Category: English

My home was complained about by the property owner. Because the noise was too loud. However, I’m often on business trips throughout the year, and there’s only my wife at home. Today was the first time I had been home in two months, but I was called by the property management and told that my home had been complained about. “The resident of Room 1102, I know you young people are full of vitality, but the sound insulation in this community is really poor.” I was a bit stunned. “What do you mean?” “More than one resident has complained to me, saying that the noise from your place is too loud every day.” “And sometimes it starts even during the daytime. This really has a bad impact.” My mind went blank with a buzz. What on earth was going on? I’m on business trips all the time and have very little time to stay at home. There’s only my wife in the family. My wife is a Chinese teacher at a school. She’s well-educated, reasonable, and loves me very much. I still don’t want to think in that direction. “You’re talking about me? Are you sure? There’s only one person living in my house usually.” The young man’s expression suddenly became very complex, and finally he gave me a sympathetic look. His reaction confirmed that the noise came from my house. I instantly felt as if I had fallen into an ice cave, my limbs were numb, and I didn’t even know how I got home. I lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, and it took me a long time to come to my senses. I couldn’t figure out how my wife, who was a teacher and should set a good example, could cheat on me during our marriage, especially since I treated her so well. I decided to go to the school to confront her in person. My wife usually doesn’t let me go to the school to find her, saying that I’m too handsome and she’s afraid that the girls at school will have a crush on me. So I have no idea which grade my wife teaches or where her office is. Fortunately, I met a young girl. “Hello, classmate. Which office is Teacher Amanda Pan in?” A look of disgust flashed across her face, and she said impatiently, “Who are you?” “I’m her husband. If it’s not too much trouble, could you take me there?” After hearing this, she suddenly showed a hint of mockery. “Amanda? Maybe she’s seducing some other man. She doesn’t have time to see you.” I looked at her in disbelief, not understanding why she would say such malicious words. Before I could react, she had already walked away. I asked several other classmates, but they all didn’t know. So I had to wait for my wife at the school gate. Not long after school was over, she came out with several male teachers. When she saw me, there was a flash of panic in her eyes, and she kept a bit of distance from those male teachers. “Honey, why are you here?” “I was passing by and thought I’d pick you up from work.” As usual, she acted coquettishly towards me gently and took my arm. I found that I simply couldn’t ask her the questions I had in mind. The girl from before also came out of the school gate. When she passed by me, her eyes were still full of malice. I just felt confused. After we got home, I suggested being intimate with my wife to test her. But she dodged and evaded. There was definitely something wrong. I forcefully took off her pants. Then I found that there was a piece of gauze pasted there. “I told you I was injured, and you still want this.” “Let me take a look.” As I said this, I was about to touch the gauze. She suddenly got very angry. “What are you doing?” I directly tore off the piece of gauze. There was actually a blue icon on it. It read: “Quarantine passed. Slaughter permitted.” A quarantine stamp for pork? I looked at her in disbelief. Because her lie had been exposed, she was a bit embarrassed and tried to explain it forcefully. “I was just playing around with my best friend. I was afraid you’d be angry, so…” The wife I had been living with day in and day out suddenly seemed so strange to me. “Is that so? Then call your best friend right now.” Sure enough, her face changed, and she started losing her temper. “Are you crazy? You’re so unreasonable.” After saying this, she slammed the door and left.

Now I can no longer deceive myself. She really had an affair, and it wasn’t just an ordinary one. I collapsed and sat on the bed in despair. Just then, a text message came to my phone. [I know about your wife’s affair. If you want to know more, come to Room 1501 of W Hotel.] I was a bit surprised. [Who are you? How did you get my phone number?] [That’s not important. Your wife’s name is Amanda Pan, a Chinese teacher for the second grade of senior high school at Hengshui Middle School. Your home is at Room 1202, Building 5, Unit 3 of Jucai Community.] [Do you believe me now? If you want to know the details, come. I’ll tell you everything.] This person knew my family situation very well. It seemed that he wasn’t a scammer. I finally decided to go. After all, I’m a man. What could he possibly do to me? Soon I arrived at the hotel. Standing in front of Room 1501, I was actually a bit nervous. I summoned up my courage and was about to knock on the door when I found that the door was open. But I still knocked. Soon the door opened. I was shocked to find that it was the female student from the daytime. “You… How could it be you?” “Why can’t it be me? Your wife has caused me so much suffering.” Her words successfully piqued my interest. I followed her into the room and couldn’t wait to ask her, “What exactly do you know?” “I know a lot.” She said as she directly sat on my lap. Alarm bells rang in my mind, and I got up in a panic. “What are you doing?” She suddenly knelt in front of me, grabbed my belt, and looked up at me expectantly. “That bitch Amanda took away my boyfriend. So it’s not too much for me to take away her husband, right?” Before I could react, she pushed me back onto the sofa again. I miscalculated. I didn’t expect that she really wanted to have a physical advance on me. However, there is still a certain disparity in strength between men and women. I clamped her wrists and pressed her hands above her head. “If you mess around again, I’ll hit you.” “Just hit me. If you kill me, everything will be over, and I won’t be sad anymore.” I stared at her intently, and she didn’t flinch at all. She stared back at me with her neck stubbornly raised. After a moment of stalemate, I suddenly couldn’t help laughing. “Heh, you little brat.” She gave me a glare. After this commotion, she finally settled down and stopped making any more moves on me. I also learned from her how exactly my wife had caused her so much suffering. Her name is Cindy Shen, and my wife is her teacher. But she seduced Cindy’s boyfriend. She said that she was an orphan and was bullied by everyone at school. She was bullied every day. It was the school bully, Alex Lu, who protected her and saved her. Later, they got together. “If it weren’t for him, I would have been dead a long time ago.” “I’ve always been starved of love. Alex was very gentle to me. He was like a god to me.” “My love for him is deeply ingrained in my bones. I really can’t live without him.” Her eyes were misty with tears, and her voice was soft and slightly trembling. “Uncle, can you understand me?” A trace of pity welled up in my heart, and I let her lean against me and cry. She cried more and more bitterly, and her tears dripped onto my palm, feeling cold. My throat was dry, and I could hardly speak. I could only pat her back to comfort her. She cried herself out and fell asleep. I carried her to the bed and then opened another room next door for myself. I also left a note: “Come to Room 1502 next door to find me when you wake up tomorrow.”

The next day, she came to apologize to me. “Sorry, Uncle. ” “It’s okay. Then tell me everything about my wife and your boyfriend in detail.” “No need to say it. I’ll just take you to see it directly. What I told you yesterday was just the tip of the iceberg.” I followed Cindy to the school. She led me into the teachers’ office building with ease. Then we went to the top floor. She took out the key and pulled me into a room. I was curious. “Where is this? How do you have the key?” She said she had made a copy of it. “Since you already have the evidence, why don’t you just post it online? Then it’s just a matter of time before my wife loses her reputation.” “I want to, but Alex threatened me. He said that if I ruin Teacher Amanda, he will never see me again.” Just as I was about to speak, she suddenly put her finger to my lips. “Shh, don’t make a sound. They’re coming.” She directly pulled me into a room inside. Soon, there was a burst of laughter and noise in the corridor, followed by the sound of a key turning in the lock. My heart skipped a beat. I looked out through the gap. As soon as they entered the door, the man picked up the woman and sat her on the table. “Uncle, be gentle. Look at how eager you are.” The woman playfully punched him. I was so shocked that my whole body went numb, and my mind went blank. Who else could it be but my wife? The look of enjoyment on her face was something I had never seen before. My face instantly turned red, and I gritted my teeth so hard that they almost cracked. “Do you want to go out and tear those two scumbags apart?” Cindy said softly. “However, I advise you not to. Because your wife has more than just this man.” She named a lot of people. My face darkened inch by inch. How could she have fallen so low? “Of course, it also includes that school security guard.” That’s when I noticed the man’s uniform. “Stop talking.” I finally couldn’t hold it in and choked Cindy’s neck. She soon couldn’t breathe because of me and desperately slapped my arm. I was completely stunned. My wife had always seemed so innocent in front of me, but I never expected her to be so disgusting behind my back. I had been working so hard to earn money to support the family and wanted to give her a better life. I felt like a complete joke. “Is it done?” My wife bit her finger and asked the security guard. “Change the pose.” The security guard seemed dissatisfied with my wife’s pose. She obediently did as she was told. After taking a few more photos, the security guard obviously couldn’t hold back anymore. He threw away his phone and suddenly pushed my wife onto the sofa. I stared at all this in a daze. I couldn’t figure it out. The security guard was old enough to be her father, but at this moment, my wife was hugging him tightly. During those few minutes, I felt as if I was in hell. From the time I met my wife, fell in love with her, and then got married. “Well, do you completely believe what I said now?” Just then, my phone suddenly rang. I was so scared that I lost my wits, as if I was the one having an affair. I quickly turned off my phone. They couldn’t hear us whispering quietly, but this ringtone was very loud, and obviously they heard it too. I held my breath nervously. The two of them were also a bit flustered. The security guard came down and walked towards us, while tentatively asking, “Who’s in there?”

Suddenly, someone outside was pounding on the door vigorously. The security guard was startled. “What should we do?” But my wife opened the door calmly. A young man in a school uniform came in. He should be a student. He was quite handsome, but he looked a bit ruffian. I just noticed that there was a look of venom in Cindy’s eyes. After asking, I found out that this was her scumbag boyfriend, Alex Lu. “Teacher Amanda, you said you would come to tutor me at noon. Why didn’t you call me?” “I was afraid it would affect your studies.” My wife perfunctorily dealt with him and quickly tried to push Alex out. “Wait a minute. There seems to be someone else here.” The security guard hadn’t forgotten about this and said warily. “Go away. What are you barking for? You just don’t want me to take Teacher Amanda away, right?” Alex was obviously impatient. “Really, there was a phone ringtone just now.” “It’s mine. It’s my phone. Okay, Teacher, let’s ignore that old guy.” Cindy had been sarcastic to me just now, but now she was already in tears. There was nothing I could do, so I could only hand her a tissue. But the more she wiped, the more tears there were. Seeing that she was on the verge of losing control of her emotions and was about to cry out loud. I had to hold her tightly in my arms. Just a door away, the situation outside became even more intense. Suddenly, Cindy put her arms around my neck, and a forceful kiss landed on my lips. It came as suddenly as a storm, and I was a bit caught off guard. She deepened the kiss in an instant and instantly took away all my breath. The pleasure of revenge swept through my whole body. I held her head and began to respond with all my might. After we separated, Cindy said she wasn’t feeling well and asked the teacher for leave. Seeing her weak appearance, I had to take her to the hospital. After getting in the car, I reminded her to fasten her seat belt. But she said she was too weak to do it. I had to lean over to help her. Her pair of almond-shaped eyes stared straight at me. The distance was too close, and it was extremely ambiguous. I had to avoid her gaze. Just as I finished fastening the seat belt for her and was about to sit up, she suddenly hooked her arms around my neck and kissed me again. Just when things were about to get out of hand, I quickly pushed her away. “No, we can’t.” It was very quiet during the whole journey, and soon she fell asleep quietly. The doctor said she was stimulated. “You need to have a good rest at home. As her boyfriend, you must take good care of her.” I wanted to deny it, but Cindy directly said thank you to the doctor. On the way back, I asked her why she didn’t deny it. She said there was no need. “Sorry, don’t get me wrong. I just couldn’t control myself a bit just now.” I explained to her. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for. I took the initiative to kiss you.” I sent her back to school and then went home.

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The day my mother, Mia Hayes, was diagnosed with leukemia, my boyfriend Adam Maxwell’s childhood friend Alisha Jenner volunteered to donate bone marrow to her. But on the day of the surgery, I was hit by an out-of-control car at the hospital entrance and fell into a coma. When I woke up, the bone marrow transplant had failed, and my mother had died. Adam stayed by my side in devastation, pulling me back from despair. On the third anniversary of our marriage, which happened to be the anniversary of Mia’s death, I accidentally overheard him talking with his assistant, Eric Chapman. “Mr. Maxwell, we’ve taken care of the driver, doctor, and nurse from back then. No one will ever know about Ms. Jenner’s fake donation.” Adam sighed with relief, “Good. Charlotte’s mother’s death was ultimately Alisha’s fault, but I can’t let Charlotte destroy her.” At that moment, my world shattered. It turned out that the Jenner Group heiress’ charitable bone marrow donation, meant to boost the company’s corporate image, was a fraudulent scheme. My mother’s death was nothing but a stepping stone for Alisha’s rise. Alisha and Adam were both killers!

“Mr. Maxwell, do you intend to keep this matter hidden for the rest of your life?” Adam’s brow furrowed slightly as he replied, “This is the best solution I could think of. Now, Jenner Group has been revived from the dead. Alisha has entered the entertainment industry and become the star she always wanted to be. As for Charlotte, I’ll spend the rest of my life making amends to her.” Eric couldn’t stand his behavior and spoke urgently, “Back then, Ms. Jenner fled at the last minute because she was afraid to donate bone marrow. Mia literally died waiting on the operating table. How is that any different from deliberate murder? Mr. Maxwell, why are you doing this? After all, Ms. Hayes is your wife!” Adam closed his eyes, his brow creasing in pain. “Alisha was just too scared. She didn’t mean it. Besides, Mia’s leukemia meant she wouldn’t have lived much longer anyway. Charlotte only experienced an ordinary car accident. I’ve given her love and a family, all she wanted most!” Eric’s emotions suddenly flared up. “Mr. Maxwell, is this really what Ms. Hayes wanted? Is what she wanted, this deceptive love tainted with her mother’s blood, this marriage of atonement that feels like charity? You and I know that if Ms. Hayes discovers this, everything will be completely ruined!” Eric’s words pierced Adam’s heart. Adam choked harshly on his cigarette twice. He forcefully crushed the cigarette butt in the ashtray and impatiently warned, “Then I’ll never let her know! Keep your worthless conscience to yourself and shut your mouth! Otherwise, I’ll deal with you, too!” My whole body trembled so violently I could barely stand. Tears had smeared my face without me noticing, and the cold throughout my body was suffocating me. My mother’s death wasn’t an accident! Alisha hadn’t donated bone marrow to my mother as she had solemnly promised. And my mother, full of hope, lay on the cold operating table, never receiving the life-saving bone marrow. Instead, she received news of her daughter’s car accident and her own death. My mother and I parted hastily this way without seeing each other last time. It was a scheme personally arranged by my husband, whom I considered family. His tenderness and his devotion… It all was to save another woman in his heart. And the marriage I thought was happy was just his arrogant, condescending charity. It was absurd! That one word was enough to summarize my life these past three years. I collapsed onto the cold marble floor of the waiting room as if all my strength had been drained away. I waited until the footsteps faded into the distance before sitting quietly on the sofa. I sat there for exactly four hours. Adam finally appeared during lunch break. His expression was no different than usual as he reached for my hand. “Charlotte, you came without telling me? You should have let me know. I’m sorry you had to wait so long. Why are your hands so cold?” I looked down as he cupped my hands in his, warmth surrounding them from all sides. My heart felt like it was being twisted by a knife. “It’s just a lingering effect from the car accident years ago.” His movements paused as he pulled my hand to his cheek. “That’s my fault. I shouldn’t have sent you to get those documents alone.” I withdrew my hand and contained the hatred that nearly spilled out, saying softly, “It’s not your fault. It will get better with time. I didn’t want to disturb you since I knew you were busy. Your secretary mentioned you have another meeting soon. You should go. Oh, and please ask Eric to make me a coffee. He always makes it perfectly.” Adam had always been incredibly attentive to my needs. He gave Eric clear instructions when he left and sent me hand warmers. “Ms. Hayes, here’s your coffee and the hand warmers Mr. Maxwell requested.” I didn’t respond. I just silently got up and locked my office door. Then I turned around and gave Eric a complicated look. Eric felt uneasy under my stare and couldn’t help asking, “Ms. Hayes, is there something else you need…”

In the next instant, my sudden movement cut short his words. I slowly picked up the wedding photo of Adam and me from the desk. In the picture, we looked so happy, our smiles radiant. CRASH! Right in front of Eric, I violently smashed the frame to the ground, shattering it into pieces. “Tell me properly, Eric! How did Adam and Alisha cause my mother’s death three years ago?” The sun was setting when Adam finally finished his meetings and returned to the office. He found me napping on the couch and couldn’t resist quietly walking over to pull me into his arms. “Are you bored? My secretary told me you actually spent the whole afternoon talking with Eric. Our genius director, Charlotte, is going stir-crazy during this research trip to Northweston.” Over these past three years, I had established myself as a hot new female director in the film industry, winning numerous prestigious awards at home and abroad. I was famous for being extremely strict about scripts and actors. Even Alisha, with all her family wealth, couldn’t land a role in my films. Adam never interferes with my work and instead supports me completely. My success also adds considerable prestige to his career. Adam’s affectionate gaze swept across my face as he playfully pointed at the corner of my eye. “You haven’t been resting well, have you? Your eyes are all red from exhaustion.” I instinctively turned my head, avoiding Adam’s hand reaching toward me, forcing a slight smile. “I’ll be fine after some sleep. By the way, I have good news. You know how you’ve always wanted me to create a commercial film specifically for Alisha? I recently got an excellent script. I plan to try something different. To generate publicity, I will host a grand character reveal event before filming.” When news related to Alisha was mentioned, Adam’s superficial emotions instantly became animated. His face showed excitement, followed by confusion. “A character reveal event? Where did this idea come from? Director Hayes, you’re famous in the industry for keeping a low profile, and besides, don’t you usually think Alisha’s acting is…” I laughed mockingly to myself. Of course, I was doing this for them. Otherwise, given Alisha’s terrible acting skills—she just widened her eyes, frowned and screamed, I’d consider her out of place even as a background character. I displayed a sorrowful expression and slowly leaned into Adam’s embrace. “I’ve always owed Alisha a proper thank you. She volunteered to donate bone marrow to save my mom. Even though the outcome… well, she genuinely donated her marrow. I recently heard from a doctor friend that bone marrow transplant surgery causes significant harm to donors. I can’t be an ungrateful person.” Adam’s body tensed as he held me. My words left him speechless. As the main culprit, he was filled with nothing but guilt. He held me tighter, his warm lips lingering on my forehead. “Your mother may be gone, but you still have me. We will never be apart. I’ll treat you well for the rest of my life.” I silently hugged him back. Eric’s revelation from this afternoon flashed through my mind, and all warmth vanished from my eyes. A cold, mocking smile slowly formed on my lips as I thought, “Save these touching words for later. After you watch the role announcement event, you can tell me all about it.”

I had just arrived home when the doorbell rang urgently. The servant opened the door and saw it was Alisha. “I came specifically to thank Charlotte! Since Charlotte announced on Twitter that she’s not only choosing me for the lead role but also hosting a special launch event, I’ve been trending everywhere! All those brands and investors who looked down on me are now approaching me for collaborations.” Alisha was thanking me with her words, but her body was telling the truth as she brushed against Adam. “This is the diamond Addie gave me last month. I’m just passing along something beautiful. It’s for you, Charlotte!” I lowered my gaze to look at it. It was one of the two pieces Adam had purchased at an auction last month. In the light, the difference was noticeable. The one he had given me was more ordinary than what Alisha held. Adam’s expression beside me suddenly became tense as he carefully observed my reaction. My smile didn’t falter. I accepted the gift and played along with her act. “You’re too kind, Alisha. I always knew you were a born actress, just waiting to be discovered by someone with an eye for talent. When we get to the role announcement event, I guarantee the audience will see you in a new light.” My insincere praise made Alisha glow with delight. She completely missed the storm brewing beneath my words. However, Alisha’s arrival gave me the perfect excuse to get Adam out of the way. “I have some script issues to deal with upstairs. Adam, please entertain Alisha for me. Don’t neglect the future star of my billion-dollar movie!” Adam froze for a moment, then forced a laugh and quickly agreed. The words “billion-dollar movie” completely went to Alisha’s head. She just grabbed Adam’s arm and grinned. I turned and entered Adam’s study, hearing their laughter from downstairs. [Password incorrect. Please try again.] I stared at the message on the computer screen and shook my head mockingly. I changed my birthday to Alisha’s, and the computer unlocked instantly. It was filled with Alisha’s photos, portfolios, endorsement deals, and Maxwell Group’s sponsorship records. He even kept copies of her schedule. I’ve felt uncomfortable with Adam’s excessive attention toward Alisha these past three years. But whenever I tried to discuss it, Adam would put on a helpless act. “Alisha donated bone marrow to your mother. I’m just showing gratitude on your behalf. Charlotte, don’t overthink it.” With one mention of gratitude, all my feelings were completely shut down. He knew the whole truth, yet he deliberately put me on a moral high ground. As if the moment I criticized Alisha, I’d be disrespecting someone who saved my mother’s life, proving myself ungrateful. My memory abruptly cut off as my eyes scanned the jumbled information on the computer. “Found it!” The staff lists, event plans, chat logs, payment records, and detailed notes on where everyone involved ended up afterward are included. My three years of “ignorance” had finally caused Adam to let down all his defenses. The truth sat before me, plain as day, yet I had never questioned or touched it. I laughed bitterly as tears fell onto the desk. “Packaging a murderer as a lifesaver? Adam, you’re the real director here.”

After copying the evidence, I played it smart. I didn’t take the elevator but went down using the staircase in the corner of the villa. I found that Alisha was nestled in Adam’s arms, giggling flirtatiously. “You’re so clever, Addie. I’ve become the life-saving hero, which gives me the perfect opportunity to launch my career, and our family stocks have even risen. I don’t have to donate bone marrow to that old woman, and Charlotte will be forever grateful to me.” A devious glint flashed in Alisha’s eyes as she spoke with cold-blooded contempt. “After that old woman died, I not only had to pretend to be in pain and lie in bed for a month, but I also had to cry and kneel in front of Charlotte’s bed to apologize. No one has ever dared to treat me like this! I really gave those mother and daughter too much face! Fortunately, those paparazzi and marketing accounts were quite effective, achieving all the intended results. I guess I’ll reluctantly forgive that old woman for the suffering she caused me!” With each sentence, the guilt in Adam’s heart transformed into a sharp thorn, piercing him more painfully. As soon as the words fell, Adam abruptly pushed Alisha away from his embrace. Frowning, he lowered his voice and scolded her. “Alisha, watch your language and respect the deceased! Never bring this up again, or you won’t be welcome here anymore!” After saying this, he turned to leave. Alisha was stunned, completely surprised that Adam would reprimand her over Mia. She immediately rushed forward and hugged his waist, looking hurt. “Okay, okay, I won’t mention it again! I just missed you, that’s all. We haven’t seen each other for so long, and I have so much I want to tell you.” This time, Adam didn’t push her away. I watched them coldly, my palms already marked with blood from my own fingernails. “Mom, just hold on a little longer… Soon, I’ll tear off these two hypocritical masks at the event!” I turned around and headed down from the elevator. When I came down, Alisha was still on top of Adam, flirting and fooling around. This was definitely not the kind of distance friends should have. Seeing me arrive, Alisha put on an innocent smile instead. “Charlotte, are you done with your work?” Adam turned his head to look and immediately pushed Alisha away, explaining frantically. “Charlotte, let me explain. Alisha accidentally tripped on the corner of the table, and I was just…” I raised my hand to cut off Adam’s transparent explanation and smiled politely. “I understand. If there was really something between you two, why would I be the one marrying you? The maid says dinner is ready. Let’s eat first.” Despite my generosity, Adam’s expression remained uneasy. He kept sticking close to me during dinner, serving me food and wiping my mouth. Alisha forced a smile visible to everyone, and halfway through the meal, she found an excuse to leave. This time, Adam didn’t comfort her. I continued to play innocent, cooperating with his performance of deep affection. After all, without him, how could my grand scheme “take the world by storm” three days from now?

Three days later, Alisha’s character reveal event officially began. “Ms. Hayes, what’s the name of this new film?” “Ms. Hayes, why did you choose Alisha as the lead actress for this movie?” “Ms. Hayes, why are you making an exception for Alisha by promoting her so publicly and even livestreaming the entire event?” The currently most popular female director publicly supported an actress like this for the first time and had repeatedly stated during promotions that this would be her most proud work in her lifetime. The media and many fame-chasing social media influencers rushed to the event venue, hoping to capitalize on the massive buzz. Under the flashing lights, I smiled as I faced a barrage of questions from the crowd and calmly said, “For this film, Alisha was always the perfect lead in my mind. I can confidently say that her performance will completely change everyone’s perception of her. She’ll make her mark in film history.” My words caused a wave of murmurs and gasps from everyone present. Alisha’s arrogant expression intensified from beside me. Her recent surge in popularity had clearly gone to her head, making her think she was above everyone else. She was just waiting for the movie to be filmed and released so she could become the biggest movie star around. As soon as I finished speaking, a reporter asked, “But according to audience feedback and other directors’ opinions, Alisha might not be as talented as you claim. How would you respond to that, Ms. Hayes?” That question stirred up a storm, and countless inquiries flew at me. My expression remained unchanged as I calmly directed everyone’s attention to the big screen. “For this press conference, I specially prepared a teaser. After watching it, I believe all our media friends will have their answers.” Alisha beside me suddenly changed her expression and whispered in confusion, “Charlotte, what teaser? I’ve never heard about this!” Adam, in the audience, also gave me a puzzled look. I stepped back and tilted my head, speaking in a gentle tone. “Please enjoy, everyone. This is a movie teaser I’ve carefully prepared for a long time!” The big screen shows two people embracing tightly in a hospital room in the next second. It was Alisha and Adam! “Addie, I’m scared! Bone marrow transplants hurt so much. That old woman is going to die anyway. I don’t want to do the surgery. Can you help me? I just need to pretend I donated after the fact. We can fool everyone and boost my company’s image!”

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CHAPTER “Gabriel, my heart hurts. Can you take me to the hospital?” My voice was weak as I spoke into the phone, my fingers tightening around it. A tired sigh filtered through the speaker. “Julia, I have a meeting with some clients. Can you go on your own? I’ll come find you later.” I swallowed down the lump in my throat. “Okay. Don’t overwork yourself.” Hanging up, I hailed a taxi to the hospital, pressing a hand to my chest as the pain pulsed beneath my ribs. It was bearable—because Gabriel was working hard for our future. Or so I thought. — Test results in hand, I stepped out of the doctor’s office—only to freeze in place. A familiar silhouette walked past the hospital corridor. My heart lurched. Gabriel. He… came after all? A flicker of warmth bloomed in my chest. Maybe he had finished his meeting early. Maybe he had rushed here the moment he could— The thought died the second I saw her. A delicate woman was tucked under his arm, her small hands gripping his coat like she belonged there. Gabriel wasn’t just standing next to her—he was looking at her. Not with duty. Not with indifference. But with tenderness. Love. A kind of love I had never seen from him. A kind of love that was never meant for me. I didn’t think. My body moved before my mind could catch up. “Gabriel Hall!” My voice cracked through the air as I marched toward them. His expression flickered with shock before settling into something unreadable. “Julia? What are you doing here?” My nails dug into my palm. “I told you I wasn’t feeling well. You said you were busy with work, but now you’re here?” My voice wavered, the betrayal stinging sharper than my aching heart. He sighed, as if I was being unreasonable. “I just finished up and came to accompany Harper. She’s been feeling unwell.” I turned my gaze to the woman pressed against his side. She smiled sweetly at me, but I didn’t miss the flicker of hatred that flashed in her eyes before she masked it. “I’m not your sister-in-law,” Harper murmured, her voice soft and fragile, yet laced with something deliberate. “Just Harper Jenkins. Gabriel and I grew up together.” A childhood sweetheart. I forced myself to breathe. “Gabriel, do you even hear yourself? It’s not that you have a childhood friend that bothers me— “It’s how you treat us differently.” His expression faltered. “You say she’s just a friend. But the way you look at her? The way you hold her?” I let out a bitter laugh. “You never looked at me like that.” For the first time, Gabriel had nothing to say. — Back at home, he helped me onto the couch, rubbing small circles on my back. “Are you jealous?” He teased, like this was some kind of joke. I lifted my head, searching his gaze for a single ounce of regret. I found none. I forced a smile. “I’ll go take a bath.” Turning away, I swallowed down the lump in my throat. But as I stepped into the bathroom, the pain in my chest flared up again. Was it my illness? Or was it him? — That night, my phone rang. “Julia, you better come tomorrow night. If you ditch me again, I swear you’ll regret it,” my best friend, Sophia Patel, huffed over the line. I tried to sound normal. “Alright, I’ll be there.” A pause. “Julia… something’s off. What’s wrong?” I hesitated, then exhaled. “I’m just a little sick.” Her tone immediately turned sharp. “Sick? Where’s Gabriel? Tell him to bring you water and medicine.” The words struck something deep inside me. Because in five years of marriage… Every time I was sick, every time I needed him— Gabriel always had an excuse. Always had something more important to do. And yet, for her, for Harper Jenkins— He always had time. The thought sat heavy in my chest, suffocating and undeniable. Maybe I had been blind for too long. Maybe love had been nothing but an illusion. *********** CHAPTER

The bar pulsed with energy, a mix of neon lights and deep bass vibrating through the air. The scent of alcohol, sweat, and desperation lingered, thick enough to choke on. Bodies moved together on the dance floor, strangers clinging to each other as if the night would never end. I pushed through the crowd, my gaze sweeping the room until I spotted Sophia at the bar. Her red dress clung to her curves in all the right places, her dark hair cascading down her back as she swirled her drink with a lazy smirk. Her eyes were sharp, scanning the room like a predator searching for its next conquest. “Julia, over here!” she called, waving me over. Sliding onto the stool beside her, I exhaled. Sophia grinned. “Look around, babe. So many handsome men, and you’re wasting your time on Gabriel. Pick one, and I’ll go get him for you.” I laughed, shaking my head. “Sophia!” She rolled her eyes. “I’m serious. Why are you still hung up on that bastard? What’s so great about him?” I tensed at the question. Sophia sighed dramatically. “I swear, I should just set you up with someone. Maybe then you’d finally realize how shitty he is.” “I need to use the bathroom,” I muttered, avoiding her gaze. Slipping off the stool, I made my way through the bar, the dim lighting and flashing strobes making it difficult to see clearly. But as I walked past a private VIP lounge, a familiar voice stopped me cold. Gabriel. Heart hammering, I edged closer, peering through the small crack in the door. What I saw made my stomach lurch. Harper was perched on Gabriel’s lap, her delicate arms draped around his neck, her lips curled in satisfaction. His friends lounged around them, laughing, drinking—egging them on. “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” someone chanted. Gabriel smirked. And then he leaned in. Bile rose in my throat. My fingers curled into fists, nails biting into my palms as rage and heartbreak warred inside me. As if sensing my gaze, Harper suddenly turned—and smiled. A slow, smug, knowing smile. Like she had won. “When are you divorcing Julia?” Lucas Ross, one of Gabriel’s closest friends, asked, swirling the liquor in his glass. Gabriel chuckled, his voice dripping with amusement. “Divorce her? Please. You think I ever loved her?” Something inside me snapped. “She was just a means to an end.” My breath hitched. “If it weren’t for her family’s company, I wouldn’t have even looked at her.” The room erupted into laughter. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. “I used to hate the way she looked down on me,” Gabriel continued, his tone darkening. “Thinking she was better than me. I wanted to tear her down, make her beg for my mercy.” Lucas whistled. “Damn, so she was just a pawn?” Gabriel smirked. “She’s been under my control for years.” I staggered back, my chest tightening like a vise had wrapped around my ribs. Five years. Three years of marriage. It was all a lie. I turned, shoving past the crowd, my vision blurring as I rushed out of the bar. The cool night air slapped me in the face, but it wasn’t enough to ground me. I stumbled forward, my breaths coming out sharp and uneven. Above me, the sky loomed dark and endless. And then, as if mocking my pain— It started to rain. Cold droplets soaked through my clothes, drenching me to the bone. But I barely noticed. I was too busy trying to hold together the pieces of my shattered heart. *********** CHAPTER

I stepped into the apartment—the same place Gabriel and I had shared for three years. The warm, inviting home I had painstakingly decorated now felt like nothing more than an illusion. The walls, once filled with laughter and love, now mocked me with their silence. I had designed this place to be a home—for both of us. But in the end, I had just built a gilded cage for myself. A bitter laugh escaped my lips as I collapsed onto the couch, exhaustion pulling me under. — When I woke up, the apartment was still empty. Gabriel hadn’t come home. Not even a text. What was I expecting? I let out a sharp breath, shaking off the weight in my chest. After making myself a simple breakfast, I decided to head to the office. But the moment I stepped out of the building, I froze. Gabriel was standing there—with Harper. I met his gaze, my expression unreadable. “Gabriel, have you sunk so low that you’re actually bringing your mistress home now?” Gabriel sighed, looking bored. “Harper has nowhere to stay. What kind of man would I be if I left her on the streets?” Harper clutched his arm, her eyes welling up with crocodile tears. “Maybe… maybe I should find somewhere else to live. I don’t want to cause problems between you two.” Her trembling voice was laced with just the right amount of pity. Gabriel’s expression softened instantly. “No, you’re staying with us. Julia has no right to refuse.” I arched an eyebrow, amusement flickering in my eyes. “No right to refuse?” I repeated, crossing my arms. “Gabriel, do you need a reminder? This apartment was bought with my money. You don’t get to decide who lives here.” His jaw tensed, and before I could react, he lifted his hand. As if he was actually going to slap me. I didn’t even flinch. I met his gaze, unshaken. “Go ahead. Hit me. I dare you.” Gabriel hesitated. But before anything else could happen, Harper grabbed my hand, her delicate fingers trembling. “Julia, please don’t fight with Gabriel because of me,” she whimpered, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I’ll leave. I’ll go somewhere else.” And then, suddenly— She collapsed. Right there, at my feet. Her hand flew to her chest, her breathing ragged. “Gabriel… my heart… it hurts…” Gabriel’s face drained of color, panic flashing in his eyes. He turned on me instantly. “Julia, if anything happens to Harper, I’ll never forgive you.” I stilled. And then— Harper looked up at me, a smile curving at the edges of her lips. A smile meant only for me to see. Slowly, my fingers curled into fists, my nails biting into my palms. But I felt nothing. Not pain. Not anger. Just emptiness. This was the man I had loved for five years. The man I had shared a bed with. And now, I was just someone to blame. A sharp pain bloomed in my chest, but I swallowed it down, forcing myself to stand tall. I watched as Gabriel scooped Harper into his arms, his concern never once faltering. He didn’t spare me a second glance. I didn’t move. I just stood there, watching them walk away— My eyes as still and lifeless as a stagnant pool of water. ********** CHAPTER

The test results were grim. Harper Jenkins had a severe heart condition and needed a transplant immediately. But there was no matching donor. And Gabriel? He had been obsessing over finding one, neglecting everything—including his company. Just as desperation started clawing at his patience, someone approached him. “I know a way to get Harper Jenkins a heart transplant. But it depends on whether you’re willing to accept the proposal.” Gabriel’s eyes darkened as he studied the stranger—a man dressed in a long coat, his face obscured by a hat and mask. “And why should I trust you?” Gabriel asked, skepticism lacing his voice. The man pulled down his mask, revealing sharp, chiseled features. “Because I’m Dr. Benjamin Wright. A leading heart specialist from M Country.” Gabriel’s breath hitched. Dr. Wright? The name alone was enough to shake the medical world. Dr. Wright pulled out an ID and handed it over. “Verify it if you must.” Gabriel studied the identification, his mind racing. He didn’t have time for doubts. He had to take the chance. “What’s your solution?” Gabriel asked, his voice low and urgent. Dr. Wright leaned in slightly. “There’s no suitable match in the donor database. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a match outside of it.” Gabriel’s brows furrowed. “Explain.” Dr. Wright’s lips curved into a knowing smile. “Your wife, Julia, had a recent heart exam. Her heart is in perfect condition. And… it’s a perfect match for Harper Jenkins.” The air around them turned suffocatingly heavy. Gabriel’s expression hardened. “There’s no other option?” Dr. Wright shook his head. “Either she consents… or you wait for another donor. But Harper’s time is running out.” Gabriel’s jaw tightened. “Prepare for the surgery. I’ll take care of Julia.” — That evening, Gabriel did something he never did. He cooked. The aroma of braised pork ribs filled the apartment as he set the table with practiced ease. The moment I stepped inside, my senses went on high alert. Gabriel turned to me with an easy smile. “Welcome home. Wash your hands and eat. I made your favorite.” I arched an eyebrow, crossing my arms. “Drop the act. Just tell me what you want.” His smile faltered. He set down the chopsticks and walked over, his expression grave. “Julia, Harper is dying. She needs a heart transplant, but there’s no available donor.” My lips curled into a smirk. “And what does that have to do with me?” Gabriel’s eyes pleaded with mine. “Your heart is a match.” A silence stretched between us. Then, I laughed. Actually laughed. His brows knitted. “Julia, please. Help her.” I tilted my head, feigning innocence. “Give up my heart… for your mistress? Why would I do that?” His patience snapped. “Because Harper Jenkins’s life is on the line!” I sighed, shaking my head. “Not my problem.” His hands curled into fists. “You’re really this selfish? You’d let her die?” I stood abruptly, my chair scraping against the floor. “And what about me, Gabriel? Have you ever thought about my life? My well-being?” Slap. The impact sent my head snapping to the side. The sharp sting spread across my cheek, but I didn’t flinch. Gabriel’s voice was low and venomous. “You’re willing to watch Harper die, but you won’t take a risk for her?” I met his gaze, my eyes cold, unyielding. “And what if I refuse?” His lips curled into something dark. “Then don’t forget—I control the NovaTech Inc.. If you don’t agree, I’ll make sure you lose everything.” Something inside me snapped. I inhaled slowly, forcing a calm I didn’t feel. Then, I gave him exactly what he wanted. “Fine.” His eyes gleamed with triumph. I smiled. Gabriel Hall… you have no idea what you’ve just set in motion.

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My husband William found an abandoned baby with a heart condition on the roadside. He knelt before me with tears in his eyes, begging: “Honey, please look at how pitiful this child is. Can you save him? It’s just part of your liver. I promise I’ll get you the best artificial liver in the world later.” Softened by his plea, I donated part of my liver to the child. After raising the child diligently for eighteen years, William dropped his act. He threw the paternity test results in my face. “You fool, you really can’t tell good from bad! That’s my biological son. How could I not care about him?” But I felt nothing inside. Later, he proposed divorce and cut off the hospital’s supply of artificial liver for me. I waved my hand dismissively: “Do as you please.” … William Baker found a baby on the roadside with an envelope attached. It read: “Will repay your kindness in the future!” Before I could react, my husband was on his knees in front of me. When our eyes met, he was already crying uncontrollably. “Honey, please look at how pitiful this child is. Can you save him? It’s just part of your liver. I promise I’ll get you the best artificial liver in the world later.” “You’re older and can handle the pain of using an artificial liver, but the child is so young. Can you bear to watch him suffer?” This was the first time William had ever begged me for anything. Even more coincidentally, only my liver was a match for this child. I thought long and hard about whether I should agree. But I couldn’t resist his persistent pleading. In the end, I softened my heart and donated part of my liver to the child. For all these years, I’ve survived on an artificial liver. And my sacrifice seemed to have won William’s true love. Since I donated my liver, he always cared for and looked after me. He wouldn’t let me cook, preparing three meals a day himself. Fearing I might fall ill, he had a doctor check on me weekly. He said, “As long as you can take good care of our child, I’ll treat you even better in the future!” I believed his words and raised the child to eighteen years old. He had a nice name – Noah Baker. It sounded like he and William were brothers. When the SAT results came out, he excitedly placed his college acceptance letter in front of me. “Mom! I got into Harvard!” I stroked his cheek, crying tears of joy. “That’s wonderful. After your 18th birthday, Mom will throw you a graduation party!” My mother-in-law heard the commotion and came over. I showed her Noah’s acceptance letter. “Mom, look…” Before I could finish, she mercilessly threw the child’s acceptance letter on the ground and stomped on it twice. “Lily Smith, he’s just an adopted child. Why do you care so much about him? You’re even throwing a graduation party!” “Don’t tell me this child is yours with some other man?” “You and William haven’t had a child in all these years. Are you saving yourself for some other man?” Noah tossed aside the acceptance letter and pushed my mother-in-law away, protecting me. “Grandma, don’t you dare talk about my mom like that!” “She raised me for eighteen years! I’ll protect her for life!” Hearing this, my mother-in-law’s face twisted in anger as she raised her hand high. Instinctively, I shielded Noah. The next second, her palm struck hard against my back. Instantly, my artificial liver reacted. This was the first time in eighteen years I felt such intense pain in my liver. I gently leaned against the wall, slumping to the ground. Sweat beaded on my forehead. My mother-in-law, not feeling she had done anything wrong, pointed at me and yelled arrogantly: “Lily Smith, this is the child you raised – disrespectful and ill-mannered!” Her voice was so loud it nearly shattered my artificial liver.

At that moment, my husband returned. I looked towards the door, signaling to him. He hesitated for a moment before running to my side. Wiping away the tears from the corners of my eyes, he gently kissed my ear. “Honey, what’s wrong? Is your liver hurting again? Do you need me to take you to the hospital for a replacement?” Hearing this, my mother-in-law became even more enraged. “What? You’re going to spend more money on her? William, don’t say I didn’t warn you. You’ve been married for twenty years without having a child of your own. When am I going to have a grandchild?!” The next second, he cast me aside and stood up to pacify his mother. He quietly led her into the room. I don’t know what they were discussing. Noah helped me to the bedroom to lie down. But my liver was in excruciating pain. This year marks my seventh liver replacement. Seeing my face covered in sweat, Noah carefully wiped it away. “Mom, does it still hurt?” I shook my head, saying it didn’t. After a while, my husband brought his mother back. Surprisingly, she had completely changed her attitude towards Noah. She looked at her son with a smile: “Noah, my dear grandson, my own flesh and blood! Grandma was wrong earlier.” “Tomorrow, I’ll throw you a grand graduation party. I want everyone to know my grandson got into Harvard!” William, seeing how weak I looked, felt a pang of guilt. He came over and hugged me. “Lily, is your liver acting up again? Shall I take you to the hospital for a replacement?” Before I knew it, I had fainted in his arms. When I regained consciousness, I was in the hospital. In my hazy state, I overheard a conversation between William and the doctor. “William, are you really going to give Lily the worst artificial liver? Your family isn’t short on money, why treat her like this?” “The child is an adult now, there’s no need for me to keep up the act. Once Sophia returns, I’ll divorce her.” “But Lily’s health is deteriorating. I’m afraid if we give her this one… she might die.” William furrowed his brow and sighed. “Perhaps this is her fate.” I dragged my heavy body back to the hospital bed. Closing my eyes, I thought about everything he had done to me. The affair, tricking me into raising the child, taking my liver. William, did you really think I was that stupid? Or did you think Lily Smith was just an easy target? All these years, if it weren’t for the child’s sake, I would have filed for divorce long ago. I didn’t because Noah truly loved me as his mother. He genuinely cared for me. Who did Noah take after? His mother who loved being the other woman? His heartless father? Maybe… neither of them. Before the surgery began, I received a phone call. “Lily, I’ve found the information you asked me to look into.” As I was being wheeled into the operating room, William still held my hand tightly, tears streaming down his face. “Lily, you must come out safely, okay? The child and I are waiting for you!” I turned my eyes away, no longer wanting to see that disgusting look on his face. Once inside the operating room, I gripped the doctor’s hand tightly. “Doctor, I recorded everything you and William said today. Do you really plan to give me the worst artificial liver?” The doctor stepped back in fear. He hesitated before speaking: “This was William’s idea. We didn’t dare to disobey.” I chuckled softly. “How about I give you a million dollars? I want the best artificial liver!” In the end, the doctor gave me a good artificial liver for the money. I wondered, if I hadn’t overheard their conversation, Would I really have died? When I was wheeled out of the operating room, I looked at William. In the past, whenever I had surgery, he would anxiously wait outside. When I was wheeled out, he would be the first to rush over and ask if I was in pain. This time, there was none of that. He had his back to me, talking on the phone. A smile lit up his face. He seemed to be calling the person on the other end “baby.” But it didn’t matter anymore. I should have seen through him the day he brought home that abandoned baby. It wasn’t until the doctor called out that he turned around. Suddenly, his eyes brightened. He jogged over and grabbed my hand. Kissing it affectionately. “Lily, does it hurt? I’m so worried about you.” His eyes were still as gentle as ever. It was that look that kept me by his side year after year.

The first time I got an artificial liver, he knelt before the doctor, begging him to stay by my side. When he was next to me, he held my hand tightly, constantly praying that nothing would happen to me. But now, things have changed. That William Baker was long dead in my heart. I shook my head at him. “It’s fine, just an artificial liver. No need to be so concerned.” During my days of recovery in the hospital, William never came again. Even the nurses were gossiping outside. “Mr. Baker used to come every day, couldn’t bear to leave his wife for a moment. What’s happened now?” “Who knows? Every woman has her day of falling out of favor. She’s been abandoned, I guess.” I glared at them fiercely, scolding: “Do you want to experience the pain of having your liver taken out too?!” From then on, I was labeled as a volatile woman. The day William came to pick me up, He heard others insulting me. He no longer stood by my side to defend me. He just smirked. No longer caring for me like before. We sat in the car, and he spoke much less. Midway through, he received a phone call. After hanging up, his brows furrowed as he turned to look at me. “Get out.” I tilted my head in confusion: “Why?” He straightened up and turned his head, speaking righteously: “I have a client to pick up. You can take a cab home yourself.” ??? “William Baker, this is the highway! Are you trying to kill me?” I didn’t expect his patience to be so limited. He turned his head again. “Lily Smith, I said get out!” “I…” “Get out!” His tone grew louder with each repetition. I had no choice but to open the door and step out. Before I could even close the door, he immediately stepped on the gas and sped away. Leaving me standing alone on the highway, with no one to care. The traffic continued to rush by, occasionally a car would whiz past me, but none stopped. In desperation, I called William’s phone. It was turned off. Then I called my son. He anxiously asked for my location. Soon after, he took a cab to pick me up. In this world, only the son I raised from childhood cared about me. When he saw me, he held my hand tightly, tears falling onto my chest. “Mom, you’ve been through so much.” I choked up, and after a while, I spoke: “Noah, if your biological parents came back to find you, would you waver?” He shook his head firmly. “No, never. She abandoned me after giving birth. When I was about to die, it was you who saved me.” I nodded contentedly. The next day was Noah’s graduation party. It was also his 18th birthday celebration. Many reporters came today as well. Probably invited by William specifically. I just sat quietly in my seat, waiting to see William’s next move. The graduation party officially began. William stood up and looked straight at me. From his eyes, I could see a hint of challenge. “Hello everyone, I am Noah Baker’s father.” “To be precise, I am Noah Baker’s biological father.” The crowd below erupted in chaos. “What? How is that possible? I personally saw William pick up the child back then, how could he be his biological child!” “Yeah, this can’t be Lily Smith’s child. They did a paternity test at the time.” “So all these years, Lily Smith gave her liver to Noah Baker for nothing, all because she was deceived by William Baker? That’s too shameless!” William coughed twice and continued: “Today is Noah’s graduation party, and of course, it’s also the day my wife returns.” “Today, I’ve brought my wife here. We will witness Noah’s success together.” “Of course, I also want to thank my ex-wife, Ms. Lily Smith, for providing my child with a liver, giving him a new lease on life.” Then, he clapped his hands. A tall woman walked over and stood beside him. He skillfully wrapped his arm around her waist. In front of everyone, the two embraced and kissed. William looked at me challengingly once again. Then, he had his assistant bring me some documents. The top one read “Divorce Agreement” in large letters. The words stared at me, but I felt nothing inside. There was another document – a paternity test report.

“You fool, you really can’t tell good from bad! That’s my biological son. How could I not care about him?” This time, I laughed out loud. “William Baker, do you really think that child is yours?” William looked confused. Sophia Cruz stepped forward angrily: “You bitch! What are you saying?” “You probably don’t know how passionate we were back then. We even broke the bed. You say the child isn’t his? Do you have any proof?” William’s slender hand fell on the paternity test report. “Lily Smith! I don’t want any more entanglement between us. If you keep slandering Sophia, don’t blame me for being unkind.” “You might not know, but last time you got a liver transplant, I told the doctor to give you the worst artificial liver. Your days are numbered.” “If you don’t agree to the divorce, just wait for death!” I chuckled softly. I hadn’t even said whether I wanted a divorce or not, yet he was already angry. Did he think I wouldn’t divorce him? I took out a pen and signed the divorce agreement. He stared at me with wide eyes. Unable to believe I would agree to the divorce so easily. I stood up, holding a remote control in my hand. “William Baker, don’t you want to know whose child it really is?” “Now, you better open your eyes wide and see clearly!” Actually, I had long suspected William and Noah’s relationship. So I secretly did a paternity test. To my surprise, it turned out the child wasn’t his. This made me even more confused. William usually wouldn’t show compassion for anyone. Yet he knelt before me for an abandoned baby, asking me to donate my liver. I couldn’t believe he would be such a person. So I asked my police friend to investigate everyone William had been in contact with. Among them was a woman named Sophia Cruz. The two of them had been to hotels multiple times. Even the front desk staff remembered William. Every time he went, William would bring a bouquet of flowers. They all envied Sophia for having such a husband. Little did they know, I was his real wife. What William didn’t know was that after he left the hotel each time, another man would enter that room. That man was the child’s biological father. In the video, the voices of Sophia and that man were very clear. “My dear Sophia, the tests in America came back. They said our child might have a heart condition after birth.” “But I really want this child. Would you be willing to give birth to it for me?” “Alex, we’ve grown up together since childhood. Of course I want to have a child with you, but I don’t want our child to have defects.” “Recently, there’s been a man pursuing me, but he’s married. If I just give him a little encouragement and say the child is his, when it’s born and found to have a heart condition, he’ll surely find a way to deal with it.” After saying this, Sophia’s hand slipped into the man’s pants. “Alex, Sophia’s pregnant so we can’t go all the way~ Let Sophia help you with her hand.” The man’s coquettish voice echoed through the venue. William’s face instantly darkened. “Oh my god, this Sophia is so scheming! I can’t believe Lily Smith gave part of her liver for the child’s sake.” “I still think Lily Smith is the most pitiful one in this marriage. She gave everything for love but got nothing in return.” Sophia anxiously wrung her hands, panic flashing in her eyes. “William, it’s not like that. It must be Lily Smith!” “With technology so advanced nowadays, anything can be AI-generated. Lily Smith must have used this technology.” “William, do you know how much I love you? I’d give my life for you! You won’t doubt me because of this video, will you?” William hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at me again. Pointing at me and cursing: “Lily Smith, have you really become so bold? You’ve learned to lie?” “How could Sophia possibly deceive me! The paternity test can’t be fake, right? Do you really take me for a fool?” I stood up and slapped him across the face.

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Three years after my death, my husband finally remembered me. The reason was that his childhood sweetheart’s granular leukemia had relapsed, and she needed another hematopoietic stem cell transplant. He came to the house where I used to live, wanting me to sign a donation agreement. But he found that no one had lived there for a long time. He asked the neighbors about me. The neighbor said, “You mean Caroline? She died long ago! I heard she was taken to donate bone marrow while she was sick, and passed away just a few days after returning home.” He refused to believe it, thinking the neighbor was in cahoots with me to deceive him. He impatiently snapped at the neighbor, “If you see her, please tell her that if she doesn’t show up within three days, I won’t pay a cent more for the medical bills of that bastard child she’s raising.” Seeing that he wouldn’t listen to reason, the neighbor shook his head and left, muttering, “Poor child, he starved to death long ago…” Three years after death, my son and I were still wandering spirits. Our attachments were too deep to enter the cycle of reincarnation. Meanwhile, my husband Harrison had clawed his way up from the bottom of society, transforming into an enviable new business tycoon. I had once betrayed him without hesitation when he was at his lowest point. So he hated me. He wanted to flay me alive and rip out my tendons. Three years ago, he forced me to donate bone marrow to his childhood sweetheart Faye when I was ill. Bone marrow aspiration is an invasive procedure. I don’t know if it was due to a procedural error or my weakened immune system from illness. A week after the bone marrow aspiration, I developed a severe full-body infection, fell into a coma with high fever, and died at home. My three-year-old son, left with no one to care for him, eventually died by my side. In these three years, Harrison never came to see us, nor did he make a single phone call. Now, I held my son Tommy’s small hand as we floated in the air, watching Harrison kick the gate of the small courtyard where I used to live, over and over. Three years without seeing each other, he had changed a lot. His eyes were cold and ruthless. Familiar yet strange. Behind him stood Faye, wearing a mask and dressed in flashy clothes. Looking at her rosy cheeks and well-proportioned figure, she didn’t seem ill at all. Tommy, hearing the “bang bang” of the gate being kicked, hid in my arms, frightened. He looked up at me, his bright eyes showing both excitement and fear. “Mommy, has Daddy finally remembered us? He hasn’t come to see us for so long.” “But he seems very angry. Did Tommy make him unhappy?” “And who’s that lady standing there?” I stroked his head, my heart aching, my throat feeling as if something was stuck in it, unable to say a word. “Caroline, come out right now! Stop pretending to be dead in there!” Harrison shouted at the courtyard. The commotion alarmed Mrs. Johnson, who lived in the neighboring yard. Mrs. Johnson came out and asked Harrison, “Young man, who are you looking for? This house has been empty for a long time.” Harrison composed himself and asked, “Doesn’t Caroline live here? Has she moved?” Mrs. Johnson’s eyes dimmed as she sighed, “You mean Caroline? She died three years ago.” Harrison was stunned for a moment. Mrs. Johnson continued, “I heard she was taken to donate bone marrow while she was sick, and passed away just a few days after returning home. It’s such a tragedy.” Faye’s expression changed, her face turning pale. She defended herself pitifully, “Ma’am, please don’t say that. Bone marrow donation is safe, it doesn’t kill people.” “If she didn’t want to donate bone marrow to me, she could have just told me directly. There’s no need to curse herself, it’s not auspicious.” She said this loudly on purpose, as if I might be eavesdropping in the courtyard. Harrison, who had been in a daze, immediately relaxed upon hearing Mrs. Johnson’s words. A mocking smile appeared on his face. “Does she find it fun to act all day? If she’s going to make up lies, at least make them believable. Tell her to check if there are any cases of people dying from bone marrow donation.” Mrs. Johnson didn’t understand what they were talking about. She just repeated, “Poor thing, she was dead in the house for several days before anyone found out…” Harrison’s face was as cold as ice. He said to Mrs. Johnson, “I don’t know why you’re collaborating with her to deceive me, but please tell her that if she doesn’t show up to donate bone marrow to Faye within three days, don’t blame me for cutting off the dialysis treatment fees for that bastard child she’s raising.” Mrs. Johnson was dumbfounded. Then she shook her head, sighed, and prepared to return to her own yard. Harrison warned coldly behind her, “Remember! I’m only giving her three days. If she doesn’t show up, I won’t transfer a single penny of living expenses to her this month. Let her watch that bastard child die right in front of her.” Mrs. Johnson, with her back turned, had tears in her eyes. She muttered, “Poor child, he starved to death long ago. If only I could have gone over to check, I might have been able to save the child’s life…”

“Harrison, is it because Caroline doesn’t want to donate bone marrow to me, so she’s hiding?” Faye’s expression was on the verge of tears. Harrison affectionately ruffled her hair. “Silly girl, it’s just a little leukemia. Even if Caroline doesn’t donate bone marrow, I’ll search the whole country to find a suitable match for you.” Faye pouted and said, “But Caroline’s bone marrow has almost no rejection in my body. The doctor said he had never seen two people with such a high degree of bone marrow compatibility.” Harrison glanced at the locked gate, his tone filled with determination and promise: “Then for you, I’ll dig three feet into the ground to find her!” At that moment, my heart still inevitably ached. Looking at the two people standing in front of me, memories from years ago floated before my eyes. Harrison and I were college classmates. Back then, he was like the morning sun piercing through thin fog, warm and dazzling. I was the one who fell in love first. We got together after graduating from college. I once saw him as my salvation, my whole heart and eyes were filled with him. I followed him to start a business, to endure hardships together. He promised to take care of me for life. At first, he really did so. But ideals ultimately couldn’t withstand reality. In the early days of his startup, I often went with him to negotiate business deals. It was then that I met Lucas, the heir of Radiance Group. Lucas was a spoiled rich kid, working just for the experience of life. Ever since he saw me, he kept buzzing around me like a fly, even taking advantage of drinking occasions to get handsy with me. Finally, during one incident when Lucas tried to embrace me while drunk, Harrison directly smashed a wine bottle over his head. Because of this incident. Not only did we lose Radiance’s order, but we also had to pay all our savings to prevent Lucas from sending Harrison to prison. Of course, what we actually paid was far more than just that. That night, he held me in his arms and apologized to me. He said he was sorry, that when he succeeded one day, he would never let anyone bully me. Indeed, after his success, no one else bullied me. Only he did. I don’t want to reminisce anymore. I looked at that face that I hadn’t seen for many years but had become even colder and more ruthless. The stuffy summer wind messed up his hair and deepened his already furrowed brow. Making him look lost in thought. He held Faye in his arms, his gaze fixed on the half-foot-tall weeds at the courtyard entrance, lost in thought.

The year I “betrayed” Harrison was our second year of marriage. By then, I was already over a month pregnant. Only, neither of us knew about it yet. At that time, Harrison’s business had started to show some promise and had also secured several investments. It should have been steadily developing, but for some reason, it suddenly hit a slump, and even the investments that had been agreed upon were all withdrawn. The capital chain broke, and products began to have problems one after another. Bank loan payments were defaulted, and the mortgaged house, car, and factory were all about to be repossessed and auctioned off by the bank. During those days, Harrison couldn’t eat or sleep. To make matters worse, Harrison’s mother was diagnosed with cancer that year and needed a huge amount of money for treatment. I pulled some strings to investigate the cause and found out that the person behind sabotaging Harrison’s company was none other than Lucas, whose head Harrison had smashed with a wine bottle years ago. At this time, he also approached me. He said he could get the investment company under Radiance Group to invest in Harrison’s company, and could also pay for Harrison’s mother’s treatment. I knew he must have conditions. Would the devil do charity out of kindness? If he didn’t want his life, he must want to take something more important than life. I asked him what was the meaning of doing this? Lucas’s expression was filled with contempt: “I do what I want, do I need any meaning? I just like to see you insects, furious yet helpless against me.” “Besides, I haven’t gotten revenge for him smashing my head and making me bleed that time. Now it’s time for him to pay back.” I didn’t understand Lucas. He had a hundred ways to make Harrison miserable, but he specifically chose me. After many years, I still clearly remember the scene from that day. In the dimly lit private room, Lucas held me sitting on his lap. Harrison, who pushed open the door with the contract in hand, froze in place when he saw me clearly. With reddened eyes, he asked hoarsely, “Why?” I told him: “You can’t give me the life I want, but Lucas can…” Lucas laughed loudly. His greasy hand pinched my waist. I felt as if a thousand arrows were piercing my heart, utterly humiliated, yet I still giggled and dodged in response to the man’s touch. “Harrison, isn’t this good? I help you get resources, you sign contracts with Radiance, it’s mutually beneficial.” Disappointment gradually filled Harrison’s eyes. But he still firmly reached out his hand to me: “Caroline, come here! I don’t need you to do such things. The life you want, I will work hard to give you in the future.” His tone was pleading, his expression so desolate. At that moment, my heart felt as if it was being crushed back and forth by a thousand-pound stone, almost unable to breathe. He said: “Caroline, I don’t have to sign today’s contract, come home with me…” The once so confident and proud man, proud enough to unhesitatingly swing a wine bottle at the head of Radiance’s heir, was now begging so humbly. Lucas laughed arrogantly and gleefully. “Harrison, the woman you valued is nothing more than this. With just a crook of my finger, she crawled into my bed.” “So, what was the point of you smashing that wine bottle on my head back then? Haha…” Harrison ignored his words, just staring fixedly at me. I smiled as I clung to Lucas’s neck, smiling at him: “That’s right, Harrison, take it easy, don’t take things too seriously.” I don’t remember much about what happened later that night. I only remember that he signed the contract, his eyes blood-red, and said to me: “Caroline, in this life, we’ll never be done with each other!” Later, he went crazy developing his business. In just a few short years, he developed from a startup company into a listed company, and even became an industry leader in the previous year. He succeeded. And I became the biggest stain in his life. 3 Of course, I didn’t show up during the three-day deadline he gave. Harrison came to the gate of my small courtyard again. My son excitedly circled around his father, putting his transparent little hand into Harrison’s large hand hanging by his side. He turned back and jubilantly shouted to me: “Mommy, I’m finally holding hands with Daddy!” My eyes stung with tears, and I forced a smile at him. All these years, Harrison had always thought our son was Lucas’s, and he despised him, not even willing to give him a single glance. Although I had done a paternity test, which showed they were biologically father and son. He still refused to believe it, thinking I had paid for a fake report. Ever since that night, I lost all trust from Harrison. I asked him for a divorce. I also wanted to end this pathological relationship. But he just glared at me viciously: “Caroline, remember, you owe me for life, I said we’d never be done with each other.” “Divorce? Dream on!” He brought countless female companions home to spend the night, being intimate in front of me. Whenever I argued, he would tell me to think about how dirty I was when I rolled around with Lucas. This situation continued until Faye returned to the country. Since Faye came back to his side, he cut off all contact with those women from before. The two of them openly went out together. Even Harrison’s business partners referred to Faye as “Mrs. Ho”. My thoughts were pulled back to the present. I watched as Harrison stood at the gate calling me. The phone played a mechanical electronic voice, prompting that the number was out of service. He frowned, opened my WeChat, where the last message was still the one he sent me three days ago, urging me to show up soon to do the bone marrow match for Faye. Of course, I hadn’t replied. He opened my Moments, and when he saw the photo I posted four years ago, his hand paused for a moment. It was a candid shot I had taken, of him sitting on the sofa, our two-year-old son hugging his arm, resting his cute little head on Harrison’s shoulder. At the time, I thought it was beautiful and took the picture, but the next second he disgustedly pushed our son away. He enlarged the profile picture and looked at it for a good while, then returned to the chat box and sent me a message, “Caroline, you brought this on yourself. The three-day deadline is up, from today on I won’t transfer a single cent of living expenses to you.” He waited for a long time but still got no reply, so he raised his foot and kicked the gate hard. Tommy, who had been happily circling around Harrison, was frightened by this sudden action and trembled. He pouted and burst into tears, running into my arms: “Mommy, what’s wrong with Daddy suddenly? I’m scared…” I held him in my arms to comfort him: “Don’t be afraid, Tommy. Daddy can’t hurt you anymore. Look, there are butterflies over there. Do you want to fly over and play with the butterflies for a while?” I tried to distract him. Tommy turned his head and saw several butterflies fluttering. He broke into a smile through his tears, quickly wiped his eyes, and flew towards the butterflies. After kicking the gate twice, Harrison became even more irritated. He kept massaging his temples, then took out his phone and made a call. “Hello, is this the locksmith?” …

Half an hour later. Harrison pushed open the gate that was already covered in cobwebs. The grass in the courtyard was even deeper than at the gate, reaching up to Harrison’s waist. This place had obviously been abandoned for a long time. He stood in the courtyard, hesitating to go further. He had been here twice before, and he should remember that I had kept the courtyard well-maintained, not like the scene before him now. The first time he came was to send me and our son here. At that time, our two-year-old son had just been diagnosed with uremia, caused by congenital kidney dysplasia. He found the child inauspicious, so he bought this small farmhouse courtyard in a remote village town and had me and our son move here. He transferred 20,000 yuan in living expenses to me each month, which included our son’s dialysis treatment fees. The second time he came to this small courtyard was to forcibly take me to do a bone marrow match for his first love, Faye. If he still remembered, he would surely recall that the small courtyard was full of hydrangeas and roses. I had also made a swing for our son. While he was still in a daze, Faye’s call came in again. Her voice sounded a bit weak: “Harrison, have you seen Caroline? Will she come for the matching today?” Harrison comforted her: “I’ll handle this matter. You just cooperate well with the doctors’ treatment, don’t worry.” Faye’s voice choked up: “I know Caroline probably doesn’t want to donate bone marrow to me again. I can understand. She’s already saved me once, I can’t be greedy and ask her to save me a second time. If she’s hiding now, I don’t blame her, really…” It seemed to confirm that I was deliberately hiding because I didn’t want to donate bone marrow to her. Harrison was silent for a few seconds. To my surprise, he didn’t take Faye’s side. He said: “It’s not like that. I haven’t been able to contact her yet. How could she know in advance about your leukemia relapse and hide beforehand?” Faye was taken aback. She quickly explained: “Harrison, you misunderstood. That’s not what I meant.” Harrison interrupted her: “Faye, don’t worry. As long as Caroline is still alive in this world, I will definitely find her. Even if she’s dead, I’ll make her donate bone marrow to you before she dies.” Faye breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this. After hanging up the phone, Harrison stood in front of the house door for a long time. Although the door wasn’t locked, he still didn’t push it open. If he had opened it, he would have seen… Two outlines drawn with white chalk. Those were drawn by the police after my son and I died. But he just stood there. In the end, he retreated from the courtyard again, bought a new lock from the locksmith, and locked the gate.

I discovered a strange phenomenon. As long as we followed Harrison, we could leave the place that had been constraining us. My son had been bored here for three years, so I decided to take him out for a stroll. He was very excited, constantly looking around and making various exclamations. But it seemed we couldn’t go too far away from Harrison. We followed Harrison back to his villa. My son was amazed at the luxuriously decorated villa, his mouth agape. He had lived here before he was two years old. But after so many years, he had probably forgotten. He flew around everywhere to look, while I floated with Harrison to his study. I watched him call the bank to freeze the supplementary card he had given me. Actually, if he had been more attentive, he would have noticed that he hadn’t received any consumption information for exactly three years. The money he had transferred to the supplementary card in these three years hadn’t been touched at all. He thought that after freezing the bank card, I would surely appear within a week. After all, our son’s uremia required constant dialysis before a kidney transplant. Twice a week, I couldn’t do without money. After doing all this, he opened his phone’s photo album and stared at it intently. I floated behind him and found that what he was looking at was actually the photo I had posted on WeChat. The photo of him and our son together. The faces of the big and small figures were like copied versions, with broad foreheads, thick eyelashes, slightly upturned eye corners, identical eyebrows, all speaking to the wonders of genetic inheritance. He wasn’t a fool. Of course he could see it. A phone ring broke the silence of the study. It was from the hospital. Faye had suddenly fallen into a coma at the hospital.

Harrison grabbed his car keys and rushed out. My son and I could only be forced to fly with him to the hospital. Perhaps running too hastily, Harrison bumped into a man wearing a high-end suit in the hospital lobby. I recognized the man, it was Lucas. Lucas stumbled back two steps. When he steadied himself and saw it was Harrison, he showed a surprised expression. “Well, if it isn’t our new tycoon Mr. Ho from South City. What brings you to the hospital so late at night, running in such a hurry?” Harrison hurriedly apologized and then directly bypassed him, running quickly towards the elevator. Lucas, however, persisted and quickly followed behind him, all the way to the hematology inpatient department. Faye wasn’t in her room, so Harrison rushed to her attending physician’s office. Only after learning that she was in the observation room, not in a coma but just dizzy from anemia, did Harrison finally breathe a sigh of relief. He sat down panting in the caregiver’s chair in Faye’s hospital room, staring blankly at the floor. It was clear that he was truly worried about Faye. Lucas leaned against the doorway of the room and asked with interest, “I thought your little childhood sweetheart’s illness was cured. Why is she back in the hospital?” Harrison didn’t want to discuss it, only replying flatly, “It relapsed.” In recent years, he had continued to have business dealings with Radiance, with more and more collaborative projects. Three years ago, Lucas had been forced by his father to go abroad, and the company’s business was handed over to other executives. Without Lucas causing trouble, Harrison’s career flourished even more. “So whose life do you plan to exchange this time?” Lucas suddenly asked. Harrison glanced at him as if looking at an idiot. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Lucas scrutinized his expression, the corner of his mouth revealing a strange smile. “You really are quite good at pretending. Sometimes I can’t tell if you’re being genuine or fake.” Harrison had already lost patience. He said in a low voice, “Mr. Lucas, if you have something to say, just say it. Being evasive isn’t like your style.” Lucas said, “I mean, isn’t Caroline already dead? Whose bone marrow do you plan to use to save your little sweetheart this time?”

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The moment my father-in-law’s body was wheeled into the crematorium, my mother-in-law began dry heaving uncontrollably. As soon as my father-in-law was taken into the crematorium, my mother-in-law started gagging and retching. My husband and mother-in-law insisted on keeping this “posthumous child.” Out of concern, I gently mentioned that, at her age, her health might not allow it. In return, they ruthlessly beat me up. Who would’ve thought that, a few months later, my husband would end up with a little Black brother?! “Ugh… ugh…” My husband, Daniel, quickly rushed to steady her. A flicker of panic crossed her face before she suddenly straightened up, blushing slightly. “I… I’m pregnant,” she announced shyly. What?! I blinked, shaking my head as if I’d misheard her. Smiling sweetly, she repeated, “Daniel, you’re about to become a big brother! The baby is already three months along.” I glanced at the roaring flames of the furnace and then back at my mother-in-law, who was nearly sixty. My mind went blank. It took me a long moment to recover my voice, and when I did, I asked hesitantly, “Mom, are you planning to keep the baby?” Before I could even finish my sentence, Daniel’s hand came down hard across my face. “How dare you speak to Mom like that?” he roared. “That’s my little brother she’s carrying, and you dare to have such cruel thoughts?!” Clutching my burning cheek, I licked the blood pooling in my mouth from my loosened teeth. Tears streamed down my face as the pain radiated through me. “But Mom is already fifty-eight,” I tried to explain through sobs. “I’m just worried about her health.” Suddenly, my mother-in-law ran toward the furnace, wailing dramatically, “Honey, wait for me! Don’t leave me behind!” “Come back and take me with you! I don’t want to stay here and be a burden to anyone anymore!” Daniel grabbed her around the waist, holding her back. “Mom, as long as I’m here, this family will always belong to the Du name. I’ll handle everything. Don’t listen to this dog barking!” I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. So, in Daniel’s eyes, I was nothing more than a dog. Relatives attending the funeral gathered around, their voices rising in condemnation. “How could you be so heartless? Mom always treated you like her own daughter!” “Exactly! A woman has the right to choose to give birth, no matter her age!” “That’s your little brother in there! As the eldest daughter-in-law, you should act like a mother figure to him. How could you think something so vile?” “Late-life pregnancies are a miracle! It’s a blessing from above, and it should be cherished.” Daniel’s uncle slapped his thigh, declaring, “This child must be born. It’s the last piece of my brother’s legacy!” My mother-in-law, her face glowing with pride, sat in the center of the crowd, basking in their congratulations. Ding. My phone buzzed. It was a text from the bank, reminding me about our overdue mortgage payment. I stared at the pitiful balance in my account and laughed bitterly. For three years, Daniel and I hadn’t dared to have kids because we were saving every penny to pay off the house. “Let’s wait until the timing is right,” he’d always say. Now, this man—who couldn’t even afford a child of his own—wanted to raise a baby for his mother? He must’ve lost his mind. Fury surged through me, and I couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Sure, go ahead and have the baby!” I shouted. “Do you think having it is the end of the story?” “Doctor visits, hospital stays, diapers, formula—none of that is free!” “Fine, have the baby! But who’s going to pay for all of it?!” The room fell silent, the previous noise replaced by an eerie quiet. My mother-in-law burst into shrill sobs. “I can’t live like this anymore! I’m old and unwanted everywhere I go!” “What did I do wrong? This is the last gift my husband left me. How could I possibly abandon it?” Daniel stormed toward me, his face twisted with rage. He kicked me hard in the stomach, sending me sprawling to the floor. Grabbing a fistful of my hair, he slapped me repeatedly across the face. “You’ve got some nerve, don’t you?” “This is my dad’s posthumous child—his final gift to us.” “I can’t believe I married such a vicious woman!” His bloodshot eyes bulged, veins popping on his forehead. He looked like a demon thirsting for blood. For the first time, I truly saw him for who he was. I struggled, but my strength was no match for his. The relatives stood by, watching silently. No one stepped in to stop him. In fact, they chimed in, their words cutting deeper than Daniel’s blows. “If I had a wife like her, I’d have beaten her 800 times by now.” “Disgraceful! A bad wife ruins three generations!” Blood blurred my vision, and through the crimson haze, their faces twisted into grotesque, ghastly masks. It wasn’t until a crematorium staff member intervened, shouting, “What are you doing?! Hitting someone is illegal! If you don’t stop, I’m calling the police!” Daniel finally let go, leaving me crumpled on the ground. The crowd surrounded my mother-in-law like loyal subjects, escorting her out with their heads held high. Not a single one of them looked back at me. I felt like a deflated balloon, all the strength and spirit drained from my body.

I thought Daniel was just acting out because he couldn’t handle the shock of losing his father so suddenly. So, instead of calling the police, I went to the hospital alone to get my injuries treated. But as soon as I walked through the hospital doors, I saw Daniel helping his mother walk inside. He frowned at me in irritation, barking, “What are you standing there for? Go pay the bill already!” Before I could respond, he shoved a thick stack of payment slips into my hands. I glanced at the total—and my vision went black for a second. Ten thousand dollars?! For reference, Daniel and I together only make $8,000 a month. “So many tests?” I asked, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice. Daniel glared at me, his temper flaring. “What? Do you know any pregnant woman who skips prenatal care?” “Mom’s older, which makes it even more important. We can’t afford to take any risks without a full examination.” Oh, so now Daniel suddenly cares about her age? Newsflash: women over 35 are considered high-risk pregnancies. Mother-in-law is pushing 60, and she still wants to have a baby? If people heard about this, they’d laugh until their jaws fell off. Seeing that I hadn’t moved, my mother-in-law chimed in with a passive-aggressive tone, “Oh, son, it’s fine. If Claire doesn’t want to pay, I’ll just skip the tests.” “Sure, I’m old, and my health isn’t great, but for your father’s sake, I’ll grit my teeth and push through.” Daniel’s rage exploded. “Are you out of your mind? Do you know the difference between a pregnancy checkup and your stupid money?!” “Is Mom’s health less important than your measly dollars?!” My chest tightened like it was being crushed in a vice. I couldn’t breathe. This is the man I’ve loved for years? The same man who slapped me just for voicing concern? The same man now threatening me over this? Fine. If they refuse to listen to reason, I’ll respect their fate. I forced a smile and said sweetly, “Honey, what are you saying?” “Of course, nothing’s more important than Mom’s health. We absolutely have to do the tests—the more expensive, the better.” “Let’s make sure she gets a full, head-to-toe, thorough examination.” My sudden agreement seemed to please Daniel immensely. He sneered, “Finally, you’re making sense. And while you’re at it, ask the doctor if there are any additional tests we can add.” I nodded enthusiastically. “Will do!” Mother-in-law’s doctor, however, frowned as he spoke to me. “The patient’s age is far too advanced, and she has several pre-existing conditions. She’s not fit for pregnancy.” “You should seriously consider your options as a family. If this continues, there could be significant risks to her life.” I laughed quietly to myself. Significant risks? Perfect. Let’s see how far this reckless stupidity will take them. Putting on a concerned face, I said, “Doctor, this is my father-in-law’s posthumous child. My mother-in-law and husband are adamant about keeping it. As a daughter-in-law, I can’t really say much.” “But if there are any other tests she needs, please add them. We want to do everything possible.” The doctor tapped his pen against the desk. “In my professional opinion, your mother-in-law’s body won’t even last until full term.” “Later on, you’ll be looking at astronomical medical bills. I urge you to reconsider.” With the newly added tests, I practically skipped back to Daniel and my mother-in-law, waving the stack of bills like a trophy. Beaming, I praised my mother-in-law, “Mom, you’re amazing! The doctor said you’re a medical miracle—a real hero!” Mother-in-law’s face lit up with pride, her mouth curling into a self-satisfied smile. “We older folks may be up there in years, but our bodies are strong as ever,” she boasted. “Not like you young people—always complaining about this pain or that ache. It’s pathetic!” I smiled but didn’t respond to her nonsense. Fine, let them bask in their arrogance for now. The storm is already brewing, and it’s coming straight for them.

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I can see the cheating rates hovering above everyone’s heads. When the rate hits 100%, it starts counting the number of times they’ve cheated. I’ve been married for three years, and my husband has always treated me like a queen. Everyone praises him, calling him the perfect husband. But only I know the truth. The number above his head says: 56. It started about six months ago. My gentle, caring husband’s cheating rate suddenly changed. Overnight, it jumped from 0% to 50%. At first, I didn’t think much of it. After all, men are men. They’re bound to scroll through a few TikToks of girls in skimpy outfits. A momentary thrill is inevitable. Even my best friend, Abby, has fluctuations in her cheating rate whenever she switches celebrity crushes. But soon, I realized something was off. The number didn’t go down. Instead, it climbed higher every day. In just three days, his cheating rate hit 68%. Now that was interesting. I started to get curious. Who was the little temptress stealing my husband’s attention?

Quinn and I had a whirlwind romance. He’s seven years older than me, with a stable job, a charming sense of humor, and undeniable good looks. But his family? Not so great. His dad is a farmer, his mom has a chronic illness that requires constant medication—she can’t afford the $2,000-a-month imported drugs, so she gets by on cheap generics from India. Then there’s his younger sister, who dropped out of vocational school and spends her days glued to video games at home. As for me, I come from a wealthy family. My dad is a CEO, and my mom is a high-powered lawyer. I’ve been privileged since the day I was born. When I first met Quinn, I thought he was just handsome. We exchanged numbers, and that was that. But then he started pursuing me relentlessly. Three months later, we were married. Before the wedding, my mom was completely against it. She kept saying we were from two different worlds. But I had my reasons. Out of all the men I had ever met, Quinn had the lowest cheating rate and the best looks. A catch like that? I wasn’t about to let him slip away. In the end, my persistence won, and my mom reluctantly gave her blessing.

After the wedding, Quinn turned out to be the perfect husband. He handed over his paycheck without question, took care of all the housework when he had time, comforted me when I was upset, and celebrated with me when I was happy. He was polite and respectful to my parents, never holding a grudge against my mom for opposing him initially. In fact, he was so genuine that she eventually warmed up to him and treated him like family. My mom even used her connections to get him a cushy job in a government office, setting him up for a bright future. She found his sister a low-stress job as a library assistant, despite her lack of qualifications. And thanks to my mom’s doctor friends, my mother-in-law now had access to the expensive medications she needed—for free. Her health began to improve day by day. So… was this why Quinn started seeking “excitement”? When men’s lives become too comfortable, do they start looking for a thrill? In just one short week, Quinn’s cheating rate soared past 90%. Based on my experience, it meant he was seriously considering cheating. All he needed now… was the right opportunity.

The next day, Friday, Quinn came home from work looking restless. He was trying hard to act normal, but I could tell something was eating at him—especially since the cheating rate above his head had climbed to 95%. Wow. That’s like dry wood waiting for a spark to set it ablaze. Even when I asked him what we should order for dinner, his responses were vague and distracted. During dinner, I decided to tell him a little story. “Hey, honey, something wild happened back in Abby’s hometown. It even made the news.” “Oh? What happened?” he asked absentmindedly, biting into a chicken wing. “Abby’s neighbor caught her husband cheating. She literally walked in on him and the other woman, you know, in bed. Guess what she did?” I made a scissor motion with my fingers. Quinn froze mid-bite. The number above his head dropped instantly to 60%. “She got so mad, she chopped off his… you know. Blood everywhere—soaked the whole bed! Then she flushed it down the toilet.” 30%. I smiled sweetly at him. “Oh, and when the man called the cops, guess what the police did?” Quinn rubbed his nose awkwardly, avoiding my eyes. “Uh… what?” “They detained her for ten days and fined her 200.Canyoubelievethat?Aman’s…uh,∗pride∗isonlyworth200. Can you believe that? A man’s… uh, *pride* is only worth 200.Canyoubelievethat?Aman’s…uh,∗pride∗isonlyworth200!” 10%. He looked genuinely shaken. He forced a laugh and mumbled, “Well, uh… I guess she has a bit of a temper. If she couldn’t stand him anymore, she should’ve just divorced him instead of, uh, using a knife.” I shook my head and replied, “Honestly, I think she was being pretty polite. When I visited Abby once, we played cards together, and she told me, ‘In my world, there’s no such thing as divorce. Only widows.’” Quinn’s hand trembled slightly. “Uh, what did you say to that?” I smiled wider and leaned in. “I told her, ‘Same here.’” I stared straight into Quinn’s eyes, and for a moment, he looked away. But then he quickly recovered and grabbed my hand, putting on his best devoted husband act. “Baby, you don’t have to worry. I’ll only ever love you in this lifetime.” 3%. Quinn barely touched his food after that. He shoveled down a few bites before hurrying off to take a shower. The reason I told him that story was twofold: to warn him and to give him one last chance. If he understood where I stood on cheating and still chose to chase after a cheap thrill, well… then he’d only have himself to blame.

Quinn’s showers usually take about 10 minutes. That night, it stretched to almost an hour. And considering our water heater only provides hot water for 30 minutes, that was… interesting. I rummaged through the house briefly and, sure enough, his phone was missing. He had taken it into the bathroom with him. I pressed my ear to the door. Amid the sound of running water, I could faintly hear his voice. He was speaking softly, stopping and starting, as though trying to comfort someone. When he finally came out, towel-drying his hair, he put on an exaggerated grin and said, “Man, that shower was so refreshing!” But what caught my eye was the number above his head—it had jumped back up to 80%. Not long after, his phone rang. After taking the call on the balcony, he came back inside with a heavy sigh. “Babe, my company just called. They need me to deliver some documents tonight, so I won’t be able to come home.” “Why would delivering documents take all night?” I asked, keeping my tone casual. “The boss is at a conference in the next city over. There’s an important presentation tomorrow, and they need these files first thing in the morning. If you’re not comfortable with it, I can ask someone else to go instead.” I stared at him, barely able to suppress my laughter. Wow. An Oscar-worthy performance. When I didn’t respond right away, his face fell, and he added, “If you don’t want me to go, I won’t. I’d rather stay with you.” The number above his head dropped to 50%. “If it’s for work, you should go,” I said lightly. “Just come back as soon as you can.” He tried to hide his excitement, but I could see it in his eyes. He mumbled an apology, kissed me a few times, and left reluctantly, closing the door behind him. I watched him walk away. The number above his head had climbed back to 100%. So he didn’t take my story seriously at all. Fine. If that’s the case, he can’t blame me for what comes next.

The next day, Quinn didn’t come home until almost afternoon, looking disheveled and tired. To “make it up to me,” he even brought back a famous crispy duck from the neighboring city. The dark circles under his eyes betrayed his exhaustion and sleepiness, but there was also a faint trace of satisfaction in his expression. Of course he was tired—how could he not be? Because now, the percentage above his head wasn’t there anymore. It had been replaced by 7. Oh, wow. Seven times in one night? Truly impressive. He eagerly peeled fruit for me, rambling on about how his boss praised him the night before and promising that, once he gets a raise, he’ll buy me the latest Louis Vuitton bag. Listening to his empty promises, I only felt disgusted. I had been so careful in choosing Quinn, thinking I’d found someone with the lowest cheating rate. But in the end, he still cheated. I knew one thing for certain—once a man gets a taste of infidelity, it becomes addictive. The first time would lead to a second, and then countless more. This man? He had to go.

I started thinking back to when Quinn’s cheating rate first began to change. Wait a second—wasn’t it the day he went to his high school reunion? At the time, he came back acting perfectly normal, so I hadn’t thought much of it. But now that I think about it, reunions are the breeding ground for rekindling old flames and starting affairs. A few drinks, and people start acting like dogs in heat, forgetting their families and their morals. Sure enough, it wasn’t long before the number above Quinn’s head climbed to 15. I hired a private investigator to dig into the details. Just as I finished setting that up, the doorbell rang. Looking through the peephole, I saw Quinn’s parents and his younger sister, standing on my doorstep. Great. These three had bent over backward to impress me before the wedding, treating me like royalty. But after the marriage, their true colors came out, revealing their greed. First, when my mother-in-law’s health improved, she wanted to rebuild their old house in the countryside. She “borrowed” a huge sum of money from me—calling it a loan, but conveniently forgetting to mention any repayment. Then, Quinn’s sister, Wendy, asked me to introduce her to a wealthy guy. To be fair, Wendy is decently attractive. If she had behaved herself, she might’ve actually landed someone rich. I introduced her to a family friend, a second-generation millionaire. But on their first date, she demanded that he buy her a designer bag and necklace, even hinting that they could get a hotel room that night. No rich guy is stupid enough to marry someone like that. When I found out, I was furious. She wasn’t just embarrassing herself—she was embarrassing me. But when I confronted her, my mother-in-law defended her, saying, “Men act all pure, but they’re only thinking about what’s in their pants. He wasn’t losing anything, so why be so uptight?” It was then that I fully understood how disgusting and shameless this family could be. And now, here they were, once again. I could only imagine what they wanted this time.

“Sweetie, Quinn is the only son in three generations of our family. I went to a spiritual healer and got this special holy water for you to drink—guaranteed to help you have a baby boy!” My mother-in-law barely sat down before pulling out a plastic bottle filled with some murky black liquid and shoving it into my hands. I rolled my eyes internally. From the day we got married, she had been nagging me about having kids. Even after I clearly told her that I was focused on my career and wouldn’t consider children until after 30, she just wouldn’t stop. I glanced toward the bedroom, where Wendy was casually trying on my lipstick at my vanity without even saying hello. In the corner of the couch, Quinn’s dad sat puffing on his pipe, absentmindedly letting ash fall all over the carpet. The whole family showing up at once? This was clearly about something big. Suppressing my annoyance, I forced myself to stay calm and asked, “What’s going on?” My mother-in-law hesitated for a moment before glancing at Wendy. “Well,” she began, “Wendy’s been dating this guy. He works in finance, and they’ve been together for a while now. Recently, he told her about a great investment opportunity. It’s guaranteed to make big money! And, well… since it’s such a great opportunity, we thought—why not let everyone in the family make some money together?” The moment I heard “finance guy,” “investment opportunity,” and “big money,” I knew exactly what was going on. Wendy had clearly fallen for some kind of pyramid scheme or scam. My mother-in-law kept rambling, hinting that they didn’t have enough money for the investment and wanted me to pitch in $30,000 to help them “make it big.”

��Wait a second, Wendy. Do you actually know this finance guy? Have you even met him in person?” Wendy sauntered over and replied, “Of course I know him! We’ve been dating for a whole month now. We haven’t met in person yet, but we’ve video-chatted plenty of times.” “He’s in Southeast Asia right now, but he said he’d buy me a plane ticket for next month so we can finally meet.” I frowned. “You haven’t even met him, and yet you’re willing to give him money? Have you ever considered the possibility that he might be scamming you?” Wendy got defensive immediately. “Sure, we haven’t met in person, but the villa and yacht he showed me can’t possibly be fake! I even saw his property deed. And anyway, I already invested 5,000afewdaysago,andit’salreadygrownto5,000 a few days ago, and it’s already grown to 5,000afewdaysago,andit’salreadygrownto8,000.” “This is such a great opportunity, I wouldn’t even tell most people about it!” I crossed my arms and said flatly, “This is textbook financial fraud. My advice? Call the police before you lose everything.” Hearing the word “fraud” made Wendy blow up. Her face turned bright red as she shouted, “If you don’t want to lend me the money, just say so! Why are you spreading lies about my boyfriend and calling him a scammer? You owe him an apology!” I gave her an exasperated look. There was no reasoning with someone this clueless. I turned to leave, but Wendy grabbed my arm, yanking me so hard I nearly stumbled. “You’re not going anywhere! Apologize to him right now!” “You just don’t want our family to do well, do you? You want us to always live beneath you!” “And don’t even get me started on that ‘rich guy’ you introduced me to. What a cheapskate! He wouldn’t even buy me a bag! Please, as if I’d want someone like him. I’m the one who’s out of his league!” My mother-in-law came over, pretending to mediate. “Oh, Wendy, calm down. Your sister-in-law didn’t mean it like that.” But then she turned to me and said with a sneer, “Still, she’s got a point. At least the hens in our backyard know how to lay eggs. You’ve been married to Quinn for three years and haven’t given us a single child. Are you even as useful as a chicken?” Quinn’s father banged his pipe against the coffee table twice, sending ash flying everywhere. At this, Wendy finally stopped shouting, but she continued glaring at me with an angry pout. Quinn’s father cleared his throat and said, “If we’re not welcome here, we’ll leave. But don’t go slandering my son-in-law, calling him a scammer. Wendy’s right about one thing—on a farm, a chicken that doesn’t lay eggs doesn’t last a year. It’s been three years, Celia. You owe the Quinn family an explanation. Are you having kids or not? Give us a straight answer.” My mother-in-law chimed in, “Exactly! Three years! Don’t tell me it’s because you’re the one with the problem?”

I almost laughed out loud. You know those videos of scam victims yelling at anti-fraud officers, accusing them of ruining their chances to “get rich”? I used to think, How can people be so clueless? But today? I got to witness it in person. I had half a mind to warn them again, but their attitudes changed my mind. Why bother? In fact, I decided to play along and set them up instead. I put on a thoughtful expression and said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have doubted your boyfriend. If this opportunity is as good as you say, then it must be legitimate. You should definitely invest more before it’s too late.” Wendy’s lips curled into a smug smile. “But,” I continued, “we really don’t have the money right now. If you’re short on cash, why not consider taking out a loan? If the project is guaranteed to double your money, the interest on a loan is nothing to worry about.” “Actually, if it’s a sure thing, why not borrow as much as you can? The more you invest, the more you’ll make!” “I know a great loan app you can use. You could borrow, say, 100,000.Whenitdoubles,you’llhave100,000. When it doubles, you’ll have 100,000.Whenitdoubles,you’llhave200,000 in no time!” Her smug grin faltered when I mentioned the loan. But when I brought up the idea of borrowing $100,000, I saw a flicker of excitement in her eyes. “Oh, and about having kids,” I added, “we were actually planning to start trying this year. We wanted to surprise you, but I guess you beat us to it by bringing it up first.” Hearing this, my mother-in-law clapped her hands in delight, her face lighting up with joy. After I finally sent this ridiculous family on their way, a cold smile crept across my face. I couldn’t wait to see the day they were drowning in debt, desperately running from loan collectors.

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I spent 20 years searching for my twin sister, only to find her dead. My investigation revealed that she was killed by a pair of despicable people: her husband, Ryan Lindell, and his ex-wife, Lauren. At my sister’s funeral, Ryan wailed in fake grief, crying out, “Oh, my love, how am I supposed to live without you? God, please bring her back to me!” I walked into the room, and the moment his eyes met mine, he froze, collapsing to the floor in terror. “Ryan, I’m back. I didn’t die,” I said, pretending to be my sister. I was going to drag this scum and his accomplice straight to hell. In the car, Ryan cautiously asked me how I survived. The road outside was deserted, winding through a remote mountain pass. I told him I blacked out and couldn’t remember much. The last thing I recalled was waking up on a beach, being helped by the police, and eventually finding my way to the funeral home. “Do you remember falling off the cliff while watching the sunset? That’s how you… disappeared,” he asked nervously. He was lying. I knew he had pushed my sister off that cliff himself. The fire of hatred burned inside me, my fists clenched so tightly my nails dug into my palms. It took every ounce of self-control to suppress the urge to kill him right then and there. “I… don’t remember,” I replied calmly. He let out a relieved sigh but quickly grew wary. “We should probably head to the hospital to get you checked out.” At the hospital, the scans revealed a wound on the back of my head. The doctor explained that I might have hit my head on a rock when I fell into the ocean, which could explain my memory loss. After some tests, the doctor diagnosed me with retrograde amnesia—gaps in my memory, caused by trauma. “Will my wife ever regain her lost memories?” Ryan asked, feigning concern. “It’s possible,” the doctor replied. “Familiar surroundings and people might help trigger her memory.” Ryan’s expression darkened at the news. He finally believed I had amnesia. But the truth was, I had inflicted that head wound on myself before coming here. I already knew everything about my sister’s life. My twin, Michelle, had been married to Ryan for eight years. Ryan had a daughter, Mia, from his first marriage. After Michelle’s adoptive father passed away, he left her a massive inheritance, including the mansion Ryan and Mia now lived in. When I arrived at the house, Mia was lounging on the couch, playing a game on her phone. She looked up and exclaimed, “Michelle! Why aren’t you dead?” “Why? Are you disappointed?” I shot back. “Ugh, who wants you dead? Since you’re alive, go make dinner. I’m starving,” she said, not even looking up from her game. Ryan stretched and yawned. “Michelle, I’m exhausted. I’m going to take a nap. Call me when dinner’s ready.” He started heading upstairs. “Why should I cook?” I asked, annoyed. “Because you always do,” Mia replied matter-of-factly. “Really? I don’t remember that.” Mia stared at me, stunned. Ryan quickly explained, “Mia, your stepmom hit her head when she fell into the ocean. She’s lost some of her memories.” Then he turned to me and said, “Michelle, just make dinner, okay? I’m starving too.” I glared at him. “Are you and your daughter missing your arms? Can’t you cook for yourselves?” Both father and daughter stared at me in shock. I wanted to rip them apart right then and there. My sister had been kind and gentle, enduring their abuse for eight years. She had acted like a servant, cooking and cleaning for them, and even funded their lavish lifestyle with her inheritance. “Michelle, are you insane? How dare you talk to us like that!” Ryan barked, his face dark with anger. “Michelle, before I lose my temper, go make dinner!” Mia demanded, her tone entitled. I sneered. “Dogs stay in the house for so long they start thinking they own it.” “What the hell does that mean?” Mia snapped. “Who owns this house?” I asked. “You… you do.” “And whose money pays for everything you eat, wear, and use?” “Yours…” “That’s right. Everything you have comes from me. You’re nothing but parasites, yet you have the audacity to demand I cook for you?” “Once you marry my dad, everything you own becomes ours!” Mia yelled shamelessly. I laughed coldly. “Then let’s get a divorce.” Michelle’s inheritance was legally protected as premarital assets. If I filed for divorce, Ryan would walk away with nothing. Ryan panicked, quickly scolding Mia. “Mia, watch your mouth! Apologize to your stepmom right now!” Reluctantly, Mia mumbled, “Michelle, I’m still young and don’t always think before I speak. Don’t take it to heart.” “You’re 20, Mia. You’re in college. That’s not ‘young,’” I replied, unimpressed. “Michelle, I’m sorry. I was wrong,” she said through gritted teeth. “Good. But actions have consequences. From now on, you’re no longer allowed to use my credit card.” Earlier, on the way here, Ryan had handed me Michelle’s phone. Since we were twins, facial recognition unlocked it easily. I’d seen countless notifications from the bank about Mia using Michelle’s card to buy game items and skins. Hearing this, Mia panicked. “Michelle, think about it! I’m like your daughter! You’ve always spoiled me!” “You’re my daughter?” I asked mockingly. “Then why do you call me Michelle instead of Mom? That’s a bit contradictory, don’t you think?” “I’ve always thought of you as my real mom!” she insisted. “Really? Then why didn’t you attend my funeral? Instead, you stayed home playing games. Clearly, your games are more important than I am. Why would I spoil someone like you? Don’t try to fool me—I may have memory loss, but I’m not stupid.” Mia was speechless. Ryan jumped in. “Mia, I told you to come to the funeral! You’ve been playing games too much. From now on, no more games!” “Mom, I swear I wanted to go to the funeral! I just… lost track of time. If you’re upset, you can hit me to vent your anger,” Mia said, putting on a pitiful act. Slap! Slap! I didn’t hesitate, delivering two sharp slaps that echoed through the room. Both Ryan and Mia were stunned. Mia’s cheek swelled instantly. “You… you hit me?” she stammered. “Didn’t you just ask me to?” I replied, feigning confusion. Speechless, she stormed upstairs in tears. I turned to Ryan. “Well? What are you waiting for? I’m hungry. Go make dinner.” Ryan didn’t dare argue. He obediently went to the kitchen. At Night I lied, saying I needed to be alone to “recover my memory,” and went to sleep in the guest room. On the way back from the hospital earlier, Ryan had handed me Michelle’s phone. Being twins, I could unlock it easily using facial recognition. As I opened her photo album and scrolled through the pictures and videos, tears streamed down my face. “Michelle, I’m so sorry. I came too late!” Michelle’s real name was Evelyn Lowe, and mine was Emma Lowe. When we were 11, our parents smuggled us from a small country. One night, as they were returning home from work, they were killed during a robbery. Not long after, the landlord threw us out of the apartment. For months, Michelle and I lived in a damp, dark alley, building a makeshift shelter out of cardboard. We survived by begging on the streets. That winter, when I was 12, Michelle got a high fever and fell unconscious. I ran to Sunset Boulevard, desperate to find a doctor. But by the time I returned with help, Michelle was gone. I spent 20 years searching for her. A week ago, I finally learned what had happened: a kind-hearted Chinese man had found my dying sister in the alley that day and saved her. The fever had taken Michelle’s memory. She forgot everything—including me. The man who saved her brought her back to East Asia and adopted her, treating her like his own daughter. When he passed away, he left all his wealth to Michelle. As for me, I ended up being taken in by the leader of a Sunset Boulevard gang. Three years ago, after his death, I inherited his position as the head of the organization. Our gang operates internationally, with branches in several countries—including the one Michelle had lived in. It was through these connections that I finally found her. I boarded a plane to reunite with my sister, filled with joy. But the moment I landed, my men greeted me at the airport with grim faces and told me the devastating news: Michelle was dead. That moment shattered me. It felt like my body was being torn apart by a thousand knives. 4 Three Days Later It was Saturday, and Ryan’s ex-wife, Lauren Smith, came over to “clean the house.” My poor, naive sister had never known that this housekeeper was Ryan’s ex-wife. The moment Lauren saw me, her eyes burned with anger. Clearly, Ryan had told her about the slap I’d given her daughter. She wasn’t there to clean; it was all for show. After half-heartedly wiping a few surfaces, she sat on the couch, opened a bag of snacks, and turned on the TV, looking completely at ease. To anyone who didn’t know better, she would’ve seemed like the mistress of the house. “This is your idea of cleaning?” I asked coldly. “Of course. That’s how I’ve always done it. Ask Mia if you don’t believe me,” Lauren replied, completely unfazed. “Mom, Lauren’s been with us for three years. She’s practically family,” Mia chimed in. “I hired a housekeeper, not a family member. You can pack your things and leave,” I said bluntly. “You don’t have the authority to fire me. Ryan hired me,” Lauren shot back. “But I’m the one paying your salary. Unless you’re willing to work for free, I suggest you leave.” “You… you can’t do this! This is worker exploitation! I’ll expose you online!” she shouted, panicking. “Go ahead,” I said calmly. Lauren was stunned. She had always treated my soft-hearted sister this way, but now she didn’t know how to handle me. “Mom, calm down. Lauren, go clean my room,” Mia said quickly, trying to defuse the situation. With a sour expression, Lauren stomped upstairs. Ryan finished cooking and called us to the table. Lauren joined us without hesitation, as if she belonged there. “It’s ridiculous, making the husband cook while the wife sits around,” she muttered under her breath. “Then why don’t you take over cooking from now on?” I said sharply. “I don’t know how to cook,” she retorted. “Ryan, why did you hire such an incompetent housekeeper? She can’t clean, and she can’t cook. Or is there something else going on between you two?” I asked, my voice dripping with suspicion. Ryan’s face turned crimson, and he stammered, unable to form a coherent response. “Mom, it’s not like that!” Mia jumped in to defend him. “Lauren and I just got along when she came to apply for the job, so I told Dad to hire her.” “Oh, I see,” I said with a sly smile. Then, I changed the subject. “Mia, what would you do if a thief broke into our house?” “Easy. I’d catch them, beat them up, and call the police,” Mia replied without hesitation. “Good. Because there’s a thief sitting right here. Go ahead and deal with her,” I said darkly. Mia blinked, confused. “What do you mean, Mom?” “I mean Lauren is a thief. She’s been stealing my bags and jewelry,” I said, my gaze locking onto Lauren’s now-terrified face. I had ordered my men to follow Lauren and Ryan from the moment I arrived in this city. Yesterday, Lauren had taken several designer bags and pieces of expensive jewelry to a secondhand shop and sold them for over $80,000. Michelle’s adoptive father had owned shares in a luxury goods company, and after his death, Michelle inherited 20% of the company. Every year, they sent her designer items as gifts, including bags and jewelry. Last night, I requested a detailed list of all the items Michelle had received over the years. After comparing it to what Lauren had sold, I confirmed that everything she pawned had belonged to my sister.

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I Have a Special Ability: Resurrection After Death Because of this, I was chosen by a mob boss to be a blood donor for his true love. Even if I died from blood loss, the moment I revived, that needle would pierce my skin again. Whenever I begged for mercy, he would just pin me down firmly and say, “Why are you being so dramatic? You can revive, can’t you? If she dies, I’ll make sure you follow her to the grave!” But what he didn’t know was that I only had 100 lives. If I died one more time, I would never revive again. My soul would scatter forever. In the luxurious bedroom, Lucas Turner pushed me onto the soft bed, gently pressing himself on top of me. Our breaths mingled as his fingers lightly brushed my lips before he leaned in for a deep kiss. My heart was racing. Just as I was about to embrace him, the door was suddenly pushed open by a servant. Lucas was annoyed and about to scold them when he heard the servant say— “Mr. Turner! Miss White is in trouble!” Upon hearing this, the anger on Lucas’s face quickly disappeared. Without caring that I was only wearing a thin piece of clothing, he pulled me up and we left. I didn’t need to guess; I knew he was going to take me to give blood to Lily White again. In the three years I’d been with him, I had given blood to Lily ninety-eight times. If this had happened before, I would have been more than willing, hoping only that Lucas would look at me once more. But now, I was desperately begging for mercy, kneeling on the ground and refusing to go. “Lucas, I can’t give her blood anymore! If I do, I’ll die…” But Lucas wouldn’t listen to me, thinking I was just being dramatic. “Stop being so melodramatic! Can’t you revive anyway? Lily is dying, how can you be so heartless!” I shook my head frantically, tears streaming down my face: “It’s not like that! Actually, I only have 100 lives, and I’ve already died ninety-eight times. Two more times, and I’ll really die…” But Lucas didn’t believe me at all. He shouted at me— “You’ll make up any lie to avoid giving blood to Lily!” I shook my head miserably, trying desperately to explain: “It’s not a lie! I’m really not deceiving you. I don’t have infinite revivals, I only have 100 lives… Please, don’t make me give her blood anymore, okay?” But Lucas ignored my cries and forcibly dragged me upstairs. I was wearing thin clothes, and my whole body ached. It felt like my bones were about to break, but he didn’t care. His steps got faster and faster, only hoping to see Lily White as soon as possible. Then, he threw me roughly onto the operating table and tied me down tightly. He quickly turned to Lily: “Lily, how are you doing?” The personal doctor shook his head: “Mr. Turner, Miss White’s condition is getting worse…” Lily White opened her eyes, her face pale, and said weakly to Lucas: “Lucas, am I going to die?” “Don’t talk nonsense! After this blood transfusion, you’ll be able to get out of bed. Then I’ll take you to the Aegean Sea in Greece, and we’ll watch the ocean together, okay?” Then, he picked up that cold blood-drawing needle and jabbed it into my body. “Ah—” The sharp needle pierced my skin, and blood slowly flowed out through the tube. Every drop was my blood and tears. “Lucas, please, stop! I really will die!” “Miss White, can you please beg for mercy on my behalf? I don’t want to die…” I knew Lily White was awake, but she suddenly pretended to be asleep, not saying a word. I struggled desperately, almost dislodging the needle. Lucas got angry and slapped me hard across the face. “Don’t move! If Lily dies, you’ll be joining her in the afterlife!” I finally stopped struggling. No matter how much it hurt, it couldn’t compare to the pain in my heart. More and more blood flowed out, and my body gradually went limp. My consciousness began to fade. Then, I lost consciousness and died. When I woke up again, I was in Lucas’s arms. He was holding me, and seeing that I was awake, he excitedly picked up a bowl of porridge. “Aria, you’re finally awake. Here, drink some of this to replenish your blood.” He fed me patiently, spoonful by spoonful, as if the demon who had forced me to give blood wasn’t him. Lucas was always like this. As long as it wasn’t about giving blood, he was extremely gentle with me. But as soon as he wanted me to give blood, it was as if he became a different person, ignoring my pain and pleas, with only Lily White in his heart. I turned my face away, no longer looking at him. But he wasn’t angry. He just leaned in and kissed the corner of my mouth. “Be good, Aria. Don’t be upset. Drink your porridge.” I said coldly: “Just leave it there.” But he insisted on feeding me. I was no longer like before, easily coaxed. Instead, I turned my back to him, ignoring him. Lucas got annoyed: “Aria Sanders! Is this necessary? You’re throwing a tantrum just because you gave blood to Lily?” “You weren’t this dramatic before. Besides, can’t you revive? Can’t you be a little more kind-hearted?” His accusations felt like arrows piercing my heart, leaving it riddled with wounds.

Initially, the system gave me 100 lives to win over Lucas Turner. When I first came to this world, I saw Lucas caught in a gunfight, with a bullet flying towards him! I quickly stepped forward to shield him from the bullet. It hit me right in the heart, and everyone thought I would surely die, but I didn’t. Instead, I revived on the spot. Lucas discovered my special ability and took me back with him. At that time, I was secretly delighted: the system gave me 100 lives to win him over, and it seemed I had succeeded using just one! But when he took me back, I realized I had thought too much. Lucas didn’t say another word to me. Instead, he dragged me straight to the operating room and tied me to the bed. And next to me lay Lily White. I struggled in fear, the ropes cutting into my skin and drawing blood. But Lucas gently stroked my head: “Be good, I just need you to help me save someone. It’ll be quick.” Then, that cold blood-drawing needle was jabbed straight into my arm. They then said: “Mr. Turner, this woman’s blood type is exactly the same as Miss White’s!” Lucas’s lips curved into a smile: “Excellent. What are you waiting for? Start drawing blood immediately.” The pain was excruciating. More and more blood was drawn from me, and my consciousness became increasingly hazy. Even though I screamed for them to stop, without Lucas’s order, they didn’t dare to stop, and continued to draw blood mercilessly. Until they had drained me completely, and I died from blood loss. However, in the next second, I miraculously revived. Seeing this, Lucas looked at me excitedly. “From now on, you don’t need to leave. Stay here and be a blood bank for my Lily. What do you want? I can give you anything.” Despite knowing how terrifying this man was, I used all my strength to say— “I want to be with you.” After all, I had to win him over. If I failed, I would never be able to return to my own world. Lucas was stunned for a moment, then looked at the sleeping Lily White. “Alright, but Lily can’t know about our relationship.” After that, Lucas and I got together. For these three years, I used all my efforts to win him over, to love him, and made him fall for me more and more. But no matter how sweet he was with me, his heart that wanted me to give blood to Lily White never changed. Whenever it came to giving blood, no matter how much I begged him, he wouldn’t listen. He would even get angry because of my struggles, hitting and scolding me. My heart finally turned cold. After three years, Lucas still hadn’t fallen in love with me. His affection towards me was only to make me willingly be Lily White’s blood bank. From beginning to end, the one he loved was always Lily White. Not only had I failed to win him over, but I had also lost ninety-nine lives. Now, I only had one life left. If Lily White fell ill again and Lucas drained me of blood, I would no longer revive. I would die completely! No! I have to run! Lucas was still complaining about me, but seeing that I wouldn’t eat anything or pay attention to him, he finally gave in and continued to coax me. I had no choice but to take a sip of porridge and say to him: “I’m fine. Why don’t you go check on Lily?” Hearing this, Lucas finally smiled: “I knew it. My Aria is the kindest and most considerate. I’ll go check on her then. You stay here and eat properly.” I took the porridge and nodded. Lucas was already impatient to see Lily White and didn’t notice my determination to escape. After he left, I immediately took down the curtains and made a rope with them. Then I carefully lowered it along the wall, securing it tightly. Taking advantage of the absence of people outside, I quickly grasped the curtain and slid down. Once down, I hid in the bushes, waiting for the guards to go for their meal so I could run out! Lucas probably wouldn’t notice I had run away. After all, every time I gave blood, he would stay with Lily White all night. However, something was different today. Lucas didn’t stay with Lily White but returned to my room. When he discovered I had run away, his heart skipped a beat. He quickly notified his men to search for me. “If you can’t find her, none of you will live!” I heard his roar and quickly covered my mouth and nose, not daring to make a sound. The servants began searching for me everywhere, even using search dogs. My heart was pounding, and as I watched them getting closer and closer to me, my heart was about to jump out of my throat! However, at the critical moment, the dog suddenly barked towards the gate. They rushed to the gate, and I quickly took the opportunity to escape from the bushes into the house. “What the hell! It’s just a homeless person outside! You stupid dog, why are you barking for no reason!” I ran wildly, not knowing where I was going, but as long as I could find an abandoned room and stay there for the night, I shouldn’t be discovered! I sprinted at full speed, about to run into a room when suddenly, a dart hit my leg. A sharp pain shot through me, and I fell to the ground. Then, Lucas’s legs appeared in front of me. I looked up, and he glared at me angrily. “In this manor, as long as I don’t let someone go, no one can escape.” Then, he grabbed my clothes and forcibly dragged me away. “Weren’t you supposed to be with Lily White? How did you discover I had run away—” He coldly said: “I was planning to stay with her, but her condition suddenly worsened. She needs another blood transfusion, so I quickly came to find you, only to discover you had run away.” “Aria Sanders, if you delay Lily’s treatment, I will kill you!” I panicked, my heart almost stopping! “No! I can’t give her blood again. This time I really will die!” “Please… don’t make me give blood anymore, okay? Please—” I begged frantically, my voice heart-wrenching, echoing throughout the entire manor. But Lucas wasn’t moved at all. He skillfully tied me to the operating table as usual. Then, he was about to pierce my arm with the needle. “No! Lucas Turner! This time I really will die! Please believe me, okay? Please—”

My eyes were full of helplessness and fear, but Lucas’s eyes were cold and emotionless. He ignored my cries and forcefully inserted the needle. “What are you yelling about? You’ve been reviving for three years. How could you possibly die this time? It’s just an excuse because you don’t want to give blood!” “I’m not, I—” I wanted to say more, but he stuffed a bandage into my mouth. “Stop making noise! Lily is already in critical condition. I don’t have the patience to listen to your wailing!” I could only make muffled whimpers, which only earned me a— “Your pleas are useless to me. Don’t waste your energy.” “After this blood transfusion, I’ll take you out to play. Stop making a fuss.” Lucas thought I would calm down after hearing this, but I continued to wail. He got angry and was about to scold me when he was interrupted by a phone call. This call seemed very important, making him stand up. “I have an urgent matter to attend to. I need to go out for a while. Take good care of Lily, and don’t make any mistakes!” Then, without even glancing at me, he slammed the door and left. I kept wailing, but he didn’t look back. Lily White had woken up at some point and started mocking me. “Stop yelling. He only loves me. Even if you scream until your throat bleeds, he won’t let you go.” Although I had no strength left, I still shook my head frantically at her. Lily White instructed the doctor: “You, remove the bandage from her mouth.” The doctor removed the restraint from my mouth, and I could finally speak. “Please, Miss White, tell the doctor to stop. I’m really about to die…” I struggled to beg her humbly. But Lily White just laughed and looked at me as if I were an insect— “Why should I save you? Do you know how jealous I am when I see healthy women like you? I’d rather see you drained, exhausted, and tortured until you’re as sickly as me!” My heart sank: “Lily White, how can you think like that?” “Why not? To tell you the truth, my illness isn’t actually that serious. I don’t really need blood transfusions.” “But I’m still different from normal people. I can’t get pregnant, can’t drink alcohol, can’t do extreme sports, and I have to endure various rejection reactions.” “Why? Why can you do all these things! I feel so unfair, so I started pretending to be sick. Lucas cares about me so much that he specifically has young girls give me blood.” “Seeing you become as sickly as me because of the blood transfusions makes me so happy!” Hearing the truth, I was shocked and terrified. “Lily White! Aren’t you afraid Lucas will find out?” She laughed as if she had heard the biggest joke: “So what if Lucas finds out? Do you think he would believe you? Look at how he treated you just now!” A wave of despair washed over me. Yes, Lucas would never believe me. But even so, I still clung to my last hope and begged her. “Please, let me go. I really will die this time…” Of course, Lily White didn’t believe me either. “What are you pretending for? Everyone knows you’ll revive immediately after you die! Doctor, drain her blood thoroughly! Don’t leave a single drop!” Then, I felt the blood being drawn faster and faster. My pleas became weaker and weaker, and I lost all strength and sensation. An hour later, I closed my eyes forever. Lily White was still not satisfied: “Hmph, dead already? How boring. Take her away!” The doctor undid my restraints, but when he touched my skin, he drew back his hand in shock. “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and take her away!” But the doctor said in shock: “Something’s wrong… This isn’t right. She used to revive immediately after dying, and her body would have the warmth of a living person. But why is she… why is she so cold today!” Lily White didn’t take it seriously: “Tch, it’s probably just too cold. She’s not warming up as quickly.” But the doctor was a professional. He quickly realized the seriousness of the situation and hurriedly used instruments to examine me. No heartbeat, no breathing. All organs had ceased functioning. The doctor finally panicked: “Miss White, it seems she wasn’t lying. This time… she’s really dead!” Lily White sat up in shock: “What did you say? Dead? Really dead?” “Yes, there are no signs of life at all!” “This Aria Sanders really did only have 100 lives!” “What should we do now? Should we tell Mr. Turner?” “What’s there to tell! Drag her body out and burn it!” The doctor hesitated: “Burn it? Shouldn’t we… shouldn’t we at least inform Mr. Turner?” “What’s there to inform? I’m so important to Lucas. My word is as good as his, isn’t it?” The doctor could only nod and drag my body away. As night fell, Lucas finally returned. He first went to Lily White’s room and grasped her hand. “Lily! How are you?” Lily White still had that sickly appearance, falling into his arms. “Cough cough… Lucas, I’m fine. Don’t worry too much about me.” Lucas hugged her lovingly: “How can I not worry about you! I was busy outside earlier, but my mind was full of thoughts of you!” “Lucas, what were you busy with outside? Why is there an injury on your shoulder!” Lily White touched his shoulder worriedly, but he avoided her touch. “It’s nothing, don’t worry. A batch of our goods was hijacked. Without that batch, our brothers might not make it to next year, so I rushed to intercept it.” “I’m sorry I left you because of work, but the situation was really urgent just now…” Lily White quickly said understandingly: “It’s okay, I’m better now. You don’t need to worry about me—” “That’s good.” Lucas then stood up, preparing to go to my room to check on me. Lily White quickly stopped him: “Wait! Lucas—” “What’s wrong?”

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My Sister Ran Away from Her Wedding, So I Was Forced to Marry a Man Who Doesn’t Love Me After the wedding, he treated me terribly, his heart only belonging to my sister, Melody. “Don’t think marrying me will give you an easy life! I’ll only ever love Melody!” My husband’s love was unwavering, all because my sister had saved his life when they were children. Soon after, I became pregnant, but he wanted to cut open my belly to take my son’s blood! Even my own parents came to help, all for the sake of curing my sister’s illness! “It’s your blessing to be able to help cure Melody! Stop struggling, or I won’t be so nice!” “It’s just a little blood! That’s your own sister. Do you want to watch her die?” My heart turned to ashes, and I gave up struggling. But after I died, when my husband discovered the scar on my leg, he went completely insane. 0 “The baby is very healthy. Just make sure to get plenty of rest.” “Thank you, doctor.” I left the examination room with my prenatal checkup report, feeling a small comfort as I read the words confirming my baby’s health. “Young lady, I’ve noticed you always come alone. Where’s your husband? You’re six months pregnant now, it’s dangerous. How can he let you come by yourself?” As I sat in a chair, a nurse who looked like the head nurse suddenly struck up a conversation with me. I lowered my head and smiled self-mockingly, gripping the report tightly. “He’s busy with work. I’m fine on my own. Thank you for your concern.” Hearing this, the head nurse handed me a cup of hot water, grumbling disapprovingly, “Having a baby is a big deal in life. Your husband is being very inconsiderate. You should really talk to him when you get home.” I nodded and thanked her again. Lucas and I weren’t in love at all. To be precise, he despised me, hated me, and wouldn’t even look me in the eye. We were married under unavoidable circumstances because my sister had run away from her wedding. To save face for both families, I was forced to take her place as the sacrifice. When Lucas found out about the switch, he was furious. But the Young family ignored his protests, and he naturally took out his anger and resentment on me. He believed I had forcibly replaced my “evil sister” as his bride, thinking me vicious and hypocritical. Even now that I was pregnant, his attitude hadn’t changed. “Where are you?” I sighed and dialed Lucas’s number. The other end was noisy, clearly at some nightclub. “Make it quick. Don’t ruin my mood.” Lucas’s impatient voice came through, almost hateful. “I had my checkup today, and it looks like it’s about to rain. Could you come pick me up?” I tentatively asked him. He was silent for a few seconds, then laughed coldly. “Aria Snow, don’t think you can use these tricks to make me sympathize with you. Keep dreaming. I’m not coming to get you.” My heart trembled. Although I was used to hearing such words from him, I couldn’t help feeling heartbroken and upset. “Lucas, what are you doing? Come over here!” I was about to say something when I heard a girl’s coquettish voice. It was my sister, Melody. “Nothing, just dealing with a nuisance.” Through the phone, I clearly heard their intimate voices. I felt drained of energy, my hand slowly lowering. So I had always been just a nuisance. Seeing that I wasn’t speaking, Lucas cursed under his breath and hung up. I covered my face and sighed, the checkup report long since crumpled in my hand. My sister Melody was beautiful, especially her eyes, which were bright and captivating to anyone who saw them. She had many suitors, including Lucas. Ever since Lucas met Melody, he insisted she was the one who had saved his life as a child because she wore his necklace. From that moment, he fell hopelessly in love with my sister and immediately decided to marry her. This should have been a good match, but Melody wasn’t one to settle down. She wanted Lucas’s love but didn’t want to be tied down to just one man. So she ran away on their wedding day. Surprisingly, instead of getting angry, Lucas pursued her even more, which only increased his disgust towards me day by day. I vaguely remember that on the wedding day, Lucas rushed into my dressing room and grabbed my wrist. “Where’s Melody? Why is it you! I won’t agree to marry you, you shameless woman! Where have you hidden Melody?” Faced with Lucas’s furious questioning, I spoke softly, “She ran away from the wedding. My parents forced me to marry you to save face for both families.” “Impossible! Get out! You must have done something to sabotage this. Let me tell you, I’ll only ever love Melody. Don’t think you can tear us apart!” Lucas glared at me, his grip on my wrist tightening. The pain made me forcefully pull away, glaring back at him angrily. “Lucas! Do you think I want to marry you? If it weren’t for my father’s reputation, I wouldn’t even look at you. You’d better cooperate today, or don’t blame me for doing something drastic.” I paused for a few seconds, then changed my tone, “Especially to your precious Melody, I…” “Bitch!” Before I could finish, Lucas grabbed my neck and pinned me against the wall, glaring at me fiercely. “If you dare touch her, I’ll make your life a living hell!” He only let go after I struggled for a while. I coughed violently, falling to the ground in a mess. “You’re crazy! If you have the guts, just kill me! We both hate this marriage anyway. Wouldn’t it be better if I disappeared?” I covered my neck, gasping for air, still glaring hatefully at the man towering over me. Lucas sneered and crouched down, looking at me with pity, “You’ve used every trick to marry me. If you really died, how would I have the chance to meet Melody at your house in the future? So stay alive. I want you, this vain woman, to watch with your own eyes as Melody and I fall in love.” With that, Lucas wiped his hands in disgust, stood up, and left the dressing room, leaving me alone to suffer the humiliation. On our wedding night, Lucas didn’t come back. He even threw all my things into the study. After the wedding, Lucas’s attitude towards me remained terrible. He didn’t even want to stay under the same roof with me. He only came home a handful of times each month. I thought we would just continue like this, not interfering with each other’s lives, but then Lucas’s grandfather suddenly wanted a grandson. So Lucas and I were forced to share a bed, compelling ourselves to be intimate. He often blindfolded himself with red silk to avoid looking at me, while I kept my eyes tightly shut, praying for it to be over quickly. A few months later, I became pregnant as hoped. Perhaps it was the love this new life brought me, but I started to hope for a happy married life, to give him a complete family. After all, the child was innocent. When Lucas heard the news, he was stunned at first, his face filled with surprise. He probably never imagined he would become a father one day, especially with a woman he despised. That’s why he never accompanied me to a single prenatal checkup. “Excuse me, do you need any help?” The nurse’s voice brought me back to reality. I quickly wiped away my tears and shook my head. Then I gathered my things and left the hospital. Outside, it was pouring rain. By the time I got home from the hospital, I was completely soaked and looked a mess. “Dad, the baby…” I was about to tell my father that the baby was fine when I saw Lucas and Melody sitting arm in arm on our living room sofa. At that moment, I felt like the rain had drenched my heart completely. “See? You made it home just fine. Why did you have to ask me if I could pick you up? Your act of playing the victim is truly disgusting.” Lucas looked at me mockingly, his expression as if watching a clown perform in a circus. “Why are you back so late, looking like such a mess? Don’t embarrass yourself here!” My stepmother glanced at me with disdain and threw a towel at my face. I clenched my fists, my long-suppressed emotions finally bursting out, “Lucas! I’ve never said anything about you fooling around with Melody before. I’ve been tolerant enough. Just because you can’t marry her, why do you have to take it out on me? If it weren’t for my dad forcing me, do you think you’re such a catch? You don’t deserve me!” “How dare you speak to Lucas like that? No wonder he doesn’t like you. Look at yourself, acting like a shrew. Can’t you learn from Melody?” My dad, hearing the commotion, came out and immediately pointed at me, criticizing. “Then why don’t you let Melody marry him? Save me from having to watch them disgust me every day!” I shouted loudly. Melody quickly came over and held my arm, speaking with difficulty, “Sister, I didn’t mean to run away. I just wasn’t ready. Don’t blame me, and don’t blame Lucas either.” “Melody.” I looked at her with a cold smile. Only I knew what kind of fangs were hidden behind that pure facade. “Do you like Lucas?” I asked directly. “I…” Seemingly not expecting me to ask so directly, Melody’s expression froze, and she bit her lower lip. “Are you sick? Melody is kindly apologizing to you, and that’s your attitude! Her liking me is my business. She doesn’t need to respond. If you dare to speak rudely to her or treat her badly again, see how I’ll deal with you!” Lucas put his arm around Melody’s shoulders, holding the small figure in his arms. The scene looked warm and harmonious, but to me, it was extremely irritating. “If you love her so much, let’s get divorced,” I said. As soon as the words left my mouth, my father slapped me hard across the face. The pain immediately spread across my cheek, stinging fiercely. “Shameless thing, how dare you say such outrageous words! Quickly apologize to Lucas!” I looked at my father in shock. Ever since our family business started declining, he had become obsessed with connecting with the Young family, even willing to sell the small company my mother left behind before she died, and sell me as well. Seeing his previously gritting teeth now turn into this appearance, my heart turned ice cold. “I couldn’t ask for anything better. If it weren’t for your father saying you’re carrying the Young family’s flesh and blood, I would have kicked you far away long ago. Who are you to act so arrogantly here?” Lucas snorted disdainfully, while Melody in his arms wore an expression of watching a show. “Sister, I was young then, please don’t blame me. Now I truly hope you two can be happy,” Melody said. “We won’t be happy together,” Lucas said coldly, glancing at me before taking Melody’s hand. “I’m only happy with you.” Melody giggled shyly, then looked at me pitifully. “Are you blaming me, sister? Do you think I’m the third wheel in your marriage? I don’t want it to be like this either, but Lucas…” Melody choked up a bit, then continued, “Mr. Young has been persistently pursuing me. I couldn’t say anything too impolite. I hope you can understand, sister. I don’t want to ruin your relationship.” Melody spoke convincingly; I had to admire her acting skills. Melody was about to say something else when Lucas stepped in front of her. “Stop wasting words with her. Didn’t you come back to change clothes? My mom is still waiting to go to the movies. Don’t let some trash delay us.” I frowned and turned my head away. “If you’re going to leave, then leave. Don’t disturb my child.” I don’t know if it was my imagination, but when I mentioned the child, Melody clearly showed a hint of jealousy. But it was just for a moment, and she quickly resumed her soft, innocent appearance. Lucas said goodbye to my father and stepmother, then left holding Melody’s hand without looking back. I returned to my room exhausted and took a hot shower. At this point, my relationship with Lucas was getting worse and worse, but at least I had this child to give some comfort to my shattered heart. 0

Soon, the baby was over seven months along. One weekend, just as I had received my prenatal checkup results, I learned that my sister had contracted a rare disease and was coughing up blood non-stop. “What sin has our family committed to deserve this? Why does this have to happen to my daughter?” When I rushed home after receiving the call, my stepmother was kneeling by the bed, weeping bitterly. My father was at a loss, pacing back and forth. Lucas was there too, which didn’t surprise me. I just gave him a brief glance. “What did the doctor say? How long has she had these symptoms?” I walked to Melody’s bedside, bending down carefully while supporting my belly to observe her closely. Her face was pale, her lips purple, and blood was still seeping out. She looked extremely weak. “The doctors can’t figure out what’s wrong. We’ve consulted so many people, but no one knows what this condition is! My poor daughter!” My father pounded the wall in anguish, blaming himself for his inability to help. I turned to look at Lucas. His face was filled with anxiety, his eyes red-rimmed, clearly very concerned about Melody. “You don’t have any solutions either?” I asked Lucas. Although I had my reservations about her, I didn’t want her to die. Lucas shook his head helplessly, clenching his fists and trembling all over. It was the first time I had seen him so distraught. “There is a way!” My stepmother suddenly stood up and shouted, “You’re just afraid to use it! You’re afraid of divine retribution, but my daughter’s life is hanging by a thread. Nothing can stop me from saving her!” My stepmother grabbed my father’s collar like a madwoman, shaking him violently. “Mom… Mom, don’t force Dad. If it were me, I wouldn’t want to use this method either. It’s too cruel,” Melody said weakly from the bed, coughing several times and clutching her chest. “It’s because you’re too kind-hearted! Nothing is more important than your life!” My stepmother finished speaking and suddenly turned to look at me, revealing a crazed smile, like a predator eyeing its prey. It made me very uncomfortable. “What method? At this point, Melody’s life is clearly the most important thing. Just tell us, I’ll take responsibility for whatever happens!” Lucas rushed over in a few quick steps, grabbing my stepmother’s shoulders and asking urgently. “There’s a witch in our hometown. I went to consult her. She said Melody has been possessed, and only the blood from the heart of a fully formed fetus can drive away the evil spirit,” my stepmother said emphatically. As soon as she finished speaking, everyone’s gaze fell on me. I felt a chill run down my spine. “What are you going to do?” When my stepmother mentioned the blood from the fetus’s heart, a glint flashed in her eyes. I immediately became alarmed and used my hands to protect my child. Then, Lucas walked over to me and said words I would never forget in this life.

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