Category: English

On my twentieth birthday, the girlfriend I’d been with for three years pushed me from a high-rise building. “Finally rid of you, you pathetic loser,” she spat, her voice chillingly cold. In that last moment, I watched as my so-called best friend wrapped an arm around her, both of them smirking down at me. I had loved her for three years, and she tried to murder me. A crushing wave of despair washed over me, and I closed my eyes in resignation. Then, I was reborn. I reclaimed the family keepsake that proved my identity, taking back what was rightfully mine as the heir to a wealthy fortune. Now, she was on her knees, pleading, “Asher, please, save me. Please?” In my past life, my girlfriend tricked me into meeting at a guesthouse, claiming it was for my birthday. After she and Liam Thorne drugged my drinks until I passed out, I woke up tied to the top floor of a high-rise. My eyes fluttered open, slowly clearing. Liam stood there, his arm around Chloe Miller, both of them staring down at me with utter contempt. “Awake, are we?” she said, her voice dripping with venom. “Good. Any last words? If I’m feeling generous, I might even grant one.” They both chuckled, leaning into each other. Chloe’s sharp, hyena-like laughter sent shivers down my spine. I’d never seen her like this before. The wind on the rooftop was fierce, whipping against my face, filling me with dread. I turned my head, gazing down at the dizzying heights and the tiny, ant-like figures below. My heart hammered with terror. One step, and I would plummet from this building, splattering into a bloody mess on the pavement below. The image of that gruesome scene made me tremble. I glared back at them. They were still grinning, as if my life meant nothing. My fear morphed into a burning rage. I roared at her. “Chloe Miller!” “I was so good to you! Why would you betray me? How could you be so cruel?!” They wanted me dead, and I didn’t even know why. My legs began to give out, my mind shattering with despair. One was the girlfriend I’d loved for three years, the other, my childhood best friend. “Why?!” Her eyes turned vicious as she stepped closer. “Because you’re a worthless garbage! Poor, and utterly worthless. Why would I ever be with you?” “Do you know, Asher, every time my friends asked about my boyfriend, I couldn’t even bring myself to talk about you.” “You were an embarrassment!” I stared up at her, disbelief etched across my face. Behind her, Liam Thorne smirked, slowly walking toward me. A large hand pressed down on my head, pushing me closer to the edge. My eyes burned red with defiance as I glared back at him. “Since you’re so pathetic, I’ll tell you a little secret, Asher.” “No, wait, it should be Asher Thorne, right? The Thorne family’s—second young master.” I gasped, my tense body went slack. I almost tumbled off the building. As I steadied myself, I finally saw what he held in his hand. It was the carved bead I’d worn around my neck for years! The one he’d been asking me for! Could it be?! A wave of shock slammed into me. I met his smiling eyes. He’d used this bead to claim my identity, to become the young master in my place! “Liam Thorne! You treacherous bastard!” I roared at him, my voice raw and hoarse. “Hahahaha! Looks like you figured it out! Let me tell you, Asher, you deserved every bit of it!” “You have to die. Only then can I truly rest easy.” He stepped closer, and Chloe, still smiling, joined him. Knowing the truth, tears of bitter rage streamed down my face. I stopped struggling, my heart filled with hatred for them, and even more, for my own stupidity! “Thud—” They both shoved me. I plunged into the air, clutching my fists, closing my eyes, my heart burning with vengeful hate… “Asher?!” My eyes snapped open. A hand waved suddenly in front of my face. The raw agony of that last moment made my body tremble, and I instinctively grabbed the nearby table for support. My chest heaved, and I gasped for air, desperate to fill my lungs. When I calmed down, I looked around, slowly realizing that I hadn’t died. The vivid terror and burning fury still seared through me. My body still trembled, and I wrapped my arms around myself. “What’s wrong, Asher? You look so pale.” I snapped back to reality. Liam Thorne and Chloe Miller, those two dreadful figures, were standing right in front of me. Chloe reached out a hand, a worried look on her face, to wipe the beads of sweat from my forehead. But recalling her monstrous grin on the rooftop sent a cold shiver down my spine. I dodged her hand, taking a step back. “So, Asher, can I have that bead?” Liam asked, his handsome face creased with a slight frown. I lowered my gaze, picking up the smooth, brown bead hanging around my neck. My initial ‘A’ was carved into it. My mind raced. I was back. Back to the day he’d asked for this very bead. I remembered then. His birthday was approaching, and he’d outright asked for it. He claimed he’d been having bad luck lately and wanted something to bring him good fortune, and my bead had caught his eye. My heart lurched. I clutched it tighter. Seeing my nervous expression, he actually tried to grab it. He tugged at the cord around my neck, refusing to let go. I tightened my grip on the bead, glaring at him, seething. “No!” I roared. My drastic reaction made both of them look up in surprise. Liam flinched, staring at me with stunned disbelief. It was then I realized how loud I’d been. It was probably the first time I’d ever raised my voice like that. “Asher, it’s just a bead, right? Just give it to Liam,” Chloe said. “He’s been so unlucky lately. He’s been sick three times this month and still isn’t feeling well.” Three times in one month? I scoffed inwardly. So, they were already hooking up back then? She remembered the exact number of times he’d been sick. “No…” My anger from earlier had faded, and I weakly pushed back. Seeing my softened demeanor, Liam’s tense posture visibly relaxed, as if he’d let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He’d been wary of me. “I’m sorry, Liam, but I’ve worn this since I was a kid. I can’t imagine being without it.” “I’ll get you a different gift.” Silence hung in the air. I wondered if he knew the significance of this family keepsake yet. It wasn’t until I turned to leave that I caught his reflection in a mirror behind me—his face twisting into a malicious sneer, his eyes dark with menace. Only then did I realize. He knew. And he was doing this on purpose.

Outside, Chloe looped her arm through mine, just like she always did, chatting and laughing. But she’d just sided with Liam. They were clearly hooking up. I pulled my arm away with disgust. She flinched, then pretended it didn’t bother her. Suddenly, she giggled, pulling out her phone and letting out a gasp of envy. “Asher! Look at this bag! It’s gorgeous!” She shoved her phone screen in my face. It was a designer bag worth thousands. Seeing my silence, she pouted cutely, mumbling, “Ugh, it’s way too expensive. I guess I can only dream.” “Even though everyone else in class has one, there’s nothing I can do.” Her eyes welled up, threatening to spill over. I scoffed inwardly. In my past life, I’d been completely taken in by that innocent, pitiful act of hers. She always made me feel like I owed her something, mentioning how other people had new bags and new makeup. Every time I saw her look so miserable, my heart would soften, and I’d want to do everything in my power to make her happy. So, despite being financially strapped, I would work multiple part-time jobs, eating only ramen and cheap sandwiches for days, just to scrape together enough money for her gifts. I still remembered that rainy winter day. I was out with an umbrella, handing out flyers, soaking wet and utterly miserable. My hands and feet were numb with cold, but I forced myself to visit every shop, humbly begging them to take a look at the flyers. I’d only made fifty bucks that afternoon, but the bag she wanted cost fifteen hundred. Later, walking home from work, I passed a fried chicken place. My legs felt heavy, glued to the spot, as I stared longingly at the golden fried chicken, practically drooling. But I thought of her gift and her happy smile, and I held back, even though I hadn’t eaten meat in six months. After a month, I finally saved enough to buy the bag and gave it to her as her birthday gift. She giggled with delight when she received it, spinning around, saying she was the happiest girl in the world. At the time, I thought all my hardship was worth it. Because for someone who grew up in an orphanage like me, she was my only family, the only girl in my heart. Now, looking back, I just feel utterly stupid. A true lover wouldn’t let you go hungry for days, wouldn’t ignore your struggles, wouldn’t be clueless about your whereabouts. She had only ever been using me. Silence stretched between us. Seeing my indifferent expression, she looked a little lost, on the verge of tears. I frowned, letting out a weary sigh. “Chloe, I’m out of cash.” “I can’t even afford a meal tomorrow.” Her body stiffened. She forced a twitch of a smile, but no words came out. It wasn’t until her phone rang that she quickly said, “Asher, I think my roommate is looking for me. I gotta go.” She wiped her eyes, then turned and scurried away. Watching her fleeing back, I let out a soft, mocking laugh. I’d skip meals for what she wanted, but she wouldn’t even spare me enough for one meal. I truly was a pathetic clown. I clenched my fists, the hatred in my heart deepening. Looking at the smooth bead around my neck, I decided it was time to get things back on track. I was going to claim my true identity.

I arrived at the Thorne family’s grand mansion and pressed the doorbell. I’d been here once before, in my past life, for Liam’s party. Back then, he’d invited me to celebrate him finding his family. “Hello, who are you looking for?” A kind-faced housekeeper opened the door. When she saw the bead around my neck, her eyes widened in astonishment. She quickly turned and shouted, “Madam! He’s here! He’s here!” The door remained open, and I stepped inside. I stopped just at the entrance to the living room. After the housekeeper exchanged a few words with Madam Thorne, Eleanor suddenly looked up, her eyes wide as saucers. She was practically supported by the housekeeper as she slowly walked toward me. She stared intensely at the bead around my neck, then swept her gaze over my face. “You’re home. You’re finally home!” she cried, a bright smile breaking across her face. I noticed the streaks of silver in her hair. At that party, I’d heard that Madam Thorne had been searching for her child for over a decade, losing sleep every night because of him. Even after so much time, she’d never given up. The tender love in her eyes when she looked at Liam then had made me envious. I wished I had a mother too. My eyes welled up, blurring my vision. My heart ached. My mother must have suffered so much. “Mom—” A deep, resonant voice spoke from behind Eleanor. I looked toward him. It was my brother, Julian. His lips parted slightly, a hint of surprise in his eyes. He froze for a second, then rushed forward and wrapped me in a tight hug. “My little brother.” A scene of profound brotherly affection. He patted my head and chuckled. “Come, sit down. Talk to Mom.” He murmured softly, and Mom pulled me down beside her. She told me that when she was busy starting her business years ago, she’d left me with Julian. But he hadn’t watched me carefully enough, and I’d been snatched. She’d searched endlessly, running to countless cities, visiting numerous orphanages, but I was nowhere to be found. I listened in silence, noticing the discomfort on Julian’s darkened face. Slowly, he spoke, a hint of self-reproach in his voice. “Little brother, I’m sorry. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have endured so much hardship…” I gave him a comforting smile. “Bang—” The living room door burst open. Liam Thorne rushed in, looking flustered and covered in a fine sheen of sweat. He gasped, panting, “He’s an impostor!” Eleanor, who was holding my hand, flinched. She looked between us, her eyes wide with disbelief. Just then, Chloe Miller emerged from behind Liam. She cowered forward, looking at me with a strange mix of fear and pleading. Her next words sent a fresh wave of ice through me. “Asher, please, just give Liam back his bead, okay?” Her words hit me like a physical blow. My mind went blank, and a deafening buzz filled my ears. I realized they were conspiring to frame me. Liam was still trying to snatch my identity.

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That summer when I was 18, Ryan took my virginity. I endured the pain, but secretly felt happy all night long, thinking my six years of secret love had finally come to fruition. Until the next day, when I overheard his friends teasing him: “Not bad, you scored with the class beauty.” I felt embarrassed and was about to quietly leave. Then I heard Ryan’s casual reply: “I want to pursue the school beauty, but I’m afraid she’ll think I’m too inexperienced. “So I’m using Mia to practice my skills first.” I didn’t say anything. At the last moment before the deadline, I silently changed my college application from New York to Florida.

Ryan’s words hit me like a bolt from the blue, completely catching me off guard. My mind went blank instantly. On such a hot summer afternoon, I felt chills all over my body. The conversation in the classroom continued. The others seemed stunned for a moment before speaking again. “As expected of Ryan, even the class beauty is just practice for him.” “Doesn’t that make her like, you know, a maid for ‘special services’ in those old wealthy families?” Ryan laughed carelessly: “Don’t talk nonsense. It’s not like she’s losing out.” Someone immediately agreed. “That’s right, the class beauty has gotten a bit thin. Compared to the school beauty, her figure is…” Ryan irritably threw a book at him, interrupting his comment. “It was just a moment of impulse. The mood was right, and she seemed to be struggling to hold back too…” The others exchanged knowing looks and teased him: “Who would’ve thought the class beauty was the sultry type.” “Tsk tsk, it’s our Ryan’s irresistible charm. Might as well eat the meat right in front of you.” “The class beauty has been chasing after Ryan for so many years. I guess she finally got her wish. She probably wanted to jump him long ago.” The laughter in the room grew noticeably louder. I bit my lip hard, my hands clenched into tight fists. It took all my strength to keep steady and not collapse at the classroom door. Footsteps approached from the end of the hallway. I snapped back to my senses and fled the scene in a panic. In my confusion, I hid in a bathroom stall.

Tears of heartbreak and humiliation were already flowing freely. Ryan’s words echoed in my mind over and over, nearly destroying all of my self-esteem. If I hadn’t heard it with my own ears, I never would have believed that he was the same person who had been so passionately intimate with me just last night. So it turns out you can do such intimate things even without love. Even in the most passionate, irrational moments, it’s possible to lie and deceive. What I foolishly thought was the culmination of our relationship was nothing more than a joke to others. The more I cried, the more upset I became. But I didn’t dare make any loud sounds. My body kept shaking uncontrollably. After a long while. My phone buzzed with a message notification. It was from Ryan. [Take a cab home yourself. My class is having a party tonight, so it’s not convenient for me to take you.] I didn’t reply. He added another message. [Remember to buy the morning-after pill yourself. I’m too busy today. Make sure to take it, be good.] I stared at these two messages for a long time, speechless. Last night, from dusk till dawn, Ryan had worn me out over and over again. Before falling asleep exhausted in each other’s arms, he had whispered twice: “I wasn’t fully prepared for our first time. I’ll definitely buy you the pill tomorrow.” He even reminded me that girls need to protect themselves, and that I must take the morning-after pill or it could be very harmful to my body. At the time, I thought he was being so responsible towards me. I thought I had finally found my happiness. But now… In an instant, I sobered up considerably. I pinched my palm hard, forcing myself to stop crying. I wiped away my tears, composed myself, and left the bathroom. Too embarrassed to go to the pharmacy, I just ordered the pill online. After the delivery driver left it at the door, I waited a long time before I dared to sneak out and retrieve it. After swallowing the pill with tears in my eyes, I seemed to lose all my strength. I just sat numbly on the carpet, staring blankly. Ever since Ryan’s family moved in next door, I had followed him around like a little puppy for ten years. I had never imagined what a world without him would be like. I didn’t dare to imagine it. But from now on, I would be alone. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, lights came on one after another, then gradually went out. I don’t know how much time passed before my best friend Lily video called me. “Mia, why didn’t you come to our class party with Ryan tonight? “That Claire from the liberal arts class showed up instead. She’s been clinging to Ryan while you’re not here. The two of them are being so gross.” Lily turned the camera to show me.

In a dark corner of the private room, Ryan and Claire, the school beauty, were sitting very close together. Claire was wearing a crop top and tight jeans tonight, showing off her slim waist and long legs. The two of them were clearly separated from the rest of the group. Even when they talked, it looked like they were whispering sweet nothings to each other. The flirtatious atmosphere was palpable even through the screen. My chest tightened uncontrollably. Ryan had just said this afternoon that he wanted to pursue her. It seems he had already succeeded by evening. Claire drew a “Truth or Dare” card that required her to do push-ups with a guy on top. She had to choose a male participant. Unsurprisingly, Ryan immediately volunteered. Everyone started cheering and teasing them. Claire’s face turned red as she obediently lay down on the sofa. Ryan positioned himself above her and easily did dozens of push-ups. He was very restrained the whole time, carefully avoiding touching Claire’s body. Until the very last one, whether he finally lost his strength or did it on purpose. He couldn’t hold himself up and collapsed directly on top of Claire. The screams around them grew even louder, nearly taking the roof off. Ryan and Claire’s faces turned even redder. Amid the crowd’s frenzied cheering, Ryan simply lowered his head and kissed Claire. The two of them made out passionately, oblivious to everyone else. It went on for a full three minutes before they reluctantly separated. During those endless three minutes, I stared at the screen unblinkingly, so shocked I almost forgot to breathe. My heart felt like it was being torn apart. I wanted to cry, but I had cried too much earlier without drinking water, so I had no tears left. “Tsk tsk tsk, Mia did you see that clearly? They were French kissing with tongue and everything. He’s totally into her.” Lily sighed as she turned the camera and left the private room. She found a quiet corner and earnestly advised me: “Mia, don’t blame me. If I didn’t let you see it with your own eyes, you wouldn’t give up on him.” My throat was dry and the sounds I made were barely audible. “Mm, I don’t blame you.” I only blame myself for being so stupid for so many years. I thought that since I was always allowed to follow Ryan around, that position by his side would always be mine. “I just can’t stand Ryan. What gives him the right to string you along for years, knowing you like him, pretending to be an innocent boy while watching you fall deeper and deeper. “Now you’ve seen it clearly. I really hope you’ll seriously reconsider. Don’t let him waste another four years of your life in college…” “I won’t, Lily.” I interrupted her, stating calmly. “I won’t give myself another chance. “Lily, I’ve decided. I’m going to college in Florida with you. “But you have to promise to keep it a secret for now.”

After saying that, to prevent myself from hesitating again, I opened my laptop in front of her. Without any hesitation, at the last minute before the deadline, I changed my first choice to that famous university in Florida. Lily was of course overjoyed. She had been begging me to apply to the same school for a long time. But when we first started high school, I had already made a promise with Ryan that we would work hard together and go to his dream school in New York after the SATs. That’s where his favorite aerospace program was. So even though I didn’t particularly like the cold North, and didn’t have much interest in that engineering-focused school, for all three years of high school, I still made it my goal. After being neighbors for so many years, both sets of parents were happy for us to go to the same college. Everyone, including me, thought that Ryan and I would naturally become a couple after we became adults. But now, I couldn’t find any reason to go to New York anymore. Or rather, after today, if I still clung to Ryan like before. I would despise myself. Now I just wanted to hide far away. It didn’t matter where, as long as Ryan wasn’t there. If he was in the North, then I would go South.

Before bed, I filled the entire bathtub, wanting to thoroughly wash myself clean. But when I took off my clothes, the bruises on my skin were still very visible. Memories of last night came flooding back uncontrollably. The scorching heat of the young man’s skin as we embraced tightly, the burning breath in my ear as we made love, the lingering warmth still seemed to surround me. I shook my head vigorously, trying to get rid of these wild thoughts. I found the roughest loofah and scrubbed my skin over and over again, only stopping when my whole body turned red. Clumsily trying to erase this most shameful memory of my life. As a result, I was in so much pain that I couldn’t sleep well all night. Ryan indeed didn’t send any more messages. Breaking the habit we’d had for six years, ever since we got phones, of saying goodnight to each other without fail. This was for the best. It would have happened sooner or later anyway. Might as well start detoxing from tonight. I dozed off fitfully until nearly dawn. The next morning while I was still sound asleep, I suddenly felt someone plant a light kiss on my forehead in my dream.

I woke up with a start. But what I saw when I opened my eyes was a familiar chin and Adam’s apple. The scent enveloping me from above was Ryan’s favorite cedar fragrance, along with a faint, unfamiliar hint of lemon. I had almost forgotten, Ryan still knew the passcode to my front door. Seeing that I was awake, Ryan simply moved lower, chuckling as he tried to kiss my lips. I hurriedly turned my head to avoid it. I pushed him away and retreated to the other side of the bed. Ryan was stunned for a moment, then laughed at me: “Why so shy now? Hmm?” I didn’t say anything, just pulled the covers over my head. Ryan scolded me while trying to pull off my blanket. “Mia, you’ve gotten bold, huh? You didn’t even say goodnight to me last night, and you dared to turn off your phone and go to sleep. “Now you’re hiding from me?” He deftly slipped under my covers. Before I could react, he had wrapped me in his arms. “Be good, how many times have I told you not to skip breakfast. “I went for a 30-minute run specially to get you those crab roe buns you love. I queued for ages. “Do you want to get up and eat now, or do you want to… be eaten first…” His breath was very close to me, and his hands started roaming. Fully awake now, I struggled desperately. But at 5’3″, I was no match for a 6’2″ man. I really couldn’t understand what he was thinking. He already had Claire, why was he still messing with me? After struggling hard for a while, I was panting heavily. I hadn’t broken free, but was held even tighter. “What are you throwing a tantrum about now? “Are you angry? Just because I didn’t take you to the party last night? Such a trivial thing?” I didn’t say anything. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, laughing out loud. “Let me guess, your good friend Lily tattled to you? “It was just a game, is that worth being jealous over? “Why are you still like before, getting all sulky whenever I get a little close to other girls.” I was furious beyond words, with no idea where to even begin. Remembering what I learned during freshman orientation, I suddenly raised my knee and kicked him between the legs, then quickly ran off the bed while he was in pain. “Mia!” Ryan gritted his teeth, his face turning red. I hurriedly threw on a shirt over my pajamas and rushed to the living room. I didn’t want to be in the same room as him, especially not my bedroom. Not long after, Ryan also came out, looking both angry and helpless. After a long while, he seemed to suddenly remember something and casually asked: “By the way, you took the pill yesterday, right?” “Don’t cause any trouble. We can’t explain it to our parents.” Ryan walked to the dining table and picked up a soy milk, handing it to me. “Be good, eat something before you get angry. Your stomach isn’t great to begin with.” I didn’t say anything, nor did I take it. Ryan’s hand holding the soy milk hovered in the air for a long time before he finally lost patience. “What exactly is the matter? “Mia, even if you’re throwing a tantrum, there should be a reason and a limit, right?” I coldly replied: “I’m not worthy.” Ryan got angry too, slamming the soy milk down hard on the coffee table. He used too much force. The plastic cup cracked and all the soy milk instantly spilled onto the carpet. “What do you mean? “Who do you think you are, Mia? “We just slept together once by mutual consent, and now you want to control me? Don’t you know how suffocating that is?” His tone was unprecedentedly fierce. In an instant, tears streamed down my face without any buildup. Yesterday’s humiliation and grievances all came rushing back. Ryan seemed unprepared for my sudden intense crying and was at a loss for what to do. He apologized regretfully: “I’m sorry, I drank too much last night. I spoke impulsively just now.” Ryan crouched down beside me as he spoke, reaching out to wipe away my tears, but I dodged him again. He was stunned, his hand frozen in midair. Just as he was about to continue comforting me, his phone suddenly rang. He glanced at it once, his expression changing drastically. He immediately got up to leave. “I have an urgent matter to attend to. Calm down by yourself first. “We’re in college now. You can’t always act like a child. Who else could put up with that in the future?”

Less than half an hour after he left, Lily sent me a screenshot. It was Claire’s social media post. [Claire: Just said I was hungry, and a loving breakfast magically appeared! Feels like my crush and I are moving towards each other~] The photo showed packaging identical to the crab roe buns on my dining table. I didn’t reply. I just silently wiped away my tears and crouched down to carefully clean up the soy milk Ryan had spilled. After trying for a long time, I sadly discovered that the stain had seeped deep into the wool carpet and couldn’t be removed no matter what. In a fit of anger, I simply threw out the entire carpet. It was the one Ryan and his parents had carefully chosen and carried back for me after an entire afternoon of shopping during their trip to Nepal anyway. While I was at it, I gathered up all of Ryan’s things left at my place, as well as all the big and small gifts he had ever given me. I even collected all our photos together. It took me all day to pack everything up and throw it away. I guess he wouldn’t want these old things anymore either. After Ryan left that day, there was no news from him for several days in a row. I suppose things were going well with the school beauty. Or maybe he was waiting for me to give in first. In the past, I had always been the one to make up first after every cold war, without exception. But this time I didn’t reach out to him. There was no need to reach out anymore. I blocked his SnapChat and phone number, changed my home’s door passcode, and deleted all my social media accounts. After doing all this, I called my parents who were away on business trips. I told them I wanted to visit my aunt in America during the summer break. My plan was to spend the summer there, then go straight down south with Lily to start college when the break was over. Except for Lily, no one else knew I had applied to a school in Florida. This plan should perfectly avoid any chance of running into Ryan. Mom still teased me on the phone, “Oh my, are you and Ryan going on vacation together?” I made up an excuse to deny it, not wanting to explain too much. I just told her I wanted to spend time with my aunt and grandmother. I begged Dad to buy me a ticket on the soonest flight. I was planning to fly out that very night. As I was leaving, I unfortunately ran into Ryan’s mom at the entrance of our building. She warmly greeted me: “Mia, why are you alone here? Didn’t Ryan come to pick you up? “Didn’t he say he was taking you skiing in New Zealand? Go and have a great time, Auntie fully supports you two.” I was a bit confused. During our intense SAT prep period, I had indeed mentioned to Ryan that I wanted to go skiing in New Zealand to experience winter in the Southern Hemisphere. But given our current situation, how could we possibly go on a trip together? However, I was running out of time, so I just hastily made some vague replies before leaving. But what I didn’t expect was that at the airport, I actually ran into Ryan.

He was with a group of friends. Claire was there too. Ryan was carrying a woman’s handbag in one hand, his other arm around Claire’s waist. They were walking at the back of the group. From time to time Claire would turn her head to say something to him, and Ryan would always cooperate, patiently bending down to listen. Not like with me. Ryan had always been a head taller than me since we were kids, and he kept getting taller. When I was with him, I always had to jump up and down and lift my head to talk to him. It turns out he will lower his head for someone he truly cares about. I took a deep breath. Telling myself I must have some dignity. Whatever he does has nothing to do with me anymore. If I keep overthinking, I’ll slap myself. But there seemed to be only one path to the departure gates. I could only follow far behind them. Finally, we reached a fork in the path. Ryan seemed to be getting a bit distracted. He made several phone calls that didn’t go through, then fiddled with his phone for a while. In the end, he borrowed a friend’s phone and walked to a nearby restroom with a gloomy expression. Not long after, my phone suddenly rang. It was an unknown number. “Mia, you’re really angry this time, huh? You won’t reach out to me unless I contact you first? “You even blocked me? “If you have the guts, then just keep not contacting me. Let’s see who will take care of you when you’re all alone in an unfamiliar place in New York.” Ryan’s tone was harsh as he berated me nonstop. I didn’t say anything. There was really no way to respond to that. But Ryan seemed to get even angrier. “I won’t say much more. Hurry up and add me back on SnapChat. “I’m about to go abroad with some friends for a couple days, so I might not be reachable by phone. Don’t worry and cry.” I couldn’t be bothered to say a single word to him. I hung up the phone immediately and turned it off. From a distance, I watched Ryan return to his group with a dark expression. He angrily pulled Claire along, no longer hesitating, and headed straight for the left departure gate. I sighed and turned to walk towards the right.

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It was three years after my death when my wife, Seraphina Hayes, demanded my kidney for her childhood sweetheart, Julian Thorne, again. She arrived at my old place, donation papers clutched in her hand, only to find strangers living there. Desperate, she tracked down my landlord, Mr. Henderson, to find out where I’d gone. But he just told her: “Liam? He’s long gone! Heard he died from a full-body infection after a kidney surgery. Couldn’t afford the meds, so he just… faded away.” Seraphina scoffed, refusing to believe him. She accused Mr. Henderson of being in cahoots with me, trying to trick her. Her brow furrowed, and she sneered coldly: “It was just a kidney donation, wasn’t it? How could someone *die* from that?!” “Tell him this: if I don’t see him at the hospital tomorrow, he can forget about getting another penny of child support for that kid!” With that, she stormed off, radiating fury. Mr. Henderson watched her retreating figure, then sighed, a weary sadness in his voice: “But that child… he died from his illness a long time ago too. His ashes are still at the funeral home, unclaimed.” 0

I floated above, watching Seraphina Hayes stomp into my old apartment complex, her heels clacking a furious rhythm. Three years. She still wore perfect makeup, but the usual coldness in her eyes sharpened into something truly cruel. “Hey, where’s Liam Miller? I just went to his place, and the tenants told me he moved out!” Seraphina’s blood boiled just thinking about the rude new tenants. She grabbed Mr. Henderson, who was just leaving, her voice sharp and accusatory, lashing out like a whip: “Where’s Liam living now? Don’t you dare tell me you don’t know!” Mr. Henderson, a man in his sixties, flinched at her belligerence. He frowned. “Liam Miller? He…” “Spit it out! I need to see him, now!” “Your urgency won’t help! Liam’s long dead, dear. Heard he died from a full-body infection after a kidney surgery. Couldn’t afford the meds, so he just… faded away.” “Wh… what, dead?!” Seraphina’s face froze for a beat. She clearly hadn’t processed his words. But after a flicker of hesitation, her sneering disdain returned. “Hah! You’re in cahoots with him, aren’t you? Trying to fool me? Listen to this!” She pulled out her phone, quickly tapping open a voice message. Julian Thorne’s sickly sweet voice drifted from the speaker: “Seraphina, I’ve checked with the surgeon. The operation was a success. Liam was transferred to a regular recovery room. But he’s been upset with me since the last surgery, so I guess he’s using all sorts of excuses to avoid donating another kidney this time…” Seraphina let out a harsh laugh, shoving her phone screen in Mr. Henderson’s face. “Hear that? The doctor said he’s fine! What’s the point of making up such pathetic lies?!” Mr. Henderson’s face clouded. “Why would I lie? Liam is truly…” “Shut up!” Seraphina snapped, her voice shrill. “Liam Miller is a selfish, despicable man! He wouldn’t help Julian, and now he’s got people in on his act? Julian needs his kidney. What right does he have to hide?!” Her attitude enraged Mr. Henderson. His voice turned cold. “How can you be so unreasonable, young lady? The man’s gone, and you’re still here, throwing a tantrum!” But Seraphina was focused solely on Julian. She didn’t listen, just kept raging. “You tell him this: if I don’t see him at the hospital tomorrow, he can forget about getting another penny of child support for that kid!” She spun around and left, her heels clacking like angry drumbeats against the pavement, as if venting all her fury on the ground. Mr. Henderson watched her go, shaking his head. He sighed softly. “But that child… he died from his illness a long time ago too. His ashes are still at the funeral home, unclaimed.” I floated in the hallway, listening to his words, my ghostly heart clutched by an unseen hand. Leo, my son… he never got to see his mother one last time, not even when he died… Seraphina exited the complex, pulling out her phone to call Julian. Her voice instantly softened. “Julian, don’t worry. I’ll make sure that bastard Liam gives you his kidney! If he tries to hide, I’ll make sure he never sees that kid again!” On the other end, Julian coughed weakly, feigning concern. “Seraphina, don’t be too hard on him… after all, he was your husband.” Seraphina scoffed. “Husband? Him? He’s not even fit to be called that! If you hadn’t gone abroad back then, why would I have ever married a good-for-nothing like him?!” I floated behind her, listening to those words. My very soul trembled. So, in her heart, I wasn’t even worthy of being called a “husband.” “Daddy…” Lost in thought, I suddenly heard a tender voice. Looking down, I saw Leo floating beside me. His tiny hand gently tugged at my shirt. He looked up, his big eyes filled with confusion. “Why does Mommy call me a bastard? Does she not like me?” My heart lurched. I instinctively shook my head. “No, sweetheart. How could Mommy not like you?” “Then why did Mommy never come to the family sports day at kindergarten?” Leo pouted, his voice dropping. “All the other kids had their mommies with them…” My throat tightened, words caught painfully inside. In an instant, memories flooded back, a crushing tide— Seraphina and I, we once truly loved each other. We met at an industry conference. It felt like fate, love at first sight for both of us. Our courtship, our marriage—everything felt so natural. I still remember her hands trembling, clutching the pregnancy test, the first time she found out. She was shy and excited as she threw herself into my arms: “Liam, we’re going to be parents!” Back then, I thought I’d found the love of my life. But just four months into her pregnancy, Julian came back from overseas. When she got his call, the milk cup in her hand shook so much she dropped it. I’d heard his name from her before, sometimes. But I thought, it was just the past. Since she chose to marry me, she would know her boundaries, take care of our family. I never imagined that from then on, she would grow colder towards me, constantly making excuses to go out. It escalated to early mornings, late nights, even not coming home at all. What truly broke my heart was when she secretly booked an abortion appointment, wanting to get rid of the baby. I even considered divorce. But every time I saw her, I’d remember the days when we were so deeply in love. I longed for her to come back to me, even begging her on my knees. Only then did she reluctantly agree to keep the child. But after that, she always carried the faint scent of a strange man’s cologne. It wasn’t until she was seven months pregnant that Seraphina got into a car accident. The baby was born prematurely, so tiny and fragile in the incubator, like a frail, abandoned kitten. But during her hospital stay, she only allowed Julian to be with her. That bastard took advantage, lying to her that the baby hadn’t made it. And she believed him! She even sighed in relief! I’ll never forget what she said then: “This is for the best… Julian doesn’t like kids. We can start fresh…” In that moment, my heart turned to ice. I secretly took Leo home, deciding never to tell her the truth— I was terrified she would do something to harm our child for the sake of her so-called “love.” But fate is cruel. When Leo was eighteen months old, Seraphina accidentally ran into us, father and son, at the mall. She froze, her face instantly draining of color. Without a word, she rushed forward and slapped me across the face. “Liam Miller, whose child is this? Are you cheating on me?!” I desperately tried to explain it was our son, but she refused to believe me. Julian, standing nearby, fanned the flames: “Seraphina, that kid’s eyes don’t look anything like yours. How could he be yours?” From then on, she started calling Leo “the bastard.” No matter how I explained, even showing her the birth certificate, she was convinced it was proof of my infidelity. “Daddy?” Leo’s voice pulled me back to reality. He tilted his head, looking at me. “Why are you crying?” Only then did I realize my ghostly essence was trembling. So… ghosts can feel heartbreak too. I crouched down, trying to hug him, but my arms passed right through his translucent body. “Leo, Mommy doesn’t dislike you. She just… forgot.” “Then let’s go tell Mommy, okay?” Leo’s eyes sparkled. “Tell her I’m her baby! She’ll definitely remember!” I looked at his innocent, hopeful gaze, my chest aching so much I couldn’t speak. Just then, Seraphina’s phone rang. Julian’s weak voice came through the receiver: “Seraphina, the doctor says I can’t wait… the surgery has to be by tomorrow at the latest…” Seraphina gripped her phone, her eyes hardening. “Don’t worry. I’ll tear this city apart to find Liam Miller, even if I have to turn it upside down!” I floated above, watching this mother and son— One filled with innocent hope, the other consumed by bitter hatred. Suddenly, an invisible force pulled me, following Seraphina’s car. It seemed my soul was still bound to this cruel woman, unable to break free. *** I followed Seraphina to the hospital, my transparent body passing through walls, floating outside Julian’s hospital room. Julian lay in bed, his face ghostly pale, like a sheet. Seeing Seraphina enter, he weakly reached out.

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When I took the kids for their routine pre-school check-up, I unexpectedly found out that my stepson, Liam, had leukemia. I immediately contacted the bank, desperate to get a loan for a bone marrow transplant. But my daughter, Bella, suddenly piped up, “Dad, when we go in, just say *I* have leukemia.” The moment we walked through the door, Bella dropped to her knees in front of my wife, tears streaming down her face. “Mom, I want to live. Please, save me.” I knew this was Bella’s test, and my eyes were glued to Eleanor’s reaction. If she said *anything* about treating Bella, I’d sell everything I owned to cure Liam. But if Eleanor couldn’t stand by me through this hardship, then I’d have no choice but to watch Liam’s illness with cold indifference. Eleanor helped Bella up, but I caught a flash of resentment in her eyes. She sighed, looking at me with a weighty tone. “I already know about Bella’s leukemia. You know our financial situation… maybe we should just… let it go.” I quickly cut in, “The child calls you Mom, after all! How can we just let it go?” Liam, who was engrossed in his game, impatiently interjected. “So what if she calls her Mom? She’s not her *real* daughter.” His utter lack of concern sent a chill down my spine. After we remarried, I was so worried he wouldn’t adjust that I gave him everything, the very best. I never imagined he wouldn’t just fail to protect his sister, but would say something so heartless. I was shaking with rage, standing up and pointing at him, demanding, “Bella is your sister! Just because she’s not biological, she doesn’t deserve to be saved?” Eleanor, clearly annoyed, pulled me back. “Enough! Why are you yelling at Liam? Forget the astronomical cost of a bone marrow transplant, even a single round of radiation therapy costs tens of thousands. This is a bottomless pit with no end in sight.” She glanced at Bella, whose tears were still wet on her cheeks, and spoke coldly. “Blame Bella for her bad luck, I guess. I know you like having a girl, but if it comes down to it, we can just have another one.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I spoke, my voice laced with urgency. “Leukemia isn’t as terrifying as you think. Early treatment can be covered by insurance. Are you just going to stand there and watch the child…?” She crossed her arms, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Your child is a child, but Liam and I are outsiders? We’re just living together, you know. Don’t be so selfish, okay? If it were Liam who was sick, I would absolutely divorce you and bear the responsibility alone. I would never drag you down.” “Besides, you’d sell the house and car to treat this money pit, and she’ll just get married off eventually anyway, right? How much can you get back from a dowry?” She looked at Bella with disdain, letting out a scornful scoff. “But you can’t just…” Before I could finish, Liam violently slammed his phone screen onto the couch and roared. “Ugh! So annoying!” “I’ve said it a hundred times, she’s not getting treated! You’ve completely messed up my character in the game! If you bother me again while I’m playing, I’ll pull your oxygen tube when you’re old!” Liam was like a furious little beast, his eyes wide, looking at me as if I were his enemy. Suddenly, I felt Eleanor had a point. If I risked everything—selling the house and car—to save Liam, and then had to worry about him not taking care of me in old age, would saving him really be worth it? Lost in thought, Eleanor handed me divorce papers. “What’s the meaning of this?” My heart sank. Only an hour or two had passed since the test results came out, and she already had the divorce papers ready! “Leukemia treatment is astronomically expensive. I don’t want my child to live a life of hardship with you. Sign this, and let’s go to the registry office to get divorced.” Just one glance sent a shiver down my spine. She not only demanded that I leave with absolutely nothing, but also that I pay monthly child support for Liam. I lightly tapped my finger on the table, my eyes fixed on Eleanor. “Why should I walk away with nothing?” Eleanor’s expression was one of complete righteousness. “All these years, I’ve been a stay-at-home mom, taking care of the child. I’ve lost my ability to work. Isn’t it only right that you compensate my son and me?” I spread my hands. “After the divorce, you won’t have to take care of the child? Won’t you still need to find a job?” A look of urgency flashed across her face: “Jobs are so hard to find these days. Until I find one, don’t you think you should give me some financial security? Otherwise, how will a single mother and her child survive?” “Didn’t I give you your ‘financial security’ before we even got married? Now that we’re talking divorce, why should I care how you survive?” I genuinely couldn’t fathom how she could say such things. The wedding gifts given before marriage were security, the pre-marriage jewelry was security. Now, if I were the one at fault, she’d seize my property as security. And if a child got sick, she’d take the security and continue her life. As a family, shouldn’t we share risks? Why was a human life worth less than a so-called comfortable life? When she heard I wouldn’t leave penniless, Eleanor started acting hurt again, wiping away tears and sobbing. “Children cost a lot of money, and I don’t have any other income. How are a single mother and her child supposed to survive? After all these years as husband and wife, shouldn’t you take full responsibility?” Wasn’t I responsible enough? The moment I found out about Liam’s illness, I contacted the bank to apply for a loan, ready to sell everything to pay for his treatment! Now, the tables were turned. I just wanted to hear her say *one word* about saving my daughter, just one word! But her? One moment she was calling my daughter a worthless money pit, the next she was demanding I leave with nothing. Was that *my* lack of responsibility? Seeing that I wouldn’t budge, Eleanor sat next to me, took my arm, and softened her voice.

“I treat her like my own daughter too. I don’t mind you treating her as long as it doesn’t cost *our* family’s money. But what if? What if we spend all that money and she doesn’t make it? We need to think about our future, right?” “Divorce is a last resort. Just hand over all the property to me for safekeeping first. Bella isn’t my biological daughter, so after the divorce, I won’t have any obligation to care for her. Even if she really doesn’t make it, you can declare personal bankruptcy, and then we can remarry. That way, your future will be secure, won’t it?” I scoffed internally. The moment she learned my daughter was sick, she was in a frantic rush to divorce me and split the assets. But she *did* remind me of something. Right now, I have a parental obligation to Liam. After a divorce, no matter what, I wouldn’t have to bear any responsibility for him. I looked at the divorce papers. If Eleanor was determined to let Bella go untreated, then I wouldn’t reveal that *her* son was the one who was sick. “I’m not one to fight over a bit of property. We’ve been through so much these years, don’t you trust me?” Seeing my silence, Eleanor raised her voice, asking incredulously. “It’s only been two hours since the medical report came out, and you already have the divorce papers ready. How can I trust you?” Hearing me say that, she instantly exploded. “Honey, honestly, how have I treated Bella all these years? Now she’s become a burden on the family, and isn’t what I’m doing for *our* future?” Each word, “burden,” made my face turn ashen. I pointed at Eleanor, my voice stern. “She’s a living, breathing person, not a burden!” Seeing me on the verge of exploding, Liam forcefully pushed Bella. My already frail daughter was knocked hard to the ground, crying out in pain. “You old man, if you yell at my mom again, I’ll kill her! She’s just a waste of money living anyway!” Liam shrieked at me hysterically, his eyes filled with a ferocity I’d never seen before. I’d never seen such a vicious side to Liam. Turns out, his previous obedience was all an act. He was nothing but an ungrateful monster! Liam pointed at my nose and cursed. “What? You wanna lay a hand on me? Go on, try it! Domestic abuse can make you lose everything, you know!” My fists clenched, wanting nothing more than to slap him across the face. I’d been better to him than my own daughter for four years, and I even thought about getting a loan for his bone marrow transplant! “Come on, hit me here! Do it!” He patted his own face, acting crazed. “Liam, how have I taught you? Kneel!” Eleanor’s stern voice rang out. She turned to me, her voice softening. “My son is being unruly. I’ll make him apologize to his sister right now.” The moment before so arrogant, Liam gnashed his teeth and knelt in front of Bella, deliberately turning his head away, his face full of resentment. Eleanor squatted in front of Bella, gently smoothing the stray hairs from her temples. “Bella, your brother was just impulsive. I’m making him apologize to you. We’re a family, we should be understanding of each other, right? I know what just happened makes you feel wronged, but Mommy feels wronged too!” “A minor illness is one thing, but this is leukemia! Do you want to make Daddy, Mommy, and your brother live a life of hardship with you, or do you want to become a star in the sky, watching us be happy every day?” “But… as long as our family is together, I’ll be happy,” Bella said with innocent sweetness. “Bella, you’re still little, you don’t understand,” Eleanor sighed deeply, shaking her head. “We’re just an ordinary family, we simply don’t have the money to treat you! Didn’t Dad always say not to bother others? I’m not your real mother! Why should I suffer with you?” “Think about it, during treatment, you’ll be hooked up to tubes, in pain and discomfort. Our family’s entire savings will be spent on you alone. Daddy and Mommy will be busy to death every day, and your brother will be mocked at school for not being able to afford designer brands. Is that what you want?” I glared at Eleanor through gritted teeth. She truly was a woman with a viper’s heart. Knowing she couldn’t convince me, she turned to manipulate my daughter. When I found out Liam was sick, I was willing to take out a loan to save him. But when it came to my daughter, she was actually convincing her to die! “Thump!”

The next second, Eleanor, her face haggard, dropped straight to her knees in front of Bella, weeping uncontrollably. “Please, honey, Mom is begging you. Our family really doesn’t have that much money. Can we just not treat it? We’ll make sure you’re happy for the time you have left. I’m still young, I don’t want to beg on the streets!” “Yeah, sis, I just accidentally pushed you earlier, and I apologized. Can you just die without dragging me down?” Liam, still kneeling beside them, added. “But what if? What if I get better, can things go back to how they were?” Bella looked at Eleanor, still hopeful and innocent. Eleanor grew impatient, her voice sharp as she massaged her forehead and retorted, “How many ‘what ifs’ are there? Even if you get better, can the money spent on you be brought back?” That simple sentence extinguished the last flicker of hope I had for saving Liam. “We’re just ordinary people, we only get one chance to gamble. If we lose, our lives will be ruined because of you alone. When you said ‘face it together,’ weren’t you just trying to drag us down with you?” “Mommy and your brother are people too. We don’t ask for great wealth, just a stable life. Can’t you be considerate of Mommy?” With that, she even managed to squeeze out a few fake tears. Liam quickly handed her a tissue, then stood up and glared at me. “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Both of them are selfish, they don’t consider our feelings at all!” “Mom, you two should get divorced immediately. I don’t want to go to hell with these two selfish people!” Watching them, I couldn’t help but reflect on their words. Yes, why should I gamble my entire future and Bella’s future for a slim chance at saving *her* son? Seeing that Bella couldn’t be swayed either, Eleanor stood up and looked at me coldly, speaking her true thoughts. “There’s only one illness in this world: poverty. I’m terrified of being poor. I’m just looking out for my own best interests.” I looked at her假惺惺 (hypocritical/feigned) demeanor with a bitter smile, shaking my head helplessly. As for the truth about Liam’s illness? If she was going to look out for her own interests, why couldn’t I? “You’re right. I don’t need you to bear any of this.” Hearing me say that, a glimmer of delight flickered in Eleanor’s eyes. She quickly handed over the divorce papers, striking while the iron was hot. “It’s best if you understand. We’re both thinking of the children, so there’s no need to blame each other.” Just then, my phone rang. It was the bank. “Mr. David, we’ve reviewed your credit score and spending history. Your approved loan amount is fifty thousand dollars.” Hearing the call, Liam’s face changed. “You took out a loan? Why didn’t you discuss something this big with my mom?” Eleanor’s face contorted. “Oh, I see now. I finally understand you. You never considered Liam and me family at all! Confess honestly, were you planning to use that loan to treat that worthless money pit and make *me* share the debt with you?” “I can’t believe you’re this kind of person. We’re getting divorced anyway, can’t we just be civil to each other?” I looked at her helplessly. “We’re getting divorced anyway, what’s wrong with me taking out a loan to treat my child on my own?” Eleanor stared at me, her neck stiff, and shouted. “What’s wrong? If you take out a loan for her treatment now, it becomes shared debt, and *we* have to bear it too!” Liam wasn’t to be outdone, threatening, “You old man, if you make my mom take on that debt, I’ll strangle that b*tch! I’m underage, so I won’t even go to jail!” I turned to look at him, a chill running through me at the venom in his eyes. This little devil would say *anything* to avoid debt! Eleanor patted my shoulder. “I don’t care if you want to take out a loan for treatment, but don’t make me share the debt, okay?” With words like that, I truly felt that all my efforts for them over the years were worthless. If Bella hadn’t had the foresight to test them, I would probably have been completely fooled. I sighed. “Alright then, let’s get divorced now. I’m in a hurry to get the money for treatment. This house goes to me, and the rest of the assets go to you, how about that?” Hearing me say this, Eleanor, barely concealing her smile, modified the agreement and watched intently as I signed the divorce papers. I pulled out the notarized prenuptial agreement from the cabinet and handed it to her. Eleanor looked at the pre-marriage property notarization, and her smile slowly froze. “What is the meaning of this?”

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“Aria, I’m over it.” Leo rolled off the couch, chin tilted defiantly, an arrogant smirk playing on his lips. I froze, my hand instinctively flying to my shirt buttons. “Okay.” “Okay?” “It’s too late now. Taxis are expensive,” I said, reaching for the bag he’d tossed onto the table, pulling out my phone to check the time. “You can leave tomorrow morning.” His beautiful eyes fixed on me, saying nothing. “If you can’t wake up,” I added, my voice incredibly soft, “tomorrow afternoon works too.” He reached out, grabbing my outstretched hand. His six-foot-plus frame suddenly loomed, an overwhelming presence. “You’re something else, Aria,” he whispered close to my ear. The next morning, squeezed onto a packed subway during rush hour, my SnapChat groups exploded with messages. The reason? A famous actress had been caught on camera late at night, spending time in a wealthy heir’s apartment. I work in entertainment media, and this concrete proof was absolutely explosive. Blake Davis, from the Davis family, worth hundreds of millions. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth. “Maybe she’ll actually marry him,” a colleague grumbled to me. “No, she won’t,” I replied curtly. “How do you know?” Because I’m Blake Davis’s wife. Or, to be precise, his ex-wife. It took everything I had to marry Blake. The subway pulled into the station, and I squeezed out like a sardine, accidentally dropping my earbuds. I turned back to see them on the ground, stepped on a few times. Before I could even pick them up, the train doors closed. Rushing to clock in, I sped to the office, barely catching an elevator. But then it beeped loudly, overloaded, and under everyone’s watchful eyes, I had to step out, defeated. Ah… my perfect attendance bonus… With a sigh of resignation, I waited for the next elevator. Pulling out my phone, I saw a text from Leo from fifteen minutes ago. He’d ordered breakfast delivery to my office and told me to remember to answer the rider’s call. I swiped up and saw a missed call from an unknown number five minutes ago. Must be the delivery rider. I’d missed the call. I called back, but it was immediately hung up. After a moment, a text came through: “In a meeting. Hold on.” A meeting? I texted back: “Delivery rider? Just leave it at the front desk, thanks.” I turned to walk towards the front desk when my phone rang. I answered, speaking quickly, “Hi, I’m at the company entrance. You can just bring it over.” There was a moment of silence on the other end, then a calm, unbothered voice. “Rider?” Blake Davis. My feet froze. The last time we’d spoken felt like a lifetime ago. Six months, to be exact. “Is there something you need?” I asked. “Come back to the family estate tonight,” he said. Divorcing him was my idea. He, however, thought I was throwing a tantrum. “Is that all you’ve got?” His eyes held an impatient sneer. “Short on cash again?” He’d found a convenient reason for my actions. Meeting my serious gaze, his brow furrowed. “Is this supposed to be amusing?” He leaned back in his chair, narrowing his eyes. I handed him the divorce papers. He stared into my eyes, like a dangerous predator, and I felt his anger slowly radiating from him. Provoking him, it seemed, had become my source of perverse pleasure in our dysfunctional marriage. But now, it all felt so utterly meaningless. “Stop the drama, just sign,” I said, my voice flat, lightly tossing the agreement onto the table. He watched my actions, then actually chuckled, as if he’d seen right through me. His tone was full of mockery: “Sign? Why wouldn’t I sign?” He seemed convinced I was just trying to manipulate him into staying. I watched as his pen quickly scrawled across the agreement. Once he was done, I reached for it, but he grabbed my wrist, pulling me hard into his embrace, a sensation both strange and unsettlingly familiar. “Leave with nothing but the clothes on your back,” he whispered in my ear. “Let’s see how long you last without me.” “Aria, coming over tonight?” I received Leo’s text just before leaving work. I didn’t reply, putting my phone away and heading to a ride-share with two large bags of groceries. In the car, I thought about it, then picked up my phone to text back. “Busy.” The car pulled up to the outer perimeter of the upscale gated community. The security guard at the gate wouldn’t let us in. I rolled down the window and greeted the guard. He immediately broke into a smile. “Mrs. Davis, it’s been a long time!” As soon as I stepped inside the front door, I caught the rich aroma of pork rib and lotus root soup. Mrs. Davis, the housekeeper, carried the groceries into the kitchen. Then Mrs. Davis, Blake’s mom, quickly untied her apron and rushed into the living room. “Aria, you’re back?” “Mom,” I said, changing into slippers as I walked over. “Smells like pork ribs. So good.” “Yes, it is! I specially simmered it for you this afternoon.” Mrs. Davis was meticulously well-preserved, her skin smooth and glowing, making her look no older than her early thirties. “Oh, Aria, why are your dark circles so heavy? Is work very tiring?” “It’s fine,” I said, sitting on the sofa. “Just used to staying up late.” “Well, that won’t do,” Mrs. Davis said, sitting beside me, her expression serious. “Your health is the most important thing. I always tell Blake to stop making you work so hard, but he always says I’m being meddlesome. Oh, I’ve watched you grow up since you were little, you’re dearer to me than a daughter. It’s just Blake’s personality isn’t good, he doesn’t know how to care for people.” Mrs. Davis held my hand, talking softly and incessantly. “Mom.” Blake’s voice came from behind us. “You’re back?” Mrs. Davis turned. “Oh, why are you two still arriving separately?” “I came from the office,” Blake said, turning to go upstairs. Six months had passed. His voice felt almost like a stranger’s to me. My phone vibrated. It was Leo. “Can’t sleep without you, Aria.” I turned off my phone screen. Mrs. Davis turned back to me. “Are you two staying at the family estate tonight?” “Depends on him,” I said. Mrs. Davis nodded, then remembered something and got up to go to the kitchen. I opened my phone and replied to Leo. “Then don’t sleep.” Blake handed me a bowl of lotus root soup. When my fingertips brushed his, there was a strange, uncomfortable sensation. His gaze flickered to my face for an instant, then away. “Stay at home tonight,” Mr. Davis, Blake’s grandfather, said. “I have something tomorrow,” Blake said, “so no.” Mr. Davis put his bowl down with a thud, which prompted a few coughs. The air suddenly thickened. Blake continued eating as if nothing happened. “Her company is on the north side of the city. Commuting from the family estate would take two hours.” The atmosphere eased slightly. Mr. Davis turned to me. “Still doing that job, dear? “Are you adapting well?” Mr. Davis asked with concern. “If it’s too much, just let Blake lighten your load.” “It’s fine, Grandpa. I’m very used to it.” Blake drove me home. “You’re driving yourself?” I asked from the passenger seat, awkwardly breaking the silence. He said nothing. Always like this. My words, he’d selectively answer. I ran my fingers along the right car window frame. It had been too long since I’d ridden in such a nice car. The feel was so smooth. He turned his head to glance at me, just a fleeting look. Like a royal decree. We drove through the city night, the car silent. Suddenly, a phone rang. Blake answered it. The car was too quiet, so I, sitting in the passenger seat, heard the woman’s voice on the other end crystal clear. She was whining, begging for company. His beautiful eyes flickered to me, an imperceptible glance. Not from guilt, just a test. “I’ll be there tonight,” he said, his tone neither warm nor cold. The woman on the other end was clearly overjoyed, rattling on endlessly. “Don’t call while driving,” I said, my voice low, but it instantly silenced the woman. Blake, however, chuckled. He said a few more words, then hung up. “Deliberate?” He couldn’t help but ask, turning the steering wheel. Heaven’s honest truth, I was only thinking of my own life. “When we were married, I never cared about you seeing other women,” I raised my eyebrows. “We’re divorced now, what business is it of mine?” His car was as cold as he was. I reached out to turn on the heating, but he slapped my hand away. “Outside air circulation,” he said, pressing a button, glancing at me. “Your perfume is suffocating.” “I’m not wearing perfume,” I retorted. Red light. He reached to touch my head. I instinctively flinched back. His hand paused, then he sneered coldly, quickly pulling it away. “Your hair.” I touched my hair, brought it to my nose, and sniffed. Ah, I understood. It was the smell of shampoo from Leo’s apartment. A men’s fragrance. I lowered the strand of hair I’d picked up and looked at Blake. He was waiting for my explanation. I turned my head to the window. “We’re divorced.” Things I didn’t care about before, there was even less reason to care about now. He remained silent. The car was terrifyingly quiet. “Subway station, get out,” he said. I opened my phone to check the time. “The subway’s not running now.” Twelve thirteen AM. “Can you call a taxi?” He pulled the car over to the side of the road, his voice laced with annoyance. “Get out.” He saw I hadn’t moved. “What? Can’t you understand me?” His tone was harsh, like a prelude to an explosion of anger. I met his dangerously intense gaze. He was waiting for me to back down. But I only wanted to challenge his limits even more. I smiled, my fingers lightly tapping on the comfortable window frame. “You get out,” I said. “What?” He didn’t react, turning to look at me, still with that impatient expression. “What? You don’t understand me?” I smiled back at him. He finally understood, his eyebrows furrowing. “What’s wrong with you—” He didn’t finish his sentence, putting on a look of not wanting to argue. “Stop messing around, get out. “I’ll reimburse you for the taxi,” he sighed faintly. I laughed. “You get out, I’ll reimburse *you* for the taxi.” That really pissed him off. “What are you doing?!” “Oh, you don’t know how to call a taxi yourself?” My voice was gentle. “Then I’ll call Mr. Chen to come pick you up, okay?” I made to call, but his large hand covered my phone. “What do you mean?” His breath brushed my ear. I leaned back slightly, pulling away from him. “We’re already divorced. If you want to wait for the right moment to tell your family, I can help you play along. “But that doesn’t mean I have to put up with your terrible temper anymore.” I shook my phone at him. “How many years have you used this trick of telling me to get out of the car?” He tried to snatch my phone, but I held it tightly. He stared deeply at me, as if recalling something, his grip leaving a red mark on my wrist. He snatched my phone, brushing past my ear, and slammed it against the car window. “Keep messing around if you dare.” Then he turned and got out of the car. I picked up my phone, moved into the driver’s seat, and drove off without looking back. I drove the car to Leo’s apartment’s underground garage. I turned to him. “What happened to your forehead?” He rubbed his forehead. “Nothing, just bumped it.” Ouch, his face is so handsome, it’d be a shame to scuff it. “Worried about me?” He leaned in closer. Seeing I didn’t speak, he asked again, “Where did you get the car?” I turned off the engine and handed him the car keys. “It’s yours.” He raised an eyebrow. “Got guts now? Where’d you steal it from?” I pressed the car keys into his hand, ready to get out. My wrist was suddenly grabbed. But he didn’t dare use force, afraid of hurting me. “What do you want?” I asked him. “Don’t you want to try?” “Try what?” “What do you think?” He smiled broadly, rubbing my wrist. The next morning, I was woken by my phone ringing. Muffled under the covers, I didn’t want to move. Didn’t want to go to work, didn’t want to get up. Leo got up, took the phone, and handed it to me. Then he pulled me into his arms, his warmth enveloping me. “Hello, who is this…” My voice was muffled from under the blankets. “Do you know there’s surveillance in my car?” That woke me up. I tried to push Leo away and get up, but his big arms and legs bundled me in, holding me down. I coughed abruptly, glancing at the caller ID. Blake Davis. Ugh. “I didn’t,” I cleared my throat. “Now you do,” the voice on the other end said. What kind of person is that? Installing surveillance in his own car. “Aria, can I drive you to work?” Leo drowsily leaned against the bathroom door frame, following me like a puppy. “You have morning classes,” I said, washing my face. “Hurry up and go to school.” Leo walked behind me, unable to open his eyes, just resting his head on my shoulder. “No, you’re heavy,” I nudged his head away. His hair was fluffy, truly like a dog’s. “Beep, beep, beep,” he murmured, his voice slightly deeper in the morning. “What are you doing?” I splashed warm water on his face. He rubbed against my neck. “Hold on, I need to recharge.” I pushed him away, exasperated. I grabbed my bag, ready to brave the subway. “Oh, right,” I said before leaving. “You can drive that car whenever you want, but there’s a camera inside. Find it and take it out.” “Camera?” He leaned against the door, seeing me off. “Aria, you really have a lot of tricks up your sleeve.” **Part Two** At eight PM, Julian returned to the country. S11 Club. Just before clocking out, I received a SnapChat from Blake. Read, then deleted. “Can’t find it.” Leo called me when I had just gotten back to my own apartment. “Can’t find what?” I asked, wedging the phone between my ear and shoulder as I changed shoes. “The camera,” Leo said, his voice laced with amusement. “Alright, Aria, are you messing with me?” I paused. “You really can’t find it?” “I’ve searched everywhere,” he said. Music was loud on his end, like someone was calling him. “Are you coming to see me tonight?” he asked. “No.” I hung up. My phone showed exactly eight PM. Time for my online class. I opened my TOEFL notes and began speaking English to my kind foreign teacher on the computer. “Why not?” Blake’s voice held no discernible emotion. “There’s no camera in your car,” I said, taking a sip of water, changing the subject. “Were you testing me?” “Why are you so guilty?” he asked me. “What do you care?” I countered. “I care?” His emotions finally showed some fluctuation. “You *want* me to care?” He’d stated a question as a declarative sentence. It was his usual blind self-confidence. The foreign teacher on the computer called my name, pointing to his watch, signaling that the break was over. “Are you seeing foreigners now?” Blake sneered. “Is this all you have left? “It won’t work,” he said. “When did you start English classes?” He looked displeased, the car stopped at a red light. Outside, the city night was cold under a fine, misty rain. “Six months ago,” I said, looking out the window. Blake’s profile was reflected in the glass. Half an hour ago, he’d appeared at my apartment door, wearing the same expression. Only angrier. “Why are you learning English?” he asked me. “Why are you at my apartment?” I asked him. He turned to look at me, his eyes carrying the unique mist of a cold night. The mist would spread, clinging to my skin in the confined space of the car. “Why do you think?” he said, his tone mocking. Green light, the car moved. His expression cleared, returning to his usual calm and restraint. Julian was still as youthful as ever. “Let’s wish CEO Sterling a happy thirty-third birthday!” As soon as I entered the private room, I heard people shouting inside. Julian looked over the crowd and saw me, and then he saw Blake standing behind me. “Well, CEO Sterling’s sister is here,” someone called out. I was pushed forward, facing him directly. He was wearing a cream-colored cashmere sweater. He raised his hand as if to place it on my head, his eyes briefly sweeping over Blake, then settling on my shoulder.

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That day, when they drugged me with the most potent aphrodisiac, I bought every single antidote on the market, desperately trying to delay the inevitable. It wasn’t until I heard the breathless moans and cries from next door, echoing nine times over, that I finally allowed myself to pass out, knowing I was safe. In my previous life, to cure Julian Hayes’s hereditary fertility disorder, the Hayes family had sought out eighteen women, each said to possess a rare, innate allure, capable of facilitating a cure. They were all fed the most potent aphrodisiacs. Whoever could conceive a child with Julian would become the Lady of the Hayes family. I was a siren of unparalleled allure, my very essence radiating irresistible charm, chosen at first glance. That night, Julian, also drugged, his eyes blazing, tormented me again and again. A month later, I was pregnant with the Hayes family heir. But Julian suddenly threw me into a squalid alleyway, ignoring my pleas, ordering the men there to take turns humiliating me. “Serena is already pregnant with my child! If you hadn’t interfered, she would be my wife!” “You filthy whore, used by everyone, you think you’re fit to be Lady Hayes? You like men so much? Today, you’ll get more than enough!” I was trapped in that squalid alleyway, my body wasting away until my insides ruptured, and I died a gruesome death. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I was drugged. This time, no matter how their love burned or their hatred raged, it had nothing to do with me.

Just as I was about to shove a handful of antidotes into my mouth, the doctor’s grip tightened like a vise on my wrist. “Miss Anya, if you keep taking these, you’ll die!” Remembering the tragedy of my previous life, I gritted my teeth, yanked my hand free, and swallowed the pills. The liquid burned my throat, my stomach churned, threatening to spill its contents, but I managed to regain a sliver of clarity. The next second, the door burst open. Several men in black suits stormed in. Before I could even struggle, they forcibly carried me away. The doctor desperately tried to stop them, but his voice faded into the distance. A bucket of ice water splashed over me, jolting me awake. I opened my eyes to find myself thrown into a secret room. The air was thick with the sweet, cloying scent of aphrodisiacs. Women lay sprawled on the floor, faces flushed, clothes disheveled. Their faces were crimson, contorted in helpless agony. Before I could react, a bowl of aphrodisiac, ten times the normal concentration, was forcefully poured down my throat. The next second, my body erupted. My lower abdomen burned, and a fiery desire surged through every limb, making me want to throw myself onto the nearest man. I tried to scream, but when I opened my mouth, I spewed out a mouthful of blood. Blood mixed with saliva splattered onto the floor. I heard the women around me screaming, wailing: “Please let me go! I can’t take it anymore!” “Didn’t Anya already sleep with Julian Hayes?! Why are you still doing this to us?!” I bit down hard on my tongue, just barely keeping control, and pulled out the last antidote hidden in my pocket, swallowing it whole. The violent clash of chemicals instantly made me vomit blood. Nosebleeds and tears streamed down my face simultaneously. My stomach felt like it was tearing apart, and I writhed on the floor in agony. My cries startled the other women. Their swollen, bloodshot eyes stared at me in disbelief: “Why is Anya here? Who’s in the CEO’s room, then?” My nails dug deep into my thigh, and I forced myself to shout: “Call a doctor! People are going to die like this!” Just then, Serena, in a red dress, walked over, leaning on Julian Hayes. Her face was flushed, a look of satisfied bliss on her features. Julian’s gaze swept over the women writhing in pain, their clothes torn, and his face instantly darkened. Serena covered her mouth, feigning horror: “Oh my god, what happened to them? Who gave them such a strong dose? That’s too cruel.” Before I could speak, Julian kicked me hard. “You shameless whore! To steal Serena’s place, you actually went after all these women! Do you think doing this will make you a Hayes family wife?” A gush of blood surged up, and my teeth mixed with bloody foam fell onto the floor. The pain made my vision go black. “Julian… it wasn’t me, it was her…” Before I could finish, Julian kicked me again, heavily, right in my lower abdomen. I curled up in pain, cold sweat instantly drenching my clothes. He looked down at me, his voice like ice: “You think you’re the boss just because you were raised as Julian’s childhood fiancée? Do you really think I don’t know about all your little tricks against Serena?” He straightened up, his eyes cold, and embraced Serena as he walked out the door. “Since you made these women suffer so much, you can personally take care of them!” The door clicked shut, locking us inside, like a death knell isolating us from the outside world. The air was hot and suffocating. I lay sprawled on the floor, my limbs still trembling, but I heard rustling sounds nearby. The women, their eyes vacant, faces flushed, moved like a pack of wild animals. Their bodies were covered in scratches and tearing wounds, yet they seemed to feel no pain, lunging at me like mad. As I tried to move, my hair was yanked back hard. “It’s all you! You turned us into this!” Sharp nails dug into my shoulder. I didn’t even have the strength to struggle. Someone tore at my clothes, someone else clawed at my back, leaving bleeding welts that stung fiercely. I tried to scream, but before I could open my mouth, someone forced my head down and slammed it against the wall. “Thud——” My forehead hit hard. My vision went black for a moment, and blood streamed down my face, into my mouth. With a sharp rip, someone picked up a broken piece of porcelain and slashed it hard across my leg. My skin tore open instantly, and agonizing pain shot through my bones. I was on the verge of passing out. “Drink! Drink all the dregs! You put us through this, why should you be clear-headed?!” They forcefully pinched my chin, shoving the bowl of leftover sludge—mixed with dust, medicine, and vomit—into my mouth, choking me until snot and tears streamed down my face. I nearly suffocated. I was pressed onto the ground, convulsing all over, my consciousness slowly scattering. When the women finally collapsed from exhaustion, I too lay motionless on the floor. After a long time, the door finally opened. A cold draft swept in. Julian Hayes’s leather shoes stepped through my blood, approaching step by step. I lay on the floor, uttering low, hoarse whimpers of pain. Julian looked down at me, his voice cold: “This is the first time, consider it punishment for you making Serena lose her position as Lady Hayes. If you dare to bully Serena again, I’ll make your life a living hell!” My body trembled. I looked at him, my face covered in blood. So, I wasn’t the only one who had been reborn. I hadn’t even done anything, yet he claimed I had harmed Serena. Julian said coldly: “Anya, you betrayed me first, you’ve already lost the right to stand by my side. Only a kind girl like Serena deserves to be Lady Hayes.” I trembled, blood oozing from my lips every time I spoke. “I didn’t betray you, and I didn’t harm her, nor did I want to disturb you two. I took so many antidotes precisely because I didn’t want you to be drawn to my aura. Why, why are you still doing this to me?” His expression froze for a moment, but the next second, the light in his eyes turned into bone-deep disgust. “Stop acting, Anya.” “If you truly didn’t want to touch me, would you have given yourself and those women ten times the dose of the aphrodisiac? If not to seduce me, then what was it for?” “You just want to climb up, to snatch the Lady Hayes position. I’ve seen this act too many times before!” I grabbed his pant leg, begging for a moment’s reprieve. But he scoffed coldly, pulled his foot away, and kicked me hard, sending me tumbling into the stained medicine and vomit. My head hit the tiled floor with a heavy thud, and a streak of blood flowed from the corner of my eye. “Want to prove you weren’t trying to compete with Serena? Fine, go find my mom right now and tell her you want to break off the engagement.” “Then, be a good Hayes family servant. If you dare to harbor any improper thoughts again, I’ll immediately send you and your entire village to mine in Africa! Do you hear me?”

My vision blurred, whether from sweat or tears, I couldn’t tell. “Julian… your Hayes family’s hereditary fertility disorder… your father came to our village, knelt in the rain for three days and three nights, before my parents finally agreed to let me go. That’s how I came to your family…” My voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, yet I stubbornly uttered the question: “Now, how dare you… threaten my entire village?” Julian scoffed as if he’d heard a joke, looking down at me with cold disdain: “You dare bring that up? That ‘siren bloodline’ of yours, it was all a scam from beginning to end.” “If it weren’t for the stories you spun, do you think an unsophisticated village girl like you, not even fit for inspection, could enter my home? Serena, she made me a normal man, and now she’s pregnant with my child. What are you, anyway?” He finished speaking, then turned, wrapped an arm around Serena’s waist, and left without a backward glance. “Serena is the wife I want, no one can shake her position!” I lay on the floor, covered in blood. The aphrodisiac’s effects still hadn’t worn off, my body felt like it was on fire, convulsing and burning in waves. Mrs. Hayes rushed over. When she saw me in this state, her face turned pale: “Quick! Take her to the hospital, she’s fading fast!” After consulting, the doctors looked grim: “This type of aphrodisiac… can only be detoxified through intimacy. Otherwise, the only option is a complete blood transfusion, but the hospital’s blood supply is currently insufficient. If Miss Anya’s condition isn’t treated immediately, she might literally explode from within.” “What do you mean, ‘explode from within’?!” Mrs. Hayes almost screamed. A bodyguard explained: “This is a new formula brought back from overseas, there’s no antidote. It can only be counteracted by a man… otherwise, the blood throughout her body will burn her internal organs.” “Absurd! This is insane. His father worked so hard to bring this daughter-in-law home, how can he treat her so badly!” Mrs. Hayes panicked and immediately called Julian, but he didn’t answer even after a dozen calls. I lay there on an IV drip, feeling cold all over. Finally, on the third sedative injection, the call connected. Mrs. Hayes roared: “Are you insane?! Anya is the daughter-in-law your father brought home! If you don’t come back and help her, she’ll die!” “I’m warning you, she is the daughter-in-law the Hayes family has acknowledged! Come back immediately!” A soft chuckle came from the other end of the line. Julian’s voice was utterly chilling: “She’s got some nerve, even going to you? Fine, I’ll handle it.” The moment he hung up, my heart felt like it was being torn apart. Mrs. Hayes grasped my hand: “Don’t be afraid, I’m here. I’ll see justice for you. I’ll make him marry you, and treat you well.” But I gently closed my eyes, my nails digging deep into my palms. “Auntie, when you came to the village, you said that once the Hayes family had a child, you would let me go back.” “Now, Serena is pregnant… I’m no longer useful. Can you… let me go?” Mrs. Hayes froze, then her face darkened. She quietly instructed a bodyguard: “Go investigate.” Then, she gently patted my hand, but her voice was soft and gentle: “The Hayes family’s children have always come from your village for generations. Your family has blessed the Hayes. We brought you into our home, hoping you would live a stable and happy life. Those other women were just extra insurance.” “Julian used to follow you around every day, calling you ‘Sister Anya,’ always thinking of you for anything good. Later, he begged to get engaged to you. He liked you for over ten years, how did he suddenly become like this…?” As I listened, tears finally streamed down my face. When he was twenty, Julian booked out the entire city’s fireworks display to propose to me. The night I said yes, he held me and cried all night. The boy who once swore to cherish me forever, threatening to be torn into a thousand pieces if he ever betrayed me, had now, for another woman, personally pushed me into a living hell. My voice was hoarse, almost inaudible: “Auntie… please, let me go…” Mrs. Hayes looked at me, silent for a long time, then finally sighed and nodded. “My dear child, I know you’ve been wronged. I will send you back safely, exactly as you came. Julian wronged you, I will retrieve his assets for you.” “You are a good child I watched grow up. Even if you’re not my biological daughter, I treat you as my own.” Before leaving, Mrs. Hayes gently stroked my hair: “My dear child, hold on. I’ll find a solution.” After she left, only a young assistant remained with me. I lay on the hospital bed, the drug’s effects still lingering. My body felt scorched, my internal organs twisted and ached, my blood boiling in my veins. I bit down on the blanket to stifle my cries, but a low moan still escaped my throat. My fingertips trembled from the pain. The young assistant paced nervously. Just as my consciousness wavered and I was about to pass out, the door opened. I struggled to lift my eyes. Entering were five bodyguards in black suits. “Miss Anya,” the leader said coldly, “Mr. Hayes said there are two antidotes here.” “One, is us.” My mind exploded with a loud buzz. I instinctively tried to prop myself up, but the moment I moved, agonizing pain surged through me, and I nearly collapsed back onto the bed. “What does Julian Hayes take me for?!” My voice was hoarse beyond recognition, yet every word was clear.

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On the eve of our wedding, I discovered a message my fiancé had sent to his ex-girlfriend. “Sophie, we missed our chance after all.” I confronted him with his phone, giving him two choices. Either delete it, or cancel the wedding. He ultimately chose the former, but didn’t smile once on our wedding day. Even later during the delivery, there wasn’t a hint of anticipation in his eyes. Until he received a phone call and suddenly stood up. “Ethan, my parents are forcing me to marry a 50-year-old pig. Please help me…” His grip loosened, leaving only his retreating back. My weak voice called out from behind: “Ethan, if you take one step out that door, our child will never call you dad.” He paused, but still left. That day, I had an emotional breakdown. The delivery was difficult and I nearly died. 0 The baby was eventually born. I didn’t die either, but lost several liters of blood. Family members crowded around the newborn, while I stared at the empty doorway. Ethan never came back. At that moment I regretted it, regretted giving him two choices back then. First, because I couldn’t let go of our years together. Second, because I was already pregnant then. So I took a gamble, betting he would forget her and have a change of heart. At first I thought I had won, since he deleted all her contact information in front of me. But with each passing day, I felt my odds of winning slipping away. On our wedding day, he was distracted and even put the ring on backwards. Later, he smiled less and stopped sharing his daily life with me. Waking up at midnight, his side of the bed was always cold. His texts always said he was too busy. He’d rather sleep on the couch in his office two miles away than come home and breathe the same air as me. I should have understood earlier. Once when he finally came home after two weeks, I grabbed his hand and said seriously: “If you don’t want this anymore, we can divorce. I can raise the child on my own.” Even though I was the one suggesting separation, my voice trembled badly. I was afraid, afraid he would easily say okay. But he just fell silent for a while, then patted my head: “Don’t overthink things, I’m just a bit tired.” “You’re also anxious because of the pregnancy. It’ll be better after these few months.” Then he picked up his bag and left again. He stayed home for less than three minutes. Watching his resolute back, my stomach churned violently. I hugged the toilet and vomited for a long time, until tears rolled down my face. Now, looking at the empty doorway. I suddenly felt relieved. I finally saw clearly, it wasn’t too late for everything. Ethan came back the next day. Behind him was a petite girl in a wedding dress. He let go of the girl’s hand, leaving her to the side. Then he went to the incubator, using his finger to tease the little baby inside. When he turned his head, he met my cold face, and the smile froze on his lips. He walked up to me, gripping my hand tightly: “About yesterday, I was too impulsive, but don’t misunderstand my relationship with Sophie.” He beckoned, and the girl obediently came over, reciting to me as if reading from a script: “I only know Ethan in this city, and only he could help me.” “I’m sorry, sister-in-law. I didn’t know you were in labor, otherwise I would have rather married that pig than…” “Don’t talk nonsense.” Ethan instinctively interrupted. “You deserve better.” Watching their back-and-forth, I smiled self-mockingly. Before I could speak, my father rushed in with a thermos and slapped him. “You dare come back? Yesterday you abandoned my daughter, causing her difficult labor and massive blood loss. If anything had happened to her, our family would never forgive you!” Ethan frowned, his gaze towards me turning cold. “But she’s fine now, isn’t she?” “Besides, I’ve already apologized.” The implication was that he had already given me a way out. I and my family shouldn’t embarrass him. Especially in front of his ex-girlfriend. I had imagined Ethan’s reaction when he came back – remorseful confession or material compensation. But I never expected this. He showed not a shred of remorse towards me. Whether I almost died from blood loss didn’t matter at all. After Ethan said this, I asked him to leave. He nodded, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. “I’ll come see the child in a few days. I’m busy these days.” I didn’t say anything, just turned to look at the happy family of three in the next bed. Ethan followed my gaze, panic flashing across his cold face. But I didn’t say anything, just softly hummed and turned away. He breathed a sigh of relief, taking Sophie’s hand as he strode out. The moment they stepped out, the baby burst into loud cries. I cradled him in my arms, gently rocking. “Baby doesn’t like daddy either, right?” “Since we don’t like him, let’s not see him again, okay?”

Ethan never came until the day I was discharged. He only sent his assistant midway to deliver some care products. When he came, he was also carrying a bunch of luxury shopping bags filled with women’s clothes and dresses. “Did you come to deliver these to me on your way?” The assistant hesitated, but still nodded. “Then please continue on your way and throw them in the trash.” He threw away the things, and also relayed my words verbatim. My phone immediately lit up with a bunch of chat records between him and Sophie. The records were all transfer receipts, indicating he was just shopping for her. But he forgot that Sophie was the girl who had stayed with him through his early poverty-stricken entrepreneurial days. He also forgot that the phone number he had deleted in front of me years ago rang promptly on the day I gave birth. How hard they must have worked to put on act after act for me. Carrying bags big and small back home, a woman threw herself into my arms. “Ethan, you’re five minutes late from work today, I missed you so much.” Seeing the girl’s face instantly turn red, her whole body awkward in front of me. I smiled and ignored her, but she didn’t even dare enter the door anymore. The pouring rain outside drenched her, until the returning man hurriedly shielded her in his arms. Those broad shoulders were full of a sense of security. From the upstairs window, I traced the man’s silhouette, once having been moved by it too. Soon after, the door was flung open violently. I lowered my head to fiddle with the baby’s fingers, not even raising my head: “Are you here to question me? There are cameras in the house, I don’t want to waste energy explaining.” A light chuckle came from above, as Ethan produced a cake from behind his back. “I know you’re not that heartless.” “Honey, did you forget today is your birthday?” I finally looked up, surprised at the cake in front of me. Complicated emotions welled up inside. Until at the dining table, he suddenly spoke: “Sophie has nowhere to go recently, she’s staying at our house for a while.” I finally understood what drug was in the cake. Seeing I didn’t speak, he added: “She’s very attentive, she can also help you take care of the child, share some of the burden.” At that moment, I suddenly didn’t want to ask anymore. Didn’t want to ask why he, worth millions, wouldn’t buy her a new house. Didn’t want to ask why she needed to help when we already had three nannies. “I see.” I put down my chopsticks and turned to go upstairs. As he said, Sophie tried very hard to help me. Every morning she would bring me a warm glass of milk. But I didn’t drink a single sip, and though Ethan said nothing on the surface, I could see the disappointment in his eyes. This disappointed gaze filled every moment of life, after all, since Sophie moved in, he came home every day. Sophie taught him how to mix formula and control water temperature. He learned very seriously, his eyes full of joy when she approved. I stepped forward to take it, but Ethan immediately snatched it back. “Olivia, go rest. We’ve got this.” “You’re a pampered lady, how would you know how to do these things? Sophie is different from you, she’s helped her mom with chores since childhood, she’s more efficient than you.” The servants all stared at me pointedly, seeming to worry I would get angry. I forcefully suppressed the violent heaving in my chest, trying to keep my tone calm: “Ethan, I am his mother.” He froze, then handed the bottle back to me. I took it, but Sophie bumped into me, spilling the scalding milk onto the child. The tiny arm instantly turned red, erupting in earth-shattering cries. I hurriedly stepped forward with a cloth to wipe it, but was directly pushed away by him. His voice filled with warning: “Get out.” He carefully picked up the child, while Sophie took ointment to apply on the baby. The happy family of three, while I was like a nanny who had made a mistake. I ran out crying with red eyes, Ethan only glanced before lowering his head. Afterwards, the nursery was either occupied by the two of them, or guarded by the nanny. “Mr. Gu instructed to let Madam stay away.” I stepped back a few paces, smiling as I returned to my room. Then smashed everything I could smash.

Ethan rushed home upon hearing the news, staring blankly at the mess on the floor. “Olivia, what are you throwing a tantrum about again? The baby is still sleeping, don’t scare him.” At that moment, the long-suppressed emotions finally erupted. I suddenly rushed over, grabbing Ethan’s collar. “Throwing a tantrum? Bringing another woman home and flirting with her right under my nose, who’s really gone crazy!” “Ethan, that’s the child I painstakingly gave birth to, who could care for him more than me!” Surprise flashed in Ethan’s eyes, he had never seen me like this before. Never seen me angry, much less cry. Even on the eve of our wedding when I saw that message, I had only reddened eyes. The air fell silent, until a cry came from the child. I let go of his collar, messily wiping the tears from the corners of my eyes. He sighed, taking out a handkerchief to gently wipe away my tears. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have treated you like this.” I yanked away the handkerchief, unceremoniously throwing it to the ground. Then I shoved him away, diving straight into bed, covering my face as I cried until I couldn’t breathe. He sighed, gently patting my back through the blanket. “Don’t be angry anymore, okay? I was wrong.” “I was just worried about the child, I didn’t mean anything else.” After a long while, I lifted the covers, the light in my eyes mostly scattered. I looked at my now-flat belly and asked him: “Ethan, if I hadn’t been pregnant back then, would you still have chosen me?” He froze, then sighed again, somewhat helplessly: “Olivia, stop clinging to things from the past.” No answer was the best answer. His answer was that without the child, he would never have chosen me. Olivia, why bother humiliating yourself further at this point. I pushed away his hand at my waist, telling him to get out. He froze, then smiled, not coming home that night. Early the next morning, he and Sophie entered the house one after another. I sat at the dining table, pushing a divorce agreement in front of him. The man and woman opposite both froze. “Sophie, go upstairs first, I need to speak to my wife alone.” After she obediently went upstairs, Ethan looked at me, his gaze complex. “Olivia, I’ve already coaxed you, you’ve vented your anger, why are you still throwing a tantrum?” I sneered, just as he had laughed at me yesterday. Ethan frowned. Then he sighed helplessly. “It’s because of Sophie, right? I understand.” “Since you can’t accept her, I’ll send her away.” He compromised, but I didn’t miss the unwillingness in his eyes. I understood his reason for resisting divorce – not because he loved me, but because of that prenuptial agreement. When I married him, I was a famous socialite in high society, while he was just a small business owner whose company had recently gone public. To prevent him from coveting assets, my father had specially drawn up a prenuptial agreement biased in my favor. According to the agreement, if I unilaterally filed for divorce, all property would belong to me. Faced with such an unequal treaty, Ethan had signed without hesitation. At the time I thought it was because he loved me deeply. Now I realize it was just because he was certain I would never leave him. Thinking of this, I picked up the pen and unhesitatingly signed my name. Ethan’s pupils flashed violently. “Sign it, be quick about it.” In the end he still picked up the pen, signing his own name. The once flowing signature was now crooked from hesitation. With the documents signed, he grabbed my hand. “There’s still a three-month waiting period, do I still have a chance?” I pulled my hand away, not answering. That night I drank bottle after bottle with a friend. “If you want to cry, just cry.” She gently patted my head, but I immediately shook my head. “Can’t cry.” “Finally ending a terrible relationship, I should be happy.” “Cheers.” Maybe I was too drunk, I didn’t notice a tear had already slid down the corner of my eye. That night I sat on the doorstep for a long time, only going in after the alcohol had worn off. I didn’t want him to see me so heartbroken, still for his sake. A man walked out from behind, draping his jacket over my shoulders. “I’ve already sent her away.” The wind blew past us, but still couldn’t stir up a single word.

Waking up in the morning, he was tightly hugging my waist, his long-absent breath tickling my neck. I shifted an inch towards the edge of the bed, and he followed an inch. Ethan really wanted to win me back, he was proving it with actions. He turned down a lot of work, making time to accompany me and the child. In the nursery, he shook a little bell to soothe the crying baby. “Baby, say dad, come on.” Mentioning the word dad, he deliberately turned his head to look at me leaning against the doorway. But the moment our eyes met, I coldly turned away without a glance. The bell sound behind me stopped. Ethan thought I was angry, but I was just afraid. Afraid of indulging in this sweetness again, afraid of falling back into this terrible marriage. Until late at night I heard him on the phone with his secretary by the window. “How’s the project going? It needs to be fast.” That moment I finally woke up, Ethan was proud. His concessions were rarely for love, mostly for profit. So all his kindness now was just because he couldn’t bear to part with these hard-earned achievements. From that day on, all his gentleness seemed laughable to me. I was determined not to give him another chance, but he still refused to give up. Until one day, Sophie burst in again. She had only a few scraps of cloth left on her body, her neck covered in red marks, her skin full of bruises. Ethan immediately dropped the milk bottle and rushed out, taking her into his arms. The usually gentle girl now seemed to have gone mad, pounding his chest. “It’s all your fault! It’s all your fault! If you hadn’t dumped me for your career back then, how could I have ended up like this!” “They… they were angry I ran away from the marriage, they found a group of people to humiliate me… I, I don’t want to live anymore!” Saying this, she shoved him away, crashing into the doorpost, blood flowing freely. Ethan frantically picked her up and rushed towards the door. As he stepped over the threshold, I reminded him: “Do you know what you’ll lose if you leave?” Wife, child, and years of hard work. But Ethan didn’t pause for even a step this time, going straight to the car. I stood in the wind and rain, feeling like the biggest joke in the world. From that day on, Ethan stayed by her side day and night. Three months flew by, and I sent him a time, reminding him to go get the divorce certificate. The message quickly showed as read, but there was no reply. Later, he only hurried over when the civil affairs bureau was about to close. After not seeing him for days, he looked much more haggard, with dark circles under his eyes. I looked at the two divorce certificates in my hand, finally feeling relieved. When I looked up at Ethan, he was lowering his eyes, clearly depressed. The sky suddenly began pouring rain, I turned back to look at him: “Did you bring an umbrella? I’ll walk you out?” We were husband and wife after all, might as well part on good terms. But Ethan shook his head, his gaze fixed on a woman running towards him in the distance. Sophie held her slightly swollen belly, her eyes full of smugness. They walked arm in arm back into the civil affairs bureau. Only after their silhouettes had completely disappeared did I turn back to find the umbrella above my head had somehow tilted off course. I took off my soaked outer coat and called my father, asking him to arrange for me to go abroad to clear my head. Soon WeChat pushed a contact who said he would take me traveling the world. Before boarding the plane, a message from Ethan popped up on my phone. [I’m sorry, but I owe her too much.] After reading this, I blocked him. Hugging the child tightly in my arms, I looked out the window at my freedom.

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After finally getting the ice-cold heartthrob I’d chased for ages to say yes, I discovered he had a major problem. I thought he was just too tired from work, so I gently reassured him it was fine. That was until I saw the floating comments: [He just doesn’t feel anything for the side character! With the heroine, he can go seven rounds a night!] Looking at Asher, who was feigning remorse, I quietly pulled the blanket over myself. The very next day, I broke up with him. He clung to me, losing control, when he saw another guy with his arm around me. “Just give me another chance, please…” he choked, begging. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise. I’m a fast learner, you know.” I lay in bed, staring blankly at the messages from Asher. [Quinn, can we meet?] [We need to sort out any issues right away.] [I want to explain everything in person.] Seeing I didn’t reply, he added another line. [Baby, I don’t want to break up.] Honestly, after reading his words, I wavered a little. But the moment I thought about what happened yesterday, I decisively blocked and deleted him everywhere. Asher, my ex-boyfriend. Rich, handsome, and usually treated me so well. There was just one thing that bothered me. He couldn’t perform. Yesterday was our one-year anniversary. We had a few drinks, sparks were flying, and we checked into a hotel. The instant the hotel room door clicked shut, my back hit the cold mirror. Asher’s hot breath, mixed with the smell of alcohol, caressed my neck: “Ready to try this?” “Asher…” I reached out to push him away, but my fingertips barely grazed his rapidly rising and falling chest before my hands were caught and pinned above my head. His eyelashes trembled as he kissed me, but his lips were cold. He kissed me fiercely and haphazardly, as if trying to prove something, pulling me toward the bed. The dull thud of his belt buckle hitting the carpet made me shiver. He buried his face in my shoulder, breathing heavily, his fingers freezing the moment they touched the edge of my lace. In the darkness, I distinctly heard his Adam’s apple bob. Cold sweat dripped from his tense jawline into the small hollow of my collarbone. I chuckled, thinking he was nervous. “Don’t move.” His voice was hoarse as he pressed down on my hand trying to reach for the light, his fingertips trembling. I reached out to touch his abs. His breathing hitched, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he turned his head: “Quinn, stop messing around.” I playfully bit his earlobe, chuckling, “What’s with the act? Your heart’s about to explode.” The next second, he flipped me over, pinning me against the headboard, and yanked his tie to bind my hands: “You asked for it.” But his kisses stopped abruptly at my collarbone. His body was taut like a drawn bow, yet he made no further move. Suddenly, lines of comments floated before my eyes. [Side character, run! The male lead is a jerk, his body can only be loyal to the heroine!] [Don’t be soft, girl, he’ll only drain your life force to empower the heroine!] [You’re just a catalyst! All your current sweetness is just to boost the male and female leads’ relationship!] I blinked in disbelief, my blood instantly freezing. Before, I never understood why I, Quinn Miller, a girl from a well-off family, cherished by my whole family, had to chase Asher for so long before he finally agreed to be with me. Now I understood. I was just the side character in a novel, and Asher was the male lead. He could only belong to the heroine. Asher was still stubbornly nibbling my earlobe. But his body, which should have been burning, grew colder and colder, and even his kisses became mechanical touches. I watched his feigned remorse and suddenly pushed him away, grabbing the bedsheet to wrap myself. Asher knelt by the bed, his tie askew around his neck. He looked down at his limp hands: “How could this happen?” “You should go.” I heard my own hollow voice. I snatched my jacket and rushed for the door, but he hugged me tightly from behind. Warm liquid dripped onto my neck, indistinguishable whether it was sweat or tears: “Just ten more minutes… just ten minutes…” He buried his face in my hair, sobbing. I quietly pushed him away: “Asher, let’s break up.” 3 I curled up in the bathtub, hot water lapping at my chin. Honestly, after breaking up with Asher, I was still a little sad. After all, he was the guy I’d chased for so long. I couldn’t help but feel a little regret. The comments floated in the mist above the water, like a bucket of ice water extinguishing my last bit of hesitation. [Side character, run! The male lead is waiting for you downstairs!] [Don’t waver, stay as far away from that jerk as possible!] [I’m so worried, I’m terrified she’ll get back together with the male lead!] It had been three days. Ever since I pushed Asher away in that hotel room, these bizarre words had haunted me. At first, I thought I was going crazy, until the comments mentioned Willow’s name. My phone vibrated wildly against the tiles. “Quinn, I’m downstairs.” Asher’s voice, raspy from the night wind, was barely recognizable, “Let me see you, just for a second.” I gripped the edge of the tub, hesitating whether to go downstairs. The comments suddenly erupted: [He’s in the rain! He’s in the rain!] [Side character, hurry and take him an umbrella! It’s what the plot demands!] [The one above is crazy? The heroine is having a fever at the art studio right now, the male lead should be going to give her medicine!] How laughable. My life, which had been smooth sailing for twenty-four years, was just a mere stepping stone in someone else’s story. [Side character, don’t go down. You can’t force true love.] Yes, you can’t force true love… I chased Asher for so long, thinking that after all the hardship, happiness would follow once we were together. But his heart was with Willow. I spoke: “Asher, we’re already broken up.” A wave of cheers from the comments. [Side character has awoken!] [That’s great, I was so worried!] [It’s okay, side character. Bye bye, boy. The next one’s gonna be a keeper!] The sound of fabric rubbing together came from the other end of the line. Asher roared: “Quinn, come out! Let’s talk this through face to face!” I wrapped myself in a bathrobe and walked to the balcony. Through the curtain of rain, I saw him slumped on the ground, his captivating eyes, which once mesmerized me, now bloodshot. I leaned on the railing and chuckled softly, “Asher, don’t make me look down on you.” 4 After that, I never saw Asher again. Today, I was having dinner at a restaurant. The couple at the next table had already finished their cream of mushroom soup, but my table still only had a glass of lemon water. I firmly turned off my phone screen, my fingertips tapping restlessly on the tablecloth. “Is table 23’s steak not ready yet?” A figure in a black and white uniform scurried out from the kitchen, her ponytail swaying gently as she jogged. Willow’s hands trembled as she held the tray, sauce drizzling onto the carpet along the edge of the plate. I frowned, about to speak, when the porcelain plate suddenly slipped, scraping against the table corner, and all the dark red sauce spilled onto my cream-colored skirt. “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry!” She dropped to her knees, vigorously wiping my dress with a wet napkin, “I didn’t mean it, please don’t report me…” I recoiled my leg as if shocked by electricity, her knuckles white as she clutched the napkin. “Get up first.” I reached out to help her, not understanding why she reacted so strongly when I hadn’t even said anything. Willow suddenly grabbed my wrist. “Ms. Miller, why do you have to make things so hard for me?” she looked up, her face swollen from crying, “I really didn’t mean it.” Blood rushed to my temples. “CCTV.” I spoke as calmly as possible, “Check the footage.” “Ms. Miller, please, I don’t want to lose my job.” Willow covered her mouth and began to sob. People around us started to whisper. Someone raised their phone to record. The back of my neck tingled. I could feel countless eyes glued to my spine. “These young girls nowadays are something else,” a middle-aged woman’s voice, lowered, came from behind me, “Dressed so nicely, what’s the big deal about bullying a server?” “Mom, keep your voice down,” a young girl quickly interrupted, “What if the server is the one with the problem…?” “What problem could she have? Didn’t you see her kneeling?” a man in a floral shirt across the diagonal deliberately raised his voice, “Rich people love to put on airs. A little sauce and they want to check CCTV, think this is a TV show?” I clutched my soaked skirt, my nails almost digging into my palms. The heroine’s aura was truly a terrifying thing. Willow’s crying intensified, and she shuffled forward on her knees, trying to grab my hand: “Ms. Miller, I’ll pay for your dry cleaning, I’ll give you this month’s salary…” [Original plot alert! The male lead should rush in to protect his white lotus heroine!] [Classic scene: Dominant CEO scolds the villainous side character!] [Warning! High-stakes scene ahead! Asher is about to scold Quinn!] “Quinn would never make things difficult for anyone.” A familiar cedarwood scent wafted from behind me. Asher pulled me into his embrace. His sharp suit looked out of place amid the mess on the floor. I thought Asher and I would never see each other again. I never imagined that at such a vulnerable moment, he would be the one to speak up for me. Willow’s sobs caught in her throat, and her entire body suddenly began to tremble. “Mr. Thompson, I…” Asher’s gaze fell on the stain on my skirt. He took off his suit jacket and tied it around my waist: “Good girl, go change in my car.” His movements as he shook out the suit were anxious; I’d never seen him like this. [OMG, the plot’s broken! Why is the male lead with the side character?!] [The heroine is crying so miserably, and the male lead is ignoring her??] [Ahhhh, he put his jacket on the side character! In the original, he clearly put it on the heroine!] “No need,” I brushed away his outstretched hand, ready to leave quickly, “Thank you for the offer, Mr. Thompson.” The male lead and the heroine had met; as the side character, I should gracefully disappear. Just as I was about to slip away, Asher grabbed my hand, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Quinn, don’t be like this.” Willow suddenly lunged forward and hugged his leg, her tears soaking his expensive suit pants: “Ms. Miller, it was my clumsiness, please don’t take it out on Mr. Thompson!” Amidst the commotion of the crowd, Asher froze like an ice sculpture. I looked at his hand hanging by his side, clenched tightly into a fist. Willow was still whimpering something, but her voice sounded as if it were behind a curtain of water. [Heroine, don’t kneel! Your main love interest is OOC!] [Help, the male lead’s fists are so tight, is he fighting against the original plot’s will?] [Side character, run! This love triangle showdown is going to break the timeline!] Asher suddenly grabbed my wrist, his body temperature alarmingly hot. “Come with me.” Seeing my reluctance, he added: “Just ten minutes.” 5 Asher’s fingers felt like they were digging into my wrist bone. He pulled me through the restaurant’s back door, and the damp, rainy air hit my face. “Ten minutes,” he repeated the number as he pushed me into the passenger seat, “You’ll at least listen for these ten minutes.” [OMG, is the male lead crazy?! This is kidnapping!] [Help, his grip is so strong, the side character’s wrist is already bruised!] [In the original, the male lead saved the heroine here. The plot’s so off, it’s unrecognizable!] The car air freshener was the citrus scent we’d picked out together, but now it stung my eyes. He held the steering wheel with one hand, his other hand gripping the gear stick tightly, knuckles white: “That night… I checked, it’s PTSD. I’m already in therapy…” “It has nothing to do with that.” I cut him off, my nails digging into my palms. In the rearview mirror, Willow was chasing after us, her slender figure swaying in the rain. He suddenly leaned over, grabbed my shoulders, and his cedarwood scent mixed with his trembling breath pressed down: “Then why break up? Last week you still said you wanted to go to Iceland to see the Northern Lights with me…” “Asher!” I violently pushed him away, the seat leather making a shrill scraping sound, “Do I have to spell it out? I don’t love you anymore, I don’t love you. Don’t you get it?” [Awakening value MAX! Queen behavior, sis!] [The male lead’s shocked expression is so satisfying!] [Let him taste what it’s like to be dumped too!] Asher’s pupils constricted abruptly, as if seared by my words. The dome light cast fragmented shadows beneath his eyelashes, and I saw his Adam’s apple bob painfully: “You’re lying.” “Quinn, you’re playing me, aren’t you?” I fumbled for the car door handle, the coolness of the metal creeping up my fingertips: “Just say I found you… lacking.” “Don’t say that word!” He suddenly slammed his fist on the steering wheel in a fit of rage, the horn blaring, “You know I’m trying! I have my third desensitization therapy next week, the doctor said…” “But I don’t want to wait anymore. Asher, I’m a normal person, I have needs. You trembled like I was poison every time you touched me…” “It just disgusts me.” He froze completely, his pale face slowly turning to me: “So that’s what you think.” In the blue light of the dashboard, he unbuttoned two shirt buttons, revealing the faint red scratch marks I’d just left below his collarbone. Intimate, yet heartbreaking. “Want to try now?” He grabbed my hand and pressed it to his chest, his heartbeat like a trapped beast pounding against my palm, “Right here, I’ll show you I’m not some useless piece of trash…” “You’re insane!” I yanked my hand back as if shocked, my back hitting the car door. A mechanical alarm suddenly blared, sharp enough to pierce my eardrums. [Warning! Timeline Correction Protocol Initiated!] I curled up in pain, my vision blurring. Asher’s alarmed face swayed in the distorted light: “Quinn? What’s wrong? I’ll take you to the hospital…” “Don’t touch me!” I slapped away his outstretched hand, my nails drawing blood on his knuckles, “Asher, we’re over. From now on, you go your way, I’ll go mine.” His hand, frozen mid-air, slowly clenched into a fist: “What if I refuse to let you go?” The sound of rain suddenly grew heavier. My head throbbed. I knew the will of this world was closing its net. “Asher, we ended a long time ago.” 6 I moved, and my best friend, Chloe, invited me for coffee that weekend. She pushed the coffee cup toward me, the bottom clinking against the glass table: “That godforsaken part of town north of here doesn’t even have a decent coffee shop. You might as well become a nun!”

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My best friend and I were transported to a tribe of shapeshifters. She became the substitute for the aloof Raptor Priest’s idealized love, While I ended up as the devoted pet of a possessive Snake King with two formidable appendages. We used our modern knowledge to greatly improve the tribe’s infrastructure. But the tribe’s holy woman branded us as heretics and brutally murdered us. Beheaded and torn apart, our bodies were left in pieces. When I opened my eyes again, I immediately grabbed my backpack and knocked on my friend’s door, “Ready to die?” “Let’s die together.” After our demise, both our husbands went mad. 0 When the Raptor Priest returned, Lily and I were figuring out what to do with our last box of supplies. She carefully sorted through the items at the bottom of the box. From small bottles of hot sauce to folding tents, everything was precious. Over the years, we had unknowingly accumulated a small warehouse through our efforts to modernize the tribe. She crouched on the ground, examining each item with interest. As I stood beside her, I felt both envious and proud. Suddenly, an urgent announcement came from outside: “The High Priest has returned to the tribe!” Lily jumped up in an instant. Without hesitation, she shoved me along with the packages under the bed: “Hide well and don’t make a sound!” Her strength was frightening. She handed me a three-kilogram pot as if it weighed nothing more than a feather. “If that priestess makes a move first, use this to bash her!” Just as she finished speaking, the door was kicked open with a loud bang by the Raptor Priest. Although “priest” was a civilized title, the man before us was still very much a predator. His height nearly blocked out the light from outside, his body covered in sleek muscles. One look down from him was enough to make one’s heart tremble. Lily, who had just been engrossed in sorting supplies, now raised her head with tears in her eyes, looking so helpless she seemed about to shatter: “Why didn’t you send word of your return so I could welcome you properly?…” She choked back a sob, her voice filled with resentment. The Raptor Priest’s gaze shifted, his voice like a crack in a glacier: “Where have you hidden Sophia?” “Sophia is missing?!” Lily’s face was full of shock, not looking like an act at all. “How many times have I told you, she is the holy woman guided by the gods. My intimate rituals with her are destined by fate.” His patience was like thin ice. Before he finished speaking, his eyes had already turned gloomy, making one’s scalp tingle: “You meet her in private once, and she vanishes without a trace. Now you’re still trying to put on an act for me?” “I really don’t know. She called me over, saying she wanted to talk…” Lily’s voice trembled softly as she reached out to grasp the hem of the Raptor Priest’s robe, only to be coldly shaken off. The force was too strong, instantly leaving a red mark on Lily’s wrist. She shivered, tears streaming down her face. Seeing the mark, the priest paused for a moment before turning to leave: “Without my orders, don’t take half a step out of this room!” After he spoke, the hem of his robe disappeared through the doorway. Lily was left wailing and pleading: “My lord, please stay… don’t go…” Her sorrowful voice lingered in the air as I stared wide-eyed from under the bed. Lily’s acting skills had improved. As soon as the man’s figure turned out of sight, Lily immediately locked the door, wiped her face, and said: “You can come out now. The show has begun.” “Sophia’s started making trouble. After messing with the priest, it’ll be your snake’s turn.” “I think so too.” I crawled out and looked back at the spoils of war scattered on the floor. Lily and I exchanged glances, and I cleared my throat: “Ready to die?” Lily nodded without hesitation: “We must die to teach those men a lesson.” 0

Lily and I were both transported to this world. Her identity here was the substitute for Callum’s idealized love – the holy priestess Sophia. In this savage tribe of shapeshifters, the priest held an exalted position blessed with divine power. Callum was handsome and revered by everyone in the tribe. Unfortunately, his heart was always fixated on the priestess Sophia. No matter how beautiful, a cold butt that can’t be warmed is useless. As expected of best friends, my situation was even worse than hers. When we first arrived, not understanding the situation, a row of naked men knelt before us begging to be chosen. I just had to pick the most dangerous-looking one. With a low, icy voice and a dangerous aura. Everyone in the tribe feared the Snake King’s venom, and even more so his ruthless cruelty. It wasn’t until the man was in bed that I realized how powerful those two appendages of his were. To protect myself, I became the Snake King Liam’s devoted pet. As long as he was happy, I suffered a little less. In our previous life, Lily and I relied on our modern knowledge to greatly improve the tribe. We built bridges and roads, constructed houses and wove cloth, and even dug a simple well. But while our men were away, Sophia needed only one word to turn us into sacrificial offerings on the altar. The two of us were tied to pillars, watching helplessly as Sophia, wearing a pristine white robe and an angelic smile, raised a dagger to my face. Slice by slice, slice by slice. My blood stained the altar red. I was beheaded, my body torn to pieces. With a final burst of flame, Sophia burned our very souls. “What did she actually talk to you about?” “How would I know? I never went to meet her.” Lily gritted her teeth. “Living a second time, I’m not that stupid.” I sighed, rubbing my forehead. “Callum may be cold, but even if Sophia causes trouble, he’ll just be distant for a few days. At worst, he might send you away.” I laughed coldly, though my heart was pounding: “But that snake of mine…” Lily shuddered along with me: “Your psycho snake is truly terrifying. He might really flay you alive.” “It’s not just ‘might’.” I trembled, recalling the rumors about the Snake King: Apparently, to extract information, Liam once cut off a prisoner’s ears and then skinned the shapeshifter alive. The screams echoed endlessly, scaring the enemy into fleeing in all directions. It became a legend that established his reputation. Unfortunately, such a “god of death” had never stayed for me. His heart and eyes were also fixed on the woman who had doomed Lily and me — Sophia. Thinking about having to die, I also needed to plan my escape luggage. As soon as I entered the door, I was grabbed by the waist and pinned against the wall in a dizzying motion. A voice that made my heart race sounded: “Where have you been?”

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**Chapter One** “Breathing so heavily, aren’t we? How many dicks have you taken?” Julian Vance gripped Elara Thorne’s chin, his body pressing into her, a cruel force. His eyes were dark, simmering with fury. Just a curtain separated us. Outside, the college reunion buzzed with laughter and teasing. “Classic Julian, playing it rough! This girl sounds hot, mind if a few of us have a turn later?” Others chimed in, egging him on. Julian’s voice was lazy, dripping with mockery as he stared at me. “No way. I’m not done with her yet.” “Unless, of course, I get bored.” I bit my lower lip, a scorching wave of hatred washing over me. Julian’s fiancée, Anya Petrova, had drowned herself. He’d sworn I was the one who drove her to it. After that, he’d forced me to marry him, demanding I replace the wife I’d supposedly taken from him. Years into our marriage, Julian had never once acknowledged our relationship publicly. But the ways he found to torment me? They changed all the time. He’d humiliate me without a thought for my well-being, all to avenge his dead saint, Anya. I’d resisted sleeping with him once, and he locked me away for seven days and seven nights. I’d angered his trophy girl, and he’d turned around and leaked my private videos to the media. I refused to break, longing for home every single day, until news came that my parents had been run over and killed by a speeding sports car. Then, to make matters worse, a fire burned my house to the ground, leaving me homeless. To him, I was nothing more than a cheap plaything. The more I suffered, the happier he seemed. Julian watched my humiliated expression, then grabbed my wrist, his eyes sparkling with malice. “Impatient, are we? Just get on your knees and say you love me, and I’ll take back everything I just said.” I stared into his eyes, refusing to utter a single word. Kneel and say I loved the man who’d brought me so much bloody misery? I’d die before I ever did that. Julian just smirked, already used to my guarded demeanor. “Such a tough nut to crack,” he murmured, his fingertip tracing the tear-mole near my eye. “All these years, you’ve never once given in to me. Not even when your parents died did you shed a tear in front of me. You’re truly ruthless.” My eyes were already cold and numb. I endured the humiliation by his side to drag the entire Vance Group down with him, to bury it alongside my parents. But he was always so careful. It took me five agonizing years to find even a faint clue. Just three more days. In three days, I would have all the evidence of his crimes, enough to send him straight to hell. Julian, however, remained completely oblivious. He chuckled. “Your first love is out there, do you want him to see you moaning for me?” He was a madman… My nails dug deep into my palms. Sensing my trembling, Julian’s interest only grew. “Remember how you’d rather die than marry me? You ran out into the pouring rain to beg him, but he was too afraid of the Vance family’s power, so he shut the door in your face.” A playful glint flickered in his eyes, but his voice deepened. “What exactly did you see in him?” Seeing I wouldn’t answer, he leaned in, whispering into my ear. “No answer? Then how about I start a live stream for him? Let him get a good look at his ex-girlfriend enjoying herself under me.” With that, Julian raised his phone. My mind buzzed, then exploded. The accumulated shame and fury finally erupted. My nails raked wildly across his body, desperate to tear him apart. His shirt was loose and open, his exquisite collarbone marred by my messy claw marks, little beads of blood surfacing, a truly shocking sight. Julian’s eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of irritation darkening his brow. “You’re already married to me, and you still dare to think of him?” Ignoring my struggles, he pinned me beneath him, his actions growing more reckless, his voice a cold, low command. “Scream. Let him hear it loud and clear.” The brutal retaliation rained down on me. My muffled whimpers slowly transformed into uncontrollable moans of arousal, tears streaming down my face from the pain, yet he wouldn’t stop. A mix of shame and rage, I wildly slapped him across the face, my voice trembling, tearful. “Julian Vance, you animal!” He looked at my reaction, utterly satisfied, a cruel smile playing on his lips. Outside, the others finally sensed something was wrong. “Blake, doesn’t that voice sound like your ex-girlfriend, Elara?” **Chapter Two** The mention of Blake Carrington made me reel. Back in high school, local delinquents with dyed hair had whistled and leered at me. They were influential troublemakers in the area. Before, one female student had been assaulted, and the school, wanting to avoid trouble, expelled her. She later jumped to her death. I was terrified. A few of the punks dragged me into an alley, pinning my hands and feet, tearing at my underwear. Passersby ignored my desperate pleas. When I heard the sound of a zipper, I almost despaired. It was Blake Carrington, wearing his blue and white school uniform, who rushed in. He fought them off, almost breaking his arm. That day, he was covered in blood, his chin weakly resting on my shoulder. The proud young man, backlit by the sun, asked me with eyes full of tenderness and sincerity: “My 99th confession, Elara… will you be my girlfriend?” “Blake, you’re such an idiot.” I cried as I said yes, believing I’d found salvation. Our seventeen-year-old secret was him secretly writing “I love you” a thousand times on the flyleaf of my book, it was his profile from under the cherry blossom tree, my gaze lingering a thousand times. After Anya Petrova’s death, Blake was the only one who came to comfort me. He even gave me a fruit wine, disguised as a proposal. I thought I’d found love, a beautiful ending from campus to wedding gown. Who knew Blake had drugged my drink and sold my first time to Julian Vance? That night was the beginning of my nightmare. Later, I learned that he’d pursued me only to make Anya jealous, and the thugs were hired by him, part of a setup. As for the thousand “I love you’s” on the flyleaf of that book? They were love letters written to Anya… After Anya’s death, Blake hated me to his core. So, he feigned a proposal, when in reality, it was all to ruin my innocence. From start to finish, I was just a joke. “Why bring her up? She’s as flat as a board, and stiff as a plank in bed. Boring.” Blake Carrington swirled his wine glass, his lean fingers tapping restlessly. Hearing my name, he clearly looked annoyed. Someone chuckled, “Back then, she was so poor she only ate bread and drank tap water, so she was just underdeveloped. You can’t tell me, Blake, you never felt anything for that seductive face of hers?” “Blake doesn’t lack women, but plenty of brothers have had their eye on her for years, wishing they could get her in bed…” Those words seemed to stir Blake’s memories. He’d seen too many women. My figure held no appeal for him, but my face was undeniably alluring. One glance and his stomach would burn. He frowned, then started walking towards the curtain. The curtain was suddenly yanked open. I instinctively trembled and squeezed my eyes shut. If Julian Vance was a nightmare, Blake Carrington was a wolf in human skin, pretending to be kind but always scheming and exploiting. I’d die before I ever saw him again. The next second, a black suit jacket was draped over me, hiding the numerous hickeys covering my body. Julian pressed me into his arms, his voice mocking. “Well, well, Blake. In a hurry, aren’t we?” Blake’s gaze swept over the messy scene, his face darkening. “You and Anya were best friends. You drove her to her death, and you still have the nerve to do this with her fiancé…” His tone was cold and thin, a flicker of unconcealed disgust in his eyes. “Do you have any conscience left?” I closed my eyes slightly. “I told you, I didn’t force her…” That year, Anya had jumped into the sea. Before she died, she pointed at me, accusing me of stealing Julian Vance, then jumped to her despairing death right in front of me. But I never even liked Julian Vance. Why would I force Anya to die? Blake scoffed. “After her death, you grandly married into the Vance family. If it wasn’t you, who else could it be? And you still have the nerve to show your face at this reunion… Elara, don’t you disgust yourself?” Disgusting. The word was like a knife, plunging deep into my chest, causing a dull ache. After Julian took my first time, Blake had comforted me, full of feigned sympathy. Later, he indulged his appetite, whispering countless intimate words to me in hotel beds. Now, he called me disgusting. Perhaps Julian noticed the fleeting hurt in my eyes. His brow raised in amusement. “She’s my wife. Is it for an outsider like you to decide if she’s disgusting or not?” “You…” Blake’s face turned ashen, and he spun around and left. Julian, however, seemed to be in a good mood. He carefully covered me up, then personally carried me back to his latest Rolls-Royce. In the car, Julian’s fingers grazed my lips, then pressed down hard. “Your first love didn’t save you. Disappointed?” I closed my eyes, expressionless, unwilling to respond. Julian wasn’t satisfied. He bit my earlobe, his voice low. “If you don’t answer me, I’ll do it right here in the car. It’ll be a nice show for all the passersby.” People were coming and going all around us. I snapped my eyes open. “You’re insane!” **Chapter Three** Perhaps my tone was too agitated. Julian’s lips curved slightly, playing with my hair. “Just kidding, why so tense?” His voice was unusually gentle. He ran his fingers through my hair. “I’m not happy with your behavior today. I have some company matters to deal with, so go home, be a good girl, get cleaned up, and wait for me. I’ll be back later to keep you company.” Every time he wanted to punish me, he’d use every means to make me submit. Recalling those details, a wave of nausea washed over me. My gaze was cold as I said, “I’m not feeling well.” Julian’s expression subtly tightened. He brushed a stray lock of hair from my face. “I have tens of thousands of your private videos.” My face paled, my nails digging deep into my palms. Back then, Julian, to retaliate against me and ensure I couldn’t escape the Vance family, had recorded tens of thousands of intimate videos during countless nights—thousands of gigabytes, all stored on his computer. “Don’t look at me like that,” Julian loosened his tie. His black suit made his legs look exceptionally straight and long, and his eyes held a playful, unreadable smile. “Otherwise, I’ll think you’re inviting me right now.” His tone was incredibly suggestive. I bit down, straightened my messy collar, then got out of the car and hailed a taxi. Soon. My nails dug deeper into my palms. Soon, I would have collected all the evidence, sent Julian Vance to prison, and started a new life somewhere else. I opened my phone and suddenly saw an anonymous post. [Documenting the 99th humiliation plan: Making the heartthrob publicly humiliate his best friend at a party, embarrassing her in front of her ex-boyfriend!] The poster claimed she had a crush on a guy in high school, but he fell for her best friend. In a fit of rage, she found a corpse and faked her own suicide by jumping into the sea. Afterward, the heartthrob was filled with regret and married the best friend, tormenting her for five agonizing years. Just as the heartthrob grew disheartened, the poster went to the hospital, got plastic surgery to become her own double, and made the heartthrob avenge his “dead” self, orchestrating a “hundred humiliations plan.” As soon as he completed a hundred plans, she would accept his proposal. The contents of these plans were practically dog training, including but not limited to locking her best friend with chains for seven days and seven nights, recording thousands of gigabytes of private videos, and so on. Even more absurdly, the heartthrob actually carried out each one. The more I read, the tighter my brows furrowed. My heart pounded as I scrolled to the top and saw the latest post, uploaded five minutes ago. It included a picture of a girl in a white dress, smiling sweetly at the screen. That face was nine-tenths identical to the deceased Anya Petrova! And the content of the latest post was: [Documenting the 100th humiliation plan: Getting the heartthrob to abandon his wife to celebrate my birthday. Another day of being a little princess~] A sudden chill swept over me, my mind in turmoil, but I instinctively denied my suspicions. No way. It must be another one of Julian’s sick jokes. When Anya died, I had seen her body with my own eyes, bloated from the water. The birthmark on her shoulder couldn’t have been wrong. I stared intently at the address on the post, then told the driver in a low voice, “To the Imperial Luxury Hotel.” The car sped towards the opulent hotel. The lobby was grand and magnificent, illuminated like daytime by dazzling crystal chandeliers, filled with wealthy and renowned figures. I stared at the scene before me, stunned. The two men who had seemed at odds at the party—Julian Vance, CEO of Vance Group, and Blake Carrington, a powerful socialite—now stood beside a woman who bore an uncanny resemblance to Anya Petrova. Under the soft lighting, the noble and unruly Julian Vance inclined his head slightly, personally placing a silver tiara on Anya’s head. Beside him, Blake Carrington knelt on one knee, gently placing crystal shoes worth hundreds of millions on her feet. It was exactly like a scene from a romantic drama. Julian handed her an exquisite crystal bottle, his usually stern eyes softening a few degrees. “For you. Happy birthday.” Anya gasped. “This is the aurora sample I mentioned offhand last time, Julian. How did you get it?” Julian chuckled softly. “Knew you liked it. Saw it at an auction and just picked it up.” Only I knew he was lying. Such a rare, priceless item could only be found in the deepest parts of the polar regions, a place even professional exploration teams dared not venture. That day, Julian had traveled to the Arctic alone, nearly losing his life. When he was rushed to the ICU upon his return, he was still clutching that crystal bottle tightly. Looking at that aurora crystal bottle, my heart twisted inch by agonizing inch. Julian, such an arrogant and cold man, would only ever risk his life for one woman. “Thank you, Julian.” Anya deliberately rubbed against Julian’s neck, deliberately exposing a white molar-shaped birthmark on her shoulder. The expression, the tone, and the shape of that birthmark—they were identical! The ironclad evidence became the last straw that broke the camel’s back. I could barely stand. I stumbled forward, gathering every ounce of strength to walk over to Anya Petrova. Julian finally noticed me, his gaze unperturbed, showing no awkwardness at being caught. I opened my mouth, my voice trembling as I asked, “Who is she?” He raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk on his face. “What answer do you want to hear?” “Julian Vance, is she…” My eyes reddened. I took a deep breath, then choked out the question, “Is she Anya Petrova?” Julian seemed genuinely surprised. No matter how much humiliation I suffered in the past, I never shed a single tear. Not even when my parents died did I bat an eye. But now, my entire body was trembling. Seeing my red eyes, he raised an eyebrow. “No.” “She’s not Anya,” Blake Carrington subtly stepped in front of Anya, his brow furrowed. “Elara, have you forgotten? Anya was killed by you long ago.” I had seen with my own eyes Anya “die” in front of me. Back then, Anya and I were the best of friends. After she drowned, I carried a crushing guilt for five years. Every night I closed my eyes, I’d dream of Anya’s desperate, helpless gaze. But now, the face from my memories merged with the face of the woman before me. Anya’s red lips curved slightly, and she smiled sweetly. “Hi, I’m Anya, Anya as in ‘Anya rising’ if you know what I mean, big sister.” **Chapter Four** Anya Petrova, Anya. Just an elaborate fake death scheme. I suddenly felt like a complete joke. My best friend, my husband, my ex-boyfriend—all of them had conspired together to weave this massive web of revenge, tormenting me until I was a walking corpse, wishing for death.

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