Category: English

My wife’s assistant, Chris Green, suddenly posted a tweet saying that he no longer wanted to continue this unclear relationship. Yolanda Bowers, my usually indifferent wife, suddenly looked panicked. She rushed home and said to me. “Chris has really made a big mess this time. Let’s pretend to divorce for now. You can go back to your hometown for a couple of days, and when you come back, we can remarry, okay? “Don’t worry, it’s just a fake divorce. You, Matthew Castro, are still my true husband!” Seeing the urgency in her face, I nodded. But what she didn’t know was that my fate had already been tied to hers by the system. If I divorced her, I would leave this world forever and would never see her again. After I agreed, Yolanda took me straight to the courthouse. I remembered the last time I told her I wanted a snack. She took a few minutes to get it from the snack cupboard. At the courthouse, she held my hand tightly and said, “Matthew, trust me. Just seven days. I just need to calm him down for seven days, and then we can remarry, okay? “Once I’ve sorted things out with him, you can have anything you want!” I numbly nodded. She smiled brightly and pulled out divorce gifts. The things I liked were laid out in front of me, but I didn’t want to look at them anymore. These were just her tools to get rid of me and be with her assistant. I didn’t accept them. I quietly walked out of the courthouse. Her lovers had never stopped, even after we got married. Her assistant always changed, but it was always a handsome young guy. I had argued with her, even begged her, but after she soothed me, she would still act as she pleased. Eventually, I stopped caring. It was her nature, and no matter what, she wouldn’t change. As long as she still considered me her husband, I could bear it. But this time, her assistant seemed different from the others. It seemed like she had really fallen for this young guy who had just graduated. She would spend lavishly just to make him happy, leave me at home while she traveled with him, and ignore my calls just to avoid upsetting Chris. Now, to make Chris happy, she even came home and begged me for a fake divorce, planning to hold a grand wedding for Chris. Her heart had long since stopped being with me. I walked side by side with her out of the courthouse, and Chris had been waiting outside for a while. As soon as he saw us come out, he hurried over to Yolanda. “Yolanda, you’re finally out! I’ve been waiting for you forever. Let’s go!” He ignored the dark look on Yolanda’s face and quickly turned to bow to me. “Thank you, Matthew. It’s because you left that I got this chance. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of Yolanda!” Chris seemed ready to say more, but Yolanda stepped forward and slapped him hard across the face. “Shut up! Didn’t I tell you to stay in the car and not come out? “If you ever pull this again, just leave!” Chris looked down, covering his face, his expression filled with grievance and anger. “Yolanda, haven’t you two divorced? Why are you still protecting him like this?” Yolanda pressed her hand on Chris’ face and shoved him away. “I’ve warned you about this already. Don’t make me say it again!” Chris seemed to feel Yolanda’s anger. He turned and left, his voice choking and trembling. Yolanda looked at him for a moment, reaching out as if to comfort him. But then she pulled back. She stood in front of me as if protecting me. Once, Yolanda promised that no matter how she acted with others, she would never bring trouble to me. But now, she was panicking. When Yolanda looked at me again, her face turned pale and flustered. She spoke carefully. “Matthew, I’m so sorry. I didn’t expect him to run over like that. “It’s probably my fault for spoiling him too much lately. I’ll make sure to teach him a lesson.” I shook my head to signal that it was fine. It was not like I haven’t seen more upsetting scenes, so this wasn’t something I cared about anymore. I spoke to Yolanda. “Since he’s here, you should go be with him. You don’t need to worry about me. “I’ll just take a cab back, pack my things, and head to another place.” Yolanda froze for a moment, then slowly regained her composure. “Matthew, if you want to go anywhere, I’ll pay for it. Just go and enjoy yourself.” I nodded without saying a word and continued walking toward the door. After leaving the courthouse, a mechanical voice suddenly echoed in my mind. “Matthew, the system has detected that you are divorced and separated from Yolanda. The mission is complete! “In seven days, you will pass away from illness and leave this world!”

Eight years ago, while reading a novel at home, I accidentally traveled to this world. I was bound to a companion system and ended up by Yolanda’s side. The system told me I needed to accompany Yolanda for eight years or help her achieve success and happiness. In those eight years, Yolanda’s happiness had long reached its peak, and with my help, her company thrived, eventually becoming worth over one hundred million dollars. But despite completing the mission early, I didn’t leave. During those eight years, I truly fell in love with Yolanda. I couldn’t bring myself to leave her. The system had told me I only needed to stay with her for eight years, and then I could remain in this world. I thought I would stay by her side until the end of my life. But, with only seven days left until the eight years were up, Yolanda suddenly filed for divorce. On the final day of the eight years, I would be sent back to my original world. With seven days left, I checked into a hotel for the time being. On my way back, I noticed billboards everywhere, filled with pictures of Yolanda and Chris, looking all sweet and happy. Even the news was full of stories about Yolanda and Chris preparing to get married and hold a grand wedding. I watched the two of them in their wedding attire, full of happiness, and it suddenly hit me. No wonder Yolanda was in such a rush to get a divorce. She was preparing a surprise for her assistant. I remembered when I first arrived. I followed the system’s mission and found Yolanda, and when she saw me, she instantly fell in love with me. From that day on, she vowed that I would be the love of her life. To be with me, she said she would do anything. And she kept that promise. She cared for me in every possible way, and every detail of my life had Yolanda’s touch. Back then, I truly felt she saw me as the only person in her life. Yolanda’s family didn’t want her to marry someone like me, a man with nothing. To get their approval for our marriage, she starved herself for three days and nights, and only then did her parents agree. At the wedding, she held my hand and swore to the heavens. “I, Yolanda, will love Matthew for life, forever and always!” But she didn’t keep that promise. I had just lay down when, without warning, blood suddenly surged up my throat. Seeing the blood on the sheets, I rushed to the hospital. It seemed that the illness the system planned for me over these seven days was going to be hard to endure. Surprisingly, the hospital couldn’t figure out what was wrong and just gave me some painkillers before sending me home. I couldn’t help but wonder how Yolanda would look when I finally passed away. The expression on her face would surely be something to behold. Of course, before I die, there was one more thing I need to do. I want to tell her parents to rest well and not to mourn for me. In this strange foreign world, they were the only ones who still treated me like family. Since my condition was beyond saving, I felt it was time they knew. Before I even reached Yolanda’s father’s house, I saw through the window that Yolanda had Chris behind her, glaring angrily. “Mom, Dad, Matthew has been busy lately, so I brought my assistant to visit you. You don’t need to throw the gifts!” Yolanda’s father pointed at her and cursed. “How could you! I’ve told you. I only accept Matthew as your husband! “Tell that damn Chris to get out! Get out of here now!” Yolanda’s mother was even more furious, clutching her chest as her face turned pale. “Your father’s right. Take him and leave! “Yolanda, Matthew has never wronged you!” Watching this scene, I felt a slight warmth in my heart. It was once Yolanda’s parents who refused to let me marry her, only agreeing after she starved for three days and nights. Later, to earn their approval, I often visited, cooked for them, and looked after their health. They slowly began to treat me like their own son. “I already discussed it with Matthew, and he agreed. “I’m not asking you to accept him. I just wanted him to meet you. Is that too much to ask? “Chris, let’s go!” Yolanda’s face turned red with anger, and she pulled Chris toward the door. This scene was almost identical to when she fought for me, back when she would do anything for me. But now, things have changed. I placed my medical report at the door and prepared to leave. Just as I was about to step out, Yolanda suddenly saw me, her expression paling instantly. “Matthew?”

Yolanda’s eyes flickered with panic. She probably didn’t expect to run into me here. But I just left the report at the door, turned around, and walked out without saying another word. It wasn’t until I was almost home that I received a message from Yolanda. [Matthew, I only brought Chris home today to introduce him to my parents.] [He kept insisting on a wedding, so I just let him meet my parents.] [But don’t worry, it’s just a fake wedding. You’re still my husband!] She typed quickly, as though she had been waiting to say this for a while, and the words came pouring out. This message certainly came later than the idea of a wedding. I didn’t know how long she had been planning the wedding with Chris. I also didn’t know how long I had stopped being her husband in her heart. All I knew was that in five days, I would never have to see Yolanda again. I wandered aimlessly down the street, my feet instinctively carrying me toward the café where Yolanda and I used to go on dates. Everything inside the café felt so familiar. But now, the two people sitting at the bar drinking coffee were Yolanda and Chris. He held a glass of wine, his arm around her. Both of them flushed, their eyes full of desire. “Come on, Yolanda, let’s drink another toast.” A toast? I stared at the two of them, my mind scrambling to remember this gesture. The memory shot back to our wedding day when Yolanda looked at me in her pure white wedding dress, her eyes full of love and gratitude. But after that day, we never had the desire to share a toast. I had tried countless times, but all I got in return was rejection. Yolanda refused to drink even a single glass of wine in front of me, but with Chris, she drank glass after glass. The two of them were completely engrossed in their interaction, not noticing me sitting nearby, but the coffee shop owner did. His gaze shifted between me and the couple, confusion and shock filling his eyes. Maybe, to others, we appeared like a happy couple, but only I knew how torturous this marriage really was. Chris followed the owner’s gaze and immediately furrowed his brow when he saw me. He set down his drink and walked over, his voice tinged with frustration. “Matthew, I just asked Yolanda to spend a few days with me. You don’t have to act like this! “I swear, I’m not trying to take Yolanda away from you. Please, just let us have a few more days together. Just a few, I beg you! “After that, I won’t bother you two anymore!” Yolanda, seeing me, had the flush of alcohol and desire fade from her face in an instant. “Chris, be a bit more polite to Matthew. Stop making a scene!” Hearing Yolanda’s words, Chris looked down and quietly returned to the bar, sipping his drink. Yolanda’s brow furrowed tightly as she gripped my hand a little too forcefully. “Honey, I’ve told you. He won’t shake your place in my heart. You’ll always be my husband! “After this fake marriage is over, we can remarry, okay? “But right now, just leave us alone. Don’t show up here again, alright?” Her voice grew louder and more desperate, almost turning into a scream. I wasn’t angry, nor was I pleading. Just like when she told me she wanted a fake divorce, I quietly nodded and turned to leave. Yolanda still wanted to say something, but seeing my silent demeanor, she opened her mouth and couldn’t get a word out. The greatest sorrow was when one’s heart died. When one gave up on someone, even the desire to be angry at them vanished. For the next few days, I stayed home, as the condition the system gave me kept me bedridden. Then, I received a message from Chris. [Matthew, today is the wedding between Yolanda and me. Are you coming?]

My legs were weak from the system’s condition, making walking difficult. I had to use a cane to get to their wedding. I couldn’t really describe my feelings about attending their wedding, but I thought it would be interesting if I collapsed in front of them. Most of the people at the wedding were Yolanda’s friends and family, and as an outsider in this world, I had no one to talk to. In this world, Yolanda was my everything. The guests looked at me with various expressions, some mocking, some pitying, others with disdain. I had seen too many of those looks already, and I had become immune to them. The internet was flooded with news about their wedding, and as Yolanda’s ex-husband, I was being discussed by countless netizens. I walked slowly through the wedding venue, taking in the surroundings. The couple stood in front of an arch of flowers, greeting their guests, all of whom had once blessed Yolanda and me. I couldn’t help but wonder how they would mock me today. I gave a self-deprecating smile. This was all my own doing. Behind the wedding stage, there was a deep blue lake with fluffy, cotton-like clouds drifting above it. The lawn was covered with Chris’ favorite white roses, and countless blooms surrounded Yolanda, who stood there in a beautiful wedding dress. When Yolanda married me, our wedding was simple. We were poor back then and had nothing. Yolanda had told me that she wanted a wedding like this. I promised her that once we had enough money, I would give her the perfect wedding she had always dreamed of. But we had just started making money, and before I could fulfill my promise, she was about to marry another man. Everything here was exactly what Chris liked, and everything here was bought with the money that Yolanda and I had earned together. Yolanda walked slowly toward Chris in her wedding dress, her face glowing with a happy smile as she looked at him. “Chris! You don’t know how many times I’ve imagined this moment!” Tears of joy welled up in Yolanda’s eyes as she gazed at him with deep affection. “Chris, marrying you has always been my dream, and today, I’ve finally made my dream come true! “My love!” Chris, too, shed tears, but his eyes were filled with ambition and smugness. “Yolanda, the moment I first met you, I fell hopelessly in love with you. Marrying you has been my dream for life!” After sharing their feelings, they embraced each other tightly. The crowd cheered, offering their blessings for the couple to be together forever. Eleven years ago, they had done the same for me. The atmosphere was filled with excitement, everyone eager to offer their well wishes to the newlyweds. I sat in the audience, watching the beautiful scene unfold, tears streaming down my face. Suddenly, Chris spotted me from the stage. He probably didn’t expect that I would actually show up, and a sly grin appeared on his face. He tapped the microphone to quiet the crowd and fixed his gaze on me. “I owe a lot to one person for being able to marry Yolanda.” All eyes turned to me as they had already read about me in the gossip columns. Everyone knew I was Yolanda’s ex-husband. They were all waiting to see what I would say, what kind of spectacle I would make at my ex-wife’s wedding. I looked toward Yolanda, but all I saw on her face was panic and unease. She quickly grabbed the microphone from Chris’ hand and whispered something in his ear, but her words were still loud enough for everyone to hear. “What are you doing? Didn’t I tell you not to provoke Matthew?” She turned around and looked at me, her eyes pleading. After being married to her for so many years, I knew exactly what that look meant. It was a silent plea for me not to say anything that would embarrass her. After all, she had planned this wedding for so long, and she didn’t want anything to ruin it. I gave a self-deprecating smile. I had taken care of her for so long, but she couldn’t even spare me the last shred of sympathy. She knew full well that I would be ridiculed when I stepped onto that stage. Amidst the boos and applause, I made my way to the stage and grabbed the microphone.

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Nine months into my pregnancy, my husband’s first love, Evelyn, moved into our house under some pretext. Every time she saw me, she would clutch her chest, feigning heartache. My husband, Alexander, was convinced that I was deliberately flaunting my pregnancy to upset Evelyn. “Evelyn is too weak to bear children! You’re constantly showing off your baby bump in front of her to provoke her! Looks like you won’t learn your lesson unless I teach you one!” He ordered his men to lock me in the long-abandoned attic and forbade anyone from bringing me food. I struggled and begged, telling him that the ultrasound showed the twins were too large, and the doctor had advised me to be admitted to the hospital today for delivery. But he laughed as if he had heard a joke, his voice as cold as ice shards: “Your due date isn’t for another three days! Stop playing the victim! Go to the attic and reflect on your actions! This is what you get for upsetting Evelyn!” My contractions were so painful that I broke my nails clawing at the door, but no one came to open it. My agonizing screams echoed in the attic for a long time. Until I was lying in a pool of blood, with the unformed fetuses still stuck in the bloody hole between my legs. Three days later, Alexander, sipping a bowl of rice porridge that didn’t suit his taste, said: “Tell Lily to come out and make me a bowl of porridge, then apologize to Evelyn. If her attitude is sincere, send her to the hospital to give birth.” No one dared to respond. Because the blood from the attic had already spread to the second step of the stairs. …

“Why isn’t that jealous woman Lily wailing anymore?” “Sir… could something have happened to Mrs. Frost? Last night, her screams were heart-wrenching, she sounded like she was in terrible pain…” Alexander took a sip of porridge, snorting dismissively. “No one knows Lily better than I do. She’s just putting on an act! This time I must teach her a lesson so she won’t dare to provoke Evelyn again!” The butler glanced towards the attic, hesitating before speaking: “But Mrs. Frost is carrying twins, and the doctor said she needed to be admitted to the hospital early…” Alexander paused mid-sip, his expression softening slightly. “Is that so?” He stirred his porridge for a while, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes: “Fine, tell Lily to come out and make me a bowl of porridge, then get over here and apologize to Evelyn! Today is her due date, if her apology is sincere, we’ll send her to the hospital.” Alexander heated up a cup of milk and walked into the guest room. On the bed, Evelyn’s breathing was steady, the blanket had slipped down to her shoulders, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of her chest. Alexander’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he stared at her for a long moment before reluctantly tearing his gaze away. He bent down and placed a kiss on her lips. Evelyn slowly opened her eyes, stretching languidly, and pouted coyly: “Brother Alex~ You’re bullying me again~” Alexander parted his legs to let Evelyn sit in his lap, his fingers idly massaging her waist. “Who could resist when you sleep like that?” Evelyn buried her head in Alexander’s chest, letting out a few contented murmurs. “But, sister Lily is working hard carrying your child. We’re both women, I can’t let you betray her when she’s at her most vulnerable!” Suddenly, as if remembering something, she looked up anxiously: “Last night, sister Lily was screaming so loudly, is she going into labor? Sigh… Even though it hurts to hear sister Lily in such pain, I’m envious! Being able to carry Brother Alex’s baby, even if childbirth is painful, it would be sweet happiness for me.” Sweet happiness? By now, I had already become a ghost floating beside them. On the attic floor, red blood had spread across the entire room. On the walls were deep scratches I had made in my intense pain, with bits of fingernails and flesh still clinging to them.

Not to mention how I had torn myself apart down there trying to give birth to the children. When I pulled out the first child, it was already not breathing. Blood gushed from the gaping wound between my legs, and the second child became stuck in the torn, bloody hole. With blood matting my hair, I held the blood-covered fetus, my eyes wide open as I stopped breathing. I wonder how Alexander will react when he sees this scene? But for now, he was only focused on holding Evelyn close. His voice was full of guilt and self-reproach: “It’s my fault! I shouldn’t have let the pregnant Lily appear in front of you and make you sad! I swear, this is the last time that woman will carry a child for me! You won’t see any more pregnant women in this house in the future.” “You don’t know, Lily even lied to me to try to soften my heart, saying she was afraid the babies were too big and might cause a difficult delivery, and that the doctor recommended immediate hospitalization.” “She can survive in the wilderness for three days and nights without food, yet she tells me she’s afraid of giving birth!” My heart ached, almost unable to breathe. A pregnant woman’s constitution is far different from a normal person’s, let alone the fact that from the day I became pregnant with twins, the discomforts of pregnancy had nearly exhausted me. Several times, due to my poor pregnancy constitution, I had even been hospitalized to prevent miscarriage. When I was first locked in the attic, I begged and pleaded with him to let me out. Because if I was really locked up for three days, it would surely result in three deaths! But Alexander, right in front of me, loudly instructed the butler: “Go! Throw the key into a stinking river, and don’t let anyone secretly open the door for Lily! After three days, I want her to kneel and apologize to Evelyn!” To survive, I tore down the wall paintings, piercing my hands with blood, and to pry open the attic window, my nails were forcibly broken off. Enduring the excruciating pain, I mustered my strength to climb out of the window onto the rain gutter outside, gripping the tiles tightly with my hands, inching along bit by bit, trying to jump to another room to escape. But then. In the garden below, Alexander was forcefully holding Evelyn in a deep embrace, kissing her passionately. The two were kissing so recklessly, it looked like things were about to get out of hand. Evelyn suddenly pushed Alexander away, looked up towards the attic, and let out a piercing scream. Alexander raised his head, saw me desperately trying to escape, and flew into a rage. He was convinced that I had deliberately appeared in front of Evelyn again. He ordered someone to bring a crane, and personally operated it, using the shovel to press against my belly, forcibly ramming me back into the attic. Intense pain shot through my abdomen, and blood seemed to flow endlessly from between my legs. In the end, my eyes were wide open, holding the blood-covered children in my arms. And that’s how I stopped breathing. Alexander brought the cup of warm milk to Evelyn’s lips. “I’ve already sent someone to bring Lily over to apologize to you. If she’s sincere, we’ll send her to the hospital. If not, she can give birth in the attic!” Evelyn sipped the milk in small mouthfuls, but still choked a little, coughing with tears in her eyes, looking pitiful and delicate. “Brother Alex, you can’t treat sister Lily like this. Childbirth is very dangerous for women!” Alexander sighed, looking at the girl in his arms with doting eyes: “You’re just too kind-hearted, that’s why you get bullied by women like Lily! Lily is a survival expert, she can survive for three days without food or water in the wild! You, on the other hand, little one, are so delicate you choke on a sip of milk.” He gently tapped her nose: “And you talk about childbirth being dangerous as if you’ve given birth before!” Evelyn’s eyes flashed with panic for a moment, but she quickly lowered her head, her voice tinged with grievance: “Only Brother Alex… can see through the fragile heart beneath Evelyn’s strong exterior…” She looked up again, her eyes misty, her lips bitten to a glossy sheen. She hooked her arms around Alexander’s neck, deliberately pressing her chest against his heart.

Alexander could no longer resist, kissing her with heavy breaths as Evelyn softly murmured. Their lips entwined fiercely, and they began to hungrily demand more from each other’s bodies. But at the last moment, Evelyn suddenly pushed away the heavily panting man: “We can’t, you’re a married man now, and sister Lily is carrying your child. Evelyn doesn’t want to be a homewrecker!” Alexander’s eyes were burning with desire, his voice hoarse: “Alright, I, Alexander, will never betray Evelyn’s true heart! Wait for me a little longer! Only when I’m clean and free will I be worthy of touching someone as pure as you!” With that, he placed a lingering kiss on her forehead, as if cherishing a priceless treasure. A flash of triumph gleamed in Evelyn’s eyes. Alexander couldn’t see it, but I could. Not wanting to be a homewrecker? I found it ridiculous, laughable! Then what about the many times she came to me, brazenly saying that even though I was pregnant, I was just paving the way for her, and that even the children I gave birth to would call her “mom” in the future? What does that count as? Using the poor excuse of being sick with no one to take care of her to move into my home. Openly flirting with Alexander at the dinner table, to the point where even the house cook couldn’t stand it and made a few sarcastic remarks about her. She immediately tattled to Alexander, saying the cook didn’t wash the ingredients properly, causing her to get gastroenteritis, and demanded the cook be fired. At that time, I had no appetite due to my pregnancy, and only the food made by this cook suited my taste. Out of hospitality, I approached her and offered to hire another chef to cook for her, but she slapped me across the face. “It doesn’t matter if the food tastes good or not, what matters is knowing who the real mistress of the house is! Lily, I just want to tell you, there’s only one Mrs. Frost, and that’s me, Evelyn!” To prove that she would be Mrs. Frost, she curled up in Alexander’s arms like a kitten, whimpering and sobbing. Crying that she was unfortunate, that she couldn’t bear children for him in this lifetime. And seeing me with my pregnant belly every day inevitably made her feel lost and heartbroken. “I’ve already tried my best to avoid sister Lily, but I still can’t help running into her every day! I should move out! Evelyn can’t live in such pain every day, it’s making me so unhappy!” Alexander lost control of his emotions in an instant, his face turning cold as he rushed over and slapped me to the ground. “You know very well that Evelyn gets upset just by seeing pregnant women, yet you still parade around with your big belly in front of her every day! What are you trying to do!” “Such a vicious woman! You don’t deserve to be a mother! Today I’m going to lock you in the attic! Let you have a taste of suffering!” Several bodyguards grabbed my limbs and threw me into the dust-covered attic. “The doctor told me to go to the hospital today for delivery! If I go to the hospital, she won’t see me either!” I desperately clung to the doorframe, pleading tearfully. Alexander sneered: “If you’re going to lie, at least get your facts straight. Your due date isn’t for another three days!” He no longer listened to any of my protests and slammed the door shut. My fingers were caught in the door, the sudden, piercing pain making me curl up and retract my fingers, unable to say anything more. Alexander looked on with satisfaction and locked the attic door. And now, as the two of them were still passionately entangled, the butler came running, out of breath and panicked: “Madam… Madam is gone!” “Gone?!” Alexander suddenly raised his head, looking annoyed at having his mood disturbed. The butler wiped the sweat from his forehead, saying fearfully: “The attic is full of blood… Madam… she…” He dared not continue. Alexander straightened his rumpled shirt. “What blood? Oh, she’s probably just spotting, is she going into labor? Send her to the hospital.”

The butler swallowed hard and forced himself to continue: “Madam… she’s not breathing…” There was a hint of panic in Alexander’s voice, but just as I tried to listen more closely, his tone became harsh again. “Acting! She’s still acting! I want to see how long she can keep this up!” “She’s survived in much harsher conditions in the wilderness, she can hold her breath underwater for over ten minutes! She’s just trying to fool you all because you don’t have any medical knowledge! She’s holding her breath to scare you! Call my private doctor, I want to expose her tricks in person!” The butler’s eyes widened, “Mr. Frost, Madam’s children are…” “Who do you listen to?!” Alexander impatiently interrupted him. “Am I the one paying your salary or is that woman?” “Yes… I’ll go call the doctor right away…” The butler sighed helplessly before leaving. Evelyn softly pressed herself against Alexander. “Brother Alex, don’t be angry. Anger is bad for your health.” “That woman Lily is just good at winning people over! It’s only been a few years, and she’s already acting like she runs this house!” Alexander’s words were like a slap, waking me from my delusions. In just three short years, he had already forgotten his promises from the past. On our wedding day, Alexander had looked at me with eyes full of love and said, “This is your home now, and from now on, you’ll be the only mistress of this house.” Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. Just moments ago, I had foolishly imagined that if Alexander knew I had died from complications during childbirth, He might feel a bit of regret and guilt… How ridiculous I am now, and how stupid I was then. I actually believed Alexander when he said he would love me forever. Back then, Alexander and Evelyn were childhood sweethearts in an arranged marriage between prominent families. But Evelyn unexpectedly discovered that due to health reasons, she couldn’t conceive naturally. So she left for a foreign country without looking back, cutting off all contact with Alexander. She kept saying that as the sole heir to the Frost family, she couldn’t bear to marry Alexander and end his bloodline. To forget the pain of their breakup, Alexander joined a wilderness exploration team. And I happened to be the team leader. Later, when he proposed to me, he said I was brave and strong, the embodiment of all that was good in the world. I was his guiding light in his darkest times, the one he knew instantly was his soulmate. After we got married, he felt that wilderness exploration was too dangerous. So he asked me to quit my job and stay at home to prepare for pregnancy, to give the Frost family an heir. But during those days when Alexander had broken up with Evelyn, he had been drinking heavily and staying up late, which had severely weakened his body. Under the pressure from the Frost elders to produce an heir, I worked on improving his health while actively trying to get pregnant. Finally, in the third year of our marriage, I successfully became pregnant with twins. The Frost elders were so delighted that they immediately held a press conference, declaring that the children I would give birth to would be the sole heirs to the Frost Group. It was at this time that Evelyn returned to the country. And she brought back a statement: “I have no interest in inheriting the company. As long as I can be with Alex, Evelyn will be satisfied for this lifetime.” Alexander began staying out all night, his white shirts stained with indelible red lipstick marks. I decisively brought up divorce, but Alexander said the children in my womb were the heirs to the Frost Group, and he wouldn’t let me go. He also said Evelyn was sick and needed someone to take care of her, so he brought her to live in our home. And because Evelyn couldn’t have children and couldn’t bear to see pregnant women with big bellies, he locked me, who was about to reach my due date, in the abandoned attic. Alexander truly deserves to rot in hell! The doctor arrived quickly. As Alexander’s personal friend, Dr. James had always been in charge of Alexander’s health management. Alexander followed behind Dr. James with his arms crossed, fuming, “Lily, let’s see how much longer you can keep up this act!”

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On the eve of our wedding, Jack coaxed me into giving him my first time. The next morning, I painfully crawled out of his bed. Unintentionally, I overheard him chatting with his ex-girlfriend in the study. “Hey, wasn’t it thrilling to play with her in bed last night like I taught you?” “If I hadn’t told you to use a permanent marker to write ‘slut,’ ‘whore,’ and ‘bitch’ on her body while she was out of it, you wouldn’t have had such an exciting experience.” Jack replied affectionately, “You’re something else.” His ex-girlfriend whined, “You know, I’m actually a bit jealous that you’re marrying her.” Jack casually responded, “I’m just playing with her. On the wedding day, you come and crash it. I’ll leave with you, and she’ll be humiliated. Wouldn’t that be fun?” I put down my phone, neither crying nor making a scene. Instead, I booked a flight for studying abroad. The departure date was the same day as the wedding. I leaned against the door, listening to their conversation, my fingertips trembling. Emily’s tone was gleeful: “Hey, isn’t Lily supposed to be our university’s campus beauty queen? And you’ve reduced her to this state?” “You’re such a bad boy!” Jack replied nonchalantly, “Don’t say it like that. She enjoyed herself last night too.” “She chased after me for three years in college. By sleeping with her, I’m just helping her fulfill her wish.” “It’s her own fault. I only agreed to marry her, but now she’s becoming too controlling. Running away from the wedding is just to teach her a lesson.” His tone was so matter-of-fact. I felt a chill run through my body, my head spinning, almost collapsing. I had to lean against the wall to barely stand up. I didn’t know when I fell asleep last night. Or rather, when I passed out. It was my first time, and neither the preparation nor the aftercare was done properly. I touched my forehead. It was burning hot. I must have a fever. In the study, Jack spoke casually: “There’s one thing I forgot to ask. Last night was her first time, and I couldn’t hold back. I finished inside her and didn’t clean up in time.” “She’s physically weak and had a bit of a fever in the early hours. You’re a girl, you should know better how to handle this?” But Emily was dismissive: “I didn’t expect your fiancée to be such a drama queen. What’s the big deal?” “You absolutely can’t spoil her too much, or she’ll be even more difficult to deal with in the future.” I clenched my fists, holding my breath waiting for Jack’s response. He was silent for a moment, then replied, “Mm, I’ll do as you say.” I stood there stunned, suddenly feeling drained. I thought he would care about me at least a little bit. Even if it was just a tiny bit. Emily whined on the other end of the phone: “Alright, let’s not talk about your boring fiancée anymore. I want to eat breakfast from that place in New Town. Can you come over and bring me some?” Jack frowned slightly: “I should help Lily take a shower first, to wash off those words on her body before she notices.” Emily wasn’t happy: “No way! It’s more fun if she finds out!” “Oh come on, don’t worry. Even if she discovers it, she won’t dare to break up with you. Besides, she might even like being treated that way~” “Come on, I’m starving.” “Alright, you little glutton. What do you want to eat? I’ll bring it for you.” Jack hung up the phone and hurriedly left. He didn’t care at all about me, still running a fever.

After Jack left. In the bathroom, I slowly unbuttoned my white shirt. Last night, Jack pinned me down on the bed, sweet-talking me. “Are you sure you don’t want to try?” His beautiful eyes were full of deep affection. I couldn’t utter a word of refusal. So last night, I was seduced by him and foolishly rolled around with him. He held me, showing no restraint, taking me again and again. When I was barely conscious, he took out a permanent marker and held my thigh, writing on my body. I shivered at the cold sensation: “What are you writing?” He leaned down to kiss my forehead, saying softly, “Silly, of course I’m writing that I’ll love you forever.” The last button was undone. The shirt fell to the floor. I looked in the mirror, my eyes widening, my whole body trembling uncontrollably. Dirty words appeared all over my body. Last night, he carefully held me in his arms, coaxing me: “It’s my first time too, I don’t have much experience. I’m afraid I might not do it well and make you uncomfortable.” His warm breath lingered by my ear. I endured the pain and said to him: “It’s okay.” He pressed me down, using his fingertips to wipe away the tears from the corners of my eyes: “Be good, bear with it for a moment, it’ll feel good soon.” “Lily, I’m your first man, you must remember me for a lifetime.” I thought he truly loved me, that’s why he agreed to marry me. I thought when he covered my eyes and wrote those words one by one gently, he really meant he would love me forever. But in reality, he was counting the days until he could run away on our wedding day, humiliating me and turning me into a joke. In reality… there was another woman teaching him how to play with me, letting him write all sorts of dirty words on my body. Slut, whore, bitch, toilet… In my dazed state, on my lower abdomen which Jack had kissed, he even wrote word by word: “I’m a cheap whore, please use me as you wish.” … My self-esteem, which had been well-protected since childhood, disappeared in an instant at this moment. I had never felt so awful before. I leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths, my whole body shaking. I clutched my stomach, wanting to cry out loud, to scream, to smash everything around me. I wanted to rush over and confront Jack immediately, asking why he did this. I only liked him, why did he have to treat me like this? But in the end, I just numbly soaked myself in the bathtub. Those unsightly words were already very difficult to wash off. I scrubbed my body desperately with red-rimmed eyes. My skin turned red and even started bleeding, but I didn’t feel the pain. Even so, those filthy words seemed to have grown on my body. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t wash them clean. I fell into deep self-loathing. I bit my lip, hugging myself, trying hard to hold back my tears. But the tears still fell uncontrollably, splashing into the bathtub in large drops.

That day, I tried every way I could think of to clean those filthy things out of my body with my fingers. Until evening, Jack hadn’t sent me any messages. At 8 PM, Emily posted a video on Instagram. My best friend had discovered early on that Emily wasn’t a good person and told me to be more cautious. She had secretly helped me add Emily with a fake account, something neither Jack nor Emily knew about. In the video, they were playing an exciting game with a group of old classmates. Emily lost quickly and was required to choose someone for a passionate kiss. If the person she chose refused her, Emily would be punished by having to take off a piece of clothing in front of everyone. Emily walked up to Jack with a red face: “Jack, you wouldn’t let me embarrass myself, would you?” Jack looked at her, neither agreeing nor refusing. The next second, Emily took the initiative to wrap her arms around his neck, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed his lips. Jack was stunned for a moment but didn’t push her away. He closed his eyes and accepted the kiss. They kissed deeply for a long time before separating. Around them were the teasing cheers of the crowd. Emily laughed: “My lipstick left a mark on your lips. I hope your fiancée won’t get jealous enough to break up with you.” Jack belatedly wiped his lips, his voice soft but firm: “You’re overthinking it. How could she bear to break up with me?” I suddenly felt nauseous and ran to the bathroom, vomiting for a long time. … That day, because of my fever, I curled up on the couch, drifting in and out of sleep until midnight. I don’t know when Jack came back. The living room light came on. I was covered in cold sweat, unable to gather the strength to get up for a long time. The next second, I heard Jack’s panicked footsteps: “Lily, why are you so hot?” I wanted to open my eyes, but I found that even moving a finger was extremely difficult. After that, I lost consciousness. The next morning, I woke up in the hospital. Jack was holding my hand, with faint dark circles under his eyes, as if he had stayed up all night watching over me. Seeing me awake, he first looked delighted, then sighed: “How can you be so careless about taking care of yourself? What would you do without me?” “You’re very weak now. The doctor said you need to eat more.” “Look, I specially bought you food from your favorite restaurant.” He deliberately lowered his voice to threaten me: “I queued for a long time to buy this for you. You better eat more, or you’ll be in for it tonight.” I turned over and said, “I don’t want to eat.” He became a bit nervous: “What’s wrong, darling? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?” I interrupted him: “Get out, I want to be alone for a while.” Jack helplessly stroked my head: “Are you angry that I didn’t accompany you yesterday?” “Baby, I’m sorry. I just wanted to marry you sooner, so I was busy planning our wedding yesterday. I want to give you the most perfect wedding.” “I’m sorry I didn’t notice you were sick. I’ll make it up to you in the future, please forgive me.” I bit my lip, holding back tears. Liar. How could he tell lies so calmly? Jack said worriedly: “I know you don’t have an appetite, but please eat a little. Come on, I’ll feed you.” I avoided him and pushed his hand away forcefully. He couldn’t hold it steady, and the bowl fell to the ground, breaking with a jarring sound. He was stunned and said angrily: “What are you throwing a tantrum about now? Is it because of those words I left on your body last night?” I looked at him without saying anything. He continued: “Stop making a fuss. Isn’t it normal for couples to play like this?” “Why are you being so sensitive now? Can’t you even handle this? Look at Emily, she never throws tantrums like you!” Hearing the name “Emily,” I couldn’t hold back anymore, and tears flowed uncontrollably. He was stunned for a moment, hurriedly wiping my tears: “You’re so grown up now, why are you still crying so easily.” “Alright baby, I’m sorry, it’s my fault. Your husband was wrong. I’ll never do it again, okay?” I threw a pillow at him hard: “Get out! I don’t want to see you!” Jack’s head was hit by the pillow, and he gradually lost patience in comforting me. He looked at me disappointedly, as if looking at an unreasonable child. “Fine, I’m leaving.” “You’re an adult now. You can’t throw tantrums like a child anymore.” “I hope when I see you tomorrow, you’ll have calmed down on your own.” After saying this, he left. I felt a lump in my throat, unable to breathe properly. From then on, I shut myself away. Until a week later, when I walked to the bathroom and saw my haggard reflection in the mirror, I was stunned. My eyelids were swollen, with dark circles under my eyes, and bloodshot eyes that couldn’t be hidden. In just a few days, I looked completely different from the once youthful and beautiful me. Looking in the mirror, I questioned myself, how did I end up like this? I angrily took off my clothes, walked into the shower, and scrubbed my body vigorously. I put on a sexy red dress like I used to, applied beautiful makeup, not missing even a single strand of hair. As I was about to go out, I received a call from my academic advisor. She had always taken good care of me and admired my talent in art design. Now, her tone was serious: “Lily, I’m calling to confirm one more time. You received an offer from that French university you applied to for your Ph.D. Are you really going to give it up because of marriage?” “The professor there thinks highly of you. Are you sure you want to give up your future to stay in the country and get married?” When I was in college, I had been preparing for studying abroad for my master’s degree, spending day and night in the library. But when I finally won Jack over, I started to waver. Jack was the student union president at that time, cold and proud, from a wealthy family. I would be secretly happy if I could talk to him once a week. When we were dating, it was mostly me taking the initiative. Sometimes if I didn’t take the initiative to message him, he might not even think of chatting with me. I put in a lot of effort, trying hard to maintain our relationship. Later, when we finally reached the stage of talking about marriage, I became even more reluctant to leave. But now… I bit my lip, gripped the phone tightly, and said decisively: “Professor, I’ll go!” My advisor’s excited voice came from the other end of the phone: That’s great, you’ve finally come to your senses. That day, I talked with my advisor for a very long time, confirming the time for going abroad and future plans. After hanging up the phone, I immediately booked a flight ticket for going abroad. The departure date was the same day as the wedding. I gritted my teeth and told myself, Lily, you have to be strong. Since Jack wants to run away from the wedding and humiliate me, Why don’t I take the first step to run away from the wedding and turn him into a joke?

In the following days, I kept everything from Jack, applying for a passport and visa, preparing for studying abroad. Because I was so busy, I had almost forgotten about Jack’s affairs. Five days before the wedding countdown, when Jack suddenly said he wanted to take me to meet his parents, I was a bit stunned. In the past, when Jack said he wanted to take me to meet his parents, I was so nervous that I couldn’t sleep all night, constantly worrying about whether they would like me or not. I even dragged my best friend to the mall for a whole day to choose what to wear when meeting his parents. But now, I found that I didn’t care as much as I had imagined. I shook my head and said, “I don’t want to go.” He grabbed my hand: “Lily, be good, don’t make a fuss. This was planned long ago.” “Although my parents don’t interfere with my love life, only if they approve of you can we have a proper wedding.” “Don’t you want to receive my parents’ blessings?” Not wanting Jack to notice my intention to run away from the wedding, I nodded half-heartedly. When I was dragged by Jack to his parents’ house. Jack knocked on the door for a long time. Emily opened the door. She was wearing pajamas and slippers, casual as if this was her home. I was stunned, my palms turning cold. Jack looked at her, his voice gentle: “Why are you here?” Emily naturally took the gifts we had bought for Jack’s parents: “You’re being too distant. We’ve grown up together since childhood, of course I should come to see what kind of girl your fiancée is!” She looked at me, pretending to be surprised: “Isn’t this the campus beauty queen from our school? Did she fall for you so easily?” “How long have you been chasing her? A year? A month?” Jack said softly, “Not necessary.” Emily suddenly burst out laughing. She held Jack’s hand and said, “Alright, let’s not talk about her. Uncle and Auntie have been missing you so much.” Emily linked arms with Jack and went to greet his parents. It was as if she was Jack’s fiancée. And I was like a mistress peeking at their happiness. Every time I tried to speak, Emily would eagerly interrupt me. I was left out in the cold, not knowing whether to stand or sit. At the dinner table, Emily naturally sat next to Jack. She casually arranged for me: “Hey you, find a seat yourself.” The only seat left was far away from Jack. Jack didn’t notice my awkwardness, chatting and laughing with Emily. In the past, I would definitely have made a scene. But now, looking at him like this, I suddenly felt it was pointless and didn’t want to say a word. During the meal, Jack’s parents complimented me on my looks. Emily unhappily said: “Lily was our school’s campus beauty queen in college… When she was in class, quite a few guys would stare at her chest.” Jack’s expression gradually became unpleasant. He chuckled lightly: “What kind of campus beauty queen is she? At home, she just wears T-shirts and sweatshirts, with her hair in a messy bun. She gets tanned every summer, and any random person on the street looks better than her.” “She also likes to eat late-night snacks. After eating, her face swells up the next day. She keeps talking about losing weight while continuing to eat. How is that like a beauty at all?” “If her former admirers knew what she’s really like, their illusions would be shattered.” While saying these things, he lazily leaned back in his chair, slowly peeling shrimp. After peeling, he naturally put the shrimp in Emily’s bowl. Emily held the bowl, smiling and saying: “Why are you giving it to me? Your fiancée is right here.” The others at the table seemed to remember something and started observing my expression. Before I could speak, Emily spoke first. She was grinning. “Sister-in-law, why do you look so unhappy?” “Are you angry that Jack peeled shrimp for me?” “Don’t misunderstand, sister-in-law. I’ve known him since we were kids. Jack is very caring and has been peeling shrimp for me since we were little. We’re used to it.” After saying this, she affectionately put her arm around Jack’s neck: “Isn’t that right?” I clenched my hands. Jack had never peeled shrimp for me. Once during a date, I had my nails done and couldn’t peel shrimp easily. So I acted coquettishly, asking him to peel shrimp for me just once. But he frowned and refused without hesitation: “Lily, you know I never like peeling shrimp.” After that, I never asked again, even reflecting on whether I was being too demanding. But it turns out, he would willingly and without complaint peel shrimp for someone else. Jack noticed my unhappy expression and gave me a slightly reproachful look: “Lily, Emily has never peeled shrimp herself since she was little. Don’t compare yourself to her.” Where Jack couldn’t see, Emily gave me a challenging smile. I held back tears: “I haven’t said anything yet, why are you in such a hurry?” Jack’s expression became unnatural: “This is just a small matter, don’t make a fuss.” “Since you think I’m making a fuss, I’ll leave then.” Jack gripped my wrist: “Lily, don’t make a scene.” “Do you have to make things so ugly?” I pushed his hand away: “The one making things ugly is you.” Emily sat there, her eyes slightly red, saying: “Did I make Lily angry?” Jack sighed lightly: “Emily, you didn’t do anything wrong, no need to apologize.” “Lily, you’ve made such a big deal out of this. Emily didn’t even mind, when will you learn to be as sensible as her?” My eyes heated up, and I couldn’t hold back anymore: “If she’s so sensible, why don’t you marry her!” Jack frowned: “What nonsense are you talking about now?” I shook him off and turned to leave. Jack quickly tried to follow. But Emily held onto the hem of his shirt from behind: “Jack, come back.” “You men are so stupid, you don’t understand women at all.” “At a time like this, you shouldn’t follow her. You’ll only make things worse. Women just need some time to calm down on their own.” Jack listened to her words and stood still, looking at me, and really didn’t follow. Sometimes, I really wonder if he’s Emily’s puppet. If Emily says something, will he always listen?

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My daughter was taken from me. I was sure I had given birth to a girl, but when I woke up, there was a boy instead. My mother-in-law dismissed my concerns, saying I was imagining things because I wanted a daughter so badly. My husband also said I was just seeing things. I began to suspect that they had conspired to switch my child. Right after the delivery, the nurse wanted to take the baby to the incubator. I managed to stay conscious long enough to ask her to show me the baby. She was fair-skinned and chubby, with her eyes still closed, but her long eyelashes were striking. Her tiny face was rosy and cute, instantly lovable. Her right pinky toe was noticeably curved—a family trait. Finally, I relaxed. Soon after, I fell asleep. “How could this happen? My grandson is so unfortunate, suffering right after birth.” My mother-in-law woke me abruptly, her voice sharp: “Did you hide a family disease? The doctor said the baby has a congenital heart defect. With a mother like you, the child is cursed.” “You should sell the house your mother left you to pay for the child’s treatment. If that’s not enough, add the dowry money. No matter the cost, I must save my precious grandson.” Grandson? I know she’s eager for a grandson, but I definitely gave birth to a daughter! “Mom, maybe you misremembered. I had a girl.” My mother-in-law shouted loudly: “How could I be wrong? It’s clearly my precious grandson.” She unwrapped the baby from the blanket. One look, and I was stunned. The fair, chubby, adorable little face had turned wrinkled, dark, and thin. “This isn’t my child!” My mother-in-law glared at me fiercely. “Lydia, what nonsense are you spouting? The baby came from your belly. If it’s not yours, whose is it?” “Mom, I definitely had a girl. I saw her right after she was born. There’s no way I got it wrong.” My mother-in-law rolled her eyes at me: “The baby was taken to the incubator right after birth. You fainted afterward. What you saw was just a dream!” “The one I have here is your child. The doctor mentioned a congenital heart defect. Our family doesn’t have this genetic issue. It must be from your side.” No, no one in my family has heart disease. And I’m sure I had a girl. My mother-in-law was clearly lying earlier. Thinking back to how she and my husband didn’t let me verify the baby’s gender, maybe they planned to switch my baby. But why would they do that? My mother-in-law desperately wants a grandson. She wouldn’t raise someone else’s child. So whose child is she holding? Where did my baby go? Thinking of this, a chill ran down my spine. If my daughter was sold to traffickers, I would regret it my entire life, living in endless pain. The situation was urgent. I needed to buy time for my daughter. While my mother-in-law was distracted, I secretly texted the police. If they really switched the baby, my husband must know. From now on, I can’t trust anyone. “Waa~ waa~” The baby cried out in hunger. I glanced down; this baby was not at all what I expected. He didn’t resemble me at all. Seeing I had no intention of feeding him, my mother-in-law panicked and pointed at me, cursing. “Are you going to let the baby starve? I’ve never seen such a heartless mother. The baby is crying from hunger, yet you won’t feed him.” Knowing this child took my daughter’s place, and my daughter was missing, I didn’t feel any pity. Seeing I wasn’t moving, my mother-in-law came over to unbutton my shirt. Her grip was strong, leaving red marks on my chest. I was too weak, without any strength, watching as the buttons were being undone. I glanced at the table and saw a plastic cup. I grabbed it and threw it at her. My mother-in-law, outraged, raised her hand to hit me. Just then, someone pushed the door open.

My husband Zane came in with breakfast. Behind him was my sister-in-law Nora. They were laughing and chatting, looking very close. My mother-in-law immediately changed her expression. “Son, look at the kind of woman you married!” “She watches the baby starve and won’t feed him at all. Isn’t she trying to starve my grandson to death?” “Oh dear, how can such a heartless woman exist? I’ve never seen a mother like this in my whole life!” I have to admit, my mother-in-law’s acting skills could be taught in acting schools. Just now, she looked like she wanted to tear me apart. Now, in front of her son, she pretends to be pitiful and kind. Before Zane could speak, Nora jumped in: “Sister-in-law, do you despise the baby for having a heart defect and being a burden, so you refuse to feed him?” “You’re so selfish. What kind of mother does this?” Nora’s accusation came first, labeling me as selfish and self-centered. She has always been against me. When Zane and I got married, she insisted I wasn’t good enough for her brother and tried to block me from entering the family. Who her brother marries, and she needs to agree? At the wedding, Nora damaged my wedding dress, nearly embarrassing me in front of everyone. I’ve never understood why she targets me. Before she finished speaking, Zane tugged at her collar, signaling her to shut up. Their little gestures didn’t escape my notice. A terrifying suspicion crossed my mind. Could there be something improper between Nora and Zane? Zane came over to me, saying: “Lydia isn’t like that. You must be mistaken. Nora has been preparing for exams this year, so she’s a bit stressed. Honey, don’t mind her.” Zane placed the breakfast on my bedside. He was clearly siding with Nora. Speaking of exams, Nora had been renting a place to prepare for the civil service exam, especially in the past few months, she never showed up. Could it be that she wasn’t preparing for exams but for pregnancy? Nora was adopted by my mother-in-law from an orphanage. Could the baby’s congenital heart defect be inherited from her? Is Nora rejecting the baby because of the heart defect and switched the babies, making me raise hers? And my baby, who knows where they sent her. I can only hope they still have a conscience, and that my daughter is still alive.

“Honey, the baby may have a defect, but he’s still ours. If we care for him, I’m sure he’ll be fine.” “Why not sell the house your mom left you? It’s just sitting there. The child’s medical bills, drugs, and formula will be costly. I don’t want to lower your quality of life after having a baby.” I have to admit, this family has a well-calculated plan. Not only do they want me to raise Nora’s baby, but they also want me to fund their lifestyle. This greedy and malicious family wants to drain me dry! After knowing them for three years and being married for five, I decided to give Zane one last chance. “Zane, do you trust me?” He smiled and said, “Of course I trust you.” I looked him in the eye and said, word by word: “This is not my child. I gave birth to a daughter. Someone switched the babies.” Zane was stunned for a moment but quickly regained his smile, holding my hand: “Honey, you must be so tired that you’re seeing things. The baby was right there when he was brought out. You had a son.” Though he acted normally, I noticed he was lying. When he lies, his eyes shift to the left, and his left hand clenches. I’m now certain they conspired to switch the babies. I chuckled softly. “This child isn’t mine. I won’t feed him.” “I also won’t sell the house my parents left me to save a child who isn’t related to me.” I said this and provocatively glanced at Nora, who indeed panicked: “Lydia, you’re out of your mind. This is your child. We all saw the nurse take him out of the delivery room.” “You’re a vicious woman, cruel even to a newborn. You think only you have milk? Fine, I’ll just…” Before Nora finished, Zane interrupted: “What nonsense are you saying? I know you care about your nephew and want to make formula for him, but let Mom handle that. You focus on your exam preparation. Let’s aim for success this year.” Seeing Zane rush to explain, I sneered inwardly. Nora was probably about to say she could breastfeed herself. She can’t bear to let her own child go hungry. Zane, afraid Nora might slip up again, hurriedly pulled her away.

“Stop!” They both turned around. Nora rolled her eyes at me impatiently. Zane looked at me for a moment and then smiled knowingly. “Honey, you can’t stand being apart from me, right? I heard women get clingy after giving birth. Looks like it’s true!” “Or are you jealous? Don’t worry, I won’t let her sit in the passenger seat.” I’m disgusted. Enough, please. The police will be here soon, and I don’t want to waste time finding my daughter. To avoid alerting them, I put on a weak front. 4 “Stop right there!” Both of them turned around. Nora gave me an exasperated eye roll. Zane studied me for a moment, then smirked knowingly. “Honey, are you having trouble letting me go? I heard new moms get especially attached. Guess it’s true!” “Or maybe you’re jealous? Don’t worry, she won’t be in the front seat.” That’s nauseating. Spare me. The police will be here soon, and I don’t want to waste time. To keep things calm, I feigned weakness: “Sweetheart, I’m feeling so weak and can’t eat. Could you peel an apple for me? Let’s leave a bit later.” Zane agreed and sat beside me with a fruit knife, ready to feed me piece by piece. Meanwhile, Nora lay resting on another hospital bed, looking even more frail than me. My mother-in-law had just prepared baby formula and was feeding the baby. Soon enough, the police arrived.

A sharp-eyed middle-aged officer walked in. Seeing the police, all three of them panicked, especially my mother-in-law, whose shifty eyes all but screamed, “I’m guilty.” “We got a report. I’m Officer Quentin, handling this case. Who is Ms. Lydia?” I raised my hand and said, “Officer Quentin, I made the call.” “My child is missing. I suspect someone swapped my baby.” Officer Quentin glanced at the child in my mother-in-law’s arms and asked, “Isn’t this your child? Did you have twins?” I quickly explained, “This isn’t my child. I gave birth to a chubby girl. Her right pinky toe is slightly curved—it’s a family trait.” “When I woke up, I found this was not my child, but my husband, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law are trying to convince me that a boy with a congenital illness is my daughter.” “I suspect this boy’s real mother is my sister-in-law. She claimed she was studying all year but never showed up. I have reasons to believe she was pregnant. She swapped the child to make me sell my house for her child’s treatment.” “Nora has always liked Zane. They’re all in on it, and I suspect this child is Zane’s.” I laid out their misdeeds analytically and calmly. My mother-in-law erupted in rage, rushing over to pull my hair. “You’re falsely accusing us! My daughter is innocent. She focused on her studies and didn’t even have a boyfriend. Not everyone is as shameless as you!” Before she could touch me, Officer Quentin stepped in quickly to stop her. “Stop! Assaulting a new mother in front of an officer? Besides, she’s your daughter-in-law. Your behavior gives me reason to suspect you swapped the child!” My mother-in-law was terrified and immediately behaved. Zane hurried to explain, “Officer, my mom was just emotional. My wife can’t accept that the child has a congenital heart disease. Plus, women are emotionally unstable after childbirth. Don’t listen to her nonsense. This child is indeed hers.” The officer suddenly asked, “Your wife just had a baby, and you don’t seem concerned as a husband.” Zane looked embarrassed.

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As my husband lay on his deathbed, he grasped my hand and declared his last will. “Half for our son, half for Bella.” But my name is Claire Evans. Our son nodded, “Aunt Bella has been by your side for half a lifetime. She deserves it.” My husband’s final words were directed at me. “Don’t worry, you’re not left out. You can be buried with me when your time comes.” So, he had a secret lover all these years. The shock caused me to have a stroke, and I died right there by his hospital bed. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day he asked me to quit my job and become a full-time housewife, claiming our son was too young. 0 I looked around the shabby hospital, feeling disoriented. Jack came rushing in on his old bicycle. “What happened? Kevin’s such a well-behaved kid. How could his teacher page me saying he blinded a classmate?” He frowned at me disapprovingly. “I’ve been telling you, there’s too much going on at home, and the kid’s still young. As a mother, you should quit your job and take care of the family properly. If you had agreed earlier, this wouldn’t have happened.” After dealing with the injured child and paying a hefty compensation, Jack spoke to me again. I finally realized that I had somehow come back to life, reliving the day when he asked me to quit my job and become a full-time housewife to support his career. I couldn’t be blamed for my slow reaction. After all, in my previous life, I had died as an elderly woman. To care for our young son and aging in-laws, I had no choice but to resign from the theater company at the peak of my career. The soon-to-retire director was an old acquaintance of my father’s, and I had learned acting from him since childhood. He tried to persuade me to stay several times, saying that women could hold up half the sky. With my vocal skills and abilities, I had a real shot at taking over his position. Jack, as one of the few university graduates specializing in theater at that time, had been eyeing that position for a long time. If I stepped down, the director’s position would undoubtedly be his. “I shouldn’t interfere with your family matters, but Claire, I hope you keep your fate in your own hands. If one day he turns out to be unfaithful like those characters in our plays, at least you’ll have something to fall back on.” Back then, I was overwhelmed by family responsibilities and swayed by Jack’s sweet words. I firmly believed our marriage was built on love, unlike those arranged marriages. After I resigned, Jack smoothly took over as the theater company director. From then on, he became even busier. Busy writing plays, rehearsing, socializing, and touring across the country. Each time he left, it was for at least a couple of weeks, sometimes even months. I had to handle all the household chores alone. My in-laws were getting old. My mother-in-law would have chest pains whenever she got upset. I took care of them carefully until they passed away peacefully at 83. Our son was different from other children from a young age. He couldn’t speak until he was three. Later, there was a trendy term for it – autism. He liked his classmate’s tiger eraser and tried to grab it, stabbing the classmate’s eye with a pencil. I researched foreign materials, exercised with him every day, and repeated words thousands of times to teach him. Gradually, he started to improve. Fortunately, Jack’s career was smooth sailing, even soaring. He looked vibrant every day, making me seem even more worn out. People on the street sometimes mistook me for his mother. Finally, when he was about to retire, I thought he would fulfill the promise he made when he asked me to quit my job. “I’ll make sure you have a good life. When I have time, I’ll take you traveling everywhere.” Unexpectedly, just as he received his retirement notice, he became agitated and had a heart attack. The doctor issued a critical condition notice. He struggled to sit up, called for medical staff as witnesses, and wanted to make a will. “I’ll divide my assets into two parts, one for our son, and one for Bella Davis.” But my name is Claire Evans. While I was still in shock, our son, whom I had raised to be no different from others, nodded. “Aunt Bella has been by your side for a lifetime. She deserves this.” Jack raised his hand towards me. “I’m not neglecting you either. When your time comes, you can be buried with me.” Only then did I realize that he and Bella Davis, the lead actress in our theater company, had been having an affair for years! I felt dizzy as all the blood rushed to my head. I died right there by his hospital bed. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day our son got into trouble and was expelled from school, and Jack asked me to quit my job to take care of the family. I lowered my eyes and smirked, “Kevin isn’t just my child. Why should I be the one to quit my job?” 0

For the first time since we met, Jack was stunned by my sharp retort. He stood there, speechless. After a while, he finally found his voice. “I’m the man, the pillar of this family. Naturally, I should take on the responsibility of providing for the family. Why don’t you just stay at home and be a housewife? Isn’t that good?” He softened his voice and promised, “Claire, I promise you, I will definitely…” I cut him off, not wanting to hear that line that had deceived me for half a lifetime. “I will definitely treat you well too. When I have free time, I’ll take you traveling all over the country to enjoy life. Jack, why don’t you quit your job instead? After all, besides our son needing care, your parents need even more attention.” Jack opened his mouth, then closed it again. I initially wanted to propose divorce directly, but in this era, complete freedom of divorce wasn’t possible yet. Even if my parents were relatively open-minded, they probably couldn’t accept my sudden divorce. At the very least, I needed to find evidence of his affair to have public opinion on my side. Finally, Jack and I reached an agreement. We would both compete for the position of theater company director, and whoever lost would resign to take care of the family. Jack looked at me arrogantly. “It’s not like the old days when masters trained apprentices anymore. Being good at singing alone isn’t enough to convince people. The key is having management skills! Let me be clear, you’re close to Director Chen, and your parents have connections with big shots in the theater world. If I find out there’s any unfairness, don’t blame me for not considering our marital bond!” Jack’s tone was harsh and cold, already treating me like an enemy. In my previous life, how could I have thought he was cold on the outside but warm-hearted, responsible for the family? Our son seemed oblivious to our argument, focused on fiddling with the eraser he had snatched. I now know this is a stereotypical behavior of autistic children, but Jack didn’t. He snatched the eraser away and ground it under his foot. “Are you stupid? It’s bad enough that you can’t talk, but you keep causing trouble! Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused? I had to pay a whole year’s salary in compensation!” He then slapped our son’s head several times, still not satisfied. In the past, I would have stopped him. I would have hugged our son, comforting him, saying I’d take responsibility for his mistakes, and then make up the money from my own salary. That’s what I did in my previous life. To get treatment for Kevin in the south, I even borrowed money from my parents. But now, I just stood by coldly, watching. I even wanted to applaud and say, “Well done.” Seeing my lack of reaction, Jack stopped. “Claire Evans, I knew you were cold-hearted!” he said before riding away on his bike. I knew he was betting on me softening towards our son, but when I thought about how in my previous life, the son I had poured my heart and soul into had helped these two despicable people deceive me for half a lifetime, and even said the mistress had it tough, I couldn’t help but feel furious. Thinking of this, I turned and left as well. As I turned the corner, I caught a glimpse of Jack stopping his bike and riding back. See? A child doesn’t die without his mother. Whoever softens first is the one who ends up sacrificing more. This life, I was determined to be the hard-hearted one. But I wasn’t testing him. I really had something to deal with. I needed to find Bella Davis from my previous life, the “Aunt Bella” who Kevin said had been by Jack’s side for half a lifetime and deserved half of his assets. Actually, Bella and I were quite familiar with each other. We both started as lead actresses. But after I gave birth to Kevin, my mother-in-law complained of heart palpitations and couldn’t help with my postpartum care. I had to cook, do laundry, and take care of the baby just two days after giving birth, which led to a herniated disc. I couldn’t dance anymore and could only play supporting roles. She then considered herself the star of the theater company. I never thought about truly competing with Jack for the director position. After all, why make things difficult for myself when there was an easier path? Bella was that easier path. 0

Only now did I understand why Bella, after transferring from the countryside to the city, constantly targeted me. It turns out she was hoping this “first wife” would step down soon, but I had stubbornly refused to fulfill her wish. I had thought Jack and I were in harmony, believing we had fallen in love at first sight. Our first meeting was when he arrived with his luggage to report for duty. I was on stage rehearsing “Romance of the West Chamber,” playing the role of Cui Yingying. The actor playing Zhang Sheng had sprained his ankle, and I was in a dilemma when Jack was pushed onto the stage. He watched me wave my sleeves and twist my waist. Our eyes met and lingered. My heart skipped a beat, and I thought he felt the same. But in my previous life, it wasn’t until I closed my eyes in resentment that I realized the look in his eyes at that time was filled with a strange emotion, as if he was seeing someone else through me. And Bella’s specialty was also “Romance of the West Chamber.” Before returning to the theater company, I took a detour to the department store. In the alley behind the store, a few people were loitering with their hands in their pockets, looking around. Seeing me approach, they came closer and whispered mysteriously, “Want a tape?” When I walked out, I had a cassette voice recorder in my hand. When I got back to the theater company, Bella was on stage rehearsing “Romance of the West Chamber.” Seeing me enter, she twirled, waving her sleeves, and gave me a cold look. In my previous life, I thought she was just jealous of my superior singing skills and that’s why she always gave me a hard time. But now I realize, she resented me for taking her Zhang Sheng, forcing them to become secret lovers. I placed the voice recorder in a corner of the props room. As I came out, I saw Bella clinging to Jack. “Brother Jack, help me rehearse, won’t you~” Without waiting for his response, she put a blue robe on Jack. The two of them, oblivious to others, became intimately entangled on stage under the guise of rehearsing. After finishing a scene, Jack said he needed to return some props himself, and the two walked hand in hand towards the props room. In my previous life, after I had resigned, I once came to bring Jack lunch and saw the two of them walking out of the props room with flushed faces. Jack’s shirt buttons were misaligned. He said they were rehearsing a new play, and I believed him. This time, when they walked out with flushed faces again, I cursed my past naivety while holding my nose and going in to retrieve the voice recorder. Finding a quiet corner, I pressed play. “Bella, these past few days while you were out of town performing, I’ve been going crazy missing you…” After a series of rustling sounds accompanied by moans, Bella spoke: “Thanks to you, my son can come to the city for school. Jack, I’m yours for life!” Bella’s husband was a martial arts actor in the rural theater troupe. He fell from a high platform last year and died on the spot. The theater company, to take care of her, made an exception and transferred her to the city last year. But her child’s residence permit was difficult to arrange. Jack had taken two bottles of good liquor from home a while ago; it turns out he was using them to grease some palms. “Don’t rush. Claire’s family has deep roots, I still need her family’s support. Once I become the director… This arrangement is good for now, we don’t need that piece of paper. My heart is yours, and naturally, so am I.” My heart turned cold. This was a side of Jack I had never seen before. Throughout our years of marriage, even during our newlywed phase, he always maintained a cool and indifferent demeanor. I used to think this was just the unique temperament of a cultured gentleman, different from others. However, I gradually discovered that he could also show a tender, passionate side. I saved the tape and went home. My mother-in-law was listening to the radio. She lifted her eyelids to look at me and said irritably: “What kind of woman are you? Not only do you parade yourself in public, but you also neglect your child! If this were the old days…” I interrupted her: “I would have been divorced already, right? Well, let me tell you, I’m not afraid. And this isn’t the old days anymore. If you want to separate, you need a divorce certificate!” Jack’s mother clutched her chest, her face contorted in pain: “This is outrageous! You’re rebelling! I must tell Jack about this. You’re going to be the death of me!” When Jack came home and saw the cold stove and empty kitchen, he frowned. His mother immediately rushed to him, tearfully recounting my “unfilial” behavior. In my previous life, she had used these two words to manipulate me for a lifetime. I packed my things and walked out with my bag. “There’s an end-of-year performance before next month’s competition. I’m moving to stay at the theater company. Besides, we’re competitors now, it’s not appropriate for us to live together.” I put a hundred dollars on the table. “This is my duty as a mother to Kevin. This money should cover all his expenses for a month.” My monthly salary was 153 , g i v i n g 153,giving100 was already quite generous. Jack angrily smashed his teacup, chipping a piece of white porcelain. “If you have the guts, don’t come back once you leave!” I remained indifferent, glancing at Kevin sitting nearby before leaving without looking back. At the theater company, I rehearsed day and night. This performance was national, and even television stations were coming to film. If I could win first prize, it would help me gain respect when I became the director. But before the day of the performance arrived, the atmosphere in the theater company started to feel off. Wherever I went, there were whispers and pointing behind my back. I deliberately squatted in a corner of the bathroom to eavesdrop on others’ hushed conversations. “Is the news true? Is Claire really having an affair with Director Chen?” “It must be true. The note even detailed which day she entered the director’s office and how long she stayed. If there wasn’t something fishy going on, why would Director Chen support Claire so much? She can’t even play lead roles anymore!” So, this was why Jack dared to speak so harshly to me that day. He had a backup plan. Being the subject of scandalous rumors is devastating for a woman in any era. I couldn’t just passively take the hits. I needed to do something to take control of the situation. 0

As the two women were walking out, I stood up directly from the toilet stall and chased after them. “Is what you’re saying true? Repeat what you just said.” I grabbed the woman who had mentioned the incriminating note. Seeing it was me, her eyes flickered, but she tried to maintain her composure. “Of course, I just heard about it. How shameless of you to make such a fuss about it. Are you trying to make sure everyone in the theater knows? What difference does it make if I repeat it? You’re married to such a good husband like Jack and still not satisfied. You actually had an affair with Director Chen just to win the director position!” This woman was Zoe Parker, who played the role of the matchmaker. She often hung out with Bella. I immediately collapsed to the ground, crying and clinging tightly to her legs. “I had no idea I had been drugged and taken advantage of. I know nothing about what you’re saying. You must help me testify and bring the culprit to justice!” By this time, quite a crowd had gathered to watch the commotion. I looked around with a distraught expression. “Please, can someone help me call the police? I’m a married woman. I never thought I’d be… This is driving me to my death. I can’t go on living!” I used my vocal training to project my voice, startling a flock of sparrows from a nearby tree. Seeing someone rush towards the reception desk in response, Zoe visibly panicked. She started trying to pry my hands off, attempting to free her leg. “I just heard it from someone else. I didn’t see anything myself. How can I testify for you?” I held on even tighter: “Then who did you hear it from? They must know.” Zoe hurriedly blurted out Bella’s name. When the police arrived, they called both Bella and Director Chen over. They also found several notes scattered around the theater, describing my alleged affair with Director Chen. This immediately caused an uproar, even attracting the attention of the provincial theater company’s leadership. I winked at Director Chen. Having watched me grow up, he knew I had my limits. He just gave me a warning glare, indicating we’d settle this later. Under immense pressure, Bella had to admit that she had fabricated the rumors about me and hadn’t actually seen anything. The police sternly told her: “Your behavior has seriously disrupted social order and damaged Claire’s reputation.” Bella looked tearfully towards Jack, who was standing at the edge of the crowd, biting her lip in silence. Jack pushed through the crowd and stepped forward. “Claire is my wife. Since this is all a misunderstanding, and we’re all colleagues here, let’s just treat it as a joke. On her behalf, I won’t pursue this matter any further.” I let out a cold laugh: “Since when do I need you to speak for me? I have my own voice.” “Officer, I want to pursue legal action against those who spread these rumors and restore my reputation!”

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When my best friend, a doctor, diagnosed me with cancer, my life fell apart. My wife, Emily, drained our savings, sold our house, and even took out a loan with a sky-high interest rate—all to save me. I was deeply moved by her unwavering love and sacrifice. After I was discharged from the hospital, I worked three jobs to pay off the debt, but the interest kept piling up. Soon, loan sharks were breathing down my neck. One day, while running for my life, I accidentally stumbled toward our old house—the one we had sold. But just as I was about to leave, I heard voices inside. Voices I recognized. It was Emily. And my best friend, Nathan . “That idiot still thinks he actually has cancer,” Nathan said, followed by a burst of laughter. How could it be Emily’s voice? And… my best friend, Nathan? This house was supposed to be sold. Their conversation hit me like a freight train. “That idiot still thinks he actually has cancer,” Emily said with a laugh. “What if he finds out? Are you sure he didn’t suspect anything?” Nathan asked. “Please. Lincoln? He’s so clueless it’s almost cute. Now that his money and the house are ours, even if he finds out, what can he do? The loan sharks I introduced him to aren’t exactly the forgiving type. He’ll be too busy running for his life to worry about us.” “Oh, Emily, you’re brilliant,” Nathan said, laughing. I clenched my fists as rage boiled inside me. These two snakes! Just as I was about to kick the door open, a shadow loomed behind me. It was the loan sharks. “No… no, please—” Before I could finish, several burly men grabbed me, covering my mouth and dragging me to a van parked outside. When the blindfold came off, my eyes stung under the harsh fluorescent lights. I barely had time to adjust before a deep, cold voice spoke near my ear. “If you can’t pay back the money, don’t blame us for taking your organs instead.” Panic surged through me. I tried to scream, but my mouth was gagged. The icy blade of a knife pressed against my skin, and white-hot pain shot through me. My body trembled violently, but I couldn’t make a sound. The world around me blurred, the pain faded, and everything went dark. So this is how it ends, I thought. How unfair. Why do the wicked always seem to thrive while the good are left to suffer? My consciousness slipped away. Suddenly, I jolted awake. Opening my eyes, I found myself in a familiar place—the hospital room where I had been “diagnosed.”

“Lincoln, based on the results, it’s clear you have cancer,” Nathan, my trusted friend, said as he glanced at my medical file. “No… that’s impossible…” Emily gasped, covering her mouth in shock. “Nathan, you’re Lincoln’s best friend. Please, you have to do whatever it takes to save him!” Emily pleaded. “Thankfully, it was caught early,” Nathan replied. “There’s still hope, but the treatment will be expensive. You’ll need to prepare yourselves.” “Even if it costs us everything, I’ll make sure Lincoln gets the care he needs,” Emily said firmly, her voice filled with determination. The scene felt eerily familiar. This was exactly what had happened before. Nathan, sitting at his desk, delivering his grim diagnosis. Emily standing by my side, her unwavering support bringing me to tears. Last time, I had been overwhelmed with gratitude. I had handed Emily the bank card that held all my life savings, trusting her completely. But this time, things were different. The memories of that night—of their betrayal—echoed in my mind. Nathan’s voice pulled me back to the present. “Lincoln, are you okay? You seem a bit shaken. Don’t worry, with treatment, your chances of recovery are good. For now, Emily can take care of the initial payment.” I stood up abruptly. “I’m not paying a dime,” I said flatly. “What are you talking about?” Emily grabbed my arm. “Lincoln, are you crazy? This is your life we’re talking about!” Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself and patted her hand gently. “I’m not refusing treatment,” I said calmly. “But all our savings are in fixed-term accounts. I can’t withdraw them immediately. I’ll need to speak to the bank tomorrow.” Emily’s eyes flickered, and she exchanged a quick glance with Nathan. “Fine,” she said after a pause. “We’ll wait for you to sort it out.” “Just don’t take too long,” Nathan added with a reassuring smile. “Time is of the essence, after all.” I nodded, suppressing the storm of emotions brewing inside me.

The next morning, I went to a different hospital and underwent a thorough check-up from head to toe. The results? I was perfectly healthy, not a single sign of illness. Staring at the test results in my hands, I felt the fire of rage burning so fiercely in my chest it threatened to consume me whole. So it was all true—my beloved wife and my most trusted friend had conspired to deceive me. I wanted nothing more than to confront them immediately, to demand answers. But as my fury subsided and my rationality took over, I realized that acting on impulse would be the worst possible move. If I stormed into the hospital and confronted them with the test results, they could easily dismiss it as a “mistake” or a “misdiagnosis.” The memory of the knife cutting into my flesh in my last life was still vivid in my mind. The cold, sharp pain was etched into my brain, as clear and real as if it had happened yesterday. This time, I wasn’t going to let them off the hook so easily. If fate had given me another chance, I wasn’t going to waste it. Reckless revenge wouldn’t do justice—I needed a plan, something meticulous and foolproof. When I got back home, Emily rushed to greet me. “Did you get the money? Nathan and I already agreed we need to head to the hospital today to pay for your treatment and pick up the medication.” She couldn’t even wait another second. Feigning regret and shame, I put on my best “guilty husband” face and sighed. “Emily… I wasn’t being honest with you yesterday. The truth is, I invested all our savings. And… I lost everything. There’s nothing left.” I buried my face in my hands, pretending to be overwhelmed with remorse. “What did you just say?” Emily shot up from the couch, her disbelief turning into anger. “It’s true. Look for yourself.” I pulled out my phone, opened my banking app, and held it up for her to see. The balance was zero. Of course, I had withdrawn the money earlier that morning and invested it in a new restaurant. The restaurant’s owner was someone I had gotten to know in my previous life while working as a delivery driver. He was a man of great integrity and exceptional culinary skill. I knew his restaurant would thrive and bring in substantial profits before long. But Emily didn’t need to know any of that. “Lincoln! What kind of person does that? How could you gamble away all of our money without even asking me?” Emily shouted, pointing her finger at me accusingly. “I’m sorry, Emily. I really am. Maybe… maybe we should just forget about the treatment.” I lowered my head, pretending to be utterly defeated. At the mention of “not getting treatment,” Emily’s fiery demeanor instantly deflated like a popped balloon. Her tone shifted to forced concern. “No, we can’t just give up on your treatment. It’s life or death, Lincoln. I’ll figure something out.” Of course, she wouldn’t let me stop treatment. If I didn’t take the medication or go through with the procedures and still stayed healthy, their entire scheme would crumble in an instant. “I’m so sorry for putting you through this, Emily. From now on, I’ll do whatever you say.” I squeezed her hand and looked at her with what I hoped was an expression of pure devotion, suppressing the nausea rising in my chest. “Fine, fine. I’ll think of something,” she muttered, pulling her hand away and heading out the door. I watched her leave, curiosity sparking in my mind. What exactly was she planning?

It wasn’t until late evening that Emily returned home. “Lincoln, I’ve thought it through.” She hesitated for a moment, then continued, “We should sell the house. I found a buyer who’s willing to pay in full immediately. That way, we’ll have the money for your treatment.” “No way!” I blurted out, rejecting the idea on the spot. In my previous life, Nathan had prescribed me outrageously expensive medications. Within days, all of our savings were gone. Desperate, Emily had suggested selling the house, claiming she had already found a buyer who could pay in cash. Back then, overwhelmed by the pressure to fund my treatment, I had blindly followed her lead. I even felt grateful to her for being willing to make such a sacrifice for me. We sold the house in record time, and I moved into a tiny, dingy basement apartment she had supposedly rented for us. Emily, on the other hand, claimed she was staying with a friend and never came back. I never saw a penny from the sale. Emily told me all the proceeds had gone toward paying for my medication. In reality, the entire house sale was nothing but a scam. “You can’t be serious, Lincoln. If you don’t get treatment, you’re going to die!” Emily snapped, trying to scare me into submission. My mind raced as I searched for a way to buy time. I sat down next to her and gently placed my arm around her shoulders. “Emily, it’s just… it’s cancer. Even if we spend all the money, there’s no guarantee the treatment will work. If the worst happens, and I don’t make it, I’d feel terrible leaving you with nothing.” “What are you trying to say?” she asked impatiently, pulling away slightly. “I want to leave the house to you. Next month, let’s go to the courthouse and transfer the deed into your name. That way, no matter what happens to me, you’ll at least have the house to fall back on.” In my last life, the buyer had been someone I didn’t recognize—clearly not a close friend or relative of Emily’s. If I suggested transferring the house directly to her, it would minimize her risk and make her more inclined to agree. I was betting that she’d see the logic in my proposal and take the bait. Sure enough, a flicker of surprise and greed flashed across her face. “Lincoln, you…” “This way, even if the treatment doesn’t work, you won’t be left with nothing,” I added, my voice full of fake sincerity. Emily’s eyes darted back and forth as she weighed her options. Finally, unable to resist the temptation, she nodded. “Alright. Let’s do it your way.” Just as I’d expected, she couldn’t resist the offer.

After calming Emily down, it didn’t take long for Nathan to grow impatient and show up at my door himself. “Lincoln, I noticed Emily hasn’t come by the hospital to handle the payments. Is everything okay? You know your condition can’t wait—it’s critical.” Feigning gratitude, I poured him a glass of water. “Thanks for checking in, Nathan. You know how tight things have been for us. It’s hard to scrape together such a large sum of money right now.” “No matter how hard it is, you’ve got to prioritize your life. And besides…” Nathan paused, his tone becoming calculated. “Even if you don’t have savings, your house would fetch a good price on the market, wouldn’t it?” Blunt. No attempt to hide his intentions. I nodded, pretending to take the bait. “Emily and I already talked about it. I’ve decided to leave the house to her. Next month, we’ll transfer the ownership. That way, if… well, if I don’t make it, at least she’ll have something to fall back on.” “Oh? Is that so?” Nathan’s expression froze for a moment. His eyes flicked to Emily, who immediately avoided his gaze. The tension in the room thickened as the silence hung between us. It was clear that Nathan hadn’t expected this turn of events. After an awkward pause, Nathan forced a smile and stood up. “Well, it’s getting late. I should get going. Lincoln, you really need to start your treatment as soon as possible. Delaying it could be life-threatening. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.” His words were polite, but I wasn’t about to let him leave without taking advantage of the situation. “Actually, there is something.” Nathan froze mid-step, turning back to face me. His surprise was evident. “Oh? What is it?” I hesitated, clasping my hands nervously and biting my lip as if unsure whether to speak. “Nathan, you know… with my condition, I can’t work anymore. Things have been really tight at home. Could you… could you lend me some money? I’ll pay you back as soon as I can. But if it’s too much trouble, I understand.” Nathan’s face twisted through a series of emotions—shock, annoyance, and something akin to panic. Before he could respond, I wiped at my eyes as if fighting back tears. “I hate to ask, but I’m desperate. If it weren’t for Emily and how tough things are, I’d never put you in this position.” Emily, standing beside me, tugged hard at my sleeve, clearly signaling for me to stop. Taking the cue, I quickly added, “I’m sorry, Nathan. That was inappropriate of me. Forget I said anything.” But to Nathan, it probably looked like we were playing a coordinated act. His jaw clenched as he pulled out his phone. “Come on, Lincoln. We’re friends. Don’t say it like that. I should’ve thought of this sooner.” The notification of the deposit came through on my phone moments later. I raised my eyebrows in mock surprise. Though it wasn’t a significant amount, it was satisfying to bleed him a little. I kept my tone genuine. “Nathan, thank you so much. It means the world to me that you’d do this. Emily, why don’t you walk Nathan out? It’s the least we can do.” Emily didn’t protest, and the two of them headed downstairs together. Quietly, I followed behind. I’d set the stage for them. Now it was time to enjoy the show.

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I was once the girlfriend of Alexander Thompson, a billionaire tycoon. However, my scheming cousin Chloe Sanders interfered, constantly fabricating lies about me. Alexander believed her, grew to despise me, and ended up marrying my cousin instead. Later, Chloe even had me kidnapped and taken to the Caribbean. I suffered terrible torture and died without closure. When I opened my eyes again, I had been given a second chance at life. I returned to the day Chloe had a miscarriage due to her affair. Alexander once asked me why I was so cruel to my own cousin. He said that to prevent Chloe from contacting him, I went as far as luring her to a hotel and hiring someone to rape her. He claimed that to seize Chloe’s villa, I forged her signature to sell the house and maxed out his credit card. I explained myself time and time again, but Alexander wouldn’t believe me. He didn’t believe me because Chloe repeatedly used my name to create these misunderstandings. Alexander said he was too disappointed in me. And I, too, was utterly disappointed in Alexander. I swore I would have my revenge. The phone rang. I looked at the familiar name on the caller ID and a cold smile curved my lips. “Emma Sullivan, you bitch! What the hell have you done?” Alexander’s voice was hysterical, as if he wanted to tear me to pieces. “Alexander, what do you mean?” I pretended to be clueless. “Your cousin is missing! She hasn’t been home for two days! You must have taken her!” Alexander roared, “Where is she now?” I laughed. “Alexander, you’re wrongly accusing me.” I deliberately added a hint of grievance to my voice, “How could I do such a thing? I’m so kind-hearted, and my cousin loves me so much. She would definitely understand me.” Alexander fell silent. “Alexander, I want to talk to you,” I continued, “There’s a misunderstanding between us, and I hope we can clear it up.” “Misunderstanding? How long are you going to keep leeching off your cousin?” Alexander’s anger intensified. “I’m not,” I replied calmly, “Alexander, come and see me. Let’s talk face to face.” “You…” Alexander wanted to say more, but I had already hung up. I looked at myself in the mirror, the familiar face filled with determination. “Chloe Sanders, your good days are coming to an end.”

After I hung up on him, Alexander’s anger escalated. He decided to storm into my house with his bodyguards. “Where the hell is Chloe?” He glared at me fiercely, “Hand her over!” I looked at him as if he were a ridiculous clown throwing a tantrum. “Alexander, what’s wrong with you?” I replied coldly, “This is my house. Please leave.” Of course, Alexander refused to leave. Not only did he stay, but he also commanded his bodyguards to turn the house upside down. “Emma, I know you hate me, and I hate you too, but Chloe is innocent. You can’t do this to her!” Alexander said through gritted teeth, “Give me Chloe, and you can do whatever you want with me.” “Alexander, are you done with this nonsense?” I couldn’t bear it anymore, “I don’t know where Chloe is, and I haven’t done anything to her!” “You dare to deny it!” Alexander waved his hand, and several bodyguards rushed towards me, ready to use force. “What are you doing?” I shouted angrily, “Alexander, you’re trespassing and attempting assault. Aren’t you afraid I’ll call the police?” “Call the police?” Alexander sneered, “What am I afraid of? You kidnapped Chloe, and I’m trying to find her. Who do you think the police will side with, you or me?” “You…” I was shaking with anger. “Wreck it!” Alexander ordered, “Until Chloe appears!” The bodyguards swarmed in and started smashing everything in sight. Furniture, electronics, decorations – everything was shattered to pieces. I looked at the devastated home, feeling a mix of emotions. Oh, Alexander, how could I have ever loved such a scumbag? “Emma Sullivan, I’m asking you one last time.” Alexander looked down at me condescendingly, “Where have you hidden Chloe?” “And I’m answering you for the last time.” I raised my head, looking straight into Alexander’s eyes, “I don’t know where Chloe is, and I don’t know what she’s done.” “Fine, fine.” Alexander repeated the word twice, “Emma Sullivan, you’ll regret this.” With that, he left with his bodyguards.

I looked at the mess around me and sighed deeply. When Michael Foster came back and saw this scene, he was stunned. “Emma, what… what happened here?” “Alexander was here,” I answered bitterly, “He couldn’t find Chloe, so he trashed the place.” “What?” Michael was furious, “What right does he have to do this?” I smiled wryly, “Michael, I’m sorry. I’ve dragged you into this mess again.” “This isn’t your fault,” Michael shook his head, “Alexander is the one who’s gone too far.” “But this is still related to me,” I said softly, “Michael, you said you’d help me, right?” “Yes,” Michael answered firmly, “I’ll help you until we expose Chloe’s true colors.” “Thank you, Michael.” I was deeply moved. “But we need to be prepared,” Michael continued, “I know Alexander well. He’s never one to give up easily. He didn’t find Chloe this time, but he’ll be back.” “I know,” I nodded, “I’ll be ready.” However, I still underestimated Alexander. Not only did he not let me off, but he also escalated his actions. First, he called Michael, badmouthing me and trying to drive a wedge between us. “Michael Foster, your wife is quite a piece of work,” Alexander sneered, “She’s not only scheming but also extremely vicious. You’d better watch out.” “Alexander, stop talking nonsense,” Michael rebuked, “Emma is my wife. I know her better than you do.” “Haha, you know her?” Alexander laughed, “Then do you know that she forged Chloe’s signature to sell her villa just to seize it for herself?” “What did you say?” Michael was stunned. “Michael Foster, you don’t know Emma Sullivan at all,” Alexander continued to add fuel to the fire, “She’s a viper, willing to do anything to achieve her goals, even if it means hurting others. You’d better divorce her as soon as possible.” With that, Alexander hung up the phone. Michael immediately told me about this conversation. “Emma, is what Alexander said true?” “No,” I shook my head, “I did sell the house, but I didn’t forge Chloe’s signature.” “Then you…” Michael looked at me hesitantly. “Chloe suggested it herself,” I explained, “She knew she had done something wrong and wanted to make amends, so she was willing to transfer the house to my name.” “Oh, I see,” Michael breathed a sigh of relief, “Then I’m relieved.” However, Alexander’s offensive had only just begun.

He not only slandered me in front of Michael but also defamed me in public. He called in several social media influencers to live stream my “crimes.” “Everyone, look closely. This is the woman who not only kidnapped her own cousin but also sold her cousin’s house!” “Oh my God, how can there be such a vicious woman!” “This is absolutely despicable!” The comments were filled with abuse and curses directed at me. “Today, we’re going to expose this woman’s true face and make her face the consequences she deserves!” Alexander stood in front of the camera, looking righteous. “First, we need to find this woman, and then we’ll take her to the police station!” Under his instigation, the audience’s emotions were stirred up. They clamored to find me immediately and send me to prison. Alexander, along with his bodyguards and the influencers, marched towards my house in a grand procession. “This time, I’m going to expose your true colors in front of everyone!”

Michael saw those live streams. In the streams, I appeared expressionless and silent, seemingly indifferent to everything. “Emma, why aren’t you defending yourself?” Michael looked at me, his eyes full of disappointment, “Did you really do those things?” “Michael, believe me,” I said softly, “I didn’t kidnap Chloe, nor did I forge her signature. I…” “Then why aren’t you saying anything?” Michael suddenly raised his voice, “Why are you letting them slander you?” “I…” I hesitated, not knowing how to explain. “Do you know how much pressure I’m under right now?” Michael growled, “Everyone is cursing at me, saying I’m blind, that I’ve let a wolf into our home, that I shouldn’t have married a woman like you!” “Michael, I’m sorry,” I lowered my head, filled with guilt. “Do you know what people are saying about me?” Michael’s expression became more and more pained, “They’re saying I deserve to be a cuckold!” “No, it’s not like that!” I shook my head frantically, “Michael, you have to believe me. I really didn’t do those things…” “Believe you?” Michael laughed coldly, “Emma Sullivan, how can I believe you?” “I…” I hesitated, not knowing how to explain. “Do you know that I’m now doubting myself, wondering if I was blind to marry a woman like you?” Michael’s voice was full of anger and disappointment. “Michael, I…” I tried to explain but didn’t know what to say. “Emma Sullivan, I’m very disappointed in you,” Michael closed his eyes, “Really disappointed.” “Michael, I…” I looked at him, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably. “Don’t say my name,” Michael suddenly opened his eyes and slapped me across the face, “It disgusts me.” I held my cheek, staring at him in shock. “Emma Sullivan, let’s get a divorce,” Michael said coldly, “You can spend the rest of your life clinging to your secrets and fighting with Alexander.” As he spoke, he took off his wedding ring and threw it at me. The ring hit my chest. It hurt. My heart hurt even more. I watched helplessly as Michael turned and walked out the door. “Michael, don’t go!” I cried out, chasing after him. But I only chased thin air. Michael was gone. “Michael…” I fell to my knees, tears flowing endlessly.

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I, Louise Keller, and my boyfriend, Billy Jordan, went to a supermarket near the mall to buy some snacks. The store owner, Susan Adams, was a woman in her fifties, and I was a regular there. She immediately said the total was 196 dollars. I was confused, but I still paid. When I got home, even if I overestimated the price of the ice cream, it still didn’t add up to that amount. I told Billy the price was wrong and that I was going back to ask. Billy frowned. “It’s not like it’s a huge difference. She’s not having an easy time either.” I was stunned. Was my money just blowing in from the wind? I went shopping at the small supermarket I often visit. It was located near the college. When I was checking out, Susan fiddled with the register for a long time. She wasn’t just inputting numbers one by one, either. The machine made sounds like “20 minus 3,” leaving me even more confused. “Total is 196 dollars.” I was about to ask how much each ice cream cost, but Billy impatiently said, “I’ll wait for you outside.” With a line of people waiting to check out, I didn’t want to take up too much of their time. I went back to my rented apartment, feeling down, and put the ice cream in the fridge. As I took them out one by one, my face grew darker. Even if I overpriced the ice cream, the total still didn’t reach 196 dollars. I’d picked the cheaper ones, too. Billy saw me sitting on the floor for a while and frowned. “What’s wrong?” I pointed to the neatly arranged ice creams and asked, “You heard the price, right? Susan said the total was 196 dollars.” Billy just lay on the sofa when he came in, absentmindedly saying, “Yeah, well, how could she possibly charge you less? Hurry up and cook something.” I pieced the whole thing together and thought that Susan might have overcharged me, which made me feel frustrated. “I’m going to go back and ask Susan if she charged me too much.” I started getting dressed, but Billy was still lying on the couch, unmoved. When he saw I’d put on my shoes, he finally slowly got up. Billy furrowed his brow and tossed his phone onto the couch. “It’s not like it’s a huge difference. She’s not having an easy time either.” I was stunned again. Was my money just blowing in from the wind? “She took extra money from me. Is it wrong for me to ask about it as a customer?” Billy pressed his lips. “If it’s just ten or twenty bucks, do you really need to make a big deal out of it? We’ll be going there again, and we don’t want to offend her.” I immediately lost my temper. Billy wasn’t defending me and was actually defending her. “Is she your mother or something? Why are you protecting her? When you need something, you never think about things from my perspective.” Billy saw I was really angry, so he gave me an awkward smile. “I was just saying it casually, no big deal. I’ll go with you.” I naively thought Billy would help me gain some courage by going with me. But little did I know, he was just making things worse.

I took the bag of things I bought and went downstairs to grab a taxi to the supermarket. There were still quite a few people in the store. As soon as I walked in, I knew I was right. Susan immediately avoided my gaze and quickly unlocked her phone, making a million tiny movements in a second. Every single movement screamed guilt. And at the critical moment, Billy went silent. As soon as we walked in, he shut down and left everything to me. I wasn’t about to let it slide. I slammed the plastic bag onto the counter. The sound echoed loudly. A few customers looked over. I got straight to the point. “Susan, can you recalculate how much the items cost? You might have made a mistake.” Only then did Susan slowly put her phone down, glance at the items, and reluctantly stand up. “You young folks are always in a hurry. I wouldn’t cheat you out of a few dollars.” I stared at her, my eyes sharp. As winter was settling in, a bead of sweat appeared on her forehead. I could tell she was just brushing me off. She pressed a couple of buttons on the calculator, then casually said, “I have a record on my calculator. I remember you two. It should be 169 dollars.” My anger flared up immediately. I raised my voice. “You told us it was 196 dollars, you never mentioned 169 dollars.” Susan frowned and countered, “So how much did you actually pay? You are just talking, I can tell exactly how much you paid.” I pulled up the payment record on my phone and showed the number 196 dollars. She quickly switched her tone and gave a sheepish laugh. “Oh, you must have misheard me. I said 169 dollars. If you didn’t catch it, it’s not my fault.” Her nonchalant attitude pushed me over the edge. She had even asked me to help promote her supermarket in the school group before. I had gladly shared the posts, and now I was being taken advantage of. Her scheme was clear to me. She probably thought she could take advantage of a college student, assuming I wouldn’t notice or wouldn’t make a fuss. I pointed to the security camera footage nearby, my voice full of anger. “Then check the footage, and see what you actually said. If I misheard, fine. But two people mishearing? Come on.” “It may not seem like a big deal, but the way you’re dodging responsibility, do you think I’m that easy to fool?” “Or do you think I’m stupid and won’t come back to you when I’ve been scammed?” Customers in the store had stopped to watch, making it so that others couldn’t even come up to the counter to check out. They had cleared the counter space for us. Susan froze for a moment, glancing at the footage. “What’s wrong with you? It’s just a little over twenty bucks, and you’re making it into such a big deal. I will just refund you, and it’ll be over. “Why do you need to watch the footage? This supermarket is busy. If everyone were like you, the store would be out of business. “Learn some respect for your elders, kid. I’m around the same age as your mom. You should be polite when you speak to me. Twenty bucks is nothing, but you are messing up my business!” The customers gathered closer, their eyes on us, making Billy feel uneasy. He tugged at my sleeve and whispered, “Enough, okay? Susan already said she’ll refund you. Stop making a scene. “There are so many people watching, this is so embarrassing.” I stared at him, my heart sinking. As my boyfriend, he wasn’t standing up for me, and now he was accusing me of making a fuss. Wasn’t I the one losing out here? I took a deep breath, pulling my arm away from Billy. “Is this really just about the money? I come to your store every week. You don’t even have a scanner. How can I know if you’ve overcharged me a dollar or two? Isn’t it you who’s stubborn and won’t admit you overcharged me? “Just show me the footage and clear this up. It’ll be better for both of us. “Unless you’re lying, and you know you deliberately overcharged us, too scared to let us see the footage.” The customers seemed to have caught on to the situation, and they began discussing it in a flurry of voices. “That makes sense. Last time, I bought one big and one small bucket of instant pasta, and she charged me at the large one’s price.” “I knew something didn’t add up. I felt like I hadn’t bought much, but the total was still high. So, it was the ice cream that got me.” “If that’s how it’s gonna be, I won’t come back next time. I thought Susan was nice, handling the cash register at her age, but turns out she’s been treating us college students like fools.” At these words, Susan’s ears turned red, and she hurriedly responded, “Don’t make up lies. The worst thing that happened was that I forgot, but you must have been a competitor sent to cause trouble. “I’m so mad, my chest hurts.” Susan clutched her chest and sat down. I glanced over, and some customers had already pulled out their phones to record her. I did the same, just in case I needed evidence later. Seeing that I wasn’t scared, Susan’s pained expression quickly faded. She picked up the plastic bag and, with a feigned look of regret, said, “I won’t take the money, I’ll give it back to you!” I wasn’t about to take it. Who knew how she might try to pin the blame on me later? “No, just refund the difference, and be more careful next time.” Reluctantly, Susan transferred the difference back to me. Billy, who had been waiting, rushed out faster than I did. Before I left, I glanced back at Susan, muttering to herself. I could tell from her lips that she was saying it was an accident.

When we got home, Billy was in a bad mood. He rolled his eyes, moved the sofa around on purpose, and made noise as if he were throwing a tantrum. Annoyed, I asked, “What’s your problem? I was the one dealing with Susan the whole time, and you barely said anything to help. “You’re still mad after we get home?” Billy stormed toward me. I was a little scared he might get physical, so I stepped back. “You’re just bullying her, aren’t you? “For just a little over twenty bucks, you had to go to the store? By the time I get to eat, it’ll be seven-thirty. What’s the point of all that? “Maybe she really just made a mistake. Didn’t your parents teach you that sometimes it’s good to take a loss?” I felt a little dizzy. Now, I had to listen to Billy complain even after I got home. Did I do something wrong? Just because I was kind, did that mean I deserved to be taken advantage of? I answered firmly, “Just because she’s having a hard time doesn’t give her the right to scam people. There are plenty of people with tougher lives than hers! “We walked into the store, and she was clearly avoiding eye contact. With all her shady actions, how could you not see that? And you’re blaming me? “Talking about not being able to eat, can’t you make your own meals? After you scold me, I’m the one who still has to cook dinner for you. How pathetic am I?” Billy had pulled this kind of thing more than once. These past two years, I kept asking myself, what was it about Billy that made me fall for him? Before we started dating, he would bring me food, and when it rained, he’d make sure to give me his umbrella. His careful attention was what made me fall for him. But once we were officially together, all that was gone. Outrageous things kept happening. On my birthday, he went off to play games with his buddies. His TikTok was full of suggestive content featuring young women. The worst part was when we argued. He went out to drink with friends, then shamelessly asked me to pick him up and pay for it. All these past memories flooded back. But since Billy was my first love, I somehow healed from all the mistreatment. “Billy, let’s break up.” Billy’s eyes went wide, and his mouth hung open for a few seconds before he finally spoke, “Are you serious? Can you stop taking it out on me just because you’re mad?” He waved his hands repeatedly. “Next time, I’ll speak up for you. Don’t be so petty. It’s not like you never let it go before. Did Aunt Flo visit early this month?” I smiled faintly, my gaze cold. This month, Aunt Flo had just left. “No need, just go. The house is rented under my name.” Billy immediately flew into a rage. “What’s wrong with you? Don’t you understand the principle of compromising for happiness? I’m doing this for your own good!” We stared at each other in silence for over a minute, and when Billy saw I wasn’t giving him an out, he angrily put on his clothes, breathing heavily, trying to act as though he was in pain. But even as he opened the door, I chose to ignore him completely. “Fine, Louise. Just wait and regret it later.” That night, it felt like a double celebration for me. My mind was clear, and for the first time, I felt at peace. However, what I didn’t expect was that the supermarket incident would bring me huge trouble.

I had just woken up when my roommate, Dorothy Clarke, sent me a video. I clicked on it, and all the sleepiness disappeared instantly. Someone uploaded a video of me confronting the supermarket yesterday. The account name was the supermarket’s own. But the video wasn’t complete. My face had been blurred, and the footage mainly focused on me arguing my case. It had been edited, leaving out the backstory. The video made it look like I was bullying them, while Susan came off as the victim. Even worse, the supermarket had labeled the prices of the ice cream in the freezer. No matter how people looked at it, I didn’t seem like I was standing up for my rights. I looked more like I was picking a fight. The person who made the video was clearly an expert. The title was: [Do Older People Just Deserve to Be Bullied?] A group of outraged netizens flooded the comments, attacking me. Comment 1: [Who raised this lady? Your supermarket’s too kind. The blur is unnecessary. Just show her face!] Comment 2: [Someone checks if she’s a student nearby. We should tag the nearby universities. We can’t let one bad apple ruin a whole generation. This kind of person should publicly apologize!] Comment 3: [She’s a setback to society, but I sincerely hope people won’t overdo it with the online bullying. If we do, we’ll be no different from her.] As the shares went viral, the comments kept coming in, and one comment was pinned to the top. The person made up a story. They said I had bought ice cream without checking the price, then got upset and blamed Susan for everything. I made my mistake but made someone else pay for it. Their version of events sounded so convincing, like they were eyewitnesses. They corrected the one error, the price was clearly marked. In the video, I had no argument at all. The nearby universities were all tagged, and it seemed like there was an invisible hand stirring the pot behind the scenes. I gritted my teeth and immediately received a call. It was Paul Butler, the agent who handles my family’s business affairs. The year was ending, and rent collection was coming up. “Miss, are the rents for those stores the same as last year?” I answered flatly. “Everything’s the same, except for the supermarket. They don’t need to rent anymore.” Sometimes, people really couldn’t afford to be too kind. Free Point

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## On my birthday, my husband’s childhood friend, Rachel Quinn, posted pictures on social media of the brand-new robot my husband and son had built for her. I casually gave it a thumbs-up. Not long after, my husband called to scold me: “We gave you one too, didn’t we? And Max even made you a cake himself. What else could you possibly want?” But Rachel’s robot was obviously the latest model. Even the cake my son made for her was bigger than mine. They loved me, sure—but they loved Rachel a little bit more. Maybe it was time for me to love them a little less. When my husband and son got home, the clock had just struck midnight. The untouched cake still sat on the table. The card read: “Happy Birthday, Mom!” “Why didn’t you eat the cake? Were you waiting for us to come home and celebrate?” My husband forced a smile as he and Max lit the candles and sang me a birthday song. But instead of feeling touched, I felt suffocated. I waved them off. “I’m not hungry. You two eat.” My husband’s expression immediately darkened. “I know you’re upset about Rachel. But can’t you understand her situation? She doesn’t have any family here. She had a tough day at work today, so Max and I just went to cheer her up. That’s all. Stop overthinking it.” Max chimed in, “Yeah, Mom. Rachel’s all alone. Can’t you be a little more understanding?” Looking at the father and son tag-teaming me, my heart felt colder than an ice cavern. It was my birthday, yet they left me to comfort someone else. Every time I got angry about how they prioritized Rachel over me, they’d trot out this same excuse. It always made me feel like I was the unreasonable one, like I was the villain. And every time, I’d end up crying alone late at night. But the next day, all it took was a kind word, or a small gift, and I’d forgive them. I’d go right back to being the mom and wife they took for granted. This time, though, I was tired of playing along. “You’re right,” I said calmly. “You should go spend time with her. I’ll celebrate with my friends instead.” I grabbed my purse and headed for the door. The two of them were stunned, frozen in place, clearly not expecting this response. When my husband finally realized I was serious, he quickly rushed over to grab my arm. “You’re forty years old. Can you stop acting like a child? I’m busy with work, and Max is swamped with school. We still made time to celebrate with you, but it’s never enough, is it? We’re exhausted, you know?” Exhausted? I stared at them coldly. They weren’t too tired to build Rachel a cutting-edge robot. They weren’t too tired to bake her a cake the size of a serving platter. But for me? They handed me an outdated model and a cake made from scraps, and that was somehow too much effort. “You’re overthinking it,” I said, voice icy. “I’m not upset. I just want to spend my birthday with my friends for a change. I haven’t done that in years.” “Mom! Enough with the drama!” Max suddenly snapped, slamming his hand down on the table. The cake tipped over, and the candles nearly set the tablecloth on fire. Lately, Max had been under a lot of pressure at school, and his temper was always on edge. Every time he lashed out, I’d patiently comfort him, no matter how much it hurt. But this time, I stayed silent. Seeing my lack of reaction, his anger flared even more. He started punching the furniture, kicking over chairs. “What do you want from us? Why can’t you just leave me and Dad alone? You’ve been emotionally manipulating us for years. Is it not enough? Do you want to drive us insane before you’re satisfied?” Watching him scream and destroy the living room, I felt nothing but a deep, hollow sadness. All these years, I’d poured my heart into this family. And now, on my fortieth birthday, just because I wanted a little bit of extra attention, I was branded a control freak. What a failure I’d become. I laughed bitterly, tears stinging my eyes, as my husband rushed to comfort Max. He turned to me with a grim look, his voice cold. “Look at what you’ve done to him. Do you even deserve to be a mother? If you’re so unhappy, why don’t we just get a divorce?” Every time I argued with him, he’d throw that line at me. And every time, I’d back down out of fear. But this time, I didn’t care anymore. “Fine,” I said. Their shocked faces were the last thing I saw before walking out the door.

Even though it was late, my friends agreed to meet me. We gathered at a food truck, drinking beer and eating greasy snacks. They teased me for disappearing after getting married, saying I’d practically forgotten they existed. The alcohol dulled my brain, and for a moment, it felt like we were back in college, laughing in our dorm room. Looking back, I’d sacrificed so much for my husband and son. And for what? After saying goodbye to my friends, I checked my phone. There were dozens of missed calls and messages, most from my husband. I was about to ignore them when one from Rachel caught my eye: “I’m so sorry, Lauren. There’s nothing going on between me and Tom, I swear. I just had a bad day and needed someone to talk to. I completely forgot it was your birthday. Please forgive me!” The alcohol churned in my stomach. I leaned against a streetlamp and vomited until my throat burned. Finally, I replied: “Don’t worry about it. I don’t care.” She started typing a response, but I didn’t bother waiting for it. When I got home, the house was a disaster zone—worse than when I’d left. I ignored it and headed for the bathroom to wash up. My husband emerged from the bedroom, his face scrunched in irritation. “You’re finally back? And drunk, no less. Clean this place up before you go to bed.” “Whoever made the mess can clean it up.” I flopped onto the couch, exhausted. Something hard jabbed into my hip. It was my husband’s phone, unlocked. On the screen was a chat with Rachel. “Tom, I shouldn’t have made Lauren upset. It’s my fault. Let’s not meet up so often anymore.” “Don’t blame yourself. She’s just petty and jealous. It’s just a birthday—it’s not like we can’t celebrate later. She’s so dramatic, acting like a spoiled brat.” “Don’t say that. She has every right to be upset. You should go make up with her.” “Thanks, Rachel. If only Lauren were half as understanding as you.” My husband snatched the phone from my hand, his face red with anger. “Why do you always have to invade my privacy? There’s nothing going on with us!” “Whatever,” I said, too tired to fight. “I’m going to sleep.” He was taken aback by my indifference but quickly recovered. “Oh, by the way,” he said, as if trying to change the subject. “I’ll show you how to use that robot we got you. It’ll make things easier for you.” I opened my eyes and looked at him coldly. “Tom, did you forget? I helped design that model.” He froze, glancing at the robot. Then he let out a sheepish laugh. “Oh, right. Well, never mind then.” Before we got married, we’d both worked as engineers at the same tech company. But after Max was born, I quit my job to stay home and raise him. Now, all I felt was regret for everything I’d given up. The room was silent, except for the faint hum of the robot vacuuming the floor. “I’m sleeping on the couch tonight,” I said. “You can go to bed.” “Fine,” he muttered. “Oh, and I’m working late tomorrow. Don’t wait up.” “Got it.” And with that, I closed my eyes.

My husband lingered in the hallway for a moment before retreating to the bedroom. I hadn’t been asleep long when I felt someone shaking me awake. Groggily, I opened my eyes to find Max standing over me, already dressed in his school uniform, looking thoroughly annoyed. “Why didn’t you wake me up? I’m going to be late! And where’s breakfast? You didn’t make anything?” Every morning, without fail, I’d sacrifice my own rest to wake him up on time and prepare a full, warm breakfast. The price of this routine was dark circles under my eyes and skin that had lost its luster. At forty, I looked closer to fifty. But not today. “You can set your own alarm from now on. As for breakfast, grab something on the way. Got money? I’ll send you some if you don’t.” Max stared at me, stunned, as if he couldn’t believe this was coming from me—the mom who used to do everything for him without complaint. “I don’t need your money,” he muttered, his voice heavy with disdain. Then, under his breath, he added, “Rachel would never be this lazy…” Though he mumbled it quietly, I heard every word. But strangely, it didn’t hurt. Max stormed out, slamming the door so hard the shoe rack rattled, and a small object tumbled to the floor. Curious, I walked over and picked it up. It was a toy car—one I’d modified years ago. With the push of a button, it could transform into a robot and even play theme songs from cartoons. When Max was little, he was often sick. Those days, he rarely smiled—until I showed him this car. The way his face lit up, the pure joy in his laughter, had inspired me to submit a proposal at work: a line of toys designed to bring emotional comfort to children. But Tom, my husband, had dismissed the idea outright. He argued that robots should be practical, useful tools—not frivolous “toys” that just transformed and played music. In the end, the proposal was shelved, and Max grew up, leaving behind the little car he once adored. I stared at the toy for a long moment before pressing its button. It still worked. An idea struck me, so I grabbed the car and went to find my neighbor’s child, Danny. Danny was just five, a lonely boy whose parents had divorced and left him in the care of his grandmother. He spent most of his days playing alone in the dirt outside our building. When I handed him the toy, his eyes lit up, and he clutched it tightly, turning it over and over in his small hands. “Wow!” he exclaimed, a grin spreading across his face as he began playing with it. Seeing his joy, I couldn’t help but think of Max as a little boy—and of the proposal I’d given up on all those years ago. Before I realized it, I had my phone in hand and was dialing my old manager’s number. Halfway through the call, I panicked and almost hung up, but it was too late. “Lauren? Wow, it’s been forever! What’s up?” “Oh, um…” I hesitated, nervously rubbing my nose. “I was just wondering… Are you hiring?” It felt absurd. After nearly a decade as a stay-at-home mom, I was trying to reenter a high-tech industry that had undoubtedly moved on without me. But to my surprise, my former manager sounded thrilled. “Are you serious? We’d love to have you back! Honestly, someone with your skills is exactly what my new company needs. That said… you’ve been out of the game for a while. You’d have to start from the ground up.” “I don’t mind!” I said quickly. “I’ll prove myself.” After hanging up, I was so excited I nearly jumped for joy. I ended up spending the rest of the day playing with Danny and his new toy. “You’re the best, Miss Lauren,” Danny said, looking up at me with wide, hopeful eyes. “I wish you were my mom.” I froze, unsure how to respond. All I could do was gently pat his head. Chaos Unfolds Just then, I heard the front door slam open. A man staggered in, reeking of alcohol, his face twisted with anger. “Who the hell are you? Where’s my mom?” he demanded, his voice slurred. Before I could respond, Danny’s grandmother hurried out of the kitchen, panic etched on her face. “What are you doing here?” she shouted, her voice trembling. “I’m not giving you another penny!” “You’re my mother! Your money is my money!” he snapped. “And if you don’t hand it over, I swear I’ll—” His eyes darted to Danny. “I’ll take that little brat with me. Maybe sell him off somewhere!” He pulled out a knife, waving it wildly as he stumbled toward Danny. Time seemed to slow as I threw myself between them, shielding Danny with my body. The blade sliced into me, and pain exploded in my side. Warm blood seeped through my clothes, pooling on the floor beneath me. Danny’s terrified cries echoed in my ears as everything around me faded to black.

The man was subdued by the neighbors and handed over to the police. Meanwhile, I was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. The knife had cut deep into my shoulder, leaving a gaping wound. The pain was excruciating, and cold sweat soaked my back. Everything had happened so fast that I was still trembling, my body locked in fear. At that moment, I desperately needed comfort—just a little would have been enough. So, I called my husband. “Tom, I’m at the hospital. You need to come right away.” “What’s going on? I’m working overtime right now.” His tone carried an edge of impatience, and the noise in the background didn’t sound like an office; it sounded more like a busy restaurant. “I was attacked. Someone stabbed me. There’s blood everywhere, and it hurts so much. Please, just come.” The moment I heard my own voice, my tears spilled over, cascading down my cheeks and carrying with them all the fear and frustration I’d been holding inside. But his next words threw me into a bottomless abyss. “Lauren, can you stop joking around? You’re at home all day—who would just show up and stab you? You’re forty years old. Can you stop being so childish?” “I’m not joking!” I shouted, my voice cracking with desperation. “I’m in the hospital right now. This is real!” But to him, my panic only sounded like another one of my so-called “tantrums.” “Look, I get it. You’re still mad about your birthday and how we didn’t celebrate with you. But making up a story like this is too much. I’m tired, Lauren. If you keep this up, I don’t think our marriage is going to last.” “Fine,” I whispered, my voice hollow. “Forget it. Pretend I didn’t call. You can go back to work.” And with that, he hung up. I stood there, frozen in place, before shakily dialing my son’s number. “Max, sweetie, it’s Mom. I’m in the hospital. Can you—” Before I could finish, he cut me off, his voice dripping with irritation. “Dad told me you made up some crazy story about getting stabbed. I didn’t believe him, but wow, you really went there. Mom, can you just stop? Please? Just leave us alone!” “What? Wait. You’re with Dad? Isn’t he supposed to be working overtime?” But before I could get an answer, Max hung up. At that moment, I felt like a lone leaf adrift in a vast, merciless ocean. Then, a thought struck me. My hands trembled as I opened Rachel’s social media profile. Sure enough, there it was—a new video. She was all dolled up, pouting playfully at the camera. Behind her was the unmistakable decor of an upscale restaurant. The caption read: “Grateful to have you by my side in this unfamiliar city.” I recognized the restaurant immediately. It was where Tom and I had gone on our first date. I’d wanted to revisit it several times after we got married, but Tom always said it was too expensive. The video only showed Rachel, but I caught a fleeting sound in the background—a voice I knew better than my own. “Mom,” it said. Tears blurred my vision as I set my phone down. There was no mistaking it. That voice belonged to Max. The tears came harder now, falling in heavy drops onto my lap. The husband I had stood by through thick and thin. The son I had raised with endless love and sacrifice. Both of them had turned away from me, only to offer their care and attention to someone else. I wanted to convince myself it didn’t matter, but the ache in my chest was unbearable. Even breathing felt like a monumental effort. “Lauren? Isn’t Tom and Max coming to see you?” Danny’s small, hesitant voice pulled me out of my spiraling thoughts. He had been sitting quietly by my bedside, worry etched across his tiny face. “No,” I said softly. “But it’s okay. Will you stay with me for a while?” He nodded quickly, his little head bobbing like a woodpecker. “Of course! I’ll stay as long as you need me. But…” His voice faltered, and he looked down. “Aren’t you mad? You know, because… it was my dad who hurt you.” Seeing his guilt-stricken expression, my heart ached. I reached out and gently ruffled his hair. “No, Danny. It’s not your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong. Neither did I.” I pulled him into a hug, both of us clinging to each other in search of comfort. For years, I had poured my entire heart and soul into loving my husband and son. That love had become the foundation of my world. But now, I realized that love couldn’t sustain me anymore. It was time to let go. There were other people—other things—more deserving of my time and affection. Start

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As college began, my roommate Lily Evans decided to rank us based on our blood types, with Type A being the highest, followed by O, and B at the bottom. Since I have Type B blood, I became the lowest-ranked person in her eyes. She treated me like a servant, writing a list of unreasonable rules for me on a piece of paper. She also called herself “Miss Evans” and showed off her designer clothes and bags in our dorm room. “If you all listen to me, I’ll have my dad arrange jobs for you after graduation,” she boasted. Hearing her words nearly made me cough up blood. If she’s Miss Evans, then who was the person I visited at the psychiatric hospital yesterday? “Let me tell you, people with Type B blood are the most fickle, selfish, and emotionally unstable. They’re like crazy people and can’t hang out with us Type A and O folks,” Lily declared. “We Type A people have the best personalities. We’re meticulous, enthusiastic, and generous. From now on, I’ll be the boss of this dorm and take care of you all.” After asking about our blood types, Lily couldn’t stop talking. There were four of us in the dorm: Lily was Type A, two others were Type O, and I was the only Type B. We were college students, not idiots. Everyone exchanged awkward smiles and ignored her, continuing to unpack. If blood types really determined personality, there would only be a few identical types of people in the world. But this irritated her. She took out her designer clothes and bags, spreading them across her bed as if afraid someone might miss them. One roommate from a rural area, seeing such beautiful clothes for the first time, exclaimed, “Wow, your family must be rich! These clothes are gorgeous. They must cost thousands!” Lily was delighted by the flattery: “Thousands? These cost $40,000! Here, take this lipstick. It’s a designer brand, number 422.” Another roommate put down her clothes and looked at them with shining eyes. Lily noticed her interest and gave her a lipstick too: “Stick with me, and there’ll be plenty of perks.” It was ridiculous. Truly wealthy people don’t remember the prices of things they buy, nor do they show off so blatantly. Seeing that I had no reaction, Lily approached me with a lipstick, smirking: “Don’t pretend. I know you want one too. From now on, you’ll be our dorm’s little follower. This is your welcome gift.” As the only daughter of the Liu Group, why would I need to be anyone’s follower? She was so arrogant over just giving me a lipstick. You’d think she’d bought me a house or something. But since I had to live in this dorm for a year before I could move off-campus, I politely declined: “No need, I have more lipsticks than I can use.” She had expected me to be grateful, so her face fell. She opened my drawer and burst out laughing: “I thought you used some fancy brand. You have the nerve to look down on mine? These are just cheap knockoffs from Wish.” “Knockoffs? These are all custom-made products my mom brought back from abroad.” Now she was laughing so hard tears were about to fall. “You should think before you lie. I’m Miss Evans. How come I’ve never seen this brand?” “You don’t mean the Evans family that donated a building to our school, do you?” Lily nodded proudly, basking in their admiration like a celebrity. “If you all listen to me, I’ll have my dad arrange jobs for you after graduation.” Hearing her words nearly made me cough up blood. If she’s Miss Evans, then who was the person I visited at the psychiatric hospital yesterday?

Besides, I had already investigated my roommates’ backgrounds before school started. Her parents were just ordinary working-class people. As for why she had so many luxury items and whether they were genuine, I couldn’t be bothered to think about it. I just wanted to enjoy my college life now, because after graduation, I’d have to take over the company and would never have such a relaxed time again. After finishing unpacking, my parents called me out for dinner. They were worried I wouldn’t adapt to dorm life and wanted to donate some equipment to the school so I could commute. I refused, not wanting to be so high-profile or make others think I was using connections. When I returned, I found I couldn’t open the door to our room. I knocked for a while before Lily finally opened it. She immediately threw a piece of paper at me: “From now on, if you forget your key, you’ll have to send a red envelope to each of us to get in.” I looked at the contents and nearly dropped my jaw. The first rule: Responsible for cleaning the dorm every day. Second rule: Wake up half an hour early to buy breakfast for them and save seats in the classroom. Third rule: Hand wash her underwear and socks daily. … I didn’t read the rest and threw it back in her face. She was treating me like a free maid. If she wouldn’t let me in, I’d break down the door. It would only cost a little to replace. I didn’t want to cause trouble at the start of school, but that didn’t mean I was easy to bully. She became furious and tried to slap me, but I firmly gripped her wrist. She glared at me, gritting her teeth: “I’ll tell my dad you’re bullying me. Just you wait.” I wasn’t raised to be scared easily. People like her shouldn’t be indulged. Even if Mr. Evans really came, he wouldn’t dare touch a hair on my head. I gripped her hand tighter, making her cry out in pain. “Apologize.” Her eyes widened, and I applied more pressure. Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore and begged: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” I hadn’t been working out every day for years for nothing. The muscles in my arms weren’t just for show. She stared at me, unable to do anything. The next day, she got up early to put on makeup, the clanking of her cosmetics waking me up. She wore clothes covered in designer logos, exuding a nouveau riche vibe. I casually put on some casual wear, which prompted her sarcastic comments: “If you can’t afford genuine items, don’t pretend. Wearing fakes will only make people laugh at you.” I couldn’t help but laugh: “Who knows if yours are real? Dressed like that, people might think you’re some nouveau riche’s illegitimate child.” Angered, she took out several receipts from her suitcase to show me: “You country bumpkin, who are you calling fake?” I glanced at the receipts, which did seem genuine. When she asked me to show my receipts, I was stumped. Who carries around clothing receipts? In our first class, the advisor asked us to introduce ourselves. Lily was the first to raise her hand and went to the front: “Hi everyone, I’m Lily Evans, blood type A. I welcome all Type A and O people to be my friends. I’ll treat everyone to dinner tonight.” She certainly knew how to win people over. A crowd quickly gathered around her, flattering her. When it was my turn to go up, she started causing trouble. “Oh, you don’t know, yesterday I saw her using some sketchy lipstick and felt sorry for her, so I gave her a $422 lipstick. I must have hurt her pride because look how she grabbed my wrist.” Everyone saw her reddened wrist and looked at me with contempt. When I came down, only a few people applauded. Ridiculous. Just the usual tactics of a mean girl, twisting black and white. Besides, I had already asked my dad’s secretary to investigate her yesterday. I wanted to see where all her money came from.

During Freshman Orientation Week, because I was tall, I stood with the boys. Jack Zhang, a rich kid in our class, deliberately stood next to me, constantly trying to make conversation. I didn’t really want to engage with him. Our families had just ended a business partnership because his family’s product quality wasn’t up to par, and my family was looking for new partners. He was approaching me for his family’s company, but this displeased Lily. Lily loved having everyone, especially boys, gathered around her. Jack had taken her out in his sports car yesterday, but today he was being attentive to me, causing her to keep turning her head to glare at us during training. I originally wasn’t planning to pay attention to Jack, but seeing her so angry piqued my interest, so I started chatting with him. As soon as the instructor dismissed us, she ran over to bring Jack water, even affectionately patting his head. She was clearly marking her territory in front of me. “Jack, let’s go out for hot pot later. I’m so hungry,” she said coyly. Jack had always been a player, never dating a girl for more than a month, and often juggling multiple relationships. I’d even heard gossip about him last year when an influencer secretly gave birth to his daughter, but he refused to acknowledge her. In the end, his father had to step in and accept the child. Given his family’s current situation, if he had any sense, he’d choose me: “Jack, I’m hungry too. How about taking me for steak?” He was suddenly caught in a dilemma, torn between the girl he’d just hooked and someone who could benefit him. Faced with money and beauty, he ultimately chose money: “Lily, you go back first. I’ll take you for hot pot tomorrow.” Lily looked utterly disbelieving, tears streaming down her face like a faucet, appearing extremely pitiful. But Jack was unmoved, even calling the steakhouse to make a reservation right in front of her. This also angered Lily, who started yelling at me: “You vixen! Have you no shame? How dare you flirt with the man I like? Do you enjoy being a homewrecker that much?” She was really jumping to conclusions, especially since they weren’t even dating. I didn’t say anything, just looked up at Jack. He immediately understood and looked at Lily impatiently: “Who are you calling names? Look at yourself, acting all coquettish. We’ve only known each other for a few days, and you’re already calling me ‘honey’ all the time.” Lily hadn’t expected him to change so quickly and was too angry to speak: “You! You! You…” I couldn’t help but laugh, and he immediately pressed his advantage: “What ‘you’? I just took you out a few times and bought you some things. Did you really think you were my girlfriend?” Lily, who cared so much about face, was humiliated like this and cried uncontrollably. “I’ll give you… one more chance. Are you taking me… for hot pot… or her for steak?” she said between sobs. Her psychological resilience was quite strong. Any other girl would have run away in tears by now. “You’re crazy. Let’s go, Amy,” Jack said. Jack and I left, leaving her behind. “You two-timing jerks, I’ll never forgive you!” she shouted angrily at our backs. I treated it like a dog barking, not bothering to respond. At the school gate, I made an excuse that my parents had an urgent matter and left. If it wasn’t to anger Lily, I wouldn’t want to get too close to someone like Jack. At that moment, the secretary also called me to report on her investigation progress.

I never expected Lily to be the mistress of my best friend’s father, Robert Lee. The secretary even had people take photos of them kissing in a car. This really made me feel sick. Robert was already 50, with a mouthful of yellow teeth. How could she stomach kissing him? But this also gave me hope. My best friend, Olivia Lee, might have a chance to get out of the psychiatric hospital. She wasn’t really ill at all. She was locked up because she didn’t listen to Robert. After her college entrance exam, she got engaged to the Lu family and ran off abroad, only to be caught and brought back by Robert. When she tried to escape again, Robert’s men caught her, and a bystander filmed it and posted it online, causing a stir about the Lee family abusing their daughter. Under public pressure, Robert forged a psychiatric diagnosis for her and had her committed to a mental hospital. Olivia’s mother, Victoria, couldn’t help her because her family’s company was in decline and still relied on Robert’s financial support. I could only approach Victoria. I remembered her mentioning before that she and Robert had signed a prenuptial agreement stating that if either party cheated, they would leave the marriage with nothing. I invited Victoria out for coffee and told her everything in detail. Victoria’s eyes lit up. She thanked me and left in a hurry, not even touching her coffee. Now all I had to do was wait for the good news of Olivia’s release. Victoria acted swiftly, and Olivia was out the next day. Olivia already hated Robert, and upon learning of his affair, she urged her mother to divorce him immediately. But Victoria said there was no rush; she had her own plans. She had already taken over the Lee family company. Olivia wanted to come to school with me, so Victoria donated $2 million worth of lab equipment to the school, and Olivia was admitted as an exception to study with me. To thank Victoria, the school invited her to give a speech. Everyone thought it was Lily’s mother coming and cast envious glances at her. Our dorm was originally a six-person room that wasn’t full, so Olivia naturally moved in. Just as we finished moving her things in, Lily rudely rushed over to ask about her blood type. Olivia had heard about Lily from me and didn’t bother to engage with someone impersonating her identity. This infuriated Lily: “Do you know who my parents are? How dare you ignore me! Just looking at you, I can tell you’re Type B. Get ready to be ostracized by the whole class.” She was right about this; Olivia was indeed Type B. We might not know who her parents were, but tomorrow the whole school would know who Olivia’s parents were. We’d see who would be ostracized then. The next day, as soon as she saw Victoria, Lily went over to chat, even bringing her milk tea, acting like a real mother and daughter. But Victoria’s expression was already hiding daggers behind her smile. She recognized this girl as Robert’s mistress at a glance. But this was school, with so many eyes watching. They had to keep up appearances. During Victoria’s speech, Lily couldn’t stop talking: “My mom said she’s taking me for French cuisine tonight. I bet some people are so jealous.” When she said “some people,” she looked at us. Everyone cast envious glances at her, but she wouldn’t be smiling for long. “My daughter is also in the audience today. Finally, I’d like to invite her on stage to take a photo with me as a memento.”

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