Category: English

My husband cheated on me. His mistress brazenly approached me with their love child, mocking me for being a barren woman and telling me to step aside. Later, watching my husband kneel before me begging for forgiveness, I didn’t get angry. Instead, I gently suggested, “Why don’t we register the child under my name?” “The child in this photo is Jack’s and my son.” I calmly observed the young woman sitting across from me. She was pretty and petite, not looking at all like someone who was already a mother. If only her smug and arrogant expression could be ignored, it would be even better. I stared at her delicate face, thinking to myself. The Jack she mentioned was my husband. Being suddenly told that your husband has a child with another woman feels absurd, but I chose not to make a scene. On the contrary, I remained rational. I listened coolly as the young woman across from me recounted how she met my husband, fell in love, and gave birth to the fruit of their love. “So?” Out of politeness, I had patiently waited for her to state the purpose of seeking me out, but she kept going on and on about her love story with Jack Thompson. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I finally couldn’t help but ask. “You… you…” She looked at me in shock, as if she hadn’t expected me to say that. She was completely stunned. Under her shocked gaze, I elegantly took a sip of the coffee in front of me. She quickly regained her previous arrogant demeanor. “Hmph, Jack told me you had a miscarriage before, and you probably can’t have children in this lifetime. “Now that I’ve given Jack a son, what right do you have to still hold the title of Mrs. Thompson when you’re just a barren woman? “If I were you, I’d voluntarily divorce him. You might even get some money out of it. Better than ending up kicked out with nothing, just an old hag that no one wants.” I didn’t expect Jack to even tell her about my infertility. But what she doesn’t know is that I was once pregnant. It was Jack’s and my first child. At the time, I didn’t know I was pregnant. I was busy accompanying him with work and social engagements, and due to overexertion, I miscarried. It damaged my body, and since then I’ve had a tendency to miscarry. I remember Jack swearing to me in front of my parents. “Emma, don’t worry. Even if we never have children in this lifetime, I will love you forever. If I ever cheat on you, may I die a terrible death.” My parents, who had never liked him, weren’t moved by these words. Their expressions only grew heavier. I was the only one who was touched. Thinking about it now, I was so foolish. To believe such words. I chuckled lightly and said, “You want to be Mrs. Thompson? Then you shouldn’t be coming to me, you should go to Jack. It seems he doesn’t know you came to see me, right? “You may be younger and prettier than me, but so what? His success today is because of me, because of my family! “Why don’t you go ask him if he dares to divorce me for you and this illegitimate child? Does he dare?” With that, I took out my wallet, placed some cash on the table.

“I’ve paid for the coffee. You should keep the money you’ve earned as a homewrecker and mistress for yourself.” Having said that, I ignored her murderous glare, picked up my bag, and left the coffee shop. Leaving the cafe, I found myself in a daze at a private hospital. Today was originally the day I was supposed to pick up my medical report. After that miscarriage, I became very concerned about our health. At first, he would accompany me to get the medical reports, but in the past two years he always said he was too busy and let me go alone. He trusted me completely with this task. Now that I think about it, he was probably just too lazy to ask. “Emma, here’s your medical report. There’s nothing wrong, but Jack’s situation isn’t good. Why do you look so upset?” my best friend Lily asked with concern. She’s a doctor at this hospital, which is owned by her family. I wanted to put on a brave face and maintain my dignity. But at that moment, seeing my caring best friend, I couldn’t hold back the hurt in my heart any longer. My voice was choked with tears as I spoke: “Lily, Jack cheated on me. He even had a child with another woman. What should I do? How could he do this to me? “He said he didn’t care if we had children or not, that he would love me forever.” From childhood to adulthood, I rarely cried because my life had always been smooth sailing. Even after marrying Jack and going through some hard times, I still had my parents’ help and support. But now, I hated myself for being so weak, yet the tears still flowed uncontrollably. Jack and I were college classmates and have been married for seven years. In these seven years, we experienced the sweetness of passionate love, but that passion eventually faded into calm. I should have realized earlier that behind any calm surface, there are always turbulent undercurrents hidden beneath. Seeing me cry uncontrollably, Lily frantically tried to wipe away my tears. “That bastard Jack actually dared to cheat on you behind your back. Emma, don’t cry. Let’s divorce him! “I knew he was no good when he persuaded you to sneak your ID to get married. I felt he wasn’t a good person. These past two years he’s been so busy he can’t even spare the time to accompany you to get medical reports. But you just loved him so much, you wouldn’t listen to anyone. “I was wondering how to comfort you, but now it seems there’s no need. Karma! Jack Thompson deserves this!” Indeed, when I first introduced Jack to Lily, she didn’t like him. She always believed Jack wasn’t good enough for me, and I often defended him to her. I’m an only child from a wealthy family, pampered since childhood. I hardly encountered any difficulties or setbacks growing up. In college, I met Jack. After a few encounters, he started pursuing me. Having never dated before, I fell into the whirlpool of love. Blinded by love, I secretly married him right after graduation, persuaded by his sweet talk. Although my parents were angry with me, they reluctantly accepted him due to the circumstances. For my sake, my parents not only provided financial support but also introduced business connections, giving him the greatest support and boost in his career. During the early days of the company, I accompanied him in working overtime and attending business events. Later, as the company gradually got on track, I retreated behind the scenes, becoming what outsiders saw as the pampered Mrs. Thompson. Before meeting this woman, I had always been grateful that I hadn’t misjudged him. Now I see that Lily’s judgment of people was indeed accurate, at least better than mine. I was wrong, terribly wrong. Just then, my phone rang. It was Jack’s mother, my mother-in-law. “Where have you been? I found a folk remedy from my hometown. The master said it can cure your illness. Hurry back home from wherever you are and drink it while it’s hot, so you can give our Thompson family a child.” Ever since learning about my health issues, my mother-in-law didn’t say much at first. Actually, I’m not stupid. I know it’s not that she didn’t want to say anything, but that Jack had specifically instructed her not to. At that time, the company wasn’t as big as it is now, and still couldn’t do without my parents’ help. If they upset me and displeased my parents, the company’s business would be over. So for those few years, my mother-in-law treated me, her daughter-in-law, even better than she treated Jack, her own son. In the past two years, Jack has been quite successful, growing the company bigger and bigger, gradually no longer needing to rely completely on my parents’ help. With her son now having a say in the company, my mother-in-law started to show her true colors, nitpicking at me and finding fault everywhere, often forcing me to drink Chinese medicine to improve my health. Every time I mentioned this to Jack, he would use the excuse that his mother was old, telling me to be patient and bear with it. I loved him and knew he was busy with work and under a lot of pressure, so I didn’t want to trouble him with this. Even though I was reluctant, I forced myself to drink a lot of bitter Chinese medicine. As for him, he went behind my back to find a mistress and had an illegitimate child. How ridiculous when I think about it! “Mom, these folk remedies have no scientific basis and can be very dangerous. They might even kill someone. Please don’t look for these remedies anymore. I won’t drink them.” Because of Jack’s affair, I was in a bad mood, and my tone was somewhat harsh. My mother-in-law on the other end of the phone heard it too, and immediately became sarcastic. “Well, if you won’t drink it, that’s fine. But can you give me a grandson? Look at you, married to Jack for seven years and still haven’t given our Thompson family a child. “Our Jack is almost thirty, the only son of the Thompson family, the boss of a big company. If it weren’t for your inability to bear children, how could he not have a child by now? Is this how your parents taught you to be a daughter-in-law? “You better come back and drink this medicine, or don’t blame me for making Jack divorce you! A barren divorcee like you probably won’t be able to find a good man like our Jack again.” Before I could retort, she hung up the phone. “The Thompson family is really too much! Divorce! Emma, you must divorce him!” My best friend Lily indignantly said. I stared at the medical report in my hand, lost in thought. Just then, my phone received a text message from Jack. “Emma, don’t be angry with Mom about the medicine. She means well. She’s old and has high blood pressure. If she says a few words to you, just bear with it. After all, she’s your elder. “I’m coming home for dinner tonight. Remember to wait for me. I have something to tell you.” Again, asking me to bear with it. But I’ve endured enough. I don’t want to endure anymore. I did love Jack, but my love for him ended the moment I found out about his affair today. The child looks just over three months old, which means he’s been cheating for at least a year and a half. And I’ve been kept in the dark all this time. Thinking back on this past year and more, he often used overtime and business trips as excuses to not come home for days, not answering my calls. Even his attitude towards me became increasingly perfunctory and cold. I foolishly thought it was because of his work pressure. On our wedding anniversary, I called him to come home for dinner, and he accused me of being unreasonable and inconsiderate. It turns out it wasn’t my problem. He already had someone new. I’m not a fool. I won’t tolerate him continuing to trample on my dignity. I want to make him pay for this. “Lily, you’re right. I was blinded by love before, but now my mind is clear. “Divorce? That would be letting Jack off too easily. The company might even have to be split in half. If it weren’t for my parents’ help and support back then, the company wouldn’t be what it is today, and Jack Thompson wouldn’t be where he is now. “If I didn’t have this medical report, I might choose to divorce him. But now, I absolutely won’t divorce Jack. I know him. He would definitely leave everything to this child. “They want a son and she wants to be Mrs. Thompson? Well, I won’t let them have their way. “Back then, I co-founded the company with him. My efforts were no less than his. “For the sake of the company, I lost my child. But he broke his vow from back then. Since he’s being cruel, he can’t blame me for being ruthless. He can forget about the company.” I didn’t plan to sit idly by. Lily has a wide network and knows many people. I asked her to help me find a very capable private investigator. How much it costs doesn’t matter to me. After all, money is the least of my concerns. Jack gives me a sum of money every month as my living expenses. Although I no longer work at the company, I’m still a major shareholder and receive dividends every year. Plus, I have a good head for financial investment, earning enough money to cover my daily expenses. I need to find evidence of Jack’s affair as soon as possible, just in case. I also asked the private investigator to thoroughly investigate the background and identity of Jack’s mistress. She dared to arrogantly arrange a private meeting with me, presumably because Jack gave her the courage. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have told me such private information about my inability to conceive. Over the years, I’ve noticed Jack’s desire to have his own child. I’ve seen many doctors for this, but unfortunately, we’ve never been successful. At first, when my mother-in-law made me drink Chinese medicine, he would try to stop her. But in the past year, he directly told me to go along with my mother-in-law’s wishes. I suppose by then, he was already with Mia. People really are fickle. After seven years of marriage, I still know Jack’s personality inside out. He’s someone who responds better to gentle persuasion than to force. I believe that if I lower my stance and show some weakness, given our years of feelings and my parents’ influence behind me, he definitely wouldn’t divorce me for someone like Mia. But the premise is that I have to accept his illegitimate child. He’s no longer the poor boy who could only rely on my family. He now has his own connections and resources. So he’s willing to risk falling out with me and my parents to have his own child. Even though doing so would have a huge impact on him. But for this illegitimate child, this child he’s been longing for, he might really be willing to do anything. After all, he’s an only child, the only heir of the Thompson family. But I’m not willing. Why should I? I’m not the one who did anything wrong. He’s the one who cheated first, betraying our love and our marriage. Life is truly marvelous. It can bring you shocks, and it can also bring you surprises when you least expect them. Jack came back. As soon as he got home and saw me, he immediately apologized with a guilty face. “Honey, it’s all my fault. I had an emergency meeting yesterday and then worked overnight on a project. I didn’t have time to tell you, and I made you wait for me all night.” He looked remorseful and sincere. If I hadn’t seen the video Mia sent me, I might have believed his lies. Now he’s just full of lies, not a single word of truth coming out of his mouth. Seeing him like this, it’s clear he doesn’t know that I’ve found out about his affair. But since that’s the case, I’ll pretend I don’t know either. I kept my composure and replied, “It’s okay, I know you’re busy with work. I understand.” “I knew it, honey. You’re always so understanding. There’s something else I need to tell you. You know the economy hasn’t been good this year, which has led to some cash flow issues in our company. So I’ve been working on a big project. If we get it, our company will be able to overcome this difficult period. “The client is a well-known foreign company, but we’re not the only ones after this project. Other companies want it too. I’ve found out that the project manager on their side is the son of your dad’s old war buddy. Do you think you could ask your dad to help make a connection?” So that’s it. I looked at Jack’s fawning face in front of me and suddenly felt utterly disgusted. The person I once loved has long since become unrecognizable. I’m afraid he’s had no place for me in his heart for a long time. I’m just a ladder for him to climb up, a bridge to gain benefits. But I’m grateful that heaven is still on my side. I was wondering why my mother-in-law suddenly changed her attitude towards me. It turns out her precious son needs something from me. If he needs something from me, then many things will be much easier to handle. “Is that so? Honey, don’t worry, of course I’ll help you. I’ll talk to Dad about this.” Seeing that I agreed so readily, Jack was very happy. “Honey, there’s something else I want to ask you.”

When the plane crash happened, my pilot husband Samuel immediately snatched away my life jacket. He pinned me firmly against the emergency exit, using me to shield his first love from the raging flames. Giving her the chance to survive. In my previous life, the same thing happened. He pushed me out to save his first love. As the plane disintegrated, I was burned alive, my body completely destroyed. He cried inconsolably at my funeral, yet married his first love the very next day. But then he got into a car accident. Before dying, he said he regretted his actions. If given another chance, he swore he would save me. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the moment of the plane crash. Once more, he chose to save his first love, tying me to the disintegrating plane to await death. … Samuel used a safety rope to bind me tightly to the emergency exit. Having learned about airplane emergency procedures, I knew clearly that he intended to use my life alone to give everyone else a chance to escape. Using my body to block the oncoming flames, delaying the disintegration of the plane’s emergency exit. But I would be incinerated the instant the exit broke apart, my body torn into countless pieces. This was something emphasized repeatedly in survival training. Samuel must have remembered. “Samuel!” I shouted, but in the blink of an eye, I saw him embracing his first love as they jumped into the sea together. He held her figure tightly in his arms. The plane’s fuselage grew hotter and hotter, plummeting at an extreme speed. And I was left hanging at the emergency exit, experiencing the torment of ice and fire. My arms were scorched by the fierce flames. The skin gradually curled and blistered. The plane began to rapidly break apart in two places. At that moment, my entire body was overwhelmed by the fear of impending death. Looking at the death knot Samuel had tied with his own hands, seeing my wrists bruised purple from being trapped, I finally understood how laughable Samuel’s deathbed regrets in my previous life were. Heaven had given him another chance. Yet he still gave the opportunity to live to his first love, Olivia. This time, he even felt sorry that Olivia’s face had been burned in the previous life due to the fire, so he directly used me to block the rapidly approaching flames. Watching the fire consume my arms, yet calmly helping his first love put on the life jacket snatched from my hands. Using the life-saving rope meant for escape to seal off my path to survival. Enduring the pain, I watched as the plane was about to disintegrate, feeling the agony of my limbs being torn apart. It hurt so much, the pain made me faint. But when I opened my eyes and saw white walls, I was momentarily dazed. “She’s awake!” Having just regained consciousness, I was surrounded by a crowd of people. Several doctors and nurses pushed through the crowd and approached me. “Vitals normal!” “No adverse reactions!” “Excellent!” The doctor in charge told me that in the last moment before the plane disintegrated, I had fallen into the nearby sea. A man who had been sea fishing rescued me. He drove through the night to bring me to the hospital. Most fortunately, that man was also an accomplished surgeon, so along the way, he saved my life using his extensive emergency medical knowledge. The group surrounding me were mostly reporters. This plane crash with zero casualties had received extensive media coverage. Due to the massive exposure, the media discovered that there was one unauthorized passenger on the flight beyond the official headcount. But the airline refused to provide the specific passenger list, citing protection of customer privacy. In the end, it was the pilot Samuel who admitted that his wife Chloe had used his name to board the plane against regulations.

As a result, many uninformed members of the public believed I deserved such severe injuries. Some even publicly stated that I should have been dismembered and killed when the plane broke apart. My personal information was released online. During my hospitalization, countless media outlets and social media influencers wanted to get a first-hand interview with me, constantly harassing me. The hospital could only tell them I hadn’t fully regained consciousness and was still in a coma, blocking them from entering. But Samuel, as my husband, never showed up. Looking through those reports, I learned that Samuel had been named an outstanding pilot and everyday hero for his rescue efforts. He even did interviews with his first love Olivia, the two of them playing off each other, claiming that I had obstructed their rescue efforts. And that I had always been suspicious of their pure friendship, deliberately using Samuel’s name to board the plane. All because I was jealous. They said it was my jealousy that nearly endangered everyone on the plane. There were even people online starting to ship them as a couple, with captivating videos that even had me mesmerized. As I was watching, the attending physician walked in. “I see your spirits have improved a lot, you’re even interested in shipping your husband with someone else?” I closed my phone and cooperated with his examination. A whole patch of skin on my arm had been burned off, and every dressing change felt like death. He looked at it and said: “Logically, sitting in the middle, you should have been among the first group to escape. How did you end up burned so badly?” “And why are there marks on your hands as if you were tied up?” I looked at the attending physician. “I’ve been following the news for so long, why haven’t I heard anything about the black box?” “It hasn’t been found yet, after all it fell into the sea.” I shook my head. It would be found soon. Once found, everything would become clear. In my previous life, Samuel’s accident happened just before it was found. At that time, I really thought he was distracted by guilt over me, causing him to be hit by a car and die. Only later did I learn that it was because the black box had been found, and the fact that he had illegally allowed his first love into the cockpit and pushed me out to die was about to be exposed. After enjoying being adored by people for so long, he couldn’t accept going from heaven to hell. “Once the black box is found, everything will be clear.” “Alright!” Not long after the attending physician left, Samuel arrived. Olivia was following behind him. Seeing their matching couple outfits, I turned away in disgust. But Samuel sat down beside me and said: “Now that you’re awake, do an interview and say what I tell you to.” He tossed a notebook at me, hitting my hand. Using an imperious tone, he said: “Just take responsibility for everything yourself. It’s not like they’ll do anything to you anyway. It’ll save my job and help Olivia get reinstated too. It’s a good thing.” A good thing? I couldn’t hear anything good about it. He put the nearly wilted flowers he was holding into my vase. “As long as you obediently say what I tell you, I won’t divorce you. You’ll still be Samuel’s wife. If you don’t…” He glared at me before continuing: “We’ll have to get divorced.” This kind of threat had existed since I married him, and it had always worked before. This time he thought it would work too. Olivia stood to the side, looking at my injuries with disdain. But she put on a pitiful act and said: “Sister, you really misunderstood. Samuel and I are just ordinary friends. If you hadn’t boarded the plane this time, none of this would have happened. So… please, do me a favor. After all, you were in the wrong!” I didn’t board the plane? I was on that flight because of a sudden work assignment. The company booked the ticket for me. The HR department even specially grabbed this ticket for me, considering that my husband Samuel and I lived apart most of the time.

But in their words, it became me insisting on coming to catch them in the act. They even claimed that leaving me at the emergency exit, nearly causing me to be dismembered, was what I deserved. Olivia cried and pointed at the scar on her hand, “If it wasn’t for you constantly obstructing Samuel from rescuing me, I wouldn’t have had such a large area of skin burned off.” Samuel looked at her with heartache before turning to me and saying: “Look what you’ve caused. Don’t you feel any guilt? Olivia has so many burn injuries. If you hadn’t fought for the life jacket and refused to give it up, how could her injuries be so severe?” I let out a cold laugh. “I was a legitimate passenger who bought a ticket. That life jacket was from my seat.” I looked at Olivia. “As for her!” “Captain Samuel should know best how she got on board!” At this point Samuel fell silent, just lowering his head and fiddling with his fingers. He knew very well that this flight was going to a seaside destination. Olivia had insisted on going on a beach vacation with him, just the two of them, without me around. So Samuel made an exception and let her sit in the cockpit. Since they were all part of the same flight crew, everyone turned a blind eye, and Olivia just sat in the cockpit accompanying him on this flight. Moreover, Olivia played a big part in causing this plane crash. This was probably something even Samuel himself didn’t realize. “Olivia was originally part of our flight crew. If it wasn’t for you reporting her and getting her suspended, she wouldn’t have had to sneak on board with me. So you share responsibility too!” I reported her? I looked at Olivia and saw her face turn bright red in an instant as she lowered her head, not daring to speak. Although I had always been dissatisfied with Olivia’s relationship with Samuel, because their flight routes were so dangerous, I worried about Samuel getting into an accident. So I basically turned a blind eye. I hadn’t even shown anyone else those provocative messages she sent. Let alone report her. “What did I report her for?!” I asked, and Samuel immediately raised his voice by several octaves. “You reported her for improper conduct and seducing your husband. Who else but you would report that!” Improper conduct? I couldn’t help but laugh. At this moment, Olivia suddenly seemed to break down and blurted out: “Who else could be so petty but you? You still won’t admit it? I asked the people in the complaint department, and they said it was you!” Just as she was speaking, a group of reporters rushed in, holding up various equipment. They excitedly rushed up to me. “Regarding the recent news about you, what’s your own view? Did you go to catch your husband cheating and obstruct him from rescuing other passengers, causing the accident to worsen?” I looked at Samuel, took the microphone, and said softly: “My husband wants me to admit to everything, so I’ll admit to it all!” The reporters looked at me in confusion. At that moment, someone in the crowd shouted: “The black box from the plane crash has been found! Officials say they’ve extracted important evidence and will hold a press conference soon to announce the cause!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295851”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic #重生Reborn #校园School #惊悚Thriller

I returned to the country ahead of schedule without telling my husband, Herbert Foster, because I wanted to give him a surprise. Following the location, I rushed to the pub’s box. However, through the glass window, I saw him passionately kissing another woman in his arms. All his friends were cheering, and one of them said, “You said you’d be a DINK for your wife, but you still got Stella pregnant. Your wife is so high and mighty and boring. She won’t even give you a kid.” Herbert frowned and scolded, “Shut up. Don’t make jokes about my wife. When Stella’s baby is born, I’ll find an excuse to let my wife adopt him.” After lighting a cigarette, he added, “My wife is delicate and can’t have children. If anyone lets my wife find out about these things, I won’t let them off the hook.” Everyone swore they would keep it from me, and I stood outside the door as tears streamed down my face. The man who once doted on me and said he couldn’t bear to see me suffer from pregnancy and was willing to be a DINK for me had already had a child with someone else behind my back. Such being the case, I would never let him find me for the rest of his life.

I came home in a daze. I knew that woman. She was Stella Edwards, the new secretary Herbert Foster had hired. Everything I saw outside that box seemed to be etched in my mind and lingered there for a long time. Those hurtful words kept echoing in my head and reminded me that Herbert, the man who I thought loved me with all his heart and soul, had truly betrayed me. I took out my phone and initiated a video call to Herbert, but he hung up on me in a flash. Almost immediately, several messages popped up on my screen. [What’s up, babe? I’m in the middle of a meeting.] [Sorry, I can’t answer your call right now, babe.] [Are you missing me? I miss you, too, honey. I’ll wrap up this meeting soon, and we can have a video chat then. Love you.] If I hadn’t seen him locking lips with another woman with my own eyes, I might have fallen for his sweet-talking lies. I sent him a voice message, telling him that I had come home early. Herbert quickly replied: [Why’d you come home early, honey? I’ll be home right away.] I didn’t bother replying to him. Instead, I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the night view of Rivrt. Yesterday, while I was at a fashion show overseas, my assistant, Tiffany Reed, told me that Herbert had specifically told her to buy every single piece of clothing that caught my eye. Tiffany had laid it on thick, trying to speak up for Herbert. “Ms. Brown, Mr. Foster loves you so much. He wants to bring all the good things in the world to you.” She was right, in a way. Herbert had loved me. He loved me so much that even though I saw him kiss another woman with my own eyes, I still doubted if I had seen it wrong. My mom died of amniotic fluid embolism when she gave birth to me. My dad raised me until I was eighteen and then committed suicide by cutting his wrists to join my mom in death. He left me with hundreds of millions of dollars in inheritance, which made me a prime target for all sorts of people with malicious intentions. Then, Herbert entered my life. He was my knight in shining armor, protecting me from all the dangers and harm, creating a safe bubble around me. He refused to get even a single cent of my money. Instead, he transferred all of his properties under my name. Everyone said that his love for me bordered on obsession. He was such a proud and dignified man, yet he’d race back just to catch a glimpse of me even when he was swamped with work and only had half an hour of break time. I had a deep-seated psychological trauma because of my mom’s death, and I was terrified of having children. Herbert would hold me close in his arms and plant gentle kisses on me, saying, “It’s probably for the best if we don’t have a baby. I’m scared that once he’s here, he’ll steal all your love away from me, and I’ll be envious. Honey, having you is more than enough for me in this lifetime. You’re the only one I love.” Herbert’s love had almost suffocated me in a way. Even though I was angry at my dad for leaving me behind, I envied the unwavering love my parents had for each other, a love that was strong enough to make one follow the other into the unknown. I once thought that, just like my mom, I had married for true love and was the luckiest woman on the planet. But in the end, it all turned out to be a beautiful dream that shattered into a million pieces.

Time seemed to stand still until the sound of the door opening broke the silence. Herbert stood at the door with a beaming face. After he warmed up a bit, he rushed over and hugged me tightly. He said, “Honey, why did you come back early? Wasn’t your flight supposed to be tomorrow? Why didn’t you tell me? I could have come to pick you up.” I stared blankly at the lipstick mark on Herbert’s neck and reached out to wipe it off for him. “Herbert, I don’t like this smell on you.” There was a scent of women’s perfume on him that didn’t belong to him. The glaring lipstick mark and the cloying perfume were like a silent challenge from that woman to me. Herbert’s expression froze for a moment. But then, he quickly regained his composure. He took a step back, took off his overcoat, and threw it on the floor. Looking at me with a remorseful face, he said, “Sorry, honey. There was a client at the meeting tonight whose perfume was way too strong. It’s my fault. I was in such a hurry to come back and see you that I didn’t have time to deal with it.” Herbert was so smart. He mixed truth and falsehood in his words. It was true that he was eager to come back to see me, but the story about the client’s perfume was a lie. A cold smile played on my face. My fingers wrapped around his tie, and I gave it a hard tug. With our faces just inches apart, I said slowly, “Herbert, you’re not fooling around with someone else behind my back, are you?” Herbert’s pupils trembled slightly, and a look of panic flashed across his face. But years of experience in the business world had already honed his ability to stay calm in any situation. He quickly composed himself and looked at me with a pitiful expression, and there were even tears glistening in his eyes. “Honey, you’re the only one in my heart. Did I do something wrong to make you ask me such a question?” Seeing how nervous he was, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud, saying, “Just kidding. Why are you so serious? Look, you’re even sweating. Go and take a shower.” I reached out and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Herbert’s stiff body quickly relaxed. He kissed my lips and said in a soft, reproachful voice, “Don’t say such things again. You almost scared me to death.” He kissed me for a while before going to take a shower. The moment he turned around, my smile disappeared, replaced by overwhelming feelings of resentment and disgust. Tears streamed down my face, and I wiped my lips vigorously. The moment I saw the panic in his eyes, I felt that the man I had loved for nearly ten years was so unfamiliar and repulsive. When Herbert came out of the shower, he wrapped his arms around my waist, attempting to be affectionate. I subtly moved away and curled up in the corner. “I’m tired.” Herbert felt so sorry for me. He carefully adjusted the quilt for me and patted my back as if he were coaxing a child. He said, “You’ve had a long day, babe. Get some rest. I’ll spend more time with you tomorrow.” Gradually, I heard his even breathing. I stared at Herbert’s face in the dark, and my tears wet the pillow. Even when he was sleeping, he would unconsciously mumble my name. I couldn’t figure it out. How could he not love me anymore?

The next day, Herbert really stayed by my side all the time. The formidable president of a corporation was willing to act like a nanny for me. Even when it came to eating grapes, he would peel them and feed them to my mouth. That night, he booked the most luxurious high-altitude restaurant in the whole city for a date with me. The view outside the window was dazzlingly beautiful. Herbert took out the necklace he had designed himself and put it around my neck. This necklace was called Love-Samantha, and it was inlaid with a valuable ruby. Herbert looked at me with eyes full of love. “Honey, you look so beautiful wearing this necklace.” He leaned over and was about to kiss me when the phone on the table rang. I glanced at it, and it was a phone call from his secretary, Stella. Herbert answered the phone with a look of impatience, “I told you I’m spending time with my wife today. I’m not available. Can’t whatever work-related matter wait until tomorrow?” I didn’t know what the person on the other end said, but Herbert’s tone softened, and a look of panic flashed across his face. “Wait for me. I’ll be there right away.” After hanging up, Herbert looked at me guiltily. “Sorry, honey. I need to deal with an urgent matter. I promise I’ll be back soon.” He tried to kiss me, but I dodged him subtly. “Don’t keep her waiting.” Herbert left in a hurry, and I looked at those dishes on the table that I used to love the most. At this moment, they tasted like sawdust to me, and I could hardly swallow them. I turned my head, and my tired and disappointed face was reflected in the glass window. The dazzling necklace around my neck made me look like a clown. I got up to go home, but the wedding ring on my hand suddenly fell off. In the dark, I couldn’t see it and could only squat down to look for it. The ring got stuck in the crack and was pushed further and further away. My heart suddenly skipped a beat. Maybe it was the fated arrangement. Herbert and I were like this wedding ring, getting further and further apart. On the way home, my phone received a photo of Herbert. Herbert was looking at the pregnancy test report in his hand with a gentle smile. A dull pain hit my heart. The person then sent me several videos of her being intimate with Herbert, which were filmed in the car, his office, or a hotel room. There were countless pieces of lingerie and sex toys, and condoms were all over the floor. That person kept sending me messages: [Just because I said my stomach hurt, he left you and came to me. Samantha, can’t you see which woman is really in Herbert’s heart?] [He said that I’m young and fun and that you’re haughty and uptight. You’re so stiff in bed that he’s already grown tired of you.] [The one who isn’t loved is the outsider. You’d better leave on your own. Don’t make me kick you out with my baby.] Every gasp in the videos wildly stimulated my nerves. My hands were shaking so violently that I could barely hold my phone. A wave of overwhelming pain washed over me, and tears streamed down my face. In the end, I covered my face with both hands and broke down into sobs. When Herbert came back, it was almost midnight. At that time, I was lying on the sofa, pretending to be asleep. Herbert thought I had fallen asleep while waiting for him. He felt extremely guilty, picked me up in his arms, and put me on the bed. He held my cold feet against his chest to warm them up. I opened my eyes, facing away from him. In the stillness of the night, I asked him, “Herbert, do you love me?” The person behind me froze. Then, he hugged me tightly, and scalding tears fell on my shoulder. I couldn’t tell if it was out of guilt or some other emotion. At that moment, Herbert was indeed crying. He said, “I’m so sorry I came back so late and made you wait for so long, honey. Please don’t ever doubt my love for you. You mean the world to me, more than my own life.” I turned around and met Herbert’s intense gaze, his bright eyes filled with my reflection. It brought back memories of the time when I was alone and vulnerable, and he had stepped in to protect me from the harsh realities of the world, and the way he had looked at me with those clear eyes back then. I had never doubted true feelings, but true feelings could change in an instant. I smiled and touched his face. “I love you, Herbert.” I would always love Herbert, whom I met when I was eighteen, but I wouldn’t stay with him anymore. Herbert held me tightly in his arms as if holding something fragile. He whispered, “Honey, shall we adopt a child in a couple of years?” I knew he was talking about the child he had with Stella. I didn’t hesitate. “Okay.” Anyway, I was going to leave, and he could adopt whoever’s child he wanted.

When I woke up, Herbert had already gone to work. On the bedside table, there was breakfast he’d personally prepared, along with a freshly plucked rose. My phone was flooded with affectionate messages from Herbert. Amidst them were some lurid videos sent by Stella. Just as Herbert sent me a video updating me on his whereabouts, Stella was using her hand to pleasure him. A wave of nausea surged within me. I raised my hand and swept the breakfast off the bedside table. After yanking the necklace from around my neck and tossing it into the trash can, I booked a flight ticket abroad. In the afternoon, Herbert returned and personally assisted me in putting on a dress. “You must accompany me to the company dinner tonight, babe. I want everyone to envy me for having such a gorgeous wife,” he said. I didn’t decline and let him lead me to the car. I had met Stella before, yet I was still taken aback by her transformation tonight. Money truly could work wonders for a person. She no longer had that timid air she’d had when I first met her. Instead, she’d become an elegant and radiant woman. There was a faint resemblance between her features and mine. As an assistant, she was clad in an expensive, custom-made dress and decked out in jewelry from head to toe. She truly seemed to be the one Herbert cared for most. Herbert remained by my side throughout, holding my hand, but he kept stealing glances in Stella’s direction until a CEO asked Stella to have a drink with him. Stella couldn’t refuse and was about to raise the glass to her lips. Herbert swiftly let go of my hand, snatched the glass from Stella, and drank the wine in one gulp. He did it so forcefully that I nearly lost my balance and fell to the ground. Suddenly, all the surrounding eyes turned towards me. There were looks of mockery, confusion, and pity. Herbert then realized and rushed towards me. He nervously took my hand and explained, “Stella is pregnant and can’t drink. As her boss, I couldn’t just stand by and watch her risk her health for the sake of business, right?” I suppressed the urge to slap him and stared at Stella with a smile. “Ms. Edwards is truly capable. She’s still socializing even though she’s pregnant. I’m curious what the father of the child is up to?” Stella stood beside Herbert and showed me the ruby bracelet on her wrist. “The father of my child is busy making money. My husband designed this ruby bracelet himself. It’s called Love-Stella.” My heart constricted painfully, and the sudden, intense ache made my face turn pale. So, Herbert had designed a necklace and a bracelet, giving one to me and the other to Stella. Noticing my appearance, Herbert pushed Stella aside and nervously grasped my arm, looking concerned as he said, “Honey, why do you look so pale? Are you feeling ill?” I shook my head, steadied myself against the table, and pushed his hand away. “I’m a bit tired. I’m going back first.” Herbert wanted to accompany me back. I smiled and pushed him toward Stella. “It’s okay. Take good care of the pregnant lady. Make sure she doesn’t drink again.” With that, I turned around and left. When Herbert saw me leave like this, a strong sense of unease and anxiety flashed through his heart. He was about to chase after me, but Stella tightly latched onto his arm. “Herbert, I bought the clothes you like the most.” Herbert hesitated for a moment, then turned back and pinched Stella’s cheek. “You are such a coquettish girl.” I didn’t leave but was sitting in the car across the road. I watched as they came out hand in hand and got into Herbert’s car, saying to the driver, “Wayne, follow them.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295867”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #浪漫Romance #校园School

I’m Pregnant, But All I Got Was “Aria Collins? I Despise Such Commodities with a Price Tag.” After he got drunk, I found lipstick marks on his shirt collar that weren’t mine. My heart turned to ashes. I terminated our child. On the day of our divorce, I threw down the agreement: “Mr. Bennett, we’re done.” I left everything in our marital home, including his photos. He asked me with reddened eyes: “What about me? Are you leaving me behind too?” Later, Lucas Bennett stopped me in the pouring rain like a madman, pulling out a crumpled prenatal check-up form: “We clearly had a child…” I stood at the hospital entrance, clutching the test results tightly. The late spring breeze, carrying the scent of hospital disinfectant, rushed into my collar. The ultrasound image burned hot in my palm. Three months. It seemed that reckless, drunken night had truly left me with a gift. As the digital lock beeped, the entryway mirror reflected my upturned lips. In my mind, I rehearsed countless times how I should break the news. “Lucas, I’m pregnant.” I kept repeating this phrase in my head. I walked up to the second floor. The door to the study was ajar, and Lucas’s voice, mixed with the soft clink of ice cubes in his whiskey glass, came crashing down. “Aria Collins? I despise such commodities with a price tag.” Standing outside the study, I suddenly turned into a laughable statue, the wedding ring on my ring finger painfully digging into my bone. Three months ago, when he woke up drunk by my side, his tone was just as cold. “I was just drunk.” My nails dug into the edge of the test results, a tear falling onto the paper. So my three years of patience, the entryway light I left on late at night, even the fresh flowers I deliberately changed to match his mood, were all just price tags on a commodity in his eyes. I heard Lucas getting up from his chair in the study. As I quickly left, I knocked over a vase at the corner. Instinctively, I protected my belly. Lucas frowned at me and said, “Is your gastritis acting up again?” I didn’t answer him, only saying, “I’m going back to my family’s place for a few days.” He didn’t ask why, just walked past me, leaving behind one last word. “Troublesome.” I squeezed my eyes shut, trying hard not to let the tears fall.

I stayed in a hotel for five days, staring blankly at my phone screen every day, but Lucas didn’t call even once. Every day, I practiced in my mind how to tell him about the pregnancy, but I kept asking myself: Does he really want this child? In the evening, my phone suddenly vibrated. I almost pounced to answer it, my heart beating so fast it almost jumped out of my throat. But Lucas’s voice was as cold as ever: “Come back to the family estate for dinner tomorrow night.” I gripped the phone tightly, my throat constricting: “Okay.” After hanging up, I stood in front of a pile of clothes, lost in thought. I chose a loose-fitting beige dress that just covered my slightly protruding belly. The lights at the Bennett estate were warm and bright, with Mrs. Bennett already waiting at the door. She affectionately took my arm: “Aria, why have you gotten thinner?” I shook my head with a smile. Although Lucas had no feelings for me, his aunt and uncle were very kind to me. The dining table was full of my favorite dishes, but I couldn’t taste anything. Suddenly, Mr. Bennett put down his chopsticks, his gaze moving back and forth between Lucas and me. “When are you planning to give me a grandchild?” My hand trembled, and the fork made a crisp sound against the porcelain plate. Lucas said without changing his expression, “Dad, we’re too busy with work right now, we haven’t considered it yet.” Mr. Bennett frowned and said, “No matter how busy work is, you need to consider family…” Lucas interrupted him, saying coldly, “Dad, it’s a crucial time for the company right now. A child wouldn’t be appropriate.” I lowered my head, pushing the rice around in my bowl, tears almost falling into the soup. This meal tasted like chewing wax. I could hardly remember what I had eaten. As we walked out of the estate, the night breeze carried the scent of gardenia. I mustered up the courage to speak: “About the child Uncle just mentioned…” Lucas interrupted me, his voice cold as ice: “I don’t want one.” My heart turned to ashes. It wasn’t because of the company or anything else. It was because he didn’t want it. He didn’t want a child with me. I stood still, watching him open the car door. The taillights drew two glaring red lines in the night, just like the blood marks my nails had left on my palm. I touched my belly, where a life that would never be anticipated by him was growing.

No matter what, staying at the hotel indefinitely wasn’t a solution. Regardless, this was Lucas’s child, and he had to know. I stood at the villa’s entrance with my suitcase, taking a deep breath before swiping my card to enter. A strong smell of alcohol hit me, making me cough involuntarily. Mrs. Wilson poked her head out from the kitchen, still holding a bowl of hangover soup. She lowered her voice and told me, “The master got drunk today.” I nodded, leaving my suitcase in the entryway. Three months ago, on that rainy night, he had barged into my room just as drunk. “I’ll go check on him,” I told Mrs. Wilson. I tiptoed upstairs. The study door was slightly ajar. Lucas was slumped in his leather chair with his eyes closed, his tie hanging loosely around his neck, the top three buttons of his shirt undone. Given how drunk he was tonight, it clearly wasn’t a good time to talk about serious matters. I stood at the door watching him for a while, but eventually just gently closed it. Back in the master bedroom, I put down my bag and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. The bathroom light was still on, and his dirty shirts were piled in the laundry basket. I sighed, bending down to pick up a shirt to throw in the washing machine. Suddenly, a jarring red caught my eye. I froze, my fingers involuntarily tightening. On the shirt collar, a complete lipstick mark was clearly visible, a bright red lipstick, glaringly obvious. I stared at that lipstick mark, suddenly recalling the scene from three months ago. That day, he had come home just as drunk, reeking of alcohol, pinning me against the wall, his hot breath on my ear. Tears fell uncontrollably, landing on the shirt and spreading into a small wet patch. I could only throw the shirt into the washing machine with trembling hands and press the start button. I crouched on the bathroom floor, my heart feeling like it was being cut by a knife. So in his eyes, I was no different from those women. As long as he was drunk, anyone would do. I stood up, leaning against the wall, my legs weak. The person in the mirror was pale, with swollen red eyes. Suddenly, the bathroom door was pushed open. Lucas stood swaying in the doorway, his shirt wrinkled beyond recognition. He squinted at me, his brows furrowed tightly. “You did the laundry for me?” His voice was hoarse. The washing machine’s end-of-cycle alert broke the silence. I swallowed the bitterness in my throat and responded to him. “Mm.” Then I left the bathroom without looking back at him again. I went to the garage, sat in the car, trying hard to calm myself. My hand caressed my belly, and I smiled. “Mommy will take you away from this cage.” There were 23 days left until the expiration of my contract with Lucas Bennett.

My hand shook on the steering wheel, tears blurring my vision, forcing me to wipe them away repeatedly. I watched the Bennett family villa grow smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror, finally disappearing into the night. The mechanical female voice of the navigation system announced “City Women’s and Children’s Hospital,” as if reading out the verdict for my marriage to Lucas Bennett. The hospital’s fluorescent lights stung my eyes. The nurse handed me the surgical consent form. I stared at the paper, my fingers trembling so much I could barely hold the pen. I looked up at the waiting area. A poster of a baby was on the wall, those clear big eyes seemed to be watching me. I closed my eyes, remembering how Lucas looked at me every time, with coldness, mockery, and disdain. I signed my name on the consent form, the pen tip scratching across the white paper as if cutting through my flesh and blood. The light in the changing room was stark white. I changed into a hospital gown, the fabric rubbing against my skin causing slight pain. Lying in the operating room, as the anesthesia was pushed into my veins, I heard the metallic clash of instruments. Suddenly, I remembered the scene from our marriage registration day. That day, I was full of joy, finally able to become husband and wife with the person I liked. But Lucas wore sunglasses, impatiently tossing the signing pen to me. Perhaps I should have understood then that this marriage was a mistake from the very beginning. In the ward, morning light leaked through the gaps in the curtains. When I sat up, a wave of intense nausea hit me. I dry heaved at the bedside, tears falling. I touched my belly with trembling hands; there was nothing there anymore. I had thought that three years of marriage would at least earn me a bit of affection from Lucas Bennett, but I was wrong. What I got from him was contempt, disdain, and his infidelity to our marriage. I was thoroughly tired of the Bennett family’s cage. A week later, I left the hospital. As I drove across the river bridge, I rolled down the window and threw out my wedding ring without hesitation. The platinum band traced a silver parabola in the sunlight, and as it plunged into the river, I felt as if I had let go of a great deal. Only 15 days left until I leave the Bennett family.

When I pushed open the villa door, the sensor light in the entryway immediately lit up, the glaring light making me squint instinctively. Lucas was sitting on the living room sofa, holding a finance magazine. I noticed faint dark circles under his eyes. Seven or eight empty coffee cans were scattered at his feet, like some bizarre warning line. Seeing me return, he closed the magazine with a sound like a judge’s gavel. “Where have you been all these days?” I bent down to change into slippers, feeling a dull pain in my lower back from the abortion surgery. “Dealing with some personal matters.” I returned to my room and sat at the dressing table. The drawer was stuck; I yanked it hard, and a photo album slid out, hitting my foot. I sat on the bed and opened the album. The first photo was from our wedding. I was wearing a white wedding dress, a happy smile on my face, while he stood beside me, expressionless, looking at the camera. Flipping further, there was a candid shot of me secretly looking at his profile during a birthday party. In the photo, he was on the phone, his brow furrowed like a distant mountain, while my hand holding the cake was white with nervousness. The album was full of photos of us together, and photos of him. But none of just me. In every photo, there was an unbridgeable distance between us. When there was a knock on the door, I flipped the album face down on my lap. “Come in.” Lucas entered with a bag that seemed to contain medicine. “We’re out of gastritis medicine at home. This is for you.” I didn’t say much, just a flat, “Oh, thanks.” He stood at the door like a statue, his shadow stretched by the light, crawling up to the foot of my bed. Seeing he wasn’t leaving, I frowned and asked, “Anything else?” He shook his head and then left the room. I went over and picked up the medicine he had brought me, throwing it all in the trash, along with the photo album. In 10 days, in this villa, I would only need to take myself away.

Today is a special day, the day of my divorce from Lucas Bennett. I stand in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the hotel, overlooking the central axis of River City. The glass curtain wall reflects my image, with fiery makeup and carefully styled curled hair. Surprisingly, Lucas hasn’t called me once today. I thought he would be more eager than me, after all, these three years of marriage were nothing but an unwilling contract for him. Never mind, the divorce agreement is already in my hands, I’ve signed it, now I’m just waiting for him to sign. I pick up the documents on the table and walk out of the hotel in 4-inch stilettos. Walking into the office building of Bennett Group, my reflection in the floor-to-ceiling mirrors shows a white silk shirt and a black pencil skirt. The rhythm of my heels hitting the ground is quick and powerful, announcing my good mood today. Along the way, employees greet me. “Good morning, Mrs. Bennett.” “Mrs. Bennett, you look beautiful today.” I smile and respond to everyone, even joking with them a bit. In the past, I always walked by with my head down, afraid of disturbing others. Standing in front of Lucas’s office door, I take a deep breath and knock. “Come in,” his deep voice comes from inside. I push the door open. He’s looking down at some documents, his brow slightly furrowed. Hearing footsteps, he looks up, his frown deepening when he sees it’s me. His voice carries obvious impatience: “What are you doing at the company?” I don’t speak, just walk to his desk and place the divorce agreement in front of him. My finger lightly taps the place for his signature. He looks down at the document, then back up at me. For a moment, I actually see a hint of bewilderment in his expression. I tuck my hair behind my ear, smiling as I say, “Mr. Bennett, we’re done.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295883”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #重生Reborn #励志Inspiring

On the 100th day of having Alzheimer’s, I couldn’t find my way home. I dialed Jack Thompson’s number. But what came through first was the sultry moan of his stepsister, “Mmm… Jack, your technique is getting better and better!” Then came his hoarse, angry voice. “Rachel Moore, are you fucking retarded?” “You know Emily can’t be without me because of her skin hunger syndrome, yet you dare to interfere.” “If you can’t make it back, just go find a sea and die!” Later, I fulfilled his wish and really went to die. He then kept asking my tombstone, “Rachel, what should I do if I can’t find you?” “Miss, are you done with your phone call?” the store owner asked, looking at me with tear-filled eyes. He continued, “Miss, where do you live? I’ll take you home.” “Don’t worry, I won’t charge you. I just think it’s not safe for a young woman to be out alone so late at night.” I looked at the owner in confusion, unable to say a word. I couldn’t remember where home was. I only remembered Jack Thompson’s phone number, but Jack hung up on me. He wouldn’t come to pick me up, and he even told me to go die. Leaving the store, the late autumn wind made my thin nightgown flutter loudly. It’s so cold! I hit my head hard, trying to remember where home was. But I just couldn’t recall. Just as I was getting agitated, a man approached me and asked warmly, “Miss Moore, I know where your home is. I’ll take you back.” I took several steps back, eyeing the man warily. Jack had said not to trust any man other than him. “Miss Moore, don’t be afraid. I’m not a bad person. I’m Jack’s friend. My name is Chris Sanders. He sent me to pick you up.” “Look, this is the message Jack sent me.” He even showed me a photo of him with Jack. I immediately smiled from ear to ear. I knew it. How could Jack not care about me? I’m his most beloved wife. I got into Chris’s car. Half an hour later, he took me to a dark, narrow basement. There was no Jack here, and Jack and my home didn’t look like this. I turned to leave, but Chris blocked me. I lowered my voice and said carefully, “Mister, let me go. I can give you a lot of money.” Jack had said that when in danger, pretend to be weak first, and save your life before anything else. Sure enough, hearing my words, Chris, who had looked vicious before, smiled. “Miss Moore, I’ll let you go, but I don’t want money. I just need you to… do me a small favor.” “What favor?” “I want Miss Moore to put these on and do a livestream for me.” Looking at the revealing lingerie, my forced calm instantly crumbled. I used all my strength to push Chris to the ground, then quickly ran towards the door. The moment my hand touched the doorknob, it felt like my scalp was being torn apart, followed by my whole body being slammed hard against the wall. “Bitch, you dare to run away!” “I’m telling you, you’re going to stream whether you like it or not!” “But first, let me enjoy myself a bit!” The sound of clothes tearing and the man’s disgusting touch terrified me. Jack, pick up the phone quickly! Please pick up! When Chris’s hand reached my pants, the phone was finally answered. “Jack, save me!” I cried out shakily. But the voice that came through the phone was Jack’s cold and mocking tone. “What? You were pretending to be retarded earlier, and now you’re putting on an act of being kidnapped?” “Then just go die!” “It’s not like that, I really…” The busy tone that came through the phone cut off my screams. “Bitch, you think Jack Thompson will come save you? You’re dreaming.” “Today is Miss Harris’s birthday. He’s busy accompanying Miss Harris. How could he come save you, the daughter of a murderer!” Right, I remembered now. Jack Thompson hates me. How could he possibly come to save me? After all, my dad killed his mom.

When I was 8, my family went bankrupt, and my dad became addicted to alcohol and gambling. When he was drunk or lost money, he would beat my mom and me. My mom endured it for three years before finally running away on a stormy night. My dad took out all his anger on me. That’s when Jack Thompson appeared. He was a year younger than me but saved me from my dad’s hands. He said, “You girls are always crying. Don’t cry anymore. I’ll protect you from now on.” A promise worth its weight in gold! He protected me for a full five years, breaking three ribs for me, and my dad went to jail because of it. Jack brought me back to the Thompson family. He told his parents, “This is the wife I’m going to marry in the future. You better take good care of her, or I won’t take care of you in your old age!” That earned him a good beating from Mrs. Thompson. Mrs. Thompson would make me lots of delicious food. I especially loved the strawberry cake she made. I loved listening to Mr. Thompson tell me history stories the most. The days at the Thompson house were my happiest times. On my 23rd birthday, Jack coaxed me into getting our marriage license. Mrs. Thompson was as happy as a child and said she wanted to prepare a grand wedding for me. I was spoiled and refused her kindness, even persuading her to go on a trip with me, leaving Jack behind. If it weren’t for that, we wouldn’t have encountered my dad, and Mrs. Thompson wouldn’t have died protecting me. My dad was the direct murderer of her death, and I was an accomplice. Jack hating me was justified.

I was covered in blood, stumbling back home at 7 AM. Jack had just put freshly steamed buns in front of Emily. Seeing me, Emily covered her mouth and shouted, “Oh my God, Rachel, where are your clothes? Why are you wearing a man’s clothes?” “Rachel, you’re too much. You were out all night, and Jack was so worried he couldn’t sleep.” Indeed, he hadn’t slept. Last night, Emily’s skin hunger syndrome flared up, and Jack had stayed up all night with her. Now, Emily’s Instagram still had a picture of them holding hands tightly, with the caption: “The best medicine to cure illness is the company of your loved one all night long!!” “Heh… Rachel, how much fake blood did you use this time?” Emily was referring to the time I had an episode and mistook her for my dad, crying on the phone for Jack to come save me and Mrs. Thompson. But when Jack rushed back, what he saw was me covered in fake blood. That was the first time Jack laid hands on me. He gripped my neck, “Rachel Moore, you’d use this excuse to compete with Emily for attention.” “Why couldn’t it have been you who died back then?!” … “Jack, if I told you I was almost raped last night, would you believe me?” I looked into Jack’s eyes and asked. Jack sneered, “Rachel Moore, your acting skills put even me, an award-winning actor, to shame!” “If you had listened to me back then and pursued a career in entertainment, you’d be the one winning Best Actress awards.” I couldn’t bear to hear his sarcasm anymore and shouted, “I’m sick, Jack! It’s because I’m sick!” “Sick? What illness? Depression or dementia?” Seeing the disdain on his face, my throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, unable to utter a single syllable. In the past, Jack would take every word I said seriously, but now he wouldn’t believe even half a word. “What rape? What illness? What? Are you trying to find a noble excuse for your promiscuous behavior?” “If I had known you were such a slutty woman, I would never have saved you, no matter what.” He violently threw a phone at my forehead. Blood covered my eyes, but I didn’t dare close them. I stared wide-eyed at the video playing on the phone. In the video, I was sprawled on top of Chris Sanders with disheveled clothes, whispering intimately in his ear. Although the video had no sound, anyone could tell from Chris’s smile that what I was saying must have been lewd words. I instantly understood everything. Chris was Emily’s man. Emily not only wanted to destroy me but also wanted Jack to despise me even more. It was truly killing two birds with one stone. Before, for Jack’s sake, I had always tolerated Emily, but now I didn’t want to anymore. I suddenly lunged at Emily, but she was prepared. She grabbed a fruit knife from the dining table and came at me. The fruit knife sliced across my palm, and blood splattered on the white floor, like blooming red flowers. But in Jack’s eyes, all he saw was Emily falling to the ground. His panicked gaze was exactly like when Mrs. Thompson had the accident. At that moment, I finally understood that Jack had no feelings for me other than hatred. As Jack carried Emily away, he said if anything happened to her, he would make me regret being alive. But Jack, I had long since regretted it.

At noon, I received a phone call. “Hello, Miss Moore. This is Sam Stewart. Have you considered what I told you this morning?” Last night, I had deliberately submitted to Chris, knocked him out when he wasn’t paying attention, and escaped. If I hadn’t met Sam, I probably wouldn’t have made it home that night. He lent me his coat and sent me back. He’s a lifestyle blogger looking for filming material. When he learned I was an Alzheimer’s patient, he wanted me to be his subject. To record the real life of an Alzheimer’s patient and call on young people to start taking care of their health early. “I’m willing to be your subject,” I said. I still had some use. That’s good. “But don’t release the video for now.” Jack was about to start filming a new movie. I didn’t want to affect him. Sam was quick; in less than an hour, he came to install cameras. Hidden cameras inside, and he would follow me outside. Looking at the empty villa, he asked, “Miss Moore, do you live alone in such a big house?” I nodded. Jack had moved in with his father to the Harris family three years ago. “Then where’s your partner?” “Divorced.” Actually, I lied to him. I had proposed divorce a month after Mrs. Thompson’s accident, but Jack didn’t agree at that time. He hated me but couldn’t bear to let me go. Back then, he would often crawl into my bed in the middle of the night, hugging me from behind and repeatedly asking, “Rachel, what should we do?” I had no answer, I could only silently cry.

I was becoming lucid less and less often. I didn’t know what I did when I was out of it, but every time I woke up, I was greeted by a mess. Like now, what I saw was Mr. Thompson’s angry gaze and the gloating looks of Emily and her mother. “Rachel Moore, not only did you kill Jack’s mother, but you’re also celebrating your birthday on her death anniversary. Has your conscience been eaten by dogs?” “You won’t die well, you’ll definitely face retribution.” This was the Thompson family’s old house. Looking at the festive decorations all over the house and the three-tiered cake on the table, I felt like I had fallen into an ice pit. Rachel Moore, that was Mrs. Thompson, the Mrs. Thompson who saved your life. What have you done? Rachel Moore, you really deserve to die. “Mr. Thompson, I’m sorry, I…” “I don’t want your apology. Get out of my house right now!” Seeing Mr. Thompson about to faint, I didn’t dare stay any longer. I bowed deeply to Mr. Thompson. “I’m sorry.” When I opened the door, I saw an furious Jack. “You wanted to celebrate your birthday? Then let me give you a proper celebration.” He took me to a bar’s private room and ordered a lot of alcohol. “It’s your birthday, so we must drink. Come on, have a glass.” Before I could move, he grabbed a bottle with one hand and pinched my jaw with the other, forcing the liquor down my throat. I don’t know how many bottles I was forced to drink, I just felt my stomach burning and aching. Finally, he even called four or five male models for me. He said, “These are my birthday gifts to you. Do you like them?” “Your task today is to please her well.” No matter how Jack punished me, I would accept it, but he chose to humiliate me in this way. But I didn’t even have the strength to struggle. I could only watch as he left holding Emily’s hand. “Be good, don’t look. It will dirty your eyes.” Dirty? Jack, so this is how worthless I’ve become in your heart. Before I lost consciousness, I dialed Sam’s number.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295901”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #校园School #重生Reborn #励志Inspiring #魔幻Magic #惊悚Thriller #玄幻Fantsy

I was the last to know about my wife’s second pregnancy. After two years of working in South Africa on a company assignment, I returned home to find my wife about to give birth. I didn’t lose my cool and question her. Instead, I calmly said, “Now that I’m back, we can proceed with the divorce.” My wife panicked, grabbing my hand and explaining anxiously, “Honey, let me explain… You’ve been away for two years, and David has been helping us with everything. I’m just having this baby to repay him, don’t overthink it.” Our six-year-old daughter chimed in to defend her mother, “Dad, you jerk! You’ve been gone for so long. If it weren’t for Uncle David, Mom and I would have starved! What’s wrong with Mom having a baby for Uncle David? Don’t be unreasonable!” Looking at the mother and daughter duo in front of me, I nodded calmly, “You have a point.” I did feel guilty about neglecting my wife and child. I hadn’t been able to be there for them these past two years. But during my time in South Africa, I sent all the money I earned to Rachel. Sixty thousand dollars a year was enough to ensure they lived comfortably. I worked hard abroad to provide them with a better life. But I never imagined it would end like this. Actually, I had heard rumors while I was away. A colleague back home had mentioned something in an email, but I couldn’t believe it. I still had hope for Rachel, thinking she had just gained weight. I finished my project half a month early and rushed back home, only to have my worst fears confirmed. At that moment, I felt no urge to lose my temper, only endless disappointment. Rachel knew she was in the wrong. She poured me a glass of water and handed it to me cautiously, “Honey… have some water.” I took the water from her and calmly said, “Your belly’s big now, you shouldn’t stand for too long. Sit down.” Seeing my calm demeanor, Rachel’s tense emotions eased a bit. She awkwardly sat down next to me with her big belly. I took a sip of water and continued, “Now that you’re pregnant, I won’t be the bad guy and separate you and David. Since David isn’t married yet, after we divorce, you can be with him.” Hearing this, Rachel’s emotions flared up again. “Jack, what do you mean?” She stared at me in disbelief, angrily saying, “Are you abandoning me? I’ve been with you since I was twenty, supporting you from nothing to where we are today! I’ve given so much to this family, how can you talk about divorce so easily!” Yes, she was right. But years of weathering storms together couldn’t withstand two years of loneliness and emptiness. It was laughable. I turned to our daughter watching TV and asked, “Emily, if Mom and Dad get divorced, who will you stay with?” Without even looking at me, Emily replied without hesitation, “I’ll stay with Mom! If you and Mom divorce, Mom will marry Uncle David, and then I can call Uncle David ‘Dad’. I’ve wanted to call him Dad for a long time!” An expected answer, but it didn’t disappoint me much. I nodded calmly, “Alright, if that’s what you want.” I got up resolutely, ignoring Rachel’s protests, and left the house with the suitcase I had just brought back. I went to a bar and called up some old friends I hadn’t seen in two years. At the table, my friends teased me, “Jack, why are you here with us instead of going to see your wife first thing after coming back?” I took a big gulp of alcohol and said hoarsely, with disappointment, “I don’t have a wife anymore.” My friends exchanged glances. One who had heard rumors asked, “Jack, I heard your wife is pregnant… is it true?” “Yeah, the child is her childhood friend’s.” The table fell silent, and the atmosphere became heavy. I kept drinking, trying to numb myself with alcohol. After a few rounds, Rachel called me. I answered groggily, and Rachel’s scolding voice came through, “Jack, stop this nonsense, okay? We haven’t seen each other for two years, and you come back giving me the cold shoulder and running away from home. How childish can you be?” Emily’s childish voice could be heard in the background, “Mom, don’t call Dad anymore. If he wants to leave, let him! He’s been gone for two years, and we’ve been doing just fine without him!” I said nothing and hung up the phone. Yes, they had been doing just fine without me.

My two years in South Africa weren’t easy. The conditions there were harsh, with scarce water and frequent power outages. I often worked in temperatures of over 100°F. But whenever I thought about the $150,000 salary I could earn in two years to provide a better life for my wife and child, I felt more motivated. I never imagined that when I returned, everything would have changed. After drinking with my friends, when I sobered up a bit, I still went back home. There were still some things I needed to take from the house. When I got home, it was already past midnight. Rachel wasn’t asleep yet. Seeing my drunken state, she frowned with disgust and scolded me, “Jack, don’t you know pregnant women shouldn’t be exposed to alcohol smell? You come back drunk without any consideration for me!” “I’m here to pack some things, then I’ll leave,” I said flatly. “Leave?” Rachel’s voice rose, asking me unhappily, “Where are you going again?” “I’m moving to the company dormitory.” Rachel got angry again, pointing at my nose and yelling, “Jack, how long are you going to keep this up! As a man, can’t you be more generous! Don’t you know how much David has helped me these two years while you were away! “When I was sick, when Emily had a fever or cold, it was David who took care of us! Even when my mom was hospitalized, David was the one running around helping! I’m just having a child for him, fulfilling his wish to be a father. Do you have to be so petty about it!” “Mm, I don’t,” I sneered, “If you want to have his child, go ahead. I’m not stopping you.” After packing my things, I slammed the door on my way out. Rachel shouted angrily behind me, “Jack, you have no class at all. What kind of man are you!” I laughed bitterly. Perhaps in her eyes, only David was a real man. I had given so much to this family, but in the end, I couldn’t warm her cold heart. Early the next morning, I submitted a request for an overseas assignment to the company. This time, the destination was Europe. Before the South Africa project ended, my boss had intended to send me to Europe as the general manager of the European branch, with a salary several times higher. But at the time, I declined to return home to be with my wife and child. Now, I had no attachments left. In the afternoon, I went back home once more with divorce papers. Rachel and Emily weren’t home. I called Rachel and asked, “Where are you? I want to discuss the divorce with you.” These words angered Rachel again. She replied irritably, “I’m at the hospital for a prenatal check-up. I’m busy!” “Which hospital? I’ll come to you.” Rachel snapped at me, “Jack, I’m about to give birth, and you’re trying to stress me out at a time like this! I’m at the Women’s Hospital, but even if you come, I won’t agree to a divorce!” When I arrived at the Women’s Hospital, I ran into Rachel who had just finished her check-up. Beside her were Emily and the father of the child – David. David carefully helped Rachel sit down, looking at her with concern, as if she were a priceless treasure. Emily sat next to them, excitedly saying, “Uncle David, I hope Mom gives me a little brother. When he grows up, he can protect Mom and me with you! Our family will be together forever!” David affectionately ruffled Emily’s hair, saying with adoration, “I asked the doctor, it is a little brother in Mom’s tummy. Emily, you’re going to be a big sister soon!” “Yay!” I thought my heart had turned to stone, but seeing this warm, harmonious family scene, I felt a stabbing pain in my chest. The wife and child I had cherished were now someone else’s treasures. And I was just an outsider. I had given everything, only to end up with nothing. How ironic.

My appearance broke the harmonious scene. The three of them stopped smiling when they saw me. I walked towards Rachel, waving the divorce papers in my hand, and said calmly, “I’m here to talk to you about the divorce.” Rachel’s gentle expression immediately darkened. David shielded her behind him and scolded me, “Mr. Carter, Rachel is about to give birth soon. Please don’t trouble her at this time. Pregnant women can’t handle stress!” “Please step aside,” I said coldly to David, trying hard to control my anger. David took a righteous stance and argued, “Mr. Carter, I have no intention of breaking up your marriage. After the child is born, I’ll take him away. I won’t affect your relationship as husband and wife, and you shouldn’t blame Rachel for this. “Rachel did a noble thing. I’m over thirty with no wife or children. Rachel only carried a child for me out of pity for my loneliness. As a man, you should be more understanding!” I laughed at his shamelessness. “You’re right,” I said with a cold smile, “As a man, I should indeed be more understanding. Since that’s the case, why don’t I give you my wife and daughter too? Is that understanding enough?” David looked at me suspiciously. “Enough!” Rachel’s face was extremely unpleasant. She instructed David, “David, please take Emily for a walk. I need to talk to my husband alone.” After David and Emily left, Rachel stood up, holding her waist. She snatched the divorce papers from my hand, didn’t even look at them, and tore them to shreds. “Jack, I’ve told you I won’t divorce you. Give up on that idea! I’m due in half a month, don’t upset me and risk the baby at this critical time!” I bent down to pick up the paper scraps and calmly said, “In that case, I’ll have to file for divorce through the court.” Hearing my words, Rachel became agitated, “I’m pregnant now, the law won’t allow you to divorce me!” “The child isn’t mine.” “Even if it’s not yours, you can’t divorce me! You don’t have DNA evidence, the court won’t rule in your favor!” Faced with her stubbornness, I sighed helplessly, “Rachel, since you and David are in love, and now you’re carrying his child, why do you still refuse to divorce me?” Rachel paused for a few seconds, then softened her tone. She lowered her voice and said, “Jack, David and I grew up together. He’s liked me for over ten years and even stayed single for me. I couldn’t bear it, so I’m just having a child for him to fulfill his wish and leave him with something to remember me by.” “Honey, the one I love has always been you.” Her words didn’t move me. Instead, I found them laughable. She loves me, so she cheats on me? How can she be so righteous and shameless about it?

Actually, when they were younger, Rachel and David had liked each other, but before they could confess their feelings, David went abroad to study as arranged by his family. Later, Rachel met me in college. I fell for her first and pursued her. I persistently chased her for two years, and finally, at the age of twenty, she accepted my pursuit. We got married when we were twenty-four. For years after our marriage, I always treated her with the utmost care, afraid she might melt if I held her in my mouth, afraid she might break if I held her in my hands. I worked hard to earn money, just to provide her with a comfortable life. Six years after our marriage, which was the year I went to South Africa, David returned to the country. I thought my hard work away from home was for the family, but it also gave her and David a chance to rekindle their relationship. Eight years of marriage ultimately couldn’t withstand the test of time. My deep love for her couldn’t compete with her childhood bond with David. … Since Rachel refused to divorce, I had to put the matter aside for now. I stopped going home, busy with work every day and preparing for my move abroad. Before I knew it, it was time for Rachel to give birth. On the day Rachel went into labor, she called me in pain, urgently saying, “Honey, I’m about to give birth… Come to the hospital quickly!” I coldly replied, “The child isn’t mine, why should I come?” “You’re my husband!” she exclaimed. My mother-in-law took the phone from Rachel and scolded me, “The child may not be yours, but the wife is! Don’t you know childbirth is a matter of life and death? How can you be absent as her husband!” Rachel seemed to be trying hard to endure the pain, her voice trembling, “Honey, at a time like this… please stop being difficult, okay?” I felt these two women’s logic was beyond comprehension. I didn’t bother arguing and simply hung up the phone. I continued focusing on my work without distraction. A few hours later, my mother-in-law called again. This time, her tone was urgent, “Jack, your wife is having a difficult labor. The doctor says they need to do a C-section. I order you to come to the hospital immediately!” Unable to withstand my mother-in-law’s constant phone bombardment, I finally went to the hospital. When I arrived, my mother-in-law and Emily were anxiously waiting outside the delivery room. As soon as I arrived, my mother-in-law rushed over. “You’re finally here! Your wife is having a difficult labor, the doctor says they need to do a C-section. The hospital is asking for payment. Quick, go pay the surgery fee!” Without thinking, I refused, “I won’t pay.” My mother-in-law became agitated, “If you don’t pay, who will?” “Whoever the child belongs to should pay.” My mother-in-law cursed at me, “Jack, I never thought you could be so heartless! My Rachel has been married to you for so many years, given birth to your child, and now you disregard her life and death. You’ve really disappointed me!” Emily also pointed at me accusingly, “Bad Dad, if anything happens to Mom, I’ll never forgive you!” Faced with their condemnation, I remained unmoved. Just then, David, who was late in arriving, finally showed up.

As soon as David arrived, he paid the $15,000 medical fee for Rachel without hesitation. My mother-in-law praised him repeatedly, “Young David is reliable, a man of honor who values relationships. He’s worth entrusting with one’s life!” Then she turned to me with sarcasm, “You heartless thing. Rachel was truly blind to have chosen you back then!” David also mocked me, “Jack, you’ve really opened my eyes. You can be so cruel to your own wife. What kind of man are you!” Emily chimed in, “Bad Dad, you’re so mean! I’ll never call you Dad again!” Faced with the three of them berating me, my heart remained unmoved. When the heart is dead to a certain degree, it becomes immune to all poisons. Soon after, accompanied by a baby’s cry, the child was born successfully. David was so excited that tears welled up in his eyes, “It’s born… our Davis family has an heir now!” Soon, the nurse brought out the swaddled infant. “It’s a girl, 7 pounds 8 ounces!” Hearing this, the joy on David’s face instantly froze. Emily asked him puzzled, “Uncle David, didn’t you say Mom was having a little brother?” David was also in disbelief, “Nurse, are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?” “No mistake, it’s definitely a girl.” My mother-in-law looked at the baby in the nurse’s arms and scolded David disapprovingly, “So what if it’s a girl! David, are you discriminating against girls?” David waved his hands awkwardly. I coldly watched everything unfold before me, saying nothing. Just as I was about to leave, the delivery room door opened again. The doctor came out with blood-stained hands, urgently calling out, “The mother is hemorrhaging severely. We might need to remove her uterus. Who is her husband? Come sign the consent form quickly!” “What?” My mother-in-law was shocked, nearly collapsing to the ground. She hurriedly urged me, “Jack, quick, go sign!” I hesitated for a moment, then refused, “I can’t sign.” I knew very clearly that if I signed now, and Rachel lost her uterus later, she would definitely blame everything on me. I didn’t want to get involved in this mess. My mother-in-law stamped her feet in anger, cursing at me, “This is a matter of life and death! How can you be so cold-blooded? The woman lying in there is your wife!” “Not for much longer,” I said coldly. “What do you mean?” My mother-in-law glared at me, her nostrils flaring in anger. “How can you be so heartless!” “You’re her mother, you can sign too,” I said, looking at her coldly. “You… you!” My mother-in-law’s chest heaved violently. “Fine, I’ll sign! Once Rachel is out of danger, I’ll make sure she divorces you, you ungrateful, heartless man!” My mother-in-law had always looked down on me. Now that she had latched onto David as a son-in-law, she had even less regard for me. I nodded calmly, “Good, I’ll be waiting.” Emily ran over to me, crying and hitting me, “Bad Dad, I hate you! From now on, I’ll only recognize Uncle David as my dad. I won’t recognize you anymore!” I looked down at my young daughter, feeling a chill in my heart. She, who shared my blood, had abandoned me just because I had been away for two years and neglected to accompany her. Yet at this moment, her beloved Uncle David, whom she adored, wasn’t concerned about her mother at all. He just stared blankly at the baby in the nurse’s arms, muttering repeatedly, “It’s impossible… it was supposed to be a boy…”

When my mother-in-law returned after signing the consent form, David had already quietly left. After several hours of emergency treatment, Rachel finally escaped life-threatening danger, but she couldn’t keep her uterus. She was pushed out of the emergency room by a group of nurses, still unconscious. My mother-in-law was busy taking care of both the baby and Rachel, running around in a fluster. Taking advantage of her distraction, I secretly took a few strands of the baby’s hair. After leaving the hospital, I took the baby’s hair for a paternity test. Once the results came out, I immediately filed for divorce in court. It was time to end this absurd marriage. A few days later, Rachel was discharged from the hospital. After she recovered a bit, she called me. On the phone, she weakly questioned me, “Jack, I just came back from the brink of death, and you’re not even here to take care of me. Now you’re even filing for divorce?” “Isn’t divorce good?” I said sarcastically. “Your mom is happy about it too. She can’t wait for us to get divorced.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295917”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic #校园School #重生Reborn #励志Inspiring #惊悚Thriller

I’ve been with Emma Sinclair for ten years. I even tattooed her favorite flower, a gardenia, on my collarbone. She finally agreed to marry me, but she’s been keeping an 18-year-old college boy on the side. Before our wedding, she indulged the boy’s countdown to our breakup. She went bungee jumping with him, skiing, and even watched the Northern Lights in Iceland. But she doesn’t know that I don’t have much time left. I’ve booked a flight out of the country, donated all her assets, and had my tattoo removed. While she’s counting down the days to our wedding, I’m planning my escape. The day I was diagnosed with stomach cancer, Emma’s boy toy came to find me. “I know I’m the other man,” he said, his honesty terrifyingly sincere. He bit his lip, “Bro, I know you’re about to get married, but—” “Emma doesn’t love you anymore.” “I’ve been with her for a year. We’ve slept together 78 times, 53 times in hotels, 21 times at my place.” “And 4 times at your place, in your bed.” He looked at me directly, “If Emma still loved you, I wouldn’t exist.” I found it amusing. I lit a cigarette and looked at him through the smoke, “What else? Go on.” He took out his phone and played a video for me. The angle was discreet, as if secretly recorded. The boy was nestled in Emma’s arms, “Even if you’re marrying him out of responsibility, can’t you keep me too?” Emma pushed him away, tossing him a credit card, “Find a girl your own age. Being with me isn’t good for you.” “No!” He begged, holding her waist, “I’m not afraid of danger.” “Can’t you not let me go?” “Emma, I won’t be a burden to you, I promise.” Emma paused. Her gaze swept over his face, momentarily lost in thought. Then she leaned in to kiss him.

I stubbed out my cigarette. The boy had just turned eighteen, full of youth and genuinely handsome. And the moment I saw him, I knew. He looked like me. Like James Harper at eighteen. “You’re right about one thing. If Emma still loved me, you wouldn’t exist.” I stood up, my stomach actually hurting a bit. I leaned on the table for support, not letting it show. “But I advise you not to get in too deep. Emma never loved you, or me.” “She only loves the James in her memories.” The handsome, innocent James who died on the path of helping her climb to the top. “In a few years, she’ll find a new replacement. You’ll end up worse off than me.” Actually, I was lying to him. I’m about to die, how could he possibly be worse off than me? At most, he’ll just be used and discarded by Emma.

I got together with Emma when I was eighteen. I grew up without parents, and the grandmother who raised me passed away when I was fifteen. That’s when Emma appeared. She pursued me relentlessly. Throwing money around, wanting to give me the best of everything. Emma was beautiful and made me feel secure. I fell for her quickly. On my nineteenth birthday, she coaxed me into my first time. That night. From sobriety to intoxication. We became one. The next day, Emma took me to meet her group of friends. I had never been in such a setting before, so I quietly followed Emma, mimicking her greetings. Their gazes as they sized me up were full of mockery. “Emma, why did you pick up a college boy?” “He’s too naive, he’ll hold you back.” At that time, I didn’t understand what they meant by “hold you back.” I couldn’t help but protest softly, “I won’t.” “I won’t be a burden to Emma.” Definitely not. But later, as I gradually became exposed to Emma’s world, I realized what kind of life she was living. It was fraught with danger. To avoid holding Emma back, to stay by her side, I had to force myself to fit into that environment. Ten years. I dyed my hair, started smoking, got tattoos. I even ended up with countless scars. Because I was tough enough, I helped Emma climb to the position of second-in-command of the North Side gang. But Emma didn’t seem happy. Countless nights. She would curl up in my arms, her fingers tracing over my scars, then leaning in to kiss them. “James.” She buried her face in my chest, sighing, “I still prefer the you from back then.” And I would always pause, then push her away and light a cigarette. Laughing bitterly. “Emma, you’re so fucking heartless to say that.”

Emma came home in the early hours of the morning. I was lying in bed, not really asleep. Just staring into the darkness. Until Emma snuggled into my arms. “Still awake?” She leaned up to kiss me but missed. After a moment’s pause, she hugged me, suppressing her temper, “Who upset you? I’ll take care of them, okay?” “Emma.” “Hmm.” The room was so dark I couldn’t see her face. But I could smell the gardenia scent on her. “Let’s break up.” Emma’s body stiffened, then she let go and rolled away, “What’s wrong now?” She rubbed her temples impatiently, “We’re not kids anymore, why are you being so sensitive?” “Break up?” She laughed, “James, you’re not young anymore. Who would want to marry a man who smokes, drinks, has tattoos, and does dirty work?” My chest ached. I pressed hard against my heart, but couldn’t suppress the sharp pain. Last year when I had stitches in my arm, I was allergic to anesthesia. Twelve stitches, sewn without numbing, and I didn’t make a sound. But Emma’s few honest words, fueled by alcohol, brought tears to my eyes. “Emma,” I couldn’t help but want to ask her, “If I had a terminal illness, would you—” “James.” She cut me off, her brow furrowed with impatience, “Stop asking such pointless questions.” “If you really had a terminal illness, would you want me to commit suicide with you?” She rubbed her forehead, “I’m busy with the wedding and business lately. I don’t have the energy to coddle you, so stop being dramatic.” As she spoke, her phone suddenly rang. Emma irritably hung up. But the caller persisted. After a few back-and-forths, Emma got out of bed with her phone, “What is it?” The boy’s voice came through the receiver, indistinct. Emma sighed, “What a hassle.” Despite her words, she hurriedly left the room. “There’s a problem with the business, I need to go deal with it.” “Go to sleep, don’t wait up for me.”

Emma and I set our wedding date for the third of next month. It was to be a simple ceremony. I never told Emma about my illness. Terminal stage, basically incurable. I also never told Emma that I had no intention of marrying her. I could accept everything about Emma. Except for betrayal. The thought of her nestling in another man’s arms, kissing his face, searching for traces of my younger self in him, made my stomach churn. It was sickening. I’ve been with Emma since I was eighteen, a full ten years now. The doctors say I have about six months left to live. By that calculation, I’ve wasted nearly half my life on her. For the little time I have left, I just want to be James Harper. I’ve booked a flight out of the country. While I still have the strength, I want to see the world I’ve always loved but never had the chance to explore. And the flight is scheduled for the third of next month.

Early in the morning, I crossed off another day on the calendar. Ten days left until my departure. I heard the door open behind me. Emma came in, wrapped in snow and wind. She took off her coat and came to hug me. She still didn’t like my hair. Her gaze followed mine to the calendar. Emma looked at the heavily circled date and laughed softly, gently pinching my cheek, “Can’t wait to marry me, huh?” She counted the days, “Just ten more.” She buried her face in my neck, “I’ll find some time in the next couple of days to help you dye your hair back to black and get it styled, okay?” “You’ll look so handsome at the wedding.” “No need.” I stared at the calendar expressionlessly, “Not much time left.” “This hairstyle is fine as it is.” Emma was silent for a while, “Okay.” She let go and picked up her coat from the chair, “There’s a lot to do for the wedding. One of our clubs got trashed yesterday, I’ll be busy for a while, so I won’t be coming home.” Emma watched me as she spoke. As if waiting for me to give in. Waiting for me to say, okay, come with me to dye my hair, to get it styled. But I just looked back at her coldly. “Go ahead.” “After all, there’s only ten days left.” Emma said nothing, turning to step into the night. She didn’t look back.

Seven days before the wedding. I went to a tattoo parlor in the suburbs. The owner was a woman in her thirties, well-maintained but with world-weary eyes. She glanced at me, “What do you want tattooed?” I rolled up my sleeve, pointing to the “ES” on my wrist bone, then exposed the gardenia below my collarbone. “Remove them both.” The owner looked, “Removing them will be painful, and it’ll leave scars.” I smiled, “I’m not afraid.” Pain is the least of my worries now. As for scars— I have so many scars all over my body, what’s two more? Besides, in half a year, this body might just be ashes. The owner chatted with me, “Broke up?” I smiled, “Yeah, soon.” “Seven days left.” The owner clicked her tongue, “So ceremonial, even a countdown for the breakup?” Perhaps because the shop was so quiet, or maybe because I felt a connection with the owner, somehow, I felt like we were kindred spirits from the first glance. I told her about my past. Back when Emma was pursuing me, I gave her a deadline. Three hundred days. If she could persist, I’d be with her. So, every morning when Emma appeared before me, she’d count the days. “Countdown: one hundred and seventy-nine days.” “James, ninety-six days left, and you’ll be my boyfriend.” “One day left, almost-boyfriend.” … The girl who persisted through rain or shine for three hundred days to win me over. Yet in the ten years that followed. She gradually grew tired. I got along well with the owner, Lily. As she removed my tattoos, I told her the meaning behind them. The “ES” on my wrist bone was tattooed a year after Emma and I got together. I had been kidnapped by her enemies, used to threaten her. Emma came alone to save me. Knowing it was a deadly trap, she went without hesitation. That time, she nearly died. When she was discharged from the hospital, I went to a tattoo parlor and had her initials tattooed on my wrist bone. I naively thought then. I’d dedicate my life to Emma. But that night, when I proudly showed my still-red wrist to Emma, she was stunned. There was no emotion I had imagined. She frowned, first asking why, then if it hurt. Finally, she hugged me, “Don’t do this again, I don’t like it.” “I don’t like you hurting yourself.” “You’re perfect as you are, you don’t need to change. I love the clean, flawless James.” I was young then, thought she was just concerned for me. Little did I know, Emma had already spoken her true feelings. The gardenia on my chest was tattooed when Emma swore she’d marry me when she turned twenty-eight. Emma loved gardenias, loved their pure white petals. So I tattooed it on my chest. Waiting for Emma to marry me. Now, Emma has finally set the wedding date in my twenty-eighth year, she’s planning our wedding seven days from now. While I’m planning how to leave her. Though this body is already in ruins, I still don’t want to leave with any marks related to her. I pointed to the other side below my collarbone, telling Lily. “Tattoo a trumpet creeper flower here.” Emma loves gardenias. But I prefer trumpet creepers. She wants me naive and ignorant. But in the little time I have left, I want to be like the trumpet creeper, proud and climbing high walls.

It was evening when I left the tattoo parlor. Lily and I got along well, we exchanged contact information and added each other on SnapChat. On my way home, I passed a cotton candy stand. I couldn’t help but stop. The last time I had it was probably when I was a child, when my grandmother was still alive. She would take out all the change she had to buy me some when I couldn’t move from craving it so much. She always watched me eat it all, then teasingly called me a “little glutton.” Grandma always loved to watch me smile. Her wrinkles deepening on her aged face as she smiled. A cold wind blew, scattering the memories. I walked to the stand and bought a rabbit-shaped cotton candy. It was sweet. As sickeningly sweet as I remembered. Passing a street corner, I heard a boy asking loudly, “Mom, look, that guy looks so cool! But why is he eating cotton candy?” “Isn’t that for kids?” The mom laughed and explained, “Who says cotton candy is only for kids? Everyone can eat it. Having something sweet makes people happier.” I walked by quietly. Then I heard a little girl’s innocent voice, “But, even after eating such sweet cotton candy, why doesn’t the guy look happy at all?” “Mom, he looks so lonely…” The voices faded away. By the time I got home, the cotton candy was gone, leaving only sticky hands. I went in and washed my hands. Then I received a call from Emma. She sounded drunk. “James.” “Yes?” She laughed a little on the other end, “Seven days left, and you’ll be marrying me.” “Tomorrow, will you come with me to choose a wedding dress?” “You can choose, you know my size.” Emma was silent for a moment. I faintly heard a man’s voice on the other end, “Emma, I’ll go with you to try on wedding dresses. Don’t you want me to see how you look in a wedding dress?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295822”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance

I was the most devoted follower of Aria Johnson. For ten years, I transformed her from an unknown talent into a world-renowned pianist. Yet, when she reached the pinnacle of success, I chose to walk away. Everyone called me a fool. Only I knew that it was time to end this decade-long secret love. Later, the internet exploded with videos of the top pianist’s engagement party—Aria Johnson, treading on the shards of her million-dollar wedding dress, searching for me with tear-filled eyes. When I submitted my resignation, Aria’s slender fingers paused on the piano keys. She turned to me, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion: “Why?” Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window of the music room, I struggled to keep my voice steady: “Miss Johnson, I’m not getting any younger. It’s time for me to settle down.” After a pause, I added: “Recently, a relative back home introduced me to a suitable match.” To ensure a smooth resignation, I fabricated a harmless lie. Aria’s fingers tapped lightly on the keys, a habit she had when agitated. Scattered notes echoed in the room, as if telling a story. Seeing her slightly frustrated expression, a bittersweet sense of satisfaction welled up inside me. After a long moment, Aria placed the resignation letter on the piano: “I can give you a vacation. Please reconsider the resignation.” At that moment, my resolve wavered. A voice kept tempting me: “Stay, stay, and you can always be by her side.” But reason told me: “Simon, she’s getting engaged to Xavier. Pining for a married woman is not right.” My hand hesitated in the air for a long time, but ultimately, I didn’t take back the letter: “Being a manager is too demanding. After marriage, I want a more stable life.” “I’ll hand over all my work properly. I’m sorry, Miss Johnson.” With that said, Aria didn’t press further, only saying softly: “I understand. Congratulations on your upcoming marriage.” Before I left the music room, Aria had already immersed herself back into her world of piano. To her, I was probably just the most competent among her many staff members. That day, I sat in the break room, staring at her concert photo on the wall, allowing myself to let my mind wander for the first time. In the past, I was always so busy that I barely had time to drink water. I had to handle her performance schedules and take care of her daily needs. I had to be available at all times, ready to rush to her side at a moment’s notice, single-handedly doing the work of multiple people. Of course, she compensated me generously, allowing me to buy a house in the city over the years. Charlie called my name several times before I snapped back to reality. “Simon, Miss Johnson said to go to the club first to set up tonight’s party.” The evening party was to celebrate Yvette Young’s return from the Vienna Conservatory. All the attendees were from Aria’s social circle. The young generation of elite social circles, born with silver spoons in their mouths, had their noses in the air. Logically, their circle should have been exclusive, but there was no helping it—I was simply too capable. A manager who could both take care of everyone’s emotions and arrange events perfectly was truly rare. Upon arriving at the club, I immediately immersed myself in the preparations. From the vintage of the wine to the placement of cutlery, and even the dietary restrictions of each guest, I arranged everything meticulously. “Replace the champagne with sparkling water, Mr. Leaf is on the wagon.” “Turn up the air conditioning, Mrs. Chu gets cold easily.” “Remember to prepare aged Pu’er tea, Miss Han loves it.” As night fell, guests began to arrive. Yvette was the first to arrive, greeting me as soon as she saw me: “When will Aria get here?” I glanced at my watch, answering cautiously: “She’s still rehearsing at the Vienna Concert Hall. She should be here in about an hour.” She slumped onto the leather sofa, fatigue evident in her eyes, her complexion slightly pale. I had the staff lower the music volume and brought over a cashmere blanket: “The autumn night is chilly. Please rest for a while, the others won’t be here for some time.” She took the blanket, joking: “Why don’t you stop working for Aria and become my butler instead? I’ll double your salary.” In this circle, there were too many sycophants, which made my neither obsequious nor arrogant attitude particularly precious. I joked back: “Thank you, Miss Young. At least I’ll have a backup plan if I ever lose my job.” As the night deepened and the lights brightened, all the guests arrived. Aria arrived in a black evening gown, gracefully walking in on high heels, exuding elegance with a hint of coolness. I took her coat, thinking this might be the last time I’d serve her. After several rounds of drinks, I seized the opportunity to announce my resignation to everyone. Raising my glass, I sincerely said: “Thank you all for your care over the years. Until we meet again.” A moment of silence fell over the table, then Yvette raised her glass to break the quiet: “To be honest, at first we thought you had ulterior motives towards Aria. Now it seems we were overthinking it.” Everyone understood the implication of her words. After all, Aria’s previous managers had all been fired for confessing their feelings to her. Later, she simply hired only female managers, but surprisingly, even a male assistant secretly passed her a love letter, which became a joke for a while. Someone teased: “I didn’t think anyone could resist Aria’s charm.” Aria elegantly sipped her wine, chuckling softly: “How boring.” After dinner, a few people gathered to drink and chat. During the conversation, Yvette casually asked: “Aria, I heard Mr. Yang is quite interested in you?” My hand froze, the motion of pouring wine for Aria suspended in mid-air. After a moment, she answered nonchalantly: “It’s just an arranged marriage. Marrying anyone is the same.” In their circle, marriage had always been a bond of interests, with feelings being the least important factor. It seemed she had accepted this arrangement, fulfilling her family’s expectations without question. I had met Xavier Yang. A rising star in the business world, young and promising, indeed a good match. How I wished Aria could have a different ending, but reality often disappoints. The party continued late into the night, with the guests’ drivers waiting for a long time. Only Aria’s driver was delayed due to an unexpected issue. So we stood at the entrance of the club, our shadows elongated by the streetlights. These moments of being alone were the most dangerous, as those suppressed feelings always threatened to burst forth. But Aria just stood quietly, the alcohol making her less aloof than usual. Soon, the driver arrived. Aria turned to look at me: “Want to come along?” I shook my head, putting on a polite smile: “Thank you, Miss Johnson, but my fiancée is on her way here.” She nodded and gracefully slipped into the car. Finally alone, I loosened my tie and leaned against the edge of a planter. For a moment, I didn’t know where to go or what to do. The autumn rain came unexpectedly, fine droplets falling coldly on my suit. I stood by the street waiting for a cab, which was hard to come by in this high-end neighborhood. …… Due to road construction, the driver had to take a detour. Aria didn’t expect to see Simon again. He stood in the rain, his suit jacket draped over his arm, looking somewhat forlorn. She was slightly taken aback, having never seen the usually meticulous Manager Shaw so casual. At the company, he always wore a well-pressed suit, his tie invariably knotted impeccably at his neck. She had encountered too many men who deliberately showcased their charm, loosening their ties, exposing their collarbones and abs, pretending to be casual in front of her. But Manager Shaw was different. His professional competence and perfectly measured demeanor had made her decide to keep him by her side. As the car was about to pass, the driver in the front seat spoke up: “Do you want to give Manager Shaw a ride?” Aria’s gaze remained calm as she replied indifferently: “Never mind.” She had a poor impression of his tardy fiancée. Although Manager Shaw was usually astute, he seemed to lack judgment when it came to matters of the heart. But this was his personal affair, and she shouldn’t interfere too much. In the distance, what seemed to be Aria’s car flashed by, disappearing in an instant. Perhaps it was just my imagination. In such a high-end residential area, people walking like me were indeed rare. The rain had soaked my clothes. My legs were numb by the time I finally hailed a taxi. It was late when I got home, the silence in the apartment suffocating. I always told people that I had a perfect family, a deeply loved fiancée, and many close friends. Others said my life was perfect, enviable. But in reality, I had nothing – no family, no lover, no friends. In middle school, my dad was diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer. Shortly after the surgery, the cancer recurred. One ordinary morning, my mom left as usual, never to return. She took all our savings, leaving behind only my critically ill father and young me. Upon learning of this blow, my dad was surprisingly calm, silently accepting treatment. When his condition improved during hospitalization, he would even cook for me. That day after school, I came home to find the table full of dishes, my dad sitting across from me with a gentle smile. For some reason, a sense of unease welled up. The dishes emitted an unusual smell. I noticed the newly bought bottle of pesticide in the kitchen. At that moment, I realized that even terminally ill people could summon incredible strength, rendering me motionless. Taking advantage of his violent coughing fit, I broke free from his grip and fled to the rooftop in panic. My dad, tears streaming down his face, reached out to me, his voice choked: “Son, this world is too cruel. I can’t bear to leave you to face it alone.” “Let’s go together. In the next life, we’ll be father and son again.” Tears blurred my vision. I was exhausted, longing to smell the familiar tobacco scent on my dad’s body once more. Perhaps ending it all wouldn’t be so bad. After all, there seemed to be no hope in living. On the wind-swept rooftop, my dad’s embrace was the only warmth. He held my hand tightly as we slowly approached the edge. Just as we were about to fall, a pair of slender yet strong hands firmly grabbed me. She held onto me tightly, refusing to let go no matter how much I struggled. Swaying in the fierce wind, I only remember those eyes shining with determination. I survived, but my dad was gone forever. The person who saved me was Aria Johnson. She not only gave me life but also gave me a reason to keep living— To repay her kindness. I felt guilty for letting my father down. At that time, I was like a drowning man, desperately trying to grasp at a lifeline. And Aria was my beacon of hope. When the rescue team arrived, I tightly held her hand, looking up and asking: “How can I thank you?” The 14-year-old Aria looked down at me and said seriously: “Just come find me in the future.” From that night when I lost my father, my life seemed to come to a standstill, with only Aria as my driving force to move forward. Tonight, I was once again awakened by nightmares, reliving past events. In the dream, my father questioned why I had abandoned him, and my mother’s cold gaze as she left still pained me. I woke up drenched in sweat, my throat too hoarse to make a sound. The thermometer showed 101.8°F. Usually, I might have just taken some fever medicine and continued working, pretending nothing was wrong. But this time, I decided to take a sick day and really think about the direction of my life. …… Aria arrived at the music room to find that Simon had called in sick. She frowned, her impression of his fiancée worsening. Assistant Lily temporarily took over Simon’s duties, bringing Aria a cup of rose tea. Aria elegantly took a sip, her expression unchanged. The tea was weaker than usual, but she didn’t comment, simply putting down the cup and not drinking anymore. During the morning rehearsal, she made a mistake. Fortunately, she knew this piece by heart, avoiding a bigger issue. The room temperature was slightly high, the humidifier running continuously, causing her throat to feel dry. By the end of the day, though she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what went wrong, she felt like something was missing. For the first time, Aria seriously thought about Simon. She rarely paid attention to him normally, as he was always so low-key. He handled everything just right, like spring rain nourishing all things, silently and imperceptibly. It was as if she had never been there, yet everything was perfect. She frowned slightly, already the second time today. It was all because of Simon’s unworthy fiancée, who had snatched away her most capable manager. …… After tossing and turning all day, I still couldn’t figure out which direction to take. Like a lost butterfly, unable to find its way home in the dark night. The next morning, I still went to the music room as usual. As I opened the door, Lily nervously approached me, lowering her voice: “Miss Johnson isn’t in a good mood this morning. She didn’t even touch her favorite rose tea.” Yesterday’s cup of tea was still on the windowsill. I gently sniffed it and told Lily: “Use six fresh roses, water at 176°F, steep for three minutes. Not a minute more or less.” I carefully demonstrated each step of making the tea, with Lily observing closely. As the floral fragrance filled the air, Aria walked in. For a fleeting moment, I thought I caught a glimpse of tenderness in her eyes as she looked at me, and a hint of a pout on her lips. The handover of work was far more complicated than anticipated. I had numerous tasks at hand, making it difficult to transfer everything at once. Moreover, Aria had always been demanding, requiring meticulous attention to every detail of her daily life. I decided to get a notebook and record everything from adjusting the temperature in the music room to coordinating her performance outfits. This delay pushed back the originally planned one-month handover, resulting in a situation I had hoped to avoid. Accompanying Xavier Yang to the old mansion. Harboring inappropriate feelings for Aria, I felt guilty facing her future husband, even though I had done nothing wrong. Xavier wore a custom-tailored suit, a understated yet luxurious Patek Philippe on his wrist, his hair impeccably styled, every gesture exuding the aura of a successful businessman. I put on my professional smile and greeted him: “Mr. Yang, Miss Johnson arranged for me to pick you up.” On the way, Xavier kept asking about Aria, understandably nervous about getting engaged to someone he had never met. Sensing his anxiety, I gently reassured him: “Miss Johnson is very kind. You needn’t worry, Mr. Yang. If you have any concerns, feel free to ask me.” He looked at me gratefully. We chatted casually until we reached the old mansion. I had intended to leave after dropping him off. However, Mrs. Johnson, Aria’s grandmother, called me back. She was a renowned iron lady in the music world. Despite being in her seventies, she remained spirited, with piercing eyes. “Simon, where’s Aria?” Aria hadn’t come? I maintained my composure, answering cautiously: “There were some last-minute changes in the rehearsal schedule. Miss Johnson might be a bit late.” Mrs. Johnson snorted coldly, instructing me to make sure to bring her. I had witnessed how Mrs. Johnson punished Aria before, forcing her to practice piano for six hours straight until her fingers bled. Even now, Aria’s fingertips still bore those scars. After leaving, I immediately called Aria, thankfully getting through on the third try. I anxiously asked for her location, but she remained silent for a long time, only softly calling my name: “Simon.” Her voice was a bit slurred, as if she had been drinking. I could hear melodious piano music in the background. I instantly knew where she was and rushed there— I found Aria leaning against a grand piano in a bar, several glasses of whiskey in front of her, her long black hair cascading in the dim light. Hearing footsteps, she looked up slightly, her gaze hazy yet still cool, maintaining a bit of sobriety in her drunken state. “You’re here? Wait a moment, I’ll finish soon.” She patted the piano bench, gesturing for me to sit down: “Keep me company for a while.” The Johnson family’s concert hall stood in a bustling area, its lights glittering in the night, the classical European-style architecture exuding an air of nobility. Aria suddenly spoke: “Do you think it’s beautiful?” My gaze was still fixed on her perfect profile, and I blurted out without thinking: “Beautiful.” I blushed immediately, fortunately, she didn’t notice and continued speaking: “The surface glamour is just decoration for a cage. Even the most brilliant stage can’t confine a truly free soul.” She said this with a smile, but her tone was unusually serious. It was said that the Johnson family’s music business wasn’t entirely above board, with some shady deals behind the scenes, only recently starting to transform. Over the past decade, I had witnessed her step-by-step ascent to the pinnacle of the international piano world. The setbacks and pressures she endured during this time were something outsiders could never know. I couldn’t help but ask: “Are you happy?” The word “happy” seemed to linger on her lips. She chuckled softly but didn’t answer directly. Instead, she looked at me and said: “Your fiancée doesn’t deserve you.” I was stunned. She immediately lowered her head: “I’m sorry, I spoke out of turn.” Finishing her last sip of alcohol, Aria stood up, instantly reverting to the noble and elegant pianist she was known to be. On the way back, I kept pondering the meaning behind her words. After much thought, I still couldn’t understand, just as I never understood why she had appeared alone on the rooftop of that dilapidated apartment building years ago. But none of this mattered anymore. I was about to leave this place. From now on, separated by mountains and waters, we would rarely meet again. It was raining on the day I left my job. The rain in the north is always heavy and sudden, pitter-pattering on the ground as if trying to release all emotions. I sat in the music room, quietly packing up my belongings from the manager’s office. I had spent nearly ten springs and autumns in this position, transforming from a naive youth into a capable manager. I knew that every day at 3 PM, sunlight would stream through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the Steinway piano in a warm glow. I also knew that if I stood in the corner of the music room, I could hear Aria’s breathing as she practiced. These fragments were once the most precious solace in my life, but now, it was time to let go. The debt of gratitude had been repaid. Ten years of time, the days ahead would be for Xavier to protect. Lily watched me with reddened eyes. I ruffled her hair, smiling as I said: “Don’t be like this. We’ll meet again someday.” But deep down, I knew this goodbye was likely forever. This city held too many bitter memories. I needed to find a new beginning. As I left, a part of me still held onto a glimmer of hope, but ultimately, I couldn’t see her one last time. After resigning, I shut myself in my rented apartment and slept for days on end, as if trying to make up for all the sleep I had missed over the years. I bought alcohol and turned the stereo up to maximum volume. The stereo played Aria’s piano pieces. I laughed, laughed like a madman. After laughing, I sat numbly on the floor, staring blankly at the room full of sheet music. When I was young, my greatest wish was to survive. As long as I lived well, my dad wouldn’t jump off the building. Later, after dad was gone, my wish was to work hard so that mom wouldn’t give up on herself. Then mom left too, and I poured all my energy into work, wishing only to contribute to Aria’s music career. Now, I had lost my direction, not knowing where to go. Just as I was lost in thought, the doorbell suddenly rang. Looking through the peephole, I was shocked to see Aria standing outside.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295835”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance

I have a limp, a result of an injury I sustained while saving my childhood sweetheart when we were young. Despite being treated differently because of my disability, James Parker, my childhood love, promised to always be good to me. I believed him wholeheartedly. Until one day, I saw a girl corner him against a wall, attempting to kiss him. He turned his head to avoid it. The girl’s eyes reddened. “James, I don’t believe you’re not attracted to me!” James gritted his teeth and then kissed her forcefully. I’ve had a limp since I was a child, but everyone said I was lucky because I had James Parker, my childhood sweetheart who loved me dearly. James was the epitome of youth – handsome, smart, athletically gifted, and popular with girls. His only flaw, according to some, was having a disabled childhood sweetheart – me. Whenever someone said this, James would angrily rebuke them. “Lily’s leg was injured while saving me. I don’t want to hear you talk about her like that.” Each time he said this, he’d pull me into his arms. Listening to his heartbeat, I truly believed he was my prince charming, descending from heaven to save me. But I forgot that not everyone who rides a white horse is a prince. James and I started having problems in our sophomore year of college. It began when I watched a mixed doubles tennis match between him and his underclassman partner, Emma White. They had perfect chemistry and won the gold medal in the college tournament. Their high-five after winning, Emma handing James a towel, and the loving look in her eyes when she gazed at him all made me feel uneasy. But when James hung his gold medal around my neck and invited me to their tennis team’s celebration party, I forced myself to suppress my discomfort. I told myself to trust James. But at the party, when I saw Emma casually picking up James’s drink and about to sip from it, my carefully maintained composure finally cracked. I put my hand between Emma’s mouth and the bottle. “Isn’t this James’s drink? Did you grab the wrong one?” The lively atmosphere suddenly went quiet for a moment before resuming. James’s teammate laughed it off: “Emma must be too excited; she grabbed the wrong drink.” But Emma’s eyes showed no amusement as she put the drink back. The incident was brushed off with laughter, but it left me feeling unsettled. My unease reached its peak as James walked me back to my dorm that night. Because of my leg, James always walked slowly to match my pace. After hesitating, I brought up the incident at dinner. But James interrupted me: “It’s nothing, she probably just grabbed the wrong drink by mistake. Don’t worry about it.” His words caught in my throat, leaving me unable to express my concerns. My heart ached, and I had to force back tears of frustration. James took my hand and kissed it twice, telling me not to worry and insisting that he and Emma were just friends from the tennis team. His sincere gaze made me want to believe him again. I really, really wanted to trust him – if only I hadn’t later seen them kissing in a hidden corner. It was after another tennis match where James and Emma had won. I was looking for James with a water bottle and towel. Strangely, he wasn’t celebrating with his teammates. I noticed Emma was missing too. Pushing down my growing anxiety, I massaged my right leg, which was aching from standing too long, and continued searching. Perhaps my disappointment had reached its limit because when I saw Emma pressing James against a wall, I felt surprisingly numb. Emma’s coquettish voice rang out. “James, stop denying it. You like me.” James had one hand on her shoulder, as if to push her away, while the other clutched his newly won mixed doubles medal. He seemed to sigh. “Don’t do this,” he said. Emma’s voice began to break. “I don’t believe it. You don’t really like that childhood sweetheart of yours. I know you like me.” With that, she tilted her head up to kiss him. I clutched the water bottle tightly, silently praying for James to push her away. But he didn’t. James accepted Emma’s kiss, even lowering his head to deepen it. The medal that should have been mine, that should have been hanging around my neck, was now draped over Emma’s, alongside her own. As they moved passionately, the two medals clinked together, creating a clear, crisp sound. It was hauntingly beautiful. James and I had known each other since we were very young. Back then, he was the leader of our neighborhood kids, and I remember following him around everywhere. One day, while playing on a small hill, he slipped and started to fall. I quickly grabbed him, but being too weak, we both tumbled down the slope. James was fine, but I cushioned his fall with my body, and my right leg exploded in excruciating pain. I passed out from the agony. When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed, surrounded by my parents’ concerned faces and James’s parents’ guilty expressions. My right leg was in a thick cast. The doctor told me that I might never be able to run and jump like other children again. Hearing this devastating news, I felt my world turn gray. I had always loved sports, and the thought of never being able to play normally again was worse than death. But then James pushed through the adults. He wiped away my tears and the gloom from my eyes. With his young, apologetic voice, he said to me, “Don’t be sad, Lily. From now on, I’ll be your legs.” He promised to take care of me until I no longer needed him, which helped ease my parents’ anger. James was indeed a sports prodigy. He excelled on the field, winning countless awards from childhood through adolescence. I could only sit in the stands, watching him triumphantly receive his prizes. Although I knew the accident wasn’t his fault, I couldn’t help but wonder: if I hadn’t saved him that day, would I be the one winning awards now? But I would shake off these thoughts because James would always hang his heavy medals around my neck. His neck glistening with sweat, his breath carrying the vibrant energy of youth, he would look at me with bright, moist eyes and say something that went straight to my heart. Holding the medal draped over my neck, he’d say proudly, “Lily, from now on, all my medals belong to you too.” I think that’s when he truly entered my heart, like a gentle breeze full of youthful vigor, quickly taking root and blossoming. After that, James began competing frequently, always giving me all his medals. His mother once joked, “People might think our Lily won these awards herself!” James shot her a fierce glare, and his mother, realizing her mistake, fell silent. Because of my leg injury, I had few friends. I spent most of my time quietly reading and waiting for James. James confessed his feelings to me on a summer evening in our sophomore year of high school. He asked me to meet him downstairs in our neighborhood. Amid the summer cicadas’ song, I slowly made my way down, my neck damp with a fine sheen of sweat. Just as I steadied myself, before I could even make out his silhouette, I felt a cool metal medal being placed around my neck. It was the medal from his recent tennis tournament. Tennis was my favorite sport, and James had won this for me. “I already have many medals,” I said slowly, looking at him. James rubbed his nose, seeming a bit nervous. “That’s not what I wanted to talk about.” I gazed at him silently as he struggled to find the words. The early summer breeze was still mild, not yet oppressively hot. A gust of wind tousled my bangs, and just as I was about to brush them aside, James leaned in and gently kissed my forehead. “Lily, let’s be together,” he said, his voice trembling. My eyes widened slowly, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst. “Okay,” I heard myself say, trying to sound calm. How strange, I thought. Spring had already passed, yet my heart was in full bloom. Life after getting together with James didn’t seem to change much. Our friends had long assumed we were a couple anyway. Although James was a sports prodigy, he struggled with his academic subjects. Heaven had closed one door for me physically but opened a window intellectually. My grades were excellent. I was genuinely concerned about James’s academic performance because I wanted us to attend the same university. So, after finishing my own studies each day, I spent extra time figuring out how to help James improve his grades. Though the process was challenging, we eventually made it into the same university, thanks in part to his sports credits. I thought we would be happy forever, but I was too naive.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295852”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic #重生Reborn #校园School #惊悚Thriller

After Yelena Sullivan, the youngest daughter of the Sullivan family, lost her sight, my older brother Ethan Lambert broke off their engagement and went abroad. My parents had no choice but to send me, their adopted son, to live with her as compensation. For five years, I meticulously cared for Yelena until her vision was finally restored. Just as Yelena and I were about to get married, Ethan showed up at the wedding with a bouquet of flowers, knelt on one knee, and confessed his love to her in a voice thick with emotion. Yelena, who had always been cold and distant, burst into tears. She threw away her wedding ring, rushed off the stage, and blamed Ethan for why he had waited until now to come back for her. At that moment, all the guests were laughing at me. I simply changed out of my wedding attire and quietly gave up the ceremony to them. Yelena praised me for being understanding and generous, insisting it was all a charade and promising her husband’s title would belong to me always. I smiled but said nothing, booking a one-way ticket abroad. Yelena had no idea that the care I gave her all those years was nothing more than a paid job. Now that Yelena’s old flame had returned, it was time for me to live my own life.

As soon as I stepped off the stage, I heard Ethan explain, “Lena, I was diagnosed with cancer back then. I didn’t want to burden you with my worries, so I went abroad, but I never expected it to be all just a misunderstanding. “You regained your sight because I prayed for you day and night. “I’ve always loved you, and that hasn’t changed.” My mother, Maria Lambert, pushed me aside, took Yelena’s hand, and told her how deeply Ethan loved her. “Ethan truly loved you and didn’t want to trouble you. Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, you should get back together.” But the truth was, they all knew Ethan had despised Yelena’s blindness and refused to marry a blind woman. That’s why he’d resorted to threatening suicide to force her into breaking off their engagement before running off abroad. My parents didn’t want to sever the long-standing relationship between the Lambert and Sullivan families, so they hoped I would marry Yelena. Now that Yelena’s sight had returned, Ethan was eager to come back and elope with her. Thankfully, Yelena saw through his lies. After all, during her darkest days of self-harm and psychosis, he’d never visited once. Instead, he’d even rubbed salt in her wounds, cruelly saying he had never loved her. During the five years of Yelena’s blindness, I had been by her side, taking care of her day and night. I told her stories, guided her steps, and became her eyes. I’d felt so certain, but the next moment, I saw Yelena, tears in her eyes, take Ethan’s hand and choke with sobs. “I knew there was a reason.” Watching them hold hands tightly, I was stunned and could only smile bitterly. How naive I’d been! Ethan was her great love, the man she’d nearly died for. How could a substitute like me ever replace him? Seeing them reconcile, Maria breathed a sigh of relief. But the moment she turned and noticed me still standing there, her patience vanished. She shot me an irritated look and snapped, “Why are you still here? You’ve had ten years of living Ethan’s life. Are you still trying to steal his wife now?” My parents, who had been so gentle with me in my childhood memories, now looked at me with hatred. They pushed me away and shoved me out the door, scolding me, and I couldn’t help but feel heartbroken. Back then, when Ethan went missing, they were devastated, so they adopted me because I looked like him. For those ten years, I had parents who doted on me endlessly and a childhood sweetheart, Yelena, who was as close to me as anyone could be. It was the happiest time of my life. But Ethan’s return shattered my illusion. My parents felt I had stolen the love meant for Ethan, and they despised me. Even Yelena, who’d vowed to marry me, chose him. Under the weight of their hostile stares, I lowered my head, feeling utterly alone. Still, they had raised me, and I didn’t even have the right to protest. As I nodded and turned to leave, Yelena finally noticed my lonely figure. She raised an eyebrow at my parents and said, “Mr. Harrison Lambert, Mrs. Maria Lambert, there’s no need to be so harsh. What do you mean by ‘steal’? He’s my husband, and no one can replace him.” Watching Yelena slowly approach me, a touch of gratitude rose in my heart. She still favored me, just like when we were children. Yelena took my hand and whispered, “Zach, I was just putting on an act with him. We’ll go skiing soon, just like you’ve always wanted.” Ethan, who had followed Yelena over, sneered when he heard this. I could only smile bitterly in silence. We had grown up together, but how could she forget that I suffered a concussion from a skiing accident as a child? Since then, I developed a phobia of the sport and dreaded it. Skiing was Ethan’s passion, not mine. So, I was still Ethan’s substitute, and that had never changed. Ethan clapped my shoulder with a smile. “Alright. We’ll make it a trio.” My parents pulled Yelena aside and said, “Don’t let this outsider ruin your marriage.” Yelena wrenched her hands free and leaned in, whispering softly in my ear, “Don’t overthink it. It’s been five years since he dumped me, and I’m not about to let it go. I just need these five days to make him pay. “Once everything’s settled, we’ll get married and live happily ever after.” I nodded, watching them depart. Just then, a message from my boss popped up on my phone: [Zachary, the headquarters in Mercado is impressed with you. They want you to work there. If you’re okay with it, you’ll leave in five days.] I looked up at the stage where Yelena posed with Ethan’s family, radiant and whole. They were the real family, and I’d always been an outsider. Swallowing my pain, I replied: [No problem. On my way to finalize.]

Seeing how quickly I replied, my boss asked curiously: [Aren’t you getting married today? Take time to discuss with your wife and come back tomorrow if needed.] Following a devastating car accident that left her completely blind, Yelena was abandoned by Ethan at her lowest point, spiraling into a crippling mental breakdown. When I first met Yelena, I was covered in scratches from her every day. Over time, Yelena grew accustomed to my presence, and she could only fall asleep at night while holding my hand. If I’d been transferred earlier, I would’ve thrown away my entire future to stay with Yelena, because her fragile mind was all I could think about. Now, seeing Yelena beside Ethan with a beaming smile and sound mind, I knew her true love had returned, and my role was over. I typed: [I’m not getting married.] As Ethan slid the ring onto her finger amidst cheers, I slipped away. Upon handing over my work at the office, I walked out of the building. Yelena was nowhere to be found at the wedding. However, I never expected to find her waiting for me downstairs at the office building. She had roses in hand, was leaning against a sleek convertible, and waved me over. My colleagues gave me teasing looks before dispersing. Curious but composed, I walked over to her. “Zach, why did you leave so suddenly? You missed dinner, right? Let me take you…” Before Yelena could finish, Ethan stepped out of the driver’s seat and interrupted impatiently, “Lena, why are you wasting time talking to him? “Zachary, you’ve been wearing the heirloom meant for me for five years in my place. Time to hand it over.” Yelena pushed Ethan, telling him to be polite, and whispered to me, “Don’t listen to him. You’re the only one I consider my husband. “But Ethan needs to wear the emerald ring at today’s family banquet. Can you lend it to him? He’ll return it tomorrow, okay?” I took off the emerald ring, its green gem still warm from my body heat. Yelena had no idea that my life in her family was just a deal. Her parents had never seen me as her husband. With my unknown origins, they considered me an illegitimate child, unworthy of living with the Sullivan family. They paid me a monthly salary to take care of Yelena. The day Yelena no longer needed me would be the day I was cast aside. They had never intended to give me the emerald ring. Yelena had gone against her parents’ wishes, insisting on giving me the ring and placing it on my finger herself. I’ll never forget how she gently told me, “Zachary, you’re my husband now. You deserve everything that comes with it.” Now, she was taking back the ring meant for her husband, along with the favor she had once shown me… Without hesitation, I removed the emerald ring and handed it to Ethan. “Keep it. No need to return it to me.”

Hearing this, Yelena frowned. “You’re just lending it to him, but why are you saying that? You still want to marry me, don’t you?” Ethan sneered. “Why do you think? He’s just playing the victim again, trying to win your sympathy. “When we were kids, he threw a tantrum and refused to ride in the car, choosing to walk home barefoot in the freezing winter instead. It was as if my family had mistreated him, the adopted son.” Upon hearing Ethan’s words, Yelena seemed to remember something. Her expression darkened, a flicker of displeasure crossing her face. But that wasn’t how it had happened. When Ethan was found and brought back, he never stopped complaining about the hardships he’d endured. “I rose before dawn to work the fields, walked barefoot in the winter to chop firewood in the mountains, and only ate one meal a day, with no delicacies…” My parents resented that their biological son had suffered while I, an outsider, had lived comfortably. So, they made me experience everything Ethan had gone through. From then on, I was woken up at the crack of dawn to pull weeds and had to walk home barefoot in the winter. While my family enjoyed lavish meals, I was given scraps, and even the maids ate better than I did. Whenever I begged them for mercy, they would say it was nothing compared to what Ethan had endured. Yet Ethan’s suffering wasn’t my fault. I was just an abandoned child they had taken in. Word of my mistreatment spread soon. To protect the Lambert family’s reputation, they blamed me, saying I had deliberately caused the trouble out of jealousy for Ethan’s return and embarrassed them. From then on, I became an annoying troublemaker, ostracized by everyone. Even Yelena, who had once been close to me, turned against me and soon started dating Ethan. Back then, I was terrified Yelena would grow to hate me, so I told her the truth. However, no matter how hard I tried to explain or how much evidence I presented, Yelena didn’t trust me the way she once did. In fact, she only seemed to dislike me even more. Right then, as I saw the doubt flicker in her eyes, I didn’t explain, simply shaking my head. Anyway, I was leaving. It no longer mattered if she misunderstood me. As I turned to leave, Yelena grabbed my hand and sighed, as if compromising. “You have to come to the family dinner tonight, so please get in the car.” I nodded. This would be my last meal with them before I left. I sat in the back seat. Throughout the ride, Yelena chatted animatedly with Ethan in the front seat, reminiscing their unforgettable memories together. I didn’t say a word. Arriving at Sullivan Villa, I walked into the living room and found my parents there. When they slid a kidney donation consent form in front of me, I finally understood why they had invited me to the family dinner. It turned out Ethan had been diagnosed with kidney failure and needed a transplant. It all made sense now why my family had pushed for that medical checkup just a few days ago. They had discovered my kidney was a match for Ethan’s and were forcing me to save him. Yelena’s mother, Grace Sullivan, served Ethan food while telling me, “Zachary, your parents raised you all these years, so you should be grateful and do the right thing.” My father, Harrison Lambert, snorted. “If you don’t want to donate your kidney, we can pay you.” Ethan put on a fake act and said, “It’s my fault for hurting Lena before. You don’t have to save me. Let me die, and it’s the least I can do to make up for what I’ve done.” Seeing this, Yelena’s eyes showed a flicker of worry. She held my arm and pleaded, “You’ve always been kind, Zach. You wouldn’t let your brother die, would you? “It’s just one kidney. You’ll recover after the surgery, and it’s no big deal.” I hadn’t even sat down before they started pressuring me. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at myself. “When is the surgery?” Everyone seemed shocked that I agreed so quickly. Harrison said in a low voice, “Tonight. The sooner, the better.” I turned to look at Yelena. Yelena, who would’ve defended me in the past, now stayed silent, as if she were afraid I might refuse. It was a lie when Yelena said she was just putting on an act. She loved Ethan so much that she was terrified his condition would get worse, so she hurriedly tricked me into coming back for the family dinner. I didn’t refuse. “Alright, but I have one condition.” Upon hearing that I still had a request, Maria instantly looked indifferent. “Sure enough, you’re still greedy for money. I raised you for nothing all these years!” Yelena also thought it was inappropriate for me to ask for money and raised an eyebrow, saying, “Zach, you should repay your parents for raising you. How could you ask them for money?” I hadn’t even said anything, yet they were already labeling me as an ungrateful guy. I shook my head and told my parents, “I don’t want money. I want to cut ties with you. From now on, I owe you nothing.” My parents were stunned. They hadn’t expected this, but they agreed quickly. Without eating anything, I was rushed to the hospital and wheeled into the operating room. As I woke up from the anesthesia, I was back in my hospital room. Ethan was sitting by my bed, peeling an apple. We had both undergone surgeries, but why did he look so different? Just as I was wondering, Ethan answered with a smile, “You’re surprised, aren’t you? “Zachary, I was never sick. I just wanted to make it clear to you that our parents and Yelena have never been on your side. “To save me, your miserable life could be thrown away at any moment!” Chapter 4

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295868”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance