Category: English

The third time I filed for divorce, my husband broke two of my ribs in a fit of domestic violence. After spending two weeks in the hospital, I returned home. Even the neighbors came to persuade me: “Couples don’t hold grudges overnight. It’s not easy for a man to make money out there…” I smiled and agreed, “You’re right. My husband is everything. I should always support him.” I started acting like a submissive wife from the old days, serving my husband hand and foot. Within a few months, my husband made a small fortune. Those relatives and neighbors who had advised me earlier couldn’t sit still anymore. When I filed for divorce for the third time, my husband knelt down in court, begging me to reconsider. He even used our 2-year-old daughter as leverage, saying that without me, he and our daughter couldn’t survive. The judge ruled that our marriage wasn’t beyond repair and dismissed the case, even though I provided a thick stack of evidence of domestic violence. That night when we got home, my husband grabbed me by the neck like a dog and slammed me against the wall in a fit of rage. Even as I lay on the ground with blood streaming from my head, he became more excited and continued to punch and kick me. “Damn it, you bitch! Didn’t I tell you never to mention divorce again?!” he yelled. “You dare to sue me again?!” His angry shouts accompanied the dull thuds of his fists and feet hitting my body. Our two-year-old daughter was too young to understand what was happening. She could only instinctively hear my miserable moans from the bedroom. She cried and knocked on the door. “Don’t hit mommy, daddy, don’t hit mommy…” Her crying and knocking irritated my husband. He angrily dragged our daughter into the room and threw her in front of me. “Ava, if you dare to talk about divorce again, I’ll kill her in front of you first!” I endured the pain and held our daughter in my arms. The commotion in the house attracted the neighbors. Seeing that things had “escalated,” my husband started slapping himself and crying, “I’m sorry, honey. I had too much to drink… I can’t live without you and Chloe.” He alternated between “self-harm” and kneeling to apologize. The neighbors who had gathered around started saying things like, “A man’s knees are worth gold. He’s already apologized. How can you, as his wife, still not know when to stop? Are you determined to tear this family apart?” Everyone loves to join in on the drama. Almost all the residents in the community squeezed into our home. After my husband’s apology, the neighbors started comforting him instead. Meanwhile, I, the victim of domestic violence with a bleeding head, was treated as if I deserved it. It wasn’t until after the neighbors “mediated” that they thought to call an ambulance to take me to the hospital. When they learned that two of my ribs were broken, I had a mild concussion, and multiple soft tissue injuries, they only said lightly: “Oh my, Jack, how could you hit her so hard?” “Men are stronger. He didn’t mean to hurt you. He just had a bit to drink.” “Rest well and recover. Once you’re out of the hospital, live your life properly. If you don’t provoke him, how could he hit you?” Ha, how ridiculous! Being abused by my husband somehow became my own fault. After being abused so many times, even my parents couldn’t be bothered to visit me in the hospital anymore. In this battle for self-preservation in marriage, I was forced to stand against everyone. It seemed that I could only quietly endure my husband’s abuse, unable to fight back or even “escape.” Otherwise, I would be seen as inconsiderate, airing out marital problems for everyone to see.

After staying in the hospital for two weeks, I had to leave early because my husband didn’t pay the extended fees. As soon as I returned to the neighborhood, a group of gossiping older women saw me and “caringly” surrounded me. “Couples don’t hold grudges overnight. It’s not easy for a man to make money out there…” “That’s right. In our generation, which woman hasn’t been hit by her husband? We’ve lived through decades like this. For the sake of your Chloe, just endure it.” They enthusiastically advised me one after another, saying it was for the child’s sake, and that all women get hit sometimes. I didn’t get angry. I smiled and agreed, “You’re right. My husband is everything. I should always support him.” “Look, on my way back from the hospital, I even bought a few pounds of pork ribs. My husband loves eating them.” I showed them the bag in my hand. “I need to go now. I have to get home and start cooking the ribs.” “Oh… it’s good that you can think this way.” They looked at me with expressions that seemed to wonder if I had been hit stupid. I slowly walked towards the apartment building, holding my left side. My ribs hadn’t fully healed yet, and even the slightest movement caused pain. “Has Ava been beaten into submission by her husband?” “I told you she just needed some discipline. Women become obedient after a few beatings.” I heard the older women talking behind me. It was hard to imagine that women themselves would say such things so matter-of-factly about other women. The sun was shining brightly, but I felt a chill deep in my soul that couldn’t be dispelled. I grew up in a family that favored boys over girls. I thought it was because my mom had two daughters before finally having a son that she particularly favored my brother. But now I realized that the whole society favored men over women. Even women themselves valued men more than themselves. … As I carried the pork ribs upstairs, my mother-in-law saw me and immediately slapped me across the face. “You worthless woman! Let me tell you, you’re not getting a divorce until you give my family a son or two!” “You think that $20,000 bride price we paid was for nothing? We bought you for our family. So what if my son beats you when he’s in a bad mood? It’s not like it’ll kill you!” My mother-in-law unleashed a torrent of abuse. My daughter hid in the corner of the sofa, wanting to come hug me but not daring to. When my mother-in-law finally tired of yelling, I forced a smile and apologized, promising to live a good life from now on and give the Wang family a healthy baby boy soon. Only then did my mother-in-law glare at me a few more times before turning to scold my daughter, calling her a money-losing burden and other insults. “Mom, go rest. I’ll start cooking the ribs. They’ll be ready when my husband gets home from work.” I turned and went to the kitchen. I didn’t talk back like I used to, saying that the $20,000 bride price was actually money I had saved up myself from seven years of working. There was no point in saying it. Even though we all knew that $20,000 was my own money. But once I married into their family, any money became theirs. I dropped out of school at 15 to work. My parents didn’t want me to continue studying and waste time, so they sent me to work in a factory. For the first two years, I sent most of my wages back home every month. Later, as I had more contact with the outside world, I met several girls who, like me, grew up in families that favored boys over girls. We slowly became aware and started sending less and less money home. I had a natural talent for painting since childhood. Although I couldn’t continue my studies, I still paid for adult art classes. Later, I worked part-time as an artist while keeping my day job, slowly saving up money. The first time I met my husband was at a coworker’s wedding. That day I had terrible menstrual cramps. Somehow he noticed and gently offered me a cup of hot water. It was the first time I felt the strange sensation of being specially cared for by someone. After that, it seemed like fate. We kept running into each other every few days. When my husband first started pursuing me, he treated me so well, like I was the most precious thing in the world. In the first half of my life, my husband was the person who treated me the best. I gradually fell deeply in love with him. During our dating period, we were inseparable. I truly believed I would live happily ever after for the rest of my life. When it came time to discuss marriage, my parents demanded a $20,000 bride price before they would agree. My husband said his family had just bought a house and didn’t have the money. He asked me to wait a few years. I couldn’t wait, so I took out my $20,000 in savings and gave it to him. I used my own money to marry myself. It was also because of this $20,000 that my parents later found out I had secretly saved money without telling them. They called me an ungrateful white-eyed wolf. Even when I was abused later, they didn’t lift a finger to help me and instead gloated and mocked me.

Around noon, my husband came home from work. As he walked towards me, I couldn’t help but tremble when he raised his hand. I heard him sneer. Forcing myself to overcome my fear, I glanced up at him. His face wore a smug, triumphant expression at seeing me shudder in fear of him. “Hehe, I’m not going to hit you,” he said. My husband was clearly in a better mood. He patted my head like I was a dog. In his eyes, I was probably no different from a dog that could be abused at will. What did it matter if I was battered and bruised? He didn’t have to pay any price for it. The second time he abused me, I called the police. That was the first time he kicked me in the stomach. The police came, but since there was no substantial injury, they just advised us a bit, criticized my husband, and left. My husband seemed to have gotten a taste for it, knowing he could hit me without consequences. He even searched online about domestic violence and looked for posts about abuse on forums. After learning that as long as he didn’t kill or permanently injure me, domestic violence was considered a family matter that even the police wouldn’t interfere with, he began to test his limits step by step. At first, whenever he was in a slightly bad mood, or if I wasn’t paying attention, he would slap me across the face at any time. People who have never been slapped by a man may not be able to imagine how heavy their hands can be. One slap to the face makes your head buzz, the pain numbing you for several seconds before half your face swells up red. My husband’s limits escalated from slapping to choking me, kicking my stomach, twisting my arms. I fought back once. The most extreme time, when he was hitting me, our daughter came to protect me and he accidentally kicked her. I went crazy and started scratching and biting him. He knocked me out cold with one punch to the head. After that, he seemed to think my life was worthless and his beatings became more and more vicious. The natural physical difference between women and men meant I couldn’t even fight off one of his hands. “What are you thinking about? What, still want to go to the police station to report me?” Seeing my expression change, my husband immediately grabbed my hair tightly. He raised an eyebrow and taunted me contemptuously. “I’m sorry, honey. Don’t be angry. I made the pork rib soup you love.” I endured the pain and forced myself to look up with an obedient smile. My husband snorted and told me to go serve the soup. At the dinner table, I picked out the best ribs for my husband’s bowl and ladled a bowl for my mother-in-law. “Let the money-losing burden gnaw on the bones.” In front of my husband and mother-in-law, I gave my daughter a piece of bone with very little meat. My daughter’s eyes filled with tears but she didn’t dare make a sound. I ladled myself a bowl of soup with no meat, just some vegetables. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my mother-in-law give me an approving look. In the past, I always protected my daughter and went against her. Now she saw that I had finally “learned my place.” My husband, on the other hand, looked at me with some surprise for a while before picking up his chopsticks like a lord. I stood by like a servant, serving them dishes. … That night, my husband pressed himself on top of me. I controlled my facial expression and actively put my arms around his neck. “Mom said we should have a son soon…” My husband’s touch made me nauseous. He touched the place where he had broken my ribs and pressed down hard. “Ow!” My face contorted in pain, but my husband just laughed at my suffering expression. “It still hurts after more than two weeks? Are you faking it? Want me to feel sorry for you?” I nearly threw up. I endured the pain and kissed him to shut him up. It was like being violated by a dog – no, that’s an insult to dogs. My husband was in high spirits that night. Knowing my ribs hadn’t fully healed, he deliberately pressed on them during sex, getting more excited as I grimaced in pain. He tormented me for half the night before finishing. After showering, he came out looking at his phone and chatting with someone, an evil smile unlike a human’s on his face. I was drenched in sweat from the pain. When I came out of the bathroom after washing up, my husband was already asleep. I saw his phone on the bedside table and, on an impulse, picked it up and unlocked it with his fingerprint.

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I had been in love with Lily for four years. We promised to get married once my company went public. But on the last day before that milestone, she became someone else’s bride. I looked at her painfully, wanting her to give me a reason, but she was pulled behind by the man next to her. “Jack, I have a terminal illness with not much time left. My only wish in this life is to marry Lily once,” Ryan said. Lily’s eyes were brimming with tears, her voice choked with sobs: “Can’t you be a little less petty? I’m just helping Ryan fulfill a wish, it’s not like I’m really marrying him.” I smiled bitterly and turned to leave, saying “You might as well really marry him then.” That same day, I packed up all her things and threw them out. There was just one day left before my company’s IPO. But Lily had disappeared without a trace. The mutual friends Lily and I shared looked at me with complex expressions, as if they had something they wanted to say. I had a bad feeling and frantically tried calling Lily, but no one answered. Until a friend sent me a photo. [You won’t be able to reach her. She’s getting married.] [If you come now, you can still make it.] The message included an address. I had a feeling this wasn’t a joke. Lily was someone who loved romance but wasn’t proactive. She would never arrange some romantic proposal ceremony herself. As I got closer to the destination, the unease in my heart grew deeper. Until I saw Lily’s brother at the entrance, along with those friends. Lily’s brother looked like he’d seen a ghost: “Shit, which bastard told my brother-in-law the address?” His outburst completely confirmed my suspicions. I pointed at the tightly closed doors and asked, my voice trembling: “Why couldn’t you tell me?” “Let me rephrase – is that your sister getting married in there?”

Lily and I had basically grown up together. We were both excellent students – I was always first in the class, she was second. We were the model children other parents always talked about. Even when Lily and I got together later, people would just say: “Those two are a perfect match. It’s only natural they ended up together.” I thought so too. Because we were mature for our age, the behavior of our peers often seemed childish to me. This also meant I didn’t have many friends. I had thought more than once that if Lily wasn’t by my side, I would probably die of loneliness. I was grateful that heaven had sent her to me. Whenever I said this, she would lean close to my ear and laugh. “Have I ever told you that without you, I’d die of boredom too?” I would just look at her tenderly, my heart slowly filling up. How fortunate I was to have her by my side. I kept my promise – once the company went public, we would get married. But with just one day to go, she became someone else’s bride. Lily’s brother ultimately couldn’t stop me. When I pushed open the doors, Lily’s gaze turned to me along with the guests. In an instant, her face changed dramatically. Just as she was about to speak, Ryan pulled her behind him. He looked at me apologetically: “Jack, please don’t blame Lily.” “I have a terminal illness with not much time left. My only wish in this life is to marry Lily once. Lily is just fulfilling this wish for me.” Lily’s eyes were brimming with tears, her gaze full of accusation as she looked at me. “Jack, can’t you be a little less petty? I’m just helping Ryan fulfill a wish, it’s not like I’m really marrying him.” “Ryan is dying, can’t you let him have this?” Looking at her expression, all the questions I wanted to ask died in my throat. I could feel the strength rapidly draining from my body. I nodded and smiled bitterly: “Fine then. I’ll let him have this. I’ll let you go too!” I slowly took off the couple’s ring I had worn around my neck for so long and threw it violently to the ground. My heart clenched painfully. “You two are a match made in heaven. I wish you a lifetime of happiness together.” With that, I turned and left. Lily hadn’t expected me to be so resolute. She wanted to chase after me, but stopped when she heard Ryan’s voice. “Lily, go after him if you want. I’m a dying man, I have nothing left to hope for.” “Jack is the one you’ll spend your life with. I don’t mind!” In the end, Lily didn’t come after me.

Lily’s brother and our mutual friends watched me come out and all rushed to try to persuade me. “Jack, my sister and Ryan are really just friends, don’t overthink it!” “Come on man, be a little more open-minded. It’s not like they’re really getting married.” “Jack, you and Lily have been together for so many years. Don’t throw it all away over something so small…” Looking at these former friends, I felt a wave of desolation. “Stop calling me Jack. From now on, if we pass each other on the street, let’s pretend we don’t know each other. I can’t afford friends like you.” Among them were classmates I had known for over a decade and childhood friends I had grown up with. But when it came to Lily’s situation, Their first thought wasn’t to tell me. It was to hide it from me. Wanting me to continue living in blissful ignorance in that fairy tale relationship I had constructed. Like an idiot. But why should I? Sitting in the driver’s seat, I slowly opened the front compartment. Inside was a property deed for the riverside apartment Lily had been dreaming of for so long. I had bought it for her. I was planning to give it to her as a wedding gift. Now it seemed there was no need.

Actually, there had been signs of something between Lily and Ryan for half a year. It was around the time my company first started taking off. I rarely came home then. On the rare occasions I did make it back, I never saw Lily around. Whenever I called to ask where she was, she always brushed me off with various excuses. “I’m playing mahjong with my girlfriends. I’m often not home. What, am I not allowed to stay with my friends?” Hearing her coquettish complaints, I felt guilty. “I’m doing this for our future. Once this busy period is over, I promise I’ll spend more time with you.” “Take your time honey, don’t worry about me. I’m not some clingy vine that needs constant attention. You focus on your work – that’s how we’ll have a good future.” I was touched by how understanding she was. I subconsciously dismissed the unfamiliar male voice I heard in the background as coming from the TV. Looking back now, she wasn’t playing mahjong with friends at all. She was in bed with another man. How ironic. I contacted the sales manager for the riverside apartment, intending to put it back on the market. I didn’t care about the price. But to my surprise, within a few hours, a buyer had already contacted me. And coincidentally, it was one of the few mutual friends Lily and I had who hadn’t shown up at that deceitful ceremony today – Olivia. She looked at me and sighed softly. “Was this apartment meant for Lily?” I nodded, smiling self-mockingly: “Not anymore.” Seeing my expression, she sighed helplessly: “I see you found out about that ridiculous situation.” Her expression was complex: “I tried to talk her out of it. How can you treat marriage so casually, using some ‘dying wish’ as an excuse? But she’s always been stubborn. The more you try to dissuade her, the more determined she gets.” “I know Ryan. He’s been a spoiled rich kid since childhood. He’s liked Lily for a while, but even so, he’s never stopped seeing other women.” “I heard he found out he doesn’t have much time left, so he’s trying to fulfill his ‘dying wish’. Lily is being so foolish!” Olivia felt the whole fake marriage thing was completely out of line. To get married to someone else when you already have a fiancé? That’s basically no different from cheating. How could she claim her heart still belonged to her boyfriend? Wasn’t she afraid he’d break up with her when he found out? She probably wasn’t afraid. She probably didn’t even care. What other reason could there be? I didn’t know.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to push the pain from my mind. Olivia took out her phone, looking frustrated: “I actually wanted to tell you about this at first, but you had blocked me on everything.” I picked up my phone, pretty sure I knew who was behind that. Seeing I was in a bad mood, she dropped the subject of being blocked and suggested we go get a drink instead. As soon as the alcohol hit my throat, it exploded. My stomach started burning, the pain of betrayal, hurt, and humiliation all masked by the violent churning in my gut. My head was spinning, scenes flashing before my eyes like a zoetrope. As I slowly lay down, He was still so young. The first thing he did when he got home from work was ruffle my hair, then go to the kitchen to cook. He made my favorite dishes and mom’s favorites, but never his own. I asked him once why he never cooked things he liked. Dad always smiled gently but helplessly: “Dad likes spicy food, but mom can’t eat it or even smell it.” “I may not get to eat what I like, but I get to look at your mother every day. As long as she’s by my side, what’s giving up a little food pleasure?” I didn’t understand much then, but I understood what dad meant. To love someone is to accommodate them. It’s to hope for a long future together. But a father like that didn’t end up getting the lasting relationship he wanted. That day when I came home, I saw dad crouched on the floor drinking alone. Mom appeared in front of him wearing a fancy dress I’d never seen before, handing him a folder. “Let’s part on good terms. I was the one who emotionally cheated first, so I’ll take responsibility. I’ll give up everything in the house, and I won’t fight you for custody.” “I’ll send money every month for the child’s expenses.” With that, mom left with her luggage, her departing figure resolute. She used divorce to teach dad a lesson. Love yourself first before loving others. Dad was in a daze for a while. In the end, he pulled himself together. He didn’t wallow in self-pity. During that time, he completely forgot about my existence. I survived on snacks every day, and when those ran out, I could only eat vegetables that hadn’t gone bad. Finally, one day at school, I fainted from hunger. That’s when the teachers realized something was wrong. They contacted my dad. Seeing how weak I looked, dad cried. The father who hadn’t shed a tear when mom betrayed him cried when he saw me sick. From that day on, he pulled himself together. He sold our old place and took me to a new environment. I was happy because dad was finally moving on.

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My cousin Lucas has an obsession with testing my girlfriends. Despite my constant refusals, he finds great pleasure in it. After successfully seducing them, he dumps them and then tells everyone in our family group chat that my girlfriend wasn’t good enough. When he tried his old tricks again, he had no idea that this time, it was a trap I had set specifically for him. He couldn’t resist falling into it. Lucas has been divorced for three years, yet he still receives a hefty monthly alimony from his ex-wife, living a life of luxury and indulgence. One day he’s dating a model, the next he’s wooing a college girl. He’s always busy with his conquests. Recently, he set his sights on my girlfriend of six months, Stella. I wasn’t surprised that he discovered her so quickly. My mom had come to my rented apartment to pick up some things and happened to meet her. My mom’s biggest flaw in life is her constant need to compare herself to others, commonly known as the “green-eyed monster.” Lucas had married well, and even after the divorce, he still had an endless supply of alimony. Add to that my Aunt Linda’s relentless bragging in front of my mom. It had become my mom’s life mission for me to marry someone even better than Lucas’s ex-wife. My lack of progress in this area had become her constant worry. I met Stella at a bar. I spotted her in the crowd and it took me over six months to finally win her over. She was younger than Lucas’s ex-wife, prettier, and even wealthier. Wasn’t this exactly what my mom wanted? She immediately announced it in our family group chat on WhatsApp, even sending out a red envelope to celebrate my impending marriage. When I saw this, I could only respond with a waving hand emoji. “It’s not that serious, family. Don’t make a big deal out of it.” My mom immediately fired back with a photo in the group chat. “With looks like this and carrying a bag like that, you’re not serious? Come on!” Lucas chimed in: “Wow, where did our Ryan find such a gem? Does big bro need to test her out for you?” I didn’t respond, but I knew that whether I liked it or not, he would try anyway. However, this time I was well prepared.

On the first day of our relationship, I told Stella, “I have a very handsome and intellectual cousin who likes to add my girlfriends on SnapChat. If he tries to add you, please don’t accept.” Stella jokingly asked, “Afraid I’ll fall for him?” I chuckled softly and said, “I’m afraid you’ll lose your soul and meet a terrible end. Every one of my exes died this way.” She hugged me and cooed, “Well, I definitely won’t. I’m yours for life, Ryan.” With my warning, when Lucas first tried to add her, she consistently refused. She even complained to me several times: “Your cousin Lucas is really persistent. He’s tried to add me with over ten different SnapChat accounts.” I kissed her cheek in approval and said, “You must stand firm. Don’t let his playboy ways tempt you.” Her fingers didn’t stop as she rejected another friend request from a new account. Then she turned to me and said: “My parents want to have dinner with you. They say we’ve been dating for six months, and you still haven’t shown your face. They’re really excited to meet you after everything I’ve told them.” I paused for a moment, stroked her head, and said, “Let’s wait a bit longer. I’m quite busy these days. After this quarter is over, I’ll treat your parents to dinner.” “You don’t need to treat them! They’d be over the moon just to see you. We’ll eat at my family’s hotel!” Perhaps frustrated by his inability to add Stella on SnapChat, Lucas became impatient and suggested coming to stay at my rented apartment for a while. Of course, I wouldn’t agree, but my mom was eager to show off the new apartment Stella had gotten for me. She couldn’t wait to give him the address. So when I returned from work, I found Stella and Lucas sitting on opposite ends of the sofa, scrolling through their phones. Stella pulled me into the bedroom, clearly annoyed, and said, “I really didn’t engage with him. How did he end up at our place?” I shrugged it off, “My mom probably gave him the address. He’s just like that. Just ignore him and he’ll go away.” She swore to heaven that she hadn’t encouraged him. I felt a bit uneasy, my mind replaying the image of them sitting on the sofa. Surely Stella wouldn’t fall for him so quickly, right? It had taken me six grueling months to win her over. She couldn’t possibly be won over in just one evening, could she? I was still anxious, partly due to my lack of self-confidence, and partly because I wasn’t sure how long Stella could resist.

Stella didn’t stay over that night. She had another apartment in the next building and went back there. Early the next morning, she came over with breakfast. The table was laden with seven or eight dishes. Lucas saw this and smirked proudly. “Did my sister-in-law bring so much because she knew I was here today?” “Wow, I love the soup dumplings from this place. They never do delivery. Did you go and pick them up early this morning?” Stella glanced at him and said, “No, I forgot you were here. I actually bought less than usual. Ryan doesn’t have much of an appetite in the morning, so I buy a variety for him to choose from.” Lucas let out a long “Oh,” but his hands kept fidgeting, a sign that he was deep in thought. I figured if he was only slightly interested in Stella before, now he was definitely determined to win her over. I squeezed Stella’s hand unconsciously, perhaps a bit too hard. Stella looked at me, puzzled by the pain. I quickly apologized and left the table. That evening when I got home from work, they were again sitting on opposite ends of the sofa. Stella got up to greet me as I entered. She whispered to me, “Does your cousin not have a job? Why is he here every day? And doesn’t he have his own place? Why is he always at ours?” I looked up at her and said, “If you add him on SnapChat, he might leave you alone.” Her expression froze for a moment before she said, “I just added him. He said if I did, he’d go home tomorrow.” I simply said “Oh” and went into the bedroom. Stella followed me in, asking if I was angry. “I just didn’t want to see him every day. I’ve already blocked him, see? I’ve even muted his messages.” She said, pulling out her phone to show me, trying to prove her innocence. I didn’t say anything, but my disappointment must have been obvious because Stella spent half the evening trying to cheer me up. At dinner, she kept trying to engage me in conversation and piled food onto my plate. Lucas observed this and smiled, “Our Stella is very attentive, isn’t she?”

Stella ignored him. She was busy discussing with me about the setup of a new direct-sale brand store she was working on. Lucas, hearing this, deliberately made a commotion at the dinner table. When we both looked at him, he smiled and said: “Oh my, you’re talking about something I’m quite familiar with. I got a bit excited.” He turned to the puzzled Stella and said, “My ex-wife has a direct-sale brand that’s doing quite well. She has many resources that she could share with me. For Ryan’s sake, I could help you out.” He then went on to describe the brand in detail. I could see that Stella was very interested. She looked at me hesitantly, then back at Lucas, and asked: “Since it’s your ex-wife’s, wouldn’t it be inconvenient?” “What’s inconvenient about it? A quick fling and everything’s solved. Just wait for my message.” This time, Stella didn’t refuse. I knew her “Do Not Disturb” setting for Lucas was about to be turned off. Sure enough, when she came into the room later, she said to me, “Your cousin is quite generous and straightforward, isn’t he?” I just looked up at her once, my eyes already half red. She immediately came over to comfort me: “I was just saying. How could I be interested in a man who’s still entangled with his ex-wife?”

Lucas left my apartment the next day, and Stella didn’t come back for several days. She said she was out of town for work, as several direct-sale stores were opening simultaneously. During our video calls, I could sometimes see Lucas in the background. She quickly explained: “Your cousin called to ask about my progress. When he heard I was in the neighboring city, he came over to check things out. This time, thanks to your cousin’s help, a lot of work was saved. Even my dad praised me.” Second-generation rich kids spend their lives trying to surpass their parents, and Stella was no exception. Especially since she was a girl. Her father and grandfather were both very successful entrepreneurs. She wasn’t bad herself, but she was always overshadowed by her family’s legacy. She had always wanted to prove herself. This time, the direct-sale stores were set up in several cities at once, fast and in good locations. Even her father and grandfather praised her at the dinner table for handling this matter beautifully. Stella transferred $200,000 to me, saying it was to buy a gift for my cousin in my name. “I know he helped me because of you. It’s better if you give it to him. I still have some sense of propriety.” She added, “Choose something your cousin likes. If it’s not enough, I can send more.” I took out my phone and called my brother. As soon as the call connected, I said: “Thanks for helping my girlfriend. She wants to send you a gift worth about $200,000. Is there anything you like? Or should I just transfer the money to you?” There was a pause on the other end, then a slightly hoarse female voice came through. “Ryan? Why is your girlfriend sending Lucas a gift?” Oh no, Lucas and his ex-wife’s contact names only differed by one letter. I had accidentally called his ex-wife, Fiona. Fiona, Lucas, and I were all alumni. Fiona was a year ahead of us, and we’d run into each other during club activities. I had only complimented Fiona once on being considerate, and the next day, Lucas started pursuing her ostentatiously. Two weeks later, they were together. After several breakups and reconciliations, they got married right after graduation. Three years into the marriage, they divorced. To prevent this big financial backer, who still sends my brother a monthly allowance, from misunderstanding, I quickly explained: “No, no, he helped my girlfriend with something big. But we should thank you too. This time, my girlfriend’s direct-sale snack brand stores relied entirely on your resources.” “I thought he was finally getting his act together and starting his own business. Turns out it’s for your girlfriend. He cares more about her than he ever did about me.” Before I could respond, she continued: “Alright, I get it. I’ll buy him a gift. You keep the money for yourself.”

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It was the anniversary of my adoptive mother, Maggie Patterson’s death. I, Alexa Truman, put on a long black dress. Clifford Warren, who was just seven years old at the time, came running towards me. In his hand was a pair of sharp scissors. Swiftly, he cut through the hem of my dress. Then, he emptied an entire bucket of paint over me. “Today is my mother’s birthday! How could you wear such an unlucky thing? Don’t you remember she hated the color black?” Clifford’s words were like daggers. Right then, I understood. In this family, both the father and the son held the most special place in their hearts only for that departed woman. The paint caused an allergic reaction, and rashes broke out all over my skin. The cuts on my legs stung painfully. Looking at the child I had raised with such care standing before me, I just felt completely drained. “Alright, as you wish. I’ll leave this place soon,” I said. The pungent smell of the paint wafted towards me. My entire body was sticky, and the sensation made me wrinkle my nose in distaste. Clifford sneered and jeered, “You deserve it. It’d be even better if your face got messed up. You’re so sly. Did you think that by looking like my mom and having others say you resemble me, you could take my mom’s place? Never in a million years!” His eyes flared red with fury as if he’d been deeply affronted. I’d witnessed this kind of scene far too many times. Whenever someone commented that Clifford’s face didn’t resemble his long-deceased mother but was increasingly looking like mine, he would fly into a rage. In the past, each time I saw him like this, I would console him, saying that he was a member of the Warren family and that the similarity between us was just a coincidence from living together for so long. But today, I truly had no energy left. I was just utterly exhausted. I furrowed my brows slightly and said, “I didn’t have plastic surgery. You look at your mom’s photo every night before going to sleep. You know better than anyone whether she looks like me or not. If you don’t believe me, we can find a doctor to check. Do you really want to hear the truth?” Clifford was taken aback at first, and then his face flushed red. He gave me a fierce glare, turned around, and dashed out. With a sigh, I made my way back to my room and discovered that the maid had already prepared bathwater in the bathtub for me. Unexpectedly, as soon as I stepped into the bathtub, the cut on my leg began to throb sharply, and the skin in other areas also started to burn with pain. I quickly tried to climb out, but I lost my footing and tumbled to the ground. My knee was immediately bruised. Clifford bounded into the room with a sneering expression on his face and taunted, “Stupid! Does it feel good to bathe in salt water and chili juice? This is my way of being kind to you. Aren’t you touched? You should pay for enjoying what belongs to my mom!” He gave me a scornful look. Before leaving, he even shooed the maid away and forbade anyone from helping me. I lay on the ground in a sorry state, watching the ground gradually being stained red with blood, and remained silent for a long time. When my eggs were taken away back then, I also bled a great deal. Later, that egg was combined with the sperm of Vincent Warren, the president of the Warren Group, to create a test-tube baby, which was then implanted into the uterus of his then-wife, Bianca Truman. Then the child who carried part of my genes was born. It was a boy named Clifford Warren. He was the son of the Warren family, the son of Bianca, and Clifford, who loathed me intensely. After washing my body, I walked out of the bathroom and saw Vincent sitting on the sofa, waiting for me. Clifford resembled me a bit in appearance, and his innate noble and haughty demeanor was inherited from the man in front of me. He glanced at the rashes on my body and said indifferently, “Clifford was indeed a bit too extreme. I brought you some anti-allergy medicine. Take it. Don’t spoil the mood at the party tonight.” Although his ex-wife had been dead for many years, on her birthday, Vincent still hosted a grand party at home and wouldn’t allow anyone to forget the woman he had once loved so deeply. Over the years, I, who had been living warily in the Warren family, had always been accustomed to following his orders. Just after swallowing the pill, several servants came up and, without a word, pinned me down on the sofa, restraining my hands and feet. Two masked individuals held seasoning bottles and syringes, smeared them on the wound, and directly inserted them deep into the skin. The pain instantly coursed through my entire body, and I winced in agony. Vincent looked down at me and said, “Although Clifford was indeed a bit mischievous this time, you also shouldn’t have worn the color Bianca disliked on the anniversary of her death. I remember stating that there’s no place in this house for anything that upsets Bianca. Those who make mistakes must face the consequences.” After about an hour, the area where I was originally injured transformed into a vivid and extremely beautiful rose tattoo, with blood beads that hadn’t fully dried at the center of the petals. That was the flower species and color combination that Bianca had adored the most during her lifetime. And she had had the exact same tattoo on her leg as well.

My complexion was pallid, and Vincent’s expression softened slightly. He motioned for the others to leave. He knelt down on one knee. Gently, he pressed a kiss on the rose tattoo, and then his lips met mine. He spoke, “Remember to put on Bianca’s favorite red dress tonight. As long as you’re obedient, I can think about giving back one of your eggs. But you must never let Clifford nearly discover the truth like you did today. Clifford is Bianca’s child, and no one can take her son away from her.” Vincent had always been supremely confident in his physical state. Thus, on the day I first stepped into the Warren family, he had someone remove all my eggs. He declared, “Only the child born from Bianca’s womb is considered my offspring. I asked you to look after Clifford because of Bianca’s final wish. She didn’t trust others, but you can’t harbor any improper ideas.” When his lips were about to touch my thigh, contrary to my usual compliance, I pushed him away. “Mr. Warren, I won’t wear the red dress, and I have no intention of going to the party either. My adoptive mother passed away today. So, the agreement between us is automatically void, and I’m leaving this place,” I stated. As soon as those words left my mouth, the tenderness in Vincent’s eyes vanished instantly. He stood up, his face taking on a somewhat gloomy cast. “So what if an adoptive mother with no blood relation died? Are you going to mourn for someone who has no connection to you? Don’t forget what your identity is now. The Warren family can’t afford to be disgraced like this! Although Clifford isn’t your biological child, he does have half of your genes after all. You’ve raised him for seven years, and now you want to just walk away. Alexa, aren’t you being overly selfish?” When he brought up my identity, I was momentarily confused. What exactly was my identity at present? Was I the daughter of the Truman family who couldn’t be in the spotlight? Or was I the nanny Vincent had hired to take care of the child? Or was I the despised mistress in Clifford’s words? Back then, Vincent and my half-sister Bianca were an enviable couple. Their relationship also significantly elevated the status of the Truman family, making them well-known figures in the circles of Aegisburg. Perhaps their relationship was too idyllic, and even the heavens were envious, for Bianca was born infertile. But she adored children and didn’t want to use the eggs of an outsider. Our little sister, Louisa Truman, was too young, so she came to me, who was in desperate need of money. One million dollars covered Maggie’s surgical expenses, and at the same time, it made me lose my first child. Later, Bianca unfortunately passed away. Before her death, she was worried that no one would take care of Clifford, so she hoped that I would look after him. The Truman family initially objected, but they didn’t want this matter to further impact the family’s interests. So, they changed my surname back to Truman and sent me to the Warren family. Vincent had always heeded Bianca’s words, so we signed an agreement. I would do my utmost to raise Clifford and ensure that Bianca’s soul could rest in peace, and they would be responsible for paying all of Maggie’s medical expenses. Our marriage had no ring and no wedding. Over the past seven years, I had only a husband who didn’t love me and a child who saw me as an enemy. I said calmly, “I came to the Warren family initially to save Maggie. Now that Maggie has passed away, I have no reason to stay here any longer. Moreover, Clifford doesn’t like me. Staying here any longer will only make him more wretched, and it’s not beneficial for the future heir of the Warren family.” Seeing that I was thinking about Clifford, Vincent’s tone softened a bit, which was a rare occurrence. “If you’re worried that you’re not close enough to Clifford and that he’ll be left alone in the future after I return your eggs to you, we can have another child. Although this child can’t have the surname Warren, I can arrange a position for him in the company, and the salary won’t be bad. You…” I cut him off indifferently and took out the signed divorce agreement. “Thank you for your kindness, but I don’t need it. Please sign it.” Over the years, because of my identity and the attitude of this father and son, I had already endured enough cold stares and ridicule from others. If we had another child whose identity wasn’t acknowledged, then I would truly be too humiliated. Vincent completely lost his patience and tore the agreement into shreds. “Alexa, I think you’ve had it too easy and are deliberately causing trouble! Since you don’t want to wear those dresses, you don’t have to attend today’s party either, lest you ruin the event I’m holding for Bianca.”

The Warren family was hosting a party, yet the hostess wasn’t invited. This was a huge humiliation for me. However, I didn’t let it bother me. Late at night, long after the guests had left, bursts of laughter still drifted in from outside. I opened the door and saw Vincent and Clifford, each holding one of Louisa’s hands, walking into the room at the end of the corridor. In the blink of an eye, seven years had passed. The beloved daughter of the Truman family had grown up, and she was looking more and more like Bianca. Previously, only Vincent and Bianca were allowed to enter that room. Once, I accidentally barged in, and as a result, I was punished to kneel in the snow for three days. My knees were almost permanently damaged. At that time, I was lying in the hospital. The wound on my leg festered and oozed pus, and I was writhing in pain. When Vincent came to visit me, I thought he might feel sorry for me. But all he said was, in an indifferent tone, “I hope you learn your lesson. If you dare to break in again, you’ll have to face the consequences on your own.” Now, with a face so similar to Bianca’s, Louisa easily moved into this room. The servants around started treating me with contempt and whispered among themselves. “Some people, no matter how hard they try to worm their way into this family, still can’t win Mr. Warren’s favor. They don’t even have a room of their own. How pitiful.” “Of course. Mr. Warren will never get over his ex-wife in his heart. Some people are just nannies for taking care of the kids. Now that Louisa looks so much like the former Mrs. Warren, I’m afraid Mr. Warren will change his mind soon.” I paid no attention to these rumors. Just as I was about to turn around and leave, I saw a dart hurtling towards me. The dart flew just past my cheek, slicing the skin, and a thin trickle of blood slowly ran down. Clifford held the remaining darts and made a face in front of me. “I just can’t stand the sight of you. I’ll teach you a lesson one day. My mom said, ‘bad people deserve to be ugly’!” I still remember when Clifford was three years old and sick. I took care of him without eating or sleeping for two days and two nights until his fever broke. At that time, I looked so worn-out that I was almost as frightening as a ghost. But then, he still hugged me and said, “Aunt Alexa, you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. You’re even more beautiful than an angel.” Since then, as Louisa often came to play with Clifford, his attitude towards me gradually turned cold. I picked up the fallen dart and aimed it at Clifford. I asked calmly, “Clifford, did I ever tell you that those who casually hurt others will eventually get hurt themselves?” Although Clifford was scared, he still stubbornly replied, “I’m not afraid of you! You killed my mom and took her place. I’m avenging my mom. At worst, you can kill me too! If you don’t dare to do it today, next time I’ll directly throw sulfuric acid in your face!” After saying that, he quickly slipped into the room and slammed the door shut. My hand, which had been suspended in mid-air, didn’t move for a long time. Finally, I could only smile helplessly and toss the dart into the trash can. This dart was a birthday gift I had once painstakingly made for him with my own hands. I never imagined that it would end up as a weapon used to hurt me. After going back to my room and packing my luggage, throughout the entire night, I heard the sounds of the three of them chatting merrily, continuously coming from that room at the other end of the corridor.

The following day, as soon as I stepped outside, I caught sight of Louisa and Clifford playing from afar. Clifford’s small face was rosy as he nestled into Louisa’s arms, acting all cute and saying, “Aunt Louisa, I like you. You look like my mom and you can play the tune my mom composed. You’re so much better than those fake-nice people. When I see you, it’s like my mom is still here. Can you marry my dad? I want him to divorce that useless, scheming woman, and then you can be my mom!” Louisa gently wiped the sweat from Clifford’s forehead and said tenderly, “Clifford, don’t talk about others like that. If your dad agrees, of course I can be your mom. I think your mom would be happy about it too.” She seemed to have just noticed my presence and immediately put on an apologetic expression, saying, “Ms. Truman, Clifford is young and speaks without thinking. Please don’t be offended.” Even though we shared the same mother, Louisa had never considered me her elder sister. Clifford shot a glance at me, then tugged at Louisa and ran towards the study. Perhaps they were going to convince Vincent to divorce me. That was precisely what I desired. Just as I was about to leave, someone suddenly grabbed my arm. My so-called elder brother, Leonard Truman, immediately started scolding me. “You’re so useless. How can you not even hold onto your husband’s heart? You actually let Louisa be alone with Mr. Warren. Luckily Clifford was there last night. Mr. Warren only has Bianca in his heart, and Louisa looks like Bianca too. What if Mr. Warren takes a fancy to her? I definitely won’t let my sister be someone’s replacement.” I said, “But I’m also your sister. How can you bear to make me stay with someone who doesn’t care about me?” Leonard furrowed his brows and blurted out, “That’s different. Even if Louisa doesn’t get married, I’ll ensure she lives comfortably. But if you leave the Warren family, you’ll have nothing.” So that was the deal. Since he didn’t want Louisa to become someone else’s substitute and also didn’t want to lose the benefits from the Warren family, he was willing to sacrifice me. Seeing that I remained silent, Leonard continued to persuade me. “Alexa, I know about your adoptive mother. But the future of our Truman family depends entirely on you. The South District development project is about to start. If you don’t cooperate now, what if Mr. Warren abandons us? Besides, Clifford is also your child. How can you be so heartless as to leave him behind? You can’t be this selfish.” I smiled and replied to him, “You’re wrong. I don’t have the surname Truman. This surname was given to me as a charity by you, and now I’m giving it back. Since Louisa has grown up and I’ve fulfilled my responsibility for seven years, it’s someone else’s turn. If you want to gain benefits, you have to pay a price, right?” After hearing this, Leonard flew into a rage and slapped me across the face. “You’re so heartless. I should have listened to Mom back then and left you to freeze to death in the snow! You ungrateful wretch!” My biological mother was Selena Truman, a mistress, and my father was just a model in a nightclub. At that time, to get back at her husband for his infidelity, Selena randomly picked a model and spent the night with him. Unexpectedly, she got pregnant with me. The doctor told her that if she had an abortion, she might never be able to conceive again. She secretly gave birth to me. As soon as I was born, she ordered Leonard, who knew the truth, to abandon me in the snow to fend for myself. The young Leonard really didn’t have the courage to kill me, so he left me at the doorstep of a family. Just like that, Maggie and I lived together, depending on each other for twenty years until one day Leonard found me again and asked me to donate eggs for Bianca. In his view, since he hadn’t been ruthless enough to kill me back then, I should do whatever the Truman family asked of me as a matter of course. I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and stared straight at him unflinchingly. “Your one act of mercy back then cost me seven years of my freedom and all my chances to be a real mother. Now, I’ve repaid everything I owed you,” I said firmly.

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I lost my eyesight while saving Lily Evans. She swore to heaven that she would be my eyes for life and never leave me. I actively cooperated with the doctors’ treatment. On the day my eyes recovered, I ran home happily to tell her the good news. But I saw Lily passionately kissing my best friend Lucas on our marriage bed. “Lily, why don’t you divorce that blind man? I’m the one who understands and loves you the most,” Lucas said. “James Carter is just a useless cripple now.” “Wait a bit longer. I still can’t bear to let him go, after all, he became blind because of saving me,” Lily replied. At that moment, my blood froze. I turned and fled in embarrassment. Heartbroken and disillusioned, I booked a flight to the remote north to join my mentor in researching project C999. I decided to let Lily never find my whereabouts again. … After booking the flight, I returned home once more. Through the crack in the door, I saw that Lily and Lucas hadn’t stopped. The two were locked in a passionate embrace, kissing fervently. Lily knew I had come back, but didn’t stop what she was doing. Her lust-filled eyes looked at me, and she bit her lip to keep from making a sound. But Lucas deliberately teased her, trying to make her cry out. “Lily, don’t worry. James is blind, he can’t see us,” Lucas whispered in her ear. Then he gave me a contemptuous look, his eyes full of disdain. Lily pinched him. “Don’t be naughty. James can’t hear anything strange. I’m still his wife and you’re his best friend. What we’re doing is already wrong.” “Heh, but I find this so exciting!” Lucas smirked. Lily didn’t reply. Her displeasure made Lucas restrain himself a bit. He stood up, but was still unsatisfied. He glanced at me. “We can go to the bedroom, but James is sitting on my pants.” Suddenly, he grinned mischievously at Lily. “You tell him to bring them to me, or I’ll go get them myself. Your choice.” Lucas looked at me challengingly as he asked Lily’s opinion. “Can you not do this?” Lily said in a low, displeased voice. “Fine, then I’ll go get them.” Lily quickly stopped him. “James, you’re sitting on my scarf. I’m feeling a bit tired and want to rest in my room. I think I might be coming down with a cold, so I’ll sleep in the guest room tonight.” “Can you bring the scarf over to me?” After hesitating, Lily decided to go along with Lucas’s wishes. I stared at Lily with a pale face as she spoke. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes hazy. Her arms were still tightly wrapped around Lucas, unwilling to let go and come down. I tried my best to control my emotions, clenching my fists tightly. I had been so focused on them that I hadn’t paid attention to what I was sitting on. When I stood up and looked down at the couch, I nearly vomited in disgust. The so-called “scarf” was clearly Lucas’s pants. Lily was asking me to bring his pants to him. I originally wanted to explode and confront them directly. But thinking it through, what good would that do? It would just end in a divorce agreement and endless arguments. My face ashen, I pretended to still be blind. My nails dug into my palms so hard they broke, my veins bulging in anger. After an internal struggle, I picked up Lucas’s pants with trembling hands and held them out to him. He hugged Lily tightly and flipped me off with one hand, muttering under his breath, “Blind idiot, having to bring me my pants. Sweet.” Afraid I would hear, Lily quickly covered his mouth with her hand. At that moment, it felt like my soul had been ripped out. I collapsed weakly back onto the couch. But I still had to pretend to care and ask her like before: “Are you not feeling well? Is it serious?” My voice shook, my heart desolate. But she couldn’t tell. “It’s- it’s nothing. I’ll take some medicine and sleep it off.” Lucas fondled her intimately. Lily glared at him coquettishly. Her eyes signaled for him to stop. Then Lucas picked her up and carried her to the guest room. When they couldn’t see me, I secretly took out my phone and snapped photos of them cheating. Lucas looked back at me and made a face, calling me a “blind man.” In that moment, I almost couldn’t hold back from rushing over to fight him. But in the end, I restrained myself. After they left, my nose stung and tears welled up in my eyes. Even though I had already decided to leave and let her go, I still couldn’t help but feel heartbroken. Lily had promised she would never lie to me or betray me. But in the end, she broke her word. I picked up my phone and called my mentor. “Master, James is willing to go to the base with you.” “Are you sure? Once you decide to come, you won’t be allowed to leave the base for years. It’s like being cut off from the world. Can you bear to leave Lily?” I answered without hesitation: “I can.” My mentor was silent for a long time. “Does she know?” I used to hesitate because I couldn’t bear to leave Lily. Now, she had made the choice for me. I glanced coldly at the closed guest room door, from which came the sound of a man and woman panting. “I’ve wasted many years, squandering my talents when I could have been contributing to society. Now I’ve decided to take on this heavy responsibility and help ease your burdens, Master.” “My decision doesn’t require Lily’s approval.” “Good, you haven’t disappointed me, my good disciple!” After exchanging pleasantries with my mentor, I hung up the phone and walked back to my room. Just then, Lily came out of the guest room wearing Lucas’s oversized shirt. Her neck and body were covered in hickeys, old and new. It seemed she had been cheating for a long time. She wasn’t afraid of me seeing, because I was blind and couldn’t see. “Honey, did you forget our goodnight kiss? You haven’t kissed me goodnight yet!” Lily pouted at me coquettishly. I suddenly felt nauseous and started retching violently. Seeing my reaction, Lily anxiously came closer to me. As she approached, I felt extremely repulsed by her, finding her disgusting. The nausea intensified and I pushed her away roughly. Still pretending to be blind, I groped my way to the bathroom. I had already started to reject Lily’s proximity. I stood over the sink, dry heaving as my stomach churned. Inwardly, I felt incredibly bitter. Looking at myself in the mirror, I felt pathetic and wretched. Back when we first met my mentor, Lily had knelt down and sworn to him that she would love me forever. Only then did he agree to let her take me home. I never imagined it would all turn out to be empty words. I lowered my head weakly. Only then did I notice there was an extra men’s towel on the rack, an extra pair of slippers that weren’t my size on the floor, along with an extra cup, toothbrush… Had Lucas been living here the whole time while I was blind? No wonder Lily always left our bed in the middle of the night. Every time I reached out, I couldn’t feel her there. So she spent the first half of the night with me, and the second half with Lucas. She moved between two men, utterly shameless. Since I lost my sight, Lily and I hadn’t been intimate for six months. She used my blindness as an excuse to avoid getting close to me. So it was because she found me repulsive and unable to satisfy her. Lily anxiously followed me, hugging me from behind with a panicked expression. “James, what’s wrong? Are you sick?” “When you suddenly pushed me away just now, I got so scared.” Her hands trembled slightly as they encircled my waist, as if afraid I would disappear at any moment. She held on tighter. The more she acted like this, the more disgusted I felt. One moment tangled up with Lucas, the next professing her deep love for me. Lily, you’re quite the actress. I yanked her hands off me, putting some distance between us. “My stomach’s probably acting up. Lately I’ve had trouble keeping anything down.” Somehow I had learned to lie. I used to hate people like that, but now I had become the very thing I despised. Hearing this, Lily looked extremely alarmed. “I’m so sorry. I’ve been so busy with work lately that I haven’t had time to take care of you. You’ve been eating alone and not looking after yourself properly. It’s all my fault.” She cupped my face, her brows furrowed with concern. Then she led me back to the bedroom and took out fresh clothes for me to change into. I stopped her and put them on myself. Lily froze. This was the first time since we got married that I hadn’t let her help me. Her heart seemed to skip a beat. She lowered her head, almost kissing my lips. “James, it’s been so long since we’ve made love. Let’s do it.” Lily pressed her body against mine. I pushed her away again. She was tainted now. I no longer wanted her. But Lily grew nervous. Being pushed away a second time, she feared I no longer loved her. I had already lain down on the bed. She carefully pulled the covers over me. “James, are you angry with me? For not spending enough time with you?” “I won’t work tomorrow. I’ll stay with you all day, okay?” The ruthless queen of the business world, feared by all, actually had such a humble side. I smiled bitterly. Was this my fortune or misfortune? I was about to flatly refuse her when her phone rang. She quickly silenced it, not daring to answer. Then she sat next to me, looking at the messages Lucas was sending her. “You little wildcat, you tore up my underwear. Get me a new pair right now.” “Wait, I think I’m out of underwear.” “Do you mind if I wear James’s?” “Fuck off. I’ll sleep with his woman but don’t even think about the rest.” “Come over now.” Lily glanced down at me, then gently caressed my face before getting up and walking away. I clenched the bedsheets, tears finally breaking through my defenses. Back when Lucas’s company went bankrupt, I had begged Lily to help him. She clearly despised him then and told me to stay away from him. In the end, she only helped for my sake. Now he repaid that kindness with betrayal, sleeping with my wife while I was blind. He truly was an ungrateful bastard. I tried hard to comfort myself. It’s okay, just 7 more days until I leave. Then Lily and I will be done for good. The next day, thinking I was still sulking, Lily carefully tended to my mood. After breakfast, she forcibly took me out. She had rented out a bar and invited many friends, under the pretext of cheering me up. The whole way there, Lily held my hand tightly, afraid I would fall. She kept reminiscing about our sweet memories from the past. I didn’t say anything, feeling a mix of sarcasm and pain in my heart. I once thought we would grow old together, never parting. But in the end it was all a joke. Lily found me inadequate because I was blind and couldn’t satisfy her desires. She craved excitement and younger flesh. Now that I was over 30, and Lucas was 4 years younger, she had transferred her affections. She had already forgotten the vows we made on our wedding day. What pained me even more was the banner hung up to celebrate. “Happy birthday to my darling Lucas!” I pried Lily’s hands off mine finger by finger. How ironic – she had said it was just to cheer me up, but it was all lies. Lily’s friend snapped at me in displeasure: “James Carter, what are you putting on airs for, you blind man? How dare you push Lily’s hand away.” Lily silenced her with a glare. Then she picked up a fruit tea from the table and handed it to me. “Honey, smile! It’s too bad you can’t see, but this is the same private room where I proposed to you back then. I was so in love with you at the time.” Lily reminisced about the past with a wistful expression, her eyes even turning red as she took my hand and placed it on her cheek to caress her. She may have loved me before, but now she had given that love to Lucas. Just then, Lucas walked in. Lily, who had been focused on me, lit up when she saw him enter. Lucas was wearing my custom-tailored suit – the one I had worn at our wedding. He had brazenly taken it for himself, openly stealing my things. Lily’s friends flocked to greet Lucas when they saw him arrive, surrounding him as if he were Lily’s husband. I knew I didn’t fit into her social circle, nor did I want to. Lily let go of my hand and walked towards Lucas with a pleased expression, forgetting all about me. They sat together chatting, with Lily perched on Lucas’s lap. Her friends teased them. Afraid I would hear, Lily switched to speaking German with them. “Don’t speak English, James will hear.” “Don’t worry, we understand.” Lucas suddenly kissed Lily on the mouth. The others gasped, looking at me with pity. “Poor blind James Carter. His friend and wife are being affectionate right in front of him and he has no idea.” “Lily, aren’t you afraid he’ll find out? I mean, you even brought Lucas home. It’s so risky and exciting!” Lily’s lips were swollen from Lucas’s kiss. “He’ll never know. I spend time with him during the day and with Lucas at night. I’ve got it all worked out.” Everyone burst out laughing at her words. “Lily’s so clever!” Just then, the glass slipped from my hand and shattered, drawing their attention. Lily jumped out of Lucas’s arms and rushed over to me. “Honey, what’s wrong? You don’t look well. Are you coming down with something?” I stared at her coldly. What she didn’t know was that I had learned multiple languages to fit into her social circle long ago. I had understood every word they said. I pretended to feel unwell and made an excuse to leave the bar. But Lily was reluctant to part with Lucas. She just called the housekeeper to take me home. At the entrance, I dismissed the housekeeper and took a taxi to the civil affairs bureau to cancel my identity. When the official asked me repeatedly to reconsider, warning that once cancelled, James Carter would cease to exist, I insisted without hesitation. An hour later, I walked out holding the cancellation papers. It felt like a heavy stone had finally been lifted off my chest. If I asked Lily for a divorce, she would never agree. Cancelling my identity was the only way to leave her. Next, I returned home. Five days left on the countdown. Each day after they left, I cleared out everything related to Lily and me. Our wedding photos, wedding rings, gifts she had given me… I took it all to the garden, dug a big hole, threw it in and set it on fire. The flames consumed all the memories between Lily and me. I no longer felt any tenderness. “Lily Evans, we have no future together anymore.” On the seventh day, I printed out the intimate photos of Lily and Lucas and plastered them all over the living room. Before leaving, I decided to say goodbye to the doctor who had cured my eyes. Unexpectedly, I ran into Lily and Lucas in the hallway on my way out. Lily didn’t dare greet me, since she had always told me she was working overtime. We all pretended not to see each other. I walked past her with my white cane. As we brushed shoulders, I realized my heart no longer ached. I had truly let her go. After I left, Lily grew anxious. She pushed Lucas away and rushed into the doctor’s office to ask about me. “Doctor, what’s wrong with James? Is his eye hurting again?” Lily’s face was full of concern, but the doctor’s words left her stunned. “Nothing’s wrong with James! His eyes recovered 7 days ago and he can see fine now. Didn’t you know, Mrs. Carter?” “He came by today to say goodbye. He’s leaving town.” “No, that’s impossible. Why wouldn’t James tell me if he could see again?” Lily nearly collapsed, her whole body trembling as she slumped against the wall, filled with panic. The doctor was puzzled by Lily’s extreme reaction. He pushed up his glasses and took out a document from his drawer, placing it in front of her. “Mrs. Carter, this is James’s recovery notice. Take a look. His eyes really have healed. You should have seen how happy and excited he was at the time. He cried tears of joy and thanked me in German. He said he had learned German for you even while blind, and worked hard to cooperate with our treatment, all to give you happiness.” Lily could no longer support herself against the wall. She slid to the ground, her face deathly pale. She opened her mouth but no words came out, only tears falling. Her mind was in turmoil. “So he knew everything, saw everything, didn’t he?” Lily asked herself, shaking her head frantically. “Mrs. Carter, what’s wrong? Isn’t it good news that James can see again? Oh right, he’s leaving town today. Did you know that?” Lily suddenly stood up, her eyes wide as she stared at the doctor. “What did you say? James is leaving town today? I had no idea!” Lily suddenly remembered how James had paused when they brushed past each other earlier. At the time, she had been afraid he would discover her presence and tried to hide. “J-James.” Lily turned and ran. Just as she reached the door, Lucas appeared with a hurt expression. “Lily, you’re abandoning me for that blind man again.” Lily kicked Lucas away. He fell to the ground, staring at her in disbelief. “Shut up! Call him a blind man again and I won’t let you off easy.” Lily snapped before hurrying away, leaving a confused Lucas sprawled on the floor. “Lily, what’s wrong? Come back!” But Lily didn’t look back at him again. I had just arrived at the airport when I received a call from Lily. “James, did your eyes recover a long time ago without telling me?” Lily’s voice trembled, choked with sobs. “Yes, the night you asked me to bring Lucas his underwear.” There was a deathly silence on Lily’s end. I thought I heard a crashing sound and someone cursing Lily for being blind. After a long while, Lily began to cry. “James, please come back. We can talk about this face to face. You can even kill me if you want, just don’t leave.” “I can’t imagine how to go on living without you.” I rejected her without hesitation: “James Carter can’t come back. He’s dead. Forget about him.” The airport announcer’s voice reminded passengers it was time to board.

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Lucas was in a car accident. When I rushed to the hospital, his parents were fussing over him. The moment he saw me, Lucas frowned, “Who are you?” The room fell silent. After examining him for a while, the doctor regretfully told me, “Mrs. Gu, it seems Mr. Gu may be experiencing selective amnesia.” Selective amnesia? So after the accident, he remembered everyone except me. I curled my fingers, a bitter smile playing on my lips. Lucas glanced at me, his eyes filled with inexplicable disgust. His parents weren’t upset about his memory loss. Instead, they seemed particularly pleased. His mother put her hands on her hips, “Oh, son, it’s better that you don’t remember her. It’ll save you from all that trouble!” His father nodded, then gestured for me to step outside for a chat. Mr. Gu spoke bluntly, “Emily, Lucas forgetting you is actually a good thing.” “You should leave soon. It’ll be better for both of you.” “Your father still needs money, right? If you agree to leave, we can transfer the funds today.” Looking at the man before me, I was momentarily stunned. I bit my lip, about to speak when I heard his mother’s excited voice, “Who is she?” “Just a gold-digger who wormed her way into our family. It’s better you don’t remember her!” Lucas and I had been married for five years, spending the last three in an emotional stalemate. I always knew they didn’t like me, but I never expected them to force me out like this. And I certainly didn’t expect them to insult me. I gripped my purse strap tightly and smiled, “Alright.” “But besides the money for my dad, I want an additional $200,000.” I was dying anyway. I didn’t want to fight with Lucas anymore. At this point, I just wanted to suffer a little less in my final moments. $200,000 wasn’t much for the Gu family now. Mr. Gu agreed readily. He even allowed me to say goodbye to Lucas. Lucas had probably heard about all the “terrible things” I’d done over the years from his mother. He now knew that Sophia should have been the Gu family’s daughter-in-law. So he looked at me with particular coldness. I forced a smile, “Lucas, I…” I wanted to tell him he was free now, that he didn’t have to be with me anymore. I even wanted to tell him I was dying. After all, at this moment, he was still legally my husband. But he cut me off with a low hiss, “Get out!” I blinked back tears and turned to leave. I felt somewhat relieved, grateful that I had only been using him as a substitute all along. Otherwise, I’d probably be heartbroken right now. Although Lucas and I had been together all these years, we were like a couple bound by contract, emotionally miles apart. We kept our things in separate rooms. So it didn’t take long for me to pack up when I got home. I looked back at the house I’d lived in for five years, letting out a sigh. I couldn’t help but feel a bit sentimental. “Emily?” A familiar male voice called out. I turned to see Ethan. He looked more mature than before, but still maintained that gentle, refined air about him. As always, he greeted me with a warm smile. I carefully held my breath, stiffly calling out, “Ethan.” He was Lucas’s older brother. And the man I had admired for a long time. Just having him stand in front of me made my heart beat faster than usual. Ethan asked in surprise, “Emily, are you going on a trip? Why do you have so much luggage?” I froze in place, my body stiffening, “No, I’m just… moving to a new place.” “Is it because of Lucas?” He took the suitcase from my hand. He asked gently, “I know he’s going through a bit of a rough patch right now, which might upset you.” “But if you’re not in a hurry, I’d like to talk with you for a bit.” I didn’t know what he wanted to say, but looking into his eyes, I found myself following him without thinking. It wasn’t until he was pouring me tea that I noticed something different about him. He was wearing a wedding ring. “I got married!” Ethan explained with a smile when he saw my gaze fall on his hand. My heart sank, and I felt a bit dazed. I only snapped back to reality when I heard Lucas’s name. “Lucas has always been a bit full of himself. He gets cocky with compliments but sulks at the slightest criticism,” Ethan could go on for hours about Lucas’s embarrassing childhood stories. “In 2008, when Lucas was twelve, he was still a chubby kid. He had a crush on some little girl and would go out every weekend with a bag full of stuff. He even asked me to make him grasshopper figurines every week.” “That summer, I broke my leg and couldn’t even rest properly at home.” I suddenly looked up, confused, “In 2008, you broke your leg during summer break and couldn’t go out?” Ethan nodded, not understanding my reaction. I felt the world spinning, my head starting to ache. I made an excuse and left early. Sitting on the couch at home, I stared at the photo of Lucas and Ethan on the opposite wall. I realized their eyes were very similar, both taking after their mother. But Ethan’s eyes were a bit rounder than Lucas’s. More like the boy I met when I was young. All these years, I had thought it was Ethan who brought me food and grasshopper figurines back then. Today, I finally learned that it had been Lucas all along. He was my savior. I curled up in bed, clutching an old grasshopper figurine. In my dream, I was back to when I was twelve, by the Reed River. Back then, my dad was generally okay with me, but he was an alcoholic. When drunk, he’d take out his frustrations on me. It happened every weekend. After being beaten, I’d run to the riverside and hide in a corner. That’s when Lucas found me. His eyes were rounder back then, and he was a bit chubby, but very agile. Seeing me crouched by the river, he slid over on his knees and picked me up without warning. I was small and skinny back then. He carried me effortlessly. I screamed and pounded on him, afraid he might be a bad person. He set me down on the roadside and asked cheekily, “Little girl, don’t you know it’s dangerous to be alone by the river? You’re so small, no one would notice if you fell in!” I rolled my eyes. Realizing this chubby boy was just trying to be nice, I retorted, “Psh! I wouldn’t fall in.” He playfully pinched my cheek. I swatted his hand away, but because my palm was swollen from my dad’s beating earlier, tears immediately welled up in my eyes. Lucas wasn’t very bright back then. He grabbed my hand and exclaimed, “Wow, you hit me and made yourself cry?!” Seeing my tears fall, he quickly tried to comfort me with candy. It wasn’t until I kicked him that he realized he had accidentally pressed on my injured hand, causing me to cry from pain. Lucas, at a loss, rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a grasshopper figurine. I had never had many toys growing up and had always envied others. When he brought out this little thing, it might not have meant much to other kids. But it was enough to make me stop crying immediately and even call him “big brother” sweetly. The young Lucas was pleased, losing himself in my praise. He proudly declared that he had made it himself and promised to make an even better one for me next time. Sure enough, the following week, he brought a new one. That summer was the happiest I’d had in years. Every week, Lucas would meet me by the river, tell me jokes, bring me snacks, and give me grasshopper figurines. He told me to call him brother, but I refused. I said I was twelve, not that little anymore. He scratched his head and puffed out his chest, saying he was thirteen, just a bit older than me. He told me that not all parents love their children, but we should love ourselves. His serious expression while lecturing me then made me laugh uncontrollably. But only I knew that I had etched his image from that time into my heart. It wasn’t until later when I met Ethan, who was a year older than me, and saw him skillfully making grasshopper figurines, that I realized I had been too young back then to understand what it meant to have a crush. And because I was so young, I forgot to ask for his name. I only remembered that the little “big brother” was a year older than me. So I missed out on all these years. But now, it’s too late. After moving to my new place, the first person to show up was, surprisingly, my dad. “Quick! Did your husband give you money? Give some to daddy, I need it urgently!” His eyes were clouded, filled with greed. He looked at me without any familial affection, as if I were just a tool. I pressed my lips together, blocking him at the door, “I warned you! That was the last time I’d help you solve your problems!” He had been an alcoholic for years, becoming violent when drunk. In the past, when he wasn’t drunk, he still had some feelings for me, but over the years, he’d gotten worse. After I married Lucas, he picked up other bad habits and even found a girlfriend seventeen years younger than him. He got scammed, buying luxury goods for his young girlfriend, getting into drunken fights. Each time, I was the one cleaning up his mess. This time, he even got into gambling. The Gu family had agreed to pay people to solve his problems on the condition that I divorce Lucas. Now, he was back again. But he was oblivious, grabbing my collar, “I need money! I owe some people money. Your husband is so rich, help me out!” I felt utterly powerless. I couldn’t help him forever; my life was coming to an end. And now, Lucas had nothing to do with me anymore. I pushed his hand away, shoving him aside, “I won’t help you! And Lucas won’t either. We’re divorced.” His face crumpled, stammering that it was impossible. “That boy loves you so much! How could he divorce you!” His mind was jumbled, speaking incoherently. But slowly, I began to understand. It turned out my own father had gotten into trouble long ago, and when people were after him with knives, it was Lucas who helped him. It was also Lucas who had been supporting him all these years. The problems I had solved for him were just the tip of the iceberg. At that moment, I felt the world spinning. He kept shouting, “That fool treats you like his heart and soul, how could he possibly forget you!” My dad’s face was contorted, barely human anymore. I slapped him hard, seething, “Let me tell you, I’ve more than repaid any debt for raising me. Don’t come looking for me again!” “Soon, you won’t be able to find me anyway!” “I’m dying! I won’t have to bear your burden anymore!” I gritted my teeth, tears streaming down my face. He was stunned for a moment, then suddenly elated, “You’re dying! So your money is useless to you now! Give it to me!” I watched as he excitedly swore to give me a proper burial if I just gave him all my money. With a bitter laugh, I squeezed out one sentence: “Keep dreaming!” The doctor told me to be kind to myself in my final days. I decided to leave this place and move to a seaside town. Before leaving, I bought the best medicine I could afford, trying to minimize my suffering. In the coastal city, I watched the sunrise and sunset every day, cooked my meals, and occasionally pet the neighbor’s dog. It was peaceful, if a bit boring. Sometimes I thought about Lucas, but I never expected to see him so soon. And with Sophia. Sophia and Lucas were childhood friends, from families of similar status. She was tall, over 5’7″, with a slender figure and an intelligent beauty that charmed everyone who met her. If her family hadn’t sent her abroad for early studies, and if she hadn’t been so focused on her career that she didn’t come back, Maybe Lucas would have ended up with her instead of me. My dad said Lucas loved me, but I didn’t quite believe it. Because I knew there was always someone in his heart. And his parents and his collection of mementos all told me that person was Sophia. The year Lucas and I got married, Sophia couldn’t come back from abroad due to some issues. So she never met me. I had only seen her in photos. Naturally, Sophia couldn’t recognize me, but Lucas could. He frowned as soon as he saw me, as if looking at something distasteful. I smirked inwardly and turned to leave. But I heard Sophia’s sweet voice asking Lucas, “Lucas, do you know her?” I paused. Lucas coldly said he didn’t know me. But Sophia didn’t believe him: “Come on, we’ve been friends since childhood, I know you too well! That look on your face isn’t normal!” She jogged over and tapped my shoulder, “Hey there!” I turned around to see her bright eyes, filled with a smile. Lucas reluctantly followed, standing silently to the side. I forced a smile, “Hello there!” Sophia pointed at Lucas, curious, “Girl, you look so familiar! Do you two know each other?” “Yes!” Lucas suddenly spoke up. “No.” Our voices overlapped, making the situation incredibly awkward. I rubbed my nose nervously. Sophia burst out laughing, “What’s going on with you two!” She was much more lively than her appearance suggested. Upon learning we were college classmates, she insisted on treating me to a meal to uncover some secrets about Lucas. I was dragged along to join them at a table. Sophia was very talkative, especially knowledgeable about Lucas’s embarrassing moments. “I know all about his childhood antics. If I hadn’t been away when he got married, I definitely would have told his bride how stupid he used to be!” Sophia declared confidently. Lucas scowled, muttering, “You won’t have the chance anymore.” “Right, right! I know you’re divorced now, so I’ve missed my chance.” Sophia ate all the food Lucas had put on her plate, her eyes darting between Lucas and me. She propped her chin on her hand, “There’s such a weird vibe between you two!” I had been eating with my head down, but looked up awkwardly when she pointed this out, forcing a smile, “There’s nothing weird. We’re just regular classmates.” Sophia didn’t seem convinced, but Lucas insisted we were just ordinary classmates, claiming his earlier reaction was due to his post-injury confusion. I nodded along. Seeing she couldn’t get more information, Sophia pouted and went to the restroom. I poked at my food with my chopsticks. “Regular classmates?” Lucas snorted, glaring at me. I didn’t know what had gotten into him, leaving me confused. “Aren’t we?” I asked. “I’m a woman too, I can tell Miss Yu has feelings for you. I hope things work out for you two.” Lucas’s face suddenly turned ashen. He crossed his arms and turned away, ignoring me. We didn’t say anything else after that. Learning that I lived here, Sophia was so excited she nearly jumped. She grabbed my hand to add me on SnapChat, eager for me to show her around the local attractions. I couldn’t refuse her, and Lucas didn’t say anything. Sophia was a truly exceptional person. She had excellent grades in college and even held a personal exhibition before graduating. Her SnapChat showed her past works. That’s when I realized she was quite a well-known up-and-coming artist in the art world. I couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed. No wonder Lucas’s parents didn’t like me. From every angle, I fell far short. With mixed emotions, I took them tide pooling. Lucas carried the bucket and tongs, watching Sophia’s antics with a smile on his face, looking completely at ease. It was so different from how he was with me. I felt a twinge of unhappiness. Sophia caught a small crab and ran to Lucas, showing off, “Look how amazing I am!” Lucas said, “It’s just a tiny crab, nothing to be proud of!” But he still pulled out a sun hat and put it on her head. Sophia adjusted the hat and ran off. He muttered under his breath, “How can she be so careless at her age? Not even bringing a hat, she’ll get sunburned.” He fell silent after speaking. We both paused. I suddenly remembered the early days of our marriage when we were still close. We went to the beach, and I got sunburned on the first day. My exposed skin was red and painful. As he applied ointment, he insisted I couldn’t go out the next day. But it was my first time seeing the ocean in my life. The next day, I couldn’t resist and snuck out. He chased after me, exasperated, and plopped a huge sun hat on my head, “How can you be so careless at your age? Aren’t you afraid of getting roasted?” For those seven days, he followed me around with a sun hat every day. I had wondered how a man could be so attentive, but now I realized it was because of Sophia. Later, I took them to a local seafood restaurant. Sophia ordered some seafood, and Lucas suddenly asked to add spicy razor clams. Sophia’s delicate brows furrowed, “Why add spicy food? Aren’t we here by the sea to eat steamed seafood?” “Neither of us eats spicy food.” As soon as she finished speaking, my chopsticks fell to the ground. My heart was in my throat. Lucas doesn’t eat spicy food, and he doesn’t eat razor clams. But I do. Whenever I ate seafood with him, I always ordered spicy razor clams. Lucas seemed to come to his senses, realizing his mistake. He ran his hand through his hair and canceled the order. When he turned to look at me, he suddenly asked, “Emily, what do you want to eat?” My whole body stiffened, afraid Sophia would catch on. But she just smiled at me warmly. Then I remembered that when Lucas and I got married, he had sent Sophia an invitation in English. It only had our English names, without any photos. I was listed as Emily Shen. I couldn’t help but feel relieved, then annoyed at myself. After all, I had been Lucas’s wife for five years. It wasn’t surprising that he remembered one of my small preferences. “Just steamed is fine, I can’t eat spicy food,” I said. Lucas looked at me thoughtfully after hearing this, his expression unreadable. Over the next few days, I showed Lucas and Sophia around the coastal city. I discovered that Sophia truly was a wonderful girl, deserving of everyone’s love. So before they left, I sincerely told Sophia, “I hope you find your happiness soon!” Sophia’s face turned red. She glanced at Lucas and whispered to me, “It’ll happen soon!” At that time, I didn’t understand what she meant by “soon.” My condition worsened, and the medication made me drowsy and lethargic. I couldn’t muster energy for anything. I frequently felt nauseous and vomited, sometimes even coughing up blood. I knew I didn’t have much time left. So when I saw Sophia’s post about an engagement ring, I was only stunned for a moment. Sophia was engaged. Both Lucas and Ethan had liked the post. Not wanting them to see me, I privately congratulated Sophia. I opened my chat with Lucas, where the last message was from long ago. The bitterness in my heart was hard to bear. I buried my head in my arms, taking a long time to suppress my emotions. “Congratulations!” I sent the message quickly. But Lucas didn’t reply. Perhaps he was busy preparing for the wedding. Or maybe he was with Sophia. I didn’t know, but suddenly Sophia didn’t seem so great anymore. I felt a bit jealous of her. I took my medicine and dozed off until late at night. Suddenly, I heard a noise outside my door. Again and again, very regular, very polite. My heart started racing. I knew this knocking pattern all too well, having heard it for several years. But when I actually saw Lucas, I realized how much I had been hoping it was him. I had been longing for him to come find me. “Emily…” Lucas reeked of alcohol. He pulled me into his arms, calling my name over and over. His tears soaked through my clothes. My eyes quickly filled with tears too, and I gently wrapped my arms around his waist. Since realizing my true feelings, I had imagined countless times when he might regain his memory. If he did, would he love me? But now that the moment had come, I was nervous and afraid. Lucas pushed me into the room, whispering in my ear, “I still haven’t regained my memory. Why did you run away?” My heart tightened. Had he really recovered his memory? As I hesitated on how to respond, he suddenly collapsed on the floor, passed out. I looked at him, torn between laughter and tears. How could I forget that this guy passes out after one drink? For him to smell so strongly of alcohol, he must have been completely out of it. I didn’t have the strength to move him now. I could only bring a blanket and pillow, trying my best to wrap him up. Sitting beside him, I watched as the moonlight cast shifting shadows on his face. Lucas was a person favored by fate. He had excellent looks and a great physique. Even now, he still retained a hint of his youthful charm. Unlike me. I looked at myself in the mirror, hair a mess, gaunt and withered, surrounded by an aura of death. When Lucas woke up the next day, his whole body ached. He glared at me, demanding to know how he ended up here. I shrugged, “How should I know!” His head was pounding. It took him a while to remember that he had been drinking with friends last night. He clearly remembered calling a cab to go home. How did he end up here? The coastal city wasn’t far from their hometown, about 300 kilometers, a four-hour drive. I glanced at him sideways, watching as he discovered his ride history and gradually became frustrated. He cursed, sure that one of his “dog brothers” had played a prank on him. But I knew his friends well, each one a golden boy. They looked down on me. They were all happy when they learned about our divorce. He could get engaged to Sophia, so last night must have been his joyous bachelor party. Who would send him to me as a prank? And besides him and Sophia, who else knew my current address? I held my cup, lost in thought. Lucas got up and stared at my hands, suddenly saying, “You actually drink hot water now?” Before I could react, he froze. He clutched his head, looking pained. I was startled by his expression and quickly asked what was wrong. “Emily…” He started calling my name again. Over and over. It made me incredibly uncomfortable. I wanted to tell him to stop, that I would cry if he continued. Lucas slowly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, “Emily!” “We’re divorced?” I couldn’t help but take two steps back, bumping into the table. I forced a smile, “You remember now?” Lucas had remembered. He sat down with a grim expression, “You divorced me just for money?” Money? No, if it was for money, I should have clung to Lucas tightly, as that would have maximized my benefits. Lucas seemed to realize this logic too, his expression softening, “Is it because I forgot you that you divorced me?” He snorted, “After all, we had been in a cold war for so long before, and you never mentioned divorce!” Mentioning the cold war immediately chilled the atmosphere between us that had just started to warm. Come to think of it, it had been a long time since we had a calm conversation before the divorce. And the reason for our cold war was that I discovered things he had hidden. A diary, recording years of unspoken affection. When I placed it in front of him, he flew into a rage. He snatched the diary away, tearing it to shreds, his boyhood sentiments in tatters. He demanded to know why I had touched his things. I still remember how he pinned me down that day, his face full of anger: “Emily, how dare you!” I couldn’t escape, I could only struggle desperately, my nails scratching his face. When we saw the blood, we both froze. I felt some regret, thinking I shouldn’t have scratched so hard. But I was also angry – he had been keeping a record of his love for another girl, how could he blame me? After that, we didn’t speak for three years. I tried to make amends, but he wouldn’t acknowledge me. Now, bringing up the cold war again, My feelings for him immediately cooled. In those years when I was his wife, he could give me the cold shoulder because of his crush on Sophia. What about now? But he asked me, “Emily.” “Do you still like Ethan?” I was stunned by the content of his words, unable to move for a long time before turning my head. He gave a bitter smile, showing a rare moment of embarrassment, “Did you divorce me because of my brother?” “Because he got married, and you can no longer secretly watch him through me, so you want to divorce me.” This was absolutely ridiculous. “I didn’t divorce you because of your brother,” I said, enunciating each word. Lucas’s face immediately brightened. His eyes lit up with joy, “Not because of him? Then why?” Because I’m dying. So I wanted to set you free. The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t say them out loud. A sharp pain shot through my abdomen, and cold sweat broke out on my forehead. “Lucas, don’t you know why?” “I divorced you so you could be with Sophia. Now that you’re engaged, you should leave.” Leave quickly. The pain was becoming unbearable, and my vision was starting to blur. But I didn’t want him to see me in such a miserable state, nor did I want his pity. Lucas looked bewildered, “What does this have to do with Sophia? What engagement?” A thunderous realization struck me, but the pain prevented me from thinking clearly. All my strength seemed to drain away with my cold sweat, and I felt myself falling backwards. I heard Lucas shouting nearby, “Emily!” Then everything went black, and I lost consciousness. When I opened my eyes again, everything around me was white, and the smell of disinfectant filled my nostrils. I was in the hospital. Lucas was still wearing the same clothes, with dark circles under his eyes, looking disheveled. Seeing me awake, his eyes immediately brightened, “Emily’s awake! Nurse, doctor!” After the examinations were done, he sat down beside me and held my hand, “Emily! How could you be so cruel?” “I don’t blame you anymore.” “It doesn’t matter if you like Ethan. I won’t hold it against you even if you married me to get close to him.” “Just please, don’t die, okay?” The doctor had told him about my condition. His voice was choked with tears. My eyes stung. If I had known I would have an attack, I should have sent him away earlier. I was saddened by his distress. And even more angry at myself. So he had known all along that I married him to get close to his brother. From the moment I met Ethan, I knew he had a girlfriend. I suppressed all my feelings, quietly watching Ethan from afar. When I confirmed he wouldn’t break up with his girlfriend, I was heartbroken and devastated, drowning my sorrows at nightclubs. It was Lucas who picked me up, lecturing me that a girl shouldn’t get drunk alone outside. After Ethan went abroad, I couldn’t keep up. Among the people I knew, only Lucas could bring me news about Ethan. So I approached him, followed him. Until both of Lucas’s parents fell ill, and Ethan was too busy with his studies abroad to come back. Lucas took over the domestic work and was swamped. That’s when we really got entangled. After waking up in the same bed with him, I told him to marry me, otherwise the scandal about the Gu family’s younger son couldn’t be contained. Lucas agreed with a sour face. Even though his parents disapproved, his friends were against it. Everyone said I was a gold digger, with a troublemaking father who would eventually drag Lucas down. He still married me. At the time, I consoled myself that I had no chance with Ethan in this lifetime anyway, so I could just watch him from afar. I collected news about Ethan, saved his photos. Only looking at them when I was in pain, giving myself some strength. I mistook my past fantasies about Ethan for love. But I didn’t know that Lucas had long discovered my special attention towards his brother. He also knew that Ethan had once occupied my heart. I opened my mouth to explain. But I didn’t know what to say. Tell him I had mistaken my savior, that I had thought his brother was him? This explanation seemed weak and unconvincing. Lucas suggested taking me back to our hometown. I didn’t agree, “I really like the sea. I want to stay by the coast.” His eyes darkened, his expression unreadable. He called his family, had his clothes mailed over, and insisted on living with me. “Whether you like me or not, you’re still my ex-wife. It’s my duty to take care of you,” he explained gruffly as he folded my clothes and put them in the closet. Sophia was indeed engaged, but not to him. I suddenly looked up, my eyes wide, “What?” He shoved the clothes into the wardrobe irritably, “I said, Sophia’s true love is her classmate from abroad!” “What kind of brain do you have, thinking someone who doesn’t even know my wife would have a crush on me!” “You congratulated her, and she came to tell me what a good person you are.” “Damn it!” I curled up in a corner, my mind in chaos. Sophia had a lover. Then what about Lucas? Lucas seemed to know what I was thinking and asked through gritted teeth, “You think I like her?” What else could it be? His diary was full of mentions of “little swallow.” Lucas took a deep breath, explaining uncomfortably, “That notebook was a birthday gift from Sophia. She likes to buy things with swallow patterns. When I wrote in it, I just liked to doodle…” Me: … “Besides, that diary is from a long time ago. I wrote it in middle school when I met a cute little girl. I was just starting to have feelings, it’s normal to have a first love, right?” He tried to explain, his voice getting lower and lower. “Forget it, there’s no point talking about this anyway.” “You like Ethan after all.” He said bitterly. But I felt my heart soften as I listened. I didn’t know who his first love was. But all his actions were telling me that he had once cared for me. Whether it was out of sympathy or something else. I should at least explain to him, “I’m sorry.” “I did, at one point, think I liked Ethan.” Lucas’s lips turned white from how hard he was biting them. “But later I realized I was mistaken.” I’m sorry, I only just realized that you were the one I was looking for all along. “Mistaken?” Lucas suddenly looked up. Seeing his expression of disbelief and joy, I smiled, “Yes, mistaken.” “It turns out I didn’t like him.” I like you. In every day we spent together. I was just blinded by my past notion of being saved. Lucas was very good to me. He could cook, and he made my favorite spicy chicken cubes exceptionally well, though unfortunately I couldn’t eat it now. He also knew I liked light green clothes, and when we went out, he bought me a light green shawl. The vendor praised, “Young lady, your boyfriend has good taste!” We both turned away, neither of us explaining the situation. When we got home that night, Lucas suddenly sidled up to me, “Emily, why didn’t you correct that person when they called me your boyfriend?” I thought for a moment, “Sorry, I just felt it would be troublesome to explain at the time.” His face fell, and he stormed off to make porridge, clearly upset. After washing the dishes, he couldn’t let it go. He snatched the TV remote, turned it off, and asked me, “Emily, does my presence bother you?” “When someone called me your boyfriend, you didn’t correct them just because it would be troublesome?” “Wasn’t there even a tiny part of you that didn’t explain because you liked it?” I curled my fingers. Of course it wasn’t because it was troublesome that I didn’t explain. I wanted people to misunderstand. But I’m dying. A dying person doesn’t deserve to talk about love. My illness was getting worse, and I was coughing up blood more frequently. Lucas, who had been ready to argue with me, was so frightened he didn’t dare say anything. Finally, after I fainted again, he cried. “Emily! Why are you being so cruel?” He cupped my face, kissing my cheek. I trembled all over, my heart shaking uncontrollably. “I’ve had my brother contact hospitals abroad. It’s all arranged. I’ll take you overseas for treatment.” “We’ll definitely find a way.” I slowly shook my head. Actually, I had overheard his phone call that day. Lucas had awkwardly called his brother. Ethan teased him on the other end, “It’s been three years since you inexplicably got angry and stopped calling me ‘brother’.” “Now you’re suddenly calling me ‘brother’ again, what do you want?” He had asked his brother to help find a doctor for me. But after reviewing my case, the doctors told him it would be very difficult. There was basically no hope. The night he received the news, Lucas cried for half the night. Then he wiped away his tears and came to see me, his eyes red as he asked, “Emily, can you forget about my brother?” “Can you stay and love me once?” I didn’t dare open my eyes. I didn’t dare answer. I want to, Lucas, I really do. That morning, I was feeling particularly good. I asked Lucas to bring me my shawl and push me to the seaside. Lucas received a phone call and asked me coldly, “When you asked for $200,000 back then, you only kept $30,000 for yourself?” “Huh?” I was enjoying the sea breeze, not sure why he was asking about this. “Your dad called me,” he said in a low voice. I suddenly looked up at him, “Don’t worry about him.” When I had asked for $200,000, I spent $10,000 on medicine, then brought some money with me to the coastal city. I gave the rest to my dad. After all, he had been good to me once. This was my last time helping him, fulfilling my filial duty. But I didn’t want to burden Lucas. His face darkened, “Your dad also told me he went to my house looking for you.” “He ran into Ethan and saw his grasshopper figurines. He said you had a few when you were little.” “Did you? Emily who lived by Reed River?” he asked, enunciating each word. My suspended heart finally settled. “Yes, I did.” I smiled faintly, “There was a chubby boy back then who said he could make them. He brought me one every week.” “At that time, seeing him was the happiest thing in my life.” So even though my dad would drink and beat me on weekends, I was still happy. Lucas knelt on the ground, burying his head in my lap, reproaching me, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” “I wrote so many diary entries for you.” “In those years when I first learned to like girls, my heart was full of you!” My hand froze in midair before finally landing on his head. I laughed through my tears, “I’m so angry!” “Back then, I thought you liked someone else. Who would want their husband to have someone else in his heart?” “Especially when you were so good to me at the time.” He had been very good to me then, taking care of me in every way. I gradually let go of my fantasies about Ethan and thought about having a good life with him. But it turns out, we were both foolish. After I died, Lucas took my ashes home. He ran into Ethan, who was with his wife. Ethan waved at Lucas, “Lucas, have you remembered everything?” Lucas paused, barely audible as he said, “Yes, I have.” “That’s good. Don’t keep fighting with Emily. Live a good life together.” “She’s not very talkative. As her husband, you need to take the initiative more.” Only then did Lucas realize that because his brother had just gotten married, his parents hadn’t told him about the divorce. They had only mentioned his car accident and forgetting Emily. Lucas forced a smile, looking down at the box in his arms. His eyes immediately reddened. “Okay.” He wanted to be with Emily, never to be apart again. Ethan noticed something was wrong with his mood. His gaze fell on the box in Lucas’s arms, and his pupils constricted. “Where’s Emily?” Lucas could no longer hold back his tears. He covered his face, choking out, “Brother, I’ve lost Emily.” Lucas thought back to that night when he was drunk. He had actually recognized Emily, which led to that incident. He was willing to marry her, but because she said, “If you don’t want to, we can live separate lives after marriage!” So he married her with a sullen face. They actually had a good period after the wedding. At that time, he secretly vowed to take good care of her, but two years later, he discovered her secret. Emily called out Ethan’s name when she was drunk, saying she wouldn’t like him anymore. She had secretly collected Ethan’s photos and plane tickets. Each item laid out before him spoke of Emily’s past crush on his brother. Lucas still remembered that feeling of anger and pain. He considered whether he should divorce Emily for her sake. After all, Ethan wasn’t married, and he had praised Emily as a good person. But he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. He maliciously wanted to keep her, never divorce, never let them meet. Emily was truly ruthless too. She only approached him twice, then never said anything again. Every time Ethan said he had something abroad and couldn’t come back, Lucas was especially happy. When Ethan started dating, Lucas was the one who told Emily. He cruelly observed Emily’s expression, feeling pleased by her slight sadness. … When he woke up after the car accident and first saw his parents, Lucas felt an inexplicable disappointment. It wasn’t until Emily came that the disappointment gradually faded, replaced by contentment.

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During a meeting, I whispered to my colleague if she had a tampon because I felt my period had started. To my surprise, my colleague, Vivian Myers, erupted in anger. “Is menstruation something to be ashamed of? Why are you whispering about it? Here you are!” She slapped the tampon on the table, drawing the attention of everyone in the meeting room. Over twenty people turned to look at us. I noticed the boss’ cold face and tugged at her sleeve, trying to calm her down. Seeing that she had drawn attention, Vivian became more impassioned. “Menstruation has never been anything to be ashamed of. Thanks to it, new life can be born, and human civilization can continue. We should resist period shaming and instead take pride in menstruation.” She looked around with her chin slightly raised. “I’m on my period, with a healthy flow and bright color, and I never get cramps.” I didn’t want to influence others in the meeting, yet in her view, I was ashamed of my period. With a smile, I said, “Alright, let’s give a round of applause for Vivian, who ranks last in the company’s performance evaluations but claims greatness because she’s on her period!”

A smattering of applause rang out in the meeting room, but many people had looks of mockery. Since Linda, the last manager of the logistics department, resigned, this department had ranked at the bottom in the company’s performance evaluations, and the satisfaction from other departments had been declining. Vivian, the acting manager of the logistics department, had been unable to be confirmed in her position partly due to this. She glared at me. “So what, Aurora White? Someone has to be there. You guys think I’m an easy target as I’m a woman. Anyway, no matter how well I do in logistics, I can’t fully exert my capabilities.” I looked around. The proportion of women in middle management was nearly equal to that of men. I retorted, “Are you implying someone is deliberately targeting you? Vivian, when Linda was here, the evaluations were always near the top.” Vivian rolled her eyes at me. “I didn’t say that. You are doing business, impacting the company’s future. I can’t compare with you.” Seeing the meeting veer further off course, the boss, Adrian Hill, intervened. He cleared his throat. “Vivian, my cup is empty. Could you please refill it for me?” He pushed the coffee cup toward her and turned back to continue the meeting. However, Vivian just sat there, making no move. Adrian’s face became even colder. “Vivian, I asked you to refill my cup. Didn’t you hear?” Vivian showed no fear, instead giving a cold snort. “I heard you, but I refuse.” Everyone in the meeting room looked at her, forgetting about the proposals and reports. Vivian pushed the cup away and said calmly, “My job is logistics support, not being your secretary. Making coffee isn’t part of my duties. With so many people here, why single me out to do it? Can’t men do it? It’s unfair.” Adrian seemed speechless by Vivian’s impassioned speech. I noticed the cup was still more than half full. The request was merely to give Vivian a moment to cool down. To ease the awkward situation, I stood up. “Well, I’ll do it.” Unexpectedly, Vivian grabbed my arm. “Sit down. I’m fighting for women’s rights. Don’t feign being a reasonable one.”

Hearing this, I couldn’t help but doubt myself. I thought, “Am I just trying to smooth things over, or had I become insensitive?” But looking at Adrian’s gray hair and Ryan’s dark circles under his eyes, I felt it was necessary to speak up. I said, “Vivian, you can fight for our rights, but you shouldn’t have indiscriminately accused every man here. When you messed up the event and offended the clients, Mr. Hill apologized to them on your behalf. But he never blamed you. “Look at them. Ryan stayed up until dawn yesterday working on this report. Bruce has a high fever, yet he is still working. John returned to work just two months after a car accident, and he still needed crutches to walk. But you only see your so-called unfair treatment but ignore their efforts.” I sneered. “Maybe you should reflect on how to improve satisfaction instead of pointing fingers.” Ignoring her fierce glare, I picked up the cup from the table and strode out of the meeting room. Behind me, Vivian scoffed. “Save it, Aurora. You have no right to criticize me.” Then, she muttered disdainfully, “Ugh, you stained the chair. I still have to clean it. Damn.” I suddenly felt uneasy. I wore white pants today. When I checked in the restroom, there was already a stain. Annoyed, I thought, “If I hadn’t argued with Vivian, I might have had time to avoid this. What could I do now? I have to meet a client for dinner tonight.” Just then, my colleague, Bella Cox, came out of a stall. Seeing her, I felt very awkward. We used to be close colleagues and friends, but since I became deputy manager, she had been distant. I instinctively covered my backside with both hands, trying to avoid another embarrassing scene. But Bella said calmly, “Wait, I’ll get you another pants.” Soon, she brought me a new pair of pants and a paper bag, solving my embarrassment. Holding the bag tightly, I called out as Bella turned to leave, “Don’t you hate me? Why are you helping me?” Without turning around, she replied, “Does this conflict? The pants cost 200 dollars. Remember to transfer the money.” Embarrassed, I scratched my nose. “Oh, okay.” Just then, my phone vibrated in my pocket. Seeing Adrian’s message, I realized I had been out for too long. When I returned, the meeting was nearly over. Everyone showed a mix of expressions, and Adrian looked at me awkwardly. “Aurora, Vivian just proposed transferring to the marketing department for some experience. What do you think?” I hesitated, and Vivian shot me a challenging look. “The position of head of the marketing department has been vacant since Lily resigned. Mr. Hill said we need a fair competition, so let’s do it.” Seeing my silence, Ivy Green, the HR supervisor, said, “Your ranks are equivalent. Vivian is the acting supervisor, and you’re the deputy manager. It makes sense.” No one stood up to support me. Adrian and Ivy were being evasive, and the rest remained silent. Refusing would seem like I was afraid. I smiled. “If Mr. Hill agrees, I have no objections.” Vivian transferred to the marketing department, becoming my equal as deputy manager. After the meeting, Ivy patted me on my shoulder. “Don’t worry. Her personality is like a double-edged sword. If she really stands up for women and tackles the business dinner culture, it could be beneficial to us.” I nodded, not bothering to argue. The following days in the marketing department were going to get much more interesting.

Vivian’s desk is right across from mine. While I was busy scheduling meetings with clients, she was touching up her makeup in a mirror. As I worked on revising my presentation slides, she was laughing out loud while watching a variety show. Seeing her like this, I understood why the logistics department had been consistently underperforming over the past few quarters. When I tried to rest for a while due to menstrual cramps, Vivian finally opened a document. “Aurora, add me to the marketing department group chat. How did you calculate the quote for the client? Isn’t it a bit low? Did you hear me?” Exhausted and in pain, I pointed to the stack of files on her desk. “The information is in the documents I gave you. Just look it up yourself.” She immediately flipped out. “What do you mean? You hide everything from me. Are you treating me as a competitor? You promised fair competition in front of Adrian.” Glancing at myself in the mirror on my desk, I found my lips had lost their color from the pain. Sweat broke out on my forehead, and my voice trembled uncontrollably. “Just wait a moment, okay? I’m in a lot of pain now.” Vivian rolled her eyes at me and muttered something under her breath. I couldn’t make out what she was saying as I rummaged through my drawer for medicine. Thankfully, I found a painkiller. I struggled to keep my hands steady as I tried to take the pill. But before I could take my glass, Vivian suddenly snatched the pill from my hand and sneered. “It’s just menstrual cramps. Do you really need to take medicine?” She held the pill, laughing contemptuously. “I hate delicate women like you. Can’t you even bear a little pain? You want to rest and take medicine. Humph, why not just ask for a leave and go home?” With that, she tossed the last remaining pill into the trash can. I hurried over to the trash can to retrieve it, but inside was an old instant noodle container. The pill dissolved instantly in the residual soup. Vivian continued her tirade, “It’s because of people like you that women struggle in the workplace.” I was in so much pain that I couldn’t retort. Glaring at her, I collapsed on my desk. Vivian took out her phone and started snapping pictures of me, muttering, “You can rest. I’ll send these photos to Ivy and let her post them in the main chat group to curb this kind of behavior.”

The argument here drew the attention of everyone in the office, but no one dared to offend the newly appointed leader. Only Bella approached my desk with a serious expression. “Aurora, you never had painful periods before. Why is it so severe this time?” Vivian burst into laughter. “Look, even your friend is questioning you. You are still acting, huh?” I was upset, thinking, “Is Bella here to laugh at me? But she helped me just now.” I stared at Bella, wanting to know her answer. “Do you really think that?” Bella didn’t speak. Instead, she swiped the phone out of Vivian’s hand. The phone fell, and Bella caught it smoothly. Vivian erupted in anger, shouting, “Bella!” Bella sneered. “You said I doubted her. Huh, why are you so sure she’s acting? If she’s not acting, what then? Apologize to everyone? With your twisted logic, you’ll only defame our department in the group chat. Will you pay for the damages?” With that, she tapped on the screen and deleted the photos. Vivian wasn’t about to back down. The two stared at each other, neither willing to yield, looking like they were about to come to blows. I struggled to stand up to intervene, but suddenly, I collapsed straight onto the floor. Vivian gloated over my embarrassment. “Since you’re sick, I’ll take your dinner appointment tonight.” I fainted. When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. It was dark and quiet outside. My colleagues must have brought me here and left. The loneliness of making a living alone in a big city hit me hard. Vivian sent me a photo of the private room I had reserved. The client opposite her was the one I had been working with for a long time. “Damn it!” I muttered. “That’s because you’re not strong enough.” Just then, a cold voice echoed in the ward. Simultaneously, the sudden bright light made it hard for me to open my eyes. Adjusting my vision, I saw it was Bella. I hesitated. “Bella? Have you been here all along?” Bella snorted. “No, I passed by the hospital after work. I was worried you might be in pain and no one would know, so I came to check on you.” I felt warm. Why hadn’t I realized how sharp-tongued Bella was? I winked at her. “You’ve been so sweet. Could you accompany me to do something? I’ll treat you to dinner.” She saw right through my intentions and immediately agreed. “You want to get the deal back, right? Let’s go. I’ve been annoyed with Vivian for a while. Just be careful not to drink too much. I don’t want to be an accomplice.” I playfully punched her. “Wish me well for once, okay?” Vivian said she wanted to compete fairly with me, but behind my back, she was trying to steal my clients while I was sick. She even used the dishes I had ordered in advance. However, I noticed there were only a few bottles of non-alcoholic beverages on the table.

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I never doubted Gabriel’s love for me. On our fifth wedding anniversary, to celebrate this special day, Gabriel bought all the fireworks and roses in the city. As fireworks lit up the night sky and roses covered our estate, he gently kissed the corner of my lips and said with deep affection, “Lily, I love you, till death do us part!” However, the next day, I saw Isabella, the scholarship student Gabriel was sponsoring, carrying a limited edition handbag identical to mine on Instagram. Out of curiosity, I commented: “Isabella, are you sure you weren’t scammed?” Soon after, Gabriel called me, berating me harshly: “Why are you scaring Isabella for no reason? The poor girl has been crying for hours because of you!” Isabella grabbed the phone and apologized tearfully: “I’m sorry, Lily. I won’t carry the same bag as you anymore.” I could hear Gabriel’s continuous words of comfort on the other end of the line. I knew then that this man’s heart had changed. When Gabriel stepped through the front door, I had just returned from the luxury authentication service. This day was the day after our fifth wedding anniversary. It should have been a time of lingering sweetness, but I had encountered news that struck me like a bolt from the blue. It turned out that the limited edition handbag Gabriel had given me on our anniversary was a high-quality fake. And the man who had sworn his undying love to me just yesterday had given the authentic one to his scholarship student. If it weren’t for that unexpected phone call, I would never have imagined that Gabriel, who claimed he was going to work, would be by his scholarship student’s side. “Honey, what are you thinking about? What do you want to eat today? I’ll cook for you!” He still spoke to me in that doting tone, as if everything was normal, ready to comply with my every request. A high-powered CEO coming home to cook for his wife should have been a heartwarming scene, but I felt a mix of emotions. After a moment’s hesitation, I finally declined Gabriel’s offer. “Never mind, I don’t have much of an appetite.” Hearing this, Gabriel immediately crouched down in front of me, his face showing a hint of apology. “Honey, is it because of what happened with Isabella today? I’m sorry for my bad attitude earlier. I only spoke harshly because I saw Isabella crying so hard. Can you forgive me just this once?” He had gotten so angry at me for the sake of a scholarship student. In the past, I might have forgiven him. But now I realized that whenever Isabella was mentioned, Gabriel became talkative and interested. “Isabella did really well in her exams this time and even won a national scholarship, so I rewarded her with a bag.” At this point, Gabriel glanced at me cautiously, afraid I might notice something amiss. “But don’t worry, honey. Her bag is fake. The real one is with you.” I kept a straight face, but my heart felt heavy. He assumed I wouldn’t authenticate the bag, so he lied to me without hesitation. I wonder how many times he’s deceived me over the years. Seeing no reaction from me, Gabriel went to the kitchen and busied himself preparing a table full of delicious dishes. Unfortunately, every dish was sprinkled with a layer of green onions, making it difficult for me to eat. Gabriel placed a piece of spare rib in my bowl and said softly, “Honey, why aren’t you eating? Have some spare ribs. Eat some green onions, they’ll make you smarter.” I sighed deeply in my heart. This phrase was something Isabella had said. In the first year we sponsored her, to celebrate her admission to college, Gabriel and I took her out for dinner. Because I’m allergic to green onions, I never touch them. Isabella had playfully said, “Eat more green onions to become smarter.” Gabriel had strongly agreed with this statement. And over the years we’ve been together, green onions hadn’t appeared in our home for a very long time.

If Gabriel hadn’t mentioned it today, I would have almost forgotten about this incident. It seems he must have had many meals with Isabella over the years. To the point where he had forgotten about my allergy to green onions. “Gabriel, you forgot I’m allergic to green onions.” His face suddenly showed panic. As if he had just remembered something and snapped back to reality. Looking at the table full of dishes sprinkled with green onions, his face couldn’t hide the fluster. “Honey, look at my memory. I was so busy with work today that I completely forgot about this. I’m such an idiot!” He slapped himself on the face several times without holding back. “I’ll make you a new batch right away.” In the end, I wearily stopped him. “Forget it, I’m not hungry anyway. Let’s just leave it.” He kept saying he was too busy with work. But Gabriel seemed to have forgotten that he hadn’t even gone to the office today. After he made that phone call to me, I asked Gabriel’s assistant. The fact I got was that Gabriel hadn’t gone to the office all day, but had spent the entire day with Isabella. Yesterday was our wedding anniversary, and today he went on a date with his scholarship student. He must have been really worried that Isabella would get jealous and angry. I returned to the bedroom somewhat absentmindedly and just lay down on the bed to rest. Gabriel followed me closely. He carefully massaged my neck. His technique was practiced, and it felt very comfortable. I have severe cervical spondylosis. Every time it flares up, my whole body aches and feels uncomfortable. Gabriel, concerned for me, had specially learned this massage technique from many traditional doctors to alleviate my cervical spondylosis attacks. “Honey, are you angry?” he asked. For a moment, I didn’t know how to voice my thoughts. After all, these were just my suspicions, without any concrete evidence. “No, I’m just not feeling well,” I replied. Gabriel looked at me with furrowed brows for a long while, his hands continuing their motions. Suddenly, he slipped his hand under the hem of my dress, slowly exploring upwards, a pleased chuckle escaping his throat. “I learned some new tricks last time. Shall we give them a try today?” Unfortunately, I wasn’t in the mood for such honeyed games. I grabbed his increasingly invasive hand. “Another time. I really don’t feel well today. I want to rest early.” Gabriel’s brow finally relaxed a bit. He didn’t seem to mind my rejection. “Then let me help you take a bath and give you a good massage before you rest.” After the massage and bath, as I lay drowsily in the bathtub, Gabriel gently carried me to bed, then quietly went to the bathroom himself. Before leaving, he took his phone with him. I wasn’t sleeping deeply and could hear his low laughter. Even with the sound of the shower, it couldn’t completely mask his joyful groans. That kind of sound was something Gabriel only made when we were intimate. I instinctively moved closer to the bathroom, pressing my ear against the door. “Isabella, you’re so tender.” “What’s the use of being tender if there’s nowhere to use it?” “Gabriel, I’ve prepared a surprise for you. Are you sure you’re not coming over?” I could almost see Gabriel swallowing hungrily. My hands and feet turned ice cold, and I suddenly stumbled, scraping a layer of skin off my knee as I fell to the floor. Gabriel was startled by the sound. I hurriedly ran back, pretending to have fallen out of bed in my sleep. That man, his face still flushed from his recent pleasure, rushed over and picked me up from the floor, looking somewhat worried. “Honey, how can you be so careless? You’re a grown woman, how can you fall out of bed?” Despite my efforts to hide it, Gabriel still noticed my knee, which was red and bleeding. He anxiously went to get the first aid kit. I wanted to tell him not to bother, but just then, his phone rang. Gabriel instinctively turned away from me. But even so, I could still see his shoulders shaking with laughter. “Okay, I’ll be right over.” Gabriel put the first aid kit by my feet. “Honey, there’s something at the company I need to handle. You wait at home, and when I’m done, I’ll take you to the hospital to check your wound.” He finally couldn’t resist anymore. He found an excuse and left. His heart was no longer with me. Gabriel was very clever. In our five years of marriage, he had deceived me countless times, but I had never once deceived him. But this time, even such an obvious and clumsy lie from me could fool him. I waited all night, but Gabriel never came back. After thinking for a while, I took out my phone and called my best friend. “Help me draft a divorce agreement.” When she heard the news of Gabriel’s infidelity, my friend was shocked. “Lily, are you sure you’re not mistaken? Gabriel, of all people, cheating?” I was also very unwilling to believe this fact. But it was all true. Except for me, Gabriel had always kept his distance from other women. Once, when a receptionist at the company tried to seduce him, she was transferred to Africa the very next day. My friends had often envied me, saying I had found a good husband. But now it seems he had just hidden it very, very deep. “Lily, I think you should consider this carefully. After all, divorce is not a small matter. We should have evidence.” The evidence of infidelity, of course, would be catching them in the act. I knew where Isabella’s dorm was. I also knew that Gabriel had rented an apartment near her school to make it easier for Isabella to study. At the time, I had argued with Gabriel about this. “She’s just your scholarship student. Don’t you think you’re treating her too well?” Gabriel accused me of having no sympathy, saying I was cold-hearted. “Honey, you’re too unfeeling. Isabella has already suffered so much. Since we have the ability, we should help her more. She even has to work part-time on weekends. What if she comes back to school late and the dorm is closed? At least this way she has a place to stay!” I often felt guilty, thinking my awareness wasn’t high enough. Now I see, it was just to give them a good place to meet. I drove to Isabella’s school. But after circling around several times, I couldn’t find any trace of them. I couldn’t even see Gabriel’s car. Until the wound on my knee started hurting more and more, I had to go back home. In the underground parking lot, I found that Gabriel’s car had already returned. But when he came home and didn’t find me, he didn’t even call me? Just as I was about to press the elevator button to go upstairs. Faint sounds came from the nearby stairwell. The sound was somewhat familiar, and I instinctively walked in. In the dim light, there were two figures intertwined. “You little vixen, you’re ambushing me now? Wasn’t three times last night enough for you?” “How could three times be enough? I want to drain you dry, so you can’t even keep that old hag company when you go home.”

The shadows on the ground clearly showed Gabriel spanking Isabella’s bottom hard. I stood frozen in place, as if struck by lightning. Gabriel’s voice suddenly turned very cold. “I’ve warned you not to let my wife find out about all this!” Isabella didn’t take it to heart at all, quickly wrapping herself around Gabriel’s neck. “Don’t worry, Gabriel. I saw Lily’s car isn’t here, she must not be home.” Gabriel quickly got back into the mood. “You’d better behave. Apart from the position of Mrs. Gu, I can give you everything else. Otherwise, I won’t let you off easy!” “How will you not let me off? Unable to get out of bed for three days? Or seven times?” “You little vixen, you dare to provoke me!” Soon, the shadows began to produce rhythmic collision sounds. After that, I couldn’t bear to listen anymore. I went home in a daze, sitting blankly on the sofa. Suddenly my phone flashed. It was a message from an unknown number. [Lily, you saw everything just now, didn’t you? Why do you think Gabriel loves me so much? He can’t even leave me. If I were you, I’d divorce him as soon as possible. You can still save some face. Otherwise, when you’re kicked out in the end, you won’t even have any dignity left!] I gripped my phone tightly, my face cold and expressionless. [Isabella, you homewrecker! You’re really shameless!] [The unloved one is the mistress. Lily, do you think you can compete with me for a man with that old face of yours? I’m better than you in knowledge, looks, and figure. The only thing you’re better at is having old bones. How can someone like you be worthy of being Gabriel’s wife?] [Moreover, I’m already pregnant with Gabriel’s child!] My mind suddenly went blank. Isabella was pregnant? So she has more right to marry Gabriel than me? If we’re talking about status and position, I indeed don’t have the qualifications to marry Gabriel. I only gave him a hand when Gabriel was at his lowest point. I lent him a sum of money to tide him over. But he also put half of the company’s shares in my name. I originally didn’t want this half of the shares. It was him who, countless nights and days, held me and whispered sweet nothings. “Lily, what’s mine is yours. You must accept this half of the shares.” I didn’t think much of it, and never imagined I would come to this day with Gabriel. When Gabriel came back, he saw me sitting on the sofa in a daze and quickly panicked. He hurriedly hugged me, asking over and over again. “Honey, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?” Smelling the pungent female perfume emanating from Gabriel’s body, I could no longer hold back the nausea rising in my stomach and ran to the bathroom, vomiting until I was dizzy. Until I threw up bile, I finally felt a bit better. Looking up, my pale face appeared in Gabriel’s eyes. He was terrified and, without saying a word, prepared to carry me to the hospital. But at this moment, his phone suddenly rang. The face that was just terrified immediately broke into a smile. He hurriedly sent a message. Gabriel put me on the sofa and prepared to leave in a hurry. “Honey, something urgent came up at the company. Wait for me, I’ll be right back.” He didn’t even wait for my response before leaving. Even now, he’s still lying to me! I had clearly seen that the person messaging him was Isabella. [Gabriel, I think I’m pregnant!] [Really? I’m going to be a father? Isabella, wait for me, I’m coming right over!] I slowly looked around, my face gradually turning cold. So many years of love, ultimately wasted. The facts were right in front of me. I no longer held any hope. This position of Mrs. Gu, whoever wants it can take it. I had my friend send over the divorce agreement. “That bastard Gabriel dares to cheat, he should be left with nothing in the divorce.” The clause about leaving him with nothing was eventually changed. I only wanted what was rightfully mine, not wanting to have any more entanglements with Gabriel. After packing all my belongings, I sat quietly on the sofa waiting for Gabriel to come back so we could have it out. But I waited for a long time, and there was no news from Gabriel. During this time, I called him many times, but none of the calls went through. Later, Isabella sent me a photo. Gabriel was accompanying Isabella for a prenatal check-up, unable to hide the smile on his face. [Lily, stop struggling. Do you still think you can turn things around now? Let me tell you, whoever has the child is the winner of this battle! Gabriel can only be mine! You’re destined to be my stepping stone!] I ignored Isabella and headed straight to the hospital. Since Gabriel wouldn’t come home, I’d go find him! Perhaps it was just a coincidence. I had barely entered the hospital lobby when I saw Gabriel and Isabella. Isabella was clinging to Gabriel’s arm like a little wife. Seeing me, Gabriel hurriedly distanced himself from Isabella. He was so flustered that he didn’t even notice when the pregnancy ultrasound report fell from his hand. I picked up the report, curiosity briefly flashing across my face before settling back into calmness. “Congratulations, Gabriel. You finally have a child.” In that second, I saw a mixture of shock and fear in Gabriel’s eyes. These emotions quickly turned to anger. He hadn’t expected me to suddenly appear at the hospital. “Lily, you don’t trust me, so you followed me?” he accused. I hadn’t expected Gabriel to be so skilled at turning the tables. Although I had come specifically for him, I didn’t say it directly. “Let’s not talk about whether I followed you or not. Even if I did, so what? You cheated and had a child behind my back, and you still dare to talk about me trusting you?” Gabriel’s face turned ashen, but he couldn’t say a word. “Moreover, if I had been following you, I wouldn’t have only appeared now. But it seems the timing is just right to witness Mr. Gu’s passionate love affair with this mistress and celebrate Mr. Gu’s joy at having a son.” “By the way, it seems Mr. Gu has never spoken a word of truth to me. It seems even if I don’t trust you, it’s justified.” After my sarcastic words, I threw the divorce papers I had prepared at Gabriel. His face gradually showed despair, with an undercurrent of madness. “Honey, what… what are you doing?” he stuttered, fear evident in his voice. “Mr. Gu, surely you’re not illiterate. These are divorce papers, prepared especially for you. I’ve already signed my part, the rest is up to you.” Before I could finish speaking, Gabriel, his face contorted, declared it impossible. “Honey, I won’t divorce you! Don’t even think about it! The position of my wife will always be yours!” I suddenly laughed mirthlessly. He still had the nerve to say such things. It was mine, but I no longer wanted it. “Mr. Gu, you’d better save those words for your mistress standing next to you. She’s carrying your child, scheming to take the position of Mrs. Gu. You’d better not let her lose heart and abort the child!” I glanced at Isabella standing to the side. Judging by Gabriel’s stance, without Isabella’s help, it would be difficult for me to break free. “That way, you’ll never have a child!” With that, I walked to the registration counter and stood in line. Gabriel’s body shook, and he quickly looked at me, about to run over, but Isabella held him back. “Oh, Gabriel, my stomach hurts so much! Don’t leave me!” He was flustered now, unable to pay attention to me anymore, and hurriedly supported Isabella. His heart was split in two. Even so, he still managed to ask me a question. “Honey, what’s wrong? Why are you registering? Are you feeling unwell somewhere? I know some specialists at the hospital, I’ll contact them right away.” I looked at him as if he were an idiot, also stopping him from contacting the doctor. “Mr. Gu, surely you haven’t forgotten that my knee is injured too. I came to the hospital this time to check on the wound.” “If you have the energy, you’d better pay more attention to your mistress who’s carrying your child.” Gabriel’s face turned pale. He had been so preoccupied with Isabella these past few days. Only now did he remember that it had been two days since I injured my knee. He regretfully slapped himself, apologizing to me. “Honey, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault, I—” “Enough!” I finally couldn’t contain my anger anymore. “Gabriel, stop calling me ‘honey’ over and over. I’ve given you the divorce papers. If you know what’s good for you, get a divorce immediately. Don’t make me lose face and sue you for adultery in court, leaving you with nothing!” A crowd quickly gathered in the hospital lobby. Everyone was discussing in hushed tones. Gabriel’s thin lips were pressed into a straight line as he pleaded with me. “Hon— Lily, listen to my explanation. Let’s go home and talk slowly. I can explain everything clearly.” I forcefully suppressed the anger in my heart. “If you want to explain, explain here. Let everyone judge whether there’s any justification for cheating.” This time, Gabriel shut his mouth.

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In my previous life, my wife and I shared a lifetime of love, vowing to reunite in our next incarnation. When I opened my eyes, we had both been reborn to the year we entered college. But she let go of my hand and turned to chase after her first love from her youth. She even claimed I had ruined her happiness in our past life, mocking my inadequacies. This time, I finally woke up. I no longer gave up my inheritance and the opportunity to study at a top university for her sake. I reclaimed the life that should have been mine all along. Little did I know that my wife’s first love was actually a psychopath who wanted her to take the fall for his crimes. Later, my battered and bruised wife tried every trick to beg for my forgiveness. But I never looked back at her again. As I approached the twilight of my life, I stood with my beloved wife Olivia Lin beneath the wishing wall in the park, writing down our lifelong wish. “In my next life, I want to spend another lifetime with Olivia Lin.” She was the love of my life, but I still hoped for another chance in our next incarnation. The next morning when I opened my eyes, I was shocked to find myself back in the year I first entered college. “Welcome, new students!” The banner hanging at the campus entrance was particularly eye-catching, instantly bringing back memories of that year. Back then, I had given up the opportunity to attend a prestigious university to pursue Olivia Lin, choosing instead to enroll at her college. After years of relentless pursuit and devotion, she was finally moved by my efforts and agreed to date me. Thinking of this, I eagerly put down my luggage and rushed to Olivia’s dormitory building, hoping to see her. “I wonder if she’s been reborn too?” I thought to myself as I ran to meet her, my heart filled with anticipation. As I sprinted along, I suddenly heard a familiar voice from nearby. “Ethan, I have so much luggage and I’m exhausted. Could you help me please?” I whipped my head around to see Olivia Lin holding a suitcase, her cheeks slightly flushed as she spoke coyly to the man beside her. She was still as beautiful as ever, with skin as fair as snow and long, flowing hair. I knew the man next to her all too well. He was Ethan Chee, Olivia’s first love. Back then, everyone knew about Olivia’s crush on Ethan. He was the ideal first love for many girls, with countless admirers, and Olivia had once been one of his most ardent pursuers. Ethan took her luggage, smiling at her. I could see her ears turning redder by the second. The two of them walked away, chatting and laughing. I gradually sensed something was amiss. In my previous life, I had proactively offered to help Olivia move her luggage at this time. But this time, even though I had arrived earlier than before, why had she sought out Ethan first? It was clear that Olivia had been reborn as well.

That night, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Olivia had been reborn, so why didn’t she come to find me first? Why did she choose to seek out Ethan instead? Finally, I couldn’t stand it anymore. I called her, determined to get to the bottom of this. “Olivia, you’ve been reborn too, haven’t you?” There was a moment of silence on the other end before she answered with a single word. “Yes.” Excited by the fact that we had both been reborn, I momentarily forgot about her interaction with Ethan. “That’s wonderful, Olivia! Our wish came true! We’ll be together again in this life!” I was beside myself with joy, completely oblivious to the lack of enthusiasm from the person on the other end of the line. When Olivia was preparing for her major transfer exam, I made sure to remind her. “Make sure you study hard to get into my medical program, okay? We promised each other we’d live more successful lives this time around.” She agreed without hesitation, spending seven to eight hours studying in the library every day. I was very pleased. It seemed that she felt guilty about not getting in last time, and was now determined to work hard for me and be with me. I was the only one in Olivia’s heart. That day, she must have just bumped into Ethan and caught up with an old friend. Every day, I dreamed of the wonderful college life Olivia and I would have in the same major. I even imagined our future, continuously advancing in the medical field, becoming an outstanding couple in this domain. Until one day, I accidentally saw Olivia’s major transfer application. The intended major she had written down wasn’t medicine at all. It was psychology – Ethan’s major. In that instant, the confusion in my heart became a tangled mess. I angrily confronted Olivia. “Didn’t we agree that you’d transfer to the medical program so we could work hard together? How could you secretly change to psychology behind my back?” Her eyes filled with tears, seemingly frightened by my tone. She looked very upset by my questioning. “I’m sorry, it’s just that the medical program is really too difficult to get into. And I found that I’m still more interested in psychology. We’ve been given a second chance at life, I want to study something I like.” “I didn’t mean to hide it from you, please don’t be angry.” She held my hand, her fingers gently swaying on mine. My gaze was fixed on her face, trying to read her inner thoughts through her eyes. But looking at her smile, her brows, even her lightly trembling eyelashes, I felt deeply drawn to her. She kept whispering in my ear, begging for my forgiveness. My resolve wavered. “If you really like psychology that much, then I support you.”

To help Olivia prepare for her exams, I rushed around gathering information for her. But on one of these errands, I suddenly got into a car accident. When I opened my eyes, I was lying in a hospital bed. Fortunately, the accident wasn’t serious, just some minor injuries. A few of my roommates were sitting beside me. I immediately sat up and looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of the person I was expecting to see. “Don’t bother looking, Olivia didn’t come at all,” one of my roommates, Mike, spoke up. “Why didn’t you tell her? There’s no way she wouldn’t come when I’ve been in such a big accident!” I started to panic. They exchanged glances, hesitating for a while before saying, “We not only told her, but we even exaggerated and said you were hit by a car and almost died. She said she had an urgent matter and didn’t have time to come see you…” “Just now, a classmate told me she’s currently holding hands with Ethan at an art exhibition. Look, there’s even a photo.” He handed me his phone to see. I felt as if I had been struck by lightning. In our previous life, Olivia and I were so in love. How could she betray me like this? Ignoring my roommates’ attempts to stop me and my injuries, I rushed out of the hospital to find Olivia. This time, I had to get to the bottom of this.

“Meeting you was so fortunate…” “Actually, I’ve been singing this song for someone special. I’ve liked him for a long time.” “But today, I don’t want to keep it in my heart anymore. I want to express my feelings to you here.” Olivia stood in the middle of the campus field, unconsciously fidgeting with the hem of her clothes, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush. I had been running frantically back to campus, only to stumble upon this scene. My steps faltered. I held my breath, praying in my heart that Olivia wouldn’t say those words. “Ethan, I’ve liked you for a long time. Will you be with me?” She shouted into the microphone she was holding, her confession echoing across the entire field. Instantly, everyone turned to look at where Ethan was standing and started cheering. “Say yes! Say yes! Say yes!” My heart skipped a beat. My suspicions over the past few weeks were true, and Mike and the others hadn’t lied to me. Ethan was pushed by those around him to Olivia’s side. Standing together, they indeed made a good-looking couple. “Olivia, actually, I like you too.” Ethan reached out and caressed her face, gazing at her eyes lovingly. Olivia smiled. I had never seen her smile so brightly before. “Ahhhh! They’re together!” They embraced on stage, the cheering from the crowd below grew more intense, with screams ringing in my ears. No one noticed me in the corner, my heart breaking.

“Why?” I looked at this familiar yet strange person before me, my voice trembling. Olivia seemed shocked by my appearance. “Didn’t Mike say you were hit by a car and almost died? How are you standing here perfectly fine?” Her words truly chilled me to the bone. So she really wanted me to just die like that, so she could be with Ethan in this life without any obstacles. Olivia decided to drop the act and lay all her cards on the table. “Lucas Quinn, do you know why I was also reborn to today?” “Because the wish I wrote on the wishing wall was that if I could go back to the past, I would definitely be with Ethan.” There wasn’t a hint of guilt in her eyes, as if everything was perfectly justified. “Olivia, I was reborn for you. You’re all I have in this world, and you even promised me. How can you abandon me like this?” I felt an unprecedented despair. She let out a cold laugh. “I wasn’t happy at all being with you! You ruined my wonderful life in the last lifetime!” “My life has finally gotten a second chance. I’m begging you, please don’t interfere with me living a better life, okay? Being with you was painful enough. You have no money and no ability to give me a good life. Ask yourself, are you worthy of me?” She spoke with a crying tone, as if I was the one who had betrayed her. In my previous life, I had given up the opportunity to attend a prestigious university and inherit the family fortune to be with her. I even transferred from a top program to her mediocre major, ruining my own future. I had done all this for her, giving up my family wealth and a top university, but now these became her ammunition to mock me. It turned out that everything I had done meant nothing to her. Ethan suddenly appeared by Olivia’s side. “Olivia, it’s getting late. Let me walk you back to your dorm.” He thoughtfully draped his jacket over Olivia’s shoulders. Olivia’s eyes lit up at the sight of Ethan. “Okay, let’s go.” Before leaving, she didn’t forget to turn back and taunt me one last time. “Lucas Quinn, no wonder your parents didn’t want you. Just be an orphan for the rest of your life!” Indeed, those closest to you know exactly where to stab the knife. But the fact that I was an orphan was a lie. Not only was I not an orphan, but my family also ran several hospitals, and my parents were quite renowned in the medical field. In my previous life, after cutting ties with my family, I had hidden my true family background from Olivia, telling her that I had been abandoned by my parents since childhood and was an orphan. At that time, she had looked at me with pity, constantly saying words of comfort. I never expected that beneath her seemingly understanding exterior, she was actually gloating inside. This time being reborn, I finally saw through the person who had lain beside me. In my previous life, when my father learned that I had cut ties with them for Olivia’s sake, he was so angry that he coughed up blood and eventually passed away in despair. But I had been too stubborn to go back and see him one last time. Thinking of him now, I felt immensely guilty. Fortunately, at this point in my previous life, I hadn’t yet severed ties with my family; we were just in the middle of a cold war. In this life, I couldn’t leave any regrets behind. I immediately dialed my father’s number. “Dad, I’m sorry. I understand now. I can’t give up my bright future for a woman. I will definitely pursue further studies in the medical field to inherit the family business in the future.” I wanted to show Olivia just what kind of pinnacle I could reach without her in my life. I successfully reconciled with my family and took over some of the family business. One day, my father suddenly took me to meet someone.

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I couldn’t believe it. My father-in-law had suffered a heart attack and urgently needed a transplant. By some miracle, the hospital had just received a matching donor heart. My mother-in-law and I were overjoyed, thinking this was a blessing from above. But as we prepared for the surgery, my husband Nathan, who had taken the donor heart, was nowhere to be found. When I finally got through to Nathan’s phone, I heard the voice of his ex-girlfriend Mia: “Nathan’s very busy preparing for my dad’s heart surgery! Don’t bother him!” My mother-in-law trembled with rage. On her way to confront Nathan, she got into a car accident and was critically injured. I begged Nathan to come back and operate on his mother, but he went into a different operating room instead. Both my in-laws passed away. Their bodies were donated for organ transplants. Later, I discovered that my in-laws’ organs had been given to Mia’s family members. “Doctor, my father-in-law is fading fast. He needs surgery immediately! Didn’t you tell us there was a matching donor heart available? What happened to it?” My mother-in-law and I pleaded desperately outside the doctor’s office, begging for news about the donor heart. The doctor looked at us helplessly for a long moment before sighing deeply. He wrote down a phone number and handed it to us. My mother-in-law and I stared at the familiar number in disbelief. It was Nathan’s phone number. My mother-in-law’s anxiety visibly eased. “I knew Nathan was reliable. He must have taken the donor heart early to make absolutely sure nothing went wrong. Don’t worry, Frank can hold on a little longer!” I hesitated. “But I just tried calling Nathan and couldn’t get through.” My mother-in-law smiled reassuringly. “I’m sure he’s just busy with something. He has a lot on his plate. Oh, I should go tell Frank the good news – his son will be here soon to save him!” She hurried off towards my father-in-law’s hospital room. But I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Nathan was the head cardiac surgeon at this hospital. If he had reserved the donor heart in advance, why wouldn’t he have told us? I tried calling Nathan again, but there was still no answer. I watched my mother-in-law chatting animatedly with my struggling father-in-law, her face full of hope. My heart grew heavier by the second. Clutching my phone, I couldn’t bring myself to enter the room. I leaned weakly against the wall outside. Suddenly, the heart monitor let out a piercing alarm. My father-in-law’s condition had worsened again. The smile froze on my mother-in-law’s face as she watched the doctors rush to resuscitate him. In a panic, I tried Nathan’s number one more time. Miraculously, this time the call connected. My mother-in-law stared at the phone expectantly. I quickly spoke into the receiver: “Nathan, your dad’s in the hospital. His condition is critical. You took the donor heart, right? Please bring it quickly! Your father can’t wait any longer!” But it was Mia’s voice that came through the line: “Nathan’s preparing for my dad’s surgery. He’s very busy! Anna, what are you playing at, calling him now? He’s working – don’t disturb him!” The call abruptly cut off. A horrible realization began to dawn on me. My mother-in-law’s voice was brittle as she asked, “What did Mia just say? Nathan is preparing for surgery…for her father? The donor heart…the heart…” Her hands began to tremble uncontrollably. I quickly grasped her hands in mine. “Mom, there must be some misunderstanding. I’ll go find Nathan and get him to bring the heart back. Don’t worry!” “Mom, please try to stay calm. Dad will be fine! You stay here with him, and I’ll go track down Nathan right away.” I grabbed my car keys and headed for the door. But my mother-in-law called out to stop me: “Anna, let me go instead. Nathan always listens to me. I’ll bring him back, don’t worry.” I was reluctant to let her go alone, but she smiled reassuringly. “Anna, you’re not as familiar with driving around the city as I am. Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. I’ll bring Nathan and that donor heart back safe and sound. Frank needs me – he’s helpless without me, you know!” I still wasn’t comfortable with the idea and suggested she take a taxi instead. But my mother-in-law snatched the car keys from me, insisting she wanted to be prepared for any situation. I sighed in resignation and watched her leave. I had no idea this would become the decision I’d regret most for the rest of my life.

I stayed at the hospital and paid all the necessary fees, including for the upcoming surgery. The doctor was reluctant to process the paperwork, but I pleaded with him: “What if my mother-in-law really does bring the donor heart back? We’d need to start the surgery right away! I just want to be prepared.” The doctor relented and gave me the forms. But just as I had finished all the preparations, I received a call from the traffic police. My mother-in-law had been in a car accident. When I saw her, I broke down in tears. She had collided with a truck. A metal rod from the truck had impaled her chest, piercing her heart. The doctor explained that removing the rod would cause massive blood loss. Only Nathan had the skill to perform such a delicate operation in our city. None of the other doctors were confident they could save her if they tried to extract the rod. The doctor sighed heavily and looked at me. “I heard Dr. Song has another surgery scheduled today. We really have no way to get him back here in time.” Nathan! How could he do this? I watched in despair as my mother-in-law’s pristine white hospital gown became stained with spreading crimson. The sight filled me with utter hopelessness. My heart felt like it was being ripped to shreds. The pain was unbearable. Marrying Nathan had brought me the greatest gift – in-laws who loved and cherished me like their own daughter. They had given me the parental affection I’d been starved for since childhood. For the first time, I got to experience what it felt like to be part of a real family. And now, was fate going to cruelly snatch even this small happiness away from me? I clutched my mother-in-law’s increasingly cold hand, my mind reeling with fear and desperation. Where was Nathan? How could he abandon us like this? I tried calling him again. Once more, Mia answered: “What is wrong with you? I told you Nathan’s busy!” Before she could hang up, I choked out: “Nathan’s mom was in a car accident! Do you hear me? She was in an accident and needs Nathan to save her life!” I heard Nathan’s voice in the background: “Anna, there are other doctors besides me, you know. Why do you always have to drag me into everything? You’re being ridiculous.” “You just don’t want me operating on Mia’s dad. Why are you always so petty? This is my job, don’t you understand? Mia’s father needs me more right now. Our hospital has plenty of skilled surgeons – I trust them to handle things. Stop calling me!” “No, Nathan, listen! Your parents’ surgeries – you’re the only one who can do them! Please come back, they don’t have much time left!” Nathan scoffed. “Anna, your lying is getting worse and worse. First you said my mom was in an accident, now suddenly it’s both my parents? I’m losing patience. Don’t bother me again.” The line went dead. I stared at the blank screen, feeling like I’d been frozen solid. An icy chill spread from my fingertips holding the phone all the way to my heart, leaving me unable to breathe or move. I tried calling back, but the number was blocked. I glanced at my in-laws’ pale faces in the hospital room, wiped away my tears, and ran out of the hospital. I got the name of Mia’s father’s hospital from one of the doctors. I had to find Nathan and beg him to save his parents while there was still a chance.

“Mia, where’s Nathan?” I demanded, grabbing her arm. Mia shook me off in disgust, holding her nose. “Ugh, you reek of sweat. Get away from me!” “You’re like a bad penny, always turning up. I told you Nathan’s busy. Even if you tracked us down, you can’t take him away. Listen carefully – today is my dad’s surgery. If anything happens to him, you’ll be sorry!” “But Nathan’s parents need him too!” I shouted. “Nathan, come out here now! Your dad had a heart attack and your mom was in a car crash! You need to come with me right away!” A nurse rushed over to scold me for yelling in the hospital. I ignored her and kept calling Nathan’s name, searching frantically. Mia tried to restrain me, but I shoved her to the ground. As several nurses converged on us, I finally spotted Nathan. I grabbed his arm and tried to pull him towards the exit, but he yanked away from me. “Anna, I’m prepped for surgery! Your hands are covered in germs – you’ve ruined all my preparations! Stop making a scene. You’re embarrassing me, acting like a crazy person. How did I ever end up married to you?” His words stung, but I refused to let go. Tears streamed down my face as I pleaded, “Nathan, please come with me. Your parents are dying – they need you to save them!” The nurses tried to pry me away from Nathan. He sneered at me. “Anna, I made myself very clear on the phone. If my parents were really in critical condition, how would you have time to come all the way here? I deliberately scheduled Mia’s dad’s surgery at a different hospital to avoid your interference. I should have known you’d find a way to cause trouble anyway. When will you stop being so selfish and petty?” My chest constricted painfully, like my heart was trying to escape my body. I fell to my knees in front of Nathan, tears blurring my vision. “I swear I’m telling the truth. Nathan, please just come take a look. Your mom really was in a terrible accident. I’m begging you, come with me now before it’s too late!” Nathan’s expression softened slightly as he saw my desperation. He took a few steps towards me, his resolve wavering. I seized the opportunity and started pulling him towards the exit. “She’s lying!” Mia’s shrill voice cut through the air as she blocked our path. She thrust her phone in front of Nathan’s face. “I just checked the local news. There was a car accident in the city, but it wasn’t your mom, Nathan. And it was just a fender bender – no one was even hurt!” Nathan’s face fell as he glanced at the phone screen. He looked at me with bitter disappointment. “Anna, you lied to me again. You disgust me.” “Call security,” he told the nurses. As he turned to leave, I struggled and screamed, “Nathan, don’t go! I’m not lying, I swear! Please believe me!” Hospital security guards pinned me to the ground. I watched helplessly as Nathan walked away. Mia leaned down and whispered venomously in my ear as she ground her heel into my fingers: “How the tables have turned, Anna. If your in-laws really were in an accident, I guess it was just their time to go. That’s what you get for having a daughter-in-law like you. I’m back now, and Nathan will be mine again. You’ve lost.” The police took me to the station for disturbing the peace. Tears streaming down my face, I fell to my knees and begged the officers to let me return to the hospital. My in-laws were still there, waiting for me.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295986”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #重生Reborn #惊悚Thriller #校园School