Category: English

Hot! Why is it so hot? I vaguely remember that before I lost consciousness, the temperature on Earth had plummeted to minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit. There’s a saying that right before someone freezes to death, they feel a strange warmth. Was I already dead? No! I can’t die just like this! Those three despicable people are still alive, so how could I die before them? Suddenly, I opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was my husband, Lucas Johnson, standing beside the couch. He was wearing a thin t-shirt, his face glowing with warmth, clearly enjoying life without a care. He looked down at me and said casually, “Since you’re awake, go ahead and make dinner. My parents will be home soon.” The scene was so familiar, almost identical to the moment a month ago when I had slipped while mopping the floor, hit my head on the corner of the table, and passed out. And Lucas’s expression right now—it was the exact same as it had been back then! “Hey!” Lucas, seeing that I hadn’t moved, yanked me up forcefully, pulling me off the couch. “Faye, it’s already 5:15! Mom and Dad will be here by 5:30. What are you standing around for?” With that, he turned and walked back into his room to play his game, leaving me standing there with my heart racing. Lucas’s well-toned arm had gripped me so tightly that the pain in my arm was real. My heart pounded as I quickly grabbed my phone. The screen showed the date—it really was a month before that fateful day! Just then, a news alert popped up on my phone, reporting a conflict in some region. It was eerily similar to the chaos that had erupted just before the apocalypse in my previous life. Those painful memories came rushing back. In my past life, Lucas had been laid off. After that, he struggled to find a job, meeting failure after failure. As the only son of a rural family, his parents had moved in with us when they heard he’d lost his job. They were furious that as his wife, I wasn’t catering to his every need—especially that I wasn’t cooking for him every day. So, they decided to move in under the pretense of helping us. But instead of helping, they turned Lucas into a lazy, good-for-nothing man. Back then, I was trapped by “years of love” and couldn’t bring myself to leave him. I didn’t divorce him when I should have. But now—I’ve come back to the past! God finally heard my cry of frustration and gave me another chance! With gratitude filling my heart, I glanced around the room. The family heirloom furniture my parents left behind was still intact, and the sunlight was pouring in through the windows. I checked the weather forecast: it was 116°F (47°C)—even for a scorching summer, this was unusual heat. This extreme heat is why, when the Great Freeze hit half a month later, people didn’t see it coming. They felt too comfortable to notice. The temperature would drop rapidly—first by 9 or 18 degrees each day—until one day people would wake up to find it snowing in the middle of summer, with the temperature plunging to -30°F. That’s when the panic would finally set in. At first, you could still buy food if you had money, but before long, people would realize the danger, and everyone would have to fend for themselves. I remember suggesting to Lucas that we should stock up while we could still go to Costco Warehouse Store. But my in-laws overheard this from outside the room. They stormed in, hands around my throat, accusing me of trying to kill their son. “Don’t you know how deadly it is to go out in this cold?! You go if you want to die!” They yanked me roughly out of bed. “Let’s see how you like freezing to death, you wicked woman!” I was devastated, but Lucas remained silent. His mother’s grip on my throat tightened. I scratched at her hands in desperation, but Lucas stopped me cold. “That’s my mom! How could you lay a hand on her?” At that moment, I was shocked, but I finally understood. He had changed long ago. The moment I agreed to let his country-bumpkin parents move in with us, I had made a mistake. Maybe even marrying him had been the wrong decision from the start. In the days that followed, they dropped the masks they wore and became like demons. They hoarded all the warm clothes, forcing me to go out in -40°F weather to scavenge for food while they burned my family’s heirloom furniture for warmth. My hands were covered in frostbite, my exposed skin cracked from the cold. If I didn’t bring back enough food, I was met with scorn or beaten. If I tried to explain myself, they would strip off my down jacket and lock me outside until I begged for forgiveness. When there was no more food to find, they made a deal with the local gang to trade me for supplies. I fought back with all my strength, but I was left locked out on the freezing balcony. That’s how I froze to death. The humiliation and agony of those final moments felt as vivid as if it had happened yesterday, and tears rolled down my face uncontrollably. Just then, the sound of keys turning in the lock reached my ears—Lucas’s parents had come home.

As soon as they stepped inside, their eyes immediately went to the dining table. Seeing nothing, their faces darkened. I took a deep breath, wiped away my tears, and put on a cheerful smile to greet them. It wasn’t time to reveal my hand yet. I had to bide my time. I flashed my phone at them as I spoke. “Dad, Mom, something urgent came up at the factory, and I completely lost track of time. Why don’t I give you some money, and you can take Lucas out to eat something nice? I still need to go back to the factory to handle some things.” Right then, Mr. Johnson’s phone chimed with a notification. He unlocked it, and the amount he saw made him smile. “I’ll be back late tonight. Enjoy your dinner.” Ever since my parents passed away in that tragic accident, I had been running the furniture factory they left me, fresh out of college. It took countless sleepless nights, but eventually, I managed to bring that dormant production line back to life. Good thing I had been smart enough to never transfer ownership of the factory to Lucas. Now, the factory’s profits were my strongest leverage. Sure, it hurt a little to hand over $10,000 just like that, but to catch a big fish, you have to be willing to sacrifice some bait. I calculated the liquid cash I had left—just over a million dollars. Before Lucas lost his job, we had been pretty comfortable. But this past year, we had nearly eaten through all our savings. Still, between the property, the car, the stocks, and the debts the factory was owed, I could piece together enough to stay afloat for now. With that sorted, I rushed out the door, ready to get down to business. The elevator doors slid open, and standing inside was a young man. He had short hair, wore a black t-shirt, and his skin was a deep bronze. He stood quietly in the corner. If you didn’t know him, his presence might feel intimidating, unsettling even. But I knew he was a kind man. In my past life, when I was locked out on the balcony, it was him who dropped a heat pack down to me from above. But my mother-in-law had seen it, snatched it up, and gave it to Lucas instead. The three of them then conspired to frame me, accusing me of having an affair with him. That one small act of kindness had meant more to me than all the years of what I thought was an unbreakable marriage. I gave him a small smile and pressed the button for the basement. As the elevator descended, I casually remarked, “Seems like the weather’s been pretty weird this year, huh?” He glanced at me in surprise before nodding. “It sure has.” I feigned nonchalance. “I read an article recently about how this heat is just a backlash from rising global temperatures. Environmental damage is causing strange fluctuations in the weather, and they think it might lead to a sudden and drastic drop in temperatures.” He shot me a puzzled look and responded with a simple, “Oh.” I gave him one last glance before stepping out of the elevator. Ignoring the curious stares from others, I headed straight for a rental service and picked up a spacious old van. After that, I drove to Hillcrest Realty to rent a secluded private estate that I could move into right away. I wanted somewhere remote, with strong security. The agent looked out the window at the beat-up van I had rented, clear skepticism in his eyes. How could someone who was about to rent a luxury estate be driving such a rundown vehicle? I handed him an envelope stuffed with cash. “Relax, it’s all above board. You get your cut , I handle my business.” The agent’s expression shifted to one of sharp understanding. “Actually, I do have a place. It’s nearby.” I nodded, signaling him to lead the way. Sure enough, the agent brought me to an upscale neighborhood. I knew this area well—it wasn’t far from my home, but due to some silly superstitions about bad feng shui, hardly anyone had moved in. Rich people were obsessed with such nonsense, and it had turned this into a notorious money-losing project. And because of that, during the apocalypse, it had become an untouched safe haven. Though I was on a budget, I was still determined to haggle. “This place has quite the reputation as a ‘ghost town,’ so the price better reflect that.” The agent gave me a sideways look before forcing a smile. “You know your stuff. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t dream of overcharging you.” When we arrived, he pulled out the keys and opened the door, stepping aside to let me in. “The owner moved overseas, barely lived here. Fully furnished, with a private yard. The neighbors are far apart—very quiet.” Before stepping inside, I took a moment to survey the yard. The soil was rich and fertile—ideal for building a greenhouse to grow my own food. Inside, I inspected every corner, knocking and testing for durability. The solid wood furniture was well-built, and the windows were top-quality. But what delighted me the most was the enormous fireplace. The previous owner clearly had excellent taste. As the sun began to set, I stood on the terrace, looking out at the darkened windows of my current house in the distance, squinting my eyes thoughtfully. Turning to the agent, I said, “Let’s sign the lease for five years.” His eyes lit up with excitement. After paying the deposit and seeing him off, I took my time examining every inch of this soon-to-be apocalypse refuge. I mapped out where I would install security grilles and where to fortify weak points, planning everything meticulously. Just as I was about to explore the space under the stairs, an inconspicuous door caught my attention. My mind began to race with ideas… I pushed the door open. As the hinges turned, lights along the walls flickered to life, illuminating a path downward. To my amazement, this mansion had a hidden basement! It was clear that the previous owner had some foresight, creating this secret space during construction as a bunker of sorts. The agent hadn’t even known about it, which meant I now had a secret base—a valuable asset, especially with the apocalypse looming. The basement was roughly 1,300 square feet, fully furnished, and equipped with a state-of-the-art ventilation system. The air circulated freely, without any oppressive feeling. All it needed was enhanced insulation, and it would be the perfect shelter. Now, it was time to start stockpiling supplies. Carefully locking the basement door, I moved an old metal cabinet in front of it to keep it hidden. Then I pulled the curtains tightly shut and drove off to the nearest Costco Warehouse Store.

As soon as I entered the store, memories of hunger and freezing from my previous life flooded back, making my eyes gleam with a ravenous desire as I stared at the shelves of food. The key to preparing for the apocalypse was choosing items with a long shelf life that were easy to eat. So, instant meals like mac and cheese, turkey-flavored ramen, and various heat-and-eat meals were my top picks. I headed straight for the bulk section and, posing as a small-scale retailer, I ordered large quantities—ten cases of mac and cheese, ten cases of turkey-flavored ramen, and ten cases of heat-and-eat meals. Of course, a balanced diet was important, too. Fresh fruits and vegetables were a luxury I couldn’t afford or easily store. Growing them myself would be tricky. So, I focused on vacuum-packed, high-protein options and added twenty cases of preserved goods—chicken wings, chicken legs, jerky, duck products, and hard-boiled eggs. Next, I had to stock up on water. In my previous life, after Lucas and his family had betrayed me and left me trapped in the snow, the thirst I felt was indescribable. This time, I was ready. I reached out to Samantha Foster, my factory’s secretary, and had her connect me with a German company that made custom water barrels, designed to store as much water as possible in a compact space. The barrels would line the walls of the basement, and with the addition of a greenhouse and a water collection system I planned to install in the yard, I could survive for at least a year on my own. If worst came to worst, I could always melt and purify snow. Beyond food and water, medical supplies were critical. I drove around the city, visiting every 24-hour pharmacy. Every time I tried to buy ten boxes of medicine, I had to endure the suspicious or even alarmed looks from the clerks. One time, someone almost called the cops, thinking I was a drug dealer. I had to come up with an excuse, telling them I was part of a nonprofit organization collecting emergency supplies for a small town hit by a car accident. After much explaining, they reluctantly sold me what I needed. I left each store with a mountain of antibiotics, wound powder, vitamins, disinfectants, bandages, and antidotes. As I stared at the pile of medical supplies, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia. In my previous life, Lucas and I had met during a volunteer relief mission. Back then, he wasn’t the selfish and cold person he later became. But people change. Fear of the apocalypse and his parents’ toxic influence had twisted him, turning his once kind heart into something ugly and greedy. This time around, I could have faced the apocalypse with him by my side, but… The me that had once cared for him was long gone. He had killed that part of me with his own hands. After gathering all the medical supplies, I picked up a few fire extinguishers and some emergency escape gear, preparing for any situation that might arise. Before long, my old van was packed to the brim. Since the estate’s storage space was limited, I decided to stop my first round of shopping here. Feeling worn out, I grabbed a few bags of long-lasting pastries and bread to fill the remaining space in the van. Then, I stopped at a late-night diner for a hearty meal before heading back home. The van was full, not just of supplies but also of a cautious optimism for the future. Even though tonight seemed normal, and the apocalypse was on its way, as long as I lived for today, I could find hope. Humming a little tune, I drove through the quiet streets, cherishing this seemingly ordinary, yet precious, night. Driving back to the Private Estate in Rural Georgia, I hauled load after load of supplies down to the basement. Exhausted, I collapsed onto the floor, gazing at my “spoils of victory” with a long sigh of relief. The apocalypse would last a long time, and I urgently needed to gather more resources. But with only myself, my energy was limited, and time was slipping away. This house still needed further modifications. After paying the rent and buying food and medicine, my bank account had dwindled to just over $800,000. To avoid running out of funds for the renovations later, I decided to rely on my family’s factory for production. The first priority was to get some high-quality bows and arrows as weapons. Decent ones only cost a few thousand dollars. As for the arrows, that was simple—my factory specialized in woodworking, and it wouldn’t be hard to whip up a batch of shafts in a pinch. Last month, the factory had bought some bamboo for making chopsticks. I could easily repurpose some of it and combine it with ball bearings to create a makeshift slingshot launcher. For firepower, the garage, which was sealed and secure, could store some fireworks to be used as emergency explosives. In an apocalypse, after all, human nature was often more dangerous than the environment. As for the house modifications: installing steel plates, adding solar panels, and creating indoor insulation—$800,000 would barely cover it all. While pondering this, I drifted off to sleep without realizing it. When I woke, I was drenched in sweat, having forgotten to turn on the basement’s ventilation system. My clothes were soaked through. I glanced at the time—it was already past 2 a.m. Quietly, I slipped out of the basement and peeked out through a small gap in the curtain, seeing that the lights in the house were still on. After freshening up a bit, I drove back home. I could already predict how Lucas and his parents would react. A “submissive housewife” disappearing for half a day with her phone turned off was bound to trigger a round of questioning. But what they didn’t know was that I was no longer the same Faye Johnson they were used to. When I got home, Lucas was glued to his video game, the room filled with the sounds of gunfire and explosions. I ignored him, took off my coat, and changed my shoes. Interrupted by the noise, Lucas paused the game and angrily threw down the controller. “Where the hell have you been? Coming home this late and not answering your phone?” “Do you even care that Mom and Dad didn’t get dinner tonight?” Without looking at him, I walked straight to the bedroom and tossed out, “I was working late at the factory. There was an emergency.” My father-in-law shuffled out of the adjacent room, letting out a cold snort. “What kind of ‘emergency’ makes you work so late? What, that little wood factory of yours has some earth-shattering business that can’t wait until Monday?” Funny, he didn’t have this attitude when I handed him that money earlier. I rolled my eyes inwardly but didn’t say anything. Lucas suddenly threw his phone onto the table. “You say you were working late, but I called the office so many times—nobody picked up! What kind of work are you doing?” His mother chimed in, raising her voice. “I told you, son, this kind of woman who’s always out and about is no good. Always talking about ‘working late.’ Who knows what kind of people she’s really meeting—men or women.” With her words, Lucas’s expression darkened further. No wonder, in the past, whenever I worked late, he’d ask about it over the phone but never came to pick me up. It was all just surveillance. Looking at the three of them sitting in a row on the couch, their faces made me sick. I chuckled, “It’s business, right? I deal with both men and women. What, Lucas, would you like to go in my place next time?” “And Mom, didn’t you say you were here to take care of the both of us?” “Well, I’ll leave that to you. From now on, when I’m not home, you can cook for your son.” “After all, those hands of his are only good for video games, right?” Since we got married, I had always believed in keeping the peace in the family, treating my in-laws with respect. But now, I was done. If it weren’t for the fact that I needed time to stockpile supplies, I wouldn’t bother dealing with them at all. My mother-in-law, caught off guard by my defiance, shot up from the couch, her finger nearly poking my nose. “So, you think you’ve found some rich sugar daddy, huh? Daring to talk to me like this! You’re finally admitting you’re no good, right? If it wasn’t for my son, who would even care about an orphan like you—Ah!” Her nasty rant was cut short when I threw my bag at her face. My expression was cold and my voice even colder: “Look at yourself before you point fingers at me. Without my parents, your son wouldn’t be living so comfortably.” “Mom!” Lucas rushed over, catching his mother as she collapsed into his arms, trembling. My father-in-law, also shaking, got up and started shouting at me. I ignored their outburst and calmly went to my bedroom, locking the door behind me. There were only 29 days left until the apocalypse. Don’t expect me to tolerate any of you ever again! Lucas’s family raged and cried well into the night, but I put on earplugs and slept soundly.

Monday morning dawned, and with it, a new day. I got myself ready and prepared to head out. Lucas was still snoring on the couch, and his parents, having stayed up late after last night’s argument, were also still asleep. Quietly, I slipped out the front door. Another day closer to the end, the tension inside me tightening with each passing hour. First on the agenda was heading to the factory to handle some things—collecting outstanding payments and contacting construction teams. As soon as I walked into the office, I headed straight to my computer. I reviewed yesterday’s shopping list, then carefully categorized everything, making sure to cover every aspect of daily life and ensure I didn’t miss anything. The house renovations would take time, and I needed to lock down the construction teams today. Fortunately, during the factory’s recent renovations, I had kept contact information for a few reliable crews. For security reasons, I decided to hire several different teams to work on separate parts of the project. That way, no one would be able to connect the dots about my “apocalypse shelter.” As long as no one linked the information, my secret would be safe. With that in mind, I made a few calls, explaining that I was helping a friend remodel a workshop, and quickly wired $50,000 in deposits, making sure they started work that very afternoon. For the heavy machinery and specialized materials, I needed a lot of cash, so I sold all my stocks in one go, disregarding the fluctuations in the market. Next, I contacted an agent to sell the factory’s company vehicles and an out-of-town property I had in my name, keeping only an SUV, which I planned to send to the shop for upgrades and modifications. After that, I sent out instructions to the department heads, ordering them to recover all outstanding debts within a week, with a promise to reward 40% of any amounts collected as a bonus. The sales team exploded with excitement. Within minutes, action-oriented staff were already heading out the door. With this careful planning, I expected to recover close to a million dollars—enough to cover the renovation costs. That afternoon, I brought the first construction crew to the estate and discussed the details of the modifications. The top priority was reinforcing the perimeter fence, which would take two days. I explained that the “owner” was planning to raise large dogs, so the wire mesh needed to be extra dense. For the second team, I instructed them to install bulletproof glass, giving them a five-day deadline. The supervisor broke into a sweat. “You’ve got to be kidding me! Bulletproof glass installed in five days? That’s impossible!” “And what’s this friend of yours up to, installing bulletproof glass in their house?” I pulled him aside and spun a story about how my “friend” was a war correspondent with some PTSD from working in conflict zones. He bought it, though it meant double the cost. But if money could solve the problem, then it wasn’t really a problem. I transferred the funds without a second thought. The third and fourth teams were in charge of adding insulation, fireproofing, reinforcing the walls, and upgrading the garage. Even with the minimalist design I wanted, by the time the renovations were finished, my budget would be almost depleted. I rented a warehouse near the estate to serve as a storage hub for supplies and headed straight for the mall with a massive shopping list. Within three days, I needed to have all the goods delivered to the warehouse: high-end winter clothing, heat packs, portable heaters, and more. I had six solar panels installed on the roof in one go. Even if it got unbearably hot, freezing was not an option. By the time I finished, it was 5 p.m., right in the middle of rush hour. I collapsed into the driver’s seat, breathing heavily. Reviewing the checklist, I still felt like something was missing. I had to make sure there were no gaps in my plans. In the rearview mirror, I saw my flushed face, realizing that my health had deteriorated over the years from overworking. That’s it! Fitness equipment! Staying physically strong would be essential to survive the unknown challenges ahead. I headed to a sporting goods store and ordered dumbbells, an elliptical machine, and a multi-functional training rack, requesting delivery to my home. The store even threw in a complimentary guidebook called “Complete Fitness Guide for Women”, which covered exercises for all muscle groups—a very practical gift. This also reminded me that in a future of freezing temperatures and no internet, reading might be my best form of entertainment. So, I went to a bookstore and bought hundreds of books across various genres, having the staff load them all into my trunk. As night fell, I stopped for dinner before finally heading back home. Opening the door, I found Lucas and his parents happily seated at the dining table, enjoying a meal of lobster. His mother peeled a lobster and placed it in Lucas’s bowl. But when they saw me, all three of their smiles froze. “Faye, listen to me…” “Wait. Let me finish first.” I pulled out the divorce papers from my bag and placed them lightly on the dining table. “I’ve done everything I could for you over the years. Let’s get a divorce. You can keep the house, and I’ll just take my parents’ old furniture.” “No way!” Lucas suddenly exploded in anger, snatching up the papers and tearing them into pieces. “Son!” Mrs. Johnson hurriedly stopped Lucas, who was almost out of control. She leaned in and whispered something in his ear. “Mom!” Lucas started to speak but stopped when Mrs. Johnson shot him a commanding look, like a general in charge of a battlefield. “Fine, you can get a divorce,” she said with a calm, calculating smile. “But besides the house, we’ll need an extra million dollars in compensation.” Compensation? I let out a cold laugh. I hadn’t even begun to charge them for the emotional damage they had caused me over the years. “You can have the car too, along with the house. That’s it. I’m going away on business, Lucas. You have three days to think it over. Let me know your decision.” Before they could react, I went to the bedroom, packed some clothes and personal items, and left with my suitcase. As I drove out of Greenwood Apartments, I noticed a shadowy figure lurking nearby. Thank goodness I had planned to stop by the grocery store first instead of driving straight to the Private Estate. Otherwise, I might’ve been caught. If they want to play games, I’ll play along. I pulled over and quickly sent out a few texts. The replies came swiftly, with a confirmation emoji. Good thing I’d kept contact information handy for just such an occasion. Watching the figure getting closer through the rearview mirror, I pretended to take a phone call and raised my voice. “Yes… Room 1705 at the Hilton Nashville Downtown? Sure, I’ll be there in half an hour. You go ahead and wait for me.” I hung up the phone, cranked up the music, and sped off, feeling lighthearted. I drove straight to the hotel. After parking, I hurried inside, slipping into a quiet corner of the lobby where I could watch the elevators. Sure enough, Lucas stormed in a few minutes later, his face dark with anger. Hooked! I immediately dialed 911. “Hi, I’d like to report suspicious activity in Room 1705 of the Hilton Nashville Downtown. There might be something illegal going on. Please send someone to check it out. Thank you.” Since the hotel was located in a busy part of the city, and with the local authorities eager to maintain public safety, the police responded quickly. Within the time it took to drink a coffee, Lucas and a woman dressed provocatively were escorted out of the hotel by the police. “Let go of me! I’m here to see my wife!” Lucas protested, struggling against the officers. A young officer sternly questioned him, “Where’s your wife? Is she really your wife? Can you even tell me her name?” Lucas was at a loss for words. An older officer sighed, “Son, just admit your mistake and move on. It’s not that big of a deal.” Then, they were all loaded into the police car and taken away. Problem temporarily solved, I headed to the grocery store, buying whatever I felt like. By the time I checked out, I had two carts full. As I was loading the items into my car, my phone rang. “Hello, is this Lucas Johnson’s family? This is the police department. Your husband has been detained for illegal behavior. Please come down to the station to arrange bail.” “What? Lucas would never do something like that!” I feigned shock. “I’ll be there right away.” Who was I kidding? I quickly hung up and called Mrs. Johnson. “Hi, Mrs. Johnson. The police just called. Your son has been arrested for some misconduct. If you don’t want him to suffer, you’d better bring money to the station!” I hung up before she could respond. As the night settled in, I parked the car in the private garage of the estate and quietly returned to the apartment building. I watched from the shadows as Lucas’s parents hurried out of the building, shouting and cursing the whole way. Once I was sure they were far enough away, I took the elevator back up to the apartment and quickly set up a few hidden cameras in some discreet spots. I wanted to make sure I could catch every humiliating moment of their downfall. My heart pounded. It was my first time doing something like this, and I couldn’t help feeling a bit nervous. Time was ticking. I had to hurry. I took a deep breath to calm myself and connected the cameras to my phone. Even if the internet cut out, I could still monitor them in real-time through the device. Before leaving, I double-checked that the cameras were well hidden. Satisfied, I quietly left the apartment. By the time I returned to the Private Estate, it was late. To avoid disturbing the neighbors, the construction crews had stopped work promptly at 8 p.m., as per regulations. I inspected the progress and was pleased with the results. At this pace, the place would be ready in just ten days. Money, after all, was the ultimate motivator. I had converted most of my remaining cash into gold. As any basic economics course would teach, gold and silver were always the safest currencies. I hid the shiny treasures in the most secret corner of the basement. Unless someone drained the entire three-month water supply, no one would ever find them. After a long bath, I curled up on the couch, snacking and watching TV, savoring the peaceful moment. Looking at myself in the mirror post-shower, I couldn’t help but notice how different I looked. I had money, I had looks—why had I ever settled for a man like Lucas for three whole years? Love really did blind women. We could turn trash into something shiny and clean, fooling ourselves completely. Checking the time, I pulled out my phone and opened my messaging app. The three-person “loving family” had returned home and were sitting in the living room, recounting the events of the evening. Mrs. Johnson flicked Lucas on the forehead. “I told you to keep an eye on her, and instead, you got yourself arrested?” Lucas scratched his head, frustrated. “I really did hear her say she was going to the hotel! Otherwise, why would I have gone there… Mom, I told you this kind of thing isn’t for me. You made me do it!” Mrs. Johnson sighed heavily, clearly disappointed. “I wanted you to catch her cheating so we could get more in the divorce. Do you even know how much money she has? If you let her walk away without giving you anything, all you’ll have left is this old house and that beat-up car. Don’t be stupid, son!” “I’m not getting a divorce!” Lucas shouted. “Yeah, I admit I went after her because of the money at first, but after all this time, I do have feelings for her!” So, it had all been a scheme from the start. I almost felt sorry for my past self. Almost. Mr. Johnson put his hand on Lucas’s shoulder. “Feelings? What good are feelings? You think she loves you? The house, the car, the money—it’s all in her name. You care about her, but does she care about you? Divorce would be better. At least you’d walk away with something.” “Exactly!” Mrs. Johnson clapped her hands, already imagining their future. “That house is in a prime location. It’s only going to go up in value. And that car is worth tens of thousands. Talk to her, ask for more compensation, and find yourself a better girl.” Mrs. Johnson was practically giddy with excitement. “Besides, do you even know what she’s doing when she’s out? She could’ve been with someone else this whole time. You trust her too much! A woman running her own business? You think that’s easy? Without paying some kind of price, where’d all that money come from?” “Son, the only people who truly care about you are your parents!” “Would we ever steer you wrong?” Watching Lucas waver under their barrage of manipulation, I quietly turned off my phone. A man with no backbone would always be controlled by others. The next day, I went to work with dark circles under my eyes. As I tried to sleep that night, memories of Lucas’s tenderness and the cold reality of his family’s true nature swirled in my mind. Perhaps I hadn’t grown enough, because their words still stung. By the middle of the night, I gave up on sleeping and got out of bed to bury myself in work. The factory workers were my partners, people who had stood by me through thick and thin. With the apocalypse looming, I couldn’t let them down. Carrying a rough draft of my plans, I walked into the office. My assistant, Samantha Foster, immediately brought me a cup of water. “Faye, did you not sleep again? Your dark circles are so bad,” she said with concern. I smiled and asked her to tally up yesterday’s collections and calculate the performance bonuses for each employee as we discussed. By the afternoon, my phone was ringing off the hook—calls from various wholesalers I’d ordered supplies from. I wolfed down my lunch and texted Samantha, letting her know I’d be heading out of town on a business trip to Miami, Florida, and would return in three days. That would be enough time to handle everything. At the warehouse, the delivery trucks were already lined up. I quickly unlocked the doors and directed the workers to unload the goods. One of the truck drivers, eyeing the piles of clothes, food, and electronics, asked curiously, “What’s all this for? Planning something big?” I smiled. “We’re doing a company retreat and taking some supplies to a community in need.” The driver’s expression turned serious, and I felt a bit guilty for lying. Lately, I’d been spinning a lot of these half-truths. Maybe it was time I did something good for a change, to balance things out. Once everything was unloaded, I noticed a few missed calls from Lucas and Samantha. I quickly called Samantha back. “What’s up?” I asked. “Faye, Lucas showed up at the office looking for you. I told him you were on a trip to Miami, but he didn’t believe me. He made quite a scene before finally leaving.” Ugh, what a headache. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle it,” I assured her. “Are you two okay?” Samantha asked. “Oh, just the usual marital spat. Nothing serious,” I lied casually. After hanging up, I noticed the trucks were long gone, leaving me alone in the now-empty warehouse. Staring at all the supplies, I realized I couldn’t just leave them scattered everywhere. So, I started organizing, loading up my car with boxes and driving straight to the Private Estate. On the way, I stopped at the hardware store and ordered sturdy shelving units that would fit perfectly in the basement. I paid an extra $10,000 to have them delivered and installed the next afternoon. On the way back, I also stopped at a rental company and secured a small truck, agreeing to park it near the estate at 8 p.m. Once everything was arranged, I drove home, feeling the summer evening’s breeze brush against my face, the future now seeming just a bit brighter.

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One day, I heard some strange noises coming from my mother-in-law’s room. I thought my father-in-law had come home. Little did I know, my mother-in-law was actually having an affair! My mother-in-law was confident I wouldn’t dare reveal this, and continued to treat me rudely! But a few days later, my mother-in-law was suddenly diagnosed with AIDS! And her affair partner had died… It was the height of summer, and the cicadas were chirping loudly outside. I rolled over groggily in bed, but was jolted awake by a stinging pain in my fingertip. Feeling irritated, I finally woke up fully. Today had been such an unlucky day. In the afternoon when I went grocery shopping, some mischievous kid had apparently stuck a needle in the seat of the shared bike I used. I got pricked when I sat down. Then when I got home, my mother-in-law criticized me for not buying the right groceries. In my flustered state, I accidentally cut my hand while cooking. The cicadas outside were getting louder and louder. Having lost all desire to sleep, I decided to get up and use the bathroom. As soon as I stepped out of my room, I heard intense female moaning coming from my mother-in-law’s bedroom. I could even faintly make out the sound of flesh slapping against flesh. I was startled. Looking more closely, I saw an old pair of men’s leather shoes in the entryway. The shoes were quite worn, with traces of dirt still on them. It must be my father-in-law who had come home. My father-in-law was often away on business trips. Even though my mother-in-law lived alone, she always kept up her appearance. She even had a more complete collection of makeup than I did. It was understandable that my father-in-law couldn’t resist her charms. Not wanting to linger, I quickly ducked into the bathroom. When I came out, my mother-in-law’s voice hadn’t quieted down at all. In fact, it had become even more uninhibited. Too embarrassed to stay outside any longer, I hurried back to my room without even getting a drink of water. Looking at the pitch-black room, listening to the moans that even the closed door couldn’t fully muffle, I suddenly felt a strange emptiness inside. I also couldn’t help but wonder – Daniel and my father-in-law both worked at the same research institute. They usually came home together from work trips. Why had only my father-in-law returned this time? The warmth on the other side of our double bed was long gone. Outside, the cicadas gradually quieted down. I drifted back to sleep. The next morning, I purposely woke up extra early. Sometimes my father-in-law had to leave in a hurry for work. Worried he might have another urgent assignment, I specifically got up early to make breakfast. Although my mother-in-law and I didn’t get along well, my father-in-law had always been kind to me. The relationship between my mother-in-law and me was largely mediated by my father-in-law and Daniel. I was very grateful to my father-in-law. After I had set all the breakfast dishes on the table and turned to get my mother-in-law’s soy milk, I heard her start yelling from outside again. “Other people’s daughters-in-law are frugal homemakers. But look at you, making such an extravagant breakfast! People from the countryside really have no sense!” My anger instantly flared up. I was abandoned at an orphanage as a baby and adopted by a kind couple in the countryside when I was 10. After graduating college, I came to work in the city and married my husband Daniel. After marriage, Daniel and my father-in-law were often away on business trips. My mother-in-law used the excuse of poor health to force me to quit my job and be a full-time housewife. I gave in to her wishes, but her criticisms didn’t stop there. In the years since, things were okay when Daniel was home. But whenever he went away for work, my mother-in-law would find endless faults with me at home, saying I just ate without doing any real work no matter what I did. I walked out of the kitchen and set down the milk forcefully, about to argue back. But then I caught sight of my wedding ring, and the anger slowly dissipated. Although my mother-in-law had always looked down on me, I could see how much Daniel cared for and loved me over the years. Moreover, before he left last time, he told me to wait just one more month. Once he finished his current work, he would take me to move out and live on our own. I took a deep breath and patiently explained: “I didn’t mean to make so much food. I just heard Father-in-law come home last night, so this extra portion of breakfast…” Before I could finish speaking, my mother-in-law suddenly stood up, grabbed the glass of milk I had just set on the table, and splashed it in my face. “You little hussy! You haven’t even given our family a child yet, and you’re already trying to manipulate me? Let me tell you, you’d better behave yourself. Otherwise, I’ll make Daniel kick you out of this house sooner or later!” Over the years, my mother-in-law had inexplicably given me a hard time before, but she had rarely been this directly aggressive. I stood there stunned for a moment. My mother-in-law sat back down smugly, picking at the breakfast as if she had just won a victory. I gritted my teeth and swallowed my anger. Forget it. In just one more month, Daniel would take me to move out. There was no point in burning bridges with my mother-in-law now. I suppressed my anger and went back to my room to change clothes. Behind me, I heard my mother-in-law let out a cold snort, as if she was certain I wouldn’t dare do anything to her.

By the time I changed and came back out, my mother-in-law had already left. The breakfast table looked like it had been hit by a bomb. I kept telling myself there was only one month left before we could move out. After cleaning up the table, I went to tidy up Daniel’s clothes. The weather had turned colder lately. Daniel had only packed seasonal clothes when he left last time. I was worried he might catch a cold. After a busy morning, I had just finished making lunch when my mother-in-law called. “Have you made lunch yet? Hurry up and bring it to the club.” Before I could say anything, she had already hung up. My mother-in-law had been treating me like the family’s maid for years. But for Daniel’s sake, I still packed up lunch for her. I barely had two bites myself before rushing off to the club. “You’re so slow even just delivering food. What else can you do?” My mother-in-law glared at me as she took the lunchbox. The aunties next to her couldn’t help speaking up for me. “Margaret, your daughter-in-law is already very good. She even brings you lunch every day.” My mother-in-law ate big mouthfuls while glancing at me sideways with a cold smile. “She’s just a country bumpkin from some village. She’s living off my son’s money. Bringing me lunch after eating her fill first – that’s nothing special!” By this point, I was no longer listening to what my mother-in-law was saying about me. Because I had spotted those familiar old men’s leather shoes with traces of dirt – the ones I saw in our entryway last night. They were now on the feet of Mr. Johnson standing next to my mother-in-law! The person in my mother-in-law’s bedroom last night wasn’t my father-in-law at all, but Mr. Johnson who often played at the club with her! My mother-in-law was brazenly having an affair at home! “What are you staring at? Didn’t you hear what I said?” My mother-in-law slammed down the lunchbox. Her tone was fierce, but her eyes couldn’t quite meet mine. My mother-in-law shoved the lunchbox at me. “Forget it! I’m sick of looking at your face! Hurry up and get out of here!” I took the lunchbox and stumbled home in a daze. I never imagined that my mother-in-law, with her strong traditional values, would actually have an affair! This was Daniel’s mother after all. It wasn’t my place to deal with this. But Daniel’s greatest wish was for family harmony. If I told him about this, who knows what kind of storm it would stir up in the family. I don’t know how long I sat lost in thought. The sky outside had already grown dark when my phone suddenly rang. It was a video call from Daniel. I answered the call and saw his handsome but clearly exhausted face on the screen. In the end, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything. “Honey, I got the clothes you sent me this morning. I hadn’t even noticed the weather changing. You’re always so thoughtful.” I managed a weak smile, but Daniel sensed something was off. “Honey, did something happen at home? Or did Mom say something to you again? You look so troubled.” Once Daniel said that, I felt even more guilty. But I still forced myself to deny it: “No, everything’s fine. Don’t worry about things here, just focus on your work.” I had barely finished speaking when I heard the sound of the front door – my mother-in-law was back. Afraid she might say something unpleasant that would distract Daniel, I quickly hung up the call. My mother-in-law seemed to be in a good mood. She came in humming a little tune. After thinking it over, I decided I should still say something to warn her. “Mother, Father will be retiring and coming home in a few months. Daniel will be transferring back then too. We should all try to live together harmoniously.” I had meant to remind her not to keep messing around with Mr. Johnson. But as soon as I said this, my mother-in-law glared at me with her hands on her hips and started cursing. “Live harmoniously? You dare talk to me about living harmoniously? Our family took in a freeloader like you, and you think we can live harmoniously? Fat chance!” “I saw you acting all sneaky earlier. Don’t tell me you can’t stand the loneliness and you’ve been flirting with some guy online?” My mother-in-law was the one having an affair, yet she had the nerve to accuse me of impropriety? “Daniel has been living at work for so long. If I could get pregnant now, it would most likely be from cheating with another man!” As soon as she heard the word “cheating”, my mother-in-law’s expression changed. She glared at me fiercely before turning and stomping back to her room, slamming the door shut.

I don’t know if it was because my words had struck a nerve, or if she felt guilty knowing I had discovered her affair with Mr. Johnson. But I actually enjoyed a peaceful month after that. My mother-in-law would leave right after breakfast every day. She no longer asked me to bring her lunch. When she came home, she would just lock herself in her room. We barely even crossed paths. On my birthday, Daniel called early in the morning to apologize for not being able to come back due to work. In the afternoon, I received flowers he had sent. The card on the flowers had our favorite poem from college. Reading it brought back all the sweet memories from those days. “You shameless woman! Daniel’s not home, don’t tell me these flowers are from some lover of yours!” My mother-in-law was looking for trouble again, but I wasn’t worried at all this time. “Mom, Daniel had these delivered to me.” Margaret sneered, “Hmph, making my son waste money buying you flowers!” I couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. I picked up the flowers, intending to go back to my room, when she called out again: “You ungrateful girl, you don’t even care that I’ve been made sick from all your nonsense! Hurry up and take me to the hospital!” I immediately became concerned. She had seemed fine earlier – how could she suddenly say she was sick and needed to go to the hospital? “Mom, are you okay? Where are you feeling unwell? I’ll go get the car keys right away!” “What car? Gas is so expensive these days. The hospital’s not far anyway, just push me there in the wheelchair!” My mother-in-law insisted, so I had no choice but to take her in the wheelchair. On the way, she said she had diarrhea and an on-and-off fever. The symptoms sounded like the flu to me, but I didn’t dare take any chances. Elderly people have weaker immune systems after all. If it developed into something more serious, Daniel would be so worried. At the hospital, after hearing about the symptoms, the doctor had an odd expression. He told me to take my mother-in-law for a blood test first. A few hours later, when I saw the test results, I was shocked. It was AIDS.

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My wife had been in France for advanced studies for six months. On our wedding anniversary, I secretly flew to France, wanting to give her a surprise. I didn’t expect she would give me a “surprise” too. She was pregnant, her belly round and swollen. Under my interrogation, she revealed the whole story. Her first love was dying of late-stage cancer and wanted to leave behind an heir. She agreed to help him have a child. After hearing this, I was furious. My wife, however, righteously said: “I just wanted to give him an heir. Is that wrong?” I trembled with anger all over. A woman like this, I might as well be without! The day before our wedding anniversary, my wife Emily and I exchanged messages. [Honey, tomorrow is our 5th wedding anniversary. We spent the first four years together, but this year you’re in a foreign country. I feel so lonely. I really want to book a flight to come see you right now.] [Don’t. You’re so busy with work, and flights are expensive. Just hold on for another six months. I’ll be back then.] [Alright, I’ll listen to you.] She didn’t know that I had already booked a flight to France, just to give her a surprise. The next morning at 8 am, I boarded the flight to France. More than 6 hours later, I arrived in France. I bought a bouquet of roses and came to her residence. With an excited heart, I knocked on the door. Soon the door opened. “Honey, are you surprised?” I said excitedly. “Ry…Ryan?” She had a shocked, flustered look. “Haha, it’s your dear husband, coming all this way to see you.” I went to hug her, but was stopped by something. I looked down and saw her big belly, round and swollen. She must have been at least 6 months pregnant. I was horrified and confused, falling from heaven to hell! “You… you’re pregnant?” I asked in disbelief, trembling. “Come in and we’ll talk!” She pulled me inside and closed the door. “You must be tired from the journey. Sit down, I’ll get you some water.” “I don’t want any water. Just tell me what’s going on?” I angrily threw the roses on the floor. “As you can see, I’m pregnant,” she said calmly. “Weren’t you infertile? How did you suddenly get pregnant?” After we got married, she couldn’t get pregnant for a long time. One day she came to me crying with a medical report that said she was infertile. I hugged her and comforted her, saying it didn’t matter if we had children or not, as long as we were together forever. At worst, we could adopt. “I… I can actually have children,” she said, hanging her head like a child who had done something wrong, feeling guilty. “Didn’t that medical report say you were infertile?” “That medical report was fake…” she confessed honestly. It turned out she wasn’t infertile at all. The reason she pretended to be infertile was because she was at a critical point in her career, and having a child would affect her professional life. “Then whose bastard child is in your belly?” I asked through gritted teeth. “Ryan, watch your language. This is not a bastard child.” “So you want to be a slut while pretending to be pure?” I raged. “Ryan, you’re being too harsh,” she said, her eyes moist with tears of grievance. “Tell me! Which son of a bitch planted his seed in your belly?” I roared. A man’s dignity, a husband’s identity, shattered to pieces. “It’s… it’s Jack’s,” she said softly, avoiding my gaze. I was stunned. Jack was her first love, and also a married man. “You two rekindled your old flame and hooked up again?” “It’s not what you think. He has cancer in the late stages and wanted to leave behind an heir. I felt sorry for him, so I agreed. But I absolutely didn’t betray you. We did it through artificial insemination.” Hearing this, my worldview was shattered. Is this something you can help with? Moreover, you’re a married woman. “Don’t you know he has a wife?” I asked in a low voice. “I know, but his wife can’t have children.” “She can’t have children, so you have them for her?” “People’s hearts are made of flesh. Besides, Jack and I used to be lovers. How could I refuse when he begged me on his deathbed?” “Wow, you’re such a kind and understanding woman. There are a few female colleagues at my company who can’t have children either. Why don’t you help them out too?” I said sarcastically. “Ryan, you’re shameless.” “I may be shameless, but at least I’m not as shameless as you.” “I just wanted to give him an heir. Is that wrong?” she said righteously.

In an instant, my blood rushed to my head. She had proactively applied to the company for advanced studies, saying it was for a promotion and raise, but it was actually to hide from people’s eyes and give birth to a child in a foreign country. “You’re a married woman, wanting to have a child for a married man, and you still think there’s nothing wrong? You still think it’s justified?” “Honey, don’t be angry. I promise you, after I give birth to this child, I’ll immediately have one for you too, okay?” Her tone softened. “Get rid of the child right now, or we’re getting divorced,” I said through gritted teeth. “It’s already 6 months along. I can’t have an abortion now. Besides, this is a life, it’s my child. How can you say such cruel things?” She glared at me with tears in her eyes, full of resentment. I was so angry I was speechless. My hands shook as I took out a cigarette, but then I noticed an ashtray on the coffee table with cigarette butts in it. Looking around the room, I saw men’s underwear on the balcony. The flames of anger ignited every cell in my body. A man’s face, trampled under her feet, repeatedly stomped on. “Is Jack living with you?” I stared at her grimly, shouting in anger. Her face instantly turned red with shame. She bit her lip, her eyes dodging, and said guiltily: “No, he just occasionally flies over to keep me company. No, I mean to keep the baby company.” “No wonder you kept telling me not to come. You were afraid I’d catch you in your affair.” “Ryan, don’t be so dirty-minded. Jack and I are innocent.” Just then, the sound of a key turning came from the front door. Emily’s face jolted, revealing a panicked expression. “Emily, I bought you a set of maternity pajamas and some maternity underwear. Try them on and see if they fit…” Jack opened the door and came in. He froze when he saw me. “Jack, you should go. My husband and I still have things to discuss,” Emily hurriedly said. “Why are you crying?” Jack walked over and asked tenderly. “It’s nothing. You should go quickly.” “Did he bully you?” Jack turned his head and shouted fiercely, “Ryan, are you even a man? If you’ve got the guts, come at me.” “Gladly. I’ve been waiting for this,” I said as I rushed at him with my fist raised. “No!” Emily blocked me, sobbing, “Honey, how can you bear to hit a cancer patient?” “Get out of the way, or I’ll hit you too.” “Ryan, you bastard! You’d even hit your own wife, and she’s pregnant too,” Jack yelled. “She seems more like your wife,” I said. “Ryan, you’re going too far,” Emily cried out in grievance. “I’m going too far? You two are practically living together and having a child. You’re just short of a marriage certificate.” “Get out of the way…” I shouted. “No, I won’t let you bully him,” Emily spread her arms to protect Jack. I pulled her away and kicked Jack in the stomach. He fell to his knees in pain. He glared at me with bloodshot eyes, drooling: “You… you dare hit me?” I clenched my fist and punched his face. He flailed his arms, offering no resistance. Emily suddenly hugged me from behind. “Ryan, I’m begging you, stop. You’ll kill him if you keep going.” “Get away from me. I’m going to beat him to death today,” I roared. “Ryan, if you want to hit someone, hit me instead,” Emily knelt down, tearfully begging me. My own wife, protecting another man. This humiliation felt like thousands of steel needles piercing my body. It hurt, it hurt so much! I raised my hand, and she lifted her neck. “Ryan, if anything happens to my child, I’ll make you pay with your life,” Jack said defiantly. I turned and punched him square in the face. “Ah…” He covered his nose, blood seeping through his fingers. “Jack…” Emily cried out in distress and rushed to his side. “Are you okay?” “I’m fine, just a nosebleed.” “Ryan, you beast! How dare you hit a sick person? Doesn’t your conscience hurt? If there’s anything to discuss, we can sit down and talk it out. Why resort to violence?” Emily yelled at me hatefully. My conscience didn’t hurt, but my heart did. “Emily, there’s no use talking to this brute. Let’s call the police,” Jack said. Emily hesitated. “Knock knock knock…” “What’s going on in there? I’m the building security. Open up.”

Jack immediately got up to open the door. Two security guards stood at the door, with several neighbors behind them. Apparently, the neighbors had heard the commotion and called security. “Officer, this thug broke into our home and assaulted me and my wife,” Jack said, pointing at me. “You bastard, say that again. Whose wife is she?” I roared. The neighbors behind the security guards started chattering. “I’ve never seen this intruder before. Mr. Zhang and Ms. Lou are a couple. They introduced themselves to me when they moved in,” a male neighbor said. “Yes, they’re husband and wife. We’ve had dinner together.” “Everyone on this floor knows Mr. Zhang and Ms. Lou. We’ve never seen that violent man before. Could he be a criminal? Mr. Zhang’s face is all bruised up. We should call the police.” Jack looked at me smugly and provocatively. I was shaking with anger. In this foreign country, there was no way to prove my relationship with Emily. “Emily, you tell them. Whose wife are you?” I said, suppressing my anger. Everyone looked at her. Her face turned red. After hesitating for a moment, she pointed at me… At least she still had some conscience. “I don’t know him,” Emily then pointed at Jack. “He’s my husband.” “Boom!” My mind exploded. I felt dizzy and disoriented. The police arrived quickly and took us away for questioning. At the police station, Emily finally told the truth, saying that I was her real husband. But Jack had a long-term residence permit in France, making him practically a French citizen. I would be held responsible for hitting him. He said that as long as I admitted my mistake and promised not to cause any more trouble, letting Emily give birth to the child in peace, he would let me off. I refused, and was subsequently detained. Three days passed. I was released. Walking to the entrance, I saw Emily. She came up to me, her big belly in front of her. That belly was a huge humiliation to me. She knew how much I loved children and wanted my own, but she had pretended to be infertile and deceived me for 5 years. Yet she could travel to a foreign country to have a child for Jack. “I begged Jack to let you go. See how magnanimous he is, unlike you who’s so petty,” she said in a reproachful tone. “Right, I should be more magnanimous. It’s not uncommon to share wives these days,” I said. “Can’t you speak without being so sarcastic?” she said. She booked a hotel for me, telling me to calm down first. “Stay here for now. Call me when you’ve calmed down,” she said. I laughed. Why did it feel like I was the one at fault? Two days passed. I called Emily, saying I wanted to talk to both of them. Emily was very happy, thinking I had finally come around and understood her difficulties. She set up a meeting at a restaurant the next day. The next day at noon, I arrived at the restaurant. The waiter led me to a private room. Emily and Jack were sitting close together. I sat down across from them and placed my phone on the table. The table was already full of food and wine. “I didn’t consider your feelings before and offended you greatly, but you hit me too, so let’s call it even. After we drink this glass of wine, we’ll be brothers,” Jack said, raising his glass. I took a small sip. He frowned slightly, obviously displeased, but didn’t make a scene. “Ryan, Jack is being so sincere. Why don’t you finish your drink?” Emily complained. “Emily, forget it. Let’s get to the point. To be frank, I’m in the late stages of cancer. The doctors say I have at most a year to live. As a man, I hope you can understand my desire to have a child,” Jack said. “You look pretty healthy to me. You don’t look like you’re dying,” I said with a sneer. “Appearances can be deceiving. I’m riddled with tumors on the inside,” he said. He walked over to me and handed me a bank card. “There’s $200,000 in here. The PIN is Emily’s birthday. Consider it compensation.” “Let’s be more direct. Add another zero, and I’ll let you have Emily,” I said sarcastically. “Ryan, stop being so sarcastic. We’re trying to have a proper discussion with you,” Emily said angrily. “Alright, alright, my mistake,” I said with a smile. “But $200,000 isn’t enough to raise your child.” “Don’t worry, brother. After the child is born, I’ll take it away and give it to my mother to raise,” Jack said. “Aren’t you afraid your wife will find out?” I asked. “My mother lives in the countryside. My wife is proud and arrogant and has never gotten along with my mother. Plus, my wife hates the countryside. She hasn’t been to my mother’s house since we got married, so she’ll never discover the child,” Jack said proudly. “You’re having a child behind your wife’s back. Don’t you feel any guilt towards her?” I asked. He sighed helplessly and said, “What can I do? She’s a hen that can’t lay eggs.” “So you found one that can lay eggs to have a child for you,” I said, raising my voice. Emily got angry. “Ryan, you’ve taken the money. Aren’t you satisfied?” I sneered and nodded. “Good. Now that we’ve all reached an agreement, I’ll book your return flight right away,” Emily said eagerly, wanting to send me back home. “Wait. No rush to book the flight.” “What else do you want to say?” Emily asked impatiently. “This involves four people. It’s useless for just the three of us to agree,” I said with a grim smile. “Who’s the fourth person?” they asked, confused. As I finished speaking, the door to the private room was forcefully pushed open…

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When the Lawson family fell from grace, I was adopted by Caleb Foster. He spoiled me like a princess, envied by everyone. For eighteen years, I secretly harbored feelings for him. On the night of my coming of age, I boldly expressed my love. He said that since it was my choice, I should bear the consequences of his coldness. Later, he abandoned me while I was pregnant, all for his first love. After losing the baby alone, I chose to leave the country and get away from Caleb Foster. Caleb panicked, “Aria Lawson, you can’t leave me!” 0 “Caleb, I slipped and fell. There’s a lot of blood.” When I made this call, Caleb was attending a welcome party for his first love, Mia Morgan. “Can you come back? I’m scared.” Still young, facing pregnancy and impending motherhood, I was silently terrified. Caleb clicked his tongue impatiently, “Can’t come back. Mia’s welcome party isn’t over yet. Deal with it yourself.” He hung up abruptly before I could respond. Looking at the pool of blood beneath my dress, I forced a bitter smile through the searing pain in my belly. Of course, this was all my own doing, wasn’t it? Caleb, as the grandson of my late grandfather’s friend, had adopted me, an orphan of the Lawson family. From age fourteen when I was adopted until eighteen, Caleb spoiled me like a princess envied by all. But at eighteen, I confessed my love to Caleb. Caleb said, “You shouldn’t have such thoughts.” But in my youthful naivety, I only wanted to win over the man I liked. His kindness to me went beyond ordinary relationships. I couldn’t believe he felt nothing for me. So, taking advantage of Caleb’s drunkenness after a business dinner, I climbed into his bed. From that moment on, our relationship could never go back to what it was before. It was also at this time that Mia Morgan, Caleb’s first love from college, returned from abroad. From then on, Caleb, who was already avoiding me, came home less and less frequently. I remembered the day we confirmed our relationship, his expression indifferent, “Since it’s your choice, you’ll have to bear my coldness.” Young as I was then, I thought Caleb, being older, was just not good at expressing affection. But it wasn’t until I saw his ears turning red and his Adam’s apple bobbing nervously in Mia’s presence that I finally woke up. Thinking of how Caleb had stayed away from home for three days and nights when he learned of my pregnancy, preferring to sleep at the office, I felt a sense of resignation. Perhaps a miscarriage was what he secretly hoped for. I calmly called an ambulance. As the doctors tried their best to save the baby in my womb, I sighed under their shocked gazes, “Let it go.” Seeing a young girl come alone, the doctor asked about my family. I reflexively said, “He’s busy, he can’t come.” Realizing how ridiculous it sounded, I changed my answer: “I’m sorry, I’m widowed.” The abortion was successful. I didn’t feel much pain, just an emptiness in my heart, as if something had been carved out. On the taxi ride back home alone, I saw a familiar car heading towards the hospital. I thought Caleb was rushing to see me and instinctively wanted to message him. But then I saw a Instagram post from Caleb’s best friend: “They say Boss Foster dotes on that adopted girl, but I think she’s just a shadow of Mia.” The picture showed Caleb holding hands with Mia, who was lying in a hospital bed. That was Caleb’s childhood friend group, three guys and one girl, the inseparable four. In this tight-knit group, Caleb and Mia had been in a serious relationship since high school, aiming for marriage. If Mia hadn’t insisted on going abroad, unwilling to marry so young, I would never have had a chance with Caleb. I felt foolish for my earlier thoughts. Back home, it wasn’t until midnight that Caleb returned, reeking of alcohol. Seeing me lying in bed, he lifted my clothes. Thinking of the scent of another woman on him, I turned away. Caleb sneered drunkenly, “Aria Lawson, what are you playing at? You weren’t ashamed to climb into my bed before, and now you’re playing hard to get?” 0

Caleb’s words stung my heart. The old Caleb would never have spoken to me so harshly. “Caleb, I’m not feeling well.” “Oh right, you’re still pregnant.” With that, he fell into a deep sleep on the bed, completely forgetting that I had fallen earlier that day. In the past, if I had so much as a scratch, Caleb would have scoured the city for the best doctors to heal my scar. But now, faced with such a serious matter as a pregnant woman falling and bleeding, he was utterly indifferent, even coming home drunk in the middle of the night. The contrast between care and neglect became glaringly obvious in an instant. The next day, Caleb was gone early. Instead, there was an update on Mia’s Twitter. “A breakfast full of love, thanks to Caleb for cooking so early in the morning.” The picture showed a hearty breakfast with a heart drawn on it. I had eaten such breakfasts too. Back when I wasn’t yet Caleb’s girlfriend. Meanwhile, a note was left on the bedside table. “Aria Lawson, trying so hard to share a bed with me? How amusing.” My heart instantly twisted with unbearable pain. Caleb didn’t trust me. He thought last night’s shared bed was my elaborate scheme. But we were supposed to be lovers. Thinking of this, my heart felt like it was being stabbed. I hastily packed my things and went to class. My appearance delighted my professor. “Aria! You’re finally here! Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider the study abroad opportunity in Italy? You’re our department’s most outstanding student!” Since becoming pregnant, I had planned to take a break from school to care for the baby, nearly missing this great opportunity to study abroad. “Professor, no need to reconsider. I want to go.” “Eh? Weren’t you going to take care of your pregnancy? If your body can’t handle it, don’t force yourself. I just thought it was a shame.” “No, Professor. I had a miscarriage.” Hearing this, the professor didn’t ask further, just patted my shoulder. “If that’s the case, it must be God’s will. Cherish this opportunity to study abroad.” Just as I left the school, my phone rang. Caleb’s car was waiting at the school gate. “Get in. My mom wants us to have dinner together.” Hearing this, I habitually opened the passenger door, only to see a large bouquet of vibrant red roses on the seat. Caleb hesitated for a moment, then said, “You sit in the back.” I had thought the flowers were for Caleb’s mother, but when we arrived at the family home and saw Mia intimately linking arms with Caleb’s mother as they walked out, my heart trembled. Caleb got out of the car carrying the red roses. Seeing this, Mia’s eyes lit up with a smile. “Caleb, I just mentioned it casually. Did you really run across half the city to buy these for me?” “If you like them, of course I had to get them.” Mia hugged the roses, her smile radiant and beautiful. She excitedly kissed Caleb’s cheek, “Well, thank you then.” Caleb didn’t dodge, a hint of indulgence in his smile. Caleb’s mother, Mrs. Foster, also teased, “You rascal, gallivanting abroad for years without coming back to see me.” “Oh come on, I’m back now, aren’t I?” I watched the three of them, so harmonious, feeling increasingly awkward. Mia seemed to notice me only then, feigning surprise, “Oh my, you must be Caleb’s little girlfriend?” “Don’t mind me, Caleb and I grew up together, we’re just naturally close.” She was explaining her earlier public display of affection with Caleb, but Mia’s eyes were full of mirth. “Nonsense, nonsense. What little girlfriend? Aria is just the granddaughter of Caleb’s grandfather’s friend. Our family is taking care of her out of gratitude,” Mrs. Foster interjected. Mrs. Foster didn’t know about my relationship with Caleb. “Besides, Mia, you know Caleb. He’s refused to date anyone these past few years no matter how much I’ve pushed. I always said this stubborn boy was waiting for you.” I instinctively looked at Caleb, desperately hoping he would deny his mother’s speculation. After all, I was supposed to be his girlfriend now. “Caleb, were you really waiting for me?”

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My stepmother was infamous in our small town. Once a glamorous entrepreneur’s wife, she suddenly became a despised mistress that everyone scorned. No one expected that it would be her own son who truly made her notorious, catching her in bed with another man and stabbing her lover in a fit of rage. Afterwards, her photos spread like wildfire in every corner of the town. Gradually, people began to say she had offended someone powerful, which led to both her husband and son ending up in prison. Little did they know, I was the one who orchestrated her downfall. My father wished I was dead. I’ve known this since I was a child. Back then, prejudice against women was still deeply rooted. As the only person in town who had been admitted to a prestigious film school, my mother was renowned. It was said that many men dreamed of marrying her. My father, drunk one night, dragged her into a dead-end alley. No one called the police. Despite my mother’s cries and protests, she was eventually forced to hastily marry my father. My mother didn’t object because she was pregnant with me. In my memories, my mother was incredibly patient. My father was a good-for-nothing who only knew how to drink, gamble, and visit prostitutes. When drunk, he would beat his wife for not giving birth to a son, and me for being a daughter. Everything finally came to an end that year. It was the first time my mother fought back when she was beaten, trying to protect me, who was too young to understand. I watched with my own eyes as my father pushed her down, her head hitting the corner of the table. In my memory, blood stained the furniture. My mother didn’t open her eyes, while my father had already passed out from drinking. I cried until my voice was hoarse. In the end, my father shoved me against the wall. When I woke up, my mother was in the hospital. The doctor said she was already stiff when she arrived.

My mother died. Everyone said she had killed herself by hitting her head. My father finally broke free from the curse of not having a son. Within six months, he married a woman who was pregnant with his son. But life was still not easy for him because he had a burden – me. My maternal grandparents avoided me, after all, my mother and I were a disgrace to their lives. When my stepmother moved in, I smiled and handed her an apple box that I had been reluctant to eat. Heather was pleased, but when she opened it, her face turned pale. It was a rotten apple with worms on it, which made her vomit for a long time. My father slapped me across the face because I had offended the woman he had just married. Although people in our small town weren’t wealthy, they cared a lot about their reputation. Fearing being labeled as a wicked stepmother, Heather chose to persuade my father to calm down for the first time. Even though I had a stepmother, life became a bit better. At least I didn’t have to worry about food and drink. My father had married a wealthy woman this time. However, while other little girls were playing with dolls, I was already standing on a stool cooking at that age. Perhaps due to long-term eating leftovers, I was exceptionally small. Sweeping and mopping the floor felt like a nightmare. I never cried. At least someone gave me food so I wouldn’t starve, and old clothes to wear so I wouldn’t be cold.

I thought everything would go on like this until my brother was born. Only then did I realize that some children are raised with utmost care and love. Caleb had everything I had seen and hadn’t seen. As for me, I went from serving two people to becoming my brother’s nanny. During those years, it was my fault if my brother cried or fell. It was my fault if he got into fights with others or failed his exams. He was actually an unruly bully in his private school, while I was just an unremarkable student in a public school, straining my voice to recite lessons. After being beaten numerous times, I tried screaming desperately. At first, my classmates and teachers would show concern about the bruises on my body. But that woman, who had become a hero by giving birth to a son and helping my father become an entrepreneur, only needed one sentence to turn me into a laughingstock. It was the first time someone attended a parent-teacher conference for me. In front of everyone, Heather said to the teacher, “She’s sick, just like her mother. She’s crazy.” After that, I became an outcast in our small school community. All because my mother had allegedly gone crazy after marrying my father.

What was I like when I truly went crazy? I didn’t cry when everyone pointed and whispered about me, because I knew tears were useless. Otherwise, my mother wouldn’t have died. I could only vent by reading aloud, but after that, they thought I was even crazier. No one pays attention to a crazy person. Finally, I went from being the last in class with no one caring to ranking fifth in the class. The teachers’ eyes looked at me differently. But I never expected that a severe beating would be waiting for me when I got home. Caleb was still at the bottom of his class, no matter how much money my stepmother spent to get him into advanced classes. That day was his birthday. When Heather saw my report card, her face turned pale the next second, and she slapped Caleb across the face, “I’ve spent all the money on you, and you’re still worse than a crazy person!” She couldn’t accept that a crazy person was better than her son. Caleb’s birthday party was ruined. He threw a tantrum at home and angrily ran out. Heather had a fight with my father, mainly complaining about why I, the burden, was smarter than her son. I didn’t expect that man to praise me, but I never imagined that in the dead of night, he would pin me down under the covers and viciously beat me with a belt, over and over again. I was terrified and in pain, screaming frantically. It was the first time I deeply realized that although we were both his children, there was an insurmountable gap between my brother and me. The feeling of suffocation terrified me. I was afraid of him. I had always been afraid of him. I was scared that I would die like my mother. I don’t know if he got tired of beating me or if he was scared by my stillness, He dropped a nasty comment, “Why don’t you just die with your mother?” I didn’t cry. I pinched my skin. It hurt.

I returned to school covered in bruises. Under the teacher’s watchful eyes, I tore up all my books. Someone said, “Aria Collins has really gone crazy.” I bit my lip hard. I wasn’t crazy, I simply wanted to live. Gradually, the teachers stopped caring about me, my classmates avoided me, and later, everyone wanted to bully me. Faced with seemingly ridiculous provocations, they laughed, and I laughed along with them. Then I took out a fruit knife from my bag. I waved the knife in front of them a few times. I clearly saw fear in their eyes. Faced with my crazy behavior, they were all scared. It seemed I really was crazy. I started skipping classes, hiding in the deserted corners of the school. At home, I became even more cautious, but Heather looked at me with increasing disgust. She would encourage Caleb to bully me, let him pour food on me, and then point at my miserable state and laugh, “Aria Collins, you’re not even as good as a dog!” I didn’t argue back. Amidst their mockery, I stuffed the food on my face into my mouth, smiling and telling Caleb to continue. After a few times, Caleb gradually became less happy about it. Later, he would just hit me a few times when he was displeased with me. When things didn’t go his way, he would viciously pinch the inside of my thigh, then laugh like a maniac. Heather pretended not to see, only running out to point at my head when I wandered in the hallway showing my bruises, “Her illness has gotten worse, who knows where all these injuries came from.” To maintain her good reputation, she would wipe her tears and pull me back, but in the corners where no one could see, I smiled even more happily. Only when she called me crazy did the neighbors see me as a polite and well-mannered child. Gradually, the neighbors’ gossip about her increased. I admit, I was crazy, but I didn’t want to let her off easy either.

In sixth grade, those good students would privately discuss that the private middle school was a boarding school, and if you scored above a certain line, you could get free tuition. I excitedly went over to ask. Seeing me, they just treated me like bad luck and dispersed, but I silently took note. I stopped skipping classes and often stayed late at school to study before going home. After this happened many times, Heather waited at the door with a broom, “A girl staying out late and not coming home, don’t learn from your mother, only low-class women seduce men!” Probably afraid that her son would be worse than a crazy person, Heather was very wary of me staying late at school. She looked at me with contempt. I didn’t care, but I still rushed over and bit her hand, saying I was okay, but my mom wasn’t. I bit until blood flowed. “Aria Collins, you crazy girl, let go of me!” Heather struggled desperately, but to no avail. The broom in her hand hit my legs again and again, and gradually my legs went numb. She nearly lost a piece of flesh. I was crazy, and I could be even crazier. “Aunt Heather, don’t hit me! I didn’t mean to do better than my brother on the test!” I shouted desperately, watching Heather’s face gradually distort. Letting go of her hand, I smiled, while Heather slapped me across the face. My ears were ringing, but I could vaguely hear her cursing me, “Crazy girl!” Then she closed the door. She didn’t dare let the neighbors hear too much, after all, her good reputation had already been affected. In the dark hallway, I rubbed my aching legs and counted on my fingers. There were only three months left before I could leave this place. Then, I truly smiled happily. I studied even harder, because I had no other choice to escape. But Caleb knew I had bitten his mother, and he would torment me every day. He laughed as he tore up the test papers I had worked hard to copy, “Aria Collins, don’t think you can have it good.” I didn’t dare hit him, even though he was two years younger and not as tall as me, because I was afraid my father would beat me to death. Thinking of my mother, I endured it all. Fortunately, three months passed quickly. I studied day and night, shamelessly copying my classmates’ extracurricular study materials, counting down the days until the SAT exam. I felt like I woke up smiling every morning. Heather no longer dared to provoke me, she could only glance at me and curse under her breath, “Crazy girl.” I happily took the two pens I had bought with all my money, but before I could pack my bag, I ran into Caleb with a mischievous smile, “Aria Collins, don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. I won’t let you have your way.” Before I could ask more, he rode away on his new mountain bike. I didn’t understand his smugness, but when I was packing my things, I was completely dumbfounded. My admission ticket was missing. After searching the entire house, Heather saw the mess I had made and pointed at my nose, cursing, “Ungrateful thing, are you trying to anger me to death!” I didn’t argue back, just looked in the direction Caleb had left and gritted my teeth as I chased after him. The weather was very hot. I chased aimlessly for three streets, but there was no sign of Caleb anywhere. Despair made my eyes red for the first time. The long run left a taste of rusty iron in my mouth. But I didn’t dare stop. I was afraid the tears would really fall.

Just when I was about to give up hope, I saw Caleb’s mountain bike. It was new, bought by my father just because all his classmates had one, so he had to have one too. At that moment, the shiny new bike was carelessly thrown on the ground. I rushed over, desperately grabbing Caleb’s neck, “Give me my admission ticket!” Out of fear, I even forgot that he was the son my father cherished. Although he was two years younger, he was already taller than me. He knocked me to the ground with one push, “Why should I give you your admission ticket?” His classmates started laughing, laughing at him for having such a sister. With red eyes, I watched how he told others I was not even as good as a dog, how he ridiculed me for being crazy. I didn’t dare to be afraid, because I still had to take the exam. I headbutted Caleb, knocking him down. I straddled him and hit him wildly, “Caleb Collins, crazy people don’t get the death penalty for killing!” Whether it was because I scared him or not, he threw out the torn admission ticket, and ran away with his classmates. I spent half an hour piecing it together, but I still missed the first exam. Having missed the first one, I saw Heather at the last exam. She rushed into the exam room with a black and blue-faced Caleb. I instinctively tried to hide.

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Naomi Sinclair and I grew up together at Willow Creek Orphanage. We knew each other, grew close, fell in love. Soon after she gave birth to our son, her birth parents found her. She became the only heiress to the Sinclair family name. Our son, from a young age, received an elite education and took on the Sinclair surname. Years later, when I handed Naomi the divorce papers, she looked a little impatient and asked why. I simply replied, “Because last night, the food I cooked went cold.” Content “Leave with nothing?” “Be sensible—there’s no way Aiden will go with you.” Naomi didn’t look up from her phone screen. Her company was about to go public. I had once been proud of all her accomplishments, but now, all I felt was a sense of brokenness. “I’ll give up custody of Aiden,” I said. “Before we married, all I had was that little house—the Starter Cottage. That’s all I want.” When I mentioned the tiny house we’d once shared, Naomi’s expression softened a bit. “Are you still upset that Dean Preston drove me home yesterday? He’s just a business associate.” Yeah, a business associate who knew she was married and still wouldn’t give up pursuing her. I said nothing, just looked at Naomi. I hadn’t had the chance to really look at her in a long time. She was immaculately dressed, her earrings studded with pink diamonds that probably cost more than a few months of our expenses back in the day. It only took a few years, and here we were, strangers. Seeing me shake my head, she looked irritated and asked why. I replied coolly, “Because last night, the food I cooked went cold.” Before Naomi had been reclaimed by the Sinclairs, I was a freelance writer with a passion for cooking. Naomi was working in finance, struggling on a low salary and barely having time to eat. I would pack meals for her and bring them to her office. She always said it was the best food she’d ever tasted. Then, Naomi got discovered by the Sinclair family. She kept their last name but insisted on staying married to me. I continued as usual, making her three meals a day. The first year, she told me she wanted to eat my cooking for the rest of her life. But only a few years later, she was coming home drunk, escorted by her admirers. I’d take her from another man’s arms, telling her to eat something to settle her stomach. Looking at the meal I’d made, she grimaced and said, “We have a chef here, so don’t bother making all this anymore.” “Why won’t you just go to the company? Are you really so idle every day?” I’d never had a knack for business and had no interest in the Sinclair empire. Aiden clung to her so much that he would only come down to eat when he heard her voice. When I handed him his food, he shook his head. I asked him why he wouldn’t eat, and Naomi snapped, saying I sounded too harsh. “He likes Western food. He’s tired of home-cooked meals, alright?” With her support, Aiden shoved the plate, sending hot soup and shattered porcelain splashing onto my arm. Naomi held him close, soothing him gently. Then she turned to me. “Just have the staff clean it up. I’m exhausted.”

I looked at Naomi’s confused gaze but felt no need to explain. In her eyes now, maybe the only things that mattered were the flow of millions of dollars. As for Aiden, he didn’t care much either. Raised in an elite world, he’d dreamed more than once of a “greater” father—a man who made waves in the business world, not a dad who liked being in the kitchen. In the daylight, Naomi noticed the burn on my arm from the night before. She called Aiden over. “Your dad hurt himself last night. Go give him some comfort.” Aiden was calm and collected at any public speaking event, but in front of me, he didn’t even try to hide his disdain. I’d grown up without a father and thought if I just loved my son enough, he’d love me back. But it turns out I don’t have that skill. Aiden just looked at me coldly, and except for a few babyish “daddy”s when he was little, I’d never heard him call me that again. “You don’t deserve to be my dad.” Naomi gently tapped his nose as if scolding him lightly. “The place on Greenfield Row is too old, and the paperwork will take a while. You’re welcome to stay here in the meantime,” she said. “Didn’t you love that cookware I gave you? It’s not like you can take it with you.” I’d packed everything I needed in a single suitcase the night before. “That cookware—if no one’s going to use it, just throw it away,” I said, then laughed. After all, the Sinclairs had chefs to handle everything. Without me, they wouldn’t even need a kitchen in that mansion, let alone high-end cookware. “Are you heading back to Greenfield Row?” “I can have Mr. Wills drive you,” she offered. I declined, looking at mother and son with a calm smile. “You both have a lot of allergies. Be sure to have the doctor test you again and give the chefs a list.” With that, I turned and walked out, without looking back at the two people I once loved most in the world.

I didn’t go back to Greenfield Row right away. Instead, I went to Willow Creek Orphanage, where I grew up. Naomi had wanted to visit with me, but the Sinclair family didn’t exactly consider it a place to show off, and the visit kept getting delayed. I had been sending part of my writing earnings to the orphanage over the years. As soon as I walked in, Ms. Ellery recognized me and greeted me warmly. She didn’t know yet that Naomi and I had divorced and pulled me into memories of our childhood. Naomi and I grew up here. She was a year younger than me, and we were both so small back then. Ms. Ellery pointed to the kitchen and laughed, saying I’d always been fascinated watching the cook. Naomi didn’t like garlic, but at Willow Creek, kids weren’t allowed to be picky. So, whenever I cooked, I’d leave the garlic out for her. Her reminiscing made me eager to cook. I accepted the offer to handle the kids’ lunch that day. As I chopped and cooked, a group of little ones crowded around, chattering excitedly. “Wow, you’re so cool, big brother! You can cook!” “It smells amazing! When I grow up, I’m going to be a chef, too! Ten stars!” Hearing their excitement reminded me of meeting Naomi’s parents for the first time. She’d been even more nervous than I was. When they found out I was a writer who loved to cook, if it hadn’t been for their upper-class manners and guilt over abandoning her, they would have practically shown me to the door. Her father simply remarked, “Useless skills, unfit for a man of worth.” Word spread fast in their circles. Naomi quickly gained plenty of new “friends.” Every guest who saw me cooking would chuckle and joke with her. “Your husband is rare—who’d think he could cook?” Dean Preston once frowned, asking, “Naomi, doesn’t the smell of cooking on him bother you? Is it hard to sleep at night?” After hearing that over and over, Naomi started to look uncomfortable about it. She didn’t want to embarrass me, though, and gently suggested, “When friends come over, maybe let the staff handle it.” “It’s not like the Sinclair family can’t afford a chef.” And soon, Aiden was picking up on all of it too. “My dad’s no ordinary cook. He’s supposed to be a hero.”

After a few days at Willow Creek, I went back to Greenfield Row. Everywhere I looked, there were memories I had to push down. When the Sinclairs took Naomi back, they insisted we leave everything behind; even our son’s things were replaced by theirs. Everything in that old house had stayed just as it was that day. I’d thought it was a stroke of luck, but it turned out to be the end of my dream. After clearing out everything that reminded me of Naomi, I went to sleep and didn’t wake up until noon. When I checked my phone, I saw a dozen missed calls—all from her. Just then, a new call came in from an unknown number. “Hello, is this Aiden Sinclair’s father?” the voice asked. “I’m Aiden’s teacher. He’s refusing to eat lunch, saying his dad usually packs it.” The voice paused, then continued politely, “Did you forget today was the start of the semester?” I frowned, not sure what game Aiden was playing. He attended one of the best schools, where they served well-balanced meals. More than once, he’d brought back the food I packed for him untouched. “Thank you, but he won’t be needing my lunches anymore. The family chef will handle his meals,” I said, then added, “I’m no longer Aiden’s father. Please contact his mother from now on.” Maybe the teacher had Aiden on speaker, because I heard someone yell, “Aiden, don’t run!” The teacher apologized and quickly hung up. I thought back to my own childhood—I hadn’t had one of these puzzling phases. Aiden, though, had always been pretty stable. His grandparents didn’t want him around me, so every summer, they’d take him away. And with each visit, he’d grow colder toward me. At first, he’d ask me: “Why do you always do servant’s work?” “Isn’t it a waste of your time?” “Other dads fly planes. Why do you stay home and cook?” Eventually, he stopped talking to me entirely, and I’d learn about his assignments through the parent group chats. The Sinclairs were more than happy to see him drifting away from me. I hung up and went to the mall. In the middle of comparing prices, Naomi’s call came through. “What did you say to Aiden? He’s refusing to eat.” “Can’t you come back? He still needs you.” Then I heard a low male voice suggest, “We can bring him to my new restaurant.” Naomi must’ve moved away from him because she continued, “That was just a colleague. Do you know where my allergy medicine is? The chef doesn’t know I’m allergic to carrots.” I could hear a slight plea in her voice. I sighed. “Naomi, if you can’t find it, buy it online or have the staff fetch it for you. It’ll be faster than waiting for my call.” “I asked you to have the doctor run allergy tests on both you and Aiden so we wouldn’t have this problem again.” After a pause, Naomi said, “Can you at least send your recipe? Grandpa misses your cooking.” “And Aiden’s project? I’m swamped with work.” I felt my resolve weaken at the mention of Grandpa Sinclair. He’d always been the only one in the family who fully supported me, and he truly loved my cooking. But I had no desire to get pulled back into their lives. “There are plenty of recipes online,” I replied. “Naomi, you know Aiden doesn’t consider me his father. It’s time I start my own life. Let’s each go our separate ways.”

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My Wife Swapped Our Baby to Inherit My Billion-Dollar Fortune My wife swapped our daughter with my brother-in-law’s daughter to ensure her family would inherit my billion-dollar fortune. I pretended not to know. I watched as my “niece” was mistreated and starved into a skeletal state at my brother-in-law’s house. Meanwhile, my “daughter” was raised by my wife to be rosy-cheeked, adorable, and blessed. On the day of my daughter’s coming-of-age ceremony, just after I had transferred company shares to her, my brother-in-law’s family burst in with my niece and a DNA test report. “The hospital mixed up the babies back then, brother-in-law. It’s time to switch them back!” Amid their triumphant gazes, I smiled through tears: “Sure.” “Zane! My water broke!” I was out of town closing a deal with a client when I received this message from my wife, Emily. The moment I saw those words, I immediately canceled all my upcoming tasks and replied: “Honey, I’m coming right away.” As I anxiously opened my phone to contact my assistant about available tickets, Emily sent another message. “Don’t worry, darling. No need to rush. My brother and sister-in-law are here. You focus on making money, and come back when you’re done. It’s fine.” I said okay, but the urge to return grew stronger by the minute. Just then, my assistant called. Her voice was full of apology. “Mr. Wilson, I’m so sorry. Due to the recent extreme weather, the airport is closed, and there are no train tickets available.” I sat by the floor-to-ceiling window of the hotel, not understanding why my heart was racing uncontrollably. But deep down, I had a feeling that I absolutely had to go back. “Sarah, what about a taxi? If I take a taxi back, how many hours would it take?” The assistant on the other end of the line paused for a moment, then responded professionally. “Mr. Wilson, if you take a ride-sharing service, it would take about six hours to get back.” I nodded in agreement and asked her to book one for me immediately. The taxi sped onto the highway through the heavy rain into the dark night. Even after getting in the car, that ominous feeling hadn’t dissipated. I could only ask the driver to go as fast as possible within the legal limits. On the way, I tried calling Emily, but there was no answer. Thinking it was probably because she was exhausted from giving birth, I rationalized that the bad feeling was probably just empathy for Emily’s pain during labor. At this point, I still thought I was in sync with Emily, and even wanted to give her a surprise, so I didn’t tell her I was coming. By the time I arrived at the hospital, it was already late at night. There weren’t many people around, just a few nurses dozing off here and there. I asked for Emily’s room number, and when I got there, I saw that she had indeed given birth and was sleeping, her face pale. Seeing her like that made my heart ache. I felt she had been through so much, and didn’t want to disturb her. Instead, I asked a nurse where the nursery was and headed there alone. There weren’t many people on the nursery floor at this hour. I remembered the number and walked to the door of one of the rooms. Just as my hand gripped the doorknob, I heard familiar voices whispering inside. “Honey, are we really going to do this?” I frowned as I listened carefully. It was the voice of my sister-in-law, Lily. If that was her husband, it must be Emily’s brother, Ryan. Sure enough, the next moment I heard my brother-in-law Ryan’s voice, with a hint of resolute determination. “Of course. We’ve come this far, do you want all our plans to go to waste?!” “But… but what if we get caught swapping the babies? And… that’s our daughter…” Lily’s voice was choked with sobs, clearly very reluctant. Ryan cursed her under his breath: “This is why women can’t get things done! Didn’t we agree to switch them from the start? This way, all of Zane Wilson’s money will belong to our family! Why are you crying now? Do you still want the money or not?!” “…I do,” Lily’s timid voice came after a while. Then the two of them opened the door to the inner sterilization room. They seemed about to come out, so I quickly retreated to the stairwell corner. I saw them sneak out, looking around cautiously before leaving. I stood there frozen, chilled to the bone. After a long while, I seemed to regain the warmth in my body. Then I also entered the nursery. After searching carefully, I found the incubator with Ryan and Lily’s names on it, separated by a few from the one with Emily’s and my names. Although the name on this incubator was Chloe Parker, the moment I saw the baby, I felt an instant connection. I immediately switched the babies back. As I was going downstairs, I passed by Emily’s room. She seemed to have woken up, and I could faintly hear her talking with Ryan and Lily. I stood to the side and eavesdropped. “Sis, I’ve switched the babies as you instructed.” I heard Ryan, barely able to contain his excitement. Then Emily’s weak voice came from the bed. “Thank you, Ryan. I promise I’ll take good care of your child and won’t let her suffer at all. Everything we’re doing now is so that we can ultimately get all of Zane’s assets.” Hearing this, I felt as if I had been struck by lightning. It was even more heartbreaking than discovering Ryan’s actions earlier. I had thought it was just Ryan and Lily’s malicious scheme, but now I discovered my own wife was involved. She was my partner, the person I shared my bed with! Then I heard very low sobbing from the room. “But… but I carried her for ten months, and now we’re just switching…” That was Lily, unable to part with her own flesh and blood. “What are you crying for?! She’s going to have a better life! Could we afford to raise her? Zane will raise her, she’ll get a better education and resources! What are you crying about?!” Ryan immediately scolded her. Lily could no longer hold back her tears and began to weep openly. “Lily, I understand. After all, it’s the child you carried. Anyone would be reluctant and heartbroken. But this is the only way now,” Emily sighed softly, seemingly holding Lily’s hand before continuing to comfort her. “When the child comes to our side, I can’t guarantee everything, but I can assure you she’ll want for nothing. In the future, no matter how well she does in school, even if she’s not very smart, it doesn’t matter. Zane will give her a good future. Can you provide that?” Lily sobbed and shook her head, finally giving in. “Alright, sis. We just came to let you know it’s done. You just gave birth, so get some rest,” Ryan’s voice came from inside. Seeing that the two were about to leave, I quickly hid in the nearby stairwell. The stairwell was dark. Outside, the heavy rain had just cleared, revealing a cold, round moon through the window. I looked at the moon, and tears suddenly fell. Emily and I met in college. Her family wasn’t well-off, and she worked part-time during university. I met her during a volunteer event. Back then, she was a shy girl who would politely greet me as “senior.” It was her shyness and the innocent look in her eyes when she looked up at me that made me start pursuing her. Dating during college was incredibly sweet. Emily came from a poor background, and I always felt sorry for her. So I took her to experience many things she had never experienced before. As for food and clothes, I never let her want for anything. She also seemed to love me very much, making me believe we would get married and spend our lives together. And we did get married. I proposed to her right after graduation, disregarding our difference in status and marrying her directly. I remember my family was against it at the time, saying there weren’t that many good girls in the world and warning me not to be deceived again. But they could see I really liked her, so in the end, they allowed the marriage. My married life with Emily seemed happy. I believed I treated her extremely well, but I didn’t notice that she was the first to change. After years of marriage, what I got in return wasn’t her love, but her scheme for my assets. And my brother-in-law, who could only afford to buy a house and get married because of me, would bow and scrape in front of me, but behind my back, he was plotting with Emily like this. No wonder I had that inexplicable urge to rush to the hospital. Fortunately, I made it back. I wanted to see what kind of trouble they could stir up! I didn’t go directly to Emily’s room that day. Instead, I found a place to stay near the hospital and only appeared before them the next day, pretending to be anxious. “Honey! How are you? I bought the earliest flight back, but I was still late!” I pushed open the door to the ward, my face deliberately showing signs of a hasty journey. Emily, seeing me arrive, immediately tried to sit up, smiling at me with an exhausted but happy expression. “Darling, you’re here?” “Brother-in-law is here!” “Brother-in-law.” Ryan and Lily, who were on another bed, seemed guilty and immediately stood up to greet me. Everyone was all smiles. “Lily, don’t move. You just gave birth a few days ago too, right? Don’t get up. Honey, how are you feeling now? It’s all my fault, I couldn’t get the fastest ticket back.” I sat by Emily’s bed, playing along with them, looking at Emily with apparent concern, but my heart was ice-cold. Because in this short interaction, I couldn’t detect any other intentions from them. Indeed, the Parker family were all actors, smiling tigers. “Brother-in-law, sister gave birth to an 8-pound little princess yesterday. Congratulations!” Ryan, seeing the situation, immediately chimed in with sweet words. “8 pounds? That’s quite heavy. It’s truly a joyous occasion,” I said, letting a hint of delight flash across my face, while coldly thinking to myself: If I had really come back this morning, I would have been completely fooled by you all. Just then, a nurse pushed in two babies. She placed each baby next to their mother’s bed before leaving. I hurriedly looked at the baby next to Emily. “Brother-in-law is so eager,” Ryan laughed, smoothing things over. Emily also smiled helplessly, seemingly amused by my boyish impatience. Everyone thought I was anxious to see my own daughter, but that wasn’t the case. After carefully examining the baby, I felt a weight lift from my heart. In my haste last night, I only had time to mark the baby’s leg with a dot using my pen as identification. Now I saw they hadn’t noticed anything amiss. The setup of the two cribs was vastly different. The one next to Emily was extremely luxurious, while the one on their side was quite simple. The cribs weren’t provided by the hospital. We had bought all the best baby products, both domestic and international, months in advance. Looking at the clearly hastily bought, makeshift crib on my sister-in-law’s side, I couldn’t help but ask with confusion: “Is using this crib…” “Oh, brother-in-law, our family is different from yours. We don’t need to use such good things for everything. This is good enough. I didn’t even have a crib when I was little,” Ryan waved his hand and laughed it off when he saw me asking. “You should still be careful with children’s things. They’re just born and have low immunity,” I only advised a couple of sentences. After all, it wasn’t my child. But I was grateful in my heart. If they had really switched the babies, my daughter would now be in a crib that was about to fall apart. I didn’t know how many hardships she would have to endure with them in the future. Looking at Emily, who was showering the baby beside her with love, I once again felt how heartless she was. How could she bear to give her own child to the other side, to that environment and those parents?! “Honey, why don’t you name her?” Emily looked up at me with a face full of happiness. I smiled back and responded: “Poppy Wilson.” After resting for a while longer, we were discharged from the hospital. Before parting, Ryan and Lily were reluctant to leave my daughter, with Lily on the verge of tears several times. “Brother-in-law, bring your niece to visit often.” “I will,” I responded outwardly, while inwardly sneering as I looked at their daughter, whom they couldn’t even be bothered to hold. You reap what you sow! I wanted to see exactly how they planned to get my assets by swapping the children! And I was even more eager to see their disappointed and devastated expressions when they found out their baby-swapping plan had failed!

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My sister was deceived by a married woman, losing both her money and her virtue, and ended up unexpectedly pregnant. She had no job and no savings. I advised her not to keep the baby, but she said she believed in God and absolutely couldn’t abort the child, or it would be sinful and affect her luck. Yet after the child was born, she dumped him on me to raise while she went off to see the world. I spent half my life struggling to raise my nephew until he went to college, then my sister came back! She told my nephew, “You don’t know, back then your aunt kept trying to convince me to abort you. Then after you were born, she hogged you all to herself… You’re the precious baby I gave birth to, how could I not love you?” My nephew hated me bitterly because of this. He got into a car accident. I desperately pushed him out of the way, and ended up being hit and thrown over 30 feet. As I lay dying, the dear nephew I had raised with such hardship cradled my broken body and sneered softly, “You almost prevented me from coming into this world, then kept me apart from my mom for so long, depriving me of maternal love since childhood! Your life and the compensation money can be your atonement!” A white light engulfed me, taking me back to the day my sister Diana knocked on my door, her belly just starting to show her pregnancy. I opened my eyes to find my sister Diana sitting in front of me, sobbing as she asked, “Sam, you’re all I have now. What do you think? Should I keep this baby or not?” I pulled a coin from my pocket and placed it in her hand. “Sis, don’t you believe in God? He’ll guide you to the right answer! Flip it!”

Diana stared at the coin in bewilderment, looking at me in disbelief. Based on her understanding of me, she expected that I would strongly advise her to terminate the pregnancy. But even if she insisted on keeping it, I would inevitably end up taking care of both her and the child. Once I became attached to the baby, she would exploit my guilt over initially suggesting an abortion to manipulate me into sacrificing everything for her. After all, this tactic had always worked for her in the past. Diana and I were only a year apart. Our parents passed away early, so we relied on relatives’ support and my scholarships to get by since middle school. I knew that education was the only way to change our fate, so except for part-time jobs on weekends and holidays, I devoted every minute to studying. Hard work pays off – I consistently ranked at the top of my class and won numerous scholarships. This money was even enough to cover our daily living expenses. But Diana was different. She loved reading romance novels and always fantasized about being the Mary Sue heroine in those stories. She focused all her attention on boys, only going to school to scout for potential “blue-chip stocks” among her male classmates who might be worth investing in for the long term. By the time college entrance exams rolled around, knowing her grades weren’t good enough for university and she could only get into a mediocre vocational school at best, her dreams of finding a campus “blue chip” were shattered. So she set her sights on “falling for a domineering CEO” and turned her attention to the real world instead. “Sam, with my grades, do you think there’s any point in continuing school? I feel like I might as well start working and save some money…” With core subject scores barely over 100 points combined, I judged from our living conditions at the time that there really wasn’t much point in her continuing her education. So I simply said “Okay,” not realizing I would pay a steep price for that one word for the rest of my life! When she couldn’t find a suitable job, she blamed me, saying if I had supported her continuing school, she would at least have a diploma. When she couldn’t find a suitable man, she also blamed me, saying if I had supported her continuing school, she wouldn’t be looked down upon by the guy’s family for her low education level… Out of guilt, I supported her through my work-study program in college. To save money, I didn’t even dare to date. Every holiday I worked multiple jobs like crazy, just so she could live a bit better while unemployed at home. It wasn’t until later that I found out she was using the money I worked so hard to earn, along with loans, to buy designer goods and create a fake rich girl persona to attract men… She had pulled this kind of stunt countless times since we were young – posing tricky questions to set me up, then using emotional blackmail when I fell for it. Unfortunately, in my past life, I valued our blood ties too much and willingly let her control me. But after I died, as my soul floated in the air, I saw that the car accident was actually orchestrated by her and her son. They gambled that I would certainly sacrifice my life for the nephew I had raised with my own hands. They took my compensation money and occupied my house… yet when they received my ashes, they immediately tossed the urn into the garbage. Everything from my past life flashed through my mind. The heartache and bone-deep hatred made me wish I could be reborn to tear them to pieces. Thankfully, heaven is just. My wish for rebirth came true.

“Sis, why aren’t you flipping it? Don’t you believe in God?” Seeing she still hadn’t reacted, I waved my hand in front of her face. She looked embarrassed and reluctantly picked up the coin, saying, “Fine then. God, please guide me – heads I keep it, tails I don’t!” The coin flew into the air and landed on the table. “It’s heads. God wants you to keep it! So go ahead and have the baby with confidence!” Diana used to work at a jewelry store and had an affair with her married boss. That sly old fox brainwashed her into becoming religious, then after she was hooked, he kept coming up with new religious items for her to buy and worship – bronze statues, jade figurines, all kinds of amulets… Not only did she spend all her wages, she often borrowed money from me too. I say “borrowed,” but I was used to her never paying me back. Now that she was pregnant, that man said his wife had found out and told Diana to move out of the apartment he had rented for her immediately. “But if I have the baby, neither of us will have anywhere to live.” Diana’s eyes greedily scanned the house I was currently living in, looking slightly pitiful as she spoke. This house was supposed to be the marital home for me and my boyfriend Kevin. In my past life, when Diana insisted on keeping the baby and had nowhere to go, she pulled out her usual emotional blackmail tactics to make me take her in. I was blind and foolish enough to agree, which led to a whole mess of trouble later on, ending in my untimely death. So this time, I had to nip it in the bud. “That’s easy to solve. Mom and Dad’s old house is still empty. What a coincidence – Aunt Zhang from next door called me the other day saying she opened a small convenience store and wants to hire someone to help run it. You can stay at the old house and help her mind the store. You’ll earn money while being able to rest during your pregnancy. After you give birth, if it’s a boy, won’t that jewelry store boss welcome you back home like a goddess?” Diana seemed to feel I was different from before. She looked at me with confusion in her eyes, but also seemed to think what I said made sense. To prevent her from overthinking it, I immediately called Aunt Zhang to finalize the arrangement. Now we just had to wait for Kevin to get off work and drive her back. “But I still feel…” Diana was still hesitating. I quickly cut her off, “Relax, don’t you think this is God’s will? His arrangements always have a reason. Everything happens for the best. You just need to go along with it…” After all, she used to brainwash me the same way in my past life. She caused chaos in my home with her pregnant belly, single-handedly ruining my relationship with Kevin’s family. In the end, Kevin and I were forced to break up and move out, but he left the house to me. She patted my shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, God’s arrangements always have a reason. Everything happens for the best. He’s telling you Kevin isn’t right for you…” The night Kevin moved out, she immediately occupied my master bedroom, claiming the guest room was too uncomfortable for her big belly. This time, I absolutely would not allow such things to happen. I refuse to give up the man who loved me most in my past life, and the mother-in-law who treated me like her own daughter, for these two ungrateful wolves again.

After sending Diana back to the old house, I immediately dragged Kevin to get our marriage license. Kevin held the certificate, staring at me blankly. “Honey, pinch me. Am I dreaming?” This fool, in my past life after breaking up with me, actually stayed single and never remarried. When he heard the news of my death, unable to find my grave, he took the only coat of mine left at his place and made a simple memorial for me. He would talk to it at the “grave” every day. I had been holding back my emotions while Diana was here, afraid of giving myself away. Now that she was gone, I hugged Kevin and burst into tears. “It’s not you dreaming. I had a big dream, but thankfully I woke up.” I briefly told Kevin about my rebirth. At first, he didn’t quite believe it. I told him the company would send him on a business trip to Jiangzhou in a few days, and he must go no matter what. In my past life, Diana had only been living with us for a few days when Kevin’s mom came to visit. Diana went through our bedroom drawers while we were out and his mom caught her. They got into an argument. His mom held back since Diana was pregnant, but Diana kept pushing and ended up shoving her. His mom hit her head on the table corner… As a result, Kevin had to give up the business trip opportunity to another colleague to take care of his hospitalized mother. That colleague, who was inferior to Kevin in both seniority and ability, signed a multi-million dollar contract on the trip and got promoted upon return. He ended up suppressing Kevin at work for the next 20 years, leaving Kevin depressed and unfulfilled in his career. Sure enough, on the third day after his mother came to stay with us this time, Kevin received notice to go on the Jiangzhou business trip. This time, without Diana here, I got along great with his mom, so naturally there was nothing to interfere with his trip. Now Kevin fully believed my rebirth story. He had always listened to me when we were dating, and now he was even more attentive. To our surprise, just after we sent Kevin off to the airport, we saw Diana standing at our door with her luggage. “Sam! You’re finally back!” “Let me tell you, Aunt Zhang’s cooking is terrible. I’m used to your food!” “And you know what? Her convenience store opens at 9 am. You know I can’t get up that early as a pregnant woman!” “How can a pregnant woman live like that? It’s not right, is it…” She kept rambling non-stop as soon as she entered, until she saw the guest room – the one she used to stay in – now fully occupied with Kevin’s mom’s things. She finally closed her mouth and looked at me. “What’s this?” “Oh sis, I was going to call and tell you. Kevin and I got married! Mom has moved in to live with us!” I said with a smile, holding his mom’s hand. She was stunned for a moment. She had always brainwashed me, telling me that except for her, my in-laws were all outsiders, especially my future mother-in-law – getting close to her would make me miserable. Now that I had invited my mother-in-law to live with us, she looked at me with a “have you lost your mind” expression. Without even greeting Kevin’s mom, she pulled me into the bedroom to talk privately. “Seriously, Samantha? Did you completely ignore everything I told you? Didn’t I say Kevin’s mom is trouble? You even invited her to live here! Are you trying to get me killed?? And this house only has two bedrooms. If she’s staying here, where am I supposed to…” I made a “shh” gesture and pulled her to the bay window. I had set up a small altar there with a $5 jade Guanyin statue I bought online. “Sis, keep your voice down. Don’t disturb the Buddha…” “What’s this?” Diana looked confused again. No matter how she tried to brainwash me before, I always seemed immune to all that superstitious nonsense. I often advised her not to waste money on it. Now how had I suddenly become so devout? “Sis, you don’t know! Thanks to your faith, Buddha has blessed me too! He came to me in a dream and said Kevin is my true soulmate. He also said Kevin must live with his mother and be filial to receive blessings and success in his career.” “Guess what? I followed Buddha’s guidance and invited his mom to stay just a few days ago. Today Kevin was sent on a multi-million dollar project in Jiangzhou. If he closes the deal, not only is his promotion guaranteed, but there’s a big bonus too. We might even upgrade to a three-bedroom place soon…” “His mom is indeed difficult to please, but what can we do? She’s our money tree now. Even if you begged me, I wouldn’t want you to suffer her temper while pregnant.” “Besides, I heard the jewelry boss’s wife is looking for you everywhere. You listed my address when you applied for that job, right? What if she finds you here? All your efforts would be wasted.” “Stay at the old house a bit longer. I’ll bring you out when the time is right.” Hearing my grand promises, Diana’s previously dull eyes suddenly lit up with stars. Given how well she thought she could manipulate me, my husband getting rich was as good as her getting rich. When we came out of the bedroom, she looked at Kevin’s mom like she was the Queen Mother, bowing and scraping, calling her “Auntie” this and that. Now it was Kevin’s mom’s turn to look bewildered…

In reality, Kevin’s mom wasn’t difficult to please at all. She treated me better than my own mother. Thinking of how I had sided with Diana in my past life, disappointing her again and again… Yet even when Kevin wanted to leave me the house he had paid the down payment for after we broke up, she didn’t object. I felt so guilty and ashamed. After getting rid of Diana, I took my usually frugal mother-in-law on a shopping spree at the mall. “You two just got married. You’ll have plenty of expenses. Don’t waste money on me…” “Mom, don’t worry. Kevin and I are both getting promotions soon. Money won’t be an issue. But for the next year, we’ll need to go work in another city. Please help us take care of the house while we’re gone. Don’t let anyone in…” At this point, Kevin’s mom still hadn’t realized how awful Diana was. She only knew from our past interactions that I was a “sister enabler.” She had wanted to advise me through Kevin several times. Now seeing that I had woken up on my own, her eyes were full of relief. She assured us she would guard the house steadfastly while we were away. Soon, Kevin returned from his trip having successfully closed the deal as I predicted. The company wasted no time promoting and giving him a raise. The catch was a one-year training assignment at the Jiangzhou branch. This time, I didn’t hesitate to apply for a transfer to Jiangzhou with my company as well, so we could go together. Firstly, this way our relationship wouldn’t be affected by long distance. Secondly, it would help me avoid Diana’s frequent harassment during this time. Most importantly, I knew from my memories that the newly built industrial park in Jiangzhou would place a big order with our company branch in a few months due to production needs. In my past life, that order had fallen into the lap of a receptionist who happened to be filing her nails at the right time. This time, I prepared all the materials in advance and actively pitched to the procurement team at the industrial park before they even started looking for suppliers. I stayed in close contact with them and submitted my proposal to my company early. Opportunity favors the prepared. A few months later, I successfully landed that order as planned. A six-figure bonus was promptly deposited into my account. Of course, Diana hadn’t stopped bothering me during this time. I fended her off using God’s name each time. Aunt Zhang called me every few days, saying Diana was acting strange. She kept buying jade Buddha statues for the house, starving herself, and using all her wages on constant offerings, hoping God would bless her like He blessed me. A few months later, when she realized God hadn’t helped her at all and in fact made her life worse, she set all those jade Buddhas on fire in a rage! Knowing we had gone out of town and she couldn’t easily come find us with her big belly, Diana secretly went to our house. Who would have thought she’d open the door to find Kevin’s mom playing cards with his two aunts… Kevin’s mom is a smart woman – a retired executive from a state-owned enterprise who was known as an “iron lady” in her younger days. In my past life, she had voluntarily taken on the task of caring for Diana so I could focus on work, squeezing herself onto a tiny bed in less than 20 square feet by the entrance. Yet Diana kept coming up with new ways to make things difficult for her every day, trying to drive her away. To avoid making things awkward for me, Kevin’s mom kept putting up with it. This time, with my blessing, she went all out to fight back. Diana was no match for her at all and kept getting sent away defeated, unable to even set foot inside! A year later, Kevin’s training period ended. I also applied to return and compete for a leadership position in my department, based on my outstanding performance. Diana must have gotten wind of this somehow. She was already waiting at our doorstep with her three-month-old nephew when we arrived…

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Caleb Vaughn and I spent half our lives locked in a miserable marriage. Before the end, we glared at each other, hurling our most venomous curses, wishing to never meet again in another life. He hated me for tying him down with marriage and children, robbing him of his dream to move to Los Angeles and become a singer. I hated him for spending all his time partying while leaving his ailing parents and our two children solely in my care. And then, amid the resentment, we were reborn. Our eyes met across the crowd, and without hesitation, we turned and walked away in opposite directions. This time, I hope neither of us regrets it. Content The day I changed my college application, Dad walked into my room, glanced at my computer, and gave an approving nod. “Good. With grades like yours, you should go to a top university. Quit wasting your time running after that Vaughn kid. What’s so great about him anyway?” Mom, overhearing from the kitchen, rushed in and tugged Dad out of the room, giving him a sharp glare. I watched them leave, a bittersweet smile tugging at my lips before a sudden wave of sadness hit me. In my past life, I had run out late at night to the Willow Creek Train Depot to find Caleb. My parents, worried, went looking for me and were hit by a drunk truck driver. I never got to say goodbye. Swallowing my tears, I moved my mouse and pressed the confirm button on my application without hesitation.

In my past life, Caleb Vaughn, my childhood best friend, suddenly announced he wanted to become a singer and move to L.A. to chase his dreams. But before that, he had always said that staying together and attending the same college was his dream. For him, I threw away my near-perfect SAT score and applied to Greenfield Community College, the same small school he chose. But just two days before the acceptance letters arrived, he decided to leave for L.A. That night, Mrs. Eleanor Vaughn and Mr. Daniel Vaughn showed up at our door, begging me to find their son. I went. My parents, worried sick, followed and were killed in an accident. When I finally dragged Caleb back, his parents blamed him for my parents’ deaths and insisted he make amends by marrying me. So, I forced Caleb into an engagement. The plan was to marry after graduation, but by sophomore year, I was pregnant and had to drop out. The whirlwind of getting married, having a baby, and managing a household swallowed two years of my life. I was excited to return to school until Caleb’s parents fell ill and moved in with us. Caleb told me to be understanding. His parents had sacrificed so much for his education; now they needed care. He, of course, would be the breadwinner. I didn’t mention that his $1,500-a-month job barely covered formula and groceries. Eventually, I sold The Brooks Family Ranch to pay for his parents’ medical bills while raising two children. All the while, Caleb was out spending his measly salary on music equipment and partying with friends, claiming it was for his “dream.” When the burden of family life became unbearable, our arguments escalated. He accused me of being bitter and narrow-minded, blaming me for dragging him back from L.A. and ruining his shot at stardom. He even accused me of weaponizing my parents’ deaths to trap him into marriage. I hit back, calling him delusional for thinking his scratchy voice could ever make him a star. When he brought up my parents again, I snapped and lunged at him, only for him to shove me away violently. After that, Caleb started avoiding home altogether. His parents turned their frustrations on me, accusing me of being petty and difficult, conveniently forgetting how they had begged me to find their son. I worked myself to the bone doing odd jobs to keep the family afloat. But the children I raised with such effort still gravitated toward their father, who barely lifted a finger for them. I thought they’d understand one day, but that day never came. Even after they grew up and started their own families, they chose Caleb over me. “Mom, you were always too controlling. We’re done listening to you.” “Dad’s dreams were crushed because of you. He deserves another chance to go to L.A.” “Grandma and Grandpa were right. You just wanted to control everyone’s lives. You’re selfish!” Heartbroken, I went home only to find Caleb packing his bags with a smug grin, bragging about his “better future” now that he was leaving me behind. After devoting over two decades to this family, all I got was a label of being selfish and controlling. Why did Caleb get to walk away unscathed, hailed as the cool, understanding father? I snapped and shoved him. He grabbed a vase and swung it at me, snarling, “You dare lay a hand on me? I’ll kill you!” And that’s how we both died—mutual destruction. As I lay on the ground bleeding out, my last prayer was simple: If there’s another life, please, don’t let me meet Caleb Vaughn again.

I woke up on the day I was supposed to change my college application. Seeing my parents alive and well, I vowed to cut all ties with Caleb Vaughn. After the SATs, there were endless parties. At one of them, I spotted Caleb laughing with a group of friends nearby. “Did you hear Caleb Vaughn’s dropping out of school to go to L.A. and become a singer?” “Wow, he’s gonna be one of those L.A. Dreamers! We should get his autograph now before he’s famous.” “Leona, you and Caleb grew up together. Did you know he was planning this?” I felt a push from a friend, and my eyes locked with Caleb’s across the crowd. In that instant, I knew—Caleb had been reborn too. “I don’t know anything about it. I’ve got to go.” Without hesitation, I turned and walked away. If he wanted to go to L.A., fine. His life was no longer my concern.

As the day Caleb Vaughn planned to leave for Los Angeles drew closer, I sweet-talked my parents, saying I missed Grandma Mae and wanted to visit her to see the new ducklings on her farm. My parents, who always indulged me, packed up immediately without a second thought. Just as we were heading out, Mrs. Eleanor Vaughn opened her door and looked at us curiously. “Heading out?” she asked. My dad chuckled warmly. “The kid wants to visit her grandma. We’ll be gone for a few days.” Mrs. Vaughn smiled and nodded, her eyes trailing after us as we left. I kept my face neutral, though my fists clenched tightly in anger, nails digging into my palms. How foolish I had been in my previous life to think this woman genuinely cared for me. Only later did I realize her true intentions. She’d had her sights on our family home all along. After my parents passed in a tragic accident, she worked tirelessly to push me and Caleb into marriage, playing the role of the caring neighbor while manipulating the situation for her benefit. In those days, I was a grieving orphan, completely defenseless. Her sweet demeanor and constant care broke through my walls. And because I liked Caleb, I let myself be guided into the marriage. Little did I know, it had all been a calculated plan from the start. I exhaled slowly, suppressing the trembling born of anger. Smiling, I started talking to my parents about Grandma Mae’s new pony, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw Caleb rushing by. He had likely realized I had also been reborn, forcing him to speed up his plans to leave. When we arrived at Grandma Mae’s, we sat down to a hearty dinner. The joy of being with my parents and grandma enveloped me, but then my mom’s phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen, frowning. It was Mrs. Vaughn. “Caleb insists on going to Los Angeles to become a singer. He’s refusing to go to school, and now he’s threatening to leave no matter what. Daniel and I can’t convince him. Could Leona come back and talk to him? The two of them are so close—he’ll listen to her!” Mrs. Vaughn’s voice quivered with desperation. Her words mirrored those from my previous life. My mom looked at me, hesitant. Traveling back to Willow Creek at this time would be difficult. I placed my fork down calmly, took the phone, and replied. “Mrs. Vaughn, this is Caleb’s decision. I can’t interfere, and even if I tried, he’d only resent me for it. I think you should respect his choice.” Before she could respond, I hung up, swiftly blocking her number. My efficient actions left my parents stunned. Grandma Mae, ever wise, broke the silence. “Eat your dinner. Other people’s troubles are their own. We have no reason to get involved.” Her words resonated deeply with me. After dinner, I crouched in the yard, scratching our dog behind his ears while my parents approached hesitantly. “Leona,” my mom began, her tone cautious. “You’re different lately. What’s going on?” My dad, though silent, watched me with concern. Their worried faces made my chest tighten. I wiped at my eyes, surprised to feel the sting of tears. “Mom, Dad,” I said, my voice steady despite my emotions, “I had a dream.” I described it as a vivid nightmare, recounting every detail of my past life—the manipulation, the tragedies, and how I became a pawn in the Vaughns’ schemes. My dad’s face darkened as I spoke, his expression growing stormy with each word. When I explained how everything started with Caleb’s decision to leave and Mrs. Vaughn’s request, understanding dawned on their faces. “Sweetheart, you’ve been through so much,” my mom murmured, wrapping her arms around me protectively. Her tears wet my hair as she whispered reassurances. My dad, ever pragmatic, lit a cigarette and announced firmly, “That settles it. When we get back, we’re moving. We need to get as far away from the Vaughns as possible.” I hadn’t expected such unwavering support. Overcome with gratitude, I nodded, tears spilling freely. Hugging my mom tighter, I soaked in her warmth. We stayed at Grandma Mae’s for two blissful weeks. I got a bit of a tan from working outdoors, and when we returned, she sent us home with a carload of fresh produce. Before we moved, we spent a few more days in our old house. As soon as we pulled into the driveway, Mrs. Vaughn appeared, her tear-streaked face contorted with a mix of desperation and anger.

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A flash flood struck suddenly. My wife, Saylor, spent a fortune to have her first love rescued, leaving me alone in the car to await death hopelessly. After I managed to escape death, Saylor tearfully told me she felt indebted to me, but then turned around and held a wedding ceremony with her first love. On the day they were happily conducting their wedding ceremony, I invited Charlie’s wife, who had been dead for three years, to the scene. … As the nurse was changing my bandages, a news report on the TV caught my attention. The headline read: “Woman spends entire fortune searching for husband for days, couple now happily reunited.” Below, netizens were praising the depth of their marital love. They even hailed her as “America’s Best Wife.” The young nurse beside me looked envious: “Her husband is so lucky to have such a good wife.” “I heard she spent over a million dollars just to hire a private rescue team. They’re even staying in the VIP ward of our hospital now.” Listening to the nurse’s words, I curled my lips in self-mockery. She was indeed a good wife, good enough to spare no expense to rescue Charlie when the flash flood hit. Leaving me alone trapped in the car, waiting to die. Just then, my phone rang. It was a call from Saylor. After I answered, her anxious voice came through, “Ezra, didn’t I tell you to wait for me where you were? Where are you now?” I remained silent. She explained nervously: “The situation was urgent at the time, and there was limited space on the rescue boat. I could only get Charlie out first. I went back to look for you later.” I was too tired to listen anymore and interrupted her directly: “If that’s the case, you should stay with Charlie. Let’s get a divorce.” With that, I hung up the phone. But the next second, my phone rang again. I knew it was Saylor. I didn’t answer and put the phone on silent. She kept sending me messages: “I didn’t mean to leave you behind, please don’t be angry, okay?” “Where are you? I’ll come find you right now.” After some thought, I still sent her my hospital room number. Saylor replied instantly, “Wait for me for half an hour, I’m coming to see you right away.” But I waited until dark and still didn’t see her. Instead, I saw Charlie’s new Instagram post: “So blessed to have someone by my side 24/7.” The photo showed Saylor bending over to make his bed. I immediately deleted Charlie and blocked Saylor along with him. After turning off my phone, I covered myself with the blanket and fell into a deep sleep. The next day, the caregiver I hired was pushing me to get a check-up. Unexpectedly, we ran into Saylor pushing a wheelchair in the hallway. She was crouching down, gently covering Charlie’s legs with a blanket. When their eyes met, they looked so affectionate, like the perfect loving couple in others’ eyes. Even the caregiver behind me couldn’t help but sigh: “Isn’t that the national wife from the news? They really do look so in love.” Saylor heard the praise and looked up with a smile. But when her eyes met mine, her expression froze in place. “Ezra, why are you here?”

I tugged at the corner of my mouth, unable to hold back my sarcasm. “Why am I here? Don’t you know?” She frowned, looking at me with displeasure, “I had something come up yesterday and couldn’t come see you. Do you have to be so sarcastic?” “I’ve been worried sick about your safety. I see you’re fine and even have the energy to fight with me.” Listening to her complaints, I felt sick to my stomach. Not wanting to argue further, I urged the caregiver to push me away. Unexpectedly, several medical staff rushed out of the elevator behind us, pushing a rescue cart. “Make way!” the lead doctor shouted in our direction. Seeing the rescue cart about to crash into us, Saylor instinctively pushed Charlie’s wheelchair away. With a bang, I was hit hard and fell to the ground awkwardly. A sharp pain from my wound tearing open made me inhale sharply, furrowing my brow. Seeing this, Saylor ran over to help me up, her tone tinged with impatience. “If you’re injured, don’t run around. Just stay in your room and rest properly.” “I’ll take Charlie for his check-up first, then come see you later.” I forcefully pushed her hand away, saying coldly: “No need.” “Ezra, that’s enough. You got hurt running around on your own, why are you taking it out on others?” Saylor complained unhappily, simply standing up. She left me sitting on the ground and walked away without looking back, pushing Charlie. In the end, it was the caregiver who carefully helped me up and took me back to my room. I thought Saylor saying she’d see me later was just giving herself an out. I didn’t expect her to actually come. She was carrying several takeout boxes with cold food inside, her tone full of concern. “You’ve always been picky about food. I figured the hospital meals wouldn’t suit your taste.” “I specially ordered this dinner from a five-star restaurant. Come try it quick.” I glanced at the takeout bag where the delivery slip hadn’t been removed. The address column showed Charlie’s room number. The note even said flirtatiously: [Wishing the invincible handsome Charlie a speedy recovery!] So, she was trying to please me with the leftovers Charlie didn’t eat? Fighting the nausea in my stomach, I brought up divorce again. Saylor paused briefly, then sneered: “Ezra, when will you be done with this? You’re not young anymore, always talking about divorce. Don’t forget, you were the one who begged me to marry you.” With that, she stormed out. Hearing the door slam shut, I remained unmoved. Back then, I truly loved Saylor. To pursue her, I gave up a high-paying job and moved to her city. To make her happy, I learned to cook well. After she agreed to marry me, I silently vowed to treat her well for life. But what about her? To take care of her deceased best friend’s husband, she abandoned me again and again, trampling on my true feelings. This time, I won’t forgive her, nor will I look back. I contacted a lawyer to draft divorce papers. Then I opened our joint bank account, intending to transfer out my father’s death benefits. But I found that all the money in the account had been withdrawn. My heart sank as I recalled the news saying Saylor had spent millions to rescue Charlie. So, she used this money?

With trembling hands, I called Saylor. But the line was always busy. I guess she had blocked me. So I didn’t bother with my injuries and went straight to Charlie’s hospital room. Through the glass window, I saw Saylor sitting by Charlie’s bedside. She was tenderly peeling an apple, then feeding the cut pieces to Charlie. This gentle, soft-spoken image reminded me of when I was hospitalized before. Saylor said she had never taken care of anyone and wouldn’t even help wipe my face with a towel, instead scolding me for not being considerate of her. Lost in thought, Charlie noticed me standing at the door. “Are you here to see Saylor?” “I’m so sorry, Saylor is only here because she feels bad for me being all alone. You’re not angry, are you?” I ignored the provocation in Charlie’s eyes and walked in with a cold face, asking Saylor directly: “You withdrew the $3 million from our account. Why didn’t you tell me?” Saylor paused, turning her head in displeasure, speaking as if it was perfectly reasonable. “It was a matter of life and death. There was no time to discuss it.” “That money was just sitting there anyway. Might as well use it for something meaningful!” I laughed bitterly, my eyes gradually reddening. Six months ago, Saylor was caught in a mall fire. Because the fire was too intense, firefighters couldn’t enter. It was my dad who disregarded his own safety and carried the unconscious Saylor out of the fire. He himself died from his severe injuries. On his deathbed, he was still concerned about Saylor’s condition. This money was the government’s special compensation to honor him as a retired firefighter who died saving others. At the time, Saylor cried in my arms, saying she would definitely use this money to buy a high-end cemetery plot for my dad to rest in peace. Now, how could she have the nerve to say such things? Seeing her casually wetting a towel, preparing to wipe Charlie’s face, I felt like I had been blind. Just as I was about to leave, she called out to me again. “The day after tomorrow is your dad’s death anniversary. I won’t be going. I’m planning to hold a wedding ceremony with Charlie that day.” I turned back to look at her in surprise, my voice filled with disbelief. “What did you say?” Nominally, we weren’t divorced yet, but she was going to openly hold a wedding? And on my dad’s death anniversary no less! Saylor didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with it. She glanced at me impatiently and continued: “Charlie has always wanted to have his own wedding ceremony. But as you know, when he and Rachel got their marriage license, Rachel passed away before they could hold the ceremony.” “So now, I want to help him fulfill this wish in Rachel’s place.” I stared at Saylor for a long while before nodding: “Do whatever you want!” Seeing me agree so readily, Saylor’s eyes lit up with joy. She came over to hold my arm. “Ezra, I knew you’d understand me best.” “Don’t worry, this is just a fake wedding ceremony, going through the motions. You’ll always be the one I love most!” I stepped back to avoid her outstretched hand, leaving the hospital room without looking back. The next day, I completed the discharge procedures, preparing to go to the cemetery to pay respects to my parents. But just as I got into a taxi, I received a phone call. “Is this Ezra? This is Rachel, Saylor’s best friend. Do you remember me?” I held the phone in a daze, my mind going blank. Rachel, who was declared dead three years ago? She’s still alive?

She didn’t notice my shock and continued urgently: “I can’t reach Charlie or Saylor’s phones. Luckily I was able to contact you…” That’s when I learned that Rachel had fallen off a cliff back then but was rescued by kind strangers and sent to a local hospital. She had been in a coma for three whole years, nearly going into cardiac arrest several times. Now, after great difficulty finding her way back, she discovered Charlie had moved and his phone number was disconnected. I really didn’t know how to explain the situation to her, so I could only verbally agree to help her contact Charlie. After hanging up, I still couldn’t believe it. It took me a while to open WeChat, intending to message Saylor and tell her about Rachel’s return. But I received an alert from the pet monitoring app. I opened the live feed from the camera in my house. I saw my ragdoll cat hanging by a rope in the middle of the living room, its limbs twitching and struggling. Charlie stood in the center of the living room, clutching his arm with a pitiful expression. He seemed to notice the camera lens turning slightly and deliberately said: “Saylor, I think it’s dead. What should we do? Won’t Ezra be mad at you when he gets back?” Saylor was carefully bandaging his arm in front of him, not even looking up. “As long as you’re okay. This ungrateful beast might as well die early.” My hand holding the phone trembled. I quickly told the driver to turn back home, hoping I could still save it in time. But I was still a step too late. Little Love’s cold body lay on the floor. Its once neatly groomed white fur was now disheveled, splattered with blood. Even its hind legs were bent backwards unnaturally. I reached out with trembling hands, not daring to imagine what kind of torture Little Love had endured on my way back. Just then, Saylor’s indifferent voice came from behind. “I know you loved Little Love, but it bit someone. Even if it hadn’t died, I would have sent it away.” I turned around with red eyes to see her walking out of the next room wearing a pure white wedding dress. Seeing I didn’t speak, she came over to comfort me. “If you really want to keep a cat, I’ll go with you to buy another one another day.” I just shook my head, “No need.” With that, I carried Little Love’s body outside and buried it in the garden. Just as I finished, I received a text from Saylor. “Wedding ceremony tomorrow, remember to be on time.” After a long while, I emotionlessly replied “Okay.” When I arrived at the Starlight Hotel, the wedding was already underway. Seeing me appear, Saylor’s friends started teasing. “Ezra is here too! As the witness, you have to say a few words!” I knew they wanted to see me make a fool of myself. I didn’t refuse. Looking up at the sweet-faced couple on stage, I calmly walked up. Under everyone’s gaze, I curled my lips slightly. “As Saylor’s husband, when I learned she wanted to fulfill Charlie’s wish of holding a wedding ceremony, I was very touched.” “So today, I’ve also specially prepared a surprise for them.” As I finished speaking, Charlie looked at me smugly. While the smile on Saylor’s face grew even brighter. I took a deep breath and said loudly: “Next, let’s welcome Charlie’s wife, Rachel, to the stage!”

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