Category: English

Just before I took my last breath, I finally agreed to sign the divorce papers. Ten years of love couldn’t withstand one taunt from his first love. I clutched the pen and died in Jack’s arms. Jack, who had patiently asked me for divorce 100 times after our marriage, Broke down crying uncontrollably after my death. Later, he took my ashes and disappeared into the sea. Just before the waves engulfed him, he said: “Lucy, I was wrong. If there’s another life, I’ll make amends.” Perhaps moved by his words, when I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the fifth year after we first met. Looking at the completely changed Jack before me, I finally understood. Maybe our ending was too tragic in the previous life, so in this life he just wanted to choose the path he truly desired. But when I was lying in the hospital bed again, He cried until his eyes were red, cursing himself over and over for being useless. “Who do you choose, me or her?” Mia clung to Jack’s arm, dragging her suitcase. Though phrased as a question, her tone left no room for doubt about the answer she expected. I stared blankly ahead, muttering, “The feelings were never that deep anyway. No need to pretend to be heartbroken.” Jack looked up sharply at me. “What did you say?” I jolted, meeting his gaze. His eyes swirled with complex emotions – Suppressed feelings, reluctance to let go, and the joy of reunion after a long separation. With just that one look, I knew he had come back too. I looked at this man who had tormented each other for ten years in our past life. Fighting the pain in my chest, I opened my trembling lips: “I said…” Mia impatiently cut me off. “God, you’re so annoying!” She stepped forward, jabbing my shoulder with her long, manicured nails. “Someone like you, apart from your pretty face, is completely ordinary in every other way. Just finish school like a good girl and don’t covet what isn’t yours.” In the past, I would have argued endlessly with Mia. But now I knew that no matter what, Jack would always take Mia’s side. Forget it. Looking past Mia, I saw Jack’s pained expression. She turned and linked her arm through Jack’s, her eyes glinting slyly. “Let’s go. My dad is waiting for us. I heard their new drug research is making progress…” Jack’s brow furrowed, then he spoke in a cool voice: “This kind of life is too cloying. Mia and I rented an apartment near campus. You can come visit sometime if you’d like.” With that, the two of them turned and left. The 20-year-old Jack was just like the 25-year-old Jack. For Mia’s sake, he abandoned me again without hesitation. It made sense. Given another chance at life, he surely didn’t want to repeat past mistakes. Tears welled up in my eyes. Emma beside me mistakenly thought I was crying because of them. She rolled up her sleeves, ready to chase after them. I grabbed her sleeve to stop her. “Let it go, Emma. He’s choosing what he wants. There’s nothing wrong with that.” Jack turned back at my words. Though his expression remained calm, his eyes were turbulent, Full of sorrow and reluctance to part. I wiped away my tears, avoiding his gaze. I didn’t want to read too much into his thoughts. Then I pulled Emma with me back to the dorm. Ending our entanglement while there was still a chance to salvage things might not be such a bad thing. In our past life, to please Mia, He gave me 100 divorce papers after we married, Just to satisfy all of Mia’s unreasonable demands. Even in my final moments, one phone call from Mia was enough to draw him away from my hospital bedside. He simply didn’t love me anymore. I was foolish not to let go until my dying breath. Heaven took pity and gave us another chance, But no one asked if I wanted to go through it all again. I suddenly remembered Jack’s last words before he died: “Lucy, I was wrong. If there’s another life, I’ll make amends.” But no matter what he meant, I didn’t want to keep tormenting each other anymore. Lucy, don’t soften your heart. Lucy, don’t look back.

Suddenly I felt warmth trickling from my nose. I reached up to touch it – a streak of bright red. The same pitiful state as my past life… At least Jack didn’t see it. I spent the whole night processing the emotions of reliving this life. The next day I went to class with puffy eyes. Just as the bell rang, Jack slipped into the classroom. The 20-year-old him wasn’t as composed and mature yet. His fluffy head would often burrow into my arms like a puppy. But now, we could never go back to that. My heart ached at the thought. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t even notice someone sit down beside me. Seeing no reaction from me, the person slammed their backpack loudly on the desk. I startled, finally turning to look. Jack’s face was scrunched up in annoyance, dark circles under his eyes. He ignored my gaze, burying his head in his arms like he was sulking. He quickly fell asleep, his breathing even. His phone kept buzzing on the desk. On impulse, I picked up his phone. I tried my birthday as the passcode. It worked – he hadn’t changed it. The first thing I saw was his chat with Mia. All the previous messages had been deleted. There was just one message from him: “Are you still mad?” Mia’s messages came flooding in one after another: “Who told you to sleep in the study last night!” “You said you were over Lucy!” “You promised me! Don’t blame me if I change my mind!” My hands trembled uncontrollably. I couldn’t help remembering countless nights in our past life, When Jack would rush off at Mia’s phone call. Even when I was on my deathbed, Mia only had to tell a small lie, And Jack abandoned me without hesitation. Though I had resolved to let go in despair, My heart still ached unbearably in this moment. I still couldn’t face the reality that he didn’t love me. But life is for living. This time, I refuse to watch the one I love treat me coldly again. I refuse to repeat the same mistakes. When Jack woke up, I was long gone. I thought avoiding him would keep things peaceful between us. But I didn’t expect to see Jack again so soon in the cafeteria. Even though I had told myself countless times to let go, Seeing him again still made me panic for a moment. In just a few days, the once sunny and cheerful Jack had changed drastically. He now spent his nights in bars and clubs, reeking of cigarettes and alcohol. At the moment, he had his arm around Mia, smiling down at her. He looked like the stereotypical rich playboy. He let his friends joke crudely: “Why bother eating here in the cafeteria, Mia? Don’t tell me you and Jack are looking for a new place to get frisky!” Amid the raucous laughter, Mia scolded coyly: “Don’t be silly. I just happened to have class today and wanted a change of scenery with Jack for lunch.” I had my back to them, But every word stabbed into my heart. Jack used to hate cafeteria food. In the past, he only came because I begged him to accompany me. Now he moved naturally, his arm around Mia as she leaned into him. He must be very happy now. This is good. It strengthens my resolve to leave.

I clenched my fists so tightly my nails dug into my palms. Taking a deep breath, I stood up to leave. A voice stopped me in my tracks. “Is that Lucy?” Mia’s surprised tone drew everyone’s attention. My pride was trampled under her feet. She continued speaking: “Oh my god, you’ve gotten so thin! You need to eat more, or you’ll look even more pathetic and poor!” She shoved a plate of food in front of me. Jack’s smile faded as he finally broke his silence, his voice cold: “That’s enough, Mia. Let’s go.” Mia glared at Jack, her face darkening. But in the blink of an eye, she put on an innocent expression again. “Oh, okay!” Then she tilted the hot plate of food towards me, spilling it all over me. I couldn’t dodge in time and fell backwards onto the floor. Mia gasped dramatically, crouching down to help clean the food off me. Her sharp nails left bloody scratches all over my skin. I cried out in pain, trying to stop her: “Stop! Stop! It hurts! It really hurts!” The scratches from her nails were unlike normal cuts. They kept oozing blood in tiny beads. Jack rushed over, yanking Mia away. He frowned as he examined my wounds, his voice shaking: “How did this happen? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?” I pulled my wrist from his grasp, but before I could answer, Mia’s shrill voice cut in: “Jack! If you can’t keep your promise, don’t blame me for changing my mind!” Jack’s face darkened ominously. He seemed to be holding back his anger, on the verge of exploding. Their friends looked at my face and joked: “Hey Jack, she looks familiar. But lately I’ve seen her getting into some rich guy’s Porsche a lot.” At those words, Jack’s eyes flashed dangerously. He snapped his head up, fury and jealousy in his voice: “Whose car?” “Are you that desperate?” “Or do you only go for rich guys? How many backups do you have besides me?!” His accusations made me angry and hurt. He was the one who chose someone else, Yet I became the target of everyone’s criticism. But any explanation would be useless now. I struggled to stay calm, just looking at him steadily. I forced a smile and said: “So what if I did?” He violently flung my arm away. I stumbled backwards. Emma had just gotten her food when she saw this scene. She rushed over and shoved Jack hard. “Jack, what the hell is wrong with you!” When she picked me up, I had already passed out. A streak of red trickled from my nose. Jack was frozen in shock at the blood on my face. “How… how did this happen…” “It’s too early… no… this isn’t right…” He moved to carry me to the hospital. Mia dramatically collapsed to the ground, her voice urgent: “Jack! Think carefully!” Jack’s feet seemed rooted to the spot. Emma clutched me tightly, glaring viciously at the two of them. In the silence, Emma grit her teeth and used all her strength, Somehow managing to carry me on her back and push through the crowd to the hospital.

I was woken by Emma’s sobs. When she saw me open my eyes, she cried even harder. “How could you get sick? Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Why didn’t you come to the hospital sooner!” I tried to raise my hand to wipe her tears, But my body felt like it was on fire. I had no strength to lift my arm. The hospital room door was suddenly flung open with a bang. Jack rushed in. When he saw me lying pale and lifeless in the hospital bed, All the strength seemed to leave his body. He broke down sobbing. I lowered my eyes to look at his wretched state. Just like in our past life – too little, too late. Why? Emma thought Jack was faking his deep love after abandoning me. She got up and started shoving him out. The commotion attracted a doctor. Jack was forced out. My eyelids felt heavy. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. My body was already so weak at this point. Even in this new life, fate hadn’t spared me. I felt like my strength was draining even faster this time. Before I could rest, Mia pushed open the door, her face full of disdain. What a lively day. She smiled smugly. “Lucy, did Jack come?” “Hah, you don’t really think he came to see you, do you?” She waved her wrist. “My wrist just twinged a little and he insisted on rushing me to the hospital.” I barely opened my eyes, my voice flat: “You’ve seen how pathetic I am. Now get out.” She seemed unsatisfied with my response and got angry. “Stop acting all high and mighty!” Then she seemed to think of something and sneered: “Aren’t you curious why he obeys my every word?” I stared at her intently. I knew she was blatantly flaunting Jack’s preference for her, But I still couldn’t help wanting to hear her say it again. She snorted derisively. “Aren’t you curious why someone as young as you got this disease?” My brows furrowed. The strange rapid progression of my illness this time had bothered me, but I never thought there was a reason. Hearing her words sent chills down my spine. “To tell you the truth, your illness is from drugs I had people put in your dorm water cup. It took time, but finally showed results, hahaha!” My mind was reeling. But she got more and more excited as she spoke. “I originally just wanted to teach you a lesson, but Jack felt bad for you! How could he feel bad for you! He clearly likes me! Back then I only joked about dating his friend as a prank! Who told you to show up in the middle!” Mia was nearly hysterical. “Don’t you deserve to die? Just enjoy… enjoy your last moments alive.” “Oh right, that idiot Jack actually believed me when I said I had medicine that could cure your illness, how hilarious hahaha…” SLAP! Emma rushed over and slapped her hard across the face, her eyes blazing red as she roared: “You murderer! You’ll pay for this!” Mia clutched her face, her expression turning vicious. “What can I possibly pay for! You bunch of nobodies, what power do you have to make me pay! It’s her own fault! She should never have appeared in Jack’s life in the first place!” I finally understood. In both lives, All my suffering came from Mia’s selfish desires.

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After Being Cheated On 100 Times, The Translator Wife Finally Realizes Something’s Wrong Adrian couldn’t believe his eyes as he stared at the SnapChat message from his wife, Olivia. “I pretended to be William’s girlfriend when we visited his parents. Does Simon know? He didn’t make a fuss?” Adrian’s fingers hovered over the keyboard, unsure how to respond. Just then, a call came in from his manager. “Mr. Quinn, did you forget? You signed Olivia’s resignation letter yourself. When she left, she also left behind divorce papers.” Adrian’s face turned pale as he suddenly remembered that incident when Olivia had gone to the countryside with her male intern without telling him. On Olivia’s Instagram, the usually cold and professional translator was now showing off her linguistic talents in 18 languages, clearly trying to impress William’s relatives. The caption read: “My translator wife helped me impress the elders!” Adrian couldn’t help but leave a sarcastic comment: “How professional of you.” Seconds later, Olivia called, her voice sharp with anger: “Who told you to leave such a comment? How is William supposed to face his colleagues now?” “He was being looked down on back home, so as his boss, it’s normal for me to help him save face. If you keep making a scene and embarrassing me, we might as well get divorced!” Adrian laughed coldly and hung up. As if he cared about staying married to her anymore. He glanced at the calendar. In two days, the divorce cooling-off period would be over.

This was the first time Adrian had ever hung up on Olivia. In their five years of marriage, she had always taken advantage of his love, forcing him to compromise every time. If he showed even the slightest displeasure, she would never let it go. Sure enough, Olivia called back immediately. Adrian didn’t even bother to look at his phone before rejecting the call and blocking all of Olivia’s accounts. He glanced at the pair of tickets he had just purchased and asked the young woman at the counter, “Can you help me exchange these for a single ticket?” The girl looked confused. “But the couple’s ticket has such a big discount. Did your friend cancel?” Adrian smiled. “She can’t make it. Because she just died.” The ticket seller froze for a moment, then helped him exchange the ticket with a mix of sympathy and bewilderment. As Adrian scrolled through his WhatsApp, he suddenly saw a message from William in the work group chat: “Intern William @everyone: The post I just shared on Instagram was a joke. Thanks to Olivia for being so understanding. If I offended anyone, I apologize.” Offended who? This passive-aggressive apology was clearly a provocation aimed at Adrian! Adrian laughed coldly. He was about to put his phone away when he saw Olivia’s instant reply: “Everyone can tell you were joking. It’s good for young people like you to liven things up. No need to apologize. Only petty people would take offense.” With the head translator backing William, colleagues who had been lurking came out to suck up: “Yeah, that Instagram post was obviously a joke. We wouldn’t take it seriously. No need to apologize specifically.” “Thanks to William, we got to see Olivia’s amazing debate skills. Olivia is so impressive, I need to study every word!” “I bet that petty person is lurking right now. Geez, I don’t get how some people can be so petty!” The colleagues unanimously criticized Adrian for defending William in order to flatter their boss. What angered Adrian most were the junior managers he had personally trained and promoted. They cursed him the harshest while polishing their boss’s shoes the fastest. No wonder – Olivia was the company owner, and William was her precious darling. In their eyes, Adrian, who had invested his entire fortune to help Olivia start her business, was just a lovesick fool with a green hat who didn’t even know he was being cheated on. Adrian took a deep breath and left the group chat. He didn’t want to ruin his rare day off because of them. However, just as he was queuing up for the roller coaster, he received a FaceTime call from his assistant Zhang. Her tone was full of reproach: “Adrian, why aren’t you at the office yet? The international delegation is coming in two days. Where are your materials? When will you submit them to me? You know how important this reception is, don’t you?” Her words left Adrian confused. He frowned, “What delegation?” He had been working overtime for over half a month before the holiday, just to free up these few days to travel with Olivia. He clearly didn’t have anything scheduled for these days. Zhang impatiently said: “The delegation of professors from top art schools coming for academic exchange.” Adrian bit his lip in confusion: “Wasn’t that task assigned to William by Olivia?” “Yes, but William had to go back home for something urgent, so he’s on leave. Olivia said to have you take over. You need to come to the office right now to prepare.” Adrian laughed bitterly. The visiting professors were from 10 countries including the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and Egypt. With William’s mediocre English skills, he could never handle hosting this delegation. But William had his eye on the opportunity to show off in front of top professors and leaders, so he begged Olivia to give him the task. At the time, Adrian said William couldn’t handle it, but Olivia indulged him and assigned the task to William anyway. Now that the visit was approaching and William hadn’t prepared anything, he wanted Adrian to clean up his mess! No wonder he suddenly took leave – he must have realized he couldn’t handle this important task. “Adrian, did you hear me? If you heard, hurry to the office.” Because Olivia always ordered Adrian around at work, even fresh graduates like Zhang now dared to command him! Adrian laughed coldly and said firmly, “I’m also on vacation, didn’t you know? I can’t make it back. I can’t take on this translation task. Tell Olivia to figure it out herself.” He hung up without giving Zhang a chance to respond. Taking her cheating intern to hide out in the countryside while making Adrian clean up the mess – she was really trying to ride all over him! Adrian sat down on the vertical drop roller coaster with a cold expression. Unexpectedly, five minutes later, the entire amusement park was broadcasting announcements to find him: “Mr. Adrian Quinn, your wife has an urgent matter and is looking for you. Please come to the park’s communication room to take a call as soon as you hear this announcement.” Adrian rolled his eyes. Olivia was really something… The announcements played over and over. With no choice, Adrian went to the park entrance and picked up the phone. Olivia’s furious voice nearly split his eardrum: “Adrian Quinn, have I given you too much face?”

“It’s me who’s given you too much f**king face. You’re even riding your boy toy on top of my head now!” I couldn’t be bothered to hold back anymore and snapped at her directly. There was a moment of silence on the other end before Olivia spoke again, suppressing her anger, “Adrian Quinn, what the hell is wrong with you? Such vulgar language, is this how you honor the 20 years of education your parents provided? Is this what you learned from all those years of study – to make unreasonable scenes?” “I already said I’d play with you next time. What are you still making a fuss about?” “You’d better go prepare for that professor delegation reception right now. If you mess it up, we’re through!” I clenched my fist tightly, “Fine, let’s be through then. I’ve wanted to end things with you for a long time!” Before I could finish speaking, I heard William calling Olivia from the background, “Olivia, mom’s calling you for dinner.” Then I heard Olivia’s voice become unprecedentedly gentle, “I’m just wrapping up some small matters. I’ll be right there.” Her tone turned icy cold again when she spoke to me, “What did you just say? I didn’t hear clearly.” I laughed coldly: “Olivia, listen carefully. I said you’ve found yourself a new mom in just half a day, huh? Better hurry, or your mom might get annoyed and smack you with that rolling pin.” “Oh right… I’m just being petty and fussy.” Olivia lowered her voice and roared: “People in the countryside always bully honest kids like William. As his mentor, what’s wrong with me helping him get some payback? You can’t expect everyone to be as cold-blooded and heartless as you!” “Adrian Quinn, you come back to the office right now and coordinate with the team receiving the visiting professor delegation. Otherwise, don’t blame me for ruining your reputation in the translation industry!” She cursed a few more times before hanging up. I stood in the stuffy, cramped communication room, listening to the dial tone with a feeling of desolation. I had made a huge mistake. I should have divorced Olivia long ago, back when she first started treating me coldly and ignoring my feelings. I lost all desire to play and was about to take a cab back to the hotel. The next second, messages flooded in until my phone was vibrating non-stop. Everyone was privately messaging me to come back to the office to work. Though it was an urgent matter where they needed my help, their tones couldn’t have been more disrespectful. The divorce certificate would be in my hands in two days. I couldn’t care less about the mess at Olivia’s company. I deleted that batch of fair-weather colleagues and opened the company app to submit my resignation. But as soon as I opened it, I saw the company’s announcement of my dismissal, with an attached notice criticizing my poor work performance and low moral character. I laughed. It was my first time seeing someone burn bridges before even crossing the river. Olivia really did love her little toy boy. I enjoyed myself for two days, then went straight to the office to pack up my things after getting off the plane. To my surprise, when I got to my office door, neither facial recognition nor my work badge could open it. I was confused when the door opened from inside. “Adrian, what are you doing here? Hurry to the airport! The team receiving the delegation left a long time ago!” William walked out of my office, wearing my watch on his wrist and drinking from my mug. Now he was even ordering me around! I shoved him aside and walked into the office. “It’s not your place to give me orders.” As soon as I entered, I saw that all my belongings had been cleared out. The trash can held photos of Olivia and me, along with the voice recorder and brooch she had given me. Yes, Olivia had loved me once. Those years when we started the business together were the most difficult but also the happiest. William caught my moment of distraction and deliberately exclaimed, “Oh Adrian, I forgot to mention, Olivia gave me this office. Your things were probably thrown out by the cleaners.” He stared at me intently, hoping to see me explode or go crazy. But I smiled at him and glanced casually at the trash can. “Thanks for throwing out this garbage for me. Saves me from getting my hands dirty.”

“Adrian Quinn, why are you still here? The delegation is about to arrive!” Olivia’s face was as cold as iron, her voice anxious. I frowned and glared at her. “So what? Why should I care?” I said as I strode out. “But Adrian, you can’t…” William hurried to block my path. As we brushed shoulders, he suddenly cried out and fell heavily to the ground. “William! Are you okay?” Olivia, who had just been glaring at me, instantly panicked. She took two big steps, shoved me aside, and anxiously helped William up, gently patting his back to comfort him when she saw he wasn’t injured. Olivia glared at me furiously. “Well, Adrian Quinn, have I given you too much face? Is this what you learned from all those years of education – bullying colleagues and picking on the weak? Apologize to William right now!” I laughed coldly. Before I could speak, William added fuel to the fire, sounding wronged, “Olivia, don’t be angry. Adrian must be too anxious about the professor delegation project. He didn’t mean to push me.” Reminded of this, Olivia also grew nervous. “Are you trying to get fired? If this project gets messed up, you can resign on your own!” I laughed strangely. “Olivia, are you pretending to have amnesia on top of finding new parents? I was fired by you yesterday. The life and death of your precious company have nothing to do with me now.” Olivia’s whole body trembled with anger. She raised her hand to slap me but ended up knocking the computer off the desk. Her voice was terrifyingly low, “Fired? Are you deliberately sabotaging such an important project just to threaten me with quitting?” I really didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She was the one who issued the dismissal notice. This pair of cheaters was too much. I quickened my pace to leave – spending another second with them made me want to vomit. But Olivia called out as I was leaving, “Adrian Quinn, according to company policy, for major losses caused by personal mistakes, compensation must be paid…” I didn’t even look back as I walked away. “Yeah, if you keep yapping instead of cleaning up this mess, it won’t be compensation – it’ll be bankruptcy!” Thinking of Olivia’s gnashing teeth, I felt secretly pleased. She had wanted to manipulate me into cleaning up William’s mess, but this time I didn’t give an inch. She had kicked an iron plate. After leaving the company, I listed the marital home I had bought years ago for sale online, priced for a quick sale. The real estate agent said those school district apartments were in high demand. He quickly found a buyer offering much more than my asking price. The price didn’t matter. What mattered was that anything related to Olivia felt like a thorn in my side. Then I drove straight to the civil affairs bureau and got the divorce certificate I had been longing for. Our mutually torturous marriage was finally over!

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When I was bullied and pushed off the school rooftop, Julian, the fox-beastman I had adopted, was kneeling before my tormentor, Valerie Blackwood, devoutly kissing her hand: “Valerie, please, let me come back to you, okay?” But back then, it was *me* who’d risked half my life, fighting tooth and nail, to rescue a half-dead Julian from Valerie’s cruel beast-fighting arena. That was the moment I finally understood: Julian had always been deeply in love with Valerie. He hated my so-called rescue, hated me for taking him away from her side. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day we first met. Julian was curled in a corner, bruised, battered, and barely clinging to life. I smiled, clapped my hands, and pointed at the snarling little wolf that had injured him so badly. “What a fierce little pup. I want him.” Memories from just a few minutes ago were still replaying in my mind. Valerie, with a pack of beast-men, cornered me on the rooftop, beating me until my head bled. Just as I gritted my teeth, pulling out the small knife hidden at my lower back to stab her, Julian appeared. But not to save me. He shifted into his beast form, leaping swiftly, snatching the knife from my hand. He tackled me, throwing me off balance. My foot slipped, and I tumbled backward. In that instant, I watched him carefully help a startled Valerie to her feet. He knelt on the ground, bowing his head to devoutly kiss her hand. “Valerie, you are my only true master. “I’ve grown strong enough now, strong enough to protect you. “Please, let me return to your side, okay?” Turns out, the fox I’d nurtured for five years had never once acknowledged me as his owner. Every day I cared for him, he was just biding his time, waiting for a chance to bite through my throat and return to Valerie’s side. Hatred burned away my reason. I closed my eyes as I fell. The sudden, dizzying sense of freefall swallowed me whole.

When I opened my eyes again, the sky was bright, and the arena roared with thunderous applause and shouts. I froze for a moment, then my gaze landed on the blood-soaked fox in the fighting ring. That was Julian’s beast form. He was losing ground rapidly under the relentless, vicious attacks of the wolf-beast opposite him, whimpering lowly in the corner, too terrified to move. It hit me then— I had been reborn, back to the year I first met Julian. Valerie Blackwood was naturally spoiled and cruel, finding pleasure in tormenting beast-men. This arena was her personal playground, but for the beast-men, it was hell on earth. Only the victors earned the right to live. But even then, their fate was merely to be bought by spectators and kept as playthings. In my previous life, Julian’s helpless, pathetic form in the corner had moved me. I had offered to buy him. But Valerie refused to let him go. She’d said: “The law of the jungle is the truth of this world. If he loses, he deserves to die. Ms. Sterling, don’t spoil the rules of my arena.” But I was stubbornly set on Julian. I risked life and limb, fighting my way out of the arena with him. Once free, I scoured the lands for rare herbs and potent elixirs to heal and strengthen Julian. Everything I owned, I shared with him, never once discriminating against him for being a beast-man. What a joke. All that heartfelt effort? Just me deluding myself. From the very beginning, Julian’s heart belonged to Valerie, even though she never gave him a second thought. He was pathologically, madly obsessed with her, willing to abandon a life of luxury just to grovel at her feet. Living this life again, I finally realized— Some creatures are just born rotten to the core.

The wolf-beast on the platform slowly closed in on Julian. The applause was deafening, almost tearing the roof off the arena. Everyone was eagerly anticipating the moment Julian’s throat would be ripped out, his last breath choked. Especially Valerie. Her eyes practically glowed with anticipation. But how could I let Julian die so easily? This time, I wanted Julian to get what he truly wished for: to stay with Valerie, to be tormented to death by his darling mistress. The next second, I smiled and clapped, pointing to the small wolf on the platform. “What a fierce little pup. I want him. “Ms. Blackwood, you wouldn’t mind parting with him, would you?” Valerie was clearly annoyed she didn’t get to see Julian die on the platform. But she still forced a smile at me. “Of course. Ms. Sterling, please, help yourself.” The wolf-beast was led off the stage, cleaned, and then brought back to me. Julian, however, was immediately forced into his next fight. When another wolf-beast was brought onto the platform, Julian visibly started to break down. I leisurely sipped my drink, savoring Julian’s panicked expression. This wolf-beast was clearly not as strong as the last, and Julian managed to hold his own, fighting back and forth. His old wounds tore open again, bleeding profusely. He whimpered and cried, but it only made the audience even more excited. To maximize their attacking power, beast-men usually shift into their animal forms during fights. But just as the wolf-beast clamped its jaws around his neck, Julian suddenly shifted into his human form. A handsome, fair face emerged. Julian, eyes hazy with tears, looked desperate and broken, reaching out to Valerie. “Valerie, save me.”

People turned to look at Valerie. Her face was grim. She raised her hand and slammed her teacup to the ground. “How are my staff teaching these beast-men?! “This low-level creature dares to call me by my name?” Seeing Valerie angered, some onlookers got other ideas. “If Ms. Blackwood doesn’t want him, why not sell this fox to me?” “No wonder they call him a fox; he’s got that charming, manipulative look. I like it too.” A few fleshy-faced older men exchanged knowing glances. But Valerie’s face was cold as she enunciated each word: “The law of the jungle. The loser dies. Don’t any of you dare break the rules.” Julian, pinned to the ground on the platform, his neck bleeding, was moments from death. The next second, he somehow produced a small dagger and stabbed the wolf-beast on top of him. The wolf-beast struggled weakly a few times, then went still. Julian had turned the tables at the last moment. This was a scene I’d never witnessed in my previous life. The arena fell silent. Everyone stared, stunned, at the platform. No beast-man had ever managed to evade a search and bring a weapon into the ring. But precisely because of that, there were no explicit rules against it. Julian scrambled to his feet, ignoring the blood on his face, and grinned brilliantly at Valerie. “Valerie, I won. I…” Valerie coldly cut him off: “Who was it just now who wanted this fox? “Let the bidding begin.” Julian’s face went utterly white.

Julian did indeed have a beautiful face. The auction price climbed higher and higher. I boredomly set down my drink. The wolf-beast I’d bought earlier, his wounds bandaged, was brought to my side. Only then did I notice that his human form was just as striking as Julian’s. His deep-set features held a primal intensity, and a few shallow scars still marked his face. His glowing emerald eyes had been fixed on me for a while, yet his grey wolf ears were softly drooped. Both docile and wild. For some reason, I felt like I’d seen those untamed eyes before. I took a sip of tea and asked, “What’s your name?” “Caleb.” “Have… have we met before?” His vertical pupils brightened. Caleb was about to speak when suddenly, gasps rippled through the entire arena. Julian, who knows where he found the strength, had broken free from the guards. Under the collective gaze of the crowd, he lunged towards Valerie. Before Valerie could react, he dropped to his knees without hesitation. He took her hand, kissing it with a trembling, controlled tenderness, his voice full of sorrow. “Valerie, I promise I’ll become the strongest beast-man. “I’m willing to be the sharpest blade in your hand. Please, keep me, okay?” *Slap!* A crisp, resounding slap echoed through the entire arena. Julian’s proudly beautiful face was whipped to the side, rapidly swelling red. Valerie disgustedly wiped the back of her hand, as if she’d touched something foul. I couldn’t help but laugh. “Such pathetic groveling is truly disgusting.”

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When my girlfriend was at her lowest, I broke up with her. Years later, after she found success and fame, she used every means possible to marry me. Everyone said I was her one true love, her most treasured husband. But in reality, every night she brought a different man home, shattering my heart and turning me into a laughingstock. I never fought back. I never cried or argued. I simply moved into the study, quietly staying out of her way. She hated that. One night, furious, she kissed me roughly and whispered, “Aren’t you jealous?” What she didn’t know was that I was sick. While she spent each day trying to hurt me, I was silently counting down how many days I had left to live. 1 In the third year of our marriage, my wife, Claire, started keeping a young, handsome college student. His name was Ryan. He was tall, good-looking, and exactly Claire’s type. She kept him around for over six months—longer than any of the others. My friends warned me to be careful. They said Claire seemed genuinely attached to Ryan. The first time I met him was on my birthday. That morning, I’d woken up with a nosebleed that wouldn’t stop. At the hospital, the doctor told me I probably wouldn’t live past spring next year. I nodded calmly and said, “That’s fine.” I wasn’t afraid of dying—I just didn’t want it to hurt. There was an expensive medication that could ease the pain, but I didn’t have enough money to afford it. So, I went to Claire’s office to ask for help. That’s where I ran into Ryan. He had just graduated and was working as Claire’s assistant. Claire was in a meeting, so I sat in the lobby to wait. Ryan kept glancing at me, then leaned over to whisper to his coworkers, “So, that’s the husband? He looks awful—so skinny and sickly, like he’s on his deathbed.” He laughed and added, “People say I look like him, but I don’t see it. I’m way better looking.” I caught my reflection in the glossy glass wall. Messy hair, a puffy coat that made me look even frailer. He wasn’t wrong. I wasn’t much to look at—just a man waiting to die. A coworker nudged him and whispered, “Don’t underestimate him. If he cleaned up, you wouldn’t even compare. And don’t forget, Claire loves him. If you piss him off, she’ll destroy you.”

2 Ryan wasn’t convinced. He rolled his eyes and smirked. He brought me a cup of tea and asked mockingly, “So, Mr. Baker, why is Claire making you wait so long? It’s weird—whenever I stop by, no matter how busy she is, she always makes time for me. She says I’m her priority.” He smiled smugly, and for a moment, I saw a bit of my younger self in him. I thought about it. Claire did treat Ryan differently. She’d had countless lovers over the years, using them as pawns in her game to provoke me. Every night, she brought home someone new, testing my limits. But she never kept them around for long. A day or two, maybe a week. She always got bored quickly. Ryan, though, was different. She spoiled him. She took him out to dinner, shopping, and movies. They acted like an ordinary, happy couple. She gave him money, but she also gave him affection. I looked at him and smiled gently. “If you’re so important to her, why settle for being her dirty little secret?” “You should convince her to divorce me and marry you instead.” Ryan’s expression darkened instantly. He glared at me, his voice shaking with anger. “You’re the one who’s useless here! You’re nothing but a kept man!” “You only got to her first. But now? You’re old, you’re ugly. What could you possibly offer her?” His coworker hurried over, pulling him away, clearly worried I’d be upset. But I wasn’t. I’d promised myself long ago that I wouldn’t get angry because of Claire. I wouldn’t feel sad because of her. And I definitely wouldn’t stoop to competing with her lovers. She wasn’t worth it.

3. Ryan was pulled back by a coworker, but he lost his balance, fell to the ground, and shattered the teacup in his hand. Blood poured from the deep cut on his palm, pooling on the floor. Through the glass of the conference room, Claire saw what had happened. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, she threw down her papers, pushed the door open, and hurried over to Ryan. She grabbed his hand with visible distress, frowning as she examined his injury. Her voice was cold as she asked, “Who did this to him?” The coworker who had tried to help Ryan stepped back in fear, their face pale. I let out a dry laugh. “It was me. And honestly, he deserved it.” Ryan gritted his teeth and glared at me, then shouted, “Yeah, I deserved it! I fell for someone I shouldn’t have. I’m the one being called a kept man, a plaything.” “But Claire,” he said, looking into her eyes with a mix of defiance and passion, “as long as you love me, I’ll stay by your side forever. No one can take me away from you.” The words were absurd, but the way he said them—so firm, so sincere—made him seem almost brave. Claire couldn’t help but laugh. She reached out to ruffle his hair and said softly, “Don’t be mad. You’re going to make me worry.” She treated him differently. That much was obvious. I lowered my gaze, no longer interested in the scene. Instead, I calmly said to Claire, “For my birthday this year, I want $50,000.” It was funny, really. We were married, yet we didn’t even have each other’s phone numbers. The only time I reached out to her was when I needed money. Before we got married, we had an agreement: she wanted me, and I wanted her money. Claire had always hated how materialistic I was. But in the past, no matter how much I asked for, she would always give it to me without hesitation. This time, though, she looked at me with a cold smile and said slowly, “You can have the money.” “But, Isaac, first, lower your proud head and apologize to Ryan.” Claire was willing to pay $50,000 to buy back my dignity and give it to Ryan in the form of an apology. It was the first time she had used money to humiliate me for the sake of another man. I clenched my fists and forced a laugh, holding back the sudden wave of pain that surged through my body. I turned and walked away. I didn’t need the money anymore. For the first time, I was curious about Claire. If one day she found out that this money could have given me more time to live… if she knew how much I’d suffered before I died… What kind of expression would she have then?

4. I went home alone, curling up in bed in pain, drenched in a cold sweat. After taking a sleeping pill, I told myself, If I fall asleep, it won’t hurt anymore. Half-asleep, I dreamed of when I was twenty years old. Claire was dirt-poor back then, but she loved me deeply. That year, on my birthday, I walked past a café and saw a couple sitting by the window. The boy was holding a white cake—it looked delicate, delicious, and expensive. I still remember the snow falling heavily that day. I scooped up a mound of snow, turned to Claire, and grinned. “Claire, doesn’t this look like a cake?” She bit her lip, pulled me into her arms, and held me tight. She didn’t let me see the tears welling up in her eyes. Three days later, she showed up outside my dorm with a cake. When I saw the frostbite on her fingers, my eyes turned red with anger. Through gritted teeth, I told her, “Claire, your hands are meant for reading and writing, not for ruining just to make me happy.” I said I didn’t deserve such an expensive cake. She frowned and immediately shot back, “Isaac, you’re the best person in the world. You deserve all the good things it has to offer.” That day, I ate the entire cake through tears. I don’t even remember what it tasted like anymore. I just know that after that, I never had a cake that tasted better. I slept for a long time. Half-conscious, I heard my phone ringing. When I picked it up, Claire’s voice came through. “Isaac,” she said. I smiled faintly, my voice soft as I replied, “Claire, it’s snowing. I want cake.” Before she could respond, I turned over and fell back into a deep sleep.

5. I slept until the middle of the night when hunger woke me up. I went to the kitchen to find something to eat, only to realize Claire had come back. She had bought Ryan a big house. They lived there together. He cooked for her, made her laugh, and waited for her to come home. Claire seemed happy. She hadn’t been back here in a long time. She leaned lazily against the floor-to-ceiling window, her eyes fixed on me. I kept my head down and walked past her, only for her to grab my arm. Frowning, she asked softly, “Why have you lost so much weight?” Her tone was gentle, almost like she still cared about me. For a moment, I froze before yanking my arm away and snapping, “Claire, what’s wrong with you now?” She glanced at her empty hand, her face slowly turning cold. It wasn’t until I reached the dining table and saw a cake covered in candles that I realized the phone call hadn’t been a dream. I’d said I wanted cake, and Claire had bought one. What was this? A peace offering? But I was dying. I didn’t need a cake—or her—anymore. Grabbing the cake, I threw it straight into the trash. Claire frowned, then shoved me against the wall, her voice sharp. “Isaac, are you messing with me?” I smiled, unbothered. “Yeah, Claire, I’m messing with you. So what?” “I said I wanted cake, and you went and bought one. God, you’re just as pathetic as you used to be.” I twisted the knife deliberately, watching her expression grow colder by the second. Her face darkened completely as she grabbed my collar and dragged me into the bedroom. She shoved me down onto the bed, her movements rough and unrestrained. Claire was furious. Her lips crashed onto mine, hard enough to split the corner of my mouth. I shoved her off, my voice icy. “Don’t touch me, Claire. You disgust me.” But she lunged at me again, biting down on my neck. The sharp pain made me suck in a breath. Her voice was low and harsh against my ear. “Isaac, would it kill you to give in to me for once?” “Do you even know how long I’ve waited for you to come to me? How many years I’ve waited for you to just talk to me?” “Do you know how happy I was when you said you wanted cake?” “And then you turn around and treat me like a joke?” She pulled back, her eyes red and brimming with tears, staring at me as if waiting for an answer. My own eyes stung as I glared back at her. The room was dim and suffocating, and neither of us said a word. Claire leaned in closer, her lips just inches from mine when her phone suddenly rang. It was Ryan. She paused, then answered it. I could hear Ryan’s voice, tearful and trembling. “Claire, are you really leaving me for him? You love me. I know you do.” “I’m at a bar right now. I’ve had a lot to drink, and some woman started talking to me…” “I hate her. Please come get me. Take me home, Claire. Please.” Claire said nothing at first. She just stared at me, her lips curling into a cold, mocking smile. Then she spoke, her voice soft but commanding. “Isaac, beg me.” “Beg me to stay, and I won’t leave.” She must have forgotten. A long time ago, I’d already begged her. I’d swallowed my pride and asked, “Claire, can we just sit down and talk calmly?” “Can we stop fighting?” “Can’t we just… be happy together?” “Can you treat me better?” I remember how she had stared at me back then, her gaze cold as ice. And she’d smiled as she said, “Isaac, you don’t deserve it.” Those words had stayed with me ever since, lodged deep in my heart. And now, finally, I could say them back to her. Grabbing her collar, I looked her dead in the eye and said, slowly and deliberately, “Claire, you don’t deserve it.” She froze for a moment, then let out a bitter laugh. Raising the phone to her ear, she said to Ryan, “I’m coming to get you.” Without another glance at me, she stood up, slammed the door, and walked out.

6. The next day, photos of Claire fighting another woman over Ryan spread through our social circles like wildfire. It was the first time one of her affairs had turned into such a public spectacle. Reporters were waiting outside our house. As I walked out, they swarmed me, bombarding me with questions. Claire’s company had grown rapidly over the past few years, and she was a rising name in Westbridge. Not only was she wealthy, but she was also stunningly beautiful, frequently trending online. One young reporter asked, “Mr. Brooks, do you have any comments on what happened between Claire and Ryan?” I didn’t stop walking. Without looking back, I replied, “One’s a cheating wife, and the other’s the kind of man who knowingly gets involved with one. What do you want me to say?” The reporter followed me, persistent. “But I heard that when Claire was at her lowest, you dumped her for money. Then, when she became successful, you guilt-tripped her into marrying you. Now that she’s found true love with Ryan—who’s clearly a better match—you’re clinging to the title of her husband and calling him a homewrecker. Don’t you think you’re the real problem here?” I stopped, turned around, and gave him a cold smile. Grabbing the badge hanging around his neck, I read his name and flipped it over. On the back, there was a student ID from Hillside University. Calmly, I asked, “You’re Ryan’s friend, aren’t you?” “Everyone in these circles knows Claire did whatever it took to marry me. You think I wanted to marry her?” “Or are you here on his behalf, trying to sling mud at me so your buddy can successfully take my place?” The reporter’s face paled. He snatched his badge back and stammered, “I am Ryan’s friend, but I’m a journalist. Everything I say is fair and objective.” “If you really didn’t want to marry her,” he continued, regaining his composure, “then why haven’t you divorced her now that she’s fallen for someone else?” I smirked, about to respond, but then I felt a familiar warmth trickling from my nose. Blood. Someone sneered, “Mr. Brooks keeps saying he doesn’t care, that he was forced into this marriage, but look at him—so stressed out he’s giving himself nosebleeds.” I wiped the blood from my lips with my finger and said evenly, “I’m not stressed. I’m sick. Dying, actually. Nosebleeds are common these days.” The crowd fell silent. The mocking smiles disappeared. Only the young reporter kept talking. “Oh, come on. Quit the act. A nosebleed makes you a dying man now? You’re just trying to play the sympathy card.” “I can’t stand guys like you—always playing the victim, using every dirty trick in the book. You make us all look bad.” With that, he turned and walked away. Something about his retreating figure reminded me of Ryan. Both left the same sour taste in my mouth.

7. The video of me surrounded by reporters quickly made its way onto trending news. Claire responded publicly later that day, saying, “I will never divorce my husband. Please stop bothering him.” That same afternoon, Ryan’s journalist friend was fired. Online, though, the backlash against me only grew. “This guy is disgusting. If he didn’t want to marry her, why did he? No one held a gun to his head.” “And he claims to be her ‘first love’? Please. He’s just a gold digger.” “Claire defends him so much—I’m jealous.” “He dumped her for money back then, and now he’s sticking around for the same reason. All this talk about not wanting the marriage is just him playing the victim.” “Yeah, he’s trying to act noble while still reaping all the benefits. Hypocrite.” Amid the hate, one comment stood out: “Why don’t you all shut your mouths? If you don’t know the truth, stop talking.” People immediately swarmed that account, demanding to know the “truth.” The truth was as cliché as it gets. That year, my mom was diagnosed with a terminal illness. The doctors said it was genetic. Not only was I doomed to eventually face the same fate, but if I ever had kids, they were likely to inherit it, too. The day my mom fell ill, she bled so much from her nose that the floor was covered in red. She lost so much blood that she slipped into a coma for three days. When she woke up, the first thing she said was, “Isaac, you need to break up with Claire.” I stared at her, dumbfounded, and whispered, “Mom, she won’t care about that.” I wasn’t sure if I was trying to convince her or myself. My mom gently held my hand, nodded, and said, “I know. She’s a good girl.” She paused, then smiled faintly. “You two have been together since high school. Every morning, she’d wait for you at the corner with her bike. Did you think I didn’t notice?” “I remember once, she bought you a sandwich for breakfast. It cost all her bucks.” “You were so clueless and greedy. She lied and said she’d already eaten. And you believed her, happily devouring the sandwich while she went hungry.” “She didn’t have much back then. Her parents were divorced, and she was practically an orphan. That twelve bucks might’ve been her entire day’s budget, and she didn’t even hesitate to spend it on you.” “I thought to myself, my son is lucky to have found someone so good.” “She’s smart, kind, and wonderful in every way.” “But because she’s so good, I can’t let her waste her life on you.” That same year, Claire’s grandmother fell ill and was hospitalized. They were incredibly close—her grandmother had raised her. Claire was already overwhelmed trying to pay for the medical bills. My mom said women’s hearts are fragile. If Claire lost her grandmother and me, it would destroy her. I clenched my fists, and after a long silence, I whispered, “Mom… I can’t let her go.” Those words broke me. Tears poured down my face. I can’t let her go.

8. Even ten years later, thinking about it still makes my chest ache. I bought my mom’s favorite persimmons and planned to visit her grave one last time. I was dying. I needed to tell her that I wouldn’t be coming back anymore. Before heading to the cemetery, I decided to stop by Claire’s office to retrieve something. When my mom was alive, she adored Claire. That was back when she was still healthy, and Claire and I were deeply in love. One year, my mom visited a temple and brought back two porcelain dolls for good luck. Inside the boy doll, she tucked my birthdate. Inside the girl doll, she tucked Claire’s. They were supposed to protect us—keep us healthy and ensure that we’d always stay together. My mom asked me to give Claire her doll. But Claire didn’t want the one meant for her. She insisted on taking mine instead. She said the boy doll reminded her of me—awkward and a little goofy, but endearing. She said looking at it felt like looking at me. She liked seeing me. To this day, that doll had sat on Claire’s desk at work. I was worried that after I died, Claire would toss it in the trash like it was nothing. It was something my mom had given me. I needed to take it back and leave it at her grave, so it could stay with her. When I arrived at Claire’s office, she was watching the video of me from that morning—the one where I was bleeding from my nose, casually mentioning that I was dying. When she noticed me, she set her phone aside without saying a word. I glanced at her desk and saw that the spot where the doll used to sit was empty. Frowning, I asked, “Where’s my doll?”

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My husband was supposedly turned to ashes in a fire the night before our wedding. I read his final letter, written in blood, and dutifully cared for his parents for thirty years. But when I went to cancel his official documents, the clerk informed me he had long since remarried and had a child. I refused to believe it and went to find him myself. He claimed I was mentally ill and had me committed, where I suffered greatly. I turned the tables and called the police. “Officer, someone here has committed bigamy!” 0 “Ma’am, I think there’s been a misunderstanding. Mr. Grant isn’t dead. In fact, he has a son,” the clerk said. I stood there in shock. George Grant had supposedly been reduced to ashes in a fire twenty years ago. He left a final letter written in blood, and in my dreams he told me I must take care of his parents. I shouldered that burden, caring for them for thirty years. Now they’re telling me George Grant isn’t dead? What have these past thirty years been for? Fighting back tears, I secretly took some photos of George’s current address. I returned home in a daze and called Mr. and Mrs. Grant. In the background noise, I could faintly hear children playing. “Mom, Dad, George is still alive, isn’t he? I heard his voice.” Mrs. Grant smacked her forehead and protested loudly. “How could that be? I think you’re just exhausted lately. Get some rest. It’s perfect timing since we’re traveling, so you can relax too.” With that, she hurriedly hung up. I laughed bitterly and collapsed on the floor, completely drained. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard George’s voice. At first I thought I was hallucinating, that my mind was playing tricks on me. So I didn’t think much of it. But now all the clues were telling me one thing: George Grant wasn’t dead. Looking around at everything I’d worked for to build this home, I broke down sobbing. George and I had fallen in love at first sight. He pursued me passionately. But misfortune always finds those who suffer most. The night before our wedding, while he was cleaning our new home, a faulty appliance caught fire, leading to his untimely death. My eyes were nearly blinded from crying. In the end, I had no choice but to accept this reality. Everyone told me to move on, to find a new husband. Even Mr. and Mrs. Grant said I should remarry and find happiness. But looking at that blood-written letter, I gritted my teeth and treated his parents as my own. For thirty years, I never wavered. My blood pressure spiked as I trembled all over. Didn’t George love me most? If he was alive, why didn’t he come find me? Was there some unspeakable reason? I grabbed my ID and rushed to the neighboring city. I had to find him and get answers. In a lavish mansion, George was living happily with his wife and son. Even Mr. and Mrs. Grant were there. Their happiness stung my eyes. Looking down at my worn-out shoes from the market stall, the wrinkles and scars on my face showed how much I’d sacrificed for this family. I pushed open the door and stared straight at George, calling out to him. “George, you’re alive. Why didn’t you come find me…” Everyone in the mansion panicked. Mrs. Grant quickly came over and slapped me. “What nonsense are you spouting! This is George’s twin brother, Gary. You’ve got the wrong person!” Mrs. Grant had always been kind, but this was the first time she’d ever struck me. “We were planning to tell you after some time, but George’s death was too big a shock for you… We kept it from you for your own good…” I forced a bitter smile. Even if George had been reduced to ashes, I would recognize him. How dare they claim this was his twin brother? 0

Moreover, they only ever had one son. Since when did they have twins? “Sarah, Mom’s here. There must be some misunderstanding. Don’t be upset,” said the woman facing me. She wore elaborate makeup, expensive perfume, and had a perfect manicure. She approached me with ill intent and slapped me without hesitation. “Who are you? How dare you try to scam us, claiming this is your husband? What backwoods hick are you?” Seeing her strike me, the child couldn’t hold back anymore. He came up and kicked me. “Who are you? Get out! You’re not welcome here! Don’t try to steal my dad!” The child kicked hard, drawing blood on my leg. I stood there motionless, my heart pierced as if by needles, aching all over. “George, won’t you say something? I know it’s you.” “If you have some difficulty you can’t speak of, just tell me, okay?” “I’ve worked so hard to care for your parents for thirty years. Are all of you conspiring to deceive me?” He opened his mouth to speak but was stopped by his father. “Sarah, I think you’re just too tired lately. How about this – you’ve cared for us for almost thirty years. After we die, that’ll be the end of it. You don’t need to care for us anymore. Go home now.” I stared at George with hollow eyes. “Won’t you say anything? Are you just going to abandon me like this? You did it thirty years ago, and now you’re doing it again thirty years later? Doesn’t your conscience hurt?” George spoke coldly, “I’m sorry, sister-in-law. You’ve got the wrong person…” Some sister-in-law. Some apology. Thirty years of my youth, and all I get is “sister-in-law” and “sorry”? I clung desperately to George’s legs, wailing. “George Grant, you heartless bastard! How could you abandon me like this? Now you’ve even married and had a child. Are you even human?” He pried my fingers off one by one in disgust, spraying alcohol all over. “Sister-in-law, don’t push your luck. I’m not George Grant! You’ve got the wrong person.” George had changed… everything had changed. My heart-wrenching cries drew the attention of other neighbors. They gathered outside, pointing and whispering. “How tragic, betraying her for thirty years… and then marrying someone else and having a kid.” “Yeah, and calling her ‘sister-in-law’ and claiming to be the twin brother. What a liar… absolute scum!” “Look at that woman all dolled up. She’s clearly no good. Probably slept her way to the top.” Sophia and George’s faces turned ashen as they clenched their fists. The next moment, he called the mental hospital impatiently. “Hello doctor, there’s a mentally ill person here. Please come take her away for treatment!” I shook my head like a rattle drum. “No… no!” “George, do you know how hard it was for me to find you?” I had put on the cleanest outfit from my closet, fixed my hair, and rushed over as fast as I could. Now he was accusing me of being mentally ill. I stood up and looked at George with tear-filled eyes. “You were the first person I ever loved, and the last. I did everything I could to care for your parents. But you conspired with them to deceive me. Doesn’t your conscience hurt at all?” 0

The doctors from the mental hospital got out of the ambulance and dragged me in. I was older now, and these doctors were strong young men. No matter how much I struggled, it was useless. “George, say something! Do you think locking me up will let you do whatever you want? Do you think it will change the fact that you’re George Grant?” I ranted and raved like a madwoman, cursing heaven and earth. But he watched coldly, as if nothing was happening. That’s how I was taken to the mental hospital. I heard their chilling voices in my ear. “Mr. Grant said to torture her to within an inch of her life. She’s old anyway, she won’t die.” “He also said she’s destroying his family, so we shouldn’t go easy on her.” As they spoke, they slowly took off their clothes. Only then did I realize: They weren’t from the mental hospital at all, but thugs hired by George. I curled up in the corner, hugging my knees and trembling. “Please, let me go. I’m just a weak woman. I came to find my husband. There must be some misunderstanding!” “Ahhhh!” A steel pipe struck my leg as smoke filled the air. “Begging won’t help. We’re just doing the job we were paid for!” Sweat poured down my forehead in big drops as I gritted my teeth through the pain. Did George really hate me this much? No matter how I begged, they showed no mercy. They only stopped when I passed out on the ground. Faintly, I heard them calling George. “Mr. Grant… we’ve beaten her pretty badly. About the money…” George laughed coldly on the other end. “Good job. My life is happy and perfect. She insisted on butting in, so she has only herself to blame!” Blood and tears mixed together, falling bitterly into my mouth. Oh heavens, I loved someone with all my heart and soul. Was that also wrong? I kept an empty home, caring dutifully for his parents. Is this really how it all ends? I gasped for air like a dying fish. The next moment, George called. “Sarah Newman, this is what happens when you insist on opposing me. If there’s a next time, don’t expect to keep your life!” “Everything between us is in the past. I’m happy now. Stop bothering me!” As he finished speaking, a coquettish female voice came through the phone. “George, your bath is ready. Come wash up.” After George hung up, A commotion arose outside the vehicle. A group of people with cameras started taking photos of me in my wretched state. Rotten eggs, kitchen waste, and all sorts of trash were thrown at my face. “Sisters, keep throwing! This woman ruined Sophia’s happiness!” “How dare an old hag like you try to compete! Shameless!” “They’re married with a son! Get lost already!” Foul-smelling juices clung to my body. I weakly protested in a small voice: “George and I were married first… It’s not my fault…” “I just gave him my whole heart…” I blacked out and woke up in the hospital. Opening my phone, I saw a flood of messages from Mrs. Grant. “Stop harassing us. Here’s $10,000 to end all ties between us!” “My son is married with his own family now. You can leave.”

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I was born with a fiery passion, sometimes needing to release it three times a day. But our marriage was a business arrangement. So even when it came to *satisfying* me, Dax would only symbolically use toys. His movements were precise, devoid of warmth, never a personal touch. Every time we finished, he’d politely ask, “Are you done?” As if it were a chore completely unrelated to him. But after my unexpected death, I saw this man I’d always shunned like the plague go utterly insane for me. He was like a silent, lone wolf, personally eliminating everyone who had harmed me, both openly and secretly. He kissed my stiff forehead, his voice humbled to dust: “Elara, if there’s a next life, please love me properly, just once, okay?” He held my cold body, then detonated explosives, taking down my enemies with him. The moment his soul scattered, I finally saw all the hidden depth of his love, beneath that icy facade. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself reborn to the first year of our marriage. Overwhelmed with joy, tears blurred my vision. This time, I swore to love him properly. But he was a changed man. He was obsessed with Seraphina, the pole dancer from the club, going completely wild for her. He even wanted to harvest my heart and liver, to concoct medicine for her. I yelled, my voice raw, “You loved me so much in the last life! Why suddenly not anymore?” In my past life, he clearly loved me to his core, loving me enough to be utterly destroyed just for a chance at my love in the next. How could this be? He turned back, his voice chillingly cold: “It was just an arranged marriage. When did I ever love you?” Utterly disheartened, I called my parents. “I want to divorce this heartless man.”

The printer spit out the final page of the divorce agreement. I stared at it for a long time, a few tears escaping. I never imagined the love in this life would dissipate so quickly. I put the papers away, opened my phone, and saw an Ins video notification. It was Seraphina, the dancer, and it already had thousands of likes. In the video, Dax embraced her from behind, his chin resting intimately on her shoulder as he pointed at a limited edition Iron Man model, explaining something in a low voice. The video title read: “My Alpha CEO’s Secret Toy Collection, Worth $10 Million, And Only I’m Allowed In!” My breath hitched. I remembered that global limited edition model; he and I had pulled three all-nighters to assemble it. The moment we finished, we were as happy as kids with candy. He took my hand and gently placed it on the Iron Man’s metal palm. “Elara, this room, and everything in it, is our private fortress. The key is only for you.” A heavy knot formed in my chest at the thought. In my past life, he had broken countless rules for me. He’d canceled multi-billion dollar international meetings just to watch a midnight animated film with me. He hated animal fur and noise, yet he silently allowed me to keep that shedding, yappy Corgi. He never believed in ghosts or gods, but when I was sick, he knelt outside a sacred shrine for a day and a night, praying for my recovery. I gripped the divorce papers tightly and walked straight to that collection room. I didn’t need permission; I had supreme access. He’d promised me that himself. The door wasn’t locked. The moment I pushed it open, languid music washed over me. I froze. In the center of the room, a long pole had been erected at some point. And Dax, sitting on the very couch we had chosen together, was watching that dancer sway on the pole. With a shriek, Seraphina slipped hard from the pole, falling onto the carpet. Her short skirt flew up, revealing she wore absolutely nothing underneath. A glaring red mark had appeared on the inner side of her pale thigh. Dax, without a second thought, knelt down, sucking on the wound. His movements were incredibly gentle. I let out a bitter laugh. When he satisfied me, he’d only use those cold toys, like a cold, unfeeling surgeon. But for her, he could kneel so devotedly, kissing her with his own lips.

I pushed the door open completely and walked in. At the sound, he glared at me, annoyed. “Why didn’t you knock?” I didn’t understand his question. I flung the divorce papers at his feet. “Sign it.” He was perhaps eager to return to their interrupted spectacle. He snatched the pen without even looking at the document. He scribbled his name carelessly. His hormones were clearly dictating his actions. I picked up the agreement and turned to leave, without a single shred of regret. Half an hour later, I had just stepped out of the villa’s front door. A Rolls-Royce pulled up directly in front of me, blocking my path. The window rolled down. Seraphina, the dancer, sat in the back, greeting me. “Elara, where are you going? Dax is taking me to the ‘Black Orchid’ private auction tonight to bid on a dance outfit. Want to come along?” “No.” My voice was cold. Seraphina’s eyes instantly welled up: “Elara, do you hate me?!” “Elara,” Dax’s voice was icy, devoid of any emotion. “Seraphina is kindly inviting you. Don’t be ungrateful.” In the end, I was shoved into the back seat of that car. The auction house was set up in a private estate. Dax was incredibly generous, bidding on a performance outfit worn by the famous star Lady Gaga for Seraphina, drawing gasps of admiration from the crowd. The auctioneer cleared his throat, his voice carrying a hint of mystery: “The next item up for bid is somewhat special. It’s an original, never-before-seen copy of a video. The protagonist is a rising star in the dance world. Starting bid, five million.” A highly intimate video of Seraphina and her ex-boyfriend flashed across the large screen. The entire room erupted in uproar! The high-definition footage, amplified gasps, made every explicit detail excruciatingly clear. “What a figure, truly explosive…” “Those twin peaks, I’d love to play with them. Must feel great.” Lewd laughter from men, mixed with women’s gasps and disdain, instantly exploded into chaos. Seraphina’s face went ashen. She pointed at the screen, trembling uncontrollably: “It’s not me! That’s not me!” Suddenly, she spun towards me, tears streaming down her face: “Elara! Can you really not tolerate me?! Did you have to use such a low-down trick to ruin me?!” With that, she sobbed, covered her face, and ran out. Dax’s eyes darkened. He stood up, his voice low, yet it made the entire room dead silent. “This video, and all its backups, sent to my office within an hour. One second late,” He scanned the room, “I promise you, no one in this room will see the sun tomorrow.” Then, he turned and stared at me: “Elara, you’d better pray this has nothing to do with you.”

My mind was a blank, a chill seeping into my bones as I returned to the villa. I stared at the ceiling. How did it come to this? I sat there numbly all night until, at dawn, the front door was kicked open with a bang! Dax stormed in, radiating cold fury, his eyes bloodshot. “Do you know Seraphina tried to cut her wrists?!” His voice was a raw roar. “If she hadn’t been found in time, she would be dead!” “How could this happen? I didn’t do this!” I couldn’t hold back any longer and stood up from the couch. He sneered, pressing closer: “Not you? She’d just try to kill herself for no reason?” “You must have forced her! Don’t push your luck!” I knew I was innocent, and further explanations were useless if he was determined to believe otherwise. “I’m tired, Dax.” I shook my head. “I don’t want to explain anymore.” He seized my wrist, his grip making me wince in pain. “You’re tired?” “Elara, you ruined her, and now you say you’re tired?!” My heart twisted violently, a sharp, suffocating pain gripping my chest, stealing my breath. I clutched my chest tightly. My vision began to spin. In my previous life, he knew I had a congenital heart condition and couldn’t handle stress. My vision went black, and I collapsed straight down. In a haze, I felt myself fall into an embrace. He caught my falling body, his face etched with terror. I heard him scoop me up, racing out like a madman. “Elara! Hold on! I’m taking you to the hospital!”

When I woke up again, I was in the hospital. Dax’s grim face was hovering close by, looking down at me. “Elara, you certainly know how to pick your moments to get sick,” he slowly began. “Seeing Seraphina try to cut her wrists, you decided to use your illness to stage a bigger drama, hoping to guilt-trip me?” He let out a cold laugh, leaning closer. “Cut the act. Our marriage is just a contract. I don’t have time for your melodramatic performances, and I certainly won’t pity you.” My heart felt utterly cold. Sure enough, the look of panic I’d seen on him before I passed out was just a hallucination brought on by my sudden cardiac arrest. The day I was discharged, I pushed open the door to a scene I wish I hadn’t witnessed. Seraphina was wearing my silk robe, curled up in Dax’s arms on our matrimonial bed. When he saw me return, he pulled Seraphina even tighter into his embrace and said to me: “Seraphina just got out of the hospital. The doctor said she has severe depressive tendencies and needs 24-hour care.” “All of this is your fault. At my home, at least I can ensure she won’t do anything foolish again.” He seemed afraid that I might act on impulse and hurt her further. But I had no strength left to argue: “Whatever.” Anyway, the divorce agreement was signed. Soon, this wouldn’t be my home anymore. Just as I was about to speak, Seraphina tugged at his sleeve, her voice weak: “Dax, it’s time for my medicine.” She lowered her gaze, but her eyes, at the very edge, darted a defiant look at me, “The doctor said to take it with 104-degree Fahrenheit warm water; it’s good for recovery… Elara, could you get me a cup?” Dax turned to me and snarled, “Didn’t you hear her? Go pour it.” I walked towards the bar counter in the living room, which was covered in Dax’s various business trophies. “Is the water not ready yet?” Seraphina’s voice came from behind me. I ignored her. Suddenly, she ran over and violently smashed one of the crystal trophies onto the floor! After a sharp, shattering sound, she lunged, grabbing my hand and violently pressing it against the razor-sharp crystal base! “Ah—!” I shrieked. Excruciating pain shot through my entire body like an electric current, and blood instantly gushed out. When I pulled my hand away, my palm was mangled and bloody, the bone clearly visible. Seraphina quickly picked up a small shard and lightly grazed her forearm with it. Then she stumbled and fell to the floor, her eyes immediately welling up. “What’s going on?” Dax rushed in at the sound. Seraphina immediately started crying: “It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have asked Elara to get me water… otherwise, she wouldn’t have gotten angry, deliberately smashed your trophy, and then used the pieces to cut me…” Dax’s face instantly hardened. He strode over to me, seizing my injured wrist. “Are you out of your mind?!” I was shaking uncontrollably from the pain. I held up my mangled, bloody, and horrifying hand. “Dax! She did this herself!” I stared at Dax intensely. “The living room is covered in surveillance cameras… One look at the footage would prove it!” “No need to check.” He cut me off coldly. “I believe Seraphina.” I felt as if my heart had been hit by a large truck, shattered into a thousand pieces. “Elara, you truly are beyond redemption.” Dax’s voice was laced with icy venom. His eyes swept over me, then he grabbed my other, uninjured hand, holding it in a vise-like grip! “No—! Dax! You’ll regret this!!” My scream was swallowed by the sickening scrape of flesh against crystal. The intense burning pain made my vision go black.

When consciousness returned, both my hands were wrapped in thick, white bandages. The pain had dulled to a throb. Mr. Henderson, our old butler, was standing by the bed, his eyes filled with sorrow. “Madam, you’re finally awake. I’ll go inform the master.” “No need.” I managed a weak smile, my voice hoarse as if sandpaper had scraped it. “These hands, he destroyed them.” Mr. Henderson’s body stiffened, his face etched with incredulity. “How could… the master used to not even let you clip your own nails, fearing the scissors would harm you…” Tears finally streamed uncontrollably from my eyes. Yes, the whole world knew he once cherished me. But why, after being reborn, was that deep affection completely gone? It didn’t matter now, anyway. The agreement was signed; soon, I’d be completely free of him. Thinking that I would leave soon, I had to say goodbye to Grandpa Arthur, no matter what. As soon as I entered, I saw him leaning on the couch, looking unwell. “Grandpa, Dax and I… are separating.” Noticing the pain in my voice, Grandpa Arthur sighed deeply and patted my hand: “Never mind, that boy doesn’t have the good fortune. Even if I die, I’ll never let that kind of woman into my family’s home!” My nose stung. In my past life, Grandpa Arthur protected me just the same way. “Grandpa, it’s time for your blood pressure medicine.” I stood up. “I’ll get it from the next room for you.” When I returned with the medicine, I was about to knock, but heard a muffled groan from inside through the door crack. Pushing the door open, I saw Seraphina standing in front of Grandpa Arthur, a pillow on the floor. The old man’s wizened hands hung limply, he was close to suffocating. “Let him go!” I pushed her away like a madwoman. Grandpa Arthur was breathing weakly, his eyes rolled back. “Help! Call a doctor, fast!” My scream drew everyone’s attention. Dax’s face changed instantly at the sight: “Grandpa!” He roughly pushed me aside and rushed out, carrying Grandpa. Inside the recovery room, Dax looked at us, his face grim. “Tell me, what happened?” “It was Elara!” Seraphina shrieked, pointing at me. “I saw her smother Grandpa with a pillow!” “She… she was trying to harm Grandpa! I tried to stop her, but she tried to attack me too…” Dax’s gaze was like ice: “Grandpa treated you like his own granddaughter. How could you do such a thing?”

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My father was a grifter. Out of 365 days a year, I was lucky to see him for 65. The rest of the time, he was darting between casinos. During the rare times we spent together, my father taught me a lot about the art of cheating. I learned quickly and mastered the techniques, but he always warned me: I could learn all the tricks, but I could never use them. If he ever found out I stepped foot in a casino, he’d break my legs. Life went on like that. Until that night. A frantic knock at the door startled me awake. When I opened it, the first thing I smelled was blood. Several burly men dragged a man covered in blood, dumping him at our doorstep. The man, drenched in crimson, his right hand severed, was my father! 0I couldn’t reconcile the man before me, covered in blood, his face swollen beyond recognition, with my once dashing and charming father. I froze, feeling as if all strength had been drained from my body by an unseen hand. My mother had passed away early, and in my father’s absence, it had always been just my younger brother, Finn, and me, relying on each other. Now, seeing our father drenched in blood, Finn and I were both completely panicked. My father was rushed into the ER. The doctor, stone-faced, presented the bill and told me to pay. “Three thousand dollars for the surgery, not a penny less, or we can’t proceed. If you want him to live, pay up.” But where was I supposed to find three thousand dollars? Mom was gone… if Dad died too, our family would fall apart. I glanced at Finn. He’d just stumbled at a crucial point in his life, unsure of his future. Expecting him to produce that much money was absurd. I stood by the hospital window, feeling desperate and helpless. Through the glass, I saw a bright neon sign hanging on the building across the street. It read: Card Room. Those two words felt like a mystic master, pointing the way. As if they were telling me, *Come on in.* *Step inside, and you’ll have the money to save your father.* The words “Card Room” seemed to possess an immense magic, pulling me in, as if all I had to do was walk through the door… and I’d have the cash to save Dad. I handed Finn my savings book, which held a few hundred dollars, and told him to handle things at the hospital for now. “I’ll figure out the rest of the money. If the doctors ask, tell them I’ll have it by tomorrow morning.” Clutching the last few hundred dollars I had, I quickly walked into that card room. Inside, cigarette smoke hung thick in the air. People sat at card tables like zombies, their eyes hollow, as if their souls had been sucked out. “A haze of smoke and raw despair” was the perfect description for this place. I stood near the door, observing carefully, finally settling my gaze on a table in the corner. They were two players short, needing a third for a fast-paced card game. The minimum bet was fifty dollars, the maximum two hundred. This was within my budget. I pulled up a chair and sat between the two players. I looked them over: one with a round face, the other with messy, instant-noodle hair. Both had dark circles under their sunken eyes. They were clearly seasoned gamblers, regulars here. I nonchalantly pulled out a cigarette and put it in my mouth, feigning ease. Rocky, the round-faced one, was the dealer. Spike, with the messy hair, was my downstream player. I was caught in the middle, like prey between two predators. We started placing our bets. The first hand began. We each held sixteen cards. The first one out took all the money from the last one remaining. The second one out broke even. So, whoever was last lost the most. 0

Three gamblers, including myself, sat around the cramped card table. Since we were playing a fast-paced game, two Kings, three 2s, and one Ace were removed from the deck. Each player received sixteen cards. The card combinations included singles, pairs, three-of-a-kind with a kicker, four-of-a-kind with two kickers, straights (like a “plane with wings”), and four-card bombs. Among all cards, three Aces were the highest, able to beat any combination. Among single cards, the 2 was the highest. Among four-card sets, the King was the highest. Whoever held the 3 of Spades led the first hand. While drawing cards, I meticulously watched Rocky’s hands. I was absolutely certain he’d get the lead. As he shuffled, he’d subtly hooked a card with his pinky finger. Though he was quick, it didn’t escape my notice. Sure enough, Rocky chuckled. He tossed out a 3 of Spades. I was next. I played a 5. Then it was Spike’s turn. He did something completely unexpected: he slammed down a King. I noticed Rocky’s brow furrow. He couldn’t help but curse. “A 5, and you waste a King on it? What a needless sacrifice of a strong card!” With that King played, no one could top it. The lead passed to Spike. In that brief hand, I saw it: Spike and Rocky were putting on a show for me. The more they acted, the more I felt something was off. My father once told me that in this world, whether it’s Pai Gow, Mahjong, or Poker, Ultimately, you’re playing against people. For a grifter, technique always comes second. First is reading people. But you can’t truly see into a person’s heart; you can only rely on your gut. When you feel like the people at the table are trying to trick you, Trust your instincts. I glanced at my hand; my cards weren’t great. That’s why I needed to seize the lead, to buy myself time to think. I had to find a way to prolong this hand. The longer it lasted, the more likely Rocky and Spike were to slip up. In this world, no cheating technique is foolproof. If you cheat, you will eventually be found out. The only way not to lose is not to gamble at all. From the moment I sat down at that table, Rocky and I, only one of us was walking out of this card room intact. So, when Spike threw out a pair of 5s, I slammed down a pair of Kings. Rocky hissed, like he had a toothache. He licked his dry lips and squeezed out a single phrase from between his teeth: “Can’t beat it.” Spike also shook his head, letting me lead. After gaining the lead, I immediately played a pair of 5s, discarding my weak cards. Rocky then played a pair of 7s. Spike waved his hand, couldn’t beat it. I played a pair of 10s. While Rocky was thinking, I quickly started recalling the cards still in play. No Aces. No 2s. Now, I was certain Rocky and Spike were working together to cheat. That meant 80% of the high cards were in Rocky’s hand. When he dealt the cards, he must have swapped them. In grifter’s slang, that’s called “card-switching” or “palming”—stealing crucial cards during the deal, then restoring the deck. This technique only works in small card rooms like this. In larger casinos, with hidden cameras and surveillance everywhere, such methods are impossible to pull off. If the hidden cameras caught you in a big casino, they’d chop you to bits. Breaking such a cheat isn’t impossible, though. I needed to take a gamble… But if I lost… I might end up just like my father. 0

The best way to counter a cheat is to crush them with a superior technique. I pretended to pick up my lighter and light the cigarette in my mouth. While I was taking a drag, I watched Rocky. During that time, he made no small movements, just impatiently tapped the table, urging me to play faster. My role right now was the prey. I needed to wait for Rocky, the hunter, to make a mistake, then devour him whole, leaving not a single bone. It looked like a simple card game, but the fate of all three of us was tied to this table. I couldn’t afford to be careless, not for a second. After gaining the lead, I thought for a full thirty seconds, then threw out a three-of-a-kind with a pair. Seeing me play such a hand, Spike couldn’t help but make a clicking sound, seemingly displeased with my move. I leaned back in my chair, the nearly burnt-out cigarette dangling from my lips, and mimicking Rocky, tapped the table, signaling him to make a decision quickly. “Can’t beat it. Your turn.” I instinctively touched my nose, then played a seven-card straight (3-4-5-6-7-8-9). Now I had five cards left: two 6s, two Js, and a single 5. Rocky shook his head, didn’t play, passing the lead to Spike. I knew Rocky was intentionally letting me play. He hadn’t intended to take the lead in this hand; he wanted to lure me deeper. He would make me believe his hand was weak, then, when I had only one card left, he’d sweep the whole game. A true grifter plays the long game, baiting big fish, letting you nibble at the hook bit by bit until you’re deeply ensnared and can’t escape. Of course, a grifter must never be greedy; no greed, no mistakes. I wasn’t greedy, and neither was Rocky. He was a tough opponent. One wrong move, and I’d be utterly crushed. Compared to him, Spike seemed very one-dimensional. He was more like an automated machine. Looking at it that way, the situation became clear. Rocky was the brain; Spike was the hand. They were teaming up to fleece me like a fat pig. The cards in the deck, Rocky and Spike could manipulate through their methods, turning them into any card they desired. This was the grifter’s craft. With a teammate’s cooperation, it was almost unstoppable. If they continued working together, I would definitely lose. But I couldn’t lose!

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My Wife Forced Me to Die for Her First Love Scarlett Sterling’s first love, Julian Thorne, was in kidney failure and desperately needed a transplant. She went absolutely frantic searching for a match, and in a twisted turn of fate, she found me. That day, Scarlett, always so haughty and untouchable, dropped to her knees for the first time, her eyes red-rimmed with desperation as she pleaded with me. “Asher, please, I beg you, save Julian. Just say you’ll donate, and I’ll give you anything you want.” Back then, I loved her. I loved her so much I would have died for her. So, without a moment’s hesitation, I nodded and agreed. But later, she threw a divorce agreement and a kidney donation consent form coldly onto the table in front of me. “Sign it. Everything you have now, I gave you. Donating a kidney? Just think of it as paying your dues.” I looked at her cold, determined face and suddenly, a bitter laugh escaped me. I calmly asked her, “Scarlett, if I died, would you be sad?” She scoffed, as if I’d told the biggest joke she’d ever heard. “Asher Hayes, cut your pity games. They don’t work on me.” She had no idea. This time, I wasn’t playing a game. I was genuinely, truly dying.

Scarlett and I had been married for three years, a well-known commercial marriage arranged for business. I loved her with a desperation that crushed my own dignity, but her heart always belonged to a pure, shining image of her true love — Julian Thorne. Three years ago, the Sterling Group was on the verge of bankruptcy. Julian Thorne left the country without a word, vanishing into thin air. It was my father who stepped in, offering a marriage alliance as a condition to save the Sterling family. Scarlett hated me for it, to the core of her being. She believed I used dirty tricks to break her and Julian Thorne apart, stealing his rightful place as husband to the Sterling heiress. So for the past three years, all I received from her was coldness and disgust. She never came back to our marital home. On the rare occasions she did, it was after a night of heavy drinking, and she’d mistake me for someone else, murmuring Julian’s name. I felt like a pathetic thief, clinging to crumbs of warmth that weren’t meant for me. Until three months ago, when Julian Thorne returned. And I, the usurper who had stolen his place, was expected to disappear. The moment Julian Thorne returned, Scarlett asked me for a divorce. I refused. I fantasized that three years of living together, day in and day out, would have melted even a stone heart. But I forgot, Scarlett’s heart wasn’t stone; it was an iceberg. My persistence, to her, was nothing but an irrational entanglement. She started staying out all night, using emotional warfare to push me away and force my hand. Then, Julian Thorne was diagnosed with late-stage kidney failure. It was the final straw that broke the back of our marriage. When the doctor spoke those words, Scarlett felt her entire world crumble. She spent her days and nights, unkempt and exhausted, by Julian’s bedside. The tender affection she’d always been so stingy with me, she showered entirely upon him. She pulled every string, used every connection and resource she had, all to find a suitable kidney donor for Julian. And then, fate played its cruelest joke. The person who was the perfect match? It was me. The atmosphere in the living room was so oppressive, it was suffocating. Scarlett sat across from me, her beautiful face etched with exhaustion and internal struggle. This was the first time she’d come home since Julian had fallen ill. Her voice was hoarse. “Asher Hayes, we need to talk.” I lowered my eyes, silently waiting for her to continue. “You already know about Julian’s illness. The doctor said your kidney is a perfect match for his.” My heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, making it impossible to breathe. I looked up at her, asking each word distinctly, “So?” Scarlett’s eyes flickered, avoiding my gaze. “I… I hope you’ll consider donating one of your kidneys to Julian.” She said it so matter-of-factly, as if she were just asking to borrow a pen. I suddenly laughed, a raw, shaking laugh that rattled my chest. “Scarlett Sterling, are you serious?” My laughter irritated her. She knitted her brows and glared at me fiercely. “What are you laughing at?!” She slammed her fist down on the glass coffee table, the crash echoing through the silent room. “I asked you, what are you laughing at?!” she roared, like a furious lioness. I suppressed the sharp pain in my chest and met her murderous gaze. “I’m laughing at you. I’m laughing at what gives you the right? What gives you the right to trade my life for his?” “What right?!” She scoffed, as if I’d said something utterly ridiculous. She sprang to her feet, her tall figure instantly casting a shadow over me. “The right is that everything you possess right now, Asher Hayes, was handed to you by me, Scarlett Sterling!” “You’ve stolen Julian’s rightful place for three whole years!” “Now, asking you to give him a kidney, isn’t that only right?!” I stubbornly lifted my chin, retorting, word by defiant word. “What if… I just don’t donate?”

“You wouldn’t dare!” She grabbed my jaw, her grip so strong I thought my bones would shatter. “Asher Hayes, I’m not asking, I’m telling you!” “If you dare say no, tomorrow I’ll bankrupt your father’s company!” “Believe me, I can make Hayes Inc. disappear from this world within twenty-four hours!” Just then, Scarlett’s assistant burst in, drenched in sweat. “Ms. Sterling! It’s terrible!” The assistant’s voice trembled, a cry catching in his throat. “Mr. Thorne… Mr. Thorne, he… he slit his wrists!” The hand gripping my jaw instantly released me. Scarlett’s face turned ashen. “Julian!” She spun around, like a madwoman, roughly shoving me out of her way. I stumbled, my lower back hitting the sharp corner of the coffee table with a jolt. A sharp intake of breath escaped me, hot with pain. She rushed out like a whirlwind, never once looking back at me. The vast living room was left with only me. I curled up on the sofa, feeling as if all the strength had been drained from my body. My stomach churned, and I ran into the bathroom, throwing up until my vision blurred. Lately, my health had been rapidly declining. I was always sleepy, fatigued, and felt inexplicably nauseous. A bad feeling gnawed at me. The next day, I went to the hospital. When I saw “heart failure” on the diagnostic report, my mind went blank. Suddenly, I felt incredibly weary, and so utterly pathetic. Even then, I was still wondering. Would this, finally, make her show me a shred of pity? With a faint glimmer of hope, I dialed Scarlett’s number. The phone rang for a long time, so long I thought no one would answer. Then, Julian Thorne’s weak, yet subtly provocative voice came through. “Hello? Mr. Hayes? Scarlett’s busy taking care of me right now, she can’t come to the phone.” “If you have something to say, you can tell me, and I’ll pass it on.” My heart instantly plummeted to rock bottom. I hung up the phone and tore the diagnostic report into tiny pieces. After that, to force me into submission, Scarlett froze my cards and pulled all collaborations with my family’s company. My father was so furious, his heart condition flared up, sending him to the emergency room. When I rushed to the hospital, my mother was sitting on a bench outside the ER, her face awash with tears. She grabbed my hand. “Asher, please, go beg Scarlett! Your father… he’s not doing well!” “The doctor said he needs surgery immediately, and it costs a million! All our company funds are frozen, we don’t have that much cash right now!” My mother’s desperate sobs pierced my nerves. If it weren’t for me, things wouldn’t have come to this. I had no choice but to go find Scarlett. She was sitting by Julian Thorne’s bed, carefully spoon-feeding him porridge. That gentle, attentive look was something I had never seen from her in the three years of our marriage. Julian Thorne saw me, a smirk of triumph playing on his lips, before he quickly adopted a weak, pathetic expression. “Scarlett, Mr. Hayes is here.” Scarlett turned, her brows immediately furrowing when she saw me. “What are you doing here?” Her tone was filled with impatience and disgust. I clenched my fists, my nails digging deeply into my palms. “My father… he’s in the hospital. He needs a million for surgery.” “Can you… can you lend it to me? I’ll definitely pay you back later.” Scarlett scoffed, then stood up and walked over to me. “Lend? Asher Hayes, what makes you think I’d lend you anything?” She raised a hand and pinched my chin, forcing me to meet her gaze. “You want the money? Fine.” “Sign that donation agreement, and forget a million, I’ll give you ten million.” “Otherwise, you can prepare to bury your father.”

I looked into her icy eyes, my heart aching with sharp, stinging pain. I used every ounce of strength to force out a few words from my throat, “Scarlett Sterling, you’ll regret this.” “Regret?” She laughed, as if I’d spoken something utterly ridiculous. “The biggest regret of my life, Scarlett Sterling, was marrying you!” With that, she mercilessly shoved me away. I staggered back a few steps, hitting the wall. A sharp, piercing pain shot through my heart. I clutched my chest in agony, cold sweat breaking out. Julian Thorne spoke up from the side, feigning concern. “Scarlett, don’t be like this…” “It’s all my fault. I’ll figure out my illness on my own, even if it means dying…” Scarlett immediately turned, pulling him into a comforting embrace, her face filled with tenderness. “Julian! Don’t talk nonsense! I’ll never let anything happen to you!” She soothed the man in her arms, then looked back at me, her eyes filled with murderous intent. “Asher Hayes, I’m asking you one last time.” “The donation agreement. Are you signing it, or not?” I looked at the sweet scene playing out before me and felt an overwhelming sense of irony. My wife was forcing me to die for another man, even willing to destroy my family in the process. I heard myself say calmly, “I’ll sign.” A flicker of surprise crossed Scarlett’s face, then a cold smirk. “See? Isn’t that better?” She snapped her fingers at her assistant behind her. “Bring the agreement.” I picked up the pen, but my hand trembled violently. What I was signing away was my life. I threw the signed agreement along with the pen onto the table in front of her. “The money?” Scarlett picked up the agreement, nodding in satisfaction, and pulled out her phone to make a call. Less than a minute later, the funds for my father’s surgery were transferred. I didn’t spare her another glance, turning to leave. “Stop.” Her icy voice came from behind me. I halted, my back ramrod straight, but I didn’t turn around. “The surgery is scheduled for next Wednesday.” “These next few days, you’d better behave yourself. Don’t try any more tricks.” I paused, said nothing, and went straight to the doctor’s office. The doctor held my medical record, his brows furrowed in a deep knot. “Young man, you have a severe congenital heart condition, and it’s showing signs of failure. I’ve told you this many times.” “In your condition, forget donating a kidney, even a bad cold needs careful attention!” “If you go through with this surgery, you’ll lose your life!” Before he could finish, the door to the office burst open from the outside. Julian Thorne walked in, dressed in a hospital gown. His face was pale, but a faint smile played on his lips. Dr. Miller’s face instantly turned white when he saw him. “Mr. Thorne…” Julian Thorne glanced at the medical record in Dr. Miller’s hand, his eyes chilling. “Dr. Miller, Scarlett asked me to check if everything is ready for tomorrow’s surgery.” Dr. Miller gripped the medical record, his palms sweating profusely. “Mr. Thorne, Mr. Hayes’s condition… he really isn’t suitable for surgery! The risks are too high!” Julian Thorne’s smile vanished. He came closer to me, lowering his voice, saying each word distinctly: “Asher Hayes, stop with your pathetic little tricks.” “Hiring a doctor to put on an act? Do you really think Scarlett will fall for it?” “I’m telling you, it’s useless. Tomorrow, you will donate that kidney, whether you want to or not!” I looked up at him, my gaze cold. “Julian Thorne, aren’t you afraid of karma?” He scoffed. “Karma? My karma is that Scarlett loves me enough to do anything for me.” “And your karma, Asher, is to be trampled under her foot, nothing but a walking organ donor for me!” He suddenly leaned close to my ear. “Oh, right, I forgot to tell you a secret.” “Three years ago, I didn’t just disappear without a trace.” “Scarlett was afraid the Sterling family’s bankruptcy would drag me down. She cried and begged me to leave, personally sending me onto that plane.” “She said that once she bounced back, the first thing she’d do was marry me.” “If your father hadn’t forced that marriage on her with Hayes Inc. as leverage, I would be standing by her side right now, wearing the Sterling family ring.” “So, Asher Hayes, *you* are the thief. You stole the life that should have been mine.” My mind exploded into a buzzing static. My perceived salvation was nothing but a transactional demand.

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On the day we were supposed to get married at the registry office, my girlfriend Sophia had me kicked out and went in with her childhood sweetheart instead. She looked at me nonchalantly and said, “Lucas’s child needs to be registered. Once we divorce, I’ll marry you.” Everyone thought that I, being so devoted to her, would willingly wait another month for her. After all, I had already waited seven years. But that very night, I accepted my family’s arrangement for an international marriage and disappeared from her world. Three years later, I returned to the country with my wife to pay respects to our ancestors. My wife had some urgent business to attend to, so she asked the local branch of our company to arrange someone to pick me up. Unexpectedly, I ran into Sophia, whom I hadn’t seen in three years. “You’ve played around long enough. It’s time to come back,” she said. “Lucas’s child is about to start kindergarten. You’ll be responsible for dropping her off and picking her up.”

In the arrival hall, I saw someone holding a sign with my English name. As I approached, I was surprised to find it was Sophia, my ex-girlfriend whom I hadn’t seen in three years. She was there with Lucas and a few of our old friends, all craning their necks and looking expectantly towards the gate. “Sophia, isn’t that your doormat, Jack?” one of them said. Sophia, looking surprised to see me, quickly composed herself and said casually, “See? I told you he’d come crawling back.” The group snickered and turned to me. “Jack disappeared without a word back then. Now that he sees Sophia’s doing well, he’s probably been crying himself to sleep every night with regret!” “But Jack, if you wanted to pretend to bump into her, why did you just throw on some casual clothes? Couldn’t you have dressed up a bit?” “Don’t tell me you can’t even afford decent clothes without Sophia? Man, you must be in bad shape!” In the past, whenever I went to meet Sophia, I would always choose my most flattering clothes, presenting my best self to her. But now, there was no need for that anymore. My wife is pregnant, and I need to take care of her, so I dress for comfort. These casual clothes were just something I quickly changed into on the way to drop my wife off at the hospital. Hearing their comments, I realized they only knew my English name and didn’t know that I was the person they were supposed to pick up. Seeing that I remained silent, someone who used to be closer to me tried to smooth things over: “Jack, it’s good that you’re back. Actually, Sophia has been looking for you all these years… asking around for news about you!” Sophia’s smile froze, but she quickly regained her composure and said nonchalantly: “Lucas’s child is about to start kindergarten. From now on, you’ll be responsible for drop-offs and pick-ups.” Sophia was still as arrogant and presumptuous as ever. But I was no longer the boy who always tolerated her behavior. Seeing her again, all I felt was annoyance. Not wanting to waste time with them, I was about to reveal my identity when Lucas spoke up: “Jack, don’t blame Sophia. She’s doing this for your own good. After disappearing for three years, who knows what you’ve been up to?” “Looking at your shabby state now, you couldn’t even handle being her personal assistant if she offered.” “Don’t worry, no one will look down on you for helping me take care of my daughter.” Three years hadn’t changed Lucas; he was still as condescending as ever, still able to make me frown in disgust. Sophia, misinterpreting my expression as jealousy, flashed a hint of smugness in her eyes. “Alright, enough with the fuss. You can’t afford to be picky when you’re down on your luck,” she said. “Just focus on taking care of the child and stop causing trouble. Know your place.” “Don’t worry, we still have a room for assistants at my place.” As soon as she finished speaking, the people around us burst into malicious laughter. “Jack, see how good Sophia is to you? She’s worried you might be suffering out there, so she’s arranged food and lodging for you.” “It’s just helping Lucas with the kid, isn’t that much better than your current miserable life? Hurry up and thank Sophia.” Lucas straightened his clothes and said pompously, “Jack, don’t worry. If my daughter misbehaves, I’ll discipline her myself. I won’t let you suffer any grievances.” Sophia snorted and glanced at me. “What grievances could he have? He disappeared over a trivial matter back then. Now that he can’t make it on his own and has come back, it’s only right that he suffers a bit.” Hearing this, my heart skipped a beat. Even now, she still thought that getting married to Lucas was just a trivial matter? It seems the Sophia who once loved me was long gone. She was no longer the girl who, despite being injured herself, only cared about my wounds. She was no longer the young woman who, with nothing to her name, loudly proclaimed her love for me and promised me everything. And she was certainly not the successful woman who was willing to cook for me with her own hands. But it’s fine. It’s all in the past now, no need to bring it up. After all, I’m about to have a second child with my wife.

Suppressing my thoughts, I didn’t want to argue with them here. It was pointless. I looked at Sophia and said calmly, “Weren’t you here to pick me up? Let’s go.” The scene fell silent for a moment, and then they exchanged glances before bursting into laughter. Lucas sneered coldly, “Wait for you? Who do you think you are?” He pointed at the sign, “Look carefully. We’re waiting for Helina. Do you know who that is?” Of course I knew. It was my English name. “Helina is the husband of the Gu family, the legitimate spouse of CEO Gu,” someone explained. “CEO Gu is a force to be reckoned with in the business world, but she’s also quite the romantic. They say she refused to marry for years, just waiting for Helina.” “Everyone in the circle knows that if you want to get on CEO Gu’s good side, it’s better to please her husband!” Hearing their chatter, a smile of happiness spread across my face. In our three years of marriage, Amelia’s business had grown exponentially, and her reputation as a doting wife had spread just as far. Lucas, always trying to one-up me, couldn’t resist showing off: “To win her husband’s heart, CEO Gu once bid on a ‘True Love Eternal’ watch at Christie’s, worth 20 million… dollars.” “CEO Gu’s husband is the envy of men worldwide.” He paused, then pointed at my wrist and exclaimed, “It’s that one!” The scene suddenly fell silent as everyone looked at my watch. Sophia abruptly grabbed my hand, examined it for a moment, then said mockingly: “It’s quite an exquisite fake! Which delivery guy bought it for you? Giving a counterfeit as a gift, how trashy.” “Garbage.” I yanked my hand away from her, smirking as I gently caressed the watch. Seeing my happy expression, Sophia’s pupils constricted. She suddenly grabbed my wrist again and roughly wiped the watch. I hadn’t expected this to happen and was caught off guard. Lucas stepped forward to examine the watch, taking it from Sophia’s hand to play with. “It is indeed more exquisite than the fake I bought, but I’d never wear it out. It’d be embarrassing.” “The counterfeits abroad are really something else. It feels quite nice.” “Or are you saying, Jack, that you’re Helina? That you’re the legendary husband of CEO Gu?!” With that, the people around burst into laughter. After all, it was too absurd for them to believe. Amelia Gu was a world-renowned financial genius, cold and ruthless in the business world, decisive in her actions. While just three years ago, I was still hanging out with this group, a loser whose wedding was cancelled by Sophia. It seemed impossible no matter how you looked at it. Lucas twirled the watch around his finger. “Jack, let me have this watch. I’ll pay double for it.” Afraid he might drop it, I quickly said, “Give me back the watch. Amelia gave it to me…” Before I could finish, Sophia slapped me so hard that blood appeared at the corner of my mouth. “Shut up!”

Sophia looked at me with some irritation and said, “Jack, you have no right to speak CEO Gu’s name. How dare you spread rumors about having a relationship with her? Are you trying to get me killed?” Sophia’s girlfriends also looked at me with righteous indignation. “Jack, do you know how hard we worked to get this opportunity to pick up CEO Gu’s husband today?” “Sophia’s company was acquired by CEO Gu last year. We all depend on CEO Gu for our livelihoods now. Only by pleasing CEO Gu’s husband can Sophia’s position be secure.” “Now you’re here spreading rumors about having a connection with CEO Gu. Are you trying to ruin Sophia?” I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and slowly turned my head, meeting Sophia’s gaze. Perhaps my look was too intimidating, as Sophia frowned, a flash of panic crossing her eyes. Seeing Sophia’s strange look at me, Lucas glared at me venomously, pointing at my nose and cursing, “Jack, you ungrateful bastard. Sophia has already agreed to take you in, don’t you dare be so ungrateful and push your luck.” “Even if you hold a grudge against Sophia, you can’t use this method to get revenge on her.” Hearing this, I felt like I was back three years ago. No matter what I did, Lucas would always misinterpret my intentions and explain them to Sophia. At first, Sophia would scold Lucas. But later, she would follow Lucas’s lead and blame me. Just like now, Sophia scolded me with a tone of disappointment: “Jealous fool.” But this time, she didn’t continue berating me as she used to. After a moment of silence, Sophia took out a check for $200,000 and placed it in front of me. “For old times’ sake, I won’t do anything to you.” “Take the money and buy yourself some decent clothes. If you don’t like taking care of kids, I’ll help you find a respectable job in a few days.” “Don’t worry, since CEO Gu acquired the company, this amount of money is nothing to me now.” Sophia’s patronizing attitude made me sick. Seems like she’s been doing well lately. Under everyone’s surprised gaze, I pushed away Sophia’s hand holding the check, retrieved my watch from Lucas’s hand, and said with a smile: “No need, Ms. Song. I don’t accept things from strangers.”

Ignoring Sophia’s face, which had turned the color of pig liver, I turned to leave. But before I could take a few steps, Sophia grabbed me and coldly questioned: “Jack, you won’t even take my money? What do you mean? I’m a stranger?” I replied: “Since we’ve broken up, it’s better not to have any contact. It might lead to misunderstandings.” I thought of my slightly jealous wife. Sophia, however, glanced at Lucas with a knowing look. “The company is hosting a banquet for CEO Gu in three days. I was planning to bring you along to broaden your horizons.” “But you’ll need to buy some proper clothes, so you don’t embarrass yourself…” Before she could finish, I directly declined: “Really, there’s no need. Thank you.” Hearing my rejection again, Sophia became somewhat annoyed. Her hand, still holding out the check to me, froze in mid-air, her teeth audibly grinding. “Jack, you’ve really grown some backbone. I guess it’s true that poverty breeds insolence.” “If you don’t want to go, then forget it. I’ll take Lucas instead!” Hearing that Sophia wanted to bring him to the banquet, Lucas’s eyes lit up, and he quickly said: “Sophia, I’ll definitely perform well. I won’t embarrass you at all.” Not wanting to entangle with them any further, I turned and strode away, leaving one last sentence: “I hope you’ll still be this confident three days from now.” Quickly leaving the arrival hall and breathing in the fresh air, the nausea in my stomach finally subsided. Three years ago, my family had arranged for me to go abroad for a blind date. Defying my parents’ pressure, I begged my girlfriend of seven years, Sophia, to marry me, planning to present them with a fait accompli. Sophia agreed. But unexpectedly, at the door of the registry office, I not only waited for Sophia but also her longtime crush, Lucas. “Lucas’s child needs to be registered, so I need to marry him first.” “After a month, when we get the divorce certificate, I’ll marry you right away.” “It’s just for the child, don’t overthink it.” Watching Sophia walk into the registry office hand in hand with Lucas, I was completely heartbroken. That night, I flew abroad for the arranged blind date. A month later, I held a wedding and married Amelia. A year later, we had our first child. Recently, Amelia became pregnant with our second child. If it weren’t for accompanying Amelia to pay respects to our ancestors, I wouldn’t have returned to the country at all. Let alone run into Sophia.

Three days later, I dressed casually and arrived alone at the banquet venue. The moment Sophia saw me, her eyes lit up, and a smug smile played on her lips. “You said you wouldn’t come, but your actions speak louder than words.” “But if you want to win me back, you need to at least please me. For an occasion like this, you must dress appropriately to match my status.” I ignored her sudden bout of narcissism and tried to walk past her to my seat. After just a couple of steps, an irritated Sophia grabbed me. “Jack, I’m talking to you. Are you listening?” “Our seats are here. Where are you going?” I shook off her hand and calmly said: “That’s your seat. My seat is over there.” Following my gaze, Sophia looked towards the main table, her face turning extremely unpleasant. Lucas shot me a venomous look and pointed at my watch, shouting: “Jack, how did you sneak in here? Are you here to cause trouble? How… how dare you wear that watch?” His voice was loud, immediately attracting everyone’s attention. “Isn’t that watch the ‘True Love Eternal’ that CEO Gu bought for her husband at a high price? Today is the first time CEO Gu is appearing with her husband. How dare you?” “Did you sneak in? Are you trying to embarrass us in front of CEO Gu?” “Ms. Song, is this your friend?” Seeing that I hadn’t even glanced at her, Sophia tightened her sleeves and said calmly: “No.” Hearing Sophia’s words, Lucas’s expression brightened, and he looked at me haughtily: “Take off the watch and get out!” I looked at him with amusement and sneered: “Are you sure you want me to leave?” Lucas lost face and his eyes turned vicious as he shouted: “Stop pretending! Take off the watch now!” As he said this, he reached out to grab my wrist. I pushed away his approaching hand, stepping back to avoid him. Unexpectedly, someone tripped me from behind. I was stunned by the sudden fall. Lucas stepped on my hand and forcibly yanked the watch off my wrist. “This piece of trash, and you treat it like a treasure.” My arm ached from being stepped on, and my wrist was raw and bleeding. Yet I could only stare blankly at the now broken watch. “Pick him up and throw him out!” Lucas commanded arrogantly. People immediately surrounded me. Seeing them about to grab my arms and legs, I struggled and hurriedly said: “Stop! I’m Amelia’s…” “Slap!” Before I could finish, Lucas slapped me across the face. “Are you going to spread rumors about being CEO Gu’s lover again? You’re not worthy!” Not satisfied, Lucas backhanded me with another slap. I hadn’t planned to settle scores with him on this trip back. Because there was no need. But now, I will definitely make him pay. Sophia crouched in front of me, trying to touch the wound on my wrist, but I instinctively recoiled. She looked at me coldly: “Jack, have you had enough?” “You came here today wearing that watch and dressed like this just because you saw I’ve become successful and can’t let me go, right? You want to make me jealous?” “If you beg me, I’ll agree to take you back.” I let out a cold laugh and looked at her, saying: “Sophia, you’re finished!” Sophia frowned, about to speak, when she noticed the venue had suddenly grown quiet. The guests at the banquet began tidying themselves up and moving towards the main entrance. Sophia quickly pulled me up and whispered: “CEO Gu is here. Behave yourself!” “Don’t worry, Lucas and I are already divorced.” How absurd. I rubbed my hand that was nearly broken from being stepped on, feeling nothing but disgust for the woman in front of me. What does it matter to me whether you’re divorced or not? At that moment, Amelia entered, carrying our daughter, surrounded by a crowd of admirers. Once in the hall, our daughter fussed to be put down from the woman’s arms.

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It was the first week of school when our homeroom teacher burst in, excitement bubbling in her voice. “Our class has been chosen for a groundbreaking ‘Self-Identity Transformation Experiment’ in partnership with the school counseling center!” The whole class crowdfunded plastic surgery for the poor class beauty, $100 per person. I refused. The next day, my desk was doused with soy milk, and the school network was filled with posts exposing my cold-blooded selfishness. They called me ugly, poor, and mean-spirited. They even dug up my mom’s workplace and posted notes at her office door, cursing her for raising a heartless daughter. But no one knew that the class beauty who claimed her family couldn’t afford plastic surgery. Her dad was the director of the plastic surgery hospital that ruined my face. It was the first week of school. The homeroom teacher burst in, excitedly announcing: “The school and psychological center are jointly launching a ‘Self-Identity Transformation Experiment,’ and our class is the first pilot group!” The class erupted in applause. I didn’t join in, just chewed on my pen tip silently. She continued, “As you all know, our classmate Olivia Shaw has been struggling with severe appearance anxiety. The counselors have suggested she undergo cosmetic surgery to boost her self-esteem. We’ll be starting a class fundraiser to help make her dream come true!” I looked up at Olivia. She stood at the front, wearing our school uniform with perfectly applied makeup, her head bowed demurely. “I… I don’t want to trouble anyone… it’s just…” “Don’t say another word!” A boy slammed his hand on his desk. “You’re the prettiest girl in our class. If you get this surgery, our school’s enrollment will double!” Someone else chimed in, “He’s right! Donating to Olivia is an investment in our school’s future!” Olivia shook her head, tears glistening in her eyes. “I just hope that even if I leave this place one day, I can be remembered by the world in my best form.” Her words sent a wave of emotion through the classroom. Our teacher pulled up a PowerPoint slide. “For this ‘Beauty Boost’ campaign, we suggest a donation of $100 per person. It’s voluntary, but we hope everyone will do their best to support Olivia.” I glanced at my phone: $4.25 in my account. So, I spoke up quietly, “I won’t be donating.” The air in the room seemed to freeze. Then someone let out a cold laugh. “Tch, figures.” “Seriously? Not donating is one thing, but that attitude? Didn’t you hear how gently Olivia phrased it?” “Didn’t she just buy that $150 skincare set? With her skin, a $5 moisturizer would do the job.” “Look at her eyes, always staring at Olivia. Jealous of her small face and high nose, perhaps?” “Does she think we’re all idiots, falling for Olivia’s act? Is she the only ‘smart’ one here?” Olivia spoke up softly, “She’s… not a bad person. I understand… maybe her family situation…” “Her family situation is way better than yours!” Someone stood up, slamming their desk. “Doesn’t her mom drop her off in a car every day? What about you? Two bus transfers!” I opened my mouth, but my throat felt blocked. Not a word came out. The entire class was staring at me. Olivia looked at me and suddenly said, “It’s… okay if she doesn’t want to donate. I don’t mind.” In that moment, I was utterly defeated. Because not only was she the class’s protected “angel,” now she was playing the “magnanimous goddess” role too. I was about to speak when someone at the front stuck a QR code on the blackboard. “Let’s vote on whether Rachel should donate or not.” I had barely scanned the code when my screen displayed: Current voting results: Support Rachel Chen donating: 94 votes Support Rachel Chen’s free choice: 1 vote My hands were shaking. “The votes are in. Still not going to chip in?” Someone tossed an A4 paper at me. It read: “Help Olivia’s Dream Come True, $100 per person, SnapPay only.” “Don’t talk about it being voluntary. This isn’t about morals, it’s about class unity!” “If you really don’t want to, you can get out of this class!” Gritting my teeth, I said coldly, “Her dad owns a plastic surgery clinic. If she really wants surgery, doesn’t she have the equipment at home?” The room fell silent for two seconds before erupting into even louder laughter. “Haha, are you crazy? If Olivia’s family really owned a hospital, would I be killing myself trying to get into an Ivy League?” “You think just because her family can afford a house in this small town, they own a hospital? Why not say her dad’s the chief surgeon and her mom’s the head nurse?” “Give it up. Don’t go around spreading lies and smearing others just because you’re insecure about your looks!” Olivia didn’t say a word, just looked at me. I remembered that look. A year ago, her father had me sign a contract for “double eyelid surgery only, no other procedures.” I signed, but on the day of the surgery, while I was unconscious, they altered my nose, my chin, my whole face. When I woke up, I cried and tore at the bandages. The doctor said, “It’s just a bit of technical instability. Go home, apply the medicine, it’ll get better slowly.” It took me a whole year of being disfigured before I dared to go out without makeup. And she used my ruined face for marketing, made promotional videos, and even claimed she was “born with poor facial structure, became beautiful through hard work.” Now she was turning the whole class into her second experimental ground. I stared at her, my voice low and trembling: “I won’t donate. Dream on.” 0

She looked up at me, tears in her eyes. “I know you’ve never liked me, but I really didn’t mean to embarrass you like this.” Our teacher sighed. “Rachel, don’t be so selfish. Is it right to stop the whole class’s plan just because you disagree?” The class chimed in. “That’s right! You’re the only one making us all look bad!” “Is this how your parents taught you to be so cold-hearted?” “If you really won’t donate, just drop out. We don’t want you in this class!” Someone splashed water on my shoes, while others threw paper balls at my back. I clenched my fists, my nails almost digging into my palms. Suddenly, my phone buzzed with a payment notification. It was a SnapChat from my mom. [Rachel, your teacher called and told me everything. I’ve been working overtime, here’s the $100. Don’t let your classmates give you a hard time…] My hand shook, and I almost dropped my phone. After Mom transferred the $100, I didn’t donate right away. I sat at my desk, biting my lip so hard my fingers trembled too much to even tap the screen properly. The class group chat was still buzzing: [Everyone’s donated. How many more times does Rachel want to make Olivia cry before she’s satisfied?] [Some families aren’t poor, they’re just heartless.] Before I could reply, another message popped up on my phone. It was from my mom’s coworker: [Rachel, your mom collapsed at the office. She’s been taken to the hospital by ambulance.] I froze. The next second, I ran out of the classroom like a madwoman. I could hear someone sneer, “She’s putting on another show. Making it life-or-death over a simple donation.” I couldn’t care less. For the first time in my life, I splurged on a taxi and rushed straight to the city hospital. My mom was lying in the emergency room, her face pale, the back of her hand bruised from the IV. The doctor spoke coldly, “Your mother fainted due to long-term sleep deprivation, low blood sugar, and extreme fatigue.” I remembered how she’d been working until 1 or 2 AM these past few days, rushing to two part-time jobs during the day, not even eating breakfast. Standing by her bedside, my heart felt like it was being torn apart. The nurse handed me the bill. I looked at the amount and bit my lip, not making a sound. I had less than $20 left on my phone, but our homeroom teacher was tagging me in the class group: [Rachel, Olivia’s cosmetic surgery fund is just waiting on you now. Everyone’s waiting for you to chip in.] [We know your family isn’t well-off, but even Yolanda’s family donated, and her dad just lost his job last year.] [Do you want us to crowdfund your share? Don’t be so disheartening.] I replied: [My mom fainted and is in the hospital. I really can’t afford this right now.] Olivia replied instantly: [It’s okay… if Rachel is really struggling, let’s just forget about it. I don’t blame her…] She said she didn’t blame me, but the whole class exploded. [Olivia, don’t be too kind. She can afford lipstick, perfume, and skincare, her family has a car, and she’s claiming hardship? Isn’t that laughable?] [Didn’t her mom drop her off at school in a car the other day? What was it, a blue Volkswagen?] [Her mom fainting means she doesn’t have to donate? Why not say her grandma fell or her grandpa’s in the hospital too?] [Besides, Olivia didn’t force you to donate, she just cried. If you don’t donate, it’s because your heart is too hard!] My fingers kept shaking. I was about to reply “I really can’t afford it” when I saw a new hot post pinned to the top of the school forum: “You cried so I must pay? How vicious can a ‘poor’ girl be?” The cover was a photo of me biting my lip and crying at the classroom door that day. The first comment under the title was: [Saying her mom fainted and is in the hospital, probably another old trick. I bet tomorrow she’ll be posting her own donation QR code.] 0

The next morning, before I even entered the classroom, someone dumped a bucket of soy milk all over me at the entrance of the teaching building. “Oops, sorry! My bad!” The boy who threw the cup laughed and walked away. I stood there, soaked from head to toe, the soy milk dripping from my hair onto my uniform, leaving sticky yellow stains on the white collar. I stood frozen, my face burning with shame. Olivia walked up to me and stood in front of me, her voice soft: “Rachel, you can’t keep making everyone think you’re putting on a pity show to clear your name. You’ll really be misunderstood this way.” I finally snapped, my voice hoarse and trembling: “Clear my name? When your dad ruined my face, did I even ask him to take responsibility?” She blinked: “What are you talking about? Didn’t you voluntarily sign up for the trial? You signed the contract yourself.” “Didn’t you say ‘I can endure pain for beauty’? How come now that you’re disfigured, you want to blame others?” She paused, then lowered her voice: “Rachel, I advise you not to say anything rash. The statute of limitations on my dad’s case has passed. If you really make a big fuss, it’ll only make your mom’s work situation more difficult.” “Also,” she smiled, “do you have any evidence for what you’re saying now?” I was stunned. She wasn’t wrong. I had no evidence. The trial contract I signed back then was taken away, and my mom had thrown away the copy as waste paper. I was only a freshman then, and after being disfigured, I only knew how to cry. I had no idea what to keep as evidence. I couldn’t even remember clearly what I had signed. And now, she stood brazenly in front of me, saying: “Without evidence, anything you say is just slander.” My whole body went cold, my teeth chattering. She turned and walked into the classroom with a smile. Classmates crowded around her, offering breakfast, hot water bottles, pink face masks, saying: “Olivia, you’re really too kind.” “Don’t let her get to you, she’s just trying to ride your coattails.” “Don’t worry, we all support you getting plastic surgery to live your best life. You deserve better.” And I, like a madwoman, was nailed to the corridor. My vision started to blur. That night, I couldn’t sleep. Not because I had been doused with soy milk during the day, not because my mother was still lying in the hospital on an IV drip, but because Olivia had posted a new article on the school’s public account: “The Pursuit of Beauty is Never a Sin” She said she was a “patient with congenital facial structure imbalance” and had developed an eating disorder in middle school due to her facial issues. She said she could only fall asleep at 4 AM because “appearance anxiety has seeped into my bones.” Finally, she wrote: “Some people think I don’t deserve plastic surgery, that this is all an act. But I just want to stop being scared of my reflection in the mirror. I hope the next time I sit on the operating table, I’ll wake up with a smile.” There were over a thousand comments below, all praising her for being “brave,” “real,” and “beautifully powerful.” As for me, after being scolded for three whole days, I didn’t even have a single comment defending me. This donation storm, wrapped in the guise of “beauty,” had already become one-sided in public opinion. I sat on a long bench in the hospital corridor, took out my phone, and opened the official website of that plastic surgery hospital. The procedure Olivia said she wanted was the hospital’s newly launched “Full Face Dynamic 3D Fusion Surgery.” The introduction read: “Jointly developed by Shaw Hospital and overseas experts” and “Creating an Asian-adapted facial proportion model.” I recognized it immediately. This was the same procedure the doctor had mentioned to me before my double eyelid surgery. Fighting back tears, I dialed the consumer protection hotline and the city’s medical regulatory hotline. I reported the hospital’s name, saying they exaggerated their advertising, failed to disclose experimental procedures, and refused to provide complete medical records after disfiguring me. The person on the other end said they would file the complaint for investigation. After hanging up, for the first time, I felt a tiny bit of victory, no matter how small. But this small sense of victory turned into hell the next morning. 0

Hot post on the school forum: “Shocking! Girl refuses to crowdfund, reports Olivia’s plastic surgery hospital, even writes to school authorities slandering her father as a quack doctor” The post included a photo of my silhouette making a phone call in the hospital corridor late at night. There was also a secretly taken photo of me queuing in the cafeteria, with large red text: [This is Rachel Chen. Jealous that everyone likes Olivia, she reported her family’s hospital just because Olivia is prettier than her.] The post had thousands of comments. [Wow, how vicious can she be?] [Can’t get surgery herself so she wants to ruin someone else’s face? Does she even qualify as human?] [What did Olivia ever do to her? This girl must be a psycho!] By noon, as I was walking into the teaching building, I heard people scrolling through their phones and pointing at me: “Is she the one who reported the Shaw family hospital?” “I bet she’s mentally ill. If Olivia’s face is considered ugly, she might as well apply for a job at a haunted house.” “Write a sob story, make a fuss, and now she wants to play the victim of public opinion, huh?” I bit my lip and rushed into the classroom. As soon as I sat down, our homeroom teacher came in with several printed papers in her hand. “Rachel Chen, come to the office.” I stood up, my legs shaking. In the office, the dean of students had a grim expression: “Rachel Chen, your unauthorized report of Shaw Hospital has caused extremely negative impact on the school’s image. Now parents and outside media are demanding an explanation from the school.” The homeroom teacher also advised: “We’re not saying you can’t defend your rights, but doing it this way will only make the whole class resent you.” I looked up: “Weren’t they already resenting me?” The dean’s eyes turned cold: “Olivia just gave us the screenshot of the threatening message you sent her father last night. Do you want to take a look yourself?” I took it. The photo indeed showed a message I supposedly sent to the Shaw Hospital’s official account from a burner account: “Don’t think you can keep this under wraps forever. I still remember how you ruined my face back then.” “No matter how rich your dad is, I’ll make sure he’s exposed to the light of day.” At the bottom of the message was a red box noting: “Verbal threats, malicious false reporting.” My mind exploded. I never sent these words. My report was through the hotline, through official channels. I never privately messaged them. This burner account wasn’t mine! I was about to defend myself when the dean coldly handed me another paper: “Take a look at this.” I took it and saw it was a joint letter. “We, the classmates of Rachel Chen, strongly condemn Rachel Chen for long-term spreading of false rumors about Olivia and her family both inside and outside the class, seriously disrupting class unity, and even attempting to smear the plastic surgery hospital through online means. We believe her behavior is extremely vicious and implore the school to take disciplinary action.” At the bottom, over thirty names were densely packed, each signature clear and neat. I felt like I had fallen into an ice pit. I couldn’t even see the words clearly anymore. The dean spoke coldly: “You must write an explanation now, publicly apologize to your classmates, and promise not to make malicious comments again.” I looked up, my eyes red, and asked hoarsely: “What if I don’t apologize?” He raised his head: “Then please cooperate with the school disciplinary process. We will also suggest you take a leave of absence to reflect at home for a while.” I stood up, clenching my fists, and said word by word: “I will never apologize for something I didn’t do.” “You can punish me, even expel me. But let me tell you this” “Olivia is not the good person you think she is. Her father’s hospital has problems, and so does she. You can cover it up for now, but you can’t hide it forever.” I turned and walked out of the office. Behind me came the sound of the dean angrily slamming his desk. But I wasn’t afraid anymore. I opened my phone and dialed a number. It was the young assistant who had been responsible for filming pre-op videos at the plastic surgery hospital that year. I still had her phone number, and I still had the voice message she sent me when she secretly shared “screenshots of the surgical process” with me. Now, it was time to bring them out.

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