Category: English

My father made a will. Whoever between my brother and me has a child first would inherit his entire estate. So I secretly poked holes in all the condoms. But unexpectedly, my boyfriend had been secretly replacing my vitamins with birth control pills. Yet I still got pregnant. Only the child isn’t his, and he doesn’t know. My brother and I don’t have much of a relationship. He’s ten years older than me. Because my father was a womanizer, my mother took the money and ran after giving birth to me. My father dumped me on my brother, who in turn dumped me on a nanny. Even when he saw me covered in bruises, he would just pretend not to notice. As for my father, he was rarely home. But after this unexpected addition to the family, he became extra cautious, always careful not to leave any more children behind. I later learned that was because my brother had threatened to throw any more kids my father brought home into the river. My brother always kept his word. As he got older, his intimidation only grew stronger. Sometimes even my father was afraid of him. Recently, my father was diagnosed with kidney disease. This man who had lived a life of debauchery suddenly wanted a grandchild. So he told my brother and me: “Whoever has a child first before I die will inherit my entire estate.” My brother is now thirty-four, already the youngest and most successful CEO in the city. And my father’s assets are probably at least ten times his. My brother isn’t married, but he has many mistresses. I only have one boyfriend.

My brother has better odds than me. I can only get pregnant myself, while he can cast a wide net. My only advantage over him is time. Using the excuse of feeling unwell, I dragged my boyfriend Liam to the hospital and got a full body check-up. As I expected, he was very healthy, with high sperm motility. After all, his stamina was terrifyingly good. As for me, due to long-term lack of exercise, my immune system was weak, so I was prescribed some vitamins. I didn’t plan on telling Liam about wanting a child. He had always been very careful with protection. When I tentatively asked if he was afraid of me getting pregnant, he weighed the pros and cons for a long time. “Aria, my career is on the rise right now. If you have a child at this time, I won’t have enough energy to take care of you.” “Also,” he hugged me and kissed the top of my head, “I want to wait until we’re married and settled down before having a baby.” Liam has a kind of charm that makes everything he says seem sincere. But this also makes him very stubborn. If I told him the truth about the situation, he would definitely drag me to get married right away. Then I’d have no way out. If Liam couldn’t do it, I wouldn’t be able to find someone else. This inheritance would be like handing it over to my brother on a silver platter. That’s impossible. Even if the chances are slim, I have to fight for it. Liam, no matter how hard he works, could never earn half of my father’s assets in his lifetime. The family business, passed down for generations, combined with my father’s business acumen, has expanded overseas. But he’s selfish, never giving my brother or me any advantages. He didn’t even give my brother a penny to start his business. He also knows my brother doesn’t like me. I reasonably suspect that this inheritance competition is just his way of keeping my brother in check. No matter how much he stirs things up, he shouldn’t think about riding roughshod over him. “What are you thinking about so intently?” Liam came out of the shower, his hair half-dried and falling over his forehead. He was wearing thin lounge pants, shirtless, making me feel a bit hot and bothered. Liam smiled and pinched my face, touching his nose to mine. “Thinking about it?” I swallowed hard. Actually, I wasn’t very enthusiastic about doing this. On the contrary, it was Liam who, no matter how busy, wanted to do it at least four times a week. So, how could I inconspicuously increase the frequency on this basis? I wrapped my arms around Liam’s neck, pulling him to the bed, closing my eyes to kiss him. As my hand went to pull at his pants, Liam buried his face in my neck and chuckled softly. “Why so passionate tonight?” He looked up at me. Somehow, I couldn’t see any humor in his eyes. But before I could think too much about it, he reached out and grabbed a condom from the drawer. He flipped me over, my back to him. Hearing the rustling sounds, I secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Every time I looked into Liam’s eyes, I always felt like he could see right through my little schemes.

The next day at work, I was reporting my brother’s schedule to him. After I finished, he stared at me with an enigmatic smile. “Working hard for the inheritance, aren’t you?” Liam had gone crazy last night, leaving a lot of marks on my neck. Even with concealer, they were still visible up close. “Aren’t you too, brother?” I retorted. He had left work early yesterday to visit his mistress. We weren’t in a secret battle, but an open competition. It’s just that my brother was much more capable than me, having his own big company. I could only be pushed in by my father to be his assistant. “Never thought about trying other men? You trust your boyfriend that much?” “He’s younger than you, brother. You should take better care of yourself.” My brother raised an eyebrow but didn’t get angry. “Good luck to you.” As I was leaving his office, he knocked on the table behind me. “Aria, at five in the afternoon, go pick up Raven.” Raven, a famous model. My brother’s most beloved mistress, with an incredibly hot body. “Understood, Mr. Milo,” I nodded. When I picked up Raven, she greeted me with a warm hug. The first time we met, she thought I was my brother’s new flame. After looking me up and down for a while, she sneered disdainfully: “He likes the innocent type now?” “Can you satisfy him?” Just as she finished speaking, my brother appeared from behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist, his face full of adoration. “What nonsense are you talking about? This is my sister.” Raven didn’t quite believe it, thinking it was an excuse he made up: “Didn’t you say your mother only had you?” “Same father, different mother. My dad brought her back from outside.” “I originally wanted to throw her in the river, but she clung to my legs crying pitifully, so I kept her.” My brother wasn’t lying. When I first came home, he did try to get rid of me by picking me up to throw me away. I cried my eyes out, snot and tears everywhere. So later, no matter how the nanny tormented me, my brother wouldn’t stand up for me. Raven had been with my brother the longest. Later, as she said, my brother did find someone more innocent. She made a fuss for a while, but my brother became increasingly outrageous, having flings wherever he went on business trips, just like our father. Then they broke up, and recently when Raven’s runway video came out, it caused a sensation. My brother watched it for a long time, then went to find Raven every day, coaxing her back. I think Raven must really like him to be able to forgive all that. But this time when we met, the feeling seemed a bit different. After getting in the car, Raven asked flatly, “Where’s Milo?” “He has a meeting, so he sent me to pick you up.” My brother had bought Raven a villa. Raven just made a sound of acknowledgment and fell silent. It wasn’t until I dropped her off that she looked at me, smiling calmly. “Your brother said he wants to have a child with me.” I blinked, gripping the steering wheel tightly. “What do you think about that?” She touched her stomach, “Do you think if I have a child, he’ll settle down?” “Raven, what if he’s saying the same thing to other women?” I didn’t believe for a second that my brother would only pin his hopes on Raven. Raven unbuckled her seatbelt and patted my head. “Aria, I want to believe him one more time.” “He said this time, I’ll be the only one by his side.”

I have to say, my brother really knows how to put on an act. He had me send away all his mistresses except Raven, giving them money, houses, and cars. So when Raven asked me, I could only grit my teeth and nod. I asked her, “Is my brother going to marry you?” Raven was taken aback: “I don’t know, maybe if we have a child, he will. I feel like he’s really looking forward to it.” I watched her smile happily, feeling a bit sorry for her. Wanting a child was true, but marrying her? I didn’t think my brother, with his habitual philandering, would settle down so easily. Sure enough, within a week, my brother had taken on two new girls. There was one he particularly liked, even younger than me, with an air of innocence about her. My brother didn’t hide it from me. Every time, he had me pick them up and take them to his place. His excuse to appease Raven was also very appropriate – the company was expanding its business, so he was genuinely busy. Sometimes, he had me bring the girls directly to the company. My brother wasn’t afraid I would tell on him. Because Liam was his leverage against me. My brother could easily get rid of Liam if he wanted to. The one he particularly liked was called Ivy. Completely different from Raven, with a sweet and innocent look, fair skin, easily embarrassed. My brother dumped all his work on me, leaving me no free time. He himself took advantage of lunch breaks to shut himself in the rest room with the young girl. Hearing those ambiguous sounds, my blood rushed straight to my head. After work, I drove straight to Liam’s company. Seeing me, he was a bit shocked: “Why are you here?” Liam had been avoiding me lately. He even used the excuse of working overtime to not come home. I secretly wondered if I had been too forward. But seeing my brother carrying on like that, I felt inexplicably wronged. I wondered if Liam also had someone else outside. My eyes stung, and tears started to fall. He hurriedly hugged me: “What’s wrong? Did your brother bully you again?” I wiped my tears on his shirt: “Why haven’t you been coming home these past few days?” His voice was gentle: “I’ve been too busy.” “I’m sorry, I’ll come back every day from now on.” Liam’s eyes were full of heartache. I kissed his lips, and he stiffened, grabbing my hands. “Aria, this is the office.” I bit his Adam’s apple, hearing him groan. The kisses continued downward. I slowly unbuttoned his shirt: “Liam, don’t you miss me?” “I do,” his voice was hoarse. He closed his eyes then opened them again. Just as he was about to lose control, he turned his face away with difficulty. “There are no condoms here.” I fumbled around on his body, not caring: “I’m on the pill.” Liam’s breathing grew heavier, his kisses becoming more intense. He still didn’t do it. He patiently took very good care of me instead. When I woke up again, the office was dark, with only light coming in from outside the window.

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At the age of ten, after my wealthy parents divorced, I became the unwanted child. It was Lucas Carter who took me in. For ten years, he spoiled me rotten. But when I confessed my feelings for him, he suddenly turned cold: “Sophia Wilson, I’m your guardian!” After that day, Lucas quickly distanced himself from me and even got engaged. At his engagement party, I got into a fight with his fiancée. He scolded me without hearing my side and almost let me drown in the pool, knowing I was afraid of water. “Sophia, this is your punishment. If you cause any more trouble, get out of the Carter house.” He didn’t know that I was indeed planning to leave. I had agreed to my parents’ suggestion to study abroad. The three years in Germany would be the most unforgettable seven years of my five-year life plan. By then, Lucas Carter would mean nothing compared to my degree. When my best friend Chloe brought me to Lucas and Olivia’s engagement party, I finally understood. Lucas had gone to such lengths to keep me away. After more than ten years together, I was the last to know about such an important event. It was truly laughable. “Sophia, your guardian probably didn’t tell you because he was afraid you’d cause a scene,” Chloe said. “But I know you’re sensible, and I think you should know the truth. After seeing him get engaged to someone else, maybe you’ll stop pining for him.” I nodded in agreement. Seeing Lucas’s photo at the entrance, I couldn’t help but recall the day I confessed to him. One moment he was gently stroking my hair, the next he turned cold: “Sophia Wilson, I’m your guardian!” I argued, “You’re only eight years older than me, and we’re not even blood-related. Don’t you like me?” He grew angry and blurted out, “Do you think I’m some kind of monster? How could I like the girl I raised?” “Then why don’t you let me date? Why do you tear up love letters from others? Why don’t you correct people when they say I’m your child bride?” “Sophia, you were young then. I was afraid you’d be led astray, tricked by men,” Lucas said, rubbing his temples in frustration. “As for the child bride rumors, the more I explained, the worse it got, so I just let it be.” I wasn’t giving up. I dug my nails into my palms and stared at him. “You haven’t had a woman by your side for years. And when I was twenty, I clearly saw you holding my photo… Isn’t that enough proof?” Lucas’s pupils dilated, his ears turning red, but he exploded in anger. “Sophia Wilson! I’ve spoiled you too much, letting you speak so recklessly!”

We parted on bad terms that day. After that, Lucas began to distance himself from me. He always made excuses to avoid meeting me and drew clear boundaries when others mentioned our relationship. “Sophia Wilson? I’m her guardian, we’re from different generations.” He even brought Olivia to my twenty-second birthday party. “Sophia, say hello to your aunt.” I had just made a wish, hoping Lucas would show up and surprise me. Since I was ten, he had been with me for countless birthdays. I was terrified he might miss this one. He did come, but at the moment when I was happiest, he delivered a crushing blow. I stared at their intertwined hands, speechless. Lucas wouldn’t let it go. He dropped his smile, his gaze growing cold. “What are you waiting for? Not listening to your guardian anymore?” Of course, I didn’t greet her. Instead, I cried and trashed the place, telling them to get out. After that, Lucas took Olivia everywhere with him. I thought he was just trying to provoke me, unwilling to admit his feelings for me. I never imagined they would reach the point of engagement. I had been deluding myself.

I stood quietly at the back of the crowd, witnessing his happiness with someone else. In my heart, I gradually stripped away my feelings for him. By the less crowded pool, I waited for Chloe to return. I casually picked up a glass of champagne. As I turned around, I saw today’s leading lady, Olivia. Olivia was only a year older than me. So I didn’t understand why Lucas, who thought I was too young, would choose someone his own age. “What are you doing here?” she asked, looking wary, as if afraid I’d ruin her engagement party. “I’m here to witness my guardian’s happiness. Congratulations,” I said. I had no hostility towards her, but since she was with the man I liked, I couldn’t bring myself to be overly friendly. As I was about to leave, she grabbed me: “Sophia Wilson, don’t try to steal him from me.” I lowered my gaze. “Whether you believe it or not, I came today with no ill intentions. I won’t make a scene and embarrass everyone.” Olivia didn’t let go. Instead, she glared at me fiercely. “You think I believe that? Someone as spoiled and willful as you? You’re like a weasel paying New Year’s respects to a chicken, up to no good. “And aren’t you disgusting? Liking your own guardian? “No wonder they say you’re motherless. Clinging to Lucas Carter, aren’t you ashamed?” Before she could finish, my hand had already struck her face. It was all Lucas’s fault for spoiling me so much that I couldn’t take any insults. Olivia held her cheek, stunned for a moment. “As you said, I’m such a willful person, so slapping you isn’t too much, right?” I underestimated Olivia’s fighting spirit. Before I knew it, we were grappling with each other. I had been forced by Lucas to learn boxing and martial arts since childhood, so Olivia was no match for me. In the chaos, she still had the strength to speak: “Sophia Wilson, you’re finished.” It was then that I realized. I had fallen for her trap. Olivia’s hair was a mess, her clothes torn and disheveled. I wasn’t much better off, with bruises where she had pinched me. Still defiant, I said, “So what? Are you so sure Lucas will take your side? “Do you think he’s someone who can’t tell right from wrong?” Olivia’s makeup was smeared, but she still smiled triumphantly. “Sophia Wilson, do you have a misconception about your importance to Lucas?” “What do you mean?” As soon as I finished speaking, she stepped closer, took my hand, and placed it on her chest. Then she fell backward into the pool. “Olivia!” Lucas’s worried voice came from behind.

By the time he jumped into the pool to rescue Olivia, a crowd had gathered around. “I just wanted Sophia to come to the party, but I didn’t expect her to push me in…” Olivia sobbed, clinging to Lucas, soaking wet. “She doesn’t like me, she thinks I stole you away…” “You staged this yourself and jumped in. Don’t slander me. If you don’t believe me, check the security cameras!” I protested. “There are no cameras by the pool,” Lucas said, looking up at me coldly. “Sophia, I’m so disappointed in you.” At that moment, I couldn’t describe how I felt. It was as if someone had squeezed my heart tightly. All my arguments were stuck in my throat, blocked by his icy expression. “It was the same at your birthday party, embarrassing everyone. “This time, I deliberately didn’t tell you about the engagement, but you still came and hit your future aunt. “Sophia, you’re not a child anymore. When you do something wrong, you need to be punished.” Before I could react, Lucas let go of Olivia and kicked me into the pool.

After nearly drowning in our home pool when I was six, I became terrified of water. So when I fell in, I even forgot to struggle. I let myself sink. My lungs were compressed, with no air left. As I was about to lose consciousness from suffocation, I thought: Life is really amazing, how suddenly it can take a turn. Lucas Carter, as you wished. I will never like you again. As my consciousness was fading, I felt someone wrap their arm around my waist, pulling me towards the surface. When I touched the air, I coughed up water. “Little sis, your guardian wouldn’t let anyone save you, so I did. You owe me one now.” As my mind cleared, I called out, “Ethan?” “Good, you’re not too dazed. You know it’s your big bro.” Back on the shore. Lucas held Olivia tightly, wrapped in a towel, and looked at me. “Sophia, this is your punishment. If you cause any more trouble, get out of the Carter house.” He deliberately said such harsh words, no doubt trying to extinguish any feelings I had for him. I stared at him silently, clenching my fists. “I understand, guardian.” He seemed surprised that I called him guardian, his face showing disbelief for a moment. After a while, he returned to normal. “As long as you understand. Now apologize to your aunt.” I didn’t apologize. Instead, I continued looking at him. “Guardian, thank you for taking care of me all these years. Congratulations on your engagement. “I won’t appear in front of you again.” “That’s not what I meant…” Lucas frowned, about to say something more. Olivia leaned into his arms: “Honey, I’m cold.” I didn’t even glance their way. Instead, I turned and left, my clothes dripping wet.

Back at the Carter house, it was cold and empty, not a soul in sight. Everyone was busy with today’s engagement party. I thought for a moment, then called a moving company. Then I started packing. There were too many things here that belonged to me. Each item stirred up memories. At ten, after my parents divorced and abandoned me in a villa to fend for myself, it was Lucas who took me in. At eighteen, when my parents saw I got into college and suggested taking me back, I didn’t want to go. After all, if I went back, it would just be me, without love. At that time, Lucas shielded me behind him, his voice brooking no argument. “I’ve practically raised Sophia. I can’t bear to see her suffer even a little or face any grievances. If she doesn’t want to go back, she can stay at the Carter house. I can afford to raise her.” Over the years, he doted on me to the extreme. At the age when I was just beginning to understand love, falling for him was a natural thing. His favoritism towards me also made me mistakenly believe he liked me. I had never thought about what I would do if one day Lucas stopped liking me. Would I cry, make a scene, or even threaten suicide, refusing to let him go? He once said, “What are you thinking? How could I not like you?” Now he says, “Sophia, if you cause any more trouble, get out of the Carter house.” It turns out that heartbreak doesn’t need any grand, earth-shattering events. Just one action, one sentence, can extinguish years of affection.

I moved into an apartment I had bought. At the same time, I left a new card with the inheritance my grandmother had left me at the Carter house. It was to repay Lucas for the cost of raising me all these years. The next day, my parents sent me to the airport. I had been planning to go abroad since my last birthday party. It was only in the past few days that everything was finalized. Germany, a country they say is hard to return from once you go. But it had the major I wanted to study. As I was about to check in, my mom called out to me. “Sophia, it wasn’t easy for your guardian to raise you. Before you leave, you should say goodbye to him.” After thinking for a moment, I dialed Lucas’s number. The phone rang for a long time with no answer. Just as I was about to lose patience, it finally connected. I was about to call out “guardian.” But I heard Olivia’s voice instead. “Are you really going to make Sophia move out of the Carter house?” After a moment of silence. Lucas’s cold, emotionless words came through the line. “I’ve spoiled her too much. This time, let her learn to behave, not be so willful. It’s for the best. “It’s also good to make her give up those inappropriate thoughts she shouldn’t have.” … I didn’t listen to the end. I hung up. And boarded the plane without looking back.

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I was kidnapped by abductors, while my husband spent a passionate night with his first love. In the end, I was brutally assaulted by the criminals and left to die in an unmarked grave. After death, my soul, weighed down by intense resentment, couldn’t ascend to heaven and remained stubbornly attached to my body. Only by finding the murderers could I quell my vengeful spirit. When I dragged my broken body home, my husband accused me of lying. On the seventh day after my death, my husband married his first love, while the video of my assault and dismemberment was leaked online. When the truth finally came to light, I felt a great burden lift from my shoulders as I slowly closed my eyes… “Sophia! I don’t care what you’re doing right now, I’m not coming to see you because I’m going to pick up Olivia!” Alexander’s voice came through the phone, crushing my last hope. As I heard this, my heart turned to ash, and my struggles against my captors gradually weakened. The criminals grinned lecherously, “So we can have our way with your wife then?” Alexander replied carelessly, “Do whatever you want!” “After all, she’s just a loose woman. Her chastity probably doesn’t mean much to her anyway!” With that, he hung up the phone. And I endured twelve hours of inhuman torture. The next day, I opened my eyes to see my own dismembered body. Last night, those men had brutally assaulted me before cutting me into pieces and dumping me in the wilderness. Am I dead… or not? Right now, only my soul was left wandering. So this is what people call the seven days after death when the body dies but the soul lingers. My body was wracked with searing pain, and there wasn’t an inch of unscathed skin left. The memories of last night’s horrors were still vivid. I still forced myself to stand up through the pain and started walking home. Back at the mansion, I knocked several times before someone came to the door. “Who are you?” Olivia appeared at the door with sleepy eyes, her legs barely hidden under Alexander’s shirt. “I’m…” I took a deep breath, “Alexander’s wife.” Olivia’s eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at me. Then she waved her hand in front of her face. “What’s that smell? It’s so foul!” But I couldn’t smell anything at all. Because I was already dead, my senses were slowly fading away. Seven days from now, I would completely disappear from this world. From last night until now, I had been dead for eight hours. My body was starting to emit an odor, and black spots were appearing on my arms. “Is it a beggar? Why don’t you just send her away?” Alexander came down from upstairs nonchalantly. Seeing me, he sneered. “See, I told you she was out having fun!” “What kidnapping? It was all a lie!” “She’s the best at lying, after all.” Hearing Alexander’s confident accusations, my heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. He hated me. He always thought it was because of me that he couldn’t be with his childhood sweetheart Olivia. Three years ago, Alexander had sex with me while drunk, mistaking me for Olivia, and then we got married. From that day on, Alexander never trusted me again. And I was only kept by his side as a substitute for Olivia. “Remember what I told you before?” Alexander approached me with a look of disgust, “Now that Olivia is back, you can leave.” My chest tightened, but I still pleaded, “Give me seven days, please?” Seven days later, if Alexander still didn’t realize I was dead, I would automatically disappear. But if he could find my body, I might have a slim chance of coming back to life. “Fine, it works out perfectly. In seven days, I’m moving abroad with Olivia anyway.” “If you don’t want to leave during these days, you can stay and cook for us!” With that, he went upstairs hand in hand with Olivia. Turning back, he said, “After you’ve been out messing around, clean yourself up.” “You’re filthy!”

I came out after taking a shower and saw Olivia cuddling in Alexander’s arms watching TV. The two of them looked more like a married couple than Alexander and I ever did. “Finished showering?” Alexander pointed to the kitchen nearby, “Go make dinner for my Olivia!” “Olivia doesn’t like spicy food, she prefers sweets. Keep that in mind.” I didn’t move, my fingers clutching tightly at the hem of my shirt. “What are you doing? Go now!” Alexander suddenly got angry, his enraged expression not seeming like an act. Olivia tugged at Alexander’s arm and said softly, “It’s okay if she doesn’t want to cook. I’m hungry too.” Hearing this, Alexander looked even more contemptuous, “Doesn’t want to? I told her long ago she could leave if she wanted. Since she’s still here, she might as well make herself useful!” Hearing Alexander threatening to kick me out, I immediately turned to go to the kitchen to cook for them. Behind me, I heard Alexander joking with Olivia, “What a desperate woman! She can’t live without a man!” “See, I told you she’d do anything for me.” With my back to them, I cooked while crying silently. The pain in my heart made my shoulders tremble slightly. “If you feel wronged, we can always eat out!” Alexander stood behind me, frowning as he smelled the odor coming from my body. “Why do you still smell so bad even after showering?” I paused briefly while chopping vegetables. The truth was, my body was slowly decaying. I had already died yesterday. Although I could appear “alive” in front of Alexander like this, My body would gradually decompose over time. I only had seven days left. Seven days later, if I couldn’t find the murderers, I would vanish into thin air and truly die. “It’ll be ready soon.” I forced a smile, trying not to let Alexander notice anything amiss. “You chose to stay here yourself.” Alexander reminded me again, “Now that Olivia is back, you should know your place as a substitute.” I knew he was trying to force me to leave. “Alexander, we’re not divorced yet.” I looked past his shoulder at Olivia on the couch, trying to remind him not to go too far. But he raised his hand and slapped me across the face, “You slut! Who are you to meddle in my affairs!” “Don’t think you can do whatever you want just because Grandma likes you!” I took a deep breath and looked up at him. His eyes held nothing but disgust for me. “But Grandma will find out if you brazenly bring her back to the mansion like this.” Alexander’s pupils constricted rapidly, and his hand on my shoulder gradually tightened. He whispered in my ear, “That’s why if Grandma finds out, you’re finished.” Alexander reached out and gently stroked my hair, “Is this what you’ve been dreaming of me doing?” Before I could nod, he suddenly yanked my hair hard. “Ah!” I gasped in pain. “But too bad… you don’t deserve it!” “Why didn’t those kidnappers just kill you yesterday!”

His vicious curse made me catch my breath, my lips trembling as I spoke shakily. “I won’t tell Grandma.” Alexander forced me to admit it, then let go of me with satisfaction. “That’s a good girl!” With that, he stepped back and left with Olivia to eat out. I looked at the table full of food I had prepared, feeling like a clown. Alexander never intended to eat the meal I cooked. It was just to mock me. He once told me, “A substitute is just a substitute. Sophia, you’ll never be worth even Olivia’s little finger.” In the end, I threw all the food I had made into the garbage. Since I was already dead, I couldn’t eat anything anyway. Even drinking water made me vomit. Gradually, I felt my whole body growing weaker. In the evening, I received a call from Alexander’s grandmother. On the phone, Grandma Rose sounded reproachful. “My dear, I haven’t seen you in so long. Why haven’t you come to visit me?” Last night, when those beasts were taking turns assaulting me, I didn’t shed a single tear. When I saw my own dismembered body dumped in the wilderness, I wasn’t afraid. But now, Grandma Rose’s words of concern brought tears streaming down my face. “Grandma…” I choked up, “I might not be able to come back for a while. My school has an assignment abroad, so I’ve been busy lately. When I have time, I’ll definitely… come see you!” Perhaps my tone sounded too pitiful, because Grandma Rose sensed something was wrong. “Is Alexander bullying you?” Remembering Alexander’s menacing look when he warned me this morning, I quickly denied it. “No, no, I’ve just been too busy lately.” I chatted briefly with Grandma Rose before hanging up. Late that night, Alexander hurried back home. He took Olivia and went straight to the bedroom. As I passed by their door, I heard passionate sounds coming from inside. I couldn’t help but pause. Through the half-open door, I saw two entwined bodies. Olivia was straddling Alexander, her head turned to look at me with blatant triumph in her eyes. I quietly closed the door for them. In the dead of night, violent knocking on my door startled me awake. As soon as I opened the door, I smelled alcohol. Alexander’s eyes were bloodshot. “You…” He pushed me roughly onto the bed. “You still went and tattled, didn’t you?” I shook my head, but it was too late. Alexander flipped me over. “Turn your head away, I don’t want to see your face!” I buried my face in the pillow. The pain of Alexander’s forceful entry made me dizzy several times. “Isn’t this what you wanted me to do to you?” Alexander’s tone held no warmth, only cruelty. “But you don’t deserve it!” He tormented me all night before finally seeming satisfied. He looked at me and said, “After all these years, you’re still like a dead fish. How could anyone be interested!” “Compared to Olivia, you’re not even close!” I lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling as the room spun around me. Blood rushed to my head and tears that I could no longer hold back spilled from my eyes. But when Alexander saw me, he only thought I was pretending. Only six days left now. I had hoped to use these six days to say a final, dignified goodbye to Alexander. But now, it seemed there was no need for that anymore. “Alexander… let’s get divorced!”

“Gladly!” Alexander’s tone was full of excitement. “I couldn’t ask for anything better!” “How else could I marry Olivia if I don’t divorce you?” Mustering the last of my strength, I propped myself up on my elbow to sit up. Looking at Alexander, I asked a question I had always wanted to ask, “Alexander, did you ever love me?” Alexander jumped off the bed, about to leave. Hearing my question, he laughed. I laughed too. Because we both knew the answer to that question. “I hate you.” “If it weren’t for you, Olivia and I might have been together long ago. We would have studied art together, fulfilled her childhood dreams. It’s all because of you!” After Alexander left, I slowly closed my eyes. Everything he had just said – those were my wishes, the future I had once shared with Alexander. But he had forgotten it all. I was an orphan, raised in an orphanage from a young age. When I was nine, Grandma Rose took me in as her adopted granddaughter. “I felt a connection with this girl at first sight. I brought her home to grow up with Alexander so they’d have each other for company.” And so I came to live with the Jiang family. But to my surprise, when Grandma Rose introduced me to Alexander, all that awaited me was coldness. Before I was adopted by the Jiang family, I was never popular at the orphanage. Back then, I was small and skinny, completely unremarkable. Every summer, Grandma Rose would bring Alexander to spend the holidays at the orphanage. At that time, I was so afraid of crowds that I always hid in the attic of the orphanage. But each time, I would secretly peek at Alexander playing with the other girls. Among these girls, the most popular was Olivia. Becoming like Olivia was my dream throughout my entire childhood. Like me, Olivia was also an orphan. Unlike us, she always received preferential treatment. Because she was pretty and had blossomed into a lovely young lady at an early age. Every time Alexander came to visit, the orphanage director would dress Olivia in beautiful dresses. The director and teachers’ intentions were obvious – they wanted her to be adopted by the Jiang family. I secretly liked Alexander, but no one knew. I would trace his features over and over on paper. Many times, I wanted to go downstairs to play with him. But I was just too unremarkable. So much so that I never spoke to Alexander during my time at the orphanage. Everyone at the orphanage crowded around Alexander and Olivia. Everyone thought Grandma Rose would take Olivia home. But an accident happened… The summer I was eight years old, Alexander accidentally fell into the pond and nearly drowned. As usual, I was reading on the second floor of the orphanage when I heard cries for help. I looked out the window. Alexander’s body was bobbing up and down in the water, while Olivia was too scared to speak. I dropped my book and ran over, picking up a stick on the ground to reach out to Alexander. After Alexander got to shore, he fainted and lay there like he was dead. I was so scared I stood frozen, unable to speak. The children who came running when they heard the cries pointed at me and shouted, “Sophia! You pushed Alexander into the pond!” In the crowd, I saw Olivia. She stared with wide eyes but said nothing. “Sophia! Did you push Alexander in?” The orphanage teacher roughly shoved me to the side. “I… didn’t.” Usually too timid to speak up, I couldn’t help but defend myself in that moment. But Olivia stepped forward and pointed at me, “It was Sophia, I saw her!”

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I overheard my pregnant girlfriend mocking me, saying I looked like a child. She had no idea that after my mother died, Lucas’s father had adopted me. He gave me the exact same name as my mom and used hormone injections to keep my body forever frozen at age twelve. Not long after, I froze his life forever at age thirty. Lucas gripped my chin, releasing himself under my verbal stimulation. Clouded by the effects of the drug, he was like a dangerous beast. He warned me not to compare him to his father, or he would throw me out. Of course, I couldn’t let him throw me out. This body of mine that can never grow up wouldn’t be able to survive without him. Early the next morning, the pregnant Mia brought me a bowl of porridge. She asked me, “Lily, how old are you really?” I guess she must have noticed last night’s intense activities. I smiled mischievously, deliberately exposing the kiss marks on my neck, “What do you think, sis?” Seeing the marks, Mia got angry. She spilled the porridge onto her own stomach, then plopped down onto the floor. I looked at her in surprise, until Lucas appeared. Only then did I understand what she was trying to do. Mia clutched her belly, her facial expression contorted in “pain”. Lucas told me to help Mia up, asking irritably, “How could you be so careless? Is the baby okay?” Mia groaned a few times, “Lucas… don’t blame Lily. The porridge I brought was too hot, that’s why she pushed me.” I let go of Mia’s arm and looked at Lucas with puppy dog eyes. Lucas frowned, “Lily pushed you? She’s not strong enough to push a cat, how could she push you over?” As expected of the man who had watched Pride and Prejudice five times with me! Nice! Lucas called Mrs. Wilson over to clean up and had the driver take Mia to the hospital. I smiled and waved goodbye to Mia, who glared at me fiercely before getting in the car. Lucas was about to go with her, but I tugged on the hem of his shirt. I said softly, “Brother, you were too rough last night. I’m sore all over and hungry. Can you carry me to get some food?” After hesitating for a moment, he still called his secretary to accompany Mia. Then he picked me up with a cold expression. I rested my head on his shoulder and saw that his ears had turned red.

Mia was unharmed. When she returned from the hospital, I was sitting on the living room floor folding Lucas’s underwear. She sat down beside me, “Lily, what exactly is your relationship with Lucas?” I didn’t look up, “Didn’t Lucas tell you?” “He said you’re his sister.” I smiled, “We don’t even have the same last name.” “So, what is your relationship really?” I frowned at her, “Why don’t you go ask him?” Mia really has a bad temper. She got angry again and slapped me. “Lily, I’m already pregnant and about to marry your brother. You’d better behave yourself!” I fell to the ground awkwardly, unable to recover for a while. When I was finally able to move, I held my head and whimpered. I guess that sound reminded her of what Lucas and I had done last night. She grabbed my shoulders frantically, shaking me violently and demanding to know what it would take for me to leave this family. I thought to myself, you really are clueless. Because Lucas was about to discover that she was bullying me. Sure enough, Lucas’s voice rang out in the living room, “Mia, what are you doing?!” Mia was startled and let go of me, looking around in confusion, but not seeing Lucas anywhere. I weakly raised my hand and pointed to the cabinet in the corner. Mia’s face changed color, “Lily, you set me up?” There was a surveillance camera there, connected to Lucas’s phone. I chuckled softly, “Yes, I set you up. What are you going to do about it?” Mia fled upstairs in a panic. I waved at the surveillance camera, “Brother, it seems your girlfriend doesn’t like me very much…” Then I collapsed, “fainting”.

When I “woke up”, both Lucas and Mia were in my room watching over me. Her eyes were red and swollen, obviously having been scolded by Lucas. Lucas heard me stir and looked over. I curled up, crying, “Sister, please don’t misunderstand. Although my brother and I aren’t related by blood, we grew up together and truly have a sibling relationship…” Mia bit her lip and said nothing. Afraid she wouldn’t believe me, I continued, “Really, you’ve seen what I look like. I can’t grow up, and I can’t get pregnant. No one will marry me.” Hearing this, Mia touched her own belly and looked at Lucas anxiously a few times. Lucas kept a stern face the whole time, “If you can talk this much, you must be feeling better. Mia, let’s go.” As they reached the door, I called out, “So brother and sister won’t kick me out, right?” Mia’s body stiffened. Lucas didn’t turn around, “No one will kick you out.” I was so happy. I snuggled back into bed contentedly and fell asleep again. When I woke up, it was already late at night. Last night’s events left me feeling lonely and cold. So I took out my phone and sent Lucas a SnapChat. “Bro, I have a fever.” When he didn’t have a girlfriend, I could bide my time. But now with a formidable enemy before me, I had to fight back with all my might. Even if I had to use underhanded… extremely underhanded tactics! Less than two minutes after I sent the message, Lucas appeared in my room with a glass of warm water and fever medication. I didn’t actually have a fever, but I still swallowed the pill. Then I hugged him tightly, shivering from the “cold”. “Bro, can you stay until my fever goes down?” Strike while the iron is hot – tonight I must make him want me again. His stiff body gradually relaxed, and he put his arms around me. I curled up in his embrace, remembering last night’s passion, and blushed. He felt my forehead, “Should I get you a cooling patch too?” I shook my head and pretended to doze off in his arms. Soon the effects of the fever medication kicked in. I broke out in a sweat and “groggily” took off my pajamas, burrowing back into his arms. I could feel a certain part of his body responding. Pretending to be delirious, I mumbled, “Daddy, I don’t want a shot… Brother, save me!” He suddenly tightened his arms and called my name to wake me. I made my gaze hazy and intoxicated. He kissed my forehead, then nibbled my earlobe as he pressed down on me…

The next morning at breakfast, I told Lucas I wanted to change my name. “I don’t want to be called Lily anymore. Anything else is fine.” Lucas’s face was like still water, showing no reaction. I turned to Mia for help, “Sister-in-law, please help me. I’ve asked my brother so many times but he won’t agree. I hate this name!” Maybe calling her “sister-in-law” made Mia feel a bit better. She also started pleading with Lucas. Lucas gave me a cold look, “I’m busy lately. We’ll discuss it another time.” I breathed a sigh of relief and gave Mia a sweet smile. But our fake sisterly affection only lasted three seconds. After Lucas left for work, Mia came to find me again. She wanted me to go shopping with her for baby items. She also said we could stop by some children’s clothing stores to buy me a few outfits. She was clearly trying to mock me! I held back my anger and glanced at her flat belly, “Are you even two months along? Isn’t it too early for baby shopping? Besides, I don’t know anything about that stuff. I’m not going.” Mia suddenly lashed out, “You don’t like the baby your brother and I are having, do you?” “I really don’t. So what? Is that not allowed?” Mia snatched the paintbrush from my hand and threw it on the floor. She grabbed my collar and easily dragged me to the stairs. “So, Lily, you don’t want me to have this baby, is that it?” She smiled sinisterly and let go of me, falling backwards down the stairs. Wails of pain echoed through the living room. Blood gushed from between Mia’s legs as she lay unconscious at the bottom of the stairs. This spot had no surveillance cameras. If Lucas checked the security footage, he would only see me standing at the top of the stairs while Mia fell down below. I was stunned. I never imagined this woman would kill her own child just to frame me! Mrs. Wilson came running over in alarm, telling me to quickly call Lucas. When the call connected, I stammered, “Bro, Mia had a miscarriage…” “What?! What happened?!” I could hear the fury in Lucas’s voice. Frightened, I hung up the phone and tried to think of how to explain things to him. … Mia lost the baby and was hospitalized. Lucas came home with a dark expression and asked me what happened. This time I didn’t cry, “Bro, if I said she framed me, would you believe me?” Lucas raised an eyebrow, “She killed her own child just to frame you?” “I know you won’t believe me, but she really is that vicious. To get rid of me, she’d even kill your own flesh and blood. Bro, you can’t keep such an evil woman!” Lucas looked at me, this beacon of righteousness, and his mouth twitched, “Alright Lily, stop acting. I said she was pregnant, but I never said the child was mine.” I was speechless. !! “Bro, then why were you going to marry her?” Lucas stared at me for a while, then pulled me up, “I’ll take you somewhere.” He took me to a cemetery on the outskirts of the city. In one corner was a new gravestone with his friend’s name on it. “Mia was Sam’s girlfriend. The baby was his too. Sam died in a car accident and asked me to take care of Mia and help her deliver the baby safely.” “But bro, she said she was pregnant with your child and was going to marry you!” I clenched my little fists indignantly. So she had been lying to me. Of course, my brother, this perfect catch, was indeed worth her playing the role of a liar. “You believed her?” Lucas patted my head. I pouted, “You never explained things clearly, so of course I believed what she said. But now that I know the truth, it’s fine… Bro, since we’re at the cemetery, can we go see my mom?” Lucas held my hand, just like a brother holding his sister’s hand, and led me to my mother’s grave. The woman in the photo was very beautiful, but I felt no emotion towards her. Because she had died when I was still a baby. But seeing that face that looked 90% like mine, I still felt a bit moved. My fingers traced over the gravestone, following the strokes of the characters as I read out my mother’s name. Lily…

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After Getting a Fat Severance Package, I Told My Ex-Boss to Get Lost! Because I’m the Company’s Landlord! My boyfriend was smitten by the daughter of the company’s vice president, and I lost in love. What’s worse than losing in love is that I was fired from the company I had worked for five years, for a fabricated reason. After receiving a generous severance package and my termination letter, I packed my things and left with my head held high. Not only did they lay off their top performer, but they also fired the landlord of their office building. This crappy company can keep whoever they want, but they’re doomed to fail sooner or later! After discussing the severance amount with HR, I received a payment notification on my phone within 10 minutes. I swear, this was the fastest payment I’ve ever received since joining the company. Previously, getting a payment approved required a string of approvals, with at least eight people in the finance department alone. Even the fastest payment would take a day or two. The young HR girl ran all the way to hand me my termination letter. I looked at the reason for termination: personal reasons, voluntary resignation. Not bad. The handover was already completed, so I started packing up the things on my desk. “Knock, knock, knock.” Someone knocked on the door, and before I could say “come in,” Chloe walked in, wearing a crisp white suit, looking graceful and charming. “Sister Lydia, packing up? Make sure you don’t take any company documents home with you!” she said with a smirk. I ignored her. I was leaving anyway, and I didn’t want to cause trouble. But some people just can’t help being nasty. “Sister Lydia, when I first came here, you blocked my probation. Who would have thought that you’d be leaving before me today? Your project is now mine. People should really know their place. And Ryan, he chose me over you. Men, you know, they always prefer young and beautiful women. You’re old now, with no money or power. How can you compete with someone young, beautiful, and from a prestigious family like me?” There was no need to hold back anymore. It’s not good for the mammary glands to keep things bottled up, as my doctor told me during my physical exam. I glanced up at the surveillance camera above. Good, it was off. When the company required the cameras to be on, I had dinner with the IT guys. The main topic of discussion was “technology should not be used for evil.” One of the IT guys almost broke up with his girlfriend because he kept having dinner with me. In the end, we compromised. When I was in the office, the camera would be off; when I wasn’t, it would be on. I thought it was good enough for preventing theft. I walked up to Chloe and lifted her chin with my finger, examining her for a moment. Full of collagen, skin as smooth as a baby’s bottom. Youth is truly wonderful! She seemed a bit nervous but thought I wouldn’t do anything to her in the office. “You can kneel down and beg me, and I might consider giving you a position in the project,” she said smugly. She had just been promoted to project manager ten minutes ago, according to the HR notification. Chloe held her head high like a little swan. I used all my strength and slapped her hard across the face. The sound was loud, and even my hand hurt. Chloe was stunned at first, then started screaming. I grabbed her hair, avoiding the camera, and dragged her to the office area, throwing her onto the coffee table. There were some things on the table that crashed to the floor when she landed. The entire hall fell silent, not even a photo was taken. Everyone was too shocked. “Chloe, you stole my boyfriend. It’s my fault for not seeing through people, and it’s shameful to be a third wheel. Your ability to steal him is your ‘talent,’ and I don’t care about that rotten cucumber anymore. But the A8 project was something I fought for, and I did all the planning. How dare you remove my name and put yours on it? Open any page, do you even know what the initials HHY stand for? Your dad is one of the company’s bosses, he’s so rich, he could open a company for you to play with, give you a project to do. Why do you have to make things difficult for a hardworking employee like me? How many times did I go to the client for this project? How many times did I visit the site? How many extra hours did I work? Where were you during that time? Shopping for clothes or dating my boyfriend? How dare you steal it? Couldn’t you at least be low-key about it? Why did you have to flaunt it in front of me? I’m already leaving, making room for you. What more do you want? Why do you have to be so disgusting? Huh?” Chloe had just crawled up from the coffee table, with five clear finger marks on her face and a bruise on her forehead. Her hair was a mess. Faced with my accusations, she seemed to have a mental freeze, unable to utter a word in response. I took a wet wipe and carefully cleaned my hands, saying with disgust, “Take some time to take care of your hair, it’s so oily. Don’t show up in front of me again, or I’ll teach you a lesson every time I see you.” Then I put on a smile and said to the colleagues who had just recovered from the shock, “I’ve been happy to know all of you during my years at JoySpace. You’ve been great partners. Thank you all. I’m leaving today, and I’ve ordered some afternoon tea with cakes and milk tea for everyone. I hope you all enjoy it. Until we meet again.” With that, I turned around gracefully and quickly left. Outside the company’s entrance, I took a photo and posted it on Instagram along with a photo of my old work badge: “After five years of weathering storms together, allow me to dock my ship today and bid farewell to JoySpace. Grateful for the encounters, no regrets for the prime of my youth. From today on, I’m both unemployed and single. Let me rest for a month, and I’ll be in touch after that.” After posting, I saw that I had been removed from various company group chats. I could almost see Chloe’s phone burning up. At least it saved me the trouble. I took a cab back to the home I used to share with Ryan. This apartment was bought by my family when I graduated. At the time, to avoid making Ryan uncomfortable, I always said it was rented and only charged him a symbolic amount of rent. Ryan knew the rental prices in this area, yet he accepted that arrangement without question. It was all my fault for being young and unable to distinguish between good and bad people. I contacted a familiar renovation company, sent them a renovation plan, and asked them to renovate according to that plan and then help me rent it out. After dealing with these matters, I quickly bought a plane ticket and escaped. Every day, I went to the seaside to space out, and surprisingly, I didn’t feel bored. I played around for a month. When I left, the grass was just sprouting new green; when I came back, flowers were blooming everywhere, and spring had returned to the earth. In a few days, it would be my best friend’s birthday, and I needed to choose a gift. I went to a jewelry store. I didn’t recognize the saleswoman on duty today, but when she saw me come in, she stood at a comfortable distance, warm but not overly eager, making me feel at ease. I was in the middle of choosing when other customers came in. I told the saleswoman to attend to them. But those two people came straight towards me. I looked up and laughed. What a coincidence! It was Chloe, with Ryan following behind. They were carrying shopping bags, apparently having been out for a while. When Ryan and I were together, he hated shopping, saying it was a waste of time. Now that he’s with someone else, he seems to have adapted well. “Sister Lydia, long time no see. I thought you were hiding because you were fired and felt ashamed. Didn’t expect to run into you here,” Chloe said with a smirk. Chloe was as brainless as ever, saying things that made people want to punch her. “I didn’t steal someone’s boyfriend or project. I didn’t do anything shameful, so why should I hide?” I looked Chloe up and down. “You, on the other hand, don’t look too well. Done too many shady things? Can’t sleep at night? But I guess you wouldn’t, you don’t have a conscience.” Watching Chloe’s face change colors like a chameleon made me feel even better. I couldn’t be bothered with them anymore and went back to choosing jewelry. Finally, I found a chain I liked. “Miss, could you please bring that chain over for me to look at?” I asked the saleswoman. The saleswoman brought it out, but before I could take a closer look, Chloe snatched it away. “Sister Lydia, the cheapest jewelry here costs over ten thousand dollars, and some pieces go for hundreds of thousands. Can you afford it? Don’t bite off more than you can chew,” Chloe said mockingly. After saying this, Chloe picked up the bracelet, examined it, and said to the saleswoman, “Wrap it up, I’ll take it.” “But…” The saleswoman looked troubled. “It’s fine, give it to her. I’ll look at something else,” I said calmly. For the next half hour, Chloe followed me around, snatching up whatever I showed interest in. Ryan whispered something to Chloe, but she only became more aggressive, and Ryan didn’t dare say anything more. After a full round, I couldn’t find anything suitable, so I said to the saleswoman, “Bring out that new ruby necklace you’ve got.” The saleswoman went to the safe and brought out a box. When she opened it, I felt my eyes light up. It was a ruby necklace. The gemstone was of high purity and perfectly cut, shimmering beautifully under the light. “This is nice, give me—” Before I could finish, Chloe quickly interrupted. “I’ll take this one,” she said. I finally couldn’t hold back anymore. “Chloe, are you sick? You want everything I look at. Are you brainless or blind? Can’t you choose for yourself?” I snapped. “I have money, I can afford it. I’ll compete with you, what can you do about it?” she retorted. “This necklace is new and quite expensive. Is it worth spending so much just to compete with me?” I tried to reason with her. “Money can’t buy happiness, but I’m happy to spend it. Jealous? Too bad you can’t afford it. Wrap it up, I’ll take it with the others,” Chloe said, staring at the necklace, clearly in love with it. “Ma’am, I should inform you that all our items are final sale, no returns or exchanges. Would you like to reconsider?” the saleswoman cautioned. Chloe hesitated for a moment upon hearing this. “Yeah, Chloe, it’s quite expensive. Think it through. Don’t regret it once you leave the store, there’s no going back,” I chimed in. My advice seemed to strengthen Chloe’s resolve. “Nonsense, it’s just a few pieces of jewelry. Who do you think I am? Ryan, pay for it,” she demanded. Ryan was taken aback and hesitated, his face turning sour. “What’s wrong? Is your phone out of battery?” Chloe asked, staring intently at Ryan. “I brought my card, let’s use that,” Ryan said, handing his card to the saleswoman. Then came the awkward moment. “I’m sorry, sir, but the balance is insufficient,” the saleswoman said, handing the card back with both hands. “How much is it in total?” Ryan asked. “669,000 dollars,” the saleswoman replied. Ryan unconsciously took a step back, his face turning bright red in disbelief. “That much?” he muttered under his breath. “Yeah, it’s quite expensive. If you don’t have enough money, don’t buy it. It’s not something you can eat or drink, so why bother?” I quickly added salt to the wound. Chloe walked over, handed over her own credit card, and took Ryan’s card from his hand, giving both to the saleswoman. “Charge the rest to my card,” she said. Ryan received a bank notification. I glanced at it and saw that his balance was down to just $5.19. After the transaction, Chloe took the bags and left with her head held high. The saleswoman stood there, looking guilty. “Everything you liked was bought by someone else. I’m so sorry,” she apologized sincerely. It wasn’t her fault, but her sincere apology showed she had potential as an employee. “It’s alright. Could you please wrap up that one for me?” I pointed to a bracelet I had spotted earlier but deliberately hadn’t looked at. The saleswoman happily went to wrap it up, looking relieved. After leaving the jewelry counter, I called my friend. “Chloe just bought nearly $700,000 worth of jewelry from your store, even taking that new ruby necklace. How are you going to thank me?” I joked. My friend laughed heartily on the other end of the phone. “Really? That’s fantastic! We should celebrate with a big meal. But thank you? Did you forget you’re also a shareholder?”

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He suddenly became passionate about fitness and started paying attention to his appearance. His clothes always carried a faint scent of lily of the valley. He was acting suspiciously flirtatious. So, I followed him. I overheard him insulting me while joking with his friends: “Olivia is no longer the campus beauty you guys knew. Now her figure is all saggy, no different from a middle-aged woman. I feel unlucky every time I see her bland face.” “If it weren’t for having to split half of our assets in a divorce, I would have married my little sweetheart long ago.” Later, I found a prenatal screening test for Down syndrome in his briefcase. It turned out that his mistress was already over four months pregnant. The information about the pregnant woman on the test caught my attention. When I saw that familiar name, I froze on the spot. What do you do when you’re middle-aged and discover that your husband, with whom you’ve built a life together from nothing, is cheating? This question seems difficult to answer. You have children together and have accumulated considerable assets through years of hard work. You’ve shaped a rash and naive young man into today’s gentle and elegant figure. But now, he belongs to someone else. Should you quickly divide some assets and get a divorce? It doesn’t seem quite fair. Should you drag them along, exhausting the last of your marital affection? But doing so would disgust them and yourself. So, what’s the best answer? My answer is, I can’t get divorced! But… I can become a widow!

Discovering Jack’s affair was actually a very accidental small incident. That day, before letting our housekeeper take Jack’s tailored suit for dry cleaning, I habitually checked the pockets. Then I pulled out a Chanel Coco Mademoiselle lip balm from the right pocket. The lip balm showed obvious signs of use. It couldn’t be something he had just bought for me. And it definitely wasn’t his own. Because this lip balm leaves a shimmering effect on the lips, something only girls would use. The faint lily of the valley scent from the clothes rushed into my nostrils. I stood there stunned for a long time without moving. Perhaps it was a woman’s unreasonable sixth sense. Just this lip balm and this whiff of fragrance made me certain that Jack was having an affair. He wasn’t a person without boundaries. He wouldn’t put a girl’s personal items in his own pocket. So, the lip balm might have been deliberately placed in his pocket by someone else to test me, or Jack might have kept it for that person and forgotten to return it. Either way, the result was obvious. I expressionlessly put the lip balm back in the pocket and returned his suit to its original place. I went to the bathroom and washed my face, trying to clear my dizzy mind. But it didn’t help much.

After sitting numbly for two hours. I called Ryan Thompson, Jack’s senior secretary. I originally wanted to subtly inquire about Jack’s whereabouts these days. When the call connected, I heard Ryan softly shush someone, and then the noise in the background gradually quieted down. A moment later, he asked with a hint of amusement in his voice: “Mrs. Wilson, are you looking for Mr. Wilson? What a coincidence, he just left to meet a client and isn’t in the office right now.” Meeting a client without taking along his capable and skilled senior secretary? The lie was rather clumsy. “No, I’m looking for you,” I directly denied. Ryan paused for a moment, then replied with a smile: “Mrs. Wilson, what can I do for you? Just say the word.” My fingers lightly tapped on the sofa armrest, my voice as cold as ice: “Ryan, do you remember how you climbed to your current position?” There were a few seconds of silence on the other end. When he spoke again, his voice carried a hint of guilt: “You sponsored my education, then brought me into the company and personally mentored me.” “Then why did I leave the company and can now only stay at home doing nothing?” I immediately asked again. “It’s… it’s because I dozed off while driving and caused an accident, resulting in… resulting in your left scapula being fractured. Since then, your left arm has had limited mobility…” Ryan stuttered in his response. Even without seeing him, I could imagine his uncomfortable and fidgety appearance at that moment. I took a deep breath, suppressing the anger about to erupt from my chest. “Now, I’m looking for Jack. Is he there?” “…Yes!” “Where are you now?” “The Jiuzhou Club.” “Room number.” “61008.” I hung up the phone.

As Ryan said, my left arm had limited mobility due to the accident injury, causing excruciating pain every time I raised or moved it outward. I couldn’t even hold the steering wheel with both hands while driving. I had been persistently doing rehabilitation for the past two years, but with little effect. I took a taxi to the Jiuzhou Club. Ryan was already waiting at the entrance on the first floor. When he saw me, he smoothly took the bag from my hand and led me towards the elevator. In the elevator, he wrung his hands nervously, awkwardly apologizing to me: “Mrs. Wil… I mean, Olivia, I’m sorry.” “It’s just that Mr. Wilson is only meeting friends today. I was afraid you’d worry, so I said he went to see a client.” Today he’s meeting friends. What about before? My expression remained cold, and I didn’t look at him again. How could I expect sincerity from an outsider when my husband of twenty-three years would cheat? Ryan escorted me to the private room door, then excused himself to go to the bathroom and left. I wanted to push the door open, to see which woman Jack was holding in his arms. Voices teasing Jack came from inside. I withdrew my hand and stood quietly at the half-open door of the private room. Someone spoke up to joke: “Old Jack is really behaving himself. We’re all surrounded by women, but he’s just sitting there drinking juice.” Someone quickly responded. “Of course, Jack married the campus beauty we all envied back then. She’s a perfect helper. I heard their son even got into Fudan University under Olivia’s guidance. Tsk tsk, having a virtuous wife really does bring prosperity for generations.” “You’re all wrong!” This voice belonged to Marcus Evans, Jack’s old friend. Half mockingly and half enviously, he said: “He’s keeping himself pure for his little girlfriend. She’s strict with him, set twenty house rules, including not drinking or messing around behind her back. Otherwise, she’ll punish him by not letting him into her bed. Last week he secretly drank and upset his little girlfriend. It took hundreds of thousands worth of jewelry to appease her.” “Really?” Several people snickered in surprise. Jack relaxed back against the sofa, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Marcus continued sarcastically: “The girl is only 26, just 7 years older than his son. He can actually bring himself to do it. Don’t you think he’s a beast?” No one responded to his words. Jack crossed his left leg over his right, looking even more at ease. “Haven’t you heard that men are forever young at heart? I’m just seeking some excitement. “You don’t know, Olivia is no longer the campus beauty you guys knew. Now her figure is all saggy, no different from a middle-aged woman. She’s always sickly. I feel unlucky every time I see her bland face. “Besides, even if she were a celestial beauty, I’ve been sleeping with her for over 20 years. I’m tired of it. “If it weren’t for having to split half of our assets in a divorce, I would have married your little sister-in-law long ago.”

It was like having a bucket of ice water dumped over my head. Chilled from head to toe. A chill running through my bones. If I hadn’t heard it with my own ears, it would be hard to believe these words came from the mouth of my humble and gentle husband. Some of what he said wasn’t wrong. You can never imagine how heartless a man can be once he’s changed his mind. He becomes a complete stranger to you. I didn’t disturb them and turned to leave. At the elevator, Ryan was pacing back and forth. Seeing me approach, he quickly came over, smiling: “Mrs. Wilson, I was right, wasn’t I? Mr. Wilson was just catching up with old friends. Those girls in the room have nothing to do with him. He even specifically asked me to order juice for him, afraid of getting drunk and worrying you.” I looked at the man before me, now full of shrewdness. The caution and sincerity in his eyes from years ago had long since disappeared. His face was full of ingratiating smiles: “Mrs. Wilson, let me take you home. Mr. Wilson is with his old classmates anyway, there’s nothing for me to do. Don’t worry, I won’t tell Mr. Wilson you were here.” I didn’t object to his kindness. Ryan was driving the business car used to pick up Jack. As I sat in the back seat, two sets of overlapping handprints, one large and one small, on the car window caught my eye. My heart suddenly sank. I stared fixedly at those chaotic large and small handprints, which seemed to be telling me what kind of dirty story had taken place here. After getting out of the car, I waved goodbye to Ryan. “Thank you for driving me back. “Oh, by the way, the back window is dirty. Remember to clean the glass next time after you’re done.” Ryan froze for a moment.

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“Bullied and Betrayed: My Revenge Against a Toxic Family” Barbara “accidentally” sent her complaint about me to the family WhatsApp group: “My daughter-in-law is so lazy and greedy during her pregnancy. My son’s meager salary is all being eaten up by her!” I quickly @Brian: “See? Your mom thinks you’re incapable and don’t make enough money.” Then I @Barbara: “Feeling sorry that your son’s salary isn’t enough? Why don’t you go get a job too? That would solve the money problem!” Ever since I got pregnant, I’ve been extremely sleepy. One day, after waking up from a nap, I noticed Barbara wasn’t home. She probably went to the market to buy groceries. I quickly grabbed my phone, wanting to call and tell her not to buy anything yet. Today was Brian and my wedding anniversary, and we were going out for a candlelit dinner. As soon as I opened my phone, I saw over a dozen unread messages in the family group chat. I casually scrolled through and happened to see a voice message from Aunt Sophia: “Oh my, what’s going on? Airing grievances in the big group chat now? Aren’t you afraid of upsetting your precious daughter-in-law?” She followed it with a smirking emoji. I could imagine Aunt Sophia’s smug face even with my eyes closed. She was the typical troublemaker who loved to stir up drama. Her son’s marriage ended in divorce after just a year, largely due to her meddling. Yet she refused to acknowledge any fault, instead badmouthing the ex-daughter-in-law everywhere and causing tension between both families. Below that was a sarcastic voice message from Aunt Mary: “Young people these days are so delicate. Going to work seems to drain half their life force. Back in our day, we’d bike to work even while pregnant!” Aunt Mary was ostensibly supporting Barbara, but her words were clearly aimed at the daughters-in-law in the group. Her own daughter-in-law was busy with work and had no time for housework, so Aunt Mary went over to clean every day, harboring a lot of resentment. She had even complained to Barbara before: “This isn’t being a mother-in-law, it’s more like being a maid. At least maids get paid for their hard work!” She certainly had mastered the art of indirect criticism. But who exactly were Aunt Sophia and Aunt Mary talking about? I scrolled up further and finally saw Barbara’s voice message in the group, insinuating about me: “This daughter-in-law of mine, oh my! She’s so lazy and greedy during her pregnancy. My son’s small salary is all being eaten up by her!” So she was complaining that I was spending too much money during my pregnancy! I immediately sent two voice messages in the group, making sure to @Barbara: “Mom, why don’t you go get a job too? That way, with both you and Brian earning money, there’ll be enough to spend!” “The supermarket downstairs is hiring cashiers! 8 AM to 8 PM, lunch provided, $1500 a month. You love to gossip, right? Go there and talk all you want. With all the people coming and going, I’m sure you’ll get your fill of chatter.” As soon as I finished speaking, the group fell silent. No one dared to make any more sarcastic comments. That’s right, if you’re not willing to come help out, then go find a job! Stop giving me trouble!

Actually, I initially disagreed with having Barbara come take care of me during my pregnancy. But I was an older pregnant woman, and my health wasn’t great due to years of working hard in my career. So the doctor specifically advised that I needed to be extra careful in my daily activities. Brian also said that as my pregnancy progressed, it would be too dangerous for me to go out alone without someone to look after me. He worried about me when he was at work. The problem was, I had married far from home, and my dad had recently undergone surgery. My mom was already exhausted taking care of my dad and simply couldn’t be in two places at once for me. I had thought about hiring a nanny, but Brian said an outsider could never be as caring as family. That’s why I finally agreed to let him bring Barbara from their hometown to take care of me. But as soon as Barbara entered our home, she saw my dog Meatball. She frowned, clearly disgusted, and said sarcastically: “Lily, why haven’t you gotten rid of this dog yet?” “You’re pregnant now, you can’t keep a dog. Dogs carry parasites and bacteria, it’s bad for the baby in your belly.” I immediately felt a fire ignite inside me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to calm myself: “Mom, I’ve had Meatball for 7 years, since before I even met Brian. He’s not just a dog, he’s family to me.” “Besides, Meatball has had all his shots and medications. He won’t affect the baby at all.” Just then, Meatball happened to walk past Barbara. She kicked him disgustedly: “Oh my, how strange! You actually treat a dog like family? But a dog is just a dog, how can it be family?” “The most important thing for you right now is to take care of yourself and give me a healthy grandson. Why keep a dog? It’s full of germs!” The more Barbara spoke, the angrier I became. I felt all the blood rush to my head. My hands shook with rage as I raised my voice: “Mom, do you understand science at all? Doctors say keeping a dog has no effect on the fetus.” “Go look outside – forget about pregnant women, even families with newborns keep dogs! So many people have dogs, has any child had problems because of it?” Brian must have noticed I was truly angry, as he quickly ushered me into the bedroom with a mix of coaxing and deception. He casually closed the bedroom door and tried to placate me with a fawning expression: “Don’t be angry! Don’t be angry! My mom is just old and from a small town. She’s not really insisting we get rid of Meatball.” “Don’t take it personally. She just doesn’t understand the science of keeping dogs. You should explain it to her slowly, not argue with her. No matter what, she’s still my mom. We should talk things out nicely.” “Look at how you were acting earlier, like an angry rooster. It’s not worth it, it’s just a dog!” Brian’s attempt at mediation only made me angrier. He wasn’t being a peacemaker at all, he was clearly taking his mom’s side and implying I was the one with the problem. “What do you mean it’s not worth it? What do you mean it’s just a dog?” “Brian, when we got married I made it clear that I would never give up Meatball, even when pregnant or having kids. You agreed to that.” “What’s going on? Now that your mom’s here, you’re changing your tune?” Brian had been fawningly trying to appease me earlier, but now he suddenly changed his attitude. He yanked off his tie forcefully and threw it on the bed, his whole demeanor radiating impatience. It made me feel like I was looking at a stranger. “Look, Lily, you’re being a bit unreasonable here!” “My mom left my dad at home alone to come take care of you. Don’t you know how to be grateful?” “Besides, she didn’t really say much, just suggested getting rid of the dog. If we don’t, we don’t. Why are you being so stubborn about this?” I looked at the man before me, wondering if his soul had been possessed. How could he change so quickly? Just last night he had held me close and said: “Lily, when the baby is born, I’ll definitely be a good father. If it’s a girl, I’ll protect you both. If it’s a boy, we’ll protect you together!” In just one night, as soon as his mom arrived, he had changed completely? This argument ended with Brian storming out and slamming the door. Before leaving, he coldly tossed out one last comment: “Fine, you’re pregnant and your emotions are unstable. Think it over when you’ve calmed down. I’m going to see if my mom needs any help!” No comfort, no explanation. With one flippant sentence, he pushed all the blame onto my emotions. As if I was the villain who started the whole dispute. It made me doubt myself – was it really just pregnancy mood swings making me overly sensitive? Maybe Barbara didn’t really mean what she said about getting rid of Meatball? She’s older, after all. It’s normal for her to nag about everything she sees. Forget it, no matter what, she’s Brian’s mother and the grandmother of the child I’m carrying. For Brian’s sake, I’ll be more tolerant and not take offense at everything she says. After all, he’s caught between his wife and his mother. It must be difficult for him too.

I silently reassured myself for over 10 minutes, gradually calming down. I wanted to scroll through some short videos to distract myself. I had just picked up my phone when I saw Aunt Sophia had shared a video link in the family group chat: [Pregnant woman miscarries at 4 months, family pet to blame] [Should pregnant women really keep pets?] As soon as I saw this headline, I was furious. Did they install hidden cameras in my house? How do they know everything that happens here? So I @’ed Aunt Sophia in the group: “Aunt Sophia, what do you mean by sharing this link?” Aunt Sophia quickly replied: “Oh, I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just chatting with Barbara, and she mentioned you’re still keeping a dog while pregnant. She wanted to get rid of it, but you weren’t happy about that.” “I thought maybe you didn’t know the dangers of keeping a dog, so I specifically found this video.” “You should watch it quickly. Pregnant women really shouldn’t keep dogs. Get rid of it as soon as possible!” My anger, which had just subsided, instantly flared up again. Using the guise of concern to do things that upset me – isn’t this textbook emotional manipulation? Do they really think I’m made of dough to be kneaded at will? “Aunt Sophia, if you’re really that bored, why don’t you get a job? I think a matchmaking agency would be perfect. You could clean the office and find a wife for your son while you’re at it.” “Your son isn’t getting any younger. He’s 36 or 37 now, and hasn’t had a girlfriend since his divorce. If he waits much longer, I’m afraid he’ll be a bachelor for life.” Aunt Sophia immediately sent me a 60-second voice message. I didn’t need to listen to know what she was saying. “Lily, you’re being quite ungrateful! I’m just trying to look out for you!” “My son is single because his standards are high and he hasn’t found anyone he likes. What do you know? Besides, men are in their prime at 40!” You want to be passive-aggressive? I can play that game too! In the past, out of respect for Brian’s elders, I rarely spoke up in the group chat. But now that they’ve repeatedly pushed my boundaries, they can’t blame me for fighting back. “Oh, still saying men are in their prime at 40? With a mother-in-law like you at home, who would dare to pick that flower from your family?” Aunt Sophia, either rendered speechless by my retort or feeling she’d lost face being talked back to by a younger person, tersely replied: “I’m not getting involved in your family drama anymore.” After that, she didn’t say another word. Not getting involved? Good, that’s exactly what I want! Just as I was feeling extremely satisfied, Barbara suddenly pushed open the door. I was a bit annoyed. No matter what, there should be some basic respect between us, right? “Mom, don’t you know how to knock? You can’t just barge in without warning. This isn’t your house.” But Barbara didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with her behavior. She haughtily said: “Why should I knock in my son’s house?” Judging by Barbara’s tone, she didn’t come with good intentions. Sure enough, before I could speak, Barbara started interrogating me: “Lily, let me ask you something. Did you talk back to your Aunt Sophia? How can you be so ungrateful?” Barbara stood in the doorway, sunlight shining on her. It highlighted the wrinkles on her face, making her angry expression look particularly twisted and distorted. My tone softened a bit: “Yes, I did talk back. She messed up her own son’s marriage, and now she’s trying to meddle in our family affairs.” “Mom, you need to understand – we’re family, Aunt Sophia is just your sister!” Maybe Barbara saw some logic in what I said, or maybe she had figured it out herself. Her aggressive demeanor diminished slightly, and she muttered quietly: “Well, you still shouldn’t talk to your Aunt Sophia like that. She is my older sister, after all.” My tone was gentle, but my attitude remained firm: “Mom, she may be your sister, but that doesn’t give her the right to interfere in Brian’s and my life.” Barbara was an uneducated woman. Hearing me address her respectfully as “Mom” and maintain a submissive attitude, she lost her anger. She meekly closed the door, saying: “Alright, alright. You just rest.”

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I have a scar on my chin that extends down to my neck. It’s a remnant from a childhood accident when Lucas threw a firecracker that exploded near me. His mother dragged him to apologize, and he planted a kiss on my bandage. “Sophia, I’ll take responsibility for you,” he said solemnly. Ever since then, I’ve been terrified of firecrackers. Fortunately, Lucas, the “culprit,” would always be there to cover my ears. He promised, “Sophia, don’t be afraid. Every New Year’s Eve, I’ll be right behind you.” Years later, under a sky full of fireworks, he kissed the company’s new fireworks designer. I watched from afar, the scar on my chin burning with a dull ache. The day I discovered Lucas’s affair, I happily went to his office to bring him lunch. In the elevator, I carefully hid the pregnancy test results under the lunchbox, planning to surprise him later. When I entered his office, a well-dressed young woman was sitting there. As soon as I walked in, their intertwined hands quickly separated. “Hello, I’m Emma, the new fireworks designer. I was just discussing some details with Mr. Thompson,” she said with a smile. There was a design sketch between them, with colors so beautiful it seemed unreal. “I’ll leave you two to talk,” Emma said as she left the room. After she left, Lucas pulled me into his arms, habitually caressing the scar on my chin. “Why did you come suddenly without letting someone pick you up?” I didn’t respond. He picked up the design sketch again. “Do you like it? It’s for your 23rd birthday gift.” I love watching fireworks but I’m terrified of the explosive sounds. Lucas built an amusement park for me and even constructed a private viewing platform where I could see the best fireworks without being too close to them. Our love story was featured on the park’s website homepage, attracting many visitors. “I’ll set them off for you on your birthday, okay?” he said, kissing my forehead. “I need to go inspect the park now. You should head home first,” he added, as if on cue, there was a knock on the door. “Mr. Thompson, we need to leave now,” came a voice from outside. I let go of his hand, and Lucas called a cab for me. “Driver, could you turn around and go to Starlight Amusement Park instead?” I asked once I was in the car.

This amusement park was Lucas’s proposal gift to me. “Sophia, I’ll watch fireworks with you for the rest of our lives,” he had promised. Those words still echoed in my ears, but now all I could think of were those intertwined hands I had seen earlier. I took out a mirror from my bag, seeing the scar deeply embedded in my skin, a part of me now. I easily made my way through the employee entrance to my private viewing spot, which was messily decorated with string lights and flowers. Lucas came running from behind, out of breath. “Sophia, didn’t I tell you to go home and rest? Now you’ve seen the surprise early.” I reached out to wipe the sweat from his forehead. “Why are you in such a hurry? I just felt cooped up and wanted to take a walk.” “Alright, you go back to your work. I’m heading home,” I said. Lucas breathed a sigh of relief as he watched me walk away. What he didn’t know was that I had already seen the security guard’s large-print chat window. “Mr. Thompson, your wife is heading towards the viewing platform.” I wandered around outside for the rest of the day, timing it so I would arrive just as the fireworks show was starting. I bought a full-price ticket to enter the park. Unlike what I had seen at noon, the viewing platform was now beautifully decorated. The new fireworks designer, Emma, was standing with Lucas. They looked just like a couple celebrating their anniversary at the park. As the fireworks exploded, I covered my ears. Lucas pulled Emma into his arms and kissed her lips the next second. The two kissed passionately. The fireworks became a romantic backdrop. And so did I. “Lucas, thank you for preparing all this for me,” Emma said softly. Lucas’s face was full of tenderness. “This park was built for you. Isn’t your dream to let more people see your fireworks?” My heart sank, and the family pass card in my hand dug into my palm. Emma giggled playfully. “Wasn’t it built for Sophia?” “Look at her, does she deserve it? I have a responsibility to her. Her face was disfigured because of me, and no one else would want her besides me.” “Such beautiful fireworks should be paired with a beauty like you.” Lucas’s words felt like knives stabbing into my heart. With shaking hands, I started recording. “If Sophia knew, wouldn’t she be furious?” Emma asked. Lucas was silent for a moment, then poked Emma’s forehead. “Then let’s not let her know for now. Be careful at the company too. I can’t divorce her right now.” “The company is at a critical point, and the park needs the fairy tale story between Sophia and me.” Emma gave Lucas a satisfied kiss. “Then tonight…” Lucas smiled suggestively, picked Emma up in his arms, and walked towards the park’s hotel.

Sitting in the taxi, I played the recorded video over and over again. “Look at her, does she deserve it?” “Who else would want her besides me?” “You don’t know how disgusted I am every time I see her face.” “After slowly distancing myself from her for a few years, she’ll get tired and beg me for a divorce.” “In this love story, she can only be the one at fault.” In the hotel, Lucas was carrying Emma to the top floor. Fighting back tears, I called Lucas. “Hello? Sophia? What’s wrong?” he answered. Tears streamed down my face as I could hear Lucas’s suppressed breathing. “Sophia, go to sleep first. I had a few drinks today and I’m afraid I’ll smell of alcohol if I come back. Be good, okay?” He hurriedly hung up the phone, cutting off Emma’s coquettish voice. I cried uncontrollably. All these years, he had seen me as a burden, a flaw in his perfect reputation. The amusement park he built didn’t belong to me, the fireworks he set off didn’t belong to me. Even he had never belonged to me. I walked into the bathroom and looked at myself in the full-length mirror. The long scar extended from my chin to my chest. Right to my heart. Every time my heart beat, the tail of the scar moved with it. Every time in bed, Lucas would passionately kiss this scar. From top to bottom. “Is it ugly?” I had asked Lucas more than once. His response was always more intense movements. “Sophia isn’t ugly. This scar is the red thread of fate tying us together.” I thought we were in love. After that incident, Lucas followed me around for many years. Even my mom said, “Lucas is a kind-hearted, loyal boy.” In high school, many people mocked my scar as ugly. Some even gave me nasty nicknames. But Lucas never did. He would hold me in his arms when others bullied me. He would repeatedly emphasize that I was the most beautiful girl in his eyes. After getting into college, Lucas confessed to me with our acceptance letters in hand. “Lucas, my face is fine now. You don’t need to be with me out of guilt.” Actually, I felt insecure, but he pulled me into a small alley. He gently kissed the scar. “Sophia, do you really think I’ve been close to you all these years just because of guilt?” My heart sank, and I took the initiative to kiss his lips.

Lucas was handsome and had good grades. In college, he had more and more admirers. I personally saw a curvaceous junior shyly hand him a love letter. I also heard rumors about us around campus. To be worthy of him, I secretly made an appointment for plastic surgery. This scar was too long, so long that it reached my heart. When I was about to enter the operating room, Lucas rushed over and took me away. “Sophia, please don’t get plastic surgery, okay?” He said this scar was my psychological barrier. Even if it was removed, I would still be bothered by it. Only when I truly adapted to it would I have let go and forgiven him. He cried pitifully with red-rimmed eyes. I really believed that in that accident, not only was I hurt, but Lucas was too. Now I understand that Lucas wasn’t guilty at all. He needed me by his side to showcase his loyalty and devotion. I wrapped myself in a blanket, unable to sleep all night. At dawn, the door lock turned. Lucas walked to my side and tucked me in. “Did I wake you?” he asked. Lucas leaned in and kissed my forehead. I could clearly smell the shower gel on his body. There were faint red marks on his neck. All declaring their wild night. “Look what I brought back for you,” Lucas said. Lucas took out a basket of soup dumplings, my favorite. “Fresh out of the steamer. I went to queue up early in the morning.” I put one in my mouth, but the soup inside was already cold and had a fishy taste. It made me nauseous, just like Lucas. I couldn’t help but spit it out. Lucas anxiously patted my back. “Why are you feeling sick?” As if remembering something, Lucas tentatively asked, “Sophia, did you take your medicine these past few times? You’re not… pregnant, are you?” I shook my head in denial. Lucas let out a long sigh of relief. “The company isn’t stable right now. When I’m ready, we’ll have a child.” He spoke sincerely. If I hadn’t witnessed it myself yesterday, I would have been moved by the future he described.

Lucas leaned in and pecked me on the corner of my mouth. “Rest well at home. The new project has been keeping me busy lately. When it’s over, I’ll take you on a trip.” After Lucas left, I threw the basket of dumplings into the trash and wiped my mouth corner vigorously with a tissue. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. What I thought was a perfect love had ultimately turned into a bubble. I had Human Resources pull out Emma’s file. It showed that she had been interning at the company since before graduation, for a full six months now. For six whole months, the company had been their sanctuary. “Jasmine, Lucas is cheating on me,” I sent the message to my best friend, then collapsed on the sofa. Only about twenty minutes later, Jasmine appeared at my doorstep. “What happened?” she asked, panting and pouring herself a glass of water. “Who’s cheating? Your devoted husband?” I let out a cold laugh. Lucas’s act was so perfect that he not only fooled me but also the people around me. Seeing my swollen eyes, Jasmine’s shocked expression turned solemn. She pulled me into a hug. “Cry if you want to. Let it all out.” “That bastard, acting all proper usually, turns out he’s only good when he’s nailed to the wall!” I clung to Jasmine and vented my emotions. When I was tired of crying, I curled up in a corner, staring blankly. “What do you plan to do now?” Jasmine asked worriedly. “Whatever decision you make, I support you.” I touched my belly, thinking how this child came at such an inopportune time. “Jasmine, I’m pregnant.” Hearing my words, Jasmine grabbed a kitchen knife and was about to go find Lucas. I stopped her, smiling more painfully than crying. “It’s okay. Luckily, I found out early. Come with me to the hospital.” Lying on the operating table, tears flowed along my scar to my neck. I could feel the child flowing out of my body. Lucas called me the next day. “Sophia, why aren’t you at home?” “Jasmine is sick. I’m staying with her at the hospital for a few days.” Lucas casually told me to take care and hung up the phone. Jasmine came back with takeout lunch. “You’re in postpartum recovery now. Don’t cry. Eat up and get your strength back. Then we can go beat up that scumbag.” In the obstetrics ward, children’s cries filled the air. Thinking of my child who never had a chance to be born, tears fell into my soup. “It’s so bitter.”

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After the Earthquake, My Boyfriend Refused to Save My Mom. He Wanted to Save His Childhood Friend’s Dog Instead After the earthquake, my boyfriend Dax Fairley asked me, Talia Winslet, to help lift a concrete slab to rescue a Pomeranian. Suddenly, a stream of comments flashed before my eyes. [Talia doesn’t know yet, but her own mom is trapped under the other end of that slab. Once she lifts it, her mom will be crushed to death.] At the same time, Dax kept urging me, “Hurry up! If anything happens to Maeve’s therapy dog, don’t even think about marrying me.” [Here it comes. Talia, the love-blinded fool, is about to sacrifice her mom.] [Dax didn’t know someone was under there. Later, out of guilt, he couldn’t face the heartbroken Talia and broke off the engagement. Guess that was his way of atoning.] [Thank God we have Maeve in the end. She and Dax healed each other. I love them together.] I stared blankly at the scrolling comments. I thought I was hallucinating. The collapsed area was Dax’s house. A massive concrete slab had fallen over it, with only one edge barely able to lift. Dax was clearing rubble on the right side, his engagement ring scratched and dulled. He was shouting impatiently at me, “Why are you zoning out?! Fluffy’s been whining under there for twenty minutes. Hurry up and help!” I heard it. A faint whimper of a little dog came from under the debris. I thought, “But what about my mom?” I stumbled to the other side and pressed my ear to the ground. I thought, “God, I hope those comments weren’t true. My mom was supposed to be in the neighboring province. There’s no way she’d be here.” But then, I heard a muffled knocking sound from beneath. It was faint, but it shook me to the core. “We can’t lift it,” I said, my voice trembling. My face turned pale as I looked at Dax in despair. “My mom is under this side!” [Wait, what? How did Talia know that?] [No, Maeve’s Pomeranian is a certified therapy dog! If it dies, she’ll spiral again! Don’t do this!] I thought Dax would immediately rush over to help. Surely, between saving a person or a dog, he’d know what to do. But Maeve’s face twisted. She clutched her bleeding arm, cut by the rubble, and said with teary eyes, “Talia, I know you don’t like me, and I get that Fluffy accidentally peed on your wedding dress… but that doesn’t mean you should make up such a lame excuse just to deliberately kill him, should you?” My chest tightened. I was so angry and panicked. I could hardly breathe. Maeve was Dax’s childhood friend and neighbor, a real manipulative piece of work. Last time, when Dax and I went to pick up my custom wedding dress, she saw it and clung to Dax’s arm, whining, “I wanna try it on too. Dax, can I? Just one photo?” My face immediately went cold. But she acted like she didn’t see it, pouting, “You used to say you’d marry me, remember? I just want to wear a matching dress for one photo. Just to fulfill a little dream.” Dax chuckled awkwardly and turned to me for permission. I bit my tongue and calmly said it was a custom dress. If Maeve wore it, it could get stretched or ruined. Maeve froze, then turned and ran off, eyes red. The next day, she came over with Fluffy. And, of course, the dog peed right on my pure white gown. Dax remembered that incident. So now, he assumed I was still holding a grudge that I was deliberately trying to stop him from saving the dog. He lowered his voice and said, irritated, “How can you be this cruel? Are you really throwing a tantrum at a time like this?” My head pounded. I couldn’t help but grab his wrist, trying to drag him toward the other side. “I’m not messing with you, okay? I don’t care what happened between you two. I just want to save my mom!” But before I could even take steps, he yanked his arm away and twisted mine so hard it felt like my bones would snap. “Talia, are you done throwing your little fit?” He grabbed my jaw and forced me to look at Maeve. “You know she has depression, right? And now you’re picking a fight? You want her to lose Fluffy, too?” Maeve stared at me like she wanted to say something, then bit her lip and said, “If this is about your anger, I promise, once Fluffy’s safe, I’ll stay far away from both you and Dax.” Then, she couldn’t hold back anymore and started crying, “Fluffy didn’t do anything wrong. Please, don’t hurt him too.” [Maeve, don’t cry! Stupid Talia, just save the dog and let your mom die already.] [She’s had that dog for five years. It’s the only thing that helps her cope with depression. And it got trapped trying to save her. I’d pick the dog too.] My mind was spinning. I thought, “What were they even saying? That’s my mom!” My voice cracked, choked with panic and fear. “Please… I’m begging you. Just believe me for once, okay?” I fell to my knees, nearly groveling, tears mixing with dust on my face. “Dax, my dad is gone. My mom raised me all by herself. I can’t lose her too!” My dad was a soldier. When I was little, he’d lift me up high and spin me around like I could fly. Later, during a flood, he lifted up so many others until he was too tired to swim and got swept away. My mom almost cried herself blind. If it wasn’t for me, she would have killed herself for my dad. She raised me alone, giving me double the love. She always said all she wanted was for me to grow up happy and healthy. I thought, “If something happened to her now, how could I possibly go on?” Dax grabbed me by the collar and yanked me to my feet. His eyes were filled with confusion. “So what, now you’re competing with Maeve over who’s suffered more?” My mind went blank. “What?” He suddenly pulled out his phone and showed me a folder of photos of Maeve growing up over the years. His voice dropped. “I didn’t want to say this, but Maeve saw her parents die in a car crash. That’s why she has depression. I promised I’d protect her. “But I chose you. That’s why you owe her… Fluffy’s all she has left.” I staggered back, suddenly realizing I didn’t recognize this man anymore. I thought, “So conflicted, so unable to prioritize anything… Why did he even pursue me? All his words were soaked in guilt for someone else. Was that why he proposed to me? So I could spend the rest of my life making up for Maeve, too, letting her walk all over me?” The comments exploded again. [Dax finally admitted it. Choosing to marry Talia makes him feel so guilty towards our Maeve.] [When Talia was trying on her wedding dress, were you thinking about your future life together? Or whether Maeve would be sad?] [Stupid Dax! Look at Maeve’s teary eyes. She clearly still loves you! You can spend your whole life with her!] The flood of words and literal dust were drowning me. I shouted, my voice raw and shaking, “So what?! Just because she’s had a rough life, I’m supposed to let my mom die for her dog?” Dax’s face twisted in frustration. “God, you’re impossible. Even a dog knows how to be considerate. You just can’t stand Maeve being happy, can you?” He didn’t believe a word I said. He dragged me to the right side and gave a final order. “We’ll save the dog first. We’ll talk about your mom later. I’m done with this tantrum.”

As Dax pried at the rubble, small pieces began to fall. I couldn’t bear the thought, “How much pain would my mom be in if that slab came down?” I lost it. I shoved Dax away with all my strength. Rubble scattered everywhere. He stumbled, caught only because Maeve rushed in to steady him. His eyes darkened instantly, veins bulging on his forehead. “Talia! Don’t push me…” Before he could finish, he stared in disbelief as I slammed my head hard against a rock. Blood poured from my forehead, covering half my face in red. I screamed, “You don’t believe my mom is under there? Then I’ll bet my life on it!” Pointing to the slab, tears and blood streaming together, I shouted, “Just listen! She’s knocking, begging for help! Why won’t you believe me?!” My vision went black from the blood loss. I collapsed, gasping for air. Dax rushed over, looking stunned, and pulled me up with a conflicted expression. A moment later… Maeve pouted, then sighed softly, “Well, since it’s come to this, Dax, you should go check.” She bit her lip and turned her head away. “Fluffy’s strong. He can wait.” Dax opened his mouth, then reached out to stroke her head gently. “You really are the kindest.” He gave me a cold, annoyed glance before reluctantly going to the other side. He crouched down and pressed his ear to the slab. I let out a deep breath, holding back my dizziness. I moved to help lift the slab with him, silently praying, “Please hang in there, Mom.” But the moment I reached his side, a force shoved me hard, slamming me face-first into the concrete. My arms and face were instantly shredded by exposed steel wires. From behind, Dax roared, “Listen for yourself! Do you hear anything?!” [Dax is so alpha. Can’t wait to see how he pushes Maeve onto the bed later. That’s gonna be hot.] [Talia’s mom must’ve passed out by now. Looks like she’s not making it.] [She’s just a side character anyway. Everything exists to serve Maeve and Dax’s happiness.] Panic surged inside me. My head throbbed so badly. I couldn’t hear a thing. There really was no sound anymore. On the other side, Maeve suddenly started whimpering, looking tearfully at Dax, “Dax… Fluffy’s crying is getting fainter. Is he dying? What do we do?!” Dax immediately started to walk towards her. “No!” I grabbed his hand. “My mom’s passed out. We can’t wait any longer. Please help me save her!” My voice was shaking so badly from fear that I could barely form words. Dax paused, then laughed in disbelief. “Talia, you’ll say anything just to fight with Maeve, huh? If your mom was really down there, she’d be screaming for help.” He slammed my head against the slab. Leaning close, his breath hot on my ear, he whispered, “Maybe your mom just can’t scream. Did the old hag lose her voice?” He stood up, checked his watch, and scoffed, “I’ve wasted ten minutes on you. If Fluffy dies because of you, you can forget about marrying me.” Then he stormed off to Maeve, gently wiping her tears. “Don’t worry, Fluffy’s gonna be okay.” Maeve nodded hard, looking up at him like he was her savior. “Don’t blame her, Dax. It’s my fault. I upset her and dragged Fluffy into this…” I stared numbly at the blood and tears on the concrete. My mom’s gentle face flashed in my mind. She once held my hand, so full of love. “Talia, you’re grown up now. Whoever you choose to marry, as long as you’re happy, that’s enough for me.” I thought, “No. Without her, I’m not happy at all. God, I regret everything. I regretted being so blind, only seeing their true colors now. I wish I could hold my mom.” “Mom… just hang on, please. I’ll get you out of there. Don’t leave me. I’m begging you.” I was out of my mind, blinking furiously through the tears. I dug with both hands, even when they were raw and bleeding. When Dax finally brought some villagers over, they saw me kneeling there, clawing at the rubble with my bare hands, carving a hole with nothing but sheer desperation. My fingernails were torn halfway off, barely hanging by a thread of dead skin. My hands were mangled beyond recognition.

A villager clicked his tongue and said, “Do you really have to go all out just to save a dog? The woman you engaged sure has a kind heart.” As he spoke, he waved for others to come help. Dax’s face darkened, and he stepped forward to block them. “Leave that lunatic alone. Maeve’s dog is trapped on the right side.” I heard the commotion and turned around to see a group of people approaching. With all their surprised eyes on me, I didn’t hesitate. I dropped to my knees and kowtowed, choking back sobs. “Please save my mom. She’s trapped underneath, but he won’t believe me. He insists on moving the slab on the other side!” “What’s going on here?” Dax took a deep breath, pinched the bridge of his nose hard, and interrupted me sharply, “So a dog’s life doesn’t count anymore? Even if you’re trying to get back at Maeve, is this the time and place to throw a tantrum?” He turned and raised his voice, commanding attention. “Everyone knows Maeve and I are close. But Talia? She’s just bitter. She can’t stand seeing Maeve happy and is using this as an excuse to try and kill her dog. “Maeve has depression. That dog is the only reason she’s still holding on. I can’t just stand by and do nothing.” His words stirred everyone up. After all, Dax was one of their own, born and raised in the village, so his version of things seemed more believable. Maeve staggered into Dax’s arms, sobbing like a poor, helpless soul, “It’s my fault. I must’ve been in Talia’s way. I’ll move out… Fluffy was the last hope my parents left me. Without her, I really can’t go on.” Everyone in the village knew Maeve’s parents had passed away. So, as soon as she said that, people believed her completely. “What a sin!” Linda Murphy, holding a shovel, spat in my direction. “Outsiders have no empathy. A dog’s life matters too! You think a few words can justify letting it die? If your mom knew, she’d die from rage!” Maeve let out a perfectly timed whimper. Dax pulled her close to comfort her. Surrounded by all those accusing glares, I couldn’t stop shaking. My vision darkened, and my limbs went numb. “You don’t believe me either…” I kept swallowing hard, fighting the nausea rising in my throat. [I know it’s the plot, but Talia really looks pitiful.] [Oh boy, we got a saint or something?] [Just accept it, Talia. Your mom’s already in her 60s. Saving her won’t give her many more years anyway.] But I didn’t want to give up. I carried my mother’s hopes. I held up my bloody hands. The pain was intense like my ten fingers were about to break off completely. My voice trembled as I cried out, “You think I’m evil, that I made all this up? Why the hell would I go this far just to lie about a dog?!” Dax scoffed, unimpressed, “Still acting, huh? What now, want us to get on our knees and beg you to be merciful?” He stepped closer and questioned me coldly, “You keep saying your mom’s under there? Then answer me. Your mom said just yesterday that she was in the next province. So how the hell is she at my house today, conveniently crushed under some slabs?” [Dax is making sense!] [Yeah, how did Talia know?] [I remember she didn’t react at first. Then, all of a sudden, she knew her mom was in trouble.] [Wait… could she see our comments or something?] I said nothing because he was right. If I said I figured it out from the comments, they’d all think I’d gone insane. Then, my mom would have no hope of being rescued. Seeing me freeze, Dax sneered coldly, “If you behave now, the wedding’s still on. But push me any further, and I will find someone else.” He thought that threat would scare me into submission. He walked up, grabbed my chin, and smirked, “A woman like you, already used by me? No one else would want you. Not like Maeve. She hasn’t even had her first kiss yet.” Still, I stayed silent because I just saw a comment scroll past. [Stupid Talia, go borrow someone’s phone and call your aunt Nola Granger. She’ll tell you your mom went to see you.] I immediately jerked free of Dax and ran toward a villager holding a phone. “Let me make a call.” Without waiting for a reply, I snatched the phone hastily. Thankfully, the phone didn’t have a passcode. My bloody, dusty fingers kept hitting the wrong keys. When the call finally connected, I put it on speaker and shouted, “Nola, is my mom home? Did she go to my place today?” Everyone turned to look. Dax looked annoyed as hell by my persistence. Just as he started storming toward me, Nola’s voice came through the speaker. “Huh? No, I think she went out to buy groceries. Wait. Are you at your boyfriend’s place? Just stay there and…” Before she could finish, Dax snatched the phone away, hung up, and handed it back to its owner. He stared down at me, fuming. Then he grabbed my hair and roared, “You heard that, didn’t you?! You really had to make a scene for everyone to laugh at?!” Free Point [Haha, Talia really can see the comments? Got tricked, didn’t you?] [Silly Talia, your mom really is trapped under the slab. Your mom asked Nola beforehand to tell you she was coming to give you a surprise. That’s why Nola helped lie to you.]

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In the third year of our marriage, my wife sent me to a remote island. This was all because her idealized love claimed I had caused his blindness. My wife was furious with me and insisted I spend time on the island to reflect on my actions. Instead, I was bitten by a poisonous snake, which left my legs permanently damaged. When I finally left the island, my wife arrived with her idealized love. As she cursed me, I felt nothing. To my surprise, when I asked for a divorce, she lost her composure. She cried and knelt, begging me not to leave… “Mr. Evan, Ms. Harper sent us to fetch you. You can leave here now.” Seeing a group of bodyguards arrive on the island, my first instinct was to tremble. Even after they explained their purpose, I remained curled in a corner, trying to cover the festering wound on my ankle with my hands, desperately trying to make myself unseen. I had been trapped on this island for three years. For three long years, Harper never once came to see me. Whenever I closed my eyes, I could recall all that I had endured during those years. With no food on the island, I had to beg and endure suffering just to get a little sustenance. Not long ago, I was bitten by a poisonous snake, which left my legs useless. Noticing my prolonged silence, the lead bodyguard frowned, “Mr. Evan, you can come with us now.” I blinked in a daze and pointed at my swollen, discolored ankle, “I can’t walk.” There was a moment of silence. The bodyguards seemed unprepared for this and hastily called for a wheelchair, placing me in it. Once I was seated, I silently let them take me away. When I was wheeled to the front of Harper’s villa, I couldn’t stop trembling once more. A few seconds later, I saw Harper as expected. She was in a high-end outfit, holding onto Ezra’s arm, looking starkly different from my pitiful state. Seeing me in the wheelchair, Harper seemed slightly displeased. “Why so delicate? After all these years of reflection, and you can’t even walk?” Her tone was dripping with sarcasm. Over the years, Harper hadn’t bothered to ask about my situation, so she naturally didn’t know that my legs were crippled. As the bodyguards moved forward to explain, I remained emotionless in the wheelchair. Harper seemed surprised by my condition and frowned as she approached me. As she got closer, I recoiled sharply! “Please… please! I was wrong, I was wrong, I deserve to die…” It was almost an instinctive reaction. I hunched over, beginning to apologize frantically. Harper was taken aback. She stopped, seemingly puzzled as to how the once-proud me had become like this.

Harper appeared as though she wanted to approach me, but Ezra, standing beside her, held her arm more tightly. “Yanyan, my eyes hurt.” I lifted my head slightly, noticing Ezra’s unfocused gaze. Harper’s expression changed instantly. Ignoring me, she instructed the bodyguards to lock me inside the villa first, as she needed to accompany Ezra to the hospital. As they passed me, Harper didn’t spare me a glance, while Ezra smirked mockingly, as if laughing at my helplessness. My hands, gripping the wheelchair, trembled incessantly. Years ago, it was because of Ezra that Harper banished me to the remote island. I was an eye surgeon, and Ezra was my patient. During surgery, his eyes inexplicably lost sight. Despite numerous doctors testifying that it wasn’t the surgery’s fault, Harper insisted I was a villain trying to harm Ezra and exiled me to the island for reflection. Years apart, Harper and Ezra were closer than ever. There seemed no place for me here. The bodyguards seemed ready to push me into the villa, but I quickly stopped them, quietly begging for some food. The bodyguard hesitated; perhaps I looked too frail, so he complied. When I was wheeled into a nearby convenience store, I heard a surprised voice. “Dr. Evan? How are you here?” I hunched over, trying hard to minimize my presence. No one had called me a doctor in a long time. On the island, those who brought me food would humiliate me daily, saying I wasn’t worthy of being a doctor. Now, hearing the word doctor made me tremble. How could I ever pick up a scalpel again? “Dr. Evan?” She called a few more times. Maybe seeing no response, she walked toward me. But I could only keep my head down, constantly denying. “You’ve got the wrong person. I’m not Dr. Evan. I’m worthless. I shouldn’t harm people. I’m not worthy of being a doctor…” Hearing my words, she was stunned. The next second, she suddenly held my shoulder: “Calm down, Evan. I’m your former patient. Do you remember me?” She repeated it several times before I slowly looked up. Seeing this familiar face, I finally remembered. It was Stella. She had an eye infection before and nearly went blind. I saved her eyes after a day of emergency treatment. Chapter 2 After that, Stella was always very grateful to me. Sweat still beaded on my forehead, but my heartbeat finally calmed down. Stella looked at me in shock, seemingly unable to believe how much I’d changed. I breathed heavily, unable to utter a single word. There were still bodyguards around. Stella glanced around, as if realizing something, and whispered if I wanted to leave with her. Once I finished eating, I’d be taken back to Harper’s villa. What awaited me could be more humiliating punishment. She always treated me like a criminal, and there was no way she’d let me off easily. I clutched Stella’s wrist tightly, nodding with tears in my eyes. Taking advantage of the moment when the bodyguards were buying food, Stella abruptly pushed my wheelchair and took me out of the convenience store. Footsteps immediately sounded behind us! Stella calmly hid me in a nearby alley. After they split up to search, she took me to her car. She currently lived in a high-rise apartment. Once at Stella’s home, my numb nerves finally relaxed a bit. She warmed up some food for me and asked what had happened. I just shook my head, unable to say a word. On the island, I endured inhuman torment. But what was the point of speaking about it? Everyone thought I was the sinner who caused Ezra’s blindness. Harper was eager for my death. What was the point of saying anything? Seeing I wouldn’t talk, Stella didn’t press. She just gave me a key, telling me I could stay as long as I wanted. “Just stay. I can afford to support you. We can talk when you’re ready to leave.” She playfully patted my shoulder. I was somewhat grateful. Judging by my appearance, I must have gone through something awful, but Stella didn’t pry since I wasn’t willing to share. So, I stayed at Stella’s place. But I knew it was only a matter of time before Harper found me. She was incredibly powerful. What couldn’t she do? Sure enough, within a few days, Harper broke down Stella’s door and dragged me out.

That day, I was on the balcony watching the clouds outside. Suddenly, there was a loud banging on the door. I got startled and instinctively hid to the side. In a few seconds, the door collapsed. Harper, in high heels, immediately spotted where I was hiding and came over to grab my hand. “Evan, you are still my husband. Who gave you permission to hide here?” Faced with Harper’s scolding, my face turned pale as if drained of blood. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m worthless… I’m wrong…” Her grip on my wrist was so strong, it felt like she was pulling me back into those dark days. I closed my eyes, replaying the scenes of others tormenting me in my mind. Harper was startled by my reaction and stepped aside: “Evan, what’s wrong with you?” I said nothing, so she assumed I was angry and frowned, telling me not to throw a tantrum. “You harmed Ezra. I didn’t send you to prison, just punished you a bit. And you act like this? Do you know how much Ezra suffered because of you? He’s an artist, but his eyes can’t see now! I know you hate him, but how can you be so cruel!” “I honestly wish it was you who went blind. You’re as useless as a cripple anyway.” I kept my head down, silently enduring Harper’s insults. Eventually, Harper got tired of cursing and rolled her eyes, forcibly dragging me up and handing me to two bodyguards. I was dragged to the ground floor and into Harper’s car. Afraid of angering Harper, I tried my best to shrink into a corner to diminish my presence. I didn’t speak the entire way. Harper didn’t start any conversation either. Occasionally, when she looked at me, her eyes were full of impatience. When I was pushed out of the car and saw our destination, I collapsed, kneeling before Harper, begging her not to take me inside. She was taking me to the hospital where I used to work. Why go there? To show my colleagues what I had become? In the past, I was the most famous doctor in ophthalmology, performing countless complex surgeries, and received numerous honorary banners. Now, I was like a dog. Harper mercilessly ordered the bodyguards to place me in a wheelchair. I continued sobbing uncontrollably. A few seconds later, Harper frowned again: “Evan, what’s wrong with you now? I’m just bringing you to the hospital to treat your legs. You are my husband. I can’t just leave your legs crippled.” Here we go again. She always claimed I was her husband. So she had the right to discipline and punish me on behalf of Ezra, to bully and control me in the name of being a wife, to strip away everything from me. Once inside the hospital, several young nurses recognized me, looking at me with a mix of disbelief and pity. Harper brusquely ordered the bodyguard to put me in a wheelchair. I was still crying uncontrollably. Seconds later, Harper frowned, “Evan, what’s wrong with you now? I just brought you to the hospital to treat your leg. You’re my husband, and I can’t just ignore your injury.” Here we go again. She always calls me her husband, as if that justifies her disciplining me, retaliating on Ezra’s behalf, and controlling every aspect of my life. As I was wheeled into the hospital, a few young nurses recognized me, their eyes filled with disbelief and pity. I avoided their gaze. Their pity felt worse than death. As Harper was about to take me upstairs, I spoke up. “Harper.” She looked annoyed when she heard her name, “What do you want now? Can you stop being dramatic for a moment?” I took a deep breath. After a moment, I finally gathered the courage to say what I’d been wanting to say. “Harper, let’s get a divorce.” The hallway fell silent. Harper suddenly looked down at me, “What’s your problem?! Are you trying to act pitiful now?” I really wanted a divorce, but she thought I was playing some psychological game. Harper then hurriedly wheeled me into the department. A few orthopedic specialists were already waiting inside. After taking X-rays and running a series of tests, a specialist who seemed about sixty hesitated before speaking, “Ms. Harper, Mr. Evans’ injury… there’s nothing we can do.” I numbly lifted my head. It meant I was beyond saving. I should have seen it coming. “If it had been caught in time, we could have done something… but it’s been too long, and Mr. Evans didn’t treat the wound at all… the infection is too severe,” the specialist sighed, looking at me with deep regret. After being bitten by a venomous snake, there was no medical kit on the deserted island. I begged the guards for help, but they ignored me. I could only endure for several days, suffering high fevers, until I somehow improved, but the injury left me unable to walk. Harper’s face looked terrible. She waved her hand and brought in another batch of doctors, but the diagnosis was the same—they couldn’t restore my leg. Suddenly, Harper slammed her hand on the table! She pointed at me, speaking slowly, “I’ll figure something out for your leg. As for the divorce, don’t even think about it. You’ll stay in the hospital for now.” Harper gave her order as if it were nothing. A nurse then knocked on the door, informing Harper that a woman named Stella was looking for me and threatened to call the police if she couldn’t see me. Hearing that name, Harper slapped me across the face. “Evan, I can’t believe you’re still fooling around even with a broken leg!” Looking at Harper’s furious face, I covered my injured cheek and lifted my head. “Stella is not like you. Don’t think everyone’s like you.” At this point, I was completely disillusioned with Harper. She wanted to say something, but I continued, “You know very well what your feelings for Ezra are.” Perhaps feeling a bit guilty, Harper didn’t say anything further and just had someone take me to an adjacent room. Probably because I was too tired, I fell asleep as soon as I lay on the bed. There were guards outside the room, but I heard footsteps. I opened my eyes and saw Ezra’s face. It was like muscle memory; seeing him made me tremble involuntarily. He just chuckled calmly, waving his right hand in front of me, “Awake?” I saw the wedding ring on his ring finger. Harper had originally spent millions to customize it for me, but after I was abandoned on the deserted island, she took it back. I thought she had thrown it away, but she had given it to Ezra. Sensing my fear, Ezra chuckled, “Look how obedient you are now, huh? I should have let Harper leave you there a bit longer. Weren’t you always so proud? How does it feel to be broken?” He knew everything. I pointed to the door, telling him to leave. As soon as I finished speaking, Harper appeared at the doorway. “Evan, how can you talk to Ezra like that?” Ezra didn’t have a cane but stumbled towards Harper’s voice, standing by her side. Harper’s eyes were filled with such deep affection for Ezra it was almost tangible. Facing me, Harper’s tone turned cold again, “I should have left you there for another year.” Hearing this, I rolled off the bed with a thud, crawled to Harper’s feet, and kept begging, even as my forehead was covered in blood, “Don’t send me back there… please…” Harper was shocked, quickly telling Ezra to leave, saying she needed to talk to me. But I was too traumatized, only knowing to keep pleading. Just as Harper was about to help me up, a doctor walked in. He looked seriously at Harper, “After conducting an investigation over the past few days, we’ve found something odd. The snake that bit Mr. Evans shouldn’t have been on that deserted island, and it was too coincidental that it only bit Mr. Evans’ ankle… so we believe…” “Mr. Evans being bitten was likely due to human intervention…” Harper’s face turned pale, seemingly in disbelief. She took the investigation report from the doctor’s hand. My numbed nerves finally had a bit of reaction. Human intervention? Meaning someone deliberately hurt me… It seems the text you wish to translate is missing. Could you please provide it? ### Chapter 4 Harper suddenly turned to me. “Evan, tell me everything that happened to you during those years on the deserted island.”

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