Category: English

Everyone said James was cold and aloof, but he chased after me like a loyal dog for ten years. When I was pushed into a sea of flames, he didn’t hesitate to throw away his multi-million dollar fortune to follow me. After being reborn, I decided to stop being the bad woman who kept him on a leash and to wholeheartedly treat him well. Unfortunately, it seems he was reborn too. “Zoe, do you still want to treat me like a dog as you did in your past life, hmm?” He cornered me, forcing me to sign divorce papers. He said he would never want me again in this life. Never. When I was eleven, someone deliberately broke five of my fingers. From that moment on, I swore I would become someone standing at the top of this world. By any means necessary. Later, I did many bad things, and finally, someone took revenge by pushing me into a sea of fire. As the flames engulfed me, I thought of nothing. But then a figure in white rushed into my view and held me tight. It was James, my husband, the man who loved me to death, the man who had never had a single blemish in his life except for me. As we turned to ashes together, I thought: If there’s a next life, I’ll fucking give him my heart and soul, and only be good to him.

“This is the divorce agreement.” “Sign it.” The lamplight flickered, making my thoughts blur. The man standing opposite me lowered his eyes, hiding the coldness in them. “James.” “Don’t do this.” I tried to grab his hand. His veins pulsed as he quickly pulled away. This was one hour and forty-one minutes into my rebirth. I suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of relief. James had finally discovered that I was a bad woman who had cheated him out of his money and feelings. He didn’t want me anymore.

I sat in the cake shop, looking through the thin glass at two figures moving in the teaching building across the street. James surely didn’t know I was secretly watching him. Watching him solve problems for that girl, while she was almost brushing against his clothes. Yes, in this life, James should know who is kind and who is innocent. But I still rested my chin on my hand and sent a message to that girl. “Mia, why are you seducing your brother-in-law?”

Mia is my sister. To be precise, she’s the real daughter, and I’m the fake one. When I was twelve, Mrs. Zhou picked me up on a stormy day. Everyone thought it was a coincidence. But it wasn’t. To ensure Mrs. Zhou would find me looking pitiful and helpless on that rainy day, I deliberately broke my own leg. I wanted wealth and glory, to be above everyone else, to never taste that bone-deep humiliation again. Mia was found by the Zhou family when she was sixteen. She was always kind, innocent, and pure. The things I had to break my bones to get, she got without doing anything. I hated her. I wondered why she didn’t have to fall into the mud and taste pain.

I’m just that kind of vicious, bad woman. So I suffered greatly in my past life. Perhaps Mia really was as those people described her. She was “a girl like a goddess,” so I offended the divine. In this life, the only person who loved me has abandoned me too. I curled up on the sofa, staring at the divorce agreement on the coffee table. “James, are you coming home tonight?” This message in my phone had gone unanswered for four whole hours. James had a cold personality; his friends always joked that he was a big ice cube. But in my past life, I never felt that way. I thought he was my dog. He’d come at the scent of me, always nuzzling me, always wanting to hold my hand the moment mine was empty. Let alone not replying to messages, for every word I said, he’d respond with ten. But now… A message popped up, and I thought it was from him, hurrying to look. But it wasn’t his. It was from Mia, a text and an attached picture. “Sis, I didn’t mean to seduce your husband.” “I want to help you manage Dad’s business, so James is just introducing me to some people.” In the photo, the girl smiled sweetly, standing next to him. They looked like a perfect couple.

I called James more than a dozen times. He didn’t answer any of them, and eventually just blocked me. Actually, James was most ignorant about human relationships; he was just focused on academics. In my past life, to snatch some of Dad’s company shares from Mia’s hands, I asked him to help me win over people from those pharmaceutical companies. He did it without any complaint. I never considered that he was a professor at a prestigious university, so aloof, how he had to lower himself to beg those people for favors. I only remember one thing from my past life. I had secured a deal, got drunk, and called him to pick me up. In a private room full of important figures, I leaned against the sofa, watching that slender figure in white approach me, and called out “Here boy, here boy…” As if calling a dog. The highly respected medical professor, a man who had never lowered his chin before, Being teased like this in public, I must have felt quite smug at the time. …Everyone thought he would storm out. But what did James do then? He walked step by step to me. Then, very naturally, he knelt down and held my ankle. Closing the dangling high heel. Looking up, his brow bone like a gentle fresco. “It’s getting cold tonight, don’t catch a chill.” “Zoe.”

Zoe. He liked to call me that. But after being reborn, he hadn’t called me that once. … I’m a light sleeper, so I woke up when he came home. I lay there, wanting to see what he would do when he saw me completely defenseless, But nothing. He walked past me, not even willing to cover me with a blanket. I sat up and threw the divorce papers at his back. The man paused slightly, the line of his back attractively eye-catching. “Don’t damage it.” “If I have to draw up another one, you might not get as much.” In the faint moonlight, I sat there watching him speak calmly. A cloud of darkness hid in his eyes, mixed with obscure coldness. “I won’t sign it.” I stared at him hard. He seemed to have expected this, nodding, “Fine, then we’ll go to court.” “James, you fucking bastard.” I lunged at him to grab him, but he subdued me easily. That crescent of moonlight curved, and I was pinned to the sofa. His hand gripped my neck, not gently at all, So I bit the base of his thumb, but he didn’t seem to feel the pain. But at some point, he suddenly let go. A gentle touch brushed my cheek. “So you can cry too.” He left this cold and ambiguous sentence. Leaving me alone in the living room, I pressed my eyes hard. As if this would stop the tears from spilling out. “Don’t leave me.” This sentence, I had sworn when I was ten years old, To never say out loud again.

I wouldn’t sign the divorce papers. The next day, James withdrew from all collaborations related to me. The James family had a considerable part of their business in the medical industry, and he was a top scholar in this field. I admit, in my past life, I married him because I saw the benefits. I knew he didn’t want me anymore. But when I learned that he had transferred all projects to collaborate with Mia instead, My heart inexplicably ached for a moment. But I felt this was right. In my past life, he saw clearly, Mia was so pure and clean, unlike me. I was used to using dirty methods to achieve my goals. But his withdrawal from collaboration was like sounding an alarm for the industry, Suddenly, I found myself isolated and helpless. … I prepared to try and please James again. “James, are you at the university?” “I made some food for lunch, can I bring it to you?” I didn’t dare hope he still had feelings for me, but I truly hoped he could remember our past and not be so ruthless. I stared at the phone in my hand that showed no response, feeling my face was thick as hell. After yesterday’s fight, when it came to real interests, I still had to beg. I prepared to make some good dishes and bring them to him personally. Then I discovered a problem. I had no idea what James liked to eat. On the contrary, he probably knew by heart what I liked and disliked. After all, James the professor’s most obsessive thing in the past life was feeding me all sorts of delicious food. I’m not actually that picky, but I liked to act spoiled in front of him, “James, this noodle is too hard.” “James, who are you making such soft noodles for?” “James, I don’t like spicy food.” “James, when did you start cooking so blandly?” He only got angry with me once about this. His dark eyes stared at me intently, his tone icy and serious. “Zoe, do you think I’ll always stand on your side?” I looked down at my manicure for a while, then said to him: “Then get lost.” That was my answer, and he really left. In the sub-zero weather, he went out without even putting on his coat, probably furious. I sent him a message around dusk. “James, I miss you.” Within fifteen minutes, the front door opened. I was suddenly pulled into his embrace, mixed with the crisp cold from outside. His high nose bridge pressed against the crook of my neck, and I heard him say: “Yes, I will always stand on your side.” …You see, for the me in my past life, training Professor James was even simpler than training a dog. … After cutting my hand and drawing blood for the third time, staring at the unidentifiable substance bubbling in the pot, I finally snapped out of my memories, Realizing I was not a cooking talent. I switched to ordering takeout from Lin Chuan Pavilion instead. Then transferred it to our own thermal food container. Anyway… I probably couldn’t tell the difference between homemade and takeout. …Probably.

“I’m sorry, sis.” “I didn’t know you were bringing lunch for Professor James too.” “He’s already eating the food I made…” Mia stood in front of me, visibly panicked and flustered. “Call him brother-in-law.” I smiled at her, seeing her small hands hidden in her sleeves tighten a bit. … “James.” I stood in front of the man who was eating with his head down. He ignored me, so I took the chopsticks from his hand. Swapping the lunch box in front of him for mine. He looked down at the dishes before him for a moment. His deep dark eyes finally focused on me. “Look.” I held out my hand with band-aids to him. “To make food for you, I got three cuts.” “I cooked for a long time, will you eat mine instead?” I met his gaze, very calm. But so calm it seemed like it was about to shatter. Finally, he sighed. “Zoe. Your dishes look exactly the same as Lin Chuan Pavilion’s.” “Did you steal their recipes?” “…” I pretended not to understand the sarcasm in his words. Might as well go all in. “James, just say whether you’ll eat it or not!” It seemed that many times, when I got angry, he would soften and coax me. I was used to this, but I forgot, this wasn’t the me and him from the past life anymore. But he still lowered his head and ate the seafood porridge in front of him spoonful by spoonful. Very obedient, just like the James in my past life who would do whatever I told him to. After finishing, he looked at me bending down to clean up the lunch boxes for the first time. “Zoe.” He called my name, like a clear mountain stream, “I’m allergic to seafood.” “After two lifetimes, you still can’t remember.” I was suddenly shocked and looked up at him. His wrist, already pale to the point where blue veins were visible, had now broken out in red rashes. He just showed it to me like that. “Is torturing me to death the only thing that will make you happy?”

James had a severe seafood allergy. From his wrist starting to redden to uncontrollable coughing, and finally difficulty breathing, it only took about thirty minutes. “How could you let him touch even a bit of seafood?” “The doctor said if Professor James had been brought in any later, he really could have died!” “Sis, how could you not know about this? Why don’t you know even this?” Outside the hospital room, Mia looked at me with red eyes, her voice already tinged with tears. She liked James, I knew. Otherwise, in my past life, I wouldn’t have given James a second glance. “Well…” “He knew and still ate it himself…” I weakly tried to defend myself, and just then, the hospital room door opened. The nurse nodded, saying the patient was awake. I looked through the slightly open door. James was sitting up in bed, looking at me. Probably having heard every word of my feeble excuse just now. His eyes were so empty, devoid of everything, not even disappointment, just a void. Mia rushed to his bedside. “Professor James! How are you?” I followed, but the man who hadn’t spoken for a while suddenly coughed. “Zoe.” His voice was extremely low, his ink-black eyes staring straight at me. My heart skipped a beat, and I unconsciously walked towards him. “Can you never appear in front of me again?” …

This was James’s request. I don’t know why my reaction was even bigger than his. I stormed out of the hospital room, slamming the door behind me. Yes, I schemed endlessly, I was heartless, I was rotten to the core. But he… couldn’t he still stand by my side? Couldn’t he… no matter what kind of person I was, just stand by my side? … He wanted Mia, not me anymore. When I got home, I happened to see the stuffed toy lying on the sofa. It was a limited edition flying dragon he had won for me before we got married. He just treated it as an ordinary gift to give me. At that time, I didn’t know that to catch this dragon, he had gone to five malls, emptied four claw machines. In the end, he got this dragon for me at a bar. That day he was very drunk, his earlobes were flushed red. Dizzy from the alcohol, he took out this dragon from behind his back. “Zoe.” He called me. “Can you look at me?” He hid behind that dragon, using its paw to wave at me. “Can you let me stay by your side?” “Even if.” “Even if…” That was an extremely light sigh hidden beside me. Throwing away all the dignity of being James. “Even as a backup is fine.” … The fact proves that reminiscing late at night really does make one’s anger turn inward. When I walked to James’s hospital room door in the dead of night, that’s what I was thinking. The night was extremely quiet, the curtains barely drawn. I stood by his bed, looking down at the man who seemed uneasy even in his sleep. James’s face, no wonder it had the capital to make the girls in his department think of him day and night. High nose bridge, eyebrows like pines, always a person of lofty ideals and integrity. How did he… Get entangled with me for most of his life. I unconsciously leaned closer, and suddenly fell into a pair of eyes as cold as a deep pool. The man had woken up at some point, leaning against the headboard looking at me. His eyes were so cold, cold enough that I instinctively took half a step back. “You…” “Finally sick of me, huh?” I sniffled. I don’t know why, in the hazy moonlight. I suddenly pulled up the corners of my mouth and said such a self-deprecating thing to him. “Are you surprised?” He said this, enunciating extremely clearly. “Shouldn’t I be sick of you?” I felt the black edge on him magnify. He sat up straight, serious enough to break one’s heart. “You’re so selfish, utilitarian, so fond of using underhanded means.” “Shouldn’t I be sick of you, Zoe.”

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In the fifth year of our marriage, I did something stupid. I sent Xavier Sullivan’s most beloved little bird out of the country, hoping he would have a change of heart. But when he found out, he said nothing. Instead, in an instant, he bankrupted my family, forced my father to kneel, and turned my mother’s hair white overnight. Now he stands before me, his face dark with anger, ready to lay hands on me. “Aria, I blame myself for being too good to you, letting you lose your sense of boundaries,” Xavier says coldly. “Now it’s your turn to taste a fate worse than death.” After Xavier utters these words, I finally look up at him. Four years of dating, five years of marriage. We’ve spent the best years of our youth together. I never imagined we’d end up like this. My hand unconsciously touches my belly. I’m almost three months pregnant. But Xavier seems not to notice, only darkly questioning: “I’ll give you one last chance. Where did she go?” I want to laugh coldly. But my one moment of willfulness has already cost my entire family their livelihood. “Let my parents go, and I’ll tell you,” I say. Xavier nods. He walks over slowly and, catching me off guard, grabs my throat, forcing me to look up at him. “Aria, don’t push your luck,” he growls. “Finding out where Mia is is just a matter of time for me. What right do you have to bargain?” The intense feeling of suffocation makes me gag reflexively, my face turning red, blood vessels bulging. I grit my teeth, sudden fear and despair making my skin crawl, but I still manage to shout with all my might: “So you can make my father kneel to you?!” “That’s my dad!” Xavier just stares at me expressionlessly, his grip inhumanly strong. I stare back into his eyes, tears forced out. Dark and crazed. I have no doubt he would strangle me to death over another woman. Just as I’m about to suffocate, Xavier releases his hand. I gasp violently, my body shaking uncontrollably from the aftershock, curled up on the sofa. In almost an instant, memories of the past flash through my mind. I suddenly can’t control myself and start sobbing loudly. For the past we can’t return to, for this hopeless marriage. And for how pitiful I’ve become. Xavier just stands in front of me, unmoved. He doesn’t even give me time to catch my breath before grabbing my chin again, his tone icy: “I’ll ask you one last time. Where did you send my Mia?”

Xavier left. He got the information he wanted from me and rushed out of the room without stopping. I clearly saw the joy of relief on his face in that instant. My husband has already gone mad for another woman. I wipe away my tears and immediately contact my parents, preparing to move out overnight. I thought my father would scold me, but he just comforts me, his aging voice choked with sobs: “Our little Aria has suffered. Dad doesn’t blame you. Let’s just leave.” After hanging up the phone, guilt and despair overwhelm me. Xavier and I fell in love in college and got married right after graduation. The Sullivan family is wealthy and powerful. For my father, marrying into the Sullivan family was something he never dared to dream of before. He had his concerns, worried I might be bullied. My family has no status, no one to stand up for me. Back then, I confidently told my father that Xavier loved me so much, he would never let me suffer. He would prepare gifts for me on every holiday, generously introduce me to all kinds of friends. When we were apart, he would say he missed me countless times every day, get jealous if others looked at me too long, his eyes turning red with anger. He once said: “Aria, you know, everyone in the Sullivan family is a twisted monster. Only you have taught me what love is.” Xavier was insecure, always needing reassurance of my love over and over. I could only hold him tenderly, again and again, until he fell asleep quietly in my arms. I thought we would be like this until we grew old together, so when his affection dropped off a cliff, I panicked immediately. Mia Parker was a fresh college graduate. The first time I heard her name was from Xavier’s secretary. The secretary said, “Young girls these days have no creativity. The whole ‘throw coffee on the boss’ routine is so outdated.” I listened to it as a joke and didn’t pay much attention. But not long after, Mia became Xavier’s personal assistant, breaking all precedent. He would take Mia horseback riding. When Mia couldn’t ride, Xavier would hold her in front of him, the two of them slowly trotting on one horse. Mia didn’t understand the social graces of the business world. Xavier patiently guided her, even personally teaching her how to brew tea. Some tactless business partners made jokes about Mia. Xavier, usually calm and composed, immediately sent that person to the hospital with a beating. Xavier didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding it. His fondness for Mia was known to all. By the time the news reached my ears, the two were already holding hands at various banquets, kissing amid others’ teasing remarks. Looking at the photos others sent me, I got angry at Xavier for the first time. Xavier just sat in his executive chair, silently watching me. His eyes seemed to say I was making a fuss over nothing. “Aria, you’re almost thirty. Why fight with a young girl?” “When you were in your early twenties, I doted on you the same way, didn’t I?” At that moment, I felt like I’d fallen into an icy abyss. I finally understood. Xavier’s love was very singular. He only loved young women, and I had passed that stage. I originally wanted to just get a divorce, but then I found out I was pregnant. I wanted to make one last effort for my child and family, so I had my father find some people to send Mia abroad. The result was predictable. Nine years of love, and I turned out to be nothing to Xavier. I lost everything.

My father asked for three days to prepare. Since we had already offended the Sullivan family, we no longer had a place in this country. I took this opportunity to schedule an abortion for that day. Since the love was gone, there was really no need to keep Xavier’s child. There would be plenty of young girls to bear children for him anyway. But the doctor said my gestational sac was too large and could only be handled through induced labor, which required hospitalization. But I could only stay in this city for three days, so I had no choice but to postpone this matter. On the way back, I consulted a lawyer about divorce. When they heard it was Xavier Sullivan’s case, they all backed out. “Mrs. Sullivan, Mr. Sullivan’s company has a professional legal team. I’m afraid we’re not qualified to intervene in this matter.” I understood and didn’t push them. After marrying Xavier, I became a full-time housewife. He said he didn’t want me in the public eye, and I foolishly listened for five years. Now all my social connections have gone through Xavier’s hands. I can’t even find anyone to help me. It doesn’t matter. Once he brings Mia back, the divorce should be easy. I roughly sorted through the things at home. I didn’t take any valuables, just some seasonal clothes and identification documents. Pregnancy always made me tired. By evening, I had fallen asleep on the sofa while packing. Until the next day, when the door to my house was opened from the outside. I sat up in fright. To my surprise, Xavier had returned. And he was holding hands with a young girl – Mia. She looked especially fresh-faced. Photos probably only captured half of her beauty. Mia was carrying several luxury brand shopping bags, and the diamonds on her high heels nearly blinded me. It seems he had already placated her. My heart sank. I really didn’t expect Xavier to come back so quickly. I couldn’t help but put my hand on my neck. The feeling of suffocation seemed to return, and I was actually a little afraid of Xavier. I swallowed hard, unable to resist standing up from the sofa. Xavier brought Mia in front of me. In front of me, he smiled and tidied Mia’s hair, then turned to look at me with a bland expression. “Aria, apologize to Mia.”

I could hardly believe my ears. Even if we had torn our relationship apart, he had ruined my family’s livelihood, and even tried to strangle me yesterday. I thought those things were already inhumanly cruel. Now he wants me to apologize to his mistress? Seeing me stunned, Xavier simply grabbed my chin, turning my face towards Mia. “Didn’t you hear? I told you to apologize to Mia.” Xavier is a businessman. He knows too well how to shatter a person’s heart. Even if the person in front of him is his wife of many years. Since entering the house, Mia hadn’t looked at me directly. She lowered her eyes, slightly pursing her lips. Without saying a word, she put on an act of having suffered greatly, inviting sympathy. “Mr. Sullivan, there’s no need for this,” Mia said softly. “My position is already improper. It’s natural for this lady to dislike me.” That’s what she said, but I clearly saw Mia roll her eyes up slightly, glaring at me. Seeing that I remained silent, Mia tugged at Xavier’s sleeve again. “Mr. Sullivan, I’m a bit tired. I want to rest for a while.” Xavier kissed Mia’s cheek, his tone gentle: “Alright, go rest in the bedroom first.” Mia’s big eyes glanced at me, her tone doubtful: “This is your home. Where should I go to rest?” Xavier generously led her to our bedroom, his intentions clear. My whole body trembled uncontrollably. I bit my teeth hard to keep myself from going crazy and cursing loudly. I tried my best to calm my breathing. Watching Xavier escort her properly into the room, I finally spoke hoarsely to his back: “Xavier Sullivan, let’s get a divorce.” “You’ve trampled my dignity like garbage. You’ve destroyed my parents’ life’s work in an instant.” I stared at him with reddened eyes, forcing myself to stay calm: “It’s all my fault. My fault for being blind back then.” Hearing this, Xavier actually raised an eyebrow slightly. He stood in front of me with his hands in his pockets, that handsome face close to my eyes. His expression was malicious. There was even a meaningful look I couldn’t understand. “Who said I want to divorce you?” “As long as you behave and don’t do anything out of line, you’re still my wife, the wealthy Mrs. Sullivan.” I stared at him in disbelief: “What do you take me for?” Unexpectedly, Xavier stood up and waved his hand dismissively: “Don’t pull this act. Wasn’t it the Sullivan family status you were after when you dated and married me in the first place?” “Aria, you know very well how much your father’s career advanced after you married me. Now you’re pulling this divorce stunt?” I stood there dumbfounded, my mind blank. But Xavier didn’t give me any further explanation. He loosened his tie and returned to the master bedroom where Mia was. Perhaps I had experienced too many shocks lately. Upon learning that Xavier viewed my feelings for him this way, besides shock, I also felt a bit ridiculous. At this moment, Mia poked her head out of the master bedroom again. She had changed into a bathrobe, her hair loose, her cheeks flushed. “Sister, I’m a bit hungry. Mr. Sullivan said your cooking is delicious,” Mia said with a bright smile. “You’ve been a housewife for so many years, you must have lots of specialties. Could you please go buy some groceries and come back later?” As soon as Mia finished speaking, she was pulled back inside, the door slamming shut. I said nothing, just took off my wedding ring and threw it in the trash. Taking one last look at this house full of irony, I realized letting go could be this easy. Before I could hear any nauseating sounds, I turned and left. There’s no need to rack your brains to drive me away. I won’t stay a moment longer in this rotten place.

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I silently tore up my husband’s positive HIV test results. Since you two enjoy swimming in the ocean of love so much, I’ve decided to let you drown in it. Just as I received the medical report, I got a call from an unknown number. The intimate voices of a man and woman nearly made me drop my phone in shock. “Liam, be gentle. Don’t hurt the baby,” a woman’s voice cooed. “Alright, sweetheart. Lower your waist a bit,” a man replied. The call lasted less than ten seconds before they hastily hung up, not giving me a chance to speak. Liam Westbrook and I had been in love since we were 18, for twelve years now. This morning, before he left for work, he had thoughtfully bought me breakfast and told me to sleep in a bit longer before going to the hospital for my test results. I wiped away the tears from the corners of my eyes and tore Liam’s medical report into tiny pieces, throwing them into the trash can. How laughable. Just a minute ago, I was worried about him, thinking there must have been a mistake with the test. I couldn’t believe that Liam, who had always been so careful and honest with me, could have contracted HIV. Liam Westbrook, since you’re so good at keeping secrets, I’ll learn a thing or two from you. I won’t tell you about your HIV and severe gout either. I immediately went to get a full set of tests done for myself. During the anxious wait for the results, I didn’t want to see Liam. I used the excuse of visiting my parents and stayed at a hotel for two days. During this time, that unknown number called me twice more. Both times were when they were being intimate – once at 9 AM and once at 2 AM. It seems he really cares for this woman, staying at her place while I’m not home. Well, of course. This woman is carrying his child. Liam and I got married right after graduation. We’ve been married for eight years but never had children. When we first got married, we were focused on our careers, wanting to wait until we were financially stable before having kids. When we finally felt ready, we discovered during fertility tests that both my fallopian tubes were blocked. I couldn’t conceive naturally. Liam hugged me and said we could spend our lives just the two of us, and that he’d be jealous if I had to share my love with a child. But I really wanted a child, one that looked like him. For the past three years, since I turned 27, I’ve been undergoing IVF treatments. The embryo successfully implanted five times, but I miscarried early each time. To maintain the pregnancy, I gave myself daily injections in my belly. My once smooth, slender abdomen that I had been so proud of was now covered in needle marks and bruises. When I finally got my test results, I was relieved. I hadn’t contracted HIV. The night I returned home, Liam came back from work earlier than usual. He walked into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around my waist, enveloping me in his familiar scent. “Smells delicious. What treat have you cooked up for me today, honey?” he asked. “I couldn’t sleep well without you these past two days. The house feels so empty when you’re not here,” he added. Suppressing my disgust, I playfully chided, “I bought some fresh seafood to make you a seafood hotpot. Go wash your hands, dinner’s almost ready.” Liam went to the bathroom, humming happily. Watching his back, I added another handful of bean curd sticks to the pot. Liam had always been particular about food. Whenever he enjoyed something outside, I would tirelessly work to recreate it at home, just to please his palate. I had spoiled his taste buds and stomach. Seeing him eat with such relish, I peeled a shrimp and fed it to him. He smiled at me as he took it, clearly satisfied. “Honey, why aren’t you eating?” he asked. I lowered my eyes to hide my sadness and poured him a glass of beer. “I’ve gained a bit of weight recently. I’m avoiding high-calorie foods at night.” Besides HIV, Liam also had extremely high uric acid levels. He was happily eating the gout-inducing, paralysis-inducing meal I had carefully prepared for him.

“Honey, how were my medical results?” Liam asked. I pulled out a thick stack of reports from my bag and spread them on the table. “The doctor said all your indicators are good, no major issues. Here, take a look yourself,” I said. I knew Liam well. For all these years, I had taken care of every detail in his life, big or small. He trusted me completely. As expected, he didn’t even glance at the papers. “That’s great. It’s all thanks to you taking such good care of me,” he said. I silently put the reports back in the envelope and opened another can of beer for him. After two cans of beer, his fair complexion was flushed red. When he looked at me with half-closed eyes, his gaze was full of desire. Liam was handsome and dashing, standing at 6 feet tall with long legs. I was deeply attracted to him from the first moment I saw him in college. Back then, my heart would race uncontrollably, feeling like it might jump out of my chest. But now, looking into his passionate eyes, knowing he had been rolling in bed with another woman, I wanted to gouge out those hypocritical eyes. Liam finished the last crab, patting his stomach in satisfaction. “Honey, there’s less than a month left before the deadline for this year’s International Jewelry Design Competition. Have you finished your design?” he asked. I nodded gently as I cleared the table. “Just a few more tweaks and it’ll be ready.” Liam excitedly stood up, wanting to hug me. I dodged him subtly, carrying the plates to the kitchen without a trace of awkwardness. He followed me to the kitchen, leaning against the doorframe, gesturing excitedly. “Honey, I need to get an even bigger display case for the company. We’re running out of space for all your awards!” Liam and I both studied jewelry design. The year we graduated, I turned down an offer from a top company because he wanted to start his own business. Out of love for him, I supported him without hesitation. Not only did I give him the $20,000 I had saved from part-time jobs during college to start his business, but I also joined his small studio. In the first few years, to make a name for his studio, he entered all sorts of jewelry design competitions, big and small. But he always got eliminated in the preliminaries, while I won gold awards every time. At that time, the studio was losing money every month. Liam was stressed out, losing 30 pounds in half a year. I couldn’t bear to see him suffer like that. I suggested closing the studio, but he wanted to hang on a bit longer. Until we were completely broke, squeezed into a basement, sharing a bowl of instant noodles a day. He left most of the noodles for me, drinking only the soup to fill his stomach. Liam hugged me, crying, saying he shouldn’t have let me suffer with him. He said he’d close the studio the next day and find a job. I knew that was his pride and hard work. Behind his back, I borrowed $5,000 from my parents and secretly submitted my competition entry under Liam’s name. He had said he lacked inspiration and had no portfolio, so clients didn’t trust him and wouldn’t work with him. With that $5,000, we held on for another three months. And my design won first prize in a top international competition. From then on, Liam made a name for himself in the industry. He never lacked for orders again. The studio grew bigger and bigger, eventually becoming a jewelry design company with over a hundred employees. He became known as Mr. Westbrook, a young talent in everyone’s eyes. But from that point on, all of my designs were submitted under Liam’s name.

That night, as usual, Liam lay on his side, holding me as we fell asleep. In the past, his heavy arm gave me a sense of security. Now I felt suffocated, his arm weighing heavily on me, making it hard to breathe. I couldn’t sleep, lying awake until dawn. At 5 AM, I got up and went to the kitchen to make breakfast for him. I cleaned the shrimp I had bought yesterday, carefully removing the veins, then finely chopped them into a paste to make plump little wontons. The eight-treasure porridge in the pot had been simmering for nearly three hours. The five different types of beans were soft and mushy. When Liam got up at 8 AM, I had already packed his breakfast. He loved to sleep in but didn’t want his employees to think their boss was always late. Every day he arrived at the company just in time. To prevent him from going hungry or eating carelessly, I always carefully prepared his breakfast for him to take to the office. He said I spoiled him like a child, that he wouldn’t be able to live without me. I saw him off at the door, carefully reminding him: “This porridge is good for your stomach, drink it while it’s hot. I cooked the wontons separately and put them in a container. Just pour them into the soup when you’re ready to eat.” Liam was putting on his shoes when he leaned in for a kiss. I didn’t want any contact with him, but I couldn’t let him suspect anything and ruin my plans. I had to suppress my disgust and let my cheek brush against his lips, wet with the scent of his minty aftershave. As soon as he stepped out, I immediately closed the door, rushed to the bathroom, and frantically washed my face. I scrubbed the side of my face he had kissed with alcohol repeatedly until it was red and burning. Looking at myself in the mirror, my eyes were full of hatred and pain. Liam Westbrook, I will make you pay for this. First, I needed to find out the identity of the woman Liam was cheating with. I searched for her phone number on SnapChat. Her profile picture was a selfie – a very young woman. After confirming it was her real number, I saved it to my contacts. I opened Instagram and quickly found her account among my suggested friends. A recent college graduate in her early 20s, with a rich and handsome boyfriend who loved her, a blissful expectant mother. But her most recent status update was posted at midnight last night: “When will you truly belong to me?” The photo showed a full-body pregnancy shot with her face hidden. It seems she knows she’s the other woman but is eager to become Liam’s official wife. However, judging by how Liam is keeping this from me, he doesn’t intend to make her his wife. At noon, I went to the company to bring Liam lunch, carrying a carefully prepared gout-inducing meal. I rarely come to the company, so much so that the new receptionist didn’t recognize me and stopped me from going upstairs. One phone call and Liam came down to get me himself. “Honey, it’s ridiculous that I can’t even enter our own company,” I complained, putting on a hurt expression. “I want to go back to work in the design department. I don’t want to feel like I have no value.” Liam hesitated. “Weren’t you focusing on your health? Work is too tiring.” I lowered my eyes and sighed. “After so many failed IVF attempts over the years, I’m exhausted. Maybe it’s fate that I’m not meant to have children.” “Honey, I’ve told you before, I don’t care if we have kids or not. It’s fine if it’s just the two of us for life,” he said, his face full of sincerity. Seeing his hypocritical act, I could barely keep up my own facade. But I knew that lashing out would only satisfy my emotions momentarily and do no good in the long run. “I’ve been doing IVF non-stop for three years. My body can’t take it anymore. I want to take a break,” I said. Liam looked at me with pity in his eyes. Seeing the emotional card was working, I made my real request: “Honey, I want to come back to work at the company. Let me take charge of the design department.”

The design department was the most important division in the company. Moreover, the star products released each year were all designed by me, just under Liam’s name. He immediately understood that I no longer wanted to hide behind him and be his ghostwriter. From now on, the designs would be credited to me, Amelia Winters. Liam put down his chopsticks and looked at me intently. “Amelia, if I did something to hurt you, could you forgive me?” I gently took out a container of tripe soup, chiding him playfully. “Why are you suddenly saying this? Did you really do something to hurt me?” For a moment, I thought he was going to confess. He just shook his head, took the soup, and sighed after a sip. “Of course not. How could I ever hurt such a wonderful wife?” I nodded with a smile. “I’ll start working in the design department tomorrow then. Remember to assign me two capable assistants, okay?” Before leaving the company, I asked Liam to take me on a tour of each department. He seemed uneasy. When we got to the design department, a young girl gave me an unfriendly look. She was wearing a loose hoodie and tight leggings. I studied her carefully and realized she resembled the profile picture of Liam’s mistress. She must have recognized me first, staring at me with resentful eyes. After all, Liam’s phone wallpaper was my photo. In person, she wasn’t as polished as in her photos. She was rather plain-looking, someone you wouldn’t notice in a crowd. But she was indeed young. Even pregnant, she maintained a slim figure. The loose clothing hid her pregnancy. Liam hurriedly introduced a few people, eager to leave. I smiled and extended my hand to the mistress. “The company is grateful to have such a dedicated employee. How many months pregnant are you?” She barely touched my fingertips before letting go. Instead, she turned to Liam with a blissful expression. “Five months,” she said, then raised an eyebrow at me and proudly rubbed her belly. What an indiscreet girl. I was a bit disappointed that Liam would cheat with someone like her. The mistress was never my target. The one who hurt me was Liam – he was the one who failed to stay faithful to our marriage. But I wouldn’t be kind to the mistress either. I would use her well to get back what I deserved from Liam, and more. I gave Liam’s arm a squeeze. “Pregnant employees need special care. Don’t give the young lady too much work.” The surrounding employees praised me: “The boss’s wife is so beautiful and kind. You two are such a perfect match.” Liam put his arm around my waist, smiling smugly. The mistress’s face had turned almost green with envy. It seems this mistress doesn’t hold much weight in his heart after all. On my first day working in the design department, the employees weren’t very respectful towards me, even though I was the boss’s wife. Artists tend to be free-spirited and a bit rebellious. In their eyes, only Liam was the real boss. The intern mistress, however, seemed quite popular in the company. She smiled warmly like a spring breeze, with everyone greeting her. I calmly exported this year’s International Jewelry Design Competition draft from my computer. When I asked for suggestions on which gemstones to use, the mistress came over and glanced at it. “Mrs. Winters, you design too? We usually just create entries to accompany Mr. Westbrook’s work,” she said. The design director pushed the mistress aside and stared at the computer screen with shining eyes. “Perfect! Absolutely perfect! This is the most stunning piece I’ve seen all year. It’s definitely going to win gold.” He eagerly poured me a cup of water. “Mrs. Winters, you’re a true master! I’m so sorry for my poor attitude earlier. When you have time, could you please give me some guidance on my work?” William Lewis, the design director, was someone who lived and breathed design. Many of the company’s popular pieces were his creations. But he wasn’t arrogant like some artists. Instead, he was very good at management and operations. He had been with Liam since the early days, and the company’s growth owed much to William’s efforts. I chose to work in the design department not only because I excelled at design, but mainly because of William. He had followed Liam out of admiration for Liam’s work – which was actually all created by me. I wanted to take away one of Liam’s arms, to have William work for me instead. I nodded kindly. “Of course. Bring me all your work to take a look.” While working, I continued to be attentive and caring towards Liam. In the past, he often had business dinners and ate out. Since I started working at the company, I prepared all three of his daily meals myself. After keeping this up for a while, Liam started telling me he occasionally felt pain in his legs. I knew this was a symptom of gout. His comeuppance was approaching. One time, when I was bringing Liam his lunch, I ran into the mistress coming out of his office with a lunchbox. She was wiping away tears as she walked. Clearly, she had wanted him to eat the food she made, but Liam refused. I pretended to mention it casually to Liam: “Did you scold Tiffany? The poor girl is pregnant, don’t be too harsh on her.” Liam tried to change the subject. “What delicious meal did you make for me today, honey?” Seeing he wanted to gloss over it, I pressed on: “I saw her throw the lunchbox in the trash right after leaving. What happened?” Liam’s expression turned awkward, his voice tinged with guilt. “She was just trying to suck up, I guess. You know I hate people who rely on tricks instead of real ability. Let’s not talk about her. I’m starving.” Liam had indeed hidden things well. No one in the company knew about their relationship. And since I started working there, Liam and Tiffany hardly interacted at all. At home, he barely looked at his phone and received no suspicious calls. Tiffany’s gaze towards me grew more and more resentful. The results of this year’s jewelry design competition came out a month after I started working. In previous years, Liam always won the awards, but this time it was me. Moreover, the design department staff had witnessed my entire process from initial draft to multiple revisions to the final design. No one doubted this was my own work. Instead, rumors started circulating in the company that Liam’s previous works had all been done by me. William Lewis solemnly invited me out for coffee. I brought my laptop and gladly accepted. When I arrived, he had already been waiting for over half an hour. Actually, I had arrived early and observed him from a hidden corner, watching him fidget anxiously with a furrowed brow. I knew then that my chances of convincing him to work for me had increased to about 20%. “Hi William, sorry I’m late,” I said. Seeing me arrive, the straightforward William got right to the point: “Were all of Liam’s previous award-winning designs actually created by you?” I smiled gently and turned my laptop towards him. I had kept copies of all my design drafts. When designing, I had a habit of hand-drawing my initial sketches and signing them at the bottom of the page. William’s expression grew serious as he flipped through them one by one. As he progressed, his brow smoothed out and his eyes began to sparkle with admiration. He kept muttering, “So beautiful. Your talent is truly unparalleled.” After finishing, he gripped my hand tightly, staring at me intently. His expression was so exaggerated that I uncomfortably pulled my hand away. “You should be shining brightly in the jewelry world. Why did you hide behind Liam?” he asked gravely. “Did he force you?” I shook my head. “It was my own choice. But that doesn’t matter now. William, I’ve come to my senses. I want to have my own independent design studio. Would you like to work with me?” William nodded frantically. “Of course! I originally followed Liam hoping to improve my skills. But all these years, I never created anything that surpassed myself. Just this past month with your guidance, I finally feel like I’m breaking through my limits.” “I’ve never cared about how much money I make. I only hope to design pieces that will stand the test of time. I’d work for you even without pay.” I had bet correctly. William was a born artist. In his eyes, talent and creations were more important than fame, fortune or sentiment. I tactfully told William about Liam’s affair and my future career plans. Though he disdained worldly relationships, he was very perceptive. He immediately understood my true intentions when I explained. I wanted to bring Liam down. But he didn’t care about that. He only asked that I guide him on each of his future designs. I agreed, of course. My studio had actually started being set up two weeks ago. To separate it from Liam, the legal representative was my father. William acted quickly, immediately submitting his resignation to Liam. He didn’t even bother with the resignation procedures. He didn’t want his final month’s salary either, packing up and leaving the very next day. I was in Liam’s office when HR informed him of this. Liam was furious, barely containing his anger as he called William. He couldn’t believe that his right-hand man, who had been with him since the beginning, would leave without a word. When he dialed, he found William had already blocked his number. That was typical of William. I almost couldn’t control my expression, having to bite my tongue hard to keep from laughing out loud. Liam angrily threw his phone, shattering the screen of the latest model. That wasn’t enough. He swept everything off his desk onto the floor. The HR person trembled in fear. I gestured for them to leave and went to comfort Liam. “Honey, don’t be angry. It’s just losing a design director. His work wasn’t as good as mine anyway. I’ll take good care of the design department from now on.” Liam collapsed into his chair, deflated, his hands shaking uncontrollably. “Honey, I’ll have to trouble you with the design department then. It’s good that I have you,” Liam said, looking at me tenderly. “Being a director is hard work. Don’t squeeze time to cook for me anymore. Let’s just eat out.” I stood behind him, gently massaging his temples. “It’s no trouble at all. Taking care of your health and stomach doesn’t feel like work to me. Don’t worry, I’ll lead the design department to create even better pieces.” After becoming the design director as planned, I finally got access to the company’s key clients. These were all ultra-wealthy individuals. For their exclusive custom jewelry, the design director needed to personally bring the designs to show them the renderings before creating the final product. After interacting with these wealthy clients for a while, I locked onto my target – a divorced businesswoman named Vivian King. I took the initiative to build a closer relationship with her. Given her love for jewelry, I would let her see all my new designs first. This time, Vivian had already claimed dibs on my award-winning piece. However, after she purchased the finished product, I successfully convinced her to replace the pendant with an 11-carat pink diamond. This would bring the total value of the piece to $30 million. When I told Liam this news, he was initially worried we couldn’t source an 11-carat pink diamond. After all, gems of this caliber were usually in private collections and rarely came on the market. But I emphasized that closing this deal would bring in nearly $10 million in profit. I told him that in two weeks, at a Sotheby’s auction, there would be a nearly 12-carat flawless pink diamond. Based on historical prices, diamonds larger than this one had sold for no more than $20 million. What I didn’t tell him was that those were prices from five years ago, and that he would absolutely not be able to win this pink diamond at auction. Liam believed that as long as we prepared $20 million, we would definitely be able to acquire it. When he personally signed the delivery contract with Vivian, his hands were shaking uncontrollably with excitement. His leg pain had been getting worse lately, and his hands shook more and more frequently. But with the mess left behind by William’s departure, he was too preoccupied to pay attention. Plus, I reassured him it was just from overwork, which he fully believed. The reason I encouraged Liam so much was that for these custom jewelry contracts, we had to collect full payment from the client in advance and guarantee delivery. Otherwise, we would have to pay the client ten times the amount in compensation. For this deal, if Liam breached the contract, $300 million in damages would be enough to bankrupt him.

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On the day my boyfriend of three years proposed to me, his long-lost first love, who was presumed dead in a plane crash, suddenly came back to life. I followed him as he ran to the stairwell, watching them embrace each other emotionally. They were both crying and snotting, and only after regaining their composure did they notice me standing behind them. Sean looked extremely embarrassed. Coco stared at me in shock, unable to utter a word. I caught a glimpse of panic flashing across her face. Her reaction was understandable, given how strikingly similar we looked. The engagement ring on my finger, as big as a pigeon egg, hadn’t even had time to warm up. Though it pained me a little, I took it off and strode towards Sean: “Here, give it back to you. Give it to its rightful owner.” I didn’t love Sean. Our relationship was a mutually beneficial transaction. We had agreed that he would give me $5,000 a month as pocket money, and I would accompany him to complete the hundred things he had once promised to do with Coco. After finishing, he would give me an additional $500,000. I wanted to settle down in New York and end my nomadic life of being constantly exploited by landlords, so we reached an agreement. In these three years, he took me to see snow on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, ride horses on the grasslands, and wait for the Buddha’s halo on the Golden Summit of Mount Emei. I experienced all the love he had for Coco. So this live scene in front of me was very touching, even more intense than watching a Korean drama couple. I thoughtfully put the ring on Coco’s finger – not too big, not too small, just right! I guessed he was nervous that Coco might misunderstand his relationship with me. Thinking of the $500,000 that was about to be mine, I very considerately explained on his behalf: “Miss Lu, I’ve often heard about you from Mr. Shaw. He loves you very much. We’re just friends, and we’ve never done anything inappropriate. It’s wonderful that you’ve returned safely. I sincerely wish you both happiness.” To avoid further misunderstanding, I hurriedly returned to Sean’s mansion to pack my things, intending to move out immediately. After packing everything into my suitcase, the door to the living room suddenly opened. Oh no! The person who came in was actually Coco! It’s inevitable to feel guilty when a stand-in meets the real deal. She stared at me, her surprised eyes brimming with tears: “You two are living together?” Coco looked so pitiful on the verge of tears that even I couldn’t help but feel sympathetic. I showed rare gentleness, taking her hand: “Of course not. It’s just that his housekeeper had some business to attend to, so I came over to help for a few days. I’m leaving right away.” Seeing my packed belongings, she finally relaxed and revealed a sweet smile. The car I called had already arrived. I hurriedly loaded my things into the car, eager to leave even if it meant taking a night bus. Coco very kindly came out to see me off. Just as I was about to make my getaway, she suddenly brought out a stack of photos from the master bedroom – pictures of Sean and me on our travels. If she hadn’t taken them out, I would have completely forgotten about them. “Miss Snow, don’t you want these photos?” she asked, examining me with bright, innocent eyes. “No, I don’t need them.” As soon as I finished speaking, she suddenly threw the photos into the trash can. I was stunned for a moment. It wasn’t that I cared about the photos, but it felt strange to see pictures of myself in the garbage. I instinctively glanced inside and noticed a photo of Coco and Sean mixed in. I kindly reminded her, knowing how much Sean treasured that photo. Coco’s face turned pale. She hurriedly fished that photo out of the trash can and lovingly wiped it clean. “We probably look too alike. I didn’t notice,” she explained awkwardly. I thought she must have felt uncomfortable seeing so many photos of Sean and me together. As a fellow woman, I understood her feelings. Coco enthusiastically saw me off to the car, hesitating before finally speaking: “Miss Snow, could you please delete Sean from your contacts?” My heart skipped a beat. Deleting him wasn’t the point. The point was, who would pay me if I deleted him? My $500,000 was still unsettled. “But Mr. Shaw and I still have some financial matters to settle,” I replied in a very official tone. “Sean has already discussed this with me. Let’s add each other on SnapChat. I’ll help him transfer the $500,000 to you.” Can such good things really happen? My eyes lit up, and I immediately took out my phone to add Coco on SnapChat. Then, right in front of her, I blocked and deleted Sean. Even a second of hesitation would be disrespectful to money. …… The first thing I did after moving was to buy a British Shorthair blue cat. I had wanted to keep a cat for a long time, but Sean wouldn’t let me. Funny enough, the reason was that Coco was allergic to cat hair. Coco kept her word. As soon as I moved into my new place, I received a bank transfer notification. The weight on my chest finally lifted, and I immediately called my best friend, asking her to come out and party tonight. The nightclub lights were flashing, and loud electronic music filled my ears. I excitedly patted Lisa’s shoulder: “Drink as much as you want, Miss Emma is footing the bill tonight.” Lisa looked at me with a worried expression: “Emma, is this really how it ends between you two?” Before I could answer, my phone rang. It was an unknown number. “Who is it?” “You’re quite pragmatic, aren’t you? Just got the money and immediately blocked and deleted me?” Sean’s sarcastic voice came through the phone. “No, no, no, that’s not it,” I patiently explained. “I blocked and deleted you before I even got the money.” He was so angry he was speechless, gritting his teeth as he said: “You’ve got some nerve. You haven’t had a job in three years. Can you even find work now? Don’t come begging me if you starve.” “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely spend that $500,000 wisely.” I resolutely hung up the phone after saying that, and then blocked this number too. This man is really ridiculous. …… I bought an RV with cash, leaving me with very little money. I decided to start my own business. As for the capital for the business, my gaze fell on the luxury goods on the shelf. These were all bought by Sean when I was his stand-in. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to use them now, so I might as well sell them. Every little bit helps. There were too many items to carry conveniently, so I packed them all into a large woven bag and lugged it into the mall. I remembered there was a second-hand luxury consignment store here. Panting, I reached the fourth floor, only to see Coco and Sean walking hand in hand out of the elevator. I held my breath and quickly hid in a cosmetics store. The sales assistant looked at me disdainfully and said haughtily: “Ma’am, this is a high-end skincare brand store. Please don’t bring your garbage in here.” I unzipped the woven bag a little, letting her peek inside, then walked out with an unperturbed stride, leaving her utterly shocked. I finally reached a luxury goods recycling store on the fifth floor. Under the watchful eyes of the staff, I took out the items one by one, filling up the glass counters.

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I had been in love with Tara for five years, spoiling her like a princess. The day I returned from a business trip abroad, I wanted to surprise her by secretly attending a private dinner party to see her. But I saw her passionately kissing another man. To my shock, it was Henry, my college roommate. The dazzling diamond brooch on his suit jacket pierced my eyes. Because it was identical to the one Tara had given me. Five years of companionship had become nothing but a joke. It turned out I was the one destroying someone else’s marriage all along. Heartbroken and disillusioned, I quickly wrote an application to become a war correspondent in the Middle East. After I left, Tara turned Shanghai upside down looking for me like a madwoman. I snuck into the exclusive Hong Kong dinner party in disguise, using an invitation I had prepared in advance. This was a private event with no media allowed. I unlocked my phone, the wallpaper showing a photo of Tara and me from our last meeting. I smiled bitterly, realizing it had already been a month since I’d seen her. Just ten minutes ago, Tara had texted asking when I’d be back. “The assignment here isn’t finished yet, it’ll be another two days,” I had replied. Tara sent a sticker saying “Miss you hubby”. I couldn’t help smiling as I imagined her surprised face when she saw me. The crowd suddenly stirred. I turned around, scanning the room. Several VIPs walked by, and I froze when I saw the woman behind them. Tara was intimately holding the arm of an equally distinguished-looking man. It was Henry, my college roommate. His appearance hadn’t changed much. The diamond brooch on his suit jacket was dazzlingly bright, piercing my eyes. I looked down, quietly removing the identical diamond brooch pinned to my own jacket. As soon as they appeared, people came up to greet them, warmly calling her “Mrs. Wright”. Mrs. Wright… No wonder Tara always said there was no rush to get married. She had already become someone else’s wife long ago. “Mrs. Wright, how long have you been married? Any plans for children?” someone asked. Tara smiled and replied, “Henry and I have been married for three years. He thinks I’m still young, so we’re not in a hurry.” I felt my blood run cold. As they walked towards me, I hid in a corner. The two of them made a striking couple, perfectly matched, turning heads wherever they went. Even her hand remained tucked in his arm the whole time. How many passionate nights had she used that same hand to gently caress my body, whispering sweet nothings in my ear? “Jack, why are you so good to me? You’re truly the best gift heaven could give me.” “This business trip will be a bit longer. Take good care of yourself in Shanghai and wait for me to come back.” What frequent business trips? You clearly had a real home here in Hong Kong all along.

As the music began, Henry led Tara onto the dance floor. I masochistically watched their intimate display. When the song ended, amid enthusiastic applause, Henry leaned down and planted a deep kiss on Tara’s lips. After the party, I found myself following them to the parking lot like a man possessed. Tara had changed out of her evening gown and was about to get into a different car. “Where are you going? Back to Shanghai again?” Henry demanded. Tara ignored him dismissively. “None of your business.” “Your home is in Hong Kong. Why do you keep going to Shanghai?” Henry blocked her path, his tone sharp. “You still haven’t completely broken things off with Jack, have you? Tara! I’m your husband, I want you to stay and come home with me!” “You can’t leave! Come home with me!” Tara kept dodging back and forth. “Get out of my way!” Henry was forcefully shoved aside by Tara, left standing there stunned. “Henry, I’ve told you before, I won’t give up Jack. You’re the one who insisted on marrying me by any means necessary. Now you have to deal with the consequences!” Tara got in her car and slammed the door. On the road, she kept messaging me over and over. “Jack, what are you doing?” “Are you asleep?” “Why aren’t you replying?” “…” My phone kept lighting up in the dark room, painfully bright. I tossed it across the room. The fiery alcohol burned my throat, making me cough uncontrollably. This home was filled with sweet memories from our five years together. Now it just made me feel sick. I had thought I was the love of her life. Only now did I realize I was the most pitiful one in this relationship. Deceived in body and soul, forever living in a romance that could never see the light of day. I met Tara right after graduating college. She was gentle, caring and romantic, making my then-roommate Henry envious. Some people had warned me that a girl from Tara’s background wouldn’t be interested in someone like me, telling me to be wary of Henry. Henry came from money and had no shortage of female attention. I didn’t think much of it. Besides, Tara loved me so much. How could she possibly look at another man? Now I realized how foolish I had been. I looked at the company’s transfer notice and applied for the war correspondent position no one else wanted.

My overseas assignment had been successfully completed, but the editor-in-chief suddenly approached me angrily. My colleagues exchanged worried glances. “Jack, you actually want to be a war correspondent? You did an excellent job on this assignment. Once the article is published you’re due for a promotion and raise. You’re my most talented reporter with a bright future ahead. I really don’t understand why you’re doing this.” “Give me one good reason.” I smiled bitterly. “Because I don’t want to stay in Shanghai anymore.” After a night of drinking and smoking, my voice was terribly hoarse. The editor frowned hearing it. “Why have you done this to yourself?” “Boss, please just do me this one favor.” I looked up at him, my eyes bloodshot. I took some time off. As soon as I left the office, I saw a familiar Maserati parked nearby. Tara strode over, her brow furrowed with irritation. “Jack, what happened? Why haven’t you been answering my calls?” “Do you know I’ve been looking for you all night?” I spread my hands. “I only brought my work phone. The one at home got broken by accident.” My voice was nasal and hoarse. Tara noticed immediately. “You’re sick and didn’t tell me? Haven’t you been taking care of yourself these past few days at home?” Seeing her concerned expression, I felt even more bitter inside. In the past, I definitely would have played up being pitiful, just to see how much she cared. But now, remembering the scene of her passionately kissing Henry, I just felt nauseated. Tara drove me home, took my temperature, and sure enough I had a high fever. After taking medicine, I lay in bed. Tara slipped under the covers, her soft, supple body pressed tightly against me. But I didn’t have any other thoughts. “Jack, are you mad at me? Why won’t you talk to me?” “Are you upset I was gone too long this time?” Tara made to kiss me, but I dodged. “I’m still sick.” Her gaze fell on the nightstand. “Why did you take off that diamond brooch? Wasn’t it your favorite?” Yes, I used to love that brooch because Tara gave it to me. It was supposed to be one-of-a-kind. Now I knew even this handmade brooch had an identical twin, worn by her real husband. How laughable. “I put it away.” My attitude was cold. Tara lost interest and got up to leave. Tara received several strange calls that she angrily hung up on. When I asked who it was, she just said they were spam calls. I gave a soft “oh” and didn’t press further, because I knew it was her lawful husband Henry calling.

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I discovered that my husband had secretly bought an apartment for his childhood sweetheart right above our home. He was literally cheating on me under my nose. Later, a fire broke out in our building due to faulty equipment. As we were fleeing for our lives, I stumbled upon their dirty secret. They joined forces and pushed me into the raging flames. As my soul left my body, I watched from above as the true colors of these evil people, hidden beneath their human facades, were revealed. Perhaps due to the weight of my grievances, heaven granted me a second chance. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself at my wedding with Jack. The wedding hall was packed with guests. Jack, standing opposite me, said with deep emotion, “I do.” But I hesitated, the bouquet slipping from my hands and falling to the ground. Just a moment ago, I had been floating above my own funeral, watching as my husband and his mistress, who had murdered me with their own hands, plotted to seize my family’s assets. They were even discussing using a jade pendant to suppress my soul. Unable to contain my rage, I had lunged at them, seeking revenge, only to be sucked into the jade pendant. And now, I had opened my eyes to find myself back at my wedding to Jack. The overwhelming sense of unreality made me uneasy. I needed to do something to prove this wasn’t a dream. In the next second, a sharp crack rang out, silencing the entire hall. Against the backdrop of sweet background music, Jack’s face was turned to one side by the force of my slap. Only when I felt the stinging pain in my palm did I dare to believe that heaven had truly given me a second chance. From great sorrow to great joy, I suddenly burst out laughing like a madwoman. Jack, his face slightly swollen from the slap, showed no anger. Instead, he came over to check on me, concern evident in his voice. “Lily, what’s wrong?” My parents rushed up from their seats, examining me anxiously. Seeing my parents again, my heart softened. I hugged them tearfully, choking out an apology. “Mom, Dad, I’m so sorry.” Not understanding the situation, they embraced me unconditionally, trying to comfort me. “Sweetie, if you’re unhappy, we can call off the wedding,” they offered. I almost agreed, but then my eyes met Jack’s. His face was half white, half red, as he stood rigidly to one side. Averting my gaze, I noticed my mother-in-law sitting in the family section, looking equally tense. In the fire, I had sworn that if given the chance, I would make them suffer a thousand times more than I had. For now, I needed to let the wedding continue. I explained to my parents, “It’s nothing. I just realized how immature I’ve been and how much trouble I’ve caused you.” My parents believed me and returned to their seats, reassured by my words. I took the microphone from the officiant. Taking advantage of the tears still in my eyes, I forced a choked voice and explained to Jack. “I was just overwhelmed with emotion. I love you so much that I was afraid this wedding might be a dream. I’m sorry, Jack.” My declaration made Jack relax his tense posture. He wiped away my tears and spoke with gentle magnanimity. “Lily, this isn’t a dream. We’ll be happy together.” I nodded emotionally and said the words he was waiting to hear: “I do.” Jack hugged me excitedly, as if clutching a precious treasure. But now, I knew clearly that I wasn’t his treasure. I was just a stepping stone, a ladder for Jack to climb higher. I would make that stepping stone trip him up, let him climb the ladder only to fall hard from the top!

After the wedding, the three of us returned to our new home. Yes, three of us – me, Jack, and my mother-in-law. In my previous life, Jack and I had planned to buy a house for his mother in the countryside. But after seeing our new apartment, she changed her mind and insisted on living with us. The apartment my parents gave me as a wedding gift was a large luxury flat, more than spacious enough for three people. Unable to withstand my mother-in-law’s fuss, I agreed to let her stay. But that decision nearly drove me to depression. She was incredibly petty, raising her voice to argue with me over the slightest things. Whenever I talked back, she would throw tantrums, using every underhanded trick in the book. She even spread rumors in the neighborhood that I was a terrible daughter-in-law, making it impossible for me to show my face in the community chat group. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, I moved with Jack to the smaller apartment he had bought with his own money. Now that I think about it, I was such a fool. This was clearly a scheme cooked up by mother and son, forcing me to live in a small apartment where I would be cheated on, while my mother-in-law enjoyed the spacious flat. This time around, I planned to deal with my mother-in-law first. “Mother, I’ve been thinking about what you said before. You’re absolutely right – we shouldn’t let outsiders benefit from our resources,” I said sweetly. “From now on, I’ll give you the money we would have spent on a housekeeper, plus some extra for household expenses. You can manage everything.” My mother-in-law agreed joyfully, even praising me for being good with money. I smiled coldly inside, waiting for her to make a mess of things. On my mother-in-law’s first day in charge: For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the meals were far from what I had requested. Breakfast: soy milk and fried dough sticks. I said nothing. Lunch: noodles with sauce. I remained silent. Dinner: plain porridge with pickled vegetables. Still, I kept quiet. The next morning, the cycle repeated. Breakfast: again, soy milk and fried dough sticks, even less than yesterday. I stood at the dining table, looking coldly at my mother-in-law. “Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?” Feeling emboldened by Jack’s presence, my mother-in-law didn’t even bother to feign embarrassment. She was brazenly self-righteous. “Soy milk and fried dough sticks are good enough for breakfast. All that fancy stuff you told me about, I can’t remember it all.” “Back when Jack and I were poor, we ate even worse than this. People should learn to be content.” Ignoring her, I turned to Jack. “Jack, is your mother suggesting that I should suffer along with you? Is that it?” “I married you, and I can’t even have a decent meal. Is that what you’re saying?” Jack looked uncomfortable and was about to explain when his mother cut him off sharply. “You’re just a spoiled princess! What’s wrong with soy milk and fried dough sticks? Didn’t you eat them yesterday? Did they poison you?” This time, I didn’t let Jack speak either. “Fine, I can eat it. But since we’re cutting back on expenses, give me back the extra money for groceries.” At the mention of money, my mother-in-law jumped as if stung, her eyes bulging. “With transportation and labor costs, there’s no extra money!” I crossed my arms and stared at her directly, spelling it out clearly. “Transportation doesn’t cost that much, and labor is your salary, which isn’t included. If every meal is going to be at the level of soy milk and fried dough sticks, you need to return at least $700 to me.” As my mother-in-law tried to argue, Jack suddenly interrupted loudly, “Mom! Listen to Lily.” Jack didn’t understand his mother as well as I did. To her, money was more important than her son’s words. She couldn’t hear a thing he said. Sure enough, my mother-in-law burst into tears, pointing at us and shouting. “I’ve never seen such a daughter-in-law, demanding money from her elders! The woman you married is too much, and now even the son I raised with my own hands doesn’t side with his old mother. What a disgrace to the family!” She waved her arms wildly, crying and complaining as if we had committed some terrible crime. As this farce unfolded, I went to our room to get my bag. Jack stopped me. “Lily, where are you going?” “Home,” I replied. “This is your home,” he insisted. I laughed coldly, giving him a wordless look, then glancing at the old woman who was still wailing nonstop. Jack couldn’t withstand my mocking gaze and let go of me helplessly. Before leaving, I sneaked a glance at my mother-in-law on the floor. Beneath her fake crying, I caught a glimpse of a sly, satisfied smile. Hah, laugh while you can. Your time for real tears will come.

I enjoyed a comfortable life at my parents’ home, eating and sleeping well. The only discomfort came from Jack’s daily phone calls and messages. That evening, I received Jack’s call right on schedule. But this time, when I answered, it wasn’t Jack’s voice – it was my mother-in-law’s. I remained silent, waiting for her to speak first. After some muffled prompting in the background, my mother-in-law started speaking haltingly. “This time… it was my fault. I’ll… give you back the money. I’ll cook better meals from now on. Please come back.” Then Jack’s voice came on the line. “Lily, Mom knows she was wrong. Please come home. It’s not good for you to stay away for so long. My parents already have issues with me, and if you keep this up, they’ll look down on me even more.” The truth was, whether I returned home or not didn’t really matter. What mattered was that Jack was afraid my father would give him a hard time at work. Understanding his ulterior motives, I remained silent, not responding to him. Jack softened his voice, using the approach that had always worked on me before. “Lily, I’ve missed you so much these past few days.” Hearing this, I felt a wave of disgust, goosebumps breaking out all over my skin. Afraid he might say something even more nauseating, I quickly agreed. “Alright, I’ll come back tomorrow afternoon.” The next day, I returned as promised. The table was laden with home-cooked dishes. While certainly not up to the standards of our previous housekeeper, it was a clear attempt at an apology. After the meal, my mother-in-law reluctantly returned the money to me. For the first few days after my return, my mother-in-law did a passable job with her duties. But by the fourth day, she gradually began to show her true colors. Lazy, sloppy, careless. One day, Jack came home with a face as dark as thunder. He went straight to the bathroom and spent a full hour washing up. At dinner, he questioned his mother, “Mom, how did you wash these clothes?” My mother-in-law feigned ignorance. “I wash them every day. What’s wrong?” I saw Jack put down his chopsticks with considerable force, barely containing his anger. “I’ve had a cold lately, so my sense of smell isn’t great. But today, wearing the clothes you washed, everyone at work avoided me. When I asked, they all said my clothes smelled awful. How could that happen if you wash them every day?” I had noticed the smell in the morning, but I hadn’t said anything. My mother-in-law had probably noticed too, but she didn’t dare admit it. Now that the truth was out, she still tried to defend herself. “With so many clothes to wash every day, it’s normal to forget one or two.” Jack gritted his teeth, struggling to control himself. “Mom, stop making excuses! Is it so hard to admit you made a mistake?” I was also struggling – struggling not to laugh out loud. The show of dogs biting dogs was about to begin. My mother-in-law exploded, standing up abruptly. “Fine! So now you’re finding fault with your old mother! When I raised you from a baby, changing your diapers and feeding you, you didn’t complain about how I did things. Now that you’ve grown up, you’re nitpicking everything your mother does…” Jack’s face grew darker and darker as his mother ranted. Spittle flying, my mother-in-law suddenly turned her anger towards me. “And you’re no better! Making me work all day, my back and legs aching. Don’t think you’re some princess! Take a good look at yourself before you start ordering me around. Both of you, ungrateful!” I stepped back to avoid her spray, but still tried to reason with her. “It’s not ordering you around, it’s just work that you’re paid for. If you really can’t handle it, don’t force yourself. I have high standards for my life, and Jack can’t lose face at work. By being so careless, you’re hurting both of us.” My mother-in-law’s face turned the color of a pig’s liver. “I’m hurting you? Jack, search your conscience! Has your mother ever hurt you?” With his mother being so unreasonable, Jack was about to lose his temper. “Mom, I couldn’t hold my head up in front of my colleagues today, all because of you. You’ve really gone too far this time!” This pushed my mother-in-law’s anger to the limit. Before either of us could react, she ran towards the front door. By the time we caught up with her, she was already downstairs in the community. My mother-in-law plopped herself down on the ground and began wailing at the top of her lungs. “Oh, what a miserable life I have! I worked myself to the bone to put my son through college, and now that he’s successful and married, he’s forgotten all his mother’s kindness. He’s ganging up with his wife to bully me!” Her dramatic performance attracted quite a crowd of neighbors. Some were watching from their windows, while others came down for a closer look. Remembering how the neighbors had criticized me in my previous life, I pushed Jack forward, sneering, “She’s your mother, you deal with her. I’m just the evil daughter-in-law, I won’t interfere in your family matters.” With that, I melted into the crowd of onlookers, washing my hands of the whole affair.

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As my stepfather grabbed my hair and slammed my head towards the toilet, Zack appeared out of nowhere and kicked him to the ground. My teenage hero was like a gust of wind, blowing through my entire youth. Later, on the eve of confessing my feelings, I overheard his conversation with his friends. “Zack, I heard that Olivia secretly kissed you last week. Tsk tsk, you actually let that metal-mouth kiss you?” Zack’s nonchalant voice drifted from the private room: “Girls like that who are desperate for love will come running with just a crook of your finger. Besides, you have no idea how thrilling it is to get a blowjob from metal-mouth.” As my stepfather slammed my head towards the toilet, Zachary appeared out of nowhere and kicked him to the ground. My teenage hero was like a gust of fresh wind, blowing through my entire youth. Later, on the eve of confessing my feelings, I overheard his conversation with his friends. “Zach, I heard that Olivia secretly kissed you last week. Tsk tsk, you actually let that metal-mouth kiss you?” Zachary’s nonchalant voice drifted from the private room: “Girls like that who are desperate for love will come running with just a crook of your finger. Besides, you have no idea how thrilling it is to get a blowjob from metal-mouth.” I never imagined Zachary could say such things. In my heart, he was almost a heroic figure. But now, the laughter floating out of the room was so sharp and cruel. This conversation full of insults and mockery continued. Zachary’s voice came through, thick with alcohol: “Do you know how metal-mouth secretly kissed me?” He laughed crudely and lightly touched the corner of his lips: “That day I was napping on my desk, and she suddenly leaned down and kissed me right here.” Amidst the clinking of beer bottles, someone hooted: “Ooh, Olivia’s been secretly in love with you for seven years, she finally couldn’t hold back anymore.” “But Zach, you really let her kiss you?” “It’s all the same with your eyes closed.” He let out a satisfied sigh: “Her neck is sensitive though, she trembles at the slightest touch.” My heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand. I clutched my clothes tightly, afraid my tears would fall. This wasn’t the Zachary I knew. When my stepfather violently grabbed my hair and slammed my head towards the toilet, Zachary had grabbed the back of my stepfather’s neck with one hand and kicked him to the ground. My teenage hero had a thin frame, wearing only a school uniform. But he was left with an eternal scar above his eyebrow. I curled up in the corner, crying and apologizing to him. The setting sun slanted in, but he just raised an eyebrow at me and said carelessly: “You did nothing wrong. You don’t need to apologize to anyone.” Zachary was like a flame ignited in the snow – it only took an instant to burn through a foolish girl’s heart. But now, through the crack in the door, his voice was so clear. “Her parents don’t even want her. Girls like that who are desperate for love will come running with just a crook of your finger.” He chuckled: “Metal-mouth’s blowjobs are really something…especially when she cries and says no…tsk tsk.” The room erupted in raucous laughter. My body suddenly stiffened, and the tears I had been holding back finally fell. That’s right, I had almost forgotten. In the seventh year of my secret love for Zachary, we were still just ordinary friends. But I had kissed him anyway. And he had slept with me anyway.

From our teenage years to working as adults, Zachary had countless admirers over the years. And I was just the most unremarkable one among them all. The only thing worth celebrating was that I was quite persistent. In the seventh year of my secret love, I had at least become his ordinary friend. For me, being friends was enough. Someone as wonderful as Zachary deserved a goddess. My best friend tried to persuade me: “Olivia, are you stupid? Why waste your best years pining after just Zachary?” But she didn’t understand that falling for Zachary was the most natural thing in the world. He accompanied me through dark alleys, and from then on I was no longer afraid of stray dogs barking on the street. He got into fights with those who spread rumors about me, and after that no one in class dared call me “big boobs” or “cow” anymore. He rented an apartment with heating for me, and from then on I no longer feared my father’s fists. There was no one in the world who treated me better than Zachary. Later I would often secretly watch him play basketball in the hallway. I loved the way he tilted his head back to drink water, loved how his sweat dripped down his neck and into his collar. Love was like a raging fire, and I retreated step by step, until I was burned to ashes. Only now do I understand that the fire in a boy’s eyes is not a fixed star. Those scars he got from fighting for me, the hand warmers he secretly slipped into my desk – they were just ashes falling as shooting stars burned out. But in that moment, I truly felt like I had touched the moon. My phone suddenly rang. It was a call from Zachary. I answered, and his voice came through, slurred with alcohol: “Olivia, we agreed you’d come for my birthday today. Why aren’t you here yet?” “Everyone’s waiting for you. If you don’t come, my birthday won’t be any fun.” The drunk man whined at me: “And don’t forget to bring the scarf you knitted for me.” “I don’t care what anyone else gives me, I just want your gift.” I gave a bitter smile. Knitting a scarf as a birthday gift for your boyfriend had become popular on TikTok. At the time, Zachary had tagged me, strongly demanding that I knit one for him. “Come on Olivia, please agree? You know how much I hate the cold.” What cold could a 6-foot-tall man possibly be afraid of? I couldn’t refuse him, and it took me three months to barely manage to knit something resembling a scarf. I used to be best at handicrafts. But it had been so long since I picked up knitting needles, my technique was rusty. But he had forgotten – the video said this was for knitting a scarf for your boyfriend. And Zachary and I were just ordinary friends. I looked at the crooked, misshapen scarf in my hands. “Zachary, I have something to do, so I won’t be able to come celebrate your birthday.” “The scarf turned out really ugly, you probably wouldn’t like it anyway. I’ll just throw it away.” I hung up the phone. I had no home, no family. Back when we took the college entrance exams, I had scored over 30 points higher than him, but I willingly changed my major from fashion design to finance. All these years, I had treated wherever Zachary was as my home. But without love, this city was just too cold. I bought a plane ticket to Paris on my phone. Let’s just say that $1500 bought out my seven years of youth.

Ever since I threw away Zachary’s scarf, he never messaged me again. I knew he was angry with me. In the past, I would have coaxed him at times like this. But this time I didn’t want to bother anymore. Until our mutual friend Jack called me. “Olivia, you absolutely can’t miss this gathering. Listen, Zachary wants to introduce someone to us. As his friend, you can’t refuse to show your face, right?” Friend. Always just a friend. Even though I had secretly loved Zachary for so long, they were still certain that someone like him would never look twice at me. After a while, I reluctantly agreed. Zachary, let this be the last time I see you. I arrived early at the agreed restaurant, but the guest of honor was late to arrive. The restaurant was decorated very elegantly, with cute balloons even stuck to the walls. They had Hello Kitty designs. A shameful flutter of excitement suddenly rose in my heart. All these years, I was the only female friend Zachary had. For holidays and special occasions, he always gave me Hello Kitty gifts. He said I looked just like Hello Kitty, especially cute. But now, his whole group of friends were gathered around, and they had even queued up “Marry Me” to play. I unconsciously clenched my fists. My heart was pounding loudly. Zachary couldn’t be planning to confess to me, could he? “Sorry I’m late, everyone.” A lazy voice drifted over. I instinctively turned to look. The overhead lights shone on Zachary’s neatly trimmed hair as he greeted us, holding a girl’s hand. The girl had a face like a first love – very pretty. She shyly hid behind him. Zachary ruffled her hair and whispered something in her ear. Her face suddenly turned red, and she playfully hit Zachary. “This is my girlfriend, Tessa.” He sat down casually, pulling the girl with him. The private room immediately erupted in teasing shouts. “Ooh, so this is our little sister-in-law? She’s so cute!” I was stunned for a long time, unable to react. Belatedly, a sour feeling welled up in my nose. I was so stupid to think he was going to confess to me. I had thought that the reason Zachary hadn’t dated anyone all these years was at least partly because of me. Even if it was just a tiny part. But I had forgotten – he didn’t like me at all. Jack slammed his beer bottle on the table: “Zach, you’re not being fair! Isn’t this your high school deskmate? Come on, tell the truth, did you have a secret crush on her back then?” The teasing grew even louder. Someone switched the music from “Marry Me” to “Marry You”. Along with the music, Zachary cursed with a red face: “What are you talking about?! If I liked her in high school, why would it take until now to get her?” Someone pushed me. “Olivia, you were closest to Zachary in high school. Tell us, did he like little sis-in-law back then?” The laughter filling the room felt like shards of glass stabbing my ears. I forced my lips into a slight curve: “Is that so? I might not remember clearly. After all, Zachary and I were just ordinary friends.” It felt like a dull knife was cutting into my chest. How could I possibly not remember clearly when it came to Zachary? But back then, it wasn’t Zachary who liked Tessa, it was Tessa who liked Zachary. Unlike me, Tessa was open and direct about liking Zachary. Passing love notes, giving chocolates, causing a stir throughout the class. Zachary found her annoying and warned her off several times. In the end, when he really couldn’t stand her anymore, he used me as a shield. “Tessa, I already like someone.” The boy had one hand in his pocket as he casually put an arm around me. “Olivia isn’t even pretty, what do you like about her?” Zachary’s expression suddenly darkened: “I just like her, okay? It’s none of your business.” Tessa ran back to the classroom crying and never bothered him again after that. In that moment, I thought there must have been a grain of truth in Zachary’s joking words. Otherwise, why use me as a shield instead of someone else? But now it seems that was just thoughtless words spoken in our youth. They could be blown away by the slightest breeze. But I had foolishly taken them to heart. In the private room, they had started playing truth or dare. Zachary had lost several rounds and was drunkenly leaning against Tessa. His eyes were gentle, his expression adoring. He was just like that 17-year-old boy again. He and Tessa were whispering about something, and he leaned down to kiss her cheek. I couldn’t watch anymore and fled the room like a deserter.

I hadn’t gone far from the private room when someone called out to me. “Olivia! Zach says you forgot something!” Zach. She said his name so intimately. I turned around to see Tessa, out of breath from running after me. “Here.” A dirty Hello Kitty keychain lay in her hand. “Zach said to return this to you.” She pouted: “I don’t know why a grown man would have a Hello Kitty keychain on his car keys. It’s so ugly.” She gave me a challenging smile: “But I got him a Hermès keychain instead, and he seems to really like it.” “This one is just too old and tacky.” I stared blankly at the keychain. In high school, when Zachary won an award in the physics competition, he had begged me to make him a little keychain. “Olivia, will you make me a Hello Kitty one?” “That way, when I hang it on my backpack, it’ll be like you’re with me.” Later when his career took off, the keychain moved from his backpack to his car keys. All these years, even as it got worn and damaged, he had never replaced it. But now he had taken it off his car keys. It felt like there was a hole in my heart, with the wind whistling through. I suddenly felt so tired. It was like a reminder – Olivia, your memories with him were just a huge illusion. I pressed my lips together, then suddenly smiled: “It is pretty old. If you don’t want it anymore, just throw it away.” Even though Zachary and I had never actually been together, his home was filled with traces of our life together. My toothbrush, my slippers, my makeup. He said it was more convenient that way, so I could stay over if we hung out late. But now that he had a girlfriend, I should clear out my things completely. As if I had never been part of his life at all. While packing up my things from Zachary’s place, I suddenly found a torn piece of lingerie. Black lace, very sexy. My thoughts drifted back to seven years ago. Puberty had hit me hard, bringing with it pointless mockery and insults. The thin school uniform couldn’t hide my overwhelming insecurity. My mom had run off with someone else long ago, and my so-called father did nothing but yell at me and hit me. I wore my mother’s old bras, hunched over, barely surviving amidst my classmates’ taunts. Until one day Zachary secretly slipped me a box. “I looked it up…you should wear this from now on…” The boy stared at the ground, his face red and uncomfortable. When I got home, I realized what Zachary had given me. It was a training bra. Pink, with Hello Kitty printed on it. Very cute. There was a thoughtful little note attached: “Those guys making crude jokes are disgusting. Olivia, don’t pay any attention to them.” Later when I grew up, I could no longer fit into that training bra. I kept it buried at the bottom of my closet, as if telling me I had finally escaped that damp, miserable adolescence. I grew to love beauty more, got braces, and switched to sexier lingerie. That way I could be a more suitable friend for Zachary. Until that drunken night when I mumbled to him: “Zachary, I really like you so much.” He was asleep, the sunlight shining on the scar above his eyebrow. I gently kissed it. Even now, I still hate that kiss. It broke down some barrier between Zachary and me. Things spiraled out of control after that. Zachary hadn’t actually been asleep at all. He opened his eyes, his gaze dark and intense. My heart dropped. Great, now we couldn’t even be friends anymore. But he suddenly kissed me roughly. That kiss burned away seven years of hurt and resentment, as if trying to make up for all the heartbeats we had missed. Zachary pressed me down, conquering every inch. By the end I could only curl up in his arms, crying softly. He chuckled and stroked my face, saying quietly: “Olivia, you’re so sensitive.” I thought my seven years of unrequited love had finally paid off. Blushing, I asked him: “Zachary, what are we now?” But he just raised an eyebrow carelessly: “Friends, of course.” “Though Olivia, I never realized how soft you were before.”

The memories left a bitter taste. I pressed my lips together and threw the lingerie in the trash. Just as I finished packing, the front door opened. The person who came in was drunk, stumbling towards me. It was Zachary. His face was flushed red as he slurred: “Olivia, why have you been ignoring me lately?” Zachary staggered and crashed into me, dangling a dirty keychain in front of my face. “Look, I picked up the trash you threw away.” It was snowing heavily outside. He had an intricately knit English plaid scarf around his neck. Hand-knitted, very delicate, with a little peach embroidered on it. I suddenly remembered the scarf I had knitted for Zachary. Very crude stitching, hideously ugly. But I had to admit, the scarf Tessa knitted suited him better. Zachary came closer and closer. I could clearly see the scar above his eyebrow. That was a hero’s medal. But only now did I realize that some people’s heroic dreams survive by feeding on others’ sincere hearts. “Tessa was just joking with you. She knows this keychain means a lot to me, since it was the first gift you ever gave me…” He suddenly hugged me, murmuring in my ear: “Sweet Olivia, let me hold you. I’m a bit drunk.” So what was I then? I shoved him away hard, tears falling uncontrollably: “Zachary, you have a girlfriend now. We’ve crossed a line.” He froze, then suddenly gave a mocking smile: “So what if I have a girlfriend? Does that stop you from still liking me?” In that instant, my heart turned upside down. I had always thought my feelings were so quiet and subtle. But it turns out Zachary wasn’t completely oblivious – he knew everything. He just enjoyed my affection for him. Because he knew my love came free of charge. It hurt so much. Too much. “Zachary.” I pried his fingers off one by one: “I don’t want to like you anymore.” I wiped my tears and clutched the boarding pass in my hand. “I won’t be coming back to this so-called home either.”

The boarding gate was crowded. As soon as I turned on my phone, it was flooded with missed calls from Zachary. I closed my eyes for a moment, then turned off my phone. In the past, I was always the one calling Zachary. On the rare occasions when he called me first, I would be overjoyed. Now seeing all these missed calls just irritated me. At 30,000 feet in the air, the light breaking through the clouds stung my eyes. I suddenly remembered altering Zachary’s school uniform when we were 17. He had hit a growth spurt then, and his uniform never quite fit right. After I finished the alterations, he blinked at me, his eyes crinkled with a smile: “Olivia, you were born to be a designer!” Back then he said he wanted me to be his personal designer for life. We let our imaginations run wild, with all of youth ahead of us to paint our dreams. In the blink of an eye, seven years had passed. He was still as carefree and unrestrained as before, but I had lost the courage to keep accompanying him. We had journeyed together for a while, but now I needed to look ahead. I had wanted to go to Paris for a long time. My earliest dreams were buried there. I wanted to create clothing that more girls would love. Designs that wouldn’t make them criticize their own bodies, but help them accept themselves more openly. I spent the happiest month of my life in Paris. The city was vast, with no bitter unrequited love, able to contain all my dreams and ambitions. Practice makes perfect – I quickly got the hang of design and was hired as a junior designer at a company. The design director at the company was very kind to me. Even when my designs weren’t perfect, he would patiently guide me. He was very similar to how Zachary used to be. Equally proud and willful, wild and unrestrained. But Christopher had a gentleness that Zachary lacked. These past few days I had been unsatisfied with the design sketches in my hands. I thought Christopher would make me redo them, but he snatched the sketches from me instead. The mixed-race man leaned against the doorframe, a black turtleneck sweater hugging his long neck: “Narrow this part by two inches.” Christopher’s suggestion hit the nail on the head. I jumped up and grabbed the sketches back from him. “Christopher, you’re amazing!” He snorted with laughter: “Well, the student has to have the talent to understand.” “Sometimes when you’re stuck, don’t force yourself. Want me to help you find some inspiration?” Christopher raised an eyebrow at me. “Sure.” I heard the cheerfulness in my own voice. In an old bookstore by the Seine, he gently turned the pages of a book. A bittersweet feeling welled up inside me. This scene was so beautiful, like being back at age 17 again. At 17, Zachary hated studying but often pestered me to tutor him. But he would always end up falling asleep. Now as Christopher flipped through the book pages, the way the wind ruffled his hair, even the corners of his eyes and brows – it all looked just like 17-year-old Zachary. I pressed my lips together, but Christopher tapped my head with the book. “What are you thinking about so intently?” He suddenly turned his head, his nose almost brushing my ear: “Olivia, all the clothes you design are saying the same thing.” “What’s that?” My voice was a bit hoarse. “You can’t see me.” He smiled and patted my head. An indescribable ache burst in my chest. Just as I was about to say something, my phone rang. I accidentally hit the speakerphone button. A young man’s voice filled the bookstore. “It’s raining in Paris.” It was Zachary. A random statement, but tinged with a hint of grievance. My fingers unconsciously fiddled with the edge of a book page: “How do you know it’s raining in Paris?” Mixed with the sound of rain, his low chuckle came through the receiver: “Turn around.” The stained glass windows reflected a tall figure. Zachary stood in the rain, his voice low on the other end of the phone: “Olivia, you found a new man so quickly?”

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Everyone believed that my husband, Felix Hastings, was as cold, distant, untouchable as a glacier. But he chased me for ten long years, like a dog on a leash. When I got shoved into a blazing inferno, he ditched his multi-million-dollar assets and jumped in after me without a second thought. Reborn, I was done being the cold-hearted woman who took him for granted. This time, I was going all in to love him. Only problem? He seemed to have come back from the dead, too. “Amelia, you still think you can boss me around like a mutt? Just like the old days?” He cornered me against the wall, hurling the divorce agreement into my chest and saying that he’d never, ever take me back. When I was eleven, someone snapped five of my fingers. From that day on, I swore I’d claw my way to the top, no matter how dirty the tricks got. I ended up doing some seriously messed-up stuff, and it came back to bite me. Then, I got shoved into a blazing inferno. As the fire closed in, my mind went blank. Then, a white figure rushed in and hugged me tightly. It was Felix, my husband, the one man who loved me deeply. He had no flaws, except that I was his only weakness. When we burned to ashes together, I vowed that if there was a next life, I’d give him my whole heart.

“This is the divorce agreement. “Sign it.” The dazzling lights made my head spin. Felix’s eyes dropped, hiding the arctic chill inside. “Felix. “Please don’t.” I reached for his hand, where his blue veins stood out prominently, but he yanked it back sharply. It’d been exactly one hour and forty-one minutes since I’d woken up in this new life. Suddenly, I felt relieved. Finally, he’d seen me for the con artist I was, using him for his money and his heart. He was done with me.

I sat in the bakery, peering through the thin glass at Felix and a girl inside the school across the street. He had no idea I was spying on him. The girl almost leaned against him while he was helping her work through a problem. This time around, he should figure out who was truly good-hearted and innocent. Still, I propped my chin in my hand and fired off a message to the girl. [Debra, why are you trying to seduce my husband?]

Debra Cooper was my younger sister. In truth, she was the family’s biological daughter while I was the adopted one. Her mother found me on a stormy night when I was twelve. Everyone called it a coincidence, but I knew better. To ensure Debra’s mother would take in the pitiful orphan me, I purposely broke my leg. I craved wealth, glory, and status, anything to never again feel that bone-deep shame of poverty. Debra was brought back by the Cooper family at sixteen. She’d always been kind, innocent, and pure. Everything I fought tooth and nail for was handed to her on a silver platter. So, I resented her. Why should she skate through life without ever feeling the sting of the gutter?

Indeed, I was evil. That was why I endured a living hell in my past life. Maybe Debra truly was the goddess-like girl everyone made her out to be. I must have provoked the gods. Now, in this second chance, the only man who ever warmed my cold world has turned his back on me. I was huddled on the sofa, fixated on the divorce agreement on the coffee table. [Felix, will you be back tonight?] Four hours had elapsed, and there was still no response. Felix had always been the epitome of aloofness. His friends constantly joked that he was as cold as ice. But in our previous life, I saw him differently. I treated him like my loyal dog. He’d come running at the mere scent of me, nuzzling up and always eager to hold my hand. Back then, instead of ignoring my messages, he’d respond with tenfold the words I sent. Now, everything had changed. A message popped up. I immediately checked it, assuming it was from Felix. To my disappointment, it was from Debra, accompanied by a picture. [Amelia, I have no intention of seducing Felix.] [I want to assist you in managing my father’s company, so he’s just introducing me to some people.] In the photo, she was beaming, standing beside Felix, and they looked every bit like a perfect match.

I must have called Felix over a dozen times. He didn’t answer any of them and eventually blocked my number. He was terrible at socializing, a pure academic at heart. In our last life, to grab some shares from Debra’s father’s company, I asked Felix to cozy up to people from pharmaceutical firms. He did it without a single word of complaint. I never once considered how he, a professor at a prestigious university who was always so lofty and proud, stooped to begging those people for help. I vividly remembered one incident from the past. I’d clinched a deal, got drunk, and called him to pick me up. The private room was filled with important figures. Lounging on the sofa, I watched the white figure shuffle towards me and called him over with a whistle, as if coaxing a dog. Felix, a highly respected medical professor who’d never bowed to anyone, was being mocked by me in public. I must have felt so smug back then. Everyone thought he’d storm out in anger. But what did Felix do? He approached me, gracefully squatted down, held my ankle, and put my dangling heels on me. Then, he glanced up at me, his handsome face like a work of art. “It’s getting cold at night. Don’t catch a chill. “Amy.”

Felix used to call me Amy. But since we were reborn, he hadn’t uttered that name once. ***** I was a light sleeper, so when Felix came home, I woke up. I lay still, curious to see what he would do when he found me seemingly asleep. But Felix did nothing. He walked past me, not even bothering to cover me with a blanket. I sat up and threw the divorce agreement at his back. He paused, his back muscles taut and his posture elegant. “Don’t damage it. “If I redraft it, you’ll get a lot less.” The moonlight filtered into the room. I spotted Felix’s calm expression and his deep, cold eyes. “I won’t sign.” I glared at him defiantly. He seemed to have expected this, nodding calmly. “Fine. We’ll settle this in court.” “Felix, you’re a damn jerk!” I lunged at him, but he overpowered me with ease. Under the crescent moon, he pinned me down onto the sofa and gripped my neck without tenderness. I bit the soft spot between his thumb and forefinger, but he remained unfazed, as if he couldn’t feel the pain. Then, he suddenly released me, his knuckles brushing gently across my cheek. [You can cry, huh?] With that cryptic, indifferent remark, Felix left me alone in the living room. I pressed my hands hard against my eyes, as if that could stop the tears from welling up. “Don’t leave me.” This was a plea I’d vowed never to say again since I was ten years old.

I refused to sign the divorce agreement. The very next day, Felix pulled out of every single collaboration that involved me. A huge chunk of the Hastings family fortune was tied up in the medical industry, and as a top-notch academic in that field, he had the power to make a big impact. To be honest, in my past life, I married him because I saw the advantages. I knew Felix was done with me, but when I found out he had handed over all those projects to Debra, it still broke my heart. At the same time, I couldn’t really blame him. In our previous life, he was aware that Debra was the innocent one, while I was the one who used underhanded tactics to get what I wanted. But his decision to cut ties with me was like a warning to everyone else in the business. Suddenly, I was left all alone, with no one to support me. ***** I decided to try and win Felix back. [Felix, are you at school?] [I made some lunch. Can I bring it to you?] Never expecting him to fall back in love with me, I just hoped he’d remember the good times we’d had and not be too harsh on me. Staring at my phone, waiting for a reply that didn’t come, I felt so embarrassed. Even after our huge argument the day before, when it came to my own interests, I was still willing to beg him for help. I planned to cook Felix a nice meal and take it to him myself. But then I realized that I had no idea what he liked to eat. He, on the other hand, probably knew every single one of my preferences by heart. After all, in our past life, one of his favorite things to do was spoil me with delicious food. I wasn’t really that picky, but I loved winding him up. “Felix, this spaghetti’s as tough as shoe leather. “Ugh, now it’s mush! No one will like it. “Felix, you know I don’t like spicy food. “Wait, since when did you start cooking such bland food?” Only once did I truly rile Felix up. He fixed me with a grave stare and asked icily, “Amy, do you really think I’ll always be here for you, no matter what?” I looked down at my nails and replied, “Then leave.” And he did. He stormed out into the freezing 32-degree Fahrenheit chill without so much as a coat, proof he was furious. Later that day, I texted: [Felix, I miss you.] The door flew open almost instantly. Felix hauled me into his arms, the bite of the outdoors still clinging to his skin. His face buried in my neck, he murmured, “Yes. I’ll always be here for you.” In my past life, wrapping Felix around my finger had been more effortless than training a dog. ***** After the third time I cut my hand and stared at the charred wreck in the pan, I came back to my senses. It dawned on me that cooking was a talent I’d never inherited. I ordered from Culinary Delights instead and then artfully arranged the food in a lunch box. Felix might not tell the difference between my “home-cooked” meal and takeout, anyway.

Sorry, Amelia. “I had no clue you were bringing Professor Hastings lunch, too. “He’s already digging into what I made…” Debra blocked my path, looking like a deer caught in headlights. “He’s my husband,” I said with a smirk, watching her hand ball into fists inside her sleeves. ***** “Felix.” I planted myself in front of him as he wolfed down his meal. When he ignored me, I snatched the fork from his hand and swapped out his lunch box for mine. He stared at the food for a beat and then at me. “Check it out.” I shoved my bandage-wrapped hand in his face. “Three cuts, all for you. “I spent a long time preparing the meal. At least give it a try?” I met Felix’s calm gaze. But he seemed heartbroken. He sighed, “Amelia, this looks exactly like the stuff from Culinary Delights. Did you copy their recipes?” I played dumb, shooting back, “Felix, just tell me if you’re gonna eat it or not!” I was so used to him caving whenever I got mad. But I’d forgotten that we weren’t the same people as before. Still, he bent his head and started spooning up the clam chowder, gobbling it down like he used to do whatever I asked. After finishing the meal, he watched me as I bent down to tidy up the lunch box for the first time. “Amelia,” he said, his voice as cold as ice water. “I’m allergic to seafood. “Two lifetimes, and you still can’t remember that.” I froze and glanced up at Felix in shock. He held out his wrist, where the blue veins stood out sharply, already covered in angry red rashes. “Will you be happy only when you’ve tortured me to death?” Felix had a life-threatening seafood allergy. Within minutes of his wrist first flushing red, coughing fits wracked him, quickly escalating to labored, gasping breaths.

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On our fifth wedding anniversary, Emily went hiking and didn’t return all night. It was pouring rain, and I was frantic with worry. After alerting the police, I organized a search party. We discovered her sharing a sleeping bag with her childhood friend, Alex, both enveloped in a close embrace and a kiss. When she saw me, she had an explanation ready. “He has a congenital heart condition, and I was afraid he’d get hypothermia, so I stayed with him!” Alex clutched his chest, feigning distress. “Don’t be angry with her; she was just concerned for me…” I noticed her clothes, including intimate wear, scattered beside the sleeping bag. With a sardonic smile, I taunted them. “You two have been friends since childhood, so is sharing a sleeping bag a big deal? Mind if I join?” When I said this, my friends who had come to search with me couldn’t help but snicker. Despite being soaked by the rain and anxious over Fiona’s disappearance, witnessing their kiss left me feeling hollow. Fiona glared at me, her face flushed with anger, a silver thread at the corner of her mouth from their hasty separation. “Jude, what do you mean by that? Are you doubting me?” I applauded her performance with a cold smile. “How could I doubt you? Why not consider my suggestion?” Beyond witnessing their kiss, I saw Fiona’s underwear among the clothes. Before Fiona could respond, someone came to her defense. “Jude, you can’t talk like that. Fiona is a doctor. She must be worried about Gideon.” It was Fiona’s best friend, speaking as if I were the one being unreasonable. I glanced at her, then stepped forward to pick up Fiona’s bra from the pile, waving it around. Her expression froze, wanting to speak but remaining silent. “I never knew that not wearing clothes is the best way to stay warm.” “Having just me isn’t enough for a woman like you, apparently.” I said coldly, mocking her. Fiona was furious and shouted back. “Shut up! I’m your wife; how dare you speak to me like that?!” She trembled, trying to snatch the underwear from me but failing. Fiona looked at me in disbelief, as if seeing me for the first time. I used to be completely under her control, doing everything she asked because I loved her. But this incident shattered everything, leaving nothing to ignore. “Fiona, don’t be mad.” At this point, Gideon coughed a few times, holding his chest. He emerged from the sleeping bag in his underwear, handing her a jacket. Fiona was all about Gideon, heartbroken by his cough. “Gideon, I’m fine. It’s your health we should be worried about…” Then she rebuked me, “See, I was really worried about Gideon’s health, and you still doubt me!” I felt exhausted, not even wanting to argue anymore. Gideon coughed, and she was heartbroken, but I searched for her for hours in soaked clothes, ignored by her. I used to overlook this double standard, but now I’m curious how I endured it. “Never mind. After we divorce, you’ll have all the time to care for Gideon. How you care for him then is none of my business.” The word “divorce” made Fiona pause and frown at me. “It’s just a small thing; why talk about divorce?” I chuckled, mocking her. “Of course, to make it easier for you to care for Gideon. If he’s a doctor’s family member, it’s more convenient, right?” “By the way, after that kiss, check for STDs.” “Don’t involve me in that mess.” Gideon turned pale and fainted at my words. Fiona ignored everything else, got up, and grabbed the clothes from me to put on. She glared at me, full of hatred, and slapped me. “Jude, if something happens to Gideon, I won’t let you off!” “You’ll be a murderer!” Fiona called 911 and took Gideon to the hospital. I stood there, the sting from her slap making me painfully aware. I laughed bitterly. When we first got together, I had checked on Gideon. He doesn’t have a heart condition; it was all an act. Yet even an act could fool Fiona completely. When I returned home, dawn was breaking. The rain left me dizzy, so I took medicine and slept. Half-asleep, I heard the door open.

Fiona approached the bed, reeking of alcohol. The smell made me wrinkle my nose. Didn’t she take Gideon to the hospital? Why is she back drunk? Before I could figure it out, she pulled me up forcefully. “Jude, what’s gotten into you today? Why did you say those things in front of everyone?” “Why argue with a patient? Don’t you have any empathy?” Fiona’s face was flushed, acting all wronged. She questioned me as if she hadn’t been in a sleeping bag with Gideon. Being yanked from sleep, I naturally wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries. Besides, I was done with her, not planning to have any more ties. She was always so proud, thinking I was her loyal dog, no matter how she hurt me, I’d stick around. But seeing her kiss Gideon, my blood froze. I dared not imagine what I’d see if I had come later. Seeing my silence, she angrily pointed at me and shouted. “You almost gave Gideon a heart attack, and you’re playing silent?!” I looked at Fiona and coldly replied. “Aren’t I just helping you two out? You even went hiking and slept together.” “Didn’t you say if he hadn’t left, you would’ve married him? We divorce, I give him the spot, isn’t that good?” Fiona hesitated, not expecting me to bring up the past. “What nonsense! Gideon and I grew up together, there’s nothing like that!” “We slept together as kids, why can’t you let it go!” She angrily threw a gift box at my face. “Even bought you a gift to make up!” The box hit my nose, blood dripping, staining the tie that fell out. I looked at the tie and sighed. I’ve received seven or eight identical ties. Seeing my nosebleed, Fiona panicked, trying to wipe it but I stopped her. Seeing me hurt, she softened her tone. “Jude, I don’t want to fight. Let’s each take a step back and move on.” “I promise, once Gideon is well, I’ll leave him alone.” This was the first time she lowered herself, at the cost of my injury. Hearing her say she’d leave Gideon, I chuckled. “Stop giving him those prescription drugs, and he’ll be fine.” Fiona, as a doctor, secretly gave Gideon illegal prescription drugs with strong side effects and addiction. She knew, but she’d do anything for her childhood friend. I felt utterly drained, unwilling to talk more, packed and headed to work. Before leaving, Fiona quietly pleaded for me to stay. Seeing my resolve, she glared at me. “Jude, you’re so ungrateful! Don’t come back if you leave!” I turned away without regret. She still thought showing weakness would mean I’d forgive her endlessly. But that was based on love. Now there’s none, it’s all empty.

“Mr. Jude, your wife is here.” My assistant rushed into my office. I’ve been staying at the office, but I’d told my assistant not to let Fiona in. I was exhausted, having focused solely on her, I’d neglected work. Taking the reins now, I felt overwhelmed. Before I could respond, Fiona barged in with a cake. Her eyes lit up seeing me, putting the cake down and crossing her arms. “Jude, I missed our anniversary, and you missed my birthday.” “We’re even.” She didn’t wait for my reply, saying it all herself. I was speechless. I’d been so busy I forgot Fiona’s birthday. Since being with her, her birthday was my top priority. I’d always prepare in advance to surprise her. When she saw me, her eyes brightened as she placed the cake on my desk and crossed her arms, looking at me with a sense of superiority. “Jude, I missed our anniversary, and you missed my birthday. So, we’re even now.” She didn’t wait for my response and continued talking on her own. I was left speechless. I’ve been so caught up with work that Fiona’s birthday slipped my mind. Ever since we started dating, her birthday was a day I never failed to plan for, always trying to surprise her. Yet, no matter what I did, she never seemed to care. Meanwhile, Gideon could do the smallest thing, and she’d be touched for days. Last year, I went all out, taking her to her favorite place, buying expensive front-row concert tickets for her favorite singer, and even spending half a month at a temple praying for a peace charm. But none of this made her as happy as the roadside flower Gideon gave her, which is ironic since she’s allergic to pollen. Forgetting her birthday this time felt like a weight off my shoulders, a sign that I was finally moving on. I looked at Fiona’s haughty demeanor, my expression icy. “Do you really think we’re even?” “Maybe I should spend a night with my ex, then.” Predictably, Fiona was furious. She lashed out at me. “Jude, how did you become like this?” “You’re my husband, and you forgot my birthday. Only Gideon remembered!” Her accusation was laughable because she forgot that I had never missed her birthday before. “Fiona, I think I’ve made myself clear. There’s nothing between us anymore.” “We’re getting a divorce, and I’ll make room for Gideon. It’s that simple.” Gideon always enjoyed Fiona’s favoritism, while I naively believed that time would eventually win her over. I was so wrong. Fiona’s expression wavered, as if she couldn’t believe I was serious. She lit the candles on the cake and said, “Didn’t you promise to grant my birthday wish every year?” I frowned, sensing something. “This year, my wish is for you to forgive me.” “Okay?” Unexpectedly, I saw a hint of vulnerability on her face, but I quickly realized it was just a façade. I shook my head and said bluntly, “If you really wanted to be with me, you wouldn’t keep falling for Gideon’s lies.” I looked at her, and all the past emotions were gone. “You’re a doctor and his childhood friend. Don’t you know if he has a congenital heart condition?” That statement ignited the awkward tension between us. Fiona threw the cake at me, nearly hitting my eye with the candle. “You’re still slandering Gideon!” Her chest heaved with anger, her eyes filled with hatred. “I misjudged you. You’re a company owner, so why do you have to be against Gideon?” “How could I not know if he has a heart condition? You’re just ignorant of his suffering to say such disgusting things!” With that, she turned and left, leaving only her determined back. I signaled to my stunned assistant. “Draft a divorce agreement for me.” I thought everything was settled, just waiting for the papers to be signed. But that night, Fiona called, her voice tearful. “Jude, come quickly. Daphne is in trouble!” Daphne is our daughter, spending her summer vacation with my mother. Hearing something happened to her, I rushed home. The only thing holding me back from divorcing Fiona was Daphne. I didn’t want her to grow up in a broken family. Chapter 4 I hurriedly opened the door and saw someone who shouldn’t be there. Gideon was there, holding a sobbing Fiona, comforting her. “It’s okay, it’s okay. We’ve done this so many times, and nothing happened, right?” Their clothes were disheveled, Fiona’s bra hanging loosely. I didn’t understand their cryptic talk and rushed to push them aside, looking at Daphne on the couch. She was foaming at the mouth, unconscious. Panic overwhelmed me, and I went to call 911, but Fiona stopped me. “No, you can’t.” I looked at her awkward expression and shouted. “Are you crazy? Daphne is your daughter too, how can you just let her die?!” Fiona couldn’t hide it anymore and confessed everything. It turns out they found Daphne noisy, so they gave her too many prescription meds. It wasn’t the first time, but this time Gideon gave the wrong medicine, causing an allergic reaction. Fiona grabbed my hand, gritting her teeth. “If anyone finds out I stole prescription meds, I’ll lose my job, and Gideon will go to jail.” She almost begged. “I’m a doctor. I know Daphne’s condition, she just needs some meds.” “You’re the boss, you have money, can’t you find a shady clinic for her? Don’t let anyone know.” I looked at Fiona in silence. She knew she was a doctor. Daphne is only four, and many prescription drugs have strong side effects even for adults, let alone a four-year-old. My heart turned cold, and any last bit of love for Fiona vanished with her words. Even in the wild, animals protect their young, yet she would risk Daphne’s life to save herself and Gideon. Compared to the panicked Fiona, Gideon was calm. He seemed sure I would help Fiona. “Jude, stop wasting time. Hurry and find a hospital to take her.” “Don’t let her die here, it’s bad luck.” He looked at Daphne with disgust, as if she was a piece of garbage he could toss anytime. I couldn’t take it anymore and punched Gideon to the ground. Then pointed at Fiona, speaking clearly. “Fiona, we’re completely over.” I’m sorry, but the input text for translation seems to be missing. Could you please provide the Chinese text that you would like translated? Chapter 5 I called emergency services and reported the situation. Click. I locked the door and gave a steely glare to the two anxious people in the room. “You’re not going anywhere with me here.” The police and ambulance arrived almost simultaneously.

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Eight months pregnant, I was forced to kneel on the cold marble floor in the snowy night, all because my husband’s childhood sweetheart falsely accused me of killing his mother. Alexander Foster, my husband, was in the glass greenhouse warming the frozen feet of his sweetheart, his expression full of doting affection. I caught a chill and my water broke. I was rushed to the emergency room, but Alexander accused me of acting weak. I suffered severe bleeding and faced a life-threatening situation, yet Alexander callously signed a life-or-death agreement: “As long as the child can be saved, there’s no need to rescue Olivia if she dies.” However, I gave birth to a stillborn child and fell into postpartum depression, while my husband was accompanying his sweetheart for prenatal checkups. To please his sweetheart, on my birthday, Alexander even forced me to eat the placenta raw. “You killed my mother. This is the retribution you deserve.” It turned out that the love and marriage I had been guarding was nothing but my own wishful thinking. Filled with endless anger and humiliation, I decided to seek revenge.

After the delivery, I was extremely weak due to severe blood loss. Lying on the hospital bed, I took the medical notification handed to me by the doctor. The words “No signs of life after the fetus was delivered” jumped out at me, and I was struck as if by lightning: After severe hemorrhaging, I had given birth to a stillborn child?! Struggling to sit up despite the tearing pain in my body, I asked the doctor in a hoarse voice: “Doctor, is my child really dead? Please, let me see the baby one last time…” The doctor, wearing a mask, looked at me coldly and said, “The child is already dead. There’s no need to see it.” Dark red placental tissue was scattered in the cracks of the floor tiles, making me feel nauseous. I held the life-or-death agreement Alexander had signed, and anger gradually filled my heart. During the surgery, when I was barely conscious, Alexander pressed my hand to sign the “prioritize saving the baby’s life” clause. The expression he gave me was unprecedentedly cold, with a hint of mockery in his tone: “Olivia Reed, someone like you isn’t worth saving. The child in your womb is far more important than you.” I left the delivery room alone, only to see my husband Alexander Foster in the hospital’s prenatal clinic. It turned out Alexander hadn’t left the hospital early, but was accompanying his beloved sweetheart, Zoe Summers. He intimately embraced the equally pregnant Zoe, his face full of doting smiles. I had been pregnant for eight months, and Alexander had never shown me any care, but now he was attentive to every need of his sweetheart Zoe. I had been rushed to the emergency room for premature delivery due to severe bleeding. Alexander disregarded my life, signed the life-or-death agreement, and abandoned me to accompany Zoe for her checkup. I tightly gripped the life-or-death agreement in my hand, pushed open the door to the prenatal clinic, and confronted Alexander: “Alexander Foster, you are my husband. What right do you have to be here accompanying Zoe for her checkup?” Seeing me, Alexander looked as if he had seen something dirty, and a look of disgust immediately appeared on his face. Before he could speak, Zoe mockingly taunted me: “Olivia Reed, you vile woman who killed Alexander’s mother, what right do you have to come here and question us?” Again, this baseless accusation. Ever since Alexander’s mother died in an accident, Zoe had used every trick to paint me as a “murderer.” Under Zoe’s instigation, Alexander’s attitude towards me grew increasingly cold, gradually developing into disgust. And at eight months pregnant, it was because Alexander punished me by making me kneel on the cold marble floor in the snowy night that I went into premature labor with severe bleeding. Endless anger and grievance welled up, and tears burst from my eyes: “Zoe, why are you slandering me? Alexander, I really didn’t kill your mother…” But Alexander stepped forward and berated me harshly: “Olivia Reed, you vicious woman, you’re not worthy of being my wife, and you have no right to call my mother ‘Mom’!” With a loud slap, he struck me hard across the face. I looked at Alexander in shock, the slapped side of my face stinging fiercely. “Alexander, you actually hit me…” Zoe’s face bore a smug smile: “Haha, Olivia Reed, you look like a filthy beggar with your disheveled appearance!” Then she looked at my lower body with contemptuous eyes and screamed in fright: “How disgusting, get out of here!” Zoe grabbed a disposable cup from the table and threw it at me, splashing hot water on my face. Her smile grew wider and deeper: “Olivia Reed, look at yourself in the mirror now. You’re like a drowned rat!” Through the mirror in the clinic, I saw my miserable state: My hair was disheveled and soaked with scalding water, and my hospital gown was stained with dark red blood. After the severe bleeding from pregnancy, my body had suffered serious damage, and the postpartum bleeding had soiled my gown. At that moment, grievance and embarrassment welled up, and I ran out of the room in tears. In the hospital bathroom, I was shaking all over in pain. Lochia flowed from my body, dripping onto the floor to form a pool of blood. However, the real pain came from within. Alexander’s cold attitude was like a sharp knife stabbing into my heart. My true love had also been thrown into this pool of blood. Alexander, you promised to love me for a lifetime. Why did you lie to me? I could only cry out loud in the empty bathroom, letting despair occupy my heart.

After giving birth to a stillborn child, I suffered from postpartum depression, feeling gloomy all day, but Alexander was completely unaware. Because he was in the warm greenhouse taking care of the heavily pregnant Zoe. Through the translucent glass, I saw Alexander kneeling on the ground, gently massaging Zoe’s feet. I was supposed to be Alexander’s wife, yet he brazenly brought his mistress home to care for her. The glass greenhouse was Alexander’s wedding gift to me, but now I was shut out. After seeing the death certificate of the child, Alexander not only didn’t comfort me but cursed at me: “Olivia Reed, you’re a jinx. Not only did you kill my mother, but you also caused the death of your own child!” “Evil people get evil rewards. This is the retribution for all your wrongdoings!” Zoe then moved into the Foster home with the air of the true mistress. “Mrs. Foster’s last wish before she died was for Alexander to bring me into the Foster home to take care of.” “I’m the daughter-in-law truly accepted by the Foster family, while you’re just a gold digger who schemed her way into a wealthy family.” In the warm greenhouse, Alexander embraced Zoe and kissed her, both looking intoxicated. And I, because of unfounded accusations, had lost my dignity and love, becoming a “Mrs. Foster” in name only. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I fell into memories. That day, I accompanied Alexander to a family dinner, only to be met with cold stares from countless people. I had always been low-key, dressed simply. But Mrs. Foster looked me up and down coldly, her words full of sarcasm: “Olivia Reed, coming to a family dinner dressed so shabbily, aren’t you embarrassing our Foster family?” In stark contrast to me was Zoe. She walked gracefully behind Mrs. Foster in a pink dress, thoughtfully giving her a massage. “Mom, I brought you some homemade pastries. Please try them.” Mrs. Foster beamed with joy, accepting the homemade pastries from Zoe’s hand, praising Zoe incessantly for her thoughtfulness. Seeing how close they were, I could only smile awkwardly: “Mom, I also brought you some pastries. They’re imported from abroad.” Before coming, I had inquired about Mrs. Foster’s favorite pastry flavors and specially flew abroad to buy imported pastries for her. But Mrs. Foster didn’t even look at me, as if I were invisible beside her. It was the same flavor, yet I unexpectedly lost to Zoe’s homemade pastries… If I had made the pastries myself, Mrs. Foster would probably have accused me of being “stingy” and “unwilling to spend money.” I understood that gifts weren’t about their value, but about the person giving them. The Summers and Foster families were old friends, and Zoe had grown up with Alexander. Naturally, Mrs. Foster would favor her. But such differential treatment still made me extremely uncomfortable. I left the gifts and pastries and departed in distress. Zoe, however, pretended to be understanding behind my back and said: “Mom, after all, this is Olivia’s gesture of goodwill. Why don’t you try a piece…” But halfway through the family dinner, Mrs. Foster suddenly collapsed, foaming at the mouth. Alexander turned pale with fright, kneeling beside his mother to check her breathing: “Call an ambulance quickly!” When Mrs. Foster was sent to the emergency room, it was already too late, and the hospital doctors could do nothing to save her. With her dying breath, Mrs. Foster called Alexander in and, with her last words, instructed him to take good care of Zoe. The hospital’s test results came out – she had eaten pastries containing severe allergens, leading to shock and death. Alexander returned to the family dinner, slamming his fist on the table, his voice full of anger. He pointed at the opened pastries on the table and shouted, “Who brought these pastries?” Everyone present didn’t know what had happened and was too scared to make a sound. I stepped forward and, seeing the opened pastries, turned deathly pale – The opened pastries on the table were actually the imported ones I had brought for Mrs. Foster! “Alexander, these are the pastries I specially bought from abroad for your mother…” Before I could finish speaking, the cold gazes of everyone present fell upon me. Zoe furrowed her brow, walked in front of me, her voice full of disbelief: “Olivia Reed, you’re Alexander’s wife. How could you be so vicious as to want to kill his mother?” “These pastries contain concentrated peanut butter. Mrs. Foster was severely allergic to peanuts. Didn’t you know that?”

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