher. Matilda sighed, “Lillian, you finally see things clearly. What’s the Williams family’s stance on the divorce?” “Asher won’t agree. I’ve already sent people to look into him and Sofia.” I replied, “I’m planning to send Lucas to stay with you guys for a while. I might not be able to take care of him recently.” Matilda agreed right away, “Since you’ve made up your mind, go for it. No matter what you decide, we’ve got your back.” Hanging up, I felt a bit better. I knew that no matter what choice I made, Finley and Matilda would always support me. After sending Lucas away, I threw myself into sorting out the divorce settlement and the new project. One day, right after work, I got a call from Asher’s mother, Arabella Williams. She asked, “Lillian, why’d you move all your stuff out? I came to see Lucas, but he’s not here. Are you throwing a tantrum? “Did you and Asher fight? Can’t you two talk things out like adults? Why do you always have to threaten separation?” I didn’t feel like explaining but just said flatly, “Asher and I are getting a divorce. And whether I’m just throwing a tantrum or not, you, the Williams family, know well.” Free Point Arabella’s voice immediately turned shrill. “Divorce? How could you even think of it? Do you know how much the Williams family would lose if you go through with this?” Realizing her words were too harsh, she softened her tone. “What I mean is, our two families have been working together for years. A sudden divorce would tank our business. “I know Asher is busy at work and can not take care of you. But he’s just trying to give you and Lucas a better life. As his wife, you know how hard he is, right? “Have you ever thought about Lucas? He’s just a kid. What’ll happen to him if you two split?”

Arabella pretended to be reasonable, but every word was an accusation to me. I knew that in her eyes, I wasn’t even as good as her adopted daughter, Sofia. But over the years, the Williams Group had been going downhill. Without the support of the Scott family, it would’ve gone bankrupt ages ago. Asher’s parents knew perfectly well that Asher and Sofia were in the wrong, but they thought they had me cornered because of Lucas. As long as they had him, they thought they could keep milking the Scott family for benefits and taking advantage of us. So, even when I said I wanted a divorce, Arabella was so sure that just mentioning Lucas would make me back down. Arabella kept saying on the phone, “Alright, Lillian, I know you’re mad. I’ll scold Asher and make him take you and Lucas on a vacation.” Then, Asher’s father, Alfred Williams, took the phone and said in a solemn tone, “Lillian, you’re sensible, and the Williams family owes a lot to you. “But you should cut Asher some slack. You know he only likes you. He just looks after Sofia a bit more, but she’s his sister. “For my sake, drop this talk of divorce. You and Asher are married. What grudges can’t be settled overnight?” I knew their real goal was to protect the Williams family’s interests, which was why they were hitting me with such words. I said coldly, “I’ve made up my mind about the divorce. The Scott family and the Williams family won’t have any ties from now on. “Thanks to your son’s actions, Lucas and I are already used to life in a single-parent family. He might as well have been dead these past few years.” As soon as I finished speaking, both of them on the other end were stunned, not expecting me to be so firm and decisive. They’d always thought I’d keep swallowing my anger for Lucas’ sake and let them push me around. But this time, I’d prove them wrong. “Lillian, what do you mean? Asher treats you so well. How could you curse him? “He just looks after his sister a bit more. How dare you want a divorce? You’re being incredibly selfish!” shouted Arabella. She didn’t even bother to hide her true feelings anymore and lashed out at me. It was ridiculous how, even though Sofia and Asher had gone too far, I was always the one getting blamed in the end. It wasn’t the first time in the past few years that Asher and his parents had sided with Sofia and accused me, the only outsider, of being too petty to accept Sofia. Sofia had shown up when I was thirty-two weeks pregnant with Lucas. That was the first I’d heard of Asher having an adopted sister who’d married and moved abroad.

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All my friends say Nolan loves me as if his life depended on it. And it’s true. He once took a knife for me. He chose to marry me even after learning I couldn’t have children, despite his family’s disapproval. I thought he would love me forever. Until just now, when I saw him at the hospital, gently carrying a woman into the maternity ward. “Be careful, this is our first child.” 0 I pulled out my phone and called him, my voice trembling. He answered quickly. “Nolan, where are you?” His voice was as gentle as ever. “Lydia, I’m at the office in a meeting, very busy. I’ll call you back later.” The call ended, and Nolan spent a long time soothing the upset woman he was with. I hid nearby, watching them. I was flooded with memories of the day Nolan found out I couldn’t have children. He cried until his eyes were red and knelt before me. “Lydia, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.” Yes, he should be sorry. Back then, I was pregnant, but he was so busy with work that he forgot to check in with me. A snowstorm blanketed the city, and worried about him, I went out to find him. I was hit by a car that ran a red light. I lost the baby. The doctor said I could never be pregnant again. Nolan said, “Lydia, I love you, and that includes the love I had for the child.” “It doesn’t matter if we don’t have kids. I just want you.” Young love is intense. So intense that it made me forget my pain. But young love is also fleeting. In just five years, he had a child. With another woman. 0

I sat in silence all night. At dawn, I heard the door. Nolan was the same as always. The first thing he did was hug me. “Why are you up so early?” “Sorry, I was so busy yesterday that I couldn’t come home.” “When this project ends, I’ll spend more time with you.” I felt the warmth from his body and suddenly hugged him tight. But I smelled another woman’s perfume. I felt sick. I leaned over the bed and retched. His expression changed. He quickly patted my back. “Lydia, what’s wrong?” “Are you feeling unwell? Let me take you to the hospital.” I shook my head. “I ate something bad last night.” I closed my eyes. My mind was in chaos. Should I confront him? Could I let go? This relationship of nearly ten years. It’s become part of me. I suddenly opened my eyes and stared at Nolan. “Nolan, if you ever get tired of me, please tell me.” “I’ll let you go.” “You know, I only hate lies.” I tried to find any proof on his face. But Nolan is an excellent actor. He quickly held my hand, placing it over his heart. “Lydia, don’t overthink. It’s my fault for being too busy and neglecting you, but my love for you won’t change.” “Really? Do you still love me?” He answered without hesitation: “Of course.” “Only me?” He hesitated for just a moment. But I already knew the answer. “You probably haven’t eaten. I’ll make you something.” He smiled and put the breakfast he bought in front of me. It was still my favorite. Dumplings from the Westside shop, and my favorite red date soy milk. It was the affordable breakfast we had when we lived in a small twenty-square-meter rental. I was dazed. I began to wonder why a heart could be divided into so many pieces. Why could Nolan be as gentle and considerate as before, yet give that same gentleness to someone else? Nolan only relaxed and slept beside me after I finished breakfast. Soon, his breathing was even and calm. He was obviously exhausted. I started looking through his phone. The password was still my birthday, unchanged. SnapChat was the same, nothing there. Everything I saw at the hospital last night seemed like a dream. But I knew it was just a façade. I started searching his car. Finally, I found another phone in a hidden compartment. I tried the password many times without success. I had to use Nolan’s fingerprint to unlock it. The content inside pierced my heart. It was full of their photos together. He saved her contact as “Sweetheart.” The only contact on SnapChat was her. Going back to the beginning, the chat history started three years ago. An intern asking a senior for advice. Six months later, she confessed to him. Nolan rejected her without hesitation. “I’m married, and I love my wife very much.” “Don’t say things that could be misunderstood.” But he didn’t delete her from SnapChat. He let her slowly infiltrate. “It’s snowing today, guess who I thought of.” “I’m on a business trip, and I encountered a creepy guy. I was so scared, but I really miss you.” “Today’s my birthday, I’m so lonely. Can you talk to me, please?” “Is it wrong to love someone? I was just a few years late. But I love you too.” Finally, on her birthday the following year. “If you still hate me, just delete me. I’m tired of sending messages into the void. I want to let you go and myself too.” Nolan initiated a message: “Happy Birthday.” Reading this, I vomited up the breakfast I had just eaten. I stood up, looking in the bathroom mirror at the pale, disheveled woman with dark circles under her eyes. So old and ugly. No wonder Nolan fell for someone else. 0

I thought about the past. Nolan was an orphan. When he was a baby, he was almost frozen to death by a garbage dump. Luckily, a kind old man collecting trash found him, saving his life. Unfortunately, the old man passed away when Nolan was in elementary school. So, Nolan was often bullied in the alley. It was my mom and I who provided him shelter. Mom always said he was a poor child, with no parents, and that I should treat him well. Back then, Nolan was not as mild-mannered as he is now. He was fierce to everyone. His eyes were like a cub eyeing a hunter. The first time I approached him, he pushed me down, scraping my elbow. “Go away, I hate all of you.” I heard the last person who tried to befriend him spread the word at school that he was an orphan. So, he despised the word “friend.” It took me a long time to barely become his friend. To let him come to my house for meals without hesitation. To let him walk proudly by my side. To let the light return to the boy’s eyes. Rumors spread in the alley, saying that Nolan the orphan liked me. They also said I, a fatherless child, was well-matched with him, who had no parents. When Nolan found out, he beat the culprit to a pulp. I had to stop him. His fists were bloody. But his eyes were clear when he looked at me. “They can insult me, but not you.” That’s how Nolan was, openly good to me. After the exams in ninth grade, Nolan asked where I was going for high school. The boy blushed. By then, he was already over six feet tall, towering over me. I looked up at him but was blinded by the sun. “Not telling you.” He panicked, “Are you leaving me?” He sounded like a wronged wife. I chuckled. “Do you like me, Nolan?” He lowered his head. His tears were like a mist after spring rain, barely there, tugging at my heart. “Sorry, I know I’m not worthy of liking you.” I laughed and took his hand. It was the first time I held Nolan’s hand. It wasn’t smooth or fair, but solid and warm. “Nolan, if you like someone, you like them. There’s no ‘worthy’ or ‘unworthy.’” Nolan wasn’t good at academics. He went to a much worse high school than I did. But he still worked hard to move to the provincial capital with me. We promised to go to the same university. On his eighteenth birthday, I told him, “Nolan, if we go to the same university, I’ll be your girlfriend.” Nolan’s eyes were full of me. “Really, Lydia?” “Really.” Later, before my college entrance exams, someone stalked me and almost attacked me. Nolan found out. He went crazy and beat the guy until he ended up in the hospital. Even though he got timely treatment, he was left disabled. His family was rich. When he woke up, he vowed to ruin Nolan and me. Nolan and I were cornered in an alley. Nolan somehow found the strength to hold them off and told me to run. “Run and don’t look back.” I ran out and the first thing I did was call the police. But when I got back with them, Nolan was already lying in a pool of blood. He almost died.

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Zoe and Jack were once the most talked-about couple in our elite social circles. But at my birthday party, he was drawn to another girl. He said she was exactly his type, and even found her little schemes endearing. He broke off our engagement for her. When the media asked about me, his ex-girlfriend, Jack coolly replied: “Zoe is a nice girl, but I want to live for myself for once.” But later, he regretted marrying her. Everyone in our circle said Jack and I were the perfect match. We came from similar backgrounds and looked good together. More importantly, we weren’t bound by family interests. We got together at 16, each other’s first love. Our friends all said Jack and I were so lucky. In high society, true love is the most precious thing, and we had found it at just 16. But when I was ready to marry Jack, another girl appeared. At my birthday party, my childhood friend Olivia brought along a strikingly beautiful girl. “This is my friend Chloe. Her family is in the copper mining business,” Olivia said. I quickly ran through the names in my head. Growing up in these circles, you hear about all the major business families. But I’d never heard of a copper mining family with that surname. … I was a bit annoyed that Olivia had brought an outsider without warning me. To put it bluntly, our circle is exclusive. But at the root of it, we’ve seen too many people with ulterior motives, so we try to avoid trouble. This Chloe was trouble. She wore a bright red dress, flitting around the room like a butterfly. Even more flashy than me, the birthday girl. In one evening, she managed to add almost every guest on SnapChat. When the singer on stage finished a song, Chloe boldly went up, saying she wanted to sing a birthday song for me. I found it bizarre. I didn’t even know her, but she spoke as if we were close friends. She sang well. Her voice was sultry and alluring, her body swaying to the music, showing off her slender waist. My best friend Lucy complained: “Zoe, where did you find this kind of friend?” “She’s not celebrating your birthday, she’s clearly fishing for a rich husband.” I shrugged: “I don’t know her. Olivia brought her.” Lucy scoffed: “You didn’t hear how familiar she acted with you. Anyone would think you two were best friends!” She unlocked her phone and deleted the new SnapChat contact.

I didn’t think much of Chloe. I’d seen too many people trying to use our connections for their own gain. In the future, we’d just have to be stricter about guest lists. There probably wouldn’t be another chance to meet. But I didn’t expect her to actively provoke me. After finishing her song, she came over with her phone, asking to add Jack on SnapChat. Jack smiled noncommittally: “If I add you, my girlfriend won’t be happy.” But Chloe pouted coyly: “You’re kidding, Zoe isn’t that petty.” She turned to me: “Right, Zoe?” I coldly replied: “First, I don’t know you, so don’t act so familiar.” “Second, I didn’t invite you to my birthday, so please leave.” I called security to escort her out of the hall. Jack put his arm around me and chuckled: “I didn’t know my Zoe was so possessive.” It wasn’t really that. I just hated people trying to use my status and connections to climb the social ladder, while treating me like an idiot.

Chloe hadn’t been gone long when Jack’s assistant came and called him out. I thought it was work-related, so I didn’t ask. But he was gone for a long time. When I asked the staff, I found out Jack’s car had been hit – his new Bugatti. The car that hit him was a red Porsche, driven by Chloe. I went outside wearing a coat and saw the girl in her thin dress apologizing profusely to Jack. She was crying, insisting she had to help Jack fix the car no matter what. Jack looked displeased but didn’t give her a hard time, telling her not to worry about it. Chloe bit her lip: “Jack, I know you’re a good person.” “But I caused such big trouble, I can’t let it go without making amends.” “Can I… can I treat you to a meal as an apology? Give me a chance to make it up to you, please?” She took out her phone, wanting to add Jack’s contact. To my surprise, Jack agreed. I walked over to them: “Chloe, you were driving drunk, you should face the consequences.” “Lin, please call the police for me.” Lin was Jack’s assistant. He nodded, looking to Jack for approval. But Jack stopped me: “Let it go, it’s not a big deal.” He said to Chloe: “Call a driver to take you home.” I got angry: “How is it not a big deal? Her red car was parked several rows away from your Bugatti.” “If she wasn’t completely drunk, how could she possibly hit you from so far away?” “She was driving drunk, I’m calling the police. What’s wrong with that?” Seeing Lin not moving, I took out my phone to call myself. Jack was getting impatient: “Do you have to be so aggressive?”

I’ve always been straightforward, and Jack usually indulged me. But this time, he gave me the cold shoulder over a girl he’d just met. Chloe was taken away by the police, looking frail in her thin dress. Jack seemed very disappointed in me and asked: “Was that really necessary?” “Yes.” “Girls who are so domineering aren’t likeable.” I was stunned for a moment, then looked at him seriously: “Jack, I, Zoe, don’t live my life to please anyone.” We parted on bad terms that day. We didn’t contact each other for the next few days. When Lucy met me for lunch, she advised: “I know you’re a spoiled rich girl, but this time you should give Jack a way out!” “He’s under so much pressure at work lately, it’s normal for him to be irritable.” I thought about it and realized she was right. He had just taken over the family business and was struggling. The uncles and senior executives weren’t cooperating, causing him all sorts of headaches. I was about to send him a conciliatory message when I saw a waiter leading a man and woman to the window-side table with the best view. No wonder I couldn’t book that table for lunch today. Chloe’s apology dinner – Jack had kept the appointment after all. I deleted the reconciliation message I’d typed out. Instead, I sent: “Let’s break up.” Send.

Jack put down his phone and looked around as if sensing something, meeting my gaze. I put on my coat and turned to leave, but he caught up with me: “Zoe, don’t be like this.” Chloe chased after us too: “Zoe, don’t misunderstand, we were just…” I snapped at her: “This doesn’t concern you. Stay out of it.” “Jack, I’m not playing around. I really don’t want you anymore.” His expression was very serious. “Zoe, don’t regret this.” … After so many years together, I thought ending it would be harder. But it wasn’t. My parents had always told me I didn’t need to marry for family interests. They hoped I would date and marry someone I truly liked. I used to like Jack. But today in the restaurant, I suddenly realized I didn’t like him that much anymore. Not enough to fight another woman over him.

After that, my family’s company expanded into the French market, and I was abroad for a few months. Jack called me several times, but I didn’t answer. He sent me a message: “I’m going to be with Chloe now. Do you mind?” Looking at my phone, I felt more certain that ending things decisively was the right choice. Better to break up early and be free, than to be disgusted for months. I replied: “Do whatever you want.” But he seemed unwilling to let it go: “Zoe, you really don’t care about me at all, do you?” … A few days later, Jack brought Chloe as his official girlfriend to a social gathering. Lucy was puzzled: “Is Jack an idiot? Can’t he see she’s just a gold-digger?” I said: “Maybe he doesn’t mind. Who knows.” Logically, he should mind. People who approach you for personal gain will eventually harm you for personal gain. But it wasn’t my business anymore. Knowing I had no lingering feelings for Jack, Lucy sent me screenshots of Chloe’s Twitter to gossip about. Scuba diving, baking, afternoon tea, skiing. She perfectly fulfilled netizens’ fantasies of a rich girl’s life. But girls in our circle could tell at a glance – she was just a knockoff socialite. Girls who grew up in luxury don’t post 8 selfies for a $100 afternoon tea. It’s just an ordinary day, nothing worth showing off. But she was genuinely beautiful, with a great figure. Netizens called her a “goddess”. Her influencer friend casually revealed: [The goddess is taken now, her boyfriend is the heir to the J Group.] That’s when netizens realized: [Isn’t the J heir Jack?] [What? He and Zoe broke up???] News spreads fast online. That evening, both my parents and Jack’s parents learned about our breakup from trending topics on Twitter. I was urgently called back to the States.

My family and Jack’s family were old friends. A breakup wasn’t a big deal, but we were already engaged. If Jack had been more sensible, he should have at least informed both sets of parents first, let the families jointly announce the end of the engagement, before going public with his new girlfriend. The way things happened made it look like I’d been abandoned, which made my family lose face. Jack’s father was furious: “Don’t you have any sense? Throwing away basic courtesy for some random woman!” “Apologize to Zoe right now!” “That Chloe girl will never be accepted by our family!” Jack’s mother even slapped him twice to appease me. My parents were extremely angry at first, but seeing Jack’s parents had made their stance clear, and that I didn’t seem heartbroken, they decided not to pursue the matter. After a chaotic afternoon, Jack and I left my family’s house one after another. Chloe was waiting for him outside. Seeing the slap marks on Jack’s face, she suddenly went crazy and slapped me hard. I was stunned for a moment. I, Zoe, had never been hit by anyone in my life. After a few seconds, I finally reacted and was about to strike back. But Jack shielded Chloe behind him. She even shouted: “You can look down on me, but you can’t hurt Jack!” I was shaking with anger: “Jack, get out of the way. I’ll slap her once, and we’ll call it even.” But Jack said: “What’s the point of an eye for an eye? It’s just a misunderstanding, can’t she just apologize?” “If you want to hit someone, you can slap me!” I laughed bitterly: “What? Tired of being useless, now you want to play the hero?” I raised my knee and hit him hard between the legs. With a cry of pain, Jack crumpled to the ground. “A slap isn’t enough. This is more satisfying.”

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I successfully wrapped up a five-year research project, and my girlfriend, who comes from a wealthy family, and I finally decided to get engaged. While sampling dishes at the hotel, I happened to run into my ex-girlfriend Esme and a group of old classmates who were also celebrating an engagement party. So much has changed over the years. I had long since let go of any past grievances and was ready to offer Esme my congratulations and catch up with old friends. Esme, on the arm of her affluent fiancé Declan, pointed at my simple clothes with a finger adorned by a five-carat diamond ring, and with a smug look, mocked me as someone who could only afford verbal blessings. Laughter erupted from the wealthy guests and old classmates as Esme tossed her hair with exaggerated confidence. Fingering the black card in my pocket, I thought she might be in for a surprise. 0 “Declan, this is Caspian, our class president from high school. Look at his thrift store outfit; I wonder how he’s been managing all these years. Let’s just take his blessings as a token of goodwill.” Esme, dressed in an extravagant haute couture gown, wore a smile full of undisguised contempt, casually displaying the five-carat diamond ring on her finger while holding her fiancé’s hand. A few mocking laughs echoed around, and disdainful glances swept over me, making me frown with discomfort. These past years, I’ve been dedicated to my project, working tirelessly day and night, often re-wearing the same clothes for convenience, my mind focused solely on work, leaving little room for fashion. I came straight from the research institute today and didn’t have time to change. Despite their education, these people still judge by appearances. I suppressed my annoyance. After all, we’ve been classmates for many years; I didn’t want to argue with them. And since it’s an engagement, a joyful occasion, I should show some courtesy. I touched the black card in my pocket, feeling it might be impolite to just use it, and they might not even have a card machine. Scanning the crowd, I saw my good high school buddy Jude winking at me. “Jude, I didn’t bring my phone today. Could you lend me some money?” As soon as I finished speaking, laughter erupted. “Hahaha, really, Caspian? You’re actually asking for money?” “Look at him, so pathetic. Can he even pay it back?” “If you can’t offer anything, just say so. Don’t give me the ‘I didn’t bring my phone today’ excuse, it’s hilarious.” Jude jumped in front of me, glaring angrily at everyone, speaking harshly. “What’s wrong with you? Caspian just forgot his phone; it’s no big deal.” I patted Jude’s shoulder, ready to take out the black card, but Esme, covering her mouth with a light laugh, interrupted me. “Caspian, it’s clear you’re having a tough time. Don’t pretend to be wealthy; Declan and I aren’t concerned with your token gifts.” Declan arrogantly scrutinized me, sneering with disdain in his eyes. “Forget it, Esme. Today’s our big day. Later, let the kitchen pack up some food for him.” Esme smugly raised her eyebrows at me, then turned with a face full of affection, playfully teasing Declan. “Declan, you’re so kind-hearted.” The people around them fawned and echoed, bowing and scraping so much that calling them lapdogs would be an insult to dogs. Declan chuckled, not caring, but his words had a pointed tone. “I’m used to doing charity with my mom. It’s no trouble at all.” Jude, unable to stand it, wanted to argue with them, but I held him back. I coldly scoffed, finally seeing Esme for who she really was. Thinking she had snagged a rich guy, she wanted to flaunt and belittle her ex to satisfy her pitiful vanity. And her wealthy fiancé wasn’t any better; his refined appearance couldn’t hide his vulgar roots. “Did you throw this engagement party just to collect money?” 0

Esme’s face turned sour quickly. “Caspian, do you have to be so harsh? I kindly invited you to my engagement party and even worried about your financial difficulties. Is this how you repay those who help you, with malicious speculation?” She sure knows how to twist the truth. I was too lazy to argue with them any further, and with a nod to Jude, I planned to leave, but Esme stepped forward and grabbed me. I shook off her hand with some disgust, her face twisted in embarrassment. “What? You’re feeling guilty and admitting it? Sneaking away with your tail between your legs is really your style.” I couldn’t help but laugh at their antics. “Is hooking up with a wealthy guy not enough to satisfy your vanity? Do you have to step on me to show your superiority? You really need to work on that mindset.” “The value of life isn’t measured solely by money. Instead of stirring up trouble here, why not do something meaningful with your time?” Out of respect for old classmates, I decided to offer them some advice. My colleagues exhaust themselves daily for research, thinking of ways to contribute more to the country and its people. Their worldview, however, is truly baffling. Declan’s face also turned ugly, looking at me as if to say, “Who do you think you are to lecture me?” Esme, no need to mention, her face was so dark it could almost drip water. I respect others’ fate, just giving a kind reminder. Whether they listen or not is up to them. I shrugged indifferently, turning to leave. Behind me, Esme let out a malicious laugh. When I turned around, I saw her with tear-filled eyes, looking pitiful. “Caspian, all these years, I’ve kept quiet to protect your dignity. I was wholeheartedly devoted to you, but you dumped me for a better future, afraid I’d hold you back. Who’s more vain between us?” Her words made Esme start sobbing uncontrollably. Declan comforted her, and whispers grew louder around us. “Really? Caspian turned out to be like this? I was silently rooting for him just now.” “No wonder they broke up without warning; so that’s what happened…” “Scumbag! Pfft!” When Esme and I dated, she pursued me. Three months into the relationship, a handsome and wealthy transfer student joined our class, and since then, Esme became distant. After seeing her with the transfer student, I decided to talk to her, but she took the opportunity to break up with me. “What do you have compared to him? Can you give me money or fame? If not, stop wasting my time. Honestly, being with you is embarrassing.” Thinking of this, I’m suddenly grateful for the breakup back then. “Weren’t you the one who disliked me for not giving you money or fame? Wasn’t it you who wanted to break up to be with the transfer student?” Now playing the victim, what’s the point? Angered by her twisting the truth, I couldn’t hold back and revealed the facts. Declan, comforting the sobbing Esme, glared at me with furrowed brows. “Esme was the prom queen back then, lots of people chased her. You were broke and couldn’t give her security, what’s wrong with her leaving you?” Esme spoke between sobs. “I just wanted a stable future with someone I liked…” As I explained the truth, some people’s angry faces switched to mocking expressions. “Bottom line, you were just incompetent, couldn’t even keep a girlfriend.” “Girls are sensitive, you know? If you can’t provide basic security, what’s the point of dating?” “Caspian, seeing you like this, I bet you still don’t have a girlfriend.” “Esme was right to leave him back then. Being with him would only lead to hardship.” As the crowd discussed, all attacking me, Esme couldn’t help but smile, and Declan arrogantly raised his head, looking like he was enjoying the show. 0

You can never wake someone pretending to be asleep, and logic only works on those who understand it. Looking at this group with no basic moral values, I felt powerless. I didn’t want to bother, but thinking of my current girlfriend, such an outstanding and kind girl, I couldn’t let her become their topic of gossip. I had to speak up. “Sorry, I already have a girlfriend. She’s amazing, doesn’t judge by wealth, our relationship is stable, and we’re planning to get engaged soon.” They didn’t believe I had a girlfriend. Even if I spoke the truth, they acted like they couldn’t hear, fixated on the idea that I couldn’t afford a wife. “Anyone can brag. I could say I have a wealthy fiancée too.” But my soon-to-be fiancée, Genevieve, is indeed wealthy, and this hotel we were sampling dishes at belongs to her family’s business. I checked my watch, it was almost time for my meeting with Genevieve. I shouldn’t have stepped into this room today; it brought unnecessary trouble. “Believe it or not, that’s the truth. I have things to do, so I’ll be leaving.” I turned to go, but was blocked a few steps in. “Don’t rush off, Caspian. Since you’re Esme’s old classmate, let me introduce you to someone.” Disregarding my frown and refusal, Declan called his assistant, who soon arrived with a respectful young man. “Young Master Declan, the person is here.” He nodded to Declan, then stepped aside to reveal a cleaning lady who looked about 40 or 50. Declan placed a hand on my shoulder, speaking as if we were good friends. I turned to leave, but after just a few steps, someone stopped me. “Don’t be in such a hurry, Milo. Since you’re an old classmate of Esme’s, let me introduce you to someone.” Despite my frown and refusal, Declan took out his phone and called his assistant. Soon, a young man entered, showing respect and deference. “Mr. Declan, the person is here.” He nodded slightly to Declan and then stepped aside to reveal a cleaning lady who looked to be in her forties or fifties. Declan placed a hand on my shoulder, speaking in a patronizing tone. “This is an employee at this hotel. Don’t be fooled by her age; she has a stable job and probably earns more than you do each month. Plus, she has a son. If you marry her, you’ll have someone to look after you in your old age.” “Hahaha, suddenly becoming a dad is not something everyone gets to experience. Class leader, you’re really lucky. You should thank Mr. Declan.” Jude couldn’t handle it anymore and started cursing at them. He stood up for me today and took quite a bit of heat. I shrugged off Declan’s hand and stepped forward to stop Jude from getting into a fight. I also sent the embarrassed cleaning lady away. “As old classmates, I don’t want to make a fuss with you. But if you keep pushing it, don’t blame me for not being friendly.” “Oh, such big words. We’re so terrified.” “What, are you going to kick us out? Do you even know that Mr. Declan reserved the whole venue today? With your broke look, you probably couldn’t even afford a fraction of the cost.” They weren’t wrong. I did want them to leave. A high-end hotel had been turned into a mess because of them. High-end service sometimes needs high-end guests. “So what if I want to kick you out?” Declan snorted disdainfully at this. “Milo, don’t be ungrateful. Do you even know the status of the Declan’s family around here? You can’t afford to mess with the Declan’s family!” Although I’ve been busy with my projects these past few years, I’m not oblivious to the world. Genevieve’s family, where my girlfriend Genevieve belongs, is truly the leading enterprise locally. I’ve accompanied her to several local business banquets. Although we often just made brief appearances, I never heard of anyone with the last name Declan among those qualified to greet us. “If you can’t afford to mess with the Declan’s family, do you think you can handle Genevieve’s family?” A cool female voice rose behind me. I turned to see my girlfriend standing at the entrance of the private event room in a casual suit. Her bright eyes, behind gold-rimmed glasses, looked coldly at Declan. I’m sorry, it looks like the document you’re referring to is missing. Could you provide the text that needs translation? Genevieve caught my eye and walked over to me, gently entwining her fingers with mine and offering a warm, concerned smile. “I didn’t see you at the door. I only came over when I heard the commotion. Is this person bothering you?” “It’s just a small issue,” I replied, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. Genevieve and I met through an introduction by my superior. Although it was a blind date, she genuinely admired my commitment to scientific research and supported me wholeheartedly. I, in turn, respected her decisiveness in business. From the moment we met, we found ourselves kindred spirits, able to talk about anything. “Let me introduce you. This is my girlfriend and soon-to-be fiancée, Genevieve, Miss Genevieve.” Genevieve greeted everyone graciously and leaned in to whisper teasingly in my ear, “Oh, big scientist, aren’t you embarrassed to call me that?”

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