Category: English

After my rebirth, the first thing I did was replace all of my husband Declan Sullivan’s underwear with black ones. In my previous life, my brother Emmett Nelson’s wife Camila Carter had an affair behind his back. When I discovered the truth and told Emmett, Camila accused me first. Worse still, she somehow found two pairs of black underwear in my room that didn’t belong to Declan. I tried to explain, but Declan slapped me across the face without hesitation and lashed out at me verbally. Emmett looked at me with hatred in his eyes: “I always knew you disliked Camila, ever since the day she married me. But I never imagined you’d be so disgusting as to bring your affair partner home and then accuse Camila.” In the end, Emmett announced he was cutting ties with me, and Declan filed for divorce. In my despair, I walked out and was instantly killed by a truck. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day Camila was having her affair at home. The sounds coming from the second-floor bedroom were like needles constantly piercing my nerves. I rubbed my throbbing temples, feeling the dull ache as I looked around the familiar scenes of the villa. I really had been reborn! I stared at the room upstairs where the intimate sounds were coming from, my eyes bloodshot. Damn Camila! She brought another man home, yet accused me. In my previous life, I had forgotten some company documents at home and called a taxi to retrieve them, only to accidentally witness Camila having an affair. I immediately called Emmett. But when he rushed back, Camila accused me first. I tried to explain, but she somehow found two pairs of black underwear in my room that didn’t belong to Declan. Because of those two pairs of underwear, I was branded as the cheater. Emmett decided to cut ties with me, and Declan immediately filed for divorce. In my despair, I wandered out of the house in a daze, and was instantly killed by a truck. This time, I would make Camila pay. With this in mind, instead of foolishly calling Emmett like before, I went straight to the nearest supermarket and bought two pairs of men’s black underwear. After my purchase, I returned to the villa. When I pushed open the door, Camila had just finished showering and was sitting on the sofa wrapped in a towel, watching TV. Seeing me, she was visibly startled. “Emma… why are you home so early today?” Usually, I would work at the company until eight or nine, but today I was home before six. Camila seemed flustered, especially when I stared directly at her neck. The reddish and purplish marks on her neck betrayed what had just happened. “Oh, there wasn’t much going on at the company today, so I left right at closing time,” I replied flatly. Camila nodded awkwardly. “I see.” Noticing my gaze still fixed on her neck, she hurried upstairs and changed into a turtleneck sweater. Around seven, Declan and Emmett returned home one after another. “Emma, I want to quit my job,” Emmett said tentatively while eating. In my previous life, he had also brought up quitting at this time, saying he wasn’t happy at the company. After our parents died, he became my only family, so I arranged for him to work at my company. But shortly after my death, he and Camila joined forces to take over my business, turning him into a successful entrepreneur. “Fine, go ahead and quit,” I said casually. Hearing this, Camila’s face showed a hint of smugness, and she exchanged glances with Emmett. Emmett said, “Emma, no matter where else I work, no one appreciates my talent like you do. So maybe…” Before he could finish, I put down my fork coldly and interrupted, “Maybe you should go beg on the streets.” Emmett’s face immediately darkened. “What kind of talk is that?” “Emmett is actually thinking of you. How can a woman like you manage such a big company with only Declan’s help? You need more men to help you run it properly,” Camila said while peeling a shrimp for me. But remembering her intimate moments in bed earlier, even this shrimp made my stomach turn with disgust. “My company isn’t short on staff right now,” I responded coldly, shutting down all their subsequent arguments with that one sentence. Emmett angrily threw down his fork and walked away. In the past, I would have definitely chased after him to make amends. But now, living a second life, I wouldn’t do that anymore.

The next day happened to be Emmett’s birthday. Declan and I took the day off to rest at home. When Emmett saw me, his anger from last night clearly hadn’t subsided, and his face showed displeasure. During breakfast, Emmett deliberately ignored me. That suited me just fine, as I couldn’t be bothered to deal with him either. As we were finishing breakfast, Emmett finally couldn’t help but ask, “Emma, it’s my birthday tonight. What gift are you planning to give me?” As soon as he spoke, Camila, who was standing nearby, also showed a curious expression. Every year on Emmett’s birthday, I not only prepared a birthday gift for him but also gave Camila an expensive present. I said, “I’ve prepared a surprise for both of you. You’ll find out soon enough.” Emmett grinned from ear to ear, and Camila looked full of anticipation. I hoped they would still be able to smile when they saw my gift. At six in the evening, guests began arriving at the villa. Most were Emmett’s friends and classmates, including Jackson Watson, the man Camila was having an affair with. I found the chef and arranged all the dishes, with dinner set to begin promptly at seven. I pulled Emmett to the wine cellar to get some wine, using the opportunity to tell him about Camila’s affair. Emmett said in disbelief, “Emma, that’s impossible! Don’t talk nonsense!” Seeing Emmett’s expression, I deliberately said in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, “Camila is having an affair. She brings men home to sleep with. Do you understand?” Just like in my previous life, Emmett clearly didn’t believe me. He paused for half a second, then grabbed Camila’s arm as she was coming to call us for dinner and asked, “Emma says you’re having an affair. Is that true?” Camila looked at Emmett in confusion, her eyes immediately welling up with tears. “What are you saying, Emmett? I’ve been married to you for so many years. Don’t you know what kind of person I am?” “You really haven’t had an affair?” Emmett looked suspicious. Camila swore, “If I’ve had an affair, may heaven punish me!” With just a few sentences, Camila successfully dispelled Emmett’s doubts. It was the same in my previous life. As long as Camila acted hurt and swore an oath, Emmett’s heart immediately sided with her. And no matter how I tried to defend myself, just because two black underwear that didn’t belong to me or Declan appeared in my room, I was condemned by everyone. However, in this life, I would not let Camila off so easily. I stepped forward and said with a cold smile, “Camila, how dare you say such things?” Seeing me approach, Camila’s already red eyes looked even more wronged. “Emma, because you’re Emmett’s sister, I’ve always been respectful toward you and done as you said. I respect you, but how can you slander me like this?” I said, “I’m slandering you? How am I slandering you?” It was ridiculous that she would accuse me of slander when I had seen everything with my own eyes. Camila took a deep breath, as if she had made some kind of decision, and said to me, “Do you really want to do this? I didn’t want to say anything, but since you insist on slandering me today, I have no choice but to speak up.”

Hearing this, Emmett looked curious. Everyone who came to the birthday party gathered around after hearing the commotion, including Declan. Glancing at Declan, Camila pursed her lips and said to me, “I could have pretended not to know about this and kept quiet, since we’re all family. But I don’t understand what I’ve done wrong to deserve such slander from you. “You’re sleeping with someone behind Declan’s back, then accusing me of it. I know I’m not from a wealthy background, and you’ve always thought I wasn’t good enough for Emmett, wanting us to divorce. But in all these years of marriage, I’ve always been faithful. “You can’t frame me for cheating just because you don’t like me!” After Camila finished speaking, she looked utterly wronged. Emmett and everyone around were shocked. Declan was stunned. “Emma, you!” All eyes moved back and forth between Declan and me, faces full of curiosity. Emmett pulled the nearly tearful Camila into his arms and comforted her, “It’s okay, I know you’re not the one who cheated. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure justice is served!” He then turned to glare at me and demanded, “Emma, cheating is bad enough, but why would you frame Camila for it?” I stared coldly at Emmett. “I’m framing her? Open your eyes and look carefully—she still has kiss marks on her neck!” Emmett suddenly remembered that Camila had been wearing turtleneck sweaters these past few days. Before Camila could react, he pulled down her sweater on the spot. Seeing the faint red marks all over her neck, Emmett froze. “I’m allergic to mangoes. These marks are from accidentally touching mangoes a few days ago,” Camila quickly explained as she noticed Emmett staring at her neck. Afraid he wouldn’t believe her, she even rolled up her sleeves to show him the allergic reactions on her body. As she pulled up her sleeves, patches of red marks on Camila’s skin were revealed. Sniffling, Camila said, “Honey, you know I’m allergic to mangoes. I’ve been taking allergy medication these past few days, which is why I’ve been covering myself up with turtleneck sweaters.” Hearing Camila’s explanation, Emmett’s anger immediately subsided. At this moment, Camila pretended to be unable to bear the humiliation and said to me, “Emma, it seems you won’t rest until you’ve pinned this on me. If that’s the case, I’ll have to bring out the evidence.” Everyone attending the birthday party curiously followed Camila upstairs. Just like in my previous life, she rushed into my bedroom and headed straight for the closet. Then, she pulled out two pairs of black underwear and said, “This is the evidence! “Emma, these belong to the man you’re cheating with, left in your room. “Last time when you two were fooling around at home, I saw him leave without them. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but this time I really can’t take it anymore!” Holding the black underwear from my room, Camila put on a reluctant expression. Looking at the black underwear in Camila’s hands, Emmett pointed directly at my nose with a disgusted face and said, “The evidence is right here. What else do you have to say? I know you hate Camila. Ever since she came to our family, you’ve never liked her. “But I never imagined you’d be so disgusting as to bring other men home and then accuse Camila.” Hearing him say exactly the same words as in my previous life, I couldn’t help but laugh. Emmett frowned. “What are you laughing at?” Looking at Declan, he said, “Declan, why aren’t you saying anything? Your wife brought another man home, and you’re not angry?” Camila shot me a challenging smile, as if to say, “You’re finished.” Emmett and Camila were eagerly waiting for Declan to slap me, as no one could tolerate their spouse cheating. However, they were bound to be disappointed. Under their expectant gazes, Declan awkwardly said, “Camila, those underwear are mine. Is there a problem?” Camila was stunned and said, “But you don’t have black underwear, do you?” “How do you know what color underwear my husband wears?” I interjected. “I…” Camila stammered, unable to say a word. Just then, a sudden cry came from the next room: “What is this?”

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My husband’s parents, Oscar Cox and Maria Cox, died in a car accident. I immediately called my husband, Sam Cox, who works as a medical examiner. Sam was completely indifferent and said, “You know perfectly well that Susan hit two stray dogs and was traumatized. I’m comforting her right now, and you deliberately made up this lie about my parents being in a car accident to make me come home. My parents have always been so good to you, how can you be so ungrateful?” With that, Sam angrily hung up the phone. After the call ended, my heart was filled with unease and trepidation, and I decided to find him. However, I saw Sam holding his first love, Susan Morgan, gently comforting her: “Don’t be afraid, I’ll protect you.” It turned out that what Susan had hit weren’t stray dogs, but people. To help her escape legal consequences, Sam used his professional skills to destroy the evidence and dispose of the bodies. But he didn’t realize that the two bodies he destroyed were his own parents. After Sam hung up, I couldn’t reach him again, so I had to go to the hospital alone. Oscar and Maria had been killed instantly in the hit-and-run. Their bodies were now in the hospital morgue waiting for me to identify them. The moment I lifted the sheet, I collapsed in utter devastation. This didn’t look like a car accident at all! Oscar and Maria’s limbs had been severed with precise cuts, and all their internal organs had been removed. If not for the birthmark on Maria’s arm, I would never have believed these unrecognizable bodies were Oscar and Maria. “No!” I couldn’t accept the reality and let out a soul-crushing wail of agony. Just yesterday they were chatting and laughing with me, and now they were cold corpses. My breakdown moved the doctors around me to sympathy. They patted my shoulder and said gravely, “The victims were found by an ambulance on Blue Ridge Parkway. The bodies were already severely damaged when discovered, initially determined as death from a serious car accident. However, since the surveillance footage on that road was damaged, we can’t track down the perpetrator yet. I suggest you report this to the police immediately.” The doctor’s words still echoed in my ears as I stumbled out of the room, completely shattered and disoriented, covering my face as I cried. I had been married to Sam for ten years. Oscar and Maria knew I had lost both parents at a young age and had always treated me like family. They had given me their very best. Thinking about this, my heart ached so badly I felt numb. I instinctively tried calling Sam again, but he hung up once more. As I wandered helplessly in the hallway, I heard voices coming from a hospital room. My attention was drawn there. To my shock, the next second, I stared in disbelief at that room. “Susan, don’t worry. You just hit some small animals, that’s all. I’ll take care of it. Later, I’ll take you to my mother’s birthday party.” Sam was holding Susan tightly, speaking tenderly, with undisguised affection in his eyes. She was curled up in his arms, trembling and crying. “Sam, I’m so scared. Please stay with me, okay? Maria doesn’t like me. You’re all I have…” Standing outside the door, my mind was in chaos. Oscar and Maria had died so tragically, yet he was still on a date. I kicked open the door and, before Sam and Susan could react, slapped her several times across the face. “Skylar! Have you lost your mind?” Sam forcefully pushed me away, holding Susan protectively in his arms. I was so furious I could barely see straight, my head spinning with rage as I pointed at the door. “Your parents are dead! And you still have the heart to be here dating. You’re a complete bastard!”

Sam completely ignored what I said and kept pressing the call button on the hospital bed. “Skylar, stop acting crazy! My parents have been so good to you, and here you are cursing them! Now you’ve even hurt Susan. If you keep making these unreasonable scenes, I’ll divorce you!” I was so angry I couldn’t speak for a moment. Just as I was about to open my mouth, the doctor walked in and interrupted me. Sam put his arm around Susan and anxiously said, “Doctor, she hit some stray dogs on Blue Ridge Parkway and got scared. She already has depression. Will her condition get worse now?” When I heard “Blue Ridge Parkway,” I suddenly looked up at Sam and asked, “You’ve been to Blue Ridge Parkway?” Sam frowned, his eyes full of impatience. “What are you trying to do now? Susan isn’t feeling well, and I don’t want to deal with you!” I ignored whatever Sam was saying and lunged forward, grabbing Susan’s shoulders. “Was it you who killed someone on Blue Ridge Parkway?” Her face instantly turned pale. Sam yanked my sleeve and forcefully pushed me against the wall, shouting, “Skylar, this is a hospital! Stop acting crazy! Even if Susan hit someone, it would have been an accident. Besides, she only hit some stray dogs. Accusing her without evidence is defamation.” I stared blankly at this man I’d lived with for ten years, feeling like he was a complete stranger. With trembling hands, I pulled out the death certificates I’d obtained and said, “I have proof right here.” Sam grabbed the death certificates and tore them to pieces. “Stop playing these games. Skylar, can’t you survive without a man? Don’t try to get my attention with these tactics.” I called in the doctor who had identified the bodies with me to testify. “Sam, I’m not lying to you. Oscar and Maria are really dead!” Sam glared at me angrily and said, “Susan is traumatized. Stop making a scene.” Our commotion had drawn quite a crowd. Susan kept crying, looking pitiful. She said, “Skylar, I know you’ve always misunderstood me. But Sam and I are just good friends. He’s only angry because he’s worried about me. Please calm down and let me rest.” The people around us, not knowing the truth, began criticizing me for being malicious. The doctor who was testifying for me said, “Mr. Cox, since you’re the son of the deceased, you should report this to the police immediately.” “No!” Sam’s face turned red with anger. “Where’s your hospital director? You have no professional ethics! Why are you spreading rumors about my parents? I’ll sue you all!” After his threats, he stepped on the torn death certificates and prepared to leave with Susan. Just as I was about to chase after them, I received the latest update from the Police Department. They showed me the surveillance footage from Blue Ridge Parkway. The images were very blurry due to damage, but I immediately recognized Susan, and Sam. So Sam knew from the beginning that Susan had killed people, not stray dogs! Sam was a forensic pathologist, and the wounds on Oscar and Maria’s bodies were extremely precise—something only someone with professional knowledge could achieve. I felt a chill run through my body, and my gaze toward Sam filled with terror.

I rushed forward, blocking their way, and grabbed Susan by the collar while looking at Sam. “The people she killed were Oscar and Maria, right on Blue Ridge Parkway. Sam, do you still want to protect her?” At that moment, I didn’t care about my dignity; I was just heartbroken for Oscar and Maria. I held up my phone with the surveillance footage, trying to show it to Sam, but he pushed me away. “Skylar, do you have to make a big scene out of this? Let’s get divorced right now! Marrying you was the worst mistake of my life,” he said. I never imagined Sam would go this far for Susan—helping her cover up the truth, possibly even destroying evidence, and now wanting to divorce me. I felt an overwhelming wave of grief. I should never have married such a man. Seeing that I had fallen silent, Sam scoffed, “If you weren’t acting crazy, I wouldn’t be asking for a divorce. Susan and I are just friends. Your thoughts are disgusting. Call Mom and tell her I’ll throw Susan a makeup birthday party once she’s feeling better.” I laughed coldly, unwilling to argue with him anymore. “Maria is already dead. You don’t need to celebrate her birthday anymore.” My ashen face seemed to disgust Sam. He waved his hand dismissively and announced loudly in front of everyone, “Fine, since you claim my parents are dead, take me to see their bodies. If you’re lying, I will never forgive you!” Sam was convinced I was lying. After all, in his eyes, I had always been narrow-minded, nothing compared to Susan. Just a week ago, I had found love letters he’d written to Susan in his desk drawer. We had a huge fight about it. Sam followed the doctor to the morgue. I trailed behind him, closing my eyes, unable to bear remembering Oscar and Maria’s tragic state. I wondered if Sam would lose his mind when he realized he had been trying to destroy his own parents’ bodies. Just as Sam was about to open the body bag, Susan suddenly started retching beside him. “Sam, I’m scared. There are so many dead people here…” she said. Sam patted her back with concern. “Susan, don’t be afraid. This will be over soon.” He lifted the body bag, glanced casually at the body, and then turned away with disgust. “This isn’t my parents at all,” he said. My heart was racing. Oscar and Maria’s bodies had been destroyed by Sam’s own hands—how could he not recognize them? “Sam! These are Oscar and Maria! Have you abandoned all human decency for Susan?” “I’ve seen the bodies. I would recognize my own parents. Skylar, stop making a scene!” Sam’s voice was ice-cold, freezing the blood in my veins. I realized he must truly love Susan to lie in front of his own parents’ bodies. I laughed bitterly, my body trembling uncontrollably. “I’ve already called the police. This is the surveillance footage they sent me.” I showed him the video he had refused to look at earlier, holding it right in front of his face. It clearly showed him and Susan, even matching the model of the car. Sam, who had been about to explode in anger, froze the moment he saw the video.

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“Ms. Moreau, are you sure you want to terminate this pregnancy?” The doctor’s repeated questioning snapped Lena Moreau out of her daze. She widened her eyes, seemingly unable to believe what was happening. Only when the doctor prompted her again did she realize with shock that she had been reborn. On this very day in her previous life, Lena had discovered she was pregnant and subsequently made a choice that cost her dearly. The child in her womb belonged to Robert Ashford, her uncle with no blood relation, the CEO of Ashford Group. When Lena was seven, her parents died in an explosion while negotiating business abroad. The Moreau family had once helped Robert, so he took her in and raised her himself. As a child, Lena was well-behaved, so he personally attended to all her needs. He raised a seven-year-old girl into a seventeen-year-old young woman. Among all the Ashfords, Lena was only close to Robert, always clinging to him alone. With the onset of puberty, she couldn’t help falling for the man who had redeemed her. On her eighteenth birthday, she confessed to him with the courage from alcohol, then stood on her tiptoes and kissed his lips. Robert was usually disciplined, but that day, strangely, he felt feverish and dizzy after just one drink. Lena’s kiss made him lose all reason. When he woke up and saw the mess on the bed, he pushed her away harshly. For the first time, Lena felt Robert’s hatred as he lost his temper badly. But she didn’t understand what had happened. She had only kissed him impulsively, and their intimate encounter was purely accidental. Yet he thought she had deliberately schemed it all. “Lena, what have you done? I’m your uncle!” Lena tried to explain, but Robert wouldn’t listen. He kept emphasizing that he was her uncle and that they shouldn’t be together. For the first time, Lena argued back, “But you’re not my blood uncle. We have no biological connection.” This was their first argument. Furious, he moved out of Ashford Manor. Lena didn’t see Robert again until a month later. She was pregnant, and his grandfather, Zachary Ashford, forcibly summoned him back to Ashford Manor to discuss their marriage. Under family pressure, Robert reluctantly agreed to marry her. Lena thought her life would be happy from then on. They had a child and were about to get married. But her married life was miserable. On their wedding night, Robert stayed with the woman he loved, Colette Wilson. The next day, he moved all his belongings out and never returned. He and Colette loved each other for life, while Lena stayed home raising their daughter alone. Robert despised her and, by extension, the daughter she bore. Even the daughter Lena had raised came to hate her when she grew up, blaming Lena for bringing her into a world where she couldn’t receive a father’s love. After Lena’s death, her daughter immediately went to Robert and accepted Colette as her mother. Recalling these memories, Lena’s face was drenched with tears, the pain still fresh in her heart. The doctor, accustomed to such scenes, patiently prompted again, “Ms. Moreau, are you sure you want to terminate this pregnancy?” “Yes!” This time, Lena’s answer was unwavering and resolute, her voice trembling not with uncertainty but with determination. This time, she would not repeat her previous mistake. She immediately scheduled the abortion, deliberately ignoring the doctor’s contempt. “Where’s your family member? Call him to sign the consent form.” “Doctor, I have no family left. I’ll sign it myself.” The doctor wasn’t surprised and muttered under his breath, “These young girls nowadays, no self-respect at all. Getting an abortion at barely eighteen, completely reckless with your health.” As Lena lay on the cold operating table, she knew that this time, she and Robert would never be together. She thought, “This time, let him be with Colette! He’ll never know that I once carried our child.” After leaving the hospital, Lena didn’t hesitate to call her mentor, Jane Murphy. “Ms. Murphy, I’ve made up my mind. I accept the offer to study in France.”

After returning from the hospital, Lena went straight to Ashford Manor. She had already submitted her advanced study application. In ten days, she would be flying to France. As soon as Lena stepped through the door, Zachary called her over. Only then did she notice that several Ashford family elders were also present. She glanced around. As expected, Robert was nowhere to be seen. Ever since their accidental intimate encounter, he had been avoiding her. Even though he eventually agreed to marry her under family pressure, his attitude toward her was never the same as before. When the elders saw Lena, their kind gazes unconsciously fell on her abdomen. “Lena, come sit beside me. Tell me what kind of wedding you’d like. I’ll have Gideon and Diana make the arrangements.” Zachary took out an old wooden box. “This is the emerald bracelet my wife wore. She said I should personally give it to Robert’s wife someday. Lena, try it on!” Lena was about to decline. She was leaving soon. This emerald bracelet was meant for Robert’s wife, and she couldn’t accept it. Just then, Robert pushed open the door and walked in. Their eyes met, and she noticed a beautiful woman standing behind him—his lover, Colette. Zachary, already irritated by Robert’s gloomy expression, grew even more displeased when he spotted Colette. “I called you back to discuss your wedding with Lena. Why did you bring an outsider?” Colette blushed with embarrassment and timidly tugged at Robert’s sleeve. He gave her a reassuring look, and she followed him inside. “You can decide about the wedding yourselves. Why did you insist I come back? I was in the middle of discussing something with Colette, but your urgent calls forced me to bring her along.” Facing the elders’ angry stares, Robert weakly explained, “Colette and I are just friends.” Zachary snorted, then proceeded to discuss Robert and Lena’s wedding right in front of Colette. Robert pretended to listen indifferently, but Lena clearly noticed the intimate gestures between him and Colette under the table. Colette had hooked her foot around his and was caressing it repeatedly. Lena suddenly recalled scenes from her previous life, when Robert would occasionally bring Colette around after their marriage, flaunting their relationship in front of her. Just like now, they would make these disgusting gestures in her presence, with Colette deliberately showing off kiss marks. If this had been the old Lena, she would have felt utterly repulsed, but now she felt nothing. Zachary called her name several times before she snapped back to reality. “Lena, don’t worry. Though time is tight, I’ve discussed it with Gideon and Diana—the wedding will have every necessary ceremony!” Robert’s brother, Gideon Ashford, asked Lena which members of the Moreau family she planned to invite, saying he would send invitations tomorrow. Gideon’s wife, Diana Ashford, smiled as she took Lena’s hand, carefully advising her about precautions during early pregnancy. Zachary deliberately cleared his throat, finally drawing Robert’s attention. “Robert, your wedding with Lena is set for the tenth! These days, you’ll stay home and help Gideon and Diana prepare for the wedding. Did you hear me?” Zachary struck his cane firmly on the floor, his expression severe. Only then did Robert reluctantly withdraw his leg and softly agree. Hearing their wedding was scheduled for the tenth, Lena was surprised. That was the same day she was supposed to leave for her advanced studies in France. She thought, “This time, everyone will know I won’t be marrying him.”

When Lena saw Robert and Colette flirting under the table again, a sharp pain shot through her abdomen. She had just undergone an abortion and was physically very weak. After spending so much time chatting with the Ashford family, her back was already aching unbearably. Since Zachary had nothing more to discuss with her, she excused herself, saying she was tired and needed to rest in her room. Lying on the bed, Lena looked at every decoration in the room, feeling a wave of sadness. Every corner had been personally arranged by Robert. He once took care of her meticulously, but now their relationship had grown increasingly distant. Tears were about to fall from her eyes. Not long after, Robert pushed the door open without knocking. Lena was surprised. Since he had moved out, they hadn’t spoken for a long time. Even when they occasionally met at home, he wouldn’t spare her a glance. Now, she only needed to look up at him once to know he was furious. Sure enough, Robert said sarcastically, “Congratulations, Lena! You finally got what you wanted! I just never imagined that at such a young age, you could be so calculating. I kindly threw you a party for your eighteenth birthday, and you deliberately put aphrodisiacs in my coffee! Now you’ve achieved your goal! You schemed to sleep with me for one night, then got pregnant with my child. Finally, you used family pressure to force me to marry you. Your methods are truly impressive! Lena, is this what I taught you all these years? You completely disregarded ethics! I’m your uncle! I’m ten years older than you!” Robert angrily accused Lena, then kicked the bedroom door in frustration, causing the crucifix hanging on it to fall and shatter on the hard floor. This symbol of peace had been hung there by his own hands. He once said he asked for nothing else but for Lena to be safe and happy. Now, he seemed not to notice the broken crucifix on the floor. “Lena, you’ve won! Out of responsibility, I will marry you! But my love will always belong to Colette, so stop dreaming! After the wedding, I’ll move out and live with Colette. Didn’t you use the child in your belly to force me to marry you? Then you’d better take good care of that child and stay obediently in this house with the baby, guarding this status you obtained through despicable means!” After his vengeful speech, Robert stared at Lena, waiting for her to break down and cry. But she said nothing, her face showing no expression at all. Robert felt momentarily confused, but quickly regained his composure. He thought Colette was right—if Lena could come up with something as underhanded as drugging him, her unusual behavior now must also be deliberate. She was probably plotting against him again. This time he needed to be on guard. What Robert couldn’t possibly know was that Lena had indeed given up on him, because their child was already gone. In her previous life, she had loved this child as much as she loved him. But in the end, she paid a terrible price for that love. Fortunately, this time she wouldn’t repeat the same mistake. Lena wouldn’t appear at their wedding, because she had already bought a ticket to France. In ten days, she would leave this place and him behind. Dragging her weakened body, Lena got up and walked toward him, pointing to the living room where Colette was waiting for him. “Uncle Robert, are you finished? If so, please leave. Don’t keep her waiting. I’m tired and need to rest.” But Robert stood motionless, looking at Lena in disbelief. They hadn’t seen each other for just a few days, yet he felt she had somehow become a stranger. Lena now felt waves of pain in her abdomen. She forced herself to push him out despite the pain and was about to close the door. Just then, the abortion receipt fell out of her pocket. Robert frowned darkly and asked, “What surgery is this? Are you having surgery?” The moment the surgery form fell, Lena instinctively picked it up and quickly tucked it away. But sharp-eyed Robert caught the words “surgery form.” Lena’s heart pounded in her chest. She felt extremely nervous, almost hearing the echo of her own heartbeat. After stammering for a while, she finally came up with a reasonable excuse. “It’s nothing. I have a minor dental issue that requires a simple procedure. The doctor said it’s best to address dental problems in early pregnancy, otherwise it could become complicated later.” Lena deliberately mentioned pregnancy, and as expected, Robert became displeased and stopped questioning further. His brow relaxed slightly, but his face remained cold as he said distantly, “Let’s go. I’ll take you to the hospital for another check-up.” “That’s not necessary, Uncle Robert. You should go back to work. I—” Lena waved her hands in refusal, clearly flustered. “I said we’re going to the hospital. Didn’t you hear me?” Hearing Robert’s tone turn serious, Lena meekly followed behind him and kept quiet. As they passed through the living room, he suddenly stopped and truthfully explained the situation to the elders who were still discussing wedding plans. Lost in thought about what would happen if the truth was discovered at the hospital, Lena accidentally bumped into Robert’s back. Her chest pressed against his back. An unusual feeling rose within him, and he awkwardly cleared his throat. The elders sitting on the sofa were pleased with his concern for her, but only one person noticed his subtle discomfort. Colette’s gaze darkened as she secretly clenched her fist. Robert had planned to drop Colette off on the way, but she suggested accompanying them to the hospital. “Robert, Lena is a young woman after all. It might be inconvenient for you at the hospital. I can help.” Lena didn’t want Colette to come along. Sitting in the same car with her was uncomfortable enough. But she couldn’t show her emotions too obviously. Robert knew very little about pregnancy. Colette was different. She was a woman. It would be trouble if she noticed something amiss. Lena sat in the back seat, lost in thought. Colette, in the passenger seat, had fallen silent, fidgeting with the car ornaments. Robert was a neat freak. His car always smelled clean and fresh, with minimalist interiors. Lena, on the contrary, loved small trinkets and always wanted to redecorate the cold, sterile car. But Robert never agreed. He stubbornly refused to even change the car’s air freshener. Once, when Lena was suffering from low blood sugar, she had just opened a packet of cookies in the car when Robert snatched it and heartlessly threw it out the window. “No eating in my car.” Lena had to endure her low blood sugar symptoms, rummaging through her bag hoping to find a candy. In the end, she found nothing and barely made it home without fainting. Yet now, Colette had redecorated the car interior to her liking and even changed the fragrance. So this was the stark difference between love and indifference. Lena felt a sharp pain in her heart. She placed her hand on her chest and turned to look out the window. It had started raining when they left, and now it was pouring harder. Large raindrops pounded against the car with loud thuds. As the car headed toward the hospital, Lena felt panic rising again. At that moment, Colette, sitting in the passenger seat, suddenly exclaimed, “Oh no! Robert, what should I do? I forgot to close the window! That potted plant you gave me is still on the windowsill. It’s raining so hard, I’d be devastated if it gets ruined! That’s the one you planted with your own hands on my birthday. It’s my hope for survival. It’s what helps me get through every night when my depression hits. I value it more than myself!” Through the rearview mirror, Lena noticed Colette’s gaze landing directly on her. She suddenly realized that Colette was doing this deliberately. Robert responded without hesitation, “I’ll turn around and take you back right now!” “Thank you! Robert, you’re the best!” Colette couldn’t hide her delight, but she quickly glanced hesitantly at the back seat a few times. She added uncertainly, “Robert, this means Lena will have made this trip for nothing. Won’t this delay her doctor’s appointment?” The car screeched to a halt at the roadside, and Robert coldly pointed at Lena, “Get out. Go to the hospital yourself. There’s an umbrella in the trunk.” She was stunned for just a moment, then simply replied, “Okay,” and quietly opened the door. As soon as Lena stepped out, Colette said, “But Robert, this new dress I’m wearing is also the one you gave me on my birthday. What if it gets wet?” So Robert started the car and drove away, giving Lena no chance to get the umbrella. “I need the umbrella. I can’t give it to you.” The car splashed water high from the puddles, and Lena stepped back to avoid it. When she looked up, she caught a glimpse of Colette’s delicate face in the car, along with her smug expression that she hadn’t managed to hide in time. Lena sighed helplessly and quickly took shelter under the eaves of a roadside shop. The rain was pouring down heavily, and she was already soaked from just stepping out of the car. She was shivering from the cold. The recent abortion had left her weak. She crouched down powerlessly, hugging herself. Usually, it was easy to get a taxi here, but today’s sudden downpour had turned the normally smooth roads into congested ones, with available taxis being scarce. Lena glanced at the people next to her constantly refreshing their ride-hailing apps. It seemed unrealistic to get a taxi home today. Fighting through the cold that gripped her body, she forced herself to stand and walk in the rain. But she hadn’t gone far when sharp pain and waves of coldness shot through her abdomen. Lena hadn’t eaten all day. She hadn’t even had a moment to rest after her abortion procedure that morning. Now she couldn’t hold on any longer and collapsed in the heavy rain. When she regained consciousness, she saw white walls and Robert’s gloomy face. Startled, Lena quickly jumped off the bed, only to realize she had an IV in the back of her hand. She anxiously touched her abdomen, thinking, “I hope they haven’t discovered my abortion.” “Why are you getting out of bed? Go back and lie down! You’re already eighteen, and you still forget to eat. Don’t you know your hypoglycemia has flared up again?” Hearing about hypoglycemia, Lena finally relaxed. Under Robert’s watchful gaze, she obediently returned to bed. Only then did she survey her surroundings and realize she wasn’t in a hospital but in Colette’s home. “Uncle Robert, didn’t you take Ms. Wilson home? How did you…” Robert impatiently cut her off, “How did I come back to pick you up and bring you here? Do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve caused me? Grandpa gave me a severe scolding because of you!” Lena then learned that when she fainted, she had accidentally touched her phone, calling her emergency contact, Zachary. He had initially suggested that she set him as her emergency contact, saying that while everyone else in the family might be busy, he was always free and could answer her calls 24/7. This time, Lena had accidentally called Zachary. When he answered but received no response, he quickly called Robert. Upon learning that Robert had abandoned her halfway, Zachary became furious. Robert immediately turned back after hanging up. He didn’t even hear Colette’s questions. His mind was filled with thoughts of Lena. He thought, “She can’t be in trouble, or Grandpa will kill me!” Robert soon found Lena unconscious not far from where she had gotten out of the car. He knew about her chronic hypoglycemia. Just as he was about to take her to the hospital, Colette mentioned that the hospital was still some distance away and the roads were congested. She suggested they go to her place first and call a family doctor to examine Lena. So Lena ended up in the guest room at Colette’s house. She hadn’t expected things to turn out this way. “I’m sorry, Uncle Robert, for causing you trouble. I’m feeling much better now, so I won’t impose on you and Ms. Wilson any longer.” Lena sincerely apologized to Robert, wanting to give him and Colette space. In her previous life, she had argued with him too many times because of Colette. He had always accused her of being unreasonable. But now that Lena was being compliant, he seemed even angrier. “You’re unwell, and you still have the energy to worry about others?” Although Lena wanted to leave immediately, she didn’t want to argue with Robert, so she had to follow his instructions and continue lying down. She said softly, “Thank you, Uncle Robert.” Robert’s cold gaze fell on Lena’s face. He felt that she seemed different from before. In the past, she loved sticking close to him and would talk non-stop whenever she saw him. If she had encountered today’s situation before, she would have already been crying to him about her grievances. Moreover, it had been a long time since she called him Uncle Robert. He couldn’t remember when she had started calling him by his first name. Thunder continued to rumble, and the heavy rain kept falling. Lena obediently received the IV nutrition under Robert’s supervision. “You…” Just as Robert was about to ask her what had been happening lately and why she had become so well-behaved, a scream came from next door. With a grave expression, he instinctively rushed out. “Colette must have been frightened awake by the thunder. Her depression is acting up again. I need to be with her.” Lena nodded silently, tears falling from her eyes. Although she knew Robert didn’t love her, when he abandoned her at that moment, she couldn’t help feeling sad. But soon, a large hand landed on top of her head. “Be good. I’ll be back soon. You sleep first. Later, I’ll take you home.” Robert didn’t know why he unconsciously turned back after just stepping out of the bedroom door. He felt a sense of unease, as if Lena might disappear at any moment. Then, he rushed back to the adjacent room, picked up the suffering and frantic Colette, and took her to the safe room in the basement. In Lena’s previous life, Colette would occasionally have episodes, and Robert would accompany her in the so-called safe room. They wouldn’t come out for days until she returned to normal. Lena remembered when her daughter was six months old and had a high fever with convulsions in the middle of the night. Terrified, she had no choice but to call Robert, begging him to take her daughter to the hospital. But he cursed her for being selfish, saying Colette was having a depressive episode and couldn’t be without him, telling her to figure it out herself. But Lena had just given birth to her daughter not long ago, and she had no resources. She had no choice but to brave the severe cold and snow, carrying her daughter to hail a taxi. She didn’t even have time to put on a coat, wearing only her pajamas and slippers. After falling many times in the snow, she finally found a car to take them to the hospital. At the hospital, her daughter was given a critical condition notice. Lena was only nineteen at the time and had never experienced such an emergency. She was so frightened that her hand trembled as she signed the forms. She called Robert many times from outside the ICU, but he never answered once. Afterward, he even blamed her and demanded that she not disturb them with such trivial matters when Colette was having a depressive episode. A knock on the door brought Lena back from her thoughts. “Colette wants clam chowder from Epicurean’s Haven. I’m going out to get it for her. Could you keep an eye on her for me?” Lena hesitated. She had planned to send Robert a message and leave this place. But under the circumstances, she had no choice but to agree. Just a few minutes after Robert left, Colette walked out of the safe room. She looked at Lena with disdain and smirked, not at all like someone suffering from depression who needed constant companionship. Lena could immediately tell that Colette was faking. In her previous life, Lena had suffered from severe depression herself, so she knew what a real depression patient looked like. “Even if you threaten him into marrying you by getting pregnant, what good will it do? He loves me, and that’s something you can never change.” This time, Colette failed to provoke Lena as she had in the past, leaving her feeling frustrated. But suddenly she smiled and said, “Lena, he will come to despise you just as much as he once liked you!” Lena looked at her in confusion. Colette laughed loudly as she returned to the safe room in the basement. Soon, agonizing screams came from inside. Alarmed, Lena rushed to the basement as fast as she could. Lena prayed that nothing would happen to Colette. After all, she had just promised Robert she would help look after her. She was about to leave this place and didn’t want to get involved in any unnecessary conflicts. If something happened to Colette, Robert would surely punish Lena by locking her in the isolation room at Ashford Manor for reflection. Lena trembled at the mere thought of that room. The day her parents died unexpectedly, she stayed home alone for a night before Robert came to take her away the next day. No one knew how she survived that night. She hid in a dark closet, too afraid to sleep, and had suffered from severe claustrophobia ever since. Robert knew this, which was why he never dared to leave Lena alone at home. But in her previous life, after they got engaged, Colette frequently provoked her, and Robert locked her up several times to appease Colette. Even though it was always Colette’s fault, Robert only believed her words. Most importantly, Lena had many things to do before going abroad for further studies, so she couldn’t afford to be confined. Just as Lena reached the basement door, her heart skipped a beat. Colette stood with her back turned, surrounded by a large pool of blood. “Colette, calm down!” Lena rushed to Colette’s side, only to be horrified by what she saw! Colette was holding a bloody mass in her arms, turning to look at Lena with a sinister smile. Then, she shoved the bloody mass into Lena’s hands and screamed, “Lena, why did you kill my dog? That was my emotional support dog of seven years. How could you be so cruel? Aren’t you afraid your child will suffer karma?” Lena finally realized that what she was holding was Colette’s emotional support dog. The earlier screams had come from it, and Colette had tortured it to death herself. Lena instantly understood what was happening, but it was too late. Before she could throw away the dead dog, Colette firmly gripped both her hands. “Give me back my dog! Give it back!” Colette’s grip was so strong that Lena couldn’t break free. Just then, Robert appeared behind her. Furious, he shouted, “Lena, what are you doing?” Robert felt his blood freeze. The corn chowder in his hands crashed to the floor, splattering everywhere. He had only been gone for a short while, and such a terrible thing had happened. Colette was now sobbing hoarsely in his arms. “Robert, my dog has been with me for seven whole years. It kept me company every night as I fell asleep. How can I go on without it? I might as well die with it!” He held her tightly. “Colette, don’t talk nonsense. Seeing you like this worries me to death! You still have me. From now on, I’ll stay with you every night, okay?” After saying this, he immediately turned to meet Lena’s gaze. Without giving her a chance to explain, he scolded, “Lena, I asked you to look after Colette, but instead you killed her emotional support dog. “Do you think her depression isn’t severe enough? Are you trying to drive her to death? “You’re so young, yet your thoughts are so malicious. I must have spoiled you too much! “Apologize to Colette right now, and don’t stop until she forgives you!” Lena felt helpless. She saw Colette smirking at her, silently saying, “I won.” But Lena couldn’t worry about that now. She just wanted to calm Robert’s anger quickly and explained, “Uncle Robert, it wasn’t me! She did it herself…” Before she could finish, a heavy slap landed on her face. Lena’s ears rang, and she tasted blood. “You dare to make excuses! Are you suggesting Colette tortured her own emotional support dog of seven years and framed you? “You’ve always lied to slander Colette. I thought you had improved after getting pregnant. Clearly, that was just my illusion. You’ve never changed! Go back to Ashford Manor right now and reflect in that room!” Lena’s heart sank. She was going to be locked in the isolation room she feared most after all. Lena couldn’t remember how she got through that night. She felt like she was reliving the night her parents passed away unexpectedly. Only when the first ray of sunlight shone through in the early morning did she feel a hint of life returning to her. She then noticed that the sheets beneath her were torn from her grip, and her arms and palms were covered with bloody marks where her nails had dug deep into her skin. Robert had assigned people to watch over Lena. Her daily routine was arranged according to pregnancy standards, with nutritious meals delivered to her room three times a day. Her phone had been confiscated. The people watching her would simply drop things off and leave, never willing to say a word to her. Lena felt anxious. She couldn’t contact Jane, and her phone and important documents were all in her confiscated backpack. A week before the wedding, Robert had someone bring her a wedding dress to try on, but he still wouldn’t let her leave. She didn’t miss this opportunity and tried to get the person to relay a message to Robert. “Ms. Moreau, Mr. Ashford is currently out of the country. All these arrangements are being handled by his assistant. I can’t help you deliver any messages to him.” Lena thought, “He’s abroad? The wedding is just around the corner, why would Zachary let him leave the country at a time like this? And I haven’t been back to the Ashford Manor for three days, why hasn’t Zachary asked about me?” After answering, the staff member stepped aside to make a phone call. After a brief report, he handed the phone to Lena, gesturing for her to answer. She thought it was Robert and immediately began to admit her mistakes. She was running out of time—she had only seven days before flying abroad, and she needed to leave this place before then. But the person on the other end wasn’t Robert; it was his assistant, Ethan Davis. “Ms. Moreau, Mr. Ashford instructed before he left that if you acknowledge your mistakes, he will return to the Ashford Manor on the morning of the wedding to pick you up and fulfill his marriage commitment.” Lena didn’t care about the wedding; she just wanted to get out quickly. “Where is he? Can you let me speak to him?” she pressed. Ethan paused, then apologetically said, “Mr. Ashford said if you asked about his whereabouts, I should tell you the truth. Ms. Wilson’s depression has worsened because of your actions, so he took her abroad to help her recover. Mr. Ashford also mentioned that he’s already told everyone at the Ashford Manor that since your belly will grow larger with the pregnancy, he’s taken you abroad for an early honeymoon. He emphasized repeatedly that when you return to the Ashford Manor, you shouldn’t say anything wrong, or he’ll confine you again and keep you in the villa until you give birth.” Lena’s heart ached sharply, as if pierced by a blade. But she quickly dismissed those painful emotions that had once tormented her. She needed to find a way out. Lena had considered pretending to have stomach pains. After all, everyone thought she was still pregnant, and those guarding her wouldn’t want anything to happen to her. But once a doctor examined her, the fact that she had already miscarried would be exposed. Robert might become angry and confine her for even longer. She couldn’t take that risk and could only continue to wait. Over the next few days, Lena behaved obediently, causing her guards to lower their vigilance. With Robert’s consent, she was allowed to move freely within the villa. The day before the wedding, many staff members came to the villa to prepare for the next day’s ceremony. Lena was cooperative and then asked Ethan to return her backpack so she could use her phone to invite Jane to the wedding. He returned her backpack and watched her dial Jane’s number before turning away. Lena quickly hid the important documents from her backpack under the folds of her wedding dress. She was relieved to learn that Jane, unable to contact her, had already taken care of all the necessary procedures for her. Then, she asked Jane to help her contact a lawyer to transfer the billion-dollar villa Robert had given her to Colette. After hanging up, Lena glanced at the door. Ethan had given her some privacy and hadn’t yet taken her phone back. Lena opened Instagram, not having time to check unread messages, and went straight to Colette’s account. Colette had posted many intimate photos of her and Robert vacationing abroad, with provocative captions. Lena knew these photos were only visible to her; Colette was just trying to provoke her. She smiled slightly, taking screenshots of all these images. Then, she packaged all the previously saved pictures along with the photo of her miscarriage medical record and scheduled them to be sent to Robert’s email, setting the delivery time for when she would be boarding her flight. Lena looked out the window. She had spent the entire day familiarizing herself with the various aspects of the wedding ceremony, and now, after all that work, night had fallen. Having finished everything, she handed the phone back to Ethan. Just then, the phone rang. She nervously glanced at the screen, her heart pounding. Lena had just discussed with Jane her escape plan for when she was taken back to the Ashford Manor in the morning—that would be the best opportunity. When she saw Robert’s name on the screen, her panic subsided. “Lena, be good and wait for me to pick you up tomorrow morning,” his voice was much gentler than usual. “Okay.” Lena hung up and followed Ethan back to the Ashford Manor, waiting for Robert to pick her up early the next morning. As dawn broke, everyone began bustling about. While it was still dim outside, Lena secretly changed into a maid’s outfit and slipped out through the back door. Jane was already waiting for her with a car at the street corner behind the door. Lena hurried toward the corner. Before getting into the car, she turned back for one last look at the mansion. She thought, “From now on, I’m free! Robert will disappear from my world. Goodbye to everything here. Goodbye, Robert.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “397736”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #B×G

I signed a three-year secret relationship agreement with Elliot. On the surface, I was the enviable executive secretary. Behind closed doors, I was merely a substitute for his lover. I was only allowed to travel between the villa and the company, always by his side. I thought he loved me deeply, until I accidentally overheard his conversation with friends at a drinking party. “Parker would be furious if he knew you’ve kept his daughter, whom he’s been searching for most of his life, by your side, playing with her for three whole years.” “So what? As long as Lucia isn’t upset.” “Even though Juliet has a great figure, you must be bored with her by now. Why not let me have her…” “Hmm, I’ll think about it.” From these fragments of conversation, I pieced together the truth. So Elliot had kept me trapped by his side for three years all because of Lucia. To him, I was nothing but a plaything he could share with friends. Tears slid down the corners of my eyes as I stuffed the renewal agreement I had prepared back into my pocket. I would leave him forever. ***** “Juliet, why are you standing at the door?” Just as Elliot finished speaking, the private room door was forcefully pushed open. Elliot looked at me expressionlessly, pushing his gold-rimmed glasses up his nose, his tone ice-cold. “How long have you been here?” As the person was about to answer truthfully, I quickly interrupted, asking naturally, “Elliot, will you be busy for much longer? Should I take a taxi home first?” A flash of displeasure crossed Elliot’s face. “Don’t you dare leave my sight!” With that, he pulled me into the private room. The deafening music pounded in my ears as I looked at the men with varying expressions under the dim lights, feeling a wave of revulsion. Elliot’s hand firmly gripped my waist. He kept his distance from other women, yet clung to me possessively in his arms. He bit my collarbone hard and said, “Don’t go anywhere except by my side, understand? After I finish my work next week, I’ll take you for a vacation, okay?” I pushed him away, enduring the pain. He never acknowledged my status, yet always clung to me, leaving visible marks on my body. I said, “Okay.” I had always obeyed him, but this answer was an exception. He smiled with satisfaction, his hand slipping under my blouse. “You’re so obedient. How should I reward you?” I broke free from his embrace, unwilling to continue this charade of intimacy. When I saw he had no intention of stopping, I calmly reminded him, “So many people are watching. Aren’t you afraid the news will reach Lucia’s ears?” Sure enough, his face immediately turned cold. “You have no right to mention her.” For three years, I had meticulously played the role of an alluring rich girl, just to be more like Lucia. Yet I didn’t even have the right to mention her name. Perhaps to Elliot, I would never be worthy in this lifetime. His eyes darkened, but he left first, pulling me toward the underground parking garage. Just outside the private room, we ran into Lucia. Lucia asked curiously, “Eli, who is this?” Facing Lucia’s curious gaze, Elliot remained composed, smiling with exceptional tenderness. “She’s just an ordinary employee from my company who caused some trouble at the party. I’m taking her back to the office for a reprimand.” He tightened his grip on my wrist, silently warning me. My eyes filled with tears from the pain, and I nodded earnestly. Seeing my sincere expression, Lucia believed Elliot’s words. Elliot smiled with satisfaction. Lucia folded her arms, looking suspiciously between us, but was eventually called away by her friend without saying anything more. Elliot held my hand and pressed me against the back seat of his Bentley.The car had been specially modified with soundproof windows that prevented anyone outside from detecting what happened inside. Ironically, I once thought he was being considerate by driving smoothly on any road. But in reality, two-thirds of our intimate moments took place in this car. He thought it was both convenient and thrilling—just close the windows, and no one would ever know the shameful things happening inside.I had never felt so cheap. He pinned both my wrists with one hand, making my already swollen wrists even more unbearably painful. When I tried to struggle, his expression instantly turned cold. “Rein in your temper,” he said displeased. “Don’t make me irritated.” “You performed very well in front of Lucia earlier. I’ll give you a special reward.” The temperature in the car rose, yet I felt unusually cold. His eyes held only lust, not a trace of love. I was just a pet he could summon at will. I collapsed onto the seat, like a rag doll. Elliot’s face gradually darkened with menace. Just as he was about to speak, his phone rang. Lucia’s coquettish voice came through: “Eli, haven’t you left yet? Could you drive me home?” Her voice seemed to come from just outside the car window.

Everything happened so quickly. Elliot suddenly became flustered, responding with a hoarse voice. After some confusion, Lucia sat in the passenger seat. Her destination was a villa in the suburbs. The journey was quiet, but when the car turned onto a secluded suburban road, she suddenly said, “Eli, you seem quite close to your female assistant.” Elliot slammed on the brakes, fixing me with cold eyes. “Lucia, don’t misunderstand. I’ll make her get out right now.” The darkness outside was like a monster ready to devour me. I suppressed my anxiety and resistance, voluntarily opening the door to leave. Lucia said, “Eli, she’s your employee. It’s dangerous to make her get out here. I’m just a tiny bit uncomfortable, silly. I can handle it.” She pouted and turned away. Elliot quickly pulled her into his arms, but directed his anger at me: “What are you standing there for? Are you begging for death?” I couldn’t disobey any of his demands. That was stipulated in the agreement we signed three years ago. However, that agreement had already expired, and I no longer needed to follow its rules. Recently, there had been frequent murders, with multiple homicides reported nearby. After getting out, I barely dared to breathe loudly, suddenly recalling the night I first met Elliot. My foster father had jumped to his death after accumulating thirty million dollars in debt from a construction project. Worse still, my brother, trying to earn money, took the most dangerous job at a construction site and broke his leg when his safety lock wasn’t secured properly, requiring expensive medical treatment. I had tried everything except selling myself. I worked tirelessly selling drinks at various bars, but the money needed was like a bottomless pit. My appearance was too eye-catching, and I had repeatedly rejected one customer’s advances. Angered, he forced me to strip dance in a private room full of people. It was Elliot who saved me and voluntarily helped pay off all my debts, with the only condition being signing an agreement with him. He was a ray of light in my dark life. I knew he had been hurt before and still loved someone else. I knew he suffered from insomnia and could only sleep soundly when holding me at night. I understood his food preferences and dislikes. He seemed to have a desperate need for physical contact, having sex with me every day. No other women ever appeared in his life. He constantly gave me gifts and spoke words of affection. I naively believed we loved each other. But only now did I understand that he helped me because of my connection to Lucia. Lucia was Parker’s illegitimate daughter. If Parker’s daughter from his first marriage hadn’t been kidnapped as a child, Lucia would never have become the Harris family heir. She was ostracized in their entire social circle. Elliot found me, made me fall in love with him, and kept me under his control. As long as he controlled me, Lucia’s position as heir would remain unchallenged. Whenever Lucia got entangled with other men outside, Elliot would return home and vent his frustration on me.I thought it was love, only to realize it was actually hate. The sky suddenly erupted in a downpour, with icy raindrops pelting down, stinging my skin with their cold. There was no one around in sight and nowhere to take shelter. Having no phone with me, I couldn’t contact anyone, so I had no choice but to trudge along the road, enduring the hardship as I continued forward. Finally, I found a clinic. The moment the doctor opened the door, I collapsed unconscious.When I woke up, my head was throbbing. As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw Elliot. Seeing me awake, he didn’t offer a single word of concern. He merely extinguished the lit cigarette in his hand and coldly urged, “Since you’re awake, let’s head out for the award ceremony.”

My mind went completely blank for a moment, and it took me a while to remember the schedule he was reminding me of. I had represented the company in a prestigious design competition and somehow managed to win the gold award. My face was pale, and for the first time in three years, I contemplated calling in sick. He seemed to read my mind and spoke first, “Who do you think you are? You just got caught in the rain, and now you’re acting all delicate and dramatic?” I pressed my lips together without arguing, silently getting up to dress myself. No matter what, in his eyes, I was worthless. I didn’t need to explain myself to him. A flash of satisfaction crossed his gaze. He even opened the car door for me and personally fastened my seatbelt. I looked out the window, a plan forming in my mind. This award ceremony was hosted by the Harris family. I might have a chance to meet my biological father, perhaps even be recognized by him on stage. Plus, today marked the day I received my first award in life. Thinking about this, a glimmer of anticipation rose within me. Lucia, as a representative of the host, was naturally present at the event. She glanced casually at the list of winners and said, “Juliet, you’re amazing, actually winning this award. I’m so envious I could cry. Unfortunately, I don’t have that talent; I might never win such an award in my lifetime.” I was momentarily speechless. In a fair and just competition, of course only those with ability would win. But I still casually agreed, “I was just lucky, that’s all.” The award ceremony began on time. Although I already knew the results, I was still extremely nervous when the award was announced, my palms sweating. The gold winner’s name scrolled on the big screen, and the host deliberately kept the audience in suspense. He dragged out his words, “The gold award goes to Lucia. Congratulations, Miss Harris!” The scrolling names on the screen finally stopped at “Lucia.” I had already instinctively stood up from my seat, staring blankly at the screen. Lucia, however, appeared composed. Seeing my somewhat awkward situation, she couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh softly, “What I want, I never fail to get.” Nearby, my biological father looked at Lucia with admiration as she went on stage to accept the award. The crowd below began to whisper. “Who is that? How embarrassing. Why did she stand up when the gold award was announced?” “I don’t know. But I heard the original gold winner was someone named Juliet. How did it suddenly change to Miss Harris?” “Miss Harris is just exceptional. Look how radiant she is today, making that girl from earlier look like a clumsy clown in comparison.” “Exactly, I think so too.” Hearing these words, my nails nearly dug into the flesh of my palms. Elliot was adjusting his cuffs at this moment and said coldly, “I had the organizers change the winner’s name an hour before the ceremony. Let this award be Lucia’s. “From now on, you’ll continue to create under Lucia’s name. “Awards aren’t important; what matters most is Lucia’s happiness.” I turned to look at Elliot in disbelief. This design had taken me an entire month of sleepless nights to complete, countless times of anxiety due to lack of inspiration. To me, it was as precious as my own child. Yet he so easily made me give up the award to Lucia. Seeing my unhappy expression, he slightly softened his tone, stroking my hand reassuringly, “Don’t be angry. Didn’t you want to go to the amusement park? I’ll take you there.” Once, I truly wanted to go to the amusement park with him.Once, I had truly wanted to go to the amusement park with him. But now, I had given up on that idea entirely. I let out a bitter smile. Elliot loved Lucia and thought constantly about making her happy, while I only received his hollow attention. Mustering my courage, I said to Elliot, “That won’t be necessary. The agreement between us has run its course, and I want to leave.”However, Elliot seemed not to have heard me at all. Lucia excitedly came down from the stage after receiving her award and threw herself straight into his arms. He congratulated Lucia, completely ignoring what I had said. The courage I had mustered instantly vanished. For the past three years, I only knew how to obey him, enduring his unreasonable temper and endless desires. Now, I finally realized clearly that my submission and pleas only encouraged his behavior, never earning me an ounce of compassion. While Elliot and Lucia were immersed in their sweet moment, I quietly slipped away, trying to find an opportunity to approach an assistant close to my biological father. I said, “Hello, I’m Juliet. Actually, I’m Mr. Harris’s biological daughter.” I thought he would be shocked or excited, but he responded expressionlessly, “Do you have any proof?” I panicked inside and stammered, “No, but…” He had clearly lost patience. “Ma’am, you’re the two hundredth person claiming to be Mr. Harris’s daughter. How many more times must this trick be repeated?” With that, he turned to leave, ignoring all my explanations and pleas. Just as I was feeling disappointed, a handsome man approached me and asked sincerely, “Do you need help?” I tried hard to recall, but had no memory of this person. He said, “You don’t remember me? Last night at the bar, didn’t you overhear my conversation with Elliot?” Hearing his words, I finally remembered who he was. I frowned, rolled my eyes, and was about to leave. He was taken aback, quickly stepped forward and grabbed my wrist, explaining, “I said those things intentionally for you to hear. Don’t misunderstand. I can help you.”

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My boyfriend of five years once said he would marry me immediately if I got pregnant. For this promise, I went through twelve IVF cycles and finally succeeded in carrying his child. With the pregnancy test results in hand, I was overjoyed and ready to share the good news with him, when I accidentally overheard him drinking with his friends. “Didn’t you get a vasectomy for Diana long ago? Where did her baby come from? Could she be having someone else’s child?” a voice mocked. Myles, with a woman in his arms, said contemptuously, “That child is definitely mine and Diana’s. She’s nothing but a tool. If Diana wasn’t afraid of pain, she wouldn’t even have this opportunity.” In that moment, I realized the five years of sweet memories were all an illusion. Without hesitation, I bought a plane ticket abroad and left. Three years later, Myles found me at the airport. When he saw the child in my arms, his eyes instantly welled up with tears. “I know I was wrong. Please come back. I’ll announce to the world that you’re my wife. A child needs a father,” he said sincerely and passionately. However, I just smiled faintly and showed him the wedding ring on my finger. “Sorry, I’m already married.” ***** Hearing the conversation in the private room, I could barely stand. I thought, “Could the child in my womb really not be mine?” I instinctively touched my belly, unable to believe any of this. During our five years together, Myles had been extremely loving and never changed. Once when I mentioned I was afraid of the dark, he spent a fortune to buy Filana’s largest diamond as a bedside decoration. Whenever someone belittled my background, that person would be kneeling at our doorstep the next day, apologizing to me. The conversation in the private room continued. Myles said, “When Esther was working as a bartender, she was almost assaulted by a group of men. I happened to save her, and she fell for me. “Who would want to have a child with a bartender? She’s been with so many men. Having her bear a child is just for convenience. “I’ve already arranged everything with the hospital. Whether we want the child or not depends entirely on Diana’s mood.” The woman in Myles’ arms kissed him and said, “Myles, you’re so good to me.” My breath caught, and my chest felt crushed by a boulder. Those days working at the bar were memories I never wanted to revisit. I had only ever told Myles about this. At the time, he held me tenderly, his eyes full of compassion. Now, he was publicly exposing this secret, turning it into a joke for their amusement. “This gold digger will definitely try to claim her position. She has so many tricks up her sleeve, Mr. Weber, don’t fall into her trap.” “For these five years, Myles has kept Mrs. Weber’s position vacant, waiting for Diana. Now that Diana is back, that woman’s good days are over.” Hearing these words, my knees weakened, and I almost fell. A passing waiter caught me in time and asked with concern, “Miss, are you alright?” I steadied myself and whispered, “Thank you.” No wonder I had once seen a photo of a woman in Myles’ study. The photo was a bit blurry, but the woman in it bore some resemblance to me. At the time, Myles explained she was an old friend. Later, when I tried to enter his study again, the servants stopped me, saying Myles had ordered that I was no longer allowed in. Looking back now, I finally understood that he had been treating me as a substitute all along. Fighting back tears, I watched Diana in Myles’ arms, my heart shattering with pain. Diana took several photos with Myles’ phone, then lightly tapped the screen. The next second, my phone received a notification. Opening it, I saw content posted from Myles’ Instagram account. Nine photos in total, each one showing Diana and Myles intimately together under dim lighting. And Myles made no attempt to stop her. Thinking back, I had also tried to document our love on Instagram, only to be scolded by him. Soon, my phone received several messages from Myles.[You think getting pregnant with his child means you can be with him?] [You should be thankful for that face of yours, otherwise you wouldn’t even have a chance of catching Myles’ attention.] [But I’m not that petty either—I won’t shortchange you a penny. Once you have the baby, I’ll give you eight million dollars, more money than you could earn in your entire lifetime.]After I give birth, you’ll give me eight million dollars—money I couldn’t earn in a lifetime.] Diana’s provocations came one after another, until suddenly the sound of a breaking bottle and a scream echoed through the private room. I looked up to see a young man clutching his head on the floor, while Myles casually tossed aside half a broken bottle. He said coldly, “What business is it of yours whether I get married or not? “I’m warning you all, shut your mouths. If anyone dares tell Esther, don’t expect me to show mercy.” A cold smile tugged at my lips. At this point, Myles only thought I still had some value to him. But, Myles, I want nothing more to do with this relationship or this child.

Late at night, I lay in bed looking at flight tickets. Suddenly, a pair of hands wrapped around my waist from behind. Myles, smelling of alcohol, held me tightly and murmured with furrowed brows, “Diana…” Countless times in his sleep, he had called out this name. I never thought much of it before, assuming it was his pet name for me. Now, I realized how painfully naive I had been. I broke free from Myles’s embrace, walked to the balcony to feel the night breeze, and purchased a ticket to Geleat for three days later. The next morning, Myles took care of me as usual. He bent down to help me put on my socks, then gently lifted me up. Looking at his flawless face, my thoughts were in complete disarray. The stern, decisive CEO known in the business world had no pretenses with me, acting every bit the perfect husband. Yet this loving facade was nothing but a carefully crafted illusion that had fooled everyone. At the breakfast table, Myles suddenly leaned closer to me. “Why aren’t you happy?” he asked. I didn’t answer, lowering my gaze to notice the fresh and fading kiss marks on his neck. Feeling nauseated, I abruptly pushed his hand away and rushed toward the bathroom. I suddenly lost my balance. As I fell forward, I tripped over baby toys on the floor. Those toys had been bought by Myles in anticipation of our child’s arrival, and they were never carelessly left around. “Careful!” Myles rushed forward and caught me. I fell into his arms, still shaken. He frowned and said softly, “You’re so careless. What would you do without me?” My heart sank. So this was what Myles truly thought. He believed I could never leave him. Myles looked up, his eyes filled with coldness, and harshly questioned the row of servants standing at attention in the living room, “Who cleaned the living room today?” The living room fell silent; no one dared to answer. At that moment, someone hurried out from the guest room—it was Diana, whom I had just met yesterday. I stood there frozen in disbelief. Why was she here? I was shocked to see her in our home. Looking behind her, I was stunned to see the guest room had been filled with her luggage overnight, with more by the front door. Diana nervously grabbed my hand and said, “It was me! Esther, are you hurt?” She was in tears, completely different from her arrogant demeanor yesterday. She said, “The first trimester requires extra caution. I wanted to sanitize these toys, but my good intentions backfired. I’m sorry.” Myles remained unmoved, suppressing his anger as he scolded her, “Stop meddling in these matters. If you cause any more trouble, you can go sleep on the balcony!” Then, he reluctantly explained to me, “She grew up with me, and I see her as a sister. When she heard you were pregnant, she insisted on coming to help take care of you. She’s been spoiled since childhood, so please don’t take offense.” “I’m sorry, Myles. I didn’t mean to. I promise I’ll take good care of Esther during her pregnancy,” Diana said sincerely, even raising her hand to swear. I didn’t even have a chance to express my opinion. Without responding, I turned and went back to my room to pack. At noon, Diana prepared a large meal to apologize to me.However, the table was covered with various animal organs like liver, kidneys and intestines, and the strong fishy smell of animal organs made me nearly vomit. I immediately wanted to leave, but Diana forcefully held me down in my seat. She said, “Esther, I heard from doctors that pregnant women need to supplement trace elements. These dishes are specially prepared for you, you need to eat these.” I wanted to refuse, but Diana’s strength was surprisingly powerful to resist.She kept force-feeding me, as if I were livestock. The next second, I could no longer hold back the nausea in my stomach. I pushed Diana away forcefully and rushed to the bathroom to throw up. Myles scolded, “Diana is doing this for you and the baby’s sake, how can you be so ungrateful?” I remained slumped helplessly by the toilet, offering no response. At some point, they had both left. I washed my face and decided to process my overseas travel documents that very day. In the afternoon, I returned home to find the mansion completely empty. As I was wondering where everyone was, I suddenly heard faint sounds. Following the noise, I discovered Diana in my bedroom, wearing my pajamas, sitting on Myles’s lap.

Intermittent voices came from the room. Diana said, “Myles, I regret it. I don’t want to watch you being so good to that woman. Let me have our child instead. Will you dump her?” Myles responded, “Of course, I’ll do that for you.” As soon as he finished speaking, the bed began to shake more urgently, and Diana’s intermittent moans filtered through. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms, filled with rage. I thought, “What exactly do they take me for? A breeding tool?” I turned and left, heading straight for the hospital. Only I could decide the fate of this child. To avoid Myles finding out, I risked going to a small hospital for an abortion. Lying on the operating table, I felt the cold instruments moving between my legs. I closed my eyes, and a tear slid from the corner of my eye. The doctor had just told me that due to multiple IVF procedures, my uterine wall had become very thin, making natural conception highly unlikely in the future. Even if I tried IVF again, the chances of a successful pregnancy would be slim. This meant I could never become a mother. By the time I returned home, it was already dark. Myles saw me and rushed forward to embrace me. He said, “Esther, where have you been? I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” I pushed him away, fighting through my discomfort. “I just felt stuffy and went out for a walk.” Just thinking about the scene between him and Diana in bed made me sick. Myles sighed in relief and reached out to stroke my head. “Next time you want to go out, tell me, and I’ll accompany you.” I turned my head to avoid his hand, not wanting to look at his hypocritical face anymore. Looking at my pale face in the mirror, I suddenly found it laughable. I never realized before that Myles was actually such a terrible actor. If he had paid even a little attention to me, he would have noticed something was wrong. The next morning, I made a bowl of oatmeal. Having just had surgery, I couldn’t eat anything spicy. Diana saw this and mocked, “Myles went out specially to buy breakfast for me, while you only deserve this.” She raised her hand, and a blue diamond sparkled in the sunlight between her fingers. I recognized it immediately—it was the exorbitantly priced custom engagement ring Myles had commissioned last year, one of only two in the world, which had even trended online. He had promised to propose to me with it, but now it was on Diana’s finger. Diana continued, “All the jewelry he’s given you over the years were pieces I didn’t want.” I nodded casually and turned back to my room. After Diana finished breakfast, Myles took me out, claiming it was for our so-called anniversary. The car slowly pulled up in front of a bridal shop. Myles smiled at me, and I was momentarily stunned. I had accidentally discovered photos on his phone earlier and learned that when I first became pregnant, he had secretly ordered a wedding dress. Since then, I had been looking forward to the day I would wear it. So even though he had delayed proposing to me, I always believed we would get married. Now Myles’s intentions were obvious, just short of saying it outright. He was about to fulfill my five-year wait, but I no longer felt any joy. Myles held my hand as we got out of the car, but before he could speak, I saw Diana twirling around inside the shop. She was wearing the wedding dress Myles had custom-made, with a cinched waist and strapless design, fitting perfectly in every way.Ignoring how Myles’s expression darkened, she stepped forward, tugging at his arm, and said, “Myles, bridal photoshoots are really trending lately. Can we take some photos too?” When he didn’t respond, she pulled him away from me and stood on tiptoe to whisper something in his ear. Myles’s furrowed brow suddenly relaxed, and he let out a soft sigh.He walked over to me and said in a low voice, “We still have plenty of time. I’ll help you pick out a wedding dress later.” Diana pointed at the necklace around my neck and said coquettishly, “Myles, this necklace would suit me better.” Myles took out his phone and transferred me $200,000, then moved behind me and removed the necklace. Throughout the entire process, he never asked for my opinion. Even though he knew perfectly well that this necklace was a gift from my mother Natalie, and I had always treasured it. I fell into a prolonged silence. After they went in for the photoshoot, Diana sent me a message with a screenshot showing a transfer of $2 million. [Myles says that’s all you’re worth.] I didn’t reply and left the store. Having a third person appear on my anniversary with Myles was absurd enough; I had no interest in continuing this charade. My love for him had completely evaporated, and today was no longer a special day. I didn’t need the remaining time either. I changed direction and went to the nightclub. This had been my original destination today. I had just finished signing the contract and was about to go downstairs when I saw Diana around the corner. She stood in front of me, holding the broken necklace, and threw the shattered pearls at my face. She angrily said, “I knew you wouldn’t change. Whose baby are you carrying? And Myles actually scolded me because of you!” I looked up at her. “Now that I think about it, you do look familiar. You were at this nightclub that night when those people came for me, weren’t you?” Her expression became flustered, obviously guilty. “Don’t talk nonsense!” What had been mere suspicion before was now absolute certainty. I ignored her and turned toward the spiral staircase. After descending a few steps, her voice rang out again. “Let’s see what you’ll do if something happens to your baby!” I instinctively turned around and saw the malicious smile on her face just as she pushed me violently. She used all her strength. I screamed as I lost my balance and fell backward. Just when I had almost given up hope, a hand from behind caught me and pulled me into a protective embrace.   Myles’s expression was one of profound relief, his body trembling slightly. “Thank goodness I came.” Seeing his reaction, Diana became anxious, her eyes reddening. “Myles, you promised me!” Myles, in a rare display of anger toward her, shouted, “Enough!” Diana defiantly raised her chin, though tears were already streaming down her face. “Esther still works at the nightclub. I was just disciplining her for you! Besides, she hit me first!” Her words were a mixture of truth and lies, but at least one statement was true. All her actions stemmed from the confidence and silent permission Myles had given her. Myles didn’t reprimand her further but turned to me and said, “Diana is my sister. You don’t need to lose your temper over these trivial matters; it’s dangerous.” I gently pushed him away and politely said, “Thank you.” Afterward, he took Diana home. While I sat in the back seat scrolling through my phone, I discovered the incident was already spreading online. The morning’s events had been captured by passersby and uploaded, instantly igniting public opinion. The comment section was filled with accusations against me. The nightclub had security cameras, but Myles wouldn’t let me access the footage. He said, “I’ll handle this matter.” During dinner, Myles frequently got up to take phone calls. The waiters huddled together, exchanging whispers, occasionally glancing at me with contempt. “The woman he always brought here before wasn’t her. What is she pretending to be?” When I looked at my phone again, Myles had already suppressed all the news. However, this controversy quickly took a new turn. A maliciously edited video entered the public eye. In the footage, I was holding a wine glass, then pinned down by a group of men. Combined with the trending topics that had just been suppressed, along with deliberately misleading comments, netizens were quick to condemn me as the guilty party. Subsequently, rumors about me spread like wildfire. They labeled me a nightclub entertainer with implied promiscuity, someone who seduced customers to climb the social ladder and interfered in others’ relationships. All kinds of unspeakable words flooded the internet. As clever as Myles was, he surely knew Diana was behind this.I mocked, “Myles, you allowed her to defame me like this.” I spoke with certainty, and his silence confirmed my suspicion. He said wearily, “Today of all days, can you please let this matter go?” Then he promised almost solemnly: “Esther, I will marry you and clear everything up for you today, if you just drop this.”I looked away, realizing that five years of genuine feelings had been wasted, exchanged for one transaction after another in the name of love. Myles was indeed a successful businessman, capable of weighing the pros and cons even in matters of the heart. I didn’t answer, just sat across from him in silence until we hastily finished our meal. Soon after, the controversy around this topic died down again. We arrived at the riverside, only to find the banks already crowded with media vehicles. No one was willing to let go of such a sensational story. But their attention was quickly diverted. Every year on this day, Myles would meticulously plan a grand performance, and this year’s was even more spectacular. Fireworks soared into the sky, showering the daylight with brilliant and magnificent romance. “I never expected to see a new work from this master!” someone began livestreaming. Myles embraced me from behind and whispered, “I spent half a year preparing this. Do you like it?” I looked up at the fireworks as they gradually transformed into heart-shaped patterns. His intentions were obvious, but I only felt bored. From the corner of my eye, Diana’s figure flashed by, and immediately after, Myles’s phone began ringing incessantly. He frowned as he declined call after call. After the performance, the plaza had quietly been transformed with new decorations, and the media gathered around again. Myles faced me and slowly knelt on one knee, his eyes full of deep affection. He said, “Esther, you’ve been my fiancée-to-be from early on. Today marks the fifth year of our love. Will you marry me?” Amid flashing cameras, I smiled brightly. “I will.” I extended my hand, allowing him to slip that second-hand diamond ring onto my ring finger. In my heart, I said, “Myles, I promise to leave you forever.” His tense lips finally relaxed at that moment, his eyes brimming with joy. For a brief instant, I even thought I glimpsed his true heart. But that door had never opened; for five years, I had been hurting myself trying to get through. Shortly after the media dispersed, Myles finally answered his phone. “After you reprimanded Ms. Collins, she ran off. We haven’t been able to contact her. Her last known location was by the river!” Myles’s expression changed drastically, as if he was making a difficult decision. “You have your pregnancy check-up today,” he finally closed his eyes briefly and said, “I’ll take you to the hospital first.” I smiled and said, “You’ve got the time wrong. The check-up is the day after tomorrow.” He immediately looked chagrined, as if he had truly forgotten the date. He said, “Then I’ll clear my entire schedule the day after tomorrow to accompany you for a thorough examination.” He didn’t continue, but I chose to let it go. The smile remained on my face. “Go quickly, before something really happens.” “Esther, you’re always so understanding.” He hurriedly kissed me and strode away without looking back. In truth, the pregnancy check-up was indeed today, but none of that mattered anymore. I was grateful that the unblessed child had departed early. Now, it was my turn to leave. After the crowd dispersed, I threw away the ring and tore up the tickets I had been clutching. A private jet waited not far away. I turned and boarded. All coincidences converged today, destined to become your most unforgettable day. Myles, this is the surprise I return to you. We will never meet again.

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When my daughter was about to turn one month old, I found two plane tickets to Emerfield in Felix Turner’s wallet. I secretly rejoiced, thinking he wanted to surprise me. I didn’t expect that on the day our daughter turned one month old, he would say his company had arranged a last-minute business trip. I stayed awake all night. Meanwhile, his lover posted photos with the caption: [Fulfilled our promise to kiss in the church with my beloved. Thank God for not separating us.] The photo showed them kissing while holding hands. I didn’t immediately confront Felix. Instead, I turned to look at my sleeping daughter, then picked up my phone and messaged my father: [Dad, I’ve decided to take over your company.] When Felix happily returned home, I had already packed my luggage. He paused for a moment and asked, “Harper, what are you packing for?” Without looking up, I replied coldly, “I’m going to stay at my dad’s for a few days.” Felix seemed pleasantly surprised, then pulled out a bracelet from his pocket, put it on my wrist, and pulled me into his arms, saying, “I’ve been so busy with work lately, I’m sorry, darling.” I merely hummed in response. Felix stared at me, nervous when he didn’t hear me questioning him. In the past, I would have demanded Felix provide a reasonable explanation until I was satisfied. I thought I would collapse or even break down in tears the day I discovered Felix’s affair, not remain as calm as I am now. When I saw the tickets in Felix’s wallet, I excitedly thought: “Felix isn’t always so insensitive; occasionally he creates surprises for me. After all, giving birth is an extremely difficult thing for a woman. He should reward me.” I quietly waited for his surprise, even planning our trip to Emerfield, but night fell without Felix returning home. The next day, when the plane to Emerfield landed, I finally received a message from Felix: [The company arranged a last-minute business trip. I’ll be back in a few days.] I realized he never intended to travel with me. He even forgot that today marked one month since our daughter Ashley’s birth. Looking at the Emerfield tourist attractions saved on my phone, I felt like a complete fool. Felix’s lover, Kelly Simmons, posted new content, tagged at a church in Emerfield. She wrote: [Fulfilled our promise to kiss in the church with my beloved. Thank God for not separating us.] Her photo showed them kissing while holding hands. I sneered to myself, thinking: “In a man’s heart, his first love truly is irreplaceable.” Felix came out of the kitchen, frowning, “Did you eat mango at home? How many times have I told you I can’t stand the smell of mango?” Since learning Felix disliked mangoes, I had basically never eaten them. I even gave up parsley, which I loved. During all these years together, I had always been the one adapting to his lifestyle. After seeing that photo, I suddenly felt a sense of liberation. I shouldn’t make myself so miserable for someone who doesn’t love me. Ashley started crying, and I picked her up, preparing to return to the bedroom to breastfeed. Felix quickly blocked my way.

He said, “Harper, I haven’t eaten yet…” I asked puzzled, “Then cook something. Why are you telling me?” Felix clearly expected me to be like before, always having dinner ready for him no matter what. Holding Ashley, I turned and said to him, “Or you can order takeout.” ***** Ashley always falls asleep quickly. I received a message from my father, Bob Wilson. [Harper, I’ve asked you so many times but you’ve always refused to come back and manage the company. I’m getting old. Can you help me?] [I know you want to protect Felix’s pride by not letting him know about our family’s financial situation, but you’re my only child. My company can only go to you.] I felt a pang of guilt. My parents have always cared for me, yet I was willing to refuse helping them for Felix’s sake. [Dad, I’ve decided to manage your company.] My father’s company, Wilson Group, has invested in many businesses domestically. My parents had asked me multiple times to take over Wilson Group, but out of concern for Felix’s fragile ego, I had always refused them.Felix and I were college classmates. He was the only person from his village to attend university. He worked incredibly hard and truly achieved quite a lot. But what he didn’t know was that these achievements were largely due to my quiet support behind the scenes. As someone from a rural background, Felix struggled to compete against those with power and influence.On my birthday, Felix waited for three hours in the snow. When he saw me, he immediately dropped to one knee and asked, “Harper, will you marry me?” Felix’s cheeks were red from the cold, but his eyes were bright as they reflected my image. My heart raced, and my hands nervously clutched the hem of my clothes. Felix moved closer, kissed my face, and then whispered in my ear, “Harper, will you be my wife?” “Yes,” I blurted out. He knew I would say yes. Everyone in college knew I loved him. And just like that, we got married soon after. After our marriage, Felix wouldn’t let me work, claiming he could support me. Whenever I mentioned wanting to work, Felix would get drunk and ask, “Harper, do you look down on me too? Have you always looked down on me because I’m from the countryside?” I knew he had strong pride, but I never confronted his insecurities. I believed I was a good wife. Bob seemed to sense something was wrong and messaged me: “Are you and Felix doing okay?” I didn’t respond. Shortly after, he said: “Baby, we’ll support whatever decision you make.” Felix came to the bedroom after dinner. Turning away from him, I said, “Ashley needs milk in the middle of the night. You should sleep in the guest room.” In the past, I would always stay close to Felix after his business trips, not wanting to leave his side. But now I couldn’t even bear to look at him. To my surprise, Felix erupted in anger, completely disregarding our sleeping Ashley: “Harper, enough! I’ve already explained to you that Kelly and I went on a business trip together a week ago. It was a work arrangement I couldn’t refuse.” “If I don’t work, you and Ashley can’t survive. We need money. How long are you going to be angry?” “You’re no help with my work; you’re nothing but a burden.” If Felix hadn’t reminded me, I would have almost forgotten how stupid I am.

A week ago, Felix disappeared for an entire night. After giving birth, I experienced severe abdominal pain, and the doctor required a family member to accompany me for a postpartum check-up. But that day I couldn’t find Felix and had to ask a friend for help. My friend discovered Felix embracing Kelly in a private room at a nightclub. The next day, I had a huge argument with Felix in the hospital room. Felix still thought I was being too petty. He said, “I was drunk that night. And there were so many people there, nothing could have happened between Kelly and me. Why have you become so suspicious since your pregnancy? Are you experiencing postpartum depression?” “If there was something between Kelly and me, I wouldn’t have married you.” “Kelly even came to visit you when you were giving birth. Yet you misunderstand her like this. You’re being too harsh, with such dirty thoughts.” I think I should have called a priest to marry them when I first saw them together. When I saw the plane tickets, I still had illusions about Felix, but reality hit me hard. It suddenly hit me how utterly exhausted I’d been all these years. Seeing Felix’s displeased expression, I calmly said, “No. You misunderstood.” Felix probably didn’t expect me to be so composed. I actually saw him become a bit flustered. He asked, “Harper, are you really not angry?” I smiled and said, “No. Please go to the guest room. I need to sleep now. I’ll have to feed Ashley soon.” I turned off the lights and got into bed before he could respond. Felix stood up unhappily and left the bedroom. I wondered, “Doesn’t Felix always dislike it when I make unreasonable scenes? Why is he still angry when I’m so calm this time?” Early the next morning, Felix had prepared my favorite breakfast. He said, “Harper, you’re awake. I heard the food you had in the hospital wasn’t nutritious, so I bought your favorite sandwich today.” So Felix had known all along that the food in the hospital cafeteria wasn’t good. So he knew what I didn’t like to eat. Looking through Kelly’s online posts, I discovered that Felix was very familiar with Kelly’s preferences.Kelly doesn’t like eating out, yet Felix is willing to cook himself just to earn her praise. But since I gave birth, his attitude toward me has been so cold. I realize he doesn’t love me anymore. But I can’t help wondering what true love really is. I’ve seen what Felix was like when he loved me, but sadly, those beautiful times are gone forever.Felix pulled out two tickets from behind his back and said, “Harper, you mentioned wanting to visit Emerfield. I’m on vacation recently, and seeing you’re in low spirits, I’ve already bought the tickets. Let’s go on a trip.” I found it ridiculous. He would take different women to the same city twice. Suppressing my anger, I smiled and said, “I can’t go. Ashley needs care, and I don’t have time.” He replied, “I’ll hire a nanny to look after her.” I looked up at the falling leaves outside the window and said, “Felix, Emerfield’s most beautiful season has already ended.” “You’ve already experienced it with the person you love most.” I kept the second half to myself. Felix awkwardly said, “I’m sorry, I forgot…” But I knew he hadn’t forgotten. I said, “You should get to work, or you’ll be late.” I thought my attitude made my stance clear enough, but Felix believed I was just being moody, so lately he’s been trying everything to cheer me up, even suggesting taking me to an amusement park. The hollow promises Felix made no longer stirred any emotion in me. After all, something unexpected always happens before he fulfills them. I realized then that it might have been because Kelly was jealous of me and deliberately made things difficult for Felix. But this time, Felix’s plan went smoothly. When Felix drove up to me, Kelly was sitting in the passenger seat. She said, “Harper! Get in!” Kelly extended her hand to greet me, as if she were Felix’s wife. Felix hurriedly explained, “I told her we were going to the amusement park today, Kelly was interested in joining, so I agreed.” “Harper, Kelly gets carsick, so I let her sit in the front. Would you mind sitting in the back?” Felix asked tentatively, his eyes betraying his discomfort. Before I could answer, Kelly interjected, “Oh, Felix, Harper will definitely understand.” After saying this, Kelly lightly patted Felix’s chest. Felix reflexively held Kelly’s hand, looking at her tenderly. The scene turned my stomach, filling me with a wave of revulsion that washed over me. Even though I wanted to break up with Felix, the display of their intimacy still made me feel physically ill. Felix came to his senses and abruptly let go of Kelly’s hand, appearing somewhat embarrassed. I walked to the front of Felix’s car and calmly said while looking into his eyes, “Felix, let’s get divorced.” Hearing this, Felix immediately got out of the car and came to my side, saying, “Harper, don’t be angry. We’re just going out to have fun, bringing Kelly along doesn’t affect anything. Don’t treat her as an imaginary enemy.” I sneered, “Felix, you misunderstand. I’m not treating her as an imaginary enemy. I just want a divorce.” Seeing how serious I was, Felix coldly said, “Do you have to argue with me in front of others? Ashley is still young. What do you plan to do if we divorce? You have no capability; you can’t survive without me.” “With your abilities, it’s difficult to survive in this society. I’ve really spoiled you all these years!” I chuckled lightly, “What? In all our years of marriage, when have you ever spoiled me?” Felix looked hurt and said, “Harper, haven’t I? Everything in our home was bought with my salary. You’ve never worked all these years. Yet now you’re so arrogant and domineering.” “If you married someone else, no one could tolerate your bad temper.” Felix furiously tore the divorce agreement to pieces, his face flushed with anger as he said, “Don’t use divorce to threaten me. You’re annoying.” Kelly ran over from the side, crying and explaining, “Harper, you’re really misunderstanding Felix. There’s no need for you to argue because of me…” I shook off Kelly’s hand and said, “You’re filthy!” At that moment, a car pulled up nearby. A well-dressed man got out. Upon seeing him, Felix quickly composed himself, stepped forward with a smile, and said, “Mr. Brown, what a coincidence meeting you here. If you had notified me in advance, I would have booked a hotel for you.” Owen Brown ignored Felix, came to my side, and said, “Ms. Wilson, Mr. Wilson sent me to take you home. Please get in the car.” “Ms. Wilson?” Felix was stunned.

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After being released from prison, I immediately spotted the black luxury car parked at the entrance. In the snow, Yves Whitman and our son Noah Whitman stood in front of the car. Yves coldly said, “Aria, do you understand what you did wrong? You need to turn over a new leaf. Let’s go home.” Meanwhile, the son I had risked my life to give birth to blocked my way and said, “Go apologize to Sarah, or I’ll never acknowledge you as my mother again!” Looking at the two similar faces before me, I felt my heart ache. This time, I truly gave up. I wanted neither of them. I didn’t expect Yves would come to pick me up personally when I got out of prison. He stood at the prison gate in the falling snow, holding Noah’s hand, and said, “Aria, I’ve come to get you.” In the past, I would have immediately rushed toward them with joy, embracing them. But now, I looked at them, feeling nothing but calm inside. Yves said coldly, “Aria, do you understand what you did wrong? You need to turn over a new leaf. Let’s go home.” But Noah stubbornly blocked the car and said, “We’re not going home! Mom needs to apologize to Sarah first! Otherwise, I’ll never acknowledge you as my mother again!” Wearing only thin clothes, I stood shivering in the snow, frowning at Noah, but said nothing. I felt dazed and disoriented, finding it hard to believe this was the son I had risked my life to give birth to. Yves pulled Noah aside and gestured for me to get in the car. “Let’s go. Noah is right. We’ll go to the Starlight Hotel first. Sarah has prepared a celebration party for you there. When you see Sarah, you can apologize to her in person.” I looked at him in disbelief and said disappointedly, “I don’t want to go. I just want to go home now.” Yves insisted on pulling me into the car, gently persuading me: “Aria, you’re an adult now. You need to take responsibility for your actions and set a good example for Noah. When you make mistakes, you must face the consequences. Being stubborn will only hurt you.” I stared at his serious face and said, “I want to go home first, take a shower, and change my clothes.” But Noah shouted for the driver to go directly to the hotel. “No, that would waste too much time! We can’t keep Sarah waiting. I promised Sarah we’d come straight to her after picking you up.” Yves nodded in agreement. “You and Sarah know each other well, don’t worry, she won’t blame you. Let’s go directly to the hotel. You just need to sincerely apologize to her later.” My face darkened, and I said nothing more. Despite the heater in the car, I still felt cold to my core. After a moment of silence, I said coldly, “I will not apologize. I regret not killing her with my own hands to avenge my grandmother.” Yves showed a troubled expression and said, “Aria, you’re too stubborn. Why can’t you compromise for me?” Noah shouted directly, “Bad women don’t deserve to be my mother. I don’t want a murderer as my mom!” Yet, I looked coldly at my closest family members, the absurdity of the situation suddenly hitting me. The irony was overwhelming. I shook my head, laughing through my tears.

The car stopped at the hotel entrance. Yves took off his suit jacket and draped it over my shoulders, holding my hand. In front of others, he always appeared gentlemanly and polite. I withdrew my hand, put on the jacket properly, and walked toward the private room with my head held high. “Aria,” Yves called anxiously from behind. I ignored him and could already hear Sarah Jensen and her friends chatting in the room from a distance. “Aria, that fool, she doesn’t deserve to be married to Yves.” “Yes, if Sarah hadn’t gone abroad back then, Aria would never have had the chance.” “Exactly, you and Yves grew up together, you’re perfect for each other.” “Now Aria even has an attempted murder record, she’s like a dirty rat, disgusting.” At this point, Sarah pretended to be magnanimous and said, “I know you’re all upset on my behalf, but please don’t talk about Aria like that. She has already been punished for her actions.”This seemingly sympathetic statement was actually designed to turn everyone against me. Sure enough, after she spoke, everyone in the room eagerly disparaged me, defending Sarah’s honor. I stood at the doorway with a cold smirk, reaching out to push the door open. But Yves held me back, saying, “Aria, don’t mind what these people say. Just apologize to Sarah, and this will be over. In the future…”I yanked my hand away from him and pushed the door open. Everyone fell silent, staring at me in surprise. I knew I must look terrible. I was wearing a thin, unseasonable shirt covered by an ill-fitting men’s jacket. My hair was disheveled, making me look like a vagrant. Sure enough, after a brief silence, everyone burst into laughter, mocking my appearance and hairstyle. Some were laughing so hard they could barely breathe. Sarah smiled at me, seemingly eager to see me break down in tears from the humiliation. However, they underestimated the cruelty of prison. Someone who has walked out of hell doesn’t care about scenes like this anymore. Expressionless, I walked straight toward Sarah. Sarah maintained her polite smile as she stood up and said, “Aria, congratulations on your release! Don’t blame me for what happened back then. I was unconscious in the hospital, and they kept everything from me. I only found out after I was discharged that Yves personally sent you to prison…” She cast a meaningful glance at Yves behind me and continued, “Yves is very upright and principled. He personally sent you to prison, but please don’t blame him. He must be suffering too. For over a year, he’s been eating vegetarian food to atone for what he did to you…” Before Sarah could finish, I slapped her hard across the face. I could see half her face swelling up. Everyone was stunned.

  Suddenly, Noah charged at me furiously. “Bad woman! Why did you hit Sarah? I hate you. I hate you! I don’t want you to be my mother!” The nine-year-old boy was already quite strong. I staggered from the impact, the wound on my ribs shooting with pain, but I didn’t care. I looked at Sarah coldly and said, “Sarah, thank you for your special attention during the past year and a half. Thank you for having someone break six of my ribs.” Yves, standing behind me, spun around sharply when he heard my words. Ignoring his gaze, I continued staring at Sarah: “You had someone pierce my thighs with steel needles, put drugs in my food, and set my hair on fire while I slept. You had my cotton clothes soaked in urine and forced me to wear them. My skin suffered extensive frostbite, and I went into shock and lost consciousness, nearly dying.” Sarah’s eyes filled with tears, appearing surprised and innocent: “Aria, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t do those things.” Yves clenched his fists, frowning at me as if trying to determine whether I was telling the truth. Sarah covered her face, crying, “Yves, what Aria is describing is horrible. I never did any of those things. Although I’ve never been to prison, we live in a society governed by law. Prisons are strictly managed places.” Everyone echoed her sentiments. “Right, who would believe her? It’s a prison, for goodness’ sake. People can’t just do whatever they want there. The guards would certainly control the inmates.” I sneered, “In this society, money is almost omnipotent.” Then I turned to Yves and asked with a slight smile, “Do you believe what I’m saying?” Yves frowned, saying disappointedly, “Aria, you’re being too much. Why can’t you just repent? You’re making up lies to frame Sarah. Back then, there were witnesses and evidence, even the police confirmed Stephanie accidentally fell into the water, yet you tried to frame Sarah. And now you’re trying to frame her again?” Noah hugged Sarah from behind and cursed at me, “No wonder grandma told me not to be with the bad woman. You’re a lying, vicious woman!” I lifted my pant leg, completely indifferent to everyone’s stares, revealing numerous needle marks on my upper thigh and the scars on my stomach. Sarah had been careful. She was certain I would be too proud to display my scars in public. But now, I showed my body without any hesitation. Yves’s expression finally grew grave. He reached out with trembling hands, wanting to touch me, but I immediately covered my wounds. I looked around at everyone’s varied expressions and sneered, “Would you like to see more?” With that, I shrugged off the suit jacket and slowly began unbuttoning my collar.

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We’ve been married for four years, and my husband Raymond Lambert never updated his social media, but that day he posted on Instagram for the first time: “You’re such a greedy kitty cat.” The picture showed a girl wearing a pink cat ear headband, eating spicy Buffalo wings, her cheeks flushed red as she kept sticking out her tongue. That was Sheila Jones, the new streamer Raymond’s company had just hired. In less than a minute, our mutual friend commented: “Raymond, you forgot to switch accounts!” Immediately, Raymond’s post disappeared like a fleeting moment, but soon reappeared on Sheila’s Twitter homepage. Afterward, Raymond called me. In the past, I would have immediately taken screenshots, then called to question him. We would definitely have argued until we were both exhausted. However, this time I didn’t answer, deliberately waiting for the call to end automatically. ***** When Raymond came home, I had almost fallen asleep on the sofa. He took off his coat and bent down to change his shoes. “Why didn’t you answer my call?” Raymond rarely questioned me unless he felt he had done something wrong. I responded perfunctorily, without even looking up at him, “I happened to be asleep and didn’t hear it.” “I had to work overtime, so I came back late. You don’t need to wait for me every time, it makes you look desperate.” In the past, I would have loudly emphasized to Raymond that it was because I loved him, but now I no longer felt the need to argue with him. Raymond handed me a square velvet box, gesturing for me to open it. That day was when Raymond’s company went public. To celebrate, I had left work early as usual and personally cooked dinner waiting for him to come home. However, even after waiting until midnight, I didn’t see Raymond who had promised to come home early. I pretended not to smell the strong barbecue scent on him, took the box, and casually placed it on the coffee table. Actually, I had seen this box before when Raymond missed my birthday, and the letter pattern on it hadn’t changed much. Raymond stared at the box for a while, slightly frowning, his tone gloomy: “Evelyn, stop being difficult, okay?” Giving me jewelry as a gift was Raymond’s usual way of saving face. As long as I accepted the gift, any unpleasantness between us would be covered up, and no one would mention it again. But now, I didn’t want to play along anymore, so of course he would be angry. “Let me put it on for you.” Not giving me a chance to refuse, Raymond opened the box, took out the bracelet inside, and tried to put it on me, but when he saw I already had an identical bracelet on my wrist, he froze. “Put it back. Go to bed early, you have work tomorrow.” I withdrew my hand, got up from the sofa, and prepared to go back to the bedroom to sleep. “How about I have my assistant accompany you to pick a new one another day?” I responded coldly: “You don’t need to do that.”

Perhaps Raymond felt guilty for buying me two identical gifts, so he suggested I go to the company with him. Since I was pregnant and didn’t want to drive, I didn’t refuse him. The next day, Raymond stood in front of his car, frowning deeply. I didn’t know when Raymond started hating me riding in his car, especially not allowing me to sit in the passenger seat, even forcing me to buy a new car. Maybe it was because I once argued with him like a lunatic to claim his passenger seat, making him feel annoyed. In contrast, to pick up and drop off Sheila, Raymond now deliberately placed many cat-patterned plush toys in the car, stuck cute doodle stickers everywhere, and even redesigned the passenger seat just to make the petite Sheila comfortable. Seeing me waiting on the side, Raymond finally opened the door, bent down and put the plush toys in the back seat. I noticed his reluctance, so I frowned and said: “Forget it, I’ll go to the company myself.” Raymond threw the last cat toy to the back seat: “Let’s go together. Sheila is still a young girl, she just likes these little things. Don’t mind it.”Looking at the pink seat in his car that seemed so out of place, I still felt very repulsed, so I declined his kindness. I turned to open my own car door, but Raymond strode over to block me, and directly sat in my driver’s seat. “I’ll drive. We already agreed to go together.” I stared at Raymond for a long time, just in time to catch a glimpse of discomfort in his eyes.So he did know that decorating the passenger seat like that wasn’t appropriate. Raymond seemed to want to explain, but I urged, “I’m going to be late. Drive.” Finally, he pursed his lips and started the car. While waiting at a red light, his phone rang. I immediately recognized it as Sheila’s special ringtone. A pitiful voice came through Raymond’s phone, accompanied by faint sobbing. “Ray, my stomach hurts. I think I ate something bad yesterday. Take me to the hospital. Ray, please come quickly, I’m begging you.” After hanging up, Raymond didn’t even glance at me or say another word. He simply turned the steering wheel, pulled over to the side of the road, and quickly unbuckled my seatbelt. He said firmly, “My employee isn’t feeling well, I need to check on her. We’re almost at the company, you can walk the rest of the way.” Before I could even close the car door after getting out, Raymond had already driven off and disappeared.

Honestly, no one would walk to work in this situation. When the red light turned green, a man on an electric scooter probably didn’t expect me to be crossing the zebra crossing, and he collided with me head-on as he turned. My hands, feet, and forehead all had varying degrees of abrasions. The nurse treated my wounds, put a bandage on my forehead, and instructed, “Try not to get the wounds wet for the next few days, don’t take baths, and apply medication on time.” After leaving the hospital, I took a taxi to the company. The taxi driver had two phones mounted—one for navigation and the other playing Sheila’s livestream. The real-time comments were all about concern for Sheila. Sheila said, “Thank you all for your concern. I’m fine. Fortunately, Ray arrived in time, so I didn’t need to go to the hospital.” “No, I haven’t told Ray how I feel about him yet. Stop it! Ray is right here watching me. Yes, Ray is very gentle.” I looked down at my phone and saw two angry, impatient messages on WhatsApp. Raymond: [My assistant told me you didn’t attend today’s project planning meeting. Where are you? Get to the office now.] Raymond: [You’re just walking a short distance by yourself. What could possibly be so difficult about that?] Raymond was always such a hypocrite. That evening, after applying medicine to my wounds, I sat on the sofa watching TV. Just then, I heard the sound of the digital lock being opened behind me, followed by Raymond’s mocking voice, “I thought you had improved, not throwing tantrums for days, but I never expected you’d do this.” Perhaps the TV was too loud; Raymond quickly strode over and yanked the plug out. “Evelyn, have you lost your mind? We’ve been preparing for this project meeting for half a month. Do you know how much money the company will lose because of the delay?” I looked up at his angry face, and he froze. Seeing the bandage on my forehead and the visible wounds, he frowned, “You’re hurt?” I turned away and said casually, “It’s nothing. I was just hit by an electric scooter on my way to work.” Raymond’s eyes darted around guiltily as he approached to examine my wounds. “Why didn’t you call me?” I avoided his hand and smiled indifferently, “This little injury is nothing. I figured your employee was more important.” I thought: “Would calling him have helped? He would have just answered to blame and complain without asking why I called. Did he ever really care what I wanted to say on the phone? I couldn’t get him to come before, how could I possibly now?” Raymond was stung by my words. He stood up and sneered, “Evelyn, do you have to put it that way? It was wrong of me to leave you by the roadside, but what are you, a helpless little girl? You even managed to get hit by an electric scooter while walking.” I stared at him silently, thinking: “See? Even when I’m simply stating my thoughts, he mocks me for being immature.” I decided not to engage with Raymond and got up to return to the bedroom. Noticing my difficulty walking, Raymond sighed and came over to support me. “Tonight I’ll sleep with you, and I’ll take care of you.”Raymond hadn’t gone to bed before midnight for a long time. Sheila was afraid of being criticized by followers in her livestream community to the point of falling into depression, so she needed Raymond by her side constantly. Every night, Raymond would work in his study while watching Sheila’s livestream and other content creators. This had become their nightly routine.And he would occasionally connect with the livestreamer for sweet interactions. I had a fight with Raymond, and no matter what, I couldn’t change his mind. Raymond firmly believed he was just working. In the end, he threatened me with divorce, so I had to compromise. I didn’t refuse his proposal. However, when he tried to embrace me, I said softly, “Raymond, let’s get divorced.”   My divorce proposal had a big impact on Raymond. Raymond left home in anger and didn’t come back for a whole week. This was his usual approach when I made him angry, which showed he didn’t care about what I said at all. In the past, when he gave me the cold shoulder like this, I would only feel mentally and physically tortured and unable to sleep, and I would repeatedly call him to apologize, humbly begging for his forgiveness. However, now I was busy looking for a new job and had no time to worry about him. After all, I couldn’t possibly continue working at Raymond’s company after our divorce. That day, as soon as I got off work, Raymond called me. His reaching out first was his way of offering me an olive branch. If I refused, I would be the unreasonable one. “We met our performance targets for the first half of the year, and there’s a party for the business department tonight. Let’s go together later.” I waited at the company entrance for nearly twenty minutes before Raymond finally arrived with Sheila. “Evelyn, I get carsick, so Ray let me sit in the passenger seat. You don’t mind, do you?” Raymond gripped the steering wheel tightly, nervously watching me, afraid that I would lash out at Sheila if I got angry. Instead, I calmly opened the back door. After all, his passenger seat wasn’t meant for me anyway. Listening to Sheila flirting with Raymond throughout the journey, I just quietly looked out the window. Raymond, however, was unusually gloomy toward Sheila, not saying much, occasionally glancing at me in the rearview mirror. When we arrived at the hotel, Raymond’s good friend Nathan Fillion came out to greet us, looking very polite. “Evelyn, long time no see. Look at me, I’ve been so busy I forgot to send you a message.” Nathan was Raymond’s good friend and knew everything about his situation. If Raymond wanted to bring Sheila, he wouldn’t have asked me to come along, because I would always make things awkward for Raymond. “It’s fine. I’ll be leaving in a bit.” Nathan looked surprised, hesitated for a moment, but said nothing. After the party started, Raymond held his glass, greeted everyone, then sat down beside me with a piece of cake. “Have something to eat. You didn’t have lunch this afternoon, so you’re probably hungry now.” Just as I was about to refuse, Sheila came over with her phone. She was livestreaming. “Ray, there you are! I couldn’t find you.” “Oh, are you talking about Evelyn? She didn’t eat dinner tonight, so Ray brought her a small cake.” “Ray and I are not a couple.” I quickly dodged her camera and got up to leave. Then, I stood on the corridor balcony to get some fresh air. Shortly after, Raymond followed me and said in an anxious tone, “I didn’t expect Sheila to livestream. What she says in her livestream isn’t true; I just play along when I connect with her.” “I’ve already asked her to stop.” I nodded indifferently and turned to go back to the party. The director was on stage talking about the company’s future blueprint. Sheila walked up to me with a glass of champagne, clinked her glass with mine, and gave me a sweet yet seductive smile. “Evelyn, my fans all say Ray and I are a perfect match. Do you think he loves you more or me?” I turned and replied, “You should ask him, but I think he might love you more.” Sheila narrowed her eyes, leaned closer to me, and smiled, “Really? I think so too.” I felt something was wrong and wanted to step back, but I didn’t expect Sheila to have already fallen backward onto the ground. Before I could react, someone forcefully pushed my shoulder. My lower back hit the edge of the table hard, and the drinks on the table spilled everywhere.I suddenly felt an intense pain in my lower abdomen, so severe it made me dizzy and disoriented. I struggled to hold onto the table, clutching my lower abdomen as I felt warm liquid trickling down my thighs. Raymond worriedly helped Sheila to her feet and, disregarding all the onlookers, yelled at me furiously, “Evelyn, when will you ever stop being crazy? You…”Seeing me bleeding, he seemed to remember something. His eyes widened in disbelief as he asked in a trembling voice, “Are you pregnant?” Raymond frantically pulled out his phone, intending to call an ambulance. Sheila grabbed his hand and carefully took a sanitary pad from her purse, offering it to me. “Evelyn, is it your period? You should change this.” Raymond stopped dialing and silently looked at me for a few seconds. Then, embarrassed, he tossed the sanitary pad from Sheila’s hand onto my lap. “Go take care of it quickly. Don’t make a scene here.” With that, he took Sheila’s hand and left. Whenever Sheila was around, we couldn’t even maintain a facade of decency. I struggled to walk outside and, fighting through the pain, took out my phone to call my best friend, Mia Davis. “Mia, can you come pick me up and take me to the hospital?” I closed my eyes, my voice hoarse. “I think I’m having a miscarriage.” As soon as I finished speaking, intense dizziness overwhelmed me. I heard hurried footsteps and anxious voices nearby. My vision went black, and I collapsed into a warm embrace.

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The day before my wedding, my fiancé James Thornton’s adopted sister Georgia Thornton killed my parents in a drunk driving accident under the pretext of being intoxicated. James not only didn’t blame Georgia but even invited her to be my bridesmaid. Without receiving a fair judgment, I caused a scene at the wedding, furiously demanding Georgia pay for her crimes, but the guests mocked me as a crazy woman. James held me as I broke down and solemnly promised, “Yvonne, please marry me. I will help you get justice.” I agreed. James appeared to righteously send Georgia to prison, telling me she was sentenced to five years. And I believed him. But in the fourth year of our marriage, while pregnant, I accidentally overheard his true thoughts. “Good thing I married Yvonne for that letter of forgiveness, otherwise how could Georgia have graduated smoothly from her top university master’s program? “Seeing her successfully enter the research institute, I feel gratified as her brother.” So James’s idea of justice for me was letting a murderer go free, and she even earned a graduate degree. In comparison, my parents’ lives weren’t as important as James’s adopted sister’s future. I left him resolutely. This time, I would avenge my parents with my own hands. ***** I stood outside the study, consumed by overwhelming rage. I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard. In the study, James was watching Georgia’s video blog from her overseas studies with regret yet satisfaction on his tablet. “Four years have passed, and Georgia now has a bright future ahead of her.” James paused, looking at our wedding photo on the desk, his expression darkening. “Yvonne is pregnant now, so consider it as if I’ve compensated her with another life. We’re even for what happened back then.” What’s even now? How could he possibly think a life could be exchanged for another? I suddenly tightened my hand on my abdomen, feeling a stabbing pain in my heart. My parents lost their lives, yet he casually said we were even. Remembering the photos James had given me three years ago of him personally sending Georgia to prison, I felt cold all over, as if someone had poured a bucket of ice water over me. At that moment, James’s phone vibrated twice. It was a document from his assistant. Through James’s inner voice, I clearly heard their conversation. “Mr. Thornton, news about Ms. Georgia Thornton seems to have leaked. Several shareholders know about this matter, and they now want to hold a shareholders’ meeting to remove you from your position. “Anyway, Ms. Georgia Thornton is far away overseas. You can still distance yourself from her in time…” James frowned and refused without hesitation, “Distance myself? Georgia is my sister. “As long as she’s happy and safe, I’d willingly give up my position as CEO of the Thornton Group, or even go to prison in her place.” His assistant said nothing more. After pondering for a moment, James added, “Have someone keep a close eye on Yvonne. Don’t let her know anything about this matter.” He put down his phone, pinched the bridge of his nose, and said, “Only half a month left. Once Georgia’s nominal prison term is over, it will be too late for Yvonne to pursue further legal action.” With just a few casual sentences, he had revealed all the cruel truth. It turned out my parents lying in the cemetery still hadn’t seen their killer brought to justice. I thought Georgia was in prison atoning for her sins, but instead she had been enjoying herself overseas for four whole years. As footsteps sounded, I instinctively hid in the dark bathroom nearby. The moment I confirmed he was going downstairs, I seemed to run out of strength and collapsed onto the floor. Thinking of my parents in the cemetery, unable to rest in peace, I felt intense regret and an uncontrollable wave of nausea. In an instant, my stomach churned and my throat burned. As the sound of vomiting echoed in the small bathroom, I held onto the toilet, my entire body trembling. My tears also flowed uncontrollably.Tears welled up in my eyes uncontrollably. With a snap, the bathroom light was turned on. “Vonnie, why are you throwing up again?” James embraced me from behind, worriedly handing me a glass of water to rinse my mouth. “Is the baby making you feel unwell again?” I didn’t argue, suppressing the nausea and forcing my voice to sound steady. “It’s nothing. I’m just emotionally unstable during pregnancy.””Vonnie, I know this is difficult,” he said with a smile, comforting me while affectionately stroking my hair. Then, James changed the subject, saying, “By the way, I have a business trip next week.” I felt a wave of panic and asked, “Where are you going?” “Harrington,” James said, “I’m going to visit Georgia while I’m there.” I froze, my fingers trembling slightly. This was the first time in four years that James had mentioned Georgia in front of me. “Vonnie, you don’t mind, do you?” he asked gently. “Georgia has been in prison for four years now. After all, I’m still her brother, so I should go see her.” I turned to look at him, seeing the expectation in his eyes, and felt another wave of nausea. James had deceived me for three whole years, using tenderness as a weapon and love as bait. “Of course not,” I forced a smile and said, “Go ahead.” “Vonnie, you’ve become so much more reasonable,” he said with satisfaction. “You used to always be so… about Georgia…” “It’s all in the past,” I interrupted James. “Besides, hasn’t she already been punished by the law?” James nodded and smiled calmly, placing a kiss on my forehead. “Thank you for understanding, wife.” I lowered my head, not letting him see the tears glistening in my eyes. I thought, “He’s right. I should understand him. I should try to understand how much he loves Georgia, even to the point of willingly sacrificing his own happiness for the rest of his life.”

At midnight, James made an excuse about having an international conference call. Not wanting to disturb my rest, he went to the study alone. I was left by myself in the bedroom. In the silent room, my ears were filled with noisy sounds, all voices about James’s inner thoughts. “Georgia, have you been staying up late working on your thesis this week?” “How are you feeling? Do you have enough money in your bank account?” I glanced up at the calendar, belatedly realizing it was Thursday. Since the day I married James, I knew he had a regular international conference call every Thursday night. I had always wondered why he insisted on having a routine meeting at midnight, not even waiting for the seven or eight-hour time difference. It turned out it was related to Georgia. I could only laugh at myself. On the other end of the call, Georgia’s personal butler had begun reporting on her situation in meticulous detail. “We have updated Ms. Georgia Thornton’s entire set of haute couture clothing for the season.” “We’ve made long-term VIP reservations at the restaurant she’s been favoring recently.” “The two pieces of jewelry worth millions of dollars that you ordered last month have been delivered. Ms. Georgia Thornton says she loves them.” ***** Everything about Georgia’s daily life was taken care of with the utmost attention. I sat numbly on the bed, the light from my phone screen reflecting on my pale face. For over a thousand days and nights, my enemy had been living like this. Suddenly, the butler’s words brought me back to reality. “Mr. Thornton, we’ve already booked the same room and attractions that Ms. Georgia Thornton stayed at during her vacation in Mercado six months ago. When do you plan to fly over?” I widened my eyes, using trembling hands to check Georgia and James’s Instagram updates. Sure enough, James would always personally visit the places Georgia had been to six months later. James walked the paths she had walked, felt the evening breeze she had felt. He used almost everything he had to remember Georgia. James’s inner voice suddenly became tender, filled with undisguised deep affection. “Soon I won’t need to fly over anymore. She’ll be able to come back and see me soon.” I listened in silence, recalling how in the past years, whenever I suggested going on vacation, James always refused, claiming we shouldn’t be too high-profile. It wasn’t that we couldn’t be too high-profile; it was that he didn’t want Georgia to feel sad when she saw us. The meeting in the study continued, but I couldn’t listen anymore. I silently made an appointment with the gynecologist for the next day. Stroking my slightly swollen belly, my eyes grew dim. Let everything end here. Whether it was the child in my womb or this marriage full of schemes, everything should end now.I stayed up all night until dawn. After washing up and coming downstairs, I found James already sitting at the dining table. Seeing me, he picked up his phone and asked, “Yvonne, why did the hospital send me an appointment reminder text? Are you feeling unwell?” I froze, suddenly remembering that when I first became pregnant, I had linked his phone number in the hospital system.”It’s nothing,” I quietly explained. “I missed my last prenatal checkup, so I need to go today. It’s just a small examination, I can handle it myself. You can go to work without worrying.” He nodded and thoughtfully helped me sit down. “Honey, thank you for understanding. I’ve booked a maternity photoshoot for you in the Greek Aegean Sea in two weeks, as my pregnancy gift to you.” Two weeks was exactly when Georgia would be returning to the country. Perhaps I was too disappointed in James, which is why I was unusually calm this time. I understood he was just worried I might interfere with his reunion with Georgia, who was about to return. James quickly finished breakfast and dropped me off at the hospital on his way. When we parted, he gently kissed me, looking affectionate: “Take care of yourself and the baby. See you tonight.” I nodded silently and walked into the hospital. Then, without hesitation, I told the doctor: “I don’t want this baby anymore.”

Holding the surgery notice, I stood at the entrance of the operating room, unconsciously touching my belly. The baby in my womb seemed to sense something, moving slightly. It was like a little fish blowing bubbles, completely unaware of the dangers of the outside world. Just then my phone vibrated twice. James had sent a message, asking about my wellbeing as usual. After staring at the cold words on the notice for a long time, I typed on my phone: [James, will you love our baby?] James: [Of course.] The second after the message appeared, I heard another voice: *”As long as our child is born safely, Yvonne might not pursue what happened back then. One child is all I need to exchange for Georgia’s return. Of course I like it.”* These were all James’s inner thoughts. The child in my belly seemed to hear these words too, gently twisting its body. I reflexively clutched my clothes. In my confused mind flashed the undisguised joy on James’s face the day I got pregnant: “You’re pregnant? Yvonne, are you saying we’re going to have a baby?” So that day when I took James’s hand and gently touched my belly, he was inwardly confessing his disloyalty to Georgia, using the child to control and manipulate me. He had never once purely looked forward to this child that belonged to us. The broadcast at the operating room entrance called my name. With an almost desperate smile, I gritted my teeth, swallowed all my tears, and stepped into the operating room without hesitation. After the surgery, the coldness of the instruments replaced the baby in my belly. Clutching my agonizingly painful abdomen, I took a taxi directly to the law firm. When I inquired about the settlement agreement James had signed on my behalf, the lawyer looked very uncomfortable: “Ms. Stewart, I’m sorry. Mr. Thornton did indeed exploit a legal loophole back then, but time is pressing now. Even if we file for prosecution immediately, I’m afraid it’s already too late.” The lawyer pushed up the glasses on his nose, his tone full of resignation. I nodded, not asking further, only requesting him to print two copies of a standard divorce agreement for me. “Regarding property division, do you have any requests?” the lawyer asked routinely. I shook my head and calmly said: “As for our house, car, and those properties under his name, I don’t need any of them.” They felt tainted to me. As I was about to take a taxi to the Thornton Group with the few thin pages of the agreement, I suddenly heard James’s excited inner voice in my ears: *”Georgia, why did you suddenly return to the country alone?”* I stood frozen in place, but the conversation in my ears continued: *”You came back without telling me, even though your prosecution period hasn’t expired yet. What’s wrong? Do you miss me that much? You couldn’t even wait for the last two weeks? I assume you’re like a goldfish and have forgotten how Yvonne went crazy four years ago, right?”* I wondered, ‘Was I really acting crazy before?’I thought, “Had I been acting crazy before?” Suddenly, something occurred to me, and pain washed over my entire body. Four years ago at our wedding, after hearing that devastating news, I confronted Georgia in desperation, publicly holding her accountable. However, the guests at the scene all sided with the Thornton family, accusing me of being inconsiderate of the bigger picture and narrow-minded.At that time, I thought only James was willing to defend me, but in fact, he was no different from the others. “Yvonne is just an outsider, how could she possibly compare to you? Once our child is born, you can safely move into my home, and she won’t dare do anything to you.” Listening to James’s cold inner monologue, I felt intensifying pain in my abdomen. “Mrs. Stewart, are you alright?” Hearing the lawyer’s concerned inquiry, I stopped and asked in a hoarse voice, “Can I sign for him?” The lawyer instinctively shook his head in refusal, and I added, “He’s away on business, I’m just helping him out. Otherwise, how about I call him right now in front of you?” As I spoke, I had already dialed James’s number. “James, I’ll sign the documents for you, okay?” James didn’t think much about it and casually agreed in a low voice, “It’s up to you. I’m a bit busy, so I’ll hang up now.” Before he finished speaking, a passionate female voice came from the other end of the line. “James, I miss you so much…” Before the call was disconnected, their moans clearly transmitted through the receiver. The lawyer looked very embarrassed and immediately took out a pen, watching as I unhesitatingly signed both our names. From that day on, James and I had nothing more to do with each other.   When I returned home after finalizing the divorce, the villa was still empty. I unlocked my phone and found that James had hastily sent a message half an hour ago: [I need to work overtime today.] He couldn’t even spare the time to make a perfunctory phone call. I gave a cold, bitter smile as I opened Georgia’s updated Instagram page. In her newly posted photo, the lighting was dim, and they were flirting. She was lazily leaning on a man’s shoulder, showing only half of her delicate face. As their shadows overlapped, they looked like a perfect match. The caption was very brief: [Reunited after a long time.] My gaze lingered on the tie scattered on the floor, which I recognized as James’s clothing. The next day, I went to the cemetery with the divorce certificate. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. My parents’ photos on the tombstone still looked kind, gazing at me gently. Standing before their graves, I opened the divorce certificate, my trembling fingertips tracing every word on it. “Dad, Mom, I’m sorry. I’ve disappointed you.” I choked up, tears blurring my vision. Suddenly, I heard clear footsteps. “Yvonne? After four years, why are you still such a crybaby?” I immediately looked up, and the first thing I saw was the woman’s bright red dress. That dress looked exactly like it was splattered with blood, particularly eye-catching in the gloomy cemetery. Her makeup was flawless, and she still looked like a pampered rich girl, not at all like someone who had just been released from prison. “Georgia, how dare you come here?” I said through gritted teeth, my eyes filled with tears. She smiled contemptuously and slowly approached me. “I was afraid they might be as stupid as you, thinking I willingly spent four years in prison. “So, I came specifically to see them and talk to all of you.” “You…” Fury boiled inside me as I clenched my fists. Georgia seemed to see through my thoughts and continued to provoke me, “What’s wrong? Are you angry? Your parents were just as furious with me before they died. Two stupid old fools, I really regret not chopping their bodies into pieces…” “Shut up!” I couldn’t hold back anymore and wanted to slap her hard. However, Georgia was prepared. She grabbed my wrist and kicked me hard in the abdomen. Having just had surgery, I was already weak, and now I felt an intense cramping pain in my stomach. My vision went black, and my body fell backward uncontrollably, then rolled down the steps.Intense pain instantly swept through my entire body. As my consciousness gradually became fuzzy, I faintly heard Georgia’s contemptuous sneer: “You think someone like you deserves to be James’s wife?” When I regained consciousness, I smelled the pungent odor of disinfectant around me. Seeing me awake, James asked with his usual gentleness and attentiveness: “Vonnie, how are you feeling?”When I woke up again, I smelled the pungent odor of disinfectant around me. Seeing that I was awake, James spoke with his usual gentle and caring tone, “Vonnie, how are you feeling?” Remembering Georgia’s arrogant demeanor, I simply asked, “Where’s Georgia?” At the mention of Georgia’s name, James’s eyes darted away, and he answered evasively, “We’ll have another baby in the future.” “Georgia is still very young. She’s ignorant, not malicious,” James said calmly, as if discussing something trivial. “I’ve already asked her to apologize to you.” I didn’t correct his misunderstanding, just nodded. “Apologize? Fine, where is she?” James frowned, speaking with a dissatisfied tone, “We’ve already lost the baby. Why are you being so petty? Georgia just got out of prison, she needs time to adjust.” Hearing his excuses, I almost laughed out loud. Indeed, in James’s heart, not just me, but even his own child’s life was less important than Georgia’s happiness. Suppressing my inner mockery, I calmly said, “I’m sorry, I overreacted.” Seeing my quiet submission, James leaned down and kissed me. “Alright. Get some rest. I have some matters at the company. I’ll bring your favorite pastries when I come home tonight.” I had no interest in waiting any longer. After coldly watching James leave, I forced myself to get up and return home. When I left with my luggage, I took one last look at the documents on the table. There was a divorce certificate, a finalized divorce agreement, and that letter of understanding he had secretly signed years ago. As a car horn sounded behind me, the taxi driver urged me to get in. I closed my eyes and resolutely slammed the door as I left. “Sir, I need to go to the airport.”

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On the eve of her wedding to Daniel Reed, he paid a fortune to save Karen Sullivan, an orphaned girl who was nearly trafficked, and arranged for her to take my place as his wife. Daniel said Karen had been wronged, and that the Sullivan family had once helped him, so he was obligated to protect her now. To avoid gossip, Zoey had my son Jacob Reed, who was only a few months old then, call Karen “Mom,” while my identity was publicly stated as merely a servant. “Zoey, once I gather enough evidence to bring those who harmed Karen to justice, I promise I’ll give you the grandest wedding in the world!” Daniel said with an apologetic face, asking me to wait a little longer. I nodded in agreement and kept waiting, until six years later, when I watched Daniel kneel down and solemnly place a new diamond ring on Karen’s finger, watching them make vows of lifelong companionship on New Year’s Day. I stared at the matching wedding ring Daniel had tossed in a corner, and laughed bitterly at myself. Now, I don’t want to wait anymore. ***** “If you keep meddling in my business, you can stop working here!” Orange juice splashed all over me, the sticky liquid soaking my clothes. Flying glass shards cut a wound on my hand. I frowned, but before I could press on the wound, Karen had already pulled Jacob behind her, saying, “Zoey, Jacob was just startled. Don’t be angry. Jacob, apologize to Zoey.” Even though I’ve grown accustomed to being treated as a servant by Jacob all these years, seeing Karen bend down to persuade him to apologize to me still irritated me. Now even in Jacob’s eyes, bringing him a drink was a mistake. “Mom! She’s the one who ignored my orders and barged in! If that huge glass of orange juice had spilled on my piano, she could never afford to replace it!” Jacob complained angrily, holding Karen’s hand. I said nothing, just looked up at the piano behind him. That piano worth millions of dollars was indeed something I couldn’t afford to replace. What Jacob didn’t know was that it had been Daniel’s engagement gift to me. The engagement gift remained, but I would never see the day I married Daniel. The bitter irony wasn’t lost on me. I recalled the night before the wedding, when Daniel held my hand tightly and carefully pleaded, “Zoey, the Sullivan family is in trouble, and Karen has no one to rely on. Without the Reed family’s support, debt collectors will drive her to her death.” But now my son was holding her hand tightly, promising Karen, “Mom, by your wedding anniversary with Dad, I’ll definitely master that piano piece! Only the most difficult piece is worthy of your perfect love!” Remembering what Daniel said six years ago, I smiled mockingly at myself. “Thank you…” Karen said happily, looking at me with some resignation. She said, “Don’t take it to heart. You should join us at our wedding anniversary dinner in a few days.” Before I could answer, I saw Jacob frown and say disdainfully, “She’s nothing but a servant. Having her at the banquet would only make people laugh at our family. That would be embarrassing!” Karen showed an awkward expression, but her reprimand was clearly just for show, with no real intention to discipline him. “Jacob, you can’t be so rude.” Then she gave me an apologetic smile, took Jacob’s hand, and walked out of the music room, turning back at the door to instruct me, “The glass shards are dangerous. Be careful when you clean up. Don’t let the glass hurt Jacob.” I stood there without responding, staring at the messy floor. I faintly heard Jacob complaining, “She’s just someone who knows how to sweep floors. She should be grateful to work in our home.” I looked down at my now somewhat rough hands, remembering how I used to play the piano six years ago. But if Daniel hadn’t begged me back then, it would be Karen being pursued by debt collectors now. Thinking of what Daniel said that year, I smiled through my tears. Daniel had said, “The Sullivan family is an aristocratic family. Once I find the real culprit, Karen will return home and continue to live as a young lady of privilege. “Zoey, please help me, will you?”With my wedding makeup already done, I looked at Karen, who was covered in wounds and shaking violently, and could only nod gently. Six years have now passed, and I don’t know if the real culprit who harmed the Sullivan family was ever found. I only know that in everyone’s eyes, they are the ones who are truly family. Meanwhile, I had been reduced to nothing but a servant.

That evening, Daniel came to see me first after work, which was rare. For the past six years, he had been extremely busy managing the Reed Group while helping Karen search for evidence. The little free time he had was spent with Karen and Jacob. Despite living under the same roof, I couldn’t even remember the last time we spoke. He looked down at my oil-stained hands, frowned, yet still feigned sympathy as he said, “Zoey, thank you for everything these years.” I didn’t respond, finding it ironic. He was the one who had used Jacob’s health as an excuse to make me do housework, and now he was pretending to feel sorry for me. I asked him, “After all these years, haven’t you collected enough evidence about her family?” Daniel was taken aback, then angrily said, “What do you mean? Karen is an orphan. You’ve lived with her for six years now. Don’t tell me you’d have the heart to drive her out?” I didn’t look at him, not even having the energy to argue. Six years of marriage, and if it weren’t for the contract I signed with him back then, I might have forgotten that this was supposed to be my home with Daniel. Seeing my silence, Daniel took my silence as agreement, his expression softening a bit. He changed the subject. “For our wedding anniversary in a few days, shall we hold the reception at the hotel where we got married?” I was moved, inevitably recalling the anticipation I once felt. Unfortunately, whatever expectations I had then were now gone. Daniel said, “Karen hasn’t had experience organizing events, so I’ll have to trouble you with the arrangements. After all, it’s our wedding anniversary, and I’m sure you want the reception to go smoothly, right?” He took out a sapphire bracelet and was about to put it on my wrist. “Just leave it there, I’m cooking,” I coldly refused, watching him relax and casually place the jewelry by the sink. Watching his back as he hurried upstairs to find Karen, I felt increasingly disappointed. If I hadn’t heard Karen mention earlier that she would also attend the banquet, I might have thought Daniel was planning to restore my status. I looked at the sapphire bracelet lying amid the grease, its luster gone. I swept the bracelet into the trash bin, unable to hold back my tears. Once, Daniel had told me, “Zoey, you’ll never need to do housework. Your hands are only meant for playing music.” I wondered in despair, “How could someone who once loved me so much change so completely? Is it because I’m inferior to Karen, or has his heart simply changed?” The next day, the hotel manager arrived on time. I took the tablet he respectfully handed me and reviewed Daniel’s requirements for the venue. The manager said, “Ms. Moore, you’re allergic to lily pollen, right? Why did Mr. Reed specifically request lilies to decorate the venue?” Looking at my face, he tentatively asked, “Should I remind Mr. Reed to change the flowers?” I shook my head and handed the tablet back to him, saying, “No need.” Lilies were Karen’s favorite flowers after all, I knew, and if I asked to change them, Daniel would be displeased. The hotel manager frowned, about to try to persuade me, when Jacob burst into the living room. Jacob snatched the tablet and hurled it at me viciously, cursing, “You still want to be my mother? You don’t deserve it!” A sharp pain shot through my temple, and blood immediately gushed from the wound. Looking at the blood on the floor, I remembered the delivery room where I gave birth to him, also covered in blood. The doctor had shouted “difficult labor” and urgently pushed me toward the operating room. Before I entered surgery, Daniel, the CEO worth billions, knelt before the doctor, crying without regard for his image. Only after Jacob and I were out of danger did he make a tearful promise: “Zoey, I will love you and our child for the rest of my life.” His promise lasted barely three months after Karen appeared. Karen even wanted to take away my only son.

I covered the wound on my forehead, momentarily at a loss for words. The hotel manager exclaimed in shock and reached out to grab Jacob. Karen, who had rushed down from upstairs, shielded Jacob behind her and said, “Zoey, Jacob is still young, don’t be angry!”Then, she spoke to Jacob with extreme patience, “Jacob, please apologize. I’ve told you before, Zoey is your biological mother.” At these words, Jacob angrily pushed Karen away and rushed toward me with his little fists clenched. He shouted, “I don’t want some servant as my mother! You bitch! You’ll never, ever take me away from my mom!”Daniel rushed over to grab Jacob, frowning as he scolded, “Jacob, no hitting!” Karen immediately apologized with tears, “Daniel, I’m sorry I haven’t raised Jacob properly…” Looking at Karen, Daniel said gently, “Don’t blame yourself. You’ve taken care of him for six years and loved him so much. It’s normal that he can’t accept the truth right away.” As he said this, he looked at me, as if waiting for me to compromise. Wincing with pain, I wiped the blood from my face and angrily said, “Their mother-son bond is important, so I’m supposed to give away the child I risked my life to bear?” Daniel was about to say something, but Karen broke down crying first. She lovingly stroked Jacob’s head and sobbed, “I’m sorry, Zoey. I’ve been so selfish! I should have known someone like me doesn’t deserve a family… It’s all my fault!” Perhaps due to her emotional state, as she spoke, she clutched her collar and began breathing heavily. She said, “Jacob is yours now… Zoey… I’m sorry…” Seeing Karen lose consciousness, Daniel immediately picked her up. Before rushing out the door, he turned to me and said fiercely, “Zoey, if anything happens to Karen today, I will never forgive you.” I was so angry I felt cold all over, only aware of the throbbing pain from the wound on my temple. In that moment, I remembered the vows Daniel once made to me: “Zoey, please give me a chance to stay by your side and protect you.” Yet now he was carrying another woman, saying he would never forgive me. The irony was unbearable. I almost lost my balance. The hotel manager caught me just in time and sympathetically said, “Ms. Moore, instead of enduring this humiliation here, why not apologize to Mr. Moore? He’ll forgive you.” I looked at her and smiled bitterly. Indeed, unlike Karen, I wasn’t a helpless orphan. If I hadn’t insisted on marrying Daniel years ago, angering my father Quinn Moore, I wouldn’t have been kicked out of my family. I remained silent, staring at Quinn’s number on my phone. After a moment, I gave up. Early the next morning, Jacob, who had been left at home, banged on my door. “You bitch! Take me to see my mom at the hospital right now!” I looked at his anxious eyes, feeling heartbroken, but didn’t refuse. However, when I brought him to the hospital room, I froze. In the obstetrics ward, Daniel was tenderly kissing Karen’s forehead, gently caressing her abdomen. He said, “Karen, after next week’s court hearing, your father Tom’s false charges will be cleared. Before the baby is born, I’ll find an excuse to divorce Zoey. The four of us will be happy for the rest of our lives.” His words were resolute, even more sincere than the vows he once gave me. I stepped back, lacking even the strength to confront him. The hotel manager called to ask, “Ms. Moore, do you really want to hold your wedding anniversary celebration?” “Of course,” I replied. I remembered the contract Daniel and I signed when we got married with a bitter realization and smiled coldly. This time, I would definitely give them the best anniversary gift. Meanwhile, Jacob had already burst into the hospital room. Looking at the startled Daniel, I said, “Daniel, goodbye.”

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