Category: English

As the heavy rain poured down, floodwater rushed into the underground parking garage. I dialed the number of the rescue team leader’s wife. “Help me… Rachel, I’m trapped in the garage. The emergency exit is locked!” Rachel’s impatient voice came through the phone: “Enough, Jack! Ethan’s cat is stuck up a tree and can’t get down. We’re busy right now!” She hung up despite my pleas, taking all the nearby rescue personnel with her to save a cat, cutting off all my chances of survival. … The water in the garage rose quickly. With the emergency exit locked, I climbed onto the roof of a car. My phone battery was down to its last bar. After Rachel hung up, my phone went dead. In despair, I shouted at the top of my lungs, “Help! Someone save me!” Looking up at the security camera, I waved frantically, hoping to catch the attention of the monitoring staff. But no one noticed. The flood surged in, gradually submerging everything until it swallowed me whole. As my chest filled with suffocation and pain, I looked at the necklace around my neck, yanked it off, and then lost consciousness. When I opened my eyes again, I was floating near the ceiling of the garage. Outside, I heard shouts: “Is anyone there? Is anyone there?” “Mr. Carter!” The property manager and his team waded through the water and mud. When they saw the emergency exit, they froze. “Who locked this?!” “I don’t know! It’s always been open, and that’s not even our lock!” Floating above, I watched the manager’s face turn ashen. My heart sank. Someone wanted me dead. “Quick, find him!” “Jack!” “Jack!” They knew I was trapped in the garage? Curious, I followed them as a spirit. The community I lived in was a new development with diligent property management. During the heavy rain, the property staff had warned me that water was entering the garage and asked me to move my car out. I remembered last year when the garage had also flooded, damaging many cars. My little car was newly bought this year. Hearing the news, I hurried down, only to find water already up to my calves when I entered. I went to drive the car out, but suddenly a surge of water rushed in. I immediately turned to run. But the emergency exit had somehow been closed by the wind. I couldn’t open it no matter how hard I tried. Now I realized someone had maliciously locked the door. Who could it be? Who wanted me dead? My spirit followed them out, where I saw many rescue workers had already arrived. Their bright orange uniforms stood out. I searched for Rachel among them. She was the leader of the local rescue team, conveniently assigned to patrol nearby for emergencies. But today, by such bad luck, she had taken all seven or eight team members away with her. An ambulance had also arrived. Learning I was down there, they immediately started the rescue operation. However, the underground garage was flooded with over three meters of water. The property manager and his team had to use boats to enter. The bottom was covered in silt that sucked in their feet with each step. The rescue was difficult, and no one knew where my body was. At this moment, Rachel finally arrived late with her team. Ethan followed behind her. “Rachel, could he be in trouble? It’s all my fault for delaying the rescue.” “It’s fine. He always bothers me over little things. They’ve issued a stay-at-home notice for the heavy rain. He wouldn’t be stupid enough to go out at this time!” Rachel replied without a second thought, only to be confronted by her superior, Captain Chen. Seeing her, Captain Chen’s face darkened. “You were the closest, yet you’re half an hour late. Where were you?!” “Captain, it’s my fault. My cat ran out and got stuck up a tree. Rachel helped me find it,” Ethan explained innocently, carefully staying behind Rachel. Captain Chen was even more furious. “Rachel! Do you realize someone has died?! No matter the reason, I will definitely discipline you this time!” Rachel’s face turned extremely ugly. She hadn’t expected anyone to come out in this weather, let alone get trapped in the underground garage.

“Stop dawdling! Team Three, all members enter! The missing person is confirmed to be male, 24 years old, exact location unknown!” At Captain Chen’s order, all rescue personnel entered the garage fully equipped. At this point, Ethan held Rachel back. “Rachel, it’s dangerous inside. Let them go in.” “How can I not go? I’m the team leader. Be good and wait for me out here.” As soon as she finished speaking, Captain Chen pulled Ethan aside. “Civilians should not interfere with the rescue. Please stay behind the police line!” Faced with the captain, Ethan stomped his foot but had no choice but to stand aside. I laughed. Ethan, only a fool like Rachel would fall for your act. Anyone else wouldn’t give you the time of day. I followed behind Rachel as she entered the garage. By now the silt reached their thighs. Even the professional rescue workers had difficulty moving, let alone me when I was alive. Unfortunately, they didn’t know my exact location. I also learned that the garage’s security cameras had broken down. The property manager and his team only knew I had come down because they saw my plea for help on SnapChat. My car was parked in Area D, the innermost part of the garage. A team member next to Rachel pulled out one leg, panting, “Rachel, doesn’t your husband also live in this community?” “Could he have…” “No way. Jack is always busy with work. He wouldn’t come out.” “But didn’t he call saying he was trapped?” Rachel pressed her lips tightly. “It can’t be. He probably just said that because he knew I was with Ethan.” “He’s always such a bother!” Hearing this, her team members remained silent. I smiled bitterly on the side. Me, a bother? In all my life, this was the first time I’d been called a bother. Right, I’m not as good as Ethan at playing the victim, but I’ve always been independent. The first time I asked her for help, after being rejected, I never bothered her again. Until today, when I really couldn’t handle it myself, I called her. And she saw it as a bother. Rachel, if you knew that hanging up on me caused my death, would you regret it? With over forty rescue team members and property staff working together, after 10 hours, the property manager finally found me. By then my body was swollen, with mud filling my nose and mouth. He trembled as he pointed at the human-shaped object in the mud: “It’s… it’s him!” I had been caught on a car emblem, which kept me from sinking completely, though my body was already covered in mud. Hearing his voice, the rescue workers got excited. They trudged through the mud with a stretcher and pulled me out. After placing me on the stretcher, everyone lowered their heads seeing my tragic state. Especially Captain Chen, who took a deep breath, observed a moment of silence, then waved his hand. Everyone lifted me out together. By now Rachel’s team had also arrived, and they all helped carry me out. Rachel shook her head. “Who would come to the underground garage at this time? Anyone with common sense wouldn’t come out now. What a pity.” As they carried me out, a gust of wind blew by. Somehow, my hand suddenly drooped, and the necklace in my hand came into view. Rachel happened to turn away at that moment. I smiled bitterly. Rachel, there’s really no chemistry between us. If you had turned around, you would have seen that the dead person was me. This necklace was the birthday gift you gave me. In our two years together, it was the only gift you ever gave me. When I died, I was already completely disappointed in you. I didn’t want anything to bind me anymore, so I yanked it off. From now on, I won’t cling to you anymore. Unfortunately, Rachel didn’t see it. But Ethan on the other side shuddered and quickly rushed over. “Rachel, you must be tired.” He took out a tissue to wipe Rachel’s sweat. Rachel’s face was covered in mud. “It’s not tiring. This is what we should do.” Ethan continued, “I wonder what he was thinking, coming to the underground garage at a time like this.” “You can’t talk sense into someone bent on dying. We did everything we could. It’s his own…” Captain Chen overheard as he passed by and angrily interrupted, “Shut up! Rachel, watch your mouth! As a rescue worker, never say such things in front of the deceased. I shouldn’t have to remind you of this!” “Also, you will definitely be disciplined this time. Go write a self-criticism report when we get back!” “Why should she be disciplined?” Ethan was unhappy. “Rachel was late because she was helping me.” “This is a matter of life and death. Rachel, we’ll settle accounts back at headquarters!” Captain Chen glared at Ethan. “I also hope Mr. White won’t waste public resources next time. If your cat got lost, that’s due to your negligence as its guardian. Don’t expect everyone to revolve around you for your cat!” Captain Chen had never liked Ethan. He also couldn’t stand how Ethan always called other people’s wives “sister”. So whenever he saw me being bullied, he would remind Rachel to scold her. But after all, he wasn’t a relative, just the captain. After speaking up a few times and Rachel not listening, Captain Chen stopped saying much. But this time Captain Chen really couldn’t hold back anymore. Ethan got angry at being spoken to like this. “Rachel, how dare he talk to me like that?” “Enough, Ethan. He’s the captain. Don’t say anymore here. I have to go back to the team, you should head home too!” She patted Ethan, but he grabbed her hand. “Come to my place. I made some soup to help you recover. It’s also to thank you for saving Mimi.” Mimi was his Ragdoll cat. Rachel thought for a moment and nodded, then turned to call me. But my phone was dead and powered off. A flash of displeasure crossed Rachel’s face. “Still playing these games with me. I’m telling you, if you don’t want to answer, then don’t ever answer again!” I sighed, “Indeed, I’ll never answer again. Rachel, are you happy now?” She angrily hung up and returned to her team. When she got to the office, Captain Chen immediately started scolding her. Learning that she had delayed half an hour to save a cat, Captain Chen couldn’t hold back anymore. “Rachel, separate your public and private affairs! Don’t treat all the personnel as your personal property! If you had come half an hour earlier, that kid wouldn’t have died!” “I’m going to report this. You wait for your disciplinary action!” “Isn’t that too severe?!” Rachel was shocked. “I just had another task!” “Who assigned you that task? Is there a record?” Rachel was immediately speechless. There was no record of Ethan calling her for help. It was just a phone call. But for me, after the property management learned of my situation and contacted them, Rachel was half an hour late. If she had been even five minutes earlier, I wouldn’t have died. After being scolded by Captain Chen, Rachel hurried back to write her self-criticism report. Four hours later, my body had been cleaned up. The property management confirmed my identity and sent over the relevant information. When Captain Chen received the information, he was stunned. He quickly ran to the office. He saw Rachel hurriedly leaving. “Rachel! Where are you going? Jack…” “Don’t mention it, Captain. Jack is throwing a tantrum. He lied about being trapped, then turned off his phone. I don’t know what he’s upset about!” Before she finished speaking, Captain Chen handed over a document. “This is the deceased’s information. Take a look.” “Why should I look at this? It’s not like he’s anyone to me…” Rachel’s words trailed off as she froze. She looked at the text on the document, her hands shaking and eyes wide. After a long moment, she said, “No… it can’t be!” “This isn’t him!” “Whether it is or not, go see for yourself.” 4 My body had already been cleaned and sent to the funeral home’s morgue. Rachel stumbled over, showed her ID, and when she saw me being pulled out, she immediately covered her mouth, tears in her eyes. “Jack…” She wanted to reach out and touch me, but in the end didn’t have the courage. A staff member on the side took out a box. “These are the deceased’s belongings. Please take a look.” She took it and saw the necklace, immediately bursting into tears. Captain Chen had also followed. He patted her shoulder. “Rachel, I don’t want to say much about this, but you said he called you saying he was trapped, right? Where were you at that time?” Rachel immediately crumpled in pain, wailing as she fell to her knees. Captain Chen sighed heavily. “If I had known he called you, I should have beaten you to death when we were there!” Captain Chen pointed at her nose and berated her, “Rachel, you’re not fit to be a rescue worker at all! Starting today, you’re suspended pending investigation. We’ll deal with this after the incident is handled!” The staff then asked about my family. Captain Chen shook his head. “This kid was an orphan. He has no family. This is my number, contact me if anything comes up.” Captain Chen left his phone number. After the staff member took it down, he looked at Rachel again. She said in a low voice, “I’ll stay here with him for a while.” But regulations wouldn’t allow her to stay with a cold corpse. The staff pushed me back into the freezer. Rachel rushed over wanting to grab me, but was held tightly by Captain Chen. “Are you crazy? Calm down! Do you want to disturb him even in death?!” “Jack is gone, dead! Rachel, get a hold of yourself!” “No, he’s not dead. He’s just being a little dramatic. How could he possibly die? Captain, let me go. I have to ask him why!” “Ask my ass!” Captain Chen slapped her across the face! “What did you say when he asked you for help? Now you’re putting on this act!” Watching Rachel’s hysterical state from the side, I felt extremely satisfied. Well done, Captain! If you’re going to hit her, hit her harder! She clearly killed me, and now she’s playing innocent. She should be beaten to death! I stood to the side grinning from ear to ear. Captain Chen’s slap seemed to wake her up. Rachel stumbled and fell to the ground. In the end, Captain Chen had to drag her away. “Rachel, I’m telling you, you’re handling the funeral arrangements!” Rachel was like a soulless zombie, not knowing how she got back. Until her phone lit up – it was Ethan calling. “Rachel, why haven’t you come yet? The soup is ready. If you’re too busy to come over, how about I bring it to you?” Hearing this, Rachel suddenly came to her senses and refused. “I have to work overtime tonight. Don’t bring it over. I’m not in the mood to drink it.” “What’s wrong, Rachel? Did I do something wrong?” “No, you did very well. I’m just not in the mood right now.” She hung up immediately. Rachel ran her hands through her hair, finding it hard to believe I was really gone. She hid in her office, looking at my death report over and over again. Death by drowning. She knew that if she had come just a bit earlier, I wouldn’t have died. Now Rachel was consumed by guilt. She raised her hand and slapped herself hard several times, leaving her face swollen and red. 5 Watching from the side, I shook my head. “Now you know you were wrong, but what’s the point? I’m already dead. This won’t bring me back. Just forget it!” “But you’re in charge of my funeral arrangements. Please make me look handsome… Never mind, don’t let you handle it. Even though I have no family, I don’t want you to touch me again!” I took a deep breath, wanting to leave, but found I couldn’t. At this moment, Rachel suddenly thought of something.

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My husband, Charlie Walker, who had been dead for three years, suddenly came back to life. I thought I had regained love and cherished it so much. But I never expected that I had already fallen into the trap set by him and his mistress. He pretended to be affectionate with me for a while and then suddenly said that he had no feelings for me and wanted a divorce. I had waited for him for three years, so I didn’t want to agree. But I never thought that Charlie would team up with his mistress and burn me to death in our house, then inherit all my property. Even my childhood friend, Albert Lewis, who came to save me, was severely burned over a large area of his body. He ended up paralyzed and then died of depression. After I died, I found out that Charlie and his mistress were the ones who had set the fire that he used as an excuse to fake his death. The reason he came back to me was just that he had run out of money and wanted to get a share of my property through a divorce. “Ms. Bennett, Ms. Bennett, wake up.” My head ached like it was splitting apart, and my whole body felt burning hot. I was still wondering why the last voice I heard before dying was that of my secretary, Kelly Edwards. But the pain in my body made it impossible for me to think it through. The feeling of being burned by the fierce fire swept over me, along with a sense of suffocation and fear that filled my body. When I opened my eyes, I saw Kelly shaking my body anxiously. Looking at everything in front of me, I couldn’t help but wonder if everything that had just happened was a dream. Just a moment ago, I was in the middle of a fire, and now I was back in the bright office. Kelly said, “Ms. Bennett, are you feeling unwell? You were shaking just now. I was afraid something was wrong with you, so I woke you up.” It seemed that my body hadn’t adjusted to the dream yet. I felt dizzy and couldn’t think about anything. I waved my hand at Kelly, signaling her to go out first. After resting for a while, I came to my senses. Then, I realized that I had been reborn. What had just happened wasn’t a dream but was the real feeling I had before I died. Memories of my previous life flooded into my mind, bringing me pain and sorrow. I picked up my phone and checked the date. It was three years before I died in my previous life, and it was also a week before Charlie Walker faked his death in the fire. In my previous life, a week later, there was a mountain fire on Sunlight Mount, which was the mountain contracted by my company. The cause of the fire was never investigated clearly. Charlie was a firefighter. The fire burned for three days and three nights, and groups of firefighters were sent in one after another. Finally, on the fifth day, the fire was put out, but Charlie was nowhere to be found. The police, firefighters, and rescue teams searched the mountain for several days but failed to find him. They speculated that he had perished. A fire that burned for four or five days could completely incinerate a living person. I didn’t want to believe it. In the three years after his death, I refused to get a death certificate or dissolve our marital relationship. But what I got in return for my love for him was a heavy blow. Three years later, Charlie miraculously reappeared by my side. He told me that he had fallen off a cliff and lost his memory, and he had just remembered everything recently. He said that as soon as he remembered, he came back to me without hesitation. I was so immersed in the joy of getting him back that I didn’t have time to think about other things. In the following two weeks, he and I were in a sweet relationship. But later, Charlie asked me for a divorce and wanted half of my property. I had waited for him for three years, so there was no way I would agree. I asked him why. He said that he had been saved by a girl and had fallen in love with her. That completely woke me up from my infatuation. I said that a divorce was okay, but he wouldn’t get a single cent of my property. I thought he would at least behave himself for a while. But the next day, he and his mistress set fire to my house and made it look like an accidental fire. After I died, my resentment was so strong that my soul kept following Charlie. Then, I found out that they were the ones who had set the mountain on fire. Charlie had embezzled a lot of my money and then planned this escape with his mistress. He came back just because he was out of money and wanted to get some from me. But he hadn’t expected that I didn’t agree. In my previous life, I was so immersed in the pain of Charlie’s “death” that I didn’t think about the money issue at all. Also, I trusted Charlie, who had been with me from college to marriage for eight years, too much, and in the end, I lost my life in the fire. After I died, my soul left my body, and I saw that my childhood friend, Albert Lewis, was there. The fire was so fierce that the firefighters couldn’t put it out in time. As soon as one side of the fire was extinguished, it flared up again on the other side. The tree I had planted at the door became the last straw that prevented me from being rescued. Not only did it burn and fall across the door, but it also made the fire even bigger. Albert, when the firefighters weren’t looking at him, rushed into the fire regardless of the danger. I watched all this happen and indeed wanted to tell him not to go in and that I was already dead. Albert entered the fire. I watched as he was burned all the way. Despite the pain, he still tried to get to my room and finally fainted at my door. He was finally rescued by the firefighters, but he had severe burns all over his body. His face, which used to be as handsome as a campus heartthrob, was completely disfigured.

“Kimberly, don’t you think you should stand up and greet me?” I heard Albert’s voice coming from the door before I saw him. “Sorry, Ms. Bennett. I really couldn’t stop Mr. Lewis,” said Kelly. Ever since I graduated from college and married Charlie, Albert and I had always been at odds. I didn’t know why he was acting so strange before. It was only after I died that I found out he had been in love with me for a long time. Albert sat on my desk, poking at the succulents on it. These were the ones he gave me when he was 18. In my previous life, I hated Albert’s playboy demeanor. But now, I kind of missed it. Looking at his delicate facial features, I remembered how he had taken meticulous care of me during the three years after Charlie faked his death. At that time, he put away his playboy attitude and became more and more serious. He said over and over again, “Kimberly, let me take care of you.” But at that time, I was so immersed in the pain of Charlie’s “death” that I couldn’t respond to Albert. Now, seeing him standing alive in front of me, I couldn’t help but run over and hug him. I felt the person in my arms suddenly go stiff. After a while, Albert pushed me away, looking at a loss. He said, “What the hell are you doing? You’re already married. I won’t interfere in your marriage, and I won’t be a lover. Just forget about it. If you get a divorce, I might consider it.” Before, when he said such things, I just thought he was teasing me and never took it seriously. I was even angry because of his flippancy. Now, I noticed that his face and neck were all red when he said these words. Even though he was refusing in words, I felt that if I insisted, he might agree to be a lover. Seeing that I didn’t say anything, Albert started chattering. “If you hug me, you have to give me a proper status. But I will never be a lover. You’d better explain why you hugged me. Otherwise, I’ll spread the word that you bullied me.” Seeing that I still didn’t say anything, Albert said awkwardly, “Let me think about it. If I become a lover, my parents will beat me to death.” I was surprised, thinking, “Dude, you’re really in love.” I said, “Don’t think about it. I…” Seeing that I seemed to be rejecting his “lover application”, Albert interrupted me, “I’ve thought it over. I’ll do it. As long as they don’t beat me to death, I can endure any pain. But I’m warning you, you can’t have another lover.” I was annoyed that he interrupted me before I could finish. “Don’t you want to know what I was going to say just now?” Albert shook his head and said, “Kimberly, don’t reject me. If you do, can you please not tell others what happened just now?” I felt that Albert was about to cry. I couldn’t help but smile. How dull was I before that I didn’t notice such obvious love? I smiled, “I’ll give you a proper status, Albert, but not now. You have to wait for me for a while.” Albert was stunned. I thought he was unhappy. I reached out and pinched his chin, lifting his lowered head. Then, a tear ran from the corner of Albert’s eye onto my finger. He said, “Kimberly, I’ve been waiting for you for eight years. Eight years ago, I thought you were just having a relationship, so I kept waiting for you to break up. Then, four years ago, when I heard that you were getting married, I didn’t dare to ruin your happiness. I think I’ll be thankful to myself for the rest of my life for finally taking a brave step today.” Albert hugged me naturally as if he had practiced this action a thousand times. Just thinking about how I missed someone who loved me so much in my previous life, I couldn’t wait to get rid of Charlie and his mistress.

I told Albert to wait for me for two weeks, and he just kept nodding and wiping his tears. I would make those who betrayed true feelings pay the price and make the two of them regret everything they had done. I glanced at the time. It was three o’clock in the afternoon, and Charlie must still be at the fire station. So, I drove to an underground market that was hard for ordinary people to find. I bought three simple small surveillance devices there. After I got home, I installed these three devices in the bedroom, the study, and the living room. This time, I was going to make them lose face and reputation and nail their ugly faces to the pillar of shame. Most importantly, I wanted to know who that mistress was. In my previous life, even though I was schemed to death by her, I had never seen her true face. She had always been hiding under Charlie’s protection. This time, I had to figure it all out. When Charlie came back in the evening, he tried to hug me. As soon as I saw his face, I felt like vomiting. It turned out that the look of love in someone’s eyes could be faked. Charlie noticed my dodging and, in dissatisfaction, straightened my body, then pressed me into his arms. He said, “What’s wrong, Kimberly? Why are you avoiding me?” I gently pushed him away and pretended to be coy as I said, “You’re all sweaty. Don’t hug me.” He stood up and sniffed his clothes. “You never used to mind it before. You’ve changed. I don’t love you anymore.” Charlie was someone who was really good at acting coquettishly and expressing love. So, I was deceived by him for so long. Even after he “died” for three years, I couldn’t forget him, because he was really good at pretending. As he took off his clothes, he talked to me about what had happened at the fire station. I used to admire him because of the halo of his profession. But I never expected that he would set fire to the mountain just for money. He never considered the safety of other people on the mountain or his teammates. I remembered that in my previous life, besides him, a firefighter, whose daughter had just been born a month ago, also died because of that fire. Thinking about the incident of setting fire to the mountain, while Charlie was taking a shower, I called Kelly and told her not to allow anyone to go up the mountain in the next two weeks. I also asked her to arrange for some people to patrol around there and equip them with fire extinguishers. Although I could take care of my property, I couldn’t watch over other people’s. I could only make arrangements at the original accident site and try my best to reduce the damage. Just as I finished making the arrangements, Charlie came out of the bathroom after taking a shower. I had dinner with him. Originally, we had an agreement that we would go for a walk together every day after dinner. But now, I couldn’t even bear to look at him. Using the excuse of not feeling well, I went back to my room alone. As soon as I got back to my room, I turned on the surveillance. Sure enough, he went to the study and made a phone call eagerly.

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Mia Lawrence became a household name after starring in a script I wrote. We had been together for three years. Zoe Sanders, Parker’s assistant, posted on Instagram while playing with our engagement ring. Parker’s voice could be heard in the background, sounding affectionate. “Zoe, stop playing around. You’re hungry, and it breaks my heart.” Parker’s manager commented below: “Are you two not hiding it anymore?” So, the office dinner was actually a sweet date for the two of them. Later, Parker caught me kissing his arch-nemesis, both of us half-naked and reluctant to part. Parker’s eyes turned blood-red as he demanded, “What are you doing?” I was scrolling through my phone on the couch when a news notification popped up: “Popular actor Parker Sullivan spotted holding hands with a woman late at night. When discovered by paparazzi, he lashed out at them.” I opened the full-size image. Under the streetlight, Parker was holding Zoe Sanders’ hand. Zoe was looking at Parker with stars in her eyes. The comments were flooding in rapidly. “OMG, big star x little assistant, I ship it so hard!” “Parker Sullivan’s emotions seem really unstable. He’s yelled at paparazzi twice this month.” “Don’t the paparazzi deserve to be yelled at? Celebrities have private lives too, you know?” I met Parker on a film set. I was the head writer, and he was a newcomer auditioning for a role. Parker’s acting was impressive. Against everyone’s advice, I replaced the studio-backed second male lead with him. When Parker found out, he came to thank me. With his curly hair and handsome, cool demeanor, he looked exactly like the male lead I had envisioned for my new script. This was my first time writing a romance, and I was struggling to find inspiration. Looking at Parker, I blurted out, “Parker, do you have a girlfriend?” Parker coughed awkwardly and glanced away, “No, I don’t.” I asked him seriously, “Then would you like to date me?” Parker’s ears turned red as he pressed his lips together and said, “Let’s give it a try.” That “try” lasted three years. At first, I thought Parker didn’t have deep feelings for me and was just dating me to star in my scripts. Two years ago, I went to a small town in the south to find inspiration for a new script. Unexpectedly, I got caught in a major flood and was stranded in a remote bed and breakfast. There was no signal, and I was far from any populated areas. Parker, ignoring everyone’s warnings, paddled a canoe by himself to find me. When we finally reached safety, he held me tightly, shaking and thanking every god he could think of. After he calmed down, Parker said in a hoarse voice, “Mia, I was so scared. The news said there was a flood here, and I couldn’t contact you. I was terrified of losing you.” Since then, Parker would accompany me whenever I went out to write, even if it meant canceling all his other engagements. Last month, on our third anniversary, I told Parker the time and place I had planned for my research trip. Parker hesitated for a while, looking conflicted, “Mia, I have a work commitment that day that I can’t reschedule. Can you go by yourself this time? I promise I’ll go with you next time.” Knowing that Parker had just been promoted to B-list and needed the exposure, I nodded understandingly. Parker’s tone was full of regret, “Mia, I promise, this is the last time.” Afraid that Parker would worry, I constantly sent him photos during my trip. Parker replied promptly to every photo I sent. When I blew out the candles on our anniversary cake alone, my wish was for Parker and me to remain as sweet as we were in the beginning. That night, I saw photos of Parker and Zoe on her social media. It turned out that Parker had refused to come with me because he was attending her graduation ceremony. Zoe was holding onto Parker’s arm, Parker was smiling freely, and Zoe was beaming sweetly. They looked exactly like a loving couple. I tried to tell myself they were just friends. But the intimacy in their photos and my uncontrollably shaking hands betrayed my true thoughts.

As I was scrolling through the comments, Parker came home, storming in with a dark face and marching up to me. “Mia, did you see what those reporters posted? Don’t pay attention to them, they’re always talking nonsense.” I sat up and smiled at him, “Next time, be nicer to the reporters. Otherwise, they’ll be even more eager to follow you around.” Parker frustratedly ran his hand through his hair and scoffed, “It’s so annoying! There’s nothing between Zoe and me. She just lost her balance, and I helped steady her.” Then, a smile appeared on his face, “That little girl is always so clumsy. She’s only five years younger than you, but she doesn’t have an ounce of your maturity.” I nodded and smiled, not feeling like responding. Parker looked at me suspiciously, “Why aren’t you saying anything?” Parker had been talking about Zoe non-stop lately, and I was tired of hearing it. I suddenly asked, “Where’s your ring?” Parker didn’t react at first, then furrowed his brow and thought for a moment before saying, “The ring didn’t match my outfit today, so I left it at the office.” I nodded, pretending to believe him. Parker thought I didn’t have Zoe’s contact information, so he lied to me without hesitation. What he didn’t know was that Zoe had found an excuse to add me on social media the first time we met. Seeing how innocent she seemed as she was just starting her career, I didn’t refuse. Parker, still uncertain, said, “I’m going to take a shower. We had a office dinner today, and Zoe insisted on having hot pot. Now I smell like it.” Parker only liked light flavors and avoided all strongly flavored foods. I loved hot pot and often asked him to try new hot pot places with me, but he always refused. I never thought he’d make an exception for Zoe so easily. I nodded indifferently.

Zoe was a new intern assistant who had joined Parker’s studio two months ago. She had a pure and sweet appearance. During her interview, she claimed to be Parker’s high school junior and also his fan. I advised Parker not to get too close to fans. Parker impatiently retorted, “You make the decisions for your scripts, insisting on casting James Hudson as the male lead. I make the decisions for my studio.” Before I could speak again, he continued. The male lead in my new script was completely different from Parker’s personality, so I chose the A-list actor James Hudson. Parker was still resentful about this and often used it to argue and sulk with me. Zoe, with teary eyes like a little white rabbit, timidly pleaded, “Senior, I’ll work hard, please give me a chance. I’m young, I don’t want to go to jail.” Parker glanced at me and said to her meaningfully, “You’re hired.” I didn’t say anything more, just silently sighed in my heart. My best friend Natalie Quinn called me, her tone full of anger, “Mia, I saw the trending news. What’s Parker thinking? Holding hands with another girl and making such a big scene.” I laughed nonchalantly, “I’m planning to break up with him and move back to Harbor City to develop my career.” I had moved to Capital City with Parker for his career. Now that he didn’t need me anymore, I wanted to go home. Natalie exclaimed happily, “If you come back, I’ll have a companion again! You don’t know how I’ve survived these three years!” I laughed and patiently explained, “In a few days, I need to attend the opening ceremony for the new movie. You know how important this film is to me.” Natalie laughed loudly, “I know, I know, it’s your transformative work, right?” After chatting for a while, we hung up. Parker came out toweling his hair and asked, “I thought I heard you mention Harbor City earlier? Hasn’t your career all moved to Capital City?” I calmly replied, “I was just talking to Natalie about the past.” Parker nodded and didn’t ask further. He yawned tiredly and said, “Mia, let’s go to bed. I have an event tomorrow and need to get up early.” I said softly, “I’ll sleep in the guest room. You rest well.” Parker’s hand stopped in mid-air as he was drying his hair, frozen in place. I ignored him and went to the guest room, closing the door behind me.

Since I had decided to return to Harbor City, I started handling things here first thing in the morning. The house we lived in was Parker’s first property purchase. I still remember him hugging me in this place when it was still just a shell, looking at me expectantly and saying, “Mia, when I save up a bit more money, let’s get married, okay?” I hugged him back, smiling with pure happiness. Now Parker owned many properties but had never proposed to me. Looking at each object now, each with its unique memory, my eyes stung, but I couldn’t shed a single tear. As I was packing things, Parker came back in a hurry, his face dark as he strode up to me. “Mia, did you see what those reporters posted? Don’t pay attention to them, they’re always talking nonsense.” I didn’t look up and continued packing, “I forgot, it’s been about two months.” Parker’s expression became panicked as he explained, “Don’t mind what Zoe posts. She’s just young and innocently admires me, there’s nothing else to it.” Parker always used this excuse to placate me. If I was older, I should be more understanding; otherwise, I was being immature. I nodded indifferently and continued packing. Seeing my apparent lack of concern, Parker grabbed my arm, forcing me to look at him. “I was wrong to lie to you about the ring yesterday. Zoe really liked the style of our rings, so I just let her wear it for a bit. You won’t hold it against her, right?” I calmly said, “I won’t hold it against her. I’m older than her, I’ll be understanding.” Parker seemed to remember something else and lowered his stance to continue explaining, “She begged me to go to her graduation ceremony, saying her family was out of town and she envied her classmates who had someone to accompany them. I was wrong not to tell you the truth, please forgive me, okay?” I found him ridiculous and casually agreed, “Okay, I forgive you.” Parker finally relaxed, a smile appearing on his face, “The day after tomorrow is your birthday. I’ve booked your favorite restaurant.” I nodded slightly. Parker, finally at ease, said he still had work to do and hurriedly left.

I shipped most of my luggage to my house in Harbor City, then contacted a friend at a car dealership to sell this car. As I was driving, my mind was still on Parker’s anxious explanations earlier, and I was a bit distracted. Suddenly, an electric bike darted out from a small alley. I couldn’t avoid it in time and crashed into the roadside barrier. My heart was pounding, and my throat felt tight, but fortunately, the other person wasn’t injured. I rarely drove myself and this was my first time encountering such a situation. After immediately calling the police, I dialed Parker’s number. As soon as the call connected, I started explaining what had just happened, my voice choked with tears. But Zoe’s sweet voice came through, “Sister Mia, Parker is still working. I’ll tell him when he’s done. ” Before I could say anything, the call was hung up. The police arrived quickly and investigated the scene. After questioning me and the electric bike rider, they quickly determined the accident responsibility. The insurance company contacted me, saying they needed the real-time video from the dashcam at the time. I went home and started checking the card on my computer. When adjusting the time, there was an error, and last week’s recording appeared. Parker had parked the car in our community parking lot and was reaching for something in the back seat when Zoe suddenly leaned in and kissed his face. Parker dodged a bit, instinctively looking around, and Zoe pouted coquettishly. “What are you dodging for? Mia Lawrence is out of town on a business trip, she’s not here.” Parker’s expression was helpless as he said, “Zoe, I only see you as a little sister.” Zoe’s eyes reddened, and she was about to cry. Parker immediately changed his tone, coaxing her gently, “Okay, okay, I shouldn’t have been harsh. I was wrong.” Zoe broke into a smile, reaching out to wrap her arms around Parker’s neck and kissing him on the mouth. Parker didn’t know that my dashcam had a two-way camera. His expression changed from calm to passionate, his hands instinctively and skillfully caressing Zoe’s body, reaching to the back seat to grab the condom he hadn’t taken out earlier. The computer froze on this scene, and I didn’t want to watch any further. I remembered when I came back from my business trip, Parker had boasted to me, “Mia, I know you like things clean. While you were away, I had someone clean the house and your car.” I had always thought Parker was only emotionally unfaithful, but I never imagined he had already physically cheated. Parker would drive my car for his private engagements to avoid paparazzi following him. The pain in my chest was unbearably sharp. I pressed hard against my heart, bending over and gasping for air. The tears that hadn’t fallen while packing now flowed uncontrollably. The door lock clicked, and Parker came back carrying a bouquet of flowers. As he took off his shoes and jacket, he said, “Mia, I’m back. I specially went out of my way to buy you your favorite blue roses.” Blue roses were my favorite flowers, symbolizing the impossible, precious, and rare. Now it seemed that Parker’s true love was the impossible thing for me. I didn’t respond, just staring straight at the screen. Parker’s gaze passed over me and fell on the computer screen, freezing in place. Parker’s face turned pale, and he rushed over in a panic, slamming the laptop shut. He knelt beside my feet, desperately trying to explain, “Mia, I lost my head for a moment. I was wrong. Can you give me another chance? I’ll fire Zoe tomorrow, no, I’ll fire her right now!”

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My wife, Gigi Chapman, worked as a flight attendant. It all started when I boarded a flight she was working on. I was minding my own business when I heard unmistakable noises coming from the lavatory. Before I could even process what was happening, Gigi stepped out, followed by some foreign guy. That was when I stumbled upon the airline’s dirty little secret. Gigi was a stunner as a flight attendant. She was nearly five-foot-seven, with a figure that was just about perfect. I mean, she could turn heads in an instant. We’d known each other for five years, married for three, but we’d barely spent any real time together. Gigi loved the freedom of flying, so after we tied the knot, I gave her all the space she wanted. Our only real couple time was on weekends when we were both off. That day, the company sprung it on me that I had to go overseas to check out a project. Then, by coincidence, I ended up on Gigi’s flight. To cut costs, they only got me an economy seat, but I managed to upgrade on my own. After that, I slapped on a hat and a mask right after security, all geared up to give Gigi a surprise. Once I boarded the plane, I spotted Gigi right away. Even among all those other flight attendants, she stood out like a sore thumb, looking as gorgeous as ever. With her leading the way, I settled into my seat, but oddly enough, first class was practically empty, just me and three other guys, all foreigners, each with an iced Americano in front of them. “Sir, what can I get you to drink?” “An iced Americano, please.” I tried to keep my voice down on purpose. But for some reason, I could practically see Gigi’s mood lift right before my eyes. “I’ll be right with you.” There were three flight attendants in first class. Besides Gigi, there were two other stunning women. I’d just slipped into my slippers when one of the girls, Monica Geller, Gigi’s colleague, took a tumble and landed right in my arms. I caught her instinctively, then helped her up. “You okay there?” “Thanks, sir. I was so clumsy. Need anything else?” “Nah, I’m good. Thanks.” My attention snapped back to Gigi, who was swaying toward me with my drink, but there was a flash of anger in her eyes. I thought, “Oh, crap. Did she recognize me?” Then, I realized she wasn’t making a beeline for me. Instead, she told Monica, “Monica, watch your step next time. You mess up again and make a passenger unhappy, I’ll bust you down to economy.” “I’m sorry, Ms. Chapman. It won’t happen again.” Since when did Gigi have that kind of authority? I was gobsmacked, having no idea she was the chief flight attendant. “You’d better hope this gentleman forgives you.” As Gigi spoke, she swung her gaze my way and handed the iced Americano to Monica. Monica crouched down a bit, her cheeks turning beet red, her eyes darting around, and handed me the drink with both hands. “Mr. Lewis, would you be kind enough to forgive me?” “Sure, don’t sweat it.” I took a swig of the iced Americano. Then, I shut my eyes, pretending to rest before I blew my cover. Monica let out a sigh of relief and tagged along with Gigi as they left. It wasn’t until the plane took off that I cottoned on to what that cup of iced Americano was all about.

“This flight’s gonna be a ten-hour haul, and we’ll touchdown at eight tonight.” The moment Gigi said that, two of the foreigners hopped to their feet. Another flight attendant swooped in and said with practiced ease, “Gentlemen, the lavatory is right this way.” Half an hour later, the third guy, Dominic Monaghan, also got up. This time, it was Gigi who greeted him. “Right this way, Mr. Monaghan.” I had a sneaking suspicion something was off, thinking, “Everyone’s gotta pee at the same time? But there are only two lavatories up front. What is this, a magic airplane?” Another ten minutes or so passed, and not a single one of them came back. I was even more flummoxed. Were they all having tummy troubles the second they boarded the plane? Just then, Monica scurried over and crouched down next to me. “Mr. Lewis, allow me to show you to the lavatory.” “What? I’m not ready to go yet.” I was caught off guard and couldn’t help asking, “How many lavatories are there anyway?” Monica blushed and said, “Six in total. Four in first class and two at the back.” Was that for real? I was bowled over and thought, “Maybe it’s because I hardly ever take these international flights.” Half an hour later, the two foreigners finally sauntered back, looking as content as could be. They were just plain weird, and I couldn’t help but give them a side-eye. I was just about to head to the lavatory myself when Monica swooped in like she had radar. “Mr. Lewis, the lavatory’s this way.” The first-class treatment was something else. I cracked a smile and followed Monica to the lavatory. Just as my hand touched the doorknob, a breathy whimper slithered into my ears. My hand froze in mid-air. I thought, “Who the heck are they? What are they doing something like that on a plane for?” I frowned, turned on the faucet, and was about to wash my hands. The next second, the door swung open, and Dominic came out, still hitching up his pants. “Your service was top-notch. I’ll be asking for you next time.” “Thank you, Mr. Monaghan.” Hearing the woman’s voice, I whipped around in disbelief. Gigi trailed out after Dominic. She had sweat on her face, her makeup was smeared, and her clothes were all wrinkled. Her black stockings were gone, and she didn’t seem to notice or care. Instead, she snapped at Monica behind me, “What are you just standing there for? You gonna let the passenger wait like this?” Monica shivered and yanked me into the lavatory. “Mr. Lewis, I’m not very good at this. Maybe you could take the lead?” I was so distracted I didn’t even hear Monica. “Mr. Lewis, let me help you take off your pants…” She started undoing my belt, and that was when I snapped back to reality and pushed her away. “Is this what you call service?” Monica’s face drained of color, and she dropped to her knees. “I’m sorry, Mr. Lewis. I…” Before she could finish speaking, I interrupted her, “I’m not blaming you. Just tell me, what the heck is your service all about?” Monica peeked up at me nervously. “Mr. Lewis, you ordered an iced Americano, right?” “What’s that got to do with it?” “If it’s an iced Americano, a flight attendant is required to provide you with service unconditionally throughout the whole flight.” I was rocked to my core, and the last shred of hope I had was gone. My breathing sped up. Then, I spun around and was about to make a break for it. Monica clung to me like a limpet and begged, “Mr. Lewis, please. If you go out like this, Ms. Chapman will think I didn’t do my job right and I’ll get demoted. Please, help me. Let me serve you just once!” I turned around and glared at her coldly. “Do you even realize this is illegal?” Before Monica could say a word, there was a knock on the door. Then, Gigi’s voice came from outside. “Sir, Monica’s still learning. I need to give her some pointers. Could you open the door?” “Nah, we’re good here.” It took a full minute before Gigi’s retreating footsteps finally faded. Then, Monica’s eyes welled up with gratitude. “Mr. Lewis, please, just let me do my job. If I don’t, I’ll get written up, and I…” “If you don’t wanna get a complaint filed against you, just do as I say, okay?”

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As soon as we got home, Lucas went to the balcony to answer a sudden phone call. “Little Lucas, my grandson is asking for his dad to come keep him company. Get over here quick!” “That Amber woman, just keep her company for show. The most important thing is not to let Jasmine and my grandson down.” His mother spoke without any restraint, her tone doting. Probably thinking I couldn’t hear from the living room, Lucas didn’t even bother to turn off the speakerphone. When he finished, he returned to the living room with a calm expression and tossed me the medical checkup appointment form, reminding me: “Amber, I think the kids at that orphanage in the south part of town are really good.” “Let’s go for our checkups tomorrow, and once we have the certificates ready, we’ll go adopt a child. Just imagine how happy we’ll be watching them grow up!” He spoke with a dreamy look on his face, reaching out to hug me as usual. But this time, I didn’t hug him back like I normally would. I just silently kept my distance from him. Noticing something was off, he paused slightly, about to ask what was wrong when another call came in. He fumbled to answer it, and immediately a shrill voice rang out. “You’re so slow just coming to see the kid. Don’t tell me you’ve actually fallen for that Amber woman?” “You talked a big game before about doing it for my love, but now you’re two-timing!” “Eating out while keeping an eye on what’s at home. What, are you planning to have a kid with Amber tomorrow too?” The woman on the phone fired off a barrage of accusations. Lucas hurriedly hung up and tried to explain to me. “Amber, it was a wrong number. What a coincidence, someone with the same name as you…” “Quite a coincidence indeed.” Looking at his face that showed not a hint of guilt, I couldn’t help but laugh. It really was quite a coincidence – the voice even sounded exactly like Jasmine’s. I silently sent a message urging my friend to hurry up with the divorce papers. Lucas seemed to think I had bought his excuse. He came over and tried to take my hand. I dodged without a word and played along with what he had said. “Weren’t we going to adopt a child? When are we doing that?” As soon as I said it, his face lit up with excitement: “Amber, you really agree? Then can we go for the checkups tomorrow?” “Then our beautiful love will be passed down through this adopted child.” He finished speaking and eagerly handed me the checkup appointment form he had pulled out. I had just reached out to take it when Lucas rushed out the door. “Amber, take a look at the appointment form first. If there are no issues, we’ll go for the checkups tomorrow. I need to take a client call first.” I said nothing, letting him leave. Walking to the door, I could hear his complaining tone coming through. “Honey, I’m sorry for hanging up on you earlier. But you know how clingy that Amber woman is. If I’m not careful and she finds out the truth, then goes running to George, it could ruin your happiness for life!” “Victory is within reach. In a couple days I’ll go through the motions at the orphanage and bring Andy home, swapping him in.” “You can push George to come check on his ex-wife as an excuse to see Andy. Won’t that work out perfectly?” “Let me go in first and mention it to her, then go see Andy. Tomorrow we’ll smoothly get the paperwork done and take Andy to Mom’s place first.” “Then our son – she’ll have to raise him whether she likes it or not. Don’t be angry anymore, okay?” His words were full of schemes against me, not at all how a married husband should treat his wife. But for Jasmine, he was all patience and persuasion. A sudden message notification sounded on my phone. It was from Jasmine. “Amber, do you really think Lucas loves you?” “Let me tell you, all I have to do is crook my finger and he comes running like a dog, ready to do whatever I say!” “Do you know where Lucas went before coming home? You couldn’t win George from me back then, and now it’s the same with Lucas!” Along with it she sent a revealing photo of her and Lucas embracing intimately in bed.

Her words were full of smug triumph. Seeing I didn’t respond, she frantically kept asking. I simply turned off my phone screen. Jasmine didn’t know that I had long been aware of her affair with Lucas. As I sat back down on the couch, Lucas returned. He started chattering non-stop about plans for tomorrow’s checkup. “Amber, make sure to get ready early tomorrow morning. We’ll go for the checkups first thing, and once all the documents are in order, we’ll go adopt a child right away.” “Then the three of us can watch our child of love grow up every day and take care of us in our old age. Won’t that be wonderful!” His words were full of anticipation for the child’s arrival. Thinking I didn’t know about his child with Jasmine, he spoke completely naturally. I casually agreed. Soon his mother called again to urge him. “The guests have been waiting so long, you rascal still haven’t come over?” After making some excuses to me, Lucas had just left when there was a knock at the door. “You must be Aunt Amber. My dad said he’d let me move in in a few days. My mom told me to come get familiar with the place first.” “Oh right, you probably don’t know – my dad only truly loves my mom. My mom says you’re just a stand-in at best.” “All that love and devotion to you? It’s all an act my dad put on. Well? Impressed by his acting skills?” Opening the door, I saw a young boy’s face full of hostility towards me. He finished speaking and pulled out a thick stack of letters from his pocket, throwing them at my feet.

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My girlfriend won $300,000 in the lottery. That night, she threw all my belongings out of our apartment. She even yelled at me, saying I wasn’t even worth her ex’s toenail. Looking at my girlfriend and her mother showing their true colors, I grabbed my luggage and ran. Because I had also won the lottery. Not much, just $70 million. “I won!” I whispered, staring at the numbers on the ticket in my palm, comparing them to the winning numbers. I checked several times before I could believe it. The lottery ticket I bought on a whim had won $70 million! With trembling hands, I instinctively wanted to call my girlfriend and share this exciting news with her. I dialed her number, but no one answered for a long time. I couldn’t wait any longer. I immediately packed up my things and rushed home, forgetting about overtime work. Who cares about that stupid job now! It was already past midnight, but I couldn’t contain my excitement. I splurged on an Uber for once to get home. As soon as I opened the door, I called out eagerly. “Lily! We can afford your mom’s treatment now!” I called twice but no one answered. I figured Lily and her mother must be asleep since it was so late. I put down my bag and noticed the table full of dishes and a half-empty bottle of wine. I felt confused. Lily and her mother were usually very frugal. What special occasion were they celebrating? I casually pushed open the bedroom door. The scene before me shocked me. At that moment, Lily was lying naked on the bed with a man on top of her. Their bare bodies were pressed tightly together, a sight that made me nauseous. Anger surged through me. “Lily, what the hell are you doing while I’m not home?!” Startled by my angry shout, Lily hurriedly wrapped the blanket tighter around herself, her face full of panic as she tried to explain. “James, why are you back? This… this isn’t what it looks like… we…” She stumbled over her words, unable to explain. The man beside her deliberately provoked me by putting his arm around her shoulder and saying, “Baby, tell him about our relationship.” Lily instinctively wanted to explain to me. I rolled my eyes, grabbed her unfinished glass of wine from the bedside table, and threw it in her face. Lily stared at me with wide eyes as the wine dripped down her hair. The wine seemed to wake her up. The man beside her looked at me, and I immediately recognized him. He was none other than Jack, Lily’s ex-boyfriend she had always pined for. She spoke with a sob in her voice, “Lily, why are you afraid of him! Hit him back!” Hearing him say that, Lily’s gentle demeanor changed completely. She suddenly got up and grabbed my arm, trying to push me to the ground. But she wasn’t as strong as me, only managing to make me stumble back a few steps. I stood there, a sour feeling creeping up. Lily tugged at my clothes, pointing and cursing at me, “I’ve had enough of you all these years!” “Who do you think you are! I’m done pretending, I won $300,000 in the lottery! I’m a millionaire now! Get the hell out of here!” “You think you’re good enough for me? If I hadn’t seen you were stupid and willing to work hard, earning money for me to spend, I wouldn’t have even touched you.” “You’re not even worth Jack’s toenail!” After saying that, the man beside her leaned down and kissed her, his eyes full of smugness.

Hearing her words, I stood there stunned, unable to believe these words came from the woman I had loved for four years. I had been with Lily for four years, and she had always been good to me, gentle and caring. In our four years of dating, she had never been unreasonable or caused drama. Our love life could be described as peaceful with a touch of sweetness. We were even planning to get married early next year. Because I once thought meeting Lily was my blessing. I’m an orphan, grew up in foster care, so I’ve always longed for a family of my own. Lily’s family wasn’t well-off either. Her father died early, and her mother raised her single-handedly. Last year, her mother was diagnosed with stage 2 gastric cancer. Faced with expensive medical bills, I never thought about giving up on her and her mother. I paid the rent, supplemented our living expenses, worked four jobs a day just to support our little family. I even took out all my savings for her mother’s treatment. Now that she had won the lottery, the first thing she did was abandon me and go back to her ex? She even went to find her ex-boyfriend who had dumped her before, with bags of shopping, just hours after winning the lottery this morning. Looking at it now, those four years between us were truly laughable. I crouched on the ground, laughing coldly. I silently touched the lottery ticket in my pocket and looked up at her. “Does your mom know about you two?” I still had a glimmer of hope that someone would speak up for me. Lily’s mom had been good to me, always saying she treated me like her own son. I looked at Lily, only to see her nod. “My mom knows, she’s the one who told me to break up with you quickly.” I laughed bitterly. The familiar voice of Lily’s mother sounded from the living room. “What’s all this noise in the middle of the night? Can’t you let people sleep?” Lily’s mother had just woken up, probably because of the lottery win. She now looked radiant, with no trace of illness visible. She glanced at me on the ground, with contempt in her eyes that I had never seen before. Mrs. Zhang waved her hand, “Hurry up and kick this jinx out! Can’t you let people sleep at night?” Mrs. Zhang glared at me, her eyes almost rolling to the sky. “James, don’t blame auntie for being heartless. Look at your face and your fate, you’ve already caused your parents’ death, are you planning to curse me and my daughter too?” “It’s because of your bad luck that I got cancer! Get out of here now! You’re bad luck!” She was still cursing. “You jinx, you look poor, I’m afraid you won’t be able to give my daughter a good life in the future.” “Jack is much better.” I looked at the mother and daughter in front of me, feeling utterly unfamiliar. It was as if the two people who had been good to me and treated me as family never existed. So money has such great power, $300,000 can make people drop their masks and show their true faces. Since everyone’s done pretending, I’ll stop pretending too. I waved my hand, “Then I’ll be direct too. To tell you the truth, I also won the lottery, $70 million.”

Hearing what I said, the three people in front of me had disbelief flashing across their faces. Suddenly, they burst into laughter, as if they had heard some ridiculous joke. Lily reached out and patted me, “James, have you gone crazy? You think everyone is as lucky as me? $70 million, you couldn’t even win $7.” “Don’t think you can lie to win me back. Even if you won $700 million, I wouldn’t want you.” I didn’t say anything, a faint smile hanging on my lips. I casually picked up my bag and put it on my back, making up my mind. “Believe it or not, Lily. With your behavior, I was only with you out of pity before. Did you really think you were that beautiful? Look in the mirror!” “Let me tell you, from today on, Lily, even if you and your family die, it has nothing to do with me!” I turned and went back to the bedroom to take out my watch and put it in my bag. Although the watch wasn’t worth much, maybe $2,000, I wouldn’t leave anything of mine for them. Seeing me taking things, Mrs. Zhang panicked. “You thief! Are you stealing from our house!” I looked around at the 400-square-foot rental apartment. My things weren’t worth much. For the past two years, to pay for her mother’s treatment and to have a small home for us, I had been living frugally to save money. The clothes I bought for myself were of the poorest quality, compared to how I tried every way to be good to Lily and her mother. The only valuable thing on me was that watch, and she accused me of being a thief? Thinking about it now, I was really foolish and crazy back then! To be good to people like them. I shook my head, feeling nauseous at the thought of saying another word to these people. I held back the disgust in my heart, but Mrs. Zhang kept nagging. “You can’t take even a grain of rice from our house! Leave the bag here, who knows if you’ve stolen something from us!” Saying this, Mrs. Zhang reached out to grab my bag like a shrew. I laughed coldly, rushed into the kitchen, and took out a kitchen knife and an unprocessed butterfish. Holding the butterfish, I suddenly stepped forward and slapped Mrs. Zhang’s wrinkled face with it. Her mouth immediately swelled up. She covered her mouth and screamed. Jack came over to stop me, and I slapped him with the butterfish in my hand again, making the flesh on his cheeks jiggle. Holding the butterfish in my hand, I thought no one should escape. I used all my strength to stuff the now-broken butterfish into Lily’s cursing mouth. She suddenly ate a mouthful of raw butterfish, her face turning blue, and she bent over and vomited, holding her waist. The three of them were angered by me. I curled my lips and held the kitchen knife in my hand, pointing it at them. “Damn it, who dares to stop me! Who dares to take my things!” “I’ll kill you all! You want to act crazy? Let’s see who’s crazier!” Once I started acting crazy, they didn’t dare do anything to me. They could only back off reluctantly. The three of them stood aside, not daring to stop me as I walked out aggressively. Walking out of the house, I called the landlord. “I’m not renewing the lease. Ask Lily for the rent for the first half of the year.” Not only that, I took out the medical bill from my bag, tore it into pieces, and threw it into the trash can. Damn it, fortunately, I hadn’t paid Mrs. Zhang’s medical bills for the past six months. Let these bastards pay it themselves! I kept all the previous transfer records and payment records. I’ll get everything back even if I have to go to court! What’s mine, these dogs shouldn’t think of taking a penny!

That night, I booked myself a five-star hotel. I was about to become a billionaire, so I might as well enjoy it properly. I quit all four of my jobs, lay down on the hotel’s big bed, and slept until noon the next day. When I woke up, a pre-ordered feast was waiting for me. The next day, I found some common sportswear, and prepared a head cover, hat, and sunglasses. Dressed like this, no one could recognize who I was. Fully armed, I took my relevant documents and went to the lottery center to claim my prize. As soon as I walked into the lottery center, I saw a group of reporters interviewing several people, saying someone had won the lottery, winning millions. I took a closer look and found that the interviewees were none other than Lily and her family. The three of them stood in front of the camera, gesticulating excitedly, eager to announce this to the world. Lily was wearing a dress, dressed up glamorously. She started bragging to the camera, “For me, actually, our family has quite a lot of assets. $300,000 is nothing to me.” Mrs. Zhang’s eyes were full of smiles, “Yes, my daughter has been lucky since she was young. Whatever she does, she succeeds. $300,000 is just pocket change.” Jack beside her was dressed in a suit and tie, and he took out his phone to show his TikTok account to the camera. “Everyone can follow my account. We will often give gifts to our followers. $300,000 is just small change. The red packets we give out in one live stream are more than this.” “Remember my account, make sure to follow.” Seeing their boastful appearance, I couldn’t help but laugh coldly. I knew that only fools would be so ostentatious. Winning the lottery is something that should be kept as quiet as possible, especially for someone like me who had won tens of millions. Only by keeping a low profile can I ensure my safety. While everyone’s attention was focused on Lily’s family, I quickly found a staff member and entered the work area to exchange the lottery ticket. I got the redemption slip from the lottery center and hurried to leave. That day, I cashed in at the bank. That night, after paying taxes, over $50 million was deposited into my account. Looking at all those zeros in my bank account, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. My life as a rich man was finally about to begin.

After getting the money, I immediately bought a slightly smaller unit in One57 with full payment, spending $12 million. It was enough for me to live alone. With the bank card in my hand, I first urgently customized various suits and daily clothes, and bought several watches by series. I deposited the rest of the money in the bank. The monthly interest alone was nearly a million, directly achieving financial freedom. Back home, leaning on my sofa and looking at my 4,000-square-foot apartment, I felt satisfied. I casually picked up my phone and glanced at my social media feed, only to see Lily showing off her wealth. She posted a selfie. In the selfie, she was wearing an outfit full of logos, sitting in her newly bought BMW, pretending to casually show off the brand-name bracelet and ring on her wrist. Caption: Just an ordinary BMW, I’ll buy a Mercedes tomorrow. Any recommendations? Seeing her ridiculous appearance, I suddenly became interested, finding it quite amusing. I found Jack’s TikTok account directly based on his plea for followers to the media today. His TikTok was identical to Lily’s, all about showing off wealth. One photo showed a newly bought watch. Caption: My wife insisted on buying it for me. He had shown off quite a few luxury goods on his homepage recently, all probably bought by Lily. But with just $300,000 from the lottery, at this rate of spending, they probably won’t last until next month. And Lily’s mother’s illness was a bottomless pit, $200,000 would barely be enough. I thought for a moment, that won’t do! Although I’m now a billionaire, every penny I spent on their family during the four years I dated her can’t be less. I immediately found a lawyer and gave him all the organized transfer records and the medical bills I paid for her mother. I even calculated the $3 or $5 I spent on groceries. When I calculated, I was shocked. In four years, I had spent over $300,000 on Lily. After subtracting what she spent on me, she still owed me $310,000. Thinking about it now, was I under some kind of spell during those years? Now she shouldn’t think of shorting me a single cent. Expensive lawyers are indeed efficient. In just a few days, everything was handled, and a lawyer’s letter was sent directly to her home. If they don’t pay, they can wait to be sued to death! As soon as the lawyer’s letter was sent, I received a call from Lily that night. As soon as the call connected, Lily’s cursing voice came from the other end of the phone.

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Eight years into our marriage, I was kidnapped along with Ryan Pierce’s sister, Chloe Song. Ryan Pierce, worth millions, only brought ransom money for one person. When forced to choose, he told me: “Ava, your dad is rich. He’ll come save you. But Chloe only has me.” When I escaped and made it home barely alive, the media was busy glorifying their love story. As I stumbled home, countless reporters were camped outside our mansion, cameras aimed at my husband and Chloe, interviewing them. Ryan held Chloe tightly as reporters praised their ride-or-die love, completely forgetting that Chloe was nothing more than a homewrecker. It seemed in their eyes, a moment of passion trumped marital loyalty. As I got out of the car, I was a complete mess. My torn clothes hung off me like rags. Camera flashes went wild. My dad tried to shield me with a huge blanket, desperately fending off the reporters. But it was all in vain. Ryan’s face flashed with shock, then quickly turned to disgust. My whole body ached, especially my abdomen which felt like it was being carved up. The pain made me curl up until I blacked out. In my dreams, I was still in the kidnappers’ clutches. Chloe had already been taken away by Ryan. The kidnappers had taken nude photos of Chloe, so she begged Ryan not to call the police. Ryan agreed and brought ransom money to save us. But ridiculously, despite being worth millions, Ryan only brought enough ransom for one person. When forced to choose, he held my hand tightly, eyes full of emotion. “Ava, your dad is rich. He’ll come save you. But Chloe only has me. You understand, right?” At that moment I didn’t understand. I only knew those men had been eyeing my clothes for a while. I was terrified, so I cried and begged him: “Ryan, don’t leave me here. Pay my ransom and I’ll have Dad pay you back when we get home!” Ryan lowered his head. “I’m sorry, but my company’s project is really important. If I take out money now, your dad might not help me. I’m sorry!” With that, Ryan yanked his hand away and ran off with Chloe. I didn’t even get a chance to tell him I was pregnant. Our little one was already two months along. But those words never got a chance to be said. They ripped my clothes and gagged me. My limbs were bound to a pillar with wire. As I struggled, the wire cut into my flesh, as if violently scraping away the life in my womb. Meanwhile, my frantic father had no idea about any of this. After Ryan took Chloe home, she was too traumatized by the nude photos to speak about what happened. My dear husband actually didn’t say a word about my whereabouts. The police couldn’t get any information from them about where I was, so they could only waste time searching carefully. At this point, even my dad’s money was useless, because I had seen the kidnappers’ faces and they were planning to sell me to Southeast Asia. Luckily, the kidnappers let their guard down during transport, allowing me to find a chance to escape. Along the way, I crawled through mud, slept in dumpsters, and even fought stray dogs for food. After countless brushes with death, I finally made it back to the city and was found by the police. My dad nearly fainted when he first saw me, but still shakily wrapped me in a blanket. In my dream, I seemed to see a little girl with pigtails in a princess dress, waving at me. “Baby, baby, Mommy is so sorry!” I ran towards the child like a madwoman, but she kept getting further away until she disappeared. I suddenly opened my eyes to see Ryan sitting by my bed. Seeing him made me want to vomit, so I desperately tried to drive him away. “What are you doing here? Get out, I don’t want to see you.” Ryan angrily scolded me: “We’re husband and wife. Isn’t it normal for me to come see you?” Agitated, I grabbed a pillow and threw it at him: “I don’t want to see you. Get out!” Seeing this, Ryan furiously yelled: “Can’t you learn from Chloe? At least she knows to comfort me. You just get angry at me. Such a spoiled rich girl attitude. I’ve been worried sick about you two for days without sleep. What right do you have to be angry?” Hearing this, I let out a bitter laugh. How could his few sleepless nights compare to the pain all over my body? I was electrocuted, whipped, and even burned with cigarettes by the kidnappers every day. They were angry at my husband for refusing to pay my ransom. I gave a tragic smile: “Ryan Pierce, your heart must be made of sewage rocks – filthy and disgusting! You say we’re husband and wife, but what kind of husband would abandon his wife to a group of brutal kidnappers?” Hearing me say this, his attitude softened. “You know I’ve been short on cash for the company lately. I’m not from a rich family like you. Your dad is loaded. Besides, you were rescued in the end, right? What’s there to be angry about!” Just then my dad suddenly pushed open the door. Seeing Ryan, he immediately lunged to attack him. But Ryan shoved him away hard! “Dad!”

Seeing my dad fall heavily to the ground, Ryan finally realized what he’d done. “Dad, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to. I didn’t see clearly just now!” He hurried over, trying to help my dad up, but was pushed away. My dad glared at him angrily, struggling to his feet on his own. “I don’t care if you saw clearly or not. Get out now, my child needs rest!” Seeing my dad’s anger, Ryan obediently left. He knew very well that even though our family was bankrupt now, my dad’s connections were still not something he could handle. After Ryan left, I quickly helped my dad up. But he pulled me into a tight hug instead. “Don’t be afraid, sweetie. Daddy’s here!” I hugged my dad tightly and broke down sobbing. I really didn’t understand why I was always the second choice. I cried for a long time before falling into a deep sleep again. Due to the trauma and torture of the past days, I kept having nightmares. In my dreams, I seemed to see the ridiculous story of my life. As a high school girl full of innocent puppy love, I fell for the class heartthrob Ryan Pierce. Perhaps every class has a boy like that – good grades, good habits, polite and gentle. But Ryan’s family situation was very bad. His mother had been raped and gave birth to him as a result. Shortly after he was born, his mother was hospitalized for schizophrenia. He grew up with his grandparents, but they didn’t care much for this child who had ruined their daughter’s life. Sympathizing with a boy became the start of my tragedy. Our class was the top class in school at the time. Besides getting in on grades, you could also get in based on family wealth. So the class was split half and half between smart kids and rich kids. Ryan happened to be the permanent top student in our grade, which easily made him a target of jealousy. That’s when I appeared, protecting him time and time again. At first Ryan looked down on me, until one day when I got into a big fight with another classmate to stand up for him. I was pushed to the ground, fracturing my wrist as I tried to break my fall. After that, Ryan’s attitude towards me changed. He started taking care of me more. To be with him, I worked hard to get into the same college. My dad also approved of my relationship with him. In his eyes, Ryan was a rare talent. With my dad’s support, I started asking Ryan out. Ryan didn’t agree, but he didn’t clearly reject me either. Blinded by love, I stupidly assumed I was his girlfriend. I had known since high school that Ryan had a sister named Chloe Song. She was his uncle’s daughter. But what I didn’t know was that she was adopted by Ryan’s uncle. She grew up with Ryan, but just before starting high school, she was suddenly taken away by his uncle. It wasn’t until our wedding day that this girl suddenly appeared at our ceremony. She stumbled in barefoot, covered in injuries. Even her light blue dress was stained with blood. She looked at Ryan with tears streaming down: “Brother, I escaped. Why didn’t you wait for me?” With just that one sentence, the ring Ryan was about to put on my finger suddenly fell to the ground. That night, Ryan didn’t come back. On our wedding night, he was at the hospital with his sister. Despite the bitterness in my heart, I could only swallow it. After all, I had always been the one chasing him. The next day I changed clothes, planning to visit the hospital. But I ran into my dad at the door. “Going to the hospital? Not allowed! My daughter hasn’t stooped so low as to let others humiliate her!” I cried and begged my dad to let me go to the hospital. At that point I was in too deep. After all, during my pursuit of Ryan, he had given me many responses. Those responses were enough to make up beautiful youthful memories. I really couldn’t let go. However, at the hospital I learned a shocking truth. Chloe wasn’t Ryan’s uncle’s biological daughter at all. The reason she was taken away back then was because the two kids had developed romantic feelings. Ryan’s uncle sent Chloe abroad and ordered her to cut off contact with Ryan, or he would disown her. Chloe studied hard abroad, all for the day she could escape her father’s control and return to be with Ryan. On my wedding day with Ryan, she finally broke free and escaped back. I covered my mouth as I listened to this, finally fleeing back to our marital home in disgrace. When Ryan returned, I asked for a divorce. But he refused and made up for our wedding night. That day I was in physical and emotional pain. He roughly had his way with me all day, falling into a deep sleep after. I was left alone crying. I slapped myself hard, but still couldn’t wake up. I wanted to try again. That “try” lasted 8 years. 8 years of a ménage à trois marriage left me physically and mentally exhausted. Just as I was about to ask for divorce again, Chloe and I were kidnapped at the same time. And in this kidnapping incident, I lost the child I had yearned for for years. Waking from the nightmare, I was still in the hospital. My father’s hair had turned much whiter overnight. But soon, an even more devastating news came that would crush my poor old man. Somehow a tumor had appeared in my stomach. When I was in dire straits, their punches and kicks caused the tumor to rupture. Now the cancer has spread, and I only have three months left to live.

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Jack is my husband. I met him during my freshman year of college. He was the one who pursued me first. Four years of college, four years after graduation, a total of eight years. Before we got married, he said he would love me for a lifetime, and only me. After we got married, I heard he went to a nightclub while I was still heavily pregnant. I slapped him hard outside the operating room while supporting my pregnant belly. I even questioned whether the child inside was his. Jack said it wasn’t, he had just met her for the first time. I laughed coldly, “Oh, so you slept with her the first time you met? Well done, Jack.” His face darkened instantly. The doctor said the girl’s heavy bleeding was due to her pregnancy, but told us not to worry. The girl was fine, just the baby couldn’t be saved. Late at night, Jack and I stood outside the girl’s hospital room. I had calmed down by then. I watched him chain-smoking and frowned, saying, “Jack, what do you plan to do?” Before he could answer, I continued, “I told you before we got married, if you ever cheated, the house would be mine, the car yours, and I’d get all our assets after marriage. You’d be left with almost nothing.” I added, “The baby can’t stay with you.” The baby in my belly, almost ten months along now. Jack took a deep drag of his cigarette, looking very impatient. After a long while, he said, “Ava, the child can’t be born without a father.” I laughed, “With a father like you? Better off without one.” Jack seemed very sensitive to my sarcasm. He looked at me coldly, “Ava, watch your words.” I sneered, “Why don’t you watch yourself?” Jack refused to divorce me. He even called his mother from their hometown to persuade me. As soon as his mother arrived, she grabbed my hands and said all men cheat, even if I divorced Jack and married someone else, the next guy might cheat too. She went on about how excellent her son was, already making a six-figure salary. If I really divorced him, where would I find another man making that much, especially in my pregnant state? Listening to her made me sick to my stomach, strengthening my resolve to divorce. Back when Jack’s career was struggling, I supported him for years. When he wanted to start a business, I even used all my savings, including mortgaging the house my parents bought for me. Now that Jack was making good money, with our child about to be born, he didn’t mention redeeming that house or any of those things. It seemed he had forgotten who helped him get where he was today. Later, when I brought up divorce again, Jack argued with me due to disagreement and pushed me to the ground with one hand. I felt a dull pain in my abdomen. I went into premature labor. Due to fetal displacement, I stayed in the operating room for two days and two nights. I saw blood-soaked medical gauze changed again and again. I heard Jack and his mother shouting outside the operating room, “Save the baby! You must save the baby!” I felt more exhausted than ever before, like I had struggled to swim to shore, only to be pushed back into the water just as I was about to climb out. Extreme suffocation.

Perhaps God wanted to spare my life. Both the baby and I survived. The day I left the operating room, I saw my mother-in-law’s face fall when she heard it was a girl, muttering “money-losing burden.” Jack didn’t even glance at the baby, just lit a cigarette and left. I stared blankly at the hospital ceiling, constantly comforting myself. It’s okay, I still have my daughter. I slept in the ward for a day. When I woke up, my parents had rushed over from out of town. Seeing them, I felt a sense of relief. But tears kept flowing. I said I wanted to divorce Jack. My parents had already heard what happened. Seeing my haggard state, they supported my decision to divorce. When I called a nurse to take my parents to see the baby, the nurse looked surprised and said, “Your mother-in-law just took the baby out.” My face turned pale. I called Jack. He told me his mother was worried I’d be too tired caring for the baby, so she took her back to their hometown. My whole body shook as I tried to steady my trembling voice, “Jack, the baby is only two days old and very fragile. She can’t be exposed to wind. Please bring her back…” I heard his mother snort on the other end of the phone, saying sarcastically, “What’s there to be delicate about a money-losing burden? It’s not a boy. She’ll be married off sooner or later anyway. If she dies, she dies. Just have another one.” I had the call on speaker. Hearing my mother-in-law say such things, my parents were furious and wanted to drive over to confront them. But Jack on the phone didn’t panic. Instead, he laughed and said to me, “Ava, I still have feelings for you. Are you sure you still want to divorce me?” I didn’t understand why he was asking such an obvious question. Things had come to this point, how could I not divorce him? Suddenly, a loud “bang” came from downstairs. Soon after, I heard nurses shouting, “There’s been a car accident! We need help!” A chill ran down my spine, my heart turning ice cold. Based on the timing, my parents should have been in the car by now. I bit my lip hard, holding back tears as I said word by word, “Jack, if anything happens to my parents, I will never let you off!” Jack actually had the audacity to laugh. Fortunately, my parents were fine. The car had just started moving when the gas pedal was too loose and the brakes failed, crashing into the hospital wall. No one was hurt, except my dad’s leg got stuck and he’ll need a cane for the rest of his life. I didn’t tell my parents about this accident being related to Jack. They didn’t suspect anything either. I stopped mentioning divorce to Jack. Our baby was still with his mother in their hometown. Every day, I would receive videos of the baby from his mother. But my hatred for Jack only grew. I knew he was using our baby to threaten me, to prevent me from divorcing him. I hated him every day, hated how he pushed me to this point, hated that I had wasted eight years of my youth on this scumbag. Because of this, I learned that Jack didn’t want to divorce me because his company was competing for a partnership with a big corporation. His married status would help him stand out among other candidates. I didn’t want him to get this project at all. Especially when I found out the big corporation was hosting a banquet and invited us as a couple to attend, I wanted to sabotage it. But Jack seemed to know what I was thinking. As we got in the car, he casually said to me, “Ava, if you want to see our baby’s corpse tomorrow, go ahead and do whatever you’re planning.” He always knew how to hit my weak spots. He always knew. At the banquet, I naturally didn’t do anything rash. But I learned a lesson. If I didn’t get rid of this psychopath, he would control me for the rest of my life, and my child would always be in danger. I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. Jack’s career was thriving, while I had become a tool he used to maintain his image in business circles. Looking at his increasingly smug face, I felt utterly disgusted. On one hand, I was looking for an opportunity to bring him down, on the other, I carefully avoided any resistance. After a while, I really found a breakthrough. Jack liked women. After I caught him, he became even more reckless. Few women could stay around him for long, but there were always exceptions. And this exception was a woman named Fiona. I didn’t know Fiona, but someone among my friends did. When I intentionally posted a photo of scenery from a shopping trip, someone recognized the woman in the photo as Fiona. My friend asked me, “Ava, how do you know Fiona?” Without waiting for my answer, she continued, “She’s the mistress of the CEO of Saint Corp. Any chance you could introduce us sometime?” Saint Corp? I remembered, that was the big corporation Jack had partnered with through my efforts earlier. I just didn’t expect Jack to be so bold as to get involved with the wife of his business partner. I casually replied to my friend that I didn’t know her well, but inside I was overjoyed. Because I had finally found a chance to deal with Jack. Jack was very cautious. I couldn’t gather much information from his side, so I started following Fiona. Fiona was a rich housewife. Every day, besides playing mahjong and getting beauty treatments, she would meet Jack at various hotels to have fun. Jack met her quite often, at least three times a week. I captured all those moments – hand-holding, kissing. While holding back my disgust, I carefully took more evidence, hoping for some other juicy details to emerge. Perhaps heaven heard my call. One day, I noticed something odd about Fiona. She didn’t go play mahjong or get beauty treatments. Instead, she went to a psychiatric hospital. That psychiatric hospital was famous in our city, specializing in patients with mental illnesses or confusion. I didn’t enter the hospital, just waited outside, timing how long she stayed. A full hour. Fiona stayed inside for a whole hour. I didn’t want to give up any leads and wanted to investigate further. But facing this heavily guarded psychiatric hospital, I knew that even if I barged in, I wouldn’t be able to find out anything. So I needed someone to help me, and that person had to be a professional. So I asked a friend to contact the most reliable private investigator in the city. A few days later, my friend introduced me to someone. He was expensive, but guaranteed results if he took the job. Jack controlled all my credit card transactions to keep tabs on me. Luckily, I had saved some secret funds. Though not a huge amount, it was enough to buy this information. So I said, “As long as your results satisfy me, I’ll pay whatever it costs.” My instincts told me that once I knew this secret, things would completely turn in my favor. Not long after, the investigator arranged to meet me. We met at a coffee shop. When we met, I was surprised by how young and handsome he was. He handed me a manila envelope and said, “The person Fiona visited at the psychiatric hospital is named Lily, a 21-year-old performing arts student. She was often with Fiona recently, and Fiona took very good care of her. Last month, she went to a nightclub and had an accident, then went to the hospital…” I already knew the latter part of what he was saying, because this Lily was the girl Jack had made bleed heavily that night. I glanced at Lily’s photo in the envelope and saw another piece of paper. Then I heard him say, “The CEO of Saint Corp has never had a son. A fortune teller read his birth chart and said he’d have a better chance with a young woman whose birth chart matched his. But Mr. Saint is old now and can’t perform, so they could only use IVF. The baby in Lily’s belly was actually Mr. Saint’s…” I didn’t need to hear the rest to know what happened. Lily lost the baby at the nightclub and no longer had any value to them, so Fiona put her in the psychiatric hospital.

I asked, “Is Lily really sick now or…?” The investigator shook his head, sounding regretful, “She’s already lost her mind.” Looking at Lily’s young, beautiful face on the table, I felt sorry for her. At such a good age, she should have had a bright future ahead, but now she could only stay in a psychiatric hospital. After getting this information, I went home, planning to use it to force Jack to return our child and divorce me. The CEO of Saint Corp was already in his sixties and had never had a son. The baby in Lily’s belly could be said to be his last hope. Jack had caused the loss of that child, so Mr. Saint must hate him. So I wanted to use this point to make Jack compromise. However, I didn’t expect that when I went to negotiate with Jack, Fiona was there too. When I laid out the evidence on the table, Fiona’s presence made me realize something was off. Since when had Jack and Fiona become so close that he’d bring her to our home? Just as I thought this, I saw Fiona pick up the evidence from the table and smile meaningfully, “So you really found out, huh.” I immediately sensed something was wrong. Fiona had already torn up the evidence I had worked so hard to gather. As she tore it up, she looked at Jack, “She already knows everything. Is there any point in keeping her around? If she goes to the old man and exposes us, what chance will we have?” My heart sank as I suddenly realized what was happening. Could it be that Jack and Fiona were in cahoots, and they had deliberately caused Lily to lose the baby?! If Lily’s child was really born, it would indeed be a threat to Fiona. Lily was young and beautiful, and she was carrying a son. With that, she could easily take Fiona’s place. But I never imagined they would intentionally scheme to make Lily lose the baby! These two monsters! Weren’t they afraid of karma?! I was furious at their actions, but Jack said, “You think Saint Corp’s deal was really closed because of you? The only reason I’ve kept you around until now is because of that insurance policy!” Jack and I had signed a contract before marriage stating that if one party died accidentally, the other would receive a huge accidental death payout. So that was his plan all along! I suddenly started shaking all over and turned to run! But Jack had anticipated this and worked with Fiona to knock me out! When I woke up, I found myself in a sealed wooden crate. It was tightly sealed on all sides, with only a tiny gap at the top where I could see outside. It was pitch black outside, with occasional shadows of leaves making me realize we were in some remote wilderness. Before I could fully react, the crate containing me was heavily set down, and someone knocked on the side. It was Fiona. She seemed to know I was awake and said to me, “You might as well reincarnate soon. Your husband doesn’t love you, your child isn’t with you, and you don’t even have any money to your name. What’s the point of living like this?” After saying that, she put me into a large pit. The sound of sand and dust hitting the crate told me she was trying to bury me alive. I struggled and cried out, wanting to see Jack. I couldn’t believe that after so many years together, our relationship meant nothing to him. How could he be so heartless as to want me dead? But I heard Jack’s voice outside saying, “Ava, rest in peace. In a few days, I’ll let our child come join you.” At that moment, my heart completely shattered. I kept kicking at the crate, trying to save myself, to escape. I desperately hoped that if I could get out, I would protect my child and make this evil couple pay for what they’d done! But the sand kept piling up thicker, and the air in the crate was getting thinner. I felt like I was about to die. But after who knows how long, suddenly someone tapped on the crate and pried open the lock. ———-This is the cutoff point———-

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Just before I was wheeled into the operating room, Lucas held my hand tightly and kissed my forehead, his eyes full of love. “Don’t be scared, Anna. It’ll be over soon. It won’t hurt, I promise. I’ll be waiting for you outside.” I placed one hand on my belly, fighting back tears as I forced a smile for Lucas. Our little angel, who should have been eagerly anticipated, was diagnosed with a defect. I had no choice but to send it back to where it came from. The doctor administered the anesthesia and pushed my bed into the operating room. Under the harsh fluorescent lights, I gradually lost consciousness. However, I overheard a nurse’s curious inquiry. “Dr. Thompson, this patient’s baby is developing well. Why does Mr. Graham want to terminate the pregnancy and even remove her uterus?” “Shh, don’t ask questions you shouldn’t. This is all Mr. Graham’s decision.” “Oh no, could it be because of that rumor…” Wasn’t the baby supposed to have a defect? What’s this about removing my uterus? What rumor? Overwhelming panic gripped my heart. I struggled to wake up and ask for clarification, to stop this surgery. But my consciousness was dragged into a bottomless abyss. When I finally opened my eyes, only Lucas was in the hospital room. He had stubble on his face and bloodshot eyes, clearly having stayed up all night watching over me. Seeing me awake, his eyes lit up. “Anna, you’re awake. How do you feel?” The incision on my abdomen throbbed with pain. I felt as if a huge part of me was missing, with cold wind whistling through the void. Tears uncontrollably slid down my cheeks. I truly believed Lucas trusted me. I never imagined he would cruelly kill our child and even permanently deprive me of the right to be a mother, all because of Jasmine’s slanderous words. I had stayed by his side every moment to reassure him. How could I possibly have had an affair? But I didn’t know that my eagerness to prove my innocence only appeared as guilty behavior in Lucas’s eyes. Lucas assumed I was just upset about losing the baby and comforted me, saying we would have children in the future. I stared at him steadily, unable to believe how someone could be so loving yet so ruthless at the same time. “Lucas, do you really not mind what Jasmine said that day?” I just wanted an answer, one that wouldn’t leave me in such agony. Lucas gently flicked my forehead, then chuckled indulgently. “Anna, didn’t we already say it was just a dream? Why do you remember it more clearly than I do? Don’t worry, I love you so much. If I can’t trust you, who can I trust?” My heart ached terribly. I swallowed back all the accusations in my throat. After resting in the hospital for two weeks, Lucas brought me back home. As soon as we entered the Graham mansion, I heard Jasmine’s light laughter as she chatted with Lucas’s mother. A strong sense of discomfort welled up. I frowned at Lucas, only to find him looking completely unsurprised. Ever since Jasmine made those remarks, I had been very averse to seeing her. Lucas had even promised me he wouldn’t let her come to the Graham house anymore. Disappointment spread like wildfire again. Strangely enough, I had an “as expected” feeling. When Jasmine saw us, she knelt down in front of me, clutching her belly with tears in her eyes and a guilty expression. “Anna, I’m so sorry. I was out of my mind before when I drugged Lucas. I know I was wrong, but the baby is innocent. Please forgive us, mother and child.” This news hit me like a ton of bricks. My mind went blank, unable to process anything. Lucas’s mother clearly sympathized with Jasmine, who was carrying her first grandchild. She looked at me with displeasure. “Jasmine has admitted her mistake and apologized. Don’t be petty about it.” Lucas’s mother, who had treated me like her own daughter because my parents weren’t in the country, now looked at me with such unfamiliarity that I was bewildered. I could ignore all of this. What I cared about most was Lucas, who kept saying he loved me. I turned to look at the silent Lucas, unable to control the lump in my throat. “When did you find out?” “Anna, I’m sorry.” Lucas didn’t answer, just pulled me into his arms and buried his head in the crook of my neck. This was Lucas’s usual trick when apologizing. I used to find his gap moe adorable, and in the past, whenever he did something wrong, I would quickly forgive him if he did this. Did he think an affair could be easily forgiven with just an apology? What did he take me for?! I shoved him away forcefully, ignoring his shocked expression as I wiped away the tears that had unknowingly streamed down my face. Lucas explained helplessly, as if my distrust of him was very hurtful. “Anna, I really had no idea she would drug me. The baby… I only found out yesterday. I know you’re very upset, but Jasmine said she just wants to give birth to the child and then hand it over to us to raise.” Jasmine seized the opportunity to interject, choking up as she spoke. “Anna, you’ve been a mother too. You understand why I don’t want to abort the baby, right?” Thinking of the child who had been deprived of life before it was even born, my heart began to ache again, so painful I could barely breathe. Had Lucas known about Jasmine’s pregnancy all along, and that’s why he so readily took away my child? When you love someone, can you really bear to hurt them like this? For the past ten years, Jasmine had a crush on him, but he always made me feel secure, never crossing any lines in his words or actions. Whenever friends teased him, he would always put me first. “Anna is my only love, and I only recognize her.” I thought marrying Lucas meant marrying for love, but in reality, love couldn’t overcome all obstacles. A single flimsy prediction was enough to shatter all the beauty I once believed in. Suddenly, I felt so tired, losing all strength to argue. A mistress eager to climb the social ladder, a mother-in-law who deliberately made things difficult, and a husband who looked like he loved me but used a gentle attitude to force me… Perhaps leaving was the best solution. I tugged the corners of my lips into a self-mocking smile, the dull pain in my chest silent yet grinding. “Do whatever you want.” Lucas thought I had agreed and let out a huge sigh of relief. His mother snorted coldly at me, then turned to Jasmine with a beaming smile, her eyes full of concern. “Look how haggard you are. I’ll have the cook make some soup to nourish you later.” Jasmine coyly pulled Lucas’s hand and placed it on her belly. “Lucas, look, the baby is kicking me again.” Watching this family scene of love and harmony coldly, I turned and went upstairs without a word, asking my friend abroad to book me a flight to leave. Since someone always had to be the odd one out, I might as well bow out and let them be happy. I woke up startled in the middle of the night, my mind full of scenes of that child crying and asking me why I didn’t save him. I trembled, silently shedding tears. The cold empty space beside me reminded me of my failed marriage. Jasmine had said she had a nightmare, and Lucas was worried it might affect the baby in her belly, so he said he would go check on her. He never returned all night. That Lucas who used to hold me in his arms and gently comfort me whenever I had a nightmare, no matter when, would never exist again. I got out of bed intending to go downstairs for a glass of water, but there was a knock at the door. When I opened it, it was Lucas. The hidden meaning in his eyes made me feel like a stranger. “Anna, Jasmine had a dream where you didn’t like the child and pushed her down the stairs. Now she doesn’t want to give the baby to you.” “There’s a Buddha statue in Mom’s room. Can you go kneel there for a night, pray for blessings for that child, and apologize to Jasmine?” I wondered if I was still dreaming. “She just had a dream and you believe everything? Lucas, do you believe in dreams or do you just believe her?” Dreaming about that child made my emotions a bit intense. Lucas’s displeased frown made it even harder for me to pretend to be calm. In his eyes, it was just an illegitimate child. How could he feel guilty? I was so angry that tears streamed down my face, unable to say a complete sentence. Lucas sighed tiredly, as if my unreasonable behavior made him very troubled. “Anna, be good. Just kneel for one night, it’ll be fine.” “I’m doing all this for your own good. Didn’t you always want a child? Your child is gone, but Jasmine has one now. Maybe this is fate.” I trembled all over, finally unable to hold back and slapped Lucas across the face. If it weren’t for him, how could anything have happened to my child? Lucas’s expression turned cold as he looked down at me condescendingly. A chill rose in my heart. I instinctively sensed something was wrong and wanted to close and lock the door, but Lucas blocked it. “You care so much about that child? Why do you get so agitated whenever it’s mentioned?” “Anna, be more obedient and don’t make me angry. You’ve already put me in a very difficult position, but it’s okay. After all, I love you so much that I can overlook your affair. But if you keep being so willful, I’ll feed that bastard’s ashes to the dogs!” I stared at Lucas in disbelief, unable to believe that the man I had loved for so many years could become so unfamiliar, could say such things. “What evidence do you have that I had an affair? You’re the one who made the mistake first! Lucas, that was our child, how could you be so cruel…” Lucas neither confirmed nor denied, clearly not believing my words. I had no choice. That child had already been deprived of life. How could I bear to see him not rest in peace even after death? “Fine, I’ll go kneel.” I closed my eyes, not wanting to look at Lucas again. Choking back the taste of iron in my throat, I squeezed out a response. I wanted to pray for that child, hoping the Buddha would bless him. Next time, may he not be born into a family where his father doesn’t want him. “Also, Jasmine said she’s not comfortable sleeping in the guest room. For the baby’s sake, why don’t you switch rooms with her for a while?” Lucas didn’t care what my reaction was. He announced it like a notification and hurried away when he heard Jasmine say she was uncomfortable. Leaving me standing there, my heart shattered into pieces. From that night on, I had to kneel in front of the Buddha statue for two hours every night. Lucas’s mother found me an eyesore and had someone move the Buddha statue to a corner by the stairs next to the storage room. She even made me kneel when the servants were around. “Who knows if you’re sincere or not if no one’s watching?” I remained silent, praying sincerely for my child amidst the servants’ gossip. Meanwhile, Lucas, who said he loved me, appeared with Jasmine in places where I used to be. His little childhood sweetheart also became the “wife” in the mouths of company employees, the “sister-in-law” among Lucas’s friends, and the “true love” of Mr. Graham in media reports. Their love story was praised by everyone, their ten-year unwavering devotion admired. And I was naturally left behind, even becoming a topic of after-dinner gossip as the third wheel. I thought Lucas would take the opportunity to file for divorce, but even when I put the signed divorce papers in front of him, he remained unmoved. “You and Jasmine are in love and have a child together. Isn’t divorce the best choice for us?” I had already compromised this far. I didn’t understand what else Lucas wanted. I had already shattered my heart into pieces. I couldn’t give anything else. Lucas picked up the divorce papers, his eyes dark and unclear, his face covered with a layer of gloom. He tugged the corner of his lips into a smile, but without a trace of joy. “I’ve already forgiven your affair and am trying to find a way to permanently solve the problem. Yet you’re only thinking about leaving.” “What, are you in such a hurry to go find your lover? Are you that desperate?” Lucas had always been gentle and polite in front of me, never saying such crude and vulgar words. I thought I couldn’t be disappointed anymore, but Lucas always managed to surprise me. I endured the embarrassment, endured the nausea churning in my stomach. There was no point in arguing with someone who didn’t believe you at all. Once I got the signed divorce papers, I could take the earliest flight out tomorrow. “It’s none of your business.” “You accuse me of having an affair but can’t produce a shred of evidence. On the contrary, you’ve been sneaking around with Jasmine, and now you’re openly attending various events with her during our marriage. Who’s really having the affair?” I was prepared to see Lucas’s angry expression at being exposed, but I didn’t expect him to look so pleased. “Anna, you’re jealous of me.” “That’s good, but for us to be more stable in the future, I have to ask you to cooperate with me for a bit.” I frowned as I watched Lucas stand up, unbuttoning his shirt cuffs as he walked towards me. I instinctively backed away, feeling a strong sense of unease. Lucas saw through my intention to escape. He closed the distance in a few quick strides and grabbed my hand, pulling me out. I struggled desperately, pounding and clawing at his arm, but I couldn’t break free. The feeling of unease peaked when I saw the storage room. My face instantly turned pale. “Lucas, what are you doing? Let me go, let me go!” I clung desperately to the doorframe, my eyes full of fear of that dark, narrow room. Cold sweat broke out on my forehead. I couldn’t hear the sounds around me, only the rapid beating of my heart threatening to burst my eardrums. “Lucas, I don’t want to go in there. Please, Lucas, don’t do this…” My whole body shook uncontrollably, the air seemed to thin, and a sense of suffocation washed over me. My pleas couldn’t soften Lucas’s heart even a bit. He pushed me into hell without hesitation. As the door slowly closed, the last bit of light disappeared, and I fell into complete despair. I had been kidnapped as a child. The kidnappers locked us children in a small dark room, threatening to kill us if they didn’t receive the ransom by the deadline. The thin door couldn’t block out the sound of flesh being hacked and blood splattering. It was only a few hours, but it left me with a lifelong trauma. The first time I told Lucas about this experience, he was so heartbroken he cried. He kissed my face gently, which was pale despite my attempts to appear calm, and promised with absolute determination: “I will never let you be alone in the darkness.” But now he was the one pushing me into the abyss of despair with his own hands. I tried to curl up, tears streaming uncontrollably as I weakly knocked on the door. “Lucas, Lucas…” Save me, please save me… The buzzing of electricity sounded, and Lucas’s voice came through the device. “Anna, stop pretending. It’s just locking you up for a while. How can it be that painful? You should reflect on yourself.” My last lifeline cruelly snapped all my hope. I lost track of time, completely gripped by despair, on the verge of breakdown, unable to squeeze out a shred of rationality. Lucas, why do you say you love me, yet hurt me constantly… Biting my wrist in a daze, in my fuzzy consciousness, a voice urged me. Bite down, and you can leave this place. You’ll never be afraid again. Some liquid flowed down. Just before I passed out, the door was kicked open and someone rushed in to hold me. Lucas’s voice rang out, suppressing his anger. “You care more about my wife than I do, her lawful husband. How dare you still say you’re innocent?!” But the next second, Lucas’s expression changed when he saw me clearly, his face full of anxiety as he ran towards me. “The patient went into shock due to excessive blood loss. If she had been brought in any later, even God couldn’t have saved her.” I woke up to the doctor’s stern criticism, staring blankly at the ceiling. “Anna, you’re awake? How do you feel?” That voice… I turned my head in confusion, surprised to see Ryan there. Ryan looked relieved and explained, sensing my confusion. “You asked Emily to book you a flight. She was worried you had suffered some grievance, and since I happened to be on a business trip to the country, she asked me to check on you.” “It’s a good thing I came in time. That bastard Lucas…” Ryan couldn’t help but grit his teeth in anger at the mention of Lucas. Lucas and Jasmine were so high-profile, and Ryan had personally witnessed me being locked up and falling ill. Of course he would be angry. “Don’t tell Emily, or she’ll cry while cursing me for sure.” Ryan, Emily, and I had played together since we were kids, but I was the only one who got married early. If it weren’t for Lucas, I wouldn’t have left the familiar environment I grew up in to marry into a foreign country. I won’t forgive Lucas. The dull pain in my wrist kept calling out, and Lucas must pay for his mistakes. “Ryan, can you help me with something?” … When Lucas arrived, Ryan had already left. He sat down silently by the hospital bed, staring at my bandaged wrist with a complicated expression. This was self-inflicted when I was unclear-headed in the storage room. The wound was deep. Sensing an uneasy aura, I began to tremble involuntarily in my sleep due to weakness. Lucas was clearly startled. He wanted to come closer to check but froze when he saw me shaking even more violently. I furrowed my brows, as if having a nightmare, and woke up with tear stains at the corners of my eyes. Lucas’s entire demeanor turned cold again, looking at me without a trace of warmth. “The adulterer has been caught. What else do you have to say?” I remained silent for a moment, then looked up at Lucas with fragile sorrow in my eyes. “Ryan is just my friend. You’ve always known that, haven’t you?” “Besides, he came on a business trip. The person he likes isn’t me.” Lucas sneered, clearly not believing it. “Friend? Would just a friend rush over so anxiously after hearing you and I were divorcing? Do you really expect me to—” “He likes Jasmine.” Lucas was stunned, clearly not having considered this possibility. “Don’t you remember? When we confirmed our relationship abroad, Jasmine flew over overnight to congratulate you. Ryan liked her even back then, but Jasmine always had feelings for you… so he never said anything.” I sobbed lightly, my eyes full of dependence on him. My bandaged hand trembled as it clutched at the hem of his clothes. “Lucas, I was so scared then. No matter how I called for you, you didn’t respond. I thought I was really going to die…” Did Lucas love me? He did. He was silent at first, but seeing my tears flow more and more, he couldn’t help but hold my hand and embrace me, softening his voice to comfort me. “Anna, there are no more obstacles now. We can finally live peacefully like before.” But I found it pathetic. Lucas’s love was limited, unable to overcome his self-righteousness. Resting my head on Lucas’s shoulder, I flashed a challenging smile at Jasmine, who stood at the door of the hospital room with an ashen face. It doesn’t matter. I won’t care anymore, more or less. After being discharged from the hospital, I pretended not to know that Lucas had already signed the divorce papers and widely publicized it to lure out the so-called adulterer. I calmly returned to the Graham house. As soon as I opened the door, there was Jasmine with a face full of “I’m doing this for your own good.” “Lucas, Anna is no longer pure. You’ve seen it yourself. Why do you still want her to come back?” I saw Lucas’s hesitation and inwardly sneered. “Jasmine, Lucas did all this just to live a good life with me. Those things are in the past, he won’t hold them against me anymore.” I affectionately linked arms with Lucas, smiling happily. “Thank you for your hard work, Jasmine. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely treat the child well after it’s born.” “Lucas has always treated you like a real sister. We’ve both been worried about you being alone all these years. I have a friend abroad, if you’re willing, I can introduce you two?” Jasmine’s face changed, and she was about to make a sarcastic remark when Lucas nodded and interrupted her. “I know Anna’s friend too. He’s a talented young man, very suitable for you.” Jasmine was at a loss, forcing a smile through her anger. “Lucas, you know I’m just worried about you and Anna. In my previous dream, Anna passed away from that disease…” Jasmine’s voice got smaller and smaller, her expression becoming awkward, as if there was something difficult to say. Lucas frowned in displeasure, a flash of disgust in his eyes that didn’t escape my notice. I remained calm, thoroughly ignoring the malice coming my way. As the atmosphere grew tense, the doorbell suddenly rang. Soon after, the housekeeper came in carrying a beautifully wrapped bouquet of roses. “Someone sent flowers for Miss Chen. The card seems to be from a Mr. Lewis.” Assuming Ryan had started pursuing Jasmine, Lucas happily handed the flowers to her, then put his arm around me and went upstairs. After closing the bedroom door, I deliberately distanced myself from Lucas. “Lucas, when are we going to remarry?” Lucas, who was about to come closer, paused in his steps. “Anna, I’ve been too busy these past few days. Let’s not rush the remarriage. I still need to prepare a surprise for you.” Without waiting for my response, Lucas left on the pretext of having something to do. I knew he was concerned about what Jasmine had said. That’s fine. It also provided me with cover. Not long after Lucas left, Jasmine appeared in the room. “Anna, you’ve got the wrong room. Your room is in the guest room.” I ignored her pretense. Just thinking about her lying in this room before made me feel sick. I didn’t plan to stay here. As I brushed past her, Jasmine blocked my way. “Lucas won’t remarry you.” She snorted meaningfully, her tone full of certainty. There’s a corner staircase leading out of the master bedroom. After speaking, Jasmine deliberately stumbled down it. I stood on the stairs, coldly watching her self-directed play. “Anna, I really just wanted you to accept the baby. I didn’t mean anything else.” Jasmine was cruel to me, but even crueler to herself. She fell down hard, her face instantly turning pale, blood gradually seeping out from beneath her. Lucas rushed over to find Jasmine clutching her belly, looking helpless and panicked. He glared at me fiercely, his face gloomy. “You really did push Jasmine down the stairs because you don’t like this child!” “Lucas, she fell down on her own. She’s trying to frame me. Please believe me, okay?” I explained weakly, the hope in my eyes shattering under Lucas’s gaze that deemed me the culprit. “Anna Quinn, how dare a lying, disgusting thing like you.” Lucas picked up Jasmine and hurried downstairs to the hospital. I turned around with a heartbroken look, went to the guest room to pack my luggage, and left through the front door under the servants’ strange gazes. Unsurprisingly, Jasmine lost the baby. Lucas stayed with her at the hospital for several days, watching her lie pale and weak in bed, silently shedding tears. His heart ached terribly. “I just wanted Anna to spend more time with the baby and develop feelings for it. I never thought she would be so intolerant of the baby.” “Lucas, I really wasn’t lying. I dreamed she pushed me down the stairs, I dreamed she had an affair, and I dreamed she got that disease. She doesn’t deserve your love at all.” The veins on Lucas’s hands bulged as he gritted his teeth. “Jasmine, I’ll make her come to the hospital to kneel and apologize to you. She dared to deceive me. She must pay the price.” With that, Lucas took out his phone and dialed my number, but no one answered. He laughed angrily and dialed the home number. “Where is Anna Quinn? Not answering her phone, off to see which wild man again? Tell her to get to the hospital immediately!” On the other end was the stammering voice of a servant. “Sir, Madam said she was going to the temple on the mountain to pray for atonement. She left a letter for you and left.”

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In the seventh year of my marriage to Lily, her wealthy first love returned from abroad. He had a face that was 70% similar to mine. At the class reunion, he cornered me in the bathroom and taunted: “Tell me, who does she think of every night, you or me?” I couldn’t help but throw a punch. But Lily yelled at me for his sake: “Why don’t you just die?” She didn’t know that I was indeed dying. At the class reunion, Lily’s first love had returned from abroad. Now successful and famous, he walked past old classmates amidst their flattery, stopping in front of Lily to say a simple “long time no see.” With just those words, Lily’s eyes instantly turned red. Classmates laughed and teased, “After all these years, Zack still only has eyes for Lily.” “If Lily had married Zack back then, she’d be Mrs. Jack now, instead of running that small company.” “I say it’s not too late for Lily to get a divorce now.” “…” Everyone was gossiping, with Zack and Lily at the center of attention. And I, as Lily’s husband, sat to the side, more like a piece of background scenery. I studied Zack. He had a face that was 70% similar to mine. In fact, I had always known that I was just a substitute Lily had found. I once vowed to use the rest of my life to make Lily truly fall in love with me, but— Now, I was dying.

Feeling suffocated, I went out for some air. But at the bathroom door, I encountered Zack. He smiled contemptuously, “Thank you for taking care of Lily all these years.” “Now that I’m back, she doesn’t need you anymore.” A lump formed in my throat, causing pain throughout my body. I looked at him coldly, “The choice is Lily’s. At least for now, I’m her legal husband.” Zack’s cold laughter rang out. “Where does your confidence come from? Just that face that looks a bit like mine?” “Tell me, when she’s lying next to you at night, who is she thinking of, you or me?” Every word was particularly grating. I couldn’t hold back anymore and punched him hard in the face. However, a cry of surprise came from behind: “Zack!” Turning around, Lily had already run up. She helped Zack up, glaring at me with red eyes. In seven years of marriage, she had never been this angry. “Ethan Summers, are you crazy?” “What right do you have to hit someone?” Their classmates also came forward to help Zack, looking at me with hostility. “Lily, your husband is really something. Even if he’s jealous, he can’t just hit people!” “Yeah, he’s so lacking in self-awareness. If it were me, I’d pack up and leave as soon as the real deal came back.” Amidst the chatter, Lily looked at me coldly, “You’ve really disappointed me.” My chest seemed to hurt even more. Suddenly, I tasted blood in my throat, but I managed to hold it back. I turned and left. On the steps outside the hotel, I slowly took out the medical report from my pocket. Ethan Summers, male, late-stage stomach cancer. The sunlight shining on that thin piece of paper was a bit dazzling. I couldn’t hold it back anymore and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Seven years ago, Lily approached me, using the excuse of avoiding her family’s pressure to marry, saying she wanted to live together as partners. At that time, it was my third year of secretly loving Lily. So I agreed without hesitation. For seven years after marriage, we lived together respectfully, and later even developed feelings. I held that piece of ice in my palm for seven years, watching as the fortress she had firmly built slowly crumbled. To the extent that, later on, I even believed she had fallen in love with me. Now it seems. I was just deluding myself. Without realizing it, I fell asleep curled up on the sofa. When I woke up, it was to the sound of the door closing. When Lily came in, the wall clock was just pointing to 3 AM. Seeing me awake, she paused, then took off her coat and hung it in the closet. That coat looked a bit familiar. In the afternoon, it had been on Zack’s body. Lily walked to the sofa, half-squatting to hold my hand, “Still angry?” I didn’t say anything, just pulled my hand away and pushed the prepared divorce agreement in front of her. “This is the divorce agreement. Take a look.”

Lily was stunned for two seconds, then her face showed the anger of having her intentions exposed. “Ethan Summers, what do you mean by this?” “Nothing happened between us, we just met up with old classmates today.” “Can you stop being so unreasonable like a woman?” She asked three questions in a row, getting more and more agitated. The anger I had been suppressing all day finally burst out at this moment. “What about you?” “Lily, in these seven years of marriage, have I been a husband to you or just a substitute?” “When you kiss me, are you thinking of me or Zack?” I didn’t want to argue with her. But the knife-like pain in my stomach made me unable to hold back this question. Lily was instantly silenced. After a while, she got up and walked towards the door. “Ethan Summers, are you going to be this childish until you die?” Throwing down these words, she slammed the door and left. But I was stunned. Yeah. I’m about to die, and I’m still this childish.

Lily hasn’t been home for two days. I called her three times, wanting to urge her about the divorce. The first two times she hung up, and the last time she simply turned off her phone. I remembered that a few years ago, she had pulled me into her classmates’ Facebook group. I opened the computer and logged into the account I hadn’t used in a long time. It was still there. Someone in the group had posted some photos of a private gathering of classmates. I saw Lily in the photos, as well as Zack. She seemed to have been drinking and was passed out in his arms. I looked at every photo, then calmly tagged Lily in the group. “Come home, let’s sign the divorce papers.” She responded to me quickly. “What are you going crazy about now?” Soon after, I received a message notification: “You have been removed from the group chat.” Lily’s phone was still unreachable. But someone rang the doorbell. I pressed on my aching abdomen and went to open the door. “Mom? Why are you here?” Outside the door, my mother-in-law was carrying bags full of things, smiling tiredly, “You’ve been saying your stomach wasn’t feeling well lately, right? Mom got some herbal medicine from a traditional doctor. Remember to drink it.” “I heard this traditional doctor is very good at treating stomach problems.” Several bags were placed on the ground, filled with medicinal soup and dishes we liked. My nose suddenly stung. This old lady who had rushed over from dozens of miles away with bags and packages still didn’t know— No matter how good the doctor was, they probably couldn’t cure my body now.

After some hesitation, I still brought up the matter of divorce with her. “Mom, I’ve thought about it for a long time and decided to divorce Lily.” With a dull thud, the teacup in her hand fell to the ground. Shattered. Hot water splashed everywhere. I hurriedly went to help her up, but she grabbed me instead, “Ethan, did you two have a fight?” “If she did something wrong, tell Mom, I…” “No,” I interrupted her, “It’s my fault, we’re having some problems with our relationship.” I didn’t intend to expose her daughter’s misdeeds in front of my mother-in-law. For seven years of marriage, my in-laws had always treated me like their own son. Whatever Lily did wrong had nothing to do with them. Suddenly, there was the sound of a key in the door outside. Lily was back. “Ethan Summers, isn’t it enough that you’re making a scene at home? Do you have to make it public too?” Lily’s voice suddenly stopped when she saw her mother. However, my mother-in-law had already seen Zack behind her. Zack didn’t seem flustered, instead he took the initiative to come over, “Auntie, I don’t know if you remember me, I’m Zack Jack.” “Before I went abroad, I even had a meal with you.” My mother-in-law remained silent with a cold face. The atmosphere was awkward. Lily came forward to smooth things over, but was grabbed by her mother, “Lily, let me ask you, are you divorcing Ethan for him?” Lily’s face cTomed, “Mom, don’t get involved in this.” “Whether we divorce or not is between me and Ethan, we…” “Slap—” A slap interrupted Lily’s words. “Foolish girl!” My mother-in-law pointed at Zack, her hand shaking with anger, “Do you think he truly loves you? If he loved you, he wouldn’t have left you to go abroad in the first place!” Lily was also angered by that slap. The mother and daughter argued fiercely. Until I noticed my mother-in-law’s face didn’t look right. “Stop arguing!” I went forward to support her, “Mom, are you okay?” “Mom…”

My mother-in-law was hospitalized for a heart attack, fortunately it wasn’t serious. In the hospital room. Lily and I sat by the bed, my mother-in-law tightly holding my hand, tears streaming down her face. “Ethan, Lily is being foolish. This child has always been stubborn since she was little. Give her some more time, she’ll come to her senses.” I didn’t say anything. The old lady’s voice choked up as she gently patted the back of my hand, “All these years, we’ve always treated you like our own son. We only recognize you as our son-in-law.” “Mom’s health won’t last for another two years. If you two divorce, Mom…” “Mom won’t be able to close her eyes even on her deathbed.” I felt a lump in my throat. Unable to bear seeing the old lady crying and begging, I took a deep breath and said okay. Only then did my mother-in-law feel at ease. … In the corridor. I clutched my aching stomach and looked at Lily, “Find a day to get the divorce certificate.” Lily was stunned, “Didn’t you just say…” “I was lying to the old lady.” The more my stomach hurt, the calmer my expression became, “I don’t want the old folks to worry about our affairs.” “I’ll send you the divorce agreement when it’s ready.” “I don’t agree!” Lily frowned, “Ethan Summers, can you stop this nonsense? Zack and I are just classmates. He just came back, and our classmates have been organizing gatherings every day.” “Besides, we agreed to live together as partners from the beginning. Whether Zack is back or not doesn’t affect our marriage.” I found it laughable. Just as I was about to speak, I saw Lily’s expression cTome. Turning around. I saw Zack walking over with gifts. Lily, who had just been adamantly refusing divorce, suddenly fell silent. The pain in my body was almost unbearable. No longer having the strength to argue with them, I gave Lily a look, “I’ll send you the divorce agreement when it’s ready.” With that, I turned and left. And this time, Lily didn’t refuse. Next to Zack, she chose to remain silent.

At midnight. In the dark office. Lily fumbled around in the dark, searching through the desk drawers, almost turning over every drawer. While I sat quietly on the small sofa in the corner, watching her. Recently, the company was participating in a very important bid. And Zack, having just returned to the country and eager to establish business connections, was likely to have his eye on this bid. Lily still came. She came to steal our company’s bid documents for Zack. Seven years of marriage, all affection, completely destroyed in this moment. In the darkness, I held the bid documents and spoke softly— “Are you looking for this?” “Ah!” Lily screamed, seemingly almost collapsing from fright. When the lights came on, I saw her face clearly. Her expression was terrified, her eyes darting around nervously. “Ethan…” She came to her senses, calling my name with obvious lack of confidence. Soon. Zack’s figure appeared at the office door. Obviously, he had seen the lights come on in the office from downstairs. “Lily,” I looked at her calmly, “If you hadn’t tried to steal these bid documents, I would have still tried to leave us both with some dignity.” Lily bit her lower lip, “Zack just came back, this bid is very important to him…” “Isn’t it important to my company too?” Lily was at a loss for words. She knew better than anyone that this bid was also very important for the company. But she still chose to help Zack. As the atmosphere grew tense, Zack shielded Lily behind him, “I asked her to get it, what’s wrong with that?” “Half of this company belongs to Lily, why can’t she take it?” Under the fluorescent lights, he looked me up and down, his laughter contemptuous. “Ethan Summers, as long as I’m back in the country, this bid will definitely be mine.” “So will Lily.” Knowing he was trying to provoke me, but with the pent-up anger in my chest surging, I still threw a punch at him. “Go to hell!” Zack and I started fighting. Lily cried out and tried to separate us. “Ethan Summers, can’t you stop making trouble?” “Slap—” In the chaos, she raised her hand and slapped me. It didn’t hurt, but it was loud. Lily looked at me in shock, her hand still in the position from just now, trembling slightly. “I didn’t mean to…” My stomach was hurting badly. I suddenly felt more exhausted than ever before. Struggling to pick up the bid documents from the ground, as I stood up, I suddenly started coughing heavily. I covered my mouth with my hand, only to find I had coughed up some blood. But Lily didn’t notice my weakness. She was still trying to persuade me, “Ethan Summers, this bid is really important to Zack. Please, I’m begging you, okay?” I didn’t want to talk to her anymore. I turned around with the bid documents and slowly walked out of the office. I had given up on Lily. But this bid, I couldn’t. 9

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