Category: English

My wife’s assistant linked a bizarre system to me. Every time I got angry, his bank account would rake in massive amounts of money, directly proportional to my fury. He’d deliberately flirt with my wife, infuriating me so much I had a heart attack in the middle of the night and ended up in the hospital. Meanwhile, his bank account had three million dollars wired in, and he was so thrilled he posted three SnapChat stories. After I was revived, I confronted my wife, but she just sneered at me with contempt: “Oh, so Kyle’s account gets more money the angrier you get? Why don’t you admit he’s just working hard to achieve all this?” “If you had even half of Kyle’s drive, you wouldn’t still be just a project manager.” Later, when he was short ten million to acquire my wife’s company, he deliberately sent me a hotel room number. He wanted me to walk in on them, trigger another heart attack, and die on the spot. But when I woke up, I was back on the day I first saw Kyle with Charlotte. The familiar ache in my chest was exactly as I remembered. This time, I just made them hold each other even tighter: “You two are made for each other. Seriously, just lock it down.”

When I opened my eyes, Kyle Miller was wrapping an arm around Charlotte Peterson’s waist. The scene was so familiar, so vivid, it made my heart clench with a sudden, sharp pain. Sunlight streamed through the coffee shop window, bathing them in a warm glow. Charlotte was beaming, and Kyle’s hand was unmistakably possessive, a blatant declaration of ownership wrapped around her waist. “Mr. Sterling? Are you alright? You look a little pale.” Emily, my secretary, pulled me back to reality. I touched my chest. The agonizing phantom pain from my last life’s heart attack still lingered there. I had died, then I lived again, returning to this crucial moment… The day I first discovered Charlotte and Kyle’s affair. And just half a month prior, Charlotte had tricked me into signing divorce papers, claiming it was for the company’s IPO and stock division. We were in the cooling-off period. “I’m fine.” I took a deep breath. “Let’s go say hello.” In my previous life, when I saw this, I stormed over, furious, demanding Charlotte explain herself. My explosive rage instantly added half a million to Kyle’s account. Charlotte, meanwhile, looked at me like I was insane, accusing me of being “paranoid,” “making a huge deal out of nothing,” and “overly jealous.” This time, I walked towards them with a steady pace, a polite smile plastered on my face. “Charlotte, what a coincidence.” My voice was so calm, it even surprised me. It seems when you stop loving someone, you gain this strange calm. Charlotte visibly stiffened, quickly retreating half a step from Kyle. “Blake? Why are you here? You didn’t tell me?” “My apologies, I had a client meeting.” After saying it, I found it almost laughable myself. Apologizing had become a habit with Charlotte. If her clothes weren’t ironed perfectly, I’d apologize; if the restaurant I booked wasn’t good, I’d apologize; if I failed to make a name for myself, I’d apologize. I chuckled bitterly, shaking my head, then turned my gaze to Kyle and extended a hand. “Mr. Miller, long time no see.” A flicker of surprise crossed Kyle’s eyes; he clearly hadn’t expected me to be so composed. He hesitated before shaking my hand. “Mr. Sterling, good to see you.” I felt the familiar pang in my chest, but this time, my expression didn’t change. I knew this feeling too well. Even after everything from my previous life, I kept telling myself not to get angry. But with the undeniable betrayal staring me in the face, who could really control it? “Buddy, if you like her so much, hold her tighter.” I suddenly reached out, giving them a slight push, forcing them closer together. My voice was cheerful, as if I were genuinely wishing them well. “You two are perfect for each other. Seriously, just lock it down.” Charlotte’s face instantly went chalk white. “Blake Sterling! What are you talking about!” “Just kidding.” I shrugged. “You two carry on, my client’s waiting.” As I turned to leave, I caught Kyle’s expression in my peripheral vision—he looked like he’d just swallowed something foul. Back in my car, I opened my banking app, logging into an account I hadn’t used in ages. The digits displayed on the screen made Emily, sitting in the front, gasp. A nine-figure balance, with a string of zeros after the first digit. “Mr. Sterling, this is…” Emily was my personal secretary, the only subordinate who followed me to this new company. “Just a little something I’ve been saving. Time to stir things up.” I said casually, then dialed an international number. “Mike, I’m ready to take over the Asia operations again.” “Excellent, Blake. Wall Street is ready for its King to return.”

Hanging up the call, I glanced towards the coffee shop. Charlotte once said she hated rich people and preferred a simple, real life. So, for five years, I had hidden my true identity. I pursued and married her under the guise of being a regular project manager at Zheng Corp, earning just a few thousand a month. At the same time, to revive the nearly collapsed Zheng Corp, I secretly funneled many projects to them. Zheng Corp, from an obscure small company, soared to become the well-known Zheng Group. For Charlotte, I even stopped touching my bank accounts, working diligently, using every penny of my hard-earned salary to please her. But later, her appetite grew, and the luxury items she brought home increased. Yet she seemed to be convinced I was just a poor office worker, not even bothering to tell me the origin of those bags and jewelry. Only later did I discover she was getting hot and heavy with that assistant who profited off my rage. “Emily, look into two things for me.” My voice was eerily calm. “First, the exact relationship between Charlotte Peterson and Kyle Miller; second, Kyle Miller’s financial movements over the past six months.” Three days later, Emily placed the investigation report on my desk. The photos showed Charlotte and Kyle kissing at a hotel entrance. The bank statements showed that every time we argued, a mysterious sum of money would appear in Kyle’s account, its amount directly proportional to my level of anger. “And this.” Emily handed me a USB drive. “Mr. Miller attended a mystic gathering last month. He supposedly sought out some powerful system from a spiritual guru.” I inserted the USB. In the video, Kyle was smugly showing off to a friend: “That fool Sterling gets me rich the angrier he gets! Yesterday, he saw me getting close to Charlotte, and he instantly exploded, giving me half a million!” A sharp pang of pain shot through my chest again, but this time, I smiled. So that’s how it was. This was the thing that killed me in my previous life. An evil system that converted my emotions into money. “Mr. Sterling, what are you planning…?” “Give them enough rope to hang themselves. That’s ancient wisdom, learn it.” I closed my laptop, smiling. The next morning, I stood before my walk-in closet, my fingers tracing the fabric of a long-forgotten custom-tailored suit. Five years. This six-figure power suit was finally going to see the light of day again. As I walked through the company’s revolving doors, the front desk receptionist’s coffee cup *crashed* to the floor. “Mr. S-Sterling?” A new intern in the elevator gaped. “You’re…?” I deliberately tugged at my cuff, revealing the gleaming Patek Philippe watch face. “What? Don’t you recognize me?” The crowded elevator suddenly fell silent. Someone whispered, “That watch alone could buy a house…” “Just a knock-off.” Mr. Hayes, the head of marketing, suddenly sneered. “He even skipped out on splitting the bill at our last team outing. Now he’s trying to act rich?” “Mr. Hayes, perhaps you should focus on explaining that fifty thousand dollars in entertainment expenses from last month.” I smiled, pressing the button for the executive floor, letting their scrutinizing gazes sweep over me. When the elevator stopped on the 38th floor, laughter erupted behind me. “He’s definitely going to get chewed out. Ms. Peterson hates his cheap, struggling appearance!” Pushing open the frosted glass door of the CEO’s office, I saw Charlotte sitting on Kyle’s lap, feeding him strawberries. The moment she saw me, she sprang up as if she’d been electrocuted. “Blake Sterling!” She grabbed a folder and threw it at me. “Who gave you permission to come to the company dressed like that? If clients see us, they’ll think Zheng Corp is so pathetic, our managers can’t even afford decent suits!”

Kyle slowly wiped strawberry juice from the corner of his mouth. “Don’t get upset, Charlotte. Blake’s outfit is probably rented.” He walked over and squeezed my suit fabric hard. “Tsk, tsk, it’s a pretty good replica, actually.” Charlotte suddenly sneered. “I knew it looked familiar! Mr. Mike Sterling, from Sterling Corp, wore that exact style at the finance summit last week, didn’t he?” She reached out and tugged at my tie. “You shameless thing, wearing a knock-off to my company, trying to parade around and con people!” I looked at Charlotte, her face red with fury. “Did it ever occur to you that it might be real?” Charlotte scoffed. “You had to save up for half a year just to buy me a five-thousand-dollar bracelet. Do you even know how much a real one of these costs?” Kyle also stood up and pushed me. “Didn’t Charlotte tell you not to come near her office? Why are you clinging to her like a stray dog? No wonder you’re still just a petty project manager after all these years.” I pulled out a folder. “Wait, you two will be interested in this.” I placed the folder on her desk. “Sterling Corp is very interested in the smart campus project. They’re willing to invest eighty million.” Charlotte’s eyelashes trembled violently. “You know people from Sterling Corp?” “He probably knows a janitor there?” Kyle burst out laughing. “Don’t try to act like a big shot! He couldn’t even afford the seafood buffet at the last team outing!” Charlotte echoed his laughter from beside him, and I suddenly found it incredibly ironic. Five years. Charlotte still didn’t know I was allergic to seafood. The CFO happened to walk in to deliver reports and sneered when he heard the conversation: “Mr. Sterling’s paychecks are still controlled by Ms. Peterson, where would he get money for designer brands?” Charlotte seemed to regain her composure, her heels clicking as she strode towards me. “Listen, take off that cheap fake outfit right now!” She suddenly ripped open my suit jacket. “Don’t embarrass yourself here anymor…!” She stopped abruptly, seeing the Patek Philippe watch on my wrist beneath the suit. “This watch?” she asked, incredulously. Kyle saw it too. He leaned in to examine my watch. “This fake is pretty convincing. Did you steal it from a client?” Charlotte, as if waking from a dream, pushed me out of the office: “Take your fake watch and fake suit, and get out!” I looked at the room full of clueless people. Just wait. Soon enough, you’ll know who’s real and who’s fake. A few days later, it was the company’s annual gala. I stood in a corner, holding a glass of champagne. The rented suit’s sleeve was already fraying, but I had no choice but to wear it. Charlotte had specifically texted me last night, demanding I “don’t wear your cheap junk and embarrass me.” If she knew that the “cheap junk” she disdained was a custom-tailored suit she couldn’t afford with three years of her salary… I wondered what her expression would be then.

“Now, please welcome the best project team of the year to the stage!” The host’s voice boomed. I adjusted my tie. I had pulled four months of all-nighters, averaging three hours of sleep a day, to complete this smart campus project that Sterling Corp was eyeing for investment. I’d finished it just before the deadline. Although it was credited to the team, everyone knew the core solution came from my hands. All to make my grandfather proud. “Let’s welcome the project lead, Kyle Miller! From today, he’s promoted to Director!” Applause thundered. My champagne glass, half-raised, froze in mid-air. On stage, Kyle, dressed in a custom-tailored suit, was bowing gracefully. On the large screen displaying the project summary, my name was listed last, marked as “material compilation.” “And a special thanks to my amazing partner.” Kyle suddenly blew a kiss towards the audience, and the camera promptly cut to the main table, where Charlotte was covering her mouth, giggling coyly. My heart clenched painfully. I fumbled for a pill and swallowed it. Just then, a microphone was thrust in front of me. “Mr. Sterling, as a team member, what are your thoughts?” The host was clearly unaware of the situation. “I hear you pulled several all-nighters?” The entire room fell silent. I saw Kyle’s narrowed eyes and Charlotte’s suddenly changing expression. “It was all thanks to Director Miller and Ms. Peterson’s excellent leadership.” I put on a perfectly timed expression of humility. “I just helped out a bit. Nothing worth everyone’s attention.” Kyle immediately beamed, and Charlotte’s expression shifted from tense to subtly contemptuous. She elegantly stood up, her high heels clicking. “My Blake,” she said, leaning intimately on my shoulder, her voice carried through the microphone to the entire room, “his biggest strength is knowing his place.” Her fingers dug hard into my shoulder blade. “After all, being a kept man is a real skill, right?” Laughter, like a tidal wave, crashed over me. I maintained my smile, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth. I hadn’t even realized I’d bitten the inside of my cheek. Kyle’s phone buzzed with a notification. He glanced at it, a wild grin spreading across his face. I knew what it was. My rage was being converted in real-time into numbers in his account. “Oh, right,” Charlotte said, turning back as she walked away. “Tomorrow’s our wedding anniversary. I booked a table at a Michelin-starred restaurant.” Her red lips curved into a smirk. “Don’t be late.” Of course, she wouldn’t show up. Last life, I waited four hours that day, only to receive a text from Kyle. It contained a hotel room number. I had gathered evidence of their affair, but my heart couldn’t take any more shocks. I died right outside that hotel room, becoming the laughingstock of the entire city. But this time, I had a surprise prepared. The next evening, I used half a year’s savings to buy Charlotte the Cartier necklace she had admired in a store last week. I waited at the restaurant until closing.

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Liam Cross forced me into a revealing bunny costume for our university farewell gala. He swore it was just a costume party. The moment I stepped inside, the room exploded with cruel laughter. “Wow, the valedictorian? More like the queen of kink, wouldn’t you say?” Professor Sterling, Liam’s mother, sneered, her voice dripping with disgust. “Summer Reed, you have absolutely no shame. Wearing this to such a formal event? Do you even deserve my son?!” My body trembled, tears blurring my vision. I looked at Liam, desperate for an explanation, for him to stand up for me. Instead, he scoffed, pulling Sophia Cross, who stood beside him, into his arms. Right in front of everyone, he kissed her passionately, then turned to me, his words like daggers. “Summer Reed, if you hadn’t taken Scarlett’s spot all those years ago, she wouldn’t have died in that car accident on her way to that other university!” “But heaven was kind enough to send me her sister, Sophia. She’s my true love!” “And you, you’re destined to be a pathetic orphan forever. Get out!” I fought to control my shaking body, feigning composure as I turned to leave. But inside, a burning resolve hardened my heart. If their love was so earth-shattering, then I’d make sure it shattered them both. 0

Months ago, I pulled countless all-nighters, coding for Liam. I helped him win the University Startup Challenge, along with a $1,000,000 prize. That allowed him to establish himself in the metropolitan hub even before graduation. He held me close, tracing my features repeatedly, murmuring sweet nothings. “Summer, we’ll get married right after graduation. I’ll give you the grandest wedding imaginable.” For those words, I turned down a $1,000,000 offer. And I willingly became pregnant with his child. But now I understood. All his kindness, every sweet gesture, had concealed a monstrous hatred. My legs swayed, the world blurring around me. I just wanted to escape, to walk away, step by agonizing step. But Liam wouldn’t let up. His mocking voice followed me. “I bet a million dollars she won’t even make it through the night. She’ll come crawling back, begging for my forgiveness, like a desperate alley cat.” The words hit me like a tidal wave, and the crowd’s laughter crashed down. My head swam. The baby inside me seemed to sense my distress, and a faint ache started in my belly. Clutching my stomach, I stumbled towards the staircase. Suddenly, someone grabbed me from behind. It was Sophia. She hugged me, her voice tearful, calling out to Liam. “Liam, my love, Summer didn’t mean it. Please, just let her go.” “You can’t just send her away. She’s pregnant and won’t find a job. Let her stay, even as a maid!” Her words sounded like a plea, but they carried a stinging, unbearable humiliation. I used every ounce of strength to push her away. A wicked, barely hidden smirk flashed across her lips as she abruptly shoved me forward, then dramatically fell backward herself. Caught off guard, I lost my balance and tumbled down the stairs. A tearing pain erupted in my abdomen. Warm blood instantly gushed down my thighs, staining the white fur of my bunny costume crimson. “My baby!” I shrieked. Liam’s face instantly paled, his chest visibly heaving. He instinctively lunged forward, reaching out to help me up. But Sophia’s whimpering voice cut him off, perfectly timed. “Summer, I really didn’t mean any harm! Why did you push me?!” She sobbed, but her eyes held a triumphant, wicked glint directed at me. “No… no, that’s not it…” I tried to explain, but the pain made coherent words impossible. Liam frowned, looking at me, a flicker of something complex in his eyes. Ultimately, he turned, helping Sophia to her feet instead. He swept a cold glance over me, his voice icy, filled with profound disgust. “Disgusting. This is what you get for hurting others. You owe us so much. Consider this child your atonement.” With that, he helped Sophia walk away, not looking back. I had no sin, so how could there be atonement! His idealized Scarlett – I’d never even met her. How could I have intentionally harmed her? I lay on the cold ground, trembling, blood spreading beneath me. Watching them leave, my heart hurt more than my body. The crowd gathered around me like spectators at a morbid show, no one offering a hand. I had to save my baby. Ignoring everything else, I bit down hard and struggled to my feet. Still in the bunny costume, covered in blood, I staggered onto the street. No driver dared to pick me up. Step by painful step, I finally reached the hospital. The surgery lasted three hours. When I woke, I heard what felt like a miracle. 0

“The baby is safe.” The doctor looked at me deeply, unable to resist a warning. “The fetus has been temporarily saved. Please be more careful in the future. Don’t harm the baby inside you.” The story was too long, I didn’t know how to refute it. I could only bow my head, stroking my belly, tears falling endlessly. Baby, from now on, Mommy will protect you no matter what! If I was going to leave, I was going to leave completely. I would take all my things with me. Back at the mansion, I ignored my physical discomfort and started packing. But I ran into Professor Sterling, who was about to leave. Seeing me, she raised her hand and slapped me across the face. “You brat, why haven’t you left yet? Are you still trying to seduce my son?!” I couldn’t imagine how she became a professor; she lacked any sense of decency. I gritted my teeth and explained that I was just there to pack my things and would leave completely in a moment. She still looked at me with disgust. “Someone like you doesn’t even qualify to be a maid here. I’m warning you, don’t try to seduce my son again, or you’ll regret it!” I had just packed a few simple clothes when the villa door swung open. Liam walked in, arm around Sophia. His eyes immediately fell on my slightly swollen belly, and a flicker of delight crossed his face. A mocking smile played on his lips. “I knew you’d come back,” he sneered. “Since the baby’s still there, you can stay as a maid. Take care of Sophia.” “And at my wedding with Sophia in three days, I’ll even let you be a bridesmaid. Consider it your indirect marriage to me.” I froze. Three days from now. That was supposed to be *our* wedding. He’d promised me countless times, a grand wedding. To love me forever, to build a happy family with our child. But now, the villain’s true face was finally revealed. And the bride had been replaced by Sophia. “Liam, my love, you’re so good to me,” Sophia simpered. “Even though Summer accidentally caused my sister’s death, you still let her be our bridesmaid.” “It’s just a shame about Scarlett, she didn’t even get to have a baby for you before she left.” She started crying as she spoke, but her eyes held a triumphant smirk directed at me. Liam’s face suddenly changed. He quickly pulled Sophia into his embrace, gently stroking her head. “Sophia, don’t be so sad. I’ll give all my love to you, to make up for her.” He glanced at me, hesitated for a moment, then finally made up his mind. “Yes, I can’t let Scarlett down.” The words had barely left his lips when he forcefully dragged me out of the room and shoved me into the mansion’s sauna. He tied me to a chair. “Liam Cross, you’re insane!” I suddenly understood his intention and struggled desperately. But I couldn’t fight his strength. He cranked up the heat and locked the door. His voice was cold as death, like a grim reaper’s judgment. “You can atone for your sins in here. Tomorrow morning, if the baby’s still alive, I’ll let you go. I guess Scarlett wouldn’t mind then.” With that, he seemed to not want to see me anymore and walked away with Sophia. The temperature in the sauna began to rise rapidly. In moments, my breathing became incredibly difficult. 0

“Liam Cross! Let me out!” I screamed desperately, but there was no response from outside. Time ticked by, second by agonizing second, and my body began to show signs of dehydration. The baby in my belly also squirmed uneasily, as if protesting the terrifying environment. “Baby, I’m sorry. Mommy is so sorry.” I looked down at my belly, tears mixing with sweat, streaming down my face. The high heat made me dizzy, and I started to hallucinate. I saw the first time Liam and I cooked together, my finger accidentally burned. He was so anxious he nearly cried, carefully applied aloe vera, then carried me to the sofa. He pretended to be angry, but his voice was gentle. “You’re not allowed in the kitchen again. If you’re hungry, just call your husband!” Whenever my period pain made me curl up in bed, he would clumsily brew ginger tea with brown sugar. He’d drop three drops on the back of his hand to test the temperature before personally feeding it to me. I looked into his loving eyes, thinking he would never change, not in three lifetimes. But now, he had tied me in this scorching room, abandoning me and our baby to die. Suffocating heat, unbearable pressure. I felt my consciousness slowly peeling away, the cramping in my lower abdomen growing increasingly intense. I curled up in the corner, using my last ounce of strength to protect my belly. Don’t be scared, baby. Mommy’s here… The next morning, when Liam opened the sauna door. What he saw was me, passed out, lying in a pool of blood. He rushed over, immediately picking me up. “Summer! Summer!” Through a haze, I heard the ambulance sirens. When my consciousness cleared, I was lying in the guest room bed, an IV drip in my arm. Liam sat nearby, focused on typing code on his laptop. “The baby…” My voice was hoarse, like a broken bellows. Hearing my faint whisper, he quickly leaned closer, his gaze slightly evasive. “The baby… it’s gone.” “You’ve paid your debt to Scarlett. From now on, just stay here in the mansion and be a good housekeeper.” He picked up a bowl of soup, scooped out a small spoonful. After blowing on it a few times, he brought it to my lips. “This is a restorative broth. I made it myself to help you recover. Drink it.” My chest constricted with pain. I pushed him away. “I owe Scarlett nothing! There were only two spots that year, but I was the top honors graduate in the entire state!” “That last spot was clearly stolen by you. The one who killed Scarlett should be you!” Liam’s movements stiffened. A flicker of panic crossed his face. But quickly, that panic was replaced by enraged shame. “Slam!” He shot up, a resounding slap landing hard on my face. My cheek instantly swelled, blood oozing from the corner of my mouth. “Summer Reed, what are you talking about?!” He roared at me, his face contorted in a sneer. “If it weren’t for you, I would have been with Scarlett years ago!” “You manipulative woman, you still refuse to admit your fault! You’re beyond hope!” I stopped arguing, only offering a faint, mocking laugh, reminding him. “Your true love is calling. Go answer it.” Liam glanced at his phone, then, as if trying to escape something, stormed out, slamming the door. I hadn’t eaten in days. That night, I was ravenous and had to use the wall for support to go downstairs to find food. But as soon as I reached the second floor, I heard sounds of intimacy coming from Liam’s room. 0

That had been our room. Now, the door was wide open, their entwined bodies clearly visible. “Liam, my love, gently. It’s only just three months. Look how impatient you are!” Her voice was brazen and grating, like a dull knife twisting viciously in my heart. My baby had just been lost, and Liam was already in the mood to carouse with his mistress, having the time of his life! And Sophia was already three months pregnant. I remembered vividly how overjoyed he was when I first became pregnant. He would lay his head on my belly every day, clumsily talking to the baby, reading stories. He imagined everything about our baby’s birth, promising to give our child the best future. He had loved our child so much. That tenderness and affection felt like it happened just yesterday. But now, our child was gone. And he didn’t show even a hint of sorrow. He was celebrating with his mistress. A wave of nausea washed over me. I didn’t hesitate any longer. I forced myself to pack my bags, and amidst their unrestrained moans, I left the mansion for good. In these past few years, I had poured all my energy into Liam. I seemed to have forgotten how brilliant I once was. I needed a job to support myself. And I needed a job to prove that I, Summer Reed, hadn’t been broken. I had just suffered a miscarriage, my body still recovering, but the very next day, I endured the pain to look for work. I chose a well-known tech company. With my professional skills and qualifications, I should easily get an offer. However, fate always seemed to enjoy playing cruel jokes on me. At the interview, I ran into Liam and Sophia again. “It’s okay, their loss if it doesn’t work out this time. I’ll arrange a few better ones for you!” Liam was with Sophia, a tender smile on his face, seemingly comforting her. “Summer?” He looked up and suddenly saw me, a flicker of surprise crossing his face, quickly turning to anger. “Why didn’t you come home last night? You just lost the baby and you’re already out running wild? Do you have no shame at all?” His voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough for everyone nearby to hear. In an instant, countless scornful, mocking gazes fell upon me. I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. “I’ve already moved out. We have nothing to do with each other anymore.” Sophia, standing beside him, immediately put on her innocent, pitiful act, her eyes slightly red as she said to me. “Summer, can you please give me a chance? This job is really important to me.” “How can you intentionally compete with me over what happened yesterday?!” “Please, you took my sister’s spot in college back then. Can’t you just let me have this now?” As she spoke, a hint of malice flashed in her eyes, then she burst into tears and threw herself into Liam’s arms. Liam, hearing her words, immediately believed Sophia. He thought I was deliberately coming to this company to compete with her for revenge. He pointed at me, his voice filled with even more disgust. “Summer Reed, you really are shameless! You’d stoop to such despicable tactics!” I stared at Liam, my voice cold. “If we’re talking despicable, tricking me into getting pregnant right after graduation, and making me give up a million-dollar job offer – that’s truly despicable, isn’t it?!” He gritted his teeth in rage, about to retort, when the interviewer called my name. I walked into the interview room without looking back. The process was exceptionally smooth. My professional skills and project experience received high praise from the interviewers. My hiring was practically a certainty. Just as the interviewer was about to announce the result, Sophia and Liam suddenly burst in. 0

Sophia, tears streaming down her face, pointed at me, her voice choked with sobs. “Interviewer, she… she has a very questionable personal life! She had a miscarriage during the day, and was out partying at night!” As she spoke, she pulled out her phone. She played the video of me in the bunny costume, publicly humiliated in front of everyone. “Someone like this would seriously damage the company’s image. She’s completely unsuitable for this job!” Liam chimed in from the side. “She’s a promiscuous woman, and she even caused the death of my fiancée. How can someone like that be trusted with such an important position?” The interviewer’s face instantly turned ashen, their appreciative gaze wavering. “No, that’s not true!” I tried to explain, but the interviewer no longer wished to hear it. Finally, they just shook their head, looking regretful. “We’re very sorry, Ms. Reed, but we’ll need to reconsider.” I clenched my fists, blood oozing from my palms. I knew what those words meant. Tears I could no longer control spilled down my face as I walked out of the building. Standing under the scorching afternoon sun, I felt utterly cold. I refused to give up, and went to several more well-known tech companies. But in every interview, I noticed strange looks from the interviewers, and ultimately, all my applications were politely rejected. It wasn’t until that evening that I discovered my bunny costume video had gone viral online. All sorts of offensive titles and malicious comments surged towards me like a tide. “Is this woman crazy?” “Disrespectful to her mentors, she deserves to be humiliated and abandoned.” “Doesn’t look like a decent woman.” My phone vibrated ceaselessly with rejection calls from various companies. Even some companies that had previously expressed interest cancelled my interviews. I stared at the overwhelming torrent of insults on my phone screen, listening to the harsh sounds of rejection in my ear, utterly speechless. A rush of hot blood surged to my head, my vision went black, and I passed out completely. When I woke again, I found myself back in the guest room bed at Liam Cross’s mansion. “Summer, you’re awake.” Sophia pushed open the door. Liam followed behind her, holding a bowl of dark herbal soup. Seeing I was awake, a hint of triumph appeared on his face. “Sophia was kind enough to see you collapse on the street, that’s why I brought you back. You should thank her properly.” Thank her? Thank her for pushing me back into this abyss of no return? I just wanted to escape this hellhole quickly. I struggled to get out of bed, but Liam pushed me back down. “Do you really want to leave this house so badly?” “It’s not too late to go after you’ve recovered.” He pointed to the dark, murky soup in the bowl, saying Sophia had personally brewed it for me to help regulate my body. Ignoring my resistance, he pinched my chin and forcibly poured it down my throat. As the soup went down, a strange numbing sensation quickly spread through my limbs. Sophia walked to the bedside, leaning closer. “Sister Summer, just rest well.” Then, in a voice only we two could hear, she whispered in my ear. “Tomorrow, I’ve prepared another big show for you.” An alarm blared in my heart. I wanted to escape. But I found myself unable to move, even my eyelids felt heavy as lead. Soon, I fell into a deep, heavy sleep. The next morning, I was jolted awake by a violent crash as the door burst open. Liam’s eyes were bloodshot, like an enraged lion. He grabbed me off the bed, slammed me onto the floor, and started slapping my face relentlessly. “You wretch! You venomous viper!” He gripped my collar, roaring, his face twisted in a sneer. “My mother… my mother suffocated to death last night! You were the only one home! It must have been you!” I was disoriented from the fall, and the lingering effects of the medicine made my head throb. Professor Sterling… dead? 0 “It wasn’t me…” I weakly protested. “You’re still acting!” Liam slapped my face again, the hatred in his eyes practically devouring me.

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I am the top engineer at the National Deep Sea Technology Center and the only person in the world with deep-sea rescue experience. When my sister’s submarine had an accident and was trapped 10,000 meters deep in the ocean, I hung up her distress call. Then, without any rush, I went to the police station to turn myself in, claiming I had leaked confidential research information. A few minutes later, my father called in a rage, “Your sister’s life is hanging by a thread, where the hell are you?” “I order you to go to the accident site immediately to save her, or you won’t see a penny of the Land family fortune!” I calmly pulled the covers over myself and said into the phone, “No time. Don’t disturb my sleep.” When the rescue team captain came to find me, I was shaken awake from my deep sleep. “Engineer Snow! There’s been an accident!” “Your sister Stella’s ‘Deep Diver’ has lost contact at a depth of 10,900 meters in the Mariana Trench!” “They encountered an unknown underwater earthquake, all communications are down, and the chances of survival… are slim!” I opened my eyes groggily and looked at the person who had come. “So?” I asked indifferently. The captain was taken aback, seemingly not expecting this reaction from me. She urgently said, “We need you!” “You’re the only person in the world with successful rescue experience at depths of 10,000 meters. You’re their only hope of survival!” I calmly lay back down, turned over intending to continue sleeping, “Sorry, can’t help.” “What?” “I said, I can’t help,” I repeated, my tone as calm as if the person trapped at the bottom of the sea was my enemy. “Lucy Snow! Are you insane? Your sister is down there! Along with twenty other research team members! They only have enough oxygen to last 72 hours at most!” “My husband, Charlie Zhou,” I interrupted her, “He was the chief commander of the last rescue operation. In terms of experience, he’s more seasoned than me. You should go find him.” Captain Li looked at me in disbelief and yanked me up, yelling, “What the hell are you talking about? Of course we contacted Commander Zhou! But he’s not even in the country!” I chuckled lightly. “I know.” With that, I pulled the covers over my head and ignored her. She could only stamp her foot and storm out of the detention room, cursing under her breath. The world was quiet again. A few minutes later, a distinctive ringtone stubbornly rang out. It was my father, Harrison Land. I answered. “Lucy Snow! Why are you refusing to help with the rescue? Your sister is still down there!” As soon as he spoke, it was a barrage of accusations, his voice full of suppressed anger. “Dad, I just said, find Charlie. He’s more professional.” “I can’t reach him! His satellite phone is turned off!” Harrison’s voice grew increasingly anxious. I chuckled lightly, responding to him in a relaxed tone, “Oh, that’s normal.” “Because right now, he’s on the ‘Deep Diver’.” On the other end of the phone, Harrison’s breath caught sharply. Then came a thunderous rage: “What nonsense are you spouting! Charlie was personally assigned by me to go to the Arctic for the ‘Aurora Project’ last month! He won’t be back for another month! How could he possibly be on the ‘Deep Diver’!” “Is that so?” I feigned surprise, “Then maybe I remembered wrong.” “You…” I didn’t wait for him to finish before hanging up the phone. The next second, the phone immediately rang again. This time it was my stepmother, Fiona Woods. Her voice was thick with tears, sounding almost broken. “Lucy, please, I’m begging you, just go save your sister…” I leaned back in the chair, closed my eyes, and quietly listened to her performance. “Moreover, more than half of the twenty researchers on the submarine are students you personally mentored! How can you bear to watch them die at the bottom of the sea, 10,000 meters deep?” “Can you really be so heartless?”

I laughed. Of course I could be that heartless. An hour later, my father and stepmother found where I was being detained. I calmly watched the emergency rescue news of the “Deep Diver” being broadcast live on the wall-mounted TV through the cold iron bars. In the news, the host was dramatically introducing the list of missing personnel, portraying them as heroes who had sacrificed themselves for the country. The atmosphere was perfectly set. I raised my handcuffed hands and shrugged helplessly at them outside the iron bars. “As you can see, I’m in no position to help anyone right now.” “I’ve been detained for allegedly leaking core technology secrets of the ‘Deep Diver’.” Fiona’s expression transformed from shock to bewilderment to venom in a matter of seconds. Her well-maintained face twisted with anger as she accused in a shrill voice: “It was you! Lucy Snow! You did this on purpose!” “You’re jealous of your sister! You’re jealous that she became the chief designer of the ‘Deep Diver’ at such a young age!” “If you can’t have it, you want to destroy her! What a vicious heart you have!” Each of her accusations matched word for word with the media press releases from my previous life. It seems they had prepared this script long ago. My father, Harrison Land, was much calmer than her. He was anxious, but still maintained the dignity of a director. He stared at me intently: “What’s really going on?” “Not sure,” I leaned against the wall, my posture lazy, “Last night, the disciplinary department burst into my workshop, saying someone had reported me by name for selling the structural diagrams and underwater sonar identification codes of the ‘Deep Diver’ to foreign agencies.” Harrison’s face instantly turned ashen. He knew this was a frame-up, yet didn’t utter a single word of concern. Half of the core technology of the ‘Deep Diver’ came from my research results. How could I possibly leak my own life’s work? “Damn it!” He growled lowly, immediately pulling out his phone, “I’ll find someone right away, use every connection, and definitely get you out on bail within the day!” “Don’t waste your effort,” I flatly refused. “What do you mean?” “Before the official investigation results come out, if I leave here, it will only confirm the charges.” I looked at him, my gaze calm yet sharp, “Dad, you and I both know that once this charge is confirmed, my life is over.” Harrison’s movements froze. Of course he understood. I slowly asked him a question, “Dad, if today, only one of me and Stella could live.” “Who would you choose?” He opened his mouth, but couldn’t make a sound. Just then, Harrison’s phone rang. He grabbed onto it like a lifeline and immediately answered. The call was from the Arctic Research Center. “Director Land, we’ve just managed to contact Commander Zhou!” Harrison’s eyes instantly lit up. “That’s great! What did he say? Does he have a solution?” “Commander Zhou said he has already interrupted his Arctic mission and is trying to remotely connect to the ‘Deep Diver’s’ operating system using a backup channel! But…” “But what?” “But the submarine’s physical interface is locked, and the remote signal can’t fully access it! Someone must pilot a rescue vessel, reach the accident site in the deep sea, and perform a physical connection to have any chance of restarting the system!” “And this physical connection operation can only be completed by Engineer Lucy Snow!”

The phone was on speaker, and every word came through clearly to my ears. Harrison hung up the phone and looked at me with bloodshot eyes, his voice hoarse: “Lucy Snow, did you hear that? Now it’s not just about saving your sister, it’s about completing Charlie’s rescue plan! This is an order!” I lazily yawned, not even bothering to respond to him. Just then, there was a commotion outside the detention center. Several parents of the missing students, having somehow gotten wind of the news, had rushed here as well. As soon as they saw me, they fell to their knees in unison with a thud. “Professor Snow! Please! Please save our children!” “Yes, Professor Snow, we only have one daughter, she can’t die!” Cries and pleas rang out in a chorus. I looked down at them from above, my gaze as cold as ice. “What does their life or death have to do with me?” One sentence silenced all the crying. They looked at me in disbelief, as if looking at a monster. One of the mothers reacted, immediately pulling out her phone from her pocket, opening a screenshot of a transfer record, and holding it up in front of me. “How can it not be related to you! This is the record of my daughter paying you ‘research fees’!” “She said you stipulated that every month, we had to transfer $5,000 to this account, otherwise you wouldn’t let her participate in projects or graduate!” “Our children’s futures are in your hands, how can you stand by and watch them die!” Others also took out their phones, one transfer record after another, like heavy hammers, striking at me. “Yes! Our family paid too!” “We all paid! For two whole years!” Harrison, seeing those records, trembled with anger, pointing at my nose, his voice quavering. “You… you ungrateful daughter!” “Not only are you cold-blooded and heartless, but you’ve also done such despicable things as corruption and extorting students!” “You’ve completely disgraced our Land family!” He shouted in rage, as if I had really committed some unforgivable crime. But he and I both knew the truth. That receiving account didn’t belong to me at all. It belonged to his precious daughter, Stella. No matter how they begged, cursed, or even threatened to die, I had no reaction. I was like an outsider, coldly watching this farce unfold. Time ticked by second by second, and the golden window for rescuing the “Deep Diver” was rapidly closing. The online public opinion had completely exploded. #Chief Engineer Lucy Snow Refuses Rescue# #Lucy Snow Suspected of Leaking Secrets, Detained# #Lucy Snow Extorts Students# One glaring topic after another was pushed to the top of trending searches. My name, in just a few short hours, had become synonymous with cold-bloodedness, greed, and shamelessness. Just then, in the live rescue broadcast, a weak and intermittent electrical sound suddenly came through. It was Stella. “Sis… sis… can you hear me…” She seemed to be using all her strength, her voice full of fear of death and a desire for life. “Sis… I believe in you… I know you’ll save me…” “Ever since we were little… you’ve always been the sister I admired most… you won’t abandon me, right?”

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At my younger brother Brandon’s graduation party, he was absolutely beaming, declaring he was going to make a fortune this summer. “I’m going to start a live stream and become an influencer! I’m going to take on the ‘one hundred girls home’ challenge!” Recently, many people were doing this challenge, and the views were great. Plus, Brandon had just been accepted into a top-tier university, so everyone rushed to flatter him, praising his intelligence and innovative ideas. But I’d seen those videos. They called it “escorting girls home,” but in reality, it was just stalking and harassment. In my previous life, I was the only one who disagreed. I tried to convince Brandon that chasing this kind of viral trend would seriously blow up in his face, and he might even get his university admission revoked. But my mom slapped me. “You’re just jealous your brother is smarter than you!” Brandon’s tone dripped with sarcasm. “Sis, you just can’t stand that I’m more successful than you.” To stop him, I paid for and arranged a graduation trip for him, finally making him give up the idea. But just a few days later, those who took on the challenge blew up. Brandon started to resent me. He followed me after I finished working late, and under the cover of night, he pushed me into the river. I drowned. My parents claimed I’d accidentally fallen and drowned, then hastily buried me. After I died, my soul watched them laughing, celebrating that they had finally gotten rid of me, the obstacle holding them back from striking it rich. Reborn, I was back at Brandon’s graduation party. This time, I just offered a faint smile. “Oh, Brandon’s the smartest, absolutely.” 1 “Seriously? Didn’t you just say that was a terrible idea?” “What? Are you going to be so fake and wishy-washy even in front of your own family?” My mom looked at me with contempt, her voice dripping with scorn. My dad chimed in, sarcastically, “Oh, honey, just ignore her. This daughter of ours has no conscience. We might as well consider her a lost cause.” After dying once, I found myself much calmer than in my previous life. Before, I would have desperately tried to prove I was a good daughter and that I truly cared about Brandon’s well-being. But now, I just smiled politely. My brother, Brandon, saw my indifference and started wailing dramatically: “Everyone, she’s my own sister! Why is she so jealous of me? How can she be so cold-hearted?!” Encouraged by his performance, a chorus of relatives began to speak up: “Aster, you were indeed the only one who made it into a top-tier university in our family, but now Brandon is more promising. Don’t think you’re so special anymore!” “See? I told you. Girls just aren’t as good as boys; they’re not as smart and tend to be ungrateful leeches.” I looked around at them. They all seemed to have forgotten… When Uncle Ben was sick, I paid for his treatment; when Aunt Carol’s son needed money for a down payment on a house, I helped him raise it; when Aunt Sarah’s daughter couldn’t get into school, I pulled strings to find her a place. Even Brandon’s acceptance into a top-tier university was because I diligently tutored him for three years, helping him go from average to the top of his class. And anyway, if my dad hadn’t insisted I go buy fruit for Brandon on the day of my college entrance exam, how would I have been late? How would I, who was always number one in the entire city, have performed so poorly that my scores ended up being lower than Brandon’s? I closed my eyes. Before, I always lied to myself, convincing myself that they loved me too, maybe they just didn’t know how to express it. Sure enough, it’s hard for children to admit their parents don’t love them. I opened my eyes again. Thankfully, the Aster who craved family affection was already dead. I spoke calmly, almost nonchalantly, “Everyone…” I noticed my parents and Brandon staring at me intently, their faces full of schadenfreude. This scene was all too familiar. They often did this, blaming me back and forth, then watching me frantically try to defend myself like a lunatic. Then they could tell everyone I had mental issues, using it as an excuse to continue suppressing me. But this time, I offered a small smile. “Everyone, please don’t be upset. If Brandon wants to escort a hundred girls home, let him.” “You’re right. Brandon’s exam scores were higher than mine. He must be smarter.” 2 I noticed my mom’s expression instantly dimmed, and my dad pursed his lips. They were so disappointed that they hadn’t managed to drive me crazy and make a fool of me in front of everyone. My parents could still control their expressions, but Brandon couldn’t. He was too young. He looked a little flustered. “Aster, what do you mean by that?! Are you being sarcastic?! Do you think I won’t get famous?!” “I’m telling you, once I get famous and rich, everyone here today will be living the good life with me, except for you!” The relatives and friends present burst into laughter. Aunt Carol said, “Brandon, your aunt doesn’t want anything from you, but I just hope that when you make it big, you’ll help out my son’s kids.” Aunt Sarah smiled too. “Brandon, my daughter’s grades have always been a struggle. Why don’t you tutor her, perhaps?” “Your aunt won’t make you work for free. I’ll give you a red envelope.” Aunt Sarah pulled out a thick red envelope. Seeing this, many others also pulled out red envelopes for Brandon. These weren’t gifts for my parents; they were specifically for Brandon. Brandon held his head high, glancing at me triumphantly. My parents were also beaming with pride. I couldn’t help but remember my own graduation party a few years ago. Back then, no one valued me so highly, and no one gave me red envelopes. Instead, they all presumed I would become an ungrateful wretch, constantly reminding me to remember family affection and not to forget my family once I got a boyfriend. I still remember feeling like I was on pins and needles then. It was supposed to be a celebratory graduation party, but I was on the verge of tears from the injustice. I sneered inwardly. This time, I’d make sure they saw what a *real* ungrateful leech looked like. My parents and Brandon basked in others’ flattery, enjoying their moment of glory. Let them be proud for a while. I remembered clearly that not long after I died in my last life, those who were escorting girls home late at night did indeed face backlash. Many media outlets stepped in to criticize the phenomenon. If Brandon became one of them, would any university still accept him? After collecting all the red envelopes, Brandon turned to me. “Sis, where’s *your* red envelope?” I feigned surprise. “Why would you think I’d give you one?” “Don’t you know I’m cold-hearted? Don’t Mom, Dad, and all our relatives know I’m an ungrateful leech with no conscience?” This was the first time I had ever refused my family money. Everyone looked stunned, frozen in place. Before they could react, I stood up and walked away. I’d had enough of this place. As I reached the door, I heard Brandon’s furious roar behind me: “Aster! Don’t you ever think you’ll get a single dime from me in the future!” Everyone present started echoing his words. I scoffed. These people were flattering Brandon just to invest in a potential goldmine, hoping for double the profits. But trying to make money off someone with Brandon’s despicable character was like dancing with the devil. 3 Just a few days later, Brandon started his live streams. Brandon specifically targeted young, pretty girls, and the comments in his stream were utterly disgusting. But it was clear these girls didn’t want to be escorted by a stranger. They looked terrified, stumbling as they tried to run away, yet the number of viewers in his stream kept soaring. In the family SnapChat group, messages popped up one after another. “Brandon’s only been streaming for three days and he already has so many viewers!” My mom replied proudly, “Of course! He already has over ten thousand followers!” My dad also said, “Yeah! Brandon is just so much better than his sister!” How boring… I was about to turn off my phone when a private message from my mom popped up. “Your Grandma Rose is sick. If you still have any conscience, come see her.” My heart clenched instantly. When I was little, my parents were always busy. Grandma Rose raised me. But after Brandon was born, they suddenly weren’t busy anymore. When I felt lost because of my parents’ indifference, Grandma Rose was there, holding me, comforting me. Grandma Rose always said that no matter what my parents thought, she would always love me the most. I took a day off and went to Grandma Rose’s little house. Grandma Rose’s eyes welled up when she saw me. She said weakly, “Aster, Grandma is fine, just a little high blood pressure. You taking time off will just delay your work.” “It’s fine, Grandma. But your blood pressure was stable, wasn’t it? Why did it suddenly go up?” Grandma Rose sighed. It turned out that on the day of Brandon’s graduation party, Grandma Rose had seen me being bullied by everyone and was so anxious and angry that she fainted shortly after I left. My heart ached. Even for Grandma Rose, I had to find a way to get rid of these parasitic relatives. At dinner time, everyone at the table was loudly chatting. Brandon boasted to me, “Sis, I’m really going to blow up. Go check out my follower count now!” “Sis, I’ll let the red envelope thing slide from my graduation party.” “Now, if you give me ten thousand, I’ll use it to boost my content, and I’ll count you as an investor, how about that?” I shook my head. “I’m not interested.” “Brandon, if I really partnered with you, Mom and Dad would probably be worried sick every day, wondering if I, this ungrateful leech, would scheme against their precious son.” My dad slammed his fork down, ready to curse at me. But my mom glanced at a frail Grandma Rose and stopped my dad with her eyes. My dad quieted down, but Uncle Ben started acting pompous again. “Aster, everyone at this table is your flesh and blood, your closest family! You can’t be so petty with your own relatives!” “You young people nowadays are so selfish, not as righteous as us older folks!” Aunt Sarah chimed in, “My brother’s right. You have to have a spirit of dedication to your family. It’s just a little money you need to invest!” I was mindful of Grandma Rose and didn’t want to start a conflict with them. I mentally told myself to just pretend they were talking nonsense! Uncle Ben, with the alcohol kicking in, got even more excited: “What’s wrong with investing a little money in Brandon? Brandon isn’t an outsider!” “How many people in this world can truly treat you well? Only the few of us at this table, right?” “If you ask me, forget investing money! Even if Brandon loses it all, so what?! That’s family love!” I had reached my limit. I was about to retort… Just then, “Uncle Ben! Why don’t *you* invest in me then?!” Brandon’s eyes lit up as he looked at Uncle Ben. Uncle Ben froze instantly, his drunken eyes clearing up. “Uh… I…” Uncle Ben stammered. I almost burst out laughing. Brandon then turned to Aunt Sarah, who quickly looked down. But Brandon spoke anyway. “Aunt Sarah, you should invest a little too!” Aunt Sarah’s body stiffened. Brandon didn’t seem to care about their current awkwardness, talking to himself: “Thank you, Uncle Ben! Thank you, Aunt Sarah! I, Brandon, am so lucky! To have such loyal and devoted elders!” Uncle Ben and Aunt Sarah exchanged glances, their faces thunderous. At that moment, my parents quickly refilled Uncle Ben’s and Aunt Sarah’s glasses, ready to toast them. My dad said, “Our Brandon is a top-tier university student! You can invest with confidence! He’ll never lose it!” My mom wiped away fake tears. “Indeed, no one can be relied on but my own brother and sister! Not even my own daughter!” Uncle Ben and Aunt Sarah were completely cornered, gritting their teeth and nodding. At this point, Aunt Laura and Uncle Gary’s faces were even darker than the bottom of a pot. 4 I lowered my head, hiding the smile I couldn’t suppress. Just then, a sharp pain shot through my waist. My mom had pinched me hard. She leaned in close and whispered, “Even so, you still have to give your brother ten thousand!” “Otherwise, I’ll tell everyone you’re unfilial! You can just wait to be dragged through the mud and face online hate!” A chill ran down my spine. I didn’t care about what people said, but how much did she truly despise me? To go to such lengths against me? I vaguely nodded. Seeing my nod, she smiled with satisfaction. Ha, I just didn’t want to cause a scene in front of Grandma Rose. If I actually gave them money, wouldn’t I just sink deeper into this swamp of a family? After leaving Grandma Rose’s house, I immediately blocked all my relatives, including my parents and Brandon. And I didn’t forget to leave the family SnapChat group. Then, I quickly found a new place to live and moved in. After settling everything, my heart gradually calmed down. But I couldn’t understand why Brandon’s follower count was growing so fast and steadily. Did he even need to boost his content? And he’d received so many red envelopes at his graduation party, why did he still need so much money? Thinking this, I opened his live stream again. The girl Brandon picked this time looked quite young, still carrying a school backpack, probably only sixteen or seventeen. When she realized Brandon was following her, her face instantly turned incredibly pale. The girl quickened her pace. Seeing the girl try to escape, Brandon lunged and blocked her path. He smiled maliciously. “Why are you running, little sister? Do I look like a bad guy?” The girl tried to stay calm. “Get lost! I’ve seen enough creeps like you, and I’m not afraid!” The comments scrolled rapidly. “Good intentions wasted on an ungrateful person,主播 quickly teach her a lesson!” “This girl is such a jerk, can’t even take a joke.” Seeing that the girl had riled up the audience, Brandon smiled. “Little sister, I’m not a bad guy. I want to escort you home.” “I see you’re probably in high school, right? I just graduated from senior year.” He said smugly, “Plus, I’ve been accepted into a top-tier university. I could even come to your house and tutor you!” As Brandon said this, the comments exploded with excitement. “The streamer got into a top-tier university? This girl must be dumbfounded!” “This girl is so ungrateful! It’s an honor for a top-tier university student to offer to escort her!” The girl wasn’t buying any of it. She shoved Brandon hard and ran off. The comments became even more frenzied. “Hahahaha streamer, chase her! Chase her!” My anger flared. How pathetic must these people’s lives be to need to terrorize a girl late at night to prove their strength? Gift effects popped up one after another, and Brandon chased with increasing enthusiasm. I reached out and clicked “Report.” Just then, a sharp screech of tires pierced the air, and the girl fell to the ground. Brandon stopped abruptly, and his pale face was reflected on the screen. Comments scrolled wildly, and Brandon immediately ended the live stream. At that moment, I finally recognized the girl. She was the daughter of my company’s CEO, and he was the wealthiest person in the city. I quickly dialed 91 That night, I was sleepless. The next day at work, I found a layoff notice on the company HR computer that hadn’t been issued yet. My name was on it. Immediately after, my phone rang suddenly. It was an unfamiliar number. I answered, and the voice on the other end was harsh and shrill. It was my parents. Their numbers were blocked, so they had gotten a new one to call me. “Aster! Go find your CEO right now! Whatever you have to do! Fix this for your brother!” “That girl isn’t even dead! She just got a little hurt! Why should your brother’s future be ruined because of that?!” “Your CEO thinks so highly of you, doesn’t he?! Go sleep with him! You *have* to save your brother!” I hung up, my heart growing colder and colder. I no longer hesitated. I walked to the CEO’s office and knocked on the door. 5 After I went to see the CEO, Brandon really wasn’t held responsible, and I wasn’t fired either. Grandma Rose called me, extremely worried.

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My A-list actor husband and I were a picture-perfect couple, but it was all an act. In public, he adored me, even throwing punches for me when other guys got too close. Behind closed doors, he hated my guts, keeping a beautiful young mistress on the side. He wore matching wedding rings with her. He called her his “good wife.” His friends even called her, “sister-in-law.” I didn’t cry or make a fuss. I just quietly deleted the old texts where he’d promised to love me forever. We were each other’s first love, entangled for years. Until I fell ill and slowly started forgetting everything about him. That’s when he panicked. He tried to create romantic surprises for me, desperate to make me better. But he could only watch as I fell in love with someone else. It was the seventh year of my love-hate relationship with Brandon Hayes when he met the woman he truly liked. Her name was Willow Green, a budding actress fresh out of school. She was pure and sweet, and her smile reminded me so much of my younger self. Our friends said Willow was just a stand-in for me. They thought Brandon was probably just looking for something new, playing around. After all, Brandon and I had been on-again, off-again for years. Everyone had seen how a proud man like him would laugh and cry for me, how he’d bend over backwards for me. Everyone knew he loved me, loved me to the point of obsession. I suddenly remembered that night we’d broken up and gotten back together. Brandon ripped my dress, taking from me tirelessly. I was a puddle of exhaustion. In my daze, I heard him whisper in my ear, coaxing me, “Baby, we’re meant to tangle, to torment each other forever.” I used to think Brandon would never love another woman the way he loved me. But then, in our third year of marriage, our relationship shattered. And that’s when Willow appeared.

At first, Brandon despised Willow. They were on a set, playing lovers. Willow was a huge fan of Brandon’s. Every time they held hands or hugged, her face would flush, her crush obvious. Back then, Brandon and I were still good. He’d often tell me how much he disliked Willow acting like a total fan. Willow wore cartoon T-shirts, and Brandon called her childish and silly. Willow wore hot shorts, and Brandon called her so tacky. Whatever Willow did, Brandon found annoying. Yet, perhaps he didn’t even realize it himself, but every time he mentioned Willow, he was smiling. During our nightly phone calls, he slowly started to drift off. Most of the time, it was because Willow was so clueless. She’d constantly bother Brandon with all sorts of questions. Brandon would complain, but patiently answer her every time. Before we hung up, I’d ask Brandon, “Tomorrow, can we please not talk about Willow anymore?” He’d flash that mischievous grin and tease, “Are you jealous, baby?” He’d joke around with me, then block Willow’s number right then and there. Until a few days later, Willow posted something on Ins: “A passionate kiss scene, with two hearts truly moved. “Can’t sleep tonight, I’m pulling an all-nighter talking to the person I like!” That night, Brandon didn’t call me. I tried calling him, but his line was busy. I knew then, this time, Brandon was falling for Willow, playing make-believe for real.

After that night, it was like Brandon suddenly stopped loving me. We started giving each other the silent treatment. He didn’t explain, and he didn’t try to sweet-talk me into making up. For a whole month, we didn’t speak. Then, on the last day of filming, during a live interview on set. A reporter asked him, “Work’s done, what do you want to do most right now?” He pulled out his phone, showing a photo of me wearing an apron, flirting with him. He smiled gently and said, “Right now, I miss my wife the most. I want to eat her home-cooked meal.” In some ways, Brandon was my financial backer. If he didn’t love me anymore, I could just hide my true feelings, follow his lead, and make some good money. That night, I cooked a feast. But Brandon never came home. I didn’t wait up for him; I went to bed early. Then, in the middle of the night, he called me. He sounded drunk, mumbling and whining. “Wife, my sweet wife, I miss you so much. Come pick me up, please.” He hadn’t called me ‘wife’ in ages. My eyes stung, and I didn’t say a word. His buddies were hyping him up in the background: “Who’s the big star calling? Is that Willow?” They kept shouting into the phone, “Sister-in-law! Brandon wished tonight that he’d be with you forever, always…” So, Brandon had called Willow. He called her his “good wife,” and his friends called her “sister-in-law.” He had already brought Willow into his life. A sharp headache flared, and I quickly hung up, burying myself deep in my covers, pulling them tight around me. It’s fine. I could pretend not to care. My acting was always top-notch.

Word quickly spread that Brandon and I were having problems. Everyone in the industry said he’d fallen for Willow. He took her to candlelit dinners, bought her houses and cars. Sometimes he’d even rent out an entire amusement park just to ride silly carousels with her. He liked her so much, he practically wanted to give her the world. Even that ruby necklace I’d wanted so badly, the one I could never find, Brandon recently bought it. I thought he’d give it to Willow. But one morning, I woke up to find the necklace resting quietly on my bedside table. Next to it was a note that read: “Happy Anniversary.” It was Brandon’s handwriting. I silently crumpled the note and tossed it in the trash. I couldn’t understand Brandon’s intentions anymore, and I didn’t want to.

A few days later, at a private dinner party, I met Willow for the first time. She smiled as soon as she saw me. She stared at my necklace and said in a sweet, soft voice, “Mr. Hayes bought me a ton of jewelry a few days ago, but this necklace felt a bit too old for me, so I asked him to give it to you. “I just knew you, Skylar, being more mature, would look perfect in it. “Mr. Hayes always said he spoiled me like a child, and I used to argue, I mean, I’m twenty-two! “But compared to you, Skylar, I suddenly feel like I’m really too young.” I froze, suddenly feeling utterly ridiculous. My cherished anniversary gift, the one I loved so much, was just Willow’s hand-me-down. Willow saw my displeasure and smiled even sweeter. She tossed her hair and continued to gloat, “Skylar, don’t be shy about me giving you the necklace; just wear it. “Mr. Hayes buys me so many things; I can’t even wear them all. If there’s anything else you like, just tell me. Feel free to take whatever you want.” I smiled back at her, asking softly, “You’ll give it to me, just if I like it?” Willow nodded smugly. I reached out and touched the dazzling diamond earring on her ear, then suddenly pulled hard, tearing it right off. Willow screamed in pain, clutching her ear and bending over. Blood seeped through her fingers. I looked down at her, still smiling, and asked softly, “Thank you for the gift. Can I have the other earring too?”

Willow’s pupils trembled slightly, as if she was scared of me. Her blood splattered on the floor, and the people around us started to murmur. Brandon arrived shortly after. He saw the blood on the ground, and his expression turned cold and savage. He pulled me into his arms, checking me over from head to toe. The concern and tension in his eyes looked so real. Willow released her hand, letting the blood stream down her ear and drip onto her white gown. She reached for Brandon, saying softly, “Mr. Hayes, I’m in so much pain…” Brandon raised his arm, dodging her, and gave her a cold glance. That look made Willow freeze, biting her lip in humiliation. She didn’t understand. Brandon came from a wealthy family; keeping a mistress privately was one thing, but if it became public, it would be a huge scandal. In front of others, Brandon could only love me. His fingers caressed my furrowed brow, and he coaxed me gently, “Who upset you?” I didn’t speak, and no one else dared to. Two seconds later, Brandon suddenly grabbed a vase from a nearby table and smashed it on the floor, snarling, “Are you all deaf? Who upset my wife? Speak up!” The atmosphere was terribly oppressive. Willow clenched her fists, then burst out, “It was me! It was all my fault, okay, Brandon Hayes!?” She finally couldn’t hold back, her tears streaming down as she looked at Brandon defiantly, choking out, “It’s my fault for wanting to get close to Skylar but being hated by her! “It’s my fault for falling for the wrong person, willing to be called a mistress just to be with him no matter what! “It’s my fault for being delusional, thinking he liked me too, my fault for being an idiot!” She lifted the wine glass above her head and poured it over herself. The wine and blood mixed, staining the front of her dress. Crying, she asked Brandon, “Mr. Hayes, is this enough? Is your beloved wife satisfied?” Brandon’s hand tightened on my shoulder, squeezing harder and harder. He must have felt pain for her. He asked me, “Satisfied?” I chuckled, tears almost falling from my eyes. I asked Brandon, “Is it exhausting, pretending to love me? “Brandon, I have a great idea. I can make it so you can openly love whoever you want. “Give me money. Lots and lots of money. Then, we get a divorce.”

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Rachel Thompson once had a happy family. Her husband, Thomas Wilson, ran a successful restaurant, while Rachel stayed at home as a full-time mom. However, fate had other plans. In May 2005, Thomas, with whom Rachel shared a deep bond, passed away in an accident, leaving her with a 1600-square-foot house and a 3-year-old daughter. At 28, Rachel felt her world crumbling, but for her daughter’s sake, she had to be strong. 0 One morning, Rachel took her daughter Lily to the supermarket. While storing her bag in a locker, she turned around to find Lily gone. Panic-stricken, Rachel searched the entire store but couldn’t find her little girl. She was terrified, having already been pushed to the brink by her husband’s death. The thought of losing her daughter was unbearable. Just as despair was setting in, Rachel ran out of the supermarket and saw Lily standing not far away. The little girl was contentedly eating a lollipop, her other hand firmly held by a young man in his mid-twenties. Rachel rushed over, hugging Lily tightly while profusely thanking the young man. He sheepishly scratched his head and explained that he had found Lily alone on the street, guessing she had gotten separated from her mother. Fearing for the child’s safety, he had waited with her, believing her mother would come looking. He advised Rachel to be more careful, warning about the dangers children could face. Rachel agreed, insisting on treating him to a meal as a thank you. During their conversation, Rachel learned that the young man’s name was Jake Collins. He came from a rural background, with parents who were farmers. After finishing middle school, he had moved to the city to make a living, starting as a construction worker. Through hard work, he now ran his own construction contracting company. After the meal, they exchanged SnapChat contacts. Jake often messaged to ask about Lily. Rachel later found out that Jake was three years younger than her and unmarried. His fondness for children and their shared experiences brought them closer. As they spent more time together, Jake expressed his feelings for Rachel. He admired her independence and capability, sympathized with her struggles, and wanted to help her care for Lily. Rachel, in turn, accepted Jake’s affection. However, their relationship faced opposition from Jake’s parents in the countryside. They couldn’t understand why their son would choose a woman three years older, especially one with a child. But Jake was determined, willing to cut ties with his parents to marry Rachel, which both surprised and deeply moved her. 0

On February 14, 2006, Rachel married Jake, who was three years her junior. Jake’s parents, still strongly opposed to the marriage, didn’t attend the wedding. The newlyweds moved into Rachel’s house. Jake was an excellent stepfather to Lily, often doing more than Rachel herself in caring for the child. A year later, Rachel gave birth to their son, Kevin. While Kevin’s arrival brought joy, it also increased their financial burden. Rachel, overwhelmed with childcare, temporarily leased out her restaurant, leaving Jake as the sole breadwinner. Unfortunately, Jake’s company faced a crisis when two employees died in a work accident, resulting in hefty compensation claims. To make matters worse, Rachel developed mild postpartum depression, often lashing out at Jake and the children. Jake had no choice but to ask Rachel’s mother, Linda, for help. With her support, Rachel’s condition gradually improved. Feeling the weight of financial pressure, Jake desperately sought a higher-paying job but was repeatedly turned down due to his lack of qualifications. One day, while pondering how to make money amid piles of steel pipes at his worksite, an idea struck him – he decided to sell the pipes illegally. Knowing the high demand for steel pipes at construction sites, Jake thought he could siphon off a small amount without anyone noticing and sell them for a good price. On his night shift, he arranged for a scrap dealer to help him transport the pipes. Unfortunately, they were caught by a site worker who had forgotten something. The construction company reported the theft, and Jake was sentenced to one year in prison for embezzlement, along with a $5,000 fine. During Jake’s imprisonment, his parents, upon learning of the situation, came to Rachel’s house and caused a scene. They didn’t even inquire about their newborn grandson or visit Jake. Instead, they berated Rachel, calling her a seductress who had bewitched their son into marriage and now caused his imprisonment. They demanded $30,000 in compensation from Rachel. She scraped together the money to send them away, then broke down crying in her mother’s arms, lamenting her misfortune and Jake’s poor choices.

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Kidnappers had taken both my son and my wife’s beloved dog hostage. They told Olivia she could only choose one to save. My eyes were bloodshot as I fell to my knees, shouting, “Save Leo! Save our son! He’s only five years old!” But Olivia was agonizing between our child and the dog. Lucas’s face was pale as he spoke with a trembling voice, “Olivia, don’t worry about Snowball. It’s just a dog. But… it’s my only emotional support now…” She glanced at me, her eyes filled with complexity. “I’ll decide with a dice roll,” she said. The kidnappers laughed and agreed to her proposal. Odd numbers would save our son, even numbers would save the dog. The dice landed on three. I instantly felt relief wash over me, my body going limp. But Olivia shouted, “That doesn’t count! My hand slipped. I demand another roll!” The kidnapper sneered, “One finger buys you another chance to roll.” Without hesitation, Olivia broke her own pinky finger. I watched in horror as she rolled the dice again with her shaking hand. This time… it landed on four.

“Even number! It’s an even number!” Olivia exclaimed with relief, shouting at the kidnappers. The kidnapper grinned, his voice dripping with mockery, “Hahaha! Mrs. Quinn, you’re fucking hilarious!” “You could have saved your son on the first roll, but you chose to save a damn animal instead. Mrs. Quinn, you’re truly one in a million!” Olivia’s face flushed red, but she didn’t argue back. She just stubbornly repeated, “This is fate!” My heart sank to the bottom of an abyss. My whole body was shaking, blood and tears blurring my vision. Olivia carefully walked over to Lucas, opened the cage, and took the terrified Samoyed into her arms. “It’s okay now, Snowball is safe,” she cooed. Lucas ran to her side, crying uncontrollably. Meanwhile, my son Leo had a pale face, his mouth taped shut, crying so hard his body was turning purple. I rushed over to embrace Leo. His tiny body trembled in my arms. Only then did Olivia seem to remember us and walked over. “Is Leo okay?” she asked casually, her eyes never leaving the dog in her arms. My throat was too constricted from shock to make any sound. Suddenly, Lucas cried out, “Olivia, Snowball is dying! We need to get him to the hospital right away!” “Okay, let’s go now!” Olivia said anxiously, turning to leave with the dog in her arms without sparing us another glance. She only threw a cold sentence to the kidnappers: “The money will be transferred to you. Release my son.” With that, she hurried away supporting Lucas. The iron door of the warehouse slammed shut, cutting off everything outside. I held my son, my body ice-cold. The kidnapper squatted down in front of me. He had a cigarette dangling from his mouth as he sneered at me, “I’ve never seen such a heartless wife. Where did you find this piece of trash?” I stared at him blankly, unable to utter a word. The kidnapper blew a puff of smoke in my face, bringing me back to reality and making me cough. “Tell you what, I’m in a good mood today. I’ll give you one more chance,” he said. He held his phone out to me. “Call your wife.” “If she’s willing to turn back now, I’ll let you and your son go.” “How’s that? Pretty merciful, right?” He laughed at his own words. My hands were shaking so badly I could barely hold the phone. I dialed Olivia’s number. The phone rang for a long time before it was answered. “Hello?” It was Olivia’s voice. In the background, I could clearly hear Lucas’s anxious voice. “Olivia…” I sobbed, “Save Leo… please come back…” From the other end came her impatient voice. “Gabriel! I’m in the middle of getting emergency treatment for Snowball. He’s in shock!” “Leo is my son. The kidnappers won’t dare do anything to him once they get the money. Don’t make trouble for me now!”

With that, she hung up without hesitation. The kidnapper listened to the dial tone and took back his phone. He shrugged and said with a cold smile, “I gave you a chance. Mrs. Quinn is a busy woman, and she hasn’t even transferred the money to me yet.” “You can’t blame me for what happens next.” He gestured to his men behind him. One of them with dyed yellow hair roughly snatched Leo from my arms. “No!” I let out a heart-wrenching roar, crawling on all fours to try and stop him. Another thug kicked me hard in the chest. I slammed against the wall before crumpling to the ground. Blood flowed from my forehead, obscuring my vision. My son’s cries echoed in my ears. “I want Mommy! Mommy, come save me!” “Daddy! Daddy, save me!” The next second, both Leo’s terrified screams and my cries were abruptly silenced. I saw Leo’s tiny body collapse softly to the ground, motionless. I kept shaking my head, my jaw trembling, as I slowly supported myself up and staggered over to my son. My hand caressed Leo’s face, which had been so full of life just hours ago. The blood on my hands smeared his face, and I frantically tried to wipe it away, but there was more and more blood. I picked up my son and finally broke down in loud, uncontrollable sobs. When I had cried myself out, I looked up to find myself surrounded by a group of men who weren’t the original kidnappers. Before I could react, they swung the clubs in their hands, striking my legs and arms. I heard the sound of bones breaking and was nearly driven unconscious by the pain. In the last second before I passed out, I heard their malicious laughter. “This bastard can’t take a beating at all. Brother Lucas said to just break his arms and legs, leave him barely alive.” … I woke up in the hospital. My whole body ached as if I had been torn apart and haphazardly put back together. The doctor said I had suffered comminuted fractures in my left arm and right leg, and they had barely managed to save me. I stared blankly at the ceiling, feeling a twinge in my heart, but I had no more tears left to cry. Why didn’t they just let me die along with Leo? A nurse came in and asked me in a low voice, “Is that little boy’s body in the morgue your son?” “The forensic examination is complete. The family can come claim the body now.” My heart was stabbed again. Just then, Olivia pushed open the door to the hospital room. She was holding Snowball in her arms, with Lucas following behind her, his eyes red and puffy. Seeing that I was awake, Olivia’s face broke into a smile. She was about to show me the dog when I spoke. Her voice held a hint of relief: “Snowball was in critical condition, but luckily we saved him.” I remembered the doctor saying I had nearly died too. A dog’s life, a human life… Hah, this was my wife. I stared vacantly at the wall without speaking. After a long silence, just as Olivia was starting to get impatient, I spoke in a hoarse voice. Each word felt like a knife scraping my throat. “Olivia, the doctor said they issued twenty-five critical condition notices for me. I almost died.” “I barely managed to survive, but Leo will never come back!” I practically shouted the last sentence, tears falling in large drops onto the bedsheet. Olivia was taken aback, then sighed, “You know dogs are more fragile, of course we had to save Snowball first.” “You’re fine now, aren’t you? You have good recovery abilities, unlike Snowball who still needs months of care.” Then, as if just remembering something, she frowned and asked me. “What happened to Leo? Did the kidnappers release him?” I looked at the face I had loved for ten years, suddenly feeling it was very unfamiliar. I opened my mouth, my voice raspy: “Leo… is dead.” “You killed him!” My emotions suddenly collapsed, and I began to scream hysterically. “You killed him! Olivia, you’re a murderer!”

Olivia’s face instantly turned ugly. Lucas quickly came forward to hold her back, gently persuading, “Olivia, don’t be angry. Gabriel just woke up and is emotionally unstable.” Olivia shook him off, pointing at my nose and scolding, “Gabriel Gray, have you had enough? What kind of madness are you spouting?!” “Lucas has already contacted the kidnappers. They said they received the money and released Leo long ago!” “Where did you take Leo? What kind of father are you? You can’t even watch your own child!” I looked at her in disbelief. She didn’t believe our son was dead. I stared at her with wide eyes, my lips trembling slightly, “The kidnappers killed him because you didn’t transfer the money immediately…” Olivia let out a cold laugh, “Gabriel Gray, I know you hate me for choosing Snowball, but how can you make up such lies just to make me feel guilty!” “How could Leo possibly be dead? The kidnappers just wanted money!” “You must have lost him and are too afraid to admit it, so you made up this nonsense to trick me!” “Hurry up and find Leo! Stop being so unreasonable!” With that, she left holding the dog and pulling Lucas along, without looking back. I shouted and threw everything I could reach onto the floor. The sudden movement caused my freshly sutured wounds to burst open, blood soaking the sheets. I collapsed to the ground, my chest aching violently. On the day I was discharged, Olivia came to pick me up. I sat in a wheelchair as she pushed me out of the hospital. She didn’t mention Leo again. Lucas told her I had accepted the fact that I had “lost” our son, but the shock was too great and I needed time to recover. She believed it. After returning home, I started having nightmares every night, often waking up crying. In my dreams, I always saw Leo dying before my eyes. That night, I was again awakened by a nightmare and went to the kitchen for water. As soon as I turned on the light, I saw a dog’s body by the sink. I went over and found it was Lucas’s Snowball! Before I could react, Lucas cried out behind me. “Gabriel, you actually… you actually killed Snowball!” The sound drew Olivia, who immediately pinned the blame on me without asking what happened. She looked at me with disgust and scolded harshly, “Gabriel Gray, how could you be so vicious?! Even if Leo’s disappearance broke your heart, Snowball was innocent!” “Besides, it was your failure as a father. How can you make an innocent dog bear the consequences of your own mistakes?!” I shouted back with red eyes, “So Leo deserved to bear it all, to the point of death?!” Olivia looked at me with disappointment, “You’ve really gone mad, completely mad! I’ve told you Leo just went missing. Why do you keep cursing him dead?!” I didn’t want to argue anymore. I rushed out of the house, ignoring Olivia’s angry shouts behind me. I ran to the hospital barefoot, my soles already bloody and raw. At the entrance to the morgue, I couldn’t take another step forward. I crouched down covering my face, sobbing. Olivia caught up behind me. She roughly pulled me up from the ground, her scolding raining down on me. “Gabriel Gray, what the hell are you doing?!” “Running to a place like this in the middle of the night, are you sick?!” “I haven’t even settled the score with you for killing Snowball, and you ran away because you feel guilty!” I looked at Olivia’s contorted expression, the anger in my heart finally erupting. I lunged forward and grabbed her throat. The next second, I was violently kicked away by her, my head hitting the wall. My broken leg couldn’t support me and I fell to the ground, blood dripping down. I looked up to meet Olivia’s bloodshot eyes. She pointed at me, “Gabriel Gray, wasn’t killing Snowball enough? Now you want to kill me too?!” I laughed, laughing so hard tears streamed down, laughing until the wounds on my chest ached sharply. I wiped the blood from my face and struggled to stand up on shaky legs, the pain like walking on knife edges. But it was nothing compared to the pain in my heart. “Didn’t you say Leo just went missing?” “He’s lying in there right now. Do you dare to go in with me and see?!” “See what your choice has done to your five-year-old son?!”

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Marcus doesn’t love me or our daughter. Yet he’s fallen madly in love with Lily’s dance teacher. He spent a fortune buying a luxurious mansion to keep her as his mistress. His love for her is no secret. The dance teacher came to see me, revealing the red marks on her body. “I’m so sorry, I never meant to be the other woman,” she said tearfully. “But he won’t let me go. Please help me leave the country.” In a moment of weakness, I agreed to help her escape. Marcus went berserk. He strapped a bomb to our daughter. “Tell me where Melody is or I’ll blow her up right in front of you.” I broke down sobbing and quickly told him Melody’s location. After he left, a timer appeared on the bomb strapped to Lily. Beep…beep…beep… I rushed over without thinking. The blast threw me backwards. My daughter’s body exploded into a bloody mist, painting the world red. “No!” I screamed. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I discovered Marcus was keeping a mistress. My phone buzzed with another text from an unknown number. This time it was several photos. In the pictures, Marcus gazed at the woman before him with tender affection. No matter what she was doing – eating, looking at her phone, or just staring into space – his eyes were always fixed on her adoringly. That woman was the apple of my husband’s eye, the one who taught him the meaning of love. This mysterious number would occasionally share little moments of Marcus and Melody’s romance with me. It was through these glimpses that I saw the human side of Marcus. The unknown number continued messaging: [Do you know how much your husband cares for that woman? If she so much as frowns, he’s beside himself with concern.] [They’re holding their wedding at Evergreen Manor tonight. You’re not planning to crash it, are you?] [Why don’t you just get divorced? Do you think you still have a chance?] I gripped my phone tightly. I had tried tracing this number before, but could never uncover who was behind it. But I had my suspicions. The grief and terror of losing my daughter still haunted me. Shaking, I texted back: [It’s you, isn’t it?] There was no reply. I won’t be going to Marcus’s wedding this time. I went in my past life. Back then, I was shocked to learn my husband was holding a wedding with that woman. Though Marcus and I had been legally married for years, we never had a proper ceremony. I lost all reason and rushed to Evergreen Manor. At the wedding, I caused a huge scene. Marcus looked at me like I was a stranger and publicly handed me divorce papers. “Just sign them. I want to give Melody a real family,” he said coldly. Melody was sobbing uncontrollably. “No, if you divorce your wife because of me, I’ll be a homewrecker!” Seeing her cry made Marcus even more protective of her, fueling his hatred towards me. That wedding was the final nail in the coffin of my marriage to Marcus. After that, every time Melody tried to run away, Marcus assumed I was behind it. Each escape attempt resulted in Marcus torturing me – locking me in the basement, abandoning me in a snowy field overnight, or dumping me in the middle of nowhere. When I begged for a divorce, Marcus just sneered: “Divorce? I gave you the chance before and you didn’t take it. It’s too late now!” That disastrous wedding was the start of all the tragedies. I can’t make the same mistake again. I went back to Lily’s bedroom. Seeing her sleeping peacefully finally calmed my racing heart. In the darkness, a tear slid down my cheek. It wasn’t always like this. Marcus used to have a gentle side towards me and Lily. In the first few years of our marriage, he treated me well. His love was clumsy but passionate. He would bring me flowers every day when he came home from work. He would hold me and say, “Honey, I don’t know how to love, but I’ll try my best to be good to you.” Back then, he was like a lost puppy – pitiful and helpless. I knew that Marcus’s grandfather, in order to groom the family heir, had subjected Marcus to emotional desensitization training from a young age. Like killing the dog Marcus had raised and forcing him to eat it. Or sending away the butler who had been so kind to him. Most horrifically, even driving Marcus’s own mother to self-immolation… Marcus was expected to be devoid of love or personal attachments, a puppet with no emotions of his own. But how could a person truly achieve that? I tucked the blanket around Lily. As my fingers brushed her soft cheek, I suddenly remembered when she was first born. Marcus had been so tense as he carefully cradled her in his arms. He held her like she was made of the most delicate crystal. After a long moment, he finally managed to say: “Such a tiny human.” In the warm glow of the hospital lights, his eyes held a tenderness he didn’t even realize was there. I thought we were finally on the right track. But then he went back to the family estate once, and everything changed. He reverted to his old cold self. No, he became even more callous and unfeeling.

He treated me and Lily like we didn’t exist. I wondered if something had happened at the estate, if he was being pressured somehow. But when I voiced my concerns, he just looked at me like I was an idiot. “You don’t actually think Grandfather is threatening me, do you? Have you been watching too many soap operas?” “Olivia, I just realized that developing feelings for you was disgusting.” Disgusting! That’s how he described our relationship. Up to that point, we might have still maintained a facade of normalcy. But then Melody appeared and things spiraled beyond the point of no return. He fell madly in love with her, defying family pressure for her sake, nearly giving his grandfather a heart attack. When I confronted him, he offered no explanation. He didn’t love me. He didn’t even respect me. My phone buzzed insistently in my palm. It was that unknown number again: [Coward.] I whispered under my breath, “If being a coward means my daughter and I survive, then so be it.” Marcus loves Melody. Let him love her then. I won’t interfere this time. After leaving Lily’s room, I called my lawyer. “Hello, I need help handling the division of marital assets…” This time, I’ll agree to the divorce. I’ll take Lily and leave this place far behind. But it seems fate enjoys playing cruel jokes on me. An hour later, Marcus came home after being away for ages. He kicked the door open with a thunderous bang. Before I could even ask what was wrong, he knocked me to the ground with a vicious kick. I fell backwards into the fish tank. The glass shattered everywhere. Shards of glass embedded in my back, blood immediately pooling beneath me. Marcus stared at the blood, a dark glint in his eyes. Rage burned in his gaze as he ground his shoe into my hand. “Olivia, where have you hidden Melody?” he snarled, yanking my head up by the hair. Melody had run away again? The pain was blinding. I hastily tried to explain: “I don’t know, I didn’t do anything. She must have left on her own.” “You dare lie to me?” Marcus slammed me against the wall. I heard my bones crack. He advanced on me step by step: “She’s such a good girl! She promised she’d wait for me. You must have done something to scare her into running away!” “I told you, it wasn’t me!” My voice shook from the pain. Why wouldn’t this monster just leave me alone? I hadn’t done anything this time around. Even in my past life, all I did was help Melody leave at her own request. How did that result in such a gruesome end for me and my daughter? Marcus sat on the couch, his expression unreadable as he stared at me. After a long silence, he suddenly spoke: “Don’t you care what happens to Lily?” My whole body went rigid with fear. The horrific image of my daughter’s death was still vivid in my mind. This inhuman beast was threatening our child again. Something snapped inside me. Ignoring my injuries, I crawled towards him. I kowtowed over and over, begging: “Please, I’m begging you, don’t hurt our daughter. Don’t hurt her…” “Believe me, I never did anything to Melody. I’ll sign the divorce papers right now if you want.” Seeing my panic, Marcus fell silent. Suddenly, he stood up and roughly dragged me down to the basement. The stench of mold and decay assaulted my senses. As icy chains locked around my wrists and ankles, I finally saw the machine in the corner. It was the electroshock device Marcus used for torture. “Tell me where Melody is,” he said, turning a dial on the machine. The hum of electricity filled the basement. “It wasn’t me!” I cried. The current felt like it was exploding through every inch of my skin. I had experienced this torture in my past life too. That time, I had nearly died.

Wires wrapped around my ankles and wrists. Each time I struggled, the shocks intensified. “Does it hurt? Not knowing where Melody is hurts me even more,” Marcus whispered in my ear. Suddenly, the creak of a metal door echoed from deep in the basement. Then came the sound of a child crying. “Mommy!” My blood ran cold instantly. As Marcus released his grip, I screamed desperately: “Marcus, don’t hurt her!” Marcus glanced back at me. That look in his eyes – it was like he was regarding a corpse. A minute later, Marcus returned carrying Lily in his arms. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, but she still clung to her father trustingly. “Daddy, why is Mommy tied up like that?” she asked in a small voice. Marcus gently wiped the tears from her face and replied casually: “It’s just for fun. Do you want to try it too, sweetheart?” I shook my head frantically, horrified. “Please, Marcus, I’m begging you. I’ll die to prove I never hurt Melody. Just please don’t harm our daughter.” I was beyond desperate. If my death could buy Lily’s safety, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second. As I prepared to bite my tongue, Marcus suddenly gripped my throat. “You want to die? Your life isn’t worth much. You’d better stay alive until I find Melody.” Just then, Marcus’s phone rang. He set Lily down. She immediately ran to my side, crying softly. She tried to undo the chains but didn’t know how. On the phone, one of Marcus’s subordinates was reporting to him. “Mr. Holt, we’ve found your wife.” Of course. Melody was the one they called “wife.” I was just “that woman.” Marcus found Melody at the airport. She had been trying to leave the country when his men spotted her. I was dragged along, still chained, to the airport. From a few meters away, I watched Marcus embrace Melody tightly, breathing heavily. “Why do you keep running away? Are you trying to break my heart?” he choked out. “Melody, you’re taking advantage of how much I care for you.” Marcus’s voice cracked with emotion, trembling as he spoke. Melody shrank into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. “But what can I do? I’m the other woman. I’ve come between you and your wife. I’m a sinner.” “I deserve to die. I deserve to die! I’ve ruined Lily’s family. I was her most trusted teacher, and now she’ll hate me…” As she spoke, she grabbed the Swiss Army knife from Marcus’s belt and tried to plunge it into her own throat. In a split second, Marcus grabbed the blade. Blood dripped from the knife onto Melody’s pure white dress. Like a red rose blooming, shockingly vivid. Melody immediately let go of the knife, staring at the man’s deeply cut hand in distress. “Why…why are you so good to me? I’ve fallen in love with you. What am I supposed to do now?” Melody wept as she pounded Marcus’s chest, crying so hard she could barely breathe. Marcus tossed the knife aside and hugged her fiercely, as if trying to fuse her into his very bones. I watched numbly, my heart too numb to feel anything anymore. Marcus patiently comforted her. After a while, Melody’s sobs subsided. She turned to look at me, tears falling again. “I’m so sorry, Lily’s mom. I never meant for this to happen…” “Don’t apologize to her,” Marcus interrupted, stroking Melody’s hair tenderly. “It’s not your fault. I’m the one who forced you into this. I pressured you. My Melody is the kindest girl in the world.” “Melody, you’re more important to me than anyone.” Hearing this, Melody cried even harder. The two gazed at each other with such passion, the scene looked tragically beautiful. Marcus reverently kissed Melody’s forehead. “Be good now. Don’t run off again. Stay by my side.” Melody nodded weakly. But she hadn’t eaten properly, and the stress caused her blood sugar to crash. She suddenly fainted in his arms. Panicked, Marcus lifted her up, hands shaking. He rushed off with her in his arms. As he passed by me, he shot me a vicious glare. That look – as if I were his mortal enemy.

Melody came to find me a week later. She looked healthier, having gained some weight. Wearing a little white dress, she looked like an ethereal fairy from afar. She found me at the mansion. At the time, I was planning to bring up divorce with Marcus again. Melody kept her head down, unable to meet my eyes. “Lily’s mom, I’m so sorry. I’m scared too. I don’t know what to do.” “Maybe…you could help me. I want to leave the country.” Here we go again. This time it came earlier. In my past life, she didn’t pull this move until six months later. “I won’t get involved in your affairs,” I told her firmly. Melody looked up in shock. She had assumed I would happily accept this request as a way to get rid of her. She blurted out, “Why not? Don’t you want to drive me away so you can win Marcus back?” Realizing what she’d said, she quickly looked apologetic. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” I waved her off. “You should go. If you don’t get back soon, Marcus will go crazy looking for you.” … Marcus came home that night. Just because he knew Melody had come to see me. He interrogated me the moment he walked in. “What did you say to her?” I shook my head. “I didn’t say anything. She asked me to help her leave the country. I refused.” Hearing this, Marcus looked at me in surprise. It was like he was seeing me for the first time. “You’re acting strange,” he said suspiciously. “You’re imagining things.” Marcus didn’t press further. After getting a call from Melody, he hurried to leave. As he was walking out, I handed him a document. He impatiently asked, “What’s this?” “It’s a permission slip for Lily’s overseas study program. We both need to sign it as her parents.” In a rush to go see Melody, he barely glanced at it before scrawling his signature. He had no idea that hidden beneath the permission slip was a divorce agreement. After the door slammed shut, I let out a long breath. I gathered our luggage and took Lily to the airport. But before we could leave the house, several luxury cars pulled up out front. My heart sank. Marcus got out of one of the cars and strode over. He kicked over the suitcase. Lily started crying in fright. He didn’t even look at our daughter, just glared at me venomously. “Where do you think you’re going? Trying to run after what you’ve done?” Cold sweat broke out on my skin as I hugged Lily, my hands shaking. I tried to keep my voice steady: “What happened? Explain it to me clearly.” “You dare play dumb.” Marcus snarled, grabbing my throat. His face was twisted with rage. Lily cried and tried to pry his hand off me, but it was no use. Marcus’s voice was ice cold: “Melody broke out in a rash right after she left you.” I was stunned. So once again, he suspected I had drugged Melody somehow. I tried to explain, but Marcus pulled out a gun and shot my right hand. The loud bang made Lily wail in terror. The pain nearly made me black out. Just before I lost consciousness, I heard Marcus’s frigid voice: “You’re lucky Melody wasn’t seriously hurt. Otherwise a bullet would have been the least of your worries.” I woke up three days later. The bullet had been removed, and my arm was heavily bandaged. Lily’s small form was curled up asleep next to me. My phone buzzed just then. It was that unknown number. [Marcus is on vacation with Melody right now. Leave while you can.] I had suspected the person behind these messages might be Melody herself. But now I knew it wasn’t her – it was someone I hadn’t seen in a long time. I checked myself out of the hospital against medical advice. The doctor had no choice but to call Marcus. On the other end of the line, Marcus was clearly in a foul mood. “What, is she dead?” he snapped. The doctor broke into a sweat. “Well, no…” “If she’s not dead then don’t bother me.” Marcus cut him off. In the background, Melody’s gentle voice could be heard. “Darling, is that about your wife? Did something happen to her?” “She’s fine. Don’t worry about her…” After the call ended, the doctor awkwardly looked at me and approved my discharge. I took Lily and left without looking back. As the plane took off, the view outside the window was breathtaking…

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I am Aria, the one with the purest bloodline in the Celestial Clan. Yet on the day of my coming-of-age ceremony, the sacred beast I had nourished with my own essence since childhood denounced me as impure and unfit to lead. Desperate to prove myself, I attempted to transform into my true form, only to become an ugly black serpent. Meanwhile, Rose, the servant girl I had taken in as an adopted sister, revealed herself to be able to transform into the majestic form of our clan. The sacred beast bowed at Rose’s feet, sneering at me with disdain. My father, enraged, disowned me on the spot. And Blake, my childhood sweetheart and fiancé, berated me: “How dare a lowly black snake try to impersonate our heiress!” I was scorned by thousands and exiled from the clan. Driven out, I ultimately perished in a horde of wild beasts. After death, I watched as Rose assumed my identity, married my fiancé, and became the revered heiress of the clan. Given a second chance at life, I returned to the day of my coming-of-age ceremony.

“Heiress, hurry up and draw your blood!” The pain of being trampled by countless beasts still made me shudder. But when I opened my eyes, I found myself back in my chambers. The sacred beast’s attendant held out a porcelain bowl containing a dagger, glaring at me impatiently. I felt disoriented. Until Jade, my handmaid, gently reminded me: “My lady, the ceremony begins in two hours.” “The sacred beast needs to partake of your essence before the ritual.” I suddenly snapped back to reality. This was amazing – I had truly returned to the day of the ceremony! “No!” I shouted, snatching the dagger and throwing it to the ground. “What sacred beast?” “It’s nothing but a parasitic bloodsucker!” The attendant flew into a rage. “How dare you! The sacred beast is our clan’s divine protector.” “As the heiress, it’s your duty to nourish it. How can you speak so disrespectfully?” I let out a cold laugh. The sacred beast was a small golden dragon. It had hatched on the day of my birth and was chosen as the clan’s divine guardian. Legend said it could protect our clan’s fortunes. But the beast was weak and could only survive by feeding daily on the heiress’s essence. In my past life, I had cut my wrist every day to feed it. I gave not just my blood, but a portion of the power I had worked so hard to cultivate each day. Yet despite all that, it had betrayed me! I was the heiress with the purest bloodline. My mother was the previous heiress of the Western Seas, my father the king of the Eastern Seas. But on the day of my ceremony, the sacred beast had denounced my bloodline as impure, causing me to fall from grace. Why should I show any courtesy to such an ungrateful creature? “Disrespectful?” I picked up the dagger from the ground and coldly stared at the attendant. “You talentless sycophant, you only have your current status because you serve the sacred beast.” “What right do you have to lecture me?” “Get out!” “If you dare speak to me like that again, I’ll have you executed on the spot!” The attendant fell to his knees, terrified. He wanted to argue but couldn’t get a word out. Just then, a gentle voice drifted in: “The attendant is only doing his duty, sister. Why are you so angry with him?” I clenched my fists tightly, my nails digging into my palms. A graceful figure appeared before me. It was Rose. The mastermind who had stolen my identity in my past life! At this moment, Rose was smiling sweetly as she helped the attendant up, speaking to him in a soft, soothing voice. Then she looked up at me, her eyes alluring. She spoke in a considerate tone: “Sister, you shouldn’t be so hard on the servants.” “It will only invite gossip if word gets out.” I laughed coldly inside and retorted: “If I really enjoyed bullying servants, I wouldn’t have allowed you to manipulate things behind my back all this time.” Rose’s smile froze. She wasn’t of our clan’s bloodline, and had once been nothing more than a lowly servant girl. Later, she saved my father’s life and was adopted as his daughter. Suddenly elevated in status, she became the clan’s second princess, with a reputation for being kind and magnanimous. Yet she secretly had all the servants who knew of her past killed. Rose’s expression twisted for a moment before quickly returning to normal. She smiled and said: “Sister, you should draw your blood soon. Don’t make things difficult for the attendant.” She held out the dagger to me. I sensed something was off. In my past life, before the ceremony, Rose had been as meek as a mouse, never daring to challenge me. Now she was repeatedly provoking me. And she seemed oddly insistent on me drawing blood for the sacred beast. Could this be related to why I had transformed into an ugly black serpent in my past life? I made a mental note to be cautious. Pretending to be reluctant, I took the dagger and coldly stared at Rose and the attendant. “What? Are you going to watch me draw blood?” Rose and the attendant had no choice but to leave the room. I turned to my handmaid Jade and whispered: “Jade, do exactly as I say.” Half an hour later, a bowl of blood was handed to the sacred beast’s attendant. The blood was golden, infused with my spiritual essence and power. Pressing the wound on my wrist, I snapped impatiently: “Now get out!” The two finally left. As they were leaving, thinking I was out of earshot, Rose muttered: “Enjoy it while you can!” “When you turn into an ugly black snake, heh…” I was shocked. So Rose had been reborn as well. Realizing this, I felt a bitter taste in my mouth. For countless years, I had diligently cultivated my powers, never slacking off or harboring ill intentions. But why? After suffering such an unjust fate and tragic death in my past life, I had finally been given a second chance. Yet my enemy had been reborn as well. Was the heavens truly so unfair?

I had no time to dwell on it. Jade and the other maids helped me get dressed and ready, putting on my ceremonial armor and headdress as I walked step by step towards the sacred altar. My father sat upon his high throne, looking down at everyone. The clan members surrounding the altar cheered for me, their voices mixing with the drumbeats in a deafening roar. I gazed at it all impassively. Though our clan was said to be the mightiest of the six realms, filled with talented individuals and seemingly prosperous, the royal family knew the truth. Among all these powerful clan members, not a single one could transform into our clan’s true form to inherit the throne. Then on the day of my birth, the clan’s seer had a prophecy. I, Aria, was the only descendant in countless years who could manifest our clan’s true form! Only I could lead our clan to glory! But in my past life, I had transformed into an ugly black serpent before everyone’s eyes, shattering all their dreams of a mighty clan. The clan members’ expectations for me had all turned to fury. Even those who had once been close to me couldn’t wait for me to die! “Aria, you look beautiful today.” Blake waved his hand in front of me, smiling. “I think after your ceremony is over, we should announce our engagement.” The people around us exclaimed in admiration: “Blake is the talented prince of the Western Seas, with countless admirers. Yet he fell in love with the heiress at first sight and has remained faithful to her.” “I heard Blake and the heiress grew up together. They’re a match made in heaven.” “When will I find a true love like that?” … I had to force myself not to sneer. I looked up at Blake’s gentle smile, wanting nothing more than to slap it off his face. Once, I too had believed it was true love. Blake and I had grown up together. He went from being like an older brother, to my teacher, and finally my lover when we fell for each other. How could centuries of affection change? But in my past life, when I was denounced by thousands, Blake had been the first to publicly betray me. He had said: “How dare a lowly black snake try to impersonate our heiress!” When I was exiled from the clan, it took less than three days for him to announce his engagement to Rose. All that talk of childhood sweethearts and true love… It was nothing but a product of his ambition and greed. I nodded: “Alright. I hope you won’t regret it.” Blake immediately swore: “How could I ever regret it?” “My love for you is as true as the heavens above!” “If I ever change my heart, may 49 bolts of divine lightning strike me down and obliterate my soul.” My disgust for him grew even stronger. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Rose’s face twisted with jealousy. I couldn’t help but laugh coldly inside. I remembered how in my past life, after I died, I had seen Blake’s portrait in Rose’s room. Only then did I realize she had long harbored feelings for my fiancé. The crowd soon fell silent. As the ceremonial music began to play, the atmosphere grew solemn. All eyes were on me. The ceremony was about to begin! My father descended from his throne step by step. In his hands he held the crown that belonged only to our clan’s royal family. His gaze as he looked at me was utterly calm. “Aria, as the heiress, it is your duty to sacrifice everything for the clan’s greater good.” I didn’t react with tears of joy like I had in my past life. I simply lowered my gaze to avoid his eyes. Just then, a thunderous roar suddenly rang out: “Wait!” Everyone looked up. The golden sacred beast was coiled around the ceremonial pillar, its gaze fierce and its scales gleaming. The clan members all knelt down. “We pay our respects to the sacred beast.” The sacred beast looked down at me arrogantly from its high perch: “Aria’s bloodline is impure. She is unfit to lead.” “The crown cannot be given to her!”

The clan members were shocked: “What?!” My father frowned deeply and lowered the crown. Blake looked stunned and hesitant. But Rose couldn’t hide the smile tugging at her lips. The clan’s seer was the first to object: “Impossible!” “I witnessed the heiress’s birth with my own eyes. Her mother is from the Western Seas royal family and her father is our current king. Her lineage couldn’t be more noble.” “You can’t make such baseless accusations!” The sacred beast snorted coldly: “Seer, you once prophesied that the heiress was the only descendant in centuries who could manifest our clan’s true form.” “If that’s the case, she should be able to prove her innocence by transforming right now.” “Why don’t we have her demonstrate her true form in front of everyone?” “Or is she too afraid to try?” All eyes turned to me. I let out a small sigh: What was meant to happen would happen eventually! My father snorted: “Aria, what do you say?” I didn’t refuse. I slowly raised my hand, golden energy immediately enveloping me. The seer shouted excitedly: “You see? How could there be any mistake?” But in an instant, the energy dissipated. Just like in my past life, I had transformed into an ugly little black snake, surrounded by pitiful wisps of energy as I flopped around on the ground. The seer coughed up a mouthful of blood: “How is this possible?!” The sacred beast looked smug: “Do you believe me now, seer?” Then it shook its head in feigned regret: “As the clan’s divine guardian, I absolutely cannot cover up for an imposter.” “Moreover, only an heiress who can manifest our true form is the hope for our clan’s future.” “Seer, surely you don’t intend to go against the entire clan by insisting on protecting this fake?” Staring at my ugly transformed state, the seer was dumbstruck. For the first time, he began to doubt his own prophecy, muttering: “No, this can’t be right.” Then, as if struck by a thought, he looked up and stared hard at the sacred beast: “As our divine guardian, you need the heiress’s essence to survive. If Aria isn’t the true heiress, how have you managed to live all this time?” The sacred beast sneered: “Of course Aria isn’t the real heiress.” “But I’ve survived to this day because the true heiress is someone else.” It slowly descended from the pillar, its body prostrating at Rose’s feet, its eyes filled with unprecedented tenderness. “She is the true heiress!” As soon as the words left its mouth, Rose’s entire body began to glow with a dazzling light. “Ah!” In an instant, brilliant golden scales covered her entire body. A thunderous roar shook the heavens! An enormous golden dragon coiled in the sky above. Its body was so massive it nearly blotted out the sun. The clan elders were almost moved to tears: “Though I’ve only seen it in ancient texts, there’s no mistaking it!” “This is our clan’s true form!” “To think Rose was our clan’s hope all along!” Rose looked down at me with utter disdain: “Aria, you’re nothing but an ugly black snake, yet you’ve occupied the position of heiress for centuries, enjoying the clan’s reverence for nothing.” “Now, I’ll eliminate you, you mongrel!” She lunged at me ferociously. The clan members scrambled backwards in fear, leaving me alone in an empty circle. Her dragon breath engulfed me. I had nowhere to escape. The black snake’s flesh rapidly dissolved, leaving nothing but bare bones – a pitiful and horrifying sight. The familiar pain washed over me. This pain was even worse than being trampled by beasts. It made me want to end my own life just to escape it. But even in such agony, I simply closed my eyes. Rose gloated: “Have you given up struggling?” I shook my head and spoke softly: “Rose, your methods are still so crude.” “I know exactly what trick you used to turn me into a black snake.” Rose’s triumphant smile froze on her face. “What?” [To be continued…]

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On our wedding night, my succubus craving cycle hit. I lay on the bed, my face flushed with a shy blush, waiting for my husband, Julian Vance, to comfort me. But then, his first love, Seraphina Thorne, suddenly got dosed with an aphrodisiac. He kicked open the bedroom door, yanking me off the bed. “Sera can’t wait. You’re a succubus, your body’s tough, you can hold out a little longer.” He paused, a dismissive wave of his hand. “Don’t overthink it. If I don’t help her, she’d be in absolute agony. Don’t worry, you’re still my only wife.” I didn’t cry or make a fuss. I calmly got dressed and walked out. His cronies, peeking from the hallway, whistled. “The boss’s woman really knows her place! What did I tell you? Even if she’s asleep, she has to make way!” “Mrs. Vance truly lives up to her name. With that incredible self-control, she’s certainly got the main Mrs. Vance position locked down!” Julian was already impatiently kissing Seraphina’s lips. He caught me in his peripheral vision, his eyes full of annoyance. “Good girl. Didn’t you always want a bespoke diamond ring? I’ll have the butler take you shopping tomorrow.” I shook my head. That very night, I knocked on the door of Damian Blackwood, the city’s most powerful billionaire. “Looking for a new master? I assure you, I can be quite… dominant. Guaranteed to be an experience.” … I stood at his doorstep, a blush still staining my cheeks. Damian Blackwood froze, the files in his hand scattering to the floor. His expression was unreadable as he took one step after another towards me. “Cassandra Hayes, you better not be messing with me.” My fingertip brushed his tie, tracing downwards, my gaze seductive and intensely predatory. “Care to find out?” Damian abruptly grabbed my hand as it slid lower, his breathing heavy. “Cassie, are you only here because you’re angry with Julian Vance?” I shook my head, my other arm wrapping around his neck. “I don’t want him anymore.” At those words, Damian instantly wrapped his arms around my waist, his kisses falling wildly, one after another… After a night of pleasure, I left a note that simply said “Wait for me,” and returned to the Vance estate. The moment I stepped inside, I saw Julian Vance’s four cronies neatly sprawled outside the master bedroom door. From inside, Seraphina’s sugary cries drifted out, along with Julian’s barely suppressed grunts. My heart sank, my fingertips trembling. The cronies saw me and swaggered over, laughing. “Well, well, Mrs. Vance, you actually came back.” “Why don’t you come listen? Julian’s a real beast in bed. He’s making Sera cry like that, it’s getting me all worked up~” The sounds from the room picked up right on cue, growing wilder, each collision a heavy hammer striking my heart. I couldn’t stop trembling. My hand instinctively reached into my bag for my medication, but I accidentally dropped it. I bent down to pick it up, but one of the cronies kicked it, grinding it under his heel. “Whoa, Mrs. Vance, what’s this? Some kiddie pacifier? Julian not enough for you, Mrs. Vance? You gotta get your kicks yourself?” “If you can’t handle it, just ask us! We might be able to help you out~” I glared at him, my teeth gritted, my fingers clutching the corner of the crushed medicine box. Suddenly, the bedroom door opened. Julian Vance emerged wrapped in a bathrobe, Seraphina Thorne hiding behind him, draped in nothing but a few scraps of fabric. “What are you doing?! Get out!” Julian roared, and his cronies instantly scattered. My muscles ached terribly. All I could do was pick up the crushed medicine from the floor and shove it into my mouth. Julian finally looked at me, a flicker of disdain in his eyes. “You? Mrs. Vance? You look nothing like her.” I scoffed internally. What kind of Mrs. Vance was I anymore? Since his company went public, he’d kept thirty mistresses outside, yet not one of them had dared to cause trouble in front of me. That was until Seraphina appeared. Julian dismissed everyone for her, even bringing her into our home. Last night, he knew a succubus in her craving cycle wouldn’t “explode” without a man, yet he still abandoned me to comfort Seraphina. Now, Seraphina, covered in love bites, picked up a delicate, antique crystal figurine and disdainfully dropped it to the floor. “Oh, Cassie, so sorry! My hand slipped.” She gave me a simpering smile. “We were just looking for a toy, and this thing was pretty useful. Do you have more, sweetie?” I gasped, practically lunging forward, but I could only watch helplessly as the crystal figurine shattered before me. It was a cherished heirloom, passed down from my mother, always kept locked in my safe. But now, it wasn’t just broken; it was stained with some sickening, unknown fluid. Julian glanced at it, his eyes completely devoid of emotion. “If you like it, I’ll have one custom-made for you. That trash is only good for a quick fix anyway.” I glared at the two of them, my heart utterly cold. Not even my medication for volatile moods could suppress the furious rage swelling inside me. Seraphina flashed a triumphant smile at me, then climbed onto Julian’s neck, leaving a playful row of bite marks on his ear. “Julian, darling, it’s all their fault for interrupting! Didn’t you say you still had to punish me? I haven’t been good at all~” Julian’s face flushed instantly. He stole a glance at me, but his hand unconsciously tightened around Seraphina’s waist. “Sera’s medication hasn’t worn off yet, Cassie. You should go.” Before he even finished speaking, he was already impatiently scooping Seraphina into his arms and heading back into the room. The door slammed shut with a heavy thud, followed immediately by the creaking of bedsprings and rhythmic thumps. My fingertips dug into the floor, scraping until they were bloody, before my mind cleared a fraction. I rushed to the storage room, fumbled for my rage stabilizers, and crammed a handful into my mouth. The moment the pills went down, it was like someone had pulled my plug. I collapsed to the floor, listening as the sounds from the next room grew louder, wilder… **2.** I drifted in and out of a daze, waking only when morning light filled the room. Seraphina emerged from the bathroom, draped in a bathrobe, her face still flushed from the night. She swayed her hips as she approached me, a smirk in her eyes. “Oh, Cassie, so sorry about taking your bed.” She giggled. “Couldn’t help it. Julian’s just too wild. If we’d stayed on the couch, I’m not sure I’d be able to get up today~” As she spoke, her hand loosened, and the bathrobe slid open, revealing sheer silk lingerie and a body covered in love bites. “Julian never treated you like this, did he, sweetie?” Suddenly, the front door clicked open. Four cronies stepped inside, instantly freezing at the steamy scene before them. “We didn’t see anything!” They immediately clapped their hands over their eyes, though they couldn’t resist peeking through their fingers. “Ahhh!” Seraphina shrieked, squatting down to grab her bathrobe and wrap herself. “Sera!” Julian Vance burst down the stairs and pulled her protectively into his arms. “Get out, all of you! If anyone dares to look again, I’ll gouge out your eyeballs!” Seraphina immediately started to whimper pitifully, tears streaming down her face. “Cassie, why would you pull off my clothes and humiliate me? Julian was just helping me with my treatment, I never wanted to steal your place! Why are you doing this to me? My reputation means everything to a woman!” I was dumbfounded. I was at least five steps away from her. How could she possibly pin this on me? And talk about a “reputation” after fooling around with a married man? Julian, however, turned to me, his face cold. “Cassandra Hayes, apologize to Sera.” “Julian Vance, use your idiotic brain for once! How could I possibly pull off her clothes from this distance?” But he wouldn’t listen. He strode forward and slapped me across the face. “Apologize, or you’re not going to the company today!” My face burned, but it was nothing compared to the pain in my heart. I’d spent three months on this project, making dozens of trips back and forth. He knew that. Now, just as the contract was about to be signed, he wanted to keep me home, all for Seraphina? I clenched my fists. “Julian Vance, if you don’t want Mr. Kingston’s business, then go ahead and call him right now!” With that, I didn’t spare that disgusting pair another glance and turned to leave. At the company, my assistant looked hesitant. “Ms. Hayes… Mr. Kingston called. He said Mr. Vance cancelled the meeting.” “What?” My mind exploded. I’d nearly run myself ragged, pouring everything into this deal, and he just threw it away like that? I slumped onto the sofa, feeling dizzy. My assistant hesitated. “Should I try to contact him again…?” I shook my head, sighing softly. “I’m just the VP. If the CEO doesn’t want to make this deal, I can talk until I’m blue in the face, it won’t matter.” After a long silence, I looked up, my eyes red. “Contact my industry contacts. I’m selling my 25% shares.” Just as the words left my lips, the lounge door opened. Julian Vance entered, his arm around Seraphina’s waist. “Cassie, you’re finally being obedient for once. How about this: transfer your shares to Sera. You go home, manage the house, take care of me and her, and I might consider forgiving your past mistakes.”

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