Category: English

The donor heart I’d waited two years for was snatched away and given to Leo, the son they pretended was theirs. My doctor, Dr. Davies, told me I had just one week left to live. So, I decided to have my body cryopreserved. I donated my body to Leo’s research lab. The day I signed the donation papers, my daughter Lily rushed into my arms, saying, “Daddy, you and Uncle Leo are finally getting along again!” My parents, Eleanor and Richard, praised me for finally understanding “brotherly love” and being helpful. Serena, my wife, looked relieved, saying I’d finally put aside our differences and saw reason. I just smiled faintly. Yes, I really learned my lesson this time. I was going to give Leo back his identity as the Mo family’s son, and make all of you happy. … “Your time is short. Now, say your goodbyes to your family.” Dr. Davies’ voice was gentle, full of pity, but it felt like a boulder crushing my chest. I knew this was coming, but when the death sentence was finally pronounced, my eyes still welled up. I’m only twenty-eight. I’ve fought so hard to live. But the donor heart I finally found was stolen by my wife. She had it transplanted into Leo, the son who wasn’t really ours, who only had a mild heart condition. In a daze, I made my way to Leo’s hospital room. There were my parents, Eleanor and Richard, my wife Serena, and my daughter Lily, all gathered around him, fussing over him. When I walked in, Serena, who was just feeding Leo water, quickly put down the cup. She walked over to me. “What did the doctor say?” I looked at her. Her eyes flickered away, a tell-tale sign of guilt as she stammered, “It was an emergency, Alex. If Leo hadn’t gotten the new heart, he would have died from the pain.” My mom, Eleanor, immediately chimed in, “Serena’s right, Alex. It was a life-or-death situation. You’re not going to be so unreasonable as to resent us for this, are you?” The words I was about to say died on my lips. I just said flatly, “I’m not angry. The doctor said there would be good news in a week.” I paused, then added, “Good news for all of us.” Serena’s captivating eyes instantly lit up with a smile. “A suitable donor heart so soon? I knew our decision that day was the right one.” My dad, Richard, also let out a sigh of relief, smiling. “Our Leo is truly blessed. If you hadn’t given him your heart, he wouldn’t have made it another week.” My mom nodded repeatedly, gently stroking Leo’s hair. “Our Leo’s blessings are still ahead of him.” “Unlike some people, who could have waited for another donor heart, but chose to make a huge scene instead, embarrassing our family.” Even though I was already beyond disappointed with them, at that moment, my heart still ached. I clenched my jaw so hard I thought my teeth would shatter, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill. Serena looked at me tenderly, but her words were chilling, sending shivers down my spine. “You were too impulsive that day. I think you should apologize to Leo.” I stared at her, utterly disbelieving. Leo stole my heart, and she wanted *me* to apologize to *him*? My mom seconded her. “That’s right. And if you hadn’t bullied Leo that day, he wouldn’t have had those chest pains in the first place.” “You should be grateful he’s lying here, recovering. Otherwise, I would never have acknowledged you as my son.” I remembered that day. Leo stood in front of me, triumphantly displaying the marks on his neck, boasting about his intimacy with Serena and her passion… I couldn’t help but punch him. They walked in just as it happened. Serena furiously rushed forward and pushed me away. I was shoved to the ground, the room spinning around me, as my mom charged in and started hitting me. My dad stood coldly a short distance away, as if he also thought I deserved a lesson. Right after that, my heart flared up, and I could barely breathe. My mom, initially worried, asked what was wrong, but then Leo suddenly clutched his chest, gasping, “It hurts so much!” My mom immediately abandoned me and ran to his side. Everyone believed I was faking it, and he was genuinely in pain. Thinking of this, I twisted my lips into a bitter smile. I said flatly, “My apologies. It was my fault.” Everyone was surprised by how docilely I apologized. Serena looked at me with a hint of suspicion, a seed of unease beginning to sprout in her heart. Leo also frowned, giving me a look that screamed, “How can you be such a good actor?” My parents watched me warily, as if afraid I would cause more trouble. Only my daughter Lily rushed into my arms. “Daddy, that’s great! You finally admitted you were wrong.” “Don’t bully Uncle anymore, or I won’t like you, just like Grandma and Grandpa.” I lowered my gaze, looking at her. My parents’ and wife’s coldness, their misunderstanding and favoritism, I could endure all of it. But her, my own child, whom I raised with my own hands and poured all my love into – she also favored Leo. That was something I couldn’t bear. But, I no longer had the strength to fight. I gently stroked her face, smiling. “Daddy will listen to you.” My mom, Eleanor, finally nodded in satisfaction. “Good. It seems you’ve finally learned your lesson, Alex.” Serena also let out a complete sigh of relief. “My husband has finally grown up.” Watching her feign affection, I only felt a wave of nausea in my chest. Just then, Leo suddenly cried out, “It hurts!” Serena immediately rushed to his side. My daughter, who had just been hugging me, let go and ran over too, calling out, “Uncle Leo, where does it hurt? Lily will kiss it better!” My parents’ eyes were red with concern. Standing there, a distance away, I felt like a clown. I couldn’t stand the atmosphere anymore. I used being tired as an excuse, turned, and left the hospital room. 2 The moment I reached the door, the pain in my chest nearly made me pass out. I leaned against the wall and crouched down, frantically searching for my potent painkillers. I swallowed several pills before the pain subsided. Inside the room, I could still hear my mom scolding me for my coldness. She thought I didn’t care about Leo. But I knew that as long as I was there, Leo would always feel “unwell.” It was his usual trick to grab attention. But he didn’t even need to do it, because from the very beginning, my parents, my wife, my daughter — they only ever loved him, the son they pretended was theirs. And I, just like the name my parents gave me, “Alex,” was meant to be kept away. This was the name they gave me the day I returned, sixteen years after I went missing. My mom said she hoped I would be cautious, never getting lost in sudden wealth. But that night, I overheard Mom comforting Leo. She told him that in her and Dad’s hearts, he was their only son. The name she gave me, Alex, was actually a play on words, a subtle hint: ‘Don’t come close.’ That night, it was as if someone had doused me with a bucket of cold water. I fully woke up from the joy of having found my parents. I should have known all along. I was, and always had been, the unwanted child. Dazed, I left the hospital and took a taxi to Leo’s research lab. I had already arranged to donate my body for their cryopreservation and revival experiments. When I signed the agreement, the staff member asked, “Mr. Alex, do your parents and wife know about your decision?” I smiled faintly. “They are all very respectful and supportive of my decision.” The staff member said enviously, “That’s wonderful. Your family must love you very much, hoping you’ll have a chance to be revived one day.” Looking at her admiring gaze, I almost felt like I really was a man deeply loved by his parents and wife. My lips curved up involuntarily. I smiled. “Yes, who doesn’t love their own family?” With that, I handed over the agreement. After confirming everything, I left and returned home. The moment I walked in, I saw my belongings piled up in the living room. I frowned, looking at Brenda, who was standing there directing everyone. She was Leo’s nanny, who had raised him. Why was she here? Brenda, like my parents, clearly disliked me, the real son. Seeing me, she gave a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Mr. Alex, Leo is being discharged today. Mrs. Eleanor asked me to come and take care of him, and to pick a room for him to recover.” “I thought the master bedroom, being so bright and spacious, would be perfect for Leo to recuperate.” “All the other rooms in the villa have a purpose, so I’m afraid you’ll have to make do with the downstairs utility room.” I said flatly, “Alright.” Brenda probably didn’t expect me to be so agreeable. All the words she was ready to say got stuck in her throat. She looked at me suspiciously. “You’re not angry, Mr. Alex?” I shook my head and turned, walking towards the utility room. Brenda scoffed disdainfully. “Well, it seems Mr. Alex has finally learned some sense. If only he had been like this sooner.” “If you had been like this sooner, the master and madam wouldn’t have disliked you so much.” I didn’t say anything. As I entered the utility room, an overwhelming stench of mildew hit me. The cramped space was filled with all sorts of items. There was only a cramped twin-sized bed, half-covered with books, the other half empty. I just lay down on it and drifted off into a heavy sleep. I was so tired. I just wanted a good night’s rest… But even that small wish couldn’t be granted. I don’t know how much time passed, but I was suddenly pulled awake by a strong force. When I opened my eyes, I saw Serena’s face, filled with panic. Seeing me awake, her worried expression instantly turned cold. She angrily demanded, “Why did you post about our marriage online?” “Don’t you know Leo is being cyberbullied right now? He just had surgery, his body is already fragile.” “Because of this, the shock and stress caused him to collapse!” “I actually thought you had learned your lesson. Turns out you were just silently planning how to get revenge on us!” My head felt like it had a hammer pounding inside it. The intense pain made it hard to understand her words. I could only say weakly, “I didn’t do anything… If you don’t believe me, check my phone.” Serena roared furiously, “Enough! Those reporters admitted you paid them to publicize this! “How long are you going to keep up this act? Come with me now, go kneel and apologize to Leo!” 3 Serena roughly yanked me off the bed, dragging me out. She moved too fast. My leg slammed hard against the doorframe, making a dull thud. The pain instantly made me tremble. But she only glanced back at me before continuing to drag me outside. When we reached the living room, she threw me violently to the floor. My whole body felt like it was falling apart. Just as I tried to stand, my dad, Richard, rushed over and slapped me several times. A foul, metallic taste like decay bubbled up, overwhelming me. I looked up to see Leo clinging to my mom, Eleanor, looking incredibly frail. My mom, meanwhile, glared at me with a contorted face. Her dark eyes were filled with disgust and hatred for me. As if tearing me limb from limb wouldn’t be enough to satisfy her. Perhaps my gaze was too cold, because my dad swung another punch at me. I couldn’t hold it back anymore. A mouthful of blood sprayed out. Blood splattered all over his hands and face, making him freeze. I collapsed exhaustedly, blood also starting to trickle from my nose. Serena rushed forward in horror, asking anxiously, “What’s wrong with you? Why are you spitting up so much blood?” I looked at her. Her hands were trembling. She almost looked genuinely worried about me. I pushed away her hand as she tried to help me up. I tried to stand, but then I started to shamefully vomit large mouthfuls of blood again. A hint of fear finally appeared in my dad’s eyes. He shook his head. “I… I only slapped him a few times! I didn’t do anything else!” Then, with rare concern, he asked, “Alex, what’s wrong? Dad… Dad will take you to the hospital right now…” My mom also walked over. “What’s happening? Quick, help Alex up first.” My daughter Lily also ran over, crying. “Daddy, you’re bleeding so much! Are you going to die?” My dad sternly said, “Don’t say such nonsense!” Just then, Brenda, the nanny, suddenly walked out. She was holding a bag of something and said angrily, “Mr. Alex, how could you use a fake blood pack to scare the master, madam, and Ms. Serena?” A fake blood pack? What fake blood pack? Before I could process it, my mom had already rushed to Brenda’s side. She looked at what was in Brenda’s hand, then furiously threw it to the ground. She screamed in anger, “Alex! You truly are devious! You actually tried to use a fake blood pack to trick us into pitying you!” I smiled bitterly and shook my head. I had already learned my lesson, so why wouldn’t they leave me alone? Serena crouched down, looking at me with disappointment. “Alex, how could you have become like this?” My dad furiously kicked me, saying in disgust, “You ungrateful brat! You’re truly an unruly street kid, cold-blooded and unscrupulous!” “You’re not even a fraction as good as our Leo! No, you’re not even worth a single hair on Leo’s head!” I said nothing, just desperately swallowed the blood that threatened to surge up. Lily, who had been hugging me, now pushed me away in disgust. She frowned. “Daddy, I thought you’d changed. You’re so bad, I don’t like you anymore!” Then, she ran to Leo’s side, leaning on his lap. “I want Uncle to be my daddy!” My heart withered to dust. I gripped my hands so tightly that my fingernails dug deep into my palms. Serena sighed, then reached out and wiped the corner of my eye. “You know how awful it feels to be betrayed by the person closest to you.” “So why did you do such a thing? Now Leo’s reputation is ruined, and our company’s stock is fluctuating.” “All of this is because of you. So, you not only need to apologize, but also take responsibility.” I wanted to say I knew nothing, but Leo started to cry. He sobbed, “It’s alright, Serena… My brother has hurt me repeatedly. I’m afraid if I make him apologize again, he’ll hate me even more.” “Even though I don’t know why he dislikes me so much, I… I’m willing to overlook it for Mom and Dad, and for you, Serena.” My mom, Eleanor, said with concern, “Leo, you’re just too kind, that’s why he bullies you.” “Don’t worry. Dad and I will always stand by you. With us protecting you, he won’t have another chance to hurt you.” Then, she turned to me with a cold face. “Listen closely. For the sake of our families’ reputations, we’ve already discussed a solution.” “You and Serena will get a divorce tomorrow. Then she’ll marry Leo.” “We’ll announce to the public that Serena and Leo were already married.” “It’s just that you weren’t well and were infatuated with her, so they kept it from you.” I looked at Serena. “You agree to this?” Serena avoided my gaze, frowning impatiently. “There’s no other way. Who else caused this mess but you?” She paused, then added, “But don’t worry, this is just a temporary measure. Once the storm passes, I’ll divorce Leo.” I looked at her. Though I had a thousand words, I no longer had the strength to speak. Perhaps it was guilt, or perhaps she saw my silence as defiance, which made her very displeased. She said coldly, “Whether you agree or not, I will…” I slowly began to speak. “Congratulations. Happy wedding.” 4 Serena’s voice caught in her throat. She stared at me blankly, a strange panic blooming in her heart. She felt like the current me was a light piece of paper, liable to be blown away by the wind to a place she could never see. I slowly got up, leaning on the wall and wiping the blood from my face. I looked at my mom, Eleanor. “Serena and I never actually got married.” “So, she can go ahead and marry Leo directly.” My mom looked a little surprised. “You didn’t get married?” Serena’s face was grim. She frowned and explained, “We were too busy before, and then we just forgot.” But my mom clapped her hands. “That’s even better!” Lily, my daughter, tentatively looked at me. “So, Uncle will be my daddy now?” I nodded to her, smiling. “Happy?” Lily jumped up excitedly. “That’s wonderful! Uncle is going to be my daddy now!” Then, as if afraid I’d be upset, she added, “Daddy, oh, I mean, Mr. Alex, as long as you promise not to bully Uncle anymore, I’ll still like you.” I lowered my eyes. “Understood.” Leo was overjoyed, on the verge of tears. “Brother, are you really willing to let Serena marry me?” I said calmly, “Yes. Don’t call her ‘Sister-in-law’ anymore.” Leo glanced at Serena, a look of longing in his eyes. He thought Serena would be thrilled, but she was just staring at me. He instantly clenched his sleeves, hiding the jealousy in his eyes. When he looked up again, his eyes were full of innocence. He said sincerely, “Thank you, Brother.” I shook my head. “We’re family. No need to be so polite.” “Besides, I’ll need to rely on your care in the future.” Leo didn’t know that I had donated my body to his research lab. He thought I was just being polite and immediately chuckled. “We’re brothers. I’ll definitely take good care of you, Brother.” My mom, seeing us “reconciled,” finally nodded in satisfaction. “That’s right. If you had been this sensible earlier, how could your father and I have been angry with you?” I looked at her, wanting to ask her, *Was I really insensible?* I was the actual son of the Mo family, but everyone thought I was their adopted son. Serena was the one who insisted on marrying me, but everyone thought I was the disgusting third wheel. I willingly took care of her and Lily without a title, all for Serena, but everyone thought I was manipulative… I slowly closed my eyes, forcing back the surge of tears. I didn’t want to appear pathetic in front of them anymore. Because I knew if I showed any dissatisfaction, Leo would immediately feign injury. Then, even my pain would become a mistake. When I opened my eyes again, the constant ache in my heart felt completely numb. Like an old clock, it had simply stopped ticking. I looked at Serena. She was still watching me, and her eyes held a hint of pity. The feeling struck me as absurd. I quietly asked, “Can I go back and rest now?” Serena nodded. “Yes, go rest.” I breathed a sigh of relief and slowly shuffled towards the utility room. But my mom said, “Pack your things and go back home.” “There are reporters everywhere outside. If people find out you’re still living at your sister-in-law’s house, who knows what rumors they’ll start.” I obediently nodded. “Alright.” My mom told Serena to drive me back. Once we were outside, Serena suddenly grabbed my hand. “I’ll go with you into surgery in a week.” “After your surgery, we’ll talk properly.” “Leo and I… it’s really not what you think.” I saw Leo’s face suddenly change. I smiled at Serena and said, “Okay.” But she didn’t know that I wouldn’t have a chance to hear her hollow explanations. Serena looked at me strangely. She felt as if the person standing in front of her was a block of emotionless wood. She said impatiently, “Let’s go.” Once in the car, the ride was silent. Serena tried to speak several times, but each time she saw my pale, blood-stained face, her desire to talk vanished. The car had only gone halfway when she received a call from my mom. The next moment, she pulled over to the side of the road. She said anxiously, “Leo suddenly fainted. It might be a severe rejection reaction.” “I have to rush back. You can take a taxi.” I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. It was 3 AM. And this was a deserted overpass. A taxi? Where would I find a taxi? But I didn’t say anything, just obediently got out of the car. Before I could even steady myself, Serena stomped on the gas and drove off. The roar of the sports car tore at my heart, making it ache. I clutched my chest, taking a long time to recover from that excruciating pain. But just as I started to feel better, a dull rumble of thunder echoed overhead, as if even the heavens were enraged by my weakness, roaring in fury. Soon after, large raindrops began to fall, some hitting my head, stinging painfully. Hearing the “thump, thump, thump” sounds, I realized it was hailing. I quickly covered my head and walked forward. Hard hailstones relentlessly pelted my hands and face. As I walked, my vision suddenly went black, and I collapsed to the ground. A long, long time later, I think I heard an ambulance, and then Dr. Davies’ familiar voice. He sounded like he was crying, repeatedly demanding, “What happened? He still had a week to live! How… how could he suddenly be gone?” My ribs hurt so much, Doctor. You’re pressing down too hard on me. Are you performing CPR? But… it really hurts… Living hurts so much… Please, just let me go… “Beep…” Patient Alex Mo was pronounced dead at 5 AM on June 1st, aged 28. Simultaneously, the renowned Ingenuity Medical Research Lab received his body and initiated cryopreservation.

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In my last life, my sister loved her husband so much she gave him everything. While my brother-in-law was starting his business, she frantically took out loans, racking up massive debts to support his company. She was deep in debt herself. My brother-in-law praised her as the best wife in the world. To pay off her own debts, she and my mom stole my identity information to get illegal high-interest loans. Later, the debt collectors showed up at my door. All my assets were stripped bare, but it still wasn’t enough to cover the deficit. My parents blocked me and even publicly disowned me on social media. Seeing this, the debt collectors forced me into sex work to pay off the debt. I contracted an STD, and in a daze, I was hit by a car while walking at a crossroads. Reborn, I found myself back in my brother-in-law’s second year of starting his business… My brother-in-law was visibly ecstatic today. His huge financial problem was finally solved; he was grinning from ear to ear. I watched him hug my sister, spinning her around excitedly, then gently kissing her. When David looked at Scarlett and said, “Honey, I really can’t thank you enough. It’s all thanks to the loan you secured,” my heart clenched. In my previous life, Scarlett’s debt grew so huge she couldn’t pay it off. She played the victim, getting Mom to spin tall tales and make empty promises, urging me to help her get a loan. When I refused, she stole my identity to take out more illegal online loans. It wasn’t until the debt collectors found me at my workplace that the world went dark as I heard the amount. All my assets eventually went to paying it off, but it still wasn’t enough. When I begged my parents for help, I only got a lecture and then they blocked me. Seeing they couldn’t squeeze any more money out of me, the debt collectors, desperate, forced me into prostitution. To pay off the debt, I had to take clients non-stop every day. I was forced to take on clients with special fetishes that even experienced sex workers wouldn’t touch. My body was abused until there wasn’t a single good spot left. I wanted to die, but even that wasn’t an immediate escape. My brother-in-law only cared about getting the company started. He didn’t worry about subsequent funding at all. He just spent a few thousand to rent a place and buy office supplies when he first opened. My sister, with only her husband on her mind, was obsessed with the fantasy of him starting a company and striking it rich. Whenever David frowned and sighed, “Company funds are tight again!” she would keep taking out loans to support his company, burdening herself with mountains of toxic debt. This time around, someone else can be the chump in that deep pit!

My brother-in-law truly wasn’t cut out for running a company. The money Scarlett had borrowed before was nearly gone in less than six months. David had been sighing a lot lately. That day, Scarlett came home and, before even sitting down for dinner, started crying to Mom about David’s company needing money, and how she’d already poured all her savings into it. Mom, feeling sympathetic, quickly wiped away her precious daughter’s tears. “This company has been open for three years now, wasn’t everything supposed to be fine? Why is it short on cash now?” Dad chimed in, “Can’t David’s family chip in?” David looked annoyed. “My mom did say she’d support me, but Scarlett said this is ‘our’ family business, and she insists on finding the funds herself!” With that, he turned to leave, glaring at Scarlett. “I told you we shouldn’t have come!” Scarlett quickly stood up and grabbed David. “Honey, don’t be mad. Mom and Dad didn’t mean it that way, right?” She looked pleadingly at our parents. “Mom, tell Chloe. Chloe’s a government employee, everyone says she’s a shoo-in for a loan.” Mom immediately shot a glance at me. “Chloe, can you help your sister? Your brother-in-law’s company will pay you back as soon as it makes money!” I quickly interjected, “Mom, how can I? I just started my career, I barely have any assets. How much could I possibly borrow?” Scarlett nudged David, who reluctantly spoke. “Chloe, you just need to put your name on it. We’ll handle how to get the loan and the monthly interest ourselves. We’ll even give you five thousand as a finder’s fee.” Hearing that, I almost burst out laughing. Mom still acted as if I was getting such a great deal. “Chloe, look how much your sister and brother-in-law are looking out for you. You just need to get a loan, and you’ll get five thousand. Isn’t that better than your job?” The whole family nodded in agreement, as if getting a loan really wasn’t a big deal. Yeah, Mom was always like that! When Scarlett fell as a child, she’d anxiously call her ‘precious girl,’ but when I fell, she’d complain I couldn’t even walk straight. In my previous life, even though I didn’t agree to the loan, Scarlett still convinced Mom. Together, they took my ID and secured countless illegal online loans that I could never repay in my lifetime. I knew that if I refused outright now, the result would be no different from my last life. I pretended to gather my courage and spoke. “Mom, of course, I’m willing to help Scarlett and David.” Seeing Scarlett sigh in relief, I added with a worried look, “But what if they can’t pay it back? I’m still on the same household record as you. If the debt collectors come looking for us, they’ll come for our whole family. I heard those shady debt collectors can be really brutal.” Hearing this, my parents looked at Scarlett. “Loans indeed require caution. How about it, Scarlett, let’s call Eleanor over first, and we can all talk it over.”

I knew my parents’ thoughts too well. Unless it directly impacted them, they wouldn’t budge. Because Scarlett was the first child in the family, Mom already showed her favoritism. I, on the other hand, was unwanted from birth. Originally, Mom wanted to try for another child, but by then her body wouldn’t allow it. So, she expected Scarlett to marry into our family, to stay home, to stay by her side. My sister and brother-in-law’s relationship was initially disapproved of by our family. He was from out of town and from a single-parent home, with his elderly mother relying solely on him to carry on the family name. Who knew my sister would be so utterly blinded by love for her husband? She took out mountains of debt for him to start his company, telling our parents that her husband secured the investment through his own capabilities. Our parents just went along with it. Who knew that after only three years, such a massive bombshell would drop? The company turned out to be a total sham. My parents still bragged proudly to everyone outside every day about their son-in-law running a big company and making tons of money. And now, they were whining about being broke and demanding solutions. My sister was great at manipulating Mom. She didn’t directly ask for money, but rather pressured our parents to make me get a loan. In my previous life, I was just a mute, only capable of refusing. This time, with myself and my family tied together in this mess, I wondered what my parents would choose?

Scarlett’s desperate juggling of debts, robbing Peter to pay Paul, finally defaulted. Scarlett was frantic, pacing back and forth. The moment I heard the news, I rushed to her place with Mom and Dad. Entering the apartment, I saw Scarlett’s mother-in-law, Eleanor, sitting in the living room, seething with indignation. “You’ve finally arrived! Look at this huge mess Scarlett has brought upon our family! How are we going to fix this?” I walked into the bedroom to see Scarlett. Her eyes were red and swollen as she sat on the edge of the bed. Scattered glass shards lay on the floor nearby. Clearly, there had just been a fierce argument. “Scarlett, what happened? Why is there so much broken glass on the floor?” Scarlett looked at me, then glanced towards the door. “David threw it…” “Why? Because of the debt? Weren’t you doing all this for him?” “Ugh, it’s all because Mom and Dad called David’s mom over. David and I had a huge fight!” In my previous life, by this point, she would have already convinced Mom to steal my identity. Then, she would have used the borrowed money to pay off the debt. But I would be the one to suffer the bitter consequences of the unpaid debt. I turned and walked out of the room, pointing angrily at David. “David, if it weren’t for you, would Scarlett be drowning in all this toxic debt? How could you argue with her and even smash a glass?” Mom jumped up in alarm. “What toxic debt? You said the company was just having cash flow problems, David! What’s going on?” David watched Mom freak out and just threw caution to the wind. “Running a company is never smooth sailing! Scarlett voluntarily took out loans to keep my company running!” His mother, Eleanor, added fuel to the fire. “Those were all Scarlett’s unilateral, voluntary actions! They have nothing to do with my son!” “Don’t even think about it!” I shouted. “Debts incurred during marriage are considered joint marital debts, David. I don’t need to explain this, do I?” To my surprise, David didn’t flinch at all. “That’s true, but most of the debt Scarlett accumulated was before we got married. As for the post-marriage portion, half of the $300,000, my mom and I will figure it out.” I truly hadn’t realized my sister was so utterly blinded by love, borrowing money even before marriage. “Son-in-law, I need to discuss what you’ve said with Scarlett’s father! We’ll come back tomorrow!” With that, Mom gave me a look and pulled Dad out the door. She didn’t even step back into the room to see Scarlett. Mom’s reaction was both expected and unexpected. It turned out they didn’t really love me. In the face of their own interests, they loved no one.

Just as I expected, Mom didn’t go to Scarlett’s place. But her not going didn’t mean trouble wouldn’t come knocking. Scarlett had been waiting for Mom to come clean up her mess all morning, but she waited and waited, and no one showed up. She stormed into our house, burst through the door, and started sobbing the moment she saw Mom. “Mom, you have to help me! David wants to divorce me now and won’t take responsibility for my debts. If this continues, I’ll die!” Yes, you will die if you don’t pay your debts. Are you just realizing that now? In my previous life, you dumped all these debts on me. Did you ever consider if I would die? After all, she was still the precious daughter Mom had cherished for so many years. Seeing Scarlett like this, Mom’s heart softened a bit. “I do want to help you, but how much more do you need? Your father and I don’t have $300,000.” Mom must not have understood that day, thinking Scarlett only needed to cover the remaining $300,000 in debt. Scarlett stammered, “Mom, it’s not $300,000. With interest, it’s $1.3 million now!” Mom’s face turned red with agitation. “What?! $1.3 million? You borrowed this much money behind our backs?” Scarlett looked at Mom, agitated, and dared not speak, just cried. At this point, Dad finally spoke up to defuse the situation. “Scarlett, this amount is too large. Let your mother and me think of a way. You go home today, and try to stabilize David. After all, he has such a big company running, there must still be some money coming in.” Seeing that the shock to Mom and Dad was indeed too great today, Scarlett wiped away her tears and went home.

A massive debt of $1.3 million! In our small town, even if we sold our house, it wouldn’t be enough! “No way, I’m going to Scarlett’s place to talk to her mother-in-law. After all, they were married, and her son spent all that money. Now he wants to just wash his hands of it!” With that, she dragged Dad out like a whirlwind. I don’t know what Mom and Scarlett’s mother-in-law discussed, but when I got home from work, I found Mom surprisingly calm. “Mom, how was it today? Is Scarlett’s debt problem solved?” Mom glanced at me, as if she had something specific to say but then said nothing. “What good could David’s mother say? All she did was push blame!” That night, just as I fell asleep, I felt a rustling sound in my room. I jolted awake. “Who’s there?!” The person seemed startled. “Chloe, it’s Mom. I came to see if you were covered properly!” She then said, “You’re sleeping soundly, so I’ll leave,” and quietly exited. So, you finally came, Mom. My heart finally settled, and a sense of liberation washed over me. After a while, I quietly got up and crept to my parents’ bedroom door. “This vile little wretch, I don’t know where she hid her ID. I just couldn’t find it. What are we going to do?” Mom complained to Dad, agitated, “If we can’t borrow this money, Scarlett is finished! Chloe, that vile little wretch, she has no family feeling at all!”

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Soon after I died, Liam’s grandfather, Mr. Sterling, Sr., fell gravely ill and passed away. Liam’s parents were in a car crash and lay unconscious in the ICU. The Sterling family’s stock plummeted. Victoria sought out a mystic, claiming it was all due to my deep resentment and restless spirit. Little did they know, she was the one who killed me! She framed me and destroyed my reputation, all to steal Liam away. “You shameless woman, get out of the Sterling house!” “I was framed! Why won’t you believe me?!” I left, utterly heartbroken, but Victoria drugged me, locked me in the basement, and subjected me to unspeakable torment. She gouged out my eyes, cut out my tongue, broke my legs, and severed the tendons in my hands and feet. Then, she threw me into a den of men, letting them bind me and violate me. When she found out I was pregnant, she sliced open my stomach. I ultimately bled to death. Liam immediately demanded the Mystic suppress my spirit. And all this time, under the Sterling family garden, lay the undeveloped fetus. It was Liam’s and my child.

“Your resentment is too deep. You cannot enter reincarnation.” The Envoy’s gaze was chilling as he blocked my path. I was already dead, killed by my own sister and the man I loved most. Even as a wisp of a soul, I couldn’t forget my past. “How can I get rid of this resentment?” My voice was a hollow whisper, my eyes dead as I looked up and asked. The Envoy flipped through the records of my life, seeing my body riddled with wounds, not a single unmarred patch of skin, and how I’d been dismembered and scattered after death. His brow furrowed with tension. “When love and hate vanish, your resentment will scatter.” The Envoy sighed. “Don’t you want your beloved to know the truth? Are you content to die unremembered?” I clenched my fists, then released them weakly, letting out a bitter laugh. “I’m already dead. What good would that do now?” “I can help you.” My eyes lit up with a flicker of hope as I looked at the Envoy. “After all, only when your resentment disperses and you enter reincarnation will my task be complete.” I quickly bowed in thanks. “Thank you. I just want Liam to see the people around him clearly, to see the truth, to see my pain.” The Envoy was silent for a moment, then nodded, granting my request. Days later, Liam stared at the plunging stock market, his brows tightly furrowed. Beside him, Victoria stomped her foot in a fit of rage, arms crossed, muttering irritably, “The Mystic said it himself! It’s that damn b*tch Aurora, causing trouble even after death, ruining the Sterling family like this!” “Enough!” Liam said sharply, agitated as he lit a cigarette. “Where did you find this Mystic? Is he even reliable?” Victoria’s face twisted in an indignant sneer. “What do you mean by that? I pulled so many strings to find him! I think you’re just still hung up on that b*tch, still carry a torch for her.” Liam slowly exhaled a puff of smoke. “How could I be? You, on the other hand, have worked hard lately, running around for the Sterling family.” Liam’s frustration seemed to melt away as he looked at Victoria with tender affection. Victoria’s scowl softened, replaced by a demure blush, and she whined, her voice syrupy sweet, “Oh, you! I’m your wife, of course I’ll help you.” Soon after I died, Liam’s grandfather, Mr. Sterling, Sr., fell gravely ill. He coughed up blood incessantly, his face growing paler and thinner, as if his life force had been drained. Before this, he’d always been in robust health. What was strangest was that doctors couldn’t find any cause. A few days later, Mr. Sterling, Sr. passed away. Immediately after, Liam’s parents were in a car crash. They were turning at a green light, but in the next second, the light turned red. A large truck slammed into them. Both were critically injured, still lying unconscious in the ICU. Most bizarre of all, the Sterling family’s stock market, after these consecutive misfortunes, went into a tailspin. It plummeted for days, and many whispered that the Sterling family’s luck had run out. Liam hadn’t slept for days, frantic and overwhelmed. Victoria, introduced by a friend, found a Mystic. The Mystic, after a quick divination, claimed that a vengeful spirit was plaguing the Sterling family, causing their household to be disturbed and misfortunes to arise. The vengeful spirit, of course, was me, who had died half a year ago. It was Victoria who brought the news of my death back to the Sterling family. She said I had contracted a shameful illness abroad and died in a hospital bed, abandoned. Liam merely frowned slightly at this, sneering dismissively. “She truly was a dirty woman. Even after leaving the Sterling family, she couldn’t settle down. Good riddance, saves me from seeing her disgusting face.” He cursed me without mercy. All because, after I married him, I was falsely accused of having an affair with another man. In a fit of rage, he kicked me out of the Sterling home. No matter how much I pleaded my innocence, he turned a blind eye. And it was my dear sister, Victoria Maxwell, who orchestrated the whole scheme to ruin my reputation. She had a childhood betrothal to the Sterling family, but back then, the Sterlings were struggling financially. She refused point-blank, running off to live abroad by herself. That’s when I met Liam in a coffee shop on the corner of Blossom Lane. We fell in love at first sight. I endured hardship, helping him build up the Sterling family until they became the biggest business dynasty in the country. The first thing Liam wanted to do after his success was to marry me. But Victoria returned then. She, too, fell for the handsome, wealthy Liam at first sight. Unwilling to let me enjoy this good life, she drugged me, took photos of me in bed with another man, and anonymously sent them to Liam. Then, she pretended to lead Liam to “catch us in the act,” completely severing the bond between us. Seeing his complete lack of trust, I was utterly heartbroken and disillusioned, planning to leave quietly. But unexpectedly, Victoria imprisoned me in the Sterling family’s basement. I suffered unspeakable torment and ultimately met a tragic end. My eyes welled up. Now I was just a wisp of a soul, lingering in the Sterling home, watching him and Victoria maliciously slander me, trying every way to utterly destroy my soul. My heart ached as if pierced by a thousand needles. “Tomorrow, I’ll have that Mystic come over. I don’t believe he can’t subdue that damn b*tch Aurora. She’s truly shameless, getting a shameful illness and then having the nerve to haunt us after death. It’s absolutely disgusting!” Victoria’s eyes gleamed with cruel malice, a look I had seen countless times in life. The next day, the Mystic arrived as promised, accompanied by my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell. They were accomplices in my death too! They knew full well what Victoria was doing, yet they turned a blind eye. They even helped Victoria steal Liam away, all because they were biased and doted on her more. “Can this Mystic really do it? Are you sure he won’t expose anything?” My mother pulled Victoria aside and asked, worried. “Don’t worry, Mom. Aurora’s been dead for over half a year. There’s no such thing as ghosts in this world. I just asked the Mystic here to put on a show. As long as Liam believes it’s Aurora’s doing, that’s all that matters.” Victoria shrugged dismissively, not even bothering to acknowledge me. “Mystic, our home has been plagued by misfortunes lately. So, my wife asked you to come and take a look. Whatever it takes to secure the Sterling family’s foundation, I’m willing to pay.” My eyelashes trembled, and a bitter smile touched my lips. In his eyes, my injustice was far less important than money and profit. “Don’t worry, leave it to me.” The Mystic nodded, taking out a set of tools. He instructed them to arrange the tools at various points, then sat cross-legged in the center, closed his eyes, and mumbled something softly. “Is the vengeful spirit your former wife?” Liam was silent for a few seconds, then reluctantly nodded. “She betrayed me. I never thought she’d also harm my family! Dying a hundred times wouldn’t be enough.” The Mystic said nothing, continuing to close his eyes and chant. “It’s not that she intentionally wants to harm your family. It’s that her injustice remains unresolved. She refuses to enter reincarnation like this, so she seeks justice from you.” The Mystic spoke softly, his face grim, white mist rising around him, as if truly conversing with a departed soul. “How is that possible? I saw her betray me with my own eyes! What injustice could she possibly claim? I think she’s just looking for an excuse to harm us!” Liam didn’t believe it at all, his face full of scorn. “Exactly, Mystic! My sister was promiscuous. She even died from a shameful illness. How could she possibly be wronged?” Victoria linked her arm through Liam’s, adding solicitously, “Mystic, you must be careful. That b*tch is incredibly cunning. Don’t let her trick you.” “She’s right! Aurora was entitled and manipulative since she was a child. She was always best at lying. The Mystic must have been scared by her!” My parents also chimed in, eager to pin the blame on me. The Mystic didn’t respond. After a while, he suddenly opened his eyes. His face was pale, his eyes bloodshot, veins covering the whites, making him look truly terrifying. “This vengeful spirit’s obsession is too deep. It will be difficult to suppress. Only by clearing her name can she depart.” “Clear her name? What do you mean?” Liam quickly asked. The Mystic took a deep breath, his complexion gradually returning to normal. “She told me she didn’t die of illness. She was murdered!” Victoria’s eyes darted nervously, then she quickly rebutted, “How could that be? She died from a shameful illness. We all know that!” “She has already told me. The one who murdered her was you!”

The Mystic’s hand pointed firmly at Victoria. Liam immediately spoke up. “Impossible. Victoria is her sister. Besides, she’s gentle and proper, devoted to the Sterling family. How could she do such a thing?!” “That’s right, Mystic! Our little Victoria has been well-behaved and sensible since childhood. She never competed with her sister. Aurora was always the one bullying her. How could she kill Aurora?!” “You’re a fraud! I don’t think you know any spiritual arts at all. You’re just here to trick us out of money! You think we’ll believe you just by flapping your gums? You’re truly insolent!” Victoria saw so many people defending her and smirked triumphantly. “You’d better give me an explanation, or you won’t be leaving the Sterling family gates today!” Liam’s expression was grim, his gaze cold and threatening towards the Mystic. “Mr. Sterling, I just spoke with the vengeful spirit. She recounted her entire painful ordeal to me, which is why my blood boiled over, causing my face to contort into that ghastly mask. She said if you don’t believe her, you can look at her diary. All the truth is inside!” The Mystic quickly bowed, eagerly defending himself. “What nonsense are you spouting?! That diary was burned long ago…” Victoria realized she had slipped up, instantly cutting herself off, blinking frantically. “I mean, after she died, all her things were disposed of. How could there be a diary? Don’t pretend to be a ghost here. I think you’re just trying to buy time to escape.” Victoria naturally didn’t dare let Liam see my diary. In it, I had poured my last breath, writing with hateful blood. It was horrifying. “Mr. Sterling, if you truly want to resolve this urgent matter, please trust me. The diary is in the storage room right now!” Liam pondered for a moment, then glanced at a distracted Victoria. Victoria shook her head frantically, trying to stop Liam. “Then let’s go see what tricks this woman is trying to pull!” With that, Liam strode purposefully towards the storage room. Victoria’s shoulders trembled slightly, but she had no choice but to follow. As soon as she entered the storage room, she cautiously searched around, hoping to hide it first. “It’s here.” The Mystic’s voice drew everyone’s attention. Victoria bit her lower lip nervously, glaring at the Mystic with hateful eyes. I hovered nearby, watching them. When I saw that familiar diary, my eyes burned, and my heart ached so much I couldn’t breathe. Tears streamed down. It chronicled my painful, desperate life, just like this tattered diary, my life was already ruined. Liam hesitated. He lowered his gaze, examining the cover, reluctant to open the first page. His constant swallowing told me he was afraid. Finally, Liam steeled himself and turned to the first page of the diary. [How could I have been with that man? I didn’t even know him. I remember my sister brought me a glass of water, and after that, I wasn’t coherent.] [Why won’t Liam believe me? I know nothing. I was framed. I loved him so much, how could I cheat?!]

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My boyfriend Jason insisted on a platonic relationship, believing physical desire was sinful. When I simply kissed him, he sent me away for “spiritual purification.” The purification was successful. I no longer felt any desire for him. But my desire for other men doubled. Later, when he noticed the kiss marks on my collarbone, he started ranting in public again. “Must you fall into the abyss of sin?!” he yelled. His friend pulled me onto his lap and kissed my hand, laughing: “I’ve sinned. Why don’t you call the police and arrest me?” 0 The day I graduated from the spiritual purification program, I gave a speech as an outstanding graduate in front of the other students and their families. “I believe true love is the communion of souls. It shouldn’t be bound by physical constraints or driven by desire…” My boyfriend Jason was sitting in the audience. I stared at his face, maintaining a polite smile, but inwardly I felt sick. The reason I was standing here was all thanks to him. Three months ago, we had kissed. It was our first kiss. He had pulled me into his arms, called my name with a drunken voice, and kissed me. I didn’t push him away. After all, we had been dating for five years. And he wasn’t calling someone else’s name when he kissed me. But when he sobered up and realized it was me, his eyes instantly filled with disgust. I was pushed to the ground. Jason went to rinse his mouth. I stood at the bathroom door, staring at his actions, my fingers gripping the doorframe tightly. “Jason, was kissing me that disgusting?” He looked up at my reflection in the mirror, his gaze ice cold. “I’ve told you before, I’m platonic. I find this kind of intimate behavior repulsive.” “You were the one who kissed me,” I softly retorted. “Then why didn’t you push me away?” He pressed his palms on the counter, his fingertips turning white, sweeping everything onto the floor. I froze for a moment, then turned and left. I didn’t answer him. Because it was too absurd and laughable. By the time he came out of the bathroom, I had already packed my things. “Jason, let’s break up.” He walked past me, giving me a casual glance. He only said three words: “No need to.” “There is a need. I don’t accept your platonic relationship. I want to have a normal relationship.” I looked at his back, enunciating each word: “A normal relationship. With sex.” As soon as those words left my mouth, Jason lost his mind. I wasn’t able to break up with him smoothly. Instead, I was sent to a spiritual purification program abroad. They promised that in just three months, they could purify my desires. The students sent here were all young, beautiful girls. Most of their partners were elderly rich men, or wealthy men with hidden ailments. The so-called purification program was actually to prevent women dependent on men from cheating. I was an anomaly here. Because there was nothing wrong with Jason in that department. When we kissed, I could feel his reaction. He clearly had a physical response. But every time I showed any desire for intimacy, even just watching TV together, it would make him furious. Even on the day my mother passed away, Jason didn’t show up. I endured the funeral and memorial service alone, wanting to ask him for a comforting hug. He still refused. To avoid me, he even went out in the middle of the night. The next day, I received an anonymous text message. It was a photo of a woman sitting on Jason’s lap. Just thinking about it made me vomit in front of everyone. Jason immediately stood up from the audience. 0

I was helped off the stage by a teacher from the purification program. Jason came over and asked what was wrong. I said I was just too nervous. Once the door closed, the teacher took out a small bottle of blue reagent. I quickly drank it, suppressing the nausea. “Sophia, you’ve always performed excellently. How could you recall such things in public?” The purification program had specially assigned an English-speaking teacher for me. I smiled helplessly: “Teacher, I didn’t. I just thought about my boyfriend cheating.” The teacher sighed as well. The purification program presented itself as psychological courses to the outside world. But what actually worked was the consumption of drugs that forcibly suppressed desire. As soon as you had intimate fantasies about your designated partner, you would immediately start vomiting uncontrollably. At first I was very resistant, but after trying to fantasize about other men and having no reaction, I became indifferent. I didn’t care about Jason, I just wanted to leave early, so I took a lot of the medication. I don’t know if there were any side effects. When I opened the door, Jason tried to take my hand, but I instinctively avoided it. He froze for a moment, then withdrew his hand and curved his lips into a smile. He was very satisfied with the results of my “learning.” Jason decided to take me back home. The purification program gave him a course of medication. “If Sophia’s condition becomes unstable, you can administer it according to the instructions.” Jason asked, “What do you mean by unstable?” But the teacher didn’t explain, only giving vague answers. “Some students may experience withdrawal symptoms. Taking the medication will help.” Jason took me back to the country. He kept me locked up in a villa, with people monitoring me 24 hours a day. But I showed no abnormalities. Half a month later, he took me out. In a spacious private room, the contoured lights flowed, each face appearing and disappearing. This was the first time I met his friends. “How come you finally brought her out?” Jason sat down, patting the seat beside him. I sat next to him. “Sophia just got back from abroad. I was worried she’d be bored at home.” The light swept across the face of the girl opposite us. She was the female lead in that photo. Fiona, Jason’s childhood sweetheart from a suitable family background. She handed me a drink, asking curiously: “I’ve heard about this kind of thing before. I mentioned it to Jason. Can it really purify desires?” So it was her who had instigated Jason to send me away. And apparently everyone knew about my trip abroad. I downed that glass of wine, looking at Jason. I put the glass upside down on the table. “It can. I no longer have any desire for Mr. Xu.” 0

“What do you mean?” Jason stood up. “I’m saying, let’s break up.” Fiona whispered, “Is she not cured yet?” Jason frowned. He grabbed my wrist, pulling me into his arms. His other hand fell on my waist. The physical reaction came quickly. From my stomach to my throat, I couldn’t stop the violent convulsions. I suddenly pushed him away, barely covering my mouth in time as vomit spilled through my fingers onto the carpet. Everyone was shocked. Including Jason himself. Only I was already used to it, grabbing some tissues to wipe my fingers clean. “Are you satisfied now?” Jason’s face grew even darker. “You can’t even have normal contact with men now, and you still want to break up with me?” “Yes. Even so, I want to break up.” I turned to leave. This time Jason didn’t stop me. Maybe because I had passed the physical test, his emotions stabilized. “Sophia, no one else will accept you except me.” “If you walk out that door today, don’t ever beg me to take you back!” I never looked back. I leaned against the wall in the hallway, my vision blurring under the swaying lights, growing increasingly dizzy. I immediately realized Fiona’s drink had been spiked. Someone was following me from behind. I forced myself to stay alert, walking quickly forward without showing any signs. Just as I turned the corner, I crashed into a man’s arms. I tried to push him away, but then I stopped. I just waited quietly for a moment. The physical aversion reaction didn’t come. In fact, I felt the relief of the drug’s effects being alleviated. “Sophia, how long are you going to hug me?” The man’s backlit features held a teasing smile. It was Ethan, the heir to the Qin family. He used to be friends with Jason and had even spoken up for me before, but I heard they had a falling out later. Ethan felt my forehead with his hand. “Looks like you’ve been drugged. I’ll take you to find Jason.” “No, we broke up,” I looked at him steadily, my voice calm. “Besides, he can’t help me.” Ethan tilted his head, staring at me with a smile, his hand hovering near my waist. “Then what do you suggest we do?” His voice was soft, but to my ears, it was incredibly alluring. With my last bit of strength, I wrapped my arms around his neck. My lips brushed against his cheek, slowly stopping at his ear. “Ethan, can you… help me?” His arm tightened forcefully around my waist. Ethan looked down at me, his eyes dark with meaning. “Sophia, you’re not even asking if I’m willing, just if I can?” “I can’t take it anymore, please.”

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My parents are famous, but I can only see them on TV. They rush to the frontlines of war, claiming the environment is dangerous, and left me with my grandmother in the countryside. But later, they adopted their colleague’s daughter. They kept her by their side, compensating her for everything they owed me. She became their precious one, able to stay with Mom and Dad without the barrier of a cold screen. When they finally remembered me, I had already forgotten my feelings for them after a high fever. 0 I fell ill. It wasn’t serious, but it lasted for a long time. It all started with a bet between me and my adoptive sister. We were competing to see who could climb to the top of the mountain first. The winner would get our parents to attend their parent-teacher conference. When I finally reached the summit, exerting all my strength against the morning breeze and dew, I saw my parents and adoptive sister, the three of them smiling as they set up a tent to capture the sunrise. Seeing me arrive, Sophia grinned and said, “I only said we’d race to see who gets here first. I never specified how we’d get here.” She continued, “Emma, don’t you get it? To reach the same destination, you have to rely on your own two feet, but I have our parents to lift me up. You were destined to lose from the start.” My parents stood behind her, holding cameras. Upon hearing our conversation and realizing what had happened, they looked a bit embarrassed and were about to invite me to watch the sunrise with them. But I had already turned to leave without a second glance. “Let her go!” I heard Mom’s angry voice from behind. “Why can’t she be more understanding like Sophia? If she knew how to be close to her parents, instead of always having that cold, sullen face, we wouldn’t ignore her!” Hearing this, I couldn’t help but find it somewhat amusing. My parents always said I never knew how to soften my attitude, never knew how to be affectionate and please them. But in the fifteen years of my life that they were absent, I couldn’t even see them, let alone be close to them. How could I know how to do something no one ever taught me? After returning home, I fell ill. Although I had only been exposed to a bit of wind and dew, I developed a high fever and felt weak and dizzy. Before completely passing out, I called an ambulance for myself. Then I sank into darkness. In my unconscious state, I saw my childhood again. When I was very young, I could only see my parents on television, and that was the only place I could see them. They were nationally renowned journalists, college sweethearts with shared ideals. After graduation, they chased their common dream, running to the frontlines of various important news events. Later, they even volunteered to go abroad to war zones, living and eating with refugees devastated by war. Before they left, they took a photo. In the picture, I was still a baby, held in the arms of a smiling man and woman, the three of us nestled together happily as a family. At that time, I didn’t know that this would be the last time in my life that I would be embraced by my parents. It was also this moment that made the child in me regret and beat my chest countless times. I hated myself for not being more precocious – so that I could have known what it felt like to be in my parents’ arms. It must have been an experience worth remembering for a lifetime. But there are no “what ifs” in life. Communication wasn’t as advanced in those days, so I was left with my grandmother who lived alone in the countryside. The old lady wasn’t very good at using the mobile phone my parents had left her. At the beginning of each month, she would walk over ten miles to the post office in town, leaning on her cane, to see if there was any mail for us. When I got a bit older, she would take me with her. Before each trip, I would always put on my best clothes that I usually saved for special occasions, and wear two flowers on the neat braids Grandma had done for me. I thought my parents could see me through the letters, so I had to dress up beautifully to see them. But I never received any letters. It wasn’t until third grade, when my language teacher assigned us to write a letter to our mothers, that I suddenly realized letters were only sent one way. My parents wouldn’t suddenly appear in the post office to hear me tell them how much I missed them. Fortunately, even without letters, there was still television. My parents had been abroad for many years and hadn’t come home for the Spring Festival for seven or eight years. Occasionally, they would ask someone to bring some appliances to Grandma’s house in the old village. When that 45-inch color TV was installed in the house, it drew many villagers to come and watch. Grandma didn’t mind, inviting everyone in to watch TV together. After the antenna was set up and the TV turned on, it happened to be the evening news. After the well-dressed anchor said a few words, the scene changed, and a couple in plain clothes appeared on the screen, holding microphones. At that moment, my eyes lit up. The people in the news were my parents. They were standing in front of the smoke of war, briefly introducing the local situation and calling on the whole society to lend a hand to these refugees who had suffered undeserved disasters. I looked at their faces, much more weathered than in the photos, and walked dazedly to the TV. “Dad, Mom…” I looked up, calling out to them loudly, but got no response. 0

From then on, watching the news became my unwavering hobby. They weren’t on the news every day, but whenever they were, I would always have a good dream that night. In my dreams, my parents would take me with them, and I could go on adventures with them. They would hold me in their arms, ruffle my hair, and call me “baby.” Later, when I entered junior high school, I went to study in town. By that time, mobile phones had started to become more common. One day after school, I found that old mobile phone that hadn’t been turned on for a long time in the drawer of Grandma’s bedside table. I charged it up again and when I found the number with my parents’ names in the contacts, my heart started pounding uncontrollably. The call didn’t go through; the phone had been out of service for a long time. Later, I saved up money for a long time, reciting that number representing my parents every day. Finally, on my birthday, I gave ten dollars to the owner of the small shop at the entrance and borrowed her phone to dial that number. The phone rang for a long time, and just when I thought no one would answer, that gentle male voice that had been lingering in my dreams day and night sounded. “Dad!” I exclaimed his name excitedly, telling him I was his baby. But he was silent for a long time, as if he couldn’t remember that he had a baby back in his hometown. When he spoke again, his voice was a bit hurried. He said, “Baby, Dad’s busy with work. I’ll contact you later. Be good and listen to your grandmother back home.” He hung up without waiting for my reply. I held the phone, warmed by the heat from my ear, feeling a bit disappointed. This was the first time I had spoken to my father in my memory. A child’s intuition is actually keen, and on that day, I suddenly realized something. My parents didn’t necessarily miss me as much as I missed them. From then on, I still couldn’t break the habit of waiting for the news in front of the TV, but I was no longer as excited as before when waiting. Once, I had fantasized that I was a loved child, thinking that Mom and Dad also wanted to see me through the screen. But now, I finally understood that they probably didn’t love me. To them, I was a strange existence that hadn’t left much impression due to the long separation. 0

The turning point came when I was in high school. At that time, I was buried in my studies every day, hoping to enter the news industry for college. High school required boarding, so naturally, I no longer had the chance to watch the news every day. One day after self-study, I saw Grandma standing at the classroom door, leaning on her cane. She had even put on new clothes for the occasion. As soon as she saw me, she excitedly said, “Baby, your parents are back. Let’s go meet them.” At that moment, the books in my hands fell to the ground, and the whole world was filled with a ringing sound. I was going to see my parents. They were finally no longer just cold images existing on the screen. I could throw myself into their arms and act spoiled, or hold their hands, sit beside them, and show them all the awards I had received over the years. I grew up in the countryside and didn’t have any special talents. These certificates praising me for being top of the class every year were the only things I could proudly show them. I wanted to know if they would be proud of me. I hurriedly followed Grandma to the bus station. While waiting, I fixed my hair countless times. I also quietly bought a pack of wet wipes to clean my face. Using the reflection from the steel armrests of the station seats, I kept adjusting my appearance over and over, constantly regretting that I should have washed my hair before coming out. I was afraid that my first impression on them would be bad, but then I thought that since they were my parents, they shouldn’t mind. By then I had entered puberty, and my vague sense of self-esteem had already taken root. I thought, since my parents had neglected me so much when I was little, when I met them, I should also act a bit reserved. That way, we’d be even. Grandma and I ended up not being able to wait for my parents. After sitting at the station until late at night, my dad’s friend came to find Grandma. He said my dad had called him, saying they had landed in the capital and would only stay for a week. After finishing their handover, they would set off again, so there was no need to come back to the old home. They told us not to wait anymore. I listened to this news in a daze, my head buzzing. I felt they would indeed do something like this. I just felt a bit of contempt for them in my heart. I thought, Grandma is old, and even I know to be filial to her, but they let their own parents’ expectations fall through time and time again. Perhaps they weren’t as wonderful as I had imagined. Perhaps… they weren’t even as good as me. After returning home, I developed a high fever. During my illness, I learned from my uncle who came to visit me about the reason for their return to the country this time. The war zone they had been in was completely destroyed by artillery fire. The attack came too suddenly, and the journalists were slow to evacuate. Many people were injured. My parents, in order to record the city under artillery fire in the first place, forcibly delayed until the last moment. Their best friend – the photographer who had followed them through life and death – also lost his life because of this. Bearing the life and expectations of their friend, they were even more unwilling to stop. After returning to the country for recuperation, they quickly geared up to return to the front lines of the war. As if to express their guilt, they had someone buy new phones for Grandma and me. They even took the initiative to call me. But we were indeed strangers, and after exchanging a few pleasantries on the phone, we had nothing more to say. Before hanging up, Dad told me to study hard, saying that Mom and Dad were waiting for me at the front. But my attention was all on the clear voice of a little girl calling “Dad!” from their end of the phone. Yes, they had adopted their colleague’s daughter. That girl, five months younger than me, was very pitiful. Her name was Sophia. Her mother had passed away when she was very young, and now she had lost her father too. My parents took her in. War is cruel and dangerous, yet they kept Sophia by their side.

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My boyfriend asked me, the winner of the North American Architectural Design Award, to draw his blueprints. After five years of dating and on the verge of getting married, I agreed. I pulled all-nighters, day in and day out, helping him with his designs, which landed him the sole coveted faculty position at the university. But when I went to help him organize his office for the new semester, I ran into his new assistant, Briar Thorne. “Audrey, your designs are so handy. It’s just, the paper for your sketches was so stiff, it wasn’t comfortable to lie on. It even chafed my skin. Next time, use something softer, like fine art paper.” “I’m attending Professor Thorne’s induction ceremony in three days, and Mr. Hayes worked so hard to get Professor Thorne to take me on as his protégé. What if I can’t even wear my dress?” I looked at the water-stained blueprints, and it hit me: my all-nighters, my blood, sweat, and tears, were just a flimsy pad for my boyfriend and his assistant to… well, *enjoy themselves* on! Noah always preached that Briar came from a rough background, and he was just “doing his part” to help her out. He told me to “broaden my horizons,” to stop being so “petty.” But he took my design plans and put Briar Thorne’s name on them! And for three whole months, my hard-earned designs? Just a prop in their twisted little *game*! Silently, I tossed the design sketches into the trash. Then, I called Professor Sterling Thorne, the man who’d been trying to recruit me as his protégé for years. “Professor Thorne,” I said, my voice cutting through the silence, “Your apprentice? It’s either me or her!”

“Audrey, you finally came around!” Professor Thorne’s voice was filled with barely contained delight. “You absolutely *must* be there for the induction ceremony in three days!” “It was always meant for you. You are the true star, the guest of honor!” I simply hummed in response, listening as Professor Thorne continued to give instructions. “That Noah kid, he did recommend a student named Briar Thorne to me.” “I saw that design draft. It was brimming with creativity and showed a deep foundation. But that kind of innate design sense? No ordinary student could pull that off.” “I found it suspicious then, and I’d been meaning to ask you about it. I just didn’t realize… you’re just too patient, kid.” Professor Thorne’s words stirred a bitter ache in my chest. After hanging up, I drove back to the apartment Noah and I had decorated together, a place filled with five years of memories. Pushing open the door, Noah was sitting on the sofa, drinking a beer, talking to Briar Thorne on FaceTime. His voice was so soft and gentle, it could melt butter. “Briar, don’t worry. I’ve handled everything with Professor Thorne. He really admires your talent.” “Just be stunning at the induction ceremony.” He saw me, but didn’t hang up. He just casually lifted his chin, gesturing for me to change my shoes. After he finished the call, he noticed my calm demeanor and realized something was off. He scowled, his face full of impatience. “What now, Audrey Blake? Who annoyed you?” I tossed my phone onto the coffee table in front of him. The screen showed the photo of the water-stained blueprint. Noah’s face instantly changed. “Audrey Blake, what is this supposed to mean?” “What do I mean? Noah, why is Briar Thorne’s name on *my* design?” Seeing that I’d caught him, his tone softened slightly. “Audrey, I only did this for *our* future!” “Think about it, if Briar becomes Professor Thorne’s protégé, won’t we have an extra connection in this industry? It’ll benefit both our careers!” He reached for my hand, but I sidestepped, avoiding his touch. “You’re going to doubt our five years together just because of a piece of paper?” “Audrey Blake, you’re really disappointing me!” Disappointing? I looked at his indignant face and felt nothing but absurdity. “Disappointment? Is it because I didn’t use softer paper, so it chafed *her* skin?” “You two know exactly what you did on my blueprints!” At that, Noah’s face turned beet red. He snarled, “Audrey Blake! How can your mind be so filthy?!” “Briar is young, she’s just a kid, she likes to joke around. Why are you getting so worked up over it? Don’t you have any dignity as an upperclassman?!” I watched his furious outburst, and the last flicker of warmth in my heart completely extinguished. That’s what true heartbreak feels like, when your heart just… dies. “Noah, we’re over.” I spoke calmly, and the air instantly solidified. The anger on Noah’s face froze. He probably thought this was just another one of my usual “tantrums.” Throughout our five-year relationship, he’d grown accustomed to my tolerance, my yielding, my habit of always revolving within the circle he drew for me. “Audrey Blake, you’re being utterly unreasonable! Fine, I’ll let you cool off for a few days.” He walked into the bedroom, slamming the door shut. “Once the induction ceremony is over, you’ll understand my good intentions.” I looked at this man, who had become completely unrecognizable, and a cold smile touched my lips. Noah, there is no future for us anymore.

Leaving the apartment and getting into my car, I watched the city lights fly by outside the window, remembering the laughable five years I’d spent with Noah. Noah’s talent was limited; he originally wouldn’t have been able to secure a faculty position. It was *me* who locked myself in the studio, researching, sketching, and building models day and night, helping him complete the design that earned recognition from FasTech and secured him that sole coveted faculty position. The last week before the project deadline, I was on my period, doubled over in pain, cold sweat drenching my clothes. Noah brought me a warm tea, his eyes full of feigned concern. “Audrey, maybe you should stop drawing. Your health is the most important thing.” I was so touched back then, I drank the tea, put on a heating pad, and gritted my teeth, continuing to work. Now that I think about it, his “maybe you should stop” was probably the only honest thing he said. The next day, I returned to the studio with bloodshot, swollen eyes. My assistant, Julian Reed, brought in coffee and gasped when he saw me. “Audrey, what happened to you? Did a client push you this hard?” Julian has been my assistant since I graduated. He’s two years younger than me, usually seems laid-back, but he’s sharper and more attentive than anyone. I didn’t say anything. I just silently opened my laptop and pulled up the design I’d made for Noah. “This…” Julian’s eyes lit up after just one glance. “Audrey, is this your new work? It’s brilliant! That mortise and tenon joint structure is simply divine!” I forced a bitter smile. “This design? It belongs to someone else now.” After Julian heard what happened, he slammed the folder in his hand onto the desk in anger. “Holy hell! You gave your blood, sweat, and tears to that jerk, and he hands it over to that manipulative snake? And they used it as a damn *pad*? Are you kidding me? Who *does* that?!” “Audrey, just wait. I’m going to have someone teach that jerk a lesson right now!” Seeing him hopping mad, my heavy heart lightened a little. “It’s fine, no need.” But Julian wouldn’t back down. He suddenly sat across from me, looking at me with a serious expression. “Audrey, seriously, are you just going to keep this dead weight around? Dump him, now!” He winked, a playful tone in his voice, “If you need a place to stay, you can come to my place. If you need a boyfriend, you can consider me.” “I promise, I’ll spoil you rotten, take care of your every need. I’ll never let you suffer any more injustice.” I laughed, amused. “Are you getting your lines from a bad rom-com, kid? Get back to work.” He pouted, wearing an expression that clearly said, “I’m serious, you know.” Just then, my phone rang. I answered, and Noah’s condescending lecture immediately came through. “Audrey Blake, stop messing around.” “You’ve had your fit, right? I’m apologizing, okay?” “Two days from now, dress up nicely and come to the ceremony. Apologize to Briar in front of everyone, and we’ll put this behind us.” “We can go back to how we were before, okay?” Before I could say anything, a sickly sweet, suggestive female voice came from the other end. “Mr. Hayes, hurry up, please. Help me with the zipper on the back of my dress, I can’t reach it…” It was Briar Thorne. Noah’s voice dropped, tender and comforting. “Don’t rush, I’m coming.” They didn’t even bother to hide it from me. I forced a bitter laugh. Julian, noticing my mood, clenched his jaw, his knuckles white. He looked ready to jump through the phone and tear that rotten pair apart. I reached out and gently pressed his hand, then spoke calmly into the phone. “Okay.” “I’ll be at the induction ceremony in three days.” With that, I hung up and dragged Noah’s number into my blacklist. Julian looked at me incredulously. “Audrey, you’re really going to…” “Apologize?” I raised an eyebrow. “What are you thinking?” I stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the bustling street below. “That ceremony was always *mine*.” “I’m just going to reclaim what belongs to me.” “As for apologizing… the one who needs to apologize? It’s certainly not me.” “Audrey, you look so powerful right now.” Julian’s eyes held a flash of concern, but he quickly put on a joking facade to comfort me. What I didn’t see was that the moment he closed the door, the smile on his face vanished. Julian pulled out his phone and dialed a number, his voice cold as ice. “Look into Noah Hayes and Briar Thorne from the Architecture Department at A-University.” “Yes, I want them… utterly ruined.”

Three days later, the induction ceremony. The venue was the city’s most exclusive hotel ballroom. Noah had clearly pulled out all the stops. To build momentum for Briar, he had already leaked my design, credited to Briar Thorne, to several friendly media outlets. Headlines screaming “Architectural Prodigy Takes the World by Storm!” and “Professor Thorne’s Visionary Discovery” were plastered everywhere. Noah wore a crisp, tailored suit, looking radiant. Briar, in a white strapless gown, her makeup flawless, nestled against his arm, playing the demure damsel. “Mr. Hayes is truly young and accomplished, and so sharp-eyed to discover such a talent like Briar!” “Indeed, a perfect match, a match made in heaven!” “Briar is Professor Thorne’s final protégé! We seniors will have to look after this little genius in the future, won’t we?” Noah beamed, unable to contain his joy. While his words were humble, his eyes were practically overflowing with smugness. “Oh, it’s nothing, really. Briar simply has immense talent and works incredibly hard.” “Everyone here is part of the same community now, so please, do look after our Briar.” Noah and Briar revelled in the compliments, completely oblivious to how dark Professor Thorne’s face was on stage! Professor Thorne took the microphone, his deep voice resounding throughout the ballroom. “Good evening, distinguished guests. Today, I’ve invited you all here to introduce a young designer whom I deeply admire.” He gestured to a staff member, who projected a 3D rendering of a design onto the large screen behind him. It was “The Nest,” the very design I had poured countless sleepless nights into. “This design, ‘The Nest,’ is a work of genius, whether viewed from its structure, concept, or humanitarian considerations.” Below the stage, Briar Thorne already wore a triumphant smile. She was even ready to elegantly walk onto the stage the moment Professor Thorne called her name. Noah also smugly adjusted his tie, preparing to accept everyone’s congratulations. Just then, I walked into the ballroom, arm in arm with Julian. Seeing me, the smiles on Noah’s and Briar’s faces froze. Noah strode towards me, his voice low and sharp. “Audrey Blake! How can you be so clueless?!” “I know you’re feeling wronged, but today is Briar’s induction ceremony. What are you doing here? Do you *have* to embarrass Briar?!” On stage, Professor Thorne’s gaze swept across the room, his eyes suddenly sharp. “Today, besides introducing a true genius, I also want to use this opportunity to reveal a truth and personally rid our design world of plagiarism and its perpetrators!” At these words, the entire hall fell silent!

The reporters Noah had invited to fill the room were the first to react, swarming around me. “Miss Blake, there are rumors circulating online that you maliciously plagiarized new designer Briar Thorne’s work. What’s your explanation?” “We hear you were in a relationship with Mr. Hayes. Did you make such an irrational move out of jealousy that your boyfriend was promoting a new talent?” “Are you here today to publicly apologize to Miss Briar Thorne and Professor Thorne?” Sharp questions came one after another, flashbulbs flickering wildly, threatening to swallow me whole. Noah looked at me coldly. “Just go back! The plagiarism rumors are already trending! Do you seriously have the nerve to come here and make a scene?!” After reprimanding me, he quickly stepped forward, adopting a humble and deferential posture toward Professor Thorne on stage. “Professor Thorne, please don’t be angry. Audrey is young, she made a mistake. I’ll make sure to teach her a good lesson when we get home!” Briar Thorne’s eyes immediately welled up, tears flowing freely. She weakly stepped to the front of the stage, pleading with Professor Thorne in a seemingly magnanimous tone. “Professor Thorne, please don’t blame Audrey.” “I know Audrey didn’t mean it. She probably just liked my design too much and made such a mistake.” “Please, I beg you, give her another chance. I… I’m willing to forgive her.” Her words, while seemingly magnanimous, were utterly insidious, directly nailing me to the pillar of shame for plagiarism. The gazes of the crowd below were already filled with disdain and contempt. Professor Thorne gave them a cold glance, saying nothing, but then turned the microphone towards me, his eyes burning with intensity. “Audrey, come up here!” “Now, I would like to formally introduce you to someone.” “This person is the true author of the genius work ‘The Nest,’ and the brilliant designer I have been searching for years to take under my wing—Audrey Blake!”

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My brother and I both had high fevers at the same time. My parents gave me the last three fever reducers, and he turned into a slow, unresponsive kid. When he was bullied, he retaliated against his classmates. When he was ignored, he hurt our parents. Reborn, I shoved all the fever reducers into his mouth. The thick stench of blood clung to my nostrils. In the dim living room, two cold bodies lay still. It was my mom and dad! They had been murdered! They lay on the floor, eyes wide open in death, a sight that sent shivers down my spine. But I was pinned down on the bed, held tight. My hands and feet were tied, leaving me completely immobile. A large, grayish-blue hand gripped my throat, making it hard to breathe. A sharp dagger dripped with blood, wet and cold against the pulse point in my neck. “Sis… Sis…” The person on top of me let out a low, pained sound. Stuttering, broken. This person was my younger brother. Ten years ago, he and I both had persistent high fevers, our temperatures soaring past 104°F. Medicine was scarce back then, almost impossible to find on the market. Our family only had three fever reducers left. After much agonizing, my parents decided to give them to me. My thirteen-year-old brother, after that fever, became what everyone called an “idiot.” He became a target for bullying at school and a transparent, ignored presence at home. And that led to this grim outcome… He’d killed Mom and Dad, and now, he was coming for me. Why was he looking so hurt right now? The man’s hand tightened, and I slowly lost my breath, unable to respond. “Sister,” he called me again, slowly. Perhaps from years of not speaking, he could barely form full words anymore. His voice sounded like it was squeezed from his throat, tinged with a manic eeriness. “Everyone who bullied me at school… I killed them all.” He slowly lowered his head, his warm breath ghosting over my face, raising goosebumps all over my skin. Meeting his bloodshot eyes, I painfully squeezed mine shut. “These two people, I killed them too.” He continued to utter chilling words. I knew he was talking about Mom and Dad. Suddenly, the large hand on my neck loosened slightly. He pressed the knife deeper into my skin. A jolt of pain shot through my neck. With every breath, an icy chill pierced me. He had slit my throat.

He gently rubbed his face against mine, whimpering, “I gave you all the fever reducers. Why did you have to get married?” So, he still remembered what happened ten years ago. Because of a high fever, the clever and lively boy he once was became clumsy and blank. He had lost his promising life. I owed him for that. But he shouldn’t… he shouldn’t have… killed so many people, and he definitely shouldn’t have acted like a monster and murdered our parents. I didn’t quite understand the second part of his sentence. After graduating from college, because of his condition, I worried he wouldn’t be able to take care of our parents in the future. So, I chose to stay by Mom and Dad, marry a gentle man, and together, we’d take care of them and him. I had planned out our whole family’s future… I’d met a decent guy through a setup, and we were getting married next week. “Sister, after you die, I’ll kill him and then come join you.” “Don’t worry.” At this moment, he spoke more than usual, no longer like the silent, slow kid he used to be. I knew he was talking about my fiancé. Tears blurred my vision, and I could only shake my head in agony. As my consciousness faded, I could feel him holding me tightly. And his pained whimpers, like a trapped beast. He must be in pain too, right? Unable to control himself? It shouldn’t have, shouldn’t have ended like this. I seemed to see glimpses of our happy family of four from when I was little. If only, back then, I had given him the fever reducers. If only, back then, I had known his classmates were bullying him, and I had helped him. If only, back then, I had shown him more care at home. Would things not have turned out like this? But alas, it was too late. He killed everyone. And I died too.

It hurt. My head hurt. My whole body ached. My eyes refused to open. In a hazy state, I couldn’t distinguish between dream and reality. It felt like I was being cooked in hot water, excruciatingly uncomfortable. A cool hand pressed against my forehead, followed by the cold beep of a device. Then, a woman’s anxious cry: “What are we going to do? Avery’s temperature is already 104°F!” Hurried footsteps echoed in the room. “Leo’s at 104°F too! We can’t buy medicine, and the neighbors don’t have any to lend. This won’t do!” “Let’s go to the hospital!” “It’s on lockdown! How long will it take to get approval? Plus, with the special circumstances, there might not even be beds at the hospital!” “Why do my children have such a hard life…” A familiar male voice declared decisively, “There are only three fever reducers left. Give them to Avery? She can’t be harmed! Otherwise, we’d never forgive ourselves…” These words felt like they came from another lifetime, instantly clearing my hazy mind. Like someone struggling for survival, I burst out of a steaming cauldron. I opened my eyes! Startling the man and woman in the room, who then erupted in joyful surprise. “Oh, my sweet Avery, you’re finally awake! You scared Mom half to death!” Two much younger faces leaned over me, two living, breathing people, bringing tears to my eyes. My hands trembling, I touched my neck. It was perfectly fine! I shot up, ignoring the damp sweat on the bedsheets. Due to the high fever, my voice was hoarse. “What year is it?” Mom and Dad exchanged glances, their worry evident. “Oh no, the fever made her confused.” “It’s 2022. You and Leo are on winter break. Avery, just take the medicine…” I suppressed my pounding heart, snatched the three fever reducers from Mom’s hand, and jumped out of bed, rushing towards Leo’s room.

When I burst through the door, the young boy on the bed had his eyes tightly shut, his face flushed red, muttering in pain, “Dad… Mom… Sister…” I finally let out a heavy sigh of relief. There was still time. It was good, I’d been reborn, and I had a chance to choose again. I tore open the medicine packet and immediately threw myself onto Leo’s bed, forcefully prying open his mouth. I cried, muttering, “This time you eat it, you eat it! Just take it down…” Perhaps my frantic actions scared Mom and Dad, they rushed over to pull me away. “Avery…” But I yelled, “Don’t move!” I turned to them, my eyes blurry with tears, my voice firm. “Give the medicine to my brother.” Just then, my hand was gently licked, and I froze. Looking down, I met a pair of dark, weak eyes. As if crossing a long decade, and countless bloody, cruel moments, they converged into this handsome young boy before me. “Sister.” He called me. My body stiffened. I didn’t know what expression to show. The terrifying scene before my death made it impossible for me to face him calmly. This was the future killer… Could I really change everything? Thinking of Mom and Dad behind me, I gritted my teeth, making up my mind. This life, I absolutely couldn’t let him feel hurt or ignored. I had to make him happy, had to soothe him. I forced a strained smile, popped the medicine into his mouth, and said softly, “Good boy, Leo. Take your medicine, and you’ll feel better soon.” Mom and Dad behind me seemed to hesitate, as if wanting to say something, but in the end, they just sighed and said no more. Leo blinked his dark eyes, then suddenly smiled, innocent and harmless, his voice hoarse, “Mommy said there were only three left. Sister, you take them.” I didn’t care about anything else, tears streaming down, I clumsily kept shoving the medicine into his mouth. “You take it, you take it…” If you don’t take it, we’ll all die ten years from now. He frowned, reaching out to stop me, and forcibly pulled out two pills, weakly offering them to me. His gaze was calm, his voice still holding the clear tone of a young boy: “Then I’ll take one, and Sister will take two.” I couldn’t refuse again. Because his eyes were terrifyingly bright. Just like they were when he cut my throat. Even though, in this year, he was only thirteen. Perhaps the fever reducers really worked. I don’t know how long I slept in a daze, but when I finally opened my eyes, I was startled.

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The new air traffic control intern, eager to cultivate an image as a prodigy, volunteered to direct flights from the control tower. However, due to her lack of experience and poor judgment, she issued a takeoff command despite interference signals, causing a collision between the departing plane and another aircraft that was about to land. Afterwards, she threw herself into my boyfriend’s arms, sobbing: “I didn’t mean to, it was my first time and I was so nervous…” My boyfriend held her close, comforting her: “Everyone makes mistakes their first time. Don’t worry about it.” “You’ll get better with more experience.” Those passengers on the planes were moments away from reuniting with their families. But their lives were forever frozen in that instant. Shaking with anger, I slapped her: “Those were human lives! Not some game you’re playing!” “Your carelessness killed everyone on two planes!” The intern was overcome with shame, wailing that she would atone with her own death. To protect her, my boyfriend and the team leader pushed me out as the scapegoat. The leader secretly altered the duty logs and bribed everyone to fabricate evidence against me. At the press conference, my boyfriend publicly revealed “information” pinning all responsibility on me. Public outrage erupted. I was fired by the company and blacklisted across the industry. Grief-stricken families of the victims stabbed me 38 times until I died. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day of the intern’s fatal mistake. 0

“What… what do I do?” In the control tower, Tiffany, the air traffic controller intern, stared at the radar screen with a pale face, helplessly watching the two planes about to collide. As the aircraft markers turned red and drew closer, disaster was imminent. Unable to handle the pressure, Tiffany burst into tears, switched off her headset and collapsed into my boyfriend James’ arms, refusing to continue. “I’m scared, James,” she sobbed. In my previous life, Tiffany’s arrogance led her to recklessly order a takeoff despite interference signals. When the predictive radar blared urgent red warnings, the entire control tower was thrown into panic. Hundreds of lives that could have been saved were lost due to the actions of Tiffany, an intern who didn’t even have her official certification yet. The incident made headlines, causing a huge public outcry. Everyone was waiting for our airport to provide an explanation. To protect Tiffany, my boyfriend James didn’t hesitate to use me as a scapegoat. The team leader Henry also deleted all the control tower recordings that could prove my innocence, to eliminate any loose ends. At the press conference, I was helpless to defend myself as the blame was pinned on me. Facing astronomical compensation claims and prison time, I was brutally stabbed to death by grieving family members of the victims who had infiltrated the event. In my final moments, I saw the hatred burning in their eyes. Rage surged through me – I wasn’t the one who deserved to die! How could this be happening? Perhaps my unjust death moved the heavens. Incredibly, I found myself back at the moment Tiffany abandoned her post. In this new life, I was determined to make these people pay for their sins and seek justice for my past self. As the situation grew dire, I strode to the control panel, put on the headset and opened the radio channel to the pilots: “Eastern 5195, go around. Previous aircraft has requested landing, climb and maintain 2100 feet on current heading…” The chaotic control room fell silent as they heard my commands, holding their breath so as not to disrupt the rescue. After prolonged communication and cooperation from the pilots, the red alert was finally cleared. This time, the passengers who had died because of Tiffany in my past life would make it home safely. I switched off the headset, saved the recording, and handed off communications to a colleague. Then I turned and yanked Tiffany out of James’ embrace. A clear handprint was left on Tiffany’s tear-stained cheek. I was furious. This slap was not just for my wronged past self, but for all the passengers and crew who had died in my previous life. 0

The force of my slap sent Tiffany stumbling backwards. She clutched her face, looking at me in disbelief. I pointed at the plane that had just safely taken off outside. “You idiot! An air traffic controller’s job is to ensure safety in the skies. You nearly cost hundreds of lives with your stupidity!” Tiffany’s tears flowed freely as she whined, “I was just nervous since it was my first time directing takeoff. I’m sorry!” Always the same trick. Ever since she started her internship, this was how she handled problems. She insisted on cultivating an image as a prodigy despite her mediocrity, just to make everyone see her differently. But when crucial work was actually entrusted to her, she’d screw up royally and leave us to clean up her mess. Afterwards, she’d cry and act cute to beg for forgiveness. But this time, hundreds of living, breathing people had nearly died because of her. “Olivia, that’s going too far!” James yelled. “Mind your own business!” I snapped back at him. “Wasn’t it you who confidently boasted you could handle this flight direction? Now that we actually let you do it, you try to run away when things go wrong!” “What, do you think we all have a death wish? Want us to go to prison with you?” Henry, the team leader, also stepped in to muddy the waters and try to shift blame onto me. “Olivia, you should have given Tiffany more guidance since you knew it was her first time.” “Are you kidding me, Henry?” I scoffed. Henry was taken aback, probably not expecting me to call him out so directly. I glared coldly at the two men shielding Tiffany: “Instead of acknowledging Tiffany’s incompetence, you’re blaming me for not teaching her properly?” “Her poor work performance nearly cost hundreds of lives, and you’re still making excuses for her!” “If I hadn’t stepped in to direct the flights, do you think you’d still be standing here chatting with me?” “Do people actually have to die before you take this seriously? Or are human lives just meaningless to you?” Doubt flickered across their faces, but they still chose to defend Tiffany. “Don’t give me that crap about me not teaching her well or her being some genius! Tiffany was mentored by you two, so if she’s such a prodigy, how come you failed to train her properly?” “Did you all get kicked in the head by a donkey? Have you forgotten our duty to protect air safety?” I let out a cold laugh, looking at Tiffany being comforted in James’ arms: “What you’re doing now isn’t just a dereliction of your professional duties. It’s a blatant disregard for human life! If you want to keep arguing with me, don’t expect me to show any mercy!” 0

By now it was clear to everyone that I wouldn’t let this slide. Seeing my resolute attitude, the two men didn’t dare say anything more. I glared fiercely at Tiffany and ordered: “For the next two months, you’ll retrain with the new batch of interns. Just you, alone. You’re not allowed to participate in any flight direction until you pass the training!” “Do plenty of simulation exercises and learn how to handle emergencies properly!” “And I want to see your written self-reflection at Monday’s meeting. You’ll read it out loud to everyone.” With that, I turned to leave, not wanting to look at Tiffany for another second. “Wait!” James clearly wanted to advocate for Tiffany one last time: “Tiffany was involved in the rescue too. You can’t hog all the credit – add her name to today’s incident report.” Looking at his shameless expression, I responded sarcastically: “Sure, go ahead. And next time she screws up, you can take responsibility for her.” “Olivia! You- if it weren’t for Tiffany you wouldn’t even have this achievement-” I laughed mockingly, cutting him off. “Oh right, I should thank her for creating a mess for me to clean up!” “She doesn’t even have the basic psychological qualities needed for air traffic control, let alone actual directing skills!” “And you, repeatedly acting like this is all perfectly reasonable. How pathetic can you get?” James was at a loss for words, only able to glare at me with a red face. Tiffany’s tears seemed to have opened floodgates. She looked at me defiantly: “Olivia, I know you’ve always had issues with me, but aren’t you going too far today?” I drawled in an exaggerated tone: “Oh, so you know I have issues with you? Then why don’t you stay out of my way instead of constantly causing trouble!” “If you want credit for this rescue, you’d better earn it first. Though I suppose abandoning your post in a crisis is quite a talent too.” “Don’t worry, if you want to keep slacking off and coasting by, I’m sure someone will be happy to take the fall for you when things go wrong.” As I finished, I glanced meaningfully between James and Henry. Their faces twisted as if they’d swallowed flies. I gave a cold laugh and strode away. 0 Back in my office, I had just poured myself some water when Henry opened the door, ushering in Manager Smith with a sycophantic smile. Seeing James and Tiffany following behind, I immediately understood what this was about. An inquisition. I let out a derisive laugh. “Manager Smith, shouldn’t you be in training right now? What brings you to a lowly grunt’s office?” Manager Smith was in his fifties and had spent most of his life working at the airport, constantly squeezing money out of us underlings. All in all, he was a slippery old fox who loved being flattered. I couldn’t be bothered to play nice with someone like him. Seeing my attitude, Manager Smith immediately let out a disdainful snort. “If they hadn’t told me you were bullying your coworkers, I wouldn’t have known your authority had grown beyond mine!” “Making decisions above your pay grade, ordering Tiffany to retrain without reporting to me.” “You clearly have no respect for me!”

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Six years with Chloe, and in the end, I still couldn’t compare to her first love. The 88th time her first love, Asher, stood on a rooftop, claiming depression, she shoved a fake divorce agreement at me. “What are you waiting for? Sign it, now!” I knew it was fake, but I still refused. I begged her to find another way. But Chloe stubbornly shook her head, yelling at me, “Asher is literally dying! Do you even care about our marriage? Have you no sympathy? I was so wrong about you. I should have married Asher back then!” I froze. She said she regretted marrying me? I shook my head, a bitter laugh escaping me. Of course. She’d never loved me. So I decided I wouldn’t cling on anymore. I secretly swapped out the fake divorce agreement for a real one, signed it, and then turned around and married someone else in a wedding for the ages. Chloe watched me sign the divorce papers, her face instantly changing. She leaned in and kissed my cheek, bubbling with excitement. “Baby, you’re amazing!” “Don’t worry, I’m just faking it for Asher. I’m still your loving wife.” I could see it clearly: her excitement wasn’t about me. It was because she could finally be with Asher openly, without needing any more excuses. Clutching the divorce agreement, she didn’t hesitate. She turned and headed straight for the rooftop upstairs. As she turned, her arm brushed against my leg, which was still recovering. I cried out, a sharp pang shooting through my heart, followed by a dull, persistent ache. She probably forgot I was still lying in this hospital bed, my leg injured from saving her, needing constant care. I gave a bitter laugh. Of course. In her heart, compared to Asher, I was nothing. Besides, we were divorced now. I didn’t expect her to take care of me. After she left, I opened a super popular live stream. On screen, Asher was on the rooftop. Everyone was tense, trying to talk him down, but it was useless. Then, Chloe suddenly appeared in the frame. She eagerly pulled out the divorce papers and held them up to Asher. “Asher, look! I divorced him!” “You’re the one I love most. Please come down, okay? I’ll stay by your side forever, never leaving.” My fingers paused. *That* was her real truth, wasn’t it? As she spoke, she slowly moved closer. She reached him, ignoring the knife in his hand, and pulled him into a tight embrace. She was always so meticulous about her skin, she wouldn’t even let me gently touch her during intimate moments. Yet now, for Asher, her collarbone was grazed. The two embraced tightly, weeping with joy, and shared a passionate kiss that lasted for ten minutes. The live stream chat exploded with viewers calling it “true love” and shipping them relentlessly. I couldn’t watch another second. I switched off the screen. I squeezed my eyes shut, my entire body trembling. Nurses came in to change my dressing, chatting loudly about gossip. “That couple on the rooftop today, the girl was so brave! She dumped her unloved ex-husband and fearlessly pursued true love.” “Oh, you know, I’ve seen it all, and that girl probably married her ex for all sorts of reasons, but definitely not for love!” Hearing them, it hit me. It was true. Chloe had never loved me. I had just loved her too much, living in a fantasy of love, a one-sided devotion. Suddenly, I heard sounds from outside the door. It was Chloe, holding Asher’s hand, coming back. They looked like a new couple, her face flushed with a sweet bashfulness. In all the years we were together, I had never seen that expression on her. So, this is how she blushes for someone she truly loves. Even though we were divorced, that moment still felt incredibly bitter. As they passed my room, our eyes met. Chloe looked a little guilty, but she still linked arms with Asher and walked into the room next door.

Asher was in the room right next to mine, and the soundproofing wasn’t great, so I could hear everything they said. As soon as their door closed, I heard the sounds of their passionate kissing. Their kisses were intense, punctuated by Chloe’s soft moans. “Chloe, you’re completely mine now.” “When was I ever not yours? Asher, I’ve missed you so much all these years. Every single moment I spent with Noah, I was thinking of you.” I couldn’t bear to listen anymore. I opened my music app, trying to distract myself. But my tears fell despite myself, soaking the pillow. That night, Chloe came over. She carried a lunchbox and handed it to me. Then she took my hand, her eyes filled with a manufactured helplessness. “Noah, did you see the live stream today?” “Yeah.” Her grip tightened. “You know we were just putting on a show, right? That kiss was just to soothe him.” “Yeah, I get it.” She suddenly hugged me tightly. “Noah, you’re really too good.” “Quick, try the food I made myself. It’s all your favorites.” She opened the lunchbox for me. The moment I saw the dishes, I froze. Every single dish was loaded with chili peppers. I had gastritis and couldn’t handle anything spicy. It was clearly food she’d meticulously prepared for Asher. Before, no matter how late I worked, or even when I overworked to the point of stomach bleeding, she had never personally made me a single bowl of porridge. Whenever I cautiously asked her if she could make me a soothing stomach porridge, she’d refuse, saying her hands were for playing the piano, not for household chores. But for another man, she was willing to cook and care for him with such devotion. She saw me hesitate to pick up my fork, so she picked up a piece of food to feed me, but I pushed her hand away. I frowned. “Chloe, have you forgotten? I have gastritis.” She seemed to suddenly remember, putting down the fork. “Oh, right. Sorry, Noah, I got caught up.” I didn’t say anything, my heart aching again. Just then, Asher suddenly walked in. He wrapped an arm around Chloe, looking at me with triumph. “Noah, Chloe already divorced you! Don’t cling to her like a pathetic dog anymore. Don’t be so pathetic.” He glanced at the food on the table, scoffing, “Oh, spoke of a dog, and here you are. You’re only fit to eat my leftovers.” Chloe looked flustered. To avoid Asher’s suspicion, she suddenly glared at me. “I came here today to tell you that we’re divorced. I need to give Asher a sense of security. Don’t bother me again.” Then she took Asher’s hand and left. I looked at the food on the table and let out a self-deprecating laugh. My mind drifted back to Chloe and my past. I first met her in a dessert shop. She was working part-time to pay for her mother’s medical expenses. The moment I saw her, I was drawn to her resilience. I began to pursue her relentlessly, even paying her mother’s expensive medical bills. She slowly began to accept me. At the time, I was ecstatic, thinking it was love. Only now, I realize, perhaps it was just gratitude. Because of the vast difference in our family backgrounds, my father adamantly opposed our relationship. To marry her, I cut ties with my family. Leaving home, I became a penniless young man. To continue paying for her mother’s medical expenses and to allow Chloe to pursue her dream of becoming a pianist, I started working day and night. I don’t know how many times I collapsed from exhaustion in the warehouse. I drank until my stomach bled to secure deals, and even had cardiac arrest due to severe lack of sleep. Despite all this, I never allowed Chloe to suffer in the slightest. She could just chase her dreams. After I successfully founded my own company, I gave Chloe all my unwavering affection. But her heart never truly opened up to me. She had a first love she couldn’t forget. Before, I thought it didn’t matter. As long as I gave her enough love, she would eventually make a place for me in her heart. It was only after this incident that I understood: it was useless.

My mom called. For years, she had been trying to convince me to go home and apologize to my dad. I knew he couldn’t stand Chloe, and if I went back, he would definitely demand I divorce her. That’s why I hadn’t returned home all these years. But this time, I agreed. My mom was shocked by my decision. “You’ve really come to your senses?” “Yeah.” During these days in the hospital, Chloe hadn’t visited me once, because she was busy traveling with Asher. Every day, I saw different scenic photos on Asher’s social media feed. Before, no matter how much I begged Chloe, she would never travel with me, saying she had to practice piano and couldn’t slack off. Now it seemed, accompanying Asher was probably the most important thing in her life. I laughed at myself, then turned off my phone. When my leg was mostly healed, I was discharged from the hospital. I went back to the small house Chloe and I shared first. I took out the divorce agreement and placed it on her piano. She often made time to practice, and she would see the divorce papers right away when she did. I stared at the divorce papers, a strange anticipation swelling within me. What expression would Chloe have when she saw them? After all, a *real* divorce was never part of her plan. I sat blankly on the sofa for I don’t know how long, until the door opened. Chloe was back from her trip. Asher was with her. Seeing me, Chloe looked surprised. “Why are you here? We’re already divorced, aren’t we?” She vigorously gave me a look, wanting me to play along. “Just came to pack my things.” I didn’t need to play along. Every word was sincere. Asher looked like he was about to make a scene, so Chloe quickly soothed him, her eyes soft and tender. Then she snapped at me, “Don’t just come and go from this house anymore! Asher gets upset whenever he sees you. Don’t you know that?” Her expression didn’t seem fake. “Chloe, why are his things still everywhere in this house?” “Isn’t this supposed to be *our* home now?” Asher looked at Chloe with a pitiful expression. I hadn’t expected her to let Asher live in our marital home. I was actually curious to see what she would do next. Chloe froze for a few seconds, but her next action chilled me to the bone. She actually ripped up our wedding photos! She reached out and tore every single one of our wedding photos, tossing the pieces to the floor. Her movements were swift and decisive, without a hint of hesitation. Then she rushed into the bedroom and threw my few remaining clothes at me. “Take your things and get out! Don’t ever let me see you again!” My mind went blank. I couldn’t think. It was only when Chloe threw something at me that I was jolted back to reality. It hit the floor with a crisp sound. I looked down. It was our wedding ring. I had taken design classes for two months just to create this ring for her, to give her a perfect proposal experience. To put on a show, she could go to such lengths. No, at this point, I couldn’t even tell if she was still putting on a show. “Take your things and get out!” she shrieked in my face. Asher looked at me with a triumphant smirk, as if he’d won a grand victory. I stared at that ring for a long time, until my eyes burned. Finally, I let out a bitter laugh. “Fine. I’ll have movers come and clear everything out.” Then I turned and walked away. And I would never come back. I drove to my old family home. My mom was already waiting for me at the door. We hadn’t seen each other in years. The moment she saw me, tears streamed down her face.

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The rescue team called me, saying my parents had ventured into the uncharted wilderness and were now calling for help. They told me to be ready for the huge rescue fees. My husband suddenly snatched my phone. “These are just scam calls, don’t believe them.” He then threw my phone, threatening to divorce me if I dared use our money for the rescue. But he had no idea that the tour package he’d booked for my parents had been stolen by *his* parents. Now, trapped in the wilderness and waiting for rescue, were *his* parents. “Ms. Miller, this is the rescue team. Your parents have entered an uncharted wilderness. We are not a volunteer service, so the cost to get them out will be approximately $150,000.” The number they quoted was huge. It sounded like a lot, but with years of savings between my husband and me, we could still manage it if we really pushed ourselves. I immediately said, “Of course, rescue them! How do I transfer the money to you…?” Before I could finish, my husband snatched my phone. He stated flatly, “Those two old people went into the wilderness on their own. We don’t need to waste our tax dollars. Thanks for your time, but no thanks.” What kind of talk was that?! I immediately tried to grab my phone back from his hand, but he just threw it on the floor and smashed it. He glared at me, his face red with fury. “Ashley, do you know what you were just saying? That’s years of our savings, just gone like that? Don’t you think that’s a waste?” I stared at him, shocked. “What are you talking about? That’s our parents! You’re always saying how hard they worked to raise you, how we needed to honor them!” I picked up my phone from the floor. Luckily, my phone case was shockproof, and with the tempered glass protector, it only shattered the screen protector when it hit the ground. Seeing the phone was okay, I sighed in relief. The rescue team’s call was still connected on the screen. I knelt on the floor and replied, “I’m willing to pay for the rescue!” My husband rushed over, snatched my phone again, and yelled into the receiver, “Rescue who, exactly?! I said no damn way! Those worthless old people had nothing better to do than wander into that wilderness. They deserved whatever they got!” With that, my husband hung up. I looked at him in disbelief. “Blake Hayes, are you even human?! Those are your parents!” He scoffed. “My parents? No, those are *your* parents. Ashley Miller, let me tell you, if you dare spend a dime to rescue them, I’m divorcing you. Don’t forget, you have no right to touch our joint assets without my consent.” After saying that, he went back into the bedroom, even locking the door to keep me out. My heart turned to ice. I sat on the floor, trying to compose myself, already thinking of ways to get around him and pay for my parents’ rescue. Suddenly, I realized something was off. What he’d just said clearly showed he thought it was *my* parents who were trapped in the wilderness. But it was *his* parents who had taken the tour tickets.

A week ago, Blake was humming a tune as he walked in. Seeing me, he pulled two tickets out of his bag. “My friend opened a travel agency, and they’re doing a promotion right now, so I bought two tickets. Aren’t your parents always talking about traveling? This is a perfect chance to send them off on a trip.” I stared at the two tickets. The price tag on them was hefty: $800 a head, flights not included. Clearly not a budget tour. Holding the tickets, something felt off. I asked, “Blake, didn’t you say before that my parents traveled too much, that it was a waste of money? Why the sudden change of heart, sending them on a trip now?” He sat on the couch, smiling. “Oh, old people have so few hobbies, right? They’ve got plenty saved up, their retirement funds are solid. It’s good for them to get out, stretch their legs, and stay active.” Hearing Blake say that, I felt genuinely happy. Looking at the two tickets to the Northwest, I immediately called my parents. After hanging up, Blake smiled at me. “Happy?” I nodded repeatedly. “Yeah, I am. How about this, we buy two more tickets and send your parents along too?” “No way. They can’t go!” he blurted out. I looked at him, confused. “Why? If you think it’s too expensive, I’ll chip in some extra money. Four old people could look out for each other on the trip.” Blake always said his parents were simple country folk, born and raised in the sticks. Besides coming to the city for our wedding, they spent most of their time in the countryside. They’d never traveled before, and this was a great opportunity. My parents, who were seasoned travelers, could take his parents along, and they could look out for each other, so nothing would go wrong. He frowned, thinking for a long time before replying, “They’re just country bumpkins, practically born with mud on their boots. They don’t deserve such a fancy trip. A little sightseeing around the city is enough for them.” “No way! There’s a first time for everything! Those two have worked hard their whole lives, what’s wrong with them enjoying themselves a little?” I opened my phone. “Send me your friend’s travel agency info; I’ll buy the tickets.” Blake stood up and put his arm around me. “Honey, their travel agency just opened, and the special tickets are all gone. How about this, next time we go on a trip, we’ll invite them along.” “Oh, and remember to book the flights for your parents. The tour tickets are redeemed in person. I’m going out of town tomorrow, so I’ll leave you to handle the arrangements. I trust you with it.” He was so adamant that I had no choice but to agree. That night, after he fell asleep, I slipped out of bed and went to the living room, taking the two travel tickets to search for the travel agency online. But after searching for a long time, I couldn’t find any information about that travel agency. “Could it be that it’s a new agency, so there’s no info yet?” I mumbled to myself. The thought of Blake sending my parents on a trip while leaving his own at home made me feel a little guilty. Finally, I found the travel agency my parents usually used and asked if they had any new packages. They quickly replied, “Of course, ma’am. Same great service, guaranteed to satisfy.” “$200 a head, flights not included.” Looking at the package they offered, the itinerary was packed, but the price was incredibly cheap. Since it was a travel agency we’d worked with for years, I immediately transferred the money. After doing all that, I returned to bed and slept soundly.

After Blake left for his business trip, I called both sets of parents and told them we’d booked a trip departing from our city. My father-in-law and mother-in-law immediately told me to book business class flights for them to come from the countryside. As soon as they walked in, my mother-in-law started grumbling, “Going out to play again, how much money have you even made to be so wasteful?” My mother-in-law was always like that—loud and incredibly stingy. After years of being married to Blake, I’d long learned to just let her nagging go in one ear and out the other. I smiled and pulled my mother-in-law into the house. “Mom, Blake said you two have never traveled before, so this is a chance to send you off! Besides, money’s meant to be spent, right?” My mother-in-law sat down, scrutinizing me. I smiled and showed her my phone. “See, this travel agency is great. My parents go there all the time. No forced sales, the guides are fantastic speakers, their descriptions of the sights are so vivid and engaging. The itinerary is well-planned, and they book five-star hotels.” My mother-in-law glanced at it, clearly tempted. She scrolled through my chat history with the travel agency for a bit, then suddenly looked displeased. “You’ve sent your parents off so many times, and we get booked on this little tour?” She looked at me and snorted dismissively. “My son makes so much money, and it all goes to your parents.” I kept a smile on my face. “If one isn’t enough, we can add more activities, go to more places, right?” As I spoke, my father-in-law suddenly stood up, picked up two travel tickets from the coffee table, glanced at them, and immediately got angry. “You booked us a $200 tour, and sent your parents on an $800 one?!” My mother-in-law snatched the tickets from his hand. After looking at them, she was so furious she stomped her foot, then plopped onto the floor, dramatically slapping her thigh. “Oh, the horror! I thought you were finally being merciful, having a change of heart and wanting to send us on a trip, but I never expected you to book us on this garbage tour!” I quickly explained, “Blake bought these to support his friend’s business. They were special discount tickets, not expensive.” With that, my mother-in-law shoved the two travel tickets into my arms. “Anyway, it’s all just travel. We want to go on the $800 one.” “This…” I hesitated. After all, the $800 tickets were bought by Blake. My mother-in-law immediately burst into a tirade. “You just don’t want us to enjoy anything good. You look down on us country folk, don’t you? Such a cheap tour, who are you trying to fool?!” Even my usually quiet father-in-law spoke with a hint of anger now. “We’ve seen videos online. Cheap tours lock old people in rooms. If you don’t buy expensive goods, they don’t give you food, water, or even let you use the bathroom. If you want to abuse us, why use such a method?!” I had no idea how to explain. I pointed to my past chat records with the travel agency. “I’ve sent my parents on this tour several times; this travel agency is really good.” My mother-in-law swatted my phone to the floor. “Hmph, I don’t care. Hurry up and book our flights. We’re going to the Northwest.” I picked up my phone, feeling helpless. Seeing my mother-in-law’s insistence, I called Blake. The first call was hung up. Just as I was about to dial again, my father-in-law spoke up. “Don’t bother him. A man’s busy with work. What are you, a woman, doing, telling him what to do?!” Having lived with my in-laws for years, I knew how to avoid their temper. “I just wanted to confirm with Blake.” My father-in-law was impatient. “Does this little thing need confirmation from the man of the house? I’ve always said a man’s place is at work, a woman’s place is at home. Women shouldn’t interfere when a man is out building his career. Hurry up and book our flights.” My mother-in-law chimed in, “Exactly! It’s normal for our Blake to ignore us for a month or two when he’s busy. Don’t you dare bother him when he’s trying to get a promotion.” Stay calm, stay calm. Mother-in-law relations have always been tricky. We only see them twice a year, so I’ll just consider this my good deed for the year. I sighed and had no choice but to open my phone to book flights. I entered their information, selected tonight’s flight, and as I was about to pay, my mother-in-law snatched my phone again. She suddenly yelled, “Why are you booking us economy class?! That’s for the common folk! Our son can afford a house in the big city; how can you make us fly economy?!” After several rounds of this, I was too tired to argue. If she wanted first class, so be it. Payment, of course, would be from my husband’s bank card. Only after the tickets were successfully purchased were they satisfied. “Then I’ll postpone the original tour I booked for you. It’s just a reservation; you can go any time within a year.” My mother-in-law wasn’t happy again. “Don’t think I don’t know, you just want to subject us to a cheap tour! We’re not going. Either refund it, or let your parents go.” Then, my mother-in-law’s eyes darted. “Oh, right, just let your parents go on the $200 tour. Let them suffer a bit, and they’ll never want to travel again!” My good intentions were completely wasted on them. Even though I was used to letting their words go in one ear and out the other, I felt a little angry now. “Fine, then my parents will go on the $200 tour.”

Just then, there was a knock at the door. I quickly opened it; it was my parents. As soon as he walked in, my dad cheerfully said, “Ashley, what kind of tour did Blake book for us?” Then he noticed the two older people in the room and quickly greeted them. “Oh, in-laws, you’re here too! Is it just the four of us older folks going off without you two young ones this time?” My mom also smiled slightly. “We travel often, so we know all the ins and outs. When we’re on the road, we’ll give you tips.” I was about to speak, but my mother-in-law cut me off. “I don’t need your tips! My darling son booked us an $800 tour, not like your daughter, who’s so cheap, only booking you a $200 one.” She cast a sideways glance at me. My mom paused. “An $800 tour? That’s pretty good.” My mother-in-law gloated, “That’s because my son has been filial since he was little. He feels bad for us old folks in the countryside, so he booked us an $800 one. Your tour is too cheap; we won’t go with you.” Then, my mother-in-law said with fake sympathy, “But dear in-laws, you need to be careful. There are a lot of cheap tours online that will make you spend money to leave. You should be careful, or maybe just don’t go.” Who couldn’t hear the underlying meaning of those fake sympathetic words? My mom was naturally gentle and kind to everyone. Even after hearing that, she didn’t show any anger towards my mother-in-law, maintaining her smile. She reached out and patted my back, comforting me slightly. “The city has many tourist attractions close by, and a two-day itinerary is plenty. This price includes two nights’ accommodation, which is a great deal. Just the other day, your dad and I were talking about booking this package. I guess mother and daughter really are on the same wavelength.” Seeing that my mom wasn’t angry at all, my mother-in-law realized her taunts were falling flat. “Hmph, you’ll know when you’ve suffered a bit. Honey, let’s go now. No need to see us off. Just take your parents on their trip.” My father-inin-law and mother-in-law turned and left. Only my parents and I remained in the house. After they were gone, I took my mom’s hand. “Mom, I really didn’t think all this through. The tour I booked for you, there were plenty of cheaper ones, but you know this travel agency’s value.” My mom shook her head. “That $800 tour was originally for us, right?” My mom had seen right through it, of course. I was about to tell her that I would rebook a trip to the Northwest for them later, but then my mom spoke. “Your in-laws have spent their whole lives in the countryside and have never traveled. It’s a rare chance for them to go, so of course they should enjoy themselves. Don’t worry, your dad and I won’t mind.” I looked at my parents with gratitude and immediately contacted the travel agency to change the passenger names.

After seeing both sets of parents off on their trips, I was alone at home. I went about my usual routine: working, coming home, cleaning the house. I also received different photos from both sets of parents. Mother-in-law: “Oh, my son is so filial! This $800 trip is just different.” Mother-in-law: “Look at this grand hotel, how luxurious! Those country folks would never get to stay in a place like this. My son is a city man now, with a car and a house, he’s amazing.” Mother-in-law: “Oh, this vast, sandy desert is truly something else. Most people wouldn’t even understand it. In a couple of days, our guide is taking us to a famous landmark. Ordinary people can’t get in there, only those with our $800 tickets can.” I looked closely at the photos my mother-in-law sent, frowning. The package clearly stated five-star hotels, but the place they were staying didn’t look like a five-star hotel at all. It looked more like a budget motel. I was about to type a message, telling my mother-in-law to ask the guide about the accommodation, but after typing a few words, I deleted them all. Better to avoid trouble. After so many years married to Blake, I already knew how to handle his relatives. If I opened my mouth and said the hotel was wrong, my mother-in-law would probably scold me. Then I looked at the messages my mom sent me, all beautiful landscape photos. As I was looking at my mom’s photos, Blake came home. “Did you send your parents on their trip?” He asked casually, changing his shoes. I nodded. “Yeah, they’re having a great time. Want to see photos?” I even purposefully held my phone out to him. But he frowned and pushed my hand away. “I just got back from a business trip, I’m a little tired. As long as they’re having fun, that’s enough.” It was normal to be tired after a five-day business trip, so I didn’t think much of it. But unexpectedly, the very next day after he returned, I received an unfamiliar call.

Now, sitting on the floor, I kept replaying everything, and suddenly, from a mess of “something’s wrong,” I finally pulled out the crucial thread. There was no “friend’s travel agency.” It was clearly a setup he orchestrated, to lure my travel-loving parents to the Northwest, then have his contacts guide them into the uncharted wilderness. My parents’ emergency contact was me. The rescue cost was too high, and no one offers free rescue. So, naturally, they contacted me to get them out. In my initial panic, I hadn’t thought much. But now, calm, I knew that regardless of whether it was my parents or his, if either pair of elderly people were in trouble in the wilderness, I would pay to rescue them. However, Blake’s words just now had completely extinguished that notion. He was so resolute, demanding no rescue. Why should I make him act like a devoted son? Thinking this, I stood up and knocked on his bedroom door. “Come out. I want a divorce.” The door opened, and Blake stared at me, utterly shocked. “Are you insane? You want to divorce for those two old geezers, willing to waste so much money? I’m not giving you the money, and now you want a divorce?” I nodded. “Divorce, and divide the assets. My parents paid the down payment on this house, and we’ve been jointly paying the mortgage. Your family paid for the renovations and appliances. So, we’ll split it equally by market value: the house goes to you, and the money comes to me.” “Our joint assets will be divided equally. Don’t worry, we had a prenuptial agreement notarized, so our pre-marital assets won’t be mixed in. “One car each.” At this moment, I was even more grateful that I had considered getting pregnant some time ago. For it, I had specifically asked experienced colleagues with children, bought folic acid and other prenatal supplements, and downloaded an app to calculate my ovulation day. But these were just preparations. Just as I was about to start, some things got in the way. I even decided I didn’t want children this lifetime. Without children, dividing assets would be incredibly easy. Seeing my resolve, Blake sneered. “You think threatening me with divorce will make me pay that money? Ashley Miller, don’t dream. Your money is also mine. You won’t get a divorce.” I looked at him, stunned. It was hard to imagine the man who used to show up under my dorm building every day, who knelt on one knee to propose and promised to treat me well for life, had turned into this. “Are you really willing to let our parents die?” I struggled to control my breathing, staring at him coldly. He sighed. “Ashley, I know it wasn’t easy for your parents to raise you for so many years, but you have to think about our future. We’re both only children; we already have four elderly parents to support. If we have two kids too, can we afford it?” I said grimly, “My parents have their retirement funds; we don’t need to worry about their retirement.” He looked at me coldly, his eyes even showing clear dissatisfaction. “But now we’re talking about $150,000 for one rescue, and there’s no guarantee they’ll even make it out alive! Wouldn’t that $150,000 just be wasted? How many years will it take us, with our salaries, to save up that much?!” Hearing this, I felt utterly sick to my stomach. Perhaps it was psychosomatic, but I clutched my stomach and gagged. Seeing my action, Blake’s eyes suddenly lit up. “If you won’t consider us, at least consider our child, right?” Pregnant? How could I be pregnant? He moved to hug me. “Honey, you’re pregnant, you’re tired, don’t stress over these things. Don’t worry, after this is over, I’ll contact a search and rescue team to try and retrieve your parents’ bodies.” “I remember your parents should have a few insurance policies, and you’re the beneficiary. Once the money comes in, we can move my mom to the city. She can live in your parents’ house. That way, everyone in our village will say you’re a filial daughter-in-law.” “Once the baby is born, we can pool our money to buy him a house. Wouldn’t that be amazing later?” Oh, he’d already planned everything, even for the money after my parents died, and the house we were living in now. When did Blake start having these thoughts? I dodged his embrace. “Are you sure you don’t want a divorce?” Blake nodded. “No divorce, no divorce. You’re pregnant now, why would I divorce? Think about it, wouldn’t it be better to spend that $150,000 on our child than on rescuing two elderly people with slim chances of survival?” I took a long, hard look at Blake, hoping he wouldn’t regret his decision today. After that, Blake became incredibly attentive, even specifically telling me not to be too upset, and to remember to think more about our child if I felt overwhelmed.

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